Patience, Perserverance, Skill

[Swede]

Patience, perseverance and skill all come into play when we consider the attributes needed to be routinely successful at taking elk. Skill might include things like knowing where to hunt and even how to access your elk encounter locations. You can't get elk that have scented you and you are behind the curve if they get any sight or unnatural sound of you. Skill includes a myriad of things you need to employ in your hunt. These things are often essential, but I believe patience and perseverance are even more important.
Patience to stay focused in a good location. Often we drop our guard or move too soon. I can't remember how many times I stood up or took a step only to spook and elk that was coming my way.
Perseverance will keep you our hunting when everyone else has gone home. I use to especially enjoy the last weekend of the season because I had the woods to myself. I have killed several elk very late in the season. It is a rare hunter that kills an elk from their living room. We need to be out in elk country patiently hunting to fill our tag.

What are some things you have found to be vital to elk hunting success?

[Tigger]

having an elk in shooting range.

[Swede]

That is like, "to catch a bird you first put salt on its tail". I found it interesting in the video Rocky Jacobson attributed his success to hunting all season. That is the essence of patience and perseverance. What manner of patience, perseverance or skill do you employ for success or what do you need to do to improve?

[Indian Summer]

Grit. I’ll define that as the ability to tough it out through long sweaty days day after day or even week after week with little sleep and crappy food in brutal weather and tough hunting… as if it’s normal!

Sometimes I actually smile and say to myself… I hope this is all part of a good story!

[Swede]

It is good to see you back Joe. I was starting to wonder if you took an extended Spring break.

[Jhg]

Do not think like most hunters think. I do not see "more elk" I see better elk.

[WapitiTalk1]

Hunt where others “won’t”. Elk like it there and so do I, mostly . I am a bit impatient on occasion, gotta work on that.

[Elkhunttoo]

Well, I think the reason Swede needs patience and perseverance is because I have all the skill

[Swede]

I think the reason Swede needs patience and perseverance is because I have all the skill

That very well may be true. I know enough and can do enough to get by. I have years of experience and have seen many different things, but I do not claim to be the most skilled hunter.

Some things I read on the forums and other places match my observations. Some things do not fit, at least where I hunt. I make up for at least some of my skill deficiency with the knowledge I have gained along with patience and perseverance. I can even go on grit as I.S. posted, but this last winter I purchased a heated vest to try to take some of the gritty edge off cold mornings or evenings in my stand.

When I was young and new to elk hunting, I got elk about every fourth season. I knew very little, but hunted hard and hiked miles each day until I needed an easy day to recuperate and let my sore feet heal up a little. One of the things I have learned while elk hunting is that sore feet and miles of moving around does not make up for patience and perseverance.
One season a couple of friends I was hunting with gave up and went home. There were no elk around, so they contended. They left camp about the time I headed out for my hunt, but before they arrived at home about five hours away, I was butchering my critter. Similar things have happened several times over the years, though not quite so abruptly. It truly pays to be patient and persevere.

[Elkhunttoo]

I like to think of myself as a skilled hunter…but I am a terrible shot!!! Definitely needs to be one of the main things I focus on over the next several years. Patient’s is definitely not a strong point either. I can sit in a stand all day but when I’m on the ground I struggle in that category

[Lefty]

Of the three offers Swede suggested. I excell in perseverance, I approach many things in life with an attitude some can't comprehend.
Sadly I lack patience. My physical abilities have waned,,, with more patience slipping in.
Skills have waned too.

For me there is so much more involved in archery hunting.

[Jhg]

In my area I have listened to several versions of " its not like it used to be" as hunters got together at a trailhead and traded intel.

I have noticed that there are a fair number of hunters who seek validation in group settings from other hunters as to why they are not seeing elk or going home empty cooler. It is almost a closed feedback loop. These hunters can sense another like them a mile away. One will say its the weather and on cue another validates yes its the weather. Mission accomplished. That inner doubt has been quieted. They can go home without owning that it was they just gave up.

Perseverance is not a strong point, nor is knowledge. They stumbled on to a routine that worked "back then" and stuck with it. Can't fault that. But they didn't add onto their skillset because they really just wanted to have an elk in the truck. Hunting elk, or being long in the woods, were not actually what they really wanted to be doing. It is much easier to be elk hunting when it is, well, easy. Elk Hunting can get hard mentally. A lot of hunters are not in it for the work they are in it for the glory and they will hunt excuses instead of hunt elk.

Anyway, enough finding fault. To be successful it helps to love doing the things required to tag out. Whether its scouting, deep thinking a stand set up, or shooting your bow.
We are best at doing what we love.

[Swede]

This is a little off the main point, but hunting success has not changed much over the years. The things that have changed are potential hunter numbers especially in archery season. The game commissions have allowed almost everything the bow hunters want, but they restrict the animals that can be shot or they go to draw hunts to limit the number of kills.
Personally, I have never found elk hunting to be quick and easy. I have had first morning success on occasion, but that was just luck. I have had just as many late season kills including one the last hour of the last day.
I agree with Jhg about the complainers. But here is the deal. If you blame others for your lack of success and do not take ownership of the problem, you are just being a victim. You can do nothing about the weather or the game commission or other hunters. All we have control of is ourselves. If I am not having success, I can blame someone or something else, but I can not change those things. I can change where, what and how I go about hunting.
The hunters on this forum are a pretty positive bunch. Sharing information and debating elk hunting styles and techniques should open our eyes to new possibilities. If what you have been doing is not working get engaged here first then take what you want on the hunt with you. Then share what you learned here on the forum.
Today I am going to apply for an elk tag in a unit I have never hunted. It will be a new challenge for an old dog. I think I am up to it but will find out in September assuming I get drawn for a tag.