Wapiti Talk | Elk Hunting Forum | Elk Hunting Tips
 

Elk Feeding Habits

Moderators: Swede, Tigger, Lefty, Indian Summer, WapitiTalk1

Elk Feeding Habits

Postby CiK » 06 16, 2016 •  [Post 1]

First time elk hunter here. Trying my luck out on a bow hunt in early September in Idaho. I have a few questions.

Most of what I have studied says elk water & feed at lower elevation and bed at higher elevations. Do they ever change that up? A few places I have found on GE, it looks like there are some high elevation plains that hold good green vegetation. Would they feed up and then down the mountain a little to bed?

Just wondering if I should only look for feeding areas in the lower elevations. I am Google Earthed out.
CiK
Rank: New User
 
Posts: 12
Joined: 11 17, 2015

Re: Elk Feeding Habits

Postby stringunner » 06 16, 2016 •  [Post 2]

There are some good general rules to elk behavior that you have noted, feed/water low, then up to bed. BUT I have found that to be pretty opposite of the elk behavior in my area. Sort of like only look at north facing slopes, wrong again in my area. Find feed/water/and cover for bedding and go look for sign (pre-season) or look for fresh sign and elk during season. Lots of other factors to consider aswell, roads, pressure, access. Do you know if cattle or sheep are grazed in the area, that alone, (cattle) messes my area up (from a feed perspective) more than any other factor.

Also on google earth, check the date stamp (if you haven't already), what you see as green and good feed may or may not be true come season. There might also be a time lapse button that you can scroll back and see the area during different times of the year. If this is possible pay attention to where camps are if you can find date stamps that would be during any of the hunting seasons.
stringunner
Rank: An Elk Nut
 
Posts: 627
Joined: 06 18, 2012

Re: Elk Feeding Habits

Postby WapitiTalk1 » 06 16, 2016 •  [Post 3]

As a general rule, elk bed between 2/3 and 3/4 up the side of the mountain (think cool as in N and NE facing slopes). From there, they can adequately smell danger from below with the thermals coming up most of the day, and... due to their proximity to the top, hear predators/danger coming from the top. That said, again as a general rule, they seem to feed lower on the slope starting right at dark thu daylight then move back to their bedding areas shortly after sunbreak. In some of the alder choked states (ID, MT), particularly when it's a very hot year, I've seen the elk bed down in deep dark draws (oftentimes on an E slope), just up off an active stream far enough so the running creek doesn't affect their ability to hear.....from there they travel and feed higher on the slope or even over the top of the ridge on another slope. Hunting pressure can also disrupt the "general rules" that elk follow; sometimes it will change their feeding locations as well as where they bed. My pop used to ask me and my brothers at our annual hunting camp "do you boys know where the elk are gonna be tomorrow"? Of course we'd always fall into the trap and say "where dad, where are the elk gonna be tomorrow"? Dad would always reply with a sly smile "exactly where they are" ;).

Was typing my notes the same time stringunner was. Great minds think alike I guess :D
User avatar
WapitiTalk1
 
Posts: 8732
Joined: 06 10, 2012
Location: WA State
First Name: RJ

Re: Elk Feeding Habits

Postby Swede » 06 16, 2016 •  [Post 4]

The basic needs of elk are food, water, and security. You can add to that protection from weather extremes and bedding places that meet protection and thermal needs. Elk forage where there is good food available. They bed during the day where the temperatures are moderate and they have good security. They like updrafts of cool breezes.
It seems they get an advantage by bedding where they can catch the scent of predators including hunters.
Elk spend almost all of their day feeding or bedding.
The best place to hunt elk is where you can find abundant fresh elk sign.
I hope this helps answer your question. I know it is simple to the max.
Swede
Wapiti Hunting - Tree Stand Tactics
 
Posts: 10215
Joined: 06 16, 2012

Re: Elk Feeding Habits

Postby Lefty » 06 16, 2016 •  [Post 5]

Kind of what has been said

Whats down low?,. more tender feed and often more water,.. they head down where people are at night. also whats up high,.. seclusion, No fat people hiking , no motor vehicles
Why north slopes,.. often more seclusion, dark timber,.. why long lasting snows ( snow all over above 8000 on the north slope still this week)

There is also a geological difference most are not aware( well now you are) Much of the Rockies the southerly slopes are have less inclination,more sun exposure .. wear and tear over millions of year. Making it more road and trail worthy. Look at any road trail map,.. way few miles/trails on north facing, fewer people

Much is the human interaction thing. Where elk aren bothered, they will feed well into late morning, then start feeding mid to late afternoon.
Think of how elk have adapted. The neigbor lady grew up on a farm. every morning all year long elk would be in their fields at first light. A depredation hunt was created to kill 50-100 cow calves each year. That first year they killed elk on the farm.
There has not been an elk killed on their fields the past 10 years. The elk are still there every night. But they dont show up till midnight and are gone hours away before light. then those elk travel 5-20 miles to seclusion to bed. ( right to where I hunted ;) )

Remember elk were mostly a plains animal, ( just like the griz) ,..350 years ago,.. Wide open spaces,.. rolling hills,.. no people interaction

You fellows while elk are not white-tails,.. think of how wt deer have changed/adapted because of people

Elk just need good habitat.. food water, a place to rest Its found at all elevations,...

Swede: any time about those coastal Rosies!
User avatar
Lefty
Wapiti Hunting - Strategy and Tactics
 
Posts: 6926
Joined: 06 25, 2012
Location: Pocatello Idaho
First Name: Dennis
Last Name: H

Re: Elk Feeding Habits

Postby Swede » 06 16, 2016 •  [Post 6]

Lefty wrote:Swede: any time about those coastal Rosies!


Lefty: I am not sure what you are saying there, but I will talk Rosies with you any time and can give you some spots to hunt if you are interested. I haven't hunted them in many years, so I have no honey holes. Still, I live in their neighborhood.
Swede
Wapiti Hunting - Tree Stand Tactics
 
Posts: 10215
Joined: 06 16, 2012

Re: Elk Feeding Habits

Postby CiK » 06 16, 2016 •  [Post 7]

Thanks everybody. I am doing my best to shorten this learning curve. Spending a ton of time on Google Earth trying to identify enough places that are far enough in with the right amount of their needs.
CiK
Rank: New User
 
Posts: 12
Joined: 11 17, 2015

Re: Elk Feeding Habits

Postby cohunter » 06 17, 2016 •  [Post 8]

My tip as far as finding an area to hunt is to look for varied habitat. Large swaths of dark timber with interspersed parks are classic elk country, but elk move around and you may have to cover a couple thousand acres to find the elk. Habitat with a little bit of everything (brush, quakies, meadows, dark timber...) makes finding the area elk are in at the moment much easier.
User avatar
cohunter
Rank: Rag Horn
 
Posts: 230
Joined: 11 08, 2015

Re: Elk Feeding Habits

Postby Lefty » 06 17, 2016 •  [Post 9]

Swede wrote:
Lefty wrote:Swede: any time about those coastal Rosies!


Lefty: I am not sure what you are saying there, but I will talk Rosies with you any time and can give you some spots to hunt if you are interested. I haven't hunted them in many years, so I have no honey holes. Still, I live in their neighborhood.

I shouldn't expect you to be a mind reader.. :oops: :oops:
Its just that some of the Rosies I saw were in the drainage bottoms,.. about 50 feet above sea level,.. and some valleys they just stayed in the bottoms, Really no travel up or down. Just from one jungle to the next thicket.
User avatar
Lefty
Wapiti Hunting - Strategy and Tactics
 
Posts: 6926
Joined: 06 25, 2012
Location: Pocatello Idaho
First Name: Dennis
Last Name: H

Re: Elk Feeding Habits

Postby saddlesore » 06 17, 2016 •  [Post 10]

Problem being that these general things about elk's eating habits go out the window when you introduce hunting pressure. Just as Lefty said about the lady who had elk on her fields,but only at night now. In heavily pressured areas, even medium pressure, elk will go nocturnal or go into areas that are not typical elk habitat.

The hunter that continues to try to hunt elk using their unpressured tactics will more than likely go home with an un-pucnhed tag.
User avatar
saddlesore
Wapiti Hunting - Strategy and Tactics
 
Posts: 2162
Joined: 11 07, 2015
Location: Colorado Springs,CO

Re: Elk Feeding Habits

Postby Swede » 06 17, 2016 •  [Post 11]

Lefty, I really can't say. From what I have observed the Rosies range all over where there is good forage. Water is so abundant that is no issue. Your point is good about hunting them in the meadows at the bottom of canyons. A lot of people hunt them in clear-cuts where the new growth are prime. A tactic we used was to drive around and glass from high clear-cuts then hunt them. As we traveled around we kept a close eye out on the road cut banks for fresh tracks. In a lot of Roosevelt country the blocks of timber are relatively small. If you find fresh tracks going into a timbered block, you can drive around and see if or where the tracks leave. If they don't, you know where they are. After the first few days the Rosies can find some deep nasty holes to live in where the meadows in the bottom are their feed source.

If I wrote a book with all of my knowledge of hunting Rosies, it would be only about one paragraph long. Now if anyone wants to buy my book you can just print off this post and send me a quarter. Remember; I have Paypal. :D
Swede
Wapiti Hunting - Tree Stand Tactics
 
Posts: 10215
Joined: 06 16, 2012

Re: Elk Feeding Habits

Postby Lefty » 06 17, 2016 •  [Post 12]

Im doing a terrible job communicating what Im thinking. In general the usable habitat is where people dont go.Or should I say elk will use what people aren't, when people aren't . Not necessarily elevation

Swede your quarter is on its way :lol:


From what I have observed the Rosies range all over where there is good forage.
I guess thats my point. A place to eat and sleep
User avatar
Lefty
Wapiti Hunting - Strategy and Tactics
 
Posts: 6926
Joined: 06 25, 2012
Location: Pocatello Idaho
First Name: Dennis
Last Name: H