Digging deep

[Bullwinkle]

I wanted to see how you guys keep on keepin on when the going gets rough. No vocal elk, 5 days into a tough back country hunt. Missing the ladies and kids. Say your 1500 miles from home. What drives you to keep pushing for that next ridge or basin? Has the fruit of your labor been rewarded?

[elk-n-walleye]

For me it really isn't a matter of getting that trophy. In fact I haven't yet had inclinations of ending my hunt early in my years of hunting. For me It only comes down to the fact that it is temporary. We only get the chance to do this for a short time each year so it makes it easy to make the most of it. In fact that's what makes it easier for my wife to let me go for so long (she doesn't really have a choice in the matter ). She knows its only for a short time and just at this certain time of year.

[Bullwinkle]

Thanks e-n-w! Don't get me wrong, no trophy hunter here. Blue collar public lander, solo hunter . Tough hunting, bad weather, never quit attitude! I'm sure I described many if not all archery elk hunters. Looking for those secrets that keep you ticking! Many dreamers give in to the circumstances, what ifs, and maybe's. What do you tell yourself when the sleet and rain is coming down keeping you holed up in the double or single tent mid sept. I personally, think that the will to succeed drives me( human predator/ meat eater). Any secrets or success stories for hanging in there?

[elk-n-walleye]

Thanks e-n-w! Don't get me wrong, no trophy hunter here.

No worries, I wasn't assuming your motivation was getting a trophy. I was simply stating that is not my motivation. Aside from the meat, I hunt elk for the joy of the hunt/chase. But I have gone days and weeks without getting that chance at a shot and yet you would still find me going out again the next day because of that potential for success.

Looking for those secrets that keep you ticking! I personally, think that the will to succeed drives me

So I guess that is my secret. I always feel like I have a potential for success. That in my next step I could catch a glimpse of elk which means every mile I hiked, every step I took before that paid off. Unfortunately it is not a secret anyone else can use unless, like me, its a part of who they are. Like you identifying the will to succeed as your secret.

[Gselkhunter]

Digging deep in my 30s and 40s was simple, I was out. I didn't care if the elk were talking I would go dig them out of the timber. 11,500 was the place to be, steep beautiful country, thin air, cold creek water and fresh berries. How could it get better?
No digging deep was when the knees started to fail and arthritis took over. I would go till I couldn't go and then be pissed cause I was missing out. After the knee replacements "Couldn't Go" was replaced with was replaced with if you go how will you get back? But I go and get a half day then have to heal up for a couple days.
So when you guys have a little hard time in the hills, I will trade you legs and you can stay in camp and I will go have the time of my life because I am in elk country.

[Toby]

Good thread. Most elk hunters have a lot of "dig deep" in them, if they didn't they would golf in September we are all wired differently, some have more of it than others. Like Gs said above, age and health can and will over ride your "want to". But, that doesn't mean you have to stop, just slow down and keep going.

For those of us who don't live out West, part of the motivation is simply the novelty of being in such a beautiful place as elk country. I can't get enough of it, no matter how much it hurts or how uncomfortable it gets. But, age has made me smarter, I am more selective as to where and how fast I go places, but I still go. I know my time in the elk woods will go all too quickly.

So, I have never needed much motivation, and now as I age, my biggest motivational factor is the knowledge that this trail has an end, and I am going to take advantage of every second I have left.

[foxvalley]

Great topic bullwinkle!

Days and days of freezing cold,hunting all day,tired,fustrated,getting soooo close,no bugling etc.Almost every year there seems to come a point where I catch myself "wondering around" without really hunting,going through the motions,and thinking about heading home.
And if I give in to those thoughts,usually on the way home, I start kicking myself for leaving early! Catch 22.(I remember posting the same exact thread a while back.)
Your past the point of hunting any more, what can you do?
The best thing that I have found to do,is to take the day off.Sleep in,make a nice breakfast, catch up on laundry,dishes,camp chores,go fishing,lounge,think what you will do different on your next encounter, etc. Usually by the middle of the day, I start to feel better,guilty even, for taking the day off,but it always helps. Going into a completly different erea,also helps,everything is new,and exiteing. Try not to just give up,you will feel worse if you do,than gutsing it out.
A couple years ago my hunting partner was having issues at home, and left for ID.for our hunt,but his head was not in it.I killed an elk about 5 days into the hunt,1 down, one to go, and is usually a great motivator for the other guy,but my partner had "hit the wall" We left the next morning with a bull sreaming his head off 200 yds. above our camp,and thats how we left. He regrets that move to this day,but just goes to show how easily this can happen.

[Swede]

I plan to be gone at least three weeks this year for hunting, plus a week of scouting. I may be gone five weeks plus the scouting trip next week. Persevere? Digging deep? Only when it rains steady for days. I love the outdoors. The hunt is what I look forward to all year. Sometimes it helps to change my routine up some to keep things fresh and focused. I love my wife and call her daily. She can join me, but she does not need to think I am enduring for some noble cause. She would not buy that line. The big grin I wear is a dead giveaway.

[twinkieman]

Before I saw this thread, I really couldn't remember having thoughts about it. It is a labor of love, I love the outdoors, especially the backcountry areas elk frequent. The awesome beauty that Mother Nature has to show us. Putting the scenery aside, it is also a competition, between bull elk and all who pursue them. To call in a bull, and arrow him, on his turf is a win that has very few equals for me. I think most of us, no matter our style of hunting, calling, ambush, spot and stalk, treestands etc., all are trying to out compete our quarry. I also love to eat elk and that doesn't hurt either

[Swede]

I feel remiss for not considering a part of Bullwinkle's question. Discouragement when you are not seeing or hearing elk for days can set in. For those times, I try to change things up. It may be nothing more than moving a tree stand for me. Sometimes I come in early and spend the middle of the day out scouting around. Whether you are on the ground calling, or sitting in a tree stand, you need to have a certain faith that your efforts are going to bear fruit. regardless of how you are hunting, you need to have a reason to conclude you are not just at the mercy of luck. Luck is never reliable. Skill, knowledge, including know elk are in your area, and hard work all will pay a dividend if used with patience and perseverance.
As far as missing the wife and kids is concerned, I have no advise. I have made this observation from time in the military, and being gone for extended periods in my life. Some people are happy if they are home or away. Some people get homesick or just miss the family too much to be happy. Know yourself, and don't let anyone tell you what is fun.

[under H2O hunter]

When you spend weeks in the woods and nothing seems to be going your way you're always going to have days where you question yourself and can become depressed... I usually take a morning off and clean up and relax to get my mind back on the task at hand. This is not a problem for myself as I have the whole month to hunt. I have never traveled hundreds of miles to only have a few days to hunt so I can't speak about the mind set when you feel rushed to get it done and you don't hear or see anything. The difference between those of you who only kill an elk every few years and those of us who kill more consistently has to do with having the strong mind set to keep pushing on and battle through the depressing times and relying on your perseverance. In the end you're only battling yourself to get it done. I for one enjoy the challenge of getting up early and staying out late and pushing my body to it's limits. The pain to me is a good thing. It reminds me how alive I am and what I am capable of.

STRENGTH DOES NOT COME FROM WINNING. YOUR STRUGGLES DEVELOP YOUR STRENGTHS. WHEN YOU GO THROUGH HARDSHIPS AND DECIDE NOT TO SURRENDER, THAT IS STRENGTH.

[Heartwood]

Great idea for a post. Very interesting what makes elk hunters "tick". For me, when things get tough or i'm having doubts, i like to remind myself that the tables can turn very quickly to a posative outcome. This elkhunting certianly is both a physical and mental game and we all have some low points at times. Since i have been a part of a team of elkhunters, I find much strength and reassurance in the guys i call partners. Many of the solo hunts of the past were harder but rewarding in a different way. Overall, the teamwork is much more enjoyable and often results in more elk on the ground. The team aspect and the realization that we can rely on eachother drives me to keep going no mater what happens.

[Toby]

Having a partner makes staying pumped up easier, IF you have the right partner. I have hunted with some who are "up" all the time, I love it, we can feed off of each other. I have also had two hunts with guys who didn't really want to be there, hard to imagine they would travel all that way and spend all that money and not be in to it. I have learned to cherish good partners, like my son and son in law. I also now avoid those that I don't feel have the positive attitude.

Hunting alone for a couple weeks is another story, we only have ourselves to rely on or blame.

[8upbowhunter]

I will be 1,586 miles from home with 2 weeks to get it done and a year before I can do it again, that's enough motivation for me to keep pushing on. I will be hunting with my son this year and my goal is to put him in position for a shot so quitting early is not an option.

[Indian Summer]

This is a good thread. Part of planning would be to put some thought into how you will deal with things like that.

For me it comes down to 2 things really. I have seen a hunt go from quiet and eventless... to standing next to a dead elk in a mere half hour. So past successes fuel my fire to see a hunt through to the end. I tell myself the same thing I've told many clients.... the elk don't know or care if it is the first or last day of your hunt. Do NOT think day 1 is the best and things go downhill from there.

The other thing is that no matter what the situation is when we get back home we will all be wishing we were right back in those mountains looking for elk no matter how tough things seemed.

Of course mind you the reality is that there will always be a few who turn out to be one and done elk hunters not getting hooked on this labor of love who say thank God I'm home and I won't be going back any time soon. It happens.

[foxvalley]

After years of camping next to this stream,we found that it is full of large cuthroat trout after ID fish and game added a three day fishing license to our hunting license,which we took advantage of.What a pleasant suprise! This really helps regroup,and is a great mood changer.

cutthroat.jpg (65.16 KiB) Viewed 7428 times

[Elkduds]

Last fall I was very sick while in camp on a solo hunt. I stayed in bed (cot) for most of 24 hours, then got back out there. Filled my tag a day later, though I only felt about 70%. I guess elk can't tell if you aren't giving it your all.

[ishy]

Always just been anal about pushing on. I was the one in High School down by thirty points with a minute left still diving for a loose ball...I think everybody hated that. Now some of the best experiences have come after others have given up. My first bull, closest call in were both after others had thrown the towel with only a couple of days left in the season, and I was going solo. Never know what the next draw holds!

[Indian Summer]

Let's face it ishy... what is sweeter than success when all was supposedly lost? I've had my share of opening day kills but the last day ones are WAY better. You don't make a 4th quarter comeback on a Hail Mary pass if you went home after the 3rd quarter right! And those games are better than 1st half blowouts right?

[ishy]

Always

[Mikeha33]

If you've never killed an animal, (I've not killed an elk, but have taken a lot of others) than it is going to be a lot harder, because you don't truly realize how fast "it" can happen. A few years back I was hunting a WT here in KS that I had hundreds of trail camera pics of, but had never seen on hoof, and it was December 3, the last day before KS rifle season. I just knew that I wasn't going to see him and someone was going to punch their tag with "my" buck. You know where this is going. Last day of archery before the orange army invades in full force, last light, past post rut, not much deer movement at all, I had all but given up, and low an behold, he walked perfectly broadside at 15 yards, and I blew through him, double lung. He crumpled up 40 yards from me. The animals don't know what day it is. They don't know that it's your 1st or 21st day in the woods (if they do, well, you might be screwed then). It can happen in literally seconds. You're there for a reason. Kind of like a lightning strike. You are in a susceptible location, in the right conditions (elk season, elk country) and you can do plenty to prevent yourself from getting struck (removing yourself from the situation), but to get struck, often times totally by chance, you have to be there and willing. Like my buddies and I say, "you can't kill em from the couch!"

[8seconds]

I'm 70 and afraid to quit going or staying after them in the worst of conditions; because if I do, I'm afraid I will never get to go again. I look at things from an entirely different perspective as some of the younger and middle age set of bow hunters. I try to choose my hunt carefully analyzing the terrain for ease of walking and climbing.

I hunted the Cascades one season many years ago with my brother. A couple of years prior, he had taken this eldery man at his workplace into his confidence and the elderly man ask him if he would like to go hunt with him during deer season. The season I joined them was a specially good trip as I got to listen to loads of back woods stories one seldom heard in those days; or even today. He even maintained his northern slang which added to the story telling.

This guy grew up in Minnesota or Michigan trapping and making a meager living out of it along the way. He started young out of necessity if i remember right. He talked about trap lines; skinning the critters; and of some incidents. He was woods savvy, stocky built; someone you would not think would say what I am about to share with you.

Setting by the fire one night at camp under a makeshift shelter (separate from our 5th wheels we slept in) with snow falling and while staring into the fire, the elderly man said "I think this is my last hunt". I thought then, damn, that's a hell of a thing to say. I never forgot it.

The elderly man passed on some time ago; my brother died at 39 in 1986 of a heart attack (CPA type); my Father and Step Dad have passed. So I hunt solo 90% of the time. I carry those days around the campfire with me every year. Being deep in the woods haunt me with reflections of those days.

Enjoy the hunt while you can as the day will come when you make that same statement. I hope it is far far away for you.

[Lefty]

, the elderly man said "I think this is my last hunt". I thought then, damn, that's a hell of a thing to say. I never forgot it.

As I was reading earlier posts I thought of a similar situation two years ago. The elderly fellow had been duck hunting the property near me, for over 50 years. For years we would visit a little.
He asked if I would get his decoys for him, He told me how his grandsons and great grand sons didnt hunt . This was his last year. Nearly made me cry and Im quite sure he was.

Its all a mind-set, for each of us its different, I do what I do because for some reason I enjoys it,
I was raised "digging deep"We were the guys that give %110 ( I hate that figure of speech). Knowing most of us really dont "give it our all" , most of the time
I do something else when Im not getting what I want.

[phall]

everybody has great suggeastions and they all can work. on my first elk hunt several years ago i rode 24 hours to colorado with a "friend" we hunted 3.5 days and he wanted to leave. i was pissed and that 24 hour ride home was miserable. from that day forward i just knew i would never give up until the last minute. there is just too much anticipation, preparation, and hard work that goes into a elk hunt to give up, i always keep the faith that any second it can happen.

[foxvalley]

everybody has great suggeastions and they all can work. on my first elk hunt several years ago i rode 24 hours to colorado with a "friend" we hunted 3.5 days and he wanted to leave. i was pissed and that 24 hour ride home was miserable. from that day forward i just knew i would never give up until the last minute. there is just too much anticipation, preparation, and hard work that goes into a elk hunt to give up, i always keep the faith that any second it can happen.

Thats one of the downfalls of having a partner that's not on the same page as you.I find myself leaving much earlier than I would like,because of this,and is one of the reasons I like to hunt solo.
You have to dig deep, and hunt till the last min.take a break,yes, pack up and go home, no.

[Slow1]

What keeps me going : One of my first years doing this most exciting sport. We had gone 5-6 days no talk, very little sign we were about to give. Then …let’s try a couple more calls before we go……10 minutes later dead bull.
So what keeps me going it can all change just like that.

[one_elk]

For me it’s the fact that I would much rather be in the woods with chance to even see an elk than I would be sitting here at my desk reading about others out there chasing a dream….it no doubt gets tough and frustrating but being in woods is simply just a great place to be…best of luck to you

[razorback]

For me it's being grateful God has given me the health and the opportunity to be in his world and witness his creation. No matter the hunting good or bad, it's been my passion since I was a young kid and I've had some close calls and injuries where I thought I may not have the opportunity to do it again. Sometimes it's easy and somtimes it's just one foot in front of the other but never stop being grateful for the time given for you never know when it may come to an end!

[elk.addict]

I guess I'd probably just treat it like a backpacking trip - just keep covering ground and enjoy being in the highcountry.
I actually was in this situation once when I hunted with a buddy in Idaho. 5 days without seeing a single elk, my partner and I joked that it was just a REALLY expensive grouse hunting trip. But on the 6th day we found them and in the end both got our elk.

[Stick]

We all are eternal optimist. Its hard for me to ever be pessimistic when I am in elk country. The experience, the quietness of the dark timber, the beauty of an aspen grove, or the sound of a babbling mountain stream are each enough reason to go on. Getting me to leave is the problem

[mjblowers]

I sit behind a desk all day, every day.

ANY time I get remotely "tired" or debate leaving early... I remind myself how badly I hate sitting behind a desk all day.

That and the fact that getting the kill is about 10% of the enjoyment for me.