Want to hunt elk for 10 days and only take 5 days of vacation time? Yup, that’s possible. In this post I’ll go over the pros & cons of driving vs flying to elk hunt and finish it out with the best time to hunt elk in 2020.
The decision between Driving vs flying to elk hunt isn’t as straightforward as you think… I’ll break them both down as well as offer a few tips for flying. As for timing, I’ll go into the science of the rut and tell you why it really doesn’t matter (despite what you read everywhere else). Finally, I’ll walk you through my formula for getting 10 days of hunting out of only 5 days of vacation time. Let’s do it.
Driving vs Flying to elk hunt
Many of you might try to skip this section but there’s more to it than you think. Believe it or not, there are big benefits to combining a plane and a car to hunt elk. But before we get there, let’s compare the two options:
The benefits of driving & flying
Since this is a direct comparison, it’s easiest to talk about the benefits of each approach since they’re also the drawbacks of the other. Here’s a quick breakdown of all the things to consider:
- Pros of Driving
- Simplicity
- Driving is far easier than packing for a flight
- Cost
- Driving is generally cheaper, especially if you carpool. Make sure to factor in wear & tear + maintenance though!
- Exception: if you’re solo, flying can be cheaper (make sure to factor in an AWD/4×4 car rental, baggage, and meat transport)
- Room for extra gear
- You can bring things like a full sized archery target, extra food, a base camp tent, and safety gear that are difficult or impossible to get on a plane
- Easy to transport meat
- Transporting meat home is one of the biggest hassles of flying… more later
- Simplicity
- Pros of Flying
- Fast
- Time spent hunting is everything. Flying usually gives you more time.
- If you live 20+ driving hours away, that’s a big deal. Flying might not be faster if you live less than 12 hours away.
- Less tiring
- This depends, but for most people a short flight is a lot less taxing than driving 12-24 hours straight.
- Less wear & tear on your car
- A 2000-3000 mile round trip isn’t easy on a vehicle, especially if it’s old
- Fast
As always, the final decision really depends on your situation. If you already know if you’re going solo vs with a partner, guided vs DIY, or base camping vs backpacking those can really change which option is best. Driving is the best option for most people but I’ll lay out why flying AND driving is the best in my opinion later.
Tips for flying to an elk hunt
Flying might seem impossible based on the comparison above. It’s not! Here are some great tips that make flying a lot easier:
- Invest in strong arrows or a small target
- You’ll want to sight in your bow so either prepare to shoot some stumps or bring a small target
- If you’re stump shooting, your broadheads and field tips need to have the same point of impact
- Pack smart
- To maximize space, use your pack as a carryon (if possible), put all your soft clothes in your bow case, and put everything else in a lightweight suitcase or duffel
- If you have to check your pack, put it in a cheap lightweight duffel. Otherwise it’s really easy to break buckles and straps
- Meat transport isn’t as hard as it sounds
- Whatever you do, do NOT plan on shipping meat… it can be $600-1500! Always try to take the meat back with you on the flight
- Find a butcher that can do a 24 hour turnaround since you’ll save a lot of shipping weight that way (they’ll charge more but it’s worth it). Use dry ice if needed, frozen meat lasts a long time since airplane holds aren’t heated.
- Check your carrier’s baggage overages before you fly. It’s usually far cheaper to fly back with your meat and ship your gear home (since it doesn’t need to be refrigerated…)
- Fly back for the meat later if it’s easier
- A one way plane ticket and a one way car rental is often cheaper than all the hassle of getting your meat on your original flight home. Plus butchers are happy to have a few weeks to work and you can stop at some cool places on the way back
- Plan ahead
- You can’t take things like gas canisters, some batteries, and bear spray on a plane. Call ahead to find a place that has them in stock for when you get in. Also, you can put a pistol in a small locking case inside your suitcase or bow case (read your airline’s instructions)
Flying really isn’t a bad option if you’re prepared. I’ve flown to Hawaii and New Zealand to hunt and loved every minute of it.
The best time to go elk hunting
As archery hunters, we tend to overhype “the rut”. We assume that there is a magical time where every bull bugles and walks right into a simple cow call. That belief also leads to a lot of articles on the internet about picking the best week for your elk hunt. They usually go the same way: here’s the exact week that the elk will be going crazy and bugling their heads off! While that sounds great, it’s just not true. Here’s why:
Rut timing is different every year
Believe it or not, the amount of light entering a cow elk’s pupil is what causes her to go into estrus. That’s the main reason that bulls go wild and bugle. Most cows usually go into estrus within 5-10 days of the fall equinox, which is on September 22nd in 2020. Notice some important language here: main reason bulls bugle. Most cows. Plus or minus 10 days. In reality, there is a 30+ day window where a single cow (or just a competitor) could trigger a giant bugle fest at any time.
Practically, I’ve seen “the rut” on opening day in august, mid september, and on the last few days of the season. It’s different every year, even in the same area. I used to try to pick the best week but I learned that’s not really possible since it’s so unpredictable. Also, there are often more crowds in “peak” weeks. But that’s not all…
The rut is different in every area
Since the rut depends on individual cows, timing can vary widely between elk that live in the same area. To illustrate, two years ago I was in a valley where the elk were going nuts early in september. After getting back to the car (only 2 miles as the crow flies) I learned the other hunters hadn’t heard a peep for days! When things get rough remember that elk over the next ridge could be going off.
The rut isn’t the easiest time to call in bulls
Say what? You heard me. Bull elk are actually very difficult to pull away from the herd when they have a cow that’s near estrus. It just doesn’t make sense to leave one to find one. The inverse is true: bulls pre-rut or early in the season often come to calls more readily (even if some are quiet) since they’re out looking for cows.
In reality, elk cycle through the stages of the rut (summer habits, pre-rut, peak rut, post rut) at different times in different areas. That’s why it’s so important to know how to hunt them in each phase… don’t worry, we’ll cover that later in the series.
The moon phase doesn’t do much
Well at least the moon phase predicts when elk bugle right? Not really. While the moon phase does have a slight effect on elk behavior it’s more about when they’re active during the day. In 2020 the moon is darkest the week of the 13th-20th.
If it’s darker at night then elk tend to be active for longer in the morning and evening. If it’s brighter (full moon), I find that they can be active during the middle of the day. The moon phase is more about knowing what’s more likely and adjusting your hunting style.
So when should you go?
Short answer: whenever you can get the most time to hunt. Honestly, it all balances out. If you go early, you might not get as much bugling, but you’ll have less pressure and bulls are more likely to come into your calls. If you go later, you might hear more elk but there will be more people and they’ll be harder to call in. If just want to hear a bugle, it doesn’t hurt to go sometime around the 15th to play the odds.
To sum it up, your success rate will likely be the same no matter when you choose to go. Spend your time learning how to hunt elk in every situation and you’ll be better off than if you research dates. So how do you get the most time to hunt? Read on…
How to hunt elk for 10 days and take only 5 days off
Let’s face it, most of us only have a few days off a year. If you want the best chance at killing an elk you have to maximize the time you’re actually hunting. Here’s where everything above comes together into a single strategy:
- Labor day weekend
- Drive to Colorado/Idaho Friday+Saturday morning
- Hunt Saturday night, Sunday, and Monday morning (2 full days)
- Drive to the nearest airport Monday night
- Fly home Monday night (or Tuesday morning early)
- Leave your car in long term parking
- Work Tues-Friday
- Use uber or lyft if you don’t have a second car
- Fly back Friday night
- Hunt Saturday-Saturday (7 days)
- Drive home Sunday
For the price of one place ticket you get an extra 3-4 days of hunting. There are a few other benefits as well: first, you get to use the first weekend to acclimate and then rest during the work week instead of on vacation. Second, you get to “test” your equipment the first weekend and quickly repair or order anything you need for the full week. That’s all I’m going to say for now!
Summary
It’s hard to summarize all the pros/cons of driving vs flying to elk hunt, so take a look a look up top if you’re still wondering. If you’re deciding when to go elk hunting, don’t worry, no one week is better than the others. It’s all about getting the maximum time you can in the field, so use my strategy if it works for you.