Where to set up camp

[Nichols13]

Doing a solo backpack hunt, looking for advice for where I should set my camp up

Should I set up in the same drainage I’m hunting, or will thermals blow my cover?
If so, is the next drainage over my best bet and to just deal with hiking the extra miles?


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[Conrad101st]

I have killed an elk 75 yards from my tent in a big bowl 5 mies back in.
Was hunting the other side of the ridge off the bowl.
However, the elk seemed not to be all that concerned and came right by camp on several occasions even after me being there for three days.
Right place, right time.

 

[MtnOyster]

kinda had the same scenario as conrad101st last year, 75-100 yds from my camp but I got winded when I closed it down to 40 yds, so I don't really have a good answer for you, you may be fine camping in the same drainage as long as you stay low key.

 

[Conrad101st]

Yep, as long as you are not smoking cigars, drinking wiskey and telling dirty jokes around a bonfire and being as loud as drunk Vikings, I wouldn’t be bothered at all. Noise and light discipline as we used to say in the army.

All that said, I have been truck camping numerous times and had bonfires and no noise discipline at all, yet hear bulls bugling all night long within 300 yards.

My brother was sleeping in the back of horse trailer in Utah and felt the trailer move. He shined his light and there was a juvenile bull moose munching the loose hay in the trailer. It was half way in the trailer. He yelled and it backed out which was very good considering it could have stomped the hell out of my brother.

 

[Trial153]

The last thing i want is to blow out the elk that i had to hike back into to find. I like to back off a safe distance away to from where i will into elk in the morning.

 

[Nichols13]

Yep, as long as you are not smoking cigars, drinking wiskey and telling dirty jokes around a bonfire and being as loud as drunk Vikings, I wouldn’t be bothered at all. Noise and light discipline as we used to say in the army.

All that said, I have been truck camping numerous times and had bonfires and no noise discipline at all, yet hear bulls bugling all night long within 300 yards.

My brother was sleeping in the back of horse trailer in Utah and felt the trailer move. He shined his light and there was a juvenile bull moose munching the loose hay in the trailer. It was half way in the trailer. He yelled and it backed out which was very good considering it could have stomped the hell out of my brother.

Well it’s probably a good thing I’m not taking a horse trailer then. Lol My camp will be just about as low key as it could be, so hopefully it’ll all work out


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[Nichols13]

The last thing i want is to blow out the elk that i had to hike back into to find. I like to back off a safe distance away to from where i will into elk in the morning.

About how far from your hunting area would you say you set up?


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[Trial153]

About how far from your hunting area would you say you set up?


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It depends on the topography. It maybe as simple as taking a finger ridge off the the back side of were I plan to hunt in the morning or it maybe a 30 minutes hike to clear the area. It all depends. I figure it time well spent compared to trying to find and get into bulls at new location.
I like to hunt aggressively as I have found that’s the best way for me to arrow a bull. That said I think camping on top of the elk that I am going to try to kill isn’t aggressive, it’s silly to push and take chances if they won’t get me a possible shot.

 

[Conrad101st]

Yeh I agree, no point being in the same draw or bowl especially with bow hunting. We rifle hunt and camp in the timber just below the military crest on the opposite side that we hunt. Its usually about a 20 to 30 minute trudge to our positions. And we are shooting 500 yards down into meadows below the ridge on the opposite slope.