ESPN Hunting

When bowhunter Chuck Adams speaks about hunting monster elk, it pays to stop what you're doing, listen intently and take careful notes.

Why? Because Adams obviously knows what he's doing when it comes to wapiti hunting.

If proof of that statement is needed, consider these facts.

Since 1999, Adams has arrowed five massive bull elk, including the Pope & Young Club world-record typical wapiti, a 409 2/8 inch Montana elk taken in 2000.

And thanks to the massive bull that Adams arrowed in Montana on Sept. 24, 2003, that list now includes a challenger to the throne, a potential new world-record typical elk with a conservative green gross score of 423 inches and a green net score of 412 inches.

Need any more reasons to listen to his elk hunting advice?

Neither do I.

Hunt Planner facts

Species: Elk (Cervus elaphus nelsoni and related subspecies) Range: Rocky Mountain elk are found throughout the American west, portions of the western Great Plains, in portions of Canada and in some U.S. states where transplanted herds exist. Roosevelt elk are found in the rain forested mountains of the Pacific Northwest from northern California into southeastern Alaska. Manitoba elk live in parts of southern Canada. Tule elk live only in parts of California. North American population: Approximately 1 million. Hunting seasons: Elk seasons generally occur between late August (early archery) and January (special late seasons). Elk rut: While rut dates can vary from late-August into early November, the peak of the rut generally falls somewhere in the month of September in much of elk country. Top elk states Arizona: Despite a herd estimated at only 24,000, the Grand Canyon State is tops for trophy bulls, as just about any unit in the state can produce a 350-class bull or better. Arizona owns the current Boone & Crockett world-record typical and the pending Pope & Young world record non-typical. Tags are issued by limited draw and the better units are tough to draw. The application deadline is in early June. Colorado: With a 2001 post-hunt population estimated at 305,000, Colorado is tops for pure hunting opps. Licenses are available through limited draws, unlimited archery and rifle tags in some units and the sale of any leftover tags. The limited draw application deadline is April 6 (postmark). Leftover tags will be sold beginning Aug. 10. Contrary to what some hunters believe, big bulls in the 320 to 350 range can be found in Colorado, although most such units require nearly a decade's worth of preference points to secure tags. Wyoming: With a population of nearly 100,000 elk, a plethora of 300-plus bulls and reasonable draw odds in some hunt areas, the Cowboy State offers superb hunting. The Jan. 31 application deadline has passed, but a drawing for any leftover tags will be held in mid-July. Hunters need to take note that Wyoming is prime grizzly bear country and that hunting in designated wilderness areas necessitates the use of a guide. Utah: With a herd 60,000 strong, the Beehive State is one of the West's best, offering solid chances for 350- to 380-class bulls. Although the Jan. 31 application deadline for limited entry tags has passed, some general tags for archery, muzzleloader and general season hunting will be available beginning June 17. New Mexico: With an elk herd numbering nearly 70,000 and a very real chance for a 350-inch or better bull, New Mexico is tough to beat. It's very hard to draw tags from the Valles Caldera and Valle Vidal units, which are among the best in the nation. Units near the Gila Wilderness have low draw odds, but big bulls. Other units offer better draw odds and reasonable chances at 300-350 class bulls. Landowner tags and Native American Reservation hunting opportunities also are available. The application deadline for limited draw tags is April 24. Montana: With nearly 160,000 elk, Montana is great state. The Treasure State isn't too shabby for big bulls, either, as evidenced by the current Pope & Young world record typical and a pending P&Y world record typical. The March 15 non-resident combination license deadline has passed. Leftover licenses could be available after the mid-April drawing. Again, hunters need to note that Montana is grizzly bear country. Idaho: With an elk herd numbering nearly 126,000 and some tags being available over-the-counter until quotas are reached, the Gem State is another great spot for an elk camp this fall. The deadline to apply for controlled elk hunts is May 31. Honorable Mention: Nevada (6,900 elk) doesn't have many wapiti but a number of 400-class bulls offset tough draw odds! Oregon (127,000) offers Rocky Mountain and Roosevelt elk and has some good wapiti hunting, not to mention some over-the-counter archery units. Nevada's application deadline is April 19, while the limited draw deadline in Oregon is May 15. Methods of hunting Calling: While perhaps not as effective as it once was, using a bugle to rile up and lure in a rut-crazed September bull is big game hunting's most thrilling moment. Cow calling is another top method today. Glass-and-stalk: Using high-quality optics to spot feeding elk early or late in the day, hunters can then plan a stalking strategy for that same day or the following morning to get into shooting range. Waterhole hunting: In arid elk country, this is a good way to fill a wapiti tag. Some hunters actually hunt waterholes from treestands that have been hung in pine or fir trees. Hunting migration corridors: As snow deepens in the high country, hunters positioning themselves along travel routes leading to elk wintering ranges can score on a big bull. Tracking: After cutting fresh elk tracks in the snow or terra firma, rifle hunters can then hike after the traveling wapiti until they're spotted and the hunter can slip into shooting range. Decoy hunting: Lightweight decoys used during the rut, especially when used in conjunction with calling, can help to lure in a love-sick bull. Trophy field-judging tips Number of points: A trophy bull scoring 300 inches or better will usually have at least six or more points on each side. Mass: Most trophy elk will have mass measurements of at least seven to eight inches at the base. Trophy bulls will also carry solid mass throughout the rack. Tine length: Look for good first, second, and third points reaching out nearly to a bull's nose. Long sword points (fourth points) of 16 inches or better are also important. Main beam length: Look for bulls having main beams taping out at 50-inches or better. Inside spread: Trophy bulls most often have inside spreads of 35 inches or better. Rump-scratchers: When a big elk looks as if he could lean back and scratch his rump with his antlers, you're looking at a true-blue monster bull! (Sources: "Elk Hunting" by Jim Zumbo; "Elk Essentials" by Bob Robb; Bowhunter Magazine's website; Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation website; Boone & Crockett Club Records of North American Big Game, 11th Edition; Boone & Crockett Club's 24th Big Game Awards; Pope & Young Club Bowhunting Big Game Records of North America, 5th Edition, Pope & Young Club's 22nd and 23rd Recording Period Statistical Summaries; and ESPNOutdoors.com files.)

"I love to hunt elk; it's my No. 1 favorite animal," Adams told me last fall. "I've hunted them for many years, so I'd like to think that I know a little about bagging elk."

First and foremost, Adams said that shooting a monster bull elk starts with a hunter being able to put himself in an area where such animals actually exist.

Simply put, that means doing the necessary research with record books, talking to biologists and finding areas that elk herds are expanding into.

"My last five years, I've shot five bull elk that gross score over 370 (inches)," Adams said. "That's just a lucky thing. I've found good areas with good genetics, and, so far, these are areas that are overlooked by outfitters and the hunting public."

Once he's actually on the ground in a hunting area, Adams describes himself as an aggressive spot-and-stalk foot hunter. Because of that, he generally prefers the morning hunt for wapiti.

"Every big elk I've ever shot, except for one, has been on a morning hunt," Adams said.

"Elk move dramatically in the morning from my experience, quite some distance from bedding and feeding areas. They tend to hang in feeding areas until daylight and then have quite a distance to cover (to get) back to bed.

"That gives an aggressive foot hunter a better chance."

A better chance at spooky big herd bulls, that is. While many hunters have luck using elk calls for smaller satellite bulls, Adams admits he hasn't had much luck in calling in the really big bulls.

"My No. 1 piece of advice is to not try to call in big bull elk," Adams said. "Sneak up on them or try to hunt them from a stand.

"Big bull elk that I hunt are so call shy that I think hunters waste their time trying to call them in and actually spook them by trying to call them."

Speaking of wasting time, that's exactly what the bowhunter thinks many archers do when they pressure elk in their bedding areas.

"Never go into their bedding area; that's a huge mistake," Adams said. "Push elk in their bedding areas and they don't always come back and they can just up and disappear."

While Adams does prefer the morning hunt, that's not to say that hunters should skip the evening hunt. They just need to change tactics.

"My experience in the evening is that elk tend to hang close to their bedding areas until just before dark," Adams said.

Because hunters should avoid pressuring elk near their bedding areas, Adams suggests that a more passive approach can work in the late afternoon hours.

"Stand-hunting is often better in the evening because elk come to waterholes and what not."

Ironically enough, while Adams would appear to be the king of bowhunting big elk, the thing that drives him is the enjoyment of it all.

"I try to have a lot of fun and go for the maximum challenge," Adams said. "I don't go for the big animals to brag about them; it's just that they are rarer and more difficult to get.

"My main reason for hunting is to have fun."

Dealing with call-shy bulls

Like Adams, Tom Klumker knows a few things about hunting elk.

That comes from his formative years spent guiding elk hunters around the Flat Tops Wilderness of northwestern Colorado. And for the past 17 years, Klumker has been guiding hunters on wilderness area hunts in southwestern New Mexico and southeastern Arizona.

During that tenure, Klumker has seen elk behavior change, especially when it comes to big, vocal herd bulls rattling creation with their bellows.

Often, these loudmouth monsters will get a quick case of lockjaw when a hunter pulls a call from his or her daypack.

"Are they becoming bugle shy? Definitely and maybe even a little cow-call shy," Klumker said.

That's especially true when it comes to the Southwest's mega bulls nearing 400 inches of tawny-colored head bone.

"We've found that these bulls will answer you from a long distance; but if you get even halfway closer to them, they will not answer you again," Klumker said. "They're too smart."

So how does a hunter tag a monster desert-country bull?

"The only way to get those 400-class bulls is to either treestand them or ambush them," Klumker said.

"Chuck Adams and Randy Ulmer, that's one of their major strategies to get a big bull. (They'll try to) run an end-around on them and try to get in front of them and get them as they come by — with the wind still in their favor, of course."

That doesn't mean an elk hunter should write off bugling for elk altogether, however.

"The key to any bugling activity is a concentration of bulls," Klumker said. "If you've got one bull here and one over there, they will not usually bugle."

While the megabulls are indeed tough to call, lesser trophy bulls will still work to a hunter's calls during the early days of September. In much of the Southwest, such bulls can still easily top the 300-inch mark.

"During the first week or so, satellite bulls are bugling and they're somewhat easier to call," Klumker said. "They're not with cows and are easier to work.

"I think you're able to do more calling and get away with it more in the first week because you've got more unattached bulls."

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For information on hunting elk in Arizona and New Mexico, contact San Francisco River Outfitters guide Tom Klumker in Glenwood, New Mexico via his website at www.gilanet.com/sfroutfitters/Home/home.html or by phone at (505) 539-2517.

Top-five typical Boone & Crockett elk

(Score, hunter, location, year.)

1. 442 5/8, Alonzo Winters, White Mountains, Ariz., 1968
2. 442 3/8, John Plute, Dark Canyon, Colo., 1899
3. 441 6/8, Unknown, Big Horn Mountains, Wyo., 1890
4. 425 3/8, Jerry McKoen, Nye County, Nev., 1999
5. 421 4/8, James C. Littleton, Gila County, Ariz., 1985

Top-five non-typical Boone & Crockett elk

1. 465 2/8, Picked up, Upper Arrow Lake, British Columbia, 1994
2. 450 6/8, Alan D. Hamberlin, Apache County, Ariz., 1998
3. 449 7/8, Kevin D. Fugere, Golden Valley, N.D., 1997
4. 447 1/8, James R. Berry, Gilbert Plains, Manitoba, 1961
5. 445 4/8, Jerry J. Davis, Apache County, Ariz., 1994

Sources: Boone & Crockett Club Records of North American Big Game, 11th Edition; Boone & Crockett Club's 24th Big Game Awards; and Boone & Crockett Club website.

Top-five typical Pope & Young elk

1. 412 0/8*, Chuck Adams, Unknown, Mont., 2003
2. 409 2/8, Chuck Adams, Rosebud County, Mont., 2000
3. 404 4/8, William Wright, Coconino County, Ariz., 1992
4. 400 4/8, Larry C. Fischer, Coconino County, Ariz., 1998
5. 398 3/8, Marvin W. Wuertz, Navajo County, Ariz., 1993
(*Possible pending world record; score yet to be verified and panel measured.)

Top-five non-typical Pope & Young elk

1. 444 4/8**, Nick Franklin, Unknown, Ariz., 2003
2. 420 5/8, Steven W. Mullin, Shoshone County, Idaho, 1981
3. 414 5/8, Brent Kuntz, Flagstaff, Alberta, 2002
4. 419 5/8, James L. Ludvigson, Coconino County, Ariz., 1985
5. 417 08, Brady L. Dupke, Coconino County, Ariz., 1993
(**Pending world record; 60-day entry score has yet to be panel measured.)

Sources: Pope & Young Club Bowhunting Big Game Records of North America, 5th Edition and Pope & Young Club's 22nd Recording Period Statistical Summary.

For more information, see Hunt Planner, Step One: Get into the tag game.