What Percentage of Your Hunting is Backpack Style Hunting?

[5MilesBack]

Poll to follow, so give it a minute or two.

Seems like most of the talk on this website is all about carrying camp on your back........whether setting up a spike camp, or doing a true bivy style hunt. I'm just wondering what % of your hunts or time hunting is spent hunting like this, versus day hunting and/or hunting from a base camp with the truck next to the tent.

For me, most of my hunting is from a base camp. Until I run out of elk to hunt close to the truck, that will still be my main means of hunting them. On the other hand, the bull I shot in 2012 was just under 5 miles from the truck so probably closer to that "packing in" distance. But the last two were less than 1/2 mile from the truck. There are a few places I hunt where I pack into for specific reasons. But I generally don't base my entire hunt in that one location, just more of an extended outreach into an area.

So I'd say of all my elk hunting, less than 25% of the time I'm packing my camp in. I'm sure if I was a dedicated muley hunter or the year I draw my sheep tag, that would jump significantly.

So what % for you?

 

[BroodBuster]

I like to get in at least one backpacking mule deer hunt a year. Usually a week long trip.

For elk hunts I'm back at a truck camp each night. The herd I hunt live in an area littered with logging roads. And when the Bulls are bugling just outside your tent most nights I don't see any reason to hike away from that.

I consider mule deer hunting a solo sport while elk hunting is a team sport.

<25% for me.

 

[tttoadman]

I am probably 90%. It is more because I choose to for the fun of it. Even at home I will usually hike in a mile or so and stay overnight. I got into backpack hunting just as much for the excitement of doing it, and to help keep me in shape.

I have since learned that it is very cost effective way to hunt. I can be gone in an instant, I don't have an RV. I drive a VW TDI wagon for 90% of my hunting trips. We are still considering setting up the wall tent as an elk base camp even though we are packing in. If we draw our favorite elk tags in OR, we will likely go old school with the wall tent and maybe just take our overnight gear in our day pack.

I do like this thread idea. I consider myself in the euphoric stage of backpack hunting. I am relatively new to the higher end gear and more technical clothing, and it is easy to get caught up in it.

 

[Poser]

I'm fairly new to the concept, but I like to hunt this style as much as I can. I don't live out West, though, so it's fairly restricted to 1 western trip annually and the. 2-3 shorter 3-5 day hunts in this style back East in nAtional Forests. I just like getting in the mindset of staying out and staying entirely focused on hunting. I'm waiting to see if I drew a whitetail tag (I have points) for a National Recreation Area in my home state. If drawn, I'll probably backpack hunt it even though I'll only be camping a mile, maybe 1.5 miles or so from my truck. Aesthetically, it is an enjoyable way to hunt even in more contrived situations.

Backpack hunting right now is very akin to where Alpine climbing was in the late 90s. The ultralight concept is taking off and maturing and people are pushing and experimenting. Everything has already been "done", so now it's a question of how you do it -what kind of style can you do it in? How light, minimal, fast and how much ground can you cover when liberated from heavy loads, base camps and traditional manner and style. It's breaking down the rules of traditional hunting. You move when you need to move, you camp where you need to camp, you go where you need to go while staying out for longer and covering more ground.

 

[Ross]

I have been doing one packin hunt a year. Primarily because I like to jump from area to area to find bugling elk, so it is 90% wall tent hear.

 

[Backpack Hunter]

Closer to 90% for me. In addition to my western hunts I hunt a lot of whitetail in the east. Even these hunts I pack in for, it's not really needed as there are roads everywhere, but I have preferred doing it that way since the 80's at least.

 

[elkyinzer]

Elk hunts for me are usually a mix of truck camp and backpack hunting. Have done a couple out East for whitetail but 95% day trips from home or deer camp. Eventually I'll get out West for mulies which will probably be backpacking.

 

[rodney482]

20%

 

[weaver]

90% for elk and mule deer.

I love the backpacking aspect of the hunt as much as the actual hunting.

If I find elk closer to the trailhead I will hunt from the truck simply because it's a lot of work to pack an elk 5 miles.

Mule deer I'll go in deep and forget about closer to the truck areas.

 

[Gar]

Pack it in, or stay home. -J/K!

Gar

View attachment 27941

 

[luke moffat]

Looks like this year I have 7 backpack in hunts (was 8 but had to cancel my sheep hunt due to bad ankle).

Then 5 base camp style hunts......so 60/40 or 50/50 it seems.

 

[MuleyFever]

100% for me. I drive about an hour and hike in 3 miles so I don't even leave the house unless I can stay out more than one day. I also put everything in my pack every morning and start hunting. That way I don't have to worry about getting bark to camp and can follow the deer.

If my wife is hunting with a gun we may do some day hunts but with her it is 90% backpacking in.

 

[Jeff Martin]

50% for mountain hunts. 20% for all big game hunting for the year.

 

[gmajor]

Over 90% for me, I'm in a similar situation as MuleyFever above.

 

[Brock A]

I am probably 90%. Spring bear was a truck camp and I have a late November deer hunt in Idaho that is from a wall tent. Otherwise its all off my back.

 

[luke moffat]

I am probably 90%. Spring bear was a truck camp and I have a late November deer hunt in Idaho that is from a wall tent. Otherwise its all off my back.

So that means you got 18 backpack hunts this year Brock?

 

[Brock A]

So that means you got 18 backpack hunts this year Brock?

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!!!!

 

[MUDDYCRICK]

I'm a flatlander so most 90% of hunts are only for a couple hours in the morning and night. I do however try to hunt mule deer out of a pack for at least 3-7 days a year.

 

[colonel00]

Depends on the year. Just about all of my hunts are destination hunts and it just depends on the logistics and target game. Maybe one of these days I'll settle down and have a routine hunt each year but since I'm usually dealing with draw tags that is hard to do as well.

 

[mfolch]

I've got to drive 9 hours to get to public land worth hunting--not crawling with hunters--and when I get there every single inch for at least two miles into the public land has been scouted and marked off with string by local treestand hunters. All the parking spots and campsites are reserved months in advance by the locals as well. They set up canvas tents and just come in on the weekends and early mornings and afternoons. So I've got to hike in a few miles (usually 6-8 to set up a spike camp and hunt from there. It's a blast.