Mental Toughness and Elk Hunting

[Trophyhill]

anyone who has hunted elk knows the highs and lows of elkhunting. how do you stay on top of your game when the going gets tough? there are a lot of variables that take place in the elkwoods that can cause a hunter to lose his/her edge. you can be the judge of what those variables are from your own experiences. when i killed my first bull last year on day 9 of a very physical 10 day hunt it would have been easier to say "the hell with it" and accept defeat, but for me when in the elkwoods my mantra is "Never Give Up.......Ever!" and though i have a long way to go in my life long quest to bowhunt elk, that motto has netted elk in the freezer for me in 3 out of 5 years of bowhunting elk so far (plus another rifle cow when i didn't draw a NM tag a couple years ago). 4 elk in 5 years. how do you stay focused and mentally sharp when "the going gets tough"? i think that answer is as personal to each as what color underwear one wears and would love to hear your thoughts.

[easeup]

now having been around the woods for many a year, my experience has taught me this thing about perserverance and mental toughness.
I have taken 3 elk on the last 5 min of light on the last day of the hunt when I had to pack up and head home the following day. so yes I believe.

When I was a young man the deire just to see an elk and take one kept me going through some rough times; and there were some years when I came home after not even seeing an elk on the trip. Yes, that will let the air out of your tires after several years in a row unless your determination is real.

For our younger men here, realize that there are going to be lots of days where you hump and bust with everything you have and in the end, there is nothing to show for it. It goes with the territory. that is real life elk hunting. staying physically fit also helps; as when you are give out, your mind will change jerseys and play with the tired legs team to say lets give up.

[Swede]

I do not think in terms of mental toughness, but I am tenacious, and do not give up easily. I am serious about elk. There are two basic ingredients to successful elk hunting. 1. Good hunting knowledge and understanding. 2. Time spent out hunting. If you take away either of these and you are going on luck. Depending on luck is ultimately going to lead to failure. frustration and then to giving up. It is not hard to keep on going when you know that in a few minutes you can go from no payout to total success. That said your belief has to be anchored in knowledge.

[Da White Shoe]

I've never understood this, really.
There is very little that could happen that would be enough to dampen my spirits on an elk hunt.
Quit chasing him because it's getting too steep?
There's no elk close enough to camp?
It's raining?
There are answers for all of those and, if you spend enough years hunting elk, you'll be prepared for all of it, eventually.
I spend 11 1/2 months a year thinking and dreaming about my next elk hunt... there's no chance that I would ever give up!

Go home early??? Ha! Better be someone dying!

[Vanish]

For all of you that wish your wife elk hunted ... consider that her mental toughness may not be the same as yours!

I guess that goes for any hunting with a partner where if one of you quits, so must the other.

[bnsafe]

i never dreamed i would give up during any hunt. ive always been the guy that goes over the next hill to see whats there. last year i let a very steep hill beat me. i camped on top of it for 3 days but didnt hunt hard because i couldnt imagine gettin meat off of it. im ashamed to admit it and it wont happen again.

[Lefty]

I've never understood this, really.
There is very little that could happen that would be enough to dampen my spirits on an elk hunt.
Quit chasing him because it's getting too steep?
There's no elk close enough to camp?
It's raining?
There are answers for all of those and, if you spend enough years hunting elk, you'll be prepared for all of it, eventually.
I spend 11 1/2 months a year thinking and dreaming about my next elk hunt... there's no chance that I would ever give up!
Go home early??? Ha! Better be someone dying!

Thats where Im at

Every moment is a pleasure

[elkmtngear]

As long as there are elk on the Mountain somewhere, I just can't give up. This is one reason I am changing hunting partners this Season, my long term buddy just doesn't have the fire or energy anymore to do what needs to be done to be successful.

I want to be out after the elk every possible minute I'm on the mountain, but then again, I have always been a die hard. I can surely understand how elk can make you feel completely defeated at times, believe me, I've been there.

Here's a link to one of our success stories: Never Give up on Elk

[CrazyElkHunter]

I would be dishonest to say that I did not get discouraged or frustrated in my younger years a few times, but I never gave up. Going for several days not seeing or hearing elk and hunters everywhere can get to the best. Most of those times things changed in seconds and everything fell into place. Walking a trail and all of a sudden a bull is coming right at you and passes 5 yards broadside for a easy shot. A bull for no reason screams 50 yards away and comes running to a quick cow call you answered him with. Elk can be anywhere, anytime or no where for a long time. If it were easy, we would not do it. Taking any elk with a bow can be he most rewarding, memorable, gut wrenching, back aching, frustrating, mentally challenging thing you ever did in your life, but that's what makes it exciting. One of my hunting buddies has been at it for 40 years and has only taken 1 bull and 1 cow and has never given up. He has helped me pack out 20 of the 27 elk I have taken with a bow, and not once did he ever complain. We love to hunt elk no matter what happens, good years and bad years.

[easeup]

I would be dishonest to say that I did not get discouraged or frustrated in my younger years a few times, but I never gave up. Going for several days not seeing or hearing elk and hunters everywhere can get to the best. Most of those times things changed in seconds and everything fell into place. Walking a trail and all of a sudden a bull is coming right at you and passes 5 yards broadside for a easy shot. A bull for no reason screams 50 yards away and comes running to a quick cow call you answered him with. Elk can be anywhere, anytime or no where for a long time. If it were easy, we would not do it. Taking any elk with a bow can be he most rewarding, memorable, gut wrenching, back aching, frustrating, mentally challenging thing you ever did in your life, but that's what makes it exciting. One of my hunting buddies has been at it for 40 years and has only taken 1 bull and 1 cow and has never given up. He has helped me pack out 20 of the 27 elk I have taken with a bow, and not once did he ever complain. We love to hunt elk no matter what happens, good years and bad years.

well said mr. crazy.
now that friend of yours......He is a real friend and a treasure. I will trade my next years 1st draft pick and a player to be named later for one like that.