Picking a camp site?

[mdoolin]

I have been spending a lot of time on google earth reviewing past hunting areas and looking into new areas. During that time I started thinking about possible camping locations and which would be in the best location in terms of wind, elk feeding areas and bedding areas. A few of the areas I found had great camping spots at lakes up high on the mountain but would be above where the elk would be moving in the mornings and evenings. With thermals in the morning being down into the valley does anyone else think this is a big problem or am I over reacting? I am also curious to what others on the forum look for in a camp site in the backcountry?

 

[BroodBuster]

Avoiding widow makers and lightning are my two highest priorities. So any spot with a lot of downed timber or branches or trees that have exploded from previous lightning strikes are out.

This is more for mule deer than elk but the perfect site for me is on a flat step about half way up a ridge in a small grove of similar sized trees that is close to several good glassing spots and water.

 

[rayporter]

along about 6 any level or semi level spot will have to do. btdt

 

[elkyinzer]

This can really psych me out too, but I think if you avoid camping right on top of where you expect to hunt you should be in the clear. It sounds like you are anticipating your scent dropping right into a basin where you expect the elk to be, so I would think you may want to try camping in a different basin or get to where your scent funnels below them.

As others said, between lightning, trees, water, and flat spots sometimes you don't have a lot of choice in the matter and have to make do with what you're given. I try not to overthink and trust my instincts when it comes to picking a camp spot, it usually seems to work out pretty well, but I guess that depends how well your instincts are developed.

Other factors are... how smelly your camp is going to be (fire, # of people, cooking)? Also how much normal camping/human activity are the elk going to be used to i.e. backpackers and hikers?

Edit: forgot you mentioned the lake part, I have found those to be hubs of human activity so the elk would likely be used to smelling people up there to some degree. Also I know a few National Forests have required setbacks from water you aren't allowed to camp so you are hopefully aware of that.

 

[realunlucky]

I've had elk mill around very close to my camp site at night. I'd also try and avoid camping on top of where your planning to hunt

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[rayporter]

me too, with a fire smoldering and horses snorting-they just kept munching

 

[mdoolin]

I appreciate all the feedback and think I may try a new camping spot this fall. The place I have camped in the past is a great camping spot with great water and really flat but I feel it may be just a little too close to where I will be hunting. Have any of you ever witnessed wildlife drop downwind of your camp and spook like they do when you are in close hunting?

 

[rayporter]

deer walk right through camp in day light all the time. eat with horses and watch us eating.

had white tails do the same. had several eat horse feed while we were getting dressed in the morning last year.

 

[Violent Hippie]

Safety first as others have mentioned. Dead falls and flash flood zones are out. The rest depends on the exact area your hunting . I would avoid making camp too close to the obvious direct wildlife corridors . In my experience I have had multiple bear and blacktail come into my camp during hunting season at night in the backcountry while I had a fire and when I didnt making me think it really doesnt matter much and they are gonna check you out if they are curious. I dont have much experience in elk country though.

 

[Where's Bruce?]

Avoiding widow makers and lightning are my two highest priorities. So any spot with a lot of downed timber or branches or trees that have exploded from previous lightning strikes are out.

This is more for mule deer than elk but the perfect site for me is on a flat step about half way up a ridge in a small grove of similar sized trees that is close to several good glassing spots and water.

You would hate most of AZ then. Between Williams and Flagstaff there's a blown up and burned out tree every 60 yards.

 

[rayporter]

ooooooo that will get yer blood pumping, watching a storm come in. what a pic.

i watched a snow storm come up a valley with lighting shooting out the side at the mountain - it was scary.

 

[Violent Hippie]

Thats a real nice lightning photo . Classic AZ .

 

[Where's Bruce?]

One morning while hiking in well before dawn we saw lightning way off...like 50 miles away or more and it lit up where we were like a camera flash. It was unsettling. When the defeaning sound of thunder got within 10 seconds of the lightning we beat it outta the woods. Just made it to the truck in time to see the hardest rain ever. Roads were flooded in under 2 minutes. Crazy!!!

 

[BroodBuster]

I'd love to hunt the SE and would never let my fear of lightning, which I'm certain is greater than the most people's, keep me out of the wilderness. Every 15 minutes or so I'd either be thinking that's a good bolt spot there or we'd be screwed here . I'd also keep a very close eye on the sky. And, of course, flash flood zones would be added to the don't camp here list.

Pretty wicked picture though! Amazing how beautiful they are from a distance .

 

[Justin Crossley]

My brother and I woke up one morning to a 3 point buck smelling our game bags full of bear meat from the day before. That area is a popular hiking spot though, and I think that has a lot to do with how the animals react to your presence.

 

[BroodBuster]

I once returned to camp to find a blacktail doe in the middle of a meadow playing with the tp from my morning poop.

 

[ben h]

Those AZ rainstorms can be pretty crazy. By the way the speed of sound is around 340 m/second so, 10 seconds away is only about 2 miles, which is CLOSE for a lightning storm; good thing all the literature says to "get indoors" in such an event, which doesn't exist in my experience. Glad you made it out safely.

 

[Where's Bruce?]

Those AZ rainstorms can be pretty crazy. By the way the speed of sound is around 340 m/second so, 10 seconds away is only about 2 miles, which is CLOSE for a lightning storm; good thing all the literature says to "get indoors" in such an event, which doesn't exist in my experience. Glad you made it out safely.

We figured 10 seconds = 10 miles. Never ran so hard in my life...harder than trying to head off elk! Fear is a great motivator. Went to a restaurant in Williams and later returned to where we were. Walked past a smoldering tree and thought, "Glad that's not me." This was taken on Bill Williams Mt. There was a massive lion track 10 yards from this spot.

 

[ben h]

Bruce, That's why I brought it up. the old "one second=one mile" rule of thumb is what I hear most people say, but in reality it's 1 second = 340 meters at sea level; sound travels slower at higher elevations (300 m/s at 10,000'), which is about 5 times closer than you think.http://rendezvous.nols.edu/files/Curriculum/research_projects/Risk%20Management%20Reports/NOLS%20Backcountry%20Lightning%20Safety%20Guidelines.pdf

here is the best info on what I've found for back-country and lightning. I've been in one "flash", "bang" experience and several less than 3-4 seconds, so I've looked into it a fair bit.

 

[yak]

You've got to keep in mind the high elevation afternoon boomers rolling through. A few years back, I was camped just below timberline in Colorado. Had camp setup in some thick timber when an afternoon thunderstorm came up on us. I was close enough to camp that we were able to make it back to the tents to take cover. "Flash, Boom". A tree ~25' from the tents got struck by lightning. The concussion of the lightning pushed me over in my tent and made my ears ring. When we broke down camp a few days later, I found my aluminum tent poles were fused together where they crisscrossed. Had to break the tack between the tent poles to get the tent down.

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