Intimidated

[Bowtechnv]

I am in the process of packing up for my move to Las Vegas and am truly excited about the new hunting oppurtunities I will embark on. With that being said, I am also extremely intimidated. As a lifelong bowhunter of whitetails, all aspects of the hunt were fairly simple. Preperation, dedication, determination. All of these will still apply to the west, however, on much larger game. Having no experience about packing out game, or even quartering up game in the field, im extremely intimidated about DIY hunting. I cant afford an outfitter. Anyone have any suggestions. I have been doing a butt load of research on western hunting, and the more I do the more intimidated I get. Sorry to be so long winded, hunting is my passion, just never was intimidated by it before.

 

[nvhunter]

they still come out one piece at a time. Yes they are bigger than your whitetails especially if and when you get an elk down. If your backpacking just be in shape, have the right equipment and be ready to do a little sweating! Quartering up game in the field is all the same. I like the west especially NV because i can usually get out by myself, be alone and most of the time never see another person...just the way i like it. I almost always go alone...just the way i like to do it, maybe not always the best way to go, but that way i dont have to worry about what someone else wants to do or how they want to do it..i do it MY way and that suits me just fine most of the time. Good luck

 

[mickeyelk]

I'm orginally from the east and to hunt out west is totally different. Whitetails are allot easier due to there limited traveling patterns. As said before, being in shape is the difference. Unless you find private property close to the road, you'll be hunting in the high allitudes and setting up stocks instead of waiting in a tree stand. You'll have to shoot a little further so practising and shooting out to 50 yards is common. This is limited upon your skills with a bow. The problem out west is getting the tag. Archery tags are the easiest to get but sometimes takes a few years to get one. If you can afford to apply in various states that would give you a better chance at drawing something. Welcome to Vegas!

 

[Bowtechnv]

Im not so concerned with the physical fitness aspect as I am in ecellent shape. I am also fairly accurate out to about 65 yards. Im aware of the tag ordeal, I am far more concerned with after the shot. The process of quartering and how to pack out the game. Equipment needed to get the meat out, get the cape out, and the aspect of that type of wilderness. How do you take enough water, food, ie the essentials. I maybe over thinking some of this.

 

[3blade]

LAST EDITED ON Dec-28-09 AT 04:25PM (MST)[p]It just depends upon how your going to hunt? Out of a base camp on day hunts or packing in for a few days or so?

I mostly hunt out of a base camp and do use a day pack thats about 3000 ci. In that daypack is a 100oz water bladder and snacks for the day, maybe a pack stove and a mountain house breakfast or one that you can just add water too. If an elk or deer goes down then I'm loading that pack for the trip back to camp. At camp it goes into a 100gt ice chest because it can be so hot in August and Sept. I grab the pack frame and head back in for the next load. A cow elk comes out in 3 loads a bull 4. Deer you can get out in 1 or 2 loads.

For pack in trips I'll use the pack frame and strap the daypack to it. I use mountain house meals, a pack stove, the water bladder with an msr water filter. Bivy sack for the Big agnes sleeping bag. I dress in 3 layers and take packable rain gear, it will rain but they're almost always passing thunderstorms that don't last to long. Think as lite as you can here, every ounce is important.

I sent you a pm.

 

[COSA]

You're probabbly going to need to invest at least a grand ot two in good equipment. Buy the highest quality gear the first time, or you'll have a garage full of junk like me. At the very least it sounds like you're gonna need a pack, water filter, stove, sleeping bag/pad, tent/bivy, and most importantly good backpacking/mountaineering boots. Hopefully you already have good optics. As for taking them out; you can bone a deer out to around 60-70 lbs. Carry it out all at once along with your gear, or hang some in a shady spot and get it out the next day. Get familar with maps and Google earth, you can usually find what basins have water. Water will probabbly be your biggest concern during archery season, not a bad idea to have an extra reservoir if you're not camping near water. There's a few good books out there as well as searches on this site. Take a few short backpacking trips in the summer to test your equipment and get used to being by yourself for multiple days. Seeing you're the type of person to be researching this 8 months before the season, I doubt you'll have any real problems. Good Luck.

 

[fatrooster]

Got yourself a hunting partner. Vegas has some good bow hunting pro shops where you can meet like minded people who will like to hunt the way you want to hunt. Learn the ropes with some one else because one mistake we all make is pushing ourselves too far and becoming exhauseted, getting heatstroke, or getting hypothermia, or just kinda thinking your tough and bullet proof only to find out that your only human and have put yourself in a bad situation. A partner can help you make the right decisions until you get that experience. If your from the East like I am you have to learn to respect the dry heat and dry cold and you don't want to learn the hard way.
Take several trips to get your game out instead of trying to get everything in one trip. Get a taxidermy video to learn how to cape out your hide. Look up on the net the methods to debone game animals. And spend lots of time on MonsterMuleys.com asking questions.
Get proper clothing and remember, sweat is your enemy. Get good optics, you will need them.
Sounds like your doing lots of research which is very smart. Keep researching and you will be way ahead of us that had to learn the hardway. Goodluck, fatrooster.

 

[bpatterson]

Welcome to Vegas! Theres a group called Las Vegas Woods & Waters. A group of outdoorsmen that get together and share info and fun. Our motto is "All we do is hunt and fish and talk about it" Not like other organizations that save habitat or raise funds for wildlife. there are plenty of those organizations and we are all part of them as well. This group is great for a new commer to the state. We will take you in and you can meet some great guys with similar passion for hunting and fishing and trips are always being planned and put together. You can pick up good information on places to go and have some guys that will go with you.

We meet for lunch every 3rd Wednesday of the month at a local pub called Putters Bar & Grill on S. Rainbow near the 215 beltway. I'm the current president and would welcome you to join in the club or at least stop by and see if you're interested. contact me at 458-2551 or [email protected]

We hold a yearly banquet to get together and swap lies and win some great raffles. It will be March 6th this year, should have 12-13 guns given away and our fees are minimal....$1 per ticket, again we arent out to make money just give us all an opportunity to get together and enjoy the outdoors.