YOUR success rate on elk.

[KyleSS]

I have killed at least one elk every year since 2009, and 4 of those years I killed two.
I have shot 8 bulls, 6 bulls over 300" with the biggest being 347". The smallest in officially un scorable (club bull, big side is about 280") and the other under 300" is 255"
I hunt private land and OTC tags in Alberta
All elk are archery kills

 

[Winnie]

Archery: 4 bulls in 6 years. All DIY Public land, general tag.
Rifle: 2 bulls in 3 years.
7-8 days hunting, unless I harvest early.

The years I didn't get one I have had opportunities.

 

[Idaho4x4Bronco]

Archery elk success rates run 10-12%. Rifle success often runs 12-25% depending on area.

I'm curious what some guys here run.

I'd love to hear:

- Years hunting
- Elk taken
- Archery, Rifle, ML?
- Public land or private
- OTC or draw?
- Days per year spent hunting

I suspect we'll see some interesting trends out of this if enough hunters chime in. My bet is that 20% of the hunters are taking 80% of the elk.

Rifle
6 elk in 7 tags (dad and brother both 7 for 7, in same spot)
Public
Otc
Usually tagged out first 3 days, all 3 of us.

All idaho, all same unit, every year, very populated area with little pockets.

I would've tagged out last year as well and been 7/7 if I hadn't bought Crispi boots.

Pass by hunters every year who say there's no elk there

 

[roosiebull]

Rifle
6 elk in 7 tags (dad and brother both 7 for 7, in same spot)
Public
Otc
Usually tagged out first 3 days, all 3 of us.

All idaho, all same unit, every year, very populated area with little pockets.

I would've tagged out last year as well and been 7/7 if I hadn't bought Crispi boots.

Pass by hunters every year who say there's no elk there

i want to hear the crispi story, haha

 

[Laelkhunter]

31 years Elk hunting
30 Private Ranch
1 Sargent WMA in Chama Unit 4
27 Bulls
2 cows
Rifle (all with .340 Wby)
2 years tag soup

 

[Idaho4x4Bronco]

i want to hear the crispi story, haha

I didn't test them enough, they were pieces of junk and I had to end my trip early. I should've brought extra boots, but didn't have any and expected my very expensive Crispi's to actually work.
Could've been avoided if I had more time and money, but the boots were the sole reason I packed up and ended my season. That's all I will say, I don't want to hijack the thread and it honestly pisses me off thinking about it.
I would'nt take a free pair of Cripsi's.

 

[roosiebull]

I didn't test them enough, they were pieces of junk and I had to end my trip early. I should've brought extra boots, but didn't have any and expected my very expensive Crispi's to actually work.
Could've been avoided if I had more time and money, but the boots were the sole reason I packed up and ended my season. That's all I will say, I don't want to hijack the thread and it honestly pisses me off thinking about it.
I would'nt take a free pair of Cripsi's.

haha, damn! that sucks.

i have 3 pairs of them, 1 pair is my favorite pairs of boots i have owned, both in fit and durability... the other 2 pair are just boots... like the rest of my boot pile, but none have been bad, some just don't fit like they were made for me.

if a pair of boots was a factor in a hunt, i wouldn't take a free pair either, don't blame you, was just curious, because i'm hell on equipment, and mine have held up well, and most like them.... my experience with them is a small sample size and i like hearing the perspective of others

 

[Clarkdale17]

3 years elk hunting CO OTC archery
1 cow
1 bull
1 tag soup
Average days hunted to fill my tag on the two elk was 3 days
Days hunted the season I didn't fill my tag was over 20 I believe

 

[id_jon]

3 years, no elk. All otc, public land, archery. 8 days first season, 8 days second season, 11 days third season.

First year I had no chance, found elk but no close encounters. I had no idea how in over my head I was, thought I was in good shape, wrong.

Second year got into way more elk, just learning the hard way what not to do.

Third year, more lessons learned, busted more elk than I even saw the first season.

Feeling very confident about this fall, going to do all I can to arrange my work schedule to allow me to hunt until I kill an elk.

 

[Huntnnw]

Dunno how many elk Ive killed, but its skewed as the older I have gotten Ive passed more small bulls in hopes of killing a big bull. Many years Ive eaten tags that I coulda filled with spikes and rags.

 

[Idaho4x4Bronco]

Dunno how many elk Ive killed, but its skewed as the older I have gotten Ive passed more small bulls in hopes of killing a big bull. Many years Ive eaten tags that I coulda filled with spikes and rags.

The trick is to shoot the monster bull first, so you know they taste horrible and you learn to never pass on rag horns

Good luck on the trophy man!

 

[MightyWhitey]

-2yrs elk hunting
-0 elk taken
-archery
-public diy
-Montana general tag
-5 days the first trip, 10 days the second

 

[Huntsman21]

Elk hunting is just plain hard, and the grind continues.

Year 1:
No elk, Archery, Public, OTC CO, 10 days spread out through the month

Between year 1 and 2 - Studied a TON and learned what I needed to

Year 2:
5 point opening morning, archery, public, otc CO, 1 day

Year 3:
No elk, archery, public, otc CO, probably 15 days

Year 4:
4 point, public otc CO, probably 8 days

Year 5:
7 point, public draw other state, 4 days

Year 6:
Small five point, public, otc CO, probably 4 days

Year 7:
Five point, public, otc CO, 3 days
Six Point, public draw other state, 4 days

Year 8:
Six point, public draw CO, 8 days

 

[hereinaz]

I am 100%, but that is a factor of hunting where there are elk with guys who know, and being able to shoot out to 600 yards. I am 0/4 on Coues deer solo trips...

Also, better to be lucky than good. I have no illusions it will remain 100%.

Cow, AZ draw
Bull, CO OTC

 

[Geewhiz]

- 94%
- Years hunting - 16
- Elk taken - 2 cows, 13 bulls
- Archery, Rifle, ML? - 8 rifle, 7 compound, 1 recurve
- Public land or private - PUBLIC, DIY
- OTC or draw? - OTC
- Days per year spent hunting - some years 1, some years 30+

 

[John Henry1]

I started bow hunting elk in 1984, I have managed to make it out west from the east coast 26 times. 19 Bulls harvested with a bow all diy public land. Skunked the first 3 years, didn’t have a clue what I was doing and no one to teach me or YouTube videos to watch back then, but I knew it was the game for me!

 

[Brittowner69]

Sadly
0%
1st year Archery MT-Guided-Had opportunities, couldn’t seal the deal tag soup but my hunting partner killed a good bull
2nd year Archery CO-Guided-No opportunities/tag soup
3rd year Rifle 4thseason CO-Guided-No opportunities/tag soup
Going first week OTC archery CO this year DIY. Hopefully I can change my success rate!

 

[JPeters218]

Our group is 100% on cows, 75% on bulls. Public land 1st rifle

 

[JPeters218]

Our group is 100% on cows, 75% on bulls. Public land 1st rifle

10 years in

 

[JPeters218]

10 years in

Sorry I keep missing parts of the original post. 90+ percent of our elk are killed in the first 2 days. Our group is typically 5-6 people