He's reluctant to go without spending the big bucks on an outfitter to maximize chances at arrowing an elk, and I'm all about doing a DIY trip on less than half the outfitter budget because I just can't afford that kind of a trip right now.
My question is, if he doesn't wind up going, how feasible is it to do a solo backpacking trip? Things I'm thinking about are general safety being alone for 5-7 days, packing out an elk alone, etc.
I'm 34 years old, in decent shape, and training to be in as good shape I can be by Fall 2017. I've backpacked and camped solo for days at a time previously with no issue.
Another option is to try to find a guide that's not necessarily with an outfitter, that I can get a more reasonable rate from for a few days, but I don't know how many of those guys are out there.
Any advice is appreciated.
Also, I'd be willing to
IMO that is the way to go. And if/when you get an elk down, they come in an pack it our for you.
The last two years, I did 10 and 12 days solo, respectively. No reason to go back in if you have food to cover your time in the woods, and access to plenty of water. I saw two other humans the whole time I was out last Season.
Rather than spiking in, I opted to hunt from a base camp. This gave me much more flexibility to hunt mulitiple drainages.
Packing an elk out two or 3 miles is very do-able, 5 or 6 miles plus packing your camp out is another story altogether. But absolutely possible.
I'm going to be 55 this Year, and I have no qualms about solo hunting again.
Best of Luck, Jeff
Count on 2 days of packing to get an elk out 3 miles. If you're solo, it's better to hunt from the truck. It can be two days of packing solo from a hunt from the truck. If you go in 3 miles then hunt 3 miles farther, it could very well be beyond your ability to get the elk out without a packer. I killed this last year's elk 3.25 miles from the road and it took me 20 hours to get it out once it was broken down. Be realistic.
If you're planning an elk hunt now, you can get into some of the draws, for instance New Mexico and WY and potentially have a much better hunt than you will in CO OTC. Even CO has units that can be drawn with zero points.
If you want to go OTC in CO like many gung-ho first time elk hunters, you can, but you can have a better hunt in another state as CO OTC is highly pressured.
If your partner is waffling now about a back country DIY trip, I can pretty much guarantee he's not going to end up doing it in Sept. I had the same situation my first year and I ended up going on my own after he backed out in August.
Just make your plans and go. Once you kill an elk and tell him the story, he'll be ready to go next year.
Anyone who is less than 100% committed from the get go is about a guaranteed flake out. Then guys post a sob story about someone derailing their hunt. Take responsibility for your hunt and plan it on your terms. Then, you are not putting yourself at the mercy of someone else.
To parallel Idyl's pack time, I killed a bull 2 miles from the truck this year. It took me 12 hours to do 5 trips. YMMV.
I would suggest you get in the best shape you can, practice with your bow as much as possible, and most importantly get your mental state right. It sucks on the days when you screw things up. Or, maybe don't see elk for several days on end. It's tough when there is no one else there to buoy your spirits.
Do your homework, make your plans, get a SPOT if it makes you feel more at ease, and go hunt. Keep your expectations realistic and most of all, enjoy the hunt for what it is. Not every elk tag goes on a 350 bull.
Rock's Link
Might look into this one as it seems pretty reasonable.
Packing an Elk out solo is not easy but also not that bad but you could loose some meat to spoilage or predators between trips depending on how far you have to pack it. It is a lot of work and very tiring especially if you are not acclimated.
On a first time trip to a new area, theres a good chance your plan "A" area might not have much elk activity. From a truck camp, you can get to plan "B" and "C" areas with a quick morning drive or a mid day camp relocate.
+1
As others have said, killing an elk is an objective, but getting it out is the challenge unless you have a RELIABLE packer lined up. I walk away from elk every season that are in places where I don't want to get him out.
Seems like a good deal and you do not break your back.
Check around.
Paul
It can be and is done all the time. But don't let the romantic aspect glaze your eyes over as to the reality of several hundred pounds of elk on the ground. For many reasons I like going with a partner. That is one of the biggies. Second trip back to camp is normally the last one....while it could be a real azzkicker, it's not near the punch in the gut realizing it's only the halfway point....
Having a good partner you trust and get along with is big. If you do have someone in mind i would suggest a shakedown cruise on another shorter, less stressful trip and see how you work together. You do not want to find out on the mountain on an elk hunt.
But solo.... nothing more satisfying that facing a tough challenge head on and.... well, being done with it... Heck, in a few months when the pain and soreness wears off you might even be talking about doing it again.... =D
Leave yourself time to get an elk out, cause it will take a little while solo. Make sure someone knows where you are, or take a PLB, or a Spot or something similar. A good attitude will get you places.
If I were in your shoes, the other guy would be written off yesterday. A crappy hunting partner will ruin any friendship as well as your hunt. I am going to be a judgmental a-hole. Lose/lose. Backpack hunting is something that the hunter needs to be dedicated to 110%. Stuff will happen. (And not always good)
I was in your shoes once. Decided to go on my first hunt in 1998. Prior years I heard about fellow archers going elk hunting but didn't know them well enough. So I applied, got drawn and went solo. Not much in the way of special gear and I was hooked. Technology is much better now, and safety should not be a driver whether you go solo or not. Safety just requires proper preparation.
I have hunted solo a LOT; the only parts of the hunt that didn't happen several miles off of the nearest road were the trips in and out. I was in ridiculously good shape - about 110-120 miles a week on the mountain bike, resting heart rate (in Denver) would dip to around 40, and I was still squatting about 2.5X my own weight. And I'm probably pretty damn lucky that I never killed one without a partner to help pack. I heard about one guy who got into a bull 5 miles back in, and and he basically trashed both hip joints. So you do have to ask yourself how many times you're hoping to do this....
Anyway, $250 to pack one out on horseback sounds like a screamin' deal. Just make sure you're not headed into terrain that's too much for the horses.
I'm 42 and did 13 days solo in New Mexico with a pack on my back in September. Drove 27 hours each way by myself, hiked over 120 miles at >10,000 ft. according to my GPS, eventually arrowed an elk, and spent most of a day packing it back out to the truck.
A lot of hard work, but at the same time the most amazing and satisfying 2 weeks of my life!
Attitude counts for a lot, and the first couple of days can really test you mentally, until you get into a rhythm.....
Good luck!
I'm from Indiana and do more solo western hunts than not. I would solo backpack hunt for mule deer, but would not backpack in solo for elk unless I had a packer lined up ahead of time.
Killed my 2015 bull on a solo hunt right at two miles from the road according to the GPS (not sure exactly how many walking miles that equaled?). Took me a good day and a half to get that bull off the mountain...six trips total. Can't imagine hauling an elk out solo 3X-4X that distance or more?
Can you hunt elk solo? Absolutely! Just be realistic and keep your head on straight. You are on your own out there.
The big reason I was considering an OTC tag in Colorado is because if my buddy went, I figured that'd be a sure thing, rather than taking a chance on two tags drawn somewhere else. I'm looking for a great and challenging hunt, and my expectation is that I come back with nothing...the hunt and experience is what I'm looking for, and if I do manage to arrow an elk, all the better. My mind is set on going, and I plan on being their in 2017, solo or otherwise.
The whole point and draw system still confuses me a bit, but I will look into it more. I've done some research on the various state sites, but where specifically could I look to find out odds of drawing a tag based on preference point accumulation?
If any guys are looking for a hunting partner for a week, keep me in mind.
Go solo. You have plenty of time to plan and get in shape. Forget the backpack thing. Keep a simple and mobile camp. Have a plan A, B, C, D, and E.
It's not for everyone but you'll never know until you try.
Beware of the success rates that are published for each unit. Totally worthless and can't be trusted. Also, some zero point units are that way due to low elk density, terrain, etc.. that make hunting difficult. There's sometimes a reason why they don't take any points to draw.
Go OTC and but some points. You can have a great OTC hunt if you stay mobile and don't go where everyone else is parked.
"I am 44 and do it all the time, easily, flying out - which means I take bare minimum. Piece of cake."
The best Gun hunter on our Bowsite---
Good luck, Robb
I like the idea of having an outfitter lined up with a horse to pack any potential kill out. Renting a horse to pack camp in sounds nice too, but is just adding another thing to worry about and potentially have issues with, and not something I want to bite off this time around.
If I had to haul something out myself, I like to think I'm of stout mind and body and would do what needs to get done to get the meat back unspoiled. If I can line something up to pack a kill out, I'll probably go that route just for the time it would save, and possibly offer more flexibility to get further back if necessary.
On my first elk hunt, I had a shot at a bull. Last morning of my 4.5 day elk hunt. (Stupid). Even if I would have killed him, I was just shy of 7 trail miles from the truck. It would have taken me 3 additional days to get him out of there. (And I am in much better shape today)
This season, I hunted and left areas (with elk) because I could see packing out an elk by myself would kill me.
Consider this with a packer: you may need to drive some distance to get cell service. That time of year outfitters and packers aren't sitting around watching Oprah, waiting for your call. So you leave a message. You don't know if he will get there later that day or two days later.
You go back to your camp and wait because he has no way to reach you when you're out of cell range. You can start packing meat yourself, but then when he arrives you aren't there. Lots of variables to consider even with a packer "lined up".
So for most solo hunters who have a "hard stop" due to job, plane flight home, whatever, a 7 day hunt turns into a 5 day hunt, with maybe the morning of day 6 hunting close to camp. Then if you get a shot, it had better be a great one.
I will definitely limit myself to 3 miles and in from here on out.
