The Early Elk

[Swede]

Indian Summer's comment on killing an elk early in the hunt got me to thinking again. Circumstances may dictate different things for different people on different hunts: What do you do after you fill your tag and still have a few days you can hang around?
Do any of you drive off to look into a back-up area you studied on maps and on-line?
I like to scout my area some and I always need to go around and pick up my tree stands. For me it depends on what is "early" and who I am hunting with. If I kill one on my tenth day out, on a planned 35 day excursion, I may pick up my stands, go home and come back later. If there are still friends hunting, I will hang around and scout waiting to help them pack out. Mind you, no one else is crazy enough to stay out hunting in my area more than about ten days except Stringunner. I think he would stay the whole season with just very short visits home to check on the family. Totally addicted.

[Indian Summer]

One time I was on a caribou hunt and we were in the only hot camp for miles around. The outfitter kept flying hunters in and the ones who tagged out would be all happy to fly back to civilization and get back to work. When I killed my second bull the people who ran that camp were saying well I guess you'll be happy to get out of here huh? I said I'm not going anywhere. I'm going to pound out as much of this tundra as I can before I leave so I can do even better next time I come here. They liked me so they didn't mind me staying at all. They thought it was cool that I came there to enjoy more than just whacking a couple bulls. One day I came back and said I saw an airplane at a camp way out across the tundra. They said no way the nearest camp is 28 miles that way. I said yep that's the one. It was probably 8 miles away from where I glassed it. To an elk hunter the whole place seemed downhill both ways!!!

I always stay to scout if I kill early. If I've only hunted the place once or twice there is lots to learn and no better time to learn it than during open hunting season. I'll also take a leisurely ride somewhere just prospecting for new spots.

Of course.... if I have a partner who is still hunting I'm all about helping him find elk. It's amazing what you see once your tag is punched and you are unarmed.... dammit.

[welka]

Wish I was an expert on this subject! Can't say that has ever happened on elk. But, the day it does, it will be all about helping a buddy, scouting, or switch game if have the ability to get tag.

[Brendan]

For me it depends. If I have or can get another tag in the same area (Muley?) - then hunt and scout at the same time. If I could go to another nearby unit or state and get an OTC tag there with a week or more - go scout a new area while hunting there at the same time. If none of that was an option and I could go home and save a week vacation for later in the season for another shot an an Elk or Deer I might do that.

At the end of it though, if I only have a couple days, another tag isn't an option, then it'd be covering ground scouting, and maybe trying to catch some fish while I enjoyed Elk Season. I'd try to get in close, call in some bulls, keep my camera and video camera going. Hey, it's better than going back to work and thinking about next season!

[Lefty]

We my plans seem to be going through an evolution.
I f I kill an elk the first morning out Ill hunt with and for my daughter when we both can hunt . Otherwise Ill hit the same region; camp and hunt grouse ,.. Maybe in the future Ill by a 2nd Idaho tag, or run to Wyoming to kill some doe antelope, Or sand hill crane hunt, or go hang out at a neighbors elk camp .. and maybe even go fishing

[ishy]

I've only been gifted a couple first day elk. Both times family needed me home more than buddies, but I would love to just stay in the woods and call for friends, film, and just soak up September for all it's worth.

[stringunner]

Addicted? Yes perhaps. It's a battle of mine.

I like to stay and check on spots, check activity and be available to help those in camp. I usually have 4 tags, elk, deer, bear and cougar and I hunt them in that order (though I will shoot the first one that gives me a shot). Given the 4 tags I usually have no reason to head home early if I have the time to hunt. If I fill my elk and deer in the first 10 days, my desire to sit the stand dwindles fast though. I like to bring my young boys and family up at the end of the season to help me collect stands and teach them a bit during season. Three years ago the last weekend, I had my family up and went in to stand at dark that my dad was sitting in to help him remove the stand at the end of the evening. Approaching the stand, I told my boys I was going to bugle to play a joke on Poppy. We were all surprised when a bull bugled back. We played with the bull for almost a half an hour as every time I bugled he answered back. It is one of my favorite memories watching the excitement in my boys as they heard and experienced elk bugle action for the first time.

I will say, swedes endurance through the season is astounding. It encourages me to endure aswell with as much time as I have.