Distance from vehicle
 

Hey guys!

Wanted to see what the community is generally doing in regards to distance into the bush while hunting.

1. How far are you trekking from your vehicle on an average hunt?

2. What's the farthest you've ever been from your vehicle?

3. Do you nav or just giver? Gps? Phone? Or map+compass?

Thanks!

8ish miles. Just giv'er.

Some times it's only a couple hundred yards, other times it could be miles or multiples of 10 miles.

Is this via, shoe leather, ATV, or nagasorous?

There's no real answer, you go as far as you have to I'd say. Critters like sheep probably equate to much longer treks.

Navigation is mostly dead reconning with me, but I have and still use a good old map and compass from time to time, since the batteries on them seldom go dead.

I'm usually always on foot, and it all depends - couple hundred yards to a few miles, it really depends on my quarry and where I am at.

I have a ground blind for deer that is literally a three minute walk from where I park. If I'm chasing elk I'll walk for a few miles to get to the spot, All depends.

Never used any sort of navigation and probably never will ( but I was born and raised in this area so I know my way around pretty good.....)

The further I hike, the more I see, the more i learn about an area and the better plans I make. Sometimes success is literally minutes from the truck but I still like to put on 20km a day to stay in shape and see the countryside.

bush/forest hunting - max. 5km
open country hunting - max. 8-10km
I carry map & compass in my pack & pants (plus the "lay of the land" in my head). And always gear for overnighting if the unexpected happens. I hunt alone - broken leg or arm I should be able to make it back to my truck; broken pelvis or severe bleeding accident........

Murray

In a wildlife corridor, better be 400 meters off the road, not sure how they would determine that for enforcement, seems one of those judgement calls. My usual haunt, on the Ya Ha Tinda I have a couple of tree I regard as the boundary.

Grizz

People get out of their trucks and walk? Whaaatt? How can a guy hold a coffee and a smoke while toting a gun?

3km and then I shot an elk lol

That was a long day

365 actually

Where we go we park and hike around the usual haunts. None are more than 1-2 miles from the truck as the crow flies but was probably put on about 4-5 miles or more walking through the bush, sitting and glassing and/or BSing, moving up trails and cut lines to check them out etc.

Last year we were about a mile or so from where we parked when I shot my deer. The biggest cranker I saw last season was standing 10 feet from the truck window when we pulled up to the texas gate on the way out. Almost like he knew my tags were filled.

Helped a guy drag a deer out of thick bush a couple of years back. Probably a 1/2 mile through thick bush to the cut line where the quad was. Was sweating like a hooker in church.

I always think about how far the truck is before I pull the trigger and whether I can get it in close after the shot. If not, is my quad local and/or where my new best buddy is to give me a hand when I call him:)

Contigo mug of coffee comes with me when I'm rattling. Sometimes 2 contigos.

As far as you are able to recover the animal. Changes if you can get to it with a truck or quad. If you are miles from any motorized access and would have to pack or carry out, should ask yourself if you can physically do it. Bare in mind it will be twice as hard as you think it will be.
Passed on a Moose because it would have been a miserable 12 hrs min to pack out of a swamp in a valley bottom, in pieces!

Yah and what do they use as a rest if they don't have a window ledge?

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Elevation changes can be a huge factor for me if I am packing in/out, I am always on foot

1. 3-5 km

2. 8 km

3. Primary - Map and compass, secondary and for waypoints - phone app.

Usually within eye shot of the vehicle, well my Rams anyways.

For me it isn't about the distance I measure but more the walking time; 45 minutes to 1 hour max.

The reason of the time is; the time is straight forward whereby hills and valleys can jade distance.

Believe me when I was younger, I have dragged my share of animals a long way; again when I was younger.

Too soon old too late smart......

IMO

When younger would normally do 20 miles a day when scouting for elk, now 5-10 miles a good day. Never worried about recovery of animal, could always come in from road or cutline from different direction. Knock animal down first then plan recovery, good quad and trailer will haul elk or moose many miles.

Far lol

This year is whitetail only for me. Only 2-300 yards from the road is where I'm targetting a good buck. Easy drag if I get lucky!

I always consider how it will be to get a moose out before pulling the trigger. My buddy shot a bull moose about 400 yards across a small lake. Impossible to get quads to where the moose was because of the floating bog. Had to build a raft and float it down the lake. 2 days later we had the moose in the truck.

At least a 1000 yards from any travelled road

Great input from all!

Seemingly the ability to drag game out is a limiting factor.

Is it even feasible to dress your game in the field and hang it overnight away from predators while you make camp.

Allowing you to punch deeper into the country where potentially untouched game areas may be hiding?

Thoughts?

This forum is awesome by the way!

This year were hunting close to town and on private land. Did 8 kms on Sunday walking around 160 acres of bush. Was probably never more than 4 kms as the crow flies from the truck. Slowly Zigging and zagging looking for bull winkle.

If were in my normal northern wmu, we atv back 15 km to our wall tent area and hunt from there. When Nov hits and the quad swallowing muskeg freezes, I have been 30 km's from the truck but on atv.

Gps is always with me and i have many way points plotted from years of getting to know my Northern area. On the private land were on this year, you really cant get lost. Owner has enough trails that you know where you are always.

Not as far as my wanderlust wishes, much further than my back would prefer.

Yes it is feasible and so is quartering them and packing them out on your back.

1) 0.5 to 5 km.

2) approx 12 k, but that was for deer. can pack out a whole deer in one trip, 2 for a big mulie buck. Wouldn't shoot a moose or elk that far alone, simply would take too many days.

3) All of the above. iHunter most, old school gps sometimes, some printed maps as well.

The more experience you have breaking down an animal, the farther you can go within your physical limits. I wouldn't want to hang a field dressed carcass in the woods...the bottom of anything you don't want destroyed needs to be at least 10 feet up and 5 feet away from the trunk. Seems like a lot of work dragging a carcass around to find the right trees, then figuring out a way to put it up. I'm sure some have done it though. you would be better to break it down and hang the game bags full of meat several hundred yards away from the guts and closer to your truck.

Learn the gutless method. YouTube it. Always, and I mean always, have a pack frame available.

This is a great post!! I think there is some great info here! This obviously speaks to experience and there are tips here that should be gobbled up.

10 feet up, 5 feet out from the trunk. That's some nice functional info.

Also finding the tree that meets that criteria can be a pain if you gotta drag that puppy.

Gut placement vs. Game bag hang point vs actual bed down camp.

Vehicle placement starts to come into your plan especially when going after that if game. Shouldn't overlook that aspect for sure.

Great post

I have watched Randy Newberg's gutless method video a couple of times and will watch it again every time before I go out. Have you used that method? It looks like the tenderloins take a little bit of jimmying and prying under the spine but otherwise seems simple enough...lol. And I guess you don't get the heart or liver, but save some effort I suppose.

I have been using my old army rucksack during scouting, but have been looking at the Alps Commander frame + pack on Amazon( as well as the Commander X for an extra $150). I should just buy it...

Check out "hushin" YouTube channel, they have a video that shows how they remove the heart while using the gutless method. Basically they just cut out a rib or two to get into the chest cavity. Here's the link....,

https://youtu.be/22FecXaNmNo