I agree with beech18 your first concern needs to be with killing one. I live and hunt these beautiful beast in the northwest, Washington state to be exzact and I have only killed a hand full. The best way to start is to school yourself to the best of your ability on how to hunt them. Then school yourself on how toquarter and debone eilk.One of the first things I would do in your case is to find some hunting partners not afraid ofa challenge, because after the animal is down the hardest part starts. In my elk camp we have taken animals in the range of 800 to 1200 lbs on hoof. Which can take us as long as two days to pack out without horses. Which we generally hunt in groups of three. If you hunt Washington plan on using a pack because the best elk areas fall in wilderness areas which is shut of to all motorized vehicles. For example we pack in about two miles back which makes for one heck of a pack out. Though, keep in mind pulling the trigger on a bow release or a rifle is the easiest thing. Finding the elk and everything working out right, in order to harvest the animal is no where even close to what you see in videoson T.V.It is work! I will say, no matter hard it is, the hunt, the pack out, and everything in between it is the sweetest reward I have ever tasted.So good luck.