stinkbelly

We are looking into a backpack elk hunting trip this bow season in Colorado and were wondering if anyone had any info on this type of hunt.

Wolf killer

My best advise to you is contact Eastmans bowhunting journal. Look them up on the web at www.eastmans.com I needed the same advise as you did last year. I am a longtime Eastmans hunting & bowhunting journal subscriber. I called eastmans & they mailed me a old issue free of charge.
Cameron Hanes had a GREAT article in that old issue that answered all of my questions.

good luck,

Wolf Killer

ELKINMTCWB

If you have hunted elk befor and know the moutain strugle. The a backpack hunt may be ok.There is a lot to geting an elk out. This is the main problem with backpack hunts.

If you can get ahold of some one to help you get the elk out or there is enough of you hunting together,you should be ok.From what I have seen It is better to go on short hunts2-3 days than to try to go in for a 2 week hunt off your back.I get to the main trail in daylight than hike the trail out in the dark.This is so I have more day light hunting time.It is better to be standing 1 mile in the woods at daybreak than just starting off at the truck.

I hunt this way a lot but I can just drive home and get the horses to take the elk out.I normaly go in 7 miles.

It will be a way better hunt if you kill the elk unguided.

Good luck to will be the most fun you can have wile killing your self :}

charlie brown

GET IN SHAPE!!!! That is the best advice I could give. I am planning to do the same. (If I can draw the darn tag!) For deer and elk in two different areas, during different seasons. I am working right now with a pack, to get myself to find out how much I can comfortably carry for how far. When I find that out, and reach what I feel is my max, then I will cut that distance in half. I have some spots picked out where I can set up main camp right near the wilderness area. I will then hike only as far as half as far as I can comfortably carry that pack, and only plan on a 3 day hunt in one spot, then move back out to base camp. Set up spike camp that far in, and hunt in a close proximity to that. This will also allow me the chance to move the next day if I don't feel the deer/elk opportunities are very good. Thats what I plan to do, now lets see if those two tags will come my way!

Edit - Oh yeah, the tag I applied for was a cow muzzle loader tag. Also the area I have picked out if I draw should hold plenty of elk off of the wilderness area, but there are a few miles between roads in spots, which would allow me to execute that plan as well.

SpyroAndes

This may sound like a dumb question but...

Do you backpack alot now?

Frankly, if you have never done a backpack hunt... unless you can get lots of help from the experienced and are in amazing shape... I'd do a deer hunt before doing an elk hunt.

I have done alot of do-it-yourself backpack hunts, in the past, not in Colorado, and they were very successful experiences but they were definitely not a 'walk in the park'. My trips, depending on the hike in, lasted 3 to 8 days

On the elk hunts... I primarily did bivy bags and just stayed with the herd.

The main problem with the entire backpack hunt for elk is the packing out of game. Don't get me wrong, there is that certain sense of pride when you are within eyesite of the truck with the last load on your back. However, up until then, it is alot of work. Deer hunts are much easier in that sense.

Honestly, when I finally got some money in my pocket, I bought some horses but that just introduces other issues.

Oh, one last thing... be EXTREMELY selective of a hunting partner when doing this type of hunt. Just because ol 'Joe' has been your hunting partner for 10 years doesn't mean that 'Joe' should be doing this hunt with you.

Actually, the guy I did most of my backpack hunts with is a guy that I would not say 3 words to if we couldn't talk about hunting. We didn't go to the range together to shoot. Heck, the only time he came over was to look at maps and then to pack our backpacks. However, the guy could hunt and was tough. If you are not positive about those 2 traits, especially toughness, don't go with that hunting partner.

It sucks when you have to all the hard work associatted with backpack hunting and then be a motivational speaker for your hunting partner.

Mental Toughness and Physical Toughness.

SA

PS. the best way to pack is to pack together... Put both of your guy's stuff next to each other and remove all the duplicates.

glob3006

Wow Spyro.... We agree on something

Stinkbelly, SpyroAndes is right.......... You must WANT to backpack hunt for it is you and all of the elements that GOD can throw your way anytime he wants.This is my primary way of hunting. I normally do it solo for the reasons stated above. I have answered this question many times on this board with little or no reply. So if your serious ...............Let me ( us) know.

Bill

AlaskaMagnum

Backpack hunting can be a lot of fun. They are a lot of work, but it is the best hunt you will ever do. I do it all of the time. The trick to backpack hunting is

1) Packing correctly - a week's worth of food and gear should weight about 70 lbs. Most guys bring waaaayyy to much crap

2) Getting in shape - this means lots of exercise

3) The correct gear - good gear is essential when you can't just go back to the truck at the end of the day

Backpack hunting is tougher than hell, and it's a sacrifice. No cots, dehydrated food, no fresh clothes...but it makes it so much sweeter when you bring that animal back to the truck.

SpyroAndes

Those monkeys are probably finishing up their typing of Shakespeare's works and I heard that they opened season on flying pigs.

More often than you'd like to admit.

Actually, while backpack hunts exposes the lack of toughness quickly, other types of physically challenging hunts will do it as well.

I took a friend on a Moose hunt, he snapped around day 6 of an 11 day float in the middle of the Alaskan Interior. He wanted to use the Sat Phone to call the air charter to get picked up early. I am not sure if it was the solitude, the miserable weather, the work (I shot a big bull on Day 2), homesickness, the bears or a combination of everything that got to him. The only way I got him to finish the float was to let him use the Sat Phone so he could call his family every night for 10 minutes. He shot monster bull on day 10 of the float.

I still hunt with him but not on those types of hunts... not that he wants to go anyway...

SA

SpyroAndes

Your #2 should be #1 and in BOLD print.

Getting in shape is really a little too vague... Prime Physical Condition is more like it.

And it can't be stressed enough... train as if you were going to run a marathon.

Elkcrazy8

These guys have some great advice. Get ready for anything. We started backpack hunting in a great spot. Each time we went in we seemed to kill something and burried our gear to pack the meat out. After a while we had so much stuff in there and such a large hole that we decided to go in on the off season and burry 3, 55 gallon drums. Now we have a complete camp that we hauled in on our backs complet with everything a guy could need and then some. Some of the strangest items are irrigation boots, a large folding table that we found on the mountain, electric pumps for the air matresses etc. These are not items that I would bring in for a one time hunt. We used to pack very light and eat foods that needed to be hydrated when we first started hunting this area. Ramen noodles, instant oats, and gourmet meals in a pack, where all we had to add is hot water for a good tasty meal. Powdered drinks are great and make a nice base liquid for a drink of crown royal to settle you down for the night. Good planning and preperation is very important here. Try to bring only items that can be used for more than one thing. This will help keep the weight down that you will be carrying. A good pack is what you will need also. Don't go buying any frame pack. Make sure that it is comfortable and has good support. If not I can bet that you will be visiting the chiorpractor when you get home.