How far do you stay upwind of elk?

[2rocky]

I’m going to say elk reaction to wind and smelling humans is completely correlated to the amount of pressure they are under. If they get shot at expect them to be more reactive to a wind shift. I think large herds have more of a panic response because the way all animals respond in a group including humans.

My experience is that one sense gets their attention and the second sense confirms it and they leave.

 

[TransplantHunter]

I would also add that the topography can definitely change things. I have sat on a hillside with the wind at my back blowing straight towards elk (as the crow flies) but since I was on the shady side, my scent dropped into the valley. There is a creek down there and so my scent likely took a hard turn downhill and did not cross the stream. Especially in the mountains - wind often takes circuitous routes.

 

[RowTheBoat]

That’s just it. There’s so many variables, but like was mentioned above, humidity and cloud cover play a big role I think.

 

[LuketheDog]

When you're circling to get the wind in your favor before stalking in on elk, how much distance do you want before crossing upwind of them?

I have a late-season cow tag this year. I spotted a herd on an open hill ahead of me at about 600 yards, with the wind coming from my right. There was no cover to close the distance so I dropped back and down to circle the hill and approach with the wind in my face. Most of them were bedded when I stepped out of view. When I was partway around, the spooked herd ran out in front of me, then I watched them run 2 miles across the flats. When I checked my GPS track, it showed my route across the upwind area was 950 to 1,100 yards from their beds.

Have any of you been busted by scent from more than a half mile? Or, do you think something else spooked the herd?

I stay far enough away that they don't spook, and when they do finally spook I know I was too close and should've thought harder about the situation...

 

[howl]

No animal can pay attention to everything all at once.

 

[Ben Long]

I mean, I have smelled a herd of elk a half a mile away when the wind and humidity has been just right. I have no doubt an elk can smell me at a far greater distance. I think it's hard for us to even imagine how an elk perceives the world via scent. I think people emit a particular chemical signature (or several signatures) that their nose just immediately translates. I suppose if they are lightly pressured or condition to the presence of humans, they may ignore that signal, but don't count on it. i also think an elk can easily distinguish between the smell of some rancher with cow shit on his boots and me with my freshly oiled Kennetreks. If it doesn't fit their sense of normal, they're gone.

 

[Paul in Idaho]

There are a lot of good points here, and it's good to hear from others that have seen elk spook at long distances. Next time I find a herd where the wind is bad I'll keep a lot more distance from them.

@Bullshot that sounds familiar. On my deer hunt in October, a group of does let me walk up less than 20 yards and watch them feeding, with the wind at my back. They hardly looked at me. A few minutes further up the trail, another group of does spooked from more than 200 yards.

@Rack Daniels - I don't think they saw me up top, then I hiked down over 200 feet of elevation to put the hill between us before crossing. Most of them were bedded when I last saw them.

I get to spend a few more days hunting next week and will keep the lessons from this hunt in mind.

 

[Wolfshead]

Unfortunately for me around 2300 miles…..

 

[witski65]

High and low barometric pressure has a huge effect. Think of high pressure as a big balloon pushing your scent down, while low pressure lets it lift.