Elk Camp

[Swede]

When you go to a new area to hunt and have to find a camp site, what do you look for? What are your priorities? I suppose those of us that hunt late August into September, have a thought on the ideal site that would be vastly different from the late rifle season hunters. What do you take with you to make camp comfortable? Got pictures?

[Indian Summer]

If I'm not camping at the truck then my two requirements are water up high and a flat spot. That's all. I'm not a fan of camping low so I have to start the day sweating.

[Fridaythe13th]

If you ask me camp can make or break the whole hunting trip. Last years camp was hurable. We were in a new zone and the sun was going down so we found a nice spot we thought it was windy that day, we didn't think much about it so we set up camp thinking the wind would calm down. It never did the whole week 20-30 mph winds with some nights rain, the tent was moving all night every night. Trying to cook over a fire was impossible. So we sat in our mess tent and ate a $10 steak from a fry pan. I was crabby all day every day because of no sleep and a bad steak lol.
Fast forward to this year, best camp ever. Easy access to the road, if we want to hunt anywhere or we could walk across the road and hunt some meadows. No wind, best steak ever over a open fire, it was flat for the tent and mess tent, but sloped down so the water would run away from us. Someone cut fire wood for us that was nice.
Camps makes a big difference last we left a day early this year I could have stayed a couple more days.
If I knew how to get pictures off my samsung 7 and on to here I would.

[vertical limit]

I very much agree with camp making or breaking the hunt. Having a comfortable camp to relax in after a long day on the mountain is key to a successful hunt, in my book.
Usually we camp out of our big wall tent because we mainly hunt in September. So, we look for trees to block wind at least on one side of camp, hopefully on three sides. Obviously a level spot for the tent and cook setup. We have a 12x20 wall tent for sleeping and an 8x10 wall tent for hanging out, so we take up a pretty big footprint.
This year, my son's bull tag is in November, so we will have our camper and the big wall tent. Hunting in luxury haha. With that in mind, we will require a much larger footprint for everything to fit, but we may have to sacrifice with shelter seeing as how we won't be able to go as far into the hills with the camper in tow. Still, we will look for a level spot with shelter, if possible.

[Swede]

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For early archery season I like a fairly large flat place away from dusty roads. I want it in the trees for shade. Running water nearby is a plus, but not necessary. I like enough area to have my target out and available for practice. Where we camp in Oregon is nice and close to perfect.

For late rifle season, when things are colder and storms may come, shade is not important, but easily getting out to a main road is. Usually at that time I have been tent camping.

[jmez]

Number one thing I look for when not basecamping is water. I go through a lot when hunting. If you don't have an available source close to camp then you have to ration and plan your movements around getting to a water source to fill.

Next two requirements are relatively flat and lack of dead trees within range of where my tent is going to be set up.

[WapitiTalk1]

Do not camp on a saddle unless you enjoy nocturnal visitations from the locals .

[Indian Summer]

Jmez I hear that! I've had camps where it was "a short walk to water". That walk is long in the morning or after a long day of hunting and it seems to get further every day. I definitely camp right next to my water source.

As far as base camps I'm all about some privacy and at least a little shade. The trailhead I camp at will have a half dozen camps set up before I get there. They will all be side by side in a big open flat area. But just 150 yards away, on the other side of a narrow strip of trees along a small creek is a smaller open area. There's a flat spot just big enough for one wall tent. So I don't need to be a mile from other hunters but just out of sight and earshot. KInda the same as my house actually.

[Backyard]

When I pull in and park the truck I just look for flat spot to park and a tree to hang my shower. Not worried too much about water there as I usually bring in a 5 gal jug for my basecamp which is a cot in the bed of the truck. For my spike camp tho I look for and try to get near(within 200 yds) a water source, a flat spot big enough to sleep on and away from the near vicinity of elky areas. Last year I thought I was a ways away from where the elk were, but ended up getting woke up at 1:30 in the morning by a bunch that decided to walk almost right thru my camp. Ya never know I guess...

[six]

Two totally different styles of elk hunting. The remote camp is very basic no shower, no phone, no heated tent, no comfy cot just a leaky air mat, and best of all no traffic. Not a hole lot of fun hauling water to camp. Closer to the creek the better. The wall tent/truck camp has all the comforts of home shower, heat, comfy cot, cooking stove, gas lighting, phone signal, and traffic driving by camp at various hours of the day and night. Water can be hauled with the truck and isn't important on a stream nearby.

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