Elk hunting Solitude?

[Jason Snyder]

I'm going hunting to kill an elk. If a see a few people in the course or that, no big deal. I agree with some of the posts above, the romantic notion of backpacking into an alpine basin that's loaded with elk, and having it to yourself is highly unlikely. That's not to say you shouldn't look for this nirvana, but like Brent said, temper your expectation.

 

[kicker338]

I hunt Idaho since I live here and If you look and search for roads, and know where they are on the map then you can just bail off the road into some pretty good hunting because there is no defined access from other roads above or below. I have some pretty good spots that are like that, most follow the path of least resistance so they are kind of predictable, at least until an elk screams , even then alot will say I aint going down there for an elk.
Good luck. what part of IDaho are you looking at, PM if you want

Bail off the side of the road?? I thought I was the only guy who does this LOL.

 

[NJDiverDan]

It has been said above, but I will repeat from my perspective. I have hunted in some pretty popular zones in ID. I see people on my way in to my base camp (roadside) and to and from base camp, but I have never crossed paths with another hunter once off the road and actually hunting. Closest was last year, I had another hunter answer my bugle. Well 99% sure it was another hunter because it came from the opposite direction (closer to the roads and hunter camps) from where the elk should have been, and it was a perfect up and down flute bugle.

For your first trip, just get out and hunt, learn an area, prepare to be mobile if you encounter too many other hunters.

 

[cnelk]

At risk of getting another PM telling me quit helping elk hunters...

I have been known to drive down narrow forest roads and really look at the side hills.
Sometimes there is a stream along the road and no places to pull off.

These are gold mines!

I will drive further until I can find a place to pull off and park, and then hike back to the narrow spot and dive off there.
When I kill an elk back in there, I will bring it back to the side of the road, leave it there, hike to the truck and drive back and toss in the meat.

'Leave No Trace' extends beyond camping...

 

[Gr8bawana]

Bail off the side of the road?? I thought I was the only guy who does this LOL.

Bailing off the side of the road going through country people think is too rough has worked very well for us over the years. We have places where the road goes through very steep canyons for a couple of miles and everybody drives right through. The hike in is grueling and packing out animals is even worse but they are there because they are safe from most other hunters.

 

[5MilesBack]

At risk of getting another PM telling me quit helping elk hunters...

Elk hunters don't need help.

That's one reason why they are elk hunters.

 

[cnelk]

Elk hunters don't need help.
That's one reason why they are elk hunters.

Now thats funny.
This forum is full of questions and my PM box get used a lot for those that ask

 

[kicker338]

At risk of getting another PM telling me quit helping elk hunters...

I have been known to drive down narrow forest roads and really look at the side hills.
Sometimes there is a stream along the road and no places to pull off.

These are gold mines!

I will drive further until I can find a place to pull off and park, and then hike back to the narrow spot and dive off there.
When I kill an elk back in there, I will bring it back to the side of the road, leave it there, hike to the truck and drive back and toss in the meat.

'Leave No Trace' extends beyond camping...

I wont PM ya, I'le tell you here so everyone can see. QUIT HELPING ELK HUNTERS,IT LEAVES MORE FOR ME, and you too LOL.

 

[5MilesBack]

This forum is full of questions and my PM box get used a lot for those that ask

Exactly.

 

[westrnwild]

Alot of guys will ask for help when really all they seek is long and lat of where the elk are. Sad part is that is just a small portion of the battle. I have def gotten some pms asking for locations.. cant hurt to ask i guess.

I have shot a few bulls in my life just after seeing other guys cut through an area. But because they either weren't patient or weren't paying much attention they had no clue they went right by a herd of elk. one time watched a guy and his two buddies walk a timberline and follow it up and over the next ridge. I sat there and watched. As soon as they crested the hill, the bull started screaming in the timber. An hour later i was quartering him out. You dont have to go deep you dont have to have solitude, sure those things are awesome or can be awesome. This year a few guys beat me and buddy to the trail head where i knew some elk where near by, they were in such a rush to beat us they never checked the wind. We doubled back and went up on the other side of the drainage after checking the wind, and those elk landed in our lap. My buddy got his first bull. Either way there is more to it then just know where there at, especially if you bow hunt.

 

[cnelk]

I used to go 5 miles back, then so did everyone else.
Now, my goal is to see how close to the truck I can kill elk.

In the past 8 years, we have taken over 15 elk less than 1/2 mile from the truck.
Some as close as 200yds

Want solitude or you want to kill elk?

PM me for more details since I guess we arent supposed to help others online and others are selfish

 

[archer wapiti]

I've never had a bad experience running into people in the back country, or archery hunting elk or deer period. Some conversations last longer than others, and some have evolved into lasting friendships because we tend to hunt the same areas year after year (if we get drawn). If somebody clearly doesn't want to talk, no reason to force it, but a lot of times people are quite pleasant and spend a few minutes sharing some information - where's the water is a big one in the places I hunt. Knowing if a tank is dry can save you a lot of walking.
I've had a guy with horses haul out an elk for me (for free!) and had another guy hang on to some gear for two years that I accidentally left behind on the off chance that one day he'd run into me again. I've shared my tarp with a fellow hunter during an afternoon rainstorm, and hauled equipment back to the trailhead for a guy who had gone in heavy and had to pack out in multiple lighter loads.
My first year I was blown away by how helpful people were - "the elk are over there" (and they would be!). I try to remember that and be helpful unless it's going to botch my hunt. So far I've never regretted it. But then, I never run into more than about 4 people when I'm out there. If it were a zoo with people everywhere, I'd do things a bit differently I'm sure. Around town, I'm pretty tight-lipped about where I hunt, but once I get in there, I figure they already know where I hunt, might as well give them the time of day.
This isn't an over the counter unit, so your experience may differ. My experience hunting Wilderness in New Mexico is that you can make of it what you want. Want to avoid people for 14 days, set up your camp a mile off trail and you can probably do that. Want to have a chat once in a while, stay on the trails and you'll run into more people. I hunt alone, but the people I meet are part of the experience, and I value that.

 

[Crippledsledge64]

Thanks guys for all the help! Its nice to know that there's a chance of not seeing a person for a few days but also if I run into someone that most people are pretty cool about it. Its interesting though that some guys are more tight lipped about this post than the one I posted on which state to hunt , thanks again everyone!

 

[les welch]

I used to go 5 miles back, then so did everyone else.
Now, my goal is to see how close to the truck I can kill elk.

In the past 8 years, we have taken over 15 elk less than 1/2 mile from the truck.
Some as close as 200yds

Want solitude or you want to kill elk?

PM me for more details since I guess we arent supposed to help others online and others are selfish

^^

Brad if any of those PM's are nasty LMK or forward them and we will take care of them. Rokslide IS a place for helping others and we don't need anyone here who doesn't understand that.

 

[cuerro viejo]

I hunt both and prefer Idaho solely due to Idaho has better OTC tag selection, and Idahoans are just all around nicer on and off the trail.

National Forest wise, my experience is CO is easier to find solitude, strictly due to terrain being a lot steeper and no motorcycle access

Wilderness wise Idaho wins on solitude, bigger and deeper areas

 

[204guy]

Become a WY resident and hunt the wilderness areas with high concentrations of grizzlies?

There's been some good pointers in this thread but unless you hunt private land you will not be the only one hunting an area. Just the way it is. If there is absolutely no one else in the area there probably aren't many if any elk either. It's about finding a balance between lots of elk and not to much hunting pressure, this is also fluid and ever changing.

 

[justinspicher]

To expand on my point above, here is a super simple MS paint illustration of my theory.

Access points are "X"

Area A is a declared wilderness, lets say 100 square miles or so. But it has easy access points on 4 or more sides.

Area B is still a really good sized chunk of public ground, maybe 10 square miles, but only has a couple of access points along one road.

All other factors being equal, which one do you think is going to have more hunting pressure? Do you think you really think you are more likely to find solitude at the middle of area A just because the government declared it a wilderness? Based on real world experience I'll take B any day of the week.

This is how I approached last season. I went out 11 times and got into elk 9 times. Saw six other hunters, all at the trail head. I was never more than two miles from my truck. I always tried to go where there wouldn't be anyone instead of going wherever the elk were. Flipped the script this year and it worked out pretty well.

 

[Hayguide]

Last year I watched two bulls heading into dark timber at daylight-from 600 yards. I went back to my camp about 3/4 mile away, took a solar shower, ate lunch and decided to take a half hour nap on a chair in the 65 degree weather, All of a sudden 6 mule deer ran thru my camp- running for there lives at 12 noon. I jumped into my hunting cloths and almost ran to that Park that I watched the bulls go from into dark timber. I was horribly disappointed- three guys were chatting right where the 2 bulls went up and then down into dark timber. They chased the mulies and who knows what I was so disappointed. I went to a spot just around the corner so I could still watch the park-but also had a portion of another one in my site. Then I see another orange glob- walking right up smack middle of the park. Now I'm thinking of leaving- its 130PM, 2nd day of 1st rifle season-SW Colorado. Had I not seen those two bulls ,hoping they would come out again-I would have left. I'm 2 miles off of the trail head, I watch the hunters chatting with my binocular. There 300 yards away. The solo guy is a hiker- that explains walking in the park rather than skirting it. Then to my delight, almost wanted to jump up and down in happiness- the 3 hunterss and the hiker- head down hill! You know its gonna be dark in three hours- better head to safety-LOL. I'm the only one on the hillside- did they spook those bulls??? after sitting another 3 hours I hear a crash- 200 yards away a fat cow is standing broadside-staring at me- how can she see me??? I'm in a makeshift blind. She would run if she smelled me ---right? We look at each other for 5 minutes- then all of a sudden 60 yards from me a bull comes over a little hill- 5-5. She is watching them, not me. He looks behind him and there stands a big 6-5 I was ready to kill the 5-5- I switch (lucky bull) and shoot a 280 6-5 Colorado bull. What a change in emotions-up/down/ up again. That's why I hunt. Some guys are afraid of the dark, they might hike in at day break- but in this case they walked away from two nice bulls and never knew it! Solitude is great, but killing an elk is better!

 

[bwlacy]

I wonder in Colorado on public land in an OTC unit, if I don't see any people, is there a reason? Like no Elk! If there is elk in an area I assume there will be some others around. I don't have a lot of experience out there but I just can't believe there would be elk around and nobody else would be there.

 

[3forks]

I think that comes down to confidence and experience. I also think that's the reason why you get people crowding into particular areas.

Take fishing for example. Ever have someone crowd you while you're fishing? I think that's because a lot of people only know one way to do things or keep going back to the same area because theyve never tried to go anywhere else or change how they fish on a different piece of water.

Same with hunting. Obviously, some habitat is better for elk or may look like what most would assume is typical elk habitat, and that's a good place to start. However, a lot of people are pretty one dimensional in their ability to hunt or fish. They just haven't gained the skills or knowledge to deviate from a particular area or strategy that know.