“you know, bigger works better on elk assuming you’re man enough to handle it and if you’re going elk hunting you better be a man (i.e. be tough).” [I been watching some of you try and try and try]
EKM, I about feel off my chair laughing, when I read this. I have never have heard someone say this before in the way you put it but you are right with being tough. Tough can mean different things not just how much recoil you can take. I will say that being tough applies to all elk hunting in general not just with weapon power selection. An example, for me with bowhunting for instance, is that there are two things that I always want more of when chasing elk. Sleep and water, I do cary a water purifcation bottle and I drink a lot of water but it seem many days I am always thursting for more water. It seem like no matter how much I drink I always need more of it. I do hike and cover a lot of ground in a typical day, in very rough steep country. The other thing I need more than water is sleep, after 5 to 7 days strait going to bed late and getting up at 3:30 or 4:00 with only a few hours of sleep and your body is tucker out. Well sometimes it takes a burning desire deep down to get up and keep going. When I reach this point I always remind myself and say what will I think come January? When September seems so far off, and come then I would give anything to pick up a bow and give chase to an bull elk. I know that if I give up a good day of hunting, that come January I would be pissed at myself. So I get my butt out of bed and go give them hell until I have to go home with or without an elk. Now with this said I also agree that we owe it to all animals we hunt that we are armed with the correct equipment fitted to us, to get the job done. In our archery class a few years ago we taught a woman who that fall went out and shot a huge bull. She was shooting a 42# bow with a Cut on Contact broadhead, the bull only went 50 yards. I'll have to dig up a pic and have my wife post it.