#1 lesson learned from last years hunt

[Mike_Parson]

I was just wondering what the #1 lesson you learned from your elk hunt last year.

Mine is defiantly watch the thermals and understand them. I had a great last day of the hunt getting within 100 yards of 3 separate herd bulls while stalking in the morning but after being busted and getting frustrated all 3 times i took to sitting a water hole the rest of the day and went home without any elk. Its only recently in my sitting and recalling that days events that i realized that the thermals had switched on me and i had not realized it. If i had realized this fact, i would have changed tactics and hunted from a totally different direction than the one i had used 3 times unsuccessfully.

so, what did you learn this last year that you can share so other new guys like me can learn from before our next season starts?

[CurlyTail]

#1 - Always carry an extra release with you on every hunt

#2 - The "Advertising" sequence really works, give it a try if the Bulls are not vocal but you are in a prime location

#3 - Things happen fast in the Elk woods, nothing like at the range, and don't hesitate to draw your bow if a shot opportunity is close.

#4 - Don't get discouraged, and don't give up. We scored on the last hour of the last day. Could have easily checked out mentally much sooner.

#5 - Carry extra sights for your muzzleloader. My rear sight fell off mid week, and cost me a shot opportunity.

[Swede]

Regardless of the planning and careful setup, a storm front can mess you up in a stand. I am sure I knew it, but I had to experience it to really lock on to the effect. You can't get high enough to avoid the turbulent cold down drafts.

[Lefty]

A two person set up has lots of advantages, like getting closer to elk.

[WapitiTalk1]

I learned (yet again) to really familiarize myself with an area. It seems that there was an overgrown skid road (still passable), not shown on most maps but visible via SAT image, within a few hundred yards at the most from where my elk fell last year. Sure would have made the pack out easier (although farther, a contouring pack out on a skid road would have beat a straight up the mountain pack).

[Ponyboy_jonas]

Bring extra game bags and duct tape.

[njdoxie]

Always be ready....... last year 2nd rifle CO, I almost missed my opportunity because on the way to my honeyhole, I got very careless from never seeing any elk in that locale....never made it to my honeyhole that day, killed a raghorn on the way......went to check out my honeyhole couple days later and there's a cow and a spindly 6 pt standing in the middle of the park at 2:30 in the afternoon, made my day seeing that, my honeyhole is still hot

[oldnovice]

Be prepared to go higher! Well, if it is as hot and dry as last year, anyhow. We hunted Unit 14 up to 10,000ft and never saw an elk. Saw a FEW tracks at that elevation when it finally snowed, Most guys were getting theirs at 11K and up. We were hunting the north sides of ridges in heavier cover looking for shade.

The other thing to do if at all possible, is to get deer tags as well for the area you want to hunt. We saw a lot of mule deer down low and could have filled tags several times over.

[jmez]

The elk water equation is way over rated. Yes they are big and yes they need to drink but they don't just get up and make B lines to the watering hole.

It was hot in MT the second week of the season last year. 80's-90's most of the week, miserable hunting conditions. Most of our area is fairly open and there isn't a lot of water. The only water available is in the bottoms, either a creek or stock tanks. We watched groups of elk every single day from sun up to sun down never get anywhere near the watering holes. Multiple groups we would watch bed, they stayed bedded in the same spot all day, then get up in the evening and go up the mountain onto the tops and start grazing, away from the water.

With the weather I figured water would be a good bet, it wasn't.

[justinspicher]

Don't use the same tactics in the same area and expect different results. If they aren't there, leave. We work to hard for a couple weeks to hunt and blow it by being lazy or ignorant.

Go deep early and don't come out until you absolutely have to.

[mongopino915]

Have lots of different areas to hunt. One day, they're there and the next they're gone. One day, there is no elk or elk sign there but 2 days later is whole different story.

[Elkduds]

New snow is a treasure map. Opening morning in 2" of new snow last fall, I tracked elk until deciding to pass on shooting, found some new escape routes into the steep nasty, and saw where 2 good herds had spent the night.

[welka]

Practice holding your bow for over 2 minutes! Was over two waiting for a bull to pass some brush and shoulder flinched. Bull saw it and flinched also. Got lucky and stopped him for the shot, but could have lost him easily.