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Last year after Bull season I had some members ask me about the equipment I use elk hunting on the Oregon Coast.

I got busy with squaring away my gear after hunting season and didn’t get the information out. So, I’m doing it before the opener on Nov. 14th.

This is a long thread that will cover both the mechanical equipment and some of the manual-overdrive equipment that I use depending on the type of hunt I will be doing.

Before I start, I’m including pics to give you a better idea of the items I typically use. A lot of my gear has evolved over the years both from learning from experience as well as others here on the Fire showing me what works and what sucks.

With that said, in the spirit of hunting gear, here’s what has worked for me and why.

First let’s start with my elk hunting country. Besides Jud, Fred and HeavyWalker knowing what I know. The Oregon/Washington Coastal Bull Hunt can be brutal.

For me it’s only a 4 day hunt on public land that starts on a Saturday and ends on Tuesday.

If the hunt weather is perfect it will have a good storm with 2”-3” inches of rain and high “yard sale” wind in the 20/30 MPH range for a full day...Then a reprieve with only rain, and light to no wind.

One storm for 1-2 days is great because it locks the elk down so they’re starving once the storm lets up and out feeding in numbers.

You get too many storms, one on top of the other is a train wreck for hunting them. The animals will head down deep into the thickest, steepest canyons to hold up and ride out the weather.

I’ve killed a lot of elk in 43 years on the coast and weather has usually been helpful or problematic - no in between.

The area we’re going into opening day.

[Linked Image from i.postimg.cc]

[Linked Image from i.postimg.cc]

[Linked Image from i.postimg.cc]

Elevation is right around 1300’ft above sea level.

This years hunt is going to start out different than my typical elk hunts which are hiking up behind non-drivable gated areas for 2-3 miles to reach the hunting grounds...

because tomorrow, Friday, we are going to get smashed by a pre-opening day and night storm. I checked the area pictured above this morning. The general area typically holds a decent sized herd of 20-30 elk with several shootible bulls each year.

The spot is a large bowl with high walled cliffs surrounded by timber. It’s a natural wind break and holding spot the elk will go into to get out of a storm.

I’ve killed several bulls in this area...Experience has it’s advantages. The disadvantage is the area is drivable putting more potential eyes on this herd if they’re out when someone happens to be scouting.

The only help for us is the area requires special gear to get an elk out. With it’s shear rock cliffs, you can’t just casually walk down into the bowl...You either repel down with rope and harness or you take a long and brutal trek down a steep slope then transverse a couple more steep canyons that are full of logging remnants and ankle grabbing foliage. BRUTAL!.....So, Beaver is going mechanical for the first couple of days.

BULLS were seen this morning. 2 large bulls that I couldn’t see long enough to count points. Just the width and height of their racks indicated bigger bulls than this smaller 3x4 that was trailing the herd.

[Linked Image from i.postimg.cc]

Here’s the gear that’s going into the trucks.

4 stroke Honda capstan winch. A couple of Gerber machetes, 1000’ft of 3/4 low stretch rope inside a military duffel bag. Several snatch-blocks, D rings, tree/stump straps to secure snatch-blocks, extra rope, roofers harness, and chainsaw.

[Linked Image from i.postimg.cc]

[Linked Image from i.postimg.cc]

[Linked Image from i.postimg.cc]

[Linked Image from i.postimg.cc]

The Capstan Winch is essentially a chainsaw winch except instead of the drum holding a limited amount of cable or rope, The Capstan has a clean drum that allows you to feed as much rope as you have through it continually by pulling the rope with light tension.

Advantage - You’re not limited to the length of the cable/rope on a chainsaw winch drum that can dictate when your pulls need to stop.

Continued


Curiosity Killed the Cat & The Prairie Dog
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Good luck on Saturday Beav - supposed to be a pretty nasty storm tomorrow and into Saturday I think?? I'm supposed to be over on the east side chasing trophy spikes but the spot I hunt I doubt I can get into due to the snow. May still give it a go - should be good hunting once the storm lets up.

Good luck to you - hope to see some dead elk pics from you next week wink

Last edited by Oregonmuley; 11/12/20.

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Continued...

Essential and not essential. Machetes and Fiskars clippers are definitely essential all the time deer/elk hunting on the coast.

Both are lightweight and easily strapped to my pack. They also provide anger management relief whacking the shît outta anything in my way.

You don’t know “pissed and frustrated” until you have been tripped up by low vegetation going down a mountain or worse, trying to come up out of a hole with freighter of meat on your back that is littered in coastal boot snagging traps.

[Linked Image from i.postimg.cc]

Again....ESSENTIAL!

Clothing...It’s subjective for sure and depends on the type of hunts you do...My hunts are a mix of heavy activity, hiking up and down to get into an area to hunt, then sit a glass for minutes to many hours with little movement. I’m being rained on, crushed by wind at times, hail, and even sun and mild temperatures in the low 50’s.

After too many years of wearing 1980’s military style pants that are a cotton blend. I finally ventured out into the world of high-tech hunting clothes. Yep, wished I’d done that sooner.

There is a lot of choices available. KUIU, Sitka, Kryptek, First-Lite to name a small few. I went primarily with Sitka gear with a several specialty pieces from First-Lite and Kryptek.

I found immediate relief from being weighted down being soaked to the bone wearing my military pants. Gone was the tiresome lifting of a wet, heavy pant leg trying to jump or crawl over logs and stumps.

It actually felt weird wearing Sitka pants at first. It was like being in nylon pajamas with a feeling of no protection from strikes from Devils Thorns and spiked vines. The fabric is tough stuff. It resists thorn pokes, keeps you drier by shedding water, it’s a lot lighter than other cotton/blend old school hunting pants and I could lift my legs higher to clear obstacles. Warrior Mountain Ninja had arrived.

Old school Military pants. While they are hard-core tough they have too many disadvantages over the newer hunting clothes.
I still wear them for p-dog and other types of warm weather Varmint hunts.

Old School -

[Linked Image from i.postimg.cc]

Sitka...Notice the small rips and tears. These pants have seen some hunting.

[Linked Image from i.postimg.cc]

[Linked Image from i.postimg.cc]

[Linked Image from i.postimg.cc]

Coats, jackets, vests...For me, I like and want lightweight clothes that are water proof or resistant, strong, not prone to shredding from thorns and stickers, but more importantly WIND PROOF.

I can handle wet. I can handle soaking wet. But I hate being either with cutting wind tearing out my organs. That’s miserable and I’ve been miserable a lot of years on some hunts.

Simple solution. I bought some good stuff and it wasn’t that expensive. The purple drank camo coat from Kryptek was like $299. I bought it, hunted it, loved it and looked at them again later on-line. The same coat was now $99.00 plus shipping. I bought two more at that price.

[Linked Image from i.postimg.cc]

It’s lightweight, quiet, 100% water proof has Thinsulate so it’s warm. It even breathes and shîtty burrs don’t stick to it.

A solid garment for coastal hunting.

Sitka vest. Wind proof, rain resilient and lightweight. When I got this vest I thought it sure is light and flimsy. Probably gonna suck. Nope, love it. It’s always my final layer. Definitely a keeper.

[Linked Image from i.postimg.cc]

Rain Pants...WTF is it with high priced rain pants that work for a while then fail? Or, they eventually soak up water then start feeling like your carrying a bucket of rainwater on each leg?

I got some expensive stuff hanging in the hunting closet that hasn’t seen a hunt in years.

A hunting pard showed up one elk season with these Flecktarn German Military rain pants he bough for $19 bucks at some surplus store. The Germans came up with their own version of our Gore-Tex.

He loved them. I tried a pair the next year and I’ve never used anything else for rain pants. 100% water proof, taped seams, zippered boot sides, suspenders with pass-thru pockets and they don’t get shredded by thorns and sticker strikes. Hard core German Mil stuff...Now a pair runs around $29 bucks.

[Linked Image from i.postimg.cc]

Continued....Hopefully with a bull or two. 😎


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Originally Posted by Oregonmuley
Good luck on Saturday Beav - supposed to be a pretty nasty storm tomorrow and into Saturday I think?? I'm supposed to be over on the east side chasing trophy spikes but the spot I hunt I doubt I can get into due to the snow. May still give it a go - should be good hunting once the storm lets up.

Good luck to you - hope to see some dead elk pics from you next week wink


Thanks, OM.

Be safe on the drive and good luck on your hunt.

😎


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Beav,

Seen or heard any Sasquatches? grin

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Originally Posted by Oldelkhunter
Beav,

Seen or heard any Sasquatches? grin


Just Bobbrown’s mom when she was calling for him to get home for his weekly bath.

😬😎


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Good luck Beavs, that coastal bull hunt can certainly be a tough one. It's fun in a sick and twisted kind of way though!

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Interesting read. Definitely a different gear list than the SW mountains.

Good luck.

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Beav,
What brand/model are the pants with the reinforcements on the knees and butt?

Good luck on Roosevelti hunt!

Last edited by alpinecrick; 11/12/20.

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Good luck Beaver!


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Originally Posted by alpinecrick
Beav,
What brand/model are the pants with the reinforcements on the knees and butt?

Good luck on Roosevelti hunt!


Casey, mine are several seasons old. Here’s the newer pant they offer.

https://www.sitkagear.com/products/timberline-pant/lead

😎


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Originally Posted by Fireball2
Good luck Beaver!


Thanks, Roy.

😎


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Those German rain pants are no joke!

Wish I was there Beav.

Keep us posted!


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Coastal Storm is going off...Beav just woke up from debris smashing the house. This second I’am pretty glad my neighbor pissed my wife off by whacking all his tall Doug furs down to build his garage. LOL.

Opening day will start at 3AM with me running a chainsaw cutting into the area to hunt.

Gawt damn, I love elk hunting. Boo yah!

😎


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Hardcore. I've been in that sort of country a decent amount. The rain, vegetation, and steep slopes are for real. Not sure I'm man enough for it. I'll take higher, colder, and grizzly bears.

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Get it man




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Good luck, Beaver. I hunt about a hundred miles due north of you and your conditions look identical to mine. I think the only thing you're missing is a CH-47 for meat recovery.

When you get time, I'd like to hear about the stuff you carry on your person while you're out chasing bulls.


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Get um killed Beav....


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Good post. Always enjoy reading about the coastal style hunting. Keep us posted.

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It was blowing pretty good up here yesterday/last night. Big tide too.

Looking sporty, Beav!


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