Elk Ecology with Randy Newberg
Elk don't do anything randomly. Their daily movements and activities are driven by a hardwired biological survival instinct. Over a decades long elk hunting career, Randy Newberg has learned the science behind the drivers of elk behavior. In this course, he is passing his hard earned knowledge on to you.
-
Introduction
Randy Newberg spent six seasons hunting elk, unsuccessfully. It wasn't until he changed his thinking and started asking himself, "What does an elk need today, and where do they need to be to fulfill those needs?" that he harvested his first elk. Randy's elk ecology system helped him become a more...
-
Why It Matters
What is driving elk behavior today? How are they relating to their physical surroundings and the conditions of that day? These are the questions Randy Newberg asks himself on every elk hunt. Successfully answering these questions is the key to becoming a consistently successull elk hunter.
-
Nutritional Demands in Fall
In the post rut and late season periods, calories become one of the dominant factors driving elk behavior. Where can they get the most calories, with the least effort, while staying safe? In this chapter, Randy takes you through how he identifies the types of feeding areas most likely to be utili...
-
What Elk Eat Across Landscapes
What an elk eats on a given day is dependent on the time of year, the area of the country they are in, and what is safely accessible. Quality forage that is far from security cover is of little use to an elk hunter. In this chapter, Randy takes you through his thought process when it comes to fin...
-
Elevation & Migration
Migratory elk present another challenge to the late season elk hunter. Cold and snow often dictates the elevation at which elk will be found. Using his knowledge of the environmental conditions that drive elk to lower elevations has helped Randy to fill more than one elk tag. In this chapter, he ...
-
Weather as the Daily Driver
When hunting elk, Randy often asks, "How has weather changed the landscape?" Whether it is hot or cold, windy or calm, elk are going to react to changing weather conditions. The savvy elk hunter understands how elk react to different weather conditions and uses this knowledge to put themselves in...
-
Daily Patterns
Elk typically follow a predictable pattern between feeding and bedding areas. In this chapter, Randy takes you through his system for identifying feeding and bedding areas, and the travel routes between them.
-
Bedding Behavior & Terrain Use
During daylight hours, elk spend more time bedded than on their feet. Elk bed where they feel safe and comfortable. Elk use their nose, ears, and eyes to keep themselves safe, and they bed where they can utilize all these senses to ensure they make it through the day.
-
Applying It- Real-World Scenarios
Time to put it all together. In this chapter, Randy takes you through utilizing the knowledge gained from the previous chapters in this course to develop a real-world hunting plan for your upcoming hunting season.
-
The Elk Finding System
To tag an elk, you've first got to find an elk. The most successful elk hunters develop a step-by-step system for finding elk, a system that helps them identify what elk need and where they will go to fulfill those needs. In this chapter, Randy takes you though the questions he asks himself to co...
-
September- A Quick Glance
This chapter covers how elk ecology differs during the magical pre-rut and peak rut periods of the elk calendar. While the breeding period introduces another variable into the elk finding system, many principles remain the same. Here, Randy covers what drives cow elk behavior during the month of ...