Hunting elk alone?

[David Kaden]

For the last couple of years I have talked my brother into joining me on my sept bowhunt. He gets homesick and missing a showier etc after about 4 days and leaves for pressing " business" reasons". After decades of hunting alone I cant seem to bring myself to use an outfitter and I cant find a good one who is not booked on short notice anyway. ; one concern is getting our meat. I am not afraid to admit I no longer can sling a hindquarter on my back and hike 5 miles round trip loads thru the mnts multiple times and dont want any meat to spoil. I think I will hunt closer to the road and hunt water holes more. And focus on getting meat and not big horns. It is difficiult to find a hunting buddy with a tag and or time and willness to tag along and share camp. Anybody else struggle with these dilemmas hunting out west?

 

[87TT]

I have mostly always hunted alone. First off you have to commit to getting in shape, By that I mean, I walk three to four miles a day year round with my dog. Then in the spring I start wearing my pack with weight in it. Start out light say 25 lbs. Throw in some steep hills. Keep adding weight until I am up to 50 or so. Shoot my bow with it on and on hills after the evening walk. I have friends I could call to help with a pack out but so far haven't had to. Learn to bone out the meat and get a "good" pack. Always try to hunt uphill. Try being the optimal word.

 

[mtwarden]

The vast majority of my hunting is done solo. Usually (but not always) I can find a buddy (or two) to help retrieve elk- the promise of elk meat is a great carrot

I definitely can see that being much harder when coming from out of state, living here has it's perks!

 

[Boarmaster]

Its not just out west. I am an eastern hunter and when I was young I hunted alone if there was no one to go. I also stayed out if others had to go home. Granted back then I had opportunities closer to home but being single and a job where I worked mostly out of the office if injured I would have laid in the woods for many days until someone noticed I was missing.

These days I hunt 9 hours from home. It might be a very long time before anyone noticed or found me.
at 60 I dont hunt alone. If at all possible. Fortunately there is usually someone hunting on the lease about every week during the long season so I am seldom alone. If I am alone for a day or so I don't take many chances.

I will stay close to the main road that runs thru the lease. I stay out of the trees and hunt on the ground.
I’m just dang careful. Things can happen to you health wise as well. Things that don't happen to a 25 year old that are real dangers to a person over 60.

I would never try a wilderness hunt on my own at my age even if was raised in that area.

 

[87TT]

Get a Garmin and don’t sweat it.

 

[ElkNut1]

68 here, I hunt alone more than I hunt with my Son. Don't hunt with others much but enjoy it when I do. Like Mtwarden I have the help when needed. I'm rarely over 3 miles from my rig, in most cases under 2 miles. Lots of elk in those shorter distances. I'm a firm believer in calling & can pull them my way near a mile away at times. In most cases a 1/2 mile & under. I do hunt thicker areas than most so this is why calling trumps any other tactic!

ElkNut

 

[FLATHEAD]

I'll be 57 this fall and I put in for deer, elk and antelope in Idaho.
I live on the Gulf Coast.
Would almost certainly be a solo hunt.
If I draw I'll figure it out, one bite at a time.
As long as I'm able, I will be out there.
I want to live till I die.

 

[mtnwrunner]

Absolutely! Be 66 in October and hopefully I'll be packing that elk out solo on my birthday.
Last couple have been solo.......I bone everything and just take my time.

Randy

 

[ELKhunter60]

The older you get, the less folks that are our age are interested in going back 5 miles to set up camp and hunt without pack animals. I certainly understand your dilemma. One thing I've done is talk to local folks that rent Llamas and see if they have any animals available WHEN YOU GO IN. If you score, you can hang all but one load of meat and go to your truck. Go home, spend the night at home or in town and then go back with 2-4 Llamas for the meat run. It will cost you a couple of days time and probably around $1000, but if you have considered a guide, $1000 may not scare you off.

One more thing, the Llama rental folks will want you to be trained before you take their animals. You could try to get the training out of the way in the summer or a few hours before you go in to hunt. Obviously it will need to be cold enough at night for your meat to hang for a couple days if you do this as well. I had to put my meat in plastic bags and sink it in a creek with rocks on top one year due to weather - but it worked. Just throwing out an option. This may be too much messing around for you. Nothing wrong with shooting animals closer to the truck either - I'm just not ready to do that yet.

 

[ElkNut1]

I guess it's all how you look at it! I have no issues going in 5+ miles, the thing is I can take bulls on OTC hunts much closer to my rig & they're basically around the same sized critters! To me it's all about being in Shape & not out of shape. This is where I'm both mentally & physically prepared. I'm not ready to toss in that proverbial white towel quite yet! (grin)

ElkNut

 

[swampthing]

I solo hunt elk pretty much every year in the northern rockies of BC. I am certainly aware of my limitations in those mountains. I dont venture more that about 6-7km [4-5mi] off of an atv trail. As the trip gets close to the end that distance gets closer to the trail as I would need 3-4 days to pack an elk that distance! The big thing is, I dont need to kill an elk. If I can find one, get within shooting range and drop the hammer on an empty chamber, I have won! Just being in the mountains is enough for me so I feel no pressure!