1 month solo trip

[bradr3367]

I'm contemplating a one month solo trip to Wyoming in 2023, which is when I'm tentatively going to retire. I'll be 56 yrs old, health is good, fitness level is good. I should have enough points to draw a general elk tag, and a type 1 antelope tag in the unit that I'm looking at. My plan is to hunt the southern general units for archery elk from mid September-30th, and then hunt my antelope unit Oct 1-15th. I'm thinking that most of the elk hunt would be back country hunting/camping, with a night here and there at the truck as needed. The antelope hunt would be mainly truck camping on BLM or NF. I was also thinking about heading over to the Green River for a couple days of fishing in order to kill some time if I tagged out on elk, or if I simply got tired of camping alone in the back country. I'm told the Green River is beautiful, with great fishing, so if anyone has some suggestions, I'm all ears. I realize there's a lot of planning/logistics for a trip like this. Have any of you done a similar trip? Feel free to comment on suggestions, tips, thoughts. Thanks.

 

[Dirtbag]

The green river tailwater below Flaming Gorge is famous for good reason. If you like flyfishing you'll have fun there. It would be worth spending a day there if it isnt too far out of the way.. There's camping near by and rental cabins in Dutch John.

 

[bsnedeker]

Have you done anything like this before? Not many guys can handle two straight weeks of hunting, let alone true back country hunting. This is a doable thing, but if you want to spend a month hunting you need to be thinking about your comfort. Plan to take days off to just relax and let your body recover. Personally I won't hunt more than 9 days straight anymore, I'm just beat up mentally and physically at the end of the full week of elk hunting in September. What I do now is hunt for a week, come home, go out for another week, come home, etc..

 

[Maverick1]

That sounds like a great plan! I have done a couple of hunts - nothing quite that long, but have filled multiple tags, over a 2-3 three week period, and in a couple of states. (Elk+elk+bear; Elk+elk; Moose+elk+bear; Deer+deer; etc.) So, yes, it can be done! Hunting that long can be a mental and physical challenge.

The logistics will be more than most originally think. In reading your post, there is one thing that came to my mind: the logistics around success!

I see your location is Iowa: one consideration to figure out ahead of time is what to do with your elk meat after you tag out. (Think positive!) The quick answer is to either drive it back to Iowa (which would be a lot of driving! - no problem, you will be retired!) or pay a butcher to process and store it for you. Some butchers/meat lockers will store it for you in their freezer (at something typically like $20 for the first day, then $10 per day each day after the first) - or you can have them cut, processed, and wrap the meat at their place. In many instances, I have priced it out, and just having them cut and wrap it is cheaper than "just" storing it at their facility frozen. In any event, if you don't drive back home with the meat, figure out what to do with it between the time when you tag out on elk and your antelope hunt starts.

A similar consideration for the antlers and/or cape: what to do WHEN you shoot a trophy bull (Again, think positive!) Drive it back home, leave it with a taxidermist, or keep it at a meat locker/butcher are all options. If you are not familiar or comfortable caping an animal out, find a taxidermist in the area(s) you intend to hunt, have their cell phone number, and hours of business. And research what to do with that cape after it is off the animal. either by you or the taxidermist.

You may want to think about other species, too. Maybe pick your general unit where you can get a different tag (bear or deer) for the same area/unit - either for this coming year or in future years.

If you are not successful, hold out for a larger animal, or take a longer time to fill your tag, look into a solar shower or portable shower of some kind, too. Not having a shower for a month can kind of stink (LOL) - but having to leave the mountains to go find a shower stinks even more!

Good luck on your adventure. Enjoy your retirement when it comes!

 

[bradr3367]

Have you done anything like this before? Not many guys can handle two straight weeks of hunting, let alone true back country hunting. This is a doable thing, but if you want to spend a month hunting you need to be thinking about your comfort. Plan to take days off to just relax and let your body recover. Personally I won't hunt more than 9 days straight anymore, I'm just beat up mentally and physically at the end of the full week of elk hunting in September. What I do now is hunt for a week, come home, go out for another week, come home, etc..

Thanks for the advice. No I've never done a hunt of this length before. I'm for sure thinking of coming back to the truck for a couple days of r & r as needed, or even a motel for a night or two. I'm sure I'll need to do laundry a couple times as well.

 

[bradr3367]

The green river tailwater below Flaming Gorge is famous for good reason. If you like flyfishing you'll have fun there. It would be worth spending a day there if it isnt too far out of the way.. There's camping near by and rental cabins in Dutch John.

I appreciate that! I don't flyfish, but could I guy do ok with a spinning rod/reel?

 

[WCB]

Might as well pickup a deer tag also. No reason to set aside two weeks for goats.

 

[bradr3367]

That sounds like a great plan! I have done a couple of hunts - nothing quite that long, but have filled multiple tags, over a 2-3 three week period, and in a couple of states. (Elk+elk+bear; Elk+elk; Moose+elk+bear; Deer+deer; etc.) So, yes, it can be done! Hunting that long can be a mental and physical challenge.

The logistics will be more than most originally think. In reading your post, there is one thing that came to my mind: the logistics around success!

I see your location is Iowa: one consideration to figure out ahead of time is what to do with your elk meat after you tag out. (Think positive!) The quick answer is to either drive it back to Iowa (which would be a lot of driving! - no problem, you will be retired!) or pay a butcher to process and store it for you. Some butchers/meat lockers will store it for you in their freezer (at something typically like $20 for the first day, then $10 per day each day after the first) - or you can have them cut, processed, and wrap the meat at their place. In many instances, I have priced it out, and just having them cut and wrap it is cheaper than "just" storing it at their facility frozen. In any event, if you don't drive back home with the meat, figure out what to do with it between the time when you tag out on elk and your antelope hunt starts.

A similar consideration for the antlers and/or cape: what to do WHEN you shoot a trophy bull (Again, think positive!) Drive it back home, leave it with a taxidermist, or keep it at a meat locker/butcher are all options. If you are not familiar or comfortable caping an animal out, find a taxidermist in the area(s) you intend to hunt, have their cell phone number, and hours of business. And research what to do with that cape after it is off the animal. either by you or the taxidermist.

You may want to think about other species, too. Maybe pick your general unit where you can get a different tag (bear or deer) for the same area/unit - either for this coming year or in future years.

If you are not successful, hold out for a larger animal, or take a longer time to fill your tag, look into a solar shower or portable shower of some kind, too. Not having a shower for a month can kind of stink (LOL) - but having to leave the mountains to go find a shower stinks even more!

Good luck on your adventure. Enjoy your retirement when it comes!

A lotta great advice. Just the kind of stuff I'm looking for! I never thought about the solar shower. But yeah, I thought about the meat, and when I nock down that elk, I was planning on having a locker process & store it until the entire hunt is complete. Getting a deer or bear tag is another option I didn't think of. Thanks!

 

[Tod osier]

I appreciate that! I don't flyfish, but could I guy do ok with a spinning rod/reel?

In waters not restricted, spinning gear works great for western trout. Spinners and jigs, spoons, small plugs all work, even worms if not restricted.

 

[bsnedeker]

I appreciate that! I don't flyfish, but could I guy do ok with a spinning rod/reel?

If you want to catch fish you use a spinning reel. You fly fish when you want to look cool and go home hungry!

 

[Ten Bears]

Thanks for the advice. No I've never done a hunt of this length before. I'm for sure thinking of coming back to the truck for a couple days of r & r as needed, or even a motel for a night or two. I'm sure I'll need to do laundry a couple times as well.

I hunt solo backcountry wilderness spots every year. Been back there for a couple weeks without making it back to the truck. Now I always do it in chunks.

My advice is don’t burn yourself out, make designated days for rest. I struggle with the mental part much more than the physical part. Especially if things aren’t going well. You can talk yourself into being lazy or into stupid things when you’re alone for a long time.

 

[AK Troutbum]

If you want to catch fish you use a spinning reel. You fly fish when you want to look cool and go home hungry!

Ye of so little faith.

 

[Turkeygetpwnd38]

I just got back from doing 45 days. I typically will do 30ish every year. I leave Florida end of Aug/beginning of Sept and usually get back early to mid Oct. A few tips/considerations:
- Have your gear dialed. It’s a fine line between having what you need vs packing for every possible situation. If you have way too much gear as time goes on it’ll get unorganized/out of control and drive you crazy
- Have good coolers. Even if you are packing in 10-12 days at a time, have real food at the truck. You can’t sustain hunting for that long without proper nutrition. Try to eat well.
- Have a plan for meat. Either a processor, butcher with extra freezer space, or put a post on here looking for someone in the area that’d be willing to rent you out some freezer space.
- You will need to clean gear/laundry mid hunt and shower, especially if hunting multiple species and after packing out/processing. It’s difficult to do with the blue water jugs, need pressure. You can do that by river, portable shower (I use Nemo Helio), or get the occasional hotel room/Airbnb and get everything cleaned up
- if you are lucky and tag out on everything, that much meat with gear can take up a lot of space. If you run out of room, renting a uhaul enclosed is $200-300 for 6 days and makes everything a lot easier. I had to do that this year. Good problem to have and worked out great.

Sounds like a good trip! Go for it

 

[bradr3367]

Guys, these are precisely the tips I was looking for. I'm sure there'll be plenty more, don't hold back. Thanks in advance!

 

[Mt Al]

First, congratulations and I can't think of a better thing to do to celebrate retirement than 30 days in Wyoming. I've never done anything like this, but this is the internet, so I'm an expert. My only thought to add to the others is to spend 2 - 3 days in the middle of your time in Cody and see the museum, stay in a nice hotel, do laundry, eat right, etc.. Other thought is to mix in some bird hunting. Congrats!!

 

[Dos Perros]

That, sounds, AWESOME!

You might look up any @Tony Trietch podcasts for tips as I understand he spends some good durations away from home and alone.

 

[Button]

Sounds awesome. I want to do this

 

[slvrslngr]

I appreciate that! I don't flyfish, but could I guy do ok with a spinning rod/reel?

You’ll be retired, time to pick up a new hobby! Gotta have something to do when it’s not hunting season.

 

[dieselchessy]

I can’t imagine what an 1800’s mountain man would think of this conversation. We are so spoiled.
We use a cargo trailer, freezer, coolers, generator, base camp, ect…
We use a stove to heat water and then a 2 gallon pump sprayer with kitchen sink type spray nozzle plumbed on it for hot showers.
We use the freezer cause we don’t use processors at all.
Easy enough to wash clothes in a tub of warm water, then hang to dry(sort of).
I don’t get to do it much these days, but have friends that spend October in Idaho, or where ever every year.
You don’t need to hunt every day. Take camp days and relax/recover/shower, ect…

Amazing how well a hot shower feels after a week or more without bathing other than wet wipes to pits, nuts, and butts.

Bring a book or two, about mountain man types if you read that stuff. Helps you keep perspective.

 

[Idaho_Potato]

Might as well pickup a deer tag also. No reason to set aside two weeks for goats.

Agree on this...it's hard to throw a rock and not hit a pronghorn in some parts of Wyoming.