first time back country hunt

[SilkOnTheDrySide]

ive got a stove and water purifier. do mountain house meals have enough calories to keep me going just by themselves? and i do have an eberlestock pack also but seem to like my tenzing better yet ive never used it on a back country hunt. so we'll see. so ive been doing a little research and was wondering if you guys would recommend hunting or have any experience around canadian lakes or smith basin? im trying to gather some info on where to go also. not looking for your honey hole but any advice or direction will help. thanks again guys.

Load them each up with 100 pounds and take them on a hike and decide which one feels better.  It's not the hike in that defines a pack, it's the hike out

Hopefully anyway.

Truth


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[Western-Extremist]

ill have to do that.

[WaltAlpine]

Check this out...

http://hunting-washington.com/smf/index.php/topic,97940.0.html

and do other searches on this site.
This place is a treasure of information. Use the search, do your homework, and you will have everything except what experience will give you.

[Western-Extremist]

good point sundance. does anyone have any input on this? would love to find out how to keep the meat and cape from going bad.

[jackelope]

Search through this board. Tons and tons of info. Everything you'll ever need to know has been covered.

[teanawayslayer]

The main thing you need to bring with you is a strong mental attitude.  Without that you will fail miserably.  Like silk said it matters on the way out.  I will not take most people on the backcountry hunts for that reason.  They say they have what it takes.. But most have no Idea.  There was a couple of guys that went up with us three years ago and shot a really good buck and all they took was the head and one hind quarter.  I was *censored*ing livid. they were friends of a guy that goes with us. If you kill something up there you are responsible for that animal. To leave it to waste is not an option.  Putting a head and a hind in your pack and picking it up and decide it's to heavy.  Then maybe you should have thought about it before you pull the trigger.

[fillthefreezer]

good point sundance. does anyone have any input on this? would love to find out how to keep the meat and cape from going bad.

depending on temps you have options, first, get in skinned and boned and bagged, hang in tree in shade. if its going to get cool that night and youre heading out in the AM youre probably ok. if its 80 out, you better find a creek or snow bank. get that meat in your garbage bag and submerge/bury it. do not let it get wet. after a bit, take it out to air out, condensation will form in the bag, and thats bad.
clean, dry, cool meat, is good meat.
as for the cape and head, that gets more time and temp sensitive. if its hot and youre not heading straight out, you should know how to cape the skull, as well as split the lips, ears and eyelids. or be happy with a nice euro 

[sneakyjake]

I have definitely evolved as a solo back country hunter over the years.   My turning point was when I finally prepared myself mentally to be prepared to stop and survive. Whether you are following the herd to a different drainage or you get injured or you need to take care of an animal that you have killed or just need clean water.  Not as an emergency but just part of the hunt, you don't even need to think about it. You will make clear and conscious decisions that will aid in your success. Your preparation physically and mentally and the trust in the equipment that you have chosen will lead you to this.  It will take away any doubt you have in yourself.  You'll be able to adapt to the hunt good or bad.  You will be ready to retrieve the animal anyway possible, whole, or piece by piece if needed. Knowledge is no substitute for experience, so get out there and figure out your own personal limitations.  Oh.  And have fun.

[SilkOnTheDrySide]

Scout.  Scout.  Scout.  It isn't going to be just about seeing animals for you.  You are going to be learning about everything else that comes with backpack hunting.  You will get your gear in order, understand how to find water sources, how much water you need to get through a day or two, etc.  Getting into the backcountry will teach you more then you will learn on these forums.  Just make sure you tell someone where you're going and when you are expected back.

[Western-Extremist]

wow. thanks you all. all of your advice is absorbed but you are all right. i need to just get some experience under my belt. ive been hunting since i was 10. now 24. archery hunted for elk for the last 7 years. have hunted some high country but im inexperienced as a backpack hunter and have never hunted deer up high. well if anyone is doing some spring/summer backpacking and would like someone to go with im up for learning. again thanks for the input and advice.

[pd]

wow. thanks you all. all of your advice is absorbed but you are all right. i need to just get some experience under my belt. ive been hunting since i was 10. now 24. archery hunted for elk for the last 7 years. have hunted some high country but im inexperienced as a backpack hunter and have never hunted deer up high. well if anyone is doing some spring/summer backpacking and would like someone to go with im up for learning. again thanks for the input and advice.

It sounds to me like you already have most of the gear, and also have sufficient experience.  Now, it is just a matter of getting out there and doing it.  If you have been archery hunting for elk these many years, then get a few years of backcountry hunting under your belt and you will be a hunting monster.  Best of luck.

[Sitka_Blacktail]

ive got a stove and water purifier. do mountain house meals have enough calories to keep me going just by themselves? and i do have an eberlestock pack also but seem to like my tenzing better yet ive never used it on a back country hunt. so we'll see. so ive been doing a little research and was wondering if you guys would recommend hunting or have any experience around canadian lakes or smith basin? im trying to gather some info on where to go also. not looking for your honey hole but any advice or direction will help. thanks again guys.

Load them each up with 100 pounds and take them on a hike and decide which one feels better.  It's not the hike in that defines a pack, it's the hike out

And I might add to that, going down you'll use completely different muscles. If you're packing an animal you'll notice it even more. If it's steep enough and wet, it can be slick and you'll be continuously trying to put on the brakes.  Did a goat hunt in Alaska once and coming down I tried to stop, but slipped a little and the momentum of the pack flipped me off the trail. Luckily no damage was done, I slip about 30 yards into an alder patch. But it could have been a disaster in some places along that trail.

[JLS]

ive got a stove and water purifier. do mountain house meals have enough calories to keep me going just by themselves? and i do have an eberlestock pack also but seem to like my tenzing better yet ive never used it on a back country hunt. so we'll see. so ive been doing a little research and was wondering if you guys would recommend hunting or have any experience around canadian lakes or smith basin? im trying to gather some info on where to go also. not looking for your honey hole but any advice or direction will help. thanks again guys.

Load them each up with 100 pounds and take them on a hike and decide which one feels better.  It's not the hike in that defines a pack, it's the hike out

And I might add to that, going down you'll use completely different muscles. If you're packing an animal you'll notice it even more. If it's steep enough and wet, it can be slick and you'll be continuously trying to put on the brakes.  Did a goat hunt in Alaska once and coming down I tried to stop, but slipped a little and the momentum of the pack flipped me off the trail. Luckily no damage was done, I slip about 30 yards into an alder patch. But it could have been a disaster in some places along that trail.

Do yourself and your knees a favor and invest in some trekking poles.

[aorams]

Don't go alone if you can help it would be my advice. I'm a new hunter too but have a lot of backcountry experience not hunting. While the appeal of hunting alone is huge, it's probably also an advanced maneuver.

[Boss .300 winmag]