Whats your must have and must do for sheep/goat hunts???

[Astepanuk]

Hey guys

Was thinking other then the basic gear what's your must have specialty item you take on your backpack trips and your must does.

Mine is for sure Chap stick and Cutting Toe nails before the trip nothing worse then jamming long toe nails in your Boots coming down the mountain.

Have a great day be interesting to see what you guys are packing in.

[.264winmag]

Salt n pepper for the oil pump n filter on a stick over the fire.

[labguy]

Moleskin for blisters and hot spots on your feet..

[decker9]

A new “must have” for me are steri strips, after stabbing my havalon through my shin while skinning a goat, on day 4 of a 10 day guided hunt. Had no means of closing up the gash’s, bandaids just soaked up and became useless, then the infection, it was a bad time. I feel steri strips would have helped a ton.

Can’t seem to think of any “must do’s”. Myself, I guess mental preparation is the biggest one.

[Astepanuk]

[QUOTE=decker9;1981252]A new “must have” for me are steri strips, after stabbing my havalon through my shin while skinning a goat"

I like the Steri Strips will add to my pack for sure.

Anyone ever used a Hammond Game Getter (http://www3.telus.net/gamegetter/index.html)seem pretty neat I'm not typically a fan of firing any type of firearm unless its at my target game. but a great option for harvesting game birds while on a hunt.

[bighornbob]

Anyone ever used a Hammond Game Getter (http://www3.telus.net/gamegetter/index.html)seem pretty neat I'm not typically a fan of firing any type of firearm unless its at my target game. but a great option for harvesting game birds while on a hunt.

I have one and have taken a couple of blue grouse with it while hunting bighorn at Spences. Shot both birds from about 20m away. They are accurate enough to take body shots but I wouldnt head or neck shoot them.

That being said I have never packed it on a back pack hunt. For one its extra weight and then you have to deal with the bird. How are you cooking it and or preparing it. I could see taking a few birds if you had a camp set up where you had a grill and or frying pan and cooking stuff like spices and oil.

When Im back packing its one cooking pot for boiling water and thats it. Plus in most places up high there is no wood to make a fire or skewer the bird. That being said we once got a ptarmigan by accident and we cut the meat up into thin strips and boiled it with some spices and added it to our mountain house meals. Its was a tasty alternative, but I would rather have the spices for backstrap then bird up in the mountains. But thats just me.

BHB

[Ovis17]

Hiking poles are huge. Being at the top of your physical and mental game is a must. Maybe a small bottle of single malt as well.

[albravo2]

Crocs. After a long day in hiking boots they sure feel good and they weigh almost nothing.

Personally, not a fan of the Hammond thing. I'd sooner carry a slingshot than convert my hunting rifle into a plinker.

[pg83]

Not a must have, but a Helinox chair is pretty darn nice to have after a long day.

[Baconator]

Half dozen good horses!

[264mag]

Earplugs if you share a tent.

[mod7rem]

Calcium/magnesium tablets. Made leg cramps in the middle of the night practically a thing of the past after I started carrying these. Take a couple at the end of a tough day before your muscles cool down, then a couple more just before climbing into the sleeping bag. Works awesome if you are prone to leg cramps.

[blackbart]

Baby wipes

[BromBones]

Earplugs if you share a tent.

X 2. Nothing worse than being dog tired and contemplating whether or not to shoot the snoring SOB across the tent from you. Also great for sleeping through a storm when high winds are shaking the shit out of your tent.

My luxury item is a pipe & a small pouch of tobacco.

[JLsteel]

Leukotape for sure

[elknut]

You might laugh at this but.....Crazy glue....It will close up a small wound ...Doctors use crazy glue ...Just my 2 bits...Dennis

[wideopenthrottle]

boots that are a perfect fit and have really good tread....

[bighornbob]

You might laugh at this but.....Crazy glue....It will close up a small wound ...Doctors use crazy glue ...Just my 2 bits...Dennis

Always pack the stuff. I get the package that comes with 4 small tubes of the stuff instead of the one big tube.

X100 on the Baby wipes.

BHB

[swampthing]

Calcium/magnesium tablets. Made leg cramps in the middle of the night practically a thing of the past after I started carrying these. Take a couple at the end of a tough day before your muscles cool down, then a couple more just before climbing into the sleeping bag. Works awesome if you are prone to leg cramps.

I am prone to leg cramps and never even knew these were available!!

[kitnayakwa77]

Crocs, coffee (don't skimp!), butter, good boots, great attitude

[wideopenthrottle]

my hunting partner swears he'll never go goat or sheep hunting again.....he says you need to get that surgery....the surgery where they swap out the size of your balls to the size of your brains and your brains for the size of your ballz...heheheh

[BrookTrout]

I enjoy my hiking poles, I always thought it was just an old man thing but I gave it a try myself and will never leave with out them, nice when carrying a heavy pack.

[huntcoop]

Tin of Skoal straight and baby wipes.

[silvertipp]

Small bottle of Detol
Couple sugar cubes for my coffee

[Paulyman]

You guys are going to laugh are this one. Vaseline is a must. I use it on my feet to prevent blisters.

[ydouask]

I am prone to leg cramps and never even knew these were available!!

Yes these tablets work . Ask at your pharmacy for "CALCIUM SANDOZ"... and be sure to be drinking enough water. Another product I've heard of but not personally tried is called BIOSTEEL. It is a high performance sports mix... heavy on electrolytes.

[kevan]

A good but compact first aid kit having seen too many knife cuts when butchering with cold wet hands.
An adequate supply of tea bags along with a good sharpening stone to put an edge on the old blade when needed.
Other items too numerous to mention as well as a strong partner to carry the weight..

[guest]

Several wraps of 300 mph duct tape on your frame, it's a just in case go to wrap. A few feet of fine wire. Steri strips. Advil or Motrin.

[.264winmag]

Bounce sheets, firestarter and help your partners foot stench...

[weed782]

Gold Bond! An I pod and golf ball sized speaker. Kinda nice to have some tunes in the evening. A novel for each guy. Switch books when done. Leave another at the drop off, (if flying), in case you get weathered in.
Must do - a bird bath every 3-4 days in the nearest creek, lake or pond. Game and attitude changer.

[KodiakHntr]

Gold Bond! An I pod and golf ball sized speaker. Kinda nice to have some tunes in the evening. A novel for each guy. Switch books when done. Leave another at the drop off, (if flying), in case you get weathered in.
Must do - a bird bath every 3-4 days in the nearest creek, lake or pond. Game and attitude changer.


Or put a few thousand books on your iPhone, and ditch the camera, novels, speaker....

[KodiakHntr]

For me, salt/pepper, montreal steak spice, and onion flakes. A couple ounces of olive oil (makes a great additive to a bland meal), iPhone, solar charger, gold bond ball dust, and baby wipes. Incidentally, dried out baby wipes will work better in the rain that toilet paper......
Inflatable pillow is a must, as is some Sea to Summit soap leaves, both the shampoo and the laundry leaves. Clean boxers to put on every other day will prevent a bad case of goat balls.

I used to carry a sea to summit shower bag as well, which was basically a 10l dry bag with a shower head on it, and some fine paracord. Found I hardly ever used it though, as I don't get back to camp before full dark, and I'm not into having a shower at that point.

[.264winmag]

Polysporin, does in a pinch for chapped lips n arse...

[srupp]

I like to bring 2 small barbques sauce for sheep ribs.
Speaking about first aid..agree with the super glue..and steri" strip. .a small vial of sterile prep insures they stay stuck..
I always recomend 2 x 81 MG ASA..as long as your not allergic...with all signs of cardiac issues..sweating, chest pain. .squeezing..sob..maybe dizzy..
Sat.phone or new text to satelight..for emergencies or updated pilot pick up.SPOT also works.

Steven

[Alpine85]

Id have to say our Siltarp. Thinking back, I couldn't imagine what it would of been like without it. The storm shelter days on the mountain, the cook hut or even the numerous times it gave us drinking water in rain storms. Amazed me how much water you can actually collect off one of them in a downpour.

[Astepanuk]

Great info guys think everyone has picked up something, One thing I like to do is wrap my fuel canisters with Duct Tape don't think I've ever came home if any left always use it somewhere.

[sasktimber]

A good hunting partner or two! I definitely recommend taking your kids, parents or a sibling along. Finding someone that will put up with sore muscles, lack of sleep and heavy packs or helping someone a little older out carrying their essentials - nothing like it.

[EvanG]

Gold Bond! An I pod and golf ball sized speaker. Kinda nice to have some tunes in the evening. A novel for each guy. Switch books when done. Leave another at the drop off, (if flying), in case you get weathered in.
Must do - a bird bath every 3-4 days in the nearest creek, lake or pond. Game and attitude changer.


X2 and with a small solar charger - we had music all day while glassing and hiking - huge booster on long shitty days. Will never leave it at home . The books are a must too.

[mmckimmi]

A bit late to the party... But a small cribbage board and some whiskey. I've spent many a night in the mountains playing cribb with friends. It's a good way to pass the time on those socked in days.

[thepitchedlink]

I don't go into the hills without a knife proof , fish filleting glove. Cold, wet, tired and digging around a slippery critter with a super sharp knife...I cut myself badly once and it turned into a long night. I wear it on my off hand when butchering. The gloves are 15-20$ and don't weight much. I chuck them in boiling water every year to clean them up at the end of the season...cheap, easy peace of mind for me

[Vossie]

One extra set of contact lenses with small vial of contact solution fluid, gator aid powder for leg cramps, few claritin tablets for allergies. Two thin vinyl cloves for dirty work that can be turned inside out for storage till next time. One nitrile glove for clean work on wounds. Attitude charger = find something good in bad situations.

[Jrax]

lens wipes for anti-fog and cleaning spotting scope, rifle scope and binoculars. sometimes or always the little cleaning cloth can get lost or gritty and have to worry about scratching lens. I keep lens wipes in bino case and in hiking pants pocket.

[walks with deer]

antifog for sure for optics..
and decker for cuts super glue my freind

[LuckyHorseshoe]

Baby wipes are my friend, one item I looked forward to every day was a small pack of sweetened almosnd butter. SO GOOD. Even had it on pancakes in the morning. The other food item that I'm glad to have taken was tins of kippered herring. Never have eaten it since but it was worth the weight. I was craving that salty oily fish every day. Ssteak spice for sheep steaks, Good firestarter

[boxhitch]

The other food item that I'm glad to have taken was tins of kippered herring.Try the smoked version , not as salty, a little drier.

-Forget the wipes, a wild rag and some creek water will do better....unless you need that baby powder scent
-Pack a ?x?whatever piece of KrazyKarpettype plastic, multiple uses including as a shade for optics in a storm

[Ferenc]

“Logger buttons”at least a pack of them ... and if that don’t work a couple of “tie wraps” ... “zap straps” or whatever ya call them .... Lol

[porthunter]

This could be a very long list, but I always have a small first aid kit and blister treatment pack in my bag, saved me once.

The one thing I also never leave at home is my hiking poles, everyone looks at me and says "your 23 what do you need those for" but seems everytime they get there pack loaded with some extra weight they're asking to borrow one.

[HarryToolips]

^^^i agree, have all those items in my pack..

[harbinger]

I always go out and buy three new pairs of socks for the trip. Buy them well before you leave so you can try them out in your boots on training hikes to make sure they dont cause you grief on your hunt. I really like to run foot powder. Crocks are a must for me, tiny bit of sunscreen, chapstick, a super absorbent mini towel to dry myself off when im hammering, and baby wipes to keep the bung hole area tidy.

[Wild Images]

Two headlamps... sucks trying to change dead batteries in the middle of a stormy night after doubling up on rams when you can't see a damn thing

Lesson Learned !!!

[Astepanuk]

I recently purchased a Hybrid Light Solar Lantern/Charger for my upcoming Goat hunt always liked packing a solar charger now it has a nice lantern and only weighs 7OZ excited to give it a try.

[Astepanuk]

Does anyone on here set up any bear defense/security I know a few guys that use Electric fence, Check out this product I came across on another Forum pretty darn cool. www.fithops.com (http://www.fithops.com)

[Bistchen]

Does anyone on here set up any bear defense/security I know a few guys that use Electric fence, Check out this product I came across on another Forum pretty darn cool. www.fithops.com (http://www.fithops.com)

I read this from another member on this forum years ago and have been using this method ever since. Get 100 metres of fishing line. 12 lb test. Small bear bells or bells. Wrap a line around your camp 1 foot above the ground where your sleeping area is and hang some bells. Do the same but this time wrap the line 4 feet above ground. Hang remaing bells along line. All of this weighs basically nothing and fits in the palm of your hand. I sleep better when im solo hunting using this method. Keeping in mind im sleepinig next to a loaded rifle in case the bells do ring.
How effective is this method? I have no idea. Its more of a physcological security than anything.