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The Complete Elk Hunter

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The Complete Elk Hunter

Postby Swede » 06 23, 2017 •  [Post 1]

What makes or would it take to make the complete elk hunter (CEH)? How close are you to being a CEH and what are you lacking now that you would like to remedy in the future?


Personally I don't think there is such a person as the CEH, as life is too short and we tend to gravitate to the things we like and are successful at. We hunt only selective areas and times which also limits us, and few hunt long for everything from "any elk" to trophy bulls only. I have hunted on the ground calling, spot and stalk, and tree stand. I have hunted rifle and archery, but am far from the complete hunter.
I have gravitated to tree stands in central Oregon for several reasons. This has narrowed my focus even though I play around with calling a little.
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Re: The Complete Elk Hunter

Postby olympushunt » 06 23, 2017 •  [Post 2]

I think as close as a person can come to being "the complete elk hunter" is a person who has had multiple successes with multiple methods. I don't necessarily mean that success is defined by a big bull but I do believe the big ones are more savvy and tougher to kill. If a person calls in a 3pt I don't think he is an expert in calling in elk. I think one tree stand kill doesn't lend to knowing all the pitfalls of treestanding either. Like the time Swede, you told me shrink tubing on our rests didn't seem to matter. Well....it did that one time! Also I do believe the completererer elk hunter knows he doesn't know everything to being a complete elk hunter. They are always striving to improve, experiment with new tactics and try new methods.
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Re: The Complete Elk Hunter

Postby Tigger » 06 23, 2017 •  [Post 3]

Continued success. If you are continually harvesting the elk you want to harvest, you are pretty complete. Not every other year, but every year. That could include people who use multiple methods or someone who uses only 1 method, but is so darn good at it that they make it work every year.

Some of the good ones I would say may warrant that tag:

Randy Newberg
Corey Jacobsen
Paul Medel (Elk Nut) and son
Saddlesore
Chuck Adams

I am sure there are others on this forum but I just don't know their success rates. I do know this. I feel I am quite a ways away from a CEH. I am, however, a CCH. Even ask my kids, they will tell you I am a Chocolate Chuckle Head.
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Re: The Complete Elk Hunter

Postby Lefty » 06 23, 2017 •  [Post 4]

I'm not sure of the level of "completeness " or, competency.
Extensive expierince is certainly needed, the ability to adjust methods in a wide range of habitats. Maybe some areas that person coykdvbe week. Maybe tracking, map skills, computer skills.
Using a practicle definition there are plenty.
But a whole definition, complete. I would think taking elk in the east or far north may have maNY simularities, but not the same.
May b e the ability to take elk in many situations is more the answer.
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Re: The Complete Elk Hunter

Postby Old school » 06 23, 2017 •  [Post 5]

The only phrase I used last year in the elk mountains that contained the word "complete" was this:

"I'm a complete idiot" - and yes, I used it on multiple occasions.

--Mitch
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Re: The Complete Elk Hunter

Postby Swede » 06 23, 2017 •  [Post 6]

olympushunt wrote: Like the time Swede, you told me shrink tubing on our rests didn't seem to matter. Well....it did that one time


I forgot to mention that mistake on the mistake thread. I know there are a bunch I have left off. After all who wants to join Mitch in the "complete idiot" class? Maybe he and I can put on a seminar. :lol:
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Re: The Complete Elk Hunter

Postby Roosiebull » 06 24, 2017 •  [Post 7]

I agree, if there are any CEH's out there, they are rare, I know one who may qualify. he isn't good at killing giant bulls, he's good at killing giant Roosevelt bulls, and that is outside of my comprehension.

i'm plenty content killing an elk every year, most years it's a young bull, rarely it's a mature bull or cow. to make up for being complete, I hunt the dumb ones ;)

another obvious lack of being a CEH, is I hunt only roosevelts, never have hunted a rocky, probably will at some point, just to do it, but I understand there will be a learning curve with new terrain and tactics.

I will never be a CEH, at the rate I learn every season after 17 seasons, I will surely be ashes by the time I learn a tenth of what there is to know, and that is only hunting one small region.
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Re: The Complete Elk Hunter

Postby olympushunt » 06 24, 2017 •  [Post 8]

Interesting replies. I agree with Rosiebull. It is far to challenging to become "The complete Elk hunter" in all facets unless that is what you do for a living. We can become experts in our own niche and that is what is nice about this forum. We can get expert info on certain areas and certain tactics from the masses. A guy could come up with different definitions for the CEH or "Expert" or "Successful" elk hunters. Although they may be related I do not think the CEH or Expert necessarily equal killing an elk each season. Elknut might not kill an elk each year but some years I would imagine it is by choice. If Rosiebull or his buddy pass on a small bull does that mean they are not a CEH, Expert or even Successful? Hardly....at least in my opinion. We can even break down the CEH into areas or facets. I bet Rosiebull is a CEH in his element. He is able to adjust tactics based on weather systems, rut timing, elk habits to score. I think Swede is a CEH in tree stand hunting as there are getting to be fewer and fewer scenarios as the years go by the he has not encountered.
I will throw my name in the CI (compete idiot) category. At least I am on the right path though as everyone of the experts will tell you they got there by making some horrendously idiotic mistakes along the way.
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Re: The Complete Elk Hunter

Postby saddlesore » 06 24, 2017 •  [Post 9]

I'm just an elk hunter. In 2016 I hunted a muzzle loader season and a center fire rifle season. Both were 9 day seasons.

I killed a cow in ML season. It wasn't any big deal. I rode out to where I normally hunt,tied up and did a sneak thru the timber/weeds and shot a cow. During that short time, I saw three bulls. Two were very nice and I could have shot any one of them. It took me longer to find the cow where she fell than it did to ride to the area and sneak to where they were.

In rifle season,I hunted the full nine days and didn't see a hair. I knew where they were, but I wasn't about to kill one in that terrain.

I had just as much fun in one season vs the other.I guess now days,I get as much kick out of going than the actual pulling of the trigger. After that it is only work anyway.I think the older a person gets, the more they enjoy the hunt itself. You can be a complete elk hunter and not pull the trigger or go out and kill a big bull I guess ,as long as you are fulfilled doing it.
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Re: The Complete Elk Hunter

Postby Elkhunttoo » 06 24, 2017 •  [Post 10]

Obviously no one will ever be perfect. But, I like to think I'm a "complete elk hunter". My number 1 qualification is that I make mistakes. Number 2 is that every year I try and get better. The most complete elk hunters I know are my dad and his brothers. Two of my uncles have both killed several (I think they are both in the mid twenties on bull elk taken with bows) mature bulls. And even though they have both taken several mature bulls and passed on countless others they spend each year trying to get better. To me they are complete elk hunters. Swede would be happy to know that they do most of there hunting from tree stand because year after year they have found tree stand hunting to be the most consistent method in there area. I've been hunting elk for over 20 years now ( :ugeek: I feel old saying that) and have taken my fair share, but, I still try hard to improve every year and I figure that makes me as complete an elk hunter as I can be.
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Re: The Complete Elk Hunter

Postby ElkNut1 » 06 25, 2017 •  [Post 11]

I think when swede is referring to a Complete Hunter he is talking about someone who is successfully getting into & taking elk in Stands or Ambushing, Spot & Stalk & Calling them in. I don't think he's referring to size as much as quantity. I'd also guess he's referring to taking bulls in these various ways. Sure a hunter would have a chance at cows too but bulls are generally the icing on the cake! (grin) A complete hunter could adjust & adapt on the fly to what will offer him the best odds during his hunt & area hunted that day or week. So many hunters are one dimensional these days that golden opportunities are passed without the hunter even knowing it! Yes, one dimensional hunters can take elk but that does not make them a Complete hunter when considering other facets of the game!

swede, please correct me if I'm wrong!

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Re: The Complete Elk Hunter

Postby saddlesore » 06 25, 2017 •  [Post 12]

Taking a cow out of herd of twenty or so with 40 eyes watching and trying to smell you can be a lot harder than killing a love sick bull. I have killed a lot of real stupid bulls.
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Re: The Complete Elk Hunter

Postby Swede » 06 25, 2017 •  [Post 13]

Paul, you have the right idea in what I was after.
This was not in my original thought but, a lot of elk hunters want to be like Elknut. Elknut knows what to do in every situation. He is like Davy Crockett or McGiver when it comes to elk hunting.
The problem I see is, if I want to be Elknut, I am focusing too much on the person not the true objective. I see Saddlesore and Indian Summer and others here as close enough to the CEH as anyone needs to get. Each does it their own way matching their capabilities to their area and objectives.
It does not matter just how you choose to hunt, but can you adapt? Even if we hunt the same way going to different areas we need to adapt. The CEH can do that.
Being comfortable in a tree stand hunter is not critical to being complete. There are other ways to hunt. Can we adapt. I have been slack in that area the last few years. I have been reluctant to move to another area, mostly for social reasons. I did not want to leave my friends and family out. This year I am going with RJ. This is a new area and totally new environment. Can I adapt. Will I be the complete tree stand hunter, or are there things I still need to learn? I will find that answer. Thankfully I have a head start with RJ. Really killing a bull does not conclusively prove the point, but not getting one does for me does.
If you call, can you use your calls effectively in a variety of situations? Can you adapt? The CEH can.
I teach Bible a lot at Church. It is always amazing how much we all miss, but every time we go to look at a passage of scripture, I am surprised how much people have missed in understanding what was happening. We are all guilty, but some more than others. Some never seen to get it. Elk hunting is the same. You can take two people out and ones sees vastly more that the other. The one that sees is capable of being a CEH, or already is.
Lastly: if you come home skunked, can you hang up your bow or gun and feel satisfied it was not just lack of skill on your part? If you can you are probably a CEH.
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