Wilderness vs front country

[stan_wa]

So I love hunting the wilderness I like the idea that a guy can get in there and with some good effort and more physical availability or Grit than the average fella get away from people and have some animals and space all to himself however I’ve got probably 100 days in Designated wilderness areas hunting and it’s been my experience that pretty much across-the-board the wilderness areas have a lower animal density than the front country often with more heavily road regions. A lot of my experience has been in Washington and I’ve got about four weeks in the Idaho backcountry as well I’m curious to hear if other people are experiencing the same thing . Is it the case that across the west there’s many more animals in front country regions. Then there is in the backcountry?

If that is the case, why is there so much talk of hunting the backcountry and so much less discussion on the more front country units and techniques?

One theory I have is that although the wilderness has lower animal densities, there is a chance of a older age class, which might draw the more serious hunters

 

[3Esski]

I feel like the amount of ground I can cover in non-wilderness areas leads to seeing more animals. I can night bugle a drainage from the road and if I don't like the area just drive elsewhere. If I pack in, I am going to be limited. I see plenty of animals in wilderness areas, but it has taken years of being in the wrong area for it to be that way now. I'm usually not going to risk losing meat by jumping over one more drainage once I get out of my comfort zone for distance. I feel like game animals are like fish, 90% of them are in 10% of the area and finding that 10% is half the fun.

 

[HighUintas]

I think people tend to hunt further in because

- they think there will be more animals
- it's cool
- they want the backcountry experience
- they want to get away from other hunters

I hunt rifle season as far in as I can pack an animal out, which is about 10 miles in in the drainage I hunt. That is a pretty easy 10 miles compared to 10 in something like the Frank church. I do it because I want to get away from other hunters, even though I know there is more game lower in the drainage. There are fewer animals, but they act a little less spooky.... Until I start chasing them around. I also just enjoy being as far away from civilization as possible.

Deer and elk historically aren't high mountain game. They prefer the plains where there's abundant food, but humans have pushed them into the mountains.

 

[Nickofthewoods]

Elk and deer tend to be more spread out while in their summer range which is where most of the wilderness/backcountry is in the West.

 

[Poser]

I hunt a good bit of both. I enjoy the aesthetics of deep wilderness hunts, but it is more often than not, feast or famine. In the last 2-3 years, I've been focusing more and more on turning up animals in overlooked, frontcountry areas. Its interesting what people dismiss and overlook. I've been keeping tabs on 4 bulls so far this summer. 3 of them are hanging out in an area above a very popular campsite. I can be looking at them with one hour of effort after parking amongst the RVs, rooftop tents and dogs running around. The other one can be glassed from a ridiculously popular parking lot/Trailhead -I'm talking 100+ vehicles on a typical weekend. I turned up a bull here on opening weekend of archery season last year and there were 0 hunters around. I can be where that bull hangs out in 90 minutes.

While I don't foresee giving up backcountry hunting anytime soon, I can reliably turn up game in the frontcountry with a fraction of the effort, a lighter pack and increased comfort.

 

[Will_m]

Yeah generally speaking, if you are hitting ground that is relatively new to you with limited time, mobility is key. Getting dropped or packing into the backcountry can be a real loser if that spot sucks or you bust them all out after tromping around for two weeks. Been there, done that. Outside of the actual killing aspect though I definitely enjoy the backcountry hunts much more.

 

[Beendare]

IME, Wilderness is like a magnet to hunters.

lt was disheartening on last years elk hunt to get back to camp along the road after trekking 6-10 miles in and out and have elk screaming 400y away.

Edit- 11-4-24


I did a "Backcountry" hunt in early archery this year in a new- to me- unit. I scouted it in July and it sure looked like there would be a lot of hunter pressure out in the foothills next to Alfalfa fields and easier to access areas. I was 4 miles in solo for 8 days and hunting another 1-2 miles in. I did kill a dink bull but didn't see many elk at all.

That hunter pressure never developed. There were hunters but not what I expected- probably because I hunted early and it was hot. Not much animal activity at all.

I think it was a combo of poor habitat in the remote wilderness type stuff I was hunting...and not enough pressure to push them in there. I know they use those high ranges as travel routes to pop over and access both sides as I had them on trail cam but it was almost all at night.


I think it's a fine line between hunting better habitat and figuring out the hunt pressure.

 

[ElkArcher918]

I feel like the amount of ground I can cover in non-wilderness areas leads to seeing more animals. I can night bugle a drainage from the road and if I don't like the area just drive elsewhere. If I pack in, I am going to be limited. I see plenty of animals in wilderness areas, but it has taken years of being in the wrong area for it to be that way now. I'm usually not going to risk losing meat by jumping over one more drainage once I get out of my comfort zone for distance. I feel like game animals are like fish, 90% of them are in 10% of the area and finding that 10% is half the fun.

Well said, brother. Lotsa guys hike/drive past elk to look for elk. It's amazing how many little pockets of game you can find in the front country. Just gotta put the time in and hunt smart.

 

[TaperPin]

Meat hunters don’t benefit as much from wilderness, designated or not designated. I’d argue a lot of the Greys River is pretty wild, even though it’s not forest service wilderness.

For wall hangers you have to get to the older age classes, while competing with other hunters, and often that means into the back country, if you enjoy it. Friends of mine have seen and killed as many or more big deer in the sage and aspen mid elevations, but I don’t understand it and struggle hunting it, whereas I can immediately zero in on bedding areas up high for old reclusive deer.

 

[Jason277]

I hunt a good bit of both. I enjoy the aesthetics of deep wilderness hunts, but it is more often than not, feast or famine. In the last 2-3 years, I've been focusing more and more on turning up animals in overlooked, frontcountry areas. Its interesting what people dismiss and overlook. I've been keeping tabs on 4 bulls so far this summer. 3 of them are hanging out in an area above a very popular campsite. I can be looking at them with one hour of effort after parking amongst the RVs, rooftop tents and dogs running around. The other one can be glassed from a ridiculously popular parking lot/Trailhead -I'm talking 100+ vehicles on a typical weekend. I turned up a bull here on opening weekend of archery season last year and there were 0 hunters around. I can be where that bull hangs out in 90 minutes.

While I don't foresee giving up backcountry hunting anytime soon, I can reliably turn up game in the frontcountry with a fraction of the effort, a lighter pack and increased comfort.

You a Washington guy?

 

[Poser]

You a Washington guy?

Colorado

 

[Jason277]

Colorado

Copy I read 100 cards at the trail head and figured you from WA

 

[Customweld]

I would say that in Idaho, there is a higher concentration of animals in the 1-3 mile range of urban/rural valleys, as opposed to DW. A lot of that has to do with feed productivity. It's great to get out and clear your mind in the FC, but you aren't going to see those 25-50 (or more) head of elk bunched up like you see in the ag valleys.

 

[mtwarden]

Many of our Wilderness Areas (Montana) open early for rifle (mid-September)- that's the main reason I hunt them. My success rate is far lower in the wilderness, vs other areas I hunt during our regular rifle season.

But every once in awhile I do get lucky AND by hunting those early areas, I'm definitely in far better shape come general season. Oh yeah and it's darn pretty country too

 

[Customweld]

Many of our Wilderness Areas (Montana) open early for rifle (mid-September)- that's the main reason I hunt them. My success rate is far lower in the wilderness, vs other areas I hunt during our regular rifle season.

But every once in awhile I do get lucky AND by hunting those early areas, I'm definitely in far better shape come general season. Oh yeah and it's darn pretty country too

@mtwarden, you certainly don't let any moss grow!

 

[Hnthrdr]

Believe there is a small contingent of folks who pride themselves on front country hunting in Co… it can often be more challenging than back country. Both can be fun. The 100 cars at a trail head are pretty typical these days at anything within 50 min of I-25, there are some seriously rugged spots you can still mix it up in, but typically permission to cross private has been super helpful. I live at the base of the foothills in Co so close to home hunts especially having little ones at home are all I get.

 

[IdahoBeav]

It seems like most hunters are either road hunting or in the backcountry. There is a lot of good ground in between. I killed my pb buck last season while hiking a ridge on a Saturday mid morning and less than 1/4 mile from a FS road. I could hear a vehicle go by on it about every 20 minutes.

 

[mtwarden]

@mtwarden, you certainly don't let any moss grow!

the older you get the more you have to move!

 

[stan_wa]

If you agree the front country holds more animal density than then wildnesss hit this with a like, if you think the opposite send in one of those haha.

 

[3325]

I’ve killed two decent bulls in areas not too far out. Get to know the nooks and crannies and “hidey holes.” But understand this changes according to season. It also changes over time.

I suspect a similar lesson can also apply to states. Specifically, “I moved to Colorado to hunt elk but Colorado is crowded and sucks. I’m going to move to Wyoming, Idaho, or Montana.” If you’re already in Colorado, remember that Colorado has 280,000 elk. Get to know the ins and outs of an area well.