How long did it take for your first elk?

[sclancy27]

I was 13 when I shot my first one with a rifle. It took me several years once I started bowhunting to kill one with a bow. I generally help several people get an elk every year now days, including myself.

 

[The Hedgehog]

My son was 13. Was his second season. First day ever archery elk hunting, called into a broadside shot at 2 yards.

 

[Guy]

Like the title says, how long did it take you to bag your first elk? Bull or cow. 2023 was my third year hunting them and I have yet to get one. I've had encounters often but in the part of Washington I'm in its true spike only and I only encounter cows and big bulls. I'm putting in for a bull tag in my preferred unit, not counting on drawing, but I definitely feel like I am still just "paying my dues." How long did it take you?

Oh, I stumbled around seeking elk on my own for a few years. A fellow reached out to me and invited me along. He'd been hunting elk for over 20 years with a great track record. We horse-packed in, set up camp, scouted. Located the elk. Waited for opening day. He bugled a couple of times and less than 30 minutes later I had a nice big 6x6 on the ground. That's the short version. It was a great hunt.

Since then I've taken a couple of cow elk is all. I'm more of a mule deer hunter, but I'm getting addicted to elk meat. It's a fun hunt, and can work. I understand the "true spike" thing. That's in my backyard in the Colockum. There are ways of working around that to still get yourself some elk hunting without waiting 20 years to draw a branch antler tag.

Consider applying for a cow tag. They come around quicker than the branch antler bull tags. Hunting for cow elk is a terrific hunt, usually easier than getting a shot at a bull.

Consider applying for the multi-season tag, and taking up archery. Gets you more time in the field, more experience hunting elk, and at least for now, you can take a cow elk... The dates are also very conducive to success.

Just some thoughts. Regards, Guy

 

[c0d95]

I understand the "true spike" thing. That's in my backyard in the Colockum.

Ellensburg? That's where I am as well!

Consider applying for a cow tag. They come around quicker than the branch antler bull tags. Hunting for cow elk is a terrific hunt, usually easier than getting a shot at a bull.

I am planning on this this year!

Consider applying for the multi-season tag, and taking up archery. Gets you more time in the field, more experience hunting elk, and at least for now, you can take a cow elk... The dates are also very conducive to success.

I did late season archery this year in the Teanaway- spike (not true) or antlerless there and my grandpa has a cabin. No luck but I was definitely targeting cows! Thank you for the tips

 

[nwihunter]

I started elk hunting in 2017 have hunted every season since but one. I shot my first bull with rifle my 4th year. I also tagged out my 5th and 6th year which was this past season. My 1st and third bulls were solo trips. My first 2 hunts were archery and I never even sniffed an elk.

 

[noisy]

Third year of elk hunting I shot a cow (rifle). I was so damn happy. Since then my success rate is about 50 percent. Based on my experience it takes 10 days of hard hunting in a season to get an elk, on average.

 

[sambo3006]

I killed a cow in 1996 in CO unit 62 on the first day I ever hunted elk. I found tracks in the snow and snuck up on a group of cows and calves. My push feed model 70 .338 WM failed to fire twice (dirty firing pin spring and cold weather I think). They ran off and I dogged them for about 3 hours before getting another chance. Boom! Huge old cow down. I made it back to the truck just before dark and we spent the whole next day packing her out in two long snowy uphill trips back to the truck. I was pooped and proud. Wouldn't change a thing about it. I had two unsuccessful archery trips after that, then killed four elk on six trips with a rifle. All zero or one point hunts with the exception of a 12 point Utah hunt where I killed a big 6x6 bull. I haven't hunted elk since 2016 and I'm starting to get the itch again.

 

[oleefish2]

It was the 3rd day of my first year, a cow/

 

[StuckCreek]

set expectations. otc archery in colorado probably won't exactly feel all that "easy" in comparison.

but, boat loads of elk still.

I agree. CO OTC is rough duty but produces.

 

[HUNT7503]

My second year applying for the elk hunt i drew out for a cow unit E2

 

[SagebrushSlayer]

It was my 3rd year elk hunting, first permit I drew. I applied with my best friend and I put in on the opposite side of the unit. His family gave me crap for not picking the side they have been hunting for 50 years. We scouted a few times in August, finding a few spots, while hoping the elk would stay relatively close.

Our luck was way better than it should have been, first day of the season and we see a herd of elk from the highway. After a giant mistake by me not remembering my tag, we decided to try again day two.

We drove hoping, but not confident, we would see the elk from the highway 2 days in a row.We drove up and down the highway 2-3 times hoping we could relocate them. With no such luck, we parked at a spot off the highway and decided to hike up a mountain to the ridge and find the elk in a draw off one side of the ridge. Our discussions thought for sure the elk would be on the opposite side away from the highway.

We made it into our second draw and found about 20 elk bedded below us, watching below facing the highway. The vegetation in the draw they were in was easily tall enough to hide them bedded and if they got up to feed. After going back to the first draw and dropping elevation to put us slightly above them, we both setup and picked out an elk on each side of the group. We tried the 3-2-1 countdown and shoot, my friend dropped his and I missed high. After a minute of the elk trying to figure out what happened, I luckily was able to drop one still on the opposite side of the herd I was on.

Two cow elk down by 830am and for sure one of the top 3 easiest pack outs with elk I’ve ever had.

 

[2rocky]

I got my first Elk tag in Idaho while attending college in the 90's. I can say I did not effectively hunt them. I did miss my first elk trotting through the timber in NE Oregon. I had a 8 year hiatus and killed my first elk with a bow called in by my buddy on day 3 of that hunt. In the 18 years since then I've held 12 elk tags in the woods and filled 10 of them.

Biggest bit of advice on hunting elk for a beginner is Focus on FINDING the elk first. I grew up still hunting blacktails I did not cover enough ground or glass far enough in my early years hunting. I hunted as if I was stalking from the get go. Think 10x bigger in terms of land area hunting.

Second is being in good enough shape that when you find the elk you are able, ready, and willing to get in range of them without reservations of packing it out or being able to get back out. "Fatigue makes cowards of us all " George S. Patton. It's not about being able to pack one out or hike back to camp without being tired, it's the familiarity with the fatigue and realizing it is not insurmountable. This was the key to Roy Roth's success hunting.

Third is surround yourself with elk killers. "If you hang out with 4 millionaires, you will become the 5th." You will model their behaviors and mindsets. You will pace yourself like them and learn by their examples. If I only had 1 week of PTO to elk hunt and I wanted to kill a bull, with no experience, I'd go on a guided 5 day hunt during the rut. Even if i tmeant I'd have to wait 4 years to do it. I'd kill the first legal bull, and if I killed early, I'd go along with other hunters in camp to just soak up the experience. Bonus points if you have access to a group of DIY public land hunters who beat the unit success rate consistently to hunt with or accompany. Nothing is worse than two inexperienced elk hunters trying to figure it out on their own, not knowing what they don't know.

Fourth is Hunt where there are elk you can kill. "Why do I rob banks? That's where the money is" Willie Sutton. Hunting poor units as a rookie DIY is a quick way to become discouraged and reduce your hunting effectiveness through negative reinforcement. Early success will feed your fire and you will recognize what good elk habitat looks like. The more you are around elk the more you can anticipate their movements and reactions. You likely will fumble a few of these opportunities so more opportunities is better. Close calls will motivate you. You learn a lot more with elk hair in your binos than without.

 

[corndog1]

Longer than it took to get laid

 

[Hams42]

Born and raise in MT. I started hunting when I was 12 and shot my first cow when I was 14. I shot my first elk right next to my dad when he killed his first and only bull(so far). After we downed them, there wasn't a single elk in the valley left because of all the hoot'n and holler'n. Truly it is one of my favorite hunting memories. After that I got a calf about 4 years later but my elk hunting success didn't really start until 2019. I got a cow in January of 2019, got distracted by moose in 2020 and then started back up in 2021 with a LE bull tag which I filled. I'm currently on a hot streak of of 3 straight years of antlered elk tagged (two are spikes but they still count!!!) and 4 years of any elk tagged filled. I currently feel that I have the cow and spike hunting on lock down but I am still working on figuring out the whole general unit bull thing.

 

[BOHNTR]

I was very fortunate to arrow a bull the first year I pursued them.

 

[Flatbrimmer]

A gentleman named John Winslow used to work with my old man and offered to take us out the first fall we were able. I was 14. Got a cow my first hunt ever. blowing snow and wind my sleeves were frozen and rock hard from the blood. He kept having me climb inside to defrost and then keep dragging.. I didn’t get into hunting again until I was probably 25 (dad still don’t) and it wasn’t until a few years ago I got my second elk.. I realize now how special it was for him to take us out like that….

John Winslow in Bozeman Montana if you’re out there, i owe ya a beer.

 

[Hockaday2017]

Opening morning of my first day out and at least one elk tag filled every year since then for the last 13 years. Once you figure it out, it's really not that hard to repeat. It's just a big algorithm or puzzle. There is a reason they say 10% of the hunters kill 90% of the elk. Keep grinding.

 

[Midwesterman]

Year two this year and hopeful it happens this time around. Had a lot of encounters first year but had to rush the only guy with a cow tag down the mountain on night three due to altitude sickness. Too bad we were in a herd of cows two days after that...

 

[devon deer]

4 visits from England to Montana, 2012 fail, 2014 bull, 2016 fail, 2018 bull, guess I've been very lucky

 

[shale]

Hunted OTC in Colorado for 5 years. Never saw a bull. Finally got drawn in New Mexico in 2019 and got my first bull then. Looking forward to this year. Got drawn for second archery in New Mexico in Unit 34. I was 60 years old on my first Elk kill.