1st Elk hunt - Unit 54 CO
#11
Spike
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2009
Posts: 24
Partions all the way......
#13
Spike
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2009
Posts: 24
#14
Spike
Join Date: Aug 2009
Posts: 9
This sounds like a really interesting trip that I'd love to do someday.
I don't mean to highjack this thread but I live near south east PA (NJ), do you know of any good hunting locations in your part of the state? How about the poconos.
I don't mean to highjack this thread but I live near south east PA (NJ), do you know of any good hunting locations in your part of the state? How about the poconos.
#15
Spike
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2009
Posts: 24
- Get rid of spotlighting
- shotgun/slugs only
- seperate doe & buck seasons
Not only that but a little feed management on all of these wasted state game land fields would go a LONG way......bucks ain't gonna grow unless you feed them.
#16
Spike
Join Date: Sep 2009
Posts: 3
Unit 54 Elk Hunt
Hey Newbie,
Good luck on your elk hunt once you go once you are hooked no turning back I went my first year when I was 20 and am now 36 I started in Unit 54 & 55. I have hunted the area you are talking about in Unit 54 the best spots in Unit 54 is Flattop and Red Mountain off of Highway 135 and Bruss Creek off of Highway 50 is probably the best the only bad thing about Unit 54 is not alot of places to hunt I did shoot 3 bulls in Unit 54 but Unit 55 is way better if you decide to go again let me know and I can give you really good areas in Unit 55 I have shot 5 bulls there in 8 years but now I hunt in Unit 67 because it is a draw only unit and easier to hunt than Unit 54 or 55 and has bigger bulls in it because it is draw only.
To tip on the other questions you had had you said you are leaving Oct 9th for 1st season it opens on the 11th and goes through the 15th. You need at least 3-4 days to get used to the thin air otherwise you get headaches and burned out easy. I am leaving on Oct 5th and have a bull tag for Unit 67.
As far as your 257 Weatherby I have one but it is a little small for elk you want a .30 caliber I shoot a 300 Weatherby and take a 340 Weatherby for a back up gun make sure you take a back up incase something happens to your main gun but if you have to take the 257 Weatherby go buy Barnes TSX bullets that is what I am shooting out of my 300 Weatherby and they hold 98 percent of their bullet weight and will go through bone as well.
Good idea with the Camelback I take one as well and go through 100 ouches of water twice a day and food I pretty much eat alot of protein bars, beef jerky, and trail mix you will need alot of carbs out there.
A far as bear spray you dont need it and as far as boots I have three pair of Danners they are awesome on the steeper terrian where alot of other boots will slip or they only last one season. As far as a GPS I have a Garmin Oregon with the topo maps built in its great you just lock in where you are or where you have seen or shot elk and then buy good maps from Gene Taylors in Gunnison and put them on the maps as well for future years. I have all my spots marked that I have hunted and seen elk and where I have shot them as well for the last 16 years.
Are you staying at Three Rivers Resort or Almont Resort I have stayed at both lots of times and Three Rivers is alot nicer as well as it has a place to hang your game when you get it and has a general store as well.
Let me know if you have any other questions otherwise good luck and if you need any tips in the future just let me know dont forget to take a good pair of binos and a spotting scope as well and some form of a tripod or bipod is crucial.
Take Care.
Good luck on your elk hunt once you go once you are hooked no turning back I went my first year when I was 20 and am now 36 I started in Unit 54 & 55. I have hunted the area you are talking about in Unit 54 the best spots in Unit 54 is Flattop and Red Mountain off of Highway 135 and Bruss Creek off of Highway 50 is probably the best the only bad thing about Unit 54 is not alot of places to hunt I did shoot 3 bulls in Unit 54 but Unit 55 is way better if you decide to go again let me know and I can give you really good areas in Unit 55 I have shot 5 bulls there in 8 years but now I hunt in Unit 67 because it is a draw only unit and easier to hunt than Unit 54 or 55 and has bigger bulls in it because it is draw only.
To tip on the other questions you had had you said you are leaving Oct 9th for 1st season it opens on the 11th and goes through the 15th. You need at least 3-4 days to get used to the thin air otherwise you get headaches and burned out easy. I am leaving on Oct 5th and have a bull tag for Unit 67.
As far as your 257 Weatherby I have one but it is a little small for elk you want a .30 caliber I shoot a 300 Weatherby and take a 340 Weatherby for a back up gun make sure you take a back up incase something happens to your main gun but if you have to take the 257 Weatherby go buy Barnes TSX bullets that is what I am shooting out of my 300 Weatherby and they hold 98 percent of their bullet weight and will go through bone as well.
Good idea with the Camelback I take one as well and go through 100 ouches of water twice a day and food I pretty much eat alot of protein bars, beef jerky, and trail mix you will need alot of carbs out there.
A far as bear spray you dont need it and as far as boots I have three pair of Danners they are awesome on the steeper terrian where alot of other boots will slip or they only last one season. As far as a GPS I have a Garmin Oregon with the topo maps built in its great you just lock in where you are or where you have seen or shot elk and then buy good maps from Gene Taylors in Gunnison and put them on the maps as well for future years. I have all my spots marked that I have hunted and seen elk and where I have shot them as well for the last 16 years.
Are you staying at Three Rivers Resort or Almont Resort I have stayed at both lots of times and Three Rivers is alot nicer as well as it has a place to hang your game when you get it and has a general store as well.
Let me know if you have any other questions otherwise good luck and if you need any tips in the future just let me know dont forget to take a good pair of binos and a spotting scope as well and some form of a tripod or bipod is crucial.
Take Care.
#17
Spike
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2009
Posts: 24
To tip on the other questions you had had you said you are leaving Oct 9th for 1st season it opens on the 11th and goes through the 15th. You need at least 3-4 days to get used to the thin air otherwise you get headaches and burned out easy. I am leaving on Oct 5th and have a bull tag for Unit 67.
As far as your 257 Weatherby I have one but it is a little small for elk you want a .30 caliber I shoot a 300 Weatherby and take a 340 Weatherby for a back up gun make sure you take a back up incase something happens to your main gun but if you have to take the 257 Weatherby go buy Barnes TSX bullets that is what I am shooting out of my 300 Weatherby and they hold 98 percent of their bullet weight and will go through bone as well.
Are you staying at Three Rivers Resort or Almont Resort I have stayed at both lots of times and Three Rivers is alot nicer as well as it has a place to hang your game when you get it and has a general store as well.
#18
Spike
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2009
Posts: 24
Gettin' closer............11 days!
- Haven't had the weather yet to sight in the gun....hopefully mid-week will yield better conditions
- Truck needs to have campertop added
- I need to have things pretty well packed up by this coming weekend. I don't feel like rushing around next week at the last minute.
- Haven't had the weather yet to sight in the gun....hopefully mid-week will yield better conditions
- Truck needs to have campertop added
- I need to have things pretty well packed up by this coming weekend. I don't feel like rushing around next week at the last minute.
#19
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location:
Posts: 6,357
I have the Meindl Perfekt hunters and love them. I had no opportunity to break them in before a brief backpacking trip in 2006 and figured I would just suffer through with whatever pain ensued, but there was no break-in needed. No kidding. Very unusual. I say this as someone who just did about 35 miles of break-in (2 miles and 3 miles at a stretch -- more would have led to blisters, likely) on a new pair of backpacking boots. Good boots. I haven't noticed that they keep my feet any warmer than uninsulated backpacking boots (they have about 400 grams of thinsulate, supposedly), but I guess I can live with that.
Sure, the .257 Weatherby Magnum is not the cartridge of choice for Elk, as you have acknowledged, but it will take Elk. Good advice I've read from others applies to your use of your .257 -- shoot until the Elk drops to the ground, don't watch to see what is going to happen before reloading and shooting again.
Sure, the .257 Weatherby Magnum is not the cartridge of choice for Elk, as you have acknowledged, but it will take Elk. Good advice I've read from others applies to your use of your .257 -- shoot until the Elk drops to the ground, don't watch to see what is going to happen before reloading and shooting again.
#20
Your enthusiam is contagious and I almost wish I could tag along with your group, it just sounds like it will be a lot of fun. I really like the week of scouting and FISHING! Two weeks of straight outdoors a long ways from home sounds like a blast.
Reading your posts I think you'll be in plenty good shape. You can never be in too good of shape but you will need to acclimate yourself to the higher elevation and this is very critical and has nothing to do with how good of shape you're in. Just make sure you spend at least 24 hours at 7000 to 8000 ft doing very little before heading up beyond that. Don't get to your cabin and start doing your workout in anticipation. Again give your body 24 hours to acclimate below 8,000. Altitude sickness will ruin your whole 2 weeks so make sure you heed this advice.
Enjoy your trip and make sure you let us know how it goes!
Reading your posts I think you'll be in plenty good shape. You can never be in too good of shape but you will need to acclimate yourself to the higher elevation and this is very critical and has nothing to do with how good of shape you're in. Just make sure you spend at least 24 hours at 7000 to 8000 ft doing very little before heading up beyond that. Don't get to your cabin and start doing your workout in anticipation. Again give your body 24 hours to acclimate below 8,000. Altitude sickness will ruin your whole 2 weeks so make sure you heed this advice.
Enjoy your trip and make sure you let us know how it goes!