So long story short I'm going on a archery elk hunt this fall in Colorado,will probably be Sept 9-15 and I'll probably be cow hunting. I will be hunting with a friend that lives out there so he is doing most of the scouting and I think we will be using horses to pack out meat if we're successful Sent from my iPhone using Bowhunting.com Forums Bow setup Chill R Trophy Ridge Clutch Vapor trail "pro v" Easton axis 340 Slick trick standards Scott mongoose xt G5 quiver Current gear Bushnell Sport 550 rangefinder Rocky c4t boots Down mummy bag Timber Hawk backpack Plenty of misc knives (all high quality,sharp) Gear to buy Merino base layers Vortex binos Merino wool sweatshirt/light jacket More arrows+BHs Sleeping cot One man tent ? Water purification bottle system Do you elk hunters have any tips,pointers on what take or what not to take for clothes,gear etc ??...any help would be greatly appreciated.
I'd skip the cot replace with sleeping pad as it's probably lighter and more packable. 1 knife may be all you need, 2 tops. +1 man on the tent size-crappy weather it's nice to have space for you and gear. If you can share tents it may be lighter. Skip the base layer bottoms for that early. Add rain gear, a puffy and hat (if it gets cold). Bic minis. What are you doing for food/cooking (jetboil/stove)? Any hot beverages/drinks (soup, ramen, coffee, hot cocoa)? Pants? Socks? What's the plan for the horses (e.g. get them if you need them? Else think trailering/parking + food and where/how will you keep them)?
Not sure but I think we'll be using a light weight propane cooker and a maybe a campfire for coffee,and ramen. Probably take 2 sets of pants,one pair of jeans for camp another camo pair for hunting.Three shirts,one lightweight camo,one heavier long sleeve camo and one regular T-shirt for camp.Four pairs socks,underwear. Plan for horses is to keep them at a friends place just off the mountain and then get them if/when we need them rather then riding them in and taking grain,hay along for them.
Unless you want to camp with the horses, have a wrangler bring them to your down elk. Use a good GPS for that. You need something to purify water other than boiling. Either iodine tablets or a sterilization pen. Both would be better. How heavy are your arrows? 450 grains would be a minimum weight for elk, over 500 would be better. Sent from my iPhone using Bowhunting.com Forums
If it were me I would shoot the dead ringer super freak nasty crossbow head... elk aren't that tough....hahahhaah Sent from my iPhone using Bowhunting.com Forums
The kill switch by dead ringer might also be a good option.... Sent from my iPhone using Bowhunting.com Forums
I'm going to use a water purification bottle system,not sure which brand but I will have one. Arrows are roughly 430/440. Is it worth spending the cash to get new arrows setup ?,I already have these cut/setup.
I use a life straw the are light wieght and small I carry mine in my cargo pocket of my pants I even used them when I got deployed to Afghanistan and Iraq Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G920A using Bowhunting.com Forums mobile app
I had a lifestraw but went with the platypus (also carry aquamira as a backup since its weight is negligible, the jetboil also an option if really needed). The kit is a bit bigger than the size of a 16oz beer can and weighs <1lb. Filters about 1l/min. I like the filter systems (gravity or pump) over the straw as I don't need to be at the water source. I can either filter into a bladder, haul unfiltered water and filter as I need or filter and just haul drinkable water. I think the more common problems with filters are: sediment limiting their life; really foul smelling water (like from a wallow) may still have some smell and; freezing weather (ice can destroy the filtering mechanism like a cartridge). To limit clogging/sediment buildup follow any directions for backflushing. If the water is real murky consider prefiltering (like through a piece of fabric) or let the debris settle away from the filter inlet. To avoid ice destroying the filter shake or blow the filter dry after use and keep the filter inside you sleeping bag at night or inside your insulation layer if hunting in freezing weather.
Your original post mentioned more arrows and broadheads in the list. If You have the money, I would do it. Sent from my iPhone using Bowhunting.com Forums
I wouldn't skip out on baselayers but that's just me. I used Kuiu merino wool last year and loved them. In the mornings when packing up camp we had thick frost on our tents. It got cold at night. I wore light weight merino against the skin then uninsulated pants and shirt. Then wore a Kuiu 1/4 zip peleton hoodie. Packed a light Kuiu jacket and wore as needed. I never got hot enough to take off the base layers but did at times only have my Merino layer on top on. A puffy jacket or vest is one thing I wish I did have for around camp. I would say your arrows are fine if you want to stick with them. To increase your FOC you could bump up your tip weight to 125 grain if your setup allows. Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk
Get a half dozen arrows and set them up for 500-550 grains. It will be well worth it if get a shot at an elk. Sent from my iPhone using Bowhunting.com Forums
I second the platypus filtration system. As far as shaft weight goes I believe I'm right around 420ish, but I've found a balance of weight and speed for high KE. Shooting a small diameter head should help, if you decided not to bump up shaft weight. Depending on where you camp, I wouldn't rely on being able have a camp fire. There's a lot of good info online about what to bring and expect.
I shot a 5x5 last year with arrows weighing just under 400. I know it's light compared to what a lot of people like for elk but it works. My shot was a complete pass through at 25 yards. That being said I have since upgraded and will be shooting arrows in the 490 range this year. But as long as you have good KE you should be fine.
wl7 covered a lot of good points... Unless you have a base camp right off a road, lose the cot for sure 2 man lightweight tent (check Sierra Trading Post they have good deals usually) Food, brother! You need to properly fuel yourself or the Mountain will beat you. Check out Mountain House freeze dried food. Very tasty and whatever you don't use will last for years. You have no idea how much a hot filling meal at the end of a long grueling day will lift your spirits. I only ate one hot meal per day (always at night) made my coffee for the next morning at night as well and kept it hot in a thermos for the AM. Morning meals were usually peanut butter and jelly on flour tortillas (tortillas pack great and don't squish or mold quick like bread.) Lunch was usually jerky and trail mix. Did you mention Elk calls? You're definitely going to want more than 4 arrows, brother. And heavier if possible. I'm shooting appx 495gr total and put one almost all the way thru a cow diagonally from just behind the near side shoulder to opposite hip at 28 yards. It was a very slight quarter-to shot but hit a rib on entry and veered sharply to the rear. Had I been shooting lightweights at any more of an angle it probably would have skipped right off her Game bags Big tough trash bags Paracord Sidearm if legal 8x10 (+-)tarp And not to start a broadhead fight but I've found I don't get near the penetration out of a 4 blade head as I do w/ a 2-3. I really like SlickTricks- if I lived somewhere mechs were illegal I'd use them on deer with 100% confidence, and I'm sure quite a few people on here have killed Big Game with them; but a good tough CoC 2 main blade or really sharp tipped 3 blade is all I'd consider for elk, moose, etc. I'll probably think of more things later...
What everyone has said: cooking system, 6 More arrows, Water bottle(s) and/or bladder, sleeping pad, rain gear, rain tarp w/ rope (for a dry gear or cooking area). I haven't elk hunted, but I have backpacked. I just picked up a jetboil stove similar to a MSR pocket rocket (not the pot combo) at an REI garage sale for $13. Checkout REI.com's garage sale section, Sierra Trading Post, camofire.com. I've seen a solo tent on camofire a couple of times recently. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
https://www.amazon.com/Nite-Ize-Gear-Tie-Assorted/dp/B00XIWJXKK ^ These suckers come in handy More thoughts- 2 good headlamps Portable charging station I'd ditch the jeans for a pair of sweatpants. If your jeans get wet have fun with that; also sweats can double as an insulating layer on a hunt if temps drop unexpectedly and they're lightweight if you pack them A good small survival first aid kit including whistle Biodegradable baby wipes... Hand sanitizer
Building on the above. Spare batteries (in daypack/lid) especially for those head lamps if you're out early/late or get an elk and need to get it broken down in the dark. For the charging station we had the generator at base camp (away from where we were hunting) that ran in the morning and evening. Alternatives may be a car charger unless you're in the backcountry or stout battery pack(s)-I picked up about a 20000maH Anker (~13oz) there are others on the market. Sweats tend to be cotton-be forewarned-cotton doesn't dry quick and is not a good insulator when wet. This is where i figure wool or synthetic base layers play. I brought my pant base layer and only wore them 1 day at the end of CO archery. I figured if I was real cold I could also put my rain pants on. We did mention rain gear, right? Baby wipes, yup, get the unscented ones. Hottest summer day lay them out in the sun to dry them and lighten the load. Dampen them with water in the field. A small bottle (like 1oz) of multipurpose unscented soap in case you need to lauder some stinky clothes/underwear/socks. If we didn't cover it before some 550 or 2mm (glowire or some other reflective is the cats meow) to hang food if in bear areas/hang meat/field repair. I had a couple dry bags to keep clothes dry and hang food-worth the weight (couple oz) I thought. But I also had a few gallon ziploc for my meals but they can serve multiple purposes (inflate for a pillow, temp waste storage, etc).
