a little advice please

[John_Petty]

well i went out for my first elk hunt in 400 on the weekend i have my area narrowed down now. I know it's warm so the elk are high an i also know that the elk call more when it's cooler out. and thats where i run into my problem there is two lakes i am very interested in one is really far back the other is about 5 miles off the beaten path.... now if i go to these lakes is it going to be a good area for food an water and i know that for sure the elk are commin down now as well...... but how do i locate them if it is warm will they still respond to my cow call and how do i know exactly where to use my scents as well ......im just looking for some advice as to what exactly i am looking for in relation to bedding areas an feeding grounds and will the elk come down the mountain in the evening an head back up during the day or will they stay low an just hide in the densest bush around any advise will be greatly appreciated oh and if you are hunting south of beaver mines be careful there is a very curious kitty in the area lol and good luck to every one

[hunt_and_fish]

Hey John,

It really tough to say how the elk in that area will behave. You'll have to rely on what you see for sign. I wouldn't expect the same elk to be going to those lakes every day to drink. They typically get a lot of moisture from their food and when they do go to water, in my experience it is usually smaller sources, not larger open lakes. That being said, if you are seeing a ton of fresh tracks going to the lake then setting up near there may be a good idea.

Using a cow call correctly can be productive all season long. You may or may not get responses - sometimes elk will just come in without making a sound. Using a cow call once in a while when you are walking is a good idea too. It can calm elk down in the area if they've heard you break a branch or something. I've gotten very close to elk this way.

The biggest thing is to get in there, keep your eyes and ears open and try to learn as much as possible about what the elk are doing - where they're feeding, where they're bedding etc.

Good luck out there.

[crawfy]

Hey John,

It really tough to say how the elk in that area will behave. You'll have to rely on what you see for sign. I wouldn't expect the same elk to be going to those lakes every day to drink. They typically get a lot of moisture from their food and when they do go to water, in my experience it is usually smaller sources, not larger open lakes. That being said, if you are seeing a ton of fresh tracks going to the lake then setting up near there may be a good idea.

Using a cow call correctly can be productive all season long. You may or may not get responses - sometimes elk will just come in without making a sound. Using a cow call once in a while when you are walking is a good idea too. It can calm elk down in the area if they've heard you break a branch or something. I've gotten very close to elk this way.

The biggest thing is to get in there, keep your eyes and ears open and try to learn as much as possible about what the elk are doing - where they're feeding, where they're bedding etc.

Good luck out there.

The best luck we have had in the 400 is locate them, then go in after them. Usually we start by bugling and then waiting around in a location to see if we get some kind of a response either hearing another bugle or cows chirping if not then we move on to the next location. If we do get a response we try and pinpoint were it is coming from and then walk in slowly cow chirping every so often listening a watching for activity. This year alone it has produced a 5x5 and a 4x4. Two years ago we were able to get 3, 5 point bulls by doing this. Another thing is try and hit the same locations year after year if they have produced elk in the past, it seems as if the elk will rut in the same locations from year to year.