First time elk hunter
- Thread starter mo_hunter
- Start date
lets put a little perspective on this. this guy is from mo, never elk hunted, LEFT handed, AN shoots a Mathews bow. no point on him even coming out. think hes hunting on brokeback mountain, lol. (an I promised him he wouldn\'t get flamed on this site, lol). just kidding man, glad you joined. ask away, these guys are great.
cohunter14
Administrator
- Jul 10, 2017
- 5,332
Welcome Travis! Ask away, there is already a ton of knowledgable people here. Where are you planning on hunting?
Buglemaster
New member
- Aug 25, 2017
- 334
:wave: Welcome Travis! Can\'t believe Scott\'s yankin your chain already. He\'s generally a pretty mild mannered guy 
I can\'t think of a better place for a new elk hunter to pick up some terrific advise on the pursuit of the great wapiti ! Glad to see you here.
I can\'t think of a better place for a new elk hunter to pick up some terrific advise on the pursuit of the great wapiti ! Glad to see you here.
cohunter14
Administrator
- Jul 10, 2017
- 5,332
:lol: Sounds like a lucky guy!
Welcome Travis. I am new here as I guess we all are. Elk mentors can and will help you. It has been on my mind that elk forums make hunting the critters sound like you need to be in the physical condition of an Olympic decathlon athlete, fueled on pinion seeds and granola. You will need to understand every elk sound and be able to mimic every nuance, plus recognize every facet of the elk\'s physiology.
Learn the basics of good big game hunting techniques. Learn as much as you reasonably can about elk hunting in particular, but don\'t stress over it. Be patient and persistent. The best thing you can do is go with someone that knows elk hunting, and has had considerable success. Trying to apply every elk hunting tip you can read on elk forums, to your hunting area and time of hunt, will drive you nuts.
Good Luck
Learn the basics of good big game hunting techniques. Learn as much as you reasonably can about elk hunting in particular, but don\'t stress over it. Be patient and persistent. The best thing you can do is go with someone that knows elk hunting, and has had considerable success. Trying to apply every elk hunting tip you can read on elk forums, to your hunting area and time of hunt, will drive you nuts.
Good Luck
cohunter14
Administrator
- Jul 10, 2017
- 5,332
\"Swede\" said:
Don\'t listen to Swede, all he eats are pinion seeds and granola :lol:
In all seriousness, definitely pay attenton to what Swede said...people tend to over complicate elk hunting. Learn as much as you can, but don\'t overthink it. It isn\'t rocket science...
elkmtngear
New member
- Aug 9, 2017
- 1,152
Welcome Steve, sounds like you are looking for an archery elk experience. Never hunted Idaho or Montana but I have quite a few years invested in Colorado.
You can certainly pull off what you are trying to do by remotely scouting, but it\'s always a big bonus to have someone who knows an area along, or at least someone that has done some serious elk hunting in the past.
Are you planning on a solo hunt, or with a group of hunters?
You can certainly pull off what you are trying to do by remotely scouting, but it\'s always a big bonus to have someone who knows an area along, or at least someone that has done some serious elk hunting in the past.
Are you planning on a solo hunt, or with a group of hunters?
I don\'t know yet. I have a cousin who has hunted CO for several years and killed a bull with a rifle. He may go with me but he hasn\'t committed. I may go solo. I\'m 41 now and just have this thing about beating the mountains on my own. That doesn\'t mean I have to kill one just survive them and have experience some vocal bulls. Been hunting Missouri all my life and feel like I have experienced most everything public land has to offer here. My only experience with CO was that it was really crowded, that was just east of Crested Butte in 2009.
elkmtngear
New member
- Aug 9, 2017
- 1,152
Idaho and Colorado have the best OTC opportunities. Statistically, Colorado has the most elk per acre in the U.S., but some of the OTC units can be pretty crowded. A good start would be checking individual units for success rates, public land access, etc. on the State websites. Then it\'s a matter of scouting an area on Google earth, looking for access points to areas with some good benches, North facing timber pockets, open parks, and possible water sources. And of course, getting your body in shape for \"elk aerobics\".
I was lucky to have a Seasoned elk hunter with me my first few Seasons (Colorado public land, draw unit), and I ended up killing a bull my first year out. Even if you get into areas where there are a good number of elk, you can have days on end of silence. If solo hunting, with no physical scouting, I think you\'d be better off hunting from a mobile base camp type setup, rather than packing into an area for miles where elk could be scarce. You can hike into a different drainage each day that way if required, and cover ground until you find elk.
It\'s possible the first couple years could be just an investment for future success, or you could hit it just right and tag out. Can go either way.
Pay close attention to the hunting threads here, you will pick up little gems of great information along the way. You have a lot of time to prepare. Don\'t be afraid to ask specific questions, we are all eager to help if we can.
I was lucky to have a Seasoned elk hunter with me my first few Seasons (Colorado public land, draw unit), and I ended up killing a bull my first year out. Even if you get into areas where there are a good number of elk, you can have days on end of silence. If solo hunting, with no physical scouting, I think you\'d be better off hunting from a mobile base camp type setup, rather than packing into an area for miles where elk could be scarce. You can hike into a different drainage each day that way if required, and cover ground until you find elk.
It\'s possible the first couple years could be just an investment for future success, or you could hit it just right and tag out. Can go either way.
Pay close attention to the hunting threads here, you will pick up little gems of great information along the way. You have a lot of time to prepare. Don\'t be afraid to ask specific questions, we are all eager to help if we can.
Thanks, not looking for anybody to give me their honey hole. just advice. I have hunted turkeys on public land in missouri for many years with a lot of success. I would like to eventually be able to do the same with elk but I know it\'s a whole different ballgame in the Rockies. I have not even begun to study elk vocabulary. I\'m banking I\'ll be able to work mouth calls fairly easy since I\'ve been using them for 30 years on turkeys. My main concern is to learn how elk \"operate\". I don\'t figure there\'s a lot that will compare to whitetails. I also need to learn some survival skills such as water in the mountains and how to pack enough food. I never considered driving around, that could be another tactic to consider. I was basing my idea of hiking in deep off of advice from my cousin. Thanks.
elkmtngear
New member
- Aug 9, 2017
- 1,152
I hunted the last four days solo last Season (8 days before with two other \"newbies\"). We had a spike camp and got into elk, but found the pockets that held bulls were few and far between, due partly to hunting pressure (and this is an area I knew very well). We did have encounters, but they were limited.
Here\'s a link to the story of that last four days, it might give you a rough idea on what you might expect during a typical hunt in the high country:
http://elkmtngear.com/blog/my-last-chance-solo-effort.html
Here\'s a link to the story of that last four days, it might give you a rough idea on what you might expect during a typical hunt in the high country:
http://elkmtngear.com/blog/my-last-chance-solo-effort.html
Colorado_Lew
New member
- Mar 4, 2014
- 189
Jeff that\'s a great article, I really enjoyed reading it. Seems like I saw some of those pictures on the bowsite.\"elkmtngear\" said:
I can remember the finger pic, ouch!
elkmtngear
New member
- Aug 9, 2017
- 1,152
\"Colorado_Lew\" said:
Thanks Lew. If I had taken the pic right after I did it, it would have taken the shape of the inside of my door
I spent a lot of time beforehand sending choice words echoing down the canyon!
Awesome article elkmtngear. That\'s the kind of experience I\'m looking for. Something to challenge myself and if I should kill, that\'s just a bonus. I\'m tired of seeing these bulls on TV. I want to see one up close and personal in the Rockies without having to wade through hunters. I keep remembering what it was like to call in my first gobbler many years ago and how exciting that was. They still excite me but I go to the woods every spring expecting to work a bird and I\'ll admit some of the excitement has worn off. I have more fun calling them in for hunters who haven\'t yet experienced gobblers hammering in their face. I\'m 41 with 2 knee replacements but can still get around pretty good. I know my years are running out so I\'ve got to get out there and get some experience under my belt soon.
