How far is too far?

[Jason Snyder]

Sometimes the mere fact that it's wilderness will increase the hunting pressure. I wouldn't let an administrative boundary be your determining factor. I'd go closer with more off trail travel.

 

[WRO]

Thanks for the input gents, I guess I should've clarified that this isn't straight line miles but rough estimates using a topo map on the colorado hunting atlas and the drawing tool. I think in straight line miles (as the crow flies) it's 6 or 7. Here's the problem I'm running into, and maybe you guys can offer some insight, but, I want to hunt wilderness areas, in my experience it will severely limit the number of hunters and the population density of critters will dramatically increase as well. To get into the wilderness boundaries it's an automatic 2-4 miles of hiking on a trailhead though, I could go off trail and possibly cut some of that mileage down, but is that gonna be worth the effort?

From what I've seen locally, every peckerwood cameron hanes wanna be heads into the wilderness. We get a fair bit of the non wildness of road areas to our selves. The area between 500 yards and 2 miles is relatively peckerwood free and there are plenty of elk.

 

[Ryan Avery]

Why do they have to be peckerwoods?

 

[huntaholic123]

From what I've seen locally, every peckerwood cameron hanes wanna be heads into the wilderness. We get a fair bit of the non wildness of road areas to our selves. The area between 500 yards and 2 miles is relatively peckerwood free and there are plenty of elk.

Maybe it's just me but why knock guys for wanting to get out off the roads and hunt deep? At least the effort, drive, and desire is there. Much better than the guys you see driving around all day. To each there own though

 

[MULEPACKHUNTER]

I have found the opposite in wilderness on the numbers of game animals, remember it is tuff access so not only are the hunters limited on game hunting but predator hunting is also limited so there is more of a natural balance in my opinion. I spend alot of time in wilderness areas and I find that deer and elk numbers are lower than high traffic public land sometimes. Just my theory but I believe its due to the predator numbers being higher.
On the other question It is much less resistance to follow a trail than cross country. Even if I go cross country I always end up on a game trail at some point and take that to avoid brush and poor footing. I cant tell you how many times we were bored on trail and decided to bomb the mules off road only to backtrack to the trail due to impassible terrain.

 

[WRO]

Maybe it's just me but why knock guys for wanting to get out off the roads and hunt deep? At least the effort, drive, and desire is there. Much better than the guys you see driving around all day. To each there own though

We've spent a fair bit of time in the caps and other places, it always seems more crowded and less elk. Last trip in, 12 miles with a horse we had 4 camps within a 2 mile area. Once your back there your stuck, at least hunting the middle ground if there are no elk, we just move until we find elk.

Ryan,

I'm from Oregon, we have the highest peckerwood to flat bill ratio in the nation as I understand it and It seems to go up significantly in the local wilderness areas.

 

[RamDreamer]

We've spent a fair bit of time in the caps and other places, it always seems more crowded and less elk. Last trip in, 12 miles with a horse we had 4 camps within a 2 mile area. Once your back there your stuck, at least hunting the middle ground if there are no elk, we just move until we find elk.

Ryan,

I'm from Oregon, we have the highest peckerwood to flat bill ratio in the nation as I understand it and It seems to go up significantly in the local wilderness areas.

I'm sorry, but the peckerwood to flat bill ratio comment made me bust out laughing at the table just now! I love it

 

[5MilesBack]

I've always considered the flat bills as the peckerwoods.

 

[Poser]

The flat bill = peckerwood equation works for me.
Who exactly is the "OG" hunter responsible for this trend?

 

[rhendrix]

No flat bills here.

 

[LongWayAround]

My buddy from Iowa said this weekend that our 3 mile pack out was tougher than running his last marathon. I did one by myself last year that was about 3 miles also and decided I could do 5 in reasonable country. With two guys who were really in mountain shape you could push it a little farther. I figure, it took me 3 agonizing trips solo, 2 guys can do it in two trips, and three guys could do it in one. The extra miles really add up once you start making multiple round trips.

 

[StrutNut]

When I last hunted elk several of the guys including myself would take off from base camp to as far away as they could get yet return by nightfall. I had my best bull encounter 800 feet from camp and 200 feet from the road and he was bugling like crazy. I passed on him at 45 yards as I couldn't get the right archery shot. I did end up shooting my first elk, a cow, minutes later. 19 yards, public ground, first time every elk hunting, do it yourself and that close to a road, I couldn't resist

 

[bz_711]

Regardless of physical condition, I would try talking anyone out of such distances for Elk...just too much to pack out, and giving up too much good hunting time to do so (if it's not you that gets one first).

I too hunt wilderness, typically 3-4 mile max...and go figure, the last two years I've taken bulls at .35 and .25 miles from road. Steer clear of major trailheads is my best advice, find some unmarked areas along roads that offer a shorter/more difficult access that is closer to roads...most look right past these, or do not want to attempt bushwacking own trail.

Good Luck - and take pics to share no matter what you decide!

 

[Mike7]

I don't have the experience that many do here, but I think the elk can be anywhere that has all the ingredients they need/want, regardless of some roads or trails. If you are archery hunting though, it is tough to work elk with calls, if you are close enough to the road to constantly have people coming down the road/trail calling. Yesterday, I bumped into a small herd of elk bedded on a ridge just 150 yds up a hill off of a road. I am guessing that this road doesn't get much traffic typically, but yesterday there was a good amount of guys (probably B tag flat hat hunters, because their bugles sounded more pitiful than my own) riding up and down the road bugling from their rhinos the entire time I was there.

 

[In God We Trust]

I just finished packing a mature bull out of the woods yesterday. It was a tad over 5 miles in. That is walking distance not as the crow flies. It was also 1500 foot of elevation gain from the truck. The area was rugged with only game trails. Myself and my partner took the first load out plus half of camp. The next day 2 more guys helped us grab the rest of the bull and the other half of camp. Counting skinning and pack out it was a total of 15 hours over 2 days. We also were high so the weather was cooler. We are in pretty good shape and spend a fair amount of time in the woods. IMO anything over 5 miles with just 2 guys and you risk loosing meat due to spoilage in archery season. 10 t0 12 and you will lose meat to spoilage.

 

[Ryan Avery]

Ryan,

I'm from Oregon, we have the highest peckerwood to flat bill ratio in the nation as I understand it and It seems to go up significantly in the local wilderness areas.

Haha, Sounds like your Jealous to me!


Seriously, I've been on a couple of marathon elk packouts. Even boned out elk are heavy! Once you pass the 5 mile mark most are looking for trouble. But you also have to know YOUR limitations. Aron and Colton(highcountry hellrazor) Just packed a bull 7+ miles and called in a person to help. They are fitness freaks but knew they needed reinforcements.

 

[WRO]

Haha, Sounds like your Jealous to me!


Seriously, I've been on a couple of marathon elk packouts. Even boned out elk are heavy! Once you pass the 5 mile mark most are looking for trouble. But you also have to know YOUR limitations. Aron and Colton(highcountry hellrazor) Just packed a bull 7+ miles and called in a person to help. They are fitness freaks but knew they needed reinforcements.

Aron is not in the peckerwood category, he has a curved bill hat.

I've done my fair share of brutal pack outs and they're worth it, but from what I've seen as of late, I'll stick to hunting the area between lazy fat ass and pure awesome peckerwood..

 

[Ryan Avery]

Aron is not in the peckerwood category, he has a curved bill hat.

I've done my fair share of brutal pack outs and they're worth it, but from what I've seen as of late, I'll stick to hunting the area between lazy fat ass and pure awesome peckerwood..

Ryan, it's up to us to educate the younger crowd

 

[WRO]

Ryan, it's up to us to educate the younger crowd

Here is my advice to the youngsters, read Cam Haines back country bow hunter book, find the biggest steepest wilderness you can find, take tons of selfies, and go in hard. Don't forget you hoochie momma and terminator bugle.

Let the chubby guys have the no mans land next to the roads..

 

[vcb]

Rhendrix, Yes to your above question. I typically always target wilderness area's. It keep the rift raft out. Love crossing rivers also..does the same. Depends upon all the points brought up by the above responses...4-5 miles, two guys in a wilderness area....you will love the sight of your truck! 7 miles plus...call the packer.