Must-Haves for Western Hunts

[PAHunter10]

Can you find some time to go on a non-hunting vacation there before then? Even just going as a tourist to Yellowstone would be better than waiting until D-Day before actually going there.

I’d love to but not sure if I can swing that yet. Doing my best to analyze everything available online for now like topo maps, completion reports, etc, and great info from all of you here!

 

[PAHunter10]

How many deer points will you have by then? Not being able to get a tag is a real thing. Regardless of whether i made a joke about or not.

We’re realistically looking at 2026 at the earliest, so unfortunately only going to have 3 points by then. Really limits our areas unless we do the special tags but I haven’t read up on that enough yet with the new changes and fees

 

[Lytro]

I'm not a western hunter, but for hoofing around in the Appalachians all year I've come to the conclusion that I don't care for the stiffer boots geared toward western hunting, regardless of terrain.

A lot of people say this until they experience a pack out with actual weight on their backs, multiple trips, extended distances with elevation changes, etc. I do agree with you that they are likely unnecessary for normal hiking without weight though.

To answer the OP's question - IMO, quality binos are the best piece of gear to invest in. A spotter would be a waste of space and a pain to pack around if you're not chasing inches.

 

[Drenalin]

A lot of people say this until they experience a pack out with actual weight on their backs, multiple trips, extended distances with elevation changes, etc. I do agree with you that they are likely unnecessary for normal hiking without weight though.

A lot of people think they're the only ones who have carried loads up and down mountains, and the way that works for them must be the way that's right for everyone. But that isn't the case. Based on experience, I provided an alternative perspective.

 

[hereinaz]

A lot of people think they're the only ones who have carried loads up and down mountains, and the way that works for them must be the way that's right for everyone. But that isn't the case. Based on experience, I provided an alternative perspective.

I love soft boots and wide toe boxes for some trails. Other trails are murder on the feet with them out here. Off trail, good luck if you are in rough country. There are guys who run softer boots around, but they have tough feet and are conditioned for it.

Here are some questions for anyone weighing a different perspective:

Have you hiked with a load in conditions where the bottom of your feet get beat up on sharp rocks and uneven terrain until it’s painful to walk?

Have you hiked with a load where you were going up hill over rocks and could only get purchase with your toe and your arch starts to scream at you?

Have you been carrying a load where every step for a mile has been with rocks rolling under your feet and your legs and core are exhausted because you have to pick out each step and compensate for not knowing which way your body will lean?

All mountains are not created equal. It’s not “mountains” per se that require stiff boots, but western mountains with their typical rocky terrain. I have never hiked the Appalachia mountains, but none of the mountains I have seen in pictures really look like the stuff we see out west.

I get it, some conditions don’t require stiff boots. And, stiff boots are miserable to wear compared to sneaker. But, they are a necessary evil, and putting them on makes me happy when I am going into the mountains.

I wore rubber boots in Alaska this trip and my Kenetrek’s my first trip. For the Alaska trips I did, either boot was fine. And, this year I had rolled an ankle very badly and still had a bit of soreness months later. I still never put on my Kenetreks because I didn’t need them.

 

[Bull_n_heat]

Get yourself a wind checker. Besides boots and glass, it's what I use most, and arguably more relevant.

 

[Fatcamp]

I'm not a western hunter, but for hoofing around in the Appalachians all year I've come to the conclusion that I don't care for the stiffer boots geared toward western hunting, regardless of terrain. I'll take the flexibility and more generous toe box of something like Keens or Merrells, knowing I'll have to replace them every 9-12 months.

I consider Keens and Merrlls high quality.

You don't have to buy $500 boots but without good fitting boots that are broken in you will be fubar by day 2.

 

[Lytro]

A lot of people think they're the only ones who have carried loads up and down mountains, and the way that works for them must be the way that's right for everyone. But that isn't the case. Based on experience, I provided an alternative perspective.

Lol. Sorry to upset you with my opinion, buddy.

But which is it?

I'm not a western hunter

Based on experience

Before you get bent out of shape again, I'm being facetious solely because of your reply. Come out west sometime. You're missing out.

 

[mt terry d]

Multiple fire-starting devices and enough stuff to survive a night out without dying.

 

[wytx]

Wind proof layers.
A reliable 4x4 truck with E tires, snow chains for front and rear.

Practice getting set up for a quick but steady shot and a flat shooting rifle caliber.
Bipod is always on my rifle as well.

 

[AZ_Hunter_2000]

Keep it simple:
1) Functional optics on a tripod.
2) Dialed-in rifle.
3) Wind meter and know how to guesstimate.
4) Functional backpack.
5) Be in decent shape (walk around with 50# in the pack until you no longer notice it).
6) Functional boots.
7) Positive attitude.
8) Use what you already have for everything else.

Don't need to break the bank. Don't need the best of everything. Don't need to impress anyone let alone a bunch of prima donnas possessing several narcissistic traits on the internet.

Folks here and elsewhere tend to over complicate things. They forget that before the advent of the WKR, hunters around the world regularly killed animals without all of the gear and options that we have today.

 

[ProStaffSteve]

I’d love to but not sure if I can swing that yet. Doing my best to analyze everything available online for now like topo maps, completion reports, etc, and great info from all of you here!

TBQH understanding the land in person is most important, wouldnt look at a map besides google maps and zones prior. You wouldnt show up in your buddy's back yard in PA and start blasting. Im from MN, took a mule deer last year. Yellowstone, Rocky MT NP, and Glacier happened before than. It took 3.5 weeks of hunting boots to spot a mature mule deer and shit will go wrong. again, and again, and again. Start by flying out, rent a car, and drive. know the state, understand where big animals are. on one of these drives in WY I saw literally 200 deer all trophy class white tail and mule deer. Each of these deer, guys from PA will see once in a lifetime of hunting, assuming MN and PA are comparable in class. killing one on public ground is nothing like that, it takes work and learning hard lessons.

 

[Drenalin]

@hereinaz I agree, in terrain where you're going rock to rock or walking on loose rock, softer boots can be exhausting and miserable. That was true for me in Arizona even without a heavy pack. I didn't understand that to be the condition of things across the entirety of the American west.

@Lytro My apologies, we both could have worded things differently, and I didn't have to respond the way I did.

To clarify, I have not hunted out west, as I stated earlier. I've carried stupid loads up, down, and long in California and I pack animals out back home as needed (which isn't the Rockies).

My experience with stiff boots is the opposite of a lot of people's. I'm fine with them going up, and even happy with them if it's especially steep. Coming back down, they are torture for me. The longer I'm in a pair of stiff boots, on any terrain, the more I wish I had opted for the more flexible boots.

I haven't noticed a difference in how my feet feel in stiff versus soft boots in situations with heavy weight versus without heavy weight. Maybe I don't carry enough weight now for it to matter? I generally draw a line at about 75 pounds these days, other than a couple of times strapping a whole whitetail to a pack in the last few years for a short pack out. Maybe above 75 pounds it starts to matter whether you're wearing stiff boots or flexible boots? I don't know. The heaviest loads I've ever carried were in soft boots and at the time I didn't even know there was such a thing as a stiff boot. I was younger then, but 10-15 miles weren't a problem. Over 20, my feet were going to be trashed. Maybe stiff boots would have treated me better.

Ultimately, OP will have to decide the boot thing for himself. There are factors other than, and in addition to, where he's going that affect boot selection.

 

[hereinaz]

@hereinaz I agree, in terrain where you're going rock to rock or walking on loose rock, softer boots can be exhausting and miserable. That was true for me in Arizona even without a heavy pack. I didn't understand that to be the condition of things across the entirety of the American west.

@Lytro My apologies, we both could have worded things differently, and I didn't have to respond the way I did.

To clarify, I have not hunted out west, as I stated earlier. I've carried stupid loads up, down, and long in California and I pack animals out back home as needed (which isn't the Rockies).

My experience with stiff boots is the opposite of a lot of people's. I'm fine with them going up, and even happy with them if it's especially steep. Coming back down, they are torture for me. The longer I'm in a pair of stiff boots, on any terrain, the more I wish I had opted for the more flexible boots.

I haven't noticed a difference in how my feet feel in stiff versus soft boots in situations with heavy weight versus without heavy weight. Maybe I don't carry enough weight now for it to matter? I generally draw a line at about 75 pounds these days, other than a couple of times strapping a whole whitetail to a pack in the last few years for a short pack out. Maybe above 75 pounds it starts to matter whether you're wearing stiff boots or flexible boots? I don't know. The heaviest loads I've ever carried were in soft boots and at the time I didn't even know there was such a thing as a stiff boot. I was younger then, but 10-15 miles weren't a problem. Over 20, my feet were going to be trashed. Maybe stiff boots would have treated me better.

Ultimately, OP will have to decide the boot thing for himself. There are factors other than, and in addition to, where he's going that affect boot selection.

Context is important. For the guys that suffer, they had the wrong boots for the wrong place.

It’s about terrain, and being a mountain is only one aspect of terrain.

I agree, going downhill on trails is harder with stiff boots, but uphill, side hilling, and downhill on rough terrain all call for stiff boots.

 

[camelcluch]

Chapstick and wipes. Keep them separate.

 

[hereinaz]

Chapstick and wipes. Keep them separate.

Especially after you use them.

 

[squid-freshprints]

These are awesome ideas, there are full lists available, but non negotiable is: Tag, Kill kit, Ammo, Weapon. Strangely I have forgot, or seen all of these forgotten. Now as I leave, I chant, Tag, Kill kit, Ammo weapon.

 

[Jbxl20]

Lightweight chair. Glassing and/or at camp.

 

[280ack]

my 2 cents

Day hunts
1. Good quality Binocs 10x or 12x, spotter and tripod optional
2. Quality supportive boots, lt insulated, Kennetreks, Crispi, Scarpa
-wool socks- mole skin
3. Synthetic clothes, Kuiu Guide pants and Axis Jacket
4. Down Pants and parka
5. rain set
6. Zip-off merino base layer
7. Day pack with more room than you will use
8. Sit pad - closed cell foam
9. GPS and communicator - your a rookie out west comms are important
10. Detailed paper map of your area & Compass
11. Possibles kit- fire starter- firstaid- energy bars - elect tape -folding knife
12. 2- 2qt Water bladders
13. headlamps (2)

Back pack camping hunts
1. Synthetic bag 0 deg or lower
2. Floorless tent -- saves weight
3. Windburner stove + 2 fuels canisters
4. Sleeping pad - folding closed cell
5. Dehyderated food mixes previously broken down
6. Mesh food bag-- for storage -hanging
7. Para cord
8. Water filter
9. Tarp

 

[BBob]

There are guys who run softer boots around, but they have tough feet and are conditioned for it.

Yes there are a few of us crazy ones down around here

S AZ Coues deer mtn’s. That’s blood of success on that shoe. Blue jeans and no socks