Elk Hunting Checklist
When you’re hunting the plains, foothills, and mountains of the west for elk, the physical and mental challenges are among the greatest you’ll face as a North American big-game hunter. Hunting elk presents many different, and usually greater risks than a deer hunt does. Perhaps the biggest difference is in the terrain, combined with the isolated geographic areas that elk call home.
You’re going to hike a lot more for elk than you will for deer, pronghorn, or hogs. Footwear, including spare socks, and broken-in boots are a must. A rifle and ammunition are required on any big-game hunt, but with the growing number of grizzly bear encounters during elk season, bear spray and a high-powered handgun should be in easy reach on your hip. For grizzlies, carry at least a .44 Magnum with the most power cartridges it can hold.
Unless you’re blessed and live in a mountain town adjacent to a National Forest you’ll be camping when hunting elk. Your camp is a home base and should be well-stocked to last the duration of your hunt. Most elk areas are isolated and take a long time to travel to, planning ahead will always pay off.
The final major difference is in how you carry out an elk if you’ve harvested one. A deer can be dragged, or quartered and tied to a frame pack. For an elk, a game cart makes things much easier, but you can quarter an elk and make several trips with the quarters lashed to a frame pack. Microbial game bags are a must when transporting skinned quarters over long periods of time.
Carried with You on the Hunt
Hunting elk will require a license, and it’s very possible you’ll be asked for that license while you’re on the hunt. Make sure your license is somewhere you can easily access that will be safe from wear and water. If you don’t have a waterproof pocket available, a plastic bag will keep your license protected, and a photo of your license on your phone gives an extra layer of backup. If you need to record your harvest or any notes about location of your kill, a pen will come in handy.
A good elk hunting rifle has one main purpose: to provide the hunter with the opportunity for a clean, ethical kill. In order to choose the rifle that’s best for you, you’ll need to know your recoil tolerance, intended shooting distance, portability concerns (based on how far you’ll be hiking), and what ballistics you’ll need at your target distance to bring down an elk. Bolt action, semi-automatic, lever-action, and single-shot rifles can all be excellent choices for elk hunting.
With large game like elk, a clean kill isn’t just about kindness to the animal: it’s also about safety. A handgun might be your primary hunting instrument, but it could also help ensure your safety if you have a charging target or even meet a bear. Big bore cartridges will be necessary for this type of protection, so make sure you can manage the recoil and still shoot accurately. Revolvers, pistols, and single-shots can all enhance an elk hunt.
You’ll need strong ammunition to bring down an elk. The ideal bullet should offer enough power for a clean kill at your target distance, while keeping recoil manageable so it doesn’t affect your accuracy. Trajectory is a top concern for long-distance hunters, and affordability and accessibility of your ammunition play a role, too. Many hunters prefer 30 caliber or 7mm for elk hunting.
When you bring down your elk, you’ll need to process in the field before you can haul it back to camp. A hunting knife will make this process possible. Consider what type of blade length, edge type, blade belly, and grip work best for your purposes, and keep in mind that you may need to cut through bone if you’ll be carrying your kill back yourself. A good elk hunting knife will fit your hand well and be large enough for the game.
While your hunting knife will help you work through bone, a skinning knife will enable those fine cuts that preserve the elk’s meat. A good skinning knife will help you cut with control, be easy to maintain and clean, and will hold its sharpness through your process. A fine blade is ideal for a skinning knife for elk rather than a serrated edge.
Microbial game bags help you get your elk from the field to your home safely and cleanly. A lightweight, strong bag should be large enough for your entire elk, provide breathability without the opportunity for insects to access the meat, and have durable stitching that will last the duration of your hike. Game bags may also be able to hang easily, be washable and reusable, or offer storage solutions for accessories and alternate uses when not carrying meat.
Spotting scopes and binoculars will help you make sure you’re actually moving toward elk—and when you’re trekking through the backcountry, that’s a big deal! Your expected scouting distances, hunting terrain, and portability needs will all impact your final choice of optics. Scopes and binoculars come in a range of magnifications, objective lens diameters, and eyepiece shapes that will inform the perfect match for your elk hunt.
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A large backpack with a frame will help distribute the weight of your elk hunting gear—and maybe the elk itself if you’ll be hauling meat. Packs come anywhere from a few liters to 80 liters, and frames can be internal or external. Consider what kind of organizational system works best for your hiking style, and whether you’d like a dedicated strap for your rifle.
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Water is one of the key essentials out in the backcountry, and you can’t always carry all you need with you. This is where water purifying tablets and filter straws come in. These options can turn water from rivers, lakes, and streams into potable drinking water. Water filters take out the protozoan cysts and bacteria from this water, while water purifiers will also remove viruses (mostly important in developing nations). You can choose from pump, gravity, ultraviolet, bottle, squeeze, and straw-style water filters.
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Carried in the Truck
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Elk are heavy creatures, and you need a way to transport them. A game cart will do just that. Make sure to choose a durable model that will stand up to the elements and is large enough to transport a full elk.
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Clothing
The right hunting jacket will keep you warm and concealed on your search for elk. You’ll need to know your expected temperatures, activity level, and the color and texture of your terrain when choosing a hunting jacket. Your jacket should be breathable in case you work up a sweat, durable to stand up against brush, and provide storage of small essentials in a system that works well for you. Hunting jackets can be found with hoods, built-in face masks, and zippered vents.
Lightweight hunting pants that can stand up against brush and brambles are crucial for elk hunting. If you’ll be getting close to your elk, make sure that your pants are quiet so they won’t alert the elk to your presence. Consider your expected temperature and terrain when choosing the right pants for your trip. You can choose from puffy pants, brush pants, insulated bibs, and more.
Waterproof boots allow the elk hunter to navigate mud, streams, and wet conditions without sprouting blisters. Choose waterproof boots that provide what you need in terms of comfort, durability, boot weight, and fit. Your terrain will impact how much traction and technical performance you need from a boot—since many elk hunters are working in the mountains, you may need good traction to get through hilly climbs.
If you’re trekking through the mountains following elk, you’re likely to work up a sweat even in cold conditions. A performance base layer provides a breathable, moisture-wicking fabric underneath your heavier clothes to keep you comfortable during periods of higher activity. You can choose a camouflage base layer if you want the option of using it as an outer layer during the heat of the day.
Moisture-wicking socks prevent blisters during long hikes. Your socks should fit well and go higher up your ankle or calf than your boots do. Water-resistant materials such as wool, polyester, nylon, silk, and spandex are popular options. You can find hiking socks with various levels of cushioning depending on your expected temperatures and comfort preferences.
A hunting cap can help keep you warm, concealed, and out of the sun. You may want a baseball cap for simple sun protection, a wool cap for added warmth especially around the ears, or a brimmed hat to keep you drier through rains. Your expected conditions can help you choose between cotton, nylon, wool, or polyester caps.
Hunting gloves help you keep warm in cold conditions while also adding extra grip to your weapon. Choose a material that will increase your traction while still being breathable and the right temperature for your conditions. Leather or synthetic hunting gloves are popular choices, and you might choose a camouflage pattern to match your terrain.
A balaclava will keep you warm while increasing your concealment from elk. Consider whether you want a model that will hide just your face or include your head and neck in its coverage; what material to purchase based on your expected temperatures; and what camouflage pattern will best match your terrain. Balaclavas, neck gaiters, and mesh masks are all useful options for the elk hunter.
A durable, lightweight belt can help you carry additional gear while keeping your hunting pants in place. You can find belts with add-on pouches for additional gear storage, or opt for a belt that is sturdy enough for clip-on knives or range finders. Materials such as nylon and leather are popular choices for hunting belts.
Gaiters can extend your waterproof protection past your boots and higher up your legs. Abrasion-resistant soft-shell fabric keeps your legs protected from the elements as well. When choosing gaiters, determine how they will come on and off, what height works best for you, and the size you need. Hiking, mountaineering, and trail running gaiters are popular varieties to choose from.
*Please Note: One or more of these should be blaze orange to meet state hunting regulations.
Camping Gear
Campers and RVs can provide quality shelter if you’ll be heading to locations accessible by roads. Make sure your chosen camper is prepared for your anticipated terrain and provides what you need for gear and game transportation.
If you’ll be somewhere more remote and especially if you want to spend nights in the backcountry searching for elk, a tent might be the best option. Backpacking tents should be lightweight, while camping tents can be heavier if you won’t carry them too far from your vehicle. Consider your expected temperatures when choosing a tent, and find a model that has the ventilation, setup, and elements protection that works best for you. Tents come in 2-, 3, and 4-season models sleeping 1-10 people.
A tent rain cover is a fitted tarp that goes over your tent to protect you from rain and storms, or keep heat in during colder camps. The footprint is an added piece of material that goes underneath your tent: this way, your footprint takes the wear and tear from the earth rather than the bottom of your tent. A footprint is much cheaper to replace than your entire tent!
If you’ll be sleeping outdoors, you need a way to keep warm and comfortable. Consider your expected temperatures and compare them against your sleeping bag’s temperature rating, and decide whether compression and packability of the bag are important for you. Sleeping bags come in down and synthetic fill, with 0-40 degree temperature ratings, in shapes including rectangular, semi-rectangular, mummy, and double bag.
Sleeping pads put an extra layer between you and the earth, which is great for comfort as well as insulation from the cold. Your sleeping pad should be the right size for your tent, and meet your portability needs, especially if you’re backpacking. You can choose from self-inflating pads, thick air pads, ultralight air pads, and foam camping mats.
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When you’re out after dark, you need a way to assess your surroundings and take care of your survival needs. For hands-free illumination of whatever’s directly in front of you, a headlamp is a great fit. Flashlights allow for brighter beams with more searching, and lanterns can help illuminate a particular area. Think through how bright you want your lights, your preferred battery system, whether you need waterproof lights, and whether you prefer LED lighting. Headlamps come in rechargeable, battery-powered, strobing, colored, flood, and spotlight varieties. Flashlights can be found in rechargeable, compact, flashlight/lantern combo, mid-size, large, and keychain varieties. You can choose from propane, candle, or hurricane lanterns.
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From backpacking stoves that can fold up inside a pot to double-burner stoves that can cook about anything your home stove can, camp stoves can make a huge difference to your hunting trip. Consider how portable you need your stove to be, what wind protection it offers, how quickly it can boil water, how many burners it has, and the fuel type it requires. Canister stoves, alcohol stoves, liquid-fuel stoves, and multi-burner stoves can all work great on a hunting trip.
For larger parties, a portable grill can provide more cooking options. Consider what size grill you can transport with your other grill, what kind of fuel you want to use, and what accessories you would like. If you want a more portable option and you’re not too worried about temperature control, you can also bring a grill rack to set up over your campfire.
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Emergency Gear
A first aid kit allows you to treat small injuries without much delay, and is a must-have for any remote traveling. Your first aid kit should take into account the number of people in your party and the amount of time you’ll be traveling. You can purchase ready-made first aid kits or make your own, but be sure they cover the basics including wraps, splints, wound care, thermometers, tweezers, and headache and allergy medication. If you know you need particular medications, bring those as well!
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