Trying Something Different This Year

[Ben Sellers]

The last couple of years I've set up a base camp including wall tent and hunted out of it. I tried to be mobile and cover many spots but I feel like I was too invested in my basecamp. Now Ive seen elk this way, but I think I'm leaving bulls on the mountain because I'm too ready to get back to the camp or its too much work to move the camp.

I don't want to try the 5 miles deep backpack hunt either. I'm not in shape for that and I don't want to be that heavily invested in a backcountry spot as well.

My plan this year is to hunt out of the truck/backpack. I want to drive around checking spots 1-3 miles back. I plan to carry a setup so that if i like what I see, I can stay overnight. If not I drive to a new spot. Wherever I am at dark-roadside or backcountry- thats where I'll stay. Ive invested in a setup that adds 10 lbs to my pack if I am by myself or 6 pounds if I'm hunting with my buddy.

I also plan to avoid hunting where I can see the road, trailheads, and easy spots to get to like the plague. Being a fat guy, I figure if I make it over a big ugly ridge and I see sign I'll just stay. The point if to be extremely mobile focusing on sanctuary spots.

Thoughts?

 

[mtmuley]

Were you killing elk from your base camp? mtmuley

 

[Ben Sellers]

I did, but I'm not sure it counts. I killed a bull on the first morning of my first ever hunt. We hunted the rest of the season and didn't see any elk after that. The next year we saw a legal bull and a cow or two preseason but none during season.

 

[Big John]

Sounds like a great plan and you also realize your limitations which is key... best of luck

 

[JV842]

U would be surprised what u can find in out of the way, overlooked places close to a road or trail. Found a honey hole last year on accident when my regular spots got hit w wolves. Saw bear scat on the road bordering state land. Went in w the rifle to look for bear, ended heading back to the truck n grabbing the bow for elk!

 

[Zootownelk]

Please report back how it goes. I'm in a similar situation with the wall tent, but will be changing hunting units (and states ) and I'm considering doing what you describe.

 

[Roughwater]

The wall tent isn't a bad idea. It's nice to have a base camp to rest up in. But you want to also have a more mobile plan as well but you seem to have figured out. The ideal is to be a little above the Elk. Setting up a spike camp even a mile in can make a lot of difference as to what you see and hear.

 

[TriStar Hunt]

Would enjoy hearing how it goes especially the vehicle vs country mobility. Sounds like a strategic, thoughtful experiment in the ways you’re hunting. Excited for you!

 

[Slm864]

My plan was to implement pretty much the same strategy you described for the same reasons before I cancelled my trip for this year. I’ll be interested to hear if it works out better for you.
I honestly think it will work out better. I know what you mean when it comes to being too invested in base camp and I personally think it has hindered my success in the past.

 

[Mtnhunter1]

You didn't mention if you are chasing elk with a bow or rifle, early season or later? Also, what is your time dedicated to the hunt, weekend hunt, week or more? Wall tent, "Base Camp", setup takes time and energy on both ends of the hunt and only makes sense for a longer time commitment. If the time permits, and you are not planning to be bouncing around over hundreds of crow fly miles, why not do both? No written law says that you have to return to your base camp each and every night! Having a wall tent camp sure is nice when the weather turns and you need a place to dry out and take the chill off. It is almost impossible to dry stuff out while truck hunting if you want to be hunting, daylight to dark, each and every day. I do both type of hunts often, time frame dedicated to the hunt will dictate if I need a wall tent base camp or not.

Good Luck.

 

[Ben Sellers]

This would for general or otc rifle hunts. This year specially will be a mid October hunt for 5 to 7 continuous days. Usually my hunts have been in November. I like wall tent hunting Ut the problem is it’s easy for it to become wall tent camping. I like cutting firewood and camp chores so if I’m not having much luck, it’s easy to say I’ll just lay in some more wood tomorrow or whatever instead of doubling down on finding elk. Let’s grill a steak and have a beer tonight rather than watching the sun go down two miles back.

 

[geewhiz]

Sounds like a plan to me. That way, like you said, your not too invested in any particular spot. Hunt till you find elk and then hunt them till you kill one or run them out of the state

 

[nrpate05]

I like having the ability to be mobile. My camp is usually pretty spartan so I can pack up quickly if I want to move spots. Many times I'll just sleep in the back of my truck and if I want to move camp at the end of the day, I can just jump in and head to another area. At the end of a few days it usually looks like a bomb went off in the truck, so keeping organized is a constant battle. I've found that having fewer things to deal with reduces my stress level. Even camping at the truck I usually just eat dehydrated meals to avoid clean up and having dinner be a production. That's the only meal i'll 'cook.'
You could always setup a camp in a spot where you have access to many different areas. You don't necessarily have to use that camp every night, but on a weeklong hunt it might be nice to have a night or morning where you can spread out and relax.

 

[2rocky]

I'd set up the wall tent but have a spike camp backpack ready to go. If I am at the edge of my range and see animals or likely looking country I'll go there the next morning/evening with a pack to spend the night out. I'm not sure it is worth it to pack a camp from the get go, but Hunt country closer and more accessible first before pushing back in.

 

[Timvz26]

I am running a similar set up this year, Jumping Jack trailer for base camp, seek outside hot tent if we like what we see, we stay. I am hunting a draw tag unit in CO this year and debating on the 5 mile back plan or 2 or 3 mile and glass that way if no elk are found off to the next unit. Hunted this way on a WY gen. tag and it worked great.

 

[ScottP]

Personally, I wouldn't carry overnight gear around all day with me on an elk hunt unless I knew I was staying out. That 10lbs will slow you down significantly. I often just sleep in the back of my truck when I'm bouncing around trying to find hunting spots. I'd do as other suggested and have a backpack kit ready to go should you want to pack in a couple miles and hunt more comfortably into the further away areas. I mainly hunt during archery season though when the weather is better. But I've done similar in Idaho in Oct and Nov.

 

[nrpate05]

If you have one of the backpacks with a load shelf, you can keep a dry bag full of your spike camp gear and if you get a hankering to spend a night in the backcountry, just throw that in the load shelf and you're good to go. No repacking your entire backpack.

 

[Jrrosem]

Lots of good ideas here for a guy (me) who’s looking to give this a shot for the first time!

 

[Ben Sellers]

I am getting a dry bag to put my camping gear in so that I can grab it or leave it without doing a bag dump every day. Lots of good replies and ideas. Thanks everyone.

 

[Rizzen]

Thank you everyone for all the good ideas. I am new to the forum and I too will be trying to hunt this way this season.