School me on OTC elk hunting

[sectxag06]

No offense, but if you want to be spoon fed public land hunting is probably not going to be a success for you.

aw the classic "no offense" prefacing a jack *** comment.

i've been on forums for long time. some better than others.

2 things tend to happen. either the forum gets so consumed by telling everyone to search because there's a thread about every subject and that ends up driving new posters away or everyone starts the same threads over and over again and the older posters leave.

very few places have a nice medium.

i've been interested in elk hunting for years now. i've read a number of threads on here and other places and i still have a lot of questions.

[Traildust]

aw the classic "no offense" prefacing a jack *** comment.

i've been on forums for long time. some better than others.

2 things tend to happen. either the forum gets so consumed by telling everyone to search because there's a thread about every subject and that ends up driving new posters away or everyone starts the same threads over and over again and the older posters leave.

very few places have a nice medium.

i've been interested in elk hunting for years now. i've read a number of threads on here and other places and i still have a lot of questions.

Are you calling him a jackass?

[meltingfeather]

aw the classic "no offense" prefacing a jack *** comment.

i've been on forums for long time. some better than others.

2 things tend to happen. either the forum gets so consumed by telling everyone to search because there's a thread about every subject and that ends up driving new posters away or everyone starts the same threads over and over again and the older posters leave.

very few places have a nice medium.

i've been interested in elk hunting for years now. i've read a number of threads on here and other places and i still have a lot of questions.

public land is hard hunting... generally not accomplished fresh out of a hotel room and certainly not settling for a cow rather than a big bull on your first trip out.
realistic expectations is a good starting point... as is setting the tone for the self-starting tenacity required to get it done.
reading through some of what's been put out there rather than "hey everybody walk me through this from the beginning" is going to get better results and reduce the clutter of redundant info.
then again, there are internet jockeys who like to thump their chests on forums and don't ever go...

[sectxag06]

public land is hard hunting... generally not accomplished fresh out of a hotel room and certainly not settling for a cow rather than a big bull on your first trip out.
realistic expectations is a good starting point... as is setting the tone for the self-starting tenacity required to get it done.
reading through some of what's been put out there rather than "hey everybody walk me through this from the beginning" is going to get better results and reduce the clutter of redundant info.
then again, there are internet jockeys who like to thump their chests on forums and don't ever go...

i agree with everything you are saying. does the op need to go read a bunch? yes, absolutely. but, there's no harm in getting direct answers when possible instead of having to rifle through pages of stuff to find the one thing you are looking for.

[Texans42]

The guys who are successful out west on Public land are the guys who become consumed.. They are to stupid to quit.. I would say you have a <10% chance of even seeing an elk your first trip.. If you do its either because you truly prepared or got lucky..

Pretty much sums it up.

With that said a even a 40-70 mile week of bow hikes still beat the hell out of being at the office.

[Shurshot]

Thanks for all the help and information.
I knew it would not be easy but I didn't know the success rate was so low.
Just means I got a lot of hard work infront of me and hopefully a little luck.

[Traildust]

Thanks for all the help and information.
I knew it would not be easy but I didn't know the success rate was so low.
Just means I got a lot of hard work infront of me and hopefully a little luck.

Maybe try an outfitter first just to learn some ropes.

[Texans42]

Thanks for all the help and information.
I knew it would not be easy but I didn't know the success rate was so low.
Just means I got a lot of hard work infront of me and hopefully a little luck.

Success rate is a flawed way to look at it. Once you have gone and passed a few camps and met a few hunters you will understand. Some are more motivated then others. I feel like on harder draw tags, people get much more motivated compared to an OTC opportunity. With that said it’s still a very hard hunt, but fun.

[SwampRabbit]

Okay so fresh off my first DIY OTC Western Public Hunt.

1) Fitness is important. But I did see a lot of fat guys on the mountains... including myself. You can make tradeoffs if you know enough about the unit and can predict what other hunters are going to do. There are multiple ways to hunt and I know folks that packed it in far that were just as successful as our group who car camped on a forest service road. (as in we both were blanked.) Basically, get into shape, get some cardio... but you don't have to be a uber athlete to get it done. So, don't let that be a barrier. Do strengthen yourself, but don't let unrealistic goals get you down either.

2) Learn the ins and outs of public land hunting. If you've hunted public land before, you already have in your mind that you need to know a) where it is legal to hunt, the public/private boundaries. b) access - how you are going to access these areas, are there roads, paths, etc. c) camping - where can/can't you camp... where are the crowded places will be, etc. d) what are the rules/regulations for the public land you are on.

3) learn to hunt elk. This is one of the biggest oversights on my part. I focused on having decent fitness... I relied on my previous history of hunting public lands here in Texas so looked up the rules/regulations that would be important... but what I didn't do was focus a ton on how to read elk sign, or understand their patterns, or better yet, elk finding strategy. Instead, I relied on my typical methods for still hunting. Elk have got to be on that hillside... so I'll mind the wind and still hunt/glass until I find them. What I didn't really have a clue about was being able to quickly rule out certain areas and knowing when to relocate much larger distances. I hunted for elk like I would turkeys, deer, or hogs... The terrain however makes that a very difficult prospect. So for quite a bit of time, I felt like I was wandering around hoping to stumble on some elk. In fact at one point, I realized I didn't have a great strategy and I was really hoping that I'd just bust some so I could at least prove to myself they were somewhere. I did eventually lay eyes on a couple and actually came pretty close to a shot... but I was hunting with a stick bow and a 40yd shot was about 10 yards past my comfortable range and they were spooky. By the way, had that encounter panned out. I'd have packed an elk out only about 400 yards from my truck!!!! I had found them, and had put myself into a good spot... but it still didn't work out.


Now... if I am being honest, I am torn. I have unfinished business in the mountains. I enjoyed the experience. But I am debating whether or not I'd need to make drastic changes, or subtle changes for the next time. I saw plenty of other things that also tripped my trigger while I was out there... and so an elk hunt might have to wait in favor of giving pronghorn or mule deer a shot first. An elk hunt, even if it doesn't pan out will take you to some of the highest highs and the lowest lows... it can eat you up and spit you out. You do end up spending a lot of time just getting there and away from your family. I was gone 11 days... and unlike work where I have obligations... this was just for selfish reasons... so it is tough. I find myself hunting for shorter periods not because I want the easy route... but because long hunts/seasons take a toll back home.



But... my one piece of advice is this... you won't know until you go. If the mountains are calling... you should pick up the phone at least once in your lifetime. You won't regret it.

[Shurshot]

Maybe try an outfitter first just to learn some ropes.

I’ll seriously consider this option.


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[Shurshot]

Thanks for the info Swamp rabbit


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[staplehawk]

Not sure if it's been mentioned, but follow the Born and Raised Outdoors guys on Youtube. Great resource on how to get it did and how they just run a playbook over and over again. great group of guys too. I've been practicing my calls while driving around and getting ready for my first, next year, hopefully.

[matt21418]

hey man just wanted to follow-up on my previous post, some other things I recommend and what got me hooked initially were a few podcasts. Check out the early Gritty Bowmen podcasts, especially those featuring Aron Snyder. That dude is a wealth of backcountry knowledge, he has also spun off his own podcast now called Kifarucast. some other places with lots of info as well as paid classes/information access Elk101.com, roehuntingresources.com. These are some of the places I have been and learned a lot. Depending on the experience you are looking for DIY is possible in any form or fashion, I recommend camping in the backcountry to avoid the drive and hike each day but I know others that have down it with a drive and hike each day. I just finished my 3rd hunt and what many others have said above is true, get in shape don't worry about super light gear if you are hauling around an extra 50 lbs with you get to the gym and loose that weight. Get the best gear you can afford, buy used there are lots of great forums that have backcountry gear for sale. Learn animal behavior, you will learn how and when they move, and how to e-scout for them to reduce your search areas, have back up plans when going places and don't be afraid to bail and move one if you aren't seeing sign of animals. There is so much more but dive in the waters great and the experience is one that you won't soon forget.

[Txbownut]

Okay so fresh off my first DIY OTC Western Public Hunt.

1) Fitness is important. But I did see a lot of fat guys on the mountains... including myself. You can make tradeoffs if you know enough about the unit and can predict what other hunters are going to do. There are multiple ways to hunt and I know folks that packed it in far that were just as successful as our group who car camped on a forest service road. (as in we both were blanked.) Basically, get into shape, get some cardio... but you don't have to be a uber athlete to get it done. So, don't let that be a barrier. Do strengthen yourself, but don't let unrealistic goals get you down either.

2) Learn the ins and outs of public land hunting. If you've hunted public land before, you already have in your mind that you need to know a) where it is legal to hunt, the public/private boundaries. b) access - how you are going to access these areas, are there roads, paths, etc. c) camping - where can/can't you camp... where are the crowded places will be, etc. d) what are the rules/regulations for the public land you are on.

3) learn to hunt elk. This is one of the biggest oversights on my part. I focused on having decent fitness... I relied on my previous history of hunting public lands here in Texas so looked up the rules/regulations that would be important... but what I didn't do was focus a ton on how to read elk sign, or understand their patterns, or better yet, elk finding strategy. Instead, I relied on my typical methods for still hunting. Elk have got to be on that hillside... so I'll mind the wind and still hunt/glass until I find them. What I didn't really have a clue about was being able to quickly rule out certain areas and knowing when to relocate much larger distances. I hunted for elk like I would turkeys, deer, or hogs... The terrain however makes that a very difficult prospect. So for quite a bit of time, I felt like I was wandering around hoping to stumble on some elk. In fact at one point, I realized I didn't have a great strategy and I was really hoping that I'd just bust some so I could at least prove to myself they were somewhere. I did eventually lay eyes on a couple and actually came pretty close to a shot... but I was hunting with a stick bow and a 40yd shot was about 10 yards past my comfortable range and they were spooky. By the way, had that encounter panned out. I'd have packed an elk out only about 400 yards from my truck!!!! I had found them, and had put myself into a good spot... but it still didn't work out.


Now... if I am being honest, I am torn. I have unfinished business in the mountains. I enjoyed the experience. But I am debating whether or not I'd need to make drastic changes, or subtle changes for the next time. I saw plenty of other things that also tripped my trigger while I was out there... and so an elk hunt might have to wait in favor of giving pronghorn or mule deer a shot first. An elk hunt, even if it doesn't pan out will take you to some of the highest highs and the lowest lows... it can eat you up and spit you out. You do end up spending a lot of time just getting there and away from your family. I was gone 11 days... and unlike work where I have obligations... this was just for selfish reasons... so it is tough. I find myself hunting for shorter periods not because I want the easy route... but because long hunts/seasons take a toll back home.



But... my one piece of advice is this... you won't know until you go. If the mountains are calling... you should pick up the phone at least once in your lifetime. You won't regret it.

Sage advice.

[DavidH44]

Thanks for all the help and information.
I knew it would not be easy but I didn't know the success rate was so low.
Just means I got a lot of hard work infront of me and hopefully a little luck.

I went on my first elk hunt solo this year and decided to try a state that had less competition than Colorado. I asked people on forums for tips and insight and most replied along the lines of “you can find elk everywhere in that unit”. I never got any specific spots. So I picked an area away from roads and I got into elk everyday. I had some close calls with bulls and ended up having a young cow walk in front of me and I couldn’t pass it up. I never saw any other hunters on the mountain, just a couple older men hunting the roads

Most people have touched on being in shape and the mountains definitely humbled me.

One video series that helped me is by Randy Newberg titled “e-scouting”. It’s like a 12 part series. Good info