A buddy and I are getting pretty serious about this for next year. I need to do it before I get too old :)
Not sure what part of Colorado yet, he has a friend who lived in Denver for several years and hunted elk pretty seriously so we are waiting to see what he says.
I am wantng to bivy out from a truck camp for 2-3 days, come back resupply etc.
What are the pros and cons of this? I would think you would save alot of time and walking like this.
I need to educate myself on the tag situation. Is Colorado over the counter except for some areas?
Could you bivy hunters give me your pack contents, menu etc for stuff like this please.
Also best part of season to go and best strategy ie glass, walk to you find elk. etc
Thanks
Next year, 2009 season?
Yes there are plenty of over the counter elk units.
Bivy hunting is a great way to go. Your skill level will determine how much junk you have to carry, also depending on where you are hunting and time of year. If you go first week, you can get away with less in the way of cold management. It could still snow, but the chances are greatly reduced. Some essentials are a water filter, a way to make fire, a sleeping bag, early, I just carry a light tarp to make a quick lean-to instead of a tent. GPS or compass, topo map, food, (protein bars, instant oatmeal, jerky, trail mix) leave the stuff you have to cook at the truck and fix a big meal on the days you are back there. A small first aid kit, might come in handy, a small petizle (sp) type head lamp, knife, and hunting stuff. If your pack weighs more then 25 pounds or so you're carrying too much. If you're hunting with a buddy, try not to double up on stuff.
For clothing early season, a light long sleeve hunting shirt for during the day is a must. Layers, under armour cold gear is a great first layer, then a heavier shirt and a sweater, covered by a rain jacket is about all you will ever need early. You can expect frost in the morning and 70's to low 80's at times during the day. Expect afternoon thunder showers, any or all days, they normally don't last long, but can get hairy if you get caught on an open mountain side when one rolls through.
Later in the season, (last two weeks) it can get cold, single digits at night and snow so you have to be prepared for that possibility.
It's rough country, I can't stress how important it is to be in the best shape of your life. Every extra pound you are carrying around your gut is a pound you have to carry up the mountain.
That's a good start, I'm sure more will offer advice. If you end up needing information on a specific unit to hunt let me know.
Some elk hunting can be like whitetails, wait on them to come into the feeding areas. But if you want a biy type hunt, I suggest you read on kifaru.net in the essays and message boards and Backcounty Bowhunting by Cameron Hanes. There were some posts here about elk hunting too.
There is an interesting article, "The Belt Buckle Bull" in the July/August issue of Bugle. In the article, the author provides specifics on bivy hunting - based on his experiences. While I disagree with some of his detail(for instance - a quality pack is going to cost $500 or more) overall his article strikes me as solid.
Looks like we are looking at Unit 65. Might have some local help on the hunt. Still looking for the pros and cons of bivy hunting
I don't know that I can be much help since it's been 20 years since I went but I hunted unit 41. Had great hunting, I hunted about the middle of the season with some shirt sleeve days and a couple of good snows. I think bivy hunting would be a great way to go.
There are only two negatives I can think of. 1 - Bears, if you hunt in a bear area make sure you take all the usual precautions with food etc. you don't want them varmints gnawing a hole in your pack to get a granola bar especially if it's in the tent. 2 - if you kill an elk on the last day of the hunt call home and tell them you will be 2 days late or more depending on how far from the truck you are.
As I am planning on a similiar hunt - I have been asking the same questions you are posing.
Obviously, I can't answer your question about what the pro's and con's are for bivy hunting Elk as I don't know what you consider a successful hunt. For $.02 - I can give you my questions/thoughts on the subject.
First, there is an amazing amount of information, based on other people's experience, available on the Internet. Some of it is in forum's (like this one) - a lot is available on sites like the Colorado Division of Wildlife, GMUResearch, ElkCamp, Basspro, Colorado Bowhunters Association, and about a 1,000 sites advertising guide services.
Are you prepared to get your Colorado Hunter Safety card - if you were born after 1/1/1949 - you will need one. If you don't have a Hunter Safety card from your home state - I suspect you will spend your first day in Colorado in a hunter safety class.
It sounds like there will be two or maybe three of you. What happens if one of you gets an Elk on the first day - say 5 miles from the truck? Are you prepared to field dress it and gets hundreds of pounds of hide, antlers, head, and meat to the truck? What happens after the elk is in the truck - do all of you go to the processor? If not - is the one who didn't get an elk prepared to wait until the other returns - knowing that means they don't hunt until the elk is in the processor? Or are they prepared to hunt by themselves? To make it more interesting - what happens if both of you get an elk? How are you going to get that processed elk home?
The issue of bears was already raised - how about the terrain - are you ready, physically and mentally, for high country? For instance - it is my understanding that summer storms (thunder and snow) at altitude are common, typically violent, and potentially lethal.
Do you have the equipment to handle the range of conditions possible during the summer in Colorado?
How good is everyone in your party with a map/compass and GPS?
Per GMUResearch - there were 557 OTC bowhunters in GMU 65 in 2007 - they took 75 elk. That is a 14% success ratio. Does that work for you or will the hunt be a negative if no one scores?
Looking at the map for GMU 65 available from Colorado Division of Wildlife - the summer range for elk consists of pockets throughout the GMU - have you decided which ones to hunt?
(http://i295.photobucket.com/albums/mm149/JDicello/GMU65.jpg)
I see you are from from Troy, Il - does that mean you won't be able to do any pre-season scouting? You mention that you might have local knowledge available - are you "Internet scouting" via any of various map sites? There are any number of sites that provide info on how to that - ElkCamp and GMUResearch - come to mind.
What are your limits with your chosen bow/arrow setup? Do you have the ability to get within that range of an elk - by stalking or by calling?
For what it is worth - on all the questions except for those involving physical/mental readiness - my answers to those questions lead to my decision to book a guided hunt rather than trying to DIY.
Hey, I'll go wtih you. I've been looking into this for a while too, but I don't have any friends that are hunters....
Also wondering about the practicality of hiring a guy to pack out the elk with horses. Pack a sat phone and call when the elk is down. Anyone ever done this? Practical?
Jimikinz
Can you pack elk. Pilgrim? :)
Hi John.
I like hunting with a light pack and getting back in there but don't do the Cameron Haines style bivy hunting where I have everything on my back all the time. I essentially spike camp hunt the whole week. I wouldn't call it a base camp. I return to camp every night.
My pack weighs about 35 pounds for 7 days.
Haines style bivy hunting is too extreme for me.
The advice on getting in shape and being realisitic about your abilities is good. If I had my first hunt to do it all over again, I'd just take it easy and walk all day long. Not get in too big of a hurry and not expect to kill an elk. My hunt this year is going to be a vacation. Another big thing is altitude. Stay at around 8000 feet for a couple days before you try to hunt hard. You'll feel better for the rest of the hunt and won't burn out.
Train for your game by packing weight for the next year. Get to where you can pack 10 pounds over your full pack weight 5 miles without stopping too long. It'll be different in the mountains but you will see where you are at least. USe all your gear a lot before you go. Include your food in that. I eat Lipton noodles and tuna in oil along with peanut butter and tortillas. I can';t stand energy bars. If you can't eat it, it won't do you any good.
Have fun. Getting ready for the trip is the funnest part for me.
I'm doing Idaho again this year.
"Elk don't know how many feet a horse has".
John,
JDice has brought up some very good points that you really need to think about.
I have done DIY, drop camps and fully guided elk hunts. First off I will probably never do a DIY hunt again. I am 50 years old and it's just getting too dang hard to do it that way. It really sounds romantic doing it all yourself but in reality it just plain hard work.....at least for me. I don't sleep well even in the comfort of my own home, so trying to sleep comfortably at night was an issue.....not enough rest at night. Next I couldn't haul enough food keep my energy up where it needed to be. And if you do kill an elk you're going to need the help of your friends which pretty much means the end of their hunt.
So...the next best thing is a drop camp where you provide all your own food and gear but have an outfitter pack you in and then pack you out a week later with the understanding that he will pack your elk out if you get one. This allows you to have a more comfortable camp where you can be well fed and rested. If you are well fed and rested your motivation to hunt elk will remain high and provide for a better chance of success.
Another option is to do a fully guided hunt and this is what I would recommend to you. You being from Illinos I would think your situation is similar to mine. You have no way to scout a spot out so if you are going for your first time you are going blind without a clue as to where the elk are or what to do if you find them. With a fully guided hunt you will first be VERY well fed and rested. Next you will probably learn more about elk hunting in one week with a guide than years of doing DIY hunts. And if you kill one the guide will be there to help you get your elk taken care of and safely home with no spoilage. Meanwhile your buddies keep hunting and everyone is happy.
I don't know but I guess at my age I'm getting lazy and just don't get into killing myself chasing elk. Until you've done it you can't appreciate how much work is involved. If you can afford it I strongly advise going with a guide your first go around.
BTW....the guide that I use charges $3200/per for a fully guided hunt. And his area is one of the best in the state of Colorado. Lots of big bulls.
Brett
I've been looking into a similar thing for my 40th b'day next year...the hunt of a lifetime for me. I'm lucky in that a few of my range buddies have gone on both DIY and Drop Camp hunts for elk in both Colorade and New Mexico. I was invited last year but could not make it due to work commitments. They each recommend the drop camp highly. You don't need to pack camping gear just hunting gear and food. They provide the capm and a place to hunt as well as someone to check up on the camp every few days to haul out your elk. My buddies are in their late 50's and at this stage they prefer to hunt at their own pace without a guide pushing them to their limit. They are OK with making the trip having a great hunt with friends and not even actually killing an elk.
I think I will do the drop camp myself
John
I will let you know after 9-24-08. We are doing a trad bow hunt in unit 71(Colorado) all by ourselves starting 9-9-08. This is an over the counter tag unit. I had friends hunt this area for about 10 years with good success. They also rarely see other hunters. If the training wheel guys can do it then this ought to be easy.(yea right) :bigsmyl: No really, the experience is what we are after. An elk will be a bonus. About 1 1/2 hours up the mountain we will break camp. We will hunt from camp about 4 miles. I will be doing a daily journal of our hunt and will post it when I return. Do your homework so you can have a safe hunt. But the kill is not everything.
Mike
I'd like to add something to my original post and that is you hear alot of guys saying that a DIY hunt provides for a better experience than a drop camp or fully guided hunt. I disagree.
If you think you're guaranteed to kill an elk just because you have a guide or an outfitter drops you off in the middle of an elk heard....think again. I just think the experience is much better when I don't have to worry about cooking and knowing I've got a comfortable place to sleep. Yes I know I'm getting soft :rolleyes: But when you only have 5 full days to hunt...I want to spend them hunting. And again...you can't imagine the work involved packing an elk out of the mountains until you've done it.
Brett
Don't feel too bad John, I'm a year older than you and will be on a DIY elk hunt(with a buddy who's 55)in an OTC wilderness area in mid-Sept.
I've been training all summer wearing a Bull Pac frame with a 55 pound bag of horse feed and 3 barbell weights strapped to it. Total 90 pounds. You should see the looks on the local hiker's faces when I pass them up while they're "power walking":^) We're packing a 14 day camp on our backs 4.5 miles to 11,000'. A friend of mine has hunted the area this way at least twice and he's nearly as old as we are and always has a great time. Age can work for or against you as younger guys tend to be overly aggressive the first days on the mountain and statistically have a harder time with altitude that we older guys:^) Go slow and enjoy every minute.
Steer. depends where your head is at. I look at it as a vacation doing it my way. That includes doing it all. I have absolutely no demand that I must kill something or hunt till I drop. I hunt hard, and I have fun. Each of us has a dream in mind and they typically don't match each other.
I say... study up. Work to get in reasonable shape... then hunt in a manner that you can survive. Enjoy yourself cause it is a great thing to be in the mountains when the elk are calling.
ChuckC
Not sure if your up for it but I was thinking of trying to get a few guys together to do a trad elk hunt next year. If your interested shoot me a PM. I wasn't planning on starting it till I moved into the new house.
A little off track question for Gary Logsdon - what do you think of the BullPac?
Good pack used one for a few years (its a great frame but has no air flow and you sweat like mad). Sold it went to the badlands 2800, sold that (couldn't carry 1/4s like a frame). Now I have a cabelas frame and a bruzer gear pack. Hunt with the bruzer pack, get the frame for meat.
Thanks for the positives from the older guys. Been doing this for a while. I know there are no guarantees and I don't need to kill for a great time. Hope I'm wise enough to do it right but know I can't go 110 mph.
Went to Alaska two years ago in a drop camp and did OK but have never been in the mountains. Could loose 20 lbs but otherwise feel pretty good.
John, we did several dyi elk hunts west of Denver on I70 south of Rifle and Silt, CO. Go to Silt then south along east divide creek to some pretty good land. there are 4x4 roads but usually you can get off the beaten path and away from most folks. we've killed a few elk there and seen quite a few over the years. We did alot of still hunting in the oak brush and cow called to cover our noise. Seen some nice black bear in the area. Tim's Tools( I think) sets on the highway (i70) at silt and is a good source of information supplies and tags.Email me if you need more information.
About the Bull Pac Jim. I have a new one but have been putting it through the grind for a month packing 90 pounds of "practice weight" 4 miles every other day. I bought the extension which gives me additional lashing points so you can fit a ton of stuff on it. It's definitely doing the job. THICK shoulder pads and good overall adjustability. The key is placing the pack where it rides over your hips and loading it where the heavier weights are positioned where your skelatal structure carries most of the load. I loosen the shoulder straps more than most guys might which splits the load about 20% on shoulders and 80% on hips. I can walk fast and pain-free with that method. That also helps with ventilation and keeping your back dry. The Bull Pac is fro packing in camp and meat hauling. I will use a Bison Gear Elk pack for daily excursions.
Some other thoughts, if it is just you and your buddy and if one of you scores early, then most likely the other person's hunt will be over. Depending how far away from the road you are, you can expect a couple of days to get the elk back and then if temps are high, getting to a processor. I cannot emphasize enough the importance of getting into shape. Find the steepest terrain you can and hike up and down it with a pack on-works the legs and back differently than running.
That's right. Running can pound the body unnecessarily. Hiking with a weighted pack up AND DOWN grades of various degrees is more representative of the hunt. You can't fully prepare for the elevation but you can make strides in prepping the body in other ways. Go slow in your training at first but make sure you also challenge yourself once you feel confident that you won't injure yourself. Going DOWN is hard on the knees and something that requires special attention. When I take my heavy pack off after a long hike I feel like I have helium in my veins . . . makes a day pack feels like a feather!
The elk in my avitarar was killed five miles from our truck. It took three guys two trips with loaded packs almost 12 hours of continuious walking to get the meat and horns back to the truck. It was pretty leval ground also. You just can't appreciate how much meat and bone weighs until you get one on the ground. My first clue was when the caped head and horns were attached to my pack frame. When my buddies said let's roll, I couldn't even get to my feet without assistance. Hardest thing that I ever did in pursuit of fun. Loved every bit of it. Good luck on your hunt.
FYI-When I was in the Corp, we used to train pretty hard prior to going on mountain warfare training. One of the things we did was took our filters out of our gas masks and hiked with those on. It helped get our lungs accustomed to the low oxygen found in higher altitudes. Still got the headaches for a day or two though. I guess every little bit helps.
Mike
First, I want to thank John Krause for starting this thread. Next, I want to thank everyone who has participated in the thread. Simply put, threads like this one are exactly why I joined Trad Gang.
In thinking about the various points made on this thread - I have become focused on two situations - the worst case and the best case. My thinking is that if the planning for the hunt can handle those two cases - anything in between can also be handled.
Assuming a two person team:
The worst case I can think of is that one or more of the team is seriously injured or lost.
The best case I can think of is that both members of the team get a world class bull - and both bulls are going to be mounted.
As I don't have (currently) someone to hunt elk with - those two cases are why I am thinking of a guided hunt. With that said, IMHO the comments about carrying a Sat phone and setting up a packer prior to going into the mountains do begin to address both cases.
One of the questions raised was "what is in your pack"? The following list is one provided, on an outfitter's site, FOR A GUIDED HUNT - obviously on a DIY hunt - we would be taking more than this list. By the way - I have removed the items needed to support "wheeled bows"
Bow and accessories
Extra string
String wax
Spare release or finger tab
Arrows
Hard arrow case
Camo, face paint or head net
Gloves
Rain gear
Long underwear
Well broken in boots
Several pairs of socks
Comfortable camp shoes
Sleeping bag rated to 0 degrees
Towel, wash cloth, no scent soap
Day pack and or fanny pack
Items that should be carried in pack
Emergency space blanket
Personal first aid kit
Water proof matches
Fire starter
Flashlight
Trail Snacks
Knife
Compass or GPS (I would say both)
Canteen (I would say water bladder)
Water purification gear
Sunscreen, lip balm, moleskin
Bugle and cow calls
Game Bags
Binoculars
Camera and plenty of film
Scents and cover ups
Topo Maps
Following up on the idea of satellite phone rentals and hiring a packer.
Sat phone rental is easy to do - rentals (for an Iridium) range from $60 to $80 a week - plus airtime - which can be by the minute ($1.75) or bundled ($48 for 30 minutes). You can also get insurance on the phone - but not for loss or theft.
Hiring a packer is proving more difficult to research (via the web) - most of what I have seen is available via an full service outfitter making their packers available. As I am just researching the idea and the season is coming up - I haven't tried to get specifics as I don't want to waste their time. I have also seen some people offering to rent pack animals (including llamas) - obviously that means you would need the skills to handle the pack string.
I was talking to a fella from Colorado who thought it could be done. I think I wold call the Chamber of commerce of the nearest town or put an ad in the paper or something similiar.
I have hunted unit 65 three times in the past 15 years, twice for elk and once for mule deer. I have done a drop camp hunt on private land on the west side and have packed into the Uncompaghre wilderness with llamas from the north side. I have sold most of my llamas and hunt with horses now, never been one to carry my camp on my back so I can't be giving any advice there. I intend to go back someday. I am hunting another OTC unit this year and have points for unit 76 next year, so probably will be going there in 2010 or 2011. Be warned the mountains are steep and they have removed most of the oxygen up there. I have been there with 18 inches of snow the first week of September and some very warm days the week of muzzle loader season so you can expect anything. I know the outfitter for the Big Blue/Uncompaghre Wilderness, that has a ranch on the west side of the unit if you change your mind and want to try a drop camp, or inquire about him packing for you. If you have some specific questions send me a PM.
For a hi-tech approach to pack animals do a web search on "bigdog boston dynamics".
I'll go along with ChuckC's reply. I make it a way to enjoy two Fall seasons a year. I'm leaving Sunday for CO and will stay until the last weekend of September. The temps here are in the high 90's and I absolutely hate the Summer season. So unless I call my rancher friend and he says the mosquitoes are swarming up in the high country,I'm heading on out. Then I'll make it back here to TN for the archery only season. The mast and persimmons made good here this year so I'm ready to go back to "hunting mode" this season. Last year was a bust-nothing in the woods,drought,EHD-I felt sorry for the deer and didn't really even want to put any more pressure on them. But things are almost back to normal. Good luck on your hunt out West. I'll be down in the San Juans hunting again this year. The closest I've hunted to Unit #66 is the next unit over-Unit #67 in the Powderhorn Primitive area.They made it a draw area the very next year so I barely got acquainted before I had to change units. The memorable thing for me from Unit #67 was the mountain lion that came in behind me one evening. He would walk about 20 steps,then let out one of those growls. I was sitting an elk wallow when he made the half-circle about 70 yds. behind me.Made for a "one eye open" night in my solo bivy camp.
I read Missouri Sherpa's post and was thinking of Unit #66,Big Blue wilderness. No, I have a friend and his wife that hunts Unit #65 near the wilderness boundary but I've no knowledge of it personally. He complained about outfitters setting up in a park where he had killed a bull the year prior a couple of years ago. Neither was successful last year either(He's trying to get her an elk). BUT he refuses to change areas. He has a setup where he rents a cabin within reasonable distance of where he hunts is why I think he hangs tough in that unit. Good luck!
John, I sent you a PM.
I do not have any new PMs. My mailbox was full, just did some housekeeping and deleted a bunch of old PMs. Should be able to receive new mail now.
There is a lot of good advice here. Internet web searches can give you a lot of comparisons between the ever-evolving gear. I am working on a book that speaks to the emotional, motivational and self-reliance side of hunting alone in the wilderness. I have hunted alone for two to three weeks every year since 1994. And it seems that during every trip there comes a point where I say to myself, "I'm not doing this "solo thing" ever again." But every year I find myself on some new adventure in the west or Alaska. The allure is very powerful. The following are few lines from the book that may help some of you prepare.
".....I used a pump with an attached filter to remove any infectious bacteria or parasites. My main concern was the Giardia species. This lovely little organism brought me days of gaseous diarrhea after a previous hunt. On this prior hunt, I primarily used iodine pills, but sometimes I was so thirsty I didn't give them enough time to dissolve sufficiently in the ice cold water. I wanted no part of that again, so I was very careful, even down to the detail of how I handled the "dirty" tubing and the clean post filter end. I stored them in separate Ziploc bags...."
".... The 12,000 foot altitude had a strangle hold on my lungs. At night, my heart seemed to race, but it really wasn't. My head pounded and I couldn't sleep. I wasn't too alarmed at first, because it is customary for me to have sleepless nights prior to the start of a new hunt, especially on the ground in a mountain range and state I had never been in before. I would expect such anxiety. But wait, this feeling was different; even in my sleeping bag where there were no excessive exertions it seemed at times I couldn't catch my breath. This went on nearly all night. It was kind of scary. Of course I had heard the stories about altitude sickness, but I had no idea how it would affect me personally. I hoped I would acclimate to this elevation and I drank a lot of fluid throughout the night. In hindsight, I should have considered staying in town for a day or two at 7,000 feet prior to going to the trailhead to acclimate to the altitude. Also, instead of charging ahead to try to "work" thru my pain/symptoms, I should have taken it easy in my camp for a day in addition to the extra fluids. My previous experiences with the Rocky Mountains were in Montana, but the highest elevation I achieved there was 9,000 feet above sea level. I felt no ill effects from that elevation, and did not know how my body would react. If you are going over 9,000 feet, do yourself a favor and research Acute Altitude Sickness. Know the symptoms and how to react; it could save your life...."
Mike
Mike, that is very good advice and I'm sure your book will be a good read. Thank you for sharing.
My first elk hunt was a bivy hunt. We carried 50 lbs packs about 8 miles into a Wilderness area in CO. I'll just say that this type of hunting is not for the faint of heart. I was in great shape, close to where I was when I played lots of basketball. It was a very grueling ordeal especcially for the other two buddies who were'nt in good shape. (I tried to tell them) If I was to bivy again, I would go about four to five miles with my gear and set up a camp then hunt from it for a couple of days. If you need to move, it is very simple to just pick up and go.
Being that I cowboy for a living, it only seemed right that my next hunt was a DIY hunt with my own horses. This is a great way to get deep into the backcountry, but it also has its drawbacks. Such as always needing to take care of your horses and check on them. I have some nice horses that I didn't feel comfortable leaving overnight without me being there. On this particular hunt I experienced the same symptons that Mike is describing above. We were camped at 11,740 ft. I had been that high many times before but always camped around 8,000 ft. I pushed too hard the first day and didn't give my body time to acclimate. I had a severe headache, couldn't catch my breath even laying in my tent, and eventually I went to vomiting. I also experienced some chest pain. After about a 24 hr period of this I finally got to feeling a little better but it really set me back on this hunt. On our way home from this hunt my buddy called his wife who is a nurse and told her how sick I had been. She said that I probably had a sever case of altitude sickness and that it could have been deadly.
If you are worried about altitude sickness your doc can prescribe Diamox. Those who have taken it say it really works. Next time I am hunting the high country, you can bet that I will be on it.
Hunting the backcountry is one of the most awesome experiences I have ever had. I wiil keep going back until my body just won't let me. I guess I'm kind of stubborn that way. When you hear those bulls buglin', well, it just doesn't get any better.
Good luck, and hope you have a great hunt.
A word of advice to anyone contemplating using Diamox as a preventative measure for AMS, make absolutely sure that you test it well before heading to the mountains. I just tried a relatively low dose at home (125 mg, twice a day) and it reeked havoc on my body! Blurred vision, tingling in the hands, itching, dry throat, fatigue, foot pain, and less important common symptoms like destroying the taste of certain drinks. These were not severe alergic reactions (I took 4 tabs over two days) and I do not have a history of problems with the family of drugs. Yes, I could tolerate it IF need be but, I think I'd rather implement a slow, systematic, acclimatization plan and use the Diamox only if I determine that I have AMS, and even then probably combined with descending.
Here is a great read on the subject: http://www.ismmed.org/np_altitude_tutorial.htm
Diamox affected me in much the same way. Even though I regularly camp between 10-12000 ft for elk hunts I have never had the need to take diamox. I would have to hunt atlower elevations if I had to depend on taking Diamox to be able to hunt elk.
Thanks for all the info guys...I have wanted to hunt Colorado for years. Maybe someday I'll get to do it!
Sorry for the misinformation John Berger, the PM was to John Krause.
While still leaning towards a guided hunt - the info in this thread has me considering a DIY hunt. I know the experienced elk hunters here already know the following - I am posting this for those (like me) that are working on our first elk hunt. As part of planning for success - lining up a processor and a taxidermist before killing your elk strikes me as important. Obviously, good processors and taxidermists are going to be busy during the season. I won't pretend to know how to select a good one of either right now.
Processing the meat - expect the processed meat to weigh roughly 40% of the live weight of the elk. Getting it home might be interesting - especially if you are flying. Per the Colorado meat processing regs I just read - if the meat isn't handled properly before it gets to the processor - the processor might reject it. The "gutless" field butchering approach seems to make a lot of sense. I plan to use it on my next whitetail - after that my opinion might change.
While I have never wanted a whitetail mount - should I get a reasonable (or better!) sized bull - I suspect I am going to want it mounted. The cost for an elk mount appears to start around $900 and goes up from there. Like the meat - if the elk isn't handled properly before you get to the taxidermist - you might be SOL on getting your mount. This means ensuring that you know how to handle it - per your taxidermist. It appears to take months to get your mount done - with a lot of that taken up by getting the cape tanned.
I'm leaving out Sunday for CO and will be taking my trailer. I'm loading it with the wall tent,wood stove,kitchen gear, hunting clothes,etc.. But the back of the truck will be almost empty. 4x8 sheets of the 1 inch strofoam at $10.00 a sheet converts the trailer into a meat locker. Cut the styrofoam into sections and sandwich one on top and bottom. Then pack around meat with newspapers and add adequate dry ice. I can sleep under the topper(or use my TentCot) going out and while I'm "playing" around out there before the season opener. I'll park the trailer at a storage facility in the small town just south of where I hunt and retrieve it just before hunting season starts.
(http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e24/wapiteee/adventuretrailer004-1.jpg)
(http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e24/wapiteee/133.jpg)
I was amazed how much gear I could get in the trailer and it towed behind so easy I forgot it was back there a time or two. I had everything I needed for the month and a half trek. Of course, it has been "tweaked" after some trial and error trips in the past. It still makes it nice to be rid of it while running the mountains and on some of the Forest roads while not in the hunting mode. The storage facility quoted me 25 dollars a month to leave my Airstream Bambi out there so I'm figuring the same price or less for this little gal.
These little fellows can be hunted starting August 16th with a small game license. I saw quite a few north of where I hunt last year. I'm wondering how many extra arrows I need to take out for this type hunt? (http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e24/wapiteee/1160.jpg)
This is a solo trip last year, 11,500 Man did it kick my but.
(http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w27/kingwouldbe/DSCN2769-1.jpg)
As herdbull said: you tell your self, I will never do this again, then the next thing you know, your planing your next trip.
I will say this: do it, do it now, do it now before you cant do it at all.
(http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w27/kingwouldbe/DSCN1658.jpg)
We got one buck, I have it boned out in my pack and Vance has all of our gear.
(http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w27/kingwouldbe/navada.jpg)
(http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w27/kingwouldbe/navada1.jpg)
Hard work is what is required, but the rewords last a life time.
That's an Indian arrow head in my hand, I found it as I was stocking this buck, don't get cooler than that, to know there was a real trad-bowhunter here doing the same thing I was doing but years, maybe centuries apart.
Three days and 7 trips to get this bull out.
(http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w27/kingwouldbe/packingoutelkhorns.jpg)
We almost got stoned in the High Sierra's
(http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w27/kingwouldbe/Highsierrasjuly22-29-06038.jpg)
Those are some great pics. How far was each pack out? How much weight in each pack do you estimate?Was it ALL uphill :)
John, it was all up hill and only about 3 miles, I started out with 110 lb, then I ran out of steam, so I cared less and less with each load.
I saved the horns for the last trip to make sure I got all of the meat first.
I thank God I have done lots of DIY hunts, as you get older you know some day you will not have the strength to do this type of hard core, self reliance hunts.
That's when I'll become a tree stand hunter, but not until then.
Love the photos. Post more if ya got-em!:^)