It’s a matter of preference, typically, but there are things to consider when choosing a time of day to hunt elk. Morning hunts give you more time to get the elk packed out, take pictures with your trophy and just enjoy the moment. Evening hunts feel more rushed, because you want to get back to camp before the temperatures drop. To have success elk hunting, you have to know wind direction. Elk usually go up and want to get where the winds are changing so they can smell. They cover a lot of ground, and you want to get even with them or above them.