Elk Hunting Gear Checklist – Be Sure and Remember This!
When looking over your Elk hunting gear checklist, make sure you don’t overlook a small, but very important item, a first aid kit for your rifle! Believe me, there will come a time that you’ll need some items to make adjustments and repairs to your hunting rifle. Most of us want to pack as light as we can for our Elk hunting trip but don’t let that keep you from including a few items that can literally save your trip.
The Elk hunting environment, especially in the Rocky Mountains, is a rough and unpredictable place. Factors such as steep terrain, rain, snow fog, and horses can all take its toll on a hunting rifle. I have always suggested that a hunter bring an extra rifle to base camp as a backup. A first aid kit for rifles can also save the day.
A few years ago I was guiding a group of hunters in Colorado when I learned firsthand the value of such a kit. We had stopped along the trail to let our horses and mules catch their breath. As we visited with each other, I felt a strange vibration and herd a crunching sound from behind me. When I turned around, to my horror, I saw a mule chewing on the stock of my brand new Elk rifle!
When we got to camp, I was trying to figure out how I could smooth out the damaged stock with just a hunting knife. I jokingly asked the other hunters if anybody had some sand paper and one of them said he did in his rifle first aid kit. Needless to say, this fellow saved the day for me. I was able to smooth out the stock and went on to harvest my Elk with it that season.
A rifle first aid kit should definitely be on your Elk hunting gear list. This little kit doesn’t take up a lot of room and could be worth its weight in gold by saving your hunt.