Mid-day Locating

[JGH]

It's 11 a.m. and your plans for finding a herd in the early morning were a bust. You know that finding a bedded herd could really help your evening hunt (or even be approached early afternoon in some instances).

How do you go about locating elk mid-day?

Or, do you switch to nap-mode, or scouting-mode for a few hours?

[bnsafe]

im gonna go sit over a wallow or water hole. I would end up busting more elk out than locating

[WapitiTalk1]

By hunting season, I've pretty got my area's various spots locked that hold elk at what time of day (not always, but usually) and have a morning and evening plan each day. In big country (glassing country) a high, mid day perch with optics as you munch your lunch could serve you well to locate ear flicks in bedding areas, or, a bull or cow(s) standing up to stretch, feed a bit, or have a drink. Sometimes from these high vantage/listening posts, you may even hear a bedded herd bull sing a song, dependent upon the stage of the rut. In brush choked country, sit and listen across or above potential bedding areas for elk sounds (minding the thermals of course). The sitting a wallow/watering hole bnsafe mentioned is always a good endeavor if you think said spot may be close to bedding areas. Locator's in mid day are something I normally don't do unless it's the last few days of the season and I throw my normal game book out the window.

[welka]

Either sit by a high wallow (assuming bedding is not above), get a 1/4 down from the top in some dark timber and go slow with a few chirps, or nap.

[Trophyhill]

For me after a power nap myself, I am back on the move mid day with the wind in my face trying to find where they are bedded in dark timber stalking silently.

[easeup]

the dark timber is your friend.
slip along in the cool shadows slow and quiet. get tired? sit and cow call a few times ( arrow nocked). a half hour might pass before the bull comes in quietly. If nothing shows, move on a ways and repeat.

[Lefty]

If I have hunted hard a nap is required soemtime(s) during the day

This is what I do,.. Still dont know if its right but I sort of still hunt. Glass all the open areas in fornt of me, look for tips gleeming in the sun, move slow , look, glass, and call and check every piece of sage for horn. . In the handfull of times Ive done this I did have a bull call back,..from the sound I likely passed by him less than 100 yards, . I had been working into the wind and he responded behind me and likely winded me