Elk hunting to me is not a single event activity. Being I do not live in a state where I can buy a resident elk hunting license, I plan my elk hunts one to five years in advance. This provides me with year 'round enjoyment of planning and researching for extended periods. I get as much or more enjoyment from planning than the actual hunt itself!

The planning and researching for one of more years in advance consists of many things, some of which include:
- reading about elk hunting
- visiting with other elk hunters
- join the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation
- attend Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation Banquets in your area
- viewing elk hunting videos
- studying maps of the areas we may hunt
- taking a family vacation to the area we may hunt
- looking at pictures of past hunts
- remembering do's and dont's of past hunts
- selecting some excellent elk hunting partners.

Some excellent literature to read are Bugle magazine (subscriptions through Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation) , Outdoor Life, Field and Stream, and certain books on elk hunting.
A family vacation to the mountain range you plan to hunt can be great. Not only do mom and the kids know roughly where you'll be hunting but you'll have a chance to scout out some of the roads you'll use when elk hunting.
On the vacation with the family plan so it's a vacation for all. Don't insists that they hike way back to where you'll actually hunt unless the rest of the family really wants to. Instead, fish, sight-see, sit around the campfire, roast hot dogs and marshmallows, and have a great time. Oh, don't forget your camera. Some of my all time favorite pictures are from some of the trips whether it was a week long vacation or a short 2 or 3 day excursion.
Below are a few pictures of my son (Karl) and I that either my wife or I took. I use them in all of my Elk Hunting on Your Own presentations. To view the full image, just click on the small image seen here (a thumbnail) .



When you get back from your vacation, the images you'll have in your mind or in picture will help you to be more used to where you hunt elk. Some landmarks high in the mountains will help guide you or help to keep you from getting lost when you're out hunting. Keep in mind in November things will look different than in July due to snow and leaves missing from the aspens.
Be sure to take along your compass and topographic maps on vacation. Studying the maps and jotting down notes of landmarks etc can be beneficial when you hunt elk later.
The better you know the area before your first day of elk hunting is extrememly important. If you're even a little acquainted with the area, you can concentrate all your days of elk hunting on hunting elk instead of spending the first several days of precious elk hunting trying to keep from getting lost and unlost!



Getting lost can be fatal in elk country. I cannot stress this safety issue enough. To help to keep yourself from getting lost, be sure you know how to use your compass and your topographical map. Don't hike further than what you can safely return from.
Carry matches/cigarette lighter, fire starters, 2 small flashlights, compass, topographical map, survival blanket and emergency directions in your day pack everytime you hunt elk. See my section on emergency directions and signals.

When elk hunting, take your camera. Some of these pictures after the hunt will seem priceless to you years later. Here are a few from some of our trips.



Some of our backpacking trips for elk started out in t-shirt weather but within a day or two can have six to twelve inches or more of snow on the ground. If you backpack in be sure you've backpacked before-including in snow-so you don't jeopardize you and your friends' lives.
By the way, elk hunting isn't only for the guys. More and more women I know are getting involved. Some go along just for the hike, while others fully hunt in their own right, and some even backpack in as you can see in one of the pictures above. Left to right are Gaylynn Becker (me), Kenneth Lang and karen Lang. Three nights later we had 6 hours of rain followed by about a foot of snow. The tent on my back kept us good and dry.
One side benefit I've received from elk hunting is it has helped me to become a more effective deer hunter. Much of my elk hunting equipment has also been used in hunting deer.

When you go elk hunting remember safety, plan and enjoy the hunt all year long and remember the hunt as enjoying nature, the outdoors and this wonderful, beautiful world we have been given to enjoy and help preserve for generations to come.
You can help preserve these mountains and wilderness areas by being actively involved in various groups. One in which I am most actively involved in is the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation. If you would like to find out what you could do, check out RMEF's web site at http://www.rmef.org (you can also click above) or please call 1-800-CALL-ELK for either your state's field director (United States of America only) or your local chapter's chairman.
Best of luck in the great outdoors, have fun, and come back safe!