Elk hunting mistakes to avoid

nmwapiti

nmwapiti

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I drew a great tag this year (NM Valles Caldera 2nd Archery) and want to do everything I can to make it a successful hunt. I am relatively new to archery hunting, harvested my 1st elk last season. I learned so much last year, and have to admit that luck played more a role than skill. I blew a chance at a much bigger bull by cow calling too much and basiclly blew my cover. Lesson learned! I am confident in my shooting out to 50 yards, am in good shape, know how to play the wind, got the basics down. Would love to hear your suggestions/tips of things you all have learned to avoid or things that really helped in the past.
 
Stay out all day
never skyline yourself
stay out of open meadows
use a decoy and set it up behind you
Have a partner call for you maybe 100 yards behind
get up early and get ahead of the elk

like you mentioned, WATCH THE WIND at all times
 
Be open to changing tactics - if the Bulls continually hang up then have someone call for you get the wind in your face or a cross wind and slowly close the distance to the bull yourself.

Scout out at least 2 to 3 separate areas - don't put a ton of effort into a single area or you might get burned

Work hard

Be confident and persistent

Best of luck to you !!!
 
Don't get hung up thinking just bugling to an Elk will bring them in like the family Dog.

Try Cow calls, if they don't work, try bugling. If that doesn't work, don't make any noise, get close, then rake a tree. Try getting close without bugling, then one soft bugle and rake. If that doesn't work, don't call at all and get ahead of them and ambush.

Make the shot happen. Don't just stand there next to a tree and wait for him to present a perfect shot. Sometimes you need to take a step or shoot thru a little brush. Get into "shoot mode" and make the shot happen.

Don't setup in an open field and wait till he's 10 yards away and looking at you to draw like those numskulls on TV. Get the bow drawn back. I would much rather have to let down because he hung up one step early than to have him broadside at 10 yards and try to draw back.
 
Hunt all day, and listen to what the elk are telling you. They know who is in there, so an intruder may or may not get the desired response.

I shot my cow last year in mid afternoon. All the elk were bedded on a small knoll in broad daylight. I had to make about a 1 mile stalk across two draws and tons of aspen and fir to get into range. That was during the rut, and the bull had the cows taken care of. I just had to sneak in and seal the deal, and it worked. No bugling, no cow calling, just watching the wind and being as quiet as possible, that was all.

Other situations might call for a little bugling, a little cow calling, a little of both? It can all happen, so be prepared for anything.

Later,

Marcial
 
Tips from Miller Lite on a Saturday night:

Make sure to re-nock your arrow after each practice pull.
Never try to sneak up hill on an elk or out ?walk? one.
If you wonder if you're being aggressive ? you're not.
Shut the hell up and get back to spot and stock.
Wind me and it's over.
Just shoot him, ya know draw and shoot the bastard.
People, trucks, and camps don't worry about it ? go hunt.
Bad hit, stop let him die or live.
A bull can go ? mile on a lung shot don't stop lookin.
Think herds - move until you find them, you're not deer hunting.
Stop glassing 300 yards, and look a mile or more.
Yes you can kill that bull a mile away before dark.
OMG learn to Q and debone an elk.
Love to hunt before you enjoy the kill.
4:30AM will make the difference.
Ya ? he will follow that ##### lead cow with you standing in the open.
Your freezing your ass off, he is just feeling good.
Friends make the hunt.
New hunters average 10 days per one shot and old hunters kill bulls on the first day after 10 days of scouting.
Wallows in dark timber are gold and so is a good book.
Dark is just dark, learn to enjoy it.
Really do give it just 15 more min.
You?re not going to find that hat, pack, knife, coat, so pick it up before you move.
Yes - you will miss.
A small fire in a snow storm is like coffee in the morning.
Learn to hear the silent noise of the forest.
Leave your keys under a rock at the truck.
Fu#k the money, it's what you live for.
 
Shoot that bow from sitting standing,kneeling around post every where that you can. ELKNUT gave ya some sound advice.


"I have found if you go the extra mile it's Never crowded".
 
Not to be confused with the MM.com Elknut.

Go to elknut.com.......buy their DVD's.....and wear 'em out. The best lessons available on elk speak......anywhere. Focus in on getting inside the mind and vocabulary of a bull at that specific time of year.

I like the handheld mouthblown call Wayne Carlton's Estrus Whine. It is uniquely raspy.....and doesn't even sound like the other hunter's calls. Easy to use. I've called in many 6 pt bulls with it......close enough that they blew snot all over me.
 
ELKNUT +1

Be where you want to start hunting before daylight and don't leave untill after dark, Know the area your hunting as well as you know your own living room be presistant and don't be too hard on yourself if you make a mistake they happen the difference is what you learn from the mistake that makes them all worth while good luck and can't wait to see pictures this fall


Windage and elevation pilgrim windage and elevation
 
I drew the Caldera a few years back and my advice is be patient!..They will probably have you hunt some "select" areas until tags are filled..then the place should open up to alot more ground. That place is incredible don't get in a hurry and plan on spending a week there if you can.. You will eventually get a chance at a really good bull. I'm telling you from personal experience if you arrow an average bull to quickly you may be leaving some of the best elk hunting of your life there on the table. Just make the most of it.
 
This will be the best money you spend. If you have any doubt, just get Volume 1, but I guarantee you that you will end up with them all. Don't expect a hunting video with a little bit of knowledge. These videos are ALL info about what are elk saying and how and when to respond.

http://stores.elknut.com/Detail.bok?no=24

txhunter58

venor, ergo sum (I hunt, therefore I am)
 
As stated before hunt during the middle of the day. In order for this to be effective you need to know the bedding areas of the elk, sneak in down wind of the bedded heard let off a few cow calls and see if you can get him talking, if he responds give him time call softly and wait be patient a lot of times they will get up and leave the bedded cows to come check you out. I have been apart and called in some great heard bulls doing this that otherwise were near impossible to get close to or away from the cows.

Mistakes to avoid, pushing elk to hard, once they bust or get too much pressure they can and will go a long ways and then your starting over trying to locate them and learning there habits and new terrian.
 
I assume you are in full Scent-lok,use Scent Killer and personal hygein products. Soak everything in Scent-Killer and redose gear every couple of days. De-scent cloths, gear and bag them. Never wear your hunting cloths once back at camp, bag them to keep them scent free. Change cloths unless you have backpacked into wilderness areas. Never expose hunting cloths, gear or bows to odors like coffee perking in the morning or food odors. If you are going to eat/cook something with odors do not dress in your hunting cloths until you are not around the odors. Backcountry backpacking into wilderness areas like us there are NO campfire's period, no food or snacks that have much odors. Buy quality gear that will keep you warm and you won't need a fire. On the snack's put snacks in outer pockets of your backpack... easily accessable pockets on your pack, less noise when you want to get them along with much less movement. Unwrap ALL snacks that you are going to take on your hunt and put the snacks into zip lock bags. Much less noise so the game does not know you are in there area. Whisper if you need to talk to hunting partners. Sound travels for miles and so will the elk. Carry a cow call to cover any noise you make and use in the dark as well as day time. Remember elk are noisy when they walk. If you make a noise and cover it with the cow call the elk just think you are another elk. I made a huge amount of noise this past season when I got hung up in downed old timber in the dark trying to get to a wallow. I kept on the cow call every few minutes. I knew the bulls were above me for the night. Three hours after day light. The bulls came down like I was never there.

You will get more game using stealth to stalk or still hunt and stay as quiet as you can and be scent free. Bugle only if you need to find game off in a distance. We don't bugle in our country because we never know when a bull in close in the dark timber and we just screwed up the days hunt. Where we hunt if you bugle and sound dominent that bull will just pack up his cows and push them into the next county. Bull's nine times out of ten will feel his cows are exposed and protect them by moving them away...not come charging in and give you the shot like on TV. Sure every once and awhile you will take one calling but if you think and hunt like a predator. You will be more successful over time. If there is game in the area they will stay in the area, then it is up to you to find a way to get your shot.

Never use cover scents...always de-scent...

NEVER TAKE UNETHICAL SHOTS....Save the "Hail Mary's" for football. If you are going to do that go pick up a rifle....if you need the meat. If a hunter/archer pushes past there ethical range and wounds an animal and it just goes off and dies. What a waste of a magnificant animal.

"Hunt and be proud of what you accomplish archery hunting... Because there is a difference between a hunter and a Sportsman.
 
Here are a few more just for fun:

Everything is horney in a drizzle ? don't miss it.
A lighter will save you, and propane will kill you.
Steep ridge, think 1/3 down and level.
Blow your peep out in the rain.
5 pillow cases and a folding ultitiy knife is all you need ? clean and dry.
Keep your license in your knife case.
Plan B - that 9:30 temp change, cool, damp, route to beds.
Really an elk can see a flashlight in the dark.
He will talk in his sleep ? but he's not talking to you, stay out of the bedroom.
Think of that lead cow as your mother-in-law.
Your shooting lane is between him and down wind.
Turn your white fletch in, no more than one.
Lots of ibuprofen.
If you didn't hear the hunters bugle from the ridge down to you, you're way too late.
Arteries bend around dull blades.
If it doesn't suck some of the time you're not doing it right.
You just bounced 5 hours on a dirt road; expect mechanical failures.
On a hill ? check you level before you release.
He may take hours or days (or nights) to challenge a new caller.
Elk hunting where ?this fu%kin sucks? and ?OMG that was SO COOL? all happen in the same 5 minutes!

Good luck to everyone this fall!
 
You have a rangefinder - USE IT!!!!

I had this tag last year. Killed my bull at noon on 3rd or 4th day. The elk where going nuts. So hunt all day.

Caldera is going down hill. Sucess ratio last year same hunt was 30%. Guys that had this tag several years ago - Its not the same. Hunt smart.

Scent-lok does not work. Play the wind!!!

Be aggresive!!!

Early morning - get on top before daylight!

Evenings go to the valleys! But inside tree line.

Talk to johney yepa. He knows each unit and will tell you where to go.
 
Play range finder games all day long. Take it with you when you take a dump. Take it with you when you look over the ridge. Take it with you when you eat your lunch on the rock.

I go opposite of 30 incher...I creep the bottoms in the a.m. dark and work up to 'em while thermals are going down and get to the top and work down in the afternoon when the thermals are coming up. Late eve they will change again so I try to side hill if possible.

Hunt all day. Bivi. Stay out where you can hear 'em. Enjoy the snap shot.

HK
 

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