Camp high or low

[Erussell01]

Hey guys-
I'm a solo elk hunter and I need a little advice

Last year I camped high near 9000 feet about 150 yards from my glassing spot for the morning. I had a couple cow elk come below me, and I don't think I spooked them. I got into a bull immediately after glassing in the morning when he crossed a saddle within 250 yards of my glassing spot. Almost got him killed but the wind made the shot at that distance not a smart choice.

I then got blown off the mountain a night later and relocated to the other side and truck camped for a night, but the 4 or so mile hike in and straight up was a little rough in the morning. I did it again the next night and truck camped because of an impending rain and wind storm and killed my elk on the morning of the 3rd day.

When I killed I had my tarp and sleeping bag in my pack.

Being a novice- I'm trying to figure out if I am OK to camp high or if I'll blow out the elk I'm trying to hunt. I'd like to camp high to save myself the miles and time, but I'll do whT is necessary.

let me know your thoughts!

 

[Mykolaivka887]

Depends on the hunting area. Some areas you'll want to camp low and in other areas you'll want to camp high, and in other areas you'll want to be in between. Personally, I try to camp high if the hunting warrants it, but it depends on the hunting location.

 

[cnelk]

Camp low, hunt up high into the morning thermals.

 

[MT_Wyatt]

I’ve done both - the morning generally is easier being high, but if elk are working up into the down thermal you obviously can’t be above them. Chasing them up the mountain isn’t fun. Sometimes being midway up works if you can find a spot - makes it easier to get on elevation with elk right away in AM. But elk can and will cross you on the mountain so spot is key to not blow them out.

Down low can cause some problems, mainly if elk cross your path feeding into night. That’s happened to me a few times. I’ve also had them across the drainage, fairly close screaming their heads off in wallows while camped low. If you’re tucked away off travel paths and pay attention to where your scent is going low can work.

At this point I could argue for either but totally agree with “it’s area dependent.” Sometimes I’ve seen or heard them move right down the middle of a drainage at dark, making being in the bottom close to water a problem. I’ve had more cross me low and bark at night than up high.

 

[Hnthrdr]

If your hunting alpine then 10k could be low, but if the big hills in your area are 9-10 then maybe at 8… always depends on terrain and where you think or know the elk to be?

 

[Erussell01]

Camp low, hunt up high into the morning thermals.

Does that change if you're glassing?

 

[Erussell01]

Depends on the hunting area. Some areas you'll want to camp low and in other areas you'll want to camp high, and in other areas you'll want to be in between. Personally, I try to camp high if the hunting warrants it, but it depends on the hunting location.

How do you decide for yourself where you should camp?

 

[Erussell01]

I’ve done both - the morning generally is easier being high, but if elk are working up into the down thermal you obviously can’t be above them. Chasing them up the mountain isn’t fun. Sometimes being midway up works if you can find a spot - makes it easier to get on elevation with elk right away in AM. But elk can and will cross you on the mountain so spot is key to not blow them out.

Down low can cause some problems, mainly if elk cross your path feeding into night. That’s happened to me a few times. I’ve also had them across the drainage, fairly close screaming their heads off in wallows while camped low. If you’re tucked away off travel paths and pay attention to where your scent is going low can work.

At this point I could argue for either but totally agree with “it’s area dependent.” Sometimes I’ve seen or heard them move right down the middle of a drainage at dark, making being in the bottom close to water a problem. I’ve had more cross me low and bark at night than up high.

I seem to bump more elk before light down low than I expected based on my last couple years of experience. That's why I decided to try high and try to use terrain to keep myself from exposing a good hunt able area to having my scent drift down hill to elk all night

 

[Erussell01]

If your hunting alpine then 10k could be low, but if the big hills in your area are 9-10 then maybe at 8… always depends on terrain and where you think or know the elk to be?

It is easier to know where to camp when I've been in the unit before... this year has me perplexed since it's a new unit I've never been to in a state I thought I'd never go to

 

[Hnthrdr]

It is easier to know where to camp when I've been in the unit before... this year has me perplexed since it's a new unit I've never been to in a state I thought I'd never go to

Oh for sure, go off of what you do know then, via scouting or e-scouting. I will say if I’m confident elk are in the direction I’m hunting, say I’m hiking uphill early so I have the wind. Move very very slowly if it is dark out, or wait until it’s about legal shooting light to move. No point bumping elk when you can’t shoot them yet

 

[Mykolaivka887]

How do you decide for yourself where you should camp?

If it's a place I've never been before, which is usually the case when I'm going solo, I study USGS topographical maps for days and days and weeks on end, even months and months, till my eyes are bugging out. I look for palatable water sources near ridgelines and peaks, and glassing promontories within 800 yds of potential campsites.

Then, I head in there a few days or even several days before season opens [unless it's a month-long season and in that case, I usually go in after the season opener] and hope that my intended ridgeline or peak has sufficient firewood and that the nearby water source hasn't gone dry.

After getting to my "destination" (ridgeline or vicinity of a peak) I start looking for a good place that's big enough and constructed in the right way (vegetative growth) whereas I can pitch my tarp or maybe setup a 4-season mountaineering tent. Once that's done, I take a collapsible 5-gallon water jug and drop into the canyon that presumably has palatable water, and then pack that back up to camp.

 

[Roguemountainhunter]

Terrain, time of year, and animal behavior dictate my decision.

 

[Erussell01]

If it's a place I've never been before, which is usually the case when I'm going solo, I study USGS topographical maps for days and days and weeks on end, even months and months, till my eyes are bugging out. I look for palatable water sources near ridgelines and peaks, and glassing promontories within 800 yds of potential campsites.

Then, I head in there a few days or even several days before season opens [unless it's a month-long season and in that case, I usually go in after the season opener] and hope that my intended ridgeline or peak has sufficient firewood and that the nearby water source hasn't gone dry.

After getting to my "destination" (ridgeline or vicinity of a peak) I start looking for a good place that's big enough and constructed in the right way (vegetative growth) whereas I can pitch my tarp or maybe setup a 4-season mountaineering tent. Once that's done, I take a collapsible 5-gallon water jug and drop into the canyon that presumably has palatable water, and then pack that back up to camp.

Do you camp In the same place the entire hunt? I'm usually only in a spot for a night or maybe 2 if there are elk there and then I'm on to the next spot looking for elk and sign

 

[LostArra]

This dilemma is exactly the reason the elk usually win.

I've caused some pretty impressive stampedes from both positions in spite of advanced scouting and planning..

 

[MallardSX2]

Camp high and sleep in till about 8:00AM

Wait for all the morning hunters to run the elk right to you when the thermals switch by the time they catch up to the elk....lol

 

[Mykolaivka887]

Do you camp In the same place the entire hunt? I'm usually only in a spot for a night or maybe 2 if there are elk there and then I'm on to the next spot looking for elk and sign

Yes, I usually do. The only reason I ever relocate, is when I see something (animal) that's truly huge and that I can't get to and kill from my intended location.

 

[Wrench]

I try to stay at least 30 minutes hike away from where I know or suspect elk would/should be. I would stay clear of water if it's scarce in your area.

Most importantly think about how elk move. They like to come down at night and move into the mountain as the thermal aids them. NEVER set up where you will scent drift a basin that elk feed in. Expect the elk to travel .5 to 1 mile between feeding and bedding with wind working for them the whole time. Do not expect them to walk single file in timber like the do in the open. Often they will be several hundred yards apart.

 

[Erussell01]

This dilemma is exactly the reason the elk usually win.

I've caused some pretty impressive stampedes from both positions in spite of advanced scouting and planning..

I feel that one... I got up one time at 2 am to climb up just to push all the elk in a glorious stampede right up and over the damn mountain. That one hurt my feelings a bit

 

[Erussell01]

Camp high and sleep in till about 8:00AM

Wait for all the morning hunters to run the elk right to you when the thermals switch by the time they catch up to the elk....lol

My elk last year.... I did in fact sleep in til 8 and then went hunting. I needed the morning to lick my wounds from getting so close but not sealing the deal the entire day before. Worked out good. I got to the spot I wanted to hunt, broke out an instant pack of coffee, heard some bugles so I started dropping pins on on x and then they showed right up in front of me at 55 yards. New I couldn't pass up that good of an opportunity and was tagged out 15 min after the hunt started I guess the lazy bird got the worm that day

 

[Erussell01]

I try to stay at least 30 minutes hike away from where I know or suspect elk would/should be. I would stay clear of water if it's scarce in your area.

Most importantly think about how elk move. They like to come down at night and move into the mountain as the thermal aids them. NEVER set up where you will scent drift a basin that elk feed in. Expect the elk to travel .5 to 1 mile between feeding and bedding with wind working for them the whole time. Do not expect them to walk single file in timber like the do in the open. Often they will be several hundred yards apart.

Now that's good advice! Thank you