How early do you go in?

[iccyman001]

For your elk hunts or elk hunting locations, how early are you usually going in?

Do you have spots already established, so you leave just early enough to get there, get settled in and then it\'s legal shooting hours?

Or are you out there super early trying to locate bugles and get within a close distance before shooting hours?

 

[cohunter14]

Do you have spots already established, so you leave just early enough to get there, get settled in and then it\'s legal shooting hours?

This is typically what I do. I get to wherever I want to be before legal shooting time so I have enough time to settle in. There isn\'t a whole lot of herd talk going on during rifle season (that I know of), so being out earlier isn\'t going to help me. Plus, it\'s tough enough to get a decent amount of sleep during a hunt!

On a side note, one thing I am going to try this year at the recommendations of a few folks here is to rip off some location bugles at night after last shooting light. See if I can get some ideas on where to be first thing in the morning

 

[Swede]

I usually arrive at my parking spot before daylight. I may just wait and walk in at first light, or I may go out somewhere other than where my stand is and make a few calls. I normally head to my stand at first light. It is very rare that I fine elk at the water holes near their bedding areas that early. If they are, they are in a passage way or just feeding.

 

[cnelk]

Depends on where Im headed.
Some of my spots are 3-4 miles in and others are 1/2 mile.
I have places where you can go in too early and others where you have to be there at least 1/2 hour before light after the 3-4 mile hike.

 

[F M]

I am usually in the area at least a half hour before daylight. I like to let things settle down and listen for awhile.

 

[iccyman001]

Do you have spots already established, so you leave just early enough to get there, get settled in and then it\'s legal shooting hours?

On a side note, one thing I am going to try this year at the recommendations of a few folks here is to rip off some location bugles at night after last shooting light. See if I can get some ideas on where to be first thing in the morning

This might be a good topic for a thread here soon.
I have a lot of questions to ask about this!!!!




Swede, do you ever time yourself on the amount it takes from when you get to your tree to how long it takes to get up and set up?
On big mistake I used to always make with my climber is I would never factor in climbing/set up time.

I would leave me just enough time to get into the woods a few minutes before sun up. Then I would have like 5 minutes to climb 25 feet, get my bow untied, pack situated, harness checked, bow draw practice, etc. I would always be rushing and leave something important on the ground


So now I make sure that I give myself an extra 15 minutes so I can take my time and get a proper set up.

 

[cohunter14]

This might be a good topic for a thread here soon.
I have a lot of questions to ask about this!!!!

If I remember correctly, it was JF who suggested that. I think he has mentioned that he does that quite frequently during archery season.

 

[Jaquomo]

My strategy is exactly the same as cnelk. Sometimes I hike for an hour in the dark. Other spots I don\'t leave camp until I can see and hear. I have one ambush spot in the transition between feeding and bedding where they usually don\'t arrive until more than an hour after sunrise. If they\'re in that spot I piddle around elsewhere and look for other elk until the thermal starts to rise before even going into that basin.

 

[Stringunner]

I like to be in my stand or my intended hunting spot before day light. There are a couple spots we hunt where we work slowly through at first light but generally I am in place well before light. I enjoy listening to the woods come alive each morning in my stand. On two occasions in the past two hunting seasons, I have had Bulls come into water right at first light, the first one I messed up because I wasn\'t yet ready, he was a nice 5 point. Last year my spike came in at first legal light, I was in my stand 15 mins prior to light and could hear the herd moving around. The spike was dead within 5 min of opening morning/legal light. As Swede says this is probably not the norm

 

[Swede]

My stands are fixed in place usually well before the season opens. I never carry a stand in at first light to hunt there that morning. My stands are mostly 1/2 hour or less hike into. Many are about 15 minutes.
I have attributed my lack of very early morning elk encounters to having my stands near where they bed. I am surprised Stringunner has had two shot opportunities in the recent past at first light. I will try to remember to question him about why he is having these experiences, when I see him next. Is it luck or is he hunting different type sites than I am? Or maybe I am missing a good opportunity??? I have to say, I don\'t see evidence of fresh elk sign at the water holes when I arrive at my stands.

 

[Deertick]

Elk can be anywhere around my camp ... I like to be able to see my feet, so I don\'t trip, or spook elk in the dark. So, when I can do that, I start to stroll, waiting to hear bugles, though if I don\'t, I\'ll have a particular transition area in mind, and I\'ll be there by the time the thermals shift.

 

[otcWill]

The vast majority of the time I have a 1-2 hour hike up to get to my spot of choice. I always arrive to a good listening spot a solid 45 minutes before first legal light. I like to change my then soaked hike in clothes and have a snack while casually listening and taking it all in. Sometimes I spot the elk at first light and have another 45 minute sprint to get up to them before they reach unhuntable terrain so being there early is a must. I also have spots that are easy access for \"break\" days where I can hear the elk bugling from my vehicle. For these spots, I\'m already camped in my \"listening spot\" a bit before first light and sneak down within 100-200 yards of the herd and wait. I wouldn\'t suggest getting too close like this in the dark unless you have a good deal of prior knowledge of exactly what the elk are up to and where they\'ll head come sunup

 

[OldMan]

Since I hunt bedding areas I have no reason to be there before light. I give them time to get bedded down, and settled in. I should say let him get settled in. I don\'t hunt herds.

Then I hunt all day. Since there\'s no camp to go back to I have no reason to stop hunting, except to go to a new spot.

 

[elkmtngear]

My situation sounds very similar to Will\'s...I like to get (down) into those basins about 45 minutes before shooting light.

Since I\'m always heading down into the Wilderness from camp...I sometimes have to make a big arc in the dark to avoid the thermals blowing elk out. Knowing the area intimately is key to this approach!

I like to be around and below the areas I suspect the herds to be before shooting light...then, as Will mentioned, it\'s a matter of trying to get an encounter before they head up to unreachable destinations. :crazy:

 

[Swede]

This is an FYI post. I had a little idea what I would find reviewing my 2012 trail camera pictures, but was surprised that I had no pictures of elk at my water hole trail camera locations in the first hour of the day. I went through several hundred pictures at six locations. The cameras were out from late July until late August and early September.
What I don\'t know is, if that is a coincidence or a reflection of the places I hunt. I suspect it is some of both.

 

[Stringunner]

Swede, we are definitely going to have to have a conversation about this. As I know the majority of my pics these past two years are in the first hour of day light. And I was thinking about it and my dad shot his bull this year in the first 30 minutes on stand at day light. Now you have me thinking....

 

[iccyman001]

Swede, I do the same thing.

It does not hurt to review multiple years photos. It definitely helps you put a story together about the areas you hunt. :upthumb:

 

[Swede]

Stringunner, I am thinking the elk where you are hunting may be moving to their safety area just after first light. This I suspect happens only early in the season. Later in the season they stay where it is safe and don\'t come out. I may be having some ideas where Oly and I will want to hang a stand next season. These locations are a mile or two from where you hunt. They are very near where we met about four years ago on opening morning.
I will ask you for some more ideas and observations. Thanks
It took me over an hour to review my 2012 photos. I will check 2013 next just for fun.

 

[Swede]

I just went through my 2013 pictures and found only one day when the elk were photographed within the first hour of daylight. There must have been 10 bulls in the bunch. They were never back within the season.