Time and Atttitude

[foxvalley]

Time and attitude are two factors that need to be taken into consideration,and will directly determine weather you are successful or not.First,time starts ticking away the first day you get to elk camp,and for some people,5 days may seem like a blink of the eye,and for others, an eternity.If you hunt private land 5 days may give you multiple shot oppertunities,or if you hunt public land,it may take 5 days to just find the elk.
Most hunters only have so many vacation days to hunt,however,I believe it is important to commit as much time as possible for the hunt,as elk country is huge,and it takes lots of time to cover ground, find the elk,maybe pattern them,come up with a plan, and then hopefully a shot.Guided,or outfitted hunts are finite, and you have no control over this,so this thread is geared more towards the DYI hunters on public.
5 days is a VERY short elk hunt,10 days will increase your odds dramatically,and 14 days,or hunting till "it ends" will give you the satisfaction of knowing you did everthing possible to kill an elk,and you should feel proud to go the distance, even if you are unsuccessfull. I can't think of a worse feeling than having the time,getting fustrated,and "going home early", and thinking to myself on the 30 hour ride home why I am leaving early...and wanting to turn around and go back...opps to late.
That brings us to my second point,attitude. If you have been elk hunting, you know what to expect,the highest of highs,and the lowest of lows.You know the pain of sore muscles,freezing cold soaking wet,and overheating being soaking wet with sweat,and still, after days and days of hunting, not seen, or even hearing an elk.The newbe should take this to heart, and expect all this to happen, and be prepared for it.Looking back at all my elk hunts, since the 80's,on public,and having a min. of two weeks to hunt,on average,I had one...yes one(1) shot oppertunity every year.
You need to keep the right attitude,the positive attitude,every min.and in my oppinion is much harder to do than the physical aspect of the hunt.You never know when everything comes together,and in a matter of seconds,after hunting hard for days or weeks,there he is standing in front of you.I remember one year,after getting "burned out" and leaving just a day before the season closed,as i was packing out, I came across a hunter that was camped in the same drainage,and he asked why I was leaving a day early,and he proceeded to tell me of the big 6pt. he killed the previous year,on the last day, and the last hour of the hunt...

[WapitiTalk1]

Exceptional thread and start up post to launch it Doug! Time: For those who can swing 10+ days for their elk hunt dramatically increase their odds for success IMO. I feel it takes a few days to get your battle rhythym established to a productive level (elk legs under you, system adjusted to camp chow, system adjusted to time change if you've traveled to the elk woods, identify any other hunting pressure in your area(s) and adjust fire as needed) and oh yeah, find some elk and patterning their movements. For making the best use of the time you have: Steady wins the race.....trying to win the mountain iron man contest in the first half of your hunt can result in your bacon being burned too early. Granted, I'm slightly younger than dirt but this even applies for the younger guys/gals. It's not uncommon for a hunter to push themselves to and over the limit early in their hunt and become almost too physically/mentally exhausted to continue their elk assault in the most efficient manner. You'll get the physically exhausted time when you're packing your elk out. Steady wins the race; be the tortoise and not the hare . This leads into the attitude portion. Maintaining a positive "this is the day" attitude is harder than one would think, particularly when the weather rolls in for a few days (hard rain or excessive heat), or the elk go silent, or a wolf pack starts howling in your favorite draw, or you're physically exhausted from almost winning the mountain iron man contest in the first half of your hunt, or not having the home front in tip top shape when you leave home (and it's weighing on your mind), etc. If you feel your positive elk attitude waning, take a morning off... shoot your bow, do some camp maintenance, filter a few containers of water, practice calling, stack some firewood, take a bath in a cold mountain stream (believe me, you need it), and then head out on a short evening hunt. Sometimes this works wonders to get you fully back in the game. Stay positive, stay steady, be ready for the shot when it presents itself, and bring an elk home for dinner!

[ishy]

These are great nuggets folks. I think for me it's learning to savor each moment in the woods whether it's the best rut fest day ever, or the last of a string of dead quiet, bad weather, and blister filled days. Trying to balance your own abilities vs. the time you're able to put in to maximize your chances. Expectations heading into a big trip we've dreamed about all year can put pressure on our backs, and shorten our endurance as much as the weight in our packs. For me at least, the time working out in the offseason might be more for my mental stamina than my physical.

[Bow4me]

For all the guys planning their first trip read this thread twice. It's taken me a lot of pain, mental anguish and money to learn these lessons the hard way.

[Deafirishman]

Great thread here. I think the mental part is the toughest for me. When you are physically exhausted, its your mental toughness that will keep you going no matter what. Knowing that any day of the hunt could be 'your day', that's what keeps me going. I took my bull last season on the 4th day of the hunt and I took the 5th day off to do some camp maintenance while the rest of the group went out. The next day I was ready to go again but no tag

IMO, physical and mental toughness are the 2 most important things that I need. If you put the time in preparing for the hunt and having a positive attitude through it all, it's guaranteed a successful hunt even if you don't harvest an elk. VERY FEW people ever get the opportunity to go elk hunting and I am very grateful to be given many opportunities to go.

[foxvalley]

What I found that helps with both the mental and physical issues that you come accross is simple but it really helps. That is, just try and make yourself more comfortable.
Last year was the first time that I had "heat" in my tent,as I upgraded to a nice wall tent with a stove. Waking up in a nice warm tent,warm cloths, and warm boots,put me in the right frame of mind before I even left camp.Trying to jam my feet into frozen boots,getting dressed before hypothermia sets in and trying to hug my coffee cup as closly as possible to stay warm in the mornings are now a thing of the past,and now I relax in comfort,vs fighting to survive before I left camp.
Also, taking advantage of the high tech, clothing that is out there, will also keep you more comfortable all day long, weather you are soaking wet from sweat,or from the heavy dew in the morning. My older high tech stuff is wearing out, so i am upgrading to wool this year,and am very exited to test the layering systems that are availeable,and I'm sure this will keep my lots warmer than last year,as I tried to stay warm in the deep dark holes at my favorite wallows.

[Toby]

Great thread. I know that there is some benefit to having high expectations, it can kind of drive you to "success". As I have aged, I find success in a lot of different ways, not just killing an elk, although I try my best. I didn't even start hunting elk until I was almost 50 years old due to employment. I can honestly say that I have enjoyed every day I have had the opportunity to chase these great animals and to see some of the most beautiful scenery there is.

My advice, don't make the mistake of killing an elk get in he way of enjoying all of the other great experiences. Sometimes the harder we try, the less "successful" we are.

Toby

[Solitude]

Time and attitude, for most it seems our time we can spend in the elk woods is limited. I am no exception. However, I feel working on my attitude towards the hunt throughout the entire year leads to a successful hunt for me.

During workouts I visualize pushing up and over ridge lines to find elk sign, new gorgeous county, a fresh/hot wallow, chasing elk, catch up to elk and ultimately typically arrowing an elk.

I visualize every aspect and challenge of the hunt I can possibly dream up, and then how I should overcome any obstacles I may come across.

I believe mental prep, attitude and desire to succeed will keep you going day in and day out, way more than any other factor .

Lastly, I give it my all everyday, I absolutely hate driving home with a feeling of, I should have pushed harder, or explored one more canyon, or dogged the herd longer, as I know it was a breakdown in my attitude at the time. In the rare occasion this happens, the feeling haunts me until my next successful trip as I know time in the elk woods is oh so precious.

Keep a fit, strong and positive attitude throughout your prep and time afield and you will be rewarded with positive memories of life in your head for years to come.