Ample food, especially grasses and aspen shoots, adjacent to thick pine bedding areas are elk magnets in November. (Shutterstock)
November 25, 2024
By Jace Bauserman
The rut was long past, and the first week of November brought a mix of temperatures, from unseasonably warm to frigid. During the week-long hunt, we encountered snowstorms, rain and vibrant sunshine, but despite the varying weather, a group of bulls had found sanctuary in a small but dense pocket of cedars hidden in a broken terrain pasture filled with blue grama grass. This was our golden ticket to a successful hunt.
Though the grass had frozen several times, it still held a slight green tint. Because snow didn’t cover the ground for the entirety of the hunt, the elk could find and munch the grass, easily digging down to it when snow was on the ground. Food sources like grama grass and even bromegrass and ryegrass provide ample forage for grazing animals like elk. Though these grasses don’t have the same crude protein percentage in fall as they do during growing season, they give elk more than enough nutrients.
When we discovered the food source, the warm temperatures had returned and the elk had found the timber before legal shooting light. In a strategic move, we decided to wait until evening and posted up over the food source, heightening our anticipation.
There was no reason to risk spooking the elk. Like post-rut whitetails looking to pack on the pounds before winter hits, elk visit food sources morning and night. We knew where they were feeding, and no other hunters were around.
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Before the sun descended that night, three bulls moved from the timbered sanctuary to the food. The range was 300 yards. My hunting partner and I wanted to close the distance, but the wind wasn’t in our favor, so we hung back, letting the crosswind pull our scent in front of the elk.
My buddy was up to bat (I’d already scored on a bull in October) and his shot was perfect. Patience, as it often does during the late season, had paid off.
November can be one of the most challenging times of the year to punch an elk tag. The weather is unpredictable, rut tactics aren’t in play anymore, and high-country snows often haven’t piled up enough to drive bulls out of rugged mountain terrain. The key to success is knowing what food sources are available to elk where you’re hunting and spending the time to locate them.
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How Much Do Elk Eat? Before we explore additional food sources, it’s essential to understand how important food is to elk, especially going into winter.
Elk consume about 20 pounds of food daily if this level of intake is possible. If hunting pressure isn’t a concern, early-winter elk tend to hole up in specific areas for days and often weeks at a time. Wild mushrooms, dandelions, clover, bitterbrush and other green food sources abound in the summer and early fall. During this timeframe, elk know their next meal is never far away.
As fall turns to winter and desiccation occurs, elk know food sources come at a premium, and when a good food source is found, they are reluctant to leave it. Remember, post-rut elk—bulls and cows alike—are hungry. They are focused on survival and know that to live through the winter, they must locate carbohydrate-rich food sources.
November in the Rockies Elk were a plains animal until European settlers’ overhunting pushed them into the Rockies. Today, this region of the West is where most elk hunters go in search of elk, so we’ll start there.
Clear cuts, avalanche chutes and areas scarred by landslides offer favored elk foods. The animals tolerate deadfall better than we do. (Shutterstock) Aspens thrive between 5,000 and 11,000 feet and are an elk delicacy. However, think small when looking for an aspen dining area. Not a tiny patch in terms of acreage, but younger aspens. Elk love aspen bark (75 percent of it is carbs), but they hammer young aspen shoots if available. If you can’t locate young shoots, focus on pockets of aspens close to thicker pine bedding areas, especially if they get a little sun where elk can warm their bodies.
Another prime November food source is willows, especially in locations where leafy food sources seem few and far between. Willows are common throughout the West along the many creeks and streams that course across the landscape.
South-Facing Rules No matter where your November elk hunting takes you, south-facing hillsides should be a focus, primarily if snow covers the ground.
South-facing slopes have less heavy timber, meaning snow melts away quicker to expose vegetation underneath. Plus, even if a storm drops multiple inches of snow, that snow will be soft on south-facing slopes. Elk are big animals and use their hooves to dig through the snow. As long as the snow doesn’t turn to ice, which is standard on north-facing slopes, elk can stand in an area, paw at the ground and expose forbs and grasses.
My buddy Grafton Singer is an elk ninja. He commonly hunts in November, focusing on the gnarliest, nastiest hides that offer excellent bedding cover close to a south-facing hillside.
“Wintertime elk have to eat,” says Singer. “Big bulls, whether they rejoin a bachelor group or stay solo, will find hellish areas close to food and hole up. They want to walk only a short distance to feed. If an area looks super rough—even a tiny, rocky hole surrounded by miles of nothingness—don’t ignore it. Bulls will stay there if they can find sanctuary and food nearby. Plus, many of these spots, because they either seem too rough or are miles from what resembles typical elk country, get ignored by hunters.
“South-facing slopes are areas of openness that have food,” continues Singer. “Think of cattle. Cattle can obtain enough nutrients from grasses even in late winter after those grasses lose their green. Some nutritional value is still found. If elk can graze heavily, these grasses are enough for them, and they will key on them throughout the winter.”
Another late-season elk killer, Connor Clark often finds bulls away from cover, bedded in the snow on south-facing hillsides.
Snow melts faster on south-facing hillsides. Until it does, elk will easily paw through the sun-softened snow to find forbs and grasses. (Shutterstock) “Pressure is the root of all evil regarding hunting, and elk hate pressure,” says Clark. “However, if you’re in a limited-draw unit or the hunting pressure isn’t too heavy in your OTC unit, don’t be surprised to find elk bedded in the open on south-facing hillsides. Elk will bed in the snow and let the sun warm them while using heat from their bodies to melt the snow. When elk are warm, their bodies aren’t burning as many calories per hour.
“Having escape timber nearby is common, but if the south-facing hillside has good groceries, elk won’t be able to resist it. Find the November food, and you’ll kill more bulls.”
Agricultural Opportunities Most ag fields are private, and the checkbook typically must come out to access them. However, elk cause incredible damage in crop fields, and one of their favorite winter food sources is alfalfa.
Though spring’s first cutting is a long way off, alfalfa continues to grow for a while after the last cutting in late summer. Alfalfa is protein-rich, and it’s not uncommon for elk to invade these food sources and trample them down.
While a rancher may want some cash for a bull, several times over the years I’ve gotten permission to hunt private ag fields for cows.
Other Elk Favorites Often, I’ve encountered and killed elk in or near areas impacted by landslides and avalanches. Avalanche chutes and areas scarred by slides are typically highly rugged, but elk don’t mind the deadfall like we do. I’ve found alpine fleeceflower (aka knotweed or jimson), an elk favorite, thriving in areas impacted by landslides and avalanches. Though the actual flower may not exist in November, elk will dine on the herbaceous perennial nonetheless.
Another important November elk food is big bluegrass. This cool-season grass can grow up to 2 feet tall and contain as much as 20 percent crude protein in the growing season. Though the growing season is long over, the grass still holds plenty of nutrients for post-rut bulls.
Elk aren’t interested in traveling great distances to feed now. The closer quality food is to gnarly escape cover, the better. (Shutterstock) Plants like Oregon cherry and alpine forget-me-nots get a serious blast of sugar content after they freeze, and these plants, along with various species of shrubs, appeal to elk.
Final Thoughts Killing November elk isn’t hard, but finding them can be. If you know what elk like to eat at certain times of the year, you can locate them and fill your freezer regularly. The late season is the most critical time of year to find a popular elk food source.
During the late season, elk are in survival mode. If you notice a stand of aspens with their bark shredded, you must spend some time in the area. If you discover a south-facing slope with grasses not covered by snow, elk will be nearby. Elk are excellent survivors because they have a knack for finding nutrient-rich food sources to ensure they make it another year in the wild. Finding their food should be your focus, too.
Late-Season Elk Gear Equipment designed to help you hunt longer and harder.
(Photos courtesy of Browning [left] and Sitka [right]) Staying warm and mobile are keys to late-season elk success. I rely on quality puffy jackets like Browning’s Packable Puffer Jacket ($209.99; browning.com) and Sitka’s HyperDown Jacket ($449; sitkagear.com). These jackets are not just warm, they are designed for agility and flexibility, making them ideal outer layers that keep the core warm while allowing ease of movement.
(Photo courtesy of Kenetrek Boots) It’s also essential to keep your feet warm and comfortable without causing them to feel like they’re in a furnace. My go-to late-season boot is Kenetrek’s Mountain Extreme 400 ($520; kenetrek.com). If you’re an active late-season elk hunter, the 400 grams of Thinuslate adds warmth without bulk. If you want to sit on a ridge and glass the surrounding areas for most of your hunt, opt for the Mountain Extreme 1000 ($540). Both have 10-inch-tall leather uppers and are made with 2.8-mm premium full-grain leather. Plus, you won’t believe the remarkable traction these kicks provide.
(Photo courtesy of Alps Outdoorz) Another must-have is a top-tier pack, and for the past three seasons, the ALPS Outdoorz Elite Frame and 3800 Pack ($449.99; alpsoutdoorz.com) has been my go-to. The pack is spacious, and the contoured lumbar design ensures top-level support and comfort, even when hauling a load. The 500D Nylon Cordura fabric is tough as nails, and removable shoulder straps ensure six-position torso adjustment.
This article was featured in the November 2024 issue of Game & Fish magazine. Click to subscribe .
