3 Things Every Elkhunter Should Know

[Poser]

3 days to get acclimated. 4-5 to find elk. 2 more to get an opportunity and blow it. 3 more to get another opportunity. 2 to get an elk out. DON’T PLAN 1 WEEK ELK HUNTS! Everyone who does spend the off season repeating the words “If I just had 2 or 3 more days I know I could have got it done”

Good point. I always plan on 8-9 days for the 5 day rifle season.

 

[4rcgoat]

1 golden rule.....if your lucky enough to be in the mountains, your lucky enough.

 

[Rob5589]

A compatible hunting partner

 

[Wapiti1]

3 days to get acclimated. 4-5 to find elk. 2 more to get an opportunity and blow it. 3 more to get another opportunity. 2 to get an elk out. DON’T PLAN 1 WEEK ELK HUNTS! Everyone who does spend the off season repeating the words “If I just had 2 or 3 more days I know I could have got it done”

Yep. I do two weeks if it's a new area to me. My old haunts are fine for a one week plus two weekend trip, but I know where to start in those areas. It is rare I'm not into elk day one. In a new area, I expect to spend 3 days learning prior to really getting into elk. Not always the case, but time is your friend.

Time in the woods is the thing most killers have that hunters don't. Especially if you have a certain class animal in mind.

Jeremy

 

[ElkNut1]

# - 1 - How to navigate the mountains! If you have a fear of getting turned around or lost your elk hunt will suffer terribly! Most elk do not live near trails or lots of human activity, they're not far from it at times but they can be in these tight little places that may have you thinking twice before going after them because of not being able to see out & get a comfortable bearing!
Solution - Have a paper Map in UTM Grid 1-24000 - 7.5 minute - This is for ground navigation, also have a compass & know how to use these together before hitting the elkwoods! I also carry a mini inreach so I can have outside communication if necessary, this can be a huge comfort for you & those concerned! I use my Iphone paired to my inreach as a GPS, it's unreal accurate & works without wifi service. Between these two systems there's no place on earth I can go & not be 100% confident where I am at all times!

# -2 - Know how to Locate/Find Elk! You will need to be well versed in Glassing & Calling/Communicating with elk.
Glassing open terrain & open pockets/meadows especially 2 hours after light & 2 hours before the sun falls to locate elk you can go after then or come morning. -- Call into areas such as dark timber from vantage points or in tight cover in Run & Gun style to locate before accidentally bumping them out. Know the variety of sounds bulls & cows make so you're not just making elk sounds, you need to know sounds that require an action or reaction from other elk, these are the better ones to consider in both pressured & unpressured areas, it can work awesome on those Quiet Elk days you will experience! -- Calling an hour or so before daylight can also help to up your odds in locating elk you may not have found otherwise.

# - 3 - Know how to break down an elk get it ready to pack off the mountain, if solo this easier said than done if you have little to no experience. -- Have two knives that are razor sharp!
Watch video clips on youtube that can help you out now so you are more than just familiar how to quarter an elk up & not leave any treasured or unknown cuts behind! Gutless method is your friend here, learn it! Know how to remove ivories as well, it's a shame when those are unknowingly left behind. Know your pack well & it's functions so you can pack quarters & loose meat with confidence & ease. Carrying out the rack this way can also be tiresome & tricky when attached to a pack full of elk steaks!

Consider the ElkNut Mobile App, it can assist you in nearly all the things you will need during your hunt especially locating elk!

ElkNut

 

[Scooter90254]

1. Elk are not whitetails. If you’re used to hunting pressured whitetails elk are way easier. You can basically just walk up to them and shoot them.

2. The flip side to 1 is make sure you understand thermals. It’s way different.

3. Good gear isn’t necessary but it’s worth the money. If your goal is to hunt backcountry then even more so on the gear.

 

[Indian Summer]

# - 1 - How to navigate the mountains! If you have a fear of getting turned around or lost your elk hunt will suffer terribly! Most elk do not live near trails or lots of human activity, they're not far from it at times but they can be in these tight little places that may have you thinking twice before going after them because of not being able to see out & get a comfortable bearing!
Solution - Have a paper Map in UTM Grid 1-24000 - 7.5 minute - This is for ground navigation, also have a compass & know how to use these together before hitting the elkwoods! I also carry a mini inreach so I can have outside communication if necessary, this can be a huge comfort for you & those concerned! I use my Iphone paired to my inreach as a GPS, it's unreal accurate & works without wifi service. Between these two systems there's no place on earth I can go & not be 100% confident where I am at all times!

# -2 - Know how to Locate/Find Elk! You will need to be well versed in Glassing & Calling/Communicating with elk.
Glassing open terrain & open pockets/meadows especially 2 hours after light & 2 hours before the sun falls to locate elk you can go after then or come morning. -- Call into areas such as dark timber from vantage points or in tight cover in Run & Gun style to locate before accidentally bumping them out. Know the variety of sounds bulls & cows make so you're not just making elk sounds, you need to know sounds that require an action or reaction from other elk, these are the better ones to consider in both pressured & unpressured areas, it can work awesome on those Quiet Elk days you will experience! -- Calling an hour or so before daylight can also help to up your odds in locating elk you may not have found otherwise.

# - 3 - Know how to break down an elk get it ready to pack off the mountain, if solo this easier said than done if you have little to no experience. -- Have two knives that are razor sharp!
Watch video clips on youtube that can help you out now so you are more than just familiar how to quarter an elk up & not leave any treasured or unknown cuts behind! Gutless method is your friend here, learn it! Know how to remove ivories as well, it's a shame when those are unknowingly left behind. Know your pack well & it's functions so you can pack quarters & loose meat with confidence & ease. Carrying out the rack this way can also be tiresome & tricky when attached to a pack full of elk steaks!

Consider the ElkNut Mobile App, it can assist you in nearly all the things you will need during your hunt especially locating elk!

ElkNut

Paul what brand and model of daypack are you using these days?

 

[ElkNut1]

Joe, I'm using the Exo 3200 K3 Pack. Actually this will be the 5th year in using these packs. They've been great.

ElkNut

 

[trophyhill]

Good point. I always plan on 8-9 days for the 5 day rifle season.

Always a good thing when you can add 3 or 4 days to an elk hunt

 

[cnelk]

1) It’s expensive

2) It’s expensive

3) Its expensive

 

[Still Hunter]

Go Hunt! No pitiful shots! Respect the animal! Don't quit! Must have good footwear, must be in shape. Don't be stupid. Don't take stupid chances in the woods! Watch for widow makers when making camp. Respect other hunters, don't crowd other hunter's and don't ruin their setups. Pick up your trash! We are all out doing what we love to do. Don't be "that guy"!

 

[TheBootBowhunting]

Just want to say I appreciate the OP and the other guys/gals that have taken the time to comment on this thread in a positive way. Im putting in every effort I can to be ready for September. Ive taken online courses, Ive got the elknut app. Ive read books and listened to podcasts. Ive read CPW resources and I am suffering from BaseMap fatigue as we speak. Ive had my head in BaseMap e-scouting so much the past few months that I think my wife knows her way around Colorado at this point. Ive bugled enough to where the neighbors are asking if weve "heard that sound".

All of that though, just doesnt beat good advice from the people whove been there. It is, even for a Marine, a daunting task to head out to the backcountry and chase Elk for the first time. Sometimes you dont know the things you dont know, and thats how I feel at this point. Ive told people that this is like the movie Good Will Hunting (if youve seen it) in that you can have all the information from books and websites, but without experience, its just words on paper. So thanks to all the folks who have taken that time to share the knowledge a bit. Ive met some really helpful people here - I appreciate it.

 

[4rcgoat]

Just want to say I appreciate the OP and the other guys/gals that have taken the time to comment on this thread in a positive way. Im putting in every effort I can to be ready for September. Ive taken online courses, Ive got the elknut app. Ive read books and listened to podcasts. Ive read CPW resources and I am suffering from BaseMap fatigue as we speak. Ive had my head in BaseMap e-scouting so much the past few months that I think my wife knows her way around Colorado at this point. Ive bugled enough to where the neighbors are asking if weve "heard that sound".

All of that though, just doesnt beat good advice from the people whove been there. It is, even for a Marine, a daunting task to head out to the backcountry and chase Elk for the first time. Sometimes you dont know the things you dont know, and thats how I feel at this point. Ive told people that this is like the movie Good Will Hunting (if youve seen it) in that you can have all the information from books and websites, but without experience, its just words on paper. So thanks to all the folks who have taken that time to share the knowledge a bit. Ive met some really helpful people here - I appreciate it.

Thankyou for your service ......great movie.

 

[trophyhill]

Just want to say I appreciate the OP and the other guys/gals that have taken the time to comment on this thread in a positive way. Im putting in every effort I can to be ready for September. Ive taken online courses, Ive got the elknut app. Ive read books and listened to podcasts. Ive read CPW resources and I am suffering from BaseMap fatigue as we speak. Ive had my head in BaseMap e-scouting so much the past few months that I think my wife knows her way around Colorado at this point. Ive bugled enough to where the neighbors are asking if weve "heard that sound".

All of that though, just doesnt beat good advice from the people whove been there. It is, even for a Marine, a daunting task to head out to the backcountry and chase Elk for the first time. Sometimes you dont know the things you dont know, and thats how I feel at this point. Ive told people that this is like the movie Good Will Hunting (if youve seen it) in that you can have all the information from books and websites, but without experience, its just words on paper. So thanks to all the folks who have taken that time to share the knowledge a bit. Ive met some really helpful people here - I appreciate it.

You're wise beyond your elk years. We can watch all the videos, read all the magazines and listen to all the podcasts in the world. It's the real life experiences that count and make sense of all we've read, heard or seen. That's when it all makes sense. It sounds like you are well on your way. I predict a gut pile in your near future.

 

[MOcluck]

The kill is the pinnacle. The chase is the reason. If you kill one your first trip out, good for you. If you kill one your fifth trip out, good for you. I'd also say kill the first legal animal you get within range of.

 

[markedtulip1814]

Good info here! Thanks for everyone's responses. I'll be out in Montana for my first time this year.

 

[Big_Country09]

Carry light raingear at all times. You'll thank me some day for this advice.

Make sure somebody knows where you're going to be (this will help to recover your body so your family can have a decent funeral for you).

Be aggressive. People complain about being too aggressive and how it "cost me that bull", but more elk are not shot because of being passive than from being too aggressive. But... you have to pick your time to be aggressive! You can't cheat the wind, so don't try. Be aggressive when the time is right.

Learn how and when to challenge a bull. It's better than sex and is a rush like no other to have a PO'd bull come charging in to kick your butt.

new elk hunter here, do you have a video that really breaks down calling tactics that you like?? I’ve watched elknut and Cory Jacobson all this offseason trying to work on calls and the when& what call to use.

 

[ganngus]

This is something I learned the hard way on my first public land elk hunt...

 

[Indian Summer]

This: Every elk hunter needs to be optimistic. If you don’t go out and hunt with confidence every single day you are defeated from the start. In my opinion elk hunting is MORE than 50% mental. The mind pushes the body.

BUT.... numbers don’t lie! If the success rate in a unit is say 15% that means for every 100 hunters that march up the mountain (or road hunt) 85 are going home empty handed. Surely all 100 planned on giving it hell. Studying online. Maybe even pre season scouting. Practicing shooting. Getting up early every day. Getting several miles from the road etc etc. So you have to ask yourself why did those 85 fail? What sets the other 15 apart from the rest? Keep in mind that half of those 15 are the same people every year. Why? What are they doing or what do they know that makes them so consistent? Answer that and you’re on the right track. That might make a good thread of it’s own.

 

[Scoot]

new elk hunter here, do you have a video that really breaks down calling tactics that you like?? I’ve watched elknut and Cory Jacobson all this offseason trying to work on calls and the when& what call to use.

If you are learning from Corey and Paul, then you're in good hands! It's crazy how much I learned from listening to those two before my first hunt. Even crazier is how little I understood and how much I learned from listening to their same content after a couple of hunts. No doubt it's a developmental process. I'm a big believer in much of the preachings/teachings of those two people. Listen and learn as much as you can now, then understand that you'll still have a lot to learn after you spend some time on the mountain trying to apply what you learned. I learn every trip I take and it's always fun trying to put the pieces together. Once you start putting them together for yourself, you'll start to develop your own hunting style based on what works for you and what doesn't. Lots of ways to skin a cat, so lots of ways to hunt. The whole process is a blast- enjoy!