glob3006

Hi bk,
WOW is it Monday or what. Flatlander?????? You will soon be initiated into the brother hood of ELK!!
Wilderness areas are a great place to hunt, if you cannot only get in. But if you are successful you must also have a plan to get your meat out as well. Backpack hunting sounds like a lot of fun and it is!! IMO it is the most mentally challenging and rewarding type of hunt that a person can do.
But.........It WILL kick your BUTT. I am not trying to scare you off. But if this is what you want to do??? You need to start now by getting in shape..and I'm not really talking about treadmill shape. They are OK for cardio but it will not work your joints as well as getting out there and hiking with a loaded pack. Get yourself winded!!!!!This may sound funny coming from a guy but. If you can find a place where you won't get heckled too bad. I would suggest a lot of stretching (yoga) exercises.
WOW I can't believe I just wrote that.
Anyway........To get into most areas and away from the perimeter hunting pressure I would say that you are looking at a good 3-5 mile hike in. Some are more some less. The area where I hunt I usually go in about 3miles starting from 9,800 ft and end up right at 12,000 ft. Ithen set up a camp close to running water is best. for several reasons. One is the obvious... readily available water. a second would be to help mask your camp noise and third is that if you are hunting uphill from your camp the cooler air temps will tend to take your scent down hill for a longer period of time during the day.Did I mention NO FIRE!!!! You won't need one unless you get into trouble. Use a mini pack stove to heat up your meals and water ( I use an MSR Pocket Rocket) other that that you will be too tired to worry about lazin' around a fire. Be prepared for the weather (ALL WEATHER) as well. I have gone one year and it snowed 12in. another it was 75* and this last year I got about 4in. of hail and at 12,00ft. the thunder and lightning will get you prayin' real fast
There is really so much I could say. But would like to see what some of the other guy's/gal's might add.
Any more ??????? Don't hesitate to ask!!!!!

Bill

justhuntitall

Hey bkbell as you can see Iam a flat lander too but dont let that scare you off . Ive been going to CO bowhunting Elk for 10 years now. Yes get in as good as shape as you can. The biggest disadvantage we have is not knowing the animal and the country they live in and when you get there you will feel very small and have no Idea where to start all I can say is just get out there and learn as much as you can and after you bumped up enough elk you will learn where they live and where they feed, where the drink and you will have the time of your life doing it .


Ok now for the good stuff if you are any kind of hunter at all you will become so addicted to bow hunting elk that it will be an every year thing and the more you go you will learn more about the area hunt and the elk that live in it and what you learn will be worth more than anthing any guide will do for you and when you get your first elk cow or bull it will mean more to you than any other animal you have ever taken.

Ok and the way we do it is make a base camp and hunt from there untill we find the elk then make a spike camp if so need be . Try to stay away from other hunters and hunt the hard stuff thats usually where the elk are and the people aint .

Four other friends and I have took 11 elk in 10 years with bow 3 cows and 8 bulls one bull 300+inch one 250 the others rag horns. Killed most of them the last five years.

Iam going to give you a place to look at its the Yampa river valley just west of Yampa CO on the Flat tops mountains its great place to hunt . Good luck!

bkbell

Hi Bill
Wow sounds like there needs to be a boot camp for wanna be elk
hunters. My wife is into karate so she will help me with the stretching,
which is a good idea. I am sure it will kick my butt but it will have to do
it again and again and again. Hey I wont have to drink blood from my
first kill to get into the brotherhood will I ???
Thanks Brian

Nontypically

lots of good advice given already

you might try the base camp approach before doing the full backpack, or come out for a summer backpack trip before hunting season to scout an area and get a feel for backpacking

lots of good areas, but the North end of the flattops and the Bears ears have big herds of elk, perhaps not as rough as the Weminuche, still plenty of hills though

bkbell

Wow Justhuntitall sounds like you guys have done well over the past
ten years. A friend and I were going to do this ten years ago but life got me sidetracked. There is no dought in my mind I will love it. I cant thank
you enough for recommending a place to start, trying to pick a unit when
your a newbe even with the stats is hard. Have you had any luck calling
early season before muzzleloader?

.May your blood trails be heavy!

glob3006

No there won't be any blood drinking But you will get respect. Especially if you do a DIY backpack hunt.

Karate is a very good way to keep loose. I have a friend that joined a class a couple of years ago, specificly so that he could get in shape and go on my annual backpack hunt with me. He still goes (to class)mainly for that reason.
I know some of the guy's/gal's on this board know what I am talking about when I say that there is NOTHING!!!!!!!!!!!!!! in the world of hunting that is more incredible than to hike into the back-country,sleep out under the stars with Bull's bugling around you all night long....NOTHING!!!!!!

I have myself learnd alot from the people who post here and some that do not anymore.
So if you have ANY questions just ask.

Which is why we NEED an ELK thread!!!!!!!!!!

Bill

elknut1

glob3006---You've got that right!!! There's nothing like bulls screaming all around you in Sept. or anytime for that matter! Man you got me excited just reading your post! I'm truly nuts about Elk!!!----------------------------------------------------ElkNut1

gselkhunter

How about some help from a Colo. bow hunter. #1 forget the 2 wheeled cart the timber makes it a pain. Use a $9.00 plastic flat bottom sled[KMart on end of year sale], they go over anything. I used to pack out elk on my back[NOT TO SMART] a quarter at a time. On the sled 2 quarters are easy to haul out. I am a fuzz older than you and I set up at the edge of the wilderness area[unit 49 or 500 if I draw] and walk in and out everyday. Setting up at the truck, I can bring all the comforts. I sleep better there for I hunt better. One of the reasons I do this, guys want to be too close to the hunting ground and end up moving the elk out. Also I will hunt one spot in the morning and a different spot in the evening. Unless some big bull got under my skin that morning and wouldn't let me kill him. Then I feel I must give the old boy another chance, cause he blew it that morning. Draw areas are the ticket. I hunted 49 last year and never saw an other hunter in the field, nice! They were talking, I called them in, my step-son got to shoot at an elk for the first time ever and I killed a 5x5. All on opening day, too much fun.
Gselkhunter

glob3006

That's a good point on the sled GS, I use mine all the time although I still have to make two trips to get camp and elk. I did opt for the "magnum" deer sleigh form Cabelas a few years ago. Mainly because it's a little bigger and thicker. I would also suggest that if anyone wants to try this method. Bring some plastic sheeting( Window plastic) maybe 6'x6'. It is lighter than a tarp. Can keep you dry,protect meat while cutting and I always roll the quarters and extra cuts in it to keep clean while I drag.

elknut.................Does that mean that.......When you are at home,You are at the elknut house??????

Bill

elknut1

glob3006--I've never thought of it that way, but by george you may be right!! <grin>
ElkNut1