What did you ACTUALLY learn

[iccyman001]

I know this is a bit dated, but my last official 2014 tag ended yesterday, so that\'s why I am making the post today.

Today I did a little reflecting over my last year and all of my hunts.
At one point I got to thinking about this forum and thought to myself, how many things did I actually learn here.

Well, I will tell you what, it was more than I can even list.

All of my success this year in some way stemmed from stuff I learned on this forum.

Before this hunting season I had never hunted an elk in my life, seen an elk, or heard one.
I also hunted whitetail in a completely new terrain, something completely opposite from what I was used to.

Now fast forward to the end of the season and I shot my first elk ever, and killed two fairly nice bucks.



I went through all of the treads that I started and here are some of the things that I learned and actually were able to use this year.

I learned what a wallow was and that elk like to roll in the mud....
Guess who shot his elk in a wallow before he went to roll in the mud.

I learned cow call sequences...
Guess who called in elk my first day out and called in the spiker that I shot.

II learned a lot about ground hunting and using natural blinds....
Guess who shot his two bucks from the ground out of natural blinds.


These are just some examples, but I could go on much longer.


So with this being said, what have you HONESTLY learned this year? Anything? Or are you just coming for the good company?

 

[OldMan]

I learned hunting with a gimpy knee sucks!

 

[JohnFitzgerald]

It\'s hard for me to actually list what I learned. But I can say I learned from everyone(Pete, John E., Troy, Jeff, Brad, Derek, Patricia, Craig, and other names that have slipped my mind)! EVERYONE!!!!!!!!

It\'s always nice to hear so many opinions. Do we always agree....no! But that\'s whats nice about this forum, it has no underlying agenda or general click. We are a hodgepodge of experienced hunters, with different styles of hunting, and we are willing to share opinions in a peaceful and friendly manner while respecting the rest of our BTO family.

Very proud to learn each and every day from you all. And thank you EVERYONE for helping my son! Every night he asks me what \"someone\" meant by their post.

 

[F M]

Well said John. I to have learned to much to list, I think what I have now is a way better understanding of elk language than I ever have. I never really have called much before and used it more this last year with success.

Thank you all for being here and contributing.

 

[Swede]

Maybe the most important thing I learned is not what I added to my knowledge base, but what I learned to question. There is none greater than my theory on why the elk are leaving my hunting area, before or shortly after the start of hunting season. I have totally blamed it on cattle use and hunters. Now I suspect it is also quality forage on the nearby ranch that is drawing them and keeping them there. The elk used to slowly migrate toward the ranch, and would return during the rut. They are not doing that any more. Some have though the bulls are going to be with the cows, but why then do they leave the Forest so early?
It is also one thing to know something and having knowledge with conviction. Knowing the elk are gone is one thing. Now I know they are not coming back like they used to. This is knowledge that requires my making a change.

 

[cohunter14]

As many have said, the list is very long and probably too long to post here. What is awesome about this place is the fact that we can all share opinions and even when posting something to try to help someone else out, you can be helping yourself out. Talking about elk hunting and refreshing things in your mind is very helpful. There is so much to learn about elk hunting and it is easy to forget things or revert back to old ways of thinking. Constantly talking about them keeps it fresh in your mind and also allows you to learn from everyone else, which is awesome!

So, after all of that, I would say the number one thing I learned is that even with next year being my 20th year hunting elk, there is never too much knowledge to be had and always something more you can learn about elk and hunting elk!

 

[mtnmutt]

Here is a partial list of what I have learned here in the 10.5 months on this forum.

• Even though I know my hunting area well, it is good to re-evaluate it with fresh eyes after reading the posts on BTO. There is usually a tip in these posts that I had not thought of before.
  [/*:m:1diqs7x1]
• Still Hunting details...Thank you Pete for your detailed posts. I will try this during my scouting trips to see how I do with this technique.
  [/*:m:1diqs7x1]
• Think like an elk. Know their behavior on opening day, after the hunters push them, during the rut and the end of September. Elk behavior is very fluid.
  [/*:m:1diqs7x1]
• The meaning of bugles and other bull sounds. Because of my previous severe-profound hearing loss, I never paid much attention to these posts. This September was my first season with improved hearing. I could hear the bulls bugling. Too bad I did not study up before the season.
  [/*:m:1diqs7x1]
• Adding trimmer line to arrows is a good way to add weight without the expense of buying new arrows or higher weight inserts. Thank you cnelk for this tip. There were also lots of other great gear tips.
  [/*:m:1diqs7x1]
• Camo is mostly important to you. Movement should be more important than wearing matching camo or wearing any camo. White T-shirt and blue jeans are low cost alternatives to start hunting. Although, mountain weather may make you miserable in cotton. Do not try swede\'s bear outfit. A bear outfit will scare away the elk.[/*:m:1diqs7x1][/list:u:1diqs7x1]
  
  Thank you all for your continuing mentoring, education and having a respectful forum.

 

[razorback]

I\'ve certainly learned a lot and met one member who was an awesome hunting partner (bowhunter).

I learned a lot about thermals in the mountains. Much different than always planning on a W/SW wind here in SEMO.

Learned some elk vocab, still a lot more to learn.

I think the most important thing though and this may sound stupid but I realized I really don\'t know anything about elk. I\'ve read about elk hunting for years and going into last year I thought I had a pretty good idea about how to hunt them. After reading on this forum and talking to members I know that every situation encountered has a lot of variables and successful hunters generally have one thing in common. EXPERIENCE.

While there is no substitue for the real thing, I think this forum is probably the closest I will get short of actually tagging along with the likes of Pete, Brad, JF and Swede. Thanks to everybody for helping me in my endeavors!