quote:
How old are you and what kind of shape are you in? If you’ve never done any Western hunting or backpacking, you’ll be in a mad scramble the next two months to outfit yourself properly.

I’m in my early 30’s and in good shape. Not great and I know it’ll be hell getting into the shape required. I haven’t fully committed to the trip yet because I want to collect more info on the area, elk hunting, etc. I love bow hunting for white tails and what I’ve read online is elk and deer hunting have less in common than I thought. I appreciate all of the info given.

Hearing that it’s a high traffic area and we will be there later in the season isn’t persuading me much. I got an offer to hunt velvet whitetails in KY on Labor Day so might do that instead (can’t do both).

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Posted by mylsuhat

Mandeville, LA

Member since Mar 2008

48953 posts

Posted on 7/18/23 at 10:49 am to LPLGTiger

quote:
I’m in my early 30’s and in good shape. Not great

If live in Louisiana and you think you're in great shape you're in bad mountain shape; if you think you're in good shape, you better get after it HARD

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Posted by baldona

Florida

Member since Feb 2016

20550 posts

Posted on 7/18/23 at 11:16 am to LPLGTiger

quote:
I haven’t fully committed to the trip yet because I want to collect more info on the area, elk hunting, etc. I love bow hunting for white tails and what I’ve read online is elk and deer hunting have less in common than I thought. I appreciate all of the info given.

If you have the time off easily and can afford the $1000 or so to get there and back plus another $1000 or so for the gear then I'd recommend going and just not hunt. As said its better to hunt them like turkeys and have one guy call in the rear and another guy be the shooter. So just call and be there for the experience, save the $600 or so for the tag. The chances of two guys with little knowledge of an area both needing a tag is almost 0.

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Posted by Woodbird

Member since Jun 2017

262 posts

Posted on 7/18/23 at 11:19 am to LPLGTiger

Being completely honest with you - as someone who has been there and done that - you’re signing up to buy a good bit of new gear and go on a hiking trip with your bow. You’ll be with a friend and have a good time and see some beautiful country, but the odds are against you to actually kill. If the success rate is 10% then know there are probably a few guys that hunt the unit every year that are killing half of the bulls that get killed in the unit each year. For a random guy to just show up on a hunt like that, the actual success rate will be a fraction of the posted success rate.

With that said, if you think this type of hunt may be something you want to get into then go and get your feet wet and you’ll learn a lot that you can use next year, etc. I made my first hunting trip out west about 5 years ago and have been elk, antelope, or mule deer hunting out west every year since.

If you’re looking to kill something then I’d go to Kentucky and hunt velvet white tails.

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Posted by PierPunk

#BugaNation

Member since Apr 2013

3292 posts

Posted on 7/18/23 at 11:23 am to LPLGTiger

Did anyone mention cardio yet? Start running and get on the stairclimber

quote:
Hearing that it’s a high traffic area and we will be there later in the season isn’t persuading me much

Absolutely do not let this stop you. Last year, we were watching cars drive by a couple hundred yards away with 4 bulls bugling their faces off. In 2021, we were sitting at our car drinking a beer when we called a bull to within 100 yards. These were both late Sept (my preferred time to go).

I grew up hunting whitetails but elk hunting the rut with bulls bugling blows it away, if you have a chance I would say give it a shot.

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