Idaho Elk hunt

[slyeager]

First extended camping trip, 10 days up in the Idaho Mountains. Took way to much stuff. Camper was really comfortable and I couldn't be happier with it. Some pics added to album. I need to add some anchor points inside the camper and see how it goes next year towing with the ATV in the camper. It dropped down into the 20's at night but had no problem staying warm with the sleeping bag. I used a little propane heater two nights to warm the inside before turning in but it really wasn't helpful. The air was warm but the bed was still cold when crawling in so I stopped using it after the second night. I just threw a couple of hand warmers in the sleeping bag in the morning and it was much better crawling into a warm sleeping bag at night then a cold one.
Seen some elk but didn't get a clean shot, had a bull moose walk out one day 40 yards from me out in the open and got to watch him for 30 minutes.

I may start on a patrol box to carry on the tongue and a pvc sink stand to make setting up the kitchen easier. But it was nice (for me) to pull in and not have to set up a tent...

[pricecw]

Is this unit 39? I've been elk hunting in a pop-up this year (Unit 32), going to have a standy ttt done by next year. Got the base, just need to wait for season to end before starting (ends Nov 30, late cow draw). Did get lucky and got a lion this week though (just dropped back down this PM). Here is a pre-dawn pic of the hunt area.

I have used a Mr Buddy successfully, but in a tent trailer, they have so many leaks, not to worried about running them through the night



--Carl

[slyeager]

I was up in the panhandle, unit 1, a buddy from high school lives in sandpoint. I think I'm going to hit CO next year, and then try some other area's of the Idaho State in future years. Any suggestions would be welcomed. I'd love to see a pic of your cat?

[pricecw]

Ah, would have thought there was more snow up there. Looked a little like 39 from the Idaho City area.

I don't know where is good anymore, wolf have become a problem and made it very hard to find animals in the traditional locations (we did see some big bulls, but had cow tags).

This is my lion, he is at the taxidermist now, going to have a rug made out of him.


My brother and I got up to camp late, so we set up and headed out for an evening hunt, I went on an overgrown logging road, and he went up over a ridge with his 12yr old. As a come around a corner, going to the meeting place, I saw some him come up in front of me, intent on the noise on the hill (my brother and nephew), he stood stock still waiting for them to come down the hill, so I got on my shooting sticks, and put him down, tagged him, and then the work to get him back to camp started.

--Carl

[ARIZONA GUIDE]

I only drew Coues whitetail tag in AZ this year. No elk tags for us this year. To bad because we had a few bulls we have kept track of the last couple years and one will go about 385 this year if the guy that shot it has it scored. I have hunted lions all my life here in AZ. I hope to tag another one this year on my Coues deer hunt. Lions are destoying our deer herds in AZ. We will more than likley get flamed and this post will be removed for talking about hunting. I can talk hunting and Gold prospecting all day though. I am 36 and have hunted for 36 of those years in AZ. I have been guiding and running a outfitting and guide service for about 10 of those years until last year I shut it down because my kids are getting ready to start hunting and i want to give them the time i used to give clients.

That is what i am building the cargo camper for is our little father and sons camping, hunting ,prospecting trips. We will save the 27 foot Camper for when mom and the girls come along. We can get the cargo way more plasces than my big camper can go.

[pricecw]

That is why I am building mine too. My oldest starts hunting with me next year! I have a 27ft camper, but it is too big for me to want to haul it everywhere when I am hunting. Right now, I am trying to plan it in my head and on paper, will start building the first after hunting season ends, and camp it for a season or two, then I will see what I liked and didn't, and move on from there.

I really hope this doesn't raise issues, it is an integral part of why I want to build the camper, and a big part of western life in general.

--Carl

[slyeager]

I was out there Oct 10 through the 25, there was snow at 5000 ft and we were camping around 4000. The mountains aren't that high up there.

Nice Lion by the way. I heard the wolf's were getting bad out there and one night we had something around camp that was making some low growling type noises, we were thinking it was probably a young bear checking out the BBQ chicken smells from dinner. I sure was glad I was in the camper and not a tent like my buddy that night....lol He mentioned the same thing the next morning and said he may have something on his trailer next year.

This is the reason I built my cargo camper and is part of the experience of getting out in the wild. I'm sure there are plenty of people who don't agree with hunting and guns on here (God forbid you talk about legally carring a firearm in your camper for protection), But there needs to be some mutual respect for other peoples rights, The title of the post is "Idaho Elk Hunt" If your an anti hunter thats great, but you don't have to read the post.

I definitely have modifications to make, For showers I just filled a solar shower with hot water and threw it on top of the camper. I want to get a portable shower cabana or make something that attaches to the camper.

Some sort of sink set up and I'll see if I can incorporate that into the patrol box so setting up the kitchen isn't as bad. When It's just me, I'm fine with hot coffee and simple meals that are easy to transport and store for multiple days, (Dinty Moore's stew, hot dogs).

The hunters loo worked out great with cat litter and a bunch of small garbage bags. I had an ez up along for a porch roof. (in case of rain or snow) but didn't need to put it up.

The best things I liked about the camper was having hooks to hang the hunting clothes and coats on and being able to sit up inside to take my boots on and off comfortably. (I'm 43 and have had both hips replaced and about as limber as a cinder block.)

We'll see how the camper holds up but for under $3000, this fits my needs perfectly and should last many years.

[devigata]

Y'all seem awfully defensive about being hunters ~ and not one person has "dissed" you for that part of your lifestyle.

Do you normally get that much flack from people? 'Cause if you do, that's sad...

Live and let live.

[slyeager]

and not one person has "dissed" you for that part of your lifestyle

Well not on this thread, (YET).


Nice grub box, did you make that yourself?

[Tx River Rat]

I personally enjoyed the post very much. I am a hunter , bowhunter, fisherman , and kayaker .
We have two trailers started
http://tnttt.com/viewtopic.php?t=26560
These are for replacing a tent and bugout capibilitys .
I love being able to pull up and set up in 5 minutes.
So keep posting
Ron

[devigata]

Ah... Past experience and all... I get it.

We did make that box, but now we have a 12' cargo trailer we'll be converting (after camping season is over), so it might be handed down to my son. Our trailer, The Big Lug, will have a galley at the back where the ramp is.

We actually slept in it last night in the yard ~ how corney is that?

[slyeager]

We actually slept in it last night in the yard ~ how corney is that?

I've done the same thing as I'm sure many others have too. Kinda like a test drive.....lol

[slyeager]

The other nice thing was being able to just pull over when driving and crawl in for some sleep.

[pricecw]

I was out there Oct 10 through the 25, there was snow at 5000 ft and we were camping around 4000. The mountains aren't that high up there.

Nice Lion by the way. I heard the wolf's were getting bad out there and one night we had something around camp that was making some low growling type noises, we were thinking it was probably a young bear checking out the BBQ chicken smells from dinner. I sure was glad I was in the camper and not a tent like my buddy that night....lol He mentioned the same thing the next morning and said he may have something on his trailer next year.

This is the reason I built my cargo camper and is part of the experience of getting out in the wild. I'm sure there are plenty of people who don't agree with hunting and guns on here (God forbid you talk about legally carring a firearm in your camper for protection), But there needs to be some mutual respect for other peoples rights, The title of the post is "Idaho Elk Hunt" If your an anti hunter thats great, but you don't have to read the post.

I definitely have modifications to make, For showers I just filled a solar shower with hot water and threw it on top of the camper. I want to get a portable shower cabana or make something that attaches to the camper.

Some sort of sink set up and I'll see if I can incorporate that into the patrol box so setting up the kitchen isn't as bad. When It's just me, I'm fine with hot coffee and simple meals that are easy to transport and store for multiple days, (Dinty Moore's stew, hot dogs).

The hunters loo worked out great with cat litter and a bunch of small garbage bags. I had an ez up along for a porch roof. (in case of rain or snow) but didn't need to put it up.

The best things I liked about the camper was having hooks to hang the hunting clothes and coats on and being able to sit up inside to take my boots on and off comfortably. (I'm 43 and have had both hips replaced and about as limber as a cinder block.)

We'll see how the camper holds up but for under $3000, this fits my needs perfectly and should last many years.

I dropped this lion down the second day (have to get it to fish and game within 5 days, season closes in this unit when 3 female cats are taken), when I got back up, the others in my party were off hunting the evening hunt (I did morning before dropping down), so I went out to a good ridge and watched till the sun went down. Got back to camp as legal light ended. Was there for 15-20 min when I heard a pack hunting. Went to the edge where the draw started and heard them coming up the hill, they chased something over a small knoll about 100yds south of me, and then off the other side down another draw we hunt. There sounded to be 5-8 individuals hot on the heals of something (we think it was a cow elk that was with the one the rest of the party got right before sundown). Anyway, we have wolf pretty heavy here, this year the Idaho Fish and Game are actually acknowledging the damage to the game herds from them.

I have the smaller Cabela's shower cabana, and I really like it. I don't think you will be disappointed with it if you get it, and it is really easy to set up by myself.

I also have one of their folding toilets (like a camp chair), I have been using the bags I got when I bought it, but had been thinking about the kitchen bag/kitty liter combo, glad to hear it worked well, I won't hesitate to use it now.

Two things we did at hunting camp this year that made a huge difference in comfort.

1. I went to home depot and got a 12x15' length of artificial grass carpet, and we put that in front of the camper. Gives a nice place to set up chairs etc, and it helps keep dirt, etc out of the camper as you go in and out.

2. Buy a large tarp, and stretch it over the roof of the camper and out over the carpet. I have some re-bar rods with a bolt welded to one end (goes through the grommet holes), this stretched out makes a nice awning over the carpet and keeps snow, rain, etc off of you. We stretched a 17x20' tarp over the pop up and carpet, made a very nice area to hang around when cooking and eating. Worked well when we had a foot of snow fall on us opening night too.

I'll have to remember the hook thing. I think I have a plan on what I want to build, it will be a sort of hybrid camper, sort of a cargo trailer vardo, with some features of a pop-up/tent trailer. Hope to start stripping the trailer I got to the frame next month, then building it up. Would like to test camp it in June/July on a annual mountain bike trip I do.

devigata, I haven't seen problems here, but I haven't posted a lot yet (absorbing more than posting). I have seen people get rabid elsewhere, so when the possibility got brought up, I responded that I hope it doesn't happen.

--Carl

[ARIZONA GUIDE]

I was the one that brought it up. I am thinking now i was on the trailer life forums when i got flamed hard core for saying deer hunting. It has cooled down over there as well and you can talk about hunting but the photos are a big no no to allot of the posters. I agree to each there own and live and let live. After all being in the field enjoying the wilderness is what we all share in common anyhow.