Kenetrek Boots

Ever wonder?

Thought about this for a bit. What constitutes the "old" days, Muley?
Was on a elk hunt in the snow w/ an outfitter a while back and had on a comfortable pair of Jeans. The outfitter couldn't hide his disapproval when he saw them. Didn't think much of my old mauser either. On the flip side, he never found an elk - so it was a moot point. Have since upgraded.
On another note. I was abt 3 miles from anywhere, by myself on an elk hunt. I heard what sounded like a chain saw. Followed the sound. found a game cart up on the ridge trail. walked down towards the sound. Came across 2 "old" guys (older than me :) ) dressed from the 50's in red plaid wool shirts and heavy wool pants and hats. They shot an elk down lower and had brought in abt 300 feet of rope, a small gas 2 stroke motor w/ pulley, a sled and a small chain saw to clear the path. Quartered the elk, strapped it to the sled and let the pulley tow it up to the game cart. I liked their thinking.
 
In the "old days" in midwest, we were restricted to using smooth bore shotguns with the old Foster style rifled slugs. It was about a 40-50 yard tops proposition with most standard vent rib shotguns, but we still killed a lot of deer.
I sure don't miss the junk clothing of those days, froze my rear end off sitting in a stand on many occassions. Only the guys in real northern deer country; Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Maine, etc. had the cool plaid woolies.
Oh yea ..... The tree stands were nailed up wooden death traps too ;)
 
Because back then men were men. They stood for the anthem, lived in a world of no grey, its either right or wrong, not expecting anyone to take care of them. Simply put the world is wussified. Makes me miss my mentor, best friend, my dad. Toughest guy I knew. Wish I was that tough.......... I am a little wussifed myself with my expensive gear and latest and greatest bullets and guns................. I watched him kill countless deer with a head shot from a .22. Once in a while he'd go "crazy" and bring out the iron sighted 30-30. Come to think of it, I should try hunting with the old 30-30 in my safe ( id probably starve though)
 
Because back then men were men. They stood for the anthem, lived in a world of no grey, its either right or wrong, not expecting anyone to take care of them. Simply put the world is wussified. Makes me miss my mentor, best friend, my dad. Toughest guy I knew. Wish I was that tough.......... I am a little wussifed myself with my expensive gear and latest and greatest bullets and guns................. I watched him kill countless deer with a head shot from a .22. Once in a while he'd go "crazy" and bring out the iron sighted 30-30. Come to think of it, I should try hunting with the old 30-30 in my safe ( id probably starve though)

Guess your good old days were different than some of mine, there were lots of men who weren't men in my youth, some good tough folks, some bad not so tough folks, some hard working folks, some not so hard working; I think I've matured to the point I can look at today as the good old days because if I could look back 40 years from now (I'd be 102) I know that's what I'd be saying. I remember lots of people that were wussifued as you refer to them,back in the good ole days too!
 
CEexONU.jpg


Tobacco Root Mountains, Montana, November 29th, 1992. It was well below zero that day above 10,000 ft.

Sorel Caribou boots with silk sock liners and some heavy coarse wool socks and cheapo skier gaiters, wool underwear, Swedish milsurp pants, heavy Woolrich shirt under a down jacket (the original puffy jacket). Silk glove liners and wool gloves. Goat roper corduroy hat.

Rifle was a Smith Corona 1903A3 re-chambered to 308 Norma Magnum with a Weaver K6 duplex in Weaver mounts and rings. Ramline tupperware stock. Handloads with 180gr. Noslers Solid Base boat tails. Pack was welded aluminum frame with nylon bag tied on with cord to replace the original canvas. Plastic milsurp canteen in insulated carrier so it wouldn't freeze (so quickly). No spotting scope or range finder.

Not a speck of camo anywhere.

It seems like yesterday but I don't remember being cold or under-equipt. Left the trailhead in the dark and returned in the dark, perfect hunt.

Ahh, the good old days. That 30 year old body made up for the lack of high tech gear. ;)
 
Last edited:
Oh yea ..... The tree stands were nailed up wooden death traps too ;)

LOL, I have long since upgraded but I was on cloud 9 when my dad welded up a climber from some scrap angle iron and I didn't have to use the 2x4 ones anymore.
 
Damn it. Now I've got to carry the 375 with weaver peep site in case I see a bear while I'm elk hunting with Logan this week. Damn ya'll make me miss being able to be out with my Dad. I will however wear better underlayers than I used to. Although some mid 80's bdus will be outer layers if it's not crappy outside.
 
I started to get my gear together this weekend for the opener here in Montana. That's what got me thinking of years past. I went on my first elk hunt while packing a rifle in 1979. I was 13 years old. 51 now. Just struck me how times and the tools we use have changed. mtmuley
 
I started to get my gear together this weekend for the opener here in Montana. That's what got me thinking of years past. I went on my first elk hunt while packing a rifle in 1979. I was 13 years old. 51 now. Just struck me how times and the tools we use have changed. mtmuley

...fussin over a finicky load is something I never saw in the crystal ball.
 
Hunters are suckers for gadgets. A 30-06 with a 4x scope and 180-grain Nosler Partitions is perfectly fine for 99 percent of the big game hunting situations in North America. Everything else is marketing. That said, I do like my lightweight gear and I will never, ever go back to hunting in blue jeans.
 
These are the good old days. I might have 10 years of chasing elk left, started in 1970. The trucks change, the gear evolves, the annual brochures get more complicated. I focus on those elements that endure: the game, the mountains, the time by myself. Good luck this fall.
 
Ahh, the good old days. That 30 year old body made up for the lack of high tech gear. ;)[/QUOTE]

Ain't that the truth. Great story, Clark
 
Last edited:
I am packing for my elk hunt in 3 weeks. Blue jeans, plaid shirts, insulated vests, long johns and underwear. I think I have wore the same type of clothing on every hunt. Some of my vests and leather hat are 30 years old. Yeah, I am old school and am an old fart. I enjoy it!

I do have a waist pack. My only addition.
 
Spent hours helping dad build 2x4 stands.
Doing that was a very big "grown up" moment for me. I remember it well. Our "safety" measures included using coated nails so they wouldn't back out as much. Times sure have changed.
 
I'm betting the logging mills are glad we upgraded as well. I wonder how many nails from those stands made thier maintenance man swear.
 

Forum statistics

Threads
113,671
Messages
2,029,163
Members
36,278
Latest member
votzemt
Back
Top