Originally Posted by charlie brown

If you have never back packed before, or elk hunted, I would work on one or the other in one year, not BOTH. If you are from MN, and going to ID for an elk hunt, you will be in for a big surprise when you see the mountains. What you would think shouldn't be too hard, will turn into a nightmare if you have never done it before. I would concentrate on hunting from a road camp, and hunting from that camp every day. A 700 lb elk 2, 3, or 10 miles from the truck is not your typical whitetail. Last year I shot a 600 lb cow about 1 mile from the truck. I carried out the 60lbs of loose meat in my pack, and am glad I was able to get the truck to her to get the rest out. She came out in 4 quarters, plus the loose meat. I figure if I am packing an elk quarter, at 1 mile per hour at best. If you are 5 miles from the trail head, and shoot an elk, that is 5 hours to get to the trailhead, with one quarter, and two hours to get back. At best you could get two quarters in one day. Double that, plus your camp, and the loose meat, and never doing it before, and you could be in real trouble real quick.

I have been hunting the mountains for about 12 years now. This winter I spent my first night out in a survival situation. Even with all the preparation and practicing I have done over the years, including trying out different gear, etc, it was still very mind numbing. The simplest tasks when out like that can become monumental if you don't have the experience, training, and equipment to do it right. I survived, and realized that it all has paid off.

Not trying to discourage you, but I don't think you realize exactly what you will be getting yourself into trying a backpack elk hunt when you have done neither before. Start with a truck camp first, and if push comes to shove, you can drive to town for a motel for the night if you need to. Hard to do that when you are back in, and realize you forgot something important.

Later,

Marcial