Free: Contests & Raffles.
Go for it. What have you got to lose?
I had a friend who came up to our elk camp once in a while to bs and drink our beer. He didn't hunt. He was liquored up one night and some newbies stopped by looking for tips on where to go the next morning. My friend said heck for $20 I'll take you guys out myself. They jumped at the chance. He drove em out to the first dirt road past camp the next morning went to the end of it, got out for a smoke and a big 5 point bull walked into the clearing in front of them and the newbie dumped it. I think it was the first elk in the wild my friend had ever seen. There ya go!
You aint gonna kill an elk watching Youtube videos of other guys going it!!! I would say you have done your homework and now you need to just get after it. Close to home is always a bonus as you can dedicate more time....in all aspects of the hunt (scouting, hunting, post hunt research, shed hunting). Find another new hunter and learn together. A lot of seasoned vets don't like to share their special spots....thus the last minute cancellations. Let us know how the first year goes!! Enjoy all aspects of the hunt and don't be disappointed if you don't kill something.....that's not what the hunt is about.
I don't hunt the area you mentioned but you should definitely get out there and start hunting! I would recommend studying up on field dressing/processing an animal once it's down. Especially an elk solo. It can be surprising how big they are once you are standing next to them. That being said, I do some of my best hunting and learning when I am out there solo. But it is nice to have help processing and packing out!
Jump in with both feet man. Many folks cuts their teeth with no mentors and figured it out. I'm not a Westside guy so couldn't speak to that area specifically but if you've heard elk there and it's close to home I'd say that's a winning combo. Things to REALLY take seriously are shot placement and logistics of actually getting an elk out before it spoils.Arrows are not bullets. What can look like a broadside shot may actually be quartering too enough to become a one lung hit aka a nightmare. Before touching off your shot glance at the placement of the front legs. Is the near side leg behind the offside leg putting the shoulder blade rearward? Things like that matter. Every year we hear stories of "the perfect hit" that results in a lost animal. Guts out and hide off ASAP hide off and quarters off if going gutless. Remember it's not rocket science. You may not do a pretty job of it your first few times but you just gotta dive in and get the chore done with. Good luck and shoot straight.
Go out there as soon as you can and have a look around. When you find a few spots with old rubs and game trails in an area with feed, water mark them and when September rolls around go hunt them.
