Have You Ever Backpack Hunted?

[hunterbob]

In the 60's
We always traveled light and set up a base camp after a half-day's travel. Then went on from there with survival gear only and our rifles. We both carried a Winchester model 100, which was a .308 caliber and semi-auto, no scopes on them. Usually by dark we would be approaching our base camp again. My father had built-in GPS and a compass I think LOLL. He always knew where we were except one time, and I got us out that time. I was 19 then.
I remember our first campsite in the Adirondacks# It was the end of October and about 20 degrees out# We had a 4-man tent with a floor in it# Dad picked what he thought was a good spot to set it up in# Everything was OK and we went to sleep# Later that night I was awakened by something sniffing round the tent# Maybe it was Dads snoring that attracted whatever animal it was# It sounded like Dad was really cutting wood# I mean he was stacking it up# I couldn'tt go to sleep after that and his snoring# Then it started to rain# The ground was washed out under the tent and we were lying on rocks and trying to sleep# We could walk around in the tent and the floor would go down over your ankles; thats how much mud was under it# The next morning we come out of the tent and it had stopped raining# Dad laughed at the situation we found ourselves in# I can still hear him saying, man those rocks were hell on my back after the rain washed the dirt and pine needles out from under that tent# #His laughter after a statement like that, would make me laugh# Then Dad cooked some eggs and bacon for us# He brought a couple of Mel Mack plates #unbreakable## They were my mothers new plates# He put a couple eggs on the plate right from the frying pan# He set the plate on this huge bolder# We head a snap and the plate had broken in two pieces from the cold# He laughed at that, and said ma is not going to like that, because it was one of her good plates#
That night my other mentor who was Dad's best friend, Bill Richards, showed up and we slept in his stationwagon that night. I was squashed between both men and they both snored in each ear. LOL ... The next morning I was glad to get in the woods where it was quiet.
One of my greatest hunts.

All of you men, young and old, need to write your stories if only for yourself, but your kids and grandkids will love them, long after we are gone.

A true hunter's stories doen't have to be about the longest kill shot or the biggest deer. It only has to be about the fun we have in Gods Country.

 

[ARTY SGT]

Only in Afghanistan.....Does that count??

 

[hunterbob]

Only in Afghanistan.....Does that count??

Well, Sarge Need I ask," how was the hunting?" I never carried as much gear as you did in high elevations, but I know the breathing is a little different at 10,000 ft.
Thank You for your service...gun)

 

[villagelightsmith]

For 30 years, until I sat down and my hips gave out. Man, those were good years! The last 15 of them, we had a couple of donkeys as assistants, packin' partners, general good company, and flapjack testers; and that's a whole 'nother rodeo I wouldn't have missed for the world!
Don't sit down. Ever. For anybody. Some loads in life may be too big for one man to carry alone, but even a donkey is wise enough to shuck such a pack or recruit some help.
All the best,
Jerry.

 

[hunterbob]

For 30 years, until I sat down and my hips gave out. Man, those were good years! The last 15 of them, we had a couple of donkeys as assistants, packin' partners, general good company, and flapjack testers; and that's a whole 'nother rodeo I wouldn't have missed for the world!
Don't sit down. Ever. For anybody. Some loads in life may be too big for one man to carry alone, but even a donkey is wise enough to shuck such a pack or recruit some help.
All the best,
Jerry.

villagelightsmith, I say AMEN to that ..... Time passes quickly and, young becomes old. Our time here is precious and the moments we have in our lives, are a ruler to some of us, that we haven't wasted our time. Our memories and stories become something special to us. My backpacking days would have been easier with the ATV I got now ... lol

 

[olefish]

I also use to back pack. I spent 30 days sheep hunt in Wyoming in 1984 hunting a sheep on my own. I got myself into some very bad situations in the rocks. The one that still makes me week kneed is, I was free climbing a rock face and was wedged in a crack, crabbing up about 30 feet when the end of my rifle barrel became stuck in the rocks. I could not take my hands loose so I was just shifting my body back and forth to try and get it loose. After several tries and no success I gave out a scream and jerked my body as hard as I could and I came free. I finished my climb,To the top and became very ill from the fear factor I just finished. Note I did kill a sheep several days later.. I do not backpack because of 3 back surgeries any more. That is hard for me to give up, and I have new Jansport pack frames hanging in the shop just collecting dust and no memories.

 

[eBoy]

How to bring back my wife?

My wife left me.
It's all because of my hobbies...
What to do now?

 

[tony m]

Like sheepaholic..northern and southern BC...Our northern Rockies, has some of the best back country available-great sheep country. I will be there in august too.The wilder the country, the better.

 

[Alaska2006]

Nope, I did however expand my on foot hunting area. Bought a 2 foot longer lead rope for my horse.

 

[NorsemanAlaska]

My first 15 or so years here in Alaska I hunted off the road system mostly with a few fly in hunts or off a boat we'd anchor up and skiff back and forth to the beach.

The last 20 years or so I go off the road system by flying in. We either fly into an area and make base camp or fly to a location and boat up river to base camp and then wear a pack to hunt. Sometimes we'll hike a few miles from base camp and set up a small spike camp for a couple days to hunt a specific area. Sometimes we day hunt in and out of base camp. But there's no wheelers or horses where I hunt so you have to carry out your animals. Packing moose or caribou quarters anywhere from 1-5 miles from base camp, most times more then one trip, is a honest hard working endeavor. You really "earn your meat" so to speak..... Our saying is "don't shoot something further away then you want to carry it" And at 54 years old I have carried a LOT of meat out in a pack...

 

[Antonio m]

One of the great side effects of this type of hunting is it causes you to keep in good fitness ,year around. I grew up with it and even used the old "Trapper Nelson #3" with the canvas pack before the alluminum framed packs were available. I am 59 now and work at it harder than ever but the experience is better than ever.Sheep hunters better learn how to do It,imo

 

[NorsemanAlaska]

One of the great side effects of this type of hunting is it causes you to keep in good fitness ,year around. I grew up with it and even used the old "Trapper Nelson #3" with the canvas pack before the alluminum framed packs were available. I am 59 now and work at it harder than ever but the experience is better than ever.Sheep hunters better learn how to do It,imo

Thanks for sharing. Us old timers have to stick together
Ya, I started with a #7 then an old friend of mine starting making hunting packs. I'm a pretty good sized man so he made me 7,200 cubic inch pack I could usually get 4 average sized caribou quarters, back straps, tenderloins and neck meat into the pack and then tie the head/antlers on the outside. It was a load but I only wanted to make ONE trip if at all possible...Now, obviously, packing out a moose is an entirely whole other matter- LOL You better man-up, buckle up, put your head down and go....It's especially "fun" if you're stomping through knee deep muskeg bogs... Ok, I'll stop there, I'm turning into that "old guy that just tells stories all the time"

 

[Antonio m]

Thanks for sharing. Us old timers have to stick together
Ya, I started with a #7 then an old friend of mine starting making hunting packs. I'm a pretty good sized man so he made me 7,200 cubic inch pack I could usually get 4 average sized caribou quarters, back straps, tenderloins and neck meat into the pack and then tie the head/antlers on the outside. It was a load but I only wanted to make ONE trip if at all possible...Now, obviously, packing out a moose is an entirely whole other matter- LOL You better man-up, buckle up, put your head down and go....It's especially "fun" if you're stomping through knee deep muskeg bogs... Ok, I'll stop there, I'm turning into that "old guy that just tells stories all the time"

Mr Norseman...old guys still rule. Wood frame /canvas packs were all we had in the beginning and when loaded I remember two things 1) you had to bend forward quite a bit to lessen the weight on your shoulders 2) you could only rest where there was a stump or a windfall because you would never get going again
Packing meat is a skill and is disappearing,imo. We wasted nothing and the meat had to come out clean. Like I said earlier geezers rule and we learned from the best old geezers of the day. They were the real deal.Cheers

 

[NorsemanAlaska]

Mr Norseman...old guys still rule. Wood frame /canvas packs were all we had in the beginning and when loaded I remember two things 1) you had to bend forward quite a bit to lessen the weight on your shoulders 2) you could only rest where there was a stump or a windfall because you would never get going again
Packing meat is a skill and is disappearing,imo. We wasted nothing and the meat had to come out clean. Like I said earlier geezers rule and we learned from the best old geezers of the day. They were the real deal.Cheers

Agreed Antonio...Our forefathers were the tough fella's for sure. I once shot a spike forked horn moose about 3 miles from camp and alone. Soon as I squeezed off the round I thought "Crap, what did I just do?" He was only about 750 pounds on the hoof but it was a job butchering and packing out the first 2 trips by myself....took 4 trips total and very tight knees braces Last 2 trips I had help so that worked good. And yup, you do NOT sit down on the ground to rest when you have a full pack and agreed, lots of walking bent over.