Glacier Peak high buck question

[redalder]

A friend of mine and I are planning to do the high buck hunt next year in the Glacier Peak Wilderness area. I was wondering if anyone can tell me what temperatures and weather patterns are usually like in that area at that time of year? We're looking at backpacking in and hunting around 5-6500 feet elevation, and hoping to travel light enough to keep moving if we need to. My main concern is how much time we might have to get meat out if we connect with something. We would be hunting anywhere from 8-15 miles from the trailhead, by the looks of the map. So I'm wondering how warm it usually is at that time of year up there. We're planning on scouting in July, and again in August during bear season.

Don't worry, I'm not looking for anyone's secret spot. We already have an general area picked out.

thanks!

[hillbillyhunting]

You will have to watch the weather.  I have been up there in miserable heat and I have been up there in more than 6 inches of snow for the high hunt.

[JimmyHoffa]

What hillbilly said.  A friend of mine has hunted there for many years and said daytime weather has been anything from hot to waist deep snow and nearly everything in between.  For night time it will probably be cold even when hot during the day.  He said one year it was hot during the day and they woke up with about six inches of snow on the tent.

[shootnrun]

These two pretty much nailed it. We were experiencing temps in the 70's during the day this year and riding the edge of freezing at night. We got to my buck that evening and got the meat cooled off right away and it was fine. We didnt find my little brothers buck until the AM and he lost a little due to the immediate heat of the day. We have also had hunts where in the 2 days we were there it rained so hard the creek we were next to came up 8-12 inches. We go in light as well but pack in good thermals and rain gear just in case.

 

[Seabeckian]

Although I'm not planning on hunting that same wilderness, I do fully intend to do a high buck hunt this next year as well (if indeed my plans to draw a Desert tag fall through  ). I have never downed an animal in the sort of temperatures that season has the potential of bringing. So... whats the best methods you gents have found for keeping the meat cool and not losing any to the heat spoiling it? Thanks!

[JimmyHoffa]

Usually still snow to be found at high elevation in wilderness areas.  If not, creeks are still close to freezing.  Do what you can in the shade, allowing the meat to dry a little in the air.  If need be, put in a plastic bag and throw some snow on top or dip in the creek for a little bit. 

[JPhelps]

We would be hunting anywhere from 8-15 miles from the trailhead, by the looks of the map.

It is not so much about the IN as it is the UP!
Also in my opinion you must be prepared to take the meat out the following day depending on the temps. 

[romaknows]

Please realize that shooting a good sized deer 8- 15 miles back  is going to be a huge undertaking,it can be done but be prepared for lots of work .If your pack weight is already over 45 lbs , then with one properly  boned out big buck you will both have packs weighing over 100 lbs.

 It might be wise to plan on stashing the boned out meat , and then come back for it the next day with nothing but packframes .

[redalder]

Thanks for the tips, all. We plan on going in as ultralight as we can. I've got a good lightweight tent and sleeping kit, and lightweight stove, etc, too. I'm assuming that if we get a deer, we will be making two trips back out to the trailhead to make it work. I was just wondering if there would be a way to keep a deer cool that time of year, especially if there's two of us, trying to get two deer. Also been kind of wondering how that would work keeping bear meat cool in August, too. I've been told to bring along plastic bags so I can cool bear meat in a stream before packing out.

I can't wait to get up there in the summer to check it out, and to check out my own fitness level, too, to be honest. I'm living here right at sea level. I get decent amounts of exercise, and I'm relatively fit for a mid 40's guy, but I know I need to really bump up the aerobic exercise between now and then, too. I'm not used to walking around at 6500' elevation, where the O2 molecules are a little farther apart than I'm accustomed to.

[jstone]

a few years ago i lost 20 pounds got in great shape to hunt in montana. Hunted high 7000 took a while to get adjusted. Better than not being in shape. Good Luck.

[JPhelps]

As far as meat care is concerned you are working against two things.  Temperature and Air.  You wan't to get the meat cooled down as quickly as possible but also keep the meat dry.  If you put a warm quarter in the stream it will cool down but sweat/condensate inside the bag.  Before night fall I would take the meat out of the bag and let it dry/cool through the cooler night.  It also stays a lot cooler down along the streams or lakes.

[JLS]

Yes, use the water to cool initially, but don't leave it submerged.  You want it to breathe and it won't do that inside of a plastic bag.

[romaknows]

i like to hang the meat in "cheap cheese cloth bags", they can really hold a lot of weight and you can cut and tie them to suit your needs, they are cheap and dont weigh hardly anything.Its better to use lots of smaller bags verses a bunch of meat in a couple of bags(at least till its all nice and cool).
Try to stash the meat in a creek bottom that has shade all day ,and i always take off a stinky undershirt to keep by the bags of meat to keep the coyotes and other critters away.

[JPhelps]

We have been using T.A.G bags.  They are awesome and support themselves with the draw cord.

[Seabeckian]

I fully endorse this as being redalder's thread , but I sure appreciate all the meat handling tips. Great info to have before the practical use is required.

[hillbillyhunting]

No matter how light you think your pack will be, you are wrong if you are prepared.  It doesnt matter how light your tent, sleeping bag, pad, and stove are.  The things that you need for an extended backpacking trip add up quick.  Especially because I would not waste my time up there without a pair of binoculars and a spotting scope, you need to pack for extreme weather on both ends,  I almost guarantee you will not pack up as much food as you wish you would have, etc.  I guess all I am saying is be prepared.

Also, I would consider leaving your backpacking supplies up in the woods and pack the meat out first.  I would pack out the meat and rifle then go back for the rest if the temps were that high.  But, we have shot a deer 20mi back in really warm weather and still hunted for two days before packing it out.  We hung it over night then put the boned out meat into a couple of those huge ziploc bags and put those into a really cold spring.  Meat was great. 

Also, you might want to think about packing one deer out for 10+ miles and possibly taking two trips in one or two days before you decide to shoot two animals in the back country.   

 

[fillthefreezer]

to continue on this subject, i know it depends on the person but for the backcountry veterans how much weight do you rely on yourself to carry on the trip out?

[sirmissalot]

to continue on this subject, i know it depends on the person but for the backcountry veterans how much weight do you rely on yourself to carry on the trip out?

With a good pack frame I can handle 100lbs without too much problem, just take it slow and use both hands to ascend. I packed half a bear out this year, right around 100lbs, with my eberlestock day pack, it was a bad idea and I was sore for days... just something to think about.

[fillthefreezer]

With a good pack frame I can handle 100lbs without too much problem, just take it slow and use both hands to ascend. I packed half a bear out this year, right around 100lbs, with my eberlestock day pack, it was a bad idea and I was sore for days... just something to think about.

and how are far do you feel you are capable of carrying that 100lb load?

[sirmissalot]

I guess the answer to that question would depend on a lot of differant variables. The bear I packed out last year was only about a 1/4mile pack, it was going to approach 90 degrees that day and we opted to do it in one heavy load to save the cape and meat, although it was a short hike it was steep, rocky, commercially thinned and VERY thorny, I hated my life that day to say the least. On the other hand, an area we hunted last year in wyoming was about 10 miles into the shoshone national forest, it was easy walking with a gradual grade and well traveled stock trail, a 100lb pack out there was very doable, with plenty of water breaks.

[redalder]

Hillbilly; yeah, I know it will add up, and leaving the camp gear and packing meat out first is exactly what we had in mind. I've carried 100# before, but at lower elevation and not for as many miles as we're contemplating. I would rather just take the extra time and make the extra trips than try to take a whole lot of weight and only make one trip.

[fillthefreezer]

with the woods seeming to get more and more crowded, do you worry about the gear or meat you stached?

[JimmyHoffa]

Just a little.  I cover it with something dark/camo and hide it from obvious human sight.  But I take meat, water, and guns on the first trip.  come back later for tent/sleeping bag.  Also, packing out at night avoids people and keeps meat cool.  I would say that with meat, a pack around 100 lbs seems to feel about as much as I'd want.  It took about 3 hours to hike out with that pack over 5 miles.

[nwdp]

I hunt the GPW and everyone has covered your questions pretty well.  Be ready for snow or mid 80's, don't rely on a weather forecast.  I use an internal frame pack b/c it's lighter and the weight going in is 50-55lbs and on the way out i have had it up to 80lbs (about all the bag could take).  I bring  light stuff sacks from REI or cheese cloth for the meat and a large plastic sack.  I use the plastic sack to cool the meat in the stream then hang the meat in the stuff sack and use the plastic sack to line my pack on the way out.  If your trying to save weight you can stash your food ahead of time, just do your best to make sure a bear won't smell it.  Be prepared for the amount of people up there, it seems like every year the number of hunters grows exponentially.  I would concentrate more on the elevation gain than miles from the road.  Further the better, but steeper is better yet.  Since your on foot go to a place a person on a horse wouldn't.  With two guys your done hunting when you get one, I would still shoot one on the way out but the priority should be getting the deer in a cooler.  Last tip is that a spotting scope is a must.     

[75johndeere]

its year was my first year doing the high hunt and while i agree with alot of the stuff said it just depends on you we had way to much food and to many changes of cloths we could have probably cut 15 pounds each out of our packs. another thing is take your time when boneing out the deer we got home and i probable cut a god 10 pounds of fat off of each bag of meat. i dont agree that you should stop hunting after one deer there is always a glacier or snow field or cold creek within a few miles up there and the meat can be cold i think people over think the get it to the cooler asap thing just keep it dry and cool and you will be fine we ended up packing out two deer 13 miles with 150 packs. im in my late 20's so that might make up for that alittle bit but either way your life will suck for a few days after i wouldnt have made it back up to where we got the deer even if we had stashed some camping stuff. you need good optics and a very good pack i can recomend the elberstock j107 it performed wonderfully and my buddys badlands 4500 did very good aswell he was pleased with it.

[romaknows]

Hey   75johndeer  150 lb pack over 13 miles.....   WOW       is all i can say about that

[fillthefreezer]

 

ive done like 115 on the flats for like 2mi and thought i was gonna die and im in my mid20s and do physical work for a living...

[muleracks2]

As for weather:  Cold rain and snow is common but usually the snow is not that deep (a foot is uncommon) and it usually melts out the next day after the storm.  Most of the time the weather is nice.  Clear nights will get cold so let the meat cool but keep it in the shade during sunny days.  If you bone out, make sure that all of the blood shot is trimmed out and let the meat dry a little before putting it in a water proof bags (heavy garbage bags) and anchor securely in cold water (creek).  We keep meat (skinned and hung dry or boned out) for up to a week without any detectable quality loss.