What Percentage of Your Hunting is Backpack Style Hunting?

[luke moffat]

Haha, so my math is off a little. 11 backcountry hunts on the schedule. Ranging from 2 day hunts to 10 day hunts.

SUE ME LUKE!!!!

Just giving ya a hard time...your percentage is still higher than mine certainly!!!

 

[7mag.]

I voted more than 50%, but it changes from year to year. This year I've already had to cancel 2 backpack hunts with 4 left, and 1 wall tent hunt. I will likely have a few local day hunts for Blacktails too.

 

[5MilesBack]

I got into backpack hunting just as much for the excitement of doing it, and to help keep me in shape.

You'd be in better shape if you stayed in base camp and hiked the extra 3 miles in and 3 miles out every day.

This is actually the way I've hunted for some time now. I used to do some pack in hunts years ago, but back then everything weighed 3 times as much as today and it really was a pain.......especially in bad weather.

But at my midlife crisis point I decided to start doing some more pack-ins and carrying camp on my back. Plus there's a few areas where it just makes so much more sense to do it that way instead of hiking in and out every day.

 

[tttoadman]

You'd be in better shape if you stayed in base camp and hiked the extra 3 miles in and 3 miles out every day.

This is actually the way I've hunted for some time now. I used to do some pack in hunts years ago, but back then everything weighed 3 times as much as today and it really was a pain.......especially in bad weather.

But at my midlife crisis point I decided to start doing some more pack-ins and carrying camp on my back. Plus there's a few areas where it just makes so much more sense to do it that way instead of hiking in and out every day.

As I ponder your logic, it makes me laugh.

As I think about it further, I can see another benefit of backpack hunting that escaped me before. There are places I hunt now that are only a couple hrs tops from my house that i never would have hunted. They don't really have camp spots, they are only trail heads. How many of those places do the base campers have to pass up because they don't have a place to setup camp?

 

[JPD350]

I put 25/50%, It really comes down to what hunts I draw, some units you just need to get back in there and some units it's hunting pockets within a mile or so from the roads and those places often can't take someone camping in the area, regardless of where I am hunting I am ready to take my camp with me a 100% of the time.

 

[CrzyTrekker]

100% backpacking. Four backpack hunts here in Colorado this year.

It's my experience that backpack hunts are easier to prepare and pack for, you don't have to worry about getting a good roadside spot for your wall tent, you have greater flexibility during the hunt, and you don't have to occupy an entire garage with a wet wall tent and other items when you get home.

 

[5MilesBack]

They don't really have camp spots, they are only trail heads. How many of those places do the base campers have to pass up because they don't have a place to setup camp?

I set up base camp and then I'll drive sometimes 50 miles from that camp to hunt a specific spot that may or may not have camping spots. So that doesn't really deter me. I may or may not bring my backcountry camp with me on those. Just depends on the area and situation. It's also nice to have a base camp to come back to after a few days of roughing it. I'm also more adventurous knowing that worst case scenario I can just hike out and get back to base camp if I want to.

Back in 2013 when we had the deluge of rains for two weeks in Sept, I didn't even bother with rain gear. I'd hunt completely soaked until dark and then strip down to nothing, get in the truck, and drive back to camp for a dry change of clothes.

 

[DaveC]

If I discount local small game and doe hunting it's 100%. At this point I'll gladly sacrifice success (killin stuff) for style (backcountry by fair means only).

 

[lintond]

I mainly hunt elk, which for me is a backpack hunt.

 

[fort fireman]

This is my first year to try the backpack hunting. I have a 3-4 day planned in the fall for whitetail up in pisgah national forest. We will see how it goes to see if it's something I want to pursue. I love hiking, camping and hunting. I'm thinking this will be a good wSy to do all of them at once.