Just got back from first Elk Hunt

Joined
Sep 21, 2020
Messages
37
Location
Eastern Panhandle, West Virginia
I just got back from my first Elk Hunt. Went on an archery OTC hunt in Colorado with a buddy. Drove 27 hrs from WV. Didn't kill but had a blast and learned a lot. If anyone is ever hesitant about it, just go do it. I worked out all year and the mountains still kicked my ass. We hunted for 7 days and heard a few bugles and got very close to one and a herd of cows, it was so thick we didn't see them but could hear them right through the brush. I definitely want to go back and feel like I'd stand a lot better chance after what I learned this year. Thankful for the help I received from Rokslide, I don't really post or comment much but am constantly lingering and reading.
 
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kpshunts91
Joined
Sep 21, 2020
Messages
37
Location
Eastern Panhandle, West Virginia
What are your lessons learned you would share?
Work out more for sure! I would also try to be more realistic about my game plans and have a lot more of them. Some days we planned on covering a lot of ground, but after seeing how big and rough the country is we realized we couldn't do it. It also seemed to me that every trailhead was packed and we were better off finding places to just pull of the road and hike in. Certainly take what I say with a grain of salt.
 

eddielasvegas

WKR & Chairman of the Rokslide Welcoming Committee
Joined
Feb 2, 2020
Messages
3,085
Location
Scottsdale, AZ
Even the longest journey begins with the first step so good on ya for taking that first step.

I had no success on my first hunt, but still was back the next year and I'll be out again in Nov.


Eddie
 
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kpshunts91
Joined
Sep 21, 2020
Messages
37
Location
Eastern Panhandle, West Virginia
Something we got wondering while we were there, Are draw units really that much better? The pressure was not bad when we first got there but it got worse every day we hunted to the point it got pretty frustrating. We both started the point game in Wyoming this year with hopes of one day drawing something good.
 

Laramie

WKR
Joined
Apr 17, 2020
Messages
2,616
Something we got wondering while we were there, Are draw units really that much better? The pressure was not bad when we first got there but it got worse every day we hunted to the point it got pretty frustrating. We both started the point game in Wyoming this year with hopes of one day drawing something good.
LQ units can be much better, yes. I would caution you to have realistic expectations though. Starting now, you are likely going to wait 15+ years to draw a good but not great tag. The great tags will be well over 20 years. Wyoming does offer some tags in the random draw and there is discussion of them going to a bonus point system. In either of those you might get very lucky and draw sooner.
 

AAABucko

FNG
Joined
Aug 15, 2021
Messages
12
Sounds like you learned a bunch. The next go around will only get better. Goodluck!
 

bwilken

FNG
Joined
Feb 25, 2021
Messages
7
Work out more for sure! I would also try to be more realistic about my game plans and have a lot more of them. Some days we planned on covering a lot of ground, but after seeing how big and rough the country is we realized we couldn't do it. It also seemed to me that every trailhead was packed and we were better off finding places to just pull of the road and hike in. Certainly take what I say with a grain of salt.

I can 100% relate to this. I just left Colorado today after my first elk hunt. I went solo and a lot of the places I had scouted were WAY too steep and rough to hike. I actually left a day early because I’m so worn down from how rough it was. I worked out hard for 3 months before but obviously next year I’ll need to do a lot more.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Joined
Sep 15, 2021
Messages
4
Something we got wondering while we were there, Are draw units really that much better? The pressure was not bad when we first got there but it got worse every day we hunted to the point it got pretty frustrating. We both started the point game in Wyoming this year with hopes of one day drawing something good.
We hunt both draw and OTC units - this past month we drew a very coveted once in a lifetime unit in NM. We did harvest two good bulls but wasn’t impressed with the quality of the hunt. There was lots of talk about it being the “hunt of a lifetime” but we’d had hunts in OTC units that were almost as good. Build points, apply for draw units, hunt OTC when you can’t draw.

Good luck buddy.
 
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