Western Elk Hunt

Hello,
The other day a really important woman, my girlfriend, told me I was going off the deep end; my mother agrees.
I am a young guy, wild, adventurous. I don’t seek drunken, rage filled nights, followed by an unproductive day (not too often, anyway)! I yearn for big mountains, animals, peace and quiet; I seek solitude and the adventure of the wild. You can truly say that I have heard the “Call of the wild” at a young age. I busted my [censored] in school and received a very good education that I now use for my job in the medical field. I work hard, but I play even harder.
So, I love the west, I love elk hunting with archery gear, and I love doing it the hard way.
Each time I’ve been out west I pack light and go deep. I’ve found elk each time, on public land, and have managed to bring home the steak occasionally as well.
Well now that I can actually afford to fuel my adventures, without too much limit, I had a great idea the other day.
I want to pack all of my gear and fly into Denver in mid September. I will check my bow and my only pack that I will bring for the trip. I have most of those details hashed out, and packing light for a backcountry trip will not be a problem. I will then rent a car, buy my tag, get food, and head into the mountains, solo.
I have clearance from work for 2 weeks of vacation.
I have camped solo many times, a couple of times out west and in other wilderness areas, but never for this length of time. Mentally, I feel excited, calm, collected. Physically, I am in the best shape of my life. I focus very much on a clean, healthy lifestyle that involves regular, high intensity exercise, and some Pabst Blue Ribbons for dinner.
If I kill, I have a processor that I’ve talked to, and have looked into the costs of vacuum packing, deep freezing, and shipping meat back to my house. I am a planner, so I attempt to cover as many details as possible.
I ask you..
Is this is a really stupid idea?

I want to go solo to clear my mind, make a little “me” time. I always say, in a very unselfish way “YOU are the number one person in your life”. You have to take care of yourself before you can care for others.

I apologize for the length of this post, but I wanted to share/inquire from all of you on here!
Bloodbrother

First off, congrats on having goals & going after them! At your age I was not thinking about hunting out west. I was chasing those two legged critters in smokey establishments.

I’ve recently been reading a lot of books on being in the wilderness. One thing I’ve realized about myself, I have a huge lack of experience when it comes to surviving on my own. Sounds like you are very comfortable in this arena, but don’t get over confident. Make sure you are ready for anything mother nature or injury can throw at you. Do you have an emergency beacon? If not, I’d invest in one. If anything, it will give both those important women in your life some comfort.

Be prepared for a plan B. Fires happen out west all the time. I know guys who showed up for hunts and the unit they were in was on fire. Others have gotten to their mountain only to find out someone had been lost and dozens of people were searching for that person pushing all the game out of the country.

Most imporantly, be safe, don’t take unnessecary risks. Good luck!!!

Sounds like you have everything under control, but I have one problem with your plan. Going in solo with no communication for an extended period of time. Never be afraid of mother nature, but you must respect it. Whats your plan if something goes south? Without a beacon of some kind youd be looking for trouble. Even Eddy Claypool (petersons bowhunting mag writer) who is an experienced wilderness man, and loves backcountry hunts has gotten into some trouble. You may have the experience and confidence but there is such a thing called bad luck…I would highly recommend taking someone with or setting up a system for communication for set times throughout your stay in the mountains with someone back home or a sheriff/C.O. in the area. Other then that I envy you a million times over! Keep on dreaming big! Good Luck!

I would put bear spray on my list of items on my belt everyday if it’s not already there.

Thanks to the both of ya.
You are both correct, I do need some form of “emergency” communication. Cell phones do not work where I am at, nor do I intend on turning it on for the duration of the hunt.
I have looked at a couple of different beacons, and will set one up before I head out. Giving someone my location before I head on my trip is useless unless they know how I am doing health wise, and especially so since it is not uncommon to cover several miles in one day.
I did not mention this, but I will likely pack in and keep moving rather than setting up a permanent camp. I do not even use a tent, just a canopy and hammock to get me off the ground. Lighter, and in my opinion, more comfortable.
There is one aspect that worries me with this trip..the rental vehicle. Aside from wrecking whatever it is they give me, I am afraid that it is not going to be suitable enough unless I am on a nice road. I have seen very few well maintained roads in Colorado that go into the area I intend on hunting.
For bears and others, there is a Glock 10mm for that.

I am looking into renting a satellite phone for my trip out west. One google search will bring give you plenty to choose from.

Would it be possible to get an outfitter to drop you off at the trail head and pick you up there too? It may be cheaper than a car rental. Not to mention he would be a good person to have come looking for you should you have an emergency. Two weeks is a long time in the bush. I am looking at a similar trip in 2014. My issue it how I am going to carry enough food for 13 days.

What are you looking at for a pack and what is the weight loaded? Just curious as I am sifting through gear right now trying to cut weight and having a hard time getting the weight down.

The satellite phone idea was mentioned to me by my father, who understands my desire to do something like this. Personally, I do not see this is as a “big deal”, and am certainly aware of the looming dangers, but I cannot be afraid. I am there to fulfill my plans and dreams.

I will weigh the options between beacon and phone, and decide from there. I do see the advantages of having a way to translate your needs with a phone vs. a beacon that may only be able to send out an emergency signal.

For packing, you may PM me or call me, I can include the number in the PM if you want and we can bounce ideas off of each other.

I am not claiming to be some expert or know-it-all, just very knowledgeable, comfortable, and unafraid to explore. My medical experience is extensive when it comes to just about any emergency field medicine that I may have to administer to myself. You can bet your behind that the most meticulous part of my already selective pack is the first aid kit.

For a packing set up I use the Horn Hunter Full Curl combo, but I have the spike camp bag that replaces the standard size backpack. This will hold all of the items that I need for the duration of the trip, but also serves as my meat pack and travel pack in the airport. For an archery hunt, I fit all of my layers, heat and cold compression shirts/long johns, and socks into a medium sized waterproof compression sack. I never bring underwear, just a couple compression shorts and wash in the creek. Socks also, only 3 pairs. I usually put batteries and small camera in there as well. That leaves lots of room for 1 fleece vest, beanie, one long sleeve fleece, 1 pair of hunting pants, sleeping bag (down material for compressive abilities), hammock and canopy, and first aid kit. I attempt to wear one full “outfit” on the way in, such as clean socks, shirt, pants, etc. Sweating is inevitable and you will begin to stink, bring some cleansing camp cloths in those individual packs.

Whatever room is left gets filled with oatmeal, trail mix, peanut butter, tuna pouches, granola bars, and a couple mountain house dehydrated meals. I clean ALL of my water with a purification system. I use a small stove with a titanium cup to boil water for food prep or coffee. Aside from a medium sized camp axe and a hand saw, that is my entire pack. I will have to weigh it once complete, but I am guessing in the neighborhood of 35-40#, probably a little more in the early stages of a trip. I will have to find a way to bring less on a longer trip. I enjoy this challenge as I always find items to cut out and add smaller, lighter, and more useful ones in its place.

Leaving the water, tent, and sleeping pad behind really cuts down on weight and bulk.

I forgot to mention the three most important items, and the ones that I double and triple check to make sure I packed.
Maps. Compass. GPS.

Not to advertise, but there are a couple packs that I wish I would have checked on before I purchased mine. I do believe your pack is extremely important, the comfort, the size to fit your needs, etc.
KUIU company makes great gear, and a friend of mine purchased one, full price, and the materials used are of extremely high quality in an awesome design.

I am not a huge promoter of SITKA company, though some of their items are great, but their 30-day pack is a really nice item for this backpacking purpose. It did seem a little smaller than the advertised 3000cu. I think 3000cu would be the smallest I would go, and that is even pushing it.
I feel a little bit like I am talking to myself on here, but that only helps me pack and prepare

At Jon Stevens,
I’ve looked at a couple drop camps, but it is outrageously spendy to have an outfitter pick you up in Denver and get you into Elk country. I am told that prices have apparently been dropping, with great outfitters offering reasonable prices due to a lack of booked hunters?
I know 3 areas reasonably well and should be able to get myself into decent elk country on foot, we’ll see.
Heavy rains and early snow scare me for the rental vehicle though, better get insurance this one time

Do you plan to do a dry run with all your gear?

Kooty,
Do you mean like take my pack out in the woods for a couple days prior to my trip?
I took a 3 day extended weekend trip near my hometown in SE MN prior to my first trip out west to test my gear, and myself. Knowing I was just mere minutes from civilization made it a little tougher to compare the two situations, but I did manage to “survive” out of my hammock camp and a trout creek for food and water.
I do not have plans to do that this time around, mainly due to time constraints and also knowing that I am capable of being just fine for a “few days”. This extended time frame will be difficult to pack food for. Last year I managed to plan out 3 meals a day, plus snacks, for two guys for 9 days. I think if I pack almost as much for myself for 10-12 days, I should be okay. I would hate to have my trip cut short by a couple days due to food, especially if I am zoomed in on a herd of elk. Food supplies are the hardest thing to plan for, but I am okay with living on bare essentials for a few days. However, it is extremely important to refuel throughout the day as the country is really challenging and lots of calories and fluids are burned continuously. I sometimes use energy bars or gel packets for a quick refuel session, until I can set up camp and make a meal. Most of us consume way more calories daily than are needed for normal function, so sometimes it is mind over matter with that extra meal, snack, etc.
Last year my buddy bought a small game license and we shot 3 grouse with our archery gear and cooked them up, I may consider that as well. They are really abundant in our area, and can provide great protein.

Ya, I was just thinking about something close to home to give everything a run through. I’ve never done a trip like this, so dry run would be really beneficial for me but it sounds like you got your bases covered. I can’t wait to read the report from your return trip. Keep a log book!!

I think its a stupid idea to go in alone. I’ll make myself available to go with
Seriously, I would have a location plan/map set up for “just in case” and some means of a check-in time/means so your love ones know your safe. Twice, my brother-in-law has been tracked by a mountain lion and his son had his back from an opposite ridge. Had be been alone, one of those occurrences may have been his last. Be smart and don’t take stupid chances.
My most memorable time was being alone for a couple days on Henry’s Fork. After a couple days of talking to yourself, its interesting what you learn

The principle “challenge” I can see for your plan is that if you are successful and bag an elk, packing the meat out will be a real effort. And if you get “unlucky” and encounter any above average weather, it could be a real challenge to pack out multiple loads before it spoils.

I agree with what other have said about getting some means of communication. I wonder if it wouldn’t be wise to line up a packer to help you pack out the elk if successful? Call with a sat phone or send a text via SPOT messenger with you GPS coordinates and a packer with a short string of horses could get you and your elk out in short order.

Good luck and be careful out there.

Grouse

I have been on the phone all summer looking to nail down someone to pack out an elk. What I am finding is that in Colorado people who pack out game are required to have a guide liscense. I have yet to find one who will commit to packing one out for me. They all have clients of their own hunting and can’t say for sure they will be able to get in when I need them. I completely understand but it suprises me there isn’t more people who just pack out game. There are plenty of guys willing to do it for cash but I don’t care to pay the concequences of doing anything illegal. I have decided if we can’t get it out on our backs then we shouldn’t be there.