Gear Check Help

[07yzryder]

This year will be my first big game hunt and I have all that I need for the hunt but I'm sure I'm overthinking what to take.

So here's my hunt game plan. my brother will be joining for the first week (its a 2 week season and I have plenty of days off so why not take the full 2 weeks in nature!). First week I plan on camping at the truck and hiking the 2/3 miles and gain a lot of vertical and scouting all the areas I've looked over on the on-x maps. Second week if i dont harvest a deer ill be moving south and backpacking 5-10 miles in and spending a week trying to get away from anyplace anyone in their right mind would want to go lol.

From what I can tell, weather can range from highs in the 60s to lows in the single digits, so planning on having clothes available in the truck for the entire range. my kit is as follows.

Clothing:
Base layer: merino top/bottom/socks
first layer: sitka pants with knee pads (rocky area) and multicam long sleeve
additional layers: zip up vest, puffy coat, beanie, gloves (all but gloves sitka, gloves are outdoor research)
Rain gear: leaf jacket and sitka bib
Boots: danner insulated

Camp:
Tent, insulated pad, bag and liner, stakes/guy lines, pillow, tent repair tape
cooking: jetboil, poket rocket, and burner stove (if fire restrictions are lifted will bring a wood fire system instead)
water filtration: gravity system (base camp), backup sawyer squeeze (backpack), and jet boil of course
Knife: Tops BOB for light wood work around camp, axe for wood (FML if fire restrictions still in place)
First aid: small backpack kit with a booboo kit and random small bits and peices, large kit in the truck/base camp
Solar charger (phone with on-x)
backup charger

Survival:
lighter in firesleeve
storm proof matches in waterproof container
ferro rod
magnesium shavings
cotton/PJ mix
multitool

Game:
Tags
elec tape
Tyto knife
caribou bone in game bags
tarp
rifle/ammo
binos
chest harness with holster

Food:
Ice chests with frozen gallon water bottles.
1 ice chest with first weeks worth of food
box of peak refuel

pack is a MR Beartooth 80, has been setup properly for my height and will have hiking sticks.

Any advice on what to add or leave at home, mind you my plan is to leave all this at the truck the second week. week 2 will be bare minimum.

The binos are vortex 10x32 or something, i have a tripod and a rather large spotting scope. I am debating on carrying the spotting scope on the first week since my pack will be empty on the hikes up, just jetboil, snacks, 1 peak food, few layers and my rifle/bino harness. Down side is the tripod is a rather heavy manfrotto. spotting scope is a large spotting scope, all together the two will probably add 15lbs to the kit. Budget is too thin to buy a spotting scope right now, though next year im hoping to have a new tripod/spotter combo.


sorry or the rambling, just excited about the hunt and done want to have a bad hunt because i missed something important.

 

[AKBorn]

If you are planning to bring out the antlers without the rest of the skull, do you need a small saw or axe/hatchet to cut the antlers off the head?

Also, not sure what you mean by "week 2 the plan would be to leave all of this at the truck..."

 

[07yzryder]

If you are planning to bring out the antlers without the rest of the skull, do you need a small saw or axe/hatchet to cut the antlers off the head?

Also, not sure what you mean by "week 2 the plan would be to leave all of this at the truck..."

You're able to remove the skull without an axe/saw. At least it was on a video. Reminds me to toss my folding saw in, and if I'm not good enough to get the head off with a knife I'll bring the saw.

Week two will be backpack only camping remote away from the truck. Week 1 I will have a base camp at the truck. Week 2 will be 5 days away from the truck with backpack only.

Edit:saw you said antlers without the skull. State law requires I keep the skull with the meat.

 

[Wapiti1]

You're able to remove the skull without an axe/saw. At least it was on a video. Reminds me to toss my folding saw in, and if I'm not good enough to get the head off with a knife I'll bring the saw.

Week two will be backpack only camping remote away from the truck. Week 1 I will have a base camp at the truck. Week 2 will be 5 days away from the truck with backpack only.

Edit:saw you said antlers without the skull. State law requires I keep the skull with the meat.

Check the transport laws for that skull if you do not clean it on site. CWD laws can apply in state and certainly state to state for transport of skulls, spines, bones, etc.

Camp shoes are really nice.

Play the spotter/tripod by ear. It might be needed, it might not. You'll only know that when you see the country. Option 2 is make your brother carry it.

Think long and hard about a 5+ mile solo packout with a deer plus camp. Doable in some cases, not so doable in others. Especially if you have never done packing of game before. There are ways, like leave camp and get the deer out first so the meat is in good shape. Just think it through before hand.

Jeremy

 

[07yzryder]

Check the transport laws for that skull if you do not clean it on site. CWD laws can apply in state and certainly state to state for transport of skulls, spines, bones, etc.

Camp shoes are really nice.

Play the spotter/tripod by ear. It might be needed, it might not. You'll only know that when you see the country. Option 2 is make your brother carry it.

Think long and hard about a 5+ mile solo packout with a deer plus camp. Doable in some cases, not so doable in others. Especially if you have never done packing of game before. There are ways, like leave camp and get the deer out first so the meat is in good shape. Just think it through before hand.

Jeremy

Nevada as of now doesnt have CWD issues from what ive read.

Correct i need to toss the crocs in the truck. My last hiking trip sucked because it was barefoot or boots for 3 days.

Yea its uphill to the location and downhill out. Downhill im fine with 80-100 lbs on my back, uphill is what kills me. Plan would be 2 days to pack out, with day 1 being good chunk of meat and camp, and day 2 being rest of meat. The weather may play into this though. If highs are mid 50's and lows in the 40s id rather not play that game and wont go anywhere i cant pack everything out in one trip. Last thing i want is ruined meat because i wanted to bag an animal over making a smart decision. I have already made it a point to myself that i WILL NOT take an irresponsible shot, being comfortable distance or location of animal if it goes down IE gnarly canyon or soemthing.

 

[bsnedeker]

Overall your gear list seems heavy to me, but I think that's where everyone starts out so it's pretty normal. You'll find out what you use over time and weed things out. For example, you aren't going to need three stoves. Also for fire you can carry a lighter and some matches and some of those cotton balls and you are good...you don't need to also carry a ferro rod and magnesium shavings (my entire fire kit is 3 bics (strategically placed around the pack and bino harness) and a couple of packages of Trioxane. I would also think about swapping out the tarp for a contractor bag or 2...much more versatile and generally lighter.

I would also leave the spotter. This is your first big game hunt, I can't imagine you are going to be too terribly choosy on what deer you go after and what you pass on. With a decent set of binos you can pick out antlers from a long way away, and if you throw them on a tripod you can easily tell the difference between a fork and a mature deer. Spotting scopes are for glassing from the road, or for those hard-core guys who will only settle for a trophy-class animal. As a first-timer I would suggest you go after the first legal animal you see and you don't need a spotter to do that...just my 2 cents.

 

[Wapiti1]

Overall your gear list seems heavy to me, but I think that's where everyone starts out so it's pretty normal. You'll find out what you use over time and weed things out. For example, you aren't going to need three stoves. Also for fire you can carry a lighter and some matches and some of those cotton balls and you are good...you don't need to also carry a ferro rod and magnesium shavings (my entire fire kit is 3 bics (strategically placed around the pack and bino harness) and a couple of packages of Trioxane. I would also think about swapping out the tarp for a contractor bag or 2...much more versatile and generally lighter.

I would also leave the spotter. This is your first big game hunt, I can't imagine you are going to be too terribly choosy on what deer you go after and what you pass on. With a decent set of binos you can pick out antlers from a long way away, and if you throw them on a tripod you can easily tell the difference between a fork and a mature deer. Spotting scopes are for glassing from the road, or for those hard-core guys who will only settle for a trophy-class animal. As a first-timer I would suggest you go after the first legal animal you see and you don't need a spotter to do that...just my 2 cents.

You're missing the point. The brother can carry the tripod and spotter. Any proper brother deserves such an honor. I know mine does, and I know he thinks that I do.

Keep in mind his gear list is split between a week of base camping, and a week of back country. I think there is a lot of what looks like redundancy that isn't.

Jeremy

 

[Jbehredt]

Overall your gear list seems heavy to me, but I think that's where everyone starts out so it's pretty normal. You'll find out what you use over time and weed things out. For example, you aren't going to need three stoves. Also for fire you can carry a lighter and some matches and some of those cotton balls and you are good...you don't need to also carry a ferro rod and magnesium shavings (my entire fire kit is 3 bics (strategically placed around the pack and bino harness) and a couple of packages of Trioxane. I would also think about swapping out the tarp for a contractor bag or 2...much more versatile and generally lighter.

I would also leave the spotter. This is your first big game hunt, I can't imagine you are going to be too terribly choosy on what deer you go after and what you pass on. With a decent set of binos you can pick out antlers from a long way away, and if you throw them on a tripod you can easily tell the difference between a fork and a mature deer. Spotting scopes are for glassing from the road, or for those hard-core guys who will only settle for a trophy-class animal. As a first-timer I would suggest you go after the first legal animal you see and you don't need a spotter to do that...just my 2 cents.

Funny, I’ve got the exact same fire kit. Bic in the pack lid, another in my possibles pouch w/2 trioxanes is wrapped in leukotape, and a spare spare in my bino harness. Tried to leave one of them at home this season.... just couldn’t do it.

 

[07yzryder]

You're missing the point. The brother can carry the tripod and spotter. Any proper brother deserves such an honor. I know mine does, and I know he thinks that I do.

Keep in mind his gear list is split between a week of base camping, and a week of back country. I think there is a lot of what looks like redundancy that isn't.

Jeremy

Yea that's pretty much the heavy convenient stuff won't leave the base camp/truck so I don't mind redundancy and heavy stove and such there.

Fire wise I think I'll keep a bic in the exotac and the storm proof matches as a backup.

I have trioxane tablets I'll throw into the ziploc for fire starter. Leave the magnesium and other redundancies as home. Tripod and spotter I'll take with me, and leave in the truck worst case.

I'm also going to keep track of what I used and what I didn't to help narrow down the list and learn.

 

[agardner00]

I have a pretty similar list. I keep looking at that Leatherman and wanting to take it out of the pack—haven’t used it in the field for three years. Just afraid I’ll need it and not have it. Good luck, I’m jealous! My big hunts are over for the year (unless I can convince the wife to spend Christmas in AZ).


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[ExpectNoMercy]

Looks good we all have our little things we want to change.

 

[Wassid82]

I would bring a hat and some leukotape. Most people are prone to hiking that much in consecutive days and would need something incase of blisters on their feet. I also carry some light weight croc sandals to wear part of the day/night when not hunting to air out my feet and boots. Last thing I would consider adding is iodine pills for worst case scenario water purification. Do need many but just incase your water filter froze or got damaged.