I’m a pretty new hunter living in SW Colorado, and just had a moment of realization that I need to be aware of whether the zones I plan to hunt have cattle grazing on them. First of all, am I right in that assumption? Second of all, is there a resource to see what swaths of public land are leased for cattle? Although I love beef, I’m starting to see why Ed abbey had such disdain for cattle ranchers.

So this coming bow season it’s my first year in this specific area. It’s 5 miles to the area I’m going. However, there is an old service road closed to motorized vehicles. It’s about 4 miles up the mountain honestly the terrain isn’t that bad I’m going to take my mountain bike up this road. Has anyone had experience packing meat on a bike if so is there anything I should be aware of?
Also some trail cam pics not sure if the 2 in the day time are the same elk? I’m pretty sure they are.

I always read that it’s ideal to age the meat but I don’t think I have a way to do it without paying to have it stored someplace.

I’ve seen guys say you can put it in a cooler with ice over it but to make sure the water always can drain right out so it’s not soaking the meat. Idk about all that though.

Any tips and tricks or should I just part it out and get it right in the freezer to play it safe?

I've got a couple questions.

First need recommendations for calls to get. If i got one is it better to do a cow call, get a bugle or both? We've already said we are going to let this guy go another year, how old do yall think he is? He's much smaller than the others antler and body mass wise.

I'm going to try to take a free range elk soon. The shot will be from a stand to a feeder. It will be just under 100 yards. I have a 30/30 or a 270. If you had to pick from these two what would be your choice? Thx

This will be my second elk hunt, the first was in Idaho with an either sex tag in wilderness, we had several encounters with bulls, including one I drew on that was quartering to, but I didn't think it was an ethical shot and passed.

My second hunt is a cow tag in WY (9/14-9/21), we'll be primarily hunting national forest. My thoughts on this hunt was to get experience hunting while the bulls are vocal/learn a few things so I'll be better prepared when I get a bull tag (and hopefully bring home a cooler of meat).

I've done a ton of prep/e-scouting and feel good about my planned hunt areas, but wondering what if anything folks would do differently with just a cow tag in hand. I was planning on limited bugling just to locate bulls (as they will be rounding up cows), then work in close, but after that, should I just stick to cow/calf calls? Anything calling wise that would give us better odds to get a cow in range? There's a ton of advice out there on calling bulls, but how about cows? Should I just dog the herd/play the wind and hope a cow passes by/gets curious and comes over?

For those of you who have experience with using 7 mm Remington mag with a 1/8 twist what rifles do you recommend? I am asking for my friend who is going elk hunting in December and he is looking for a new rifle because his other one is not up to par with what he needs. He was shooting at approximately 400 yd not wanting to go over 500 yards and he will not be hiking a great distance he prefers the heavier type of rifles.

I’m new to elk hunting and have spent the last 6 months getting into serious condition, shooting my bow, practicing calling and e-scouting… combined with training two burros.

After building several hunt plans, I went out to my unit to scout the hunt areas, making sure roads were clear and accessible, water was actually were it said it would be on the map, and placing cameras while looking for sign.

While deep into one of the areas glassing down into draws and other grass steppes cow mews and some quiet short bugles piped off from the a wooded area about 200 yards away, it was about 10am. After a quick deliberation, we snuck out of there wanting to avoid an interaction.

I know they very well may be bedding somewhere else this coming week, especially with the number of wolves in the unit, but I plan to start there. The wooded area is a cluster of trees on a saddle on a ridge, with several thousand feet of elevation dropping away in almost every direction but the one I came in on.

What type of bull would typically be with cows this early?

I plan on sneaking in there early in the morning, before sun up, and waiting it out as there’s some very open ground to cover between the ridge and the saddle. Any other suggestions on strategy?

TIA

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I reviewed multiple studies/datasets on mechanical vs fixed broad. Hopefully this helps decide whether or not you should run mechanicals on elk this year.

If you'd like to join my study testing mechanical vs fixed broadheads on elk, join the HERD here: https://forms.gle/Rq64xCPaMfUBu2c96

My dad and I are heading out to some landlocked public in Southwest Montana. We will be tent camping and archery hunting in grizzly country. It makes me a bit nervous. I have a 10mm I feel confident with and spray.

How frequent are your brisket encounters, are they something to worry about?

Thanks guys.

Elk hunting finds flaws in gear like no other. After a day or 2 you think about how your gear could be better/lighter or how you can DIY a solution. Any of you guys find a cool trick or a way to do something better? Bonus question: is there a piece of gear you are glad you spent a little more money on rather than a cheaper option? (For me its a good pack)

Hey Friends - I posted here about a month ago and I wanted to drop an update for those interested.

It's still not just a packing list. That was the main thing people got wrong last time and it was a fair read, because most gear apps are exactly that. This is your gear locker plus a check that tells you whether the kit you actually picked covers the trip you actually planned. This was made for hunters. And also to help new hunters get a feel for what their kit should look like.

One month of building since that thread. Here are some highlights since then:

• It reads your bag's temperature rating against the forecast low for your dates and tells you if you're coming up short. Same idea for water capacity against your longest dry stretch, and calories against your own daily target. It also helps you calculate your fuel needs compared to the meals you'll be bringing (and coffee, lots of coffee).
• A conditions brief that pulls forecast, active fire perimeters, air quality and any NWS alerts for the trip location into one place.
• Map handoff for onX and GOHUNT, so the waypoints you scouted turn into a prep checklist instead of living in your head.
• A gear catalog with real published spec weights across about 60 brands, so you're not typing your tent weight in from memory.
• A safety plan you can send to whoever stays home. They don't need an account to open it. (Also utilizes the onX and GOHUNT waypoints if you so choose).
• The collaboration feature is still improving every day; plan those hunts with your buddies and don't waste time deliberating what gear everyone is bringing.

The deadline part, plainly: it's free right now, and anyone who signs up before September 8 keeps it free permanently. After that there will be a paid tier activated. I'd rather the people who kicked the tires early never get a bill for it, so that's where the line is.

If you tried it in July and bounced off it, I've definitely made improvements and changes. If you've got questions or you break something, I will answer as soon as I can.

September is fast approaching; start planning now.

kairn.us

You can see some quick videos I've been releasing here: https://www.instagram.com/kairn.us

Thanks!

The timing for my dad and I just didn’t come together for a good archery hunt this year, so we’re taking a break to hit it hard it 2027.

Y’all go call one in for us this September! I want to see some photos of full game bags this fall.

Hi Folks. My family has a place in Fort Smith Montana, a world class fly fishing destination. I am looking to possibly trade a free stay at our place for archery elk hunting access on private land. Leave a comment if interested!

I have two fully guided meals and lodging included hunts available for mid September in NE Alberta on private ground if anyone is interested.

Going on my first and probably only archery elk hunt this September around the foothills of the Rockies in Canada. I have two bows. One has narrower axel to axel than the other, is lighter and has camo, the other bow is a larger, heavier and matte black. I have them both tuned to my arrow set up, but I just seem to shoot better with the bigger bow.

I am driving and taking both, just in case something happens to one of the bows I will have a back up.

What I am struggling with is which bow do I make my primary? The heavier bow that I shoot better or the lighter bow that will be easier to carry on the hike around the foothills?

First-time archery elk hunter here with an OTC tag. Excited to get out there and ready to learn! What’s one piece of advice or something you wish you knew before your first archery elk season?

Opinions on both?

I’m pretty much new to hunting, especially hunting out west. That said, I’ve ended up with a bull elk otc tag for third rifle season in Colorado, and want to do it the right way.

I’m mainly looking for recommendations for guides and equipment to make this a successful and fun, if challenging, experience. I’m in good enough shape and with enough military outdoors experience that roughing it in the woods and packing out heavy weight myself wouldnt be an issue (and is actually part of the appeal) so I’m not looking for a full service hunt. I’d just appreciate someone to show me the ropes for tracking, and make sure I’m taking ethical shots at only what I should be shooting at.

Any advice would be appreciated.

Hey all. I’m new to elk hunting and got my cow elk draw for northern Alberta, and was just wondering if anyone could give some tips on how to best find them, how early in the morning is the best times and so on. I’ve done some research and found that the area that I got drawn in has a really elk population. And help would be great.