Hunting A chosen Way

[Swede]

Last week I asked a series of biological questions about elk. This week I want to ask some relevant practical hunting questions.
To start with why did you choose your hunting style and weapon? Considering your hunting style, what are the advantages you have in your hunting habitat, or why not change?
In the end here, I want to see if we hunt the way we do because of the area and time we want to hunt, tradition/social needs, don\'t know anything else, or is it an educated decision?

 

[elkmtngear]

30 years ago, I put down the rifle and started bowhunting exclusively. So, when I started elk hunting around 20 years ago, it was just a natural progression from hunting deer and other big game.

Even though I still shoot without sights and with a finger tab, I shoot a compound. Mainly for the ability to hold my draw if needed (I\'ve been burned many times attempting to draw on elk).

I have adapted my hunting style to the area I hunt...it has progressed to a combination of \"running and gunning\" in the mornings, and sitting tree stands in the evenings. Since the terrain is so steep, it\'s difficult to close the gap on elk, and having the extra time in the mornings can allow me to use contours to try to get an encounter. Evenings it seems the elk do not get vocal until it\'s too late to reach them, but since there are a number of known treestands in the area, I can often get an early \"silent\" encounter on known trails from bedding areas.

 

[cohunter14]

For me, it is simply that is how I was brought into elk hunting was with a rifle. My father and his buddies rifle hunted, so that was the only choice. As far as what style, I have hunted and tried them all. I think a lot of that decision needs to be based on the area you hunt. For example, you cannot spot and stalk hunt in an area where you don\'t have a high point to glass from. Another example of this is I used to hunt an area where we had patterned the elk pretty well and knew certain trails they would use. In that circumstance, stand hunting worked great.

To make it an educated decision, my thoughts are that you either need to pick what style of hunting you want to do and find an area that works for that or you need to find an area you want to hunt and adapt your style to that area.

 

[timberland]

Archery has appealed to me since I was old enough to hunt because I can hunt 4 months instead of 9 days. The intimacy of the pursuit ie: hearing them breathe vs long distant kills. I get more trophy potential out of the chase and not the antler size. I am upping the game for WT by going traditional this year. The only reason I haven\'t for elk is my time limitations. I elk hunt spot n stalk/ stillhunt/ call because they are relatively easy to hunt that way compared to a WT where 98% of my hunting is from a tree.

 

[cnelk]

I\'m a hunter.
I like to archery hunt elk but if an opportunity to fill an empty tag with a rifle, count me in.

I grew up with both firearms and bows in hand.
I hunt anything and everything. I like to try new areas but the ones I\'m familiar with are like a good fitting glove.

To limit yourself to one weapon, one season, one area isn\'t for me.

I realize it is a risk but I\'m willing to take those risks because I believe the benefit is better than the possible failure

 

[otcWill]

I\'m a bowhunter, have been since I was 9 years old. Maybe it was because I was good with the bow in day camp as a young kid. I\'m not sure but when I became eligible for hunter safety in NJ, I wanted to bowhunt. My father had never bowhunted at the time. He\'s now an addict as well. I took firearm safety also because I love upland bird hunting, but to me nothing compares to bowhunting big game.

As for my style of hunting, I match my style with the best odds of being successful killing the species for which I\'m hunting. Well, except for pronghorn. I can\'t stand sitting in the blind and usually stalk em. For elk, as I believe that is what the question refers to, I hunt extremely difficult terrain because I get it all to myself. I spot/stalk or call/stalk and usually solo. I know the elk and the country very well and have had quite a few years of success with this style. I would like to try treestanding for elk and may do that next year. Its just hard to stay away from calling them in especially since I killed my last two bulls from an average of about 5 yards. This year I was attacked! :shock:

 

[Swede]

I believe there are some great points being brought out in this thread. We do best when we match our hunting equipment, style and area. I could try to hunt from a tree stand in the rifle season, but I am satisfied my success would drop off drastically. Well, maybe not much more than it has fallen the last couple of years. Now I am at a point where I need to reassess my hunting and look for a new place to hunt. Again, it is important to match an area to my hunting style and equipment.

 

[Lark Bunting]

It seemed I always had a bow growing up. Not sure where the desire to shoot came from as nobody in my family ever hunted. I loved shooting my BB guns and bow and arrow as a kid and really liked the personal challenge of making a perfect shot. Life went on and I didn\'t stick with it as I grew into an adult.

I bought a Mid-Grade Hoyt in 2000 because a few guys at work were talking about going to an archery range during our lunch breaks. I had a blast shooting again.

Fast forward to a couple years ago when my son and I took the hunter\'s safety course and began hunting small game. Last year someone at work told me about the OTC tags for elk so I got one and tuned up that old Hoyt. Spent every moment possible this last year learning more and more about big game hunting, upgraded darn near everything and bought my son a bow as well.

I had the pleasure of hunting a lot of Colorado this year, North Park, South Park and Middle Park. I saw elk in all of them. I know I need to focus on one area to learn it better but I enjoyed every bit of this season and pride myself on seeing elk in all the units I hunted. Especially since I\'m so new to this sport.

One day I may buy a rifle to extend the season but for now, archery is what I enjoy. I like the weather more in September...for the most part. It makes tent camping more enjoyable.

I am looking at pop-up trailers again. If I could buy one cheap enough with a heater and get it fixed up I would be more inclined to a rifle hunt, again, to extend my hunting season.

I don\'t know how to classify my hunting style other than to say I don\'t like to sit still. I put in a LOT of miles this September...next bend, next hill, next draw, next meadow...I wanted to see it all. Only when I was physically exhausted did I sit.

I have a lot to learn and look forward to many years of doing this. I am hoping next year is my year to get an elk. Third year\'s a charm!