New Guy

[Skelly]

Whats up everybody. Im Shaughn, a new hunter from PA sitting at about 100ft elevation. Ive been lurking here for awhile dreaming about heading west for an archery elk hunt. This is the year that its going to happen. My buddy and I are going to colorado for an etc hunt (not sure which unit yet). Im confident in my shooting and my equipment but I'm worried about how bad the mountains will beat us up. I've been hiking with 40lbs in my pack for a few weeks so far but I still have a long way to go. I just wanted to introduce myself before I start posting picking everyones brain about elk backpack hunting. Thanks for reading and good luck this year.

 

[Ross]

Welcome and enjoy the journey of elk hunting

 

[juan trueno]

Pretty good, but your supposed to ask Where’s your honey hole? In a round about way. Something like “hey guys, new her!!! Love the site tons of great info!!!!! I’m headed out from Miami this September to archery hunt elk!!!! I’ve got my podcasts all dialed in, and of course all my outfits to wear!!!! What I’m Not real sure about is where to start my hunt- I know from Randy Newberg that I should try to find burns with ONX. What I was wondering since I’m new at this and not real sure about the access/easement/parking/trailhead/hiking/camping/hunting/packing part of it is if anyone would be down with letting me park near them and hike in with them but maybe set up camp a hundred or so yards from each other to enjoy the solo backcountry experience. I don’t want the coordinates to your honey hole or anything- I’m just worried about trespassing or getting my truck broken into because it was parked wrong. Also here’s my instagram if you want to follow along Thanks



Edit:
You’ve got plenty of 2500 foot STEEP elevation gains and losses in your “local” mountains. If you can traverse that steep thick stuff- you will not encounter anything steeper or thicker outwest, that and a high baseline cardio fitness level (plenty of interval workouts with Pack and also running to focus on recovery time) will mitigate a lot of the stuff that steepens the learning curve. That and being willing to follow elk tracks. That and learning to ID on the map the places guys will go to hunt elk,
And the places the elk will go in response. Typical trip for me is 1 day decompress and get in the woods, day 2-3 whimsically check out the places I figure would look elky and have signs of hunters- and they do,
So I get irritated, by day 4 I’m getting desperate and go to the places that ID’d as options that the elk will exercise in response to pressure, kill and Pack out elk. I never go to where I kill one first. Always try the obvious “easy” places first. Until I’m desperate or irritable enough to go where they actually are.

 

[Sekora]

Good advise from juan. I am also from PA and hunt the North Central mountains. If you are already training, you will be in good physical shape by time fall comes. The mountains of Colorado that I seen did not look a whole lot different than the mountains of PA. The oxygen is the problem. Plan on your walks there taking twice as long as they do if you hike the hills of PA. You will have to stop to take breaks more often. Keep training hard, but don't over-do it. I did and ended up with tendonitis in the top of my hamstring. I had to stop training a few weeks prior to my hunt. Hiking with weights similar to what you will be hunting with is my suggestion. If you end up having to haul more weight due to a kill, congrats. You will be fine and will have a great time.

 

[bguitierez]

Whats up everybody. Im Shaughn, a new hunter from PA sitting at about 100ft elevation. Ive been lurking here for awhile dreaming about heading west for an archery elk hunt. This is the year that its going to happen. My buddy and I are going to colorado for an etc hunt (not sure which unit yet). Im confident in my shooting and my equipment but I'm worried about how bad the mountains will beat us up. I've been hiking with 40lbs in my pack for a few weeks so far but I still have a long way to go. I just wanted to introduce myself before I start posting picking everyones brain about elk backpack hunting. Thanks for reading and good luck this year.

Good luck brother. Just hunt hard and understand it will be tough. But that’s part of the fun of it all. Be ready to work.


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[mike.adams.467]

I know you’ve heard it before but I’m going to say it anyway; packing out an elk is hard work. Imagine carrying out a PA whitetail on your back, over steep terrain, 4 times. Coupled with warm weather, it is difficult to say the least. Keep that in mind when hiking over that next mountain.


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[swampokie]

All that training mentioned and not one thing about the social skills u will need to get along with all the other members of the “Sitka” army that u will encounter. It will benefit u to be a people person because u will find more of them than elk.

 

[Southforkguy]

Pretty good, but your supposed to ask Where’s your honey hole? In a round about way. Something like “hey guys, new her!!! Love the site tons of great info!!!!! I’m headed out from Miami this September to archery hunt elk!!!! I’ve got my podcasts all dialed in, and of course all my outfits to wear!!!! What I’m Not real sure about is where to start my hunt- I know from Randy Newberg that I should try to find burns with ONX. What I was wondering since I’m new at this and not real sure about the access/easement/parking/trailhead/hiking/camping/hunting/packing part of it is if anyone would be down with letting me park near them and hike in with them but maybe set up camp a hundred or so yards from each other to enjoy the solo backcountry experience. I don’t want the coordinates to your honey hole or anything- I’m just worried about trespassing or getting my truck broken into because it was parked wrong. Also here’s my instagram if you want to follow along Thanks



Edit:
You’ve got plenty of 2500 foot STEEP elevation gains and losses in your “local” mountains. If you can traverse that steep thick stuff- you will not encounter anything steeper or thicker outwest, that and a high baseline cardio fitness level (plenty of interval workouts with Pack and also running to focus on recovery time) will mitigate a lot of the stuff that steepens the learning curve. That and being willing to follow elk tracks. That and learning to ID on the map the places guys will go to hunt elk,
And the places the elk will go in response. Typical trip for me is 1 day decompress and get in the woods, day 2-3 whimsically check out the places I figure would look elky and have signs of hunters- and they do,
So I get irritated, by day 4 I’m getting desperate and go to the places that ID’d as options that the elk will exercise in response to pressure, kill and Pack out elk. I never go to where I kill one first. Always try the obvious “easy” places first. Until I’m desperate or irritable enough to go where they actually are.

I like how you say, irritated or desperate enough.. because this is exactly what always happens with me

 

[Skelly]

Pretty good, but your supposed to ask Where’s your honey hole? In a round about way. Something like “hey guys, new her!!! Love the site tons of great info!!!!! I’m headed out from Miami this September to archery hunt elk!!!! I’ve got my podcasts all dialed in, and of course all my outfits to wear!!!! What I’m Not real sure about is where to start my hunt- I know from Randy Newberg that I should try to find burns with ONX. What I was wondering since I’m new at this and not real sure about the access/easement/parking/trailhead/hiking/camping/hunting/packing part of it is if anyone would be down with letting me park near them and hike in with them but maybe set up camp a hundred or so yards from each other to enjoy the solo backcountry experience. I don’t want the coordinates to your honey hole or anything- I’m just worried about trespassing or getting my truck broken into because it was parked wrong. Also here’s my instagram if you want to follow along Thanks



Edit:
You’ve got plenty of 2500 foot STEEP elevation gains and losses in your “local” mountains. If you can traverse that steep thick stuff- you will not encounter anything steeper or thicker outwest, that and a high baseline cardio fitness level (plenty of interval workouts with Pack and also running to focus on recovery time) will mitigate a lot of the stuff that steepens the learning curve. That and being willing to follow elk tracks. That and learning to ID on the map the places guys will go to hunt elk,
And the places the elk will go in response. Typical trip for me is 1 day decompress and get in the woods, day 2-3 whimsically check out the places I figure would look elky and have signs of hunters- and they do,
So I get irritated, by day 4 I’m getting desperate and go to the places that ID’d as options that the elk will exercise in response to pressure, kill and Pack out elk. I never go to where I kill one first. Always try the obvious “easy” places first. Until I’m desperate or irritable enough to go where they actually are.

Yes there are plenty of steep thick mountains here in pa. Im not worried about where to go, Id rather go to a spot I picked and live or die by it than second guess info from someone online. It would be more rewarding if I could get into elk on my own. I will say I do follow all the legit western hunters podcast and all that. It gets me amped up and there is good info on some of them. Im in it for the adventure and possibility of seeing an elk.

 

[Skelly]

I know you’ve heard it before but I’m going to say it anyway; packing out an elk is hard work. Imagine carrying out a PA whitetail on your back, over steep terrain, 4 times. Coupled with warm weather, it is difficult to say the least. Keep that in mind when hiking over that next mountain.


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Im hoping thats a problem I have out there