Question??? Style

[Elkhunttoo]

I was thinking about Swede making his out of state trip with RJ this year and I'm wondering...

If you go hunting with someone else in there area do you adapt and only use there hunting style? Still use your own? Or is it a mix?

[Swede]

I do not really want to hijack this thread, but what are the chances Swede will behave like a person being on probation should? What is the likelihood Swede will be "ahem", Swede?

[Roosiebull]

I think it depends. when hunting with others, everyone should have each others back, you want your crew to succeed, not just yourself.

with that being said, elk hunting is all improvise, every one I have killed has been different. there are default tactics that I fall back on for common situations, but as the situations unfold, it's a constant adaptation to be at the point of packing elk.

the more tools I have at my disposal, the better chance I have of making a situation work out.

from what I have gathered, Swede likes to hunt out of stands, a super effective approach, but i'm sure there are a ton of things he has to adapt to year to year, and during the season....guys who don't do well if bulls aren't responding to calls have to adapt as well....any group of people worth hunting with will have an open mind, and be thankful to have someone in the group with a new and different set of tools....just more ways to kill a bull when the normal approach isn't panning out.

I like sneaking up on them and killing them, but I sure don't pass up an opportunity to call one in when that seems to be the clearest path to killing that bull, I may add treestand hunting into my tools, because some situations, I think it's a great way to kill a good bull.

there isn't a way to hunt elk that isn't fun. I love it all, i'm a happy camper when I have an elk tag in my pocket, and a bow in my hand.

[Lefty]

When I am the guest ,. I hunt how I am told

When you are the guest it depends,.. but generally "My way"

[Swede]

When you are the guest it depends,.. but generally "My way"

Just curious, do you get a lot of people want to hunt with you?

[Roosiebull]

When you are the guest it depends,.. but generally "My way"

Just curious, do you get a lot of people want to hunt with you?

i'm sure you feel the same way to some extent? if someone is hunting with you, in your haunts, you know the area, and have set your stands in places that make sense to you....a lot of work goes into choosing a stand location I would guess....it would be tough to sit in a tree unless you were confident in your setup.

if someone comes out with you, it wouldn't be cool if your partner started trying to run and gun, disrupting the elk movements you rely on.

maybe i'm off base, I don't know much about stand hunting, but it seems like a good example where differing styles wouldn't work well for at least one of the guys.

[Swede]

I am not sure what Lefty meant. I took it as a little heavy on the control side, but not sure. RJ and I have a little prenuptial agreement, but it is easy enough. Everything of coarse in any relation comes down to common sense and respect. I am not going to take over or control his hunt. If someone wants to go north, I will go south. If they want to run and gun, I may go to my stand. They will know where I am. If for some reason I have to change my plan, they will get a note or call or ??? If I am cooking, you can eat what I fix or go get your own. I am easy. If you are cooking it is the same.

[Roosiebull]

being easy is always the best way.....more fun too.

one of my buddies is the controlling type....when we hunt together, I have learned how to keep it enjoyable....I force compromise "okay, we can do that, but if it's not working out by x time, or x location, i'm going on with my original plan"

I always give him the chance to be the hero of the day

it's always fun anyways, and there is always something to learn, even if you are being pressured to do something somebody else's way.....i'm not the type that has to be right (heck, most of the time i'm not right )

[Swede]

Roosie, I agree with you completely. I doubt Lefty is a control person. You just know if I can get ahold of something it will be taken to the limit. That too is just for fun.
I got to thinking a lot of how hunting with friends develops over years. We get what I will call "the custom of the camp." It is how a group operates. It takes time to determine what everyone is comfortable with. It is kinda like dating.
I commented about eating arrangements in my post above. That is the custom for our camp. It is based on how we manage based on our hunting style. We all hunt separately in different areas. Some drive 45 minutes away, while some are just 10 minutes from camp. The one closest to camp gets in early and starts dinner. We may have agreed before we left what we would have, or it may be a surprise to the last one in. At noon some may stay out, while others come back for lunch. Same situation. Do you want a hot dog? That is what is on the grill. No body is offended if you choose to fix yourself something. That has been the custom of the camp.

[Lefty]

I'll try this again I didn't mean to sound so curt.
I'm 50 miles from where I killed my first bull elk.
That hunt 26 (?) years back was a gift to the son-in-laws. I hunted where and how I was told to hunt, sleep, cook and crap.
I have hunted with mt F-I-L a bunch of times. I hunt there wway.
I plan to hunt bear with a fellow this sping, his area, So it will be his way
When I take others goose hunting ,I have small pit. It is safety first, I'm not a control freak but it is my way.
This year I took 12 fellows I've never hunted with, they all offer to help dig the pit.
Ihunt with a handful of others.
They get to dictate how the hunt should run.
On my fields it's my way for safety and shooting. Kids get first shot.
YEP I DICTATE SHOOTING and safety

Elk hunting with Dave our methods blended well

[Fridaythe13th]

I personally think that you should post the GPS coordinates. That's what friends do. Lol

[Swede]

I personally think that you should post the GPS coordinates. That's what friends do. Lol

Shame! You know I can't do that. Would the coordinates for the point precisely 5 miles west be suitable? Nobody said I should not post that.

[WapitiTalk1]

Been pondering this topic for a few days (I'm slow so it takes me a while). I guess if I invite somebody to hunt with me (or join somebody else's elk camp which I honestly can't remember doing for a long time), at a location I've/they've scouted/hunted for a period of years, its my/their spot (and rightly so due to the effort it takes to find, research and develop these spots over the course of years) and I'm sure neither party would appreciate somebody showing up in that location hunting in subsequent years unless an invite was extended again. That's where my hard line concept ends as far as sharing my camp or joining another. As far as hunting styles from day to day during the hunt? It's our hunt, our camp, when we're co-located on a piece of ground in the elk woods! Evenings at my camps are a time to do some camp maintenance, group cook some chow, and discuss the current day's event and to make plans for the next day's adventure(s). With few exceptions, each hunter expresses their interest in where they would like to go the next day and perhaps with who (or solo). Had a beast of a day hole diving? Then perhaps a big circle hunt from camp, using ridges and trails may be appealing, or, one of the several 1/2 day hunts I have in my tool kit. Had enough of sitting an ambush site (or tree stand) for a few days? Maybe someone would like to check out a known, remote spot with me and see if we can entice a lonely (or combative) bull as he moves from upper feed areas to lower bedding by a deep creek. I guess I'm mostly the classic run/gunner type elk hunter during bow season but am looking forward to learning a bit more about the death from above method from a special guest joining me this year (I think I have the right gear; just need guidance on how/where to deploy it). Camp style? I honestly have never ran into anybody that wasn't engaged in the cooking and necessary camp maintenance. I usually get a hold of all parties involved and we somewhat discuss the general camp gear items we're bringing so not too much duplication occurs. Chow? There will be four of us in my camp this year so members are encouraged to pack/freeze meals (meat, pre-made pasta type meals, etc.) designed for four hunters. Yep, there will be a few times (perhaps after a long day packing) where boiled water dumped into a MH meal may be the ticket. Breakfast (if you eat it) and daily lunch packs are on each individual. BLUF.....For me, its certainly about success for as many of our hunters as possible, but, also about the sharing of styles, tactics, and enjoying "the hunt" and camp. Hope that makes some kind of sense

[Swede]

I am certainly not trying to convey any message to RJ or the like with my posts on this thread. This is just my experience.
My biggest objective is for everyone in camp to have a good time. That does not matter if it is "my camp" or not. We only needs rules when someone is not living by the golden rule. One thing I have found is that hunters can become upset when a clear understanding is not made about sharing everything, including chores, expenses on shared resources, meat distribution.
I have never had to deal with a hunt boss or anyone that wanted the position. I have dealt with a couple of characters that were greedy and tried to take advantage of the rest of us. They wanted the best hunt spots mostly, but it went farther too. One guy did not want to use his new truck and expected to be hauled everywhere he went. They don't get an invitation for a return hunt.

[Elkhunttoo]

I thought of this question because of what my wife was telling me last year. I have hunted with her for 3 seasons now and last year she informed my I do everything my own way and tell her brothers when and where and how to hunt. ... I didn't think I was that bad! So, when I went deer hunting last year I let them pick our direction and followed. I think the main reason I always make most of the plans is because I know the area better then the others and have been there more. Because of my knowledge of the area when we split up they are asking me best routes...(they have learned the area as good as me almost now and some spots better then me) I always try to give plenty of options and let everyone do what they feel is best but my wife said I was bossy, ...
Yet where I used to hunt my brothers and dad knew that area better then me so I let them pick areas.

[Elkhunttoo]

And as for our camp safety is number one and enjoying one another's company is number two... we hunt pretty darn hard too

[Swede]

Elkhunt, I have had people that looked to me for direction. I worked and hunted the area for years. They completely understood that. They trusted that I would not send them to a 2nd rate stand and take the best. How you operate in camp just has to fit for all concerned. Normally I asked if they preferred to go any particular location, and I would go somewhere else. Often they would reply that I should choose first. The truth is it rarely mattered. No one knew where the game would show up or when. The funniest thing is that after killing my elk, I have gone out to a stand and had elk come around while the guys with the tags saw nothing. It happens.
If I had a tendency, I would travel the farthest so I would not cook. I also had some convinced I could not boil water. That was fun. I think some of them liked to cook. I just did other chores, arrived a week early and set up everything. It worked for us.

[Roosiebull]

We only needs rules when someone is not living by the golden rule..

that is an excellent choice of words.

the whole hunting camp dynamics reminds me of commercial crabbing....the last year I crabbed was on an elite boat with an all star crew....a friend of mine was running it, and he burned through a bunch of guys, so I jumped on and finished the season with him.

there was no "my way" with any aspect of that experience, I was just trying to learn their program, and keep up. it was interesting working with guys like that....all in their prime, all super experienced, and there was no trying to be better than anyone else on the boat....everyone wants everybody to be good, and do well...none of them were trying to be the best. it was the coolest "team experience" I have been a part of.

there is no boat chef on a crab boat so of course, we all split that up, one of us would leave deck to cook, it was like a little break. I usually skipped my cooking rotation, and stayed on deck, let someone who saw it as a break do it....to me it was a chore, and I would rather keep running gear...I didn't skip it to get out of it, just made a deal with another person that worked out better for both of us.

everything was equal, nobody got off the boat early when we got in, we all worked until the work was done. those dynamics keep the moral high, and attitudes good...if someone isn't pulling their weight, it creates resentment, and in that environment, resentment changes the whole attitude on the boat from enjoying the grind, to despising being there....when you are physically drained, running on very little sleep, you have to want to be there, or you are completely miserable.

"a boat is only as good as the crew" the same concept works for elk camp. the stronger the team bond grows, the better the team gets, ego fades to fellowship, it's a beautiful thing. being flexible with an open mind makes life fun.

the reason I hunt solo 90% of the time is because a good crew is so hard to find, if you have one, make sure you keep it.

[ElkNut1]

Our style of hunting is dictated by the country we are hunting. Open sage type country & we hunt behind the glass with very little calling during daylight hours unless we encounter timber pockets, dark timber & we let our calling do the walking to locate elk with very little glassing. If sitting a stand then we choose destination spots! That's pretty much it regardless if alone or hunting with someone else.

ElkNut1

[Tigger]

We have a 4 person team. Unfortunately, we have never hunted the same spot twice (Thanks a LOT Wyoming for being so stingy with the licenses!). So we have been new to the area each time. As a team however, we all like to run and gun (run and bow? run and archery?) so the style works for us. We share camp duties and costs. Good people make for good hunts. Good people and good hunters make for Great Hunts! Luckily we have good people and good hunters.