space between camps

[Ed B.]

After several weeks, days, and hours I thought i found a perfect spot for elk. After a lot of 3D flying trying to figure a good place to set a tent, I noticed a tent exactly where i was going to set up. I'm figuring a guide camp. Looks like a big wall tent.
I know to look for an A-B-C-D spot but the wife and i are planning on a set up deep in the wilderness. Kind of going all in at least in a certain general area.
Assuming the tent is there when we arrive in the area and need to move on a bit, what is considered to be a fair distance? I don't want to step on toes and also would like elbow room but I don't want to abandon the area all together.
Is a drainage over appropriate? If I hunt further up the drainage, is a mile fair?
I wouldn't deliberately hunt on top of anyone but I am not familiar with mountain hunting in big areas. I hunt in small public in Michigan where tree stands are often within 100 or 200 yards apart.

 

[archeranthony]

Great question. Looking forward to seeing some of the responses. I’ve been on google earth looking and noticed some tents aroud when I was looking.

 

[JimP]

If the clearing is large enough camp by them if not move on to the next one.

Perhaps go talk to them to see where they plan on hunting so that you don't blunder into someone else's stalk.

There is no written or unwritten law on any of this, it is usually just common sense.

 

[kidoggy]

x2 on talking to them. show them some respect and it is likely they will do the same to you and try to coordinate so you can both have a good hunt.

if they act like asses . bitch slap em and move on to a new drainage.

 

[dirtclod Az.]

If it's a guide camp you might as well move on.When they arrive they will take the whole
camp area.If not,go with JimP and make arrangements.

 

[Ed B.]

Good replies.
I'll try and coordinate with them if it's an occupied camp. An area I'm really interested in is a mile up the drainage from the camp. I was going to camp exactly where the tent is and walk away from there.
I'm okay with not encroaching on a camp.
Like everyone else, I'm looking for solitude if I can find it.
The mountains are vast.
To get even a half mile away from hunters near me is impossible. A half mile there might feel like a world away.
By the way. This is a Colorado hunt. We'll be there around 9/6. I can't wait.
This has been an obsession for over a year.

 

[taskswap]

I don't love people and prefer to be on my own most times. But in hunting season there's something to be said for sharing a clearing. Your fire, smells, noise, bustle, and so on are going to keep elk and deer away for some radius around you. Better one radius than two, to my mind.

 

[JimP]

Actually I have found that fires and noise will attract animals. I have had a number of deer and even elk come into a area when I have been cutting firewood. They are curious to what is going on around them. Fire is a natural occurance in the wild and noise just gets their curiosity going.

 

[Ed B.]

I don't love people and prefer to be on my own most times. But in hunting season there's something to be said for sharing a clearing. Your fire, smells, noise, bustle, and so on are going to keep elk and deer away for some radius around you. Better one radius than two, to my mind.

That's a good point I hadn't considered.

 

[stillbigmoose]

Another thought is that if it is indeed a guide's camp, he may be hunting the same spot. Could be a place where he's found elk through the years of camping there.

 

[Apstore]

Last year in Colorado I hadn't realized it, but our one-night drop camp was a stone throw over a little ridge from a outfitters camp. Like 300 yards max. I didn't really see it because we had stopped for the night and didn't venture any further. I saw the guides in the morning milling around and talked to them. Great guys.
I would keep your heading and if you see them, have a chat, you will figure it out quick.

 

[ScottR]

Personally, I try to hunt in places that won't have a lot of camps that close. Stepping on other hunters does happen but I try to avoid it if at all possible.

 

[Winchester]

Actually I have found that fires and noise will attract animals. I have had a number of deer and even elk come into a area when I have been cutting firewood. They are curious to what is going on around them. Fire is a natural occurance in the wild and noise just gets their curiosity going.

Good point.
I've had elk wonder right into camp while we were there and the fire was going.

 

[nv-hunter]

Last year in Colorado I hadn't realized it, but our one-night drop camp was a stone throw over a little ridge from a outfitters camp. Like 300 yards max. I didn't really see it because we had stopped for the night and didn't venture any further. I saw the guides in the morning milling around and talked to them. Great guys.
I would keep your heading and if you see them, have a chat, you will figure it out quick.

They may even share a camp spot that you hadnt noticed with you to give everyone space

 

[cmbbulldog]

Happened to me once and the guide actually requested I camp with them so we could coordinate where we were hunting each day. Worked out good and they actually packed out my elk for me after I killed. “Most” folks are pretty good people and talking usually works out well for everyone.

 

[Ed B.]

Good suggestions. Thank you. I will talk with them if we see them.

 

[dirtclod Az.]

And you can always follow the guide out of camp and find his
honey holes. Lol!

 

[mallardsx2]

General Rule of thumb, always camp out of sight from another mans camp. Like the other guy said previously, its better that have one dead zone instead of 2 or 4 or 11.

 

[Fink]

Last year in Colorado I hadn't realized it, but our one-night drop camp was a stone throw over a little ridge from a outfitters camp. Like 300 yards max. I didn't really see it because we had stopped for the night and didn't venture any further. I saw the guides in the morning milling around and talked to them. Great guys.
I would keep your heading and if you see them, have a chat, you will figure it out quick.

This has happened to me as well. camped in an area for a few days, just happened to go about 200 yards up a little feeder creek, and run into a giant outfitter camp - 4 big wall tents, horse paddock, the works.. The camp was empty, but we ended up running into the guys a day later, packing in some of their stuff. We chatted about the area, and they told us they were bringing in two archery hunters in about 3 days. I told them the area I was focusing on, and hoped I might be done by the time they were packing in their client.
We moved our tent the evening before they were scheduled to bring in their clients, just so they wouldnt ride horseback for 4 miles, just to run into a tent 200 yards from their camp.
The next morning, bulls were going crazy, and the guide and his client pushed directly up the creek I told them I'd be hunting, and pushed the entire herd out of the entire drainage.

If it's an area you want to hunt, I'd at least go check it out. That early in the season, there might be no one in the camp. I wouldnt set my tent next to their camp, but it wouldnt bother me to set it a few hundred yards away. If you tried to get away from everyone, you'd end up never hunting. Hike in, check it out, chat with the people if they're there, and go from there.

 

[Joseph]

So far it's never been a problem on a backcountry backpack hunt. One of the two times I've camped by my truck the area was a zoo. There was a camp every pullout along the river, it was pretty much the last time I ever camped anywhere near a road. Except during the summer with my family, hunting season is all backcountry camps at least 5km(3 miles) away from a road or in a road closure. Personally I don't want to see anybody else while I'm hunting. If I put a little effort into getting off the beaten path that is very doable here, I realize that is not the case everywhere. Not sure exactly what I would do if someone was camped where I wanted to, one thing for sure I wouldn't be thrilled since I go in during the summer to cut and stash firewood for my use not someone else's.