Thanks for the replys. They have given me excellent food for thought.

ELKampMaster: I plan to do a brief scouting trip in my prospective hunt area in mid-October when returning from a Wyoming pronghorn antelope hunt, provided adverse events beyond my control do not prohibit this (slow to tag out on pronghorn or heavy snows up around 11,000' in my hunt area). I'll look for organized camps when I am on the scene.

Also, I like your suggestion of approaching an established group. This offers the advantage, as you point out, of getting the benefit of their elk hunting knowledge and prior experience in the hunting area. I'm willing to pitch in and do my share of work, I have some prior camping experience in the wilds (wilderness area backpacking at 10,000' to 12,000' altitudes), and I'm a skilled cook. I can pitch these attributes and try to weedle my way into an established group. I'm not wedded to my plan to hunt the San Juan mountains of SW Colorado, this is just an area I have prior experience backpacking and some information about elk presence.


121553 and Charlie Brown: Hunting solo is appealing, but I prefer the idea of having at least one partner to share the beauty of the outdoors and the joys of the hunt with, as well as to provide some additional help in case of accidents. If I had no other way to go on the hunt I would probably go solo.