Define 'Steep'

[cnelk]

When you are looking at elk hunting areas, and you come across a place that you go, "Wow. That's steep. But there is elk in there"
What is the elevation/distance difference to define 'steep'?

Mine would be a 1000ft drop in 3/4 mile.
From 9800 to 8800

Would you consider that 'Steep'?

What would you drop in and hunt, and what would you not?

[elkmtngear]

My definition of steep. This bull flat wore us out as we quartered him up. It was all we could do to keep from sliding down the mountain.

We were lucky enough to be able to bring horses in to get him the next day; problem was, we couldn't get the horses within 500 yards of him.

To top it off, it started snowing, so I basically bagged the quarters in heavy duty sacks and rode them down the mountain like a sled.

[RockChucker30]

I went off one ridge last year that dropped about 500 feet in about 300 yards. That was STEEP. Steep enough that I got chills standing on it.

I think chills up your spine defines steep....when you look down it and realize that if you fall and start rolling you'll be hamburger at the bottom unless a tree is kind enough to stop you on the way down.

BTW, I'd rather go up that kind of stuff than down it any day.

[tdiesel]

My definition of steep varies sometimes depending on the amount of weight I'm carrying. Lol

Rockchuckar got the definition right! I think you gotta asses the situation on if you can get elk out or not. Safely returning home is more important than any game animal most my experiences that scared me came from sheep hunting. The canyon that I killed my sheep in had a couple real nice bulls but we joked you would have to take your frying pan and eat him right there and just pack the horns out cause your not gonna bring load after load of elk meat up and out of there. If its doable then I say go for it everyone has their personal limit on stamina and ability. Only you can decide for yourself if you should hunt it or not.

[flyinhunter]

This is pretty steep. Slick and scary. Entering the avalanche chutes on Deer Creek Pass in WY. I would love to post more "steep pics" but this forum wants me to resize all my pics and I'm far too lazy for that nonsense.

deer creek 1.jpg (27.76 KiB) Viewed 12347 times

[Swede]

I guess I would consider a 50%, slope 660 feet drop per quarter mile, to be getting steep. For sure "steep" is getting to define more hunting country as I get older.

[Trophyhill]

Sangre De Cristo's

[ferris bugler]

Steep is determined by where I am. I'll go up anything to get at elk. Sometimes I don't go down. Occasionally I can't help myself because the elk are going bananas at the bottom of this one particular dark canyon. I usually tell myself I am never going back down there after I get back to the truck. It's usually good enough to keep me out for a couple of years.

[easeup]

sometimes you look at a canyon and realize that you would spend all energy just trying to remain vertical and on your feet and getting out may be not possible. when that is the case I usually ask myself how would I hunt that?

[FemoralArchery]

One canyon we go into drops about 2500 vertical feet in about 3000 feet. There are several places like this where I hunt.

After hunting here, lots of other places don't seem so steep like they did before.

[Z Barebow]

When I look down and I cannot see my path on how to get down to the bottom. I tip toe out to the edge and realize I cannot see my path, and if I commit, I am not coming back the same way!

In 2000, my partner and I climbed a mesa and I thought we were going to die. On three different occasions, we were at a stand still because we couldn't go any further. After standing there, looking down (recognizing we would be a pile of hamburger if we went down), we would find a crack where we could a hold and climb. We would strip our pack and bow, pick your way, then lean over the ledge so you buddy could hand up the bows and backpacks.

Never again.

[otcWill]

Steep- both hands and feet needed to navigate

[Vanish]

Steep- both hands and feet needed to navigate

I like this definition!

[dotman]

In the southern part of CO it isn't uncommon for 1000ft in .5 miles but what I considered steep was 600ft up with my hands touching the ground the entire way up but there were elk there on a nice hidden bench with water and cover

[one_elk]

Anything over 40° slope is steep to me and I would certainly agree the Sangre’s especially on the south end are steep

[CrazyElkHunter]

Steep is when you spend more time on your butt than your feet. The scare factor stays constantly on your mind in loose rock and shale. You are borderline rope and tackle to propel to the next bench. It takes you 3 days to pack out your elk 40 lbs max at a time. Climbing back out you pull up every blade of grass you can get a hold of right in front of your nose. I say all of this because that's what I went through in 1999 to get a nice 5x5 out of a steep canyon rim. His bugles pulled me right off the cliff that I only walked the rim for years. I was a lot younger then, 48, and now at 62 no way.

[bnsafe]

I don't have a lot of experience, but steep to me was after we hiked in 6 miles and after we got there the only way to get to blm land to camp was go straight up 600 ft per the gps, started with trees down everywhere we had to step over and ended up with extremely loose soil. we would go about ten feet then stop and suck air. that 600 ft beat me mentally and kept me from shooting my elk last year.

[sreekers]

Its steep when i have to carve out foot holds with the boots.

The serious factor is dictated more by how far you have to travel the steep stuff.

We had a small rockslide to ride out last year. That wasnt steep, but was a little scary. Especially when the teen i was with lost a pistol. I had to go back and get it.