Elevation change to stop other hunters

[Diced]

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.

 

[2-Stix]

I came from sea level and alpine climbed peaks over 14k feet every year for a decade. I would trail run and pack train for 6 months. It would help. There is a prescription you can get that help with altitude sickness but you won't get away from the VO2 challenge unless you live at altitude. You feel it at 8k, really at 10k, 11-12k sucks, 13k is painful.

I would drive up from sea level and start hiking from 6-8k where the rig was parked. We would base camp that night at 10-12k, the following day we would summit at over 14k. I would have a headace most trips. Only was really sick on one.

 

[TaperPin]

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.

When I was in a hiking club and saw how elevation effected over 50 people, it was interesting how it effects people differently. One guy on every day hike we went on could only go up 4000’ and he’d be puking sick until back down below that 4000’ gain. On day hikes I’m ok until 7500 ish feet of gain, then I start to get headaches and just feel like sitting down and doing nothing. Others were fine with 9,000’ of gain on day hikes. The longer you’re at altitude the more it will effect you - I can sleep at 6,000ish feet of gain and be ok.

 

[Short Track]

Years ago in my younger days. I was ok at Zermatt. My wife was deathly ill, and we had no idea about altitude sickness back then. Didn't know how dangerous it was. We just assumed she was sick from whatever else....
Now that I'm older, I'm much more careful about elevation changes.

 

[rkcdvm]

I tend to intentionally go to places that look nasty on maps because that’s the only place I find critters.
With that said, the first elk I ever harvested , on my last pack out I saw a nice bull about 200 yards from the trailhead . My gf at the time happened to have a rifle with her and took that bull too. That was a very long 48 hours . Had no idea how much yield they have in meat… we had to panic buy another freezer . I still have not harvested an elk as nice as the one she shot. It makes for a good story when we hangout .

 

[MallardSX2]

I thought I was going to be able to figure people out years ago. I still got no idea what guys will do or are capable of.

I remember when I hunted the flattops in 2002, late in the day, I was WAY deep into the wilderness and I finally found the elk and I said to myself there is NO WAY some fat hog would be back in there hunting. All of the sudden I kid you not, 2 guys (Muzzleloader hunters and both of them were 5'-6" and each had to have been 300 pounds) came waddling up a creek towards me. When they saw me, they came over and told me where they had started that morning, I was shocked. They had literally covered MILES in some of the nastiest blowdown that I have seen to this day. To this day, I am still perplexed that those beef cakes were in there hunting.

My takeaway from that: Never underestimate willpower.

 

[Wrench]

I like to find those terrain features that everyone wants to go see.... and then figure out where the escape routes are and work those.

Everyone hits the lake, meadow....etc. not many think about plan b.

 

[ElkArcher918]

long time lurker, first time poster.

My brother and I are most likely headed to Montana this fall and questioning how tall does the mountain have to be to stop most people from going over to hunt the next valley. In your estimate what % of hunters would a 1000 ft climb stop from wanting to hunt the next valley?

Thanks for any replies

There is no hard fast rule. Depends how close to a significant population center, road/trail network, topographical features (elevation gain, water bodies, blowdowns, etc.). Even then the young fit highly motivated flat bill Utube followers will get there. The irony of it is that alot of hunters will hike past elk to look for elk. For the most part if you are willing to bushwack 1-2 miles away from roads and trails you'll get into some elk sign, but of course no guarantee come opening day.

 

[ScreamingPotato]

Probably about the same elevation change that would stop you.