The Road Not Taken

Tip : The elk hunter's dilemma between easy access and too much competition is a real one. Places that are easy, or even only moderately difficult to get to, are often crowded and overhunted. On the other hand, hiking to the backside of nowhere is a tough pull.

>From a time and effort perspective, you can walk only so far in. And, suppose you actually bag a bull on the backside of nowhere? Packing an elk a long way through unbroken forest is a big undertaking. Finally, elk hunters are a tough bunch. If you walked for most of the wee hours to get way back in, odds are good someone else did too.

There is a middle ground. Look for temporary timber-harvest roads closed to vehicular traffic. These furnish trail-head jump-off points for hiking along the closed road. You'll still have to take a substantial hike to beat the crowd but at least the walking will be easier going in -- and coming out when you're loaded with elk meat.