Self guided elk adventure advice thread

[Beerd]

Fergus County, November 14th to 20th. Those are rough dates. We pull out of Florida on the 10th, figuring 3 1/3 days of driving..each way

I'll keep a lookout for an outfit with Florida plates.
ya never know, ya know?
..

[MyFlatline]

I'll keep a lookout for an outfit with Florida plates.
ya never know, ya know?
..

I got a friend that lives in Billings and has a place up there in Fergus. Mighty nice of him to invite me and a buddy up for a hunt. Keep yer eyes peeled for a white Dodge Ram with a topper....

[runfiverun]

be aware it has been snowing up here already.

I know that word is foreign to most people below the I-70 corridor.
but I have had almost an inch on the ground today down here in the valley, it stuck pretty well up higher and was there still when the sun went down.
I'd guess 3" at 6200 feet and more up higher.

[MyFlatline]

I have joked , you all will have record cold and snowfall this year, a Floridian is headed north to hunt in November

[MT Gianni]

We usually get a mild November in Montana. It rarely gets below -10 the first couple of weeks and often we see temps in the 40's and very occasionally 50's. The closer to Thanksgiving the more that can change. We finally got some moisture on the fires and I expect the snow will stay on top for quite a while from what they are saying. [7000 ft].

[Beagle333]

If you:

1. Are not in top physical condition
2. Are not under 40
3. Don't have horses or a gang to pack in and out
4. Have not stalked big game, knowing all that involves.
5. Don't own all the high country gear you will need.

Do it yourself is very hard, usually unsuccessful and potentially dangerous.

True. This leaves me out. Being 53 and partly crippled, somebody would have to give me a chair in a barn and lead an elk out into a field in front of the barn window and let me shoot it. LOL

[quilbilly]

There are always Roosevelt elk when you can hunt in sideways rain. I have found that the November modern firearm coastal elk season marks the beginning of the monsoon season in the NW. I once followed a herd with several shootable bulls as fast as I could drive down the logging road just to get out of the forest alive due to falling trees in hurricane winds. We all escaped alive - barely

[runfiverun]

I don't know if I could take another record snowfall year.

just be aware of the weather, it's not what your used to and can change pretty quickly.
our night time temps are in the mid 20's right now.
it will probably warm up some in a week or 2, or maybe not [shrug]

tomorrow is check the tire chains, tow chains, and come-along day since our Deer hunt starts in about 3 weeks.

[sixshot]

Lamar, quit trying to scare these guys, the Fish & Game assured the families of the last bunch from Florida that they would be found before Christmas.......of 2019!

Dick

[MyFlatline]

Thanks for the concerns, I knew it was gonna be a bit "nippy".. :biggrin:

Trust me, We are packing for 3 seasons, cold, real cold and damn cold. If it hits bitter cold, I'll stoke the fire ....

[Djones]

I just got back from northern Colorado national forest bow hunt. I was calling for dad, and this guy and his buddy came in behind me.



It was into the low 80s in the afternoon and mid 30s in the morning.

[Eldon]

True. This leaves me out. Being 53 and partly crippled, somebody would have to give me a chair in a barn and lead an elk out into a field in front of the barn window and let me shoot it. LOL

Not true, with a good outfitter. In 14' I could not use my super hard to get upper Green Elk tag. Turned it in for a disabled vet, who got a good outfitter and killed a 6x7 from his track chair. A horny bull is not terribly smart or bullet proof IF you have a good outfitter.

[runfiverun]

I'm not tryin to run him off Dick.
he can park next to the guy's from Oregon and Cal. at the top of Georgetown canyon if he want's to.
the guy's from Oregon just look like child molesters, they are kind of tolerable after you see them 2-3 times.
the one even said Hi to me the next morning after I pulled their truck back on the road.

[Minerat]

I'm 64 and still hunt elk on public land. Helped pack one out last year. One quarter, 3 hr to go 2 miles, (weren't in no rush, camp wasn't going any where). I just take my time. Trust me I'd prefer to kill one next to road or trail so I can get a truck or ATV to it but they are where they are. I have also found out that elk tastes the same whether it is 10 mile back in or 30 seconds from a road. For the low elevations guys, give yourselves a couple of 3 days to get acclimated to the elevations in elk camp before you start strenuous activities. Attitude sickness can really fudge up a good hunt. Check it out. http://www.altitude.org/altitude_sickness.php