What Would it Take?

[Swede]

Have you ever seriously assessed where you are in your elk hunting development? Have you realistically tried to figure out where you would like to be in five or ten years? If your goal is realistic and in line with possibility, are you willing to pay the price it will take to achieve your goal?
I am not asking about this in dollars spent on new equipment or even vacation time devoted to hauling your wife and kids out to your playground. Can you get it done? Do you need a "game changer" revelation or change of equipment. Maybe you need a little more time and opportunity along with some minor adjustments to put yourself over the top.
This may be a good time to assess where you go and what you have and will be doing. Hunting season is rapidly approaching and if you have not been consistent in putting elk on the meat pole maybe this is a good time to do some personal evaluation.

[Lefty]

As I have gotten older my physical abilities have changed so has my attitude and what I'm willing to do.
Last year I think the coldest day I ever hunted was -15.
That hunt lasted iall of 10 minutes.

I'm not willing to let my wife worry too much either.

Hunting was never a financial sacrifice.,

I would say I have time and opportunity

[Lefty]

Yesterday I realized I hunt much like I pick huckleberries.

I go into a good area, sit down, and pick berries,
Or going to an area sit down and slow play the elk. And glass and glass if that's possible.

Lots of huckleberries in Southern Idaho this year
My analogy I don't make great sacrifices to get huckleberries or to kill an elk

[Elkhunttoo]

I’ve actually spent a lot of time this offseason pondering this Swede. My question in my mind was “what do I want out of the next 10 seasons, and how do I get there?”

Shooting has been my main flaw unfortunately. Even if I’m calm I find a way to screw it up. My peep sight slid on me a few years back and I was over a foot high at 40 yards. Cost me a bull. Just random stuff like that.

I have tree stand hunted a little in the past and set ground blinds on and off. But last seas committing to the tree stand was a game changer for me. Mentally I feel prepared for this season and strategically I think it is the best my group has ever started a season…I will let you know in a few weeks how it goes

[Swede]

Elkhunttoo, you are on the right track. You are thinking about what you need to do. I have no idea what you may need to change if anything, but you have a goal and are willing to adjust.

I have no guarantee of getting an elk and have never hunted the area I am going to. I feel a little naked going out with insufficient information on the area, so plan to adjust as the season progresses. Right now, I do not know what that will look like.