Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting Solo elk hunters on foot

You guys are the ultimate DIY.
Have you any stories to share of when it was just yourself a long way out there?
Epic weather, elk recoveries, knee or ankle 'surprises', improv navigation, bigfoot, ...?

Salute to you gentlemen who have the chutzpah to go it alone.

This one.....3000' vertical drop pack out to the trailhead.

Late November, 1993. It was -25F. One the second trip back, I killed a 180" mule deer buck. So that made for one more trip.

Solo, public land, Montana. My knees hurt for several months after that deal, but well worth it!

The rule is to never go anywhere where you can't or are unwilling to pack the meat out.

Wow. Speechless.

Out of my league.

I can see you were wearing the latest and greatest clothing technology as well...grin...

Unless there's another one with the same initials, that shirt is from Treasure Valley Community College with branches in Caldwell, ID and Ontario, OR.

My point was in -25 likely some sweat involved and a cotton sweatshirt. It was an attempt at humor as I've seen Pat with jeans way back in there, like I do occasionally.

Great bull Pat...

Holy Moly!
The vertical on that canyon is astonishing.
Deep snow.
Incredible bull.
Thank you for posting!

A couple of years ago I broke my left foot for the second time, an acute metatarsal fracture. Six weeks later I took off on the first of three successive solo backpack hunts for elk in a pair of $10 ice climbing boots off a classified add...I needed something stiff enough to hold things together. A bunch of miles, a few lesser bulls, and a month later I killed a decent public land 6x6. It was a solid adventure.

The full write up is in The Journal of Mountain Hunting: Article Link

Nothing compared to scenarshooter, but I packed my MT bull out by myself as my pard had to head home as he had a new baby to help take care of. 3 relatively easy miles to the truck; two trips over two days as I had the time. My dog Hank sure enjoyed the walks and even pointed a few sharptails on the way out.

DSCN2274 by .com/photos/150924633N06/]Tyler Staggs, on [bleep]
DSCN2276 by .com/photos/150924633N06/]Tyler Staggs, on [bleep]

Oh what the hell is one more trip?...;) This buck was only 1/4 mile from where I killed the bull.

Awesome!

Pat’s vertical of 3’000 was almost exactly double mine from this year...but his was down and mine was up.

Plus, Pat is clearly a goat and I’m a soft, suburbia dad. That has to be factored in as well in terms of “epicness”.

2018 Idaho elk

All my elk hunts are solo, on foot, public land, and have always involved a lot of climbing, navigating blow-down hell's, generally snow and cold, and a lot of long distance meat packing.

An unhappy solo hunter....

I have hunted by myself many times but usually I pack in with a buddy and we go different direction out of our base camp. But if one kills an elk we both go to work packing. That's how I have hunted elk most of my life.

Some years I have sub-guided for others who own horse and mules and that makes the pack-outs nice. Myself however, I don't own pack animals. I have used back-packs.

I no longer hunt that way alone in the parts of the state where we have so many grizzlies. We get more every year too. If you are "way back" it's sure you can't get the whole elk out to a truck in one day and that means the bears get what you can't carry and some times you have to sleep out there a night or two. Doing that when you have blood sent on your clothing and body is not wise. I still hunt solo if it's in areas without grizzlies or large numbers of wolves.

So I only hunt in places with lots of wolves and grizzlies where I can get a whole elk out in one day or when I hunt with 2 partners or more, so I am not at as much of a risk in the night time hours. I am too old to do it all by myself (or maybe just got smart enough to quite risking such things)

That's very typical of much of Idaho and western MT. It's not as high as CO or NM but it's damn sure steep.

Rarely plan on going alone but it has often worked out that way, at least for a few days most years. Seems I have more success when hunting alone, so not a bad thing except when I have to pack out by myself.

Wife did make me purchase a "Help I've fallen and can't get up" personal locator (Delorme InReach) a few years ago. Haven't needed it, thankfully, but it does let wife keep tabs on where I am. She gets a lot of comfort seeing me make it back to campa t night. (So do I. )

The guy sitting next to me on the plane looked over just now and said, "Holy MOLY! That's huge!"

I said, "It's not his biggest."

He said, "I'd build a new garage or man cave just to show that off, and I'd invite everyone I know to come look!"

Sitka Gear pro staff, no doubt. My longest was 4 miles and 2,000 vertical but not nearly as steep as the country Pat was in.

And I'm pretty sure my bull didn't weigh as much as that toad.

Are you kidding, that guy looks ecstatic.

Brad is consistent and does it right, no doubt.

On this one, 5ish miles from the trailhead, I ran out of water coming off a north facing jungle. When I got to water I had to lay down awhile and recharge. I forget how much weight I lost on that three days due to dehydration, it was either 10 or 12 lbs. Didn't lose an ounce of meat though.

Really good story. Thanks for posting!
I really liked what you wrote about the mental aspects of the hunt. When you don't have a crew back at a basecamp it really forces that mental risk management evaluation.
Every time that I drop gear to move a short distance for a shot I always end up at least a mile away from whatever I left behind.
Running with a rifle in ice climbing boots with a broken toe paints a vivid picture.
Did you short change that bull by calling him a 6x6? That extra non-typical point makes him look like a legitimate 6x7 to me.

To me he is a modestly sized 6x6 with a kicker. About 270" is all if I recall.

Maybe I am a glutton for punishment, but when it comes time to fill a cow tag I'd just as soon get it done rather than wait till the bitter end and hope for something close to the car. This one was a good number of miles by the time it was said and done.

fun post (s), 3 years ago, my 5x5 bull was brought down 1/2 at a time, 4.5 miles about 2000' dropped, with the head/rack and rifle on board it about killed me. Last year same spot, although a bigger bull, there was snow so I brought the otter sled up for the 2nd load, also had help and even though it took 4 1/2 hours to get down it was much easier on the body. I'm slowly learning.

All but two of my elk have been on solo hunts. I prefer it that way. I get to go where I want to, at my own pace.

No real big stories to tell, though this bull took 3 days to get out. He wasn't real far, but there were some real nasty spots that got half dangerous. I fell on my butt several times.

Moving elk downhill in snow is a piece of cake. Hauling them uphill is a bear. Fortunately, I've only had one up hill experience (Hells Canyon). Pack frames are God send, but moose are an even bigger problem.

I mentioned this on another thread but several years ago, 3 hunters in WA went down into a real hell hole in the Cascades and shot a big bull. As they were dressing it, one dropped dead from a heart attack. It took a rescue team 3 days to pack his body out of there. I wonder how long it would take to pack out the elk. Granted, they likely didn't bone out the hunter.
That's the kind of place where I'd never go solo.

Wanted to know if I could still hang with the big dogs (mid-life crisis) at 51 years. 4000 feet down in 4.5 miles then with animals 12 more to truck up 2000' The next year I went back and when a 320 bull was broadside at 75 yards I could not bring myself to pull the trigger, my knees ached just remembering

IMG_4588 by .com/photos/66556275N05/]squirrel2012, on [bleep]

I've been doing DIY solo elk hunts since the early '70s. I carried a few out on my back and hauled a dozen or more out on my horses. Also used them to pack out a solo DIY Shiras moose that I shot about 5 miles back in a wilderness in SW Montana. Here's a fairly recent bull from a solo hunt not far from home...


Not an elk, but a mountain goat that I shot many years ago on a solo DIY hunt. It was -5* F and knee deep snow when I started up the mountain. I skinned him out, put his head and hide in my backpack, and rug his body out over the snow.


One of my DIY solo rams from one of Montana's unlimited tag areas. I packed the quarters on my back down to where I could get my horses, and they carried him out the rest of the way.

I'm fortunate that I have a capable crew to hunt with each year. I have the luxury of being pretty bold on those hunts and can climb high, press deep into terrain, or hunt late into the day. I know I have support somewhere below.

I always try to get a 2nd hunt on a leftover tag and that is a whole different deal. No one is available to go with me.
If it is, for instance, a September muzzle loader tag the weather is warm and I can still press pretty hard alone with not too much risk. In September it's pretty easy to do a spike camp or a bivy without an excessive amount of gear.
By November at higher altitude in Colorado there is always this feeling that weather is ready to happen at any moment. I've gotten those tags a few times. My hunting pack becomes heavier because I carry extra everything. I don't have the ability to hump a cold weather camp up to 10K or 11K, but I see some guys that do. Hat's off to them.
I've never filled one of those late season tags solo but if I did it would be a lot of carries. I'd be OK with it.

Nice! Those are some pretty nice DIY solo trophies.

My DIY solo hunts have been in September with a bow to take advantage of, ahem, milder weather. I was in my middle twenties and full of piss and vinegar on my first when I hiked back in to an area I thought would avoid other hunters. Bivouac overnight and found the next morning that I was not alone. Through dumb luck, hunting pressure put some elk in my wheelhouse. Packing out to the trail head I met a pilgrim coming up the mountain. We visited for awhile and he took a picture of my load.



Here is another solo hunt when I bivouacked two nights and got an elk the third morning.

beautiful bulls there RO

Damn, I thought I was tough and a glutton for punishment, but you guys have me smoked. Solo, 5 miles back, double black skiable mountain slopes, and BIG bulls. Impressive to the say the least.

I’ve been packing a locator beacon for several years knowing the possibility of taking a header down a mountain under load is inevitable, but I never wanted to be that guy who had to drag himself out of a canyon 5 miles from any road with a bone sticking out of my leg. 😎

Why? You don’t have friends or just prefer the alone time? 😎

Hunting in the mountains alone, for me, is more rewarding. Other hunts are more communal. Highcountry elk hunting is not one of them... to find out what I mean, you should strap on a pack, and live out of a tent on your own. There’s no hunting like it.

I mostly solo hunt. Hard to find guys that have the time off when I do. I have a couple buddies I hunt with when they are available. However once I kill an Elk they will all come help haul it out if they are around. I agree with Brad until you have strapped on the pack and hiked into the high country on your own. Spent nights out in the wilderness with nobody around you. And felt the feeling you won't get it. There is nothing else like it.

I can understand the enjoyment, excitement and serenity of being packed in alone. For my locale and hunting environment, I guess I’m at both an advantage and disadvantage. The upside is I have excellent elk country an hour away from my front door... Seclusion is easy to experience since 95% of the hunters won’t hike into the areas I go due to the terrain and effort necessary to take a bull out.

Even though my elk hunting mornings start at 1:30AM to be out the door by 2:45AM. I’m coming back to the cabin bloodied or not.

The downside is to enjoy a pack in alone carrying my house I would have to love the weather I’m usually experiencing in November-Which is cold, heavy rain, high winds, sometimes ice and snow, but usually horizontal rain from whipping wind. My coastal country this time of the year is brutal.

I do realize that all of you hunting in high country have your share of adverse weather, but if you’ve never experienced the marrow sucking conditions of the Oregon or Washington coast during November. I think you might look upon the porch lights of my cabin with relief that a warm shower is available to wash off the dirt and blood even if it is 3AM of the next day.

Aside, I truly believe that all of us, no matter where we live or hunt, who chase big fur successfully year after year on DIY public land are amazing. 😎

Indeed, wet cold is tough. I've spent my fair share of nights out in wet-cold outside of Montana when the temps are well below zero, and a cabin is indeed preferable.

Coldest day I ever spent elk hunting was -30*F. Not a big deal as long as you're moving, but when the wind kicks up it gets sporty.

Here's a bull I killed many years ago (solo, public ground of course). I started climbing at 4:30 am @ -15*F... at sunrise I spotted this bull a mile away headed up a mountain with two other smaller bulls to bed. Rather than follow their track, I estimated where they'd bed on the ridge and decided to button-hook around them and come down to them from above (obviously they'd be bedded watching their backtrack). Three hours climbing in knee deep snow got me to the ridge I guesstimated they were bedded on. I Slowly still-hunted down the ridge which brought me exactly into their bedroom. I shot this bull at 35 yards standing in his bed a 1:00 in the afternoon. The high temp was 5*F for the day. Needless to say, I made a fire while taking him apart. Really, a fairly typical November day elk hunting in Montana.

Nice bull! Gotta love it when a plan comes together!

That's a fact.

Those bulls are magnificent!
Thanks for posting.

This is a great thread that has left me truly amazed at the abilities you guys possess in order to pack out an elk, alone, in that terrain and weather conditions.

Something I truly regret not doing when I was younger.

Almost all of mine are solo, far away from roads, backpacking. Most of them are great stories to me; but, would bore most others to death. The most exhilarating would be solo, surprise encounters I've had with bears, mountain lions and a wolf. I stopped sharing those stories with my wife years ago. Every time I go out I leave her with detailed lists of where I will be including copies of topo maps with areas specifically identified. After being charged and treed by a mother bear and her cubs one time, I made the mistake of telling her that story. Although she appreciates the care I take in identifying where my body may be found (her words), she has asked me not to share those types of stories with her.

I do enjoy hunting with friends. Most of them just don't want to spend the time and effort to do it this way. That is fine. I actually enjoy the solo mountain hunting. When doing so for ten days to two weeks I wouldn't mind having someone with whom to b.s. at camp at night after 7 or 8 days solo. Even the hard parts like a full pack of meat going up or down a steep grade are some of the most rewarding experiences an outdoorsman can have.

I wouldn't dare leave my wife without taking my InReach and leaving her with GPS coordinates of where I intend to camp.

I have places to hunt not 10 minutes from my house. Then the journey begins and the hiking in starts. I am pretty much surrounded by places to hunt. I can't complain at all. An hour drive will open up even more Public land to hunt. I just need more time!

Huh ??? Huh ?? is there any other way to do it ? Have I been doing it wrong all these years ?

I always seem to get a littler freaked out after making a kill to see, when on my 2nd or 3rd trip, to see mountain lion tracks or bear tracks in my boot prints when either coming or going when packing meat is all...

Thanks Pat... we know all too well that isn’t always the case

I have huge respect for you guys who hunt elk alone.
Being part of a team of elk hunters is a nice luxury. When going solo there is a whole lot more physical and mental work involved.
I have found that being alone really limits the risks that I feel are reasonable as far as going high, far, unknown terrain, and weather. The physical aspects of a solo spike camp, or pushing in from a trailhead each day, or an elk recovery are also just as much a consideration.

I end up solo nearly every year. Not on purpose, but if I was to 'wait' for the guys that 'wanted' or 'planned' to go with me I'd never get to go. Solo is work, but if you have a plan and a method it's doable and in a strange way very rewarding. Here is last years - 4x4 ~2 miles out, hot and really had to hurry. Got him out and in the coolers in about 5 hours.


Had help in 2017 on a little 5x6

Solo in 2016 with this nice 6x6 ~ 1.5 miles all downhill thank goodness - got him out in about 4 hours. Much cooler day had time.


Spike in 2015 - 1/2 mile easy pack after I rolled him down the mountain for 1/4 mile.


5x5 in 2014 - 1.5 mile pack then 1.5 miles on the mountain bike.


Had help the year before on a 5x5 - have shot 3 or 4 more prior to that that were solo pack outs also.

So this bull came about in a weird way as a solo hunt, on foot and fairly new to the state. I spent the summer scouting, and when leftovers came out, I was out of town and didn't end up getting the unit I was scouting. So ended up with a neighboring unit, and spent most of my off time learning it and finding a few elk here and there. I settled on a spot that was an hour and a half hike uphill through black timber, and across a beaver pond. Saw moose there the evening before the opener, but still liked the spot to head back on opening morning. Spent the night in my solo "base camp" consisting of a Suburban. On opening morning, I saw this bull at what I thought was reasonable range and shot him about 20 minutes after shooting light.
When I got over to him, it was intimidating as hell to deal with by myself and with no one to call for help. It took some time to figure out how to get a decent picture with a self timed camera, then a couple hours to quarter and hang. I had a hatchet with me, but took it down on the first trip with a small load of meat to get a saw to skull cap the bull. Came back up with the saw and struggled mightily to get through the skull with a decent, new hacksaw. I said "f" this, and took another load of meat down and brought the hatchet back up to skull cap him. That third load was my toughest load because I took a rear plus some additional and strapped the antlers to my pack. In all that blow down and thick timber I was constantly trying to step over down logs or squeeze through tight spots to get around a downed log. It sucked, then I got down to the beaver pond, and slipped when crossing the dam.
When I slipped, I damn near went head first into the deep end with the antlers sticking me into the pond. If I fell in bad enough, my body would have been found strapped to a frame pack with 80 pounds of meat, feet up in the air, head and torso in the water, antlers sticking into the mud and sticks below the dam. But, instead I caught myself and just soaked my torso and arms and lived to tell the tale of what might have been.
After that I decided to take a break, so I drove 2 plus hours into Jelm, and ate and drank with another hunter until the bar closed. At that point I was kinda drunk and it was snowing pretty hard, so I pulled the Suburban over somewhere below the state line on a County Road and slept it off. Woke up around dawn with a wicked headache, then drove back to "camp" and humped up the mountain again for one last load before calling it a wrap.

Thanks all for the stories and the pic’s. I’ve not gone solo on elk but love these beasts and their homes. I can certainly appreciate the mental toughness these tales and pictures give incite too.

I've done my share of wet and cold but never hunted elk. Great bull under what I would call tough conditions, bet it was very satisfying when you stood over the bull.

I might end up solo this year, and I'll be 71 by hunting season. Both of my long time partners are about done for. One has hip problems, the other bad knees. Luckily I have llamas to handle the load. I can go a long way if I'm not carrying a load.

I hunt elk and all other big game solo around 80% of the time by choice. You have to pass up some animals because of terrain.

Pat, the bull elk is terrific and the country rugged but that big dark horned mulie buck is where its at. Learned a lot from your posts and always enjoy the pics. Maybe someday I'll make it to an Ice Breaker :-)

I have never shaken that feeling of walking up on a downed elk, taking in the size of it and thinking, "what the hell have I done?"

Oh, yeah. Done that many times. You look at that very dead lump on the ground, then you consider where you are and how close the nearest wheels can go. Then you say 'Oh, shxt'.

While difficult at times, DIY Solo hunts are so rewarding.
The sense of accomplishment in overcoming unfamiliar country, harsh weather and the silent emptiness of being alone adds something that is hard to describe.
One of the most rewarding hunts of my life...

Nice bull Sal. 😎

Thanks Beav.
Not the biggest, but one of the most memorable.

The older I get, the less fun it is packing one out on my own.

Is that your 220 Swift?

Awesome pictures.

Great thread. I love hunting solo, though I haven't killed an elk while doing so. Some day soon, I hope!
Thank you, everybody, for the inspiration.