jmbuckhunter

Just a quick note on your choice of lights to pack. I got my elk right at dusk. By the time we found him it was pitch black. We skinned him out, quartered him, and caped the skull and sawed off the skull plate right where he died. A good head light with either white LED's or white bulbs is nice to have. Unless you want to hold a flashlight in your mouth for a couple of hours.

Big Duane

if you're hunting dry country yes, wallows are magnets

Montrose elk country isn't that dry and arid though. Well, If you're hunting low to the western slope there it can be, but if you'r ein the Gunnison or Uncompagre, it shouldn't be that dry should it ? I lived in Montrose, I lived in Ouray, I lived quitea while in Grand Junction. Grand Mesa is anything BUT dry ... however the sides to the valley floor ARE arid.

So it all depends on where he's hunting - but for me and where I've elk hunted wallows are worthless most of the time. DO NOT FORGET THEM ...... but don't bank your hunt on them either ( where I hunt )

I've gotten maybe 60# on my Schuh pack, heck it might have been 70# but no more. NOT the best pack to carry meat on, but I don't pack my meat out on my back, so I don't need one for that.

PETZL is the only light to buy for a head lamp
Buy a Wyoming bone saw

Those two things I don't think I'd hunt without, and my tinder/fire starter.

Light, fire, saw I can live if I get hurt with that stuff I think


I like water bottles with built in filters too, the first night you use a tiny little pump to filter 3 gallons of water you'll find yourself screaming for a larger way to filter water ! And for just a drink, a water bottle with a filter is ideal

Roskoe

OK - no offense taken. My point here is, rather than flatly stating that hunting wallows is a joke; maybe tone it down a bit - obviously they can be a waste of time if there are lots of them in a given area. And on public land, there is good chance that others know about them. But if you are far enough from the road, or just plain lucky - sometimes you can stumble onto one that is getting lots of recent use. Particularly if it is a dry year.

Also, Greg - I don't know if you have gone over all the Division of Wildlife regs that apply to an archery elk hunt yet . . . . but you will most likely be buying an over the counter either sex (non resident) archery elk tag. This is going to set you back $500. You can also get a non-res anterless archery elk tag for only $251 if you wish - andthen goafield with both licenses - if bringing some meat home is a high priority.

And I would want to have something lined up in advance for cold storage of an elk in Montrose - unless you plan to, right after killing one, buying a truck load of ice and heading east into the night. They are real bad about spoiling out here in late August and early September. Even though it is getting fairly cool at night in the high country, the mid day temps generally won't let the meat stay cool if you elect to hang it in camp.

Best of luck. Roskoe