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Posted: 8/26/2022 7:02:51 PM EDT
[#1]
Quoted: I finally drew an ELK tag after more than 20 years of trying. Got drawn for a bow tag in a good Unit. Killed other things with a bow but never even shot at anything this big before. (Rifle or Bow) In this thread tell me your past mistakes. Also tell me the mistakes I am going to make. And remember this is GD  On my bucket list. Put in for tags the first time this year in 3 different states. Going to MD for Miniature Elk called sika deer this year. Best of luck filling that tag OP, hope you get a hunt of a lifetime. |
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Posted: 8/26/2022 7:22:25 PM EDT
[#2]
Never killed an elk, but I have killed quite a few moose....
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Posted: 8/26/2022 7:29:36 PM EDT
[#3]
I shot one in 2020 in CO. 180 grn accubond out of a 300wm. I heard the bullet hit. He never moved. As I was firing the second round, he dropped….
Going again next year and to WY hopefully in 2024 or 2025. Its way different that what I am used to, but Elk hunting is awesome. |
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Posted: 8/26/2022 7:29:43 PM EDT
[#4]
First,second season of Elk hunting with a bow and it can be pretty warm. You get an animal down, the sooner you get it on
ice the better. What area did you draw OP? |
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Posted: 8/26/2022 7:39:07 PM EDT
[#5]
I cannot tell you about mistakes, because I'm the luckiest elk hunter on the planet.
First time my son-in-law took me out, I busted my butt all morning walking up and down 3 ridges. BTW, there were hunters all over the place. Got tired. Sat down to eat my sandwich, then decided to sit and wait back where I saw a seep spring with some tracks around it. On my way back to the spring, I hear cracking in a thicket about 40 yards away. Buck elk jumps out and runs across my path. All my years of quail hunting paid off, cuz I hit that buck on the run right where I wanted to. Shot nicked the top of the heart. Down he went. Best part--I was 200 yards from the road, uphill from the road, right off a path. Son in law said it was the easiest pack out he'd had in 20 years of hunting. We were packed out my mid afternoon, first day out. I'll probably never be that lucky again in my life. |
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Posted: 8/26/2022 7:42:24 PM EDT
[#6]
Quote HistoryQuoted: I cannot tell you about mistakes, because I'm the luckiest elk hunter on the planet. First time my son-in-law took me out, I busted my butt all morning walking up and down 3 ridges. BTW, there were hunters all over the place. Got tired. Sat down to eat my sandwich, then decided to sit and wait back where I saw a seep spring with some tracks around it. On my way back to the spring, I hear cracking in a thicket about 40 yards away. Buck elk jumps out and runs across my path. All my years of quail hunting paid off, cuz I hit that buck on the run right where I wanted to. Shot nicked the top of the heart. Down he went. Best part--I was 200 yards from the road, uphill from the road, right off a path. Son in law said it was the easiest pack out he'd had in 20 years of hunting. We were packed out my mid afternoon, first day out. I'll probably never be that lucky again in my life. damn stars aligned for you. |
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Posted: 8/26/2022 7:44:04 PM EDT
[#7]
Shot my first one with a .270 under 100 yards. He didn't even twitch, took about 5 steps and then just went to his knees and rolled on his side. I waited to walk over to him since I was convinced the thing was still alive and waiting for me to get close before unleashing massive elk rage.
Watch for bears. Keep your rifle loaded and close. A winch and lift on the back of the pickup comes in really handy. (I was a 5 minute walk from the road) Have a long and sturdy rope to pull the bastard out of any thickets he finds his way into before he drops. Have several knives. Much faster than re-sharpening the one. A rib cutter is nice as well. |
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Posted: 8/26/2022 7:44:06 PM EDT
[#8]
Quote HistoryQuoted: If youre not already very fit, start cardio training today. So very, very much this. We get one every year. Usually 6-10 trips carrying 60+ pounds 2-3 miles one way. The fun doesn’t start until it’s dead on the ground. Then the pain begins! Or bring friends with horses or a mule. |
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Posted: 8/26/2022 7:45:23 PM EDT
[#9]
There is no sadness when you can chuck 2 cows in the back of a truck. One is quartered. CPW guy helped us load the whole one.
 Attached FileYou should get a good shot at a mature bull with that tag. Good luck! |
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Posted: 8/26/2022 7:45:36 PM EDT
[#10]
Which unit?
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Posted: 8/26/2022 8:05:03 PM EDT
[#11]
biggest mistake will always be not ordering more jerky and summer sausage with your meat processor.
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Posted: 8/26/2022 8:07:35 PM EDT
[#12]
Yes. A decent sized (likely about 3-4 years old) five point. I shot him at 375 yards with a .300 RUM (behind the shoulder) and it took two shots to put him down. It still took him about 20 minutes to die after that. Butchering him at home was taxing, but he tasted good.
I also killed a big bodied 5 point mule deer a couple of years before that. Mule deer meat tastes like ass. |
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Posted: 8/26/2022 9:30:08 PM EDT
[#13]
Quote HistoryQuoted: biggest mistake will always be not ordering more jerky and summer sausage with your meat processor. Bigger mistake is not making it yourself...... |
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Posted: 8/26/2022 9:39:27 PM EDT
[#14]
There is no sadness in elk hunting, till the hunt is over.
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Posted: 8/26/2022 9:41:34 PM EDT
[#15]
If you can spend a LOT of time scouting for a couple of weeks before your hunt. Elk tend to do the same shit over and over every day so if you can find some odds are good they'll be within a couple miles of there when it's time to hunt.
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Posted: 8/26/2022 10:22:17 PM EDT
[#16]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Anyone who hunts elk without pack animals is an idiot. The only person dumber is the guy that owns the pack animals.  Archery hunting, for elk, several years ago. Hadn't bow hunted in years and wasn't really prepared. Bow was an old 4 wheel Jennings with about 30% let off, if that. I just wasn't strong enough to pull it back, quietly, and hold it. A few of us spread out along a ridge line, we knew there were elk somewhere below us in the timber. We dropped all of our gear on the ridge and then crept down the face to a tree line, settled in and waited for the elk to move up. Guy next to me noticed his pack was pretty exposed so he snuck back up to the ridge to do a better job of concealing his gear. Of course just at about the time he got to his pack a nice bull stepped out of the trees just below where he had been, and about 30 yards down and to my right. I happened to be seated in a clump of 3 trees, one behind me, 2 on my right side. I could not raise and draw my bow between being weak, and the trees being too close. The bull continued to graze uphill and got to my trees - me on one side, bull on the other. He was no more than 10 or 15 feet from me. There was a second bull just a few yards beyond him.. They finally got suspicious and turned around and disappeared into the trees. I'm tougher and dumber than you.
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Posted: 8/26/2022 10:28:40 PM EDT
[#17]
I’ve killed a small (4x5) bull and a cow.
The meat is better than white tailed deer by a good margin. They’re no harder to kill than a deer, though. Shots that will drop a deer will drop an elk. Lung shots will make them run 75 yards. Poor shots will make them run a long way. Just like with deer. They have great ears and noses. You’ll fail if you ignore that. |
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Posted: 8/26/2022 10:30:45 PM EDT
[#18]
Why would you guys want to kill these majestic animals?
I would have respect for you if you told me you were hunting Antifa Democrats! |
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Posted: 8/26/2022 10:38:22 PM EDT
[#19]
Killed quit a few . That's the easy part , the next 4 - 13 hours is what sucked .
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Posted: 8/26/2022 10:47:13 PM EDT
[#20]
I went to NM, I didn't get one but my friend did. The amount of hiking, stalking and walking was pretty incredible. Beautiful scenery and just a really great experience. If you hunt deer, it should probably be on your bucket list.
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Posted: 8/26/2022 11:11:06 PM EDT
[#21]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Well if they're so great, why do you guys want to kill them? Because eating them alive is cruel. |
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Posted: 8/26/2022 11:13:56 PM EDT
[#22]
Went a few times when stationed in CO.
Nada. |
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Posted: 8/26/2022 11:16:12 PM EDT
[#23]
I killed an elk with a Pete 379 in Wisconsin a few years back.
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Posted: 8/26/2022 11:19:13 PM EDT
[#24]
Quote HistoryQuoted: I killed a 6x6 bull in unit 52 last October. Rifle. 280 yds. It was my first time hunting. My buddy and I hiked/climbed two and a half hours in the dark to find em. I shot him at first light the morning of the second day. We were prepared and worked our asses off finding them but I do know how lucky I am. It was one of the greatest experiences of my life. What unit are you hunting? Unit 10 |
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Posted: 8/26/2022 11:20:28 PM EDT
[#25]
Packed this one out by myself, sort of... Had the old man boning meat while I walked it out. About three miles from the trailhead, mostly downhill. Took 3 trips.
Packing it out is the least of your worries. Get in shape and make sure your gear is good to go! 
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Posted: 8/26/2022 11:42:08 PM EDT
[#26]
My first Elk hunt was in Ely, Nevada with a friend who had drawn a cow Muzzleloader tag.
It was -15 everyday, and we were used to it because we lived just north of there. We waited at a spring until the small group came by and he shot it with a .50 caliber and a 385 grain buffalo bullet. That thing dropped in about 10 feet. The next was here in Idaho and a coworker talked me into calling for him as I was a lousy caller and the Bulls always try to tun off an interloper. I called one in alright, he shot it in the head and the arrow bounced off the skull and the Elk charged me. Talk about an adrenaline rush---Wow! The next year I dragged out my bow and practiced for about 8 months, from different heights, different angle, through the trees, with gear on, you name it. Opening morning had a bull, three cows broadside at 30 yards, completely unaware we were there. I shot, right through the heart, it did not even run, just blew blood out it's nose and fell over. The others just walked away. Two years later had a large cow elk walk with 10 feet of me, and I double lunged her, but she ran about 40 yards and fell over. I have hunted deer all my life, but the blood spray from that one shocked me. I have made many, many mistakes, calling to much, not enough, not shooting when I should have, got the wind wrong, all kinds of stuff. And I still enjoy it, but hunt from a blind that I preseason setup by two weeks so they get used to it. |
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Posted: 8/27/2022 12:07:17 AM EDT
[#27]
One thing when bow hunting, elk are not whitetail, they do not necessarily spook and leave the area. Archery season usually is during the rut and the bulls will be with/near/following the cows. I have been within feet of elk and they were watching me wondering what I was (of course I did not see them). They have a great ability to disappear without making noise, if you think you are on one, stick with it.
Many times when they are bugling they will call back to your cow call but they basically call to the cow "if you want me I am over here" and do not move. They have heard the Hoochie Mama so many times they don't run toward it (sometimes they do). Use your binos a lot, be patient, call blindly and sit still for 30 minutes or more, lots of little things. If you find a big dominant bull they may have 20-30 cows with them. They also may have 4-5 satellite bulls trying to peel off a few cows. Many times these will do the silly stuff and run to you. These can be some impressive bulls also. |
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Posted: 8/27/2022 12:16:43 AM EDT
[#28]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Make sure you have someone to help you when you get one down! I've killed a few elk, and this still took me almost three hours to get this bull from this hill.......down the hill150yrds to my side x side and loaded up. https://i.imgur.com/EA6LHbV.jpg https://i.imgur.com/VzJzOIy.jpg I'm in excellent shape and a pretty big guy. The quarters are a handful and then some. I was exhausted. I was lucky I had such a short way to get him to a road, and less than a mile from my cabin. It would have been much worse if I had shot him at dusk, instead of dawn. I never should have been up there without a buddy to help. Just gutting him was exhausting; trying to get his leg up and out of the way on the steep hillside. https://i.imgur.com/PRHM2Da.jpg That's a big boy there,any idea what he scored? |
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Posted: 8/27/2022 12:21:36 AM EDT
[#29]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Well if they're so great, why do you guys want to kill them? Because they're great! And badass! They made that pretty clear. Or maybe they're Private Joker. |
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Posted: 8/27/2022 12:26:21 AM EDT
[#30]
Quoted: I finally drew an ELK tag after more than 20 years of trying. Got drawn for a bow tag in a good Unit. Killed other things with a bow but never even shot at anything this big before. (Rifle or Bow) In this thread tell me your past mistakes. Also tell me the mistakes I am going to make. And remember this is GD Good luck! Congrats on the tag, Valle? NM Elk hunting is awesome. Bring a friend, suckers are heavy. |
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Posted: 8/27/2022 12:34:51 AM EDT
[#31]
Quoted: I finally drew an ELK tag after more than 20 years of trying. Got drawn for a bow tag in a good Unit. Killed other things with a bow but never even shot at anything this big before. (Rifle or Bow) In this thread tell me your past mistakes. Also tell me the mistakes I am going to make. And remember this is GD |
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Posted: 8/27/2022 12:43:12 AM EDT
[#32]
I have never hunted in Unit 10, are you going to be near Bluewater Lake? Should be lots of water this year, setting up on a tank may not be productive if there is water everywhere. I would be putting some ground blinds together in "Elky" spots and put out some trail cameras to see what blinds have activity and go from there, hopefully they will be bugling during your hunt.
Have fun!!! |
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Posted: 8/27/2022 12:47:29 AM EDT
[#33]
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Posted: 8/27/2022 12:51:24 AM EDT
[#34]
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Posted: 8/27/2022 1:01:11 AM EDT
[#35]
This is one we went after. He was gone by the time we got to the spot.
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Posted: 8/27/2022 1:13:28 AM EDT
[#36]
1) cardio. Right now.
2) buy some diagram calls, a tube, and start practicing. Now. Start with lighter-reed cow/young bull calls. 3) take Corey Jacobson’s online elk hunting university course. Worth it. 4) Always know where the wind is moving. Always. Elk don’t bust for no reason. They bust because you stink. 5) If you hear a bugle you go after that bull. You don’t keep looking. 6) Let the bull set the pace. If he waits 8 minutes to bugle back you wait 8 minutes. Let him escalate. You get too aggressive too quickly and he’ll ghost you. Make him think he’s going to teach you a lesson, not vice versa. Life will never be the same. |
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Posted: 8/27/2022 1:26:38 AM EDT
[#37]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Anyway, I ended up riding solo back to the camp and my fucking horse decided it was going to gallop the whole way back (it was really a trot, but on a hard surface road it felt like I was getting kicked in the lower spine each time it’s hooves hit the ground). Because I didn’t have Cowboy boots I couldn’t stand in the stirrups. So yeah that sucked. That’s my elk hunting story. I was hoping your location wouldn't say TX as I was reading but somehow I knew it would when I scrolled back up to check. |
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Posted: 8/27/2022 8:02:15 AM EDT
[#38]
Got my share back when you could buy a general permit over the counter for $25 and came with a black bear tag too. Nowadays I am good with cow permits cuz it would take me too long to accumulate points for the bull now. Our fall break in schools was always the first week of elk season! So many good times back then to even count!
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Posted: 8/27/2022 8:17:55 AM EDT
[#39]
I have not. It's on my bucket list.
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Posted: 8/27/2022 8:29:29 AM EDT
[#40]
I took these about 10min ago just for you OP.
 Get ya a little excited.  I've got video, but it's going to take some time to upload, up here on the top of fhe hill. Pretty sure there were over 100. They were about 100yrds out infront of my Wolverine when they crossed the road. I saw one spikes head over the hill next to me and thought it was just a group of about 20 bulls I've been seeing.....nope, the whole herd.    WY Elk in Aug |
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Posted: 8/27/2022 8:38:18 AM EDT
[#41]
I've got one more video to load but it's taking too long and I want to keep riding.
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Posted: 8/27/2022 8:38:37 AM EDT
[#42]
Quote HistoryQuoted: I was hoping your location wouldn't say TX as I was reading but somehow I knew it would when I scrolled back up to check. Quote HistoryQuoted: Quoted: Anyway, I ended up riding solo back to the camp and my fucking horse decided it was going to gallop the whole way back (it was really a trot, but on a hard surface road it felt like I was getting kicked in the lower spine each time it’s hooves hit the ground). Because I didn’t have Cowboy boots I couldn’t stand in the stirrups. So yeah that sucked. That’s my elk hunting story. I was hoping your location wouldn't say TX as I was reading but somehow I knew it would when I scrolled back up to check. Well, the hunt was in NM, if that helps at all. |
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Posted: 8/27/2022 8:58:54 AM EDT
[#43]
Quote HistoryQuoted: If you're just used to being around deer... elk are fuckin huge This, when a big bull hits the ground, the vacation is over! |
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Posted: 8/27/2022 9:12:37 AM EDT
[#44]
Gone to Colorado twice to hunt elk. First time 4 of us went, we got over 3 feet of snow the first few days in camp. Saw elk on far ridges, impossible to get to them with the snow. I had a 4 wheeler and the snow was deeper then it was tall.
Second time I went by myself I hunted first day in shorts and flip flops. next morning was 15 degrees and snowing. Almost got run over by a spike. Saw several shooters but couldn't close the distant for a good shot. Headed back out in October for second season rifle this year. Got 6 guys going so far. But you know how that goes, everyone wants to go until its time to go. We shall see who actually goes. |
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Posted: 8/27/2022 9:15:48 AM EDT
[#45]
I've been 3 times, successful once. Public land hunting is really tough.
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Posted: 8/27/2022 9:18:04 AM EDT
[#46]
I have been three times. Struck out all three. I still have 17 rounds in a 20 round box of Remington 180g bonded core soft 30-06 point ammo. 3 rounds were used to zero my grandfather’s 1903 A3 (sporterized, Fajen stock, Leupold 3-9x40mm scope). The rifle is up to the task, I suppose I am not.
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Posted: 8/27/2022 9:19:29 AM EDT
[#47]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Why would you guys want to kill these majestic animals? I would have respect for you if you told me you were hunting Antifa Democrats! Ever try to debone a democrat? Also, I don't need your respect. I have elk meat.
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Posted: 8/27/2022 9:24:38 AM EDT
[#48]
Quote HistoryQuoted: I cannot tell you about mistakes, because I'm the luckiest elk hunter on the planet. First time my son-in-law took me out, I busted my butt all morning walking up and down 3 ridges. BTW, there were hunters all over the place. Got tired. Sat down to eat my sandwich, then decided to sit and wait back where I saw a seep spring with some tracks around it. On my way back to the spring, I hear cracking in a thicket about 40 yards away. Buck elk jumps out and runs across my path. All my years of quail hunting paid off, cuz I hit that buck on the run right where I wanted to. Shot nicked the top of the heart. Down he went. Best part--I was 200 yards from the road, uphill from the road, right off a path. Son in law said it was the easiest pack out he'd had in 20 years of hunting. We were packed out my mid afternoon, first day out. I'll probably never be that lucky again in my life. aka don’t ever go again, cuz that’ll never happen again
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Posted: 8/27/2022 9:30:42 AM EDT
[#49]
Anne Elk has a theory about the brontosaurus...............
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Posted: 8/27/2022 9:31:52 AM EDT
[#50]
Killed a lot of elk in my twenties. Haven’t had much luck or time in my thirties.
I have seen some fall over after being shot, others run for miles. They are big animals and determined to live. I always hunt late season so can’t provide much insight into an archery early season hunt. |
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