Trying something new

[JohnFitzgerald]

My crew and I will be trying something new this year. Every day we will carry our lightweight bivy gear with use. However, we will only stay in if we encounter elk. We got tired of ruining 3-4 days on an area void of all elk sign. This will also give use the chance to try several different wilderness hunts as well as non wilderness hunts. Anyone hunt a similar style?

[Freebird134]

So are you setting up a base camp, or are covering area with trucks and only staying if you find elk?

[JohnFitzgerald]

So are you setting up a base camp, or are covering area with trucks and only staying if you find elk?

Yes, we plan to have a base camp. Where I hunt, there is several different wilderness area's within a 30 minute drive. So the plan is to take our bivy gear when we hunt these area's. Average 3 mile walk in, another 2-3 mile hunt around, then the 3 mile walk out. Of course if we find elk, we will stay in. If not we will head back to base camp.

On a previous hunt we bivy'd 3 miles in, stayed 3 days, then decided to leave because the elk hunting was poor. The remaining 2 days we hunted 1/2 mile within a main road and got into a tone of elk. Took one bull, but could have taken more if we hadn't wasted our time on lousy hunting.

So the plan is to spend time in country that looks promising and will not put all our eggs in one basket.

[Freebird134]

That sounds like a nice plan. Our eggs are in 1 basket. We pack ~3 miles to start hunting. From there, we have 6-10 big drainages to pick apart, spanning another 6 or 7 miles. We'll spend the week going from one to the next until we find elk.

[CrazyElkHunter]

We are spoiled and too old to pack in anymore. My last 4 bulls were taken near camp. 2 were less than a 1/2 from camp and I could hear our generator running. Leaving in 13 hours for Colorado.

[>>>---WW---->]

I always have enough gear to spend the nite if I have to or want to. It's all lite weight. Doesn't have to be comfortable!!!!!!!!!!!! Especially for just an overnighter.

[dreamhunter]

I have never stayed overnight away from the campsite.Just wondering about the critters that might wanna eat you ie: bear,mt lion, any need to worry about these really. I would like to do an overnight or two if needed. We will be prepared with gear to do an overnight if we decide to.Gotta find them elk first.

[Freebird134]

dreamhunter, as long as you play it smart and safe, you don't have to worry about critters any more than you do other times of hunting. Keep your food away from your tent and you should be fine! I do have to admit that I much prefer having a tent! I'm generally not scared of stuff in the woods, but I sleep much better in a tent (as opposed to under the stars). It's a false sense of security, but that false sense of security helps me sleep!

[bowhunterty]

John, what are you carrying for gear? Thought about doing the same thing this year.

[cnelk]

The remaining 2 days we hunted 1/2 mile within a main road and got into a ton of elk.

This quote should be burned into everyone's memory...

[JohnFitzgerald]

John, what are you carrying for gear? Thought about doing the same thing this year.

Here's the main items I put in a compression bag.

2 lb sleeping bag
Outdoor Research Bivy
Thermarest
MSR cook stove and kitchen set
3 Days worth of food

After the first 3-4 mile hike in I'll drop my compression bag and hide it. Towards evening we'll be back to that spot and then decide weather to stay or hike out. If we kill something we'll bivy for sure.

cnelk - Yep! I learned my lesson. But sometimes the elk get pushed deep into the wilderness. So I think being versatile is the key to success.

[dotman]

This is very similar to my style, I never have a base camp but my gear is always on my back. I will pack in 2 days of food and scout, if it is good hunting I will bring in 10 days of food that I will cache in a central location and have 2 days of food with me at a time resupplying every third day.

If the hunting is horrible on the initial scoutting i'll hop in the pickup and move to plan b and so on. I always give an area a day and a half min.

[>>>---WW---->]

Boy John! I don't know about dropping the bag and returning to it later. I tried it once and had to search really hard to find it again. DANG CAMO!!!!!

[JohnFitzgerald]

Boy John! I don't know about dropping the bag and returning to it later. I tried it once and had to search really hard to find it again. DANG CAMO!!!!!

LOL...that what GPS's are for. That and I know the area better than I know the wife. Nobody tell her I said that!

[>>>---WW---->]

You are a bigger story teller than I thought if you think you have your wife figured out. LOL!

[JohnFitzgerald]

You are a bigger story teller than I thought if you think you have your wife figured out. LOL!

Ah, my dad taught me the secrete to figuring out the spouse. When you're wrong, admit you're wrong. When you're right, admit you're extra wrong! It's worked great for me!