Anyone tried still hunting with a haversack instead of a backpack?

Macchina

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Jan 16, 2015
Messages
121
I've played with shoulder bags over the years and find they are ideal to keep at my cabin for when my girls want to go on a hike. They're lightweight and very handy when accessing items often. I throw some water and snacks in them and always have a small band-aid kit and other essentials stored in there (multitool, lighter, compass, flashlight, wet wipes).

I'm thinking about brining one on my next hunting trip. It is a sun-up to sun-down hunt for whitetails, packing the deer out can be done the next day on a cart if needed. I tend to fill up a backpack pretty fast with stuff I use occasionally. An ultralight tarp, spare batteries, spare flashlight, extra warm hat, tourniquet, Sawyer water filter, etc all is handy but does add up to a few pounds of weight. I've used all these items except the tourniquet so I'm a little hesitant. I'm thinking having an alternative in the truck for when I want to go light and fast.

I understand it will be hard to pack layers but I'm thinking about a pack with the bare minimum for a full day hunt:

Range Finder
1 L of water
Lunch and a few snacks
Lightweight Wool gloves and hat
fixed blade
lighter
compass
water tablets
Tags
Headlamp
Sit pad
extra ammo

MAYBE a puffy

This is how our ancestors always hunted (and with much less). I want to force myself not to bring extra junk...

I ordered a couple of the British Satchels to try out:


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MarlinMark

Lil-Rokslider
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Aug 25, 2014
Messages
291
That's the way I always hunted in the 90's. After that packs started to get "interesting." :)
 
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I run a fairly small pack on a frame. It stays pretty empty until the colder/wet weather season.

I do not understand hiking out and coming back the next day to haul out the deer.
 
Joined
Jun 29, 2022
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Western Kentucky
You should check out the Hill People Gear M2016 Butt Pack. It looks pretty versatile. It can be used as a sling bag or buttpack mounted on a belt or attached to a larger backpack.
Personally I like the convince of a backpack and try to use a small pack around 18-20L so I don't get carried away and still can easily stuff in a puffy or rain jacket.
 

LostArra

WKR
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May 9, 2013
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Oklahoma
I use a Bison Gear Haversack or Houndsman (slightly larger) when treestand hunting. Simple to get off and on while in a tree and completely silent like all Bison Gear packs.
 

akcabin

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Feb 10, 2023
Messages
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No,I use my backpack. Been using it for years and very comfortable with it. And it carries what I need. And I can easily find it.
I have what it takes to field process a moose by myself. Get by comfortable during the day or night with any kind of weather. And enough to spend the night. It's remote hunting usually by myself so need to be ready.
My n my ditty bag backpack are pretty comfortable together. First thing for being safe
 

Superdoo

WKR
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Feb 21, 2020
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ND
Reminds me of this thread:
 

Titan_Bow

WKR
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Dec 10, 2015
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1,152
Location
Colorado
What do you do when you get an animal??Hike back to the truck and then grab a pack? When I’m hunting I pretty much always have my pack with me. I have an EXO k2 3500, and when cinched down is pretty much a large day pack. No matter how deep in I go, I am always prepared then to pack out the animal. Deer or antelope can come out in one trip, which is nice. Also, I don’t feel I’m ever skimping on first aid, food, water, emergency shelter or fire. I hunt primarily Colorado, Nebraska, Wyoming and Montana, and in most places I go, it’s better to be over prepared than under.


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Titan_Bow

WKR
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Dec 10, 2015
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1,152
Location
Colorado
Sorry just saw your comment about packing out the next day. If that works for you, good on you. I know for me, I’d rather get a deer out on one trip. Many places, leaving a deer overnight means feeding the coyotes or bears


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