Recently, there have been some threads on Elk hunts with the stickbow..

I have successfully hunted and arrow killed elk ( RM & Roosevelt) in three states over 40 years now..

Depending on where one hunts elk..he could be close to urban areas and golf courses,( Oregon Coast near Lincoln City or Seaside for ex).. in high desert..( NM or Eastern-central Oregon) , high elevations close to timberline,( White Mtns of Arizona) thick coastal mountain ranges..( Oregon Cascades or Pacific Coastal range..) or farmland-fringed with hills and timber..( Nestucca River valley western Oregon etc)

For the DIY archery elk hunter..one of the important things they should know and PLAN for is HOW they will get 200-350#s of elk out of the 'elk down' area to a place where they can finish processing the meat properly for good edible elk..

Often, there are no road accesses..Often any motorized vehicles are prohibited.. Some areas, ya can't even get a well trained saddle mule into and out of..

So the question is this: Unless one hires a 'go along outfitter' with pack animals.. who is experienced..

How does the elk hunter in archery season (where the temps can get to 75F during the day) PLAN so he takes quality shots and believes he can track recover and get his elk out in proper and timely fashion?..

I have a good amount of experience as a DIY elk hunter in rough country..But I'd like to hear from others..Jim

I have to agree with you Jim. That is excellent "food for thought". That is why I stick with an outfitter. Jim :)

Glenn St.Charles talked about it quite a bit in Bows on the Little Delta. No guide for me, but I would expect to take a couple strong, younger folk with me. 8^).

Jim, For folks who don't live in or close to Elk country..

A good outfitter is the best way to go for sure..tho expensive for many..

No matter how well one from out of state 'studies the area via Google and topo maps'..no substitute for getting in and scouting the area..

Also..depending on the altitude ..flatlanders needs to take that into consideration..no matter how great physical shape he's in..

Hunting elk is hard work..worth the effort..BUT the getting the elk out is much harder..:)..Jim

Excellent food for thought!

I've been part and party to getting many a deer and elk out of various far-flung and inconvenient places over the years. I'm not an outfitter and nor have I used one. And I've seen good and bad in many a situation, but here is how I've approached this conundrum successfully over the years:

First, have the necessary tools with you whenever hunting:

1. Knife & Sharpener 2. Game Bags (sturdy)& Trash Bags (for protecting your backpack + other uses) 3. Folding Saw 4. Cordage (~25' paracord is plenty) 5. Space blanket or two 6. Headlamp incase you gotta break one down in the dark. 7. Smaller backpack capable of carrying ~75lbs reasonably 8. A pick-me-up snack to keep you energy and spirits up.

Second, have a plan. Write it down if you have to:

**On desert hunts/hot hunts, I will have coolers back at the truck with ice and dry-ice waiting. **Be aware of and utilize shade, snow patches, water, and rocks (sources of coolness to help preserve meat) **Have a buddy or two on stand-by. Even when hunting far from home, I've found other hunters & local friends-of-friends willing help readily. **Have a good packframe along. I usually keep an extra at the truck too!

A. Immediately break animal down & get meat cool! * I greatly prefer the "gutless" method to get meat off fast. B. De-Bone all meet and place in game bags @ no more than 50-75lbs/bag C. Hang/place bags in Shade, make your own shade if you have to and be sure there is good ventilation (remember space blankets and cordage!) D. Consider splashing the bags with water if hot/dry and some evaporative cooling will help. E. Phone a friend/contact and get some help! F. Begin packing meat back to truck * Bring ice back with you on return trips from the truck, if appropriate. * Sometimes shuttling meat to a better location a ways off is prudent as well. That is to say leaving the bags "where the animal fell" is not always prudent.

Elk being the sizeable critters they are, their bodies have a considerable amount of heat in them... and the hide helps keep it there! Gutting them and leaving them for several hours to over night, is generally the wrong thing to do and where I've seen much meat lost. Working well into the night (slowly of course) is always worth the extra effort.

Once deboned, in game bags, and kept even sorta cool with good ventilation, I've had meet keep fine many days in temperatures where I was sure we'd lose it all. To summarize, cool as much meat as you can as fast as you can. Plan ahead. Be mindful of efficiency and economy of your actions versus wasting time/effort on tasks contrary to that effort and I think you'll do well.

So there you have it IMHO... Good luck!

Have a standing agreement with outfitter to pack out meat on your DIY hunt or be very aware that if you can't safely pack it out on your back then do not enter the area.

I did it all myself last year. Shot bull at 8:30 am Sept 9. went back to camp to leave a note for partners with gps coordinates. Went back and found bull 70 yrds from shot at about 10 am. Took about 2 hours to quarter out and bag. Kept wondering where Dave was. I did three trips that day to camp. Found out the other guy in camp killed on the same time I did a mile the other way and higher elevation so Dave was helping him. I did 3 trips that day and left one quarter on a tree for the next day.

Got dry ice from town and packaged half the meat a day later. Dave took half to a local butcher. Bought more dry ice a few days later as Dave was still trying to fill his cow tag. Meat kept good for another 5 days and bought some more dry ice for the trip home.

coming back for my third trip.

I left the last quarter on the tree for the night and was happy non of the many black bears got at it that night.

Tomarctus.. Well done response..Thank the rest for their replies also.. I've used the gutless skin-butchering-boning-packing out for over 35 years.. I like to tan the hides and save the antlers..and that adds work and time and another trip back in ..But the meat is first..

I do save the liver and heart on elk....:) Small incision into body cavity after getting the meat in game bags so it'll cool..

I have the tools for the butchering-skinning and boning with me when I hunt.. I DON'T have a five mile rough country walk back to camp..so I plan where I'm gonna hunt..and it's all rought..uphill downhill.. Unless one has a SAT phone..aside from a note in camp..no way to talk to your other hunting party to let them know you have a bull elk down and could use some help..

I don't have a SAT phone nor GPS..I do have a cell phone..but it'ds worthless where I go so it stays home..or in the glove box.. I'm an older fellow and do have a compass..and maps..and I don't hunt country I don't know and have walked a bit prior to the season.. For the DIY elk hunter..it's good IF you know the terrain..and of course how the elk travel and move and feed and bed..and you also must know your own limitations concerning the hunt..the recovery..and the packing the elk out...

I have passed on many a fine and perfect arrow shot on bull elk over the years.. I knew the country..and where that bull would go after being hit.. Deep, steep, dark tangled down-tree ravines..

And I also looked at the time..and the weather impending.. Makin intelligent shot choices with the bow is a important part of successful archery hunting..Jim

I am blessed to live within 30 miles or less of most of my elk hunting spots.

I have packed many elk out over the years. One by myself and the rest with another helper and have never lost a single pound of meat.

I follow a few rules: I always carry a backpack will all necessary items to care for the meat. I usually do not hunt in the evening because it does not allow enough time to track, butcher, and get out before dark and since I am usually alone, 67 years old, I don't relish being miles from camp in rough country, full of drop-offs and down timber, after dark. I do carry the necessary items if it happens. I don't like to carry the weight I do but I feel it necessary.

I always hunt up so I will be packing down, period. I know of holes I could drop off in that I am sure the hunting would be better, but to pack out a large elk up hill, without horses, is just plain dumb, and at my age, not possible in the time allowed.

When I was younger, and or hunted with a larger group, i.e., 4 hunters, it wasn't much of a problem, though we still limited ourself to hunting within about three miles max from camp. With four guys, that's four trips with maybe a cleanup trip for the shooter for the antlers and any extra meat. Two guys, it's at least two trips a day. Luckily, two of us have never had to pack an elk three miles.

I'm pushing 70, and the backpack is feeling heavier all the time. Now, I either arrange in advance to be able to call someone to come in with horses or mules to pack out an animal if we get one. This year, my hunting partner and I hired an outfitter to pack our gear in and out. He also packed out the elk I killed. Will probably be doing that more in the future.

If the weather is right, i.e., cold, taking two or three days to get a critter out isn't a problem. However, if it's hot, you need to get it out in a day IMO. That's very tough to do for an individual, even two hunters, if you're packed in a couple of miles. A lot of folks who haven't packed out an elk overestimate their ability to do so.

Gaur, The country and distance one has to travel from the recovery site to where he's camped is a big part of the equation for elk.. Elk are not rabbits..or even 200# monster whitetail deer 200 yards from the road and the hunter's truck...

They are big critters..and so planning for the 'what if' one arrows and then recovers an elk should be essential.. I mean REALLY ESSENTIAL..

Sometimes 3 trips back and forth are not enough..

That's one reason that for the last 25 years or so..I DON'T arrow elk in the afternoon-evening..

Traversing rough country after dark, working on hand and knee to reduce the 350-600# animal to meat and packable portions is better done with daylight.. AND I DON'T CARE WHAT SORT OF LIGHT YA HAVE..

But I'm not as tough as I once was..and have learned a few things..the tried and true hard way..:) Jim

Sailor..Very well put..:)

I'm 66 and I can do about anything I need to do..but with age..I do those things with a bit more contemplation..:) I also have some wisdom to know that there are some things I once did..that I don't wish to attempt to do again..:)

Elk hunting is a challegeing venture..ESP for the DIY archery hunter,...Jim

What we do, We know the areas and do pack in with horse and mule and always hunt high so cool nights. If we down a elk we imidatly bone out all the elk and let cool over night unless we shot the elk in the early morning. If so we pack out all the meat via mule to the trail head where the thruck and horse trailer is parked. NOW we turn on our generator powered cooler and load all the meat with some dry ice for good measure. Then we beat feet to the meat processor. Always worked for us. We had our mistakes in the past which ruined our hunts. Oh its yeah we got an elk then it oh yuck we got a elk.

All of my Elk-chasing has been done in the same few drainages on a very long ridge; from the ridgeline to the nearest road is about 3 miles as the crow flies, and somewhere around 3600 feet of vertical, topping out at about 12,200. Designated Wilderness Area, so not even a game cart would be legal past the first mile. I’ve downed one Elk up there, and that was at a comparatively wimpy 11,000’. Call it 2,400 feet of climbing and maybe 2.5 miles in. As the crow flies.

Takes about 7-8 hours to get up there if you’re hunting your way along part of the time, and about half that if you’re strictly on a recovery mission. Coming off that hill under load, it’s at least six… in the daylight.

So we figure it’s one half of a very long day to day to recover the animal, secure the carcass and pack off the first load, and another full day to bring down the rest. If you have good help. Two days and maybe three if you’re crazy enough to do it solo.

That means if I want to hunt with at least one partner ‘til noon or so on Sunday, I book my return flight for Tuesday, mid-afternoon.

"A lot of folks who haven't packed out an elk overestimate their ability to do so. "

Amen, brother! For anyone who’s never done it… I explain it to non-hunters this way: When you’re standing there, a solid half a day from the nearest road, and you’re lookin’ down at 500 or 600 pounds of Dead… And it’s all YOUR problem….That’s one hell of a trip down the hill… More like 4... If you’ve got a good partner.

But we’re lucky in that respect… We’re not a half-a-day from a remote base camp; once we hit the trailhead we can load up the Sub and make a run straight to a butcher if needs be….

jim,

my original plan to was to go in 5 miles on my own for 10 days. This hunt came together with the help of Scotman here on the LW and it was much more doable to understand what is involved. Might still try a deeper in trip but a guy needs to really think about when to shoot an elk and how much time it might take to recover if things don't go textbook.

I felt real blessed to get one on my second morning of my first hunt so close to camp.

Some good information from those who have actually downed elk..and had the 'fun' of dealing with a larger critter to get the meat out properly..and palatable..

The hunting can be tough work..and requires planning and prep.. When ya getan elk down..THAT'S when the real challenges start..:) Jim

This is a great thread! Very useful info guys - thank you.

One of the challenges of having an elk down is weather and temperature that usually accompanies the earlier archery season..

Can't liesurely work on getting your elk out over two days..and expecting that daytime temps will help it cool down..ESP if just recovered and gutted,, I don't gut my elk..bcause in some areas..the yellow jackets and hornets will literally drive you off the work..

Even boned and hung in game bags in the shade..in many climates, it doesn't even get to 50F at night..and then there are the predators..Bears, lions, coyotes..or even wolves..

IF one gets an elk down, it can sometimes be good IF he is prepared to bivvy camp there and work the carcase..and then next light, do the work to get it down to base camp..and then back up for the rest..

Unless you have a hunting partner or three..and YOU can communicate with them..unless they are hunting with you..you'll be on your own mostly if you are a DIY elk hunter..Jim

As a note, one poster on another thread spoke about a arrow hit bull traveling 250 yards..with a change in elevation of 2000'..

If accurate, that was a steep slope..even for Colorado..

Study your topo maps..Look at the aerial view of the area and note how old the pics are..

Generally the contour lines are at 20' intervals..and there's a scale to show how fast the surface gets steep or not..

When the contour lines are near touching..pick a different way to access up or down.. Believe me..with rare exceptions in a bil-out panic mode....elk will do that also..and they live there..:0Jim

Must not be too many hard core DIY ARCHERY elk hunters on here today.. Oh well..Gonna make some corn on the cob and BBQ for dinner..Y'all who do or are contemplating archery elk hunting... Think, plan and act accordingly..:)Jim

Not much I can add that hasn't already been mentioned and besides that you sound like you got it all figured out, so enjoy your dinner...sure sounds good!

Jim, this has been one of the most informative threads to date on this subject. It really makes you think about it more. Jim :)

I don't post often, but will write a little. I am from Louisiana, land below flat . . . I made my first elk hunt in '97 with some friends (been on 13 to date). I had 11 months to prepare. I new the area via topos and aerial photos (before Google maps) better than the friends by the time we left and they had been hunting the area for several years. Research and plan, plan, plan.

I had elk within three yards of me on my third day in the mountains. Called in my first bull the next day to 10 yards, but no shot.

I finally killed in 2001 - my first hunt by myself. I first worked the bull at 0755 and killed at 0830. Was going to wait an hour after the shot, but curiosity about killed me so I started tracking after 45 minuts. He was only 53 yards from me.

The work began. I did the gutless method (which I had never heard of, but new I didn't want to waste time gutting it), used a small drop cloth next to the bull to put meat on to keep it clean. Bagged, peppered and put in cool shade. Day temps were about 70 and nights about 40-45. I was ready with my first load by noon. 2.8 mile to go according to the GPS. At the time I thought it was the hardest thing I had every done . . . down hill isn't any more fun than up hill. With the first load out some guys showed up where I was camped and helped with the rest . . . I figured four more trips, two hours in and two hours out.

I learned a bunch from my initial research, then from first trips and it paid off. I hunt with a pack and frame on, don't want to have to go all the way back to camp just to get a pack frame to start hauling. Game bags in the pack. The .99 drop cloth works for a lot of things but is great to put at the back of the elk to put the meat to as you take it off. I had four knives with me and it wasn't enough. I now pack a utility knife that can switch blades and pack lots of blades (haven't used it on an elk, but on plenty of deer). If a blade gets dull, switch to the other end or switch to a new blade. Lot's easier than multible knives or carrying a sharpener.

I do keep an outfitters phone number in case I get one deep and hard . . .

Great thread, Michael

Jim (Dire) -

Just to clarify a bit... I think the guy who left the bull to rot for a week was saying that his climb in and out of that area was 9 hours round trip and that he gained 2000' on the way up.. which you "get back" on the way down, of course, but as Stringmaker said, down-hill with a heavy pack on isn't any more fun than up...

But two hours each way sure beats 4 or 6....

When my brother and I brought down my big cow, we came off the hill that first night each of us with a hindquarter over our shoulder. Lower portion of the leg makes a convenient handle, but that's a lot of bone. At least the quarters were tall enough that I could set it down on its hoof when I needed a rest, and I could rest my chin on it without stooping. #65 each, according to our scale...

Better way to go about it for my brother has been to hang all of the meat for the night and round up some help. Once the meat has cooled, they just bone it out to save weight, and - while it bugs me just on principle to let it go - it's handy that when you shoot a cow you don't HAVE TO pack off the hide. Shoot a bull of any size whatsoever, and you're obligated to bring down the rack as proof that your bull net the APR minimum...

Jim...You'd be amazed at the number of people that go elk hunting and don't even own a pack frame or carry game bags while they hunt.

Both bulls we killed last month were shot in the evening, so we butchered and packed the meat out after dark(on my elk)...which was nice. The bull my buddy killed we laid the quarters on a downed log with dead limbs that kept the meat in the air. It was 30* by the time we finished up and headed for the barn.

I carry several little emergency space blankets that make great layers to place meat/quarters when butchering to keep the meat clean.

Heading out the door, but will add some more dialogue tonight.

Ron, Yeah..I wonder sometimes IF they really want to kill an elk..They are pretty unprepared in so many ways..

Imagine killing a 400# white faced hereford bull on the back 40 of a large farm..and then having to butcher & pack it back to the barn over hill and dale for 2miles...all by hand and afoot..

Then multiply those challenges by 10 fold for elk in rough country..:)

My Grandpa used to say to us boys: 'IF you fail to plan..you can plan on failing..'...Jim

As a small note on elk hunting.. Last year I went out for the archery elk season over in western Oregon above the Nestucca River..where I've hunted and arrow killed 8 nice Roosevelt elk over the past 15 years...

It's all walk in and out..

I have always traveled UP before first light( only 1800' elevation from Bear or Elk creek to the ridgetops)...

And then hunted down.. The way that area is, once the sun warms the hillside mountains..the air moved upward..

Before season..I take a pair of pruning shears and cut a few sneak paths thru the thicker stuff..

That year..I hunted one day..about 7 miles round trip up and back down..9 hours total.. Heard and saw some fine Roosevelt elk..and had several shots..which I passed on..

It was about all I could do to get myself back down to camp that afternoon..and so I realized that I did NOT want to arrow-kill-track-butcher and pack out an elk..

I have fine respiratory and heart function..but I have some severe spinal stenosis..which for me isn't correctable with surgery....

I just realized that killing an elk wasn't what I should do that day....So I packed it up..and headed home..

Felt bad about it all...getting old is not for sissies..but I think I made a good decision that day..Jim

Jim, sorry to hear about your physical issue. At 67 I am blessed with good health in my heart and respiratory also and can climb those hills and spend a full day afield. I do have arthritis in both of my big toe joints and by the end of the day I am usually hobbling along painfully.

Hope you are able to get out and hunt this year.

Sailor..The elk-deer season for archery is done here..unless maybe one can do the late hunt..

I still enjoy watching elk..the sights, smells and sounds..and the country..Just don't feel confident I can get a downed bull out these days..

There are many younger archery elk hunters who DO need to do their homework and prepare...

IF they want to be successful..from the hunting to the table..:) That was what I was hoping to encourage on this thread..Jim

The only thing I can add to all this good information is that I also carry enough rope or heavy-enough twine (along with bags) to lift the meat high in a tree to avoid losing some to predators. In the places I hunt there's always a tree somewhere and it usually gets cool enough at night. I'm also not as young anymore (61) and personally feel that keeping the loads to a reasonable weight and not overloading myself will allow me to stay at it all day I also agree that late evening kills can sometimes lead to spoiled meat, so I'm pretty much a morning guy.

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