First High Hunt... No deer for me

[Doc Sauce]

I did it.  I planned the whole trip while deployed, made my gear list and even enlisted the help of a friend to walk some of the access trails in the area. I figured even if I didn't kill anything, it would help my high hunt education greatly.  I got home from my deployment, packed my gear, zero'd the rifle again, and took off.

I owe an immense amount of thanks to the folks on this site.  If there are any other new hunters toying with the high hunt for next year (or the next few days) let me give you a quick list of what I would do for next year.

Take your backpack, load it with rocks, big heavy rocks, go walk for a day and a half...  I thought I was in good shape.  I did 5.5 miles in, and about 2 miles up the mountains and back down, then 5.5 out.  Goodness gracious am I spent. 

Lay all your stuff out on the floor before you pack it.  Then ask yourself for EVERY piece of gear, "Do I NEED this"... if it is not purely essential, ditch it.  Single purpose items are now extremely suspect to me.  If it only performs 1 function, it has to be a really vital function to be packed.  Binos fall into this category, an extra rag or hand towel does not. 

I went in by myself and a couple friends hiked in a day later.  All in all it was a great trip.  The Washington wilderness is truly an amazing place. 

2 seasons in a row have seen the odds stacked against me... a pregnant wife with a broken arm and a high risk pregnancy for my first  hunting season, and a deployment for the second.  I really hope to pull an animal or 2 during the rest of this season and hopefully be around with no "real life" stress for next season.

Thanks again to all of you who post your bits of wisdom.  "Get in serious shape" has to be the most vital I have read after pitting myself against the wilderness.  Current score... Wilderness 1  DS 0

Thanks y'all.

DS

[NWBREW]

Keep at it. We all learn as we go. You only fail when you stop trying. Good luck to you and thank you for your service.

[SWHUNTER]

It was a tough year up there. Stick with it.

[MuleySniper]

Even though you didn't get a deer it is an awesome experience. I remember the first time my dad took be way up high... 12 miles in. Its so cool up there I can't wait til my sons old enough to take up high. The scenery, fishing and all around experience of the high country is unforgettable, deer or no deer.  I bet it was a tough year with no rain and all the heat.
MS

[wilsongideon]

Hey well good job getting out there! I did it 3 times before I tagged my first, you definitly learn as you go...your pack gets closer and closer to actually what you use stuff

[Doc Sauce]

Thanks for the encouragement. 

I took some pictures of my "camp"... hammock and fly with my pack under it, and my son got all excited.  He wants me to take him up to where "the trees stop growing".  He is not quite old enough yet but I cannot wait to start him hunting.  I just hope I know enough by then to get him in the right areas!

Was it a hot and dry year?  I didn't even see any new sign while I was up.  Just old stuff.  No scat, no tracks, and no berries until we got almost to the top.  No bear scat either until we were almost out of the treeline.  And I think one of the bears at a lot of chocolate... he had the "runs"  all down the mountain.  We talked about tracking it but decided we didn't want a sick bear.

[Soldier5]

I'm in Afghanistan now and am seriously contemplating on doing a high hunt next year.  Seems like all I do out here is day dream about hunting.  I'm going to be back in time for late archery this year. Can't wait.

[Maligator]

It's all good! Just getting up there and enjoying the hunt is what it's all about. The tagging of an animal is just the icing on the cake 

[Doc Sauce]

Soldier 5, i'm with ya.  My wife laughed when she came across my hunting notebook.  She could not believe that I had taken notes about everything... packing, food, nutrition, survival stuff, ham radios... everything. 

Be careful out there man.

[WaltAlpine]

I did my first High Hunt as well this year. Very rewarding, and very grueling. I will go again, even though we saw no legal bucks.
As far as gear...I will be only slightly lighter.
As far as food...I had one small handful of jerkey when I got back to the trailhead.
As far as company...We are all going again unless we have unforseen obstacles.
As for animals...I will get a bear tag next year.
As far as conditioning...I don't know if I have enough time in the next 352 days to prepare!

[Doc Sauce]

I did my first High Hunt as well this year. Very rewarding, and very grueling. I will go again, even though we saw no legal bucks.
As far as gear...I will be only slightly lighter.
As far as food...I had one small handful of jerkey when I got back to the trailhead.
As far as company...We are all going again unless we have unforseen obstacles.
As for animals...I will get a bear tag next year.
As far as conditioning...I don't know if I have enough time in the next 352 days to prepare!

Couldn't have said it better... I had a bear tag, but didn't want the sick bear.  I consider this trip my first conditioning trip for my 2014 high hunt...

[fillthefreezer]

Couldn't have said it better... I had a bear tag, but didn't want the sick bear.  I consider this trip my first conditioning trip for my 2014 high hunt...

hahaha, aint that the truth!!!

[Benny]

I think you did great...