How far is too far?

[rhendrix]

So it's crunch time and me and my fellow hunting partner are in the final stages of planning our hunt, we've got several areas we'd like to bomb off into, and most are in wilderness areas. The problem I'm running into, and I say I because we haven't really discussed this yet, is that some of the areas I like are 10-12 miles into wilderness areas and we'll be traveling by foot. Obviously we'll have problems packing out meat that far back, and I'm hoping to line up a packer in the next couple of weeks. But besides that, I want to maximize my time afield (we're only getting 11 days to hunt) and I feel like going too far back will hamper us from covering more country. So, would we better off only going into areas that are 4-5 miles or should we just suck it up and go deep?

 

[Beastmode]

That is a long ways to go. You don't have to go that far to get in to good country. I'm not saying that it isn't good country but sometimes the most obvious areas are the least obvious areas. I have killed quite a few animals within 2 miles of a trailhead. I think 5 or so miles is a good distance. If there is no sign of elk keep moving. Definitely have a packer lined up if you are going to be in rough country.

 

[Backpack Hunter]

How long will it take you to pack an elk out 12 miles? If you kill an elk on day 11-10-9-8.....will you have enough time to get one out?Will you continue to hunt or have to call it quits early if you haven't killed within your pack out timeline?
A packer will allow you more time afield and less effort. No reason not to go 12 miles in, but I agree it may not be needed.

 

[TimeOnTarget]

My first question would be, How capable(read in shape) are you and your hunting partner? If you guess are capable, get back in there.

 

[elkyinzer]

When you run in that deep you run into guys/outfitters with horses often. I've found a few keys to getting away from hunting pressure out west and absolute distance from the road sure isn't one of them especially with the growing popularity of backpack hunting.

Also remember packers usually have other operations so don't be 100% reliant on one always have a plan A, B and C.

 

[Biggs300]

At 64 yrs. old if I shot an elk 12 miles out, I'd have to start eating it somewhere between the 9th or 10th mile out. Even though I'm in good shape for my age, I now hunt with horses.

 

[Ross]

A couple of questions I would ask before I reply...have you ever packed elk? And does the 10+ miles include some serious vertical, as 10 miles can be much different in getting an elk if there is considerable vertical to cover...?

 

[WRO]

The good idea fairy is getting the best of you, we killed 2 bulls a few years back, one 5 miles one 12 miles same day. It took 4 guys 3 days ( including kill day) to get them both out.

 

[Ruskin]

Have you talked to a packer yet? In my experience most are busy with clients. If easy for them, they will help, but think through logistics for contacting and coordinating. Also cost. If you have all those bases covered, good for you.

 

[Jason Snyder]

If you go in 12 miles, you've walked by elk on the way in.

I would really re-think things, and try to find somewhere 2-4 miles in to camp, and then hunt from there. I would be reluctant to rely on a packer. Sometimes they are busy, and you'll fall down the priority list. Regardless, you're still responsible for the meat if they bail on you.

Do the math, a bull elk is four trips. 4x24 miles = 96 miles for a packout, and you still might have to get your camp to boot. That quickly eats up an 11 day hunt.

Good luck!

 

[tttoadman]

The people at Starkey Experimental Forest on OR have determined that elk "like" to be about 3 miles from a busy road. There are likely some nice pockets starting from a couple miles in.

 

[rayporter]

dont count on a packer. unless you can wave plenty of money.

then there is how do you contact that packer?

 

[Jdog]

Aron Snyder and I hunted and killed elk and deer about 6 miles back 00up and down some big country in CO a few years back.

I had to twist his arm but I was glad we had a packer come in for that trip!

 

[5MilesBack]

About 30 years ago I shot a cow 6 miles from the closest road. That was stupid. For me, I'm not going beyond 5 miles without pack animals unless I'm shooting something in the 330+ category.

 

[ElkNut1]

Is it possible, maybe! I've packed out 25-30 1/2 elk on my back but nothing over 5 miles, 12 miles would be insane in true elk country. The 5 mile trek (no roads or trails) took 6 hours one way, 12 miles would have been no way, heck I did not even want to see another mile & I'm a workout nut to prep for this stuff!

Be reasonable in your planning, only make plans that are achievable, you'll enjoy your hunt much more!

ElkNut1

 

[Poser]

Can't really offer the level of advice of some of these other guys, but 10-12 miles of elk packing where I have hunted in the San Juan mountains would not be a reasonable option for 2 guys. In fact, I would equate such a feat to almost a Shackleton level of physical and mental endurance. Don't get me wrong, I would perhaps be willing to participate in a meat packing a la Train to Hunt style competition of that length just to see if I could do it, but I would not intentionally kill an elk that deep in that particular country unless I had 4 people total who were all fit, experienced and mentally proven. Maybe you're hunting somewhere flatter, but if you're talking true off trail mountain terrain, 10-12 miles is probably physically over the heads of 99% of hunters carrying loads of 70-100+ pounds. Just being real.

On a climbing trip, I once packed 13 hard miles in one day with a heavy pack of climbing gear, probably 65 pounds. That was following an established trail that most people do in 2 days. Even doing that 4 days in a row would have been pretty brutal. Add more weight and no trail and you would be looking at a minimum of twice as many days to cover the same ground and that assumes you could maintain the physical pace and not have any serious blisters or excessively sore muscles.

 

[ridgefire]

4 miles is a fairly tough pack out where we hunt in Idaho. Only way I would try twelve if only one hunter had a tag and you were after a trophy class bull. I would suggest looking closer like others have said.

 

[MULEPACKHUNTER]

I went down this same thought road last few weeks. I was all set for the usual 8 mile hike to good hunting and decided I wanted to see what the grounds looked like that I was blowing through to get 8 miles in. So I went 4 miles exactly and spent 4 days looking. No deer to be had but I did increase my knowledge and found some elk for future tag. I would not want to walk even a deer out 8 miles. I plan to hang the meat and go home for my mules. Hauling camp 8 miles is enough work. Keep in mind 24 miles in one trip is a lot for packing, I would charge a lot if I had to do that.

 

[5MilesBack]

Here's another consideration. Map miles versus real miles. The bull I shot in 2012, the bull was only 2.5 miles from the trailhead as the crow flies. But using a GPS and logging actual packout miles, it was 4.89 miles. So if you're going off of "map miles" that 10-12 could be much much more than that. 10-12 miles one way in is no joke. Even 5 miles in is no joke in elk country.

 

[rhendrix]

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?