Preparing for First DIY Elk Hunt

[11boo]

I loved Hunting/living near Vallecito.

 

[HunterJoeMI]

Go in with the attitude that it will happen. Be confident! Be prepared for success! Always have your kill kit with you to process your elk once it is down. Plan on how you will be successful and get the elk meat out! Killing or not killing an elk is often determined by what you bring to the game between the ears! Things get uncomfortable in the mountains in a hurry. Most guys get beat down after the first few days and are then just going through the motions of hunting until they leave for home a day or two early.

 

[wre280]

biggest recommendation i can give is learn to read topos and slope degree. theres nothing worst than having big plans and marking up maps, and having the realization you can't do that when you actually see it. gaia gps has a good slope degree layer that will help map out tracks you can possibly take to get into spots you think are good. invest in something like elk 101 or elk collective to get you started.

 

[JW@TRACT]

@JW@TRACT did you apply for a September hunt? If so get the ElkNut app and cache his video tutorials on your phone. I called in 7 SW CO bulls last Sept using Paul's methods. Kenetrek Mountain Extreme boots are a must try on.

My buddy is a rifle hunter, so we teamed up for October. Man, I bet that was exhilarating! Hopefully 2022 with be a bow hunt.

 

[JW@TRACT]

Thanks, guys. This is so helpful. I always keep survival-type gear in my truck, ie. sleeping bag, water, etc. But would not have thought about dealing with deadfall.

 

[Wsud]

Are there better areas to hunt during different season? Do the elk move to new territory in later fall?

 

[Wrhyne]

Lots of helpful advice here, thanks to all who chimed in!

 

[50calibercruiser]

Last year was my first elk season ever and while I started with a partner I ended up on my own for the last three days and made a harvest. Mental preparedness is hands the number one thing I would work on. I was in northern NM, first archery. It was hot, the elk were not talk at all, elk hiked 65 miles over 6 days without seeing or hearing anything. Then my hunting buddy left due to time constraints. I was ready to throw in the towel, I had a crappy feeling in my gut for about an hour after he left, like "shit now what do I do?" I sat down ate a real meal at camp and cleared my head. I told myself to get the sand out of my you-know-where and that I didn't spend all this time, money and effort to get to this point to give up. Got to looking at my maps and decided to investigate what I thought was a wallow from my e-scouting. Sure enough it was. I sat the wrong side the first evening and heard an alarm bark. Totally missed a 35 yard broad side shot on a small 5x5 on the second evening I shaking so bad. Connected with a slightly larger 5x5 on the third evening.

Never lose hope or give up. Things change very quickly.

 

[betterluckythangood]

This is my first post so I hope to add a little advice, get a pair of walking sticks. If you are packing in they can be a great tool, especially when you are packing out a heavy load of meat down the mountain. They will give you a lot of stability and help keep some of the impact off your knees.
Second......slow down, we all live in a fast pace and the hardest thing to do is slow down and spend time looking. I can't count the number of times I've bumped elk going to fast.

 

[3dirtdevils]

Give yourself as many days as possible. Plan ahead so you can hunt 10+ days. A week vacation is not enough. You will hit a wall no matter how well you think your prepared. May need a day to recover and reset mentally or move to a new area. Especially during archery. If on a rifle hunt then your limited to a 5 or 7 day season you need to be fully acclimated before the hunt starts so you can utilize every hour of the hunt. Good luck.