A good quick and easy firestarter is cottonballs saturated with petroleum jelly and put in a ziplock bag.They burn good enough to get a wetwood fire going.
Elkshed

After looking at something at a distance through your scope always remember to turn down the power before walking into timber. You will be able to get on the animal faster if you need to.

While tracking a bull elk in the snow I slow down and start glassing when I see the tracks start to wander,usually means they are looking for a bed.
Elkshed

What's your favorite bait for the fall hunt?
My favorite hunting tip: For elk, I get up 2 hours before light (not every morning!) drive to first choise, buggle, if no response, on to next hot spot. And so on 'till I get satisfactory return bugles. (Bulls, not hunters)

It keeps snow,dirt, and other crap out of muzzle. When you hunt by walking up and down ridges and such, falling down can be a oart of it.

While elk hunting I only carry my fanny pack with the needed gear in it.After I down an elk and bone it out and put the meat in game bags,I hang all but one that I'm packing out.I then take two pieces of elk hide about 2 foot wide x 2 1/2 foot long and cut some 2" backpack straps within one of the squares.then I take my knife and make some lashing holes and take some cord or rope and fasten the sides and bottom together then load up my gamebag of boned out meat and antlers and head back to camp to get my pack frame.Good Idea to urinate around the parimaters of the area that your meat is hung to help keep the bears away.
Elkshed

Stash water-proof matches in every pocket of your clothes in a small ziplock bag, just a few in each. That way if you take off your pack and go off to "look over that next hill" and get lost you'll have some matches to start a fire.

Tape over the barrel of your gun. I always do that and it helps a lot!

Use several small bottles of water instead of 1 or 2 big ones. You can stash them in all the little pockets of your pack or pants or coat and you can drink a whole one each time you drink, instead of having a 1/2 empty quart bottle sloshing around while you walk.

Bring extra batteries for your GPS, Laser Rangefinder, Radio and wrap them in a ziplock back then in a solid 3 layers or so of duct tape. That way they don't short out on anything in your pack and are secure and not banging around.

Get a GPS to mark your trail coordinates.

hillybillyhunter1,
I know how you feel! I know how she feels. I've been looking for Elk Story as a lead in to our Elk Column. If I give you credit may we post it? You can add your picture and your trophy!

That was rather be huntin'sstory--so you better ask him