ROADHUNTER: HIDE AND SEEK ELK

HIDE AND SEEK ELK

Wapiti aren’t easy to find, but here’s one hunter’s all-around game plan for closing the gap on North America’s best-tasting big game animal.

STORY AND PHOTOS BY SCOTT HAUGEN

During archery elk season a few years back, I arrowed a dandy bull on opening day after calling it in from a long way off. When I first saw the bull, I figured I didn’t have a prayer of it coming to me. I thought I’d have to stalk my way to it, hoping to get within bow range.

But with the first loud cow calls I made, the bull lifted its head, bugled, and started trotting my way. The big six-point was over 800 yards away, feeding on the edge of a cow herd numbering more than 30 head. I kept calling and he kept coming, right into my lap.

At 40 yards, the shot was straight forward, on level ground, and I’d already ranged nearby bushes and trees just in case. But in the end I didn’t need them. The bull didn’t make it 75 yards before piling up after the arrow penetrated the bottom of both lungs and the top of the heart. I couldn’t believe what had just happened. It shouldn’t have. But it did, and I was elated.

That night I made a post on social media, sharing my proud moment with fellow hunters. Many congratulated me, but one gentleman’s comment stood out. “That didn’t take long!” was all it said. It wasn’t derogatory, just to the point. It didn’t rub me the wrong way, but got me thinking about the time I had invested in the hunt.

What went through my mind was something like: “Well, if you consider that I ran multiple trail cameras in this area for over a year, hunted more than two months for sheds with my dogs where we covered miles each day, physically scouted for bachelor bulls as well as cows

ROAD HUNTER

Scouting at night has played a big part in author Scott Haugen’s elk hunting success for many years. It’s something that’s not easy to do but can pay big dividends.

and calves all spring and summer long, scouted heavily for bulls in July and August, intensely monitored cow and calf herds and plotted their movements on maps in late summer, worked out year-round to keep my body in shape but really ramped things up from June through the start of hunting season, scouted at night on several occasions, and nearly tripled my trail camera usage in August, the ‘season’ seemed anything but short to me.” While the hunt took minutes, the preparation for that hunt took hundreds of hours.

My point is, by the time opening day of elk season arrives – whether you’re hunting with a bow or rifle – you want to know where bulls are, what their movements are like, and the dynamics of cow herds. You want multiple places to hunt should you encounter fellow hunters, be forced out of an area by wildfires, or botch an opportunity at a bull.

Of all the time you spend preparing for elk season, August is the most crucial month of all.

PRESEASON EFFORTS Whether you hold one elk tag in your home state or hunt multiple states throughout the West, you’ll have 10 to 11 months of no hunting season. These months are important times to learn about elk.

Start by researching places to hunt, followed by studying satellite images online of areas you might hunt. Google Earth is a go-to resource for many hunters. Explore habitat, lay of the land, drainages and wildfire trends. Talk with regional biologists about elk numbers as well as predator and wildfire impacts in areas you’re looking to hunt. A lot of “scouting” can be done at home, saving valued time and legwork.

Next, determine if you’ll be hunting migratory elk or homebodies. If hunting elk that don’t travel out of an area – like Roosevelts or low-elevation Rocky Mountain elk – you can scout for them year-round. If hunting in the early archery season, scout elk on their summer range, where you’ll be hunting them.

If hunting migratory elk in later rifle seasons, remember that they can move many miles. It might be worth scouting summer range to get an idea of elk numbers, but it’s more important to spend time learning the lay of the land you’ll be hunting come season, even though elk likely won’t be there in the summer.

’ROUND THE CLOCK SCOUTING Nothing has helped me fill more elk tags over the years than physically scouting, and I go about it in four ways.

First, I spend many hours in the field all year long. Where I hunt Roosevelt elk, I’m scouting every month. Where I hunt Rocky Mountain elk in other states, I’ll combine spring

Velvet-covered elk antler is one of the fastest-growing tissues in the world. For this reason, summer scouting is important because bulls are in the open and can be seen.

Want to fill that prized bull elk tag? Then start scouting now. scouting missions with a bear or turkey hunt and I’ll also scout areas in August if bowhunting.

Second, I closely monitor when calves are born. Elk have a gestation period of approximately 250 days, so this determines when the breeding occurs. Pre-rut, rut and post-rut hunting are prime times for bowhunters, and understanding the progression of each rut phase is important.

Third, I’ll start scouting for bulls in May, but get serious in July and August. Velvet-covered elk antler is one of the fastest-growing tissues on the planet, capable of growing up to 2 inches a day. Bulls protect their headgear, as it’s their status symbol, what they use to fight with, and what they rely on to ward off predators. Bulls don’t like going in thick brush when antlers are growing because it can damage them, and this means they can be visible all day long in the summer. Scout early and late in the morning when movement is high, but also scout shaded slopes during the heat of the day, as elk will get up to

rebed as the moving sun hits them.

Fourth, if you’re seeing a lot of sign in draws and lower elevations but finding no elk, track them to higher-elevation bedding areas. Elk will cover a great deal of ground at night to find good food, then retreat to higher elevations to sleep for the day. Trail cameras are an excellent tool for capturing this movement, but so is scouting at night.

In August, as calves start exploring their world and moving away from cows in the herd, both become very vocal. The communication is most intense right after dark when they start separating, and prior to daylight when they reassemble to move toward bedding areas.

Night scouting entails listening, so avoid the urge to get close to elk and do not let elk wind you. Navigate with a dim light and make sure you’re capable of moving in the dark by relying on a map or GPS.

WILDFIRE AWARENESS Wildfires throughout the West have been horrific in recent years, with the past two Augusts and Septembers being among the worst on record. While season closures are frustrating at the time, last summer’s burns are where you might want to begin this summer’s scouting efforts.

Due to lack of logging on public land over the decades, fires now create some of the best habitat for elk. When large-scale logging took place on public land, elk habitat and elk hunting were phenomenal in many regions. Logging opens land that allows food to flourish, and with the lack of logging, fires have filled in as the best creators of prime habitat.

One thing I’ve noticed is that elk will start feeding in burns once grass begins sprouting, often with the first rains of fall. This can happen as soon as a month or two after fires hit. Animals will also roll and bed in the ash of new burns to delouse themselves.

A year or two after a fire has swept through elk habitat is not too early to focus hunting efforts. Spend time scouting the edges of burns on southfacing slopes, especially in areas where runoff is high. Both spring and fall rain runoff means more water, which, when combined with sunlight, equates to expedited growth of grass, forbs and woody-tissued plants. Runoff is greatest in steep, rocky terrain.

TIP-TOP SHAPE Of all the elk camps I’ve been in over the years, nothing prevents the notching of a tag like failing to be in shape. Elk country is big, and physically and mentally demanding. If you can’t get to where the elk are, you won’t kill one, period. Being in shape for elk season is as important as scouting, and if you’re not in shape, a good diet should be the primary starting point. You don’t have to run marathons or bench press 400 pounds to kill elk. Cutting excess weight through a dedicated cardio workout is valuable, followed by building strength through lifting light weights in high repetition. Remember, you can’t exercise away a bad diet, so start there.

Consult a doctor prior to undertaking a strenuous workout routine. I have back issues and can’t run much, so I depend on an Airdyne resistance stationary bike to build cardio. Combine that with light weightlifting, yoga, stretching and a healthy diet, and you’re on the way to becoming an elk hunter.

By the time elk season arrives you should be in shape and have multiple places to hunt. Regularly filling elk tags requires work and dedication, and if you’re not ready now, it’s time to start. Once the season begins, it could be too late.  Editor’s note: Want to learn multiple ways to field dress and skin an elk? Order Scott Haugen’s bestselling instructional DVD, Field Dressing, Skinning & Caping Big Game, at scotthaugen.com. Follow Scott on Instagram and Facebook.

Haugen called in this six-point bull from over 800 yards away on opening day. Though he didn’t see this bull when scouting, he did learn the lay of the land, which was instrumental in helping fill the tag.