How long would it take for you to give up?

[AZ_Hunter_2000]

Pony up some cash and do guided with the intent of learning; be very explicit with the various outfitters and go with the one that will give you what you want. If you factored in all the costs expended so far, both real as well last time, you'd come out ahead going the guided route. I was in a similar situation on black bear; learned more about bear/lion hunting in one week with two rock star guides than I did solo with months invested chasing black bears over several years.

But this is RS where paying to significantly shorten the learning curve is frowned upon.

 

[robtattoo]

I did 8 years of 5+ day trips from Tennessee to Wyoming & Colorado before I killed my first elk.
I think I was on year 4 (?) before I actually saw my first.

I'll still be going back this year with a bull tag in my pocket. I know my chances are still incredibly slim, being an out of state hunter, but while I can draw tags & physically get where I need to be, i won't quit.

 

[TylerTheTerrible]

I'd make your new goal finding the elk. And then after that ask yourself if you're having fun.

 

[woods89]

I killed my first bull on the first day of my 3rd trip. 15 days of hunting total before notching that tag.

Both previous trips had me close to filling a tag, so that helped.

 

[MallardSX2]

If I wasn't killing an elk every other trip, I would likely give it up. It's too much money and cost/effort/PTO to not get one every other trip.

Thats just me.

Some of the guys on here saying they have gone on 4-5-6-7 or more trips and never killed an elk just baffles me. They must be some seriously shitty hunters. lol

 

[Jbehredt]

I think it’s probably easy to forget the lows of an elk hunt when you’re living through 11 months in Wisconsin for Minnesota surrounded by 3 bratty kids and a nagging wife. They’re here to stay.

 

[cuerro viejo]

would never give up, I enjoy my time in mountains and deserts way to much.

 

[Read1t48]

cool question.

My answer is, “never“.
There’s no way you can consistently kill elk if you have a quitters attitude. Confidence is king, too. Good things happen when you have confidence. Confidence is what allows you to drop in after a bull when you would rather second-guess yourself or wait too long because your set up is not perfect. Confidence is what allows you to check out a whole new drainage after having a morning bust or maybe you haven’t seen anything for five days but you are still going to go look somewhere else. That takes confidence and perseverance and determination. The opposite end of that spectrum is a quitter’s attitude.

Every year, even if you don’t kill something, you are learning, honing your craft, your woodsmanship, your ability to look for sign, your ability to bring appropriate gear, manage your time, mapping and navigation, a whole host of things. it is nonstop learning and it is a steep learning curve for some, but you are learning.

I had a learning curve for a number of years and have thankfully been blessed to kill elk every year in a unit that is typically 5 to 8% success rate. This is a OTC Public Land. I can do it because I never gave up, and I made an effort to constantly learn and improve.

 

[rkcdvm]

I would not give up but I certainly would re-evaluate what I am doing to have results such as those listed above. I mean, Newberg didn't kill an elk until he had been hunting 6 or 7 seasons. I'm sure he learned a lot during that time. They year I saw the most elk and the largest amount of really nice bulls , I never even pulled my bow back. I learn a lot more during seasons I don't kill than I seasons I do kill.

 

[stoopiddumbman]

I tell myself just don't never stop not hammering man you'll be killing 400 inchers every year in no time. And then thats what I do, I don't never stop not hammering.

But if I wasn't a stone cold killer who could learn the species, master an area, and pattern multiple trophy class animals in 7 days I would still take every opportunity I had to get out in the woods. That is the point for me and I try my best to remember to be very grateful for that opportunity every time.

 

[Jaquomo]

State-wide average where I am is something like 22%, last time I checked. That's across the board - newbies and experienced hunters alike, as well as folks in the field for archery for a month combined with day-trippers who just get out opening day. But either way, that's 1 every 5 years "on average" with no other factors considered.

Based on that I'd go 10 years - that's two "missed the average" periods. But if you went more then 2-3 years without "seeing" anything worth keeping you in the game, you should be doing everything in your power to improve your skill. If you aren't seeing elk you're probably not where they are. If you went 10 years doing that, you should stop if for no other reason than you're wasting your time. You're never going to be successful hunting elk in downtown San Diego

Don't forget that average also includes outfitted hunters on ranches, where the success rate can be 100%, or close to it. On the big ranch where I guided and the bigger ranch next to it, the success rate was about 80% every year, including archery and muzzlelloader, and we/they ran a lot of hunters through. All the surrounding ranches were outfitted and did similarly well.

Meanwhile on the BLM and National Forest, hunters spend the seasons trying to scratch up a one-eyed, three legged calf wandering around.

 

[Elkbelch]

I hunted 6 years before I got my first bull, we actually started hunting deer out of state in 94 but were seeing more elk than deer so we coughed up the $250 NR elk tag and just went after them. We were on foot those days and were so jealous on I-70 of all the elk racks tied to the four wheelers on the trailers. 10 years into it we had an elk on our trailer every other year. Dad got old and I took ten years off and now it feesl like Iaam back to square one. Daughter and I struck out last year but saw a spike and four cows, headed out Tuesday and feeling good with a $800n cow tag, I just want to be there, If you don't just want to "be there" your missing out.

Shawn

 

[Billy Goat]

I think it depends on the experience one is after.


If your goal is to kill an elk, after some period you should quit. If you haven't figured it out you are just waiting on a lightning strike, and those are getting fewer and fewer.


If your goal is to hunt elk, enjoy the whole experience I don't see why not killing should deter you.

I guess I have gotten to where I don't need a kill to make a trip a success. Kinda nice spot to be in, and probably would have a different take on it if I was still chasing a first elk after all these years.


I still want to go every year, and I don't think it would bother me if I never killed another.
But I'm a different kinda individual.



Maybe I should just go camp in those primo areas and practice my calling, educate them. Probably more fun and cheaper when you ain't paying them NR fees.

 

[OXN939]

-Consecutive seasons of seeing little to no elk sign;
-The time required - figure on 7+ days/season;
-Money required, esp. nonres tag prices.

If these are the case, your best options would honestly be to A) pack it in, or B) pick up a landowner tag somewhere and hire a guide.

 

[Jpsmith1]

I've hunted elk one time. I drew a tag in 06 for Pennsylvania.

I did not see an elk.

Elk isn't a thing I can hunt regularly. Whitetail are.

With respect to whitetail, I started hunting in 1987. That year, I saw lots of deer as PA woods were practically polluted with them in the late 80s. 12 year old me 'whiffed' on a forked horn and later took a doe.

I did not see another buck during the season until 2011.

I didn't tag another deer until 2002.

I finally tagged a buck in 2020.

Maybe I'm a stubborn cuss but that's the story.

 

[Marble]

Not even an option or a thought ever!


Sent from my SM-S918U using Tapatalk

 

[Novashooter]

I don't think any of those considerations would really factor into when I would quit elk hunting. If I went 7+ days of solid elk hunting and never saw elk sign or elk, the solution is clear. I would never go back to that area. Honestly by day 3, I would have been doing the big move to a whole different section of the unit. By day 6 I would be doing a hail mary. I would never apply for that unit again. The next year I would be back scouting a different unit for elk. They aren't that hard to see. If you can't see them or sign in a couple of days, they probably aren't there.

Money could for sure be a factor, and it usually is a factor, but it would never shut me down permanently. It only limits what I can do in one season. You will have to decide if hunting elk will mean you wont hunt something else too, if that is worth it to you.

I have never failed at something 2 consecutive years in a row. The closest example I have is turkey hunting in the blackhills, SD. I hunted them fall, then spring in one year, both complete failures. No turkeys, no signs. I then skipped a year, and came back one more time in the spring. Another complete failure, like 2 turkeys seen, zero sign. Not even a gobble in in all this time. This is not going to stop me from turkey hunting, but you can be sure I will not be turkey hunting the blackhills again unless I see any sign the situation has changed. Plenty of turkeys elsewhere.

Same thing for elk, although I wouldn't go to the same dud area twice. The only reason I went back 3 times for turkeys was because of the reputation.

 

[insanelupus]

I think you've been reading my mail! Lol

MT resident, Region 1 elk hunter (low density elk numbers, low density bull to cow ratios, heavy timber) since 2002 (barring 2 seasons spent in Region 2 & 3 for a few weeks). Multiple weeks hunted every year (3-4, minimum). But I told myself if I could regularly learn to kill elk in Region 1, there weren't many places I couldn't kill elk after that.

Killed a cow on a draw tag in 2007. Started archery in 2012. Killed my first bull in 2022. Twenty years grinding. Killed my second bull this year. I MIGHT be learning something, but I'll hold off until next year to make that a definitive statement.

Grew up a midwest whitetail hunter. The really good elk hunters don't give up many "secrets" and are really selective on hunting partners. I don't blame them, I am too. The ones adamant about teaching me to elk hunt were not the people or "hunters" I really cared to have as mentors.

I was successful on many other species before bull elk. Heck I even tagged a great (especially to me) mid 160s bighorn ram on a DIY, before my first bull.

I'm still learning with a long way to go, but elk hunting is like compound interest. In the beginning, you don't see many gains. But with every year that passes, that learning curve increases tremendously.

And yes, in year 20 hunting elk, I was having the conversation with myself, when are you gonna be smart enough to find a different hobby? My answer, for me, is if I had not tagged a bull after a quarter century elk hunting, I'd give the question more serious thought. Looks like that won't have too happen now.

Many things can kill elk, for me persistance and dogged stubborness were two things that helped, along with the many blessings, lessons, and perspectives the Lord was providing along the way.

 

[SwiftShot]

Are you really elk hunting if you are not seeing elk or elk sign? Sounds more like hiking.

Being serious if you are not seeing elk or sign of elk you need to move. They are not just going to pop up out of the ground.
I have hunted elk with a bow only for 25 years. It took a while but I learned a lot. I find elk all the time when hiking our camping all around the West. Stopped at a campground in New Mexico. Went for a walk with a bunch of people down the road. Stopped because I smelled elk. Sage brush on the side of the road with a gulch. Got everyone to shut up in the group. Dropped a few mews with my mouth and they called back. In a few mins whole herd is at the road. What I am pointing out is people miss elk a lot. That is why less than 10 percent of hunters kill 90 percent of elk.

 

[Fullfan]

I could not imagine; I live 2100 miles from where I hunt elk. When I leave to come back home, the plans start for the next season. When and if i become too old and can no longer tromp around the mountains, I will be the best camp bitch ever.

I would say if someone was having the same results as you have mentioned, one take up golf or some other activity that does not require mental/physical discipline. Two, change what you are doing when trying to kill an elk, doing the same thing over and over but expecting a diff result will not work.