What does your plan look like?

[cohunter14]

I know this could possibly differ from archery to muzzleloader to rifle, but what does your \'plan\' look like? Do you have a set plan on places you will go on day 1, day 2, day 3, etc for your hunt, assuming you don\'t run into elk on day 1? Or do you \'play it by ear,\' having your opening morning or day strategy and then going from there? I have always been in more or a reaction mode than a planned mode, but I might try something different this year and have a set plan for the first few days on exactly what I will do unless I run into elk.

 

[cnelk]

The \'plan\' is still a bit up in the air.
My good NR buddy isnt sure what week he will be coming, if at all.
My son and I and another buddy will be archery hunting opening weekend for sure.
Week 2 has been good to us. And long weekends after that.

I have been doing some \'dissecting\' of some spots and have determined that most spots are 1/2 mile X 1/2 in size.
Thats 160 acres to slip thru and move on to the next 160 acres

So, for now, that the \'plan\' but its subject to change

 

[bnsafe]

my plan is up in the air to. i have my cousin who hasnt committed to a time or even rather he is coming. another buddy who may bring a friend an hunt elsewhere instead of with me, an my son will hopefully be ml hunting with me for the first time.
but, as for opening weekend, i cant decide rather to focus on mulie which would make my season, or focus on elk. i just cant decide.

 

[americanbwana]

No real plan set yet.

I\'m going into a new area, packing camp in on my back. Will take day trip from the main camp.

I\'ll know once I get there to scout for a few days.

Open day has traditionally been cold calling. But I\'ve also opening days where the elk were talking.

 

[mtnmutt]

Last year was my first time using trail cams. Based on the low number of animals and high number of people pictures, I switched to Plan B area for last season. I only had 2 trail cams. I mistakenly set them both up in Plan A area.

This year, I will make a decision after I view the pics of my 2 trail cams. Last year\'s Plan B area is now Plan A area. If I win the lotto, I will buy more trail cams. Otherwise, I am stuck with just 2 trail cams that may get moved once in late summer.

Current Plan is archery Opening week in the new Plan A. The rest will depend on vacation time. I will also have a deer tag in a different unit than my elk hunting unit. The deer hunt is a backcountry hunt into Wilderness.

 

[Deertick]

Planning is the best part, so it\'s WAY too early to be done with that!

My current plan is to hunt pronghorn on Labor Day weekend ... spot and stalk. In 3 days, I hope to lose an arrow or two, and continue to learn a bit more about the ranch. Then, the following weekend, I\'ll take camp in and set it up, and do about a day-and-a-half of recon ... maybe to include some suspicious spots that I haven\'t been able to get to before. (See, even during the season I might end up changing my plans -- so why do we plan at all?)

The next weekend will start my week off vacation and hunting proper will commence. I\'ll expect them to be fairly vocal by then, and I\'ll likely start with some nighttime calling to locate them for the first morning of hunting. (I won\'t be sleeping anyway!)

I originally had a NR buddy coming out, but he didn\'t draw a tag, so it looks like I\'ll be alone, which is really ok. I know, success rates rise with two hunters working together, but if I can make it work alone, I\'ll be one happy guy. I\'ll be swinging for the fence.

 

[OldMan]

My plan never changes. I\'ve hunted the same unit with few exception since the 50\'s. needless to say I know it well. Yet, I still scout it constantly. At a minimum 200 days a year. I have at all times 10 areas to hunt. Some call them honey holes. I call them hunting areas. I\'m always looking for new areas, because i\'ll drop one that other hunters find.

So, my plan is to go to one of my areas the 1st day of the hunt. I might end up staying in it for the whole hunt. I might also go to all the different areas in the 9 days of the hunt. That\'s rare, and it\'s usually 2-3 different areas. Seeing another hunter will drive me from an area immediately. In my style of hunting I can hunt all day, so it isn\'t necessary for me to be in an area at daylight.

So, that\'s my plan. It\'s always the same, but not always the same.

 

[cohunter14]

Good coversation so far guys. I think it is important for some of the new guys lurking around to notice that no one has their one spot that they hunt. Even the most successful hunters among us do not have decisive plans or just hunt one area. Elk hunting is about adapting and changing, doing whatever you can to find the elk.

This can help to explain why trying to hunt the same area year after year can be so important. The more you can learn about an area, the better. I also have new spots marked in my area this year that I hope to get a chance to check out, but haven\'t in the past. The more good spots you have, the better!

 

[Swede]

The Lord willing I plan to be out hunting on the first day of the season and stay with it until I get one or run out of time. The exact places I hunt will depend on what the conditions are like. I may even look at a new area. I plan to mostly tree stand hunt for myself. I hope to do some calling at least for my son and friends.
I was talking to my son this week. We went out on one particular evening for a walk after dinner. We were discussing how he called in and killed his 5x5 bull last September. In our conversation he said he really enjoyed calling in his bull and killing it on the ground. I told him I preferred to tree stand hunt because of how productive it had been using that technique. My son\'s follow-up comment put it is perspective. He said, \"you would never have had the same success on the ground, that you have had from a tree stand\". Where I hunt the difference is not even close, so I am thinking about venturing away for part of the hunting season, especially if my son wants a caller.

 

[Zpd307]

hunting a new area this year. I have been scouring ge on the large area that we plan on hunting so that I can key on certain spots when we scout it in august. if all goes well and we find fresh sign, that will determine what canyon we hunt opening morning.

 

[mainebrdr]

My plan this year is to be in Co. for the second week in an over otc unit I have never hunted before. I plan on getting acquainted with the area on a short trip there sometime in the summer. I\'ve been receiving some help from a knowledgeable, more locale source. I am working on a plan B if needed due to pressure, lack of elk, etc. but am not finished with that at this point. Anticipation!!!

 

[OldMan]

I\'m seeing...new area...OTC in posts. What you see before the hunt, is not what you\'ll see during the hunt.

What you should be looking for is where will the elk go when pressured? They sure won\'t be hanging around where the hunters are, and where they are before hunting season.

This is why it\'s difficult to hunt a new area during hunting seasons. Sometime the best scouting is during the hunt, but you\'re scouting for the next year.

It\'s so important to know what the elk will do when you\'re there. You can only know this by hunting the same area for years.

Always keep in mind when hunting an area. Was it easy to hunt and find? Then it will be easy for everybody. Especially, for an OTC unit, because now even getting the tag was easy.

Of course anybody can get lucky, and kill an elk where they shouldn\'t have. Do you want to depend on being lucky?

 

[Zpd307]

pete, that is great advice! I definitely hear you there. that was my definite concern when looking for a new spot. if all else fails I will put the miles on to find them, just as I had to do in Colorado.

 

[cnelk]

My plan this year is to be in Co. for the second week in an over otc unit I have never hunted before. I plan on getting acquainted with the area on a short trip there sometime in the summer. I\'ve been receiving some help from a knowledgeable, more locale source. I am working on a plan B if needed due to pressure, lack of elk, etc. but am not finished with that at this point. Anticipation!!!

Tim
When we scout that one spot, we will have time to look and at a plan B.... I know just the spot

 

[Bob Frapples]

Luckily a guy on here has thrown me a bone of opportunity if I strikeout on my LE draws. Will get a 7 day run to cover some ground in July or August to do some scouting.

Got to wait a little later in year to figure out how my vacation will be able to be shuffled to iron down dates.

 

[otcWill]

Looks like a dang battle plan with specifics on every am and pm hunt and how to approach as well as back up plans for everything. Of course its all out the window once I glass a nice bull outside the plan!

 

[Deertick]

As Mike Tyson (?) said ... everybody\'s got a plan until the the punches start flying ... or something like that.

 

[OldMan]

As Mike Tyson (?) said ... everybody\'s got a plan until the the punches start flying ... or something like that.

Everybody has a plan until they get punched in the face.

I think that was it.