Hunting Top Down

[Swamp Buck]

My partners and I are once again contemplating hunting from the top down each day. Camping on top of the mountain and accessing hunting area each day then making it back up to camp each night.... What are the pros and cons of hunting from the top of the moutain 11,500 ft? This is what I can come up with off the top of my head. Please add to the lists.

Pro :
Easy glassing in the morning with fairly easy hike
One of the only places camping is allowed to access our hunting target spot

Con:
Hike to the top with all your gear will stink...
Hike to the top each night after hunting all day
Thermals are opposite what you typically want
Weather at timber line can be scarey

[huntalittle]

I would add that it is easier to ambush an animal from the top down than going up....seems like we can be quieter and sometimes get a glimpse view once in awhile..... In reverse its tough going...we are usually busted by them seeing us before we know they are there? Cons are what you listed and possibly difficult to get water also.....depending on your area?

[Fridaythe13th]

You have more cons than pros, that might be your answer. Water and wind (thermals) are pretty big cons.

[ElkNut1]

My question is what are the dates in Sept you plan to hunt? Early season before the 10th & it's a reasonable idea for glassing purposes, after that it's the calls that would do the walking! (grin) I have no issues hunting high, with lots of elevation between you & the elk you could be 150 yds out & they wouldn't wind you. On flatter ground you would have issues. Watch the wind & the elk so to speak & you'll be good to go!

p.s. on overcast & rainy days the winds can be unpredictable so be aware of that each day.

ElkNut1

[Indian Summer]

I disagree with the thermals being an issue. You just need to play your cards right. Once you locate elk you need to drop down to their elevation and come in sidehill, or even from below. I love hunting like this. What about the opposite... what about when you are below them late in the day and the thermals are coming down again? Then you are in a good position to hunt up. I work the thermals but I don't let them work me. They don't force me to hunt up or camp down. It's no different than a lack of cover... you might have to circle around but that's ok. Make a plan that works for the situation.

I like being on top early. I can see and hear better. Then give up elevation when I choose or need to.You have way more options from the top of the world ad can get places pretty fast which is great. I think it beats the hell right out of having to climb first thing in the morning every morning and have no choice but to get all sweated up and burn energy. Then... as far as getting back to the top by the end of the day goes: You can gradually work your way up while hunting. Take your time. Work sidehill when you want with the thermals blowing your scent downhill behind you.

Given the choice I will always camp up high. There is one and only one con as I see it and that is packing elk back up. But by then who cares right? Plus... I have places where I can hunt down from a high camp... and if I kill something pack it out the bottom so there really is no downside.

When I look for a place to camp the first thing I do is look for water up high. Then I make adjustments so I am disturbing the elk as little as possible.

Carrying your gear up the hill once beats the heck out carrying yourself up the hill every single day in my opinion! Yuk

[Swamp Buck]

Great reply Joe, thanks. That gives me the confidence that we can form a plan of attack. Water will not be an issue. To answer Paul's question of when, Sept 13 - 26th.

" and if I kill something pack it out the bottom so there really is no downside. " - That is exactly the plan.

[Toby]

We hunt from the top quite a bit. As IS said, we adjust after we make contact with a bull. We call a lot, don't rely on spot and stalk, but regardless of elevation, time of day, etc. you will probably always have to adjust to the wind. And if there is a predominant wind, the thermals don't matter.

More important to me is to get where the elk are, using the wind the best we can, make contact and adjust. As you know, the wind is so fickle that if we eliminate areas to hunt because of it we would never get out of camp. Even with thermals the contour of the slopes changes wind direction a lot in my experience.

Toby

[Indian Summer]

I forgot to mention prevailing winds. If you are coming up from a bottom and the west wind is at your back thermals might not even come into play.

But one thing never changes and that is GRAVITY. Nice to have gravity in your favor right! I'll take those high camps any day of the week.

[elk.addict]

Early in the season I almost exclusively hunt from the top down. Where I hunt, the bulls are up fairly high in the open/semi-open country. Since there's typically not a lot of vocalization this time of year, I like to spot them from above before I go after them.
I've also hunted this way later on in the season; just keep the thermals in mind and move accordingly when necessary. I blow some elk out here and there, but I do that regardless of which altitude I'm camping at

[blackwolf]

I like camping on top like Joe says. Pick your spot right and it works great.

[Heartwood]

Sounds like you have a very good plan. Another thing I like about camping high is that you can locate elk at night by bugling into various draws and drainages provided the wind is calm and the air still so you can hear well. As others said, you can react quickly using gravity to help you move to active elk.At the end of the day, you usually will climb and descend equal amounts any way you cut it.