Hey guys, new here. My buddy and I were thinking about doing our first DIY hunt this fall in colorado and I am looking for some tips. What are some good resources for first timers. Such as what to bring, scouting tips, what to expect...you know, all the stuff you need to know to do a DIY hunt. Thanks!
First DIY
- Thread starter Jorden
- Start date
twp1224
Active Member
Get Cameron Hanes, Mike Eastman or David Long books. They are a great start. I have a gear list that i can send you. It's sorted by weight and you can remove and add items to your liking. let me know if you want it.
Bitterroot Bulls
Veteran member
+1 on the above books.
David Long's Public Land Mulies - The Bottom Line should be required reading for any DIY hunter.
David Long's Public Land Mulies - The Bottom Line should be required reading for any DIY hunter.
Tip#1 buy the lightest gear that is out there. If you think you'll save a few bucks by buying mediocre stuff you won't because you'll end up buying again.
Tip#2 get in shape.
Tip #3 practice steep angled shots.
Tip #4 be prepared for rain.
Tip #5 take sunblock for glassing all day in the open terrain if that's where you'll be hunting.
Tip#2 get in shape.
Tip #3 practice steep angled shots.
Tip #4 be prepared for rain.
Tip #5 take sunblock for glassing all day in the open terrain if that's where you'll be hunting.
RUTTIN
Veteran member
I would say buy the above mentioned books first, second get in the best shape that you can. You don't need to be in great shape to hunt DIY in the back country, but to enjoy it.....you better get in good shape. Good luck and have fun.
RobinHood
Member
Agreed. You dont have to run marathons to make it work. But the better shape you are in, the more you will enjoy it.
IN my opinion, the experience of a back country hunt depends on two things:
1) Being in shape, I mean in good shape, cardio and endurance
2) Staying dry.
If you can cover those two things you will be fine. Just get the above mentioned gear list and you will be set.
Bitterroot Bulls
Veteran member
SDbowhunter
Active Member
Ya, take advantage of all the great gear coming out these days to make things easier and more enjoyable, not saying you need to spend thousands to have a good time, but ultimatly the better your gear is at doing what its supposed to ie: keeping you warm, or dry, etc. the less you have to worry about that and can focus on the hunting, likewise the better shape your in, the less huffing and puffing you will do and the steadier you will be when that time comes to pull the trigger
*******
Active Member
Take a couple scouting trips in to get used to the area. Nothing will kill a DIY backcountry hunt faster than that little voice in the back of your head telling you to go home. Unfamiliar terrain, bad weather, sore muscles, fear, and uncertainty will have you back in your truck faster than anything else your first times out. If you know the area well and are more comfortable with your surroundings you can calm your nerves better and stick it out.
Make a promise to yourself to stay in until your out of food or out of tags. Packing out early will hurt your future hunts before they start.
Make a promise to yourself to stay in until your out of food or out of tags. Packing out early will hurt your future hunts before they start.
Mike
Eastmans' Staff
- Feb 21, 2011
- 34
- 0
Jordan this is my two cents. Start out with two or three day trips into the backcountry. The important aspect of hunting in the bush is your equipment. Each hunter has to figure out what system and equipment for backpacking works for him. No one uses the same backpacking gear including packs, tents, stoves, and layering clothing. So by taking short trips you begin to evaluate and fine-tune your backcountry equipment. You learn where and how to build a camp. Most importantly you’ll handle living with bad weather in the backcountry. Also starting out if some gear fails, your only hours from the trailhead. The biggest mistake first time backcountry hunters’ make is packing heavy. Lugging around stuff they don’t need to make a bush camp. A great book for learning about backcountry gear is David Longs “Public Land Mulies” the bottom line. He has a whole section on backpacking light. No one solo hunts any harder or longer in the high country as David. The book is a good starting point. Let us know how you do and Good Luck! Mike
SDbowhunter
Active Member
I agree with mike, take a few short trips to get aclimated with your gear and just being in the backcountry, sometimes when your out alone several miles back you can spook easily and over stress yourself out, not saying i've done that but a buddy of mine every now and then gets scared of his own shaddow. get to know your gear so that you know how to use it when the weather gets bad and you'll soon know what you can do without and what you can't live without ! the less you have to worry about when your tag is on the line, the better your experience will be. not sayin you'll never have a problem, but the more your in the woods the more confident you will be at taking care of them.
Matthoek21
Veteran member
The best thing you can carry in the backcountry is Mental Toughness! What everyone is saying is true. The mind leads everything. If your Mentally Tough then you'll be in shape, if your Mentally Tough you'll perceiver through rain, cold, and anything else that comes your way. Good luck and take a good headlamp.
Mike
Eastmans' Staff
- Feb 21, 2011
- 34
- 0
Gee! This is my two cents. Mental Toughness isn’t going to help you build a fire in a blizzard ten miles from the trailhead. It won’t help you if you don’t know the first stages of hyperthermia or what to do when it does hit. Because the second stage your body is shutting down. Mentally Toughness didn’t help the dude last summer above my house when a Grizzly drugged him out of his tent and eat him. If he only had bear spray or kept a clean bear proof camp. If you don’t know how to live in the wilderness you’re going to end up in trouble. No! The best thing you can pack in the wilderness is backcountry knowledge and the right gear. Oh, take a good fire starter system and shelter. Mike
Matthoek21
Veteran member
Mike I completely agree that is why I agreed with what everyone else said. You absolutely have to have the right gear. But the one thing everyone must have to be successful is Mental Toughness. You can have all the best gear in the world but if your scared of the dark or hate being under a little distress your not gonna succeed in the backcountry. I have hunted with people who had all the best gear and trained hard before the season, but when they got out there and things didn't happen fast and it was day 3 it became a whole lot harder to chase that bugling bull in the next drainage. Yeah they were in shape and yeah they had a nice tent and boots but b/c it wasn't coming easy they quit. That is where being succesful is going to take Mental Toughness in the backcountry. A bear attack can happen under any circumstances good equipment, mental toughness, bear proof containers, or not. However Mental Toughness may be exactly what you need to get you out of the backcountry if something goes wrong. You have to be able to think clearly and positively if you find yourself in a bad situation. Also Mental Toughness is what pushes you to train in order to be ready for that up and coming backcountry adventure. Some people are just not suited for this style and that is why in my mind you have to be borderline insane. All my friends joke about me taking a vacation to be miserable. Why not go to the beach and layout they ask?? That is boring. To me being out of my comfort zone and miserable is fun. Gotta love it. Does anyone agree or do I need to check myself into the asylum. Lol
Mike
Eastmans' Staff
- Feb 21, 2011
- 34
- 0
What! So you’re the one chasing all the elk out of my honey hole. I guess you’re right you would have to be a bit crazy. I have lived over half of my life in the bush. In my younger days while guiding and hunting all over the north I hung out with the old time trailblazers. They made a living in the backcountry and learned how to live year around in the bush hundreds of miles from civilization. It’s an acquired skill from years in the backcountry. If you can live in the bush, enjoy it and get around with easy plus handling the challenges of bad weather you’re a backcountry hunter. Thinking clearly making the right decisions if something goes wrong is a function of experience. Making out like you have to be some marathon runner or iron man may sell books to novices. But man your going down a trail that I have no interest in following. Guess what! You don’t need to be a marathon runner or Iron man to be a good hunter and comfortable in the bush. Stop! Kick back, chill-out! Set on a high ridge in the backcountry and look around! Enjoy the beauty and the wildlife that God has put in front of you. Wow! You’re missing half of the experience of a Solo DIY hunter. Mike (old time Solo DIY hunter)
Matthoek21
Veteran member
I wish I was hunting your honey hole! But hey this is a backcountry forum and all my point is you have to be mentally prepared if you plan on spending 5-7 days in the backcountry without the comforts of home. Sleeping on the ground, filtering your water, cooking in the dark on a jetboil, no cell phone service, away from friends and family, work, all the things that you think about while alone back there. Yes you do not have to be a marathon runner to be successful. I agree that was in my last comment when I mentioned hunting with people that were physically in shape but couldn't or wouldn't do what it took to climb that next hill to go after a bugling bull. I love the backcountry and literally enjoy every minute I'm there and I do stop and smell the roses and don't take any of these natural resources for granted. I respect the mountain men and people who live in the bush. But trust me they are "Mentally Tough" to be able to do what they do, and I'll guarantee you not all of them can run a marathon. Just want it to be none I love the magazine and all the features every month but the one thing that I think would make a great article would be this topic at least for the DIY section of the Bowhunting Journal. We always talk about the best gear and yes that helps make things easier, but the one thing that the first time hunter who travels west does not realize is no matter how hard you train, what tent, boots, bow, camo, etc, etc, etc you have, if you don't have it mentally and miss the comforts of home and are scared of the dark you will be MISERABLE! Am I the only one that feels this way cause I think we have ran everybody else off this forum. Can't wait to hear back.
SDbowhunter
Active Member
lol, I'm still here.... I also think that one of most rewarding parts of being in the backcountry is the views. The memory and pictures you take while there are priceless, to others they are just pictures of pretty places, but we all know, who have been there that the sights, smells, and sounds are with you anytime you take your mind there and thats what brings me back every time. Its what makes the trip rewarding even if you come home empty handed, what a beautiful creation we have out there just beyond the next canyon.
I consider it less mental toughness and more of a love for the outdoors, hunting and solitude. Kinda hard to get scared of the dark and not having a cell phone if you are doing what you love. You cant make a check mark on mental toughness on the hunting gear list to make it over the next ridge. It takes physical stamina and if you are short on that adrenaline always helps.
"First DIY
Hey guys, new here. My buddy and I were thinking about doing our first DIY hunt this fall in colorado and I am looking for some tips. What are some good resources for first timers. Such as what to bring, scouting tips, what to expect...you know, all the stuff you need to know to do a DIY hunt. Thanks!"
Jorden there has been some good advice already noted. One of your questions was "what to expect". I don't have years of experience in the back country and obviously you don't either or you would not have started this thread. I have taken several DIY hunts in Colorado on public land and loved it even though I never made a kill. It is a rewarding experience for some people. However it is not for everyone regardless of whether you have a love for the outdoors or not. Perception is often much different than reality. Do expect this. A DIY hunt done right is ass busting work! Aside from the obvious everything you do in the back country is more difficult than doing the same thing at home; brushing your teeth, preparing meals, finding water, staying warm, staying cool, staying dry, sitting down without a couch or chair to plop down on, etc. The hunt can be perfect but more than likely you will encounter difficulty. Consider what you will do if you break your leg at 11,000 feet. Are you going to get out or be like Hatchet Jack from the movie Jeremiah Johnson? Now Hatchet Jack didn't have a satellite phone to call for help but have you considered that? There is no cell phone service where you're going. Can't happen to you (that's what I thought also). I hope it doesn't happen to you but my point and the point of others who have responded is that you need to be prepared mentally, physically and otherwise. It ain't like hunting whitetails! As I said, I loved it. Hope you will too.
Hey guys, new here. My buddy and I were thinking about doing our first DIY hunt this fall in colorado and I am looking for some tips. What are some good resources for first timers. Such as what to bring, scouting tips, what to expect...you know, all the stuff you need to know to do a DIY hunt. Thanks!"
Jorden there has been some good advice already noted. One of your questions was "what to expect". I don't have years of experience in the back country and obviously you don't either or you would not have started this thread. I have taken several DIY hunts in Colorado on public land and loved it even though I never made a kill. It is a rewarding experience for some people. However it is not for everyone regardless of whether you have a love for the outdoors or not. Perception is often much different than reality. Do expect this. A DIY hunt done right is ass busting work! Aside from the obvious everything you do in the back country is more difficult than doing the same thing at home; brushing your teeth, preparing meals, finding water, staying warm, staying cool, staying dry, sitting down without a couch or chair to plop down on, etc. The hunt can be perfect but more than likely you will encounter difficulty. Consider what you will do if you break your leg at 11,000 feet. Are you going to get out or be like Hatchet Jack from the movie Jeremiah Johnson? Now Hatchet Jack didn't have a satellite phone to call for help but have you considered that? There is no cell phone service where you're going. Can't happen to you (that's what I thought also). I hope it doesn't happen to you but my point and the point of others who have responded is that you need to be prepared mentally, physically and otherwise. It ain't like hunting whitetails! As I said, I loved it. Hope you will too.