Base Camp or Cabin

[noharleyyet]

How do you guys do it? Do you set up a tent base near hunting area trailheads and backback or horse/mule pack in to set up a secondary camp...or do you stay in more comfortable accommodations and drive to trailheads early to walk or horseback in?

 

[A-con]

Everything but "more comfortable"

 

[Moosie]

Both... I always have a Base camp. For the last few years We set up a Camper. We used a 38' 3 popout camper with a Shower, Microwave and stove Etc. prior to last year when I bought a Smaller 27 foot camper that Sleeps 6 adult men and gear. Still the Microwave and lights and Etc.

We then sometimes leave 2-3 hours prior to light and Start Hiking. If we're driving we'll leave even earlier then that. this year I have 2 backpack hunting trips planned. One thought is if I save 2-3 hours Hiking up and 1-2 hours Hiking down it's more rest time... But waking up from a Cold tent Sucks Ass!!!!! And everyone knows there is Elk right by the road anyways .. right ?

 

[BigHornRam]

Early season last fall I went cheap and light with a blue plastic tarp and walking pole making a lean to. It snowed and rained almost every day and was still comfy and dry. You can set the back pack stove up in front, and cook breakfast and dinner from your sleeping bag. Elk walked right by our camp most nights. If bugs are bad, this would not be the way to go however.

A couple years ago, my neighbor and I set up my wall tent and stove a mile and a half behind a gated road. We cut wood, and wheel barrelled in cots, real food, and beer to make a deluxe camp. A couple days before the season openned another gate was closed making it 4 miles in. We hunted many times there until the heavy snow fall forced us to take it down. By then we had to use snowshoes and backpacks to get there. We wrapped the camp up in a tarp and brought it out the next spring.

I also day hunt from home, and have a pop up tent trailer I use on occasion. I like back pack hunting best. Less people = better hunting IMO.

 

[BRD DAWG]

We do both. I have a 28' travel trailer that we call base camp most of the time. We drive to our area from there a couple hours before dark to start hiking. I have also have a cabin in the area I sometimes hunt in which I can get up, walk acros the road and start hiking up the hill. This year I may try a backpack / spike camp hunt or two during archery season.

 

[noharleyyet]

Appreciate you guys taking the time to respond. Are ya'll hunting general season over the counter or limited license? Am I wasting my time on otc hunts on foot?

 

[KC]

Camp Evolution

This was my first hunting camp in 1978, at the end of the road. I hunted right from that camp. It wasn't as miserable as it looks.

After that, I started setting up bigger base camps. For several years, I setup this one at the lower egde of the aspen.

Then, for several more years, I setup this camp at 11,000'.

We did a lots of hunting from those base camps. But as often as not, we would backpack in several miles and hunt from there. Here's a couple of those backpack camps worth remembering.

In 2000, we bought a cabin in elk hunting country. We now hunt mostly from this cabin.

Last summer, I went on a float hunt for moose.

All of these camps have good memories for me.

KC

 

[Tom]

They all look great too! I never ate as good as I did in your 11,000 ft camp, wow! You guys ran a great camp there for sure!

 

[noharleyyet]

Love that camp by the lake. Looks like a postcard.

 

[BigHornRam]

NHY,

"Am I wasting my time on otc hunts on foot?"

Depends on what your goals are and how good of shape your in. I don't call being in elk country in the fall "wasting my time". Getting an elk is a bonus. Getting a real nice bull is an extra bonus. You can get a real nice bull with an otc elk tag, but you will have to pay your dues. You remember the trophy a lot better when a lot of hard work went into getting it IMO.

 

[noharleyyet]

BHR...didn't mean to make it sound like a philosphical question...on the contrary, best hunting experience I've ever had...and have paid plenty of dues...just want to increase chances of seeing elk...physical conditioning not a problem...however,money and knowledge is. Thanks

 

[KC]

NoHarley:

I've gotten at least one elk almost every year since 1990. I hunt on foot, fair chase, self guided, on public land. Ocasionally, when the elk are down a long way from the road, I rent horses to hawl them out. But everything else is on foot. I think it's the best way to go because it's more satisfying when I get a bull and I've done it all myself.

The trick for a nonresident is to pick an area and stay with it year after year. When you know your area like your back yard, you will start seeing elk.

KC

 

[noharleyyet]

Thanks KC and everyone for the input.

 

[schmalts]

Spike out with a one man tent is what i do usually. I dont like burning energy hiking in too far every day so i just do it to get close to where i want to hunt. Last couple years has been about 3 miles in.

 

[BigHornRam]

KC's advice is good. If your a non resident, pick an area and learn how to hunt it. Last fall I ran into a guy from Penn. who has day hunted the same Idaho wilderness area for 20 years. He knows it like the back of his hand. Being in his late 50's, he still got around better than most youngsters and knew where to look for elk. He wasn't afraid to go into the steep nasty thick stuff. Last year his group was 0 for 4 on elk with some missed opportunities. The year before the group was 4 for 4 on nice bulls. He had one of the most positive attitudes of any hunter I have met. I said, "I just like to hunt elk"!

 

[Elkhunter]

I like the comforts of home so to speak. For me to get up in the morning and get the horse and hook up the trailer, drive as far a I can go on the FS road, saddle up and ride in it is 4 hours. So I take my cabover camper and horse in to that same spot and park and ride in each morning. When I come back I can grill up a juicy steak on the gas grill, watch a movie, have a few cold ones, turn on the heat and sleep in a nice warm bed. I get up in the morning and turn on the stove and brew my coffee and can have whatever my heart desires for a hot breakfast.

 

[Calif. Hunter]

I've done pretty much all the variations. Lately, we have been staying in a motel and getting up several hours before light, driving to a trailhead or locked gate, then walking in. The trade-off is less sleep for more comfort, I guess. Since we stay out past dark, by the time we walk back out, eat dinner and get back to the motel for bed, it's late.

 

[OSOK]

At this point and time I still enjoy roughing it. I'm sure as the years go by, the bones begin to get weery and my head actually decides to take presidence over the body things will change. There are several different factors which can have a big outcome on the success of an OTC public land hunt, and having a head start on the mountain is the first and one of the most important, IMO. I pack in on my back usually 2-4 miles and set up camp. There's nothing like being awakened by the music of a bull elk bellaring 300 yards from your tent! Who needs an alarm clock, right!!!

 

[noharleyyet]

Thanks all for some very good replies. Some of which I've been practicing and lots more just good sound advice. Your results speaks volumes and that's encouraging to me.
How many of you use GPS? I used one last season...took me many miles and more importantly, brought me back.

 

[memtb]

noharleyyet,

We have a mobile base camp( large 5th wheel with most creature comforts and good to about -30F), which we get as close as possible to our hunting area. From there we drive in by truck as far as possible then,either walk-in, or backpack in and spike-camp! -memtb