Does anyone on here go backpack hunting?

[User00040]

Hi all,

As per title, I'd be very interested to hear from people on here who have gone backpack hunting (meaning camped in an otherwise uninhabited area for a night or longer with the intention of hunting).

I don't think much of this type of hunting happens in the UK. A few guys have tried to do it in Scotland, filmed it and posted it up on youtube. Not sure how they arranged it but judging by the way they went about it (I don't think either of the hunts I saw were successful) it was probably their first time as they didn't seem to realise that if they were successful how difficult it can be to pack an animal out, and they were carrying far too much kit in the first place.

From what I have read the best places to do this type of hunting in descending order would be NZ, North America and maybe certain parts of Mongolia.

I have some experience of long distance trekking in a remote area and hunting/stalking, but only independently of each other.

 

[mchughcb]

Having to also carry enough fresh water for a week and a your own freestanding highseat at the backend of summer by yourself.

 

[zambezi]

As a kid, reading U. G. de Woronin's anecdotes detailing months spent walking the Zambezi valley enthralled me. I cannot imagine a more fulfilling wilderness experience than minimalist travel and shooting for the pot as need arises.

The wilderness of the 19th century is gone. But southern African ranches could craft a facsimile of those early explorers. The idea: guests based at usual ranch location for 10 days. Picking the best weather that week,hunter is assigned a tracker to make 2 day forays out into the bush. Sleeping under a flysheet or similar. Any game too large for personal consumption to be collected by landcruiser from ranch after calling in the GPS co-ordinates. I think it would be a run away best seller.

The closest I have heard to a trip like that is bowjijohn's planned trip to Coutada 9. I have my name on the list!

 

[VSS]

Well kind of.
During this lockdown I had to make an essential trip from Wales to Suffolk and back to fetch a load of sheep. Obviously observing social distancing rules etc, I took all food and fuel with me to eliminate stops on route, and instead of me staying with friends as I usually do, the sheep were left in a remote location for me to collect.
Cooked my supper over a fire, spent the night under the stars with my rifle by my side, up with the lark, got myself a deer just after sunrise, stoked up the fire, had a hunter's breakfast, then loaded up the sheep and headed for home. A lovely trip. No traffic on the the A55 / M56 / M6 / A14 either, just empty road in both directions.
Got home and logged into SD to find you lot squabbling over whether or not it was acceptable to go stalking during lockdown

 

[John Wild]

I think when you see this kind of things in the states they are better set up for it than us, loads of old trails and logging roads you can get pretty deep in the back country and then walk a few miles to a camp and hunt that area, also I think in larger groups you can split up your gear between the group.
Or if you can a sea plane/heli probably makes a ways easier.

 

[Freeforester]

Have overnighted a number of times between hunts, Hammock, bivi bag or tent, depending on where the base was going to be. Not done multi-nights though, always back to the larder in the morning with anything.

Viking Safari in Norway used to arrange horseback hunts like this, for reindeer. I don't know whether Vermund and Solvaar are still in No., they had a lot of business in Africa, and a property there too.

 

[levigsp]

I have done it for Bear Black and Brown, Mountain Lion, Caribou and Moose in States, Tur and Sheep etc in Russia and various in the middle east. There is no need for it here in UK or most of Mainland Europe.

 

[devon deer stalker]

Yes in Montana for deer/elk in grizzly country, nothing like that experience, especially on your own!
Cheers
Richard

 

[User00040]

I think when you see this kind of things in the states they are better set up for it than us, loads of old trails and logging roads you can get pretty deep in the back country and then walk a few miles to a camp and hunt that area, also I think in larger groups you can split up your gear between the group.
Or if you can a sea plane/heli probably makes a ways easier.

Out there some good land is owned by and run for the people, some of which are fortunate enough to get the chance to hunt.

Worrying that a lot of land is getting bought up in NZ just for the sake of ownership, but they seem to have good orgs and hunters who know how to stand up for themselves.

No comment for over here.

 

[Klenchblaize]

I've walked to my "hunting grounds" from Sevenoaks Station with pack & rifle back in 1984 if that qualifies?

K

 

[Gsd99]

Yes, did it in NZ, stayed in an empty hut in the end but had our kit to stay out. The hut was basic but allowed for an operating base. Still walked serious miles each day with a fair amount of elevation to deal with.

Backpack hunting is like hill/mountain walking... those that put serious consideration into planning and bringing the right kit such as maps, gps, snow axe, rop and picking the right locations will have the **** ripped out of them for being "pesty", until the unprepared need serious help on the hills or worse. Mountains are certainly not something to **** about with especially in winter.

And yes, helicopters certainly help with getting kit in and out to start with, the hut in mountain trip pictured is 14 hours hike from the road.

Josh

 

[Shootgun]

Did it a lot in the Carpathians , looking for trophy Chamois and Red deer. Common practice.

 

[mickeyluv]

I do it round the farm when I'm after a fox, not far off the beaten track but it's a nice night/ weekend out

 

[Basil H]

When I was a teenager and starting fowling we would trudge across the mud and creeks at low tide to camp out overnight on the salting islands of the Medway. You could be half a mile from dry land and surrounded by the sea at high water. It was quite an adventure for youngsters and no distance from "civilisation"

 

[User00040]

Yes, did it in NZ, stayed in an empty hut in the end but had our kit to stay out. The hut was basic but allowed for an operating base. Still walked serious miles each day with a fair amount of elevation to deal with.

Backpack hunting is like hill/mountain walking... those that put serious consideration into planning and bringing the right kit such as maps, gps, snow axe, rop and picking the right locations will have the **** ripped out of them for being "pesty", until the unprepared need serious help on the hills or worse. Mountains are certainly not something to **** about with especially in winter.

And yes, helicopters certainly help with getting kit in and out to start with, the hut in mountain trip pictured is 14 hours hike from the road.

Josh

Beautiful, thanks for sharing!

Hope to do this myself someday!

 

[Gsd99]

Beautiful, thanks for sharing!

Hope to do this myself someday!

Not as expensive as you might think, plenty of kiwis on here recently. See if you can do a swap deal or even a few tips. If you cant get anywhere with it send me a pm

 

[User00040]

Not as expensive as you might think, plenty of kiwis on here recently. See if you can do a swap deal or even a few tips. If you cant get anywhere with it send me a pm

Will do, thank you for that.

Been looking at jumping ship and moving to NZ but was going to get a 2 year work Visa first as I know someone who did that.

But CV19 put a spanner in the works, will look into it again.

 

[Gsd99]

Will do, thank you for that.

Been looking at jumping ship and moving to NZ but was going to get a 2 year work Visa first as I know someone who did that.

But CV19 put a spanner in the works, will look into it again.

Good idea mate, im hoping to transfer to aussie or kiwi military in the next few years

 

[John Gryphon]

Yes,multiple 10 day trips into both Aussie bush and NZ`s South Island. Also an assortment of shorter three nighters etc in the mix as well.
Carrying your 'house' on your back with tucker and rifle in mountain country in winter is no easy task. Getting into remote parts of the Victorian bush mountain country can be a tough job too but it is all very rewarding whether the quarry plays the game or not.
We sat on the left background "X" marked spur one morn after a 2 hour walk in the dark from camp in a vain attempt to get to Bull Tahr a lot higher than us,avalanches put the wind up us and we retired back down.
The X is approx 28 K`s of slog from the parked vehicle and not that far off Mt Cook.
Many 1000`s have done it,why don`t you young blokes give it a go!

 

[TomDeer]

I do it round the farm when I'm after a fox, not far off the beaten track but it's a nice night/ weekend out
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That bottle of Jamieson looks like it's a having a snooze