Have a Hunting Pre-Shot Checklist

Before shooting at an animal, develop a mental checklist, similar to the kind of routine the top experts use. Well-known bowhunters Randy Ulmer and Chuck Adams have good ones.

“My checklist has evolved over the years,” says Ulmer. “If I know a shot is eminent, I start to focus my mind on certain variables; this helps me combat buck fever. I try not to do anything without thinking about it first.”

Ulmer’s Pre-Shot Checklist:

1. Examine Shot Angle (mostly applies to mule deer and sheep hunting). As an example, if he estimates the animal is on a 25-degree slope, he knows to take off 10 percent from the shot distance.

2. Establish Exact Shot Distance (Ulmer wants to put his pin exactly where it needs to be for a perfect shot, not a close-enough hit.)

3. Examine Arrow Flight Path (possible interferences like tree limbs, etc.)

4. Determine that I am using the right pin in exactly the right place

5. Patience…Patience (His mantra: Patience seldom goes un-rewarded)

6. Aim…Aim…Aim…Until the Shot Breaks

Adams’ Pre-Shot Checklist:

1. Is the shot clear? Have an overview of possible obstacles. Visualize the arrow’s path when necessary.

2. Angle of shot—compensate accordingly. (Adams has carried an angle meter for about 30 years.)

3. Get the range. (If time, use laser rangefinder; if not, eye the distance as best as possible.)

4. Pick a spot,

5. Point the bow straight at the target, pull straight back,

6. Relax bow hand as much as possible

7. Take the first good high-percentage shot,

By Joe Bell

Stay tuned for the remaining segments of this exclusive series!

And be sure to pick up your copy of Technical Bowhunting, available at www.up-publications.com or by calling (866) 834-1249, and requesting item #216. Cost is $21.95; shipping extra, CA residents pay sales tax. Direct dealers e-mail or phone Becky Silvas at becky.silvas@apg-media.com; (800) 332-3330, x259. 

The post How to Stay Mentally Tough at Crunch Time: The Pre-Shot Checklist appeared first on .

“What this power is I cannot say; all I know is that it exists and it becomes available only when a man is in that state of mind in which he knows exactly what he wants and is fully determined not to quit until he finds it.”—Alexander Graham Bell

My friends and I called him “Big Jim,” because he was clearly one of the biggest Southern California mule deer we’d ever seen loping the coastal mountain range. I had a fascination with this buck to the deepest extent. Weekend after weekend, I’d trek the rugged, brushy slopes searching for this buck. On one occasion, I spotted him vacating a canyon area, and I ran for more than a mile with my pack and heavy boots, trying to intercept the giant 4×4 buck. And I did, only the shot was much too far.

One day, I left the office a little early and got to my hunting area on time. My boss was fully aware of my obsession for this buck. I knew of a deep, nasty canyon filled with brush where a spring jutted from the ground. I set up on a fairly open hillside 100 yards above it, and then waited in the hot, August sun.

About 1 1/2 hours before dark, I noticed a doe coming out of the Godforsaken ravine. I quickly became excited, but then relaxed a bit, knowing it was only a doe. But like a mirage, his giant antler beams jutted from the foliage. There he was—my Big Jim—nosing, pushing the doe up the gnarly, 40-degree slope.

I waited for a shot, almost shaking. Little by little the twosome got closer, as the monster continued his harassment. Over, around and even through bushes they went. Before I knew it, the doe was just below and climbing upward. She popped out of cover about 35 yards away.

I knew the shot would come to fruition; it would soon be my golden chance at this legendary buck. Knowing full well he’d appear in seconds, my nerves became increasingly tangled. Emotions were now in full flow.

At full draw in a flash, I held for the moment I so longed for. Despite my physical strength, mentally I couldn’t draw a good bead on the buck’s vitals; my focus was obviously on his wide-sweeping 26-some-inch beams. Uncomfortable, feeling physically awkward as I held for nearly a minute, I frantically whipped my sight onto his chest and released. The arrow flew hair lengths below his armpit. Even today, it stands as the worst bowhunting moment in my life.

The interesting part of all this is, during this phase in my archery career, I could place arrow after arrow in a tight cluster on a 60-yard butt. I had successfully shot other deer at ranges beyond 50 yards. And, nearly every other weekend I had drilled one ground squirrel and rabbit after another at challenging distances. I thought I was ready for Big Jim, and so did my friends. Yet, “buck fever” had the power to heighten every nerve in my body, all at the worst possible time.

Feeling excited is natural under intense encounters with big game. The problem is, high excitement will plague your shooting. Controlling this emotional element is crucial in executing a good shot. Here are some helpful tips on how to overcome, or at least manage, this common bowhunting ailment.

Consistent bowhunting success doesn’t just happen. To make high-pressure shots again and again, you must have a system in place, such as a mental drill you go through just prior to hitting full draw.

Practice With Pressure in Mind

Certain things stick with you, and I remember an old friend telling me, “You’ll shoot (at big game) like you practice.” Simple, but poignantly true. To expect to perform better on big game than on targets is absurd. A steady, accurate shot in the woods only comes from executing perfect shots on the range.

Fact: To control excitement, keep your mind preoccupied with all the steps necessary to make a great shot. When practicing, allow each shot to absorb you. Focus on each step (Chapter 1), and just before drawing the bow, visualize the perfect shot. Practice this enough and simply allow autopilot to take over when the chips are down. Chances are, you’ll do it right, just like you have so many times before, and the odds will be leaning on your side.

Please don’t take this process light-heartedly. You can’t ingrain it one day and leave it out the next. Nor can you learn it a couple of weeks before opening day. Carry it out throughout the spring and summer so it becomes a customary habit, like the mindless act of inscribing your signature on a check.

Pick a Spot!

In the heat of the moment, most bowhunters fail to do it, despite it being so elementary. When you’re about to pull back on a trophy, taking a gander at the lower one-third part of the chest—where you want your arrow to strike—just isn’t refined enough to counter a less-than-perfect aim. In practice, if you were to aim at this large of a target, you’d scatter arrows all over, every time. Precise aiming equals precise arrow impact, particularly when your breathing is elevated and your sights could be trembling in a giant 2-inch circle. Pick out the smallest patch of hair or crease on the animal’s vital zone and start performing some serious tunnel vision.

This is your only objective at this point—until your arrow splits this mark. This kind of focusing has a way of poising your excitement so you can perform as a shooter. “I find I do best when I think of only one thing, and for me it is ‘pick a spot,’ ” says Mike Slinkard, pro shooter, accomplished bowhunter and President and owner of Winner’s Choice Bowstrings. “I just keep mentally repeating this in the moment just before and during the shot. I find this helps control my nerves—ones that will make even an easy shot impossible. “If there is time I will quickly picture the shot happening perfectly in my mind (just as I do when shooting a target archery shot),” says Slinkard. “All this happens very quickly, and again it’s really about controlling emotion more than anything. As far as the shot itself, that will just happen subconsciously as it does in practice.”

By Joe Bell

Stay tuned for the remaining segments of this exclusive series!

And be sure to pick up your copy of Technical Bowhunting, available at www.up-publications.com or by calling (866) 834-1249, and requesting item #216. Cost is $21.95; shipping extra, CA residents pay sales tax. Direct dealers e-mail or phone Becky Silvas at becky.silvas@apg-media.com; (800) 332-3330, x259. 

The post How to Stay Mentally Tough at Crunch Time: Power of practice appeared first on .

The author with his great Colorado ram. He hunted with a BowTech bow and Gold Tips arrows. The shot was taken at 35 yards after 10 hard days of hunting. 

Day five of my hunt arrived, and I was again into sheep on a different mountain. I spotted 16 rams at 11:00 a.m., and the stalk was a long and slow one. I closed to within 50 yards of the bedded rams, and when the one I liked the most stood to stretch and looked away, I drew. He saw me, so they bolted to 75 yards away and stared me down for an hour.

Then, a group of seven young rams came off the top and joined up with the big boys. I sat and watched them interact for at least another 45 minutes. It was amazing to be that close and watch the big ram’s posture as the younger ones acted like teenagers trying to pick a fight. At 4:00 p.m. I blew them out and headed back down the mountain. It was a five-hour stalk that left me with only a hole in my rain pants and sore muscles, but I was still positive that I would taste success.

At dawn the next day I hiked a near-vertical death march up a drainage for 2,000 feet and got into several rams as I was sneaking around a rock pinnacle. They had me pegged, and off they went. I glassed into another drainage and found two rams butting heads. I circled the peak as they occasionally butted heads and closed the distance. At 70 yards, the exhaustion set in and a careless move cost me, as they saw me and spooked. It felt like getting kicked in the stomach, but like I said, at least I was sheep hunting.

The author relied on the best optics available, which included this Swarovski spotting scope, to spot rams from long range.

That evening I spotted a lone ram on another mountain and the plan was to come back in the morning and see if he was still there. At first light, I found him in the same place and I gathered my gear and headed up the hill to hopefully wrap my tag around him. It had rained hard the night before and lying in the wet tundra above him at 78 yards with a heavy wind and no sun. I began to wonder if hypothermia was setting in. He finally got up and moved into some rocks where I closed the distance to 22 yards. I drew the bow and stood up slowly. Just as my sight pins were finding his flank he went from quartering away feeding to full out run in an instant and he was gone. You gotta love sheep hunting.

On day nine of my hunt, another friend came up to help out and we climbed another peak to a rocky bowl were we found three ewes and a whopper of a ram bedded by himself about 150 yards down from timberline. I circled the top and started in on him, hoping I wouldn’t bust the ewes. It worked and I was now 45 yards above him waiting for his next move. He got up and started to feed into an opening 50 yards below me. It was a steep angle but I was sure of the shot. His head went behind a tree and I came to full draw. I settled the 40-yard pin behind the shoulder and let the arrow go. It stuck into a tree halfway to the ram, and he wasted no time getting out of there.

To reach the higher elevations where the sheep roam, you must conquer various types of terrain, including steep, forested hillsides, countless creeks and rocky, rugged talus slopes. Despite the intense physical hardships one must endure daily, the beauty is breathtaking.

Faced with climbing back up the mountain to get out of there, I felt like the pressure was off and the next one would turn out different. The next morning I slept in and was preparing to go back up onto the tops to camp and give the first area another try. As I started up the road, I thought I would check out some of the lower elevations and glass for some rams. Soon I found two rams in the timber feeding. I put a knife in one pocket and my rangefinder in another. Forty-five minutes later I was within 35 yards of the rams as they fed above me. I ranged the nearest opening and prepped for the shot.

Marmots share the high country with sheep.

The bigger of the two stepped into the opening when I came to full draw but the angle was bad as he was slightly quartering to me. I held the bow for what felt like eternity and finally let down. Somehow, they didn’t spook and the big ram moved over and started to paw a bed a mere 35 yards away! I knew if they bedded, I was done. Just then the second ram moved into the shooting lane and both of them looked up hill. I anchored and when I did they had me, but it was too late. The arrow was on the way and hit the crease behind his right shoulder. I knew my tag was filled.

As they ran off I could see the red spot behind his shoulder, and I rolled over onto my back and let the emotions flow over me. It had been 10 hard days of hunting and I was now tagged out. I followed a short blood trial to where my ram had slid down the hill. I went back to get my arrow, and found it stuck in a tree. Ironic, isn’t it?

The author’s spike camp consisted of a simple one-man tent.

The Colorado Division of Wildlife aged him at 8 1/2 years old, and the taxidermist judged him to be about 150 to 155 Pope & Young. I was happy to be done climbing the mountains, but I wasn’t ready to go home. I was on a poor-man’s sheep hunt in my own backyard, and got to see a lot of sheep and take a handsome ram. But, truthfully, the trophy was the experience.

By  Warren Anderson Jr.

The post 10 Day Ram: Bowhunting Regal Rams (Part 2) appeared first on .

I started to put the word out that I had drawn, and people who had hunted the unit started to surface, telling their story, giving me useful tips and places to look. Throughout the summer I was heading up the mountain to scout. I wanted to familiarize myself with the area and how to get around in it. I was also hitting the treadmill with a weighted pack and spending a lot of time at the local high school track and stadium stairs.

Opening day August 1, 2008 found me camped at 11,000 feet as I planned to hunt some of the popular mountaintops and gulches not far from camp. I intended on staying the whole 16-day season if needed, and if I wasn’t seeing rams nearby, I would move to other parts of the unit.

A friend came up the second day of the season to help with glassing and signaling for stalking. He battled a bad case of altitude sickness the whole morning, but I had to hand it to him because he kept up with me, even with a pounding headache and a queasy stomach.

Later that morning we spotted a nice group of rams in the timber, and the stalk was on. I sneaked to within 39 yards of a big ram that was up feeding with his head and the front of his vitals shielded behind a tree. I had a small opening to shoot through, and would have had to hug some tree limbs to get the arrow into the vitals. This is a shot my buddies and I practice all summer, but at 12,000 feet with my adrenaline pumping and a howling wind, I knew I had to wait for a better angle. The ram moved behind a rock ledge, so I started to close the distance. When I saw him again he was 32 yards away, and as I started to draw, rams to the right caught my movement and bolted. This was the first close opportunity, but I had no regrets about passing on a questionable shot since I was still having the time of my life.

The following day found us in a deep draw when four unapproachable rams were spotted. As we climbed to the top, I bellied out onto some rocks for another look. That’s when I spotted three rams off to my left in a stalkable position. We quickly agreed on hand signals and I was off.

Anderson spotted a lot of sheep during his days of scouting and hunting, including big rams and lots of smaller rams and ewes.

Forty-five minutes later, I was closing the last 150 yards to the rams, when I heard a noise and looked up to see the target rams walking toward me on a trail 12 yards below. I froze as what was happening sunk in and then tried to nock an arrow. The rams kept their course and walked a little faster into the timber and out of my life. When I got to the top, I asked my friend what got them spooked. He said it was another hunter who apparently had someone spotting from the highway down below. The hunter had walked to the top of the drainage talking on his cell phone saying, “Can you see me now? I am above the snow patch.” Well, at least I was sheep hunting!

Getting close was always an extreme physical task.

That afternoon we were caught in a hail and lighting storm out on the tundra. My buddy had enough of the altitude and decided to head home. The next morning found me up on the mountain at first light, where I spotted four rams feeding in the tundra and heading to bed in the timber. The stalk was on and I closed to within 100 yards before I ran out of cover. Fifteen minutes later the wind changed and they were gone. That night I headed down to town for a shower and a real bed.

(To be continued…)

Stay tuned for the second part of this riveting bowhunting story!

Text and Photos by  Warren Anderson Jr.

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Long Hours on Stand

As a result of the aforementioned problems, it’s going to take time to find success. So, it only stands to reason that you should be in your stand every chance you get. Brief outings are rarely rewarded where low visibility and haphazard deer movement seem to be the norm. To be honest, you’ve got to pay your dues. I know you’ve probably heard that phrase before, but trust me, big-timber whitetails will teach you the real meaning of that expression. Sure, there have been times I’ve arrowed a buck before the morning frost had time to melt off the leaves, but I could count them on one hand. I like to think that every hour and every day I punch that clock, brings me that much closer to my goal. I just have to keep plugging away.

To make the most of your time, and improve your chances of closing the deal fast, you need to hunt the right location during the right phase of the season or the game is over before it really begins. Saving your best stands for the peak of the rut is an excellent way to maximize your efforts. With bucks being more visible than any other time of the year, you stand a better chance of tagging out quickly. Plus, deer sightings should be higher since you haven’t “burned out” the location by hunting it too soon.

Now, this type of “stick-it-out” attitude, while beneficial, certainly isn’t without its drawbacks. Given the time I normally invest in hanging, and quite often just getting to my stand, I need to be prepared to sit through a variety of weather conditions. Why? Because the odds are good once I get to where I’m going. I’m not leaving—no matter what Mother Nature throws at me. If you’re going to do the same, you need the right gear.

Start with a good base layer. I like those that not only wick moisture from my skin, but also provide a high level of scent protection. It’s a given that I am going to work up a sweat considering the territory I hunt, so I need all of the wicking and “scent control” help I can get. I have used the S3 Midweight Baselayers from ScentBlocker with excellent results. The soft nylon and spandex blend lifts moisture from my skin, keeping me warm and dry, while the antimicrobial technology prevents game spooking odors from reaching the air. Next, you need an outerwear system that gives you options. The ability to add or subtract layers depending on the conditions, while blocking the wind and rain, is a big plus when it comes to making the right choice. Once again, I favor garments that give me these options, but, with the added advantage of odor control. Since adding carbon-based clothing to my arsenal, many years ago, I have definitely seen a significant rise in my success rate.

Now, arriving at your stand wearing the right clothing does little to keep you comfortable if the stand itself is unpleasant to sit in. Obviously, you need to take a good look at the comfort level of your chosen model; because you might be spending a descent amount of time in it. Also, don’t neglect to consider the overall weight of the stand; especially if you choose a climbing model. This is an important feature. In hill country, a heavy stand can start to feel like a Mini Cooper on your back in no time flat. Go with the lightest, most comfortable unit you can afford. Personally, I have yet to find anything that compares to a Lone Wolf stand. It has all of the above qualities, plus, it is absolutely dead-silent in the tree.

Without a doubt, tagging a mountain buck is tough business. But, if you understand and anticipate the obstacles involved in such an endeavor, you’re more apt to find success. Most often, the entire experience is comparable to running a cross-country marathon. Only every now and then, you have to jump some of those high hurdles along the way. If you don’t know when or where these hurdles will pop-up, you’re almost certainly going to stumble and fall. However, if you know exactly what to expect and when to expect it, chances are you’ll soar right over them with relative ease, plugging away, day in and day out. Until suddenly—there he is.

Text and Photos by Steve Flores

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When all of the hard work, long hours, and personal sacrifices finally pay off, there is no better feeling. To succeed in tagging a big-timber buck, quite often you have to dig in like a tic; not letting go and not giving up until eventually you get what you want.

By nature, visibility in hill country is going to be limited. In most places, that means you’re not going to see deer that are 100 yards out from your stand. Most often that distance is much, much less. As a result, deer sightings are going to be substantially lower than if you were hunting on flat ground. Also, given that the landscape isn’t broken up by crop fields, the deer are not likely to be concentrated in one spot for feeding purposes. Thus, travel patterns can prove to be sporadic and wide-ranged; unlike the routine “feed to bed, bed to feed” behavior of most cropland deer. My brother, who often hunts near agricultural fields, has spoken of leaving the woods by 9 am! To a mountain hunter, that’s crazy talk.

But, as Tony explains, when the deer exit the fields and filter past his stand, heading back to their bedding locations, there really is no point in sitting on-stand any longer. “They aren’t going to magically re-appear in the field at a later time and walk past me again,” he adds. I can see his point. However, in the mountains I routinely hunt, it’s not that cut and dry. Out of sight doesn’t necessarily mean they aren’t there. Deer can literally show up any time of the day. If you’re someone who routinely needs to see large deer numbers to stay in the game, you’re going to have a tough time chasing mountain bucks.

The first step to conquering this difficult aspect is to embrace the fact that you may go days without the first glimpse of a shooter buck; or any deer for that matter. That’s a tough task for anyone, even me. Do your best to mentally prepare yourself for it. Next, concentrate on hanging your stands in high traffic areas such as natural funnels (logging roads, saddles, bench flats, areas where steep and subtle terrain converge), near food sources (acorn-producing trees), and doe bedding areas (thick or secluded areas often near ridge tops). These locations will increase your chance of seeing deer; therefore keeping you focused and in your stand until the buck you’re looking for finally shows up.

Taking full advantage of this strategy, however, requires setting-up multiple stands throughout your hunting area. If you only have one stand hung, you’re likely not going to move it several times during the course of a season to keep up with ever-changing deer patterns. And even if you do, you run the risk of educating the very buck you’re after with the “in-season” disturbance. You may even “miscalculate” your move; relocating to a new spot after the action has ended. The best approach is to narrow down stand placement to high traffic areas, and then hang several stands in each location to stay on top of things. If you don’t have the resources to purchase and hang several stands, at the very least you should have tree’s “marked” in various location. Armed with a climbing treestand, those pre-selected stand sites can prove to be just as productive as actually hanging multiple stands.

Text and Photos by Steve Flores

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Day five finds me braving the elements once again. Navigating the rock-strewn trail, I struggle to see beyond the blinding glare of snow as it dances through the beaming headlights of my ATV. Up to this point I have endured many long, uneventful hours in the stand, including one ambitious “dawn to dusk” effort. All in the hopes of getting just <one> glimpse at a shooter buck. As I near my destination, I can’t help but wonder if today will be the day.

Cutting the engine, I pause for a moment as my eyes adjust to the merging image of an ink black sky and a snow-white forest. The surrounding timber is as quiet as death, so much so, I can almost hear the flakes of snowfall as they whisper past my ears. Stepping off of the now lifeless machine, I quickly begin to brush away the half-inch or so of powder that has secretly gathered on my chest during the long drive up the mountain. Shouldering my backpack I anxiously reach for my bow and head out along the cold, lonely trail toward my stand. With each muffled step my excitement level swells. Not at the thought of another lingering day; without as much as a single deer sighting. But, because deep down I know this day, a day when most have chosen to stay within the confines of a warm, cozy bed, is really just another obstacle I must overcome in order to fill my tag. With that thought in mind, I press on, soon reaching my perch.

While I won’t argue the fact that we all face certain dilemmas while trying to arrow a good buck, pursuing whitetails in a mountain setting presents its own collection of unique challenges. However, consistent success is hardly unattainable in such an environment. After many years of trial and error, I have come to realize the key to bagging a big-timber trophy most often revolves around three distinct obstacles, and more accurately, the ability to recognize and ultimately overcome them. Conquer these hurdles, and you’ll be well on your way to putting your tag on a hill-country buck.

Complications of Tough Terrain

Without a doubt, the most obvious obstacle the “mountain” whitetail hunter faces is the terrain. Steep, rugged country offers little sympathy for the bowhunter who shows up out of shape and ill-prepared. In order to tackle this unpredictable territory day in and day out, you’ve got to possess a certain amount of physical stamina—more so than that required while hunting from a stand overlooking a field edge, or somewhere along a strip of timber running through an equally subtle location. When hunting in a mountain backdrop, the degree in which the landscape influences the outcome of the hunt is directly linked to your physical fitness. If you’re in top shape, you will concentrate more on what you must do to fill your tag, and less on the hellish terrain that seems to enjoy watching you suffer. Certainly, the more energy and focus you can devote to actually hunting, instead of just surviving, the more successful you will be.

The unpredictable and ever changing nature of mountain topography can also make something as simple as hanging a stand somewhat of an ordeal at times. The problem stems from the fact that on one side of the tree you might be 15 feet above the deer’s line of sight, and on the other side of the tree you might be eye level (in certain directions).

When you’re physically prepared for hunting hill-country terrain, you tend to scout out and eventually hunt locations that others won’t even consider. There are several advantages associated with such places. For example, hunting pressure is substantially lower, and gnarly old bucks are more apt to call those areas home.

To remedy this situation, you have to do two things:

1) conduct your treestand prep in the post season.

2) be more concerned with how well you are hidden, rather than how high your stand is.

Prepping your stand site in the post season provides ample opportunity to do things right. With no worries about spooking game, you can take your time, find the best tree, and then prepare it accordingly, paying particular attention to things such as background cover and position of the sun. Both of which can be used to fool the eyes of a suspicious buck. And, forget what you’ve read about the need to get a “certain” distance off of the ground. I have routinely taken hill-country bucks from stands hung 12 feet high or less. If I bought into the popular notion that I should be 20’ off the ground, or risk spooking game, I would feasibly be cutting my shooting area in half. Simply because I would likely be 30 to 40 feet in the air on the downhill side of the tree! Taking shots from that extreme height presents its own set of problems; ones I would much rather avoid. Therefore, keep in mind that an ambush point that conceals your outline and hides your movement is a deadly set-up; regardless of how high or low you set your stand.

Another curveball that mountain terrain typically throws at a bowhunter involves the actual shot itself. What I mean is a lot of guys I know practice at ground level all summer in preparation for opening day; big mistake. When fall finally arrives and it’s time to hunt, they find themselves facing a multitude of “unfamiliar” shooting scenarios from an elevated treestand position. In hill country, shooting situations run the gamut. Therefore, your practice sessions should mirror that fact. Uphill, downhill, side-hill, and even eye-level shots are all common from a treestand and must be given equal attention.

Don’t let nasty looking terrain deter you from hunting certain areas. The job of getting a large-racked buck out of big-timber isn’t all that bad, especially if you’ve got some good friends willing to share in the experience.

Also, bear in mind the distance and angle to the animal constantly changes with the slope of the mountain; presenting even more shooting concerns. You simply can’t experience these unique scenarios by merely practicing on the back lawn. What you need is a steady dose of what I like to call “situational practice”. In other words, prepare for the season by practicing exclusively from a treestand, preferably hung in an area similar to what you’ll face in the field. It truly is the only way to train for elevated hill-country bowshots.

Finally, there are the ever-present retrieving problems that go hand-in-hand with steep terrain. For instance, how are you going to get your trophy back to the truck or ATV? In hill country, getting your buck “out”, once it hits the ground, is most often the toughest part of the hunt. As a result, the nastiest, most abrupt terrain is usually passed-over for more trouble-free landscape and easier hunting. Unfortunately, big, mature, mountain bucks like to call those ghastly places home. If you never go near them, you’re only lowering your odds of success.

To overcome this stumbling block, you need to be prepared physically (tough terrain won’t intimidate you), and you need a plan-of-attack for hauling out your prize buck. Depending on where you left your means of transportation, you can either go down hill or up-hill. Down hill isn’t so bad. The tough part is keeping your own trophy from dragging you down the mountain. Up-hill is the gut busting, back breaker. No matter how much help you have, the job will be a difficult one. However you and your hunting partners can make things much easier if you do one thing: Free-up both of your hands. To do this, you need a quality backpack capable of securely hauling your bow-rig while you concentrate on “tugging” those large antlers over logs, stumps and rocks. I’ve often found myself holding onto to the antlers with one hand and digging and clawing my way up-hill with the other. Two hands are obviously better than one in that situation.

Check back as we cover more hill-country hurdles that you’ll want to be prepared for.

Text and Photos by Steve Flores

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Gear Up Effectively

Your choice in hunting gear and clothing must be made up of old standbys. Don’t bring new gear on a backcountry elk hunt. Every ounce counts, and only bring what you know works best. Choose quiet, quick-drying garments that are comfortable and durable. My favorite for September hunting is Cabela’s MicroTex Light, or regular MicroTex if temperatures are expected to be cooler. Sitka’s 90% Series is another excellent choice. Good thermal underwear is a must. I favor Smartwool Micro Weight or Sitka Core Base Layers. Cabela’s MTP Extreme Hunt Series or Thermastat is an excellent choice as well.

As far as raingear goes, bring only the lightest and the quietest. My go-to gear is the Cabela’s Space Rain Ultra Pack Rainwear. It’s so light, packable, and effective, it’s truly amazing.

Your footwear is perhaps the most important. Bring aggressive-soled boots that offer good support and extreme walking comfort. I favor Danner, Lowa, and Meindl brands. The Danner Talus is an all-time fa­vorite boot. To prevent blisters and hot spots, be sure your boots are well broken in and use an extra-thick wool sock and liner combo. I prefer Smart Wool Hunting Socks (midweight or heavy) along with a micro-thin Cabela’s Thermax extra-tall liner sock. Change socks immediately when they become soaked with sweat.

Bring a tough and comfortable daypack that will hold your lunch, survival gear, and so on. I believe Badlands makes excellent packs, with the 2200 or Super Day being an ideal choice.

Other must-have gear includes high-quality 7-10X mid-size binocular (Nikon, Swarovski, Zeiss, etc.), Cabela’s Outfitter Fleece Vest and Legacy Fleece Pullover, or Outfitter’s Microfleece Pullover, Petzl Tikka XP headlamp, Alaska Game Bags, drop-point skinning knife, small caping knife, and sharpener. A small saw or hatchet (Gerber makes good ones) is a must for detaching horns from skull to reduce weight.

Get In Shape & Eat Right

The mountains are steep, the air is thin, and walking through blow-downs can cause you much strain and soreness at the end of the day. All in all, you must be in decent shape on a wilderness hunt.

To do this, change your lifestyle now—not a couple months before the hunt. Start incorporating a good cardio workout into your weekly regimen. Cycling, jogging, hiking with your family or friends—any endeavor—will prove a Godsend come hunting day. Lift weights on occasion and do some abdominal exercises (sit-ups, crunches, etc.) to strengthen your torso area so you can carry a heavy backpack without feeling major strain.

Most importantly, start eating wisely. Begin each day with a very large, nutritious breakfast, followed by a balanced lunch and dinner with adequate lean portions of protein and vegetables. Eat lots of oats, nuts, and other natural foods. Say no to greasy foods and super-high-calorie desserts and treats, cheating only occasionally. Also, keep your intake of carbonated drinks to a minimum, drinking generous amounts of water instead. This will increase your propensity to avoid altitude sickness.

A healthy eater doesn’t crave at-home meals as frequently as one who con­sumes more fatty foods. This effectively alters your taste buds so you can hunt harder and longer, day after day. This benefit is huge.

Avoid Big-Bull Syndrome

Some macho bowhunters don’t consider smallish elk a worthy tro­phy—it’s a 6×6 herd master or nothing. Well, on a typical wilderness hunt, with an over-the-counter tag in pocket, any elk is a good elk, I say.

Examine why you are hunting the backcountry. If you’re doing it for the challenge, the mystique, and the overall experience, then any elk should be a grand trophy. If you happen to be a highly experienced wilderness hunter with many bulls to your credit and don’t feel the itch to just put one down, then I say good for you. In this case, you should probably stick it out and wait for a larger more mature animal. Of course, this means you must be willing to go home empty-handed, too. Are you?

My advice for beginning wilderness elk hunters is simple: shoot the first legal bull you see. Otherwise you’ll probably regret it. Besides, all elk hunting, big horns or small, cow or bull, will prove extremely exciting and rewarding, particularly to those that have never done it before.

After the Kill

Elk meat is delicious and is an important part of the reward, but you must care for it properly or risk spoiling it. When hunting alone, use parachute cord to hold legs out of the way for the field dressing and/or quartering chore. If you shoot the animal at late dusk, field-dress the animal immediately and gather some tree limbs or small logs and do your best to get the animal’s back up off the ground to prevent spoilage. Try to prop the legs so they are facing straight up, allowing the hindquarters to cool more efficiently. Also, throw your shirt over its chest as well, as added prevent­ion to ward off predators through the night.

With morning kills, quarter or remove boneless portions of meat and place in game bags in the shade. Backpack meat out as soon as possible to a rendezvous point so your wrangler can pack out using horses. Or a buddy can help backpack all 175-pounds of boneless meat back to the trailhead (pretty tough) and to the locker.

Embarking on a wilderness elk hunt, especially for the first time, is a major ordeal. Many first-time bowhunters are under the false impression that elk are literally everywhere in the deep backcountry, which is the real benefit of doing it this way. However, this just isn’t always the case. Much research and the use of smart hunting tactics still apply. If anything, you must be more prepared on a wilderness hunt than on any other. After all, it’s only you and the game, and what you bring with you is all you’ve got. However, in the end, I believe there is no greater way to bowhunt.

By Joe Bell

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