Do Elk Like Canola? - The Body Training

Fact checked by Steven Lines, lifelong Hunter and Outdoorsman.

Hunters love trying to figure out where the elk are feeding and use this to their advantage. Elk can often be seen in agricultural fields out in the west, finding major food sources that they can use in order to help them survive. This often leads to the question, do elk like canola?

Elk love to eat canola out in the fields whenever they get the chance. In addition to alfalfa and wheat fields, canola fields are one of the most popular feed choices that elk will seek out in agricultural areas.

Elk are big animals and need a lot of food, so it is very common for them to be attracted to easy food sources such as canola. Here is how you can take full advantage of this pattern and use canola to hunt elk better.

In this post, we'll cover:

What Is Canola?

Canola is a popular crop that produces a plant that is three to five feet tall. As it grows, it produces pods that contain seeds that are then collected and crushed to create canola oil. During its early growth stages, canola attracts all types of wildlife, including elk.

Canola is usually planted around 6 or 7 weeks before the first frost or cold snap in an area. It is very important to plant canola at the right time, as planting too early could actually decrease its chances of surviving the winter because of its growth.

Its ability to thrive in cold weather makes it an ideal food source for elk and other animals, as other plants and food can be harder for them to find at that time of year.

Elk have a hard time finding any kind of food during the harsh winters. This is the time of year when they frequent agricultural fields the most often, as the terrain is easier to manage, and there is a chance for a free and easy meal.

Can You Use Canola to Hunt Elk?

Because elk are so attracted to canola, many hunters often wonder if it can be used to kill them. In many places, you can use canola fields to hunt elk better, as you know, one of their favorite food sources (especially during the late season). If you see elk out feeding in a canola field, chances are that they will be returning the next day as well.

Most states do not have any laws about hunting near or around agricultural fields like canola as long as you are not trespassing or hunting near settlements. While it is not legal to bait elk in most western states, you can usually hunt by fields as they are not intended to be food for wild animals such as elk.

Can You Bait Elk With Canola?

Even though it is legal to hunt near or over a canola field, you cannot use harvested canola seeds or any other parts of the plant as bait in order to attract elk. As long as you are not transporting anything with canola to a different area, you will be just fine.

It is legal, however, to hunt near agricultural fields with crops. If you can find a large field full of canola that the elk are using to feed on a regular basis, you can use this to your advantage in order to get closer to them. The closer that you can get, the more your chances go up of successfully harvesting an elk.

To get a better idea of where it is legal to bait elk, you can visit https://www.eregulations.com/ to check any state that you wish and find their regulations. It is vital to do your research and memorize them in order to ensure you do not run into any problems with the law.

How to Use Canola to Hunt Elk

So how do you use a large canola field in order to hunt elk? You will want to first start by locating a field that is being regularly used. This is often easy to determine, as most of the time, you will see elk out feeding in the field in the early mornings, late afternoons, or sometimes all day long.

If you do not see any elk, you can walk around the fields until you come across well-used paths and trails with elk signs, like

that they frequent the area.

Once you have selected the right field of canola, determine where the most used trails and access points are that lead into the field. These will serve as your ambush points. It is better to ambush the elk just outside of the fields as they are traveling to and from it rather than in the field itself. This often gives you much more cover, and the elk will be distracted as they travel.

No matter how you are hunting the elk, you must ensure that you are following all of the rules and regulations in the state that you are hunting. Many states will have specific rules regarding hunting around farm fields or structures, so ensure you are not trespassing and obeying the laws of the area that you are hunting.

Final Thoughts

Elk will often travel great distances to find reliable food sources, especially during the winter months. One of the most popular crops that they look for is canola. If you want to increase your odds of filling your next elk tag and have canola fields in your area, then you may want to consider using it to your advantage!

Steven Lines is a hunter and outdoorsman from Safford, Arizona, USA. Since he was a child, he has been hunting and fishing and has over 20 years of outdoor experience. Steven works as a hunting guide in Arizona during his spare time and runs a Youtube channel dedicated to sharing his outdoor adventures with others.

Sources

Was this article helpful?

YesNo