HEY LURKERS!

[Indian Summer]

I know you're out there.

I'm gonna go out on a limb here.... I see lots of posts that say "My name is _____ & I've been reading the threads on this site but this is my first post" etc etc etc.

They also say "This site is great. Tons of info & everyone is so nice & helpful"

I'd bet that our site administrator sees lots of IP addresses from people who aren't registerd users.

I'm sure many get the info they want just by reading along. 0thers just prefer to stay off of internet forums. But some are just plain easy going people, not as outspoken as the rest of us. Shy

How about a roll call here, even if this is your only post ever. Don't even make a post... just a simple will do as a sign of life out in cyberspace.

Come on out out of the woodwork y'all! Nobody bites. We put alot of time into this forum. Yes it's a labor of love but it's it would sure make it a little more self rewarding to know somebody out there in internetland is getting something out of this.... not just us regulars bellied up to the bar yakking away.

HELL0000000!

[JohnFitzgerald]

I like this thread!

[Swede]

I am not sure why individuals choose not to post, but I have heard a few people comment, that they think, they will be vulnerable to getting hacked or they will be inundated with spam or junk e-mail, etc. I can assure you there is nothing bad going to happen by posting here.
This web site reminds me in a small way of hunting camp. There are hunters gathered here with various backgrounds and experiences. On this forum, more than any like it, is just a group of friendly helpful people. We will kid each other and I will even poke at the more experienced folks here like John Fitzgerald, once is a while, but we are friends. There is a tremendous amount of hunting ezperience available here by people who like to share. They are folks who do not have the attitude that, I learned the hard way, so you need to do the same. I know I speak for more than a few when I say, we want you to be a skilled hunter. I prefer to share the forest with serious, skilled peple over folks just running around tooting their calls. The older hunters here have many and varied experiences. These experiences have given them a lot in knowledge and insights. Not all of these experiences are exactly the same and may even lead to some debate about things. There is a value and strength in that too, if you understand why and how things can apply one time and maybe not another. I would encourage anyone who wants to improve their hunting ability to join in and ask questions and share observations. We enjoy and appreciate the contributions of all.
As you can see by viewing the number of posts I have made, I am not concerned about this site being used for nefarious purposes. Well maybe Fitzgerald may try to get even, but he better be careful.

[mtnmutt]

Because of work and personal life , I have been absent on this forum for months at a time.

I am a middle aged solo woman rookie elk bowhunter.

Women hunters will be less likely to post on the forum and only lurk.

I was immediately welcomed by you guys, so I don't feel intimated here like other forums. There are still guys that think women should not hunt or they don't take us seriously.

Because I am a rookie elk hunter, I don't usually have useful comments to add to the conversations. So, I will continue to lurk.

Back to lurking...

[elkmtngear]

mtnmutt,
I for one find it refreshing to have a female point of view on a hunting forum now and then.... it reminds us to keep a civil tongue for one thing

We "regulars" just need to make our posts more ridiculous and off-base.....pretty soon it will drive the "lurkers" crazy...and they will not be able to help but chime in!

[Indian Summer]

MtnMutt... I forgot to mention that. Wish I did. It actually bothers me that any woman would hesitate to participate here or on any forum. Here especially. The atmosphere here is different. I hope people have noticed that. 0ther sites I can understand. We don't tolerate disrespect here & any dirtbags will be shown the exit door real fast!

You're welcome in my camp anytime. I don't need to see a picture or know your astrolgical sign first either. L0L I know all I need to know: You enjoy elk hunting.

0n that subject... did anyone watch Wild West Alaska last night? This morning I couldn't help but offer those ladies a swap hunt for elk. That young girl Jade was self motivated to provide for her son by learning to hunt. Her first kill was very emotional. I hope she continues to hunt. Best thing I saw on TV in a month! Inspiring

I wish more kids would find this site too and get started early in life.

NEXT......

[easeup]

there are so many other sites that users have seen or been apart of where they are ridiculed for any contrary opinion,observation or question.
they are smart folks and remain quiet to avoid persecution from the wolves. It is a learned UNresponse.

thanks to the staff for the effort to make all feel right here at home.

[siskiyou]

I've learned a tremendous amount from the forum. I first became aware of you guys when I found out that my elk partner (Dr. T) was spreading lies and deceit on the Sage Creek forum about our trips. It became my sworn duty to call him out on his nonsense and to spread the truth (my opinion rather than his).

He and I got into archery elk in the early 1980's after we read an article by Wayne Carlton in Sports Afield about this revolutionary new idea of using a turkey diaphragm to call in elk. Sounded like great adventure...so we each bought bows...watched Larry D. Jones' video (the only one on the market) a couple hundred times, went to Wyoming, and brought home two deer and a raghorn bull. We haven't matched that level of success on a trip since then.

I was reading Swede's helpful response to the discussion on moon phases etc. He prefaced it by saying that he'd spent over 20 years hunting elk, and I thought, "That guy's been at this for an awful long time". Then I realized that 2013 minus 1983 equals 30 years. Maybe Dr. T was right all along...I may not be all that quick of a learner after all.

[Indian Summer]

"thanks to the staff for the effort to make all feel right here at home"

Thank you.... or I guess you're welcome.

That's not just an accident either. We talk about keeping this site clean & making people feel comfortable. Paul makes it clear to everyone on the staff what he hopes to achieve. I have the same vision. World peace & good elk hunting for everyone. ha ha. If we can accomplish that we can have the best site on the net right.

Paul is a nicer guy than me though. Like I said.... I'll gladly escort any dirtbags off the property immediately. I actually believe that any potential bully types or people who just like to argue lurk here first and see that it's not their kind of crowd & move on. I hope so. Probably boring for them. Perfect right!!! lol

If a person can't feel comfortable talking on the internet something somewhere is very wrong. And what better to talk about than elk hunting!

Siskiyou, you look exactly like a good friend of mine. Feel like I know you already. ha ha

[Swede]

Siskiyou's comment reminded me, that my point on saying I have been tree stand hunting now for over 20 years was also a bench mark on when I started keeping a diary of my elk and deer kills. That diary has been useful in more ways than one. I would encourage people to keep track of where, when and how they have success. Write down what you were doing to get that animal, and the show date, time of day, daily temperatures, how many days you hunted an area or tree stand, etc., as this information will become useful in the years to come.
Cattle in my hunting area can be a major nuisance. I wish I had kept bettter track of how heavy the grazing was before and when I got my animals. I wish I had kept track of how dry the year was preceeding the hunting season, so I would better understand the correlation of these things to my hunting success.
If you are like me, things get blurry in your mind over time. I know my memory is not all that reliable. I started hunting in the 1950s, and I have forgotten many animals I killed. I have no record of them. I do not have a picture or even have the antlers. Back when I started hunting, the bragging points on an animal was as much about how fat it was, as the body or antler size. As a family that lived a lot off of the game we caught or killed, our trophy was a well set table.

[JohnFitzgerald]

Swede - I would never try to get even.....he he he!

Ladies - You are hunters as well. I too wish to hear from you.

On this forum, everyone has a right to be heard without fear of ridicule. If anyone now or in the future is made to feel this way send me or Paul a PM and we will address it. I think we all can agree to disagree with some points but lets be respectfull of everyones opionons.

FYI....everyone can pick on Swede though. LOL Just kidding! Swede, I hold your thoughts and suggestions in high regard!

[mtnmutt]

Paul was extremely kind to extend a personal invite to me for this forum last Summer when he replied to my email to pick his brain about elk hunting. A fellow woman elk bowhunter had told me how Paul was on the phone with her for a long time "helping" her, so that encouraged me that Paul was open to helping all of us.

This forum is in a class above the rest. You all have proven that time and time again.

Here I will date myself. I have been on the internet since 1987. Back then, we used newsgroups. Forums had not been invented yet.

Civility and respect for others is a lost art on the modern internet.

Here is my rule of thumb: If you are not willing to say the same thing to a person's face, hit delete and not submit. BTW: I am guilty, on occasion, of making the wrong choice.

A true measure of a person's character is not how they treat people that agree with them. The true measure of one's character is how they treat people that disagree with them.

I have no doubt there are a multitude of tactics for successful elk hunting. Many of you seasoned veterans have created threads that help people like me to study all the variations of successful elk hunting. You also tend to give a lot more intentional ROTFL moments than other forums. I found Paul's "what do you think" threads very helpful where he wants everyone to pick their brains and add to the conservation. That is a prime example of very good teacher. Thank you all!

Good luck to you all on your 2013 elk drawing.

[ORelksniper]

Always lurking and always learning something from you guys. Thanks to all of you for freely sharing your elk hunting knowledge.

Okay mtnmutt, I'll bite...what are ROTFL moments?

[Magic]

Just remember that if everyone had the lurking attitude, there would be nothing to read. Ask a question, make a comment, they both may very well inspire someone else to speak up, That way we all learn. And the only dumb question is an unasked question.

And speaking of ladies hunting. My wife Pat, who is featured in the "Magic Bucks" thread, both of my daughters and all four granddaughters hunt and have killed deer. We just had elk steaks for supper and I watched Pat go back for seconds.

[REMSP10]

there are so many other sites that users have seen or been apart of where they are ridiculed for any contrary opinion,observation or question.
they are smart folks and remain quiet to avoid persecution from the wolves. It is a learned UNresponse.

thanks to the staff for the effort to make all feel right here at home.

Exactly!! I have been and read many forums where I only respond to classified adds cause when I have brought up topics or ask questions,someone always has to be the wiseguy and make stupid remarks and then the gang joins in.

With that being said after about 3 days of reading this forum I felt comfortable asking a newbie question without the feeling that I was going to get hassled. This is the same way I felt after talking to Paul the other day for the first time. Great guy with a wealth of information that he is willing to share. I give you guys/gals big kudos for running a great forum where all feel welcome and ok to ask quesitons!

Scott

[Chad44]

I like this site. Lurking and posting.

[cnelk]

Im guilty of lurking on some sites for reason mentioned above.

I am also a moderator on another elk forum for reasons listed above.

I participate in a few other sites, but this one is the most comfortable.

It is amazing how many lurkers actually visit sites, and yes, as a moderator, you can see all that...

[scrubs]

This looks like the appropriate thread to say hi, so hi folks!

I just found this sight this last weekend. I found it thru an advertisement on another hunting sight, so, yes Paul , and company your advertising worked! I`m also a Vortex optics user (10x40 Razors)so it kinda fits.I`m hoping to purchase a Viper HD spotter this year for hunting, backpacking, and giving a shot at digiscoping.

[ctdad]

I do a lot of lurking and a small amount of posting. Don't feel experienced enough to have a lot of opinions (i.e. not many kills) but have been comfortable asking questions here for sure.

I really enjoy this site.

[MtnHunter]

+1 easeup

[ElkNut1]

Wow, great stuff guys, you're the best!

scrubs, welcome sir!

mtnmutt, you bet I know who you are. I too remember a few emails going back & forth. I know your hearing isn't on par with a lot of us but you have the determination of a pitbull for calling & hunting elk. I sincerely appreciate your participation. I did wonder about your absence though, I noticed you hadn't posted in a while! Glad to see you're OK & back at the helm. There's no doubt we all learn something from this forum to better ourselves. I cannot imagine not having full capacity of my hearing to hunt these Wiley critters. My hats off to you!

ElkNut1

[mtnmutt]

Always lurking and always learning something from you guys. Thanks to all of you for freely sharing your elk hunting knowledge.

Okay mtnmutt, I'll bite...what are ROTFL moments?

I am afraid my memory is terrible. These were all last summer and maybe into the end of Sept/Oct tales of the field.

I have been absent a bit for the last 5 months due to work and personal commitments.

I remember last summer when we were all joining this forum and introducing ourselves, it was in great jovial campfire fashion.

One thread was about how do you pay for your elk addiction.

Just in case you need a little laugh. Sitting under a pine tree in CO mountains with a black squirrel above is annoying and dangerous. They will most definitely throw pine cones on your head. Don't look up or they will get you in the eye. True story. I hate them.

Paul, Thanks for the welcome back. Last season, I backpacked in 1-4 miles and I scared all the elk to WY. Lesson learned...you really should not setup camp that close to their bedroom and kitchen. I had read some place that you can be kind of close and not scare them when you camp, but it was not the case for me. Last season, I learned the things not to do. I tried harder by backpacking in than any season (3rd season) and had worse results. I now get to check off those boxes of what not to do when elk hunting. I love this game. How to outwit the elk? Elk 3/Patricia 0. 4 is my lucky number, right?

[Lefty]

Im not going to be accused of being a lurker
I should sometimes keep my comments to myself
I'm on this site beause I want to become as good of an archery elk hunter as possible, and Im certianly willing to shre what I have to offer and feel I should be giving back in one form or another

[Magic]

Hello scrubs, and Welcome to ElkNut Forums. How about an intro and telling a bit about your hunting interest.

[cnelk]

mtnmutt

You have a PM

[JohnFitzgerald]

Always lurking and always learning something from you guys. Thanks to all of you for freely sharing your elk hunting knowledge.

Okay mtnmutt, I'll bite...what are ROTFL moments?

I am afraid my memory is terrible. These were all last summer and maybe into the end of Sept/Oct tales of the field.

I have been absent a bit for the last 5 months due to work and personal commitments.

I remember last summer when we were all joining this forum and introducing ourselves, it was in great jovial campfire fashion.

One thread was about how do you pay for your elk addiction.

Just in case you need a little laugh. Sitting under a pine tree in CO mountains with a black squirrel above is annoying and dangerous. They will most definitely throw pine cones on your head. Don't look up or they will get you in the eye. True story. I hate them.

Paul, Thanks for the welcome back. Last season, I backpacked in 1-4 miles and I scared all the elk to WY. Lesson learned...you really should not setup camp that close to their bedroom and kitchen. I had read some place that you can be kind of close and not scare them when you camp, but it was not the case for me. Last season, I learned the things not to do. I tried harder by backpacking in than any season (3rd season) and had worse results. I now get to check off those boxes of what not to do when elk hunting. I love this game. How to outwit the elk? Elk 3/Patricia 0. 4 is my lucky number, right?

I'm going hungry - 21 is my lucky number.

[mongopino915]

I do not consider myself an expert at this elk thing but have learned a lot from both this forum as well as Elknut himself. I consider myself a student of his teaching.

There is nothing wrong with lurking but why not just jump in and ask the folks on here. I know the experienced elk killers on here have pretty much made every mistakes imaginable in the elk wood.

Sometimes, the experienced folks on here post(s), not so much as to provide a direct answer(s), but to put into words their perspective and understanding of elk behavior and killing.

I will say that since ordering/studying Elknut's elk calling/hunting tactics three years ago, there has yet to be a season gone by without several bulls down on the ground, not to mention the numerous missed opportunities. And, this is hunting on OTC public land with lots of pressure.

There are lots of elk addicts here so join the club.

[G Posik]

I will admit I tend not to post much unless I can add something positive to a thread. I also have been doing a lot of reading on this site. I have made a few post here and there. I do plan to post more as I get caught up on my reading of this site. I will tell you all I feel very comfortable on this site as there is not the bickering I have seen on a lot of sites that I have visited. I do not feel like I should not post on here because of that so please do not think that.

Ok since I never really did an introduction thread here you go: My name is Glenn, I hunt with a longbow(74#) and sometimes will cheat and break out the recurve. I have rifle hunted and bow hunted most of my 43 years. I have laid down the rifle about 6 years ago and not missed it one bit. I Love to back country elk hunt and pack in, way in. I train all year for this and really enjoy it all. I public land hunt for elk (With the exception of one hunt last year that my boss took me on). I really like the challenge of public land animals with the longbow thrown in there for extra measure. I am part of a 4 man group that hunts public land in Colorado every year. I would not trade these guys or this hunt for anything. I live and hunt/fish by the moto: Trophies are not measured by points or inches, rather by the memories created. So any animal is a trophy for me.

Glenn

[Whiskeymountain]

Been lurking for two months then one month ago joined so that I could talk about my passion backcountry elk hunting.Got the invite to check this forum out by elknut himself over whiskey and a campfire at last year state 3d tournament.I had never met Paul sr before but had shot 3d with his son a few times after meeting him and his son I wanted to check his website out it is one of the best ones I have been on.Elknut I just wanted to say thanks for all the advice on mouth calling last summer it worked great in the fall.Hope to see you and Paul jr this year for more drinking and good times.

[NCelkhtr]

I think that this is an awesome forum, and everyone on here is unreal helpful. I have posted a few times but not alot mostly because this is only my second year elk hunting. I get on here nearly everyday to read posts and soak up some knowlage, I need it. Found out quick last year that hunting Elk out west is a total different world than huntig whitetails here in ol' North Carolina

[Indian Summer]

MntnMutt... for what it's worth I can't hear $h1t. My dad was the same way and I also had tubes in my ears as a child so there's some scar tissue on the eardrum as well.

I actually found myself drifting away from archery elk and turkey hunting & I had to put a stop to that. I can't express how unmotivating it was to have partners or clients say "There's one" when I didn't hear anything. My repeats who became friends would carry pocketfuls of pebbles to alert me to bugles from behind. lol By having them along I realized what I was missing. I'd only hear the close bulls. I tried all the Game Ear type devices. No good really. I had 2 options: Hearing aids or partners who can hear. I got the hearing aids.

But guess what? Even before the aids I killed more elk than any of them because I stuck with it and know my hunting areas and how elk behave. I'm sneaky. They hear them but I end up at the right place at the right time and that's what really matters. Plus I'm an elk nut. When I hear or see elk I go into predator mode.

Also, I get lots of comments on how good of a glasser I am. I actually had a guide who said "Deaf people can glass better I guess" & we laughed. It's true though right... use what God gave you.

I guess people like me and you would have to camp a little further away from our elk so they don't hear us talking and laughing at night!

After reading your posts yesterday I felt inspired. I got on the phone last night to a friend, Susan, in Missoula and started a plan to get her to Wyoming next year. She has you to thank for that. I like it there because it's semi open and I can use my eyes more than my ears. Love it!!! Wanna join us?

I hope some other ladies out there are inspired by MntnMutt and join the fun here and on the mountains. So glad to have you on board Patricia....

Next lurker please........

[scrubs]

Thanks for the welcome Theelkhunter, Elknut1, and Magic!

I haven`t been able to read thru the whole forum yet,is there an "official" introduce yourself thread?

Off to work I go, I`ll check back in after work......

[BrentLaBere]

I do a lot of lurking and a small amount of posting. Don't feel experienced enough to have a lot of opinions (i.e. not many kills) but have been comfortable asking questions here for sure.

I really enjoy this site.

I am in the same position as ctdad. Although I probably lurk more than most out there with less experience as well. Most of the time I want to jump in and comment,lately been trying to add some pictures as well as some insight to my one and only experience. Biggest thing I can say from the perspective of a "lurker" like me is we really don't have much to contribute until we get more experience in the field. At this point I have too many questions!!!! and actually learned my limits on how many and what types I can ask Biologist .....Any time I can have some input I will contribute, or if anyone has white tail threads...pretty much the one thing I was obsessed with before drawing my first elk tag. I can also say with all of the lurking I do this is by far the best site .
Good time to ask I guess when being put on the spot to eh?!....would it be going too far to post pictures of a given area from google earth, to get ideas on where to look for elk? Just don't want to be too specific on an area or infringe on someones area and be posting it online. Map scouting is all I have right now and the general area in MT I am looking at is roughly a 8 to 9 hour drive. So it would help to narrow it down.
For example....Possible wallow locations; would these water spots be too high in elevation or would it be more likely to be lower.

Anyway, I am hoping to gain more experience to help more people out and enjoy this amazing sport. Hats off to you guys that do already.

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

In the past few weeks I have noticed alot of new users on here. So a big howdy/wELKome to each and every one of you.

[eriks.]

eriks. here! I must say that this is a very relaxed forum. I've posted questions on other sites and have had my thread highjacked and received many comments that made me feel stupid, not ignorant (ignorant since I don't know elk hunting). There's a big difference between the two. I haven't seen that behavior here and I really appreciate it! I'm like many others here who don't post much because I don't feel I have much to contribute in the form of experience or advice on elk. But I guess I do have a many years experience hunting deer. I am grateful for all of you guys and gals that are willing to impart hard earned info.

If the Good Lord is willing, I'll be able to go on my first elk hunt in September and then I'll at least be able to post my experiences and observations there and see what you all have to say.

Thanks again for providing a cool place to come and lurk/post/learn!

[Swede]

I know I am a little late, but a heartfelt welcome to Scrubs. You have an interesting handle. Is it from a medical occupation?
I have probably missed others as well, but you are all welcome and encouraged to take part in the discussions we have here. Noone needs to feel they have nothing to contribute. New and experienced, young and aged; we are here for the love of hunting and to share and/or learn .

To BrentLaLere: It is ok, as far as I know, to post Google Earth pictures of your hunting area, but unless you want everyone on the planet to know where you are hunting, I would recommend you PM someone you trust, and ask them if they would give you a hand. All you will need to share then are the coordinates and your question.

[Jaquomo]

Ok, I admit I lurk on here, as well as on some other sites. Some great knowledge shared by some excellent hunters. The hunting world needs more people who will share. After being encouraged by a few people lately, I'll try to post more if it's appropriate. Not sure how much I have to offer that isn't already being offered, but I'll keep a closer eye and participate when I can contribute.

As I explained to a friend recently, some other forums are like redneck bars at midnight, but this one is closer to church, as you all are so NICE to one another! Maybe I'm more of a redneck bar guy, but there's nothing wrong with attending a church service once in awhile, maybe sing a hymn or two along with the choir. There are good folks in church, as well as in the redneck bars.

[cnelk]

Howdy Lou...
I kinda thought you might appear after we visited last week.

With all of your experiences I'm sure your lurking days on here should be limited at best!

See you at the range tonight

[Seminole]

Yep, officially a lurker... much better atmosphere on this site.

[planebow]

I would consider myself as a lurker as I read all the new post every day (always looking to learn something new) but I do not hesitate to post If I need an answer or thing I might have some input. I have not found a better sight anywhere close to this as far as making people welcome and sharing knowledge.

[Swede]

Lou: It is good to see you here. You are way too modest, and have a lot to offer. Your knowledge of hunting is first rate. Welcome to our Sunday School.

[BrentLaBere]

I know I am a little late, but a heartfelt welcome to Scrubs. You have an interesting handle. Is it from a medical occupation?
I have probably missed others as well, but you are all welcome and encouraged to take part in the discussions we have here. Noone needs to feel they have nothing to contribute. New and experienced, young and aged; we are here for the love of hunting and to share and/or learn .

To BrentLaLere: It is ok, as far as I know, to post Google Earth pictures of your hunting area, but unless you want everyone on the planet to know where you are hunting, I would recommend you PM someone you trust, and ask them if they would give you a hand. All you will need to share then are the coordinates and your question.

Good point on the PM part of it. I just know its a touchy subject when it comes to location. (which I completely understand) There really is no substitute to going afield and learning first hand.

[mtnmutt]

Indian Summer,
Thank you so much for your very kind invitation for hunting in WY. I do not even know your elk season dates.

You obviously have the qualities of a great elk hunter. One thread someplace asked what one word describes being a successful elk hunter. The answer was: perseverance.

Glad you are passing it on by inviting your lady friend to hunt. I don't know exactly what holds some women back from bow hunting elk.

BTW: I am afraid of grizzlies and rattlesnakes. I am not afraid of black bears, mountain lions, coyotes or non-poisonous snakes. I have hiked CO mtns for 22 yrs and never had a problem with any critter except for squirrels.

Right now, I am too cheap to venture out of CO for hunting. We are spoiled in CO with 5 wks for elk archery and OTC unlimited area tags. I hunt all 5 wks as work/vacation allows.

My hearing: almost deaf in left ear; 50% loss in right ear. I have very powerful hearings aids. When wearing a hat, I have to turn off the left one because of feedback. I have had this for 20 yrs, so I am used it. I can hear people within 10 feet just fine in quiet environments, so I am not in terrible shape.

Out in the field: I can't hear the elk bugle back and when I do hear them, I can't tell which direction because you need 2 equal ears to determine direction of sound. A friend told me after the fact where and how far away they bugled. My somewhat one side conversation with the bulls has not stopped them from coming in. If they are within 40 yards, I can sometimes hear the crunching. I hunt in medium to dense forest with lots of debris on the forest floor. Unfortunately, I do hear the cows bark and then never see them.

My hearing loss has one advantage: I can sense/see things out of the corner of my eyes. I see movement better than most. I can pick out bighorn sheep along I-70 on rocks when others cannot.

Everyone takes to the field with some impairment. Its how you make up for that impairment that matters most.

True story in 2011. I am sneaking up to a long meadow (1/2 mile long), walking on rocks and trying to look at the far end of the meadow where I have seen elk before. I am so busy making sure I walk on the rocks that I don't see a 6x6 come out of the woods at 30-35 yds walking straight across my path in front me at the near end of the meadow. He did not hear me and I did not hear him. He saw me once we were directly in front of each other. He put his big brown eye on me, titled his rack back and kept on going. I almost burst out laughing. My pathetic mew to get him to stop failed. I can teach people on this forum what not to do when elk hunting.

Indian Summer's idea of inviting someone new to elk hunting is a great idea for us all. Why not invite a new elk hunter to your next elk camp for at least a few days of adventure in the field? You never know. The rookie may just out call you or break your dry spell.

[scrubs]

Thanks again for the welcome guys & gals.

Swede, my handle comes from two things, the tv show Scrubs, and there is some mechanics hand wipes we used to use at work called Scrubs. They were citrus scented, textured so they worked great and smelled good. Boring stuff huh

[scrubs]

Hello scrubs, and Welcome to ElkNut Forums. How about an intro and telling a bit about your hunting interest.

Okie dokie, not much to tell but here goes.

My name is Brett, I live on the wetside of Washington for at least another 7yrs anyway. I hunt with both rifle and a bow at various times. My favorite by FAR is bowhunting, however my 13 yr old son rifle hunts so, so do I, at least for deer. I "plan" on hunting elk with a bow this year. So far I have taken a couple of deer with the rifle, and a bunch of deer and two elk with my bow. I`m a meat hunter thru and thru, yes, I shoot cows and does, with that being said, I`m glad there are folks out there whom are, cause I love seeing the pictures .

I have been meaning to make it to the dry side of the state to hunt Mulies, I think the are the most beautiful of the deer species. If I were to hunt out of state, it would be for them. I`d also like to some day give Antelope a shot.

I guess that about sums it up.......

[Indian Summer]

Welcome scrubs. I love that sign on the wetside.... Welcome to Aberdeen, Come As You Are

Neat over there but I don't know if I'd own a house next to a tsunami warning sign. lol

Not sure what all you have figured out over there but I know a couple good spots for elk if you ever run out of plans. Toledo & Naselle areas. I don't know how you guys can live in that mossy jungle. I hate rain. But... there are a million things to do outdoors in the Pacific NW and it is a cool area. Never saw Seattle but I'll guess I'm not missing much. No elk there.

Glad to have you on board. Also glad to hear you're raising a young hunter.

[ElkNut1]

mtnmutt, focus your elk hunting on elk"destination spots" -- This will up your odds in getting elk to come to you. You don't have to worry about a lot of calling & hearing them. You will be where they will eventually come on their own. It requires much patience but these types of spots are everywhere you hunt. Yes mam let the elk do the moving & you do the shootin!!

ElkNut1

[nuevo_eph]

Ok, ok, this thread got me to sign up. I'm not just a lurker but a new hunter. I live in central New Mexico and never grew up hunting but am looking to change that in my mid-30s and then pass it along to my young sons who are 4 & 6 this year.

My plan is to find some experienced hunters and politely ask them to show me the ropes. A friend is doing the same thing so our plan is to tag along with whichever pair gets tags. We're going to do the same thing for deer.

I'm going rifle, btw. I plan to put in for units 16 but haven't fully decided yet. My family is from Catron county and we had an old house in the middle of Luna that has fallen into disrepair, unfortunately. But I still have some ties there and know it's reputation for elk so I'm biased towards it. Deer units are a complete unknown for me but that is why I'm doing my research now.

Anyway, I'll poke around more and start asking questions. I'm a blank slate at this point and love getting deep into research of any new obsessions. I'm also glad to have found a good welcoming forum. They are very worth it.

Ephraim

P.S. Who is the Vortex dealer here? I'd like to support independent dealers and figure the Viper HD 10x50s are the way to go.

[BOWNUT]

Always lurking and trying to learn.

[mtnmutt]

mtnmutt, focus your elk hunting on elk"destination spots" -- This will up your odds in getting elk to come to you. You don't have to worry about a lot of calling & hearing them. You will be where they will eventually come on their own. It requires much patience but these types of spots are everywhere you hunt. Yes mam let the elk do the moving & you do the shootin!!

ElkNut1

Thank you!

I wanted to try out some ambush spots last summer, but nature changed that plan. Because of the wildfire (7 days?) and sinkhole (6 weeks!) closing the highway to my primary spot, I could not scout my primary area. I only scouted my backup areas last summer.

During hunting, I committed myself to backpacking in which gave me more ideas and elk information, but no elk. I believe I busted them out of the area. I also think my elk calling was way off last season. I was having very off year.

After I study the playbook again, I am going to start posting some questions on more potential hunting scenarios. I have lots of questions, but I first need to study past threads and the playbook again.

Which call is best for doing the nervous grunt? I am expanding my calling, but I prefer light and less aggressive since I can't hear them call back.

[Swede]

Nuevo_eph welcome to the forum. I believe we can help you and your kids get started hunting. We are glad to help new hunters. For some of us that should be our legacy. Elknut Paul Medel who sponsors this site is a Vortex dealer. Call him, Paul will treat you right and his prices are more than fair. You will be glad you did.

[Jaquomo]

mtnmutt, I do all of my popping grunts, nervous grunts, chuckles (even bugles) with my voice, by sucking air IN and closing the tongue/jaw/palate to control the pitch and volume. Makes a wide variety of wonderful, realistic bull sounds. If you can't do that, a diapgragm works well

[nuevo_eph]

Nuevo_eph welcome to the forum. I believe we can help you and your kids get started hunting. We are glad to help new hunters. For some of us that should be our legacy. Elknut Paul Medel who sponsors this site is a Vortex dealer. Call him, Paul will treat you right and his prices are more than fair. You will be glad you did.

That's wonderful to hear & thanks for the details on Paul. I'll give him a call when I'm ready to buy. I'll try to start a new thread once I plow through the old ones. I plan to be patient and keep my expectations low this year, figuring I have a <25% chance of a draw for either elk or deer and then the same odds to actually fill the tag.

Ephraim

[ElkNut1]

Nuevo_eph, welcome to the Forum, nice to have you!

mtnmutt, like Jaquomo I too like using my voice for the nervous/popping grunt & I do it identical to his description, I would guess I use my voice 85% of the time that grunt is utilized. If a reed is to be used try the Mellow Yellow, it will produce that sound very well with little effort. I show how to use either your voice or a mouth reed on a clip in the ElkNut Clips Forum. Here it is here.
viewtopic.php?f=12&t=73

ElkNut1

[mtnmutt]

Jaquomo and elknut, Thank you! Last year, I did watch ElkNut youtube video on the nervous grunt. Same one you have on this site's clip forum. I do use my voice only to practice some cow sounds for just in case.

I did purchase the mastering mouth reed DVD last year, but I sounded horrible. Listening to myself, I was wishing I was 100% deaf.

After years of trying to get this mouth reed thing to do a proper sound, you two just gave me the tip I needed. I think I got it now. Back to annoying my neighbors.

[Jaquomo]

Adding to Paul's note, the nervous/popping grunt is the ONLY sound to make to stop a bull in a shooting lane for a shot. Too many people try cowcalls, which may get them to stop, may not, but often after they take another step or two. Bulls hear cow calls all the time, and aren't alarmed. I can make a fairly good deep "hard pop" with either the Raging Bull or Herd Master diaphragms Elknut sells, but the throat is by far the most effective.

Stops them on a dime. Last bull I shot at 7 yards after I stopped him in a very tight shooting window with the pop.

Never mind annoying the neighbors, my dogs go nuts when I practice. Don't worry about sounding imperfect. No two elk sound the same. But none sound like a Hoochie Mama...

[scrubs]

Welcome scrubs. I love that sign on the wetside.... Welcome to Aberdeen, Come As You Are

Neat over there but I don't know if I'd own a house next to a tsunami warning sign. lol

Not sure what all you have figured out over there but I know a couple good spots for elk if you ever run out of plans. Toledo & Naselle areas. I don't know how you guys can live in that mossy jungle. I hate rain. But... there are a million things to do outdoors in the Pacific NW and it is a cool area. Never saw Seattle but I'll guess I'm not missing much. No elk there.

Glad to have you on board. Also glad to hear you're raising a young hunter.

Thanks again for the warm welcome.

I can`t stand the rain either, that`s one of the reasons I can`t wait to move........

I have a couple of areas I am going to investigate, but nothing set yet, so I might be taking you up on your generous offer. As you may or may not know, you can`t camp in alot of the areas around here these days, so you either commute several hours to your spot daily, or try to find a pay to camp campground close by but that gets expensive too.

If you make it out this way again let me know, we can meet up.

[welka]

Been lurking and absent too long. Go back and forth between several, but need to be here more. Its on favs now. Good to see many from other sites.

[Indian Summer]

Greg! It's about time you found your way here.... I was beginning to wonder about your tracking skills.

Thought you might have got pulled over at a sobriety checkpoint with Lou on your way over from the Redneck Bar.

We don't mind a few happy drunks around here right guys...... Right?

Have you & Frank applied for licenses

[DEW]

Takes me to damn long to TYPE, so unless I can give a short answer, Ill be a lurker!!!!

[JGH]

Great site ... long-time lurker, first-time poster. It does seem like this site is quite welcoming to those of use with more limited elk-hunting experience. Since moving to WY, though, I'm not really all that interested in hunting anything else, so this site has a high-ranking spot on my bookmarks.

[scrubs]

Takes me to damn long to TYPE, so unless I can give a short answer, Ill be a lurker!!!!

Welcome to the forum DEW.

I feel your pain DEW! I am a one finger wonder on the keyboard, well now I`m up to two fingers. My replies are usually fairly short....

[welka]

MP - Yes sir. Awaiting the 15th!! Can't buy the WY point until June.

[Indian Summer]

So yesterday I'm talking to a good friend from 0hio who packed & guided in Montana for me for several years. (Ha ha here it comes Jon) He called to ask me what's been shaking recently in the Bitterroots. We talked for like 2 freakin hours (elknut syndrome) and at the end I said "Have you ever heard of Elk Nut?" His answer blew me away:

"I was gonna mention that... I saw your lurker thread" WHAT! My buddy's a lurker! Basically he's busy with life. Elk hunting has been on the back burner a bit and so... he had nothing really to contribute right now. Freaked me out. A guy who knows the ropes, knows me, and has been on this very thread is still hangin out in the shadows. (I just shined my headlamp on you man) It gave me a whole other perspective on the reason people don't post: There is no reason. I never thought of that. They are doing fine reading and really have no special reason why they haven't said hi. it's that simple.

675 views, more than any other thread, and only a handful have come out of the woodwork. I don't remember the exact numbers but for every registered user we have there are like 15 IP addresses of others who have had a look.

Cmon guys & gals.... all I ask is a "Yep.. I'm here "

If you don't speak up Jon I'm going to send you into an elkless hellhole! bwaaa ha ha

[BadgerBoy561]

Good thread going here, I don't post much yet but I'm getting to the point where I'm going to need to start asking questions.

[Croakerslinger]

I'm a Elk Hunter from South Texas , and love the For!

[Croakerslinger]

Forum!

[fiddlerE]

I'll step out of the timber for a bit - Colorado lurker here. Been hunting archery for the last three years - I saw a heard of 45 cows and a spike this morning - delicious cows...

[Swede]

Welcome FiddlerE, and really all hunters who want to post here. You are the ones who make the forum what it is.

[ORelksniper]

Welcome Croaker

[ORelksniper]

slinger.


What the heck is a Croakerslinger? Maybe I don't get out enough.

[G Posik]

Sniper- a croaker slinger is in relation to fishing. Croaker is a bait fish the spotted sea trout (Speckled Trout) love.

Croaker I will be down in Baffin Fishing the 14th & 15th of this month. No croaker here art's only. Welcome to the forum. If you are in the CC area let me know maybe we could meet up.

Glenn

[simplelife]

Howdy folks. I'm an unintentional lurker from Illinois. The only thing i can add to these threads is "yeah...i was wondering that too!" If there comes a day i can contribute with some insight, i'll help where i can. I'm a little bit of a river rat and hunt anything and everything with all available weapons (especially compound bow). This year i'm stretching my legs and heading west for my first elk. Looking forward to learning from you guys.

[pd]

Hey, Indian Summer (and everybody else),

I just found this site last night, so you can't call me a lurker.

I talked to Paul 3 or 4 days ago, and ordered some product from him. He told me about the ElkNut Clips (how to use the calls), and then I stumbled on to the forum. I am happy to have found this.

Never been to Colorado (been around the world a few times, however), and elk hunting in CO is something that I never considered before. My family has been elk hunting N. Idaho since...dunno, maybe since Father Noah was building his boat? Anywho, I haven't touched a bow since I was maybe 8 or so. Watching YouTube videos of bow hunting has piqued my interest. I suppose that my heritage (all male hunters, until the past decade EVERYBODY carried .30-06, red checked woolen coats and red hats, you get the picture), bow hunting just never appeared on the radar screen. For that matter, neither did shotgun hunting for birds.

I am active at WaHunt (same handle). I will snoop around here for a while, given that I don't have any value to add. So far, it has been very informative. Thank you all for your service.

PD

[Swede]

Welcome to the forum PD. It is ok to lurk. If you find or think of something of interes; feel free to comment or ask a question. Most of us are getting pretty old and toothless so we don't bite hard. Well, sometimes I harass John F., but I don't think that counts.

[mtman71]

Hello, my name is Joe and I'm a lurker.

Did a otc diy elk in CO 2011 with a good buddy or two with no success. My hunting buddy and I planned on doing it again last fall but had some issues with working, weddings, and school so we switched things up and went out to WY to chase some speed goats. Much better success there and while we were driving onward to Jackson we stopped in a small town and some guy had a monster elk in the back of his truck. Definitely renewed the fire after being skunked the year before. So we're back at it, planning, shooting and getting in shape.

I'm from KY and hunt/fish about everything you can around here. I graduate from grad school in about 2 months and not really sure where I'll end up after that.

[nuevo_eph]

PD made my day for spelling pique on a forum correctly. My late mother, a schoolteacher, would also be proud! Welcome and good luck.

Ephraim

[Indian Summer]

I thought he spelled plucked wrong.

BuckeyeJon! Newsflash: The little knowledge you have is more than someone who's never been there. The little knowledge I have is ok but nothing compared to some others. It's a big world.

The day someone comes on to an elk forum and starts off with "Hi guys, my name is Mr. Know It All so where should I begin" is the day I click on another thread. I'd rather hear "My name is Always Learning and I'd like to share an interesting experience I had" I'm reading the whole thing.

It's not always about killing elk Jon. You know plenty about gear and living in the hills right. You just don't know what you know.

[ElkNut1]

Jon, welcome aboard bud, it's good to have you! You're under 50yrs right? (grin)

ElkNut1

[ORelksniper]

Just over half way to 50, tons of good hunting years ahead for me

Don't rub it in, kid. Welcome anyway.

[dapper]

Hello

I am a lurker. A 60 year old flatlander from Wisconsin. I spend many hours, especially in the winter, reading every post that sounds informative or entertaining. I have no expertise in elk hunting, so I have little to add. Once or twice I've asked a question, but mostly I lurk.

I've been on three archery elk hunts. Lots of memories and no elk. Thirty years ago I went on two outfitted drop camps deep in the Bob Marshall Wilderness in Montana and this past fall my son and I went on a diy backpack hunt about five miles into a Colorado Wilderness. I went into last years hunt with a lot more knowledge of elk/elk hunting and little of it was because of the first two hunts. Most of that gained knowledge came from reading posts on hunting forums such as this fine site. THANK YOU to all those of you who post. The knowledge we continue to absorb from this site, coupled with the fact that we spent 13 days in the area last fall will give us greater confidence heading out there this coming fall.

THANKS AGAIN
Dan

[Swede]

Dapper, it is good to have you here. To a great extent you are why a lot of us post on the forum. I hope you and your son do well. I believe you can gain a lot of good information, that will put you ahead of most newer elk hunters by being a lurker and by asking questions.

[erichunter14]

Yup im a reader and post just every once in a while mostly because I usually go off my phone and I hate typing much on this darn thing with my big fat fingers! Paul is the man!

[Indian Summer]

Dapper Dan, WELC0ME!

& Thanks. Posts like the one you just made are our paychecks. Nice to know we're not just sending info off into uterfrigginspace!

I can't wait to hear reports from guys like you later this year. You are armed and dangerous.

Best of luck to you.

Eric... if I had to type this on a phone you wouldn't be reading it.

[WVARCHER]

Always read the new posts

[mr_steve]

I was a flatlander lurker from ND. Put up my first topic today. Can't wait to begin my career as an elk hunter. I know once I come back this fall I will have lots of info to provide as well as a billion more questions.

If only there was a way I could make a good living hunting.

[Huntography]

Guilty as charged.

I'm mostly active on Twitter, Facebook and on hunting blogs. I'll jump in more here. Love the forum and discussions on here.

- Rudy

[2Tangled2]

I've been a lurker ever since I could figure out this computer stuff, and I began archery elk hunting in 2006. I've only had one post so far, but it was about a situation that was completely unexpected, and was wondering if I had played it right. I have all of Paul's DVDs, playbook, and bugles now, but it didn't start that way. It really all started with watching Primo's elk videos, but not understanding "the language". I ran into Elknut on AT, and then followed him to Bowsite, and then to here. Talk about a lurker, I hope Paul doesn't have me investigated for some heinous crime. I started elk hunting with friends who invited me to come to rifle camp as camp cook in 1985 just to see if I would like it, and I've been hooked ever since. It wasn't until that first year archery hunting the West Fork of the Bitteroot River in Montana when I called in and arrowed a fine 6x5 bull at 12 yds that the passion for hunting elk was cemented in my soul. I've just retired at the end of last year, and have been hunting southeast Idaho the last three years, and if it weren't for all the knowledgable archery hunters that I've been spying on all these years, I wouldn't be the hunter that I am, even if it is in my own mind. Every year since that unbelieveable encounter in 2006, I've gain so much more knowledge, and even though I haven't even flung an arrow since, the encounter with bulls are beginning to come alot more frequent, and for that, I have to thank all of you.

[Indian Summer]

Tangled.. welcome! But uh... that's not lurking that's stalking.

Where in the West Fork? I know every inch.

[Swede]

Ah gee shucks 2Tangled2. Think nuthin ob it. Anyway welcome to the forum.

[2Tangled2]

Tangled.. welcome! But uh... that's not lurking that's stalking.

Where in the West Fork? I know every inch.

Just for the record, this is my third time writing this response to you Indian Summer. Each time I try to send this it doesn't post or when I save it, it doesn't save. This is another reason why I probably don't post much, but than I'm an old fart who takes a long time to type. Anyway...

We had been hunting the Watchtower Trailhead drainage that morning and had a painful venture in when not to cow call as a really nice 5x5 bull came charging into us but we were 20 ft straight below him when he bugled on a bench which had a cliff we were next to. I kept him interested in me while my buddy tried to work his way up to left side of him, but he only got a good look at him before he lost interest or knew something was up. On the way back to camp @ noon, I decided to let out bugle in the viciinity of where my hunting buddy saw two bulls cross the road the night before when he was coming back from Watchtower. I got out of the truck, walked up the bank and over to the edge of the Nez Perce River bottom and let out a locator bugle, and was instantly answered by a funky sounding bugle off in the distance that I at first thought was another hunter. I was about 1/2 mile from the end of the paved road where the Little West Fork cross the road. I pulled out the Hoochie Momma (Remember that I got all my info from the Primo's Videos) and mew a couple of notes, and bam, he bugles again and he's closing the distance. I hurry back to my truck and put on my sweaty wet camo's, and bow, descend down the bank into the river bottom Hoochie Momming with a couple of bugles in a couple of setups in this tangled mess (Hence my username 2Tangled2) before settling on some tall waist high grasses in front of some bushes along a meandering finger of the Nez Perce River. That's where I saw him coming through the trees following the river straight for me. Everything had to be aligned just right because he stopped just 12 yard in front of me in the river looking for that cow when I arrowed him. I've learn since that this will not be the norm, but I'll take them anyway I can.

We hunted the West Fork of the Bitteroot River for 5 years and really enjoyed the area, but I think the wolves, cats (had one charge me on the other side of the road from the Rambo Park up Ditch Creek) bears, and probably a liberal cow permit system during rifle season really put a hurt on those local herds. In the last couple of years, we could only find active talking elk up the Nez Perce River Drainage. We chased a great bull around up the One and Two Creek area for the first three years. Heard a young hunter took him during the rifle season, and they said it was around a 340 bull. Hoping we hooked an elk hunter for life, but hey, he was a Montanian, he'd have to be hooked won't he? Enjoyed the friends, and locals we met at the West Fork Lodge, and then when they closed down for a bit, the folks at the Connors bar where everyone ended up.

[Indian Summer]

Conner Bar... ha ha, you know the honey holes and the watering holes!

I have to commend you on your choice of spots. See any other hunters when you were up in there? If so I'm sure you felt confident that you could go another direction and see none. That's some wild rugged stuff up there. Always was some of the best lion country... and then wolves. I quit hunting anything down the West Fork in about 2004. If you made a move to the East Fork it would be like stepping back in time for you. I am completely shocked at seeing or hearing no wolves and barely some crap on a trail. Like night & day compared to the west side. I could probably help you out some if you wanted to keep hunting the Bitterroots.

By the way it's Rombo not Rambo. Rambo is when Swede loses patience and trys to run them down with a knife in his teeth. Rombo is still some good hunting if you know where to go. Did you read my post in the "I gotta ask" thread? That hunt started in the very head of Rombo Creek from Buck Creek Saddle and finished over toward the Piquett Creek trailhead. I have some good stories of about a 330 bull I played with.. er uh, that toyed with me for several years in the very head of Rombo. A real roarer he'd scare the hell right out of you.

South of the Painted Rocks reservoir take the 1st left up Overwhich Creek and there's some really good hunting too. Not as good as it used to be though.

I won't bore others with our chatter but the West Fork sure is heaven on earth isn't it. Craig Barret CEO of Intel has the Triple Creek Ranch there and when Brad Pitt was married to Jennifer Aniston they had a place there. They had some pretty looking elk camps! lol

Good to have you here tangledmess.

By the way... when you make posts don't hit the preview button. Just hit submit. Sometimes I hit submit and it takes you back to the same screen... just hit submit a 2nd time and it will always work.

[huntemhigh]

Hello, My name is Jon, and Yes I am a lurker. I have been lurking for about 15 years. (on this site and another site Paul used to visit alot also). These sites are the best place to learn about hunting Elk when you are from the east (Pa). I have been out hunting elk mostly in Colorado and in Montana for the last 2 years. All have been DIY except for Montana. I have had lots of elk incounters but have not been able to seal the deal elk , ( Elk 13-Jon 0). I hunt with the best hunting partner I could find my wife Linda. We guided and cook for an outfitter in Colorado one season becuse his guide/cook could not make it. We started backpacking in and now we have a wall tent,stove,cots ect. to make elk hunting alot more enjoyable.
This year we will be heading to Colorado to try our luck again. Good or bad it does not matter as long as were chasing elk. Good luck this year to all Jon.

[Swede]

Fifteen years lurking! It must be great to come in out of the cold. Huntemhigh, I am glad you decided to join us around the campfire. Welcome.

[timberghost51]

I lurked on here for about an hour before I registered...I have already learned a lot and will begin posting more...I love tryin new gear out (when I can afford it) so I will be there a lot as well as other areas...I have a ton to learn about elk hunting and hunting the west is general...I grew up in PA but after a couple elk hunts I packed it up and moved out to colorado. Thanks in advance for all the help on here...

[Swede]

Welcome to the forum Timberghost51. Congrats, It did not take you long to pull up your own wood block to sit on at the campfire. It is good to have you here. Just remember to add on the appropriate smiley face when you stretch the truth about the size of the big un you shot. Pour your own coffee.

[8upbowhunter]

I've lurked here 4 or 5 times before registering. I will be a first time elk hunter come September on a DIY hunt in Colorado with a friend so I am trying to learn what I can before then.

[scrubs]

Welcome timberghost51,and 8upnowhunter. Glad to have you guys on here.

[caperoll/Scott]

Glade to see some new faces, I know there are more of you out there, don’t stop now speak up.

[Garrett Drach]

Hello,

Finally decided to register and start discussing elk hunting instead of just reading other's posts. I still consider myself inexperienced at this game, especially compared to others on this site, but I'm gaining more and more info each year. This past fall our group made the switch to a new area, which was nothing like we had experienced during our previous four years of elk hunting. Bulls bugling the entire day, getting into multiple small herds of cows each day, and the best part was making plays on vocal bulls every day. I can say without a doubt the info that I gathered from this site and others allowed us to call in multiple bulls and really rejuvenated our take on elk hunting. So, first off I would like to thank Paul and the other veteran elk hunters on this site for sharing info with complete strangers, I plan to do the same as I become more accomplished. And second, to those who are planning their first elk hunt (that was me 5 years ago), listen to what these guys have to say. If everything doesn't come together on that first hunt, learn from your experiences and go at it again next year. When everything does come together- it is a thrill you will not forget!

Garrett

[JohnFitzgerald]

Great first post Garrett and welcome!

[chainsaw]

Hello fellow hunters,

Been a lurker for a couple of years but have utilized elknut's store several times. I am lucky enough to have grown up in North Idaho with elk around my entire life. I have killed a lot of elk but am always trying to learn something new. There is a wealth of knowledge in elknut's forums, what he talks about I have seen and/or heard many times. This place is great! It helps me keep it together until the next season!

[ElkNut1]

Hey Kurt & Garrett welcome to the Forum, we all look forward to learning from one another. Yes, lots of great info here & more to come with new guys like you folks showing on the scene. Dive right in. (grin)

ElkNut1

[Swede]

Welcome Garrett and chainsaw. It is good to have, you and I do hope this is a great place for you to read and share hunting experiences. I hope many can improve their hunting game here. I personally would like to see every hunter skilled in their pursuit of game. I much prefer that, to elk hunters who go out and chase the animals while being clueless themselves. Best wishes on your hunts.

[sreekers]

Never been a lurker, but joined recently. Jump in with both feet, forums are the best place to talk about our passion for hunting with like minded Hunters!

[Wapiti]

Hey guys welcome and enjoy the forums !! Lot's of amazing people and a wealth of info on here. As soon as all our snow melts i'll be hitting the woods and getting our scout on !!! It's going to be a great year for everyone !! Trav

[Z Barebow]

No lurking here!

I love elk hunting and every thing about it. When I am not doing it, I am thinking about it. And I love chatting with people who love doing it!

[switchback270]

Hey guys. I've only been lurking for about a week now on this forum but decided to join in. I'm from PA and went on my first archery elk hunt last September. Needless to say I am hooked and cant wait to get back out there.

[WapitiTalk1]

Hey guys. I've only been lurking for about a week now on this forum but decided to join in. I'm from PA and went on my first archery elk hunt last September. Needless to say I am hooked and cant wait to get back out there.

Welcome to "the" elk forum switchback270.. Pretty darn good group of folks here.

[ElkNut1]

Z-Barebow, I couldn't have said it better!

Steve, welcome bud, good to have you!

ElkNut1

[Indian Summer]

Nice huh Paul... they just keep coming. We must be doing something right!

Switchback... Pa huh, that's too far from the mountains. You'll never learn how to be a great elk hunter living all the way back there.

What part?

[switchback270]

Thanks for the warm welcomes guys, I appreciate it. I'm looking forward to learning from everyone on here. I received 5 new elknut DVDs last week that I plan on watching over and over until huntin season lol.

Indian you are right, PA is way too far away lol. I am from Washington, Pa. Just south of Pittsburgh.

[Indian Summer]

My top turkey spots are Cecil and West Hickory. Great for late season doe too but next year 2B won't include any portions of Washington..... small world. Welcome!

[Kolpin10]

I am one of those lurkers been watching the sight for about a year, just did not bother to join until now. I enjoy the site and check the new posts every couple of days always find somting interesing.

[Swede]

Welcome to camp Kolpin10. It's a pretty rowdy bunch you have thrown in with but they are all friendly. They keep checking me for rabbis, but since I am rather toothless they don't worry too much.

[Kolpin10]

Thanks for the welcome from what you describe I will probably fit in well.

[Indian Summer]

You callin' me routy Swede? yeah... come over here and say that tuff guy! Wait... is this Elknut forums. Sorry I thought I walked in the other door.

Welcome Kolpin. Check your gun at the door please.

[Hackbow]

Been lurkin' a while, thought I'd join up. Been elk hunting 3 times and going again this year. All pretty much pack-in hunts. Haven't killed one yet but have had opportunities - PICK A SPOT!

[ARwarden259]

Hello my name is Logan, and I am a lurker

[JohnFitzgerald]

Welcome!

jf

[Swede]

Welcome to you new lurkers that have joined in. Logan the lurker, has a nice ring to it.

[WapitiTalk1]

Welcome guys. Thanks for stopping by.

[nshunter]

Hey Guys/gals,

I haven't posted much but I do visit and try to learn from all the experienced hunters on this forum. 6 years ago, I purchased Paul's DVD set and wore them out. I also bought the playbook. To date, I have been involved in calling in 5 elk that hunting partners have shot at.......some clean misses, some hits with no recovery. These guys shoot compound bows and are really good archers on targets......not so good when that 6x6 is screaming blue murder 20 steps away.

Having said that, my hunting partners are getting a bit better at the calling stuff and maybe this fall it will be my turn to shoot.......60 lb martin hunter recurve.

Love this forum.

Bernie

[nshunter]

I forgot to say......Hello my name is Bernie and I am an "elkoholic".

[JohnFitzgerald]

Welcome aboard guys! Feel free to jump in with your opinion or post a question.

[mds]

Found this forum last year when I lived in Florida, it was like the greatest tease of all time. Now I'm in Colorado, and I figure the teasing phase is over. Never hunted elk, actually only hunted a few times for hog and deer. Looking forward to spending lots of time in the woods, learning a ton, and maybe filling the freezer now and again.

Cheers!

[Swede]

Welcome to you new folks. There is always room here for you.

[PAElkchaser]

Hey Indian Summer,

After reading this thread, I decided to register. I only started hunting elk last year, and just discovered Bowsite and Rokslide last summer. Fellow Pennsylvania bowhunter here, but I've quickly become addicted to Elk, and won't think much about whitetail until I return from Colorado.

I haven't posted much on other sites, as I have much to learn and little to contribute so far. Thanks for encouraging all of us "lurkers" to register.

Mark

[ElkNut1]

Yes sir, welcome aboard you guys!!! Glad to see you are on the elknut train, who knows where it will stop! (grin)

ElkNut1

[ABQ_Chica]

All right, all right. I'm in! I only lurked because I don't yet have much to contribute--yet.
I'm a female archery elk hunting rookie, and I've already learned a lot from you all. Thanks...
We all suffer from the same addiction, so I look forward to some good conversations on here.

[WapitiTalk1]

Welcome to "the" elk forum ABQ_Chica. Pull up a chair and sit a while. Glad to have you at our elk camp RJ

[ABQ_Chica]

Thanks, Phantom16. I think I recognize you and a lot of other friendly "faces." But this has definitely become favorite camp away from elk camp.

[easeup]

I remember the 'chica from AT!
glad you made the trip over ...

[ABQ_Chica]

Hi easeup, I remember you. I took a digital hiatus, and this looked like the best place to reconnect. Elk, elk, elk!

[flyinhunter]

Hi I'm Zach and I'm an Elk/Bighornaholic.

Found this forum today on an overnight from work. I am a pilot and at one of our stops today someone left a Bugle Magizine in a seatpocket. I snatched it up and started reading and it kinda sparked the fire for this year already. I live in Wyoming and have been a guide in the Thorofare (many different camps) since about 2000? Nowadays I just work and mess with my horses and mules (meaning, I move a lot of irrigation pipe, haul hay all over the countryside, and pay the vet and shoer too much) and want to hunt more than I get to. ..But I suppose workin' is the grown up thing to do . I didn't get to guide last year due to work. I made it home just in time to get a deer so the fall wasnt a total waste. Last year I only did a couple hunts as well.

Honestly I don't care much about the killin' I like the whole experience of the hunt. I love guiding, 2 months 20-some miles from a road on horseback is a unique experience few get the opportunity to enjoy. I like sharing that experience with clients and wish I could do it more often. I've been lucky to kill a few elk for myself and close to 50 with clients plus a few Rams, Speed Goats and Deer. At 33 I am extreemly lucky to have had the good fortune of being able to share the hunting experience with many great people.

In my time in the wilderness I know for a fact only 2 things- Whenever you think you have elk figured, watch out because they're fixin' to fool ya. And whenever you go to thinking you're good, they teach you that you aren't. Thanks for the site guys!

[WapitiTalk1]

Welcome to "the" elk forum Zach.

[JohnFitzgerald]

Welcome Zach!

[Indian Summer]

Where in Pa Mark? Before I headed west I used to run around with the Pa elk. One of these days I'll post a few pics. I need to start applying for that license again.

Zach it sounds like you'll have lots to contribute to our site. Lots of experience and a great attitude.

Chica.... finally a friend for Mtnmutt Patricia! lol

When I see the lurkers, especially the rookies who THINK they have nothing to contribute, and the ladies... I know we're doing something right here. Welcome to all of you and I hope to see you here more often.

Wow this thread sure worked out! They just keep coming.

[ElkNut1]

Welcome new ones! We all here hope to hear more from you, the bigger the Forum gets the better it will be. I know I really look forward to checking it out daily! Stay safe guys/gals!

ElkNut1

[elkaddict83]

Hello fellow hunters!
My name is Matt Schrock and I live in south central Colorado.I have been found guilty of lurking! I first heard about the Elknut's website several years ago from a magazine article where Elknut's DVD's were highly recommended.I soon called Paul to ask him a few questions and loved what he had to tell me.I ordered his "Worse Than Wolves" DVD's and was immediately impressed. As I had mentioned to Paul on the phone,I knew how to make a few elk sounds but had no idea what I was telling the elk.I loved those DVD's as they answered a lot of questions as well as created a lot of new ones. I have also recently purchased the Playbook which I LOVE!. I found this forum a year or so ago and have once again loved all the information that you veterans share so freely.I defiantly consider myself a rookie bowhunter and you probably won't see many posts from me. I just couldn't keep quite any longer.As I mentioned earlier,I really appreciate this forum and all the useful and helpful information that is shared on here.THANK YOU!to everyone for being so willing to shorten the learning curve for us rookies!

[WapitiTalk1]

Welcome to "the" elk forum friend. Glad to have you aboard. RJ

[PAElkchaser]

Joe, I live in Somerset County, about halfway between Johnstown and Somerset. I applied for a PA Elk license for the first time last year...the odds aren't very good in that draw! It would be great to see that herd size increase and spread out.

[huntnut12]

hello to all

Its been awhile since i have posted or even been on the forum.I thank my last post was of my elk from last fall.
any way the lurker post made me think so here I am not that you missed me or any thing.But I agree with everyone on thier posts
I dont know about a lot of you but when my hunting season rol around. Thats what Im doing ,I work the 4-12 shift so I can have time to hunt.
so Im up early and late to bed ,that leaves me not much time for the computer computer ,during the season . From October to febuary I hunt somthing
every day and then a little break to get honey do s done before turkey season .after that well more hony dos .then I break out the fishing poles
and can spend more time talking to you fine folks.

[AmericanBwana]

Just signed for this forum. I really haven't been lurking to much, but now that I learned the results of the draw, I need to start gathering info.

Traditionally a bow hunter, I decided to burn my points on a CO RFW hunt in Oct. Danged if I didn't draw the tag.

I'm in to computers, and how to use them to figure out where to hunt. In addition, I volunteer to help CPW with youth outreach hunts at least twice a year. That is a hoot, nothing like taking a newbie out, and helping them tag their first critter.

[mtnmutt]

AmericanBwana,
Welcome to the forum.

Thank you for volunteering with CPW outreach programs.

Good luck with your hunt.

[JohnFitzgerald]

Welcome!

[lang]

Probably not an official lurker...only been on a couple of times. I tried the main elk nut sight a few years ago and it's black listed at work which is where most of my time online is. Stumbled on the forum sight recently and it isn't blacklisted (as of today).

[WapitiTalk1]

Welcome to "the" elk forum friend.

[GWH]

I just joined the site today. I am 16 and from southern NM. I drew my first archery elk tag for unit 34 this year. I have been doing a lot of research and think this site is great!

[Swede]

Welcome to camp GWH. It is good to have you here. Feel free to comment or ask questions. Best wishes on your NM elk hunt. I hope those fires down there are not a problem. Post some pictures from this hunt you are going on. Be aware that bow hunting is not gun hunting with a short range weapon. Be patient and hang in there.

[Elkaddict]

I joined a couple of months ago and have been "lurking" and checking out the tips and tactics area. Great site! I have been hunting Arizona elk since 1971. My first bull was with a rifle that year, started archery hunting elk in 1975. Got lucky and drew a good rut rifle hunt a couple of years back. I live in elk country and am out watching and learning at least 4 days a week during the off season, and every day during the rut filming or hunting. Always looking for some new tricks, and this seems to be the place to learn them. I have an archery bull tag this year around my cabin in unit 5A, only 2 months to go! So will be checking out the tips and reading about your exploits.
Later, Terry

[WapitiTalk1]

I just joined the site today. I am 16 and from southern NM. I drew my first archery elk tag for unit 34 this year. I have been doing a lot of research and think this site is great!

Welcome GWH. Glad to have you on board.

[WapitiTalk1]

Welcome Elkaddict.. Sounds like have more than a bit of elk knowledge to share. Looking forward to seeing your posts. RJ

[pd]

Welcome Elkaddict.. Sounds like have more than a bit of elk knowledge to share. Looking forward to seeing your posts. RJ

X2. Every once in a while some Guru comes down from the mountaintop, and enlightens us all. I am looking forward to hearing different perspectives from ElkAddict. (1975 elk hunting? Tie-dyed T-shirts?)

[rowdycwby1]

I found thus sight lastyear ands one of the better foruns I've been on. My name Matthew im from southeast New Mexico. I've been hunting since I was 17 mostly birds and deer 5 yrs ago I put fown the rifle and picked up traditional muzzleloader a now I'm onto bow hunting. thus fall will be my se ond elk and archery hunt. This dight has been the best for gaining knowledg. I will try to post more if I can contribute in the threads.

[Elkaddict]

Welcome Elkaddict.. Sounds like have more than a bit of elk knowledge to share. Looking forward to seeing your posts. RJ

X2. Every once in a while some Guru comes down from the mountaintop, and enlightens us all. I am looking forward to hearing different perspectives from ElkAddict. (1975 elk hunting? Tie-dyed T-shirts?)

Things have changed a bit from 1975, did you ever use a metal tube with a wooden plug in it to do the 3 or 4 note elk bugle? In the late 70's Larry Jones made a tape about how to bugle with your throat, tough on the tonsils, but worked great till you wore yourself out! I love to play with elk, I learn something new every week, still can't figure out how a guy finds a bull then keeps track of him as he travels 15 or so miles away for where you first saw him! Or the new technique of running a bull down, that's for a much younger person . Anyway that's why I'm on this forum , to see how everyone is doing it and adding some of my own experiences as we go along.
"Tie-dyed shirts" that brings back some memories!

[excaliber]

I'm a newbie. I have some of Paul's DVD's etc. as I found out about him when I moved to Idaho in 2006...

I've only been on one elk hunt and even though I didn't kill a bull I had a nice close encounter I'll not forget. I guess you could say I'm a lurker as I have nothing to add that you guys would find interesting. I'm just here to learn and enjoy the stories and pictures.
If and When I get things figured out, I'll be more than happy to help out.

[ABQ_Chica]

It's wonderful to see so many elk hunters newly de-lurking or signing up. Welcome to the conversation!

And for those of you from Colorado, New Mexico, and Arizona, may the monsoon rains keep coming...

[ChukarNUT]

Hi elknut community. My name is Brian, and I am an elknut lurker! lol well finally decided to join in on the fun! found the site a few months back and love the threads! great stories and even better information for a guy in pursuit of his first bull! I grew up in Illinois and went to college in michigan, and have been lucky enough to hunt whitetail my whole life and harvest a lot of nice bucks in almost all of the Midwest states. I moved to Oregon in 2003 and have been chasing elk with a bow ever since. I hunt mainly a certain backcountry wilderness area in eastern Oregon. A perk of living 45 minutes from it and have elk hunting opps 10 minutes from town! I made a vow to outsmart and harvest a mature branch bull for my first bow elk, and this will be my 10th season trying to fulfill that quest. I have passed many cows, spikes, rags---shot over a 6pt herd bull at 15 yards, duhhhhhhh---and passed many questionable or unethical shots at many others. I have had multiple opps, up close and very personal every season and am content with my quest thus far. last season almost made me hang my bow for a while as I finally had all the stars align and made the perfect play on the biggest bull I have personally hunted and got a shot on an amazing 350 class 7x6 herd bull at 18 yards. using a 100gr. montec striker I put an arrow right behind the shoulder but right as I released he took a step, didn’t jump the string, just decided to move again after I stopped him---the arrow hit higher lung. but was gone through him in a flash and blood out of the hole instantly. he walked off as if nothing happened. I cow called immediately and he walked to about 35 yards from me and bedded!! yay! my quest if fulfilled and then some! as I watched him I cried--I will admit it--it has been a long journey for me. I admired his beauty, his size, and all the great animals his genetic line will bring for future generations of elk. after 20 minutes I started wondering why he hadn’t passed and started to question myself, my shot, whether I should try to crawl into a lane for another shot as I had brush in between me and him now. everything I have been taught is to not jump a wounded bull if you feel it was a good shot. he was perfectly broadside at the shot and I was certain it double lunged him although about 4 inches higher than I wanted--I understand elk anatomy, and still thought it got him in both lungs. another 20 minutes go by and he is wobbling his head, then rests his head on the ground. yes!!!! I can see he is struggling and breathing hard, blood is frothing from his mouth and nose. at the hour mark I’m sick to my stomach. it hurts watching him. hurts even worse I can’t get another shot and ending his pain without the high probability of jumping him. It is now 9am. He stands from his bed, legs splayed out as if he was drunk and is wobbling. I have my release on the string and ready to draw for another shot. He turns to reveal the exit side and my heart falls to the forest floor. The arrow is sticking out just at the fletching just in front of the opposite side hind quarter at an upward angle! wtf!!! I’m devastated. angry at myself because I have never been in this situation before. I have harvested almost 100 whitetails and have never had anything happen like this!! I know elk are a different beast, but it looked like a great shot. so he walks uphill straight away from me--struggling, wobbling--and as he walked I slowly crawled after him in hopes to get another shot. he stops at about 55 yards from me and I have no shot, pines in the way! he stands there for a few minutes looking my direction, blood frothing from his mouth and nose and collapses. he is directly behind a new growth pine but I can see him. he is laying on his side with his head on the ground on the side as well. OMG!!! has he had enough??!! I can see he is breathing very heavy, BUT he is breathing. my stomach is in knots and my nerves are just about floored. he spends the next hour with his head on the ground most of the time, lifting it very clumsily every so often and then just dropping it back down. during this time I tried looking for a lane to shoot but had nothing. I was pinched by a blowdown to my left and no cover to my right. couldn’t go straight at him because the pines were in the way. knowing my thermal advantage was slowly diminishing. I tried crawling hands and knees in reverse to back out, but the area was littered with dry limbs from the blowdown and noise would alert him. I felt like I was in some sort of PETA prison, some sort of sick perversion by the PETA gods to break my will on hunting. just after 10am I can feel the wind shifting uphill. I know exactly what’s going to happen. the wind switches and I feel a gentle breeze steadying up my back. he lifts his head from the ground and lifts his nose to the air. scentlock-cover spray-elk scent-no scent bath that morning--yeah right, no match for their nose. he rolls to his side and stands quickly. OMG, what a majestic beast! enduring that blood loss for 2 hours and he stands as if nothing happened. I draw my bow and hope he steps into the open on his retreat that I know is coming. he is facing directly at me as I’m at full draw and I can see his eyes through the pines. he doesn’t have me sighted but he smells my presence. in an instant he does a 180, sprints, and is over the little rise in an instant. devastation overwhelms me. seconds later I hear a loud crash and I am praying to anyone willing to listen that he just crashed out. I slowly walked uphill and examined both beds. frothy blood pooled on the entry side and where his mouth and nose were in both beds although the 2nd bed had much less. I got to the rise and it dropped downhill into a huckleberry choked flat with trails leading different directions. I knew the area well and it had two small creeks that ran in sort of a Y and the trail I believed he was on when he ran off ran the leftside of the Y. I used my binos and scoured the area hoping I’d see antlers piled up. nothing. I waited until noon, 4 hours after the shot and called out to my partners to come help on a search. as I waited for their arrival I slowly and quietly combed the area. The loud crash I heard was him basically hurdling and breaking through huge limbs on an old growth tamarack blowdown. I found my arrow here. It had blood from tip to nock and the broadhead looked like new. I dint see any blood on the trail from his beds and found some blood splatter on the blowdown he hurdled. After that nothing. The trail he was on went about another 20 yards and then trails cut 4 different paths. All of which had fresh sign on. A herd had obviously been in that spot the night before as there was fresh scat-pee-beds and track all over that area. I started at the blowdown on my hands and knees and searched for blood. At 1 my partners arrived and found me frazzled-angry-hurt-frustrated. My uncle has harvested over 30 elk in his life and is a very knowledgeable and accomplished hunter. The 3 of us searched for blood for another hour in the immediate area and even tried using peroxide in a spray bottle. We did get a few foamy hits about 10 yards past the blowdown and that was it. we then combed the area looking for sign or the bull. I knew he was mortally wounded, we just didn’t know how far he could go. I was certain the arrow at least poked the closest lung and based on the exit probably got spleen/liver? We searched that area until 10pm with no luck. That night in camp after the day’s events had been evaluated we all strongly felt he couldn’t have got too far in the condition he was in. more than likely he had got just far enough to find a thick area near water to bed in or collapsed enroute to it. The next day , 5 of us were there at first light and grid searched just as I have been trained to do for search and rescue. We extended the search far past where we felt he could be and still no sign at all. No birds-predators-bees-flies-nothing. As my partners searched in the afternoon, I walked both creek drainages top to bottom and down the main creek drainage busting through all the thick brush. We called it a loss as far as meat goes that night. I was heart broke. With a week left of season I hung the bow up and decided I wasn’t hunting the remainder and I would find the bull just to at least come to some sort of understanding of what happened. How did that arrow deflect like that! The next morning at first light my wife arrived and brought my bird dog who can wind and track chukar through the bowels of hells canyon with the wind at his back. He finds sheds on a regular basis so I figured it couldn’t hurt. We brought him to where the bull bedded and bled and my dog sniffed both blood pools without being shown where they were. He then trotted with nose to ground in chukar-kill mode down the same trail we knew the bull left on. Got to the blowdown and sniffed the blood where the bull crashed through and my arrow was found. He jumped through the blowdown and went down the trail we found the last blood on and went uphill with nose to ground. About 300 yards uphill on the trail it runs into the left side of the Y in the creek. You can see where the trail crosses and he got to the water and sniffed around both sides of creek and then he looked as if to say, “I’m sorry, can’t pick it up”. I assumed the bull either crossed or ran the creek uphill because downhill it became more open and rocky, and uphill had a lot of thick-cool-damp areas. We searched the entire mountainside again until sunset again that day, again not even seeing signs of birds or predators that may have discovered the unfortunate buffet. On the fourth morning I hiked to the top of the drainage and sat on a rock outcropping overlooking the drainage where the bull should be. I welcomed the sunrise while drinking coffee and reflecting on the season and the awesome highs we had. My brother in law tagged out the first afternoon we were there, and I put an arrow through a young tom that stalked my wife and I at 12 yards (another story boys! LOL. And I also thought about the lowest of my lows in my hunting career as I have never lost an animal in my 20 years of hunting. I sat on my rocky perch glassing the drainage for any sign that something may have found that beautiful animal. Nothing. I sat there hoping I would come to some sort of peace with it and just hunt the last few days, but my fire was doused. Almost a year later and many-many chats and hundreds if not thousands of hours reading and researching on gear-broadheads-anatomy-shot placements-stories I have come to the conclusion that as that bull took a step on release his ribcage either contracted enough or at the right time or the shoulder bone or blade moved rearward enough the deflect that arrow and send it on an un intentional path. It wasn’t until this summer at snowmelt and I was backpacking in the wilderness area did I finally come to some sort of resolution and decide to pursue my quest again with a bow. I love bow season. I love being in the backcountry chasing elk. Just last week on a scouting trip placing cameras in the area I shot the bull I found remnants of an elk kill. First it was a leg bone. Then a couple ribs. I continued uphill on a trail and found more ribs and vertebrae. Then hind quarter leg bones. I knew I had to be close. I found just about every bone in an mature elks body other than the head including a shoulder blade that had an odd chip in it on the lower corner of it. Makes you wonder. I’m assuming it was the bull. It’s in the same area just off to the left side of the Y. There is an extremely thick patch of wet elk brush just to the left of the creek that is about 50 yards wide and runs about 300 yards up the drainage. I searched all through it and could not find a skull. Really puzzling. We had searched that same thick brush initially and it was almost a quarter mile up pretty steep terrain from where I shot him. I don’t know if I will ever know if that was the bulls deathbed-if someone by chance came upon him during another season and took the trophy home with them-who knows. I will continue to search the area when I scout at this point, it’s part of my healing process I guess. I will never forgot that day or that bull and have learned so much from that experience I honestly feel I may have gained years of experience just from that one shot. Maybe shooting that tom was nature’s way of keeping things in check? If anyone has any comments or experiences similar would love to hear them—PM me or post! Sorry for the long winded first post---resolution??!! Happy to be here! Will be backcountry in the wilderness area for the last 22 days of the bow season in Oregon this year---so close I can taste it. --ChukarNUT

[jwhite22]

After a year of lurking on another site I finally get the guts to make a first post...I'd have to say I've learned a lot from all the great posts! Immediately after making my first post on another site I was private messaged and welcomed by an elknut! He also invited me to take a look at this forum stating I had a great first post but would get more detailed response/help specific to my question on this forum. Wasn't sure at first thought it was a sales pitch. I WAS WORNG THANKS TO ALL THE ELKNUTS out there I have a passion for the outdoors and elk! I've only hunted elk 2 years but was able to harvest this great animal last season.

With all the medical issues my family has faced the last few years and with my daughter recently diagnosed with leukemia I have been able to stay focused and get clear minded by spending time in the woods and having a passion for something Good.

Family is doing Great! Its been great meeting you all!

Thanks again,

Jeff W.

[westaner]

ChukarNut, thanks for sharing! Last season one of my crew went thru the same situation, we spent two weeks looking and scouring. Its one of those times you ask for a miracle.
Again thanks!

[mainebrdr]

Hello, thought I would introduce myself. My name is Tim Dirks and I live in S Central Ks. I've been a bow hunter for over 45 years and love it more every year. I have been successful in my whitetail and turkey endeavors but have wanted to hunt elk since following Jack O'conners successes with his .270. Finally 3 years ago I found the time and resources to go for the first time and haven't missed yet! I haven't even drawn my bow or heard a bugle yet but can't wait for Sept! MY son goes with me and we have incredible times! Yes I have been a lurker on this sight and one other one where I read everything I could where Paul and others of you would share your knowledge. I realize that my times in the mountains are limited because of my age so it's hard not to feel a sense of urgency, both in the acquisition of knowledge and the desire to spend time afield. Thanks for the time you guys spend in helping ones like me!
Tim

[WapitiTalk1]

Welcome jwhite22 and mainbrdr.. Glad to have you on board. Pull up a log and enjoy the fire.

[ElkNut1]

Hey guys, welcome to the Forum, thanks for joining up, we all appreciate the new ones!

Brian, heck of some stories you've got there! Yes, bulls are tough bud, I agree you nailed one lung, liver & further internal damage by your description, been there & done that, I didn't like it either! Hopefully this will be your year!

ElkNut1

[Swede]

Welcome to the forum guys. It is always good to have folks come in and join us around the campfire. It is always a great addition even when the story you bring is not one of jubilation. Brian; keep looking forward now. As Elknut said, "this may be your year."

[Grundy53]

Hi guys, I just found this forum. Hope I can contribute as well as learn from this site. I'm always looking to expand my knowledge of elk cause you can never know enough. I hunt Roosevelt's on the Westside of Washington. But hoping to expand my elk hunting into other states. I

[ChukarNUT]

Thanks ElkNut1! Thanks Swede! Im back out of the RUT! Ive been shooting and scouting and of course spending ridculous hours reading the forum Very excited for season to roll around, I have the last 3 weeks off of work and will be up in the hills the whole time! Rough life I know, perk of a state job?? Ive already made some great connections here that could turn into great future hunting partners for elk and birds. Thanks again elknut community! --Brian

[Jeremy]

Not a lurker, just found the forum after Indian turned me on to it. Although I have killed a couple giant whitetails, I am a greenhorn elk hunter and not afraid to admit it. Kinda sounds like an introduction to a self help class. Haha

[fm]

Just found out about this forum from Cnelk this last weekend. He said there are a lot of good people and info on here so I joined up. I have been bow hunting for 36 years now but just got into elk hunting 7 years ago and have done well so far. Looking forward to learning more from everyone and getting to know everybody.

[WapitiTalk1]

Welcome to "the" elk forum fm. Pull up a log and have cup of coffee ..

[easeup]

there are tons of new names here!
Welcome guys,
I look forward to all of the hunt reports this fall; both good and bad and in between.

[Indian Summer]

Well look who showed up, Jeremy.You could take the time to read every thread on here. Or you could just bring those oxygen canisters they use on Everest and you'll be fine. Just remember the cardinal rule: Save 1 bullet for yourself! hahaha

Jwhite... man I hope things are going as good as can be expected for your family. I agree the woods are great medicine. A great place to gather your thought and maybe rethink priorities. Prayers from Pa. And welcome aboard.

A flurry of activity here. I like it!

[mtnmutt]

Welcome huntingirl!

The guys here are OK Occasionally we gals may have to keep guys like swede in line

This will be my 4th season(solo woman elk bow hunter). I have learned more from this forum in 6 months than my first 3 season of tag soup.

Good luck with your season and have a blast chasing elk.

[ElkNut1]

fm & huntngirl, welcome to the forum folks & thanks for stopping by, lots of great folks here willing to lend an ear or a hand!

ElkNut1

[Swede]

Welcome to our camp Huntingirl. Here you can be a full participant in the hunting discussions. We are a pretty broad minded bunch. Mtnmutt has yet to be assigned to fetching coffee. It does look like I am going to have to explain a certain matter to you. You wrote

Even if it is just sitting in the tree stand!

Eh hem! Tree stand hunting IS GREAT! No doubt about it. Us tree standers don't "just sit in a stand." Tree stand hunting is a very effective way to bring home the bacon so to speak. While others are out calling and hunting, you will be shooting and taking pictures to post on this forum. Then, when the guys come into camp, you can get them to help you fetch your elk. After all that is what the men are good for isn't it?

[dman35]

thanks to all and elk nut for sharing your experience.DIY over the counter Colorado. 6th elk hunt 4th archery.
my first elk my brothers 2nd

PICT2012.JPG (225.6 KiB) Viewed 691674 times

and some sheds. all archery hunts on the same mountain. sure pays to know the the area like the back of your hand.
this thread needs more pictures:)
nothing better than elk steak in elk camp.
the date in pictures is not correct

[Indian Summer]

Dman nice first post man! Glad I just finished some elk meat loaf or that pic might have made me hungry!

Huntingirl... glad to have you here. A boys club this is NOT. I love helping the kids, women and old timers the most. That's how I got to be friends with Swede. ha ha ha , Just kiddin' ol man.

[Washington Wapiti]

Well Indian Summer, you pulled me out of the woodwork!I was Googling info on backcountry fires while hunting elk, which is what brought me here. Then I saw your post, which cracked me up, realizing I was an offender. This is a great forum from what I've seen so far. I like the vibe and general attitude of everyone on here . . . totally my speed. I've ran into ElkNut's postings off and on over the last few years, so it made sense to plug in. This ex-lurker would like to say hello to the community!

Peace and backstraps!

[WapitiTalk1]

Well Indian Summer, you pulled me out of the woodwork!I was Googling info on backcountry fires while hunting elk, which is what brought me here. Then I saw your post, which cracked me up, realizing I was an offender. This is a great forum from what I've seen so far. I like the vibe and general attitude of everyone on here . . . totally my speed. I've ran into ElkNut's postings off and on over the last few years, so it made sense to plug in. This ex-lurker would like to say hello to the community!

Peace and backstraps!

Oh great, another Washington guy. There goes the neighborhood Welcome Washington Wapiti. I like the peace and backstraps logo. Tell me you live in Seattle and have that on your bumper, LOL!

[WapitiTalk1]

Welcome dman35 (killer first post... pun intended) and huntingirl. Glad to have you both on board. Please, pull up a log by the fire. Welcome to "the" elk forum. RJ

[ABQ_Chica]

Welcome Huntingirl! I've only hunted elk for a couple of years too, but am already addicted.

This is definitely not a boy's club. This is a great bunch of people, so feel free to chime in or just sit back and listen. And good luck to you this fall, too!

[Swede]

Welcome Washington Wapiti. It is good to have another Washingtonian here, especially a sane one. The one that posted after you tried to get me to set up my tree stand about a half mile off shore in Puget Sound. Hanging out here is kinda like hunting. It pays to keep your eyes open.

[Washington Wapiti]

Well Indian Summer, you pulled me out of the woodwork!I was Googling info on backcountry fires while hunting elk, which is what brought me here. Then I saw your post, which cracked me up, realizing I was an offender. This is a great forum from what I've seen so far. I like the vibe and general attitude of everyone on here . . . totally my speed. I've ran into ElkNut's postings off and on over the last few years, so it made sense to plug in. This ex-lurker would like to say hello to the community!

Peace and backstraps!

Oh great, another Washington guy. There goes the neighborhood Welcome Washington Wapiti. I like the peace and backstraps logo. Tell me you live in Seattle and have that on your bumper, LOL!

Ha! Thanks Phantom 16. No, but I DO have a bumper sticker that says "Ted Nugent for President" along with my Bowtech sticker! LOL, I usually get thumbs up by folks driving by . . . excpet when rolling through Bellevue, then its headshakes. I just blow them a kiss!

[Washington Wapiti]

Welcome Washington Wapiti. It is good to have another Washingtonian here, especially a sane one. The one that posted after you tried to get me to set up my tree stand about a half mile off shore in Puget Sound. Hanging out here is kinda like hunting. It pays to keep your eyes open.

LOL, thanks Swede! No good . . . maybe you'd have better luck off the ferry. Its good to know I'm amongst other sane Washingtonians. And hey, I'll back you up on the tree stand! This will be the first year I've hunted from one . . . after too many passed shot opportunities within 20 yards, at ground level because of thick understory, I don't know why I didn't add this to the 'ol tool box sooner!

[charlie-63]

Hello-First Timer Here! As John said I have been visiting for a few months now. Great site! I'm headed to Colorado in October for second season otc elk. Will be staying in Craig hunting in the Routt Forest. From everything I have read I will have plenty of company.

Hope everyone has a safe and enjoyable season!
Charlie

[Indian Summer]

Well Indian Summer, you pulled me out of the woodwork!I was Googling info on backcountry fires while hunting elk, which is what brought me here. Then I saw your post, which cracked me up, realizing I was an offender. This is a great forum from what I've seen so far. I like the vibe and general attitude of everyone on here . . . totally my speed. I've ran into ElkNut's postings off and on over the last few years, so it made sense to plug in. This ex-lurker would like to say hello to the community!

Peace and backstraps!

Gotcha! But that's a good thing. This is a great place to hang out learn and laugh for everyone and anyone. This thread sure did pan out. lol

Peace & backstraps... I like that!

NEXT..........

[JohnFitzgerald]

Welcome Charlie-63!

[bowbum]

I found this site a few days ago, I read a few threads and signed up. I don't spend too much time on forums unless they keep my interest with good information. this site and cast boolits are the only two forums I have ever returned too! I like this site alot of great information.

[emptyfossil]

I found this forum two weeks ago. Great info for my upcoming hunt. I hope that I can contribute.

[dlnwohio]

Just wanted to say hello and thank you for such a great forum.

I was bit with the elk addiction in 09 when I was invited on my first elk hunt in Colorado with my uncle and 3 of his friends. I return to Colorado last fall and had a very enjoyable hunt with a buddy of mine. Got my point this year so should again smell the great mountain air again next year.

My first hunt was with a compound and I managed to harvest a raghorn 8 days into the hunt. I hunted last year with a longbow I built. No elk crossed that magic line and came into my comfort zone but we saw plenty of elk and had a very memorable hunt. Even managed to call in a couple bulls with advice gathered here.

Thank you for a great forum and looking forward to learning more and to helping were I can

David

[Birks]

Just found this site today, did a bit of lurking, i actually watch paul's videos alot on Youtube, just didn't know he had a website.

Anywas, been hunting elk for about 6 years. Shot my first bull 2 years ago 5X5, every year i'm willing to try new things and always learning. This year will be the first year i will do all my calling with mouth reeds.

[WapitiTalk1]

Welcome to "the" elk forum Charlie-63, bowbum, emptyfossil, dinwohio, and Birks. Glad you stopped by.

[HTNFSH]

Yup... . Information overload. I hope to be able to effectively regurgitate it in the field 17 days from now.

[JohnFitzgerald]

Welcome everyone! Remember the only dumb question is the question not asked. Ha, my Zen moment for the week!

Everyone, even those who don't have much experience, have a right to voice their own opinion without fear of being ridiculed. We'll....let me state that it's ok to pick on Swede, Phantom16, CNELK, Indian Summer, and myself. But be carefull, we like to get even!

[elk-n-walleye]

Hey Everyone!
Not my first time at the elknut website but I just recently started checking out the forums. As my handle suggests I have a couple of outdoor passions, elk and walleye. Walleye fishing is more of a hobby I enjoy and don't spend much money on or time researching. I just love catching them! Elk, however, has become an addiction. I first hunted elk at age 16 and actually had a near death experience involving the snake river in WY in November. Maybe I'm being dramatic but I'm just glad I didn't end up a popsicle down the river somewhere. After that I didn't revisit the pursuit of elk until 4 yrs ago. I truly regret the 16yrs I missed not hunting elk.

I've always had the convenience of a simple 20-30 minute drive to get to the elk/deer woods. But now, after not being drawn for my local area for the second year, I decided I can't go another yr without the thrill of the hunt. Plus my freezer is getting a little elk bare in the meat section. So, I purchased a general tag for another area I'm familiar with but requires setting up camp since it is not local. I'll be in the elk woods Sept. 15th for a week for my first archery hunt. Needless to say time has slowed to a crawl in anticipation of the hunt.

That's a little bit about me. It's been good reading some of the different forums and your experiences. Good Luck to everyone this season!
God Bless

[Sucobowhunter]

Hi all, I have been on this site for over a year and have not posted much and I read earlier on this post someone asking why people get on here but not post and here is my little reasoning why I didn't for so long.. First I have been a fan of elknut products for years since I meet one of the guys at the cba jamboree hear in CO. At first I was a little "scared" because I have only been elkhunting for 5 years.. I got hired to film an elk hunt before I had ever even thought about elk hunting. Through that season I filmed 4 elk harvests(2 bow and 2 rifle). Needless to say I was hooked!! When the call came to film the next year I declined so I could hunt myself. That same year is when I meet an elknuts guy(sorry I cant remember who ) and learned how to bugle. As the years passed I was always on the elknut website and he said he was starting a forum. AWESOME I thought. I didn't post for a while because there is SO much great info on this site that I was "scared" to give out "bad" info. I mean, there are some serious pro elk hunters on this site and here I am a guy who has only hunted for 3-4 years at this point. What can I say that these guys haven't already said or don't already know. Maybe not scared but intimidated.. Until last year when I shot my first bull and could not find it. I put out a little wimper sad post about giving me tips on how to track a bull when you lose blood. WOW.. The info was awesome! It helped me to find my bull(unfortunately to late) but I found him. If it wasnt for this site and the people on it I might not have found him, then I realized I am one of those people on this site. I also realized there is no right or wrong way to elk hunt, and I have been in these mountains were I live for 15 years. I too have a ton of info that I have since been able to help people with on this site and that is an awesome feeling. Now I have been trying to post more and possibly help someone else have a great hunt and thats what its about.. A great hunt!! So for those out there who might read this post don't be "scared" or "intimidated" because the people on this site truly do care and when you open up a little there is a wealth of info on this site and some great people.. THANKS ALL INVOLVED IN THIS SITE, BECAUSE OF YOU GUYS I AM A BETTER HUNTER AND PERSON!!

[recurve]

I'm a real newbie/lurker. Just found the website a few months back and finally registered a few weeks ago. I'm a flat lander from Missouri and this fall will be my fifth elk hunt. I shoot a traditional bow hence the user name. Found elk nut through Trad Gang which is a site I frequent. Just like Trad Gang I have found this site to be extremely informative and lacking a lot of the harsh replies seen on other site.

Thanks for all the info. I've gone through all the archived tips and videos. I've purchased the mini chuckler and three other diaphrams along with the playbook and elk sounds cd. I had the other Cds from several years ago when I went to Utah and hunted elk. I love trying to do it on my own and this site has been great for helping a novice at least have a fighting chance. The amount of information that has been donated freely on this site is pretty incredible.

Thanks again.

Chris

[outnumbered]

Im a chronic lurker on this site and a couple of other hunting sites. Being relatively new (4yrs) to elk hunting, I guess I didnt have much to add. But I dont want to be someone who just benefits from everyone else's contributions without making any effort myself. What I like most of about this forum is the comraderie without the demeaning attitude you see in a lot of forums. I hope to be able to post a few "success" pics with my first elk next month. I know if I am successful in Montana a couple of weeks from now it will be in part due to all the information you guys have genorously given and of course Elknut DVDs

Thanks
Outnumbered

[patdel]

I am a lurker. Will probably continue to lurk. Just don't have the knowledge or experience to contribute much to these discussions.
I am heading back out to Colorado chasing elk September 6-20. This will be my second attempt. Last year got into plenty of elk but found that getting within 30 yards of one is nowhere near as easy as it looks in a Primos video. 70 yards was about the best I could do. I did fall in love with the rocky mountains and elk in the process though. Plan on going back every year. I really enjoy reading the posts in this forum. I have learned a lot and appreciate the helpful input from everyone else. Good luck out there, Pat.

[WapitiTalk1]

Welcome to "the" elk forum elk-n-walleye, sucobowhunter, recurve, outnumbered, and patdel. Glad to have you on board! Please, pull up a log, grab a beverage of your choosing, and chime in! Your questions and comments are what makes this forum great.

[mplane72]

First post from a lurker. Hopefully have something post worthy in a few weeks. Heading west in a few weeks. The info. I have picked up here and from my elknut vids and playbook has me feeling optimistic going into my second hunt. Good Luck to all.

[Washington Wapiti]

Well Indian Summer, you pulled me out of the woodwork!I was Googling info on backcountry fires while hunting elk, which is what brought me here. Then I saw your post, which cracked me up, realizing I was an offender. This is a great forum from what I've seen so far. I like the vibe and general attitude of everyone on here . . . totally my speed. I've ran into ElkNut's postings off and on over the last few years, so it made sense to plug in. This ex-lurker would like to say hello to the community!

Peace and backstraps!

Gotcha! But that's a good thing. This is a great place to hang out learn and laugh for everyone and anyone. This thread sure did pan out. lol

Peace & backstraps... I like that!

NEXT..........

I would say it certainly panned out! Maybe better than you imagined.

[Washington Wapiti]

Yes! I've graduated to calf!

Welcome to the new guys from another new guy! I love the Primos videos as much as the next person, and even own a few. They're a good bunch of guys and watching is highly entertaining. But let's face it . . . it is hunting porn. It gets my wheels crankin' and my excitement level up, but not much educational value. This forum focuses on the nuts and bolts of hunting elk (other game as well) - the important fine details and subtleties that you just don't get from Outdoor Channel or videos. This is the real stuff! And the way I see it, the difference between deliberate consistency and just plain dumb luck. Regardless of experience level, we all share the same passion/obsession and everyone has something to offer. Glad y'all are here!

[Fryman]

Hi there! My name is Kyle. I'm not sure I consider myself a lurker. More just checking it out . I just found this forum after searching for the Elknut website. It's pretty cool and I've enjoyed reading the posts. So I'm proud to sign in and say hi!

[BRazz]

Morning everyone. I often read the ElkNut forum instead of working (or whatever else), so I don't do too much posting. But recently my other elk forum has been very slow, while this one has dozens of posts everyday. I guess I need to join the bandwagon.

A bit about me: I live in the CO front range where I grew up. I've been hunting since I was allowed, and tagged along with my dad before that. On our very first elk hunt in the Flattops shot a bull in the first 15 minutes of daylight on opening morning. That hunt ~20 years ago is still the easiest elk we ever killed. Now I enjoy our rifle trips every year, but usually spend more time and energy either archery hunting with my Dad (or thinking about archery hunting). I consider myself pretty proficient at it, but always have much more to learn. Thanks for a great site.

No longer a lurker...

[BROKECARPENTER]

Hi everyone, my name is Brent i have been away from elk hunting awhile for one reason or another. I cant go this year But i am planning another DIY bowhunt next september. Checking this site daily and looking at maps has got me fired up! Thanks to all of you who share your knowledge. Good Hunting

[bownarrow]

I own the elknut DVD playbook and am a fan of the forum based on the (usually) polite and focused conversation around all things elk hunting. I am a midwesterner and am confident in my whitetail hunting, but am still in the learning stage for elk. I have been on 10 elk hunts in most of the western states, and am very passionate about getting better each year I hunt-not because I judge success by killing elk, but because I want to call in and be in elk each time I hunt. I only shoot interesting (larger) bulls. I plain love the challenge and excersize I get while in the mountains, and I almost always hunt with my brother and close buddy (of 30 years). By the way, my buddy is a pure meat hunter who will shoot a cow or calf on site, and so don't get the impression I am an elitist that way. We all have our own perspectives on what hunting is and should be. I don't post because I don't feel like I have enough expertise to add much; I'm a midwesterner who got into elk hunting at 40. I enjoy reading the posts of you folks that are more proficient, and more than anything, it gives me something to do while not elk hunting. That's my story. I'm a lurker who thinks Paul does things the right way; not judgmental, political or high-brow.....just (seems) like a great guy who loves to elk hunt and educate the rest of us who share the passion.

Bownarrow.

[WapitiTalk1]

Welcome gentlemen to "the" elk forum. Glad you stopped by. You all have something to add to our group, whether it's a question or sharing one of your experiences in any type of hunting. It's all part of making all of us better elk hunters and sharing thoughts, experiences, and ideas. Please, pull up a log and have a beverage of your choice! John Fitzgerald is buying when he gets back from his Oregon hunt

[jayfrog]

Hello everyone. This is my first season archery hunting elk. I've had solid success the last 10 years or so during rifle season in Montana, but this is the first year that my job situation allows me to get after it as early as September. I've done my fiduciary duty and practiced my calling, and my archery skills, but have yet to put them to the test. This forum has been extremely useful for someone who is about to embark on their first archery/elk adventure. Real feedback and stories have lifted some of the mystical "veil" that can be somewhat overwhelming to a beginning archery elk hunter. Namely, I've realized not to be afraid to call...to just let it out and call, as many good elk have been drawn in by less than perfect calls. I've resisted the temptation to enter into my hunting areas early to try my calls out prematurely, so my debut will be live action....

[elkhunter4life]

Seen the topic and thought it would be a good time to say hi guys/gals. I really enjoy your posts and stories and I look forward to participating more.

[WYNUT]

Hey all,

I just joined and I found this thread by typing into google "hunting elk in river bottom advice". Come to find out this thread has nothing what's so ever to do with that BUT it is the first group I have joined and I'd like to tell you it is is no small part because of mtnmutt's posts. I am tomorrow going out on my very first elk hunt and have "lurked" on many threads looking for advice and I have to say, until I found this I was feeling unwanted in the elk hunting community. Last year when I decided to hunt because food prices were so outragous that I had to decide meat OR vegetables at the grocery I found folks pretty open to a single woman going deer hunting but when I fell in love with hunting and just being out there and decided to set me sites on elk the story became very different. Mtnmutt's comments on this thread made me want to "join" for the first time. So there you go peeps, I am a blank page for elk hunting and would love to have some comradery and advice!

[mtnmutt]

Welcome WYNUT! Best of luck on your hunt.

[WYNUT]

elk n walleye I got your message buy can't seem to find the reply button. Help!

[Indian Summer]

Welcome WYNUT! I know you'll find this hard to believe but this site wouldn't be what it is without the input of new hunters. Us old hats would be bored to death just yakking at each other. Hunters like you bring a perspective we need. Plus for me it's motivating to know that all this typing doesn't vanish into cyberspace. I love it when MntMutt & others express their appreciation for these forums. So glad you felt compelled to join us. Feel free to fire away with any questions. Best of luck this year!

Where do you live and hunt? Bow gun? Solo, partners?

[Firemedicbkelly]

I don't consider myself a lurker. I read most all of the discussions and honestly I can usually find the answer to any question I have through others postings. The info shared on this site is amazing and has helped me tremendously. I have occasionally posted a question I couldn't find an answer to but usually all the answers to things I haven't even considered are here already. I am in graduate school and have a two year old at home so it can be tough to be very active in extracurricular activities but I will be in the woods tomorrow to apply what I have learned from this site to try and punch my first tag. Thanks to all for sharing your knowledge and having positive attitudes that's what makes this site the best there is for rookies like me. Hopefully I will be contributing to the meat pole soon!

[fire2201]

Great site

[Indian Summer]

Thanks!

[easeup]

I am a lurker. Will probably continue to lurk. Just don't have the knowledge or experience to contribute much to these discussions.
I am heading back out to Colorado chasing elk September 6-20. This will be my second attempt. Last year got into plenty of elk but found that getting within 30 yards of one is nowhere near as easy as it looks in a Primos video. 70 yards was about the best I could do. I did fall in love with the rocky mountains and elk in the process though. Plan on going back every year. I really enjoy reading the posts in this forum. I have learned a lot and appreciate the helpful input from everyone else. Good luck out there, Pat.

this is he place for you too. It is never easy even for the guys on here that are the real elk killers.
But in this camp, they will share and smile.

[krisco]

[Mojostylee24]

Howdy all! I am Jim. Just found this site in my second season of chasing elk with my bow... I have no archery hunting friends and have been learning by trial and error to this point. I am very glad to have found such a community to learn and share! Cheers from Ft. Collins to all.

-Jim

[Indian Summer]

Welcome aboard Jim. You shouldn't have any problems finding bow hunting friends here. Fort Collins huh... home of Fat Tire beer. mmm

[steveo]

I always lurk since I have alot to learn but little to offer. I've been bowhunting elk about 4 times counting this year with little success but I have enjoyed learning and have followed Elknut since Sage CreeK forum and have purchase alot of his stuff. I am 64 yrs old so I got started a little late to be like Cameron Haines but I try. I will be in 81 the last week so if anyone sees a blue gmc single cab pu stop and talk. Best wishes to everyone this year.

[Indian Summer]

Just keep at it Steve. Push yourself to get up and take one step at a time and things will come together for you.

Looking back on these posts I think the #1 reason people give for looking and not participating is they think they have little to offer. But I say it all the time the minute you hit the hills your experiences are just as valuable as the next guy or girl. And I know I speak for everyone on here when I say we wouldn't want you to go hunting with unanswered questions. Hope to see all of you here more often.

Good luck to the new old guy around here.

[MT Beard]

Well, ya got me! Been lurking around the site during the slow periods of my last few shifts. Have to say this seems to be a great community defined by encouragement and respect. You all have started an itch that will see me bowhunting next fall. On the menu this year is an early season cow rifle hunt in the Rattlesnake Wilderness just north of home in Missoula, and the usual general season deer and elk. If any of you see a bearded fella on a blue bike with a red/black pack in the rattlesnake, stop me and say hello.

Matt

[Indian Summer]

Gotcha! I love it. lol

Look me up if the Rattlesnake doesn't pan out. I know lots of spots down in the Bitterroot.

[hornart]

I`d like to welcome all of the newbies on here, just remember that we all started at the same place you are, some people have had more success than others for sure, but we all have one thing in common, our love of elk and the great outdoors. Take your time and learn all you can, and enjoy the help along the way. Steve

[MT Beard]

Gotcha! I love it. lol

Look me up if the Rattlesnake doesn't pan out. I know lots of spots down in the Bitterroot.

Will do, and thanks for the offer. I don't know if I'll be able to devote any more solid blocks of time to this season following the coming week in the Rattlesnake. Having a 7 month old at home is not the best recipe for a lot of time in the woods. Though when he is old enough I'm hoping that I won't be able to keep him out of the mountains.

[Coastal bend bows]

I'm guilty of lurking. Yep this is my first post. This thread made me register. Sorry for being such an introvert.

Shawn

[Indian Summer]

I'm guilty of lurking. Yep this is my first post. This thread made me register. Sorry for being such an introvert.

Shawn

Introverts make great hunters. They are thinkers... info gathering machines!

MTBeard: 7 month old... I see, you have a long term plan for getting elk quarters out of the mountains. Good thinking.

[steviek]

Long time lurker. First time posting. Made my first trip ever to Colorado 6th to the 16th. First time elk hunting and heard my first bugle. Got a little wet to say the least. Was able to get on elk 6 days of the trip. When I mean on elk I mean within 200-300 yards. hearing and seeing. Had 2 encounters within 70-80 yards. Learned about thermals. My hunting buddy was able to have bull about 15 yards. He didn't handle the pressure very well to say the least. All ready planning on next years trip.

[MT Beard]

MTBeard: 7 month old... I see, you have a long term plan for getting elk quarters out of the mountains. Good thinking.

Yessir, wouldn't want to deprive the boy of all of that good excersize!

[Kleinpm]

I have been lurking for a while and figured I would chime in.

I am a stay at home dad that lives in the middle of 314 in Montana. This is my second year hunting elk with a bow, or any weapon for that matter. Last year was basically a bust.

This year I called in and missed a bull opening weekend, and have found elk two other times but couldn't close in because of the wind.

I make all of my own bows and arrows, knap my own arrowheads from locally found stone and love every minute of it. I have friends that complain about not getting better LE tags and I remind them that a lot of people save their entire life to come and hunt the same country that we can hunt 15 minutes from home on a cheap general elk tag.

Enough rambling. I have learned a lot from this site and one day hope to contribute.

Patrick

[Lark Bunting]

New hunter here. My son talked me into taking hunter's safety with him a couple years ago when he was 10. We started with small game last fall and I got an OTC archery elk tag this year. Didn't grow up hunting but trying to learn everything I can.

I grew up a fly fisherman so the outdoors are not new to me. I was able to pass my knowledge on to my son when he was tiny. When he approached me about hunting I was a little nervous in that I couldn't really teach him much.

Since he's only 11 this year he couldn't hunt big game but wanted to be out in the woods with me every opportunity he could.

We had a heck of a time this month hunting, only saw four elk total, tons of deer (which we will be hunting next year now that I have a preference point) which we enjoyed stalking just to see how close we could get. We managed to sneak within 6ish yards of a doe. When she finally blew at us my son about crapped himself. Priceless!

My son will be old enough to hunt next year so we will go in with (hopefully) my deer tag, an OTC wither sex tag and he will have his own OTC elk tag unless he gets lucky and draws a deer tag as well. Either way our chances should be pretty good next year. He has his own lawn mowing business and has enough saved up to buy himself a complete Bear Apprentice setup. He's looking forward to getting back out there for small game the rest of this season but is REALLY excited to hunt big game again next fall.

Look forward to asking some questions from the more seasoned hunters and learning as much as I can.

[Fridaythe13th]

Sorry it took me so long. I wanted to get a few miles in the hills before I posted. My first ever bow hunt was in Idaho my feet are still sore from the 40-50 miles in 6 days, but it was the time of my life. I learned how to find arrow in the dirt (choke) twice on friday the 13th so what else do I name my self. Thank you for all the help.

[COElkNut]

Hi all -

Well I'm not so much a lurker - more just new to the site. BTW, what a great site!!!

I like how the folks here seem more interested in discussing the *how* and *where* elk hunting is happening than about the latest and greatest gear (though I've noticed there is a dedicated Gear forum - and I do love gear!!!!) and/or main-stream-media or political happenings (which I passionately do not like discussing).

I do LOVE winter/snow camping/mountaineering - despite very non-mountainous roots. Having grown up in northern LP Michigan, I had hunted white-tails since it was legal for me (started at 15 .... some 30+ years ago), but moved from there to "see the world". The profile section here is where more of that sort of detail about me is located if you're interested...

Anyway, I'm new to elk hunting though have been very interested in it for ~30-odd years ("life" just sort of got in the way of me actually going elk hunting until recently). I almost went on my 1st elk hunt this year; I had an experienced person who was willing to help a newb like me out, had a tag, had an initial camp set, had a new scope (mine failed at final sight-in/practice), but last-minute business crashed the party and I had to return home to "handle it". HUGE, GIGANTIC bummer.

What I'm looking for/needing is to learn more about elk hunting (how/where to find 'em primarily!) and this site seems to have a great community focused on just that! I'm aware I won't be able to really "learn" how to hunt/find elk by simply reading and that actual field time is required, but am hoping to learn the basic ideas and put 'em into practice in the field.

That's a lot of "I" statements - sorry about that. I (again......) really am not self-focused nor judgmental. To me there usually seems to be more than one "right way" to do most everything - if (that's a big IF) folks are willing to be honestly open and also willing to learn those new things (which describes me very well).

So, without further adieu, I'm Frank and thanks in advance for your help and shared wisdom. I hope I can make a positive contribution here, though since I'm just starting out elk hunting it certainly won't be elk hunting methods/tactics!

[WapitiTalk1]

Welcome to "the elk forum" Frank. Great introduction! Some great folks here from all experience levels. There are some great threads in the archived tips section on top for some casual reading Looking forward to seeing your posts in the various threads. Again welcome.

[COElkNut]

Thx RJ!

[itsnlkthing]

No longer lurking....

My name is Steve and I have deep roots in CO elk hunting, going back many generations. After many years away, I managed to land a job back in CO 2 years ago and I'm thrilled to be back. Most of my family is now too old for the hunt and my cousin and I are the only ones still at it. Our public land hunting area that my family has hunted for over 100 years is now overrun by hunters on quads and road hunters. Statistics are yielding single digit harvest numbers for at least the last 5 years. After the 2012 hunt, seeing no game or even fresh sign in the more remote areas, I made the decision to break with "tradition" and try a new area. My cousin wasn't willing to join me, so I went solo and backpacked into a remote wilderness area in another unit for a full 7 days during second rifle.

I learned a tremendous amount from this site (lurking) in preparation for my trip. Although unsuccessful in filling the freezer, it was an awesome choice. I only had a bull tag or I would have filled no problem. I saw cows every day, had sign everywhere, passed on a small bull (couldn't confirm he was legal while I had the shot) and was too slow on two nice bulls that I bumped out of their beds. I learned an entirely new style of hunting and now have really good intelligence for next year on this new area (now my cousin wants to go ). In researching this site, I learned how little I really know and that most of what I had been taught is at best the wrong way to go about things. I hope to make the transition to bow hunting next year, which opens up an entirely new learning curve. I had bulls bugling all around me in mid-October and I look forward to learning to call and encounter some of these guys at close range and full rut.

Thanks to all for the wisdom you share, I'll try and do my part to add what I learn along the way.

[JohnFitzgerald]

Welcome guys! All opinions are welcome so feel free to jump in.

[ROOTRIPPER]

Yep were out here. Have a good night.

[Indian Summer]

You too Rootripper. Always happy to hear even a few words from new people.

We must be doing something right around here Paul.

[Sawdust]

Only my second post here. Been bow hunting and rifle hunting elk
For 18 years. Just moved to steamboat spring colorado from West Virginia
In July of this year. Decided I was tired of driving 28 hours to elk hunt
One week a year!
Sawdust

[Swede]

I just realized how long it has been since I looked at this thread. Welcome to all of you new and not so new elknuts. This is a great place to share elk hunting experiences and to discuss related ideas.

[Mav]

Hey guys! I just started looking at this forum yesterday. Couldn't be more happy with what I see so far! I'm new to elk hunting and archery as well. I've been hunting since my mom would let dad take me with him. The major thing I wanna learn (other than elk hunting in general) is about calling and how to find spots to hunt. I've been spoiled as a ranch kid and have shot all my big game animals on my families ranch. But I've gotten the backcountry bug and want to learn how to do the pre-trip planning to find a spot to scout. Anyways thanks guys! On a side note. I saw some females posting and would like to say thank you!! My wife and I got married last year and she has been discouraged to try hunting a few times by some. She will be watching this site with me and is excited!!

[Swede]

Welcome Mav AND wife. As we often say around here; pour your own coffee, and pull up a chair. This is a great place to sit around the fire and socialize. You have to poke your own stick in the fire and stir things yourself. That goes for you too Ms Mav. We are equal opportunity badgerers, but we try hard to help those seeking solid information. A word of warning, cnelk, ww and John Fitzgerald are instigators, but they are nearly toothless.

[WapitiTalk1]

Welcome Mav to "the elk forum". As Swede said, pull up a chair/log around the campfire and jump right in. Some great folks here with all ranges of experience levels. Looking forward to seeing some posts from you and Mrs. Mav. Check out the Archived Tips on the top of this page for some pretty darn good threads.

[Washington Wapiti]

Welcome guys! Nothing wrong with being a ranch kid . . . what a great way to get your feet wet.

[Mav]

No definitely not! I was able to get three hogs there and share many memories with my dad and brother. My brother and I both got our first big game kills there and my wife got her first kill (squirrel) there as well. Thanks for the welcome guys!

[JohnFitzgerald]

Welcome Mav.

[ELK_Slayer]

Just joined and started lurking. I'm not shy so I will be participating and hopefully contributing as well.

Swede where in in Oregon are you located? I'm in Yamhill.

[WapitiTalk1]

ELK_Slayer wrote: "Swede where in in Oregon are you located? I'm in Yamhill".

Welcome ELK_Slayer to "the elk hunting forum". Pull up a log by the campfire and grab a beverage of your choice. Geez, I'm not sure if Swede actually lives anywhere like a normal house in a town? I've heard that he just bounces around between tree stands all year long in the Oregon woods ..

[Washington Wapiti]

Welcome ELK_Slayer! There are some good herds and deer both out that way, especially over by that reservoir you got over there yonder.

[cohunter14]

I took the plunge and signed up today, lol. I have Brad (cnelk) to thank for the invite over here from another forum. Great to see all of the participation and active posts here. I really look forward to learning more and hopefully throwing in my two cents at times as well.

[cnelk]

Howdy Derek
Glad to see you here!

[Outta Range]

I'll bite.

Actually, I just discovered this site, but I'm guilty of trolling others. I'd hoped to make my first elk hunt in Idaho a few years ago, but didn't follow through. I had the pleasure of visiting with Elknut by phone then and was really impressed with the info he shared and his enthusiasm. We'll I'm back in the planing phase again, and this time its in the Elk Mountains region of Co.. At 45 years of age I'm sure the terrain and elevation will be a humbling experience.

As a "lurker" I really appreciate the technical info that's available in forums. It really shortens the learning curve someone living near sea level. As for locations, I would never expect anyone to openly post info of that nature. For example, I've been successfully catching tarpon on the Texas coast for many years now, and after letting a few guys in the loop, I've recently found an active thread with specific info with photos from a couple of my trips in a local forum. I'll have lots of company next summer.

Just remember before posting, there are many of us "lurkers" out here. Seriously though, all the technical info on gear, clothing, tactics, thermals, ect. is invaluable to someone from a very different climate. Thanks for calling this "lurker" out. I'll be back in touch.

[Swede]

Welcome to you new comers. It is good to have you here. Look around the place and check it out. There is some excellent material to peruse in the archives I wish I knew how to better organize that forum, but for now you just have to look through it and check out what interests you. All the best in your hunting adventures.

[swmoelk]

I'm brand new here and also new to elk hunting. I see a lot of post from newbies and realize the basics have been asked several times over so I just dig until I find what I'm looking for. Here's some advice I can give. Use Google search with elknut forum then your keyword. I think its much easier to navigate than the in-house search function. IMHO. Thanks for all that you veterans do for us. My first elk hunt will be next archery season backpacking into the west elk wilderness a few miles and doing my best to find them.

[rfc86]

I just found this site as well. I started bow hunting this year (Pennsylvania Deer and Bear) and it was a blast! I want to do an Elk Hunt in 2014 so I'm here to learn as much as I can. I'm looking forward to getting some great info and maybe find an Elk hunting buddy or a guide service for a 1st timer.

[newmrc]

lurker here. Just trying to learn what I can about elk, hunting elk, and places to find them. My son an I went on our first elk adventure this September. Bowhunted the high country of Colorado[49]. Lucked into a great spot and had a lot of action. We just made to many rookie mistakes, never took a shot. How about a little more air up there? WOW We are working on plans for this fall.

Cant offer much on elk hunting, but if you have any questions about fishing the Great Lakes Erie or Ontario I might be able to help. Thanks to all for the good information. It has sped up our learning curve. Good Luck out there. Ron

[WapitiTalk1]

Welcome to 'the' elk forum guys. Pull up a log, beverage of choice, and chime in whenever you want. Pretty good bunch of campers here.

[Olydog09]

Hey guys,

Been lurking for a couple years. I have been an Elknut fan since finding some of his free advice on Archery talk years back. He is truly a giver of knowledge. The way he delved into elk behavior and language and then broke it down so others can understand there is a hidden code in all the sounds is amazing. I have his dvd's and play book.

In fact I will share my first experience with the play book. First off I have been archery hunting since around 1990. I have been very successful with deer especially rattling deer in. Elk hunting though has been my achilles heel. To date I have harvested 1 cow actually it was a yearling calf. I have been hunting out of state in Idaho the last 4 years and believe that I hunt hard. I am addicted now though and will continue to grow until I am successful. I really just enjoy being in elk country and have turned this into a year long passion. Anyway 3 years ago I purchased the Elk nut dvds and play book. I practiced before the season and studied the play book. My hunting partner and I were hunting N. Idaho for 10 days. On our very first morning hunt we climbed up to a mtn saddle. We checked the wind and set up with my partner about 80 yards downwind. I started with the multiple cow calls mixed with a calf call. I made milling around noises by using a branch and occasionally bumping it against items with an occasional pawing on the ground. After about 5 minutes I did an estrous type call. I continued with the milling sounds and occasional mews. About 2 minutes later I went about 40 yards upwind and made a small squealing bugle then came running into where I had been cow calling. I then chuckled and began raking a tree with my stick. After that I laid down on the ground while occasionally letting out a mew and continuing the small milling around sounds.

I never saw or heard anything so after about an hour I got up and went to my partner and he was really excited. Right after the small bull sequence a nice 5 point bull came into investigate but did not come in close enough for a shot. I set up in an area where the bull could see where the calls were coming from but there were no elk. That was a setup straight out of Paul's play book. (except the part of setting up where the bull should see elk if they were there)I am yet to recreate that magic but I know it works. Failures are probably on me. Also who knows what may have came in that we did not see. One bit of advice that others may be able to take from my failure is that selling the situation is important to success. During that first set up we did that worked I stayed at the spot tucked to the ground and sold that set up the whole hour either occasionally mewing or making the sounds an elk would make while feeding. Small thuds on the ground and pawing and occasional small twigs breaking etc. I believe that alot of my lack of success during cold calling is because I usually do not stay in the same spot and sell my setup the whole time. My partner is not a caller so normally when we do a set up I will make the calls while he is set up in the best spot. Then after making the calls I will relocate to try to be able to have a shot should a bull come in from another angle or slip oast my partner. My buddy is now learning to call so we can rotate setups and have the caller stick to the routine.

Anyway thanks for letting me post my long winded hello and thanks for the format on this site. I rarely go to AT any more because there is alot of hate on there as with alot of forums. Keep up the good work here guys.

[Elkonthebrain]

Guilty lurker here...first off, hello and thank you for all the valuable informantion. I've learned from all of you, I've also read the playbook, watched all the dvd's and I listen to "Sounds by The Elk" on my daily commute while I practice calling.
I've been elk hunting for six years. Three with a rifle (spike only in wa) and the other three were rifle and out of state archery.
My first year archery hunting was in the Eagle cap wildrness in Orgeon, the other two I was lucky enough to have a friend bring me to his honey hole in Idaho. I've been pretty luck in Wa with the spike, killing elk four out of the six years. Branched antlered bulls is another thing I just can't get it done. We are in the elk, my buddy has called two bulls past me in the last two years, I just cant get it done. Its like my brain turns to jello. I missed a really nice six point at 30 yards this year. I could tell you all my excusess but we do not have time for that. I did end up getting a cow at 65 yards after missing the bull so not all was a loss. Needless to say im still out for that first branched bull. I know with hard work, persistence and all the knowledge on this site its very plausable this year. I'm hoping to go to MT this year but ill ask about that later.

[Indian Summer]

Welcome new kids on the block. lol

Sounds like you guys are into elk anyway. So far so good if you ask me.

RFC86.... PM sent.

[rfc86]

Welcome new kids on the block. lol

Sounds like you guys are into elk anyway. So far so good if you ask me.

RFC86.... PM sent.

Indian Summer - Thanks for the PM but I can't reply. It tells me Im not authorized and I need to participate more. Let me know if there is another way to talk!

[rfc86]

It looks like I can send now. Thanks to those who replied!!

[leftyokie]

there are so many other sites that users have seen or been apart of where they are ridiculed for any contrary opinion,observation or question.
they are smart folks and remain quiet to avoid persecution from the wolves. It is a learned UNresponse.

thanks to the staff for the effort to make all feel right here at home.

What they said!! I just found the site 2 days ago and have been reading all I can. New to elk hunting, planning on a 2015 CO archery DIY OTC. thanks!

[WapitiTalk1]

BUMP. Expecting a new arrival or two and wanted to ensure a smooth arrival . RJ

[Indian Summer]

What they said!! I just found the site 2 days ago and have been reading all I can. New to elk hunting, planning on a 2015 CO archery DIY OTC. thanks!

Man.... two days ago. You have a lot of reading to do I guess!!!

Welcome aboard and hope to see you here on a regular basis.

Phantom.... what a guy... and a heck of a welcoming committee you are leaving the light on like that.

TrophyHill's "best thread" thread got me wandering back to this one. Scrolling up and reading some of the posts is soooo rewarding. About brings a tear to your eye seeing the kind of people who found their way here and hearing what they have to say about these forums. What an awesome way to start 2014. I don't know about you guys but I love this place even more than I did a year ago...... if that's possible. XOXOXO

[Puttncut]

I was finally able to re-register tonight because it had been so long ago I had forgotten all my registry information. (Been readin' for a few weeks and Paul even emailed trying to help me with my old password but I'm so computer stupid I just started from scratch)

Being from the East makes it difficult to get out West to chase elk. With family bills and all, I consider myself real lucky to have been out there three times in my life. I'm dummer than a rock and just as poor so all trips were DIY. The learning curve was pretty steep but reading this site and others has been VERY benefical. (I just lost the friend back in November who got me seriously considering elk hunting as a reachable goal. Taught me how to blow on a Power Bugle...gave me a cow call...so... Here's to you Charlie !!) His passing woke me up! I ain't gettin' any younger! SO...

My two girls are getting married this year - and three days after the second one I'm headed to SW Colorado Lord willin'. Another DIY but it seems each time I start planning another trip I meet someone new...and we become friends. Here's to my friend Larry in Mancos who let me drop-ship my camping gear to his house. Here's to Troy who has offered to help me get an elk out with his mules should I finally get lucky.

But most importantly, here's to All of YOU on the forums who understand and appreciate what a true gift hunting free range elk IS. You can "hear" it in your posts...we're really lucky to have this challenge in our lives and I for one GREATLY appreciate the advice and enjoy the stories found on the websites. This one especially. Elk hunters seem to be a specialy breed...VERY special.

Happy New Year to each of you and YOUR families. This ends my first Elknut post. Hope ya liked it.

[Indian Summer]

Welcome PuttnCut!

Since you mentioned being able to "hear things" in posts I have to mention that in 1 post I can hear that you are a heck of a nice guy! Here's to you my friend!

I only had one problem with your first post: I keep telling myself not to "shack up" with any newbie elk hunters because I've learned some hard lessons BUT..... I was only halfway through the damn post when I said to myself "I wanna take this guy elk hunting!"

Glad you worked out the registration issues. Very sorry to hear about the loss of what was obviously a great friend. I hope to see you here often and also since it sounds like you're working on that learning curve.... I hope to see a thread or two of your own asking whatever questions you might have.

Happy New Year man!

[Blackdog44]

Hi guys, I must admit to being a lurker for quite some time. Decided to finally register and chime in. Thanks for all of the great info and entertainment. Love this site!
-Matt

[Kiowa1SG]

I found this site last week. Became and active productive member read it every day and post where I can when its appropriate or what I have to add may add something to the conversation.
I used to have this same handle on Elkcamp but they changed the site when I was deployed and when I got back its not being used and didn't like the look. So found you guys.

Hope that meets the original posters intent.

[WapitiTalk1]

Blackdog, Kiowa..... welcome to "the" elk forum friends. Pull up a log by our fire and please, chime in whenever you wish. Pretty good bunch of elk hunters here that are always willing to talk Wapiti. RJ

[Cass]

Lurking has a style all to it self>...
I have found so much information here and hold you guys in the highest esteem. I am going to use the tips and tricks and the get your A$$ in shape this September. You folks here have motivated me more in the past few weeks with how giving you are to us lurking out of towners, that are trying our best to gain skills that for some, just come with the country that you live in. I can not wait till I pull out of my driveway headed to Colorado in a few short weeks. I thank each of you on providing this knowledge to perfectly good strangers. Its a brotherhood I am proud to be apart of. Thanks again

[WapitiTalk1]

Go get em Cass. Best of luck in the Centennial state!

[Cass]

Thanks Phantom

[KCArrowSlinger]

Hey all.... Been a Lurker for the last 6 months. Guess it's time to come out. I've learned so much from this forum over the last several months. I feel that I'm as prepared 'knowledge' wise as I can be for my upcoming elk hunt in Colorado. My oldest and I are headed their in 16 days for my first time. I'm hoping for 10 days of hunting bliss. I'd be lying if I didn't say that I'm a little worried about the physical part of it but I've done all I can do to be ready. Dropped 50 lbs for the hunt and am in better shape than I've been in for over a decade. Just don't know if that will be enough. Guess it will have to be. All I can say is that I'm beyond excited for the trip. Elk or not, it will be great to spend 10 days on the mountain with my son.

[Kiowa1SG]

Welcome KCArrowslinger.
Where are you two hunting?
Physical fitness can not be stressed enough however if you have lost that much weight your on the right track and staying active is a big part of it. The next hurdle will be how your body handles the alttitude.
Good luck and I too am hunting with my son this year.

[one_elk]

Read often, post every once in while, lots to learn. Great site and I really appreciate the overall effort to keep the site focused on hunting....good luck to all

[Indian Summer]

Hope that meets the original posters intent.

Yep! Welcome guys. Always nice to see some new faces and know that people appreciate what this site has to offer. Best of luck to everyone. Wow... 16,000+ views on this thread now!

[ElkNut1]

Welcome guys, thanks for stopping by & joining us! Please feel free to fit right in!

ElkNut1

[KCArrowSlinger]

Welcome KCArrowslinger.
Where are you two hunting?
Physical fitness can not be stressed enough however if you have lost that much weight your on the right track and staying active is a big part of it. The next hurdle will be how your body handles the alttitude.
Good luck and I too am hunting with my son this year.

We are heading to the Siverthorne area. Good luck to the two of you also.

[KCArrowSlinger]

Attn BRazz
I received your PM but the site won't let me respond to it.