Eye
Lil-Rokslider
Hey guys, newer hunter here looking for some opinions/advice.
Small amount of background. I grew up in Oregon and have been on a few hunting trips with my dad and some other relatives, for blacktail and elk. But never had a tag myself. I have continued to spend a lot of time outdoors, backpacking and fishing in remote areas of Oregon, and my new home Montana. I am experienced in cold weather and have my gear sorted out for winter temps and conditions.
My ultimate goal is to bow hunt elk in the early season next year, due to work travel I was not able to this year. But I have been planning my rifle season hunt.
My question is this. I am interested in forgoing the rifle and just hunting with a bow during the late season. But I am wondering if it is a good idea. I feel like it would be a good primer and get me even more ready for next years rut hunt. I am aware of the differences in behavior of elk later in the season, and that is where I am having some doubts. Do any of you guys hunt with a bow later in the year, and are you able to get close enough for a realistic shot? Or does the more solitary nature of the bulls and the lack of aggressive rut behavior preclude you from getting those closer encounters? I will also have the opportunity to take a mule deer or whitetail, so the question covers those species as well.
Am I on the right track as far as thinking this will just better prepare me for my season next year? In all honesty I know my chances are pretty slim as far as taking an elk in the unit I want to hunt, even with a rifle. And that's totally ok with me. But if the experience of hunting with a bow in the later season doesn't really translate to the rut hunts of the early fall, I might just stick with my rifle.
Thoughts?
Small amount of background. I grew up in Oregon and have been on a few hunting trips with my dad and some other relatives, for blacktail and elk. But never had a tag myself. I have continued to spend a lot of time outdoors, backpacking and fishing in remote areas of Oregon, and my new home Montana. I am experienced in cold weather and have my gear sorted out for winter temps and conditions.
My ultimate goal is to bow hunt elk in the early season next year, due to work travel I was not able to this year. But I have been planning my rifle season hunt.
My question is this. I am interested in forgoing the rifle and just hunting with a bow during the late season. But I am wondering if it is a good idea. I feel like it would be a good primer and get me even more ready for next years rut hunt. I am aware of the differences in behavior of elk later in the season, and that is where I am having some doubts. Do any of you guys hunt with a bow later in the year, and are you able to get close enough for a realistic shot? Or does the more solitary nature of the bulls and the lack of aggressive rut behavior preclude you from getting those closer encounters? I will also have the opportunity to take a mule deer or whitetail, so the question covers those species as well.
Am I on the right track as far as thinking this will just better prepare me for my season next year? In all honesty I know my chances are pretty slim as far as taking an elk in the unit I want to hunt, even with a rifle. And that's totally ok with me. But if the experience of hunting with a bow in the later season doesn't really translate to the rut hunts of the early fall, I might just stick with my rifle.
Thoughts?
