Hello all, I've finally decided to ask you, my fellow archery hunters for advice. I've got about six bulls that i've hunted in one area for the past two years. I've came really close to killing one but they seem to always be a step ahead of me. I will give you the basics and keep it simple. I appreciate your help. A. Bulls and cows and calves run a drainage that has a main forest service rd going right down the middle of it. Elk are extremely used to vehicles. B. This drainage and many around it were 75% destroyed by fire within the last five years. C. The other 25% is massively saturated in mountain runoff and springs where the elk like to hang especially in the meadows at night. D. I have found approximately 7 wallows that are extremely hard to access without letting every animal know you're there. E. The forest fires have created a matchbox effect of dead trees everywhere making the slopes inaccessible. F. The manzanita has taken over the burns and is growing rapidly and trust me you can't walk in it. G. I've got patterns on the elk from march to opening day consistently but then the third week of season hits and they disappear. But they're there for the first three. H. I've got a tree stand in the area now because I've given up on spot and stalk because I think too much movement is too much movement. I literally cover myself with cow elk urine. I make hardly no noise. Do I need to be in my tree stand for like 12 hours all day ? Am I just impatient ? Has anybody else had this deal happen ? Should I concentrate on the wallows or the trails in between the wallows ? These elk are smart as all get out. Case in point I captured a six point bull barely walking into the path of my game cam and hearing the very very very very faint click from the camera shutter and stopping and then turning around and leaving. Anyway feel free to let me know what I can improve on or what I'm overlooking.
If private, I'd say get out and clear it out. If it's public, get out and clear it. Elk like thick. Keep it thick, but make trails you and the elk can use. Screen the wallows and the Meadows. Get out early in the season. Hide the trail cameras so the elk can't see them. Use the wind to your advantage and quit with the urine. That's just sick if your calls are correct and timely, you shouldn't need urine. Pattern the cows, not the bulls. When the rut kicks in, the bulls will go to the cows. Sent from my Z971 using Bowhunting.com Forums mobile app
Get your cameras off the trails and put them at the wallows. Set them back, just inside the range of the camera. I agree, cut some trails in to the wallows. Stop using the urine now. You may have to spend more time on the stand. There’s one guy over on WapitiTalk that is a wealth of information on treestand for elk. You may want to check it out.
