I just started hunting last year and ended up loving it. I'm making my short and long-term plans for hunting elk every year either in my home state of Utah or in Arizona, Colorado, or Wyoming. I'm consuming every bit of information I can on elk hunting including watching Big Fin's series on escouting. In those videos, and in these forums, the importance of getting away from the road is always emphasized. It's difficult for me to understand what that means exactly. How far is far enough? Of course there is no single universal answer...I'd imagine that the more tags/hunters there are the more pressure there is and a farther hike is necessary. I also understand that sometimes you don't have to go very far if it is steep or otherwise nasty country. I understand those things, but as I begin to plan my first few elk hunts I'm concerned that I'll either under or over shoot. I don't have the backcountry gear or experience yet, and may have a solo packout, so I can't afford to overshoot and go in miles deeper than necessary. Again, it could vary so much...but I'll offer a hypothetical based on tag I'm considering putting in for: Colorado unit 70 first rifle. So on a unit like this...with ~300-400 tags issued for first rifle, fair amount of public land (70%)...how far would you plan on getting from a road before you'd expect to not see anyone, or at least see so few people that the odds of finding elk or elk sign are increased? My first thought was to just hike until I didn't see anyone, but given Randy's advice to take advantage of scouting before opening day, I'll be heading in before the season anyways so I won't be able to tell what it will look like when the season opens. There is an area that looks like it may be good elk habitat that is 3 miles from the nearest road and 1600 feet of elevation gain. So based on the wealth of experience here...what would you expect to find that far back? Would you say I should look for areas farther than that? In case it isn't obvious, I do not have pack animals. Just an ATV.
"...get away from the road..." - what does it mean?
- Thread starter fattybinz
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3 miles off the road and 1600 ft of gain is probably going to separate you from most guys. In my experience you won’t get away from everyone but you certainly can avoid 90% of other hunters by just going 1 mile off the trail. Many guys will walk 5-6 miles on a trail but few will go just 1 or 2 ridges off a trail.
without knowing and having a history in the area it is tough to know how far is far enough. Seems like the steeper and thicker the terrain the less distance is needed. Like huntertx mentioned a guy can hardly ever get away from everyone. I think the moral of the story is to go far enough to get into the elk, some places that's 5 plus miles from the road, others a quarter mile is plenty. I would guess that 3 miles and 1600ft would be ideal; if there are elk there.....
westbranch
Well-known member
Yep, I am pretty new to elk hunting and have found it "only" takes 1/4-1/2 mile to get into fresh sign in the places I have been. But that 1/2 mile is both steep and thick. Most of the places have a road within at least 3 miles so getting into that middle area seems key.
Rancho Loco
Well-known member
Hunt uphill from your truck. That will cut down on company fairly quickly.
lastlight
Well-known member
Don't over think it, get out there and put boots on the ground and soak up all the knowledge you can by being in the hills. Learn a spot and hunt it every year and you will be successful. Since you live in an elk state I would be scouting right away to more or less learn about the amount of foot traffic that goes in and out of the area.
ida homer
Well-known member
If your elk hunting and you want to get away from hunters, hunt down hill from the truck. No matter how old, young or fit you are, packing elk meat up hill sucks.
It's all about scouting. Scout, scout, scout. Some areas further is better. Some areas 1-3 miles is the sweet spot. Last year I overshot it, backpacked in 7 miles each way. Overshot the day hunters, overshot the backpackers, and landed right smack dab in the middle of the horse hunters. We couldn't compete, despite our good conditioning. Those guys had ridden their horses through every drainage up there the 2 days prior to the opener. Our mistake.
It ebbs and flows also. 8 years ago, the further I hiked in the more animals I found. Now, everyone has killer gear and is willing to work. The term backcountry is sexy. The last 2-3 years, the further I got in the more I started running into other guys with Kenetrek's, high end glass, Sitka and KUIU, and guys that know how to glass. It's pushed the animals back closer to the roads in my areas, lately 1-3 miles seems to be the ticket for me. That's where we're filling tags. In essence, just scout. The critters are where they are and they're not where they're not.
It's all about scouting. Scout, scout, scout. Some areas further is better. Some areas 1-3 miles is the sweet spot. Last year I overshot it, backpacked in 7 miles each way. Overshot the day hunters, overshot the backpackers, and landed right smack dab in the middle of the horse hunters. We couldn't compete, despite our good conditioning. Those guys had ridden their horses through every drainage up there the 2 days prior to the opener. Our mistake.
It ebbs and flows also. 8 years ago, the further I hiked in the more animals I found. Now, everyone has killer gear and is willing to work. The term backcountry is sexy. The last 2-3 years, the further I got in the more I started running into other guys with Kenetrek's, high end glass, Sitka and KUIU, and guys that know how to glass. It's pushed the animals back closer to the roads in my areas, lately 1-3 miles seems to be the ticket for me. That's where we're filling tags. In essence, just scout. The critters are where they are and they're not where they're not.
Red Fox
Well-known member
You also need to plan for the chance you do get one. If you pack in 5-6 miles you need to get all the meat out. I was told that all the fun is over once you pull the trigger. This last year I learned for the first time that they were right. I only had two miles out but was shot after packing it out.
This is really helpful, as are the other posts. thanks, all. I think I will plan around the 1-3 mile range. I know that it is a cardinal sin around here to show up to hunt a unit that you have never scouted...but with where I'm at with work and family (4 kids under 6 years old) I don't think I'll be able to for now. Have to try to make up for it a bit with more e-scouting.
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beginnerhunter
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When people say "road hunting" do they mean pulling over in a glassing location and glassing from the truck or just driving around all day looking for animals within naked eyesight of the road? Around here you can't see anything beyond 100 yards from the road so our "road hunters" are basically looking for animals crossing the road. The eastern mountains I hunt are littered with roads and 5 miles is max you can get away. Honestly, 200 yards works here lol.
rtraverdavis
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Being willing to work hard everyday of your trip, even if you are feeling discouraged or whoop-ass tired will make a giant difference. Like has been said, be flexible, and have a bunch of likely spots picked out before you go. Use OnX and make trails to likely glassing spots that you could follow in the dark. If your head is in it all year, you’ll be that much more ready to do what it takes to make it happen when your hunt comes. I can definitely empathize with not being able to get out before the hunt because of kids. Good luck man.
devon deer
Well-known member
OK, in my limited experience, if it can be seen from the road, get to a place where it can't!
My last Elk, 4 miles back, (first 3 miles relatively flat) but with an elevation gain of 2,700 feet, 8,200' high, it was over a week into the Montana season, and not too far from a big town, I felt sure there would be hunter foot prints in the snow, nope, I was the first one there, and there were 2 bull's back in there.
But, even with help it was a real ball ache getting it out, 16 mile walk by the end of the day, we were spent, totally!
So factor that in.
Cheers
Richard
My last Elk, 4 miles back, (first 3 miles relatively flat) but with an elevation gain of 2,700 feet, 8,200' high, it was over a week into the Montana season, and not too far from a big town, I felt sure there would be hunter foot prints in the snow, nope, I was the first one there, and there were 2 bull's back in there.
But, even with help it was a real ball ache getting it out, 16 mile walk by the end of the day, we were spent, totally!
So factor that in.
Cheers
Richard
D
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In CO... there is literally nowhere you could go and not have the chance of seeing people, last fall I hiked in 7 miles bivyed off the trail, the next morning hiked up the trail .5 miles then off the trail a mile and killed an elk around 7am... while packing the elk to my camp I encountered 2 archers, 1 muzzy hunter, a trail runner, and an older couple backpacking. 2 years ago I hunted just off a very popular trail on I-70, 2 miles from the highway, and never saw anyone the entire weekend...
Just keep in mind people in CO, UT, MT, etc are kinda nuts...
7:30AM - snowed 6 inches the night before - 3 degrees outside... this dude probably can strangle a full grown Mt. Lion
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Irrelevant
Well-known member
I find in WA that it requires not parking near a trailhead of any kind and not using a trail of any kind. Even then it's touch and go as to if you'll see other people. In ID it was literally anywhere 400 yds or more from the truck.
ida homer
Well-known member
Also excellent advice. 8 years ago, avoid motorized trails and you always got into animals. Now, with other dudes willing to work their asses off, avoid ALL trails besides game trails. Around here it seems like non-motorized trails or gated roads attract a lot of guys that wrap their tenderloins in caul fat over an open fire. Avoid USFS trails also if you can.
As a general observation in 20 years of elk hunting I avoid hunting areas/units with roads/trails closer that 2 miles apart. It doesn’t matter if there gated or not, people sometimes don’t abide by the rules. The elk will leave these areas during or before opening day of rifle season. Moderate to heavy roaded areas can be good in archery season. The only exception I seen was private land where hunting pressure was light.
I tried this last year during my Utah general season mule deer buck hunt, but I ran into a huge problem: I had a meticulous plan of what non-trail path to hike...only to find that what looked clear from Google earth and onx turned out to be impassable oak brush. Everywhere I went. Any suggestions on how to find non-trail paths? Maybe follow creeks up?
Irrelevant
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When there's not a clear path is when you know you're going the right direction.
D
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Sounds like you were exactly where you needed to be...
Gerald Martin
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Elk are where you find them. They don’t read maps before the season and think “I am going to be 2.3 miles from this road the week of September 20.” Food, security, breeding are primary needs with different priority at different times. Many areas close to roads can supply those needs. There’s a higher degree of likelihood other hunters will be competing with you and possibly educating those elk but they may not leave. Finding elk is not nearly as simple as “X” amount of miles. Learning to identify likely habitat and confirm with fresh sign is a more consistent method of being into elk.
