MODULE 7 - LOCATING ELK

In Module 2, I talked about Scouting for Elk. Pre-season scouting involves looking for elk – and signs of elk – that would lead you to believe you will be able to find elk in the same area later on during the hunting season. In this Module, I’m going to talk about tactics for Locating Elk.

Locating elk is different from Scouting for Elk, in that Locating elk applies to finding the elk on a particular day during the hunting season. Pre-season scouting is looking for where elk are going to be in the near future. Locating elk is finding out where the elk are right now. And that is important! Locating elk is really the first step of “on-the-ground” hunting. You need to find the elk to be able to hunt them.

This fact was evident in the #PROJECTSUCCESS survey I sent out previously. In fact, Locating Elk was the #2 factor that consistently successful elk hunters attributed their success to (second only to Elk Hunting Knowledge). Furthermore, successful elk hunters ranked Finding Elk as the #1 factor they needed to improve upon to increase the consistency of their success. And 23% of those who had never been successful in elk hunting said the reason they weren’t successful was that they struggled to find elk during the season.

Depending on the time of year and the method/style of hunting, there are several options for locating elk. In this Module, I’m going to cover several tactics for locating elk, including glassing, calling, and still-hunting. I’ll also outline a couple of additional factors that I feel are important for locating elk during the season, regardless of the tactic you use to locate them. Specifically, I’ll discuss the importance of staying mobile, using the wind, and accurately reading sign. Lastly, I’ll take a look at the different ways you’ll want to consider approaching the elk after you have them located.

If you’re ready to locate some elk, Click ‘Next Chapter’ Below to Continue!