Advice on Advice.

[bullbugle307]

Weird topic title, I know. But here goes.

I drew my first LQ elk tag in Wyoming this year. Obviously, I did my research on here and other sites and found several threads about the unit. I gleaned a little info from those sources (but so did everyone else with the Google machine), and also gathered that at least one HTer seems to have some experience with the area.

So here's my question. Have you ever regretted soliciting advice for a unit? Did you ever feel like it took something away from the satisfaction of the hunt?

On the flip side, did you ever decide you wanted to go the route of self discovery and end up regretting that decision?

I honestly never ask for advice on how to hunt a unit unless it's with one of the few people I'm in an info sharing relationship with. But I don't know anyone personally who's hunted this unit whose advice I would trust.

General thoughts?

 

[AvidIndoorsman]

No, though most of the good advice I've been give has been about logistics, access, and/or confirmed my research.

I've had some great advice over the years but never 'hunt this lat long'.

 

[bullbugle307]

I can see that. I don't want that exact type of info either. Far from it. I am curious about general things as it's a pretty unique season structure, especially in my part of the state.

 

[Trap]

I still regret not getting more help on a lq tag I had in Idaho I went over board on doing the entire hunt myself. From research to going entirely solo for the actual hunt I would get whatever advice or help you can and throw away what you don’t think is good or necessary. You don’t get those tags every year

 

[Gellar]

Never regretted soliciting advice on spots but always take it with a grain of salt.

2 years ago I talked to the warden in the unit I drew a tag for. I knew him through a friend and had even met him and his dad the year previous when I was at my friends house for a few days. I showed him some drainages on a map I was thinking about looking closer at, putting boots on the ground. he said there would be elk in them, but he had never seen an elk east of a certain point. When I got to the unit all the sign pointed to where he said the elk would not be. My dad kept saying that the warden said there wouldn’t be elk there and we bickered about hunting as my dad wanted to go further west a few more drainages. I killed an elk on the second day where there weren’t supposed to be any and my dad killed one 3 days later. We never saw a hunter in that part but where the warden said the elk would be at there were hunters. I also found out later that the warden had a tag for the unit. Even though he gave good advice, he was a little misleading.

I guess my point is to listen to advice given but don’t be afraid to trust your instinct and first hand experiences once you are in the unit.

 

[Pucky Freak]

Have you ever regretted soliciting advice for a unit? Did you ever feel like it took something away from the satisfaction of the hunt?

On the flip side, did you ever decide you wanted to go the route of self discovery and end up regretting that decision?

Antelope - I got a lot of unsolicited advice on where to hunt and I found it to be useful. I don’t regret it. I filled my doe/fawn tag based on said advice. Mid-hunt I was struggling with tactics and reached out to the HT community. I got some very helpful advice which led to me fill my buck tag soon afterwards in an area I researched on my own.

Elk - I solicited advice from the district biologist and I don’t regret it.

Any local game and fish - I prefer to figure it out on my own since I have x20 more time to scout. It’s more satisfying.

Bottom line: no matter how much advice you get, you can always still do your own scouting and hunt your own hunt if you want. You can try your own thing first and follow the advice as a backup or vice-versa.

 

[rwc101]

No, but my inbox is full of people who probably regret asking my advice.

 

[noharleyyet]

I solicited some NM area specific input a couple of years ago but didn't have enough posts to escape the folly torching...

 

[Sytes]

I've had HT members share specific areas. If I end up in that area, I respond with an OnX share of the areas in and around (a SitRep) as a show of respect. Had I thwacked one, some good summer sausage would follow, etc.

Hah! Found a HT'ers GPS he left on a log at a mutual area we've both hunted over the past 15-20 years.

I've shared an area we've hunted over some 10 years back,

 

[Gerald Martin]

I've had HT members share specific areas. If I end up in that area, I respond with an OnX share of the areas in and around (a SitRep) as a show of respect. Had I thwacked one, some good summer sausage would follow, etc.

Hah! Found a HT'ers GPS he left on a log at a mutual area we've both hunted over the past 15-20 years.

I've shared an area we've hunted over some 10 years back,

I’ve given Sytes some advice on specific areas but he never killed anything there.

Which leads me to question the wisdom of asking me for advice.

Does anyone have any advice on how to give good advice to people asking for advice?

I have also received some great advice from HT’ers that helped me narrow down areas of interest and give me confidence my time and energies were being spent in a good area. That usually pays off as I start to see animals and develop my own strategies based on my experience in the area.

I find that I am constantly second guessing myself that maybe another area is better and I should be there. So, advice that someone else has found success in a particular area helps me to give priority to that area.

 

[Zootownelk]

I'll take all the advice I can get! Elk country is big country, it's not like "hunt this pothole for ducks" (which I'd also gladly listen to). Plenty of room for self discovery in a unit even with some tips. I started hunting with my uncle at a spot in Wyoming that he'd been hunting for 20 years. We hunt mainly the same few drainages and are still finding new "secret spots".

 

[mtmuley]

I'll give advice for a limited entry area and I have. My general elk hunting area, no way. mtmuley

 

[Sytes]

I’ve given Sytes some advice on specific areas but he never killed anything there.

Which leads me to question the wisdom of asking me for advice.

I'd say it's the hunter. I was looking elsewhere and asked if he had ever scouted an area before... if so, and full respect if he preferred not to share, what to expect in the area.
He told me that area, it was pretty low for elk though good for muleys (I believe). He then openly shared the location my partner (67 y/o) and I eventually choose. Great camp setting, etc. Reasonable access,, etc.
We were in there some 5 days and various drainage including one he specifically shared.

Gerald's the salt of the earth, genuine type of guy many know him as.
If I were to choose? It was the hunter.

Great area! If I could find those things people call elk. I have a picture to make sure I know it's an elk before I shoot.

Thanks again Gerald and to others who've opened spot(s) to my partner and I and a cheers to the guy who nailed a nice bull in an area I shared. Haha! Must I pulled from there was a 5x and he pulled a 6x7! That's a pretty cool feeling.

 

[lsutigers_1]

Hello all. I am from Louisiana and have been an avid hunted my entire life. I have killed many whitetail deer in Louisiana, Texas, and Missouri. I once even went to Florida and killed one. I have developed a desire and passion to travel out west and kill an elk and a mule deer. Last year I made my first ever attempt at an over the counter bull tag in Colorado in the Gunnison are. I ate a tag sandwich! I would love this year to try Montana and I am looking at Region 3 and wanting to go for B-Licenses for a cow elk and whitetail does. I don't expect to kill an elk but I'd like to at least give it an honest effort. The deer license would be to hopefully bring home some meat.

I've narrowed my choices down based off license availability but that's still pretty broad. I currently am looking at Units:
300 (elk)
302 (elk)
311 (deer and elk)
312 (deer and elk)
320 (deer and elk)
322 (deer and elk)
323 (elk)
324 (deer and elk)
325 (deer and elk)
326 (deer and elk)
327 (elk)
328 (elk)
329 (elk)
330 (deer and elk)
331 (elk)
332 (elk)
333 (deer)
340 (deer)
360 (deer)

I'd never ask for a honey hole, but could someone give me some advise on where to narrow down my search too. We'd like to tent camp to cut down on travel time and to just enjoy the experience.

 

[3855WIN]

Knowledge is power. If you can’t pre-scout, it sure is nice to have a few tips.
I’ve been fortunate enough to get some very good tips over the years.