How Far From The Road?

[Swede]

I was talking with an old friend this weekend. His son walked out of the house and killed a 6X6 bull within about 15 minutes. I thought wow! He lives on an acre lot adjacent to a double lane paved highway. I did not ask for coordinates, but he could not have gone far uphill in 15 minutes. He called the bull in.
Last season I killed a cow and saw others just 700 feet from where I parked my truck on a major F. S. road.
Is it possible we are overlooking some important hunting real estate? Is it possible that with so many going deep into the tough areas that we are leaving good locations behind?

[Lsb]

Ssshhhhhh.

[jmez]

I won't walk past fresh elk sign to go deep.

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[Indian Summer]

Is it possible we are overlooking some important hunting real estate?

I’d say no. Well some people go deep . I think they realize they are passing up elk but they do it for the fun of it. For the atmosphere. But for several reasons including laziness, a lack of physical ability and or self motivation there will always be plenty of hunters in the places that are a stone’s throw from the road. In addition to that there are those of us who realize that there are easily accessible honey holes.

In recent years, especially in Colorado where there are lots of people attempting to leave the pressure behind I have definitely heard hunters commenting about encountering more competition 4-8 miles in than there was in the area closer to the road. In addition to the efforts made to get away from others that state is also popular with first time hunters because if otc licenses and the fact that it’s closer to the eastern states and those guy do overlook opportunities close to the road. Every year I read threads that say me and my buddies are planning our first elk hunt and we have an area picked out X number of miles from the road. Replies from experienced hunters usually say things like “before you commit to packing gear in you should set up a base camp and hunt your way in to see what the area has to offer and to make sure there are elk further in before making it your plan A”

Lots of hunters are taking advantage of the good hunting 15 minutes in. Others aren’t overlooking it, they just don’t care.

[Swede]

The friend I mentioned above lives in an area with numerous houses along the main road and off a few side roads along a river. Where I shot the elk it was within a mile of a well publicized tourist destination in a recreation area. No experienced hunter thinks people don't hunts ridges or near roads. But are we missing good niches? Have elk found sanctuaries right under our noses? Years ago I watched a educational film put out by the Wyoming Fish & Game department or what ever they are called. They had big game collared that they were monitoring. The claimed that the game had no change in their heart rate when traffic drove by just below where they were bedded. The heart rate did not go up until people started on foot in their direction.
A number of years ago a friend of mile killed a huge bull that expired in the back yard of some new home owners. He had tracked it for a few hundred yards, but it had been living close to a residential area. Fortunately the new home owners let him take his bull.

[Roosiebull]

Haha, some of my favorite spots are those overlooked over obvious spots... pressure often pushes game CLOSER to the road.

I check it all, and follow the clues rather than sticking to whatever plan I had... I think lots of folks just hunt their plan, regardless of the clues on the way.

I have many stories of such places... for every species of game I hunt. Always keep an open mind

[ishy]

My first bull we had hiked several miles around a mountain, but got a response on the other side of the main paved road. We had to run back to the truck and drive around to beat the fading late. After 30 minutes of bugling back and forth I got a shot and he died a couple hundred yards from the road. It was a lush flat river bottom with no pull outs or place to park.

[saddlesore]

I have deer, and every once in a while elk, moving thru my place or close to it. I wouldn't consider shooting them.I usually travel about 200 miles to hunt elk. I could hunt closer and close to roads, but along with a bunch of other hunters .I hunt to to get away from crowds and really have no desire to kill an elk habituated to humans. If I only wanted to kill one,there is high fence area 6 miles from my place and it would cost the same as what I spend on an elk hunt every year.

I

[Tigger]

I have no doubt there are places close to roads that hold elk. Last year, my dad had a close encounter with a small herd and nice bull about 100 yards away from a campground. He got goofed up by a camper walking his dog. But as IS and Saddlesore said, there is something about the experience of being away from the crowds and road that is worth the extra effort. If there is good cover in elk country, it is likely to hold elk at some point regardless to proximity to roads.

[Roosiebull]

I have deer, and every once in a while elk, moving thru my place or close to it. I wouldn't consider shooting them.I usually travel about 200 miles to hunt elk. I could hunt closer and close to roads, but along with a bunch of other hunters .I hunt to to get away from crowds and really have no desire to kill an elk habituated to humans. If I only wanted to kill one,there is high fence area 6 miles from my place and it would cost the same as what I spend on an elk hunt every year.

I

The bulk of the crowds are shifting further from roads around here, people think they need to "go deep" to get away from the crowds, but when 80% of people think like this, guess where the pressure ends up?

Roads and habituated to humans are not the same thing here, there are roads all over here, and people bump elk after elk and often times, they come closer to roads, rather than farther.

I realize that may not be the case in vast wilderness areas, but any areas not like that, the elk have to go somewhere.

Comparing elk close to roads to high fences is laughable at best. The less human interaction elk have, the easier they are to kill.

[Swede]

If I only wanted to kill one,there is high fence area 6 miles from my place and it would cost the same as what I spend on an elk hunt every year.

That is totally missing the point of the thread. I am in no way referring to high fence or even ranch elk. I am discussing open range elk that are accessible to the public for no extra cost.
I know of two other big bulls killed on forest land near populated or heavily used recreation areas that were overlooked by most hunters. I never heard a hunter bugle or saw a hunter where I had my tree stand last season, yet people were driving right on by. I am sure that the elk shot near the residential areas were hearing kids playing in the yards. People were mowing their lawn and the elk could hear every noise you normally associate with medium density residential neighborhoods. But that is where they were hiding out.

[Indian Summer]

Another thing about backyard elk.... they are NOT stupid. They may be there but they aren’t suicidal. They are always experiencing at least some pressure. I prefer not to hunt pressured elk. It can amount to nothing more than a somewhat exciting waste of time. I can remember one time having 7 mules tied off to the stock trailer putting loads on one at a time while several excited clients watched and took pictures. There were two bulls visible from the trailhead bugling away. They about freaked out... “Let’s go kill one of those bulls!!!” I kept working on the mules and calmly told them what I believed was the truth... “You will not kill either if those bulls” Most of the time those kind of elk know a whole lot about elk hunting. You are usually better of taking a hike.

[elkstalker]

There are definitely elk that are overlooked, you just need to put in the time to find those locations. From what I've noticed, often times these elk have adapted patterns that keep them hidden away from hunters/people until dark. My two main criteria for elk hunting spots are 1) Are there elk there? and 2) How much competition from other hunters do I have?. I have had too many opportunities screwed up by other hunters to waste my time hunting spots that are close to main roads, trail heads, etc. Now, I do have a few spots close to home that are great for an easy morning/evening hunt that sometimes hold elk/deer. I will hunt these and have been successful on an occasion or two, but they are based on convenience, and I would not spend multiple days/ a week hunting them.

[Swede]

That is an excellent point Indian Summer. That is what I was trying to get across in the response to Saddlesore. I understand his wanting to go back into the back country. The solitude may be half the experience, but there are sometimes elk close-in to heavily used locations. I doubt many folks that live there know the elk are just a few hundred yards away. Those elk are as you say are not suicidal. Whereas I got mine from a tree stand, and I think that can be a good way to get one; others have got them by calling and spot and stalk. You either need to know the area or have some luck going for you to kill one of these critters.

I was typing this as elkstalker posted. What I have here is mostly the same thing. I agree except I think they can be worth hunting in some areas.

[saddlesore]

I was not recommending hunting a high fence land,only giving an analogy as to the less then good hunting experience of hunting close to rads, populated areas, etc.

[Lefty]

For me if hunting solo,.. I want to be alone so I leave those nearby elk be.

I will say I do have a few by the road places in fact one blind set yup is where the elk walk the road. ( the pic I posted last week , those elk were on a BLM road)
I know of a really neat place between a rock face, US Highway and Forest Service road , everyone drive right past. One of those back-pocket places when Im too old to walk