YOUR success rate on elk.

joel_sledz

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Jan 18, 2016
Messages
105
4 elk hunts in 4 years
2 bulls killed
All archery
All public land
2 OTC and 2 draws
6 consecutive days a year
And a whole lot of fun!!!
 

jray5740

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Apr 9, 2017
Messages
280
Location
Colorado
This thread is full of hunters who enjoy some serious success! Impressive stats from some of you, makes me feel very inadequate haha I guess I need to treasure my few harvests less than I thought!
 
Joined
Jun 18, 2014
Messages
42
Years hunting 5 years elk hunting DIY
- Elk taken - 2 Bulls (1 in Colorado OTC and 1 Wyoming - Gen. / Archery
- Archery, Rifle, ML? Archery
- Public land or private - Public
- OTC or draw? 4 years OTC Colorado - 1 yr. Draw Wyoming Gen.
- Days per year spent hunting - 6 (Colorado killed bull on day 1, Wyoming Day 5)
 

Apapro

FNG
Joined
Aug 19, 2016
Messages
43
Location
Saskatchewan, Canada
Ive killed 23 elk in 25 years of hunting.
9 bulls and the rest are cows and calves...Saskatchewan has an open season for elk for either archery or rifle....cow calf bull is legal in most zones.

Of the 23 kills 9 are archery the rest have been with rifle. Furthest hunt from home, was Utah this year with a spike on day five.

Largest bull is 324 4/8" 6x6....Great bull for Saskatchewan.

Mostly private land for the elk in Saskatchewan but a few have been on public land.

Usually spend 4-7 days hunting archery, and 2-4 days for rifle elk each year.....7 days in Utah this year.
 

wyosam

WKR
Joined
Aug 5, 2019
Messages
1,340
This thread is full of hunters who enjoy some serious success! Impressive stats from some of you, makes me feel very inadequate haha I guess I need to treasure my few harvests less than I thought!

I wouldn’t sweat it. In my case, the fact that I live in the middle of my hunt area is huge. I can get in a good evening hunt after work. I know a few pockets that hold elk that people ignore, and several are less than 2 miles as the crow flies from my living room. Living in the middle of it, with plenty of time off makes it pretty easy. Treasure every harvest, I do!


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lintond

WKR
Joined
Mar 17, 2013
Messages
1,657
Location
Oregon
Worlds best bow hiker....7 years of tag soup on elk. Typically hunt 5-9 days on public land OTC. I’ve had opportunity but just haven’t put it together. :(


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Joelweb

FNG
Joined
Sep 30, 2016
Messages
88
Location
Big Sky Country
I didn't start out this way, but I've killed an elk every year for the past nine years with a rifle on public land in Montana. All but one of those were bulls and all but one of the bulls were killed on a general tag. I drew and filled a cow tag one year in that span and held out on my general tag for a bigger bull, which I never found.

I feel like I can get the job done if I have a week.
 
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les welch

Super Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Feb 25, 2012
Messages
2,466
Location
Central WI
I live in WI. Never hunted elk, and mules only once, prior to '09.

Archery. All public land. All DIY. No fancy high $$$ tags. Just normal shit you all can buy.

11 elk seasons. 11 bulls I have notched tags on. I have called in more than that, for my buddies, during my same hunt periods. This year alone was amazing. 9 bulls on the ground in September.
 

MtnOyster

WKR
Joined
May 2, 2017
Messages
388
Location
Kentucky
5 elk hunts since 1992
1 bull, missed a cow and passed on 4-5 others
all archery
all public
all otc, diy
try to hunt 8-10 days
Cant win em all but I try like hell to...
 

casey58

FNG
Joined
Jan 9, 2014
Messages
77
Location
Cle Elum
4 years, I avoided it forever because WA is a Zoo.
2 bulls taken
0-2 archery (had 3 shots...) 2-2 rifle
public land
OTC
7

My group went 2-2 last year and 4-4 this year, all rifle hunts.
 

thnksno

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Sep 22, 2013
Messages
225
11 years hunting
3 bulls, all archery
2008, 2014, 2019

average around 10 days a year.
 

Redarrow

FNG
Joined
Mar 14, 2019
Messages
52
In 9 years of hunting I’ve killed 11 elk, 7 bulls and 4 cows. All in MT, all the bulls except 1 were on general tags. 1 was on private. All with the rifle. Planning on changing that this year! I’m blessed to be able to hunt 15 minutes from home so i have an advantage over most.
 

stonewall

WKR
Joined
Jul 29, 2016
Messages
736
Location
TX - Texas
this is interesting seeing other folks' numbers; as for me:

3 elk total in 5 hunts, 2 archery and 1 rifle (all public land; usually hunt about a week)

2011 - shot a cow on a late season rifle tag in NM (last year a NR could draw the tag I think)
2015 - OTC archery CO - nothing (could have shot a cow day 1, but that was dumb luck & ignorance passing the shot)
2016 - i didn't buy a tag, but helped my buddy hike around CO OTC, nothing
2017 - drew NM archery - shot a small 6x6
2018 - wasn't able to go
2019 - shot small 4pt Wyoming General (archery)

I'm curious to see where I'm at now and if I can get it done in CO OTC - I feel like that's the ultimate test
 

El Ruso

FNG
Joined
Jan 2, 2020
Messages
12
5 hunts over 9 years, 2 bulls. I could have killed elk on every hunt but the creatures didn’t always meet the requirements of my tag.
 
Joined
Nov 25, 2019
Messages
52
Location
Wyoming
I have hunted elk almost every year for 18 years. With that said my success rate on cow hunting is around 90%, all firearm and mainly public or walk in access.

For bulls my success is drastically less. Most of this is due to me being highly picky and trophy hunting. I would say I have hunted bulls 12 seasons for my self. Many otc tags with say 40% success with bow/rifle combine and limited draw of 10% success. Again with otc I am a little less picky, while limited I am holding myself to a trophy standard (330+ b/c). All of my bulls are absolutely public, foot and horseback.
 
Joined
Sep 24, 2019
Messages
1,104
2015- NM cow
2016- NM cow
2018- Idaho missed bull, killed mtn lion
2019- MT 6 point

75% success rate.
 
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