Rookie seeking advice

[dliberty13]

Hello,
I am new to elk hunting and am in need of advice.  I have hunted whitetail in the Hill Country of central Texas since I was a kid so this will be a whole new adventure for me.  I hope to plan my first elk hunt in the next two years.  My questions are:
Where is the best place to start elk hunting on a limited budget?
Should I start entering the draw system now or get my feet wet first?
I am a diehard archery nut, but should I start with a rifle?
What caliber do you suggest?

Any other nuggets of wisdom will be greatly appreciated.  I am brand new to this forum but I will be on it quite a bit trying to learn as much as possible.  Thanks again.

 

[cowboystl1]

welcome glad newbies are always welcome there is a plethora of knowledge on here. a quick over view of your questions is really its up to you decide a how you want to hunt gun or bow both are welcome most of us are bow hunters but some of us use a rifle. anything above a 270 will bring down and elk. there are more opportunities  to hunt with a bow over the counter than with a rifle.


That being said the state you choose is your call do some research and choose you poison lol. i personally want to hunt them all and am accruing points in multiple states and hunting OTC when i dont get drawn.


take your next two years and dedicate your self to some kind of fitness routine elk hunting requires a lot of hiking etc also solid gear great boots great pack etc. you can skimp buy cheaply but once you are in the elk country and bulls are screaming  and your blood is boiling and pumping you will be addicted its worse than crack.


so in all at the very least start with great boots and a great or good pack get them early as possible and break them in the mountains are not the place to do it.


this site gives you access to some great advice and some great hunters i have learned a lot just reading post daily and asking questions. also there are great dvds a superb magazine and a heck of a store to buy from right here! also bns your on a budget like most of us get on Camofire.com great gear low prices


 

 

[montanaelk31]

Welcome.  X2 what cowboy said about boots and pack--very important, I know your on a budget but don't skimp there. 
My advice to you is forget about the rifle.  I've shot elk both ways, and nothing compares to archery hunting during the rut.  Period.  Most people on this site are DIY hunters so we cant speak so much about outfitters, if you want to do a drop camp or something.
States wise, Colorado has the most elk.  Where I live in MT, theres not quite the pressure of other states but not as many elk.  WY the same way. Cant speak for AZ, UT, NM tho.  Pretty tough to draw good tags in those states but I always get points.
2 really important things: 1. Cover ground  2.  Get the Elk Hunting 101 DVD on this site.  You should be good to go after that.  Good luck! 

 

[dliberty13]

Montanaelk,
Are you referring to the "university of elk hunting" video?

 

[cowboystl1]

That is a Big 10-4 the video is truly an asset, Get it! 

i am sure that is what he was talking about the state of Colorado has an elk university as well that has a lot of great info as well

 

[dliberty13]

Thanks for the info.  I will definitely get the video, it looks like it is a great resource for the beginner.  I would much rather go the DIY route and this video as well as website/forum will be my guide.  Any suggestion on what calls work best?  What about any particular units/areas of Colorado to focus on or avoid?  Again thanks for the advice.

 

[cowboystl1]

lol asking aboutcalls are like asking what broad head do you like thats one of those things that people are partial to. i started with trkey calls and now i have the guy that makes my turkey calls just make me some elk diaphragms  but only because i dont care for the doms on regular elk calls also knight and hale, primos, and here at elk 1o1 store will meat most any of your needs on calls

 

[montanaelk31]

Yep the Univ of Elk Hunting.  I've been very successful at archery hunting and I learned a ton from this. Calls and broadheads are IMHO only!
My favorite calls: Open Reed- Matriarch,  Diaphragm: All Star and Mellow Momma, Push button- Wayne Carlton, and Bully bull grunt tube
My favorite broadheads:  Fixed- Montec  Mechanical- Ulmer Edge
Arrow- At least 400gr including broadhead (I shoot 500gr)
One thing I like to add is get a good GPS with maps and know how to use it. Indispensable for the flatlander (I'm originally from IL).  My favorite is actually a cell phone app called GAIA GPS.  $19.99. I sold my garmin when I started using this bad boy.  Yes, it works when you don't have cell phone coverage. You'll be addicted after 1 encounter with a ruttin bull!  Good luck!