"Road Hunting" or Wilderness Hunting

[Bowhuntrben]

Just wondering how many of you guys hunt from roads versus doing a wilderness hunt. By road hunting, I don't mean driving around looking for the animals, but camping from the road and hiking out each day.
The two times I have been elk hunting I backpacked in and hunted in a wilderness area. The next time I head out for elk I am thinking of possibly camping from my vehicle and heading out each day (still trying to get miles from the road when I head out). I didn't see many animals the times I have been out and I am thinking this might allow a bit more of a chance to see some animals as I would be able to move to a new area if I'm not seeing anything.
For those who hunt from the road, do you see a lot of hunters once you get far from the roads? It sounds like from the show and some other threads that once you get a mile out or so you see much fewer hunters.
Also, when I was in the wilderness areas, it seemed like I wouldn't see anybody during the week, just the weekends (and most weren't hunters). Is this the case when hunting from the road, or are there a lot of hunters all week long?
The hunt I would be doing would be an archery hunt in Southwest Colorado in an OTC unit (right now possibly looking at Unit 71). I would imagine archery season would be much different than a rifle season due to the length of the season,.
I appreciate any information you guys have!

 

[drahthaar]

I think it depends on where you are. Here in NW MT, most hunting is done behind locked gates or up trails into basins that are not wilderness. I VERY rarely see much sign of anybody else when I get 2 or more miles from the gate.

Much of these areas have been gated so long they "feel" like wilderness.

 

[Topgun 30-06]

I DIY hunt public land in Wyoming where a NR has to have a guide to hunt wilderness, so that's out unless I get a resident friend to get a license to do it with me, which we have never done. We go in on foot in the nonmotorized area we hunt from about 1 1/2 to 3 miles from camp. It's a LQ unit for elk and it's a general tag for deer and we fill every bull tag drawn with some excellent animals, but not that many deer tags with other than average bucks. We camp right next to the county road and see very few hunters where we walk into, especially after the first few days of the season.

 

[WapitiBob]

In NM I hunt 1/4 mile from the hwy.

 

[sreekers]

I do both, but prefer packing in. Further from the roads generally means less pressure which means more animals.

 

[Dinkshooter]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IjPnAk9LeYk&feature=related

 

[mixedbag]

I've done both depending on where I'm hunting.You'd be amazed how many animals you walk past going in deep to hunt.With the exception of Montana,I've never run into another hunter even after a mile in.The guys in Montana seem to hike in more then other states.even with that, I only saw 4 guys in Mt. go past my camp last archery.
If your going to pack in, have a plan A,B,and C if its a new area to you.That way you've studied maps of different alternatives if no elk in first spot or two.I'd also wait till at least the 12/13th of Sept when they start talking better.Let them tell you where they are ;then move in and camp closer

 

[jlmatthew]

Shot my elk within 1/2 mile of I-25 last year

My boys 6X6 Bull the year prior happened like Dinkshooters Youtube clip. I'll take easy anytime!

 

[putm2sleep]

You are talking base camp (road), and a spike camp(wilderness) I believe? I feel you are on the right track in thinking, if I set base camp and the elk are not there, I can pull out and move to plan B. If camping from the road..... or your base camp, I do not believe that '1 mile' is the magic number you do not see other hunters. Anyway, I do both...and ya just never know where elk, or the people might be.

You will be scouting more then hunting until you know unit 71 really well, imo.... and the animals in it. Get a feel & know where they might be if it's / when it's hot...if we get weather, pressure, etc.

 

[MinnesotaHunter]

Because, I never really have an opportunity to scout the area I plan to the hunt. I always develop several plans that we can use depending on the situation when we get there (including the ability to spike out if necessary), and then just let the circumstances dictate what we do.

Pay attention to the natural lines people tend to drift towards when they leave the trailhead or parking area. Avoid those, and you often don't have to walk nearly as far to get on game.

Another odd thing I have observed is hunters never seem to want to walk downhill from the road. Has anyone else noticed this? It sucks walking up hill with elk quarters, but it is better than walking downhill without....

 

[MHMT]

Depends on how much time I have. If I have a few days I'll pack in somewhere, but often I don't have much time so its driving out that day and hiking in before daylight.

As for the "mile from a road" it depends. Around Bozeman I see plenty of people miles away from roads when there are trails accessing the place, but very rarely do I see someone more than a mile from a trail.

C'mon who wouldn't shoot a bull like the guy in the video, it wouldn't have the same feeling as earning one the hard way, but I wouldn't not shoot it. I've been the guy spooking bulls to road hunters at least twice. You're welcome.

 

[Zim]

I've done all kind of accomodation hunts, and my favorite is still backpacking into wilderness. I love getting away from others, including those too fat and lazy to go where I go. I enjoy the barrier to entry. My favorite in New Mexico has trails too impassable for even cheater ATV's to access. What's especially nice is the unit is at the drop dead bottom of Eastman's rated units, and is not even mentioned by Huntin Fool. That's nice. Oh by the way I hiked in 5 miles last year and left there with a 330" P&Y bull. And I'm from Chicago area! The locals don't even bother going up there. OK.

I've done a handful of drive-in style hunts where I did not have much hunter competition, but that is not the norm, even with a slammer tag. In those cases there were other hunter's posse's, bounty hunters, grouse hunters, cow hunters, etc. Always somebody where vehicle access was possible. I still have had some quality trophy hunts in those areas, but too often it involved a chess match around other people. ATV's are my absolute pet peeve though, hands down. I work out year round to stay fit and hike, then some fat guy on an ATV cruises through at dusk scouting (no tag) the area I waited for 10 years to draw. Happened to me again last year on my Wyoming moose hunt.

I just don't have these problems, and don't have to even worry about the possibility of them in my favorite spot.

 

[The Hedgehog]

Zim you are totally Beast Mode.

 

[npaden]

We usually hunt wilderness areas, but hoof it in and out each day. Start walking in the dark and come out in the dark is a typical day. It would probably be easier to spike camp, but we've just never done it.

I'll second what some have mentioned earlier though, it's not really how far from a road you need to get but how far from a trail. If you are bushwacking through the rough and steep stuff, sometimes it only takes a 1/2 mile to get away from other hunters. If you are on a trail it could be 4 or 5 miles, especially wilderness areas where other hunters are on horseback, getting into the roughest, steepest, nastiest stuff you can find often yields good results.

 

[Zim]

Zim you are totally Beast Mode.

I would not say that, but I am leaving work now for the gym again. I bet about 2% of 50+ yo Americans eat properly & exercise like they should be. Poor lifestyle choices. Been jogging 4 miles, 6 days/week. I hope their are some hot asian women on the track today.

 

[Topgun 30-06]

" I hope their are some hot asian women on the track today. "


Now the truth comes out, LOL!

 

[Jon Boy]

" I hope their are some hot asian women on the track today. "


Now the truth comes out, LOL!

Its pure motivation LOL

 

[ElkNut1]

Heh, whatever it takes to stay motivated! (grin)

ElkNut1

 

[Zim]

Motivation is an issue. I fall off the wagon sometimes, but always get back on. Summer 2010 my lil sister passed away, ex moved sons to Texas, and I got dumped by fiancee. Enthusiasm waned and workouts faded for a while. But key is to remind yourself you only have one body and you dam well better take care of it best u can.

Then I put up some new photos of the mountains for motivation, applied for a wilderness hunt.............and switched gyms to one with more hot asians.

 

[Elkmagnet]

Might I suggest a cross between the two. I like to camp on the road as close to the area I want to hunt as possible. I will typically go in with enough gear to stay overnight and if the action is good I will stay overnight and hunt the next day. If I'm not seeing what I want I will go back to camp and try a new spot the next morning. If I am into animals I waste half as much energy but if I am not I am not stuck 10 mi deep with no time to back out and try a new area. Yum fish tacos.