Big game old school?

Forgive my rambling. I've been rifle hunting here in CO for the past 10 years. I started out calling coyotes and because of that I picked up a lot of camo. Naturally I started using that for big game. The longer I hunt the more gear I seem to acquire. I went from a camelbak and fanny pack with a15lb .300WM in the early years up to a backpack with water bladder and too much stuff in it.

This year I picked up a Kimber 84M in .308 and I really feel like leaving the camo at home, throwing on some dungarees, flannel and a wool coat (with mandatory blaze orange gear of course). Fill a possible bag with lunch, water, ammo, first aid kit and just start hunting.

Am I losing my mind? Has hitting 40+ made me yearn for simpler times?

When did camo become popular? people harvested critters all the time before it was created.

sigh...see Saturday night rambling.

any thoughts on this are most welcome.

Regards,
Wolfhound

In hear ya. I’m only 28 years old, but I can see the way you’re thinking.

I’ve always hunted with my dad and I always wore plain jane clothes from the Goodwill (mom wouldn’t let us wear good clothes outside). Now that I buy my own stuff I have more camo and enough crap to make a SEAL jealous.

My dad has always wore a pair of jeans or BDU pants and a flannel with the mandatory orange vest. He somehow always gets larger animals than me or my brother and talks tons of crap because we spent a months pay on gear and his stuff is from the swap meet.

I have gone the way of minimalist in fly fishing and plan on doing the same this year for hunting, right after I but/trade for a new rifle.

Randy

Good to know. I carry so much stuff with. My hunting buddy has nicknamed me "boyscout" because I always have everything and frankly I'm tired of carrying it all. All those "what if's" that you read about...been 10+ years of hunting. Been miles off course and added 12 miles to the day when we've gotten on the other side of the mountain and switched mountains...I've run out of water and had to make due.

Somehow all the gear didn't help me but boy did it add to my blisters...sigh.

Wolfhound

I think the problem is companies only make good cold weather hunting clothes and boots in a camo pattern. I think its becuase out east, camo is more imoprtant. I would rather buy coveralls and jackets in brown.

My hunting gear for just about any game is pretty limited. Rifle of choice (depending on game), 1 full reload for rifle, sidearm (.44mag) for bears, a couple knives. Pack has map/compass, flint/magnesium, water purification tablets, Camelbak bladder, BOK, warm long sleeve UnderArmour shirt, a few Powerbars, and a very powerful CO2 handgun with a can of pellets and a spare CO2 cartridge. Weighs maybe 20lbs tops, most of that is water and the weight of the pack itself.
I wear my normal hiking boots, black BDUs from the surplus store, and a dark green coat or black hoodie depending on weather.
No camo or anything fancy, no unnecessary weight, and everything I need to survive long enough to make it back to civilization.

What's up with the CO2 gun?? small game??

Yup. If by some chance I find myself out there for longer than planned, or I'm just hungry, the pellet gun will take a squirrel or rabbit without ruining the meat, and will do it quietly. Its light enough that I don't even notice the difference with/without it.

Downsized a long time ago. Rifle hunt with wool and if real cold carharts over top. B nocks, knives, pack for the meat, eat snow if none take water.
Do bowhunt with camo, but no face paint.

Thanks everyone.

I was thinking of getting a frame pack this year but I think I'll just get the frame for in case I actually harvest something and leave it in the truck and go light with a mostly empty day pack.

I'd really rather switch out to green and brown clothing...Anyone ever use the Hycreek clothing that is normally advertised on the back of The Backwoodsman magazine?

Wolfhound

I haven't hunted out here yet, but back home a long shot was 30 yards. We have Bow, shotgun, and primitive muzzleloader seasons.

dense trees and limited public land (and no rifle season) make long shots few and far between. When you're hunting "upclose and personal" camo makes a difference.

That said, when watching the hunting shows on TV, I always wondered why they were all camo'd out and whispering to take a 300 yard shot. I was hunting properties that weren't 300 yards corner to corner and had 3 other people hunting them with you

Those hunting shows crack me up. In half of them if you look at the lighting and cloud patterns between the close up and distant shots you can see that they were shot at different days/times. Same with fishing shows.

Wolfhound

My wife spent a bunch of money on some Browning camo for me. Then I went in the closet and threw on my $3 orange vest.

I buy the cheapest stuff I can find. I like being in camo though.

as for the high tech $120 a jacket or $100 per pair of pants scent lock bullshit....they did a test and a K9 dog found a guy just as easy with all that stuff on, after he showered in the scent free stuff and had on top dollar gear just as fast as when he was unwashed and not wearing anything.

wind is the biggest key for scent. the only thing that comes close to helping is the newer silver lined/thread stuff. I can even smell the difference in my gloves from the ones that I got with silver in them and the others. I honestly think that stuff does help....doesn't solve any problems, but helps.

Either way I don't buy anything unless it is a hell of a deal, on sale etc. And I have always got my elk the last 4 years...not sure how this year is going to go, but things usually work out.