I was mentioning on another thread that I have a solo adventure/hunt coming up soon. That got me thinking about the general topic of guys going it alone on multi-day or week+ hunts in remote areas. I know a lot of guys will never have the opportunity to do it. Some have no interest in doing it. I guess maybe you've gotta be a little bit crazy or maybe something drives you to challenge your abilities beyond simply hunting where you live.
I have always thought the epitome of big game hunting involved being in big country...alone...and hunting with a simple bow. Nothing between a man and his success, except determination and some luck. I always envision the true wilderness and walking where few or no humans ever venture. That kind of hunt is a true adventure, and the presence or lack of a dead animal doesn't diminish the value of it.
Anyone doing a serious solo hunt this year, or contemplating it? What stops you from going, or what is making you do it? Will you ever go and challenge yourself?
(http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g13/dillbilly/Alaska2012from%20video%20059.jpg) (http://s52.photobucket.com/user/dillbilly/media/Alaska2012from%20video%20059.jpg.html)
Funny you should post this, Kevin, as I was just trying to find some powdered citric acid (some of your advice from our last discussion.) I'm still working through the prep list. Probably call you this week to rehash some thoughts and celebrate the dream that will be reality in less than a month for me.
JT
I did a 17 day solo, wilderness elk hunt in 2013. I did come out for 2 days in the middle of the hunt, drove to a motel and then hauled new supplies in the next day.
Only time I've ever gotten "homesick". By the end of the hunt, I was ready to pack it out.
I enjoyed the hunt immensely although I did not take an elk on that trip. I did pass on a 15 yard shot at an average 5X5 because of a pine branch that was in the way.
That type of hunt is NOT for everybody. I plan to do it again next year... Lord willing and the health is adequate.
It is definitely a challenge!
Great topic! I have done several solo elk hunts and enjoy the challenge of planning, the solitude and the idea that it is just me there. Something magical about being alone, the sounds are amazing, and for me, the appreciation of my family when I return is one of the special things about a hunt like this. While there I am a primal animal doing what our ancestors did: food, water, shelter, hunt. When home I reflect on that special time with the warmth of my family and secretly start planning my next adventure. I wait to just the right time to spring it on my wife as if it is new, knowing it has been rolling around in my brain for a long time :)
Kevin and Julian, good luck on your adventures! I am doing a mountain goat hunt in BC but will have a spare human to show me the country. I hope he doesn't mind me taking some time alone, if for anything to feel some of the solitude in small doses that you fellas will have.
I like the idea of a solo Hunt.
I know I am not ready in this point in my life for one, I wouldn't do well on an extend long trip in the mountains.
With that said, I wouldn't mind 2 or 3 days at a deer camp alone.
Good luck on your upcoming adventure.
This is my favorite way to hunt. Don't do it as much as I used. I sure feel the need to come Spring though. Between a few more rings on the tree, some health issues, family obligations, and my wife not liking that much I have held off....let's see if I can come up with some more reasons...
I have mostly "bushwacked" into wilderness areas in my home state. Love the feeling of waking to a new day and following the day as it unfolds, no clocks, the only trails are game trails if any. After a few days seems like my internal clock starts slowing down and getting in tune with earth. Just love it...like you say Kevin, "lack of a dead animal doesn't diminish the value of it." Thanks for bringing this to mind.
Kevin, this is the only way that I really enjoy hunting. Can't imagine hunting elk any other way. Something about being alone refreshes your spirit and puts you in touch with your surroundings.
Spent two months hunting goats last year over 6 hunting trips. Would come home for two days and then back out.
Enjoy your trip, I know you have extensive hunting experience but you will probably experience a major transformation in how you view your self and nature.
Good Hunting, Mike
Never have been big game hunting solo but I like solo packing and bringing a bow for small game for extra food. I enjoy the solitude for a few days.
Great post Kevin. I have hunted solo and it's good. I have hunted with good friends too and that's good. I like them both. I like the trip that you're doing this year and I may have to do something like that one of these years. I would probably go back up the Haul road because I have so many memories from there. Although I am open to other places for sure. I find that I do like sharing stories when back in camp with other bowhunters, but then again, time alone out there is special. May the ravens keep an eye on you my friend... Looking forward to stories later. :archer:
I've been wanting to do this for a long time! I hunt alone a lot but never for more than a day. With my wife and 3 kids I tend to do just that ( a lot of day hunts), but I've definately had this in the back of my mind for a while now! Maybe this will be the year! Thx for bringing this back to mind!
I love hunting by myself but it is nice to have a friend back at camp in the evening to tell lies to about the days hunt. ps and know you are missing if you don't show up. Widow
Once I am settle in north Idaho I plan to start solo/overnight hunting.
I ve been spoiled all the these years in new york, walk out the backdoor, hunt and come back home.
I've been watching clay Hayes videos and doing my research on back country survival.
I don't have any choice, nobody will go with me :biglaugh: :biglaugh:
It's on my bucket list for sure. I know I need to learn a lot more about survival out in the wilderness before I would attempt going into the rockies alone. But I one day I hope to do that.
I would love to do a solo hunt over a period of time but my wife would hate it.
The Clay Hayes videos make me want to do it even more. Maybe someday.
Mike...I appreciate your thoughts, and I hope the BC mountains smile on you this year. Nothing like those crags and peaks to make a guy feel humble.
Dave...We haven't hunted together but the things you say and write tell me we see wilderness through the same eyes. Good luck on your adventures!
Todd...If I ever met someone who looked like he appreciated solitude and hunting the hard way, it is you. The quiet guy staring into the campfire from so many years back. The raven is always watching.
I just talked with my pilot-friend today. The fires have lessened in the region I'm headed to, and some rains have fallen. He tells me he plans to put me in an area well above treeline and that caribou are there now. I'm truly excited just thinking about being up there alone and doing what comes natural to me. The next few weeks will pass rapidly. I spent much of this day prepping and weighing gear for the trip. I'll be shaving ounces and making hard decisions, but that's all part of going in far and traveling light.
Julian: I admire you. I am really excited for you to make a run into the northern mountains and have a solo go at it. Not many guys will undertake that ever, and I truly hope you have the adventure of a lifetime there. Take lots of pictures and I'd like one for my collection!
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Not sure if the opportunity will ever be there for me but I would love it. I like being in the woods alone anyway as no one but me calls the shots and it seems more relaxing. Once again, great post.Nice pics as well
This will be my second year solo with trad gear. I love it. On one hand I love hunting with another guy or as a group but I prefer going alone. I spend a good 10-12 days alone and usually take one trip with friends or family that sounds 3-4 days.
When I'm by myself I get in the zone and stay in the zone. Not having to worry about anyone else, being able to go with your gut 100% of the time. Not having to worry about filling any one else's tags. I feel 100% connected to the moments.
Wow, that makes me sounds like a selfish bastard ;)
Sometimes it gets a little lonely if the weather turns bad and when the nights are long.
It has been a very long time since I spent time alone in the wilderness (38 years). I spent two months conducting timber inventory fresh out of school in the San Juans and then up north around Buffalo Park (Colorado). All my work was from aerial photographs, compass and flagging tape. Saw gobs of elk. Spent a lot of time at timberline.
I went two weeks during one span without seeing another human. In fact, Elvis died during that stint.
I ended that temporary job with a mule deer bow hunt. I wish I could have afforded an elk tag (NR $145) because I had a cow and fork horn bull 15 yards the first day hunting. I was 23.
Solo for an extended time wouldn't be for me these days. Frankly, I just wouldn't have the confidence that my mind wouldn't conjure up some horrible fate.
I admire those who do it though.
Definitely want to give it a shot before the years sneak up on me. Going to take a lot of convincing with the wife.
Not for me, but I appreaciate and enjoy the stories from those who do.
Kevin, I have great confidence in your woodsmanship and self-reliance, so it will come down to the mental side and comfort level you have in your own skin. If a guy has love in his life and love for the wilderness before him, loneliness may creep in, but it will not take over your daily activities. By that I mean, you will be too busy doing it and living your dream to let despair take over your hunt. You may reach for your phone every hour to check in on your long time hunting partner, but alas Bryan will not be there to answer as he had done on so many other Alaskan trips. You will have no one to worry about, and no one in the immediate area to worry about you. Does this mean no one cares about you? Absolutely not! But it does mean that loose ends need to be taken care of in your personal and family life before you leave your loved ones and venture out to your beloved wilderness alone. You need to create a peace and acceptance at home before you go, less you worry about the home-front, and loose the purpose for which you chose to be alone.
For others reading this, I mean to tell you that after taking dozens of extended solo hunts into the wilderness, I know it is not a time or place to run to or escape from depression. If you are depressed, do not go on an extended hunt alone.
So Kevin, clear your mind and let your soul swell with the experience, for it will be solely yours. Let the oxygen of rejuvenation fill your lungs and recharge your spirit. More than anything, this will be a spiritual encounter for you. Mike
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Mike...wise words my friend. Solo hunts into wilderness are not for everybody, and understanding the conditions one will face is important. Not just environmental conditions, but the internal condition...being alone and dealing with the silence, the separation and the doubts which can creep in. I'm no stranger to any of that, though this will be the longest solo trip I've done. Not having my usual partner around will increase the magnitude of difficulty and solitude over a 10 day hunt. Backcountry hunting is seldom easy even with a partner. It's images and times like these that make it worthwhile:
(http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g13/dillbilly/Oct-1-13%20022.jpg) (http://s52.photobucket.com/user/dillbilly/media/Oct-1-13%20022.jpg.html)
(http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g13/dillbilly/Oct-1-13%20027.jpg) (http://s52.photobucket.com/user/dillbilly/media/Oct-1-13%20027.jpg.html)
Kevin love those pics especially the one where you are looking into the peaks with the snow in the pines! Do you mind if I save this pic? Awesome picture
Very wise advise Mr. Mitten. Those considering an extended solo hunt should take heed....It can blow your mind. One with the wilderness...in personal touch with your God....very critical introspection of your entire life. The games the human mind can play. Sometimes its very good. Sometimes its not. Be careful
Hey Kevin, I hoped to have done it sooner than later, however my life's gotten a little hectic the last few years. It seems the older I get, the less time i have!! I have set a date for 2017, with 2018 as a rain date. I retired from one job and have started another, so my vaca time is back to the minimum. I've read One With The Wilderness a million times dreaming of when I can get the time!! Good luck one yours!!
99% of the time I hunt solo. Even with a base camp set up like we typically do for elk, I hunt alone for the most part. Having a base camp with a bunch of guys makes it easier once you have a 1000 pound elk on the ground. I'm too damn old to pack in for elk solo any more, but I'll still do overnight trips solo from a base camp.
I have an outfitter available to haul out my animal should I be successful. It is very important to have a solid plan before venturing into the wilderness. That has been discussed on this site many times, but deserves to be mentioned.
When I was younger (and dumber) I did things without proper preparation, but no more.
Thanks for this thread. Good stuff
Solo wilderness hunting truly is an amazing pursuit, but definitely not for everyone.
The psychological piece is huge, and people who are not comfortable with the silence in themselves struggle immensely. Knowledge is power and knowing navigation,first aid and bushcraft is essential to being comfortable on your own. So is knowing yourself, and what your personal threshold for solitude is. The personal accountability is also a big part of it as well. All success and failures belong to me. No one else. I move at my pace, and dictate the destinations.
I will be spending the first two weeks this september (as i do every year) doing a solo elk hunt in a remote, vehicle restricted area. The only person in my life that "gets it" and doesn't make a big deal of it is my wife. Everyone else seems to think it is some hardship for me to do it. It's kind of like the old Harley t-shirt: "If i have to explain, you wouldn't understand anyway...".
I have done a number of these types of hunts in Alaska for moose and caribou. I LOVED it. It is a fantastic experience.
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The reward after a long day of moose butchering.
Kevin - hope you have a great time.
To your questions: I generally hunt solo, its practical but mostly I just enjoy it. Simplicity, peace, solitude.
I have a 3 day solo trip for brown bear this fall. A boat ride, then hiking in.
After that, if I still have a tag I'm hoping for the chance to hunt interior grizzlies on my own for a few days, while I'm already in the bush for other things.
Also will likely get a few day hunts in the mountains for black bear too.
I hope you're an introvert, it'll go a lot easier.
Chinook, I don't believe anybody who has met Kevin would classify him as an introvert. That said, Kevin will be fine on a solo hunt.
It has been a couple of years since my last solo, but the first five years I hunted big game, I spent 10 to 14 days each year solo in the Frank Church wilderness. Spent a few years taking long solo hunts when Brother Bob moved to Alaska and then quit hunting. My last moose hunt was planned as a solo hunt until my friend Dave asked if he could go with me. My next moose hunt is planned for 2016, but that is mainly to introduce Hunter to the remote wilderness of AK. Maybe the following year. Until then I will be satisfied with two-three day excursions into the Lee Metcalf (sp?).
Kevin, Blessings on your upcoming adventure! I long to embrace the challenge and adventure of a long solo hunt, but it must be put on hold for a few years due to my current situation, raising and providing for six wonderful children!! My plan is to do a couple 2-3 day solo hunts with the goal of working toward a longer hunt like you have planned.
Again, blessings on your trip and I look forward to reading all about it!
"I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived. I did not wish to live what was not life, living is so dear; nor did I wish to practise resignation, unless it was quite necessary. I wanted to live deep and suck out all the marrow of life, to live so sturdily and Spartan-like as to put to rout all that was not life, to cut a broad swath and shave close, to drive life into a corner, and reduce it to its lowest terms".....Thoreau
Beautiful quote JT...very apt for those of us who go in search of a challenge which reaches far beyond the hunt for an animal.
Lots of good people and hard hunters weighing in here with their thoughts...really enjoying that. Tim and Walt...appreciate you guys as well as the rest who contribute a thought. Here's one I like:
"Climb the mountains and get their good tidings. Nature's peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. The winds will blow their own freshness into you, and the storms their energy, while cares will drop away from you like the leaves of Autumn." John Muir
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Kevin, great post, I have never had the finances to do a long western or Alaskan hunt that I have always dreamed of, and I devour books such as Mike Mittens book. But I have used our local wilderness areas of 15-20,000 acres and have done several week to 2 week back pack solo hunts here in Ark. there is something really special about being alone and self dependant, a week is just enough to slow down and start really enjoying things.. 2 weeks to me was about right, and lets ya get in the proper mind set and to where you can take a day off if ya feel the need to lay in a hammock and rest, piddle around camp or whatever.. to me there is nothing like it, but with age I have a harder time humping the mountians than I did and recently my wife has insisted I get a INREACH unit in case of emergency and to check in now and then.
I always think of the saying, that the best way to mess up a great deer hunt is to kill a deer. That really rings true on an extended hunt, my personal preference would to be to kill it on the next to last day of your planned stay, to enjoy the full experience and allow time to pack it all out. Good luck on your hunt, hope to read about it here or in the PBS mag. or forum
The bowhunters have spoken... I must plan another Alaskan hunt. Solo. Special thanks to brother Dill. :archer:
I went on a camping trip one year to the Gila Wilderness with an older gentleman that I met hear in my area. He had horses and and invited me to go. It was the best time I ever had. That was in my late 30's. From that time I went and bought to young colts and trained them from the ground up. Mind you, I did not have any horse experience at all but went to some clinics and read a bunch of books. Anyway, made my first solo trip to the Gila in my early 40s. At the trailhead I was a nervous wreck checking and double checking my equipment. Looking back, It was by the Grace of God that I came out Okay. A little thinner and real tired. But It was something that I just wanted to do. I wanted to overcome my fears. I was afraid of getting lost. That was my main fear. I had plenty of maps but still that fear was there. Also I had never been out in the woods over night by myself. It totally was a new experience for me. It certainly was very physical and mentally hard but It was on of my best experiences I have ever had. I loved the solitude and the peacefulness. The sound of hearing my horses munching on hay at night was comforting in some strange way. Eating lunch on the side of a mountain just can't compare. Anyway I did again the following year and had a better time. Its been a few years and I feel Like I'm really longing for it again. Maybe this Sept. From the beginning my family was against it and for good reason. My wife was not happy about it but she tolerated it. If your longing to do a solo trip. Just make sure your in the best shape you can possible be. Know the area, study the maps. I think for first timers a GPS and Satellite phone is must. One of the lessons I learned is that every action matters or can have some serious consequences. Pay attention to everything your are doing. That's my .02.
Gilbert
I enjoy solo elk hunting in Colorado when my son and son-in-law aren't able to join me except for one thing. It is hard enough to pack 250# of boned-out meat 6 miles out of the wilderness area with 3 of us but to attempt to do it by myself is probably a little too crazy. Whenever I hunt solo I do it for the love of hunting but part of me hopes that I will not down an elk. So far so good because I've only killed elk when I'm not hunting solo.
Never really thought this was for me but reading this thread has me wondering if I could do it. Which in turn makes me want to prove it to myself that I can.
I do my best hunting solo. The best elk, coues, and muley I have taken were solo hunts. For me, my soul is larger, my understanding deeper, my awe at God's wonders greater, and the peace of the mountains seeps deep into my heart.
MAP
I love to hunt solo but it has become tough to do lately. Getting enough time of work to do it and I keep getting people into archery and inviting them along. It makes base camp fun and packing chores a lot easier but my heart is by myself. This last weekend I scouted out some world class mule deer in a wilderness area. I know the best way I can really hunt these bucks will be solo but I have a whole camp of family and friends showing up in a few weeks. It's a love hate thing having a big base camp. I have been feeling the calling of a solo hunt bad! I just might have to sneak out for a few days by myself and hope everyone understands.
I hunt solo most of the time. Last season, I spent 24 days elk hunting alone, and though no elk were harmed, I had a great time. Something about the solitude that is good for the soul, and makes for appreciation of home when you get back.
In the past, I have been packed in and drop camped in wilderness areas for several days. You must be self sufficient in situations where everything depends on you; another good reason to do it. When you are miles from anything and grizzly tracks are fresh on the trail you are hiking, your senses are definitely enhanced.
Enjoy your solo hunts, and stay safe.
I lived in Montana for 4 years and did many solo hunts. The one I remember the most was when I found a good looking area on my topo and decided to hike into it alone. I was 3 miles back in and making my way along a ridge top with the morning thermals coming up into my face when I spotted a bull bedded below me. I made a good stalk, a good shot and when I found it was when I realized how alone I really was! The elk and I made it out but it taught me a lot of things about solo hunting and about myself.
Great thoughts. One of the things I have always liked about wilderness hunting is that it entails far more than 'just' hunting skills. Self-reliance, bush-craft, woodsmanship, problem solving...the list is long. From mundane camp maintenance to weather judgment to personal safety; it's part of the daily experience. It's one thing to locate and kill an animal, but quite another to butcher it, pack it, care for the meat, cape it out completely, flesh and salt...etc. Then there's the mental challenge of simply doing it 100% without a partner or backup. No one to discuss a decision with. Nobody to reflect on the day with. It pares down to one man and what he does while hunting alone for several days...sometimes in hazardous country. I think the most daunting part of it for many is the perceived risk (danger?) and the degree of effort required to pull it off.
And if you kill, walking up to a large animal... especially one of these boys... is a lesson in reality!
(http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g13/dillbilly/2010%20AK%20Moose%20002.jpg) (http://s52.photobucket.com/user/dillbilly/media/2010%20AK%20Moose%20002.jpg.html)
Do alot of solo hunts and planning out a 2 week + hunt for elk and mule deer in CO this year. Enjoy my time alone and love doing everything myself, but having someone nearby is helpful especially when the work starts, but I worry about that after the animal is down.
Great thread. Some of you guys are living the dream.
I've always been happy to chase the whitetails around home here in Michigan, but the three years I lived and worked in Colorado showed me that I have the capacity to be self sufficient. Spending almost every three-day weekend in the mountains hiking and camping off the beaten path even when not hunting elk was life changing. I know I appreciate things more now.
When my daughters are a little older a yearly wilderness trip will definitely be planned.
This is where I camped the very first evening of my very first solo hunt out west. High country mulies and I learned a lot on that trip. Beyond the lessons, though, a fire was started down deep in my soul that probably won't go out until I'm pushing daisies.
(http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j112/Dutch4duck/HighLake.jpg) (http://s78.photobucket.com/user/Dutch4duck/media/HighLake.jpg.html)
Kevin, what stops me is my job. I have June, July and first half of August off. There is not much you can hunt during those times. I have been told that Sitka deer on Kodiak is open in early August. I have been trying to confirm. That would be my only chance to hunt solo.
Thank you for starting this thread Kevin. Beautiful pictures, and words of motivation by many of the posters here.
I used to be perfectly happy hunting with all the masses here in Michigan, then I joined the Professional Bowhunters Society (PBS). I've learned that the guys who we all read about, online and in magazines, are normal guys like ourselves.
In the PBS Publication, I read about hunting on Kauai, Hawaii then booked a trip to do it myself. I read about hunting mule deer, and spent a good part of a year setting up an awesome trip out west in Wyoming. I kept reading about bear hunting in Manitoba, and booked the hunt. Currently, I'm planning a 2 week DIY moose hunt for this September with another PBS member. I have plans of making this one a yearly hunt. My thoughts are that I should do these while I'm physically and somewhat financially able to do it. I don't want to be sitting in the nursing home (hopefully it's a really nice one that my boys put me in) saying I wish I had done that when I was younger.
My only regret was not having my priorities right till I was 40. I missed a ton of great opportunities by not involving myself in a national Bowhunting organization that does nothing but promote Bowhunting. If anybody has questions about the PBS, or would like to sign up, please contact me.
I'm rich by no stretch of the meaning, but I also have no vices. I gave up drinking and smoking years ago and haven't been to the movie theater in years.
I know your thread is about the "solo" guy, but I just want everyone to know that everything is doable, you just need to figure out your priorities.
I'm a firm believer there are only 3 types of people in this world: 1- those that make things happen; 2-those that watch things happen; 3-those that wonder what the heck just happened. A guy just needs to figure out which one he is.
The hunt that started it all...
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I am hunting solo for moose in Alaska again this year. So I will be up there with you so-to-speak.
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I find it fascinating to read the thoughts of those who have been lucky enough to hunt the far-flung places, and do it alone. Hunting in the true wilderness...however you get there the first time...tends to infect a guy. For some, it's enough just to be there once. For others like myself, the call never seems to end. I can't imagine a year of my life without some time in the remote places.
(http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g13/dillbilly/tg2Sept27%20147.jpg) (http://s52.photobucket.com/user/dillbilly/media/tg2Sept27%20147.jpg.html)
But the face of a very hard trip can look like this:
(http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g13/dillbilly/tg2Sept27%20152%20-%20Copy.jpg) (http://s52.photobucket.com/user/dillbilly/media/tg2Sept27%20152%20-%20Copy.jpg.html)
That's my favorite way to hunt but I've had little opportunity to do it. It's very difficult to find places wild enough anymore to get far enough away from other folks.
Great post Kevin! I love your pictures. It's beautiful country and also lonely looking country!
I've hunted wilderness areas out west solo multiple times but nothing that can compare to an Alaskan adventure alone. I've always had the luxury of being able to make a 6 or 8 mile hike if things went wrong and I needed to come out.
I like hunting with a partner but there's something special about doing it all on your own. When I did my first trip I expected to have a bunch of free time to think about things. What I found was the opposite. While I was hunting my thoughts were focused solely on the task at hand. The rest of the time my thoughts seemed to revolve around food, sleep, and shelter (survival). Its one of the things I like most about hunting solo, you seem to forget about the things in life you thought were problems and your problems become much more simple and basic.
While it's true, if things go wrong while hunting solo the pain is all yours to bear, if you plan carefully and do everything right the enjoyment is all yours as well.
(http://i.imgur.com/DFT7sF2.jpg)
Best of luck Kevin. Can't wait to read about your hunt!
As much as I'd like to, I've never been fortunate enough to be able to hunt the big country of Canada, or Alaska.
I'm not sure that this qualifies, but between the ages of 18 and 26, I spent a week each year, sometimes a little more, or less if I filled my tag sooner, camping and deer hunting in the Adirondacks here in NY.
I never set up camp more than a mile from the road, sometimes less, but I was in an area with a little over 50 square miles between roads, and the only signs of civilization I saw was an occasional airplane.
From as early as I can remember I've always loved being in the outdoors, but those solo trips brought the realization that it was where I was meant to be. It's who I am. Rain, shine, snow or wind, I've never felt more at home than I do when I'm in the woods.
That was quite a while ago, and I've made a lot of good memories since, but some of my favorite memories are of those times I spent alone in the woods.
Back then, I thought killing deer was what made my trips a success, but looking back on it now, I realize that just being there, and experiencing it all was the important thing.
Good luck on your hunt Kevin. I hope you have the time of your life.
Bob