Want to Elk Hunt and need some Advice

[osomayomama]

Hi Guys, I was invited to a friend's elk camp this last year, and the hook has been set and i would like to buy a tag next year. Im going to put in for a late season cow tag in Wyoming and elk hunting out their makes sense in my mind (Glass, Spot, Get within 400 yards and shoot). You can see miles with the interspaced timber and sagebrush making glassing a dream. Here is my issue, if i don't get the tag ill be hunting in North Idaho (Units 1-4) and its a completely different ball game here, or at least it seems so to me. Thick timber, infrequent clear cuts, and much steeper Terrain. My question is if i do end up having to try for elk out here what should I be focusing on learning in the off season to be a successful hunter next year? Is calling more of the name of the game? I have seen elk on some of the deer cams I have out up here, but you see them once and then not again for a month or two. Any and all advice I appreciated, Thank you!

 

[WRO]

Hi Guys, I was invited to a friend's elk camp this last year, and the hook has been set and i would like to buy a tag next year. Im going to put in for a late season cow tag in Wyoming and elk hunting out their makes sense in my mind (Glass, Spot, Get within 400 yards and shoot). You can see miles with the interspaced timber and sagebrush making glassing a dream. Here is my issue, if i don't get the tag ill be hunting in North Idaho (Units 1-4) and its a completely different ball game here, or at least it seems so to me. Thick timber, infrequent clear cuts, and much steeper Terrain. My question is if i do end up having to try for elk out here what should I be focusing on learning in the off season to be a successful hunter next year? Is calling more of the name of the game? I have seen elk on some of the deer cams I have out up here, but you see them once and then not again for a month or two. Any and all advice I appreciated, Thank you!

Learn the roads, start scouting now to see winter holding areas, spend the summer in there looking for sign and learning access etc. plenty of elk in northern Idaho


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[Ross]

Start reading about elk and go hike the country. Totally different game when you have veryyyyy minimal glassing opportunities. I see comment above about steepness. This time of year focus on fitness, so that no country is too steep. Too many think gear and tactics. Change the mindset, prep your body so you can be out every day, all day. Any day out creates an opportunity and too many stop at day 2

 

[kcm2]

If you have never killed an elk, my vote would be to go on the cow hunt. Get one down and you'll be glad the terrain was not steeper. And success will bring more success.

 

[Beendare]

Learn the roads, start scouting now to see winter holding areas, spend the summer in there looking for sign and learning access etc. plenty of elk in northern Idaho


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Yep, boot leather....wear a set of boots out in that unit before the season and you will be successful.

 

[cnelk]

Read Wyoming's Job Completion Reports

 

[LCguy]

Start hitting the Stairstepper now. Once every two weeks strap a 50 pound bag of feed corn ($10 at Tractor Supply) to your backpack and hit the Stairstepper with that. Make it once a week 12 weeks out.

Start lifting weights, your joints and back will thank you.

 

[Pony Soldier]

I have never hunted north Idaho but grew up hunting the Montana side of the Border. I remember places where the elk was on one trail and I was on another less than 50 ft apart and other than seeing the top of the antlers, the only acceptable rifle would have been a grenade. You need to know travel paths and patterns. That is hours of time on the ground learning the habitat. Many places took me 2-3 years to learn the drainage in search of a local elk population of three. The bulls can be big, old and far between. For the ones we killed in the 70s, the genetics showed heavy beams but typically shorter tines.

The biggest thing I found in that country was 3-4 years of steady hunting in a drainage would move them to the next one or two. It took some serious recon to succeed.

 

[fanofbacon]

Start hitting the Stairstepper now. Once every two weeks strap a 50 pound bag of feed corn ($10 at Tractor Supply) to your backpack and hit the Stairstepper with that. Make it once a week 12 weeks out.

Start lifting weights, your joints and back will thank you.

Adding to this as I don't have access to a stairstepper but do have access to a treadmill. Before recently having kids I had the luxury of putting in 15+hour weeks cycling and lifting, those days are long gone and I need to get more creative close to home.

Here's some more detailed exercises I plan to work into my regimine.

Mountaineer + Personal trainer here. This is more than you’re asking for, but hopefully the additional information would be helpful to you or others.

The goal(as you probably already know) is to emulate the environment as closely as possible, as well as training all your muscles to be able to respond adequately to uneven terrain and mishaps without injury.

Stair master imitates natural staircases(stones/tree roots).

Incline treadmill imitates a well-groomed trail w/ grade.

Also helpful to do backwards walks on treadmill to train the opposing muscle groups.

I also recommend weighted Step-ups(driving knee upwards), weighted Lunges(forward, side, reverse), weighted Single Leg RDLs. These exercises but in weighted single-arm alternating variation is a progression that aids in core bracing/stabilization.

Speaking of core, don’t forget muscles like upper abs, lower abs, obliques, and twisting motions(Russian twists/cable chops). This helps with engaging and stabilization of your body when carrying loads.

Don’t be afraid to hold the handrails when you start getting fatigued. Challenge yourself to do without as long as you can, but it’s okay to grab on and keep the legs going with the assistance. This will help train endurance.

Chest, back, traps to train for long-term backpack weight. Shoulders, lats, biceps, triceps for more involved climbing closer to peaks and for trekking pole endurance.

From:

https://www.reddit.com/r/Mountaineering/comments/1nj6m10/stair_climber_vs_incline_treadmill

 

[Fullfan]

I have been elk hunting for 30 plus years, best advice I can give you is this. Start playing golf or go fishing. You will thank me later in life.

 

[williaada]

I second Fullfan thoughts. Elk hunting is a good way to see how mentally strong you are. Might look at better units in ID instead of going to WY there are some great cow hunts in ID too.

 

[Chris in TN]

Are you too old to consider medical or law school?

In hindsight, elk hunting would have been better if I had the sort of income that follows those things.