{"id":1675,"date":"2021-07-20T20:24:16","date_gmt":"2021-07-20T20:24:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tractoptics.com\/blog\/?p=1675&#038;fishpig=1626810964&#038;preview=true"},"modified":"2026-05-21T11:36:54","modified_gmt":"2026-05-21T11:36:54","slug":"elk-hunting-tips-for-beginners","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/elk-hunting-tips-for-beginners\/","title":{"rendered":"Elk Hunting Tips for Beginners"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_83 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\"><div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\"><p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p><span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 eztoc-toggle-hide-by-default' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/elk-hunting-tips-for-beginners\/#Elk_Hunting_Tips_for_Beginners\" >Elk Hunting Tips for Beginners<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-6' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-6'><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-6' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-6'><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-6' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-6'><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-6' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-6'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/elk-hunting-tips-for-beginners\/#This_is_a_guest_post_by_Hampton_Bourne\" >*This is a guest post by Hampton Bourne.<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/elk-hunting-tips-for-beginners\/#Hunt_Types_Elk_Hunting\" >Hunt Types Elk Hunting<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/elk-hunting-tips-for-beginners\/#DIY_Elk_Hunting\" >DIY Elk Hunting<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/elk-hunting-tips-for-beginners\/#Guided_Hunts\" >Guided Hunts<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/elk-hunting-tips-for-beginners\/#Drop_Camps\" >Drop Camps<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/elk-hunting-tips-for-beginners\/#Drawing_a_Tag\" >Drawing a Tag<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/elk-hunting-tips-for-beginners\/#How_to_Find_Elk\" >How to Find Elk<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/elk-hunting-tips-for-beginners\/#Early_Season\" >Early Season<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/elk-hunting-tips-for-beginners\/#The_Rut\" >The Rut<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-11\" href=\"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/elk-hunting-tips-for-beginners\/#Post_Rut\" >Post Rut<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-12\" href=\"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/elk-hunting-tips-for-beginners\/#When_Snow_Accumulates\" >When Snow Accumulates<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div><h2 style=\"text-align: justify\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Elk_Hunting_Tips_for_Beginners\"><\/span><b>Elk Hunting Tips for Beginners<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2><h6 style=\"text-align: justify\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"This_is_a_guest_post_by_Hampton_Bourne\"><\/span><em>*This is a guest post by Hampton Bourne.<\/em><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h6><p style=\"text-align: justify\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/blog.tractoptics.com\/our-top-tips-for-glassing-terrain\/\" title=\"Our Top Tips for Glassing Terrain\" data-wpil-monitor-id=\"1133\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Elk hunting tips for beginners<\/a> can help increase the odds for those new hunters pursuing wapiti.<\/strong><\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"><a href=\"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/best-binoculars-for-hunting-out-west\/\">Elk Hunting<\/a> Tips for BeginnersMy father raised me in the oak hardwoods of America\u2019s southeast. As early as I can remember we spent countless days and nights chasing anything that would run, fly, or swim. Dad never killed or really <a title=\"Elk Hunting Techniques for Open Range Hunts\" href=\"https:\/\/tractoptics.com\/blog\/elk-hunting-techniques-for-open-range-hunts\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">hunted elk<\/a>. So learning on my own has taught me how tough it can be to start <a title=\"Avoiding Ticks While Hunting\" href=\"https:\/\/tractoptics.com\/blog\/avoiding-ticks-while-hunting\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">hunting<\/a> without a teacher.<\/span><\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">This fall will be my fourth attempt to land a bull in the Rocky Mountains. My first <a title=\"The Growing Popularity of the 6.5 Creedmoor Rifle Round\" href=\"https:\/\/tractoptics.com\/blog\/the-growing-popularity-of-the-6-5-creedmoor-rifle-round\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">hunt<\/a> was an over-the-counter second-rifle hunt in Colorado\u2019s vast public land. We never saw an elk, and in hindsight, we never gave ourselves a chance. After that season the failure created a determination. At one point I decided to become the most knowledgeable elk <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/tag\/hunter\/\">hunter<\/a> in the country that had never seen an elk \u2013 an oddly unwell and reprehensible claim, not from arrogance but because most knowledgeable elk hunters had actually seen an elk!\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The following two seasons the countless hours of research and homework paid off. Though I was still unable to fill my tag, on both <a title=\"All About Hog Hunting\" href=\"https:\/\/tractoptics.com\/blog\/all-about-hog-hunting\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">hunts<\/a> I had bulls in the crosshairs, though both without a clear shot. Each year has been an improvement on the previous. Hopefully this year will be yet another step closer. Below are my anecdotes and elk <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.tractoptics.com\/reloading-rifle-ammo-for-beginners\/\" title=\"Reloading Rifle Ammo for Beginners\" data-wpil-monitor-id=\"1828\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">hunting tips for beginners<\/a> chasing the same dream.<\/span><\/p><h2 style=\"text-align: justify\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Hunt_Types_Elk_Hunting\"><\/span><b>Hunt Types Elk Hunting<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2><p style=\"text-align: justify\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">We are fortunate in the <a title=\"Where to Kill Boone &#038; Crockett Animals in the United States\" href=\"https:\/\/tractoptics.com\/blog\/where-to-kill-boone-crockett-animals-in-the-united-states\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">United States<\/a> to have lots of access. Few other countries in the world allow hunters the same availability of <a title=\"House Bill Would Sell Off Public Land\" href=\"https:\/\/tractoptics.com\/blog\/house-bill-would-sell-off-public-land\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">public land<\/a>. With that access comes several different types of <a title=\"Why Turkey Hunting with Binoculars Works for Me\" href=\"https:\/\/tractoptics.com\/blog\/why-turkey-hunting-with-binoculars-works-for-me\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">hunts<\/a>.<\/span><\/p><h3 style=\"text-align: justify\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"DIY_Elk_Hunting\"><\/span>DIY Elk Hunting<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3><p style=\"text-align: justify\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Do-It-Yourself <a title=\"Planning a Caribou Hunt\" href=\"https:\/\/tractoptics.com\/blog\/planning-a-caribou-hunt\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">hunts<\/a> are the most common. All a hunter needs is a tag and a corresponding weapon to venture in the mountains and have an experience. While the most accessible and least expensive, new hunters without knowledge stand little chance of filling that tag. To raise their odds, hunters should distance themselves from roads and must have knowledge of navigating the backcountry.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Additionally, DIY hunters improve their odds significantly by arming themselves with the proper <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/18-turkey-hunting-gear-essentials\/\">gear<\/a> \u2013 another potentially large financial investment. Because of the aforementioned reasons, DIY hunters are also statistically the least successful by a large margin. I would estimate that a proper tent, sleeping bag, water purification system, backpack, game bags, and everything else needed to venture on a true DIY backcountry <a title=\"18 Turkey Hunting Gear Essentials\" href=\"https:\/\/tractoptics.com\/blog\/18-turkey-hunting-gear-essentials\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">hunt would cost around $5,000 for gear<\/a>. While that number can vary wildly, the cost of a legitimate backcountry setup can be substantial.<\/span><\/p><h3 style=\"text-align: justify\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Guided_Hunts\"><\/span>Guided Hunts<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3><p style=\"text-align: justify\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Guided hunts offer an opposite approach. While guided hunts are more expensive, the knowledge and experience provided by a guide drastically increases your chances of success. The guide will also provide proper equipment and creature comforts that make life in the mountains much more enjoyable. For hunters wanting to check off the experience of <a title=\"Planning a Self Guided Elk Hunt\" href=\"https:\/\/tractoptics.com\/blog\/planning-a-self-guided-elk-hunt\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">hunting elk<\/a> rather than making it an annual pursuit, the financial cost of <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/finding-a-hunting-lease\/\">hunting<\/a> once with a guide is usually less than buying their own equipment. Expect to pay $5,000 for a guided hunt on public land and $6,000+ for private land hunts.<\/span><\/p><figure id=\"attachment_1678\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1678\" style=\"width: 545px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1678\" title=\"Elk Hunting\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.tractoptics.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/Canvas-walled-tents.jpeg\" alt=\"Elk Hunting\" width=\"545\" height=\"545\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2021\/07\/Canvas-walled-tents.jpeg 800w, https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2021\/07\/Canvas-walled-tents-300x300.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2021\/07\/Canvas-walled-tents-150x150.jpeg 150w, https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2021\/07\/Canvas-walled-tents-768x768.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2021\/07\/Canvas-walled-tents-96x96.jpeg 96w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 545px) 100vw, 545px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-1678\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Elk Hunting<\/figcaption><\/figure><h3 style=\"text-align: justify\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Drop_Camps\"><\/span>Drop Camps<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3><p style=\"text-align: justify\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Drop camp <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.tractoptics.com\/the-phases-of-a-deer-hunter\/\" title=\"The Phases of a Deer Hunter\" data-wpil-monitor-id=\"1201\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">hunts<\/a> offer a hybrid approach and are good middle ground for new hunters. Outfitters set up campsites, usually with canvas wall-tents, in good elk habitat. In many cases they will offer advice on where to <a title=\"best all around hunting caliber\" href=\"https:\/\/tractoptics.com\/blog\/tag\/best-all-around-hunting-caliber\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">hunt in the area around<\/a> the camp.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Typically, the camps are set up in off-the-grid areas that are harder for walk-in hunters to access\u2013 an important component to finding elk. Horses are often used to pack hunters in and out, and once at the campsite, the outfitter will leave the hunter(s) until a predetermined date. If you\u2019re interested in a drop camp hunt, be sure to sign up early. These hunts fill up quickly once tags are allotted. Drop camp hunts vary from $2,500-$4,000.<\/span><\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">For those with their own camping gear and a location picked out, pack horses are a great way to get in and out of the woods. In most cases a hired pack train will be able to get you deep into the backcountry with all your gear and back to your vehicle with any harvested game. No gear is provided by the outfitter, but their ability to get hunters in deep and their ability to also pack out harvested game is critical. I think using a pack train is a great cost-effective way for new elk hunters wanting to give themselves a real chance. While outfitters vary in the cost of pack horses, they will usually pack you in and out for around $2,000 &#8211; $3,000.<\/span><\/p><h3 style=\"text-align: justify\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Drawing_a_Tag\"><\/span><b>Drawing a Tag<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3><p style=\"text-align: justify\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Once you determine the type of hunt that best fits your goals, acquiring a tag is the next step. Each state uses a different system for allocating tags. But in its most simple form, they use preference points, bonus points, or over-the-counter processes.<\/span><\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">A preference point system is a process of allocating tags to people with the most preference points. If one hunter has one preference point and wants to hunt in a certain area, that hunter will have \u201cpreference\u201d to the tag over hunters with zero points. If a hunter has ten preference points, they will be given a tag before all hunters with nine or fewer points and so on.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Every year in their annual hunt guides, each state publishes how many points were needed to draw certain areas in the previous years. Hunters can only acquire one point per year through either an unsuccessful draw, or by buying one once the draw has concluded. A hunter that has amassed ten tags has been unsuccessful ten years in the draw or has bought a point for ten years.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Bonus points are similar but still very different. A bonus point system operates like a raffle. The person with five bonus points will have five tickets in the raffle. A hunter with no previously accrued bonus points will only have one ticket in the raffle.<\/span><\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Over-the-counter (OTC) tags are sold on demand. Hunters without any points or without a successful draw can still hunt in OTC units by simply buying a tag. These units generally see the most hunting pressure because the number of tags sold is often uncapped and easy to acquire. For OTC hunts, I would strongly suggest a drop camp or a pack-in to help get away from the crowds.<\/span><\/p><h3 style=\"text-align: justify\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_to_Find_Elk\"><\/span><b>How to Find Elk<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3><p style=\"text-align: justify\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">While drawing a tag is difficult on its own, finding elk can be extremely challenging for new hunters. <a title=\"Elk Roam West Virginia for First Time in 141 Years\" href=\"https:\/\/tractoptics.com\/blog\/elk-roam-west-virginia-for-first-time-in-141-years\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Elk behave differently in different times of the year<\/a>, but their needs always revolve around four key items: food, water, shelter, and reproduction.<\/span><\/p><h3 style=\"text-align: justify\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Early_Season\"><\/span>Early Season<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3><p style=\"text-align: justify\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">In the early season before the rut, mature bulls separate into bachelor groups and begin shedding their velvet and stockpiling calories to prepare for the ensuing rut. Their primary needs are food, water, and shelter. Find all three, and you\u2019ll get closer to finding a bull.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Cows typically congregate in large herds and also begin adding nutrients in advance of a hopeful pregnancy. In most cases both will be found towards the tops of the mountains that have rich grasses available, water and the shelter of rough terrain or dark timber nearby.<\/span><\/p><h3 style=\"text-align: justify\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_Rut\"><\/span>The Rut<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3><p style=\"text-align: justify\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The rut begins in mid to late September, and the needs shift. Bulls reduce the amount of time they spend grazing and spend more time tracking cows and defending their herd. Once a group of cows is found, a bull will begin forming his herd, which he will continuously breed as each cow comes into cycle. The cows will continue to graze regularly. Their desire for shelter is lessened, and bulls spend much of their days breeding cows and fighting with other bulls who try to move in on their herd.<\/span><\/p><figure id=\"attachment_403\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-403\" style=\"width: 720px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-403\" title=\"Elk Hunting\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.tractoptics.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/image74.png\" alt=\"Elk Hunting\" width=\"720\" height=\"348\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2019\/06\/image74.png 840w, https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2019\/06\/image74-300x145.png 300w, https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2019\/06\/image74-768x371.png 768w, https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2019\/06\/image74-600x290.png 600w, https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2019\/06\/image74-150x73.png 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-403\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Elk Hunting<\/figcaption><\/figure><h3 style=\"text-align: justify\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Post_Rut\"><\/span>Post Rut<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3><p style=\"text-align: justify\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Bulls are severely exhausted and malnourished after the rut. Their primary needs become rebuilding their strength through grazing and shelter to protect themselves during their weakened state. Often a bull will find a high, rough area that is close to food and water and stay in a very small radius until they have regained their strength.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Eventually, annual snowfalls will push elk to lower elevations. While some elk are permanent residents to a certain geographical area, many elk migrate miles to their <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/how-to-keep-your-feet-warm-in-winter\/\">winter<\/a> habitat. Their needs for food, water, and shelter remain, but the snow makes it substantially more difficult to find food and evade predators \u2013 mostly humans and wolves.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><h3 style=\"text-align: justify\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"When_Snow_Accumulates\"><\/span>When Snow Accumulates<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3><p style=\"text-align: justify\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The amount of snow that forces <a title=\"elk\" href=\"https:\/\/www.outdoorlife.com\/articles\/hunting\/2014\/08\/11-mistakes-elk-hunters-make-and-how-avoid-them\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">elk<\/a> to lower elevations ranges drastically. In some areas a light snow can force elk lower. In other parts of the country a heavy dump is required to move elk. If heavily pressured, elk will move higher until it\u2019s impossible to find food due to the snowpack.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">I have heard from veteran hunters that three feet of snow is a barrier for elk to find food. While they may descend the mountain from less snowfall, hunting pressure can push them back higher. I use three feet as my line in the sand. Learn their needs and match their needs with the terrain, and you\u2019ll significantly increase the likelihood that you find elk.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">It\u2019s important to remember that this is simply an overview from my personal experience. New DIY hunters harvest elk every year without following these lessons I have learned the hard way. As new hunters, it\u2019s to our advantage to do everything we can to stack the odds in our favor. Furthermore, there are numerous companies that offer assistance for new and veteran hunters alike. Several companies offer consulting to help hunters draw a tag. Others, like Elk 101, offer online courses to help teach you more about the topics I have touched on.<\/span><\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">One thing that my previous failures have done is remove the pressure I feel. I wanted so badly to be successful and overcome the odds. I have now learned to appreciate the hunt for the hunt. One of these years I\u2019ll finish the race and come home with a trophy.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Regardless of your goals or experience, there are so many <a href=\"https:\/\/tractoptics.com\/blog\/elk-hunting-where-to-how-to-why-to\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">reasons to go elk hunting<\/a>. I would strongly encourage you to make a trip into the mountains. Whether or not your statistical odds of harvesting an elk are low, the odds of experiencing something unforgettable are infinite. Best of luck to you and your pursuits and I hope these elk hunting <a title=\"At-Home Gun Cleaning Tips\" href=\"https:\/\/tractoptics.com\/blog\/at-home-gun-cleaning-tips\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">tips for beginners will get you closer to bringing home<\/a> the meat.<\/span><\/p><figure id=\"attachment_1344\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1344\" style=\"width: 728px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/tractoptics.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1344 size-full\" title=\"Elk Hunting\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.tractoptics.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/TRACT_BRAND_728X90.jpg\" alt=\"Elk Hunting\" width=\"728\" height=\"90\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2020\/12\/TRACT_BRAND_728X90.jpg 728w, https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2020\/12\/TRACT_BRAND_728X90-300x37.jpg 300w, https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2020\/12\/TRACT_BRAND_728X90-600x74.jpg 600w, https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2020\/12\/TRACT_BRAND_728X90-150x19.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 728px) 100vw, 728px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-1344\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Elk Hunting<\/figcaption><\/figure>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Elk Hunting Tips for Beginners | TRACT design and engineer performance-grade optics without the added retail costs.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":12160,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2258,2259,2265,2273],"tags":[2613,2615,2797,2812,2813,2844,2845,2846,2847,2848,2849,2852],"class_list":["post-1675","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-hunting","category-hunting-rifle-scope","category-rifle-scope","category-tractoptics","tag-elk-hunting","tag-elk-hunting-videos","tag-hunting","tag-hunting-calibers","tag-hunting-calibers-for-deer","tag-hunting-rifle-caliber","tag-hunting-rifle-caliber-chart","tag-hunting-rifle-caliber-for-deer","tag-hunting-rifle-calibers","tag-hunting-rifle-calibers-by-size","tag-hunting-rifle-rounds","tag-hunting-rifle-sizes"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1675","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1675"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1675\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11441,"href":"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1675\/revisions\/11441"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/12160"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1675"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1675"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1675"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}