# Elk...an easy kill



## BPturkeys (Sep 13, 2007)

Seems I got into a little hot water with a few guys on here when I made the statement that "elk are big, dumb and predictable" as compared to say a Mule deer and overall, given a few basic skills and the time and vigor to pursue them, elk, on the most part, are a pretty easy kill.(Sorry Ridgetop, I didn't mean to jump your post)

When one talks about clever or erosive or unpredictable or mentally challenging, only a few that have hunted other species over the years would say "oh man, are those elk smart". This is not to say elk don't have a skill set for survival that works, it just don't include those things I mentioned above. In all reality, when that elk got away, it was because he say you and run off, or he heard you coming, and run off, or he smelt you...and run off! They have pretty good senses and a great set of lungs and running legs, and that's about it.

So, even though elk are a blast to hunt and really exciting to see and walk up on when laying dead on the ground, don't be fooled into thinking only a few great hunters...well, maybe I shouldn't go there...but anyway...Elk...the easy kill!


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## DallanC (Jan 13, 2009)

Depends on the time of year right? Mule Deer on Nov 15th vs Elk on Nov 15th? Which is easier?

They all have their "easy times".


-DallanC


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## kdog (May 4, 2015)

I will say, having killed many mule deer ranging from august out to Nov and having killed very few elk, the original post does not hold true for me, maybe on the archery game the rules are different but I am not so sure.


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## BPturkeys (Sep 13, 2007)

DallanC said:


> Depends on the time of year right? Mule Deer on Nov 15th vs Elk on Nov 15th? Which is easier?
> 
> They all have their "easy times".
> 
> -DallanC


I have never hunted deer in Nov. but if I had to guess I'd guess deer might be a little easier due to the rut... and...elk can still run in November. But, when you remove the rut from the hunt, I'd say deer(mature bucks) are a little tougher.


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## GaryFish (Sep 7, 2007)

Dallan nailed it.

When I lived in Montana, the phrase was "We shoot deer, but we hunt elk." Mainly because the deer season extended to Thanksgiving weekend. Big mule deer bucks get really stupid in mid to late November. I shot mule deer in mid-November that were dueling, and the one I didn't shoot, stuck around, 25-30 yards away, and watched as I gutted his fallen foe. 

Another story. Growing up in Idaho in the '80s, the hunt extended into mid November. As I kid, I remember one day missing a shot at a buck with a bunch of does. My Dad said, "Just wait. He'll be back." Well, we just stayed put and 15 minutes later, the deer that took off bouncing away, and circled right back to the exact same spot, where I was able to connect on the shot. 

Soooo, I'm not sure one is any smarter than the other. Just like people, when horny, neither is all that bright.


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## Critter (Mar 20, 2010)

I have no problems finding big elk, I do have problems finding big mule deer. Granted that both big mule deer and big elk are stupid when around women and they have a chance to get some, but aren't all men? 

With elk being herd animals it makes them a lot easier to find where big buck deer are mostly solitary animals except for the rut.


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## GaryFish (Sep 7, 2007)

One more story. My first year hunting deer in Montana in the late '90s, my buddy took me to his brother's ranch to hunt. We met the rancher and he took us out as the guide. He said "I saw this big 5 point that is A.F.O. - we can go see him but I'm saving him for the neighbor's daughter." Sure enough, we drove over to this HUGE 5 point muley. He was laying down next to the fence. The rancher called the neighbor and told him to bring his daughter over to shoot the "A.F.O." buck that was laying down looking at us in the truck less than 10 yards away. We stayed there until the neighbor arrived. We quite literally, drove the truck and bumped the deer to get it to stand up so the 12 year old neighbor girl could shoot it. Finally, I asked the rancher what "A.F.O." meant. The rancher laughed. He said "That buck had been servicing his does all night and was All F***** Out." At least he died happy. I shot a very nice 4 point about an hour later. And by noon, we had seen 3-4 dozen mature mule deer bucks within 100 yards. They didn't care boo one about anyone or anything, except the rut. So I'm in the camp that rutting deer are as stupid as anything else out there. Especially when they are A.F.O.


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## utahbigbull (May 9, 2012)

I think the similarities between hunting elk and turkey are eerily similar. I always thought of spring turkey hunting to be a upland game version of a fall elk hunt. I love em both!!


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## DallanC (Jan 13, 2009)

utahbigbull said:


> I think the similarities between hunting elk and turkey are eerily similar. I always thought of spring turkey hunting to be a upland game version of a fall elk hunt. I love em both!!


I did spring turkey twice and it turned me off forever. Lines of people pushing canyons together like the old deer drives, running birds and either jump shooting them like pheasants or pushing flocks to shooters below waiting to ambush them. I mean every time I went out... over 2 years. There was ZERO chance to try and call one in or even sneak in on a flock. Almost every bird I saw was on a dead run with people pushing them.

Bleh, not for me.

-DallanC


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## Igottabigone (Oct 4, 2007)

Depends on how you define a "big bull" vs. a "big buck." Personally, I'd rather hunt big bulls every day of the week and twice on Sunday.


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## swbuckmaster (Sep 14, 2007)

I think killing an elk is easy. Killing a good bull elk in utah away from a limited entry unit is the hard part. 

It also takes a certain type of stupid to shoot a spike or cow in a deep canyon just to fill a tag. Young and dumb comes to mind. 

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk


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## johnnycake (Jul 19, 2011)

swbuckmaster said:


> It also takes a certain type of stupid to shoot a spike or cow in a deep canyon just to fill a tag. Young and dumb comes to mind.
> 
> Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk


Guilty! Done that a time or three (and honestly, I'd probably do it again).

Frankly, I am in the camp that both deer and elk possess their respective evasion "skills" and that both are easier to hunt when A.F.O. or attempting to be A.F.O.'ed versus every other time of year.

For me, the reasons I think elk are "harder" to hunt than deer are:

1. An elk will boogie out and run a mile or more when spooked--and will take a long time for that animal to return. A deer tries to hide in cover when it feels threatened and more often than not just goes over the next ridge, and will likely stay within a much smaller area. Sure, there is something cool and crafty about those bucks that are hidden in plain sight, but once you learn to really glass it makes it easier to hunt them as they will hold tight if they think they are still hidden.

2. Size matters. It is easier to push further into the wilderness knowing at most you have a 100lbs pack out if you punch your tag. The number of guys that can pack out a mature buck + camp in 1 trip is way higher than the number of guys that can pack out a bull elk in 1 trip (let alone camp). That is by definition "harder"

3. While elk may be easier to spot, deer are easier to get within range in my experience. Not to mention that once spooked, elk don't usually stop after 100-200 yards to stop and see if you are still chasing them. That allows for redemption after missed shots, slow initial reactions, etc. Plus, being in larger groups on average, elk have more eyes, ears, and noses.

That doesn't even get into the LE/GS differences of even getting a tag or opportunity to hunt a mature buck vs. bull. Look at success rates of GS elk and GS deer, deer are killed in greater percentages overall. Sure, that doesn't reveal how many mature bucks/bulls there are, but I would wager that even per capita more "mature" +4yo bucks are shot on GS tags than 5-6 yo bulls are. But it would be neat to know if that data exists.

And also, aside from the aesthetics of the hunt itself, there's something about those antlers that are about as tall as I am when I hold them that is magic.


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## sheepassassin (Mar 23, 2018)

DallanC said:


> Depends on the time of year right? Mule Deer on Nov 15th vs Elk on Nov 15th? Which is easier?
> 
> They all have their "easy times".
> 
> -DallanC


They are both about equal that time of year


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## katorade (Sep 23, 2007)

Okay okay yes elk are easy to kill 100% agree. Now pick a specific bull and kill him. A big bull(350+). But to kill him you have to find him first. Not as predictable eh? Unless you're hunting them early before the rut over there water hole.

If you can find elk you can kill them. It's just an oversized Turkey. Now killing a specific bull, good luck.


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## sheepassassin (Mar 23, 2018)

If you handed out 100 GS archery deer permits and 100 GS archery elk tags to the same group of guys and they all had the same 7 days to hunt, which is gonna have a higher success rate? 

My money is on the deer. Most 2.5 year old deer aren’t as intelligent as a 1.5 year old cow or spike. Don’t get me wrong, elk are pretty dumb, but guys seem to be able to fill a deer tag more often than elk. Just hop on Facebook every August and look. For every 5 deer you see posted, there’s maybe 1 elk.

That said, elk are pretty stupid. Most guys don’t have success because they don’t understand them or know what they are doing. Once you get that figured out and spend enough time in the same elk country and figure out where they wanna be and where they go when the pressure hits, filling a tag is easier than killing a deer (or atleast a deer worth having).

I guess I must still be young and dumb according to the SWBM. But at the end of it all, I’m still out hunting, shooting stuff. He’s on the Internet giving advice or road hunting 2 points. To each their own I suppose


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## TPrawitt91 (Sep 1, 2015)

I have only turkey hunted once but called one in to 29 yards. Love turkey hunting


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## Vanilla (Dec 11, 2009)

BPturkeys said:


> Seems I got into a little hot water with a few guys on here when I made the statement that "elk are big, dumb and predictable" as compared to say a Mule deer and overall, given a few basic skills and the time and vigor to pursue them, elk, on the most part, are a pretty easy kill


Except...that is not what you said. Your exact quote is as follows:



BPturkeys said:


> For me, it's just that elk are so big, dumb and predictable. In short, if you're young and fit, have the time, getting a big elk would be a piece of cake.


These two statements do not say the same things. I disagree with both of them, just for the record. How many big bulls are being killed on general season units vs big deer? Way more deer, and it isn't even close.

Agree with sheepassassin on giving the same amount of guys with equal hunting skill tags for each species and 7 days to hunt, who will have the higher success rates. It will be deer.

Not trying to convince anyone that they should like hunting elk more. Go hunt what you want to hunt. The claims made above are simply objectively incorrect. Hence, why I said we can all just agree that the poster didn't know what he was talking about. I'm all for hyperbole, and this forum is full of it. (my posts included at times) But the statement is just wrong.


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## hazmat (Apr 23, 2009)

I am just curious to see your trophy room with all of these easy kills


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## 2full (Apr 8, 2010)

I have a harder time getting into elk than deer. 
But when I do get into the elk it seems like they are not as skittish........

I killed my bull last night. My first bull with a muzzle loader. 
I have got to quit shooting elk when I'm by myself.....
They are a lot of work. And I'm getting toooo old. :mrgreen:


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## TheHunted (Feb 22, 2016)

“How many big bulls are being killed on general season units vs big deer? Way more deer, and it isn't even close”



There are way more big deer killed on general units compared to elk on general units because 80% of Utah elk habitat is LE. There is a ton of good general unit deer habitat. Let’s get a fair proportion of huntable (general season) habitat and see how many more big elk get killed. I’ll bet it’s equivelant to how many big bucks get killed. 

I’m of the opinion they are both difficult to hunt and harvest; a mature animal anyway. I’ve killed way more big deer then big elk. There’s more opportunity to hunt big deer in Utah.


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## hazmat (Apr 23, 2009)

do you think the fact we can hunt elk during the rut or most people are in the woods during the rut could play a factor.

i have literally driven my truck right next to some monster muleys when they are rutting. and they are as stupid as can be

I love both the same and respect the intelligence of both. I just have a hard time taking your elk statement serious after spending as much time hunting "easy"elk on the north slope of the uintas.


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## Springville Shooter (Oct 15, 2010)

Elk and deer are both hard for me to kill. I’m a crappy hunter.———-SS


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## 3arabians (Dec 9, 2014)

Springville Shooter said:


> Elk and deer are both hard for me to kill. I'm a crappy hunter.----SS


They are both hard. Every year I use a full week of vacation to hunt each one. I get back to work on monday and think to myself "I need a vacation".

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G891A using Tapatalk


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## 2full (Apr 8, 2010)

I like hunting and playing with turkeys and elk because they talk. 
Love to listen to a herd of elk as they converse. Especially if the elk are bulging. 
Also love to piss off a Tom and listen to one trying to get the hen to come to him. 
Can listen to them all morning. Even if I'm not hunting.


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## hazmat (Apr 23, 2009)

hazmat said:


> I am just curious to see your trophy room with all of these easy kills[/QUOTE
> &#128566;


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## bow_dude (Aug 20, 2009)

I hunt elk and deer during the Archery seasons. For me, I have killed more elk than deer with bow and arrow. I have yet to shoot a deer that didn't know I was present unless I am sitting in a tree stand or blind. Their senses are uncanny. Elk on the other hand have been easier for me. Not because they aren't less aware, they are their own worst enemy. They run around in herds, they are very noisy, they talk a lot and they stink. All a hunter needs to do is move around a lot, listen and use his nose. Of course hunting where elk reside helps a lot. Elk are grazers, deer are browsers. Elk and deer normally don't hang around in the same kind of country, so knowing that, I hunt each in different areas and hunt each differently. Probably the biggest reason I feel elk are easier to hunt is I enjoy hunting them the most because they are just plain fun. I doubt I will hunt elk anymore though, although my success has been higher, elk country is just harder to get to. My age plays into that decision. But, never say never... like a woman, I reserve the right to change my mind :grin:.


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## 7mm Reloaded (Aug 25, 2015)

Not taking anything away from elk, my family never hunted elk when I was growing up just deer. I've killed some elk. Seems to me at least where I go they are easier to see , a bigger target, vocal and you can smell them. Deer just seem sneakier to me in many ways. Anyways I love hunting both.


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## MuscleWhitefish (Jan 13, 2015)

swbuckmaster said:


> I think killing an elk is easy. Killing a good bull elk in utah away from a limited entry unit is the hard part.
> 
> It also takes a certain type of stupid to shoot a spike or cow in a deep canyon just to fill a tag. Young and dumb comes to mind.
> 
> Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk


On the limited entry the elk are extremely easy to kill, finding one that you will be happy with is the hard part.


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## Vanilla (Dec 11, 2009)

MuscleWhitefish said:


> On the limited entry the elk are extremely easy to kill, finding one that you will be happy with is the hard part.


Couldn't you say the same thing for deer? I mean, are people really having a hard time finding a deer on the Vernon, Book Cliffs, or San Juan Elk Ridge?

What about on the general season Manti tag? Is it that hard to find and kill a deer on the unit? Because I was able to do it, and I'm a terrible hunter.


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## Critter (Mar 20, 2010)

Vanilla said:


> Couldn't you say the same thing for deer? I mean, are people really having a hard time finding a deer on the Vernon, Book Cliffs, or San Juan Elk Ridge?
> 
> What about on the general season Manti tag? Is it that hard to find and kill a deer on the unit? Because I was able to do it, and I'm a terrible hunter.


It all depends on what you are looking for.

I know what kind of bucks are out on the Book Cliffs and screwed up my chance at a couple of 190+ bucks a couple of years ago on the muzzle loader.

General season on the Manti is the same thing. I know of some that come off of the Manti every year with a buck in the 170 range but if you want just a buck they are all over the place and it isn't that hard to find and kill one. Just driving the roads in the early morning will give you chances at 2 pts, but that 170+ buck you are going to have to work for that one.


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## wyoming2utah (Sep 12, 2007)

After reading this whole thread, I think the question should be which is harder to hunt all things being equal. In other words, is it harder to kill a trophy mule deer on a general season unit or harder to kill a trophy elk on a general season unit?

I know my answer.


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## Vanilla (Dec 11, 2009)

Critter, musclewhitefish already qualified that. That “depends on what you want” was already very much a part of the discussion he brought up. 

W2U - agreed.


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## MadHunter (Nov 17, 2009)

My take is that they are both a pain to hunt; LITERALLY! Every year it hurts more and more to hunt both of them, I guess that's just age. I am not out there looking for a particular deer or elk. I have been fairly successful at filling my tags year after year. I never hunt hoping to harvest more than just a buck or a spike elk. Although if it happens then great. I just want the freezer to have meat. Having said that I am hoping to get an LE tag for both deer and elk someday soon. That will be a different hunt altogether.

Truth is they are both a challenge and that's why I will continue to do it. The satisfaction and reward of hard work is what keeps me coming back. Pain be [email protected]


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## SX3 (Jun 3, 2014)

The origin of the thread was simply that as long as you are young and fit big elk are a piece of cake. I don't believe anyone is arguing that big mule deer are hard to kill and frankly I think most would agree that a truly big muley is harder to find and hunt than a big bull. That said I for one took exception to the statement that big elk are easy. Frankly if big elk were so easy every 20 something hunter should be killing one every season, but thati is not that case is it?


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## Vanilla (Dec 11, 2009)

SX3 said:


> The origin of the thread was simply that as long as you are young and fit big elk are a piece of cake. I don't believe anyone is arguing that big mule deer are hard to kill and frankly I think most would agree that a truly big muley is harder to find and hunt than a big bull. That said I for one took exception to the statement that big elk are easy. Frankly if big elk were so easy every 20 something hunter should be killing one every season, but thati is not that case is it?


^^^ This


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## johnnycake (Jul 19, 2011)

SX3 said:


> frankly I think most would agree that a truly big muley is harder to find and hunt than a big bull.


That would probably depend on your definitions of "truly big muley" and "big bull".

Are we comparing +200" muleys to 350" bulls, 175" to 330", 200" to 400" or something else? Or maybe compare those bucks/bulls in the 75th percentile and above for antler size in the population (if this data exists, that would be really fascinating to see, but I doubt it is out there).

I think that +200" muleys are approximately just as rare as +400" bulls (as a % of their respective populations). Because there are about 4 mule deer for every elk in Utah, if my thinking is correct, there would be more +200" bucks than 400" elk in Utah.

Which is a rather longwinded way of saying, I must be in the minority if your "most would agree" is correct.


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## RandomElk16 (Sep 17, 2013)

I know way more people who have shot 4 point deer then 6 point elk. I would recon I probably know more people who have shot 4 point deer than I do people who have shot ANY bull elk. 

I think shooting a mule deer is easier than even shooting a cow. Throw a bow in the mix and the gap is even bigger. Of course there are areas that vary, and people that get routines... but if you have elk dialed in (a few on this site do) - chances are you have deer dialed in or easily could.


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## RandomElk16 (Sep 17, 2013)

SX3 said:


> frankly I think most would agree that a truly big muley is harder to find and hunt than a big bull.


I am not in that "most" group then.



wyoming2utah said:


> After reading this whole thread, I think the question should be which is harder to hunt all things being equal. In other words, is it harder to kill a trophy mule deer on a general season unit or harder to kill a trophy elk on a general season unit?
> 
> I know my answer.


This is how I think of it. I know a few people who kill 200" deer yearly on general units. It isn't easy by any means.. but those same people try the same with elk and are lucky to hit a sudo-mature 5 or 6 point every couple years.

Some on this forum kill elk often - but I don't see someone posting 330" bulls yearly from GS


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## 7mm Reloaded (Aug 25, 2015)

Funny how 200 BC is being used to define a truly big deer. My pa's 3x5 scored 186 and has 4 1/2 bases and is 36 wide. I would say anything 180 and up is pretty big.


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## Vanilla (Dec 11, 2009)

7MM RELOADED said:


> Funny how 200 BC is being used to define a truly big deer. My pa's 3x5 scored 186 and has 4 1/2 bases and is 36 wide. I would say anything 180 and up is pretty big.


It was being compared to a 400 inch bull, though. A 180 inch muley is a big deer, no doubt. I would say anything 320 and bigger in elk is pretty big too. Not "truly big" as was defined earlier., but pretty big, yes.

I think almost everyone can agree that killing a big elk is not a piece of cake, otherwise it would happen all the time and you would see success rates on elk hunts much higher in every state. And that is the comment is what got this topic going.

Fact is, a VERY small percentage of hunters kill a really big elk throughout the elk seasons, let alone doing it every year. It it were a piece of cake, this would not be the case.


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## sheepassassin (Mar 23, 2018)

RandomElk16 said:


> Some on this forum kill elk often - but I don't see someone posting 330" bulls yearly from GS


If I had a GS unit in my back yard like a do a spike unit and could invest the time into it that I can on the LE/spike unit that's 5 minuets from my drive way, I bet I could do it. Or atleast a 6 point every year. I'm sure lots of guys could. All it takes is time. Lots of it. Spent in the same places year after year, learning when they are there and why they are there. I found a spot 10 years ago that had elk in it. To start out, if I even saw an elk in there during the season, it was a success. Fast forward 10 years to this archery hunt. I sat a total of 3 hours between 2 different days and killed 2 elk with my bow.

Same goes for deer. 10 years ago if I saw a 4x4 in 5 days of hunting, that was a big deal. And I had to look hard to find him. Now I can **** near predict that someone in my family will kill a big deer in canyon 'A' and another big deer out of canyon 'B' on opening weekend. And I don't really even scout much for deer anymore. I just know where a big deer is going to show up.

A guy just needs to be able to learn the area, how to get in there without disturbing it, when to hunt it and when to stay out. Where to hunt in the morning and where to hunt at night....

Time. That's the biggest key to success with any animal. Especially if you are after trophy quality.


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## BPturkeys (Sep 13, 2007)

sheepassassin, you have hit it right on the head. Other than hunting in an area that actually holds the game you're after, an intimate knowledge of the lay of the land and how/were the animals use it is the single most important part of a successful hunt. With this knowledge in hand, harvesting your animal isn't tough. 
My advise to a young hunter... find an area that holds animals, scout that area, spend time in that area and hunt that area every year and your success will start to increase every year.


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## Critter (Mar 20, 2010)

We need to expand the percentage of large elk kills out of the state of Utah. With the majority of Utah being spike only limits the size of the elk. 

I know a couple of elk hunters in Colorado that kill 350+ bulls every year in Colorado on OTC units and from where I live I can watch hunters bringing their kills down the road and see numerous large elk racks on their way to the hunters home and this is in a OTC unit. 

The main thing is that to kill either a large elk or a large deer you are going to have to get out and get to know them personally. You can't sit on your duff 51 weeks a year and then grab your smoke pole and head out the day before the hunt starts to find one. You might get lucky and have one wander into your sights, but that is just it you are lucky.


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## Vanilla (Dec 11, 2009)

Critter said:


> We need to expand the percentage of large elk kills out of the state of Utah. With the majority of Utah being spike only limits the size of the elk.
> 
> I know a couple of elk hunters in Colorado that kill 350+ bulls every year in Colorado on OTC units and from where I live I can watch hunters bringing their kills down the road and see numerous large elk racks on their way to the hunters home and this is in a OTC unit.


Okay, so you know a couple guys. And you see others coming down with large racks as well. How many people possessed bull elk tags in Colorado this year? This number is substantial. So I'll stand by my statement that a very small percentage of tag holders kill truly big elk in any given season, regardless of the state. Even if your "couple of guys" you knew turned into 50 guys you knew, or 500 guys you knew that did it every year, it would still be a very small percentage of the total. Heck, I'll let you even know 5,000 guys that kill 350+ bulls every year in Colorado, and you're still less than 5% of the total hunters.

Heck, success rates on OTC tags in 2016 was only ~17%, and I think that included antlerless tags too. All this adds up to what?

A very small percentage of elk hunters, regardless of what state they hunt, will kill a really big bull in any given year. And the same goes for mule deer.


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## Critter (Mar 20, 2010)

My point is that 90% of the hunters out there do not put in the time in their hunting areas to learn what the elk are doing. They go out after work on Thursday or Friday night and consider that one day as their scouting trip for the hunt. You will find that all of the hunters that are successful on big elk and big deer spend time with them during the summer just watching them and getting to know the habits of the animals. A great example of this is Ridgetop on the forum here. Do you think that he would be as successful at finding big bucks as he is if he didn't get out and watch these animals?


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## wyoming2utah (Sep 12, 2007)

sheepassassin said:


> If I had a GS unit in my back yard like a do a spike unit and could invest the time into it that I can on the LE/spike unit that's 5 minuets from my drive way, I bet I could do it.


I bet you couldn't...no disrespect intended. It is much more difficult than you make it sound.

Like 200 inch bucks, 6-point bulls are few and far between on general season units (especially on those general season units outside of the Uintas). I know we have been hunting some general units in my neck of the woods the past few years and, though we know where the elk are and the habits they have moving to and from water, we rarely see them let alone kill one (we have killed one cow in several years of trying). These elk are holed up in thick junipers and vary their routes to water and feeding virtually daily. And, we have never seen them in the open during the day.

I do know some guys who regularly kill bulls on the open unit up Cedar Mountain, but these guys are also hunting private land...


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## sheepassassin (Mar 23, 2018)

wyoming2utah said:


> I bet you couldn't...no disrespect intended. It is much more difficult than you make it sound


It's not any harder than finding and killing 180"+ deer, on purpose, on GS public land units every year, and I've been able to do that for a longer streak than most.

Like I said, if I put in the time and effort on GS any bull units like I do for spikes and cows, I'm sure I could get them figured out.


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## sheepassassin (Mar 23, 2018)

You need to remember, just because you aren’t seeing the same guys posting pics of 330 bulls every year on social media, doesn’t mean it isn’t happening. Some of the best hunters I know have never had a Facebook, insta or any other kind of forum account in their life.


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## carcass (Aug 14, 2017)

I think it is "easy" if you had put a lot of time, and I'm talking years, into scouting, hunting, and patterning them. Im new to elk hunting and although I found some, it was really hit and miss. I had no idea of patterning them nor did I spend a week or two scouting before the season started. 

Once you have experience and success, I would then say it would be "easy." But until I get there, it will be rough. This year I call my "hunting" scouting. Next year, I should do better since I found elk in several different areas. Now I need to learn patterning them, knowing when they come to a certain area, and how often they do it and the time of day they do it. 

Getting away from the roads and such can help, but this year, I saw enough right from the road or a short distance from it(from a couple hundred yards to a half mile.)

Once you learn the "secrets," then I can see it being easy. Until then, it's not easy.


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