What do you wish you’d done differently on your first western hunt?

[FlyGuy]

I wish I'd planned for many more days if hunting. 5 days is just not enough time.

I wish I would have made a weekend scouting trip to the planned hunting area. I had an unrealistic plan in mind but didn't know it until it was too late.

I wish I would have bought an InReach. Wanted to spike out more (group wanted to truck camp only, but with zero cell service I was too uncomfortable to be out solo for more than a night at a time.

I wish I would have used my calls more. I wasn't confident, so I spent three days walking around and not seeing elk. Got frustrated by the end of the day and finally whipped out my bugle call-and got an almost immediate answer from a bull! Turned out to be a VERY nice 6x6 that didn't come in quite close enough to seal the deal On, but it changed my life.

I wish I would have tested the waterproofness of my 10 year old Cabelas 2 man tent that had been in the attic for most of its life before that trip started. (See number 1 above)



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[Jon Boy]

Know the phrase elk are where you find them and understand it. Seems simple but it takes people a long time to figure it out. Find a ridge system and start making tracks until you run into them.

Also, unless you're an experienced solo back packer, Make your backpack trips one to two nights at a time. I know a lot of people who thought they'd dive into a 5-7 day backpack elk hunt. The idea is romantic. I know very few who have made it past 2 nights on there first couple of tries. Myself included.

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[TauPhi111]

I did my first western trip last year, and the two things I can say I wish we did differently are 1) pack lighter. It is easy to overpack. We went with the mind set to be prepared for everything, which is what I think most first timers do. We had a great hunt, but the hike in and out with an 85lb pack was brutal. You should take a few long long treks with your entire load out long before your hunt, and if it is too heavy, take some time to cut it down. 2) don't underestimate how long it'll take to get to your spot. If you're planning a 3 mile hike in, for instance, don't think it'll only take a couple hours if it is your first time in the area. Navigating up and down big steep mountains takes time when it's unfamiliar terrain, and you're even slower with a pack.

 

[sharpshooter269]

My first time going elk hunting was on my dad’s 40th birthday. Elk hunting is not like what you see on the cameras for a diy hunt. Check out elk hunting 101, the elknut, and Chris roe. These guys have great education on elk hunting and calling. You’ll take off 10 years on your learning curve by paying the money for these 3. I’ve used a lot of Chris roe’s techniques the last couple years and I’ve killed elk 4 of the 5 last years. Also shoot whatever makes you happy. I kicked myself for not shooting a gimme on a cow my 1st year...10 years later is when I had my next gimme.
You’re gonna have a blast.


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[Beendare]

I wish I wouldn't have borrowed my GF's VW Rabbit [35 yrs ago]

5x5 bull ripped the headliner right out of that thing....and even in coolers the windows were fogging so bad from the fresh meat and wet clothes- brutal,...but good gas mileage.

 

[archer wapiti]

Yup. like others have said, if you're not into elk, keep moving. If you're into elk on one day, but see the sign getting older and older, find a new spot.
It doesn't hurt to be able to shoot to 60+ yards, but thousands of elk have been killed within 30. Just choose your shot and be disciplined about it.

 

[Sturgeon]

I had just got into listening to a few podcasts about a month before the hunt. I didn't realize how much great information is out there that discusses elk tactics and behavior. I really wish I had been listening to them much longer. Hunt Backcountry Podcast, Gritty Bowmen, and Rich Outdoors have all had some great guests on. Ones with the Elknut or Corey Jacobson are especially informative for calling elk. Which leads me to my next mistake, not being familiar at all with calls. I wish I had purchased a couple calls and practiced with them. Instead I got out there with nothing and a buddy gave me a cheap bite and blow I couldn't figure out and the hoochie mama. Nothing came in. Now I'm pretty comfortable with reed calls and have a decent external call. My final regret was passing on a cow the morning of day 4 out of a 5 day hunt. I would have been very happy with, but the other 3 guys in the group had tagged out on bulls and seen other elk around so I thought I still was going to have an opportunity after that and never saw another elk.

 

[2peterhunter]

Shoot the first elk you get a shot at! I got into them my first trip to Wy and ended up not shooting one because I was picky. I was 17 from mn and on my own, looking back I kick myself so hard for not shooting a cow the first night! Enjoy the combo tag take an afternoon or two and go fishing, it can be very hard not to define success by shooting an elk or not and we all can say we are past that but honestly I get kinda bummed and disappointed if I head home with an empty tag. Catching some fish, shooting a grouse or two helps me at least have a level of success. Lighten up on yourself if you need to take a morning off or even a day do it, your out there for your own enjoyment not to prove you can work so hard and kill an elk. If your not having fun then take a break or sit by a fire for an hour and take a minute to get the right mindset again. Take minute and breathe deep every chance you get that mountain air is special!

 

[juan trueno]

There’s something out there that’s real hard to see. Turn around and it’s not there. Makes your hair stand up when it goes by. Moves around at the edges of your headlamp and makes it hard to get back to camp in the dark. It settles over your bivy sack and waits for you to come up for air.

You have to try to ignore that. It’ll keep you from killing anything.


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[mproberts]

I would look closer at aerial images and plan my hike up the mountain to avoid blowdown.. seems obvious but I was toast in my first day before I started in NW MT just trying to get to my destination.

Outside of scouting an area before you hunt it has anyone found a decent way to identify areas that are thick with blowdown? I've tried to really check the aerial imagery and hikers photos, but have been burnt before going into areas that are incredibly thick with blowdown. It has made the hunting incredibly challenging. Just wondering if guys have any advice on the subject, maybe some areas are more prone to it, I honestly have no idea what to look for.

 

[El General]

Caveat - I have only been on one western hunt.

Time was the biggest factor we didn't allow for. The more days you have the better.

 

[Tag_Soup]

1.believe your going to be successful. 2.give yourself enough time to achive success. 3. Have multiple backup plans and don't be afraid to pack up and move on. 4. Be physically and mentally prepared to go hard everyday don't quit yourself 4. Leave it all out on the mountain or you'll have regrets.
Some of these sound simple and easy when the weather rolls in or chips get down they aren't so easy

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this ^

 

[elkyinzer]

Gone 5 years sooner first of all.

For my first trip, should have kept it simpler and just hunted them. Got too wrapped romanticizing the backpack hunt, thinking I needed to get way in deep to the wilderness. You could say I was sold the whole "sitka athlete" bill of goods. That style has its merits, don't get me wrong, but I wasted a lot of energy I had to put into backpack camping when there were elk I could have accessed eating and sleeping like a semi civilized human being. Also wanting to chase bugles and call to them, totally discarding how effective a good ambush can be.

 

[cnelk]

Outside of scouting an area before you hunt it has anyone found a decent way to identify areas that are thick with blowdown? I've tried to really check the aerial imagery and hikers photos, but have been burnt before going into areas that are incredibly thick with blowdown. It has made the hunting incredibly challenging. Just wondering if guys have any advice on the subject, maybe some areas are more prone to it, I honestly have no idea what to look for.

For reference- Here is a surface pic and and GE aerial pic of blowdown beetle kill
The yellow X is where I am standing

 

[juan trueno]

For reference- Here is a surface pic and and GE aerial pic of blowdown beetle kill
The yellow X is where I am standing

If you can’t tell that’s blowdown from the imagery... well. I don’t know what to say. The hard light and the angle and the age make that one a real easy read. Here’s a few more. I’m looking for the on the ground view... this is essentially impenetrable.

Edit: I don’t have a good in the ground photo of it because I simply couldn’t capture the scope of it. It’s 1 mile of ridge that looks like it was clear cut and they left everything.

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[Yooper]

Admittedly I didn't read through all the posts yet, but I wish I would have been more prepared to know what I would do in the case that I had to stop a bull in a shooting lane. That little branch will forever be burned into my memory

 

[RallySquirrel]

1) when you are setting up for a shot, do not stand behind the big pine tree thinking you need it to hide! Elk pick up movement very fast but are blind to a motionless hunter in any color camo. If you are a wt hunter and are used to the thought process that they pick up on anything that looks out of the ordinary then you may miss your chance. Shooting lanes on the ground are different than tree stand hunting and you need to have them to arrow an elk. 2) fancy gear may look good in pictures but it doesn't eat very good. Kill an elk in what you can afford. 3) On day three when you start to doubt yourself, don't. The elk you will eventually bump into with persistance won't know that you have no idea what you are doing.

I hope you create some great memories with your Dad and maybe even get an elk!

 

[flatlanderhuffandpuff]

Everyone says to be successful you need to not see your camp in the natural light. I would agree, but it is much more difficult than you would think after 4 or 5 days in a row. Plan on being truly exhausted.

Don't let your enjoyment be tied to killing an elk. We eventually got a cow on the ground for our first hunt, but we were having such a blast that was just the icing on the cake. I feel bad when I hear people say their hunt was a waste because they didn't kill whatever they were after.

We packed way more than we needed but used pretty much everything we took just because we had it.

 

[Gorp2007]

My first and only was a rifle hunt and if I could do one thing over, I would have practice more offhand shooting and shot more in general. I did a lot of "field" shooting off a backpack, from a bipod, kneeling, and using shooting sticks but I didn't spend enough time shooting offhand. I managed to get the elk, but only because I got lucky and hit him in the spine. Whether it's archery or rifle: practice, practice, practice. The shots are always tougher when you're stressed and out of breath.

 

[fap1800]

First and foremost...don’t give up followed closely by shoot the first legal elk that gives you an ethical shot. Been there. Done them both.


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