New elk hunters
12-30-2020, 12:24 PM
#1
Nontypical Buck
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2009
Posts: 1,780
New elk hunters
I think one of the best things a new elk hunter can do is to pull a cow tag and leave bootprints on the mountain. Cow tags are fairly easy to draw, even in very good units. Cow tags are relatively inexpensive. Bulls and cows live in the same country for most of the year, but there are many more cows than legal bulls. It would be a great way for a fellow to get some first hand experience in elk country without the pressure and cost of trying to hunt bulls,
I have taken quite a few elk, including some big bulls, and I am still thrilled by the experience of being in elk country. As I am on the graveyard side of 60 I have really come to appreciate cow hunting.
I have taken quite a few elk, including some big bulls, and I am still thrilled by the experience of being in elk country. As I am on the graveyard side of 60 I have really come to appreciate cow hunting.
12-30-2020, 05:59 PM
#2
Fork Horn
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Up on the Milk River
Posts: 459
Sound advice. A person also may be surprised at how many doors are opened with ranchers when a hunter is willing to shoot some cow elk. Elk can create quite a few problems for ranchers, most would like to have a few cow elk taken .
12-31-2020, 06:51 AM
#3
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Nov 2014
Posts: 2,743
I think the advice is good for folks that live or plan to hunt elk often
but since many folks don;'t love where elk do, and for many its a once in a life time hunt, that many save up for yrs for
I think for these types , the best advice is doing a LOT of home work before leaving the house, and making a lot of phone calls and chats with GOOD outfitters!
far too many stories I have heard about first time Elk hunters going on a trip far from home, and getting BAD results, due to , well, there lack of doing there home work and just buying the crap someone told them without ever fact checking things to make sure the words were true they heard!
so advice on elk hunting really IMO comes down to where a person lives and how often they plan to hunt Elk!
and even the type of elk hunt
is it in a place where a draw is almost impossible to get?
as if so, I wouldn;'t be trying to hunt cows if I had the option of bulls, as these rare places ,hard to draw locations are well, sort of known for hold bulls of a life time!
get into states that have ELK, in only small areas(ay PA, .) as an example, you Don't even really get to pick if your after JUST a ELK,
you enter a draw and be HAPPY with what you get , be it a bull or cow tag!
SO again
location matters on how to plan a elk hunt, or learning elk hunting skills IMO!
but since many folks don;'t love where elk do, and for many its a once in a life time hunt, that many save up for yrs for
I think for these types , the best advice is doing a LOT of home work before leaving the house, and making a lot of phone calls and chats with GOOD outfitters!
far too many stories I have heard about first time Elk hunters going on a trip far from home, and getting BAD results, due to , well, there lack of doing there home work and just buying the crap someone told them without ever fact checking things to make sure the words were true they heard!
so advice on elk hunting really IMO comes down to where a person lives and how often they plan to hunt Elk!
and even the type of elk hunt
is it in a place where a draw is almost impossible to get?
as if so, I wouldn;'t be trying to hunt cows if I had the option of bulls, as these rare places ,hard to draw locations are well, sort of known for hold bulls of a life time!
get into states that have ELK, in only small areas(ay PA, .) as an example, you Don't even really get to pick if your after JUST a ELK,
you enter a draw and be HAPPY with what you get , be it a bull or cow tag!
SO again
location matters on how to plan a elk hunt, or learning elk hunting skills IMO!
01-05-2021, 10:17 AM
#4
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: IL
Posts: 6,575
It's ironic, but I could see doing that more now with more years of experience....than when I first started, perhaps I should have reversed the two!
When I started out I didn't want to shoot anything but a 300" bull elk 6x6 or bigger....
When I started out I didn't want to shoot anything but a 300" bull elk 6x6 or bigger....
