Why Most Archery Public Land DIY OTC Elk Hunts End Up......
Being expensive camping trips.......
Believe me. I have had my share of tag soup over the years so I speak from experience. Also notice I said "most" elk hunts. We all have stories of that person who kills his or her elk one hour into their hunt. With an average success rate of 10% on any archery elk (bull or cow) most hunters fall into the 90% unsuccessful category. This is not all bad. Any experience in the mountains in the fall is awesome. The preparation, the anticipation, days spent in the cool mountain air make it worthwhile.
Now for some of the reasons most DIY OTC public land archery elk hunts end up being expensive camping trips......
1. Elk hunting is HARD!!! It does not matter how much you plan. It does not matter how much you study Google Earth and maps. It does not matter how much you train or even if you pre-season scout. It is hard to close the deal on an elk with your bow.
2. Most hunters commit to an area that simply does not have many or any elk. Elk are very mobile creatures and they cover a lot of ground everyday. Where they were at yesterday has no bearing on where they will be today or tomorrow. And you hear hunters say.....but there was so much sign there. They only sign I have confidence in is seeing elk or steaming droppings anything else could be from yesterday, or last week or last month. Be mobile. Cover a lot of ground.
3. Many hunters wear themselves out in the first 2-3 days. The physical exertion, stress and altitude take a toll. I have seen guys go home after 3 days. You have to pace yourself.
4. Not enough time. The country that elk inhabit is BIG and the elk are few and far between. It takes time to locate them. In most cases you are finally closing in on them about the time you have to go home.
5. Hunting the national forest is tough. The elk that are there are conditioned to calls and are very wary of hunters. I was talking to a Hispanic sheep herder in the Uncompahgre National Forest one year. He spoke no English, but I speak a little Spanish. I asked him if he had been seeing any elk in the area. He said "Yes.....many, many elk....all summer...until guys dressed like you (camo) arrived. Then all the elk left".
Not much else needs to be said about public land pressure. On the other hand private lands are elk magnets. The elk definitely know where they are safe and where they are not safe. Hunt private land if possible.
6. Most elk hunters do not go in far enough. National forest gets a lot of pressure. The elk will migrate away from the pressure. If you do hike in several miles be prepared to camp there if you find elk.
Good luck, Have fun, Enjoy you time in the mountains and don't be discouraged if you do not get one. It's a tough hunt.
Believe me. I have had my share of tag soup over the years so I speak from experience. Also notice I said "most" elk hunts. We all have stories of that person who kills his or her elk one hour into their hunt. With an average success rate of 10% on any archery elk (bull or cow) most hunters fall into the 90% unsuccessful category. This is not all bad. Any experience in the mountains in the fall is awesome. The preparation, the anticipation, days spent in the cool mountain air make it worthwhile.
Now for some of the reasons most DIY OTC public land archery elk hunts end up being expensive camping trips......
1. Elk hunting is HARD!!! It does not matter how much you plan. It does not matter how much you study Google Earth and maps. It does not matter how much you train or even if you pre-season scout. It is hard to close the deal on an elk with your bow.
2. Most hunters commit to an area that simply does not have many or any elk. Elk are very mobile creatures and they cover a lot of ground everyday. Where they were at yesterday has no bearing on where they will be today or tomorrow. And you hear hunters say.....but there was so much sign there. They only sign I have confidence in is seeing elk or steaming droppings anything else could be from yesterday, or last week or last month. Be mobile. Cover a lot of ground.
3. Many hunters wear themselves out in the first 2-3 days. The physical exertion, stress and altitude take a toll. I have seen guys go home after 3 days. You have to pace yourself.
4. Not enough time. The country that elk inhabit is BIG and the elk are few and far between. It takes time to locate them. In most cases you are finally closing in on them about the time you have to go home.
5. Hunting the national forest is tough. The elk that are there are conditioned to calls and are very wary of hunters. I was talking to a Hispanic sheep herder in the Uncompahgre National Forest one year. He spoke no English, but I speak a little Spanish. I asked him if he had been seeing any elk in the area. He said "Yes.....many, many elk....all summer...until guys dressed like you (camo) arrived. Then all the elk left".
Not much else needs to be said about public land pressure. On the other hand private lands are elk magnets. The elk definitely know where they are safe and where they are not safe. Hunt private land if possible.6. Most elk hunters do not go in far enough. National forest gets a lot of pressure. The elk will migrate away from the pressure. If you do hike in several miles be prepared to camp there if you find elk.
Good luck, Have fun, Enjoy you time in the mountains and don't be discouraged if you do not get one. It's a tough hunt.
Great write-up
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