bbraden
Well-Known Member
If you know generally where the elk are, and you're backpack camping, how far away should you camp from the elk? One ridge over? A mile or more, etc?
Camping near elk
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308stillbrass
SCAMMER
Sleeping with the devil.
Plinker147
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Depends if you do a spike camp, limit noise and fire you can be close, I had elk water in the stream next to my camp. if you are going to have a normal camp with fire and some noise I would be at least 1/2 mile from where I would want to hunt
cohunt
Well-Known Member
to add to this--what about general sightings -- see 20+ elk every moring in a meadow in mid July--but I'm sure other hunters have seen them there also-- would you start 1st season in that meadow, or head to a more "hidden" meadow further from the trail and other hunters?
Plinker147
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Depend once again. Are the elk there this time of year or when you will be hunting? Is there a big bull worth shooting? if there is you will likely have company with other hunters. Key thing about elk is hunt where they are not just what looks like elk country. Elk will move a lot with pressure, I would scout 2-3 days before you hunt and start your hunt where they are and adjust after if needed. I have had to move my wilderness camps 10 miles at times just because the elk weren't where they normally are and I had to go find them. Scouting a few days before the hunt makes a big difference, summer range and rutting range can be totally different.
cohunt
Well-Known Member
problem with scouting a few days before the season opens is that lots of guys do just this on public land-- this can push the elk once more-- if you leave them alone then they may stay right where they are until opening morning when 50 million guys crank up their noisy atv's and utv's and start driving all the roads looking for a nice rack-- I was taught to leave the area alone for at least a week before you hunt to keep the animals calm and from moving around too much.
Its kind of a luck thing on public land-- you see the animals, you should assume someone else has seen them too--if you mess with the area too much your noise and scent can make the animals move to another spot. Dammed if you do, dammed if you don't-- if you know they are in a certain area and go there , chances are they may have moved to that more remote area, if you head to the remote area, sure enough-- they wont have moved yet from the area you knew they would be in.
best bet would be to find that "secret spot" where the animals are but nobody else knows they are there--good luck with that-- you can use hunting pressure of other hunters to help, but if the others get to the animals first then you might loose your "prized bull"
thats why they call it "hunting" and not "a sure thing"
more and more here in CO at least, guys are starting to hunt the ML season to "get a jump" on all the hordes of people that get 1st rifle season tags-- but then those ML guys just push the animals out of the areas earlier---too much noise, too much scent, too many vehicles in the area just push them to hide earlier--only way to hunt during the rut is to go for archery season here. If you can ride your atv to withing 30 minutes of the "spot" then most likely there will be other hunters there-- use your feet and get back into the forest away from all the other people
thats the nice thing about private land-- you get to keep the area quiet and undisturbed up until your hunt, unfortunately private land is hard or expensive to gain access to if its not yours
Its kind of a luck thing on public land-- you see the animals, you should assume someone else has seen them too--if you mess with the area too much your noise and scent can make the animals move to another spot. Dammed if you do, dammed if you don't-- if you know they are in a certain area and go there , chances are they may have moved to that more remote area, if you head to the remote area, sure enough-- they wont have moved yet from the area you knew they would be in.
best bet would be to find that "secret spot" where the animals are but nobody else knows they are there--good luck with that-- you can use hunting pressure of other hunters to help, but if the others get to the animals first then you might loose your "prized bull"
thats why they call it "hunting" and not "a sure thing"
more and more here in CO at least, guys are starting to hunt the ML season to "get a jump" on all the hordes of people that get 1st rifle season tags-- but then those ML guys just push the animals out of the areas earlier---too much noise, too much scent, too many vehicles in the area just push them to hide earlier--only way to hunt during the rut is to go for archery season here. If you can ride your atv to withing 30 minutes of the "spot" then most likely there will be other hunters there-- use your feet and get back into the forest away from all the other people
thats the nice thing about private land-- you get to keep the area quiet and undisturbed up until your hunt, unfortunately private land is hard or expensive to gain access to if its not yours
sourdough44
Well-Known Member
Nwhunter_aj
Member
Agreed!
Rut will also pull in elk into the weirdest places and times. I would just remember that wind, temperature, moon, and elk activity are all things I think about when I'm camping next to elk. If elk are out all night then I'm camping farther away. If elk are bedding I would stay closer.
Remember scent scent scent...not so much noise.
Good luck man and keep at it!
Opening day 2 years ago I spotted a big bull & a few cows within 1/2 mile of our camp. Hunted him for 2 days and never saw him again. We relocated 15 miles down river - found him 3 miles from our new camp! We got him and another one with him.
Did the pressure of our camp and hunting cause him to move or was he headed to that new area anyway? I don't know. But I do know that pressure will cause an elk to move great distances!
I would stay at least 1 mile or preferably more from my hunt area.
Did the pressure of our camp and hunting cause him to move or was he headed to that new area anyway? I don't know. But I do know that pressure will cause an elk to move great distances!
I would stay at least 1 mile or preferably more from my hunt area.
My first bull was was in a draw bellow my overnight camp. It was a spike tag and I could hear the herd bull bugle the whole night. I could swear they were 300 yards bellow me. At first light I snuck out of my tent sat at edge of trees and took my spike as they climbed up out of aspen grove headed to dark timber on the N slopes. I know I hit the young bull at least a couple times but he was still walking as he descended back into the aspens. As I waited the big bull a 6X6 and his cows came up out of the trees just below where I was waiting. So for this herd my camping was no issue. Bear in mind no fire, just a place to sleep and no food prep of any kind. I backpacked in and camped this area several more times for deer and the elk did not seem to mind. Maybe be cautious and camp I draw away from where you expect your elk to be.
seattleman1969
Well-Known Member
This... I hate to admit, is the best advice. I scouted hard all summer and rested my area only to find 8 vehicles at the gate opening day. I know the area well and hiked in deep to a spot to find that someone had already killed a bull there that morning.
Despite that I still had two bulls come in silently to my cow calling... just as I was abandoning my setup. Lesson learned for the umpteenth time... when your patience wears thin, stay longer.
Beer Baron
Active Member
I have hiked 4 miles out and when I returned there were elk tracks next to my truck in fresh snow. I've also had them run through camp mid season. Quarter to half mile seems like a good distance. Out early, back late and knowing your area and what the animals do when pressured has usually paid off for me.
TheLongRanger83702
Well-Known Member
With as much ground as a herd can cover in a morning i would say 4000 yards.
cjuve
Well-Known Member
Twice I have spiked out close enough to hear them bugling and fighting from camp, both of those hunts were successful the next morning. I think it depends on the level of impact and how many hunters you are trying to beat to them. I would not set up a base camp that close but if you are just spiking our for a night and camping on a bull I say go for it.
