blueridge
Well-known member
Got back last week from an amazing elk hunt in the Lincoln. A lot of inspiration and success can be attributed both to Randy and those on this forum, so thank you everyone.
The short version: 4 of us applied, not really caring which, if any, actually drew; just looking for an adventure and some time in the beautiful backcountry with family; an elk in the freezer would be a bonus. 1st choice was the coveted first rifle in the Lincoln (2.4% NR odds), 2nd and 3rd choices were easier to draw north-central units. My brother-in-law was the only one who drew a tag, and he got his 1st choice, first time ever applying. Lucky! So it was going to be he and his son, me and mine. They live in Alaska, so we don't get to see one another but once a year, if that. I drove a truck out and picked everyone up in ABQ. Had two full days of scouting before opening day. Saw a ton of elk. Herd bulls were still with cows and were very vocal. Had some great opportunities. Made a few mistakes. Learned a lot. Had some stalks busted by other hunters. Saw some of the most beautiful country there in the wilderness area. It was a blast! Good medicine being out there. Missed a very nice 6x6 at just under 300 yards (twice!). Last morning had a meadow full of bachelor bulls and he took the closest, a 4x5 at 268 yards, perfect shot right through the heart. Total raghorn, but we couldn't have been more excited for our first elk hunt.
Since it's fresh on my mind, here are a couple of the top things that I learned, advice I found helpful, etc.
1. Do your homework and full due diligence, then ask for advice.
I spent an embarrassing amount of time e-scouting. OnX, Google Earth, reading every forum thread I could find on this unit. I put together a scouting plan, with the features I liked about each potential spot (altitude, access, glassing spots, etc.), then reached out by pm to members who had hunted it previously, asking for feedback on my detailed scouting plan and a dozen other specific (key word: specific) questions. At the top of my "thank you" list is @brownbear932008. He was extremely generous in taking time to field my questions, give thoughtful feedback, and correct some of my wrong assumptions. Thank you!!
2. Get in shape. And no matter how in shape you are, altitude will still kick your ass!
I started hiking everyday here in my local Virginia mountains and got in what I thought was good shape. But damn. First scouting day we did almost 9 miles, going from 10k to 12k feet, and hit a WALL trying to get back down. Ended up sick as a dog.
3. Piggybacking the previous one: don't sleep at altitude before being fully acclimated!!
Our opening morning spot was 2.5 miles in and at just over 10k feet. Instead of driving back to our lower campground at 8k and hiking back in the next morning, we decided to spend the night closer to where we were wanting to hunt. Very, very, very bad decision. Not only did it instantly go from clear and calm to blustery and freezing, but two of us got altitude sickness (again!). What a miserable night. And at 5am there was nothing I could do to make it better but go back down.
4. Hike in cold, then change out of your sweaty shirt.
No matter how slow you go, you're going to get sweaty, especially with a pack. There's nothing worse than getting to your spot an hour before daybreak and having to sit in a sweaty shirt. What I found helpful was hiking in in just a t-shirt and outer shell (doesn't take long to get warm). When we got back to where we wanted to hunt, I would take my sweaty t-shirt off, put it in my pack, and put on fresh, dry layers. Heavenly.
5. Have good boots.
I was starting to have a boot blowout the week before I was to leave. Upon the advice of many here, I popped for a new pair of Meindls. Didn't have more than a couple days to put some initial miles on them, but didn't have any feet trouble at all in the mountains.
6. Practice in shooting positions that aren't ideal.
My bil is a good shot. At the range he was hitting targets consistently at 400 yards off of a shooting stick. On the mountain he missed some shots under 300 yards when the shooting position wasn't exactly the same or ideal.
Good folks. Beautiful country. Wild places. Magical creatures. Suffering. Couldn't have asked for more.
A few pics to follow.
The short version: 4 of us applied, not really caring which, if any, actually drew; just looking for an adventure and some time in the beautiful backcountry with family; an elk in the freezer would be a bonus. 1st choice was the coveted first rifle in the Lincoln (2.4% NR odds), 2nd and 3rd choices were easier to draw north-central units. My brother-in-law was the only one who drew a tag, and he got his 1st choice, first time ever applying. Lucky! So it was going to be he and his son, me and mine. They live in Alaska, so we don't get to see one another but once a year, if that. I drove a truck out and picked everyone up in ABQ. Had two full days of scouting before opening day. Saw a ton of elk. Herd bulls were still with cows and were very vocal. Had some great opportunities. Made a few mistakes. Learned a lot. Had some stalks busted by other hunters. Saw some of the most beautiful country there in the wilderness area. It was a blast! Good medicine being out there. Missed a very nice 6x6 at just under 300 yards (twice!). Last morning had a meadow full of bachelor bulls and he took the closest, a 4x5 at 268 yards, perfect shot right through the heart. Total raghorn, but we couldn't have been more excited for our first elk hunt.
Since it's fresh on my mind, here are a couple of the top things that I learned, advice I found helpful, etc.
1. Do your homework and full due diligence, then ask for advice.
I spent an embarrassing amount of time e-scouting. OnX, Google Earth, reading every forum thread I could find on this unit. I put together a scouting plan, with the features I liked about each potential spot (altitude, access, glassing spots, etc.), then reached out by pm to members who had hunted it previously, asking for feedback on my detailed scouting plan and a dozen other specific (key word: specific) questions. At the top of my "thank you" list is @brownbear932008. He was extremely generous in taking time to field my questions, give thoughtful feedback, and correct some of my wrong assumptions. Thank you!!
2. Get in shape. And no matter how in shape you are, altitude will still kick your ass!
I started hiking everyday here in my local Virginia mountains and got in what I thought was good shape. But damn. First scouting day we did almost 9 miles, going from 10k to 12k feet, and hit a WALL trying to get back down. Ended up sick as a dog.
3. Piggybacking the previous one: don't sleep at altitude before being fully acclimated!!
Our opening morning spot was 2.5 miles in and at just over 10k feet. Instead of driving back to our lower campground at 8k and hiking back in the next morning, we decided to spend the night closer to where we were wanting to hunt. Very, very, very bad decision. Not only did it instantly go from clear and calm to blustery and freezing, but two of us got altitude sickness (again!). What a miserable night. And at 5am there was nothing I could do to make it better but go back down.
4. Hike in cold, then change out of your sweaty shirt.
No matter how slow you go, you're going to get sweaty, especially with a pack. There's nothing worse than getting to your spot an hour before daybreak and having to sit in a sweaty shirt. What I found helpful was hiking in in just a t-shirt and outer shell (doesn't take long to get warm). When we got back to where we wanted to hunt, I would take my sweaty t-shirt off, put it in my pack, and put on fresh, dry layers. Heavenly.
5. Have good boots.
I was starting to have a boot blowout the week before I was to leave. Upon the advice of many here, I popped for a new pair of Meindls. Didn't have more than a couple days to put some initial miles on them, but didn't have any feet trouble at all in the mountains.
6. Practice in shooting positions that aren't ideal.
My bil is a good shot. At the range he was hitting targets consistently at 400 yards off of a shooting stick. On the mountain he missed some shots under 300 yards when the shooting position wasn't exactly the same or ideal.
Good folks. Beautiful country. Wild places. Magical creatures. Suffering. Couldn't have asked for more.
A few pics to follow.
