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Late rifle hunts- go to the timber!!!

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Late rifle hunts- go to the timber!!!

Postby Jhg » 10 15, 2018 •  [Post 1]

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Most rifle hunters seem to focus exclusivly on glassing open areas when late season hunting. Obviously effective, it is not always your best option. Besides with every other tom dick and harry sitting vantage points like you are, the elk do get wise to what these open areas mean to their survival chances and they do try to avoid them.

Try hunting the timber instead, use your archery skills to get closer shots on undisturbed elk, especially cows. You might be pleasantly surprised and hunting timber stands late season is just plain enjoyable. There might be a learning curve to understand how and when the elk are using timber "tunnels" to move around, but its worth a little patience to learn those habits as the elk will mimic them year to year in their migration behavior.

(note the aperture sights- under 60 yd shots are common)
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Re: Late rifle hunts- go to the timber!!!

Postby saddlesore » 10 15, 2018 •  [Post 2]

There is a lot to be said for that method.It use to be my preferred tactic and I killed a lot of elk in the thick nasty stuff.However,once you shoot an elk in there, most likely they leave the country to the next drainage.If you miss one, you or hunting buddy will likely not get another chance in there at the same location.At least that has been my experience.
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Re: Late rifle hunts- go to the timber!!!

Postby Swede » 10 15, 2018 •  [Post 3]

I find elk in the timber in early archery season, late archery season, etc., so what are you seeing that is different in about the late rifle season?
I have found hunting open timber is good during a storm, as you can move around quietly and they will often be standing around during the day.
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Re: Late rifle hunts- go to the timber!!!

Postby Jhg » 10 15, 2018 •  [Post 4]

It seems the elk are relaxed. Its rare I see signs of other hunters. In my area, they use certain tunnels to move through. Be there and you will get a shot. Its migratory movement that differs from earlier seasons.
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Re: Late rifle hunts- go to the timber!!!

Postby RAMMONT » 10 15, 2018 •  [Post 5]

Where I live the elk are in the tight timber right from the start of the rifle season, if you see them on grass it's rare. I usually setup an early morning ambush site that catches them as they move their way up the mountain slopes in those little open spots among the trees.
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Re: Late rifle hunts- go to the timber!!!

Postby Jhg » 10 15, 2018 •  [Post 6]

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Here are pics of my area. The downfall is pretty rugged in places and it forces elk into very narrow tunnels.The elk skirt the bad places if they are relaxed. The first one shows classic late season timber hunting at its best. Open view and clear shooting.
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Re: Late rifle hunts- go to the timber!!!

Postby Jhg » 10 15, 2018 •  [Post 7]

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One more without the snow. I initially hated these areas because they made me work hard. I now appreciate how they neck down an elks options for moving through. I spend a lot of time near the edges of these downfall hell holes.
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Re: Late rifle hunts- go to the timber!!!

Postby Lefty » 10 15, 2018 •  [Post 8]

That nasty blow down doesn’t hold cows or many deer and often few hunters
I like it
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Re: Late rifle hunts- go to the timber!!!

Postby WapitiTalk1 » 10 15, 2018 •  [Post 9]

Ever notice how elk spotted from great distances (directly relating to Jhg's thoughts) oftentimes bust immediately! I can remember a good handful of times I've spotted elk way, way out on the edge of an opening that we're running as soon as they remotely suspected that they were being looked at (again, from great distances where you wouldn't have a prayer anyway of hitting something with a rifle). Particularly later in the season (they've been through archery, smokepole, spear, slingshot, early rifle, late archery, etc., etc. seasons) they absolutely tend to hang and feel safer in these areas you mention (thick timber, ridiculous blow down, even re-prod). Heck, I know of a few places that are consistent elk hangouts that not only contain epic blowdown, but, are at the base of a cliff or just off to the side of a shale slide! They aren't that smart but smart enough to understand where they are safer from predators, both the two and four legged variety. Very good bit of info for our elk tool kits Jhg.
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Re: Late rifle hunts- go to the timber!!!

Postby RAMMONT » 10 15, 2018 •  [Post 10]

Jhg wrote:
The attachment PART_1479420949275_20161116_162144.jpg is no longer available
One more without the snow. I initially hated these areas because they made me work hard. I now appreciate how they neck down an elks options for moving through. I spend a lot of time near the edges of these downfall hell holes.


That's quite common in most of the western forest lands nowadays, it's the result of the modern concept of wilderness management. That's how a lot of my hunting area looks like but recently I've found even better signs of elk use in the thickest stuff that grew out of old burn sites. The trees are so close together that you would have a difficult time walking in these stands. But there are heavily used trails leading in to and out of these tight stands of trees.
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Re: Late rifle hunts- go to the timber!!!

Postby Joe Schmo » 10 16, 2018 •  [Post 11]

Good post!! Renewed my excitement for what I call “wandering in the woods”...I’ll try and focus on wandering with apex predator-like focus!!
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Re: Late rifle hunts- go to the timber!!!

Postby Elkduds » 10 16, 2018 •  [Post 12]

Model 99, iron sights, down timber, tracking snow, bloody game bags. Every picture tells a story, don't it?

If you take on the challenge of this kind of hunting, remember that down timber, wet or snowy, is extremely slippery.
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