# My Solo Elk Hunt gear list.



## ssssnake529 (Sep 11, 2016)

Here's my latest solo elk hunting gear list.

I typically get out for 4+ nights at a time, and try and get 5+ miles from the nearest road. I tend to cover a lot of ground, and camp where I hunt as opposed to basecamping.

Solo Elk Hunt Checklist

*Clothing*
Julbo Race Sunglasses
Merino boxer briefs 
Firstlight Kanab pants (or Patagonia Mixmaster softshell pants if cold/snow is anticipated)
Orange Patagonia silkweight long sleeve capilene top 
Orange Ghost Whisperer windbreaker
Voormi High E wool hoodie
Montbell Mirage down hooded jacket
Patagonia Torrentshell lightweight rain jacket and pants
Orange Cashmere Watch Hat (Golightly Cashmere) 
Orange Buff
Orange Cap (LL Bean Technical Upland Cap) 
Patagonia Expedition wool socks 
Simms Foldover fingerless fleece mittens
Danner Marine RAT Mojave GTEX boots with custom insoles. 
Camo Orange polyester vest (Cabelas)

*Camping, Personal Gear*
Survival parcord bracelet
Black Diamond Carbon Cork alpine Hiking poles
McHale INEX Pack 
Integral Designs tarp
Klymit Inertia X Frame pad
¾ length Ridge Rest pad 
Klymit Cush inflatable pillow
Marmot Helium (15 degree) sleeping bag with water-resistant shell fabric
MSR Reactor stove with 1 liter pot and small gas canister 
MSR 2 liter water bag
Water purification tablets
Sawyer squeeze water filter (if water sources are questionable) 
Titanium spoon with long handle
Titanium cup
Lighter
Chris Reeve Mountaineer fixed blade knife w/ paracord around sheath
Benchmade carbon fiber Osborne folding knife
Zebralight headlamp (red led) and extra AA lithium battery
Ricoh GR Camera
Suunto Ambit 2 Watch
Diaper wipes
Map
Delorme InReach
Android phone
Hunting Tags
First Aid Kit
Gallon ziplock freezer bag for trash.

*Shooting Gear*
R Bros lightweight rifle (300 Win Mag,) Kahles scope, Neopod bipod, cheek pad, and Slogan sling.
Soundgear earplugs
Kifaru Gunbearer
Traditions muzzle protector gun condom
Ballistics wrist card and space pen
Ammunition carrier and 7 rounds of ammunition
Vectronix PLRF 15 range finder
Zeiss Victory 8x20 compact binoculars (for heavy timber.) (Swarovski 10x50 for open spaces) 
Kestrel 4500 
Lens wipes
TAG Game bags
Latex gloves
*
Food*
Pepperoni
Maple Almond Butter
Bridgeford French Toast sandwich
Costco coconut chocolate almonds
Heather's choice dehydrated dinners
Heather's choice snakeroons
Heather's choice breakfasts
Cashews
Trader Joe's dried chili mangos

*In the Land Cruiser:*
Cooler and ice
5 gallon water jug
Extra socks
Comfortable shoes
Extra gloves
Phone charger
Extra battery for phone

Bushranger jack
Tool bag with winch, straps, and hardware
Tool bag with tools
Trax
Shovel
Snow chains for tires
ARB Air compressor
Axe and saw


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## Karl (Aug 14, 2016)

I have long lists too.

It always amazes me how much stuff we need to survive in the woodlands.

How did the Native Americans ever manage to do it for 10 thousand years ?!


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## NVDuckin (Apr 18, 2016)

What kind of pack are you using?

Also do you use a bivy as part of your sleep system?


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## Karl (Aug 14, 2016)

With Utah getting snow off and on right now, I think with a bivy someone would freeze their azz off at night.

Best thing for solo would be some kind of frame pack where the pack is detachable from the frame. Then quarter the meat and bag it (will need several bags) and strap each individual quarter to the frame, and then pack the meat out by quarters, ice it at the vehicle, then after several such trips with the quartered carcass, when the meat is iced, go back for the pack and gear.

Solo for elk is really hard work.


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## DallanC (Jan 13, 2009)

Not when you can drive the backhoe to it and load it with the hay forks 


-DallanC


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## NVDuckin (Apr 18, 2016)

Karl said:


> With Utah getting snow off and on right now, I think with a bivy someone would freeze their azz off at night.
> 
> Best thing for solo would be some kind of frame pack where the pack is detachable from the frame. Then quarter the meat and bag it (will need several bags) and strap each individual quarter to the frame, and then pack the meat out by quarters, ice it at the vehicle, then after several such trips with the quartered carcass, when the meat is iced, go back for the pack and gear.
> 
> Solo for elk is really hard work.


Yeah, I've got a really good pack and decent tent. Haven't gotten to the stage where I need to pack anything out yet. Hopefully soon....


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## ssssnake529 (Sep 11, 2016)

NVDuckin said:


> What kind of pack are you using?
> 
> Also do you use a bivy as part of your sleep system?


I use a McHale pack. Best big load hauler I've used (and I've used many of the big names.)

Don't usually use a bivi sack as part of my sleep system. Just a tarp and a sleeping bag with a water resistant shell.


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## Karl (Aug 14, 2016)

NVDuckin said:


> Yeah, I've got a really good pack and decent tent. Haven't gotten to the stage where I need to pack anything out yet. Hopefully soon....


My pack fully loaded weighs about 50 lbs. That is the most I can carry.

If there is a lot of water about, then I can cut that to about 45 lbs.

A typical buck for me is about 100 lbs gutted.

So what I will do is gut, partially skin, and halve the carcass right below the ribs at the spine. I will leave the cape on the carcass at the ribs and above. This I will bag and hang under a tree with shade.

The hindquarters with the loins attached I will bag skinned and pack out with my frame only, leaving the pack itself behind. You also need to bring the head and antlers with your tag attached to an antler -- they first thing the wardens always want you to do. That all also weighs about 50 lbs so for me it is a full load.

So as long as the backpack is an external detachable frame model, it works for me. Mine is a Kelty backpack.

So with hindquarters and loin together with head and antlers I will hike out to my vehicle, ice the meat with frozen soda bottles, then head back for the 2nd load. Once the 2nd load is iced too, then I'll head back for my gear. By sunset I am usually done and back at my vehicle and the big basecamp there.

When you hunt solo you've got to love hiking and backpacking because you will be doing a lot of it.

You need ice in some form at your vehicle in an ice chest too, to cool the meat in the meantime.

Good luck, and be prepared if you're going solo.

https://kelty.com/yukon-48/


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## DallanC (Jan 13, 2009)

Karl said:


> The hindquarters with the loins attached I will bag skinned and pack out with my frame only, leaving the pack itself behind. *You also need to bring the head and antlers with your tag attached to an antler* -- they first thing the wardens always want you to do. That all also weighs about 50 lbs so for me it is a full load.


Uhhh... What you are doing is illegal.



> R657-5-17. Tagging.
> (1) The carcass of any species of big game must be tagged in accordance with Section 23-20-30.
> (2) A person may not hunt or pursue big game after any of the notches have been removed from the tag or the tag has been detached from the permit.
> (3) *The tag must remain with the largest portion of the meat* until the animal is entirely consumed.


Tag goes with the hinds / loin if you cut it up that way. There is zero requirement to being out antlers unless there are antler restrictions on that particular unit. You also need proof of sex, so if you half it like that leaving the head behind, you need to leave sex parts on the rear quarters.

-DallanC


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## Karl (Aug 14, 2016)

Utah has special rules for "elk on a spike bull unit."

Otherwise I cannot find any justification for your statement @dallanc .

If I am halving a carcass, I should be able to take the skull plate and the hindquarters (leaving the genitalia attached) and pack those out first, then return with the scull plate and pack out the neck and forequarters last, or vice versa.

The skull plate together with the genitalia attached should be sufficient evidence it was a legal buck or bull.

And the scull plate together with the forequarters with the remainder of the head attached should be sufficient evidence as well.

Back at the vehicle these two halves fitting together with the scull plate should be sufficient evidence of a whole legal bull or buck.

If the DFW does not believe it they can do DNA testing to convince themselves.

Here is a citation from the Utah regs for 2016:

*Tagging requirements *
_Utah Code § 23-20-30 and Utah Admin. Rule R657-5-17 _
After you've taken a big game animal, you must tag the animal before moving the carcass or leaving the site of the kill. 
To tag a big game animal, completely detach the tag from your big game permit and completely remove the three notches that indicate the date the animal was taken and the sex of the animal. Then, attach the tag to the animal so that the tag remains securely fastened and visible. 
You may not remove more than one notch indicating the date or sex, or tag more than one animal, using the same tag. Also, you may not hunt or pursue big game after any of the notches have been removed from the tag or the tag has been detached from your permit. 
Your tag must remain with the largest por­tion of the animal's meat until all of the meat has been eaten.
*Transporting big game within Utah *
_Utah Admin. Rule R657-5-18 _
You must obey the following rules to transport big game in Utah:
The head or sex organs of the animal you've taken must remain attached to the largest portion of its carcass. 
If you take an elk on a spike bull unit, the antlers must remain attached to the animal's skull plate, and you must transport the skull plate and antlers with the carcass. 
You must accompany the carcass of any big game animal you've harvested, and you must have a valid permit that corresponds to the tag that's attached to the carcass. 
There is one exception to this rule: you may transport a big game animal you did not take if you obtain a shipping permit or a disposal receipt from the Division, or you have a donation slip. You may not donate big game in the field. 
For more information, please see _Donating big game _in the column to the right.
https://wildlife.utah.gov/guidebooks/2016_pdfs/2016_field_regs_low.pdf


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## DallanC (Jan 13, 2009)

YOU posted you take out the largest portion of meat while leaving the tag with the antlers. This is illegal under 2016 UTAH ADMINISTRATIVE CODE, R657-5-17

http://www.rules.utah.gov/publicat/code/r657/r657-005.htm#T17



> R657-5-17. Tagging.
> 
> (1) The carcass of any species of big game must be tagged in accordance with Section 23-20-30.
> 
> ...


That is the LAW. Anything else is irrelevant, or must comply with this LAW.

Also, you spinning this into a discussion on spike elk, when your initial post was so generialized is also irrelevant as I clearly stated *"There is zero requirement to bringing out antlers unless there are antler restrictions on that particular unit. "*

Face it, your original comment on how you deal with meat isnt lawful.

-DallanC


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## willfish4food (Jul 14, 2009)

Karl said:


> Utah has special rules for "elk on a spike bull unit."
> 
> Otherwise I cannot find any justification for your statement @dallanc .
> 
> ...


Dude, you are a piece of work. That is not the process you described in your previous post which is why DallanC posted what he did. You can't change your method and then accuse someone of being wrong.

A real man can admit when he's wrong or inexperienced.


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## willfish4food (Jul 14, 2009)

You also don't address your comment about putting the tag on the antlers and transporting them separate from the hind quarters. Under your new method, if you attach your tag to the antlers and pack them back with the hind quarters, your fine there. When you take the antlers (with the tag) back for the front shoulders, you have broken the law. 

Admitting you're wrong is not a sign of stupidity or weakness; it's how reasonable people learn from experience.


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## Karl (Aug 14, 2016)

ssssnake529 said:


> Here's my latest solo elk hunting gear list.
> 
> I typically get out for 4+ nights at a time, and try and get 5+ miles from the nearest road. I tend to cover a lot of ground, and camp where I hunt as opposed to basecamping.
> 
> ...


Back on track ... hopefully.

The ignore feature has cleaned up the riffraff in this thread.


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## Dunkem (May 8, 2012)

I--- oh hell never mind


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## martymcfly73 (Sep 17, 2007)

Dear Karl. Scull is spelt Skull.


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

ssssnake529 said:


> Here's my latest solo elk hunting gear list.
> 
> I typically get out for 4+ nights at a time, and try and get 5+ miles from the nearest road. I tend to cover a lot of ground, and camp where I hunt as opposed to basecamping.
> 
> ...


:shock:

.


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