First OTC Elk Hunt Failure

[cnelk]

I hunt flat ground.

I have a saying that has lead to many years of success

E.L.F. Elk Like Flat

I seriously believe the cows like the flatter ground as it’s easier to stand when the bull mounts them.
But that’s just my .02

 

[Finch]

So I've been elk hunting 4 times and have nothing to show besides the fact I've learned something each time. Wounded a good bull in 2019 after having the most awesome back and forth calling between us and him.

My advice would be to find someone as passionate as you to tag along with. With the exception of last year, I've always gone with a buddy. When you are feeling defeated and want to leave early - it is nice having a buddy to pick you up and vice versa. Also, shoot for 7 days or so and stick it out the entire time if you can. Good on you for going out there alone though.

 

[Ridge Hunter 83]

I hunt flat ground.

Yes, for Elk, in Illinois.

 

[woods89]

OP, for next time, here's something to think about.

If you get really run down, don't be afraid to take a half or full day off and recharge. I got really run down my first time in Co. After 3 or 4 days I took 1 morning and hiked out early (we were less than 2 mi from my truck), drove into town, got a fancy coffee, ate a good meal, took a shower, and headed back up. I was into elk that evening again. That morning recharged and refocused me and added a lot to the next few days.

We like to talk about expensive gear here but sometimes you also have to spend money (figuratively for some, literally for me as I'm self employed) on time. If your window is too short you will feel like you can't spare that off time.

I found that my second trip went much smoother as I knew what to expect going out there. Best of luck on your future hunts!

 

[HighUintas]

So today I just left Colorado after my first ever elk hunt. I ended up going it solo, driving 18 hours one way across country. I planned for almost 10 months, escouted multiple areas, and worked out hard for 3 months to get in shape. And even after all that preparation I ended up having to go home after 3 days of a planned 5 day hunt because of how bad those mountains kicked my ass. I learned a lot but still feel super disappointed that my hunt ended early. The area that I hunted was super steep with lots of deadfall, and I made the mistake of hiking up the mountain my first day there and believe I got altitude sickness as I couldn’t eat for the next couple days and felt terrible. I have to say I was shocked at how steep and rough the terrain was compared to what it looked like on the maps. I wasn’t expecting to actually kill an elk but was hoping I would at least find some or hear bugles, which I never did. Even though I failed at my goal I am already trying to think of things I could have done differently that can help me next year . Any advice on how to better prepare next time or any stories of how your previous failures let to future success?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

A. You gotta change your mindset from the failure portion of the thread title to something positive/successful.

B. You already said yourself you learned a lot and are already thinking of ways you can improve.

I know it sucks you spent sooo much time and energy preparing only to not make it the 5 days and feel like you weren't successful. But... Learning and improving is how you become the 10% that kills 90%.

For a suggestion, I would have went back down to below 9k feet if possible, try to recover, and hunt the best looking areas staying lower if you can.

Something that might help with altitude, is running up the steepest longest hill you can find multiple times a week. If you can go uphill for 30+ minutes at a time, all the better. It's not altitude, but the more efficient you make your body utilize oxygen, the better chance you have of not getting sick. BUT some people never get used to altitude and deal with the sickness their whole life. I don't think it's that common, but is a possibility.

 

[jbsmith1]

Simple post I shared with friends on social media:

-Struck out on Colorado archery elk, like a lot of folks I talked with
-Could have taken a number of other species, had I been hunting them
-Had a couple other hunters tell me about an absolute truck of a black bear that was harvested, about a week before I arrived, near my camping spot
-Even with an unfilled tag, I enjoyed the trip and cannot wait to return next year

That doesn't even begin to tell the whole story of my first solo elk hunt. So many things done "right" and others that were probably "wrong". I was just sick of waiting around for friends to decide whether or not they really wanted to go out of state to hunt.

Like others have said, don't focus on the "failure" point of view. Not harvesting an elk is absolutely disappointing, but I can honestly say the experience left me wanting more and will certainly change the way I prepare for next season. I am 100% hooked.

I wish you nothing but luck on your next trip, all of you.

 

[wildwilderness]

Just remember Google earth is a lying bitch.

Randy

You have to adjust the setting on Google earth to get a better idea of the steepness. On the desktop version it’s under tools and iirc terrain exaggerate or something… but the default is a 1, so move it to a 2 and it will show better.

don’t know how to do that on the app yet…

 

[NEO]

As the boys have said above. Elk hunting is hard.. It is supposed to be hard. If it was easy everyone would do it. It was our 3rd year before we were successful harvesting a bull. All the scouting, time, effort, fitness, in the end, is well worth it. In fact, when you take your first elk is when the work begins. Just remember you always have another gear that you didn't think was possible. Good luck and as Cam Haines would say "keep hammering"

 

[JPederson5]

We just got back from a 7 day OTC hunt in CO as well. Although we got lucky and didn't get altitude sickness, it was still an absolute grind. We spent most of our time 10-11,500 ft. Saw lots of sign in areas but 90% of it was old. Ended up seeing a few elk glassing but never had any close opportunities. Still had a great time and will continue to try to build knowledge for future hunts.