Brittany Chukarman
Well-known member
Talk about how elk don't always go right down even when hit well. To stay on the same animal and not start shooting at another.
To All The New Elk Hunters.......
- Thread starter sreekers
- Start date
shoots-straight
Well-known member
It's almost like being a new elk hunter every year. You need to pay attention, because when you hunt elk, usually you'll have something thrown at you you've never seen before. Guys that are successful year after year are always learning. mtmuley
noharleyyet
Well-known member
^^^^^^...best post on this thread.
RockChucker30
Member
Hello all,
I'm Scott's counterpart in this series. I wanted to take a moment and thank you all for the comments. We truly do want to provide value to our readers, and you're helping us do it.
I did a quick tally, and so far we've got requests for articles covering:
- Meat Care (x2)
- Physical Conditioning
- Finding elk once you're there / what do you do if you don't find them (x2)
- Weather
- Hunting tactics
- Lethal shots / angles / kill zones
- Maps / Scouting
- Identifying Elk Habitat
- Identifying Elk Sign, and what does it mean?
- Gear
We had planned on several of these already, but this really helps flesh out the points we want to hit.
Keep it coming guys!
Nathan
I'm Scott's counterpart in this series. I wanted to take a moment and thank you all for the comments. We truly do want to provide value to our readers, and you're helping us do it.
I did a quick tally, and so far we've got requests for articles covering:
- Meat Care (x2)
- Physical Conditioning
- Finding elk once you're there / what do you do if you don't find them (x2)
- Weather
- Hunting tactics
- Lethal shots / angles / kill zones
- Maps / Scouting
- Identifying Elk Habitat
- Identifying Elk Sign, and what does it mean?
- Gear
We had planned on several of these already, but this really helps flesh out the points we want to hit.
Keep it coming guys!
Nathan
I get tons of emails asking about tactics, calling, etc. Yet, the biggest hurdle most face is how to find elk. If you can't find them, none of the tactics preached by the elk writers is going to do a bit of good.
I am doing a seminar at Elk Camp this week on this exact topic. Where to find public land elk in all seasons and all conditions.
Title of the seminar is Public Land Elk - To tag one, you have to find one.
Once you start looking at elk hunting as a quest to learn their needs and the behaviors those needs create, it gets pretty easy. Or, at least less difficult.
For the TV show, I do five or six self-guided public land elk hunts per year, most often in new locations/seasons. I have five days to find a bull and get a kill on camera. It has required a system that allows me to hit the ground running. Can't say it works every time, but once you focus on seasonal needs/behaviors, you will start seeing more elk.
I think all the focus on tactics can lead new hunters down the wrong path. Once you find them, killing them is actually pretty simple. Finding them seems to be the hard part.
I am far from being a great elk hunter. If I can kill them, they can't be too smart. I just spend 90% of my time getting to find them. The other 10% seems adequate for killing them.
I am doing a seminar at Elk Camp this week on this exact topic. Where to find public land elk in all seasons and all conditions.
Title of the seminar is Public Land Elk - To tag one, you have to find one.
Once you start looking at elk hunting as a quest to learn their needs and the behaviors those needs create, it gets pretty easy. Or, at least less difficult.
For the TV show, I do five or six self-guided public land elk hunts per year, most often in new locations/seasons. I have five days to find a bull and get a kill on camera. It has required a system that allows me to hit the ground running. Can't say it works every time, but once you focus on seasonal needs/behaviors, you will start seeing more elk.
I think all the focus on tactics can lead new hunters down the wrong path. Once you find them, killing them is actually pretty simple. Finding them seems to be the hard part.
I am far from being a great elk hunter. If I can kill them, they can't be too smart. I just spend 90% of my time getting to find them. The other 10% seems adequate for killing them.
THWAK1
New member
- Joined
- Jul 25, 2011
- Messages
- 787
Elk hunting "newbs" need to learn throught the school of hard knocks! Good luck to each of them though.
Elkmagnet
Well-known member
I don't think this applies to high pressure public land archery elk. Maybe its just me..
I second Big Fin, understand their needs, to find them. That seems to be the biggest hurdle.
At least once you find them it gets fun, before that you are just sort of hanging out in the woods with a lot of extra stuff.
I'm glad to see there is so much interest in this. I think there are a couple other really good points
- After the shot -- they don't always fall over even with a big gun and IMO, especially if they are very adrenaline charged before hand. I'm no expert, but from what I've seen a really adrenaline charged bull can go a long ways fast, despite a near fatal or soon to be fatal injury.
- Also the meat management can be difficult at times. There are so many variables. Me I always pass on the 350 + bulls just because I don't want to have to carry all that cape and stuff out of the woods. It's so much easier to just get the cow meat out and not have to worry about this thing having to go on my wall
At least once you find them it gets fun, before that you are just sort of hanging out in the woods with a lot of extra stuff.
I'm glad to see there is so much interest in this. I think there are a couple other really good points
- After the shot -- they don't always fall over even with a big gun and IMO, especially if they are very adrenaline charged before hand. I'm no expert, but from what I've seen a really adrenaline charged bull can go a long ways fast, despite a near fatal or soon to be fatal injury.
- Also the meat management can be difficult at times. There are so many variables. Me I always pass on the 350 + bulls just because I don't want to have to carry all that cape and stuff out of the woods. It's so much easier to just get the cow meat out and not have to worry about this thing having to go on my wall
I second Big Fin, understand their needs, to find them. That seems to be the biggest hurdle.
At least once you find them it gets fun, before that you are just sort of hanging out in the woods with a lot of extra stuff.
I'm glad to see there is so much interest in this. I think there are a couple other really good points
- After the shot -- they don't always fall over even with a big gun and IMO, especially if they are very adrenaline charged before hand. I'm no expert, but from what I've seen a really adrenaline charged bull can go a long ways fast, despite a near fatal or soon to be fatal injury.
- Also the meat management can be difficult at times. There are so many variables. Me I always pass on the 350 + bulls just because I don't want to have to carry all that cape and stuff out of the woods. It's so much easier to just get the cow meat out and not have to worry about this thing having to go on my wall
Its always such a bummer when you are tripping over 350 bulls and looking for cows.....
It is. You guys have a good sense of humor on this board, and that is a good thing. That is lacking on a lot of forums. Seriously though, I think Nathan almost needed an addition on his house for his bull. If I have to build an addition to hang a mount, the cost per pound of meat went way up
RockChucker30
Member
It took the domestic supervisor a while to decide where my bull could go in our tiny house.
There are so many antlers in my gear room it looks like an inside out porcupine.
There are so many antlers in my gear room it looks like an inside out porcupine.
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