Rifles taken for a walk!

[6mm Remington]

That is a long day out hiking/hunting. Cudo's to your energy and determination. I'm looking forward to seeing the next part of the saga.

Long

longwinters it' out there under Jeff & Andy get their first elk! We sure had a great time and those two young men made great shots. One shot on each elk.

 

[C.Smith]

As said before those are great looking pictures and looks like a great place to hunt. On a side not what kind of packs are you guys carrying, I know you said in an earlier post but I forgot? I'm looking at getting a new pack next year.

Corey

 

[6mm Remington]

As said before those are great looking pictures and looks like a great place to hunt. On a side not what kind of packs are you guys carrying, I know you said in an earlier post but I forgot? I'm looking at getting a new pack next year.

Corey

Corey we both have the Blacks Creek Canadian Packs. Go to Jeff & Andy get their first elk and you can see better pictures of them. They are large enough and expand enough that a guy could put a sleeping bag, tent, and needed food to spend a couple days out. They expand so you can put an elk quarter in. They do add some weight, but about 6 pounds of that weight is good weight in the form or a large hydration bladder. Keeping hydrated sure keeps me going. I always hated to have to take off my pack to get at my water bottles so I never drank frequently enough so I would start to get dehyrdrated. This way I sip on the tube quite frequently. Of course when it's about 8 degrees like it was this morning, the tube will freeze. Trick is after you suck water, you blow the water in the tube back into the bladder and hold the tube end up as high as you can in your mouth and after you have blown the water back, just for a couple seconds so the little in the tube doesn't come back into the mouth piece. The mouthpiece will freeze and the easiest way I've found to get water is to just pull the mouthpiece off the end of the tube and suck the water. Again when done I blow the water back into the bladder.

With the pack expanding, it's large enough to put an elk quarter into and pack out with you WHEN you head back to the truck instead of going back empty and getting your pack frames and turning right around and heading back 4 miles or whatever distance to get the first quarter. Seemed like it would be much easier to take on or even two with you when you go, such as when my son and I are hunting together. Half of the elk is at the truck when we are. We both carry an elk quarter bag in the bottom of our packs in the expandable portion along with a black plastic garbage bag to put over the quarter to keep blood from soaking into the material on the pack.

On Andy's elk, I pulled the front shoulders off put them on the snow to cool along with the tenderloins and backstraps. My son got back just as I was finishing up so they didn't really have a lot of time to cool down, but they had some. We put them into the packs. He took one shoulder while I took the other one, both tenderloins, and the backstraps in mine. He and I then pushed the rear half on our game cart to the truck. Andy did help some with the cart as did his father Paul, but I was on the cart the whole way. It wasn't bad. I would estimate my pack was 65-75 pounds. With the gear I carry and the water, it weighs about 20-22 pounds or so, and that includes a jacket stashed inside for when I stop and sit or get cold. I always start out with usually the minimum on so I don't start sweating if I can help it. Yes you feel the 20 pounds or so, but you have items to stay out if you need to, and the extra weight might make you hunt a little slower which usually is a good thing. I've caught myself going to fast plenty of times as I see the elk or deer after they see me and are heading towards parts unknown. I really like these packs. Just my two cents. There are a couple good ones out there. I would try and get to a store that has Blacks Creek, Eberlestock, Jaansen, and some of the others and put them on and latch them up and see how they feel. Hope that helps.

 

[Scott Spencer]

Nicely done, David!!! Being in Alabama, I just love photos of the west and especially those with the snow covered mountains and countryside

 

[bullet]

Awesome indeed, wonderful time that you two had and it was a great day for sure. WOW!!! I sure missed going to Arizona this year and these pictures make me miss going out west. Thanks for the pictures. Going this Tuesday (which will be my brithday) back to Old River and the temps will be 30-33 degrees (that is cold for us down here this time of the year) and I can't wait. We don't have the snow (maybe every four years or so) but it will be cold because of the humidity and I am looking forward to the day. Thanks again for exciting us with the pictures.