Question for Veteran Elk Hunters- Pass It 0n?

[Indian Summer]

I was PMing back & forth with CTDad the other day. He had some kind words and I told him that helping other elk hunters just comes natural to me. I told him that my definition of and Elk Nut is someone who not only knows how to hunt elk & never gives up, but ALS0 gets even more kicks out of passing it on. After our conversation I thought "Man that is a pretty good way of putting it, I bet Paul would like that definition" The RMEF uses that as their slogan as well... Pass It 0n.

Passing it on can mean lots of things. Answering questions for people about how to find & hunt elk etc etc. More importantly WHERE to hunt elk. Maybe even taking a new elk hunter under your wing and inviting them to come hunt with you. For the guys who have been at it awhile: Do you have spots that are worth hunting that you just don't make it to anymore? Places that you moved on from for no special reason that would be priceless to new hunters starting from the ground up.

Bottom line: Hunting spots are sacred stuff. A big deal I know. So have you ever, or would you consider giving them to the right person along with all of the details so they could hunt it with a partner or two? Curious to see what people say & why.

[Lefty]

I have been out of Utah for 8 years: I found a secluded water seep in Utah, Moose deer and elk magnet. heavy cover north slope, tough country I didnt ever get to hunt the location the way I should have. But every , yes every time maybe 15 times in 6 years I bumped big deer or elk off the location.
After leaving the state a newbie on another forum and to the area I hunted asked about regions to hunt, He seemed like an ambisous young man and I gave him cordinates to a place that is a once-in a-live-time type place
to be able to hunt such a place Swede style would be pure heven( until the pack out)

When I left Minnesota I gave all my trapping records to three other trappers
As far as passing it along, my daughters all hunt( my wife use to and will hunt on nice warm sunny days only after sunrise and an hour or two)
My new son-in-law killed his first deer and antelope this year,.. under his my daughters direction
Not elk,.. but Ive led the way for a lot of hunters to kill their first goose, first double on geese, first triple on geese, first limit, first bands
and I take kids
Ive taken a boat load of kids beaver trapping ( 6 girls one time)

[cnelk]

A few years ago I was contacted by a fellow from Pennsylvania.
He was interested in archery hunting elk, in his 60s and was hoping to get pointed in the right direction.
We struck up a conversation and I took a chance and let him 'in' on some of my spots...

I set up an extra wall tent for him, gave him the cords, and all he had to do was drive in, unpack and go hunt!


What a great friend he has become!
We didnt hunt together but he has been out twice twice, took his GUARANTEED shots but didn't connect...

His nickname is TheMoose... You can see which one he is

[cnelk]

But I will add this....

Be VERY VERY careful to whom you share elk hunting info with....

You will get burned...

[Indian Summer]

Translation: C'mon Swede you old fart give up your old honey holes!!!

Cnelk... well it ain't the guy on the right!

[Vanish]

Not sure what I would have done without a tip from cnelk!

I had done tons of study on elk and elk habitat but picking that one place to try had me pulling my hair out. I can only hope that one day I am able to pay it forward to the right person.

[cnelk]

Not sure what I would have done without a tip from cnelk!
.

You're welcome!

There is another one I helped!

[Swede]

Indian Summer: You are welcome to hunt with me any time my friend. I have been thinking about what you have been writing, concerning helping others, for longer than you would think. I pride myself in keeping my brain in mint condition, but you have got me to start using it a little. Bummer! I have one remaining "new" elk hunter friend in camp. He has killed four elk in the last five years, but he is starting to look around, and wants to try going in some other directions. I would welcome someone new who is serious about getting elk.
It is interesting how many coordinates to good tree stand locations I have given out over the years. Since I have been able to consistantly kill an elk each year, people have asked where they could go and set up. Becaue I offered the information so freely, these people have thought the places I recommended were not really any good. I should have charged a big fee or the information, I guess. These were generally places I could not cover, just as there are places you can not cover with your operation. As a Forest Service employee, who also made a concerted effort to be sure to spend a lot of time in the forest. While I was out I came upon many good areas to hunt. I also scouted a lot on weekends, holidays and vacations. But when I gave out coordinates or directions for potential tree stand locations, no one I know of went there. They did not even check out the location.
One time I sent an individual to my own set-up tree stand location, because of his hard luck story. He sat there one afternoon, then complained to me later, that it was a "stupid" place to set a tree stand. Huh? I have killed at least six elk there, and my hunting pardners have taken at least that many more. The newby I mentioned above took his first bull, a 4x5 there. I have no idea why my hard luck friend did not like the spot, but then he has never killed anything in all of the years I have known him.
To lurkers and others: It has been 10 years since I retired. It has been that long, or longer since I have scouted those places outside my hunting area. I do not feel comfortable sending folks off to locations I am not any more familiar with, than to say they looked good back in the day.

[otcWill]

One of my favorite things to do is help others succeed! I help guys every year. I don't normally put guys on my honey holes, but I get great pleasure from helping others and seeing them score. I scout for others all the time simply because I love to scout new country. Also, I had my start to elk hunting handed to me on a silver platter so I feel it is all I can do to try to help others as much as possible. Making new friends is one of the ways I measure success. That said, I agree with cnelk 100% that if you do this enough "you will get burned".

[one_elk]

Over the years and long before the internet I have passed along a lot of info to fellow hunters from CO and from out of state as well as helping out folks I meet in the woods, maybe even a bit to my disadvantage. But I guess it’s just as important to me to help folks out as to take another elk and there are years I have eaten tag soup because of this attitude, but who knows I without sharing with others I might/probably would have eaten tag soup anyway. I just seem to not able to turn down request from those looking for their first elk. I’m sure you know the type, that guy from Missouri (or where ever) that ya meet in woods who ask’s you if you know where he might find HIS elk….. A funny/interesting side note it seems like that state that produces the largest number of folks I happen across is Pennsylvania, they have in general been great folks just kind of funny how one could come across so many from one of the eastern states out here in CO…..there’s plenty of elk out there, right around 275K in CO alone, pass it on….

[Jaquomo]

I typically "long-distance mentor" several newby NR elk hunters every year. Over the phone, via email, studying maps and tactics even suggesting spots I don't want to go into anymore at my age. Had a great discussion with one of the posters on this forum on Sunday, in fact. He had some voice-calling questions and I hope I didn't scare him with the crazy sounds I was bellering into the phone!

I only wish that sort of mentoring had been available to me back in the early '70s when I had to learn by trial-and-error. So I'm happy to share and pass it on.

[WapitiTalk1]

Nothing to add but a big thumbs up to those who are willing to take new hunters under their wing (or front quarter as it were..)..) and help them start off right. I share elk spots and haven't had anything backfire yet (knock on wood). I also like to invite newer bowhunters to my camp when ever I can. Great stuff.

[>>>---WW---->]

I'm plenty willing to help just about anyone out with their calling and hunting tips and tactics either here on the forum, via email, telephone or any other means. But when it comes to showing you my hunting spots, forget it. I've been burned too many times.

I had a friend from back east come out a couple of times and I shared my camp with him and showed him some good hunting spots. The following year he shows up with his three brothers and his dad. And to top it off, they even took my camping spot. The year after that, he shows up again with his three brothers, his dad, and one of his brothers even invited two more guys. So finally I explained to him that this just wasn't cool. Haven't seen or heard from any of them in close to ten years now. Go figure!

Another time a guy from over on the front range needed some help on where to hunt antelope. So, I set him up on a hot waterhole. Even spent a couple of hours helping him build his blind. After two days of hunting and two misses, he said he had to go home to Denver but would be back to hunt the blind later on. Well, he never did show back up. So it was left up to me to go tear his blind down so the landowner wouldn't get mad at him for leaving it.

Guess I'm just too easy. Someday I'll learn!!!!!!!!!

[Jaquomo]

Yes, I once showed a really good friend one of my little hidden honeyholes where he could take his elderly father - a dedicated bowhunter from IL - to kill an elk. He absolutely PROMISED it would be only his dad and he'd not breathe a word to anyone. I liked his dad and wanted to help. You know what happened. By rifle season he was "guiding" business clients in there. The place has never been the same. We are no longer friends.

[easeup]

I always speak freely of what I have learned in life that is good, honorable and true.
I also speak frequently about the hunt because it thrills my soul so much even after all these years.

I will speak of great faraway places I have seen scouted and hunted and would like to go to some day. When I speak with enthusiasm to others and I dont see the light in their eye......well it is falling on the wrong ears and they wont get the good stuff because they have already shown disinterest in the easy stuff.

but those that light up on the simple expressions about the elk hunt experience, can drink from the fountain of 50 years in the outdoors!

[LckyTylr]

easeup . . . you NEED to write more like that . . . let's hear some stories.


I don't know if this counts, because I only have 4 years of experience, but I passed it on this year and I haven't figured it out yet. I finally feel like I'm figuring out this Elk stuff. I worked really hard this last summer to find my own Hidey Hole . . . and I DID!!! At the end of the summer, my rifle hunting buddy came back from his internship and told me that he bought a new bow and that he'd been shooting for a few weeks. I asked him if he wanted to go hunting with me during bow season since I was planning on going solo . . . "Sure!" he said. Opening weekend we were walking along a trail that would lead us to a large bowl that I had seen a lone spike on 2 of my 5 scouting trips. I didn't want to shoot a spike on the first weekend (I know, don't pass up on day 1 that you would shoot on the last day), so I told him to sneak over the ridge and look into the bowl. He quickly told me that the bowl was "Steep as HELL" and that "No Elk could make it up or down those walls". I asked him if he had even pulled up his binos and then urged him to do so. . . . . . . "Holy Shit . . . there's a Elk down there . . . it's a SPIKE". He was excited, and I wasn't surprised at all. He quickly looked at me for a game plan and I told him that I had no intention of shooting him. He didn't take long to ask if I minded . . . "Hell NO I don't mind, Kill Him!". He did just that. A great weekend, Ben killed his first Elk and it was his first animal with a Bow. We were feeling very confident and we both knew that I'd kill my first elk the next weekend (we saw two more bulls fighting as we were packing his bull out). Next weekend . . . I had 4 bulls trot by at 35 yards and they would NOT stop for a shot. Shortly after that, a lighting strike sent my entire unit up in flames for the rest of the season. I never got close to another elk.

I suppose I passed it on . . . but technically, you have to have the torch to pass it . . . I pretty much just watched it go by . . .