My first elk hunt

[goetzc]

Well I finally did it - I put in for and drew my general tag and permit for Montana archery elk 2022.

I've been wanting to go for a few years now but couldn't for one reason or another so I bought points instead.

• Initially I didn't know any guys to go elk hunting with and my wife was not a fan of me going alone in 2019.
• Covid derailed my 2020 season.
• 2021 I drew(and filled) my Wisconsin bear tag which fell right in prime archery elk season.
• And then in the fall of 2021 life threw me a curveball I didn't see coming - I'm now in the midst of a divorce and so my only reason to not go solo is quite literally gone.

I am an avid outdoorsman who is totally comfortable solo in the back country. I've been hunting whitetail for 10 years with rifle/bow and enjoy camping every month of the year in Minnesota and Wisconsin. Usually in the Boundary Waters but also dispersed on National Forest land. I'm very bear aware and practice bear safe camping methods. I have never camped in Grizzly country and so I will be carrying bear spray and my Sig P320 9mm with 147g +P underwood hard cast - just in case. My biggest concern - if I'm successful in getting an elk down - is how best to butcher it while keeping lookout for a Grizzly trying to steal my meat. Any tips from other's who have done this would be appreciated. I've read about fires, lights, glow sticks, peeing around the meat left to hang etc... but there must be other ways people avoid the apex predators stealing their meat.

As a first timer hunting elk in Montana I'm looking for any pointers on how to go about identifying where the elk may be in the unit I'll be in during mid September. Due to my kids school schedules I won't be able to start hunting until a week into the archery season(9/10) but I'll have 7-14 days to hunt. I've talked to a local biologist who gave me some good advice and I've been doing lots of e-scouting with OnX, Gohunt, and Google Earth. I have a few spots picked out but am fearful the spots I've found will be hit hard by the time I'm able to get there a week after archery season opens so I plan to have a dozen or more spots marked and prioritized to run through once I get there.

My basic plan is to park somewhere, take all my gear and 2-3 days of food with me, hike to marked spots from e-scouting, setup camp near sign and hunt that area. Then I'll go back to truck to refill food or move to another spot if needed and repeat until I get one or my times up.

I will very much enjoy my trip regardless, but I am planning on taking a bull or cow if I get the chance. I am not going to be picky my first time as I truly just want the experience. I know it will be a successful trip already, just going - if I fill a tag or not.

Any and all advice very much appreciated!
I'll be in zone 2 and so I'm looking for general tips that would apply to that region.
Thanks in advance!


Post edited to fix:

• removed zone and replaced with region
• tag/permit clarification
• fixed curveball date

 

[bsnedeker]

Mind telling me the secret to getting a cow permit two months before they draw for them?

My best advice for you is to not explicetly list out the general units you are going to hunt. This time of year there are about 17,000 NR's who draw a tag and start searching online for where to hunt. You've just told them that there must be SOMETHING interesting about that unit so now they are going to be looking there too.

Good luck to you this season!

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[Stubborn_bowhunter]

Damn. Talk about making the best of a bad situation. I don't know shit about Montana, but good for you getting to chase elk. Lol

 

[goathunter]

Mind telling me the secret to getting a cow permit two months before they draw for them?

My best advice for you is to not explicetly list out the general units you are going to hunt. This time of year there are about 17,000 NR's who draw a tag and start searching online for where to hunt. You've just told them that there must be SOMETHING interesting about that unit so now they are going to be looking there too.

Good luck to you this season!

Sent from my SM-G998U1 using Tapatalk

Hear, hear. Took the words out of my mouth - these threads keep popping up talking specific units, ranges, etc. DO HARM!

 

[goetzc]

Sorry boys - unit removed and replaced with region instead.
Where I’m from I willingly share info with other hunters at the trail head or parking lots as I don’t want to mess up anybody else’s hunt as much as I don’t want them to mess up mine.

 

[bsnedeker]

Sorry boys - unit removed.
Where I’m from I willingly share info with other hunters at the trail head or parking lots as I don’t want to mess up anybody else’s hunt as much as I don’t want them to mess up mine.

I'm sure you understand the difference between talking to a dude at a trailhead, and posting specific units and areas on the internet for everyone in the world to see.

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[cgasner1]

Awwww I missed it what unit we hunting?


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[southLA]

Not looking for any honey holes but what unit again?

 

[Operator]

Well I finally did it - I put in for and drew my general tag and a cow permit for Montana archery elk 2022.

I've been wanting to go for a few years now but couldn't for one reason or another so I bought points instead.

• Initially I didn't know any guys to go elk hunting with and my wife was not a fan of me going alone in 2019.
• Covid derailed my 2020 season.
• 2021 I drew(and filled) my Wisconsin bear tag which fell right in prime archery elk season.
• And then in the fall of 2022 life threw me a curveball I didn't see coming - I'm now in the midst of a divorce and so my only reason to not go solo is quite literally gone.

I am an avid outdoorsman who is totally comfortable solo in the back country. I've been hunting whitetail for 10 years with rifle/bow and enjoy camping every month of the year in Minnesota and Wisconsin. Usually in the Boundary Waters but also dispersed on National Forest land. I'm very bear aware and practice bear safe camping methods. I have never camped in Grizzly country and so I will be carrying bear spray and my Sig P320 9mm with 147g +P underwood hard cast - just in case. My biggest concern - if I'm successful in getting an elk down - is how best to butcher it while keeping lookout for a Grizzly trying to steal my meat. Any tips from other's who have done this would be appreciated. I've read about fires, lights, glow sticks, peeing around the meat left to hang etc... but there must be other ways people avoid the apex predators stealing their meat.

As a first timer hunting elk in Montana I'm looking for any pointers on how to go about identifying where the elk may be in the unit I'll be in during mid September. Due to my kids school schedules I won't be able to start hunting until a week into the archery season(9/10) but I'll have 7-14 days to hunt. I've talked to a local biologist who gave me some good advice and I've been doing lots of e-scouting with OnX, Gohunt, and Google Earth. I have a few spots picked out but am fearful the spots I've found will be hit hard by the time I'm able to get there a week after archery season opens so I plan to have a dozen or more spots marked and prioritized to run through once I get there.

My basic plan is to park somewhere, take all my gear and 2-3 days of food with me, hike to marked spots from e-scouting, setup camp near sign and hunt that area. Then I'll go back to truck to refill food or move to another spot if needed and repeat until I get one or my times up.

I will very much enjoy my trip regardless, but I am planning on taking a bull or cow if I get the chance. I am not going to be picky my first time as I truly just want the experience. I know it will be a successful trip already, just going - if I fill a tag or not.

Any and all advice very much appreciated!
I'll be in zone 2 and so I'm looking for general tips that would apply to that region.
Thanks in advance!

Good luck, I hope you fill your tag. As for carrying a 9mm I have one with somewhat hot 147gr handloads for black bear if I was going into Grizzly country I would invest in a full size 10mm with 5" barrel, Buffalo bore has some stout hard cast loads, alot more energy delivered and penetration.

 

[goetzc]

Good luck, I hope you fill your tag. As for carrying a 9mm I have one with somewhat hot 147gr handloads for black bear if I was going into Grizzly country I would invest in a full size 10mm with 5" barrel, Buffalo bore has some stout hard cast loads, alot more energy delivered and penetration.

Thanks for the suggestion. I recognize I’m under gunned with a 9mm but I’m not in a position to buy another gun and get comfortable with it by September. The spray would be my first option.

I’m comfortable with my 9mm and I’m hoping the spray would slow a bear down long enough for me to assess the threat and that a few rounds from a 9mm I’m proficient with would be better than a larger caliber I’m not.
That’s my thought process anyway since I can’t afford another option right now.

 

[Operator]

I feel your pain, I am going on my first elk hunt this year, cost of gear and the trip is expensive to say the least, sold some gear recently to keep the CEO happy, don't tell her, lol.

 

[Indian Summer]

I sent you a message. I missed the unit. I’ve hunted the 200 units for more than half my life. 35 years. The first thing I’ll tell you is you do not pack gear into the back country until you have found a good reason. Set up a base camp at the truck and Hunt from there. Chances are you won’t need a bat country camp. But if you find elk at the far limits of where you can hike every day then and only then you might consider doing that. How you locate elk depends somewhat on the cover and terrain of the exact place you’re going to hunt. Go read my message and get back to me. Good luck

 

[Indian Summer]

Oh and… he didn’t say he drew a cow tag. He drew a permit for a unit. Those are required to hunt many of the 200 units and are drawn along with the elk combo licenses. Some can be drawn with no points. If you have a permit chances are I know some things about your unit.

 

[Flatgo]

Here’s my advice, you don’t know how big and heavy elk are. If you’re solo I would max limit of where you kill an elk 5 miles from the truck if you have a trail or if you’re off trail less than 3 miles terrain depended. Sometimes one mile can be too much depending on blow down and other factors. For those range’s you’re causing more harm then good backpacking. You’ll hike in there may or may not be elk. If they’re not there hike out and move on. If they are you’ll scent the areas up and they will move on. I cannot tell you how many times I’ve seen backpack hunters dick up hunting spots be sleeping uphill of where elk hang at night letting there scent travel to them.

 

[Castle Oak]

Congrats on the tag. I've hunted MT several times in the general units so I have some experience. I'm a cyber scouting nut as I live in NC and don't have the luxury of putting boots on the ground for my scouting.
1. First thing I learned is it's way steeper than it looks on aerial photos and even topos. Thus, be in the best shape that you possibly can be.
2. When solo, I will not hunt further than 2 miles from the truck but I'm old. Packing elk quarters is hard-add in blowdown, thick timber, steep slopes and grizzly bears and it can be hell on earth.
3. Stay mobile and hunt from the truck the first few days.
4. When you find elk, slow down. Elk hunting is not a race.
5. Be bear aware. Do not do cold calling setups. Follow USFS rules for food and camp security. I limit traveling in the dark. If you kill an elk, move the meat away from the carcass as soon as possible.

There's much more I could add but I don't want to give away some of my secrets so hit me with a PM and I'll share a bit more.

 

[goetzc]

I feel your pain, I am going on my first elk hunt this year, cost of gear and the trip is expensive to say the least, sold some gear recently to keep the CEO happy, don't tell her, lol.

Well my "CEO" was fired but is still on the payroll yet so my budget is limited.

 

[goetzc]

Oh and… he didn’t say he drew a cow tag. He drew a permit for a unit. Those are required to hunt many of the 200 units and are drawn along with the elk combo licenses. Some can be drawn with no points. If you have a permit chances are I know some things about your unit.

Thanks for the offer Joe - I will research your site and other postings and be in touch.

I did mistakenly say I had a "cow tag" in my original post but was corrected so I fixed my blunder to avoid further confusion.

I have a general elk tag that allows antlerless elk in the archery season and I drew a permit that allows brow-tined elk all season. So for my purposes I can hunt either during archery season and if I need/want I could possibly come back during rifle for a brow-tined bull on the permit... though I'm hoping to get it done during archery since I have can take either.

 

[KHNC]

How did you know you were getting a divorce in fall of 2022? Thats predicting the future right there! LOL

My advice is stay far away from NW Montana. Only wolves , lions , bears and cody carr up there.

 

[goetzc]

Here’s my advice, you don’t know how big and heavy elk are. If you’re solo I would max limit of where you kill an elk 5 miles from the truck if you have a trail or if you’re off trail less than 3 miles terrain depended. Sometimes one mile can be too much depending on blow down and other factors. For those range’s you’re causing more harm then good backpacking. You’ll hike in there may or may not be elk. If they’re not there hike out and move on. If they are you’ll scent the areas up and they will move on. I cannot tell you how many times I’ve seen backpack hunters dick up hunting spots be sleeping uphill of where elk hang at night letting there scent travel to them.

That's great advice! I have never experienced a pack out the size of even a cow elk... biggest was my WI black bear last fall that was about 225-250lbs dressed.
I'll definitely be looking at my pack out route/distance before I take the shot as I'd rather take a picture of a great shot opportunity than put an arrow in one and not get every ounce of meat out.
As for my plan to pack my camp on my back - I am very cognizant of the keeping the winds in my favor and also have no desire to blow up an area for other guys. I'm thinking of doing this because I want to be near the elk at night so I can experience the bugling and locate them as quickly as possible in the morning. That's my current thought process anyway but am certainly open to suggestions like yours as to what I'm not thinking about. The areas I've e-scouted are impossible to get more than 2-3 miles from any trail so the trick will be going where other guys don't want to - I think.

 

[goetzc]

How did you know you were getting a divorce in fall of 2022? Thats predicting the future right there! LOL

My advice is stay far away from NW Montana. Only wolves , lions , bears and cody carr up there.

LOL! I meant 2021... another mistake I'll correct in my post... though perhaps in some way I was right as I'll be lucky if it's all finalized by this fall.