5 Archery Elk Hunting Tips

Just about any northern hunter could use 5 archery elk hunting tips. As any hunter will tell you, what you learn outside of the woods can make a huge difference when you’re in the woods. This is especially true of game as large and elusive as elk. What’s more, bow hunting elk requires an added breadth of patience and perseverance. If you feel up to the challenge and want to take down a huge bull this year, use the following tips for taking an elk with a bow.

1. Practice your archery skills outside of the field. There are a few key tenets of using a bow.  It is generally agreed upon by archery experts that three phases determine how well you shoot. The first is stance, of which there are several to choose from. Find whether an open or closed stance works better for you by testing them both. On the draw, the most important factor is relaxation. This requires that you find a comfortable draw weight. Before releasing the arrow, make sure your hands or steady. The standard for most archers is to be able to hold the bow up for at least 5 seconds before your hand starts trembling. On release, relax the back muscles that tighten during the draw and relieve the pressure on your draw hand. The whole process should be quick, so it is essential to practice often before you go elk hunting.
2. Bring the right equipment to your elk hunt. Elk are found in some of the harshest climates in the world. They thrive in mountainous areas and cold temperatures. Therefore, it is important to bring plenty of warm clothes and some source of heat, if you’re camping. Additional elk hunting tools can be helpful. For instance, many elk hunters use a range finder to judge the distance of animals in open areas and large expanses of land.
3. Know how elk behave in the wild. Elk, in general, tend to travel in herds. So, if you see one in the woods, be prepared to see more. This is essential to remember in the woods, because if you spook just one elk, the entire group could be scared off. Additionally, pay attention to signs of elk. During the rut, they tend to rub trees with their antlers – the evidence left behind is called a scrape. As an archery hunter, this can prove especially useful because you’ll need to be in closer quarters with the elk than a gun hunter.
4. Have a way to get your kill out of the woods. Although this may seem very conditional, getting the animal out of the field should not be an afterthought when you go elk hunting. Weighing in at a quarter ton or more, adult elk are very large to say the least. You’ll need an ATV or other motorized vehicle to save as much meat as possible if your hunt is successful. Like most other parts of archery elk hunting, it takes dedication to get the skills and resources for a successful venture. But it pays off handily in the form of delicious food and the satisfaction of harvesting it yourself.