Hiking Distance

[banded_drake]

I've been researching some units in Colorado and looking for potential spots to hunt next year in some OTC units I'm considering if I dont draw (which I realize as a first year hunter my odds are low). Anyway, as a first time backcountry hunter, considering I'm in pretty good shape and have trained for the trip prior, what would be a reasonable distance I could expect to be able to cover in a day. Some of the spots I've found are about 4-6 miles in from the nearest road. Just wondering if these areas are in reach for a guy like me

Sent from my SM-G970U using Tapatalk

 

[Carr5vols]

I have traveled 15 in a day with over 50 lbs. Will not make that mistake again. My hike in this year is right at 9 miles.

 

[feanor]

That is certainly a reasonable distance to cover in a day. Are you hiking to that spot, and then setting up camp and doing shorter trips out and back? It also depends on elevation gain in those miles. If you have to gain 2k vertical, its going to be more strenuous than some rolling, undulating terrain. Consider also, if you are hiking off trail, it will be slower going, and climbing over dead fall can take more exertion than just hiking on a trail.
If you are coming from sea level, your lungs will be busting too. Colorado, in general, is an area that if you hike 10 miles in to a spot, chances are, you will be closer to a trailhead on the other side. So somebody else could be hiking from the opposite side to you.
Finally, the biggest thing to consider, is are you in good enough shape to hike out the meat at that mileage. 100 lbs can wear you down for sure. If you have to make a return trip, it will be even tougher. Guys come out and hunt these areas all the time from out of state, but just make sure you are in top physical conditioning and your gear is dialed in, and it will be a great hunt!

 

[Conrad101st]

How do you get an elk out after hiking in 9 miles??

 

[Idaho Sandman]

How do you get an elk out after hiking in 9 miles??

Mules

 

[Carr5vols]

How do you get an elk out after hiking in 9 miles??

Time and will power.

 

[Jimss]

It usually takes me around 3 or 4 trips to get a boned elk out (by myself)….depending upon the size bull, antlers, cape, etc. If you add to that camp...that makes it 4 or 5 trips! Keep that in mind when figuring out a strategy. What season are you considering and what elevation? It can snow a foot or more from the 2nd season on at 9,000'+ elevation. If it were me and was my first time I'd take a scouting trip or 2 during the summer to figure out what you are up against. Not only get to know the country and access but also test out your gear. Backpack hunting....especially for game the size of elk is a lot tougher than a lot of guys think!

You also need to keep in mind that OTC elk units are loaded with hunters from archery season through all the rifle seasons. I don't think a lot of guys realize the number of hunters that hunt OTC units in Colo! It can be a total nightmare. It may take several years to figure things out and have success. Elk usually head directly to the steepest, nastiest, and most remote areas. Also once pressured elk often head directly to private land. If it's your first trip out west there is a very large learning curve!

 

[banded_drake]

That would be my plan, a couple of the areas I've found at these distances have a few different peaks with multiple treelines, small meadows, and a few valleys. Its actually at the far edge of a unit, so I pulled the adjacent unit to check for other roads or trails and did not see any closer than 5 miles from the other direction. Now there is a trail I can barely see on GE that will get me from the end of the forest road to pretty close to the area I want to be. I know, it's public and OTC so I probably wont be alone, but I feel I could get away from some of the people going to that area. Looks like an overall elevation climb of about 2000-3000

Sent from my SM-G970U using Tapatalk

 

[rockcrawler]

Are you solo hunting or going in with a group?
Are you staying in the backcountry or hiking back to your truck everyday?
I solo hunt mostly, I keep it within 5-6 miles one way max.


Sent from my Moto E (4) Plus using Tapatalk

 

[banded_drake]

That is certainly a reasonable distance to cover in a day. Are you hiking to that spot, and then setting up camp and doing shorter trips out and back? It also depends on elevation gain in those miles. If you have to gain 2k vertical, its going to be more strenuous than some rolling, undulating terrain. Consider also, if you are hiking off trail, it will be slower going, and climbing over dead fall can take more exertion than just hiking on a trail.
If you are coming from sea level, your lungs will be busting too. Colorado, in general, is an area that if you hike 10 miles in to a spot, chances are, you will be closer to a trailhead on the other side. So somebody else could be hiking from the opposite side to you.
Finally, the biggest thing to consider, is are you in good enough shape to hike out the meat at that mileage. 100 lbs can wear you down for sure. If you have to make a return trip, it will be even tougher. Guys come out and hunt these areas all the time from out of state, but just make sure you are in top physical conditioning and your gear is dialed in, and it will be a great hunt!

It usually takes me around 3 or 4 trips to get a boned elk out (by myself)….depending upon the size bull, antlers, cape, etc. If you add to that camp...that makes it 4 or 5 trips! Keep that in mind when figuring out a strategy. What season are you considering and what elevation? It can snow a foot or more from the 2nd season on at 9,000'+ elevation. If it were me and was my first time I'd take a scouting trip or 2 during the summer to figure out what you are up against. Not only get to know the country and access but also test out your gear. Backpack hunting....especially for game the size of elk is a lot tougher than a lot of guys think!

You also need to keep in mind that OTC elk units are loaded with hunters from archery season through all the rifle seasons. I don't think a lot of guys realize the number of hunters that hunt OTC units in Colo! It can be a total nightmare. It may take several years to figure things out and have success. Elk usually head directly to the steepest, nastiest, and most remote areas. Also once pressured elk often head directly to private land. If it's your first trip out west there is a very large learning curve!

I plan on a scouting trip in mid august next year. I know it's tough hunting and I'm not taking it lightly by any means. I know what I'm up against and my odds of pulling off killing an elk are low, but I want to give it everything I have and if that means tough hikes to remote places then I'll spend the next year preparing myself the best that I can for that.

Sent from my SM-G970U using Tapatalk

 

[Sportsman]

OP, not enough info.

Age? What's pretty good shape? Live at sea level? Have hills to train on?

I'm 49 and exercise 4-5 days per week and have since I was in high school. Live near sea level. I just finished a six day hunt plus pack-in/out days (8 total) and it kicked my butt. Camp was 5 miles and 2200' gain from truck. Did 5-10 miles per day hunting.

It was the pack-in with 60 lbs that got me. Daily hunts were a grind but manageable but every day got harder with the cumulative effect of rough terrain. We didn't kill but packing an elk out at the end of the trip would have been tough.

We were hunting between 10,000 and 10,400 feet. Altitude didn't hit me hard because I was in good cardio condition but you still feel it when climbing. Now, 11,000+? Probably a different story. I did do a 12 mile conditioning hike with 40 lbs at 10,000 feet a couple weeks before the hunt.

 

[3forks]

Time and will power.

You’re saying you’re going to hike in 9 miles and hunt from there, right?

What’s the furthest you’ve packed an elk out before?

 

[Ucsdryder]

3 trips solo is tough, very tough. 4 is reasonable for someone I great shape. That’s 10 miles round trip if you’re only 5 miles back. You’re talking 40 miles with half under a heavy load. That’s after x number of days of hunting and then cutting up and elk, which is hard work by yourself. I’m not saying it’s impossible, but it’s not possible for a very large percent of hunters. Don’t forget in September temps can be in the 70-80s.

 

[banded_drake]

OP, not enough info.

Age? What's pretty good shape? Live at sea level? Have hills to train on?

I'm 49 and exercise 4-5 days per week and have since I was in high school. Live near sea level. I just finished a six day hunt plus pack-in/out days (8 total) and it kicked my butt. Camp was 5 miles and 2200' gain from truck. Did 5-10 miles per day hunting.

It was the pack-in with 60 lbs that got me. Daily hunts were a grind but manageable but every day got harder with the cumulative effect of rough terrain. We didn't kill but packing an elk out at the end of the trip would have been tough.

We were hunting between 10,000 and 10,400 feet. Altitude didn't hit me hard because I was in good cardio condition but you still feel it when climbing. Now, 11,000+? Probably a different story. I did do a 12 mile conditioning hike with 40 lbs at 10,000 feet a couple weeks before the hunt.

33 years old, firefighter for 13 years. I train every shift at our gym, we do multiple hose drags up several flights of stairs a couple of times a month as I've been stationed in a heavily populated multi story district. I run multiple 5ks throughout the year and on my days off, I just like to run. I probably average 14-18 miles a week of runs. So yeah, I consider myself in decent shape and stay that way. I just need to train more for altitude as I only go to the mountains twice a year for snowboarding. It usually doesn't bother me on those trips. I'll be hunting with my wife who is 34 and is also in almost as good of shape as I am. She doesn't run as much as I do as shes not much for running, but she does different workouts every day and bikes a lot. My plan is to hike in to this general area and set up camp to hunt from there

Sent from my SM-G970U using Tapatalk

 

[Sportsman]

I'm career military. You're where I was at your age and it would have been much easier. I still think 5 miles from the truck is a good upper limit depending on elevation gain and pack weight. We used dehydrated food and filtered our water in the mountains. I was around 55-60 lbs with my bow - I forget starting weight now. I'd prefer to be at 40-45 but I'm not a large frame to carry weight.

I'll start using llamas as I get older and definitely when I retire.

 

[jetsled]

Lol, people and there tall tales. 9 miles and 2k vertical feet. I'm calling major bull$h*t on that deal. Comon guys, be real. With a 60lb pack? Maybe, maybe for a muley, but dont kid yourself with elk. Dont even attempt it. Keep it to 3 or so miles and a moderate climb. Thank me later.

 

[jmez]

How many places in the lower 48 can you hike in 9 miles and not have a road closer than that the direction you are going? Not many.

 

[jmez]

To the OP, you shoot an elk 6 miles from the road with 2k-3k elevation gain you will never do it again.

 

[Carr5vols]

How many places in the lower 48 can you hike in 9 miles and not have a road closer than that the direction you are going? Not many.

Work smarter not harder. Just because a road is closer doesnt mean it's an easier pack in and out. 9 miles with only 800 ft gain or 3 miles 2000 ft drop in and out.

 

[Trr15]

A lot of this has already been covered, but I'll add my two cents. A 4-6 mile pack in, if you're in good shape, is definitely do-able. I've covered 10+ miles during day hunts. With that said, if you're hunting solo, packing an elk out from that distance is a serious undertaking if you don't have mules or buddies helping you. Seriously, packing elk quarters, even short distances at high elevation through rough terrain is hard work. As distance increases, it becomes really hard work. Hiking in as far as needed to get away from other hunters is always a good strategy, but realistically, elk can be killed a lot closer to your truck and to a main road than 4-6 miles. That may change the experience for you, but it will also result in an easier pack out. Just something to consider.