Newbies to Elk Hunting and Preparation

[Trophyhill]

It's early in the year so.....What should the new guys be focusing on to up their odds of killing their first elk and to be ready for any situation that can arise in the elkwoods? And also to make their hunt more enjoyable?

[mtnmutt]

Train your body for hiking up and downhill. Take the stairs whenever possible. At least start walking miles now without a pack on. Your body will thank you come September. If you are new to the Rockies, get hiking poles. You will go further and last longer with hiking poles.

Get the most comfortable footwear and most comfortable pack you can afford.

Pack for any weather situation. Layers are your friend.

[ishy]

+1 nothing will shorten a hunt faster than not being in shape. I guided for a few years and you could tell within the first mile first day if someone was ready or not. I would have to say not to just take the stairs, but schedule time to get after it be it stairs, hills, running etc...and stick with it. Great you're thinking of it now, this isn't something you can do starting in august and get away with it.

[Swede]

I live about 200 feet above sea level. I exercise 30-45 minutes 5-6 days each week, but I am 66 years old and definitely no marathon man. If I believed all of the hype on the need to be a Cameron Hanes, I would have thrown in the towel years ago. I would have also eaten a lot more chicken. Sure, get in shape, but running through the forest fueled on granola and chocolate will not make you successful. Get to know elk hunting tactics and get to know your area. Learn everything you can before your hunt and learn as much as you can while hunting. If you are older, handicapped or limited in other ways, work around those limitations. That is not hard. Figure out ways to succeed. There is a reason 50 years+ older hunters are succeeding every year. Just go hunting.

[Indian Summer]

A good idea is to mentally prepare yourself for the moment of truth. I've seen a lot of hunters just go into zombie mode when their first elk came stomping in to under 50 yards. The day will come so think about it. Run through it in your mind in a few different scenarios: One where you know he's coming, one where all is quiet and he appears out of nowhere from a different direction than you expected etc.

Do your best to make the process of focusing and picking a spot second nature. If you are bow hunting make sure you know your range and pick the right pin!

I have some stories of dead bulls walking... that kept on walking. Guys not shooting when it was a cake shot, guys knees turning to rubber and they literally slowly fall to a sitting position. We had a guy last year who had 8 pins. A big 6 walked in to 30 yards and all he did was look at all 8 of them in a state of confusion until the bull was gone. If you can try to dream about it at night so you've been there and done that. I guess that's asking a bit much.....

[Lark Bunting]

I'll be paying particular attention to this thread.

#newbie

#hashtagsaredumb

[G Posik]

It all depends on the style of hunting you plan to do. If you are hunting from a tree stand, you will need to be in shape. If you are packing in with everything on your back you need to be in great shape. But being in the best shape in the world will it get you an elk. Knowing your prey is the number one thing. There are some great threads on here about what would you do in certain cases. The play book Paul out out are some great things to read. Not only read them know these things and you will be glad you did. Number 2 most important thing is good foot ware. You need to find the right boots now and wear them like you are trying to wear them out. I have seen to many people in great shape and knowing a lot about elk come off the mountain because their feet were torn to shreds(New boots and did not break them in before).

As far as the style of hunt you plan on doing if you shed a bit lore info on your plans I bet you get some really good information. If packing in let me know and I can send you a copy of my packing list. It has served me well and a few others.

Now is the time to be started on getting ready as September will be here before you know it.

Glenn

[Lark Bunting]

I am doing my first pack in trip this fall. Would like to see your list. I have put together a preliminary list and would like to compare.

I found a 100 liter backpack today on craigslist. I am afraid I may fill the damn thing and only make it half way to our campsite. lol it's going to take some serious discipline to not bring the kitchen sink.

[WapitiTalk1]

In addition to what has been said, learn to speak a new language. Understanding elk vocalization (what they are saying/what does it mean) is very important. Also becoming a student of the animal's mannerisms in the elk woods will pay dividends.

[Swede]

In addition to what Indian Summer mentioned about being so nervous a person cannot shoot, is the person that shoots without settling his or her sights on the spot they want to hit. These hunters are is such a panic they punch the trigger well before they should. Most of the time the animal is wounded or missed. Usually you have enough time. If you don't have the time, wait for a new opportunity. I think the cause of both situations is the same and the remedy is exactly what Indian Summer recommended.

[Indian Summer]

The guy I mentioned and his partner did the same thing several times with 6 point bulls up close. It just rattled them beyond the ability to concentrate. My brother was guiding them and asked "would you like my to snap off every other site pin for you or do you two plan on flinging an arrow eventually?" He was pissed. In the end the one guy killed a 320 bull.... with some luck. It was literally the last hour of the hunt and here came another big herd bull. He shot.. and hit it way high in the spine and it dropped right there where it stood. Almost another dead bull that walked away. There's only one first: Try to make it count!

You're right too Swede about guys not aiming and just "pointing" their bows in the direction of an elk in the heat of the moment. I've had lots of them shoot WAY over the top of an elk or stick an arrow in the dirt 20 feet in front of them that said "I really don't know what I did... I just lifted up my bow and yanked the trigger"

[Indian Summer]

I mentioned this somewhere a long time ago: I know not everyone can make a trip to elk country before their hunt. Especially guys from the east. BUT... the elk in Pennsylvania aren't that hard to find. And there some friggin' giants. If you can it would be a great idea to take a drive over there and practice finding and interacting with elk there. Watch, listen etc. Hike around in some fairly big hills with your pack on. Break in your boots. Use your GPS. Set up your camp.... the whole 9 yards. In September they are pretty vocal especially at night. It's a great opportunity for a trial run for anyone close enough to do it. No doubt it will help to de-sensitize you when that first shot opportunity comes along as well as work out some of the bugs in your whole system.

[Toby]

You have received some great information so far. Let's assume you are a good shot and in reasonable elk hunting shape, you have all your gear and are ready to go. Looking back to when I started, my biggest short coming was not knowing where to concentrate my hunting. I know, some will say, "hunt where the elk are", which is the obvious. But, that really was my biggest limiting factor. Being form the Midwest, I really didn't know where to look. You need to hunt where the elk are or are going to be.

That was before this forum and before Google earth. Study this forum, especially the Map Reading and Elk Hunting Basics threads. Figure out the most likely places the elk will be and the best way for you to get to them undetected. If you can't physically scout your area, spend a lot of time on Google Earth, it is a great tool.

Read as many of the old threads on this forum as you can. This is by far the best hunting forum and the most helpful people I have experienced. And then, ask more questions.

Good luck
Toby

[Mikeha33]

I'm still a new guy to elk hunting, with only one hunt and no elk under my belt, (yet), but I'd like to add to what Toby said. You have everything you could need to survive in the backcountry, in good shape, a good shot, and feel prepared. Knowing where to hunt. Huge item. I am trying my butt off to be the very best "student of the game" when it comes to elk hunting, and the threads about what would you do, and the elk hunting basics, that veterans can put real life experiences into words are helping a ton.
But to build on that, not only knowing where to hunt, but how to hunt once you get there. Getting to an elk hotspot could happen on accident, just by hiking randomly. But concentrating your efforts into caredully planned hunts (that I plan on sticking to this fall), put you in prime position and territory more often than not. However, knowing how to react to different actual elk encounters is something I have zero, zilch, nada, experience with. So I am trying to learn not just the territory, but the animals behavior and habits, and what moves wiley ol' veterans put on wapiti to be successful.

[Toby]

Mikeha33, very good post. It is possible to have elk all around, but knowing how to close the deal is huge. When our crew first started venturing West, we stumbled into some good areas with plenty of elk encounters, but we were so "green". We would call back and forth to them, get them all worked up , and then they would be gone.

I wish Paul's info. Had been available then, we would have killed a lot more elk.

So, great point, learn to close the deal.

Toby

[Jaquomo]

Mike, finding elk, even getting elk to respond to calls, isn't that big of a trick in good elk country, especially with all the tools readily available now. The biggest part of the learning curve is in planning and creating the shot opportunity. Took me 6 or 7 years to really learn this.

When a bull is coming, whether to a call or just walking along, most hunters stare at him - at his rack, at his body, whatever. Then suddenly he passes into and through a shooting lane, and the opportunity is gone. Instead, you should look ahead, figure out every possible shot window, look for obstacles, plan when you'll draw. Then look at the spot you want to hit. Don't wait until the draw and anchor happens. By then it's often too late and your concentration is blown.

The mind is an amazing thing, and by doing that you're visualizing and committing to your subconscious when to draw and where to aim well before the aiming process occurs. Going through these exercises will help stave off buck fever, too, and make the actual moment of truth more predictable.

Another great trick is to visualize your entire shot process while walking through the woods, in camp, at home, wherever. Close your eyes and imagine a bull walking toward you through the timber. Think about where you'd create the shot, when you'd draw, the draw and aiming process, the release and follow-through until after the arrow hits. IMO the lack of follow-through on a shot on an animal is the biggest reason for misses. WIth today's flat-shooting bows, the excuse of " used the wrong pin" most often means they dropped the bow arm or pulled the shot high, or didn't even look at the pins at all, as Indian Summer notes. Lack of planning the draw and anticipating the shot window is a huge reason many hunters blow the opportunity in the first place. Poor planning will also lead to drawing too soon, whch then leads to letting the bow off if the bull hangs up for a minute or two, spooking the elk. Plan the draw a few seconds ahead of when he'll enter the shooting lane, and you'll be relaxed and focused.

Many great bowhunters talk about what happens at the moment of truth. Dwight Schuh calls it going on "auto-pilot", where the practice, preparation and visualization takes over and everything happens automatically. In my case, (I shoot trad, but have tried the compound and sights for a couple years as well) I always remember starting the draw, then watching the arrow hit the animal. I never remember the process of drawing, anchoring, settling, looking at the spot, or releasing. After three dozen elk, it's all pretty much automatic now, and my pre-planning of the shot opportunity and visualization beforehand creates a clear shot at the animal at the right place and time.

[Indian Summer]

Really good advice there guys and gals. The only way to program the auto pilot mode is to visualize it over and over. Once you have an auto pilot mode ingrained in your mind just implement it and let your mind do the walking. Great post Lou!

I'm a big fan of some the older elk hunter/writers like Dwight Shuh and Mike Lapinski.

[Still Hunter]

Can being the most fit elk hunter on the mountain get you an elk? ...........No

Can you be the best hunter on the mountain, but being out of shape lose you an elk?...........You bet.


To be a good elk hunter. You need it all.

[Jaquomo]

Thanks, Joe. I, too am a big fan of many older hunting writers like Dwight, Mike, M.R., Ed Wolff. Back then, when they got started, most were formally trained in English, composition, and journalism in one form or another. They understood how to craft a story by showing, not "telling". You could actually learn something, and the taking of the critter was in the background .

Many of today's younger contributors have no such training, but instead learned by reading lots of bad "Me & Joe" stories. So many of today's stories are the exact same, filled with shopworn cliches, with only the names changed. "Me and my good buddies went elk hunting. We packed in (x) miles and set up camp. Morning found us in the glow of a beautiful sunrise. The bull let out an earsplitting bugle which made my hair stand on end. I held for what seemed like an eternity. The arrow struck home and I gave a loud whoop when he fell over. I give thanks to my beautiful wife (x), my two beautiful little daughters, and the Good Lord above for giving me this beautiful trophy."

Entertaining? Sometimes. But how many of them really provide any useful information that can be applied to our own hunts? Not many. Which is why forums like these are extremely valuable for idea sharing.

[Indian Summer]

LMAO... totally agree. Not everyone knows that a lot of the "pro hunters" are really journalism majors. Chuck Adam's got his start that way although I think he has somewhat adapted to fit the modern version of the guys who use the standard "template" for all their articles. How boring and like you said... uneducational is that! I enjoyed his book Life At Full Draw but his monthly articles bore me to death.

I'd like to hear you tell a "Me and Joe" story. Cmon old man.... take a kid hunting! I'll carry your chit so you don't need that Pack Wheel.

[jmez]

Thanks, Joe. I, too am a big fan of many older hunting writers like Dwight, Mike, M.R., Ed Wolff. Back then, when they got started, most were formally trained in English, composition, and journalism in one form or another. They understood how to craft a story by showing, not "telling". You could actually learn something, and the taking of the critter was in the background .

Many of today's younger contributors have no such training, but instead learned by reading lots of bad "Me & Joe" stories. So many of today's stories are the exact same, filled with shopworn cliches, with only the names changed. "Me and my good buddies went elk hunting. We packed in (x) miles and set up camp. Morning found us in the glow of a beautiful sunrise. The bull let out an earsplitting bugle which made my hair stand on end. I held for what seemed like an eternity. The arrow struck home and I gave a loud whoop when he fell over. I give thanks to my beautiful wife (x), my two beautiful little daughters, and the Good Lord above for giving me this beautiful trophy."

Entertaining? Sometimes. But how many of them really provide any useful information that can be applied to our own hunts? Not many. Which is why forums like these are extremely valuable for idea sharing.

BAM!!!

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

Jaguomo: I'm living prof of that. Heck, I can't even type. I'm a two finger "search and destroy" typer. So telling a good story is next to impossible for me. That's why most of my post are short and to the point.

Also, I am living prof that you don't have to be like Cameron Hanes to be a good elk hunter.

But if you really want to be a good elk hunter, you must learn how to play the wind.

Read all the books you want, watch all the TV shows, be a marathon runner, buy all the fancy hi-dollar equipment, and learn all the elk sounds you want. But if you can't figure out the relationship between wind and success. you might as well stay home because you'll be a looser every time!

[Jaquomo]

Joe, I need somebody with a strong back and weak mind to carry my bulls out of the woods. Not sure you fit that bill!

My most recent story is in the current Extreme Elk magazine on the newsstands now. Last one was in the Bowhunter Big Game Special in October. The story of our 2013 elk hunt will be in Bow and Arrow Hunting mag this summer, and I also have a story coming in Bugle soon. That ought to get me four quarters packed out, anyway! (BTW, one half of my double-major was in English/Composition. I edit stories for guys all the time, and if any of you Elknutters would like a hand with a critical eye or editing of a story before submitting somewhere, I'll be glad to help if I have the time.)

[ctdad]

New elk hunters should expect to have the highest highs and the lowest lows they can imagine emotionally. Sometimes on the same day. Don't talk yourself out of the hunt. Somebody on here once pointed out that your odds are the same the last day as the first. On the first day you expect to kill. By the last day, many give up and don't expect to kill. Why? Their minds give up. I know bc I've done it. You will be physically spent and frustrated but don't give up. This seems to be the hardest lesson to understand without having experienced it first, or it was for me.

[easeup]

great information here. thanks for posting mr. trophy.

preparation thoughts.....for each subject posted previously, preparation should include what could I do when that goes wrong.

Murphy is alive and well in elk hunts; and one is wise to consider ahead of time what he might do in the event of the misfortune. ie: say that google scouting you had so well prepared once boot leather landed turned out to be cold ground...what should you do? and how will you keep your attitude right? that is prep. And for instance, this past Sept many of us sat under canvas for days while the skies unloaded buckets full.

So I don't promote or propose worry over unnecessary stuff. Preparation for potential misfortune upon misfortune will help keep ones head straight for making the moment of truth out of a day of disgust.

[Indian Summer]

I believe I was the one that said that CTdad. People's morale and self motivation seems to naturally decline by the day. Surely there's only one day one. That said... it might be a good mental exercise to ask yourself... how will I deal with failure on day 1, day 2, day 3.................?

Or even year 1, year 2.......

OK Lou I'll do it, but I refused to pack blindfolded for you!

[ctdad]

Indian summer, I took that to heart when you wrote it. Now I'll remember who wrote it.

I try to show up on the mtn with a plan a, plan b, etc and I adjust my plans as needed but I don't aimlessly wonder like I did the first couple times I went hunting.