What's your minimum distance from road/trail that you find elk?

[wpeach1912]

Maybe 50 yards from the road when this spike was shot. He not so conveniently died in the middle of the road. Had to pull him off the road to get the truck past to go get the trailer

 

[RemcoU]

2023: 5km
2024: 2km
2025: 3km

However I prefer to chase unpressured animals so I target further areas from the roads

 

[jonnycoder]

Many of the replies helps me understand why there are still so many road hunters.

 

[Ironman8]

For you guys saying that you look for gaps in where the pressure is and you (may) find elk closer to the road. How are you determining where the pressure is? Are you mainly looking at trailheads?

As an out of state hunter, I don’t have the luxury of a lot of time surveying where camps are set up and generally just pick a spot deeper in, away from roads, and off-trail to get away from people. But if I can pick a few spots that are accessible closer to a road but away from the pressure, then that would be great to add to the game plan.

 

[High Climber]

For you guys saying that you look for gaps in where the pressure is and you (may) find elk closer to the road. How are you determining where the pressure is? Are you mainly looking at trailheads?

As an out of state hunter, I don’t have the luxury of a lot of time surveying where camps are set up and generally just pick a spot deeper in, away from roads, and off-trail to get away from people. But if I can pick a few spots that are accessible closer to a road but away from the pressure, then that would be great to add to the game plan.

Roads, Trailheads, gates, good parking areas on the side of the roads, popular well known “good” spots.. doesn’t matter if there is a trailhead there or not. Mostly takes a day or three in a new area for me to kinda figure out the jist of what’s going on and where the pressure Is at

 

[KurtR]

Many of the replies helps me understand why there are still so many road hunters.

Last two years my brother was helping a guy in the mcall unit and shot elk after hunting all day walking miles and hiking back to the truck both elk 50 yds off the road where the pick up was parked

 

[Aperventure]

Late rifle hunt this year I saw about 150-200 elk 25-50 yards from a road in plain sight in a ranchers hay field

 

[Lil-Rokslider]

My buddy from Alaska came down for a January elk hunt this year. We loaded up a side by side on a trailer, and packs and boots ready for a day of covering lots of miles. On the drive in we found a 6x6 bedded 40 yards off the road and he killed him, still wearing tennis shoes and shorts.

 

[Coveyleader]

For you guys saying that you look for gaps in where the pressure is and you (may) find elk closer to the road. How are you determining where the pressure is? Are you mainly looking at trailheads?

As an out of state hunter, I don’t have the luxury of a lot of time surveying where camps are set up and generally just pick a spot deeper in, away from roads, and off-trail to get away from people. But if I can pick a few spots that are accessible closer to a road but away from the pressure, then that would be great to add to the game plan.

I know from my experience, its all about knowing the unit. The unit I drew this year in CO the elk were right out the tent and my truck was parked next to it. I would plan to hunt back off the roads, and then adjust as you get into elk. I would not plan an out of state hunt for elk focusing on areas within 1/4 mile from a road. From my experience, elk close to roads are the exception, and not the rule. Those that are there won't be for long in most cases, but not all.

 

[cnelk]

For you guys saying that you look for gaps in where the pressure is and you (may) find elk closer to the road. How are you determining where the pressure is? Are you mainly looking at trailheads?

As an out of state hunter, I don’t have the luxury of a lot of time surveying where camps are set up and generally just pick a spot deeper in, away from roads, and off-trail to get away from people. But if I can pick a few spots that are accessible closer to a road but away from the pressure, then that would be great to add to the game plan.

Send me a PM and I’ll tell you my strategy

 

[well_known_rokslider]

For you guys saying that you look for gaps in where the pressure is and you (may) find elk closer to the road. How are you determining where the pressure is? Are you mainly looking at trailheads?

As an out of state hunter, I don’t have the luxury of a lot of time surveying where camps are set up and generally just pick a spot deeper in, away from roads, and off-trail to get away from people. But if I can pick a few spots that are accessible closer to a road but away from the pressure, then that would be great to add to the game plan.

Drive the road, look for trucks/camps, go where they are not!

 

[Trial153]

you find elk where you find them. Best to not think in absolutes .

 

[RecentPhase]

I have killed elk as close as 200yds from a road. It was a late season Cow that a buddy and I were able to get out whole.

 

[jonnycoder]

Last two years my brother was helping a guy in the mcall unit and shot elk after hunting all day walking miles and hiking back to the truck both elk 50 yds off the road where the pick up was parked

That reminds me, I was helping my friend last archery season after I tagged out. We pushed/bumped a small group of elk downhill a few times, the wind was good so they didn’t run off fast. The elk crossed a road and as we did too, a vehicle comes by. Makes me wonder how many of these road elk people are harvesting because other hunters pushed them.

 

[Rodeotime]

Whatever distance they may be?

 

[Fred@Exterra]

In Idaho, your feet have to be off the gravel or you’ll get a ticket

We’ve bugled them across busy gravel roads before & shot a couple where we could clearly hear the highway.

Usually they are about a mile from anywhere a truck can drive.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[mdomas]

at least a mile

 

[bighornbor]

Figured I should check these ponds out on the way to my planned spot., called a small 5x5 in 45 mins after turning the truck off.

 

[nphunter]

I call them to or across open roads all the time in multiple units. Some of my most productive big bull trail cams are less than 100 yards from open roads. I was standing on a road, not a good one but an open one in 2022 when I shot my bull and he was bedded with his cows 100 yards from the road, the steep cut bank made it easy to move and get into position.

The study that show elk tend to hang out away from roads was done on an elk population that was constantly being messed with in the Starkey Experimental Forest. This has not been my experience. We've hazed elk out of ag land and had them show back up the very next night, time after time. Elk do not care about people unless they are directly bothering them on foot.

With that said, some of my best most enjoyable hunts have been away from the roads. My last two bulls were 3 & 4 miles straight line from the closest road. I also enjoy wilderness hunts 7-10 miles from a road but normally I see more people on those backcountry hunts and less elk.

 

[waitforit]

I shot a cow elk within view of our camp last November - the previous night I had stepped out to pee and smelled elk, likely them bedded nearby. Most typically 1-3 miles from camp or a road. I have found them within half mile of roads where access is difficult.