New elk hunter - where to start?

[joshdeboer]

Hello all, I am a new hunter, I have an elk tag for this fall and am trying to get prepared. I'm basically starting from scratch with gear other than a rifle, but more worried about fitness and how to make a hunting plan/scout. Any advice would be greatly appriciated!

 

[Live_weighT34]

If you live in the same state/area that your tag is for, go hike around the area you plan on hunting and find some elk. Then watch said elk and take notes on what they’re doing and time of day they’re doing it.

Repeat as often as possible leading up to your hunt and practice with your rifle as often as possible as well. It’s a pretty simple strategy though not always easy.

 

[43.6N]

Congrats and welcome to Rokslide.

Buy some binoculars now. Spend as much time as you can using them leading up to your elk hunt. Ideally in the same mountains you have your tag.

Make so you cannot miss a 10” plate at 300 yds. Then put yourself under a timer, and be able to go from fully packed to hitting your plate in 15 sec or less.

 

[BuckSmasher]

Have a plan on getting the elk out. Newbies drastically underestimate the difficulty of getting an elk to a truck. Heck, I drastically underestimate it and selectively forget it or I may not go out every year! lol. Early in the season especially you are on the clock for spoilage. Snow and cold and you can take your time but its still gonna be a lot of work.

Unless of course you can drive up to it in a atv or truck. I have had that happen twice. Very, very nice.

 

[jgilber5]

Have a plan on getting the elk out. Newbies drastically underestimate the difficulty of getting an elk to a truck. Heck, I drastically underestimate it and selectively forget it or I may not go out every year! lol. Early in the season especially you are on the clock for spoilage. Snow and cold and you can take your time but its still gonna be a lot of work.

Unless of course you can drive up to it in a atv or truck. I have had that happen twice. Very, very nice.

So very true. My first bull, I never really looked at distance back to the truck. Took me a whole 24 hours to quarter and pack to the truck. I thought it was at least 2 miles and 1000 ft. Measured .8 and 500

 

[bz_711]

Time in the field
Cover Ground
Scout human pressure more than you scout elk sign

Good Luck!

 

[Geewhiz]

Scout human pressure more than you scout elk sign

^^^

 

[Pony Soldier]

Learn the roads, trails and water. The elk will teach you the rest.

 

[joshdeboer]

Thanks guys, this gives me a good direction to start with!

 

[mad_angler]

Find Cliff Gray videos. You'll learn a lot and you'll start to learn what you don't know...

 

[tt280AI]

Make sure you're getting physically prepared now. You don't have to be crazy fit and ripped Goggins style, but at least start doing squats and lunges now. Do them several times a week. Having your legs ready will make an enormous difference.

Have a good pack. Have a plan. How will you get it out? It's not a deer you can get out in one big load.

Look at stats, units, topos, aerial imagery. Get in on it with a friend.

Get time in the mountains, go find them. Have fun, until you get one down... then its a lot of work.

 

[C.F.]

Things that I’ve found helpful as a flat lander doing archery elk in Colorado :
-Stair master , full incline on treadmill with a weighted pack . Lunges and split squats ( single leg strength and stability is paramount) Finding the steepest hill or trail around and walking up and down it for an hour once a week ( training for the downhill load on your knees and quads is extremely valuable)
- Understanding topo maps and how to best traverse the mountain
- creating detailed individual hunt areas or “plans” , parking spots , estimated time on trail and off trail so you roughly know what time to hit the trail at to reach your destination. Also having 10 or more of these spots pre planned so you can just move down the list and not waste time and energy when your beat up and fatigued.
- learn all your equipment so you can set it up in the dark
- good boots that are broken in, and applying Leuko tape at the first sign of a hot spot to prevent a full blown blister.
- Ive never hunted rifle , but I’d learn to shoot off a pack and have hard limits on my capable distance, also I’d read up on what guys bring for dealing with snow and if your truck gets stuck
- mark livasay with treeline pursuits is a very decent e-scouting course you can buy

 

[SurfAMHuntPM]

Pickleball