SOlo foe Elk

[joe ashton]

yup that is how I hunt Elk.  solo.  My long bow and my game cart are my best friends. (that is, during elk season)

[twitchstick]

I end up doing most of my hunting alone. I try to get people to come with me but with everyone's busy lives it's just hard to do. Like said above it can be a mental game big time but it can be the most rewarding too. Just be prepared and you will do fine. I'm sure I will be all alone again this year too. Good luck!

[jtwalsh62]

Well I have hunt elk 5 years now (no Luck ,man those things are lucky) last year we pack in 5 miles and hunted (Colorado) I am really pumped up ,just never share camp with me.

[screamin]

I've been hunting solo for a very very long time. It has its bad points, like when the elks on the ground, but after you get it out and look back it turns out to be a good thing. Huntin alone means you can go at your pace, hunt your style and you have no one to answer to. You will second guess yourself, you will get discouraged sometimes, sometimes you'll feel like giving up and going home. Its as mentally tough as it is physically tough but I would have it no other way. I hope to be doing it until the day I die. Matter of fact, I can think of no better way to go than on an elk hunt with stick and string.

[fnshtr]

It is tough. I don't mean to disagree with anyone, but consider the temperatures and how deep you go in alone. It would be a shame to take an animal and then loose meat because of warm temps and long hauls that you just cannot physically make.

Also... be safe.

Good luck!

[fnshtr]

I should have added "cannot physically make IN TIME TO SAVE THE MEAT".

Sorry.

Solo isn't for everyone, but I really like the solitude.

I'm sure you will love it.

[jhg]

Originally posted by fnshtr:
...consider the temperatures and how deep you go in alone. It would be a shame to take an animal and then loose meat because of warm temps and long hauls that you just cannot physically make...

I agree. If you are fit its easy to get back far enough that even being in shape you cannot get an animal out fast enough, even working around the clock. A lot of trips alone and only superman can do that without rest and fuel for  the body.

J-

[Scott Teaschner]

I like hunting alone. There are some inherant risks but some times there are no opptions. I am not going to stay home because I do not have any one to go with. You just have to be prepared. You also have to know the risks and understand the possibilities. I am lucky I have a 1000 pound 4 legged buddy who does not mind packing out elk   . He can also go hunting at the drop of a hat  

[Elk77]

I've elk hunted along and with a large camp. I enjoyed them both ways. The last few years its been just my cousin and I, and I still go where I want, and hunt the way I want. But its nice to have a option if you would like to hunt a draw or area along or with your hunting partner. It's also nice to use the buddie system by putting the caller a few yards behing the shooter. But when it comes right down to it, I just enjoy been in the woods doing what I love.

[Shinken]

Hunting ELK solo is my second favorite way to hunt, if any of my children cannot come with me....

Having said that, a plan for MEAT RECOVERY is essential, if you are going to be a ways from the nearest road and the weather will be warm.

Knowledge of how to skin and bone a lot of meat is essential.  I definitely prefer the gutless method, always carry game bags, and I can take out the first load with my Eberlestock X2 - used to use the plastic frame that came with the Schuh or Camptrails packs, but found a better option after 2 frame failures....

Enjoy the journey!

Shoot straight, Shinken

   

[beendare]

There is a certain satisfaction doing a solo backpack hunt- sort of a test your metal thing.

It can get a bit boring during the mid day down time but then there is always a nap.

[Rik]

31 years ago I killed my first bull, made a nice four-yard shot on a North Idaho 6x6. Since then I've killed a couple dozen with arrows, mostly bulls.

That first bull is the only one that was called in for me, and my dad did the calling. All the rest I killed on my own.

You can call me crazy, but to me it's much easier to kill a bull on your own. With two guys you have twice the sound, twice the scent, and twice the mistakes.

One on one-----mucho higher success.

It really doesn't matter how hard you train, and you DO HAVE TO TRAIN HARD, but no matter what, the mountains will kick your butt for a few days.

Then, you get strong, your lungs get a bit bigger, and the whole wide world of elk opens up for you.

Just under seven months and counting. . .