Top Ten Tips.....
 

If you were doing a Top Ten list of everything that a turkey hunter from Alabama needed to know if he wanted to head West and chase a bugling bull........GO! Let's hear it!

I'll take a shot at it.

#1) Get in shape! There is a world of difference between hunting turkeys and elk.

#2) Get used to carrying a load. Packing an elk is hard work.

#3) Hump the hills. Walking in hills and mountains is different than walking in flat land. I've spent a lot of time in AL and there isn't a decent mountain in the state but there are some hills.

#4) Decide what you want to hunt. Are you happy with any bull or are you only after a monster? Some places have lots of elk and some places have fewer but bigger trophies. Frankly if I was on my first elk hunt I'd go for a cow and not a bull anyways.

#5) Pick a specific area ahead of time and learn as much as you can. Contact Game Depts, get topo maps, use google earth etc... the more info ahead of time the better.

#6) Decide how you plan to hunt. Bow, rifle, blackpowder? Do you intend to camp out? Backpack? Go with an outfitter? Go with friends? Do you want to use horses? Have a plan.

#7) Learn to hit your shot at 300 yards. The time to find out that neither you nor your weapon is up to the task is now and not after you wounded an elk.

#8) Learn to care for the meat. Elk are a lot bigger than deer or turkeys and the carcass must be properly cared for. Waste of game meat is frowned on everywhere back west.

#9) LEAVE THE TAPE MEASURE AT HOME!!!! Any elk taken cleanly and under fair chase is an animal to be proud of. Don't get wrapped up in inches of antler.

#10) Enjoy the hunt even if you don't get an elk. Not everybody fills their tag every year. Anybody that says they do is a liar. The experience of an elk hunt can't be beat. Taking one is a bonus.

Here are mine, Except there are thirteen:

- First of all, hunt where there are turkeys.
- Forget what you know about deer hunting. Turkeys aren’t deer.
- You can’t be too early, but you can be five minutes too late.
- Know your land, know your turkeys.
- You can call too much, but you can’t hardly call too little.
- When you think you’ve sat long enough, sit another half hour.
- Make the right move at the right time.
- They’re always closer than you think, except when you’re shooting.
- A turkey is a 20 pound eyeball.
- They don’t evaporate after 9:30 am.
- It’s always easier to call a turkey if he’s going there anyway.
- Turkey hunting isn’t a “gun” sport.
- You may not get a turkey, but you always get a lesson.

Just an observation but I believe the man was asking for elk hunting advice and not turkey hunting advice. :wave:

Elk aren't evenly distributed over their habitat like eastern whitetails and turkeys. Finding them is the biggest problem to solve. Once you find them they aren't that hard to kill if you have some hunting experience under your belt.
Where to hunt elk is far more valuable knowledge than how to hunt elk.
The only way to learn the where is to spend time in elk country or hunt with someone who has. Don't get bummed out if you come up empty on your first couple trys. Hang with it and keep learning.

That'll teach me to read these posts before I've had coffee. My bad. Carry on.

Haha....I've got the turkey thing down pat.

I vacationed with the family last June in the Mountains. Flew into Denver and drove up to Yellowstone. I was quite honestly surprised at how little the altitude bothered me. The kicker is that a few weeks after getting home I had a heart attack and had to have a stent put in. I'm not saying that I would be running marathons up the mountains but I was really surprised at how little it zapped me. I mean I jogged a mile and climbed a hill at the end and still felt good!

I think BC made an invaluable point. :D:party0005:

I have one tip. Be prepared to make several trips before you tag one. Although some tag on their first trip, but stats show it might be awhile. Just don't set your expectations too high or you'll be disappointed. It's not like you see on TV.

Don't want to be a downer but I see it time and time again. People venture out west expecting an outdoor channel episode to lay itself out before them, and they leave cursing to never come back. I live here and haven't tagged a bull in 3 yrs.

My $.02 is to take a legal bull when you get the chance and do not wait for a huge 6x6 like you see on TV. TV shows often show guys passing on bulls and ending up with a monster later in the show. First time elk hunters usually tell me that they will hold out for a 6x6 ("even a smaller 6x6 will do - I'm not picky").

My goal was to shoot a bigger bull than I have shot before, or a nice meat bull. If you have never shot one before that sets the bar fairly low.