6A Archery Newbie - could use some advice

[aeclar1]

Hey all, I know there are a lot of people on here who love/hate 6A, but either way I could use some advice from people who know the area and elk habits. Ive been up there scouting at least a half dozen times this summer to learn the area and find some good locations to hunt. I have the early season archery bull tag next week. I have never hunted 6A before and I have only hunted elk in the late rifle season before. So I have a couple questions, and I appreciate any help you can give.

 

My main concern is this, I am usually a "get up high and glass" kind of guy, but 6A seems to be lacking a lot of areas where I can do this. I'd like to focus on more of the Juniper type areas so I can at least glass some. If the elk are only bugling in the early morning hours, and its been raining like it has, what should I do the rest of the day (still hunt, sit tight and glass, sit water)?

 

In the early season, do elk still act like they do in the late season, meaning, when pressured the bulls will find the nastiest canyon they can and hide out? I have been trying to learn their habits the past few weeks and don't think I have it dialed in. Typically, will the elk come out of a canyon in the AM and feed in the flats, then go back down into the canyon to bed, or do they still bed in the flats too? Or maybe they feed in the flats and then go up a mountain/hill to bed... what's more probable?

 

I have been focusing my scouting in the central part of the unit south of stoneman lake and north of Clear Creek. I have no problem, and enjoy getting into hard to find areas and doing some all day hiking and glassing. In that general area am I more likely to find them in the flats or up on this hills? any advice on areas I would sure appreciate it. Im running short on time and don't feel nearly as confident as I have in the past for my late rifle hunts.

 

Lastly, I have only encountered a couple "nice" FS roads in the unit like the 214. Are there any other access FS roads in the unit that are smooth riding? I want to set up camp where pulling my trailer in wont be a huge issue.

 

Thanks again and if anyone is having trouble in 8 or 7E, I am more than happy to give some good input.

 

 

[cmbbulldog]

Get up at 3:00 and drive the roads every mile or so and listen for bugles. Then start hunting and hunt them all day. You should have no problem finding elk that time of the morning.

 

There are a lot of tags in 6a, and the animals move around quite a bit due to the pressure and the fact that they are just elk.

[cmbbulldog]

Lastly, if you are having trouble finding elk, and want to hunt further north, let me know. I have a tag too and will be hunting most of the season.

[6ANut]

I need late season elk advice for my brothers hunt in 7e, pm me and I can help with almost every question you had about the area you are hunting.

[aeclar1]

Thanks for the replies guys. I like the idea of chasing bugles in the morning (half the fun of a rut hunt right), im just a little lost on what to do when the bugles die down late morning. Its hard to glass them in their beds in that unit I feel.

 

6aNut, PM sent

[Elkaddict]

Thanks for the replies guys. I like the idea of chasing bugles in the morning (half the fun of a rut hunt right), im just a little lost on what to do when the bugles die down late morning. Its hard to glass them in their beds in that unit I feel.

 

6aNut, PM sent

After morning, take a nap. Wait for evening, if you start traipsing through their beds you will end up pushing them out of the country. I know some guys on here like to do that and some are successful , most are not. Drive around and look for sign, I think the best plan is take a nap.

[coues187]

Fuel up and rest. That's the big thing. When you rest they are resting. Theirs enough people out their to screw up the Elk in mid day and you don't want to be another. Work hard to get the job done asap because the hunt can change quick at the drop of a hat.

[naturegirl]

You guys are crazy. Don't leave the field to go rest midday. Still hunt and move slow. See them before they see you. You miss a ton of hunting time if you go back to rest. Elk do not just move in the morning and at night. They move periodically throughout the day all on their own.

 

I personally would all but forget glassing most of the unit. Instead use your binos to glass way out in front of you when you still hunt.

 

6anut knows the unit and I know a bit of it from Camp Verde up to the top of the unit. PM me if you need anything.

 

Run your butt off and chase the bugles whenever you can. I'm so jealous. You've got yourself a great tag!

[mr.smith]

From my observations and experience the elk rut in the meadows/flats/parks at night, evening and early morning then move into the canyons or up the hills to bed. At some point they'll go get water. After the major talking is done you can still get a bull to bugle from his bed if the rut is going strong.

 

I was on a rut muzzy hunt two years ago with a friend. At first light we called in a broke up bull and his cows and passed. We followed them up a hill to a ridge top. Sat down and had a snack and after things had been quiet for 1/2 an hour I let out a bugle and got 5 different responses. The unit/terrain we were in allowed us to glass up these bedded bulls and watch their behavior. We found the one we wanted and moved to a small canyon edge about 800yds away from him. By this time the bull was up and working a cow, lifting her backside with his nose and pushing her hard. I started cow calling and this bull came running. He hung up about 250yds across a small canyon lost interest and went straight back to that cow. We moved across the canyon to where the bull had hung up and glassed him up again. This time he saw us so we just melted back into the trees and glassed him through a juniper. Soon he bedded down and took a nap. We did the same. Sat on him for 2 hours til he stood up. When he did I called once and he bugled. I then set up the decoy and my buddy moved a little down hill towards where the bull would be coming from. I started to cow call and his response was immediate. Soon all of his cows started talking to me too so I switched tactics and called them in. I reeled the whole herd in and when my buddy shot the bull at 200yds there was a cow less than 10yds from us. It was about 1pm.

 

I tell you this story to give you an idea of elk behavior. Just because the majority of the talking has ceased doesn't necessarily mean the activity has. DO TAKE A NAP. The last archery elk hunt I helped on we walked over 130 miles over the course of the hunt chasing bugles. If you dont rest you will burn out. Or you could get lucky and arrow a bull right away but you never know. Good luck!

[6ANut]

I couldn't argree more with what NatureGirl said but if you sound like a heard of cattle when you walk and dont know how to use the wind to your advantage, you might as well go take a nap, then try and still hunt an area. I have glassed up more elk in 6A that are less than 200 yards in front of me than I have farther out. In glassing them up, I mean squatting down like a catcher and then glassing.

[naturegirl]

I second the notion that you need to rest at some point if you plan on a long hunt. I took one midday off during my 9-day elk hunt to do laundry. The other 8 days I sat and rested in the woods when I felt the need. Good things can happen when you are still and alert.

[aeclar1]

You guys are great, thank you, its nice to hear differing tactics and ways to hunt these elk. I have hunted for years, just never on an early archery elk hunt, so Im kinda turned around with my strategy. I am in shape and can hunt most all day, but typically, I will lay my head down in the field midday to relax.

[Guest akaspecials]

From my experiences, hunting elk in their beds will run them out of the country very quickly.Wake up at 2 or 3 am, find the elk, close the distance on them in the dark and try to be in a position to shoot just as the sun comes up. Any smart/old bull will keep his cows downwind (to bust you stalking in) and his nose upwind (to smell you stalking in), so you have to use the terrain to your advantage and be careful. Hopefully you'll get a shot before they bed at 9 am and you never have to touch their bedding areas. As soon as the elk move into their beds I back out and still hunt back to camp (never know when you'll find a decent satellite bull.) When elk hunting I sleep/hang at camp between 10 am and 3 pm. I very rarely go into their beds midday. Any respectable bull will be herded up with 4+ cows and in a position that they can see in front of them and smell behind them. Chances of killing a bedded bull that has a bunch of cows is slim to none. However, your chances of running them out of the area are super high.

 

However, in 6a you will have a shoot ton of people all over since 6a is a opportunity unit (as opposed to quality). So if there are a lot of hunters they may be kicking them out of their beds. In that case get in there and try to find them midday cause the other yahoos will be pushing them around and you may lose an opportunity.