Which came first, deciding to hunt elk or elk media

[wannakillabigbull]

Grew up in Colorado and hunted with my dad since I was very little. He took his first archery bull elk when I was 6 years old; my 8 year old brother and I were both with him that day. I'll never forget, since it was before cell phones, packing out the bull took all day and into the evening since my brother and I were too young to carry much. It was planned as just a day trip, and we got home so late that night that as we pulled into the drive we could see into the living room where my mom was worried sick. She'd called search and rescue, thinking we were in trouble The next year my dad bought some sort of pay-as-you-go early cell phone thing, just to ensure it wouldn't happen again.

I did grow up reading my dad's old hunting magazines, and I have to credit them with my interest in hunting out of state. I only personally know a couple hunters that hunt out of state in any sizeable amount, so my desire didn't come from people I knew. Mine was driven from reading articles about elk hunting in MT, WY, AZ, etc. Trying to make it to all of them but I only started having the means to do it a few years ago, and it's getting harder to draw every year.

 

[fatlander]

A love for elk hunting certainly came first for me. One of my elk hunting partners and I used to cow call and bugle at each other in 7th grade science class. Living in a rural town on the east coast, everyone thought we were crazy. I smile every time I think about that with the adventures we’ve since had and will have, Lord willing.

The thought crosses my mind ever September, “Who’s crazy now?”


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[JakeSCH]

Specifically for elk, I wanted to hunt one since I first saw a bull visiting the grand canyon at 9 years old and I remember begging my family to go on a Yellowstone trip just to see them at 11.

Took me 20 years or so from the first time I saw one until I harvest one.

 

[nphunter]

I think a lot more people are on the Media list than mentioned above. Media includes, TV, Magazines, etc. Eastmans hunting was a great source in the 90's, western hunter, Primos, Utahs Ragging Bulls VHS's tapes.
Unless you grew up in the West you would have learned about elk hunting via media of some sort.

For those of us that grew up in elk country we didn't hunt because it was cool it was just a way of life and a way to get food. I've been elk hunting since I was born, all of my family would come to elk camp each year, and there were years when my parents had over 20 elk hanging in the garage at one time. We grew up eating elk meat for almost every meal, cow tags were pretty much unlimited, and mature bulls were pretty much unheard of. I remember early mornings in the old square body falling asleep between my dad and a good friend of his on the way to start the hunt. We would make elk drives, the older folks would set up on a post at a major crossing and even before I was old enough to hunt we would be sent to push ridges and benches to run the elk off the mountain and across the shooters. Back then everyone party hunted and since everyone had cow tags essentially whoever the elk came past killed how many ever are elk they could kill? We hiked in old sorel boots and military surplus camos. I killed my first elk at 12 and already knew how to field dress my own animal by that age, by the time I was in my early 20's I'd probably killed 15+ elk, cows, and spikes.

Big changes came as elk hunting got more popular and larger bulls were popular, cow hunts dwindled and bull hunting went to 100% draw, I remember back in the mid 90's a friend's dad worked at the local Cenex Gas station and killed a 6 point bull with his bow. That bull is probably a low 270's bull, I remember everyone in town would drive down or for us ride our BMX bikes down and check out the bull and hear how he killed it, it was unbelievable to see a bull of that caliber back then. Those same areas now has 270-290 class bulls running around everywhere and killing one with a bow is a common occurrence. Cow and spike hunting has become tough because 90% of the roads in the area have been closed and almost 100% of the 100,000+ Acres of private around the area that use to be open to public access has all been closed down and leased to outfitters which run the fencelines on quad keeping the elk from leaving onto public ground.

My kids have been hunting since before they could even walk.

My first son with one of my dads bulls in 06'

 

[Boltgun]

There’s no option for “always wanted to hunt caribou, discovered how expensive that was/is, started hunting elk as a cheap alternative.”

 

[willfrye027]

Casual elk hunter here. Will shoot the first legal elk I see and then move on to the real western icon, mule deer

Can’t even finish most elk videos. Too boring

 

[WCB]

Not sure how to answer....growing up my dad went and I heard stories of my grandpa, dad, and uncles hunting elk from the 60's 70s before I was born (they still do). Grew up in MN so not really something I would grow up doing but eventual went with on a hunt or two then started guiding for Deer Antelope and eventually Elk. So didn't grew up doing it then "killed" elk as a way to make a living in my 20s but behind a guy that was behind the gun.

 

[Mcribs]

None of the above, hunted WT deer where I lived on east coast, moved west, hunt elk + deer where I now live.

 

[Mish-pop]

I have grown up hunting with my dad. Funny thing is that he was way more of a fisherman than hunter but I'm the opposite. Luckily my younger brother likes to fish and hunt about evenly so my dad can go fishing more with him. I started out with duck/goose, pheasant, and whitetail deer hunts. My dad, grandpa, and dad's best friend would take one rifle hunt a year for mulies in SD when I was growing up. I got to go when my mom deemed old enough (14) and instantly fell in love with wide open and spot and stalk. I progressed from rifle to bow. We have private land to hunt (been on it 23 years) and it has progressed to my brother, dad, and I as my dad's best friend passed away and grandpa couldn't climb the hills anymore. He did hunt till he was 85 though. I have now gone 4 straight years with harvesting a deer with my bow and haven't worried about taking one with a rifle. My family and I have also taken some antelope over the years.

I'm just looking for the next challenge/adventure, with my brother and cousin starting to plan our first elk trip for next year. Family and family friends have hunted elk in the past and for years and I have always wanted to try. Its going to be a whole new ballgame but I'm looking forward to it. I do have some family friends that have been hunting elk 20+ years and they have been more than willing to start giving us tips and pointers. Can't wait.

 

[dreamingbig]

My dad started taking me elk hunting with him in the 1980s. I was calling in bulls for him with a tube and my mouth (before puberty hit). Definitely not social media related on my end.


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[Indian Summer]

“Media” in 1983 was Outdoor Life and Petersen’s Hunting. And Bugle magazine!

 

[Ucsdryder]

I see lots of people always blaming youtube, social media influencers, etc for the increase in elk hunter numbers. I don't doubt they have influence, but I have wanted to hunt elk for as long as I can remember. Surely I saw or heard about elk hunting in some form of media when I was younger, a magazine or outdoor channel maybe, but I wasn't following it regularly and it was long before social media and youtube.
It wasn't until a call from some buddies to go on a hunt in 2018 that I realized I better get started if I'm ever going to go. I turned that offer down, feeling unprepared, but put in motion a plan to hunt in 19' and have been going ever since. It was at that point in 18' that I started digging into elk hunting and found all of the Elk youtube and social media people I follow today.
Just curious how others finally pulled the trigger on deciding to hunt elk?

Listen to a remi warren podcast where he does the questions. Seems like every person thanks him for the podcast and credits him for finally taking the plunge into elk hunting.

 

[Ucsdryder]

“Media” in 1983 was Outdoor Life and Petersen’s Hunting. And Bugle magazine!

I remember eastmans magazine. That seemed like the big leagues. Back couple of pages were all the subscribers pictures. I’d go through and see which ones I’d want to shoot. (spoiler alert…it was always all of them)

 

[bluetick78]

I think it's funny that only one person so far has admitted to social media/ YouTube being the biggest influence in their elk hunting adventures, yet most non-res hunters I run into have the same Hush/Mtn ops flatbill, 1 of 3 backpacks, and Crispi boots along with a new Hoyt bow. Say YouTube got you here without saying YouTube got you here. (And $1000 in Phelps diaphragms and bugle tube).
Myself, I shot 6 elk with a 30-06 before I graduated high school in the mid 90's. I hate seeing what elk hunting is turning into, especially archery, but I'm glad that my kids still get to hunt on public land on otc resident tags. It won't be long before that's gone.

 

[Gerbdog]

I think it's funny that only one person so far has admitted to social media/ YouTube being the biggest influence in their elk hunting adventures, yet most non-res hunters I run into have the same Hush/Mtn ops flatbill, 1 of 3 backpacks, and Crispi boots along with a new Hoyt bow. Say YouTube got you here without saying YouTube got you here. (And $1000 in Phelps diaphragms and bugle tube).
Myself, I shot 6 elk with a 30-06 before I graduated high school in the mid 90's. I hate seeing what elk hunting is turning into, especially archery, but I'm glad that my kids still get to hunt on public land on otc resident tags. It won't be long before that's gone.

Still my favorite caliber for basically all western game... that 30-06 of mine took a deer last year in my brothers hands at 400 yards still. Good gun that. Took a lot of game with it before i graduated from rifle hunting to archery around the age of 24.... havent looked back although i did pick up a 45-70 Gov as a gift recently and have given it some pondering for dark timber hunting ... hmmmmm

 

[SDHNTR]

No one is going to admit to being influenced by influencers

 

[gobears870]

I’ll admit it. I started thinking about it not long after college when I started going to southern CO more often to fly fish. Then I moved to the East Coast and put it on hold for a few years. When I moved back to Texas, I watched a Land of the Free series around 2016 and decided it was time to stop thinking about it and start doing it.

 

[CMF]

I think it's funny that only one person so far has admitted to social media/ YouTube being the biggest influence in their elk hunting adventures, yet most non-res hunters I run into have the same Hush/Mtn ops flatbill, 1 of 3 backpacks, and Crispi boots along with a new Hoyt bow. Say YouTube got you here without saying YouTube got you here. (And $1000 in Phelps diaphragms and bugle tube).
Myself, I shot 6 elk with a 30-06 before I graduated high school in the mid 90's. I hate seeing what elk hunting is turning into, especially archery, but I'm glad that my kids still get to hunt on public land on otc resident tags. It won't be long before that's gone.

If the question was "if it influences your gear", I'm sure the numbers would look way different. But as the numbers show, most people decided to hunt before following elk-specific social media, youtube, etc. I couldn't have named one podcast, channel, or person that hunted elk before I made the decision to hunt, but I've certainly picked gear that I've seen since researching and following those brands/people(like exo). If you come from the east you're luck if anyone around has ever seen a pack that can haul a load, you're only option is to research online. In earlier days, you'd be picking gear you read about in a magazine.

post 20- "the internet is ruining hunting"

It's hard to argue with the numbers, most people either grew up elk hunting or decided to elk hunt before youtube and FB. Then you have to wonder if those that decided after watching a youtube series didn't have youtube, would they have decided after seeing a magazine or running into a random person who had hunted elk and hearing their story.

 

[CMF]

I think a lot more people are on the Media list than mentioned above. Media includes, TV, Magazines, etc. Eastmans hunting was a great source in the 90's, western hunter, Primos, Utahs Ragging Bulls VHS's tapes.
Unless you grew up in the West you would have learned about elk hunting via media of some sort.

I wasn't including magazines, outdoor channel, etc which have been around for decades for a reason. I was just curious after seeing so many people on various threads blame newer media like social media, youtube, and podcast for the increase in hunting pressure out west, if there is actually evidence to support the claims.

The internet has certainly makes it easier to get information, but in 2013, years before I finally went elk hunting(2019) and before I even knew Gohunt was a thing, I was researching elk hunting and converting Colorado harvest data from a pdf to excel and creating formulas to evaluate harvest statistics and compare areas. If it hadn't been available online, I would have been requesting it by mail.

 

[Seth]

Dad started bowhunting deer/elk in Gunnison in the early 1980’s after moving our family from KS. Its been a part of life ever since.