Characteristics of Your Best Areas

[cohunter14]

We all know that elk habitat can vary substantially, not only from state to state, but even within a state. In Colorado you can find elk everywhere from the eastern plains to above timberline, from the thick junipers to the wide open aspens. Although some of these areas may not exactly look the same, what are the characteristics you have noticed in areas you find elk? Is it easy access to a bedding area or a water source? An abundance of food? A quick escape into a secure habitat? Another way to phrase it: based on past experiences, what makes an area look good to you and make you think that it will hold elk?

 

[elkmtngear]

Derek, I\'ve only actually hunted 3 States, but the one thing I look for is North/East facing (high) ridges with some heavy timber. I went into a new area in NM last Season, and by following a line of such ridges, ended up underneath 3 bugling bulls by evening...we ended up taking the herd bull the next morning.

At least on Public Land, elk seem to require places like this to bed, and if the timber patches outlet into open or semi-open parks, so much the better.

 

[cohunter14]

Here is what I have noticed over years of hunting different units throughout Colorado:

1) I have seen elk in some very flat terrain and I have seen them in some of the steepest terrain around. While I do like cnelk\'s saying of ELF (elk like flat) and have found some great hunting spots on some flat ground, I have also taken many elk on some very steep terrain including this year\'s bull.

2) The majority of the elk I have seen during hunting season has had nothing to do with a water source. Yes, they use them, but in my opinion most areas have a multitude of water sources, many of which you will never even know about unless you stumble on them.

3) While I know elk can prefer to browse on certain grasses and forbs, I have never seen any direct correlation to this and finding elk. It seems to me that there is always an abundance of food sources for elk in most of the areas I have hunted.

4) I have seen elk bed on those popular north facing slopes on the tiniest of benches. I have also seen them bed on east, south, and west facing slopes. I have seen them bed high and seen them bed low. I have seen them bed in dark timber and I\'ve also seen them bed in aspens.

So yes, elk need the three main components of food, water, and shelter just like humans. But in my opinion, it\'s very difficult to find elk based on these three things. The one constant that stands out to me more than any of these things above in relation to the majority of my elk sightings and punched tags is security. Yes, I have stumbled on elk very near roads or higher traffic areas, but the vast majority of elk that I have come across are in an area because of the security it offers them from other hunters. This can be in areas that are over 1/2 mile from the nearest road, but I have also seen them inside of that if there is something that makes it difficult to get to, like a steep uphill or downhill walk from a road. One area in particular, I constantly ran into elk less than 400 yards from a busy dirt road, but it was up on a shelf in a very difficult to access area. It was also one of those areas that is easy to drive by and never even consider hunting because you wouldn\'t think there would be elk that close to a road.

Elk know where they need to be to remain safe and in my opinion, that is the one constant that doesn\'t seem to change much from area to area.

 

[Iron_Will_Eric]

I second what both of you have said. Seems like security is really important to them. I like hunting opening morning because they tend to still be in their relaxed summer state. However, once they\'ve seen a little pressure, they know right where to go for max security. In my experience, those are sometimes back closer to the roads, but just in places people wouldn\'t think to look. I\'ll also say if I find a little seep somewhere with dark timber nearby, it usually means wallow! Some of my best areas have wallow circuits I play connect the dots with. I keep moving from one to the next until I find one that\'s been hit recently.