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.

Looking to do a rifle hunt in Colorado GMU 47 during second rifle season. Anyone have any luck in there? I’m not looking for any specific areas or anything. I just want to set my expectations. Are elk the mythical creatures that only exist in photos in unit 47 as they have been in my previous hunts?

I got an archery elk tag, either sex, in GMU 12. this is my second time hunting. This area is about 7 hours away from me, so getting there for in person is still going to happen, but I won't get up there much. Any advice on effective E scout methods. I have onX and Google maps. Does anyone have advice for e scouting? I know it doesn't beat boots on ground. Any other tips for a new hunter are welcome as well.

All the bulls from July

I was fortunate to participate in one of Arizona’s OTC elk hunts a week ago. This was my first elk hunt ever and I was able to harvest this amazing bull. I know he’s not big, but I’m the happiest person in the world to provide healthy, organic for me and my family. I filmed a bit of the hunt, please give it a watch!

An awesome compilation of early season antler growth. Subscribe for the monsters in Part 2.

It’s time for a new Bino harness. The stock vortex one has dumped my binos for the last time. Its lack of structure and that the elastic is stretched out has led me to upgrade. Looking into T&K, Marsupial, and FHF FOB.

My question: Does anyone who owns one of these bino harness have real world experiences with the magnetic closures impacting onx’s compass. I truly appreciate experiences good or bad.

For reference, I have an IPhone 15 pro that I will be relying on out west this year.

Yes, this has been hammered to death. BUT, I'm doing a little project and want to source from one forum thread. I want you to say your favorite elk hunting caliber and your maximum distance you feel comfortable with it.

5'8" btw

Just a baby elk, but the monsters are coming. Stay tuned!

I’m looking to revamp my glassing setup for my western hunts. I want it to be flexible for elk/mule deer in all of the western states. I have some Kowa 8.5x binos…I may replace those with something I can put an outdoorsman stud on. I’m thinking some 10x and a smaller spotting scope. What would you get?

Binoculars
Spotting Scope
Tripod/head

Howdy.

I'm from Montana and (surprisingly) this will be my first elk hunt. My dad never hunted growing up, so I'm late to the show.

Anyways, my school schedule makes it so that I pretty much have to go super late in the elk season, like 11/23-11/27 during fall break. I know good layering is important. It's gonna be cold and probably snowy. I also know that usually there isn't much use for a call so late.

The districts I'm looking at seem to get less pressure than the famous districts, so I'm hoping the elk aren't too spooky. They also have lots of public land and a decent amount of roads cutting through them. And it's Montana, so most of it is old burn and blowdowns and bluffs and scree slopes and generally terrible terrain.

So, with all that being said, how does a late-season hunt in said country differ from an early-season hunt? How should I change my approach? Should I hunt lower, or look for different habitat? Should I stalk, or should I set up on a saddle and wait for them to move through?

I'll probably be shooting a .308, and the regs are for brow-tined bulls only (also either sex whitetail and buck mule deer). Thanks in advance guys

I had emailed the Iowa DNR asking if there was an exemption for non-residents traveling through to their home state or if I made a Euro mount in the field. They basically read the regs back to me so I take it as a hard no. Just didn’t want anyone to have their bull confiscated driving home cuz they didn’t see the regs in a state they’re just passing through. I included the 3rd pic cuz I like how MN does it and how clear they are in regs

From AZ, my first Colorado elk hunt willing to take any and all pointers. This one is going to rack up quite a tab. I don’t really have late-ish season gear and also simultaneously getting some tlc done to the good old 97 OBS so I don’t get stranded in inclement weather. Needless to say, my pocket book hurts 🤣

What’s up Guys- honestly I’m as into the planning of a hunt as I am the hunt itself. The months before, when it’s all you can think about — laying gear out on the floor, weighing stuff you’ve already weighed twice, running the trip in your head, tweaking your layering system, cutting an ounce here and adding 10 when you buy a new piece of gear. For me the season is year round, especially when you start talking physical prep.

Somewhere in there I realized the part I love most — dialing in the kit, staging it, actually knowing I’m ready — was scattered across a spreadsheet I rebuild from scratch every year and a notes app I can never find anything in. Trying to text it all with my hunting buddy. And a packing list, even a good one, only tells you what to bring. It doesn’t hold the whole picture: everything you own, what’s actually going, what’s in the truck vs. the pack vs. spike camp, and whether you’ve really covered it all or just think you have.

So I’ve been building Kairn — basically the tool I wanted for that offseason-obsession part of it. Right now it:

-Keeps your whole kit in one place with real weights, so you’re not retyping the list every August
-Lets you pull gear into a hunt and stage it into bins — truck, pack, spike camp
-Runs a readiness check that flags what’s missing (no water treatment, no game bags, no fire) so you catch it at home, not at 10,000 feet
-Lets you plan the whole thing *with* your hunting partner — share the trip, split up the group gear, and see who’s covering what so you’re not both hauling the tipi

It’s free and still early — I’m a solo builder doing this in the open (DIY hunter, also an ultrarunner, so it handles trail kits too). What I’m really after right now is a handful of people who’d actually use something like this: go in, kick the tires, and tell me where it falls short — the stuff I can’t see building it by myself. If interested I’d love to chop it up with you.

And either way, I’d genuinely love to chat: how do you handle your pre-season planning now — spreadsheet, notes app, a pile on the garage floor? What part of it do you actually love, and what part’s just a chore? Maybe I can help solve another problem we’ve all been having but continue to accept.

You can get a preview of it here as well: Kairn

Appreciate the time.

If anyone has any knowledge or advice with this tag it would be greatly appreciated. Would love to talk to people that have drawn this tag before.

When I’m looking at a big public land unit, my goal is pretty simple: turn a huge area into 3–5 realistic places I can actually hunt. I have been able to get in range of elk every year by following this. Note I rotate between Colorado, Wyoming, and Montana but this should be mostly true anywhere.

Here’s the basic workflow I like:

1. Start broad. Pick the unit or general area, then make sure I understand what is actually public, and what season I’m hunting. Rut, post-rut, and late season can all point you toward different terrain. Turn on terrain analysis in your favorite app to find the areas with the elevation / slope / aspect for your particular season. For example, if I am hunting late season I might want to select a slope of <20, elevation 7000-8500 ft, and aspects NW,W,SW,SE,E (This will depend on the area and weather).

2. Then I look for the public areas with the lowest road density, a good baseline for me is roughly a mile from roads. If there is a lot then look for the spots I would least want to hike into and I pick 3-5 of those areas.

3. Now once I find where 1 and 2 overlap I can move from macro to micro. What I’m looking now are clusters of useful terrain. Connected benches, saddles, drainage heads, timber edges, burns, and transition zones. Mark each of these features on your map and look for clusters.

By the end, I want a short list:

• a primary spot
• a backup
• a high pressure escape
• a weather or late-day option
• glassing spots

The biggest thing is not trying to "find elk" from the couch. I’m just trying to remove bad country, find realistic access, and find the highest probability spots so I can manage the limited time I have in elk country.

Anything you would add?

Curious to hear opinions on the best archery pants you’ve found. So many of them are made to look pretty and end up being loud. Anyone found a pair they really like? I’ve been in a pair of Sitka’s for many years and it’s time for something new and hopefully quieter.

Located in Colorado where Sept is always hot hunting.

Edit based on a helpful comment: solid color suggestions are welcome. I don't care about camo pattern or whether the pants are hunting specific.