Dinkshooter
Well-known member
And the warden is far less likely to catch you then as well.
Solo Elk Hunting
- Thread starter durandja11
- Start date
And the warden is far less likely to catch you then as well.
Slm864
Well-known member
Haha very true. They don’t seem to be nocturnal unless someone has broken the law very badly.
A BIG AMEN to this I remember my first trip to Idaho trained for 1 1/2 yrs running 3 to 5 miles every other day biking 10 miles or so few times a week man I had this lol
Got their by plane , charter to small airstrip to small very small town few days before. Had a room at hotel for a few days just to look around never being out west it was cloudy 1st afternoon low clouds, woke up before 1st lite excited to be their, waiting for the rain to stop and clouds to clear driving down a road, abt 10am the sun comes out clouds lift I stop the car get out on the side of the road and am looking at the sawtooth mountains rising above me saying OH SHIT I didnt train enough
I never knew grown men would be afraid of the dark till a guy joined our camp and we realized from the things he did he was 100% afraid to be in the woods in the dark we watched him hunker down in front of a quads lites till first light then walk to his stand, and he would be on the radio asking to be picked up way before last light on trips over and over
IM not busting on him we all have stuff we are afraid of just never thought about the dark being an issue
durandja11
Member
Great, great feedback! Play the wind, slow down and enjoy the moment in the woods, learn from every sec. and experience in the woods, be flexible and motivated but not to an extent of burning out, take a break if needed to get right back at it the next morning, mountains are steeper than they look on google earth! lol
All this talk is only increasing my anticipation! Thanks everyone!
All this talk is only increasing my anticipation! Thanks everyone!
Never thought of keeping cash on me in the backcountry, but that makes a lot of sense. I'll probably start doing that from now on too. Always nice to offer a little when we get our trucks stuck and need a tug too lol
D
Deleted member 28227
Guest
This is illegal. Outfitting, including meatpacking, is highly regulated.
Elk Packing Services are not a thing you must have a plan
I know there are a lot of folks head out to Colorado this year for elk hunting. Please have a plan to get your elk out before you go into the woods. There is a false narrative on various forums, one that was unfortunately perpetuated by a recent meateater podcast, about packing services. You...
www.hunttalk.com
Each state has specific rules. In Colorado if you are caught doing this more than once it's a felony.
"Any person who engages or offers or attempts to engage in activities as an outfitter without an active registration issued under this article commits a class 2 misdemeanor and shall be punished as provided in section 18-1.3-501, C.R.S., for the first offense, and for the second or any subsequent offense, the person commits a class 6 felony and shall be punished as provided in section 18-1.3-401, C.R.S "
http://leg.colorado.gov/sites/default/files/images/olls/crs2018-title-12.pdf
Montana
(10) "Outfitter" means any person, except a person providing services on real property that the person owns for the primary pursuit of bona fide agricultural interests, who for consideration provides any saddle or pack animal, facilities, camping equipment, vehicle, watercraft, or other conveyance, or personal service for any person to hunt, trap, capture, take, kill, or pursue any game, including fish, and who accompanies that person, either part or all of the way, on an expedition for any of these purposes or supervises a licensed guide or outfitter's assistant in accompanying that person.
Federal rule, applicable to all USFS public lands, BLM has similar rules regulating Outfitter compartments
The USFS allows individuals to guide and outfit on our public lands. Outfitters are required to have a permit and are assigned a specific area. Small areas may have a single outfitter larger will have several, not sure if their territories overlap or not. In my experience they do not, but I'm not an expert.
https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/fseprd605806.pdf
If you do this in AK the warden is just allowed to shoot you on the spot
Seriously though this is against the law in every western state, you have been warned.
durandja11
Member
This is illegal. Outfitting, including meatpacking, is highly regulated.
Elk Packing Services are not a thing you must have a plan
I know there are a lot of folks head out to Colorado this year for elk hunting. Please have a plan to get your elk out before you go into the woods. There is a false narrative on various forums, one that was unfortunately perpetuated by a recent meateater podcast, about packing services. You...
Each state has specific rules. In Colorado if you are caught doing this more than once it's a felony.
"Any person who engages or offers or attempts to engage in activities as an outfitter without an active registration issued under this article commits a class 2 misdemeanor and shall be punished as provided in section 18-1.3-501, C.R.S., for the first offense, and for the second or any subsequent offense, the person commits a class 6 felony and shall be punished as provided in section 18-1.3-401, C.R.S "
http://leg.colorado.gov/sites/default/files/images/olls/crs2018-title-12.pdf
Montana
(10) "Outfitter" means any person, except a person providing services on real property that the person owns for the primary pursuit of bona fide agricultural interests, who for consideration provides any saddle or pack animal, facilities, camping equipment, vehicle, watercraft, or other conveyance, or personal service for any person to hunt, trap, capture, take, kill, or pursue any game, including fish, and who accompanies that person, either part or all of the way, on an expedition for any of these purposes or supervises a licensed guide or outfitter's assistant in accompanying that person.
Federal rule, applicable to all USFS public lands, BLM has similar rules regulating Outfitter compartments
The USFS allows individuals to guide and outfit on our public lands. Outfitters are required to have a permit and are assigned a specific area. Small areas may have a single outfitter larger will have several, not sure if their territories overlap or not. In my experience they do not, but I'm not an expert.
https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/fseprd605806.pdf
If you do this in AK the warden is just allowed to shoot you on the spot
Seriously though this is against the law in every western state, you have been warned.
Thanks for this information. I never knew! I guess I'll just ask really nicely.
Sad this world has come to limiting a man to help another man for a couple extra bucks. Let's hope any passer byers are just really kind souls!RidgeRoamingRichard
Well-known member
This is great advice. I find that my body can put up with a fruitless solo hunt for longer than my mind can. Try and take some solo hiking/camping trips and see how your brain handles solitude and silence. Personally, I like to solo hunt only if I can't find a partner. I just think the experience is more fun shared.
The mental part was the toughest for me. The Inreach to check in with family each night helped immensely. Plus you have it with you for an emergency. Also take a little notebook to write in and a little word find/crossword book can help chew up the dead time of the day. Take your time, enjoy the experience and the incredible feeling of knowing you got it done on your own. Also keep believing that a slow hunt can change in the next 10 minutes or over the next rise.
Muley_Stalker
Well-known member
Don't offer money to help you with carrying out the meat. Make him an instant friend who's helping you. Then give him some meat. Only 20lbs but a lot of guys will help for that.
rideold
Well-known member
In the beginning I found it hardest to stay away from the truck for the entire day. I would end up splitting the day and spending lunch at the truck to regather my thoughts and strategy. I don't do that much anymore unless I decide to try a different spot for the afternoon. I've found that making a hot meal for lunch is a huge plus and makes the rest of the day much better. I'm a big fan of lunch hour. I find a place to hole up that gives me some ability to look across a meadow or hillside but still be hidden. I fire up the stove, eat and then doze or nap in the sun for a good while. I set limits for myself before I leave the truck in the morning and then stick to them. I hunt slow and spend more time sitting than I do hiking. I still hunt a lot. As for limits I try to plan my days around road access. I'll work the areas between two roads with the plan that even if I get something down in the middle of those two roads I only have a 2 mile walk to someplace I can get my truck to. I don't hunt too far from the truck at last light.
Muley_Stalker
Well-known member
How do you describe still hunting?
WyoDoug
Well-known member
I tend to prefer solo elk hunting or hunting with just one buddy because I, being 64 this May, tend to move at a deliberately slower pace and youngsters don't have the patience to hunt my style. The wanna giddy up and move. I prefer stalking and using strategy rather than speed to approach elk. When I do hunt elk with a group, we usually break up in pairs and each pair go to a separate ridge and cover it. When it comes to packing one out, we all get together and get it done.
rideold
Well-known member
Walk slowly and quietly in the timber a short distance, stop and glass everything in front of and to the sides of you, repeat as necessary.
Muley_Stalker
Well-known member
Ok, good.
tx_basser
Member
I would say, the best advice is know your limitations, and be prepared in the event of disaster. Minimize, Mitigate Risk, etc. I posted a similar thread a couple of years ago and a smartazz chimed in with some comments. I've comfortable going solo as I have been doing it for years, but as I've gotten older I've realized that accidents can and will happen. Slip on some rocks, tweak back, fall on some sharp sticks, diarrhea, drop/break GPS, etc. These are all very real possibilities, and can be debilitating in the right circumstance.
Huntin' Fool
Well-known member
I bought a SPOT gps unit about 14 years ago. Always hunted alot by myself. Feel safer with a SPOT. Sounds like the Garmen setup might be better.
Carl 9.3x62
Well-known member
Don't judge your success by whether you kill an elk or not. Have fun being up in the mountains alone, and soak it all in.
