Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting My First Elk Hunt

Ok guys I need some help here.

I've been hunting deer for a long time got a few so fairly knowledgeable about them.

Elk on the other hand, I'm a novice rookie if you will.

Like a deer the average chest size from back bone to bottom side on a broad side view is about 18".
What is it on an Elk? (I put in for a Cow elk ticket this year in CO, with pref points so I'm thinking I'll get it, First season draw)

Where would you put your first shot on the Elk?
Like on deer if you shoot a high shoulder shot you'll likely drop them on the spot, and if you shoot for a heart lung you'll likely have to track them about a 100 yds or so.

After the first shot I plan to keep shooting until it's down.

My rifle will be a 35 Whelen.

you'll do just fine......

If your truck is down hill, lung shoot'm if you want, same if it's flat ground.

If your truck is up hill or you are on a ridge/edge of canyon, DRT'm.

Kent

Terrain, and the elk kinda dictate the shot for me.

If you go into the hunt with the mind set that getting it out is gonna' suck, you'll never be disappointed.

Ain't that the truth!

Cow elk is about 28" back to brisket, a bull can be as much as 32"

blammer:

I shoot them where I can hit them. Usually that's in the lungs but I've had a clean head shot on a cow and a Texas heart shot on a bull. Once I was above an elk and I shot down onto the top of the elk, hitting it between the shoulder blades.

Elk generally don't stand around and give you time to do much pondering. You're not going to be sitting in a tree stand when a group of elk walk out in front of you and give you time consider options.

It's usually about +24" to 28" from top of the spine to bottom of the brisket on a cow and bigger for a bull.

Your choice of caliber is fine.

KC

+2

I'm kinda picky. I try to always tuck one right behind the shoulder crease. In the last few years, I tend to put the safety back on if the shot presentation or location dictates a nasty situation to get the meat out. I let a lot more elk walk than most hunters, but then again I have killed enough elk in my hunting career that I don't need to kill every elk I see.

I kill an elk for the meat and I'm a little hesitant to take a shot where I know I will have to throw a front quarter away because of meat damage or spend a few extra hours trying to get a piece of blood shot meta cleaned up

I agree with Saddlesore. Make your shot count or don't take it. The best shot placement for me has been behind the shoulder a little lower than midway. Nothing worse than having to track a wounded elk for hours and then having to clean a bloody messed up and gelled shoulder.

+3

My shortest pack has been lifting quarters straight up into the back of the pick-up. Once.

More typical is a half a mile to a mile. The worst was when we stupidly put down 2 cows and a bull 3 miles from the truck. Thank God it was cold and we didn't lose any meat, as it took us 3 additional days to get the boned-out meat back to the truck.

Hunting uphill and packing down is a much happier scenario than the reverse.

Well when I deer hunt I generally assume it will be a number one pain the the rear end to get one out.. so I'm sure I won't be dissappointed with the elk hunt either.

for packing out, what do you put the meat in to carry it? I presume I'll bone it out.
How much meat are we talking for a say, medium sized cow?

should I pack a handgun while packing out meat or just tote the rifle.

blammer,

The first shot should be near the road. Seriously their vitals are in the same place as a deer. As for packing a gun while packing. You can pack one if you want I have never packed one while packing meat as that is weight I do not need. You will want cloth meat sacks to keep the flies and dirt off the meat I will put a large plastic bag in my pack to keep the blood under control. As to how much meat. A boned out cow about 180 pounds a little more if she is a big one. A lot more as the distance to the road increases.

The differences in deer and elk. One thing that I have noticed is that elk do not have much curiosity. Deer seem to want to take a look at whatever they hear in the brush. Elk seem to most often just leave with a care as to what is out there making noise.

good luck
they do taste good
8mmwapiti

remember you have to go find elk, they aren't like deer where you park in a good spot and wait and eventually they'll come by....

Hunt hard and fast and far and wide to find em then slow your hunt to a crawl to kill one.

If more hunters followed that advice, there would sure be a lot more elk killed. There is finding and then there is hunting

Good ethics right there.

In years past, I would have told you to save the weight, but last fall changed my mind. When I went back in to retrieve the antlers off of my bull, I had a big cat there to keep me company. Being several miles from the truck, I was really wishing that I would have thrown the pistol on my hip. I'm just glad that we had hauled all the meat out the night before and left the scraps for the hungry feline.

Cats and bears make carrying a pistol a good idea, ive been growled at by both when not carrying a gun and it isn't a pleasant feeling. Elk are roughly 3 times the size of a deer so triple the pain of packing out. I hunt with an eberlestock x2 that will haul out a first quarter but bring a large heavy meat hauler in the truck for following trips.

Shoot them in the vitals with a good bullet from whatever angle you are comfortable and do keep shooting until they are done. Better 3/4 of delicious elk than tag soup until you have put a number in the freezers. Be sure to get the hide off of the meat if you cant get it in the truck quickly. Carrying game bags is a good idea so you can hang the meat away from the carcass. I think the gutless method works best if you haven't done it before check utube for a how to video.

I won't go without a firearm. Once the use of the long gun is done, its down to a pistol.

But I refuse to carry weight like a 44 redhawk or such...

Thats why we bought the 329PD. Good and pleasant with medium cast loads, a bear to handle with bear loads but it works well both ways. I guess. Have only head shot grouse so far with mid loads and one caribou with a deer load with 180 JHPs. Thankfully not used it on defense yet.

Nah, just make sure the mule is ready for the pack and a Son-in-Law who works out like Arnold Swartzenager(sp) is along to "help out".