Where to pitch my tent?

[fishforsmallies]

Ok, so I’ve only hunted out west a few times, and I have never packed deep into elk country. That will change this fall. My question is what do you look for in a place to pitch your tent with regards to proximity to where you are hunting? I don’t want to hurt my hunting or anyone else’s by setting up my camp in the “wrong” spot. Any and all thoughts would be appreciated.

 

[Northernpiker]

Because I don't get to do any scouting before my hunt, I pitch at any convenient location I find in an area I might want to hunt. If I'm lucky enough to have picked a spot with 3 or 4 herds around me(hasn't been a problem yet)I might move out a little farther. I like to have a water resource fairly close and a nice level spot for my tent. Otherwise, depending on terrain and wind direction at least a 1/4-1/2 mile away.

 

[harge57]

I don't worry about messing up hunting at all. I am looking for:
Semi flat ground that won't collect water if it rains.
Proximity to water
Away from dead trees
Protection from wind

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[Owenst7]

My ideal spot is near water and less than an hour hike from my first light glassing area. I generally want to be downwind from where I expect animals to be, and try to use the topography to shield my noise so that I'm not tiptoeing through camp the whole time trying to be quiet. especially when I'm solo though, I may end up sleeping at my glassing spot, tanking up water and sleeping way up high, etc. I don't really have any hard rules, other than I avoid being right in the middle of animals.

This last season, we set up on a bench on a steep hillside a few hundred feet above a creek in some thick timber. That spot was ideal, and we were able to hike in just about any direction and glass. Dumb luck, we ended up glassing a group that we harvested a cow from right from our campfire. We also had bulls bugling right on the other side of our camp while we were talking and laughing. They were even bugling at us when we were calling each other. They sounded like they were gonna walk right in to our camp and fight us haha.

 

[rbljack]

I don't worry about messing up hunting at all. I am looking for:
Semi flat ground that won't collect water if it rains.
Proximity to water
Away from dead trees
Protection from wind

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x2..this is what ive looked for. One add might be availability of wood for a fire if its cold, or your run a stove.

 

[oldgoat]

I've had elk within a hundred yards of my tent more than once, just don't camp right in there normally active area, like mentioned above, no widow makers close enough to get you and water source and flat spot that won't flood. Keep it simple and don't pass up a good area just because you think you need to be farther in!

 

[blackpowderhunter]

its easy to have spots of where to pitch a tent "in theory".
In practice, sometimes it is harder to find a good, flat, not water collecting spot. My usual thought now is, if I find a good spot, i make camp. I've had a few occasions where I kept looking for a "better spot" only to waste hours of daylight and return to the original.

 

[Topo_trekker]

I camp right in the elk usually next to moving water, conceals noise. I'll set up my tent downhill of where the elk are. In the evening and mornings I can make the wind work for me with the wind in my face. Also at night camping next to water the air usually moves with the direction of the creek keeping your scent away from the elk. I'll move above them or get on the same elevation during the day and try to play it that way.


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[fishforsmallies]

Thanks for the replies guys, much appreciated. Just wanted to be sure I didn’t break any unwritten rule on camp placement.

 

[wyelkhunter]

we have had elk come right through camp with no ill effects. They move around a lot. We always have camp close to water, in a spot free of dead trees and where we don't have to worry about standing water if it rains a lot.

 

[ChrisS]

Not elk, but even in summer camping, I've been woken up out of dead sleep when whitetails come wandering past and suddenly realize that somethings not quite right. They'll blow a bunch of times and run off a ways, but they keep coming back. A friend had a cow moose wander past his camp one evening.

I was turkey hunting a few years ago and we were back at camp around noon. My buddy decided to take a nap and I stayed out by the fire reading and just enjoying the day. I watched a doe pick her way up the hillside about 150 yards away, then she slowly made her along the bench until she was about 20 yards from the fire. She never even really looked at out camp. She continued a bit more, looked up and stamped her foot a couple of times, blew and ran off. My buddy woke up thoroughly confused.

 

[MIKEYB]

Watch those tree's. Hard to sleep when its windy, you hear trees falling and your butt is puckered up so tight you could squeeze a lump of coal to diamond overnight.

 

[xziang]

I'm with everyone else it sounds like and don't worry much about the animals. I too like to be close to water however I prefer to be far enough away so I am not hearing it. I would rather be able to hear animals and hopefully a bugle during the night.

I also have usually camped close to a main trail too just so I don't have to bushwhack a heavy pack through deadfall etc.

I've passed up a spot before to another area only to find another camp there before so I ended up having to back track. (not far luckily)