Strategy.

Calbuck

WKR
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Apr 6, 2013
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Shasta County, Norcal
Short hike from the truck, but decent vertical gain and lots of country on the backside. Do you spike out on the ridge, or hike in and out morning and evening?
 

HuntNTag

WKR
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Mar 31, 2020
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Location
Michigan
Tough call here because I find a lot of variables in these situations to truly give a good answer. Once there (in my hunting area), I like to feel things out and that will give me a gut check to what I should do compared to what I had on google maps or whatever else I had originally set out in my mind.

Mentally, In my opinion, it’s all about how long my hike would be daily. If I am in an area where I can spend 45 min or less hiking into an area I can glass from, I will be at the truck. My main thought is always about how much of my smell will be in that area if I am camping and also if I am super close to where I expect the game to be or if I will be glassing them up from the area I just hiked into.




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OP
Calbuck

Calbuck

WKR
Joined
Apr 6, 2013
Messages
510
Location
Shasta County, Norcal
True, it always looks a little different than the maps make it seem. For me being close to 50 and not able to do those kinds of vertical climbs every day, I'm thinking that once I make it to the ridge line, I wanna stay there for a day or two and work my way along the top, glassing each basin/drainage as I go. I'm hunting an area that doesn't get very far from the roads, but to top out is usually 2500-3000' of climbs to see into those higher honey holes. Good point about washing the area with scent..I'm sure that puts the deer on alert.
 
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Will there be a water source within reach once on top?
If not you'll either need to hike down for water or carry enough for a couple days in one trip
 
OP
Calbuck

Calbuck

WKR
Joined
Apr 6, 2013
Messages
510
Location
Shasta County, Norcal
Will there be a water source within reach once on top?
If not you'll either need to hike down for water or carry enough for a couple days in one trip
Most of the drainages in the area have some water. That would be a deciding factor in where to set camp for sure. In past years, there's been some snow up top as well to melt. MTN, I'd be willing to bet you've put boots in the area before!
 
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Feb 25, 2012
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I hunt elk in an area that it is 3.5 miles from the TH before it starts getting good. I hike it everyday because there isn’t any water up top and very few areas to setup a tent. There is water in the bottom but I don’t hike down unless I’m stalking something or killed it.

If there was a good spot out of sight plus water I would probably camp in there.
 

Lytro

WKR
Joined
Jun 19, 2019
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I would hike in each day if there's a possibility of deer being in between the truck and the top of the ridge. I assume you would need to camp close to the top for it to be worth it, and thermals would carry your scent down through that entire area each night. If you've never hunted that area, you may also get there and find out most of the deer are occupying that slope.

There are a lot of unknown variables though (archery or rifle, how many days you're hunting, time of year, north slope vs south slope, etc.). I'd definitely be willing to have more of a bold strategy on a rifle hunt.
 

huntnful

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Joined
Oct 10, 2020
Messages
1,228
Location
Central CA
True, it always looks a little different than the maps make it seem. For me being close to 50 and not able to do those kinds of vertical climbs every day, I'm thinking that once I make it to the ridge line, I wanna stay there for a day or two and work my way along the top, glassing each basin/drainage as I go. I'm hunting an area that doesn't get very far from the roads, but to top out is usually 2500-3000' of climbs to see into those higher honey holes. Good point about washing the area with scent..I'm sure that puts the deer on alert.
This for sure. I like to go way up and far on the first day, and then work my way back toward the truck. Changing camps by a mile or so in the middle of the day. If there's water up there, camp up there. And as far as thermals and scent. Camp on the opposing side that you want to hunt, about 50-100' down. I killed my big cali buck about 400 yards from my camp first thing in the morning. I was camped on the opposite side of the ridgeline as him though.
 
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Jul 30, 2015
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Lenexa, KS
Will there be a water source within reach once on top?
If not you'll either need to hike down for water or carry enough for a couple days in one trip

This. If there is water up there then camp up there. If you have to dive off for water then truck camp.
 
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Calbuck

Calbuck

WKR
Joined
Apr 6, 2013
Messages
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Location
Shasta County, Norcal
This is the way I think I’ll approach my area this fall. Minimal disruption, quiet and no fire unless it’s absolutely necessary
 

huntnful

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Central CA
This is the way I think I’ll approach my area this fall. Minimal disruption, quiet and no fire unless it’s absolutely necessary
Are you planning to rifle hunt this? Try to make an early scouting trip into the area and assess camping and water and glassing areas before just totally committing with 5 days of stuff on your back.
 
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Calbuck

Calbuck

WKR
Joined
Apr 6, 2013
Messages
510
Location
Shasta County, Norcal
I would hike in each day if there's a possibility of deer being in between the truck and the top of the ridge. I assume you would need to camp close to the top for it to be worth it, and thermals would carry your scent down through that entire area each night. If you've never hunted that area, you may also get there and find out most of the deer are occupying that slope.

There are a lot of unknown variables though (archery or rifle, how many days you're hunting, time of year, north slope vs south slope, etc.). I'd definitely be willing to have more of a bold strategy on a rifle hunt.

For sure, there will be some recon done before truckin on up the hill..this happens to be an OTC unit, so usually not many animals next to the road. My plan is to slowly still hunt and glass my way to the top, then stay up there for as many days as I need to see what’s in the area..there’s not many roads up high, so I expect the majority of the deer to be tucked away in those draws and basins
 
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Calbuck

Calbuck

WKR
Joined
Apr 6, 2013
Messages
510
Location
Shasta County, Norcal
Are you planning to rifle hunt this? Try to make an early scouting trip into the area and assess camping and water and glassing areas before just totally committing with 5 days of stuff on your back.

I’ve hunted the area many times..there are a couple drainages I haven’t set foot in, but my initial several spots have water year round. Ive always day hiked in to the areas and getting older, wanted to hear some opinions on staying on the mountain vs back and forth to the truck every day. Yes, it's a rifle hunt. Invariably, I glass up animals that are out of range (usually in the evening) and they are nowhere to be found the next day. I guess I haven't been aggressive enough to go after em and then have a midnight hike back to the truck
 
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huntnful

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Joined
Oct 10, 2020
Messages
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Location
Central CA
I’ve hunted the area many times..there are a couple drainages I haven’t set foot in, but my initial several spots have water year round. Ive always day hiked in to the areas and getting older, wanted to hear some opinions on staying on the mountain vs back and forth to the truck every day. Yes, it's a rifle hunt. Invariably, I glass up animals that are out of range (usually in the evening) and they are nowhere to be found the next day. I guess I haven't been aggressive enough to go after em and then have a midnight hike back to the truck
Oh gotcha! I'd definitely just commit to the area then and explore those deeper in drainages. And when you have a base camp just short distance from those evening bucks you glass up, maybe you'll feel more comfortable going after one and killing it, knowing you won't have to pack it out for 3 hours in the dark and actually just bring him back to camp until the next day.
 
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Calbuck

Calbuck

WKR
Joined
Apr 6, 2013
Messages
510
Location
Shasta County, Norcal
Oh gotcha! I'd definitely just commit to the area then and explore those deeper in drainages. And when you have a base camp just short distance from those evening bucks you glass up, maybe you'll feel more comfortable going after one and killing it, knowing you won't have to pack it out for 3 hours in the dark and actually just bring him back to camp until the next day.

Yeah man. My thoughts exactly!
 
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