Let's Go West: Part V
Logistics…More Impactful Thank You Think
While planning your first deer or elk hunt out West, you’re probably focused on maps, gear, and where the animals might be. That’s normal. Big country has a way of pulling your attention in a hundred directions before you ever leave home.
What a lot of first-time western hunters don’t realize is that travel and logistics will eat more time than almost anything else on the hunt. Not glassing. Not hiking. Not even the weather. Just getting where you need to be and being ready to hunt once you get there.
Most western hunts quietly fall apart because of planning rather than bad shooting or lack of effort.
For most hunters, a western trip isn’t a quick drive after work. Whether you’re driving across multiple states or flying and renting a vehicle, travel alone usually takes up a full day on each end, sometimes more.
Driving is simple until you factor in fuel stops, traffic, mountain passes, bad weather, and the fact that you’re hauling a truck full of gear. Flying looks faster, but delayed flights, rental car lines, grocery runs, and long drives from the airport to the unit still add up fast.
If you only took five or six days off work, you might already be down two before you even step foot in the woods.
Rule of thumb: A “five-day hunt” usually requires seven to nine days total.
A common mistake is assuming you’ll arrive and start hunting immediately. In reality, that first day usually disappears into logistics. More than likely, you’ll be spending your time on the following:
- Buying food or fuel
- Driving unfamiliar forest roads
- Setting up camp
- Sorting gear that shifted during travel
- Checking rifle zero or bow setup
It’s unlikely that your first day will involve hunting, so if possible, I’d plan on arriving a day or two beforethe season.
Once the hunt starts, travel still doesn’t stop. Western units are massive, and it’s common to drive 30 minutes to over an hour each morning just to reach a trailhead or glassing point. Rough roads, snow, mud, or locked gates can slow things down even more. Every minute behind the wheel is a minute you’re not glassing or hiking—but sometimes it’s unavoidable.
First-time hunters often build tight itineraries with no buffer. When weather hits, panic sets in, and bad decisions follow. Maximize your available time and spend as much time as possible before the hunt planning your logistics.
When you consider that killing an animal will also take some time, trips start to feel very short. Remember, if you kill an elk three miles from the truck on your last day of hunting, you will be hustling to make it home on a tight schedule. A mule deer is more manageable but can still require a tough pack out if you don’t plan on extra travel time home.
One thing to consider when talking about logistics is your travel within the unit on a daily basis. It would be wise to locate a couple of areas of interest in advance and thoroughly hunt them. Don’t get caught bouncing around the entire unit, or you’ll find that you spend more time traveling than hunting. Also, the more time you spend in an area, will also mean more knowledge in that spot. You’ll start to notice patterns of animals and their habits. Time in the country matters more than covering ground.
On your first western deer or elk hunt, it’s easy to underestimate how much time logistics will take. Travel, setup, weather, and distance all quietly steal hours if you don’t plan for them.
Build in extra days. Expect delays. Treat travel as part of the hunt, not just something you push through. Do that, and you’ll give yourself the one thing that really matters out West, time to learn, adapt, and hunt.