Ok, I need your help. I'm 16 and I've always wanted to go elk hunting. I live in West Virginia and I have hunted rifle since I was eight for whitetail. I usually tag a deer every year. When I was fourteen I started archery hunting and I have tagged two deer in the two seasons. I have tagged more deer with rifle but I have hunted rifle a lot longer. We will be going to Montana in 2017 to hunt elk for my first time. The weeks the guide has open is the last part of September into October for archery. For rifle he has Thanksgiving week. (Last week of rifle) Which would you guys do? Thanksgiving week is the opening week of WV's rifle season for whitetail so I would have to miss that if we went for rifle.
Archery vs Rifle?
- Thread starter ColsonG
- Start date
B
Bull_Fighter
Guest
How could you go wrong with a guided archery hunt? Archery gets my vote.
Arrows4Elk
New member
- Feb 20, 2014
- 166
Archery!
Nothing like the elk rut in Sept. Good luck!
Nothing like the elk rut in Sept. Good luck!
Archery is my vote. I'm from Montana, but currently live in Idaho. The years I archery hunted in Montana I saw way more bulls than at any time I rifle hunted. It takes more skill and patience with a bow, but is a lot more fun even if you don't get one. Any elk I have ever killed on the last weekend of November was a cow. I know where a heard of elk winters at every year. Before I found the spot it was more of a crap shoot. With archery it seems that they are still high in the hills and not near as skittish. Plus the archery hunt should be significantly warmer than a November hunt. 4 years ago I killed an elk thanksgiving day and it was -15 degrees outside.
archery in the rut any time for me, but its about you if your going for the experience than archery for sure if you think you have to kill something to make it a hunt then go rifle but that late in the season it could be very cold and less elk left to find ,could be a less enjoyable hunt
backcountry_hunter
New member
- Aug 8, 2016
- 213
I think you need to be careful asking this question online. The truth is only you can decide which hunt to go on... If I may stereotype a little: Because of your age and location, I would bet that a father or mentor possibly is funding this hunt and you should sit down with him/her and figure out what's most important to you. For some hunters, killing an animal on a guided hunt is a very important deal. For some, not as much... If simply taking an animal is high on the priority list a late season guided hunt can be very attractive (especially through a guide who likely has private leased wintering type low grounds).
The fact is, most of us on here have been elk hunting at least for a little while and most would prefer to do a september rut hunt. Looking at success rates though this isn't likely your best bet if the end goal is to go home with an animal. If you want to have a flat out blast, ensure your heart can't physically pump out of your chest, and possibly kill a bull.... go archery. If you still want to have a good time, not climb as hard but sit in cold a little more, and have a better chance at killing an elk... go rifle. The choice is yours.
BTW.... you especially don't have to come all the way to Montana for an elk. Kentucky has some flatout great elk hunts right now and I don't think the preference point system has taken hold yet. Be worth applying for in the future.
The fact is, most of us on here have been elk hunting at least for a little while and most would prefer to do a september rut hunt. Looking at success rates though this isn't likely your best bet if the end goal is to go home with an animal. If you want to have a flat out blast, ensure your heart can't physically pump out of your chest, and possibly kill a bull.... go archery. If you still want to have a good time, not climb as hard but sit in cold a little more, and have a better chance at killing an elk... go rifle. The choice is yours.
BTW.... you especially don't have to come all the way to Montana for an elk. Kentucky has some flatout great elk hunts right now and I don't think the preference point system has taken hold yet. Be worth applying for in the future.
