What I take on Archery Elk Hunts
- Will
- Oct 19
- 11 min read
Elk Hunters Love Gear
Elk hunting can be a fairly gear-intensive pursuit, and it’s even more intense if you backpack hunt. It’s not like the deer woods back east where you load up a day back and head out to your stand; you’ve got to plan what to eat for multiple days, where to find water, how to pack out, and that’s all on top of trying to find the elk. Mix in doing it during archery season in the mountains with unpredictable weather, and you’ve got a lot to think about.
I’m a Colorado resident and am most familiar with hunting in these mountains so everything discussed here will be for a Colorado archery hunt, but it can all be applied to any mountain hunt.
Compared to rifle hunting, archery is a different challenge that requires different equipment and strategies. You spend more time calling and physically moving around to find elk as opposed to glassing on a ridge and mobility is key, and having the right gear can make a huge difference in your success and quality of life while you’re out there.
My favorite archery elk hunting method uses calls to find and bring them in, and my calling method and the calls I use will change depending on how the elk behave. That means bringing several reeds along with a bugle tub as opposed to just the singular cow call when I’m rifle hunting. Additionally, I’m not spending a lot of time behind glass scouring drainages and slopes for elk; I’m hiking around hoping to hear a response to a bugle or cow call.
This strategy also means I’m moving around a lot, and I rarely spend the night in the same place as my hunt takes me from point to point trying to find the elk all while carrying my entire pack the entire time. Weight plays a huge role in this style of hunting, and I try to reduce either the weight or number of items in my pack whenever I can. With my focus on mobility and calling, I typically ditch my spotting scope and primarily rely on my binoculars to save on ounces. I’ll often go from calling to climbing over a ridge to peaking around with my binoculars and back to calling. Archery hunting is a lot more active and unpredictable for me, and my gear reflects that.
Outside of not knowing where camp will be that evening, there’s no predictable pattern for weather, either. In September, hunters deal with clear skies shifting to rain, snow, thunderstorms, and everything in between (sometimes in a single day). It’s important to have some form of protection from the weather, specifically getting wet. Wet socks and underwear lead to blisters and chaffing and an all-around bad time, and if your down insulation gets wet, your hunting trip can get nasty really quick as you’ll struggle to keep warm.
Preparing for an Archery elk hunt means I’ve got to consider all of these things - a different strategy, how to stay mobile, and preparing for crazy weather patterns, and it all starts with the Big 3.
My Big 3
Backpack
It’s not really backpack hunting without a pack, and I run an Exo Mtn Gear K4 3600. Outside of boots, I think packs are the most personal thing you take into the backcountry. Everybody is built differently, and different packs work better with certain people. For me, the Exo hipbelt works perfectly with my body. It rides comfortably with heavy loads, and I don’t have any issues with pressure points or slippage. At roughly 5lb 8oz, the pack weighs way more than a normal backpacking pack I would use, but the materials, build quality, and load capacity far outweigh the weight penalty.
Outside of the fit and core functionality the K4 provides, there’s a bunch of little things that really sweeten the deal for me like the Nalgene holder that I can actually use while wearing the pack and the inReach holder with a dedicated spot on the shoulder harness. The pack just seems really well thought out, and when I finish my day, I’m worn out from hiking and hunting and not a bad pack. The only thing I’d complain about my K4 is how easily water seeps in through the zippers, but a $3 nylofume pack liner that weights next-to-nothing solves that issue pretty quickly.
Note on comparing backpacking and backcountry hunting - the two pursuits are hard to compare in a lot of ways. When backpacking, I have an established trail and campsite. With backcountry hunting, sometimes there’s a trail and a campsite, but I’m mostly crawling over deadfall or scrambling up a slope trying to go where the animals are. The gear I bring on backpacking trips needs to be durable, but I just don’t demand the same level of durability that I do with my hunting equipment.
Shelter + Sleep System
Once I find my camp, I break out my shelter which can range from a bivy bag and tarp to a two-person freestanding tent. I most often grab my bivy and tarp (both from Borah Gear) because they’re light, quick and easy to set up, and don’t require a lot of space. During archery season, I may keep looking for elk until the sun sets, and at that point, the last thing on my mind is finding a large enough space for a tent. With a bivy bag, if I can comfortably lay down, I’m done looking for camp for the night. Conversely, when it’s time to wake up and move, putting away a bivy and tarp only takes a couple minutes.
Another benefit of the bivy + tarp combo is multiple uses a tarp can serve. If the weather takes a turn for the worse, I can quickly and easily set up the tarp and stay dry without having to pitch a full tent, and on top of that, I can keep glassing and looking for elk from under a tarp.
For sleep, I’ve shifted from sleeping bags to quilts during September and use a UGQ Bandit with a liner. Again, weight factors into all of my gear, and my quilt comes in around 22oz as opposed to my 32oz Western Mountaineering sleeping bag that I use during the winter. Quilts certainly have a learning curve and take some getting used to, but once you get it down, it’s a great alternative to a full bag and can save some weight and space in your pack.
When picking my big 3, I prioritized weight and functionality above everything else. My gear needs to be lightweight and work well in all kinds of weather, and I spent a lot of time fine-tuning my system to fit my needs. Moving from the big 3, the next biggest item for me are the clothes I’ll be wearing.
Backcountry Clothing for Archery Elk
September weather in Colorado is famously nuts. In the morning the temperature will be in the mid-30s and will peak somewhere in the low-70s in the afternoon. Having to plan for close to 40-degree changes in temperature paired with unpredictable storms that can range from a light drizzle to a torrential downpour with thunder and lightning means you’ve got a lot to consider when it comes to your backcountry wardrobe.
For me, my clothing has a few very important jobs it needs to do. It needs to keep me warm and dry while protecting me from getting cuts, blisters, and sunburnt (you’re a lot closer to the sun up in the mountains). Some nice-to-haves would be if the clothes were quick-drying and didn’t stink like crazy after a few days, but those aren’t necessarily an absolute need.
The only fabrics that I have found that can do most of what I need are wool and nylon. Almost all of the top layers I own are wool while the bottom half is typically nylon.
Starting with the wool, I need something on my skin that works well with sweat and can keep me covered without getting too hot. Sure, wool doesn’t have the fastest drying times, but it does a better job keeping you warm while wet, and if it’s really bad, I bring 2-3 shirts and will rotate between them to stay mostly dry.
After a wool base layer, I always bring a fleece to every hunt regardless of the season. They’re relatively light and extremely versatile pieces that can be used as a mid-layer, sun protection, or something to keep you warm on those cool September nights.
My insulation layer is almost always a lightweight down puffy jacket (specifically a Mountain Hardware Ghost Whisperer). The jacket spends almost all of its time inside my pack and only comes out in the evenings or mornings so I need it to be compact in addition to lightweight. Down can compress far more than synthetic insulation, and I’m not worried about it getting wet because it spends most of its time inside my pack.
Finally, I’ll bring a soft shell for my outer layer. My First Lite Catalyst soft shell does a great job keeping wind and water out (even though it is neither waterproof nor windproof), and keeps my puffy jacket safe while I wander around camp.
My system for the bottom-half is a lot simpler. I bring at least 3 pairs of wool socks and a single pair of Prana Stretch Zion pants. Those pants are durable, frequently go on sale, and do everything I need a pair of pants to do on an archery hunt. If they had hip vents, they would be absolutely perfect, but you can only ask so much out of a set of pants that cost less than $100.
The one thing I almost never bring: rain gear. In my experience, if it’s raining and I’m moving, I’ll either get wet from the rain or sweat if I’m wearing a rain jacket, and if it’s so bad that I have to become stationary, I just pull out my tarp. For me, rain gear only comes out when I’m worried about snow or if I’m going to be somewhere where it constantly rains. Otherwise, it just takes up space in my pack.
My Bow Setup
I’m not the biggest archery nerd, and my bow set up is built around being functional, reliable, and maneuverable (nothing sucks more than getting the crap strapped to your pack hung up on a tree). When I’m archery hunting, I spend a lot of time climbing over deadfall, scrambling up boulder fields, and finding other terrain features that require creative navigational methods, so I use a Mathews V3 bow with a 27 inch riser. This smaller bow may not be the most stable one out there, but with plenty of off-season practice, I think the more compact size is a fair trade off. I’m fortunate to have a great archery range near me and try to spend as much time training in the off season as possible, and even though having a smaller bow makes it slightly less stable, I try to spend enough time out on the range such that the extra bit of pin float doesn’t affect me.
Keeping on the theme of wanting as many practice reps as possible, I run NAP Thunderhead fixed blade broadheads. These things are cheap, reliable, and functional. Yeah they’re old-school, but I can burn through a couple packs of them during the off season without causing too much damage to my wallet.
Finally, I pair my old-school broadheads with an old-school wrist release that I’ve had for almost a decade. It’s familiar, I know how to shoot with it, and I can’t lose it because it’s literally strapped to my arm. I’m sure other releases would help with accuracy; however, there are
Food and Water for an Archery Elk Hunt
Food
Food for a backcountry hunt is an extremely personal topic. Everyone prefers certain snacks and foods, and a lot of folks have dietary restrictions that affect what they’re able to bring. For me, I aim for roughly 3,500 calories a day with my food weighing no more than 2lbs per day. There was a time when I viewed my backcountry food purely as fuel for my hunts. Back then I would eat the same or similar things every day, and most of it would be in the form of some bar. This method worked, but it didn’t provide any kind of enjoyment, and unless you’re truly one of the more hardcore hunters, I wouldn’t recommend it.
Nowadays, I pack actual food and bring in a lot of variety. Having something different to eat each day makes a huge impact on your mental state while you’re out there. After spending a couple days in the wilderness, your mind will start to wander, and something as simple as a different kind of dinner each night gives you something to look forward to and helps reset your head and focus you back into the hunt. My meals will range from premade backpacking dinners to chicken wraps to pasta with dehydrated sauce, and I’m always excited to eat. If you’re looking for meal ideas, I highly recommend checking out the Backpacking Chef.
Water
Water is probably the most important thing to consider when backcountry hunting. Sure the human body can go a couple days without water (which isn’t long in the first place), but with the work you’ll be doing, it’ll realistically be a couple hours before you need a drink. Water can be tough to come across during archery season here in Colorado, and a lot of time can be spent just looking for water. I typically carry 3 liters of water on my pack at all times and will refill whenever I come across a decent looking source. When it comes to filtering the water, I’ve moved from Sawyer filters to Katadyn BeFrees. The BeFree may not last as long as a Sawyer, but the incredible flow rate far outweighs any downside. For carry, I use a backpacking favorite and bring a couple 1-liter Smartwater bottles. They’re durable, weigh next to nothing, and come with water when you buy them. If I know that my hunt will take me to drier country, I’ll bring a HydraPak Seeker 3 liter bladder. Those things are also really durable and act as a backup bladder for my Katadyn BeFee water filter.
Everything Else
The rest of the stuff I pack with me generally comes along for any hunting trip regardless of the season.
Starting with my electronics, I carry an external charger and accompanying cables, a headlamp, my InReach, and that’s about it. Depending on how long a trip will be and if I’ll be solo, sometimes I bring a kindle to keep my mind occupied after dark, but I generally don’t need a lot of electronics.
A note on safety: if you do not already have a satellite communication device (like an InReach or Zoleo), seriously consider buying one. A couple hundred bucks is absolutely worth the peace of mind and security one of these things provides.
My kill kit is fairly basic. I bring a Havalon knife with some extra blades, a small tarp, a couple yards of paracord, a few zip ties, a pen, and a pair of gloves. The big item here are the game bags. I really like the Born and Raised Outdoors MEAT bags. They’re a little heavy and bulky, but they protect the meat (and if we can’t bring home meat, what’s the point).
Lastly, I bring a handful of comfort items that improve my sleep in the backcountry. I have tried all kinds of pillows from the really basic inflatable ones to the massive ones filled with foam. The only one that works for me is the Nemo Fillo. It’s a little bulky but does a great job combining the comfort of a foam pillow with the weight of an inflatable one. Additionally, I use a wide Big Agnes Rapide SL. The pad also takes up a lot of space, but the comfort definitely makes it worth it to me.
So that’s it - a basic overview of what I bring on a Colorado archery elk hunt. Keep in mind that this list will change based on weather predictions, the terrain I’m going into, and who I’m hunting with, but the general list stays the same.
