Hunting In January....Winter Camp 2009

[jtmattison]

That's awesome Headhunter. Looks like y'all had a great time.

Thanks for sharing the survival skills.

:thumbsup:

HD

 

[Turbojet 54]

Wow. That was great. I guess you would have to disassemble everything & reheat your pit every afternoon? What about high winds blowing your leaves away, or rain? Where do you keep your guns?The older I get,it seems like having fun is expensive & a lot of work! That does look like fun but, I think I'll grab my aluminum chair & a 12 pack & join Ron on that Florida beach! Great pics. :applause:

 

[Headhunter]

You have choices when it comes to reheating your shelter. You can drag hot rocks warmed by the fire, Or you can disassemble the whole thing if you wanted. Rebuilding it would take probably 10 minutes.

You for sure want to put branches over your leaves if it is going to be windy to keep your leaves in place. The leaves keep it reasonably rainproof. Slabs of bark over your stick frame would be mighty handy to keep out the water. As for your gun, drag it in with you.

HH

 

[ronrryan]

Headhunter, what a great lesson! A reminder of the old-time woodcraft writers like Horace Kephart, etc. Great going, thanks, Ron (in FLA)

 

[longcruise]

I have heard of those and they seem like a good idea for solo hunters. My family gets all upset when I go off for a day or two alone. When they hear about these locaters they'll make me get one!

 

[chance]

Really great!!

 

[howdydoit]

Very cool, and a lot better then useing a taco type shelter.

howdy

 

[boar]

Have read were they built a rock pit and built a small fire in bottom and put poles across top and evergreens and slept on top. Would be smokey. And if you didn't have the poles wouldn't work. Dilly

 

[Finnwolf]

Great survival skills and boy does it ever look like fun. If I were doin' it tonite, it would be only 1 night of fun.
But them ain't long rifles leanin' up 'ginst them trees!

 

[longcruise]

Would be smokey. And if you didn't have the poles wouldn't work. Dilly

I can see that working.

If the snow is deep, there is nothing like a snow cave. Probably not as warm as the debris hut but it will keep you from freezing. Specially if you have some high fat rations.

But them ain't long rifles leanin' up 'ginst them trees!

Wondered when someone would bring that up! :hmm:

Looks to me like one guy went trad and one guy went sniper.

 

[Headhunter]

Finwolf,

I took my 58 Hawken. My Brother took his Modern rifle to do some coyote hunting. He normally packs his Hawken, and I don't know why he didn't do it this time. He caught a lot of flack from us. Next year, I am hoping to be packing a Northwest trade gun!

HH

 

[rkmeyer]

Great job guys I'm past that stage in my life but you done GOOOD!
Thanks fur the photos and story.
Dusty

 

[Trailgunner]

Thank you for the great story and pics! Always wanted to do something like that with a few friends. Now you've given me an idea of something to try in 2009. Thanks again for sharing.

 

[KyFlintlock]

I am even gonna show my son this, outstanding! :thumbsup:

Wess

 

[Finnwolf]

HH,
No offense meant, just a teasin' ya. I give you guys all the credit in the world fer doin' what most of us wouldn't. I myself can't imagine not sleeping under some kind o' roof unless it's July or somethin'
I admit takin' one of them new smokeless things in the woods ever once in awhile but less and less all the time. I'd never fault someone else for doin' the same, This coming year may be the year I go all black powder.

 

[Headhunter]

No offence taken. I have been Smokless free for a few years now. My "Modern" rifle is a Sharps and I shoot Black in it. I do however "NEED" a Northwest trade gun. If anyone knows of one for sale werth the money, let me know.

HH

 

[tdamico]

Great pictures! looks like you guys had fun.

I assume you dont bring your powder with you into the Smoking Hot Bed of Fire???!!! :shocked2:

 

[boondocker]

I assume you dont bring your powder with you into the Smoking Hot Bed of Fire???!!!

I was thinking the same thinking the same thing. I would hang it in there. I envy you fellas none of my hunting partners would do that. My family tent camps in the summer. She would have a fit if I wandered off over night on my own lol. Great pics. :hatsoff:

 

[laufer]

So, I guess we would find you frozen to a tree like Hatchet Jack?

Your shelter is only limited by your imagination.

Crawling under a pile of leaves is all a man would have to do to live in cold weather.

If you are above the tree line like a Marmot Slayer would be, You might be a tad on the screwed side.

I don't recall who Hatchet Jack was, but the frozen to a tree part tells the pertinent part of the story!

Nice thing about the rock heated trench is if it doesn't work out, the search party need only fill it in and cover the remains. :shocked2:

Here's one possible scenario; Elevation 9,500 feet. a windswept high mountain "park". Mostly short grass prairie with some trees on the ridges mixed evergreen and aspen. Trr cover is sparse. Not much snow falls here so the ground is frozen solid and rocky to boot. Night time temps are in the -10 to -35 range. Your equipment is whatever you would pack for a day hunt. You don't choose to spend the night here but even though your car is only three miles away, you have broken your ankle. You need to survive at least one night and maybe more. Whatta ya do?

call those verizon groopies, they will come to the rescue!

on the serious note, I do hunt in the similar terrain, and this is a good thing to think about, especially if my son is not with me. i guess keeping up some kind of fire would be a key for the first night.

 

[Blizzard of '93]

I am envious of anyone that undertakes this sort of camp-out, the front that blew in ice and snow here has me so stoved up my joints are creaking! but I did very similar to that when I was younger man on or near the Appalachain Trail here in WNC.