elk hunt equipment

[Woodman Chasse Quebec]

What is the must have equipment for your elk hunt adventure for mid September on horseback riding and remote lodging?

[allan]

You should define what time of year, and what kind of trip. Ex, back packing, truck camping, hotel? It makes a difference on the answers your going to get.
My number one for anything would be get into shape, then good hiking boots.

[Woodman Chasse Quebec]

mid september on horses.

[sako79]

Rifle and binos

[bloody bellies]

bullets too

[todbartell]

you're the most important piece of gear. So start hiking and work on your calling daily. Make sure your rifle or bow is dialed in

[BCHunterFSJ]

Good rain gear is a must!
Don't forget your camera.

[Bugle M In]

Extra reeds for bugling and cow calling.
A range finder can be beneficial, but not a necessity, cause you have a good chance to have a bull come in close.
Light weight rain gear.
I like to use a little elk scent if I am not moving and sitting in one spot for some length of time.
Bino yes...and a spotting scope....bring a lightweight tripod.
A light tarp or parachute type material, if it does rain is also helpful....or for shade if real hot!?.
One thing I might try this year is an elk silhouette (cow elk)....why...it always seems the bull if he comes in,
and is in a spot where he has direct eye sight of the cow calling (and believe me....they have "pin point hearing accuracy")....deem to want to se the cow that is calling....so they hang up right on the edge of timber to look...
which many times leaves their vitals' hidden for a shot.
Hoping that maybe if they see the cow....they might come out that extra step or two???....who knows?
As for being on horses and what is needed, I have no clue....but maybe if you pm "Ourea", maybe he can offer
advice, as he has years of experience backpacking in on horses way up in the hinterland for bulls.
Good luck....have fun....and ya...pack a camera
Just so you know....Sony makes a small lightweight camera with a 30X zoom ( 700mm )...takes great picks,
and the zoom is awesome to have...and it takes great vid's.

[boxhitch]

.....One thing I might try this year is an elk silhouette (cow elk)....why...it always seems the bull if he comes in,
and is in a spot where he has direct eye sight of the cow calling (and believe me....they have "pin point hearing accuracy")....deem to want to se the cow that is calling....so they hang up right on the edge of timber to look...
which many times leaves their vitals' hidden for a shot.
Hoping that maybe if they see the cow....they might come out that extra step or two???....who knows?
...........

Solo elk hunting suz for this reason more than any other. Throwing a call behind may help but sometimes it needs to be 20-30 yds to one side..frustrating

[Bugle M In]

Solo elk hunting suz for this reason more than any other. Throwing a call behind may help but sometimes it needs to be 20-30 yds to one side..frustrating

I hear you.
I usually hunt with a partner, and when a bull does find interest to come in, I usually back up behind my partner like you
say...sometimes even 50 to 100yards away, to get that elk to come in closer etc....but...
I find sometimes, if I was stand ng beside my partner when the bull took interest, and then I back up...
the bull still wants to look at the "initial spot" where I was calling from....and will hang up...
regardless of where I move off to....some times
Other times...bulls will just come in....no matter what...and keep following etc....
But most times, they hang up.....thus the frustration.
And that's why I want to try one of those "packable folding cow elk silhouette" for those bulls reluctant to approach.
Like I said....they have incredible pin point accuracy with their hearing.
They can be damn near a kilometer away, hear the bugle/cow call, come in, and know exactly what twig you were
standing beside......scary how accurate they are, and because of this, when they come into a "line of sight" for them...
they want to see something..ie...cow elk.
I think they hang up because they know exactly where the cow should be....and see nothing....thus maybe creating that
illusive hesitation to come right in for a clean shot....
Then there are the times that they are so "boner enraged" they could care less.
Or, a big bull is feeling so dominant, that he just doesn't care....he knows he is the big guy on the block.
Don't forget...I am generally talking about "solo bulls"... no cows with them.
If they have cows...that a different approach.
Maybe the silhouette will hide me when trying to get in close (no bugling...just cow calling...and only if need be)

I ride a mountain bike....or should I say....I push a mountain bike all day long.
What I notice is...especially with white tails...that from a distance the bike looks like the body portion of an animal,
and with me pushing and standing by the handle bars, that my upper body look the neck and head...
Now...you throw on a something that waves around on the back trap...they seem to just settle down...
and go back to feeding.
Next time you see a white tail....watch...quite often they ill start to wag their tail.....
Take your glove and wave it behind you while they are staring at you....sometimes that see that glove wag...and
settle right down??? weird, but true in my experiences at times.

I have hunch this silhouette thing just might help for certain situations.
But again, hunting elk like any other ungulate is always dependent upon the situation at hand...and every
situation can be different.
Knowing...thru yeas of experiences, and many mistakes along the way, you get to know how to approach the hunt at
hand.
Knowing when to take the initiative to move in to any bugling replies, or when to hang tight and wait.
Or when to sneak in with a slow stalk, or charge in a let a bugle rip instead of a cow call.
It's always different......but F'n fun as hell when the situation arises.