back country camping

[Kurtr]

we will be at 7000-8500 or so we do have a place we can go in the middle so we can be flexible. I know if we get an elk it will be multiple trips no way we get camp and a whole bull out in one trip.

 

[Kurtr]

What kind of elevation are you guys going to be at? We will be roughly 8500-9400. Plan on going up for 3-4 days come down for one and back up for another 3-4, depending on the number of elk we see/hear. My Exo 3500, 2 liters and 4 days food is roughly 40. Might be a bit heavier than some but I like comfort too.

How did you turn out. Looking at forecast the stove will be nice highs in 30's low in 20's with some light snow. 12 days out

 

[NPO_Aaron]

Awesome Set up! I'm looking at copying it exactly next year!

 

[JMF]

How did you turn out. Looking at forecast the stove will be nice highs in 30's low in 20's with some light snow. 12 days out

Got back late last night. Had to make a change of plans when we got there, the area and elevation we wanted to go to was covered in 2 feet of snow. So we set up base camp at around 7000ft. We were in elk every day and saw some darn nice bulls, also found lots of pressure. Calling was useless so we found ourselves trying to simply pattern them and try to get in front of them when we could. Just couldnt get the sun, moon, stars and wind to all line up. What I wouldnt have given for some ND 40mph straight line winds. We didnt have much trouble getting within that 100 yard mark several times, so it was a pretty awesome hunt. Already getting things ready for next year. I was pretty happy with how the new gear perfomed, even though we didnt get to do the high country camping. Darn glad we had a buddy heater for the big tent. Good luck to you guys.

Here is a pic of my buddy through the spotter sneaking on a nice bull about 2 minutes before the wind switched and he was busted.

 

[Kurtr]

That is awesome news. If we can get to 100 yards I hope to have some elk pics. Those winds out there are supper un predicable.

 

[JMF]

Good luck, I wish I could have drawn for rifle this year. Come monday morning we would have been in a good place to kill a nice bull.

 

[PrairieGhost]

You guys had me confused. I thought you were hunting Hells Canyon. I have been in Hells Canyon and when you mentioned 7000 ft and 8500 ft I was scratching my head. I may have missed it, but are you hunting the Idaho or Oregon side? I sure would hate to try get an elk out of the canyon.

Years ago I had a 12x17 wall tent and a good sized stove. The first time I went to Colorado felt more like hunting than chopping wood. We picked up seven bundles of wood which we thought would be one bundle per night. We burned five bundles the first night. That pine burns a lot faster than our ash and oak. We should have had a saw with because we spent an hour a day scrounging wood around camp.

 

[Kurtr]

Hunting just east of hells canyon. Unit 18 is hells canyon that is a draw unit. The seven devils have to be in that 7000 to 9000 ft range I know it is only about 2600 ft down at the bottom. West side of Idaho does not really get that high I think 10000 is about the highest I have seen on a map.

 

[SDMF]

Is there such a thing as "Front Country Camping"?

 

[Kurtr]

Yes it is camping at state parks right beside towns with better accommodations than they have at home

 

[JMF]

We hunt the eastern edge of idaho.

 

[PrairieGhost]

The seven devils have to be in that 7000 to 9000 ft range

Ya, know where they are, but only seen them from the west side. I see a little further north the canyon is only 1260 ft above sea level. I think it would be tougher getting an elk out of there than hauling it to the top of the mountain. The older I get the more I consider only hunting uphill from my truck. I also have not replaced my wall tent, but I did sleep in a Clam 1660 insulated at 7000 ft last week. It was so darn windy I tied it to the running boards of my vehicle. I have thought about buying a stove jack from Montana Canvas for it.
It sure is a fast camp and warm too. Not a back country rig unless you had two mules to haul it.

 

[Allen]

Just remember, that looks pretty sweet to most of us, but she ain't bear proof.

Keep your mace and firearm at arm's reach.

Oh yeah, and enjoy the hell out of your hunt. I'm jealous.

 

[Kurtr]

No grizzly out there on west side of Idaho also will have a black bear tag in my pocket. We will keep a clean camp to try and avoid any night time visitors. Now were JMF was I would be on high alert

 

[JMF]

I kept the bear spray handy, however there are very few grizzlys in the area we were. Lots of black bears, didnt see any but saw lots of sign. We bumped a lone wolf in the snow, didnt see him but he was only seconds in front of us. Two other guys in our group watched a mountain lion walk across the ridge in front of them. Lots of cool things to see in the mountains.

 

[Kurtr]

We heard a lion in heat last year at night that made the hair on your neck stand up

 

[ndbwhunter]

We heard a lion in heat last year at night that made the hair on your neck stand up

That is not a fun sound. I was out in MT during the snow 2 weeks ago, and decided to pack up camp late one night and hike out. I saw a set of eyes about a mile into the 3 mile hike and didn't think much of it. About a half mile from the truck we heard a strange moan/growl. With just a few hundred yards to go, I noticed a set of eyes off the trail about 25 yards. My headlamp had been on high the entire time and went into low power mode because of the heat. I was able to turn it back on high only to find a mountain lion staring at us from the brush. It was a very large cat and he/she was crouched and ready to attack. I fired a warning shot over it's head with the pistol and it just sat there for another minute before slowing walking off through a small clearing. I pretty much walked backwards the rest of the way to the truck. That puckered the old butthole a little bit.

 

[Kurtr]

My elk tag is good for a mountain lion I think if I am in that situation I am coming home with a cat