How to pick a spot?? Frustrating!!

[hunt1up]

I'm a rookie elk hunter, just killing my first cow last year. I've elk hunted twice but have hunted the west for various species for 10 straight years.

What I'm beginning to learn is that knowing a particular unit well is more important that what unit it actually is. You could draw an a quality unit, be clueless about the land and the animals there, and have a crap hunt. Or, you could hunt some mediocre unit a few times and know exactly where the animals are, and have some consistent success.

My suggestion would be to get a cow tag in a unit with bull draw odds you can live with. You can go elk hunting, shoot an elk, eat an elk, pack an elk, hear an elk, smell an elk, and learn the unit in the process. You get the same experience with just a lack of antlers. Then go back with a bull tag later. If you do this in a general unit you can bull unit quite routinely. I'm speaking of WY in this case but the strategy would be the same anywhere.

 

[Alabama]

I am planning a hunt for my dad and three brothers and I am trying to get some info on what units are good to hunt for elk we will be hiking but we will also have a base camp we are not scared to hike in and pack out meat and this year my dad turned 60 and a elk hunt in Colorado has been his dream and ours since I can remember and would like some info on some good units to look at but looking around white river national forest and around meeker any info will help thank you

Why don't you start a new thread and introduce yourself. And USE PUNCTUATION! Your post is a one big run-on sentence. Not trying to be harsh, it's just hard to read like that.

 

[Alabama]

I'm a rookie elk hunter, just killing my first cow last year. I've elk hunted twice but have hunted the west for various species for 10 straight years.

What I'm beginning to learn is that knowing a particular unit well is more important that what unit it actually is. You could draw an a quality unit, be clueless about the land and the animals there, and have a crap hunt. Or, you could hunt some mediocre unit a few times and know exactly where the animals are, and have some consistent success.

My suggestion would be to get a cow tag in a unit with bull draw odds you can live with. You can go elk hunting, shoot an elk, eat an elk, pack an elk, hear an elk, smell an elk, and learn the unit in the process. You get the same experience with just a lack of antlers. Then go back with a bull tag later. If you do this in a general unit you can bull unit quite routinely. I'm speaking of WY in this case but the strategy would be the same anywhere.

That sounds like a pretty good strategy hunt1up.