Sounds like you’re on the right path. Good luck on your hunt. I know what it’s like going on new hunts in exciting new locations and it’s hard to think of anything else. I’m going on one myself.
Good luck to you as well
We’ll if keep walking around and looking for elk for the next 10 days lol. You act like you’re the only person only the planet who can actually carry a pack…
You asked a dumb question and got a dumb response. I’ve never claimed to know it all. The only people that have made assumptions are the people wanting to chime in which a dck response to seem like a cool guy on the internet.
Yes, I have a detailed gear list accounting for every ounce of gear and food counting every calorie for every day. Contrary to what most of these folks have said, I have been spending a lot of time preparing for this. But asking if I’m doing it right is clearly a cause of consternation.
Thanks for the advice! Definitely trying to go get on some antelope next year, which I know seems ass backwards for learning the west. But trying to talk your friends into antelope over elk can be a hard sell. I appreciate your insight. Looking forward to getting out there and learning. It is always the most miserable times you look back on as good times. I’ve got quite a few of those I look back on often.I think I've now done 6 DIY elk hunts many other hunts for antelope and stuff and here's my novice $.02:
1. The land will be far bigger than you thought it would be. It'll be huge. 500 acres here in flat land is very different than 500 acres with incline.
2. Getting around on foot takes way long than you'd expect. Add some up/down terrain and fill it with deadfall and it's slow miserable work. (Deadfall is the devil)
3. You'll see a lot less animals than you expected you would. You'll walk all over and wonder if elk even live there on some days, even in some good units.
4. When you see elk they'll be bigger than you expected.
5. Once you find the big elk, with that big kill zone, he'll conveniently skirt around you, come in at the wrong angle, or wind you. Ya gotta love when a bull is 5 yards away and you can't get a shot.
6. Packing an elk through crappy terrain is tough. It's one of those things that you hate while you're doing it but will look back on fondly.
I'd definitely never steer someone away from going elk hunting as a first trip but it'll be a crash course in Western hunting. I did several archery javelina hunts in the Arizona with some lifelong resident friends and several antelope and deer hunts before I "graduated" to elk. Those hunts were greatly beneficial in understanding maps, getting used to Western distances, getting good at glassing, and hiking rough terrain.
Who knows though. You might go out and kill a nice 6x6 on day 2 and everything I just typed was BS. It certainly happens.
The dumb question was, bc I know reading is hard, what are you going to do on day 2 of 12 when you’re hiking around with a 65lb pack.?Obviously the answer is keep hunting. It’s a dumb question. You’re even dumber if you don’t realize that. I know you can talk shit better than that? At least talk shit better than you can read lol
NICE
Thanks, discussed this yesterday with another forum member about that prob not being realistic. This is the exact stuff I’m trying to learn before the hunt.
About the 12 days? Yeah with 12 days my pack weight would be around 65lbs. While I can carry that, I’d prefer to be lighter. My goal has been 50 is. Think I’m at 55 now bow and food. I have a 65mm spotting scope and tripod in that too. My thoughts with that have been probably won’t help for elk for archery (assuming they will mostly be in thicker timer) but we have planned on maybe having a recover day maybe day 5 to 8, some where in that range and I’d like to look for bear. I don’t know how realistic that is but I killed a black bear last year out of pure luck and now I just really want to kill another. My partner, elk is like his dream harvest. Id just assume kill a bear lol. Elk are awesome, don’t get me wrong. I just think taking a bear is cool too.
I appreciate it, and I promise you if there’s one thing I know it’s that I don’t know anything about elk and people here do. That’s after all why I came here. But I reciprocate respect based off the here and now and not past accomplishments. I’d rather talk to someone who has 5 years of elk hunting experience that is also humble and cares about helping the guys that are in his/her position when they started that talk to a guy who’s elk hunted 30 years with a massive trophy wall but is an absolute prick about everything. Just bc they know more doesn’t mean you can always learn more from them.
