Solo hunting advice

[wilson3144]

Hello all.. I’m requesting any good tips/tactics on solo hunting elk. I’m a Midwest hunter, deer/turkey for 26 plus years. Been elk hunting five times in the last 15 years and three times in the last three years with a bow in the backcountry. I can process a deer in my sleep and have quartered elk in the mountains. What I haven’t done is elk hunted in the backcountry solo. My hunting partners are starting to talk about backing out of hunts. I’m wanting to continue to go and I’m formulating a plan to continue to elk hunt each year, even if I’m going solo. I will be doing Colorado again this year because I’m familiar and no grizzly. Once I get a few solo trips under my belt, will tackle bear country. Any advise from the solo crowd out there would be much appreciated!!!

 

[thatsjet]

Welcome to the forum. Good luck on your hunt.

 

[CiK]

1). Make sure you are right with everybody. Skeletons will visit you out there by yourself.

2). Know your limitations

3). Enjoy it.

 

[HandgunHunter]

Best way to do it. Just you and the critters.

Allow extra time for a pack out.

 

[dirtclod Az.]

Slow and steady wins the race...Be careful!
Last time out I took a spill and luckily a tree stopped a scary ride down the Mtn.
Bring communications device.Good luck!!

 

[CUElk]

Slow and steady wins the race...Be careful!
Last time out I took a spill and luckily a tree stopped a scary ride down the Mtn.
Bring communications device.Good luck!!

Yep. In reach

 

[Pucky Freak]

Welcome to HT! Good luck on your elk hunt. Where do you hail from?

 

[Talk2elk]

Don't underestimate how big these guys are, packing solo is incredibly hard especially in warm weather. I know my limit is 2 miles from my truck/base camp solo. That's 16 miles with a 60 pound pack to get the meat, cape and antlers.

 

[diamond hitch]

Take a fair amount of parachute chord with you. Chasing an elk down a slope while processing it is more exciting than necessary. Also helps to hang the quarters while you are packing the first out. You can also build ladders with a saw. Sheets keep the birds off while hanging and cooling the meat.

It's not hard if you are prepared - mentally and physically.

 

[thatsjet]

I'm new to hunting but started out solo backcountry after years of backpacking alone anyway.

My advice, go ultralight as much as you can. Get your pack weight down as far as you can and it will make the distance you can cover and the meat you can haul out alone that much greater. My total pack weight last year in an Alps Traverse pack was right about 30 pounds with food and water. I'm going to try to cut that even further this year, possibly with a move to a Stone Glacier pack. Focus on the big three: tent, sleeping bag, and pack, then cut out everything that isn't really necessary.

A great quote I heard from another HT member recently was "don't pack your fears."

Oh... and as others have said... InReach.

 

[MITCHMO]

Are you going solo because you want to or because you have to?

For me, the one solo elk trip I took was fantastic but strange because there was no companion to share it with. It also happened to be my first western hunt. I won’t lie, I was scared to death. However, overtime my comfort came from being prepared and practicing at home. Takes time to prove it to yourself that you have everything you need and it’s going to be fine. Always have a backup. Spare GPS, or spare battery, inreach etc. I knew if I got hurt, I had what I needed. If I got lost, I had what I needed. If I got hungry or thirsty, I always had a filter and mtn house. Add fire starter to that list and I always felt pretty comfortable. And I never ever dropped my pack without taking my sat tracker, GPS, and headlamp. Yes I carried a lot more than most people, but staying mentally strong was worth it.

 

[406dn]

The majority of my big game hunting has been done solo. The biggest plus is that you get to plan and execute everything your way without so much a word spoken to a partner. The biggest minus for me, is that big game hunting is by its nature hard work. When it is going poorly, it can weigh on you.

The country is bigger than you think. Be realistic about where you will kill an animal. Killing an animal in the drainage you start from is better than crossing drainages and dropping into a new one. If you really want to suck for air, strap an elk quarter on your back and start trudging uphill, off trail, at elevation for any distance at all.

If I really wanted to hunt deep into the back country alone,, I'd hunt deer. They are far easier to manage six or ten miles from a trailhead. For elk, I've most often camped where I could drive to,,, and then gone in on foot as deep as I knew I could manage.

 

[clueless]

1). Make sure you are right with everybody. Skeletons will visit you out there by yourself.

2). Know your limitations

3). Enjoy it.

+1

 

[AvidIndoorsman]

"don't pack your fears."

@DouglasR ... one of the best quotes on the forum.

@wilson3144 Agree with all above, spend some time thinking about what you will do when you get an animal down and how you will get it out.

Breaking down an elk solo kinda sucks, but if you stop and make a plan before you start cutting you will have a much better final product and it will go much faster.
My 2nd cleanest butcher was actually my solo bull. (Cleanest died in a river)


pcord is great but it has a fair amount of static elongation(correct term?) and can make it harder to haul something heavy. @Dsnow9 turned me on to some arborist rope, I got some light pulleys and I think the combo will be very helpful, especially hauling quarters up high enough to avoid bears during long packout.

InReach are awesome, I’m enjoying llama hunting as well.

Consider taking a young person with you, tons of 22 year old neverevers that would probably make great partners. Sound like you have figured out how to hunt elk so probably a win win for both parties.

 

[DouglasR]

@DouglasR ... one of the best quotes on the forum.

Yeah, I think I stole that from Andrew Skurka.
He’s a wannabe wllm with a blog.

 

[MTLabrador]

Other than hunting with my dad or a select few close friends I mostly hunt elk alone. Things I’ve learned the hard way:

Be comfortable being alone in the mountains in the dark or you probably won’t have much fun.

Be very careful with your knife work and don’t carry stupid heavy loads, no one will be there to help you if you get hurt. Take your time. Bring a spot or inreach.

Take the time to enjoy it, time spent on your own in the mountains is a great thing, especially when you are hunting elk. A campfire and a sip of whiskey might be unnecessary, but it’s a morale booster on a miserable hunt.

Butchering and packing an elk is harder when you’re on your own, but it’s perfectly doable and nothing to worry about. Hiking out under the stars with a pack full of meat is a special feeling.

 

[warmer]

It cant be repeated enough, InReach.

 

[AvidIndoorsman]

It cant be repeated enough, InReach.

* you’re not buying it for you

 

[Tony Trietch]

Lots of great advice above, I would add to the list, lining up an horse packer in case you get it done.

 

[Ben Long]

Buy the Inreach but don't trust it. Batteries die. Plan your hunt and hunt your plan. Let someone responsible know where you are and waiting for you to check in when you're done. One twisted knee and you can get awfully lonely fast.