The Current state of Elk Hunting

[deerkiller]

Yes sir, that's my year around motivation every year! I simply love OTC elk hunting & would choose it every year over some of the best draw tags! Give me OTC every year & there's a lot of good things that will happen. Having a confident positive attitude is the key to killing elk every year! I get out there each day & feel I will kill an elk every time I head out!

ElkNut/Paul

JUST like fishing "should" be ….

 

[deerkiller]

Honestly, as someone who learned to hunt during the "deerless days" of the 70's in E. Texas, the prospect of hunting and hunting and hunting and not bagging anything is not enough to put me off. That's how I started my hunting career and I remember those days very well. It was a successful hunt if we just SAW a deer. Some days, finding a fresh track was enough to talk about in camp that evening!

I think part of the frustration with some folks is they never had to hunt in conditions like those. It was tough but we didn't know any better so we kept hunting. And looking back, that experience has made me a much more resilient and positive minded hunter throughout my life.

Plus, there is the expectation of "instant success" nowadays that wasn't so prevalent in generations past

 

[5MilesBack]

the "problem" with fly fishing is that hooking a fish interferes with the "fun" too often

So, you're saying you have more fun when you're not catching fish?

Do you have more fun when you're hunting but not shooting elk?

 

[deerkiller]

So, you're saying you have more fun when you're not catching fish?

Do you have more fun when you're hunting but not shooting elk?

No, but "fly casting" is different than pretty much anything else one will do (guess you need to be there) It was meant to be "tongue in cheek" …..

 

[Beendare]

So, you're saying you have more fun when you're not catching fish?

Do you have more fun when you're hunting but not shooting elk?

Exactly^

I've passed on hunts ...and styles of elk hunting that are very productive...but IMO a crummy hunt.

For example, I know a couple spots where if a guy sat on a water source for 5 days, he would have a high probability of killing an elk.

I know of units that are pretty ugly country a guy can use certain strategies that others don't employ....and you can kill an elk.

I like roaming the rockies mtns......... calling.......... seeing new country and trying to figure it out. This lowers your success rate for sure...going into new country all the time.........but a hunt is about the experience- right?

 

[wapitibob]

I saw that NM unit 52 LO vouchers were going for $3,000

That pretty much sums up the current state of Elk hunting. I just chuckle every time I see a comment about pricing people out of hunting.

 

[nphunter]

So, you're saying you have more fun when you're not catching fish?

Do you have more fun when you're hunting but not shooting elk?

I totally have more fun hunting elk than killing them. Last year I used two weeks of Vacation to call for my buddies after I already filled my elk tag!!

I had the bull in my profile picture coming into a water source almost every single day up until the first day of September plus multiple other bulls over 300". I hunted that spot for 1 evening on opening weekend and passed up a 300" OTC bull feeding at 40 yards because I didn't want to be done hunting yet, my wife was standing next to me whispering for me to shoot it in my ear Had i know he was as big as he actually was I may have done that differently. I picked up his sheds this spring and he was about 305". I ended up killing my bull by chasing him down with a bugle tube in a hell hole and shot him when he came running in at around 20 yards.

I am going to put my son and wife in that stand this season since they will both be archery elk hunting. My buddy from PA is also going to be sitting a stand in the same area because it will be his 5th out of state elk hunt and he has yet to kill a bull and he is used to sitting stands being from back east. I know if I just wanted to kill elk every year I could sit in a tree stand for a week and be done, that is 100% not why I hunt.

Fishing I'm the opposite, if I'm not catching a fish every few casts I'm done!!!

 

[ShortMountain91]

I'll speak to my own situation. This will be my 3rd year elk hunting. I always loved hunting since I was a kid but my parents didn't really have much money so we just hunted deer turkey squirrel doves rabbits etc around the house. Once I graduated college with an engineering degree and got a good job I've finally been able to dive fully into something I've always loved. So that's why I'm suddenly into it cause I finally have the means. But I think the sudden rush is due to availability of information. Not why I decided to try it but definitely makes the jump in easier. It's a good thing though. If the number of people participating gets too small, the liberals will eventually take it away.

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[Savage99]

I'll speak to my own situation. This will be my 3rd year elk hunting. I always loved hunting since I was a kid but my parents didn't really have much money so we just hunted deer turkey squirrel doves rabbits etc around the house. Once I graduated college with an engineering degree and got a good job I've finally been able to dive fully into something I've always loved. So that's why I'm suddenly into it cause I finally have the means. But I think the sudden rush is due to availability of information. Not why I decided to try it but definitely makes the jump in easier. It's a good thing though. If the number of people participating gets too small, the liberals will eventually take it away.

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Sums it up for me except family didn’t hunt growing up. Took the plunge a few years ago back east and now living in the west. We always did outdoor stuff so I developed a love for the outdoors in general.


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[Newtosavage]

Exactly^

I've passed on hunts ...and styles of elk hunting that are very productive...but IMO a crummy hunt.

For example, I know a couple spots where if a guy sat on a water source for 5 days, he would have a high probability of killing an elk.

I know of units that are pretty ugly country a guy can use certain strategies that others don't employ....and you can kill an elk.

I like roaming the rockies mtns......... calling.......... seeing new country and trying to figure it out. This lowers your success rate for sure...going into new country all the time.........but a hunt is about the experience- right?

Preach brother!

 

[deerkiller]

No, but "fly casting" is different than pretty much anything else one will do (guess you need to be there) It was meant to be "tongue in cheek" …..

NEVERMIND …… (what happened to "sense of humor" ??…….)

 

[Fatcamp]

NEVERMIND …… (what happened to "sense of humor" ??…….)

I thought it was funny.

 

[tt_johnsclist]

It’s just the latest market segment for the hunting “industry”. Same thing that happened to Midwest white tails and duck hunting in the 1990’s and 2000’s now those segments are leased-out and shot-out, respectively, and the industry hype and marketing has moved to elk and to a lesser extent turkeys. Same patterns of media hype, advertising, must have camo patterns, and overpriced tech gadgets repeating itself all over again with today.

Remember when hunting used to be considered a hobby or a pastime and not an “industry”?


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[Newtosavage]

It’s just the latest market segment for the hunting “industry”. Same thing that happened to Midwest white tails and duck hunting in the 1990’s and 2000’s now those segments are leased-out and shot-out, respectively, and the industry hype and marketing has moved to elk and to a lesser extent turkeys. Same patterns of media hype, advertising, must have camo patterns, and overpriced tech gadgets repeating itself all over again with today.

Remember when hunting used to be considered a hobby or a pastime and not an “industry”?


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I certainly do, but something to think about - hobbies and pasttimes are easier to do away with than industries.

 

[Okhotnik]

The only solution is Canadian wolves. lots of them

seriously the economy is great now and people have a bit more disposable funds so prices are higher

 

[tt_johnsclist]

I certainly do, but something to think about - hobbies and pasttimes are easier to do away with than industries.

Many would say hunting was saved 100 years ago when industrial hunting was done away with and it was handed to the hobbiest sportsmen!


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[5MilesBack]

Fishing I'm the opposite, if I'm not catching a fish every few casts I'm done!!!

When we lived in Iceland I'd ocean fish year round. The thing was......there were no fish there to catch from about mid November until March, but I loved being out there and casting away. My wife thought I was crazy, she may have been right. But even fully decked out in goretex in a blizzard.........I enjoyed myself.

With elk hunting it's completely about the "total experience". It has to be my way regardless of the outcome. I've eaten tags on some absolutely fantastic hunts, and shot bulls on bad hunts.

 

[nphunter]

When we lived in Iceland I'd ocean fish year round. The thing was......there were no fish there to catch from about mid November until March, but I loved being out there and casting away. My wife thought I was crazy, she may have been right. But even fully decked out in goretex in a blizzard.........I enjoyed myself.

With elk hunting it's completely about the "total experience". It has to be my way regardless of the outcome. I've eaten tags on some absolutely fantastic hunts, and shot bulls on bad hunts.

Totally agree about elk hunting, and agree with your wife about the fishing!!

 

[deerkiller]

The only solution is Canadian wolves. lots of them

seriously the economy is great now and people have a bit more disposable funds so prices are higher

Across the board I'd say it more than "a bit more disposable income" what with "Boomers" inheriting, empty nesters having more time AND $$ to do ?? with - there are way more people with way more jingle in their pockets, sad and simple fact

 

[Trial153]

The recession that hit in 07 and lasted how long? Didnt slow the prices associated with hunting down much at all...may have stayed flat but it never declined or pushed back.
So I am not buying the economy for shifting the baseline.