Elk Hunting in Colorado

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Dearhunter61

New member
I am planning a trip to Colorado to hunt Elk this coming October. It will be my first Elk hunt and I wanted to know what I need to take.

Here is what I have so far:

2 rifles w/good optics- 300 Mag and 7mm Mag
Ammo
2 pairs of Boots
Binocs
Range Finder
GPS
2 knives

What am I missing? I know there are a lot of things I can take but beyond what I have listed above what else do I HAVE TO TAKE?
 
I went in Sept last year (bow)....sure aint like whitetails in NY!

Are you going it alone, or are you using a guide? And are you staying in a lodge, or in a tent? Big outfit or small? All of this makes a big difference in the gear you need.

These are univeral essentials, tho:

Make sure your boots are light enough to walk comfortably miles in, and are well broken in.

Make sure you have good quality, light (read packable) quiet rain gear and take it with you, ALWAYS.

Some candy or granola bars, for when you get hungry.

Small or big water bottle, depending on conditions.

A quality rugged watch.

Layers of clothing...sometimes hot, sometimes cold!



Good ideas:

Compass, and knowledge of how to use it.

Camera for pics!

My cell phone worked at the top of the rockies sometimes!

If going with a guide, one knife should be enough I think; they handle all the dirty work for you usually, if a big enough outfit.

Tip money (cash) for the guide(s).

If you state a little more about your plans it wil help to state more of what you need...

Either way, you are gonna have a blast!
 
Wyoming Saw, unless you are planning to do the gutless method of taking your elk out. Then there is no need to split bone. I bought a WY Saw and will not hunt elk wihout it. It has tree saw blades as well as the bone saws for splitting rib cage and the pelvis.

Camel Back, very important to keep hydrated when hunting in high elevations.

Make yourself an overnight survival kit, never know when you will need it. It gets dark in the mountains fast during elk season, when in doubt camp. My kit includes a MRE, fire starter, emergency blanket, 550 parachute cord and a small 6x6 tarp.

Bring Rain gear, I got soaking wet in a drizzle because I didn't bring mine once, never again. The worst part was the temps dropped and it started to snow, and I wasn't sure I was going to get back to camp before things got nasty.

Weather band radio, weather can change in a hurry so you want to keep tabs on it.
 
When trying your cell phone in a remote out of your area place "Do Not give up waiting for service too soon, as it can take up to 15 minuets to authorize" Then mark your map/GPS where you have service.

Tip water jugs upside down each night. It makes for easy pouring in the early AM.

Morning breakfast can be enjoyed sitting over a wallo. We put 3/4 cup of Gorilla milk(dry) in a ziplock bag of cold cereal Then just add water when its time.

A bicycle works great for walking a heavy pack.

I bring cheese cloth to wrap the boned out meat in and it is applied immediately upon cutting it free. Then put into cloth sacks that can be wet down for cooling. Hang the sacks in the shade.

Pepper is great to sprinkle on the meat. It makes it hard to tell where the fly **** is. Seriously early season hunting, you can be hit hard with flies!

A water filter W/pump.

Draw your bath water each evening for a more pleasant bath. I carry Fels Nappa soap and wash clothes every evening after bath. Bath soap is Kirks Hardwater castle. Works great in stream/lake water and is also a shampoo!
Do not wash in the stream Keep Soaps away from water source!
Toss a dash of baking soda into the fart sack each night.

Make sure you have extra meds and eye glasses along. don't forget the antacids. I had extremely bad heartburn one time 5 miles from camp and nothing for it. No wintergreen mint plants to be found. after laying out the whole day pack, there it was "tooth past" Mint, and it worked.

Mole skin can make for a hunt saved! If you get a blister, or a sore just cut a small pad of it and stick it to the blister or sore. Its just like magic.

And Dentemt os is invaluable, loose a filling or break a tooth in the back country can be repaired with this tiny little container of tooth filler putty. I just checked mine and it has been in the day pack for over 4 years and used once and is still good.
I save expired oral glucose gel for the day pack. Its way too sweet to use as a snack but will be handy in an emergency.

Get your maps now and work with them now. Take a gps coordinate off google earth and plot it on a map. I use UTM eastings as they plot out easyer for me. Its just like the military grid coordinate system and there is nothing better. Caution when using this system, most rescue services only use Long/Lat deg. Mn, Mn. That is the default setting on gps units.

Spot messenger is worth the money.
We carry frs radio's
Mine have weather alerts built in.
 
Colorado

Colorado in October can really be something. The largest variable we have ran into is weather, and weather fluctuations.

I have seen it very dry and 90 degrees. And I have seen 2-3 feet of snow on opening day of firearms season. One year it snowed almost three feet in 1-1/2 days on us. It was all we could do to get off the mountain. The game warden was traveling in the state plow truck near Paonia. They told us to get out while we could, and we did. I have also seen it 70 degrees one day and snowing the next.

Layered clothing is the key, and plenty of warm clothing that can repel moisture. I prefer wool. But too each his own.

I would also recommend good boots that tighten up tightly around your ankles for support.

In order to have a good hunt you mut be prepared for the weather. The greatest day of my life was hunting in a snow storm at 10,000 feet, looking down over the valley as it cleared. I had close to 6 inches of fresh snow on my legs where I was sitting down and leaning against a tree. It was absolutely the most breath taking scenary I have ever seen. I even shot an elk that morning. And getting him off the mountain was a bi***. Tom.
 
If in the mountains, avoid wearing cotton. Cotton doesn't wick away moisture the way wool and many synthetics can, and is responsible for many deaths due to hypothermia.
 
Tons of good advice.
+1 to most.
Only add I can think of is SOX.
I use wicking socks made of poly blends. They are thin and wick away moisture. I wear them under wool socks.
I carry extra socks every day. I change them out when I break for lunch.
Fresh socks will keep your feet dry and healthy.
Light enough to carry and easily packed.
I also carry an M.R.E. in my pack for just in case.
 
Here is what I have so far:

2 rifles w/good optics- 300 Mag and 7mm Mag
Ammo
2 pairs of Boots
Binocs
Range Finder
GPS
2 knives
Click to expand...

Look at buying a CUTCO hunting knife with DD Edge it will be all you need. I skinned my elk three years ago and 6 deer and it is still going strong. Don't forget a whistle and toilet tissue in a ziplock. If you have to track an animal you can use small pieces of tissue to mark the trail. I also took Goretex leg gaitors to protect my pant legs from snow or dew. Depending on if you have mules or horses you may look to pick up a $89 frame pak with platform. I used an internal frame pack and it SUCKED coming down the MT. I also used saline nose spray at night to help me breath at night.

Poly underwear / Under Armor is a must. Also I recommend "Smart Wool" socks. They are about $20 a pair, but they feel great.
 
If you are making early morning hunts, before the sun comes up, I have found one of those head mount LED lamps very useful. No matter what, plan on taking a flashlight and some batteries, but the LED lamps came in very useful to me, especially while on horseback.

A whistle and a good compass are always priority items as well IMO.

As stated earlier, a good firestarter is also a neccessity.
 
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