Show Up Early or Hunt Longer?

[william schmaltz]

What's the pressure like is what would drive my decision. I've had a couple of times now where I've hiked in a few days early for sheep, located legals, and then had then blown out by people moving into the valley and 3 days were essentially wasted. Just the way it is. If I'm flying in, I'll go a few days early. If it's a hike in area where I expect pressure, then I'll be going a week late. Safe to say that by about day 5 the majority of people are either tagged out and headed home or throwing in the towel and won't be returning.

 

[Burg1]

I think going in a day or two early is a good idea but I wouldn’t go in a full week early. A lot can change after opening day and whole week of scouting can go down the drain real quick

 

[S.Clancy]

I’m talking region G. High country Rifle. I’ll never get to hunt it again at my age and it has some big deer so definitely looking for a quality buck. I’ve hunted the general area for elk for many years. But elk are below timberline so it’ll be a different game. But I’m right at home in the hills and have everything I need gear wise.

Season starts on a Friday so it’s either a week of scouting then hunt or 3 full weeks of hunting to head home on a Sunday.

For that I would go early, spent half a week or a full week finding the deer you want to hunt, then hopefully kill him opening day. That's what I would do, except I would bowhunt those days I was scouting since the season is open.

 

[Sccritterkiller]

3 days scouting max...enough time to get some idea of what's going on...hunt as many days as you can. All the pre season scouting can be out the window opening day. In 3 days of scouting best case you find a buck for opening morning , worse case you identify areas that would see less pressure when seaon opens.

 

[Bearwhisky]

I saw all the elk of the whole 9 day trip on the first 3 days. Im glad those days weren’t before season started…

Learned some lessons and essentially blew them out of the area from hunting them hard and camping in the same general area. If I were to scout before season on the front end of an out of town trip, I would limit it to areas I could glass from far away.


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