Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Backpack Hunting This Years Elk Hunt...

Nice.

I second the gear request. You're the real deal Brad.

More detail man! Us easterners have to live vicariously through your tales!
Congratulations on a great bull and a great hunt!

Hi Brad,

Well done!!!

I like your sentence
"I shot him at 120 yards with my 308, ending the hunt and starting the real work."
So true in a back pack hunt for these great Wapiti and its close relative, a big Red Deer. More so in a solo hunt!

Congrats!!!

PH

Hello Brad, Yes that's another nice bull you got. It's always nice to read your stories about you and your elk hunting adventures.

Blessings to you.
Take care.

Thanks gents.

My hunting-backpack gear is quite different than my general backpack gear, which is all lighter. The basics below only get used hunting:

Pack: an older Canadian Made Arcteryx Bora 80. It's a good hauler, and can handle heavier loads than most internals. While it's not perfect, it is quite good. Still, it's hard to beat a good frame pack for heavy hauling, and I'll likely get a SeekOutside pack this spring to try next year.

Sleeping Bag: WM Versalite w/ overfill (10*F).
Pad: MSR Neoair (Large, rectangular version). For cold weather a 1/4" Evazote can go on top. I may get a coldweather Neoair if I can choke down the cost. We have three neoari's at our house already!
Tent: MSR Hubba HP w/ Tyvek Footprint (non-mesh version, got mine from England, not available in the USA).
Boots: Crispi Hunters (I don't like them). Will get another pair of Meindl Perfekt's next year.
Gaiters: OR Crocodiles.

Depending on weather, I may use whipcord pants. Generally however, the early weather here is mild enough to just wear nylon pants. This year I used a pair of Prana Stretch Zion pants. I prefer a pant like these with built-in belt... a belt on normal pants is a hassle carrying a pack.

Rifle: Any number of Kimber MT's, depending (grin).
Binocs: Leica 8x32 (I don't pack a spotter/tripod).
Rangefinder: Leican 1200 LRF.
Ammuntion: 12-14 total rounds ammo.
Tiny, homemade rifle cleaning kit.
Game bags (I use 3 mil contractor bags) w/ Xtra Ziplock Bags.
Knife and small whetstone.
Nitrile Gloves.
Electric Tape / Tags.
Extra Bandana and Wet Wipes.
2 Headlamps w/ extra batteries.
Small Sony AM/FM radio with earbuds... The World Series/Playoffs are generally on this time of year. Helps pass the long evenings!
Paperback Book.
Blaze Orange Patch to attach to pack after kill.
Extra Lash Straps and Nylon Cord.

Clothing, only slightly different than normal backpack clothes:

Blaze-Camo Vest (LL Bean with tooth zipper).
Nylon T-Shirt.
Zip T-Neck (midweight Polartec).
Softshell Jacket (Mountain Hardwear).
Long underwear. Mid or Expedition Wt. Depending.
200 Wt Polartect 1/4 Zip Sweater.
Down Sweater or heavier jacket depending.
OR Gore Paclite Rain/Wind jacket (tooth zipper, with pit zips).
Thin Polartec Glove liners
Midweight Gloves (or heavier depending)
Insulated hat(s) - depending.
Crocs (for camp and stream crossings). Did two stream crossings this year. They're a godsend rather than barefoot.
Down booties.
Xtra socks/liners.

Normal, non-hunting backpack stuff that goes along hunting or not:

Komperdell Walking Cane (non-shockabsorber version).
Jetboil Sol.
Long Handle Plastic Spoon (REI).
Plastic Bowl (MSR).
Opinel Folding Saw (3.6 oz's).
Firstaid Kit.
Earplugs (I call them bearplugs).
Toothbrush/Toothpaste.
Toiet Paper / Wetwipes / Mini-Shovel.
Extra Ziplock Bags.
Candle.
Compass.
Maps.
Camera (Sony RX100).
Mini Pod.
Taylor Pocket Thermometer.
Repair Kit (Needles/Thread/Nylon Tape).
Several Lighters.
15' Piece Nylon Cord w/ Mini Biner.
Butt Pad.
Food bag (drybag), 50' nylon cord, and mini biner (for hanging food).
1 liter Waterbottle.
Extra packable 3 liter water bag (Hydrapak).
Food.

That's all I can think of off hand!

Well done! Again.

Good list to use as a guide. You listed "food". Have you found a dehydrated version that you like?

Nicely done, congrats. Thanks for the great write up and gear list.

Nice bull Brad!

Good list. No axe?

But seriously...
No cloth game bags? You're using plastic bags only?

I don't use cloth either. Mainly because the meat is only in the bags for the haul out on my back, otherwise, it's just hanging in a tree. And anything substantial made of cloth is heavy.

Gotcha. For us, it might spend a week in a bag before it gets home for processing.

And, horses don't mind they weight of cloth game bags.

Smoke answered for me...

Which powder did you use what was your average fps how did that 165 btsp work.

Thanks. Interesting to me differing means/methods around the country.

Do you guys not have problems with flies/eggs when hanging meat without bags?

Nope. Bugs aren't a thing here In November. Biggest problem I have is Eagle/Hawk chit. Cut it off and keep going.

I hunt the early muzzleloader season, it starts around September 10th. We hunt above 10K feet for the most part, and flies/bees/mosquitoes have never been a problem until this year. I guess it was abnormally warm and they didn't get killed off but we had all three. Next year I'll bring some lightweight gauze bags to keep the flies at bay. And of course, we won't have any.

Now if I could just shoot one of those six-pointers for you.....