Where to setup camp

[KSB209]

I've read a few posts already but a question. I'm hunting in CA and have a little lake picked out to hunt out of. I've seen tracks around the lake but I know there are also a few springs around the area. When I say "around" I mean within 1/2 mile or so and I have seen tracks in the area too.

My plan was to use the lake as a base camp for a few nights. Since I see tracks and I know this is a watering hole should I stay away from the lake and camp up the mountain away from the lake and glass the lake early and late? The springs do have some tree cover so it would be hard to watch them from a distance.

Thought??

 

[dfanonymous]

Pretty sure it's all covered in the regs.

If it's a developed campsite then you're good. If it's a wilderness/alpine/seasonal lake then all water sources are something like 200 yards away from water and no more than 20 minutes on the water.
That's the safe way to go.

Now, if you are a loop hole guy and you like to argue with Wardens, I don't recall there being amended literature specificly identifying lakes as a wildlife water source….
…but different lands have different rules, specific county regs too as well as fish and game codes that are area specific.

The reg book is pretty specific on the ins and outs.

 

[KSB209]

Pretty sure it's all covered in the regs.

If it's a developed campsite then you're good. If it's a wilderness/alpine/seasonal lake then all water sources are something like 200 yards away from water and no more than 20 minutes on the water.
That's the safe way to go.

Now, if you are a loop hole guy and you like to argue with Wardens, I don't recall there being amended literature specificly identifying lakes as a wildlife water source….
…but different lands have different rules, specific county regs too as well as fish and game codes that are area specific.

The reg book is pretty specific on the ins and outs.

Yeah I know the regs and when I said camp at the lake I mean relatively close as it will be my water home. It's not a wilderness area so I don't have to worry about that

 

[Koda_]

I've seen tracks around the lake

You may have answered your own question. If you plan to hunt the lake then dont camp anywhere near.

 

[WesternTX]

I typically like to let the water sources stay "virgin" and camp far enough away that the game wont know I'm there. If it works, set up so you can overlook the water sources as a hunting option, but at minimum you don't want to blow animals out of the area by disturbing their water hole with a campsite.

 

[mnoland30]

Remember convection winds. Air flows down at night and then switches to uphill as things warm up.

Things might be different here in the high desert of NM, but I've seen big bucks come into water late (like 9 or 10 am).

Good luck!

 

[jimss]

I steer clear of areas I want to hunt with camp. If you have a fire or make any noise in camp the game will likely disappear from that area!

 

[mnoland30]

Back when Herter's was the sportsman's catalog, I purchased an elk bugle. The instructions said that any serious elk hunter should camp at least a mile from where he intended to hunt. That said, my buddy was able to shoot a cow elk about 200 yards from his tent.

 

[KSB209]

Well if i had a bear tag I could have gotten one about 50 yards from my tent.

 

[mnoland30]

The first bear I ever saw in the wild was tearing up my cook tent. We were sleeping in the back of the truck. I found out the importance of see through sights that night. At 15 ft., all you see through the scope is hair. I saw the left side, then the right side, and guessed at the middle. At that range it was good enough.

 

[jimss]

My guess is, if the elk and deer are used to seeing hikers and campers every day all summer at a lake it may not matter if you camp there? Here is Colo we have so many hikers at lakes all summer long that it may not matter. If the lake hardly sees a person all summer and fall my guess is they will head elsewhere. Generally speaking deer are a lot calmer and easier to find all summer long when they are in velvet. Once velvet is lost they become an entirely different critter! That may also be a consideration with bucks being a bit spookier in the fall once they shed velvet.