Gerbdog
WKR
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.
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.
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