How far from road?

alsatian

Active Member
Messages
495
How far do I need to backpack in, away from the roads and ATV trails (for example, back into a wilderness area such as the Weminuche Wilderness in SW Colorado), to get beyond 90% of the hunters who are NOT on horseback? 2 miles? 5 miles? 7 miles?

A related question: how far back in do the meat packing services which can be hired to carry out elk meat go? Is their see tied to how far in they have to go?
 
My experience to hunt elk you need to be 3 miles from roads and atv trails this will get you away from most of the crowd.
 
I put on a 55 lbs. pack last year for three days in the wilderness area.

3/4 of a mile from the main highway I parked on, I had some idiot hunter bugling in the middle of the afternoon. He just kept carrying on the whole time I was working up this 11,000' mountain to get to another basin. Dang it, was he a good bugler though.

I hunted for three days up there, 3 - 6 miles in, and saw one really nice bull, but couldn't get on him. On my way back over the ridge, I could hear this idiot again, down in the bottom right off the road.

It took me an hour to get down there, but right as I got to the bottom he started to come into my cow calls with the hoochie mama. I thought great I'll call in some dumb a$$ hunter right here by the road.

Next thing I see is two cows feeding off about 60 yards from me. I whipped on my face mask and nocked an arrow. Boom, out steps this beautiful 300 something 6x6 at 20 yards facing me.

I got drawn on him after 20 minutes or so, but he finally winded me as the down draft started right before dark as he was 4 steps from a perfect opening. He screamed at me the whole time he was standing there trying to see his cows come in.

The moral of the story? Elk are where you find them. Sometimes they are right next to the road. Other times you drive for 3 hours on rocky dusty roads, then hike in 3 miles and camp right in the middle of the herd.

Trust what you see for sign. If it's two weeks old, move on. If it's steaming fresh, hunt right where you find it.

This pic is after walking away from that bugger right down there.

pete-west-basin.jpg


Cheers,
Pete
 
This morning I saw 7 bulls right off the road (I was still in my jeep). Then I hiked about a mile and saw 5 more bulls. Your best bet is to scout an area and if you find bulls you stay with them. If not, move on.
 
LET'S SEE

PRIOR TO LAST YEAR IT WAS AS FAR AS MY CRIPPLED LEGS WOULD TAKE ME!!!

THIS YEAR IT WILL BE A LITTLE FURTHER,MY CHUTE PLANE IS TUNED IN AND SHOULD TAKE ME TO THE WYOMING BORDER AND BEYOND IN A DAY!!!

I SHOULD SEE SOME GAME,I SHOULD GET SOME SHOOTING,IT WILL TAKE PRACTICE AND MORE PRACTICE TO COMPANSATE FOR THE SPEED OF THE CHUTE PLANE BUT AFTER A FEW SEASONS AND A FEW CASES OF BULLETS I WILL GET THE 50 CALIBER ZEROED IN,YOU'LL KNOW IT'S ME WHEN I SHAKE THE EARTH WHEN THAT 50 CALIBER SLUG HITS HOME!!!

YES,I'M PLANNING ON COVERING MORE GROUND THIS YEAR!!!

THERE ARE PEOPLE LOST EVERY YEAR ON OPENING DAY,AND THATS WHAT I'LL BE DOING,LOOKING FOR LOST PEOPLE!!!(HE,HE!!!)

I AM NOT PLANNING ON BREAKING ANY RULES WITH THE NEW CHUTE PLANE,JUST TRYING TO GET AWAY FROM THE CROWDS!!!

THE ONLY bobcat WONDERING HOW MUCH COUNTRY I CAN COVER IN ONE SEASON???
 

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