Alsatian

beast44k:

1. Begin putting in for elk preference points in 2007. Of course, you need to do this on a state-by-state basis. If you can commit to one state now, you only need to obtain elk preference points in that one state, otherwise you need to obtain elk preference points in all states in which you may prospectively hunt elk. Even one or two elk preference points may make a difference in drawing for an elk permit in 2008 or 2009. Of course, if you want to hunt with friends, your friends will have to put in for preference points also, or your drawing results will be determined by their lack of preference points.

2. You said you were "very much out of shape." I agree, you should start getting in shape now. I recommend you think of this process of having at least two maybe even three distinct phases. A first phase would involve moving you from "very much out of shape" to "reasonable physical condition." This first stage would involve quitting smoking (if you smoke), reducing your weight substantially (I take "very much out of shape" to imply you are significantly over weight), beginning a gentle cardiovascular workout (maybe start by walking a mile or two every other day then begin running), and beginning a gentle strength workout. Establish eating and exercisedisciplines. If you succeed in this first phase you will feel a lot better and your success will provide a foundation for summoning the will power necessary for a more aggressive workout program. In the middle phase of conditioning, you will want to develop some bonafide cardiovascular and muscle strength. Run maybe run 3 times each week for 35 minutes, raising your heartbeat to 150 beats per minute for 25 minutes. Run between 2 and 3 miles at a pace of between 5 MPH and 6 MPH, whatever it takes to place yourself under physical stress, so you breath hard and fast. It would help to run up some gentle hills. In the last six months before your elk hunt you should transition to an aggressive workout program. Take care of your body during this stage: get enough sleep, drink enough fluids, eat enough protein (you can use whey powder protein supplements judiciously if need be) or you will injure yourself and set-back your training schedule. This aggressive workout will involve a LOT of cardiovascular training to get ready for high altitude but maybe even more importantly to increase your endurance -- the ability to go all day long and, when needed, to keep going late into the night when you have downed your elk at sunset. You should work on your climbing muscles also -- climb lots of stairs, do leg squats while supporting weights, lunges. Also, be aware that on the actual hunt you will find that you are still going to be overtaxed and feel underprepared on the first day or first two days, but good conditioning will allow you to keep going and you will adopt and feel more in the swing before the end of the hunt. Failing to do a good quality conditioning effort, however, is likely going to lead to your being sidelined early in the hunt, maybe lead to your guide taking you to more physically accessible spots which are less desirable hunting locations.

3. Outfitted/guided hunts are not cheap. If several hunters go on the same hunt with an outfitter, each hunter will have to pay separately (though some discounted rate may be allowed for a party of hunters, but not a very deep discount I wouldn't think). If you are paying less than the average rate, I would expect less than average quality on the outfitted/guided hunt delivered. I think you probably are looking at $4,500 for a quality outfitted/guided one week elk hunt. Be very suspicious of cut rate deals. Why does a successful, qualified outfitter need to offer discounted prices? I think an outfitted/guided hunt for a first time elk hunter is probably a good idea, as there is much to be learned in hunting elk successfully, and a deer hunter from Indiana is unlikely to know this stuff walking into the high country on their first elk hunt. No disparagement intended. I was a do-it-yourself first time elk hunter this past October and came home with no elk and not even a shooting opportunity for an elk. I felt very much like I didn't know the secret handshake, even though I had read a lot of books and querried a bunch of experienced elk hunters on various hunting forums.

4. If you are hunting in Colorado, you will want to obtain the Colorado Big Game Hunting CD sold by the Colorado Department of Fish and Game (or whatever the name of their state agency). This provides vital information on drawing odds for all of the elk hunting seasons. You will want to study this information carefully. Note that at different times of the hunting season elk will be in different places. Early in the elk hunting season the elk are up high, maybe just below timberline, often in public land areas. Later, heavy snows will push the elk lower down the mountains, perhaps onto low lieing private lands. Private lands are often very expensive to hunt -- perhaps in the $7,000 price range. In Colorado, and perhaps in some other states, you need to identify which of several hunting seasons you wish to hunt and then choose your Game Management Unit based on your expectation of where the elk will be during that period of time.

5. Begin collecting your hunting gear over time. It may be difficult to pay for all the needed gear in a short, three month period of time. It is easier, I think, to distribute this cost over a larger period of time. It is also easier to get some of this stuff out of the way early, because you will be busy enough with other things during the last three months before your hunt without having to also manage a large volume of predictable purchases. It is my opinion that elk hunting gear is not necessarily the same gear you will have used for deer hunting. You may see a wide range of weather conditions. Your clothing will have to serve multiple purposes. You should plan to layer your clothing. Your clothes should be warm when they are wet and be such as to dry out readily. Cotton does not answer well to this requirement; wool does suit this requirement. Wool dries out pretty quickly and is still warm when wet. I find medium weight wool trousers, while quite warm when it is cold, are nevertheless pretty comfortable even when it is warm outside. Under layers should wick moisture away from your body, for example polypropylene. Get boots that provide lots of ankle support, protection of your toes from kicking heavy rocks while walking in the dark, support for the soles of your feet while walking over rocks, soles which provide traction in snow ("bob" soles for example) and maybe have some insulation. I like the Meindl "Perfekt Hunters," but no doubt other boots are also equally suitable. You will want a quality pair of binoculars, for example 8 power binoculars with 42 mm objective lenses. You can buy the $1,700 Leica binoculars if you have the cash, but I think you can get good service out of much less expensive binoculars, for example Nikon Monarch binoculars or other brands which sell for less than $600. You may likely need a cold weather sleeping bag, unless you are hunting out of a hotel or out of a ranch. I suggest disregarding the manufacturer's "comfortable down to a temperature of X degrees!" temperature rating and make your own evaluation based on the specified quantity of insulation. I find the manufacturer's temperature ratings to be wildly inaccurate. I saw temperatures of only about 20 degrees above zero Fahrenheit and yet I was a little cold in my sleeping bag rated by the manufacturer to be comfortable for 20 degrees BELOW ZERO -- and I was sleeping on top of a thermal pad inside a backpacking tent.

6. You may consider taking a GPS, even on a guided hunt, as a security blanket. If for some reason you get seperated from your guide, a GPS makes it very easy to find your way around and go from one place to another. Even an inexpensive GPS unit (I used a $120 Garmin Etrex and found it gave very good service) provides a lot of valuable navigational capability. If you do get a GPS, practice with it before you go afield so you know how to operate it.


What I read says only 25% of elk hunters are successful in any given year. Just hooking up with an outfitter/guide does not necessarily boost these odds significantly -- for example over 33%. Bagging any elk is FAR, FAR from a sure thing even when you hook up with an outfitter/guide. You will definitely want to think through your hunting objectives based on a realistic appraisal of your hunting situation. For example, if you want at least a 6x6 this may imply being willing to hunt four to six seasons, passing on lesser animals to wait for the 6x6. Are you hunting for a head or would you be satisfied going home with a cow elk which provides excellent eating? I was entirely ready to take a cow on day one of the season, 10 minutes into the season if one presented herself to me. I'm not a trophy hunter. Every hunter has their own objectives. Some suggest a sliding scale. Initially set your goal to take any legal elk, cow or bull. After you have achieved this goal, slide your objectives up a notch to a 5x5 bull. Once you have a 5x5 bull, slide your scale up to a 6x6 bull. You get the idea.

A "do it yourself (DIY)" elk hunt is a complicated proposition. All of my comments above are directed to an outfitted/guided hunt, because you indicated this was your main plan. If you were to look at a DIY elk huntadditional considerations come into view. For example, you then need a plan to cope with a 700 LBS elk corpse: how to cut this bulk up, how to care for the meat in the field, how to get the meat to your vehicle, etc. Other DIY elk hunting issues include providing the capability to dry wet clothes in the field, providing heat within your sleeping quarters (you may be able to survive without such heating, but most hunters find heat is necessary to preserve sanity over the several days of the elk hunt), getting your outfit back in where the elk will be found. Of course, you also have to figure out where and how to hunt the elk if you are DIY elk hunting. This may be the most valuable asset provided by the outfitter/guide -- elk hunting experience and savvy combined with substantial scouting of the elk in that particular area.