Things I Wish I'd known about Elk Hunting

[MedicineMan15]

Hey guys and girls, I'm a relatively new elk hunter (only 1 archery hunt in the Idaho Panhandle). I'm planning an archery hunt in Western Colorado this season and I've been thinking a lot about the mistakes we made the first time around and how to not repeat those mistakes.

I thought it'd be great to assemble a thread of top 1-3 things that people wished they'd known when they started elk hunting.

For starters I wished I'd have started hunting elk earlier in my life (it's not as expensive as I once thought it to be).

I messed up an opportunity on a bull after 2 cows spooked and I didn't even think that a bull might be behind them, so after the cows spooked I "gave up" on the encounter way too early.

Also, on my first hunt I was trying to sneak through the woods everywhere. I've since learned that sometimes it's better to just cover country until you're actually into fresh elk sign.

What do you more seasoned hunters have to share?

 

[mdeerjunkie]

Practice, practice, practice. And The best learning comes from being out in the woods.

 

[MTelkHuntress]

Dont overthink things, sometimes pushing a bull can get them to come in, and dont get stuck hunting just one area.
Some tokens of wisdom from a game warden after asking where the elk are: "look up high, look down low, and dont forget to look in the middle"

 

[IEATELK]

That shit goes from 0 to 100, real quick......real quick.

 

[CUElk]

Having good boots and good gear makes a huge difference

 

[Stump jumper]

wish I would have learned sooner to not get caught up in the heat of the moment, if the wind (thermals) are not in your favor, you have nothing.

 

[SteelWool]

Good boots are a must. Start building points in all states earlier.

 

[Carl 9.3x62]

Not sure if there was anything I wish I new when I started hunting elk. Learning along the way has been enjoyable and has added to the experience. Kind of wish I had put in for limited quota areas back then rather than just hunting general areas though. And I guess one thing I have learned that I wish I new was that sometimes you have to act fast and aggressive. Elk aren't always going to stick around and wait for you to shoot them.

 

[Mtnhunter1]

Dont overthink things, sometimes pushing a bull can get them to come in, and dont get stuck hunting just one area.
Some tokens of wisdom from a game warden after asking where the elk are: "look up high, look down low, and dont forget to look in the middle"

Another AWESOME warden quote....just love that! Hope that this will be your year, for both you and your dad.

 

[Carbon]

Respect their noses.... A herd of elk can mak a lot of noise. Don't worry too much about breaking a stick getting close. You still have a chance. One whiff of you - no chance.

 

[Addicting]

After the shot, your on the clock. Elk spoil fast! It’s not a whitetail, leaving them overnight is not going to turn out well.

 

[ccc23454]

No substitute for time, spend every day of every season you possibly can on the mountain. Fill you tags help others etc. Just put time in, i learn or see something everytime that i didnt expect or never seen before.

 

[Mtnhunter1]

I'll agree with Carl 9.3x62, Quote: "Learning along the way has been enjoyable and has added to the experience."

I will learn something new with each and every outing...or...re-remember something that I had forgotten! Too many folks get caught up in the kill and don't enjoy the hunt beyond the harvest. In this "Information Age", a lot of folks are looking for the shortest route to gain that instant gratification and miss the adventure we all call hunting.

MedicineMan115, to me, your first hunt seemed extremely successful, tagged wapiti or not. Keep at it and enjoy the experience....

I'll add my three things that others have mentioned, or not:

#1 Constantly track the wind. Knowing what the wind will probably do while trying to close the distance should always be #1.
#2 Don't be afraid to push the limits when needed. Only way the see if something will work is actually doing something and then learning from the experience.
#3 Always set up for the shot IN FRONT of something vs hiding behind something. Your outline will be broken up from what is behind you. With slow movements an elk will usually look right through you and you won't be trying to pick a hole to send an arrow through.

 

[Mosquito]

Im lovong this thread keep it going

 

[nettereo16]

It’s a mental grind! Especially when you don’t see anything for a couple days it’s easy to get down. I felt good gear wise & physically but keeping your head in it can be tough. This season I’m bringing an index card with a message to remind myself to keep focused and not get discouraged and this is something I look forward to all year!

 

[Mallardsx2]

Having hunting gear that makes a swishing sound against branches is NOT ok.

 

[shannerdrake]

It’s a mental grind! Especially when you don’t see anything for a couple days it’s easy to get down. I felt good gear wise & physically but keeping your head in it can be tough. This season I’m bringing an index card with a message to remind myself to keep focused and not get discouraged and this is something I look forward to all year!

This ^^^^^

It is more mental than physical (and it's physical as hell). I shot a cow elk in 2018 in Montana. I shot her on the sixth morning and over 50 miles of hiking into the hunt. She was the first, last and only elk I saw on the hunt and I had to make it happen fast to shoot her. Two of the four guys in my hunting party who were younger, thinner, healthier, and a lot faster than me slept in because they were mentally drained from not seeing elk. One guy said that we were "chasing Unicorns and weren't going to find any." Success rates are low - gut comfortable with that. But as Rinella says, get comfortable being uncomfortable and realize that every day you hunt, every mile you hike, gets you closer to killing one.

 

[Dsnow9]

Don’t stay home when the weather turns to . I have seen/killed more elk immediately following horrible weather than everything else combined.

 

[nontyp]

-Elk Hunting sucks about 95% of the time. The other 5% keeps me coming back.
-Mid-day is the best time to call in bulls
-mountains are 1000% bigger than they look on OnX
-Keep your nose open! I often smell the elk before any other sign that there are elk nearby.
-Draw early- they come in quicker than you think.

 

[Deleted member 28227]

Hike in and out in the dark. There is no reason to be at camp before legal shooting light ends.