The Elk Hunt.....2017!

[WapitiTalk1]

CRIPES! It's almost here folks. After a long year's wait, it's finally upon us again; that most wonderful time of the year! Let's check the path we've traveled to get to this point, dwell a bit on what we remember from our last elk hunt, and what we anticipate most for this year, and get the fever going even a bit more .
Conditioning started pretty early this year and I'm ready NOW to hike, hunt, and pack. The new Darton Maverick II came via the big brown truck early this year and she’s shooting fine and anxious to accompany me into the elk woods. The Black Eagle Rampage arrows tipped with Magnus Stingers are flying straight and true and are also ready to head into the elk woods to do their job. Packing list is in the very final phase of being whittled down. Knives are sharp, EMG pack is loaded... ready to go. In just a handful of more wakeups, many of us will be loaded up and rolling to some access trail or basecamp location in one of the elk states.
Finally leaving home for the hunt, stopping at familiar stops along the way, and ultimately arriving at camp and subsequent set up is always great, but, that very first bull one hears in the chilly early morning darkness on the very first day of the hunt always binds it all together….and we realize that it’s once again upon us! I’m very excited to make some elk camp memories with a few familiar faces and one new addition to the crew this year. Our new invitee is currently sitting in a tree stand somewhere in the Beaver State but will roll in to my camp at some point the beginning of the second week of Elktember (hopefully, with an offering of elk steaks). The scout trip in July went well; access trails were cleared, a good handful of trail cams were emplaced, and even a few tree stand sites were prepared. Over the course of the first few days of the hunt, we’ll exchange the cam cards with fresh ones and review all the pics (particularly making note of the images from the period right before we arrive) and see who is frequenting those spots, and, when they’ve been doing it. Even with being very tired after each days hunt(s), sleep will not come easy in the tent. Sometimes you don’t hear anything from camp but oftentimes, bulls will sing and scream as they travel below our camp to their favorite restaurant for the nighttime meal. They don’t have to holler in the middle of the night but they do, and I believe, it’s a planned event to rob us of our sleep. I’m anxious to hunt all of our familiar spots, sometimes one per day, sometimes two, and see if we coax a bull back to our camp for dinner that evening. The prepared camp meals this year will be excellent as always. Each guy brings a few frozen items that we’ll work as a team to cook (elk chili, spaghetti w/elk meatballs, kielbasas, salmon or steelhead filets, pulled pork wraps, etc.).. On every other night or so, I’ll fry up my world famous home fries (chopped up tatos w/onions) for a side dish. I’ll be setting up the camp shower so as needed, trips will be made to the small stream a mile from camp to get wash water to heat up. Anxious to get the response from any of the guys on the hand held radios
during pre-determined commo checks that “I’ve got a bull down” and gather forces to expedite field dressing and getting that beast up the hill and either to the stream for evening cooling, or, down off the mountain to the processor. Hoping to have to do that several times this year (I have a good feeling about this year). With each of any of the trips off the mountain, I’ll be anxious to hit cell service and check the Wapiti Talk meat pole to see how everybody is doing. As with many previous years, I’m excited to have meaningful conversations with bulls and do my best to try to set up any one of my campmates with a shot opportunity. I think old Swede and Lamrith will spend much of their time perched high in trees but will try to get em on the ground a few times this year for some calling activities. Hell, I may even do a bit of perching up in the forest canopy a few times this year. Yep… it’s almost upon us folks and I am so blessed to be able to do this thing called elk hunting once again this year. Anybody else anxious to get back out there?

[Elkhunttoo]

Amen!!! My brother in law is coming for his first archery elk hunt (has hunted them with a rifle before but it's been a few years) and we have been texting all morning on getting lists put together and finalizing the plan!

[Losefreeze]

Anxious doesn't even describe my feelings. With this being my second year archery hunting, and first year out in the field with actual Elk knowledge (thanks Elknut for the playbook/app and of course WapitiTalk) I feel so prepared to become the forest and truely understand what I am doing. On the other hand, I feel un-prepared for the first weekend packing list and hopefully will quickly understand that I have under estimated the task of packing out one of these beautiful animals solo but again these are always problems and challenges I look forward too. Luckily if I don't get it done opening weekend I live close enough here in CO to go back out again but unfortunately it won't be until the final week but at least that should put me solidly into the rut. Good luck out there and of course I will check back on the forum every hour on the hour until I leave and one of the first stops back when I get into civilization.

[Tigger]

Stop it! I have to get through Youth Day on Sunday before I can melt down into elk mode. But it is coming and I can feel it. Shooting the bow, hiking in the cool (low 50s) mornings....oh man, I can feel it. But I must hold off for another 3 days. Don't ANYBODY post up a picture of golden aspen leaves in the mountains. That will put me over the edge.

[N2mywake]

I am about to die here in KY. I've walked, I've prepped, I've shot, ive serviced the ole truck, I've planned..... I can hardly stand it and 2 weeks and 2 days until we leave for a 10 day hunt. I need to narrow down the rest of my quiver arrow favorites and launder my clothes.

I can hardly wait

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[Roosiebull]

i'm freaking out!!!

been scouting a little, found some elk, shooting my bow.

shot with my pack on today, just in case it needed to be changed. all good though

[Lefty]

I'm ready.
I don't know how many day I'll be out.
My daughter hasn't been shooting much.
I am ready