Bow Hunting for Elk

[justinbourn]

How long did it take y'all to shoot and retrieve your first elk with a bow? Started hunting elk last year, killed a nice 5x5 with a muzzelloader, switched to a bow, plenty of encounters, one low flung arrow and I'm without elk meat this year. Definitely harder with a bow, but I feel like I should give myself some credit for getting close.....or am I just BAH?

 

[gwerner]

Most elk encounters you will have during bow season something will go wrong. I would say one out of every 6 or 7 encounters has ended with flinging and arrow (for me). You will get better each time with every encounter you have up close and you will learn a lot. Keep at it.


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[5MilesBack]

CO's ML season is right in the middle of archery season, so shooting one with a ML isn't any different than shooting one with a bow during the rut IMO. My daughter shot her bull with a ML after I called him into 30 yards for her, and any bowhunter could have just as easily shot him at that distance too so not much difference IMO.

 

[justinbourn]

I disagree, shooting something with a bow is inherently more difficult than shooting with a muzzleloader, not to mention the fact that you have at least double the range with a muzzleloader than you do with a bow. Had my group been muzzleloader hunting we would have had 3 bulls on the ground, instead we ended up with one cow.

 

[cnelk]

Its about the journey man.
When you shoot your first elk with a bow, it will be like the first time you.... well..., never mind.

Its just a much different feeling than with something that goes BANG.

 

[justinbourn]

Its about the journey man.
When you shoot your first elk with a bow, it will be like the first time you.... well..., never mind.

Its just a much different feeling than with something that goes BANG.

Shit man, I had that feeling just flinging an arrow after crawling in for 500 yards. I can't wait to hear that thud this fall

 

[Ross]

Half the fun is the journey the other half eating tendys and looking at the majestic bull up close first archery Elk 4 yrs as I recall but can say personally don’t care how I get them decades later they look just as good on the wall whether it is rifle muzzy or bow the intense action no doubt bow But I will take them any way I can just love elk hunting good luck

 

[Tall_Timber.Productions]

First year of Archery I missed a decent bull and had a few other encounters that were more exciting then anything I had experienced with a rifle. Since then, I have killed Bulls the last 3 years in a row with my Bow.. that first year gave me the motivation to improve my archery elk hunting abilities.

 

[5MilesBack]

I disagree, shooting something with a bow is inherently more difficult than shooting with a muzzleloader, not to mention the fact that you have at least double the range with a muzzleloader than you do with a bow.

Whether ML hunting or bowhunting elk, it's during the rut and there's no reason why one shouldn't have 50 yards and under shots either way most the time. For me the hunting is the same regardless of the weapon, but ya.........100 yard shots are doable with a ML. For me, I'd put money on my bow shooting groups out to 60 being better than my ML or rifle groups free hand.

 

[justinbourn]

Whether ML hunting or bowhunting elk, it's during the rut and there's no reason why one shouldn't have 50 yards and under shots either way most the time. For me the hunting is the same regardless of the weapon, but ya.........100 yard shots are doable with a ML. For me, I'd put money on my bow shooting groups out to 60 being better than my ML or rifle groups free hand.

I agree with you on the 50 yard shots most of the time, depending on where you are hunting. I wish I could say the same about my bow, but my bow is older than damnit and wasn't the most accurate thing past 35. I also didnt shoot enough before season, but that's going to be a problem that I fix this year.

 

[Mighty Mouse]

It took me 7 seasons to take my first elk with a bow. I missed cows in 2 of the prior seasons, and didn't get a shot opportunity in the other 4. The turning point for me came when I first hunted with a group of guys I met through work and adopted their more aggressive hunting style. Prior to that, I hunted the way my dad did, mostly sitting along trails or near wallows and intermittently cow calling. My kill and close encounter rate has increased dramatically since I began bugling frequently and staying on the move. Good luck to you, the struggle will make your eventual success all the sweeter!

 

[dittydogood]

Two years unsuccessful


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[ShortMountain91]

I hunted rifle unsuccessfully in CO 2 years. Drew a great archery tag not in CO and was able to get my first bull. I feel like that had to do way more with the quality of the unit versus the equipment I was using

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[Jethro]

I did one unsuccessful rifle hunt and 3 unsuccessful bow hunts for elk. My 4th bow hunt, I got my first elk. I would hunt with a muzzy or a rifle rather than not hunt at all, but I would much rather bow hunt. Not because its harder or anything to do with shot distance. Simply because I enjoy hunting with a bow more than I do with a gun.

 

[87TT]

Maybe if your ML was a old school flintlock, it could be as fun and rewarding. But outside that, no comparison.

 

[Whip]

I was a slow learner. Took my first bull on my 6th elk hunt. Ironically, it was after I switched to a recurve and ditched the wheels that it finally came together. But the real reason was simply experience. There is so much more info available now that should help shorten the learning curve. This site is a great one, along with Elknuts stuff, Elk101, etc, etc.

When I started I hunted with guys that were just as inexperienced as I was. If you could hook on with a guy that has a bunch of elk under his belt you would sure learn faster.

The hardest part is learning how to find elk and it sounds like you did fine there. Then, as you did see, getting under 100 yards isn't all that tough once you find them. Knowing what to do once you are inside that range is what separates the hunters from the killers.

 

[Coveyleader]

I always laugh when I hear bowhunters say "I would have been done the first day with a rifle" or "Rifle hunting is so easy I could have killed x amount of elk in a week" yet they forget, they're hunting in archery season, when the elk are still stupid. Big difference between hunting elk in Aug-Sept vs the later rifle seasons. Many of those same places that held elk during the September season are ghost towns in Oct-Nov.

In my opinion, ML hunting in Sept, CO, that is like taking candy from a baby. Great tag to have for those just can't close those last 50 yds year after year.

 

[joshjt25]

Took me 5 years. I have tagged out the last three. Bull fever got the best of me years prior. Had to learn how to control my emotions and work through my shot process. I talk myself through each shot when practicing. This has really helped when the moment of truth comes.

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[elkhunteralta]

It was the best of times, and the worst of times lol. And just when you think you have it all figured out, you figure out you don't know all that much.

Which is why bow hunting elk can be so addictive year after year.

 

[zman]

3 OTC hunts. Zero dead elk. Saw elk and got close but can't seem to close the deal. Reminds me of my dating days.