Hunters who enjoy hunting big game get excited when elk season approaches. One way that you can help yourself if you’re aiming for a trophy elk or any elk at all is by practicing a great deal long before the season starts. Too many hunters leave the guns and bows and arrows in cabinets when hunting season is out. What they need to be doing is setting up targets and practicing.
Not only is it important practice with the weight of the arrows that you’ll be using when you hunt, it is important to practice hitting the target. Do you think you have a better chance of getting a trophy elk if you’ve been practicing for a few months or if the first time you shoot at an elk is the first time you’ve shot in a few months?
Just like an athlete or any type of sportsmen, hunters should train and that includes target practice. It makes you more familiar with your weapon and how to use it in different weather. And that will help you when elk season starts. Vary your practice schedule, as well. Practice shooting at targets from a variety of positions and angles so that you’re better prepared for the actual hunt. Try crouching or shooting from a low position just as you might in a natural elk hunt.
Stake your claim on land as early as possible. You should go out and scout the area that you’ll be hunting in if at all possible to look for elk. Make sure that you know who owns the land you’re on and if it’s privately owned that you have permission from the landowner. Walk the land carefully before elk season starts. Become familiar with it and scout out areas where elk may be once you’re ready to hunt.
Don’t wait for elk season to inspect all of your equipment and make sure everything is in working order. If you discover something as soon as the season starts you could end up waiting too long while it’s being fixed and miss part of the season.
And scent is an important step that some hunters don’t think is necessary. Just because some hunters somewhere managed to get a trophy elk or deer without worrying about his scent doesn’t mean that it will work for you. Do everything you can to minimize your scent in the area. Always be aware of which direction the wind’s blowing in so that you won’t get downwind from any animals. You can buy a little spray bottle designed just for this or simply wet day fingertip and gauge the direction of the wind.
Elk actually have very heightened sense of smell, more than many other game, so do everything you can to minimize your natural scents like soap smells and smells from shampoo. Use unscented products as well as unscented laundry detergent. And make sure that your clothing isn’t exposed to anything with a strong scent like a campfire. Also consider purchasing a product designed to hide your scent from the animals.
Photo Credits: gavinrobinson
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