First Elk Hunt

7.62RUM

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Joined
Mar 10, 2008
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I am looking to go on an elk hunt, and I am not sure where to go. This will be my first elk hunt so i am not sure what to expect. where ever i go i am sure it will be very different from the cotton feilds and hard woods bottoms of the Delta. Any tips on where to go or guids services to go with will be greatly appreciated.

I am taking my new 300RUM ,this is my second 300RUM and love the cartridge
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went on my first elk hunt last october. we did a DIY hunt in northwest colorado. the were good numbers of other hunters hunting the area. we went 1 for 3. i shot a 5x5 bull and my grandfather and uncle had lost opportunities. in 4 days i saw 25 bulls that were taken by others off of the 6 mile by 3 mile area. doing it this way we also saved us thousands of $'s and we had a great time. i would higly recommend a DIY. I myself find it more enjoyable to find and take an animal by myself than pay a guide. not that anything is wrong with using a guide.

good luck on your hunt.
 
Many elk to be found in different areas across the west. Some places require non-residents to put in for the "draw" well in advance. Wyoming wants the applications in January for example. Be prepared to pay for the non-resident tag up front too. If not drawn, they'll send back everything minus a small processing fee.

Some areas are relatively easy to hunt. Some are quite difficult because of high altitude and rugged terrain. My Wyoming bull was taken at about 10,000' ASL, a mile from camp and ten miles from the nearest road. If you're hunting the rugged/high country, being in shape is vital. Then, give yourself a few days to acclimate to the altitude and lack of oxygen.

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Without pack animals I couldn't have gotten him out of there. First day my partner/mentor and I skinned and quartered up the elk and got the parts back to camp. Next day we spent all day getting the meat and head down to civilization, then getting us back to camp. A big lesson learned for this mule deer hunter is that bull elk are BIG. Think 700+ pounds. Many elk taken on public land though are cows, spikes & raghorns at nowhere near that size. Still, they'll be bigger than a big deer. Have a plan for dealing with that. Any bull on public land is a trophy. Particularly on a Do-It-Yourself hunt.

Elk can be hunted at long range, but they may also appear at more modest ranges. Be prepared for that 30 yard snap shot. Your .300 RUM is more than enough gun for the job.

Back to where??? Washington and Oregon have big-bodied Roosevelt elk. Monsters in body size and usually heavy antlered too. The Rocky Mountain elk are also present in Washington and Oregon but are in big numbers throughout the western states. It might be difficult to pick a state. I've hunted them here in Washington where I live, and in Wyoming when I got an invite from a friend there. If you consider Wyoming, beware that a guide is required for non-residents to hunt the designated Wilderness areas.

In addition to the good input I'm sure you'll receive here, you might want to check out Eastmans Hunting Journal. As a subscriber you'll be able to access volumes of research material on hunting "out west." Many western states have vast areas of public land free for you to hunt. Figuring out where can be a daunting task. For instance here in Washington there are many areas open to elk hunting, that actually hold very few elk.

Elk hunting is one heck of an experience. Particularly if you can arrange to hunt the rut. Having a ticked off 700 pound bull screaming at you, looking for a fight, is simply awesome.

Best of Luck! Guy
 
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hi,im john and new here.
a friend of mine is a gunsmith and uses the 300 win rum.he hunts wyoming alt and has had great success.but then certain places in oregon have great hunnting.i can get the outfitters name for you in wyoming.tim always brings home a 6 point or better
 
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