When you’ve hunted elk within the backcountry, you doubtless know a pair issues to be true: it’s enjoyable as hell, and massive bulls usually wish to die within the gnarliest, nastiest locations conceivable. Whereas there’s not a lot you are able to do about that, there are a number of methods you may shorten your packout, and all of it depends upon the way you entry the realm to start with.
Now, we’re not suggesting that you just illegally drive into the wilderness or in any other case illicitly cheat the system to make your hunt simpler. These are simply technique of getting just a little nearer to your quarry with out solely relying by yourself horsepower.
Utility Terrain Autos
Certain, your previous truck could make it to most trailheads. However working your on a regular basis rig on two-track roads is a surefire option to blow out your shocks and probably puncture your tires quicker than you’d like to exchange them. UTVs are additionally able to getting up scrappier sidecountry roads than your common pickup and often accomplish that with a extra comfy journey. This is because of the truth that many are engineered to deal with gnarly, rocky trails with ease.
When you’re going to make use of your UTV off-road, it’s essential know the place you may and may’t take it. Most newcomers to the powersports world don’t understand nearly all of trails on the market are 50” width restricted. That means, from outdoors tire to outdoors tire, your machine have to be 50” extensive or much less. Now there are nonetheless loads of trails, forest service roads, and “jeep trails” to make use of bigger UTVs on, however you must double-check your deliberate routes earlier than heading out. That is the place apps like onX Offroad come into play. They make it as straightforward as coming into your automobile width to filter out trails you may’t go on. All that is left in your map is a clear view of the paths you’re capable of drive on. This makes route planning a chunk of cake.
Pack Animals
Utilizing inventory to entry the backcountry is among the most conventional methods to get means excessive up with out lugging all of the gear in your again. When you’re utilizing horses and mules, llamas, goats, and even donkeys, the consequence is similar. You get to pack in a comfortable camp and actually dwell the excessive life.
There are some drawbacks to utilizing livestock within the excessive nation. You’re accountable for caring for residing, respiration animals in a rugged surroundings. This implies making certain they’ve entry to water, meals, and a point of shelter. Additionally they should be nicely acquainted with the calls for and necessities of excessive altitude. Simply because a horse is an all-star on the rodeo doesn’t imply it’s going to make a half-decent mountain pony.
Proudly owning livestock is an costly can of worms I received’t crack open. They’re usually accessible to lease for a visit, however you do want a level of expertise to correctly pack and keep away from harm (to you and the animals). A less complicated choice is to rent an clothing store to pack you in. This removes the necessity to take care of the critters whilst you’re busy searching, and you continue to get the advantages of a pleasant, cozy camp the place the elk are doubtless bugling.
Boat
Clearly, this can be a fairly area of interest option to entry searching spots. Not many locations to hunt have a lake or river reducing via them. But when you recognize an space with elk on the far facet of the river, you may float down in a drift boat, raft, or canoe to a degree of entry. What may need been a treacherous packout to the closest trailhead could possibly be lower quick quantity by simply getting again to the boat.
This tactic does require quantity of scouting and planning. However should you’ve been eying a parcel on onX that meets the water necessities to drift a ship, you would be in luck. You do should plan forward and run a shuttle beforehand. Searching may be unpredictable, and also you don’t wish to be ready on a shuttle in a storm with a ship stuffed with meat.
Moreover, it’s essential plan forward for the pack-paddle out. When you and two buddies are already maxing out a canoe, a quartered elk would possibly simply sink your ship.
Helicopter
When you’ve received cash to burn and a landlocked space staring you down on onX, you would theoretically fly a helicopter in for an elk hunt. Now, helicopters can’t land in wilderness areas, however they will land on Forest Service and BLM lands with the right permissions.
This realistically isn’t an choice for many elk hunters (myself included). Nonetheless, it’s a enjoyable concept to dream about if you’re e-scouting potential hotspots and are available throughout a landlocked parcel. However the higher plan is more likely to hunt down landowner permission for entry.
You’ll Nonetheless Want Your Chevrolegs and Lamborfeeties
Nonetheless you entry your spot, you’re nonetheless going to wish to depend on your self to get in the place the motion is. Two tracks most likely received’t get you to the place you’ll be capturing from, and only a few pack mules can be joyful about you firing a gun off their backs (until you’re atop a very flashy mule.)
So whereas numerous technique of transportation can get you nearer, you’re going to should be in adequate form to crawl over some deadfall, take a shot from a doubtlessly uncomfortable place, and hopefully, haul a hindquarter out in your again just a little methods.
