Whitetail hunting and elk hunting are at opposite ends of hunting types
This, more than you know. Deer have a tiny home range compared to elk. In my very limited experience, a successful elk hunter needs to be ready to cover a LOT more ground than a deer hunter. A deer hunter can often find deer by moving to the other end of a particular valley but the elk hunter might have to move 2-3 valleys to find elk.
Look for elk, but more importantly, look for elk sign. Keep moving if you don't see it.
Physical preparation is critical. Get a pack frame and start carrying heavy loads on it. If that frame isn't comfortable, get another one. Keep trying until you find one that is comfortable. Also, start running. Elk live at much higher altitude than you do, and improving your cardiovascular capacity will be a massive ace in the hole when the time comes. Humping the hills is still gonna suck, but your risk of altitude sickness drops off somewhat if you're in superb physical condition. Take a look at some of the threads in the Backpack Hunting forum here--those guys are serious about being in shape.
Finally, I grew up in Oklahoma but I spent a lot of time in the mountains when I was in the Army. Probably the most important thing to bear in mind is that the mountains don't care about you. You'll be a long way from help. It may sound like overkill, but learn mountain first aid and take the gear you need to handle typical mountain problems (shock, altitude sickness, hypothermia, broken legs/ankles) plus the gear you need to communicate with someone who might have to come rescue you. Sometimes things go really bad in the hills. You and your buddy need to be able to keep each other alive until help gets there.
Okie John
