BigGameHunt.net Hunting Forums

Carlsr1969 · Joined: 19 Oct 2003 Posts: 5

Hi guys and ladies,
I bought a tag to elk hunt this year in Washington West side.any tips for the first timer? I usually hunt by myself. I know alot of hunters don't like to give out hunting areas. Just afew tips would be alot of help.

bitmasher · Joined: 27 Feb 2002 Posts: 2650 Location: Colorado

You may want to reconsider hunting by yourself for elk. They are big and your squaring yourself up for a lot of packing if you tag one in the sticks.

Elk steak is good, you might be able to sucker someone into the packing job if you offer them some backstrap. :smile:

donmillion · Joined: 27 Feb 2003 Posts: 394 Location: Colorado

Elk ARE big, and packing one out by yourself is a big job. Still, it's only a BIG job, it's not an IMPOSSIBLE job.

I'm mid-40s and probably in average to slightly better-than-average condition for my age. I'm not nearly in as good of shape as some of the guys my age I know who go jogging every other day and mountain biking on the weekends. I hunt by myself and have always managed to get the meat and hide and head down off the mountain without help.

It's always a lot of work, and always leaves me with sore muscles for the next few days, but that just makes the meat taste all the better.

bitmasher · Joined: 27 Feb 2002 Posts: 2650 Location: Colorado

Do you quarter it out Don and/or use a game sled? Just curious...

Carlsr1969 · Joined: 19 Oct 2003 Posts: 5

Thanks for the tips guys, Ihave found out most elk hunters out this way don't like having a "NEW KID" hunt with them. But I will keep trying!!!!!!!!!

captchee · Joined: 20 Sep 2003 Posts: 138 Location: Idaho

I bet you pay real close attention to where you get one down though LOL.
Packing a good bull out is not impossible but I will tell ya shortly after that first trip you begin to wonder if you had your brain in drive when you pulled the trigger

[ This Message was edited by: captchee on 2003-10-29 09:18 ]

BeaverJack · Joined: 27 Oct 2003 Posts: 21 Location: Rocky Mountings

Elk sleds? Never seen it. Don't think a sled would hold up where mos' elk hang out. Might be differnt after the snow pushes 'em down into the roaded areas. You won't ever catch me tryin' to drag much more than a quarter of an elk, an then only far enough to get it loaded on my mule. Lifelong deer hunters cannot imagine what they're dealing with until they get a bull down. Soon as they find they need help just to roll it over they start to get the idea.

donmillion · Joined: 27 Feb 2003 Posts: 394 Location: Colorado

I skin and quarter the elk, and remove the tenderloins and backstraps. In the past, when I got a cow, I just left the head. This year I also took the head for CWD testing. It takes several trips up and down the mountain, but I pack all of this out on my back on a pack-frame.

bitmasher · Joined: 27 Feb 2002 Posts: 2650 Location: Colorado

Oh ok, Don. I have heard that pack frames work well in that situation.

One of the reasons I suggested going with two or more people is that we usually try to drag the game (elk, deer) out whole but gutted. Reason being that it is easier to hang in the garage, skin it, and then let it age for 5-7 days then butcher.

About the sled, I just meant a game carrier (one with wheels), never used one for an elk myself. I can't imagine trying to haul an elk on a toboggan.

BeaverJack · Joined: 27 Oct 2003 Posts: 21 Location: Rocky Mountings

Helped a friend git a big bull off the side of a cliff onct. Had to crawl up on our hands an' knees. We ended up cuttin' a trail across the face of the cliff to git to a chute. There was 'bout 6" of snow, so we slid the quarters down in pannyards til we got close to the mules. They'd slide for a hunnert fifty yard or so an' git hung up on somethin', then we'd walk down an' slide 'em agin. My buddy took the head down on his lap, slidin' down on his behind. Wish I had a picture of that. Nice bull, went 'bout 340 or so as I recall.

[ This Message was edited by: BeaverJack on 2003-11-06 17:03 ]

bitmasher · Joined: 27 Feb 2002 Posts: 2650 Location: Colorado

BeaverJack, I'm sure your friend would have never heard the end of it if he had shot a raghorn up there. :wink:

BeaverJack · Joined: 27 Oct 2003 Posts: 21 Location: Rocky Mountings

I hear you there. He said that bull took the 180 Nosler an' jus' looked over at him as if to say, "Is that all you got?" He put two more rounds into the bull's chest. The bull kinda spread his front feet a lil' as if bracin' for the shots, confident he could take anythin' this puny human could throw at him. He even bugled afor he staggered uphill a lil', dropping into a drainage an' died'. You buckeye boys need to try real hard to imagin' how tuff elk really are afor you head west with a pop gun an' marginal shootin' skills.

[ This Message was edited by: BeaverJack on 2003-11-10 04:00 ]

Carlsr1969 · Joined: 19 Oct 2003 Posts: 5

Well, I didn't have to drag one out or up a hill. I missed one at 700 yds.A nice 5x5 though. Only shooter I saw all week. I learned there patterns and did some pretty bad calling too. Imade the cows run off alot but, I'm gonna keep at it thanks for all the advice and esp. the things to take with me.

BeaverJack · Joined: 27 Oct 2003 Posts: 21 Location: Rocky Mountings

You gotta be kidding, right? Anybody shooting at animals at 700 yards probably doesn't know what 700 yards looks like, and wouldn't know if they "missed" or not. I'll tell you what you need to take with you, somebody with some sense!

bitmasher · Joined: 27 Feb 2002 Posts: 2650 Location: Colorado

Yeah, like, -- duh --, Carlsr1969. If you had gone to BeaverJack's Elk Hunting University (BJU) you would have known that any shot over 300 yards is strictly bush league.

I might be reading this wrong but I think BeaverJack is offering to take you on an elk hunt somewhere in the Rocky Mountings (don't ask, don't tell) to help you overcome your limitations.