Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting If you come by Lima, Montana, drop in !

E, elk don't know what a headlamp light is I can assure you. Your style of hunting a headlamp (or flashlight as a 2nd best) is critical.

Painful I tell ya, painful.

E's having a good time, he's retired. No biggie IMO.

E,

I'm going to make a suggestion. Cabelas makes their Alaskan Guide XG White/Green Headland made by Princeton Tec for $50. I've had mine for a few years and love it. The GREEN beam does not give off as much light for the elk to see but enough for you to see to walk in in the dark. I used mine last week and a few weeks here in Utah during our elk season. I'm sure Cabelas could mail it to General Delivery at the Lima PO or even to the RV Park where you're staying. Even overnight if you want.

Just trying to think outside the box.

Alan

I take two lights with me when I go in long before daylight. One is one of those micro, key chain lights that puts out a small, short red beam. I use that if the ground I'm on is triping me up much.
I've got a headlamp with me that puts out both.
Usually it isn't a problem for me. If I've walked the ground before the season, I have a pretty good idea how long it would take w/o lights.
I've never walked up on anything using a light. But I did get about 125 yds from 26 elk some years back w/o using one. Lay on the ground until well after sunrise until they wandered away. E

Are you going home and posting or are you at a motel? Didn't I see a snowstorm heading your way yesterday? If so, don't forget the "whites". Aren't you glad having so many e-hunting with you?

+1 Brad,

I've killed 20+ elk that I have got up to with a headlamp. Never would have been there in time if not for the headlamp.

E. I cant tell you how much I enjoy your posts. Don,t let some of these turd rockets give you a hard time! You seem to be about my age, it ain't easy any more walking about in the mt.'s in the dark so have a good time , and please keep the posts coming!

E,
I sure enjoy reading about your adventure here. best of luck to you!

Same here E. Hope it comes together for you. You've been given some good advice here.

E,

Don't worry about the headlamp. Turn it towards the ground and take care not to look up into the trees. I've done this so many mornings I can't count, and I've hiked right past elk (not on purpose) only to shoot them at sunup. Any more I use a red light. You should be aware that the grizzly population has risen dramatically in the past years. Also, hiking in dark is a great way to bust yourself up (step in a hole, rolly rock, etc). I think that having an appropriate light is a matter of safety and is absolutely critical. Btw, in the past 8 or so years we've filled tags at opening light, always hiking in w/ headlamps, 6 times usually with multiple elk taken--this year notwithstanding.

I hope the morning light finds you sitting in a downwind position, 250 yds from where those bulls are making for dark timber.

Crampons??? Sounds pretty hardcore there, E.

Packing a bull back in Crampons would be a little more adventure than I enjoy, must be part of the reason I don't own a set of crampons.

Good Luck E and we need pictures!!!

Anyone heard from E Yet? I was hoping for a success story by now.

geno

Still trying. Spent a couple of days in camp waiting for the weather to improve. By the afternoon of the 2nd day, I went glassing. At 4:30 PM, as a guy in a camp below me fired his rifle to check his scope adjustmets, three of them came out of their bedding area to feed a mile and a quater away. Two big bulls and one small one. I had reaquired them. The funny thing is that at 2:00 PM, the guy who was now shooting's partner was parked on the same ridge about 400 yds. below where they came out. He had the wind at his back which I was afraid would spook them. Not so. They waited until he left, and came out to feed.
I was there, at the base of the ridge a half hour before legal shooting time the next morning. All I saw were deer. Found one set of fresh pellets. No tracks or sign that were moving in and out of the area. Which they must do for water.
Glassed in the afternoon. Nothing.
Setup and glassed again this morning. Right at first light, I thought I saw a bedded elk. Trouble was he wasn't moving so much as his head, let alone the rest of him. While waiting for him to move, I looked around. Below the area where I thought the elk was bedded, I saw several elk come into view on the spur ridge there. The same place where the hunter had been two days prior. They kept coming. I tried to count them. I couldn't get a good count. 15 ? Maybe 12 or maybe 18 ? I tried to spot the bulls and count them. They moved around too much. Lots of bulls and some really big ones. Watched for about 30 minutes. By 8:30 AM, they all went into the timber to the same bedding area I've seen the others use. WOW ! This is staggering. They were not there the day before. I'd covered all the areas where they could have entered looking for sign. That many would leave lots of sign. BTW, that bedded elk wasn't one after the sun came up....
Tried to go after them this afternoon. But the wind shifted from W,SW, to SE...... again. That would put it at my back as I moved up the ridge. So, I'll try tomorrow. And we'll see. Another 3:20 AM wakeup call. E

Good luck E...get right on them. if you have been withing a 1/4 mile your almost close enough to shoot.

Get em!

lefty C

Still rootin for ya E!

Alan

E, I check this thread every night to see if you have connected with one. You will get one, I hope. I know you are having a good time.

Tim

Get in tight tomorrow morning - before first light - and good luck.

E needs a "Go Pro" so he can download his exploits for us.

Crampons, really, but no headlamp. You're killing me, Smalls!