Camp….above or below elk?

[NateW45]

Me and my brother in law are going on our first real elk hunt in SW Colorado this year. I am curious where the ideal location to set up camp would be, on top of the mesas or down low toward the bottom? My thought is that if we camp low there is less chance of elk smelling us overnight due to thermals pulling down hill. I appreciate any insight and tips/recommendations!

 

[AllenG]

I don't know the correct answer, but I witnessed elk moving away from the end of a canyon where hunters were camping in the bottom. The wind was blowing from the hunters to the elk most of the time. I was camping on top. I suppose it depends on the direction of the wind. There was water in the bottom. None on top .

 

[Potsie]

Best thing to do is to put them to bed, then camp as close as humanly possible. That way you can just poke your muzzle out of the tent in the morning and shoot them when they come out to feed.

 

[jdf]

Below. That way you can hunt up with thermals coming down in mornings. Then climb to top for afternoon as thermals change and hunt down onto them below.

 

[BuzzH]

Hunt up, pack down.

 

[Jnasa]

Me and my brother in law are going on our first real elk hunt in SW Colorado this year. I am curious where the ideal location to set up camp would be, on top of the mesas or down low toward the bottom? My thought is that if we camp low there is less chance of elk smelling us overnight due to thermals pulling down hill. I appreciate any insight and tips/recommendations!

Are you setting up a base camp and hunting out from there or more of a spike camp? You don't want to be so close that you blow elk out of the area with your scent. Often elk are not in the same place each evening/morning also.

Keep in mind thermals in the morning will be going up but in the evening will go down hill. So while camping below is better at night be prepared in the morning when that changes.

My camp is usually a ways from where I am actually hunting. That way I am less likely to disturb my hunt area. Might be different in a spike camp though.

 

[brymoore]

Hunt up, pack down.

The best advice having hunted down and packed up a few times.

 

[2rocky]

I'm guessing where you are hunting there will be trails, benches and water that will determine to a large extent where "camp" should be. If there are water sources on the mesa (or ridge top) and that gives you access to the most finger ridges and draws for glassing, then that is a likely candidate for a place where you can get to a glassing spot quickly in the morning and a place with easy hiking back to camp after you "put a herd to bed" in the evening.

Provided you have your camp in a sheltered area, I would not expect a great deal of scent pollution so long as you are not right on top of elk night feeding areas. I did discover a backpacker's tent in the head of the creek, near the saddle where I killed a herd bull on opening day. The survivors probably walked right by it in rifle range...

Summer or preseason scouting will also show where big camps have been historically. This is your best clue for what works for most folks that hunt the unit. of course horse camps will be farther and less concerned about having to climb.

FWIW Buzz's advice is worthwhile. But remember you don't always have to pack game back to your camp on top the ridge. Many a meat cache has been made near the trail back to the trailhead to reduce packing up hill more than necessary.

 

[NateW45]

Thanks for the replies so far, I should have given a little more information originally. This will be a September archery hunt, and the plan is to hunt from camp for the first few days and then make adjustments if needed. My gear is light so switching it up to be more of a spike camp hunt would be easily doable. My main concerns are finding water if we are camped up top seeing as it has been dry out there this year. I plan to call and talk with the area wildlife biologist to see what the water situation is like towards the end of August.

 

[POk3s]

I may be the minority but I love camping above elk or at least high up. All kinds of things come into play but simply, I love hearing the elk at night, getting out of the tent and immediately have a plan and be in the game.

Nothing says you can’t wake up early and do that if you hunt low either but being woken up by bugles at 2:30AM and listening to them until 4:30 is hard to beat!