tips, tricks, and unusual methods

[Stiknstring]

As the forum classification is Elk hunting tips and tactics, I thought it would be a good place to share tips and tactics that some might think unusual..
One of the first "tricks" I learned about finding Roosevelt Elk in the thick nasty stuff they call home, ;
In an area that has a lot of trails through the ferns and berry bushes where you know they come through, just not when, ...
we used to use spools of heavy thread, black or other unnoticeable color.
as we walked down the trail, or along the logging road, we would tie the thread about waist high on a branch and unspool as we walked through a high traffic area, keeping it at waist to shoulder height.
If elk traveled through the area while we were somewhere else, the thread would tell us which direction they went.
of course this was before trail cameras, but still a cheap, yet effective method.
In the jungle Roosies call home, you don't always get to see them, but if they cross a road, you could either follow, or hurry to get ahead of them on different road, or as we did it, both.
One guy hurries to get ahead, while one guy follows.

[Carpdaddy]

I remember hearing of this years ago, never did it, it may be where the idea of trail cams sparked from. Sure is cheaper than a trail cam, would work, and you would be much less likely to have your thread stolen than the camera. I like it, thanks.

[bronco2]

cant wait to hear one here..that would be awesome....

[Stiknstring]

Ya, I remember when I saw my first "Trail Timer", had a pull string you would stretch across a trail, and when it got knocked loose it would mark the time.
The thread thing worked for us because we would use it on spur roads off of a mainline, dead end so you had to walk back.
The area is so thick that elk would just stand still back in the woods and you could walk past a herd and not know it.
Wait for you to pass, then cross road.
If the string was across the road on your way back, game on !!

[Stiknstring]

In 34 years of hunting elk, I have tried a bunch of different tactics.
One of these was scents.
Sprays, mists, drops, wafers, estrous, dominant bull, even "the Bomb"
In my experience, no scent has been effective.
Actually they have handicapped me more than helped.
One way I have known elk are close has been to smell them, something that is impossible when you stink like an elk.
Maybe work if you are in a stand, but I can only sit still for an hour or 2 at the most, and if they come in to the scent, I am somewhere else.
Which brings me to the point of this post...
I was watching Roger Raglin, and one of his deer tactics was to hang scent wicks in trees while he hunted through an area he planned on frequenting.
Each time through he would freshen the scent, claiming that the animals would become accustomed with it, and would eventually be attracted to the area, or complacent enough to hang around because it would feel "safe".
Or curious enough to investigate.
Not sure if it would work for elk, but why not ?
Only has to work once.

[Stiknstring]

Last year during season, the elk had been pretty quiet during the pre-rut (season was Sept. 3rd-15th)
I had spent the day on a dropping (fresh) covered saddle between 2 drainages, but no responses to all my pleading cow calls, lost cow/calf, or location bugles.
I KNEW elk were somewhere in the area, but being by myself and 4 miles behind a gate, I elected to get myself to another spot before dark.
As I was leaving, I decided to play with a call someone had given me, a push button call like a "Hootchie Mamma" the one that is sideways.
Now I hate these calls, as they seem unnaturally loud, but this one made a pretty good lost cow sound.
I tried muffling it, I half pushed it, I covered it with my hand, made a whole bunch of different sounds, eventually even stuck it in my grunt tube.
Now it almost like a sick goose!! and really LOUD !!
But it had that resonance from the tube that made it sound like it came from deep within an elk, one of those sounds I have never heard from a real elk, but if you heard it, you would understand.
Almost a "squeal/Glunk" at the same time.
Because I figured I had alerted any elk within earshot with all the strange noises I had been making, I started walking out.
But I squeezed that thing about every 30 seconds as I walked...
As I left that saddle and began my descent on the side towards the road out, a bull bugled at me from way back where I began making all those noises !
Every time he would bugle, I would answer by squeezing that thing, and he came almost 300 yards towards me before crossing my back trail about 60 yards out, and shutting up.
I don't know if it was the fact I was heading away, or the sound itself, but any time I find a sound that gets a response, I consider it a learning experience.
If I had had a partner that day, he would have been able to hang behind on trail while I continued, possibly presenting an opportunity.

[Stiknstring]

A similar story..
After walking along, calling and getting no responses, I finally made it up on top of ridge, at end of road.
I looked around and picked out a stump on the edge of the clear-cut (one of the few in area)
I sat smoking a cigarette, looking out across the distance and decided to bugle just for the fun of it.
My bugle echoed out across the vast canopy of trees.
I thought it sounded so cool, I just "let her rip", I bugled, I grunted, I screamed, I chuckled, I squealed....
I made every call I could think of, non stop, just playing around thinking nothing of it, other than just how cool it sounded.
My "play time" was interrupted by the loud breaking of branches as something came running up the hill.
I only had time to grab my bow, nock an arrow and turn around before a really tall racked 3X4 pt jumped out in the landing at the end of road, unfortunately 40+ yards away from where I was sitting.
Seeing nothing, he turned around and started leaving, I hit him with a low squeal, and he turned around, presenting me with a broadside shot, but too far away for me to comfortably release (especially because I was shaking really hard)
Getting nervous because he could not see anything where he thought an elk should be He turned and faded into the trees, leaving me alone.
I learned NEVER to call when I am not ready to react in case one comes in, and getting aggressive in your calling can create excitement when nothing else seems to work.

[Carpdaddy]

Interesting stories, I enjoy the many memories of those strange things that happen when hunting. Being primarily a local deer hunter as strange as it may sound; I cannot recall a time in my years that a call worked for me, for deer that is. I know that it is not that they do not work, I guess I just don't know when or how to use them effectively. Maybe I just need to "Play" around with them more and try new things. I have made some desperate attempts at calling deer but it is usually after sitting several hours on my perch and about ready to climb down. I think the closest thing I ever had to calling one was the season of 2011. I went into the woods for an evening hunt and had walked to the place where I had planned to set up. I unloaded my stand, strapped in on the tree making far too much noise with the cables and aluminum climbing stand, and stepped up onto it. In the midst of all the racket I was making I looked up to see a doe trotting in my direction. There I was at the base of the tree but on my climber, bow on ground, and that thing comes within five yards of me and stopped. To make matters worse it was looking beyond me, it walked away never seeing me but probably wondering what all that racket had been. All I could do was sit there as frozen to the tree without moving. This is one of those times that being a ground hunter may have paid off as I would have been ready to shoot, but then again; she may not have come without all the strange noise being made, who knows.

[Stiknstring]

Funny you should mention deer, I don't know much about them.
I hear about calling, tried using different methods, but other than one time with one of those plastic and rubber band things, never had any success.
...............
I have a friend, deer are in his yard constantly (blacktail), he walks with them.
He has heard them make sounds, but no commercial call has made the sounds he hears.
One thing comes close, a part from one of his kids toys, but only if you blow it soft...
I think it is like elk sounds, when you make the noise it needs to match the situation.
most of the time they know who they are talking to so they do not have to yell.
It is not necessary what sound you make, but why you make it.
most of my encounters with elk are a result of subtle sounds, or intentional aggressive calling.
The previous stories were of unusual events.
I will get into "normal" stories later in post.

[Stiknstring]

Thought I would throw one of those "normal" encounters...
I had walked out of camp in the pre-dawn darkness with arrangements to be picked up that afternoon on the mainline 7 miles down the hill from camp.
The early morning hunt was more of an exercise in keeping my toes from being crushed in the front of my boots than anything, it was steep getting off the top of the ridge.
At the time, I was more of a wait until I heard one, than an aggressive caller, so no action other than the scramble over trees, logs, shale. etc.. that elk trails seem to follow when I hit the first bench.
Coincidentally it came out on the end of a logging spur (gated road) and I thought about just walking out the 3 miles to the gate.
Figuring that I had nothing to lose, I walked to the landing on the end of said spur.
I do not know who was more surprised, me or the elk that was standing there !!
He whirled and ran into the forest, while I threw a bunch of desperate cow calls at him...
I sat and thought about my next move...
Figuring that it did not matter which way I ended up at the bottom, I decided to follow the trail the elk ran away on.
I followed the tracks until they left the trail, blew a few cow calls... nothing...
Stayed on the trail for about 50 yards and the fresh tracks showed that the lone elk had resumed following the trail.
suddenly a cacophony of breaking branches told me I had been busted, but a few cow calls from me and a little patience...
Nothing...
I continued down trail until I saw more tracks, he was back on the trail !!
Now I slowed down, a few cow calls, a few steps... stop, look, listen....
I had gone a fairly decent ways, blowing softly on my Sceery Ace every few minutes, a 3 call sequence Cow/Cow/Calf...
Then I see him, stretching his neck WAAAAY up and back trying to see who was coming down that trail...
I picked the spot right in the little > formed by his front leg, low 1/3 the way up the body, tight to the leg..
Release !!!
All heck broke loose, I saw the elk jump straight into the brush, crash away off into....
I scraped my feet to mark my spot, pointed at where I had shot, stretched my other arm in the opposite direction and found a spot to tie my marker ribbon.
Looked for another place along that line to mark, and started flagging my way away from there.
After backing out about 25-30 yards, I sat down...
I decided the shortest route out was to stay on trail and just "beat feet" until I could be on the road, use my radio to get picked up, and help to track animal.
35 yards past where I took the shot...