Contributors to this thread:
Sitting here thinking to myself. You will see folks on these forum and elk bowhunters you come across that time after time are more successful than just the "average" bow hunter.
My question would be . . . . . . What is your thoughts or opinion on the difference between a good/excellent elk bow hunter versus an "average" elk bow hunter? What is it that allows these folks to be successful time and time again?
Whether it's shooting ability, scouting, learning hunting areas and the elk that live in them, etc, when someone settles for "good enough", chances are they'll have average success.
Those that are consistently successful never settle for "good enough. Nothing is left to chance. They may not always be successful, but it won't be because they weren't prepared.
Same for most things in life. If you're driven to succeed at something you're passionate about, you'll go the extra mile to maximize your chance for success.
All of the highly successful elk bowhunters I know hunt smarter, learn the little details about what the elk do where they are hunting (even if they hunt different places) and know how to close the deal when the opportunity is presented. They never stop learning and aren't afraid to adapt to different conditions.
Closing the deal can be as small a thing as anticipating the shot opportunity in the moments before it happens, to knowing when to move vs. staying put and being patient. But the biggest factor is in minimizing mistakes so a higher percentage of encounters end up as shot opportunities. Some are great callers, while others rarely, if ever call.
There are exceptions, like some guys who have a hot waterhole or funnel that consistently produces elk year after year. But for most it's all about learning the tiny details and nuances that create opportunities on the fly, then executing the shot.
Of all the elk I've killed, only three were in the same spot- a saddle crossing the Continental Divide that they stopped using when all the beetle killed trees fell. Otherwise every one has been in a different spot, under different circumstances.
Success is a subjective term. I think anybody that gets out after elk with a bow, and gives it 110 percent, is successful, whether they harvest, or not...you can't really put a "number" on it IMHO.
For me, persistence has been the main contributor, if I had to name one thing.
Best of Luck, Jeff
LOCATION-LOCATION-LOCATION
They live the hunt all year. Get and stay in shape. Practice with their bow and know their equipment. Learn everything they can about elk, calling elk and scouting.
Determination and learning everything they can about where they hunt and the animal they hunt. Scooby
A lot to consider. Some guys pay big money to guides so that might be about how much you spend. General tag hunters get tend to hunt the same area multiple times which helps up the kill percentage. I have been going for draw tags as I can get them. Have drawn some good to great units but every year it is like I am starting over every year in a new unit which means doing my homework. I never expected to kill a bull every tag but never came home early unless I scored. For me it worked. If I would have found a good over the counter unit and stuck with it my kill percentage would be higher. Either way it is a great sport. So I guess my point is that how you go about it has a sizeable impact on the kill number.
They have "it". I know guys that don't practice shooting until a month before season. Don't work out. Don't study maps. Then go out and shoot the biggest bull on the mountain. Time and time again.
Like most endeavours in life the "stand out" people are the ones that have a dedication driven by a deep love for their particular pursuit. They're there because they WANT to be there and are willing to sacrifice to achieve. And yet even the hardships are a rewarding experience and so endured happily.
In a word. Passion.
I don't hunt elk but I will tell you I have observed with other forms of hunting. The successful guy gets to know the lay of the land before the hunt. He has a game plan and sticks to it when others might give up. He changes tactics when he feels it is the right thing to do. The most important trait is the ability to believe that he will be successful. I have met these guys after dark on the last day. They are still upbeat and looking forward to the next hunt.
I think hunting is simpler than we make it. You have young who kill almost every hunt. You have inexperienced elk hunters with? excellent success. Given a good area, not over pressured, and adequate time success should follow. I know many will disagree but to many times we try to make animals virtually unkillable but they die in mass every by every ability level. Like the last thread similar to this one to much emphasis on negatives. Focus only on the positive for better results. I am sure that this will encite a fervor amongst many but I think we complicate the process.
Location, location, location. Not to diminish good elk hunters but it's hard for someone that lives 20 hours from an elk to be as good as someone that can scout from the back porch. Number of days available to spend chasing them can make you "better" as well. When you have 9 days and you lose 2-4 driving to your spot you're all ready behind the 8 ball.
One thing I can tell you is they are not out of state hunters stuck on pressured otc Colorado units every year.
The elk woods is language. You gotta 'read it'. No different than playing a musical instrument, its takes practice. You need to learn the notes and chords.
For instance, listening for that clunk of a hoof on a rock, that weird silence of the woods just before the elk shows up, that whine of a bull at 75yds and knowing when to strum to his interest. Or feeling the early morning thermal switch ever so slightly, knowing when to take just one step and not two...
Practice makes a 'average' elk hunter. Perfect practice makes a 'good' elk hunter.
Time, time, time, commitment, skill.
I'd say what separates the better than average elk hunter from the average elk hunter is the drive to kill them while living within a reasonable distance of your hunting area. If you can get to your area to scout enough and have the drive to kill them, what everybody is talking about is stuff you will figure out for yourself with some time scouting and hunting them regularly.
Elk hunting isn't magic in my limited experience. Regular elk killers aren't either in my opinion. They are just guys that had the drive to learn to be good elk hunters and, the ability to put the time into becoming one. God Bless
Longbowbud, there are some NRs hunting OTC who kill elk year after year. They've learned how to hunt their areas and dedicate enough time to make it happen. I know at least one group like that who are good enough that they're passing up bulls now. But they're up early hiking before the others in the area, hunt harder and farther, don't make excuses. They just do it and believe they're going to do it.
Quickly and appropriately reacting when "that" opportunity presents itself.
As I read other responses I realize that knowledge of our area and the elk habits there makes us pretty successful. We still "hunt" all year long always finding new spots even in our areas. Certainly always planning to be successful. New areas and states are harder but knowing elk really ups our chances. It is hard hard work to get after it everyday of the hunt! Fred
Time, perseverance, time, location, time.
You can be an average hunter, but if you put in a lot of time you'll more than likely be successful. If you're an average hunter and you have a great spot you'll more than likely be successful. A combo of both and you'll more than likely be consistently successful.
As is the case in all things in life, there are people who are good at it, people who are not as good and make up the average, and people who suck at it.
All the things listed above are important. But some people are just better at certain things that other people. There's lots of reasons for that, but it comes down to figuring out and doing what it takes to be successful.
It is not OTC vs draw unit (or location, location, location if by that you mean a particular unit or limited access area). A consistently successful archery elk hunter will be have a higher success rate than an average hunter in any public land unit.
Did you ever know THAT guy that caught all the fish and got all the big game? He's that 10% guy that gets 90% of the game. I was not that good at the fishing game but I have worked very very hard to be a 10 percenter when it comes to elk hunting.
For me it is what one of my college professor use to say---K.I.S.S.
Keep It Simple Stupid
Good luck, Robb
What Ike said to a T. I'll add that some are more naturally gifted, while some work harder just to be average.
I am very fortunate to hunt a large ranch in Montana (with little hunting pressure) every year that I draw a bow tag. It amazes me the quality bulls some of the guys kill that do not pick up a bow a week before there trip out west. They may show up with the best hunting gear and bows but most do not have a clue how to use the wind, sharpen a broadhead, or use there god given hunting skills to get within 30yds of a bull. The norm is shots over 70yds and believe me, most should not be shooting over 40yards!! But that being said, they usually get it done and I am just blessed to see what unpressured elk in there natural surroundings looks like!
Start with location. If there are no elk in the general vicinity for what ever reason then the best caller, the best shot, the most fit hunter, the most patient, the best elk ninja etc will not be successful. If you are non-res with limited hunt time you could be in trouble because moving to plan B eats up your hunt days.
Reminds me of Gene Wensel saying if you want to shoot a trophy whitetail you better be sure you are hunting an area that HAS trophy whitetails.
Up until six years ago, I would have considered myself average. Every couple of seasons, I would get lucky and get an elk. I would put in some work before the season to get permission and do some scouting but, for the most part, it seemed I simply got lucky and occasionally an opportunity presented itself.
The past number of years I have been luckier. As is often said, the harder you work the luckier you get. I scout more, I plan more, I work harder while hunting and hunt smarter. And I'm not afraid to go further and hunt places other people don't know about or consider too hard to get to. The result has been more encounters, more fun and more elk in the freezer. It is harder work but the satisfaction, from putting in the effort, is much greater. Not sure that makes me a good elk hunter, but I am having more fun elk hunting as a result.
Some really interesting replies here
Intelligent persistence, confidence and ability to stay calm as the shot is developing. JMO
Billy, I think I reflect the antithesis of "intelligent persistence", because I'm often too dumb to quit!
;-)
Whatever Willieboat does is the difference between REALLY good vs. average.
2x on what Willieboat does... Ed F
How good do ya have to be just to be average???? =D
I've noticed a pretty big shelf to climb up to when you start setting your goals from killin' something to killin' somethin that's good size..... then I think you really start getting into "local knowledge" and "location,location, location..." If you don't know the area..... lots of areas don't hold many of the animals that you would like to meet your goals...... a good many variables.
From time to local knowledge. If you only have a week.... that's tough. If you've never seen the place before..... that's tough as well. Lots of variables.
I agree with Jaq. Being detail oriented and multi dimensional is key. All of the killers I know are very intelligent, and willing to come at things from different angles, and of course have a very high threshold for pain suffering...
I have to agree with Ike on this one. Some folks "have" it some do not. That why everyone doesn't get to go to the Olympics regardless of how much they are willing to do to get there. Sure you can better your odds with many methods but some folks are just gifted when it comes to killing elk. I am not that guy. I usually have to work my ass off and blunder up a whole bunch of opportunities before I get an arrow in one. But that is why I go.
I aspire to be average....baby steps. :-)
I'm actually very surprised at my lack of success on elk. I'm very goal oriented and even though I'm not a talented hunter, I have a lot of drive, determination, and usually achieve above average success when I put my mind to something. Every year I eat a tag, I come back more determined and the fire grows stronger. The good thing is, NO ONE has more fun than me!
Location, skill, time, dedication. An abundance of one or two can make up for a lack of another. A deficit of couple makes it tough. A lot of guys are inexperienced, hunting OTC pressured areas, only have a week and have a lot of priorities higher than elk hunting. Thats 4 strikes. Still fun as hell.
It helps so much being in an area that has decent numbers of critters, and not having to deal with a lot of hunter pressure. Attitude is a big part of it - if you think/know an elk could be around the next corner, grove, whatever, you will be that much more attentive and conscientious, which makes a huge difference in a close-in activity like bowhunting. When I am dialed, I can almost sense an animal before I see it. I love getting the drop on an animal close in. Knowing what to do when you get that chance. Some people are closers and most not so much. I bet every person who is 'better than average' rarely makes mistakes in the final stalk. A good shot under pressure. I know people who kill the crap out of targets all day. On a live target, things are way different. Mastering the myriad of details, whether it is wind, noise, your equipment, your body, the logistics that get and keep you there until the deed is done. Stubbornness - look at how many stories are told of last day or even last few minutes successes. I ain't whipped until the bell has tolled. That all being said, I am still learning the art of elk hunting.
There are lots of things to me that seperate the average from great but a huge thing that can close that gap somewhat is TIME...... Getting it done in a week vs getting it done in a whole season is huge. My $.02. TODDY
My question to all of you guys.....Whats this falls bull elk doing today ???
You gotta go at it with the right mindset;)
Willieboat, I thought I was the only one that does that! Ha!
Michael, same thing I did - ate, pooped, wandered around, ate some more, took a nap, checked in to the Bowsite to see if anyone gave away my spot so I'd know if I need to move.
For that to apply a hunter would need to live in an area where elk do not migrate or at least not migrate too far away. Too, you'd need to know that a particular elk was not already killed by another bowhunter or during the latter rifle seasons? Most hunters do not have that luxury. Guys living outside of elk country have it even tougher!
ElkNut1
Willie- He's sleepin right now, but he will get up for mid morning snack soon, and lay down his second of four daily dumps on his way back to bed...
I only have to be good ONCE..... the rest the time I can be average...... I think there's a song like that or somethin'.....
Here's a few boys from 3 nights ago. They're in the thickest chit you can find right now and all bro'd up.
I agree with willieboat, "There are some really interesting replies".
I'm a big believer that hunting is luck, but you can increase your luck by being smart. A little of what Bigfoot mentioned in his reply.
I know a few guys that year after year harvest big bulls on public land. They pretty much do not shoot anything less than a 325 bull and average around 350'ish year after year. My observation has been the amount of time in the field scouting and time spent actually hunting. They also have patience, in the fact, that they will back out of a situation that does not favor them and hunt the same elk another day. This puts the "weekend warrior" at a disadvantage.
Honestly, It's time off (the main driving factor), scouting, and overall patience. that's the difference.
Go hunting with someone who knows what the hell they are doing. Worked wonders for me in 2014. I am batting .1000 on archery elk after Huntman showed me the ropes. :)
While I can't give a serious answer specifically to elk, I can answer for bowhunting in general. Some guys have it, some don't. Some see an animal, and instantly can pick apart the hillside, possible scenarios of what the animal will most likely do, wind has already been accounted for, and they go into kill mode. Others don't operate that way mentally and it doesn't come as naturally. I'm not a natural elk caller, not a dead eye target shooter, not the best athlete hitting the hills, but I hit the hills with supreme confidence that if I see an animal... I WILL end up killing it. Doesn't always work out, but man if it isn't fun trying anyway.
I constantly watch hunters who look and really seasoned that determine the bulls are not coming to calls, there is too much pressure on the tanks, and the weather is not right. These are all negative thoughts and to the best hunters they are merely terms of the agreement to pursue this magnificent game animal. The best hunters maximize their time actually hunting versus camping and maintaining the camp. I have had great success on public land whitetails and killed some dandies and several people have wanted me to take them. I tell them that if they are are not willing to set four or five days without seeing a deer nevertheless? a p&y buck then it probably is not for them. Most have opted to not go. This year I had already ready killed and was meat hunting and I saw several small bucks before 9. I text my brother to come and get on my stand. I received no text back so at 10 I called him and he said he was on his way. It should have taken about an hour but he didn't show up until 12:20. He had decided to eat lunch and then come. As he was climbing the stand a doe shot over the hill and behind a 160ish ten point behind her stopped and smelled the goods at 25 yards as his bow laid on the ground. This was his one and only opportunity.
These are examples? why people do not kill but with a different animal but it applies to all hunts. Successful hunters get out of their own way. They get up, go out, and stay the course. There are those anomalies where they are just better but for us mere mortals we must constantly improve our process. I have a little experience at this game having hunted sixteen states and ten species and the same process applies everywhere. RESEARCH, scout, learn animal and area, hunting methods, go farther, and stay longer. This is what brings average Joe's to consistent success. Will you be a willieboat or a Big Dan well the answer is probably not. Actually, hell no but you will eventually move over to the group with more tags filled than not. If you read the post you would think that you needed to be a world class athlete and many of the best hunters I know seem to be almost slothful when the woods. Animals operate on a different schedule than humans and the best hunters operate on their schedule and not the hectic rush of our nomal day to day.
We have some great young hunters on Bowsite and most of them have refined the process early in life to get ahead of the curve. They may be extremely good but I am sure that get out of their own way and do what it takes to be successful. This is not a science project or voodoo. I refuse to go OTC in Colorado because I don't want to shoot any bull and I do not want to contend with the numbers of hunters. I am certain that my success would suffer tremendously? if I did so. So I choose to focus on premium draws or areas that at least offer better odds at good bulls?. I am only going to do what brings me success.
P.S. this was written while sitting an hour and forty five minutes before daylight in the woods getting ready for that first gobble to break the morning stillness. Hopefully, my rambling will make sone sense.
At least some of it did... ;-)
It's simple to me. It's the guys that are dedicated, are positive and stay positive, and never say die. Those are basically the 3 things I try to follow. That's coming from a guy that's only hunted elk for 2 years now tho so wth! That applies for all hunting tho imo.
Rocky D, some wise words there and I agree whole heartedly. I can't count the number of times I've driven by camps with there lights still off. I'd been up for more than an hour at that point and was probably in position before they even woke up. Also, I've seen people take the morning or evening hunt off to go run an errand that was really not that important. It's a matter of choices and priorities. I have found that time in the woods directly correlates to success.
I'm just hoping to become average.
Old duffer told me elk hunting was about being in the right spot at the right time. Difference between average and good is the ability and knowledge to be in the right spot at the right time.
AZ, had to laugh at your post. Last year a group of guys moved in near my camp. This is in a high mountain basin area where the wind swirls hard and predictably from about 9:30 am until 6 pm, give or take. Serious hunters are either hunkered down away from elk bedding areas or headed back to camp by 10.
These guys slept in every day, made a giant elaborate breakfast, headed out between 10-11 and "wandered around" (their term) until about 4-5, when they returned to camp to make a big dinner. They did "bump some elk" that week but nobody got a shot. Thankfully they never wandered near the bulls I was hunting. I got the sense that this was what elk bowhunting was all about for this bunch.
Jaquomo, it scares me sometimes! I guess it's just people who weren't taught any better. Seems odd since there is so much information out there though. These are the same ones who say the unit they were hunting in is horrible because they didn't even see an elk the whole hunt!
Case on point, I hunted with a friend a few years ago in unit 10 AZ. We were seeing over 100 elk a day easy for the entire hunt. Came back and read on CWT that the numbers were really down because some only saw a handful of elk in a weeks worth of hunting!
Lots of good stuff here. Some of the common threads I agree with are persistence, positive attitude, and scouting. The other really important quality, which is mentioned several times, but hard to put your finger on, is the ability to stay calm and close the deal when the opportunity arises. It may be innate to some degree, but lots of experience also helps with this hard to define quality.
I was hunting three different bulls between 330-360 within striking distance of these guys, public land. By first light the herds were halfway up the long, steep, dense ridges, and they didn't bugle in daylight. These guys were hunting tracks of where the herds were coming down in the dark to feed. Lots of "sign", they said. I didn't help them out with any info because nobody else was hunting these bulls and I was humping it up the mountains in the dark to cut them off. They professed to be "experienced elk hunters".....
Should add that I did meet a guy who was getting ready to blunder in to one of these bulls from the wrong direction because he didn't know the herd was there. We talked for a half hour beside the vehicles and I figured out he knew what he was doing, had killed a bunch of bulls with bow elsewhere. So I took him in and called for him. He would have had a point blank shot at the 340 but at 9:30 the wind swirled, just like clockwork, and the bull wheeled and blew out. Never saw him again.
Jackson and I hunted together a couple more times before he had to leave, we've since become good friends, and will hunt together next year.
I would have to say up close elk encounters and many of them. Only one way to become better is to have many failures first. Sure, some get lucky on their first or second one but have they really learned as much. Every encounter I have I learn something I can use on my next try. My goal is to have less and less failures between each of my successes.
JH, you are spot on, there is no magic recipe in controlling ones emotions & excitement in crunch time! The more encounters you have the more you are able to tailor your excitement to a controllable level. Many of us have been in those same shoes!
In my opinion the biggest reason hunters fail at getting into elk or having a chance at very many close encounters especially in dark timber country is they shy away from calling! Most hunters who fit this category feel this way because they lack confidence in their calling ability. They feel if they call much they will run elk off the mountain. The remedy for that, practice! Get believable in your sounds & you won't shrink back when calling is needed the most!
A Location Bugle is a hunters best friend in timbered country. In open sage country Glassing is your best friend, utilize both & turn them into strengths, don't use either in situations where your odds will drop in locating animals! Once elk are located then the hunt is on!
There is no reason an able bodied hunter should be going 4-5 years without taking an elk especially if they are after the first legal elk to break the ice & fill the freezer! As long as ones are not lazy & in fair shape with the right mental attitude you should have multiple chances at elk in 7-10 day hunts. If you're not then you need to change things up don't continue another hunt with what you've been doing hoping lady luck may shed some light on you, make your own luck! You need the confidence that everytime you head out & elk could fall. Having this type of confidence comes from having knowledge of the animal & applying the right tactics for the country you are hunting & what phase of the rut you are most likely in at that time. These things can take a hunter that is below average to average & then to above average! Hunting elk is like everything else in this world, you get out of it what you put into it!
ElkNut1
Yeah, I agree. People definitely aren't calling enough these days... Seriously that may be your best one yet! (funny guy) LMAO!
There are many ways to be successful and have above average results. For some, calling works great. For others, like me, not calling works best. I started killing elk when I stopped talking to them. Don't get me wrong, calling is a blast but it didn't translate into dead elk. So, I hunt stealth mode. When I stopped calling and started hunting I began to kill consistently. I let the elk do all the talking and call me in. I don't want them to know I'm there. I hear a bugle and close the distance as fast as I can. When i get close (100yds or so) I check the wind and make a plan based on what they're doing. Then I make something happen. For example, last year I was heading to my evening hunting spot. A bull was bugling consistently every few minutes and it only took a few minutes to close the distance and get my eyes on him (360-370) and his herd of 20 or so cows. It took another 1.5 hrs to sneak in amongst them (very difficult). Then I was kinda pinned down as cows were all around and it took a few minutes for the bull to make a mistake and come close to me. Sadly, I missed a gimme. I'm still pissed about it. But that's elk hunting. I did take a 330 satellite (cool drop-tine) 15 minutes later that was continuing to bugle at the herd. Point is both those bulls bugled me in. I didn't call and they never knew I was there. This style of aggressive hunting works very well for me.
IMO there are many ways that work. Find a way that works for you (trial and error) and go get em.
Best of luck...
An understanding wife, or no wife.
Look at the people who kill their elk more often than not. They aren't all carrying the newest bow. Lots of them are old timers who aren't trying to be Cameron Hanes working out all year. To me they are people who have a certain mindset. They are confident. Never in a hurry. Humble enough to know they will never know everything and so always paying attention. They sit at home looking at elk racks thinking about elk hunting 24/7/365..... not just a month before the season. Most likely they have a place they call home to hunt and they know it well. They are also familiar with the behavior of the elk in that area. To me elk in different areas can tend to have different habits. They hunt for all the right reason with nothing to prove to anyone.
They guys who can't seem to get it done have a tendency to pressure themselves in everything they do in life. Always in a hurry. Never content so jumping from bow to bow, area to area or even state to state. In the early stages of elk hunting it's not uncommon to hop around until you find somewhere worth hunting. But you can't expect to have instant success even in a good area. Stay put in the same sot for 4 years or so and see how much different it starts to look.
The common denominator to everything above is time and persistence. Have realistic goals and not lofty expectations. There is no other hunting like elk hunting for many reasons. Look at where they live!!! It takes a certain amount of physical ability but if you back up and read this post again you'll see that a hunters mental ability is probably more important. The mind drives the body. I think that's why guys get better faster after they have killed a few bulls. Once you know you can do it your mind settles down and you hunt smarter and make better decisions. I truly believe that elk hunting is as much a mind game as anything.
I would say that at least 80% of the time: Giving up your location to an old mature Bull is a mistake... Period
Joe, very good points with solid common sense evaluation. I certainly agree with hunters needing to stay with an area long enough to become very familiar with the destination spots elk favor whether routinely or when hunting pressure forces them to new areas. Knowing these areas can take time & several years with serious boots on the ground along with paying attention to your findings no matter how big or small you feel it may be.
It is interesting to note that some regard calling as a weakness where others view it as a strength. No doubt there are times when calling for location is best suited over glassing & glassing is best suited over calling. The more open areas certainly warrant more glassing by far than calling for location of elk, dark timber country can require more calling to locate elk when running & gunning so as not to accidentally bust into them.
When elk are vocal on their own in dark timber then no calling to locate is needed, we move on them silently & get as close as possible in stealth mode, if possible we take them unannounced! (no calling) There are many areas where such quiet stalking is not possible due to the downfall & additional under brush, when this occurs we either attempt to call them the rest of the way to us or we call our way to them. This is best done once we are under 100 yards if possible. Wind & cover are also determining factors on how these may he handled.
When taking it to the elk it's generally with mid volume rapid cow mews, we find that bulls generally stay anchored until this cow arrives especially when the bull is calling her to him, yes, even herd bulls can stay put.
If the decision made is to call the bull the rest of the way to us it's generally because we've got him to move towards us with selective calling, what that may be would depend on the situation & what the bulls message was when we heard him.
Like glassing, the majority of our calling is to locate elk not call them to us. Calling is employed when there are no other ways to punch that tag.
ElkNut1
Mule power totally agree.
I once ran up to a herd bull that had followed the cows over a ridge into the timber. I was frantically calling like a calf left behind. As soon as I crested the rise I was in the herd, which stood there stunned, expected a calf. I had an arrow on the longbow string and shot the bull at 8 yards, and he fell over in about 3 seconds.
My partner laughed at me when I told him what I was doing, then took off running. Two minutes later I walked back just as he was unwrapping a Snickers, told him I'd killed the bull. He didn't believe it until I walked him over to the rise and pointed at the dead bull lying there.
I agree about heading straight at elk calling your way in, those that have done it know what an adrenaline rush it can be! I've done this a few times over the years when I felt it was the only way at a realistic shot opportunity. You never know when some things can work out & make you look like a hero! (grin)
I took this herd bull by running in the last 150 yards mewing excitedly right into his lap, shot him at 17 yards with a longbow , OTC DIY!
ElkNut1
Paul.... some people come off as really intelligent when you listen to them talk. Others appear intelligent until they open their mouths. I guess it depends on how well you master the English language.... or in this case elk talk. lol
Yeah, I got that adrenaline rush too, although not quite the one I expected.
Back in the early days (my 4th year bowhunting), I read a story where the author said that if you get close to a herd and the bull's hung up, you should run right into the cows bugling. This would supposedly make the herd bull think there was another bull rushing in to take some cows, and he'd have no choice but to confront this challenge. Hell, made perfect sense to me!
Fast forward to that season. I was on my favorite ridge at the time, one that I normal got into elk. Sure enough, I got a bull going pretty good, but he just wouldn't leave his cows. Once I realized things weren't going to change, I thought "what the heck". The situation was perfect, nearest cow was 10yds, and the bull was around 60 and screened by some small pines.
I ran at the cows, ripping an awesome bugle. Judging by the look on those cow's faces, you'd have thought the Gates of Hell had opened up and the devil himself was running after them! They took out of there like scalded rabbits! The bull actually started coming in until he realized his cows were vacating the premises rather quickly. Sad thing is, I didn't see another freakin' elk on that entire ridge the rest of the season. Thankfully, they'd forgotten about the "incident" by the following year.
I pretty much filed that tactic away under the "seemed like the thing to do at the time" category. Ha! I didn't qualify as good OR average that day!
I believe that was a tactic Mike Lapinski advocated.
Could be Jaq. Sure wish I'd read an article by a guy that advocated cow/calf mews instead. ;-)
There is something to be said with familiarity. How many of us have hunted a new area and taken several days to figure out where the elk is and ain't? I've put in dawn to dusk days hard hiking to check out new basins only to find really dry conditions with zero sign. Crossed it off my possibles list, but needed boots on the ground to do it. What I did my first year - hiking all day every day, hoping I would get lucky on the swirls. NOT! Did find good sign, but that was it. No telling how many I blew out - some places I could sense the elk until I felt the wind on the back of my neck. Particularly if you're in there for the duration until you're truly out of time, swirly midday periods can be very useful for catching up from consistent zero dark thirty on either end of shooing light. This year if I don't get lucky on a premium tag I'll be going back to the same area as last year. If so, time to test the familiarity principle - there's an active rutting location I have specifically in mind. Try not to think about the climb to haul the meat out if I get lucky.
Yes sir that would have been a Mike tactic! (grin)
William, you bet those unpredictable winds will kill you out there! Definitely stay out of any area where you are not 100% sure the wind is on your side, it does no good to you & favors the elk greatly! When I'm in specific areas as you mention where I feel elk are in an area according to my gut then I call into the area with 1-5 Location bugles if needed & wait 15 minutes or so in case I receive a lazy & late response, if no response I generally will not head in there. Why? Because even if elk are there without me seeing or hearing them I do not want to blow them out even if the wind is perfect for a tromp through their area. I want at least one bugling bull in there or I move on. I do pull the reigns waaay back though when wind is totally unpredictable bugling or not! We all have to hunt smart for sure. I believe this is the biggest reason we kill most elk before 10:30 a.m. We do take them a little later occasionally but prefer mornings when winds are more predictable!
ElkNut1
Good old Mike. The "original"...
