How can I become a better hunter?

[Gerbdog]

Not a lot to add to the advice given above. You gotta keep moving (and i mean driving to new locations, not pounding feet) if your not finding fresh sign. Cant hunt what isnt there. Even the most skilled hunters i know get skunked sometimes, even in prime elk territory. They move and thats how it goes. Case in point, my step dads down in the Gila currently and i checked in with him yesterday, been hunting since the first. On the 30th of last month he had 5 bulls in his area already patterned, opening morning they were gone and he hasnt seen them since. It happens, that guy kills big elk, i know he can hunt and his wall will speak for itself. I am not the most skilled hunter, never will claim to be, i like the post above about luck and i look at it that way, i just try to put myself in the best circumstances i can to get lucky. I dont call in 95% of the bulls i find, just doesnt happen for me like that.

Bleh bleh talk talk and so on: you gotta move spots, if the elk arent there your wasting your precious energy in the woods hiking back into the same spot hoping they showed up overnight (it can happen, but, is there a good reason for it to? One of the only water resources around? Some of the only good feed left in the area? etc.)

Finding the elk is the hardest part, dont kick yourself for not finding them, you can kick yourself for missing a shot and for not checking the wind more often and that's about it. The rest take in stride and keep working those mountains.

Lastly, and maybe the most important bit, dont stack yourself up next to others. You arent them and they arent you and your only gonna make yourself miserable stacking yourself up next to your neighbor. Why wont he take you hunting? What wisdom has he imparted to you about how to kill every year? Just focus on finding an area that actually has elk and FN HAVE FUN DOIN IT. The rest will fall into place, maybe another 6 years from now but it'll be a long 6 years if you make yourself miserable convincing yourself your a bad hunter, go outside and enjoy the mountains. Hunt where the elk are not where you want them to be.

 

[IDspud]

Not a lot to add to the advice given above. You gotta keep moving (and i mean driving to new locations, not pounding feet) if your not finding fresh sign. Cant hunt what isnt there. Even the most skilled hunters i know get skunked sometimes, even in prime elk territory. They move and thats how it goes. Case in point, my step dads down in the Gila currently and i checked in with him yesterday, been hunting since the first. On the 30th of last month he had 5 bulls in his area already patterned, opening morning they were gone and he hasnt seen them since. It happens, that guy kills big elk, i know he can hunt and his wall will speak for itself. I am not the most skilled hunter, never will claim to be, i like the post above about luck and i look at it that way, i just try to put myself in the best circumstances i can to get lucky. I dont call in 95% of the bulls i find, just doesnt happen for me like that.

Bleh bleh talk talk and so on: you gotta move spots, if the elk arent there your wasting your precious energy in the woods hiking back into the same spot hoping they showed up overnight (it can happen, but, is there a good reason for it to? One of the only water resources around? Some of the only good feed left in the area? etc.)

Finding the elk is the hardest part, dont kick yourself for not finding them, you can kick yourself for missing a shot and for not checking the wind more often and that's about it. The rest take in stride and keep working those mountains.

Thanks. That’s my concern… I can do it wrong until the day I die and not learn anything, even if I randomly get lucky.

It sounds like I’m wasting too much time hunting areas with few to no elk. The thermal scope confirmed that I guess.

I had the same concern coyote hunting. Once I went out with an experienced guy and saw I WAS doing everything right, I had no issue continuing to go out and do it even if I’m rarely successful.

 

[Gerbdog]

Thanks. That’s my concern… I can do it wrong until the day I die and not learn anything, even if I randomly get lucky.

It sounds like I’m wasting too much time hunting areas with few to no elk. The thermal scope confirmed that I guess.

I had the same concern coyote hunting. Once I went out with an experienced guy and saw I WAS doing everything right, I had no issue continuing to go out and do it even if I’m rarely successful.

Thats pretty much how it goes. I dont know if your a fisherman but every fisherman fishes the exact same way: you put a line in the water. Its the little things that happen after that that sets the badass fisherman from the ones out there on their first day. Those little things? Those things that set every fisherman apart from their brother standing next to them? It's all little techniques learned over years and years that make them effective and its different from individual to individual. All that said, beginners luck is real and my brothers EX still has the biggest trout landed between the three of us (hahaha ... sigh)

same goes for hunting: you walk in somewhere with a weapon: what happens next is based off a few base rules (that get broken all the time, every year) and a few vague concepts. When you find success and when you fail your building your individual hunting technique whether your even aware of it or not.

A lot of hot wind to say just keep at it and learn as you go. Youtube isnt reality but time in the woods sure as Ef is.

 

[Marble]

Clearly practice isn't it. I've been at it for 6 years and I still suck. I feel like my first two years I learned a lot, but now I feel like I'm just *wasting* my time. Field time is never a waste, I just mean I'm putting in tons of miles and not progressing in skill or knowledge.

How do you become better at this? I watch a ton of hunting videos on Youtube on different tactics etc. Not only am I still not at the point to pass on anything but the smallest bucks, but I almost never get into elk or decent deer. My neighbor slays it every single year. He passes on tons of bucks and bulls that I would die to take. I even offered to pay him to go out with me and give me a "lesson" to see if I could be doing things better but he turned me down.

I've taken one elk with a rifle which was mostly a stupid fluke. Last year during archery season I only saw 2 elk. One opening day, and one right at the end. Between that time I logged over 100 miles in rugged terrain on my GPS with nothing. Not even a bugle in the distance. I know my area isn't great (13% success rate) but what the hell? I feel like I put in way more work than the majority of guys out there. I know Youtube videos are edited and would be boring if they showed all the work that went into finding them, but I feel like I'm missing 90% of "the hunt." I can't even locate the elk to begin a plan of attack and stalking.

For the last 2- I'm always using thermals to make sure they aren't winding me. I'm seeing lots of doe, and barely any bucks. Maybe 30:1 ratio and the bucks are forks or at best 2x3. I saw one single bucks that may have had 4/5 points all year.

I think I'm justing pissing into the wind and hoping to maybe find one loner bull in a random draw like last year. Seeing so many deer over the years with only one decent one that situation doesn't seem too great either. Being curious if I'm missing things I took my thermal scope out for a test on my last hunt. I glassed with regular binos, then the thermal in a giant canyon. I had picked out just about everything. Not a single buck or elk in the entire canyon.

Does my area just suck that bad? Is hunting mostly about find the "sweet spots" to keep coming back to yearly rather than going to good looking areas? I attached a satellite photo showing how I might hunt. I usually go out before first light and glass a canyon, then call and move, call and move. 30 mins at each calling spot. I come back in the afternoon and then go somewhere else miles away and try the same thing until dark. Am I covering too much ground? Focusing on too small of an area? Least year I covered just about everything on this map. I'd hike up a ridge and connect with the one I hiked previously from a different side or access point. I did this same thing in 2 or 3 other areas 10-20 miles away as well.

The old saying about 10% of the hunters getting 90% of the game sounds so true. How do I become the 10%? As much as I want to down a decent bull, I'm more interested in become a good hunter that knows what he's doing more than becoming a lucky one.

A lot of your frustrations are based on making incorrect choices or judgements on all sorts of topics. This isn't an insult by any means, but a reflection of experience and what you have learned.

Most of us here that are highly successful are because of several reasons.

We have developed areas that are high quality.
We can recognize areas that will hold game and imagine they way they move on the landscape.
We have 20-40 years of experience
We had a great teachers.

Don't give up, change tactics, locations, areas, seasons and keep after it.

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[HighUintas]

Definitely don't give up. You'll figure it out.

I've been hunting for about 25 years, but only been hunting in the mountains for the last 3. So take this advice with a grain of salt.

I started by watching videos, listening to podcasts, etc by the greats... Randy Newberg, Corey Jacobson, Paul Medel, etc. That gave me an idea on what elk are SUPPOSED to do it at least did give me a good idea of their basic needs. Type of food (preference vs availability) , water (location important), security. And that they want to stay cool. But, that doesn't necessarily mean squat compared to what the elk feel like doing in the area you hunt.

The first time I went out scouting, goal NUMBER ONE and really my only goal, was to positively identify and differentiate elk scat and tracks from other ungulates and find FRESH stuff. Still gooey and green. I did that by covering as much ground as quickly as possible and not worrying about jumping animals. It was early August, so I wasn't worried about spooking some. Just go running or speed hiking in an area that might meet their needs and scour the ground quickly. If you find fresh sign, then start trying to follow their trails and look for the animal.

After you've found an area they've been in very recently you can maybe find their hangouts. Beds, feeding areas, water holes and possibly some trails connecting them. Then you can learn how they like to use the area.

If you're desperate to learn (I know a lot of guys would seriously condemn this) to out to a high density draw unit late August or early September and scout to give yourself a good chance of finding sign and animals and learn. Take a camera and not your weapon.

It's really just about learning the animal and the area and the rest will follow with time in the woods. You'll learn your strategy/technique and won't worry so much about how others do it

 

[Warmsy]

I'm on year 4 now. I felt the same way a few times. I've been reading "tracking the American black bear" and practicing some of his techniques, definitely passing up anything but the freshest sign. I'm looking mostly for bear.

That book has changed a lot of what I'm doing in just a couple weeks. I learned that I was going way too fast. Stop and look more often. If I'm in a good spot, stay there! I blew it on a blacktail because I got anxious once the sun came up.

I now feel much more confident and realize what a bumblefuck I've been in the last few years. I, too, think I would benefit from a mentor but I don't really have one.

Good luck!

 

[RBIA Rich]

X2 on the flat billed hat

 

[IDspud]

X2 on the flat billed hat

Ok, I give. What's the joke? Does keeping the sticker on it add 10 points to stealth?

 

[trophyhill]

There’s always one.

maybe if you took the time to actually read my thread you would’ve seen that I got to work and put in over 100 miles with no luck. I’m just trying to avoid doing the same thing if I’m doing it in the wrong way.

My bad. I just didn’t want to read 8 more paragraphs on why “I Can’t “. You have to find a way to make it happen!

 

[IDspud]

My bad. I just didn’t want to read 8 more paragraphs on why “I Can’t “. You have to find a way to make it happen!

Yeah. It's almost like I was doing that by asking others with more experience how I might improve. Nowhere did I bitch with an "I can't" attitude. I asked how I can. But you'd have to have spent more than 5 seconds reading to know that, so I understand your mistake. Even though the title is literally "How can I become a better hunter."

 

[corey006]

Patience.

Walk like an animal walks.... SLOWLY, sometimes quiet, sometimes noisey.

Never be in a hurry.

Still hunt.

Set up call and stay put for at least 45 minutes.

Move up a few hundred yards repeat.

Try a treestand over a well used trail between feeding and bedding areas.

Archery Elk isnt easy...its early mornings, late evenings, rugged country, lack of sleep, tired, sore, cramped muscles.

Keep at it....

 

[wildhorsetrail]

I'm probably not one that should be giving advice, but I will just suggest a thing or two. Don't "avoid trails like the plague." I've seen quite a few elk killed 1/4 mile or less off the trail in a place most hunters walk right past. Also, as someone else has already mentioned, some areas have pretty low elk density. You might search 2 or 3 empty canyons before you come across them.

 

[orionsbrother]

Keep trying to find someone to hunt with that’s successful. Offer to help with camp and packing. Maybe ask them to come check out the viability of your area as opposed to asking to hunt with them in their area, which they might be uncomfortable with. You could learn a lot and get a second assessment of your area. Also, if you’re earnest, hard working, and a good guy, they might want to hunt with you again.

If you’ve got animals in your area, the most common mistake you might be making is with scent. Maybe get your hands on some milkweed floss. It allows you to follow the thermals and swirls much farther than regular powdered wind checker.

Be mobile. Don’t get married to an area or idea. It’s a common colloquialism, “Hunt elk where they are.”

Most importantly, don’t give up. Attitude and heart go a long way. You learn more each day. Pay attention to anything and everything. It’ll come together.

Lots of great hunters here that have incredible skill sets.

I’ve had some success. I attribute most of those to being too stupid to stop.

You don’t need the perfect, high tech camo, bow, the most popular call or a Nirvana drainage. You need some animals and perseverance.

Go to it.

Short bloodtrails.

 

[AZ_Hunter_2000]

If you cannot find a mentor, then go rent one. Book a guided elk hunt. Ask tons of questions and get instant feedback. Never understood folks hesitancy. You can learn more in 5 days than years doing it yourself.

I know guys that mature animals are drawn to like moths and flames. Some of us just aren’t that fortunate.

I would not necessarily avoid trails taken by humans. Animals do tend to use them as well.

If you’re finding females and babies, the males are in the area. They may be a ridge over or maybe nocturnal but they are there. It’s not like they pack up and move to another state.

 

[sneaky]

Ok, I give. What's the joke? Does keeping the sticker on it add 10 points to stealth?

Do you drive a lifted truck on 24s? No? Start fishing, your hunting career is likely over.

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[Next Ridge]

Free advice is often worth what you pay for it, but my observations…

1. You’re overthinking it. Go back to basics, meaning biology and behavior. Leave the thermal cameras at home.
2. Just looking at your map there are a ton of areas with more green and probably more water down lower with more terrain features than way up high where you drew. I would glass those high basins from down low to locate first before going up there. Let the glass do the work and save time.
3. related, if you are calling up in those high basins off ridges it may not be worth it. In my otc units you have to be close to begin with “most” of the time. It’s the rare day or two bulls are responding to bugling across an entire drainage.
3. Like others have said, find them first then hunt. Do you use trail cams in pre and post season? Unless they are illegal they are a great tool to see if animals are around. I don’t use them to pattern elk, but worth knowing simply “are elk around”.
4. rugged terrain isn’t all its cracked up to be. A lot of rugged terrain is shit for food and water. Or it is so rugged one has to spend too much time looking down at ground for their next step or looking down because they’re winded. Have to look up more than not to see animals (same goes for looking at maps when hunting). I hunt a lot of steep, thick areas but never “just” rugged and not to the point I spend more time not hurting myself than hunting.

 

[wildwilderness]

Hunt smarter not harder!

I won’t hunt where I don’t SEE elk! I regularly would hunt 3 different Mountain RANGES not 3 different draws! Drive and scout til you find them.

Also I hunt at least 3 different STATES and this year 3 different Countries! The more you hunt, and the more tags the more opportunities to be successful.

I know exactly why your neighbor won’t take you, and when you fully understand you will also be as successful……

the other way out is $$$- hire a guide, pay a trespass onto private, buy a Landowner voucher, bid on the governor’s tag

 

[Deadfall]

Just slow down.

For the love of God stop watching YouTube.

Slow and steady wins the race.

Go enjoy the day, see some country.

Find water and follow it. Everything in woods needs water. Cut a trail with fresh ish looking track follow that.

Find someplace with rubs that differ in age, you in now have a square mile or 2 to hunt.

Benches with heavy timber make fir good bedding.

Nasty holes that absolutely nothing could possibly be in. Probably holding what you looking for.

Terrain funnels are likely spots.

Old mature bulls do not travel much. Sometimes less then a square mile. Other to grab a couple cows and right back to his hole.

I've seen the "lets find a vocal bull" crowd walk right by bulls that would make their jaw drop.

Something elk and deer share. They will both lay still let you walk right on by and usually closer then you think. Wolves do same thing.

Most folks underestimate how well the senses of wildlife work.

Move less....look and listen more. Don't be afraid to take a few naps especially where trails cross water. Just be downwind 30 or so yards from the crossing.

When sitting. 2 or 3 cow calls. Rake a bush, be quiet. 15 or 20 minutes do it again. Change up timing and sequence of noises.

Learn the sound a cow makes to other cows and her calf. The social sounds.

If a bull has a few cows and none are in heat. He will have frustrations to work out, while he's board and hot in middle of day, often times will take it out on a bush or tree. Often with no sound other then the bush moving.

If you have been quiet most of morning, been moving up. Middle of day from a high point that you can hear from let off a squeal.

Maybe the elk are traveling parallel but higher or lower than you. In which case it's likely you see no sign.

Maybe elk are on other side of knob or mountain. Which case no sign, doesn't mean they aren't close by.

Don't look for huge amounts of sign. One track.

See one rub on a ridge keep following ridge looking for another rub. When you find it now you have a direction of travel. Start looking for a cool spot with good vantage and escape route. Now you have a likely bed spot to check out.

If you snow tracking a bull, do not stay on his tracks. They bed facing their back trail. Also they walk like a drunk person, zig zag all over, generally headed up or down though.

Pay very close attention to where everyone else is going and how they are hunting. Look for a possible overlooked spot. Don't be afraid to hunt that first mile from truck.

 

[Deadfall]

P.s. don't look for entire animal. Look for a ear or piece of horn. Something out of place with surroundings

 

[CoStick]

Get off the internet and into the woods. If you want to be a better hunter, go hunting, then do more hunting. i Read about escouting and such, but at the end of the day for example dating a real person is different than virtual or watching videos. Get out and actually experience.