My motivation today is whitetail. We've spent so much time on elk we have none of our normal stands ready. When we return from Colorado we'll be heading into the 3rd week of Kansas deer so we need to be able to hit the ground running.

I'm so freaking excited!

I pulled out all of my hunting gear today and compared it to my pack list. I went ahead and put everything I lack on my Amazon wish list. I'll order it between now and the end of October based on priority. I haven't seriously hunted since we lost our South Texas lease about 8 years ago, so it has been an uphill climb to get all the necessities for remote Wilderness hunting.

I was pleasantly surprised in the clothing. Between dropping two pant sizes during training and picking up things as they show up in the bargain cave or S&C, I have just about everything I need. Only big clothing item I still need is cold weather pants. Hopefully they'll run one of the pairs on my list on sale before I go.

I have two big areas of concern, 1)navigation and 2)glass.With a two year old and the condition of the O&G industry my budget is limited.

I chose to purchase a global communication device instead of a GPS. I'm hoping between the Inreach with Earth Mate and my cell phone with Backcountry Navigator and a couple of maps and a compass I'll be fine. I'll be remote in the backcountry in a Wilderness area so I thought the communicator with SOS would be better for worse case scenarios.

I can't swing a decent spotting scope for this trip. Especially since I've never owned one. I chose to watch sales and upgrade my binoculars when Vortex went on sale. Maybe I'll be able to find someone who will let me borrow a spotting scope. So far, I'm coming up empty there.

Just my $0.02

I'm not sure a spotter is that critical for elk hunting in most of the cover I've seen hunted. A good pair of binos would be more critical. Yes, it's big Country, but unless you're trying to get a 350 bull instead of a 330 bull and you need to see that amount of detail from a great distance I think you'll be fine without.

That was my thought. Hell, maybe it keeps me from expanding vital energy on chasing a bull too far to realistically stalk.

Just remember, the ultimate goal is to stay out of The Denver Post.

http://www.denverpost.com/2010/10/27/three-missing-hunters-found-in-flat-tops-wilderness-area/

Thanks for the confidence boost! Where's the middle finger emoji when you need one?!?

Unless one of us gets hurt, it shouldn't be an issue to wait out a storm for the horses to come get us. I've already planned to bring extra food and fuel. I should be prepared for cold. We'll see.

Bout to test it out on the lawn. Small, light... Looks good. Gotta be a huge upgrade from my thermarest scout pad.

Deflated

No such thing as too far if you can see him.

...says the guy who wasted 7 miles on a failed mule deer stalk 2 years ago.

14 breaths to inflate. This thing is light. I was a bit concerned when I first sat down on it but when you spread your body weight over it evenly, it's great. This pad is really comfy, way more so than my old thermarest.

Some of the reviews I read said that it was hard to deflate, which seems like a benefit to me. At any rate, of all the difficult things I'll do on my hunt, getting the air out of my sleeping pad should be pretty easy.

It says R value of 4.4... We'll see. I don't expect terribly cold weather, but you never know when you top 11k and approach treeline. I like cold weather, but I'm not used to it at the moment.

Nice! Mine says 4.4 as well and didn't really believe it either, but so far it hasn't proved to be cold. Used it down into the low 20s and worked just fine

Started shooting broad heads today and I think I'll stick with nothing but the cutters til I head out in a few weeks.

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Started shooting broad heads today and I think I'll stick with nothing but the cutters til I head out in a few weeks.

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That's what I've been doing as well. Shot about 50 arrows yesterday. Cut the end of one of my arrows, but otherwise was happy with the session. Got out to 80 yds before I was done.

Nice. 70 has been my max target range this preseason.

I really enjoy shooting my 60 yard pin. I'm as confident and comfortable at 60 as I am at 20.

At this point I think I'd almost prefer a 60 yard elk shot op over 15-20.

I've killed 1 hill country buck at 45 and a sow at 42. Those are my longest kill shots. I clipped a sow high through the back fat right behind the shoulder at 60 last year and sailed one over the back of a nice muley at 50 last year in Colorado. In both of those scenarios, I had grass/weeds covering part of the vitals and I know I never really anchored my pin like I intended, leading to the high miss.

Spot and stalk archery shot ops are tough, esp out west.

awesome

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Nice. 70 has been my max target range this preseason.

I really enjoy shooting my 60 yard pin. I'm as confident and comfortable at 60 as I am at 20.

At this point I think I'd almost prefer a 60 yard elk shot op over 15-20.

I've killed 1 hill country buck at 45 and a sow at 42. Those are my longest kill shots. I clipped a sow high through the back fat right behind the shoulder at 60 last year and sailed one over the back of a nice muley at 50 last year in Colorado. In both of those scenarios, I had grass/weeds covering part of the vitals and I know I never really anchored my pin like I intended, leading to the high miss.

Spot and stalk archery shot ops are tough, esp out west.

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Keep in mind that at ranges beyond 50 yards your arrow is going to be dropping in at a decent downward angle. I know the tendency when brush is blocking the lower part of the vitals is to hold high over the brush, but with that downward arc you can hold right in the vitals and know it's coming in from above.


I stretched out to 100 yards this weekend and managed not to lose any arrows which is pretty productive for me. That longer distance really helps me to concentrate on holding my bow arm up through arrow contact. My two biggest/most common faults are creeping on the string and dropping my bow arm after the shot in an unconscious attempt to "peek" at the result of the shot. If you shoot at longer distances and force yourself to hold the pin on the target until contact that longer hold really helps dial in my muscle memory and prevents me from dropping by bow arm on 20-40 yard shots.

After shooting 3D out to 60yds (rather than just range) I'm pretty confident out to 60. Watching the arrow impact thru the sight rather than dropping my bow has helped me alot as well.

However, does anyone have any tips for gauging how much an arrow will drop based upon the slope?

I've managed to compensate fairly well for it just kinda winging it and practice, but didn't know if anyone has some tricks...

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My two biggest/most common faults are creeping on the string and dropping my bow arm after the shot in an unconscious attempt to "peek" at the result of the shot.

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Join the club pal.

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However, does anyone have any tips for gauging how much an arrow will drop based upon the slope?

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Get an Arc rangefinder and you're money. Shooting uphill or downhill the actual range distance is always less than the target. Because it's the horizontal distance from you to your target that is important. The difference between your actual distance and the horizontal distance is going to increase the steeper you are.

Or you know, a quick Pythagorean math in your head would get it done too. ...but I'm dumb so I much prefer the rangefinder option.

For those who have actually killed elk or even missed them with archery gear, what has been your experience with elk ducking the string at 30+ yards... Or any distance for that matter.

I've never heard of the ARC Rangefinder. Pretty sweet, but that might have to wait another year or two....So with some trig, it looks like you could ball park a slope with 30 deg slope = .87 for the "actual distance". 60 deg would = .5

So basically factor in that for a 40 yd shot on a 30 degree downhill the actual distance is only 36yds.

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I've never heard of the ARC Rangefinder. Pretty sweet, but that might have to wait another year or two....So with some trig, it looks like you could ball park a slope with 30 deg slope = .87 for the "actual distance". 60 deg would = .5

So basically factor in that for a 40 yd shot on a 30 degree downhill the actual distance is only 36yds.

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Exactly, the horizontal distance is the distance over which gravity can act on your arrow and effect arrow drop.

I shot 3D targets in Snowbird, UT and they had a fish target in a stream that you shot almost straight down from a cliff. Actual distance the arrow traveled was probably 50 yards, but horizontal distance was only 20. Lots of guys lost arrows over the top.

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For those who have actually killed elk or even missed them with archery gear, what has been your experience with elk ducking the string at 30+ yards... Or any distance for that matter.

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I have had a lot of deer do that hunker down move when they hear the string, but have never had elk do this. My farthest archery elk were 63 and 68 yards and they didn't react until impact. I feel like I've seen it happen on hunting shows but I've never seen it with my own elk or guys I've hunted with (n=13 for what it's worth).

I think I've seen it on TV once or twice (my n=ZERO, so no personal experience), and every time it was in a spot/position where the elk was already on high alert. At a swirly waterhole where the elk had already gotten a whiff of human, and another time where he had already picked off the hunter (saw him draw).

So with that rationale, I think you're pretty safe (certainly more so than a twitchy whitetail doe) if the elk are calm, and particularly if they are coming in looking for a fight, or love, or both. But it always comes down to body language and close they are to bolting already.

Yes, and once you get the angle compensating rangefinder, trust it!

Stalking muleys at 12,000':

ME: "I better range that brush one last time where I think that buck is bedded."
LEUPOLD TBR: "Use your top pin Arrow, use your top pin..."
ME:"Okay, just trust your bow, top pin, slam dunk..."
Buck stands, I'm at full draw with arrow nocked.
ME:"No way, that deer is at like 60."
Easton Axis sails over bucks back.
ME"*********"
Rerange.
LEUPOLD TBR: 25 yds
ME:"*******"

It is pretty amazing how deceiving distances are out west.

Just got invited to,go on a vendor sponsored hunt - in Rock Springs. 20,000 acres (no clue on low or high fence, will assume low because of the size), elk are every bit as wild as mountain elk from what I am told.

No effs given if somebody wants to call it a canned or not real hunt.*

*Assuming it is like described to me.

I got kind of excited when you said Rock Springs since I thought you got an area 100 license here in WY (tough draw).

Good luck!

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Just got invited to,go on a vendor sponsored hunt - in Rock Springs. 20,000 acres (no clue on low or high fence, will assume low because of the size), elk are every bit as wild as mountain elk from what I am told.

No effs given if somebody wants to call it a canned or not real hunt.*

*Assuming it is like described to me.

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Sweetwater County is pretty much all checkerboarded private with BLM. The private land owners can lock up much of the BLM because no corner jumping is allowed. I'd be surprised if it's fenced at all. No idea how they run their outfit, but the elk will be plenty wild, you should have a good time!

Pretty sure he means Rock Springs, TX

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Pretty sure he means Rock Springs, TX

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LOL. There's elk in TX? If I'd known that I never would have left! My bad

There are a few wild New Mexico wanderers in far West Texas. You get one went once in awhile in the Panhandle that wanders down a drainage and keeps going. But pretty much anywhere else you find them they are purchased and stocked.

Let's keep our eyes on the target