PA_BOW-HUNTER, I can't speak for everyone but I would bet the normal set poundage is between 65 to 70 pounds. I myself have hunted elk with my bow set as high as 83 pounds and as low as 65 because that was the highest that bow (my first bow) could go. This year with my new Switchback I will hunt at 70 pounds. The SB shooitng Gold Tips 7595 XT arrows at 480 grains will produce 82 pounds of KE. More than enough KE, all that is recomended for elk is 50 pounds.

Dirt2, I would agree with calling confidence it could mean the same as "proficiency". When I say calling proficiency I mean to be able to make several elk calls/elk sounds to fit different situtions. Yes I compeate in elk calling contests and yes calling in a contest is different than calling in a real elk. And no you don't have to call in or win a contest to call in a elk. But they do cross over meaning that if you can make many different elk sounds in the woods then you can compete in a contest and vica versa. I could be wrong, but I would bet that if it was possible to survey most elk bowhunters on any given mountain, that they could only make two overall elk sounds. A simple bull call and a simple cow call. If you asked them to sound like a spike bull, a raghorn bull, a mature bull bull calling out a location bugle and then a challenge bugle or a challenge bugle with a buzz/lip ball at the end that most couldn't do it. Same with the cow calls if you asked them to make a welcome cow call verses a cow in distress vs a calf vs a cow in estrus call that again most couldn't do it. There are many many more elk sounds that both cows and bulls make, its good to know them all, for they will all come in handy. If you can sound like a bull with a herd of 4 to 5 cows then you are doing good. As you know from my past posts I have done this with a lot of success the in past 5 years. If you have a buddy with you, one of you can sound like the herd bull with cows and the other can sould a raghorn bull or satelite bull who is trying to bugging the crap out of the herd bull. This is excited calling and it will get any elk's attention around you, even in pressured areas. Paul's (elknut1) videos talk about what he calls the threat, I have not tired it yet because I didn't learn about it until this winter, but I know it will work! When some of us from here hooked up at the expo in SLC, Paul he told us the "Threat" was reponsable for at least 50 elk kills this past year alone. To be able to act out the "Threat" you have to sound like several elk and you have to sound convincing. If calling is your style I again would recomend Pauls video's to you. Dirt, I shoud add that the only time I have been able to stalk into elk was when its raining. I guess I'm just the big clumsy type and am not very sneeky. I do like it when it rains! Elk in september seem to love a very rainy day and seem to be out and about in it most of the day. I have found they also love to call a lot in the rain too!

Wolf killer, I like your advice! Hunters hunting here in the west should know a pro shop may be 2 days away or more from your camp. For me its a full days trip to my bow shop. Its a half days trip to the closest shop in Salmon Idaho that may or may not have what I need. I do carry extra strings, their shot and pre-streched and ready to go with peep and string loop attached. I also have a portable bow press back at camp. If in case my bow breaks a limb or something from a fall, or a unforseen accident like a horse acting up. I bring along an whole extra backup bow, compleate with arrows and all the works tuned and ready to go. If possiable I also bring a 3-D archery deer target into camp to shoot at. I also carry blunts and juddo points to shoot at stumps and grouse during the day. I like eating grouse and it gives you good practice for shooting at live game. I don't know if you got my PM or not but I will try to give you a call tonight.

To all others thanks, and please keep adding your tips and advice. This is excellent and helpfull advice to all. For those of you who don't use calls and just stalk or hunt silently I would love to learn about your tactics that help bring you success, I sure could use that advice. Remeber elk hunting with a bow is not easy, the bowhunting success for most states here in the west runs between 10% to 15% at best. That leaves a lot of unpuched elk tags from both in state and out of state hunters. Hopefully all of us here will be in the 10 to 15% that puched out our tags. Good luck Jason