back from my backpack interior hunt
 

Good time, but tough. We packed in about 5.2 miles according to my GPS. My Dwight schuh pack tipped the scales at 52lbs, and gained a few for every mile i went. Fell several times, includung one dunk in the creek that put me 90% under water. We got in after about 10 hours, and set up camp. slept in the next morning and finished setting up camp. That afternoon we hiked to the top of a ridge were we were instantly into the elk. My partner was woking the herd bull while I slipped around the side, a beautiful 6x6 slipped around offering me a 40 yard shot. I didn't hesitate and promply shot a 2" tree directly in the way of his vitals. The bull suspected that most cows don't dress in camo and rarely shoot arrows into trees so he exited the scene in a flash. My partner got within 50 yards of the herd bull but didn't feel comfortable with the shot. I knew the herd bull was huge bc the satelite bull i shot at was big.The nextday i had lost my partner as he pursued the herd bull into a canyon, I was on the ridge walking when i walked to within 30 yards of a small 5x5. I settled in and did some calling and had 2 more small bulls come in within 15 minutes. It grew quite and i got up to move and spooked a giant 6 point that had snuck in behind me to within 15 yards. That was 4 different bulls from the same spot, the time was from 230-300pm, go figure. We were in the bulls everyday but never had the right bull in range. all told I had 11 different bulls in range over 6 days of hunting and my partner had 5 bulls in rangebut he hadtwo days he spent in camp. He was surprised by a visit from a black bear that alked right into camp while he was there. It was both of our first back pack hunts. My hunting partner said he would never do it again. I thought it was something sweet, awsome. It is a very physical and hard way to hunt, but the rewards and satisfaction is great, I loved it. Nver saw even another boot print, totally wild back in there.[8D] Dwight schuh pack was an absolute POS though, and it was the only equipment I bought for this trip that failed.

RE: back from my backpack interior hunt
 

Good story big boy. Sounds like you had fun. Are you goin back for another try?? Were the bulls pretty vocal??? Any wolf sign???

Take care

RE: back from my backpack interior hunt
 

goin back in next year for a 2 week haul, so are you if you can get a tag.;) I thought of you in there HBH, you would have loved it. Wolves were howling ever day, I paid them no attention and neither did the elk. It is a dream spot, wallows every where, whole area stank of elk, great hunting. PM me and I'll send you some pics.[8D]

RE: back from my backpack interior hunt
 

When you say you never "had the right bull in range", does that mean you guys had set a minumum standard, or nothing? If so, what was your minumum size that you had decided on?
Sounds like fun to me. I hiked into a wilderness area here in CO. last weekend and stayed in an old cabin that someone has started actually fixing up. It was pretty sweet to get up at the crack of dawn and already be at the top of the mtn.

RE: back from my backpack interior hunt
 

Sounds like you had a good time! How did the Dwight Schuh pack fail? How well did that stove work for you? What kind of consumption did it have?
Sounds like you really were into the elk!

RE: back from my backpack interior hunt
 

Our standard going in was any legal bull, but once we got in there, the dynamics of getting one out, plus the quality and quantity of the animals there, changed our goals. We don't get massive bulls here in the bitterroot, so my standard was when its big enough, I'll shoot. I pass on bulls almost every season, but in '06 it was terrible, i would have glady shot a rag-horn that year. I think that I may go back in for rifle season, but again, it will have to be a big bull before I pull the trigger.

Hurricane: The dwight Schuh day pack was a pile, frame was weak, zippers are ridiculous to operate, the hip buckle broke in half, the load dropped and yours truly was dumped into a very cold creek when my pack dropped, I was POed. The lash belts are too short, and the belt buckles kept snapping off and I would have to re-string them on.It is packaged and on it's way back to Cabelas this weekend. I'm getting a Kifuru or whatever they are called. I looked at the badlands but at 8.5lbs it's too heavy for a legitimate backcountry pack. The way i see it is my primary purpose for having the pack is to tranport loads in and out of the backcountry, so my pack must meet that critria first and foremost. camo packs are not necessary. Lightweight is very high on the priority list, with a solid frame for packing out meat. I never used the brunton stove, it was a back up, i used the jet-boil and loved it, what a godsend for the backcountry. One big mistake we made was not bringing in a collaspable water jug, we had to drop 200' every morn and nite to get creek water. I finally ended up rigging two trash-bags into my sleeping bag compression sack for camp water, unfortunately my lovely wife gave me scented trash bags, so all of our drinks tasted like flowers.[:'(] LMAO! what a trip. Additionally, that crystal light stuff was fantastic, i brought in a 32oz shaker bottle and it worked great.

RE: back from my backpack interior hunt
 

Can't blame you for sending that thing back, honestly I have never heard of one failing like that before. Oh well, you will definitely like that Kifaru pack, they really make a quality product, and they stand behind it too.
Glad you had a good trip!

RE: back from my backpack interior hunt
 

Muley

Sounds like a good time. I would rethink the philosophy though on your pack weight. Look at others like Eberlestock, Mystery Ranch, Blacks Creek, etc. They all have packs that are designed for carrying heavy loads and lasting a long time. The lighter a pack is, the lighter loads it will handle. A heavier pack may bea little heavy, but it sure can save in the long run when you can save one or two trips packing meat.

I bought the Eberlestock X2 this year for deer hunting. I talked to Glen Eberle, and he had a 100 pound sack of cement in that pack, and its 1800 Cubic inches. Other Eberlestock packs have had loads up to 170+ pounds in them, and still hold up. I have put 50 lbs of weight in my 4lb X2 with no problems, and it has taken a beating this September deer hunting with close to 40 or so miles hiked with around 20 lbs all the time and no problems.

If you want to be able to pack in weight, be comfortable, and pack an elk back out, go with a pack designed for it, not the lightest one you can find.

Just my opinion

Later,

Marcial

RE: back from my backpack interior hunt
 

Sounds awesome! I enjoyed your story.

I personally use a Gregory backpack, an expensiveinternal frame granola-type pack. I've now hauled 5 elk out with it, distances from 3 to 9 1/2 miles. I've boned most of them out so there's really nothing gained with an external frame.

Tip: if you pack out boned meat it rides like a load of cannonballs. To prevent the meat from sinking to the bottom of the pack and forcing you to walk with your titties hitting your knees, use those styrofoam packing peanuts in the bottom of your pack. You can fill the lower 1/4 to 1/2 of the pack compartment with a garbage bag full of the peanuts - prob. weight under 1 lb. - and that will keep your center of gravity up where it belongs.

RE: back from my backpack interior hunt
 

Glad I didnt go with that pack! I got a Badlands 4500 and absolutely love the thing, it can carry a small hybrid car, great rigging straps and ride's like a dream, I leave again this friday for elk, and cannot wait to see what all this thing can do. I love the space, and the warranty cannot be beat.

Joe