So you want to go west? A newbies guide for newbies.

[BillDoe708]

I like to keep a notebook. I start taking notes as soon as I start preparing, take notes through the whole process and hunting. I even take notes on the way home and when unpacking. It's easy to forget details.

 

[ProfJ]

I think what the Youtube experts don't prepare you for (I saw someone call them "the whispering idiots", wish I had said that), is just how hard it is to find elk. For your first few hunts, it can seem entirely futile, miles and days of trudging through empty woods. There seems to be a myth that if you e-scout enough, and blow enough points on the right unit, the elk will manifest themselves right on cue. I live in a good GMU and follow elk the whole summer, and sometimes when I start hunting it's like the whole elk species has been vacuumed up to heaven in some kind of elk rapture event. You just have to keep moving and keep looking, the bastards will pop up at the most unlikely moments...

 

[FrozenTexan]

Great thread and replies. Planning our first hunt out west for this fall and lots of great advice here. Thanks to all.

 

[JustinsDad]

I’m from California so I mostly hunt in the west. I think people underestimate the physical requirements of our terrain. Everything is relative. I’m no spring chicken but I thought I was in good enough shape for any hunt until I went to Alaska on a caribou hunt and it kicked my butt. Another thing is the openness really requires you to have long range shooting ability. Yes, you can be successful shooting 300 yards or less but if you are good to 900-1000 yards you really increase your success rate. I mean ethically shooting those ranges, not spraying. If you don’t have the skill/equipment to shoot those ranges, don’t try it in the field. Be in shape and learn long range shooting and you’ll be much more successful here.

 

[MNElkNut]

... it's like the whole elk species has been vacuumed up to heaven in some kind of elk rapture event.

Too funny! Great way to explain it.

 

[perma]

Definitely want to emphasize the altitude sickness. If you think you’re a bad@$$ flantlander who will adjust as you go, respectfully, you’re wrong.

Altitude sickness does so much to your body. It reduces how much you eat and drink as well as the nausea and headaches. I camped at 10000’ last year coming from 200’ and I got so sick I had to go into town and sit there for awhile.

There’s four things that make your nights easier with altitude sickness: time, ibuprofen, oxygen cans and melatonin. Use them all but use them wisely.

Sorry for the rant, I was mostly yelling at myself. I lost out on two days of hunting in fear of altitude sickness. Glassing the lower country where elk weren’t at that time of the year is just a waste.

 

[Hircine]

Sorry to hear that you had such a rough time. I also just got home from from my first elk hunt. My second hunt out west. Like you, I went solo because I could not find a hunting partner. My planned primary hunt area turned out to be a disaster. My plan B area was not much better. Plan C was an elk paradise. I live at an elevation of 870 feet, set up camp at 8600 feet and hunted up to 9300 feet with no adverse reactions but I have been working hard to be physically ready. I'm 62 and I had a blast in Colorado. Learned a lot, found solitude without loneliness but did not kill an elk. But I'm gonna go back and do it again as often as I can draw a tag. The aspens were beautiful and the stars were unbelievable. I say this not to minimize your struggles but I want other "newbies" to know that great adventure is out there. Hunt hard, keep expectations realistic and have fun. if I can do it, you can too!

Hey John. I'm from next door Iowa. I'm half your age but probably also half your physique too. I'm starting to get active again and I know it'll do wonders for my mental health too. I'm a greenhorn when it comes to hunting but if you're ever looking for a hunting buddy out west I'd be happy to tag along.

 

[thusby]

Hey John. I'm from next door Iowa. I'm half your age but probably also half your physique too. I'm starting to get active again and I know it'll do wonders for my mental health too. I'm a greenhorn when it comes to hunting but if you're ever looking for a hunting buddy out west I'd be happy to tag along.

How much do you weigh?

 

[Hircine]

How much do you weigh?

I'm 305 @ 6'6"

 

[Brad]

Definitely want to emphasize the altitude sickness. If you think you’re a bad@$$ flantlander who will adjust as you go, respectfully, you’re wrong.

It's really an individual thing. How one responds to altitude is mostly (though not all) a turn of the genetic roulette wheel. One person can have been born and raised at sea level and go to 12,000' with no apparent problem, while another similar person will suffer.

Mountain Maladies: Genetic Screening Susses Out Susceptibility to Altitude Sickness

New tests could spare soldiers from debilitating sickness at high altitudes--and mitigate cattle deaths in the Rockies

www.scientificamerican.com

 

[matechakeric]

Not sure if that's a good title or not but it's what I got for now. Fresh off of my second trip out west and first elk hunt that was both a major failure and learning success, I am here to share my experience and thoughts with those wanting to be their own Jerimiah Johnson, Hugh Glass, Horatio Alger or Randy Newberg. Keep in mind I realize we are all chasing different dreams and come from different backgrounds so I'm trying to be cognizant of that fact while hopefully offering some insight that veteran western hunters often overlook. This post will most likely be edited and updated as time goes on as things pop up in my mind and others help contribute. Yes, I also realize that this type of info has been done ad nauseam but I've also seen information gaps between the hunting aspect and the travel/destination parts.

I'll start off by addressing altitude sickness, it's real and it's no joke! My first trip was fine with two days huffing and puffing a bit but no headaches, I ate well, slept well, etc. This could be because I was in pretty good shape, staying in a condo at night and was on my honeymoon hunting for mule deer. No pressure.
This last trip was completely different. The altitude hit me hard and I while I didn't ignore it, instead I tried to push through it. Big mistake. So while I hydrated really well I did not eat much the whole seven days. I also did not sleep very much yet I continued to hike, cut wood, etc. After doing a six mile loop on opening day my body and mind were done. Thoughts of packing up and leaving briefly entered my mind but this was a trip five years in planning. So I tucked tail and drove into the nearest town and slept in a hotel for the night. That made a world of difference and while I still wasn't myself I headed back to camp at lunch time.

Solo vs having a parter/group.
Honestly I did not want to make my first elk hunt a solo trip but none of my buddies could/would go and I had made up my mind that this was the year. I know myself enough to know that I have a bad tendency to push myself to hard when alone. Having someone around would have helped with morale, safety, camp chores, spotting game, and just about everything else. Had I a partner the trip most likely would have went way different. I hunt here at home almost 100% of the time but I have a cabin with creature comforts and know the land/animals. When that sun goes down in the moutains and all you have are your thoughts, if you're having a rough time those thoughts could turn negative real quick. So think about that before you go but don't not go if you have to go solo, just be aware of yourself and mindset.

E-scouting/learning ecology
Learn to e-scout! In order to do that you need to understand the animal(s) you're hunting so learn their needs and habbits. This process does take time but your gear doesn't find the animals your knowledge does. Even though I have yet to bring any meat home with me I am proud of the fact that I have traveled hundreds of miles to unknown country and have found animals both times. I suggest watching all of Randy Newbergs e-scouting videos on youtube and if you have the money sign up for the e-scouting class at Treeline Academy if you're after elk. Read as much as you can.
Have multiple hunt areas and backup plans.
Lastly I also suggest taking some classes on reading topo maps. I'm getting better at it but still have a tendency to e-scout places that are too steep.

Gear
I won't go into gear too much as it's very subject and budget dependent. I will say test everything as much as you can before you go. Is that sleeping bag really warm at its temp rating? Are your boots broken in? Does that rain jacket leak? Will those base layer bottoms really fit under your pants? Shoot your rifle/bow a lot! Shoot in field conditions if you can, if not do a lot of dry firing at home. Practice off your pack, tripod, bipod, etc.
Being a flatlander it's been hard finding good boots. I ended up with a pair of Danners that work ok as long as I tape my heels up really good. However on this trip I wore liteweight hikers more than my hunting boots and my feet thanked me for it. I even wore trail runners as I searched for hours for my lost bull. So not everyone needs a stiff hunting boot but you'll have to experiment and decide that for yourself.

More to come later.

Threads on my last two hunts.
2019 mule deer
2022 Elk

I can verify Treeline Academy for e-scouting is very very informational. Best resource out there I've found by a wide margin