Whats your formula for success?

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Mar 6, 2016
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Everyone who is successful at any big game has a "formula" they like to follow if they can because it is what has worked for them in the past be it finding a hot bull and calling, sitting water etc.

Ive never laid eyes on the mountains but I am starting to formulate my plan though Im sure it will change given opportunity and circumstance.

Im going to start with trying to spot elk watch them and either get in front of them or possibly sitting on a travel route if I can find fresh sign. Being Im new to elk Im going to leave the calling on the back burner unless it seems to be the best answer for the situation.
 

elkguide

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Boots on the ground.

Get out there and be flexible and do what the situation calls for.
Making lots of mistakes and learning from them.
 

tttoadman

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Get an easy cow call. They are simple and won't generally blow animals out if you do it a little wrong.

Get out there before light and listen. Elk make a lot of noise.

Realize that elk can move extremely fast for long distances with minimal effort. Be prepared to go when the opportunity presents itself. Many times I have taken off chasing Elk in the last half hour of light and ended up 2 ridges and 4 miles from camp. When you make it happen, it is all worth it. If you don't get there, you know where to start the next morning to try to find em.
 

zach14

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What I have found with elk, is the need to be flexible. If you are in the heat of the rut, then calling can work nicely. It will be difficult to call a herd bull off of cows, but decent satellite bulls may come running. When calling don't be afraid to make noise while walking, elk are loud and suspicious if they don't hear anything but the call keeps getting closer. If the elk are call shy, but bugling to each other I will try and position myself in between and sneak on the bulls, tough to do as they can really move. You will make tons of mistakes in the beginning and continually learn from them, but that's half the fun!
 

cnelk

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What works for me probably wont work for you and vice versa.
Different styles and different terrain

All I know is I cover over 100 sq miles hunting elk each fall
 

IdahoElk

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I scout extensively in the summer and continue to monitor them until the opener.
I'm not necessarily interested in spotting bulls but am looking for fresh sign, old rubs and wallows, scouting is brief in any given area and usually done in the hot part of the day when they're bedded in thick timber away from me.
Once you explore an area that holds Elk you can move on to explore other areas,before you know it you will have a bunch of spots to jump around to.The last thing you want to do is put all your hopes into one spot or drainage,always have a plan b,c or d.
 

Bar

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Keywords in the above post are .......bedded in thick timber. Keep those words in the back of your mind.

edit..Ahh you snuck in another post. Ok two posts up.
 

IdahoElk

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Keywords in the above post are .......bedded in thick timber. Keep those words in the back of your mind.

edit..Ahh you snuck in another post. Ok two posts up.

Head for thick timber at first light and have them come to you?
 
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Lots of scouting in the off season. We have narrowed our hunting areas into a few areas that we concentrate all our time into and threw all other spots out. Then in those certain areas we got several hot spots we consistently jump around to. Two of these areas we've hunted for several years and one is brand new within the last 3 years. In the off season we do a lot of hiking scouting and glassing to find places where we see animals and where we think they'll be come fall. Then during hunting season we will hunt the same area for 7-12 days in a row rather than 3-4 days for weekends or long weekends. Extra time can help with patterning herds or getting on an animal you want to harvest. In the past I've always been disappointed with only being able to hunt shorter amounts of time, because just when you find animals or learn a pattern you gotta go home.

Sometimes cameras can help you pinpoint a travel pattern or route an animal will take or show on waterhole. Last year we hung a trail cameras and by the time the elk rut started there were no elk left in the particular area.
Be flexible if you feel like your not getting results then change it up, take a chance and step out of your comfort zone and have a few other spots to key in on.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

Ross

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Prep, train and review gear well before season. Once season is here, have enough time in the woods, seldom see camp in the daylight, burn lots of head lamp batteries, cover lots of ground, get limited sleep, ice my knees, mix in a variety of tactics, have fun, stay positive, be aggressive and remember it can happen at any second! 79 days until opening day in this neck of the woods that is not very long:)
 

Tejasbow

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Prep, train and review gear well before season. Once season is here, have enough time in the woods, seldom see camp in the daylight, burn lots of head lamp batteries, cover lots of ground, get limited sleep, ice my knees, mix in a variety of tactics, have fun, stay positive, be aggressive and remember it can happen at any second! 79 days until opening day in this neck of the woods that is not very long:)

The don't see your camp during the daylight and burn lots of headlight batteries is a good insight. If your on elk get to them early and stay on em late.. If your not keep looking not likely they will move to you.
 

Ross

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Bar limited sleep not required it just tends to work out that way for me👍 Archery season is so fast, up at 4 noon nap back hopefully after dark. Eat drink water ice knees tell stories repeat👊
 

elkyinzer

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Lots of vacation time, some spare cash, and a very understanding wife. These are the three areas I am lacking.

The rest is a combination of mental fortitude, maybe a bit of physical fitness, throw in some shooting ability under pressure, and pure luck. Helps to be a natural born killer too it seems people either have that or they don't.
 
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