How do you get a boost in you mental attitude?

[Toby]

Let's say you are hunting solo for two weeks, and it has been a tough go for the first week, not much bugling or many elk sightings. How do you stay fired up, mentally tough. Popping out of that warm sleeping bag to hike for an hour or more in the dark?

With a good partner, it's easy, you can feed off of each other. I may be solo this year of part of all of my hunt, just looking for an edge.

[Indian Summer]

Pep talks. I've given them to clients for year. But I believed in every word I told them and I use the same speeches on myself. Ones like: "You waited all year for this. What happened yesterday is in the past. Today or tomorrow could be the day. Elk don't know or care if it's the 1st day of your hunt or the last. So hunt every day like you mean it and that goal you dreamed of all year can be yours. But one thing is for sure... give up and it is not going to happen"

Or: "Don't think miles, think one step at a time. Step one, get out of sleeping bag. Then just keep putting one foot in front of the other. getting started is half the battle. Just do it!"

"One thing is for sure, we'll never kill one in this tent!"

I have about 50 lines I use to keep it in gear. lol But ya' gotta believe!

[ORelksniper]

Toby, I hunted solo the entire 2013 bow season in a new area. Walked 178 miles (GPS) and saw 5 elk...all in the last three days. Not once did I think about throwing in the towel and quitting. Every night I studied my maps and made a new plan for the next day. The new challenges and the next ridge are all I need to boost my mental attitude. I love to hunt.

[stringunner]

I tell myself every morning solo or not "Today is the day, its going to happen." And yes I hunt solo about two weeks of the season. This year however, I plan on stopping by swede's camp and asking for a pep talk! He and I camp within 2 miles of each other.

[Elkduds]

While reading this thread I realized I'm working on my hunting attitude throughout the offseason. Every time I check this Forum I am thinking of hunting, preparing for success, setting goals, building resilience and determination, considering alternatives, stoking the fire that carries me through the rough patches during season.

[Trophyhill]

I think about what I'd be doing at work right now and how long it is til next elk season. Works every time

[Toby]

Great thoughts and suggestions. I am usually so pumped up, there is no problem with motivation. For a couple years I hunted the first week alone and then the rest of the guys came, no problem with motivation. If I go it alone for 2-2 1/2 weeks I will certainly draw on your advice.

[easeup]

I like pep talks too. usually I have to be the provider of these.
but when the talks are not working as well as they should and you are say 7~8 days in to it; take a 1 day break get a shower and a big ol' chicken fried steak somewhere and head back in; you will be a new man.

[Elkonthebrain]

All I think is you waited all year for these two weeks.

[dreamhunter]

These are some of the things I did last year since my buddy wasn't able to get away with me. First let me say that I hunted by myself 3 or 4 yrs ago and swore I would never do it again.Well last year I did and it was the best year so far. I know how hard it is to get up and get going sometimes.I think about the reason I am in the mountains, ( I wanted to elk hunt ).Well here I am and they aren't gonna come to me….or are they ? They did last year,I had 4 bulls wake me up at 4:00 AM not more than 100-200 yds from my tent.I couldn't wait to get out there after that. But what about the day and situations you are talking about.Here is something that helps me while I'm either hunting or just sitting and waiting a spell. I always have a book in my pack and I always have elknuts playbook in my pack.I read on the playbook and start looking at my surroundings and start to think and dream about the big coming in somewhere near my location. It kinda stirs the adrenalin ,and I also have my cds from elknut downloaded to my phone and I will listen to that at different times and that usually gets me wanting to go and make something happen.I thats the key a lot of the times.If nothing is happening it's time to see if you can make something happen. There is always something you can do.Your hunting,so go hunt and get the big one.Good luck

[Wapiti]

Passion fuels me to go hard every day I'm out there !! Sure you get feeling down sometimes but pick a game trail leading down into a hole and just follow it and see where it takes you !!

September only lasts for so long and the rut is even shorter so make the best of it while your out there !! I always say to myself this is better than work any day !! Find a wallow or a creek and just hang out and see what happens. Either way your out enjoying the awesomness off the elk habitat !!

So lift your self up and enjoy it !! You'll be glad you did !!

I love to hunt Solo it's fuels me to go where no other human has been and may never be !! At that moment I'm the only one in this world and the elk are all mine !! If that's not inspiring then I don't know what else to say !!

[Csrbowhunter]

It is hard some times to stay in a positive mood. One year I went 8 days without hearing an elk! Man that was tuff! I just kept telling myself this next area is going to have elk. Most nights when I would decide to hunt somewhere new the next morning, I couldn't hardly sleep I'd get myself so pumped up. Then the next day was just more of the same(no elk). When it was time to go home was when I finally found the elk. That made it hard to go back to Ohio that year empty handed but some years that's just how it goes. The next year I stayed an extra day and killed my first bull some years you just have to keep changing the plan for it to work.

[Nuck]

Good stuff. Mental toughness or what some call "heart" is probably your most important tool to have in the elk woods.

[Huntrgathr]

This is going to sound weird but try going home for a day or two if you're in your home state. When I feel beat down and frustrated, nothing lifts me up like seeing my kids, taking a shower, eating some real food, looking at maps and coming up with new strategies. Usually by lunch time on the first day back I'm chomping at the bit to get back out in the woods. It's kinda like pushing the reset button on a hunt. I forget the frustration, "failures" etc. and usually have a much more positive attitude when I get back out there.

[ishy]

For me it's never an issue due to the time and effort put in all year. I think training builds that hunger, and when you've dreamed about it for 335 days even if you have a few slow days you know that next ridge could be the one.

[Swede]

I know elk don't show up on a schedule. One day there may be none around where I hunt, but tomorrow there may be a herd. Patience is the key and knowing from experience that things can change in a minute.

[Screaming_btf]

I hunt solo much of the time. I always remind myself that it only takes a few seconds to turn a long hard unsuccessful hunt into a success I will never forget. That if it were easy everybody would get an ELK. I try to reflect on the passion and dreams I had in the off season when I wish I were out hunting. If you get bored try switching your tactics, take a nap, just keep at it.. eventually I figure by determination or dumb luck even I must run into an opportunity. Get out at night and walk a few miles, if you start hearing them at night it can boost your confidence your hunting more than ghosts. Sometimes just resting for a short while and eating will help give me a boost.

[Toby]

Lots of good thoughts from all. I found out that I will be going solo this year, partners can't make it. It's not the hunting alone that concerns me so much, it is coming back to camp and not having someone to share the days event and tomorrow's plans with.