Salmon, ID tips

[Will83]

I live in Salmon Idaho. Here's my take. I shot my deer this year in open sage brush/pondo country at 65 yards. I was wearing tan pants and an olive/black plaid flannel. Camo doesn't matter much. What does matter in this area is your ability to hike and get away from people. I've hunted Colorado, far west Texas, Montana, Wyoming. There are very few places as rugged as the Salmon area. Access to public land isn't difficult but a lot of places it can mean hiking straight up a 70-80 percent slope. Definitely focus on keeping weight down to stay mobile. Spend plenty of time on the stair stepper or rucking up hills and spend a lot of quality range time. I saw lots of potential opportunities for 600 to 800 yard cross canyon shots.

Thank you. That is great advice (often mentioned by other members, but great to hear from someone living in the area). I really appreciate all of the input.

 

[stevers75]

I hunt the Salmon area and have had great success on muleys repeatedly. I use Kuiu vias on all the gear I wear over there. I think it does a good job breaking up solids. It's way easier to spot a solid black or denim moving through the woods than it is something that's broken up patterned with browns tans and greens. Just my opinion and it's been nothing but successful for me. But like everyone else said, skill will have 99% to do with your outcome successful or not. Good luck and have a great hunt.

 

[stevers75]

I should also mention that I hunt a lot of timber/burns, so getting close and not getting spotted by movement is important to me. If you're somebody who is going to ride around in a truck or just walk out and glass big basins and open country then you just need something to keep the wind off of you .

 

[Kendoist4162]

I completely agree. Which colors do you consider the standard kuiu color line? Vias, verde, valo?

I would go with Verde. I am of the Kuiu Nation as well. In AZ tho so mostly Valo now. Still use my verde from when I was in Idaho up in the pines here tho. I've been switching to their solids lately for double duty out on the town. Solid kit. You do you. Don't listen to the pshaws on camo. Clothes are clothes. DO listen to the wind and skyline advice tho. Wind will get you every time. Even if it's some other hunter that isn't reading it right.

 

[2Old2Care]

I may have missed it, but the main benefit of some of the new 'high tec' fabrics isn't their color patterns, but rather their ability to keep you alive. After growing up with nothing but cotton, I quickly learned in Alaska that without wool to retain body heat, even in relatively mild temperatures, that hypothermia could kill me and it nearly did. However, old school wool is heavy and really, really heavy when wet, so I changed to some Moreno wool, but mostly synthetics that allow perspiration to escape and that dry quickly. That's where Kuiu and Sitka shines, and I love it, but you can find similar fabrics without camo patterns for way less money. I've found solid color pants by Wrangler (that look like Kuiu) and hooded 'fishing' shirts at Walmart on sale for a small fraction of what my Kuiu cost, but still perform for me here in Colorado and on hunts to Arizona, New Mexico, and Alaska. The expensive stuff may last longer, but my box store 'gear' has held up for several years now at roughly one-fifth the cost. Where you will be hunting 'light is right' but dry will allow you to keep you hunting and get you back home alive.

 

[mnoland30]

The most important thing to camoflauge is your rifle barrel. I've seen deer and aoudad spook from 1/2 a mile from a slung rifle barrel shining in the sun. I've also spooked deer with my binos by looking east during early morning. I hunt open country, and when I want camo is when I'm in an open meadow. I try to get lighter colors. I never wear colors close to the game's color. I spot people wearing dark camo in the open from a mile away, and they might as well wear black. My theory is that your jacket and pants should not be the same pattern. Makes it more diffucult to tell you're a human. I buy military surplus camo at Savers or Goodwill. I can usually get away with cotton here in NM. It holds up, and most importantly for me, it has cargo pockets to hold my mittens, neck warmer, watch cap, etc. Once game is spotted, it is often a race to get there before they bed down. I won't wear anything that doesn't have a full zip front, so I can unzip, take off mittens, neck warmer, and watch cap while moving. I have some old coolmax tee shirts and henleys as a base layer, and fleece over that. Cabela's used to sell microfleece shirts, and I have several. If it is wet, quick drying clothes are important.

 

[HRM Johnny]

do you mind sharing some of the lesser $$ brands that you refer to that also work well?

I buy military surplus camo at Savers or Goodwill

I am no expert. If you really wanna know about camo, see if you can get one of the guys on here who had training in the military. I've been lucky enough to have been around a few over the years. My advice to young people who want camo is: if, you HAVE TO HAVE camo, go to a thrift store near a military base. Buy used camo's. It seems to me that the purpose of camo is to break up the silhouette. That's it. again, check with one of the guys on this site who has the military training. I would imagine that they have forgotten more than I know. I live in Northern Virginia. My main goal is to avoid being shot by some yahoo that shoots at anything that moves. I like blaze orange; but to each his own.

 

[mnoland30]

I just noticed this was in the backpack forum. I have a 6 man 11 lb. Kifaru TP tent with a tiny stainless steel wood stove. In cold or wet weather it is a lifesaver. They make less expensive versions now. Although it says 6 man, it is comfortable for two with gear and a bit of firewood. But when it snowed, we had 4 men in it for breakfast. For early season hunts, I have a 3 sided silnylon tent that works really well and weighs 13 oz. Don't let people tell you you need a 7 lb. $400 pack to hunt with. My hunt pack weighs 3-1/2 lbs. and will hold 75 lbs. of meat. I paid $20 for it at a gun show. If you bone out your deer, you don't need a frame pack. As far as comfort, buy a pack, fill it with 45 or 50 lbs. of lead or dirt and walk with it. I've found nothing better for getting in shape for a hunt. You get used to the straps cutting into your shoulders and after a while don't notice it. You will notice it a bit when carrying 75 lbs, but it won't bother you nearly as much. It builds up those uphill calf muscles that you need as well. Endurox R4 is a magic elixir that relieves muscle aches and increases endurance. I swear by it.

 

[HRM Johnny]

I have never hunted out west. That having been said, I suspect the number one thing that will impact your hunt is your footwear. If you check out snipers hide you can get some real good advice on footwear. those guys wear their footwear out. There seems to be a consensus belief that foot saver insoles are excellent. With all due respect, screw the camo. Make sure you have excellent footwear. This includes quality insoles. Make sure that you break them in to your feet before the hunt. just my two cents worth.

 

[dogz]

Camo colors will absolutely not affect the outcome of your hunt.

Get into the best shape possible. Do buy some quality clothing that will dry quickly and keep you warm and comfortable. Kuiu, Sitka, whatever floats your boat.

Don't pack too much stuff. Have an experienced buddy go through your pack and make sure you don't have too much packed.

Get a lightweight (but quality) pack, sleeping bag, a sleeping pad, tent. These items plus clothing will account for the most weight in your pack.

Shoot for total pack weight with food, water, gun, etc 50lbs or less. Otherwise you will be spent by the time you reach camp and have a tough time actually hunting from there.

Darn good stuff ! I'd only add a good rain suit (for both rain and wind)

 

[Will83]

I just noticed this was in the backpack forum. I have a 6 man 11 lb. Kifaru TP tent with a tiny stainless steel wood stove. In cold or wet weather it is a lifesaver. They make less expensive versions now. Although it says 6 man, it is comfortable for two with gear and a bit of firewood. But when it snowed, we had 4 men in it for breakfast. For early season hunts, I have a 3 sided silnylon tent that works really well and weighs 13 oz. Don't let people tell you you need a 7 lb. $400 pack to hunt with. My hunt pack weighs 3-1/2 lbs. and will hold 75 lbs. of meat. I paid $20 for it at a gun show. If you bone out your deer, you don't need a frame pack. As far as comfort, buy a pack, fill it with 45 or 50 lbs. of lead or dirt and walk with it. I've found nothing better for getting in shape for a hunt. You get used to the straps cutting into your shoulders and after a while don't notice it. You will notice it a bit when carrying 75 lbs, but it won't bother you nearly as much. It builds up those uphill calf muscles that you need as well. Endurox R4 is a magic elixir that relieves muscle aches and increases endurance. I swear by it.

Do you know the make and model of your stove? I'm interested in one of those also.

 

[Mcranch]

Mule deer aren't very smart…but I'm pretty sure they've figured out that every guy wearing camouflage is there to kill them. Whereas that rancher over there in his Carhartts is not.

The hunters at the ranch have an assortment of camo expensive camo gear. I'm just wearing an old pair of jeans and blue work shirt when I honk and holler the cows up had a 150 class ten within 100 feet watching me put out cake for the cows I guess he was waiting until I left to get his share and maybe I was also invisible in that outfit?

 

[Teri Anne]

Please enlighten me. I've also considered solid colors such as tan.

While I have to agree that the advantages of Camo are a bit on the dubious side solid colors other than Hunter Orange or Fluorescent Pink (my personal favorite) are more than a little bit dangerous if out in the woods during any hunting season. Tan or any brown or gray color worn out in the woods or prairies are an invitation to become an unwilling target. There are some knuckle heads that do not follow one of the main gun safety rules. "Be sure of your target and what is beyond." They are out there and if you are wearing any color that does not stand out against the color of your quarry and background one of them will eventually find you and shoot at the movement without confirming the target. Even if they miss the first time the fact that you moved after the first shot missed means that they have to shoot again. In their pinhead minds movement equals target. In some cases there are yahoo's out there that don't even have any idea what their quarry looks like. Those of you who are thinking of wearing Tan out in the woods, pay particular attention to the color description of the Elk shown in the photo.

 

[chindits]

You might as well get camo at least for the top half because if you're 50 years or younger you'll be hunting with a bow in a couple years like everyone else. Don't worry about the bottom half as any earth tone solid will work even in archery season. Also don't worry about getting shot just because you have on a color similar to critters. If that was the case, hundreds of people and stock would be getting shot around here. Most the guides I run into don't wear orange and they run clients every hunting season CO offers. Being comfortable in the woods no matter the weather is your first priority.