Go away or stay

[Lefty]

I’m starting to rethink my method of not working an area two days in a row
If I have a response, or bump or the elk hang up or just ignore us I don’t go back in later that day or the next.

What do others do
Do you work an area until you kill one, blow them out , they quit responding or do to you give them a breck for a few days?

This year we did hunt some easier to acces places where other hunters showed they if the elk were there they kept after and after them to point the elk knew they were being hounded . The elk just bounced around in a canyon or mountain side not leaving !

[Indian Summer]

I don’t leave as long as there are still elk there. I look at it being just one step behind so I stick with it until I can get one step ahead of them. If you leave they may relocate naturally and when you come back you’d just be wasting your time. When you’re on ‘em stay on ‘em!

[Chuckler]

I am curious to see responses on this thread. I've heard arguments supporting the theory of working one area until you kill one. The area, of course, has to hold elk in the first place. But this would allow you to really learn an area and elk patterns. Ive heard other arguments saying to move until you find an elk willing to play.

I tend to bounce around a lot due to my short attention span and lack of patience. Something to work on! Regardless, I am guessing some of this comes down to the individual hunter and preferred style of hunting.

I think there are some variables to this. My thoughts are, if you have a quality spot holding elk with limited pressure, keep working it. A bull will get hot at some point or your will learn travel patterns where you can cut them off. If the spot has gone cold (elk have been bumped out, too much pressure to have predictability, etc) then it's time to move. In other words, play the sign.

[Swede]

Things really vary after bumping elk. I rarely see the same ones in the area after I bump some, but there are often others. Bumping elk when I go to my stand is very discouraging as elk are not likely to come in that day. If it is not a big problem, I will go to a different stand and hunt there. If I am on the ground hunting, I go on like nothing happened. It just depends.

[saddlesore]

Early days,I always liked to let an area soak a few days. However,with so many hunter today, the days you are not there, more than likely other hunters will move thru.

Now days,though , if I can get to an area others are not using, I can usually sneak in and find elk and if a shot opportunity does not arise, I can back out without spooking them and return the next day

[CurlyTail]

I will hound them until I either get one or blow them out.

If they see me - no big deal they will settle down
If they hear me - no big deal again
If they smell me - usually looking for new elk to hunt

[Lefty]

Unfortunately I applied my goose methods to elk
Hunt then get out of the field, let it “soak “ go back and do it again
Knowing full well elk naturally move into and out of the canyon or mountain side and some areas become vacant if any elk.
I am looking at sticking with them next year

[Lefty]

. My thoughts are, if you have a quality spot holding elk with limited pressure, keep working it. ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,s.

I have one of those locations once inside there isacouple guy that hunt together during the 3 rd week.
It take lots of effort and time to get in there.

With the bear in there knowbody spends much time , it is a tough pack out and hard walk in. My daughter doesn’t like to put that much effort into it when we get into elk otherwise

[Indian Summer]

Chuckler’s way of thinking is spot on. If they are there and not pressured why leave.

Swedes’ comments come from a hunter who deals with more pressured elk. You

To me this is one of many.... most actually, questions that will get different answers depending on where people hunt. I’ve said before I’m not big on spending valuable time hunting pressured elk. Their reaction to getting bumped is certainly different than ones who don’t spend their lives on edge. Hunting elk that are more relaxed means they are comfortable where they are and less likely to leave. Those are the places I try to hunt and so if things don’t go my way today tomorrow is another day there.