Get up early, Hunt until last light. Move slowly.

I have one bull by 7 rem mag and six by 50 cal BP. Bullets will kill them. Blanked on two hunts since I didn’t find them. Five have been taken in the same 400 by 400 yard area.

You will sweat on the recovery. You will love the meat.

Be scent free as possible.

Have all of the equipment you need ready to go, including a sharpening stone.

Enjoy your hunt. Post pictures.

Do your best not to shoot one with a calve.

Remember, aim small, miss small. Always know what power your scope is set at. Less is always better until you confirm you need more.

If you have to pack it out you will need to bone it out and haul meat only. A Havalon knife with an extra blade is good for boning out. Be careful though as they are like a surgical scalpel.

Take the same number of trash bags as you have meat bags.

Remember, Wyoming is grizzly country. If you get one down they will know it. Best to shoot one where you already have a good plan to get it out.

Open type country would be better than heavy brush in bear country.

Do everything you can to not end up out overnight trying to get an animal out.

Have family or friends on standby to help if you and your wife are physically not up to the task. If you are more than a mile or you harvest it in the afternoon you will only be able to get a portion of it out. You will need to bag and hang the meat.

If you hang meat to come back the next day to get. Leave some clothing with your scent on it as it may detour other animals from coming in overnight.

Make sure you know how to get back to the kill site if needing to go back the next morning. Do not solely rely on electronics.

This is for starters.

Have a great hunt and remember, it is better to not take a shot you regret taking. Than not take one you are glad you did not take.

I wish you luck and yes they are great eating if you like to eat game. .

It’s bad luck to shoot any elk that’s wearing a saddle.

A cow elk?

Up north here, being herd animals, they roam in numbers. Finding the bull requires much of the expertise posted in this thread.

But a cow elk?

That's like shooting a dairy cow out of a herd.

I know a place that, during the season, will have 30-40 cows standing in a few feet of water eating grass shoots. You can drive up on the raised road within a few hundred feet of them and they don't even care that you're there. You just pick one nearest shore and harvest the meat.

Started with a .270. Anchors them nicely using a 150 grain PSP. But it's almost overkill. Switched to 30.06 with a 180 grain and its just as effective.

Then the work begins.

Hire a guide. Seriously. I've always went with two buddies and we still worked at it, each of us being lightly skilled.

And then there's my brother, who could not be swayed from using a borrowed 30/30 for his first elk in Colorado. Got a good shot, but the round was just not enough. Searched awhile, and discovered it had gone down about an 80 foot ravine.

I'll let you imagine the effort it took to retrieve that cow.

Be sure to buy the unscented trash bags, and good luck finding any.
It really would be wise to hunt with someone experienced the first time you kill an elk. A guide, as others suggested, or a friend or two who can teach you what to do.

I love my wife but as a totally inexperienced person she would probably be of very little help in an endeavor such as this.

I think learning how to hunt and process a deer might be a good way to ease into dealing with bigger game.

If one doesn’t go on that ‘1st elk hunt’ how do you ever get experience?

In Oct-Nov, chance are the weather will be cool enough one has time dealing with meat. Depending on where & how far, roping quarters into a tree is an idea. One should have ‘game bags’ for quarters, back-straps & such.

There are ‘services’ in some areas that will take horses in to recover an elk for you. Yes, likely somewhat expensive, still cheaper than a guided hunt. Check possibilities in your area. Elk meat is great eating, don’t want to waste it or have it go bad.

When a relative bagged an elk in the eve a ways from camp, we dressed it and left it for the night. Coyotes can’t stand fresh human scent, I left a shirt over the carcass. Bears may be a bit different, most can’t bring themselves to eat sniffing fresh hunter smells.

Spending time with a willing wife in the hills, sounds enjoyable even if you don’t get an elk. My vote is to gear up & go. Prepare properly, mind the weather.

Wow, this has been a good thread! Lots of good advice. The best is shoot one near a road, but not as good as shooting one crossing a road. Getting in good physical shape will help lifting the bags into the bed of the pickup truck. Then bring along enough coolers to hold a 1000# critter. I've never seen a portable ice maker, so best plan on buying a bunch of ice to haul the carcass home. And then most public lockers won't accept game animals. Just do your advance work and know where you're going to store the 500 or so pounds until you can eat it, or give it away.

Besides the road work getting in shape, relax in the evenings learning to sharpen your knives. One isn't enough. Don't expect the Walmart hunting knife to do the job. It might, but it'll need to be sharpened multiple times during the course of the learning experience of butchering.

This might actually be the time where the Bowie knife you got as a present back when you were 18 comes in handy. A big knife will hack through all but heavy bone. That's what the saw is for.

One of my favorite TV shows is on Discovery, "Alaska the last frontier". Last week one of the stars shot a brown bear that had been lunching on his cattle herd. Watch for stupid stuff, like him sharpening at least 4 different knives between skinning, butchering and cooking his bear. I'd guess he even may have used more, they just didn't show them. A full grown elk is at least as big as most bear.

For the rest of us, buy your Randall now, not the day before you go hiking in the elk woods. Don't have a hernia yet? You easily could if you shoot one. Gutting, butchering a large game animal could be the most strenuous thing you've done since basic training. Made somewhat easier with the proper hand tools. Sort of like pulling the engine on your pickup truck. No, your wife's japanese economy car won't haul it all back home, even if it will negotiate the mountain road up to where you shot it. Buy a 4wd pickup or Jeep. The jeep will get there, but isn't big enough to haul it all out. If you load the 600# 4 wheeler in the pickup, it won't have room for the meat. Decide if the meat is worth more than the new, $18,000 side-by-side. Something is going to stay in the mountains. Oh, go back and read the part about hiring a guide. Let him worry about the recovery.

Bring some citric acid and a spray bottle, take good care of your meat, don't let it go sour due to negligence.

Make sure your boots are broke in, make sure you have a good backpack.

Not sure what the laws are in Wyoming but I'd watch a lot of videos about using the gutless method of skinning.

Bring a smile and good attitude.

It's your first hunt - so good on you for getting out there!

Harvest rates for elk in WY are low for a reason -- they are damn smart and crafty.

Killing a cow elk in WY (outside of the refuge!) is nothing like shooting a dairy cow. You'll have plenty of challenge finding one and getting your shot.

And if you do get one down this year, don't fool yourself.... next year won't be that easy

Okay, I'll come up with an idea I haven't seen yet. Since you have never hunted big game before, how about spending this year hunting and hopefully harvesting a deer. It will be a good learning experience before going the elk route for the first time. Just a thought.

Jim

quote:

Killing a cow elk in WY (outside of the refuge!) is nothing like shooting a dairy cow.

Wyoming has about 90,000 elk and an area of 97,000 square miles. Wyoming is rated #6 for elk hunting nationwide. 2018 had 70,600 tags issued. 25,000 elk were harvested (about a 44% success rate) with 10,500 bulls/11,150 cows reported.

Arizona has about 40,000 elk and 114,000 square miles. Arizona is rated #9 for elk hunting nationwide. Can't find numbers, but in 1994, total harvest bull/cow count was about 11,000 (about half of Wyoming). Arizona Game and Fish monitors the numbers closely, so the numbers certainly have gone up. But not likely anything like Wyoming.

Hunting area square miles is much lower in Arizona due to the animal's range, so that helps concentrations.

Still, twice as many total animals over 17,000 square miles less territory is going to create more opportunity than even the fish in a barrel event it can be here. Just a guess.

Hunting deer is typically more difficult.

We'll have to hear from the OP as to results and experience.

Another thing to keep in mind is, they are typically found withing a half mile of water.

quote:

Originally posted by Jimbo54:
Okay, I'll come up with an idea I haven't seen yet. Since you have never hunted big game before, how about spending this year hunting and hopefully harvesting a deer. It will be a good learning experience before going the elk route for the first time. Just a thought.

Jim

Why??? elk is just a big deer...It's not like he's talking about a float hunt for Alaskan/ Yukon moose.

Been Muzzle loading elk for 10 years. What we found was that by buying cheap xl pillow cases and using para cord we can quarter an elk and hang the meat in the trees since typically humping out 50lbs of meat over distance you can only do 2 trips. You can come back the next day and take the rest. The pillow cases allow the meat to breathe and they are alot cheaper then game sacks. Good broken in boots and socks. Alot of hydration, a very good supportive backpack and knives and sharpener. Plus the usual,lighter,space blanket. layered clothing and flashlights and a first aide kit.Do not pre wash in any scented soap, use unscented everything including tooth paste and deodorant.

Is it like moose hunting?

What is the best way to ruin a moose hunt?

Kill a moose.

quote:

Originally posted by newmexican:

quote:

Originally posted by Jimbo54:
Okay, I'll come up with an idea I haven't seen yet. Since you have never hunted big game before, how about spending this year hunting and hopefully harvesting a deer. It will be a good learning experience before going the elk route for the first time. Just a thought.

Jim

Why??? elk is just a big deer...It's not like he's talking about a float hunt for Alaskan/ Yukon moose.

Because he and his wife can drag it out to their car or truck. Not so with a 400-600 lb. elk. Remember, he said he has never shot and dressed out a large game animal only varmints. If he was talking about hunting with an experienced elk hunter I'd agree with you.

Jim

quote:

Originally posted by Jimbo54:

quote:

Originally posted by newmexican:

quote:

Originally posted by Jimbo54:
Okay, I'll come up with an idea I haven't seen yet. Since you have never hunted big game before, how about spending this year hunting and hopefully harvesting a deer. It will be a good learning experience before going the elk route for the first time. Just a thought.

Jim

Why??? elk is just a big deer...It's not like he's talking about a float hunt for Alaskan/ Yukon moose.

Because he and his wife can drag it out to their car or truck. Not so with a 400-600 lb. elk. Remember, he said he has never shot and dressed out a large game animal only varmints. If he was talking about hunting with an experienced elk hunter I'd agree with you.

Jim

Dressing out an elk isn't any tougher than a deer, he might have to do a few more pack outs but I don't see that as a reason not to do it.

Also keep in mind, he may not even be able to get a deer tag, I'm not sure what Wyomings tag situation is like.

quote:

Originally posted by jhe888:
Is it like moose hunting?

What is the best way to ruin a moose hunt?

Kill a moose.

I've been on a few of those moose hunts lol. I got lucky this year, shot my moose at 120 yards with my 375HH, was able to drive my boat right up to him (well about 20 yards away), made for a quick hunt.

I’m a bit shocked at the responses that many people have posted. You know that you can cut an animal up, right? You can do this even after studying a few YouTube videos. It might not be perfect, but man has been butchering game for a long time, I’m sure he can deal with it.

I've been hunting elk for better than 40 years and can tell you that there's only two things you really need: A gun (or bow) and a knife. Adding to that, a good back and strong legs don't hurt at all.

Sure, there are luxuries like great packs and ropes and carabiners and come-a-longs and saws and so forth, but they are just that. You'll be fine with the basics and besides...it is expected that you earn your first elk. Work for it and you'll appreciate it more.

One thing to keep in mind though, is WY elk (like here these days) tend to be in country thick with griz and wolves (thank you liberals). I carry a 44Mag or 10mm when hunting and would advise you do the same. I've heard too many stories of guys getting their days ruined by run-ins with either of those critters after a kill. I had to run off some wolves myself outside of Dillon, MT a few years back. Or...perhaps they ran me off. Either way, we parted ways and I kept my bull.

If you drop it close to your rig, quarter and drag. If further than that, I'd recommend boning it out and just packing out the meat unless you've got 4-wheelers to do the work for you, then you can drag it out whole. Both methods are intuitive and quite easy to do. If you've not done either, Youtube has many videos on how to do both.

I'll echo FN's recommendation for enough gun...with a qualifier. There is no reason to go out and spend $1000+ on a super magnum large bore whatever, although I once believed there was.

For the past 10 years or so I've hunted with nothing but a 257 Weatherby (although I have whacked a few deer and a bear with a 45-70...just because I can ) and it is more than enough gun for an elk. In the past I've used everything from 7mm Mag to -06 to 300 Savage to 270 to 350Rem to 300WM...hell, I even dropped one with my M1 carbine (there's a story behind that one ) . Bigger don't hurt, but better? Nope. In fact, I know a fella in SW MT (a guide for the past 40+ years) who has always hunted with a 22-250. Fast but small, not unlike my 257 Roy, and deadly.

Even if you get skunked, enjoy the time in the woods with your wife. There's nothing like it.

And to add, don't take a shot longer than about 200 yards for the obvious reasons. Don't believe the stories of the guys in the bar who puff out their chests and claim to routinely take game at 7-800 yards. They are one of two things...or both: full of shit or dangerous.

Good luck, and here's to a full freezer.

quote:

A full grown elk is at least as big as most bear.

A full grown bull elk will weigh up to 1000 lbs on the hoof. Outside of Grizzlies few bears get close to that weight.

I, and my family, have been hunting elk for at least 40 years up in N. Idaho. My mom carried and use a Winchester 30-30. Stepdad used a bold action 30-06. Most of my uncles used 30-30.

On our first elk trip my dad and I thought we saw some way to hell and gone down a canyon. No roads down there, just a creek.

We went down there and looked around and then discovered a dead cow elk, gutted and spread on a log. Dad took one look at that elk, unloaded his 30-06 and we hiked back up to the road. A pretty long stretch. We met the hunter who had shot that elk on his way down. He was riding a horse and leading a pack horse to haul that elk out.

You do not need all kinds of meat processing equipment to deal with an elk. A good knife, sharpening stone, will do it. I have one of those Buck Bowie knives and have dressed out a couple elk and several deer with it.

If you know where the joints are, you can pretty well reduce one to manageable sized portions with those knives. My grand dad did his with a pocket knife.