How many of your game plans revolve around water?

[iccyman001]

So early season we are looking for water, mud, and other similar items....

What what happens if the early season is full of rain?
Then what are you doing?


Are the elk going to be traveling less now? Are you still setting up over water? Or are you changing tactics?

 

[cnelk]

No water factor for me.
Lotsa water where I hunt. Bedding and feeding is my plan

 

[iccyman001]

Do you ever take advantage of overly dry weather and then hunt water, Brad?

 

[Deertick]

Water is everywhere where I hunt ... which is why I hunt there. Elk like to eat, I figure, and the stuff they like to eat grows better with water.

I\'m interested in hearing about hunting in the dry areas, and what to do in droughts. But I\'m betting that drought hunting is \"strike-out-or-home-run\" hunting.

I\'d prefer a solid series of singles and doubles, but that\'s a debatable point, I guess. (Heck, I\'d take a walk. Or a hit-by-pitch.)

 

[iccyman001]

Last year, a month prior to opening day, my unit had zero rain.
Well the small water holes and mud holes were home runs.

If it follows suite this year, we have a better understanding of all of the water holes and travel routes between them. I would almost bet that it can be another home run.


My concern is when mother nature does the complete opposite and just dumps rain everyday the month prior

 

[cnelk]

IMO
The bedding areas dont change much if its a wet or dry year.
Feed will still be there, but it may be limited or not as tall.
This may disperse some elk but I think generally elk will use the same feeding areas and bedding areas if wet or dry.

Yes? No?

 

[JohnFitzgerald]

Where I hunt, water is everywhere! So my game plans never revolve around water. Now talk bedding areas.....that\'s a different story.

jf

 

[mtnmutt]

I have observed creek crossings with lots of tracks where the elk were traveling from bedding to feed and vice versa. These locations have more cover than other places along the creek, plus they may be narrower than other parts of the creek but not fast flowing. In September, these creeks are 2-4 ft wide at the crossings and <12 inches deep.

These observations are for wet and dry years. The downside is that they are mostly only good until opening day ML if they are <0.75 mile from the road.

It isn\'t that these are exceptional water destinations. They are good convenient spots along the elk\'s travel route between bedding and food for the elk to get water.

Walking up and down a creek may reveal these heavily used crossings because mud retains tracks better than other ground. I have never setup right at a creek before. This year, there are 2 creek crossings that I have trail cameras because of previous information of their use.

Are elk more likely to pause before or after they cross a creek? Perhaps it depends on the vegetation on each side of the creek.

 

[cohunter14]

Where I hunt, water is everywhere! So my game plans never revolve around water. Now talk bedding areas.....that\'s a different story.

jf

John, are you referring to bedding areas that could hold a bull and their herd? It seems to me that a single bull could bed almost anywhere, so I am just curious since it sounds like there aren\'t many bedding areas in your location.

 

[JohnFitzgerald]

Where I hunt, water is everywhere! So my game plans never revolve around water. Now talk bedding areas.....that\'s a different story.

jf

John, are you referring to bedding areas that could hold a bull and their herd? It seems to me that a single bull could bed almost anywhere, so I am just curious since it sounds like there aren\'t many bedding areas in your location.

There\'s a lot of bedding areas where I hunt. Some I\'ve found and I\'m sure there\'s plenty more I haven\'t.

When I talk about beds, I\'m referring to all elk because there\'s no set rule that states bulls will be alone or herded up during specific times of the year. It\'s more of a guideline than a rule.

Why my game plans revolve around bedding and not water is because,

1) With water everywhere, you can\'t predict a good ambush point based on water source.
2) There can be a lot of different game trails leading to or zig zagging around a bed. Choke points or most used game trail near a bedding area is the best. But I leave plenty of distance when I\'m doing this type of ambush. Only after the bulls get vocal will I press into a bedding area.
3) If you know the bedding areas, you\'ll be able to bed a vocal bull and know he\'s still there and not over the next ridge.
4) If you go in before light, you alway want to avoid beds. Nothing worse than bumping elk at 4:30 AM.

Water, feed, and bedding is needed to produce great elk habitat. But my game plan always revolve around bedding.

My 2-cents.

 

[Swede]

I hunt isolated water holes heavily. It is not critical to hunt water. Well used trails and passages will work, but I love hunting semiarid locations where water is somewhat scarce. Hunting these arid holes is simpler if you can find them, and the elk are in the area. That is getting to be a tougher and tougher proposition as too many hunters are thinking the same thing. I think it is best to diversify, and move when conditions demand change.