22 days to go and I’m outta here for 2 weeks of black bear and deer hunting in th BWCAW!!! Can’t hardly wait and I may be “over-ready”. It’s funny you ask if you’re carrying too much, Grumpy. I have been whittling down my gear for weeks now trying to really separate the necessities from the comfort items. It’s amazing what we consider needed until we’ve carried it around on our backs for days without ever using it? Anyways, the freezer is all cleaned out and ready to go should the good Lord see it fit that this be the year I do it right. But if not, I am thankful that another season is nearly here and I still have the health and opportunity to enjoy it! Good luck too you and everyone this season!!!

Grumpy, one thing I purchased new last year was a molded plastic deer sled. (on-line from Home Depot for about $25) May be the best $25 I’ve spent in a long time. It just glides over the leaves and is even better in the snow as long as it’s not too deep. The only negative I’ve found is trying to drag across a steep hill…the rear of the sled wants to go down the hill…. Much easier to go straight up a hill, on a diagonal or straight down a hill. It can also be used to get treestands, steps, blinds, ladders etc. into your hunting spots with very little effort. I also keep a few 2×6 planks in my truck to use as a ramp to push the sled into the bed with a deer in it. 95% of my hunting is solo so this makes it much easier to get a whitetail out of the woods. I can’t believe I waited this long to purchase one. Good luck to everyone this season. Steve

What makes one think one’s gonna be one of the unsuccessful? Gotta start out thinking one will be successful or one probably won’t be. Best to be prepared in case one gets it done.

I may know the odds might be against me but why not that I start out thinking I’m on the plus side of those odds. Why not me being in the 20% bracket??

If I know that I’m going to be unsuccessful I don’t see the point of my not tackling something that I think I can be successful at instead of extending my lack of success in something I know ain’t gonna happen. Like butting heads with J.J. Watts. 😀 Best to grab my bow and go elsewhere:roll:…

When it comes to bow shooting and hunting though, I have this “Little Train That Could” attitude and keep on plugging til it works. If it doesn’t happen, there’s tomorrow…

Grumpy, I most always go against the odds.:roll:

I know for a fact it’ll be a success, deer or no deer, cause I’m not sitting on the couch watching some other guy hunt on the outhouse channel. Squirrel watching is always a win! Dwc

I spent two hours pretending to be a tree stump on sunday morning, it was worth getting up to see the new day but more than a little concerned not to see deer. Ravens, crows, pigeons, pheasant, rabbits and cows but not a single deer so went looking.

58 acres of mixed wood, lots of blow down and moss covering small stuff that made it difficult to move as quietly as I would like. Saw a few deer slots and scat, also found where a buck had been rubbing but it was difficult to age in the wet.

58 acres, I backtracked so many times I had to check my compass halfway thru, good news I was still on course.

Forgot my gloves and face veil, always carry too many knives but I like knives. Probably didn’t need two torches for the morning.

My fear is I take something out of my day sack and forget to put it back for next time.

Happy hunting all, Mark.

Good luck Grumpy!

I don’t do anything to get ready. My gear is just like it was last year, and so I just grab it. Most of the time I just bring my bow and back quiver. If I get something, I go back to the house for my possibles bag with my gutting / dragging stuff in it.

If I’m in the national forest I take the possibles bag with me. It has a compass and a flash light in it.

Food? Nah. Survival gear? Nah.

I just got back from a week in the Arapahoe national forest in CO. Only lost a pound this time 🙁

Grumpy, you don’t have to be embarrassed around me. I can get turned around in the woods quicker than anybody I know. Somehow I don’t ever really get lost but I really have to pay attention. I trust the compass even when I KNOW it’s wrong. I walk back the same trail almost every morning and I still have a hard time seeing the sun rise where it does one place up the creek. Sure keeps it interesting. I’ve stinked up the woods more than once trying to find a stand in the dark that I hadn’t been to in awhile.

Back to the thread, like Steve, I’m pretty much packed from last year. Took my four broadheads out and stropped a nice edge on them a couple weeks ago. I’ll do the same with my hunting knifes soon. Compass is always in the pack. Dwc

My little pack is still ready from last year. My single bevel broad heads have been bathing in a container of oil so they are as sharp as when I bought them! I have to do that since I can’t sharpen single bevels!:roll:

Grumpy, I’m sure you will find many uses for the sled especially getting a deer out of the woods.. Best of luck to you this year. Steve P.S. You must be as short as I amjavascript:addSmiley(‘:D’);

Good luck with the freezer grumpy! We have two chest freezers in the basement.

Is it a frost free chest freezer? regular chest freezer? Upright?

Here’s a helpful hit for our newest member of the freezer club: Freezers are happiest when they are full. When the freezer is full, it will cycle less, which is good for the compressor unit. It will also hold its temperature better in case of a power outage. As you won’t likely fill the thing up right away, you can add containers of water (not full so they don’t split when freezing). As you add food to the freezer, you can remove the containers.

Steve Graf wrote: Good luck with the freezer grumpy! We have two chest freezers in the basement.

Is it a frost free chest freezer? regular chest freezer? Upright?

Here’s a helpful hit for our newest member of the freezer club: Freezers are happiest when they are full. When the freezer is full, it will cycle less, which is good for the compressor unit. It will also hold its temperature better in case of a power outage. As you won’t likely fill the thing up right away, you can add containers of water (not full so they don’t split when freezing). As you add food to the freezer, you can remove the containers.

Good tip plus it does not hurt to have some frozen bottles of water to sub for ice in your chest plus when they melt you can drink them.

No doubt

Grumpy, that’s a nice pack and it sounds like it works well for you. Well done. I keep saying I’m gonna buy a sewing machine and start some projects like that. Very nice, dwc