Whitetail to Elk

[SteveBurton]

I lived in MD and have hunted whitetail in MD, PA and VA for almost 40 years now. I can say that there is very little that will convey from whitetail to elk hunting. Heck, even hunting whitetail/coues in AZ is totally different than back East.
Hunting elk depends on what season you are in. Early, late, rut? Early isn't as bad because they haven't been pressured as much. Rut, the bulls are kind of dumb but not as bad as bucks looking for a hot date. Late is freaking hard.
Be ready to glass a lot and practice looking for parts of the animal in cover. If you don't see anything, don't be afraid to move, a lot. You'll be hunting big country and thinking that something will show up because the area looks good won't work out most of the time.
Unless you are bow hunting, you don't have to worry as much about camo and being scent free but you do need to pay attention to the wind.
Practice long shots with your rifle. You may not need to shoot 500+ yards but if you do, be ready. This year, my buddy shot his bull at 134 yards. Mine showed up at 635 yards with only 20 minutes of shooting light left so I didn't have time to close the distance.

 

[Npike4040]

I'm a mediocre whitetail hunter at best.....but I sure do have good luck killing elk.

I'm right there with ya! I thought i was doing something right but apparently i'm just lucky...i'll take luck anytime i can get it!

 

[Szwampdonkey]

I’ve been listening to podcast, watching YouTube, pretty much all of the tools available. I think I have a better than average chance of encountering animals with my skill set, but just wanted to hear from anyone who has directly made the game transition.

Not trying to be a prick. But nothing you need to know is on a podcast or Youtube. You just gotta go and learn on the fly, develop the woodsmanship, etc. You should learn to slow down and enjoy that process cause that’s where the real reward is. The Elk will come eventually.