Elk Hunting Cost and Gear List

[Backpack Hunter]

Before I left for my archery elk hunting trip in CO someone asked me for a gear list, and I have had plenty of people asking about cost for easterners so I thought I would write up both in one post, and hopefully help some folks out. For clarification I started out in NC, and ended up in Northwest CO. I litterally began driving and stopped when I was tired. I neither attempted to make hotel reservations nor find cheaper gas. I am quite confident that if I had done either I could have reduced the price fairly significantly.

Cost of hunt
OTC Either sex elk tag $651
Car Rental $593 (3 weeks) – less because I didn’t keep the vehicle for three weeks
Hotel (3 nights stays) $382.30
Gas (starting with a full tank and ending with a full tank) $189.73
Food (on the road) $64.80 (I realize some people don’t include this because they have to eat, but I do because I rarely eat out).

Total $1,880.83

PACK LIST (All clothing including what was worn, and what was in the pack)
1. Bowtech Guardian
2. 5 arrows w/broadheads (6 more in the vehicle)
3. Thumb release
4. Kifaru Timberline 1
5. Bow tools
6. First Lite Llano Long sleeve merino wool shirt
7. First Lite Labrador
8. Cabelas Polartec Quarter Zip shirt
9. Kanab Pant
10. First Lite Uncompaghre puffy
11. 2 pair merino or coolmax socks (2 more pairs in vehicle)
12. ASAT Beanie
13. First Lite merino balaclava
14. Kryptek baseball cap
15. MSR 6 liter bladder with inline mini Sawyer filter
16. Platypus Meta Bottle
17. Kifaru Sawtooth w/peg & pole kit
18. Black Diamond Trail aluminum flick lock trekking poles
19. Leupold binoculars (green ring)
20. Sig Sauer Kilo 2000 rangefinder
21. Sony NEX 6 with two lenses
22. Sony camera batteries (2)
23. 16GB SD Card (2)
24. Mini camera tripod (don’t know what brand)
25. Big Agnes Q Core SL
26. 25”x 80” Tyvek sheet
27. Kifaru Woobie
28. Soto Windmaster stove
29. Olicamp XTS Pot
30. 100g Jetboil fuel canister
31. Tin foil square
32. Garmin 64ST GPS
33. Suunto MC-2 Compass
34. Mytopo map of area
35. Spot Gen 3
36. Spare AA batteries
37. Lens Cleaning Wipes (14)
38. Zebra Light
39. Spare 18650 battery
40. Toilet Paper
41. Baby wipes
42. Waterproof Matches
43. Swedish Firestick
44. Vaseline soaked cotton balls
45. Trioxane tablet
46. Grease Monkey glove (2 pair)
47. Havalon Piranta w/5 blades
48. Backpackers pen
49. TAG Bomb Bags
50. 50’ Paracord

Carried in vehicle
1. Kifaru Megatarp w/stakes
2. Kifaru 20degr sleeping bag
3. 100g Jetboil fuel canister
4. Arrows
5. Socks (2 pair)

Pretty sure I covered everything, but if there are any questions feel free to ask.

 

[torrey.harris.5]

Did you get a chance to draw blood or ??


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Backpack Hunter]

Yes, cow down opening day.

 

[Btaylor]

Congrats on the cow!!

Question though, do you have sinus issues when you get out here coming from NC? Zyrtec and sinus spray area must have for me. I guess it is the lack of oppressive humidity but I can hardly breathe like my sinuses are congested but they are bone freakin dry.

 

[ChrisC]

super helpful, thanks.

 

[Gerard Marcaurele]

Thanks for putting this up!

 

[Backpack Hunter]

Congrats on the cow!!

Question though, do you have sinus issues when you get out here coming from NC? Zyrtec and sinus spray area must have for me. I guess it is the lack of oppressive humidity but I can hardly breathe like my sinuses are congested but they are bone freakin dry.

Typically for the first day or so, and then it clears up. I think it is the lack of humidity as well.

 

[Rs3003]

Thanks for the list. Good to know.

 

[torrey.harris.5]

Backpack hunter

Sawtooth in back pack
Mega tarp left in car

Out of curiosity why not opposite ??


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[torrey.harris.5]

Backpack hunter
I'm in the market for a keystone outback
I'll pm you


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Agross]

As someone who is trying to get things lined up for my first elk hunt next year , I really appreciate you taking the time to post this thread.
And congrats on the cow elk.

 

[daddie63]

Thats helpful thanks. I need a car with gas mileage like that.

 

[Backpack Hunter]

Backpack hunter

Sawtooth in back pack
Mega tarp left in car

Out of curiosity why not opposite ??


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

No real reason, I just really like the Sawtooth. The Mega Tarp would have been lighter, and more compact in the pack.

 

[Whitetaildown215]

So do you just use your woobie as a sleeping bag I take it?

 

[Backpack Hunter]

Thats helpful thanks. I need a car with gas mileage like that.

It was a 2017 Nissan Versa. While it did get good mileage it had transmission slippage going up some of the really steep parts of the mountains in both CO, and NC. I wouldn't own one just because of that.

 

[Backpack Hunter]

So do you just use your woobie as a sleeping bag I take it?

Yeah, basically using it as a quilt. The idea was if the weather turned really nasty I could always go get the backup sleeping bag in the vehicle.

 

[Backpack Hunter]

Backpack hunter
I'm in the market for a keystone outback
I'll pm you


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Your inbox is full.

 

[torrey.harris.5]

No real reason, I just really like the Sawtooth. The Mega Tarp would have been lighter, and more compact in the pack.

I think kifaru quit making the mega tarp it isn't listed on their site anymore


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Jd259]

Thanks for posting man very helpful but I didn't see any food on your list?? And also do you know what your pack weighed in at when you hit the trail head and how many days were you planning on stayin packed in??

 

[Backpack Hunter]

I didn't even think that people would want to see the food list so I didn't include it. Food list looked a lot like this.

Day 1: Breakfast –Brown Sugar Cinnamon Pop Tart
Lunch – Summer Sausage w cheese
Dinner – MH Grilled chicken w mashed potatoes
Day 2: Breakfast – Precooked bacon and breakfast roll
Lunch – Peanut Butter Bacon Tortilla Sandwich
Dinner – MH Chili Mac
Day 3: Breakfast – Quaker Chewy Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Bar (2)
Lunch – Pepperoni and cheese w trail mix
Dinner – MH Beef Stroganoff
Day 4: Breakfast – Quaker Chewy Chocolate Bar (2)
Lunch – Summer Sausage w cheese
Dinner – MH Lasagna w/meat sauce
Day 5: Breakfast – Frosted Strawberry Pop Tart
Lunch – Tuna relish and tortilla sandwiches
Dinner – MH Beef Stew
Day 6: Breakfast – Oatmeal Apples and Cinnamon
Lunch – Beef Jerky w dried apples and bananas
Dinner – MH Macaroni and Cheese
Day 7: Breakfast – Oatmeal Brown Sugar
Lunch – Salmon tortilla
Dinner – MH Chicken ala king with noodels
Day 8: Breakfast – Breakfast trail mix
Lunch – Nutella bacon tortillas
Dinner – MH Grilled Chicken w mashed potatoes
Day 9: Breakfast – Precooked Bacon and breakfast roll
Lunch – Peanut Butter and bacon tortillas
Dinner – MH Chili Mac


Day 10: Breakfast – Oatmeal Apples and Cinnamon
Lunch – Tuna Hot Buffaloe and tortillas
Dinner – MH Beef Stroganoff
Day 11: Breakfast – Brown Sugar Cinnamon Pop Tart
Lunch – Beef jerky sticks, Cliff bar chocolate chip peanut crunch
Dinner – Lasagna w/meat sauce
Day 12: Breakfast – Frosted Strawberry Pop Tart
Lunch – Trail mix, dried strawberries and bananas
Dinner – MH Beef Stew
Day 13: Breakfast – Pop Tarts
Lunch – Pepperoni sticks, cheese crackers, dried strawberries and bananas
Dinner – MH Macaroni and cheese
Day 14: Breakfast – Frosted strawberry Pop Tart
Lunch – Trail Mix, summer sausage, dried strawberries and bananas
Dinner – MH Chicken ala king w noodles

I have no clue on pack weight, but was planning on being in for 14 days.