Hike Less for Success

[ADMIN]

The success rates for a public land elk hunter in most units out West are very low. Typically, in the average OTC or easy draw area, a good success rate would be between 10-20%. However, we all know hunters who seem to consistently beat the odds and find great success in the exact same areas where 80-90% of the hunters go home empty-handed. From my observations and experience, there are a lot of things that consistently successful hunters do that most hunters do not. This article sheds light on one thing that has helped me find success and also saves me a lot time and energy. Read More...

This is a thread for discussion of the article, Hike Less for Success, By Nate Simmons. Here you can ask questions or make comments about the article.

 

[newtonian]

Much simple, but tried and true wisdom in this article. I have always said that one cannot be afraid of the dark and be a successful elk hunter.

 

[hidesert]

Good points in this article but I must issue a caution: if you're going to hike in the dark, know your route and have a good light with spare batteries and a backup light. Hike the route in daylight first so you are aware of any potential hazards. Many people are killed or seriously injured by falls in the back country. Others get lost by wandering off the trail. I much prefer making a spike camp the night before.

 

[LoganDon]

So right. In my 50+ years of elk hunting, I have only forgotten my light (and/or extra batteries) once and I really paid for it. In a mile hike out of the Salmon river county, in the dark, I ended up with all kinds of scrapes, cuts, and bruises and a few bloody places - I was lucky that I did not break something.

 

[djkynoch]

I really like articles like this, instead of ones about some new fancy expensive piece of gear. It is stuff like this that fills tags, even if all the rifle you can afford is a $300 Ruger American.