2015 Lessons Learned

[cnelk]

Since the seasons mistakes are still fresh on our minds, lets share what lessons you learned.

 

[cnelk]

Here is one

I didnt practice shooting from a tree stand.
Then when I had elk come running in, my feet were close together on the platform and I can tell you it is more difficult to draw when your feet are almost touching than when they are spread out standing on the ground.

Combine that with it being cold, and it is darn near impossible to draw easily from a tree stand

 

[timberland]

When traveling through thick timber, always stop where you have some shooting lanes. You don\'t want to have to change your location when you have a bull coming in close. And when traveling through thick timber that you can\'t help but make a lot of noise, cow call along the way, but be prepared to have a bull come from the direction you just came from.

 

[iccyman001]

I\'ll have a lot to contribute to this one



If you plan on doing some exploring, no matter how short or far you \"think\" you\'re going to go, bring your gear. Specifically a compass with a map or gps.

This year I got down from a tree stand and decided I wanted to climb to the top of a ridge to check something out. I left everything behind beside my bow and a few calls.

My short trip turned into my chasing after a bull. After the failed encounter I was far away from my gear and had to use the sun to find the road. I found it, but I had to walk back around the mountain for about 2 to 3 miles, then go back into the woods 3/4 of a mile to get my gear


What also didn\'t help in that situation is my bugle tube was in my pack which I needed and WATER.

 

[cnelk]

I hunted the \'thick stuff\' this year.
After taking many, many range readings, I found that a 35 yd shot is max in the timber.

Very helpful if you dont have time to range an animal

 

[WW]

Never, never ever have a total knee replacement too close to the start of hunting season! Oh well, maybe next year!?! :downthumb:

 

[iccyman001]

This wasn\'t a bad lesson learned, but I truly saw how loud and aggressive you can be with elk.
I had many of encounters where I literally ran up on elk feeding, froze, and they went back to eating. Or when they were racking or play fighting I ran RIGHT up on them with no issue.

I think sound is less of a killer with them than movement. Obviously wind direction is the worst of them all.

 

[Lark Bunting]

Get any dental work done prior to the season. I knew i had a tooth with a small cavity and it broke on me while hunting. My calls kept hitting the tooth which hurt.

Have backup plans. Not just A, B, C, etc but know what you will do if your hunting partner has unexpected life circumstances and cannot join you.

Hunting alone is NOT for me. I made it 4 nights alone and did not enjoy it. I am my own worst enemy.

Appreciate the close encounters and consider them a success as part of the hunt. I had a 5x5 bull come straight at me, walked past my \"20 yard\" tree but never gave me a shot opportunity. Pretty amazing!

Frozen meal boiler bags only stay frozen for 4 days. That was in my big cooler, with 10 frozen jugs and a sleeping bag stuffed inside for added insulation and to take up space. I will have other options next year.

Stalking elk with an arrow knocked in heavy timber is really hard.

Accept the offer of hunting buddies into a draw unit and be prepared for a backpacking trip. They went 2/2 again this year. I have 11 months to prepare for that trip.

Finding elk took a lot of effort and a 70 mile trip from plan A. Had 4 elk within 30 yards but no shot opportunities, i even went full draw on a bull but he never presented a good shot.

Covering 4 mtn passes can warp brake rotors, even using the down shifting and engine to maintain speed.

Having a spare bottle of windicator absolutely saved one day of hunting.

I have never seen more inconsistent wind/thermals as i di this year. I literally had winds flip 180 degrees in seconds.

Drink more water than you think you should. My pee at one point was beyond yellow.

Wearing orange during muzzle loader season will not prevent a near miss from a grouse hunter with a .22 rifle. I actually saw the tree get hit in front of me from a round that ricocheted.

Just because you heard elk screaming in a spot last year does not mean they will be doing so this year.

More to come...

Blowdowns suck. Both going over them and under them...the perfect elk hunter would be 5\'1\" with a 38\" inseam.

When your wife says, \"Figure out plans for the kids and pets and let\'s go out this weekend\", stay up all night if necessary to make arrangements. :twisted:

 

[cohunter14]

Lark, it sounds like you had a good season and are on the pretty steep learning curve of a newer hunter. Keep it up and you should find success! :upthumb:

 

[Lark Bunting]

Lark, it sounds like you had a good season and are on the pretty steep learning curve of a newer hunter. Keep it up and you should find success! :upthumb:

Thank you Derek, i appreciate that. I am still trying to figure it out and this year brought new challenges. I am still my own worst enemy and got into my own head. Even getting within shooting distance of four elk in one day i was ready to come home. The mental aspect was very hard and the lack of comradrie was missing.

I was hoping to make weekend arrangements but that is not panning out. I can accept that. Thankfully i have a Tony\'s market nearby to get me through the winter.

 

[iccyman001]

Lark,


what made you not like hunting alone?

 

[Lark Bunting]

Lark,


what made you not like hunting alone?

Being new to hunting and not having someone there to bounce ideas off of. I was okay when out in the field but could have used a second set if eyes and ears several times. Camping alone really sucked though. Having soneone else there would have been nice, especially so far out of cell range in the spot i ended up. There was nobody else in the area had there been an emergency.

 

[iccyman001]

Lark,


what made you not like hunting alone?

Being new to hunting and not having someone there to bounce ideas off of. I was okay when out in the field but could have used a second set if eyes and ears several times. Camping alone really sucked though. Having soneone else there would have been nice, especially so far out of cell range in the spot i ended up. There was nobody else in the area had there been an emergency.

I completely understand.

 

[cnelk]

If you think you are going to need a piece of gear, you prob will need it...

 

[elkmtngear]

Lark,


what made you not like hunting alone?

Being new to hunting and not having someone there to bounce ideas off of. I was okay when out in the field but could have used a second set if eyes and ears several times. Camping alone really sucked though. Having soneone else there would have been nice, especially so far out of cell range in the spot i ended up. There was nobody else in the area had there been an emergency.

This is what made the Delorme Inreach a nice piece of gear to have. I only had human contact one morning out of 13 days total. But, I sent many text messages to my Wife and Daughter, and each time I sent one, it localized my position on a map that they could see online. I would typically send one at night before bedtime, and another when I got to my first destination the next day. And usually another in the afternoon depending on what I was doing.

It also has an \"SOS\" button that you could use in an emergency situation. One morning, I was trying to get ahead of the herd in the dark, and I was down in a very steep creek drainage trying to get to an ambush position above a trail that went over a creek and through some wallows into the dark timber. One thing led to another, and I slipped and went down. When I got up, I noticed there was an arrow missing from my quiver. A quick look around found it...it had gone through my pantleg down by my calf. Not sure how the blade didn\'t touch me, it was a miracle. :angle:

It\'s good to know I could have been instantly located if I needed it.

 

[Don K]

Telling myself that taking one season and not going out west to hunt Elk and go whitetail hunting would be fine. As much as I love hunting whitetails I have Elk fever and am going nuts I didn\'t go west this year. Thankfully reading these threads and hunt updates is like I was there with you guys.

 

[iccyman001]

Don\'t confuse a grunt with a bark

I learned that one!!!!!

 

[WW]

Don\'t confuse a grunt with a bark

I learned that one!!!!!

And don\'t confuse a grunt with a chuckle. Two entirely different things with two entirely different meanings.

 

[iccyman001]

Don\'t confuse a grunt with a bark

I learned that one!!!!!

And don\'t confuse a grunt with a chuckle. Two entirely different things with two entirely different meanings.

This too! ^


Also, don\'t answer a chuckle with a challange.
That didn\'t work too swell for me

 

[mtnmutt]

Plans A-D must include subplans for weather (hot&dry, daily rain, funky wind, snow), getting sick, injury (ex:knee pain) and burn out.

Hunting mule deer and elk at the same time makes hunting more complicated. Focus on one or the other to achieve better results.