Hunting Elk like the PROS!

Elk Hunting - "Do it like the Pros"

Elk would never go stumbling through the brush, and neither should you... read on and maybe you will find out just how they travel and the way you should travel. You CAN beat them at their own game if you follow these tips! Regardless of where you hunt, you do not need to pay a large sum of money for guided hunts that cost an arm and a leg. You simply need to follow the tips. Always remember to mask your identity by doing what Elk expect other Elk to be doing. This is how you get your Elk.

ABOUT GLASSING

When the amateurs have packed up and left, the professional and patient Elk Hunters are continuing to glass the site. When searching for Elk, the best hunters look meticulously before they give up on a large chunk of real estate. The amateurs are too consumed looking for Elk at extreme long distances that they most likely have no business looking for in the first place due to their inexperience of shooting at long distances and their small low-powered weapons.

The experienced hunter is looking for dark areas at tree lines where they are looking for that one moving antler tine, a leg, or a rump patch in a shaded, brushy tangle.... THIS IS HOW YOU FIND ELK!

KEEP THAT MOUTH SHUT!

Elk have very sensitive ears regardless of what other hunters say about Elk. I have experienced it far too many times to be proven wrong. Their hearing is just as good as their eyes, and they can see Orange... GO WITH CAMO at all times and keep that red and hunter orange in the pack!

Unless you have an emergency, it is always best to never talk in the woods, and then only in whispers. Shut up and see Elk. PERIOD! - Forget cell phones and radios, these are for EMERGENCIES!!!!!

MOVING AROUND

Modern life does not lend itself to silent walking. Always walk heel-to-toe, softly placing each foot down, and taking care not to kick rocks and sticks, snap twigs, or crunch gravel. Do not rub up against brush. Be sure to take all the squeaks and clangs out of your pack, clothing, rifle slings and boots. Silence is golden when moving to find Elk.

Walk always with your head up! No one wants to trip and fall, which is why so many hunters have a tendency to hike with head down. DON'T!!! When was the last time you ever shot at an Elk at the end of your boot tip?

GETTING TO YOUR LOCATION EARLY

If you are afraid of the dark, you are going to have a problem getting your Elk. Pros aren't afraid of the dark.

Most Elk movement occurs during the first hour after dawn and before dark. To take the most advantage of your time Elk Hunting, you will need to hike to and from your stand by flashlight. Be prepared to sit quietly from 4:30AM to 10:00AM and then begin moving around, taking in the view, take some pictures or eat a snack and drink some water.

Around noon, slowly proceed back to camp or move to another location being sure to glass each meadow at the tree lines and dark shadow areas. If you are going back to base camp for a bite to eat, do so slowly. Proceed back out at around 1:30PM or 2:30PM and plan on staying out until dark. Enjoy the time to also have fun, eat well and take care of yourself physically and mentally. If you do this, your chances of obtaining Elk are dramatically improved.

"WATCHING" the WIND

The best hunters have learned that the wind shifts constantly, and must be continuously monitored. The wind is alive... it flows like moving water, carrying your scent of danger to a supersensitive nose. The Elk WILL SMELL YOU BEFORE YOU SEE THEM.

CONTROL YOUR SMELL

Wearing outerwear washed in non-scent soap and stored in a clean plastic bag. Take care to never touch anything with the bare skin when traveling to and from your Elk Stand will make all the difference in the world.

And for goodness sake, be sure to go to the bathroom only in camp... The Elk can smell human waste a mile off! Ignore this rule and pay the consequences. It also saves from an accidental step that you or another hunter may make in your pile! That is never a good thing.

SCOUT

If you are planning on hunting a new area, or the area you hunted before has changed dramatically, you simply can not afford to go there blind. Spend some money on long-distance phone calls, speaking to anyone or everyone you can to give you insight into the local topography, game populations, and hunter pressure.

Begin creating a file on your computer for later history and study material as you approach your hunt date. It sometimes is a good idea (if you can) to take a pre-season trip, maybe take the family camping and get a "feel" for the area... it is not necessary for you to scout the area for Elk, only to get the general feel and gut-feel for the area. This is also an excellent way to bond with your family while you are having the time of your life in Late October/November. Give them time too and enjoy your family.

The "Weatherbyman"