Thinking About Moving Camp

[cohunter14]

The camp site we have used for the last few years during rifle season is a great spot, but I am considering moving it for a couple of reasons. One is that the new spot would be a two minute walk to a great glassing location that can be utilized at any time of the day. And second, it would cut a good 20 minutes off the morning drive to the location, allowing for a few more minutes of sleep.


My only concern about this spot is it's located near the top of a hill and we plan on hunting downhill from there, from 1/2 mile away to over a mile. We drive into this area everyday anyway, so vehicle noise is normal, but I'm wondering if noise from our camp will have any additional negative affect? It's not like we are crazy loud, but we will have a camp with 7-8 people in it, so it won't be silent either. There are trees in between where the camp would be and our preferred hunting areas, but I'm not sure what to think. Any suggestions? Am I over thinking it too much or am I rightfully concerned?

 

[Ol Arky]

You know How I feel... If it ain't broke..............

 

[sjl2012]

Don't forget about the scent factor, 7 or 8 guys that close to a hunting area for an extended time may not be the best thing. Its going to be constantly dispersing from that point.

 

[cnelk]

It seems like Im always moving my camps.


Rarely, and I mean rarely, do I ever have a camp I can hunt from the tent

 

[MT_mulies]

So why do you have a camp site and then drive into it everyday? Maybe I'm missing something. When we go hunting. We camp a mile from our truck and stay there the whole time.... Anyway, we also camp at the top of a hill in a group of trees that is about a 10 min walk from where we can spot and glass everywhere we hunt for the day so we can make a game plan. We have spooked elk and watch them run within 30 yards of our tent. We have been waiting for elk in the evening and seen elk come out of the same draw as our tent and they had to have been within 70 yards. We have awaken in the morning to fresh elk poop within 15 yards of our tent. And a lot of the nights as we are falling asleep we have heard elk bugling within 100 yards of where we are sleeping. I know when I'm chasing elk and trying to kill one my scent is 100000% important and being cautious of wind is HUGE! but for some reason our camp never seems to bother them. My scent only bothers them when I have a bow or gun in my hands haha. We have hunted this spot for 2 years now. And when elk go into a certain draw, when we spook them they run by our tent 90% of the time. So this year if elk go into the draw, we are leaving one person back at the camp sight in hopes that if we spook the elk the person at camp will get to shoot an elk within 45 yards of our tent. Ive had a lot of times I've camped in elk country and right near the prime spot and it hasn't really effected anything....to my knowledge, but having said that I know that with 99.9999999% of the elk you come across that if they catch your scent during the day light they will bust out of there with no second thoughts. You can always try camping there and if it doesn't work out then you know.
If you don't make a mistake every year your not trying hard enough.

 

[sjl2012]

Agree 100% on the scent while hunting, I have had the same experience during archery and spent many a night solo wondering if I was about to get stampeded, but that's bivy archery, my concern would be considering it's a rifle season and may be post rut, bulls may be back in survival mode instead of rut crazed and act a little differently. I always tend to be on the side it's safer to put a little more effort in than to be sorry after the fact. But, I've never driven in to a spot and camped with 7 or 8 other people, it may be that they get used to it and just do their thing.

 

[cohunter14]

So why do you have a camp site and then drive into it everyday?

Good question. The original camp site was chosen because we could jump on an atv trail there and take us into another area. We could also hunt right out of that camp. Since then, the atv trail has been closed. We can still hunt out of that camp, but certainly don't do it as much as hunting from this other location.

 

[cnelk]

My base camp is like a hub on a wagon wheel. Since Ive hunted my areas for almost 30yrs it haas grown to over 100sq miles. Each day i headed out to different areas until I find elk. Some days I drive 20 miles to hike in & hunt an area and another day I will drive 2 miles and hike in and hunt that one.


Its not uncommon for me to put 600-800 miles on my truck in 10 days of elk hunting. What works for me, may not work for others, but we sure shoot the hell outta the elk