Elk Struggles

[draytonv]

I'm new to bow hunting and elk hunting and it has been a major learning curve. The goal for my season was to have one close encounter or a Bull calling back.

The biggest issue is gaining access - I've reached-out to countless lease holder and the staple reply seems to be "I have cows on the lease, but we can see if there are any slots available in November". I've put on a lot of miles in public land as a result, but have not found much for elk sign and have not laid eyes on any animals. The only area I found with strong sign was during the summer scouting but it would require a 6 Kilometer pack-out, which doesn't seem reasonable for a primarily solo hunter. Unfortunately, the neighboring lease-holders are not allowing access.

If your elk journey started the same and you have beaten the odds, it would be great to hear about it..... at the vey least it will give me a little hope to keep on pushing.

[buckman]

Not sure where you are located.Anywhere west of 22 from Crowsnest to Grand Cache and further will hold Elk in pockets.You just have to find them.

Large river valley are a good place to start,look for mixed woodland, poplar and spruce with some open areas. Much of this is crown with long bow seasons.

I doubt many hunters will give you much solid intell on an actual spot,I certainly never got any.You will have to scout and search,they are out there.

[SageValleyOutdoors]

If you’re new to it, then you’re learning the first thing you need to know about bowhunting in general, and elk hunting in particular:
IT’S FRUSTRATING.
Elk are like ghosts. One day you could see dozens and think you’re in the best honey hole in the world - but then they disappear for months at a time.
I’ve been bowhunting since i was 14, and I was in my late 30’s when i finally killed an elk with my bow- and it’s been the only one I’ve ever arrowed. Both of my teenage sons have since killed an elk with their bows, and I’ve been involved with several other elk taken with archery gear, but it’s still incredibly frustrating, and I’m constantly learning.
I don’t know the terrain where you hunt - but if you can find a decent overlook on a valley where there’s mixed forest and some water, set up an hour before sunrise and listen for them. Throw out a light bugle and see if you get a response. If not, move on.
Knock on all the doors you can, be polite and ask for permission. Some areas, you’ll be turned down 80% of the time, but you’ll eventually get access on some land. Remember to be polite, even if you’re turned down, don’t spin your wheels driving, don’t swear or wear camo when talking to landowners.
Biggest thing i can say is this: DON’T give up. Keep at it and you’ll get your elk.

[Lefty-Canuck]

Not sure why new Bowhunters always want to start with sheep or elk

If you haven’t struggled elk hunting you haven’t hunted elk. Keep at it when you can find elk, you can kill elk.

LC

[3blade]

Took me 11 years to get my first with a rifle, including a p6 draw, 3 years of scouting and 250 km on foot that season. Still don’t have one with a bow. Had many close encounters though.

Stop with the lease holder run around. You’ve tried, like most of us, until the system changes it won’t work.

Forget about every other hunt. You want to kill an elk, you have to be an ELK hunter, not a generalist. You won’t have time to do both.

Work on getting exclusive permission on private land in the summer, where you see elk in the summer. Then try to kill the elk in the first week of the season. That’s plan A. Realize you will have poachers, trespassers, farm relatives, wolves and farm work interrupt your hunt and drive the elk off.

Plan B is a public land hell hole, as close to home as possible so you can scout often, while still having a good elk population. It may end up being hours away though, you do what you have to. When stuff goes wrong on your private land spot (or until you find one) you put the emotions aside, pack your gear and go for a week. It will probably take you 3-5 years to learn exactly what the elk are doing, and it will certainly involve sleeping in the dirt and a miserable pack out.

Without exclusive permission, elk is by far the hardest non-draw hunt in Alberta. With it, it’s probably the easiest. You will see fat old guys and little girls who run arrows though an elk every year. Don’t get caught up in thinking about that or comparing your experience to those who have permission. Just keep hunting hard.

[draytonv]

Originally Posted by Lefty-Canuck

Not sure why new Bowhunters always want to start with sheep or elk

If you haven’t struggled elk hunting you haven’t hunted elk. Keep at it when you can find elk, you can kill elk.

LC

This is my third season bow hunting, the first two were dedicated to whitetail hunting. Although I haven’t shot one with my Bow, I have been selective and come very close. I’m perfectly content finishing the year without a dead animal so long as I’m putting myself in positions to be successful. Hard to beat the adrenaline rush of hearing something walking towards you while you are in a tree stand… can’t even imagine the rush of hearing a Bull screaming at you while he approaches.

Great insight from everyone. The art of gaining land access will be something I work on for next season.

[-JR-]

My guess is 75 % of elk taken in Alberta is on farm land and 25 % on crown .
Most is private and some on grazing land.

[Smoky buck]

Originally Posted by -JR-

My guess is 75 % of elk taken in Alberta is on farm land and 25 % on crown .
Most is private and some on grazing land.

The fact that a large portion of Alberta is farmland/private would definitely put the odds of your guess being correct

I would be curious to see the % in WMUs where there is a good amount of crown land though

As for the OP

I am not an elk hunter by any means and just started getting into it myself without success so take what I say with a grain of salt. The elk I am trying to target are on crown and so scouted them for the last three years before starting to understand them

First the area I hunt I scout hard all year for deer and cover many KM on foot over the year.

1 a big thing I have noticed in my area is the elk only inhabit pockets and most areas you will not find any sign at all. They are not like deer where that can be found throughout good habitat

2 they move around a lot and can be there then gone. They do come back to areas but it can be a long time between visits

3 they cover a lot of ground. I have one young bull on multiple cams and my buddy has in person video of him too. It’s is easy to identify him do to his odd ball nub. He has covered over 30km in 2 months

4 the elk in my area stay in the bush and very rare you find a track on the road

They are definitely smart critters and from my limited experience they appear to be an animal that involves lots of homework learning there movements

[Stinky Buffalo]

If you're after meat vs. antlers, the late-season cow opportunities are worth looking into. You'll find that landowners are more accommodating for allowing access when it comes to reducing bale depredation in the winter.

It won't give you the experience you seek of having a bull call back to you (and bowhunting in the cold has its own set of challenges!) but it may start opening some doors for access as you get to know more landowners in the area.

[draytonv]

Quick update - I had some nice landowners and lease return my calls and follow-up emails yesterday. The leaseholder granted access and suggested he only gives access to 1-2 hunters per day, and was even kind enough to tell me where the elk travel across his land when they are in the area. Being new to the elk season, I was behind the ball since lease holders will start providing allocation in the summer months and fill up instantly. Something else to consider for those who are new to the elk pursuit. The website is somewhat misleading because most instructions advise to ask for access 1-2 weeks prior to the date being requested.
Perseverance is paying off and at the very least I'm a little more confident going into this weekend knowing that the owners/lease holder have seen elk frequent the area. Looking forward to getting back out there.

[Demonical]

The other obvious problem with not gaining access on private land is in the best public land spots, pretty much all the hardcore guys already know where those are.

So given the nature of elk (to spook and leave the country), the hardcore guys hit those areas day 1, and good odds that they A) shoot any of the bulls/cows
B) they spook the rest.
And you go into that area and can't find anything but old sign.

There isn't going to be much help from other hunters as to info on good hunting areas, as they want that spot for themselves, which is understandable.

Only feet on the ground, exploring off the beaten path, and doing the 6km thing that you mentioned is going to get you on elk that other hunters are not already after.

Keep after it, persistence and effort will pay off.

[The moose]

This is my tenth season and I have yet to harvest a branch antlered bull (I only bow hunt) . This is with quality lands to hunt and extensive effort both scouting and contacting lease holders. Public land is usually hard earned hunting and often times 6pt zones. Called in a nice 5pt but his 6's were not long enough this year. Sometimes it seems like a impossible task. A task I want to complete so bad haha.

Its been a very tough year for me with lease land. FireBans in the south and a ton of cattle. Inquiries have been not well received more then other years it seems.

Keep at it and eventually you will narrow in on places to look that will be much more fruitful.

And shoot straight when that opportunity comes!

Edit: also, you found elk with a 6km packout for a reason, thats where elk live. A friend does not need to hunt to help pack meat.

[NCC]

If you're seeing fresh elk sign, the elk are likely there and just not talking. Don't be in a rush to move after you call. I know better and yet a couple of weeks ago we watched a young bull come in and stand within 5' of the first spot we called from after we moved on. Lots of bulls come in quiet and if you're constantly moving, you'll never know they're around.

[muirsy]

Originally Posted by NCC

If you're seeing fresh elk sign, the elk are likely there and just not talking. Don't be in a rush to move after you call. I know better and yet a couple of weeks ago we watched a young bull come in and stand within 5' of the first spot we called from after we moved on. Lots of bulls come in quiet and if you're constantly moving, you'll never know they're around.

This has happened to my hunting partner and I more times than I care to admit lol. When in doubt, wait longer. When you're finally ready to move spots - wait another 10 minutes.

[draytonv]

Originally Posted by muirsy

This has happened to my hunting partner and I more times than I care to admit lol. When in doubt, wait longer. When you're finally ready to move spots - wait another 10 minutes.

I had a great weekend out hunting but unfortunately experienced this first hand. Although this Bull came rushing in frequently bugling just as I moved spots to call towards a small herd I saw in the distantly. I tried to backtrack when I heard him but he beat me to my previous post and busted me at 80 yards. A great learning experience nonetheless… wish I was on here earlier to read the advise.