I’m going to Colorado to hunt elk for the first time this year. I’ll be doing guided hunt that my family got me for Christmas. I need to know what to bring as far as gear goes. What kind of broadheads, what kind of cammo, how cold or warm will it be in September. How far should I be practicing to shoot from. And all the other things I need to know! Sent from my iPhone using Bowhunting.com Forums
First off be in shape. That will go a long way. If you don’t already, start walking/hiking/running on a regular basis and get your endurance up. When you can shoot when your tired after a good hike or workout to help make it real world. Often you cover a lot of ground elk hunting. If it’s me broadhead wise I’m taking Slick Trick Standards or Vipers and arrow weight 500 grains. As far as practice goes. Ideally Be ready for a 60 yard shot so practice out to 100 if you can. But really it boils down to what your comfortable with so if that’s 30/40 yards so be it. Just make sure your guide knows that. Weather is unpredictable at best. Plan and try to make sure everything you have works together as a system so you can shed or add layers rather than needing wholesale wardrobe changes from hour to hour etc. While not hunting I’ve been in the mtns in September quite a bit. Could be 75 and perfect one evening and 10” of snow on the ground with nasty wind the next. As far as type of camo I wouldn’t buy special camo just for the hunt. Buy what you need for the majority of your hunting. Not some special pattern that’s only useful for when you go west. That being said there are camos that do a good job in many different areas. Listen to your guide. They know best. But make sure they know your limitations should you have any so they can create the best opportunity for you. Plan on a tip for your guide. Figure 10-20% of the hunting package cost. Have fun and take a camera. Don’t forget to use it. I’m Sure there is way more but I think this is a good start.
Broadheads: cut on contact, smaller cutting dia the better. Camo: sorta irrelevant, drab colors are more important and material construction even more so. My prefernece is thin woven wool (such as First Lite). Weather: as stated above, t-shirt weather one day, everything you got and wish you had the next. Shot Distance: keep it under 50 yds. Bull elk are big and a lot can happen past 50 yds. Most Sept shots are 40 and under. Also, practice shooting with your pack on. Sometimes a worked up bull will be on you so fast your head will be spinning. Elk Shape: increase your lung capacity. Starving muscles of oxygen will wear you out quick. If you have a couple of pounds to lose, start now.
Congrats on your first elk hunt, the anticipation alone is enough to kill a guy. I'll echo what the others have said about camo, it doesn't really matter... more importantly is the fact that you can layer quickly, ultra-lightweight rain gear is a must. The most important thing you can do is prepare physically. Spend 90% of your time making yourself miserable on conditioning and 10% of your time shooting. If you can't get to where the animals are, how well you shoot won't matter. I'll play the devils advocate on the broadhead side. Both bulls I've killed in the last 2 years were with 3-blade, 2" mechanicals. Spitfire XXX to be exact. Both bulls were in the realm of 70 yards. I was shooting a 510gr arrow running right around 270fps. The first bull went 70 yards, the shot was square in the shoulder and broke through the body cavity (not the hide) on the opposite side. While I won't sit here and tell you to shoot the same setup, to say you need the smallest cutting diameter, fixed head... isn't accurate. Broadhead selection is situational and has everything to do with your setup. I will say a heavier arrow with a brass insert or more weight up front is a must.
"...to say you need the smallest cutting diameter, fixed head... isn't accurate." Well, it isn't inaccurate either. A lot of elk under a belt tells me that...
If it isn't accurate... then yes, it's inaccurate. To tell someone that, "the smaller the diameter, the better" is absolutely inaccurate, specifically if you don't know their setup. If your arrow is buried 20" in the dirt on the opposite side, then you gave up some serious tissue damage for what? To bury your arrow in the dirt on the other side? If someone says they're shooting 40lbs with a 24" draw length for elk, then yes it may be accurate. For someone shooting 70lbs with a super heavy arrow, then no, the smallest diameter broadhead you can find doesn't make the most sense. As I said, broadhead selection is situational.
You don't need anything special. what you use for whitetail in Sept. will work in colo. For elk. Last year Sept 8-12 when there scouting southern colo. it was mid 70s during the day and 40s at night. Bring raingear, you might not need it but when you do you'll be glad you did. No bulky clothes, but layers. no cotton, merino or synthetics wick and dry better. Practice outside the norm, 60-70 yrds. If your comfortable with that. Heavier arrows help but not mandatory, i like fixed not mechanical broadheads, fail proof and 0 energy to open. Camera, its beautiful out there. The outfitter could let you know better what you need. We pack in (not with horses) so my gear list would be quite different. Don't over think it and have fun! Sent from my SM-G892A using Tapatalk
