So you pulled yourself a general tag!? First, CONGRATS! Second… Welcome to your upcoming fall reality.
Hunting elk on a general tag is less of a peaceful walk in the woods and more of a gritty chess match where every move counts and the pieces are constantly running uphill.
Everyone loves the idea of calling in a screaming herd bull at 20 yards. What they don’t see is the 7-mile hike, the blown stalks, the untimely wind switch, and the herd getting bumped by another hunter from the next drainage. That’s mid to high-pressure general tag elk hunting. You’re not chasing elk in isolation, you’re hunting animals that are being hunted by dozens of other guys just like you.
Here are some thoughts on what separates the grinders from the guys who go home early:
1. You’ve Gotta Hike Past the Lazy
Most general tag units are frontloaded with pressure. If you’re not willing to get off the road or trailhead before first light, you’re basically just hiking with a bow or rifle. You’ve gotta outwalk the masses, plain and simple. Elk move where people aren’t. That might mean climbing 1,500 feet before sunup or bivying in a burn five miles in. If your legs don’t burn, your odds won’t either.
2. Be the Wolf, Not the Echo
Bugling is sexy. Everybody wants to do it. But in high-pressure zones, every elk has heard more bad calling than a drunk uncle on a discount duck call. Smart bulls go silent. They circle. They ghost. If you’re blowing on your bugle every 200 yards, chances are you’re alerting more elk than you’re calling in.
Learn to listen. Learn to read sign. Be the predator that watches and waits. Elk hunting isn’t always about who can scream the loudest, it’s about who can adapt the quickest.
3. Pressure Doesn’t Ruin Elk, It Just Moves Them
Hunters complain that “the pressure ruined the unit.” Nah, the elk are still there, they’ve just moved to where you don’t want to go. North-facing timber pockets, steep and ugly basins, or wind-blown ridgelines that never see boot tracks. When elk start vanishing from glassing spots and trails, start looking where you wouldn’t want to sleep. That’s where they’re stacking.
4. Play Long Game Mentality
Success on a general tag isn’t about instant gratification. You’re not entitled to a shot because you “worked hard.” The elk don’t care how many miles you’ve hiked. You may eat that tag and that’s okay. But every blown stalk, every long hike, every night under the stars is sharpening you. That’s the stuff that makes the next encounter count.
Because one thing’s for sure, when it does come together, it feels different. It’s earned. Not bought. Not guided. Not drawn. Earned through grit, guts, and the kind of patience most folks won’t ever understand.
Final Thought:
General tags are the blue-collar backbone of elk hunting. They don’t come easy, but they make you better. If you’re hunting pressured bulls this fall, don’t chase the fantasy. Chase the process. Learn to love the work.
Because when you finally arrow that cagey herd bull on day 7, five, maybe 8 miles deep, knowing 50 other guys didn’t….. That’s the real trophy.
My name is Sean Curtis. I’m a husband, a dad to an amazing son and daughter, and a proud Wyoming native who lives for time spent in the elk woods. Most of my hunts are solo, DIY, and deep in the backcountry of our public lands, the kind of hard-earned adventures that shape a person. When I’m not chasing bugles, I’m sharing the outdoors with my family and trying to pass on the values that matter most. Year after year, I’ve been fortunate to notch a few tags, but the real success is simply being out there. The learning, grinding, and the realization in this short life, maybe the good bottle of wine doesn’t need an occasion.. maybe that bottle IS the occasion.