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Jeffrey Offline OP
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My buddies and I are going on our second elk hunt this fall in Montana. We went with a guide last fall to get a feel for it and had a great time. This time around we will be doing it ourselves and staying a bit longer. Last time was a five day hunt, this time we are planning for a full week of hunting. Like last time, we are renting a house to come back to in the evening but, I and one of my buddies are preparing for spending a night or two out in the field if we think it will improve our odds of success. My other buddy is being reluctant. He is saying we are going to
freeze and that elk move too much for it to make sense.

Our line of thinking is that if we find a herd or some bulls that we want to go after late in the day, we would be better off staying in the field for the evening rather than hiking back to the truck and driving back to the house for the night. What do those of you with experience think? This will be Bitterroot MT in November, so we know there could be lots of snow, rain and freezing temps. My one friend that is on my side and I are open to buying a quality tent and sleeping bag for the event. We’ll probably just eat MREs and forego and type of stove or anything like that.

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As a MT local who has hunted them via most methods, my favorite is to backpack in and spend night(s) out. Instead of walking in @ 0-dark-hundred, it's more productive to wake up just before first light already in elk country, ready to glass, cut a track, or whatever.

But if you've never backpacked or spent the night out in cold conditions you'll need to learn a few things... but everything can be learned.


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Would never consider that without the lwt stove for a hot meal
. Yes I have camped in snow and cold. Mb


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I have never "spike camped" while hunting for elk. I hunted elk for many years out of an old military wall tent with a wood stove and good gear. We took the time to set up early so the ground was dry and not covered in snow when we needed to use camp. We had firewood cut and a wood stove. We had food etc (plenty in case we were snowed in or someone needed it in an emergency). You will have to have a way to dry your gear if needed, you will need food as you mentioned, water etc. You would need to carry sleeping gear to stay warm etc. That is all fine if that is what you want to do, but I would consider just making a base camp closer to where you want to hunt. Just my experience. I have never had good enough gear, or been in good enough shape to hike in for a day or two and carry elk out in multiple trips. My trips are more like half day hunts from camp, or long day hunts if its warranted.

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I've done a fair bit of snow/winter camping, backpacking & hunting. A lightweight backpacker's stove is wonderful thing to have! smile

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Jeffrey Offline OP
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Thanks, Brad. I always value your input and have already done some searching on things like tents and sleeping bags. I do have some pretty good navigation skills. My buddies and I all served in the Marines together and I studied forestry. Camping out with non-GI issue gear will be new, but I think we’ll survive.

What are your thoughts specifically on finding a target animal late in the day and camping out in hopes of getting on the same elk the following day. Is my buddy’s assertion correct? Do elk move too much for that approach to be effective? I’m of the mindset that if we watch an animal until nightfall, it shouldn’t be too far away the next morning as long as it doesn’t get spooked. Thoughts?

Thanks again for your input!

-Jeff

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Jeffrey Offline OP
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When y’all say stove, are y’all talking about the little butane jobs that you use to heat up food or water in a little pot? Thanks everyone!

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Originally Posted by Jeffrey
When y’all say stove, are y’all talking about the little butane jobs that you use to heat up food or water in a little pot? Thanks everyone!


No.A wood burning stove capable of heating the tent.I heartily suggest you get a little bit more experience before you undertake a hunt that you are proposing.


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Originally Posted by saddlesore
Originally Posted by Jeffrey
When y’all say stove, are y’all talking about the little butane jobs that you use to heat up food or water in a little pot? Thanks everyone!


No.A wood burning stove capable of heating the tent.I heartily suggest you get a little bit more experience before you undertake a hunt that you are proposing.


Thanks, Saddlesore . I appreciate the sage advice.

I’m aware of the wall tents and wood burning stoves and know that’s one way to do it. I have tent camped here in Texas in freezing weather. Am I ignorant in thinking that a good cold weather sleeping bag and quality tent to keep us out of the rain or snow would be sufficient?

The goal isn’t to set up a camp for the entire hunt. We will likely be spending most nights in a house. The purpose of any nights in the field would be to stay on top of the elk and have an early crack at them when the sun comes up.

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Well a small packable stove was what I meant. I understood you to state a small backpack tent and bag for an overnight stay in the vicinity of the elk. I'd have a small lwt stove to boil h20 on period. Hot food it s value can't be overstated. Oak and saddlesore are talking wall tent camping. Mb


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Should you be in the field? If you see a herd move out of the timber right before dark, be there before light in the morning because in all likelihood they'll still be there. I've seen it many times and have scored on a number of them.


“In a time of deceit telling the truth is a revolutionary act.”
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Originally Posted by Magnum_Bob
Well a small packable stove was what I meant. I understood you to state a small backpack tent and bag for an overnight stay in the vicinity of the elk. I'd have a small lwt stove to boil h20 on period. Hot food it s value can't be overstated. Oak and saddlesore are talking wall tent camping. Mb


Agree with you on the hot meal, MB. I have had many cold meals and know how nice a hot meal can be, but we’re going to kill elk, not eat fine meals.

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Originally Posted by Rock Chuck
Should you be in the field? If you see a herd move out of the timber right before dark, be there before light in the morning because in all likelihood they'll still be there. I've seen it many times and have scored on a number of them.


That’s one of the points I was looking for and what I suspected. I know elk can move and cover a lot of distance quickly. In this scenario, I’m talking about finding undisturbed elk and sleeping where we can get to them at first light. I’m a whitetail hunter and have very limited elk experience, but I just couldn’t see why elk would make a big move in the middle of the night without having a good reason to do that.

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Wasn't talking fine meals was talking enough heat to boil water for instant coffee , tea bag, or freeze dried. I take a 5 oz tuna can with a couple of wires thru the top to hold a Sierra cup, fuel with trioxane heat tabs( GI) whole kit don't weigh sh*t but gets the job done. Brad was right you got alot to learn by your own no more unwanted comments from me. Mb
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" Cheapest velocity in the world comes from a long barrel and I sure do like them. MB "
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Jeffrey Offline OP
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Originally Posted by Magnum_Bob
Wasn't talking fine meals was talking enough heat to boil water for instant coffee , tea bag, or freeze dried. I take a 5 oz tuna can with a couple of wires thru the top to hold a Sierra cup, fuel with trioxane heat tabs( GI) whole kit don't weigh sh*t but gets the job done. Brad was right you got alot to learn by your own no more unwanted comments from me. Mb
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I don’t think I read your comment correctly and certainly didn’t mean to be contrarian. Just trying to understand what people with more experience do when they are out in the elements.

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Sounds like only one or two nights are planned. Prepare for the basics. Warmth, staying dry, calories, water.

I've not hunted like that, but I've back packed a bit. Cold weather, and exertion demand calories. Don't skimp. Same with foot wear. Your feet demand great care in that situation.

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If your far enough in to warrant staying the night how you gonna get your gear and an elk to the truck?

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Make damn sure someone knows were this so called camp out sleep over is located i have spent to many days looking for people that didn't know the mountains, that got in way over their heads, not all of them turned out well.
listen to Saddlesore, and others that have years of camping and hunting in Colorado, Rio7

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If you can't survive something like this,best make other plans.This happen s more often than not .

[Linked Image from i.imgur.com]


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Originally Posted by sherm_61
If your far enough in to warrant staying the night how you gonna get your gear and an elk to the truck?


Really wouldn’t be all that far from the truck. Probably 3 miles, max. This will be a backpack hunt, and the plan for most nights would be to walk back to the truck, drive back to the house, eat, shower, maintain gear, sleep, wake, eat, drive back out and hike back to that day’s hunting spot. That in itself is hours of hiking and driving that could be avoided. I also see benefit in not driving back in the following morning and humping back into the spot where we left elk the evening before.

To Saddlesore’s point, we would have no intention of staying out in a blizzard. I get the point that weather can change without warning, but just like boating, or anything outdoors, paying attention to weather reports and radar will be our standard for conducting movements and potential nights in the field.

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