Wilderness Area Elk

Four friends head to the Colorado high country.

- Shawn Stafford

The four of us caught the elk hunting bug roughly three years ago. One drop camp hunt and a freezer full of elk meat later, my friends and I were consumed by the mountains and all they offered. Within a week of that first trip, preparations began for the next hunt that wouldn’t occur until two years later. This trip would be different though. No drop camp, no wood or gas stove, no horses to pack meat out – just us and our backpacks to carry all we needed for a week. We would test ourselves and accept the challenge of a complete DIY public land hunt

While initially two years to prepare seemed like an eternity, our time was occupied reviewing hunt statistics, maps, calling biologists, calling outfitters to ensure we wouldn’t be encroaching on their established camps, upgrading gear and most important, getting in top physical shape. Our bodies and minds needed to be running on all cylinders to maximize the experience.

One of the aspects of mountain hunting is specialized gear. It’s almost like a tight-knit family supporting each other through innovation. The people who make a living providing this equipment use this equipment and rely on its performance. After using subpar gear the first time, we didn’t make that mistake twice. The gear manufacturers – Kuiu, Stone Glacier and Kifaru, among others – were very informative and quite helpful during our preparation process. The interesting thing was that after all the effort we put into choosing the appropriate gear, we all ended up with slightly different setups catering to each of our individual needs. While top of the line gear is not required to be successful, it sure makes the experience significantly more enjoyable and does give a hunter an additional edge.