Roosevelt Elk Guides:
Washington State Roosevelt Elk Tips
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Gear
Pay strict attention to your smell. Elk will spook easily. Cover up scents (like raccoon) work well and put Elk at ease. HWS staff Scent tips
When using scents and gear pay attention to what you are using. Many chain stores and online supply companies will try to sell you scents and gear that have no applicability to any hunting situation in Washington. HWS staff
Wear warm and rain proof clothing. You are bound to encounter either rain or soaked underbrush in Rosie country. HWS staff
More and more timber company lands are being gated. Buy a nice mountain bike and pedal into the area. You’ll be amazed at how much area you can cover. If you are handy or go to the local bike shop, you can have the freewheel noise disabled for a really silent bike. HWS staff
Stow the rifle and put slugs in your shotgun in modern firearm seasons. Lots of Washington State Elk are taken with shotguns. You won’t have a scope to fog up and you can pack bird shot for the random rabbit or grouse. HWS staff
Gather some vegetation from the area you plan to hunt. Store all of your hunting clothes in garbage bags with the vegetation. Even your underwear, pack, etc. This is the best scent mask I have found. (tip: courtesy Jeff D)
Most Roosevelt Elk habitat is perpetually wet. Especially on the West side of the Olympic Mountains. It is not uncommon for the Forks area to receive over 100 inches of rain per year. Good raingear is essential in having a comfortable Roosevelt elk hunt. HWS Staff
Habitat
Roosevelt Elk are the largest Elk species with males weighing over 1000 pounds. Females can weigh around 600+. They range in pockets in the SW range and throughout the Olympic peninsula. The Eastside of the Olympics has a significant Roosevelt elk herd, but, access to most of their range is limited and primarily private land. HWS Staff
Roosevelt Elk tend to herd up and it is not uncommon to see 50 to 60 in a herd. HWS Staff
The biggest Roosevelt Elk ever taken was from a tree stand. Do not dismiss the use of treestands in hunting elk.
When hunting for Roosevelt Elk, remember that this species tend to be much darker in color than their Eastern Washington cousins. HWS staff
Rut bulls will be around cows, look for the cow.
Look for alder stands for rut Elk. The Elk seem to prefer the alder tree to rub their antlers on.
Roosevelt elk feed on just about everything and have no shortage of browse. You will not be able to pattern them as you would a whitetail deer. HWS Staff
Elk prefer and will be found in areas with a mix of old growth, new clearcuts, reprod (new plantings 5-10 yrs old) and second growth. Edge environments are crucial to elk. A lot of the gated areas of the private timber companies are helping increase elk populations. Elk do not like to be disturbed. HWS Staff
Very fresh elk rub
Camouflage your hands and face when bow hunting. Your face will stick out in the surrounding cover and underbrush. You spend a lot of money buying camo clothes. spend a few bucks more and get some paint for your skin. HWS staff
It is rare to jump a bull in the old timber. He knows you are there. HWS staff
Elk can be migratory if they spend the summer and fall months at high elevations. With significant snow fall, these Elk will move up and down with the snowline. They will move out if there is more than 20-30 inches of snow on the ground for a few days. HWS staff
Pay little attention to Elk browse or potential feeding areas. Elk have no problem finding browse anywhere. HWS staff
Unless there are significant drought conditions, water sources are too numerous to worry about during your Elk hunt. HWS staff
The most popular way to hunt Roosevelt Elk is by spot and stalk. Find a prominent area, downwind from the area you believe the elk to be in and glass over the area. Roosevelt elk will tend to be in larger groups and even a small herd will easily be spotted in a clearing. HWS staff
Gated areas are becoming hot spots with untouched areas available for hunting. HWS staff
It is rare to see Elk in driving rain and significant wind. However, immediately before or following a storm is the perfect time to find Elk. They get out of their bedding areas and shake off in openings in the timber. The residual rain drops coming off the trees makes them nervous. A quiet opening or clear-cut is a safe place to look for Elk. Call in sick to work the morning after a significant rain storm and get out in the woods. This is nature's lottery ticket for you. Most hunters will not want to hunt in the rain and most will stay home. HWS staff
It is relatively impossible to pattern Elk like you would a whitetail. Elk are smart and have many escape routes and daily routines. HWS staff
A number of Elk will spend a lifetime in a one to two square mile area. When scouting new areas do not overlook any spot or nook or cranny. If you miss that big bull one year and he is not a migratory bull, chances are he'll be in the same vicinity next year. (tip: courtesy Bob L)
When tracking Elk, pay attention to its tracks in the dirt or snow. A meandering path signals Elk which are feeding or are looking for a place to bed. A straight path signals that Elk are on the move and are moving from one point or other. A path which is straight but shows Elk stopped and turned around is a sign that Elk knows they are being stalked. (courtesy Mike D)
When observing browse or feeding areas, remember that the lighter the color of the nipped shrub or twig, the fresher the sign. Older browse browns with age. (courtesy Mike D)
Elk are usually considered "grazers" like cows and sheep, not browsers, like deer. Think like a grazing animal when looking for elk. (courtesy Bill P)
Techniques
First rule! Know what you are shooting at !!! There is no excuse for accidentally shooting something you did not intend to. HWS staff
Hire a guide for one season. Chances are that guide will teach you more during your hunt than you would learn from years of "trying to figure it out on your own." Guides are willing to teach and are getting paid to give you all their attention. Most guides will be flattered if you continually pick their brains for information.
Do not forget to put in for special permits. Some permits have extremely high success rates and your chances of harvesting a Roosevelt elk are dramatically increased with a special permit (especially some of the units around Mt. St. Helens.) HWS Staff
Wait along the fringes of clear-cuts, just inside the timber. HWS staff
Well placed Tree stands are very effective for Elk. HWS staff
Spot Elk in low points and benches inside 5 to 10 year old clear-cuts. You should be able to utilize the terrain to your advantage. Pay attention to the wind in your stalk. HWS staff
Get out of your vehicle and walk away from the road. Elk are smart, they recognize vehicle sounds and vary their routine accordingly. You will find Elk by driving logging roads, but, you will see many more quality animals by simply walking along a clear-cut or up a closed logging road. HWS staff
Using the squeak of a cow call is a great way to calm disturbed elk. HWS Staff
Use a crowded hunting day to your advantage. Find a bench or a saddle in the area you are hunting, get there before first light and wait for other hunters to kick the Elk in your direction. HWS staff
It is uncommon to see elk near heavily traveled logging roads. They are smart and have learned to avoid these areas. Look for them in areas with difficult access or in areas which butt up against private lands or lands that you cannot hunt in (Park, City boundaries, and the like) HWS Staff
Be very careful after shooting an Elk. Tracking the blood trail of an Elk in rain and soaked underbrush can be an enormous challenge. If not near impossible. HWS staff
A mortally hit Elk will almost always run downhill or sidehill. If you can get into position after shooting your Elk, pay close attention to where it runs. HWS staff
Follow up your arrow shots. What may have appeared as a miss, could have been a good hit. These darkly colored Elk can be difficult to see blood on.
When scouting an area with binoculars or a spotting scope. Don't look for an "Elk" look for an odd shaped color or misshapen branches (ears or antlers) Watch for movement rather than seeing a whole Elk. Set up behind a stump, a fallen log, or any place where you can be comfortable. Chances are quite good that you will see Elk in that clearcut. If you don't believe it. Next time you go out, watch another hunter who bumbles through the middle of a clearcut, watch the Elk beeline it for the protection of the surrounding timber stands. HWS staff
When exiting your vehicle, be quiet. Close your door gently, talk to hunting partners quietly. It is possible to have Elk within 50 yards of where you park your vehicle. Typical Rosie county is thick with vegetation. HWS staff
Lightly pressured Elk will almost always stand in position if they think you may walk by or haven’t seen them. You can sometimes continue walking at your previous pace and duck behind a tree or a bush. Some of these Elk will be curious and may even try to follow you. HWS staff
Pressured Elk will almost always turn to look at you before they enter thick underbrush. This is a good time to set up a good shot. HWS staff
Get in the habit of erasing Elk tracks you come upon in areas that you will hunt more than 1 day. By erasing those prints, you will be able to tell with great precision when new tracks were made.
Elk are diurnal, meaning that they are most active at dusk and dawn. Cloudy days increase the time that a Elk will spend in the open as the lower light levels will be more spread out. (courtesy Mike D)
When Elk approach a waterhole or a water crossing, they will slow down and scan the area considerably. Use these areas to ambush Elk. (courtesy Mike D)
When looking over terrain for bulls. Watch for things other than Elk. Bulls will rub on saplings which make the tree move. Also, Elk moving through tall brush will move the brush as they walk. Look for these signs and you will find a chance at seeing Elk. (courtesy Mike D)
Miscellaneous
Get in shape! You need to be in shape to trudge through Washington State Elk country. It can take enormous effort climbing through downed timber, Salal & blackberry bushes and vine maples. HWS staff
Don’t smoke. Tobacco smoke is not a natural scent to Elk and makes them nervous. Scent tips HWS staff
Don’t drink alcohol while you are hunting. It is illegal. Do yourself, the Elk, and the other hunters a favor leave it in camp or back at the hotel room for later. HWS staff
Wrap a small piece of plastic to the muzzle of your rifle, shotgun or muzzleloader to keep debris and moisture out of your barrel. HWS staff
When scouting look at areas where you see tall horse fences around gardens, orchards, and the like. More than likely, that homeowner has a deer or elk problem. You may have a pretty good shot at getting on their land to hunt their nuisance Elk.
Special Seasons have been developed to hunt some species. Special Permits are always required. There are no general seasons. The Permits "grow in value" the more years you apply for them. This is excerpted from the WDFW FAQ regarding special permits.
Q: How do the hunt choices work?
A: When the drawing occurs, it is as if all of the applications for a species are placed in a barrel. The computer spins the barrel by issuing random numbers to each application. The lowest random number that is issued to each application is the number used to order the applications from the lowest random number to the highest. It is the same as drawing cards from a barrel one by one. The application with the lowest random number is drawn first from the barrel and the hunt choices are checked. As each application comes up for consideration, the first hunt choice is checked to see if there is a permit left to be awarded. If there is none left, the second hunt choice is checked. If there is a permit available for that hunt choice, the application is selected for that hunt. If not, the process continues until all of the hunt choices on the application have been checked. If all of the hunt choices marked on the card have run out of permits, no permits are awarded to that application.Q: How do I build up points?
A: Each person who applies for a special hunt permit for a species receives a point for applying. If that person is not awarded a special hunt permit during that drawing the point is retained. If the person is awarded the permit, that person's point total drops to zero. If the person who was not awarded a permit for that species applies the next year, they then have two points. A single point is built up each year the person applies for a species until the person is awarded a permit.Q: What is the value of building up points?
A: Building up points is very much like putting more application cards into the barrel. Those that have more cards in the barrel have an advantage over those that have less. The more points a person has built up for a species over time, the greater are the chances that his/hers will be selected.Q: I heard that the points have multipliers on them. What is that for?
A: Some permit drawing systems are designed so that one random number is issued for each point built up for the species by the applicant. It is the same as having one card in the barrel for each point (one point - one card, two points - two cards, etc.).Washington's system places a multiplier on the points. The number of points is squared and it is this number of random numbers that are issued to the application (or number of cards in the barrel). If a person applies for an elk permit for the first time, they have one card in the barrel. If a person has built up two points, they have four cards in the barrel. If a person has three points built up, nine cards are in the barrel and so on.
Placing a multiplier on the points more noticeably increases the chances of being selected over someone who is a new applicant or was recently awarded a permit as points are built up.