Small dilemma

[TwistedSage]

My hunt starts tomorrow, the unit is pretty close, my camp is about 2.5 hrs away from my house. Had everything pulled out last night and ready for one last inventory this morning before packing up to go make camp. Woke up to a couple inches of snow and a sever weather alert for the unit I'll be hunting in.

Winter storm warning in effect with my camp pretty much at the center until tomorrow morning. 6-9 inches with 35+ gust over the afternoon into the evening. Rest of the week looking fair. It'll just be me in my llbean 6 person tent with a buddy heater.

So here's the choices, leave this afternoon as planned and set up in a snowstorm, hopefully it's not too miserable a night and I'll be in my unit opening morning in fresh snow. OR I get packed up today and leave early in the morning get to the mountain early and hunt until the afternoon then go set up camp, missing maybe a few hrs in the morning but won't have to deal with setting up by myself in a snow storm.

If yall could help me kick this around I'd appreciate it.

 

[JLS]

I’d leave tomorrow.

 

[Dsnow9]

I’d be awake in time to be at camp location before sunrise and hunt all morning in fresh snow. You can always set up camp in the dark if you don’t make it back mid day. Not worth trying to set up a tent while it’s snowing

 

[longbow51]

I wouldn't trust a 6 person LLBean in 35+ winds, so I would hunt and then set up.

 

[TwistedSage]

Appreciate the sound advice guys, ready to go in the morning.

 

[Bulldog0156]

I'd go after things clear up. If the wind is ripping at night, you're going to be cold and awake to think about it.

 

[coleslaw]

No point in getting snow all over and inside of everything. Makes for a wet and miserable camp. I also wouldn't have the patience to setup a tent in that kind of wind either.

 

[TwistedSage]

I wouldn't trust a 6 person LLBean in 35+ winds, so I would hunt and then set up.

Back from my hunt. Definitely glad I didn't go set up in that snow storm... however we did have sever winds 50mph wind and 70+ gust from Monday night into Tuesday evening. Testament to the tent it did stay up, however the walls did take turns hi-fiving my face at about 2 am. In the aftermath 2 rain fly straps ripped off and my tent poles looked like spaghetti, but she still stood. One pole I couldnt take all the sections apart they were too bent. Time to put that famous LLBean warranty to the test, why i went with them. I was questioning my sanity in the middle of the night, Also really looking at adding a camper to the stable for these late season hunts.

No elk were harmed, gained a ton of experience in the unit. All my prescouted spots up in the high country I couldn't even get to. It took 2 days to really figure out where the lower country spots that held elk. Ruled out a lot of really nice looking spots and found quite a few muleys in doing so.

My third elk hunt in my third unit, getting them figured out. I think ill just apply for hunts in this unit next year.

 

[longbow51]

Let us know what happens with the warranty; snow camping always fun even if you don't get elk.

 

[TwistedSage]

Let us know what happens with the warranty; snow camping always fun even if you don't get elk.

They're going to exchange it for me.

 

[stoep]

What's always happened for me with hunting is as follows: Given two choices where one is uncomfortable and sucks and I want to make the easier decision, its usually the uncomfortable decision that puts me in the game and the easier decision is a total waste of time. E.g. I tell my buddy to do an "afternoon hunt" instead of getting in place during the morning, and I walk up and someone shot an elk and the herd is miles away and we walk up to them field dressing.

 

[Martin Heilman]

Nice story - Thanks....