So how are you going to sneak up on the Elk in those trees?

Think I'll wander off easy like over that ridge to the left, then see if I can circle around and come in on them from that side. A lot will depend on the terrain in that direction, so I'd have to play it by what I see there.
 
If it's possible, I want to get above them and drop in to say "hi", with a cow call handy in case they get nervous when I'm close.
 
That actually looks a lot like the country I hunt elk in here in Arizona...when I can get a tag!
 
Daryl

:) Me I'll go along with daryl, try an circle around and come down also, play it by ear, hope they dont wind me, (never hunted elk this maybe my year for a tag)if I do get a shot it will be in the kneeling position, yep I will use a cow call, the grunt call has always worked for me on deer, Ron
 
Thanks Jay for posting this I may get some more info,:D

A lot depends on which direction the wind is blowing, and what the elk are doing in the trees....

If the herd bull is just layed up in the shade, then any stalk is going to hard.

Provided they are eating & not moving, & the wind is right, I'll do a circling act, like Daryl said.

If they are jousting or fighting in earnest & the wind is coming from the trees, I'll be slow & steady straight towards them while they are fighting...As they stop fighting, I'll stop & freeze, as elk have their eyes shut while fighting....It shouldn't take too long to head straight across in that case.

The circling will work, provided they are still there when YOU get there...

Interesting thread...

Barry

Must be the Tetons in the back ground and I'll bet we're looking north so the wind is coming from my left. I'm gonna take a long mule back ride and circle around to the right, then come at them from the topand to the right a tad. I'll use my sceery cow talk along with a single reed mouth call to sound like 2 lost cows as I come slowly over the top. If I play my cards right and don't get spotted, I should get a shot at a bull that's got to be in there. I will probably stop about halfway there, on that little knob that's just out of the picture to the right, to glass things a bit. If I'm the only one inthe country I'll bet those elk aren't going anywhere.
 
RJ
the master, take your lessons from me, elk hunter  :D

It depends on what time of day it is and which way the wind is blowing. If the conditions allowed I would circle around from the right very slowly and belive me, I can move slow. Ever low crawled up on an antelope?

I don't know, fellas.
 
Elk aren't going to pay much attention to you from what appears to be maybe 3/4-1 mile away...until you start walking towards them.
 
Wind, of course, is always a factor when hunting, and it can change directions suddenly and cause one to have to alter his plans.
 
From what I can see in the picture, I'm too high right now. That's some pretty open country, but there's a lot of tucks and folds to hide a fella if he uses them right. Get a bit lower on the hillside and there's actually lots of cover. First thing I'd still do is to circle to the left, at least a little, and I might even be able to get into one of those folds and work my way to the bottom of that canyon in front of us.
 
Elk are creatures of habit, so if whatever I decide to try won't work then I'll be waiting for them over on yonder hillside about this same time tomorrow; provided this is not the last day of the season. Whatever I do, I need to make sure that I don't spook them. When elk spook, it's been my experience that they can go a looooong ways, and can be pretty hard to relocate. Let them think that no one's noticed them, and they might just be there the next day.
 
Or anyway, that's another idea of what MIGHT be done. I suppose that we're looking for differing ideas on how to get those elk, and it's hard to give a solid answer from a picture.
 
And that's why they call it hunting.
 

 
Daryl
 
Oh, Jay? This picture was taken after I got my antelope last Sept. The 4 animals in the herd were feeding just below that farthest point of trees off of my left shoulder in the picture, and I'm standing where I spotted them from. I stalked them across all that open ground, and as you can see, I was successful. On this stalk, I circled to the left, and eventually belly crawled the last 100-150 yards.
 
This is the same country that I like to hunt elk in, too.

I'm gonna assume I've spotted elk in those trees...Hunker
down & ease into the lowest drain between the hills...Hopeful
they'll be ditch/wash to help conceal me...Make a bee-line..
stalk slowly 50-75 yrd advances staying low & slow..Time will
be a factor...must get favorable with the wind of-course..
There will be some belly-crawlin' within 300 yrds...Keeping
trees & cover between us..probably won't chance using a call.
The sun is already too high...Gotta get into position as soon
as possible....rest a bit before squeezing on my selection..I'll
know my maximum effective range & i'll get inside it...I won't
circle around & come down from the top...I'll be invisioning
my background all the way.....................................BH51:)

What sneak?
 
I don't need no stinkin' sneak.
 
I gotta rifle that can kill elk at 1000 yds. I won't hafta leave my pickup. (This has the added benefit of not scratching my long-range hunting rifle.) In fact, I'll prolly use the custom built shooting platform I got built in the bed.
 
While you boys were wasting your time figuring out how you are gonna stalk those elk, I was setting up my rig in preparation for the long shot. I've now got it lasered, and the fellows here with me have signed the afidavit swearing that the lasered range is a new club record. I'll get my picture on the club wall, I'll get internet bragging rights (at least 'til one of these same fellas finds an elk farther away), and it'll be sweet revenge for all those jerks that think I'm no hunter.
 
While you guys were wasting time developing stalking and hunting skills, I spent a lot of time and money honing my shooting skills. It takes a lot of range time to develope the skills to hit an elk at 1000+ yards. It also takes a lot of skill, tracking skill, to find 'em after you hit 'em at that range. Furthermore, if you're truly an ethical long-range hunter, you need to spend considerable money on optics.
 
All that said, all those "misses" and lost animals were a small price to pay when you walk up on that first elk that puts you in the "thousand yard club". All the time and money were well worth it.
 
Stalk? C'mon. That's for those that aren't willing to practice shooting 'till they're skilled enough to make the shots. Strictly "old shool". You owe it to the sport to practice shooting 'til you can make a clean shot at over 1000 yds. It's the only ethical thing to do. Anything else is just plain lazy and unethical.
 
Paul

:D Paul good post, an I do see what ya mean, but around here I'd be lucky to shoot an elk at 300 yards, it's so thick wood'ed, over the years my hunting has been limited to under 200 yards,  so by honing my other skills, besides shooting at short ranges, Now a hunters need to horn his long range skills, Ya never know  I may someday get to hunt out west, So I'll just keep taking notes from ya"ll . Ron

One Word..... NAPALM........
 
:D

BSR - Surely you can see the tongue protuding from my cheek.
 
Paul

Gitano, sitting in your pickup shooting at elk is not hunting. It's just shooting. It's also kind of illegal in most states. You can "hunt" however you want, but I like to make it a little bit of a challenge. I've hunted elk in MT and CO fro 35 years and I've yet to see the need to take a shot longer than 500 yards. Yes my 300RUM is more than capable, but why take the chance. I'd rather sneak in as close as possible and make a clean kill than have something go wrong and miss or worse, wound the animal and lose it. Wounded and lost animals are NOT to be taken lightly by any body. Sounds to me like you need a little dose of reality and a visit from the game warden.
 
Yes by all means hone your long range skills but keep it realistic. If you can hit a milk jug full of water at 500 yards EVERY time from a hunting position, NO BENCH, I'd say you could probably kill an elk at 500 hundred yards too.
 
Not wanting to ruffle feathers, but just stating my opinion.
 
RJ

Recoil junky,
 
I think that gitano was being a little sarcastic in his post.
 
Like he implied in the post before yours, it was made tongue in cheek.
 
Still, I see more and more people each year that do pretty much exactly what he described.  Pretty sad, IMO.
 
Daryl

Sorry Daryl and Gitano. :o I've had to put up with some "sharp shooters" while doing a little "volunteer" guiding and don't really care to elaborate any more than that. Other than now we require you to shoot your rifle at paper in our presence before we'll take you out.
 
RJ