Looking for Western Hunters

[Gooden123]

I'll include a little back story about me below. I'm Chris, 38, don't drink or do drugs and am in great shape. I'm looking for people to western archery hunt with. I'm even willing to go without a tag and help pack out just to gain experience. I'm well equipped from packs to packrafts and have a lot of backcountry experience, but in Appalachia.

I'll also be doing a solo Haul Road hunt 8/22-8/30 if anyone will be out that way.

I'm really interested in any hunts requiring a packraft, starting with Spring Bear (anywhere). Then elk, mule deer, bear early Fall of 2026.

I've come to the realization that none of my people will ever invest in the gear needed to backcountry western hunt. Everyone wants to do it, but I'm sure plenty of you know how that goes especially when it comes to money. So I'm on my own with all backcountry adventures even in the east and I've come to like it. But I also discovered how limited I am with a solo packout. I'm not getting too far without another able body or hiring a drop camp outfitter. It's the primary reason I got an Alpacka Mule packraft (which I'll be bringing to Alaska in August). Hopefully I can find some decent areas to pack in and float out.

This got long winded but figure it's my best chance at finding a Western hunting mentor and/or partner.

FWIW I'm heavily invested in Stone Glacier, Kuiu, First Lite, Argali, Crispi...I'm not bragging. That would be weird. I'm trying to show sincerity through words and the best way I can do that is to show that I'm invested in a passion and it took me a long time to get it together. Good, light, reliable equipment is also important and another reason I don't want current people in my life putting themselves in a very uncomfortable and potentially dangerous situation by attempting these kinds of hunts with bulky heavy camping and whitetail gear.

 

[lil' bear]

I'm definitely in the same boat as you. An Ohio native. Age 32, no alcohol. Good shape.
Also heavily invested in top tier gear.
Also coming to the conclusion I'll never be able to convince anybody from here to actually try hunting something other than whitetails on 20 acres with a mossberg 450 with a vortex crossfire lol. I've never met another local person who has ever heard of rokslide or kuiu, or exo.....
I've spent the last 2 seasons wandering around idaho like a fud. I'm always searching for a mentor, or simply someone to hunt with.

 

[Gooden123]

I'm definitely in the same boat as you. An Ohio native. Age 32, no alcohol. Good shape.
Also heavily invested in top tier gear.
Also coming to the conclusion I'll never be able to convince anybody from here to actually try hunting something other than whitetails on 20 acres with a mossberg 450 with a vortex crossfire lol. I've never met another local person who has ever heard of rokslide or kuiu, or exo.....
I've spent the last 2 seasons wandering around idaho like a fud. I'm always searching for a mentor, or simply someone to hunt with.

Oh forgot to mention where I'm from. Southern New Jersey. And yeah nobody knows what Rokslide is. My girlfriend thought I was getting into 4x4'ing again when she heard me talking about it

Ohio is a big state but I'm also looking to hunt Adams Co or possibly the other side of the river in Kentucky. My buddy built a Barndominium on 50 acres near Tollesboro, KY and offered me to stay but it doesn't look like a lot of public land compared to OH. Thinking of heading out there when I get back from Alaska to scout in September. Then again after our archery bear week around mid-October. And I'm off work 10/31 - 11/9 which I plan to spend all of it out there. Feel free to inbox me if you have any advice or want to hunt that area.

Also funny you mention Idaho. That's where I wanted to begin. I drew an Island Park tag in 2020. That's when the realization of being stuck road hunting sunk in. Even a 1 mile solo packout with an elk is very far and that's if it dies where you want it to. Not always the case with am arrow

 

[lil' bear]

If your going to hunt public, expect to see things such as this lol. There's a lot of people but most of them are incapable of filling a tag. Just hunt around them. I'm not super familiar with the southern portion, im right on lake erie a couple miles from the Michigan line. So I'm hitting the marshes. Most of the areas are draw permits and your only allowed to take 1 doe on public ground. Aside from that we have plenty of deer there's certainly no shortage of them.
I've heavily considered taking a trip down south, I'll send a DM.

 

[Howard94]

Im in southeast Michigan as well. It is extremely hard to find a hunting partner who wants to go out west or put up the money for it. I’m going to Colorado next year to chase some elk. Other than that I’m definitely interested in doing a spring black bear hunt. 32 married and have 2 kids so I don’t have unlimited free time. I have all the gear and am familiar with using it. Like most around here I primarily whitetail hunt. I also suggest trying to hit up Kentucky. I shot this buck a few years ago down there.

 

[sebastian.cassell]

I am a southern Michigan guy in the same boat. 5 years of hunting out west now and will be my 2nd fall guiding elk hunts as well. Been trying to get everyone I know to tag along but nobody will put in the work. I would be down to tag along for a fun hunt- black bear, elk, muleys, wolf, moose, etc. 31yrs old, married 3 kids, boring Christian dude that’s in pretty good shape. Have the best gear and have been using it for a few years now.

 

[Elkhuntinfool78]

I think it would be great if you find yourself a good hunting partner but that said I wouldn't shy away from hunting the areas you want to hunt because you might have to go solo.

I'm fortunate to live out west and have hunted solo for the last 15+ years. Pretty much every year I pack out elk anywhere from 2 to 7 miles in. I also went to AK a couple years back and managed a solo moose pack out. I'm 47 years old now and have 3 herniated discs in my back.

This isn't meant to come across as bragging or anything of the sort, all I wanted to get across is that you can do what you are wanting to do with or without a partner if you have the desire to do so. After a certain level of physical fitness is achieved it mostly comes down to your mental state. If you want it bad enough you can make it happen.

Props to you for going to AK solo for caribou this year, I'm sure you will have a great experience. Good luck and I hope I see a thread from you about your success there.

 

[Gooden123]

I think it would be great if you find yourself a good hunting partner but that said I wouldn't shy away from hunting the areas you want to hunt because you might have to go solo.

I'm fortunate to live out west and have hunted solo for the last 15+ years. Pretty much every year I pack out elk anywhere from 2 to 7 miles in. I also went to AK a couple years back and managed a solo moose pack out. I'm 47 years old now and have 3 herniated discs in my back.

This isn't meant to come across as bragging or anything of the sort, all I wanted to get across is that you can do what you are wanting to do with or without a partner if you have the desire to do so. After a certain level of physical fitness is achieved it mostly comes down to your mental state. If you want it bad enough you can make it happen.

Props to you for going to AK solo for caribou this year, I'm sure you will have a great experience. Good luck and I hope I see a thread from you about your success there.

I know what you're saying about not intending to brag but that is impressive and an inspiration. I appreciate you chiming in.

I guess that's why I wouldn't mind tagging along with someone just to help them pack out and gain experience. Then I'll have a better idea of what I'm capable of instead of finding out with an animal I killed by myself. I can't bring myself to road hunt, I know that.

Thank you! I'll report on Alaska no matter what. I hope I'll gain a lot of experience as far as logistics and have multiple options for getting meat home if successful. Ideally packaged and frozen in a couple insulated fish boxes, paying the overages and flying it home with me on AK Airlines. There's also an expeditor (Alaska Trophy Express) who runs a route in the lower 48 if I get pinched for time. If all else fails I have a friend in Fairbanks who works for BLM and will take the meat. I plan to give her some anyway although she took a big bull in the resident spring season.

 

[Elkhuntinfool78]

I know what you're saying about not intending to brag but that is impressive and an inspiration. I appreciate you chiming in.

I guess that's why I wouldn't mind tagging along with someone just to help them pack out and gain experience. Then I'll have a better idea of what I'm capable of instead of finding out with an animal I killed by myself. I can't bring myself to road hunt, I know that.

Thank you! I'll report on Alaska no matter what. I hope I'll gain a lot of experience as far as logistics and have multiple options for getting meat home if successful. Ideally packaged and frozen in a couple insulated fish boxes, paying the overages and flying it home with me on AK Airlines. There's also an expeditor (Alaska Trophy Express) who runs a route in the lower 48 if I get pinched for time. If all else fails I have a friend in Fairbanks who works for BLM and will take the meat. I plan to give her some anyway although she took a big bull in the resident spring season.

Not to derail the thread and making it all about AK but will you be archery hunting only or will you be taking a rifle and looking at the 5 mile death march as a backup?

I've looked at that same trip as caribou fly out options are getting kinda limited and expensive as of late. I will be anxious to hear how it goes for you.

Both the options you mentioned for getting meat home are good. One other option would be to get signed up as a known shipper via Alaska air cargo.

AK is a truly special place, bring a head net as bugs could be pretty awful that time of year