Dumb Campsites

[WapitiTalk1]

Trophyhill's thread about NO SHOT got me thinking. I like the way he reversed the consideration from "where would you shoot" to a "no shot" situation. I'll try the same thing with camsites. Whether you set up your elk hunt household backcountry, bivy, or base camp, what type of spots should be avoided and why?

Here's my first offering. This was 12 miles in on a bike/quad road. Avoid camping on a saddle, particulary one that connects the upper and lower reaches of a long ridge (obvious travel route). We did this last year and had nightly visitors, mostly muleys, that screwed with our sleep. Had a few elk and a moose smile for my trail cam which I placed a mere 75 yards down the ridge from our saddle camp spot. Won't be doing that again

[jmez]

Wasn't us but last year we were seeing a couple hunters every day. A few days after they left I found their camp about 200 yards directly above the elk's primary bedding area. There is no way they didn't know the elk "used to" bed right below them.
It was also a dry camp a long ways from any water. Far enough you wouldn't carry more than a bladder. Really bad spot for a camp.

[Indian Summer]

As soon as I read the thread title I laughed out loud thinking of two flatlanders that joined my brother for a trip to NW Montana. I know this isn't the answer you're looking for but: They had all decided on a location. Close to good hunting but far away enough to cause the least amount of disturbance (maybe that is the answer you were looking for) The area was a little lumpy and not exactly level but they noticed this one area that was flat with nothing in the way. Grassy too! By morning they were in 5 inches of water and everything they owned was floating around inside their sauna... er I mean, tent.

My brother was 20 feet away, streamside. But high and dry.

[Swede]

Joe: How did they fail to realize they were set up on water?
I don't like cold draws or basins to set up in. Basins and draws can look fine in the afternoon when you arrive, but can be too cold in the morning.

[Indian Summer]

I guess greenhorns don't realize that Mother Nature can sneak up in a flash. Wasn't a dry creek bed. Just a gully.

[Swede]

Nature and experience are stern teachers. Sometimes there is no forgiveness. There are terms for people who have had no close calls or uncomfortable experiences in the wild. Those terms are "rookie" or "weekender".

[Lefty]

Don't choose your campsite in the dark
I'm an expert: always a couple cactus under the tent How did I not see that cow pie,, the tent door is always the high spot
Saturday I think I found every rock possible to put a tent on top of


A few words of advise never set a tent up where there is grizzle scat
If it isn't October don't set a tent near the lake or the bugs will carry you off
Don't use metal poles(,my wife's tent got struck by lightning)
A good pad is worth bringing in,.. if not pile up the fir bows,.. under the tent
Dont use a tent line to tie up your horse,... even for a short time
Never trust the forecast
the grass is tall , it will guarantee a sheepherder will be running his sheep though about as soon as camp is set up
Young couples never make good neighbors

IMG_4901 (Small).JPG (120.52 KiB) Viewed 2595 times