It's Time to set up camp

[MikeB]

Well, the bowhunt begins Tuesday. My hunting partner and I are going to Island Park, Idaho to set up base camp tomorrow. I get to spend the better part of September 3 miles west of Yellowstone Park stalking elk and bear. It is a great time to gather one's thoughts and plan the next year. I have my camera and will post photos as I go. Nothing is more glorious than fall in the Yellowstone.

[renodesertfox]

Re: It's Time to set up camp

Thanks Mike for your plans and update. Be advised I moved your thread to "Campouts & Outtings." It is the second forum right underneath Product Reviews. If you are going to run a mini log of your trip, it'll be found more easily here.

[GlitterHiker]

Re: It's Time to set up camp

I'd love to see the pics!

[surmisez]

Re: It's Time to set up camp

Best of luck on your hunting trip! Hope you bag a trophy elk!

[MikeB]

Re: It's Time to set up camp

I made it up to Island Park with my hunting buddy, Ken. He is 71 yrs old and a great hunter but not much help with the manual labor, so he took the photos. Once we arrived at our spot, I dropped the tent and began erecting the frame. I first put together the roof structure of the main tent.


The main canvas tent has a sewn-in floor and weighs 90 lbs. I have to pull the canvas over frame.

The frame is in the canvas! Thank goodness that is over!

After covering the main tent with the camo rain fly, I erect the rafters for the cook shack and cover it with the floorless, camo relite (light weight polyester) addition.

I am close to done. Next I install the 14 legs as I stretch the tent and stake it down with 50 stakes and 40 rope lines.


It took me about 3 hours to set this up (with rests and water/diet Coke breaks). The temperature was over 80 degrees ....... too hot to hunt. The season starts Tuesday and there is a cold front coming in on Thursday. It should drop the temperature by 30 degrees which should get the animals moving!
Ken and I finished off the day with a visit to the FrostTop in Ashton for a burger, huckelberry shake and fries before heading home. Elk camp is ready .......... I hope that there are elk!

[shawnbebout]

Re: It's Time to set up camp

I am so glad I sold my outfitters tent and went with a Kodiak Canvas tent. It takes me about 15 minutes to set up. One thing I did was use colored electrical tape to mark the poles and fittings. Just seemed to help with poles that were close to the same size.

[MikeB]

Re: It's Time to set up camp

I leave it up for about a month so it's worth the effort and the woodburning stove makes it extra nice!

[renodesertfox]

Re: It's Time to set up camp

Thanks for updates and the photos! Really nice! Good luck with the hunt!

[MountainMama]

Re: It's Time to set up camp

Very cool!!

[surmisez]

Re: It's Time to set up camp

I would've loved having a wood burning stove in our tent last month! It was very chilly for August.

[MikeB]

Re: It's Time to set up camp

I made it to camp Thursday afternoon. I began completing camp setup, erecting the shower and toilet tents as well as the beds and the kitchen. The next morning I began scouting the area for animal activity. I found bear sign throughout the area and as close as 20 yards from camp. The bears tear apart the rotting logs looking for grubs and insects.

As I drove into camp, I had passed a sign that had read "Grizzlys are protected, It's the Law" with instructions about food storage directly below. Someone had removed the Grizzly warning. A reminder of the 2 grizzly deaths this year in Yellowstone, only a few miles away.

I try to eliminate food odors in camp. Neither my 40 caliber Glock nor I want any unwelcome visitors.


I took a hike along a closed logging road that is slowly being overgrown with pines. The road is covered in a layer of black granulated volcanic glass and it sounds like you are walking on broken glass as you hike.

Friday night I was in bed, listening to the fire in the stove when a couple of bull elk began bugling from about 50 yards behind my tent. After a 30 minute serenade, I listened to the clatter and rattling of horns as the bulls began their joust for dominance. By midnight, it was over and all was quiet.
It is still too hot during the day and too early in the rut. Hopefully, things will come together by the third week of September when the rut kicks into high gear.

[surmisez]

Re: It's Time to set up camp

Wow! I'm not sure I would've felt comfortable listening to the elk. I'm a big chicken, so that would just freak me out.

I would've wanted something a bit more substantial between me and them, like a car with the key in the ignition, ready to roll. :o

[GlitterHiker]

Re: It's Time to set up camp

I would've wanted something a bit more substantial between me and them, like a car with the key in the ignition, ready to roll. :o

LOL!! Me too!

[MikeB]

Re: It's Time to set up camp

Idaho is not known for elk attacks!

[immortal_ben]

Re: It's Time to set up camp

Wow, I love it when I get to hear things like that. My fall will weekends will be full of archery bear hunt. I need to get up to Idaho sometime to do some hunting.

I look forward to reading updates.