Might hang up the bow

[PlusFive]

I have had a tough archery season. I have either been running into people, bears, or whitetails. Not much elk. I am having higher hopes for rifle season. With only a day at a time to hunt I have found it too difficult to pattern elk.

 

[Keeptrying]

I enjoyed my first day of archery hunting last weekend.

Visions of glory danced in my head the night before.

Rain, cold, hunting in a burn. Didn't see a deer all day.

Found a herd of elk with a nice bull, and deer that night, but it was an interesting day for sure.

 

[FAIR CHASE]

Don't be a quitter.
Getting away from other hunters is the easy part.

 

[Nameless Range]

Bears of the right species and whitetails are over the counter tags. Hunting a day at a time definitely reduces the chance of success, but that's what most folks do.

Just enjoy hunting. Is there anything finer than September in Montana Mountains? Look at it as a hike with possibilities.

 

[teej89]

Look at it as a hike with possibilities.

Bingo!

 

[406LIFE]

yeah... quitting is for quitters.

Archery has been tough, but as Tom Hanks said, "The hard is what makes it great."

 

[aecrowell]

What's great about Montana is your elk license is good for Archery as well as rifle. Hunt as time permits with your bow and if your don't connect pick up your rifle and continue the quest.

As I like to say here back east nothing is more dangerous in the woods than a bow hunter with a rifle in his hands. Pick up that pea shooter and go get even.

 

[Brian in Montana]

I know what you mean. I've had a couple of tough archery seasons. Things seemed to change a bit this year with the weather we recently got. More elk moving around and I actually got pretty darn close a couple times last weekend. Hang in there. You never know what might happen.

 

[PlusFive]

I went fishing today and had some success. I will be heading back out Sunday. Still being Non res I am not going to get a black bear tag yet. This spring I will. However, I do have a big blackie pinned down. He hangs out in the same area. Maybe he will stay until spring and I can get him then .

 

[Elkhunter24]

Good luck to you! hopefully your luck will change.

 

[Rainer]

If you're willing to give up after one tough season, archery definitely isn't right for you. You can cop out and just rifle hunt

 

[el unit]

Keep at it. Don't bank on rifle season to fill your elk tag. I see a lot more elk during archery season than during rifle season in SW Montana.

 

[Brian in Montana]

Keep at it. Don't bank on rifle season to fill your elk tag. I see a lot more elk during archery season than during rifle season in SW Montana.

This is very true.

 

[Western Traveler1]

I wish I could lift my bow, let alone draw it! I hunted archery Wyoming for 11 days this season (had to resort to a crossbow). Saw cows (one broadside at 40 yards) no bulls. The weather never cut me a break of more than a few hours and only 3 days at that. At my age hiking icy trails, sideways snow and torrential downpours solo hunting is a bit dicey. Yes, the thought of running into a grizzly is unsettling (always bear spray and a sidearm) but I have zero regrets of the time I spend in the mountains. If I was younger I would have regretted coming out before archery ended (because of the above statement) but I still have rifle ahead so I'm going back. Saw many bull moose and deer as well. Want to fill my tag but that is only a part of the overall experience...

 

[PlusFive]

It is funny how one gets attuned to a species. This is my first western elk hunting year. Being from the midwest and hunting whitetail like crazy even out here I can pick out whitetail habitat and trails like nothing. I could have filled my deer tag with a whitetail many times over. Elk are just throwing me for a loop. So much land compared to back home. The hardest part is the mental aspect of a radically different hunting strategy compared to farmland.

My one question regarding archery is how thorough do you have to be with elk when searching? Whitetails will hide in a 5 or even 1 acre brush spot. Do elk do the same or do they prefer large tracts of woods, such as a 200 acre piece of thick timber? Also if in that timber will they hold tight and quite not letting you know they are there until walking right up on them?

 

[opyff]

when you've figured out how to pattern elk, let me know. Elk have no problem travelling miles for water every day and besides the rut really have no rhyme or reason for a lot of what they do unless water, feed and cover is at a premium

 

[opyff]

when you've figured out how to pattern elk, let me know. Elk have no problem travelling miles for water every day and besides the rut really have no rhyme or reason for a lot of what they do unless water, feed and cover is at a premium or it is peak rut

 

[airlocksniffer]

Any day in the elk woods is a good day IMO, even if I'm just taking my bow for a nice hike.

 

[el unit]

The elk will move around all throughout the thick timber and even if they appear one night on a meadow or hillside, that doesn't mean they will be there again the following evening. Even if they are not pressured, the elk will still cover a lot of ground all day and night long- between beds, food, water, cover, and just being unpredictable elk.
And they will be quiet. At least they have been around here lately. If you're in the heavy woods with elk sign, move slowly and pay close attention to your surroundings- not just staring at the trail.
Do not rely on bugles alone to locate elk.

 

[el unit]

oops- double posted