Sheepdog1968
Member
H&H Hunter also has a nice sticky at top of hunting section that has lots of good advice on elk hunts. Worth reading.
Help with planning an elk hunting trip
- Thread starter samuelcmm
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RPRNY
Member
Well I got my elk this season in Grand County, CO, and I am extremely thankful for the horses, saddle and pack, that a) allowed me to cover so much ground, and b) packed that elk and all my crap out! Rather than bring horses out from back East, I would look to an outfitter that will do you a drop camp and pack you in and out.
Vern Humphrey
Member
That would definitely be my advice. If nothing else, make an arrangement with a rancher beforehand to pack your elk out for you.
Sav .250
Member
I`d suggest you start by looking into the DNR`s information of the potential starts your group is considering hunting in.
Get the facts....
Get the facts....
Stevenvalleyky
Member
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- Jan 5, 2017
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Just to throw this out there. Tags arent easy to come by but KENTUCKY has a very nice elk herd with some fantastic bulls being killed every year. Im sure tags are easier to come by out west but you don't have to deal with quite the elevation changes as out west. Most elk here are killed below 5k ft. Btw, kentucky has the largest elk herd east of the Mississippi river. Just a thought.
HB
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- Dec 18, 2007
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I would imagine Kentucky has the only "huntable" population of elk east of the Mississippi? Missouri started its reintroduction program recently but they've had some issues. Good to hear that Kentucky is off to a good start and in 50 years who knows, they may be like deer.
We are set on Colorado due to the over the counter bow tags and relative distance to Missouri. Not too bad of a haul if I have 10 consecutive days off. I've already started training albeit its been a bit lazy. Hikes without the pack. Snowed yesterday here but going to be 60 on Saturday so the plan is get a good 10 miles in hilly terrain with my pack.
Thanks!
HB
We are set on Colorado due to the over the counter bow tags and relative distance to Missouri. Not too bad of a haul if I have 10 consecutive days off. I've already started training albeit its been a bit lazy. Hikes without the pack. Snowed yesterday here but going to be 60 on Saturday so the plan is get a good 10 miles in hilly terrain with my pack.
Thanks!
HB
sourdough44
Member
I was North of Gunnison last Fall, public land.
The 2 newbies each got a bull elk, 30-06 & a 300WSM, 1 shot each. I would stick with a modest weight rifle, bolt is fine.
The 2 newbies each got a bull elk, 30-06 & a 300WSM, 1 shot each. I would stick with a modest weight rifle, bolt is fine.Samuelcmm;
I've lived & hunted most of my life in Wyoming & Montana. Much of that time I was also a professional ski instructor, and as such had to deal with people suffering from altitude sickness. Which can be deadly, though usually not. The point is, elk are frequently found in areas where it's possible to hunt both sides of the same acre of ground. It's high, the oxygen is thin, the ground is steep, and there may not be trees. Crossing a scree slope that's got 4 inches of snow on it is a real adventure, particularly if it's getting late & a storm is coming in.
Your gear needs to be light and warm. That includes the gun, which does not need 50 rounds of ammo packed with it. Start getting into shape now & get serious about it. A year from now you'd better have stayed serious about it. And when it comes time to hunt it's critical you've stayed serious about it. A ten-minute cardio workout is not going to build the extra red blood cells you'll need. As was suggested, come out west & summer hike some high trails. You'll see that I'm not tryin' to fool you or exaggerating.
900F
I've lived & hunted most of my life in Wyoming & Montana. Much of that time I was also a professional ski instructor, and as such had to deal with people suffering from altitude sickness. Which can be deadly, though usually not. The point is, elk are frequently found in areas where it's possible to hunt both sides of the same acre of ground. It's high, the oxygen is thin, the ground is steep, and there may not be trees. Crossing a scree slope that's got 4 inches of snow on it is a real adventure, particularly if it's getting late & a storm is coming in.
Your gear needs to be light and warm. That includes the gun, which does not need 50 rounds of ammo packed with it. Start getting into shape now & get serious about it. A year from now you'd better have stayed serious about it. And when it comes time to hunt it's critical you've stayed serious about it. A ten-minute cardio workout is not going to build the extra red blood cells you'll need. As was suggested, come out west & summer hike some high trails. You'll see that I'm not tryin' to fool you or exaggerating.
900F
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