YOUR success rate on elk.

[JLH208]

10 years (age 14 to current 24)
2 Bulls (only elk taken to date)
Both archery OTC
7-14 days per season



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[RustyHazen]

The bit of good fortune I've had the last 10 years can be attributed directly to two things. I found an area with a ton of elk, and I learned every nook and cranny of the area to the point of ridiculousness. That's it.

 

[JollyRoger]

Hunted a bunch of years ago but only serious in the last few.
Hunted 2 years
0 Elk taken
All OTC public land
Archery, rifle, and muzzleloader
Average 24 days hunting each year

Saw 4 elk the first year, and maybe 8 this last year. All in a unit that is meeting expectations. I've hunted close to roads, and backpacked in 7+ miles deep, both high and low elevations. Found slopes facing every direction, burns, fresh growth, wallows, overgrown and everything in between. Each year I'm learning more and more... and I know it's only a matter of time before I seal the deal. I also suspect 'herds' of elk dont exist everywhere, and many times there are only small pockets here and there.

 

[sndmn11]

If I am counting right, i have had seven Colorado archery licenses, and hunted less than a week total each season. I have only shot a cow when I was 17 and that was the last year I had a compound. Since then the recurve has shot some grouse and pheasants, but nothing else. I have called in 9 dead bulls for others in that time frame. I have had three private land December cow hunts that were all successful and lasted from a morning to two days. This year's fourth season will be my wife's first hunt ever, and the first season I will be rifle hunting for elk on public land.

 

[unclericco]

I’ve bought 5 elk tags and taken 5 elk.
2 cows(one was designated cow tag)
2 six point bulls
1 spike
I’ve still not taken one with archery tackle and I have an OTC archery elk tag this year for Idaho so this might just be the first elk tag I haven’t filled lol

Edit: I forgot to mention these are all public land, over the counter tags except for the one cow tag I drew. That was a public land also but I drew that tag.

 

[Oregon]

Off and on 30 years. Missed a few seasons to military obligations, one due to injury.
All rifle, Rosie and Rockies. I’ve shot 7 bulls. Average hunts are 5 days long.
I’d assume I’m at every 3rd hunt successful. I m more of a deer nut and only go OOS for deer. All species of them.
Elk gurus always impress me. I know a few very well. Guys are 100%ers.
Not me.

 

[theleo91386]

I've been elk hunting since I was 13 but had to take a couple of years off while being a single dad.
In 16 seasons I've shot 8 bulls.
Mostly with a rifle and mostly spikes as the majority of years were second season hunting in Oregon. I'd be at for a week most years.

 

[JP100]

Only hunted elk twice,
around 20 days total
One bull here(rifle)
and passed up a few in CO(archery OTC) looking for a biggun.

So 50% 'success'

I think it depends alot what your after, some guys might just be 'stacking the freezer' so to speak, and some might be looking for a 'trophy'. that really changes the way you hunt and how often you pull the trigger.

 

[dirtytough]

I've hunted elk a total of 6 times. Killed 5 bulls and 1 cow. 5 rifle 1 archery.

I've averaged right at 5.83 days per kill. That number is skewed from a hunt that was 20 days.

The cow and 2 bull tags were draw, the others otc. All public land.

 

[kad11]

Hunted elk 6 years
Taken 3 bulls and 1 cow
All rifle
All MT public land
OTC districts
10-15 days per season

 

[4ester]

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.

Been elk hunting for 9 years.

Have taken 6 Bulls (2 with the bow, 4 with rifle) and probably 7 cows with the rifle (maybe more).

All Public Land, Most OTC, limited quota cow tags.

Days hunting...... as many as it takes to fill the freezer. It’s my primary meat source.

The first years were rough. Huge learning curve for a whitetail hunter. Once you learn Elk behavior the success rate should go up dramatically as long as you are fairly motivated.

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[Jtelarkin08]

I have hunted elk 4 times and Killed one bull so I guess Im 25%

 

[El Gavilan]

15 elk hunts, all on public land, killed 10 elk all with a bow and all DIY in New Mexico and Arizona.


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[sasquatch]

3 season. OTC colorado, and general tag WY. All archery

Killed 2 bulls, and called in 2 others. One a friends shot, and one was for a friend in ID after I killed in WY that just didn’t work out.

Colorado I passed on some cows and got real close to closing the deal on a bull.

I blame the tag soup in Colorado on lack of time. Hunted 5 days and it was my first ever trip going blind


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[Whip]

I went 0 for 6 my first six years. Since then it's been better - 6 kills in the last 8 years that I've elk hunted. 4 bulls and 2 cows. Not that it means anything, but it's interesting that I huntied those first six empty years with a compound, and all of my successes have been with a recurve or longbow. A couple years were guided, the others DIY. Mix of limited draw and OTC tags. I've killed bills on the first day and the last day, and have probably averaged hunting 8 - 10 days, and have gone 3 weeks or more a couple of times.

 

[trophyhill]

6 for 10. OTC CO and NM draw. Archery. Hope to up that this year in the Gila

 

[jaredgreen]

30 years of otc archery elk hunting. 3 for 20 my first twenty years with an average of 5 days hunting per year. 6 for 10 the last 10 years with 10 days per year hunting. 9 for 10 on shot opportunities. Time in the field is the number one factor!


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[Ross]

38 years of hunting elk both rifle and archery otc units in Idaho and Montana in the jungles .....unsure how many tags I’ve bought and over the last several years been very selective in most seasons and willingly eat $1000 tags.will just say no more wall space this year first solid five goes down as freezer very low and I like to eat elk and look at elk big antlers Ps still have nightmares about one bull from last year on my only special permit hunt

 

[BuzzH]

Started elk hunting at age 12 in Montana...shot my first elk in 1980, have never missed an elk season since.

Last fall, I shot my 70th elk, while on a DIY solo late rifle hunt in Arizona.

I've shot a few with a bow, most with a rifle, most tags were OTC or 100% odds tags in WY and MT, but have drawn LQ tags in Arizona (4 rifle bull tags), 2 breaks tags in Montana, and 3 LQ elk tags in Wyoming.

I usually spend at least 7 days hunting elk, as much as maybe 20 when I draw multiple states.

Last year I hunted 7 days and killed 3 elk in Wyoming, spent 3-4 days scouting in Arizona and shot one on day 5 of the hunt.

All but one elk have all been from public land or private that anyone can hunt (hunter/block management areas in MT and WY).

I've never had much trouble finding and killing elk...except maybe the early years in Montana, but I had most all of the archery and rifle season to hunt (11 weeks).

 

[JP100]

Started elk hunting at age 12 in Montana...shot my first elk in 1980, have never missed an elk season since.

Last fall, I shot my 70th elk, while on a DIY solo late rifle hunt in Arizona.

I've shot a few with a bow, most with a rifle, most tags were OTC or 100% odds tags in WY and MT, but have drawn LQ tags in Arizona (4 rifle bull tags), 2 breaks tags in Montana, and 3 LQ elk tags in Wyoming.

I usually spend at least 7 days hunting elk, as much as maybe 20 when I draw multiple states.

Last year I hunted 7 days and killed 3 elk in Wyoming, spent 3-4 days scouting in Arizona and shot one on day 5 of the hunt.

All but one elk have all been from public land or private that anyone can hunt (hunter/block management areas in MT and WY).

I've never had much trouble finding and killing elk...except maybe the early years in Montana, but I had most all of the archery and rifle season to hunt (11 weeks).

excuse my ignorance but how do you get some many 'tags'? I though most states were limited to maybe 1-2 per season/year?

PS-Im from NZ and struggle to grasp real game laws haha, always interested in whats states offer best OTC options etc Thanks