Wilderness Hunting

I am all packed and ready to head out tomorrow after work. Scouting has revealed many animals. It appears that they are in pre-rut right now. The elk are still separated by sex, with rut approaching find where cows are hanging out and there will be bulls around. Wilderness hunting like we have planned for this weekend takes some special skills.

Photo: Cory Arola

Athlete: To effectively hunt the wilderness, you must be able to carry all of your camping and hunting supplies up and down ridges as you chase elk. If you are lucky enough to harvest an animal you must be prepare to carry out a few hundred pounds of meat, in numerous trips.



Biologist: Hunting any animal in their own habitat, it is necessary to understand how they live and what they need. This allows the hunter to key in on areas where animals will frequent.



Marksman: This really needn’t be said, the hunter must be practiced with their method of take to humanely and ethically make a killing shot in every field situation. This is out of respect for hunting and the animal one chooses to harvest.



Butcher: After the animal is harvested, a wilderness hunter must reduce their game to manageable bags of meet to be packed out. Not only must they cut the meat but it must remain cool and clean so when it becomes table fare it is delicious.



Story Teller: This is likely the most vital skill a wilderness hunter should possess. Regardless of luck with game and weather, the recount of each outing to family and friends is some of the most fun you will enjoy season.

Elk Season

Archery elk starts Saturday August 27th. A buddy of mine has a tag for unit 39. I will be going along to document the hunt. The excitement level is very high. Brett has been scouting all summer long and has seen large amounts of animals. Plenty of deer and elk with some monster bucks and bulls. I have spent the day preparing. Our plan is to backpack into the area and be able to stay mobile with the elk as we find them. When you backpack hunt they way you pack is a little different than when you just go backpacking. Many of the luxuries are left behind for weight management. Another thing the hunter must consider is that if an animal is harvested, meat will need to be carried out. The pack I selected to use is a 65 liter internal frame pack, the Gregory Baltoro. I chose it because it has a relatively low profile, which will not hinder my movements, and it carries its load extremely well. When stalking an animal and packing out meat, those functions can't be beaten. Our sleeping system is still being decided, weather dependent. Right now I am planning on using a bivy, to save weight and space, however if we have precipitation in the forecast a tent will be vital to having comfortable nights. A 30 degree ultralight down bag should be a great balance between weight, packability and warmth this time of the year. I also am electing for  thin foam pad versus an inflatable because for being on the go it is much more durable.

Photo: Cory Arola

Photo: Cory Arola

I have minimized everything else that I am going to carry, to the bare essentials for survival and hunting. Clothes are a moisture wicking base layer, 2x wool socks, durable pants, durable shirt, a fleece top, down vest, rain shell jacket and pants, wool cap, baseball cap, leather gloves and a neck gaiter. Waterproof, supportive leather boots are a must. I elected to leave behind the stove, fuel and cookware to save weight and space taking only Clif bars and a nut mixture. The rest of my gear consists of water filter, water bottle, headlamp, gps, compass,watch, tp, sunglasses, para cord, sunscreen, fixed and folding knives, multi-tool, saw, sharpener, blaze vest, bear protection (revolver a Ruger Super Redhawk Alaskan .454), binoculars, tarp, trash bags and camera gear. I always have my small emergency kit: lighter, matches, iodine tablets, whistle, space blanket, and trioxane (fire-starter).

My next update will be a couple of days talking about some tactics for hunting archery season elk.