Elk Hunting Gear List

[brianakee]

I am trying to finish packing for my very first backpack hunt in the high country, and my very first elk hunt (CO OTC Archery tags in case you were wondering). I have pretty much all my gear ready and stowed, but I wanted to ask the more experience high country hunters here about some specific gear choices.

Rope: How much and what size?
I generally carry 50' paracord, but I was concerned about hanging my food and game to keep it from the bears.

Game Processing Kit:
I will be carrying a Gerber Exchange a blade (Cape, Boning, small saw) and a longer brush/bone saw. The Exchange a blade has done very well on deer/antelope sized prey. Anything I am missing? What about game bags? I have one Kifaru meat baggie for hauling boned out meat. My general plan is to quarter and hang the meat if I am so lucky as to harvest an elk. Prior to packing it out, I was planning on de-boning everything.

Camp Tools:
I was considering an axe, but would rather not carry the extra weight if possible. What about a shovel/trench tool? I will also be carrying my trusty Gerber multi-tool. Any other recommendations?


I pretty much have the following covered:
Rain Gear and Clothing
Sleeping (pad, bag, shelter, stove)
Food and Food Prep (MRE, dehydrated, power bars, trail mix, etc...)
Water (Bladder, 1L bottle, pump filter, purification tabs)
Survival/FAK
Personal Items (toothbrush/paste, sunscreen, bug spray, soap, wipes, etc...)
Hunting Items (game calls, bow/arrows, face mask, etc...)
Navigation (maps, gps, compass)

Anything major that I am missing?
Any general recommendations that any of you care to make?


I am very excited, yet very nervous about going at this alone. I had lined up several people to go with me, but as the time has passed everyone has flaked out. I have been crossfit'ing since February, and I am in as good a shape as I have been in my entire adult life.




Thanks

[sab]

Brianakee:

Like you, I'm a fellow Texan fairly new to elk hunting out west. A hunting partner and I have a New Mexico elk hunt planned for late October, and it will be our first, too. This trip has been in the planning stages for well over a year, and I had a chance to do a scouting/gear test trip in the high country last fall.

You probably just forgot to mention these items, but I didn't see them in your list:

Binoculars
Spotting Scope
Rangefinder
Hunting Tag/License
Spare Batteries (as needed)
SPOT Beacon or Sat. Phone or Other Beacon (IMHO, a must have for a solo trip)
Cell Phone (they do sometimes work when you get up high)
Small LED (for in the tent)
LED Headlamp
Digital Camera (for getting a shot of that trophy!)
Garbage Bags/Ziploc Bags (very handy)

One thing that we've learned in our preparations is that weight is not to be ignored. Soon after we started our weekly hikes to get in shape, we re-evaluated our gear list to get rid of extra weight. We've ended up going ultralight with nearly everything except the spotting scope and packs. For instance, we've done away with the 3 pound 2-man tent and replaced it with a half-pound tarp, taking 2.5 pounds off our load in one fell swoop! We didn't even consider bringing an axe or entrenching tool due to the extra weight. You'd be surprised how quickly your load gets to 70 pounds when you start throwing everything in...

Anyway, I hope this helps a bit. If you ever get to central Texas, send me a PM and I'll buy you a frosty one!

Regards,
Scott

[Sawtooth]

Just a couple of suggestions, based on my experience. Me, I would not take a shovel or trench tool at all. Not even a trowel. Too much weight, not enough benefit. I haven't had a use for either in decades.

As for rope, 550 cord will work fine for hanging food. Just take some extra for this purpose. I like 550 cord because it has lots of other uses, including some for the innards, which you can pull out of the sheath.

Scrutinize ALL of your gear, and if you don't absolutely need an item, get rid of it. Look for gear that will perform more than one task.

Lots has been written on the K. forums about packing lists and what to take on a hunt. Do a search of the message board and see what you think. You can also access my website and look at my gear list for some suggestions.

Congrats on getting in shape! That will make all the difference, because you'll be in a better position to deal with the lack of oxygen and flat ground.


Good luck!

[CCH]

What Sawtooth said. I'd recommend approaching things with the mentality of "what can I leave behind" rather than "what can I take". Lots of things that you might take can actually be left.

[brianakee]

I probably stash another bundle of 550/paracord in the pack. Its light and does not take up that much space.


I guess I forgot to mention my optics (rangefinder, scope, binos), flashlights (led head lamps, led camp light). About the only thing that is not on my list from yours is the SAT phone or beacon.



Any comments relating to the game bags? I already had some ideas about the other items, but the question on game bags has been on my mind lately. Generally, on my WT deer hunts, I just hang the deer overnight if its cold enough, or take it immediately for processing. In this case, it may be several days before I can get my meat to a freezer. I am very careful when it comes to game prep, and I just want to make sure that I am prepared.

What Sawtooth said. I'd recommend approaching things with the mentality of "what can I leave behind" rather than "what can I take". Lots of things that you might take can actually be left.

That is mostly the attitude that I have taken. I guess I am getting nervous and I am second guessing my decisions. This will be my very first true backpacking trip, so I want to make sure I have everything ready to go. I don't want to get 5 miles from the road only to find that I am missing that one thing that should have been at the top of my list.

Thanks!


Sawtooth, is your website down. It seems as if your DNS records are not populating properly.

[DrTom]

Weight is going to be a huge factor. How about replacing the 1L bottle with a second water bladder and taking only purification tablets instead of a filter and purification tablets? Gotta be good for at least a pound and frees up much space in the pack.

[Randy]

Having a couple of meat baggies will probably be in order. I also use the Alaska Game bags...they are tough, re-usable and breathe well if you need to hang meat while hauling other loads. The meat baggies are great for hauling and even transporting in your cooler, but I doubt 1 is enough for elk.

I'd leave the trenching tool as well. Like Sawtooth said, make sure everything has multiple uses. The multi-plier can serve many purposes and will likely do away with an additional knife. Take a cotton handkerchief...use for a pot-holder, do-rag, washcloth, etc. Can you use your cook kit for a drinking cup as well?

You can save weight and carry water in one of the filter bottles instead of packing a filter. Not as fast, but lighter, will filter tons of water and you can carry it full and ready to go.

Just few items to give some thought to.

Good luck on your trip and be sure to post lots of pics for us all.

[evanhill]

This will be my very first true backpacking trip, so I want to make sure I have everything ready to go.

Do yourself a favor and go on a weekend "shakedown" trip before you go. You'll learn a lot in the process. I know it's tough living in Houston, but even if you just go backpacking on someone's deer lease, it will give you a chance to get some stuff dialed in. If you've got time, Enchanted Rock or Lost Maples (those just happen to be the ones I've backpacked in)...

[gonehuntn]

+1 on the shake down. After a hike a few weeks ago to do an equipment check I had an epiphany. I packed in with what I planned on using for a multi-day trip with my Scout piggy backed to my G2 MMR. It was too heavy of a load! I decided once I set up a base camp, I'd use my MMR to pack in enough gear for a few days, drop the main pack once I get far enough back and find a place to camp, then dock-n-lock my E&E and a small pod to the removable frame for the day hunts. It's a really good setup and much lighter.

Also, after 21 years in the military gear checklists have become my SOP. If you'd like, send me a PM and I'll e-mail you my Excel checklist. At the very least you need to be writing down everything that comes to mind then deciding if it's a nice-to-have or a must-have.

[kutenay]

I have been doing my semi-annual gear check the last couple of days as the season draws near and I divide my gear into specific camps for specific purposes, i.e, "base camp" of K-8-man tipi, Hilleberg Saivo tent and so on, "winter camp" of Integral Designs MKI-XL tent and so forth and a basic and light hunting camp plus my summer backpack camp used largely for alpine lake fishing.

This allows me to very quickly gather and pack what I actually NEED for a given excursion and the use of master lists developed from the camps I have put together assists my fading, elderly memory in bringing what I NEED and nothing I do not.

I have now hiked the mountains of BC for over 53 years, backpack camped and hunted in them for over 45 years and I find I am ALWAYS learning and often doing things a bit differently than the last time I was on the same hunt in the same spot. So, do as others suggest and take a few "practice" trips and get YOUR gear together with YOUR head...as we used to say in the '60s, long, long ago.

I would not bother with a shovel, trowel or anything like that, I use a 2" stick to gouge any trenches for tipi runoff I might need and if that works in wet B.C., it will work in the much drier Rockies.....and your weather is SO much nicer!