Advice for Solo hunts

[SamuelMartin]

So I'm 33 and live in north Texas and have been bow hunting for the last 3 years. Ive recently taken an eye to hunting out of state/drawing tags for western hunts and plan on doing something in the next year or 2. The guys I currently hunt with don't have a desire to go out west, they admittedly are just older and like hunting from a blind. I want to start learning and getting gear to go solo when the time comes up. Ive been trying to watch as much content and read about the gear needed to go solo. Do y'all have any advice or guidance on hunting solo? Anything advice would be great. Cheers

 

[elkliver]

If you are hunting elk and have never hunted elk before... I'd suggest you don't go solo. Solo hunting can be an amazing experienced but if you aren't experienced with taking care of an elk, it can be a rude awakening. Maybe look for another adventurous person that would join you?

Not sure if you mean a solo backpacking trip or just a solo hunt from a base camp. For either, you don't need all the hot gear you will see promoted on the videos. Non-cotton clothing, A good pair of boots and a decent pack are a good start. Doesn't have to be a "hunting pack". Putting Camo on it will raise the price. If you are wanting to back pack in... start with a camping trip or two while you wait to draw a tag. You will quickly see what gear works and what doesn't

 

[sebastian.cassell]

LEGistics (logistics) are much more important on solo hunts out west. It is your duty to honor your game animal by getting it out and preserving the meat as best you can. If you are a backcountry stud and can haul 100+ lbs out in a few trips for many miles then kudos to you. I wouldn’t plan that for your first hunt. Say 3 miles or less from a trail/road for the first trip just to give yourself an honest chance to safely?(maybe wrong word) harvest and haul out. An elk is really big when you are by yourself. Mule deer you could probably push out further. Try it out and report back on how it went. I always want guys to push it and set a goal that’s hard to accomplish. Good luck!

 

[SamuelMartin]

If you are hunting elk and have never hunted elk before... I'd suggest you don't go solo. Solo hunting can be an amazing experienced but if you aren't experienced with taking care of an elk, it can be a rude awakening. Maybe look for another adventurous person that would join you?

Not sure if you mean a solo backpacking trip or just a solo hunt from a base camp. For either, you don't need all the hot gear you will see promoted on the videos. Non-cotton clothing, A good pair of boots and a decent pack are a good start. Doesn't have to be a "hunting pack". Putting Camo on it will raise the price. If you are wanting to back pack in... start with a camping trip or two while you wait to draw a tag. You will quickly see what gear works and what doesn't

I was more talking solo backpacking trip, id be interested in doing a base camp though. And yeah i should have made my goals more clear, I would hold off on the elk for now but I'm definitely interested on doing a muley or antelope for the first couple of trips. Thanks for the advice!

 

[Marble]

The advice given so far is spot on. I've done se eral solo trips and even more solo pack outs. You will learn your limitations and then plan accordingly.

What I see the most is guys wanting to do this and try to make the timing preparation perfect. We'll that's good and all, but waiting years to go for whatever reason is silly. It will never be perfect timing etc, so just go. And if you screw stuff up, you'll learn what not to do and be better off the next trip.

I've made the suggestion above about trying your gear out in a similar situation prior to going out. It really is the best case for a dry run scenario and will let you know what you do and don't need.

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[tater]

Solo hunting means being intentional and deliberate.
You cannot be in a rush, and must be aware that anything from route planning to skinning an animal has more risk attached.
Learn how you operate with less sleep and potential calorie or water deficits.
Hungry/Angry/Lonely/Tired will derail a solo trip really quickly, but its a also a short cut to learning who you are.
Spend a week by yourself in the backcountry with no distractions and you will learn a lot.

 

[khunter]

Lot’s of solid advice. The main thing is GO sooner than later. You are as in your prime as you will ever be. Just one guy but I have done a lot of solo hunts, with base camp, mobile (different truck camp most days) and backpack.

Hunting is basically camping/ hiking with a weapon. Do not over complicate or overthink. A basic pack, good boots and decent quality clothing and your hunting equipment. Go in with the attitude that success is going, trying and also that punching a tag is a bonus but not a measure of success. In repetition you will reasonably build knowledge to consistently have higher odds of filling tags.

The west is overrun with Texans each fall. Find one or two to join and leave the old hunt partners behind. Whatever you do do not let guys who ‘prefer to hunt blinds’ have anything to do with how you plan your western hunts.

Get in as great of physical shape as you can.

You can hunt his year with an OTC tag, get to it!

Antelope can be one of the easier entry points to hunting western states.

 

[elkliver]

I was more talking solo backpacking trip, id be interested in doing a base camp though. And yeah i should have made my goals more clear, I would hold off on the elk for now but I'm definitely interested on doing a muley or antelope for the first couple of trips. Thanks for the advice!

for antelope... I don't see that as making sense for a backpack trip. Terrain, open space, abundance of animals, lack of wilderness corresponding to Antelope habitat., etc... in general, this would be a good first western hunt based out of the truck. Fairly easy to get a decent tag depending on the state you apply in. off the top of my head, I cant think of an antelope hunt that backpacking would be on my list but it would be a great start to western hunting

 

[elkliver]

For Solo backpacking, reading Cameron Hanes would be a good place for some inspiration

 

[ccoffey]

Being on rokslide at this point is the best advice I can give you. Had I found this group prior to my first year out west, I would have been a lot better off. Aside from that, I’d recommend one of the e-scouting courses that shows you how to best use all the different mapping tools. I’m not sure what your experience is out west with terrain, but I can tell you that if you’re not 100% sure what you’re looking at from above, it can take you from plan A to plan D real quick.

 

[SamuelMartin]

Being on rokslide at this point is the best advice I can give you. Had I found this group prior to my first year out west, I would have been a lot better off. Aside from that, I’d recommend one of the e-scouting courses that shows you how to best use all the different mapping tools. I’m not sure what your experience is out west with terrain, but I can tell you that if you’re not 100% sure what you’re looking at from above, it can take you from plan A to plan D real quick.

I am not familiar, granted went snowboarding in Colorado and Nevada but thats it. Any courses or sites you recommend?

 

[ccoffey]

I am not familiar, granted went snowboarding in Colorado and Nevada but thats it. Any courses or sites you recommend?

Mark Livesay has a really good one.


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[ReddingArcher]

Just go for it. Let people know where you’re going, have a way to communicate and get after it. Apply for easy to draw tags or otc. I’d set up a truck camp and go out from there and maybe do a night or two away from that. You don’t have to be miles from a road, stay within a couple miles and you’ll be fine. Take more time than you normally would for everything. For gear, there’s an actually a couple videos out right now showing inexpensive gear that works, the guys from born and raised just did one. I hadn’t watched their stuff for a while but did watch that just to see what they were pushing. Buy more tags than gear though. When you finish a trip, set aside everything you used and everything you didn’t after a couple trips you’ll figure out you don’t need a lot of the stuff in your pack.

Oh shop the classifieds for better deals. You don’t need the latest and greatest to have a good time. Good luck.

 

[flathead#2]

I'm 58 and headed to Idaho on a muzzy hunt in Oct. - Solo.
Will prolly be camping at the vehicle mostly.

 

[Ken Swenson]

In my experience, being comfortable in the backcountry is the most important factor. I’m speaking for myself, but I can only focus on one thing at a time when I’m out there. If I’m homesick, if I have blisters on my feet, if I’m cold, if I’m sleep deprived, I’m not focused on the task at hand. I’m distracted, and most likely not having a great time.

I’ve tried to simplify it to that in my head. Go out prepared, work your butt off and make sure you’re as comfortable as possible. Find out what simple pleasures you can have both during the day and back at camp each night to keep you motivated and looking forward to something (hot drink, favorite food, comfortable sleeping bag, etc…) that way if you happen to have a miserable day, you won’t be as tempted to just go home and call it quits.

I agree with the other responses. Hunting is way simpler than most people make it out to be. I’ve read just about every book out there on either mule deer and/or western backcountry hunting and I’d still say the vast majority of my learning has simply come from getting after it.

 

[LongWayAround]

I'm kind of surprised that it has not been mentioned, but I would say one of the more important aspects is to have your affairs in order at home. Pay all of your bills, give the lady some cash, don't have work giving you a hard time.

If your home life is at peace, you're just throwing your gear in the truck for a few extra days. I always tell the lady that "I will see her in a few days" regardless of how long I will be gone. If you have someone at home, buy an InReach or similar to communicate.

Get a tag and go. You will learn more in a week of doing than a year of interneting.

 

[WesternSlope]

Also a new guy. Maybe consider warmer hunts if you’re new. I had a late season hunt a couple years ago get derailed by a single detail. Butane doesn’t work past 11 degrees Fahrenheit. I was in a situation where I was melting snow for water. I thought I had run out of fuel. I was really frustrated thinking I had managed to bring the wrong fuel canisters. Had I known I could have put a fuel canister in my sleeping bag to warm it up I could have stayed out another day. Point is there’s a lot of little details with a steep learning curve if you’re camping in freezing temperatures. That also taught me I want a wood stove and multiple reliable fire starting skills. Also taught me for the foreseeable future I need to be a more reasonable distance from the truck if there’s going to be a foot of snow on the ground. I had to hike out 5 miles and down 2,500’ to get to a trailhead. Had I not had trekking poles I might not have been able to get out safely. I had a Garmin Mini and the ability to stay warm/dry in that situation but not a ton of recourse should something happen.

 

[Jimmy]

Go for it. Life is short.

Just plan it out and bring what you need and don't go 10 miles in your first trip. Go 2 miles. See how it goes and go from there. Biting off more than you can chew comes back to burn first timers.

 

[Johnny Tyndall]

Like others have said, understand the challenge in getting meat out and have a plan.

My advice is just spend a bunch of time doing things on your own in the woods - hiking, navigating, and camping. You'll find out if you're up for it, and build a lot of skills and confidence. At the same time, take any opportunity to go out with more experienced people too. You'll learn a ton just from watching what they do. There are a million little tips and tricks that make life a lot easier.

Then, just give 'er. If you're comfortable being on your own in the woods, you can focus on the hunting.

 

[highcountrymuley]

I'd suggest doing a truck camping trip first , for deer or Antelope. Get out there and see how you feel alone. Bring some chocolate and look at pics of your loved ones when u need to! But don't leave the first time u want to - give yourself a grace period if it's overwhelming. Take the next day off. Spruce up your camp. Go through your pack and organize, make it lighter, clean yourself up, take a day of rest, eat more food. Then go hunt some more. Resetting your mind and body does wonders for keeping you out there. Smell the flowers and savor being out there in the wild.
As stated above Cam Hanes book has some great info on the mental aspects of backcountry hunting. This is as important as the nuts and bolts, gear list type of preparation. Good luck on your journey