Go Deep Boys. Go Deep

[Wapiti1]

I love the drive by areas like this. Everyone cruises on by because it's too close to the road.

One spot in MT that is like this I found by spending a sleepless night listening to three bulls bugle and fight all night. It was a fluke. My initial camping plan was foiled by a guy from Bozeman. So, up the road I went seeking new digs for a 19 foot trailer.

Just so happens there is a big bench behind where I camped and the elk love it. I've taken 4 bulls there over the years. It's hard to hunt due to thermals, but if it works out, it's always money.

Jeremy

 

[cnelk]

I love the drive by areas like this. Everyone cruises on by because it's too close to the road.

One spot in MT that is like this I found by spending a sleepless night listening to three bulls bugle and fight all night. It was a fluke. My initial camping plan was foiled by a guy from Bozeman. So, up the road I went seeking new digs for a 19 foot trailer.

Just so happens there is a big bench behind where I camped and the elk love it. I've taken 4 bulls there over the years. It's hard to hunt due to thermals, but if it works out, it's always money.

Jeremy

Careful. People will ask you to stop posting this stuff, or accusing you of bragging or being close to a ranch

 

[DawnPatrol]

“Go Deep Boys. Go Deep”​

What the elk in that first photo will be saying after I bump it twice on the first day.

 

[Huntnnw]

I hung a cam 60 yards from a forest service road that gets lots of traffic of guys going in "deep" to the trailheads . I got 4,000 pics of elk in 30 days lol

 

[Huntnnw]

I’m an easterner so excuse my ignorance, but are you at all worried that elk won’t be there when the army of people go marching in there come opening day?

no, it seems everyone and their dog these days is guzzling mtn ops and hiking in 10 miles to elk hunt when there is thousands of places to hunt right out of the rig.

 

[Overdrive]

I have a tree stand within 50 yards of a forest service road and have killed Elk out of it, a friend used it too and killed an Elk out of it the first night he sat in it. Elk are where you find them, I've done the "go deep" and have killed my bigger bulls a lot closer to the roads than you'd think.

 

[Ram94]

Line one up from 50 yards with a steel tipped, chevy 2500 and they're usually DRT and super close to the road.

 

[mproberts]

What kind of psychological operation is this?

Sincerely,
2021 CO otc hunter

That's it... it's decided!!! I'm going deeper than ever before now!!

 

[Gerbdog]

That's it... it's decided!!! I'm going deeper than ever before now!!

I'm on board also, im gonna hike 13 miles back to hunt 500 yards from the road on the other side of the range! the hunting pressure and elk will never suspect my game...

 

[Poser]

“Looking to do my first pack in hunt in the year 2028. Haven’t decided on a unit yet, but looking for recommendations on a good OTC unit with a chance at a decent Bull. Not looking for anyone’s honey holes, but any help is appreciated. The plan will be to pack in deep until we find elk. Also, I know Crispi boots are the best that there is, but does anyone have any recommendations for a equally good boot that won’t break the bank. And, are high end packs really worth the price? Trying to decide between a Jansport and a SG. What is the best tent that won’t break the bank for packing in deep while OTC archery elk hunting? How much water should I carry for 8 days? Currently shooting a 6.5 creedmore, but I heard it’s not good for elk so I was thinking of buying a Barret .50 cal BMG. It’s that a good gun for backpack hunting? Mostly hunt Whitetails in the Midwest so I have good gear already: mossy Oak insulated clothes are the best there is so I’m all set there. Also, I’m bringing my grandfather -he’s pretty old and doesnt get around so we’ll, but he’s wanted to hunt elk every since he came home from the Korean War with 2 Purple Hearts, so I was looking for a some recommendations of some places he could kill a bull that are close to the road.”

 

[Poser]

I recently went out on a scouting trip. At the trailhead there's a basin to the north and I saw a couple people wearing their camo pants and their Vortex's glassing from this spot. I decided I needed to get away from these people so I went down the opposite side of the ridge to find camp for the night. Ended up bumping a couple bulls not more than half a mile from the trailhead in the treeline. Amazing.

I was bear hunting across a drainage from a popular TH last sept. Glassing at last light, I happened to be looking in the vicinity of the parking area, full of truck (aka “rigs), presumably archery hunters. At last light, an entire herd of elk stood up not 200 yards from the parking area. I imagine all those dudes drove 20 hours from wherever, 2 hours up a crappy FS RD, hiked in eight….teen miles in to kill an elk and all the elk were bedded next to their trucks (aka “rigs”) at the Trailhead.

 

[Spike elk]

I was bear hunting across a drainage from a popular TH last sept. Glassing at last light, I happened to be looking in the vicinity of the parking area, full of truck (aka “rigs), presumably archery hunters. At last light, an entire herd of elk stood up not 200 yards from the parking area. I imagine all those dudes drove 20 hours from wherever, 2 hours up a crappy FS RD, hiked in eight….teen miles in to kill an elk and all the elk were bedded next to their trucks (aka “rigs”) at the Trailhead.

Sounds like my luck.

 

[grossklw]

I've had ok luck next to a road but I personally like the 2-4 miles in areas. I've had better luck getting a little away, but not as deep as the mtn ops guys (strong supporter of my dad bod) or the horse guys. I've killed elk 5 miles in, but the packout of a raghorn a half mile in didn't suck either.

I'm out there to kill an elk, but I value the backcountry experience too. I don't like hearing four wheelers rip by me when I'm truck camping at all hours of the night.

 

[Sled]

I hunt close and not too far. If there's a trail then 5 miles back is no big deal. With steep terrain or blow down, less than a mile can feel like 10. Being solo and having a bad back, the pack out is a concern for me.

 

[WCB]

I’m an easterner so excuse my ignorance, but are you at all worried that elk won’t be there when the army of people go marching in there come opening day?

In some spots that can be the case. But the vast majority of guys pull into the trail head and head out in a few directions. One spot 2nd week of gun season just inside the National Forest Line at the start of the road that lead into a trail head (15minutes from trail head) I was making a phone call between clients. I look over and not 400 yards off the road across the drainage is about 30 head of elk and 2 nice bulls for the area 290-300". About 10 different trucks past me and never even slowed down they were so worried about driving in farther to get to a certain camping spot or trail head or leaving because there were "no elk".

So in general really close to a main heavily used trail head yes the elk will probably get pushed back a bit but there are LOTS of places just off the road (especially if you have to go steep up hill) where elk can be had.

 

[DCT1983]

In some spots that can be the case. But the vast majority of guys pull into the trail head and head out in a few directions. One spot 2nd week of gun season just inside the National Forest Line at the start of the road that lead into a trail head (15minutes from trail head) I was making a phone call between clients. I look over and not 400 yards off the road across the drainage is about 30 head of elk and 2 nice bulls for the area 290-300". About 10 different trucks past me and never even slowed down they were so worried about driving in farther to get to a certain camping spot or trail head or leaving because there were "no elk".

So in general really close to a main heavily used trail head yes the elk will probably get pushed back a bit but there are LOTS of places just off the road (especially if you have to go steep up hill) where elk can be had.

Great info, I have never gone out west on my own, only with a guide and am really looking forward to doing it one day.

 

[ganngus]

I’m an easterner so excuse my ignorance, but are you at all worried that elk won’t be there when the army of people go marching in there come opening day?

There are certain OTC units in Colorado that average 2 hunters per 3 square miles of total unit for a given season. If you cut the unit in half, which most people generally hunt, then there is a legitimately an armed group of backwoods warriors who could rival most armies of third world countries...

So yes, I have seen these armies blow herds of elk out of the unit all together or onto private. Don't get me started on the wannabe Corey Jacobsens buggling who think they know everything about calling because they learned it during the past offseason on Youtube and feel the need to bugle every five steps they take...

 

[Laramie]

There are certain OTC units in Colorado that average 2 hunters per 3 square miles of total unit for a given season. If you cut the unit in half, which most people generally hunt, then there is a legitimately an armed group of backwoods warriors who could rival most armies of third world countries...

So yes, I have seen these armies blow herds of elk out of the unit all together or onto private. Don't get me started on the wannabe Corey Jacobsens buggling who think they know everything about calling because they learned it during the past offseason on Youtube and feel the need to bugle every five steps they take...

Lol, me too. I have seen a herd of 50+ elk run into the plain, flat wide open prairie 10 miles from a hill just to get away. The hunting pressure in some areas is truly crazy... und unsafe.

 

[Bigcat_hunter]

There are definitely critters close to the roads around here but they are super cagey and smarter than the average.

 

[CheeseCurd94]

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