Cow Elk Hunting Tactics

[EastTNHunter]

I’ve been reading on here quite a bit, but I saw this earlier today and a lot of it made sense to an easterner like myself. Do these cow elk tactics work most of the time, with some tweaks, or are they way too broad of generalizations? I’m looking to take my daughter to WY for a cow elk hunt next year (she will have the tag), but I’m trying to apply time to learning as much as I can before heading out there, and then thinking about hunts for subsequent years with my other daughter and son, and maybe even for myself.

I’m looking at an early season desert hunt because she wants to avoid the altitudes and tough hiking of the mountains, but I’m wondering what the best way to locate elk will be when we get out there. I have considered going on a later hunt, but I feel that the odds of significant snowfall could easily hinder our plans in any unit that we could draw (she will have 2 points). Please tell me if I’m wrong.

I hunted the Colorado mountains two years ago, but I was listening for bugles and hunting bulls at the time. Meadows, aspens, streams were abundant there, but won’t be where we are planning on going.

An Official Journal Of The NRA | Tips and Tactics for Late-Season Cow Elk

Reasonable draw odds, high success rates and filling the freezer with tender, tasty meat makes cow elk hunting a great option. Here are some tips and tactics for hunting them in the late season.

www.americanhunter.org

 

[MTLabrador]

I’ve been reading on here quite a bit, but I saw this earlier today and a lot of it made sense to an easterner like myself. Do these cow elk tactics work most of the time, with some tweaks, or are they way too broad of generalizations? I’m looking to take my daughter to WY for a cow elk hunt next year (she will have the tag), but I’m trying to apply time to learning as much as I can before heading out there, and then thinking about hunts for subsequent years with my other daughter and son, and maybe even for myself.

I’m looking at an early season desert hunt because she wants to avoid the altitudes and tough hiking of the mountains, but I’m wondering what the best way to locate elk will be when we get out there. I have considered going on a later hunt, but I feel that the odds of significant snowfall could easily hinder our plans in any unit that we could draw (she will have 2 points). Please tell me if I’m wrong.

I hunted the Colorado mountains two years ago, but I was listening for bugles and hunting bulls at the time. Meadows, aspens, streams were abundant there, but won’t be where we are planning on going.

An Official Journal Of The NRA | Tips and Tactics for Late-Season Cow Elk

Reasonable draw odds, high success rates and filling the freezer with tender, tasty meat makes cow elk hunting a great option. Here are some tips and tactics for hunting them in the late season.

www.americanhunter.org

I think those are generally good tips on finding elk in the mountains, but they won’t really apply to a desert/sagebrush steppe elk hunt. In either case the most important part of finding elk is understanding the habitat in your area and how elk use it.

 

[HandgunHunter]

I’d recommend this camo. Shouldn’t be a problem to get them in close.

 

[Carl 9.3x62]

I'd say they are fairly broad, but good to keep in mind. If hunting in mountain country, the elk will tend to move down into the lower country with snow. But if in the deserty areas they could be just about anywhere. I would make a phone call to the area biologist to get an idea of where the elk hang out later in the year.

 

[EastTNHunter]

I'd say they are fairly broad, but good to keep in mind. If hunting in mountain country, the elk will tend to move down into the lower country with snow. But if in the deserty areas they could be just about anywhere. I would make a phone call to the area biologist to get an idea of where the elk hang out later in the year.

Thank you. I plan to call a biologist before pulling the trigger on a tag. I want to make sure that whatever zone I put her in for has a good chance of having elk there in huntable numbers on public land during the timeframe that we have to go in.

 

[wytex]

Weather can and will be an issue for access. Snow and wind make for tough conditions and roads could be closed for a period of time, interstates and highways. Have some plans for if roads get closed, allow for extra travel time.

 

[Addicting]

I wouldn’t use points to buy a cow tag. There are always leftover type 4 permits that go into the reduce prices leftover draw. Do some research and find a unit that historically has that and apply for it as a second choice. Apply for a hard bull tag as 1st, second the cow tag, and then also put in for the reduced price tag. Also, Don’t waste your money on Unit 6. There is a reason there are so many left in the second draw.

 

[Dougfirtree]

In my experience, your best assets for hunting cow elk are (in no particular order):

1. research you do ahead of time
2. Your legs (keep moving until you find elk)
3. Your binoculars
4. In the early season, listening for bulls bugling can let you zero in on the cows.
5. A general understanding of elk habitat, habits and hunter pressure in your unit.

In a desert unit, I would really stress the part about moving until you find elk, and using your binos. In any unit, you just can't get around the fact that locating elk is the name of the game and that they are not everywhere.

 

[Bob-WY]

Wife and I opted for cow tags in a limited unit here in WY. We spent a bit of time up there Sunday AM, til we got chased out by lightning (big fun loading the ATV into the truck with lightning and thunder booming right over my head!

Anyway, in the limited time we found many rubs on trees, lots of old droppings and trails. Standing lodge pole pines, open parks, some wet, some not and aspen stands. For a first time out, we have optimistic views on finding a cow sometime in the 3+ months we have to look!

 

[EastTNHunter]

This is very helpful information, everyone. I’m assuming that I should call ahead to talk to a WY biologist to get an idea of where to start, then spend time driving and glassing from vantage points, and also listening for bugles.

Keep in mind that I’ve only been out west once, and never hunted in the desert (really only driven through it once). The land that I am used to here in East TN has plenty of water, food, and funnel points that I am used to, and private and public lands are both usually very small. We don’t locate a nomadic herd when deer hunting, and even our scant-draw-odds elk tags are confined to locations of 4,000-7,000 acres per unit, with a couple going a little larger than that. Forests here are dense, and hunting is totally different, so much of what I’m reading about western hunting is hard to put into context. I really appreciate the help in decoding tactics, and I really hope that my kids get bitten by the western hunting bug like I was with my only trip out there 2 years ago.

 

[Nambaster]

One major thing that I would point out about a cow elk hunt is that you will likely find them herded up in late season hunts. Be sure to pick out one specific cow elk and concentrate your fire on that one cow elk. Flock shooting or shooting at multiple cow elk is a definite no no. Often a hit cow elk will not act hit. They absorb the hit and trot off until their lungs fill up with blood. Make sure you isolate one specific cow and dont stop shooting until she hits the ground.

 

[hank4elk]

Look for this... Water is key.

 

[JLDemo]

If the unit you are in has a hunter coordinator, stay in contact with them as they can be a big help.

Biggest advice I can give from what I've experienced is to slow down and stay mobile.

Don't forget to check out the HMA areas that require draw permission slips. Don't miss out on those.

 

[Fj605]

There's some good info here:

 

[EastTNHunter]

I’ve started listening to that podcast. Very helpful. Thank you.

I had tried searching for Randy on YouTube about this, but didn’t think about podcasts

 

[hank4elk]

You can get Randy's stuff on YT. I watched his podcast last night,missed the 1st part & will watch again.

 

[wytex]

Some of our areas open in August, have solid plans for getting your meat cooled down fast if it's warm.
I passed an opportunity to fill my sheep tag on opening day because it was 82 degrees that morning when we found the sheep on public. I was not willing to risk meat spoilage before we would be able to get the meat to a cooler.

 

[Hummer]

Look for this...View attachment 145285 Water is key.

Nice country. An aside, I noticed right away the pink flower on the bank is Rocky Mountain Bee Plant, Cleome serrulata. It's nectar rich flowers are used by pollinators like butterflies, bees, and hummingbirds. I go to considerable lengths to collect seed pods in late summer to grow it in my gardens, primarily to attract hummers. In late summer it's particularly useful to attract bees as it keeps them off the hummingbird feeders.

In most years our yard is filled with bee plant which attracts hummingbirds by the thousands. Fortunately, deer, elk and moose don't find it palatable. Other common names for it are stinkweed and stinking clover.

 

[bts09]

One thing I found interesting about that podcast was the idea that, if you only have a couple days to hunt, you might be better off sitting over water or next to a well-worn trail, even if that means sitting still for 10 hours. I'm giving myself a week, first archery cow hunt, but I admit if I can't spot and stalk within the first 3-4 days, it will be tempting to just set up somewhere and, you know, hope.

 

[2rocky]

A hint that was given to me was in the desert, look for dust in the evenings as elk are trailing to feed and water. It has served me well in Oregon and California. If you find moving elk, you should plan to intercept them, rather than chase them.

Have your kids watch how elk herds move. Focus on finding one without another elk behind them.

Pushed and crossing a road

Relaxed and Feeding

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=1639529962777968

Across the desert