Six months of planning, endless gear sorting and testing, constant training in the gym, shooting my bow as often as possible…and it all comes down to one week in the mountains of Colorado. When I first decided I was going to hunt elk in Colorado, I won’t pretend there wasn’t a voice in the back of my head saying, “can you really do this?” I think if we’re honest, most of us battle that self-doubt when we’re faced with a brand new and extremely daunting challenge. But, for all those who may be dreaming of their own first out of state elk hunt, I figured one more post reflecting on the trip, what I learned, what I’d do differently next time, and all that good stuff might be beneficial so you can head across state lines as prepared as humanly possible.

So, you didn’t get drawn for elk in your home state (story of my life here in AZ), or you live in a part of the country that simply doesn’t have elk hunting. You’ve watched all the shows, been sucked deeply into the YouTube vortex of Western elk hunting, and would LOVE to chase these majestic creatures this fall. But, where do you even start? It’s hard enough to navigate your local hunting options…now you’re gonna throw a dart on a map in an area you’ve NEVER been before, travel hundreds of miles, and hit the trail hoping that everything comes together? The idea of taking your first out of state hunting adventure is equal parts exhilarating and terrifying.