Elk must haves.

[Kowsrule30]

A tent, cot, all the cooking supplies and food....  Don't forget anything.... But you will..... Sight your gun in.... Twice....

[DoubleJ]

I also carry one of these.  Not this same model but something similar.  I got mine at a vehicle supply store for $50ish:
 
http://www.lumastrobe.com/RemoteControl/RCLX-36.html
 
It sucks to go back in for the second half of your elk at dusk, following your markers, only to get within a few hundred feet of it and lose where the next marker is.  With this, you tie it to a tree facing the direction you are leaving, and upon your return, when you get close enough, start hitting the button and watch for the light.  If you have handy man skills, you can do this to extend the range of the remote:
 
http://www.6crew.com/forum/showthread.php?6313-DIY-Extend-Stock-Key-Fob-Range

[jechicdr]

Am a pack hunter.  Got the lightweight 2 man tent...used to use a bivy but to get dressed you had to come out of the tent.  Lightweight sleeping bag and self inflating cushion.  Badlands 4500 pack.  Elk silhouette. Calls. Jet Boil and couple of fuel canisters and pot, utensils, and nature seasonings.  Mountain home dehydrated food (granola and cream for breakfast, variety of flavors for supper, snickers-dried berries-sunflower seeds for lunch, pepperoni sticks for extra protein).  Water filter.  Two camelbacks.  Two forms of fire making stuff (lighter, magnesium/flint striker, can also use the jetboil).  Several layers of clothes (I went with scentlok).  Underarmor brief/short-avoids chaffing.  Wide brim hat and face mask hat.  Two pairs of boots (kennetrek and asolo) with Dr. Scholls low friction socks (found these at Fred Meyer and work better than anything I've used to prevent blisters).  Game bags and parachute cord.  Good knife and sharpener, handheld pruning shear (for making shooting lane and cutting away branches and briars over trails.  Marking tape and reflective push pins.  Hygiene items (foot powder, toothbrush, toothpaste, deodorant, and foaming cleaning spray, toilet paper, ibuprofen, scent free wipes).  Face paint.  Headlamp.  Rangefinder, binoculars.  First aid kit.  Cell phone with solar charger.  Spot messenger.  Maps.  GPS.  And lastly, something to shoot elk with.  I think that pretty much covers it.

[pianoman9701]

I also carry one of these.  Not this same model but something similar.  I got mine at a vehicle supply store for $50ish:
 
http://www.lumastrobe.com/RemoteControl/RCLX-36.html
 
It sucks to go back in for the second half of your elk at dusk, following your markers, only to get within a few hundred feet of it and lose where the next marker is.  With this, you tie it to a tree facing the direction you are leaving, and upon your return, when you get close enough, start hitting the button and watch for the light.  If you have handy man skills, you can do this to extend the range of the remote:
 
http://www.6crew.com/forum/showthread.php?6313-DIY-Extend-Stock-Key-Fob-Range

4.3 lbs per each is an awful lot of extra weight to lug around.

[rock]

Thanks everyone!!!

[sebek556]

i use chem lights to light my way to and from my kill, predators are not fans of them , but other hunters can find them and follow it if they are gonna steal your stuff..   you can get them to last 8-12 hours and a pack of them is pretty light to carry

[DoubleJ]

I also carry one of these.  Not this same model but something similar.  I got mine at a vehicle supply store for $50ish:
 
http://www.lumastrobe.com/RemoteControl/RCLX-36.html
 
It sucks to go back in for the second half of your elk at dusk, following your markers, only to get within a few hundred feet of it and lose where the next marker is.  With this, you tie it to a tree facing the direction you are leaving, and upon your return, when you get close enough, start hitting the button and watch for the light.  If you have handy man skills, you can do this to extend the range of the remote:
 
http://www.6crew.com/forum/showthread.php?6313-DIY-Extend-Stock-Key-Fob-Range

4.3 lbs per each is an awful lot of extra weight to lug around.

Mine only weighs about a pound.  Much smaller but still works.  Wish I could remember where it was I got it

[tbuck6568]

Get an inexpensive knife sharpener. I keep one in my kitchen which goes in my pack during hunting season. It's one of those plastic ones with the metal grove you run your knife through. Thing is that they're easy to find at any store and cheap if you lose em. Game bags. Headlamp. THE MOST IMPORTANT THING- Break those boots in. Be sure to hike a lot with them in your pre-season training and then constantly wear them about a month before your season to get your feet used to just having them on.

[Elkrunner]

I also carry one of these.  Not this same model but something similar.  I got mine at a vehicle supply store for $50ish:
 
http://www.lumastrobe.com/RemoteControl/RCLX-36.html
 
It sucks to go back in for the second half of your elk at dusk, following your markers, only to get within a few hundred feet of it and lose where the next marker is.  With this, you tie it to a tree facing the direction you are leaving, and upon your return, when you get close enough, start hitting the button and watch for the light.  If you have handy man skills, you can do this to extend the range of the remote:
 
http://www.6crew.com/forum/showthread.php?6313-DIY-Extend-Stock-Key-Fob-Range

4.3 lbs per each is an awful lot of extra weight to lug around.

Mine only weighs about a pound.  Much smaller but still works.  Wish I could remember where it was I got it

Sooo what you are saying is that yours is much smaller than most of ours?  I am not sure if I would be admitting that...all kidding aside, thanks for the link.  This looks helpful

[DoubleJ]

I also carry one of these.  Not this same model but something similar.  I got mine at a vehicle supply store for $50ish:
 
http://www.lumastrobe.com/RemoteControl/RCLX-36.html
 
It sucks to go back in for the second half of your elk at dusk, following your markers, only to get within a few hundred feet of it and lose where the next marker is.  With this, you tie it to a tree facing the direction you are leaving, and upon your return, when you get close enough, start hitting the button and watch for the light.  If you have handy man skills, you can do this to extend the range of the remote:
 
http://www.6crew.com/forum/showthread.php?6313-DIY-Extend-Stock-Key-Fob-Range

4.3 lbs per each is an awful lot of extra weight to lug around.

Mine only weighs about a pound.  Much smaller but still works.  Wish I could remember where it was I got it

Sooo what you are saying is that yours is much smaller than most of ours?  I am not sure if I would be admitting that...all kidding aside, thanks for the link.  This looks helpful

 

[steeleywhopper]

Might want to get a tube of Desitin for those bad cases of Monkey Butt. I bring it just in case and it never fails, one person in camp will need it before the 12 days are up.

[GoPlayOutside]

Call me crazy...but I always carry a tie-down strap 1" wide (truck tie down...non ratcheting).  The hooks are perfect for strappin a tendon and spreading your animal when field dressing.  I also use it to hoist a quarter or half up into the tree. 
I've always found it a lot easier to use the cinch/clasp/tie down straps, rather than just parachute chord or rope.  Especially since I always find myself alone, without help.  No tying or length issues.

I'm kind of a minimalist since I archery hunt with a fanny pack set-up,  but I always make room for the tie-down.  It saves me tons of time, energy, cussin, etc.....and that's important during the "hard" part of the hunt.

[brew]

don't forget the Crown Royal....got a 5th for x-mas one one year and vowed not to crack it untill i killed my first elk with a bow....carried that mother scooter around for 3 years before I was able to open it.  shot a cow late one evening and went back the next morning and found her.  after packing her out i set up shots for everyone in plastic cups at 8:30 a.m....even though a couple of the boys didn't drink they took a shot anyway cuz it was my first elk with a bow...dam that was a good day

[MIKEXRAY]

Put together a good field dressing kit, plenty of game bags, disposable gloves as long as possible, good knife, sharpener, meat saw, cord to hang the quarters. Once the animal is down is not a good time to start planning on how to break it down and get it out.   Good luck. Mike

[windygorge]

Put together a good field dressing kit, plenty of game bags, disposable gloves as long as possible, good knife, sharpener, meat saw, cord to hang the quarters. Once the animal is down is not a good time to start planning on how to break it down and get it out.   Good luck. Mike

 

alot of guys don't think what to do when they get the animal down.  they focus on everything else.   
polypropylene undergarments, fleece jacket or coat, sweat and water wicking socks(good ski socks), good boots,  good fleece hat, army surplus wool gloves(cheap and warm)