Is 'Going Deep' Imperative to Hunt Elk Successfully?

The walk out was miserable. Pain shot through my legs, my lower back was in spasms, and my hefty pack dug into my back. I couldn’t imagine the 12-mile elkless tour if I weren’t in shape. Months before, I’d finished my third 100-mile ultra-marathon. Fitness wasn’t an issue. Elk hunting is always a grind, but when you dive deep and strike out, the only option is to load camp, walk back out, and head to a new area.

My hunting companions and I did not kill an elk, and we didn’t see or hear one, either. However, we did find two outfitter tents, 14 horses and mules, and a week-old elk sign. Not even the musk of a rutting bull hung in the mountain air. Like many of our far-off-the-beaten-path locales, the spot was once prime. Not anymore. Human intrusion killed it.

We lost two and a half days of hunting. The pack out took an entire day, and then we drove through the night to a new spot six hours away and packed in five miles. We were beaten and broken. Sleep tugged at our eyelids, and we slept for several hours after setting up camp.

We spent three days hunting the new spot, moving camp, and going deeper in each day. Again, all we found were people and horse tracks. Though we scratched out a pair of raghorn bulls during the final week of archery season, that September was rough.

A New Plan

The following summer, while pouring over paper and fancy smartphone maps, my elk crew made a decision. We didn’t come to it lightly—all we knew was to go deep and far. This season would be highly different.

We pinned 18 different locations. All were within two miles of a trailhead, parking area, or a main road.

Did it work?

That season, my hunting partners and I arrowed three public land DIY bulls in 72 hours. I wrote the story of that hunt in the pages of this magazine years ago. Since then, my philosophy hasn’t changed.

Can you still experience exceptional elk hunting by packing in deep, hoping to find an unpressured elk nirvana? Of course, but friends, it’s getting harder and harder. The popularity of public land elk hunting is at an all-time high. Trailheads are more crowded than ever, and the fit-to-hunt-elk phase has more people than ever backcountry-ready. Not to mention that when a hunter from the Midwest or East has a successful elk hunt but knows they won’t be able to get back West for a few years, that hunter often shares waypoints with friends. Finding and keeping “secret spots” is more challenging than ever.

What I have discovered is that close-to-road and trailhead access spots are ghost towns when it comes to hunters, but the elk are there in droves. Of course, not every spot is a banger. You’ll need to do your due diligence, including a combination of e-scouting and boots-on-the-ground recon when possible.

A couple of years ago, using my HuntStand app, I discovered a deep canyon littered with heavy cedars. I noticed a pond at the north end and a tall, timbered hill near the pond at the bottom of the canyon.

Two weeks before the archery opener, with the wind in my face and elk in their beds, I made the 1/2-mile walk from the trailhead to the pond. It was dotted with tracks, and I found where two bulls wallowed.

Like many of my “close” elk spots, it was small. Small areas mean smart hunting. I first accessed the canyon on Sept. 8. To that point, the direction of the wind was wrong. Temperatures were torrid, and it killed me not to go in and kill a bull on the water, but I’ve learned that when you blow elk out of a tiny honey hole, they rarely return during that season.

I got close on Sept.8 and returned on Sept. 16. Again, south winds delayed my return. However, I was glad I played it smart. Three bulls bugled nonstop, and the pond was more a mixture of mud and urine than water. Two hours into the hunt, my SEVR-tipped Easton connected on a funky-horned satellite bull.

Most recently, my wife drew a premium Colorado muzzleloader tag. Granted, I own horses and mules, but my plan was the same:

• Locate elk spots others overlook.
• Hunt them smartly.
• Find a willing bull.
• Get him killed.

On the second evening of her hunt, after a close encounter with a legit 370-inch legend, my wife killed a 305-inch bull 1.7 miles from the truck. The bull died 200 yards off a logging road. The road was closed to vehicle access, but it made walking easy, and the pack-out was a breeze. Utilizing logging roads is an excellent elk method. Ensure the logging roads are closed to motor vehicle access, and you’ll have easy-to-walk, unspoiled elk dirt. And, when you harvest a bull, I like using a game cart for the extraction.

Now, back to that 370-inch bull for a moment. We saw the bull three times after my wife punched her tag. He kept his harem of ladies in a small patch of aspens on an ultra-rugged mountainside 100 yards from a lake, a favorite fishing spot for summertime trout seekers. Keep that in mind!

Elk Hunting Close To Roads And Trails

When I hunt an elk area new to me, I follow the same e-scouting routine I’ve used to locate all my previous stay-close elk spots.

First, I look for areas near roads and trails with an immediate, almost scary-looking ascent or descent. Case in point: the area the 370 bull was living in was downright dirty—deep ravines, jagged cliffs, and dense timber. A spot doesn’t have to be 10 miles off the road to be daunting. Ascents are better, but savvy hunters know what goes down must come up. I find the most hellish climbs possible that make sense. I’ve also discovered a sizeable water crossing often deters hunters. It’s hard to start a morning with wet feet and legs. I have no problem peeling off my boots, rolling up my pants, and embracing the icy water when elk-rich dirt is on the other side.

I also look for steep ascents and descents that lead to flatter areas. Elk love long benches, especially those surrounded by very steep terrain. When they feel danger, they can quickly dive down or go up from the bench to escape whatever spooked them.

The spot where my wife killed her September 2024 bull was like this. We hiked a mile straight up a rocky chute to access a logging road. The logging road wound us around a mountain slope to an extended bench that dumped into an isolated pair of meadows. I kill elk when I can get on the same elevation gradient as them, and flat benches allow this. When hunting elk on benches, I have more success calling bulls in. And, in the case of my wife’s bull, shadowing a herd bull that’s reluctant to come to calls is much easier. You can cover terrain faster and move with and ahead of the elk.

Once I was sure the bull my wife and I were chasing had cows and wouldn’t come, we stayed downwind and used the timber to parallel the herd down the bench as they moved toward the first meadow. Once I knew their path of travel, my bride and I beat feet, got to the meadow before they did, and she was able to make a perfect 136-yard open-sight shot.

I also look for areas with a series of drainages. Most mountain ranges have creeks running between two ridges that form drainages. The drainages are often thick and gnarly, and the steep ridges on each side provide excellent cover. I study these drainages carefully and look for small flat spots, even ones a few hundred yards long. I find elk in these areas regularly.

Throughout most of September, rutting bulls and cows seek sanctuary on timbered north-facing slopes. They do this for thermal regulation. Elk are big-bodied critters, and daytime temps, even in the Rockies in September, can be hot. North-facing slopes are excellent, and elk often move to them to bed for the day.

North-facing timber is a big draw when looking for elk hotspots close to trailheads and roads. If I find water and pockets of heavy timber nearby, it’s a no-brainer; I investigate.

Close To Road Encounters Happen, But Don't Let Your Gear Dictate It

Having dynamic gear you know how to use and trust to perform in the elements is crucial to giving yourself frontcountry-to-backcountry options while hunting. A heavy wood-stocked rifle might shine close to camp but becomes a nagging, snag-inducing culprit in the back of drainages.

It is prudent to select a rifle like the Savage 110 Ultralite Elite, which is offered in chamberings from 6.5 Creedmoor to .300 Win Mag and everything in between and is an accurate, easily-toted rifle that gives you the option of staying close to camp or going in deep—it's apparent that it won't be the limiting factor in your decision of where to hunt.

You’ll find elk if you find the right spots close to roads, even blacktop roads where you pull the truck over and dive in (hint, hint). However, I don’t want to leave you thinking you’ll never find people. Yes, I’m seeing less pressure in close-to-road areas than when going in deep, but there will still be a fair share of elk hunters hunting close. As always, use good public land hunting ethics.

Several times, I’ve pulled up to a trailhead at 3 a.m. to find a tent or truck parked there. I don’t think twice. I turn around and head to my next spot. This is another reason why marking many waypoints on your HuntStand app is so important. If one spot is a bust, you move on to the next. It’s not like walking 12 miles to find two tents where you planned to camp. When this happens, you’re out of luck. The beauty of hunting close is that you can quickly pop in and out of areas.

Hunt Close Tactics

I covered this a bit already, but I want to expand. Again, having multiple close-to-the-road/trailhead locations is essential. I hunt smarter, not harder when hunting my close elk areas. I never push the wind; it will cost you. Plus, some locations are better suited for morning and evening hunts. Also, if I get into elk and things don’t work out, I usually slip out of the area and return during primetime. There’s no sense risking spooking elk out of an area to say you hunted them all day.

I love to call elk, and I do it a lot. However, sometimes, I find a small pocket of elk with three or four bulls battling over a limited number of cows. The bugling activity is insane—bulls bugling over the top of one another. I’ve had this happen many times since I started hunting close in 2019. I’ve had it happen more than while hunting deep in the backcountry.

When bulls are screaming, stay quiet. Let their bugles guide you in. Keep the wind and thermals right and go into spot-and-stalk mode. This is one of the best ways to kill a big bull. Most often, big bulls have the girls. Satellites are screaming to announce their presence, and Mr. Big is answering with challenging bugles, clunking, etc.

Get in the mix. This is one of the few times elk let their guard down. Of course, if they get a whiff of you, it’s game over, but if you play it smart and fly under their olfactory radar, you can move quickly and ambush a satellite or a herd bull.

Have fun hunting close. The season will be here before you know it. Now is the time to start prospecting for those hunt-close spots where elk likely live.