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.

[todbartell]

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

try setting up in thicker brush. As humans/hunters we set up for what works best for us. More visibility/shooting lanes = more chance of a shot/success. An elk wants to see you first, smell you second and hear you third. They'll come to where they should be seeing you. if they can't see you, they'll circle downwind to smell you. if doing that exposes them in the open, often they will 'hang up' and not come in any closer. It's the doorway principle, they get to where they should see you and if they don't , they're not going to enter the room to search for you.

[wos]

Their is some serious good tips in this thread bugle and Todd have given me some great help with elk in the past. Listen to what they are saying.

[264mag]

Learn the elks language. Most hunters can bugle a tune and squeak a hoochie but not enough guys learn the language.
Chris Roes website changed my elk hunting life. Best money I ever spent on elk hunting. Roes Hunting Adventures.

Bartell touched on one of the principles taught on the site.

Some of Roes segments are a bit wordy but stick with it his system works.

[HappyJack]

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

A good bugle with lots of bands, several cow elk calls, puffer bottle [for checking wind], gloves and head net....nothing else compares to a good elk hunt in September.

[northof49]

........tp

[Ferenc]

A good compact gun cleaning kit such as a "Otis"..
small optics cleaning kit,good fitting scabbard for the rifle.

[Woodman Chasse Quebec]

Thanks to all for your answers! although have been hunting moose for decade and did some guiding this will be the first time for elk. Shape is already in the book, I saw that a spotting scope could be useful, things I don't normally use, is it a must?
For shooting distance what can we expect?
For calls, do you start in with the cow?
Hunting in mountain like date, what is the best backpack?

[boxhitch]

Most outfitters websites have a suggested gear list

[Bugle M In]

Spotting scope helps to tell if the bull is a 6 pt....so it is a must...rather then spending your time to get in close, only to
find out it is a 5 pt etc.
A bugle is useful, but can also be dtrementel....
Sometimes you are trying to locate elk, using a bugle, and there maybe a bull hidden from your sight, who has cows etc,
and he will just round them up and take off, never replying, and you will think there are no elk in the area.
(I have ssn this happen...guys walking and bugling...and just around the corner up on the cutblock edge, there was a large bull with 5 or 6 cows....they just left...and the hunters never knew they were there)
Othertime a bull, with or without cows will reply)
Without cows....cow call...and you can bugle (best to imitate his sound/s) if you want....it just depends...you never know.
If he comes in, hang tight...watch the wind so he can get around you.
If he just hole up....go in towards him....cow calling....not bugling.
If he has cows....cow call...bugling may have an adverse effect...quite often but not always.
Sneak in close....if you hit cows, and they see you....let a bugle rip....and be prepared to nearly get run over.

Distance....always close down the range as much as possible....but...I have had a river between me and the single
bulls many of time...so the shots were 330 yrds.
Other time....3 ft........too close for a shot...I should have backed up 50 yards to the other side of the meadow.
Closest kill shot was 8 yards.

I like my wilderness wanderer....but others have some newer brands that are in their opinion better...
Search the site...or wait for other responses...or start another thread on backpacks I suppose.

[northof49]

Have hunted elk for years....never once needed a spotting scope. Just very good binos. Most kills under 30yds. Depends where and how you plan to hunt them. I always hunt the rut tho and pull them in. If heading into mountains on horseback might come in handy tho especially if looking for sheep/goats too.

[J-F]

The nights are cold in September, be prepared with a good sleeping bag.

You could encounter anything in term of météo, snowstorm one year to full hot sunny days the next.

Rifle? as big as you can handle well.

Get in the best shape you can, you'll enjoy your trip rather than suffer it!

Don't hesitate to send me a PM, especially if you'll be more comfortable in French. Funny, I'm going moose hunting with my cousins in Québec this coming September!

[todbartell]

For shooting distance what can we expect?

Of the 2 dozen elk kills I've been around, average shot is around 50 yards

[sawmill]

Of the 2 dozen elk kills I've been around, average shot is around 50 yards
Yep. I know a guy who brags about 500+ yard shots. He has taken one elk. but lots of shots. Asked me to go hunting with him but I had to wash the car that day. Mine have all been within 100 max. Mostly half that.

[wos]

In my very limited experience with elk both bulls I have had a chance at were under 50 yds. And they still had the upper hand.

[Bugle M In]

Have hunted elk for years....never once needed a spotting scope. Just very good binos. Most kills under 30yds. Depends where and how you plan to hunt them. I always hunt the rut tho and pull them in. If heading into mountains on horseback might come in handy tho especially if looking for sheep/goats too.

True...most of the time a scope is not needed.
But, an example of why I have one...
Saw 2 bulls, way up high at the top of a cutblock (not far from sub-alpine ....EK) with cows.
We had gotten there late, and only had a couple of minutes to view them before they went into trellines for shade
for the rest of day etc.
With bino's we could see they were atleast big 5's....but no way could we tell if they were 6 pts.
Had to wait til the last 10 minutes of shooting light (we hiked all the way up....way up and sit for 9hrs+).
The one bull was a 6....barely....5x6.
Could have easily wasted the day.....and the scope would have been handy that morning.
But yes...most elk are taken and able to be judged in close.
Also, you may find an old burn....way up...and it may have several groups of elk up there (if your lucky)....
a scope is nice.....but not the most important item.

[Bugle M In]

The nights are cold in September, be prepared with a good sleeping bag.

You could encounter anything in term of météo, snowstorm one year to full hot sunny days the next.

Rifle? as big as you can handle well.

Get in the best shape you can, you'll enjoy your trip rather than suffer it!

Don't hesitate to send me a PM, especially if you'll be more comfortable in French. Funny, I'm going moose hunting with my cousins in Québec this coming September!


Yup, a good bag is important....pay the extra money to get the best you can.
Tried once to "pack light" for sheep hunt, by taking "lightweight/cheap bag".....worst trip ever!!!
Synthetics with quadrotherm or similar fill is great....especially if they get wet...goose down is cozy...but hard to dry.