Elk rifle hunters

[iccyman001]

How are your tactics different from the archery guys?

We generally are trying to get in close for the kill or call them in close to us, but you guys can really reach out and touch something.
So does that change your tactics or do you somewhat follow the same stuff we do?


I\'m very interested what you guys do the same or different.

 

[cohunter14]

Good question Dan. I think a lot varies based on how an archery hunter hunts. After all, not all archery hunters hunt the same way.

What I can tell you is that the challenge of finding elk seems to be a lot more difficult during rifle seasons than archery simply because the elk are nowhere near as vocal. I know some folks claim to hear bugling during rifle seasons, but I have never heard one in the 20 years I have been elk hunting. So our hunts aren\'t so much of \'how do we get close enough to that elk to get a shot\', they are more of \'where the #*^@ are the elk?\' Granted, once we find them, it is easier to punch the tag

Finding the herd bulls is generally more difficult for rifle hunters as well. Similar to calling, I have heard folks say they have seen the herd bull with their harem during rifle season, but I have never seen it. If I see a herd of elk during rifle season, the only bull it might have with it is a spike. The bulls seem to be off in bachelor groups or on their own by the time rifle season rolls along.

A lot of the same types of hunting can apply though...stand hunting, still hunting, spot and stalk, etc. But I can tell you we don\'t have the scenarios of \'a bull just bugled over there\' or \'you see elk 100 yards away, now what?\'

If that scenario happens for a rifle hunter, there is only one answer... :mg:

Would love to hear other opinions as well! I know Brad sometimes carries a boom stick around after archery season. Surely we can\'t be the only two members on here who actually do some hunting with a rifle!

 

[iccyman001]

Good question Dan. I think a lot varies based on how an archery hunter hunts. After all, not all archery hunters hunt the same way.

What I can tell you is that the challenge of finding elk seems to be a lot more difficult during rifle seasons than archery simply because the elk are nowhere near as vocal. I know some folks claim to hear bugling during rifle seasons, but I have never heard one in the 20 years I have been elk hunting. So our hunts aren\'t so much of \'how do we get close enough to that elk to get a shot\', they are more of \'where the #*^@ are the elk?\' Granted, once we find them, it is easier to punch the tag

Finding the herd bulls is generally more difficult for rifle hunters as well. Similar to calling, I have heard folks say they have seen the herd bull with their harem during rifle season, but I have never seen it. If I see a herd of elk during rifle season, the only bull it might have with it is a spike. The bulls seem to be off in bachelor groups or on their own by the time rifle season rolls along.

A lot of the same types of hunting can apply though...stand hunting, still hunting, spot and stalk, etc. But I can tell you we don\'t have the scenarios of \'a bull just bugled over there\' or \'you see elk 100 yards away, now what?\'

If that scenario happens for a rifle hunter, there is only one answer... :mg:

Would love to hear other opinions as well! I know Brad sometimes carries a boom stick around after archery season. Surely we can\'t be the only two members on here who actually do some hunting with a rifle!

Derek,

In some of our units in NM, they rifle hunt the tail end of the rut :ill: :evil: roblem:
The unit I am hunting will be Sept 1-14th Archery, Sept 15th-26th Archery, and then Oct 9-14ths RIFLE HUNT :downthumb: :downthumb:

What type of hunting do you prefer in your area, Derek? Or are you flexible.
I mean do you like spot and stalking? Stand hunting?


I know you said they can be similar to ours, but I want to know what YOU do and why

 

[cohunter14]

Dan, those dates sound about right for rifle hunts. Our first rifle season in Colorado starts the 9th as well, which is when I\'ll be going.

Personally, I prefer spot and stalk. However, that isn\'t always easy to do depending on where you are hunting. But it allows you to at least try to find the elk and then apply a strategy to get to them, or as Brad says: hunt FOR the elk, then hunt for the ELK.

We also apply a lot of the other methods. We will typically sit ground blinds a fair amount, but I am not good at sitting still for that long, so that only lasts for a bit on my part. I also do a lot of loops, hitting a bunch of pre-determined areas in somewhat of a still hunting method, although not truly going slow enough to call it that. That\'s because this is typically done in areas where you can actually see far enough to get a shot. I try to stay away from the thick black stuff because truthfully I am not good enough at still hunting (that patience thing does me in again )

Overall, I am flexible based on where we are hunting and what strategy we are trying to implement.

 

[iccyman001]

I\'ve always wanted to hunt Montana, Derek.

I know they do combo tags and you know me, I like to plan as many things as possible.

There is a small chance that I might run up to Montana next year and do a combo hunt with a friend.
Normally my bow will go everywhere with me, but being on a time constraint and trying something completely new, the .270 might go.


Should be fairly interesting and could be a lot of fun.



I am VERY VERY patient and can sit as long as I need to WITH A BOW, but I think if I was holding a gun that it would be a whole different story.
Knowing that my effective range could go from 40 yards all the way up to 200 would change my tactics up tremendously.

 

[Jaquomo]

I haven\'t rifle hunted for them but I\'ve guided rifle hunters quite a bit. When rifle hunting, if you see them, the hunt is usually over. When bowhunting, when you see them, the hunt is just starting.

I guided in the same area where I bowhunted. The elk basically did the same thing as during archery as far as movements and bedding. Especially so during the early rifle seasons. But after the rut the mature bulls tended to hang out and recover in little hidey holes in deep timber where there was food, water, and shelter close by.

 

[cnelk]

I used to rifle hunt elk.
Success was so-so, 50% +/-
It seemed that only mornings and evening were the shooting times, unless someone bumped some elk mid-day and you happened to be in the right spot at the right time.

Then I learned that elk were \'callable\' and I made the switch to archery as my priority.
When that happened, the success went thru the roof.

I sometimes pickup a leftover rifle cow tag to hunt the later season, but that is more just sitting and waiting for the elk some come by or stomping thru the snow looking for tracks.

I hunt the same areas for archery as I did for rifle, just not much calling for rifle

 

[Zpd307]

the rifle hunt I did in Utah, 2010, was on a private ranch. the bulls were still bugling there heads off mid to late October.

 

[Swede]

The challenge for me when I was rifle hunting was to find a legal bull that I could shoot. That was tough as Brad suggests. They had already gone through the deer season and were pretty spooky. They were hiding out in heavy cover, so getting a shot was no sure thing as they were moving fast. Many seasons I never got off a shot. At best it was a 50-50 proposition. Archery tree stand hunting proved a lot more productive. I guess the difference boils down to, hunting to find a bull, or waiting for an elk to find me.
Also I have a lot longer archery season, and the days are longer. That can wear me down over time. I like the warmer weather we have in archery season, but it is not a big plus either.

 

[Two Bear]

The most obvious difference is hunting by sight during rifle, as opposed to sound during archery. I have no doubt that the herd bulls break away and bachelor up together away from the herd. If one finds these post rut bull holes, it is a delight. We hunt both archery and rifle, and both have their methods. Rifle bulls are seeking solitude, security, and food. They will often bed in relatively open areas close to their food source. In archery, they are bedded in thicker holes and are still seeking the above mentioned, but more concerned with breeding. My focus in rifle is to ID where the bulls are feeding, then plan an afternoon approach to their bedding area. As stated, bulls can be found in relatively open areas as they retreat to secure \"areas\" after the rut. The pic enclosed is my bull from last year. Shot at 440 yards bedded in the relative open but in a secure area. The distance of the shot was unavoidable based on the bulls position. He was the smallest of three bedded bulls, but the only one the offered an opportunity. We didn\'t leave the house until 9am, giving the group time to bed down without us bumping them. Shot was made at around 2-3pm.

 

[iccyman001]

Rifle bulls are seeking solitude, security, and food. They will often bed in relatively open areas close to their food source. My focus in rifle is to ID where the bulls are feeding, then plan an afternoon approach to their bedding area. As stated, bulls can be found in relatively open areas as they retreat to secure \"areas\" after the rut. The pic enclosed is my bull from last year. Shot at 440 yards bedded in the relative open but in a secure area. The distance of the shot was unavoidable based on the bulls position. He was the smallest of three bedded bulls, but the only one the offered an opportunity. We didn\'t leave the house until 9am, giving the group time to bed down without us bumping them. Shot was made at around 2-3pm.

Good stuff, I\'m going to keep all of this for my mental notes.
:upthumb:


Great bull!!!!