GF wants her first hunt to be a high buck

[Ltburrows]

So my girlfriend and I are going to be hunting high buck this year. it’s her first hunt and she has very limited experience with backpacking but her fitness level isn’t what worries me. My main concern is her pack weight. As an 80lb woman she won’t be able to pack much weight. In the past I’ve always had a partner to split the load with for 2 people but with her I’ll have to carry the majority of the gear for both of us. With that in mind what should I set her up with in her own pack(besides her essentials maybe have her haul my day pack? 


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[boneaddict]

THinking of her size as one of my kids in the early days, Id say she pack all of her own items and you get all of the camp items, plus your items, plus+++.

[Branden]

I agree with Bone. I would have her haul all her own clothing and food. You carry all your stuff plus camp. Also it would probably be a good idea to cut out any non essentials like your day pack. Just use your main pack even while hunting.

[Ltburrows]

That’s kinda what I was thinking. My dry weight is already 25lbs without rifle for a solo. All I’ll have to change is the sleep system and add another pad and bag. Any other ideas?


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[ian_padron]

80# ? What is she 4'6"??

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[Ltburrows]

80# ? What is she 4'6"??

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5’2”. Lol.


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[grade-creek-rd]

Highly recommend doing a dry run trip...if you can get out next weekend for an overnight or even a day hike with all of the gear you both plan on taking. That way you can make the adjustment before the high hunt. also, I am sure you already thought of this, but I plan on taking an extra couple of days off after the hunt to get the meat out. I've taken my youngest son on the high hunt for the past 2 years, started when he was 10, so I had to pack almost everything on the first trip. My plan was that if we got a deer then I would de-bone it and hang it. Take him home as planned and then go back for the deer with an empty pack and haul it out solo (or with a buddy that wanted to go for an adventure) instead of trying to get it all out in one trip.

Either way, the one thing I would highly recommend is to make this hunt about her, keep her comfortable and happy...even if it means not getting back too far or getting up too early...if she has fun then she will want to go again, if it's miserable then she might not want to ever go hunting...but I am sure you already know most of this if you have your pack down to 25 pound dry, you've done the backcountry thing a time or two!

Grade

[Alpine Mojo]

If she can do both, she's a keeper.  Everything else is just details.  Man up and pack yourself heavy.

[go4steelhd]

I have done this twice with my wife. The first time I packed everything camp wise and food. I let her pack her rifle and all the stuff she wanted to take that I said to leave at home. I ended up packing two rifles off the mountain plus all of camp and some of her extra gear.
Trip two she packed only necessary stuff in her pack. I packed all of camping supplies and we only took one rifle which I packed on the agreement that she gets first shot at anything. This did burn us walking in because the rifle was strapped to my pack she was about 30 yards behind me on the trail and I will let you guess the rest of that story.... He got away

If you want her to go again pack 85% of everything. Do this and you have a hunting partner for life. Make this experience a bad one, more than likely she doesn’t go again.
Good luck to you both on your hunt

[Mudman]

Heck with that, she is a GF not a wife!   Load her up and let her do her part.  She will be just fine.  If its too much she will learn to pack lighter next time.  Equality is blissful!

[go4steelhd]

You have a point train them right

[Ltburrows]

Thank you everyone for the advice. This is my first back country hunt as well but I’ve been a backpacker and a hunter my whole life. This hunt was actually her idea. I loaded up the packs with everything we’re going to take gave her only her clothes, orange, rifle(she’s determined to take her own), her sleeping bag and pad. It all came to 20lbs and even that was to heavy for her to walk around the block with. Now I’m looking at ways to make it even lighter for her. She refuses to take just one gun because she’s paranoid about bears an lions.


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[GBoyd]

Another tip for hunting with people that are less excited about hunting: camp somewhere you can glass. If they're still hitting the snooze button in the morning, you can at least be up and looking for a buck.

[Odell]

Thank you everyone for the advice. This is my first back country hunt as well but I’ve been a backpacker and a hunter my whole life. This hunt was actually her idea. I loaded up the packs with everything we’re going to take gave her only her clothes, orange, rifle(she’s determined to take her own), her sleeping bag and pad. It all came to 20lbs and even that was to heavy for her to walk around the block with. Now I’m looking at ways to make it even lighter for her. She refuses to take just one gun because she’s paranoid about bears an lions.


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If she can't do 20lbs around the block, she isn't ready to hunt high buck. I'd be very concerned about that.

[Ltburrows]

I agree. I don’t feel she’s ready at all but refuses to cancel the trip


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[JeffRaines]

Thank you everyone for the advice. This is my first back country hunt as well but I’ve been a backpacker and a hunter my whole life. This hunt was actually her idea. I loaded up the packs with everything we’re going to take gave her only her clothes, orange, rifle(she’s determined to take her own), her sleeping bag and pad. It all came to 20lbs and even that was to heavy for her to walk around the block with. Now I’m looking at ways to make it even lighter for her. She refuses to take just one gun because she’s paranoid about bears an lions.


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If she can't do 20lbs around the block, she isn't ready to hunt high buck. I'd be very concerned about that.

Yeah 20lbs around the block... even body weight around the block is nothing compared to climbing 3000'... not to mention needing energy left in the tank to actually hunt, and if you get an animal down...

Maybe settle for a backpacking trip or two this year and next year start hitting the hills hard as soon as you can so come next years high buck she's ready.

[fishngamereaper]

Not being in mountain shape and trying a mountain hunt is a recipe for disaster. Spend this year down low walking miles of gated roads and see how it goes...you need to stand your ground if she's not ready for the mountains, or you'll be carrying her off the mountain.

[yakimanoob]

I agree. I don’t feel she’s ready at all but refuses to cancel the trip


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Girl's got grit.  Keep her 

@ 5'2 and 80lbs, you could probably carry all her gear for her and not add much weight to your pack vs a solo hunt.  Let her carry what she wants to carry and go have a great trip with your lady 

Has she done any backpacking? 

[yakimanoob]

Not being in mountain shape and trying a mountain hunt is a recipe for disaster. Spend this year down low walking miles of gated roads and see how it goes...you need to stand your ground if she's not ready for the mountains, or you'll be carrying her off the mountain.

I don't necessarily agree (although I certainly agree with the level of caution you're going for, reaper).  LT, if your priority is your hunt and you think bringing her along will compromise that, then yeah, maybe standing your ground is advisable.  But since giving a go at the high buck was her idea, that doesn't seem like an advisable path if you want to keep dating her 

To reaper's point here, I wouldn't go diving through a labyrinth of alder 3 miles from a trail with a newbie mountaineer carrying a firearm.  But folks shoot deer from the trail every year, so while it might reduce your chances of taking a buck, sticking close to the trails might be the least of the evils.  Worst case, you go on a backpacking trip together in beautiful country with a little more steel and gunpowder than you'd regularly carry. 

[fishngamereaper]

Guess I didn't have to be so discouraging..

My main point was when your not in mountain shape you have a higher likelihood of mechanical injury...

[huntnfmly]

Since it was her idea like said before she's a keeper.
Let her pack what she needs like said before and you pack the rest. You don't have to go for a week were you'll need more supplies go for a couple days sounds like she really wants to go and if you're worried about her causing lower odds on your hunt you're hunting for the wrong reason.there is so much more important things to get from both of you out in the woods together than harvesting an animal

[yakimanoob]

Guess I didn't have to be so discouraging..

My main point was when your not in mountain shape you have a higher likelihood of mechanical injury...

It's a very good thing to keep in mind.  That's why I was curious if she'd ever been backpacking before.

LT, you mentioned you had been backpacking and hunting but never both.  Just keep in mind that your risk is much higher on a backpack hunt than on a backpack or a hunt.  If you don't already carry one, I highly recommend a Garmin or Spot PLB with 2-way messaging. 

[Ltburrows]

She hasn’t been on any back country trips that I know of. We’re only planing a 2 night trip so gear won’t be much of an issue. Just a weekends worth of stuff. I’m not asking her to carry half of everything just the things from my earlier post( sleeping bag, sleeping pad, rifle, water and clothes. But even that was to much for her. It also doesn’t help that she’s a extremely cold sleeper so she requested my -20 bag. I do understand that the risks are higher when you combine hunting and back country trips. Although this is my first back country hunt I’ve carried firearms every time I go into the woods since I was 18 as for GPS I’ve never used one before. I’ve always been a Map, compass and ranger beads man. But have been looking into Garmin rhinos. I’m going to see if a smaller will make the difference. I have her in my old 50+10L pack right now.


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[jstone]

When my wife and I go hiking or camping I always make sure that she knows where we are, how to get out by herself if something happens to me. She also carries her own pistol. Enjoy your hunt. Just always be prepared for anything.

[Ltburrows]

When my wife and I go hiking or camping I always make sure that she knows where we are, how to get out by herself if something happens to me. She also carries her own pistol. Enjoy your hunt. Just always be prepared for anything.

As an Eagle Scout I always am


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[yakimanoob]

Does the "LT" mean you're military or ex-military as well?  You'll have to forgive us members of the internet peanut gallery for trying to tell you about risk management .

[hunter399]

Don't listen to these guys take her and have fun.
With that said don't push to hard as far as you can.
When I was younger and my wife and I where still dating,we would go on day hunts and hike 10-12 miles a day .we came back with blisters and spaghetti legs that felt like we had rubber bands for legs.There is certain closed gates areas that my wife won't even hunt with me,even though I would never walk that far now.
So just say in don't push the hunt to hard,have fun.Good luck.

[DOUBLELUNG]

Only 80 lbs?  Just sit her on the shelf of a Bullpac and tie all the gear around her 

[huntnfmly]

 

[Ltburrows]

Does the "LT" mean you're military or ex-military as well?  You'll have to forgive us members of the internet peanut gallery for trying to tell you about risk management .

No actually, LT are my first and middle initials. Lol. No apology necessary. As I’ve said since I was a teenager, I’m not stupid enough to know everything. Everyone’s criticism and opinions are greatly appreciated and will be considered


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[Pathfinder101]

I agree. I don’t feel she’s ready at all but refuses to cancel the trip


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Well, in that case, let her lead (so she isn't left behind) and take lots of breaks whenever she needs them.  Sounds like you will have to play it by ear, go as far as you can go and hunt along the way.  If you have a handgun, you could have her pack that for lions and tigers and bears and just take one rifle.

[Ltburrows]

So good news bad news. She finally realized that she’s not ready to hunt high buck this year (I’ve been telling her since she brought it up....). The bad news is that now she wants to hunt waterfowl with me (what I normally hunt here in WA). BUT...  she’s afraid of boats...  I’ll ask more questions on options over on the waterfowl forum. Thank you everyone for your input. I will use everything everyone has mentioned for training this spring and summer.


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[Skyvalhunter]

Sounds like you can't win. Best to get her in a class first or join some womens hunting group

[grade-creek-rd]

Lt, don't give up yet on the high country stuff...now is the time to take her on an overnite backpacking trip and take a lightweight grouse gun. Lots of fun, she still gets to hunt the high country and see what it's all about. The backcountry in the fall is the best time of year! and you don't have to go to a wilderness area this weekend and deal with the zoo of hunters...I'd pick somewhere in the south cascades, maybe Goat Rocks area or up out of Greenwater by Mt. Rainier (Dalles Ridge is an easy hike, starts off high, and you ridgeline hike to some beautiful country) plus the elk will start bugling soon and so maybe she will get to experience that too...keep in light, one night and enjoy the backcountry!


Here is a fun read on grouse...let her read this and maybe she will do this with you instead...keep her fired up about hunting!

http://www.theoutdoorline.com/blog/post/2018/09/10/grouse.aspx



Grade

[huntnfmly]

Lt, don't give up yet on the high country stuff...now is the time to take her on an overnite backpacking trip and take a lightweight grouse gun. Lots of fun, she still gets to hunt the high country and see what it's all about. The backcountry in the fall is the best time of year! and you don't have to go to a wilderness area this weekend and deal with the zoo of hunters...I'd pick somewhere in the south cascades, maybe Goat Rocks area or up out of Greenwater by Mt. Rainier (Dalles Ridge is an easy hike, starts off high, and you ridgeline hike to some beautiful country) plus the elk will start bugling soon and so maybe she will get to experience that too...keep in light, one night and enjoy the backcountry!


Here is a fun read on grouse...let her read this and maybe she will do this with you instead...keep her fired up about hunting!

http://www.theoutdoorline.com/blog/post/2018/09/10/grouse.aspx



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X2