Bow Season- Opening Weekend

[tmaggie50]

Does anyone have advice, links to articles, etc for strategies to opening week hunting?

I believe I?ve nostly read 2 strategies. it?s either moving and calling and keep pushing until you see something or get a response. Or it?s sitting watering holes, and glassing.

Thanks for any advice.

 

[DTP]

Does anyone have advice, links to articles, etc for strategies to opening week hunting?

I believe I?ve nostly read 2 strategies. it?s either moving and calling and keep pushing until you see something or get a response. Or it?s sitting watering holes, and glassing.

Thanks for any advice.

To be honest I use a mixture of both of those strategies for my early season bow hunts.
In the morning I am either chasing bugles or I am set up in areas trying to catch the elk moving towards their bedding grounds. The chasing bugles part is self explanatory, but setting up on travel routes could be me glassing them and putting them to bed or me being where they need to go by and then moving as needed to get in front of them.


The bull I killed this year was bugling in his bed from 6:30 until 9:30.  During that time I snuck in on him and shot him in his sanctuary.


Mid day I'm either waiting for thermals to switch so I can start my stalk into a bedded elk, sitting near begging areas, or catching a nap.


Then evening hunts I am typically finding a nice wallow, water tank, or sometimes I still chase bugles.


Personally I think it comes down to the person's likes and dislikes.
I killed my first two elk over water. I was pumped, but I felt like it was missing the rush of elk hunting.


So that's when I started really hitting it hard for the morning and mid day stuff.
Then by the time the evening rolls around Im ready to sit and ambush.


I've also put elk to bed before right over a water hole. Then instead of trying to put a stalk in on them mid day I just waited until that night in hopes they come in.

 

[cnelk]

Ive been archery hunting elk a long time. Never missed an opening weekend, but until this year, never put an elk down opening weekend.
Its usually the 2nd weekend that produces better.


I approach the early part of season with the scouting/trail cam action I did the previous weeks - before the rut hits and the elk go vagrant.


Lost calf, cows call mostly work best. I only bugle if I hear bugles.


I sat a trail/small meadow on Sept 1st this year and cow called in 2 bulls, but no shots.
This place I had scouted all summer and knew it would be good early, and it was.


I like hunting early a lot. Bulls may not be bugling, but it sure is a rush when they come in silent


Like this one - https://youtu.be/g7GbPefV2O4 - I shot back in 2012, August 31


Listen and you will hear my buddies mewing to bring the bull in for a shot

 

[tmaggie50]

Ive been archery hunting elk a long time. Never missed an opening weekend, but until this year, never put an elk down opening weekend.
Its usually the 2nd weekend that produces better.


I approach the early part of season with the scouting/trail cam action I did the previous weeks - before the rut hits and the elk go vagrant.


Lost calf, cows call mostly work best. I only bugle if I hear bugles.


I sat a trail/small meadow on Sept 1st this year and cow called in 2 bulls, but no shots.
This place I had scouted all summer and knew it would be good early, and it was.


I like hunting early a lot. Bulls may not be bugling, but it sure is a rush when they come in silent


Like this one - https://youtu.be/g7GbPefV2O4 - I shot back in 2012, August 31


Listen and you will hear my buddies mewing to bring the bull in for a shot

Have you not been making kills because you dont see anything, or because you are passing on younger small bulls? I'll be taking anything legal I see on this hunt.


Do you recommend walking and calling/glassing, or sitting and being patience?

 

[cnelk]

We dont pass on anything. It seems we always see elk too.


There's a saying..."Elk aint hard to kill, they are easy to miss"


Where I hunt, there is no glassing. Its all thick timber. We move thru quietly and setup and do 'cold calling' every 300yds or so