Mercy, I am taking a break. As I "mature" I find myself taking much more time to prepare for a trip, no matter the distance or time envolved, do you?

Leave tomorrow for four days "rut" hunt in the great brush country of S. Texas. Will be towing jeep, no cooking (by hunters), house to sleep and many acres to hunt (oh, no corn, no feeders, no high fence, no protein, no tower stands) with huge whitetail possible.

I am looking at four pages of "notes" to include all the gear I "think" will be necessary. As I delve thru the reams of notes, I think I have too many clothes to choose among, too many rifles to have to leave behind, too many boots/socks to select among and now we are just beginning! Rattlin' horns, bleats, shooting sticks, binos, glasses (and all the mess required to clean, etc), dop kit w/pills, eye stuff, lip stuff, camo paint!

Man I am tired! There is of course much, much, much more but perhaps you have this much FUN with your planning as well? Oh, I forgot, cell phones, chargers, laptop, digital cameras, video cam and oh, I gotta go to bed so I can drive in the AM!

Muygrande, man does that sound familiar. For me, it's more of an exciting process, I'm glad to finally have enough gear to need to make a list! It's been a lot of years and experience to know what I wanted/needed, and it sure makes a difference to me in how good of a hunter I can be when afield. I'm looking forward to going a few more times close to home, only need to take what is needed for that day.

I like the sounds of your hunt, good ground and good deer, and you pitting your wits against the whitetails on their terms. Been around the corn and such in Tx before, it's fun enough, but I sure like your style more.

Best of luck to you--

Regards--Don

I have been making lists since I was a Boy Scout. Getting ready for a trip, deciding what to take, is half the fun.

Age? Maybe just a little, but at least in my case it has to do with comfort. For example, I enjoy my wall tent much more than my backpack tent, because I can walk upright, I can have a chair to sit on as I tie my shoes, I can have a table, heater, and a whole bunch of toys inside the tent, a large cot topped with a thick mattress, etc., and still have room left to walk around. It's much like the difference between sleeping in the car or sleeping in a camper.

Maybe it has to do with both age and money? See..maybe it's because as we get older we earn more money! Now i am confused!

I used to laugh at my Fathers freind who had so much stuff and so many gadgets it took 1/2 a day to pack his truck. But when you needed something all you had to do was ask Milt and he had it in a minute.

Nowdays I'm almost as bad with everything I can imagine needing for me or others in camp going along on the trip.

To me making the lists and talking about the coming hunt is pretty much the foreplay of hunting.

Mark D

Mark,
Wrong thread I know, but just noticed you're back on line. I've been off for awhile myself but how was the Beaver Creek goat hunt?

I have two big plastic storage tubs in the gun room. One is marked BOW, the other GUN. Each contains 95% of the gear required for each endeavor. All I need to do is grab binos, a knife and rangefinder and I'm set. Got tired of lists.

I may still have the million item, 12 page "list" from my first Africa trip. Must have thought I was going to the MOON and not a relatively modern Country, a lot less rural than where I live here in Montana too.

Had to laugh at Marks "foreplay" comment. I do the same thing as lists for my motorcycle trips but it's done with maps and highliters. The planning is as much fun as the trips.

FN in MT

I dont think its age related. In my very early 30s, I was so excited about a buffalo hunt, I literally forgot to pack half my clothes. Could have been worse though – I did remember to pack rifle and ammo!

I also think the planning can be almost as much fun as the hunt. You get to think about the trip so long in advance.

Fergus

I have done the list thing, but now I keep every thing organized and can leave on a trip in an hour if I have to. I was in Colorado lase week on a cow elk hunt, the outfitter called me and sked if I could leave 4 days earlier than planned, I told him I could leave that night if I had to. Just grab from the shelf and put in the bag!

Have always made lists.Now that I'm getting gray,I NEED lists.Planning's half the fun.Dave

quote:

Originally posted by muygrande:
Leave tomorrow for four days "rut" hunt in the great brush country of S. Texas. Will be towing jeep, no cooking (by hunters), house to sleep and many acres to hunt (oh, no corn, no feeders, no high fence, no protein, no tower stands) with huge whitetail possible.

Best of luck on your hunt -- the weather should be good. I hope you post plenty of pictures on your return.

On your question -- I keep Word documents with my lists on them and update as the season goes on.

My brother in law starts the day we are leaving and throws everything in --willy nilly. I start 2 weeks before and pack and repack. My stuff makes it to camp dry and safe. He forgets half his shit, isn't ever ready on time. I wonder how he manages but he does. I always bring too much stuff-it's hard to trust that the others will actually bring the important stuff that we need.

the chef

I would like to think that "list making" is just one of those things you learn to do because it actually works ... when you get there you have the stuff you need. So, I'll propose it is simply one of those little wisdoms we learn over time.

Cop out? Probably, but it makes me feel better.

My list pulled me thru but it still takes a little talent (read luck). For instance, I knew one of the tanks I would hunt was down to the bar pit and had 300 yards to a brush line so I went with a 300 Wby shooting 180 gr. X bullets. I was watching several deer at the brush line, looked down at the tank and there drinking at forty yards was an 8 1/2+ (no teeth left) basic 10 pt with double split brow tines. The g2's and g3's were reflective of age and all four were basically 8". The age of the deer and the split brow tines required I take a shot as it was near dark thirty. How many of us shoot our magnum rifles at 40 yards when practicing- well I admit I do not. This rifle sighted in at 3" high at 100 and dead on at 300. Held about 2/3 down the shoulder and bullet entered low breaking both shoulders and taking out the heart. Bullet still lodged somewhere in the bank of the tank. My guess is that the deer will go mid 140's and did manage to hold on to 24" beams and 5 1/2" bases w/18 1/2 inside spread. Just goes to show that best laid plans may work but not always as planned. Saw several other nice animals but no shooters as this is a working cattle ranch, no stands, no feeding, no fences and predators galore that are not to be taken. Yeah, I took enough equipment that were on my lists to stay out for months and used maybe 15% of it. Never know about the weather this time of year in the great brush country of S. Texas as the temps were 50-80 and it did stay dry. Deer were wanting to come into rut but the temps and full moon did not help.

I will attempt a pic in a day or two.

Congratulations -- sounds like you had a good trip. I'm looking forward to the pictures.

quote:

Originally posted by ELKMAN2:
I have done the list thing, but now I keep every thing organized and can leave on a trip in an hour if I have to. I was in Colorado lase week on a cow elk hunt, the outfitter called me and sked if I could leave 4 days earlier than planned, I told him I could leave that night if I had to. Just grab from the shelf and put in the bag!

That is the best way that I have found. I got a rubbermaid storage box that holds all my hunting clothing and boots. I grab that some undies, socks, rifle and ammo and out the door.
Sure saves a lot of time.

Well, I brought the wrong cables for the digital/computer so it will be next week- too many apparati for this carbon paper and white out man to keep track of.

I do keep my clothing in some degree of readiness, however over my 50+ years of over indulgence in gadget accumulations I must make lists as one or ten boxes, a closet, gun cabinet(s), etc will not contain this habit of mine!

Oh, while hunting in my pop-up (my first time), I observed a mature bobcat playing with a mouse that was alive enough to move fairly well - I assume the cats await death before eating? Bobcat would just lay on the ground, never taking his eyes off that mouse and hitting him with his claws if the mouse got too fiesty! Did not witness the final result as I got back to the more serious hunting but can only imagine the slow death that mouse indured.

I was amazed that this pop-up, sitting atop a fairly high dam in the wide-open did little but draw the occasional intense stare of the deer. It is lined with the charcoal barrier but I never thought much about its effect either. Guess when we quit learning we have quit hunting!

quote:

How many of us shoot our magnum rifles at 40 yards when practicing- well I admit I do not.

Raising my hand.....I do. I've seen too many shots at skunks and whatever missed at closer ranges. My .300 WM is dead on at 300m and 1/2 inch inch low at 25y. Most high powered rifles will be close to dead on at 25 BTW and certainly within an inch at 40.

PS: Lists? What's a list?