Your elk goals 2022?

[Still Hunter]

Enjoy the experience, get there and back safely. Listen to some bugles, climb some nasty steep country, feel my lungs about to burst and my legs burn like they are on fire. Get too little sleep, be worn out as an old man can get, smell the Pines and Aspen. Listen to that clean mountain stream gurgle straight out the side of the mountain , and to teach a great young man how to enjoy the mountains and maybe we will get lucky enough to harvest a nice bull! Fresh Tenderloins on a fire!

 

[ColoHtr]

Fill the freezer. After a lot learned over the previous two archery seasons, ready to haul one off the mountain.

 

[MallardSX2]

Make the best of my wifes LE Elk tag. Hopefully she gets one.

 

[Scoot]

I'm my son's guide/sherpa/bitch in NM in a couple weeks. My goal is to call in a bull for him to get a crack at. My hope is that he has one close and it screams in his face! I'd be thrilled to get him into some serious bugling action. I think we have a good chance of finding that at some point. I hope so!

 

[wannakillabigbull]

I've got a MT general elk tag, and my goal is to shoot a 6-point. Never hunted Montana, heck, never seen an elk in MT. Not feeling particularly confident but if I don't kill one it won't be for lack of effort.

Also my oldest friend that I've known since high school drew a pretty dang good tag in CO fourth season. Taking the whole hunt off to see if we can get him his first good bull. We've shed hunted the area together for years so it'll be pretty special if we get it done. I have the best wife in the world who is letting me miss Thanksgiving two years in a row, and this year for someone else's hunt!

 

[mnduckhunter7]

I just have a cow tag this year so I'd kind of like to shoot one out of a saddle sitting over a water hole to try something different.

 

[WeekendWarrior89]

First timer my goal is to just hear one bugle, knowing how just a turkey gobble makes me feel I cannot imagine the sound of a bugle in the wild

 

[chindits]

I only want a calf otc bow.

We just finished my bull from 2 years ago. I still have a lot of last year’s bull in the freezer along with this summer’s garden harvest. So there just isn’t room for another mature elk.

Besides, when you take a calf you know it’s not a breeder and a certain percentage will die their first winter so it has the least effect on next year’s herd.

 

[Pacific_Fork]

I have my 3rd OIL type tag in the past 5 years. Been so lucky in the draws. Missed a 370+ last year with my bow. Killed a 300ish type two years before in the Gila because I’ve always been a “he’s good enough” type and love the meat the most. Killed a few other rag horns. This year I’m hoping to dig up a brute on a controlled ID tag with my bang stick, as I’ve got a freezer full and no pressure. I’ve always been the type that laughs at inches/score “who cares!!” and now I’ve become that guy this year lol. Love the challenge and shifting the mindset!

 

[FlareBlitz91]

Fill the freezer, i didn’t draw sh it this year so i just have a leftover cow tag here in WY and whitetail back home in WI

 

[Coveyleader]

So it's OCT 1, many areas have closed. DId you realize your goals? Hopefully you're still packing that elk out.

I ended up arrowing two OTC elk here in CO (bull & cow) and then added a chocolate bear on top of that. On the last day of a grueling hunt in WY I shot a bull that I'm hoping will make P&Y.

Average shot distance on all 4 animals was 15ish yards.

 

[2rocky]

This year with an LE utah Early Rifle it was to shoot my personal best elk yet (#10). Up to this point, I usually shot the first legal bull in my crosshairs. I had not beaten the 300 inch mark.

I finally had a chance to see the bull 2 days before the season, and managed to get in position to kill him 3 minutes after legal shooting light on opening morning.

 

[EJDXT21]

So it's OCT 1, many areas have closed. DId you realize your goals? Hopefully you're still packing that elk out.

I ended up arrowing two OTC elk here in CO (bull & cow) and then added a chocolate bear on top of that. On the last day of a grueling hunt in WY I shot a bull that I'm hoping will make P&Y.

Average shot distance on all 4 animals was 15ish yards.

Coveyleader, I wish we were hunting the CO unit you were. We hunted OTC CO for 5 days and only heard 2 bugles. Only saw fresh sign twice and never saw an Elk other than private driving into CO. One of my goals was just to have a good time so that was met! We also saw two cow moose at 30 yds so that was a plus. Absolutely thrilled you were able to harvest several great animals at such close distances. I hope you and your friends and family can enjoy your harvest!

 

[Dos Perros]

So it's OCT 1, many areas have closed. DId you realize your goals? Hopefully you're still packing that elk out.

I was just coming to bump this thread for the same reason. Standby and I'll quote myself and spill the beans.

 

[Dos Perros]

I burned 6 points in CO so Ima try to hold out for a 300"+ 6x6. Ideally get one killed early in September and then join my buddy in New Mexico for his hunt.

I didn't kill an elk. Let walk cows and spikes. Left younger bulls to bugle by their lonesome. Chased 320"-340" bulls around for 9 days and had a few within bow range even. Made some impactful mistakes, coulda/shoulda killed. Absolutely worked my ass off. I would have no regrets except I made a couple, in retrospect, poor decisions.

I think I've decided what I like most about elk hunting is trying to figure out the situation (how many bulls, how many cows, hot cows, satellites, etc) by the sounds in the elk woods. It's a dynamic you don't really get hunting other animals. Plenty of room for interpretation, to be wrong, etc.

 

[deerhunt1988]

Fill my general tag with a archery branch antlered bull and help my partner fill his with the same. Have 14 full days of hunting to get it done in a new area.

Got into a pile of elk in the new area and got it done at 1PM on day 5.

Struck this dude about a half mile off at 12:35PM. I closed the distance fast and i'd answer him when he'd bugle. Stopped when I got to a more open area and couldn't go much further and heard him coming my way. He popped into the open timber and was side hilling right to me. I had last called ~100-120 yards back so was in good shape. Ranged a shooting lane at 46 yards so moved my slider to it. Bull hung up at 60 yards and raked for 5 minutes and bugled right in my face. He finally broke, hit my opening, and turned right to me! Had to do some quick thinking and adjust my point of aim as my pin was still set for 46 yards. I let him keep coming and when the moment was right I gave him a frontal. Saw my arrow bury with about ~5-6 inches of arrow sticking out. He ran 40 yards, stood there about 20 seconds, then fell over.


Unfortunately my partner didn't get to fill his tag, but he had three really close calls with bulls. We tore our ride up headed back into the area where I killed my bull, so had to vacate and find a new spot with gentler roads. Didn't get into near as many elk in the next areas, but still found elk and on the last morning buddy had a 6x6 close thanks to info from a fellow RokSlider. But pretty sure the bull winded us as he was coming in.


Now here's to hoping we can actually draw a tag somewhere next year!

 

[SoloWilderness]

1st rifle opening day 5x5 or better bull, packing out by lunchtime. Headed in 2 days early to locate said bull. My hunting partners are in one of my honey holes in a different unit. Hopefully they get a nice 6x6 based off my map scribbles... and get out in time to help me get the last load or two out to the truck. Hunting a basin that I've been in a lot during archery season, just over a ridge from where I've taken quite a few elk. Have fun, enjoy the mountains, come out heavy.

 

[Toofarsouth]

I’ll be over the moon if I can get one to talk to me this year

Well I achieved my goal and then some.

We had them talking from opener to the day I broke my leg.

So next year it should be about time to shoot one…and make it through the season without any major injuries

 

[Bluumoon]

Well I achieved my goal and then some.

We had them talking from opener to the day I broke my leg.

So next year it should be about time to shoot one…and make it through the season without any major injuries

Ouch, hope the extract went ok.

My goal is another bull in the freezer during 2nd season OTC and to help a friend new to hunting knock one down in 3rd.

 

[Dos Perros]

We had them talking from opener to the day I broke my leg.

Bro you can't just drop that in there without a story.