Number 1

[Elkhunttoo]

So you have multiple stand locations. Say 3-4. The week before opening day you check all of them and they seem to be about even on the number of animals coming in.

How do you determine what stand location you are going to sit?

[wawhitey]

If they all seem just as good, which one would be easier to pack an animal out from? All other things equal, that would be my deciding factor honestly.

[Lefty]

I apply this to my bear hunting.
Mosquitos in big numbers make the choice
Color of a bear hitting the bait. Times the bear is working a bait... Im not going to try to beat a bear at dawn, or hope that bear comes in before the LST is over.

Wind direction and mosquitos make th choice most often.

Elk hunting,,, If anyone else is hunting the area, we often move

[Elkhunttoo]

I have definitely thought about the pack out. The spot that might have the edge for me this year is the hardest pack out of the 3 areas and just a little bit harder to get to them the other two spots.

Of of the things that I just thought of now is the one spot the sun hits early in the morning then has shade in the afternoon. That is definitely a perk

[Swede]

I set out three stands most seasons now. I may move them or take one down. The stands are never equal. There is something about every one of them that makes them special.

I.e. In one general area the elk move around and do not show up again for a couple of weeks. I would not go to the one that showed recent fresh sign. The elk were just there and won't be back for a while.
Another stand is hot in the afternoon. One stand is near a bedding area and has a water hole nearby an another is by a game trail. Some places get more bulls, while others are used mainly by cows.
Your camera may show when elk show up and the frequency of visits. Sometimes elk move away and herd up somewhere else only to return later in the season. With good analysis you can make an educated guess at where you should wait in your stand.
Last season a huge fire was active 8 miles to the north of me. There was a lot of traffic on the roads between my stands and the fire. The elk were not following their normal pattern because of the fire and started gathering up near one stand. I had elk every day there until I shot a good 5X5. That was an easy call, but usually it is more challenging. Often, I find out I should have been over at the other place. When all is said and done there is a lot of the unknown involved.

[Tigger]

Hey Swedeypie, I have seen the same bull relating to the same area (within 100 yards) of my favorite wallow for most of a week. So he and his cows didn't move much. No absolutes in elk hunting!

Of course, he antlers now adorn my wall. So there is that.

[Swede]

I am not surprised that a bull hung around in a small area for most of a week. That happens often in the elk world. What amazes me is that you got him. I would have thought he would have died of old age before you put an arrow in his hide.

[six]

Always always always play the wind.

[six]

Always play the wind. I would hunt my third choice rather than hunt #1 with a bad wind.

[Elkhunttoo]

Hmmm…wind is some food for thought…with the stands I honestly haven’t thought much about the wind. We (my group) have talked about wind on the approach to the stand but that is about it. Wind will be mainly just the mountain thermals. All locations are on water/springs/wallow mid way to 3/4 the way up ridges

[Swede]

I try to do my thinking about the wind before I set up my stand. It is rare that I have one that is good only at certain times. I sometimes need to think about wind as I determine my route into my stand. Mostly multiple stands are for a variety of scenery and for someone else to have a place to hunt if they show up to hunt from my camp.