First Colorado elk hunt advice

[RockinU]

I tried that 1 year and got shin splints on both legs a month and a half before season. It ended my workouts. Luckily it healed up in time

Yeah, the importance of cross training can't be overstated. You have to vary your workout, and it's focus, and remember that recovery is important too.

 

[CX5Ranch]

If you can run a mile without stopping and you are truck hunting you're gonna be fine.

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[Bearded]

So unless I find the time at the end of this month I may just have to go in blind.”

If it’s very much travel at all, you’re better off going in several days early to scout. You can get a feel for the lay of the land and learn things talking to locals now but as far as scouting goes, you wanna know where they are when season comes around, not where they are now. Also try to imagine where they’re gonna go when rifles start popping off all over the place.

 

[Thunderer]

Dont get a high altitude mask. They are a waste of money. Nothing will prepare you for altitude except for altitude. Cardio, cardio, cardio.

100% spot on. Don't fall for the gimmicky altitude crap. I've found HIIT training is one of the most effective ways to build endurance quickly. If you can, find a big ass hill and train on that. The incline will train your calves, hamstrings and glutes.

If you can; sleep as high as you can on the first few nights (sleep high, hunt low).

Diamox helps increase oxygenation of your blood if you take it two days before ascending. It also helps kill AMS symtoms if you are prone to them. Most doctors will recommend taking it 1 day in advance, but the oxygenation effect takes two days to develop.

 

[Still Hunter]

Getting great conditioning is imperative to prepare for the mountains. Getting prepared mentally is important also. The mountains are unforgiving. Lots of Day Hikers get lost and end up in a bad way every year by not respecting the mountains. You need to know where you are and keep your bearings. You also need to know the shortest route out and the closest road or trail to you in case of an emergency. You have to think when you are in the mountains. You have to use common sense. Don't get in a hurry in a blowdown area. Pick your way through. One wrong step can end up with a fall or a broken arm, a broken ankle or worse. Don't "think" that log can hold your weight, either test it or go around it. Take a reasonable path. If you are really in the back country always, I would recommend at a minimum ,having a fire starter, a life straw, a compass, a knife and a whistle with you at all times. Simple preparedness is a fundamental you cannot ignore. Good Hunting and Good Luck!

 

[Herbie03]

Learn/study survival tactics. Everyone wants a fire starter, but inho some kind of shelter is more important. Something to keep you dry and warm, H2O 2nd. You can survive a long time with just those two.

 

[Coondog]

Has anyone ever prepared by using a nordic track?

 

[RobertsA]

I’ve scouted the portion of the unit I want to hunt and have decided I’m going to be hunting 1st rifle season. It’s pretty heavily forested in that area and I don’t think I’ll be able to do much glassing because of this... should I focus on somewhere that would be more open or is rifle hunting heavy forests manageable ?

 

[RobertsA]

I’ve decided on flying to Colorado and plan to ship all my gear a few weeks before. Does anyone have any input on best options to ship gear? Dad things we need to UPS to the nearest office and they should hold it for a certain time. We’ll be checking the gun in on the plane and carrying on our clothes. Just shipping our packs loaded with all our equipment. Good plan or bad?

 

[Bowman1989]

It’s pricey to do that but it depends on your airline baggage fees. I just did it and didn’t end up a lot ahead because ups charges to hold a package for 3 days and the 4th day, they charge you again. FYI it was $77 to ship our stuff and $50 to hold it.

 

[RobertsA]

It’s pricey to do that but it depends on your airline baggage fees. I just did it and didn’t end up a lot ahead because ups charges to hold a package for 3 days and the 4th day, they charge you again. FYI it was $77 to ship our stuff and $50 to hold it.

Ahh ok good to know! Yea that does make me a little nervous if we were to attempt to get our stuff shipped within a 3 day window. If something happens and it’s delayed that really would put us in a bind!

 

[lowpressure]

Elk are where you find them. No set distance to have in mind. If you find some right next to the highway, then hunt them (provided it's legal) because if you don't, someone will. There is no rule saying you have to kill one "5 miles back" as you often read here.

The most elk I've gotten into have all been within 1 mile of a busy county road or highway. Three years ago, I spent days glassing two herds that were never more than a mile from a very busy road, and never saw a single hunter chasing them. This was during bow season and I was scouting for ML season. Once ML season started, we were in those elk for 3 days before they moved to harder-to-reach places but even those weren't more than 2 miles in - just steeper.

My buddy killed his first bull less than 1/2 mi. from a 2-track road on BLM land, and that very morning I watched two legal bulls cross the gravel county road that led to our campsite in a wide open sage flat. Those two bulls could be seen for miles and there were no hunters around other than me, sitting there watching them with a cow tag in my pocket.

Just go, find elk, if you aren't in elk then move and if you kill one, then figure out how to deal with it. If you're reasonably intelligent, you will figure it out. As for supplies, even in the most remote parts of Colorado (I'm sure the AK guys laugh when they read that), you're never more than an hour from an outdoor store that will have whatever you need. So the biggest part is just getting in shape and then keeping a positive attitude. The rest will follow.

The last two sentences really resonate with me.