Elk Camp
- Thread starter noahdah
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Totally depends on the terrain layout, prevailing wind, style of hunt, etc.
Bullshot
Well-known member
No need to be a full mile away, particularly in early seasons. Best camp location is one with elk in it each night! At night in a good area, you may get bugles or chirps surprisingly close, they know you can't hurt them then. In daytime, they will often bypass your camp by as little as a 100 yards if there is dark timber to shield them. I think some elk have figured out that near camps can be relatively safe, as people tend not to focus their hunting on areas near them. That said, best not to place your camp at ground zero of a potential morning or evening honey hole, not the least reason of which is you will mess up the very best of the hunting for yourself and look like a bit of a jerk if it's public land. So my opinion, I'd say, 1/2 mile from where you want to begin your hunting is probably more than enough unless the elk are super spooky or there is a lack of timber cover.
One more thing, more important is probably how far from a road you hunt. There are exceptions but in timbered areas I have seemed to find barely any elk sign within 1/4 mile of a forest service road, then an increasing amount from 1/4 mile and farther. Sometimes the difference is like night & day. I have not noticed much difference beyond a half mile up to around 2 miles (as far as quantity of sign goes) but I am sure the farther in you are, the more relaxed the game might be. I have never done a true backcountry hunt, so everything I have ever chased is pretty well pressured. Still, there's some significant security benefit they sense around that 1/4 to half mile distance.
One more thing, more important is probably how far from a road you hunt. There are exceptions but in timbered areas I have seemed to find barely any elk sign within 1/4 mile of a forest service road, then an increasing amount from 1/4 mile and farther. Sometimes the difference is like night & day. I have not noticed much difference beyond a half mile up to around 2 miles (as far as quantity of sign goes) but I am sure the farther in you are, the more relaxed the game might be. I have never done a true backcountry hunt, so everything I have ever chased is pretty well pressured. Still, there's some significant security benefit they sense around that 1/4 to half mile distance.
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Thanks so much. That makes sense and I’ll give it a shot.
TheJason
Well-known member
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- Oct 21, 2024
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This. I've hunted right out of the tent door before.
Following this thread. I sure know it is important to have a hunting tent for any quest that will last more than a day.
genesis273
Well-known member
Where I set up camp, which elk are right above camp bugling all night, I've had elk within 60 yards of my tent the last two years. Just be careful on your camp set up, or how active you are around camp. Unless we're cold and wet, we don't even build a campfire.
This is strictly my personal opinion, with only a few years camping around elk.
This is strictly my personal opinion, with only a few years camping around elk.
Wow that’s hard to imagine. Well that helps so thank you and I guess we might go with a fire then.
Eating some mountain house by headlamp and crawling into your sleeping bag while bull elk are bugling nearby is an awesome experience....
....trying to silently crawl out of the tent in the predawn morning bc the bulls are still screaming 200 yds above you is even better!!
Was fortunate to experience both for the first time this September. If you're anything like me you won't get much sleep in between.
Others here much more experienced than I have pointed out it varies by terrain, hunt, etc. Very true.
Seems like we generally We tried to set up camp 1/4 to 1/2 mile below where we expected elk might be feeding at night so we'd have thermals in our favor. A mile would have been too far where we were bc a mile off trail in the dark in timber is tough navigation. If you're planning to navigate on trail then much easier to cover some distance.
....trying to silently crawl out of the tent in the predawn morning bc the bulls are still screaming 200 yds above you is even better!!
Was fortunate to experience both for the first time this September. If you're anything like me you won't get much sleep in between.
Others here much more experienced than I have pointed out it varies by terrain, hunt, etc. Very true.
Seems like we generally We tried to set up camp 1/4 to 1/2 mile below where we expected elk might be feeding at night so we'd have thermals in our favor. A mile would have been too far where we were bc a mile off trail in the dark in timber is tough navigation. If you're planning to navigate on trail then much easier to cover some distance.
genesis273
Well-known member
100% agree on your first two paragraphs! The odd part is, after about the second night of being awaken by screaming bulls, I just want to open the tent door and ask them to please SHUT UP!
LOL!
