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

[aion2come]

I'd go out and scout the area ahead of time. That is difficult to do. But when you have only a few days to hunt, you can waste half the hunt just learning the area and figuring out where elk are located.

 

[North]

Thanks again for all the info and support, guys. I gave my dad the link so he can read all the responses and I'm sure it's been helpful to others as well.

 

[Fishhuntbiker]

When you get into elk your first time put a arrow on your string. My very first day of elk hunting I got into to elk and was so amazed on the size of the animals I forgot I was hunting them. Trust me the time to put an arrowon the string is not when a bull is 10 yards away.

 

[Bl704]

Elk need 3 or 4 things: food, water, safety and (seasonally) other elk to breed. They're may travel good distances between each, especially if pressured, which is why you're gonna find them where they are (in some unprrssured spot near a road, away from roads/trails, in that hellatious ravine).

Finding the fresh sign-poop, rubs, tracks, calls, sightings is a big challenge. So being mobile (.5 day to 2 day trips) at first helps knock out many spots that look elky.

Being in great shape will seldom be a liability.

Practice/train like you plan to hunt. That may mean training miles with a weighted pack, shooting with your pack on, practice at distance, yada yada.

You don't need to spend a ton of $, but understand the trade offs and consequences. (If you don't learn anything from the school of Aron, learn this lesson) If you're wearing cotton and the weather is crap (cold and wet) you best have heat or be able to get out safely. This is where the wool, synthetics and down gear factor. If you're planning on hiking some distance this is where comfort and the "ounces are pounds" and shedding that weight may take $.

Watch the wind. Hunt into it or across it. Understand thermals. Those little puffers or seeds or a thread or snow or trees blowing all show you the way.

Listen. At night for bugles. During the day, sometimes for bugles/cow calls depending on pressure, but also for that branch snapping or tree getting raked.

You may repeat the same mistakes, but don't be stupid.

Be safe.

 

[Bl704]

...and these do not have to be far from road. I spent long days 4 miles from the road...only to shoot my first two elk .33 and .25 miles from the truck...both were areas I intentionally went into that week as I had not noticed any trucks/hunters nearby.

But Matt, sometimes they're a bit further. And some days you get into elk all day and it's just epic. I'm just glad your last one ran toward the truck

To the OP, if you can find somebody to hunt with or bounce ideas off, that has some experience you'll learn a bunch. I think bz_711 and I share the same original mentor.

 

[kingfisher]

Great advice already- Don't put too much pressure on yourself to kill an animal. Just enjoy the hunt. Also, realize that many times there are closed/unmarked forest service gates, that OnX/Gamin/software doesn't show. Scout out your areas pre season to make sure you can even get there. Have multiple backup plans.

 

[North]

I've got 90% of my gear together, main things missing are optics, bino harness, and satellite communicator. Oh, and bear spray. Now Im going to start messing with pack configurations and trying out the weight on some hikes and a few trial overnights. Hiking/doing cardio/lifting as much as possible. I'll attempt to travel to Montana to scout some spots this summer. I do have a friend in Montana who has killed some elk who is helping me out with ideas for spots so I'm not exactly flying blind. Only shooting out to 40 currently but I just got a slider so I'll start doing some longer range once it's sighted in. Thanks again, everyone.

 

[bozeman]

I would have went sooner! Not waited til I was 39.

 

[kingfisher]

Another thing. I made mention of having backup plans, but...I realized in my first season, that one can spread themselves thin scouting. It is better to pick an area as your main area and learn it. My first year I tried to scout out 5 different areas trying to find the best one. I ended up not learning any of them well enough to be successful and wound up empty handed for elk. Of hunters I know, those that do the best pick an area, even if statistically mediocre, and they learn it well. Many get elk every year. Obviously start in an area you know hold elk. Also, if you see people opening day, don't get too discouraged. The place my brothers and I have hunted elk in CO, has lots of people(I see 1-3 people/day 4 miles back). My brothers seem to kill elk every year there. Its hard to get away from people these days. Also, you can have backup areas within the area you intend on hunting, but it may be a good idea to have one other completely different area/region/range due to the possibility of really bad weather, fire, etc. Last year here in SW Montana in September a storm dumped over a foot of snow in the area I wanted to hunt. I couldn't access the trailhead, and had to move on.

 

[ChubbyChaser]

This is all excellent advice. My first time was on the Continental Divide in Colorado GMU 161. My biggest regret is camping down in big red and traveling by ATV 20 miles per day to the top of the divide. I regret that immensely and wished rather to have embedded myself in the wilderness more instead of wasting all that time on the ATV. I learned a lot from that trip about how important it is to be in shape. Air is thin, packs are heavy, and the weather changes moods like the old lady, but at the end of the day, there's no better place on earth that in Elk country. Enjoy, and go where people are not.

 

[Dave270]

You'l see a lot of country. I couldn't help but to hike over that next ridge and see so much more. I wonder how many bulls I walked by.

 

[OleWI21]

I actually went on my first elk hunt with my father last year. Best time of my life! The one thing I wish I would have done is practice more scenario shooting and shooting while standing on a slope. I have jump shot many deer in a thick swamp but its a whole new game when you are standing on the side of the mountain, out of breath trying to put the shot on an elk. I don't know if it was me breathing hard or misjudging the distance and angle but I missed. I still can see that rack in my scope! Also, like other guys are saying, don't hunt an area just because you feel like there should be elk there. I wasted a lot of time hunting an area that was devoid of sign. We actually found more sign closer to the road. Just happened to stumble on the elk as we were working our way back to camp.

 

[DEHusker]

Everything you see here is excellent advice. However, I'm a firm believer in absolutely one thing for archery elk hunting. Of course you must know where to look for elk but the one piece of advice that I got as a new hunter years ago for archery elk hunting was:

LEARN HOW TO CALL, WHEN TO CALL, AND LEARN IT WELL.

On my first archery elk hunt, I saw lots of elk and some good bulls too. I had worked out a ton, shot my bow to 60 yards a ton, sweated over all the details of what to put in my pack, found great areas, did all the "little things" but failed to learn how to call well. I was calling, but poorly and not really knowing when any how to call. I met a very successful "old timer" on that hunt who showed me lots of different things but the most important thing he showed me was that to consistently kill elk, you really need to be able to call and call well. I'm not talking blowing on a hooch mamma...I'm talking about getting the Elk Nut CDs and going over them until you've memorized them. Elk calling is the single most effective thing to learn to kill elk because you'll learn elk behavior at the same time. Since that time with the "old timer" I've gotten numerous encounters and killed many bulls all because I knew what the heck I was doing with some reeds and a bugle tube. For NR elk hunters, it is even more important because it is NOT STRESSED ENOUGH to learn to how to call, when to call, and do it well! Good luck.

 

[BradNSW]

1. Shot more 3D before the hunt - First Elk I saw was a 5x5 @ 30 yds, broadside in a clear lane. I drew and all 5 pins were on his chest (which didn't have a bulls eye)...Hmm, in the second it took me to put the 30 yd pin on the crease, he bolted. I was devastated!!
2. Don't piss downwind - Had a spike sneak up to within 15yds (upwind) while I was takin care of business, downwind, like I was taught as a young lad.
3. The next year my pack weight went from 50lbs to 37lbs for 6 days and my legs thanked me!

 

[DavePwns]

1. Shot more 3D before the hunt - First Elk I saw was a 5x5 @ 30 yds, broadside in a clear lane. I drew and all 5 pins were on his chest (which didn't have a bulls eye)...Hmm, in the second it took me to put the 30 yd pin on the crease, he bolted. I was devastated!!
2. Don't piss downwind - Had a spike sneak up to within 15yds (upwind) while I was takin care of business, downwind, like I was taught as a young lad.
3. The next year my pack weight went from 50lbs to 37lbs for 6 days and my legs thanked me!

What where some of the specific upgrades you did to get your pack weight down?

 

[BradNSW]

Biggest was ditching water and carrying a katadyne water filter!

Next biggest was ditching spotting scope and going to small binos (too thick/steep to really use the spotting scope effectively)

3rd was bear spray over pistol (hopefully that doesn't bite me in the rear)!

4th, got rid of ground tarp and bought a lighter ground pad and tent.

5th, all food is dehydrated except a powerbar for each breakfast and some trail mix for snacking.

 

[westtrout]

- Take good optics and use them.
- Know when to be aggressive and when to slow down...but error on the side aggressive.
- Get close once you locate a bull. Don't trade bugles from 1/4 mile away. Move in as close as you dare -- ideally under 100 yards -- before trying to call a bull in to your set up.
- Once you are close, take a moment to really think through the set up and how the elk might come into it. Give yourself every advantage.
- Visualize the shot: drawing your bow, placing the pin (the right pin) and following through on the shot. Visualize different scenarios and get your brain ready for a moment of intensity that can be overwhelming if you are not mentally prepared.
- You can get a away with noise, but wind will get you every time.
- Carry bear spray and know how to use it, even if you are not in griz country.
- Sleep is key to stay physical and mentally in the game. Don't skimp on your sleep system. You need to be comfortable and warm.
- Take care of your feet at all times. If you feel a hot spot coming on, stop now -- right now -- and take care of it.
- A GPS is great, but know how to use a map and compass and carry them. Before you set foot into the backcountry, study maps and have a low-tech plan for getting out if stuff goes south.
- Slow down after the shot. Way down. Eat some trail mix and drink some water. You'll be jacked up and can make bad decisions that can lead to a lost animal or an injury.
- Shot placement is everything. Yes, you need enough bow and enough gun, but you absolutely have to make a good shot. Period. Don't risk an iffy shot.
- Have a plan for taking care of the meat in the field, as well as getting meat out of the hills, taking into account weather conditions and terrain.
- Don't leave elk to find elk, but if you're not in elk keep moving.
- Carry a first aid kit, but don't go overboard. Pare it down to the basics that you really need: blister/foot repair including duct tape, NSAID pain relievers, a few heavy duty pain pills if you or a buddy gets seriously hurt, bandaids, butterfly bandages, antiseptic, anti-diarrheal and some latex gloves. All that your can really do in the backcountry is take care of minor injuries and prevent minor injuries from becoming major injuries. Beyond that you're really just buying time to get medical help for a major injury, so there's no reason to overdo it on the first aid kit and carry around a bunch of stuff that isn't going to do you much good.
- Live in the moment and enjoy the little things. Don't get so focused on punching your tag that you lessen the experience. Above all else, have fun!

 

[coloyooper]

westtrout with incredible suggestions. I'd take that to the bank.

 

[les welch]

Wish I had started 20 years sooner.

I didn't read all of the posts, should be some good answers. June 2nd is the BHA State Rondy in Baraboo, would be worth your time to take it in. Pack hike and some good seminars there, and lots of knowledgeable people.

 

[boom]

wish i had a bow instead of my rifle. i had that bull coming in on a cable..he was trotting to me. i had to shoot him before he got TOO close!! it was exhilarating to a level i never knew existed!!