1. Buy stiff mountain boots, don't spare expense. Then break them in. Mine took 50 miles and the vertical miles are the most important. That heel rub when going straight up will form a blister fast. Go ahead and get this....
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000E59HXC/ref=oh_aui_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1 Its amazing stuff and when you feel that blister setting in, apply.

2. Work out big time. Elk hunting is lots of calm, followed by moments of maximum cardio effort, followed by trying to calm yourself to make a shot. Stadiums are the most effective for me. This time a year, I'm running twice a week, stadiums twice a week and weights (lots of core) twice a week. As I get into July, I'll add a day of stadiums and drop a day of weights. I'm not saying that this is a key to success, but it works for me and I'm able to hit the mountains hard and fast. As mentioned already, using a weighted pack is key. I put two 25lb barbells wrapped in towels and duct taped. It works well.

3. Get comfortable shooting 500-600 yards. You may not shoot that far, but you'll increase your shot opportunities if you do.

4. Get comfortable shooting with your lungs and heart heaving out of your chest. Run gassers at the range, then get down on the stock and work on calming down a bit for a smooth trigger pull. Also, get off the bench table, shoot prone, from your backpack and any other permutation you can imagine.

5. Trekking poles make a huge difference. When you climb (or descend) 2000 vertical feet in a mile, you'll do it a lot faster with one or two trekking poles. I don't know why, just is.

6. OnX maps is a game changer. Spend the $ and learn how to use it. Elk don't like roads. Put together a digital game plan for your unit long before leaving alabama. Try to get 1.5-2 miles away from a road. Do that before dawn. If you don't see elk, keep moving. The next day, go to another trail/canyon/ridge line/etc.

7. Game bags, a plastic drop cloth, good blade and gloves for breaking that beast down in the field. I've also used paracord in timber to help tie a quarter back, etc. Some marking tape, in case you need to hang quarters and have to mark a trail to get back the next day. If feasible, I'd learn the gutless method and plan on boning those quarters in the field. The drop cloth gives you a clean surface to work on and you can wrap it up around bagged quarters to keep everything from being soaked in blood (that'll happen anyway).

8. Survival kit as mentioned. Make sure you've got a way to start a fire. This last year I think I started a fire for lunch every day (it was cold). Trioxane tablets and hurricane matches will light wet rocks on fire.

10. Get used to getting behind glass. Days consist of hiking and glassing.


You'll never be the same. I go somewhere out west every fall and it's my favorite week of the year. It actually has made WT hunting less enjoyable. I still try to kill a few WT's every year but I'm always dreaming about getting up in that thin air again.