Elk Hunting Tips
The United States does not offer the wide array of big game hunting that other lesser developed countries have. However, there are still a few larger animals plentiful enough to hunt on this continent. Elk is good example of one of these types of large mammal that is domestic to the contiguous United States. If you have never hunted for this game before, here are some elk hunting tips to help you land your first one.
To start, a good hunter must know the habits of the animal they are tracking. When hunting for elk, a good hunter must know that they are nomadic creatures that are constantly on the move due to food source, annoyances, and weather. A good tip for a hunter trying to bag an elk is not to know where they are, but where they are headed.
Elk are very inquisitive animals with very acute senses. The most predominating sense and an elk possesses is its sense of smell. A hunter trying to track an elk must stay down wind of his opponent because if an elk gets one sniff it doesn’t like, it will remove itself from the area quickly. They also get spooked by sight and sound, so a good hunter must take great pains to be completely concealed.
Because elk are big game, a hunter must use ammunition that is capable of stopping this large animal. A male elk is extremely dangerous if agitated and a hunter, if charged, can be in serious peril. To stop an elk, an outdoorsman must carry a rifle that carries rounds at or larger than 30/06 rounds. When hunting an elk, make sure you have the fire power to handle this animal.
Hunting elk is a form of big game hunting that is one of the true tests of a hunter’s skills. While on an elk hunt a good hunter knows the direction in which the elk is heading, carries a large enough rifle, and remains downwind of their target. Because it can be dangerous, elk hunting can provide a greater thrill than hunting small game.