late archery strategies

[bojangles]

for you late archery bull tag holders, what will be your main strategy this fall?

 

spot and stalk? sitting water? tree stands?

 

i know these are tough hunts, but they are also tags that can be acquired fairly easily.

 

i'm looking for tips and tricks from some of you guys who can fill these tags somewhat regularly, i know some of you gusy are just the baddest hunters on the planet.

 

 

[PseAZ]

I think a lot has to do with the unit, weather and hunting pressure. Especially if hunting the rim units. Biggest thing I've learned no matter what hunt i'm on is to have a few back up plans and never be afraid to get up and glass.

 

This past January on our couse hunt I was lucky enough to tag out on the 2nd but on the 4th a huge snow storm hit and we didn't have a single deer on camera for almost 6 weeks due to how deep the snow was. We had to relocate to one of our older spots. We found a few decent bucks But after alittle more time we managed to see 2 toads that we hope to find before the year ends. Main thing is do what you can preseason, and hit the hills with a game plan. but always remember everything can change as easy as the weather.

 

What units are you intending on applying for?

[Chris]

Tough hunts!

[6ANut]

IMO, you had better know that unit and those elk like the back of your hand if you get drawn. Multiple back up plans all depending on the weather before and during your hunt. I mean you need to know what the elk are going to do if the weather drops and snows the week prior to your hunt or on the other side, what to do if it is t-shirt and shorts weather. These hunts seems to all have little amount of hunting pressure so I'm sure just about any water hole would be available to sit if the weather permitted.

[duarte64]

I prefer to sit water blind or tree stand, 100 yds or so off water on game trail.

[AZbowhntr]

I have had a few of those tags in the years past. I have sat water and spot and stalk hunted. If you have the time to scout and have cameras out you can do well on water. But we preferred to spot and stalk. I got lucky and everything worked out for me on my last hunt and took a great bull at 15 yards after a couple hour stalk. Good luck

[Chris]

Pics! Pics!

[Chris]

I have had a few of those tags in the years past. I have sat water and spot and stalk hunted. If you have the time to scout and have cameras out you can do well on water. But we preferred to spot and stalk. I got lucky and everything worked out for me on my last hunt and took a great bull at 15 yards after a couple hour stalk. Good luck

 

Where do the bulls tend to hang during the day? Same as the fall?

[muleybull]

I kinda like these late hunts. What unit? Water can be tough this time of year as a lot of elk will start hitting them at night.

[Explorer]

They are getting harder to get drawn for. Even with game and fish increasing tag numbers.

[nateNAU]

I had one of these tags last year in 7e and I saw bulls almost every day. Finding good vantage points to glass is my strongest suggestion. I tried to put a stalk on a lot of bulls but frozen crunchy ground made it extremely difficult. Even though I didn't tag out I had a lot more opportunities than I ever expected and its one of the coolest feelings to have a bull tag in your pocket and never run into another human for the whole hunt.

[AverageJoe]

Sitting water is the last thing id be doing on that hunt. For the most part they've already hit water by first light and are making their way to bedding areas as the sun comes up. They will be out feeding til around 8 or 9 am and be in their beds til almost dark. Either get up high and glass or find a ridge they like to travel in the morning and still hunt/put out a blind.

[GreyGhost85]

depending on the unit, catch them out in the flats at daylight and cut them off when they head back into the timber to bed down

[CouesPursuit]

Sitting water is the last thing id be doing on that hunt. For the most part they've already hit water by first light and are making their way to bedding areas as the sun comes up. They will be out feeding til around 8 or 9 am and be in their beds til almost dark. Either get up high and glass or find a ridge they like to travel in the morning and still hunt/put out a blind.

 

I agree with this, especially for bigger bulls. I wasted my last late archery sitting a stand that had bulls every day through the end of October. I thought I would play the odds and sit for 5 straight, all day everyday. When I finally had enough, I moved to spot and stalk country and was in bulls both of the only 2 days I had left to hunt. There are a couple exceptions of course but most of the November bulls I've seen were > 3/4 mile from a road.

[8OWHUNT247]

Spot and stalk...