RE: Preparing for elk season.. 1/2 way there
 

This is very true, especially on public land. Big, elaborate bugles sound great for bugling contests, but nine times out of ten if you hear one in the woods it's a hunter and not an elk.

In fact, even if you can convince them that your big bugle is another bull, you may end up running them off anyway. No bull wants to lose his cows to a bigger and more aggresive bull. There's a good chance he will gather up his cows and get out of there to avoid the new "challenger".

RE: Preparing for elk season.. 1/2 way there
 

I can talk elk all night.

Walk hard this summer, and wear your pack, weighted. Your shoulders need to get use to the straps, your hips use to the weight there etc.

DO NOT USE COTTON SOCKS OR UNDERWEAR

carry a small kit that you can light a fire with at anytime. For me, thats a cig lighter, matches, tinder and sealed in 3-4 plasitc baggies to assure it'll work when I need it.


I'm in love with those huge zip lock bags

Take a good digital camera and USE IT and USE IT OFTEN

don't worry too much about your scent because camping in the mtns etc after one day you're going to smell really strong. hunt with the wind, campfire smoke I think helps to mask your odor some but you aren't going to fool elk in his home turf



I will start prepping for my hunt June 1st. I life weights and cardio anyway, but come June 1st I'll start my 12 weeks or hiking with a weighted pack to get my legs, back and shoulders use to it again.

RE: Preparing for elk season.. 1/2 way there
 

I bought several elk calling dvd's. By far and away Elknuts set is the best. I highly recomend them.

RE: Preparing for elk season.. 1/2 way there
 

Again, guys... great advice and I SUPER appreciate it.

OK, you guys bring up the issues of "packs" ... I hadgota really nice big widefanny pack from Predator that's sort of gota built-in support belt, because I like to pack pretty light -- but obviously have never went on an elk hunt before...




It sounds to me as if you guys prefer true backpacks... I imagine you guys are taking quite a bit of stuff with you? Can you give me some ideas as to what you normally pack in? The fire-starting materials was definitely good advice, and I assume some meal-replacement bars or something like that too...

RE: Preparing for elk season.. 1/2 way there
 

Greg / MO you are 12-13 weeks from your elk hunt - how exactly areyou going to do it ?

backpack in andbivy camp ?

hunt from your truck and stay at someones house ?

trailhead camping and day hunt from there ?

private lands, leased grounds and someone driving you around on a 4 wheeler ?

Thats all exremely important in deciding how good your conditioning needs to be, what type of pack to use, etc etc

I will be hunting first week of season, South San Juans in an area I've never hunted. I expect to push 10-12 milesa day out of my body at plus 10,000 feet elevation. We arecamping from a basecamp 6 miles into a wilderness area. Its not extreme elk hunting, buts its going to be tough. I'm aleady in good shape, I will be fine tuning the hiking conditioning of my body in the next 12 weeks. My feet, shoulders, wearing my boots, socks, hunting clothes, and packframe.

I use a Schuh pack from Cabela's. I havecustom boots. I use a Cabela's tent, propane top cook everything and propane burners. We use a water filter, though in high coutnry I drink a lot from the streams.

Do you drink caffeine ? If so, STOP IT 2 weeks before your hunt. I've found my head pounds from the altitude if I'm on caffeine. Use Emergen C mixed with Gatorade for your drink - much better for you than all gatorade.

On your pack frame, decide how much weight you'll carry everyday. I'm guessing at least 15 pounds, and a fanny pack will kill you with that weight. To decide on what backframe to get, try to get to a Cabela's or Bass pro, and try them all on. Just like boots - find the pair that fits you and feels really good. Dont' worry so much about anything else other than how they fit. My buddy went one year and literally wore the soles off a pair of cheap Bass pro boots that didn't fit, and had to walk out and drive to a town and buy a new pair !

For calls, get yourself a Mac Daddy bugle (easy to make squeals with) and a cow call of any brand you can use easily.

RE: Preparing for elk season.. 1/2 way there
 

I expect I'm going to learn a LOT from this first trip, I can tell... I guess it's like whitetails; I've been after them pretty seriously for over a decade, and I'm still finding items I need to buy. :)

I say thatwhile sitting here sipping my coffee this morning... ;)

What exactly do you take with you (you suggested 15 lbs. of stuff was a probable amount; what all does that include?)? And, final question -- this time-- who makes the Mac Daddy bugle?

RE: Preparing for elk season.. 1/2 way there
 

I don't remember who makes the Mac Daddy . by FAR the easiest bugle I've ever used though. Get one, you can cow call, squeal and grunt with it all in one.

If you are just day hunting, from camp, truck etc, what are you going to carry with you ?

knife
game bags
cow call
bugle
water bottle
food
fire starter
rain gear
you'll have a shirt or two because in the morning it'll be cool, you'll walk, get hot, shed clothes, stop, get cool, add clothes etc
camera
film / batteries
flashlight ( I prefer a Petzl headlamp )
game saw ( Wymoing game saw is a must IMO )
maps
parachute cord or similar stuff



everybody takes different stuff. Come people carry compass, GPS's even phones. You need to figure out what your daily essentials will be, because that will in large dictate what your day pack will be. I use aday pack that has shoulder straps and a waist strap

after day #1 you'll likely decide to dump 5 pounds of stuff rom your daypack. its easy to take along too much stuff, thats why doing it before the hunt is so important

RE: Preparing for elk season.. 1/2 way there
 

Hunters Specialities, (Wyane Carlton, Al Moris, JR Keller, and the rest of the crew, most of them are good friends,)I agree the Mac Daddy isa good call for those who can't use a diaphram,but I preferr a diaphram any day of the week.

RE: Preparing for elk season.. 1/2 way there
 

"Hunting wallows is a joke. It works in New Mexico, not here". Let's see here . . . . Greg is out roaming around the San Juans near Montrose. He finds a cool secluded place where a natural spring has created a 1/4 acre bog of black mud. There are so many elk tracks in it that it looks like a cattle feed lot. The place absolutely reeks of elk odor. Fresh elk sign everywhere. But some internet expert named Huckleberrie says it's a joke; so we just move on and keep walking till sundown . . . . .

The elk pictured in my avatar, as well as a number of the 33 other elk I have taken so far in my lifetime, were killed camping outnear active mud wallows. Elk love these places in late August and September when they are looking for some escape from the heat.

RE: Preparing for elk season.. 1/2 way there
 

Couldn't agree more Roskoe, if we're talking about the "only" 1/4 acre bog within several square miles. That usually isn't the case, and if it were, you know as well as I do, every person with a tag would be hanging out there (Prehaps not if you're hunting private ground-Greg isn't).Based onyour avatar, I figure I'm 15 years your junior. I'm right there with you when it comes to killing bulls in one's lifetime (again, based on the info you've provided). I do not know where you hunt, butI do know where Ihunt (on public land). I've sat plenty of wallowsfitting your discription. In my opinion,Hunting these places is a waste of time-too many of them to cover! I not here to get into a pissing match with you. I would like to help Greg as much as possible. If you're such the expert, then volunteer to help him as I have.

Greg, I do not like fanny packs-I have no butt and they slide off. A pack with shoulder straps and a waist strape is my preference. When I kill, I carve the meat from the bone (leave evidence of sex naturally attached to one quarter). Load upmy game bags (I use cotton laundry bags They're a little more durable than the cheese cloth style). I load the pack with as much meatas possible. I tie whatever cannot be carried, on the first trip, as high as possible in trees (bears-they'll hit the carcass first). I make as many trip as necessary to retreive all the meat.

Big Duane's pack items are perfect-go as light as possible. I like a gps when used in conjunction with a compass (it helps to take note of landmarks as well). It will save you steps!