wildernessmaster
Lil-Rokslider
***** Disclaimer - I by no means consider myself an expert Elk hunter. I am am an east coaster who, decided to take it up 7 years ago when the Montana lottery shifted in favor of out-of-staters. I also am fortunate and give a lot of credit to having a brother who had been elk hunting for years and is a Montana resident.
That said, I also feel like for someone who went from absolutely no knowledge of Elk hunting, that I have done a decent job of bagging elk 4/5 years I have hunted them - albeit I only have 3 nice bulls on my wall, as the 4th was poached out from under me.
Consider this newbie advice and insight. If you are a serious, long-term elk hunter I will try to make you laugh - so that at least you will get something out of it.
Don't 1 - Don't have herd lust.
In places like the Yellowstone basin it can be hard not to develop herd lust. What is herd lust? That's when you see those 500+, 1000+ herds that sit on private land (mostly) and tease you by occasionally crossing into public land. Yep those herds.
Those herds that tease and mock you - and 10,000 other hunters like you trying to "be there" when they put that 1 toe (um hoof) on public land and you get your chance.
Look I hunt them, now - sometimes, like everyone else. But if you become fixated on them just know you are better off playing the lottery. Nearly every elk I and my brother have killed (except 1) have come from smaller pods and herds.
When you are consumed with herd lust you stop hunting the elk you can more likely kill.
These days my brother and I limit our "herd lust" outings to maybe opening day or an occasional late season hail mary after the hunting is dying down. Otherwise, while we may "check on them" - we don't hunt them. We use them to gauge what the smaller pods may be doing.
Don't 2 - Don't ever assume the weather will be what you think or plan.
Wow, from finding the elk to just surviving, weather during elk season seems the most fickle and wide ranging I have ever seen. Don't assume because the weather is suppose to be X that when you get to your hunting spot it is going to be anything like that. This past year during one of our herd lust days (opening day) we sat out in weather that went from foggy, to freezing to, a down pour, to freezing... All of which had not been projected. And quite frankly made our day a total bust. The fog alone would have ruined it as you could not see 5'.
Since we were on a plain that we had hiked over 3 miles to get into - our options were zero for changing it. We had to sit through total weather misery and just hope for an act of mercy. It didn't come.
With elk hunting have several location options for any place you want to hunt. Altitude options (to get above/below mist/fog lines); terrain options to accommodate winds, rain, etc.... just have several options in mind. Before you commit to a single weather option terrain be damn sure you - otherwise you will blow a day of hunting.
Don't 3 - Don't get stuck in 1 mode of hunting.
Whether you like spot and stalk, run and gun, still hunting.... Don't get stuck in 1 mode. My brother and I are a good team. He is the "ants in his pants" type of hunter. I on the other hand will sit and watch and listen an entire day. We compliment each other, both in the field and in our styles. I slow him down and he speeds me up. We break each other out of modes that may not be working.
If you don't have a partner that can help do that, go into a hunting situation with a plan and hard stops that will force you to change you mode. For instance, if you are spot and stalk type of guy... Then give yourself 1 day and if you don't see elk like you want to kill, become mobile and do quicker spot and stalk variants until you do... Then resume your style full bore.
I highly, though, will encourage all of you to find a/some complimentary hunting partners - they help your knowledge grow and make you see your hunting differently.
Don't 4 - Don't carry the kitchen sink.
My first years hunting elk, I am pretty sure I figured out a way to carry 90lbs in a 1800 cu in pack. I had enough extra blades for my knife for an entire lifetime in my pack. Or spare batteries to survive the zombie apocalypse. I carried stuff that looking back - am not really sure why it even got on the plane with me.
A truism for my elk hunting is to be successful you have to be highly mobile and nimble. You can't be either if you are carrying tons of gear. Much less when you have to pack an elk (or even large deer) out - that gear does you abso-freaking-lutely nothing to help. Constantly trim down your kit. Even with a trimmed down kit, ask yourself each outing if you need everything you are carrying.
Essentials: Killing machine (that includes the projectile parts), grey matter, reasonable clothing to survive the variable conditions (note I said survive, not love), knife (plus stone or blades).
Non essential (buy may need): Water, Food, compass/gps (not always folks... I know some land well enough I am fine going geo-commando), phone, rope, bugle (not always)
If you are backpack or deep terrain hunting of course the essentials and non change. Just keep it light and nimble.
Don't 5 - Don't ever think you can't, won't or they aren't
Don't ever think you can't elk hunt an area. I have been in some deep, steep, fallen timber; scrabble gorges, etc and if I thought I "can't" for a second I can count 2 of my 4 elk as not happening.
Don't ever think you won't find elk in an area or they aren't there. This past season, the elk I killed was in a place I would have never thought them to be - and one that I had driven by a 100 times and never seen the elk that were in there.
I could go on for days about the can't's won't's and aren't's. The bottom line with elk hunting you have to believe and hunt hard to be a good elk hunter.
Pep talk aside let me say being a flat lander the first year in Montana was daunting. There are places I would go that I thought "hell no" I am never hunting in there again - they beat me up so bad. With time and experience (and training) I now kick their asses and take names. You will too. Just keep the faith.
Well I said 5, so there are my 5. I hope this helps some aspiring or new elk hunters. Those of you who are tried and true, well hope you chuckled.
Luke Stephens aka Wilderness Master
That said, I also feel like for someone who went from absolutely no knowledge of Elk hunting, that I have done a decent job of bagging elk 4/5 years I have hunted them - albeit I only have 3 nice bulls on my wall, as the 4th was poached out from under me.
Consider this newbie advice and insight. If you are a serious, long-term elk hunter I will try to make you laugh - so that at least you will get something out of it.
Don't 1 - Don't have herd lust.
In places like the Yellowstone basin it can be hard not to develop herd lust. What is herd lust? That's when you see those 500+, 1000+ herds that sit on private land (mostly) and tease you by occasionally crossing into public land. Yep those herds.
Those herds that tease and mock you - and 10,000 other hunters like you trying to "be there" when they put that 1 toe (um hoof) on public land and you get your chance.
Look I hunt them, now - sometimes, like everyone else. But if you become fixated on them just know you are better off playing the lottery. Nearly every elk I and my brother have killed (except 1) have come from smaller pods and herds.
When you are consumed with herd lust you stop hunting the elk you can more likely kill.
These days my brother and I limit our "herd lust" outings to maybe opening day or an occasional late season hail mary after the hunting is dying down. Otherwise, while we may "check on them" - we don't hunt them. We use them to gauge what the smaller pods may be doing.
Don't 2 - Don't ever assume the weather will be what you think or plan.
Wow, from finding the elk to just surviving, weather during elk season seems the most fickle and wide ranging I have ever seen. Don't assume because the weather is suppose to be X that when you get to your hunting spot it is going to be anything like that. This past year during one of our herd lust days (opening day) we sat out in weather that went from foggy, to freezing to, a down pour, to freezing... All of which had not been projected. And quite frankly made our day a total bust. The fog alone would have ruined it as you could not see 5'.
Since we were on a plain that we had hiked over 3 miles to get into - our options were zero for changing it. We had to sit through total weather misery and just hope for an act of mercy. It didn't come.
With elk hunting have several location options for any place you want to hunt. Altitude options (to get above/below mist/fog lines); terrain options to accommodate winds, rain, etc.... just have several options in mind. Before you commit to a single weather option terrain be damn sure you - otherwise you will blow a day of hunting.
Don't 3 - Don't get stuck in 1 mode of hunting.
Whether you like spot and stalk, run and gun, still hunting.... Don't get stuck in 1 mode. My brother and I are a good team. He is the "ants in his pants" type of hunter. I on the other hand will sit and watch and listen an entire day. We compliment each other, both in the field and in our styles. I slow him down and he speeds me up. We break each other out of modes that may not be working.
If you don't have a partner that can help do that, go into a hunting situation with a plan and hard stops that will force you to change you mode. For instance, if you are spot and stalk type of guy... Then give yourself 1 day and if you don't see elk like you want to kill, become mobile and do quicker spot and stalk variants until you do... Then resume your style full bore.
I highly, though, will encourage all of you to find a/some complimentary hunting partners - they help your knowledge grow and make you see your hunting differently.
Don't 4 - Don't carry the kitchen sink.
My first years hunting elk, I am pretty sure I figured out a way to carry 90lbs in a 1800 cu in pack. I had enough extra blades for my knife for an entire lifetime in my pack. Or spare batteries to survive the zombie apocalypse. I carried stuff that looking back - am not really sure why it even got on the plane with me.
A truism for my elk hunting is to be successful you have to be highly mobile and nimble. You can't be either if you are carrying tons of gear. Much less when you have to pack an elk (or even large deer) out - that gear does you abso-freaking-lutely nothing to help. Constantly trim down your kit. Even with a trimmed down kit, ask yourself each outing if you need everything you are carrying.
Essentials: Killing machine (that includes the projectile parts), grey matter, reasonable clothing to survive the variable conditions (note I said survive, not love), knife (plus stone or blades).
Non essential (buy may need): Water, Food, compass/gps (not always folks... I know some land well enough I am fine going geo-commando), phone, rope, bugle (not always)
If you are backpack or deep terrain hunting of course the essentials and non change. Just keep it light and nimble.
Don't 5 - Don't ever think you can't, won't or they aren't
Don't ever think you can't elk hunt an area. I have been in some deep, steep, fallen timber; scrabble gorges, etc and if I thought I "can't" for a second I can count 2 of my 4 elk as not happening.
Don't ever think you won't find elk in an area or they aren't there. This past season, the elk I killed was in a place I would have never thought them to be - and one that I had driven by a 100 times and never seen the elk that were in there.
I could go on for days about the can't's won't's and aren't's. The bottom line with elk hunting you have to believe and hunt hard to be a good elk hunter.
Pep talk aside let me say being a flat lander the first year in Montana was daunting. There are places I would go that I thought "hell no" I am never hunting in there again - they beat me up so bad. With time and experience (and training) I now kick their asses and take names. You will too. Just keep the faith.
Well I said 5, so there are my 5. I hope this helps some aspiring or new elk hunters. Those of you who are tried and true, well hope you chuckled.
Luke Stephens aka Wilderness Master
