What makes Elknut different?

[Bullnuts]

There are a lot of call makers out there and they produce stuff that will call in elk, so I was thinking about this today, trying to put my finger on what exactly makes Paul different from all those other guys and it finally struck me: 1. Elknut doesn't have a southern accent (sorry boys, but I have trouble learning anything about elk from a guy who lives in a state without them). 2. Elknut lives in elk country. 3. Elknut has a system. 4. Elknut SHARES!
The big thing about Elknut and this site is that Paul is willing to put it all out there and teach others how to be successful in the woods. Whether you use his calls or not, he gives advice on situations and that is really what sets him apart from other call makers or elk 'experts'. Take the playbook, for instance. What other call maker has the experience to put something like that together and, more importantly, how many others would be willing to share? Paul's a fantastic instructor and that makes a huge difference. I've been hunting elk for over 30 years and I still learn stuff from Paul that I can put to good use. Thanks Paul!

[pointysticks]

very nice man!!

you guys wont believe the help Paul has given me. with his help, i can do more (this year) than look at my unsuccessful draw results, and cry at my computer monitor (five years straight). i called him to shop gear, and he ended up helping me choose a spot to hunt in his home state!! roadtrip!!

thank you PAUL!!

[bullrub]

You are right Bullnuts. As you, I have hunted elk for 30+ years, and have learned from Paul and this forum.
The old saying you can't teach an old dog new tricks don't apply here.

Thanks Paul for sharing and teaching us old dogs new tricks.

[>>>---WW---->]

You pretty much hit the nail on the head Bill. It takes a special guy to do all the things Elknut has done. And it also takes a special person to put it into words like you just did.

[sockeye]

AGREED!!! I have been hunting elk or better yet lucking out for several years. This year I am going to put the playbook to use. Not only did Paul steer me along the right lines for info when I called him earlier this year he spent several minutes going over senarios and different calls to make in situations. Thanks Paul!!

now that you mentioned it my Elk internet info sites have dwindled quite a bit. Alot of good guys here with a TON of info. Keep it up.

[one_elk]

I have met Paul only once at the CBA Jamboree I think it was but I have read and listened to most of his material. So I can’t really say if he is a great guy or not but I can say he has a great talent for sharing the information he has learned about elk and elk hunting and we all seem to benefit from that. Thanks Paul

[POk3s]

Just call and place an order with Paul and you'll find out why everyone likes him so much. What is usually a 5 minute order at other places turns into hours chatting elk hunting!

If you ask me, its easy to tell when people have a passion for what they do and those who are just in it to make money....obviously Paul has a passion for elk and elk hunting and doesn't mind a bit if he actually LOSES money by sharing for free a lot of what he has in his books and dvds!

[WapitiTalk1]

In a word, innovative. My father was an elk slayer to the tenth degree as I was growing up in NW MT but didn't understand elk language interpretation, which translates to that I didn't either. I could mimic many elk sounds but was in hindsight, throwing the wrong sounds out during the heat of batle in many situations. Mr. Elknut has spent a good portion of his life studying and deciphering what wapiti are actually saying when they are vocalizing and equally as important to us hunters, how to repsond, or, not respond to their sounds to "give them what they want/need". A good friend of mine came out to my house last year and made me watch Elknut's DVDs against my will . I mean really, I've been doing this thing they call elk calling/archery hunting during the rut for 30+ years as many of my esteemed colleages on this forum have done... "who is he to tell me something new". Conlan (Slim9300) said it would change the way I do my business in the elk woods.. he was right. If I would have known then what I do now, many more bull's noses would have been put in the dirt on those steep MT, WA, hillsides. I was hunting hard,was pretty damn successfull, but was not hunting "smart". I'm not sure what prompts a man to dedicate a good portion of his life to elk hunting and the interpretation of their language, but I'm sure glad he did it! Besides his innovative study of elk language, Mr. Elknut (AKA Paul Medel) is a great guy who will readilly share his knowledge with you via phone call. Pretty rare in this day and age.. Thanks Paul for all you do for us out here... RJ

[RockChucker30]

I'm a newbie to elk hunting. From the DVDs, play book, and listening to audio versions of both each every day for about 4 months now I feel like im starting out with 5+ years of calling experience. Now I watch elk hunting shows and cringe when they throw out an inappropriate bugle. It's pretty cool. Thanks Paul!

[Bullnuts]

I'm a newbie to elk hunting. From the DVDs, play book, and listening to audio versions of both each every day for about 4 months now I feel like im starting out with 5+ years of calling experience. Now I watch elk hunting shows and cringe when they throw out an inappropriate bugle. It's pretty cool. Thanks Paul!

Welcome to elk hunting!!! Yes, the shortening of the learning curve is one of the most important aspects of this site and the stuff that Paul offers up. In my early years of hunting, I didn't kill my first elk until my fourth year...that was an accident since I intercepted them moving through the timber. The next elk I killed wasn't was probably 6 years later. Once I started to finally learn from my mistakes and understand what was happening in the minds of the elk, I started to become successful and have passed more shots than I have taken in the past 15 years while still routinely putting elk meat in the freezer. That's a lot of learning on my own, a lot of trial and error, a lot of denial, and finally a lot of hard work to get to where I'm putting together shot opportunities every year. Sites like this and guys like Paul can do a lot to shorten that time if you pay attention, and that leads to more success in a shorter amount of time. It's almost cheating!

[Freebird134]

Besides the fact that Paul treats everyone like a friend, the reason I hang around here and trust paul is that he treats elk hunting like a science. Paul doesn't even know it, but he's on his way to an honorary PhD in Behavioral Ecology. If I may nerd-out on you for a minute.... Behavioral Ecology is basically a field of ecology and evolutionary biology that says 1) everything an animal does happens for a single purpose (reproduction) and 2) asks how a given behavior at a given moment in time and a given situation affects an animals fitness (reproduction, offspring, etc).

That's basically what the Playbook is and this "system" bullnuts references: Elk behavioral ecology. Through experience and trial and error, elknut's evaluated elk behavior to understand the purpose of different behaviors and sounds in different situations. While most people are content to say "I hear an elk" and assume all cow calls and bugles are the same, it seems to me that elknut is among the first to really ask "why that sound in that situation" and propose hypotheses, which then get tested each fall. I'm willing to bet elknut has been wrong before, and gone back to the drawing board asking "why didn't that just work", came up with a new hypothesis and retested it. That's the scientific method. It's a damn good method in both science and elk hunting.

But figuring out an answer to a question isn't the end of science. I've had prof's tell me "your science doesn't matter unless you tell people about it." That's why most of my time is spent writing papers, presenting at conferences, and otherwise disseminating the things I discover in my science. And here is the difference between elknut and others: he tells people about it. There's the Playbook, all those other forums, magazines, and now this forum. Or just give Paul a call. He'll answer questions you didnt think to ask and burn through half your monthly cell phone minutes.

[Firemedicbkelly]

I am new to elk hunting. This will be my second season. After spending some time on other forums I quickly realized that Paul and the others who use this forum truly try to give the best tips and advice to help others be successful. I have watched his videos and have been able to learn some basic calls to use this year. I appreciate people like Paul and all the other elkaholics on here willing to take time and share their knowledge and experiences with others

[dreamhunter]

I ran across this site by accident.It was after last yrs elk hunt.I believe it was around January this year. I emailed Paul and ended up on the phone with him shortly thereafter.He was and still is so open with his info and advice.I was ready to order almost everything he had and here is a guy that is more concerned about getting me started on the right foot as verses selling all the products. Paul made a few suggestions as to what i should start out with and then add to as i needed or wanted to.I have taken his advice and i feel confident about this years elk hunt. I have turned my buddy on to the forum here and even bought him a birthday present to get him started in the right direction ( elknut playbook ).He has been texting me things about the book.... did you know this and we should try this, etc.People like Paul are a rare breed indeed,they understand success in business and in hunting and it's all a passion to Paul so thats why he is the way he is.Thanks so much Paul.I am learning quite a bit from all you other elknuts too,so a thank you to you as well.