The 1 Thing You Learned- ELK

[Oregon Hunter]

yeah, nice to keep some sort of backup (patch, spare pad at truck) if you run an air pad for sure

I try to have all my buddies and I get similar gear so that we don't have to double up on repair supplies

 

[Elkhntr08]

If you’re going to elk hunt, show up with a elk tag. A pocket full of different tags will be distracting.

 

[roosiebull]

Just 1 thing eh?

I would have to say 'Slow your ass down' and learn how to hunt your elk areas 'Soft'.

By 'Soft' I mean going in and not blowing them out.

I have a few places I can go in EVERY DAY throughout the season and have an elk encounter. I make sure the wind is right, time of day is right and calling is barely audible. Now, I may not get an elk every time, but having the encounters is what matters.

BTW - these spots ^^^ are only 300yds from my truck.

So many times I see guys racing around the woods, trying their best to at least SEE an elk, knowing they have only 7-10 days to hunt. They end up drive or even hike past so many elk its crazy.

I guess they cant leave the fast and furious lifestyle at home.

But YMMV - what works for me may not work for you. But I can say this, it really, really does work for me.

That’s a solid answer... you know where they are until you bump them. Be patient, don’t be intrusive, and let the bull make the mistake, not you....

Of course there are exceptions, but I’m not blowing elk out just to have an encounter, I will get as close as I can without risking blowing them out, but I’m not committing until I think I will be running an arrow through a bull. Be in position to make a move, but you don’t have to make that move just because there are elk close enough to move in on.

that is also true calling... if I assess a scenario, I’m not going to call unless I think I can get that bull killed... I’m not there to bugle back and forth with a bull, I’m there to kill it.

I personally would rather not call, I like shooting at elk that don’t know I exist... calling bulls is of course fun, but there is less control of the encounter... there is a sense of urgency I don’t like knowing I will either need to shoot or he’s blowing out, and I’m almost always solo, and they are almost always very close and coming head on... adds a lot of pressure to the encounter vs having one come feed by or following a cow by you... those scenarios you can get elk close and if it doesn’t pan out, you can still hunt them... nothing changes

 

[ndbwhunter]

Choose your hunting partner(s) wisely.

 

[Gapmaster]

yeah, nice to keep some sort of backup (patch, spare pad at truck) if you run an air pad for sure

I always have some glue/patch in my pack and an extra pad in the truck.

 

[Salmonchaser]

My mom killed two elk while tending camp and my younger siblings. Always be ready. Other then that I know I’m one lucky SOB to still be hunting them this year, my 53 season with at least one tag.

 

[Headed_West]

I think most of us make a mistake over and over again. We go on a hunt, but don’t make the effort to think critically about 1 thing we learned and will do different next time.

Think about it, how often do magazines write about a hunt, but fail to single out an action item to change in the future? Just 1 thing, maybe something you learned about elk behavior, your rifle setup, clothing, camping system. We can consume all the information we want, but if we don’t change anything, did it really do us any good?

I’d like to start the series of discussions to get us in the habit of reviewing our hunt, and share highlights about the 1 thing we learned on a particular topic. To start, 1 thing I learned about hunting elk in Eastern Oregon is to not waste time glassing for elk in places they are not likely to be. Growing up as a deer hunter, I am accustomed to using my glass to pick apart every little bush in search of a horn or an ear. Deer tend to have a smaller home range, and you can find them anywhere. After spending some time hunting with a family of loggers that gets bulls every single year, the one thing I learned is that elk aren’t likely to be anywhere, but instead have certain paths they use to move through country. These guys focus their effort on just a few travel routes they have learned that over the years, and they find way more elk than I ever did by picking apart country that isn’t likely to hold elk.


So how about you, what is one thing you have learned about elk? (include pictures if possible)


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If you live In the Eastern US, get in shape before hitting the mountains.

 

[Oregon Hunter]

If you live In the Eastern US, get in shape before hitting the mountains.

Amen! Climbing stairs with a loaded down backpack is a great way to practice

 

[Oregon Hunter]

My mom killed two elk while tending camp and my younger siblings. Always be ready. Other then that I know I’m one lucky SOB to still be hunting them this year, my 53 season with at least one tag.

I've been hunting for many seasons with one tag as well, but that's just because I'm never good enough to hang it on anything hehe

 

[Oregon Hunter]

I always have some glue/patch in my pack and an extra pad in the truck.

We should probably do another one of these threads on what to include in your extras or repair pack. Does that sound like it would be valuable?

 

[Oregon Hunter]

Choose your hunting partner(s) wisely.

And do it on a relatively easy, short trip. It stinks to find out you don't jive with your hunting partner when you're part way into the trip of a lifetime. Don't ask me how I know this...

 

[Oregon Hunter]

If you’re going to elk hunt, show up with a elk tag. A pocket full of different tags will be distracting.

True. I remember reading an article by Craig Boddington once on how he has hunted for something like 30 years and not once been able to fill both an elk and mule deer tag at the same time. Maybe he is more selective on horn size than us, but it still shows how hard it is to make it happen

 

[Oregon Hunter]

That’s a solid answer... you know where they are until you bump them. Be patient, don’t be intrusive, and let the bull make the mistake, not you....

Of course there are exceptions, but I’m not blowing elk out just to have an encounter, I will get as close as I can without risking blowing them out, but I’m not committing until I think I will be running an arrow through a bull. Be in position to make a move, but you don’t have to make that move just because there are elk close enough to move in on.

that is also true calling... if I assess a scenario, I’m not going to call unless I think I can get that bull killed... I’m not there to bugle back and forth with a bull, I’m there to kill it.

I personally would rather not call, I like shooting at elk that don’t know I exist... calling bulls is of course fun, but there is less control of the encounter... there is a sense of urgency I don’t like knowing I will either need to shoot or he’s blowing out, and I’m almost always solo, and they are almost always very close and coming head on... adds a lot of pressure to the encounter vs having one come feed by or following a cow by you... those scenarios you can get elk close and if it doesn’t pan out, you can still hunt them... nothing changes

I think our level of aggressiveness depends lot on where we are hunting. You could probably get away with a little more aggression when hunting on private land. I found that public land bulls can get spooked quite a bit easier though because of all the hooligans out there

 

[Gapmaster]

We should probably do another one of these threads on what to include in your extras or repair pack. Does that sound like it would be valuable?

You bet! That would be very beneficial to new guys and even some of us more seasoned guys. Most of us know what we do and don’t need, but you never know when someone has that awesome idea that works across the board for multiple items.

 

[Oregon Hunter]

You bet! That would be very beneficial to new guys and even some of us more seasoned guys. Most of us know what we do and don’t need, but you never know when someone has that awesome idea that works across the board for multiple items.

If you guys can think of any other thread ideas, let me know?

 

[Oregon Hunter]

We’ve had an outstanding response from all of you on these “1 Thing You Learned” series. I just created a new forum thread about cooking wild game. Head over to this link if you’d like to share one thing you learned about cooking wild game, trade food horror stories, or want to learn a secret for making the most out of your hard work in the field!

 

[CJF]

ALWAYS chase a bugle

 

[Oregon Hunter]

ALWAYS chase a bugle

Maybe on private land

 

[Mosby]

If you live In the Eastern US, get in shape before hitting the mountains.

The eastern guys have mountains to climb, maybe not as high but steep is steep. Its the guys in the midwest like me that have to get creative to get the legs in shape and used to climbing.

 

[Aginor]

Great tips everyone. I hunted Roosevelts in Washington on accessible timber land this year. Talk about a challenge!! My two tips are: 1) scout! If there’s going to be a ton of people in the area, you can’t just follow the crowds to the same places. Logging roads end and don’t always connect so you’ll be sitting at a glassing point wondering how to get to that road way over yonder where there’s no other trucks parked. 2) pay attention at first and last light. It’s so thick in Roosevelt country that even if they are moving during the day you’ll never see them. At dusk and dawn you can see them emerge from the timber to start feeding in meadows and on exposed slopes. These areas make great places to start your next day off at. But crawling through the rain forest is never going to pan out. You’ll make noise just standing still