Stay the Course or Play the Hot Hand - POLL

[WapitiTalk1]

For this super scientific situation, we're talking sometime in the September archery elk season in (insert state here). The afternoon/evening hunt plan is to move on a series of game trails to a pre-determined location that you plan on sitting till dark. This location could be a tree stand by a waterhole, wallow, travel choke point, or just a chosen spot you plan on sitting (could be a ground blind or just a spot in the brush). From this year's recent trail cam images, and, experience over the past week you know that this spot normally gets elk traffic in the early evening and up to and after darkness falls.

Here's the deal and question: As you're moving towards your spot that is perhaps 3/4 of a mile away, on the other side of the large draw, at around 3:30 PM, you hear a very vocal bull (or bulls) well below you in the draw that you're circumnavigating (probably a bedded group). Do/would you break off from your original plan of heading to your stand spot to try and make a play on the bull(s) you hear, or, stay the course and continue to the pre-determined spot (knowing full well that this diversion of taking off after the vocal elk will essentially snuff your previous game plan for that day)?

[Swede]

As a tree stand hunter this scenario has played out before me many times. I stay the coarse. I know the elk are around and I can get to my stand undetected. I have been in my stand many times when I see or hear bulls out in the forest 100, 200, or 300 plus yards away. I hope they come soon. I would sure like to start gutting before it gets dark.

[BrowTines]

I only occasionally sit at a trail, water hole or wallow. I have never taken an elk doing this - although I should have (a story for another time). My answer to this question is context sensitive, if the bugle is relatively close to target location, I might decide to stay the coarse. However, if it is distal to the target location, I will always opt to go where the elk are - no question about it. In my part of the country, there are not a lot of elk around (Southern Alberta), often you are hunting one herd in a large area. Those vocal elk may go over the ridge and head for a different target destination (I have seen that happen too often) so to stick with the plan would be a mistake (you sit there and see and hear nothing). Going to the sound would always be my first choice in a scenario like this - that puts you in the action and that is what I am after as an elk hunter.

[Tigger]

bird in hand vs bird in bush...I take in hand every time. Go to where you know elk are not where you hope they might be at some time.

[Swede]

From this year's recent trail cam images, and, experience over the past week you know that this spot normally gets elk traffic in the early evening and up to and after darkness falls.

Since that is the experience, your best bet is that the elk will get there. I would not chase or disturb them. What people that are not tree stand jerks don't understand is that patience pays off big when you have a good location to wait. Today they may arrive after dark. Well, that is hunting, but they are coming in often before dark. Going after the elk is more likely to change their routine. When I have something like what RJ just described above, stands are exciting and deadly. I think I will read my Bible and chew on some jerky while I wait for the critters to show.

[lamrith]

From this year's recent trail cam images, and, experience over the past week you know that this spot normally gets elk traffic in the early evening and up to and after darkness falls.

Since that is the experience, your best bet is that the elk will get there. I would not chase or disturb them. What people that are not tree stand jerks don't understand is that patience pays off big when you have a good location to wait. Today they may arrive after dark. Well, that is hunting, but they are coming in often before dark. Going after the elk is more likely to change their routine. When I have something like what RJ just described above, stands are exciting and deadly. I think I will read my Bible and chew on some jerky while I wait for the critters to show.

I am not a tree stand hunter, never done it yet, but if I was my attack on this would change depending on when this was in the hunt.

• If it was early in the hunt, I would stay the plan. I have them on cam coming to my stand spot, and now I know for sure they are in the immediate area. Get in that stand, setup and try to settle down and be ready. Chances are if I am on a popular area that they will come my way after their Siesta.
• If it was late in the hunt (last few days) and I had been sitting that stand off and on thru my hunt and not had the luck to see the elk come my way, then I might change plan and be more direct and get after them more directly. Hunt is winding down and it is time to make something happen

[Lefty]

I've been patient , thinking I would catch them unaware
That plan , Ah,,, course hasn't worked out.
I now play the hot hand

[js80138]

By staying on the trail and calling I would think you would get the best of both worlds and not disturb the potential elk you planned to ambush. This is a great scenerio to ponder, Thanks RJ.

[Elkhunttoo]

If it's a water hole or a nice saddle I'm planning on for the evening hunt I think getting there and set up is a great option in this situation. With the bull being vocal you know which way he is headed when they start to move (hopefully). I also agree that if I'm running out of time I'm pushing and going towards him... stand hunting is so effective though... when my brother first started archery hunting with me he kept saying, "there is seeing elk, and there is killing elk" ...thinking about it though, the way I normally do it is I would run full force right at them

[Swede]

Here is something else to ponder as we consider RJ's scenario. Some areas are over called, and elk start to get quiet very early because they get chased when they do. They may bugle at night, but not in the day. I am not positive just how that works. I hear elk bugle at night on the ranch more at night than in the day.
If you hear a bull in your vicinity and start the chase, he takes his cows and heads to the ranch. In other areas, elk are less influenced be calling. They don't commonly hear humans calling to them and seeing one is rare. In these cases you have a better chance on the ground than in the over called area, but I wild still opt for my stand. Really it is a matter of personal confidence in my stand locations.

[stringunner]

From this year's recent trail cam images, and, experience over the past week you know that this spot normally gets elk traffic in the early evening and up to and after darkness falls.

Since that is the experience, your best bet is that the elk will get there. I would not chase or disturb them. What people that are not tree stand jerks don't understand is that patience pays off big when you have a good location to wait. Today they may arrive after dark. Well, that is hunting, but they are coming in often before dark. Going after the elk is more likely to change their routine. When I have something like what RJ just described above, stands are exciting and deadly. I think I will read my Bible and chew on some jerky while I wait for the critters to show.

I'm with Swede on this one....but then again I'm a "treestand jerk" as Swede puts it.

Totally different scenario but I was sitting in a stand last year multiple days where I had a herd below me 1/2 mile in full rut activity on private. I stayed put in stand having seen multiple elk at this stand on the camera for several days in a row. A couple elk came in close 50 yards from the stand but never to the water. Hindsight says I may have been successful getting down and moving closer to the rutting herd and probably called one off the ranch or caught one on the public side, the herd was spread out and some were on the ranch and others on public. But then I had two different bulls within 50 yards but no shot at the stand. I counted my decision to stay to be equal to my chances of a potential shot on the elk below. Half one way and half the over.

[Tigger]

Part of my decision has to do with how I hunt whitetails. I stand hunt them. the last thing I want to do is stand hunt elk too. Being on the ground and calling is to me, 100% more fun than shooting one out of a stand. Perhaps that is because I have done so much whitetail hunting that way. When I go west in search of wapiti, I want a different experience. Might I kill more elk if I deployed stand hunting? Sure, but it isn't all about just killing a bull for me. I want to have the calling, cat and mouse experience. For me personally, that is what elk hunting is all about. YMMV and IASSMV.

Don't know what IASSMV stands for? I Am Sure Swede's Mileage Varies!

[scubohuntr]

Prolly some yahoo with a new bugle anyway. Myself, I'd go after the bull, but that's because I have no confidence in my calling ability. If it's a single bull and he's very vocal, he's probably moving or willing to move. A herd bull with cows wouldn't be making that much noise, unless he was being challenged. If I had any calling ability, I'd probably proceed to my stand location and call from fairly near the tree for a bit to see if I could move him. If no results, get in the stand and hunt the plan. It'd be a good two hours before I expected elk anyway, or I wouldn't be planning to hunt from a treestand.

[Swede]

YMMV - Your momma made veggies??? Yes, my mutt vomited??

You Millennials and your acronyms.

[ishy]

You had me at "very vocal".

[twinkieman]

I don't stand hunt, so I wouldn't be planning ongoing somewhere to sit. Vocal elk, here I come!

[COElkNut]

You had me at "very vocal".

^This.

"Very vocal" = looking for either a fight or some lovin'. I'd be quiet and squawk just enough to keep him in the game as i continually moved toward him. If he was a-coming my way I'd find a hidey spot off the trail or anticipated path and get situated.

[ElkNut1]

As a true to heart Runner & Gunner of elk I would get over to the party & give it heck to put a bull down right there. I can sit another day! (grin)

When multiple bulls are bugling in the same spot it shows me there's a hot cow in the mix & the satellite bulls are trying to attract her to them through their bugling. In turn the herd bull is warning them to stay back or else. This is a true Breeding Sequence! The satellites in most cases are not looking for a fight or they would step up to the plate & face the bull face to face, it does happen but it's rare in comparison especially on OTC hunts. Instead you'll notice most stay back out of harms way & try to call the hot cow their way! This is where I would come in (grin)

ElkNut1

[1Elkhunter]

If a bull gives away his position to me, and he doesn't know where I am, and I've got enough light to get to him in time to hunt him, then damned the torpedo's! I'm going right at him, right now! A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush as they say! My father taught me decades ago to always have a plan and stick to it... but don't fall in love with your plan.

[Swede]

The point I saw was based on RJ's lead. The cameras show the elk come every afternoon or evening to where I have my tree stand. If I know they will be coming to that spot, I can ambush them on my terms. I don't have to risk much if anything. Chasing calls is much higher risk. There are too many things that can go wrong. Being spotted or scented are a much greater possibility on the ground than in a tree stand.
I love those hunts where I know, based on solid fresh evidence, that elk are coming in to a spot daily.

[ElkNut1]

By all means yes! If you are certain those are the elk using the water source you are heading to then I'd also seriously consider to stay on course! BUT, if I thought for even a split second they were different elk then I'm going to kill a bull in that group & not wait to see w2here they are heading!

ElkNut1

[Swede]

if I thought for even a split second they were different elk then I'm going to kill a bull in that group & not wait to see w2here they are heading!

Based on the scenario given, how would anyone know that? All you know is that elk have been coming into your stand location. Nothing is 100%. Chasing elk is not killing elk either.
After filling my tag I decided to stay out hunting and just watch a salt block (legal in Oregon) in a travel way. For three days in a row I had elk right in front of me. I kept telling my friend in hopes he would hunt that spot. Finally the forth day he decided to wait in my stand. He saw no elk.
My observation is that my chances at shooting an elk are better on a good stand location that anywhere else. Things can and do go wrong for a person in a stand, but there are fewer uncertainties and when you have elk close by. As someone posted recently, you can see more elk while on the ground. You kill more from a tree. That is not an exact quote, but it reflects my experience.