I was looking through the "Old Duffers" thread and I noticed that in most of the old pictures,the hunters are not carrying much more than thier bow and arrows.
When I go out to hunt,(local) I rarely carry much more than my bow,arrows,knife,drag rope,and a sit-upon (for my butt)
Who else out there travels "light"?????
I do about the only addition this year will be an LED light
I often walk the fine line between "light" and "stupid". I try to stay on the light side, but every once in a while I get caught being stupid.
I like to go light bow hunting. The only thing I usually carry besides bow and arrows is a whistle on a lanyard around my neck.
Guess Im on the stupid side I walk a mile each day at work with 30 lb pack
I carry enough stuff to hunt in a deer stand 500 yards from the truck that I could set up a spike camp. ;-)
I carry a small pack with a bottle of water, purification tablets, a little bag of jerky, a knife of some kind, and some sort of flashlight, either a Surefire or a little head lamp. Sometimes I carry an extra pair of socks, too.
I've been known to hunt with just a stick and string, but I've been working my way toward having more junk along with me. I'm always saying, "do I really need this?"
Be it little or lot
What's needed the most
Is what I forgot.
---------------------------
What's good for the goose, the gander don't always agree.
I forget half of what I need or forgot which pocket of which garmet I put it in to begin with. Try to go light.
When you walk in up to 10 miles in the elk mountains you don't want to be caught short. I usually have a small pack with enough that I can get by for at least 2 days. I have been known not to come back to camp, find some natural shelter and curl up for the night.
For local hunting I do what I call Ultra Lite or Simplified Bowhunting, a bendy handled osage bow, single arrow, small headlamp in my back pocket, small neck or belt knife.(See Primitive Archer Mag Fall 2006). If I'm sitting in a ground blind I add a lightweight 3 cornered stool. That's it.
On my last trips to Wisconsin and Arizona I carried twice as many arrows while hunting being out of state and all LOL.
If I were to accompany Coaltroll 10 miles after elk, I'd carry a little more ;)
Depends. If I am hunting my normal hunting grounds, I go light (bow/arrows,knife,extra string, small bottle of water, binos, cell phone-turned off,of course). I carry the cell because I mostly hunt solo and it's just good pratice and it keeps my honey happy.
You know what they say-
If Daddy ain't happy, nobody cares.
If Momma ain't happy, nobody's happy!
JL
I have bought a CatQuiver1 off the TradGang Classifieds last week.
It says the "pouch" is 9"x7"x3" I figure it should be plenty big enough for what I usualy carry.
Locally, Only what I can fit in my pockets without stuffing them. Besides the stick and string, usually a knife and emergancy kit (very small)
at the first of last season I had a small pack with gear for all contingecies. by the end of the season (after my back surgery) I had a belt knife, pocket knife, tube of strike anywhere matches and a small canteen. I think I am going to stay light as where I hunt there are plenty of butt suppports and you can't walk ten miles in any direction without crossing a fence or a road.
I can hunt about 250 yards from the truck at my small deer lease. Normally I only carry bow, arrows, and water bottle.
I have tried "forgetting" my knife for the past few years since I think I have a better chance of killing a deer when the knife is back at the truck. Most of the time it does not work.
Brett
Up until my mid twenties I forgot my knife half the time and a rope the other half. Now I'm more particular to have everything I need. If I forget my water I really worry about that. My wife is a nurse and has me to scared to drink out of a creek anymore which is what I used to do. But I still stay pretty light. Bow,arrows, knife, rope, water and flashlight. Maybe some grundgies, that West Virginian for snacks.
i normally carry a possibles bag that will hold small items for the day. wear a neck knife and 2 belt knives. only bring the clothes on my back. was not that long ago when i use to haul a 35 pound pack every time i went hunting!
Depends, if my main goal is wandering then I'll carry a small pack with my essentials in it.
If I'm going to a particular spot for a few hours I won't.
Just bow n' arrows, binocs, pocket knife, small bottle of scent elim, and my treestand. The hill I hunt could be called a cliff!! Of course I park at the bottom. The walk up stinks, but draggin' down is a breeze!!!
i go light, just a small pack with my camelbak for water, flahlight, knife, and usually some jerky. but thats it.
I tend to carry way more than I really would have to, but I don't mind. The property I hunt is not that large, and carrying a small pack not difficult. I load the pack to cover just about anything I might want throughout the season, and then I don't need to worry about having what I want that particular day. It's all just small stuff though. Things like a drag rope, pair of rubber gloves, notebook and pen, predator call, lens cleaner, extra tab, extra bow rope and bow holder, knife, toilet paper, folding saw, etc. I don't use everything on every trip, but I always have what I might need, and it doesn't take much to carry.
Depending on the weather, I might stuff in an extra vest or maybe rain gear.
I'm with Whip. As the saying goes,
"It's better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it". In my job ( park ranger) I run into people all the time who "just went for a short hike" ended up beyond that and wished they had brought,water,energy bars,first aid,etc. etc.
A small pack with a few essentials is essential! If carefully selected we are talking less than 5 lbs! not much of a burden when thirsty, hungry, cut etc.
I carry all that I need and a few things that I don't; but sure feels good to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it!!!; so I guess that I will continue to carry "heavy" :archer: