By Jason Reid
(Rochester, NY) www.ammoland.com Hunting elk is just plain hard for the DIY OTC hunter. Toss being from the East into the mix and you have a logistical recipe for insanity. Not having a chance to scout, extra travel costs in addition to hunting animals you did not grow up hunting can turn into a costly week walking in the woods with your bow or gun. Here are a few things to keep in mind when thinking about a trip West.
Commitment:
Often I hear non-resident hunters say they would like to plan a trip with their friends just to try once to kill an elk. This is awesome and that is where the conversation usually stops. Right at the dream. My advice if this is you would be to get a guide. Don’t spend your money on a DIY hunt unless you have the desire to commit to learning the game. Just like with whitetails, hunting elk is a game of learning and understanding of the animal itself and the areas you want to focus on hunting. The more you spend time learning a piece of land, the more you become familiar with the relationship the animals have with that land and how they move through. This takes years. I would hate to see people build huge expectations for a DIY hunt and spend tons of money on one hunt and be disappointed. There is no shame in getting a guide. If you are up for the challenge of planning your own hunt, more power to you.
Meat Care:
Before you even leave your house you should have a plan to deal with the meat. While this seems like the reverse of the process the truth is, for the non-resident hunter, especially if you are coming from the East, South or Mid-West and are unfamiliar with the area, how you plan to deal with the meat can heavily influence the kind of hunt you have. If you don’t have access to animals and don’t want a pack out on your back of more than five miles, then you will likely need to set up camp on a road and hike in to your hunt each morning. If you have the ability to pay for a drop camp, I recommend this avenue since it gives you the ability to get a bit deeper than most of the foot traffic and have access to stock if you knock an animal down. If you choose to camp on the road or even hike in on foot five miles or more, researching a local wrangler who will haul the meat out for a fee is worth its value in gold. Also, research what the closest town is and where the local cooler is located Trust me.
Still-Hunting:
Calling elk certainly is important and is usually one of the first questions an eastern hunter will ask. The transition to hunting the West can be daunting, but for elk, there is an easy way to beat the learning curve. First, look at Bing Maps. Yes, Bing, since it has better image clarity then Google. Identify the small pockets of North facing timber then mark them on your GPS to slowly work through. Still-hunting is an overlooked part of elk hunting, but is a great way to hunt likely areas where elk will hold during the heat of the day or when they are not bugling. Many hunters are deflated when there elk don’t talk and it seems like you are totally lost in the wilderness with no direction. This method is how my father and I killed two bulls last fall. Between the two bulls we made one call.
Calling:
In regard to calling, it is similar to calling turkeys. Knowing when to call and when not to call and how much to call comes from experience. Last fall my father and I had a scenario where the bulls were no more than 150 yards away, but the wind was such that if they responded to our calls would walk right into our scent. Playing it safe by staying quiet resulted in calling in a bull an hour later when the situation was right. Calls I recommend are the Primos Hootchie Mamma, Carlton’s Lonsome Cow and the
Carlton’s Diaphragm Elk 4-PACK
Traveling from the East to hunt the West can be one of your best memories or a giant costly mistake. Success is possible with planning and through learning about the land and behaviors of the animals you pursue.
About: Jason Reid combines a passion for stories and gear with the written word. Follow his adventures on Twitter for honest reviews, information and unique stories from around the outdoor world.
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