Montana Elk Hunt Analysis Help

[mad_angler]

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- I need to specifically identify spotting knobs so I can find elk quickly. Hiking all day was ineffective and slow.
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One more tip that I'm going to implement... when sitting at a glassing knob, don't just look for elk. Before you leave each spot, glass for glassing spots. Look for other knobs that give different or better looks than your current knob.

 

[BuckSmasher]

This is a great idea, glad to hear you are also learning. I was dictating notes to Siri on the drive home to capture all my thoughts raw. Then as I was listening to podcasts I would pause and write down an error I made the podcast reminded me of. Here was some of them that are even now evolving:

- Escouting is not just location for elk. I picked spots to camp, but I need to pick 3 spots to camp each with 8 different options accessible from my truck. I moved a ton and still not enough.

- I need to specifically identify spotting knobs so I can find elk quickly. Hiking all day was ineffective and slow.

- I didn’t hear a single elk, so I need to know how to hunt them when they are quiet. See above.

- I think I had everything I needed gear wise except a lighter for the stove. I was happy with my packing. Maybe more base kuiu shirts and a second set of each type of pants.

- Probably could have went further if I was in better shape. Specifically for packing out a bull. I had no problems hiking, it was the fear of packing one out 5 miles in.

- Woodsmanship. I need to practice this aggressively — see #3. Particularly the difference between fresh and old sign.

- Plan movement ahead of time. Truck to trailhead, atv to 1 mile, hike next mile. Whatever it is — must be planned before.

- Do NOT waste time in spots with no sign. One of biggest makes this trip.

- On e-scouting for elk specifically, I need to be much more detailed and mark up the heck out of the map. Therefore in field I don’t need to look I just need to move from one marker to another.

- Study more the language of elk. What call means what — especially helpful when they are quiet.

- Check the wind more often — it changed faster than expected and I didn’t know.

Let me know if you have any tips you’ve implemented if you ran into any similar errors. Man I can’t wait to get back out there — hunting elk is incredible!

It seems like you are overthinking it. Elk hunting is easy where there are tons of elk and hard where there are few. It sounds to me like the biggest mistake of the trip is you chose a low elk density area. Biggest part of e-scouting should be identifying good units and productive habitat belts in those units. I would disagree with having a marked up map and sticking to that vs conditions on the ground. Elk were almost certainly bugling 11pm-4am if you were awake and listening you were too far away from where they were. Country you were in looks gentle and forested, bugles don't travel that far in that.

Packing an elk 5 miles out solo is pretty darn near impossible before you could get meat spoilage in Sept. Somebody somewhere has done it but 5 miles in with four round trips equals 40+ miles of hiking with 20+ miles with 80 lb on your back is crazy. It would easily take several days even if gentle hike, restricting you to one or two days hunting. Good plan not to take that on. When I have hunted solo I stay within a half mile of truck/atv transport or have had a packer lined up.

 

[MT_Wyatt]

This is a good thread, almost a model for others - OP “went for it” and then asking for specific feedback on the experience. Refreshing!

@Team4LongGun really nailed it on the feedback in my opinion.

Only thing I would add is once you do find them, gauge their temperature for calling before going too nuts. Elk seem to really be getting educated out there.