Deer hunters across the South and Midwest climb up in deer stands to wait, and wait, and wait. Can it work for elk? Yes!
Hunting from a tree stand (or a ground blind) can be extremely effective against elk if you have scouted an area enough to identify elk patterns and behavior. Some private land hunting guides all but insist that their clients hunt from tree stands, because they don’t want to trample elk trails with clumsy feet and leave human scent all over core elk areas.
Local to the Northwest, author John Erickson wrote the book Tree Stand Hunting for Rocky Mountain Elk to share his experience killing many bulls from tree stands in Eastern Oregon. He catches some flack from the hunter crowd who thinks you have to call in elk to kill them, but you have to hand it to the man — he gets the job done.
When you are traveling in the woods, you’ll sometimes find a lone hunter in their tree stand or perhaps an empty tree stand showing that some people are giving this technique a try.
“Elk Hunting With Tree Stands” – Hayden Outdoors
Tree Stand Hunting for Elk – Rokslide Forum Thread
“Ambush Elk Over a Wallow” – Jace Bauserman, Outdoor Life
“Ground Blinds for Elk” – RMEF
“Elk Hunting from a Blind: Three Tips for Succes” – Jimmie Norris