Where to set up spike

[mad_angler]

(I tried the search. I couldn't find an answer.)

Where should I set up a spike camp? I'm thinking just a night or two to focus on a specific area.

Should I set up at the bottom of a hill or the top of a hill?
My hunting area has fairly constant winds from the west at about 10-15 mph. How far away will my scent carry?

Any other tips

 

[Skerhunter]

Assume the elk can smell you for a half mile maybe further in certain conditions.

Where you camp should depend on where the elk are and will be. You don’t want to be above them with the thermals pulling down to them first thing in the morning. You also don’t want to be camped down low where they will want to get water/feed.

 

[Jaquomo]

You should know what those elk you want to hunt are doing before inserting a spike camp. It seems obvious, but what Skerhunter said. You are spike camping to kill an elk, not "hunt" them. Assess all the variables and plan accordingly.

 

[spike camp]

Top, always the top.

 

[rogerdoger]

Depends what your plan is in the morning. If you are trying to get to a glassing point first thing then camp up high. Or just get in there and hike until you see something you want to go after and then think about camp.

 

[Indian Summer]

When you hunt from a base camp, what is the first thing you do every morning? You put some distance between you and the road. Sometimes that means several miles. Sometimes it means an elevation gain. A spike camp is to eliminate that morning task.

If you are in good elk country, no matter where you camp it’s gonna be a bit of a sacrifice. If I’m gaining elevation in the morning, then I will set my camp up at that elevation, but still a 15 or 20 minute flat easy walk to where I wanna be at first light. I would try to find a flat spot just a little bit lower than where any elk are around my camping area.

If you are simply covering miles on a trail in the morning, don’t overthink it. Just find a nice flat spot maybe out of sight of the trail and call it home.

 

[cnelk]

Resist the urge to camp right next to stream.
It’s loud and definitely colder.

 

[Wrench]

Think thermals, prevailing wind and migration from feed to bed. Don't get trapped in the above.

Elk like to walk about 30 minutes worth of ground as a general rule. Don't get intercepted.

 

[5MilesBack]

I don't know. I've had elk come through my wall tent base camp, chase each other around the tent, and even fold the mirrors back on my truck in the middle of the night several times over the years. So I'm not sure it even matters. I'll never forget one night about 3 o'clock in the morning getting woke up when a bull let loose with a big raspy bugle. He couldn't have been more than 20 yards from my buddy's side of the tent. My buddy flew off his cot so fast that his sleeping bag went with him and he went down face first. That bull just sauntered through camp to the other side of the road, and then kept us awake the rest of the night screaming his head off not far away. But once first light appeared......he never made another peep.

 

[Skerhunter]

I don't know. I've had elk come through my wall tent base camp, chase each other around the tent, and even fold the mirrors back on my truck in the middle of the night several times over the years. So I'm not sure it even matters. I'll never forget one night about 3 o'clock in the morning getting woke up when a bull let loose with a big raspy bugle. He couldn't have been more than 20 yards from my buddy's side of the tent. My buddy flew off his cot so fast that his sleeping bag went with him and he went down face first. That bull just sauntered through camp to the other side of the road, and then kept us awake the rest of the night screaming his head off not far away. But once first light appeared......he never made another peep.

I think this is a great example! Animals definitely are more tolerant of us at night! I bet most archery hunters on here have lost a lot of sleep due to elk screaming around camp all night.

But I think your last sentence hints at a problem. In my observations pressure (scent and sight) on elk doesn’t necessarily mean they will leave the country, but it definitely makes them quieter and more difficult to hunt. Pressuring them every morning or evening based on a poor camp location will only reduce your odds of shooting a bull.

 

[Z Barebow]

I don't like tippy top. Lightning and thermals can take scent down both sides. I prefer to favor one side, with non elk travel below me. (EX spike immediately above a shale slide) Once I camped in an MD bed with shale/scree slide below me by 10 yards or so. Had a herd pass by in the night 20 yards above and not a care.

Per prior post. Not in the bottom. Much colder and everything has dew/frost on it every morning.

 

[SonnyDay]

Stay out of the saddles if you camp up high! These are common travel routes from one basin to another.

Agreed on favoring one side (leeward if possible) versus being right on top.

 

[TradLife406]

We had a lot of luck camping on the south east slope of the mountain we were hunting. We still had elk come through camp at night. But the majority of elk were on the north slope.

Just ask yourself if I was chasing whitetails where wouldn't I camp? It's funny how Midwesties can chase WT I only dream about and are super successful. Then they come to Montana and think camping in a bedding area is a good idea. We had this super thick bedding area we wouldn't even hunt unless it was a last resort. And if the wind was just right. To give ya an idea we called it the "g spot". Because it was hard to hit just right, hard to find but it could be so good.
One Sunday afternoon things were slow. The elk numbers were way down. So I decided to slip in slow stopping to cold call my way in there.

Zero action. I get into the core and start making my way out just to find some chucklehead had set a spike camp up in there. The wind was blowing his scent down the entire drainage. He had effectively ruined the entire area. Don't be this guy.