Drop camp

[.gacton]

Going on a drop camp hunt this year. 2nd Colorado rifle. 9000-12000 altitude. My question is, what would you leave camp with? How big of a pack and what's in it? Outfitter will be by every other day to check on us and pack out any meat (from camp). My thought is to take my big pack with my kill kit, water, snacks, jacket, spare socks. Basically "plan" to harvest an elk and not have to hike back to camp just to get what I need to de-bone and pack it out, then hike back to the kill site and start the work. Save at least one trip. Suggestions? Am I thinking right? I have a day pack I could carry.

 

[hunter67wa]

Thats what I would do and what I did last year except dyi. I don't leave the kill without a load of meat.

 

[FlGunner]

I'm doing one as well in first rifle. Aside from what will always be in there like first aid stuff and basic survival, I plan on taking enough food and water for a couple of days, a spare set of socks, puffy jacket, and a micro sleeping bag and bivy. That way if I find elk and I'm miles away I don't have to hike several back to the camp just to re-hike it the next morning. Keep my communication and cleaning kit with me at all times. Not everyone is comfortable overnighting so make sure your able to reach out some way or another if you want to overnight. I like my in reach . Not used it in the mountains but it's been flawless 90 miles offshore fishing. My hunting partner has though, being he got one before I did and it's been a dependable piece to his pack. Take some good Ol . And wind checker.

 

[Country Bumpkin]

Yes, pack the essentials that you need to stay out all day. So (light) rain jacket, light layers for glassing, lunch, kill-kit. If you don't take what you need to be comfortable you will find excuses to come back to camp for lunch, a nice nap, a knife…. And you won't be out where the elk are.

 

[Country Bumpkin]

Yes, pack the essentials that you need to stay out all day. So (light) rain jacket, light layers for glassing, lunch, kill-kit. If you don't take what you need to be comfortable you will find excuses to come back to camp for lunch, a nice nap, a knife…. And you won't be out where the elk are.

I should add some details, because FIGunner has some good points and I didn't mention what else I have.
In my bino harness (I have the large Alaska Guide Creations), I include some minimal stuff to spend a (miserable) night.
As FIGunner said, when you find elk, you GO AT THEM!!! this might eventually result in a full-speed send off a glassing knob trying to cut distance.

Water tablets
Snickers
Protein bar
Havalon knife
Wind checker
Space blanket
Lighter

in theory, since I haven't had to do this yet, if I find elk that require such an aggressive assault, I could drop my pack, attach my InReach to my harness with the caribeaner, attach a Nalgene to my harness, sling my rifle and go like he!!

Whether successful or not, with just my bino harness I'd have what I need to spend a very long and uncomfortable night away from any semblance of camp. my rifle has a stock pack with 10 extra rounds in it, havalon has 10 blades in the case, I'd have enough food to get some calories back in me for a very minimal dinner and breakfast for the initial pack back to camp in the morning. Quarter the animal, remove back straps, tenderloin, neck and trim meat, Start a fire, huddle under space blanket, find a seep to get water, hydrate like crazy…. Spend the night thinking about how cool of a story you will have to relive for the rest of your life.

Of course, the better option is to keep your pack with you. The reality is that my camo pack has gotten itself lost a couple times in the heat of the moment (for example; if maybe I had a running shooting match with an animal that wasn't hit well on the first shot - which fortunately hasn't happened yet)

Alaska Guide Creations Classic HBS MAX Bino Harness

The Alaska Guide Creations X50 Classic MAX Bino Harness is built to accommodate full-size, 50mm binoculars. Protect your binoculars with this bino harness!

www.blackovis.com

 

[-WARDOG-]

What month are you going?

 

[.gacton]

What month are you going?

Oct 30-Nov 5

 

[.gacton]

I didn't mention that I will have what I think I need for a night. Guess I'll be taking the big pack.

 

[.gacton]

Thanks for the replies. Helped ease my mind.

 

[-WARDOG-]

That is a high elevation and the nights will be very cold even at that time of year.
If you are coming straight from Mississippi and going straight to hunting without altitude acclimation, it can be brutal. Shortness of breath and muscle cramps / fatigue / dizziness.
Altitude sucks the energy right outta you. I live at 4000 ft. elev. and really start noticing altitude at around 9000 ft, especially if you are carrying a pack of 20+ pounds. What I am suggesting is, if you get an elk at 10,000 ft. don't expect to haul two elk quarters and your pack back to camp on the first trip.
I would add, Sunscreen 50 SPF(unscented), 20+ SPF chapstick, waterproof firestarter, extra batteries, lightweight paracord, unscented baby wipes dried in a ziploc, small amount of unscented baby powder, a proven mosquito repellant.
I have bailed on my pack before and it took awhile to find it. Since, I have a white light strobe with a loop on it immediately accessible from the outside of my pack. It takes only a few seconds to drop the pack and hang the strobe before you begin pursuit.
Have fun!

 

[StanleyActual]

I should add some details, because FIGunner has some good points and I didn't mention what else I have.
In my bino harness (I have the large Alaska Guide Creations), I include some minimal stuff to spend a (miserable) night.
As FIGunner said, when you find elk, you GO AT THEM!!! this might eventually result in a full-speed send off a glassing knob trying to cut distance.

Water tablets
Snickers
Protein bar
Havalon knife
Wind checker
Space blanket
Lighter

in theory, since I haven't had to do this yet, if I find elk that require such an aggressive assault, I could drop my pack, attach my InReach to my harness with the caribeaner, attach a Nalgene to my harness, sling my rifle and go like he!!

Whether successful or not, with just my bino harness I'd have what I need to spend a very long and uncomfortable night away from any semblance of camp. my rifle has a stock pack with 10 extra rounds in it, havalon has 10 blades in the case, I'd have enough food to get some calories back in me for a very minimal dinner and breakfast for the initial pack back to camp in the morning. Quarter the animal, remove back straps, tenderloin, neck and trim meat, Start a fire, huddle under space blanket, find a seep to get water, hydrate like crazy…. Spend the night thinking about how cool of a story you will have to relive for the rest of your life.

Of course, the better option is to keep your pack with you. The reality is that my camo pack has gotten itself lost a couple times in the heat of the moment (for example; if maybe I had a running shooting match with an animal that wasn't hit well on the first shot - which fortunately hasn't happened yet)

Alaska Guide Creations Classic HBS MAX Bino Harness

The Alaska Guide Creations X50 Classic MAX Bino Harness is built to accommodate full-size, 50mm binoculars. Protect your binoculars with this bino harness!

www.blackovis.com

I have that AGO Bino pack. Great piece of kit

 

[Muddyboots]

Suggest doing search here on this forum. Tons of great info, suggestions, gear etc.

My first recommendation is to buy a set of trekking poles NOW! They will be a game changer for you at elevation. You may be in shape but at elevation you are not. Trekking poles will help you haul out meat 10x easier, help you mitigate potential falls, help you transverse bad slopes, up and down are far easier. Make great last second shooting sticks and so on. Prop up a tarp, uses are endless. Its like adding 4x4 to your body.

 

[hunter67wa]

Fellas elk are big. If you are hunting where there is a lot of gain and loss of elevation shorten your distance. You better be in very good shape. Im in decent shape worked out three days a week. Last year killed a bull, the one in my avatar, 2500' down the face. Took me and my son 6 hours butcher and up and over with a hind apiece. Next day with a lightened pack and tylenal and aleve back down loaded the rest and back up. Thankfully only couple inches snow that night so at top we were in a foot of snow. Next day snowed so hard nobody could have got up there even with horses.

Don't forget trekking poles they really help

 

[Fedwell]

Just A Bit of warning, Since Colorado does not allow Bear Hunting With Dogs or over Bait the Population has Increased. Something to Keep in Mind if you make a Kill and Have to leave some of it for a return trip.