Hunting from above

[Baileyjk]

When the only access is from above at the head of the drainage, how do you approach it each morning? Is it best to set up a spike camp at the bottom so you can hunt up in the mornings?

 

[Bull_Fighter]

Personally, I prefer to start high. The area I hunt has a 50/50 mix of wide open sage brush and thick timber. I find that (where I hunt) the elk are down low in the creek bottoms at night and they start their way uphill toward bedding areas as the sun is rising. I like to be in a good glassing area as the sun rises so I can hopefully spot a herd moving uphill where I can pattern their movement and possibly cut them off (or at least see where they are headed). I also like to throw out a few calls from up high, before the sun rises. If I get an answer, I can move in and make a plan for that as well.

The downside to starting high is, of course, the thermals are bringing your scent downhill right toward the elk. However, I find that just about any place you would want to be in, to setup for an ambush, is going to be in a place where the wind is in the elk's favor. However, I prefer working around that obstacle rather than trying to dog a herd from behind, going uphill, which is a race you won't win. The time of morning when the herd makes it to their bedding area is usually about the same time the thermals switch, so I feel like if I were following from behind, all that work of chasing them uphill might be foiled by them catching my scent during my approach.

With all of that being said, this is a great question and I'm curious to see other opinions, especially from those that prefer to start low and hunt uphill. I've thought a lot about this over the years. I've always started high but maybe someone can convince me to switch it up this year and that might be all I need to fill this tag.  :-D

 

[ozzy]

Been wondering the same thing. I think my plan of attack is to play the odds. I have to make an educated guess as to where they'll be (or do a location bugle and find them), then go a mile or so along the ridge before dropping down. Once I'm on their level, it shouldn't matter what the thermals are doing, unless the prevailing wind is strong enough to blow the wind sidehill instead of up or down.


Full disclosure: I've never elk hunted before, this will be my first season, so I have no idea if this will actually work.

 

[cnelk]

I?ll be hunting high timberline drainages this year.


Our plan is to hunt up the lower parts in the morning until the thermals switch. Then back out and hike around and drop in from the top midday and hunt down

 

[cnelk]

If you can?t hunt up in the mornings, get to a glassing spot and watch where the elk go into the timber. Then hike around and drop in on them about noon.


Be prepared to kill elk early afternoon and have a long night.

 

[Elk Noob]

I?ll be hunting high timberline drainages this year.


Our plan is to hunt up the lower parts in the morning until the thermals switch. Then back out and hike around and drop in from the top midday and hunt down

You thinking high timberline because of the abundance of water this year? I haven't been able to do any scouting in the mountains really because I broke my foot 3 months ago and am finally able to start hiking again.

 

[cnelk]

^^^ Im hunting high timberline because there isnt much to hunt lower!


The mosquitoes are fierce this summer too, so lots of animals went up high to get away from the bugs


Hopefully we'll get a frost up there in the next couple weeks to knock em down

 

[nclonghunter]

Options:

Follow them up the mountain
Wait for them to come up and side hill or a crosswind approach
Stay high and wait for them, until the thermals switch