First year backpacking in

[denverrobison42]

This year will be my first year to backpack into the wilderness for a bow hunt. I have only been elk hunting once before, and it was during rifle season. I am planning on putting in for a unit 54 tag. It will be myself, and a friend of mine. I have done lots of research over the last year and I have backpacking experience. I was hoping that some of you guys that have done this type of thing before could give me some good pointers, or knowledge of your previous experiences. Thanks in advance

 

[JoshTX]

First of all..welcome!

There are a lot of very knowledgeable folks on Rokslide and you will definately glean a lot of good information. I would suggest going back (to the beginning) and reading past posts, and articles. I think you will find that a lot of what you are looking for has been covered several times. Look for posts from Aron Snyder, armyjoe, Ryan Avery, Luke/Becca Moffat (and many others). Once you've done that then you can get granular with your questions. Suffice to say, there is someone on here that can answer your question. Anyways, good luck to you...I'm going back into my lane now.

 

[mAv]

New here myself, but in the same boat as you- will be my first backpacking-in elk hunt. This place is like a vault of information- search for terms that relate and you're bound to find more information than you can probably digest.

 

[Rizzy]

What state? September hunts?
Elknut has some good Elk calling videos on youtube you should check out.

 

[Beastmode]

Spend as much time looking over past threads as you can. There is so much useful knowledge already on this forum. There are articles you can read as well from gear to hunting techniques. Good luck.

 

[shaun]

Welcome.

As previously said, there is a ton of threads regarding the same questions you are asking. I am sure you can locate plenty of information throughout the forum. If you have any questions above and beyond what you find, I'm sure you can ask somebody will answer.

 

[denverrobison42]

Rizzy. It is in Colorado during September. I plan on going early for 7-8 days

 

[denverrobison42]

Thank you guys

 

[Coloradoboy]

Shot you a PM denverrobison42

 

[husky390]

Read Aron's GIF article.

 

[denverrobison42]

Thanks husky390

 

[Scoot]

Main equipment areas you should study up on/know what the scoop is:
tent
sleeping bag/pad
pack
equipment related to dealing with a dead critter (and the how-to related to it)
food and water treatment/filter
Tons of other items (a small number of first aid items, for example), but my biggest categories are captured above- others will chime in with other things. When people start giving you too many suggestions, go back and re-read the GIF article by Aron.

Then there's the how to hunt elk piece of this. Between here, bowsite, archerytalk, elk101, and elknut you've got more reading that you can do between now and then. Move until you locate elk. Figure out if it's best to spot and stalk, call, or sit water/wallow. Also, go into the trip in great shape- unit 54 has plenty of country that'll put a whoopin' on your butt if you're not in great shape (even if you are in great shape). You don't need to be a marathoner, but you better not be a couch potato either. Lastly, no matter how much the country and the elk kick your butt, remember you're really lucky to have the opportunity and HAVE FUN!

 

[denverrobison42]

Thanks for all the wisdom scoot. I have already started exercising for the trip. I think the main thing I am worried about is finding elk once I'm packed in. When I went on my only elk hunt I have been on two years ago during rifle season. We busted our butts walking miles, found elk sign every day, fresh tracks on top of our tracks from the day before. And we never saw a single elk. The pressure was pretty high where we were which had a lot to do with it I'm sure. But I font have any experience locating a heard. Or maybe I need some guidance on some key things to look for perhaps. Anyway. Thanks again.

 

[MULEPACKHUNTER]

#1 ADVISE should be meat haul. You are going to drop something so what next? I will never ever again plan on going in deep for anything larger than a coues deer backpacking unless I have buddies or mules waiting at the trailhead.

 

[KMT]

Don't underestimate how much work it is to haul out an elk. "Covering" 5 miles on google maps is nothing like trying to cover 5 miles in person. Especially with a heavy pack in rough terrain.

 

[fulldraw1972]

I hunted in 54 last year. It is a steep unit. If you need any help all you have to do is ask.
I plan on going back again this year.

 

[gelton]

Make sure you are well prepared gear wise. Buy the absolute best gear you can afford and pay attention to the weight of everything you purchase - even clothes. You will notice that the lighter the gear the more expensive it is. I purchased what I thought was great gear and have replaced most of it with lighter more expensive stuff that I should have spent the extra money on in the first place.

 

[MesaHorseCo.]

And get out on some short weekend trips to test out all your fancy gear your about to buy, it can be really helpful to see how much stuff you carried, that you never touched.

 

[nv_madmuley]

#1 ADVISE should be meat haul. You are going to drop something so what next? I will never ever again plan on going in deep for anything larger than a coues deer backpacking unless I have buddies or mules waiting at the trailhead.

x2! This was the biggest and rudest awakening for me. Its hard to even sincerely high 5 your buddies when the task of packing as much of a mature bull as you can carry across several canyons back to the trailhead....and then doing it again until the meat is out. Be in shape and motivated, and always be aware of where you are in relation to where you need to get meat to. Also note temperatures and how hard it will be to keep the meat cool. Otherwise, drink water and eat food, drink more water and take care of your feet.

 

[denverrobison42]

Thank again guys for all your words. I definitely am trying to get the lightest gear possible for my budget, and yes I probably will be a little shocked at the steepness of the area. I plan on being in good shape for the hunt. I have already started getting in shape. The backpacking is something I have done in the past. Just not in the steep wilderness. Does anyone know of a good backpacking tent to use, maybe something you have used or still use. I am looking for one that will not have s lot of condensation build up in the mornings, and one that will hopefully not break the bank either.