Best Elk Hunting Gear of 2022 [51 Must-Haves + DIY Checklist]

The truth is, having the best elk hunting gear of 2022 isn’t going to guarantee you success. The stats are in, and they aren’t exactly in your favor. On average, Colorado elk hunters are only victorious about 12% of the time. We’d imagine the stats are similar in other states.

But success rate stats don’t tell the whole story. Certain wapiti hunters harvest elk year after year after year. What sets them apart? Are they just lucky?

No.

The one common denominator among consistently successful hunters is that they prepare well and leave nothing to chance. Luck is a product of preparation, so they spend countless hours getting to know their gear and scouting their locations.

They make their shots count.

Do successful hunters own all the must-have gear for elk hunting that 2022 has to offer? Well, not always; the gear doesn’t make the hunter. But, take a look inside their pack and you’ll likely find a fine-tuned setup that works for their style of hunting.

Keep reading for all of the top-rated elk hunting gear we recommend for a successful 2022 season and beyond. Also, be sure to use the DIY checklist towards the end of this post as you pack for your backcountry elk hunting trip. Doing so will ensure you never leave a single piece of essential gear behind.

Because, with such success rates so low, we hunters will take all the help we can get.

Josh Riley gives tons of great ideas for Elk Hunting Gear, continue reading about them here.