First Elk Hunt

[Shadowcaster]

Hey all,
In two days I'll be headed to Idaho with a buddy for my first archery, hell, first elk hunt period, in Idaho. I was excited, then ultra nervous, now excited again after fixing my form a touch and getting a longer stabilizer. My shooting has improved tenfold in the last three weeks alone. A short shooting session tonight alone confirming my broadhead tune set that confidence in stone.

I'll be using a PSE Mach 1 29" 70 lbs with a Hamskea Trinity, MBG Pro sight, Tightspot 5 arrow, Shrewd Vantage 12" (had a 9" and just couldn't stay steady on target), RIP TKO's and 115 gr of Ethics HIT's and collars, topped with 100 gr QAD Exodus' for a TAW of 504 at around 275 fps. I feel comfortable with that.

Rocking a K3 Exo 4800 with some bear spray and a Ruger GP100 .357 in a Gunfighters Inc. chest holster with Buffalo Bore 180 gr @ over 1400 fps for some bear protection. I would have liked to get a G20 in 10mm, but that just wasn't in the cards this year.

I've dropped about 35 lbs for this hunt and trained hard, but should've worked harder to eliminate any existing doubt in my ability to conquer those mountains and drop that lifetime bull (hey, I'm trying to stay optimistic!) My calling is subpar, but I just suck at calling in general. I've waterfowl hunted basically my whole life, and still suck at those.

Anybody have any last minute advice for a noob at this?

For anybody else headed out this year, Godspeed and good luck to you all!

 

[Turkeygetpwnd38]

Good luck, stay positive and stay in the woods, have fun and enjoy the process of figuring it all out!

 

[eddielasvegas]

Durn excitin' ain't it?

Good luck and keep us posted.


Eddie

 

[Billy Goat]

The wind is everything, if you haven't learned that, you will.

 

[Luked]

Pretty smiliar to you This is my first year also and im stoked. Shot my bow more this year than I ever have in the past to get ready. Bought more gear than ever before also, I leave in the morning and cant wait.
Just stay positive is all the advise I can give. I didnt loose as much weight as I should have but im still going and ill just suffer.

 

[BigSky]

The wind is everything, if you haven't learned that, you will.

This is true. There comes a problem with it though. Dizzy spells are a regular occurrence for we bowhunters hunting elk in the mountains. At times we will focus on keeping the wind at our back only to learn that, while doing so for the past several minutes we have only repeatedly turned in circles, non stop, without ever making any forward progress. The wind swirls constantly. Remember, one can use cross-winds and head-winds to one's advantage also.

I have a unique ability such that I can time the wind perfectly. I can make a stalk with the wind solidly in my face. Then, apparently I create some sort of natural vacuum by how I adjust to make the shot, such that I create an automatic 180 degree shift in the wind. Then, when in exasperation I relax in my WTF moment, the wind will shift back around 180 degrees, blowing, once again, directly into my face. Magic!

 

[metau]

I know you're likely already on the road, but throw on some cow calling tracks and practice with your diaphragm call while traveling out there. Don't worry about bugles, but get those cow mews and chirps down.

Always be mindful of the wind. If elk hear you, they run out of sight. If they see you, down the mountain. But if they smell you, they'll be three counties over.

If you are coming from low altitude, give yourself a day or two at elevation before going hard. Altitude sickness ain't no joke.

Take lots of pics, and maybe journal at night, as you'll be reliving this trip for years to come.

 

[SuspiciousFish]

I know you're likely already on the road, but throw on some cow calling tracks and practice with your diaphragm call while traveling out there. Don't worry about bugles, but get those cow mews and chirps down.

Always be mindful of the wind. If elk hear you, they run out of sight. If they see you, down the mountain. But if they smell you, they'll be three counties over.

If you are coming from low altitude, give yourself a day or two at elevation before going hard. Altitude sickness ain't no joke.

Take lots of pics, and maybe journal at night, as you'll be reliving this trip for years to come.

I just got back from my first Archery elk hunt in CO OTC and I made a point to make notes on each day. It takes about 5 min and I used the notes app on my phone. That way I can flush out the rest of the story in a few days to remember. Also be aware that when you are at 12,000 ft and above the tree line there is little to no shelter from the elements. We were up there looking for a bedding spot and a cloud rolled around the peak and dumped pea sized hail on us. We ended up having to huddle under a dead scrub tree until it cleared enough for us to get back to the tree line.

OP is already out there but my other recommendation is to get used to carrying your bow on long hikes. I found I ended up switching hands and different sides in and out to keep my hands from getting fatigued.

 

[magtech]

I practiced calling at home over the summer last year. Then a 3 day road trip out west of calling the whole way. Helped a lot. Listen to elknut on the way.

Wind is huge. Physical fitness is your main worry. Unless you can hike steep long hills from river cuts at home, weighted, you really won't understand the terrain. If you know the mountain what the mountains have to challenge you with. You know what you're in for. That huge.

Biggest thing about wind. It goes downhill in the late evening and stays downhill through the morning. Midday it swirls. Afternoon it goes uphill. Plan your movements accordingly.

Most of all. Learn and enjoy your time there.