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New tactics for 2018!

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New tactics for 2018!

Postby Elkhunttoo » 04 19, 2018 •  [Post 1]

What is something you plan on doing this year that is new for you/your group?

Bugle more, bugle less, sit a stand, set up and call more/less....
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Re: New tactics for 2018!

Postby Swede » 04 19, 2018 •  [Post 2]

Man, I don't know any new tactics. Maybe I could go around and do some "nervous grunts", but I doubt I spend any time there. I plan to hunt a new area at least part of the season.
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Re: New tactics for 2018!

Postby Fridaythe13th » 04 20, 2018 •  [Post 3]

It's not knew, but we are back to our favorite zone after a 2 year battle with Colorado and preference points. (Never again).
This year I'm going to slow way down. more cold calling set up if the elk are lip locked, not just walking looking for that magic valley that the elk are signing. 3 years ago we put on a 108 miles walking in 7 days with no luck.
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Re: New tactics for 2018!

Postby Lefty » 04 20, 2018 •  [Post 4]

Work on improving sequence calling, doing it correctly!

Retired, so I wont only be hunting just Friday night and Saturday morning.
One more tactic,.. hunting a new honey hole Relatively flat, easy hike to the truck,.. no sign of it ever being hunted so small and in your face everyone drives past :D
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Re: New tactics for 2018!

Postby WapitiTalk1 » 04 20, 2018 •  [Post 5]

It's gonna be a different year for me so yep, tactics will have to be adjusted a bit. I'm hunting elk (at least in one state) with a rifle in hand for the first time in over 25 years; will be hunting more open terrain than I'm accustomed to; and I'll be packing in on this particular hunt (probably two stints of 5-6ish days each) . First thought on required tactics adjustments is I'll be taking my spotter/tripod in and doing more glassing than I normally would when I archery hunt (particularly in this more open terrain). Observation points will be ID'ed during our late July scout trip. Calling/locating will probably not change much as this hunt is during the last two weeks of Elktember. Meat care, pack out, and transport to processor plans will need to be well thought out to prevent loss of meat as we'll be a few to 5ish miles back "in there". Looking forward to the change of pace, required logistics, and challenge of this hunt.
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Re: New tactics for 2018!

Postby Heartwood » 04 20, 2018 •  [Post 6]

I'm going to work on being able to tell when to "slow play the bull" and when to ramp up the aggressiveness in a calling situation. I tend to want to get aggressive to soon as opposed
to starting with the least aggressive calls and working up the scale if needed.
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Re: New tactics for 2018!

Postby CurlyTail » 04 20, 2018 •  [Post 7]

I will be back to my old reliable Colorado spot this fall.

I have discovered that the Elk sometimes hold in an area much closer to camp than I usually hunt. Going to spend a little more time glassing this area - I believe it deserves more attention than I have given it in past years.

Also we are going to film the hunt.
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Re: New tactics for 2018!

Postby Elkhunttoo » 04 20, 2018 •  [Post 8]

Swede wrote:Man, I don't know any new tactics. Maybe I could go around and do some "nervous grunts", but I doubt I spend any time there. I plan to hunt a new area at least part of the season.


Come on man, you aren't going to try and hang your tree stand side ways this year 8-)
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Re: New tactics for 2018!

Postby stringunner » 04 20, 2018 •  [Post 9]

Swede wrote:Man, I don't know any new tactics. Maybe I could go around and do some "nervous grunts", but I doubt I spend any time there. I plan to hunt a new area at least part of the season.



New tactic for me this year, sit in whatever stand Swede decides not to go to, in hunting with him for the past couple years, it never fails, which ever stand he doesn’t choose is where we get pics of the elk. :shock:
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Re: New tactics for 2018!

Postby Swede » 04 20, 2018 •  [Post 10]

There are a lot of "new tactics" I have given up on.
There was a time I thought Stringunner was following me around. Now, I am thinking about just following him around. I would be better off just climbing into his stand while he is off skinning his bull nearby.
I see Lefty is welding some steel together to make a stand. I did that for awhile. They were comfortable enough, but hanging the beasts was difficult and somewhat dangerous due to the weight. Lefty, I don't know what you have in mind, but if it a hang-on stand, don't overload yourself.
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Re: New tactics for 2018!

Postby WapitiTalk1 » 04 20, 2018 •  [Post 11]

OK, I'll answer for Swede. Swede sais "well, I need to fuel myself better for hunting this year (I'm finally realizing after all these years that you are what you eat and that can affect peformance). After experiencing the 5 star cuisine at RJ's Idaho camp last year, my canned tamales, bag o plums, handfuls of trail mix, and varied assortment of beans just aren't gonna cut it from this point going forward. So, my new tactic for 2018 is to eat better at camp (or see if RJ provides camp delivery service)." :D
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Re: New tactics for 2018!

Postby Trophyhill » 04 20, 2018 •  [Post 12]

Swede wrote:Man, I don't know any new tactics. Maybe I could go around and do some "nervous grunts", but I doubt I spend any time there. I plan to hunt a new area at least part of the season.


Lol thats hilarious
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Re: New tactics for 2018!

Postby BrowTines » 04 21, 2018 •  [Post 13]

There is a bowl that has 3 watering locations. If there are are 3 of us, I might think about sitting on the water all day. Of course, that will depend on the wind. The best spot of the 3 is a wallow but the wind is notoriously fickle in that location. It is my experience that is the norm for wallows, those tend to be in locations where the wind is bad. However, I have had success in sitting well above the wallow where the wind is consistent and when you see an elk come in, then call it in.
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Re: New tactics for 2018!

Postby Swede » 04 21, 2018 •  [Post 14]

If you see an elk nearby a waterhole/wallow, do not call. If you can see him, he should be able to see you. As an act of desperation if the elk is leaving, you might try a subtle cow call, but that is a long shot attempt.
To avoid the effects of swirling winds it is usually best to go 25+ feet up a nearby tree. Some height can sometimes be obtained by finding a tree on a higher level than the wallow. There are a few occasions where you can call near a waterhole and improve your chances. Generally be patient and just wait. If there are a lot of waterholes in the area then a very few subtle cow calls or an occasional short two note bugle can bring something around out of curiosity. When I make a bugle from my stand, it is usually a cold calling setup, and it is just one short call and wait. The elk won't come running in like you rang the dinner bell. They wait and drive you nuts, but be patient.

When in doubt stay quiet. If you have no doubt, you probably don't understand the situation. :D
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Re: New tactics for 2018!

Postby BrowTines » 04 21, 2018 •  [Post 15]

If you see an elk nearby a waterhole/wallow, do not call. If you can see him, he should be able to see you.


Well... that all depends on your positioning and the context. If you place yourself at the edge of a bench far enough away, the bull can't see what is behind you, so assumes there could be some elk that are not visible. In the particular scenario I am referring - the wind was swirling down at the wallow I couldn't stay close to the wallow but about mid way up the side hill there was a considerable bench. The side hill was bare but the bench had some pine trees on it so I positioned myself at the edge of the bench behind the pine trees where I looked down into the wallow (over 100 yards away - maybe 200 yards). The bull could not see me but knew it heard the cow call from some where on the bench. I have used this setup on two different occasions and had a bull come in for both instances. ...so it depends on the setup, your positioning, the topography, and terrain. I can think of other wallows where this would not work but I think this could be dynamite in the right scenario where the wind is not working. I can easily envision this being used in a scenario where the caller is further back on the bench and the shooter is at the edge of the bench.

Hauling a tree stand into these remote locations would be difficult and if you get it all the way back there and then discover the elk are not there - a lot of effort for no benefit. Where I hunt elk you never know where the elk are going to be and often are not where you thought they might be. If you knew for sure the elk were there a tree stand might work but even then 25 feet up swirling winds would still probably give you away.
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Re: New tactics for 2018!

Postby Swede » 04 21, 2018 •  [Post 16]

BrowTines wrote:when you see an elk come in, then call it in.


I have called elk into a waterhole on a number of occasions. The problem I have in your scenario is, why call an elk that is coming in? Are you trying to hurry him along? Elk very often take their time approaching a waterhole. Some are extremely cautious. It has been my experience that trying to call elk, coming to water, often sends them to another place. If the bull has cows, why would he come to where he heard another bull? If he has no cows, does he want the same thrashing he got earlier? If you cow call, does he know a bigger bull is not close by? From his perspective, why take a chance if there is other water within some reasonable distance?
Decoys cause a similar problem. Sure, some elk come right on in to the water anyway, but others are spooked by the decoy. They were all coming, so I just turned some away. The last time I tried a decoy at a waterhole, a whole herd spooked away before I could get a shot. It was late September, and I was devastated.
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Re: New tactics for 2018!

Postby Roosiebull » 04 23, 2018 •  [Post 17]

I will be hunting the area I grew up hunting for the first time in like 6 yrs, I am extremely excited about that, should be the best elk season I have ever had.

Best does not mean killing my biggest bull, I'm actually going the other way, I want a spike or rag this year.

By best, I mean hunting my tag, and going with friends and family and having lots of action.

I have often thought "with what I know now, I sure would like to hunt the areas I grew up hunting"

That is coming to fruit this year, so I get to try to prove the concept.

I am going to do a lot more calling this year, so that's a new tactic. I will not call just for the sake of it, but I plan to initiate interactions with more elk this year.
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