What is it about elk?
- Thread starter Rich M
- Start date
That's a great question. I'm not sure there is a cut and dry answer but I know that for myself when I decided to sell out and go all in, reconciling and committing myself to the amount of work and effort required to consistently harvest bulls I started killing them every year. Before that I was always looking for an "easier" bull; easier terrain, easier access, easier hunts, easier damn near everything. Elk aren't easy! Even the one's I've lucked into close to a road aren't easy, everything about elk is work, period. In my humble opinion I think the reason success rates are low is folks not wanting to put in the effort.
Effort goes beyond the physical pain and suffering that most elk hunts demand. Effort means learning elk; scouting, habitat, habits/behavior, food, migration, calling, glassing, gear; all of this requires effort. Effort that most folks simply don't or won't put in. It's just easier to always do the same thing and hope you get lucky. Well, lady luck is a fickle mistress, I learned a long time ago to make my own luck. When luck meets preparation good things happen.
This is just my dos pesos. It'll be interesting to see what others have to say.
"Let's get ready to Rumbuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuul!!!!"
Effort goes beyond the physical pain and suffering that most elk hunts demand. Effort means learning elk; scouting, habitat, habits/behavior, food, migration, calling, glassing, gear; all of this requires effort. Effort that most folks simply don't or won't put in. It's just easier to always do the same thing and hope you get lucky. Well, lady luck is a fickle mistress, I learned a long time ago to make my own luck. When luck meets preparation good things happen.
This is just my dos pesos. It'll be interesting to see what others have to say.
"Let's get ready to Rumbuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuul!!!!"
The elk are where you find them and truth be told a lot of times guys don't want to go where they are.
That said, there are variances by unit. How much public? When are the season dates(Oct7- Novermber 5 can be brutal once rut ends)? Is the unit currently above or below objective?
Lot's of reasons for variance and low rates.
YUP .MANY TIMES GUYS DON'T WANT TO GO WHERE THEY ARE.
MOST OF TODAYS HUNTERS WANT TO SHOOT FROM WITHIN SIGHT OF A ROAD AND DON'T WANT TO WORK FOR IT!
sad but true nonetheless.
over the years ,I have often heard people saying ,"elk are so smart."
no , they are not ! they are just a dumb herd animal, no more ,no less.
I can admit,not all humans are more intelligent then elk but most do at least have the capacity to be.
if they would merely put forth the effort , both the physical and the mental(learning the behavior of elk) that percentage of success would skyrocket.
which is why I thank GOD for lazy folks.wouldn't want em shooting all my elk.lol.
elk live in all kinds of terrain . some thick and unglassable ,some wide open, some incredibly steep and rugged, some flat as a 10 year old girl.
I would expect the more open and flat the land, they are in the higher the success rate will consistently be
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JimP
Administrator
In my younger days I told a couple of hunters in a bar that I would guarantee them a shot at a elk if they went with me.
Opening morning I got up at 3am and rousted them to moans and groans. By 4 we were on the trail hiking in with flashlights. At first light we had been sitting in a good spot for over a hour when a small herd came prancing by at 50 yards. Both of these hunters shot elk out of that small herd. They then asked me how close we could get a vehicle to them and I just laughed at them and told them that camp was as close as they could drive to pick them up. They both bitched for the rest of the day as we packed out 2 bulls on our backs. The second weekend I went back in and shot my elk.
The next time that I saw them in the bar they mentioned to a couple other hunters that I could get them onto some elk but that they wouldn't like where I went. It soon got around that I could get hunters onto elk but after they found out where I was hunting them no one else would go in with me.
In those days I think that I went something like 15 years with 15 elk but I worked for them. I knew their patterns in the area that I hunted them and I knew that there would be very few other if any hunters in the same area.
Now days if I want a elk I'll get a cow tag and go sit on a hill where I can drive a 4 wheeler to and then wait. I might have to wait for 4 or 5 days but sooner or later a group of cows will come across that dirt road and I can shoot one. But that is my spot, I have taken a couple of kids into it for their first elk but that is about it.
So in other words if you want to work your rear off, get up very early to hike into a area in the dark and are willing to pack a animal out on your back you can usually do pretty well.
But most hunters will bust their rear the first couple of days and then they won't venture much further than 100 yards away from their truck or 4 wheeler.
Opening morning I got up at 3am and rousted them to moans and groans. By 4 we were on the trail hiking in with flashlights. At first light we had been sitting in a good spot for over a hour when a small herd came prancing by at 50 yards. Both of these hunters shot elk out of that small herd. They then asked me how close we could get a vehicle to them and I just laughed at them and told them that camp was as close as they could drive to pick them up. They both bitched for the rest of the day as we packed out 2 bulls on our backs. The second weekend I went back in and shot my elk.
The next time that I saw them in the bar they mentioned to a couple other hunters that I could get them onto some elk but that they wouldn't like where I went. It soon got around that I could get hunters onto elk but after they found out where I was hunting them no one else would go in with me.
In those days I think that I went something like 15 years with 15 elk but I worked for them. I knew their patterns in the area that I hunted them and I knew that there would be very few other if any hunters in the same area.
Now days if I want a elk I'll get a cow tag and go sit on a hill where I can drive a 4 wheeler to and then wait. I might have to wait for 4 or 5 days but sooner or later a group of cows will come across that dirt road and I can shoot one. But that is my spot, I have taken a couple of kids into it for their first elk but that is about it.
So in other words if you want to work your rear off, get up very early to hike into a area in the dark and are willing to pack a animal out on your back you can usually do pretty well.
But most hunters will bust their rear the first couple of days and then they won't venture much further than 100 yards away from their truck or 4 wheeler.
Againstthewind
Very Active Member
Hate to admit it, but the reasons above are probably why I haven't gotten the elk consistently. Its tough to pattern them only going a couple days here maybe a couple days later on. Then there are the days where the sign points to them moving into the next drainage over but I chicken out over the pack out in case I accidently get onto one and don't even cross the hill. I agree with THelms, I need to not count on luck as much. There is also that napping problem I have. That sun hits my neck and I am a gone Johnson. Being in better shape would probably help a lot with that. This weekend got up to my glassing spot, tried for a little while until the sun came out and then I was out like a light. Hike back down and fresh poop right in the saddle I was supposed to be watching. Plus for every tag that is punched, nine others didn't in that 10% area, so I will be one of the nine just for you guys.
tdcour
Veteran member
tim
Veteran member
for me, the challenge, where you have to go, what you have to do, are you willing to lay it all on the line? Then there is just this nobility with ELK.
Silentstalker
Active Member
All the reasons mentioned about sum it up. I would add that typically hunters that are not in good shape wear down quickly. They will only hunt hard for 1-2 days then it's over for them.
Being in shape allows you to hunt where the elk are until you are lucky enough to kill one.
That said, I absolutely love hunting elk. Even the brutal pack outs. It is so rewarding when the last pack hits the truck!
Being in shape allows you to hunt where the elk are until you are lucky enough to kill one.
That said, I absolutely love hunting elk. Even the brutal pack outs. It is so rewarding when the last pack hits the truck!
I must agree with what others have already said. Most guys just aren't willing to put in the effort required to be successful on elk. I have found this is especially true for cow elk, they just don't want to work for a cow. I don't understand because they are such good eating.
My success rate for late season cows here in NV is 75% only because I missed my only shot on my first cow tag. The average for the area is about 18%. Then again I'm not sure how far I would pack out an elk without the help of my son and my brother.
My success rate for late season cows here in NV is 75% only because I missed my only shot on my first cow tag. The average for the area is about 18%. Then again I'm not sure how far I would pack out an elk without the help of my son and my brother.
jjenness
Very Active Member
I agree with a lot of the sentiments already stated. I would attribute a lot of my personal success to the fact that once hunting season starts, that is what I do, I hunt. Every time someone asks me how I managed to shoot another bull I always tell them the same thing, 1 you have to be in the field as much as possible and 2 you have to hunt the wind. I find that most people only hunt when the weather is nice or on the weekends. I personally use a lot of vacation time during the hunting season. Also, hunting the wind might mean that the elk are only half a mile away, but to get the wind right you might have to hike 2 miles around them, and most people just won't do that. A lot of people I see blowing elk out of an area simply disregard the wind and hike straight in hoping the elk stay there long enough for them to get a shot, which most of the time doesn't work out.
HuskyMusky
Veteran member
Also bow hunting naturally has lower sucess rates, but also some states/areas, release tons of bow tags....
if a bow area issues a 1000 tags, and 200 elk are going to be taken, I feel like if you issued 500 tags, still 200 elk would be taken...
ie the MT breaks, I'm in part thinking of, I think if they broke up that bow season to 2 or 3 bow seasons, you could issue the same or more tags and actually reduce hunting pressure, ie, 1000 tags for 1- 6 week long season, vs. 3x500 tags for 2 week seasons.
it's kind of like sheep goat tags having 100% success rates.
if a bow area issues a 1000 tags, and 200 elk are going to be taken, I feel like if you issued 500 tags, still 200 elk would be taken...
ie the MT breaks, I'm in part thinking of, I think if they broke up that bow season to 2 or 3 bow seasons, you could issue the same or more tags and actually reduce hunting pressure, ie, 1000 tags for 1- 6 week long season, vs. 3x500 tags for 2 week seasons.
it's kind of like sheep goat tags having 100% success rates.
missjordan
Veteran member
I️ used to dread a hard pack out, but after doing a handful of them. Some were easier than others but a couple stand out as being downright brutal. But that is what it takes to be successful! As a hunter you need to be willing to push yourself harder to find elk, and then finding a trophy on top of it is a whole other ball game. If your willing to put some miles on your boots and hike into some crappy spots, youll stand a good chance of being successful. If your willing to take the shot. Some people are successful elk hunters putting in little effort but I dont see those people shooting elk every year either. Let alone a trophy.
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JimP
Administrator
If you really want to be successful don't do any training. Go on the hunt over weight and out of shape. That will almost guarantee you a good shot at one not to mention a long pack out on your back.
And this surprises you....?
In the end, other hunters are just another predator hunting the same game.
And nobody hates an elk hunter like another elk hunter...
bghunter
Active Member
I don't think this is correct statement, I like seeing other hunters success and helping them. I like talking to hunters in the camp and share some food and stories.