Advice to aspiring elk hunter…

[WapitiTalk1]

Howdy! My name is ######. I’m getting ready to start hunting elk next year. What are some things, maybe top three things, I need to start concentrating on to improve my success/experience?

[Elkhunttoo]

Welcome to Elk hunting ######....just a few pointers to get ready for elk hunt

First thing i would suggest is to get yourself mentally and physically prepared. You think about your elk hunt for months if not years to get to go elk hunting. You have 10 days to get to actually hunt elk. If you are not mentally and physically ready you will end up cutting that 10 days of hunting into about 7 days.

Second thing to focus on will be to study the area you are going to hunt. Learn the terrain. If possible put boots on the ground in that area. Online and in person scouting to try and up you odds to be into elk as fast as possible. Look for saddles, water holes, bedding and feeding areas, traveling routes and so on....places where elk will be elk and doing elk things

Third thing...practice and prepare...Practice with your weapon and be ready when the time comes....prepare, if you are archery hunting, prepare for the style you plan on hunting. Tree stand, calling, spot and stock...there are endless you tube elk hunting videos you can find...Elknut had some seminars on calling that are great to listen to. Corey Jacobsens destination elk series are exellent for learning about different styles of hunting. Pick up Swede's Tree Stand hunting book and study that if thats one of the hunting styles you want to try.

Last thing is enjoy it!!! enjoy the beauty of the Mountains and the peace this elk hunting vaccation will bring you

[Swede]

#1 Pick a good unit to hunt. Don't worry about which State is best. You are not going State hunting. A 20% success unit in one State is as good as a 20% success State in another unless you want a particular size or gender of elk. The State statistics can refine your search a lot. After you find the unit(s) you like, then narrow things down from there. Call the area fish and game office and ask for some help. Tell them what you are looking for and how you plan to hunt.

Most of elk hunting success is being mentally prepared. I will be 79 this season and I believe my chance of success is better now than it was when I was age 22. Finding elk is not the hard part though that is not a given by any means. Killing a legal elk is a bit more involved. You can read here and on other forums stories about the one that came close. Your hunt comes down to less than five minutes, and often less than thirty seconds where you either make it happen or something goes wrong.
Things can and do go haywire for any hunter, but some still manage to be consistently successful.
#2 Don't mess up when your magic moment arrives.

#3 Elk calls are tools. Too many newbies think of them as some kind of magic wand. Most archery elk hunters rarely or never call in an elk they can kill. Learn to elk hunt then add a call to support your hunting technique.
BTW: I purchased a new bugle this last winter that I plan to use this coming season. I hope not to wear it out by making 2-4 calls per day. I like to let any elk that hears it know there is a new elk in the area. It should pique their interest. I will let them come to figure it out.