Trad Gang

I know we all have things that we do to get ready for elk season so how about getting ready for the moment of truth. the SHOT.
I try to do lots of stump shooting and shooting off my knees in the woods.

Get your heart rate way up with some cardo then try your shooting.

I like to shoot heavier bows with backpacks on my shouldes.A lot of people that hunt from a tree stand don't understand how much more difficult is to draw a bow(generally heavier for elk)with the heavy and bulky pack on shoulders.

THEN REMEMBER THAT SINCE YOU HUNT ELK IN THE END OF THE SUMMER YOU ARE PRACTICING AT HOME WITH WARM WEATHER,WEARING A T-SHIRT,THEN YOU HUNT AT TEMPERATURES NEXT TO FREEZING WITH SOME MORE CLOTHINGS ON YOU,AND YOU FIND YOURSELF OVERBOWED.

Rlc1959 that and great Idea ,last year time we got to the elk we were after I was huffing bad ,heart rate running wild. No shot came ,we just fell out

Shoot at larger targets.

Elk are so much bigger than whitetails that they can look closer than they actually are, especially if they are uphill.

There are several good ideas here. Shooting with your day pack on is very important. Up hill and down hill. Shoot through holes in the trees. Elk are bigger than other animals so go to 3d shoots they
are a great help in teaching you how to judge the range. Shoot in your warm clothing as Felix said before to many people have no idea how much differance this makes.

I would suggest you practice, like cacciatore, suggests, with the gear you could be toting and wearing from all different shooting positions.  Standing, kneeling, crouched, shooting uphill and downhill.  I also think practice using mental visualization is important, being able to hold your bow at full draw up to 30 seconds or longer.  When close to a bull I try to anticipate where he will walk and when I can draw and where the shot can be taken.  Every bull I have taken has required me to hold at full draw for a while, until they cleared an obstacle or decided that in just a few more steps they will be able to see that love sick cow or impudent spike.  When practicing on 3D targets remember low leakers leave more blood to follow and elk do react to the shot, especially if they catch a glimpse of your movement.

This sounds nuts but I will shoot my arrows like mentioned above (around trees, on knees, holding longer, and visualize an elk walking, holding and making the shot) but add something to it. I call it "the circuit": I have 3 targets in a circle in the woods by my house about 50 yards apart. I shoot anywhere from 15 to 30 yards and after I pull my ONE arrow I sprint to the next shot location with my pack on my back. I try to do several "circuits" per practice season and try to add more difficult shots as time gets closer to elk country...Hey what's a flatlander to do to simulate the high country and the heart-rate you experience when one of those slobbering beast stroll up on you? Next up: putting a paper bag over my head and running in place for 30 minutes then shooting  :)

Just go to the area we went to a couple years ago in Colorado and you won't have worry about hitting or missing one because you won't get any shots. All this flat lander Ky boy wanted was a shot at a cow, is that too much to ask????    

Kentuck,
  Colorado may have the largest Elk population but unless you are in a premium draw area the average success rate (for Archery) is around 12 to 15 %, that's residents and non-residents.
   Did you at least get to see an Elk?

Cacciator's advice on shooting with a pack is right on. It can make it very difficult to get to full draw, and sometimes they come in so quick you don't have time to shed it.

QuoteOriginally posted by wapiti792:
... Next up: putting a paper bag over my head and running in place for 30 minutes then shooting   :)  

Camo paper bags of course....


Besides the "workout" my plan is to go up into my area and stump as often as I can, with my hunting pack and my hunting weight spikes. The first time is going to tell me how far I've come and how far I 've got left to go regarding my shooting.

This fall, I want to hear that little voice say... "dead elk".

Joshua

Shooting with a pack on    :thumbsup:    :thumbsup:  just to make sure that loose shoulder and chest straps are always tucked out of the way.  

But if someone is having difficulty drawing their bow with a pack on, shouldn't they consider a different pack??

Shoot with a couple calls and your binos hanging off your neck as well, you'll find out right quick if something is in the way.  Better to find out now, rather than when an elk is 15 yds away!