yeah! I got a posted question about the advisability of purchasing and use of a spotting scope , for use while hunting,
and if packing the weight and size along , is worth the potential inconvenience.
well from my experience locating the game is about 70% of the problem most guys having in filling a tag, so yeah, having a spotting scope and/ or binoculars ,
tends to be a very useful accessory. yes it can be a P.I.T.A. to put in your back pack but over time,
youll find you tend to be more consistently successful as you have the means and tools too locate the game far more consistently,
than those hunters ( the vast majority from what I see)who wander aimlessly hoping to bump into game.
yeah find a high point or ridge, with a commanding view of the surrounding areas,
where you can sit in the shade, put your back against some big tree trunk or rock out crop, and not be easily seen, get comfortable.
glass the area sweeping the closer areas first , work out and watch areas in your view carefully have a topo map and a pad to take notes.
an hour spent carefully glassing the area you want to hunt can save you many hours of walking over a great deal of country that holds little game!
having decent optics helps you concentrate your efforts in the areas you have recently seen game in, think about that!
having the optic mounted on a rifle stock with a bi-pod and sling makes its use far easier
but many will choose to use a compact tri-pod and back pack the optics and tri-pod rather than sling it.(a M60 MG sling )on the optic mounted rifle stock helps make transport easier
Over 5 decades there have been several factors that I have and many other people eventually do come to realize have a rather obvious effect on your success, rates.
if you were to compare the modern hunters gear and easy availability to the related tools of the trade to the early mountain men, the current advantages are remarkable.
the availability of knowledge from sources like the RMEF https://www.rmef.org/ and buying a few reference books, and videos, won,t hurt one bit!
and access to video instructive classes , and related hunting related equipment, that are currently available would astound hunters in the pre WWII era.
(1) hunting out of state on a regular consistent year to year basis is and continues to be an expensive hobby,
thats only getting more expensive, over the decades as fees and licence costs, travel related expenses have consistently increased over the years.
too get more out of the experience it helps to do your research on the area you intend to hunt,
and its going to be rather difficult to function in the higher altitudes for most people,
so take the time and effort to get into much better physical condition,
no mater what condition you think your in, the lack of oxygen at higher altitudes will effect you.
(2) the definition of insanity is doing things the same way year after year, getting the same results over and over again,
yet each time expecting to get a totally different result, simple things like keeping in reasonably consistent, month too month contact, all year long,
with the area biologist and game warden, increases your odds significantly. learn the guys name, send him or her a box of a dozen donuts or if its a girl
flowers along with a short request for your preferred hunt area tips.and related knowledge, will generally pay off in increasing your success on trips.
no one person knows everything, about hunting , your game or area, thus taking advantage of the knowledge,
and experience held by many skilled, other people gives you a huge advantage
(3) even a blind squirrel occasionally finds the occasional acorn.
(if your only seeing elk and mule deer occasionally your not taking full advantage of the knowledge available)
(4) your personal attitude, YOUR having dogged ,persistence (having masochistic tendency's)
and taking the effort year around, of your physical conditioning does mater.
(5) if your not consistently successful, year after year you might want to consider looking at your potential options,
and analyze how you might improve. wondering aimlessly is seldom productive ,
learn to use topo maps GPS, and read up on the game, what it eats where it beds etc.
(6) doing your research carefully you will have a significant advantage over joe average,
that simply drives out too the area , parks and starts randomly wondering the area.
(7) having several experienced and previously and consistently successful mentors, ups your odds of success substantially.
(8) you do have lots of current options that modern technology , has given us, that were not nearly as easily accessed in past years,
accurate topo maps,
satellite photos,
accurate and semi reasonably priced, hand held, GPS,
greatly improved optics,
more durable and accurate rifles and ammo,
far better quality thermally efficient and moisture resistant yet breathable clothing
access to local biologist and game department data banks
lazer range finders
infrared vision enhancement.
much improved camping, back packs, sleeping bags,tents and edged weapon quality.
(9) game processing and meat transport, and meat preservation knowledge and your access to it at a reasonable price is currently a huge leap upward, in tech from decades ago.
(10) most guys I have hunted with would initially have struggled a great deal to rapidly and consistently,
drop into a sitting, kneeling or standing position and rapidly place a shot into a 3" orange dot at 100 yards
learning that shooting from field positions, using a sling and a decent bi-pod and frequent practice can improve your chances,
of making an accurate shot by easily 200%-500% , familiarity with shooting accurately from field positions
does vastly improve your odds. shooting skeet improves your odds on hitting a rapidly moving close range deer or elk in the typical aspen/conifer.
(11) the combo of accurate topo maps and a GPS potentially allows you to find natural restrictions too game movement and be in areas that limit the games escape routes,
a smart hunter will use that info to locate, and be at those choke points thus using the tech advantage he has,
and consistently improving his odds of getting a good shot opportunity.
(12)
if your not seeing game where your camped within two days change hunting areas, you've got a limited time,
access to food, water, changes in weather, preferred, altitude and area hunt pressure will effect games location,
elk have zero problem moving miles every day, too find food water cover, or distance themselves from hunting pressure.
unlike whitetail deer they may not be back at your location for weeks, or more, you need to locate the elk in a vast area.
use optics and don,t limit your options be flexible.
(13) use of top quality optics, a good rifle sling and a swivel bi-pod thats tall enough to allow you to comfortably shoot from a sitting position helps a good deal.
I've used one like this for decades, it makes little sense to spend thousands of dollars and dedicate a great deal of effort getting in shape,
then stalking game if you cant rapidly and accurately make a precisely placed shot from a field position into the games vitals, from a reasonable range under most conditions
HB25CS 25C Model S -13.5-27" Swivel Bipod
(14) pick your hunting partners carefully
yes its always a P.I.T.A. if your dealing with some guy who subconsciously feels,hes been lied too!
and that if he spent one or two days wondering aimlessly around, in what he has been told too believe is "elk country"
and when not only him, but everyone else in camp has failed to even see an elk, hes ready to pack it in and go home.
once you've had experience in elk hunting you'll find that ELK can and do cover a lot of terrain, an over night snow that allows you to see,
obviously fresh tracks (even the new guys can now tell fresh from 3-5 day old) tends to help , but if your not seeing elk, change altitude and type of cover,
they will NOT tend to be wondering out in open meadows, and they do require feed, water, cover and vastly prefer low hunter pressure,
thus it generally will require learning to get into less easily reached areas and watching your air flow and odor , and learning to glass and use a topo map.
(15)
buy a few instructional tapes on elk calls, get a cow call and bull call, and learn how to use both,, practice and listen to the tapes, they may not always help you draw in a bull, but they may if properly used raise just enough doubt, in an elk as to what hes hearing move around, near him, to allow you to get just a bit closer for a shot before the elk decides the next drainage seems a healthier option.
(16)
you will need dependable transportation capable of dealing with dirt roads, deep mud, and occasionally deep snow and icy surfaces, something with 4 wheel drive and at least moderate ground clearance, is recommended,your guide may provide this but if your providing the transportation you'll need snow chains decent bumper jacks ,a shovel, a spare tire and detailed area trail maps and regulations
(17)
theres a true old 11th commandment
"thou shall never let those with less experience, skills, & persistence of will,
, limit what you can attempt and ultimately accomplish!"
"IT can,t be done", its the mantra of LOSERS
(18)
larger areas of private land in elk territory, tend to have far lower hunter pressure than adjacent public land, obviously knowing exact property boundary's (you need accurate current maps and GPS, )and if you can gaining legal access to private land has some big advantages , but can be expensive in some areas.
theres some good universal tips in this thread also
https://www.huntingnet.com/forum/whitetail-deer-hunting/418200-florida-whitetail-experience.html
http://www.rmef.org/TheHunt/During/Glassing.aspx
http://soleadventure.com/2013/07/optics-for-western-hunting-binoculars-and-spotting-scopes/
http://garage.grumpysperformance.com/index.php?threads/hunting-binoculars.14300/#post-78145
https://www.gohunt.com/read/optics-what-you-need-for-success-in-the-west
https://www.outdoorlife.com/blogs/live-hunt/2011/07/scouting-tips-how-find-elk-honey-hole-summer
http://www.huntaddicts.com/hunting-advice-tips-tactics/hunting-with-spotting-scopes/
