Mid Day Wallow/Water Hole Sitting - Are You In?

[WapitiTalk1]

What the heck to do after the morning hike and hunt is over? The wapiti have moved to their bedding areas and probably won't move again as a group until much later in the day, potentially, not until right before nightfall. A hunter could take a big fat nap on a sunny hillside, do some glassing and watch for ear flicks or antlers on an adjacent sidehill bedding area, head back to camp for mid day tea and crumpets, or..... you could back up into a good vantage point by an active wallow or water point and wait, listen, and watch for a mid day/afternoon visitor. Who plans on sitting by wallows, waterholes, or even a choke point leading to one of these opportunistic areas during their non-hiking/movement to contact times in the elk woods this year?

[cnelk]

I will
Cant wait!

[Bowhunter]

We usually go back to camp for our main meal of the day and a shower if needed. Once the thermals go from crazy to a constant up we will sit a wallow or water. Usually back out around 12-1pm till dark. Unless I am sure where thay are bedded I will try not to disturb them mid day. Now the last couple days if nothing has happened, I might get a little risky and go for it.

[Birks]

I'll be trying it for sure. we usually go back to camp and eat, nap, ect. but this year will be more day hunting. Any naps will be near a watering hole.

[Mikeha33]

That's my plan, to find an active wallow, or waterhole with tons of sign during the doldrums of the afternoon. My goal is not to only shoot an elk while doing so, but if the wallow/hole is active enough, I'll use that time to learn about elk habits, and hopefully try to understand their language a little better. As a first timer from the flatlands of KS, I want to use every second possible while in elk country to learn as much as possible.

[BRazz]

Yep, me too.

If for some crazy reason we don't get one down in the morning, we go back to camp for a more proper breakfast (assuming we haven't followed a herd too far away), refresh ourselves, and head for the wallow or waterhole around noon. Depending on where it is, we often go from there straight to our evening hunt spots.

My only concern about this year is the amount of water they've been getting. I'm pretty sure my favorite waterhole went from the one-and-only to dime-a-dozen, but I've never hunted this spot on such a rainy/wet year. We shall see...

[Washington Wapiti]

I may do this. There are 2 spots along one of the spurs I hunt, that were previously tank trapped. Those tank traps are now overgrown with vegetation and 2 feet wide, snails-pace creeks running through them. The well worn trail cuts right through it. They're about a half-mile or so down from my treestand. On my last trip in to swap out cards, it occurred to me that with all the tracks beat in and around this little water source, maybe elk are watering here. Maybe they are merely following the trail and passing through. It is a cool, well-shaded area (a good thick canopy) and may be worth jumping off the trail 15 or 20 yards into the understory instead of going back to camp. It is on the way back to camp anyway, so may as well right?? No good place to put a blind or treestand here, but the brush is thick enough for concealment. Not a wide range of shooting options, but there is one decent shooting lane to put an arrow through if the elk is positioned right. I'll probably move a camera to this spot once I get in there on the 2nd.

[mtnmutt]

I am doing this for the first time this year.

I have one spot picked out that my brand new vortex spotting scope may come in handy in finding a good mid day place to sit. I can glass the top near their bedding area where they may come out to drink the trickling water.

For a 2nd location, I will be searching for a high seep near a bedding area that has a saddle just above it. I am not sure the distance elk will go for a mid day drink. The main creeks are over a half mile away.

Currently, nws is putting out lots of warnings on cloud to ground lightening for the CO mountains. As long it is not heavy rain, I will be out mid day.

[Lefty]

If Ive found elk, sometime after 11:00 is the time to make the move because the winds are from a consistant direction.
Otherwise in the heat a nap and a book at the waterhole, very slim chance but it did happen once while I was out glassing
I will walk and glass, call and nap

[Buglemaster]

Yep, I'm in for shure. I don't know if there is a better tactic for early season elk. Hot temps & an abundance of flies will drive them to water/ wallow a lot more consistently in the early part of the season. I love setting water in the middle to the end of the day. Elk, deer, bear,coyotes...seems like there is always a subject to keep you awake.in their absents, the Mosquitos & flies do their part.

[Sucobowhunter]

I'll be sitting at a wallow after my morning hunt.

[WapitiTalk1]

Yep, I'm in for shure. I don't know if there is a better tactic for early season elk. Hot temps & an abundance of flies will drive them to water/ wallow a lot more consistently in the early part of the season. I love setting water in the middle to the end of the day. Elk, deer, bear,coyotes...seems like there is always a subject to keep you awake.in their absents, the Mosquitos & flies do their part.

Sound wisdom Dave.. Listen up guys!

[Birks]

Yep, I'm in for shure. I don't know if there is a better tactic for early season elk. Hot temps & an abundance of flies will drive them to water/ wallow a lot more consistently in the early part of the season. I love setting water in the middle to the end of the day. Elk, deer, bear,coyotes...seems like there is always a subject to keep you awake.in their absents, the Mosquitos & flies do their part.

Sound wisdom Dave.. Listen up guys!

Did this last year at one particular watering hole that i had seen elk near in the morning. That afternoon/evening no elk came by but a few whitetails stopped for a drink, and a blackbear went for a swim, wish i had gotten some pictures, but i was more worried about staying still and watching.

[ishy]

I'm in. I'm trying to dedicate mornings sitting a wallow just off a feeding area. It gets hit morning and evening by herds and by smaller bulls all day. How long I sit is up to the thermals, and how my backside holds up. I can do 4-6 hours for bear pretty easy, so elk should be easier right?

[Coveyleader]

If the wind is not consistent you are doing more damage than good. Youre way better off hunting during times of steady wind (early and late) vs mid day swirling winds. To each their own!

[planebow]

If there are any water holes this year where I go I will be setting on them in the evenings.