Solo Archery Elk

[Kessler10]

for those of you that have had success back-country solo archery elk hunting.
Pros/Cons/Tips/Tricks?

Thanks!

[Swede]

I don't remember how you hunt Luke, but the biggest factor in success either in the back woods or near a road is time. The longer you can stay the more likely success will come. If you need to come out every other day or so, then you lose too much time just going back and forth. Be prepared to stay.

[Lefty]

so depending on the number of days consider having enough gear to comfortably stay ,
I "sold" a cache of tarp-tent sleepbag food and water with other overnight-emegency supplies to a neighbor when I left Utah My father in Law and his group use to put out a few caches before season
I sldo have a few area ready in case of an emergency, basically a cleaned sleeping area with burnable wood

Go in before season and prep some camp sites and maybe some gear

[WapitiTalk1]

What time of year are you going?

[Kessler10]

first 2 weeks of Sept. It looks like I may be hunting solo the second week.

[BrentLaBere]

The hardest part, imo, is the down time. Especially the middle of the day when I wasn't hiking around. Glassing and really picking areas apart helped me with that part. Writing in a journal and taking notes was another good thing I did. Wish I still did that part. Missed quite a few seasons without doing it. Taking pictures is another one that helped me. Take care of your camp and cut firewood even if you don't need a fire that night. Find little ways to keep busy and your mind occupied.

The hunting part was better being solo
Calling elk in you need to move after you call so they cant pin point you. Also call and direct it in the way you want the elk to come in.
Less noise and scent being solo.
Just know your limits on packing an elk out. Also cutting one up. Its easy if they are in a flat spot but if they are on a steep hill with blow down, it cant make for awkward situation. Bring plenty of rope to tie legs off and help with leverage. Dont overdue it when packing one out. Make more trips. Being solo you cant afford to get hurt.
Make sure someone you trust knows where you will be. Mark out areas you plan to park and hike into and when they can expect to hear from you.

[ElkNut1]

I agree with Brent!

The difference between Tag Team with two & Solo is the solo hunter basically plays both roles, really not a big deal. Your Tactics when calling is employed remains the same!

We have a New Section on the ElkNut Mobile App being updated that will include Solo Elk Tactics & Early Season Tactics, I think it may help you out quite a bit with Tactics in Calling as well as Ambushing when needed. This New Section on Solo hunters has the Tactics that 3 of the guys on the team use yearly, these 3 guys have over 60 solo bulls taken with archery equipment on OTC public land hunts. The advice & suggestions are solid & proven, they may be able to you help too! Good luck!

ElkNut/Paul

[Indian Summer]

Con: Your hunt range is limited. You don’t want to hunt beyond where you can get an entire elk out alone in a day and a half. If you hunt uphill and pack down that’s further. But if you hunt down and pack up it’s not too far at all. Especially during those first two weeks of the month when it’s warm.

Pro: No distractions. Make all of your own decisions and hunt at your own pace.

[Brendan]

Hunt until the bitter end. I've gotten my two bulls solo, on day 12 I think?

Also, set up a camp next to the truck. Don't be afraid to bail out back to the truck for the night to recharge and resupply on food. Even better, drive into nearest town halfway through to get a big burger, see some people, and recharge.

Get comfortable with a frontal shot, what you will and won't take.

I'll be back in Wyoming by myself for the first two weeks of the season this year...

[ElkNut1]

X2 on proficiency on the Frontal Shot! Be ready for it just in case as well as quartering to you!

Too, be ready for a bull to come in unexpectedly quick in high aggressive calling situations. He may come in so quick you couldn't draw before his arrival. He'll generally stop short of where the calling source was, wait for him to turn to leave the way he came, when he does; draw your bow & give him a single nervous grunt, he should stop & turn to see this elk asking what he is. Lots of thoughts here but this one has worked for myself on several bulls!

ElkNut/Paul

[>>>---WW---->]

Elk seem to have an uncanny ability to know exactly where your sounds are coming from. When they come to your calling they will most likely hang up once they get to a place where they see where they think you should be. You need to recognize where the hang up point will be and get into position for the shot before he gets there.

Another tactic is to learn how to direct traffic. This takes a long time to learn and mostly by mistakes you have mad in the past. You need to know how to direct your calling so the bull will think you ( are where you aren't.) And he will be closer before he hangs up.

[Swede]

Another tactic is to learn how to direct traffic. This takes a long time to learn and mostly by mistakes you have mad in the past. You need to know how to direct your calling so the bull will think you ( are where you aren't.) And he will be closer before he hangs up.

I have hunted for many years, but still have no skill at this. I have tried different things, but find I just need to move after calling and get out ahead. Of coarse that does not always work either as the bull is too close for me to move. I have heard Larry D. Jones discussion and maybe some Elknut video on this, and I still stink at it. Maybe part of the problem has been the more open country I have been hunting for years. I have determined calling a lot is counter productive when you are not in what Elknut calls a challenge or threat mode.

[Trophyhill]

I can't think of any cons. We knew what we were getting into when we dove in head first spending lotsa coin for all the gear and work it takes to pull it off. After that first steak, you forget all about the pain of packing it out

[Trophyhill]

Elk seem to have an uncanny ability to know exactly where your sounds are coming from. When they come to your calling they will most likely hang up once they get to a place where they see where they think you should be. You need to recognize where the hang up point will be and get into position for the shot before he gets there.

Another tactic is to learn how to direct traffic. This takes a long time to learn and mostly by mistakes you have mad in the past. You need to know how to direct your calling so the bull will think you ( are where you aren't.) And he will be closer before he hangs up.

The first bull I killed, I did exactly that, the bull hung up head on at 60 yards. And believe you me, he was looking for what he heard from my calling! I slowly turned my head and gave a very soft cow call in the opposite direction. It's just what that encounter called for. He moved left to right and I stopped him with a cow call at 40 yards broadside. 30 yards later he made the death moan sound and it was over.

Thinking back on that, it was all about reading the encounter correctly and responding or acting immediately to what I saw and heard. Which up to that point I had screwed up previous opportunities because I hesitated or "blinked".

Love the analogy "directing traffic". That means you are in control of the situation and dictating the outcome!

[Swede]

I hate to say this but, turning your head and letting out a cow mew, or turning your head and bugling does not fool the elk about your location. I have tried that and they still come in to exactly where I called from.
Moving away from that location can work and if you were behind some significant brush they may come closer.
Facing another direction does not throw your sound and fool the beast. Moving around in a small area and making different sounds, may fool them into believing you are several elk. That may bring a satellite bull to you.

[Trophyhill]

I hate to say this but, turning your head and letting out a cow mew, or turning your head and bugling does not fool the elk about your location. I have tried that and they still come in to exactly where I called from.
Moving away from that location can work and if you were behind some significant brush they may come closer.
Facing another direction does not throw your sound and fool the beast. Moving around in a small area and making different sounds, may fool them into believing you are several elk. That may bring a satellite bull to you.

I hate to say this too (no I don't ) but it worked. And besides, isn't bowhunting about getting as close as you can? I don't know who the first to say it was but "you can fool an elks ears and eyes, but you can't fool his nose? I fooled his ears on that deadly encounter. Even if ever so slightly. He may have known exactly where I was located, but he did exactly what I needed him to do for once I'll take a 320+ satellite anytime

[Swede]

I had a guy tell me once that, deer like whistling. Apparently he was sitting in a western Oregon clear-cut, and after awhile he started whistling. He had not whistled long before a nice buck stood up and looked his way. He killed the buck while it was just standing there listening. Proof; deer like whistling.

[WapitiTalk1]

That’s some strange deer you have in Oregon Yes, directed calls (either merely behind you or even into the ground), especially after an elk has heard your calls (tone/volume), can create an auditory illusion in the elks mind. I do believe in this tactic working as I’ve seen it first hand. Does it always work and unglue a bull from a hang up point? No, but if you’ve set up improperly, don’t have the ability to move back, or the bugger just decides he’s not coming any further till he hears or sees something, it’s just another tool to have with you in your elk toolbox

[Swede]

A cough might just do the job, or as a guy posted here some years ago; farting. I don't think it is pointing your grunt tube one way or another, or facing down that fools them. I have been amazed at how precise an elk's ear is, even from long distances. Of coarse it does not hurt to look one way then another when bugling or cow calling.

[Trophyhill]

A cough might just do the job, or as a guy posted here some years ago; farting. I don't think it is pointing your grunt tube one way or another, or facing down that fools them. I have been amazed at how precise an elk's ear is, even from long distances. Of coarse it does not hurt to look one way then another when bugling or cow calling.

I find that a well placed call, right sound, right time, right pitch, right distance, right direction tend to work in your favor over a cough now a nervous grunt on the other ✋? "That's the test of all tests if ya ask me. Im in"

[saddlesore]

I find hunting really stupid elk works best. I have been pretty successful at that, but I think that gene pull is drying up

[BrowTines]

...so I was alone eating my lunch overlooking a valley that had wallow, the wind was too unpredictable in the valley bottom so I had moved probably 500 yards up just to get the wind right and gain cover. As I was eating I saw a bull come into the wallow up the valley, it was totally open between me and the bottom of the valley, I was behind a few scrub pines, so no chance to move closer. By the time I got my act together the bull had wallowed and was moving up the opposite hillside in the trees. I gave a pleading cow call and the bull came unglued. He came crashing down the hillside hitting all kinds of deadfall with his knees and whining the whole way. Unfortunately, he came out in the open 100 yards downwind of my position. At that point, I was quite exposed and knew if I tried to move the game would be over. I gave a really soft directional mew up the valley. That was enough to get the bull to move directly upwind of my position. Then the sound of my feet moving as I repositioned myself was enough for him to think that the cow had now moved above him. He came running up the hill past me and ran directly into my broadhead. In this case, the directionality of the mew worked. The conditions were right and the bull was so eager that it chased the direction of the sound, not all scenarios work like this. I have had a lot of instances where the elk came in a long-distance and pinpointed the exact spot we were calling from. ..so it depends on circumstances but with no other options, a directional call does have a chance of working.

[Swede]

BrowTines, your story is very interesting and I appreciate it. I am wondering after reading your post if the wind was a factor in confusing the bull on your exact location? Do you have any idea about that?

[BrowTines]

Hi Swede,

I don't have a good memory for the wind that day other than it was blowing in my face - we often have strong westerly winds that trump all other thermals. It probably wasn't blowing hard otherwise I would remember that but it probably was a good consistent wind. You may be right the wind may have helped confuse the bull. I remember being surprised that the strategy worked.

[Swede]

Thanks BrowTines. I was just guessing as I have not been able to confuse a bull about my whereabouts by pointing my grunt tube away from me. Maybe someone else can add something to this discussion.