Key Attributes of Successful Elk Hunters

[Gumbo]

Time to devote to the hunt and going hard until that time is up, then scrounging up more time if necessary.

 

[LostArra]

HUNT your way over every hill or ridge at high alert in spite of not seeing an elk for the past 3 days.
When hunting just becomes walking you are guaranteed to bust a group just as you top the hill.

 

[chasewild]

1. Maxing out your credit card on sitka gear;
2. 12 diaphragm calls with the latest AMP and SONIC BOOM sound plates;
3. 3 different size bugle tubes;
4. 1,000 hours of Elk 101 classes;
5. 6 fletch arrows, 100 grain brass inserts, 12 iron will broadheads (only the solids...duh); and a quivalizer.
6. A kifaru tarp;
7. And an instagram account with 2 pro-staff tag lines.

 

[Marble]

I tell friends that my elk hunting success happens where persistence and luck intersect.

I'm with you on this. And to add one more thing, do not be afraid or reluctant to go into that spot because it looks hard.

I have learned this lesson a few times. I passed up a small bull and a cow last year because I thought I would not be able to get to where they would be if I killed them. I didnt shoot them, and 100 yards down the trail was a clear to go right to them. I never filled my tag.

 

[trophyhill]

What a great thread! Since I've learned to set up where the elk have to come looking, I've had far less hangups, and many more up close and personal encounters and or shot opportunities.

 

[idaho-shooter]

Elk hunting must be a passion.

Start with as much scouting as possible to locate Elk an identify access.

Set up a great camp with warmth, good food, and good sleeping (rest). Close but not too close to the hunting area.

Hunt smart. Hunt long and hard. Hike to your spot in the dark. Get the wind right. Get the wind right is IMO the most important. Hunt the weather. Elk move in bad weather.

Be prepared to harvest an Elk. Hunt positive. And enjoy the journey and adventure.

Give yourself as much time (days) as possible for success. It take time to consistently harvest bull Elk.

Thanks

 

[Bearshirt]

I think elk hunting is pretty easy until you shoot one. Then its put your head down and get to workin. I love exploring the mountains. I always want to see whats over there and I love following elk sign. Nothing like cracking that code and seeing the sign get hotter and hotter. Im always sad to come home other then mising my wife and pooches. I could wander the mountains all day everyday. I even like it when it rains hails and lightenings. I feel more at home and relaxed in the woods then any where else.

 

[All American Boy]

Know your hunting unit. Unit success rates are overrated. Figure out your unit, find food, water, and cover and then figure out there patterns.

 

[JLH208]

Attitude, perseverance, and experience. Start a journal of your hunts, I do it for all species now and it gives me a tool to reflect and learn from mistakes. If you can learn why a mistake was a mistake, you will do better.


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[Still Hunter]

It takes GOOD LUCK!!! Not the "BAD LUCK" ...

 

[Ross]

Dedication, time, drive, ability to forget blunders and move on, solid level of fitness, embrace the suck and simply enjoy working hard as the kill is such a small part of the success and the brain has a way of forgetting all the boring or time leading up to those great moments luck is always good and we can create some but those who are successful year after year are not lucky they have prepared

 

[RCB]

I too have wondered about this. I’ve hunted cow elk only once and got very lucky, so I have no claim to expertise here, but I’ll share some thoughts.

One thing mentioned often is mental toughness and discipline, which is a general skill that applies to any challenge in life. Will you still be able to will yourself into hunting with the same focus on day 5 as in day 1? Will you be able to get up uncomfortably early, in the cold, and get to your hunting spot before sunrise, day after day? After covering many miles with no sightings, will you still step softly and keep eyes on the horizon? Will you be able to handle the loneliness, if going solo? Will you let your less enthusiastic buddies drag you down, if in a group? Will you have it in you to move on to plan D after A B and C fail, the weather gets crummy, and your bed at home is calling to you?
A lot of these challenges can be lessened by practical decisions. Take a short mid-day nap so you’re not drained every night and fail to wake up early. Eat well. Stay warm and dry. Hike light. And, of course, being physically fit means that you will be able to handle the challenges much more comfortably.
You can also practice and prepare. If you’re going to be waking up at 5 am every morning, then by god don’t let day 1 be the first time: start getting up early before the hunt starts. Hike - a lot - and in the rain and snow. Do some weekend backpacking trips to get used to the feeling of being out there for days.

Then there are the qualities specific to hunting and to elk. Did you do enough research and scouting to pick an area that is likely to hold elk? Are you good enough with your weapon to take advantage of the few opportunities you’ll get (eg short time windows, unsupported rifle positions)? Can you spot, stalk, and still hunt effectively?

To summarize, I think a successful hunter has a mix of general qualities, which tend to make you succeed at any outdoor challenge, and more hunting-specific qualities, which you mostly learn by getting out there and learning by experience. I’m not sure which overall set is more important, but if I had to guess it’s the former. The guy who has the grit to stay out and hunt with focus and determination for days on end is a lot more likely to punch his tag, even if he’s not exactly an elk genius. Let me know if I’m totally wrong.

 

[FlyGuy]

I think so much of this is simply explained by people who grew up hunting elk. They just have way more experience with failing and success. Their mind tells them to go up or down, left or right without them conscious thinking about it. They naturally have confidence from the experience they’ve gained over many years, and most likely from years of mentoring from adults with many many years of experience themselves. I don’t think it’s any different than guys who grew up playing golf all summer from the time they could hold a club, those guys are always the best golfers in the entire office, and they usually don’t work very hard at it. Or skiing. If you learned as a kid b/c your parents took you every year, you can just flat dominate most anyone who didn’t start until they were an adult.






You can’t cheat the mountain

 

[cnelk]

By the weekend end, I’ll have put over 1000 miles on scouting my areas this year. And the furthest one is 150 miles from my house.

I know my access points, places to camp, how the thermals are react, and I even saw 5 elk.

 

[IdahoElk]

Hunt where the Elk are,if you're not seeing fresh sign it's time to move until you find them.
Never leave Elk to find other Elk,sounds stupid but I've done that way too many times!

 

[ElkNut1]

Flyguy, I don't know about that! I came from a non hunting family but had a burning desire to hunt elk at a very early age, before 12. It was about a no quit burning desire to do where my heart & soul led me! Failure wasn't an option & I pushed on. I've taken several bulls on the last day of the season, it's that don't quit until the fat lady sings! (grin)

Today, all my success from calling bulls on OTC units. I do this to show others that it can be done, It's all done with calling or nothing! Of course other methods work but it's generally by hunters who have no confidence in their abilities to call! No kidding! You can call in & kill bulls on any OTC unit in any state if you dedicate yourselves to the important stuff!

ElkNut/Paul

 

[FlyGuy]

Flyguy, I don't know about that! I came from a non hunting family but had a burning desire to hunt elk at a very early age, before 12. It was about a no quit burning desire to do where my heart & soul led me! Failure wasn't an option & I pushed on. I've taken several bulls on the last day of the season, it's that don't quit until the fat lady sings! (grin)

Today, all my success from calling bulls on OTC units. I do this to show others that it can be done, It's all done with calling or nothing! Of course other methods work but it's generally by hunters who have no confidence in their abilities to call! No kidding! You can call in & kill bulls on any OTC unit in any state if you dedicate yourselves to the important stuff!

ElkNut/Paul

I’m not trying to imply that it can’t be done if you got a late start, and believe me I’m not belly aching about it nor am I trying to take anything away from the guys who bust their ass and get it done every year. I’m sure it wasn’t easy for you to get to where you are if you didn’t grow up with a hunting mentor, but to my point it probably came easier to your son as he had your example to teach him from a young age. (Not that any of this is ever easy, for anyone, but you know what I mean). Heck, I’m doing everything I can to become a regular elk killer. I am just saying that guys who grew up doing this have a significant advantage and likely make up a significant amount of the “10%” of hunters that tag out year after year after year.

All the attributes people have listed over and over in this thread are all true - confidence, animal behavior knowledge, experience in a unit, time spent scouting, positive attitude, killer instincts, work ethic, fitness level, mental toughness.... those are all skills needed to be a 10 percenter, but it takes years to develop all those skills. If you got started elk hunting at age 15 verses age 40, you still have to do the same things to be consistently successful, but it comes more natural to the guy who can lean on 25 extra years of experience. That’s all I’m saying. I wish I’d have been born in elk country, but I’m grinding everyday in the off-season to do everything I can to make up for it.





You can’t cheat the mountain

 

[PNWGATOR]

Knowing the difference between hunting and killing because there is a huge difference. Some people are good hunters and some of us are good killers. The really good, consistent, hunters are great killers not just great hunters. I’ve got buddies that are good hunters, they have all the gear, they know the animals, they know their gear, they’re good in the woods, but they lack that important killing skill set. Knowing when to be aggressive, when to hold back, and when and when not to get emotional because ultimately it’s not about hunting, it’s about killing.

If you want to kill elk every year you’ve got to learn how to kill not just how to hunt.

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Flesh this out as I feel it’s spot on and a lot of hunters could benefit from this mindset and how to achieve results.

 

[Dlbuttram21]

Physical and mental preparation. If you are not in shape you won’t make it into day 4 or 5.
Don’t be scared to get off the beaten path. I see so many ppl stay close to walking trails. We kill because we out walk most ppl.

 

[Dlbuttram21]

And I’ll add, it’s about learning what other hunters are doing around you. I find places that other hunters push game to me but will not typically access themselves.