[JRF20]

All you elk hunters, I have just over a week to go before I head out to NM, what should I/shouldn't I be doing during these last few days to make sure that I'm as prepared as I possibly can be?

Any advice?

 

[jamaro]

Make sure you have good rain gear... it has been raining for two months and it looks like it is going to keep going.. what hunt and unit are you in? ALOT of the roads are really messed up...
j-

 

[JRF20]

Unit 16C. Thanks for the info on the rain and the roads.

 

[Grower]

NM Wensday

Hi, going to MN Wed. unit 17. Yes lots of rain. Ranch foreman said road is washed out will have to go around, 13 mi and 2 hrs. Grower.

 

[Anaconda]

The last week you should be praticing with your calls. Hopefully, you have some good tapes on calling, like "Worse than wolves" or others. Listen to them and memorise the different sounds elk make, what thoses sounds mean and how to respond to them.
Check and double check all your gear. Make sure everything works, and you know where it is.
A bit of last minuet cardio training.
If you are driving, now is the time to go over your truck top to bottem, the last thing you need is a breakdown. Check the tires, belts, radiator, ect...
Get all this done with two or three days to spare, then spend some last minuet quality time with the family.
Good luck

 

[JRF20]

Thanks for the tips. My plan is to pop in an elk calling CD and practice my calls during the 16 hour drive out there.

 

[NM_HighPlains]

My elk spot is only 3 hrs away, opened Sept 1, and I haven't been able to leave yet. Cattle have been giving me trouble- walking the cattleguards and getting on the road, three windmills are down, and I've just got work, work, work (I manage the family's ranch- 28,000 acres, 2,000 head) to do. It's getting ready to rain right now, windchill is 40 deg, wind's going 20 mph, big ol' storm coming from the west. We're hoping to head out Monday-Weds, then I have to be back to guide pronghorn hunters, then hopefully head back again Monday-Thurs. We'll see.

So, yeah, bring rain gear, Polar Fleece (warm when wet), lots of good socks, waterproof boots, a hat.