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Elk hunt
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<blockquote data-quote="ATH" data-source="post: 1269984" data-attributes="member: 1656"><p>I would worry about how to find the elk a lot more than what rifle to use. That answer is pretty straightforward. Lots of elk killing calibers.</p><p></p><p>If you are intent on DIY yourself, do your research. Easy draw units are tough, but elk can be taken. I've researched the OTC units in CO, but to date, I'm building points to do a guided hunt in a good unit when my son is old enough to enjoy the experience with me. I'm sure one could take an elk in an area like the Flat Tops, but I like to think the first year you hunt somewhere you are basically paying to get experience with the area. You might get lucky, but you area really building experience for the next year. </p><p></p><p>The first time I hunted elk was an easy draw unit in MT. I had a local guy helping me and that made the difference. Frankly I got lucky, just missed on getting a shot at a bull the first day at 90 yards or less and the next day I took the same bull around 700 yards. Then the wolves moved in, the next year we saw few elk and the third year none.</p><p></p><p>Next year we drew Missouri Breaks MT bow tags, self-guided on public land. High hunter pressure but we learned quickly. 3 guys with tags, I was the only one to get an elk. We made a good call on how to score an elk leveraging the pressure of other hunters. If I hunted the area again I'd do it totally differently, drawing on our experiences.</p><p></p><p>Moral of the story, pick an area you believe in and go the first year expecting to do it for the experience rather than the kill. Learn, go back again, and use your experience to increase your odds. It makes little sense to build points in an area you are not familiar with and blow them on a DIY hunt. Either pay for a good hunt others can help you with, or go where you can easily draw year after year and leverage the experience.</p><p></p><p>I've been on four elk hunts, scored two bulls, all in areas with single digit success rates for non-residents. You can be successful if you really dedicate the effort and get away from other hunters.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="ATH, post: 1269984, member: 1656"] I would worry about how to find the elk a lot more than what rifle to use. That answer is pretty straightforward. Lots of elk killing calibers. If you are intent on DIY yourself, do your research. Easy draw units are tough, but elk can be taken. I've researched the OTC units in CO, but to date, I'm building points to do a guided hunt in a good unit when my son is old enough to enjoy the experience with me. I'm sure one could take an elk in an area like the Flat Tops, but I like to think the first year you hunt somewhere you are basically paying to get experience with the area. You might get lucky, but you area really building experience for the next year. The first time I hunted elk was an easy draw unit in MT. I had a local guy helping me and that made the difference. Frankly I got lucky, just missed on getting a shot at a bull the first day at 90 yards or less and the next day I took the same bull around 700 yards. Then the wolves moved in, the next year we saw few elk and the third year none. Next year we drew Missouri Breaks MT bow tags, self-guided on public land. High hunter pressure but we learned quickly. 3 guys with tags, I was the only one to get an elk. We made a good call on how to score an elk leveraging the pressure of other hunters. If I hunted the area again I'd do it totally differently, drawing on our experiences. Moral of the story, pick an area you believe in and go the first year expecting to do it for the experience rather than the kill. Learn, go back again, and use your experience to increase your odds. It makes little sense to build points in an area you are not familiar with and blow them on a DIY hunt. Either pay for a good hunt others can help you with, or go where you can easily draw year after year and leverage the experience. I've been on four elk hunts, scored two bulls, all in areas with single digit success rates for non-residents. You can be successful if you really dedicate the effort and get away from other hunters. [/QUOTE]
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