Elk Hunting Tips!
04-04-2005, 11:16 AM
#11
Join Date: Mar 2005
Posts: 2
RE: Elk Hunting Tips!
Couple more things: I agree with proficiency in calling ... especially ability change your call to suit the animal. I've found elk change their call as they get in tighter to you. Also, I spent eight "elkless" hunting years before I read Mike Lapinski's "Radical Elk Hunting Techniques". Changed my attitude and approach. Understanding the animal and the various rut cycles and approach was key (shot bulls four out of last five years)
04-04-2005, 12:25 PM
#12
Typical Buck
Join Date: Dec 2003
Posts: 590
RE: Elk Hunting Tips!
Good topic, good post.
For me, calling proficiency is overrated, but maybe I'm splitting hairs. My own statement would be to achieve "call confidence". If you are confident in your call, it can sound like an angry tomcat and work like a charm. To get confidence you have to practice with your call, and thus you tend to get good with it ... like I said, maybe I'm splitting hairs.
I really agree with your statement about not putting elk stink on yourself. I went through the same process of learning that all it did was interfere with my ability to smell live elk, and I really consider my sense of smell to be almost as important as my vision for elk hunting. That's one of the things that makes elk hunting different from deer hunting, smelling your quarry.
I would add - FLEXIBILITY! Reading these boards on all kinds of hunting, it seems like people settle in their minds on one simple idea - rattling bucks, hunting scrapes, using a 300 magnum or a 270, or bugling for bulls, etc. - and then begin to argue fiercely that anyone who doesn't do it "their" way is a moron. More than any other hunting I've done, bowhunting elk is a game of constantly amending your plan and trying something new. Last year, it rained and snowed on me for 11 of 13 days on a backpack hunt. I mean, it rained hard, for hours on end. Even with quality goretex I was wet at the extremities (hands, feet, and head) the whole time. This made it impossible for me to execute my main plan, which is setting up in an elk bedding area and staying put for 4-12 hours. I just got too cold once I stopped moving, so I had to invent a new hunting style. Judging that all the moisture made walking quiet, I stowed the calls and just stillhunted. I have never had so many shot opportunities before. I passed up 5 shots (only one came to calling) before I finally took a cow late in the hunt.
The moral is - weigh the specific conditions you're hunting under, and alter your hunting tactics accordingly.
For me, calling proficiency is overrated, but maybe I'm splitting hairs. My own statement would be to achieve "call confidence". If you are confident in your call, it can sound like an angry tomcat and work like a charm. To get confidence you have to practice with your call, and thus you tend to get good with it ... like I said, maybe I'm splitting hairs.
I really agree with your statement about not putting elk stink on yourself. I went through the same process of learning that all it did was interfere with my ability to smell live elk, and I really consider my sense of smell to be almost as important as my vision for elk hunting. That's one of the things that makes elk hunting different from deer hunting, smelling your quarry.
I would add - FLEXIBILITY! Reading these boards on all kinds of hunting, it seems like people settle in their minds on one simple idea - rattling bucks, hunting scrapes, using a 300 magnum or a 270, or bugling for bulls, etc. - and then begin to argue fiercely that anyone who doesn't do it "their" way is a moron. More than any other hunting I've done, bowhunting elk is a game of constantly amending your plan and trying something new. Last year, it rained and snowed on me for 11 of 13 days on a backpack hunt. I mean, it rained hard, for hours on end. Even with quality goretex I was wet at the extremities (hands, feet, and head) the whole time. This made it impossible for me to execute my main plan, which is setting up in an elk bedding area and staying put for 4-12 hours. I just got too cold once I stopped moving, so I had to invent a new hunting style. Judging that all the moisture made walking quiet, I stowed the calls and just stillhunted. I have never had so many shot opportunities before. I passed up 5 shots (only one came to calling) before I finally took a cow late in the hunt.
The moral is - weigh the specific conditions you're hunting under, and alter your hunting tactics accordingly.
04-04-2005, 02:46 PM
#13
Nontypical Buck
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location:
Posts: 2,555
RE: Elk Hunting Tips!
PA_BOW-HUNTER, I can't speak for everyone but I would bet the normal set poundage is between 65 to 70 pounds. I myself have hunted elk with my bow set as high as 83 pounds and as low as 65 because that was the highest that bow (my first bow) could go. This year with my new Switchback I will hunt at 70 pounds. The SB shooitng Gold Tips 7595 XT arrows at 480 grains will produce 82 pounds of KE. More than enough KE, all that is recomended for elk is 50 pounds.
Dirt2, I would agree with calling confidence it could mean the same as "proficiency". When I say calling proficiency I mean to be able to make several elk calls/elk sounds to fit different situtions. Yes I compeate in elk calling contests and yes calling in a contest is different than calling in a real elk. And no you don't have to call in or win a contest to call in a elk. But they do cross over meaning that if you can make many different elk sounds in the woods then you can compete in a contest and vica versa. I could be wrong, but I would bet that if it was possible to survey most elk bowhunters on any given mountain, that they could only make two overall elk sounds. A simple bull call and a simple cow call. If you asked them to sound like a spike bull, a raghorn bull, a mature bull bull calling out a location bugle and then a challenge bugle or a challenge bugle with a buzz/lip ball at the end that most couldn't do it. Same with the cow calls if you asked them to make a welcome cow call verses a cow in distress vs a calf vs a cow in estrus call that again most couldn't do it. There are many many more elk sounds that both cows and bulls make, its good to know them all, for they will all come in handy. If you can sound like a bull with a herd of 4 to 5 cows then you are doing good. As you know from my past posts I have done this with a lot of success the in past 5 years. If you have a buddy with you, one of you can sound like the herd bull with cows and the other can sould a raghorn bull or satelite bull who is trying to bugging the crap out of the herd bull. This is excited calling and it will get any elk's attention around you, even in pressured areas. Paul's (elknut1) videos talk about what he calls the threat, I have not tired it yet because I didn't learn about it until this winter, but I know it will work! When some of us from here hooked up at the expo in SLC, Paul he told us the "Threat" was reponsable for at least 50 elk kills this past year alone. To be able to act out the "Threat" you have to sound like several elk and you have to sound convincing. If calling is your style I again would recomend Pauls video's to you. Dirt, I shoud add that the only time I have been able to stalk into elk was when its raining. I guess I'm just the big clumsy type and am not very sneeky.
I do like it when it rains! Elk in september seem to love a very rainy day and seem to be out and about in it most of the day. I have found they also love to call a lot in the rain too!
Wolf killer, I like your advice! Hunters hunting here in the west should know a pro shop may be 2 days away or more from your camp. For me its a full days trip to my bow shop. Its a half days trip to the closest shop in Salmon Idaho that may or may not have what I need. I do carry extra strings, their shot and pre-streched and ready to go with peep and string loop attached. I also have a portable bow press back at camp. If in case my bow breaks a limb or something from a fall, or a unforseen accident like a horse acting up. I bring along an whole extra backup bow, compleate with arrows and all the works tuned and ready to go. If possiable I also bring a 3-D archery deer target into camp to shoot at. I also carry blunts and juddo points to shoot at stumps and grouse during the day. I like eating grouse and it gives you good practice for shooting at live game. I don't know if you got my PM or not but I will try to give you a call tonight.
To all others thanks, and please keep adding your tips and advice. This is excellent and helpfull advice to all. For those of you who don't use calls and just stalk or hunt silently I would love to learn about your tactics that help bring you success, I sure could use that advice
. Remeber elk hunting with a bow is not easy, the bowhunting success for most states here in the west runs between 10% to 15% at best. That leaves a lot of unpuched elk tags from both in state and out of state hunters. Hopefully all of us here will be in the 10 to 15% that puched out our tags. Good luck Jason
Dirt2, I would agree with calling confidence it could mean the same as "proficiency". When I say calling proficiency I mean to be able to make several elk calls/elk sounds to fit different situtions. Yes I compeate in elk calling contests and yes calling in a contest is different than calling in a real elk. And no you don't have to call in or win a contest to call in a elk. But they do cross over meaning that if you can make many different elk sounds in the woods then you can compete in a contest and vica versa. I could be wrong, but I would bet that if it was possible to survey most elk bowhunters on any given mountain, that they could only make two overall elk sounds. A simple bull call and a simple cow call. If you asked them to sound like a spike bull, a raghorn bull, a mature bull bull calling out a location bugle and then a challenge bugle or a challenge bugle with a buzz/lip ball at the end that most couldn't do it. Same with the cow calls if you asked them to make a welcome cow call verses a cow in distress vs a calf vs a cow in estrus call that again most couldn't do it. There are many many more elk sounds that both cows and bulls make, its good to know them all, for they will all come in handy. If you can sound like a bull with a herd of 4 to 5 cows then you are doing good. As you know from my past posts I have done this with a lot of success the in past 5 years. If you have a buddy with you, one of you can sound like the herd bull with cows and the other can sould a raghorn bull or satelite bull who is trying to bugging the crap out of the herd bull. This is excited calling and it will get any elk's attention around you, even in pressured areas. Paul's (elknut1) videos talk about what he calls the threat, I have not tired it yet because I didn't learn about it until this winter, but I know it will work! When some of us from here hooked up at the expo in SLC, Paul he told us the "Threat" was reponsable for at least 50 elk kills this past year alone. To be able to act out the "Threat" you have to sound like several elk and you have to sound convincing. If calling is your style I again would recomend Pauls video's to you. Dirt, I shoud add that the only time I have been able to stalk into elk was when its raining. I guess I'm just the big clumsy type and am not very sneeky.
I do like it when it rains! Elk in september seem to love a very rainy day and seem to be out and about in it most of the day. I have found they also love to call a lot in the rain too! Wolf killer, I like your advice! Hunters hunting here in the west should know a pro shop may be 2 days away or more from your camp. For me its a full days trip to my bow shop. Its a half days trip to the closest shop in Salmon Idaho that may or may not have what I need. I do carry extra strings, their shot and pre-streched and ready to go with peep and string loop attached. I also have a portable bow press back at camp. If in case my bow breaks a limb or something from a fall, or a unforseen accident like a horse acting up. I bring along an whole extra backup bow, compleate with arrows and all the works tuned and ready to go. If possiable I also bring a 3-D archery deer target into camp to shoot at. I also carry blunts and juddo points to shoot at stumps and grouse during the day. I like eating grouse and it gives you good practice for shooting at live game. I don't know if you got my PM or not but I will try to give you a call tonight.
To all others thanks, and please keep adding your tips and advice. This is excellent and helpfull advice to all. For those of you who don't use calls and just stalk or hunt silently I would love to learn about your tactics that help bring you success, I sure could use that advice
. Remeber elk hunting with a bow is not easy, the bowhunting success for most states here in the west runs between 10% to 15% at best. That leaves a lot of unpuched elk tags from both in state and out of state hunters. Hopefully all of us here will be in the 10 to 15% that puched out our tags. Good luck Jason
04-04-2005, 04:57 PM
#15
Fork Horn
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: usa
Posts: 464
RE: Elk Hunting Tips!
on the poundage part, last year i hunted with 85 lbs, this year new bow, will be 70. still plenty i think.
more on that calling. i actually do call some, usually cowcalling in close. the years ive ate tag soup, my calling or stalking wasnt the problem, my shooting was. i consider myself to be a fairly good shot, but have had some terrible luck. target panic then became a factor, but now im shooting a mechanical release, which seems to have cured it. hope to go back to fingers one day, though, except for 2 years of bad luck, ive had great success for a long time. for me it isnt buck, or bull fever either. terrible luck i think. 3 years ago i wounded and lost a cow in a blizzard. man thats a bad feeling. how it happened is even worse. 35 yard shot, she jumped the string so bad it hit her on the opposite side of the body from what i aimed at!!!!!!!!!! she did a 180. i have NEVER seen any animal jump the string that bad. anyway, 8 of us could not find her in a day and a half, as between the time i shot, and got to camp and got everybody we had 6 inches or 10 inches or so of fresh snow. i have never seen snow that hard. the group of us could not find where 35 elk went through the trees. thats the kind of bad luck im talking about.
one other piece of advice i have is get a quailty range finder. worth its weight in gold.
well ive rambled enough
brad
more on that calling. i actually do call some, usually cowcalling in close. the years ive ate tag soup, my calling or stalking wasnt the problem, my shooting was. i consider myself to be a fairly good shot, but have had some terrible luck. target panic then became a factor, but now im shooting a mechanical release, which seems to have cured it. hope to go back to fingers one day, though, except for 2 years of bad luck, ive had great success for a long time. for me it isnt buck, or bull fever either. terrible luck i think. 3 years ago i wounded and lost a cow in a blizzard. man thats a bad feeling. how it happened is even worse. 35 yard shot, she jumped the string so bad it hit her on the opposite side of the body from what i aimed at!!!!!!!!!! she did a 180. i have NEVER seen any animal jump the string that bad. anyway, 8 of us could not find her in a day and a half, as between the time i shot, and got to camp and got everybody we had 6 inches or 10 inches or so of fresh snow. i have never seen snow that hard. the group of us could not find where 35 elk went through the trees. thats the kind of bad luck im talking about.
one other piece of advice i have is get a quailty range finder. worth its weight in gold.
well ive rambled enough
brad
04-04-2005, 09:18 PM
#17
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location:
Posts: 659
RE: Elk Hunting Tips!
hi brad u know i am giving u sh*t , ofcoarse if i forget i can just watch the video. i always see knew things on it!
i was thinking of using wac-ems? anyone use these? i would to have some info on them besides from the guys who sells them! thank you all!
oh huntnmuleys, i don't think u will have time to hunt elk this year, u are going to draw that sheep and goat tags this year right?
i was thinking of using wac-ems? anyone use these? i would to have some info on them besides from the guys who sells them! thank you all!
oh huntnmuleys, i don't think u will have time to hunt elk this year, u are going to draw that sheep and goat tags this year right?
04-05-2005, 01:59 AM
#18
Fork Horn
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location:
Posts: 446
RE: Elk Hunting Tips!
Couple more things: I agree with proficiency in calling ... especially ability change your call to suit the animal. I've found elk change their call as they get in tighter to you
04-05-2005, 05:59 PM
#19
Nontypical Buck
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location:
Posts: 2,555
RE: Elk Hunting Tips!
ttabs, I like reading and watching Mike Lipinski's books and video's. I just wish he would come out with a new elk hunting video. I think the last elk video he made was 10 or so years ago, and they are still a good sourse of info for todays bowhunters.
huntnmuleys, sometimes we have to take the bad with the good. If you are dedicated and hunt every year sooner or later, bad luck as well as good will hit ya. I am sorry to hear that you lost that cow, I have never lost an elk yet, but I have lost 2 mulie bucks, both times the shots was close under 30 yards. Both shots seemed good to my eyes and I had good blood trails. But both times it was also raining hard very hard.[:@] To say it hurts is an understatement. I have missed my fair share of elk and deer too just like all good bowhunters. I guess that bad luck just makes it all the more sweet when we are successful and standing over such a beautiful animal with our bows in hand.
huntnmuleys, sometimes we have to take the bad with the good. If you are dedicated and hunt every year sooner or later, bad luck as well as good will hit ya. I am sorry to hear that you lost that cow, I have never lost an elk yet, but I have lost 2 mulie bucks, both times the shots was close under 30 yards. Both shots seemed good to my eyes and I had good blood trails. But both times it was also raining hard very hard.[:@] To say it hurts is an understatement. I have missed my fair share of elk and deer too just like all good bowhunters. I guess that bad luck just makes it all the more sweet when we are successful and standing over such a beautiful animal with our bows in hand.