Beginner solo hunter advice

[WVmike]

From the eastern part of WV. I have recently been looking into doing more solo hunting trips not only in the wilderness areas here in WV but also going west to hunt elk. I have solo hunted twice in national forest and wilderness areas here in WV over the past two seasons. I would like to hunt with my friend that I usually hunt with but more times than not our schedule doesn't match up or other obligations are in place prior to setting hunting trip dates. I prefer to do alot of backpack hunting to get into where alot of people don't go especially in the wilderness areas. Most others enjoy parking the truck and watching a corn field or bean field and I don't care for that type of hunting. I was in the Marines and have basic navigation skills with a compass and survival skills. I currently work 3 days a week as a nurse so I have flexibility with hunting and training year round. I typically do either the Mtn Ops elk fit program, ruck with weight, run and insanity max or other similar programs on my days off depending on what is scheduled for the day. The rifle I use is either a Weatherby Vanguard 7mm Rem Mag or Remington 700 .308.

Anyone with advice on what they would do differently on solo hunts that range from a day hunt to a 3-5 day hunt? What equipment is a must or which is preferred? I'm looking to purchase a seekoutside cimarron and stove combo and also was debating on which personal locator beacon to pick up. My wife will not let me go west in search of elk until 1. I go with my hunting buddy or 2. I have some way of contacting her and help in case of emergency.

I already have a Mystery Ranch Metcalf with a first aid kit/headlight, etc and a pair of Zamberlan Saguaro boots I purchased in 2019. Any advice would be appreciated and I have learned alot already from this forum.

 

[JLS]

Anyone with advice on what they would do differently on solo hunts that range from a day hunt to a 3-5 day hunt?

Bring more beer and food

What equipment is a must or which is preferred?

The only difference in gear for me is bringing a tent, pad and sleeping bag.

and also was debating on which personal locator beacon to pick up.

I have a Garmin InReach Mini.

 

[Hilljackoutlaw]

Agree with JLS. I pack all the same exact gear for an evening hunt as I do for a 5 day hunt. Only difference is the tent, bag, pad, and rations.
I also have garmin inreach...I use the explorer tho. Works everytime I needed it to. Sometimes it's easier to text from the garmin instead of phone tho for more prompt sending of the message.

 

[WVmike]

Agree with JLS. I pack all the same exact gear for an evening hunt as I do for a 5 day hunt. Only difference is the tent, bag, pad, and rations.
I also have garmin inreach...I use the explorer tho. Works everytime I needed it to. Sometimes it's easier to text from the garmin instead of phone tho for more prompt sending of the message.

Thanks for the input. I usually pack the same except for overnight trips adding the shelter, pad and sleeping bag. How often do you use the garmin? Is it worth the money? I was looking at the mini as well but was comparing the spot and garmin. I saw alot of people prefer the garmin based on the the price difference and additional features of the garmin.

 

[Hilljackoutlaw]

Thanks for the input. I usually pack the same except for overnight trips adding the shelter, pad and sleeping bag. How often do you use the garmin? Is it worth the money? I was looking at the mini as well but was comparing the spot and garmin. I saw alot of people prefer the garmin based on the the price difference and additional features of the garmin.

My wife bought me the garmin for piece of mind and after using it on a few trips I wouldn't go without it now. It really does make ya feel safer. I use it a lot for mapping and I just check in a couple times a day with it and update friends on how the hunt is going. I know most of us hunt to like to get away from the world and other reasons to but its nice to be able to have contact with your loved ones. I like the garmin over the spot just for the fact it's a stand alone messenger. If your phone fails you can still send messages with the explorers keypad.

 

[WVmike]

My wife bought me the garmin for piece of mind and after using it on a few trips I wouldn't go without it now. It really does make ya feel safer. I use it a lot for mapping and I just check in a couple times a day with it and update friends on how the hunt is going. I know most of us hunt to like to get away from the world and other reasons to but its nice to be able to have contact with your loved ones. I like the garmin over the spot just for the fact it's a stand alone messenger. If your phone fails you can still send messages with the explorers keypad.

I have heard nothing but good things about the garmin. Maybe I can get my wife to buy it for me as a gift. We hike together so maybe that could be some justification for her even more.

 

[MTGamecock]

+1 on the Garmin Inreach Explorer. I'm usually out of cell phone range by the time I get to the trailhead before I even start hiking. It's good peace of mind in case of an emergency and my wife appreciates the heads-up if I shoot something and know I'm going to be late. We also take it with us when we hike the national forests around here in the summer, heck, we even take it into Yellowstone. I don't use it much for mapping/gps purposes (I use OnX for all of that) but as an emergency communicator, I find it hard to beat.

By the way, I used to live in WV and hunted farm properties in Berkeley and Jefferson Counties before moving out here.

 

[WVmike]

+1 on the Garmin Inreach Explorer. I'm usually out of cell phone range by the time I get to the trailhead before I even start hiking. It's good peace of mind in case of an emergency and my wife appreciates the heads-up if I shoot something and know I'm going to be late. We also take it with us when we hike the national forests around here in the summer, heck, we even take it into Yellowstone. I don't use it much for mapping/gps purposes (I use OnX for all of that) but as an emergency communicator, I find it hard to beat.

By the way, I used to live in WV and hunted farm properties in Berkeley and Jefferson Counties before moving out here.

I've always wanted to go hunting out west. I feel like once I do get a taste of it, that's all I would want to do is move there to be closer to that type of hunting year round. There are alot of farms in those counties. I hunt in Hardy, Grant, Pendleton and Randolph counties. Mainly national forest like spruce knob, dolly sods or out near gaudineer knob but also private land in Hardy county.

 

[406dn]

I have a Spot, got it not long after they first came out. They are spartan compared to the Garmin In Reach but not so lacking that I have switched over. If I was buying from scratch today, I'd get a Garmin, I think.

You definitely want some sort of emergency locator/transmitter, the west is big enough and rough enough to be hard to find on any sort of search and rescue, without some gps coordinates.

 

[nrpate05]

Only thing I can add is if you are solo you have to pack an animal out solo. For me, this means realistically not being more than 3 miles from a road (at least for elk) and ideally less. I'm not sure if you have shot an elk before but when you have one on the ground, you realize just how big they are and how much meat you'll be carrying on your back.

 

[WVmike]

Only thing I can add is if you are solo you have to pack an animal out solo. For me, this means realistically not being more than 3 miles from a road (at least for elk) and ideally less. I'm not sure if you have shot an elk before but when you have one on the ground, you realize just how big they are and how much meat you'll be carrying on your back.

Ultimately I would like to have someone go along not only for the company and for the experience but also for the pack out with an elk. That being said when plans are made, 75% of the time the plans have to be pushed back and scrapped all together which doesn't even allow the chance to go hunt elk. One reason why I may be doing more solo hunting.

 

[406dn]

Only thing I can add is if you are solo you have to pack an animal out solo. For me, this means realistically not being more than 3 miles from a road (at least for elk) and ideally less. I'm not sure if you have shot an elk before but when you have one on the ground, you realize just how big they are and how much meat you'll be carrying on your back.

That is if the three miles are downhill. I am grateful for my horses, especially when packing out an elk.

I have been solicited quite a few times from people wanting help packing out elk. My understanding is that accepting money for that service is a form of outfitting.

 

[SAJ-99]

Thanks for the input. I usually pack the same except for overnight trips adding the shelter, pad and sleeping bag. How often do you use the garmin? Is it worth the money? I was looking at the mini as well but was comparing the spot and garmin. I saw alot of people prefer the garmin based on the the price difference and additional features of the garmin.

Sounds like you have a pretty good start. All I can add is I have spot and garmin inreach. Garmin is far better and cheaper because I turn off the service for about half the year.
If you want the Spot I will send it to
You.

 

[AlaskaHunter]

Agree with JLS. I pack all the same exact gear for an evening hunt as I do for a 5 day hunt. Only difference is the tent, bag, pad, and rations.
I also have garmin inreach...I use the explorer tho. Works everytime I needed it to. Sometimes it's easier to text from the garmin instead of phone tho for more prompt sending of the message.

I also use the inreach explorer as a stand alone...most of the time its a preset message "Back safe at camp, good night" every evening. The inreach screen is a liquid crystal display so if it cracks your screwed...so don't store it in a soft area of your pack that you might sit on and crack the screen.

 

[Mtnlife]

From the eastern part of WV. I have recently been looking into doing more solo hunting trips not only in the wilderness areas here in WV but also going west to hunt elk. I have solo hunted twice in national forest and wilderness areas here in WV over the past two seasons. I would like to hunt with my friend that I usually hunt with but more times than not our schedule doesn't match up or other obligations are in place prior to setting hunting trip dates. I prefer to do alot of backpack hunting to get into where alot of people don't go especially in the wilderness areas. Most others enjoy parking the truck and watching a corn field or bean field and I don't care for that type of hunting. I was in the Marines and have basic navigation skills with a compass and survival skills. I currently work 3 days a week as a nurse so I have flexibility with hunting and training year round. I typically do either the Mtn Ops elk fit program, ruck with weight, run and insanity max or other similar programs on my days off depending on what is scheduled for the day. The rifle I use is either a Weatherby Vanguard 7mm Rem Mag or Remington 700 .308.

Anyone with advice on what they would do differently on solo hunts that range from a day hunt to a 3-5 day hunt? What equipment is a must or which is preferred? I'm looking to purchase a seekoutside cimarron and stove combo and also was debating on which personal locator beacon to pick up. My wife will not let me go west in search of elk until 1. I go with my hunting buddy or 2. I have some way of contacting her and help in case of emergency.

I already have a Mystery Ranch Metcalf with a first aid kit/headlight, etc and a pair of Zamberlan Saguaro boots I purchased in 2019. Any advice would be appreciated and I have learned alot already from this forum.

Awesome seeing people reaching out for advice before they come west. A lot can go wrong on a backpack hunting trip if you are not prepared, physically, mentally or with gear. There are a million things to consider but you knowledge is number one! Check out Kifaru cast on YouTube and their podcasts. They have a lot of good tips on backpack hunting.

 

[Redman]

I prefer solo hunting the part I don't like is the 20 + hr drive out West alone. For me that is the dangerous part. I always give people back home my hunt plans and text my location when I change locations. I don't have an inreach so I can't comment. I do have the Seek Outside Cimarron and love it! If you are getting the stove combo get the SXL. I have the small stove and find myself loosing much needed sleep to feed it. I was going for a weight savings but a longer burn time would be worth the extra weight. Yes once you hunt the West you will be thinking about it all the time!

 

[coleslaw]

Bring earplugs for sleeping. Sleep (and proper hydration) is the ultimate recharge on a tough hunt and I am a very light sleeper so earplugs help me overcome that.
Trying to sleep in a tent through windstorm, rain, hail and whatever else the mountains throw at you is not easy. Earplugs at least remove the noise equation as well as all those "bumps in the night" sounds that will no doubt run your imagination wild when you are alone.

 

[Valgrego]

From the eastern part of WV. I have recently been looking into doing more solo hunting trips not only in the wilderness areas here in WV but also going west to hunt elk. I have solo hunted twice in national forest and wilderness areas here in WV over the past two seasons. I would like to hunt with my friend that I usually hunt with but more times than not our schedule doesn't match up or other obligations are in place prior to setting hunting trip dates. I prefer to do alot of backpack hunting to get into where alot of people don't go especially in the wilderness areas. Most others enjoy parking the truck and watching a corn field or bean field and I don't care for that type of hunting. I was in the Marines and have basic navigation skills with a compass and survival skills. I currently work 3 days a week as a nurse so I have flexibility with hunting and training year round. I typically do either the Mtn Ops elk fit program, ruck with weight, run and insanity max or other similar programs on my days off depending on what is scheduled for the day. The rifle I use is either a Weatherby Vanguard 7mm Rem Mag or Remington 700 .308.

Anyone with advice on what they would do differently on solo hunts that range from a day hunt to a 3-5 day hunt? What equipment is a must or which is preferred? I'm looking to purchase a seekoutside cimarron and stove combo and also was debating on which personal locator beacon to pick up. My wife will not let me go west in search of elk until 1. I go with my hunting buddy or 2. I have some way of contacting her and help in case of emergency.

I already have a Mystery Ranch Metcalf with a first aid kit/headlight, etc and a pair of Zamberlan Saguaro boots I purchased in 2019. Any advice would be appreciated and I have learned alot already from this forum.

Baselayers and waterproof / windproof outer layers, good quality merino wool socks. I grew up in the west (Colorado, Arizona, Utah) and I've seen the weather change drastically from day to day. Being a prior Marine, you probably have considered these already, but my 2 cents... +1 on the locator beacon! Smart move!

 

[WVmike]

Baselayers and waterproof / windproof outer layers, good quality merino wool socks. I grew up in the west (Colorado, Arizona, Utah) and I've seen the weather change drastically from day to day. Being a prior Marine, you probably have considered these already, but my 2 cents... +1 on the locator beacon! Smart move!

My wife just got me a jetstream jacket and timberline pant for this past Christmas. I also have been using first lite merino midweight baselayers when it is cold enough and the sitka next to skin base layers all the time. I have also been using darn tough socks and other merino wool socks. I have a neutral color north face gore tex jacket and waterproof pant.

 

[ChaosOneZero]

Here are few things I’ve found to be helpful in overcoming small issues that have the potential to become big ones:

foot care - I don’t have the toughest feet; even when I was in the army in a light infantry unit and walking everywhere with everything on my back, I had to pay attention to foot care. So I always pre-tape my feet with Leuko tape and bring powder and extra socks (prefer darn tough). Leuko tape can also serve as a pseudo duct tape/adhesive for fixing stuff.

water - I always carry a couple iodine tabs or a small dropper of bleach for use in the event my filter (katadyn) breaks

first aid kit - I have a small circular plastic container thing that I use for a pill case. I keep a couple pain killers, aleve, couple Benadryl (for allergies or reactions), and a couple days worth of antibiotics (amoxicillin or doxycycline).

paracord - you were a devil dog, so I won’t belabor this point. Ha

Micro leatherman - not one of the standard size ones that weighs a pound