There wouldn’t be any time for scouting new areas so we would have to rely on past experiences, where we knew the elk liked to bed and feed. The first morning was a combination of hunting and checking for fresh tracks on trails, wallow activity, and soft green droppings. We weren’t disappointed by what we found, the sign was fresh and in the same areas we had seen the year before. The hub of activity centered around a set of wallows and it was clear that a bull had been there rolling in the mud probably several days ago. Everything was shaping up for a good evening hunt, fortunately I prefer to hunt elk in the evening anyways having killed every elk in the past just before dark. This year would prove to be a very similar circumstance and approach. Over the last 10 years I have found using treestands for elk a very practical and deadly method. The number one factor for me is wind direction, if it can’t be predicted and worked with I will completely forget hunting in an area until it is in my favor. The elevated position a stand gives the hunter can sometimes make the difference between success and failure when wind currents are fickle.

Read on…