The Elk Thread

[Hard Knocks]

285 more days until elk season, what's your plan?


the addiction continues.......

Ive been looking over my topo,and scouring google earth.I THINK I have found some great areas in South central CO.This will be my first elk hunt,so between scouting,buying gear,and working out,Im busy....but STOKED!

[Houston77]

Do any of you guys hunt by yourself? I've been tranning , planning and buying gear for a year but don't have anyone to come with. Is hunting by myself a bad Idea?

[drthornton]

a3dhunter goes solo mostly, he can help you.

I like Elk hunting with at least 1 partner...especially one that can call but there are bunch of guys that prefer solo.

You'll wish you had a partner if you kill one too far back but I'd go solo before I miss a year.

[Split Arrow]

Do any of you guys hunt by yourself? I've been tranning , planning and buying gear for a year but don't have anyone to come with. Is hunting by myself a bad Idea?

It's not necessarily a bad idea, but I prefer hunting with someone for various reasons: safety, calling, and help packing out.

I've hunted by myself before and it's not too bad though- definitely beats not hunting at all!

[TWP]

[ame="http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=YZRtRrUJ-Sw"]Marc Smith's seminar @ the Western hunt Expo 2013 in SLC, Utah - YouTube[/ame]

Check out this video from Marc Smith, pretty good synopsis of hunting alone and covers a lot more. If you hunt alone, you will start thinking a ton. And I mean about everything!!! Ha ha ha That is if you are doing 7-10 days alone. 2-4 days isn't too bad for me, but it may not bother you at all.

[ColinR]

When does the application process start for rifle elk, in Colorado, New Mexico and Wyoming?

[supertrooperl14]

Man I would not trade taking a kid out hunting for anything. We had my son, Hunter and his best friend Cy along for the ride. Both had tags. As it turned out Hunter scored first and we were all jacked up.

This was Cy's very first ever hunt. He learned a ton and this trip will help him on future hunts for sure. I ended up finding a herd of elk on the edge of a huge meadow. We were able to stock within 75 yards of a nice cow. Cy let the muzzle loader rip and just barely missed. To see the look in his eyes was priceless. We now have another young hunter that is hooked for sure.

Most guys have a hunting partner they do most of their hunting with. For me it is Hunter. He has been chasing Elk with me since he was 8. He makes every climb and step I make. He is a simply awesome caller and at age 10 I would rather him call for me than most guys I know that hunt elk.

One bit of advice I would give to new Dads is it is never too early to get your kiddos exposed to the hunting way of life. Sadly, I often see many people make excuses on why they can not take a kid hunting rather than the million reasons why they should take them.

Now the only battle I have to fight is how much school momma will let my little Hunter man miss.

The plan is to add a couple more kiddos to this hunt next year. We will just call it a good ole Family Tradition.

Take a kid hunting, you will not regret it.

Simply AWE-SOME!!!! Thank you Thank You Thank You for passing along the oldest of all traditions. We need it now, more than ever. Good for all of you and especially the hunter.

[Houston77]

Ok so I'm looking at south central co . Since its solo trip I would need help packing an animal out if I was lucky enough to have success. How do you guys find packers ? I've looked on the Internet several times with no luck.

[Houston77]

Also thanks for all the advice and video

[Kolpin10]

Ok so I'm looking at south central co . Since its solo trip I would need help packing an animal out if I was lucky enough to have success. How do you guys find packers ? I've looked on the Internet several times with no luck.

Local taxidermist and local feed stores are two of the best recources i have found, some of the part time locals will often leave there numbers with them. Other than that some of the licensed outfitters in the area will also do packouts you can find the licensed outfitters on the colorado outfitters association website.

[bowhuntermac]

Or you can pack it out a chunk at a time.....I've had to do that more times than my knees want to think about...including this years bull!

[TWP]

Amen!!! That is why my 2 and 3 year old sons were with me this evening dove hunting, picking up birds and working on learning tracks around the pond. ;-)

Man I would not trade taking a kid out hunting for anything. We had my son, Hunter and his best friend Cy along for the ride. Both had tags. As it turned out Hunter scored first and we were all jacked up.

This was Cy's very first ever hunt. He learned a ton and this trip will help him on future hunts for sure. I ended up finding a herd of elk on the edge of a huge meadow. We were able to stock within 75 yards of a nice cow. Cy let the muzzle loader rip and just barely missed. To see the look in his eyes was priceless. We now have another young hunter that is hooked for sure.

Most guys have a hunting partner they do most of their hunting with. For me it is Hunter. He has been chasing Elk with me since he was 8. He makes every climb and step I make. He is a simply awesome caller and at age 10 I would rather him call for me than most guys I know that hunt elk.

One bit of advice I would give to new Dads is it is never too early to get your kiddos exposed to the hunting way of life. Sadly, I often see many people make excuses on why they can not take a kid hunting rather than the million reasons why they should take them.

Now the only battle I have to fight is how much school momma will let my little Hunter man miss.

The plan is to add a couple more kiddos to this hunt next year. We will just call it a good ole Family Tradition.

Take a kid hunting, you will not regret it.

[a3dhunter]

Do any of you guys hunt by yourself? I've been tranning , planning and buying gear for a year but don't have anyone to come with. Is hunting by myself a bad Idea?

Hunting solo is a double edged sword.
First off, I hunt better by myself. I really feel like I listen to my gut more, and put myself in the right place at the right time more often. Solo, I am real lucky! Hunting with a partner I was 0 for 3 on hunts lasting 7 days or more, with only one shot opportunity.

Some things to consider when hunting solo:

1. What if you get hurt?
I carry a SPOT satellite messenger so I can always signal for help if I need it. This eliminated a lot of my wife's worrying as well. It was unbelievable how this also helps to keep you calm in a potentially serious situation. I tore my ankle on a hunt the first weekend of third rifle season off the side of the Grand Mesa in western Colorado. I was screwed! Knowing I could get help if needed allowed me to not panic and do something stupid, I was able to get off the mountain by myself but it reassured me that I will continue to carry the SPOT.

2. Mental side: the loneliness is too much for some. Going 3 days without talking to someone else is pretty average in the mountains and most do okay with that. Once you start getting past that there are a lot of people who will bail off the mountain just to have contact with another person, It's happened to me in the past, and I'm sure it will again some day.
I find that in the summer doing progressively longer trips can help to build up the mental side. Once you get to day 7, you are usually past the loneliness and settle into a nice flow. You can do a lot to prepare physically, preparing the mental side for the mountains is different. Things that help me: a good book, mini Ipod for music, and even games on a phone.

3. Packing meat:
Have a plan! You don't have to have a packer, but be prepared for when you down an animal and be ready to debone on the mountain and hang that meat so it will cool. That may mean moving it 1/4 mile or more for good shade or a creek. Once meat is hung and cooling, take the first load out. You can always leave camp for the last load. Plan your loads to minimize your trips. You don't need to carry 3 loads of 115 lbs and then a load of 45 lbs, so as you are packing your meat bags to hang, figure out which loads will go together.
Don't get overwhelmed by the prospect of getting the meat out. You've usually got a couple days, and unless you hurt yourself you will be able to do this even if in the backcountry 5-7 miles.
If you know the hardest part of the packout is getting the elk meat 1 mile up out of the canyon you are in, then shuttle all of the meat out of the canyon first. Then your later trips, when you are more tired, won't be deal breakers. Much easier to use adrenaline to get that meat out of the hole, than hiking in and out after you've covered 20 miles packing meat.

4. Plan your gear to be successful: Don't head up the mountain solo with 60 lbs of gear and expect to be able to hunt effectively and pack out an elk. Get your gear weight down into the 40 lb range. 35 lbs if possible (and it is). Even with food and water, total weight should be under 45 lbs IMO. If not, take a hard look at what really needs to go.
If you listen to Mark Smith who's video was linked above, one thing he mentioned in Colorado at the ISE show last year was using a bivy. A bivy is lightweight, very small, and can be packed quickly. You can usually find an elk bed on even the steepest mountains and sleep there ( I know I did last year). There are plenty of small tents or tarps that will serve well, just decide what shelter works for you and use it before your trip so you are comfortable with it.


Hunting solo has led to the highest of highs for me, but it isn't for everyone. Next year, my wife will be elk hunting with me. She is looking to take her first archery elk.

[a3dhunter]

Ok so I'm looking at south central co . Since its solo trip I would need help packing an animal out if I was lucky enough to have success. How do you guys find packers ? I've looked on the Internet several times with no luck.

You're packer will need to be licensed in the state and in the forest or wilderness area you are using. If not, both you and the outfitter can be fined. To find one in your area start with the Colorado Outfitter association:

http://www.coloradooutfitters.org/files/2013_COOutfitter%20%282%29.pdf

You can also contact Colorado Parks and Wildlife or the local game wardens for references if unable to locate anybody. The thing to remember is that most of these outfitters have clients during that time, they may or may not be available when needed.

[TradAg02]

Check out the town closest to the trail head you are going in on. Depending on where you hunt there may be no phone service in which case you will have to go into town and physically find the outfitter. The outfitter I lined up last year gave me three points of contact in town that could get to him or one of his guides. Also make sure you have plenty of cash on you, credit cards are useless without phone service.

I enjoyed hunting (though unsuccessful) by myself. However next time I will have a satellite phone and/or a spot. I got myself into some dangerous situations and ultimately cut my hunt short because I realized how stupid it was to be that far back in a wilderness area with no means of communication.

I carried a small bivy tent last year to save on weight and space. After riding out nightly thunderstorms with my toes and nose touching the rough I am looking for a larger tent this year that will allow me to at least sit upright.