I don't think you can really classify / categorize yourself or even those people you mentioned that simply.
I would say that i call frequently, but my calling is situational.
Absolutely not an etiquette issue. Lots of top tier units got groups of guys out there without tags who are looking into hunting the unit in the future or just out for leisure. Unlike you, a lot of times they are bugling their heads off or trying to call elk in and the such.
The older bulls...
My first elk hunt.
First off, i left from about 12 feet above sea level, right along the chesapeake bay at about 4 p.m. I drove like a madman and pulled in right at last light the next night, only stopping for gas and peeing in bottles along the way, miraculously never getting pulled over. By...
Hey man. It sounds like you got a good idea going out to scout. That is a huge plus and a lot of those questions will be answered on that trip. Mostly, your question of whether or not to hunt your way in will be a resounding yes. I'd imagine you will find plenty of good spots much closer to the...
I always make it a point to call them. I tell them "look, I'm a bit of a talker, I'd love to get a time that would be good for us to have a conversation, if you wouldn't mind".
I am even more into the science, biology, and ecosystem side of things than i am into the hunting. By tying those...
It was a number of things, but it was my first elk hunt. I ended up setting up camp right up above the edge of treeline, about 12k'. I had to bring a lot in, and I'm not the type to do anything slowly, so I got up there really fast. I'm in really good shape, but then a rapid heartbeat and crazy...
My mistake was that i tried to spike camp. Therefore, my advice would be not to do it.
But, different strokes for different folks. My days consist of leaving the truck in the dark and coming back to the truck in the dark - and I'm fine with that.
For my first OTC elk hunt, I made a few family vacations to find an area I liked through Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, and Colorado. Great part was, I liked all of them. I also like elk hunting and doing it every year. It's easiest to do that in Idaho and Colorado.
It's not like out east. "Hunting...
Still too early to tell for sure. But I would guess for 2020, application #s will not rise at the rate they have the few years previous.
For years past 2020, if the economy doesn't rebound or does so very slowly, there absolutely will be effects. There is no question that if people don't have...
Not being mobile / adaptable.
Not being aggressive enough.
Not being physically capable.
Not having mental fortitude.
Not having an extensive plan.
Minimize your nots.
Personally, i just lie and act lost and clueless. I can't help it, I'm a terrible person and i really enjoy it.
But, it's not genetic. My dad showed up the last few days of my hunt this year to fish and shoot grouse. My buddy and I were running into elk at every turn, so the last day my old man...
Agreed that 80 and 81 will be extra extra crushed on top of the fact that 80 and 81 are already extra crushed for numerous reasons.
- Proximity to states and travelers driving through elk to get to other elk
- Closest "let's try that next" unit to those that have moved to draw
- Hunters that...
I also have the quest 4d gtx. Very athletic type boot. I hunt lots of steep rugged stuff and they hold up great. I never had ankle issues before with any boot or shoe, so I can't speak much to the ankle support. But, they aren't too waterproof and on a wet morning in thick vegetation you will...
Who has actually emailed the commissioners?
Could someone please provide the proper email address, name, contact info, etc?
I think our opinions are best expressed through them - hopefully if someone provides that, some of us will reach out.
I'll tell you what I wish someone told me before I went out there. I'm from the East Coast also and I over-thought and over-complicated my first trip out there. Just pick a spot, and go. Don't look too far from the roads, instead look for a lot of spots that are within 2 miles of roads. Stay...
I hunt OTC archery every year. I flew this year into Denver and got a bull. The year before, I drove out there and drove a bull back. Here's my take on it.
I pretty much live on the Atlantic Ocean. Western slope is a hell of a drive from here. I'm the type of guy that if a drive is all that's...
Physical fitness is the greatest limitation on humans hunting elk in OTC public lands.
I made 4 trips to areas i wanted to hunt prior to hunting - just to get familiar with the areas, the elk in them, preferred habitat, etc.
I learned on the first trip that elk are big and move fast. They...