What is the attraction of elk hunting?

[St.CroixArcher]

For a flatlander like me that just wants to hunt in the mountains out west having the option to just buy a tag and not have to learn and figure out how different states run their application and draw systems is what’s appealing to me. Antlers don’t mean much to me, full freezers and a great experience is what I’m chasing.

 

[Rifleman86]

Whitetail hunting can be thrilling. I’ve killed a B&C whitetail.

It can also be incredibly boring, sitting in a tree stand for days on end. There is some skill involved, but from my experience, it’s a whole lot of guessing and downright luck that determines success.

There is a much higher propensity of level of effort elevating the level of success in elk hunting. I’ve also never been bored elk hunting. I can always hike to that next ridge if nothing is happening elk hunting. That isn’t possible treestand hunting a 20-50 acre parcel in the east.

It’s also a bit of an adventure to pack up and live out of the truck and a backpack for 10 days at a time. Elk hunting is a good excuse to do so.

 

[TheHammer]

I’m sure plenty of guys on here have the whitetail game pretty well pegged. I hunt specific deer I scout in the summer or previous years on a 28,000acre piece of public local. For me archery elk in co is a grind. It pushes me past every facet of my existence and I love it. I’m learning every day I’m on the mountain and can’t wait for my first 300 bull with my bow. Rifle hunting co on the other hand my experience is it can get a bit “western”. Even though I’ve been far more successful otc rifle than otc archery.

 

[5MilesBack]

Going one on one with bugling bulls every September......how can that not be attracting to guys?

 

[Loo.wii]

Kinda an odd question and it’s hard to put in writing exactly what I mean. I’m not talking about good quality tags, limited units anything like that.

I’m talking Colorado OTC, public land, success of 10% type hunts. How are people lining up by the thousands to pay 760.00 plus time off work, fuel, food, gear etc for this type of experience?

I guess I just don’t get it. There are far more challenging animals to hunt than raghorn bulls, IMO a big mature whitetail is far more challenging to kill.

From the woods with way to many hunters, non hunting outdoor rec, small, quiet bulls that don’t really even act like elk etc. Are people genuinely happy with this type of experience or is it just kinda a novelty that is something new to try?

I hunt otc to get the experience. I didn’t grow up in a hunting household so OTC was the first thing I could hunt. I also like the hike your ass of style of western hunting. Some of us aren’t trying to get big mature animals yet. I just want to shoot an elk before I start getting picky.

 

[trophyhill]

We all have different reasons. Mine is meat first and of course the adventures the hunts bring. As a little boy growing up in Ohio, the stories of the west were fascinating and the subject of many fantasies and day dreams. The pioneers and settlers. The outlaws and law men, cowboys and indians, explorers, and the mountain men. Now that I've lived here over half my life and become a hunter, elk have become my big game preference to hunt over all other. Although i love hunting anything with my bow. But 1 thing is for sure, whitetail cannot compare to hunting elk. I will forget i said that when im trying to kill a Coues in August

 

[Deerhunter6250]

Love the physical and mental challenges a DIY elk hunt requires. Love being in the 10 percent that harvest 90 percent of the elk. Love being away from the phone and TV, Love listening to the bugle and watching steam come out of there mouth as they bugle. Love seeing all the other animals while elk hunting. Love the scenery and the calmness the mountains make me feel. Love the campfire after a successful hunt, To me it is way more challenging than a deer.

 

[4rcgoat]

Once I heard a bull bugle way up in the wilderness area......made my skin crawl. I was hooked from that day on.

 

[Aperventure]

There are a lot of different ways hunts are difficult, and could be judged as more difficult than others. Sometimes just walking around the woods with a weapon is more pleasant than sitting all day waiting for a whitetail to come by. Other days sitting and contemplating the true meaning of life (42) while waiting for a whitetail to walk by is better. Good thing we have options!

 

[Jethro]

Once you hunt archery elk it will make you ask, what is the attraction with whitetail hunting? Are people genuinely happy hunting deer?

There may be many negative aspects we must endure in today's hunting environment, but finding 1 bull that wants to play makes it all worthwhile.

 

[camelcluch]

^^^^
Wrong. Oregon is an elk-forsaken soggy wasteland overrun by people smoking legal blunts the size of your leg. I hear Wyoming is awesome.

Colorado sees your blunts and raises you legal mushrooms plus fentanyl zombies. I can do this all day.
Quick everyone, click on www.dfw.state.or.us !! Let’s all get some Rosies!

 

[ckleeves]

Different type of hunt entirely. If you had to ask, I'll just assume you've never done it. As someone who has done both, I'll take elk any day.

Oh I have done plenty of both. I’ll stick by what I said. A mature whitetail is more challenging then a raghorn bull.

 

[10ringer]

Going one on one with bugling bulls every September......how can that not be attracting to guys?

^^^This!!
It’s why I break out my bugle tube every April to dial my sounds.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Sled]

Oh I have done plenty of both. I’ll stick by what I said. A mature whitetail is more challenging then a raghorn bull.

Sounds like you didn't have much fun elk hunting or just prefer the sit and wait method. Different strokes for different folks but I couldn't satisfy myself with just "chasing" whitetail racks.

And why is it that you're comparing a mature animal to a young one? Are you only purchasing raghorn tags when you go west? I thought Colorado had minimum point restrictions? Why not shoot a mature 6 point or better?

 

[Rifleman86]

Oh I have done plenty of both. I’ll stick by what I said. A mature whitetail is more challenging than a raghorn bull.

I’ll say this, I’m glad there are guys like you, and I wish everyone else but me felt the same way.

I’ve got booner class whitetails literally out by back door in the fall and I’d trade it in a heartbeat for a guaranteed WY general elk tag every year.

I’m not saying I don’t like hunting whitetails, I just really love hunting elk.

 

[Overdrive]

It's easy and puts meat in the freezer.

 

[Sled]

Sorry guys, I'm slow on the uptake. I yield...elk hunting sucks and no one should waste vacation time, fuel costs or depreciation miles/lost rubber on your 6" lift with interco thrornbirds. A trip out here will ruin those soft tires for nothing. You'll have frustration and never see an elk walk past your tree stand. In the end, you'll go home with sore feet and empty handed, wondering why you ever left the flats.

 

[ElkNut1]

WOW! What a question Cleeves, I'm not sure how to even respond to such a question!!!!! (big grin) It's all I think about 24/7/365 --

ElkNut

 

[mxgsfmdpx]

You forget that millions of people go camping every year. Hundreds of thousands go in the back country backpacking, with no intentions of harvesting food. I always think of hunting as a camping or backpacking trip with a potential bonus. Take some pressure off yourself and just enjoy it. You’ll probably kill more with that mindset anyway.

 

[justin davis]

Not much beats elk hunting in my opinion. Sitting treestands for whitetail is boring in my opinion. I enjoy hiking around the mtns. Public land Elk are tough to kill.