Back in the day...

[WapitiTalk1]

So you seasoned elk hunters, tell us a story about wooden pack boards, PVC grunt tubes, camo'ing your own bows, etc. I clearly remember the days of plastic bread sacks over home made knit socks to keep my feet dry and reasonably warm in a cheap pair of sorrels in the MT snow. Tell us a story

[wadu1]

I still carry my wooden pack board as a back-up and my Sorrels are still fine after 36 years, replaced the woolen liners 2 or 3 times. And I still use a 7-11 flexible straw to bugle with, no fancy stuff needed. Yes I'm old and cheep, got rid of my wool WWll long johns a few years ago and went with U/A. I also like Oil Cloth gear for duck hunting nothing better. 

[pd]

RJ: Packboards suck.  We still have one in the family, it comes to camp every year.  It it stacked with the cord wood, and I hope somebody gets drunk and burns it in the fire by mistake.

If you are really nostalgic, you can have it.   

[Karl Blanchard]

Coach should chime in soon.  He's old

[kentrek]

I clearly remember the days of plastic bread sacks over home made knit socks to keep my feet dry and reasonably warm in a cheap pair of sorrels in the MT snow. Tell us a story

Holy smokes...while On my first big wilderness elk hunt way back in 2003, my dad ran into a guy on the pct that was using that set up....wool socks, bread sacks, canvas high tops...

Didn't think many people did that

[jeffitz]

Remember when hunter orange wasnt required? My dad always had me wear red anyway though.

[coachcw]

Coach should chime in soon.  He's old

I'm a kid compared to some on here..... let me say the old days where, crappy boots Levis and old army jackets.....Best part is they are gone lol. I've  learned through the school of hard knocks. We have trophy bulls and quality gear now days .. 100 lb bows and 8mm ma users have been traded for binary cam 60 lbs bows and hi performance  6.5 calibers. I remember being cold as hell and seeing small bulls. The one thing about the old days was familly and friends the best of memories for me where as a kid being one of the guys in camp .no cell phones and GPS just north south and a peanut butter and jelly in my crappy littlepack. One time we built a army street her into a gear hauler with a cooler and five gallons of water.  About seven miles in it broke...that's where camp was lol.  Oh yeah the good old days !

[kentrek]

We have trophy bulls and quality gear now days ..

One of the ol timers I elk hunt with in idaho constantly reminds us that we are living the glory days for elk....mule deer on the other hand sure seems to be a different story

the old stories of what idaho mule deer used to be back in the 70s.......I can only dream

[2MANY]

Back in the day wool one piece underwear was hot and would itch when you sweated.

[BNAElkhntr]

Remember when hunter orange wasnt required? My dad always had me wear red anyway though.

I Still Have the  Red plaid (Elmer Fudd) Coat and Pants made by Filson bought in early 70's from neighbor with countless Lawn Mowings  Wish it could find a good Home

[bigbeamhunter]

Nike cross trainers and plastic bags in place of gortex. Also wool shirts and pants never got cold and it was just the way it was..

and the elk and deer died the same as they do now.

[Nice Racks]

I had to wear electric socks back in the late 70's.

[hunterofelk]

Back in Montana, I hunted some ranch land bordering forest service just outside of Livingston.  Now the forest land is a hunting club and the ranch land subdivided. I would look down into paradise valley and see maybe five yard lights....now it looks like any other city suburb.  Oh how I miss the less populated days.   Weren't as many elk in the seventies, but sure we're a lot when I left in the late eighties. I guess now the elk are on the rise a bit, but most of the private land is locked up.

[Shawn Ryan]

Nov. 1975, my first backpack elk hunt into the Wenaha Wilderness with my Dad and older brother, entering from the Three Forks TH.  9 day trip and it snowed about a foot the first night.  We had an Early Winters tent: http://www.oregonphotos.com/Early-Winters-3.html.  Early Winters was on the cutting edge of light-weight backpacking: the Kifaru or Enlightened Equipment of its day. Very tight for the 3 of us.  We had a visqueen tarp over the tent extending out about 10' in an "A" frame style vestibule.  Dinner was Tuna Helper cooked on a SVEA 123 stove:  http://www.optimusstoves.com/seen/optimus-products/products/katadynshopconnect/optimus-outdoor-kocher/optimus-svea/.  My rifle was a borrowed .30-30 to which I fashioned a sling out of 550 cord.  Lunch was kippered snacks from the tin.

I still have the "key" from the kippered snack tin on the day we forgot our spoons in camp; we used the keys to eat the fish from the tins. We had just sneaked into some elk on top of the ridge 1,000' above Crooked Creek.  We could hear the elk walking and milling around, but never saw them in the thick brush. They finally bailed over the rimrock in a place I was glad we didn't follow.

Rubber pack boots, over-sized military wool pants cinched with a belt, green military wool shirt, green military parka, and military leather gloves over wool liners where what kept me mostly warm and dry.  And a Baltimore Colts tassle-ball topped stocking cap. (Johnny Unitas was better than Bart Starr.)

The outfitter, Slim, gave my Dad he!! a couple times for taking us two young boys in there without a wood stove and wall tent and growled that he'd have to pack us out later when we finally figured out we were in over our heads. Then he'd spit tobacco from atop his saddle and glare at my Dad.  By the end of the week Slim decided we were OK because one of his wranglers had seen us on top of Moore Flat in mid-day, trudging through the snow, many miles from camp.  Slim told me I was a tough little SOB and told my Dad we were all "alright." That was a high compliment coming from the always-swearing, hard working, hard as an anvil Slim.  Slim was a tough SOB, as well, so respect from him was hard-earned.

This coming September, I'm taking my 78 year old Dad back to Lick Creek, on the edge of the Wenaha Wilderness.  He won't be lugging a 70# pack 1,000' down to the creek bottom, but I know he'll tell some stories sitting around the camp stove.  I might even still learn something from him.

[Pete112288]

I Still Have the  Red plaid (Elmer Fudd) Coat and Pants made by Filson bought in early 70's from neighbor with countless Lawn Mowings  Wish it could find a good Home

If your trying to give it away let me know, I embrace the "Elmer Fudd" look haha

[Elknut1]

Shawn, that was some great thoughts on how it used to be! I really appreciate the stories & thoughts with & about your Dad! The gear you used really brings back memories as well, very nicely shared my friend!

  Heck, I too can recall when we would bivy in & not be worth more than two hundred dollars for everything on us! I mean from boots to packs to bows! -- Nowadays a guy in the woods is worth 3,000 to 7,000 dollars when you think of the boots, packs, sitka gear, binos, GPS, fancy compound, etc. Yes sir things have really changed from 1970 when we would hit the woods without a care in the world & minimum gear, weight was not a factor as long as it fit the bill! (grin) Yes sir those days have un-matchable  memories I'll cherish forever with family & friends!

  ElkNut1

[willapawapiti]

Great story, perfect "Back in the day.." imagery  - thanks Shawn

[coachcw]

R those are memories great because there ours ?  I know a couple kids making some killer memories now on animals that our father would never dream of ....