mxracer317
Well-known member
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- Nov 20, 2020
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Thoughts on carrying a small chainsaw? Electric or gas?
MT elk hunting
- Thread starter RyeGuy74
- Start date
Chain saw is great no matter what I always have big bow saw that never leaves my truck. With all the beetle kill a tree blocking the road can ruin your day especially on the way out. Never used electric saw. Rifle season i keep my gas saw in the truck. I'm always looking for camp wood. Rest of time I got the bow saw
C17loadclear
Active member
100 percent agree with “get boots for hike out”...I had danner pronghorn boots that I absolutely loved until I put elk parts on my back...
genesis273
Well-known member
What area of NC are you from? I make the drive from NC to MT every Sept. There is some solid advice given. Expect about 3 days to acclimate to the altitude. Carry chapstick for your lips and nose. The humidity isn't in the 90%+ like it is here! Expect to continue to go once you've been. Don't be discouraged if you don't kill an elk! Just enjoy the trip!
diamond hitch
Well-known member
When I started, my father took me to the same place every time as we waited for the weather to drive the elk to us. When the weather didn't co-operate we never saw anything.
As I got older I started to explore the entire range and started to learn how they moved, when and why. Over time we got to be able to guess where they should be with the weather to start. After that we moved from drainage to drainage along the migration path in a comprehensive search to find not only where but at what elevation. Usually it takes two to three days to find them. If you find them or the weather changes count on another three days to find them again. They can and will move more than 5 miles in a few hours. They don't come back - they just keep moving. It's a grind.
In the rut not so much but after the weather starts the success is dictated by luck, guts and determination.
As I got older I started to explore the entire range and started to learn how they moved, when and why. Over time we got to be able to guess where they should be with the weather to start. After that we moved from drainage to drainage along the migration path in a comprehensive search to find not only where but at what elevation. Usually it takes two to three days to find them. If you find them or the weather changes count on another three days to find them again. They can and will move more than 5 miles in a few hours. They don't come back - they just keep moving. It's a grind.
In the rut not so much but after the weather starts the success is dictated by luck, guts and determination.
RobertD
Well-known member
If you have hunted western NC you will have some advantage over coming from a flatter part of the south. You can go on some hikes up there to prepare yourself also.
Just make it your goal to learn the country, find a few animals and stay SAFE. See this as a scouting and experience building trip in which you stay SAFE and you will be satisfied with your experience, tag punched or no.
No burning need to fill the tag - it's about the experience. Maybe you do get on an elk though, and honestly any elk is a shooter your first time out. If you get one down though, you MUST know how to gut and quarter the bull. They are about like any other deer, just HUGE. But you have to get them broken down and get some air circulation on that meat or they will spoil.
Good luck.
Just make it your goal to learn the country, find a few animals and stay SAFE. See this as a scouting and experience building trip in which you stay SAFE and you will be satisfied with your experience, tag punched or no.
No burning need to fill the tag - it's about the experience. Maybe you do get on an elk though, and honestly any elk is a shooter your first time out. If you get one down though, you MUST know how to gut and quarter the bull. They are about like any other deer, just HUGE. But you have to get them broken down and get some air circulation on that meat or they will spoil.
Good luck.
amo16
Well-known member
I think the biggest mistakes I see from people coming out to hunt elk for the first time is that they are not mentally or physically prepared for what it takes to consistently kill elk. A typical day of elk huntin for me involves hiking anywhere from 5 to more than 15 miles with anywhere from 1000 to 4000 feet of elevation gain. You really have to change your mindset about what it takes to be successful.
The other thing I'd tell you is elk aren't like whitetail so don't hunt them like they are. If you're not seeing fresh sign keep moving. Don't over commit to an area. Also, don't try to be so stealthy that you are wasting a bunch of time getting to the areas you're expecting to find elk. You still need to be aware of your surroundings and pay attention for sign and animals, but don't worry if you snap a twig. Keep moving.
There's probably a lot of other tips I could give you but you're already getting a lot of good advice.
The other thing I'd tell you is elk aren't like whitetail so don't hunt them like they are. If you're not seeing fresh sign keep moving. Don't over commit to an area. Also, don't try to be so stealthy that you are wasting a bunch of time getting to the areas you're expecting to find elk. You still need to be aware of your surroundings and pay attention for sign and animals, but don't worry if you snap a twig. Keep moving.
There's probably a lot of other tips I could give you but you're already getting a lot of good advice.
MITCHMO
Well-known member
This has been and continues to be something that I contend with. When I'm putting on miles and looking thousands of feet up to where I want to go, I ask myself if this is reasonable? Is it possible? Will I put myself in a bad situation if I try to attempt this? What's normal/possible is a matter of perspective and I think only comes with experience. You sound like you have some time in the field to be able to look at terrain and know what's a good idea and whats not!
A lot of good advice so far. I use google earth to help identify good glassing spots (this is especially useful if you are hunting after the rut.) When you get in the area, you can have 3 or more spots to check out that you picked on Google Earth. Obviously, Google earth can sometimes paint an incorrect picture in your mind but it is better than nothing. After the rut, elk have felt the hunting pressure and try to find safety. Use google earth to find these potential safety spots. Invest in the best optics you can afford as it can help you cover a lot more ground without taking the physical toll on your body. Try to be setup in your spot during the prime hours of the day (morning and evening) and move spots during the afternoon. I like to give an area a few chances before I move. Finding elk is going to be your biggest challenge but you can prepare for everything else by shooting your gun, intense physical conditioning, knowing your gear, and managing your expectations. That way, when you find elk, everything else is second nature and you're ready to harvest.
zuba_m
New member
Read thru as many topics on this website as can. If you can filter thru the b.s. and jokes there is more tips/helpful info here than any other website you will find.
Accept the fact that the Mountains alway win.
if you are hunting with temps below freezing remember to throw a splash of vodka in with your water.
Many others have stated this but don’t rate your hunting trip on whether you or not you get an elk. 2018 was my first DIY elk hunt with 3 other first timers and it still is my most favorite hunting trip even though no one got an elk.
Yep. mtmuley
I have hunted in Western MT for about 45 years and shot about 40 elk. I hunt solo about 1/2 the time. This advise may differ depending on where you go...
The colder it gets the better the hunting (not wind chill but actual below zero temps).
If you wait until the last week the elk hunting will probably be better but depending on snow depth, you may not be able to get where you intend. There are some spots you would need a snowmobile or days of hiking just to get to where you normally park.
Hunt until last light, then hike back to the truck.
The colder it gets the better the hunting (not wind chill but actual below zero temps).
If you wait until the last week the elk hunting will probably be better but depending on snow depth, you may not be able to get where you intend. There are some spots you would need a snowmobile or days of hiking just to get to where you normally park.
Hunt until last light, then hike back to the truck.
FeartheTurtle
Active member
Lots of great advice here. Before you take a shot, think about what you will do with that 500-700 pound animal, especially if you're in really rugged country. If you're by yourself it will be three or four trips back and forth to pack it out. In some places you can find a local who will come in and haul out the beast for a couple hundred dollars and that will be money well spent. Also, the value of inReach every evening with the wife shouldn't be underestimated. More than once, the love and encouragement from my better half has helped me stay in the field on a tough hunt. Lastly, bear spray and/or a sidearm if you're in Grizzly country.
I just read a good couple lines about this that are especially applicable to that solo-camping fright feeling in some of western MT elk country: “[I wrote] my feelings about grizzly bear night fear, when Holocene day quickly turns into Pleistocene night. Grizz-country night transports us back to our species' terror-plagued past, when we were both predator and prey, when we were still on the menu, when fanged and clawed beasts came suddenly charging out of the dark. Grizz-country night knows that the old predator patterns of extinct beasts are still imprinted upon our racial memory, still live in the blood and bone, mind and gut.” (Tim Homan)
My own first MT backcountry camping experience was in Glacier about 12 years ago. I had a “griz encounter” on the first day of hiking (from what I now consider to be a pretty safe distance). For the rest of the trip every squirrel outside my tent sounded like velociraptors trying to open the door in Jurassic Park.
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geetar
Well-known member
@RyeGuy74 I’m from NC as well. I’ve got plans already in place for hunting sheep in Montana unlimited unit this fall but I’d possibly be up for sharing the drive and a camp with you at some point for an elk hunt in Montana. Hit me up sometime and we talk about those possibilities.
dcarnell
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- Apr 16, 2020
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Its all fun and games until you have an elk on the ground and the work begins. Mental toughness is the key. Making multiple trips to pack out the elk and mentally ready for that grind. My dad came out last fall and besides being physically ready I told him his biggest hurdle will be the mental challenges. We shot hit bull at 11am and we did not get done breaking it down and packing it out completely until 10pm. Thats my #1 thing for people coming out west to hunt. Good luck this fall!
Muley_Stalker
Well-known member
Hiking to a higher altitude to get an elk is a good thing. It means carrying meat back downhill. Try to never hunt downhill. You can guess the result.
KB_
Well-known member
Nothing like having something sniffin around your tent late at night. Really unnerving when they press their face into the tent. I try to hunt where the grizz density is not very high for my wifes sake.
Speaking of being creeped out camping alone at night... one night I was laying in the tent trying to fall asleep and a hoot owl did it's normal "Who Who Who Cooks for You" call followed by a sarcastic squawk that was so unexpected and funny that I laughed out loud. Some guy did too... I guess I wasn't alone?
NoKidsAfter40
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- May 17, 2021
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100% agree. You are getting lots of great advice. The only thing I would say is try to find someone to go with you that can hike and glass. It’s safer, it can I trade your odds, and they can help you set up and pack out your elk!
