For a lot of hunters, the pilgrimage west is a sacred journey towards the promised land of big game hunting. Venturing away from the comfort of the treestand towards the unforgiving terrain of the western mountains can prove to be a daunting task from a logistical standpoint. With the seemingly endless sea of gear options, it can be challenging to know where to begin. Even the western local that is new to hunting can be overwhelmed when it comes to selecting a gear list. In the following paragraphs I will cover several different hunting options and styles while showcasing the most useful and practical gear for the application. Being predominantly a bowhunter, my experience is catered mainly towards that time of year and style of hunting.
The most popular and common western archery hunt is by far Elk hunting. Chasing bugling bulls through golden aspen forests with bow in hand is simply something you need to experience. The price of admission is certainly the largest barrier to entry, as most nonresident elk tags are over $600. This is of course not accounting for travel costs, throw in elk hunting specific gear and suddenly you’re in over $1,000. However, by simply budgeting in the months prior to your western adventure, and selecting gear that you NEED, it is certainly a very achievable hunt for the blue-collar hunter.
There are two general schools of thought when it comes to hunting elk in September: hunting from a base camp, and hunting from a backpacking camp. The first option is, in my opinion, the more productive of the two. Utilizing either a camper, large tent, or something big and comfortable and camping near the truck is a great approach to take. If the area you are hunting doesn’t have elk, its much easier to relocate than if you are five miles deep in the backcountry with a 60-pound pack. When hunting from a base camp and venturing out 2-3 miles to your hunting area, the gear you need isn’t much different from what you’d need for hunting whitetails back home. I’d like to mention one key piece of gear that you DO NOT need to bring: a game cart. You will not be able to use it, and you’ll be upset that you wasted precious space in your truck. One of the largest differences in gear between treestand and western hunting is the clothing. You are going to be hiking several miles throughout the day and if you wear the same clothing as you would on an all day sit in Iowa, you will sweat your butt off! Below is a general list of clothing that will provide warmth, breathability, moisture wicking, and comfort for a September Elk hunt.
- Merino or synthetic base layer top and bottom
- Synthetic or merino calf height socks
- Lightweight top layer
- Lightweight, breathable, flexible pants
- Midweight insulating layer
- Waterproof outer shell
- Waterproof, uninsulated boots
- Warm beanie hat
- Baseball cap
The key word to clothing selection is LAYERING, or having the ability to add or remove clothing layers based on the activity or weather conditions. As you set out in the morning before first light, the temps can often be below freezing, only to warm into the mid 70’s in the afternoon. It is crucial to be able to adapt your clothing system to the changing conditions.
Hiking deep into the backcountry with everything you need on your back provides a freedom and solitude that cannot be topped. Hunting from a backpack camp can be very effective when you’re in an area that is holding animals consistently. However effective and romantic the idea might be, this style of hunting poses a very unique challenge logistically. For this style of hunting, we can include early season high country Mule Deer hunting in the conversation as both require almost the same gear. Backpack hunting is a labor of love where the weight of your gear can literally make or break your hunt. The balance between keeping weight to a minimum while remaining comfortable is a difficult line to walk. Below is a basic list of backpacking gear items:
- Backpacking tent
- Sleeping bag
- Sleeping pad
- Backpacking stove
- Lightweight pot
- Water purification system
- Food
The most important pieces of your kit from a comfort standpoint are your sleep and shelter system. A good, lightweight tent with a vestibule can go a long way when the weather turns bad. In Colorado where I hunt most often, the weather is typically mild in late August and early September, however most afternoons will produce a thunderstorm thus confining you to the walls of your tent. For that reason, it is crucial to spend some money on a good quality tent, sleeping bag, and pad. There are countless tents on the market, and for the sake of not diving in too deep, we can simply set a few guidelines for selecting one. A single person shelter should be in the 2-3 pound range, with one vestibule, and a two person tent should not top five pounds. It is worth looking into a non-freestanding design that utilizes trekking poles. Prior to last season I personally hadn’t considered this, but trekking poles prove the most beneficial when you have your heaviest loads, going in, and hopefully coming out! While you’re hunting, simply leave them at camp supporting your tent. My solo tent is 1.8 pounds without the poles, and that is a very achievable weight number when going non-freestanding. For an early season hunt, a 15-20 degree bag is great. Down insulation is lighter and compresses smaller but can be rendered useless if it becomes wet. Since Colorado early season is typically pretty dry, the choice for me is easy and I go with an 850 fill 15 degree down bag. The sleeping pad is where I personally deal with carrying a heavier item. A good night’s sleep is paramount to being effective while hunting and for this reason, I choose a thicker pad with an “R” value (insulation value) of 4.0. Knowing that your “home base” in the backcountry is one that you can rest comfortably and recover from a hard day of hunting can make all the difference between going home early and filling a tag.
Food and water in the backcountry can be one of the most difficult systems to nail down because both are HEAVY! Save weight here by selecting an ultralight stove and mess kit, not by bringing less food. You are going to be physically exerting yourself every single day and calories need to be considerably higher than normal. A good rule of thumb is to try and get food to two pounds or less per day. I utilize gallon freezer bags to organize my food for each day. Freeze dried meals are a popular option, but can be high in sodium and some simply just taste awful! For this reason, I try to only eat one per day that I have tasted before season to ensure I can tolerate it. Breakfast can be instant oatmeal, meal replacement bars, or cereal pre-mixed with powdered milk. Snacks such as trail mix, protein bars, jerky, tuna packets, dried fruit, and instant mac and cheese are good choices. Dinner will be when you eat the dehydrated meal, as they are highest in calories and won’t weigh you down midday during your hunt. Water purification is extremely important in the backcountry, you do not want giardia. Trust me, I’ve had it and emptying your body of every last solid and liquid from ever available exit for three to five days is not fun at all. Pumps, sterilization pens, tablets, and my personal favorite, gravity filtration systems are your options here. The gravity system I use basically encompasses two water bladders, linked by tubing with an inline filter between them. Fill up the “dirty” bag, attach the hose, hang it in a tree and let gravity do the rest. This system works best when hunting from a stationary camp, but can also be effective by replacing the “clean” bag with a water bottle to filter only the water you need for the day. One vitally important detail that can be overlooked when choosing an area to hunt is locating a water source. Obviously hunting the desert will not provide you with any sources of water to drink, where hunting the high country in Colorado will yield creeks and springs in most mountainous areas.
Hunting gear, although similar to eastern hunting, requires a few specialty items not needed on a whitetail hunt on “the back 40”. A high-quality backpack is an absolute necessity, whether hunting from the truck, and more obviously, from a backpack camp. For a base camp type hunt a day pack in the 1500-2000 cubic inch range is sufficient as long as you also have a meat hauler frame to pack out your animal. You are not going to roll an elk over easily by yourself, let alone drag one out whole. For backpack hunts lasting 1-2 nights, aim for 3000-3500 cubic inches, 3-4 nights, 4000-5500 cubic inches, 5 nights or longer, 5500-7000 cubic inches. As you get into the packs larger than 3000 ci, most quality packs should harbor an internal frame thus allowing for better load carrying capabilities.
Optics best suited for western hunting vary slightly from those of a treestand hunter. The necessity to glass several miles in some cases deem bigger magnification necessary. A spotting scope, although beneficial, is not required. By simply attaching a QUALITY pair of 10x binoculars to a sturdy tripod, it is possible to glass effectively while leaving the heavy spotter behind. When choosing a tripod, remember that a lightweight tripod will not be as stable as a heavier one, so find a good middle ground. A rangefinder with angle compensation is a definite requirement as many of your shot opportunities will likely come at steep angles where cutting yardage is needed. For high country hunting above tree line where you are able to glass extremely large distances and success could mean picking out an ear flicker from 2000 yards off, a pair of 15x binoculars can prove to be invaluable. In the timber of the elk woods however, a pair of 8x or 10x binoculars are perfectly adequate.
Once you have successfully filled your tag, you have a large task ahead of you. An elk can produce 200-400 pounds of deboned meat, and getting that meat back to the truck from five miles deep is exhaustingly rewarding. There are two basic ways to prepare meat for the hike out: deboning and quartering. Deboning is my personal favorite, as I just do not see the need in carrying bones, just to throw them away later. No matter the method you choose, a high-quality knife is a necessity, whether a fixed blade or replaceable blade knife is chosen is a matter of preference. The benefits of a replaceable blade knife are having the ability to always have a razor-sharp knife without carrying a sharpening stone, however most replaceable blades are thin and do not work well for breaking large joints or performing heavy chopping. Personally, I carry a replaceable blade along with a lightweight folding fixed blade that I only use for the aforementioned heavy stuff. Once you have finished processing your animal, the meat will go into game bags. I recommend a reusable, synthetic bag. With a drawstring closure, breathable material, and better shape retention when full, they provide protection from insects and debris, while still allowing meat to cool quickly.
The last items are small, miscellaneous pieces that should not be overlooked. A quality headlamp and secondary light source can be lifesavers in countless situations. Two seasons ago, I was fortunate to shoot a nice 5x5 bull about 30 minutes before sunset. Needing to process the entire animal in the dark, we utilized headlamps along with one of the small LED lights that you can get from Harbor Freight affixed to my tripod like a flood light. Needless to say, I will carry that little light in my pack from here on out. Paracord can be used for countless applications from a shoelace repair to hanging meat. Bring 50 feet. Leukotape, duct tape, or athletic tape is great for emergency gear repairs and blister protection. A small roll is sufficient. A basic first aid kit with ibuprofen, super glue, butterfly closures, and bandages should also be in your pack. Firestarter of some kind should also be included, whether you choose a putty, a lighter or matches, or other system. I personally prepare small baggies of shredded paper coated in Vaseline. They’re lightweight and burn long enough to act a suitable tinder.
When heading out on your western adventure, the items you bring can mean the difference between being comfortable and miserable. The best way to hone your system is with experience, and learning what you do and do not need will eventually result in the lightest possible pack for whatever hunting style you choose. Comfort is relative in western mountain hunting, and entering the hunt knowing that you will be mildly uncomfortable is important. As your experience increases and your system evolves, you will learn where you can skimp and which items simply need to be in your pack. By building and testing your gear kit in the offseason, you will enter hunting season confident and prepared for the hunt, ready to make memories that will last a lifetime.
