Would you shoot on the first day of the season?

[huntnnw]

in a restricted unit like that its a no brainer..obvious your not trophy hunting..meat hunt.

[Instinct]

I would because i can then focus on deer or bear next. Or just chill at camp and help others out. If you wait you will be kicking yourself in the butt for not pulling the trigger/release at the end of your season.

[MADMAX]

Kill it,  take it to a locker and grouse & bear hunt

[funkster]

I think this question can only be answered by the individual hunter and there is no right or wrong answer. Here is my personal view on shooting on the first day. A lot goes into my preparation. I usually rack up months of time in the woods doing pre season scouting. When I find the elk I am looking for, I mark the area and watch it. I take mental notes of wind during different times of the day. I mark when the elk start moving, I mark where they are going and where they came from. I look for natural funnels that the elk may take when spooked and go over scenarios in my head and pick the best spot I feel to get off a shot. I usually have a few elk that I have spotted and hunt them only.

So to answer the question, if the elk I set my goal on harvesting is in my effective range and it is the first day or the first minute I get to my spot, It is going down. If I "bump" an elk that does not meet my personal goal and it is 10ft from me, I will and HAVE let it walk. I have eaten tag soup in doing this, but I love the challenge and hunting to me isn't just about harvesting an animal      

[Recurve-Elk]

I think this question can only be answered by the individual hunter and there is no right or wrong answer. Here is my personal view on shooting on the first day. A lot goes into my preparation. I usually rack up months of time in the woods doing pre season scouting. When I find the elk I am looking for, I mark the area and watch it. I take mental notes of wind during different times of the day. I mark when the elk start moving, I mark where they are going and where they came from. I look for natural funnels that the elk may take when spooked and go over scenarios in my head and pick the best spot I feel to get off a shot. I usually have a few elk that I have spotted and hunt them only.

So to answer the question, if the elk I set my goal on harvesting is in my effective range and it is the first day or the first minute I get to my spot, It is going down. If I "bump" an elk that does not meet my personal goal and it is 10ft from me, I will and HAVE let it walk. I have eaten tag soup in doing this, but I love the challenge and hunting to me isn't just about harvesting an animal      

Well said, this is kind of what I was getting at.  Sounds like you are after the big bulls though!

[funkster]

Size isn't the only thing I look at. Sometimes I will pick an antler color. One year I was on a bull we named "white tips" do to his pearly white antler tips. chased him around the hills for almost two season. Another bull I choose was a bull I had a full draw over a minute stair down with and tried to get him the next season.  If you get elk on film, they all have little differences that you can actually tell them apart. If I had a cow tag and it was just a meat hunt, I might go for an older cow just for conservation purposes. To each his own but that is how I go about it.

[Holg3107]

isnt that why cameras were invented?

[funkster]

Cameras were invented to prove that your hunting buddy missed that bull standing at 10 yards when he denies it

[huntnnw]

this is more of question in a any elk area...say u see a spike opening day or wait to take a bigger bull?

[saylean]

I have a cow tag for a true spike only unit...while I do not want to spoil other peoples first day in camp by tagging out and having them help pack (although I doubt it would hurt anyones feelings), I am pretty sure I could fill that tag on day 1. I might hold out for a spike for a few days....

Then go for bear and kitty kitty.

[Dhoey07]

this is more of question in a any elk area...say u see a spike opening day or wait to take a bigger bull?

A bull is a bull, Shoot it!

[thefirefighter]

No way I would pass up a shot!  It gives me time to spend with my wife on the weekend so we can fill her tag as well.  Best of luck to everyone!

[funkster]

this is more of question in a any elk area...say u see a spike opening day or wait to take a bigger bull?

To me it depends on what pre-season scouting told me. If I scouted right, I would know my area and know the quantity vs quality ratio. Most "any elk" area's don't hold much elk so I might just shoot that spike.

[shooter581]

Been there, done that; only it was my hunting partner who tagged out in first 15 minutes of opening day.  You can always hunt coyotes, grouse, rabbits...

[skybusterbo]

I've had to wait for shooting time on opening day to shoot deer and elk. When my watch says its time.... boom! Then I spend the rest of my time off helping my buddies find one. Or fishing.