Going Solo

M

MidMoElknut

New member
Jun 4, 2017
10
Hey everyone I am new to this forum, it was recommended to me and it\'s always good to get more and new info on elk hunting!

This will be my 6th year hunting and hopefully will tag my first elk!

I would like some opinions on my hunt for this fall.
I\'m coming from Missouri and this will be an otc diy archery hunt in north central Colorado for 10-14 days or so

Years past I\'ve hunted solo but always had someone to stay with at base camp. The last 3 years my girlfriend went with me to camp and enjoy being away and in the mountains. She did most of the camp chores and if I was to get an elk she would be able to help pack an animal if I needed a little help. This year she won\'t be able to go so I\'m looking at other options. I\'ve asked one really good buddy to go but I would be really shocked if he will. Ive been thinking I might be better off going by myself if he can\'t go so I don\'t have to worry about someone else and or disappointing them, plus I can go on my time frame and not have to move or shorten the hunt for someone else. On the other hand I\'m not sure if going completely solo is a good option or not as I have no experience with that yet.
I can ask other guys if they would like to go but I\'m just not sure what to do......

I feel that I will be fine being solo other than maybe packing an animal out as I have never don\'t it before so I really don\'t know. Between packing an animal out and and just being along is my biggest concerns and is what I\'m really looking for opinions on.

Anyone who does the whole trip solo and hunt solo who has some experience I would like to hear what you think about it or maybe things I could do differently or look at!
Any ideas or suggestions would be great!
Also any other info or details needed let me know I\'m sure I missed something!

Right now I like the idea of going solo and I\'m not scared to do it. I just want to have a good experience!

Thanks!
 
first off welcome to the forum. where you from, im currently living in the osage beach area.
i always prefer hunting by myself, because if i wanted to hunt great, or take a drive, get a hotel for a nite, etc etc. it was all my choice. the down side is being completely alone for that many days. i wouldnt do well for 10-14 days but that is just me an how im wired. but yes its very doable in some ways better.
as far as packing one out, depends on how far you are goin in. i packed mine out by myself. just gotta suck it up and take one step at a time til your done. the pack out wasnt to bad, but i hurt for a few days after.
 
Hey thanks I\'m about 20 minutes east of Jefferson City so your not that far from me!

I know what you mean it\'s just nice because you don\'t have to worry about other people but I also really enjoy hunting with other and seeing them enjoy it too!

Yeah going solo means I can hunt at my own pace or pack out at my own pace. Either way I will have fun no matter what. That\'s what it\'s all about!
 
You and Marshall Alexander should hook up
He is on here and coming to Colorado this fall
 
Dave, another welcome to the forum! Some great hunters on here who love to help out so you\'ve found the right place!

I think you will be just fine by yourself. The one recommendation I would have is to look into a Delorme InReach or something similar. I\'ve looked into one of these as well and am hoping to have one before the season since I hope to sneak out by myself a few times during the season. They allow your family or girlfriend to keep track of where you are and also allow you to text from basically anywhere. When you are by yourself, having something like that should certainly help ease your mind as well as everyone else. Should anything happen to you, you would be able to reach out for help and they would also be able to see exactly where you are at if for some reason you couldn\'t reach out for help.

Outside of that, I would encourage you to get out and make it happen! Packing an elk out by yourself will be a chore, but who cares? You can take as much or as little on each trip and take your time. In the end, that would be a good problem to have, right? :D

Again, welcome!
 
Hey fellas, I sent Dave over here from another site hoping you guys could help him out. He is looking for help in north central Colorado. I figured a bunch of you lived and hunted in the area. Anyhow. give this new member all you can.

And a big wELKome to Dave! :welcome:
 
def not to far. my daughter lived in linn for the last year but recently moved. if you get over this way give me a shout. we can grab a drink and maybe i can answer a few questions.
 
Thanks again WW for all of your help!

Cohunter14 I\'ve been told a couple other times to look at getting an Inreach to take along and I will definitely look into it, I hate to spend another 300$ on this addiction haha but it would probably be a good investment!

Bnsafe thanks I may take you up on that sometime!!

I guess if anyone is looking for someone to hunt with maybe in the future we could work something out!

I feel really good about the area I\'m in and getting excited for this fall already!
 
Dave, great to hear you are excited about your area. As far as the InReach goes, keep an eye out online. I think you can find them for around $200 now if I\'m not mistaken. A lot of money, but could be worth it for the peace of mind if you have any worriers in the family.

What other questions do you have? As I mentioned, we have a bunch of knowledgeable folks around here, including that WW guy who has probably killed twice as many elk in his life than most who write books on the subject :D Anything we can help with, let us know! We would love to see a picture of you on the meat pole this fall :upthumb:
 
Thanks cohunter14
Hopefully I will have some good pics of a kill!

I can\'t really think of much off the top of my head.
The big difference and things that will be unknown or different this year would be different foods that don\'t need to stay cool with little cooking as possible and the least expensive the better.
any advice on foods would be great or anything I may not think of that would be needed for a camping away from the truck?
 
Do you have a dehydrator? Make your own dehydrated pastas, soups, chilli, fruit roll ups, banana chips, hamburger. And my favorite desert, rocky roads ice cream. There are just tons of things you can make with one and the food is much better that the freeze dried stuff that you have to pay a fortune for.
 
There are some foods that you can dehydrate that turn out good and other not so good.

Remember [as I found out] there is a BIG difference in dehydrated foods and freeze-dried foods. Big difference
 
I do have a dehydrator but have never done anything besides jerky
It sounds like a good idea and I will check into it!

Thanks
 
\"cnelk\" said:
There are some foods that you can dehydrate that turn out good and other not so good.

Remember [as I found out] there is a BIG difference in dehydrated foods and freeze-dried foods. Big difference
Click to expand...
What are some of your favorites and what didn\'t work out so well? I remember seeing the elk meat sauce spaghetti once upon a time, is that a good meal dehydrated? Do you have a ratio and time of how much dehydrated food : water to re-hydrate?
 
The elk spaghetti wasnt all that great.

There are companies that have mastered the freeze-dried foods and I would def stick with those.

As far as dehy, jerky, fruits and other simple stuff that dont need to be \'rehydrated\' are better to make at home.
Grab, go and eat.

I considered over-all food costs a wash. I eat at home and while Im hunting so its not that great of a difference, just maybe taste.
 
\"cnelk\" said:
The elk spaghetti wasnt all that great.

There are companies that have mastered the freeze-dried foods and I would def stick with those.

As far as dehy, jerky, fruits and other simple stuff that dont need to be \'rehydrated\' are better to make at home.
Grab, go and eat.

I considered over-all food costs a wash. I eat at home and while Im hunting so its not that great of a difference, just maybe taste.
Click to expand...
Great answer.

I still prefer the boiler bags we do. My absolute favorite was the bacon wrapped chicken thighs. Kept frozen for a long time and reheated in boiling water quickly. Delicious!

Back to solo hunting.

I am new to hunting but I like being in the woods by myself. I do NOT enjoy being at camp alone though. Too many demons in my head to be out there alone for extended periods of time. I start talking to pine cones and naming squirrels and mice that come to visit.
 
Lark
Hunting solo isn\'t much different than being with a couple others.
There are things you have to deal with and adjust.

I look forward to hunting with others but I also look forward to going \'lone wolf\' too.
You can do some real sole searching and hit your own F5 (refresh) button.

Your perspective will be way different after a few days doing your own \'lone wolf\'
 
I do a lot of my hunting alone at home but haven\'t been alone for a week or two. It\'s all in a persons head I believe and if it starts to get to me and I\'m naming squirrels and pine cones gets old lol I may have to go into town or go for an atv ride to mix things up.
I think it will be worse when I\'m back at camp by myself but nothing I can\'t handle, while hunting I think I\'ll be fine unless I get myself in a pinch or when or if I end up shooting one and the worry of getting it back within a reasonable amount of time. Hopefully them temps are on the cooler side this year lol
 
Not to side track the conversation, but I find when I am camping by myself that a little music does a lot for me. I\'ll bring along a jam box and an old iPod or just connect my phone if I\'m not worried about the battery. Just having some low background noise really seems to relax me and helps me enjoy the time instead of listening to the voices in my head. :lol:
 
I will definitely have my phone with me to listen to music
Keeping in charged maybe the only issue but maybe I can charge it off of the atv and other solar chargers
 
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