Free Gear Friday (3/1/19)

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DTP

Administrator
Jun 13, 2017
1,846
Good morning, Elk101!

It's Friday so let's kick it off with another giveaway!
Today's winner will take home a Heads Up Decoy and a RMHC "All-Star" diaphragm.

Entry is simple.... share an elk hunting tip for success in your post and you're entered.
EACH MEMBER MAY SUBMIT AS MANY ENTRIES AS THEY WANT.
The entry must have some sort of substance to it.
Single word responses will not count.

This contest will run until 7:30PM MST.  :upthumb:

Good luck, have fun, and let's all learn some cool things!
 
Since I failed to notch my only elk tag so far I?m not sure how much weight this will carry, but here goes nothing.

Don?t be afraid to improvise when circumstances are different than you planned for. On my OTC Colorado archery elk hunt we found much more human competition than we expected. After finding sign, but no elk we determined they may be in a small island of thicker growth that was being overlooked by other hunters.

We still hunted this area and both came as close as we could to filling tags and found more elk than during those two days than during the rest of the 11 day trip combined.  The elk were in there and with a little more luck we would have filled a tag. That?s not even close to how we planned to hunt elk, but sometimes you just have to find a way.


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Consider a fanny pack.  When I have worn a day pack, I get a lot more hot and sweaty as it tends to confine my clothing not allowing it to breath.  I also tend to take more stuff than I actually need.  With fanny pack I don't have these issues (I use one without shoulder straps) and with high quality and lightweight gear it is amazing how much gear can fit in a fanny pack.  For example, I now have a combination camera/GPS eliminating separate camera and GPS.  Havalon knife is small and lightweight compared to former knife and sharpener.  There are some cons of course to a fanny pack, but it seems most people assume they have to use/have a day pack without even thinking of the fanny pack option. 
 
Wake up earlier than you think you need to and return later than you want to.  I tend to not get to my target area early enough for my morning hunt and often elk seem to move out of some open areas within the first half hour.  (this is an area I'm still working on!) Same in the evenings as they often come out the last half hour of light so be prepared with headlamp/flashlight to hike in and out in the dark.
 
Now with my 3 rd year under my belt I finally nocked my arrow and dropped my first bull. 5+5  it was a great hunt used a drop camp best hunt ever in the 3 years. Most elk seen in one year then in the last two.  [emoji106][emoji106]


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Leave camp cold.  Crawling out of a warm sleeping bag it is hard not to dress up to keep warm, and then folks leave camp with all that clothing to head out to hunt.  A quarter to half a mile later they have to shed clothes as getting overheated, and then the rest of the day they lug around that extra clothing.  Or they have to take breaks to cool down.  I shed clothes before I even leave camp, and while I am pretty chilled at first, I start warming up after that 1/4-1/2 mile and then good for the rest of the morning.  If it really warms up, may still have to shed some clothes, but a lot less to lug around.  For example, on a 25 degree morning I'll be wearing a wicking T-shirt, a lightweight fleece shirt and a fleece vest.  Pretty chilly when heading out.  Maybe in mid-day I'm shedding the vest if it gets to the 50s-60s and sunny.  Of course you have to watch the weather, and have safety gear in your pack like emergency shelter and fire starting kit, so keep all that stuff in mind.   
 
Even if you know an area well, it's best if you can scout before season starts.  Be that weeks before or days before as elk can change patterns from what you think they normally do.  A few days invested in scouting can save you precious hunting days to concentrate where you're finding the best sign.  We've gone to areas where we saw plenty of elk the previous year, only to find out they moved to a different area due to better habitat.  So trust your scouting info and if you don't find sign where they've typically been, scout other areas as they really can vacate an area where you've "always" seen them previously!
 
Here is a huge tip that I could give any newbie here. When in setup, pick lanes and hide yourself well. I stood out like a sore thumb thinking I was covered and I wasnt. I was to eager to see him and he ended seeing me first.
 
I haven't killed an elk with my bow yet, still learning!  BUT I have hunted with my husband and called in elk.  My tip is always stay a ways back when calling and if you are the shooter don't hide behind something.  Position yourself comfortable in front of a "full cover background" such as brush or trees and trust your Camo!  Last thing you want is to have poor shooting lanes or fighting brush. 
 
Well I have never hunted any big game. So I am excited to go this year jumping right in. Best advice I can give is listen, watch and read everything you can from elk 101.

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Best advice that I can give to someone especially new to elk hunting is if you think you are in shape give it a little more effort in the gym. Push it to your limits and then some. I?ve found that is my biggest weakness and my goal to work on this year so I can push through the moment in the elk woods. Both physically and mentally.


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Always assume elk will try to wind you!

I called in 2 bulls for a buddy our first day out together last fall. They wanted to party but we watched them come in from 200+ yards. It was exciting but I dropped behind my buddy when they got to 90 yards and was moving to put him between them and myself. They kept circling (I was doing my best to circle my buddy too and not get busted) while he stayed put. Unfortunately when they got to 60, they picked up his scent and buggered off.

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Pay attention to ALL the little details.  We hiked in to a great looking spot with fresh sign and were getting set up to call when my buddy went to mark our spot on his phone/OnX.  Somehow when his phone screen turned on his music started playing and instead of a sweet cow call, any elk in the area were treated to a Thomas Rhett song. 


Kind of a fluke thing, but I now double check to make sure all my ringers, music, alarms, and anything else that might make noise on my phone are OFF before l leave the truck
 
Get aggressive. I think this has cost me more elk then I would like to know. When I started getting aggressive I finally started taking some elk.













 
Check your equipment every time you step out. I lost a bull two years ago because of a torn string stop bumper. I had a tear in it and caused the string to deviate throwing my arrow high and right. No excuses!
 
Mental preparation is extremely important.  Being mentally ready to put in the long hours in the mountain is a key to success.  Especially when the weather gets bad or you miss a shot at a bull or you miss your family.  You have to keep your head in the game to climb the next ridge or go into the thick gnarly timber and then make your shot!!
 
No matter what happens while you are hunting, do not get discouraged. You may not be seeing elk, seeing elk sign, hear bugles, or whatever but you never know what is around the next bend in the trail or road. Just keep on keeping on and you will find the elk.
 
Always take one more step, it could mean the difference between success and failure. Your body is capable of more than you think. You can quit tomorrow.
 
Never leave your calls at home. Even if your hunting the late season and you don?t usually call during that time of year, you just never know when your going to wish you had a reed with you.
 
DTP said:
...share an elk hunting tip for success in your post and you're entered.
Click to expand...


Hunt where the elk are!  In other words, you must be willing to move.  It doesn't matter how good an area looked during scouting (e-scouting, game cameras, or boots-on-ground).  If the elk aren't there when you're hunting, go find them. 
 
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