Did our first archery elk this past September in NW Colorado , we were there the 17th-24th and temps fluctuated a good bit , we hunted 4000 acres of private bordering BLM on 3 sides .
Camped at 8000 foot and morning temps ranged from 28 to 48 for mornings and
50 to 75 for highs in the afternoons .
It sleeted one night for hours and then I wore shorts that same day in the afternoon.
To say you should be ready for it all would be an understatement , that time of year can be hot or cold - really try and watch the forecast models for predictions before but in my opinion if you have the room in the truck take enough stuff to cover all temps and then pack what you need from the truck ..
Merino for base layers for sure , I wore
first lite merino but as others have said there are a lot of options for merino .
Long sleeve top with the zipper in the front to dump heat while hiking was my best friend , wore it daily in hot and cold temps , shorts or light pants mostly in the afternoons with boot gaiters , a good light weight puffy for glassing is also a good idea for warmth that is packable and light to carry .
I searched for new boots and tried alot on , in the end I took my everyday non-insulated leather hikers and wore good quality heavy merino socks when cold and then I would switch over to a light weight merino sock for the afternoons ..
Best decision I made .. They were already broke in and comfortable , so I coated them in mink oil and went with it ,
I'm glad I did this because heavy warm boots and hiking don't mix , really try and find something lightweight .
For packs I went with a 5500 but we didn't spike camp , we had a base camp. If you are successful and get a bull I would say atleast a 5000 to pack out quarters one at a time comfortably and still have alittle room for whatever , like others have said fit is important more than anything .
Best thing I've done to date , best trip , best hunt , best scenery ,
best EVERYTHING !
As you prob know bow hunting is FULL of highs and lows , we were pretty low by day 4 , a couple of failed attempts getting so close but yet so far , then on day 5 it all came together and I stuck a great bull at 8 yards in the timber with my 16 year old Mathew's and a good old muzzy 3 blade !
DIY elk on public or private with a bow is one heck of a hard trip , don't let that discourage you .. This was our first time elk hunting and YOU CAN MAKE IT HAPPEN , even if you've never done it before and you don't have a guide or a clue what your doing .
My wife and I hunted alone for a week in the mountains and seen nothing but animals , sunrises and sunsets for seven days , that alone to us was paradise , If you are one of the few that get lucky on their first trip out west that will be the ultimate cherry on top !
Be ready to go back again and again because it is more addicting than any whitetail you have ever killed , that's a promise …
Sorry for the long post .. but man , elk will get you fired up ! Good luck
