The “mobile hunting” push, vs. the lack of LW/packable whitetail clothing and equipment?

[wind gypsy]

The answer may simply be that "mobile hunting" as idealized and marketed, isnt common-enough in reality to make a viable market for those items. It seems as most people do it, hang-and-hunt just isnt common to begin with, and of those who do it very few are actually going far, makingthe idealized marketing aspiration more of a semi-ficititous thing that, while it certainly exists, isnt common enough to support a legitimate market. Thats where I'm landing, and this quoted post seems to reinforce that.

I think there's a lot to this. At least in my experience in northern MN "big woods". People might walk in a ways but they are probably going to a ladder stand they've left standing the national forest for years or hunting on the ground. I've never come across a lw treestand/saddle hang and hunter up there.

 

[Q_Sertorius]

all fair points. To which I'd add:

1) not everyone only goes a mile in, max. I'd say most of my hunting other than local "after work" type stuff involves a mile MINIMUM, often much more. It's clear my situation (TONS of elbow room with very low deer density and pockets of habitat often involve hiking in a ways) is not the norm, which may be the more relevant issue.

2) if your requirements include only a rifle and ammo, you are not the target of the marketing push that this post is about, you are talking about a different activity. As I hear it used, the term "mobile hunting" is defined by ultra-lightweight hang-and-hunt style treestand hunting, which was the subject of the post. This was a business/marketing question, not a hunting strategy/efficacy question.

3) would you be wearing a cotton sweatshirt and street clothes if you were 3 or 4 miles into a wilderness area filled with mountains, bogs and swamps, with daytime highs in the 30's, and often threatening a rain/sleet/snow mix? I would not, despite agreeing that a cotton sweatshirt is a great all-round useful garment in lots of places. Also seemingly relevant--not from a need/dont need p[erspective, but becasue "most" tree stand hunters apparently dont deal with large wilderness areas, or frigid Northern weather.

4) Have you used an old dog leash to drag a decent-sized deer multiple miles involving mountains and stream/swamp crossings? People do it. But that doesnt make it the best way to do it. Again, see comment "most people dont deal with large...".

5) most importantly, the question was not about what is possible or common, it was about why the specific companies who exist solely to facilitate "hunting deep" utilizing tree stands (for example, lattitude as previously mentioned, ), dont also make apparel and packs that jive with that same ethos.

6) "overcomplicating things" is the whole point...sure, there's more deer in my backyard than there are where I described above. But I dont want to hunt there all the time. If choosing where to hunt becasue I like the environment and other factors that go along with that is "overcomplicating things", then yes, give me more overcomplication please. I have a deer in the freezer already, it's time to overcomplicate things!

The answer may simply be that "mobile hunting" as idealized and marketed, isnt common-enough in reality to make a viable market for those items. It seems as most people do it, hang-and-hunt just isnt common to begin with, and of those who do it very few are actually going far, makingthe idealized marketing aspiration more of a semi-ficititous thing that, while it certainly exists, isnt common enough to support a legitimate market. Thats where I'm landing, and this quoted post seems to reinforce that.

The furthest we have dragged a deer was 800 yards up one side of Clinch mountain and 800 yards down the other. It frankly sucked, even with two of us. It didn’t help that we shot a second buck while we were dragging that one.

I have planned another attempt go “deep” - 1-4 miles - into the National Forest again this year and camp overnight. My preparation for this trip got interrupted by my broken leg, but I have about a month more to get back in proper shape. But frankly, if I shoot a deer on my way into the NF, I will be perfectly happy. Hiking deep into a wilderness area is something I can do at another time of year. I don’t need to do it as part of the hunting experience.

And, while doing a trip like that would alter my clothing layout a bit (more emphasis on layers), it would not require specialized clothing. Even in 35 degree weather, I do most of my hunting or hiking in a fatigue jacket with a T-shirt. And I change those out if I stop for an extended time period.

This ultralight tree stand hunting frankly sounds stupid unless it is done during bow season. If you are walking deep into the whitetail woods to set up a stand somewhere and rifle hunt, you should probably just be still hunting. And if it’s done in Virginia or points south, then staying cool is more problematic than staying warm.

I am clearly not the target audience for this gear, but I also don’t know anyone who is. It sounds like people trying to force techniques for elk hunting on highly pressured public lands onto whitetail hunting on lightly pressured lands.

 

[Eship]

I can tell you the maniml bag by Kifaru has checked all the boxes since it came out. I put my platform and sticks behind the access pack. The stuff I need in the tree goes in the access pack. The main compartment will hold all my clothes and that includes a full fanatic set. Has the meat shelf to go with it.

I also have used the maniml on a 22” frame and it has worked great for carrying sticks and platform and for packing out deer. I actually don’t use the cinch when I’m hunting on my own, but if I take my 3 year old hunting, I bring it with us and it’s packed with snacks, a towel to sit on, and toys and coloring books for him to play with while we ground hunt.

 

[wind gypsy]

I also have used the maniml on a 22” frame and it has worked great for carrying sticks and platform and for packing out deer. I actually don’t use the cinch when I’m hunting on my own, but if I take my 3 year old hunting, I bring it with us and it’s packed with snacks, a towel to sit on, and toys and coloring books for him to play with while we ground hunt.

I have 2.5 and 4 YOs and am curious how you keep a 3 YO remotely quiet/still to hunt from the ground?

 

[Eship]

The furthest we have dragged a deer was 800 yards up one side of Clinch mountain and 800 yards down the other. It frankly sucked, even with two of us. It didn’t help that we shot a second buck while we were dragging that one.

I have planned another attempt go “deep” - 1-4 miles - into the National Forest again this year and camp overnight. My preparation for this trip got interrupted by my broken leg, but I have about a month more to get back in proper shape. But frankly, if I shoot a deer on my way out, I will be perfectly happy. Hiking deep into a wilderness area is something I can do at another time of year. I don’t need to do it as part of the hunting experience.

And, while doing a trip like that would alter my clothing layout a bit (more emphasis on layers), it would not require specialized clothing. Even in 35 degree weather, I do most of my hunting or hiking in a fatigue jacket with a T-shirt. And I change those out if I stop for an extended time period.

This ultralight tree stand hunting frankly sounds stupid unless it is done during bow season. If you are walking deep into the whitetail woods to set up a stand somewhere and rifle hunt, you should probably just be still hunting. And if it’s done in Virginia or points south, then staying cool is more problematic than staying warm.

I am clearly not the target audience for this gear, but I also don’t know anyone who is. It sounds like people trying to force techniques for elk hunting on highly pressured public lands onto whitetail hunting on lightly pressured lands.

So you’re telling me you hunt in Virginia on National forest land and that’s where you get these nice bucks? I’ll add that to my list of areas to travel to hunt… I already go there frequently to backpack and camp, next time I’ll do some scouting too

 

[Eship]

I have 2.5 and 4 YOs and am curious how you keep a 3 YO remotely quiet/still to hunt from the ground?

There is another thread on here that I have already derailed with this subject. If I can find it I’ll link it. I hunt all public land with him from the ground. And got a doe with him last year when he was only two. I passed up a spike while hunting with him this year.

I took my 1 year old out with us once this year. That is definitely too young to be successful lol

 

[Q_Sertorius]

So you’re telling me you hunt in Virginia on National forest land and that’s where you get these nice bucks? I’ll add that to my list of areas to travel to hunt… I already go there frequently to backpack and camp, next time I’ll do some scouting too

Yes, that’s what I am telling you. I hunt primarily on private land adjacent to national forest, but I will go into the national forest if I feel like it. And I have seen a good number of mature bucks there. This is the same part of the world where many people complain that there aren’t any deer because “the forests are too mature.” Compared to when I was a kid, the Jefferson National Forest is absolutely deserted during rifle season. The collapse of the coal industry and subsequent collapse of related industries followed by the corresponding population collapse removed a ton of the hunting pressure across Southwestern Virginia and Southern West Virginia. The farmers who continue to hunt largely do so on private land.

And they just extended our rifle season to a full month! What a time to be a rifle hunter…

 

[Eship]

Yes, that’s what I am telling you. I hunt primarily on private land adjacent to national forest, but I will go into the national forest if I feel like it. And I have seen a good number of mature bucks there. This is the same part of the world where many people complain that there aren’t any deer because “the forests are too mature.” Compared to when I was a kid, the Jefferson National Forest is absolutely deserted during rifle season. The collapse of the coal industry and subsequent collapse of related industries followed by the corresponding population collapse removed a ton of the hunting pressure across Southwestern Virginia and Southern West Virginia. The farmers who continue to hunt largely do so on private land.

And they just extended our rifle season to a full month! What a time to be a rifle hunter…

a full month of rifle is pretty great. We have a few public areas to hunt here in MD but nothing massive like Jefferson so the areas that you can hunt with rifle get hunted pretty hard.

 

[PBBananaHammock]

In regard to mobile hunting being a need or want, I think it’s definitely more of a want for most which is what can hamstring the market. Im under no illusion, for me and the areas I frequent, I use a lone wolf .5 because I want to. My reasons:

I live in CO but hunt in the Ozarks of MO around the holidays visiting family. Climbing trees and hiking the woods at 1100-1500ft elevation doesn’t feel very taxing, when I’m use to +5500 daily, and +8000 weekly hikes. The scouting/setting up ambush points keeps it interesting.

I have access to 6 or so large private properties, plus adjacent wildlife areas or national/state lands. Most of the private acreages do have preset stands. However, I don’t always trust these presets that have been up for years with their dry rotted straps and shot orientations. Most shoot right handed and set their presets with that in mind, but I shoot a bow lefty. So bringing my own stand gives me peace of mind and better shot angles.

Finally, I’ve never gotten white tail “buck fever” as people describe it while hunting with conventional methods. Where one loses all sense of themselves at just the sight of a big buck from a ladder stand or blind with a rifle. It’s just never been a thing. What Ive learned that I do really enjoy is getting super close to a white tail. That’s the adrenaline rush for me. If you can formulate a plan that comes together that gets you 10ish yards from a deer, doe or buck… man that is an adrenaline dump like no other. People who poo poo eastern hunting as boring should reevaluate what they’re doing. Nobody here will starve if they miss out on getting an animal. If you want to have fun, you can choose the game you play.

All that being said, the eastern “mobile hunting” really only applies to archery in my opinion. Rifle is just not as challenging as to warrant spending that much money on niche items. You can, but it’s even further from being a need vs a want. With eastern ranges, one just needs line of sight. You aren’t hampered at all with a rifle on the ground in my experience, it’s faster and lighter. The rifle range advantage means you don’t need clothing with quiet fabrics. Traditional static insulation like down and etc work great. Crunchy canvas workwear like carhartt gets it done all the time.

This really pushes mobile hunting into a niche of a niche in my opinion. Eastern bow hunters who like gear, and who like to move around. People who enjoy the process as much as the kill and have the money to burn or the time/interest to DIY.

 

[Macintosh]

someone is listening

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