So this is a little premature and a bit of a whirlwind. I live in Montana and have been slowly getting ready for NEXT years elk hunt. Bought a new Tikka, working it up with ammo and trying to learn everything i can. Even went out with a friend hunting this year just as his "helper".

I got word that i might have the opportunity for a cow hunt in northern New Mexico in a month and a half. Nothing finalized yet but this put me in overdrive to sort things out. I believe it is guided but i dont have the details. I have never done anything guided or hunted elk so i have lots of questions. I will obviously ask the guides when i get in touch with them. But here are a few of my questions. How much do you tip guides? Do they usually provide range finder, spotting scope and binoculars. Do they usually have shooting sticks or something? I know some of that depends on the terrain and how tall the grass is or how hilly it is.  Will they have a processor to process the meat? If the meat needs to be hung for a week how would I fly back with some of it? I know it is a dumb question but how important is camouflage clothing? I have some ok multicam hiking field pants, My gortex shell is almost a coyote brown. I want to buy the gear i need but it would be nice to avoid buying gear i dont need. Rather spend money on ammo and learning my dope if that makes sense.

I will have to ask them some specifics about the terrain we will hunt like expected shooting distance. I will be using a 6.5 Creedmoor which i know some people think is marginal. I dont have the most experience but I think at shorter range on a cow it should be fine. Trying to decide between Nosler 142gr Accubonds and Federal 130gr Terminal Ascent. I need one more range trip with them to see which shoots better but they both appear to be sub MOAish. Hopefully they will be OK with 6.5 Creedmoor. I dont know if some guides have rules like .30 cal minimum or anything.

Sorry about all the dumb questions. I am excited about the opportunity and have a lot to figure out. Hopefully it will pan out and i will get to do this trip. I want to make it successful and not be "one of those" guys that shows up totally clueless. I know i am clueless and have a lot to learn. So i am trying to approach it with a good attitude and learn what i can from the people that are more knowledgeable than me.

Lots of elk dropped to a creedmoor.  Shoot well and you’ll see.
Sounds like a fun hunt and either of those rounds will work.

Your guide will provide a recommended equipment list if you don’t have something and don’t want to buy it ask if they have one you can use. All guides tend to bee gear hogs and have a lot of extra equipment. Late season cow hunt camo is not normally critical. Muted earth tone colors work well. Put you money towards really good boots, gators and foul weather gear.

Tipping a guide really depends on your experience. We had one hunt that turned into a shit show due to outside personnel. The guides busted their asses to try to get us into elk but the asshole neighbors were watching us and kept cutting the elk off. The guides worked hard but we cut the week long hunt off after two days of whack a mole with the neighbors. We still tipped the guides 10% because they worked hard for us. If we had shot a bull I had budgeted 20%. Good guide, good tip.


The Creedmoor will be fine for a cow elk. If the 142 accubond is sub moa or close to it I would use it. We are using the 127 lrx Barnes for cow elk.

I know a few guides and they are definitely gear hogs.

Any boot recomendations just so i can get an idea of what to wear? I have a pair of leather gortex Vasque hiking boots but they are not insulated.  I dont know if that would be ok with good thick socks. I should have some serious gateres from my mountaineering days. I also have some thing liner gloves and huge over mittens that are very warm but would need to be slid off to shoot.

I used to fit and sell a lot of high end boots years ago. I am very particular about my boots. I will say this about boot fitting, the shape of your foot will dictate which boot works best for you. With that said, I have owned Asolo, Vasque, Zamberlain, Lowa, Kenetrek and others. All of those are good boots. The tallest I had run was 8” until I planned my Alaska hunt. For that trip I bought a 10” boot. I have a EE width, high arch and long arch length foot. The only boot that ever felt excellent on my foot is the Kenetrek Mountain Extreme un insulated in a wide. That boot fits me better than any boot I have ever owned that weren’t custom. FWIW, on our Alaska hunt I was the only one out of 4 people whose feet never got wet. I love that boot! FWIW, my feet run hot. I rarely ever get cold feet even in deep snow. Un insulated boots with good socks are all I ever need. If you get cold feet look at 400 or 800 gr insulated boots. The down side is potentially not being able to use them early season.

For you I suggest doing your research and trying on as many as you can. If you can justify the budget then try the Kenetrek’s, they are fantastic. You can buy online from any reputable dealer, fit the boot in the house, do not go outside, and return it if you don’t like it. Better yet, find a good boot fitter and go to them. Find what works for you.

Also how much ammo should i travel with? I want absolutely no chance of running out of ammo and scrambling to buy some that I have not shot with. I figure i want enough to completely re-zero a scope with if it loses zero traveling and still have plenty for the hunting. Maybe 4 boxes?

I have not done an out of state hunt like you, but really 20 will be plenty.  Say the scope gets whacked, 10 to re sight.  You will likely shoot 1-3 at an elk.  I have knocked down 18 bulls and cows with everything from 308 to 300WM. 1 or w shots on any of them.
Wait, I forgot my second elk fell to one shot with a 30-30.
Don’t sweat it, you will have a great time.  Even if your gun gets lost on the way, they will have a loaner.

If this is truly a guided hunt then ask the guide most of these questions, not people who have no idea of the terrain you are hunting in or the type of guided hunt you are doing.

They should have horses to pack out the quarters if you are far enough from a road to need them.  They will also have access to a processor that can cut, package and freeze the meat.  Take a couple of empty coolers if you are not close to someplace you can buy them.

I have flow back from Durango to Richmond with meat several times.  Choose a cooler that when totally full weighs less than the baggage limit weight and check it.  Write your name and address on the top and side with a sharpie.  It will still be mostly frozen when you get back home as long as it is the same day and would likely still be just fine if they lost your luggage and didn't get it to you until the following day.

Take a box of cartridges.  You will probably use one round if you can hit the broad side of a barn.  I have killed 5 elk over the years and think I still have 10 rounds left in the box of 300 WM I purchased before the first hunt and that includes a few rounds I fired to make sure the scope was still zeroed.  It isn't that I am an amazing shot either.  Just don't take shots that you don't think you can get a good solid hit to the vitals and the 6.5 should get the job done.

Do you need camo, no probably not.  If you are still hunting then sitting still is the important part.  Do you need binos or a spotting scope, that depends on where you are hunting, ask the guide, that is what you are paying for but chances are pretty good the guide is going to point out the elk before you ever see them.

Do you tip?  If you are working through an outfitter and your guide works for them then yes, you tip.  How much, it depends on what they are doing for you.  We tipped each wrangler a couple hundred for hauling us to our drop camp and picking us up at the end of the season but the last time we went was probably 6 years ago so that may be less than the going rate.

As far as your gear goes it sound like you will be 3rd season so may be contending with snow.  Dress accordingly.  If you will be mostly sitting but doing some walking dress in layers.  It is far more better to have to shed clothes or unzip and ventilate to get cooler when walking than it is to wear too little, get cold soaked from sitting and be miserable for hours.

The most I have ever shot on a hunt is 4, my first elk. The elk was dead at 2 but I was told if it’s moving you are shooting. The most I have ever seen shot on a hunt is 14. Ten practice rounds and 4 shots on the animal. One box should suffice.

Fwiw, europtic has kenetrek on sale right now. Good prices.

I guide elk hunts in New Mexico.  A lot of good advice in this thread.  6.5 will get the job done easily.  Just be reasonable with your shot selection.  Late season cow hunt should allow you the time to get a good shot.  

I am assuming you are hunting with a landowner tag.  Make sure you know whether you have a unit wide tag or a ranch only tag.  Unit wide means you can hunt any legally accessible land within your assigned unit.  Ranch only means you can only hunt on the land designated on your tag.  

As mentioned earlier, camo should not be a big deal.  Talk with your guide about how they intend on hunting.  If the temps are cold and you will be glassing, I would look into getting a puffy jacket to wear while glassing.  I prefer down for packability.  Depends on how much hiking you will be doing.  Plan on wearing layers and shedding as the day progresses.  

There is a good chance your guide has an extra set of binos, but ask first.  If not, I would go ahead and get a set.  Going on a hunt and not being able to look for elk with binos would be boring for me.  And even though your guide will likely spot them first, it's nice to have an extra set of eyes.  I would not get a spotting scope at this point.  

Boots and gaiters can make or break your hunt.  If you have the time, try on several different manufacturer's boots.  Personally, Zamberlan's fit my feet the best.  But a number of good brands have already been mentioned.  I've generally found the Italian made hunting boots to be excellent.  Take into consideration that some break in of the boots may be needed.  After that it's more a matter of what fits your feet the best.  I prefer uninsulated for the reasons already mentioned.

Your guide will have a rangefinder and will provide you with the ranges.  It's nice to have one for yourself but should not be needed.  The guide should also provide shooting sticks but check to make sure they will be providing them for you.

Tipping is typically 15 to 20 percent of the total cost of the hunt.  Consider tipping the cook and anyone else that assists on your hunt.  Can either tip each person personally or tip the guide and let him know the tip includes any tips for others such as the cook.  When I tip on a hunt, I prefer to tip each person individually.  

Keep the attitude you have now and you will have a great time.  Elk hunting is always an adventure.  Roll with the punches and I bet you will come home with some excellent stories and meat for the freezer.  If your hunt is before the 21st of December and you happen to come through Albuquerque and need something, message me and I can probably take care of you.

I love my Kennetreks.

Got the "go ahead" email. Now I just have to put the logisics together. Really excites about my first elk hunt!

Elk hunts are pretty special. Elk meat is extra special, especially cows! Delicious!

Elk is right above bison and right under moose, which is just under caribou. All are exceptional.

I’ll just say to bring a set of leather gloves and foam knee pads, like a floor installer might wear, for stalking.

Be sure to be ready to shoot from field positions. I don’t care how well you shoot from a bench. Elk rarely live within 400 yards of a shooting bench.

I think your 6.5cm will do fine. Just remember shot placement. If you can’t be certain of good placement don’t take the shot. And having an entire elk in your freezer is an awesome feeling.

Take your own binos. Buy the best you can afford.

I love my Kennetreks but they are tue pac style boots with rubber lowers and leather uppers they are heavy and keep my feet warm as hell.

Don’t know the area you are hunting but I hunt cow elk in northern Colorado. I have seen elk at 600 and at 30 yards. Farthest shot I have ever taken was at 325 with an 8x68S (8 mag) and the closest I have taken was at 37 yards with a 500 gr softpoint from a 470 NE.

Take a good set of leather gloves. Very handy for camp/animal recovery work and also on a stalk. I also keep a set of Alta hard capped knee pads on the outside of my day pack. They almost always get used.

Even if a guide will be skinning out the animal I always take a set of my own to help.

Clothing.

I mostly go with synthetic parka layers because it can be wet snow where I hunt. I keep a light weight down vest in my day pack along with rain gear. Many is the time I have found a place out of the wind, added the vest under my fleece and then layered back up and been pleasantly warm. The rain gear is a just in case item Incase a nasty snow hits while we are out or it rains. It is also great if the wind comes up to cut the wind.

How many rounds? 40 is far more then enough. I usually take a box because it’s convenient. Why goes in the field? 1 3 round mag and 1 5 round mag and one loose round to top off the 3 rounder.

A beanie and light balaclava are always in the pack.

Try not to overthink it all and don’t over pack. Drove if you possibly can.