Dank Bulls near success
You know that feeling when you’re so close to something you can taste it? Well, let me tell you about how our crew at Dank Bulls got close enough to taste elk… figuratively speaking, because we didn’t bring any meat home this season, but next year the expectation is so high!
Who We Are
Before I dive into our tale of Close Encounters: Elk Hunting Tips for Beginners, let me introduce ourselves. We’re Dank Bulls, a group of first and second-year hunters based in Colorado Springs. We are as inexperienced as the summer aspens when it comes to big game hunting. However, we are enthusiastic and eager to learn from our mistakes. Boy, did we learn a lot this year!
The Sound That Changed Everything
There’s nothing quite like hearing your first bull elk bugle in the wild. It’s like nature’s version of surround sound theater. Instead of sitting comfortably in a recliner, you’re trying not to hyperventilate from excitement. You move silently through the woods. This year, we finally got to experience that heart-pounding moment when a bull announced his presence. Let me tell you, no YouTube video or elk call practice session can prepare you for that moment!
The “Almost” That Keeps Us Up at Night
Picture this: we’ve got a magnificent bull in our sights at 330 yards. The kind of shot you dream about… except for one tiny detail. We’d have to take it standing. We have not practiced a shot from that distance ever before. Now, at Dank Bulls, we’ve got a philosophy that it’s better to pass on a shot. We choose this over risking wounding an animal. Some more experienced hunters might have been able to make that shot. However, knowing our skill level, we decided to make the tough (but right) decision to let him walk.
Let me tell you, watching that bull saunter away was incredibly hard. It was even harder than explaining to a non-hunter why you spend your vacation days freezing in the mountains. But you know what? We’re proud of that decision. It’s like my grandfather used to say, “The only thing worse than no shot is a bad shot.” (Okay, my grandfather never said that, but it sounds like something a wise old hunter would say, right?)
The “D’oh!” Moments
Remember that time Homer Simpson hit his head and said “D’oh!”? Well, we had several of those moments this season:
First up, the cow elk situation. There we were, perfect opportunity, everything lined up just right… except we hadn’t considered to put in for cow tags. You have to decide what tags you want. Make this decision before the season is even close. We have several guys, next year some of them will have a cow tag and some will have bull tags. Rookie mistake number one! It’s like showing up to a party with chips but forgetting the dip – you’re close, but not quite there.
Then there was the season selection. Later, we discovered something interesting. If we’d chosen a different season, we would have had our favorite spot practically to ourselves. Instead, we played “dodge the other hunters” while our target herd was probably laughing at us from their secret hideout.
The Stalking Situation
Okay, here’s where it gets really interesting (and by interesting, I mean humbling). We finally found ourselves in the situation every elk hunter dreams about. We heard the herd and tried to stalk them. Let me tell you, those hunting videos make it look way easier than it is!
There we were, trying to move as quietly as possible through what seemed like the world’s noisiest forest. Every step was like stepping on nature’s bubble wrap. We hadn’t really practiced our stalking techniques, and it showed. Ever try to sneak up on an animal that can hear a pine needle drop from 100 yards away? Yeah, it’s about as successful as trying to teach a fish to juggle.
What We Learned (The Hard Way)
- Practice shooting from various positions. Standing shots are a real thing, and we need to be prepared for them. Time to make friends with that wobbly shooting stick!
- Research ALL possible tags and put in for everything that makes sense. Nothing worse than seeing an animal you could have hunted… if you’d only filled out some paperwork.
- Season selection is like real estate – it’s all about location, location, and timing! Research different seasons and their pros and cons before making a decision.
- Stalking is an art form. We need to practice moving quietly through the woods BEFORE we’re 100 yards from a bull of a lifetime. Maybe we should start practicing by sneaking up on our cats at home. Spoiler alert: they always hear us coming too.
Looking Ahead
You know what’s great about being new hunters? Every mistake is a learning opportunity, and boy, do we have a lot of learning opportunities! We’re already planning for next season, and our to-do list looks something like this:
- Practice shooting from uncomfortable positions (while maintaining ethical shot standards)
- Research ALL possible tags and seasons (no more “if only we had known” moments)
- Perfect our stalking technique (sorry, neighborhood cats)
- Learn more about elk behavior and movement patterns
- Get in better shape (those mountains aren’t getting any shorter)
The Dank Bulls Promise
Here’s the thing about Dank Bulls – we’re not afraid to admit when we messed up. We’re not expert hunters, and we don’t pretend to be. We’re just a group of new hunters trying to figure this whole thing out, one mistake at a time. But we promise to always:
- Put the animal’s welfare first
- Share our learning experiences (even the embarrassing ones)
- Keep our sense of humor
- Never stop learning and improving
Join Our Learning Journey
You might be new to elk hunting in the Colorado Springs area. If so, you could think, “Hey, these guys sound like my kind of disaster!” You might just be Dank Bulls material. Then you might be Dank Bulls material. We’re always looking for other new hunters to learn and grow with. Email us at [email protected] if you want to join a group where making mistakes is okay. As long as you learn from them, and are willing to laugh about them later, it’s perfectly fine.
Final Thoughts
This season might not have ended with filled tags. However, we did have some really Close Encounters. We may not have brought home any elk. Yet, we brought home something almost as valuable – experience. Okay, maybe not ALMOST as valuable (have you seen the price of meat lately?), but you get what I mean.
Here’s to next season, to learning from our mistakes, and to hopefully filling some tags! And hey, if we don’t? Well, at least we’ll have more stories to tell and lessons to share.
Written by a proud member of Dank Bulls. We’re turning “should have” into “will do” one season at a time. Remember, we’re not experts – we’re just sharing our journey so others can learn from our mistakes… or at least get a good laugh out of them!
