What draws you to elk hunting ?

[Deafirishman]

While growing up through high school, I always bought up the subject of elk hunting to my dad hoping he would cave in and take me on a trip out west. Being from MN, I always dreamed of going on a elk hunting trip. I thought it would be the greatest thing ever. Sad to say that 20+ years later that trip never materialized. It was during Christmas of 2002, that my parents bought me a .30.06. My first thought was, we are going elk hunting !! But in reality it was, now you can go elk hunting because you have the rifle for it. I was extremely grateful that they got me this rifle and I knew right then, I was going elk hunting some day. Some day...so I kept dreaming. Some childhood friends of mine have talked about going from time to time so I thought it has to happen soon. Couple years go by and those same friends had decided we should go to Pagosa Springs CO for the second rifle season in 2004. I jumped on it like a kid in the candy store. I was going elk hunting FINALLY !! We headed into elk country without any real experience in hunting these majestic animals. Not a clue as to what to do or what to look for. We told ourselves we will learn as we go. After all, we are hunters, right ? All the literature written on elk hunting is great information but in reality, real time experience is the key to becoming a better elk hunter. We would learn from our mistakes as we searched the mountains for elk. My first elk season will always be my favorite season...this was the season, I missed a trophy bull of a lifetime. I missed terribly.....in my mind he should have been on the ground. But it didn't work out that way. I made a mistake and I learned from it. That bull, as close as he was, shook me to my inner core. Once I saw him, I knew I was hooked and I was going to spend more seasons chasing the wapiti. After 2 more rifle season in Colorado with the same group of friends and missing out on a few season due to situations out of my control, we decided to give archery a try last season. We decided on Idaho because we knew some friends who hunted there. Now we were back to square one again. We needed to relearn how to archery hunt since the two seasons (archery/rifle) are totally different as far as techniques to use and the location of elk in the early fall and hunting during the rut. It was a whole new learning curve again. I studied maps, I read up on literature...I did everything I thought I could do in order for me/us to be successful. All of us were new to elk bugling as we seldom heard them bugling while we were rifle hunting. I, for one, have never heard a bugle because I am deaf/hard of hearing. It was my goal to be able to get close enough to hear one bugle this past season. That's all I wanted and I succeeded in hearing a very faint bugle of a big bull about 50 yards from us. My season was a success. Although we didn't put any elk on the ground and had our opportunities to, we learned a lot and will be heading back to Idaho this season for another archery hunt.


Why do I elk hunt you may ask ?? I do it because nothing, I mean nothing, beats roaming the mountains in search of elk. The mountains are some of the most beautiful places on earth. I do it because there is nothing more challenging to a hunter then chasing a bull in some very unforgiving territory. I do it because nothing beats the camaraderie of being with your closest friends. I do it because I owe these friends a multitude of gratitude for helping me hunt because of my disability. I do it because I want my daughters and son to have the same experiences as they get older. I do it because it's the ultimate test for hunters. Most of all, I do it because of my love for hunting and I have the ultimate respect for these animals.


Best of luck to everyone in the upcoming season !! Looking forward to hearing the success stories

[Swede]

I enjoy hunting. Elk hunting is always a great challenge. The camaraderie can be great, but I will hunt alone. I really enjoy being out in the forest. I am in total awe with all that God has done, and am appreciative that He has chosen to share it with me.

[Lark Bunting]

Because my son, who is not old enough quite yet to hunt big game, had the brilliant idea that we should learn how to hunt elk. lol

Actually, I'm having a blast learning and look forward to our second season this fall.

[Trophyhill]

Sight, sound, smell and taste is what draws me. Oh and then there is the adrenaline factor and really feeling alive and in tune with all nature has to offer

[ElkNut1]

Tom, take advantage of hunting with your son, it's much more special than most can comprehend! I've had the privilege of doing this for years & wouldn't trade it for anything! One of the best things to apply for success is trolling for elk, kinda like fishing, odds for success are high! (grin) Good Luck this year sir!

ElkNut1

[elk-n-walleye]

I enjoy hunting. Elk hunting is always a great challenge. The camaraderie can be great, but I will hunt alone. I really enjoy being out in the forest. I am in total awe with all that God has done, and am appreciative that He has chosen to share it with me.

Amen to that, Swede!

Right now I'm truly enjoying the camaraderie elk hunting with my dad. My other siblings aren't taking advantage of this type of opportunity and I really think they are missing out. Although I've heard his stories many times each time I hear them I find some nuggets of wisdom and value regarding who he is as a person.

[Lark Bunting]

Tom, take advantage of hunting with your son, it's much more special than most can comprehend! I've had the privilege of doing this for years & wouldn't trade it for anything! One of the best things to apply for success is trolling for elk, kinda like fishing, odds for success are high! (grin) Good Luck this year sir!

ElkNut1

Well, that is what drew me here. Honestly, this was all his idea. I look forward to this adventure with him for years to come.

That is what drew me to hunting elk. What keeps me motivated is the friendly folks from sites like this and others with knowledgeable people willing to help out us newbies.

[JJ Overkill]

im like you OP. living in MN as a kid I always wanted to hunt elk. in 2011 I made my way to CO for my first elk hunt (archery). I missed a lead cow at 30yds (different story). for me it was the views, terrain, the sounds of elk. drew me in so bad I now live in CO.

[husky390]

Sight, sound, smell and taste is what draws me.

Are you talking about the hunting part or the food that JJ brings from home?

[JJ Overkill]

Sight, sound, smell and taste is what draws me.

Are you talking about the hunting part or the food that JJ brings from home?

you guys keep talking about my wifes cooking and im going to start getting request from everyone to hunt with me.

[husky390]

Sight, sound, smell and taste is what draws me.

Are you talking about the hunting part or the food that JJ brings from home?

you guys keep talking about my wifes cooking and im going to start getting request from everyone to hunt with me.

I think I'm still full from the last time I was down there.

[Deafirishman]

I am taking my daughter on a archery elk hunt for her 16th birthday....too bad I have to wait 3 more years !! She told me the other day that she can conquer a mountain like it's a hill in our backyard. Boy, she has a lot to learn yet or she is really confident !! My other daughter will be 5 soon and my son is only 15 months old. I just hope I am still around when all my kids are old enough to hunt together. It would be a dream of mine to take all 3 of them on a elk hunt. That's on my bucket list

[Trophyhill]

Sight, sound, smell and taste is what draws me.

Are you talking about the hunting part or the food that JJ brings from home?

Well I have to admit that having a camp cook by proxy is pretty nice

[Indian Summer]

What draws me to elk hunting? It really is the total package. The whole environment it takes place in. The winding ridges I can stroll with ease as well as the hell holes, cliffs etc. that stop me in my tracks and force me to explore my physical and mental limits. Just the sounds sights and smells of the mountains are things that draw me. Of course the elk themselves.... their sounds, smells and yes, the thought of elk in the freezer over the winter. Just the sight of an elk is special. Like the gold nuggets of the mountains. They can be so hard to find sometimes. Take everything you have in you just to get a glimpse. I think the feeling would be the same if you were hunting Bigfoot... and actually saw him!

But all of those factors and the vastness of the untrampled country is just one thing. Together they are what makes the accomplishment of actually killing an elk so special. When you or anyone who was actually with you at the time looks at a picture or an elk skull or mount on the wall somehow all of those thoughts come together and you think whew, what a freakin' thing! Just a group picture like Deafirishman's brings to mind a thousand thoughts. Even to me and I wasn't even there!!!

I've been at it for long enough that when I roll out of the truck in the mountains it's like just getting home from a bad vacation. To feel right at home up there takes awhile. Long enough to where you don't even need a GPS and have your animal instincts at their highest level. For those of us who stick with it the relationship is an addictive challenge. Who hasn't laughed instead of cried and talked to the mountain like it was a friendly competitor and said "bring it on mountain, no pain no gain" and marched on maybe with a sore knee. That's what makes the march back out with an elk rack on your pack what it is. The image every elk hunter has in his or her mind of them with a nice ivory tipped rack strapped to their pack heading out. It's like a track racer breaking the ribbon across the finish line.... only it lasts all day or for multiple days until your elk and all your gear is back in the truck. That image says I came, I saw, and by God I conquered! Like a climber standing on top of Mt McKinley. You can die climbing Mt McKinley by the way. lol

I truly love hunting anything like deer turkeys and rabbits. I enjoy every minute of it. But hunting other animals will never give you that true "top of Mt McKinley feeling" that elk hunting does! Sharing it with your kids is like taking all that to the next level. Good luck guys!

My 2 1/2 cents.

[timberland]

+1 to IS
Going to add the preparedness that must be undertaken. When I talk to a non-elk hunter, even when I rallied the troops for the last hunt I heard way too many "I could never do that" The process of becoming an elk hunter changes you. It's almost like a drug, where some people get violently sick and they swear they will never do it again, to guys like me that will walk any mile, spend any dime to get on the mountain one more time. Get my mountain fix! I'm sitting here thinking, "what can I sell to finance a high end NM or AZ tag" I just can't get that elk smell out of my head. I'm starting to see that addiction in the newbies that went last time. We're applying for tags this week.

[WapitiTalk1]

Not sure what you guys are talking about. I can quit anytime I want

Geesh, where to begin. I love where elk live, it's unlike any other landscape; I like being there. I like how elk communicate, and, I like having meaningfull conversations with them. I'm strictly an archery hutner so I like the necessity of having to be in close quarters to have a chance.... so close I can smell them . The year long planning with a dedicated buddy, getting this old frame in elk shape, shooting practice, calling practice, map work, discussing and sharing tactics on this forum, scouting trips when possible (putting out trail cams), getting a new piece of gear or two each year that I "must" have, driving to the trailhead or basecamp spot, hiking in to the backcountry spot or setting up camp, realizing that finally the time has come again after so many months and the hunt is on... Yep, it all draws me in, consumes my thoughts, and gives me a rainbow at the end of each long work year. There is no place I would rather be than in the elkwoods in September.

[elk-n-walleye]

Not sure what you guys are talking about. I can quit anytime I want

I quit once a couple season. back... errr, I didn't draw. Withdrawal symptoms suck Phantom. don't ever quit.

[Lefty]

Growing up in Minnesota as a kid I had a bit of envy for those that went out "west" for mulies, antelope, I didnt know anyone who hunted elk.
The fellow that taught me how to shoot a bow always inspired my hunting. he was a trophy hunter, rifle an bow. However as a 13 year old I sarted trapping, quickly replacing the idea of me becoming an archer
How ever marrining a SE Idaho girl who her and her dad chased it all So I could contunue hunting as much as time allowed

Growing up the whole mountain man-trapper thing is part of it.
For one a September season, thewhole back country expierience, While I wish I would share more time with my wife or daughters, the alone thing is good for me

[zpd307]

What draws me to elk hunting? It really is the total package. The whole environment it takes place in. The winding ridges I can stroll with ease as well as the hell holes, cliffs etc. that stop me in my tracks and force me to explore my physical and mental limits. Just the sounds sights and smells of the mountains are things that draw me. Of course the elk themselves.... their sounds, smells and yes, the thought of elk in the freezer over the winter. Just the sight of an elk is special. Like the gold nuggets of the mountains. They can be so hard to find sometimes. Take everything you have in you just to get a glimpse. I think the feeling would be the same if you were hunting Bigfoot... and actually saw him!

But all of those factors and the vastness of the untrampled country is just one thing. Together they are what makes the accomplishment of actually killing an elk so special. When you or anyone who was actually with you at the time looks at a picture or an elk skull or mount on the wall somehow all of those thoughts come together and you think whew, what a freakin' thing! Just a group picture like Deafirishman's brings to mind a thousand thoughts. Even to me and I wasn't even there!!!

I've been at it for long enough that when I roll out of the truck in the mountains it's like just getting home from a bad vacation. To feel right at home up there takes awhile. Long enough to where you don't even need a GPS and have your animal instincts at their highest level. For those of us who stick with it the relationship is an addictive challenge. Who hasn't laughed instead of cried and talked to the mountain like it was a friendly competitor and said "bring it on mountain, no pain no gain" and marched on maybe with a sore knee. That's what makes the march back out with an elk rack on your pack what it is. The image every elk hunter has in his or her mind of them with a nice ivory tipped rack strapped to their pack heading out. It's like a track racer breaking the ribbon across the finish line.... only it lasts all day or for multiple days until your elk and all your gear is back in the truck. That image says I came, I saw, and by God I conquered! Like a climber standing on top of Mt McKinley. You can die climbing Mt McKinley by the way. lol

I truly love hunting anything like deer turkeys and rabbits. I enjoy every minute of it. But hunting other animals will never give you that true "top of Mt McKinley feeling" that elk hunting does! Sharing it with your kids is like taking all that to the next level. Good luck guys!

My 2 1/2 cents.

indian, we think a lot alike any many of the subjects discussed on here! being out on the mountains make me feel alive. I love the mental and physical challenge. I already know that I am going to cry like a baby when I get my next elk.

[zpd307]

+1 to IS
Going to add the preparedness that must be undertaken. When I talk to a non-elk hunter, even when I rallied the troops for the last hunt I heard way too many "I could never do that" The process of becoming an elk hunter changes you. It's almost like a drug, where some people get violently sick and they swear they will never do it again, to guys like me that will walk any mile, spend any dime to get on the mountain one more time. Get my mountain fix! I'm sitting here thinking, "what can I sell to finance a high end NM or AZ tag" I just can't get that elk smell out of my head. I'm starting to see that addiction in the newbies that went last time. We're applying for tags this week.

timber, I noticed that a lot when looking for a group to get together for our first time out to Colorado. most looked at me like I was crazy when I thought that it would be a good time. and seeing the two guys break that did go with me, I cant honestly try and push anybody anymore to try it. I will take anybody with who wants to go, but they will warned!

[mongopino915]

Did not read all postings but it is because of the sounds and the chess match between me and him.

[8seconds]

It all started with Disney Land in the late 50's. My family used to watch Disney Land together and when the elk films were played, our jaws dropped. How in the hell can an animal like that make such a sound.

After we got out of college, started our family, and had our own business going, we started hunting elk together. Our first bull was in the Bitterroots (6x7). You would have thought we won the lottery. Celebrated with a bottle of wine, stick of hard salami topped with a sliver of fresh garlic on a cracker. The next morning, we couldn't stand to talk to one another face to face. Had to stand off a few feet.

Then we started bow hunting. I've had elk so close i could take one step and touch 'em. It is the rush of all rushes; better than sex. LOL