I\'d like to know.....

[JohnFitzgerald]

Dang, I would be happy to hunt those areas. Here\'s the bedding areas we get to hunt. And these are the flat spots!

These spots are nasty....I mean down right nasty. Usually, we come out with scrapes and scratches all over. Also, we\'ve tried very hard to enter as quietly as possible. But it\'s extremly hard to get through that stuff even if we have a good game trail.

So, to save time and skin we usually contact bugle from a distance and then hunt the responsive elk. There\'s not many open spots to hunt in this area. Like others stated, that top picture is considered open. When we bump elk, they usually go to the next ridge. Hunting this type of country, we\'ve come to realize it\'s easier to bring the elk in that try to sneak through all the nasty!

Why do I hunt an area like this.......easy.....one contact bugle gets us 6 responses.

Pete - Tell me how you would hunt it? I\'m extremly interested!!!!! Some bulls just aren\'t callable....and if we could still hunt them.....we\'d might just have a chance instead of moving on.

 

[OldMan]

John......I only have one way to still hunt no matter what the terrain. I already talked about that. The only difference with areas that thick would be to constantly keep an eye on the wind direction, because you\'\'l be picking the best path through that thick stuff. You can\'t just walk straight, and try to get over whatever is in the way. You\'ll have too much movement getting over it. Plus, you\'ll be noisy. So, you\'ll be going side to side a lot to the easy paths. It\'s easy to go off in the wrong direction when you do that. Keeping an eye on wind direction will get you back on the right path to where you think the elk are.

You also have to move even slower in areas like that, because it\'s easy for the elk to stay hidden without you ever seeing them. Your eyes will be constantly moving. Try to move just your eyes instead of your head. Less movement. That\'s the reason I don\'t use binos for still hunting. Too much movement to use them. Some still hunters swear by them. I swear at them for being busted while using them.

Don\'t use anything that gives you extra movement. Something hanging on your neck, or anywhere else that can swing as you move. I know your a bow hunter, but if using a gun remove the sling. Keep the gun, or bow in both hands ready to use. You may only have a quick shot. you also may have to take very slow shot, and you want the least amount of movement possible. I know you know this, but movement is what gets you busted. Not what camo you\'re wearing.

One thing you mentioned that bothers me. You said we could still hunt for them . Still hunting is a solo method. I don\'t believe more than one could do it successfully. Movement and noise in multiplied. It\'s hard enough doing it alone. You could separate, and go to different areas, but more than one going for the same bull would be hard. You only have one path to take to the elk, and that\'s decided by wind direction. So, more than one can\'t come at an elk from different directions.

Still hunting is a total dedication. It usually doesn\'t work well to be tried when another method isn\'t working. It\'s something that should be done full time to become good at it. Spot and stalk would be much easier.

Hope this helps a little.

 

[JohnFitzgerald]

What\'s amazing is how fast elk can run through that nasty!

 

[AndyJ]

John, just to add to Still hunter\'s advice:

Most of my hunting areas look like John\'s and mostly like the second picture. The areas I hunt are usually very swampy as well with a ton of under growth. The elk in my area love these spots and increasingly, they will not leave them during daylight hours. What has worked well for me is to spend A LOT of time listening before moving and hunting. I think a lot of guys would be amazed how much elk will stick to a routine when they feel safe and I think they typically feel pretty safe in the thick dead fall.

The normal pattern I have noticed is elk will travel to their feeding area at night and return back to the dead fall as it gets light. Many times they use the exact same trail to go in and come out. Listen for bugles during the day from up high and pay very close attention to whether or not the bugle moves. If he doesn\'t move or doesn\'t move by much, you have probably found his bedding area. If you can\'t locate his bedding area listen for the bull coming or going to and from his bedding area. He may bugle every five feet or he might bugle twice. If you can locate approximately where the bull bugled from, go check the spot out and see if you find a well used trail. In the morning or the evening that will be your ambush spot. I try to camp where I can hear into these areas. While at camp I am always listening. You never know when a bull will bugle, but I have become aware of bulls in the area because I heard one of the few bugles they made during the midday. Sounds easy right?

Another technique that works really well that most guys are understandably too impatient for is to move in to within 150-200 yards of the bedding area ALWAYS PAYING CLOSE ATTENTION TO THE WIND, then do some light and brief herd talk. Be quiet and wait up to two hours and watching all around but especially downwind. When the cows are down for the day, the herd bull will many times come over to see what the commotion is. Almost every time this has worked, and by worked I mean only that I called in a bull, the bull has come in very alert and completely silent.

I hope this helps.

 

[Zpd307]

andy i agre with you totaly.... as i experienced this in idaho last year. i found most of my action still hunting bedding areas. i would still hunt until i heard a bull get up and start raking. i tried calling several times to get them to show themselves. what i saw was they made a special point to not make a sound while trying to check out whats making the noise, especially when the calls come when they least expect it. i got the very distinct impression, that a girl talking in their bachelor pad was taboo....

 

[JohnFitzgerald]

Thanks guys for the still hunting information. We\'ve taken a lot of elk out of this area. Early season, simple herd talk works well. But later in the season when they turn to herd bulls, it tougher to get them to break.

 

[OldMan]

You\'re free to hunt any way you want John. I\'m very picky about still hunting, and it\'s meaning. Anytime you call, stalk, or ambush. You\'re not still hunting.

 

[JohnFitzgerald]

Thanks Pete!

 

[AndyJ]

We should start another thread on hunting nasty timber. John what is your tactic(s)? I always end up in the overgrown blow downs so I am always interested in hearing what others do. Do you have any tricks when they aren\'t bugling?

 

[JohnFitzgerald]

We should start another thread on hunting nasty timber. John what is your tactic(s)? I always end up in the overgrown blow downs so I am always interested in hearing what others do. Do you have any tricks when they aren\'t bugling?

I was just thinking that we hijacked iccy\'s thread! Sorry bud!

For the past 15 years, I\'ve been a Contact Bugle type hunter. Then, depending on where they are and what their attitude is determines my tactic. Can be as simple as keeping him bugling while my shooter works in or as complex as the battling bull sequence. Sometimes, I get it wrong and other times I guess correct. But we always use lots of ground noise to portray ourselfs as elk and also hide ourselfs as hunters. Essentially, we use the thick nasty to our advantage. But, rumor has it that Swede and his son might be hunting our way. Great....their goes the neiborhood! Very interested in Swedes opinion on possibly tree stand hunting my area.

 

[ABQ_Chica]

Yep...me too. The foreground in the upper pic would be considered an \"open area\" :lol:

Me, as well. Getting into my favorite spot is like climbing on and off a horse over and over again. In the dark.

But getting back to the OP\'s question, I agree that persistence is the key. That includes persistence before the hunt even starts: persistence in scouting and in becoming 100% familiar with your equipment, your abilities, your limitations, and your attitude. Persistence.