Help me out first time elk hunting west side

[Ajj828]

Regarding what I consider to be the "Mt Adams" area of 560.....

In a normal November rifle elk season there will likely be snow. This area will ball up quickly down to 3000' elevation and lower. I would highly recommend you camp no higher than that or at least have a solid camp and a well equipped 4x4. Hope like hell you're not planning on going alone. I've done the deep snow and ice thing with an R.V too. That's even harder to get a snow bound camp out of there. Better is a wall tent camp or similar.

Good luck.

Elksnout

I have some friends that might go with me but if they flake out I’ll be doing a solo elk hunt

[elksnout]

Regarding what I consider to be the "Mt Adams" area of 560.....

In a normal November rifle elk season there will likely be snow. This area will ball up quickly down to 3000' elevation and lower. I would highly recommend you camp no higher than that or at least have a solid camp and a well equipped 4x4. Hope like hell you're not planning on going alone. I've done the deep snow and ice thing with an R.V too. That's even harder to get a snow bound camp out of there. Better is a wall tent camp or similar.

Good luck.

Elksnout

I have some friends that might go with me but if they flake out I’ll be doing a solo elk hunt

One more thing to ponder. You say this will be your first elk hunt and perhaps solo. When you get a bull down far from the road and the rain and/or snow is dripping down your butt crack as you break the animal down it can be overwhelming by yourself. Guys do it each year but they usually know their area and it's not their first rodeo.

Elksnout

[Ajj828]

Regarding what I consider to be the "Mt Adams" area of 560.....

In a normal November rifle elk season there will likely be snow. This area will ball up quickly down to 3000' elevation and lower. I would highly recommend you camp no higher than that or at least have a solid camp and a well equipped 4x4. Hope like hell you're not planning on going alone. I've done the deep snow and ice thing with an R.V too. That's even harder to get a snow bound camp out of there. Better is a wall tent camp or similar.

Good luck.

Elksnout

I have some friends that might go with me but if they flake out I’ll be doing a solo elk hunt

One more thing to ponder. You say this will be your first elk hunt and perhaps solo. When you get a bull down far from the road and the rain and/or snow is dripping down your butt crack as you break the animal down it can be overwhelming by yourself. Guys do it each year but they usually know their area and it's not their first rodeo.

Elksnout

Well I go to the gym every day and I’ll be increasing my cardio as the season approaches so I’m not too worried about that. I’ve played soccer my whole life so I’m used to being in very good shape. I just need to load up my pack with sandbags and do some hiking to really get used to the heavy weight. Im planning about 5 scouting trips for one specific area hopefully everything goes well. I know how nasty the weather can get so I really need to prepare myself

[Magnum_Willys]

Use the gutless method with boning and you can get one out in two trips.  Not like the old days with four 80# - 90#packs.   

[Elkcollector82]

Well I go to the gym every day and I’ll be increasing my cardio as the season approaches so I’m not too worried about that. I’ve played soccer my whole life so I’m used to being in very good shape. I just need to load up my pack with sandbags and do some hiking to really get used to the heavy weight. Im planning about 5 scouting trips for one specific area hopefully everything goes well. I know how nasty the weather can get so I really need to prepare myself
[/quote]

When you do your cardio. Put 100lbs in a pack. Find a steep hill and climb. But when you climb. Don’t take the trail. Cross country it. Over logs, uneven ground, loose soil, down steep hills etc etc. But don’t just go 1/2 mile. Cause when you pack an elk out. Your doing trips. So hike 2 in, 2 out. Take a break. Repeat. Do that three times in a day. That will be the closes thing to the real deal packing an elk out. Do that and you will find your limits on the distance you can pack an elk out.

[Magnum_Willys]

Shuttle pack is much easier giving you frequent breaks without stopping.  Go 1/2 mile , drop load and go back for another.  Take that one 1/2 mile past the first, repeat.  Boned out small bull with antlers cut off you can take out in one shot that way. 

[kselkhunter]

Magnum Willys has good ideas for you.

Also, nobody says you HAVE to pack the entire bull out in one day solo in one series of death marches in steep wet/snowy terrain.   Gutless de-bone the animal.  In early November rifle season, temperatures are cool enough that you can just hang the meat game bags with a tarp above it to keep the rain/snow off and take your time with the pack out.   Take as many game bags to your truck per day as you can handle.  Get some sleep, eat some food, then get up and take more.  If it takes a few days, that's fine. 

[paultanninen]

the area is awesome looking and you may even see a deer or two to chase come the season next year or if you're like me and go muzzleloader elk, you can chase that deer come the modern firearm season

[Elkcollector82]

Magnum Willys has good ideas for you.

Also, nobody says you HAVE to pack the entire bull out in one day solo in one series of death marches in steep wet/snowy terrain.   Gutless de-bone the animal.  In early November rifle season, temperatures are cool enough that you can just hang the meat game bags with a tarp above it to keep the rain/snow off and take your time with the pack out.   Take as many game bags to your truck per day as you can handle.  Get some sleep, eat some food, then get up and take more.  If it takes a few days, that's fine.

Never said he HAD to do the “death march”. Just giving him an example of the closest thing he can do. That would resemble a pack out. You train hard before season.  Besides. Most people don’t have DAYS to pack an animal out. You know with work, family etc etc going on. Also I’m an early season hunter. So yea my pack outs are on a timer. Depending on where one falls to me. Also with the weird weather we been having around here lately and last year. It wouldn’t surprise me if it was 78 degrees during late season this year. Heck we had snow in September last year. PLUS snow in June just a few days ago up in that area. 

[paultanninen]

you say around ape caves, you will have to go through me to hunt that, that's my hunting ground. jk, hunt there nice bulls on Cinnamon Peak

[W_Ellison2011]

Magnum Willys has good ideas for you.

Also, nobody says you HAVE to pack the entire bull out in one day solo in one series of death marches in steep wet/snowy terrain.   Gutless de-bone the animal.  In early November rifle season, temperatures are cool enough that you can just hang the meat game bags with a tarp above it to keep the rain/snow off and take your time with the pack out.   Take as many game bags to your truck per day as you can handle.  Get some sleep, eat some food, then get up and take more.  If it takes a few days, that's fine.

Never said he HAD to do the “death march”. Just giving him an example of the closest thing he can do. That would resemble a pack out. You train hard before season.  Besides. Most people don’t have DAYS to pack an animal out. You know with work, family etc etc going on. Also I’m an early season hunter. So yea my pack outs are on a timer. Depending on where one falls to me. Also with the weird weather we been having around here lately and last year. It wouldn’t surprise me if it was 78 degrees during late season this year. Heck we had snow in September last year. PLUS snow in June just a few days ago up in that area. 

100% agree. I have been doing modern the last couple years for elk but would love to get back into archery elk.. but it worries me that in September we have been seeing 75-85 degree weather. That means that unless you have a walk in meat locker you have to cut that sucker up and get it into a freezer or fridge asap or risk ruining the meat! If the OP is hunting modern then I think he should be ok with making next day trips. Training for the death march is good advice though.