3 tips for solo elk hunter

[Rob5589]

What tips would you guys give to a solo elk hunter? I am going to be solo this year, in a new area/zone, and am 0 for 3 on elk so far, willing to shoot any elk.
Give me what you feel are the 3 best tips/advice for a successful solo hunt. I have fitness/gear covered.

Thanks

 

[jolemons]

You'll never be in good enough shape.
Don't go past elk to find elk.
Learn to call (archery).


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[mike.adams.467]

Watch the wind.


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[jolemons]

You'll never be in good enough shape.
Don't go past elk to find elk.
Learn to call (archery).


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Also, don't underestimate a solo pack out. They suck and take longer than you think.

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[400orBust]

Watch the wind.
Keep a positive attitude after failure (especially with archery, many things have to come together just right).
Do one thing 'not hunting' each day (I usually hunt solo for 2 weeks at a time and I've found bringing ear buds and listening to a song, taking boots off & soaking feet in a creek, or napping on a sunny hillside keeps me mentally in the game).

 

[HuntnPack]

First tip: address safety plans..
2nd: meat care plan: Cooling & hanging,
You may need a few trips.
Have a buddy “on call”
3rd: I always have a daily hunt plan &
A backup plan. This helps take
Some pressure off me &
Helps me hunt more relaxed &
Focused.

3-More:
Enjoy Yourself, Slow Down, & Stay Safe.!!!

 

[cnelk]

1) Toss a small pulley in your pack. Very helpful maneuvering an animal or hanging meat.

2) Be ready and able to take a frontal shot.

3) Bring a couple of books

 

[ElkNut1]

Rob, my question to you would be where do you feel your weaknesses are? I'm sure you've had your ups & downs. What encounters have you been in where elk were close but no shot opportunity. What do you feel is setting you back! Thanks!

ElkNut

 

[prm]

1) Have a plan - don’t let emotions of being very alone alter your plan

2) Find elk, then hunt elk

3) Ensure step 1 includes realistic plan to move a lot of meat back to truck

 

[Ross]

Always play the wind

clear around you feet to not make any noise

keep walking till you find elk

 

[Archellon]

Practicing and being confident with different calling strategies has made the most difference for me. I have learned lots from ElkNut and Chris Roe. Good luck!

 

[Rob5589]

Rob, my question to you would be where do you feel your weaknesses are? I'm sure you've had your ups & downs. What encounters have you been in where elk were close but no shot opportunity. What do you feel is setting you back! Thanks!

ElkNut

I'll shoot you a PM.

 

[xziang]

I hunt solo a lot too and always error on the side of caution for your safety! IE don't jump to a semi dry rock to stay dry just walk thru the water and rely on boots and gaiters.
2. Communication, If you don't have one look jnto the inReach device.
3. Have fun keep moving until you find sign or elk.

 

[Coveyleader]

Bring downloaded podcasts, music, etc

Bring one of those battery brick chargers for your phone

Bring more food than spare clothes etc. bring a ton.

Being a guy who packed in and sólo hunted before cell phones, mid day passes by slow, and gets really boring. I would motor through food just sitting around waiting for the evening hunt.

Good luck, mental part of just being bored is your biggest hurdle.

 

[mtnbiker208]

persistence
every decision made, must be made with the goal of killing an elk.
keep motivated

 

[Texasfedoff]

First thing I would do is invest in the Elk Hunting University Course Online by Corey Jacobsen. As a professional guide, I found the organization of the content and his information top notch. Is it the end all be all, NO, but it is great info and one should never stop trying to learn or get different points of view.
Things to think about for Solo hunting. Calling or hunting strategy. The pack out, ie temps, distance, and your physical shape and how that can spoil your meat. Be smart and honest with yourself on if it’s a good idea to hunt an area.
Learn your quarry and understand what the elk’s priority is in that time of year. Is it breeding, is it recovery, or what it is and how that affects on where they will be? Lastly as a Solo hunter, have an emergency beacon system like Garmin DeLorme, SPOT, or various other devices. It’s cheap and how much is your life worth.....guiding I’ve seen it first hand where a guy has a heart attack and if we didn’t have the DeLorme, I’m sure he wouldn’t have come out alive.

 

[Roksliding]

1.) Wind > everything else

2.) Stay. Keep hunting, do whatever it takes to keep your head in it.

3.) don’t have 50 game plans that you can kinda get through. Have your 1-2 Maybe 3 plans that are lay ups for you. when a normal guy listens to a professor Black belt Jedi Master like ElkNut, Chris Roe, or Cory its overwhelming... they have seen it all! I don’t even grasp 1/2 the crap they say till I screw it up for myself then I’m like oh yeah that’s what happened there, let alone try to remember it in the heat of the moment. I take the Bruce Lee approach, “don’t fear the man that knows 10,000 strikes, fear the man that has master one strike 10,000 times”. ElkNuts app and Chris Roes app are awesome. They are scenario rich applications that are a readers digest version. Pick a couple to refine and get good at...

 

[Still Hunter]

Lots of repetition.

1. Never let your guard down. Hunt all the way out and all the way back. Don't walk through elk to get to a location. The one time you drop your head and start mindlessly trudging up or down a trail, you will walk right up on a bull 300 yards from camp.
2. Don't let the mental part of the hunt knock you out of the game. It can be tough and the wind will beat you nine out of ten times.
3. Every day in the field is a learning experience. Chalk up the failures to just gaining knowledge. Never quit learning.
4. Find a unselfish partner. Nothing can be as demoralizing that dealing with someone every day that only thinks of themselves. First to shoot, best tent site, best trail, best wallow opportunity. No whiners.

 

[bivouaclarry]

IMO, the setup after locating animals is the hardest part being solo. There is no caller to get a bull to walk past you to them. What helped me close the deal archery solo was moving after calling.

An elk will be able to pinpoint your position after you call. Call and depending on where the response comes, move. Get the wind, close the distance and while doing so, think about setup positions. Look for trails, downed timber, anything to try and figure out a path that animal will walk to find your last position. They will be focused on where they last heard your call. Not your new location.

Good luck!!!!!

 

[Wrench]

Pruning shears in my pocket, wind in my face.....and the sun can't show me.

Don't get paralysis by analysis. When elk are moving.....sometimes you gotta run.....sometimes you gotta crawl.