Superstition

[Bullnuts]

Yes, I am....I have to find a feather on the ground and stick it in my hat before I can have a successful hunt (see avatar). Anyone else have a goofy superstition that they follow every year?

[Lefty]

I knew an old natiive fellow he said it was traditional ( not superstiiious) to put a sprig of sage in your shoes (moccisins) I do it maybe as much as rememberance of him than anything

[Freebird134]

Nope.

[westaner]

I ask them silently if I can take their life. Like Native Americans do. I have even asked for my hunts to be blessed by my brother inlaws tribe, Navaho

[SBH]

In the past I've always grown a beard.....I think I'm gonna step out on a limb and throw down with a lucky mustache this year.

[JohnFitzgerald]

I carry my first ivory on every hunt.

jf

[>>>---WW---->]

I remember you telling me about the lucky feather deal several years ago. Now I know where I screwed up. I stuck it between the hood and the foam on my bow quiver. You didn't tell me it had to go on my hat! LOL!

[Magic]

Not superstitious, but I have been wearing the same hat on my Colorado/Wyoming trips since 1973. I also quit shaving about the middle of August.

[Freebird134]

That's a sweet hat Magic!!! I like traditions. I don't really have any, but I should start one!

Superstitions can be a fun thing, but I have a hard time believing anyone here really believes a hat, feather, or special underwear really skews your odds in favor of killing an elk. Right? Please correct me if I'm wrong--I'd love to hear more

[bullrub]

In the past I've always grown a beard.....I think I'm gonna step out on a limb and throw down with a lucky mustache this year.

I use to grow a beard too SBH, and then it turned white.

[Bullnuts]

I remember you telling me about the lucky feather deal several years ago. Now I know where I screwed up. I stuck it between the hood and the foam on my bow quiver. You didn't tell me it had to go on my hat! LOL!

Bill, I'm sure I told you it had to go in your hat. Your problem is you get your feathers from the chicken farm next door...doesn't count!

[Bullnuts]

That's a sweet hat Magic!!! I like traditions. I don't really have any, but I should start one!

Superstitions can be a fun thing, but I have a hard time believing anyone here really believes a hat, feather, or special underwear really skews your odds in favor of killing an elk. Right? Please correct me if I'm wrong--I'd love to hear more

Ok, here you go: The first feather I put in my hat was a red tail feather from a woodpecker...killed a 5X5 that night. The next year I found a grouse feather on the road and killed a cow the next morning. The next year I couldn't find a feather and missed FIVE elk. The next year I found a feather and killed a bull the next morning. The next year I found another feather while I was sitting on a wallow, the night before my last morning. This one had a hair from an elk's mane wrapped through the barbs! Killed a bull the next morning. Last year I found feather just a I got out of the truck on opening morning and killed a bull about an hour later. I don't know if it's mojo or not, but it sure seems to work for me.

[Bullnuts]

Oh, by the way, a couple years ago I also found a stuffed teddy bear next to the road as we were driving into camp. I thought it would be a funny camp mascot. That afternoon we had a real bear in camp and a couple days later on the second day of bear season, I killed a bear. My brother killed one the next morning in the same spot. We ended up burning the teddy bear in the fire that night because that was just too creepy.

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[Freebird134]

That's a sweet hat Magic!!! I like traditions. I don't really have any, but I should start one!

Superstitions can be a fun thing, but I have a hard time believing anyone here really believes a hat, feather, or special underwear really skews your odds in favor of killing an elk. Right? Please correct me if I'm wrong--I'd love to hear more

Ok, here you go: The first feather I put in my hat was a red tail feather from a woodpecker...killed a 5X5 that night. The next year I found a grouse feather on the road and killed a cow the next morning. The next year I couldn't find a feather and missed FIVE elk. The next year I found a feather and killed a bull the next morning. The next year I found another feather while I was sitting on a wallow, the night before my last morning. This one had a hair from an elk's mane wrapped through the barbs! Killed a bull the next morning. Last year I found feather just a I got out of the truck on opening morning and killed a bull about an hour later. I don't know if it's mojo or not, but it sure seems to work for me.

I'd call those interesting coincidences and a fun story, but are you really saying that you think that finding a feather is key to your success?

[Bullnuts]

Freebird - It's hard to argue with a freezer full of elk meat! The uncanny part for me is the timing. When I find a feather on the ground, and it can't just be any feather, like one that is there as a result of the untimely demise of the bird, I typically have a shot opportunity that day or the next. I don't think I hunt any harder after I find one, but I do get the feeling that good things are about to happen and they usualy do.

[Magic]

Ya just can't argue with da man's feathers.

[dotman]

Full on beard starting the middle of July and it staystill all hunting is over for the year.

[Lefty]

Oh, by the way, a couple years ago I also found a stuffed teddy bear next to the road as we were driving into camp. I thought it would be a funny camp mascot. That afternoon we had a real bear in camp and a couple days later on the second day of bear season, I killed a bear. My brother killed one the next morning in the same spot. We ended up burning the teddy bear in the fire that night because that was just too creepy.

006.jpg

So would it be a bad idea or good idea to pickup a Barbie doll?

[Freebird134]

Oh, by the way, a couple years ago I also found a stuffed teddy bear next to the road as we were driving into camp. I thought it would be a funny camp mascot. That afternoon we had a real bear in camp and a couple days later on the second day of bear season, I killed a bear. My brother killed one the next morning in the same spot. We ended up burning the teddy bear in the fire that night because that was just too creepy.

006.jpg

So would it be a bad idea or good idea to pickup a Barbie doll?

I don't know man, scale up a barbie doll and you have a freaky lookin' chick! Those man hands!!!!!

[WapitiTalk1]

Full on beard starting the middle of July and it staystill all hunting is over for the year.

Man I know what state you came from

[cantgetdrawn]

I've read on more than one occasion that confidence is important. If some superstition or ritual does it more power to you.

[dotman]

Full on beard starting the middle of July and it staystill all hunting is over for the year.

Man I know what state you came from

Haha, I do get some really weird looks at work when I start growin it in 100* + temps

[Bullnuts]

I've read on more than one occasion that confidence is important. If some superstition or ritual does it more power to you.

Maybe it is a confidence thing, but for whatever reason it works so I'm not changing! By the way, with all the birds flying around the woods it's is amazing how difficult it can be to find a feather!

[one_elk]

my supersition: wind at my back is bad....

[Freebird134]

my supersition: wind at my back is bad....

That's a superstition we should all have!

[hornart]

I carry around 2 sets of ivories,,yearound,,I retire the oldest set when I get the next new set.

[Bullnuts]

I carry around 2 sets of ivories,,yearound,,I retire the oldest set when I get the next new set.

I now know TWO people who do this!!! That's a cool tradition.

[elkchaser503]

butter finger candy bars are bad mojo in our elk camp.. No one is allowed to be in possession of one in camp. This started back when our group was rifle hunting. it seemed every time a guy would go hunting with a butter finger in his pack he wouldn't see a animal so after a few years they where outlawed in our camp. That has stuck 20 plus years later.

[elkchaser503]

Not superstitious, but I have been wearing the same hat on my Colorado/Wyoming trips since 1973. I also quit shaving about the middle of August.

i don't shave tell i fill a tag or the season ends. Some nights at the hospital i think my patients think i'm a homeless guy coming in their rooms...LOL

[hornart]

I carry around 2 sets of ivories,,yearound,,I retire the oldest set when I get the next new set.

I now know TWO people who do this!!! That's a cool tradition.

Thanks,,I kind of shock non hunters when I pull change out of my pocket and they see the teeth,,they think I`m kinda strange,,doesnt bother me a bit,,lol

[MTLongdraw]

I like the beard and moustache idea. If I start growing one today I should have a pretty legitimate beard/moustache come September

[Swede]

I was 18 years old and found a colorful feather, which I stuck in my hat. Within a few minutes I killed the biggest Mule deer I have ever got. It had ten points on one side and nine on the other (western count). Since that time I pick up colorful a feather and put it somewhere obvious on my hat or shirt. A few years ago I bought a Badlands Superday pack. It is simply great, but when I had with me, I never saw any elk within shooting range. On the next to the last day of the season I left it in the truck and went out in the morning with just what I could carry in my pockets. At about 10:00AM I killed a nice 5x5 bull. Well that did it. I took my Sharpie and blacked out, or sewed a patch over every Badlands logo on my pack. Since then I have not had a problem getting elk, but I am not superstitious.

[Swede]

BTW every zipper flob on my Badlands pack has been replaced with an elk ivory attached by a small split-ring. I know it does not add to my success, but it looks good.

[>>>---WW---->]

I have a rooster we call Cogburn. I'll bet John Wayne would be honored to know we call him Rooster Cogburn. Well anyhow, Cogburn has some mighty nice looking tail feathers. I suppose I could sent them to Bullnuts when we get ready to butcher old Cogburn. That should keep his freezer full of elk for many years to come.

But be sure you let me know if you ever do find that Barbie doll. I'll be at your elk camp lickity split.

[Bullnuts]

Ha ha Bill! Dude, you can't use a rooster feather! Especially not from a bird that is going to end up in your stew pot. It has to be a naturally dropped feather - or a steel washer like my son Dillon found out in the middle of nowwhere this year (I have no idea how that got there - must have been space junk or something) or a golf ball - Daniel found one of those, too, in the middle of nowhere a couple years ago and whoever hit it must have crushed it because the nearest golf course is at least 30 miles away. As for Barbie, if I ever find one of those you'll be the last to know!!!

[slim9300]

I'm "kind of" crazy when it comes to superstitions. I am a self admitted OC. But last time I checked, if you tell everyone your secrets than all the elk are going to be dead.

[bearman da man]

Have killed four - 5x5 bulls out of 6 yrs. on September 21st.....not superstitious but darn, my favorite day!!!!