Overcoming natural barriers during your elk hunt

[americanbwana]

In your opinion, what are some of the biggest natural barriers people run into when elk hunting, and how do you over come them?

For example, streams are a great barrier. People do not want to get their boots or pants wet, so they just won\'t cross. Let\'s say it is early archery season (Early Sept.), and you are a person that regularly crosses steams. How do you do it so you can continue to hunt? Do you take your boots off, bring waders, use a strategically placed rope swing, or ??

 

[Swede]

I rarely have to cross a stream, but when I do, I take off my boots and socks and wade across. I may take off more to keep things dry, but that is very rarely necessary. Many years ago I killed an elk about 200 yards above a swollen creek. To follow the stream down to where my vehicle was parked would have meant a 2 mile pack out. I could drive up to the edge of the stream straight down hill from the elk. I decided to cross fully clothed and change when I was done.
For me there are two natural obstacles I run into on a fairly routing basis. 1. Large openings, I need to go around to stay hidden. I have been busted for just stepping out into those openings. 2. Bluffs and rim rocks. I have learned where the holes are in the ones in my hunting area, but sometimes they are not conveniently laid out.

 

[OldMan]

Funny you should mention this. a lot of times I combine scouting with fly fishing the mountain creeks. I wear my regular hunting boots when I do this, because it\'s way more hiking than fishing. If it was just fishing I would bring some hip boots for the creek fishing.

So, when fishing the creeks i\'ll cross back and forth on the creek many times, and a lot of times I need to wade in the creek to get in position to cast. I couldn\'t do this without boots that are completely waterproof. I\'ve mention before I wear Meindl Perfkt boots. They have never leaked on me as long as the water isn\'t over the top of the boots. On deeper creeks i\'ll need to rock hop.

My answer is to have good waterproof boots for creek crossings. Which happens a lot in high mountain elk hunting. You\'ll also need those waterproof boots for hunting in the snow.


As a still hunter my biggest obstacle is noisy ground.

 

[americanbwana]

How do you keep the water from coming in through the tops when the water is deeper than your boots are high?

 

[OldMan]

I don\'t. I only wade when the water is under the tops of the boots. If it\'s deeper I rock hop. Well, I don\'t hop very good anymore. More like long steps on rocks.

 

[cnelk]

I\'ve had my share of steep and I prefer to not partake in that anymore.
By steep I mean pull yourself up as you go or so steep going down your toes are under your insole

I would much rather go around

 

[JohnFitzgerald]

The biggest natural barrier for me Is old lodge poll thickets combined with jack pine patches. We hunt a large population of elk but getting to them can be a challenge. Constant stepping over, going around, and getting cut up by pine tree\'s can really wear on a hunter.

Hunting rough country will make you pay your dues. It\'s worth the pain to me. How about you?

 

[OldMan]

I always prefer rough country over steep country John.

 

[cohunter14]

I\'ve had my share of steep and I prefer to not partake in that anymore.
By steep I mean pull yourself up as you go or so steep going down your toes are under your insole

I would much rather go around

Have to agree with this. Steep terrain is brutal.

 

[elkmtngear]

How do you keep the water from coming in through the tops when the water is deeper than your boots are high?

Wear gaiters and move quickly (and wear gore-tex boots).

Sometimes if there is no natural, shallow crossing, I\'ll use my SLIP Decoy/ trekking pole to semi \"pole vault\" a small creek. I do not let creeks change my itinerary. Mucky marshes are another story! :x

 

[ABQ_Chica]

My biggest barrier this year will be navigating an extended area of massive deadfalls, which is exactly where we\'ll be hunting. Great for tree stands, but crawling through it is a major full-body workout, as I discovered when I scouted last month. And that was withOUT a pack (or an elk quarter) on my back...

Here in NM, I\'ll admit it\'s a rare joy to hunt among these kinds of trees, but mtnmutt also clued me in to a deadfall worry on the other end of the hunt...if I\'m fortunate enough to successfully shoot an elk, how on earth do I track it and find it in all this deadfall?

 

[OldMan]

My biggest barrier this year will be navigating an extended area of massive deadfalls, which is exactly where we\'ll be hunting. Great for tree stands, but crawling through it is a major full-body workout, as I discovered when I scouted last month. And that was withOUT a pack (or an elk quarter) on my back...

Here in NM, I\'ll admit it\'s a rare joy to hunt among these kinds of trees, but mtnmutt also clued me in to a deadfall worry on the other end of the hunt...if I\'m fortunate enough to successfully shoot an elk, how on earth do I track it and find it in all this deadfall?

The worst part is carrying out the meat in deadfall. Don\'t try to carry too much. It\'s easy to get an injury in that stuff.

As for tracking? Elk are big and heavy. They can\'t get through deadfall without leaving tracks. Hopefully, some blood too.