First time bow hunter planning the upcoming season, elk tips?

[KBC]

Can’t help with elk spots

The advantage to early season is that dumb spike buck that has never been hunted. If you pick and area with high deer numbers odds of finding one is good.

Bowhunting is not as hard as many make it out to be. You just need to hunt in away that causes close encounters. Ambushing in timber is way more productive then glassing and stalking clear cuts

90% of failed shot opportunities for myself are getting busted on the draw. This is the time you really need to be sneaky

Last season sealed the deal for getting a bow. I had already been wanting to get into it but I went a decent ways up north looking for elk with my rifle and it was mule deer any buck archery season as well where I was. I didn't find elk but would have had several chances at several bucks if I was a bow hunter at the time.

This is really a hard time to plan! Soon enough there will be more information. It is fair figuring to get an Excalibur crossbow and use archery seasons to add time. Best to study hard, scout harder and learn your area and species!
All of sudden those success rates increase. But for me, some of my most successful days afield involved no killing.

So far my successful days don't have killing either Although it has been frustrating not bringing meat home, it is always a special time when you are in the outdoors.

I don't want to say this year is my year because I said that last year and only ended up hunting 5 of of the 25 days I had planned to for various reasons, but if I don't bring something home this year I don't plan on wondering if I didn't try hard enough.

[HarryToolips]

Can’t help with elk spots

The advantage to early season is that dumb spike buck that has never been hunted. If you pick and area with high deer numbers odds of finding one is good.

Bowhunting is not as hard as many make it out to be. You just need to hunt in away that causes close encounters. Ambushing in timber is way more productive then glassing and stalking clear cuts

90% of failed shot opportunities for myself are getting busted on the draw. This is the time you really need to be sneaky

This is it, you have a far better chance of nailing a young dumb muley buck with a bow rather than an elk....and as said before, don't measure success by harvesting something, measure it by how much your enjoying yourself and by how much your learning.. but damn, elk are fun to hunt so it doesn't hurt...make sure your shot with a bow is really good, they can be highly effective killing machines but you don't have the forgiveness of a rifle because of the energy that guns put out..

["No Choke"Lord Walsingham]

Lol, Best of fortune afield this year.

If you head out with a truly meat hungry eye, you'll do just fine here in your year 4. Any Elk is a doozy of a first beast for sure!

[allan]

I have measured my succes by seeing game and getting closer then I would need to then if I was using a rifle. It took me years before I learned how to bow hunt well enough to arrow my first big game animal. For me getting close with only an arrow and a string is a huge part of choosing to bow hunt.
I cant help you with spots but remember that you will be unlikely to have a perfect stance and form when bow hunting, lots of my early encounters were from steep hill sides, tree stands and sitting positions, practice shooting to your max distance in whatever position you can think of and once you get good at that, practice holding at full draw for as long as you can in the most awkward position you can safely shoot in. The first arrow cold is the one that’s going to count for the most.
I arrowed a decent moose at 8ft two seasons ago because I had practiced these very things.
Good luck

[jaridwarren]

New bowhunter here as well. My attitude is to just keep working hard, practicing and learning, like others have mentioned: success doesn't necessarily start with a harvest.

[J_T]

I'm not sure why some think bowhunting is the hard route to go. My opportunities, my in close chances, my skills, my harvests, my enjoyment all went way up when I started bowhunting. I hardly even hunt in rifle season now. Use that time for trail cutting, mtn biking and reconnaissance.

[WWBC]

Maybe consider buying a Black Bear tag and getting after some spring bear? If you do you'll be that much more experienced in the fall.

[tko]

when r you planning on going? pm me

[quadrakid]

When switching from rifle to bow keep in mind when your hunting that your range is shortened.Hunt with the mindset of seeing your game IN bow range. Hunt the thicker stuff. Good luck.

[Linksman313]

Good for you for taking on a new challenge KBC. The only thing I can add to Brez's post is the understanding that elk are a huge animal that can cover a ton of mileage in a day. Where you found sign last time is no guarantee they will be there again. Early in my elk career I made the mistake of sitting on old feed/bedding areas for the whole season and not seeing a single Bull return. Being flexible and willing to travel has increased my odds for success over the years. Good luck in your new venture!