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Non-calling tactics - question

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Non-calling tactics - question

Postby Idahonian » 11 13, 2017 •  [Post 1]

Hi all,

Newcomer here, picked up some good experience this season but still have many, many questions. Swede got me thinking about non-calling techniques. I've fallen in with callers, but success rates aren't that high. I'd like to at least try out a variety of tactics instead of simply following what the group happened to settle on after decades of their own experience.

I have one area with some potential for sitting on a game trail. It's a funnel point that leads from a really dark, nasty bedding area, to a transition area that's higher with a number of bald knobs and, eventually, a big burn. Very well used trail.

I actually discovered it working my way up and calling. Three cows and a herd bull came in silently and so fast I didn't have a shot. They had me pegged from the calling. If I hadn't been calling, I think I would have been better off; I assume they were feeding out in the open and I could have seen them. (Of course, that's totally speculative; it's possible I would have spooked them or never known they were there! Also ultimately beside the point; I want to try out some different methods regardless.)

Here's the problem: I assume the best times to sit would be during transition times, early morning or evening. At those times, the thermals are consistently downhill and would put my scent right into the bedding area. Any thoughts on when to sit the trail? I can provide more detail on the local terrain as necessary.

Much appreciated. I've learned a ton perusing through the site and itching to learn some more.
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Re: Non-calling tactics - question

Postby Swede » 11 13, 2017 •  [Post 2]

When the wind is constant it is fairly easy to find a place on the ground and wait along a good game trail.
Often in those transition times, around mid morning, and in the early evening, when the elk are either going to their bedding area or they are coming out, the wind is swirling. The land is either warming up in the morning, or cooling as the sun is setting in the evening. Often hunters have to back away in those transition times and wait. The alternative is to go where the wind is steady as in the draws. That waiting area can change depending on time of day and where the sun is hitting. If you have a good place to watch near a bedding area; a tree stand placed fairly high can mean your scent will not get to the ground nearby. You can hunt close in by getting there before the wind swirls and the elk arrive. Just be careful not to spook the elk when you work your way to your stand.
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Re: Non-calling tactics - question

Postby ElkNut1 » 11 14, 2017 •  [Post 3]

That's a great idea as a newer elk hunter! Being familiar with your hunting area is very important to ones success. Finding those destination areas & trails leading to & from them such as feeding, bedding, watering, wallows, escape routes, etc. These are all areas of consideration to plant ones rear down whether on the ground or in a tree! (grin) Locating these areas can produce yearly, make sure you are sitting the ones with the fresh sign/tracks as they can vary year to year. In the watering/wallow areas not only will you see the sign of their use but you will also smell it, it should represent the stench of a barn yard especially as cows start nearing estrus!

Also be mindful of the wind as you locate these destination spots! The flatter areas such as meadows or wide benches where a water source or ambush spot may look great may not be so great for predictable wind for a length of time or hours. If the wind swirls at all against you in the direction you hope elk may show or are bedded then you are doomed! You must make sure your ambush/setup position is where the wind remains predictable! This may mean you need to back up from the destination spot a 100 yards or maybe more depending on the area, this way you may locate an area that is uphill/downhill more so than just flat! Get the wind in your favor & within your effective range & be patient! -- Having the luxury of a game camera in a few places before your hunt can be invaluable to help you see what's there or what's not there & the dominant times of its use!

Remember this, if you are near the bedding area in a great ambush spot & your scent reaches them you not only blew them out of there that day but most likely for the duration of your hunt. Take every pre-caution to avoid this & ruin much of your hard work.

As you sit you can listen intently of the various sounds your area has to offer, this too will be a great benefit to you then & the years to come. You can hear elk talking & possibly get a feel for where the sounds are dominantly coming from over a period of time, it can help you with how they move in their area as you sit a variety of areas.

In the off season practice your calling & do your home work in learning & understanding a variety of elk sounds, this can also aid you in the woods as you sit your ambush areas trying to figure out the messages being sent by vocal elk. This can help build your confidence to start using elk calls effectively instead of running out there & calling blindly with no clue to what your doing! Calling is extremely effective once you have a decent handle on it! Elk hunting is a process, learn how to Spot & Stalk through Glassing, Ambush, Call to Elk! Once you start feeling comfortable in these 3 areas you will find that one or two of these may be more effective for the type of terrain you are hunting! -- Lots of open country & Spot & Stalk can be your best choice! Lots of heavy dark timber & Ambushing & Calling could be best here so be versatile & ready to adapt no matter what areas you may hunt. Be avid in all 3 of these avenues & you will be rewarded!

After years of elk hunting I have used all 3 & still do today, it seems there's always a place where one may apply over another for best odds of success! My favorite & most successful way these days & closest to my heart is Calling Elk, no doubt because of the adrenaline rush that accompanies the satisfaction of calling elk into bowrange, there's nothing like it for me! But I'm not so hung up on it that I shy away from other ways when I know they could be better for that day!

As an example of this, here's a bull I took by ambushing him on his escape route, hunters had pushed him from below, they were there because of easy access to a certain point, after that point it became a literal jungle of 12' high willows that were nearly impassable. I knew the area & so had a good idea where these elk may head once through that tangled mess that I knew better to avoid, I came in from above them & sat the trail I'd hoped they show on, it was this bull & 9 cows. As much as I love calling I stayed patient & quiet, it payed off! You can do the same! Remember, elk hunting & taking elk a variety of ways is OK & will build your confidence no matter the situation your are faced with, it's a process!

ElkNut/Paul
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Re: Non-calling tactics - question

Postby Swede » 11 14, 2017 •  [Post 4]

I really liked reading Paul's post. His approach reveals a holistic mindset to elk hunting. You need to learn both the elk and your hunting area, then choose the tool(s) you will use to their maximum effect. Calling and non-calling tactics all have their place. We tend to use the tactics that work best for us, but we use them in the right place and situation. You will not arrive there overnight.
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