Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting 1st elk hunt

Amen, and I've seen the pictures. One thing bearcat'll need to go along with that is some decent navigation skills. Those along with being in decent shape with a good mindset will help with getting further away from camp without worrying about getting lost.

How are your navigation skills bearcat?

Ive only hunted around East TN and some in Alabama but I do pretty good on new territory. I carry a map, compass and a GPS. I will admit that this will be completely different than anything I’m used to and is a little intimidating. I’m going to meet up with a local guy that has hunted this Unit before so we can go over some maps, landmarks, etc.

This is funny. and true.

I've take quite a few people on their first western elk hunt. A few things I see:

1) People aren't prepared. Elk hunting is hard. Period. Many eastern guys aren't mentally or physically prepared for what they are about to see/encounter. In my mind, there is flat-land good shape, and then there is Rocky Mtn good shape. I tell everyone from the east: I don't care how good of shape you are in, you will wish you spent more time, and doing much more work, to be in better cardiovascular condition. You can not be in too good of shape. Living in East Tn, you do have an advantage. East TN has real mountains, with real relief and topography. Spend time in the Smoky's. I guarantee if you start at Clingmans Dome and hike down Noland ridge to Fontana and back, you'll cover 29ish miles and 4600 feet in elevation. You can scale anything in between as training.

2) You won't freeze to death. Many people get intimidated by the temps. Trust me 20 degrees in CO/WY/MT is not the same as 20 degrees in the east. Humidity sucks and makes it feel colder than it really is. You won't need a -40 degree bag, 17 layers of clothes, or 2000 gram boots. And you will be ok at night if you buy a good sleeping bag.

3) Things to spend money on: Feet system, Base Layers. I wore Danner elk hunters for 10 years or so. Good boots. Spend time trying to figure out socks and boot fit with the goal of moving moisture away from your feet. You won't be elk hunting long with blisters on your feet - take care of your feet. In like manner, buy good base layers. I like synthetic for the quick drying factor. If you go synthetic make sure they have polygiene or similar to keep the stench down.

4) Misc things: Leukatape will help with foot care. A beanie at night in the sleeping bag makes a difference. Get maps and a GPS - but don't rely solely on the GPS.

You'll be fine with your current rifle set up and shooting. I personally don't take a spotting scope. 10x42 binocs have served me well.

Gotta take the wife out.

BTW: I've hunted 54 a couple times in/around West Elk Wilderness. It can be steep rugged country. I've seen elk that I couldn't get to.

Big plus 1 on that.

Thanks, I was hoping you’d chime in as I knew you were an East TN guy and you had hunted n Colorado. I’m a ways from the Smokey’s but I do get up that way some. I’m right next to the Big South Fork and North a Cumberland WMA. I‘ve been hiking both of those places and on my lease in the mountains trying to find the steepest terrain possible. I know even with this I won’t be totally prepared physically.

Reads like we hunted the same area above Blue Mesa Reservoir in the West Elk Wilderness area. Great salmon fishing right from shore if a guy fills up early about that time of the year. Best advise would be to hydrate more than think that you need to because it is so dry out there. Also getting a stair stepper to get the quadriceps in good shape was a great help for me. A big epiphany for me as a flat lander was that the CO. quadrangle maps and the WI. quadrangle maps have a different scale. Those slope close lines on the map here are no big deal. Out there they are darn near vertical. I did a road to road trek one day and it was so rough when I heard an elk coming that I prayed that it wouldn't be a bull because I was just in getting through to the other side mode and there was no way we were getting an elk out of that area. New guys told the guy who invited us out there that they had a great time, but don't ever invite them to come back again. No atv's and it will tax you physically. Then drop something just a little smaller than a milk cow a few ridges back at high altitude with thin air...

Good plan. The more mobile you are and the farther you can step out away from camp/roads/trails the higher your success rate will be, year in year-out.

I'm actually taking a first time elk hunter from church with me this year and have been thinking alot about this topic helping him sort things out. A couple more thoughts:

1) Food. Check with your outfitter to see what the individual weight limit is. I'm guessing 60-75 lbs. I HATE freeze dried/dehydrated food. Wife and I went backpacking a few weeks back and had some Backpacker Pantry that was actually pretty good. My personal preference is Seal-A-Meal real food frozen to perfection. Plan a menu for how many guys are going, pre-make the meals, keep them frozen on way out. If they thaw but stay cold, all is still good as long as they don't get warm. The first guy back to camp fires up the stove, puts water on and throws the meal for the night into the pot. 15-20 mins later you are eating real food. If you weigh all your gear and split the meals between all the guys, you should be fine. I'd say a good, warm meal at the end of the day is a real bonus, both mentally and physically.

2) Clothing/sleeping. I was in a hurry when I typed my original message. Plan for low teens at night, low 40s during the day. This can swing 20 degrees one way or the other. Warmer is no big deal. Cooler/colder is simply a matter of putting on more clothes. Get a 0-20 degree bag and adjust your sleeping temp with clothes. On outer wear, you can cover alot of ground with a good base layer, a mid layer (think Sitka Core Heavyweight/Patagonia R2), a good puffy, and a good outer layer windbreaker. I've hunted down into the single digits with this setup. Elk hunting is a more mobile game than deer. Overheating and sweat management is the key. As an example, I tend to hike to my area in a light baselayer (FirstLite Aerowool shirt) and a Sitka Core Heavyweight. That works down into the teens. Wind is the only wildcard. Wind and 15-20 degrees can suck.

3) Guns/bullets/shots. I've seen your posts for years - you'll be ok with your gun/bullet/scope combos. I dare say most long time posters but first time elk hunters overthink the gun/bullet part. I did - and still do <G>. I'm not in the same league as many of the long time elk posters but have managed to kill 7-8-9 elk in the past 10-12 years and a couple of good 6 pts. The longest shot has been ~ 225 yards. The rest have been less than 100, some as close as 10 yards. I tend to still hunt in the timber which explains the distances. Prepare for 4-500 yards but don't overlook 20 yards. I'd bet shot be between 75 and 250 yards.

The BSF is a great place to train. Honey Creek loop is one of my favorites. Load a pack with 25 lbs or so and go. The key is elevation - both uphill and downhill under load. If your going with an outfitter, ask about horse retrieval. A horse is a marvelous machine when it comes to 200 lbs of elk meat on the ground. Be the best $2-300 ever, especially if its in deep and ugly. Work out the details ahead of time. If no horse, have a plan. You'll hear lots of he-man stories of guys carrying 100 lbs of elk for 10 miles. A fully grown bull hind quarter will weigh 60-65 lbs each side. A front about 30-40. If an elk is more than 1 mile from camp/truck, plan to carry 1 hind or 2 fronts at a time. It will be a 3-4 trip deal depending on what you take the first trip. And it will suck. Hiking poles are a great aid.

You haven't asked about finding elk but I found the series of videos from Randy Newberg very helpful in thinking about where to find elk. Elk country is huge and elk, especially bulls after the rut, don't occupy much of it. Bulls tend to withdraw to secure little areas to eat and rest. Finding them can be tough. As smoke pointed out, mobility is your friend. Where they aren't is almost as valuable as where they are. If you have multiple guys that aren't intimidated by the country, map out a game plan so each of you can hunt/scout/evaluate different areas early in the hunt. Then compare notes at the end of each day. I tend to move until I find the elk. Away from people is the best bet. Distance works well, especially away from trails and easy travel routes. Tough terrain works better but can wear on a guy if he's not finding animals. I really like small secluded feed areas off the beaten path, with an adjacent north facing, black timbered slope. I look in avalanche chutes and the top end of drainages for small meadows. I also like aspens with green grass in them adjacent to black timbered areas off the beaten path. I also find bulls tend to like to bed in the upper parts of the mountain - unless pressure pushes them somewhere else, then its a new ball game and they can be anywhere.............

Most importantly - have fun. If you don't kill an elk, it is a week spent in some of the most beautiful country God created.

I hunted on the west side of the canyon. Very good elk country, especially down in the canyon. You gotta be a little nuts to go into it.................

I've also hunted north of the canyon, out past Anthracite Ridge a ways. That area is way different than West Elk.

I'm actually taking a first time elk hunter from church with me this year and have been thinking alot about this topic helping him sort things out. A couple more thoughts:

1) Food. Check with your outfitter to see what the individual weight limit is. I'm guessing 60-75 lbs. I HATE freeze dried/dehydrated food. Wife and I went backpacking a few weeks back and had some Backpacker Pantry that was actually pretty good. My personal preference is Seal-A-Meal real food frozen to perfection. Plan a menu for how many guys are going, pre-make the meals, keep them frozen on way out. If they thaw but stay cold, all is still good as long as they don't get warm. The first guy back to camp fires up the stove, puts water on and throws the meal for the night into the pot. 15-20 mins later you are eating real food. If you weigh all your gear and split the meals between all the guys, you should be fine. I'd say a good, warm meal at the end of the day is a real bonus, both mentally and physically.


I am taking some dehydrated meals but we are also taking real food. I think dehydrated for breakfast, some snacks and real food at the end of the day is a great idea. I think the limit is around 75lbs.


2) Clothing/sleeping. I was in a hurry when I typed my original message. Plan for low teens at night, low 40s during the day. This can swing 20 degrees one way or the other. Warmer is no big deal. Cooler/colder is simply a matter of putting on more clothes. Get a 0-20 degree bag and adjust your sleeping temp with clothes. On outer wear, you can cover alot of ground with a good base layer, a mid layer (think Sitka Core Heavyweight/Patagonia R2), a good puffy, and a good outer layer windbreaker. I've hunted down into the single digits with this setup. Elk hunting is a more mobile game than deer. Overheating and sweat management is the key. As an example, I tend to hike to my area in a light baselayer (FirstLite Aerowool shirt) and a Sitka Core Heavyweight. That works down into the teens. Wind is the only wildcard. Wind and 15-20 degrees can suck.

I am looking at different base layers now as I think those will help with my management of heat and clothing. Obviously I don’t want to get cold but if I sweat a ton moving then I’ll never get warm. When I hunt around here I dress light going in and pack my heavier gear. I thought that might work out there but I had one guy tell me 1000gr boots, 2-3 pair of wool socks and at least a snow suit. I’ll look like a hillbilly Randy off the Christmas Story.

3) Guns/bullets/shots. I've seen your posts for years - you'll be ok with your gun/bullet/scope combos. I dare say most long time posters but first time elk hunters overthink the gun/bullet part. I did - and still do <G>. I'm not in the same league as many of the long time elk posters but have managed to kill 7-8-9 elk in the past 10-12 years and a couple of good 6 pts. The longest shot has been ~ 225 yards. The rest have been less than 100, some as close as 10 yards. I tend to still hunt in the timber which explains the distances. Prepare for 4-500 yards but don't overlook 20 yards. I'd bet shot be between 75 and 250 yards.

Originally I was going to take my 7wsm or my 30-06. I had some 180 Partitions but I just never got the consistency I wanted from them and after fooling with it the 7 was just heavier than I wanted to pack. I’ve seen the posts on here about the 708 and elk so since it’s lighter, I shoot it really well and it seems very effective I went that route. I have 2nd guessed it a few times and the guys I’m going with think I’m crazy. They’re 7 mags and a 300 weatherby with 6-24x50’s on them. If I find one that’s foolish is enough to be in my area and close enough for a shot my plan is to hit him in the important parts.

The BSF is a great place to train. Honey Creek loop is one of my favorites. Load a pack with 25 lbs or so and go. The key is elevation - both uphill and downhill under load. If your going with an outfitter, ask about horse retrieval. A horse is a marvelous machine when it comes to 200 lbs of elk meat on the ground. Be the best $2-300 ever, especially if its in deep and ugly. Work out the details ahead of time. If no horse, have a plan. You'll hear lots of he-man stories of guys carrying 100 lbs of elk for 10 miles. A fully grown bull hind quarter will weigh 60-65 lbs each side. A front about 30-40. If an elk is more than 1 mile from camp/truck, plan to carry 1 hind or 2 fronts at a time. It will be a 3-4 trip deal depending on what you take the first trip. And it will suck. Hiking poles are a great aid.

Honey Creek is a great hike. I’ve been taking a pack but it may be a little light. I’ll add some more weight. I talked to the ram rod of our trip and he said if one of us gets an elk we can contact the outfitter and they will try to get a horse up to it.

You haven't asked about finding elk but I found the series of videos from Randy Newberg very helpful in thinking about where to find elk. Elk country is huge and elk, especially bulls after the rut, don't occupy much of it. Bulls tend to withdraw to secure little areas to eat and rest. Finding them can be tough. As smoke pointed out, mobility is your friend. Where they aren't is almost as valuable as where they are. If you have multiple guys that aren't intimidated by the country, map out a game plan so each of you can hunt/scout/evaluate different areas early in the hunt. Then compare notes at the end of each day. I tend to move until I find the elk. Away from people is the best bet. Distance works well, especially away from trails and easy travel routes. Tough terrain works better but can wear on a guy if he's not finding animals. I really like small secluded feed areas off the beaten path, with an adjacent north facing, black timbered slope. I look in avalanche chutes and the top end of drainages for small meadows. I also like aspens with green grass in them adjacent to black timbered areas off the beaten path. I also find bulls tend to like to bed in the upper parts of the mountain - unless pressure pushes them somewhere else, then its a new ball game and they can be anywhere.............

Ive been reading and watching as much stuff as I can. The guys I’m going with are dead set on me having to have a 60x spotting scope to pack around. I’m not seeing it but I sure ain’t an elk hunter so I may regret not taking one. The advice I’ve gotten here says I will not regret not having one and that’s enough for me.

So bulls are kind of like whitetail bucks other than When they’re chasing the wimmins they’re probably hiding in a hole somewhere close to water?

Most importantly - have fun. If you don't kill an elk, it is a week spent in some of the most beautiful country God created.


It will be tough but it will be a good time, I’m sure of it.


Thanks again

Navigating in the west is a breeze compared to the thick flat east.. not sure why westerners always feel the need to worry experienced eastern hunters over it. Pay attention to direction, landmarks and incoming storms. All there is to it.

And don’t shoot the first one you see 😜

Rosco, when you can get on a high mountain top in Colorado then look back and see Missouri, its a little disconcerting to us Midwest/eastern folks.

Lol


As for not shooting the first one I see, I can’t make any promises If it’s legal.


The theme of be sure you can recover them has came up several times. That’s something that I wouldn’t have considered. Experience like that are why I started this thread.

When hunting Colorado and on public land,you had best shoot the first legal bull you see as it may be the only one. Colorado manages the elk herd (if you can call it that ) for quantity, not quality. Unless you are in the realm of 20-24 preference points to draw a very limited trophy unit, or even 7-8 preference points, you chance of killing a 300+ bull is slim to none and in most cases slim has already saddled up and left. A lot of good bulls are killed in archery season when the rut is one. There are always a few bigger bulls killed in rifle seasons ,but most are raghorn 4x's and maybe small 5x's 3 or 4 years old. In 46 years of hunting Colorado,I have taken 4 bulls in excess of 300, biggest was 340+ in unit that took 22 points to draw. However I have killed a lot of the raghorns and cows too. I only hunt cows now. I want to hunt elk every year I have left and that isn't but 3-4. I have enough horns laying around.

Only 1 comment. You will sweat when you elk hunt - no way around it if you're going to move up/down the mountain. The better clothing systems are amazing at how they handle perspiration. Same with good boots. Thay are designed to move sweat away from your body/feet.

Look up John Barklow rewarming drill. He basically jumps into a creek/lake in winter fully clothed. He then starts moving and let's his body heat dry his clothes out. It doesnt take long. I've not done that but have had sweat running down my back while hiking in. I put on a puffy designed to move sweat and shazam, was dry within 30 mins. And warm. Cotton anything is not your friend in the mountains. Synthetic, merino, or a blend is the way to go next to skin. A quality puffy is another must have.

The other thing is the lack of humidity out west in most areas. Things in the west dry way faster on their own than in the east.

Well, my point wasn't as much about "navigation skills" as it was about being comfortable getting away from camp if there aren't any elk near camp. Some people are comfortable with that, others aren't. I grew up hunting the thick flat east and there's no question, it's much easier to get lost back there where you can't see.

There's also no question that growing up back east, you don't get much practice navigating by "paying attention to landmarks." Because most of the time you can't see landmarks. Just like you can't see landmarks out west, after then sun sets.

I could not agree more with shooting the first legal bull. Last year, I shot a 5x7 opening day just before dark thirty. Not a trophy bull, but he sure has been good eating. I saw one other bull a couple of days later while deer hunting in the same area and would not have taken that shot due to range and brush cover. The year before I took an average 5x5 and was glad of it! Sometimes another hunter in our group will kill a better bull and often times not. I’ve killed a dump truck load of elk and never a trophy 6x6+. I like taking an elk early in the season and then seriously hunting mule deer if I have a tag.

Don’t overthink the rifle issue. Any good .277 on up will work with good bullets and marksmanship. Good hunting!

Do not pass up any legal bull. I've seen a grand total of 1 legal bull in two trips with a total of 14 days in the mountains. I am definitely in the early stages of learning. Few big things that I don't know if has been mentioned or not:

Get up every morning and hunt. You will be tired, and it will be easy to snooze the alarm. Don't.

Do not leave early because it is day 5 and you haven't seen anything. That one legal bull I saw is the one in my avatar, and it was mid morning on the last day of the season.

Whenever you are planning your hunt on OnX/Google Earth, if you figure you can get to X glassing spot in X amount of minutes, double that time. I.E., my first planned glassing spot last year was 9/10 of a mile from camp. An hour of hiking time to get there before legal light is plenty right? Wrong. A little over 2 hours later we sat down on our kicked asses.

I should have been more clear on the passing up a legal bull. After several posts about being able to retrieve them, the only way the 1st legal bull I see won’t get shot is if it’s in a place that can’t be accessed. Other than that I’ll tag the 1st legal one I see and be tickled to death if given the opportunity.