Elk season is a powerful motivator. Personally, I enjoy years when I have an elk license, because I’m inspired to get in better shape, practice more, and spend more time on assembling the right selection of gear. Elk hunting is one of the greatest of outdoor adventures, and if you’re thinking about participating in the autumn, follow this regimen suggested by The Western Hunter magazine.
If you’re lucky enough to have an archery elk tag this fall, it’s time to get yourself and your bow in shooting shape! The earlier you get started, the better off you’ll be. I’d like to go over what I do each summer to get ready for elk hunting.
The way I prepare for early fall hunts has changed quite a bit over the last 15 years. Back when I was competing weekly in 3-D tournaments, I didn’t take my preparation for hunting season nearly as seriously as I do now. Five months of tuning and maintaining my target gear burned me out on archery. So, when fall rolled around, I just grabbed my hunting bow, slapped a few accessories on it, picked up a handful of arrows and headed into the field. I just wasn’t as well prepared as I should have been.
Things are a lot different now. I spend two solid months getting my gear ready to hunt. A lot of bowhunters will spend only the last month before season working on their gear. However, by that time, I’m already finished tuning and grouping. That way I can save the last month solely for working on my shooting technique.
Increasing the Incentive
I’m motivated to start early because of a broadhead tournament we started about 12 years back. We developed the shoot to encourage ourselves to develop more accurate hunting setups and also to force us to get our gear ready earlier… [continued]
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