I call it the ultimate still-hunt, still- hunt because it is after the fashion of Theodore Strong Van Dyke in his book, The Still-Hunter. I add ul- timate because it entails remaining in the niche for two, three, or more days, living with the game instead of turning for camp or car as the sun looms low on the western horizon. In later afternoon, I fi nd a good spot, setting up a little camp with bivy, ground pad and sleeping bag ready for my return. Then I hunt the last, and often best, part of the day when game is up and about. I hunt close enough to GPS return to my shelter before full dark. Should I get something, I use a
Tracy Villwok poses beside his backpack shelter with his favorite Pronghorn Custom longbow. Being a full-time government hunter as well as veteran bowhunter, Tracy is conditioned to outdoor survival under all conditions.
extra matches in waterproof case, “cigarette” lighter and any type of fi re starter. I have a small liquor fl ask fi lled with charcoal lighter fl uid. Also: cotton balls saturated with petroleum jelly; compass and map; small towel for after dressing game; Outers Pak Rod for stuck case removal, clearing bore of foreign matter; camera and small tripod for self-timer photos; two army plastic pint bottles: one water, the other Gatorade; extra batteries for fl ashlights, camp light, and GPS; read- ing headlamp for camp; Nylon cord (optional); toilet paper (not optional); health bars; and dried fruit snacks; Back Pocket — eye wash, face
mask, wind detector (such as Wind Floaters). Also, fl uorescent mark- ing tapes (three or four small rolls). Knives: one fi xed blade (Knives of Alaska Jaeger). I have a Benchmade 710 folder clipped on my daypack cross-strap. Cancel-tag kit with pen, scissors and tie-ons for game
tags. Also, plastic gloves for dress- ing game, and a diamond knife sharpener. Med kit — I require no prescriptions. But I have the basics when guiding others. Left Pocket — knee wraps used
sometimes for packing out full elk quarters or whole sectioned deer/ antelope carcasses in rugged coun- try. Electrical tape for securing knee wraps. Right Pocket — Browning three
C cell fl ashlight. Notepad and pen for sketching landmarks and to make notes. Small Pocket — the Badlands
Monster Pack has a very small pocket just right for my Browning Microblast H.O. LED fl ashlight, mini but power- ful enough to supplement the larger light; also handy for camp chores and as a loaner to companions who left their fl ashlights home. A fantastic bonus accompanied the creation of my own modular kit.
fi eld dressing method that leaves in- nards in, donating organ meats to the denizens of the wild — coyote, bear, (wolf now) and the rest of the meat eaters. This reduces a carcass to six pieces: two loins, two shoul- ders and two hams. I mark the spot with GPS to return later with a spe- cial meat pack for transporting the bounty to vehicle, home and freezer. Every state has that special place where footprints are few, and not just in the Rocky Mountain West — New Jersey, New York, Michigan, Wisconsin, Alabama, Kentucky — I darn near got lost in a patch of Penn- sylvania woods far from any road. Be tactical — consider every trip
defensively with a contingency plan for the most unlikely event. You might not be able to return to camp. Caught without the kit for one, sometimes even more than one night, you are cold, maybe a lot thirsty, a little bit hungry, possibly wet from rain or snow; not so good. Caught out with your kit you set up with a bivy or backpack tent with ground pad, sleeping bag, night clothes at the ready; not so bad. And don’t forget “back at the
vehicle.” Many weary hikers have made it back to their car or truck only to fi nd that they were only a little better off because they had no “survival equipment” waiting for them. The new ASAP Survival Pack takes care of that. It comes in a backpack because if the stranded person absolutely safe in hiking to a major road, cabin or house, the pack full of useful items goes along. Not far from our cabin-house at
Small backpack tents are also portable, although the bivy is usually lighter to carry.
40
8,000' above sea level in a forested mountain an elk hunter got lost in a storm. He didn’t make it. But you would have made it because you are, right now, making plans for your own personal modular kit with gear suited to what you do in the out- doors in your part of the world. *
REALITY CHECK • 2011 SPECIAL EDITION
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112 |
Page 113 |
Page 114 |
Page 115 |
Page 116 |
Page 117 |
Page 118 |
Page 119 |
Page 120 |
Page 121 |
Page 122 |
Page 123 |
Page 124 |
Page 125 |
Page 126 |
Page 127 |
Page 128 |
Page 129 |
Page 130 |
Page 131 |
Page 132 |
Page 133 |
Page 134 |
Page 135 |
Page 136 |
Page 137 |
Page 138 |
Page 139 |
Page 140 |
Page 141 |
Page 142 |
Page 143 |
Page 144 |
Page 145 |
Page 146 |
Page 147 |
Page 148 |
Page 149 |
Page 150 |
Page 151 |
Page 152 |
Page 153 |
Page 154 |
Page 155 |
Page 156 |
Page 157 |
Page 158 |
Page 159 |
Page 160 |
Page 161 |
Page 162 |
Page 163 |
Page 164