I am looking at doing my first ever elk hunt next year. I've lived my entire life near sea level and am in okay shape (not overweight) for someone in their early 70s. So, I'm wondering if this is doable, or is it too late for me.

It's doable, but having a 4 wheeler and someone younger to help pack it out will be a big bonus. An elk is a big animal, even gutting it alone is a bit of work, best to have a hunting partner or 2.

I say it's totally doable. It's all logistics . If you want to hunt elk , I think you should hunt elk! There are guided hunts, some from cabins or lodges, others are backcountry. There are non-guided hunts, drop camps, and everyone's favorite the do it yourself. If it were me at your age ( I am pert near 62) and had the money I would invest somewhere in a guided hunt. I have a myriad of dudes and chikas I could mooch off of in the high country from my years of packing and guiding for outfitters so I would not have to go that route. I am sure some of these old farts who hunt elk will chime in, there is much experience around here from my perusings.

It's definitely doable, especially if you can get access to private land through an outfitter or landowner tag, that's the route I'd go. Finding elk is the hard part, and if you're hunting public land you'll probably need to put on some miles to find 'em, which gets harder as you age. And then pack'em out, which requires some help like MOW said.

I definitely have only a guided hunt in mind but I want a real mountain hunt, not a game ranch where you shoot at elk in a field. But I'm not sure I can handle the altitude of a mountain hunt.

There are many places that have elk on high country ranches that are "a real mountain hunt", but will cater to your situation if your check-writing skills are up to par. Your best bet is to talk to a few guides based on others' recommendations, and find one who meets your needs. If you can get around at sea level, you won't be suddenly crippled at the altitudes you'll find elk, at least in Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, Utah, Arizona, or New Mexico. I don't know about Colorado.

Anybody want to recommend someone?

Go do it!! Nothing like being in the high country in the fall.

I'm 75, live at sea level and harvested a 6X6 bull with an archery tag in AZ three weeks ago. Last week I hunted with my 10 yr old and 12 year old grandsons in AZ during the youth cow hunt. The 10 year old got a cow and the 12 year old never got close enough to shoot. Both had bulls screaming at them at less than 50 yards.
Both hunts were at 7000 ft and I still got around but keeping up with kids that age can be a challenge.
If you don't have elk points then look at NM for a guided hunt, Utah for a cow hunt, or maybe CO.

I'm 72 and my hunting partner is 75. Yes, we still hunt the high steep stuff...but with reservations. We live at about 4k so we have a big advantage over someone from sea level. The only way to get acclimated to high altitude is to spend time there. The biggest issue is the aforementioned problem of getting several hundred lb of meat from the corpse back to camp. I solved that with llamas but I realize that those are a specialty thing, unavailable to most hunters. How much can you carry on your back and how many times can you repeat it?

I am leery to recommend anyone from my neck of the woods as the woods are dead up there and on fire. As someone from this site was inquiring about booking a hunt at C lazy U, which is located in Granby, Colorado. Beautiful setting, lots of elk (it's not a game ranch), but right now the E. Troublesome fire is right across the highway from them.....just saying! They probably have a lot of scared elk on the ranches they hunt right now! Rocky Mountain Elk foundation used to have a list of reputable outfitters to choose from (all over the western U.S.) and there is another way to inquire about that but it escapes me right now.

I am 77. In 2018, I killed a big 6x bull at 11,000 feet on a solo hunt. Just me, my saddle mule, and my pack mule.I live at 7600 feet but 11,000 is almost another mile higher.

There are enough options out there that you can do it.

I just turned 74 and have a hunt scheduled in December.

Be upfront with the outfitter when you talk to them about your age and condition.

Every year I do an annual late season elk hunt with one of my grandfathers in the foothills here in AB. This year he turned 81. He doesn’t put in as many miles each day as I do of course but he’s still going strong and at about 5’7” and over 200lbs, he’s not what you’d call in shape.

Another grandfather (79) still hunts lake season elk as well with his long time hunting partner (same age). They stick to private land where land owners will allow them to drive up to something they shoot. A small winch at the back of the box and a sheet of plywood allows them to load whatever they get.

I'm 72 and had COVID this year. I am still going on my 40th hunt this year. So you can do it. As for an outfitter, the ones I would recommend are already booked for next year. While I doubt she will have a cancellation, try Jeanne Horne with J Bar H Outfitters in GMU 12. She is outstanding and if you can get in with her you will be lucky. Good Luck.

I’ve booked a hunt or so through John Andre at Shoshone Wilderness Adventures and found him to be straight up and reliable. It’s his business to know how to pair folks up and rather than going blind, it’s worth talking with him. Just my $.02

[quote=ro1459]I'm 72 and had COVID this year. I am still going on my 40th hunt this year. So you can do it. As for an outfitter, the ones I would recommend are already booked for next year. While I doubt she will have a cancellation, try Jeanne Horne with J Bar H Outfitters in GMU 12. She is outstanding and if you can get in with her you will be lucky. Good Luck. [/quote

Jeanne does have two drop camps down lower ,about 9000 feet.She does not do hunts out of here base camp anymore. Her fully guide hunts are up higher.I fully recommend her.I hunt around her lower camp areas for cows, ML. great lady. My two mules came from her and she has one I raised on her string.

Jeanne Horne is solid from all accounts, I always wanted to hunt the flattops.

Thanks, I've contacted Jeanne.

About 5 yeats ago I went elk hunting with my grandpa. He lives in Portland and was 92 at the time and is on medications to keep his heart rate down due to having open heart surgery years ago.
It's entirely doable if a person is up for the task.

As an observation, I find many of you guys a great inspiration. I hope to be roaming elk mountains in my 70s. Keep on keeping on.

To the OP, I think horses will become your best friends. Depending on your physical conditioning, a drop camp will get you into good elk country and you can literally be hunting from the tent. A guided hunt works as well. Talk to outfitters and be honest about your capabilities. And get in better physical condition. I tell everyone I take - there is no such thing as being in too good of condition in the elk woods. I've found physical conditioning is the limiting factor for guys of all ages. The better condition, the longer youll hunt and more comfortable you'll be.

I'd also suggest setting the goal of hunting elk in the mountains, if you get an elk - bonus! My group has gone to taking every 3rd or 4th day off to rest and eat 10,000 calories. Id also suggest shooting any legal elk on your first trip. Youll be back for more trips

Bottom line: Just go elk hunting and enjoy the experience. Worst case scenario - you spend a week doing armed hiking in some of the most beautiful country God created.

Arrive early and acclimate. High altitude, steep hills, slick footing, pack and rifle are strenuos. All doable. As said get in shape. Also get good boots/socks and work your feet and ankles. Find a locall hill and train on some local steep terain going up and down and do some side hilling carrying a load. My elk loadout is 8lbs rifle and 15-20 lb pack in the mountains.

Elk hunting for most is a team sport particularly without atvs or pack animals.

God bless you and well done sir. Gives us in our 60s hope!

Spot on. Rustle up an outfitter offering relatively lower cost cow elk hunts on private land and use that experience to learn the ropes.

I shot my first bull elk 15 days before my 68th birthday in SD this year. Took 20 years to get drawn and I made 4 scouting trips plus the hunt. The highest elevation I was at was around 5000 feet so not real high. There were days scouting that we did about 7 miles some climbing but not too bad, I had 2 stents put in March of 2019 and I have been exercising on a regular basis. I couldn't quite keep up with my 34 year old son but I did ok. My point is if you are in reasonably good shape you should be able to handle the hunt ok, pace yourself and a good guide will be cognizant of how you are handling things. This was a once in a lifetime elk hunt for me so don't be sorry you did'nt go thru with the hunt.
wmd

I would contact a hunting consultant. You can explain your situation and they'll come up with some options for you to consider. I'm 63 and have been using Huntnation after someone here recommended them several years ago. Most of my friends are still working and those that aren't can't afford to go on guided hunts. I've booked 2 hunts with them and will probably book another this winter for my son and I. Good Luck!

Just came back from my elk hunt with a first day cow.. She was back a mile and 1/2 at over 8,000 feet. My buddy helped hold it and turn it while I dressed it and then we all packed it out. The next day I returned for one more load then drove a few miles, hiked back in two miles to help my other two buddies to get their two bulls out. Packed out a ham two miles and returned part way, to pick up my third load of the day. I am 75 now, conditioning, desire and overall health are the key. I have another hunt in two weeks.

Conditioning is VERY important, but natural ability is also very important. I'm 72 and my partner is 75. I'm quite a bit taller than him and have at least a 6" longer stride. I'm in much better shape than he is but he's way ahead of me in natural athletic ability. He can outwalk me any day, even with my longer stride. However, at rest stops and at the end of the day, I'll recover MUCH faster because of my conditioning.

That is some solid work, elkmen1. What type of packs do you guys prefer and do you use the common cheesecloth gamebags or custom made ones? I used my old Kelty frame years ago, and ended up donating it to a SAR team when I left the mountains. Wish I still had it....

Get fit, bike etc. Read up on high altitude edema. Altitude sickness and remedies. ( bicarb and limit alcohol)
I'm 72, live at 5500. Hunt at 9500. I also do not work at it, it is mostly a camp trip. I have taken up bicycle and that helped a lot this year along with finding out I had celiac so watching diet made a difference.

Pard is 79, but lives at 9000 so he is acclimated..

I just want to call out Troublesome for excellent use of the term Pert Near! Well done! and congrats to WMD!

Very doable, get in shape, have your doctor write a script for Diamox for altitude sickness and pick an outfitter. Good luck!

"Troublesome8, That is some solid work, elkmen1. What type of packs do you guys prefer and do you use the common cheesecloth gamebags or custom made ones? I used my old Kelty frame years ago, and ended up donating it to a SAR team when I left the mountains. Wish I still had it.."

I have three Camp Trails frame packs, which help, and were made only for packing. My partners have newer packs which convert to both frame and bag packs but the "Freighter" packs have never let me down. They are old like me, but get the job done.
..

Packs, I use stone glaciers; sky archer 5900 (new model is 6400) for archery and a sky guide 7900 for long trips. They’re expensive but one of the lightest hunting bags on the market and super comfortable for me. I’ve packed out several animals and few trips up mountains hauling water for camp. They’re well made and tough so far. Game bags, I use caribou gear game bags. They’re light, breath, hold up well and keep bugs and dirt out. Flies can lay eggs through cheese cloth. The only option with it is if you can keep it elevated well off the meat or wrap it several times in which case the meat doesn’t breath.

I've lived near sea level for the last 30 years. Come hunt in Washington. Here's how it worked out for me: https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php/topics/11623852/1

It's spot-and-stalk hunting just like Warren Page and Jack O'Connor used to do, but it's well under 750' ASL. Sometimes you can hear sea gulls.

I talked with this guide a couple of days ago. He just picked up a 4,500-acre lease and is seeing monster bulls.


Okie John

I have been trying to keep up with all the latest in gear. So much out there now. Those stone glacier packs look to be the [bleep] . I have to admit that for the years I worked for outfitters I never had to sweat the pack out back to camp or to the trailhead as I had 40 head of horses to work with and I usually got first dibs on pack horses for my camp , so I was spoiled in that regard. These days, thinking of putting that weight on my back makes my roids swell! We had some gamebags made out of decent cotton years ago with a drawstring on em . They lasted us a long time and worked well.

New gear is always coming out and it’s hard to keep track of. It’s also all insanely expensive in Canada. I pretty much have to buy everything from the US if I want good gear. We’re a country that should be able to produce fine products but we seem to only produce pu**ies (I fall into my own criticism, I’m part of the pu**y generation).

I haven’t had any failures on either pack nor my game bags. I’ve never carried more than 120-130lbs in the bags. I don’t have much patience for horses. I run a pedal bike instead.

okie-----I also live in Washington on the east side of the Cascades. Been here for several years and have yet to hunt. So far this year I have been to Idaho, Wyoming and Oregon in a couple of weeks. Much better hunting elsewhere than here,. I have lots of preference points, so I may drop Idaho and try a hunt east of the Cascades this next year,

We hunted the Olympic penninsula,( what a trip that was), Yakima area and around Wenatchee area when I was stationed at Ft. Lewis many years ago. I backpacked in the Blue Mountains when I got out, saw quite a few elk in there.... I have a buddy who lives outside of Olympia somewhere, they hunt their own property , small acreage.

I just booked a hunt with Jeanne Horne. Now, how to get there? Fly to Denver and then rent a truck, or just drive all the way from the Houston area?

Drive. That way your gear is in your control the whole time, and you have your own rig to bring home the elk.

Just drive. It's an enjoyable part of the trip. Take your time and enjoy it.

-Jake

I have successfully guided several guys your age and coming from similar places several times on horseback hunts in rough country. And we did plenty of hiking too. Plus I’ve seen it happen with other guides in camp too. Go do it.

When is your hunt, next year?

You will be glad you do the hunt! My brother is 66 and I am 70. We hunt every year! The last 5 point we got took three days to pack out! Three of the best day's that year! Get in shape, walk and climb! Walk fast until your lungs are getting a good work out! Plan on five miles a day while hunting. We stay in shape backpacking out high country, only around 7000 ft! Sea level will require more walks but you can do it !

Climb stairs. Wear a pack while doing it with increasing amounts of weight. We have the county fairgrounds within easy driving distance. The grandstand is 56 steep steps from bottom to top. Climbing them 15 to 20 times a few times a week while carrying 20lb in a pack will do wonders for the legs. Going down them is also important as it works different muscles.
The problem is that the steps are often too icy during the winter so I have to start fresh each spring. Breaking a leg will set you back more than TV and the recliner will.

I flew to Alaska on a drop camp hunt many years ago. The airline misplaced the rifles, and took three days to locate them and get them to us. Between that and travel to and from your home mistakes like that take a big chunk out of your hunting time.

While it was part of my job, I hated coming out of camp (for any reason other than laundry and the Lariat Saloon) to shuttle a hunter over the mountain to Stapleton. It just plain sucked and we did have the occasional lost baggage and gear and having to scrounge up equipment for a hunter....if your commute isn't too bad I would always opt to drive.

Glad to see you are going to get to hunt with Jeanne. It wont be your last, she is outstanding. I also drive from Chattanooga up there every year. I take two days and then spend a night in Steamboat to help acclimate. Makes a big difference at my (our) age. Weather makes a difference so watch it carefully. You may need to go a little early to miss the snow.

What season will you be hunting?

Drive.

Also, if spending nights in camp over 8K feet, recommend a script for diamox 125 MG twice/day. Start two days before being in altitude. It helps.

Ya, definitely do not take the altitude ramifications lightly!

I just had a conversation with Jeanne. They did real well in archery, ML, 1st rifle and 2nd rifle is starting off great. I see her every year.You will have a great hunt.
Definitely drive.You don't want to do anything connected with DIA in Denver. Plus it is another 4 hour drive to Jeanne's base camp where she lives.

There is some great free range elk hunting in West Texas and a lot of high fenced ranches throughout Texas that probably could offer an older flatlander a gentler hunt.

That right there is some excellent advice.

My elk hunting partner is 75 this year. He works all year round to make sure he gets around in the mountains well. He can carry a rear quarter outta rough country without much fuss, or no more than myself. It is tough walking but not impossible if you don't let your brain beat you. It's worth the sweat and panting you'll do!