Gamesniper19
Well-Known Member
You drew the tag and you are coming out west to hunt elk. Awesome and congrats. It is something I wish every hunter on the planet would get a chance to experience. What to do now? Before you run out and buy all that stuff, a new rifle and the coolest clothes and gear you can get....yes you will need that but IMO here is the order of importance getting ready for your hunt.
- Get in the best possible physical shape you can be in. The mountains are bigger, higher, and steeper than you think. Your pack is going to be heavier than you think, and hunting for 5-7 days in that environment will break you down fast. There is no way to mimic that environment if you live in a flatter state unfortunately so do every exercise, work out, and cardio program you can to get in shape. It will make your hunt more enjoyable, you can cover more ground and if you do find and see elk, you can be more effective hunting them. Think about the best athletes in the world who can run a mile in about 4 mins. An elk can cover a mile in about 90 seconds, and continue to cover that mile up a hill, down a hill or across any terrain you can think of and keep going for 4-5 miles before stopping. You wanna try to follow that out of shape?
- Get the best gear you can afford.
- First and foremost, get a good pair of boots and break them in and put >70 - 100 miles on them before you hit elk camp. Blistered feet will ruin a hunt faster than anything else. Get good socks to go with them. Throw your white cotton socks in the trash and get some thin merino or other purpose built foot gear - I cannot stress your feet enough. Perhaps even upgrade your footbeds - I do and it does make a difference.
- Good gear including a pack that fits you correctly. Wear it. Walk with it, hike with it and make sure you can carry the weight. If it feels heavy now, imagine how its going to feel at 6500 feet with 80 lbs in it.
- Leave your scent lock at home. If you have nothing else, fine but if you can afford to get good elk gear, do it. You are going to be playing the wind anyway as a rule and scent lock is heavy and doesn't breath. Bring gear in layers that will keep you comfortable from about 20-75 degrees. Temps can vary that much in a day sometimes. Bring rain gear no matter what the forecast says. It could save your life and it has, take my word from experience
- Take hypothermia seriously. More people die of hypothermia when the temps are in the mid 30s than when it is colder. Why? you get wet, you get tired, you get cold and when its above freezing you think you are fine. If you sit and cool off and begin to get hypothermic, there is almost nothing you can do in the field to recover fast enough. Stay warm and as dry as you can. To the previous point, bring merino or other layers the dry fast (10 mins over a camp fire) and will keep you out of harms way
- Bring a first aid kit and survival gear - I bring it every time and everywhere I go. No matter what. Nope, dont leave it this time, dont forget it, and dont scrimp on it. Elk country is harsh and nature doesnt apologize. If you get in a bad way, have it to start a fire or signal or stay alive. Nope an elk and machismo is not worth dying
- Sleep warm and dry. Pad, bag, and tent. You can only recover if you sleep well. Physically falling asleep will be fairly easy, staying asleep and refueling your body and mind over a week in the field is imperative to your hunt and your well being.
- Have a plan. Tell people where you are going, get a GPS based tracking device or panic button if you get in a bad way. If you arent communicating with people by a certain time, they need to know where to come search and find you.
- Make sure you can shoot. Bow or rifle. That means more than standing at 20 yards in a perfectly flat shooting area or on a bench at 100 yards with no wind - know your capabilities and limits. Success comes from being sure of what you can do and how you do it. Leave your ego at home. If you cannot hit a pie plate at 60 yards at home in perfect conditions, why try that shot in the field.
- Get the best possible optics you can afford. Period. Your face will be in your optics all day for 7 days straight. You have to be able to pick out critters and do it without loss of clarity or headaches from bad glass.
- Be prepared if you are fortunate to kill an elk. Its an all day affair to field dress and pack an elk if you have never done so. Think 4-5 trips with an 80 lb pack. If its only 2 people and you are 6 miles in, that is 24 miles in one day with 160 lbs on...and its not gonna be flat ground. Back to point 1, get in shape and if you can, get some help. Bring bags, 550 cord to hang meat, and bear spray. G Bears are being conditioned to know what a gunshot means and I have had them come in on my carcass before, and posture and threaten. They are large and in charge and they will kill you if you arent prepared. A good sidearm may be a good idea as back up too, if you are bow hunting. Keep your head on a swivel when you come back to your kill, there may be a bear within 100 yards sleeping off a meal and it will see you as a threat. Make noise, and let your presence be known.
- Enjoy the experience. Everything I am sharing will help you enjoy your experience and more than that, hopefully get you back home safe. Killing and elk is the goal but even before that, coming home is more important. You can always draw another tag, you cannot draw another life.
No bud, you're just not close enough to hear them. As a good local I said I hadn't seen much either... as my Kifaru has a load of meat
. Which was true I hadn't seen an elk the morning after I got mine. But had been in rut fests the past few days.
