Greg, here is a link to Rockie Jacobsens bugling bulls and beyond instructional series.

Rockie is a not on only a world champion elk caller, he is a resident here in Idaho and gets it done on public lands. I've met Rockie, hes a great guy, he really understands the different levels of elk vocalization. His DVDS are excellent instructional guides for learning how to successfullycall ineven the most pressured bullelk.

http://www.trophyshotsports.com/products.asp?cat=17

Greg,

You know I've been there done that. With that said, Every person's opinion on this subject has been spot on! Hunting elk is easy. Killing them is another matter. You need to be in the best mental and physical condition of your life! Mentally-the moment you stop thinking positively, your hunt is over! Push yourself to look over that next hill-down in that next valley. Kill them where they stand! Even if it means being four or five miles from the truck (call me, I'll help you get it out).

Get here a few day early, The altitude will kick your arse! I live here and itdestroys me (Commercial pilots fly with oxygen above 10,000' with a loss of cabin pressure). It's that serious! Go easy at first and build up. Your body will let you know if you're pushing too hard. But, be ready!

I've seen too many guys show up with crappy boots. They cannot walk beyond the first day due to blisters. Have your boots ready to go and well broken in. I like an agressive sole.

Your shotscould range from mere feet out to 60 yards (at least mine do on elk). They can be very steep uphill or down hill. Know what your bow is capable of doing under these conditions. Hunt uphill in the morning and down hill in the evening-expect constant swirling winds midday.

It's magic...welcome to the game! Let me know if there's anything I can do to help.

I received a nice little bonus for the upcoming elk season. I drew my second Mt. Goat tag in sixteen years. You can bet I'll be hunting above timberline.

Awesome guys!! Keep it coming!

I just got a new pair of really nice boots for the trip; I'll be sure to have them broken in by the time I get out there.

This is the kind of stuff I'd like to learn more about... Any places that are especially good for cutting elk off as they move back to their bedding areas (I'm assuming this is where they're heading...)? Any other suggestions as far as strategy goes?

Thanks a ton guys!

As far as calling goes, we let the guides do all of the calling. They were set up 50-100 yards behind us. No need to have the bull looking right at you. Better to have him walk past you looking for the cows. I had a hoochie mama just to stop him if he didn't stop on his own, but didn't need it.

When we set up we stood in front of the cover, not behind something. Trust your camo, the elk didn't seem to pick us out like whitetails do.Just don't let them wind you, one whiff and they are gone.

We had good luck getting them to come out into open meadows in the evening. It is really tuff getting shots in the thick woods.

Thanks, John. I won't have the luxury of guides... self-guided, public lands I am going with a couple guys, but the one who's been like 20 years in a row is probably going to stay closer to camp and my bet is he might be in a treestand (seems like he wants to hunt them like whitetails; it works every so often for him). I'll probably be on my own every day.

You rarely see a treestand used for elk hunting. A good ground blind is worth the trouble for hunting a wallow - or for ambush hunting along some natural funnel. Elk are prone to run uphill through a saddle when pushed. And a seriously wounded elk will break off downhill - while the rest of the group escapes on an uphill route. Otherwise, travel light and be prepared for "running and gunning" - heading toward the sound of bugling bulls and trying to lure them into bow range once you are close enough.

I assume you have a good GPS. Particularly, be prepared for very rapidly changing weather conditions. It is amazing at 11,000 feet, how one little cloud can come by and block the sun for a few minutes - drop the temperature significantly. Thin air just doesn't hold heat. Nighttime lows in September will generally be aroundthe upper 30's in the mountains- although they can be a lot colder. And daytime highs can range from shirt sleeves to the gore tex parka over the polar fleece. This is a great time of year to be in the Colorado high country - just be prepared for the worst.

Cool... Thanks again. I just bought a sleeping bag from Cabela's that goes to -30 (I like to be toasty at night ), and I've got a GPS although I admittedly need to become a lot more intimate with it. I've got a buddy who captains our local National Guard battalion whom I'll hit up for some pointers; they used the heck out of 'em in Iraq, he told me.

So far, I've got: 1) Get my butt in shape! 2) practice shooting from my knees, and/or one knee, and 3) start working on my calling a bunch!

Keep the tips coming gang!

Greg,

Elk live within a given home range but are totally nomadic.It's hard to pattern them per se. When I'm out and about, I look for tall tale signs of elk. The biggest thing I look for is fresh grass cropping. The elk tend to stay in a given area that provides food. They stay in the area for a few days unless pressured. If you can find where they're eating, you can lay in wait for an ambush. Other than that, it's putting down boot leather.

Hunting wallows and water holes is a joke. Avoid that. It works in New Mexico, but not here. We have springs popping up everywhere. An elk can simply bend his neck anytimes he cares to drink. Again, success is all about the boot leather. There are no funnels when hunting elk. At least not here. They go wherever and whenever they want.

Keep this in your bag of tricks...Elk do not like to be hot. They will seek out the coolest place they can find. A small therometer is a handy tool. Find those places on the mountain which are cooler than normal. It's generally where some evaporative cooling is taking place and on the north side of a slope. You find that spot and the elk will be close by. This is a great place for midday hunting. Your focus should be on the ground and in the shadows. A lot of times, if you pay close enough attention, you can kill them right in their beds. Watch for twitching ears....

listen to iamyourhuckleberry, he's an elk hunter

if its really hot and dry - find the water and wet areas, that worked like a gem for me one year in a normally wet area

when you call, MOVE, do not stay where you called, MOVE if its even just a few yards. turkeys have nothing on elk when it comes to locating exactly where a call came from

I hunt bedding areas. Hey, I'm hunting 7-8 days and I'll go to the extremes to get an elk. I actually jumped a bull from its bed one day and hoochie mama'd it back to me. Don't happen often, and that bull was missed, but he could have filled my uncles tag just as easily. You can't kill elk if you aint near them

Speaking of, if you aint seeing much elk sign, MOVE. Spend a day to move, do not waste your hunt in areas that aint got elk. If you're there to camp, fine, stay but if you're there to kill a bull MOVE

Dont' try to get big and fancy with triple bugles with a series of grunts, learn to moan, squeal a bit and then shut up. Elk do not do the fancy triple bugles and grunts etc often IMO not anymore anyway

hunt snowslides, they are magnets to elk. the steeper and harder to get to the better. I can take you to one that I 100% promise you and will bet $5,000 on the first day of elk season 2007 you'll see a 5x5 or better bull crossing. hunting that choke fest 65 degree slop is another matter

eat food, drink water, hunt smart, watch yourself, things can go wrong really fast in the mtns

Not very important. Having big biceps won't get you up the mountain any faster. have strong legs and good cardio are infinately more important. That being said, having a strong upper body won't hurt you either. It always feels good to get atotal body workout. If you have limited time to work out spend as much time as you can working out your legs and treat the upper body as "extra".

Also, to add some advice about calls: The hoochie mama is nice because it's very easy to get a decentsound out of. However, it would be worth your while to learn to use diaphram calls. Not only can you vary your sound more when you get the hang of it, but you will be glad if you find yourself at full draw on a moving bull and need to call to stop him. This is something you can't do with the hoochie mama in your pocket.

And to add what has been said about boots: good socks can also help to avoid blisters. synthetic/wool socks work well and dry fast. get a few pairs of midweight hiking socksby Smartwool, Thorlo, Bridgedale or Danner. They can be more expensive but your feet will be better off for it.