This SIMPLE CONCEPT is Why You Never Kill Elk

Random thoughts from an idiot rookie: - Two things I always tell myself, "You don't know this area until you glass it in the morning", and " Try to sleep where you glass". - In the AM, I like to be setup before the first rays of gray light start showing over the eastern ridges, though family obligations don't always allow for it during summer, so I end up leaving at like 3 AM and still not make it in time. - Afternoon "geezer naps" are the bomb! - Thermal shifts, it puts a time limit, and it varies on time of year and location, but it's usually like clockwork in it's timing, and something to plan for. - The sun/shadow line is another time limit, once that sun is overhead, everything changes. - Being "in the bubble" is exhausting. So I try and ration it. The trick is knowing when you need to step it up and get into the bubble. I've blown an entire herd by bumping a single cow from 100 yards away. Though I was quiet, I was NOT in my bubble so the cow saw me before I saw her. That had repercussions the following day, cause all the elk were gone. - Depending on hunting pressure, and how hot it is, elk are like a tide in the ocean. The tide comes in from private at night, and could go back out to private about 30 minutes after first light. I know this cause I could hear them at night. It also means the window of opportunity is SUPER narrow. Personally, my BIGGEST fault, is not hunting the evening hours as much as I know I should. It's a conscious decision since i'm almost always solo. The rational is if I step into some shit in the dark in the morning hours, I know daylight is coming and I have all day to unfuck myself. In the evening, that isn't the case, though I will hunt the evening depending on the terrain, location, and elk activity. (IE risk management) I've had them come in on me in the evening, 5 minutes before shooting hours ends, and i was getting ready to pack it up. You just never know.

Cliff we’re going to watch the video no matter what you name it just post it we get the alert we click and watch that simple lol. Thanks for everything my guy

I sent this video to my hunting partners (my sons) to help explain "the quit feeling" because they get exhausted by putting too much energy in the wrong places at the wrong time. Thanks Cliff.

💯. I've guided for 20+ years and it's amazing how very few understand this. They almost always want to call it quits an hr or so before dark. The last half hr (5 mins of legal light) is when we get most all our elk in the evening. They get excited when we first set down for the evening then prime time comes and there not looking anymore. I look (glass) harder the later it gets. Love a good evening hunt!

I don’t know if you have ever done a video on “Overcoming the fear of Solo hunting in the dark” but if you do, I bet it will be popular. A lot of us “Tough guys” don’t wanna admit it, but that’s the reason most of us head to the truck at 4pm in the afternoon. That fact alone is why 90% of us don’t kill elk….. we wait till sun up to get on the mountain while the 10 percenters are already quartering their kill before the rest of us leave the road.

Excellent subject and info as always Cliff 👍 Having harvested the VAST majority of my elk in the last bit of shooting light of the day, I couldn't agree more with you about just how critical good time management is. As well as adjusting your "normal" routine to the hunt.

I’ve cheated most my life because I had mules and packed into wilderness areas as a young man and now as an older man I have private lands that hold Elk. Elk are pretty easy to hunt, but can be damn hard to find. I’ve ridden thirty miles in a day in a loop around a wilderness camp and nada. And three days later it’s like the heavens opened and Elk fell out. Sometimes it’s easier to wait for them to come to you than for you to go to them. Hats off to the backpack hunters in wilderness areas. Should be an Olympic sport. Always thought of you with a cold beer in my hand sitting in a saddle and looking back at 2 mules, 4 quarters and horns a head and a cape. Now I do a ebike and lots of trail cameras and hunting blinds. Patterns develop and you just have to wait for them to cross the fence back over onto your place. And hope the neighbor doesn’t score first. Which happens….

Cliff you have produced a lot of very good videos…..this one ranks right at the top. I am a seasoned western hunter and found plenty of new things to contemplate from your advice. Appreciate your content.

This man knows what he is talking about, i was a guide in Big Horn Wyoming and the Elk and Mule deer are really smart, which makes for a very fair chase hunt. Which also teaches you to be a better hunter. Great stuff, listen to this guy.

Just scored on a returned idaho elk tag sale. Brushing up on my Cliff elk knowledge, this concept is super valuable to me as a newer elk hunter. This will be my fourth elk trip. I was able to tag my first idaho bull on my third trip. Hoping to carry that successful momentum into my hunt this year! Keep up the awesome videos. Love the game processing information too! Good luck this season.

Been hunting elk 15 years in same area northern Colorado. I’m 67 and hunt strictly nasty timber and there is no glassing and I do this solo. I’m not afraid of the dark and I know I’m missing some great action but navigating this sh- - in the dark for a mile or two is more than I want to do at my age. BUT this year I’ll give it a go. I drew an Elk and Mule deer archery tag. Great video as always, you never stop learning. 🏹🏔️🌲⛺️🦌

Your content constantly improves. Delivery, editing, camera angles, topics, guests and formats. I've watched em all Cliff. Large sample size. Your work is elite.

Too many hunters confuse camping with hunting. Leave late because they have to have a big breakfast or come in early to do like you said, need to get dinner going, cutting wood, go to the bathroom etc. Then stay up too late organizing camp, talking, camp talk is part of hunting but manage your time so you can have new stories. One other thing use your standard vision to look around on occasion not just through your glass.

Cliff i love all the content! Ive learned so much from your videos. I was able to harvest my first Muledeer last year! Thank you!

Cliff, thanks for making this point. We aren’t the super heroes we think we are sometimes. I am glad my son likes to fish during the heat of the day, and we usually hit the hunting spots in the mornin and evenings.

Mostly agree with this stuff. Napping midday can be tough when it's bright warm outside. Maybe a catnap or two but 3-4 hours is a tall order for me. Navigating in the dark can be dangerous. It isn't the predator issue so much as slipping or tripping on things I can't see well. Plus, the deer can see perfectly well while we can't see them at all. So I won't let myself be too exposed until I can see at least enough to know if there's deer in my immediate area. Oddly, in a spot I've gotten to know very well, the earliest hours have some activity but a lot of activity happens at the thermal shift when the winds are stagnant or moving back/forth -- giving them a chance to know what is both ahead and behind them. The deer move quickly during that hour to get themselves into position before the winds shift uphill -- often running from place to place, stopping occasionally to read the wind & then running another 100 yards or so. Maybe it's a local phenomenon but it's pretty reliable in my mountains. But, yes! Time management is a HUGE issue in people's success and failure. Early season archery, there's a huge chunk of time to kill midday but it's pretty intense from evening until late the next morning. Late season, it's an intense day and a very relaxing evening & night where I have time to read books in the tent & relax. But field life should always revolve around those prime hours, whatever they are -- couldn't agree more.

Good stuff Cliff Makes perfect sense to what your saying. Thanks for all the good info

Cliff you make some good points but also some poor ones. I’ve had a lot of mule deer success packing to stay out all day. Eat lunch in the field, nap in the field mid day. Glass more and move less. I see so many hunters tromping around the sage country not seeing any of the deer I’m watching all day. Your on point though that you have to have the stamina to stick with it and focus during prime time. This approach has resulted in a good number of field dressed deer in the dark and late night pack outs. Pack and plan for that and success rates go up.

Cliff I really don't like you telling my hunting competition about this stuff. ;) Honestly though this content is great and right on the money. The only thing I would add is that we have been blessed on many occasions by having lunch with a group of hunters watching a prime mountainside or draw. No glassing, just BSing and something pops up. I've spent too many hot days behind glass and my eyes were super tired come prime time in the evening. Not worth it at all.

Great video, Cliff, not boring at all. The great temptation for me to get back to camp too early is simply that I hate hiking through deadfall in the dark. It's inevitable; it's necessary; it's no fun at all.