Why Your Elk Hunt WAS A FAILURE and HOW TO Make The Most of It

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Why Your Elk Hunt WAS A FAILURE and HOW TO Make The Most of It

Рет қаралды 15,659

Күн бұрын

I discuss the most common reasons for unsuccessful elk hunts. I also discuss how one can learn from hunts to become more proficient in the field for future elk hunting trips.
I believe that reflection and analysis of past hunts is one of the things that sets exceptional elk hunters apart.
00:00 - Intro
01:35 - Why Does It Matter?
04:29 - Hunt Post-Mortems
06:55 - 1. Elk Pinball
08:50 - E-Scouting Thoughts
14:30 - Understanding Elk Behavior
15:40 - 2. Logistical Failures
16:50 - 3. Conventional Wisdom
21:50 - 4. Your Ego and Expectations
24:35 - The Beginner's Mind
26:00 - My FAILED Hunt
#hunting #elkhunting #muledeerhunting #backpackhunting #adventure #selfreliance #pursuitwithcliff
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Пікірлер: 73

@vincentdimick7012 Жыл бұрын

I keep a dedicated hunting journal where I write about my mind set and conditions during failure and success over the course of a hunt. I learned this from a coach in high school and have applied it to hunting. Takes a little bit of time but that journal is worth its weight in gold.

@CliffGray Жыл бұрын

great approach!

@adamboone6864 Жыл бұрын

Been elk hunting for 15 years. Enjoyed every bit of it but no success until this year. I was tired of being unsuccessful so I hired a guide. I felt like a complete moron compared to my guide. I saw 17 elk on my own. My guide showed me 150 elk everyday. That’s not an exaggeration either. We actually sat back and watched all the hunters on the public land pushing elk they had no idea we’re even there. Finally two hunters sat down on a rock with their wind blowing straight to the elk which forced the elk right past us within range. Hire a good guide and learn from them. See what equipment they use. Learn their tactics. Trust me it’s way more expensive to go hunting for a decade and not harvest an elk than to hire a guide. FYI elk back straps are 3 feet long. Lol. 😂

@CliffGray Жыл бұрын

That’s awesome man! Congrats on the success.

@jackdundon2261 9 ай бұрын

Cliff, I am a die hard Leupold man (I live out in Oregon) HARD CORE HUNTER. But, I love my Image Stabilizing Canon binoculars, you don't use them???? They are significantly easier to use than even the top of line Audubon wide field bird binoculars. (Love the videos, and putting SOME of your knowledge to the test Next Week, in the Oregon Eagle caps (going in high, in the snow in horse back). -- see what new crap I learned.

@corymattson6350 Жыл бұрын

Couple a tips 1 hunt with two other guys a group of three. This makes driving to and from safe 2 hunt 10 days minimum and all three guys hunt till dark day ten you can do this with two full weeks off of work. In this group everybody stops and helps pack the elk out on your backs. First tag punched becomes camp steward cook running to town for ice whatever but you are a team stay focused. And guys with punched tags can keep scouting maybe calling for the other two guys One more go on a backpack scouting trip end of July fly out little Subaru rental put in four days dark to dark confirming or cancelling digital scouting homework done to that point sounds crazy but with One more we hunt “wilderness areas” yes but don’t go too far. From camp ATV to the boundary then hunt the zone two to four miles in. If you go further you will burn out quicker and probably run into outfitted guided hunters. My experience is only with bow in September so might not translate to all Good hunting guys and great content Cliff

@CliffGray Жыл бұрын

Great tips! particularly the July scouting trip. makes all the difference. Thanks Cory!

@noahbrainard9468 Жыл бұрын

Last year was my 5th straight unsuccessful hunt. It was also the first one where I left and said "this is my fault." I wasn't confident enough in my shooting, and wasn't in good enough physical condition. These two led to passing up a large bull elk. This video sounds like the car ride home from my first 4 hunts.

@normankaster917 Жыл бұрын

I've never ever had a problem getting on elk or mule deer or even white tail NEVER... The ONLY problem I've ever had was getting a damn tag. I'm a deep dive back country, camp on my back hunter but, I CAN'T get into my locations by my self, I NEED a (one) buddy to help with packing and to help pay for fuel and food. THANKS ALLOT Idaho for making it just about impossible for a really really really small group of non residents to come and hunt the same unit... The residents that complained about the non resident hunters taking all the game can pound sand. So I say to the complainers is to keep hunting from the pick up truck or side by side and never see what I've seen....I think we non residents should push for not being able to hunt from the vehicle and have the gun/ bow unloaded and cased with the ammo out of the mag. Or maybe put a range that you have to be away like 1/4 mile of any road, atv/ horse trail... JUST to make things more of a equal playing field for the hunters and the game they pursue. But mostly to stick it to the residents.

@Northwoods208 Жыл бұрын

What makes you think non residents should have any say in how a state manages game?

@user-eg8hb8xt3j 8 ай бұрын

I used to consider a failed hunt a failure . I’ve learned over the years that they are a lesson . If you break down every failed hunt and learn from them you will become a good elk hunter . they beat us more than we beat them but I’ve average three bulls a year for the past 5 years between myself , kids and friends . Keep a journal and figure out where you go wrong and success will come . This is great stuff !

@CliffGray 8 ай бұрын

great thoughts and tips. thanks for sharing

@christopherdavis2793 Жыл бұрын

Great information. I appreciate your thinking about being overly focused on gear. It's hard to know if you're getting good info online because so many content creators are motivated by the kickbacks they get by selling gear and won't tell you the hard truth because it doesn't pay...

@CliffGray Жыл бұрын

yeah, it's a problem

@Bluffbruisers 2 ай бұрын

Excellent video Some of the best info I’ve heard on elk hunting I hunt Oregon Rosevelt elk and some of the thick rainforest here has its own unique challenges but this was super informative I agree with you 100% with everything I’ve experienced

@benjaminhamm3957 Жыл бұрын

It's like you were in our camp and heard our excuses! Thanks for these videos, really. It was our first time in this unit and all the things you cover happed but we learned a lot about the area. My partner and I are going to keep after it.

@CliffGray Жыл бұрын

Good luck on your next trip man! 👍

@IntenseAngler Жыл бұрын

Excellent video and discussion here Cliff! Really liked how you included one of your own trips and lessons at the end as well. Thanks as always for sharing your experience and expertise man!

@CliffGray Жыл бұрын

Thanks man 👍👊

@IntenseAngler Жыл бұрын

@@CliffGray 👍

@jtmcculloch23 Жыл бұрын

I missed my shot. All the right moves until the one that counted. No excuse. Next year. Thanks for the content and the tips during the season, brotha

@CliffGray Жыл бұрын

Next year man! 👍👊

@davidlaguardia8721 Жыл бұрын

Great stuff Cliff ! I really appreciate you sharing your knowledge. On a recent early season hunt we found lots of old sign but no elk. I processed this information as while the elk were not there at the time, they used the area extensively at some point so the puzzle is to find out why and when they are there. Thanks to your advice, I have dedicated myself to studying this particular area intently to find out where this herd of elks A,B,C,D,E,F...spots are. I'm looking forward to springtime scouting and gaining more knowledge of these wily beasts.

@CliffGray Жыл бұрын

awesome David! good luck. You'll get them figured out

@jaygilley2223 9 ай бұрын

It all boils down to “elk hunting” vs “elk camping”. Prepare for success and not for participation.

@arimaoutdoors8255 Жыл бұрын

Top quality content. Awesome seeing your channel grow from a few hundred to 30k+

@CliffGray Жыл бұрын

Thank you!

@user-ue4di9ih2d 9 ай бұрын

Hey Cliff, this is the first comment I've ever left to any video, and probably my last. Just wanted to thank you for your straight forward and extremely informative videos. Only been Elk hunting a few seasons now, and almost got my first bull a few weeks ago. Wasn't 100 percent sure i could see brow tines, so didnt take the shot. Spent 20+ years in Colorado, including the Flat Tops, chasing trout. Wish I'd been honing my Elk hunting skills as well, lol. Anyway, thanks again for everything you do bud! You motivate the shit out of me!

@CliffGray 9 ай бұрын

Thanks for taking the time to make the comment. I love messages like this. Always great to hear when the videos are helpful. Good luck on your next hunt! Sounds like it’s just a matter of time now 👍

@darrindedman2053 Жыл бұрын

Been moping around a bit. Cause I failed at my first elk hunt. I spent so much time and energy on the prep. I didn’t pay attention to my rifle turrets. Screwed up my shot. I was all thumbs. But, it was my fault and I learned a ton. Thanks to you for helping me get that far though. At least I made a genuine legitimate shot.

@CliffGray Жыл бұрын

Awesome to hear you got an opportunity! Little stuff like that happens, next time it won't! good luck planning for next year's hunt.

@MiddleOutdoorsman Жыл бұрын

Keep things simple and streamlined. Outside of trying to range it, don't trust yourself with fidgety things. Odds are you won't do it in the heat of the moment. Don't ask me how I know. 🙄

@CliffGray Жыл бұрын

@@MiddleOutdoorsman agreed

@vincentphelps6325 Жыл бұрын

I greatly appreciate your insights. I'm into my 50's now and struggling to connect with hunting. As a landowner my deer hunts were almost always interrupted by trespassers, people violating my property/behaving badly (tree damage, rutting up fields, trash dumping, cutting maple lines, harassment of other hunters). The property stewardship of tree thinning, invasive weed control and trash cleaning often dominated my mental time that was to be spent hunting.

@jpkoepse Жыл бұрын

You've been pumping out some great content man!!!!

@CliffGray Жыл бұрын

thanks man! more to come.

@robertlimon7178 Жыл бұрын

Thank you my son really getting into hunting sometimes I get to go with him lol we watch your videos they are very helpful

@CliffGray Жыл бұрын

awesome Robert! good to hear they are useful for you and your son.

@tomlarge8841 10 ай бұрын

Hey cliff keep the content flowing. You're helping us newbie elk hunters more than you even know

@dc2090 Жыл бұрын

On so many of my hunts I pass on a say a 280" elk because the area is known for bigger elk etc... and I'm looking for a 320", and I end up skunked. I'm not usually looking for the biggest elk in a unit say, but would like something in the middle of the pack. Opposed to what you say about many unsuccessful hunters blaming everything but themselves... I typically take the full brunt of that, perhaps even too much so, which hurts, but, live and learn I suppose.

@raeannglessner494 Жыл бұрын

thanks so much for the info ive been gathering a couple of points to hunt the flat tops ao your info really appeals to me thanks agian

@CliffGray Жыл бұрын

Glad to help! 👍

@MiddleOutdoorsman Жыл бұрын

Yeah I’m guilty of a few of those. Anyway I’ve always thought that no experience is wasted so long as you learn something from it. Not just hunting, but life in general. As elk go, ive found they are seemingly smarter then one would think. Example, your glassing from a road that goes north to south. But if you unass your truck, and walk a mile or whatever along that east to west ridge, you’ll find elk about 500 yards below the road where cant see them from the road. As terrain goes, I learned this last archery season that sitting 20 yards south from where i was, makes the difference between having elk creep up behind you, and actually getting a shot at them. There’s always something new to learn and it takes time. I think i hunted elk for 7 years during rifle season before the light bulb started coming on. I think its only been dimly lit for the last 4. Yep, i just called myself a dim wit, and im good with that.

@CliffGray Жыл бұрын

haha! I'm with you man! Smart, adaptable, whatever you want to call it... they are survivors so the little things matter.

@steveb1776 Жыл бұрын

Thank-You!

@nickb8618 Жыл бұрын

Over the last few days I have officially annoyed the 💩 out of my gf by watching so many videos 😂

@CliffGray Жыл бұрын

bwhahah!

@Thezachofalltrades1 11 ай бұрын

Relatable! 😂

@jackdundon2261 9 ай бұрын

Lol, my ELK season starts NEXT WEEK. -- watching A LOT of videos, and kinda already at camp, even while I am at work.

@BIGBLUETIGER96 Жыл бұрын

I found old and fresh green sign, fresh game trails. IMPRINTS of where they bedded down. Yet I just wasn’t there when they were. I even tried to wait and hit ‘em like a thug (in the original term)would. Never saw one walk up or around me. I was quiet and slow enough for the birds and squirrels to come hang out too.

@CliffGray Жыл бұрын

There’s always an element of luck, too! Particularly with elk… they can move a lot during hunting season. Good luck on your next hunt 👍

@jefffeist8165 Жыл бұрын

Good stuff! Thx for sharing

@CliffGray Жыл бұрын

You bet! Thanks for watching 👍

@billjames3148 Жыл бұрын

If I get to a good spot after a days climb, Is it worth bedding down right there and silent camp. Crawl into the bag and sleep. No fire or noise.

@CliffGray Жыл бұрын

yes. if the weather allows you to do that, it does work well.

@JonStpeter 11 ай бұрын

Cliff, Thanks so much, I really find your videos super helpful. I feel like you're helping me become a better hunter. My question is about an area that doesn't have many vantage points. There are very few locations to climb or drive to and glass. Thick timber everywhere and it's a lot of benches, a lot of fringe and meadows. Lots of elk, but really hard to find them. How do I connect regularly when I can't see them. Thanks.

@rodmanleas4176 Жыл бұрын

What's that Rob Allen in the corner?!!

@CliffGray Жыл бұрын

good eye! rob allen 90

@NAubc Жыл бұрын

I never thought I’d learn so much from a chocolate dipped macadamia nut.

@CliffGray Жыл бұрын

bwhaha

@greasemonkey4god Жыл бұрын

Hunt was great. No success either. My excuse is that I’m still learning myself and I still haven’t found “my area”. Like the only elk I see is in a 3% success draw area.

@courtbolton2360 Жыл бұрын

High predator concentration, we had wolves running them into dark timber, lots of cats and bear

@corylu69 11 ай бұрын

😊

@craigcaswell4329 Жыл бұрын

Hot weather, lack of water for my hunt

@chanelone6463 Жыл бұрын

Just an excuse! You found the problem so Simple. Uhhh move to where there is water. If you cant. Dont hunt where there is no water! Duh!

@Gokiburi777 Жыл бұрын

Elk are tough to hunt. In Utah hunter success is 10%. It’s not a simple formula for success.

@CliffGray Жыл бұрын

Agreed!

@anthonymedeck7081 Жыл бұрын

Hardest part of Elk hunting is getting drawn for the tag.

@vincethewoodlander Жыл бұрын

I've failed before because I was lazy and another because I pussy-footed around and only looked at elk. I only let each ruin 1 opportunity and didn't do either again. when I find them I try to get the wind good and kill them. If I screw it up I believe I can find more. If I don't try I'll never get the one I'm looking at.

@CliffGray Жыл бұрын

love it! all very true. I love this quote "if I screw it up, I believe I can find more". I think that mindset is key when elk hunting

@vincethewoodlander Жыл бұрын

@@CliffGray Thanks, I believe it came with age and being comfortable with shit outta my control and controlling the things I can...my mind and attitude mostly.