Packing weight?

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with me I don't moan about the gun because I can't handle hiking around with a 9 pound gun because I have a 30 pound pack and half of it's knives... I carry a good foldup knife, a small flashlight, a combo GPS/2way, a camera(in case I get lucky and my wallet with tags. if I'm in rough terrain or plan on being out all day then I'll take a canteen. as it is this is more weight than I want to pack. not because I can't handle the weight of walking around with it all day long but if I do kill something I am going to be stuck dragging it out or hauling quarters back out. if you have a pair of elk quarters over your shoulder then I bet you would feel a lot better with a 6 pound gun than a 13 pound gun. that's just how I see it.

it's not the weight walking in that I gripe about, it's the weight walking back out.
 
I'm a less-is-more guy. I carry an 8 lb rifle during rifle season, and I would consider going lighter if I needed to buy a new rifle, but I don't need one.

I've owned a 10lb Hakim and a 7 lb Arisaka carbine and a lot of rifles with in-between weights and calibers. None of them seemed to recoil more than the others, but I definitely felt the extra weight when carrying them. My personal opinion is that during hunting season holding a rifle correctly when firing in addition to all the extra clothes that I wear combines to make enough recoil reduction.
ymmv
 
Old Roper, This is a list of some of the thing I use for my hunting.

1) Kimber M8400 police tactical with a custom stock and a 5.5-22x56 NXS Nightforce scope.

2)Eberlestock J107M Dragonfly pack.

3)I carry a old timer pocket knife and a Havalon Piranta with 20+ replaceable blades.

4) I carry freeze dried foods and about 10 pounds of homemade jerky. Deer, Elk and maybe some smoked salmon. I dont pack in water because there is a abundance where I hunt. Drink right out of the creeks. Also i take instant folgers coffee.

5)I use a ALPS Mountaineering Renegade Freighter packframe. I can load about 200 lbs on it at a time and then i use ample cordage to keep it all in place.

I leave the bone in for both the hams and the shoulders taking the lower leg off at the highest knuckle then bone out the rest. I strip the ribs out and the back straps out. I try to leave as much bone on the mountain as possible. And I always try to hunt down if at all possible after i have made my inital climb. I wear wool and flannel. Just taking a single change of clothes with a few pairs of socks and shorts. I dont take a tent as a tarp is good enough for me. A decent sleeping bag is a must but you dont want a heavy one. As for animal retrieval I will make multiple trips as needed. I rarely walk in more then about 15 miles or so. That way i can get away from the other hunters. I wont say my style is for everyone but it the style I like. I know the areas I go very well and take a topo map with me when i go just because. My load out for leaving is right around 55 pounds or so maybe 60 not to sure never felt the need to put it on a scale. Minus the weapon of course.

Edit: I did not start this to point fingers or make anyone feel bad. I get asked all the time at the range if I hunt with the Kimber and then they all get on my back about how I can get a weapon that shoots just as well for half the weight is all. I pack it because I like it plain and simple.
 
if I had to hunt in the conditions you specified I'd need a pack animal of some sort. I generally hunt in rough terrain but rarely stray more than a couple miles from roads. I have never been chastized by strangers about my hunting setup but I must say that I rarely pay much attention to what others think of my setup. this year I killed my blackbear with a arisaka type 44(weight 7.3LBs) and my deer with a 9mm carbine.
 
I've found the opposite to be true. Most guys carrying 10 lb rifles never get more than 50 yards from the ATV. Virtually all of the guy who use 5 lb rifles are already in near perfect condition and are the ones who walk miles on their hunt
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I've found very few if any hunters are in near perfect condition.:rolleyes:

IME, those that complain about their rifle's weight at the end of the day are also those that complain about the weather, lack of game and how other folks hunt and what they use. Then they go home to the computer and complain online, while braggin' about their own style and how superior it is. Who cares what folks use and what kind of physical shape they're in? Not me. As long as they hunt ethically, and within the confines of the law, and don't bother or endanger me, I'm good with 'em.
 
Kimbercommander, thanks for answering few questions, I'm still trying to figure out why you posted in the first place.

You don't like the comments from other about your heavy rifle but your sure willing to comment on light rifles so guess it's some sort of payback?
 
I've found very few if any hunters are in near perfect condition.
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You can say that again.

Short story...

Several years ago I was out during Ohio's deer shotgun season.

At dusk I started heading back to truck and came across an older fella dragging a nice doe. Actually he was sitting next to the doe he had been dragging, panting like a dog that had been in the desert chasing jack rabbits during mid day. And sweating profusely.

Knowing he had a couple miles to drag to the nearest rode, I approached him to see if I could lend a hand.

He had dragged this doe up and down several steep foothills for several 100yds and was absolutely spent.

Reason's he was spent was...he had just gotten out of the hospital the week prior from having open heart surgery AND the doe was not field dressed. Old guy didn't know how.

Talking with him as I was gutting the doe I found out that he was with a hunting party consisting of his son's and friends that not only knew his condition but took him back into a place he was unfamiliar with and left him, knew this was his first deer hunting trip and promised if they heard shots would come to help him. They didn't. :mad:

After dragging deer to my truck, we drove to his camp where the rest of his hunting pals(again, including his own son's) were really busy partying. From the looks of them, they were obviously either hunting stoned or dropped the old man off and headed straight back to camp to party. All were 'lit'.

We unloaded the deer, I shook the old fella's hand, turned to the son's and told them I could have very easily been delivering them the body of their dad and drove off. I was so mad, I couldn't sleep that night thinking how someone's own flesh and blood could do that. Let alone someone that is supposed to be friends.

Guess it takes all kinds.

Kimbercommander,

I see no mention of any first aid supplies in your list of gear. You may want to add that in there in case of an injury such as a blown out knee or twisted/broken ankle. It happens!
Happened to a very 'physically fit', experienced, hunting friend of mine many years ago as we were dragging my deer out. Blew his knee out and was DRT. Luckily, I was able to get a quad to him to get him out.
 
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He had dragged this doe up and down several steep foothills for several 100yds and was absolutely spent.

Reason's he was spent was...he had just gotten out of the hospital the week prior from having open heart surgery AND the doe was not field dressed. Old guy didn't know how.
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No kidding. I'm about half dead from dragging a 100lb doe 500 yards on flat ground.:eek:
 
^^^Craziest, most dis-heartening thing I had ever come across in the woods.

This guy was beet red, panting and sweating like a trooper. And it was fairly cool that evening. Scared me after finding out his physical condition. Kept a close eye on him on the way out as well.
After finding out while gutting the deer his sons/pals left him the way they did, I was so mad I believe I could have dragged two deer at the same time out of those hills. My own blood pressure was on tilt. :o
Just couldn't/ can't imagine the mindset, lack of care or respect of some people. As a rule, it's been my experience that most outdoorsman/hunters don't have the 'trashy' mindset this group had.
 
A fella wants to haul a lot of stuff when he hunts, that's fine.

A fella wants to travel light when he hunts, that's fine.

Not really my business what other folks tote or don't tote.

Or anybody else's, either.
 
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