What First-Time Elk Hunters Always Get Wrong (And How to Fix It)

Posted by John on 23rd Jun 2025

This article was written by our friends at Broadmouth Canyon Ranch

There’s a moment on every first elk hunt where it hits you: You weren’t ready for this.

Maybe it’s when your lungs are on fire from that first uphill push. Or when a bull bugles at 80 yards and you freeze, clueless about what to do. Or maybe it’s when the sun sets and you realize you’re five miles from camp, with no elk and no plan B.

If you’re new to elk hunting, there’s no shame in getting it wrong. Everyone does. But there are a few rookie mistakes that show up again and again that turns a promising hunt into a wasted week. Here's what they are, and how to fix them.

Not Understanding the Wind

This is the one that ruins more hunts than anything else. Elk live and die by their nose. If you’re upwind, they’re gone.

Too many new hunters check the wind once in the parking lot and forget about it. But in the mountains, wind shifts constantly, thermals rise in the morning, fall in the evening, and swirl unpredictably midday. So, check the wind periodically.

How to fix it:

Carry wind-checkers and use them often. Emphasizing “OFTEN”
Hunt into the wind always.
Plan your route and setups based on thermals, not just terrain.

I like to use this little analogy when explaining this topic to beginners.

“You’ll never beat an elk’s nose, but you can avoid setting off the alarm”.

Moving When You Should Be Still

Elk pick up movement faster than sound. The classic rookie mistake is blowing a setup because you adjusted your bow, wiped your nose, or tried to range the bull when he was already staring a hole through you.

Ty Stubblefield calls this “breaking the rhythm of the woods.” Elk are always watching for predators that move differently than the forest around them.

How to fix it:

Set up in cover with minimal movement required.
Draw only when the elk’s view is obstructed.
Practice drawing your bow or shouldering your rifle from awkward positions—kneeling, sitting, uphill, downhill.

When in doubt: I know I know….. freeze!

Overcalling (or Calling at the Wrong Time)

Bugling is fun. But if you’re blowing on that tube every 90 seconds like it’s a duck call, you’re not talking elk, you're talking to every other hunter on the mountain.

Overcalling is probably the most common mistake newbies make. Elk are smart. Cows know what a hot bull sounds like, and bulls know when another bull sounds off.

How to fix it:

Only call when it makes sense—after locating elk or when you're in range and want to create movement.
Learn elk behavior and timing. A cold September morning sounds very different than a heated rut evening.
Practice restraint. Sometimes silence kills more bulls than sound.

If you wouldn't say it in a real conversation, don’t bugle it out at 6x6.

Bad Shot Preparation

You practiced on flat ground at 40 yards and grouped tight. Then you got to Colorado, had to shoot uphill from a crouched position in the rain, and your arrow sailed two feet high.

This happens constantly. Field conditions are nothing like the range.

How to fix it:

Train in your hunting gear—boots, pack, jacket, gloves, all of it.
Practice from steep angles, awkward stances, and with elevated heart rate.
Understand your effective range and stick to it. One clean shot beats three wounded misses.

Fred Eichler says it best: if you can’t make the shot in your yard with a cold bow and your eyes closed, don’t take it on the mountain.

Hunting the Wrong Spots (With No Plan B)

First-timers love trailheads. So do 40 other guys with no plan. If you’re just hiking a well-beaten trail and hoping for elk to pop out like white tails, you’re already behind.

Elk are smart, pattern pressure quickly, and vanish fast. If you don’t have backup plans, you’re stuck glassing empty ridges.

How to fix it:

E-scout multiple access points before the season.
Use maps to find off-trail benches, saddles, and basins far from pressure.
Don’t be afraid to hike deeper or hunt the “nasty stuff” that turns other hunters around.

If you’re not uncomfortable, you’re probably in the wrong spot.

Starting Too Late and Leaving Too Early

Elk move at dawn and dusk. It’s predictable. And yet, every year, hunters sleep in, start hiking at 8, and bail by noon. Elk don’t care if you’re tired. This one is so obvious on how to fix it.

How to fix it:

Be in position 30–45 minutes before first light.
Sit longer at mid-day—elk often make second moves between 11 and 2.
Don’t quit early unless you're packing meat.

Opening and closing time is when magic happens. Don’t miss it.

Poor Physical Conditioning

I can’t stress this one to you enough. The mountains WILL break you if you’re not prepared. You might be able to bench 300—but if you can't climb 1,000 feet with a 40-pound pack, you're not ready. Elk hunting is an endurance sport. I said it once and I’ll say it again: The mountains will break you if you're not prepared.

How to fix it:

Train months in advance: hike with a loaded pack, jog hills, do stair climbs.
Acclimate to elevation if you’re coming from sea level.
Eat right and hydrate before, during, and after each day.

The elk don’t give a crap if you're gassed there halfway up the next ridge and you’ll be left in the dust.

Forgetting About the Pack Out

Everyone dreams about killing a bull. Nobody dreams about hauling 300 pounds of meat six miles uphill. A surprising number of new hunters have no pack plan. No frame pack, no game bags, no clue.

How to fix it:

Pack out logistics are part of the hunt. Plan your route back before you take the shot.
Use proper game bags and a solid pack frame.
Have a buddy system—or know how to solo-pack safely over multiple trips.

If you're not ready to carry it out, don’t pull the trigger.

Final Thoughts: Mistakes Are the Best Teacher

Here’s the truth, every experienced elk hunter has botched a setup, spooked a bull, or shot over a 300-inch stud.

You will mess up.

What matters is that you learn fast. The mountains don’t give second chances often but when they do, you’ll want to be ready.

So slow down. Be quiet. Hunt the wind. Know your limits. Move like a predator, not a hiker.

And if all else fails? Keep hunting.