Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting How many here hunt Elk by themselves?

Too many together create too much noise traveling through the woods. I usually have my own spot I like to go to.

+1 Have for years. It is nice to have help but I have never had help on my bulls. In fact I have helped many that have never been around when I needed that kind of help. Ah its lonely at the top

I thought about a solo elk hunt in the South San Juan wilderness, but decided against it. It's steep county, lot's of mountains, snow, and areas with no roads, so am going to join a father and son duo coming from PA. The first time i meet these people will be for a wilderness camping/ hunting trip for a week - 9 days, sharing a tent.

i will hunt solo, but the idea of camping with a couple other people was more comforting that being out there alone. The arrangement was put together by an outfitter, who will pack us in on horseback about 8 miles.

I used to hunt with my grandfather, who passed in 2004, and my best hunting buddy was killed in a car accident not long after...good hunting buddies are sometimes difficult to find

While I've hunted solo for large game several times, I guess I'm just a social animal because I much more enjoy hunting with (or near) my hunting buddy. When deer hunting we are usually within radio contact distance, which means anywhere from a few 100 yards to a couple of miles. But, it's comforting to know he's close if needed and I think the feeling is mutual. We are planning to use the same strategy on an upcoming elk hunt in CO. A family friend, and an older Montana elk hunting guide also prefers hunting with a partner and suggests it for even experienced hunters. Hard to argue with experience.

I enjoy camp company, but never hunt with anyone. This year i'm solo on a 18day rifle tag. with one day for travel, then 2 days of cougar hunting, 18 day season then one travel day. Total of 22 days i might not see anyone up close, except the fuel guy at burns oregon on the travel days. Camp has cell service with my cell amplifier, so every night i'll call my wife. County sheriff doing a rustling investigation Was the only person i talked to one trip.

Here is my solo camp, if you see it tucked into a juniper patch

If I am still hunting, I like to be solo. On late season hunts, It takes 3 people to do it right. We discovered that this works best for us. When shooting a long ways into brushy hillsides, you need a shooter and a spotter and a glasser. Then, when you have to go find it, you need a shooter, a spotter to guide you in and someone to navigate.

We killed bulls last year that any solo person would have never found.

I can camp by myself, but it's nice to have someone to share the day's happenings with.

Just finished up a week solo in Wyoming for cow elk. Was joined by partners for the second week. Its really nice to have a couple of younger guys around for packing. Next hunt is with two other young men and my last hunt in Idaho is by myself again. Its OK but in late November the nights get really cold and long!

I used to hunt with my dad, now I just do it on my own, i don't have to worry about anyone else I just have time for myself,

Amen and applause.

I hunt solo but usually enjoy company of friends in camp at night. But not always. Sometimes I just enjoy being alone.

As I get older I've become more reasonable about the risks of being alone in the woods, but safety isn't always best. There's something about being away from the safety of crowds, cell phones, etc that keeps life real.

I turned 55 this past Saturday and was lucky enough to bag a bull elk on opening day. I had to track him just a little way and I caught myself thinking about packing him out and I said to myself, "I hope he isn't too big".

Is that a sign of getting older or what?

I see some of you guys on here don't even pass on the sub 400" bulls

I have an either sex tag and if the bulls are too far from camp or not bigger than what have all ready, I will take a cow. I like elk meat and I have enough horns. Solo this year.

While on the mountainside, I am usually alone, But I usually camp with somebody. It is much more enjoyable to share camp and chores with friends. I can take care of the horses, while he fixes dinner. And it is a whole lot easier to load quarters on a horse with a second set of hands.

Beside with how hard it is to draw tags, Going with a friend occassionally my be the only way I get to hunt every year.

Owning horses, I seem to get invited to accompany somebody on their hunt every year. The challenge is finding true hunting buddies to go with year after year, that will equally share the cost and duties.

yep - dibm hunt do(did) it by myself -- any elk hunt - no bull first 6 days of a 7 day hunt- dropped a nice fat cow fairly close to the rd. heatn elk roast as i type for burritos this evening!

it's called --- knowing your limitations past 55 -this is normal

I'm almost 57 years old, I pretty much hunt and fish alone. I have not had a fishing buddy since I had a falling out with one 25 years ago, and I have not hunted with any one other than me. since 1976, there were some guided hunts but not many. I find there is real peace in doing it this way for me. No arguments over chores in Camp or who pays what when it comes to expenses. Then there is the pace, Go out when I want come back when I want, been known to stay out on a good ridge all night for a crack at first light. I carry loads what I can deal with no more, more smaller and lighter loads makes it easier for me. Even Moose hunting in Alaska, I pretty much went alone, and fished alone. Its not that I'm anti social or anything, its just I make more time for these things than most and ordered my life around it. I never considered it dangerous or foolish. One of my most memorable days a field was in the High Country on the ID/MT line north of Salmon. I hunted hard for a week, nothing, and I stayed out all night on an out crop over looking a little open grass some 300 yards out, When the sun came up and it was light enough to see, the thin fog made for a very colorful 10 min or so. Dead quite and oh so still. No elk showed up. Best day elk hunting I ever had.

I'm now almost 61 years old and still a diehard elk hunter. My wife and I have hunted elk for the past 30 years. Of course we are together in camp, but we nearly always hunt alone, completely apart from each other.

We hunt in grizzly country, so this may not be too smart, but it is what we both prefer. We are each self-contained and totally competent on our own. We meet back at camp after dark or thereabouts, and share the day's experiences with each other. Only rarely do we have anyone else in camp, as it is hard to find good partners for elk hunting.

We have just finished our annual Wyoming elk hunt, with both of us taking 6x6 bulls in a heavy snowstorm. We do help each other pack the meat out, which we do in backpacks after boning it out. This is an urgent task because of the grizzlies, and we do not use horses.

We both prefer the solitude of hunting alone. Decision making is always different with someone at your side. We know the risks and find those to be somewhat liberating however. Wild is good for us.

Yet advancing age promises to change how we hunt, just as much as the grizzlies have affected us.

For those of you who can hunt alone and enjoy it, more power to you. But there is still pleasure to be found in having a good companion along on the hunt, or just in camp.

Pretty much any way that you can go elk hunting is good!

WyoM70

+1,000 Wyo, good post.

Hunt mostly by myself. More flexible on how/when/where/how long.