What time do you come off the mountain durning archery elk hunting?

[philson208]

I hunt until dark. If things are slow I'll slowly make my way in the direction of camp/ rig as light fades. I am not hunting in griz country though.

 

[Haro450]

Killed plenty of animals during twilight hours. Your missing out on some of the prime hunting time if you leave before the light fades.

 

[Still Hunter]

Dark.

 

[mxgsfmdpx]

Depends on the hunt and activity level, but usually I am out hunting when it’s dark and set up for the evening well past dark. When elk hunting I very rarely take a mid day “break”. Maybe 30-45 minutes with my eyes closed in the shade, an hour tops.

 

[bz_711]

I often would try to end up close to truck at dark.
But my first 2 bulls were killed in that last hour of daylight...I'll never forget butchering one of those in the dark and how many bugles we heard in an area most people don't hear bugles.

This year I'll stay till dark, unless I'm just in the wrong spot with zero sign.

 

[Jaquomo]

In my area sometimes the wind doesn't settle until the thermal sets in when the sun drops behind the mountain. That gives me somewhere between 45 minutes and an hour of legal shooting light. I've killed probably a dozen during that window. Hiking out in the dark is how you do it.

 

[lak2004]

Hike in the dark, nothing too scary in the CO woods.

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[8grenade]

I come down when i get results.

 

[svivian]

Hike in the dark, nothing too scary in the CO woods.

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I agree except for those damn turkeys who roost in the trees above you as your bush whacking in the dark back to camp that flush out at you.

 

[Billy Goat]

I agree except for those damn turkeys who roost in the trees above you as your bush whacking in the dark back to camp that flush out at you.

Or the moose in the headlamp at 20 yards looking right thru you.

 

[lak2004]

I agree except for those damn turkeys who roost in the trees above you as your bush whacking in the dark back to camp that flush out at you.

I mean, those grouse blow up under your feet and scare the hell out of ya too, but that just makes them a target for dinner.

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[Indian Summer]

On your way ip the mountain drop waypoints at key locations. Any place that’s important. If you have to go around something drop several. You can also leave your Onx Maps on and mark your entire route. You are missing the best times of the day.

 

[spike camp]

In the past…You’ve been hiking down 1800 feet to camp, and getting there before dark?

 

[trophyhill]

Cliff Gray talks about this in 1 of his YouTube videos. Hunt til dark.

 

[jmez]

I start heading back to camp when it is too dark to glass.

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[TaperPin]

The more time you spend in the woods at night, the easier it gets. The trick is learning which game trails to follow and what thick or rocky areas to avoid, but that comes with experience.

The down side is you’ll be eating late so it’s a great idea to pack dinner and eat early. Many times over the years we’ve heard or seen elk at night and they didn’t seem to pay much attention to us, even with the headlamps.

I just remembered something kinda funny - in my 20s it was common for me at night to go around a downed tree to the right….make enough slight right deviations and you’ll make a big circle - embarrassing. Lol

 

[lak2004]

Just to ease your worries, MTN lions don't care for the taste of NR hunters...just kidding, usually too different a flavor than the granolas they usually target

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[Marble]

Normally, I do not return to camp until dark. But I have returned mid-day.

I am not always up super early, just depends.

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[velvet muley]

We killed 2 bulls and 1 cow last year, walked up on all three of them in the dark, all three on separate days. The year before I arrowed my bull with about 10 minutes of shooting like too. Can't bet against those odds.

 

[Gumtree801]

I have always hunted until dark, however, have never had much success. Most of my encounters have been early morning and afternoon. I’ve seen them before dark, but never had a great chance for some reason. I’ll keep staying out until dark though.