# What to take Archery Elk



## wilky (Jun 19, 2011)

Hi
I am prepareing for the Archery Elk hunt and wanting to know what you guys take 
I am planning on Camping the Thursday night (will be heading up after work so may be in my truck) and the Friday night before opening day hopefully will have hiked in a fair way to set up a base camp and have a scout around before the opening day then the Saturday, then posibly a 4 night camp if i have no look the first trip and i will be on foot.
will i need a tent or will a good sleeping bag work good enough ?
I should have my Badlands Sacrifice pack in time to haul my gear in i like it as its larger than the 2800.
I am ordering a jetboil stove for cooking and will take moutain house meals or similar 
i have the basics and working on saving for a good GPS unit
i am trying to prepare early so i wont be panicing close to the hunt and it gives me time to buy everything i need also thinking i may buy a cheap lightweight blind.
Any suggestions or advise you can give would be great.

Many thanks Wilky


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## down2hunt (Apr 20, 2012)

Subscribed. Good luck on your hunt


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## 10yearquest (Oct 15, 2009)

Take a good tent. Nothing like being three miles or more in and getting soaked to the bone in a thunderstorm. They are quite common in the mountains that time of year you know. I wouldn't get one of those little tiny things either cause you may have to spend a whole day in it and that would suck.


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## TEX-O-BOB (Sep 12, 2007)

+1 on getting a tent. A GOOD tent. 

All that other stuff will serve you fine, You'll have a good hunt unless you kill one... How you gonna get an elk off the mountain when you're three miles in? Trust me, you go it alone and you'll have a spoiled elk on your hands. I dont care how tough you think you are. Better have an extraction plan in place before you go. Horse, or a couple friends with packs. Remember, in August and early September you've got to get that meat below 40 degrees FAST. It only takes about 6-8 hours in that kind of heat to spoil meat. Kill one in the morning and you'd better have it in a locker by dinner time or their wont be any dinner for you. Good luck.


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## skeet4l (Sep 11, 2007)

I'd do your scout around a couple weeks in advance if you can. You may push them right out of your area that close to the hunt. Skeet


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## stablebuck (Nov 22, 2007)

I wouldn't worry about a blind...unless you've got a water hole in mind...


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## TEX-O-BOB (Sep 12, 2007)

stablebuck said:


> I wouldn't worry about a blind...unless you've got a water hole in mind...


And if you do, you're better off in a tree... Backpack a small portable stand in a week before the hunt and hide it somewhere. Then when you go back to hunt you just jack it up in the tree and hunt. Easy Squeezey.


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## Markthehunter88 (Nov 5, 2010)

HORSES are the dream! again i say... HORSES are the dream! Killing an elk and having to pack it out suckssss! but it is sure fun chasin them [email protected]#% things!


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## 5wtrod (Sep 25, 2007)

I couldn't agree more on several points made here:
1. A great tent, one big enough for you and all your gear. Last year my buddy and I got caught in a thunder/lightening/hailstorm and having that tent saved our lives, literally. 
2. The Jetboil is awsome!!!
3. The meat issue is so very true. Do not let that meat go bad, kill it, pack it out and get it cold ASAP!!!!
4. The one thing I am not sure if anyone said or not (sorry if someone did already say it) but get a hunting buddy or two. That is very important.
Good luck on your hunt and let us know how it goes!!!


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## wyoming2utah (Sep 12, 2007)

Take your fishing rod....and make sure that you are hiking into an area that offers fishing!


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## Markthehunter88 (Nov 5, 2010)

wyoming2utah said:


> Take your fishing rod....and make sure that you are hiking into an area that offers fishing!


+1! This makes the trip all that better! 8)


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## Elkoholic8 (Jan 15, 2008)

I'll second Tex's statement about making sure you have a very good exit strategy. How far in you can take a camp really maens nothing if you cannot successfully remove your hard earned meat. This is the biggest reason I have not archeyr elk hunted fora few years. It's just too **** hot!! Hunting at 10,000 feet helps, but it does not solve the problem. 

I would make a plan to skin and bone out the meat, hang it in the shade and get off the hill as fast as possible. Even if that means comeing back for your tent and other gear.


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## Mr Muleskinner (Feb 14, 2012)

http://outdoorsdirectory.com/magazine/citric_acid.htm

Here is something else that you may want to consider. More and more hunters are using it during the filed dressing process. We have found that it also helps to dry the meat and form the dry membrane on the skinned meat.


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## wilky (Jun 19, 2011)

Hi thanks guys i am looking for a good tent, I was planning on skinning and boning it out as fast as possible and hanging it up to cool it. I have also consiered possibly taking salt and salting some of the meat (just a idea) i sadly dont have the fortune to own a horse or ATV ( need to buy the wife a car before i can have more toys ) I would get the meat down to my coolers before heading back and packing out my camp


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## Flyfishn247 (Oct 2, 2007)

Lots of beer....wait, you said you were hiking in 3+ miles? Whiskey then, it weighs less.


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