Chasing Elk in the Rut with Sam Seeton
Sam Seeton
09/15/2022
As the fall colors start to change, we can’t help but have one thing on our mind, elk. These few weeks are the time that many of us look forward to all year long, put in hours of preparation, invest time and money, and wouldn’t miss it for anything in the world. With all that said we at Infinite Outdoors want to give our users some insight into elk hunting during the prime few weeks of September to help you achieve success during your next elk hunt. To help out, we sat down with avid bow hunter and Infinite Outdoors CEO Sam Seeton to chat about all things elk hunting, his tactics, and how he has managed to take down a bull elk with his bow for so many consecutive years.
1) How many years have you been archery elk hunting, where (states or regions) have you mostly hunted and what has your success rate been over those years?
I have been elk hunting for 17 years, primarily with a bow, but still a few rifle hunts mixed into that time. The majority of my hunting has taken place in Colorado, but I now enjoy exploring new country in Wyoming. Over the last 17 years, I have been able to harvest an elk 15 of those years; so close to a 90% success rate. Sadly, the two off years I didn’t harvest, I either missed a shot or wasn’t able to recover the bull. I personally don’t believe you should keep hunting if you fatally wound an animal- from a management perspective, consider your tag punched.
2) What are a few things in your pack that you don’t go out in the field without?
Obviously, I need the Infinite Outdoors app (or some other GPS) since new country can be so disorienting. A good mapping app with save your butt when it comes to marking waypoints and getting to and from your hunting spot when it’s dark. Hydration is also huge. Liquid IV’s, Gatorade powder or something else is very important during elk season. This is especially true because elk hunting usually takes place at high elevation where your body will need more water to function during high output activity. Once you get behind the hydration curve, it is hard to recover. I also try to keep a SPOT or other emergency device on me since I hunt alone all the time. Most good elk areas don’t have cell service adequate enough to call for help if you cut yourself while cleaning an elk or have a bad fall.
3) What helps you pick a location to hunt each day you go out?
Start with the weather. If it is going to be warm out, know that elk will be bedded down on North facing slopes to avoid the sun. They also will hit wallows even harder. If it is a full moon, expect mid-day wallow runs otherwise they will hit them at first and last light like clockwork. Put in the miles to find these spots and don’t slack on your e-scouting. Pressure in a unit also dictates where I go. Heavily pressured areas put the elk into the dark timber. Don’t waste as much time glassing and just slowly walk the dark timber with the wind in your face. When you smell elk, take a seat and do a call stand. If I am in a high-pressure area too, I usually don’t hunt as deep…. Counter intuitive right? Well, this new age of “super hunters” means a lot of people get deep. The sweet spot with the least amount of pressure becomes just more than the day hunters hit but not as deep as the hard-core backpackers. So, pick your areas based on that. That being said, the easiest and most effective way to ensure success is to hunt on private property where you don’t have to worry about pressure from other hunters. This is also where the bigger animals will be at. I am one of the twisted few that love the suffering of a 19-day elk hunt so I tend to hit the less-productive public areas first but then will hunt my family ranch if I need to (our property is actually a bookable ranch listed on Infinite Outdoors!)
4) Do you tend to be more aggressive in your calling amounts or strategies or less aggressive?
Bugles or cow calls or does it depend on the situation? It all depends on the situation. Call based on the level of rut intensity and try to paint a story with each call attempt. For example, if you are cow calling, decide if you are going to do a “cow party” and mimic a moving heard of elk (a trick I do at first light most every day) … or maybe a lost calf and cow talking…. Or maybe it’s a series of loud bugles that you periodically rip as you chase a heard bull to his bed followed by cow talk once you get in close (to make him think a bull broke off some of his cows). There is no secret sauce- just learn to think like an elk and make your calls will full confidence (even if they sound like crap- elk don’t always sound good either but they do it with purpose).
5) Do you typically hunt solo or with a partner/group and how do you find that more effective for your hunting style?
I usually hunt alone, simply because I hunt so much that it is hard to find enough hunting buddies that can match the constant drive I have. Hunting with friends is much preferred but my success is probably 2X when I am alone. The ability to make a quick decision alone and go for it is often better than two brains that lead to indecision at each turn.
6) What is the biggest bull you have killed to date, and can you give us an insight into that hunt?
How far was the shot, what type of terrain, temperature outside, time of month etc. I have helped several people harvest great bulls that have been 6X6’s or bigger and scored in the mid 300’s but my biggest bull scored 307’’ or 42’’ bigger than record book minimums for archery. I can proudly say I am not a trophy hunter though. The last decade plus, I have lived exclusively on wild game at home- with the exception of going out to eat.
7) Anything we missed that you want to tell our readers?
You don’t have to be from a hunting background to become a great and effective hunter. I didn’t have a mentor for big game hunting, my first years of archery hunting as a kid were also my father's first years. That was also before YouTube, digital mapping, and the $1000 back-pack era. I learned from trial and error and pure love of the outdoors. You’ll get there. Enjoy the process. And remember, we hunt for the experience, not the kill or the antlers.
We at Infinite Outdoors hope that this post gives you an insight into the world of archery elk hunting and helps you seal the deal on your next elk hunt. While we provide hunters with hundreds of thousands of acres of private land to hunt, we also understand the importance of helping hunters that are out there grinding it out on public land each season. Be sure to download our app for access to our advanced digital mapping software that will help you find that next great honey hole and help you be productive on public land for years to come.
If you are interested in finding some private land to access for your next Elk Hunt, check out our Infinite Outdoors properties to find available dates in different states and areas!