First elk hunt

[Lanser1999]

Hello all,

I’m from Wisconsin and I’m going on my first elk hunt next October in Colorado. I have never hunting anything other than white tails and will be buying a lot of gear this upcoming year. Currently have a badlands 2200, Kenetrek guide boots, and a few other odds and ends. We are going in on horseback to a drop camp. What are some things I need to know, and gear to look into.

 

[Crowmangler]

1. get your legs in shape
2. buy the best binos you can afford
3. wake up every morning of the hunt & appreciate how blessed you are to be there

 

[Lanser1999]

1. get your legs in shape
2. buy the best binos you can afford
3. wake up every morning of the hunt & appreciate how blessed you are to be there

I have vortex diamondback 10x42, will these be enough. Looking to get a 300 winmag with a viper pst 3-15

 

[Blueticker1]

Elk are not bulletproof, contrary to what some would have you believe. Put the bullet where it needs to go. Elk are a heck of a lot bigger when they're in your hands. There is no such thing as a small elk, do leg and core workouts religiously.

 

[AR hunter]

I would definitely agree with the legs and core workout, but I know u said u where riding in on horseback back but just for general hiking around while hunting, a set of trekking poles have made a big difference in my hunting trips in mountainous terrain, not really a game changer but I’ve hunted with and with out... I prefer to have em

 

[Wapiti1]

Start breaking in your boots today. Find a place with hills to hike with them on and walk sidehills if you can. They should look used by the time you leave for Colorado. Do some research on blister prevention, and care. Luekotape is something you want to have.

If you don't intend on learning to shoot long range, you are overscoping your rifle with a heavy optic you can't utilize. I'd suggest a 2-10 of some ilk. Learn to shoot to 400 yards, and you are good.

If you have never shot a .300 win mag, consider a 30-06 (or similar) instead. Getting a flinch is bad juju and takes a lot of time to cure.

You will want to prepare for both sun and snow. Don't pack more than 2 pair of anything except socks and underwear. Maybe an extra t-shirt or two. You don't need a pair of pants each day. I take two and hardly ever use the second pair. But I take two in case of catastrophic pants failure.

There are lots of good packing lists.

Jeremy

 

[Lanser1999]

Start breaking in your boots today. Find a place with hills to hike with them on and walk sidehills if you can. They should look used by the time you leave for Colorado. Do some research on blister prevention, and care. Luekotape is something you want to have.

If you don't intend on learning to shoot long range, you are overscoping your rifle with a heavy optic you can't utilize. I'd suggest a 2-10 of some ilk. Learn to shoot to 400 yards, and you are good.

If you have never shot a .300 win mag, consider a 30-06 (or similar) instead. Getting a flinch is bad juju and takes a lot of time to cure.

You will want to prepare for both sun and snow. Don't pack more than 2 pair of anything except socks and underwear. Maybe an extra t-shirt or two. You don't need a pair of pants each day. I take two and hardly ever use the second pair. But I take two in case of catastrophic pants failure.

There are lots of good packing lists.

Jeremy

Would like to learn long range eventually that is why I want the capability. I currently have a 30-06 but want to upgrade to a .300 win mag, have shot the 30-06 for many years.


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[Indian Summer]

3-15 is NOT overscoped for elk. 3 is low enough for any timber. Not much different than 2. And 15 is by no means too high for a lot of elk country. I shoot a Leupold 6.5-20. Even at 200 yards I’ll crank it up to 20 to make the perfect shot. I’m about to upgrade to 35 power to shoot past 700 yards. But with that keep in mind that I already know where I’ll be hunting and that I have a use for something like that. If you’re interested I’ll sell you the Leupold Mark 4.

The one thing I tell all new elk hunters is prepare to get your ass kicked. By that I don’t mean physically. I mean mentally. Getting beat up physically actually has some affects on your mental game. But not seeing any animals for several days can ruin a man. So my single piece of advice is to tell yourself every day this year that you vow to hunt every day like it’s the first day and you’ll do well. I asked every bull I ever shot if he knew how many days I had left to hunt and not one knew the answer! Lol

 

[Lanser1999]

3-15 is NOT overscoped for elk. 3 is low enough for any timber. Not much different than 2. And 15 is by no means too high for a lot of elk country. I shoot a Leupold 6.5-20. Even at 200 yards I’ll crank it up to 20 to make the perfect shot. I’m about to upgrade to 35 power to shoot past 700 yards. But with that keep in mind that I already know where I’ll be hunting and that I have a use for something like that. If you’re interested I’ll sell you the Leupold Mark 4.

The one thing I tell all new elk hunters is prepare to get your ass kicked. By that I don’t mean physically. I mean mentally. Getting beat up physically actually has some affects on your mental game. But not seeing any animals for several days can ruin a man. So my single piece of advice is to tell yourself every day this year that you vow to hunt every day like it’s the first day and you’ll do well. I asked every bull I ever shot if he knew how many days I had left to hunt and not one knew the answer! Lol

I’m going out there with the anticipation of shooting nothing but would be ecstatic if I did. Even at the very least I’ll be grateful to be going on a vacation camping in the Colorado back country.


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[cnelk]

A few items:


Elk aint hard to kill, they are easy to miss

Since you're accustomed to that '06, take it. Its a great elk caliber.

Do squats and lunges every day

Raise your expectations - if you expect to shoot nothing, you will.

+1 on the trekking poles - I started using them this year and wont be without them again.

 

[elkstabber]

For your first trip I would suggest using the Vortex Diamondback binos that you already have. Use the rifle that you already have and shoot comfortably. They will be sufficient. Don't worry about the guys here that will tell you to upgrade everything.

All of the advise about boots and working out are the most important.

You mentioned that you're going in on horseback. Have you ridden horses before? If not, I'd strongly consider using the horse to carry your equipment. This way you can walk easily behind the horse. Everybody is different, but be aware that riding a horse is probably the most dangerous thing you'll do in Colorado.

And take lots of pictures.

 

[Shrek]

Another with the rifle you have is plenty. Have your boots well broken in. The side hill work is super important. One of my first elk hunts was derailed for days due to not having done enough side hill work. An incline treadmill is much better than the stair master if you’re doing work inside at the gym. The stair machine doesn’t stretch the calf muscles like a hill does. Good wool socks no cotton !

 

[Kenai_dtracker]

For your first trip I would suggest using the Vortex Diamondback binos that you already have. Use the rifle that you already have and shoot comfortably. They will be sufficient. Don't worry about the guys here that will tell you to upgrade everything.

All of the advise about boots and working out are the most important.

You mentioned that you're going in on horseback. Have you ridden horses before? If not, I'd strongly consider using the horse to carry your equipment. This way you can walk easily behind the horse. Everybody is different, but be aware that riding a horse is probably the most dangerous thing you'll do in Colorado.

And take lots of pictures.

I agree with this as the 06 would work great, unless of course you just want to buy a new rifle, then of course go right ahead.

I did my first elk hunt this season, and was originally set up to do a CO drop camp with an outfitter as well. We ended up canceling the drop camp, got our deposits back, and did full DIY. We saw a lot of elk and I scored a bull on opening day, 3rd rifle, so anything is doable. I still hiked in every day after that with my buddies, had a blast and saw some beautiful country and lots of elk. I ran the same pack as you to, which worked great, but used an external frame pack for my last load, which was hindquarter, all the loose meat, and head and antlers. I was carrying over a 100lbs easily.

Hiking poles are a must, and work as a shooting rest to. Also, I cannot stress the amount of cardio that is needed, especially with the altitude change and all the hiking you will do. You can never do too much legs and shoulders at the gym.

 

[Shrek]

A little more about boots. I’d take the cash you would have spent on a new rifle and buy two pairs of boots and have them both broken in. A lot of things could fail that you can go back to town and buy another and just kill a day but boots take time to break in. I recommend uninsulated non goretex boots. No goretex ? Yes , by the time you’re goretex boots are well broken in the pores of the goretex will be plugged with dead skin , sweat , and dust making the liner into a plastic bag. Your boots no longer breath so your sweat soaks the socks and your feet freeze and get soft. Cold blistered feet will wreck a hunt. Two pair of socks. When one pair get damp change your socks and hang the damp pair on your pack to dry. Really can’t emphasize how important it is to take care of your feet.

 

[Shrek]

Now that we’ve all told you how you’re going to hike your feet off I’m going to to tell you to slow the phuk down ! Elk hunting isn’t a hiking contest. Elk are where elk are not necessarily where you think they should be. Don’t be in a rush to get somewhere and blow past or blow out the elk. Use your nose and hearing. Elk have sweet barnyard smell and can be loud. If you get a wiff or hear a branch snap get your binoculars out and get to looking close. I’m positive I hiked right past some elk the opening morning of my first elk hunt.

 

[rayporter]

i have both and 06 and a 300 win. the 06 gets the call every time.

but if you need a reason for a new rifle thats cool. get one with features you want or dont have on the ol 06.
or your could do some work on your favorite to make it what you want. lighter stock and scope etc, etc.

a side note- large scopes may not fit in the scabbard on your horse. a long 6-24 etc. will have trouble fitting in many scabbards. same with large objectives. you may wish to have your own scabbard that you know fits your rifle. not a bad idea if you ever consider going again. ask about scabbards-i dont recommend fleece lined because it holds moisture.
talk to your outfitter about this.

your 2200 is good to go but some outfitters wont let you wear it on the horse so it has to be loaded on a pack animal. not a big deal.

weigh out gear ahead of time and mark the wt with tape, small duffles help with stuffing in the packs.

 

[Wapiti1]

Would like to learn long range eventually that is why I want the capability. I currently have a 30-06 but want to upgrade to a .300 win mag, have shot the 30-06 for many years.


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That is why I phrased it that way. No worries if you intend to use it, but otherwise its just dead weight that you have to tote around. Many new guys get gear that they just don't need, and it gets expensive.

Jeremy

 

[Indian Summer]

Your outfitter should have rifle scabbards. But if they have old school leather ones a big scope definitely won’t fit. A good scabbard doubles as a nice soft side case. I’d recommend the Trail Max scabbard. Fits big guns nicely.

I can think of one reason to buy a new gun... if your 06 has a wooden stock. I have a 7mm Rem Mag that shoots great. It’s plenty of gun for elk and I’ve killed a few bulls as well as caribou with it. But when I got more serious about elk I wanted something that could take more abuse. So I went for a synthetic stock and stainless steel. Since I already had deer rifles and the 7 I also started thinking about shooting to 1000 yards so I went with a .300 Rem Ultra Mag. Input a muzzle brake on it and I love it. This year’s bull was a slam dunk at 405 yards.

 

[Fullfan]

How much tine do you have on a horse ? And don't try and do it all at once, oh ya the elk are where ya find them...

 

[cnelk]

Go read about the '06 over on the Moose Forum.
Seems to be a lot moose killed with a non magnum caliber.