Possibles bag and caps when hunting

[GoodRabbitPilgrim]

I've been tossing up on the idea of a possibles bag but they just dont seem practical. To give you a scenario, last weekend I was stalking in on some red stags. They were 50 yards into the neighbouring property I don't have access to so I was trying to close the gap and get to a track that separates the two properties. From here I'd have a clear shot as soon as they cleared the fence. To get there though I had to basically crawl on my hands and knees through thick brush. I was thinking at the time if I had a possibles bag how much of a pain in the A it would be swinging around, dragging on the ground and getting hung up on things. Do people have this issue and how do you get around it? I currently have a gun belt for centrefires that has a couple of pouches. I can fit powder vials, patches and balls in there but no more room for say tools that I may require in the field. Locally that's fine, but when I'm doing a 4 or 5 day hunt into the mountains it's not practical.

The other part of my question relating to caps is pretty simple, on this stalk I went through 3 caps just falling off. Am I safe to lightly crimp one with pliers to keep it on or will this affect it?

 

[tenngun]

You should pinch the cap on
I’ve never had a problem with a bag in the tall timber myself, just have to use care.
Some old boys on knees, from a Miller painting:

 

[andy52]

If that were an issue for me I'd probably just wear a small belt pouch with just enough gear for a day hunt.

 

[Stony Broke]

I've never had a problem with a possibles bag in the woods, but I have occasionally used a small belt bag I made years ago, and it works just fine as well. I would think a guy could swing a possible bag over onto his back if he wanted to crawl through brush, but it's never been a problem for me here in Texas as I wouldn't want to crawl through thick stuff covered with chiggers and other bugs.

 

[deermanok]

You don't need pliers to crimp your caps on the nipple. They bend easily with just a finger and thumb.
I carry a small belt pouch that holds pretty much all I need for a day hunt.
I also wear military surplus clothes. Lots of pockets for other items.
You could probably get a small backpack for your possibles when you're on a long hunt.

 

[user 48679]

For me, crawling on my belly just to bag game is a non-starter...……… ( jes' sayin' )

However, I keep a length of leather lacing in my bag so I can secure it to my waist before I do any serious climbing (like into an elevated stand).

 

[dragnetbill]

I think back to one of my best/worst opening days of deer season when I actually did belly crawl through some icy meadow grass to put the sneak on a big buck that was walking in a corn field that had just been taken off the day before; the deer were using it as if the stalks were still there. Now I made a little noise breaking some ice on the crawl and as I came to the edge of the field I slowly came up on my knees and streached my neck as far as I could and finally could see into the field, where about 30 yards away was the big buck with his neck streached as far up as he could looking right at me. There was a brief "oh...sh...t" moment and then we both went into action; he started towards the woods; I came up, cocking and shouldering my piece.
Well you know the rest of the story; as I attempted to draw a bead on my prize fate intervened; I had caught a piece of meadow grass between the ram rod and under rib and it had curled right up and over the barrel completely blocking my view of the front sight.
On that hunt my extra loads were in a coat pocket and spare caps in the patch box with dry patches.

 

[Capnball]

Alot of guys who hunt black powder have a small strip of leather with cap size holes cut in it or a brass capper hanging on a lanyard around their neck. Cuts out fishing around for tiny little do dad's in the snow between shots.

 

[.36Rooster]

A soft thick buckskin pouch with a good flap and a strong, silent strap...just crawl and drag it along. No noise... everything stays in.

My favorite hunting pouch with game straps is made of harder material. It is noisy, when crawling, i remove it and lift and inch it forward in front of me as i go. Sometimes i even leave it behind to cut back on noise....better not miss. Lol

 

[Ponderosaman]

There are a lot of thorny mean plants where I hunt. Crawling around is a decision that isn’t made lightly, but my possibles bag is the least of my worries. It fits nicely in the small of my back. The gun on the other hand is quite cumbersome in these situations.

 

[LongWalker]

I'm not above threading a strip of buckskin through the back or bottom of the bag and under my belt if I expect to be crawling. Hunting antelope is when I usually wind up doing this.

 

[.36Rooster]

Where do you hunt antelope at? Im in south dakota. Been seeing a lot lately. Bucks are rounding up harems currently

 

[oldwood]

Hunting in a Pa. big woods environment with patches of laurel and some brush , and snow during the late Flint lock deer season , my hunting buddy and I used to dress the part of an 18th century hunter. Capotes don't have many pockets, so to have the ability to crawl through the snow stalking deer , requires a hunting pouch , w/o a large powder horn , with the ability to secure it onto the capote belt as well as having the typical over the shoulder strap. This arrangement keeps the shot pouch where it should be as you wish. My favorite pouch had a wide , secureable flap to keep snow out while on a long crawl in December/January weather. Hope this helps..............oldwood

 

[smo]

Swing stopper…. Just tuck it behind your belt or sash..

I can’t say how well it works when belly crawling…

The last time I tried belly crawling, I looked like a turtle laying on its back….

 

[Okie Hog]

IMO: The mark of a hunter is sneaking and crawling (if necessary) and putting a round ball in the animals ear.

i do carry a very small bag while hunting. It is ditched prior to serious sneaking or crawling. My caps are carried in a capper in my shirt pocket that's on a lanyard around my neck. There are two quick loaders in the same pocket.

 

[SOLANCO]

What do I carry? First ask: What am I hunting?

Birds and small game requires more powder, projectiles, patches etc etc. Not going to shoot 1 bird or squirrel and call it a day. Yes there are days when I shoot none

When I used to hunt bear and deer I did not carry near as much of the powder, etc. I would only want one animal and I never got enough targets in one day to justify a whole bunch of ammunition.

If you travelled for a multi day hunt, there is no reason to carry anymore than I described in the bush. Leave the extra in camp, car, motel or whatever.

 

[tenngun]

What do I carry? First ask: What am I hunting?

Birds and small game requires more powder, projectiles, patches etc etc. Not going to shoot 1 bird or squirrel and call it a day. Yes there are days when I shoot none

When I used to hunt bear and deer I did not carry near as much of the powder, etc. I would only want one animal and I never got enough targets in one day to justify a whole bunch of ammunition.

If you travelled for a multi day hunt, there is no reason to carry anymore than I described in the bush. Leave the extra in camp, car, motel or whatever.

Of note:
Many times we have in journals from longhunter days through mountain man days of a man or two being caught out and having to journey some distance with just what they had on them. Often a full horn, but only a few ball.
Because our guns are primitive weapons we expect them to have to be disassembled and restocked in the woods between shots. And ofcouse no self respecting woodsman would ever think of stepping one step out of camp without enough ammo to fight off a British regiment or the whole Sioux nation
In reality our guns are reliable and it’s rare you would need five reloads with you hunting big game and ten is plenty for small
While some big bags were seen in the past bags they would be small for a girl in evening dress were seen too.
I’ve been belly down in the tall timber before, but generally figure my ancestors did not struggle to stand on their own two feet so I could crawl. Thats why God made arroyos, branches, gullies, swails, dips, ect.

 

[deerstalkert]

to me a possibles bag is the one with everything i could possible need on the range and gets left on the rig when hunting.
i have smaller shooting/hunting bags with just those things i have tailored for each rifle. works for me


until it don't

 

[sawyer04]

I have worn overhauls for years and have shooting bags and such I made and traded for, but to tell the truth when I first started hunting solo back in 1958 I carried everything in my pockets. I did have a leather capper and a wooden patched bullet holder with a second hand powder flask and an old wooden plug bored out for a measure. I carried a small bag of #5 shot and tow for wadding. This was all in my pockets. No tools but a pick and pair of pliers with a handle shaped like a screw driver along with a Barlow pocket knife.
Now days every weapon has to have a shot bag, horn tools and horns . I guess it just looks cool. I use range boxes for range shooting that I just kind of got in to because it is easier to ride to the range than stumble through the bush.
I have given some thought of making a belt bag for possibles. I don't care for all the stuff hanging off my shoulders and besides it messes up my hair I don't have when I dismount it.

 

[tenngun]

The sole advantage of one bag per gun is what you need for that gun is in the bag. More then once I go it to an even finding the mysterious do hiccy I needed was the wrong one for this gun. I’ve lost flints in the field only to find I had a big or little and not what I needed.
Whoops wrong sized cleaning jag. Umph.