porkchop401
Well-Known Member
I promise you fellas I am taking notes! I wish I could spend a week in the off season just to learn the area . Thanks
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A common denominator in success
- Thread starter porkchop401
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cohunter14
Well-Known Member
Use this time of year to learn the area via google earth and topo maps. The more you look at an area, the more you can potentially learn. It is a great way to pass the time in the winter too
I have also focused my rifle elk hunts in a single area for the past 15 years. I think above all else the reason I am successful there is simply because there are so many elk. There are several different aspen forest honey holes that are literally torn up with sign... rubs that are brand new to well over a decade old. I hike hard to get to these areas, but once I'm there I look for fresh sign to see if elk have been around within the past day. Most of the time you can just smell if they've been there lately. Then I am very patient. Don't always shoot the elk directly in these honey holes, but they're a great way to locate where on the mountain the elk are at.
If sign is not super fresh I'm glassing to see where the herds might have gone. These days I spend a whole lot more time glassing and carefully/slowly looking for sign than I used to.
Here's a pic from one of the honey holes. Picture does not do it justice, but at least gives an idea. When I'm researching new areas I use google maps/earth and trail maps and all that just like COhunter14 mentioned. But once I get out to scout a new area if I don't find forests with sign like this I won't hunt there.
If sign is not super fresh I'm glassing to see where the herds might have gone. These days I spend a whole lot more time glassing and carefully/slowly looking for sign than I used to.
Here's a pic from one of the honey holes. Picture does not do it justice, but at least gives an idea. When I'm researching new areas I use google maps/earth and trail maps and all that just like COhunter14 mentioned. But once I get out to scout a new area if I don't find forests with sign like this I won't hunt there.
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Knowing your hunt area certainly helps a ton, but..... its not knowing the area that makes you successful. I believe that knowing how to find elk is what makes you guys successful and because you have hunted the same area for a while you know how to find the elk. I would be screwed if I needed years in an area to find elk for my clients. I take clients in different states from 1 week to the next and at times have had very little time to scout or learn the area. I believe that you fellas that are having success could continue to have good success in other areas as long as the area you are hunting has a good population of animals and limited hunting pressure. I also think the reference in the beginning about horses being the common denominated is because the horse helps you achieve both of these things.
Let me say this again... you need to be be in an area that has a good number of elk and limited hunting pressure.
I need to be successful several times each year and I do that by knowing how to locate elk or deer or whatever, and how to get my client into range. I believe that you guys who are having success now could go to a new area and with a little hard work could find success there as well.
I my advise to someone trying to figure it out on their own is pay attention to what you see in the field learn to read sign and spend most of your time looking through your optics and less time moving around. If you have put yourself in a spot that meets the 2 requirements above you have a fighting chance.
Let me say this again... you need to be be in an area that has a good number of elk and limited hunting pressure.
I need to be successful several times each year and I do that by knowing how to locate elk or deer or whatever, and how to get my client into range. I believe that you guys who are having success now could go to a new area and with a little hard work could find success there as well.
I my advise to someone trying to figure it out on their own is pay attention to what you see in the field learn to read sign and spend most of your time looking through your optics and less time moving around. If you have put yourself in a spot that meets the 2 requirements above you have a fighting chance.
WildRose
Well-Known Member
Porkchop I'm not expert on Elk hunting but I've now been on 6 successful elk hunts spanning a thirty plus year period.
In each of those cases what I would say made the difference is having someone along that knows the animal and knows the area.
You can't learn to put yourself in the right spot to find the right animal without understanding the game you seek. Sometimes dumb luck is a big help and you just stumble blindly on a nice bull or have one stumble in on you on the way to a cow but that's not a guarantee, just luck.
One of my dad's best friends guided in CO for over 20 years with a very high success rate and that success came from knowing the game and the areas he hunted very well.
As for horses I've had horses since I was a child and I can tell you that unless you're a "horse person" buying horses or mules just for a once a year or less frequent hunt. They are awfully expensive and unless your horses are acclimated to the elevation and terrain they will be hurting as badly as you are. Hiring an outfitter or packer to get you in and out would be much cheaper in the long run especially when you consider the cost of a truck big enough to pull the trailer you'll have to buy plus the maintenance and upkeep of the trailer.
The area we hunted last season was also a great example of another problem which is finding some place to park a thirty or forty foot long rig on narrow forest roads. Then of course you get into the problem of feeding them all the way up and back not to mention on the trail which can be very problematic as well.
If you plan well ahead you can nearly always if nothing else find someone in the area who has pack animals that can help you get your kill out for a fee.
geo4061
Well-Known Member
OUTSTANDING piece of advise. I hope every one took notes on that one. Thank you WildRose
Lots of good tools. By far knowing the area is key.
Being willing to hump terrain (or ride a horse somewhere) certainly helps.
Considering the forum we are one another good item is knowing you have the ability to take a longer shot if needed and do it ethically. I've only a couple years here in CO so far but each year there have been instances of sitting on one ridge face and spotting animals on the opposite (or having them feed out). 2yrs ago I faced an opposing ridge with 4-5 bulls laying at 350yds, how ****ed was I to only have a cow tag in my pocket! Last year half dozen fed out opposite from us at 460yds direct, in the conditions I wanted closer and before loosing line of sight near the bottom was at 360yds which I wanted to get setup and shoot from. The guys I was with can't shoot that far yet and didn't want me to blow their chance too by taking my shot. It was day 2 and I agreed to try and move in on them (I regret it now). It was too thick to get on them when we got onto their face and too little time left to slowly work in before dark.
Being willing to hump terrain (or ride a horse somewhere) certainly helps.
Considering the forum we are one another good item is knowing you have the ability to take a longer shot if needed and do it ethically. I've only a couple years here in CO so far but each year there have been instances of sitting on one ridge face and spotting animals on the opposite (or having them feed out). 2yrs ago I faced an opposing ridge with 4-5 bulls laying at 350yds, how ****ed was I to only have a cow tag in my pocket! Last year half dozen fed out opposite from us at 460yds direct, in the conditions I wanted closer and before loosing line of sight near the bottom was at 360yds which I wanted to get setup and shoot from. The guys I was with can't shoot that far yet and didn't want me to blow their chance too by taking my shot. It was day 2 and I agreed to try and move in on them (I regret it now). It was too thick to get on them when we got onto their face and too little time left to slowly work in before dark.
porkchop401
Well-Known Member
I recently spoke to my son about next season and he is leaning towards us spiking in on foot even if it took half a day and then have a couple of days extra in our schedule to pack out if we kill.
WildRose
Well-Known Member
It would really benefit you to add a day or two onto the front end as well to give you time to get in, get set up, and do some scouting.
If there's more than a few thousand feet difference in elevation between where you live and where you hunt this will really be a huge benefit as well. It will take you about three days to adapt to high elevation and "get your wind back".
The first couple of days can really gut you and leave you literally breathless with even moderate exertion but by the third day it starts to get a whole lot easier.
SansSouci
Well-Known Member
porkchop401,
The most importune criterion of success is hunting excellent areas. With very, very few exceptions, that means limited entry units. That means acquiring a lot of bonus points.
If you are drawn for an excellent trophy area, you'll see limited to no hunting pressure and a whole lot of shooter bulls.
The most importune criterion of success is hunting excellent areas. With very, very few exceptions, that means limited entry units. That means acquiring a lot of bonus points.
If you are drawn for an excellent trophy area, you'll see limited to no hunting pressure and a whole lot of shooter bulls.
I have never hunted elk from horseback but I know plenty of people that do. The elk will be where you find them and certainly getting farther back into the country can help. I have killed elk walking up the mountain behind the guys that were ahead of me on horseback. I have seen plenty of pack strings come out empty and others come out with elk. I have thought about getting horses for hunting but for me to feed them all year pay for shots and all the other expenses that come with owning horses just to use them a time or two in the fall it's just not worth for me. Nothing against those who use them for hunting they certainly are nice to have when it comes to packing out your harvest or packing your camp into the backcountry.
porkchop401
Well-Known Member
Update! ¡!, I recently was recently talking to a fella about purchasing a mule for my property and to hunt from . After looking over the animal and riding a bit the fella offered to let me go with his group on the mule in question. So my plans are now changing from hiking in to sleeping in a hotel and mounting up well before daylight and hopefully be perched with glass in hand at shooting light.
