East to West Part I: Planning Your First Backpack Hunt

For anyone who'd like to to do a Western backpack hunt, meet Rokslide member Tye Abell of Alabama (Eagle is his screen name).

Tye took a nice mule deer this fall on his very first Western backpack hunt. He put together a good article series to help you tackle your first backpack hunt no matter where you live.

He shares strategies for making sure your gear is ready as well as your mind and body. This is Part 1 of 3. Make sure you subscribe to this post so you don't miss Part 2 and 3.

East to West: Planning Your First Backpack Hunt

Read Part II of this series by clicking here:
East to West Part II: Preparation Hunts

Good stuff. These articles should answer a lot of questions for guys wanting to do this for the first time.

Good write up Tye. Looking forward to reading more.

Good stuff! I look forward to parts 2&3

Really enjoyed the article. Very informative for those of us living in the east.

Nice read. I think most daunting aspect of hunting the west for me is the complex nonresident regulations that deal with licensing. For example, in NY, there is one big game hunting license which includes a bear tag & buck tag good for anywhere in the state. There are additional deer tags for muzzleloader & bow as well.

Deer management permits (antlerless) are allocated by wmu.

For someone who might only hunt the west every other year, it can be awfully confusing to find the most cost effective strategy

excellent write up.

Can you elaborate what you're using on the table, or is that in part 2 & 3?

chippewawarrior said:

Can you elaborate what you're using on the table, or is that in part 2 & 3?

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I can certainly elaborate on the gear I've found works for me over the years if you would like. I have to caviat that with the disclaimer that what works for me won't necessarily work for you, and as I said in the article, first hand experience with your gear beats everything else.

Let me find a computer this afternoon and I'll write up a more extensive reply with the gear I use. It's more than I care to type out with my thumbs on my phone.

Great read so far. Will you be touching any on the logistics of getting there (east to west) and back with meat, horns etc?

God Bless.

East to West: Planning Your First Backpack Hunt

Eagle said:

I can certainly elaborate on the gear I've found works for me over the years if you would like. I have to caviat that with the disclaimer that what works for me won't necessarily work for you, and as I said in the article, first hand experience with your gear beats everything else.

Let me find a computer this afternoon and I'll write up a more extensive reply with the gear I use. It's more than I care to type out with my thumbs on my phone.

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I completely understand. I already have my western hunting kit, but I'm always looking to upgrade/change it. Especially, if it improves my comfort/experience. Just curious really...

DWinVA said:

Great read so far. Will you be touching any on the logistics of getting there (east to west) and back with meat, horns etc?

God Bless.

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I don't cover that specifically within the articles, but can tell you what works for me.

I prefer to drive. The logistics of flying with a weapon, dealing with airline delays, car rentals and checked baggage leave too many areas for things to go wrong for me personally. If you have two people, splitting up a 24 hour drive is manageable, and you can always stop and rest for a couple hours if you need to. Of course if I was hunting Alaska, I'd likely take those chances as driving from Alabama isn't very practical.

For meat transport, I freeze a few gallon milk jugs full of water and then fill the rest of my cooler up with ice. I'm using a cheap Coleman 100qt cooler, and this year after 8 days of travel, the six gallon jugs were still frozen solid, the majority of the ice was intact, and my meat was in great condition when I arrived back in Alabama. I'll also take an old brown thermal flannel like blanket and drape it over and around the cooler for added insulation.

For getting the antlers back, I caped out the skull and used a wire coat hanger to get as much brain matter out of the skull cavity as possible. Take some borax with you as well to throw into the cavity and any other part of the skull that has meat on it. Several states have laws against transporting animal carcasses with spinal/brain matter intact due to CWD so it's best to get as much as you can.

Another option is to have a processor in the area you'll be hunting freeze the meat for you before you drive home. In that same vein, if you have the time, a taxidermist can prep your skull/cape for you before you travel as well. For times sake, I try and do as much as I can myself.

Hope that helps some.

That's great info. We drove out from VA this year for our first hunt. Will probably keep driving but saving a day or two flying always sounds good. Thanks.

God Bless.

great read so far can't wait for the rest as it will help in my first trip out west

Fly Rodder said:

Nice read. I think most daunting aspect of hunting the west for me is the complex nonresident regulations that deal with licensing. For example, in NY, there is one big game hunting license which includes a bear tag & buck tag good for anywhere in the state. There are additional deer tags for muzzleloader & bow as well.

Deer management permits (antlerless) are allocated by wmu.

For someone who might only hunt the west every other year, it can be awfully confusing to find the most cost effective strategy

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The regulations can certainly take a while to understand. In comparison to Alabama, virtually every state out there is difficult, as all you need in Alabama is a hunting license and a WMA specific permit if you plan to hunt big game on public land. No specific animal permits are required. My original home of Kentucky is a little more specific, but still generally easier to understand than most western states. My advice is to first pick out what species you want to pursue (I'll have more detail on that in part II) and then once you have that narrowed down, pick a couple states and either research the regs online, or call a conservation officer in the state to find out exactly what you need to be legal in regards to permits/licenses.

chippewawarrior said:

Can you elaborate what you're using on the table, or is that in part 2 & 3?

Click to expand...

Here's a quick rundown of the gear I've grown to trust over my years of backpacking.

Stove - MSR Pocket Rocket. There are lighter options out there now, but this stove has never failed me. Isobutane stoves can be difficult to use in winter conditions, but if you put the fuel canister in your sleeping bag with you before using it that can usually get it to work unless you are in well below freezing conditions, in which case a white gas stove is likely needed. My method of cooking in the backcountry also leaves no need for the ability to simmer. With freezer bag cooking, all I need to do is boil water and then pour it in a quart freezer bag and set it off to the side in a cozy to heat and rehydrate my meal for 10 minutes.

Sleeping Pad - Thermarest Neoair: I've used a neoair since 2009, still using the same one with no repairs or issues with air lose. If you take the time to check your tent sight and make sure you have the area clear of anything sharp, you should be fine with this pad for several years.

Sleeping Bag - Western Mountaineering Caribou MF or Alpinelite: Depending on what the forecast and record lows for the time I'll be hunting show, I'll use one of these two bags. I've found the WM bags to be very conservatively rated and they compress very well for me.

Shelter - I've used a TarpTent Double Rainbow for the last few years and a silnylon tarp and bivy a fair amount as well. This is one of those items I'll likely continue to experiment with as different situations can call for different shelters. My tarptent can be a condensation factory in the right conditions and my tarp and bivy can leave a little to be desired in the protection department in really rough weather (I had an 8x8 tarp and will be going to a 10x10 for that reason in the future).

Pack - I'm currently inbetween packs. I've owned Kifaru and Stone Glacier packs and had issues with both, but am currently waiting on a new Kifaru to test out and see if I gave up on it too quickly initially a couple years ago. The stone glacier was a bombproof pack for me, but when it came to loads over 100 lbs, left a little to be desired in the comfort department. I'm hoping the updated duplex and belt will address my previous issues with Kifaru, but time will tell.

Headlamp - I've had a zebralight for the last couple years and have no issues with it at all. It's a lot more durable than the black diamond spot I ran for several years.

Footwear - Inov8 Roclite 295's have worked very well for me over the last couple years. I'll likely buy a new pair when the time comes to replace the ones I'm currently using.

Raingear - I've used a lot of different raingear, and have found the Sitka dewpoint pants and jacket I currently own to be the best for how I use raingear. They've kept me dry in some torrential downpours and do a fair job of shedding heat when I used them while hiking.

Trekking Poles - I've used black diamond elliptical contour poles for the last six years and don't have a need to change as they've worked well for me. I'm not even sure the model I own is for sale anymore, but I particular like the flick lock design they use over the twist lock design of other poles.

If there's any other gear you want me to discuss, just name it and I'll let you know what I've come to like over the years.

Fly Rodder said:

Nice read. I think most daunting aspect of hunting the west for me is the complex nonresident regulations that deal with licensing. For example, in NY, there is one big game hunting license which includes a bear tag & buck tag good for anywhere in the state. There are additional deer tags for muzzleloader & bow as well.

Deer management permits (antlerless) are allocated by wmu.

For someone who might only hunt the west every other year, it can be awfully confusing to find the most cost effective strategy

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Fly Rodder.
Your questions are why I believe the research services like goHunt, Huntin' Fool are a pretty good value. Besides the entertainment they provide (articles, etc), within just a few months you can be more than proficient at negotiating the non-res systems in the West.

Which zebralight do you like?

Liv2Hunt said:

Which zebralight do you like?

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I've got the H52w.

Nice write up, great info for easterners