First Time Elk Hunting Tips: What You Actually Need to Know

By Kurt Belding

Your first elk hunt will humble you. I don’t say that to scare you off — I say it because the guys who go in expecting a big mule deer hunt come home empty-handed and frustrated. Elk are a different animal in every sense. They live in brutal terrain, they cover miles in a single morning, and a mature bull has survived multiple seasons of hunters trying to do exactly what you’re about to attempt.

But here’s the good news: with the right preparation, your first elk hunt can absolutely end with meat in the freezer. I’ve watched first-timers connect on bulls that made seasoned hunters jealous. The difference is always preparation. Here’s what actually matters.

Get Your Body Ready for Elk Country

This is the tip that every first-timer nods at and half of them ignore. Don’t be that guy. Elk hunting is a cardio event that happens at elevation, often on steep terrain, while carrying 30-plus pounds on your back. If you can’t hike hard for four hours straight at home, you’re not ready.

Start training at least three months out. Focus on:

• Stair climber or hill repeats — nothing simulates mountain hunting better. Wear a weighted pack (start at 20 lbs, build to 40).
• Leg strength — squats, lunges, step-ups. Your quads and glutes will carry you up the mountain. Your knees need to survive the trip down.
• Long slow hikes — one long ruck per week (3-5 hours) teaches your body to burn fat as fuel instead of crashing after an hour.
• Core work — you’ll be shooting from awkward positions. A strong core means a steadier hold when you’re breathing hard.

I’ve seen guys in great “gym shape” fall apart on day two because they never trained under a pack on uneven ground. Mountain fitness is specific. Train for it specifically.

Elk Hunting Gear Essentials for Beginners

You don’t need to spend $8,000 on gear for your first elk hunt. You do need the right stuff in a few critical categories:

• Boots — this is your most important purchase. Get quality mountain hunting boots (Crispi, Kenetrek, Schnee’s) and break them in for at least 50 miles before your hunt. Blisters on day one will ruin your week.
• Layers — mornings at 9,000 feet can be 25 degrees. By noon you’re sweating. Merino wool base layers, a mid-layer fleece or puffy, and a quiet outer shell. Cotton kills — leave it at camp.
• Optics — good binoculars matter more than a good rifle scope. You’ll spend 80% of your time glassing. A quality 10×42 bino saves you miles of walking to “go check that out.”
• Rifle and cartridge — if you already own a .308, .30-06, 7mm Rem Mag, or 6.5 Creedmoor, you’re fine. Elk don’t require a cannon, but they do require a bullet that holds together. Use a bonded or copper bullet (Nosler AccuBond, Federal Trophy Bonded, Barnes TTSX). Practice to 300 yards and know your drop.
• Pack — you need a frame pack that can haul meat. Even if you’re not backpack hunting, a pack like the Stone Glacier Solo or Mystery Ranch Pop Up lets you pack out quarters without extra trips.

Understanding Elk Behavior and Patterns

Elk are herd animals with predictable daily patterns — once you understand those patterns, you can put yourself in the right place at the right time.

During the early season and rut (September), elk are most active at dawn and dusk. Bulls are vocal, aggressive, and sometimes careless. They feed in meadows and parks during low light and bed in dark timber on north-facing slopes during midday.

The daily pattern looks like this: elk feed from first light until mid-morning, then move to bedding areas in thick timber where they feel safe. Late afternoon, they get up, feed again, and water before dark. Your job is to be set up between bedding and feeding areas during those transition times.

Key terrain features to look for:

• Wallows — muddy depressions near water where bulls cool off and coat themselves in mud during the rut. Fresh wallows smell strong. Hunt near them.
• Saddles and benches — elk travel through saddles (low points in ridgelines) and bed on flat benches below ridgetops. These are ambush points.
• North-facing timber — cooler, thicker, and where elk go to hide during the day.

Elk Calling Basics for First-Time Hunters

Calling elk is one of the most exciting things in hunting — and one of the easiest ways to blow a setup if you don’t know what you’re doing.

Start with two calls: a diaphragm (mouth reed) and an external cow call like the Primos Hoochie Mama. The diaphragm takes practice — start working on it months before your hunt. You need to produce clean cow mews and a basic bugle at minimum.

Rules for calling as a beginner:

• Less is more. New hunters call too much and too loud. A few soft cow calls every 15-20 minutes is plenty.
• Don’t call if you can’t set up. If a bull responds, he’s probably coming. Be ready to shoot before you ever make noise.
• Cow calls are safer than bugles. A bugle can attract a bull or push him away, depending on his mood. Cow calls are almost always neutral or attractive.
• Use the wind. Call from a position where a responding bull has to show himself before he winds you. Bulls like to circle downwind — plan for it.

Shot Placement on Elk

This is not the place to experiment. Elk are big, tough animals with heavy bone structure around the shoulders. A marginal hit that would kill a whitetail will wound an elk and send him three canyons over.

The money shot is tight behind the front shoulder, one-third up from the bottom of the chest. This puts your bullet through both lungs. A double-lung elk rarely goes more than 80 yards. Aim for the back edge of the front leg, not the middle of the “kill zone” diagrams you see online — those are often too far back and result in single-lung or liver hits.

Avoid the temptation to aim for the shoulder. Yes, it anchors them. But it also destroys 20 pounds of the best meat on the animal and risks deflection off heavy bone if your angle isn’t perfect.

Wait for a broadside or slightly quartering-away shot. If you don’t have it, don’t shoot. There’s no trophy worth a wounded animal and a sick feeling in your gut.

How to Prepare for High Altitude Elk Hunting

If you live below 3,000 feet and you’re hunting at 9,000-10,000 feet, altitude will affect you. Period. You’ll feel it in your lungs, your sleep, and your appetite.

Practical steps:

• Arrive 1-2 days early to acclimatize. Don’t fly in and hike hard on day one.
• Hydrate aggressively — drink a gallon of water per day starting two days before you arrive. Dehydration amplifies altitude symptoms.
• Cut alcohol. I know camp beers are tradition, but alcohol at altitude wrecks your sleep and recovery. Save the celebration for after you tag out.
• Slow down. You’ll want to keep pace with your guide or hunting partner. Don’t. Hike at a pace where you could hold a conversation. If you’re gasping, you’re going too hard and you’ll bonk by noon.

Common First-Time Elk Hunting Mistakes

I’ve seen every one of these — some of them from my own hunts:

• Hunting too low. First-timers stick to easy terrain near roads. The elk are usually higher and deeper. Be willing to go where other hunters won’t.
• Moving too fast. You’re not covering ground for exercise. Slow down, glass more, walk less. Most elk are spotted, not bumped into.
• Ignoring the wind. Elk have noses that make a whitetail seem congested. If the wind is wrong, relocate. No amount of camo fixes a bad wind.
• Overpacking. You don’t need 50 pounds of “just in case” gear. Pack what you need for the day, leave the rest at camp. Light and mobile beats heavy and slow.
• Quitting midday. Some of my best encounters have happened between 10am and 2pm. Elk move midday more than people think, especially during the rut. Stay in the field.

Guided Elk Hunt vs DIY: What’s Best for Beginners?

I’ll be honest — I’m biased here because I run Western Obsession Hunt Adventures and we book guided Colorado elk hunts every season. But I’m biased because I’ve seen the results.

A first-time elk hunter on a DIY hunt in unfamiliar country is at a massive disadvantage. You don’t know the terrain, the trails, the water sources, or where the elk have been patterned. A good outfitter has spent the entire summer scouting. They know where the bulls are bedding and feeding before you ever set foot in camp.

What a quality guided elk hunt gives you:

• Scouted, proven hunting areas with current elk activity
• A guide who knows the terrain and can keep you safe
• Camp logistics handled — food, shelter, pack horses or ATVs for meat
• Calling expertise (your guide does the calling while you set up for the shot)
• Meat care and pack-out support

Through Hunt Adventures, we connect hunters with vetted Colorado outfitters we’ve personally hunted with. Our guided elk hunts start at $6,900, and every outfitter in our network is selected for success rates, camp quality, and how they treat their hunters. We handle the booking, answer your questions, and make sure you show up prepared.

If this is your first elk hunt, a guided experience dramatically increases your odds and teaches you more in five days than you’d learn in three DIY seasons.

Ready to Book Your First Elk Hunt?

You’ve read the tips. You know what it takes. Now it’s about committing and putting in the work. Start training today, dial in your rifle, and lock down your hunt dates early — the best outfitters fill up fast, especially for prime September archery and rifle seasons.

Book your guided Colorado elk hunt with Western Obsession Hunt Adventures and let us pair you with the right outfitter for your experience level, budget, and weapon of choice. We’ll make sure your first elk hunt is one you never forget.

Got questions? Reach out — we talk to first-time elk hunters every single day.

This guide is part of our complete resource on Colorado elk hunting.