Expectations for first trip

[Gerard Marcaurele]

I’m pouring a lot of time and sweat into getting ready for a 2019 trip. Yesterday, something hit me like a rock. I realized that I’m running a great chance of seeing nothing, much less killing something, my first trip out. But, I don’t want that to be a reason I don’t go on the trip. So, I got a list of expectations together that I’d like some input on by the seasoned guys here.

1) learn how to truly camp. This trip will help me start figuring out necessary gear
2) learn the mountains. Coming from a flat part of Texas, I need to learn how to navigate and just get up and down these things.
3) learn real-world elk behavior.
4) have fun. No point in being there if I’m so worried about killing that I don’t enjoy the sunrises and potentially hearing elk bugle.


Anything you guys would add or subtract from this list?

 

[bsnedeker]

If you aren't hunting until next year I would take item 1 on your list and try to figure that out as much as you can this year. This will tell you exactly where you need to focus from a gear perspective. If you wait until your hunt to try to figure out your gear you will lose days you should be hunting.

Other than that you have the right idea...your goal shouldn't be to kill an elk, it should be to learn how to hunt elk. That way if you do get one it will just be icing on the cake!

 

[rayporter]

not bad, really.

just go. you cant figure that out on the couch.

and I agree with working as much as possible on gear this year - in cold weather!

 

[Bl704]

1) learn how to truly camp. This trip will help me start figuring out necessary gear
2) learn the mountains. Coming from a flat part of Texas, I need to learn how to navigate and just get up and down these things.
3) learn real-world elk behavior.
4) have fun. No point in being there if I’m so worried about killing that I don’t enjoy the sunrises and potentially hearing elk bugle.


Anything you guys would add or subtract from this list?

For 1 & 2 a preseason scouting trip can help mitigate these 'risks' and provide a lot of additional insight with minimal incremental cost (basically travel & time, if you already have some basic gear)

5) locating animals / finding them in a unit.

6) finding a compatible hunting partner/working as a team, OR finding your inner self and pushing your limits.

 

[JWP58]

You could knock out all 4 this year in a camping trip in Sept for 3 or 4 days. Dont have to have a tag to camp, observe, or even experiment with calls.

 

[xziang]

You could knock out all 4 this year in a camping trip in Sept for 3 or 4 days. Dont have to have a tag to camp, observe, or even experiment with calls.

2nd this go on a camping trip this year and barrow a spotter from someone and do some glasses from afar to see what you see. also you'll get a better idea of the people that might be using the area you plan to hunt.

 

[FlyGuy]

I think it is a great idea to define what success is on your first trip so that you don't get discouraged.

For my 1st, we had a group of 4 during archery season. Ultimately, We pre-defined "success" as ONE of us having ONE realistic opportunity to harvest an elk. But we were also prepared that we may not even see an elk. We ended up having 3 opportunities, so we were happy and hooked for life.

We all want to kill an elk on our first trip, but very few do without the help of a guide or just getting plain lucky. My advice is to treat your 1st trip as an Investment in your future hunting career. Know that it takes time to master the skills, but you can't even begin to master them until you start.

For your 1st trip to the mtns, there are so many new experiences it can be overwhelming. Just hunting out of a tent was completely new to me. But i felt like i was learning with each day and gaining confidence. Filtering water. Building fire. Taping my feet. Not getting lost.

I would approach it by making a list of goals. Here are Some examples that I had for my first trip, but you should make your own list that suites your vision of the experience you are looking for:

- spike camp for at least one night

- call in an elk

- find a wallow

There were more, but the idea is to focus on the accomplishments that lead to being a successful hunter. By focusing on them it will keep your spirits up and your mind positive, instead of only being disappointed that you didn't kill that bull that you called into range. That kind of stuff will have you off the mtn and back in your car 4 days early if you aren't careful.

It's important to enjoy the experience. Your 1st trip will be something you'll always remember, so do your best to make it a good memory. It is supposed to be hard, enjoy that too. When you are cussing that steep slope, Take a breather and just look around. Take in the beauty around you and think to yourself "I can't believe I'm actually doing this".


Last piece of advice. The best way to make your 2019 trip the most enjoyable and successful as it could possibly be - is to go in 2018.

Sent from my SM-G610F using Tapatalk

 

[sndmn11]

How about an in season camping trip? This will get you in the unit in the season you are hunting, and you will be able to see where the pressure is, potentially where the animals are, and be able to test your gear. Additionally, you will not have to spend money on hunting equipment for the camping/scouting trip, and can focus on purchasing and testing your camping gear. Just be respectful of hunter's space and go about it just like you were hunting.

 

[Back Country Hunter 2]

4) have fun. No point in being there if I’m so worried about killing that I don’t enjoy the sunrises and potentially hearing elk bugle.

It's not about the kill, it's about the process.

The entire process is enjoyable. From figuring out what unit to hunt, to where in the unit, and figuring out what gear to wear. It is all apart of it. At least for me it is. Good luck! FYI, I stole the first sentence from the intro to The Western Hunter TV Show. I have to give Nate Simmons credit for that one.

 

[Dos Perros]

I did one overnighter in a Colorado wilderness in August 2016, glassed up some animals over 2 miles away that evening, and was able to hunt them on a short trip in Sept 2017. One evening glassing session and I was able to turn that into drawing my bow 3 times in 3.5 days a year later. It was well worth it.

 

[Gerard Marcaurele]

2nd this go on a camping trip this year and barrow a spotter from someone and do some glasses from afar to see what you see. also you'll get a better idea of the people that might be using the area you plan to hunt.

I would like to go this year as a camping trip, but I have a newborn baby and wife at home that need me there. But I am willing to bet we get enough cold weather to test my stuff in the back yard or at the spot I hunt a couple hours from home.

 

[sndmn11]

The backyard doesn't address any of your four focus points.

 

[Gerard Marcaurele]

The backyard doesn't address any of your four focus points.

I was going at it from sleeping in a tent and eating meals I cook on a msr reactor, but I get what you’re saying.

 

[Gerard Marcaurele]

This raises another goal/question: I would like to be able to hike in and spike out somewhere closer to the elk instead of jumping it into the country each day. Is this something a newbie possibly hunting with newbies could do without spending 1000s on a tent and bag/pad?

 

[theleo91386]

My number 1 piece of advice is do not base success on killing an animal. I've had seasons where I've killed a bull be less successful than when I've eaten tag soup. The more you learn from a trip in the elk woods the more of a success it is. Elk hunting is more a practice of humility than it is a trip to fill your freezer. Accept that early on and you'll have a good trip.

 

[Btaylor]

If I am carrying a weapon, my expectation is to kill if the opportunity presents itself. I have been twice now and passed a shot on a bull that I was not comfortable with, wind switch wiped out an opportunity on a cow and I missed an opportunity on a cow trying to get my wife in position to see the elk. My intent and expectation was to kill all three but I am still sitting on zero. The circumstances of each encounter will determine when you take a shot and when you garner your first kill. I feel significantly more prepared to make a kill now because I soaked up as much as I possibly could while engaged in the hunt. It is a lot of fun to just wander around in the mountains and soak in the scenery but for me, it is easy to miss the important aspects of the same mountains and the animals that call it home if I am not hunting with intent.

 

[bsnedeker]

I was going at it from sleeping in a tent and eating meals I cook on a msr reactor, but I get what you’re saying.

The backyard can be used to test some stuff, as you mentioned (cooking, sleep system), but as a hunter those things are just table stakes. To test the rest you need to get out and hike. I would try to get away for some day-long hikes if you can. Start before the sun comes up and spend some time bushwacking off-trail and plan to come in after sun down. This will give you feedback on a number of things:

1) Your pack's comfort level and layout..what do you like, what do you not. Make sure you take EVERYTHING with you that you would on a hunt (with the possible exception of a weapon).
2) Your layering system. Were you able to stay warm and somewhat-comfortable throughout the day, or were you miserable?
3) How does your system deal with moisture? This is where I fell down in my gear testing...my setup did not do well with moisture, and moisture was MUCH more prevalent than I was lead to believe was possible in Colorado! I got back to my tent every night wet to some degree. This cost me more hunting time than I care to admit.

 

[JWP58]

Take a trip to big bend or the national forests in the pines woods and backpack in.

Fyi my sleeping bag (marmot down) was like 100 bucks from sierratradingpost and my backpacking tent was like 100 too (Easton rimrock). Dont think you need thousands in gear. Backpack gear is fine for hunting. Marmot, arcteryx, Patagonia(used, I'd rather support an individual than the company), north face, eddie bauer, wrangler flexforce type pants...

 

[fap1800]

This raises another goal/question: I would like to be able to hike in and spike out somewhere closer to the elk instead of jumping it into the country each day. Is this something a newbie possibly hunting with newbies could do without spending 1000s on a tent and bag/pad?

Maybe not go with the expectation to spike out, but rather have provisions in your pack that will allow you to do so should you get in on elk at the end of the day. I just purchased a DST tarp from Seek Outside for that reason. They're relatively inexpensive and offer an array of pitches that will easily sleep two hunters. There was just a used one here in the classifieds that went for under $100. Check out the thread on here about the DST's versatility. http://www.rokslide.com/forums/sleep-systems/73736-dst-tarp-pitches.html

The type of camp you're going to have will really be dictated by the area you're hunting. Some areas have FS roads throughout a unit that make navigation quite easy. This allows for a more comfortable camp. And of course others might require you to go lighter and get a bit farther from one of the few roads. For your first hunt, I might recommend a more comfortable base camp. Some place you can come back to and relax relatively easily after wandering the elk woods like Hansel and Gretel. That has been at least my experience. Lol!

 

[Bl704]

This raises another goal/question: I would like to be able to hike in and spike out somewhere closer to the elk instead of jumping it into the country each day. Is this something a newbie possibly hunting with newbies could do without spending 1000s on a tent and bag/pad?

I maybe in it for $250 on my bag, $100 on a pad and $100ish-a few hundred depending on shelter (tarp to tent options). You can spend much more for sure, but your tolerance for suck and budget can help set limits on either end.