Hunting Washington Forum
Big Game Hunting => Elk Hunting => Topic started by: huntergreg on January 18, 2010, 12:13:25 PM
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Me and a friend were thinking about doing a walk in hunt for elk this year if neither of us get drawn for a bull tag. I put in for the 328-329 unit so my chances are slim. We plan on maybe hunting the bumping unit. We have a friend that goes in there every year on horseback and gets his elk every year. We dont have any horse so in by foot we go. We know the area he hunts and wanted to try it sometime. The area is about a 9 mile or so of a hike in. My question is what items would you want to have with you on a trip like this. We plan on a 5 day hunt. There will be 2 of us and dont want to pack in to much weight in case we both get an elk. Or if you have dont a hunt like this what did you take in with you?
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you might try going to the deer/elk hunt forums and in the serch bar put in "alpine hunt or back pack hunt" some threads should come up with ideas ?
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If I was going in that far I'd want to have an outfitter with horses lined up to pack the elk out if I got one.
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Have you ever thought about hiring someone to pack you in and out?
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yeah if you check there is a few good outfits that will pack your stuff back in there for you and pack it and your elk back out would be handy as heck if you are going to far back in there.
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These guys are right. I've packed in like this before. When you get an elk 2 miles past camp and then pack it back to camp then to the truck, then to the cooler, and then hike back to camp you are beat to s#it for the rest of the trip. But you dont enjoy the punishment untill you do it.
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Walking in should be easy enough. The Bumping is actually pretty easy walking - sort of a big flat with some ridges to go up and over. Bring your mosquito repellant if you're going to go scout first (seriously, bring A LOT of mosquito repellant.)
But those guys are right, getting your elk back out would be pretty tough. You should definitely look for someone to get you out. I was going to do that last year, but I heard about a bunch of guys going in so I avoided it. I also have horses, so I was going to walk in and hunt and then call my wife to bring horses if I got something.
There are a bunch of discussions in the gear forum regarding lightweight backpacking equipment, shelters, packs, stoves, food, clothes, etc.
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ummm ok. are you serious? 9 miles? have you hiked 9 miles with gear and packs? if you shoot an elk, let alone if you both get an elk and your 9 miles in without horses you better plan on eating them both around the camp fire cause you'll never make it out. have you talked to your buddy with the horse about packing you out? if not, why? did he say he was ok with you guys goin in and huntin his 'honey hole'? anyone who goes 9 miles in on horses and gets an elk every year isn't gonna want other people in there, i would imagine. if he's cool with it just have him help you get one out if you connect, shouldn't be an issue, especially since he gave you directions to his spot! :rolleyes: your quote "We know the area he hunts and wanted to try it sometime" is somewhat indicting . if you plan on walking in and hunting his spot '9 miles in' without him knowing your a askin for an butt whoopin. i think you may wanna put a little more thought in to what your trying to do here.... bottom line is you will NEVER get an elk out 9 miles on foot, let alone 2, c'mon.
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Are you planning in packing in from the highway 12 side or from 410. If you go from white pass it will be easier going.
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It is just something we wanted to try out. My friend that hunts it every year said we could go with him. Our friends have a group of 5 that go up every year. They head up before opening day. I am not sure what days I will have off for work. He told me there group would help with the packing out of the elk also. This would be my first time trying something like this. A new adventure for us.
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We would be going in from the 410 side
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Took me several years and a ton of money to get it right for just putting our spike camp 4 miles from the road. Each of the 4 years i have done this...it keeps getting lighter...yet like i said earlier...you will pay through the nose for quality ultra light gear. Now the fun part...getting elk out. Luckily, there are 4 of us that do this hunt...so we have lots of legs and backs to get meat out. 3 years ago, we were lucky enough to all get elk. 2 of us the same day...that of course meant double trips back and forth in the same day packing meet. 4 miles out with meat, 4 miles back in empty, and the worst 4 miles I have ever experienced back out again with a full load. That's 12 miles....and we thought we were gonna die...and we are all in great pack and mountain shape. What your saying with only 2 of you, that's a tough one...you get a big animal down and your talking 27 miles in all. Think I would go like others have posted and line up a pack out with horses or mules. Good luck!
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I got 160 lbs of boned out meat from a spike elk. It was on the small side, so you could easily have 200 pounds or more.
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I have hauled elk out in one trip with two guys. it is beyond what I can pull off to add my camp to that. I figure 2/5 live weight on my meat. a big bull is going to go about 300 with horns, spike and cows are gonna be in the 140-200 range. I suggest you have a goooooood pack. IMO if you can hike 20 miles w/o an elk, you oughta be able to get out 9miles with one.....but if it snows....you will hate life.
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Completely boned out you are down to 150, plus horns. Two guys thats about 90# pack counting bags, frame, etc. if you did it in one shot. Now cut the load in half so its managable, get two bulls, you are talking FIVE round trips to get both bulls and your camp out. Counting the day in thats a week ! How long you going for ?
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or you could just have us pack you in and out on our horses....saves your legs for the huntin part...and it's not exspensive
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There you have it! Go with norsepeak!!!
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or you could just have us pack you in and out on our horses....saves your legs for the huntin part...and it's not expensive
:yeah: This way if something unforeseen happens your still gettin out with your gear and meat, without a possible mtn. rescue :dunno:
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I'm planning something similar this year with a hunting buddy. I decided to make it a mule deer trip before elk season simply for the fact that I didn't want to bite off to much at once. Having two guys with a mule deer down way back is a lot different than an elk. What ever you chose will be a blast, just be ready as much as you can, especially with meat handling. There are a lot of guys that I have read on here that hang there meat down by a cool stream in the back country for days without trouble. Learn how to d-bone, learn the tricks to cooling / proper storage etc and you will be fine. Have your friends lined up & maybe make another backup plan if they are busy. Have fun ! Mike
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or you could just have us pack you in and out on our horses....saves your legs for the huntin part...and it's not exspensive
Sounds like a good way to learn the ropes...
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The problem I imagine is that huntergregs bud may not want someone else packing them in on horseback since his honey hole will be given away...
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First of all if I was you and you plan on doing a backcountry type of thing I'd hunt the west side so you can shoot a branch bull. If you're gonna go in 9 miles and put yourself through alot of pain then I would at least make it worth your while. To me a spike or a cow isn't worth the effort. (Plus cows are super smart and I suck at calling them in where bulls are dumb and much easier to call in.) For some it may be worth the effort and that is okay as well.
2nd. Make sure you are in the best shape of your life and then work out harder and get in better shape. I'm in the Army and am in much better shape than your average Joe. Still a 4 day backcountry hunt in the Alpine still had me smoked and by day 3 I was exhausted.
3rd Buy this book "Backcountry Bowhunting" by Camron Hanes. It will be your bible. It is worth it's weight in gold. Good luck I hope you do well.
http://www.eastmans.com/shop/books/backcountry-bowhunting.html (http://www.eastmans.com/shop/books/backcountry-bowhunting.html)
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i'm not sure what the odds are of 2 guys getting an elk out on their backs 9 miles deep in september when it could be 70 degrees out without losing meat to spoilage. nevermind being in shape and being able to handle the hike...do you really think you can get a bull out 9 miles deep on your back without meat spoiling? you're talking about i bet an 8 hour round trip probably 5 trips...or 2-3 trips with 2 guys, plus your camp. i don't see it happening...i don't care if you're the incredible hulk.
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My neck hurts just thinking about nine miles.
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Without sounding overly arrogant, I probably know where you are going as there aren't alot of 9 mile hikes in the Bumping. I hiked it this summer in anticipation of taking my wife in there. I thought i might be able to pull it off but no way with the Mrs. it would be grueling, and there is probably about zero percent chance you could get the meat out in September. I bagged the idea. There are several horsecamps in there so that is the other thought. You go to all the trouble and a group shows up with 7 or 8 mules and 5 guys and puts a camp up next to your tarp. :dunno:
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There's big ones in there....
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There's big ones in there....
big spikes?
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Nah..big big ones
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Dont tell me your thinking of hunting spikes jack?
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I decided that the fourth trip packing him out might be the one that killed me. Having shot a moose 9+ miles in was enough for me. LOL I'll stick to deer sized game.
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Without sounding overly arrogant, I probably know where you are going as there aren't alot of 9 mile hikes in the Bumping. I hiked it this summer in anticipation of taking my wife in there. I thought i might be able to pull it off but no way with the Mrs. it would be grueling, and there is probably about zero percent chance you could get the meat out in September. I bagged the idea. There are several horsecamps in there so that is the other thought. You go to all the trouble and a group shows up with 7 or 8 mules and 5 guys and puts a camp up next to your tarp. :dunno:
I did the same thing...I hiked all over the place this summer. The cool thing is that, after the Twin Lakes, I didn't see anybody for a couple of days. They were probably all killed by the mosquitos.
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It was something we were talking about. Thats why I posted it here to get all the great info on what others have done and gone through. Thanks for all the great info.
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try renting goats ive seen them advertised on ifish.
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yeah this would be a put you in wheel chair break your life trophy spike hunt. lets just hope he doesn't try to shoot one in the back of the head at 103 yards again.... i can't believe we're even debating a 9 mile backpack elk hunt. but this is whole idea is coming from a guy that pulled off the above mentioned. have any of you that think this is something worth 'trying' ever packed out 200lbs of boned out elk? i have, 3 trips about 6 miles TOTAL. he's going in for 5 days, 5 DAYS thats a minimum 60lb pack if he has the top of the line lightweight gear and eats rice patties. add an elk or 2 in september? HA! jesus wtf people!
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Some pictures from the area:
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9 miles.... I'd say go for it. Think of the excercise you'll get packing one out. The only thing that stops most is dedication. I get a lot of satisfaction from working my a$$ off on a hunt. Yeah, you'll definitely question your decision when you're packing out and you might come very close to dying and going insane but that's what I live for. It's mostly all in your head....and then your legs, back and feet.
has anybody seen "two weeks in purgatory"?
those guys do it good!
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I've seen both their movies. Those guys are in top notch shape. Jake I know about the country that you do your "hikes" in and it's enough to kill a normal guy.
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I went in the Bumping with 3 friends for the early archery, about the same distance you are talking from the HWY 12 side though. We had an outfitter pack our gear, we walked in and out. Fortunately for us we had other friends in the area to pack out our elk for us. We took way too much, so whatever you think you will need, cut it in half! :bash: If you are going in the HWY 12 side I can recommend who not to get as an outfitter. >:(
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i would say go for it if you r in great shape and u could double the time you have to hunt nothing like packing out a fresh kill on your back as long as you r able to enjoy the meat when its all said and done
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Two years ago i went elk hunting with a buddy we were 4 miles from the truck. Of course I had to go and kill a bull the evening we packed in, so i was already tired. the next morning we each took half the elk and off the mountain we went, the first mile was across rolling hills and it just about killed me. I like to think I am a pretty tough s.o.b. but it was tough. I personally could not imagine doing 9 miles.
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06 shot a bull in the clockum deep in a canyon 3 guys 12 hours later. toughest hunt i ever had but well worth it.
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For the past 5 years I have had an unbelievable streak on the bow/spike elk. It started by getting as far away from the lazy hunters as possible. Of course, everytime I haul 200 lbs of meat, horns, and hide out of a canyon 3 to 8 miles from camp...I hate myself. Yes, I take the hide everytime and get it tanned. It adds a lot of weight (one more trip), but to me it's worth honoring the animal. It gets easier everytime though...you get faster, smarter, and more efficient.
I take that back, I don't hate myself. I love the experiences, the work, and the memories.
Good Luck!
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I say go for it but only kill one elk between the two of you. then get one close to the truck on the last trip out! :tung:
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:yeah: :bdid:
yeah this would be a put you in wheel chair break your life trophy spike hunt. lets just hope he doesn't try to shoot one in the back of the head at 103 yards again.... i can't believe we're even debating a 9 mile backpack elk hunt. but this is whole idea is coming from a guy that pulled off the above mentioned. have any of you that think this is something worth 'trying' ever packed out 200lbs of boned out elk? i have, 3 trips about 6 miles TOTAL. he's going in for 5 days, 5 DAYS thats a minimum 60lb pack if he has the top of the line lightweight gear and eats rice patties. add an elk or 2 in september? HA! jesus wtf people!
I really hope this guys does not kill an elk more than 2 miles back b/c he will never get it out further than that. You'd need at least 7 days to do this and you'd only get on elk at most...if you really knowe what your doing to keep the meat cool. 5 days WTF its going to take you a day and a half to get you camp back there! Hiking 4 miles with a pack and it will feel like 9
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:tup:
Access to water to drink every day and being able to keep the meat cool are big concerns in Sept bow hunt. Am doing a pack hunt again this year for elk and will hopefully have outfitter pack me in. Great motive to train and try and stay in shape though!
Have packed out quite a few deer and it is not fun. Then you have to go back in and retrieve your gear. Packed out an elk 2 miles in by myself and it was really tough. Cannot imagine a 9 mile pack out in Sept!
Good luck and start doing your lunges, squats and long hikes with heavy packs
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Just wondering... what about a mountain bike? Any chance someone can ride a bike into the area or at least part of the way? I am considering doing the same sort of trip but will be using a mountain bike and trailer. Thoughts for this guy's trip?
Erik
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He's talking about going into an official wilderness area so mountain bikes won't be an option.
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Gotcha! Did not know... still learning the different units etc.
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Huntergreg,
Sorry you got so many negative replies to your post. Your trip is very doable with the right preparation and gear. You will find a lot of answers to your specific question on 24 Hour Campfire under the backpack hunting forum: http://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php/forums/25/1/Backpack_Hunting. This specific thread is a good place to start, but there are many threads there about what gear to use on that type of trip: http://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php/topics/3680986/How_light_can_you_go#Post3680986.
If you haven't been in that area in September, believe the posts about the mosquitos. The photos of the mosquito on the dog are real. Scouting in August is almost unbearable.
I don't recall the man's name, but Indian Creek Corral on Hwy 12 was agreeable to packing meat out for a fair price, even if they did not pack you in or pack your gear out. If you are concerned about being able to pack out fast enough, that is an option. If you have a good trail most of the way to your rig and are in good enough shape, consider humping out the meat through out the night. If I understand the area you intend to hunt, the heavy trip out is mostly downhill.
If you have not read Cameron Hanes' book, it is a good read and will help you believe you can do it.
Do the hunt; you'll be glad you did.
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they don't call it mosquito valley for nutin'....lol. I would do it...........again.
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Thanks for all the great info. We have a way to get the elk out if we harvest anything. My uncle has 5 horses so it should be easy enough to get animals out of the woods. He is just a phone call away. We might even be going with him and using his horses if he decides to go with. We wouldn't be heading out until the day before elk opens. The spot we are going to we wont be there in time for the group to head up to the camp spot. They are riding there horses up there. The group of friends are heading up a few days early to get there camp set up and do some scouting. That is why we would be heading in on foot. It is interesting on how negative some people get towards what we are trying to do. It is going to be a fun hunt I think.
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People are usually negative when they feel threatened. IE someone doing a hunt back in 9 miles because they know they could not do the same. (Include me in that group) However you don't know if you can do it until you try.
I still say if you are gonna go in deep you might as well get a West Side tag so you can shoot a bull. To me a cow or a spike just isn't worth the effort. Also as I've said before, maybe it's also because cows are far too smart for me. I like hunting things that are horny and dumb. (That's a quote that will come back to haunt me:)
I also can not suggest enough, YOU MUST READ THIS BOOK! It will cut at least 5 years off of your learning curve. It's by Camron Hanes. Basically the BAMF of backcountry bowhunting. Good luck I can't wait to hear your story. And you BETTER take some pics. I'll be in Alabama for two years so I'll have to live vicariously through guys like you.
http://www.eastmans.com/shop/books/backcountry-bowhunting.html
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I second what Shawn Ryan and Colockumelk said. There are 3 forums that I visit regularly. One is this one and one of the other two is the backpack hunting part of 24hourcampfire, which is really good (I don't really care about most of the rest of that site, honestly.)
Good luck on your hunt!
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Do a "Drop Camp". It's a great way to do it. The outfitter takes all your gear and food in for you and drops you off. Then he comes back on whatever pre determined day you want and packs you back out.
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Not intending to hi-jack the thread, but Halflife, what is the other forum you visit?
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Not intending to hi-jack the thread, but Halflife, what is the other forum you visit?
PM sent
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9 miles on foot is crazy for a sept bow hunt... Ok I take it back its not crazy, but with only two guys, and two tags to fill, that there is crazy. Glad you found another way to get the meat out with your Uncle's horses. Good luck this fall!
Michael
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3 of us did the bike/hike in well past twin sisters last muzzy season. snow, rain and very cold. few big bulls and cows but no spikes. spoke with a few hunters on horse back and never heard a shot. We may try again, be ready for anything and don't leave anything in the truck. The west side hike in is looking better. Two friends filled muzzy tags on the west side last year.
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Me and a friend were thinking about doing a walk in hunt for elk this year if neither of us get drawn for a bull tag. I put in for the 328-329 unit so my chances are slim. We plan on maybe hunting the bumping unit. We have a friend that goes in there every year on horseback and gets his elk every year. We dont have any horse so in by foot we go. We know the area he hunts and wanted to try it sometime. The area is about a 9 mile or so of a hike in. My question is what items would you want to have with you on a trip like this. We plan on a 5 day hunt. There will be 2 of us and dont want to pack in to much weight in case we both get an elk. Or if you have dont a hunt like this what did you take in with you?
Hunter Greg,
Blow off all the negative stuff about your plan. I have hunted Bumping in September with an "Any Bull tag". Very good tag. From the responses you have seen on here, you don't have to worry about any of them hunting up there. I hunt it with three other guys and when we get something down, We all pack it out. We sent up a base camp, and set up spike camps in the wilderness. Every couple days a couple of us back out for refreshments and restock.
The last time we did it, we did run into some idiots that didn't know spikes were game and they kept robbing our hunting areas until they were told to beat it. We kept calling them into our calls. Worse case scenerio, you can pay an outfitter to pack your game out for a pretty reasonable price. I won't hunt any other way, Good time even if your not successful. Definately go with partners! Good Luck.
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HunterGreg. What it all comes down to , my first (09) pack in hunt was the best hunting trip for me to date. I am moving my 6 any bull points to the bumping area and will hike in, eat backpacking food, sleep on the ground and flat out rough it for a week or so again. If we do get a animal on the ground we all spend the day getting it out. thats what friends do. (we did stash a good game cart at the bottom of a trail head) Ill make up for sleep when the seasons over. no regrets.. just live. Best of luck if you go for it.
