Old Farts Elk Hunting

[tradtiger]

Hope y'all (DRT and Swamp) get to be playing nice soon.

[Randy Madden]

I for one will not be putting my chance of success in someone else hands in September! If I can’t get it done that’s on me!!
That being said, If I was only after a kill I wouldn’t be hunting with a Trad bow.

[CRM_95]

I for one will not be putting my chance of success in someone else hands in September! If I can’t get it done that’s on me!!
That being said, If I was only after a kill I wouldn’t be hunting with a Trad bow.

Definitely agree on the last part. If I was determined to kill and elk no matter what I'd save 4 or 5 years and go on a guided hunt with a rifle. I'm fortunate to have a good group of hunting buddies that love shooting trad, and my hunting trips are more about hanging out with them I guess. I stay so busy at work and with the day to day routine that is my life I'll spend a thousand bucks just to go to the mountains and leave it home for a while!! Money well spent in my book.

[SwampRabbit]

I am playing nice.

And there aint nothing wrong with going after meat and using whatever weapon floats your boat. Ain't nothing wrong with hiring a guide too.

It is still all a gamble... or at least it should be. I've seen folks hire a guy, pay to hunt a ranch, and then take it out on them when they don't get anything. It's easy to do when you amp up expectations when you are paying somebody.

But in hindsight, I have tended to realize that while you don't have to be happy with the outcome, you are better off if you focus on the positives and move forward. I have personally learned and grown as a hunter by allowing myself to be influenced by all the "successful" hunters/shooters on here, whom, every one of them, were positive people.



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[Phillip Fields]

Definitely agree on the last part. If I was determined to kill and elk no matter what I'd save 4 or 5 years and go on a guided hunt with a rifle. I'm fortunate to have a good group of hunting buddies that love shooting trad, and my hunting trips are more about hanging out with them I guess. I stay so busy at work and with the day to day routine that is my life I'll spend a thousand bucks just to go to the mountains and leave it home for a while!! Money well spent in my book.

I've done 2 guided hunts with a rifle (1 in Wyoming, 1 in Colorado), and 1 guided trad hunt (Colorado) and am still elkless.

[wytex]

After drawing a nice Wyoming tag you'll see the difference in it and OTC in Colorado, people and pressure.
We even have some nice general areas that if drawn get you hunting in any general area in the state. Additional cow tags are reduced price and generally easier to fill.
I'll fill you all in our elk hunt this fall, a great LQ area that we get to hunt 2 weeks in archery season, Sept 15-30 and rifle from Oct 1-Nov 14. Longbows are the weapon of choice in archery season.

[SwampRabbit]

After drawing a nice Wyoming tag you'll see the difference in it and OTC in Colorado, people and pressure.
We even have some nice general areas that if drawn get you hunting in any general area in the state. Additional cow tags are reduced price and generally easier to fill.
I'll fill you all in our elk hunt this fall, a great LQ area that we get to hunt 2 weeks in archery season, Sept 15-30 and rifle from Oct 1-Nov 14. Longbows are the weapon of choice in archery season.

Been looking at Wyoming for pronghorn. WY is a hell of a drive from Southern Texas, but I could see flying for pronghorn as I could fly the meat back.

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[Randy Madden]

I grew up in Wyoming and all my immediate family still lives in Sheridan. I go back every couple of years to hunt elk and bear. There is a reason why general tags are general tags. but to draw for better areas is more difficult. Every year the odds decrease on the premium areas. For example the area I’ve been trying to draw for 6 years used to be a 60-70 percentage chance to draw with 3-4 points. Now I have 6 points and my odds are less than 10 percent. (Don’t remember the actual number) and I’m not wasting my points on a lesser area.
Not saying it can’t be done in a general area, we all know it can. But your gonna have to either get lucky on the draw or spend the years putting in and acquiring the points to get a quality tag.

[Selfbowman]

Old people use horses or mules.

[scoutman]

We put in for points every year but point creep getting worse every year unfortunately. We hunt OTC every year in same unit, worked out for us.

[DRT]

It is a gamble. It is a hunt. But I haven't bought a $600 elk tag because it is such a gamble. When we went they were $286 I think. I just want to maximize my chances. I've done the DIY and it was fun. However the pressure was less then.
I applaud those of you brave enough to use the trad bow.
When I go I'm gonna take the easy way out and take my carbon spyder. That said it's still a 11% average any way you slice it.

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[Cwag]

Guides and outfitters in the vast majority of cases are a glorified taxi service. Never a Guarantee to kill anything.


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[scoutman]

We went semi guided for 2 yrs to learn the process, been on our own since 07. Had the chance to guide rifle hunters for 2 seasons out there, learned alot in the process. Hunting elk is easy, it's not hard till one is dead, lol.

[RickBarbee]

The draw thing can really bust up your group, and ruin your collective plans.
I'm not interested in that at all.

A little farther drive to get to a better location is no big deal to me.
In the grand scheme of things, Wyoming isn't that much farther for a good OTC area.

Rick

[scoutman]

Wyoming has always intrigued me, love hunting antelope there. But the big brown bears with no fear of man keep me away. I know the chance of a harmful encounter is slight but I dont have to worry about that where I have 18yrs experience hunting. It is beautiful country and a great state. If they ever start managing those bears, I'd love to go.