7 day backcountry elk hunt

[AZ_SAWBUCK]

Lots of good suggestions. Speaking from experience in backcountry wilderness elk hunting............Killed several bulls and bucks way back in there. Usually we use horses but have done it without. 

 

-Odds are you are going to have to pack meat at least .5 miles ++ to a trail or road. 

-Usually wilderness areas are mostly flat.....train accordingly  

- Scout areas if you can.....27 has lots of water if you know where to look. 

- Pack as lite as you can. Aaron Snyder has some great gear videos on You Tube....The Kuiu guys did some great lite gear videos for BC sheep that would apply.  

-Pack.....GO BIG....Kuiu 7200 (or similar with ridged frame)

-Hire a packer or have multiple backpackers to help if you get one down. A few hundred bucks is $$ well spent if you can have a drop camp set and recovered when you're ready.  

-Service in remote area sucks, use a SPOT or a Sat Phone or have some way to call out if you kill. 

 

[Eli]

5 hours ago, Edge said:

If you have to dry camp for your hunt, carry in and cache as much water as you can on your scouts even if you have to cache it partway in. Just think of it as leg day in the pines.

Have a plan for getting an elk out. There's some good packers in the area that can do it for a few hundred bucks provided fuel isn't over $20 a gallon then.

second on the caching. 
 

And this may sound odd, but have an idea of what your goal is. You after big bulls? Solitude? Exploring new areas? Adventure? Sometimes they don’t mix. That’s a great tag. Not trying to discourage you in any way, I guess just be open to what the experience and scouting brings. You may be into bugling elk 1/2 mile from the truck. The benefit of a hunt plan like that to me is being able to move as needed, wherever that is and takes you.  I’ve seen some guys on hunt like that get destination addicted and pass good hunting areas just to get to the spot they picked on a map. 

[zackcarp]

I would add on getting a good high flow filter. Nothing sucks more than using a squeeze filter when you're tired or having the bag bust. Id recommend doing a few over night trips in the summer. You'll quickly learn what you need, and what you dont.

[olmos1010]

Lots of good tips and info. I've gotten a few things already.  I just ordered an exo mountain 6400 but also bought the stone glacier pack the other day.  Going to fill them up with gear and walk around the house and return the one I like the least.  I'll post a list of everything I've gotten so far so if there is a piece of crucial gear I've forgotten someone can chime in and let me know.  

[joe hunter]

I second getting a Garmin Inreach !! I didn’t think I needed one until the day I needed one and 4 EMS with a gurney, forest rangers and a life flight helicopter.

[PRDATR]

5 hours ago, olmos1010 said:

Lots of good tips and info. I've gotten a few things already.  I just ordered an exo mountain 6400 but also bought the stone glacier pack the other day.  Going to fill them up with gear and walk around the house and return the one I like the least.  I'll post a list of everything I've gotten so far so if there is a piece of crucial gear I've forgotten someone can chime in and let me know.  

Go hike the Windcave Trail at Usery. It has enought dips and elevation gain that will let you know if the pack shifts and how it rides. Go early and beat the heat and you will stay in the shade for the trip up and most of the way back to the parking lot.

 

[Curtis Reed]

Check out Zoleo instead of Garmin in reach. 1/2 the price of garmin on guidefitter and you can suspend service for $4 a month while keeping the dedicated phone number. 

Advantages of Zoleo over the Garmin are, better battery life, $4/mo when not activated, Zoleo detects if you have cell service or on wifi so you won’t use one of your messages if you have service, uses the same satellite network and it is Cheaper. 

[Allforelk]

Now that I am a single man again, I have been looking real hard at this setup. Just food for though. 
 

https://www.pomoly.com/Rhombus-Hammock-Hot-Tarp-|-Lonewolf902-Canvas-Hot-Shelter-for-Hammock-Camping-|-Lonewolf902-Design-p1672240.html

[olmos1010]

7 hours ago, Allforelk said:

Now that I am a single man again, I have been looking real hard at this setup. Just food for though. 
 

https://www.pomoly.com/Rhombus-Hammock-Hot-Tarp-|-Lonewolf902-Canvas-Hot-Shelter-for-Hammock-Camping-|-Lonewolf902-Design-p1672240.html

Pretty cool setup,  I just don't know how I'd do in a hammock.  I'm  little heavy at 250lbs and don't know if I could get flat enough in a hammock. 

[LifeFeedsOnLife]

It does seem like a fun time but I'm not sure I'd limit myself to the wilderness on that hunt. 

[olmos1010]

35 minutes ago, LifeFeedsOnLife said:

It does seem like a fun time but I'm not sure I'd limit myself to the wilderness on that hunt. 

 I'm not dead set on going into the wilderness I just want to be ready and able to go in deep To get away from people. I've never hunted elk up there so I'm just trying to Have as many options as possible. 

[SunDevil]

What happens if you pack in and don’t find any elk?

[trphyhntr]

5 minutes ago, SunDevil said:

What happens if you pack in and don’t find any elk?

Lay down and rot 

[HuntHarder]

If there isn't a bunch of water, pack in water and store it in there on your scouting trips.  

[yotebuster]

32 minutes ago, HuntHarder said:

If there isn't a bunch of water, pack in water and store it in there on your scouting trips.  

Seems like if there’s so little water a guy can’t live there then there wouldn’t be any elk in there not?  Serious question, not trying to be a prick.