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Hunting Bedding Areas During the Rut

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Hunting Bedding Areas During the Rut

Postby WapitiTalk1 » 02 08, 2013 •  [Post 1]

I've had some interesting discussions with friends on this topic. Should you hunt them or not? At some point in the morning, whether before Mr. Sun peeks over the mountin top, very early in the morning, mid morning, or even mid day as the weather/hunting pressure/moon cycle dictates, the herd "normally" heads to a bedding area 2/3 to 3/4 the way up the sidehill. As with many elk hunting options/strategies, it depends.. It depends on what? It depends on the area you're hunting and many other factors. Perhaps it is the only drainage you're hunting that year. It depends on how thick the area is impacting effective ingress/regress. It depends on the patterns of the particular herd whom are bedding in said area.. A bit cryptic I know, sorry... just trying to spark some elky chat :)..

The question is, do you hunt known bedding areas and what are your tactics?
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Re: Hunting Bedding Areas During the Rut

Postby >>>---WW----> » 02 09, 2013 •  [Post 2]

There are only two times I would even consider hunting a bedding area.

(1) It's the last day of the season so I pull out all the stops and go for broke!

(2) I accidently stumble through a bedding area I didn't know was there.

If I know where a good bedding area is, I will often sit on the outskirts of it and try to call the elk out. But I won't enter the bedding area. Another tactic would be to setup on a travel route between the bedding area and a food source.

Elk are no different than people. You go back to camp or home for a good rest. It is your sanctuary. Elk are no different! They need good cover and a place where they feel save and can rest up. If you bust them out of their safe haven, you'll probably spend several wasted days trying to locate another herd.
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Re: Hunting Bedding Areas During the Rut

Postby buglmin » 02 09, 2013 •  [Post 3]

I argee, you dont hunt bedding areas. Blow elk out of there and you just screwed yourself. All your hard work is then wasted...
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Re: Hunting Bedding Areas During the Rut

Postby flystrait » 02 09, 2013 •  [Post 4]

I hunt where the elk are. If that means when they are in their bed or not. Tactics typically will always be changing depending on situations and etc. The tactic I would use for this bedding area when they are down for the day is. This taken from my responce on the #7 thread but feel it would be a great solution to kill a bull in his beddeing area.
I would shadow them unit they bed up for the day and then I would send my partner as close as possible to the herd bedded and start off with some locate bugles from around 100-125 yards more than likely he responds with a half harted sqeal, next step as I would move closer staying up hill of coarse and close the distance by 50 yards. Now i am roughly 100-75 yards out and chuckle NOW i have his attention the cows are down not going anywhere and he gets out of his bed and positions himself between me and the cows. It takes about 5 minutes and I have not said another word he starts to bugle back at me to see where I am at, but I dont awnser, let him pace back and fourth looking for the intruder and protecting his harem "my partner is already in position and the bull moves to within 30 yards of him and he shoots him broadside" the herd half explodes out of their beds some take off on a run and others stand around trying to figure out what just happened and move off anyway toward the direction of the herd. It's 10:30 am and me and my hunting partner sit together for a while talking about BS and how neat it was it turned out this way. By 11:30am we pick up the blood trail and found the dead bull at 11:37 50 yards away piled up. We finally get the first load out to the truck at 11:00pm and you know the rest of the story.

CK
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Re: Hunting Bedding Areas During the Rut

Postby Swede » 02 09, 2013 •  [Post 5]

I agree with WW on this. I will call from around a bedding area when elk are there. I start off down wind and usually just try to peak a bull's curiosity. The area I hunt is way over called, and the elk will move onto a large private ranch when they get harassed. They love to jump over the fences with those "No Hunting" signs and hang out there.
I also set my tree stands up near bedding areas. I try to locate a close water hole and set up along trails where there is good sign of elk use.
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Re: Hunting Bedding Areas During the Rut

Postby Lefty » 02 09, 2013 •  [Post 6]

My whole area is or isnt a bedding area. but more where are they sleeping today?
I hunt open country; Ive spotted elk bedded in open grasslands and sometimes sage, they do tend to like the sage in the heat.
There are a few places they tend to bed more often than others, but the next night without being bumped they may be 10 miles away , or 5
Ive glassed open grasslands during the day and glass and called in open and thickj sage,
The elk are where they are and thats where I try to find them,.. and why most dont hunt what I hunt in :shock:
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Re: Hunting Bedding Areas During the Rut

Postby ElkNut1 » 02 10, 2013 •  [Post 7]

The bedding area is where the majority of our elk are killed, I not only hunt them I prefer them over anything else. Tactics of use differ dramatically on bull being worked & aggression of elk. Peak Rut elk in the bedding area spells major advantage hunter. The reason bedding areas get a bad wrap is the same reason hunters say you cannot successfully bugle bulls, they do not know what they are doing. The bedding area is one area bulls will defend to the end, yes they can be pushed out but generally you are seen or smelled, you cannot allow this to happen.

Too, if you hunt elk between 10am & 6pm you are hunting the bedding areas & many don't even know it! They hear elk talking or bulls bugling & they hunt them at these times not giving any thought as to where they might be, if you are one of these guys or gals then yes you too hunt the bedding areas! (grin)

Hunting bedding areas during rutting times & hunting them outside of rutting times does require adjustment in techniques used for best results.

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Re: Hunting Bedding Areas During the Rut

Postby TetonStorm » 02 10, 2013 •  [Post 8]

I totally agree. Although the tactics used vary, hunting bedding areas are where most of my hunting is spent. My favorite tactic is to approach them from a lateral position of the side hill and get in quiet. Once in, aggressively challenge him and go from there. Usually charge him. What a great rush it is to hunt elk in this fashion. As ElkNut said they are willing to defend in these zones during the peak rut.
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Re: Hunting Bedding Areas During the Rut

Postby LNGBOWFLYER » 02 10, 2013 •  [Post 9]

I hunt bedding areas and killed my last two archery elk in a bedding area. Hunting a bedding area is no different than setting up on travel routes etc. You need to keep the wind in your face and have a general idea of where the elk are. If you just wander through a bedding area haphazardly then of course you will blow them out. But if you glassed a herd and put them to bed, or located a herd by their calls, then you have already jumped the first hurdle (knowing where they are). Now its as simple as keeping the wind in your face and moving in slow and having the patience to move slow and stealthy enough so you can get in close enough to "threaten" that bull, or stalk up close enough to pick off a cow.

I hunt where the elk are. Every single time I have been successful elk have been nearby :) I agree with Paul too be successful you need to be where the elk are. And from 10am - 5 or 6pm this means near or in a bedding area. It does not good to be in the transition areas or in a big evening feeding area.
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Re: Hunting Bedding Areas During the Rut

Postby Trophyhill » 02 10, 2013 •  [Post 10]

i have been criticized on other forums for the mere thought of hunting bedding areas. 2011 i made a concious effort to stay out of the bedding areas and my encounters went way down! i killed my first bull in a bedding area in 2012. if i blow elk out of their bedding area........i'll go find other elk. i go elk hunting to kill elk not to go back to camp and take a nap or go fly fishing during the day. i agree with Craig and Paul on this one.
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Hunting Bedding Areas During the Rut

Postby Herb » 02 11, 2013 •  [Post 11]

Well we hunt them, appreciate everyone else staying out .

What you can get away with probably depends on the area. Do we blow them out daily, no, some days just happy to see an elk.

Been on the road home too many times and never hunted the bedding area, sacred or saving it, never again!! When we come home,we have exploited every opportunity near our camp......it's where the elk are.
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Re: Hunting Bedding Areas During the Rut

Postby POk3s » 02 14, 2013 •  [Post 12]

I guess I'm a gambler too.

It comes down to one thing....It's elk season and I'm there to hunt. I didn't hike in 6 miles to stop hunting at 9 am and take a nap. Sometimes I will yes. If the wind is too shifty for me then I will take it easy. If that's the case I try to get to a spot where I can glass a mountainside. I may have only glassed a few but a lot of times I hear them. Bugling will slow way down in the middle of the day (most of the time) but they will still squeal every once in a while. The simple trick is being there when they do make noise. Once I hear 'em I can form a plan for that night. With this strategy I have plenty of time to circle around and get where I think I need to be before evening.

If the wind is stable I'll still hunt through bedding areas as well as using cold calling setups. I killed my bull this year in the middle of the day. I set up at the edge of a meadow by a north facing slope and here he came. After I shot and started walking toward my downed bull another elk blew out from behind me. I never saw him but isn't the one that got away always bigger ;) . I've even been known to still hunt areas with less than ideal wind. Like I said before, I'm there to hunt. I have gambled and lost plenty of times but I always learn something new.
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Re: Hunting Bedding Areas During the Rut

Postby mongopino915 » 02 16, 2013 •  [Post 13]

I do not deliberately try to flush elk away from known bed areas but I do plan my hunt to target bedded elk, especially from 10:00 - 4:00.

Where we hunt, if you are not pushing the elk, someone else will, so may as be you.
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