Elk Hunting Gear List – Don’t Forget One of These!
An Elk hunting gear checklist is a must have before embarking on an elk hunt. You sure don’t want to forget anything. And knowing what specific things you need on that list is even more important. I learned that the hard way.
Boo (my horse) and I decided to go elk archery hunting one season in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. The afternoon that we got to the trail head, it was raining and cool so we decided to wait in the trailer for the rain to slack off. The rain continued but we decided to pack up and go anyway.
We got to our camping area and I set up my tent and made a small make shift corral out of downed timber. The guy that usually would hunt with me couldn’t come because of work. We had decided ahead of time to do a “”cold camp””. He thought fires would keep the Elk away.
Boo and I spent the coldest night I have ever experienced in my life. I learned many lessons on that Elk hunting trip but the most important was to use a mattress under my sleeping bag, a polar fleece sleeping bed liner and a high quality sleeping bag rated for below freezing temperatures. Definite “”must haves”” to put on a Rocky Mountain Elk hunting checklist for sure!
I thought that because my sleeping bag was down filled, it would be warm enough. Boy, was I ever wrong! I shivered and my teeth chattered most of the night. I later learned that down fill loses it’s insulation properties when damp or wet. The new synthetic fibers are a much better choice for hunting elk in the mountains.
I tied a blanket over Boo’s back to hold in some of his body heat during the night and he seemed grateful for the thought. I know that he was more comfortable than I was. This experience taught me to remember to put a great sleeping bag, liner and mattress on my Elk hunting checklist!