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Five guys from New Brunswick are about to find out what “DIY archery elk hunt” really means. We’re headed west for a drop camp elk trip in Idaho, and we’re putting our assumptions on the table before the mountains correct us. Caleb Jones has the tag, I’m Ken Marr, and we’re joined by Peter Jones, Logan Elliott, and Jonathan Crowley as we talk nerves, excitement, and the kind of confidence that only exists before you’ve climbed your first ridge at elevation.
We get into how this hunt came together, why we chose a drop camp instead of a fully guided elk hunt, and what we’re hoping for if the odds don’t go our way. We talk elk calling basics with bugles, diaphragms, and cow calls, plus what we think “peak rut” might look and sound like when we finally hear those first bugles in the dark. We also compare elk tactics to what we know from moose and turkey hunting, and we admit where we’re guessing so you can learn right alongside us.
Then we hit the practical stuff that makes or breaks a backcountry hunt: boots, gaiters, rain gear, optics, broadheads, and the painful but real “buy once, cry once” gear math. We lay out the travel plan flying Bangor to Chicago to Missoula, renting a Yukon Denali, and pushing into remote country near the Lolo Motorway. We also talk safety, low cell service, carrying a Garmin inReach, and the wildlife we might run into, from black bears to the possibility of wolves.
Stick around for the surprise hunt “commemoration” that turns into the funniest gear item of the whole trip. If you’ve ever considered Idaho elk hunting, a DIY drop camp, or an archery elk adventure, hit play, subscribe, and share this with the friend who always says they’re “in shape enough.” What’s your single best elk tip for first-timers?
Check us out on Facebook Hunts On Outfitting, or myself Ken Marr. Reach out and Tell your hunting buddies about the podcast if you like it, Thanks!