Positive mental attitude

[foxvalley]

Getting up at 3:00am in a cold tent,hunting hard from dark to dark, sweating, freezing,being tired,and being"so close" day after day, week after week will wear you down mentally. How can this happen? your elk hunting right!? I consider myself to have a great positive attitude(if nothing else) but this is where I fail.
What do you do to keep a positve mental attitude "in the end" when it hits you the hardest.(besides killing an elk)

[Charkbait]

I do a lot of activities, were you continually suffer for weeks and are rewarded with 5 minutes of perfection that makes it all worth it. Once you have that happen a few times being optimistic is easy. I surf fish for trophy size species and some times youre 100 hours in and finally get that bite, its about perseverence and continuing to do what you know is the right thing to make it happen.

Same thing for me on my last elk hunt. 9th day of 10+miles a day and getting on my bull several times, slightly closer to closing the deal each time but wind, cows, other bulls, and bad luck spoiled it each time. The final day I missed him in the morning in rushed shot when the stuff hit the fan. I shot him for 70yds and he was 55 so right over the back. That evening we herd him get up and start bugling, found him without cows caked in mud and raking. This moment happened because I stayed the course, took an extra 3 days, and never gave up. The end was easy, I closed to 15 yds quickly and killed the massive 5x5 bull in my avatar, the process is what made it great! If I had the same scenario on day 1 i would have felt cheated, on day 9 it was the greatest hunt I've ever been on!

Relish the process and know it is all part of the end result and that your entire hunt can change in minutes, all you have to do is keep hunting and make sure you are there when those minutes happen...

Honestly I drive people nuts with my positive thinking about the situation and the odds of success. I readily acknowledge how bad it sucks and how hard it is but I never ever let them or myself not hunt like it will happen at any minute.

Now an area without game is different, then we move until we find somehting but always thinking they are just ahead.

[The Doc]

"the process is what made it great! If I had the same scenario on day 1 i would have felt cheated, on day 9 it was the greatest hunt I've ever been on!"
the quote from charkbait
you have some serious issues. however i am in total agreement with you. ha ha

[RockChucker30]

I'm similar to Charkbait. Experience has taught me that as long as you're switched on and hunting it could happen at any time. If you give up- even if you're still out there- you've lost because you won't be ready even if an opportunity presents itself.

I will say that good gear, eating right, and being physically prepared help a ton. It's hard to be switched on if you're sore, cold, wet, and going through a sugar crash.

[Swede]

I may hunt 30 days in a row in addition to the five days I go early and set up and scout. I usually do not get discoraged, but I can get tired. The two things that come to mind that cause short term discouragement are bad weather and too many hunters tooting their elk bugles. I can't do anything about the weather, except change my hunting tactics. Most of the tooters walk along squawking their plastic bite and blow bugles every hundred feet or so. Often I hear them call with only a minute or two between blasts. I am glad they don't know I am in the area, and they don't know what I would like to do to their bugles. It is interesting when I see the elk literally running to get out of the area and away from these guys who must think they are the Pied Pipers of elk.
To deal with tired I may take a short noon time nap. It helps, but it takes several day to really recharge.

[Goneelkn]

If you are that burned out, take a morning or evening off. I've done it once in a while and it gets me back in the "mood". Mostly because i'm sitting at camp swearing at myself for being lazy and weak to not be out there!!

[WapitiTalk1]

If you are that burned out, take a morning or evening off. I've done it once in a while and it gets me back in the "mood". Mostly because i'm sitting at camp swearing at myself for being lazy and weak to not be out there!!

Agree with Goneelkn. It's amazing how much better you feel by taking a "maintenance" morning, evening, or even most of the day "off" in the middle of a long hunt. Sleep in, wash a set of clothes in a nearby creek, hang your bag inside/out in the sun for the afternoon, shake dirt out of tent, walk around a bit and restock your camp firewood, refill your camp water bag, take a creek bath, etc. Get back on it the next morning.

[foxvalley]

If you are that burned out, take a morning or evening off. I've done it once in a while and it gets me back in the "mood". Mostly because i'm sitting at camp swearing at myself for being lazy and weak to not be out there!!

Agree with Goneelkn. It's amazing how much better you feel by taking a "maintenance" morning, evening, or even most of the day "off" in the middle of a long hunt. Sleep in, wash a set of clothes in a nearby creek, hang your bag inside/out in the sun for the afternoon, shake dirt out of tent, walk around a bit and restock your camp firewood, refill your camp water bag, take a creek bath, etc. Get back on it the next morning.

Thanks you guys!
We have always been to stubburn to do just that. Sometimes the simplest solutions are the ones that work the best,will do.

[slim9300]

Getting up at 3:00am in a cold tent,hunting hard from dark to dark, sweating, freezing,being tired,and being"so close" day after day, week after week will wear you down mentally. How can this happen? your elk hunting right!? I consider myself to have a great positive attitude(if nothing else) but this is where I fail.
What do you do to keep a positve mental attitude "in the end" when it hits you the hardest.(besides killing an elk)

If you have 10+ days to hunt and you are beat down, take a long afternoon nap everyday and if you really need to, sleep in one morning.

For me when the thoughts of quitting creep into my mind (usually about day 7 of straight humping it) I remind myself about all the people back home that are expecting me to get it done. Answering to them and everyone else that I know on a weekly if not daily basis in the off-season might as well be a nightmare. I tell myself that an elk must die.

[Goneelkn]

[Thanks you guys!
We have always been to stubburn to do just that. Sometimes the simplest solutions are the ones that work the best,will do.

Remember, your supposed to be having fun!

[LckyTylr]

Maybe it's because I haven't killed an elk yet, but when i get tired, worn down and frustrated, I start thinking about why I'm out there . . . . . . to kill an elk. Then I look back on the last several seasons at all of the times when I was tired or frustrated and I didn't literally go the extra mile and I start to tell myself, the reason I didn't kill one last year was because I got lazy. Within 5 minutes, I'm so mad at myself for being worn out and down on my luck that I have my pack back on and I'm headed for the next ridge. I find it very difficult to take mid-day naps, so I cover ground. Granted, this catches up to me. Twice last year, I had to pull over during the short 3 hour drive home to take a nap because I couldn't keep my eyes open. Until I get my truck loaded up and admit defeat for that weekends battle, I have few issues with motivation, I might get really tired and really mad at myself for not "getting it done", but I quickly convince myself that I need to put in more effort. Right now, that's all I know, as many people say on the forum, that first Elk on the ground is the most difficult. Until I get several under my belt, my only option is to hunt harder.

[elkohalic]

If you are that burned out, take a morning or evening off. I've done it once in a while and it gets me back in the "mood". Mostly because i'm sitting at camp swearing at myself for being lazy and weak to not be out there!!

good and honest response, I have done the same thing myself.

[mongopino915]

There are those that head into the elk woods with the intent of bringing an elk home, those that are there to enjoy some fun/laugh at camp fully expecting not to kill any elk, and those somewhere in between.

It can be pretty discouraging after 8 straight days of 12 plus miles with lots of opportunities but no elk to pack out. I always managed to hit the mountain every morning in the dark, hunt every day as though it was the last day of the season, because I know I will not kill one at camp. At the end of the season, I know that I put 110% effort, with or without an elk down, I am happy.

Of course, it helps if the entire team is all elk addicts.

[mtnmutt]

I am average when it comes to positive attitude.

Last year for my season 2, I hunted 9 straight days. I went too hard and too fast the first 3 days. I hunt by myself. This year, I opting for 3-4 days at a time to stay fresher for my hunts. I do workout all year round, but the multiple days of a lack of sleep tips the scales.

My attitude stays high because I measure my success on learning something new about the elk when I am out there. There are also the funny moments that perk me up. I have only been the hunter for 2 seasons (called for 3 seasons for someone else). Both of my seasons provided me with "success" (no meat yet) and life long memories that keep me smiling for the other 11 months of the year.

Last year I sneaked up on a large meadow where I had seen 4 elk at the far end 1/4 mile away 2 days earlier. I was so busy looking at the far end to see elk that I almost walked into a 6x6 that was walking across my direction of travel at 40 yards. He tilted his head back to give me a nod and kept on walking. I almost started laughing. I have had other funny moments in the woods. Maybe I am actually just delirious from the lack of sleep.

[Gazelle]

For me its the 1st 3 or 4 days that are tuff mentally. I get real homesick, miss my family etc. After that I feel like Im in the "zone". If Im getting into animals everyday I stay real positive. And theres nothing like that 1 morning of sleeping in, a shower and bacon and eggs.

[Freebird134]

I remind myself about all the people back home that are expecting me to get it done. Answering to them and everyone else that I know on a weekly if not daily basis in the off-season might as well be a nightmare. I tell myself that an elk must die.

Who are you hunting for: you or someone else? Motivation is motivation, I suppose.

[foxvalley]

I remind myself about all the people back home that are expecting me to get it done. Answering to them and everyone else that I know on a weekly if not daily basis in the off-season might as well be a nightmare. I tell myself that an elk must die.

Who are you hunting for: you or someone else? Motivation is motivation, I suppose.[/quot


Isn't that the truth slim! I deal with about 100 clients in the fall for my taxidermy business, most of which are friends. I goes something like this: Did you get one!? Did you get one!? Well, how big!? Did you get one!? WHAT! What do you mean???? ................100 times.

After about the 12 day is when I need to take a break, I really don't have a time that I have to leave,so I can stay till the end of the season,only that way will I know that I gave it my all. The last min.of the last hour of the last day.
The first year out I remember I had to borrow some money to stay "till the end" 2 days before the season ended I killed my first bull.
Easy to say, hard to do.

[slim9300]

I remind myself about all the people back home that are expecting me to get it done. Answering to them and everyone else that I know on a weekly if not daily basis in the off-season might as well be a nightmare. I tell myself that an elk must die.

Who are you hunting for: you or someone else? Motivation is motivation, I suppose.

Me first obviously but when I start to break down mentally, sometimes other motivation is needed to reflect upon. At that point I'm no longer hunting for the mountain experience (not that I was in the first place). I live 30 minutes from the mountains and I can get that every other day of the year. I probably cover more miles in the first 6-7 days not needing an ounce of motivation other than my own, then 99% of guys cover in 3 hunting seasons or maybe their lifetime. Lol. How about you worry about yourself and what motivates you and I will worry about getting it done my way. Obviously, we have somewhat different views of success on an elk hunt. For me it's less about the experience in nature and more about an elk hitting the dirt. No elk equals failure (not always complete failure I may add). We also have a bit of an age gap I believe so it may be that you are simply at a different stage in your hunting career or it also may be that we just have different personalities. IDK.

Edit: And for the record guys, Paul may be the exact same age as my dad, but him and I are in the same "stage" of our hunting careers. This is something that's very impressive to me and I can only hope I feel the same way when that time comes. I have talked to Paul enough to know this with certainty.

[Freebird134]

How about you worry about yourself and what motivates you and I will worry about getting it done my way. Obviously, we have somewhat different views of success on an elk hunt. For me it's less about the experience in nature and more about an elk hitting the dirt. No elk equals failure (not always complete failure I may add). We also have a bit of an age gap I believe so it may be that you are simply at a different stage in your hunting career or it also may be that we just have different personalities. IDK.

Hey man, no need to get hostile. You just made it sound like you were letting what other people think weight heavily on you. When I do that, it ruins my experience (hunting or anything). But, it's also motivation--like I said. Sometimes you need it where you can get it, and the "I don't want to be the guy without X" can push you pretty hard.

I thought we were pretty close to the same age (I'm 30). Maybe I'm wrong. But we definitely have different personalities.

[foxvalley]

Easy boys!
I see both your points, I think what free is trying to say is that a person should hunt for themself, and not just want to kill an elk to "impress everybody" On the flip side, if you hunt till the end, the last second that you can, and still come back empty handed, it's easier to take.

[slim9300]

How about you worry about yourself and what motivates you and I will worry about getting it done my way. Obviously, we have somewhat different views of success on an elk hunt. For me it's less about the experience in nature and more about an elk hitting the dirt. No elk equals failure (not always complete failure I may add). We also have a bit of an age gap I believe so it may be that you are simply at a different stage in your hunting career or it also may be that we just have different personalities. IDK.

Hey man, no need to get hostile. You just made it sound like you were letting what other people think weight heavily on you. When I do that, it ruins my experience (hunting or anything). But, it's also motivation--like I said. Sometimes you need it where you can get it, and the "I don't want to be the guy without X" can push you pretty hard.

I thought we were pretty close to the same age (I'm 30). Maybe I'm wrong. But we definitely have different personalities.

Was it your hunting partner that was older then? I thought I remembered you talking about age in trekking pole thread. My memory sucks though.

[Freebird134]

Uh oh Foxvalley: is my 16 year old punk showing?

[foxvalley]

Uh oh Foxvalley: is my 16 year old punk showing?

It's all good!!

[ElkNut1]

Alright folks, keep it civil, lets not wear our feelings on the end of our shirt sleeves here! We all have opinions & they should be respected, let's not force our thoughts on others. Nothing wrong with kidding around, but absolutely no personal attacks!!!

ElkNut/Paul

[ctdad]

Last year, I became very mentally tired on my elk hunt. It was raining non stop and I was wet all day. Every encounter I had with elk ended with no dead elk and I was struggling. Took almost an entire day off toward the end of the hunt just to recover. It was what I needed at that time and I realize that without the rest, I would have struggled even more. However, that fatigue and day of rest has motivated me to be in better shape, become more focused, work harder and do more to prepare for elk season this year. Dead elk or none this year, I will be engaged and in the game every day all day this year. I am more confident this year that my knowledge of elk vocalizations and behavior will improve my chances a lot.

[caperoll/Scott]

It's day three for me, my legs are gone, my back hurts ect. you know the story we have all been there. It happend a couple of years ago my partener and I went out for a week of Elk Hunting, the first two days we were in Elk every morning and every night but just could not close the deal. On day three my legs were gone alot of stright up hill,( that s going out and coming back) my mind was also going due to every step was getting me closer to hell and not to the Elk. We got into the area we had been the day before we were getting close but I was tired and not watching what I was doing and screwed things up, Elk running every where. It was at that point we got off the hill and took the day off. Got some good food in us relaxed got a better nights sleep. The next moring we were back on track and closed the deal on a nice 5X6 at 8 yards. So from now on we take a moring off sleep in eat good and then get back in the game. My hunting partner and I did not talk about being tired, I guess we didn't wont to look like a pussy, we were Elk hunters. We talk now and it works out for the best. That way no one gets hurt out there we all want to go home in one pice with an Elk in the back of the truck. I normaly have a good postive mental attitude about being in the mountians hunting or scouting just being out there for the most part puts me in that frame of mind but some times day after day of up and down mile after mile it can and will wear on you. So take some time off and recharge and be safe and have fun.

[ctdad]

I normaly have a good postive mental attitude about being in the mountians hunting or scouting just being out there for the most part puts me in that frame of mind but some times day after day of up and down mile after mile it can and will wear on you. So take some time off and recharge and be safe and have fun.

I agree with this completely. Above all, I do this for fun.