The Pros And Cons Of Elk Hunting Alone

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Solo hunting methods STALKING

Hunting solo makes the option of spot and stalking bulls or silently chasing bugles a perfect option. This is where your predator instinct can really kick in. It is just you and the animal. You do not have anyone else to think of, communicate with or keep track of. It is an ideal scenario and one that has accounted for the majority of the bulls I have killed.

You can spend hours in the morning stalking a herd without an opportunity or obligation to be anywhere else. Instead of heading back to camp, you can stay in close proximity, keep the wind right and possibly have a chance at an animal during the middle of the day. If not, you are certainly in a good location for the evening hunt.

Calling

Plenty of solo hunters harvest animals by calling and there are a couple of steps that could increase your chance of success. Unlike working with a partner, when you are solo you will be doing it all. Once you hear a bull or get an animal to respond, pinpoint the location and quickly close the gap. This single step will get you more encounters than anything else. Too many times, people get distracted and call back and forth with a bull from a distance.

Get close and throw out a cow call or two. If you get a response and the bull is within a couple hundred yards, cut him off with an aggressive bugle. It is a good method to anger the bull and make him come in looking for a fight. If you feel he is committed, coming in and you have time, quickly move forward 20 to 30 yards. That way, if he holds up you may still be close enough, and if he commits, his attention will be focused past you.