Elk hunting is one of the most challenging and rewarding pursuits a hunter can undertake. But ask any seasoned elk hunter, and they’ll tell you that success doesn’t happen by accident. It’s the result of careful planning, preparation, and most importantly, having a solid system in place.
Whether you’re a seasoned veteran or new to elk hunting, building a system is the key to consistent success. In this article, we’ll explore why having a system is so crucial, walk through the steps involved, and show you how to develop your own to increase your odds of filling your tag year after year.
Why You Need a System
Elk are elusive, intelligent creatures that live in rugged, often remote terrain, making them challenging to hunt. Without a system, you’re relying on luck and guesswork to find and harvest an elk. But with a system, you can approach each hunt with a structured plan, allowing you to adapt and make informed decisions in the field.
A system helps you:
- Stay Organized: Elk hunting involves juggling a lot of moving parts – from scouting and gear prep to tracking and decision-making in the field. A system ensures you don’t overlook any crucial steps.
- Be Consistent: While no two hunts are the same, a system provides a framework that can be adapted to different scenarios, giving you a reliable approach to each hunt.
- Improve Over Time: By following a system, you can track what works and what doesn’t, refining your approach with each hunt and continually improving your skills.
Step 1: Pre-Season Preparation
Pre-season preparation is the foundation of your elk hunting system. This step involves thorough e-scouting, developing detailed plans, understanding the area you’ll be hunting, and preparing both mentally and physically.
- Make Your Plans Efficient and Effective: Before you even leave for the hunt, know your plan forward and back. Whether you’re truck hunting or venturing into the backcountry, your plan should balance mobility with pressure, covering enough ground to find elk.
- E-Scouting and Map Out Everything: Utilize tools like GPS apps, topo maps, and satellite imagery to identify potential elk habitats, glassing points, bugle points, water sources, and access routes.
- Think Bigger: Develop at least three core areas, three contingency plans, and 3-5 probing routes to find elk. Also, plan 3-5 hunt strategies per area, ensuring you have multiple options.
- Do Your Homework: Contact tag holders, biologists, and outfitters for insights into the area. This groundwork will give you an edge and help you avoid costly mistakes.
- Physical and Mental Preparation: Elk hunting is physically demanding. Develop a fitness regimen tailored to the rigors of the hunt and mentally prepare yourself for the challenges ahead.
By investing time in pre-season preparation, you’ll reduce missteps and increase your chances of success before you even set foot in the field.
Step 2: Finding Elk
Once you’re in the field, the next step is finding elk. This step is all about breaking down an area and creating a system of execution. The difference between those who are successful and those who are not often comes down to how efficiently they use their time.
- Get a 30,000’ View: Start by covering every road and getting the full picture of the area, looking for new/more data on elk, humans, pressure, terrain, and sign.
- System of Execution: Based on your pre-season plans, execute probing missions as if finding elk is your job. Look for new data to build on each day.
- Understand the Bigger Picture: Once you find a herd, understand why they are there, where they are bedding/feeding, and if they are killable.
- Identify Their Weak Point: Figure out where that herd’s weak spot is and how you can capitalize on it.
- Maximizing Time in Elk Country: The more time you spend in areas where elk are present, the more opportunities you’ll have. A good system will increase your time in elk and, in turn, your chances of success.
Efficiency is key in this step. By developing a system for finding elk, you’ll spend more time in productive areas and less time wandering aimlessly.
Step 3: Getting Close to Elk
Getting close to elk is arguably the hardest part of archery elk hunting. It’s also the piece of the puzzle with the most opinions. Listen to 100 podcasts, and you’ll get 100 different answers. That’s why it’s crucial to develop a handful of tools that you can execute well based on your area and hunting style.
- Be an Apex Predator: Your system should include calling techniques, dogging, spot-and-stalk, and ambush tactics. Focus on getting close enough to capitalize on opportunities.
- Build a Toolkit of Tactics: Develop a small set of tactics you can execute well, such as mimic/rake, blind setups, and lost calf calls. It’s better to master a few tools than to constantly switch tactics.
- Know When to Be Quiet: The 100-yard rule is crucial—ask yourself, is the situation progressing in your favor? If not, it might be time to stay silent.
- Curiosity Kills: Don’t rush a perfectly good situation. Sometimes, letting elk come to you is the best move.
- Dogging the Herd: Being close to the herd will present more opportunities, so make sure your approach keeps you within striking distance.
This step is about refining your approach and sticking with what works until you’ve mastered it.
Step 4: Sealing the Deal – Killing Without Getting Lucky
Sure, luck is a huge part of the equation in elk hunting, but the final step in the system focuses on taking luck – and mistakes – out of the equation as much as possible. This step is all about controlling the controllables.
- Take Luck Out of the Equation: Get your gear right, train like you fight, and develop a shot sequence that you can rely on under pressure.
- Run Mental Repetitions: Run through every move 100 times in your head for every 1 time in real life. Visualizing success will prepare you for the moment when it counts.
- Draw Your Bow Early: Timing is everything—watch for your window and draw before you need to use it.
- The 1% Rule: The best hunters make it happen when it’s not going to happen. Trust your gut and push through when others would give up.
This step is about honing your skills to a point where you don’t have to rely on luck to fill your tag. You’ll be prepared, confident, and ready to capitalize on the opportunities you’ve worked so hard to create.
Take Your Elk Hunting to the Next Level
If you’re serious about elk hunting, it’s time to build your own system. But you don’t have to do it alone. Our Elk Hunt 201 course is designed to help you develop a proven system that works where you hunt.
In the course, you’ll learn:
- How to effectively e-scout and identify prime hunting areas
- The best strategies for in-field execution and adapting to changing conditions
- Tips and tactics that have been honed through years of experience
This course isn’t about fluff or theory. It’s a no-nonsense, straight-to-the-point guide to building a system that will make you a more successful elk hunter. Plus, when you sign up, you’ll get 5 bonus entries into our monthly gear giveaways for an entire year.
Conclusion
Elk hunting isn’t easy, but with a solid system, you can dramatically increase your chances of success. Start building your system today, and watch as your hunting skills – and your success rate – improve with each season.
Ready to take the next step? Check out our Elk Hunt 201 course and start developing the system that will make every hunt an adventure to remember.
