first elk hunting trip

[jpatrick17]

I know there is ton of first trip advice and questions, but I'm in the process of planning a trip next year. not looking for any units or areas in particular, but maybe some advice on elevation for early archery season in Colorado. Thanks.

 

[taskswap]

This entire forum is 30% advice on elk hunting in the West. Best advice is to read every thread and come back with specific questions.

 

[CAElkhunter]

#1 piece of advice is get into the best shape of your life. Elk don't live in flat places.

 

[jdmaxwell]

They can be anywhere from low country in oak brush to top above tree line over 12,000 ft. You just need to pick spots and find fresh sign.

 

[LFC911]

Welcome to RS!

 

[D_wit22]

Go into your hunt with the mindset you will be successful. Realize you prolly will fail. Learn to be ok with a trip where all you did was learn and not harvest anything. Still a successful trip because it will help you on the next years trip.
There is no such thing as a completely unsuccessful trip in my opinion! Being out there learning about elk is HUGE for years to come.

 

[TheViking]

SO many variable on where to find elk. They don't live at a certain elevation, that is highly dependant on the unit/area/state you are hunting. Elk live at 4k' all the way to 12k'+...
Get in shape, learn how to read mountain wind, learn how to glass, north facing slopes are your friend.

 

[Caseknife]

Give yourself a few days to acclimate to the altitude where you are not exerting too much energy and stay hydrated. Be prepared for all types of weather even in September.

 

[dahamp2003]

Ive read until Im blue in the face, but my problem is I dont know where to start. The entire process of lottery tags and stuff is so foreign to me Im afraid Im going to lose money I dont have on a crap unit when all I needed was the info

 

[North of 60]

First-time public land elk hunt success is possible (I've done it) and much more likely with lots of unit-specific research and as others have said, if a flatlander, get in adequate shape enough to able to easily carry a loaded pack 8-10 miles per day at your current altitude.

We have it much easier now than in the pre-internet days for finding info.

And if you reside at low altitude, it is wise to acclimate to altitude for at least a day or two before going up to high elevation. Altitude sickness is a real thing.

 

[dahamp2003]

First-time public land elk hunt success is possible (I've done it) and much more likely with lots of unit-specific research and as others have said, if a flatlander, get in adequate shape enough to able to easily carry a loaded pack 8-10 miles per day at your current altitude.

We have it much easier now than in the pre-internet days for finding info.

And if you reside at low altitude, it is wise to acclimate to altitude for at least a day or two before going up to high elevation. Altitude sickness is a real thing.

I guess Im a little confused on "in shape". Im 40, 5'11", 202lbs, 40 year old linebacker build (because Im a 40 year old linebacker lol) and run 3-4 miles multiple times a week and lift pretty heavy still. One mile is around 7 minutes if Im huffing it, 3 miler around 25minutes. Am I good or need to up the training?

 

[fatlander]

Running a 5k doesn’t really translate to carrying heavy weight up and down steep hills for hours on end.

The best way to get ready to carry heavy stuff up, down, and across steep hills is to carry heavy weight up, down, and across steep hills, a lot.

To add a little more context, our 3 bulls totaled 22 hours of packing for the three of us this year on our week long trip. Add in the hunting with camp on your back, and it’s a lot of humping weight.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[North of 60]

Excellent...keep it up and next year about 4-6 months before your trip start including hikes with a load (working up to 8-10 miles/day with a loaded pack - 25# to start and i'd go up to at least 40#...others here may have different ideas of how to prepare.