There's many ways to define success but let's just say here we're talking about bringing home the trophy, meat, whatever.

What would you say your success ratio is when backpacking into the rough stuff? What about compared to hunting farm fringe country? I imagine there are many more effective ways to hunt deer, but perhaps not many more satisfying ways than finding them in the back country. At least that's my take.

- stu

I recently backpacked light into the Georgia mountains and shot a doe and backpacked out. This was the most satisfying hunt I've been on in awhile. For me this type of solitary self dependant hunting is more rewarding that the deer camps common in my area.
Don

Stu
If I allow enough time to settle into the country and relax with the rythm of the land, then I will always have an opportunity to take game home. But then again, I am blessed to live nearby to great game country like our Canadian friends up north. If I just go for the weekend, then I'm on the move all time. I get home late Sunday night tired as hell and I haven't seen squat all them time I'm out. Time is a partner with distance in this game for more reasons than I've just stated.

zero for two years hunting-- 2 years ago we had a chance at a small muley, but I won't shoot them if they still have time to grow and my brother decided to pass too although he's never even shot a big game animal---we were close enuff to shoot mountain goats and moose this year, but we didn't have tags--I don't think non-residents can even buy those tags in Idaho--but I had fun and that's 95% of it for me--chris

Being selective in what you shoot is a good thing, and I do it too. But don't go overboard with it, if your brother has never shot anything--shoot something small or a doe. It's good practice for when the big boy steps out, and he's less likely to die of buck fever.

the chef

CC1--it surprised me when he didn't shoot it--I told him to, but he said he'd be laughed at back home(Nebraska)--but really I think he didn't relish the pack out--even though it wasn't that far---chris

quote:

Being selective in what you shoot

Having to carry a buck out makes you much more selective, particularly after a grueling uphill trudge with a little forked horn on your back

In the backcountry areas I hunt I will almost always see legal bucks, I pass up the little fellas until the last weekend or two looking for something bigger or with some character.

It depends on what I am hunting, for Whitetail Deer/Mule Deer/Grouse combo hunts, solo, with pack and either my Merkel drilling or Browning Citori "bockbuschflinten", I am roughly 80 % on either shooting or turning down fairly easy shots on meat type specimens. I almost always see game, but, sometimes in early season, it's just too hot and I am too tired to try to kill and pack it out. If, I cannot get even Blue Grouse out to a cooler in the vehicle within 8 hrs. max., I let it go and always have as I hate wasted game.

Where Sheep, Elk,Goats are concerned, probably 10% as these animals are not as common and the horn/antler restrictions are strict. BUT, this is REAL hunting and the challenge/thrill keeps me at it. I can afford to go on a guided, packtrain hunt every year in B.C., if I wanted to and have been there, done that....yawn. Backpacking DIY hunting is, for me, the ultimate fun and killing something is not very important, anymore.

Depends...

On bighorns I am batting a dismal 0%. And that's logging a minimum of 5 to 10 field days per year for about 12 season. But I hunt in areas with both low hunter and sheep densities (and avoid mine areas like the plague). With bighorns its been more about the journey than the destination.

On stones I have been fantastically lucky. I am batting about 70% on kill or opportunity, but I am quite selective now.

Goat is pretty close to 100%, but all you need to know is where they live and how to approach them. Once you have that figured out, its mostly just a matter of effort. Now that I will only hold out for a whopper, that rate will plummet quickly.

When bowhunting my success rate in terms of kills is dismall, but in terms of trophy experiences is phenomenal. I have not hunted elk with a rifle (for myself -- ie. not in the company of a friend with a rifle) since 1997, and am batting 0%. Roughly 30% of my elk hunting has been backpacking, the rest day trips, or overnights from a camp that can be driven to. My last successful elk hunt that was a pack-in/pack-out adventure was in 1996...its the picture in my sig pic. It was 31 kms from my truck and took 2 days in and 5 days to pack out. I will post the story of that sometime on the other thread about packing meat out. I was young and I don't think I'd go to that length for an elk again! Well, maybe if it was 360 plus.

As for the rest, well I am sure my "success rate" is about average. Like Kutenay, however, I no longer count success in most of these adventures by whether I bring home meat. The journey is the destination in most cases now.

Cheers,
Canuck

Kutenay,
That Browning BBF sounds nice. Did it come out of the custom shop? Multiple barrel sets by any chance? It's a bit of a dream gun of mine.

********

I'm looking at a solo pack in trip to the Adirondacks later this year. I'll do my damndest to bring something back but am prepared for it to be a great camping trip if needs be. Still got much planning to do.

- stu

I think that the gun you are refering to is the Browning Continental which is an O/U double rifle with additional shotgun barrels; this is a pricey and highly over-rated gun which I would avoid. This is based on a number of these that older friends have bought and had problems with and the action used, the "Superposed", aka the B-25 is NOT suitable for any double rifle unless re-worked with a functional top latch...IMHO, of course.

My gun is a quite rare Citori Type III made by Miroku, probably the most under-rated firearms maker on Earth, it is a 12Ga.x.308Win. with Invectors, the finest ejectors for BOTH the shotgun and the rimless rifle cartridge that I have ever seen and a host of other excellent features. I consider it a better gun than my Merkel drilling or my Dakota 76 and it has worked for me flawlessly since 1989; I would never part with it by choice. This gun does not have multiple barrel sets, which I don't really care for; these are o.k. with low pressure, rimmed rounds, but, even with discset strikers and gasports in the fences, I don't really think they are a good idea for obvious reasons.

If, you want a BBF, get a RIMMED cartridge and there are lots of these out there, I just turned down a Merkel 211-E, unfired in the original box, vintage 1963, calibers 7x65r and 12Ga. Martinelli has a "Ferlacher" with claws ands scope around four grand US right now in this combo, this would be a nice gun to have and, since he has had it for a couple of years, a cash offer might.....

Frankly, I consider the stuff from the current Browning Custom Shop to be gaudy and over-priced. I just sold an unfired, in the box, Browning BSS-SL 20-28" and the new ones are twice the price, yet, I see no improvement in quality. As I said, I would avoid the Continental, too many problems.

I've never heard of a Citori BBF. As you say, it must be quite rare. I just figured it might have been a special order of some sort.

I don't have to look very far to find workable used drillings, Büchsflinten and BBFs around here. They're still a fair bit of money though and for the moment I'm trying to keep them off the purchase radar.

- stu

Canuck,
My elk succes rate in your neck of the woods is 0.00% for three years and 36 days of backpack hell and happiness. I know of 2 great spots (right near Cranbrook) where the hunting and the Bulls are outstanding, but I like the wilderness/mountain experience more than the kill.

Oh well, you have some awesome whtetails that always seem to get in the way of a stray bullet.

Love the Kootenays!


Jamie

I had my first ever big game hunt in 2002. It was a bowhunt for elk and I've done it every year since. I took my first animal last august for overall success rate of 25%. Every year I have had incredible encounters with animals and would have harvested a 6X6 @20yds. my first year if an "invisible" limb hadn't defelected my arrow at dusk on the final night of the hunt.

Bowhunting for elk is the best week of the year hands down, regardless of taking an animal or not. Nothing makes you feel more alive than putting on frozen pants at 4am and hiking up and down miles of mountains for 16 hours a day!


Here is the test run morning of the hunt, probably about 50lbs.



This is the old 5X5 I took on opening day last year. Two of our three took animals on opening night.

Not sure what I did wrong there. Let's try this.

With all that stuff, where did you put the elk? Did you use pack animals for the meat?

Nice shots Dman. Congrats on the bull!

I edited your post for you. The pics weren't aligning properly because they were "aligned left"...doesn't work for some reason. Only works properly if you click on the align "none" radio button.

Cheers,
Canuck

Thanks guys. I just take the pack off the frame and strap the meat on. Good exericse, bad for the back and joints (mine not the elk's). We usually see a peruvian sheepherder at the trailhead every year. He wasn't in our valley yet when we arrived.

No sheep = more forage = many wapiti

The shepard said he would pack out an animal from our camp for $100. He has 2 horses.

Oh, and I don't ususally hike all 16hours. I set aside about 4 hours a day to sleep in the aspen groves.

How far do you hike in Dman? Planning my fisrt do it your self archery elk hunt this fall would like to ask you a few more questions.

Thanks
Big-un