Having spent a few years hunting in Colorado, I have found if you have a reasonably maintained trial to hike in on, there is no distance that will get you away from the crowds. I try to focus on getting away from the trails as well as the roads. When doing that, I have found elk within a couple of miles of the pickup. As many have said already, go the places that are not as easy to get into (as in off trail) and you will have better luck. ---R
General distances from Car/Trailhead where crowds drop off.
- Thread starter BrokenChicken
- Start date
Wapiti_wacko
New member
- Joined
- Aug 12, 2020
- Messages
- 3
Yes, I've hiked gear in prior to the opener. Closer to the Frontrange than 12 is. Hung it in dry bags, was mainly food and other non-expensive gear. I leave a camp set up most of Sep about 5.5 miles back off rough dirt road. Left some cow urine in the tent one season mistakenly, had a bear tear camp up after it. I now bring a bear tag with me 
. I see hunters every year at that distance, and its steep rough country. Public Land in CO = many hunters to hunt amongst. I try to use the other hunters movements to my advantage if possible. Had many situations of encounters blown out by other hunters but just part of it.
. I see hunters every year at that distance, and its steep rough country. Public Land in CO = many hunters to hunt amongst. I try to use the other hunters movements to my advantage if possible. Had many situations of encounters blown out by other hunters but just part of it.diamond hitch
Well-known member
As a horse hunter there are two perspectives. When I camped, I typically placed a camp 2-3 miles in where the elk seldom went. I was looking for water, shelter and a location that would would give me 3-4 day hunts that ranged from 1-2 miles on ft to a long recon that was 10-12 miles long and cut 3-4 drainages. The primary edge with horses is to cut enough country to figure out where they are so you can get off and hunt.
Now that the kids have grown up, my life has turned into primarily day hunts. I have 15-25 hunt loops that take between from 1-2 hrs to 7-10 hrs over an area of 36 by 12 miles. They are divided into units that are dictated by climate. High - early; medium- middle of the season; and lower - dictated by the migration progress. A normal day is a 3-5 mile ride in followed by a 2-4 mile hike and if possible a new horseback route back to the truck that gives me recon for the next day that provides clues as to elevation and which slope aspects to hunt.
Some of the toughest challenges are where to tie up the horses where they won't get shot or a tree fall on them. As I get older the hikes tend to get shorter and the horse recon gets longer. Of course a big factor in the hike length is depth of snow and how steep. All of this is based on where I have seen elk at which time of the year, under what conditions, over the last 50 years.
Just remember as my wife reminds me - I'm not normal!
Now that the kids have grown up, my life has turned into primarily day hunts. I have 15-25 hunt loops that take between from 1-2 hrs to 7-10 hrs over an area of 36 by 12 miles. They are divided into units that are dictated by climate. High - early; medium- middle of the season; and lower - dictated by the migration progress. A normal day is a 3-5 mile ride in followed by a 2-4 mile hike and if possible a new horseback route back to the truck that gives me recon for the next day that provides clues as to elevation and which slope aspects to hunt.
Some of the toughest challenges are where to tie up the horses where they won't get shot or a tree fall on them. As I get older the hikes tend to get shorter and the horse recon gets longer. Of course a big factor in the hike length is depth of snow and how steep. All of this is based on where I have seen elk at which time of the year, under what conditions, over the last 50 years.
Just remember as my wife reminds me - I'm not normal!
