Elk are elusive animals for being so big. That is what makes them such a sought-after trophy. But it is possible to notch your tag on one of these prizes. With some knowledge of their habits, you can position yourself to find them on the mountain.
Rocky Mountain elk are most active during sunrise and twilight from September to December. Like most large animals of North America, the peak times for their activity is early in the morning and just before dark.
Only two things will disrupt this pattern, migration and the rut.
However, since elk must maintain their body mass while also completing those two activities, they will still largely hold to this daily pattern.
As you can imagine, it takes an individual elk a long time to get their daily fill of forage, given their substantial size. Therefore, it is no surprise that elk spend 51% of their day feeding.
Research has shown that elk generally eat the majority of their diet during sunrise and sunset when daylight and temperature are at the most optimal points. Even when elk reduce their feeding activities by 70% to facilitate migration and breeding, they will still observe these hours to feed.
It is important to point out that elk do undergo a transition of habit as the seasons change. During the wintertime, they transition to eating more at night and resting during the day in an attempt to make the most of the sun’s warmth.
However, in the summertime, they have no option but to feed during the daylight since the days are so long in most of their range. Therefore, as the hunting season progresses on to December, you can expect elk to end their activity earlier in the day than they did in September.
Weather
Weather also has a large impact on elk activity. Just like humans, elk prefer sunny days and warm temperatures. This allows them to see what they are browsing on and keep a watchful eye out for predators.
However, when the weather turns they will often find sheltered places that keep them out of the wind, snow, and rain.
There is a large debate among biologists if “thermal cover”, (densely packed patches of trees left by foresters in folds of terrain for elk to shelter in), have a positive impact on elk’s health and viability.
While the biologists debate the actual impact thermal cover has on elk population numbers, there is no debate concerning elk’s use of it. Elk will routinely locate, use, and return to the same thick areas during heavy weather.
This in turn impacts their level of activity. Elk do not want to be out in the wind, rain, and snow anymore than humans do. Therefore, during adverse weather they will find patches of thermal cover and hunker down.
This can lead them to be largely inactive for prolonged periods as they seek to avoid the weather. Considering the fairly significant weather changes that happen later in the season, this can play a significant impact on their level of activity.
Habits
Many people don’t realize that elk are a migratory species. While they generally don’t go from north to south like waterfowl or caribou, they do migrate nonetheless.
Their migration is between their winter and summer ranges. Since elk consume so much to maintain their body mass, they have to move to places where the conditions are the best for ample food to grow.
During the summertime, this is often out of the heat of the lower altitudes and up in the mountains. During the winter, they often leave the mountains and seek shelter in the lower altitudes where the weather is not as extreme.
The most well-known period of an elk’s annual cycle is the rut. As elk begin to breed their daily cycle is completely disrupted. As bulls gather their cows and push them into breeding areas, other inferior males will seek to cull away stray cows.
This leads to a lot of action, bugling, and movement that the hunter has to contend with. While it can be very exciting, it is also highly chaotic when the rut is at its peak.
Trying to anticipate where the elk will be and what they will be doing can be very challenging during this period. The best thing a hunter can do is keep trying until the chaos works in their favor.
Tips
Look for Grass. Like all animals, elk have varying nutritional needs that they will meet throughout the year by browsing on different things. However, their staple food is grass.
This provides them the excessive amount of calories they need to maintain their size and body mass. Therefore, even if the elk go searching for some specific type of plant to meet a nutritional deficiency, they will return to the calorie-dense grass eventually.
Take a nap. Elk, no matter the season, are not typically active during the middle of the day. This can be slightly altered during peak migration times or during the rut. However, elk prefer to rest during the middle of the day.
The hunter should be doing the same. The time to eat large meals, take naps, move camp, or tend to other necessities is in the middle of the day when the elk are going to be much more difficult to locate.
Make the most of the early season. Elk are more active during daylight earlier in the year. This means that they will move more and be far easier to hunt closer to September than December.
Therefore, it only makes sense to capitalize on the earlier hunting seasons. Get into your spot before the sun begins to come up and listen.
Become a bow hunter. Archery seasons often begin the first of September and often run a very long time. This allows you the most opportunity to hunt the elk during the pre-rut season when they are the easiest to take.
It also corresponds to the time that the elk are the most active during daylight hours as we mentioned above. If you are not already a bow hunter, consider taking a trip to your local archery shop and learning more.
If you enjoyed this article, here are some more helpful articles from Pinetrees And Solitude.
- What You Need For An Idaho Mule Deer Hunt
- Catch Mule Deer While They Are Active
- What Should I Bring Elk Hunting? Idaho List
- Hunting Elk In Timber: Tactics To Even The Odds
(This article was originally published on Pintreesandsolitude.com. If it is now published on any other site, it was done without permission from the copyright owner.)