Elk Hunting's Three Basic Rules...

Here's a cool article about hunting the West for a nice Rocky Mountain Bull Elk.  Congrats on the kill George!

Pay particular attention to rule #3. :)

Although this elk was taken at 300yards with a gun, you'll learn some basic elk hunting tips that you can apply to your bow hunt.

-Michael

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Elk Hunting's Three Basic Rules
By George Mitchell

Having been a regular visitor to Yellowstone National Park over the last several years, I have fallen under the spell of the beauty that is our American West. During one such excursion, in late August, my wife and I had the pleasure of being serenaded by bull elk as we hiked up Mt. Washburn. The sound of their bugling echoing through the valleys below would send chills up your spine. At this point, I was hooked and knew it wouldn't be long until I would make the trek west to hunt one of these magnificent animals.

At age 48, I had to think long and hard about what I expected from this undertaking. Given I didn't possess much in the way elk hunting knowledge, my first consideration was to find a reputable outfitter. I talked with several of the outfitters who offered pack-in hunts from the Slough Creek area of the Yellowstone Park. A pack-in hunt would indeed be an experience of a lifetime. However, I wasn't sure that I was up to spending five hours on horseback getting to the hunting area. So I opted for a ranch hunt instead.

After almost a year of research, I booked a hunt with Wishbone Outfitters out of Edgemont, South Dakota. The hunt would take place in the controlled environment of the Wishbone Ranch. Edgemont is within a few minutes' drive of the Black Hills and Mount Rushmore. So, naturally, I asked my wife if she would be interested in going and possibly doing some sightseeing while I was hunting. She agreed and I began to make preparations for the 1,600-mile drive.

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Be sure to read the entire Elk Hunting article here: Elk Hunting's Three Basic Rules

technorati tags:Elk+Hunting, hunting, Yellowstone+National+Park, Outfitter, South+Dakota, Wishbone+Ranch, Black+Hills, Mount+Rushmore, rifle, bow, Bowhunting, Spotting, elk, hunts

BowHunting Tip - Are You Drawing Too Much Weight?

Too Much Weight?

Have you ever wondered how much draw weight you really need?  Do you have a sore arm or shoulder after shooting your bow? 

The Question and Answer we found at bowhuntinginfo.com will help explain it.  We've included their response to a question they received at their forum.

Whether you're a beginner bowhunter or you've been shooting quite a few years, take note of the recommendations presented here.

All the best,

Michael

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Question:

I just started shooting a compound bow, and I am having trouble pulling.  Don't get me wrong.  I am not weak, I just don't pull straight back! Therefore the arrow is forced off of the rest; will it just take practice or what could I do that would eliminate that happening in the woods?

Answer:

I am not sure if there is something wrong with your arrow rest, you will need to have a bow pro take a look at that.

I do sense, however, that you may be drawing too much weight. Modern bow equipment is incredibly powerful. A lot of archers make the mistake of too much draw weight. In fact, it may be the most common, yet under-recognized problem that bow hunters have. I don't know how much weight you are drawing, but I wouldn't be surprised to hear that it is over 70 lbs.

Many hunters think the more power - the better. But a modern compound bow drawing not more than 50 lbs will blow a properly placed arrow right through most big game animals up to Elk and Moose. You don't need a high draw weight to kill whitetail, mule deer, hogs, turkey, or even black bears. The other reason hunters will get a "big" bow is to flatten their arrow's trajectory. While a faster arrow will fly flatter, more poundage will sacrifice accuracy. You can compensate with lighter arrows, that will also flatten your trajectory, without sacrificing accuracy. With practice any archer can overcome the effects of gravity on the arrow, but drawing more weight than one can comfortably handle will always result in an occasional errant arrow.

One sure way of judging whether or not you are drawing too much weight, is if you have to go through any "unnatural" movements in drawing your bow. If you have to radically shift your shoulder (in order to keep from hurting) you have too much bow! If your arrow is falling off your rest because of your arm movements, look first to reducing your draw weight.

I hunt whitetails, bear, moose and elk with my bow. When I hunt Elk or Moose, I will be shooting about 63-65 lbs, fast enough to develop kinetic energy of about 65 flbs. For hunting the other game, I shoot about 55 lbs. It more than does the job, and it is sooooo much easier on my poor old body.

Good luck.

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Thanks to bowhuntinginfo.com for the use of this content.

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Bow Hunting Bear Essentials...

I came across this article today and was amazed at the story Tom told.  Tom Nelson has been hunting bears for over 25 years.  If you're a bear hunter, I'm sure you'll enjoy reading what he has to say...

Tom points out a few great tips.  2 things he covers in detail are baiting tactics and the importance of being ready at the draw.

"It always baffles me how ones mind rambles and wanders while maintaining a marathon vigil perched high in a treestand. Tonight seemed no exception. I was doing a tremendous job of solving all the worlds problems. I was working on solving the national debt when a slight, almost muffled snap of a small branch jolted me back to reality. Slowly, ever so slowly, I turned my head to the right for a "look see". There perhaps 20 yards away, stood a small black bear. Cautiously he approached the bait site. Instantly two others appeared from the dense stand of cedars and rushed past the first bear to the waiting smorgasbord that lay ahead."

You can read the full article by clicking here.

He was using a 60lb draw with an Easton ACC Carbon arrow flying at 254 ft/sec.

Great Kill Tom!

-Michael

technorati tags:bowhunting, hunting, bear, bow, bear+hunting, black+bear, tactics, tom, nelson, Tom+Nelson