Elk Hunting
 

Hi all, I am planning to hunt elk this fall, probably Colorado, thinking about unit78. Plan to do the 2nd rifle season Oct 20-28. I will be on foot. I am completely new to the elk hunting and know nothing about the area except what information I am getting from maps. If anyone has any experience or advice I would appreciate it.

Look at the other thread in this Big Game Hunting forum on "First Elk Hunt." There is a lot of good information there. It can snow in second season. In fact, it probably will snow or will have snowed during second season up around the 10500 to 12000 foot level. Maybe not enough to drive the elk to lower elevation but maybe enough to make hunting complicated. It is hard to walk through 18" of snow. It is hard to pack out an elk in 18" of snow. This is kind of an altitude sensitive consideration -- higher up, more snow; lower down, less snow. I'm not sure, but I sort of think the elk will still be up above 10,000' elevation during second season. Look for public land that is above this elevation.

Elk are big animals. Have a plan for getting the elk out if you get one. Only 20% of Colorado elk hunters are successful. Given that consideration, you might not want to hold out for a 7x7 if you see a cow standing in front of you on opening morning. It can be a lot of fun, even if you don't score an elk. This is your first elk hunt, so expect to learn a lot. Talk to people. Be friendly. Ask for tips. Don't expect to be told a good place to find elk. Expect to hear general hunting principles.

Get into shape. Between the elevation the rough terrain and gear, it will wear you down. If you plan on wearing a 20lb pack all day I would wear atleast that much if not double that to prepare. Be ready to walk a lot of miles each day.

Thanks Alsatian, This will be quite a experience. Possibly doing this solo and setting up a base camp alone in such secluded areas will be a challenge. Elk hunting has always been on my bucket list. There just comes a time in life when you have to stop waiting for the right time to do things and just make it the right time. At least now I know to expect snow and what altitudes to concentrate on. I selected unit 78 because OTC tags were useable and it looked like there was some good migratory routes and winter ranges on the Colorado DNR website. I have been looking back over the old posts on the forums and reading everything I can.

Thanks C-rad. I hang drywall for a living which should help me with the weight carrying. I definately have got to do some work on my wind though. Havent ran since retiring from the military and that was 8 years ago. Shaving a couple pounds off would be good to. Frankly, I am sure that the distances and vastness will be a little overwhelming at first. Its going to completely redefine my interpretation of "within hunting range".

It will help if you can come out a few days early to get accustomed to the altitude. It will drain your energy more than being out of shape.

What altitude are you at now?

Thats a great idea Muley Hunter. If I end up soloing this hunt I should be able to come out a few days early. I live in Ohio and aint much above sea level here. I am from the mountains of Virginia but havent been back in a couple years. Yeah. A few days there early, a chance to see the country, talk to people, pick up hints and scout would probably do more to help my chances for success than about anything.

I would love to find a rancher I could give a couple hundred to for the opportunity to camp and hunt on some private land but I am sure the hunting rights on most anything like that have done been bought up.

Another tip I give to those hunting a new unit. Call up the DOW, and ask for the phone # of the warden for the unit you want to hunt.

Give him a call. They love to help you out, and nobody knows the unit any better.

Another great idea. I am getting pumped. OTC licences go on sale tomorow so I will probable pick one up then so I will not back out because of work etc later this fall. LOL I am still trying to make heads or tails out of the hunting regs. Do you recommend picking up any other licence in conjuction with a elk licence just to have along for a target of opportunity?

I would just concentrate on the elk. It will be more than a handful if you get one.

Yes It will be quite a job if I am fortunate enought to get one. I Drug a 400lb black bear for nearly 1 1/2 miles off a mountain and down 1100 ft or more in Alaska. That was several years back with me in much better shape and it still nearly killed me. LOL

We don't drag elk. :)

Skin and quarter it out, and then the work begins to get it out.

If, a mighty big word to be only two letters, i manage to find a elk and connect, I suppose it will be quite a challenge packing it out. Deboning would be a big help I suppose but I hate doing that unless I have a stream nearby to keep everything clean. Dragged that bear in Alaska untouched with a knife just to get it down to shore where I could find one of my buddys to take pictures of it. I sometimes write a article or two freelance for some magazines and needed the pics to go with the story. Not asking for any hunting spots, but is unit 78 a good choice to try in late Octobler? I just need to stay in a unit in which I can use a OTC. I am looking at a couple others in that area. Have even looked at a couple closer to the plains east of unit 78.

I can't help with that unit, but as I suggested. Ask the warden.


edit Get a hold of MountainDevil54 on this forum. He lives and hunts in that unit, or next to it. I forget.

By yourself: plan on deboning. If you luck out close to your vehical than bone-in quarters are okay I suppose, but boning--while a bit time consuming to the novice--saves a ton of wear and tear on the body. Bone in quarters are four trips. Boned are three. The average bull or large cow will probably lend to about 220 to 225 lbs of meat, so a bit over 70-75 lbs in each of three trips. You don't need a stream. Take your time. Watch a couple of youtube videos on the gutless method. You can still gut the beast to speed cooling a bit, but it will show how you to skin off one side so you can work the meat off. Cut the muscles off in muscle groups and you won't have to cut cross grain much. Cutting cross grain before rigor has set and released lends to a bit tougher meat. A few cuts are okay, just don't steak it before then. Lay the meat across rocks, branches, spruce boughs you've put down, etc... so it can cool as you work on the animal. Boning and airing the chunks like this are no doubt the quickest way to get that meat cooled. Then put up the meat as cooled into breathable sacks. I've generally used pillow cases but there are lighter sturdy sacks out there made for it. If the meat is cooled it is okay to put the sacks in a garbage bag in your pack to get it to camp, but then get it out and hung in the shade to breath. If it is warm, keep the meat out of the sun and if there are cooler micro climates (draws, creek bottoms, etc.) close to where you kill it, get it all packed there and then shuttle the trips to camp. I was into some elk two years ago. It was over 80 degrees and I realized that I was close to 5 miles to the truck. Stopped hunting and went home for the day. You probably won't have temperature problems to worry about spoilage in a late hunt. But with mountain weather, you never know...

Thanks Wyoming, Deboning if I am far from camp or the truck will be what I do. I debone all my deer but of course that is after I have skinned, gutted and allowed them to cool at either camp or my home. I debone them in muscle groups as well but never knew that cutting across the grain before rig had set and released would make the meat tougher. I'll make sure I take some sacks and garbage bags with me. I have been talking to a couple friends and with any luck will get someone adventuous enough to tag along. Not going to hold my breath for it though.

Thanks again Muley Hunter, I will look them up once I figure out how to use all the features here. I am just wanting to try and make the best choices I can.

It may be the case that your elk will go down in snow, in which case you shouldn't have problems with your elk getting dirty. If your elk does get dirty, just wash it off when you get down out of the mountains. For example, I usually end up staying in a hotel my first night down out of the mountains and leaving for home the next morning. In your hotel you can take out your elk meat and wash it off. I take my elk meat home to butcher myself -- 900 miles from elk country to home -- and I keep my elk cold in coolers and with a modest amount of dry ice. I'm not trying to freeze the elk during this return trip just keep it cool. The first day that I'm home I butcher it.

Under some circumstances you can drag your elk to a more advantageous position. For example, one time my elk was on a slope of about 25 degrees to 30 degrees and I slid it about 50 yards to a patch of snow in the shade of some trees. As I took the elk apart (skinned and cut apart into major portions), I packed the meat into the snow to help start the cooling process and to keep birds off. After I had all the meat free, I then put the meat into heavy canvas game bags. Others use light game bags. Others use pillows. Pretty much any cloth bags will do. I then piled snow over the meat, and we fetched the meat the next day. If your elk is in a gully, you won't be able to do this, and you'll have to play it where it lies.

Different people have different ways to deal with elk. I field dress the elk. I then skin off one side of the elk, starting from the upper half of the backbone. I take off the backstrap on the upward side of the elk. I saw off the lower leg and hoof of the rear leg. I cut this rear leg loose. I then saw off the lower leg and hoof of the front leg. I cut the front shoulder loose. I take off as much meat around the pelvis and neck as I can. I take off as much rib meat as I can. If it is a bull, I then saw off the antlers. I roll the elk over onto its other side. This can be difficult. Once rolled over, take off the hide on this side of the elk, and take off the meat as was done on the first side. Then take out the tenderloins from inside the body cavity of the elk. These are big pieces of meat on elk and they are the best meat on the elk, so don't neglect them. If I could readily extract the tenderloins without gutting -- the "gutless method" -- I might prefer to do that.

This last year I shot my elk about 6:30 PM. I field dressed it and returned early the next morning to skin and cut up the elk. The meat was OK. This does make me a bit nervous -- nervous about the meat going bad or being of lesser quality -- but in this case there was no problem with the meat. I think I would prefer to take the meat appart rather than leaving it over night as I did this time. As it was, we were about 5 miles in from the road (but serviced by a relatively level trail to walk out on), and it was maybe 9:30 PM when we got back to camp that night. If we had cut up our meat, it would have been after midnight getting back. Still, maybe in the future I'll do this anyway.

The meat will cool much quicker when it is taken off the main carcass of the elk. We tend to leave our elk out, often packed under snow, for a day or two. You can sort of think of this as like a big outdoor refrigerator. At 11,500' elevation in mid-October, it gets down to about 20 degrees at night and maybe 55 degrees during the day during fair weather. I think last year it was a bit warmer at night, maybe getting down to 25 overnight. Nonetheless, it is pretty cool. And if you put some snow over your meat this too keeps things cool. We have never had our meat molested by critters, but maybe this varies by location.

You can bone out the meat to make lighter loads. This last year I skinned and cut up my elk and packed out tenderloins, backstrap, and antlers on one trip. Next day we went back and got the rest of the elk.

Thaks Alsatian. Only animal I have ever skinned on the ground was that bear I took in Alaska so your info will definately help me out. I have ordered some cloth washable gamebags earlier this morning. Mossey oak brand and they are for guartering a elk. I have been trying to study unit 78 and am leanig toward hunting the Chalk Mnt area. Its south of Pagosa Springs. Not sure if its a good starting spot since there seems to be a lot of info online about it for climbers, hikers etc. I noticed it has a migration route off its western slope into the winter ranges. Not sure if I am figuring things right.

Don't underestimate the need to get an animal that size broken down. A friend shot a raghorn bull one evening. It started raining. He field dressed it and we went up with packs in the morning. It had started to snow during the night and there was a couple of inches on the bull when we got there. When we started breaking it down, the meat was still hot to the touch in at the hip sockets. They retain a lot of heat due to both the insulation of the hide and the mass. Snow makes for great refrigeration. If there is pink snow or pink in the snow avoid it. It is caused by an algae that can be toxic, though is more common later in the winter. Some may survive to the next fall. Other colors can also indicate different algaes.

Fair2middlin2003

Ive Wanting too do the same for years!!! I give u props on making it happen!!!

Heck Iowa you should just grab your gear and join me. I got plenty of room in the tent.

Hells bells, looks like I could pick you up in route on the way to Colorado. LOL

Wyomingtrapper made a very good point in that elk are so big that you are really taking a chance of spoilage on the inner, thicker areas of the carcass if you don't get it opened up so that body heat can be expelled. This is the case even when there is snow on the ground and I've heard of many people say they had spoilage because they thought the weather was cold enough and they didn't break the animal down until the next day. I prefer to lay the meat on a tarp or on clean snow as I debone the carcass until I know it has had time to cool. Burying it in snow before the inner heat is lost on large pieces can insulate it and possibly allow the meat to sour. No matter what the temperature might be, I strongly encourage anyone to debone the carcass ASAP!

Good point, If i am fortunate enough to get one that is what I will do. I just perfer to have water nearby to keep the knife and my hands clean of dirt and hair as I debone. Of course a few hairs arent near as bad as spoilage so I will take you guys up on your advice. The animal will be gutted, skinned and deboned ASAP. Thanks guys.

I've used the gutless method for over 20 years, and never lost any meat. I was glad to give up that mess from gutting, and gutless is much faster and cleaner.

I will say that I don't hunt the afternoon. I want my kill in the morning, so I have all day to get the meat out. I hunt alone, and I don't want to be doing it in the dark.

Boneless has it's advantages and disadvantages. One negative it you're exposing more meat to the air. I find it harder to carry too, because it clumps together at the bottom of the backpack.

If you're going boneless. You don't need water. Use a tarp to put the meat on, and once you skin it. There should be hair involved. You get all of one side done, and then turn it over and skin that side and bone it. Dirt shouldn't be a problem either. Hair is worse than dirt as far as keeping the meat tasting good.

As is always said. The real work begins after you make the kill.

Good luck.

I just mite take u up on that...ill pm u my #

I'll chime in and say the same as Muley. When I first started DIY elk hunting I gutted the animal then quartered and packed it out. Since that time I have learned the gutless method and it is way cleaner and easier. I have found I can break an animal down to quarters in about an hour or a little more so leaving it in one piece isn't something I would do. If I am not far from the truck I will pack out the quarters. If distance is great I have to debone and pack which does take more time. Take it from me, stay out of the guts. There are some tutorials about the gutless method. Our first time out I dropped a cow and after walking around the beast for several minutes taking pictures and trying to figure out what to do next I waded in and started to gut it. Lots of pressure and after it was all done I looked like a salad complete with quacamole dressing. My buddy called on the radio telling me he had killed a bull and I told him to watch out when he gutted it. He said too late. LOL

I really appreciate all the advice I have gotten guys. Going to learn that gutless method for sure. Its quite nice to see the brotherhood of hunters still has so many. If I can ever offer you guys some help hunting Turkey in the southwestern part of Virginia or offer up some 30 inch rainbow trout fishing (called steelhead here) in Ohio including a place to stay for the trip let me know. Would offer some deer hunting but honestly the area in Virginia doesnt hold much in quality and here where I live in Ohio there isnt much in accessability.

Here's some instruction on the gutless method. Let me add that he made it look a bit harder than it is, because he wasn't using a sharp knife. I also don't understand why they didn't drag the elk away from the log?

I also use contractor garbage bags to stuff under the elk to keep the dirt out. I never have someone to help me, so I always bring plenty of rope to tie off the legs. You can also hold them between your legs as you cut them off, but the rope is easier. You'll have the same problem whether you use gutless, or gut it. You can see how much meat is left to haul out. Get in shape!

Also, if you want to go boneless. You can do it with the quarters attached, or after you've cut them off. The garbage bags are good to work on for that. If flies become a problem. Sprinkle pepper on the meat.

http://elk101.com/webisodes/gutless-video/



Compare that clean easy gutless method to this mess.

http://wildlife.state.co.us/NewsMedi...ssBigGame.aspx

Good Vid Muley. It doesnt look to complicated. Thanks