What’s your backcountry archery game plan?

[Bjcoyne]

I’m heading out on my second back country solo archery hunt in mid September. I had a great hunt last year but wanted to ping the group about your daily or overarching game plan.

Do you take a trail in or do you just bomb off into the dark timber from the truck? Are you hunting north facing slopes? Do you try to camp up on the ridge or closer to the bottom?

I’ll be hunting the general WY tag and plan on backpacking in 3-4 days in one spot then 3-4 in another if I don’t run into anything.

Hope to hear from some folks! Thanks!

 

[dgc1963]

I live in the east and go out west every few yrs and in no way am I an expert
But I start on a trail to get back in to where I mostly hunt and kinda have a go to area near good water and hunt from their ,get up high first day glass and work on finding elk and go from their

 

[midwesthunter]

I will be taking a trail in and letting sign/game tell me where to go from there.

 

[KB_]

Try not to get eaten by a grizz thats my plan.

 

[Brian in Montana]

I usually just count on hiking an hour or so in the dark before a hunt. This year I'm planning to do more over-nights. I got a tag for an area I haven't hunted before and it's a little ways to drive and hike in on the same morning. I scouted the area a couple times this spring and think I have a decent plan in place. It's going to require a lot of walking tho. I wish I had some llamas.

 

[wa_archer]

I normally plan to hunt where the elk are no matter what it takes to get to them, trail, road or off trail. I prefer off trail due to less chance of seeing others.

 

[geewhiz]

Hike until you find animals and they play it by ear from there. If your going into an unfamiliar area stay up high and glass until you find them. Then play the wind and topography to find the most efficient camp location.

 

[Wranglerman]

Generally we leave Basecamp around 5:30 on horseback. We usually have a destination planned, but depending on what bugles we hear on the ride, plans sometime change.

 

[IEATELK]

We pack in 3.5 hours. Set camp on good water at about 9k. And just get western from there.... i like to knock an arrow and run at bugles like a wild indian. Took 8 days last year with archery gear, BEST time of my life. Killing an elk thats screaming, with a bow, has to be like doing meth. Id put money on it.

 

[RookieSeason]

This will be my third year of back country archery hunting. My first year I stayed closer to the trail and had no luck. I left wondering if elk actually existed. The second year I went off the trail from the truck. I didn't fill my tag but was able to interact with elk. I will be going off the trail from now on.

 

[Wranglerman]

"And just get western from there"
Made me smile Tjd!
Best quote I've heard in awhile. May have to borrow it this year.

 

[Jc2020]

I’m going to hike back into some spots I’ve picked out e scouting and see how they are if I’m seeing good sign or hearing elk at one of them Im going to have my pack and enough stuff to back pack camp for 3-5 days