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Thread: How do you solo hunt elk?

  1. #11
    Join Date
    Feb 2009
    Location
    east kootenay
    Posts
    35

    Re: How do you solo hunt elk?

    This is tough if your not local, and you don't have much time until sept.3rd. imapbc can overlay guide territories, then google earth the main lodges that are on fsroads, then look at the drainages surrounding. You don't have much time but wherever you plan to go, this might help if your really getting skunked. And might help for subsequent years.
    You are attempting something that is very difficult to accomplish, but is also dangerous. Solo bow hunting in bear country. Please remember that the danger level goes up exponentially after that thing hits the ground. Every return trip you take to get more meat out....please be careful, and remember it is okay to turn your back on a bull if you dont think you can get him out quickly.

  2. #12
    Join Date
    Feb 2013
    Posts
    903

    Re: How do you solo hunt elk?

    Yeah it is a little scary sometimes when you are out there solo. I have an InReach and I also pack a shorty 12g.

  3. #13
    Join Date
    Jul 2011
    Location
    kamloops
    Posts
    3,851

    Re: How do you solo hunt elk?

    Break the animal down and move the peices 100yds at a time keeping all the meat toghether slowly making a distance from guts and bones...i carr

  4. #14
    Join Date
    Feb 2013
    Posts
    903

    Re: How do you solo hunt elk?

    That’s my plan. Gutless method and get everything away from the guts ASAP and shuttle it a little ways at a time.

  5. #15
    Join Date
    Mar 2006
    Posts
    4,368

    Re: How do you solo hunt elk?

    Another fan of Gutless method here. While butchering , I move the quarters 100 yards or so upwind from the carcass as they come off. If the work is going to be done at night (as is usually the case with me as most my kills seem to be within the last 1/2 hour of legal light) I may go a little farther depending on the terrain ( I hate leaving meat in thick bush/brush I can't survey from a distance).

    I've done a few solo elk and I found shuttling the meat a short distance at a time to be pretty inefficient (actually wore me down fast with so many load/unloads) and I abandoned that method a few shuttles in. I guess the upside to this is you always have all your meat close and not left on 1 spot to long. I'm not a big guy and getting that heavy pack on and off is the worse part so I'd rather load and go and get one all the way out. You also don't want to pigeon hole yourself by getting all your meat into a nasty route. If up hump your meat all the way out one at a time and you run into thick bush, pecker poles, blow downs etc. on the first trip, you can avoid it on the second ( found that one out the hard way). The first trip can be the worse as you try and figure the best way out ( shortest route is often not the easiest).

    I leave my pack alarm set up around the meat that is left in proximity to the carcass and always use extreme caution when approaching quarters (ones I'm returning for and ones I have got to the road).

    I took me a good portion of the night to get my last solo elk to a road. Once it was at a road, I left it there and had to walk several more km's to get back to where my truck was parked. I was covered in blood, sweat, physically and mentally drained but was an absolute unbelievable feeling of satisfaction as I reflected on the experience.
    Last edited by Ron.C; 08-11-2021 at 09:10 AM.

  6. #16
    Join Date
    Sep 2013
    Location
    06
    Posts
    351

    Re: How do you solo hunt elk?

    Quote Originally Posted by walks with deer View Post
    Break the animal down and move the peices 100yds at a time keeping all the meat toghether slowly making a distance from guts and bones...i carr
    Great idea! and to add to it, keep the wind in mind if wind is blowing from gut pile toward where you walk out that is not a great scenario. Consider moving meat not downwind if you can avoid it. If you cant, well have the 12gauge ready because the bear will very likely be coming from that way.

  7. #17
    Join Date
    Sep 2013
    Location
    06
    Posts
    351

    Re: How do you solo hunt elk?

    Nearly every bull that gave opportunity with bow on solo hunts there was a herd of cows around and it was a satellite bull coming in. Stick close to herd and downwind or off to side and be ready for the one that comes in silent. I have screwed up opportunity by letting my guard down when i thought it was over. Dont sound too big unless your in close and challenging the big herd bull. Consider not calling too, if you can stay close to herd and think you can surprise a bull in an opening it might be worth trying. There are many times my hunt became more difficult when i cow called and suddenly the herd is aware of your presence even if they think your a cow.

    I plan doing some bivy nights solo this year but i generally i do better staying in the wall tent and hiking out. I hunt up to 10km back and get into some really nice country and lots of elk but for some reason all my shot opportunities come within 2km of a road or quad trail. Like JT said your sleep will be better and you get to hit more drainages.

    What is the weight and packability of the pack alarm?

  8. #18
    Join Date
    Jun 2018
    Posts
    692

    Re: How do you solo hunt elk?

    I am getting excited myself!! Planning to head out on Aug 29 and be able to hunt until Sept 10 for archery elk. First time for me! Hopefully in a month I will be posting a write up and some photos. I appreciate all the input everyone has provided and special shout out to Ron C for the PM's Good luck to everyone that gets out there and hope everyone has success

  9. #19
    Join Date
    Mar 2014
    Posts
    57

    Re: How do you solo hunt elk?

    Good luck everyone! i also will be going out for first 3 days of archery in the EK

  10. #20
    Join Date
    Sep 2015
    Location
    British Columbia, Canada
    Posts
    606

    Re: How do you solo hunt elk?

    Quote Originally Posted by Bubbacanuck View Post
    I am getting excited myself!! Planning to head out on Aug 29 and be able to hunt until Sept 10 for archery elk. First time for me! Hopefully in a month I will be posting a write up and some photos. I appreciate all the input everyone has provided and special shout out to Ron C for the PM's Good luck to everyone that gets out there and hope everyone has success
    Where are you headed?

    Here in the west koots it's been very dry. Make sure you hunt areas with fairly substantial creeks. Anything that doesn't show up on all the maps will be close to dry over the next couple weeks.

    Good luck and hope for rain and then cooler weather.

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