Elevation change to stop other hunters

[DaleW]

In my experience people will do just about anything if they've already spotted a bull and are making a play on it. But not many are willing to get up and do a 1000'+ hike in the dark without knowing elk are there.

 

[NMBigGame]

Seems like there are two main types of hunters now; those driving the SxS and those trying to get as deep or as rugged a location as possible. I try to split the difference now.

This is all dependent on area of the country too. WY, ID, MT all seem to have more residents taking toughness to the extreme. Here in NM, more than half the residents that draw are doing so just to get a week of drinking and being away from the Mrs.

 

[mtwarden]

Here in NM, more than half the residents that draw are doing so just to get a week of drinking and being away from the Mrs.

Plenty of those in Montana too- thankfully

 

[Westernwannabe]

Last hunt in MT we found a great looking area(looking at OnX). Spot was 4 miles from vehicle access . Little elevation change to get to it. Seemed like a good spot to try.

On our hike in we encountered a couple who was bowhunting elk with their Labrador retriever in tow. In 5 min of talking to them, another hunter walked by us going the same direction as us. Once 4 miles in, with camp set up, a guide with 2 clients walked through our camp. The next morning we saw two hunters 100 yards from our camp. We got the heck out of there. On our hike out, 2 fellas hauling camp in with bicycles.

Moral of story, find elevation change and number of hunters will dramatically decrease.
On that hunt we ended up getting into elk within 1 mile of a road by simply dropping off some semi steep stuff.

 

[Deadfall]

95 percent quit 1/2 mile from buggies. IF there ain't a road or trail goin in, there won't be many taking that trekk

 

[WCB]

Depends...spot I guided it was about 700-800ft to the first meadows down off the top. The top literally had a atv trail 100' from the rim. Ran into only a couple groups that dropped in. One group killed a cow and I asked if they were dropping back in the next few days in the same area....They said "never again". It is a steep bitch to get out and the "easy spots" are a couple miles up or down canyon.

1/4 mile of dead fall imo has been better than distance or general terrain.

 

[2-Stix]

My uncles, in their mid to late 60's... hunted the same unit for 25+ years...last year only 1 group got out to hike other than them in the unit... it's a cow elk hunt, 100 tags, 10% harvest...they get out and move and typically tag out. Sometimes you just outwork the current status around you.

 

[Marshfly]

On that hunt we ended up getting into elk within 1 mile of a road by simply dropping off some semi steep stuff.

This part right here. Most people want to go up from the car. Maybe some mental thing about getting high for vantage. Maybe they want to end the day with a decline back to the car. Way less people will leave the car and go downhill I find.

 

[wyodog]

Where I backpack hunt I have found that where there are a lot of horseback hunters there are less foot hunter that feel like they can't compete. Fortunately, there is a mountain on 1 side of the valley that is too steep to ride a horse up. I sent up camp in some trees about 2000 feet above the main trail. I have not run into any hunters up where I am, but I can see them below me from a glassing point I like to use. I should mention that the last 1/3 of the way up you can touch you hand to ground while you are climbing.

 

[Short Track]

Anyone coming from sea level is going to feel 8000' +
I was ok at 5,000'. 8,000' I was feeling it, and stopping every 10 feet.