How to Make Elk Hunting
Practical, Successful and Enjoyable


Elk hunting can be demanding! It can also be fun, not just hard work. The main purpose of this site is to provide you with as many practical tips and fast facts as possible to make your elk hunting experiences more successful, comfortable, enjoyable, positive, easier and safer.

(You can search within this site on the right side of this page.)

Elk habitat is some of God’s most beautiful creation. Hunting there can be difficult, but there are things we can do to make it easier. With the right equipment and techniques, elk season can be less demanding and more successful. Learn to enjoy the majesty of elk country with realistic goals and plans.

Our goal is to provide sensible and practical recommendations learned from years of trial and error in public access hunting. Ideas from many experienced elk hunters will be shared.




Practical Information for the Average Hunter

bugling bull with haremThis is not just a typical “how to kill a big bull elk” site. We are regular, successful hunters on public land, who kill some nice bulls along with cow elk for meat. We’ve learned some things the hard way. But you don’t have to! We’ll share it with you.

Spending the time and effort to find elk can be challenging without a realistic plan. My family lives in elk country. Each fall I usually commit 5 or 6 days a week for 11 weeks to Montana elk hunting with bow and rifle.

I often only hunt half days and go to work in the afternoon. Those half day hunts have been very productive through the years. I have spent many hours thinking about how to make the process easier, faster or more comfortable and then finding the solutions.

Make Elk Hunting More Do-able

I’d be pleased to help you, from the early morning trek seeking your quarry to the closing of the freezer door on your hard-earned meat. My family and I have been annually harvesting and processing many elk and countless deer for a couple of decades. With this site, we’re here to provide as many practical, useful tips to make your hunts, even with kids, more enjoyable, comfortable and simply as “do-able”, as possible.

DIY BackCountry Backpack Hunting?

We have a hunter with many years of experience doing just that. He discusses the exhilarating advantages of hunting with "camp on your back" and shares his detailed backpack hunting gear list. He even goes into detail on what equipment he likes and where he prefers to pack each piece. You'll find that section here.

The Demanding Task of Packing Meat

Getting a hundred or two hundred pounds of meat off the ground and into the freezer far away can be incredibly difficult. I’m a pretty small guy and I usually hunt alone when friends or sons are at work and school. I HAD to learn some practical ways of moving heavy meat by myself. You'll find lots of helpful tips under the Elk Down! tab.

Add this site to your Favorites. More information is added often. Whenever you have a few minutes, click on the tabs to the left to read about a subject that interests you. Come back for more when time allows. You're always welcome! We'll do the work to keep you informed about elk hunting topics.

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Elk-Hunting-Tips Hub Pages
with Descriptions:

Elk Hunting Forum
Elk Hunting Forum: Share your elk hunting pictures and elk hunting stories, or ask questions of other elk hunters here. Anything related to elk and elk hunting.
Quick Elk Hunting Tips
Planning for elk hunting? Here is a quick list of things to do to prepare for an elk hunt. This list will link you to further information based on your personal needs and goals.
Elk Hunting Gear: Priority Gear List for the Big Game Hunter
An elk hunting gear list that big game hunters will find helpful. This is a list and brief review of practical, useful, quality hunting equipment for elk hunters.
Camouflage Patterns: Do They Fool Animals, or Impress Hunters?
Camouflage patterns are mostly made to impress humans. Which patterns actually keep animals from seeing the hunter? We’ve reviewed the most effective and popular patterns.
Hunting Fitness: Simple Exercises that Require No Expense or Gym
Hunting fitness can improve success. It might even save your life! Here are some simple exercises that you can do at no expense, mostly in your living room.
Do It Yourself Elk Hunting in Back Country Wilderness Are a Demanding Adventure!
Extended do it yourself elk hunting can be risky and require careful planning and preparation. Everything needed to protect you from harsh elements will be carried and will be measured in mere ounces.
Use Aerial Photo Maps and Topo Maps to Cyber Scout Big Game Hunting Areas
Combine topo and aerial photo maps of your hunting areas to do some computer hunting trip scouting. Here is an easy, cheap or even free way to view and print those maps.
Elk Hunting Outfitters, Well Worth the Expense! But Choose One Carefully
Elk hunting outfitters cost a lot, but the learning experience makes it well worth the expense. Try to do it at least once. The earlier in your elk hunting career, the better.
Finding Places to Hunt
Researching places to hunt elk takes time, but turns elk hunting trips into “finding” elk.
Bow Hunting Elk: Hunt the Rut and You Will Encounter Wapiti!
Bow hunting elk can be both exciting and devastating, all in the same hour! You will see more elk, but will have to work for the shot. Avoid the rifle crowds during archery season.
Best Big Game Rifle? Opinions Abound!
Choosing a big game rifle is a personal thing, but listening to the opinions of big game hunters is a great place to start. Choose an elk rifle carefully. Maybe more than one!
Cow Elk or Bull Elk?
Hunt a cow elk? Sure! Killing a big bull elk is a great experience, but most hunters consider any elk, even cows, a respected accomplishment. Hunting cows is demanding, especially with a bow!
Kentucky Elk Hunting: 80% Success Rate!
Far to the east of the Rocky Mountains is a little place where the elk hunting success rate is 80 percent! Kentucky! Watch the Kentucky elk hunting video.
Finding Elk: Hunting the Right Place at the Right Time
Finding elk requires scouting and patience. Finding the right place doesn’t always occur at the right time. Know when to walk away and come back later. Hunt smarter, not harder.
Sighting in a Rifle: Accuracy Must be First Priority
Sighting in a rifle requires exact, controlled, unnatural circumstances. Get your rifle and scope “married” first. Then take rifle practice into natural, real life situations.
Tuning a Bow: The Key to Efficient, Consistent Arrow Flight
Tuning a bow is not difficult. Follow these steps and your bow will soon shoot consistently once it is tuned to your arrows and equipment.
Scent Control Hunting and Wind Management: Common Sense and Technology
Scent control hunting is vital if you want to get close to an elk. Scent elimination is impossible! The best you can do is minimize it and manage the wind. Learn the tricks.
Hunting the Elk Rut: Can We Predict It?
The elk rut is very predictable. Weather, pressure and other variables affect what hunters see and hear of rutting elk. During the peak of the rut your chances of close encounters are great!
Elk Calling Done Right: Making Elk Sounds that Get You Close to Elk
Elk calling requires an understanding of what elk talk means and when they are used. With understanding and practice you can learn elk talk to use elk hunting calls effectively.
A Montana Decoy Improves Your chances of Success with a Bow
Montana Decoy makes sturdy big game replicas with HD Photo quality that will greatly improve your chances of taking an elk, deer, or antelop with a bow.
Spotting and Stalking Elk Takes Practice: Elk are Good Teachers!
Spotting and stalking elk requires skill, which requires real life practice and elk are the best teachers! But, here are some shortcuts for the learning process.
Elk Sounds: How to Make Them with Elk Hunting Calls
Elk sounds made correctly with elk hunting calls attract bull elk, or cows that bring bulls with them. Practice with recordings and instructions here.
The Lure of BackCountry Bowhunting: Leaving Base Camp Behind
BackCountry bowhunting camp is wherever you are when the sun goes down. Hunting begins where you wake up in the morning! Here’s how to leave base camp safely and comfortably.
Backpack Hunting Gear: a Complete Gear List and How to Pack It
With a good backpack hunting gear list and good pack organization, your hunting backpack will make camping wherever the sun goes down safe and comfortable.
Packing Elk Meat, Big Game Retrieval: Getting Elk Meat Home Easier
Packing elk meat is difficult, but big game retrieval can even be done alone. There are ways to make it easier, even without expensive equipment, horses or help.
Skinning Elk and Keeping your Meat Clean
Skinning elk is not hard. Keeping the meat clean takes extra effort. Here are step by step instructions for skinning big game on the ground or hanging.
Field Dressing is a Dirty Job: Here Are Thorough Step By Step Instructions
Field dressing an elk is a nasty job, but somebody’s gotta do it! Here is a step by step description of how to do it as efficiently and cleanly as feasible.
Cooling Big Game Meat: Preserving the Quality
Big game meat cools slowly, because it is big! The quality can be preserved with careful attention to details in the field, during transport and at home.
Elk Hunting With Horses Planning and Preparation are Key
Hunting with horses can be a great experience. Or, your worst nightmare! Do you know what you are getting into? Are you prepared?
European Mount your Own Trophy and Save Yourself Several Hundreds of Dollars
A European mount can be done at home. Skull mount a hunting trophy using these simple, thorough directions. This page describes what you need and explains exactly how to do it.
Hunting Pictures: Todays Cameras are Simple, but Watch These Details
Taking hunting pictures doesn’t come naturally to most of us who are not practiced and studied photographers. Here are some basic pointers the experts recommend.
Elk Hunting Book List and Book Reviews: Learn Elk Hunting Secrets
An Elk hunting book is an expert tutorial. Learn elk hunting secrets the easy way. Here is a list of books written by veteran elk hunters. Add the authors skills to your own.
Elk Recipes: Cooking With Healthy and Delicious Elk Meat
Elk recipes that are delicious and healthy, by a registered dietitian. Properly handled elk does not taste gamey. Your guests will rave and they won’t know it’s not lean beef.
Grinding Venison is easy: How to Grind Elk and Deer Meat Into Burger Yourself
Grinding venison (elk and deer meat) is easy, saves money and provides fresher, healthier burger than buying ground beef or having a wild game processor do it for you.
How to Make Sausage: The Least Expensive and Simplest Way
Want to know how to make sausage at home? Here’s the simplest, least expensive way to make homemade sausage using your choice of meat and spice blends.
Is Bear Spray Better Than a Gun for Protection From Bear Attacks?
Bear spray should be carried on the hip or chest when hiking or hunting in bear country. Pepper spray is an effective bear deterrent, if it is accessible and you can employ it quickly.
ATVs and Big Game Hunting: Managed Use and Common Sense
ATVs used for big game hunting evokes emotional responses from opposing sides. A little common sense, balance and some fact-based management are in order. Get informed and involved.
Wild Game Recipes: Celebrate the Harvest of Nature’s Finest Proteins
Share wild game recipes, or find recipes to use for wild game meats. Share your favorite big game, wild fowl and even fish recipes here. These recipes can be used for beef, pork or foul as well.
Elk Hunting Secrets and Tips: Share Yours or Read Others'
Elk hunting secrets come from experienced hunters. Use this forum page to share quick elk hunting tips or read others' recommendations. Share or add to your elk hunting knowledge.
Elk Pictures: Submit Your Elk Photos or Elk Hunting Pictures Here
Share elk pictures or elk hunting pictures here. Elk hunting photos are welcome, with or without elk in them. Feel free to submit cow elk or bull elk pictures.
Elk Hunting Tips Blog
<meta name="blogcatalog" content="9BC9133456" /> The Elk Hunting Tips Blog keeps you up-to-date with significant additions and changes to elk-hunting-tips.net. Subscribe here.
Contact Us Form
Contact Us at Elk Hunting Tips,Net by using this form.
Search Elk Hunting Tips Site
Search Elk Hunting Tips to find information you are looking for. If you don't find something you want to see, use the Contact Us form on this page to make recommendations for new topics.

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Hunting with Elk Decoys , Any contributions about the subject of hunting with elk decoys could be used on a new page for this site!

2012 Elk Hunting Reports:
Elk Hunting 2012:
Blog Your Elk hunts!
: Report your successful elk hunting, or "close encounters of the herd kind" in 2012. Give us reports of how it's going for your season and read what others are saying.

Recent Submissions:

First Archery Bull Hunt Success!, by Heat (Utah) "...this site helped me quite a bit. My Archery bull taped out at 350 gross and scored over 60 mass points. ...."

BackCountry Bull 2012 by: Casey Albert~ "Though the season was slow, it was also successful. On day six of our BackCountry Bowhunt, ... the bull that I subsequently killed was 10 to 15 yards away, and invisible..."

10 year old girl's 1st Bull Elk "On... her second day of hunting, Emily caught a bull elk in the cross hairs of her rifle...."

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Recent Submission: Wounded Veteran Elk hunts, by Joshua (FL), I am a disabled veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom and have always dreamed of hunting elk. I am posting this to see if anyone would know of any elk hunts free to disabled vets....

Recent Submission: First Big Game Harvest, by Bill Smith Thank you to DIY sections of Elk-Hunting-Tips.Net for making my first ever harvest as seamless as possible... THANKS for putting up the site, it saved my tush as a noob this past three years."

Recent Submission: First Elk!, by Tater (Sheridan, Arkansas) I took the advice I received from this website and was successful…I wanted to Thank You and Your Forum and the folks that share on here for the knowledge and information that helped me find an elk I was quite happy with.


First Archery Bull 350 Gross!, "I didn't know much about elk or elk hunting, I had never been. I came across this website and visited it quite often as I prepared for my archery bull hunt. The information on this site got me on the right track. My bull taped out at 350 gross and scored over 60 mass points. ...."

"This website is great! Just found out our group drew our general elk license in WY. So I will be hunting elk for the first time this September. Can't wait, trying to learn as much as possible. Thanks!" ~Justin

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~Lorne

"This is a great site even if you feel you know everything about hunting Elk."

~Dean, Portland

"I just wanted to thank you for all your tips and the real elk sound recordings. My buddy thanks you too (his first tag). I learned as much (or more) from your site as from my failures, and really appreciate you helping to increase my chances... It's funny how we love something so stacked against us."

~Neal

"I just visited your web site on how to de-bone an elk. We had a road wash out in our hunting area... Now it will be quite a hike in and game carts are not an option due to the terrain. Your information was a lot of help, thanks."

~Doug

"I felt like telling them they should stop watching those BS trophy bull DVDs and actually learn something by reading elk-hunting-tips.net."

~Idaho Steve

"This site, like you said, is phenomenal. It is by far the finest resource on elk hunting, from A to Z, I've ever encountered. Keep coming back to it as you will learn more and more every time you visit."

~Steve

"I just want to tell you that your site is probably the best and most helpful I have found! This site is great! thanks.

~Skip

"...you are in the right place to get lots of good tips for Elk hunting. Read the whole site! You will get all the tips you need here and experience will only come with time."

~Pat, OR

"I absolutely LOVE your web-site…probably the best out there. You’ve mixed the best…the questions, the recipes, the comments, the brags, the complaints….EVERYTHING. "

~Mardee, OR


"I just got back from CO... it was a very hard hunting trip... on the last day of our hunt...the last 5 minutes of day light I killed my first 4x4 elk.

I want to thank this web site for all the great tips and info. It is one of the best elk hunting sites that I have found. ...we were hunting public land and had no guide. It wouldn't have been possible, if I hadn't found this site.because i had no idea how to hunt elk. thanks"

~ Mike, PA


"Everything a man or woman need to know for the first hunt is available. I like your section on field dressing because I feel not enough time is spent on the subject...", George


"I learned so much from you. I studied your site so thoroughly. I felt fully confident that I'd be able to gut, skin, debone and butcher an elk on my own. I really can't thank you enough for all of your help.

... since I got in so close on that herd and had so many in my sites, I feel like I've earned the right to at least get bow certified. Mainly I just want an excuse to spend even more time in the woods chasing these amazing animals!"

~Steve, ID

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"...there is a lot of outstanding information on general elk hunting on this site. I would highly recommend reading everything on this excellent site about general elk hunting.

The information on equipment, tactics, getting your elk out, etc., is excellent. Pay special attention to the information on Hunting Fitness. If you think you are in good shape for hunting, you probably aren't!"

~Nate, Nebraska

Go to "Game Retrieval"


"I found your site a few weeks back and really appreciate the information you share. This is my first year bow hunting and can use all the help I can get." ~Jim, OR

"I really like this web site and feel like it has an abundance of very helpful information and check it out often. Thank you "

~Dennis, MO

"Great website! Thanks for your willingness to share all of your knowledge, experience and encouragement."

~Kris

"I am 14 and bow hunting my third year. I have just killed my first Elk. If it weren't for this site, I probably would have went right up to it after the first shot and it could have ran away. I thank this site for making my hunting trips a lot easier."

~Taylor, CO

"That story just gives me goose-bumps!!! Nothing better than a successful elk hunt... I've hunted all my life & I'm a lady, 76 years young."

~Mardee, OR

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"Thanks for the great site. This is my 2nd year Elk hunting, (still no elk). So all this site has to offer is useful information for me. I'm sure I've made a lot of mistakes. But do feel that I am gaining more experience."

~GT, Alberta



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