Tips for Success

• 1). Familiarize yourself with local hunting regulations. In Montana you will need one of the appropriate licenses for hunting elk. The system of seasons and licenses is complicated, and you will need to decide what type of weapon you intend to use and whether you need an elk license only or a combination license allowing you to take other targets such as deer. In 2010, eight types of license are available that allow elk hunting, ranging in price from $8 for residents aged 12-14 years to $1,250 for a nonresident deer and elk combination license. Details can be found at the Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks website. Elk hunting generally takes place from September through December, but there are different specific seasons for different licenses.
  
  
• 2
  Elk can be hunted by rifle and bow.elk image by Earl Robbins from Fotolia.com
  
  Obtain and break in a pair of good, sturdy walking boots. You should expect to stalk elk over long distances. When the elk are nearby, you need to approach without drawing their attention, and camouflage clothing--especially jacket or shirt--is recommended. If there is difficulty attracting targets to your proximity, try mimicking bull and cow calls with a commercially available elk bugle.
  
  
• 3). Practice firing a .270 to .338 caliber rifle if rifle hunting is your sport. Elk can be shot with rifles from distances up to 100 feet, and although the object of the sport is to get a clean shot at the target's chest, repeated shots can be fired. This makes rifle hunting an easier and less arduous sport than bowhunting.
  
  
• 4
  Sturdy walking boots are a necessity for elk hunting.boots image by Trevor Rogers from Fotolia.com
  
  Make sure you have the right equipment for the challenging pastime of bowhunting. This includes a compound, high-speed bow with a draw weight (pressure required to draw the string) of 50 pounds of more and a fixed multi-pin sight that does not require adjusting when your elk is approaching. A bow sling is necessary to carry the bow. Carbon arrows with synthetic vanes that will not get torn by foliage should be carried in a suitable quiver. Practice extensively, not only by shooting at fixed targets from an upright position, but also shooting from the kinds of difficult squatting or crouching positions you may need to take to come close to your elk without being observed. If necessary, work on your physical strength to make the heavy draw weight of the bow seem easy.
  
  
• 5). Although Montana has nearly 60 million acres of private hunting land, nearly one third of the state, some 30 million acres, is public (federal or state) land, and this provides ample hunting opportunities. Information on access to public land hunting is available at the State of Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks website.