Elk Hunting - Tips to face such a big challenge. Part II

Certainly, an important part of elk hunting begins much before you even touch the terrain, but despite being physically and mentally able to face this challenge, there's still a lot of job to do once in the field.

No matters how good you prepared for this adventure, if your behavior in the wilderness is not the right one, success will be elusive, so you must be sure to proceed properly in order to increase your success odds and, even more important, to keep you safe.

As in any other hunting expedition, knowing the terrain is paramount not only for success but also for keeping you and your group safe.

Terrain knowledge may begin at home, once you have decided where you wish to go for elks.

Find maps of the area, reports about the best places to see elks, and gather as much information as possible.

Nowadays there's a lot of resources on the internet which will save a lot of time on research.

Once you are on the field, the next thing to do is scouting. Take your time to explore the area, hike the terrain and try to spot the best places to find elks.

Remember, these are elusive creatures living on a very complicated terrain, thus scouting probably will take longer than it would with other hunting types.

If it's your first time on a particular land, hiring a local guide or an outfitter is a great choice. They will not only guide you but also will help to keep you safe.

These people have been working and hunting on those lands for years and their valuable experience is not comparable to what one might gather from the internet and scouting alone.

Keeping in mind their advice and following their instructions is a good way to increase your success odds. Perhaps later, once you have hit the area more than once, you might go on your own, that will be on you when the time comes.

An important thing to do is spotting areas where you might camp or have shelter. Unlike other hunting expeditions, elk hunting might take several days, so it's important to have a clear idea of where you may expend the night and find shelter.

On this regard, it's paramount to pack camping gear. A compact tent, sleeping bag, and all the necessary items to keep you warm, hydrated, dry, and feed must be part of your gear, so you must be ready to carry some extra weight.

Maps, GPS, communication equipment, and batteries for all this stuff must be at your hands reach all the time during elk hunting.

Remember to pin on your map watercourses and high terrain, this way you will know where to go to find water or shelter.

A good excursion planning and execution are essential to increase your odds to find a once in a lifetime bull elk.

To know what you'll need to catch down that big animal proceed to Part III, where essential equipment for elk hunting is described.