The majority of elk are killed by a small percentage of the same hunters. These are the guys who know exactly where to go, what to do, and how not to waste time. They know how to quickly eliminate terrain they will not hunt. Most importantly, they know how to stack the odds in their favor. These hunters don’t drive all over the unit hoping for luck. They don’t get a different tag every year thinking the next spot will magically be better. Instead, they hunt the same unit—or a few of the same units—year after year. They plan spring bear hunts and scouting trips in the same areas. They hike and camp in or near the places they plan to hunt. They don’t just e-scout from the couch. They understand the value of putting boots on the ground year-round, or as much as possible. They thoroughly scout and hunt the same areas until they understand what is actually happening in the forest. Some years, they even have a target bull. They hunt that one bull, and if they don’t kill him, they return the next year to try again. There is a story of an Oregon hunter who hunted the same monster bull for seven years until he finally put an arrow through him. That is the real way to stack the odds in your favor. When you have a target moving through the mountains and you keep chasing that bull, you understand him better every season. Even if you don’t kill him, your knowledge expands. This is how I now plan my year around the same unit or two: Winter: Driving roads looking for cougar tracks Spring: Bear hunting and shed hunting Summer: Scouting, camping, and hiking in the unit August: Archery season scouting September: Elk season October: Early October elk are still bugling, and I’m also deer hunting November: Rifle elk hunting for family and friends December: Picking up trail cameras from the year That is how you build knowledge. And then there are hunters who drop a few pins on a map and think elk will walk through camp on day one. If you are still trying to kill your first bull on public land, you are probably making many of the same mistakes I made for years.

I'm planning to do the next zoom session but want to make it the most efficient for you guys. I need you guys to start sharing the topics you want to discuss in depth and ask questions. Everyone is in a different experience level, I'll try to help everyone. - Selecting a unit - Gear - E-Scouting - Actual Scouting - Locating and Calling elk - or anything else.

Zoom Session for First Time Elk Hunters! We Will Cover the following topics. - Tags and Seasons - Nonresident options - Roosevelt vs Rocky Mountiain Elk - What to expect during season - Starting E-scouting This Session is First Time Hunters and none residents who want to learn more, but everyone is welcome to join we will have Q and A at the end. Link to Join is in the Calendar Tab. Zoom will be scheduled for 9AM Saturday (Pacific Time) Click on the link and register to stay in tune.

Hey, if anyone's in central Oregon and wants to meet up for hikes and field scouting to get/stay in shape and practice what we learn, let me know! I'd love to have a community that keeps each other accountable for our hunting goals, and being field-ready is a huge part of the hunt.

Quick video about E-Scouting and why it's important. You have to understand the terrain and be familiar with ridges, creeks, and timber. 3D view of terrain will give you much deeper understanding of how it will look like when you show up to the area to Scout or Hunt during the season. I want to encourage all members to ask questions if you don't understand something or other things that you have interest in learning and want me to discuss or make a video about. Tell me what you want to learn and let's dig deeper int to the elk knowledge together.