The Elk Thread

[elkbowhunter]

Question for you veteran elk hunters....How much does the moon phase effect planning your hunts? Do you try to stay away from full moon hunts or just focus on the rut activity timeframe?

never hunt moon phase. Elk do what they want when they want. There could be something to it but I have hunted them in every situation and found NO DIFFERENCE in what phase of the moon was.

[Leonhogboy]

What type of Idaho elk hunt are you looking at, guided,diy over the counter, or limited entry.

Pretty sure it will be DIY. I'll have a little family support and don't have an extra 4-5K to go guided.

[Kolpin10]

Pretty sure it will be DIY. I'll have a little family support and don't have an extra 4-5K to go guided.

That much money is hard for some of us to part with, putting in for Idaho limited entry can get expensive with no preference point in there draw system.

[Split Arrow]

The Elk Thread

Excellent news! I just locked up a landowner tag for the 2013 season in New Mexico unit 17.... Can't wait until September!!!!

[ladrones]

Excellent news! I just locked up a landowner tag for the 2013 season in New Mexico unit 17.... Can't wait until September!!!!

Nice work! Now you can just concentrate on the hunt and not have to worry about the draw.

[a3dhunter]

Heads up: Kuiu 7000 cubic inch pack for sale by me in classifieds, $475

[BarW]

Question for you veteran elk hunters....How much does the moon phase effect planning your hunts? Do you try to stay away from full moon hunts or just focus on the rut activity timeframe?

I think rut activity, hunting pressure and weather especially how hot or cold it is has more to do with elk movement than moon phase.

[westtexducks]

Wow, there is a lot of good info in this thread. I am starting to get all my stuff gathered up for these mountain type hunts, but I did not see where anybody posted up what they carry for food? I saw where people mentioned bringing around 2000 calories in a gallon bag but not what was in the bag exactly? So if any of you guys could list what yall carry up the mountain to eat that would be great.

[coonazz]

Wow, there is a lot of good info in this thread. I am starting to get all my stuff gathered up for these mountain type hunts, but I did not see where anybody posted up what they carry for food? I saw where people mentioned bringing around 2000 calories in a gallon bag but not what was in the bag exactly? So if any of you guys could list what yall carry up the mountain to eat that would be great.

Mountain House seems to be a favorite of many backpackers/hunters. It's a commercial manufacturer of a variety of freeze-dried meals.

[coonazz]

Excellent news! I just locked up a landowner tag for the 2013 season in New Mexico unit 17.... Can't wait until September!!!!

But without an arm & a leg - How do you plan on hunting that elk?

[a3dhunter]

I saw where people mentioned bringing around 2000 calories in a gallon bag but not what was in the bag exactly? So if any of you guys could list what yall carry up the mountain to eat that would be great.

I'm 6'1" and was at 265 lbs for my elk hunt last year.

Last year I would have:
1 Mountain House meal- approx 600 cal
1 Special K fruit crisp- 100 cal
1 Fried apple pie- 470 cal
1 flat bread sandwich- PBJ- you can get jelly packets from whataburger and Jiffy sells the individual peanut butter cups. 230 cal total
2- Honey Stinger energy chew packages -160 cal per package
Peanut butter crackers or cheese crackers- 190 cal
Jerky- 100 cal
Snickers candy bar- 270 cal
Peanuts- ind.package- 210 cal

calories 2330

I would occasionally ditch the MH meals for a couple days, and do something different. Individual cheese packages are nice, I also took some summer sausage and would make a sandwich out of that and cheese on the flat bread. This would allow me to go without the jetboil or need extra water for cooking. So it saved weight.

I also had my wife BBQ some marinated beef well done, then put in vacuum sealed package and freeze it. I would pull a package out when heading into the mountains, and by day two it was thawed out and I could eat it cold or even put it into a tortilla and eat it cold. Worked a lot better than I thought it would. Even with temps 60-70 degrees, it would keep until day three. Never found out if it would keep longer because I ate it all by day three.

I tried the packaged mashed potatoes and they set up like a rock after eating, had to ditch that. Just didn't work for me.

I would keep switching things up, variety is your friend after three days of eating the same thing most people tend not to want to eat it.

[westtexducks]

I'm 6'1" and was at 265 lbs for my elk hunt last year.

Last year I would have:
1 Mountain House meal- approx 600 cal
1 Special K fruit crisp- 100 cal
1 Fried apple pie- 470 cal
1 flat bread sandwich- PBJ- you can get jelly packets from whataburger and Jiffy sells the individual peanut butter cups. 230 cal total
2- Honey Stinger energy chew packages -160 cal per package
Peanut butter crackers or cheese crackers- 190 cal
Jerky- 100 cal
Snickers candy bar- 270 cal
Peanuts- ind.package- 210 cal

calories 2330

I would occasionally ditch the MH meals for a couple days, and do something different. Individual cheese packages are nice, I also took some summer sausage and would make a sandwich out of that and cheese on the flat bread. This would allow me to go without the jetboil or need extra water for cooking. So it saved weight.

I also had my wife BBQ some marinated beef well done, then put in vacuum sealed package and freeze it. I would pull a package out when heading into the mountains, and by day two it was thawed out and I could eat it cold or even put it into a tortilla and eat it cold. Worked a lot better than I thought it would. Even with temps 60-70 degrees, it would keep until day three. Never found out if it would keep longer because I ate it all by day three.

I tried the packaged mashed potatoes and they set up like a rock after eating, had to ditch that. Just didn't work for me.

I would keep switching things up, variety is your friend after three days of eating the same thing most people tend not to want to eat it.

Thanks that is exactly the kind of input I was looking for. I knew about the mt house meals but wasn't sure what people were using to fill in their packs besides the MT house meals. I am starting to get alot of my stuff gathered up now and over the next few years so when I get out of college an elk hunt in colorado can be my graduation present to myself.

[a3dhunter]

Thanks that is exactly the kind of input I was looking for. I knew about the mt house meals but wasn't sure what people were using to fill in their packs besides the MT house meals. I am starting to get alot of my stuff gathered up now and over the next few years so when I get out of college an elk hunt in colorado can be my graduation present to myself.

A lot of people like the power bars or different kinds of energy bars, I haven't found one I like yet. They all taste like something I would rather do without.

Once I shot my bull this year, had the meat either hanging in the tree or the 120 lbs in my pack, I grabbed a snickers bar and headed for the truck. Almost 5 hours late when I reached the truck I was glad I had that candy bar.

I've found that taking something I really enjoy eating to mix in with all of the other "filler" foods can really pick me up when on the mountain and things aren't going right.

[westtexducks]

A lot of people like the power bars or different kinds of energy bars, I haven't found one I like yet. They all taste like something I would rather do without.

Once I shot my bull this year, had the meat either hanging in the tree or the 120 lbs in my pack, I grabbed a snickers bar and headed for the truck. Almost 5 hours late when I reached the truck I was glad I had that candy bar.

I've found that taking something I really enjoy eating to mix in with all of the other "filler" foods can really pick me up when on the mountain and things aren't going right.

I hear you on the snickers bar at the end of a long day. They are pretty nice after a long day of hiking up and down a canyon all day. Another question for inquiring minds, how many trips in and out did it take to get your bull completely off the mountain. Did you leave all your gear up there and then get it on the last trip? or did you haul it out first and then start getting serious and hauling out a bunch of meat at a time?

[Split Arrow]

I hear you on the snickers bar at the end of a long day. They are pretty nice after a long day of hiking up and down a canyon all day. Another question for inquiring minds, how many trips in and out did it take to get your bull completely off the mountain. Did you leave all your gear up there and then get it on the last trip? or did you haul it out first and then start getting serious and hauling out a bunch of meat at a time?

It took us (two men) two trips. If you're solo I imagine it would take at least four trips...