During an elk hunt....

[Tigger]

In response to Rory's request for new topics, this one popped into my pea brain.

During an elk hunt, what do you do to enjoy your time that doesn't necessarily have anything to do with elk hunting. Do you have a campfire? Do you take an afternoon nap? Do you search for arrowheads (note: finding an arrowhead is on my bucket list!). Maybe a drink at night? Take pictures? I bet there are some good ideas to make our awesome adventures even better.

[saddlesore]

That afternoon nap is high on the list.We usually don't hunt late afternoons ,so I enjoy Dutch oven cooking. We may saddle up and take a ride just to see new country. Sometimes go visiting other camps. Sometimes break out a big bag of peanuts, sit there an shell them while telling stories about past hunts

[DBLGBL]

We eat our big meal of the day at midday. We are an older group 48-65 so most every one takes an afternoon nap. it's amazing how important that nap becomes as the hunt wears on Head back in around 3 for the evening hunt. 3 of our 4 kills last year were evening hunts. Evenings drinks consist of a beer on the way back to camp. Eat, Sleep, Hunt, Repeat.

2GBL

[Lefty]

An afternoon nap when I'm tired.
While I often call it glassing. I do sit down in some location and glass. Not just for elk just looking at "stuff". While living in northern Utah I spent way too much of my mid-day big game hunt breaks, glassing waterfowlers out on the Bear River marsh from my location at 9,000 feet.

I generally don't hunt on Sundays. Sometimes Ill drive to a nearby town to attend church. (Labor day Sunday) or if too remote Ill find a good lookout to read, rest and glass.

[Swede]

I really don't do much else when hunting. I may scout some area then take a sponge bath. I get a kick out of harassing Stringunner, but he stays out mostly to avoid the abuse.

[stringunner]

I try and stay out all day so as to not disturb Swede during his mid day nap, he says he needs his beauty sleep but I just think he is old! He can still pack meat all through the hours of the night though, I witnessed this last year, so he can't be too old.

I like coming back to camp at night and listen to him tell me how he was at one stand while the bull was wallowing at another. Or last year his cousin shared how he seen a topless hippy chick walking through the forest. With these guys in camp there is never a shortage of stories to listen to in the evenings.

During the season, I primarily just hunt. All the scouting trips during the summer is where me and my sons really have fun, riding the quad, playing in the creek, checking out caves, having fires, and such

[saddlesore]

We eat our big meal of the day at midday. We are an older group 48-65 so most every one takes an afternoon nap. it's amazing how important that nap becomes as the hunt wears on Head back in around 3 for the evening hunt. 3 of our 4 kills last year were evening hunts. Evenings drinks consist of a beer on the way back to camp. Eat, Sleep, Hunt, Repeat.

2GBL

At 73,I guess I am in the ancient group. When you are young,naps are a punishment.When you get to my age, they are a vacation.

The reason I don' t hunt in the evening is two fold. 1. I am up at 3 AM, feeding stock getting breakfast, saddling up and then riding 3-4 miles to the hunt areas and then walking a mile or so to the spot I hunt.Usually I get there about 15 minutes before first light. So hitting the sack at 10-11PM would happen when getting back to camp at dark and hitting the sack at 10-11 PM. I can't live on 4 hours of sleep every night.By the 4th day,I would be done.

2. I have killed too many elk in the past where I was pr0cessing them in the dark with a flashlight, and the prospect of not finding a downed elk is too great. I will not leave one in the field overnight not having it gutted/skinned and quartered.
So those late afternoons are taken up by just enjoying being out there.I can't think of a more enjoyable time than stretching out in the shade if it is hot or a sunny meadow when it is colder and taking a good nap.

[Swede]

I remember my cousin would just not shut up about the naked gal he saw. I think it made his trip more than the 6 point bull he shot, and he had to share the story of the lady with his wife. I doubt he said much about the bull to his wife. At least she never mentioned about that to me.

[Fridaythe13th]

Good food, couple of drinks and a campfire. Is my vacation time

[WapitiTalk1]

Ahh, the mid day/early afternoon naps on the mountainside.... priceless! Like Fridaythe13th, my elk hunting time is also my main vacation time so I do stop to smell the flowers on occasion during the trip. Camp maintenance during downtime/non hunting time (a clean camp is a happy camp), perhaps throw a few arrows at the target, drive the RZR to a water point and fill up some containers for camp showers a time or two each week, maybe wash a clothing item or two in the creek and hang em on a line, and yep... a few evening beverages (a few) in the war room tent, going over the day's hunts, planning tomorrow's, doing some map work, is always on the agenda. Seems that at least once or twice during my trip, I'll saddle up the RZR and drag somebody from camp to a distant spot to try an evening hunt; sometimes its a spot I've hunted before but sometimes a new spot that looks promising from some map work.

[saddlesore]

I remember my cousin would just not shut up about the naked gal he saw. I think it made his trip more than the 6 point bull he shot, and he had to share the story of the lady with his wife. I doubt he said much about the bull to his wife. At least she never mentioned about that to me.

I remember coming around a bend on a two track in the trick to a hunt area and a gal was squatted down beside a tree. I guess she figured that no one could see her from the other directions. As we passed,we waved and she just buried her face in her hands.Another time while my wife was a at dude ranch doing a photo seminar, I went out riding with one of the staff. We came around dense patch of trees and there was a naked couple there on a blanket really going at it. They were so caught up in it that they never even realized we were there. We backed out and didn't disturb them.

[Scorpyd shooter]

I would tell her about the bull, and nothing else!! lol

[Tigger]

Sounds like a nap and a drink are the most common ideas followed by watching naked people. I would have guessed the first 2, but not the 3rd!

I tell my firearm safety students to make sure they have fun and enjoy their time afield by observing nature (yes, naked people qualify under this I guess!). That is one thing I want to do a little better job of. We do stop to look at a weird tree or unusual rock, but are pretty serious hunters.

[Indian Summer]

"I usually drink Jim Beam mid day. Then I practice shooting under the influence to simulate actual field conditions. If I drink too much I'll end up taking a nap by accident. if I wake up too late I'll go out with the rifle at night and try to shoot something using the spotlight while having a few beers. If that doesn't pan out we go back to camp and drink some more and gamble until the sun comes up and do it all over again. I never shower. Wear the same clothes every day. Sometimes we rustle cattle for camp meat. If we get busted we run off and look for road kill that isn't too old."

WapitiTalk 1 sent me that in a private message but I thought I'd share it.

[Swede]

WapitiTalk 1 sent me that in a private message but I thought I'd share it.

Wow! That is the outfit I signed on with for the coming season.
Remember to visit your Christian brethren in prison Mitch. I will expect to see you when I am in jail. Please bring me a hamburger. Make sure there is a file between the meat and bun too. I hear prison road kill cuisine is not all its bragged up to be.

[WapitiTalk1]

WapitiTalk 1 sent me that in a private message but I thought I'd share it.

Wow! That is the outfit I signed on with for the coming season.
Remember to visit your Christian brethren in prison Mitch. I will expect to see you when I am in jail. Please bring me a hamburger. Make sure there is a file between the meat and bun too. I hear prison road kill cuisine is not all its bragged up to be.

I take an evening off, spend some time with Mrs. Wapititalk, play with the pups, grill some butcher shop premium Canadian dogs, play with my new bow a bit, place my trust in my chosen MODs, and this is what happens? For the record, I have NEVER rustled cattle, the rest of it sounds vaguely familiar though . Don't worry Swede, you won't be singing Merle Haggard prison songs after September.

[Swede]

That is comforting RJ, but is it true the Idaho game wardens have run in packs like wolves ever since Claude Dallas? Will they give you something to drink that induces vomiting if they even suspect you may have eaten a poached grouse? A single feather found within 200 yards of camp is considered reasonable suspicion. Is it true that if they don't get you to vomit initially they just gut you, remove the substance from your stomach and sew you back with a shoe lace? Are you sure they sew you back together? You have been hunting there long enough to know all about the routine. Remember I am depending on you buddy.

[Tigger]

There for a minute, I had Rory on this high pedestal, the Pure American Hunter, above all reproach. Man, how the mighty have fallen! One point of clarification, did you mean to say you have NEVER rustled cattle or NEVER GOT CAUGHT rustling cattle?

Back to the regularly scheduled programming.....has anyone ever found an arrowhead while hunting? I always look at stream crossings and obvious perches where you can see a long ways.

[CurlyTail]

I like to bring a book to read midday or when sitting a saddle or trail. I get bored easy, and a book really helps. I recommend the CJ Boxx Joe Pickett series for Elk hunting diversions

I also like to fly fish if a river is close

Driving to town for breakfast at a restaurant is another favorite diversion if a rest day is required

[TimeOnTarget]

I only get to elk hunt a handful of days each year so I hunt pretty hard. I like to glass a lot so I might enjoy a cherrios bar and a protein bar while glassing. But I primarily just focus on hunting. I don't need anymore enjoyment than that.

[BrentLaBere]

I used to hunt hard all day and I think I messed up more hunting areas than I care to admit. It was a hard adjustment to sit back and play it smart while the winds swirled. I have had 3 good encounters during mid day. 1 small raghorn I shot, 3 spikes I passed on and one nice 6 point. But with those 3 opportunities I would imagine I have spooked and ruined many more that I could of had. We have just sat back and had a good mnt house meal under a tree while glassing. Sometimes a fire to dry out clothing that is wet or when its really cold. Unless there is a really good opportunity I play it safe and relax. I struggle with it though, the days seem really long. This is the norm for early archery, begging of September.
November rifle hunting I will either glass miday, relocate or still hunt with fresh snow. Conditions will dictate how I spend my day.

[Scorpyd shooter]

does camp fire make it easier for elk to smell you when you hunt?

[Swede]

does camp fire make it easier for elk to smell you when you hunt?

I don't think so, but it doesn't help either. I know of hunters getting smoked up around a campfire as a cover scent. (I don't think that is what Brent was describing.) I won't do it, as the smell is not useful or particularly pleasing.

[Beendare]

I guess all of it is a weak answer, eh?


Figuring them out is a big one.

Sure midday naps, jump in a creek for a bath, hearing a bugle...just about any time...but in the dark just before first light is a winner.

[Deafirishman]

Hunt hard all morning, lunch, miday nap, hunt some more, back to camp, eat like kings at dinner, and then sitting around the campfire sipping a cocktail or two while telling the stories of the day. Don't get much better than that ....

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

[Clip-Shot]

I'm fortunate to live close to where I hunt, but somehow things seem to change every year.
During years when forest fire smoke has choked our valley, I've noticed how this common smell becomes far less detected even after the valley clears up.

[wawhitey]

Love afternoon naps. Something about being in the woods on a fair weather day just puts me to sleep. Ive been woken up by a bear that i killed, then 2 months later i was woken up by a 5x4 whitetail buck that i killed. Maybe napping is good luck for me. Aside from that, and a couple night caps, i enjoy feeding the timber tigers. While hunting the same spot for several days, i sometimes amass a herd of loyal little followers by feeding them chunks of granola bars.