Backcountry Elk Hunting
 

I am heading out west to hunt elk in september of 2010 I know I am a little early but I want to be prepared. I am packing in for 13 days and have done some research. I am just wondering how long and what some of you take on these kinds of trips

Are you packing in by backpack or with horses? For 13 days I would guess horses but just curious. Make sure you have a good firestarter fuel of somesort and matches/lighter. You never know what the weather will be doing. Warm sleeping gear, clothing, raingear. Snacks that will keep your energy supply up. Hiking up and down those mountains is very tiring. I also bring along a GPS and extra batteries. Knives, rope, TP, ETC.

on foot and backpack

Kinda depends on where 'out west is'.

Idaho in the frank church wilderness area

I back pack hunt here in Montana, do you have any prior history with extended back country stays in the rockies? Man, 13 days is quit a lot of time in for a back pack hunt, what is your schedule like? How many actual days in? I'm thinking you are going to need at least two trips in with food requirments.

I agree 13 days is a long time. I have to believe that you are experienced with this type of hunting to go in for that amount of time. Stay hydrated.

How are you planning on getting an elk out once it is down? Take care how far back you are hunting if you don't have a packer lined up.

Most completely underestimate what it takes to pack an elk out on their back until they have done it. Realistically, if you are in good shape, strong, have endurance, and don't have any feet, knee, or hip problems, you can bone the average elk and pack it in three loads. Some might pull off two, but in steep country you stand to do some back or joint damage. In an early season hunt, you will have time limitations in terms of temperatures and possible loss of meat.

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Thats because your buddy didn't know what he was doing. Your goal shouldn't be to "get it out quickly", thats novice mentality. Your goal should be to cool the meat quickly. That is your #1 priorty, get the meat cooled, then get it out.
As to the OP there is a few things to know if you are from out of state, inexpierenced, and planning on 13 days in the back country.

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Sorry if I sounded offensive. My first priority is to cool the meat. Skin, debone, bag in mesh bags and get it hauled down to a creek. Logs are placed over the creek and the meat layed on the logs, even in 80 degree heat a shaded spot above the creek will preserve the meat. We have taken three days to get meat out w/o losing a single cut. Also, putting pepper on meat will keep the flys off it. If your buddy shot a bull in an area where the only way to cool it was to get it out to ice, why did he shoot it to begin with? I understand losing meat to predators and there is not a lot you can do about that, but letting it rot in the hot sun seems irresponsible to me.

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Ok, well if what you say is true, I'll give you the benefit of the doubt. Bad things sometimes happen to good hunters, it is an imperfect world. You are correct that your advice is beneficial to a new back country hunter. I have gotten into holes where I wouldn't shot if I had a big bull in my lap, as I new I could never get it out. A relatively new back country hunter could get caught in the moment and shot an animal with no way to get it out. The thing is, back pack hunting gets you unto animals and in areas that are a dream, if you work for it, you can have a great hunt. However, just because you are packing it on your back, doesn't necessarily mean you can get it to a creek to cool in the necessary time, or even get it out of the woods.

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i live here in emmett.. I've seen a lot of huge bulls in the frank church area. Also monster muleys. I would highly advise going in by horse though. its tough country back there

You're going to need at least a couple trips in if you don't have gear drop-camped. I just returned from a trip backpacking in MT and for two of us to go in for 3 days with everything we needed to camp, hunt, and responsibly process a bull was quite a bit of weight. Granted we were going in Nov so we had extra gear I would not take on a Sept hunt (got VERY cold on us).

For certain, get the lightest tent/stove etc you can, you WILL notice ounces pretty quickly.

Here, this may help.

http://elkcrazyoutdoors.com/home/pack_list


I can do 7 days with a 42 lb pack including food and essentials. If I were to add in enough food for another 6 days a 1.5 lbs per day that would equal 49.5 lbs. DO YOUR HOMEWORK!

The longest that I have spent is 18 days, but that trip did require advance placement of food and others prior to the season.

Muley brings up a great point, in early season elk hunting haste makes waste. Have a good plan before you go.

Before heading into the Church you might want to call the biologists at the Boise office to see how the elk vs. wolf population is in that area.....good luck and take care of your feet!

good point elkcrazy8, also might check on the fires. I just came out of a hunt in the gospel hump area, and between the fires and the wolves it was slim pickens. I did see a wolf, but 4 days of hunting no elk. We use to pass on smaller bulls everyday in this area, just not the same anymore. If you have to do a backpack hunt. check with Arnold avaition in Cascade and see about a flyin camp.

I'm "packing" for our trip also....... But NOT for a backpacking hunt. 5 hunters for 14 days, or as long as it takes!!!!! This will be our 4th trip with the same bunch. 2 of the hunters are AARP-farts and the other 3 are worker-bees who would "drop a quarter in a phone" in a heartbeat. Going to the Havre, Montana area and have tags for deer (whiteys & muleys) and elk. Hunting on both public and private land, have friends who own/lease a LOT of land. Some of the land is further West and in better elk territory. We're really "ruffing it" with a 40' Beaver DP RV followed by (IF they can keep up) a Ford Diesel F350DRW bumper pulling a 20' enclosed with gear and Gator/ATV's........ Extra generator and 2 chest freezers. I am the House Mouse (with limited hunting), Kamp Kook, Boss Butcherer, and Recon Man. HEAD "EM UP, MOVE 'EM OUT.........MONTANA HERE WE COME !!!!!

My advice to any greenhorns backpacking in is to GO AS LIGHT AS POSSIBLE.

That way when Search and Rescue finally finds your body they don't have to pack out a ton of your crap as well.

Ya "go in light, come out heavy" is what I always say.