Converts: to archer elk. Whats your story??????

[Lefty]

Or how have you"evolved" to an elk archer?

I fished bass hardcore as a kid, rode my bike to squrril hunt, trapped muskrats and red fox, and rifle deer hunted with my dad. My HS friends were crappie fisherman, and more ice fishing.I became more of a beaver, fox and mink trapper in college( 11 years for s BS ) always hunted ducks when I wasn't trapping.

My wife was a mule deer hunter but moving to Washington and having kids water fowling fit my family schedule, Same in Utah. Great duck hunting just minutes from the house, trophy deer hunting still less than 20 minutes on an ATV.
My kids were raised duck hunting 2-3 evenings after school I could take them while mom was still at work
In Idaho I went goose crazy because I lived near a couple great fields, i went from one goose hunting challenge to another. My daughters could show up late to hunt with dad or early season I could be back home before they were out of bed.
At 13(1970) I had a neighbor who was an trophy archer. I started shooting, lost interest when I was trapping, then my shoulder went bad.Recent archery started with a buddy of mine wanted me to shoot. My shoulder was a concern. But a compound I could manage the shoulder pain. It didnt help that on my 2rd hunt I heard my first bugle My next hunt I missed up on a 6x6 at 12 yards I saw elk 4 times on 7 outings
whats your story

[under H2O hunter]

Born and raised in Colorado I started hunting elk with my father when I was 8 years old. I couldn't get a tag until I was 14. I spent those 6 years fallowing my dad around while he rifled. muzzle loaded, and bow hunted. I learned how to track, pattern, and process elk. By the time I turned 14 and was able to carry my own gun I was very proficient in elk country. I am proud to say that I have only missed 2 elk seasons out of 30 and I can't remember the last time I was not successful. I think there is only been 4 or 5 years where no one in our group took an elk. I have never hunted anything beside public ground DIY. I started off as a late season cow hunter and if I didn't draw a cow tag I was able to purchase a bull tag. As the ground we hunted seem to change because of a high fence ranch. I found new ground and started to bow hunt. I also started to expand my season by hunting Wyoming on occasion. When Colorado started allowing additional "B" tags I started to hunt multiple seasons to gain more knowledge about the great Wapiti. I can truly say that I am an Elkoholic and there is not another game animal I would rather chase then elk. I have hunted Deer, Antelope, Bear, Upland game birds, and Migratory birds. But nothing compares to the feeling of being in Elk country for me personally.

[zpd307]

i started archery deer hunting just out of high school, bought my first bow in 94, and immediately fell in love with it when i shot my first buck. archery elk was just a natural progression. that and the lack of other hunters, compared to rifle season, the otc availabilty, the rut, and the weather all come into play... and watching that bull this sept at 20 yards raking and wallowing forever could never be duplicated with a rifle!

[Ghost]

I was shooting a recurve pretty much as soon as I could hold a bow, some where there are pics of me and my brothers ages 4,6 and 8 all shooting bows. From there after a stint in the USAF I got serious about this bow hunting stuff and actually started killing deer with an old bear compound. Normally shoot 3-4 deer a year with a bow, have yet to take an elk yet but Ive been close a couple of times, I just keep plugging along, slowly but surely it will all come together.

[dreamhunter]

Grew up in WV and ND. The only hunting I did as a young child was with my uncle when he came home on leave from the Air Force,We went squirrel and ground hog hunting. I basically just went along. He also introduced me to fishing. Later on I went to live with my Aunt and Uncle in North Dakota. There he took me deer hunting and waterfowl hunting and more fishing. Thats where I got the bug to hunt and fish the most so that when I would end up on my own I still had the desire to do both.Then I moved to Kansas and still live here. I had to put what i learned in ND in practice here. All I ever did was rifle hunt. I have always liked archery and shot whenever I could. I eventually bought my first compound bow here and took my first buck with it the first year.After that I found myself doing more bow hunting and less rifle until it got to where I hardly ever hunt with a rifle any more,it's been at least 6-8 yrs. Then I learned a lil about elk hunting and went on my first elk hunt and was hooked. I like it so much that I haven't even purchased a Ks hunting license for the last two yrs. I think my passion for hunting has turned to elk.I will still do some other hunting but probably not until after I kill my first elk. The fall of 2015 will be my 6th or 7th year. I just love being out in the high country in the elk woods. Just something magical about it to me.Sorry for the long winded story but it's mine and I'm stickin too it.

[WapitiTalk1]

My reason is simple, it's the hunting weapon allowed during the elk rut I grew up in NW Montana and could hunt on one tag for elk with both rifle and a bow, but early on in my hunting life, I realized that the allowed weapon during the September rut was stick and string. As long as that general rule rings true in my current state (WA) and more importantly in states that provide a decent elk season (ID, MT), I'm a bow guy. Besides that, it's crazy out there in rifle season

[Huntrgathr]

I grew up watching my family rifle hunt but the experience that turned me into a bow hunter was the summer I spent on LaSalle Mountain with my uncle, who was a very accomplished bowhunter. He had big Muley bucks, goats, lions - even a Buffalo that he had arrowed in the Henry's , all hanging in his house. I was always used to hunting morning and evening only with my dad and grandpa but I'll never forget that one day in the LaSalles when after lunch , my uncle took us out to still hunt bucks on their beds. I remember thinking that we would never see deer like that but after only five or ten minute of creeping through the aspens we spotted a small buck bedded behind a log. Over the course of an hour my cousin and I took turns stalking, shooting at , and missing that buck until finally my cousin was able to seal the deal. I can still play the entire experience in my head like watching a movie to this day...

I killed a forky that year and then hunted for a couple more years with the bow as a teenager but never punched another tag. After high school I moved out of state and lived all over the west for about 9 years, not really doing much hunting. When I came back home to Idaho I picked up the trusty ought-six and killed a bunch of bucks and bulls without too much trouble but something was missing. With a rifle in fairly open country, I felt like all I had to do was see an animal and it was pretty much dead. I still hunted and stalked , killing almost every animal inside of a hundred yards with a fixed 4x scope. My main discouragement was the number and type of hunters I ran into in the woods. I witnessed more than one altercation in the mountains between hunters. Had guns pointed at me several times as I crept through the dark timber, and just felt like rifle season was about outsmarting other hunters more than outsmarting game...

I went back to bow hunting in '09 and haven't had any desire to pick up my rifle since- other than when going for predators like lion and coyotes. I hunt both the elk and mule deer rut every year and I wouldn't change it for the world. I have more close encounters and memorable experiences in one day of bow hunting than I used to have in a whole season of rifle hunting. I'm a born again bow hunter and will likely never go back.

[twinkieman]

I started archery hunting in1975,after 3 years of rifle only... Being closer to the animals was addicting , in the mid 80's, I started calling to game, Turkeys, whitetails, coyotes etc. Financially Iimited, until my kids were out of school, I started pursuing elk 10 years ago, archery seasons match the time to call to the elk, while Id hunt them with any weapon, a bow is the preferred way to hunt.

[Fridaythe13th]

The full circle of life for me. Dad took us fishing when we were young, because of his job there wasn't enough time for hunting, except deer (the funny part of that is I'm in the same field now:cry: ) But being the youngest of three the brothers they took me hunting stated with pheasant, I was the dog. When I got my firearms safety they would take me squirrel and pheasant hunting. But it wasn't until 9th grade when I was aloud to go deer hunting, dad very good rule. That's when the addiction grew to talking to turkeys and bow hunting deer. Very happy deer hunting with the family, sitting in the tree stand archery, and calling in turkeys. BUT the west was calling in 1999 I talked the brother into some speed goats in Montana what a blast, brought home 4. From there it had to be bigger and better the mountain were calling and what better than elk. In 2003 I found 5 other friend to go to Colorado. We did manage to get 1 how I don't know.

But that is were the full circle comes into play. We got back and told dad he was coming with, but of course he had to work. so no go. I did manage to grab his license and get him to apply for turkey, we drew he got his bird 1st day and he loved it. After he retired I asked him again do you want to go elk hunting. I had a meadow 1 mile away from the truck he could take his time to get there and walk around if he wanted. To my surprise he said sure. I haven't taken my kids hunting yet, but I think I know what it feels like when they do get to go with me. Because a elk trotted across that meadow not more the 10 min after we got there, watching it fall within eye sight. The high fives and pat on the back the smiles ear to ear ya can't beat it. The best part is he wanted to go back for more.
I don't know what it is about the mountain but I can't get enough of them.
So why elk archery? My job, no time in October or November and I have to be in the mountains.

[Ridge Ghost]

My experience is probably different than most. I didn't grow up hunting, and I was thrown off into the deep-end for my first exposure to the sport. I was invited to tag along on an archery elk hunt, backpacking in for 10 days. It was such a cool experience, being miles from a road and watching rutting bulls run in, screaming their heads off. I was hooked from day one.

This being my initial exposure, archery elk IS hunting to me. Sure, I get out in gun season for deer, elk, antelope and bear to fill tags and stay in the woods, but it isn't what I dream about year-round. And having started out backpack hunting, I don't get as much satisfaction with camping at the truck or day hunting. I still do both at times, but it always feels like something's missing if I'm not packed in with camp a few miles back.

[easeup]

hunted with a rifle all my life for elk until one day at the age of 48, the boss at the office said you can not take off this year in October to hunt. You just have to be at work. Really?

So thinking at that time I could never get another job if I went hunting anyway and got fired, I got to thinking about hunting with a bow in September, just because I was already an elkoholic. That was the ticket to starting a new life as a hunter. I bought an old bow off eBay in late June to try it out so to speak and unbelievably took a nice bull with it in September the same year. It was easy to say I was hooked. Ever since it is bow hunting for elk top of the list.

[six]

Been bow hunting since I was 8 years old. I can remember my mom and grandpa driving the old pickup back through the hayfield with the spot light looking for me. My mom asked me what I thought I was doing out so late. My reply "but mom I was just chasing deer". She still brings that up in deer season now that my boy is 10 and "chasing deer". I finally killed a spike buck when I was 17 and have been addicted ever since.

When I was 14 I went elk hunting in Colorado with my mom and stepdad. I didn't actually hunt, but I caught lots of trout and helped pack out some elk meat. I will never forget fresh elk tenderloin over the campfire that night.

In 2002 I went back to Colorado with my boss and rekindled my elk addiction. 2nd season rifle was a bit much for me to take. We call it orange army in Michigan. The trail heads and well roads were full of orange. 2004 through 2011 found me archery hunting elk again.

Due to my son starting football I'm back hunting with the meatstick. I leave after the last game for the year (they haven't made the playoffs yet). I sure miss those bugling bulls of September.

[WapitiTalk1]

My experience is probably different than most. I didn't grow up hunting, and I was thrown off into the deep-end for my first exposure to the sport. I was invited to tag along on an archery elk hunt, backpacking in for 10 days. It was such a cool experience, being miles from a road and watching rutting bulls run in, screaming their heads off. I was hooked from day one.

This being my initial exposure, archery elk IS hunting to me. Sure, I get out in gun season for deer, elk, antelope and bear to fill tags and stay in the woods, but it isn't what I dream about year-round. And having started out backpack hunting, I don't get as much satisfaction with camping at the truck or day hunting. I still do both at times, but it always feels like something's missing if I'm not packed in with camp a few miles back.

Nicely put sir........

[Trophyhill]

I stumbled onto it actually. Although I was always curious about bowhunting, I was quite good with my 7 mag and Only hunted mule deer and small game with a shotgun and then it happened. In 2007 about 30 minutes after sun up I snuffed out another mulie with my 7. 300 yard running 1 shot kill. My 5th running 1 shot kill in a row. I remember walking up the ridge with my buddy and telling him this was getting too easy.

So we get to the deer about 10 yards below the ridge and ww3 broke out from the other side and bullets rickochetting off the ridge above us. Did I mention that before I killed this deer it was like a sea of orange vests combing the hillsides in my "secret spot"? My hunting buddies and I have nicknames for certain spots and we had nicknamed a group of hills trophyhills because we were always seeing big bucks in this area. This is where I stole my screen name from on ArcheryTalk a few years ago and it kinda stuck with me

Anyhow with bullets whizzing past us a few yards above as we were field dressing that buck, I looked up at my buddy and said "I'm a Bowhunter next year. This chits getting dangerous"!

FF to 2008, I applied for an archery deer tag and an archery elk tag. I drew them both! Didn't kill an elk that year but have plenty of missed opportunity stories and been hooked ever since! And at my age a real sense of urgency to learn this craft as quickly as I can. What a ride it's been so far!

[Rangerz]

Never hunted big game while growing up out west ( ID and CA). My Dad trained labs so I was a bird hunter growing up. Dad always said that Big Game hunting was fun until you pulled the trigger .

When I moved to VA for work, started deer hunting and bow hunting at the same time. Moved back out west in 2009 and started to try and figure out the various tag drawing systems ( what a nightmare). Living in NV even residents have to go into the draw system.

Buddy and I decided to start getting back into archery in order to make it easier to get tags and to do some over the counter hunts in other states. Probably going to try and go back to ID this year for over the counter Elk.

Another part of the decision is how much fun elk hunting is in the rut.

[wawhitey]

As long as that general rule rings true in my current state (WA) and more importantly in states that provide a decent elk season (ID, MT), I'm a bow guy. Besides that, it's crazy out there in rifle season

phantom it sounds like our bow season is going to be a bit better this year. 12-24th i believe. Im already scheduled for 12-25th off work anticipating the change.

[WapitiTalk1]

As long as that general rule rings true in my current state (WA) and more importantly in states that provide a decent elk season (ID, MT), I'm a bow guy. Besides that, it's crazy out there in rifle season

phantom it sounds like our bow season is going to be a bit better this year. 12-24th i believe. Im already scheduled for 12-25th off work anticipating the change.

I've heard the same thing, but not officially. Finally, some positive changes for the WA archery elk season dates. It's about dang time!!

[chipick]

I had been rifle hunting for years with no luck, my buddy scott had converted to archery hunting a few years prior, and had got a few deer and lost one bull. One year a mutual friend of ours, Ian had asked if I wanted to join them on a week long trip on the coast, 2 months till season, he said if I got a bow and a tag they would call them in and I would just have to draw down on them. Peace of cake he told me, so I bought a bow. PSE stinger and 6 arrows, and broadheads.

I get to the camp site and I'm the only one there for 3+ hour still Scott showed up around 10pm with the wall tent and kitchen supplys, we get up in the morning around 7am made breakfast and headed out around 8am, we get to the top of the first hill on the road and my buddy let out a bugle on the otherside in the draw and right in the middle of it we get a bull screaming back at us in the bottom of the draw. We head down and get to the bottom and come up to a small lush grassy spot, we pop out around this stump and see two cows feeding on some leaf's. So instead of bolth of us filling a cow tag we wanted some antlers so Scott says "I'll bugle he will get pissed that we are so close to the cows and he'll come running in and you can stick him" sounds good to me, well the bull didn't know ower plan so he went up the other side and a way never to be seen,and the cows ran off. Lesson 1 learned never pass a sure shot if you are hunting for meat.
We followed that heard up the other side and through the brush into the timber when I came out of the brush there is this 4x? behind a for tree 16yards out I can see one antler and his hinde quarter, I waited for a minute and then it happened. He ran off and doubled back and stopped broadside 25 yards out with the only clear spot on the vitals, I stick him about 3in down from the top of the fold from the front quarter, I'm thinking perfect, heart shot many some lung. I wanted a few minutes maybe then was too excited and went looking for my arrow, found it broke about ten feet from where I stuck him at with a dinner plate spot of blood, and more every 3 feet. Cloud 9 baby flagging blood, then bam he came trotting out from behind a stump. Stop sit and wait dummy you'll chase him for miles. I call Scott over and he didn't know I shot all he saw was the bull run off, I showed him where I stuck him and the blood and he was convinced it was dead, time to wait he said, time now is 8:45 am. I found that bull 3 days later in that heard. Lessons 2 and 3 learned 2 Waite for then to die 3 go in knocked and ready. The rest of the season was full of encounters with no success but great times in the woods and great exercise. I am hooked now and scott and i are great partners, ian is a great guy but flakey at times I saw him 2 times that whole trip and he had some other guy he invited also hunting with him. all in all don't know why I have waited this long.

[elkaholic]

Growing up I had both a longbow and a rifle in my hands. I started elk hunting with a rifle as soon as I was old enough. I was fortunate enough to harvest some good bulls but I always liked being in close to the elk. I so wanted to hunt them in the rut. It wasn't until I got in college that I went off the deep end and got addicted to bowhunting. First animal I took was an antelope, then a mule deer. After that I wanted to try elk. My first season was a TON of trial and error but the few close calls that I had got me hooked.

[Wyo67]

Grew up hunting deer, turkey, frogs, squirrels you name it in central Missouri. Spent 21 years in the Navy poking holes under the water and didn't get to hunt much. Moved to Wyoming after the service and my buddy took me on my first archery elk hunt. Called in a bull to within 3 yards... Been out there every year since to get that adrenaline rush!

[pointysticks]

2007 I was a total newb. my brother and i put in for a Unit 36 NM elk tag. boom, we drew tags!! rifle tags. rookie tags.

not knowing anything, we looked at maps and asked some game biologist. we pointed to some secrets spot that everyone thinks is trespassing and the bioligist grinned. he said, "you get there, you will see elk"

we got there!! opening morning, first freaking light..first bugle...SCREAM!! a big 5x5 challenged me and started trotting to me. first bullet. i actually had to shoot him at 150 yards for fear of him getting to close. it toppled. we got him off the mountain. being newbs we took all the meat and almost died from the load. we had two non hunters with us to help.

next morning..popped some pain killers. hit the same spot. without even reaching it. we see a harem with a bull. there was a satilite bull just screaming away. we let out the worst sounding bugle..and cow called the rest. hoochie mamas.

the sat bull. 5x6 came running. second day, second bullet..my brother drops it.

so here is the stupid part. it was so easy, that year we both vowed..next elk would be archery. we got home, hit the bow shop and decided on matching mathews switchback XT's. next year was gonna be more challenging. hahahahh..

never drew another tag again. i think we used up TOO MUCH luck on our first outing. but the vow stuck. i dont even have a rifle with me...i only bowhunt everything. been a good move. difficult, but taking an animal is that much sweeter.

[mrganser]

I had been a die hard rifle elk hunter since I was in high school. Through my hunting career I had taken several cows and a few small bulls.
My oldest daughter got into archery via 4H. The leaders of her group told me it was a matter of time before I picked up a bow. It turned out 7 months was that matter of time when I bought my first bow and only two weeks after I bought her a bow.
The next spring I was introduced to my new bow hunting partner at a sage rat hunt.
That first elk season was great! 2 missed Rocky Mtn bulls on either end of the season and 2 opportunities at Roosevelt's in the middle.
I haven't looked back and every year I find some aspect of my hunting to improve on.

[pointysticks]

^^^ some great stories above!!

interesting fact. i'm still learning to be a good bowhunter. i'm lacking patience, but working on it.

but interesting enough..i would be a great rifle hunter now!! i see animals all the time now. so i know i am a better hunter than when i carried a rifle. even Couse deer, i am 100% at finding them. with a rifle, i would have scored many times.

i think bowhunting has improved my game finding skills immensely.

[Trophyhill]

When I hunted deer with a rifle, if I could see them I could kill them! Now with a bow when I see them I have to figure out how to hunt them