how many of you gentelmen think archery skills you

[340mag]

how many of you gentelmen think archery skills you learned ,helped you become a better rifle ELK HUNTER?
I know my ability to get in close and make that first shot count sure improved!
I also became much more aware of my scent trail/wind direction and CORRECT camo use durring archery hunts and that helped my skills on rifle elk also
I take a bunch of friendly B.S. from some of the guys I hunt with , due to EXTENSIVE camo use which some of the guys don,t see as a big plus in rifle elk hunting, but IVE seen a MARKED improvement in getting in close for shots since IVE become very particular as to my camo and WHERE (light/shadows)and in WHAT (wooded/open/timbered/terrain ) I tend to hunt, and how and when I move thru those terrains
your thoughts

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its a simple plan! have the skill and use equipment that will effectively drop an ELK from 500 yards, like a 250 grain bullet from a 340 wby,then get into 50 yards before firing to allow for extra/ultra precise bullet placement!

 

[wmidbrook]

For sure, archery hunting definately helps with rifle hunting techniques....I'm going into my third year in a row archery elk hunting and I hope to finally bag one with my archery tackle this year....I think this is the year.

I don't know that I'll go back to rifle elk huntin' unless on a down & dirty, quick cow elk meat hunt in an alfalfa field or one of those mega-migration cow hunts. But, my archery experience will help in those cases I'd imagine. I'm hooked on elk rut hunts--that means archery or muzzleloaders where I've been applying so far.

 

[BDB]

I only went elk hunting once. It was last year with some friends in NM on a cow tag with a rifle. The elk had moved out of our area from the cow hunt the week before but a snow storm (6") on the second night brought them back by the 4th day of the hunt as they headed down hill. The other guys chose to watch relatively open areas where they could see some distance, 2-300 yards mainly. I chose to head into the thick stuff figuring the elk would work through the thick cover and hang up on the edge waiting for dark to move through the more open country. The farthest distance I could see was about 60 yards. I nailed my first elk on the 4th night at about 35 yards and was the only one to take an elk that trip. I think it was definitely due to being a bow hunter and being used to hunting animals in the thick cover, especially when I hunted back east.

 

[340mag]

"I chose to head into the thick stuff figuring the elk would work through the thick cover and hang up on the edge waiting for dark to move through the more open country. The farthest distance I could see was about 60 yards.



thats been a very similar experiance to what IVE seen over the years, I carry a rifle that will easily drop ELK at long range, yet in 35 years of ELK hunting shots over 250 yards have been VERY VERY RARE for ANYONE in my ELK CAMP with 135 yards being about the average range ELK have been killed