Elk hunting attire

I hunted for elk in northern idaho two seasons ago in October.. the weather was all over the place.. it went from barely cool to a huge snow storm with temps in the 20's in the span of just a few days...

for me the trick was several thin layers.. I was mostly wearing sitka gear on that hunt but had a couple of kuiu and I think underarmor pieces mixed in as well.. I never really got all that cold..

we stayed in canvas wall tents and just had wood burning stoves and were fine the entire 9 days we were there.. my one mistake was bringing the wrong boots.. I was in a more traditional hunting boot and the terrain we were in was super steep.. I rectified that on the way home and stopped in the Schnee store in Bozeman on the drive home and got a proper set of "mountain" hunting boots lol...
 
I’ve hunted elk with lots of different rifles but never a tire.
 
As an Idaho native, most of my elk hunting has happened in jeans and a hoodie. These days, I'm more likely to use the warm Kuiu stuff I already own, but that's only because it's there and available. Be ready for hiking up mountains in 80 degree weather and waking up to a foot of new snow the next morning. Layers, layers, layers.

The quality of your boots is probably more important than the quality of your rifle and on-par with the quality of your optics. I wear well broken-in Kennetrecs or Crispis depending on the terrain & weather.

Have fun. It's God's country, and just being out in it is a tremendous privilege. The hardest part for me is getting a tag. Last year, Idaho Fish & Game seemingly slipped up somehow and gave me one. It resulted in my best Idaho bull to date.

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This is a desert bull, which is a bit different and a fun way to hunt. Not a monster, but very delicious!
 
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mdwest said:
I hunted for elk in northern idaho two seasons ago in October.. the weather was all over the place.. it went from barely cool to a huge snow storm with temps in the 20's in the span of just a few days...

for me the trick was several thin layers.. I was mostly wearing sitka gear on that hunt but had a couple of kuiu and I think underarmor pieces mixed in as well.. I never really got all that cold..

we stayed in canvas wall tents and just had wood burning stoves and were fine the entire 9 days we were there.. my one mistake was bringing the wrong boots.. I was in a more traditional hunting boot and the terrain we were in was super steep.. I rectified that on the way home and stopped in the Schnee store in Bozeman on the drive home and got a proper set of "mountain" hunting boots lol...
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I’m going prepared for that particular scenario. I appreciate you telling me that. Better to have it and not need it as opposed to need it and not have it.
 
I feel like I killed more elk when I wore my old BDU pants, combat boots, brown shit shirt, a brown hoodie, and a faded Detroit Tigers ballcap.
 
In 2 weeks @Scott CWO’s packers will be packing a friend, his son, me and my Son in Law into the a Wilderness area for opening day of archery elk.

For 8 days in a wall tent. Each person gets one duffle bag of gear and clothing+ back pack+ bow+ food and supplies. So the the horses are carrying quite a bit.

But you need to be selective. Lightweight, non bulky clothing that breathes, and dries quickly. Like 2 pair of pants, a few shirts. The early season weather makes packing much easier.

Conversely, I also received a Utah any weapon elk tag for this November after applying for 23 years. That hunt is from a cabin I rented and I will day hunt using my Toyota FJ that I am towing out for that purpose. So I can take what ever I like. And I can wash and dry my clothes daily if I choose.

So two opposite ends of the elk hunt spectrum that require much different planning and clothing

Two modes of transportation, Scott’s horses from prior hunts and this years hunt Toyota

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Altitude sickness said:
In 2 weeks @Scott CWO’s packers will be packing a friend, his son, me and my Son in Law into the a Wilderness area for opening day of archery elk.

For 8 days in a wall tent. Each person gets one duffle bag of gear and clothing+ back pack+ bow+ food and supplies. So the the horses are carrying quite a bit.

But you need to be selective. Lightweight, non bulky clothing that breathes, and dries quickly. Like 2 pair of pants, a few shirts. The early season weather makes packing much easier.

Conversely, I also received a Utah any weapon elk tag for this November after applying for 23 years. That hunt is from a cabin I rented and I will day hunt using my Toyota FJ that I am towing out for that purpose. So I can take what ever I like. And I can wash and dry my clothes daily if I choose.

So two opposite ends of the elk hunt spectrum that require much different planning and clothing

Two modes of transportation, Scott’s horses from prior hunts and this years hunt Toyota

View attachment 784268View attachment 784270
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This is absolutely awesome! Good luck in Utah!
 
lots of good information in this thread. My experience over 40 years of elk hunting in multiple states is invest in the boots, if you are going to be side hilling a lot which is more than likely, elk don't go to easy places, you will want boot with a lot of ankle support. I use Danner, in snow I use Kenetrek Cowboys.

Invest in really good quality socks, I like cushion sole military style, I also have merino wool cushion socks. I tend to change my socks a couple of times a day when hunting.
 
WH1 said:
lots of good information in this thread. My experience over 40 years of elk hunting in multiple states is invest in the boots, if you are going to be side hilling a lot which is more than likely, elk don't go to easy places, you will want boot with a lot of ankle support. I use Danner, in snow I use Kenetrek Cowboys.

Invest in really good quality socks, I like cushion sole military style, I also have merino wool cushion socks. I tend to change my socks a couple of times a day when hunting.
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I had not considered changing socks driving the hunt. Will take a xtra! Thank you!
 
Andrew Short said:
I had not considered changing socks driving the hunt. Will take a xtra! Thank you!
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I will always carry the weight for water and fresh socks. My grandfather, as well as many others’, no doubt, once told me to never skimp on boots or mattresses. “You’re usually in one if not the other.” I’ve carried this over to socks and pillows, as I find it wise advice to implement.
 
Josh P said:
I will always carry the weight for water and fresh socks. My grandfather, as well as many others’, no doubt, once told me to never skimp on boots or mattresses. “You’re usually in one if not the other.” I’ve carried this over to socks and pillows, as I find it wise advice to implement.
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Agree! In one or the other most of the time!
 
Always throw in an extra pair of socks. Wool socks. Wear a thin inner sock and wool outer sock. If you need an extra pair of socks in the Back Country, you probably don't have enough money to buy another pair. Take you own.
 
To Altitude Sickness. There must be reason you or your buddy have your elk entlers sideways on the pack horse. If you look at Horses, Hitches and Rocky Trails by Joe Back, if you can find a copy somewhere, he shows another way to pack antlers. If course I wasn't there and there must be a good reason for a method used. I have pack on horseback for many years and I have made almost all of the mistakes a person can make. Good luck on your next hunt.
 
MTJumbo said:
Always throw in an extra pair of socks. Wool socks. Wear a thin inner sock and wool outer sock. If you need an extra pair of socks in the Back Country, you probably don't have enough money to buy another pair. Take you own.
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I ordered several pairs of merino wool socks for this hunt. I hope I’m Not disappointed with my choice of Schnee boots
 
Schnees are pretty good, just make sure you have them well worn and they'll treat you well. I'm in full conditioning for my DIY archery hunt out in Montana in a few weeks - you guys hunting rifle in Idaho I take it?
 
CloudySkies said:
Schnees are pretty good, just make sure you have them well worn and they'll treat you well. I'm in full conditioning for my DIY archery hunt out in Montana in a few weeks - you guys hunting rifle in Idaho I take it?
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I wore them to Africa but the terrain was not mountainous.

Yes! We will be rifle hunting. It’s our first time well hunting, hoping to see some rutting/bugling.
 
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