Looking for any and all the tips from the fellows who know how to hunt rose elk during the rut. Thanks
find the deepest darkest canyon you can and bugle into it....lol.... my advice is to get on a ridge at first light and work your way up or down it cow calling with an occasional locator bugle.look for fresh sign in some open areas such as logging units that arent grown over.i grew up on the oregon coast and had pretty good luck doing this.
Early during early season I scout hard and hunt slowly where I find the most sign. I don't call at all. Hit the feeding and hard traveled areas and let them come to you.
I just spent 3 days deer hunting and scouting and two days elk hunting at the Washington coast. The bulls are not talking yet so I stuck to still hunting and spot and stalk. I saw well over 20 elk. I passed on a 25 yard sure shot at a cow with twin calves and was within 20 to 40 yards of multiple elk all three scouting days and both hunting days.
I will start doing what elkherder reccommended in a week or so when the bulls start talking and are rutting harder. The Rosies move a lot and will move around quite a bit in their core area.
I called in a few with VERY soft cow calls, use a sceery ace or similar bite-and-blow calls. The open reed ones spooked them because they are too loud.
Roosevelt elk are more like whitetail then elk. They form habits and travel routes. This being said, one thing will make you successful. SCOUT!! Spend 3 days in the woods scouting for everyday you plan too hunt.
I used to spend the summer in the Hoh river drainage from the park to the park. We checked every hole and thick spot in the drainage. Usually by hunting season we had 4-5 herds pattened and did very well hunting them. We didn't always bring one home but we were in them everyday.
Mike
Rivers West
Due to the high numbers hunting them on the west side we found them a little bugle shy. We would usually try and locate them after dark and plan on slipping into the river bottom before first light and ambush them on their way to bed. We only bugled after dark and always walked into where we bugle. I believe they've become accustomed to having trucks pull onto a landing and bugle at them. Cow call is your best bet during the day. Be careful you don't call in another hunter, had that happen before. Did all my hunting on the south side of Quinault lake or Ryderwood area in the early season and hunted closer to Packwood in the late. Like Mike said above 3-4 days scouting for every one day hunting.
QuoteOriginally posted by huntryx:
Rivers West
You mean Rivers Worst!!!!! The rain gear sucks