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Do-It-Yourself Elk

Tricks, tactics, strategies, and plans for bowhunting elk all on your own.

By Ron Niziolek

Even before the sound of my challenge bugle faded, I could hear the bull plowing his way toward me through the alder tangle. The guttural moans he let out with every step had me tingling with anticipation of a quickly impending encounter.

Herd bulls aren’t supposed to come in like that, but I had him pretty well ticked off. I knelt at the base of a wind-stunted pine and watched in awe as the thicket of alders parted and he pushed his way toward me. As you can imagine, my fingers were tight on the bowstring, and my breathing was shallow and fast.

The bull stopped just 30 yards away, his tawny yellow body glowing against the dark alders. My heart hammered as I came to full draw. Quickly picking a spot behind his shoulder, I let the string slip from my fingers and heard the arrow smack home. I had just shot the biggest bull elk of my life, and I melted to the ground as I listened to him crash away.

Hunting elk in the western mountains is the dream of many bowhunters. The good news is that lots of bowhunters make their dream come true every year. You can too. Life is short and new adventures await you. If you’re looking for elk adventure, start planning now. A do-it-yourself bowhunt for elk can become one of your most exciting and remembered hunts. Here are down-to-earth tips on how you can do that.

Do-It-Yourself Elk

Except for certain isolated regions, elk populations are increasing throughout the West, and overall trophy quality is excellent. Many states are managing elk populations better for quality elk, and the recent record-book entries reflect those efforts. Utah, New Mexico, Nevada and Arizona continue to produce whopper bulls, although it’s not easy to draw a tag in these states. States like Wyoming and Montana give you a more reasonable chance to draw, and states like Colorado, Idaho, Oregon and Washington have great drawing odds or offer over-the-counter tags. Most states offer archery elk seasons that are two to four weeks in length. Montana allows bowhunters nearly six weeks.

As a beginning elk hunter, try not to set unrealistic goals for yourself. Taking any elk with your bow is a great accomplishment. I know that everyone wants a huge bull the first time out, but experience is typically needed to make that happen on your own. There are several states in which you can hunt elk every year. It may be best to focus your early efforts on those states. Live a little, hunt a lot and gain experience.

Unless your western elk hunt will be a once in a lifetime opportunity, I strongly suggest a do-it-yourself (DIY) bowhunt. Decent bulls are plentiful in many areas and provide an affordable, enjoyable hunt. I also recommend taking any elk that you like, even a cow, to build that all-important elk experience. When you plan your DIY bowhunt, give yourself at least seven to ten days of hunting time, and preferably two full weeks. Elk hunting is hard work and experience, persistence and the number of days in the field directly correlate to success.

Overall, I would choose the third week in September as the peak rut period and the best time to be hunting. Each individual state and area varies, but it’s a sure bet that by hunting the third week in September, you will encounter rut activity.

Planning and Research

To plan any DIY hunt, state-by-state research is your first order of business. Maybe you have a particular dream state in mind. Or maybe you only want to hunt trophy bulls. Or maybe you’ll take any elk. Check out the different state game and fish agencies on the Internet, or order hunt applications and regulations that you can study and compare.

Lots of decisions need to be made. Do you want to begin applying for hard-to-draw trophy areas? Are you just going to go to a state where you can hunt every year? Personally, I recommend doing both, if you can afford it. Go ahead and apply for those premium tags, building preference points as you go. But by hunting other elk areas all along, you’ll also be gaining elk experience.

Studying the Pope and Young records can help you narrow your focus to a few specific counties in a state. Contact the state game and fish department, and ask to speak to the biologist and game warden assigned to your area of interest. Direct the conversation to where elk typically summer and spend the month of September. Ask about land ownership there, whether it’s Forest, Bureau of Land Management ground, state land or private.

Maps

Now that you have a general area of interest, it’s time to get maps. Contact the Bureau of Land Management and the Forest Service, and order maps that cover all of the units in your area of interest. I always manually trace the unit boundaries on my BLM maps with a highlighter. Begin by using the maps to familiarize yourself with feature and drainage names for future talks with biologists and others. Once you settle on a specific hunting area and have a tag in hand, I recommend contacting mytopo.com to have them custom build seamless topographic maps for the exact areas you plan to hunt.

Cyber Scouting

There is no substitute for actual on-the-ground scouting, so if you have the time and can afford it, by all means check out your area personally. But there are alternatives.
I recommend downloading the free version of Google Earth and learning how to use it. It’s quite simple and allows you to view places with fairly current aerial photographs. You can zoom in and out, and view the terrain from different angles and altitudes. You can also use the tilt function to get a three-dimensional view of your area. Use it to look your area over and familiarize yourself with terrain features. Look for green areas which may signify water or saddles on ridges that may be travel corridors. Look for farm fields with good draws or nearby timbered areas that might be good places for elk to bed for the day. You can read latitude and longitude right on the screen and use these with your GPS unit for scouting and hunting. Google Earth is an outstanding scouting tool.

Networking

Bowsite.com is a great place to gather information and advice from others who have previously bowhunted your chosen DIY area. Most Bowsite users are quite generous with their suggestions. They may not provide their own personal hotspots, but often will point you in the right direction. Very specific questions asked on Bowsite will gather you more useful information than general ones.

Call as many bowhunting friends as you can, asking if any have experience in any of your units of interest or if they know anyone that does. That’s what networking is all about. It’s a great way to stay in touch with friends, meet new people and keep up with current hunting information. Research a few local taxidermists in the area and speak with them as well.

Equipment and Camouflage

Use what you are comfortable with and shoot confidently. It’s more important to put your arrow on target with a 50-pound bow than struggle to shoot accurately with a 70-pound bow. Nearly all of today’s bows pack plenty of punch to get the job done on elk. Broadheads should be viewed in the same manner. Use what has worked especially well for you. I, for example, have used NAP Thunderheads for years with great success. I’m confident with them, and that helps.

I do have suggestions for camouflage. While elk don’t seem to see nearly as well as deer, it is still very important to blend into the local vegetation. Dark camo patterns are not very effective out West, and I don’t recommend them. Proven camo patterns I have used include Seclusion 3D Open Country, Mossy Oak Brush, Advantage Max-1 Open Terrain and Cabela’s Outfitter Camo. My favorite clothing and camouflage, however, is Sitka Gear clothing in Mothwing Camo. It’s excellent in any habitat.

Finding Elk

Finding elk can be difficult. But if you’ve done your homework beforehand, all that work will minimize your search time. In warm weather, elk will typically bed on north- and east-facing timbered slopes. They prefer small benches on these steep slopes, and when you find a bedding area, the amount of elk sign will be significant. My favorite way to find elk in familiar or new country is to find a high vantage point and sit and glass for hours in the morning or evening. That elevated position will let you see for miles and also let you better hear bugling elk from a distance. If the habitat isn’t suitable for glassing, it’s time to put some miles on your boots. Don’t get into the hunting mode right away. Elk inhabit big country and you may travel miles before you find elk. Cover as much country as possible until you find fresh sign. Then slow down and begin calling or still-hunting.

Calling

Every elk hunter should have a basic mastery of bugles and cow calls. Without that mastery, you severely limit your chance for elk success. That doesn’t mean, however, that you should call all the time. Personally, I don’t call a great deal, but I know how and when to call and it can be very effective. I typically call only to locate elk and then stalk or still-hunt them. The best calling information and instruction source I’ve seen recently are the videos from elknut.com.

Take Chances to Make Chances

There are plenty of ways to bowhunt elk, and my buddy and I utilize nearly all of them. We call, use decoys, still-hunt, sit near water holes and wallows and we spot-and-stalk elk. Usually, what puts meat in the freezer and antlers on the wall every year is our tenacity, aggressiveness and willingness to try just about anything.

Over the years, we’ve come to relate taking chances to making chances. Big herd bulls are especially difficult to call away from their cows, and waiting for those bulls to simply wander by is tough. That’s why we prefer to stalk our bulls. We usually spot our elk first, or hear them bugle, then close the gap quickly, sometimes in plain sight if we have to.
We may even run to close the distance.

With such aggressive stalking, physical fitness can make a huge difference. Noted elk hunter Randy Ulmer tells me he has sometimes run as much as three miles to circle in front of an elk herd. Randy stays in excellent physical condition year-round with a vigorous exercise routine. When the opportunity arises for him to make a quick move on a bull, he trusts his mental preparation and physical conditioning.

“In Arizona and New Mexico,” says Randy, “elk behave a bit differently than in the more mountainous states, especially after the season has been open for a few days. Elk will begin moving before daybreak and can move very fast and far before bedding. The key is to make your best guess at where the herd is headed and jog in a loop to get ahead of them. If you guess wrong the first time, try again. This method is very effective when the herd bull is bugling. Be silent and utilize his bugles to place yourself out in front.”

When stalking elk, always try to move when the elk are feeding or moving themselves. You can stalk elk in open terrain much easier than deer. Movement, unless you have plenty of cover, should be extremely slow and directly at your target. Lateral movement will get you busted. Concentrate on the elk, not on your feet. Freeze when they lift their
head. Do not suddenly drop or crouch. We often walk and crawl up on elk in low sagebrush habitat, utilizing only scant cover. Kneepads and elbow pads are a definite help when in the final stages of your stalk. Balance your bow on your back while crawling. It makes much less noise and movement than pushing or pulling it in front of you. Soft boot covers like Baer’s Feet work well to keep noise down, as does moving forward in your stocking feet.

I am always pumped to get right into a stalk when I spot a good bull, but experience has taught me to take my time and analyze my stalking route and what the wind currents might be doing. Knowing that stalks are often blown by unseen animals, I study the intervening terrain very carefully, looking for any deer or other elk that might become obstacles during my stalk.

Decoying

An elk decoy can be a tremendous help with bulls. We use Montana Decoys with good results. Sometimes when we can’t close that final gap during a stalk, we’ll find a place to set up for a shot, slip back 30 to 50 yards and set up the decoy. Always remember to set up on the downwind side of the decoy and at least a little ways out in front. Since the decoy will most likely be a two-dimensional silhouette, you will need to shoot before the bull can circle downwind for a better view. Also, make sure that you have adequate cover to mask your move to your shooting position because once you set up the decoy, the bull may be focused in your direction or even on the move toward you. Several bulls have ended up in the freezer with this method. Another great time to use a decoy is when you are not able to get in front of a traveling herd. Get as close as possible and use the same setup technique. It is sometimes possible to pull the bull from his herd with this trick.

Persistence

Simple tenacity and persistence can otherwise make up for any shortfalls that a hunter may have. Persistence, to me, is making the time to hunt and hunting every available minute of that time. This may mean driving all night if you have to in order to reach your elk area or rearranging a work schedule so you can hunt every afternoon or morning. Persistence also means hunting when you are tired and sore, when you miss your family or when you are lonely. Persistence means you will not give up. I am fortunate to live in elk country, and I hunt all 30 days of September. If I tag out early, I have friends to go with and help. Every minute, hour or day you can spend in the field adds to your elk-hunting knowledge.

Tenacity is a state of mind. It’s an attitude that says, “I will get my elk today.” I never go hunting without actually expecting that I will succeed. While the hunt quality isn’t always defined by filling a tag, that is my ultimate hunting goal and I push myself hard to achieve that goal. I never get down if I don’t see or harvest an animal. That just means the next time out I will see one and get one. No matter what the conditions are or how you are feeling, you must keep that positive attitude at all times. It will make a difference. Tenacity is seeing a nice bull a mile away with only a little daylight left and going for it. It is hunting when you have sore muscles. It’s hunting on little sleep. Tenacity is waking up to rain, snow, wind or cold, and getting out of your sleeping bag and hunting anyway. It’s going alone when no one else can go. It’s hunting harder and going further and not giving up when game is scarce. It’s an attitude, and it works.

The Shot

Crunch time. The last thing any bowhunter wants to do is blow the shot after all the effort to get the opportunity. Sadly, I don’t know anyone who is immune to this, and even the best archers miss occasionally. Fortunately, there are ways to improve your odds of a successful shot. Preparation is the key, both physical and mental preparation. We’ve all heard that you should practice while wearing your hunting gear. If you don’t, you should. It can make a difference.

Mental preparation is just as important. My favorite practice sessions are roaming or stump shooting. I wear full hunting gear, including binoculars and backpack, and roam through the woods or sagebrush shooting Judo-tipped arrows at likely targets. I treat every shot like I’m shooting at the bull of a lifetime. I use visualization. I’ll spot a sagebrush or stump, picture it in my mind as a big bull elk and stalk it exactly like I would if I were hunting. I’ll crouch, crawl and often shoot from uncomfortable or unfamiliar positions. The whole point is to simulate as many hunting situations as you can as often as you can.

When preparing for an actual shot at a bull, I personally have to tell myself over and over again not to look at the antlers and to pick a spot. It’s the only thing I’ve tried that works for me and keeps my nerves somewhat settled. My buddy Jason Stafford is pretty much on auto-pilot when he’s drawing down on an animal. He very seldom misses. He tells himself, “Make it count. Put him down.”

Randy Ulmer says that when he is finally in range of an animal he wants, he whispers to himself, “Don’t screw it up. Think, think, think.” Randy thinks through every shooting step and tries to be very aware of the target animal and others that may be around. “There are a hundred ways to mess up and get busted with an animal that close, and you must think through every movement you want to make before doing it.” When everything is right, Randy tells himself, “Now all you have to do is shoot.”

There are four things that Randy focuses on during the actual shot. First, he makes sure of the distance. Second, he concentrates on selecting the right sight pin and putting it on the exact spot to be hit. Third, he checks for any branches or intervening objects. And fourth, he thinks about squeezing the release trigger and follow-through.

It’s crucial to figure out what works for you. Unless you have a routine, mental checklist or phrase that you can mentally repeat to yourself, the urge to just let the arrow go may be overwhelming.

Elk Hunting On Your Own

Be open to alternative hunting methods and don’t hesitate to try something out of the ordinary. It will make you a better hunter. Have fun and make your elk-hunting dream come true. If you don’t succeed the first year, don’t be discouraged. You will have gained valuable experience for the next time.

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