Meaning how did you learn to be a successful hunter? Myself for example. My father was and is a rifle hunter, but he always went scouting in September mostly for mule deer here in our home state of Idaho. I went along from the time I was a little boy, when I was of legal age I wanted so bad to archery hunt. After all we were scouting several days during the archey season and I looked at it as lost opportunity to hunt. At age 14 I finaly convinced my dad to let me bow hunt. I was hunting in a unit that was spike bull or cow only. I couldn't shoot the big bulls but boy did I have fun with them. I didn't know the first thing about being a successful elk hunter. Starting out like everyone else, I didn't have a clue how to cow call or make any elk call at all. Little did I know that someday I would sound good enough to share the stage with some of the best elk callers in the world and be ranked 10th in the world by the RMEF. As a side note I still feel that I am not that good becasue 10th feels a long way off of first place. But it will happen someday and I will reach my goal. Also I realize the calling for judges and calling for elk is two different things. Elk are much easier to please and can be fooled with silly cow sounds.
[8D]Anyway going back on track as already mentioed I could't shoot the bigger bulls,butno one said I couldn't have fun with them. AndI was more than happy to shootcows and spikes and fill my parents freezer with some excellent meat. With the big boysit was fun to learn what worked and what didn't. If I was successful I had a big bull standing in front of me for a close view. If not I got to see a yellow rump running very fast away from me in the opposite direction. I have had a lot of those in my lifetime but with each one came a learning experience that no matter how small it seemed made me a better hunter. Each year I havebecame better and better at finding and getting close to these beautiful animals.Time wise I have been blessed to take at least two full weeks off for the bowhunting season, twice in the past 10 years I have been lucky enough to have the entire month of September off. So if someone asks me"how did I learn to hunt elk". The answer is easy it was from the elk themself. Sure my dad taught me the basics of hunting, I learned from others about different bowhunting techniques, but the best teacher by far has been the elk themself. They offer up a lesson course that is different each and every year. A wise hunter will take notes and learn everything they can with each season that passes. But its so much to learn that few of us if any can master it all. With that saidI also feel few hunters are experts including myslelf and others who claim to be "theexperts" on the hunting channel and videos. After all don't we all get outsmarted all each season at least once or twice if not many more times. Of course I am using elk in my example becaue that is the animal I know and love. But I bet the same could be said the mighty whitetail deer or what ever your favorite animal is to hunt! Whats you opinion?