PREPARING FOR AN ELK HUNT

Hunting Tracks

EDITOR'S NOTE: Steve Puppe of Hamilton, Montana, promotions director for Knight Rifles and longtime avid hunter, lives on the edge of the Bitterroot National Forest with its abundant elk, mule deer and white-tailed deer.

Question: Once we find an elk track and determine it's a bull, what happens then?
Answer: We're going to gear up. We'll put our walking clothes and backpacks on and go after it. We'll see what the animal is doing by his tracks, and we can tell if he's just walking somewhere or kind of milling around feeding. If he's milling around feeding, there's a pretty good chance we can find him at a fairly quick pace. If he's walking, he may end up five miles away. If that's the case, it will be a long walk for us.

Question: What kind of clothes do you recommend wearing to hunt elk in November and why?
Answer: I like to use wool clothes. You obviously need good, waterproof boots because we are going to be in snow. You want something that is comfortable and warm. You may want some Hot Hands or Toe Warmers in your boots if you have cold-blooded feet. Personally, I like to go with the least amount of insulation on my feet that's possible because my feet sweat, and I don't want to get them to get cold that way. I wear wool clothes and some kind of a wicking-type shirt, which pulls the sweat off of my body. I've got on wool pants and a wool jacket. The wool, even if it gets wet, will keep you warm.

Question: Why do you prefer wool over other kinds of clothes? Why do you wear such light-weight wool as opposed to a bulky snowmobile suit or something like that?
Answer: Because I walk a lot when I hunt elk, and the more you walk, the more you sweat. The real plus I find in wearing wool is even if you're wet, you'll still be warm. The biggest factor is wool is really quiet.

To learn more about Knight Rifles, call (641) 856-2626, write them at Knight Rifles, Customer Service Dept., 21852 Hwy J46, Centerville, IA 52544, or visit their Web site www.knightrifles.com. You can contact Scott Boulanger, a dependable, expert elk guide in this section of Montana by writing him at P.O. Box 733, Darby, Montana, 59289. You can call him at (406) 821-0017, e-mail him at elkhunter@circlekbl.com, or visit his Web site www.circlekbl.com.

TOMORROW: CHOOSING HUNTING LOCATIONS