"Elk are like ghosts to some people"

[ORelksniper]

Thanks to Indian Summer for the lead in. Got me to thinking about why that is. We all know guys that can find elk no matter where they hunt and no matter where the elk try to hide. These guys just have the ability ( or gift) to sniff them out. Lot of those guys are right here on this forum. Ninety percent of the hunters feel like they're chasing ghosts unless the elk are screaming their heads off. So, what separates the elk finders/killers from the rest of us ghost chasers?

[Kleinpm]

Hunting experience.

Not just elk, but overall woodsmanship.

Patrick

[Broken arrow]

X2 hunting experience.
Dedication and desire willingness to go further hunt harder overcome mental and physical exhaustion those were keys to my success. Think I even posted a few times that I (would be successful) and I have confidence that I can do it again next year

[six]

I've hunted with guys who were back at camp by 9 am. So basically they hunted 3 hours in the morning and 3 hours in the evening. Most days I hunt all day. Leave camp in the morning at 5 or 6 then return at 9 at night. If I'm back at camp during the day it's because we are packing elk. 15 hours in the woods verses 6. It's a no brainer. Very few guys I hunt with see more elk than I do. My issue is the killin elk part.

[cnelk]

Lots of days Im back in camp by 9am
But my day started before 4am.
Sometimes I get back by noon.

We are back out in the afternoon about 5pm and hunt until dark [3+ hrs]

Im a firm believer that you can hunt too much, wear yourself out, and then get careless or sloppy in your approach

Thats when you see elk and not kill them

Which in turn leads back to hunting experience...

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

I'm with you Brad. Elk need to rest up in the middle of the day and so do I. If I'm not back in camp by noon it's usually because I went in a little deeper than I intended in the first place. Don't get me wrong here! I have done the all day thing many times. It just doesn't ring my chimes all that much.

A good lunch and a little short snooze go a long way to prepare me for the evening sitting on a point overlooking some good elk country. And I'm well rested for the next day as well.

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

Sorry I got a little off track on that last post. But I'd have to say attitude or lack of it is one of the main reasons that elk are like ghost to some people. Every time I hit the timber I go with the attitude that I'm going to get the job done. Doesn't always happen that way but at least I have the right attitude and I don't give up.

And besides, it's just kind of nice when I get home to have my wife say, "Well, what did ya get this time"! Instead of "Did you see anything"?

That's what attitude does for you. It even rubs off on my wife of 40 years.

[Swede]

If you can slip into an area that holds elk, hunt there and leave without alerting the elk to your presence, you will be the ghost and the elk will be in your freezer. I totally agree with Brad and WW. I think this attitude comes with age, but I have noticed no decline in my productivity because I do not hunt with a sense of urgency or a need to push harder.

[Vanish]

I think if you're having success finding / hunting the elk, then being out there only during prime time is fine.

The problem is when they've become those ghosts we're talking about. That's when you need to get out there and invest the time to find them, so that the following days you can maximize your hunting of elk, and not waste it waiting for elk that aren't there.

[Swede]

This year I was out scouting, setting up and hunting for nearly five full weeks. It is not that I am getting older now that I cannot go full speed all day, every day. I never could. I don't need to spend a great amount of time learning where the elk are. Yes places go cold, so I have to stop and look around, but that is a relatively small amount of time. What I understand Brad and WW are talking about for a rest is, backing off and not pushing hard during the middle of the day when the elk are bedded. I have put elk to bed in the late morning and came back to them later. If they are not pushed, they will be there well after lunch and an afternoon nap. What they are suggesting is, don't get in too big of a hurry and push the elk away. If you have your lunch in your backpack, go set at a nearby water hole and wait there. I hunt 10-14 hours per day, mostly in a stand. If you hunt with me, and that is not enough to wear you out, I would suggest you go up the ridge above camp at night and toot your bugle for awhile. Just do it far enough away that you don't disturb my sleep. Patience kills more elk than panic.

[Lefty]

Hunting experience.Not just elk, but overall woodsmanship.,...

Ill toss in , Knowing wildlife biology of more than just elk but certianly including elk.

Much like fishing , those that know , know where and how to catch fish,.... or kill elk

[pikemaster]

Its all about knowing the place you hunt and how to hunt it. Another thing is knowing how to use your calls if you are calling, Elk know what they sound like and you are blowing on calls with no purpose you can ruin an area real quick.

[JGH]

Seems to me ... it's about knowing the area, not necessarily the quarry.