I've hunted elk all my hunting life. I am not a pro but I've been doing it over 50 years. A few things I can say that are lessons I have learned. One, never sky line yourself. By watching elk I learned they always stay close to trees and brush without walking out in the open if they can help it. Two, if you are hunting a bull don't cow call if the elk are within sight. The cows will come to the call before the bull does and will blow your hunt. Three, noise doesn't make a lot of difference to an elk because they make a lot of noise themselves. Four, if the elk spot you freeze in place. If they can't smell you and you don't seem a threat to them they will go back to grazing. If they are alerted they usually don't run away but with more away unless you totally spook them. Five, it's not necessary to go miles into the back country to find elk. I have found many hunters pass the elk when they are trekking into the back country. Six, I've been told elk will travel for miles if they are spooked and sometimes this is true but not always. I have spoked elk and had them go over a ridge and spend the next two days in the next draw while I was looking for them miles away. Seven, don't get fixated on elk you can see because many times your stalk will be upset by elk you didn't see while you were fixated on the ones you are stalking. When stalking elk always watch behind you. I've been able to harvest large bulls that have detected you scent and are sneaking away behind me. When you're in the mountains it's not so easy to determine wind direction because it swirls. Basically where I live and hunt the wind blows up in the morning and down in the evening. As air warms it rises and as it cools it sinks. When the weather is windy is when all wild animals are more jumpy. They can't depend on the scent direction and the forest is making much more noise. I hope this is helpful and good luck hunting. It took me years before I really was able to be successful most every year. Don't be discouraged if you don't get an elk. Some years I never even saw an elk during season.
Thanks! I took my son out for his first hunt and we got 10 feet from the bull but since he was behind me he couldn't shoot and the bull walked right up to us and we spooked it. Looked for it and the three other bulls with it for two days and didn't see them. Tomorrow is the last day hopefully we find one. I told my son that's part of hunting sometimes you win and sometimes you don't but uts about the experience essentially when you have action. It will definitely be a camp fire story he will tell his kids when I become a grandfather one day.
@@artemioquintero7866congratulations! I am on my 5th year elk hunting the thick woods and mountains where I grew up. It’s getting pretty discouraged covering so much ground and only finding week or two old sign but part of the process!
@@CliffGray I just tagged out on my New Mexico cow elk rifle hunt using your advice from this video. I laminated the steps from your stalk framework and keep it in my bino harness.
This guy is a wealth of information. I'm new to elk hunting and am a solo hunter, so trying to figure things out seemed almost impossible. This guy really explains things and gives up all the secrets. Im so thankful to find this.
Solo hunting appeals very strongly to the primal instincts in men. The most rewarding hunt I ever had was a solo hunt at 64 years old. I harvested an elk at 266 yards with a .444 Marlin caliber rifle and got it out and to my truck all by myself. I wondered if my body would be found with that of the elk after I had a heart attack but I didn't. I remember everything about that hunt to this day.
Great information. I have never consciously put that much detail into planning a stalk, but now that I'm training my grandsons, these are things that I will explain to them, like a checklist of things to think about before charging off up the mountain. Thanks!
After solo elk hunting this all makes so much sense! I’ve been trying to learn this all on my own and because of this video and years of failed attempts it finally clicked.
Cliff, Channels like yours are one of the reasons I am pursuing my passion. Your channel is full of great and correct information. I was born in Wisconsin, and started hunting elk when I was 13 years old. I was lucky to shoot a dinky 4x4 bull with on a Colorado muzzy tag, and I was hooked. Fast forward many years, after I had graduated college and had been working as a pharmaceutical chemist for 3 years, I had decided that I couldn't live my life behind a desk anymore. The girlfriend and I decided to head out west and start a new life. I took the leap, and founded my own Colorado based outfitting business in 2020. I knew how to hunt elk, as I had been regularly hunting since I was 13, and I wanted to be able to help other hunters be successful in their dream to harvest a bull elk. Last year we ended up tipping over some great 6x7 bulls, with the biggest coming in at 357" green. The key to that successful hunt was a carefully planned stalk, as we spotted this bull and his harem of cows from about 800 yards away, but we had to take a wide path to not spook the herd as the wind was wrong. After a 2 mile detour, we circled around and came within range of that bull and my hunters put the hammer down on him. The rest is history. Keep fighting the good fight, and keep sharing your insight with the hunting community online. All of us appreciate it. Thanks, -Rob G.
Please show us mere mortals how to move quietly through the dark timber...I fall timber for a living, and I live in the woods, and for the life of me, I can't move slow and quiet enough through that shit, I hear them stampede off 500-800 feet out from me almost every single time lol. If it's a clean stand I have a chance, but around here we get mega snow, so there's lots of dead and down shit everywhere, it's a nightmare, and the elk know it 🤣
Ha! Yeah the reality is that in some conditions it’s just tough to keep quiet. There are little things you can do, but avoiding noisy vegetation, crusty snow, etc… is the biggest… basically route planning around noisy junk
@@CliffGray that's tough to do around here, north Idaho is basically a big ass tree farm, so anything the state manages is clear cut and planted back thick as hair on a dog, and the forest circus doesn't cut anything, so it's "old growth" with a shit ton of dead and down crunchy stuff in it
Great information man. Bow and muzzleloader hunting in Co early season. We have more hunter moving in that don’t know how the elk use the area and the hunters walk all day. If you can give hunter ideas where elk will be so they scare them out of the country. Bed area in thick timber and scattered timber. Glass more than you walk. Thanks again for the information. I ve hunted elk 26 years and have harvested 20 elk and I live La. Hunt smarter no harder.
I didn’t have a dad or family to take me big game hunting when I was young. My dad was burned when I was a kid and just couldn’t do it, the other male role models I had were no such thing so it’s just not an experience I had. Now that I’m an adult with my own family I’d like to start but it’s a daunting process looking at it from start to finish. Honestly navigating the permit process in Utah has been one of the more challenging tasks…you’d think that would be the easy part but nope. Anyways, if I ever make it this far I’ll be glad to have my odds go up.
After fourty plus years of elk hunting, I have to say that if you’re looking for great advice on elk, this is the bullseye so to speak. Watch, and follow his advice. He is spot on the best.
Thank you for sharing, followed your glassing advice this year to pick our glassing location and what an epic season, we were on Elk everyday and filled the freezer with a nice bull.
Cliff, this tutorial is excellent. Thank you for taking the time to put this together. The contrast of showing that area big picture, through digiscope, and on OnX really helped me follow along.
Watching this for the 3rd time, your videos tackle the things so many of us have been searching for. Thank Cliff, this will be my 4th season in Alberta and the 1st time I’ll head into my hunt with a real game plan. I can’t wait to get out and scout.
I have searched for RUclips university videos on how to learn to hunt mule deer and none come close to yours, you break down specific techniques and show them in action for example you showed how big glass up close can reveal a bedded animal and sure enough there was a bedded cow elk, that was amazing, it doesn’t make sense how few subscribers you have.
Lots of good information. Any chance you could control your language so I can watch the videos with my kids in the room? I'm a big boy I'm around foul language all the time I just try to keep my small kids away from it. I understand it's a hard habit to break.
@CliffGray Great vid, Cliff. Who makes the lined shirt ur wearing in the video? I really like the subtle pattern instead of so distinct like most patterns. Almost looks like wool on the outside.
Great information! I'm so glad I discovered your channel. Please keep them coming. I would love to hear how you would approach the elk if you were bow hunting?
@@CliffGray looking forward to that. I'm a whitetail fanatic raised in South Georgia, and live in north Florida. Elk is the only other thing that seems to really have my heart. I am not a man of many means, but I am trying to get an elk with my bow before my time is up (on public land) so hopefully I'll get blessed. Thanks for what you do, and thanks for keeping it real.
Hi, here in the East a group of whitetails will bed down and be facing different directions to accommodate for wind direction changes and predators coming in from upwind. Do elk do that too?
That do that and tend to bed where winds swirl, helps them in the same way. A lot of people say bed like to bed on lower grade areas on a mountain hillside because it’s more comfortable for them…. I’ve become a strong believer that is is actually that the winds tend to swirl up into those benches here in the mountains. 👍
Hey Cliff, does most of this stuff apply to archery too? I usually don't spend much time glassing and mostly focus on calling and moving to the next area.
It does. Guys that are hunting areas with denser and less pressured elk will find success with more locate bugling/calling in addition to the glassing I mentioned. I know a lot of archers that are vehicle based, they bounce to different areas looking for a callable bull. They may be checking different spots, 15-20mi apart - but they still know each of those locations from years of experience with each spot and setups. 👍
What an awesome video thanks for sharing. I learned a ton. The only thing I would add is, if you want to be good at stocking teach others. We learn best when we’re teaching. I really like your jacket or shirt. It looks like it’s wool where did you get it? What kind is it? Do you like it?
I didnt quite understand one aspect - the drainage on your OnX map that you were talking of going up seems to be way far east of where you were talking of going up. If you went up where you mentioned going up, how would you get to 250 yds without them seeing you?
Personally I think the Voting age should be raised to 25. Drinking, Tobacco use and going to war should remain 18. Young stupid people voting in this day and age is our biggest threat!
This along with many of your other videos are awesome and have been very valuable to my ability to find elk on my first DIY public ground backpack rifle hunt this past week. THANK YOU! One question though. How do you stalk elk that are on a similar elevation in the middle of 5-6’ tall oak brush and the nearest ridge with open shot is >1000 yds? Any help is much appreciated! I could not figure out how to get through that cover quietly. We sounded like a herd of elephants running away from the circus Gypsies
Glad the videos are useful! That kind of situation is tricky because you can lose track of the elk while trying to go slow and quietly through the thick stuff. If it’s legal where you are hunting, a spotter is helpful in that situation. Once you are close, they Can let you know. Then you can sit and be patient until the elk move and give you a shot.
This will be my first elk hunting season, I am extremely excited and also nervous, eager to learn and just enjoy the process. Very grateful that you shared this information, it is extremely helpful!
Be aware of the area in which you shoot an elk. I have bypassed shooting elk because of where they were. The real work begins after you take a successful shot.
@@a-bar-b5196 Your scent traveling around is very important so paying attention to wind direction is a no brainer. The problem is the wind direction is not consistant. From one canyon to the next the wind and weather can vary a lot. The temperature of the ground can cause the air to move differently. The air moves differently on a sunny hill side than it does on the north facing slope.
Ciff, very helpful video. Question: if you're scope is calibrated at 300 yds., and you need to adjust it during a subsequent hunt (say, a few clicks), do you back out those clicks after the hunt to keep it calibrated at 300 yds?
I have to disagree with your comment about going on a 7 day elk hunt once a year will never put you in that top success category. Been hunting elk in a specific public land area for 20 years and I have killed a bull every year by only hunting a max of 7 days/year. Anyone can be in that success club if they are observing of the area they hunt. I keep a hunting journal. I record time, temp, conditions, area, behavior of elk, number of hunters encountered, number of elk seen, cows/bulls, etc just to compare year to year and trend my micro pockets that I hunt. Some years I kill opening day or weekend. Only once I had to hunt until second weekend to kill my bull. That was a freak snow storm that dumped 3 feet of snow, pushing elk lower. I hunt alone because my intuition can never be interrupted by another’s opinion.
Thanks for the comment Cris. I’m sure the meticulous approach you take has paid off… in what sounds like top level success.I wish you the best on your future hunts, thanks.
Hey Cliff-- who makes the button down flannel you're wearing in this video? It looks like wool? It looks sweet! 🤔🦍 Id love to find it for myself! PS The backcountry bow community of northwestern MT loves your videos! Big help
I'm so grateful for all the information you have given. My hunt is coming up and I will definitely take your advice. Wish I could return the favor by offering you an elk steak, cuz after a few more views I will be confident and able. Thanks again 👍
So valuable information, thank you for sharing your knowledge!! You and Dave Canterbury are my most favorite🤠! Greetings and "Waidmannsheil" from Germany!
This is super helpful I'm out hunting this season and I'm a beginner I've never killed Big game before but I've got a bullelk tag in a region where the elk are really used to people and there hasn't been hunting for just about 30 years And any hunting is out of state high priced tags so I'm lucky I got this one this year And I have a long family history of hunting Super good information wish me luck
Thanks Alex…. I’ve had that jacket for decades and it was given to me, it’s probably 30yrs old -King of The Mountain Wool - unfortunately I think their pricing is a bit nuts nowadays.
Thank you so much for these videos. I've been trying to learn this type info but I can't afford a guided hunt. Im a disabled vet I can still hunt and I'm trying to learn to give meaning to my life. God bless you
Cliff, I watch a lot of elk hunting on RUclips, and can tell you your content is extremally helpful. I like the longer videos much better than the short clips. If you're ever in N/W Montana, give my a holler and I'll buy you a burger and beer. Thanks for what you do!
Great information! I usually do a similar checklist, but without it enumerated out, I've forgotten a step on occasion (usually checking for other animals)! Your content is already awesome... BUT I would love to watch a video of your going through that process and then, actually going through with the plan! Even if you weren't successful, you could break it down WHY you weren't successful! Someone as knowledgeable as you would be able to gleen a valuable lesson from what most content makers call a "failure."
Rodi, thanks for the suggestions and comment. I’ll do this in July or August… I’d contemplated doing some mock stalks on this video but our elk/deer were pretty beat up from the winter - I hated to be bumping them around in deep snow. Stay tuned!
Great information, thanks Cliff. For those of us that don't live out West we don't have the luxury of learning through experience. Your videos are always helpful
This is probably the most concise, practical and most importantly easily digestible tutorials I've ever come across. On any subject I mean, not just hunting. Taking those extra, what, 90 seconds too, to plan for contingencies with a primary, secondary, and tertiary distance speculation should the elk [and yourself] move farther apart along those respective ridgelines, to ensure it's still within an effective shot range. *chef's kiss* Love it, bud. Keep the content comin' :- )
Thanks for sharing the wisdom you have earned on the mountain and all the work you put into your channel. This format with the digi scope/e scouting combo really helped me wrap my mind around making a game plan.
Hey Corey - if you go to my website PursuitWithCliff.com there is a list of them there on one of the tabs. I think most of them are there - I have done quite a few over the years. thanks!
They can see much better than us, but that all depends on terrain/vegetation. What’s more relevant is at what distance they will tolerate seeing you. In heavily hunted areas, I’ve seen that be 1,300 yards. I’ve guided on private ranches where it was 250 yards. Pressure makes a big difference. Hope that is helpful. Thanks
In 2018 my land all burnt off in a forest fire. It has begun to grow back a lot. Now with the locust brush and the little aspens trees about 6 to 8 feet tall it is like trying to hunt in a jungle with tons of downfall. The deer and elk love it but it is really hard to hunt. The downfall created a serious problem when you try to remove a downed animal.
Idk how I get so lucky cause I have always just stomped through the woods like a bumbling idiot and filled my elk tag. Not on deaf ears tho! I'm taking notes as I drew again! It's just the last draw at the very end of the season in an area that gets hit so hard that it's amazing the elk survive and not ran to death. Wish I would have gotten a bull tag tho because last time up there I saw one that could scratch it's arsehole by nodding yes
@@CliffGray so I guess I'm less lucky then I thought.. I studied the data that I collected from revisiting all the spots my dad and me hunted (marking kills and sightings). I took that data and applied it to what you said to look for on a map ect. Turns out I may have been stomping around like an idiot getting lucky but it's because my dad had mapped out the perfect location. It has a power line that connects the only two meadows (private land) in that area. The meadows have small steams running through it and bountiful food. They use that power line to go back and forth and bed on the benches between. So my dad has been saving my butt all these years and I thought I was just super lucky haha
@@CliffGray do you think if I went up and tied little pieces of cloth with my scent on them right now, it could give me an advantage? Hopefully they would eventually get use to it and basically I'd be ghosted. Or do you think they would just avoid that area forever because it stinks of human?
@@cronkthecrunk honestly it’s an interesting concept. Never tried anything like that so can’t have a valid opinion on it. Hate to blow up a historical spot that has been productive for you.
I grew up on the frontier, so I am a hunter, not as successful as most because I do not use bait. I sneak up on the prey & take them by surprise. Perhaps the best skill a stalker can have is the ability to hold still for long periods. 🤠 I like to hunt with my well-trained dog that I raised from a pup.
I’ve actually killed elk off the shooting location shown in the 2nd example. A really fit guy could do the stalk I plan in about 35-45min. A average guy, not used to altitude, probably 1-1.5hrs.
I have a question. About 7 years ago I accidentally ran into a big herd of elk with a few good bulls in it. I was the only one hunting there but after a few days of botched attempts at harvesting one of the bulls I came up short and could never find them again. My question is do you think they have come back to that same area since than or what are elk like when it comes to a situation like that?
Hard to answer. Generally, I find that elk only give you one or two chances and then they move. These elk that get hunted hard know exactly what's going on. In terms of hunting the same area in the future, yes... they come back and use the same spots year after year.
@@CliffGray thanks for the reply. So ya when I was hunting them I could tell they have been in that area for quite some time because of all the sign wild game leave. I haven’t been back since then but I’m thinking of going back this year and have a look around. If I do I will for sure make a game plan on how i will approach getting in there because the last thing I want to do is spook them out of there again.
I've hunted elk all my hunting life. I am not a pro but I've been doing it over 50 years. A few things I can say that are lessons I have learned. One, never sky line yourself. By watching elk I learned they always stay close to trees and brush without walking out in the open if they can help it. Two, if you are hunting a bull don't cow call if the elk are within sight. The cows will come to the call before the bull does and will blow your hunt. Three, noise doesn't make a lot of difference to an elk because they make a lot of noise themselves. Four, if the elk spot you freeze in place. If they can't smell you and you don't seem a threat to them they will go back to grazing. If they are alerted they usually don't run away but with more away unless you totally spook them. Five, it's not necessary to go miles into the back country to find elk. I have found many hunters pass the elk when they are trekking into the back country. Six, I've been told elk will travel for miles if they are spooked and sometimes this is true but not always. I have spoked elk and had them go over a ridge and spend the next two days in the next draw while I was looking for them miles away. Seven, don't get fixated on elk you can see because many times your stalk will be upset by elk you didn't see while you were fixated on the ones you are stalking. When stalking elk always watch behind you. I've been able to harvest large bulls that have detected you scent and are sneaking away behind me. When you're in the mountains it's not so easy to determine wind direction because it swirls. Basically where I live and hunt the wind blows up in the morning and down in the evening. As air warms it rises and as it cools it sinks. When the weather is windy is when all wild animals are more jumpy. They can't depend on the scent direction and the forest is making much more noise. I hope this is helpful and good luck hunting. It took me years before I really was able to be successful most every year. Don't be discouraged if you don't get an elk. Some years I never even saw an elk during season.
Great information thanks.👍
Thank you for taking the time to post this. I got my first elk this year and am a brand new hunter. It's by the grace of God not because of my skill.
@@artemioquintero7866congrats man! The Lord rewarded your good intention 👍🏼
Thanks! I took my son out for his first hunt and we got 10 feet from the bull but since he was behind me he couldn't shoot and the bull walked right up to us and we spooked it. Looked for it and the three other bulls with it for two days and didn't see them.
Tomorrow is the last day hopefully we find one.
I told my son that's part of hunting sometimes you win and sometimes you don't but uts about the experience essentially when you have action.
It will definitely be a camp fire story he will tell his kids when I become a grandfather one day.
@@artemioquintero7866congratulations! I am on my 5th year elk hunting the thick woods and mountains where I grew up. It’s getting pretty discouraged covering so much ground and only finding week or two old sign but part of the process!
This is the best western hunting instructional video I have seen, and I have watched thousands at this point.
Man, really appreciate the comment. That's an awesome compliment. I'm happy it is useful to you. Thanks.
@@CliffGray I just tagged out on my New Mexico cow elk rifle hunt using your advice from this video. I laminated the steps from your stalk framework and keep it in my bino harness.
@@bryceoleski5680congrats man!!!
This guy is a wealth of information. I'm new to elk hunting and am a solo hunter, so trying to figure things out seemed almost impossible. This guy really explains things and gives up all the secrets. Im so thankful to find this.
Glad the videos are helpful!
Solo hunting appeals very strongly to the primal instincts in men. The most rewarding hunt I ever had was a solo hunt at 64 years old. I harvested an elk at 266 yards with a .444 Marlin caliber rifle and got it out and to my truck all by myself. I wondered if my body would be found with that of the elk after I had a heart attack but I didn't. I remember everything about that hunt to this day.
Great information. I have never consciously put that much detail into planning a stalk, but now that I'm training my grandsons, these are things that I will explain to them, like a checklist of things to think about before charging off up the mountain. Thanks!
Thanks for the comment John. Really hope it helps you and your grand kids!
Freakin awesome lesson Cliff! I learned some great stuff and I’ve been hunting elk for 30 years here in Arizona. Never stop learning 👍🏽
👍
I'm trying to figure how to apply this to Elk in PNW, i feel like by the time we see them, they are already inside that "uncomfort zone".
After solo elk hunting this all makes so much sense! I’ve been trying to learn this all on my own and because of this video and years of failed attempts it finally clicked.
Glad it was helpful!
Same
Cliff,
Channels like yours are one of the reasons I am pursuing my passion. Your channel is full of great and correct information.
I was born in Wisconsin, and started hunting elk when I was 13 years old. I was lucky to shoot a dinky 4x4 bull with on a Colorado muzzy tag, and I was hooked.
Fast forward many years, after I had graduated college and had been working as a pharmaceutical chemist for 3 years, I had decided that I couldn't live my life behind a desk anymore. The girlfriend and I decided to head out west and start a new life.
I took the leap, and founded my own Colorado based outfitting business in 2020. I knew how to hunt elk, as I had been regularly hunting since I was 13, and I wanted to be able to help other hunters be successful in their dream to harvest a bull elk.
Last year we ended up tipping over some great 6x7 bulls, with the biggest coming in at 357" green. The key to that successful hunt was a carefully planned stalk, as we spotted this bull and his harem of cows from about 800 yards away, but we had to take a wide path to not spook the herd as the wind was wrong. After a 2 mile detour, we circled around and came within range of that bull and my hunters put the hammer down on him. The rest is history.
Keep fighting the good fight, and keep sharing your insight with the hunting community online. All of us appreciate it.
Thanks,
-Rob G.
Awesome stuff! thanks Rob. Subscribed to your channel, too. Look forward to seeing more of your adventures. Good luck.
Please show us mere mortals how to move quietly through the dark timber...I fall timber for a living, and I live in the woods, and for the life of me, I can't move slow and quiet enough through that shit, I hear them stampede off 500-800 feet out from me almost every single time lol. If it's a clean stand I have a chance, but around here we get mega snow, so there's lots of dead and down shit everywhere, it's a nightmare, and the elk know it 🤣
Ha! Yeah the reality is that in some conditions it’s just tough to keep quiet. There are little things you can do, but avoiding noisy vegetation, crusty snow, etc… is the biggest… basically route planning around noisy junk
@@CliffGray that's tough to do around here, north Idaho is basically a big ass tree farm, so anything the state manages is clear cut and planted back thick as hair on a dog, and the forest circus doesn't cut anything, so it's "old growth" with a shit ton of dead and down crunchy stuff in it
Great information man. Bow and muzzleloader hunting in Co early season. We have more hunter moving in that don’t know how the elk use the area and the hunters walk all day. If you can give hunter ideas where elk will be so they scare them out of the country. Bed area in thick timber and scattered timber. Glass more than you walk. Thanks again for the information. I ve hunted elk 26 years and have harvested 20 elk and I live La. Hunt smarter no harder.
Thanks for the feedback Tim!
I didn’t have a dad or family to take me big game hunting when I was young. My dad was burned when I was a kid and just couldn’t do it, the other male role models I had were no such thing so it’s just not an experience I had. Now that I’m an adult with my own family I’d like to start but it’s a daunting process looking at it from start to finish. Honestly navigating the permit process in Utah has been one of the more challenging tasks…you’d think that would be the easy part but nope.
Anyways, if I ever make it this far I’ll be glad to have my odds go up.
After fourty plus years of elk hunting, I have to say that if you’re looking for great advice on elk, this is the bullseye so to speak. Watch, and follow his advice. He is spot on the best.
Hands down my favorite hunting info Channel !
Thanks man!
Thank you for sharing, followed your glassing advice this year to pick our glassing location and what an epic season, we were on Elk everyday and filled the freezer with a nice bull.
Awesome!!!!!!!! Glad it was helpful. Thanks
@@CliffGray Hello, is there a specific video you have on glassing? if so, can you please tell me which one it is
@@victormendoza590 ruclips.net/video/NGUxdIZ6Or4/видео.html
Cliff, this tutorial is excellent. Thank you for taking the time to put this together. The contrast of showing that area big picture, through digiscope, and on OnX really helped me follow along.
No problem! Im glad you found it useful. Thanks
Watching this for the 3rd time, your videos tackle the things so many of us have been searching for. Thank Cliff, this will be my 4th season in Alberta and the 1st time I’ll head into my hunt with a real game plan. I can’t wait to get out and scout.
awesome! glad to hear the video has been helpful
Great instructional. Could have saved me 50 years of learning the hard way.
Haha! Thanks man
I have searched for RUclips university videos on how to learn to hunt mule deer and none come close to yours, you break down specific techniques and show them in action for example you showed how big glass up close can reveal a bedded animal and sure enough there was a bedded cow elk, that was amazing, it doesn’t make sense how few subscribers you have.
Glad to here you like the videos! Appreciate the support 👍
Lots of good information. Any chance you could control your language so I can watch the videos with my kids in the room? I'm a big boy I'm around foul language all the time I just try to keep my small kids away from it. I understand it's a hard habit to break.
Hey Travis. Appreciate the comment. I will work on it. thanks for watching.
@CliffGray Great vid, Cliff. Who makes the lined shirt ur wearing in the video? I really like the subtle pattern instead of so distinct like most patterns. Almost looks like wool on the outside.
It is wool. That is a jacket I’ve had for about 20yrs. It’s a king of the mountain. 👍
This is a master class introducing mountain stalking.
thanks!
Great information! I'm so glad I discovered your channel. Please keep them coming. I would love to hear how you would approach the elk if you were bow hunting?
Glad the videos are helpful. I’ll work on some archery videos. Thanks
@@CliffGray looking forward to that. I'm a whitetail fanatic raised in South Georgia, and live in north Florida. Elk is the only other thing that seems to really have my heart. I am not a man of many means, but I am trying to get an elk with my bow before my time is up (on public land) so hopefully I'll get blessed. Thanks for what you do, and thanks for keeping it real.
By far the most information I've ever seen on elk by anyone. Thanks!
👍
Hi, here in the East a group of whitetails will bed down and be facing different directions to accommodate for wind direction changes and predators coming in from upwind. Do elk do that too?
Yeah
That do that and tend to bed where winds swirl, helps them in the same way.
A lot of people say bed like to bed on lower grade areas on a mountain hillside because it’s more comfortable for them…. I’ve become a strong believer that is is actually that the winds tend to swirl up into those benches here in the mountains. 👍
Hey Cliff, does most of this stuff apply to archery too? I usually don't spend much time glassing and mostly focus on calling and moving to the next area.
It does. Guys that are hunting areas with denser and less pressured elk will find success with more locate bugling/calling in addition to the glassing I mentioned. I know a lot of archers that are vehicle based, they bounce to different areas looking for a callable bull. They may be checking different spots, 15-20mi apart - but they still know each of those locations from years of experience with each spot and setups. 👍
What an awesome video thanks for sharing. I learned a ton. The only thing I would add is, if you want to be good at stocking teach others. We learn best when we’re teaching.
I really like your jacket or shirt. It looks like it’s wool where did you get it? What kind is it? Do you like it?
Thanks man!
Yeah man I e had that jacket for 15-20yrs. It’s a king of the mountain, nowadays pretty darn pricey. Try eBay
Good explanation for a stalk. Your plan was my first thought.
I didnt quite understand one aspect - the drainage on your OnX map that you were talking of going up seems to be way far east of where you were talking of going up. If you went up where you mentioned going up, how would you get to 250 yds without them seeing you?
Very thoughtful content! Thank you so much for sharing your time and experience!
For sure!
Personally I think the Voting age should be raised to 25. Drinking, Tobacco use and going to war should remain 18. Young stupid people voting in this day and age is our biggest threat!
This along with many of your other videos are awesome and have been very valuable to my ability to find elk on my first DIY public ground backpack rifle hunt this past week. THANK YOU! One question though. How do you stalk elk that are on a similar elevation in the middle of 5-6’ tall oak brush and the nearest ridge with open shot is >1000 yds? Any help is much appreciated! I could not figure out how to get through that cover quietly. We sounded like a herd of elephants running away from the circus Gypsies
Glad the videos are useful!
That kind of situation is tricky because you can lose track of the elk while trying to go slow and quietly through the thick stuff. If it’s legal where you are hunting, a spotter is helpful in that situation. Once you are close, they Can let you know. Then you can sit and be patient until the elk move and give you a shot.
Much appreciated!! Regards from Spain
My pleasure!
Speaking of other animals that mess up your stock, are barking squirrels a dead giveaway to elk? If one starts popping off at you should you move?
Those Elk on the last clip are on such steep terrain it makes my legs hurt to look at it.
More of this. Thanks dude
As in, what if the mule deer was lower in el?
must be nice to glass bulls i'm stuck in timber thicker than fuck all you open ground hunters have it easy peasy
This will be my first elk hunting season, I am extremely excited and also nervous, eager to learn and just enjoy the process. Very grateful that you shared this information, it is extremely helpful!
Be aware of the area in which you shoot an elk. I have bypassed shooting elk because of where they were. The real work begins after you take a successful shot.
@@a-bar-b5196 Your scent traveling around is very important so paying attention to wind direction is a no brainer. The problem is the wind direction is not consistant. From one canyon to the next the wind and weather can vary a lot. The temperature of the ground can cause the air to move differently. The air moves differently on a sunny hill side than it does on the north facing slope.
Ciff, very helpful video. Question: if you're scope is calibrated at 300 yds., and you need to adjust it during a subsequent hunt (say, a few clicks), do you back out those clicks after the hunt to keep it calibrated at 300 yds?
Yes, I always dial back out any clicks I have put in for a shot. zero-stops on rifle scopes make this easy/reliable.
I have to disagree with your comment about going on a 7 day elk hunt once a year will never put you in that top success category. Been hunting elk in a specific public land area for 20 years and I have killed a bull every year by only hunting a max of 7 days/year. Anyone can be in that success club if they are observing of the area they hunt. I keep a hunting journal. I record time, temp, conditions, area, behavior of elk, number of hunters encountered, number of elk seen, cows/bulls, etc just to compare year to year and trend my micro pockets that I hunt. Some years I kill opening day or weekend. Only once I had to hunt until second weekend to kill my bull. That was a freak snow storm that dumped 3 feet of snow, pushing elk lower. I hunt alone because my intuition can never be interrupted by another’s opinion.
Thanks for the comment Cris. I’m sure the meticulous approach you take has paid off… in what sounds like top level success.I wish you the best on your future hunts, thanks.
Hey Cliff-- who makes the button down flannel you're wearing in this video? It looks like wool? It looks sweet! 🤔🦍 Id love to find it for myself! PS The backcountry bow community of northwestern MT loves your videos! Big help
Hey Quinn, that’s a King of the Mountain shirt - probably 20-25yrs old. Had it for years. They still make them, but pricey. Try ebay
This is Bucky lasek’s hunting doppelgänger
I'm so grateful for all the information you have given. My hunt is coming up and I will definitely take your advice. Wish I could return the favor by offering you an elk steak, cuz after a few more views I will be confident and able. Thanks again 👍
👍good luck!
Is this applicable to mule deer?
yes!
I’ve been looking for a camo flannel jacket like that for a while.. what brand is it?
Wow.
450 yards is easy. Getting 60 yards is the hard part. Lol
Wish there was guided classes by me to help a new hunter.
Excellent 👍.
Thank you
Mr. Grey.
See you on the timberline.
I will be riding the grey stud
See ya up there man! 👍👊
The one time where “you can’t be too high”- is a good thing…
"we have to remove deer antlers and teeth, to protect the deer from the teeth and claws of mountain lions!" Nancy pelosi
😂😂😂😂holy sh*t, she really said that? What a ding dong😂
We should Nancy in a cage with a lion
300 yard and Me watching this as a compound bowhunter lmao
oak brush makes things mighty difficult
AWESOME I LEARNED ALOT. THANK YOU FOR YOUR EXPERANCE.
So valuable information, thank you for sharing your knowledge!! You and Dave Canterbury are my most favorite🤠! Greetings and "Waidmannsheil" from Germany!
Thanks!
Anyone know what wool clothing Cliff is wearing in this video?
This is super helpful I'm out hunting this season and I'm a beginner I've never killed Big game before but I've got a bullelk tag in a region where the elk are really used to people and there hasn't been hunting for just about 30 years And any hunting is out of state high priced tags so I'm lucky I got this one this year And I have a long family history of hunting Super good information wish me luck
Good luck Seth! have fun
Just recently started watching your channel, Thanks for sharing all the great information. What jacket you wearing .
Thanks Alex…. I’ve had that jacket for decades and it was given to me, it’s probably 30yrs old -King of The Mountain Wool - unfortunately I think their pricing is a bit nuts nowadays.
Thank you so much for these videos. I've been trying to learn this type info but I can't afford a guided hunt. Im a disabled vet I can still hunt and I'm trying to learn to give meaning to my life. God bless you
thanks for watching! glad the videos are helpful
Thank you so much for sharing this great information 👍 God's Blessings
Glad it was helpful! 👍
With my luck the turkeys would bust me lol.
Cliff, I watch a lot of elk hunting on RUclips, and can tell you your content is extremally helpful. I like the longer videos much better than the short clips. If you're ever in N/W Montana, give my a holler and I'll buy you a burger and beer. Thanks for what you do!
Bob, really appreciate the comment and couldn't be happier that the video was a help to you. Thanks!
Great information! I usually do a similar checklist, but without it enumerated out, I've forgotten a step on occasion (usually checking for other animals)!
Your content is already awesome... BUT I would love to watch a video of your going through that process and then, actually going through with the plan! Even if you weren't successful, you could break it down WHY you weren't successful! Someone as knowledgeable as you would be able to gleen a valuable lesson from what most content makers call a "failure."
Rodi, thanks for the suggestions and comment. I’ll do this in July or August… I’d contemplated doing some mock stalks on this video but our elk/deer were pretty beat up from the winter - I hated to be bumping them around in deep snow. Stay tuned!
Thank you for posting this video. I’m going elk hunting in a couple weeks and have no idea what I’m doing
good luck man! have fun
Man, this is really helpful stuff! How do you get close enough for a bow shot?
glad it is helpful! I use the same concepts when stalking with archery equipment.
Glad to see your videos again. Thanks for all the info
Great information, thanks Cliff. For those of us that don't live out West we don't have the luxury of learning through experience. Your videos are always helpful
Glad it was helpful! thanks
Does anyone say what the costs are expected in a start to finish hunt?
the time you spend and situations you actually broke down is super helpful, great video man
Glad it was helpful Jack. Appreciate the feedback! Thanks
Good shit my brotha!!! Thanks!
Another great video. Thanks.
Nice detailed video. Thanks for putting in the work to make this information available.
Thanks william!
This is probably the most concise, practical and most importantly easily digestible tutorials I've ever come across. On any subject I mean, not just hunting. Taking those extra, what, 90 seconds too, to plan for contingencies with a primary, secondary, and tertiary distance speculation should the elk [and yourself] move farther apart along those respective ridgelines, to ensure it's still within an effective shot range. *chef's kiss* Love it, bud. Keep the content comin' :- )
Thanks Peter!
Hunting op order on the fly
Great video! What brand of camo wool shirt is that at the beginning?
Thanks Max. That’s a 25-30yr old King of The Mountain wool shirt. Great stuff but nowadays they are a bit crazy expensive, try eBay
Awesome video! Thx u for sharing your experience with us.
👍for sure Dan! Thanks for the comment
Thanks for sharing the wisdom you have earned on the mountain and all the work you put into your channel. This format with the digi scope/e scouting combo really helped me wrap my mind around making a game plan.
Does Cliff have a Podcast or any appearances on other podcasts?
Hey Corey - if you go to my website PursuitWithCliff.com there is a list of them there on one of the tabs. I think most of them are there - I have done quite a few over the years. thanks!
How distance do you estimate that an elks vision is able to detect threats?
They can see much better than us, but that all depends on terrain/vegetation. What’s more relevant is at what distance they will tolerate seeing you. In heavily hunted areas, I’ve seen that be 1,300 yards. I’ve guided on private ranches where it was 250 yards. Pressure makes a big difference. Hope that is helpful. Thanks
Great video, definitely going to refer to this as a good refresher before hunts. I like that camo wool shirt, what kind is that?
That’s a King of The Mountain shirt - it’s about 25 yrs old
@@CliffGray Holy crap that's insane. That jacket is almost as old as I am haha.
In 2018 my land all burnt off in a forest fire. It has begun to grow back a lot. Now with the locust brush and the little aspens trees about 6 to 8 feet tall it is like trying to hunt in a jungle with tons of downfall. The deer and elk love it but it is really hard to hunt. The downfall created a serious problem when you try to remove a downed animal.
Thanks for the video!
Thanks. 👍👍
Use as much patience as the situation allows and really nothing hones skills like experience.
Get in the woods ☝️
Man that's good stuff!
good job kids.
I fell asleep from the get-go.
now I got to watch it again and again.
love you all take care.
Thanks for sharing!
Great vids Cliff. We miss ya up here.
I miss you guys and the country up there, too!!!! Spring was always my favorite. Hope all is well 👍
Great instruction
Idk how I get so lucky cause I have always just stomped through the woods like a bumbling idiot and filled my elk tag.
Not on deaf ears tho! I'm taking notes as I drew again! It's just the last draw at the very end of the season in an area that gets hit so hard that it's amazing the elk survive and not ran to death. Wish I would have gotten a bull tag tho because last time up there I saw one that could scratch it's arsehole by nodding yes
Yeah man - there ain’t nothing wrong with luck particularly with elk! Haha. Good luck this Fall!
@@CliffGray so I guess I'm less lucky then I thought.. I studied the data that I collected from revisiting all the spots my dad and me hunted (marking kills and sightings). I took that data and applied it to what you said to look for on a map ect. Turns out I may have been stomping around like an idiot getting lucky but it's because my dad had mapped out the perfect location.
It has a power line that connects the only two meadows (private land) in that area. The meadows have small steams running through it and bountiful food. They use that power line to go back and forth and bed on the benches between.
So my dad has been saving my butt all these years and I thought I was just super lucky haha
@@CliffGray do you think if I went up and tied little pieces of cloth with my scent on them right now, it could give me an advantage? Hopefully they would eventually get use to it and basically I'd be ghosted. Or do you think they would just avoid that area forever because it stinks of human?
@@cronkthecrunk honestly it’s an interesting concept. Never tried anything like that so can’t have a valid opinion on it. Hate to blow up a historical spot that has been productive for you.
@@CliffGray I think I'm gonna try it. Might be my dumbest idea yet but by chance it works... I'll let you know
Thanks Cliff, yer the best
Thanks man!
Tbh I don’t actually kill them I just stalk them so I can watch them
Agree with the posts of others - Cliff is a master.
Love your channel 👊🏻
Thanks man!
Great info
thanks!
I grew up on the frontier, so I am a hunter, not as successful as most because I do not use bait. I sneak up on the prey & take them by surprise. Perhaps the best skill a stalker can have is the ability to hold still for long periods. 🤠
I like to hunt with my well-trained dog that I raised from a pup.
Oh yeah there were no telescoping gunsights where I was.
They really minimize the need to be a good stalker.
Hang a feather from yer gun for a wind direction indicator.
Great video man! Going on my first Elk hunt next year (if society doesn't collapse) and this will be helpful!
Good luck!
@@CliffGray Thanks!
What's your estimate on how long it will take the average hunter to get into that shooting position? Great vid... keep em coming!
I’ve actually killed elk off the shooting location shown in the 2nd example. A really fit guy could do the stalk I plan in about 35-45min. A average guy, not used to altitude, probably 1-1.5hrs.
Arm the elks and let them stalk YOU like a pro! That would be sport, or you could hunt them with a pointy stick, that would be sport to!
I have a question. About 7 years ago I accidentally ran into a big herd of elk with a few good bulls in it. I was the only one hunting there but after a few days of botched attempts at harvesting one of the bulls I came up short and could never find them again. My question is do you think they have come back to that same area since than or what are elk like when it comes to a situation like that?
Hard to answer. Generally, I find that elk only give you one or two chances and then they move. These elk that get hunted hard know exactly what's going on. In terms of hunting the same area in the future, yes... they come back and use the same spots year after year.
@@CliffGray thanks for the reply. So ya when I was hunting them I could tell they have been in that area for quite some time because of all the sign wild game leave. I haven’t been back since then but I’m thinking of going back this year and have a look around. If I do I will for sure make a game plan on how i will approach getting in there because the last thing I want to do is spook them out of there again.
@@Hollywoodeatsordrinksit good luck man!
Name those companies…