If you could only give one piece of advice to a new elk hunter, what would it be?

[Banded_spooney]

Make sure you buy a 22 creedmor or at least get the old trusted .223 dialed in. As long as you’re shooting 77 TMKs

Beautiful thing is your elk rifle will double as a grouse gun…

Oh wait, wrong thread.

 

[Slugz]

Hunt the wind not the animal.

 

[WoodrowCall]

As stated before, I’d say 75-80% of it is mental. High dollar, quality gear is nice but it does you no good if your mind can’t handle the grind…

Also, don’t let your guard down at any time, unless it’s dark! I learned the hard way last year sitting a wallow 1/2 the day. When I got lazy and least expected anything (halfway napping), I missed an opportunity at a 6pt because I wasn’t ready when he snuck in. Still mad at myself 1 year later for letting my guard down…

 

[LostArra]

Balance effort to be successful with enjoying the hunt. Focus on the experience and enjoy every minute. That said, never give up by allowing yourself to be frustrated. Use your head, and keep working until the end. The best elk hunters I know still struggle at times. They don't stress, they just keep hunting hard and enjoying their time. Eventually it comes together most of the time for them.

I'll add to this : Never "hike", always "hunt" when going over any elevation change. Go slow and peek over even the smallest hill.

Avoid that frustration of not seeing an elk for three straight days then you just start hiking, top a hill and all hell breaks loose with elk running everywhere simply because you quit "hunting".

Also, if at all possible, never leave undisturbed elk to find other elk.

 

[ganngus]

Learn that elk aren’t whitetail and whitetail tactics will probably result in you eating tag soup…

 

[Hoyt Ag]

When you see other hunters, dont get your panties in a wad. Use it to your advantage and adjust.

Have fun. You are experiencing something that the majority of hunters are too scared of attempting or think it is some unattainable hunting experience.

Learn from mistakes.

Have fun.

Cow call is your friend.

Make friends on the trail.

Have fun.

 

[prm]

Have good boots and a good pack.

 

[sndmn11]

This is no joke, don't shoot a moose...or a person.

The reality is that this hunt isn't life or death for you, so there's no reason to shoot at things that aren't 100%.

 

[Bullzeyez61]

Hunt hard between 11am-3pm, it is just as good of a time to kill as first or last hour of light.

If you meet somebody on the trail no matter how tired angry or frustrated you are always be nice and respectful you never know who you are talking to.

If somebody asks for help you help them.

If somebody asks to team up for a hunt or for you to join them for the day always say yes.

 

[Gerbdog]

Dont go to hard on that first day.... this is a big one for me, i'll cover wayyyy too many miles on the first day and then that usually means im moving too fast, blowing encounters, and so beat up i just wanna sit wallows the next day. So... pace yourself.

Bring an extra something to eat in your pack that just sits there... its the "i killed a bull and its getting dark" food.... cause after you skipped dinner, cleaned the animal, and its 11 pm you got a 2 mile hike back to the truck... your gonna need that energy boost.

 

[Clearwaterarcher]

There’s never been a better time to be a successful elk hunter. Take advantage of the all tools at your disposal(internet, YouTube, elk101, ElkNut app). You will find elk are fairly consistent creatures in their movements and sounds. Try to spend as much time around elk listening and observing, and then learn to use those sounds to your advantage. As many have already said, understanding wind currents in your area is the one thing that will consistently make or break a hunt. The BEST thing that I ever did was go out with a proven killer my first few hunts. Like most things, you will learn more in the field from an experienced hunter than anywhere else. Good luck

 

[TheGrayRider]

My one piece of advice to a new elk hunter:

When visiting nearby barrooms after your hunt, whiskey and testosterone is a not a good combination.

Tread lightly and respect the locals.

 

[Gerbdog]

Yea.... some people get absolutely bent if you end up in their top secret hunting spot by accident.... my bad....

Another tip comes to mind, bring a tire patch kit, and some way to air up a tire, two flats when all you got is one spare makes for a crap day.

 

[Sherman]

The elk are always where you find them.

 

[willy]

It's been said in several ways but don't quit the hunt until tagged or the fat lady has truly sung to end the last day of hunt. The elk I was blessed with in the last couple minutes of the last day to hunt is my best memory so far, in my elk hunting experiences.

 

[Trackselk]

If you don't know for a fact that your wife and kids like elk meat, then go hunt a bovine, and save the elk for us "game eaters". Otherwise it will just end up in the landfill. I've seen this too many times, dudes really only hunting for a rack on the wall to stroke their egos.
Respect the animals!

 

[Mark.c]

Pre-season physical fitness training is #1. Practice shooting other than from a bench rest and be proficient at longer shots. Don’t pass up a elk cow tag.

 

[Btaylor]

Dont listen to your eyes, you will get to the top of the mountain, regardless of it's size, by putting one foot in front of the other.

 

[Scoot]

Just go have fun. It's hard work, you'll sweat your ass off, it'll suck sometimes-- enjoy all of it! You'll be back home soon enough and wishing you were elk hunting!

 

[Trackselk]

What do you plan to hunt with? Rifle cartridge info might be helpful to steer you in a good direction.
Or bow?