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- Oct 22, 2014
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This has more than one species, so didn’t know which to put it in. If it needs to be moved, feel free.
I don’t generally post about trips as I/we don’t approach it how most people do, nor do we hunt like most. A lot of times hunts are half testing/half hunting, or at least a portion of it involves things other than pure hunting. Typically we need terrible weather, terrible terrain, and hard to find animals...
The backstory....
We do an annual backpack hunt every year with a couple of friends. Pretty much everyone lives on the east coast. Last summer (a year ago) we started talking about hunting with some people we work with. Two guys (“Yo” and “TJ”) were really interested and we planned for a Mule deer hunt. It ended up that while both planned to join last year, only TJ ended up making it. TJ hunts whitetails in the normal eastern way- tree stands, shooting houses, etc., but had never done a western backpack hunt. He is an extremely proficient shooter, in very good condition, and has done some recreational backpacking.
There were five of us that went on the second part of the trip last year (the first part was Colorado elk)- myself, RC, OC, TG, and TJ. Other than I, everyone else has limited backpack “hunting” experience.
RC is a early 30’s female, and has never hunted or shot before a couple years ago.
OC is early 60’s friend that shoots quite a bit competitively, with a solid fitness level.
TG, is a early 30’s coworker. He had never backpack hunted out west, but his fitness and field shooting ability is very high.
TJ, is in his late 30’s early 40’s. He is in an organization that we work with- his shooting ability is stellar, with a high level of fitness. He had broken his ankle a few months before this years hunt, and had surgery 8 weeks to the day before we started. It felt good he said, but we did have a concern about it.
Yo, is a mid 40’s male that works with TJ. World class shooter, good fitness level, and again, hunts whitetails though not backpacking. He had almost no backpacking experience outside of work.
The hunt ended up being a 5.7 mile pack in off trail, but with mild weather for the duration.
![z0Jelaq.jpg](http://[URL="http://imgur.com/z0Jelaq"][IMG]http://i.imgur.com/z0Jelaq.jpg)
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Lows were in the low 30’s, highs up to mid 60’s. TJ packed in more weight than needed, but was able to kill his first mule deer after a half mile or so stalk, shooting the buck while it was bedded with a 223 at just under 200 yards.
TG also killed his first mule deer on the last day after chasing him the entire week with my 6.5 Grendel that mtnboomer did his stock magic on.
When we hiked out, we packed out two bone in bucks, the two heads, neck meat, rib meat, etc. and one hide as TG wanted to get it tanned.
Every pack was over a measured 80lbs except RC’s, who’s was right at 75lbs. TG’s and TJ’s packs were well over 100lbs.
RC carrying 75lbs with all her own gear and part of the meat was a big deal for her, as it was only her second season/backpack hunt. The first year was a cow elk and deer hunt, where she killed her first animal ever. That year she was only able to carry around 45lbs, and worked the entire year to get her strength up to be able to carry all her own gear, plus animal. We don’t hunt “easy” and she did it in spades.
The whole process lit a fire in TJ and he was hooked. He ended up talking non-stop to “Yo” about it, and the planning for this years hunt started before last years was even over.....
To be cont.......
I don’t generally post about trips as I/we don’t approach it how most people do, nor do we hunt like most. A lot of times hunts are half testing/half hunting, or at least a portion of it involves things other than pure hunting. Typically we need terrible weather, terrible terrain, and hard to find animals...
The backstory....
We do an annual backpack hunt every year with a couple of friends. Pretty much everyone lives on the east coast. Last summer (a year ago) we started talking about hunting with some people we work with. Two guys (“Yo” and “TJ”) were really interested and we planned for a Mule deer hunt. It ended up that while both planned to join last year, only TJ ended up making it. TJ hunts whitetails in the normal eastern way- tree stands, shooting houses, etc., but had never done a western backpack hunt. He is an extremely proficient shooter, in very good condition, and has done some recreational backpacking.
There were five of us that went on the second part of the trip last year (the first part was Colorado elk)- myself, RC, OC, TG, and TJ. Other than I, everyone else has limited backpack “hunting” experience.
RC is a early 30’s female, and has never hunted or shot before a couple years ago.
OC is early 60’s friend that shoots quite a bit competitively, with a solid fitness level.
TG, is a early 30’s coworker. He had never backpack hunted out west, but his fitness and field shooting ability is very high.
TJ, is in his late 30’s early 40’s. He is in an organization that we work with- his shooting ability is stellar, with a high level of fitness. He had broken his ankle a few months before this years hunt, and had surgery 8 weeks to the day before we started. It felt good he said, but we did have a concern about it.
Yo, is a mid 40’s male that works with TJ. World class shooter, good fitness level, and again, hunts whitetails though not backpacking. He had almost no backpacking experience outside of work.
The hunt ended up being a 5.7 mile pack in off trail, but with mild weather for the duration.
Lows were in the low 30’s, highs up to mid 60’s. TJ packed in more weight than needed, but was able to kill his first mule deer after a half mile or so stalk, shooting the buck while it was bedded with a 223 at just under 200 yards.
TG also killed his first mule deer on the last day after chasing him the entire week with my 6.5 Grendel that mtnboomer did his stock magic on.
When we hiked out, we packed out two bone in bucks, the two heads, neck meat, rib meat, etc. and one hide as TG wanted to get it tanned.
Every pack was over a measured 80lbs except RC’s, who’s was right at 75lbs. TG’s and TJ’s packs were well over 100lbs.
RC carrying 75lbs with all her own gear and part of the meat was a big deal for her, as it was only her second season/backpack hunt. The first year was a cow elk and deer hunt, where she killed her first animal ever. That year she was only able to carry around 45lbs, and worked the entire year to get her strength up to be able to carry all her own gear, plus animal. We don’t hunt “easy” and she did it in spades.
The whole process lit a fire in TJ and he was hooked. He ended up talking non-stop to “Yo” about it, and the planning for this years hunt started before last years was even over.....
To be cont.......
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