2021- Who got skunked?

[tbowers]

Typically guys come to forums to post their successes, everyone likes hearing/seeing that. How about those that hunted this year and never saw an elk or never had a shot opportunity? Not trying to throw a pity party but there are a ton of learning points to pull from a 'failed' hunt and I know it happens a lot when it comes to elk. The first time I hunted elk in CO and hunted hard for 6 days and never saw a glimpse of one I was somewhat shocked. As a guy from WI you would have to be blindfolded to not see a deer in the midwest in 6 days if you put in as many miles as one typically does on a elk hunt. Obviously completely different hunts but its the only thing many have to go on when venturing out west.

Chime in with what you learned and why you theorize you didnt see anything.

 

[mountainlaurel3]

Failed (again) to fill my elk tag. Was my first cow tag, which had me feeling optimistic, as the last two years I've had easy opportunities on cows (but only had a bull tag). However, only a 5 day season, and 2 of the mornings I had prior engagements, so more like 4 days of hunting. Got into elk on day 2, but no shot opportunities. Had my best opportunity day 4, had the safety off and a round in the chamber, but couldn't get the crosshairs to settle enough to feel confident from my awkward stump rest at 200 yards.

Two primary lessons I'm taking:
1. Practice shooting more from positions other than prone, practice going from hiking to setting up for the shot.
2. It doesn't matter that you can get into elk (and close!) if you won't have a shot opportunity. Going to start looking more for places with better glassing/shooting lanes. I struggle with staying stationary, and enjoy still hunting, but don't think it's a realistic hunting method for me if I want to succeed.

Not exactly failing to see elk, but I'm now 0/4 on big game tags, so there's that.

 

[TOGIE]

skunked on elk this year, again.

the lessons i'm learning are to stop hunting elk solo. i don't function well solo. gotta have people to bounce ideas off of and keep me motivated. i talk myself down from ideas and plans constantly while i'm solo.

it's my own fault. i have a lot of friends that elk hunt, i just dont always love their hunting style or where they go. so i make my own plans. time to start changing that mindset.

 

[maconbacon]

Skunked again! For the second year in a row, hiked way thr hell back in where only the outfitters are, to see not enough elk to justify the outfitter and drop camp pressure. For the second year in a row, returned to the truck after a few days and hunted from there, saw more hikers but also more elk, but splitting a 5 day season in half makes it tough to be successful.
I learned that at least for this area, it’s better to stay closer to the truck for success. My legs will thank me next year if we go back!

 

[tbowers]

anyone else?

 

[SaskHunter]

Me! Hunted OTC archery and rifle elk on public. Learned new things and had fun. Called in a bull to 80 yds with the bow, 20 yds too far for me.

Next year will be better.

 

[LWC55]

They beat me again.

 

[Bowhuntrben]

Learned that I should put in for tags that I can draw

 

[rustednuts]

I was on OTC CO elk.
1) Learned always go higher than on a hillside than you think you need to on a stalk.
2) trust your ear and nose. Twice I bumped elk after hearing a stick break or smelling them but doubted elk were there. The elk were less than 50 yards from a logging road.
3) choose a central camp location. I camped at the end of a road twice which led to having to move camp to hunt other areas. Basically the same problem that people who go deep backpacking had but with a vehicle.

 

[Jason73]

CO archery tag for me. The rut was late and the animals got quiet for the majority of September after being fairly vocal until the season started. On the last day had my only shot opportunity. Just under 40 yards about 40 feet elevated. Took the shot and didn't see the thin brush in front of him. The arrow seemed good until it hit that scrub then was sent low and into some dead fall about 10 yards past the animal. All part of the fun of archery hunting! I was still hearing bugles until a week ago. I think that first season tag would have been a good one this year!

 

[ammo]

First year doing archery and it was so.much.fun despite getting skunked. We were in 'em every day. We saw so many elk. I even called in my first bull! (he came up behind me lol). I called, they answered back on multiple occasions. I never thought calling would be so much fun!! It's just SO hard getting close enough. By the end of our hunt my husband and I were walking around wearing only our socks. I had a similar story to @Jason73 ^ where after our full week out, we went back for a weekend hunt and I had a cow in front of me at 30 yards (stalked in from 75), wind was in my favor - but there was too much brush so when I took a shot my arrow was completely deflected and it never made contact. I did a solo rifle hunt this past weekend and also saw animals, had a great stalk Saturday morning but couldn't get the gender of the animal (never saw its head, only haunches). Saw a bunch of moose. God I love this sport!

 

[8andcounting]

For lots of people in the upper Midwest little to no seasons have opened yet much less closed . Minnesota and ND rifle open this weekend . I’ll get back to you on my Montana season in 3 weeks

 

[Chama Grande]

Skunked myself this year. On my antelope, I crawled in about a half mile and set up for a 250 yd shot but I think i pulled it. My chest was shaking from crawling so far that when I set up on the my shooting sticks for a routine 250 yard shot, it just didn't come out perfect. I wounded him, followed the bloodtrail an hour later but an overzealous hunting partner sent him running 2 miles away and out of sight forever. We never recovered him. Live and learn.

My elk, I ended up alone. All my friends/help had bailed near the last minute and I found myself 3 miles down some canyon smelling bulls all around me. At sundown, I was hunkered down in the bottom with 4 bulls in my scope at 200 yards. Easy. It was going to be my first bull, but I was so bummed that no one was going to be there to share the experience with (or the pack out). I opted not to shoot. There will be others, but in the moment that one stung a bit.

 

[thusby]

At sundown, I was hunkered down in the bottom with 4 bulls in my scope at 200 yards. Easy. It was going to be my first bull, but I was so bummed that no one was going to be there to share the experience with (or the pack out). I opted not to shoot. There will be others, but in the moment that one stung a bit.

Man, you gotta pull that trigger and just suffer it out.

 

[Chama Grande]

Man, you gotta pull that trigger and just suffer it out.

I had that debate the entire time as I watched the sun set. A few years before, I took my first cow elk with the same guy who bailed on me and I remember being just beyond excited the second she dropped. Elated. Ecstatic. You name it, the picture shows it on my face. I think I was hunting that feeling more than anything. The meat and rack are great, but man, for a minute just to feel that alive again? It's been a long year

 

[Elkslayer56]

Tag soup for me. My buddy and I hunted a new unit. Saw a lot of sign that was a week old but only a few cows. I killed a 170 inch whitetail a few days after I got home that helped the sting a little.

 

[Elkdog]

Dawn opening morning. Bare hillside 275 yards away. Big 6 pt bull slowly grazing across the hillside for 20 minutes or so. I have a cow tag… the Curse of the Cow strikes again. I saw 2 other nice bulls during the season. I have had 4 cow tags in the last 9 years. Every year I have had good shots at nice bulls. The rare cow I have seen has been a long way away and I couldn’t get to them. I can’t find cows…

 

[MTLabrador]

Man, you gotta pull that trigger and just suffer it out.

This. 4 crappy trips by yourself is a lot easier to swallow than a long walk back to the truck with no elk on your last day.

 

[Jbotto]

My first year as a resident in WY I still had to apply as a non-resident. Ended up accidentally applying for a General Deer tag, which I could have bought OTC as a resident and paid ALOT LESS for it. My season was essentially broken in two weeks. Oct1-10 and then 15-24. I hunted hard the first weekend and then went back to work. Ended up hunting the second weekend but was cut short when I came down with Covid. Miserably missed the whole second week as I was home on the couch coughing. Tag soup didn’t help the cough. Oh well, always next year with better opportunities! Still on the fence about buying a General Elk tag and giving that a try, but it seemed that my fall was a lot less busy a month ago.

 

[Phaseolus]

Skunked archery elk but I’ve got a B cow tag coming up