How long did you hunt before you went for an elk?

[KsRancher]

Dreamed of elk hunting since I could remember. Watched hunting shows and read magazines. Finally made it to Colorado in 2011 at age 25. Took me until 2021 to finally get one. My son went along last year at age 16 on a Colorado 4th season hunt. Killed his first elk this year during 1st season at age 16. (His birthday is Nov. 2nd)


I have listened to my dad talk about elk hunting since I can remember. And he got his first elk this year during Colorado 4th season. It's been great.

 

[GhostBass25]

Dreamed of elk hunting since I could remember. Watched hunting shows and read magazines. Finally made it to Colorado in 2011 at age 25. Took me until 2021 to finally get one. My son went along last year at age 16 on a Colorado 4th season hunt. Killed his first elk this year during 1st season at age 16. (His birthday is Nov. 2nd)


I have listened to my dad talk about elk hunting since I can remember. And he got his first elk this year during Colorado 4th season. It's been great.

What an awesome journey that must have been for you guys man


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[Fridaythe13th]

Great question, 1 of my few regrets in life. I was 31. I gave away 8-10 years of nonresident chances. 6 of us went Colorado 2nd season rifle hunt walked in 300 yards heard a bugle followed by a shot and was hook for life. New job in 2010 and started archery elk hunting even more hook, but the hills are get taller and taller. Tags are getting harder and harder.

 

[rayporter]

You young guys

make it happen, you wont regret it.

its a mighty tall mountain now days and i miss it a lot

 

[mt terry d]

Probably 25 years depending on when you consider I actually started "hunting" as I was a serious sparrow hunter with the BB gun by about 5 and in the woods all summer long with the 22 when I was 8 or so.

Got denied a non-resident MT elk tag in '84 when, if you applied in the first 3 days you were "guaranteed" a tag.

So I moved.

Growing up reading Jim Zumbo and his pals, I never imagined elk hunting could be so good. Crazy!!!

Then around 2000 .........

wolves.

Thankfully I think we're getting a handle on them and the elk are coming back.

 

[SonnyDay]

I hunted exactly zero times before I started hunting elk. Took me 5 years to get one. Have branched out a bit into deer/turkey from there. But I am most excited about elk.

 

[Jpsmith1]

Started deer hunting in PA in 1987.

Drew a PA elk tag in 2006. So, what is that? 29 years?

Been dreaming of a re-match since.

 

[Behlftball]

I got an elk on my 3rd and 4th trips out west. Missed one on my second. All OTC/general hunts. Good luck

 

[Elkmagnet]

Started hunting WT deer at age 12. First elk hunt was at age 23. I haven't missed a year elk hunting for 34 straight years.

 

[Portabeardo]

I hunted way too long before I even attempted elk hunting. Was 41 years old. Knew nothing except I was willing to put in the work which is most of it. Didn’t even see an elk the first year but I hat 7 of them right at dark within about 3-500 yards from me all bugling and talking to me… after dark. Now I’m hooked. Hooked enough to contemplate moving to the mountains. I don’t recommend trying it though u less you want to be batshit crazy about Wapiti. I’ll be going into year five now and almost have no desire to hunt whitetails anymore.


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[Scoot]

Shot my first whitetail with a bow at age 12 in 1984. First elk hunt was in 2007. Just about haven't missed since.

 

[AZ_Hunter_2000]

I was extremely late to the hunting game.

I drew a premium tag, early rifle, on year three which at the time took 19 years of points to get drawn in the bonus pass. The hunting gods smiled upon me and I hired the right outfitter that gave me the right guide. The outfitter became a mentor and good friend while the guide became a mentor, and more importantly, a very close friend. Despite my green ass, I was able to get a legit B&C bull elk with them (shows the value of a truly competent guide).

This truly was an awakening and the doors to a different world opened up for me.

 

[leachguy]

I started with whiteys at 12, didn't hunt seriously, wasted a lot of time. Took a few. Moved out west at 22. Started hunting again. I've since taken a deer every year I've hunted. Took me 5 years to get an elk. I had no idea what I was doing. Then I took 5 years off to start a business and had kids, but I studied and learned during that time. This year was my first back at it and I got a decent bull opening of rifle season.

 

[Hoosker Doo]

10 days. When I was 12, after school on the opener of deer, my dad took me up behind the house and I shot a little 4 point mulie.
10 days later, on the opener of elk, we hiked 1 ½ miles up the steepest mountain I'd ever climbed and got to a point at the head of 2 canyons. We left my brother on the point and Dad and I headed across to the opposite ridgeline. We only made it about 50 yards when my brother fires off a round.
Next thing I know, 2 elk are crossing the open hillside in front of us at 250 yards. My dad immediately drops the bull in front (brother actually hit that one low in the brisket), then looks at me and says, "what the hell are you you doing?" So I pop off a shot with my 6mm at the second elk, and he promptly yanks it out of my hands and hands me his 30-06 and drops to all fours to become my shooting bench and he coaches me where to hold (just above its back). Shot 1, just over it's back. It runs 10 yards downhill towards us and stops. Shot 2, center punched the lungs and it drops like a sack of potatoes.
After congratulating me on shooting my first elk, we start hiking up to the elk, and my dad mentions that mine might be a spike. When we get to it, it's a little 5x6! It's dark gray antlers in the first light conditions were hardly visible through the rifle scopes.

I know I was spoiled, especially since I got an even bigger bull the next year on the same mountain, but I quickly learned how hard it can be to get a bull elk, especially primarily doing morning and evening hunts on weekends and after school. 20 years later, I think my bull to cow ratio is about 40/60 and multiple years without tagging out.

I also learned as a 12 year old how hard packing out 2 bull elk is, playing leap frog with a meat pack and going back for the guns and horns (Dad and uncle did the heavy lifting). Tears were shed and soreness for days afterward was felt, but I was on cloud 9 - however that works haha

 

[GhostBass25]

Sorry for not replying to all. There’s a lot of stories and I wanted to say thanks to all that commented. I’m blown away just reading some of the stories, you guys give me something to look forward to one day.


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[GSPHUNTER]

First white tail, 16, first Elk 68 on my second elk hunt.

 

[ndfb35]

Started with whitetail at 12 and started elk hunting at 27, finally connected with a bull nine days before my 30th birthday.

 

[Bigborealaska]

Grew up in Wyoming so elk hunt I was 12 or so. Then spent 8 years in the military and settled in Idaho so I've hunted for a long time. I just got serious about bowhunting 5 years ago. I have rifle hunted my whole life and wish i'd picked up a bow when I was younger.

 

[Mish-pop]

I have been hunting since I have been 12 years old, or carrying a gun since then. Dad started taking me when I was 6-7 years old. I hunted pheasant, waterfowl, and deer (mostly muley). I finally had my first elk tag this year (leftover cow tag) at the age of 32. I just got back a few days ago with my first elk.

 

[twilliams212]

Hoping everything works out and it will be next year. I'll be 36, but I've had the dream of doing so for probably 15 years now. Never thought it was a real option until I started watching Randy Newberg....I wish I could find someone to go archery elk hunting with, but I'll have to live with a rifle hunting buddy for now.