So after hunting the same locations year after year and coming up empty handed on a General 3 point and larger Elk tag, my brother and I did a mid season shift last year to try out some new locations. We ended up spending a considerable amount of time and research, but in the end we found a new spot and came up successful last year on my brothers general tag (could have bagged another but our hands were tied with the first one... and not a day goes by that I say to myself, F*&k it should of shot it anyway).
So, naturally we made this our new area and I cashed in on my antlerless tag for this season. The details of the hunt aren't the message I want to convey, so I won't say much more than we spotted, stalked, shot out a heavy, and retrieved. The satisfaction of all that time and effort spent in researching and scouting continues to be a rewarding feeling/endeavour.
I strongly believe that the succes of the hunt was largely due to the time and effort we put into it. Location & patterns were noticed, times of the year, time of the day, temperature, East vs. West slopes, Green trees vs. open trees, etc. were all very, very similar 2 years in a row and all abided by what one would think when we first chose to hunt the area.
To the point of my post, I'm curious to know how many people plan their hunts vs. just winging it? And, how succesful are you?
And by plan, I mean you mantain a record of documents, contacts, maps, conduct scouting trips, arrange for meet and greets, hike about for miles, etc. Not just you plan the trip.
And for those who wing it, do you end up being successful at the end of a season? Does it have something to do with your geographic location (like do you live where all the elk are, so of course it's easy?)
Another quick question, how far are you willing to go and retrieve to fill a tag?
We could be potentially as far as 3 miles away on foot to a vehicle where are now hunting. My antlerless elk was about a 1.5 mile retrieval and my brothers the year before was about 1 mile. My take on it is that I would like to be back in my truck and gone by 11 PM at the latest so in a November hunt (at dusk kill) if you give yourself 2-3 hours to clean and quarter, thats about 2-3 hrs of walking time left. So I'm willing to max out around 3-4 miles (depending on terrain)
I rarely prospect a new area before I hunt it in some way. I often use a grouse or WT hunt to scout an area for moose, elk, sheep, etc. I always develop maps and contacts for an area during this preparation. Typically a first serious hunt to a new area produces at about 50 percent for the first trip or two. If it continues to look good success will go to 80 plus percent - if the desired animals are not there, I find a new area. Distance from truck typically is 1 to 6 miles but 10 could be a possibility. Opportunity and choice always seem to go up further into the bush - practice de-boning and carry a very good pack.
Great work! As far as putting effort in my hunting party of my dad brother and two good friends, we had not shot any elk till four years ago when we really started putting in time scouting and get way back in the bush. We have now shot 8 in the last four years. Filled our late season cow last Sunday. It was about a mile pack out and was we'll worth it.
Great work! As far as putting effort in my hunting party of my dad brother and two good friends, we had not shot any elk till four years ago when we really started putting in time scouting and get way back in the bush. We have now shot 8 in the last four years. Filled our late season cow last Sunday. It was about a mile pack out and was we'll worth it.
Congrats on the best eating wild anima IMO.
Darned good thing I had my two favourite pack mules to pull that sucker out
I have rarely planned a hunt into a new area, when I find a new area I just go hunting and see what I can see. If I find something good I make plans for how/when I can go back. Most of my greatest hunting successes where simply being in the right place at the right time with the right call and no clear plan other than "going hunting". Mind you 90% of my hunting is day trips around home....
I have unsuccessfully tried to keep a hunting journal of what I observe where and when and that would be a great planning tool if only I could keep it up...
After 30 years of chasing mulies, I've changed my hunting locale 3 times to stay ahead of rampant oil/gas development or land owners closing access due to people refusing to get out of their trucks to hunt. Now, getting drawn only every 3/4 years has reduced my time visiting that side of the province to explore new coulees, but I've developed stalking approaches to 3 different spots that never fail to produce good 4 x 4 or better bucks. Which one I use depends on wind/weather conditions, or how much snow I'll need to contend with.
Google Maps seems to suffice for white-tails, and I try new areas every year - often parking before dawn and hitting a brand new area in the pitch dark, carrying a Google Map print-off in my pocket. I also revisit some 'tried & true' spots, but enjoy exploring new areas.
Moose have crept up from being drawn every 2nd or 3rd year to a 9 year interval, but every year I've been drawn I've managed to fill my tag - within a 3 hr drive of my Canmore home. Every single moose in the last 20+ years has come from a single 1/2 section of grazing lease, but it's time to look further afield to lessen the draw wait interval. It's time to do some research, study the maps, and perform some off-season hiking again. As I enter my more senior years, proximity to the truck and 'swampland vs uplands' gains importance too. I don't have a quad or eager teenagers at my disposal, and those moose aren't getting any smaller.
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The world is changed by your action, not by your opinion.
For deer and moose we mainly stick to two zones and over the years have gotten to know them well. I have now shot 4 elk in the past 9 years and for me all 4 elk were harvested because I was able to put in my time to get to know the area. The years I was not successful I either had a moose tag so I did not need the meat or I was to busy with kids to put in the time. Have admit half the fun for me is putting in that time.
First Elk - Antlerless
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