The Trailhead Hunter

     I wish I could go back in time with the knowledge and experience I have now, and rehunt the places where I gained some of that knowledge and experience.  I was trying to hunt big, wild country, but couldn’t wrap my head around how to access some areas, and once there, how to hunt such large country effectively.  Getting elevation and setting binoculars on a tripod to spot game helped with how to hunt, and using trailheads as an access point into remote areas solved the vexing problem concerning how to get there.  For the new hunter, the biggest concern when starting to hunt is where to go.  But once you breakdown a map into trailhead zones, your starting points become more clear, and thus your potential hunting areas.   Certainly trailheads are not the only way to get into the woods, but the new hunter can quickly get out and start seeing animals by using them effectively.  A hunter can head out for an afternoon grouse hunt, or dive deep into the backcountry for a wilderness experience, all using the same trailhead.  Here’s a few things to keep in mind as you begin exploring the opportunities in your neck of the woods.
 
1.) Find a nearby National Forest
 
     Generally, a National Forest (administered by the U.S Forest Service) will be the largest piece of public land in your area, with the most trailheads.  If you live in the Western United States, a trailhead is probably closer than you think.  The most important thing is to know what is available to you.  Click here to visit a interactive US Forest Service map of all National Forest and Grasslands.  Next, its vital you get a topographic map of the entire National Forest you’re interested in, and if possible, each Ranger District.  Check the website of your specific National Forest for information on how to obtain, or order these maps.  Once you have a map in hand you can pinpoint the location of each trailhead and begin exploring.
      A trailhead is basically where a dirt road ends and a hiking trail begins.  Quick to reach trailheads bring plenty of recreators and possibly other hunters, so don’t expect to have the parking area all to yourself.  Even with higher human traffic, these trailheads can offer excellent hunting opportunities if you get off the trail and over a ridge.  But if you’re looking for an experience with less pressure, consider heading to a more remote trailhead.  Most won’t want to spend 2+ hours on a dirt road, but if you do, you’ll usually be rewarded with being the only vehicle there.
 
2.) Gain 1,000 Feet of Elevation  
 
     Besides heading to a remote trailhead, another way to shake the crowds is to gain elevation.  1,000 feet up is a hard enough climb to weed out milder hunters, but also not so ridiculous that its extreme.  This does take some conditioning, so its important to come into the season in good physical shape.  This elevation gain will not always be on the trail.  You will need to become comfortable with heading off-trail and up to the top of a ridge to glass an adjoining drainage.  Basically, you want to give yourself an opportunity to see country that’s relatively close to the trailhead, but where nobody else is going.  
 
3.) 3 Miles Max When Solo
 
      Once quartered, a mature elk takes four trips to pack out yourself.  The hind quarters weigh seventy pounds or more, and the front quarters weigh close to same when you factor in the rib, neck, brisket, back straps, liver, heart, and tenderloins.  Not to mention, but you’re probably packing out the antlers too.  If you’re hunting solo, that means you have to make responsible decisions about how far you can reasonably travel.  Hiking 3-miles from the trailhead really isn’t that difficult, but if you shoot a bull elk 3-miles deep by yourself, you’re now committed to completing four rounds trips of 6 miles each.  That’s a total of 24 miles.  Each trip you will climb roughly 1,000 feet if you follow tip #2, and then packout at least 70 pounds extra.  However far you go in, times that number by 8, and that’s how many total miles you will be traveling if you kill a large bodied animal that deep by yourself.  In my experience, 3-miles in is the very upper limit one can hunt elk solo.  This distance will push your body to the edge if your hunt is successful, so come prepared.  
      Additionally, you also have to think about the time this takes to complete, especially in warmer seasons and in bear country.  The longer your meat is hanging in a tree, the more opportunities exist for it to spoil or to be claimed by a predator.  Getting your meat out in a reasonable time becomes challenging beyond 3-miles.  I almost always hunt solo, but hunting with partners reduces these problems.  A hunting party of 4 can hunt deeper because each person only has to pack out one round trip.  If a solo hunter pre-arranged a packer to take his meat out, and had a way to contact him from the mountains-say with a satellite phone- that hunter would only have to worry about getting in and getting out once.  If these aren’t an option, and you’re hunting solo, its best practice to do at least one scouting trip during the summer so you know what you’re getting into, and have a clear idea of what to expect out of our body.
 
Conclusion
 
The best way for a new hunter to get into the game is using a trailhead that will allow him/her access to a large network of country and opportunities.  These opportunities are largely ignored by other hunters who do not want to contend with other recreators, or don’t know they exist.  Taking advantage of these opportunities correctly means a hunter must prepare their body physically beforehand, and know their limits.