Chasing down elk heard with mountain bike?

[Missahba]

lots of symantics on here. The op needs to read some regs and look at where bikes are legal and not legal and also, needs to be more specific on his questions, but with that said, i have done what you are asking and have gotten multiple 6x7 bulls that way. it works, works well when used in the correct area. peddle in and glass, peddle some more and glass.

yes, we know mtn bikes are not allowed in congressionally designated wilderness areas, but the op never asked that and there is way more general forest than designated wilderness

mtnbiker208, ridgehunter, nacheshunter94 and OP, could you clarify for the non-biking readers your rig and more context? Are you base camped or packed-in? Gear at a spike camp or 100% mobile? Mountain bike rigged out with a touring setup of racks and panniers and scabbard, or bare bike with gear on your back? Trailer or no? Pics might help make the discussion a bit more informed. (Rokslide threads on every other topic is a deep dive, this should be no different).

 

[Limpy88]

lots of symantics on here. The op needs to read some regs and look at where bikes are legal and not legal and also, needs to be more specific on his questions, but with that said, i have done what you are asking and have gotten multiple 6x7 bulls that way. it works, works well when used in the correct area. peddle in and glass, peddle some more and glass.

yes, we know mtn bikes are not allowed in congressionally designated wilderness areas, but the op never asked that and there is way more general forest than designated wilderness.

Not everybody knows that mtn bikes are illegal in wilderness areas or are ignorant to the fact that they are. You'd be surprised.

We have one wilderness area in Indiana. It has a great mtb trail system in it. One the best in the state.

My question was a little vague because Im still trying to figure out where exactly. Going the OTC route with a draw as back up. Back wards I know.

mtnbiker208, ridgehunter, nacheshunter94 and OP, could you clarify for the non-biking readers your rig and more context? Are you base camped or packed-in? Gear at a spike camp or 100% mobile? Mountain bike rigged out with a touring setup of racks and panniers and scabbard, or bare bike with gear on your back? Trailer or no? Pics might help make the discussion a bit more informed. (Rokslide threads on every other topic is a deep dive, this should be no different).

I have a hard tail mtb. I have 3 wheels sets. If I were to take it, will be on 27.5 x 3.0 tires(most mtb tires are 2.4 wide. Fat bikes start at 4.0w) I have a rear pannier rack and a curved bars for bike packing. And a trailer set up. I hual my daughter in a trailer alot. I have another trailer that is just flat. Both are 2 wheels.
Pic is of the bike first month I got it last spring. Those are 27.5 x 2.8 tires. You can see my daughter playing with some soft baits I left in the back of the suv.
I plan on being 100% moblie.
Its the way i have always done it.
Motorcycle camping and kayakfishing trips.
Bow hunting. So should be warm enough to hammock only no tent.

 

[WJAadams]

Agree with most posts here. Is just not practical. Especially with a quarter or more on your back coming out. Super tippy

 

[Missahba]

Agree with most posts here. Is just not practical. Especially with a quarter or more on your back coming out. Super tippy

The trade off is between stability and access. Keeping the load on your back is unstable but makes the bike narrow and maneuverable down low. Loading panniers and/or a trailer is safer and stable, but restricts where you can go due to the extra width down near and on the ground. I would never attempt mountain bike hunting with more than a day pack on. My only experience has been using the bike to get on stand earlier faster with less sweat than walking - whitetail hunting out of a truck camp.

 

[Indian Summer]

Wilderness in Indiana? Do you mean an actual National Forest designated wilderness area? In my experiences the US Forest has uniform policies in all actual wilderness areas and that policy is no “mechanized or wheeled devices”. That encompasses both pedal bikes and even game carts.

 

[bsnedeker]

I was also skeptical, but there is one!

Hoosier National Forest - Charles C. Deam Wilderness

Hoosier National Forest - Charles C. Deam Wilderness

www.fs.usda.gov

Wheeled travel is prohibited just like every other wilderness area so hopefully he wasn't biking there.



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[bsnedeker]

National forest are wildness areas correct?

Hoosier National Forest - Bicycling:Mountain Biking

www.fs.usda.gov

No, wilderness areas are designated areas within national forests usually. No wheeled travel of any kind is allowed. Foot or horse travel only.

The wilderness area i linked above is in the hoover national forest.

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[Limpy88]

No, wilderness areas are designated areas within national forests usually. No wheeled travel of any kind is allowed. Foot or horse travel only.

The wilderness area i linked above is in the hoover national forest.

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Ok. Makes sense. Thought it was a general term everyone was using. Like "clip" instead of magazine. Which in this instance I was doing

 

[earrow]

got me thinking maybe i'll mount my cow silhouette to my bike next season antelope

 

[spike camp]

We have one wilderness area in Indiana. It has a great mtb trail system in it. One the best in the state.

My question was a little vague because Im still trying to figure out where exactly. Going the OTC route with a draw as back up. Back wards I know.



I have a hard tail mtb. I have 3 wheels sets. If I were to take it, will be on 27.5 x 3.0 tires(most mtb tires are 2.4 wide. Fat bikes start at 4.0w) I have a rear pannier rack and a curved bars for bike packing. And a trailer set up. I hual my daughter in a trailer alot. I have another trailer that is just flat. Both are 2 wheels.
Pic is of the bike first month I got it last spring. Those are 27.5 x 2.8 tires. You can see my daughter playing with some soft baits I left in the back of the suv.
I plan on being 100% moblie.
Its the way i have always done it.
Motorcycle camping and kayakfishing trips.
Bow hunting. So should be warm enough to hammock only no tent.

‘ Warm enough to hammock only no tent ‘

Not in Colorado, it typically isn’t.
No tent?
I think you need to seriously reevaluate your strategies.

 

[BigAntlerGetter]

I have to say that yes the term wilderness out east is how a lot of people explain the forests. Out west we have forests (national forest) and wilderness (wilderness areas). Many of my clients request deep in the wilderness. I give them coordinates and they say well what about chainsaws for wood, and stuff like that.... I’ve had to explain to them wilderness vs National forest vs proposed wilderness as I operate in all 3.

So for the OP if you came into my unit where I hunt within my permit area. One half the proposed wilderness There are 100’s of miles of trails, some national forest trails, some outfitter and cattle man use, some just made by cattle and game. But only about 15 miles total on that side allow bikes. And those trails are basically all the main trails, yes there are many trails that go off of the main trails but they are horse and hiking only. Our outfitter and cattleman trails we do not clear well enough for bicycle use for obvious reasons. These are the trails that we maintain our selves to use for our hunting trips, horseback trips and moving cattle. Those trails if you had a bike on them would be getting off every 50 feet to get ur bike over logs. These trails are also the ones we are supposed to report illegal use on.

So riding ur bike on a main trail to a camp site would be beneficial, but you better be in shape, IMO you’d be better off hiking to that spot, then spiking out after that. Once you go off these trails ur not going to follow a herd unfortunately on a bike guaranteed.


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[hobbes]

Not necessarily a terrible idea to want to follow elk around but the reality of it is the bike will not work out off trail.

I've not read all responses but it will be rare elk country that you can actually follow a herd of elk in while on a bike. Considering very steep rugged terrain and blowdowns, you'd have to carry it more than ride it. In addition, elk aren't always vocal and the wind doesn't always cooperate. It's damn near impossible to follow them around by any means unless they are bugling their head off, the wind is consistent, and they are staying put or moving really slow. None of those three happen consistently and all three at the same time is even less likely.

 

[Limpy88]

‘ Warm enough to hammock only no tent ‘

Not in Colorado, it typically isn’t.
No tent?
I think you need to seriously reevaluate your strategies.

I use a hammock down to 40°f. Past that and the wind chill at 25mph gets to cold and I go to a tent. I have been through Colorado many times motorcycle camping in the summer. Bow seasons most states start in late August.
I have seen ppl used them down to -20°f with a cover for the hammock. Snowmobile trails in the northern states.

 

[Nickofthewoods]

I've been Mountain Biking my whole life basically, and the only time I have ever considered using a bike for hunting is to access closed or gated roads. For big game I would not want to haul my gear and a trailer around on the typical single track trails that I ride for fun. That sounds miserable and dangerous.

You'll probably be just fine in a hammock during Archery season, but areas in Colorado received nearly two feet of snow mid September this year, so as long as you are prepared for that possibility...

 

[Indian Summer]

You need to be on the ground with a pad under you. A hammock is a really bad idea. It’s obvious you haven’t been up in elk country. Trust the guys who are telling you to go with a tent. Any tent is better than hanging in the air. That’s how we cool elk quarters! Good luck.

 

[mtnbiker208]

One thing i have discovered is, there is a lot of people saying things can't be done. Mainly by people who never thought of doing it that way.

With that said, the bike can and does work well for elk hunting, wether day hunts or packing in camps and hunting out of camps, but if you think you are going to buy a bike and go hunting off of it, is really naive.
A physically fit rider with good equipment can go many places. Todays bike packing gear is great. Now, the more technical and steep the road\trail is can determine the effectivness, I have found gated roads work really well off of a bike, but i have also used singletrack trails. I would rather use a bike any day of the week over a sideby side or atv, and i hunt where i can use the bike. But i have been mtn biking since the late 80's.

the bike does not matter as much as the rider, but i have used old cross country races bikes, what ever i had laying around, but the last few years, i built a bike for hunting and bike packing, front and rear racks, frame bag, pogies, basically lots of bikepacking stuff. I do ride bikes year round and find it fun, but like anything there is limitations, The biggest i have came accross is snow. A couple of things that you won't think of, sweat management, you will sweat climbing the hills to get into your area. Where do you leave your bike and do you lock it up? Wet brakes, they squeel loudly. Other hunters who just don't like you, because you are on a bike. This one is the biggest and causes the most issues.

One thing that i have found, is that animals, don't always know what to make of you. You have the silloute of an animal, but not really, but you do. Alot of times, they stop and look at you trying to figure you out. Think about it, your head sticks up and you have something coming out from behind you. So i say go for it and learn. All tools have there time and place, you just have to figure out what the time and place is for bikes and elk hunting. For me, it is all the time. I almost don't know how to hunt if i am not using a bike.

 

[Ralphie]

I guess following an elk herd around could mean different things, but if you can consistently stay within keeping tabs on them distance of a specific group of elk for days before a season opens using any transportation short of an aircraft than you don’t need to be asking questions on rokslide.

 

[spike camp]

I use a hammock down to 40°f. Past that and the wind chill at 25mph gets to cold and I go to a tent. I have been through Colorado many times motorcycle camping in the summer. Bow seasons most states start in late August.
I have seen ppl used them down to -20°f with a cover for the hammock. Snowmobile trails in the northern states.

Sure, you can winter hammock camp...if you want.

I guess I didn’t express my thoughts well, which is that a hammock has no place in the elk mountains in September imo.

I’m gathering you are pretty green when it comes to elk hunting?
Some good advice so far, much of which can cut your learning curve by quite a bit.

 

[Limpy88]

One thing i have discovered is, there is a lot of people saying things can't be done. Mainly by people who never thought of doing it that way.

With that said, the bike can and does work well for elk hunting, wether day hunts or packing in camps and hunting out of camps, but if you think you are going to buy a bike and go hunting off of it, is really naive.
A physically fit rider with good equipment can go many places. Todays bike packing gear is great. Now, the more technical and steep the road\trail is can determine the effectivness, I have found gated roads work really well off of a bike, but i have also used singletrack trails. I would rather use a bike any day of the week over a sideby side or atv, and i hunt where i can use the bike. But i have been mtn biking since the late 80's.

the bike does not matter as much as the rider, but i have used old cross country races bikes, what ever i had laying around, but the last few years, i built a bike for hunting and bike packing, front and rear racks, frame bag, pogies, basically lots of bikepacking stuff. I do ride bikes year round and find it fun, but like anything there is limitations, The biggest i have came accross is snow. A couple of things that you won't think of, sweat management, you will sweat climbing the hills to get into your area. Where do you leave your bike and do you lock it up? Wet brakes, they squeel loudly. Other hunters who just don't like you, because you are on a bike. This one is the biggest and causes the most issues.

One thing that i have found, is that animals, don't always know what to make of you. You have the silloute of an animal, but not really, but you do. Alot of times, they stop and look at you trying to figure you out. Think about it, your head sticks up and you have something coming out from behind you. So i say go for it and learn. All tools have there time and place, you just have to figure out what the time and place is for bikes and elk hunting. For me, it is all the time. I almost don't know how to hunt if i am not using a bike.

Your first 2 sentences describe my work for the past 18 years. Lol.

I used to ride 12 miles a day for years. Paved trails where I used to live. Been living here for 2.5 years now. 2 kids and alot of overtime has led multiple injuries since then. But my gravel bike is on the trainer now and my back is good enough to put my 40lbs 2.5 year old daughter back in the osprey poco. Getting back into a fitness routine.

Where I am at all the local trails are built by ex xc racers. Technical as hell. Was a while before i could do the harder ones. They are all next to the river so 100-130ft elevation change. Which is alot for north central indiana. First time I lived close enough to mtn bike on a weekday. That why I got into last year.

 

[Porterka]

I have never ran a mtn bike hunting but I have buddies who have and I think it is a good idea but only to access areas behind locked gates. I have been looking into them and I am pretty convinced I am going to invest in one just to do that so I can get further in gated areas. Seems like the last 10 years all my past areas have had gates going up. I agree with everyone about hitting trails, I wouldn’t try that it would be way to dangerous.

This year a buddy of mine on a mtn bike came around a corner fast trying to get to a spot before light and ended up in the middle of the herd he was trying to hunt.. they ran off to the next gmu. So there are down sides to it also sometimes.