1st Elk hunt - Unit 54 CO
 

New member here.....1st post as well.

Well, I'm heading out to Unit 54 in Colorado for my first ever trip out west as well as my first elk hunt (rifle). Since my excitement is bascially boiling over right now and I can't hardly think of anything besides this upcoming hunt, I figured I'd use this thread as a primer for the trip!

We leave on October 9th (in 24 days) from southwestern PA and will be driving approximately 34 hours.....arriving midday Saturday, October 10th. The first week will be used as a scouting/fishing opportunity and the second week will obviously be hunting.

We will be renting a cabin in Almont, CO. It's about a 20 minute drive to our hunting location which will be encompassed by Carbon Peak, Axtell, and Whetstone mountain near Crested Butte, CO (public land for the most part). The elevation varies from about 9,000 ft to 12,500 ft. There's going to be, I believe, 8 guys in our party. Half of the guys have been going out every year for the past 15-20 years.....so they know the area pretty well. The other half includes me, my brother, my dad, and my grandpap. (Both my brother & dad have been out one time already.)

I drew an either sex elk tag, but did not draw a mule deer tag. That actually might be for the best......I won't have the added pressure of filling out both tags on my first trip.

I'm just excited to get out there & see the country. I will most definitely hunt as hard as possible, but I'm not expecting to take an elk. Seeing the country and just being there will be a succesful hunt in my mind. (Although, bringing home some meat might relieve some of the expenditure stress from my wife!)

I have a pretty lengthy "list" of what I'm taking out. I'll add/delete as time draws closer I'm sure.

I have so many questions running through my head right now that I really wouldn't know where to start. Maybe I'll just start randomly listing some bullet points. Tips & suggestions are welcome!

Cardiovascular Condition
I'm fairly young (30) and I stay in pretty good condition. I'm sure that what I do cardio-wise doesn't compare to scaling those mountains in that thin air. Plus, I'm about 255 pounds right now so that isn't going to help matters either. I started to diet down.....but as I went, I lost strength & endurance in the process. I decided that it would be best to focus on the cardio work and keep my strength up by eating maintenance calories. I do about 4 hours of cardio work a week right in preparation.......it includes both high intensity, short duration work (sprinting) and low intensity, long duration (jogging).

Rifle
I'm taking a Weatherby ultra mag .257. I've heard so many opinions on recommended caliber that I'm not sure which to believe. It sounds like the general consensus is that this is on the low end of recommended calibers. Shot placement and range become even more important.

Bear Spray
They're all making fun of me, but I'm taking it. They've only seen a handful of bears in recent years, but I'm gonna feel a whole lot better with quick access to it.

Boots
I purchased 2 pairs of boots this spring that I've fallen in love with over the summer. The Meindl Perfekt hunting boot & the Meindl Perfekt hiker. These are the best fitting, most comfortable boots I've even had on my feet. I actually returned a pair of Danner Elkhunters to Cabela's prior to this purchase due to severe blistering problems on my first field trial.

Food
I eat alot. Plus, I'm very aware of the importance of food while expending huge amounts of calories. Protein shakes, almonds, meal replacement bars, etc. will be my main source of snacks.

Cold Weather parka/bibs?
Everybody tells me that 15 degrees out in CO seems like 40 degrees here in PA due to the mositure in the air. Is there a need for the traditional insultated parka & bibs? I'm taking plenty of layering garments, but I don't believe anybody else is taking any kind of heavy insulating garments due to the bulk.

GPS
I purchased a Delorme PN-40 GPS recently. I'll use it here at home as well as out there. You can download aerial photo images (already done) and overlay topo contours on it.....really cool. It's pretty difficult to get lost in this area since the 3 mountains (mentioned previously) are usually in plain sight.

Under Armour Cold Gear
Anybody try it? It worth the money? I have other Under Armour garments and really like them, but in order to drop $100 on a set, they better give some type of advantage!

Water
Plan on filling up my 2 liter bladder in the backpack and taking a filtration bottle along. I may even take more than that in the form of bottles. I drink ALOT of water on any given day......probably 2 gallons or so. I know it will add weight, but I may have to deal with it.

As mentioned previously, feel free to comment with tips, recommendations, etc.

Thanks!

I'd leave the bear spray, chances of seeing a bear are slim, they are black bear, not griz, and even if you see one, it'll run from you faster than you can run from it, besides, you're going to be carrying a gun which is a better deterent than spray!
The most useful part of the GPS may end up being the ability to input the location of your downed elk. IF you elk dies in the middle of a forest at dusk, by the time you get it field dressed it will be dark, and when you walk out everything will look the same. Input the location of that elk so it's easy to go right back to it. Also, input camp location right off the bat. That may be the most important info. in your GPS.
The .257 is on the light end. Capable yes, pick your shots wisely!
Heavy bibs/parka usually aren't necassary. It's just usually not that cold that time of year. Lot of snow, possible, really cold temps., not as likely.
Your physical condition will be fine. Each person just has to pace themselves to thier own condition. Your strength will come in handy when it comes time to pack out the elk!

I know.....that's what I expect. However....I live smack dab in the middle of BIG black bear country here in PA......they don't always run!

Definitely. I also have various landmarks marked that the hunting party uses. If I did manage to get turned out, it shouldn't be too hard to figure it out.

Yep.....that's what I was thinking. In a few years when I go back (hopefully) I plan on having a .300 Weatherby....that would be a nice upgrade.

Sounds good. What about some gaiters? Would that be a wise purchase?

Hopefully!

Thanks...

If you get substantial snow, yes I like my gators just for that purpose.

I would rely on the guys in your group that have been before. Not just for the information on the area, but for what you need to take as well.
Under Armour works just like the other base layers that are made of polyester and spandex. NO better, no worse. Microfiber anything (used to be called polyester) but now a whole generation of younger folks will swear that UA is better than having an extra thumb. But the cheaper versions will do the exact same thing. My son says the compression of UA helps. To which I say Okay, buy a size too small of the cheaper version. Same thing. (Stepping down from soap box.....)

Layers is best in the West. Could be hot and cold and all in the same day even. If you are cold natured, nothing wrong with nice parka and bibs. But being able to take them off during the day is essential and then you might have to tote them around. You will figure it out real quick. But since you are returning to cabin at night you can adjust daily. No biggie...

Good luck.

You didn't mention what daypack that you will be using.
Electrical tape for your rifle muzzle.
I split a black plastic garbage bag length ways for a "snow" rifle cover.
Take it slow and climb "one step at the time".

Good Luck

Start NOW climbing steps....preferably with your back pack! Air gets kinda thin up there....just pace yourself and drink a lot of water! Good luck and good hunting!
Dan

I definitely think the compression aspect of UA works real well in other applications, but I've yet to try in a cold weather application. BUT......$100 for a set......not so sure that it makes THAT much of a difference. Thanks for the input!

It's a Cabela's model:

http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/te...770&hasJS=true

Good idea on the tape.

"One step at a time"........that's what I'm hearing!

I've done a combination of things. I've hiked with a fully loaded pack a few times as well as regular routines of sprinting/jogging.

When it's below freezing, hold your "bite mouthpiece" up, squeeze it, and let the water flow back. That way the mouthpiece won't freeze up.

Daypack looks really good.

Bullet choice is going to be VERY important on that small caliber. Don't even think about using soft points. Accubonds, E-Tips, Nosler Partitions, etc. are what you want.