Camping near hunting area

[Hamsteak]

If on a road I’d camp on it, if off a road I’d give them at least a half mile. Just my thoughts. Noise and smell can really blow them out of an area..


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Out of curiosity....what does the road have to do with it?  To close is to close. 

Back in the 80's we use to hunt and kill elk in a meadow (in the nile unit) that was literally within site of a road.  We had tons of fun and success until a camp moved in and put up a wall tent right in the middle of it.  From that point on it turned into a caping paradise and the elk never returned.  You cannot camp where you expect to kill animals.  Sure there are some guys on here that will have the experience of walking out of their tent to get lucky and kill an elk....that is luck, period!!

For what it's worth I would never camp in an open meadow where I am seeing game. That is a for sure good way to spook game from that habitat.


Thanks everyone for the responses I appreciate it!

[birddogdad]

i have shot over half a dozen elk within sight camp, 500yds or so. Camp had trailers, trucks, tents, wood stove going. was a natural route they were using over several years.. never seemed to bother them. Deer same but not as often.

[Tribal Elder]

I've packed my camp in a mile off the road, and now about 500 yards off the road. Hike 2 minutes from camp and you're hunting. We don't bother anybody, and our camp is not easily spotted by other hunters. We have had elk in the camp, even bugling at us at night.

[ghosthunter]

Yeah I am not buying it.

Most years I run a big to large camp. mostly tents, but and RV now and than. Elk would pass our camp with in 100 yards or less on a regular basis. We use to camp around the corner form a spring. And they were there all the time during the day. We killed 3-4 500 yards or less from camp just going and coming.

But we have some rules. No constant generator use. Charge mid day and shut it off.
No sighting in your gun in camp. Do it before you come.
Quiet after 10 pm.
Prefer no dogs.

This year muzzy season is just my grandson and I. So no big camp. We are going nomad so you might come across us. Any where along 410. We got two tent cots and a tarp. Jet stoves. And our plan is to hunt move hunt move. If we get on animals we are sleeping with them .

[ghosthunter]

You are never going to get agreement on how close. Because there is always going to be someone who says you are in their bedroom. Go hunt ,enjoy, be safe. 

[ghosthunter]

You are never going to get agreement on how close. Because there is always going to be someone who says you are in their bedroom. Go hunt ,enjoy, be safe. 

Side note

We have a deer hunting spot where we have killed a dozen bucks 50 yards off the road. They would drop in to the dark timber and bed down watching the tops of hunters trucks go by. I got out of my truck one day and almost stepped on a bedded 2 point.

[DOUBLELUNG]

I like to have a ridgeline between where I hunt and where I camp, more so than a set distance. 

However, I have been in an archery elk camp with two other hunters, each with our own tent, and had a bull screaming between all three tents at night 3 nights in a row.  And anytime I've stayed in a camp instead of heading out, it seems I see game from camp. 

It certainly seemed in my 17 years checking hunters that the old/fat/lame guy who stays in camp all day is at least as successful as the other hunters.

[jstone]

So you hike into your hunting area in the dark? Do you miss much on the way? I am in this issue. Don’t know if I should sneak in the dark or hunt my way in

[Taco280AI]

I've gotten into hunting areas only to find tents and campfires, but no game where there is usually great hunting.

[buckfvr]

If you know there are deer/elk there, hunt your way in.

[cbond3318]

Not an elk hunting story, but it fits here. 

Many years ago we had a mule deer hunting area which took us around 1 1/2 hours of hiking in the dark, straight uphill, to be there at first light. Well, one year on opening morning we came out of the trees just at first light, and there on the ground were two sleeping bags with pillows and other camping gear.  This was right in the area where we would usually see deer every year.  My son was pi$$ed, and we had to dissuade him because he was ready to "drop a deuce on their pillow".  Never did run into those hunters........probably fortunately so.

Never saw any deer, either.

Please baby Jesus, let no one defecate on my pillow when they realize I beat them in.

[Bushcraft]

Not an elk hunting story, but it fits here. 

Many years ago we had a mule deer hunting area which took us around 1 1/2 hours of hiking in the dark, straight uphill, to be there at first light. Well, one year on opening morning we came out of the trees just at first light, and there on the ground were two sleeping bags with pillows and other camping gear.  This was right in the area where we would usually see deer every year.  My son was pi$$ed, and we had to dissuade him because he was ready to "drop a deuce on their pillow".  Never did run into those hunters........probably fortunately so.

Never saw any deer, either.

Please baby Jesus, let no one defecate on my pillow when they realize I beat them in.

 

[mburrows]

Treat your camp spot and your hunting spot as two different entities if at all possible. We’ve had to camp in places where you have to drop 1000 feet to get water but that’s also where the elk were. Don’t poop where ya eat. If you bugger the elk out then your just camping