knowing the lay of the land !!
Contributors to this thread:Elk
From: cityhunter
07-Sep-14
I truly think this can be the best weapon a DIY elk hunter can use in his arsenal. Elk can cover big country having a clue to the lay of the land can and will help a hunter figure out what them elk are doing !Best way to learn a unit is to tear it up with some boot leather. Ive seen so many great elk areas on goggle earth /maps etc only to go there and find no sign or old sign. With no preseason scouting a NR DIY hunter going out west is at a great disadvantage . And when I find a herd of elk I make sure to figure out what and were they are doing there business/beds feeding rutting etc I also make sure these elk are in a area that offers me a attempt at killing one , its one thing seeing elk but killing elk with a bow is a different tune!! I make a plan of attack to get close playing the wind and the lay of the land . I also look for plan b and plan c diff elk herds this way I can fall back and hunt diff herds and limit pressure on them ! When u figure the lay of the land you have the upper hand in the elk woods !! Best of luck to all this SEPT !!!!
From: elkmtngear
07-Sep-14
Well, maybe not always the upper hand...but you will be able to get more encounters without blowing out the herd, and without killing yourself getting where you need to go.
Everything looks so much flatter on Google Earth!
This is one reason the guys that hunt the same areas year after year have a big advantage! Good Luck, Lou!
Best of Luck, Jeff
From: Mule Power
07-Sep-14
Well said City. So many hunters say they came close because they were just one step behind the elk. But one step behing is huge. The best and maybe the only way other than luck to get one step ahead of them is to know the land like it is your back yard. That and knowing how the elk use it. Priceless right!
But that doesn't happen over night or in one hunt. Take your time and pick a spot. Then stick with it.
From: The Old Sarge
08-Sep-14
Knowing the lay of the land.
One of the main reasons my hunting partners and I have hunted the same area for more than 50 years. Our fathers and grandfathers hunted it for 30 years before that. Of the main 10 hunters in camp this fall, we have more than 320 years combined experience. More than 95% of that is in the same area. It's not always the best hunting, but it has its years and it's hard to replace knowledge and experience.
