David Long and WapitiBob nailed my previous thoughts perfectly (knowing behavior and knowing the habitat to FIND elk...) and I think Swede summed it up well as far as the PATIENCE and confidence coming from knowledge and PROPER prior preparation (as opposed to just "preparation" - and there is a difference).
The one thing that has stood out for me reading this so far is that two other things that have worked well for me, and numerous others, outside of what has already been presented is - being willing to think outside the box (i.e. doing something different than what you have been, or what most everyone ELSE is doing), and being more committed to hunting the ANIMAL as opposed to hunting for a particular SCENARIO.
If you look at most of the "well known hunters" out there whacking BIG bulls each year (the Ulmers, Evans, Adams, etc.) - aside from them holding premium tags and hunting multiple States - the things they consistently do well, are "doing what it takes," and "thinking outside the box." Part of that comes from the dedication, commitment, physical conditioning, preparation, etc., etc., but a large part of that comes from having an open mind, no preconceived ideas of how things SHOULD be - and the ability to read how they ARE - and a willingness to try something new, and something maybe a bit crazy that might get the job done. ...to identify those opportunities and actually engage in them takes a calmness and level of "critical thinking" that I think SOME people DON'T have (not being critical, just being honest), MANY people COULD have (...just need to maybe adjust expectations, anticipations, preconceptions, etc. a little before and during the hunt), and that a FEW people DO have, and employ during their hunt.
Which leads into my second point. ...I run into - and talk to - tons of people each year that go into the elk season "excited to bugle that bull in", or... they bought a new cow call and can't wait to "call a bull in." Inadvertently, they predispose themselves to one "subset" of tactics, and that's what they stick with. Maybe they want a particular experience, maybe they have a narrower "skills-set" than others, but in either case, they end up - whether consciously or not - running across the landscape looking for a bull that will play THEIR game, rather than running across the landscape, finding an elk, and then playing that particular BULL'S (or cows') "game" in THAT situation. SOOOooooo many times I see people have success slip from their grasp ONLY because they were stuck with one mindset, one particular expectation, a narrow anticipation for a certain scenario, etc. - or - just didn't have the confidence or ability to change tactics on a moments notice to meet the needs of the animal they were working.
Neither of those things are "easy" to just "transition into" if a hunter is not already doing it, but it can be learned. I know we'll be spending a lot of time over on my website helping folks develop those skills, but if folks can even just start THINKING in that direction now, they'll be ahead of the curve when this season rolls around.
Chris Roe
