Car-camping or something else?

[Deertick]

How many of you camp at your vehicle?

Camping with your vehicle sure has a lot of advantages ... coolers, ATV, fuel ... and there\'s virtually no limit to bringing gear that you \"might need\". Also, you can remain quite mobile.

The downside ... if your vehicle got there, someone else can, too ... maybe right in the middle of your hunt! Pressure around roads is higher, and asthetically, camping near a road is less pleasing.

For me ... weekend trips are road camping, but week-long trips are away from roads. If I\'m going to dream about something for a year, I\'m not going to have it spoiled by dusty traffic. After all ... there\'s a better than even chance that the trip will come up empty on dead elk, and that\'s if things go well. For me, at some point in the season, it becomes about the experience. Additionally, spending time away from two-leggeds once a year helps re-set my spirit.

 

[cnelk]

My base camp is a \'drive to\' feature.
Love it, its my home away form home.

 

[Deertick]

We had a camp in Nebraska for summer camping, riding, and hunting ... it was a drive-up camp and we would bring everything and the kitchen sink.

The dogs guarded it like it was our HOUSE.

I sure miss it.

 

[cohunter14]

My base camp is a \'drive to\' feature.
Love it, its my home away form home.

Same thing for me. Hunting the rifle season makes it fairly risky to backpack in. Having said that, we have never had problems escaping the crowds. I can see where backpacking in can have it\'s advantages, but I have never found it necessary to escape the crowds and find elk.

 

[mtnmutt]

This past season, I really mixed it up:
opening week - car camping (minimal stuff), critter ate my rainfly on day 7. All close elk encounters were within 0.25 mile of my camp. I no longer believe you have to go 2-3 miles in from the road to find elk. Previous year, backpacked into Wilderness 2-5 miles and did not see more elk than when car camping.

3rd long weekend - hotel - see above critter eating tent and the rain did me in. It was flooding that weekend. No sane person was camping. The ML packed up early because of the CO rains.

4th weekend backcountry mule deer hunt 3 miles into Wilderness - no critter ate that tent Very enjoyable hunt.

5th weekend hotel again - tent not repaired and I wanted warm dry nights. It snowed that weekend.

Yep, I will do a hotel if that is what gets me out hunting. I am cutting back on gear purchases just in case a hotel stay is needed for hunting. I will still do one backcountry Wilderness hunt because it is much nicer to get away from the roads. Very peaceful to be in Wilderness. I highly recommend everyone tries it at least once.

BA is now repairing my car camping rainfly corner for $15 plus shipping. This year, I will setup a trail cam to catch the gnawing critter on film, so I can hunt him/her down.

 

[americanbwana]

I\'m going to pack in a couple of miles this year to get away from the crowds, but have car camped in the past when I had the wall tent.

I had elk close enough to one drive in camp, that my wife heard them walking around behind the tent. Camp was less than 300 yards from the road (Bullnuts, this was down below were you got your cow a few years ago).

About 3 years ago, we had a bull working a wallow the other side of a narrow park with 3 camps on the other. I had a cow and calve walk right up to me opening day within a 1/4 mile of camp (two other camps located near by).

AB

 

[elky McElkerson]

i LOVE car camping. i love it during hunts. i\'m lucky enough to have a deer valley to myself usually.

i love a big camp stove, ice chest full of real food. big bulky sleeping bags..big fires, chain saws..hahah.

backpacking in is awesome, but nothing beats a car camp. i heat up water, put it into a gallon jug with a perforated lid. i can sprinkle a decent shower on myself. love it.

my kid brother has a 4x4 type pop up camper. luxury on wheels. expecially with the honda generator.

 

[Deertick]

elky, I like your way of thinking!

If I\'m at a vehicle, I bring it all ... it\'s nice to have \"big fires\" and full coolers. What a great way to spend the summer weekends.

Backpacking is great, too ... and we\'ll spend a week this summer horse-packing (a great compromise).

 

[Buglemaster]

We hunt out from a drive to camp site. Sometimes take a vehicle to an area that\'s just to far to hike to. Multiple times we have heard or saw elk within 1/4 mile of camp. I once shot a cow a measured 75 yds from the tent flap. The 2 guys in camp heard my bow go off, & it\'s a pretty quiet bow! :mrgreen: We also do spike camps in that are anywhere from a couple miles to 4 miles in. I prefer to get away from other hunters, but you have to be prepared to share an area here in Colo. I\'ve met some great guys camped in the same area as our group. Met some genuine azzeroos as well. :downthumb:

 

[Deertick]

I guess the thing for me is to get away from people, whether that\'s car camping or otherwise.

Not that I don\'t enjoy meeting new folks, etc., but part of the reason to camping at all (let alone hunting) is ... PEACE AND QUIET.