2010 tradgang elk hunt or bust

[Sticks2117]

Hi Name's Brian from Wisconsin I was wondering if I can get in on this hunt?

[champ38]

I would also be interested..I personally dont even know anyone who uses traditional gear.. so would love to meet and hunt with some of you fine folks. Let me know if I can help get anything together.

[John McCreary]

Elk are almost as big as Illinois whitetails so I just have the "Little Woman" throw them over her shoulder and carry 'em out   . For sheer numbers Co has the biggest elk population in the west with lots of public ground. That said Idaho has my interest peaked...

John

[2ndxarnd]

All right guys, thanks for making it more difficult to not think about. I'm here in Baltimore MD and could jump on as you go by. It would be great, Elk are those "BIG" deers right? 2010 is my year to go on a big hunt, Elk vs Caribou. HMMMM   :confused:

[maddawgd]

Have wished about it,Time frame bout right for the dollars. Could be cool. D.

[Killdeer]

Looks like another Laurel and Hardy movie in the works...
Reading Shaun's thread has me dreaming, though. I'm not in, mind you, just looking, lurking, and giggling here and there.  :D  

So, Blingclutter, you are training for upper altitudes?    
Killdeer

[amar911]

I am game to go elk hunting up in Idaho. Some of my best friends live in Eagle (just outside Boise), so I would love to see them and do some hunting too with some of the TradGang members.

Allan

[sagebrush]

When boning out an elk I like to separate the muscles so that I take out a muscle at a time. Then when I go to cut it up part of the work is done.I had one die in the middle of a beaver pond and I had to push it back to shore. Then I had to take care of it in the mud on the bank. I do the gutless method but you will have to go into the guts for the fillet mignon. Also the hide weighs about 50-70 pounds so consider whether to save that. It makes very heavy leather(it's like double thick buckskin).  Gary

[Brett]

A buddy and me have been to wyoming the last 3 years (this will be the 4th) last two after elk. all DIY and on public ground.....haven't killed an elk yet but have had a whale of a time.  have killed some antelope though.

I would like to go with some tradgangers if you wouldn't care for another person going.

[JDice]

I am interested as well.

With that said, I want to repeat something Migra Bill said earlier in this thread - "Logistics will be tough". I suggest that is a huge understatement. Along those lines - a couple of thoughts:

1) Someone needs to take responsibility for "herding the cats". Yes, I am suggesting that traditional hunters are just as independant as cats.
2) Does it make sense to pick the state and general hunting area before getting into much more detail?
3) Is there a limit on how many people will be involved?
4) How about the type of hunt? Base camp with outlying spike camps? Horse packing? Base camp/day hunts? All of the above?

Obviously, there are about 100 more logisitical issues to be identified and resolved and those issues get bigger as more people get involved. For now, I want to say - I AM GOING ON A TRADITIONAL ELK HUNT IN 2010 - after much discussion on previous threads I would like a backcountry DIY hunt with like minded Traditional hunters - but - push come to shove - I will pay for a guided hunt.

[sabas silva]

I was fortunate enough to be invited on a hunt that took place on public land near Steam boat Springs Colorado and although I did not harvest an animal it was a blast my partners were compound shooters but i actually blew 2 shots on cows, in fact I was telling my wife that if I don't find someone to go with I am goiing at it alone. I am hooked on longbow or recurve in the wilderness it is hard to beat, oh I even caught some large German brown trout.

[JDice]

I have been thinking about the timeline for an Elk hunt for quite some time. I was thinking Colorado and 21 days. This is what I came up with:

2-3 days - drive (GA to CO).
1 day - buy perishables, etc & get to trailhead.
4 days - acclimate, scout, and setup camp (maybe more than once - depending on scouting)
7 days - hunt & process elk
1 day - buy large coolers, ice elk, & sleep
2-3 days - drive (CO to GA)
2 - home fires & get pysched to go back to work

[String Cutter]

Fellas after  thinking about it??? I think our best bet would be CO..... From Richmond Va. to ID. is a 36 hour drive... From Richmond to CO is only 16 hours..( Gas!!!Gas!!! Gas!!!). I think CO would also be more centeral to where most of us live... I can make the drive in one day if I have to???? And It has one of the largest elk herds in the U.S.A.
 
O.K...??? So, I guess first off we need to find out who is going???  Where in CO we are going ? What we need to bring? Dates??
I'm going to take off  about Aug. 28- Sept. 28    . My Birthday is on Sept. 4th and I want to spend it on top of a mountain looking for elk.
So, If'n you're going please sound off on here. And we'll gett the ball arollin.

[waknstak IL]

String Cutter are you sure about the driving distance? I'm 20 miles east of St. Louis and its 13 hours from here to Denver. I might be interested as well I've always wanted to hunt elk.

[Brett]

I live in west tn and it takes us 18 hours to get to denver.  i am wanting to go also, i will help you celebrate your birthday on top of the mountain  

[JDice]

It looks like there is some potential for car pooling on the drive out/back.

[Jimikinz]

Count me in.....The timing is perfect.  I'll keep track of this thread.

[String Cutter]

i BELIEVE THOSE WERE THE NUMBERS THAT i SAW THE OTHER DAY ON MAPQUEST??? But I have been wrong before? I'll recheck at home...??
I have enough camping stuff to put about 2-3 of us up for base camp.... So if'n acouple of you guy want to think of alternate transport such as me picking you up at a train station in Denver or some place close to where we're hunting/// That might cut your costs . But the problem then becomes WHAT IF you luck out and get one???
Well I like elk meat and would be more then willing take it off your hands after it's placed neatly in the back of my truck..    That"s just the kinda hunting buddy I am... Willin to go that extra mile.
But , We still need to find a place ??? Anyone ever hunted CO before??? Give us kind of a starting point???

[JDice]

I agree that dealing with a downed elk is a great problem for which we need a solution before getting to CO. For planning purposes, I am thinking that each kill means having to get 3-4 75+ pack loads (meat and maybe hide/head/rack) off the mountain and processed - the same day the elk is taken. As I mentioned in my PM - it appears that it is very hard for a DIY group to hire a good packer during the season - given that is true - it looks to me that every elk taken means at least 2 people spend a day getting the elk off the mountain and to a processor (lined up prior to a kill) for final butchering/freezing for transport home. The problem gets even more interesting if more than one person scores - especially if the kills happen at (roughly) the same time. As an FYI, I am planning on staying the entire trip - even if I score an elk on day 1. If that happens, it is my intent to hunt with a camera the rest of the trip - either by myself or helping someone else get an elk.

Another problem area is food. Figuring 4 people (working hard) in the hunting party - for every 7 days in the field - we will need 84 filling meals (plus snacks?) that have to be acquired, humped into camp, stored (in bear country?), cooled (for perishables), prepared,and cleaned up. Without getting overly specific - are we talking about eggs or pancakes, meat and coffee for breakfast, sandwiches/snacks from day packs for lunch, and meat/potatoes/etc for dinner?

Obviously, everything that goes in, comes out - 4 people over 7+ days makes a proper field latrine an issue as well.

As thirst at altitude (while working hard) is a serious issue - we will also need potable water for the 7 days - for drinking, cooking, and cleaning up.

A closing thought - my experience (deer on the East coast) says that detailed planning before the hunt means a much greater probability of a good hunt. Put another way, I want to sweat the details now - so I can be free to live the hunt in CO 2010.

[JDice]

On where to hunt - is everyone thinking OTC tags?