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Old 08-10-2004, 08:30 AM
  #11  
noway
 
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: meridian idaho USA
Posts: 429
Default RE: First Time Elk Hunt

Backpack hunt is a different story.
Holy crap that is a lot of stuff!
Have you loaded it in your pack and weighed it. I am thinking you may be surprised by how much it weighs. If you are thinking you will skimp on the food weight to make room for other stuff, bad move. You need the food to power the engine, you. No food no energy.

If you do get an elk you will have to pack out your gear and a minimum of 3 trips with 100lb pack to get your elk out.

If it were me I would cut your original list by 1/3 of the weight. You don't NEED most of that stuff.
First thing I would cut are the electronic gadgets,
scent killer
second pair of boots
tarp
bear spray
pots and pans (gi kit should do it) one pot to boil water
(small backpack stove to boil water you will need.)
duct tape
.22 handgun
Take this stuff out and weigh your pack again, don't forget to add in 4,000 calories a day of food for you for each day before you weigh your pack, don't forget to count your bow and equipment as weight and your daypack stuff. Dehydrated meals are light and don't taste bad. All you have to do is boil water and no dirty dishes if you bring some plastic utensils. Figure one a day at dinner.

Plan your camp near a water source, it will save you lots of time and energy.
You will need tons of water and you don't want to carry it so get a lighweight water purifer, PUR makes a good one for not much cash.

The grouse regs may be in a separate booklet. Call the Montana fish and game for info or they may be on line.
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