StudDuck - 3 to 4 miles of rough country is, well, rough. I don't question some of folks that have posted claiming big mileage, but I would venture a guess that the country isn't as challenging as some elk country. Another consideration is that dropping an elk 5 miles from the truck will result in at least 4 trips out (maybe 5 with gear). 4 round trips, at 5 miles each way, is 40 miles... half of which is loaded down with a heavy pack. Depending on weather, this can be stretched out over a couple days, but a lot of folks don't fully understand how much work is in front of them when they pull the trigger.
I'm not trying to paint a grim picture - it's a labor of love. Take your time and enjoy it - nothing better than elk hunting the high country!
I was going to post the same thing with respect to distance and pack out. Getting to the elk alot of the time isn't the hard part - its getting them out of there. A fully mature bull will give 225-250 lbs of boned meat. I've heard of them bigger but haven't seen one first hand, only stories, tales, and the occasional picture. I solved that issue where I hunt by having horses readily available. It cost me $250 each time I want a horse but it is the best $250 ever spent when your critter is 2-3 miles back in some steep, nasty terrain. If you bone the meat and pack smart, it is a one trip deal. Carrying elk out is a tough deal regardless of what some would have people believe. I've done it and it is doable if the pack is 'relatively' flat and its only 1-1.5 miles. Add in a canyon, distance, or black timber and it sucks real quick. 4-5 trips in that terrain will make you re-think how to get an elk out.
As to mileage, I think you are spot on. I'd also add elevation to the equation. For example, pull up West Elk Wilderness in Colorado, just W-NW of Gunnison. Quite a few elk live in the canyon; going in after them isn't about distance, its about getting out. It is the steepest elk country I've ever hunted - and I've hunted in the Selway in Idaho. Plus its at about 10,500 feet elevation. I currently hunt in northern Colorado. It has steep spots but is also a bit lower and is 'flatter'. You can navigate for miles if you follow contour and are smart about how to get to where you want to go. I hiked 4 straight days into an area this past fall. It was 2.75 miles from the trailhead to where I started hunting but only about 1.75 was on the trail. At times, I was 4.5-5 miles from the trailhead - but I knew I could get a horse into those areas for the pack out. So it was a threefer - no people back in that far, elk, and a doable pack out. I hunt alot of areas like that and have been fairly successful in the past 5-6 years. As my Dad always said: prior planning prevents piss poor performance - or the 6 P's.
