Elk trip help needed

gobblesandgrunts

New member
Nov 15, 2020
3
Next October we are going on a rifle elk trip to Wyoming. We are taking horses in the mountains and camping for about 5 days. I live in middle tn and this will be the firat time I hunt elk or anything for that matter. I need help with what clothing, pack, boots, sleeping bag, and any accessories i would need. What scope I would need for my Remington 7mm mag.  If anyone can please help me out I would really appreciate it. I'm about 6ft and 185lbs if that helps. Thanks in advance.

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Welcome to the site gobblesandgrunts! The first thing I'll say is spend some time around here reading. There is a ton of information and I'm sure you can dig up a bunch more opinions on things that way. Try using the search function for certain things as well.


Here is my opinion on a few of your questions:


Clothing: you don't need to have high-end expensive clothing. Stuff you currently use at home can probably work for your hunt. Layering is the best way to go though. Fall in the mountains can bring you 60-70 degree temperatures one minute and next thing you know it's dipping down close to zero and snowing a couple of inches an hour. By layering, you can adjust day by day and even during the day.


Boots: brand and price doesn't necessarily matter here. Get yourself some hiking boots that fit your foot and are comfortable. A $400 pair of boots that doesn't fit your foot isn't worth $5 for an elk hunt. I'd also make sure they are waterproof and I'd recommend spraying them with waterproofing as well before your hunt. Depending on what time of year you plan on hunting and how cold your feet typically get, you might want to consider something with some Thinsulate in it. 400 gr seems to be a decent middle ground between warm and not having the boot weighing a ton.


Sleeping bag: There are a bunch of different brands out there, so do your research on this one. Only thing I'll say is having a no one typically regrets having a sleeping bag that's too warm. The opposite cannot be said.


Scope: any scope will work. What do you have on it now? How far are you hoping to be able to shoot if a shot presents itself?


A few other things I'll throw out there regarding your hunt: you said you are taking horses and plan on taking them "in the mountains and camping for five days." This makes it sound like you are bringing camp back into the mountains and away from a road or trailhead. If this is the case, I would ask if anyone you are going with has experience hunting the area? If not, I would recommend against putting that much stock in one general location. If you are going to spend time packing a camp in, you are much more committed to that spot. And if you haven't been there before, there's a decent chance that the area might not be as good as maps and google earth make it look. What if you get in there and there is no sign and no elk? Now you've probably wasted a full day of your hunt packing camp in and then packing camp out. If it's your first time into the area for all of you, I'd strongly suggest camping off a road and being mobile from there. You can still take your horses into the woods, but if you are camped off of a road, you can switch areas much faster if your first spot isn't what you thought it would be. Also, keep in mind that Wyoming doesn't allow people to hunt in Wilderness areas without a guide or a resident hunting with you. I'm not sure if Wilderness was part of your plan, but if so just keep that in mind.



 
Welcome gobblesandgrunts. 


There's a ton of info out there.  Search this and other forums.  The Elk101 team and Randy Newberg's Youtube videos can provide guidance on alot of your questions.  I'll add my two cents to pile on to cohunter14's post..


Clothing - Layering is the way to go.  This year Wyoming has had had temps from sub zero to 70 since opening day (10/15).  Make sure your outer layer can keep you dry.  Avoid cotton at all costs if you can.  A good base layer that wicks way moisture/sweat can help keep you comfortable when hiking the hills.


Boots - Any brand or price you're comfortable in.  Poor fitting boots and the associated foot problems can ruin a hunt in a hurry.  Broken in and something that will support you up/down/side hill walking with up to an extra 80# on your back.  Kennetrek gaiters are worth every penny to help keep your feet dry in the morning snow/dew.


Scope - Whatever your comfortable shooting.  It's up to you and your comfort zone as to how far you're willing to shoot.  Take into consideration your ammunition.  Don't go light with an elk.  For 7mm Rem Mag, I'd recommend something above 160grn in a quality bullet.  Elk are big, tough animals compared to deer sized game. 


Be prepared to be mobile and have a backup plan to your backup plan and then have a contingency plan for those as well.  Several guys hunting across the west this year were scrambling looking for different hunting areas due wildfires and that can happen every year.
 
We are going with family that live there. Thank you so much for the help! I've been reading how you really need wool and some of that stuff is very expensive, not ruling that out, but better to know my option.

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Sounds like broke in waterproof boots are the main thing here though so ill definitely get to looking into those

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gobblesandgrunts said:
We are going with family that live there. Thank you so much for the help! I've been reading how you really need wool and some of that stuff is very expensive, not ruling that out, but better to know my option.

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Do some reading up on wool vs synthetic. They both have positives and negatives. In short, wool doesn't stink as much but doesn't wick away moisture as well as synthetic. Seems to be more of a personal preference on which route to go.


gobblesandgrunts said:
Sounds like broke in waterproof boots are the main thing here though so ill definitely get to looking into those


Yes, it's very difficult to get around in the mountains if you have boots that are hurting your feet or aren't keeping them dry.
 
You may consider any of the following:

[list type=decimal]
[*]Burris 200116 Eliminator 4-16x50x96 Scope
[*]Nikon ProStaff 4-12 x 40 Black Matte Riflescope
[*]Carl Zeiss Optical Conquest HD5 5-25?50 Rapid-Z
[/list]
 

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