Thanks I will read all of that a few times!
I plan on going 2nd rifle. Still undecided on this year or next. At this point it looks like I’m going to wait. I’ve wanted to elk hunt for years, but could never force myself to drop the coin for a guided hunt. Then out of nowhere today the idea of trekking deep into public land and camping with a buddy on the (comparatively) cheap came across my mind and I’m in love with the idea.
I have never hunted elk, but I have been an avid whitetail hunter for 15+ years. I typically walk and stalk miles during whitetail season here in Alabama; by no means am I a “drive the ATV to the shooting house” hunter. Obviously Western hunting is a whole new world, but I’m not a city slicker going out there either.
Assuming you have the time this Fall, just go. Don’t wait until next year. You have the time to be reasonably prepared for this season. You won’t be fully prepared either way so you might as well start the learning curve sooner rather than later. The doubts and uncertainties won’t be any less a year from now. The only way to move beyond that is to go and gain some experience.
Elk hunting is really only as hard as you make it. You’re years of whitetail hunting will serve you well. You already know how to hunt and take care of a downed animal. That and camping are the skills you need. There is one thing, well a few actually, that stand out with elk hunting. One is the vastness of the area. That is very different than hunting out east. It is daunting to look over miles of rugged terrain and wonder where amongst that vast expanse the elk may be. A few trips, and getting to know an area will ease that feeling. The second, and one that has not gone away for me, is the ‘holy [bleep]’ moment when standing next to a downed elk, miles from the truck, knife in hand. Just start cutting and bagging... eventually you’ll have 225-250lbs of boned out meat back at the truck and immense sense of satisfaction.
There are others here with much more experience than I at elk hunting and they can offer great advice. I got back into elk hunting later in life and clearly recall having many questions and doubts. What I can say is that no amount of planning or thinking about it will completely answer all the questions in your mind. The only cure for the doubts is to go. You’ll figure it out.
So, with that, have you picked a unit, identified some areas you’d like to cover and a few places to park the truck?
