How do I decide where to set up camp? Can I road camp anywhere?
Any thing I should watch for while setting up camp remotely? What about setting up in areas with timber or should I be setting up in more open areas?
I’ll be in Wyoming
Thanks again!
Timber watch for snags and large branches that could wake you up by breaking your legs in your sleep. Choose a spot that's flat and won't have rain flow under your tent.
If you're expecting weather which is usually semi guaranteed on an elk hunt then you can tell which spots receive less rain based on the drier spots over damp spots in the dirt.
People can suck, but there's not much you can do about that. Odds are pretty low of a shitty person messing with your stuff though. Probably a location based thing as well.
Have fun. Stay mobile if youve never scouted or hunted the area. If theres no elk or a ton of pressure truck camping won't suck as much to abandon a spot and go to another.
Where would I start to find camping regulations? I guess on a DNR site?
Typically maps show dispersed camping areas as 'dots' along an established 2 track/FR. MVUM show dispersed camping
I'd highly recommend finding an open area to camp, such as a clearcut or meadow, that has a creek nearby that you can use for washing, etc. I would stay away from camping near/in timber. Many areas in Wyoming were devastated by pine beetles a few years ago. Those trees are now coming down like toothpicks in a tornado. I also suggest having a chainsaw in your truck, and a good handsaw and axe if you're on your atv. You never know when you'll have to cut your way either in or out. Don't let that discourage you, but be prepared.
Have fun and good luck!
I generally prefer small clearings within the forest for location, or even in a pocket on the edge of a meadow with some protection from the wind. If camping amongst trees, just be sure that you aren't within the fall zone of anything that looks dead or damaged. Sure, a healthy tree could randomly go down and take you out, but if you worry about those type of things, it would probably be best to stay home.
Be aware that camping in the bottoms near streams or rivers can bring some very cold mornings. Under the right conditions all the cold air sinks into those areas. Also, dust can be a big problem for road camping in some locations. Sometimes there are just rules on how far your vehicle can travel from the road, but not necessarily on camping. We got "a talk" from a Ranger in MT for having our vehicle too far off a road, even though there were several camps in the area we were in and it was more like designated camping than dispersed camping along the road. We also got a cooler lesson: You can't even have a new EMPTY non-bearproof cooler outside of your vehicle in the griz areas. I guess somehow an empty cooler conditions the bears more than one full of food that is bearproof, lol. He made us hang it high in a tree, since the one we had was a 150 qt. and we didn't have space in the truck cab.
If you are truck camping: ** bring one of those "black shower bags" and a couple 5 gallon buckets with lids - they work great for getting / transporting water from the creek back to camp for showering / dishes, etc.. **bring a comfortable chair - there are days that the swirling wind makes it impossible to hunt all day and being back at camp in a comfortable chair is ....... well, comfortable LOL.
Thank you everyone, almost every post is something I haven’t thought about.. I can just picture myself driving around a bend and seeing a picture like cnelk’s ahead of me without a saw lol...
Thanks for the comments and PMs!!!
Ben
As far as camping by water, great idea but not too close. One night right before dark a USFS ranger chick came out of the woods seven miles into a wilderness area, measured our tent distances from a tiny runoff rivulet, determined we were only 80' away, and made us move our tents 25". Then she wandered off down the trail in the dark.
For security: You can put up a trail camera over looking the camp. I like to have a vehicle in camp so it looks lived in. Put a padlock on your utility trailer and hide any valuables. Then hope for the best result. Be an optimist: Hang a meat pole......then do your best to overload it! LaGriz
Kinda bugs me the people that just walk around--close to my camp rig when I am out hunting.
You do get some wildlife, like Brad shared with us, on them at times.
#LovinLife
Robb
