Tips for A Marsh Rat

Swede

WKR
Joined
Mar 24, 2012
Messages
386
Location
Warren Oregon
I was just reading Marshrat's post on the "Why" thread. He is looking forward to going on his first elk hunt. He did not say where he was going to hunt, how, or when, but I got to thinking some of us more experienced hunters could collectively give him some tips and ideas that might a least get him a running start.

My first idea is to say, read all you can specific to elk hunting. If you are bow, smoke pole or rifle hunting, focus on books, threads, magazines that give you tips specific to the way you will hunt. Decide where you want to hunt, and learn all you can about the area. There is a correlation between knowing an area and being successful. Yes hunters bounce around and are successful on high quality areas, but the OTC areas I know, are better when you are aquainted with where animals go when the pressure is on. Learn to be patient. Most newer hunters are too eager to get moving on. If they don't hear an answer to their call, or if they don't see an elk, or if it looks better over there, etc., they take off again and again. I remember reading a story about a fellow who wondered why his grandpa was always getting more game than he was. He decided to follow him one day. To make a long story short would be to simply say, when grandpa was hunting he was slow and didn't go far. Grandpa was patient.

Anyway, good luck to Marshrat and anyother new elk hunter. I will post more later.
 

>>>---WW---->

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Feb 24, 2012
Messages
113
Just about anything you want to know can be found in Elknut's DVDs and the Playbook. You can find all that stuff at www.elknut.com. His stuff is pure instructional things that every elk hunter should know. No BS or fancy private land hunting scenes.
 

Ryan Avery

Admin
Staff member
Joined
Jan 5, 2012
Messages
8,641
Elknut.com is by far the best bang for your buck. His info will shorten your learning curve by years!! Plus he is a hell of a good guy.
 

Lawnboi

WKR
Joined
Mar 2, 2012
Messages
7,693
Location
North Central Wi
Im in much the same situation. This will be my first time going after elk this year.

I should have ordered WAY sooner, but my elknut stuff just got here in the mail. Now the learning begins!

Im fortunate enought to have the week before season to get out and do some scouting, along with hopefully arrow a antelope on the way back home :)
 

Lost Arra

FNG
Joined
Mar 16, 2012
Messages
56
Location
Oklahoma
I like Swede's advice for all types of hunting
Critical knowledge is to know when to be patient and when to have a Plan B or C or even D. If the elk are not where you are then knowing when to fold 'em and move is important too.
Some of us aren't blessed with unlimited hunting time so making the most of it while still being patient is a tough call.
 
OP
S

Swede

WKR
Joined
Mar 24, 2012
Messages
386
Location
Warren Oregon
Lost Arra makes a good point. I can be patient if I see fresh sign around. If I am not seeing some fresh sign, I'm moving. You are playing the odds with that call, because the elk could be just moving back in. "Moving" does not mean relocating camp. It just means checking other places in the vicinity. If a spot is usually good, I will check back every few days. Unless you know an area you don't know if it is minutes or months before they will be return. The freshness of tracks can be difficult to determine when the humidity has stayed low and there has been no rain. Figuring out how long it has been since a water hole or wallow was used can take some time, but a pile of steaming poop is easy. I hunt within a semidesert forest edge. There are not a lot of elk around usually, but I like my hunting grounds as I can find a water hole, set up a tree stand and wait for my thirsty friends. There is not a lot of sign everywhere, but the trails get used, and there are rub trees scattered around. A good place to check for fresh sign also is in a bedding area, but be careful as it is easy to go in during the mid day, and push the elk out from where you were wanting to hunt.
 
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