My name is Al Tounsand, and I need some help with an elk hunt. I have recently drawn a tag for the Arkansas elk hunt after trying for 10 years. The help I need is reference to elk behavior. The rut is over (end of September) as well as the first hunt. There have been no bull elk taken in the area that I was drawn for in two years.

The area is in the Buffalo National River located in Northwest Arkansas (from Ponca, AR look northeast to highway 7 on google earth). It is very mountainous (for me any ways), and has a lot of high-clearance-vehicle roads. The few people that I have talked to said to look more on the eastern side of the zone (flatter with more fields). But they do not seem to do much good over there.

My question is: Will bulls still respnd to calls even though the rut is over? Keep in mind that the only elk experience that I have is from TOC and videos.

Any help would be greatly appreciated,

Al

Thanks for the info Toby (by the way: that's my nickname). The problem with the water source is that the zone is almost cut in half by the river (too much water). Should I use a cow or a bull call to locate the herd? One guy I talked to who hunted the same zone last year said that he saw a 5x6 with cows the day before season opened. While he was watching the bull, he let out a roar then went off to another zone.

As far as getting up early, old habits are hard to break (disabled vet).

Again, thanks for the help,

Al

Thanks for the help Nikster. I plan on doing some more scouting before the hunt (its in the first week of December). The problem I have is that it is about 5 hours away (one way). With all of the rain we have been getting, it will be really hard to get to the back side of the river where everyone tells me to look.

I hope that the weather holds so that I can get a couple more looks.

Again, thanks for the help,

Al

One quick question: When y'all talk about quakies, are y'all refering to draws? The term is not familiar to me. I was assuming that y'all were talking about draws, but I wanted to make sure.

Thanks,

Al

Thanks for the reply Ed. Its not the 365 to recover that has me worried. Its that it took 3650 to get the tag. I have 5 days to hunt, so I hope that the early scouting (not that I've done a lot due to the distance) can help. Temps should be near the mid-30s for that time of year.

Should I still concentrate on draws or look towards the fields? There are a lot of draws and not a lot of fields. The fields will be an easy look-over, but the draws are everywhere.

Thanks again for the help,

Al

Quakies is what the native people of the Rockies call Aspen trees. Knowing that won't help you much since there are no Aspens in Arkansas. Probably the closest thing you'll have to Aspens is Birch. Elk will live in the Aspens for a large part of the year if they can. Those trees provide cover and since they usually don't grow really thick, they provide a good place for grass, which the elk feed on. During the winter the elk will feed on the Aspen bark itself. Aspens also like it a little wetter, so where you finds big groves of Aspens, you'll usually find some water if you look hard enough. Put a good grove of Aspens close to a thick stand of Spruce with some open ground, and you have an elk haven.

I'd suggest you talk to the game warden for the area and also try to run down the sheriff and the mail carrier. Lots f times the sherriff and mail carrier know where the game is because they both cover the area daily. The game warden should know as much about the local herd as anyone and will also know if there are any landowners in the area complaining about damage the elk do.

The country, food sources and vegatation in Arkansas is all different than it is in the Rockies. So, any advice someone from the Rockies gives you will probably have to be adjusted to whatever the conditions there are. Every place is different, so I don't think I can give you specific advice except for get high and glass. I'd stay quiet and let the elk do the calling naturally so I could locate them.  Elk herds are fairly mobile and surprisingly vocal. If you can find an area they hang out in that gives you a good vantage point, then sitting and glassing and carefully listening will often yield results. Then after I found them, I'd go after them as quickly as possible. Elk are pretty smart and you'll usually only get 1 good shot at a big bull. Plan the stalk carefully, watch the wind and don't be afraid to get aggressive.

Thanks for clearing that up for me FLAGS. Aspens are slim-to none where we're at. The area I am hunting has oaks, pines and spruce (more oaks). I have tried talking to the park rangers, but they are mostly temps and don't know the animals real well. As for the game and fish people, they are not there when I can get there on the weekends.

I have called a few game wardens, and they same the same thing that you do: sit and glass. They also mentioned riding the roads to look for fresh sign then try spot and stalk. I was not sure if they would still be vocal after the rut or respond to calls (bugle or cow calls).

I attached a screen shot of where I will be hunting (south of the thick yellow line; bordered by the highways).

I really appreciate the information,

Al

Looking at the map you posted, I'd probably try to get in that canyon system north of the number 74. It looks like there is a major canyon running north and south with a lot of side canyons branching off. Also note how at the upper end, it cuts through that ridge line into even more canyons. If it was me, that's where I'd begin scouting. Nothing on the map shows a scale, so I don't know how much territory we're talking about here. Also can't really tell how rough it is.

Get in there and look for tracks, wallows, rubs etc... Even if the rut us over, elk will call back and forth with what is commonly called "cow" calls. They sound kind of like a cat's soft "meow". With all those canyons and the big meadow to the south, I'd bet elk are somewhere in that area. It's a starting point at least.

Good Luck.