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Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 4,213
Campfire Tracker
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OP
Campfire Tracker
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 4,213 |
You guys are the ultimate DIY. Have you any stories to share of when it was just yourself a long way out there? Epic weather, elk recoveries, knee or ankle 'surprises', improv navigation, bigfoot, ...?
Salute to you gentlemen who have the chutzpah to go it alone.
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Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 5,197
Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 5,197 |
This one.....3000' vertical drop pack out to the trailhead. Late November, 1993. It was -25F. One the second trip back, I killed a 180" mule deer buck. So that made for one more trip. Solo, public land, Montana. My knees hurt for several months after that deal, but well worth it!
Luck....is the residue of design...
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Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 69,390 Likes: 4
Campfire Kahuna
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Campfire Kahuna
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 69,390 Likes: 4 |
The rule is to never go anywhere where you can't or are unwilling to pack the meat out.
“In a time of deceit telling the truth is a revolutionary act.” ― George Orwell
It's not over when you lose. It's over when you quit.
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Joined: Jul 2013
Posts: 9,189
Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Outfitter
Joined: Jul 2013
Posts: 9,189 |
This one.....3000' vertical drop pack out to the trailhead. Late November, 1993. It was -25F. One the second trip back, I killed a 180" mule deer buck. So that made for one more trip. Solo, public land, Montana. My knees hurt for several months after that deal, but well worth it! This one.....3000' vertical drop pack out to the trailhead. Late November, 1993. It was -25F. One the second trip back, I killed a 180" mule deer buck. So that made for one more trip. Solo, public land, Montana. My knees hurt for several months after that deal, but well worth it! Wow. Speechless. Out of my league.
I belong on eroding granite, among the pines.
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Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 15,648
Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Aug 2005
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This one.....3000' vertical drop pack out to the trailhead. Late November, 1993. It was -25F. One the second trip back, I killed a 180" mule deer buck. So that made for one more trip. Solo, public land, Montana. My knees hurt for several months after that deal, but well worth it! I can see you were wearing the latest and greatest clothing technology as well...grin...
- Greg
Success is found at the intersection of planning, hard work, and stubbornness.
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Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 69,390 Likes: 4
Campfire Kahuna
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Campfire Kahuna
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 69,390 Likes: 4 |
I can see you were wearing the latest and greatest clothing technology as well...grin...
Unless there's another one with the same initials, that shirt is from Treasure Valley Community College with branches in Caldwell, ID and Ontario, OR.
“In a time of deceit telling the truth is a revolutionary act.” ― George Orwell
It's not over when you lose. It's over when you quit.
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Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 15,648
Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 15,648 |
I can see you were wearing the latest and greatest clothing technology as well...grin...
Unless there's another one with the same initials, that shirt is from Treasure Valley Community College with branches in Caldwell, ID and Ontario, OR. My point was in -25 likely some sweat involved and a cotton sweatshirt. It was an attempt at humor as I've seen Pat with jeans way back in there, like I do occasionally. Great bull Pat...
- Greg
Success is found at the intersection of planning, hard work, and stubbornness.
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Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 4,213
Campfire Tracker
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OP
Campfire Tracker
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 4,213 |
This one.....3000' vertical drop pack out to the trailhead. Late November, 1993. It was -25F. One the second trip back, I killed a 180" mule deer buck. So that made for one more trip. Solo, public land, Montana. My knees hurt for several months after that deal, but well worth it! Holy Moly! The vertical on that canyon is astonishing. Deep snow. Incredible bull. Thank you for posting!
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Joined: May 2007
Posts: 2,058
Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 2,058 |
A couple of years ago I broke my left foot for the second time, an acute metatarsal fracture. Six weeks later I took off on the first of three successive solo backpack hunts for elk in a pair of $10 ice climbing boots off a classified add...I needed something stiff enough to hold things together. A bunch of miles, a few lesser bulls, and a month later I killed a decent public land 6x6. It was a solid adventure. The full write up is in The Journal of Mountain Hunting: Article Link
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Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 13,659
Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Outfitter
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 13,659 |
Nothing compared to scenarshooter, but I packed my MT bull out by myself as my pard had to head home as he had a new baby to help take care of. 3 relatively easy miles to the truck; two trips over two days as I had the time. My dog Hank sure enjoyed the walks and even pointed a few sharptails on the way out. DSCN2274 by .com/photos/150924633N06/]Tyler Staggs, on [bleep] DSCN2276 by .com/photos/150924633N06/]Tyler Staggs, on [bleep]
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Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 5,197
Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 5,197 |
Oh what the hell is one more trip?...;) This buck was only 1/4 mile from where I killed the bull.
Luck....is the residue of design...
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Joined: May 2017
Posts: 4,917
Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
Joined: May 2017
Posts: 4,917 |
Life Member NRA, RMEF, American Legion, MAGA. Not necessarily in that order.
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Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 3,098 Likes: 1
Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 3,098 Likes: 1 |
Pat’s vertical of 3’000 was almost exactly double mine from this year...but his was down and mine was up. Plus, Pat is clearly a goat and I’m a soft, suburbia dad. That has to be factored in as well in terms of “epicness”. 2018 Idaho elk
If you're not burning through batteries in your headlamp,...you're doing it wrong.
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Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 30,282
Campfire 'Bwana
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Campfire 'Bwana
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 30,282 |
All my elk hunts are solo, on foot, public land, and have always involved a lot of climbing, navigating blow-down hell's, generally snow and cold, and a lot of long distance meat packing.
“Perfection is Achieved Not When There Is Nothing More to Add, But When There Is Nothing Left to Take Away” Antoine de Saint-Exupery
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Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 3,098 Likes: 1
Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 3,098 Likes: 1 |
An unhappy solo hunter....
If you're not burning through batteries in your headlamp,...you're doing it wrong.
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Joined: Dec 2016
Posts: 5,503
Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
Joined: Dec 2016
Posts: 5,503 |
I have hunted by myself many times but usually I pack in with a buddy and we go different direction out of our base camp. But if one kills an elk we both go to work packing. That's how I have hunted elk most of my life.
Some years I have sub-guided for others who own horse and mules and that makes the pack-outs nice. Myself however, I don't own pack animals. I have used back-packs.
I no longer hunt that way alone in the parts of the state where we have so many grizzlies. We get more every year too. If you are "way back" it's sure you can't get the whole elk out to a truck in one day and that means the bears get what you can't carry and some times you have to sleep out there a night or two. Doing that when you have blood sent on your clothing and body is not wise. I still hunt solo if it's in areas without grizzlies or large numbers of wolves.
So I only hunt in places with lots of wolves and grizzlies where I can get a whole elk out in one day or when I hunt with 2 partners or more, so I am not at as much of a risk in the night time hours. I am too old to do it all by myself (or maybe just got smart enough to quite risking such things)
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Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 69,390 Likes: 4
Campfire Kahuna
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Campfire Kahuna
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 69,390 Likes: 4 |
This one.....3000' vertical drop pack out to the trailhead. Late November, 1993. It was -25F. One the second trip back, I killed a 180" mule deer buck. So that made for one more trip. Solo, public land, Montana. My knees hurt for several months after that deal, but well worth it! Holy Moly! The vertical on that canyon is astonishing. Deep snow. Incredible bull. Thank you for posting! That's very typical of much of Idaho and western MT. It's not as high as CO or NM but it's damn sure steep.
“In a time of deceit telling the truth is a revolutionary act.” ― George Orwell
It's not over when you lose. It's over when you quit.
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Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 12,651
Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Outfitter
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 12,651 |
Rarely plan on going alone but it has often worked out that way, at least for a few days most years. Seems I have more success when hunting alone, so not a bad thing except when I have to pack out by myself. Wife did make me purchase a "Help I've fallen and can't get up" personal locator (Delorme InReach) a few years ago. Haven't needed it, thankfully, but it does let wife keep tabs on where I am. She gets a lot of comfort seeing me make it back to campa t night. (So do I. )
Last edited by Coyote_Hunter; 01/31/19. Reason: speknig and caps
Coyote Hunter - NRA Patriot Life, NRA Whittington Center Life, GOA, DAD - and I VOTE!
No, I'm not a Ruger bigot - just an unabashed fan of their revolvers, M77's and #1's.
A good .30-06 is a 99% solution.
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Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 17,419
Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 17,419 |
This one.....3000' vertical drop pack out to the trailhead. Late November, 1993. It was -25F. One the second trip back, I killed a 180" mule deer buck. So that made for one more trip. Solo, public land, Montana. My knees hurt for several months after that deal, but well worth it! The guy sitting next to me on the plane looked over just now and said, "Holy MOLY! That's huge!" I said, "It's not his biggest." He said, "I'd build a new garage or man cave just to show that off, and I'd invite everyone I know to come look!"
Last edited by David_Walter; 01/30/19.
“Live free or die. Death is not the worst of evils.” - General John Stark.
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Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 46,074 Likes: 5
Campfire 'Bwana
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Campfire 'Bwana
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 46,074 Likes: 5 |
I can see you were wearing the latest and greatest clothing technology as well...grin...
Sitka Gear pro staff, no doubt. My longest was 4 miles and 2,000 vertical but not nearly as steep as the country Pat was in. And I'm pretty sure my bull didn't weigh as much as that toad.
A wise man is frequently humbled.
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