Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting starting to plan diy elk hunt

how far in advance do u guys start planning your first DIY elk hunt? im from MS and wanting to start preparing for a future elk hunt. im thinking next year since ive got a good bit of gear left to purchase and what not. any pointers or webpages that could provide some good info n getting started? im googling all kinds of stuff just wanted to check with u guys as well

Never too early to start looking. Lots of OTC options in WY, MT and CO which would be my suggestion for a first hunt. A lower priced cow tag can provide valuable experience at a lower cost, but certainly it's more fun to jump in and chase antlers.

I believe the deadline for the NR draw in WY is Janurary. So, do your homework on where you want to hunt and apply in Janurary 2015.

Bob

im thinking rifle for my first time. someone told me tho that During rifle season its overrun with local hunters,etc. that know the land better or what not. that id have better luck just applying for a tag and hoping to get in a good unit. is that likely or is it still worth going for it buying an otc tag and going whatever way i plan.

You can't start too early. You are in a similar situation in that you will have to fly and factor that into your planning and packing. I can get everything in a large rolling duffel bag, a rifle case and a carry on. Then, more importantly, on my back and up into the mountains.

Pack
Eberlestock X2 or J104
Camp bag
Rain cover

Camp
Sleeping Bag + comp sack
BCS Tent
Ti Stove
Downmat Exped 7 Pad

Food
Cook Stove (MSR Pocket Rocket)
Fuel
Ti cup
Spork
xx Mtn Home meals (1/day)
xx MREs (1/day)
xx Power Bars
Snacks
Coffee (via packs)
Water Purification
Camel Back
Water Bag


Game Cleaning kit
Cabelas Alaskan Guide PBS Crosslock knife
Piranta knife
Wyoming Saw (Small)
Game bags
Garbage bags
One med zip lock for garbage
Cleaning gloves

Misc
License
Rifle
Ammo
Rangefinder
Binoculars
Cow Call
GPS
Batteries
Map
Compass
Lighter
Headlamp x2 /batteries
Mini flashlight/batteries
Camera
Rope (~100')
Waterproof matches
Firestarter
Orange Ribbon
Whistle
Mirror
Wipes
Bug spray

Clothes
Stocking Hat
Boots
Gaitors
Rain jacket
Rain pant
2 pr Socks
2 pr u-wear
Gloves
Cabelas 6-pocket pants
North Face hiking pants
Merino wool bottoms
Merino wool top
Kuiu zip-T
Cabelas shirt
Primaloft jacket
DCS Guide Jacket
Camp shoes

Medical Kit
Toothbrush
Toothpaste
Eye drops
Clot pack
Gauze
Moleskin
Ductape
Bandaids
Neosporin
Aleve/motrin
Chapstick
Sinus meds
Rolaids
Nasal spray

Heck, you can go OTC in Co this year.....just do it


Gear is the least of your worries..........plenty of elk have been killed without expensive technical clothing

Start point banking

That's a good list prm!

It is never too early to start planning, as others have said.

Colorado has the largest herds, unlimited OTC (Over The Counter) bull tags and lots of good public land. If you want to up your chances and aren't concerned about antlers, there are lots of leftover cow tags in great areas as well.

Your first trip (and maybe more) will be a major learning experience. Learning as much as you can about the area you will hunt before actually heading out will up your chances of success. Google Earth is an awesome tool for learning about an area's geography and topology. Online tools also help you with migration patterns, herd densities, hunter success rates and other items that you can use to evaluate an area and plan your hunt. I've found Colorado's DOW (now DPW) personnel to be very helpful, particularly if you talk to the biologists.

In addition to selecting an area and acquiring tags, you also need to plan ahead for things like simple survival and other practical matters. Will your accommodations be a tent or trailer or motel or cabin? If tent or trailer, where will you camp? If it snows 2 feet, as happened to us one year, will you be able to get back to the main roads? What if the morning's frozen ground turns to axle-deep mud in the PM and you're miles from the main road? (This happened to us and we ended up spending the night in a friend�s vehicle one night as his tire chains wouldn�t quite fit his new tires.) What if a tree falls across a trail, blocking your way back to civilization? Or someone gets badly hurt miles from your vehicle? How will you get an elk out if you get one down? If the weather turns bad and you are miles from camp or vehicle, can you survive the day, let alone a night, or will you be the guy that gets out but is badly frostbitten and loses fingers/toes/ears/nose/eyelids? Will you be prepared with maps, GPS, compass and an ability to use them or will you be like the guy my buddy and I picked up, 5 miles from his vehicle and headed the wrong way at dusk? What about clothing � although I often hunt in jeans, the saying that �cotton kills� is very true and why I wear wool pants when bad weather is or may be a problem. Are your hiking boots broken in and are they insulated and waterproof? After planning for bad weather, will your clothing choices accommodate daytime temps are in the 60�s-70�s? Will you be prepared for mechanical problems with your vehicle? (I had a rear shock come loose a couple years ago while off-road. The baling wire I used to tie it back kept breaking, bungee cords saved the day.) Will you have the financial resources available in case of a major mechanical problem? (I blew the clutch in my F250 on the way across Wyoming one year, cost us a day in Laramie and a pile of cash. A buddy got stuck on a backroad mountain pass had had a $1,000 tow job.)

As said before, it is never too early to start planning. Have fun and good luck!

That's BS. Just look at all the license plates from all states in any parking especially in CO. HOPING to get drawn to get into good unit is just that. Don't hope, do research and work to get the tag you want. Make your own luck.

Get on the Colorado CPW website and find the Elk Hunting University and read all thru it, think about it and then read it again 2-3 more times.

Having done my own elk hunts for the last several years, I agree that planning a year in advance is wise.
I, for one, rejected considering places like Colorado because much of their elk hunting is very high. Even the locals have trouble dealing with the altitude. I rejected Idaho because much of their elk habitat is in very steep country. I don't think I considered Wyoming. So, first up, where do you want to hunt ? Try the state's hunting websites and consider the conditions present. Good maps come next. After years and literally thousands of dollars on USGS products, I've found MyTopo products much better.
Next, consider the weather conditions. Most Californians I suspect know very little about mountain hunting in really cold weather. You may have some experience with cold, but how about mountains and the winds that occur there ?
You'll need a place to stay in out of the cold. You'll need good reliable transporation for such hunting like a 4WD truck.
Last of all, I'd plan on getting there a week or more early to learn the country and acclimate to the altitude. E

killindeer:

Sent you a PM also.

KC

Your best bet is to find a group from MS that you know hunts elk on public land and sit down with one or 2 of them. Tell them you are going to go hunt CO public land and wanted to get a thorough scouting report about everything they have learned and what to look for when you are scouting, buy them lunch or dinner as a cheap thank you. At worst case you will get a good scouting report from someone who hunts in your local conditions, best case they could use and extra hand and you get the benefit of what they have learned.

From the other replies and what you have seen and read you know elk hunting isn't deer hunting when you drive in from hundreds of miles away and don't have the local resources you might have at home.

If you buy everything you could really use on an elk hunt in one year your wife may think you've gone nuts and divorce you. So get the gear you need and add to it over several years - I like garage sales, flea markets and eBay for heavy wool pants and shirts that work great and don't cost an arm or a leg to get stuff you are hoping to get all bloody anyway.

Learn about field care of an elk when you get one, YouTube videos are great for seeing what to do - you don't want to waste 2-400 lbs of meat when you actually succeed. Read all the regulations so you don't accidentally get in trouble - there are more than enough rules to learn and knowing them sometimes means you get to shoot something instead of letting it walk. Get in shape and then climb some hills or stairs regularly - hard to prepare for elevation but fat and exhausted is a tough way to hunt elk.

1. Dependable vehicle 4 wheel drive much preferred
2. Good waterproof insulated boots well broken in
3. Maps and compass maybe a gps with maps already in that show property lines etc.
4. Rifle you shoot well to 300 yards with good stout bullets. Practice from field rests hitting a paper plate sized target quickly. Cheap scopes that aren't waterproof / fog proof are a bad idea.
5. Good plan for layering without cotton - I like wool best but you need waterproof layers too. It can go from 65 degrees to below zero in a single week long hunt easily.
6. Good binoculars are really helpful so is a range finder - you can see animals standing across a canyon you think are 250 yards and instead they are at 500 very easily.

Elk hunting is addictive but it often takes a few years of paying dues before you actually get one. I have a good friend from MS who has hunted 5 different years with only several close calls to show. If you can get a cow tag, get one - they are quite tasty and more likely to wander in front of you.

Don't get discouraged - lots of people kill elk who aren't marathoners or terrific marksman with 10's of thousand of dollars of the best gear hunting the best private land with guides. But if you want it to be easy DIY public land elk hunts aren't what you want.

Do not set your success hope Too high. There are a lot of OTC tags for elk. Pick one in the state you want to hunt and Go hunt it. The first year will get your own list filled out pretty well. I prefer to Go hunting every year, Over waiting on points to build for a tag. You can do both. Hunt the OTC tag every year and the points tag when you draw.

yeah im not setting my hopes to high. just wanting to travel out west and do some serious challenging hunting. sittin in a treestand waitin on a deer to comw out is fun but im ready for something a little more rewarding

Take input from everyone, but if the info is confusing or conflicting, pay attention to KC.
His input is golden.
That's the limit of my advise.

KC thanks for the PM!

I would recommend Muzzleloader or Archery for your first hunt. Face it chances of killing a elk on your first trip on a non guided diy public land hunt is slim whether it is rifle or bow. Archery/ML season is earlier and much less crowded. Weather is usually warmer and snow is much less likely but still happens. You will learn a lot and get a good lay of the land without having to worry as much about overcrowding and the weather.

Always plan for the worst. I have seen it sunny and 70 at noon and 20 and snowing at nightfall and that was in early Sept. But more than likely it will be fair weather and that will leave you not having to worry about gathering as much wood and tending camp in cold snowy weather.

The elk are a lot less stressed early in the season and the rut will be starting or going full bore depending on when you get there. I like the second and third week of September.

I feel a lot more confident with a bow or ml early than a Rifle later unless you are on private ground of going with a seasoned group that has a good spot.

Like everyone said just do it no matter what you will always see some great country and make some great memories.

Good luck

The way I look at it, any season hunting elk is better than one sitting at home.

Do the locals and hunters experienced in an area know the land better than someone who has probably never seen it before? Yes, but that�s no reason to stay home.

Are some areas overrun with hunters? Yes again, but you can bet the elk will soon be somewhere else. Getting away from the crowds has never been hard for us, even on public land. Moreover, you can often use the actions and movements of other hunters to your advantage.

It is too late this year but next year you can start collecting Preference Points and save them up for a choice area if that is what you want. Then get a leftover cow tag and and/or an over-the-counter bull tag and go hunting, something you can still do this year as well.

Hunting cows is a great way to get to know an area and ups your chances of success significantly due to bull/cow ratios. Once you know an area you can put that knowledge to good use and increase your chances of getting a bull.

If only antlers will do for your first hunt, be prepared to join the ranks of the 75% of all hunters who go home empty-handed.