bear hunt shelter

[oldrubline]

Hello,  looking for opinions on what would work well for my MT spring bear hunt (end May).  Here in the U.P. Michigan I love to use traditional 'tried and true' old-timey' equipment. The shelter I prefer to use for camping is the Wheelen tent. I have one from Frost River and absolutely love it!  There is nothing like coming back from a cold sit for whitetail and warming up by a fire in front of the canvas lean-to.  I generally keep a fire going through the night. I have a very light ground cloth for inside the shelter an we use down bags. Usually I bring a light wool blanket to cover my bedding from sparks and to add to the wool and canvas 'look' and romance! The tent is rather heavy compared to modern camping shelters (11 lbs).
So, now I am going to be camping outside my usual home range...in fact, far away in MT.  My plan (open to other ideas and opinions on this...) is to hike in 3-5 miles. I'll get a camp set up and then begin to hunt the area. I'll wake before light and get to the spot I want to hunt before sunrise, come back to camp around mid-day for lunch and wood gathering, and will move camp to a new region at that time if necessary, then back to hunt the evening. My question is:  Will this work?  Should I be considering other factors? I have the available equipment to hunt with either the Wheelen canvas lean to, a small 2 man with tarp, or even just a light poly tarp set up.  I am definitely torn between the wool and canvas traditional style hunt and the light and modern convenience. I do want the energy and focus to be primarily on the hunting itself. Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated!!

Sincerely,
Dan
Marquette MI

[BenBow]

Dan you might look into building a Wheelen out of nylon to keep the weight down and mobility up. You will need to be in flat country to carry all the weight canvas and wool add up to especially if you're going in several miles like you want. You will have to be careful with nylon around fire as you know but it is an option to maintain some of the nostalgia you enjoy. If the country and terrain allow you could bring your heavier gear and use a deer cart to roll it in. But an ultralight setup is a joy to carry.
BTW my sister-in-laws son use to teach in Marquette before he died. He always wanted me to come up and hunt with him.

[Sam McMichael]

I would go for something lighter. You will be carrying loads while running short on sleep. Weight will be a significant factor.

[fujimo]

hi Dan, like you i am a sentimentalist- a lot to do with the way i hunt i guess. if i just wanted to kill animals i would use one of my rifles-
 anyway- i love canvas. i like the traditional tarp set up kinda like a diamond
very windproof- and quick to pitch. i eventually made a proper "tent" using that design- really like it- but used very heavy canvas. but now i am going to build a bigger one to hold 3 or 4 people on a 2 week hunt with all gear and my tracking dog!- and the more i built  and adjusted the prototype i was making from moisture barrier plastic ( to get the pattern right) the more it started to look like a "kifaru sawtooth".
which i am ok with- i have some very nice light weight canvas- very tough and waterproof and thats what i will be building from. then will make a smaller one later- on the same design- just for two people overnight or so.
 i love the canvas- and if thats what you want to do, it will make your hunt a better memory- the deer cart idea is a good one.
just a big canvas tarp. and a light floor tarp makes a great traditional shelter- without the poles etc- i think it is the most economical use of canvas

enjoy your hunt- however you choose to do it
 cheers mate
wayne

 

[Nantahala Nut]

I'm going through a similar dilemma. I love the old school look and feel of wool plaid and other traditional hunting garments but I made a leaf suit last season and it works really well. It doesnt help that I am after a big old buck that I hunted last season. It's gonna take every trick to get this mountain brute in the freezer.

 I'm an old school kind of guy in spite of only being 29. I want to keep some of the old traditions and ways alive. My peers are all into the designer camo and compounds with so many accessories they look like a christmas tree.

My compromise is that I will wear the leaf suit in the early season when it is too warm for wool. Once it gets cooler I will be in an asbell plaid and jones cap.  Maybe you can find a similar compromise. Whatever is gonna make you happy when you are sitting in the woods is what you should do.

[Orion]

I think the comfort of your lean to, with fire, is worth the extra effort of packing it in. Too, you may not need to pack in 2-3 miles.  Gravel roads and two tracks can get you well into the back country in Montana, and away from most hunters. In all likelihood, you will be able to set up camp alongside the road if you want to.

[fisherick]

Soooooo, 3-5 miles hike in, do you have a plan to get a large bear out of the back country before the meat spoils and get your heavy duty camp out of the woods? Just asking. I love traditional values too, but got to be real about it.

[Jarrod Reno]

This past year I picked up a Seek Outside LBO and titanium stove, super light weight, easy to set up and take down and with the charm and warmth of a fire.

Maybe something to look into. They have different options as far as size of shelters.

[Roadkill]

I just got a seek outside teepee for backcountry trips .I have not used it  but will practice all summer.  The weather in the mountains requires a shelter of quality.  You might be holed up for several days in freak conditions, and misery on a hunt is unfun!  Boots, binos and shelter are big concerns for extended primitive hunts

[Daz]

I think only you can answer what will work best. What is the terrain like (elevation gains/thickness of vegetation/trail vs. bushwhacking)?

What is your level of fitness (can you hammer out 3-5 miles one way in possible warmer weather with 100+lbs of bear meat/head/hide plus the extra weight of your primitive camp)? Will the extra weight be a factor on the packout?

Is this a "bowhike while camping" trip, or are you driven to fill that tag and to do what it takes to get the meat out?

I'm heading out at the end of next week for five days, and there is no way i would be carrying an 11lb shelter into the mountains i hunt(my four season/two person mountaineering tent is only 6.5lbs and i feel it is too heavy for 99% of the hunting i do).

[hunting badger]

I lived and hunted in Montana for over 30 years and now live in Alaska. Killed bears with bows there many times. There are a lot of ways to get around in Montana on public lands. The USFS has lots of old logging roads that are now closed to vehicle traffic but you can still use a mountain bike or a cart to get yourself and your gear into good bear country. I would take the Whelen lean to and light wool. I use light weight wool military pants, that you can purchase from Army Navy or similar store for next to nothing. Second hand stores are also a good option. I also love the old time stuff, if you don't do the whelen you will always regret it, after all it's about the journey and doing your way and enjoying yourself!!!

[JimB]

Personally,I think an 11 pound shelter and stuff that goes with it,is impractical for packing in that far.Keep in mind,we can't pack as light as backpackers because we have hunting gear and cloths.I use to hunt like that and a pack for 10 days,would weigh 55 lbs.That didn't include bow.The shelter was a tarp tent,groundcloth etc that weighed about 3-4 lbs and all the food was freeze dried.

My current setup is a small backpacking tent with fly that weighs about 3 1/2 #.I will hold me,my bow and pack and I can cook from it with a backpacking stove if I have to.It can be sealed up to shut out the wind but is still ventilated.Packed,it is very compact.

I personally would keep a shelter under 4 lbs.I also use a bag that is about 3 lbs and is good to 0,a little warm for a hunt that time of year.

I would make a list and weigh every item you have,that you might carry and add it up.Pack the stuff and see if it all fits.

If you get a small bear,it will take one trip for your gear and one for the head and meat.Figure about 1/2 the bears live weight for the hide and meat weight.350# is probably the biggest you might encounter in Spring here and there won't be many of those in a given area.

Don't forget,you may be dealing with some altitude that you aren't used to and also realize that there may be some days so windy that you can't keep a fire going.

In 22 years here,Spring bear hunting,I haven't needed expensive clothes.If you want to spend a little extra money,put it in boots and a light weight camp.

[calgarychef]

Seems you might have never hiked in far to hunt. We take a nylon fly and set it up to sleep under, a fire nearby is very welcome indeed.  You'll have a better hunt if you place less emphasis on your gear and more on being outside and enjoying the experience.

By the way, sleep in because the Bears will be sleeping too.  Wait units the sun is shining before you start searching the hillsides.

[fujimo]

dunno fellas, gotta agree with hunting  badger here
- we embark on this traditional archery journey for many reasons- a lot i think has to do with nostalgia, and also extending our own limits and skills.
as we all know, there is a lot more to the trad hunt, than just dropping the string- i believe- well for me at least- its more of a holistic approach. its the bow we choose and all its accoutrements , our clothing, our packs, our camps- even the way we set up camp- we all have wildly varied ideas and thoughts on all these topics, but like true bow hunters we are pretty steadfast and opiniated- well you guys are at least- not me    :D   .
but i think the key here is to enjoy the entire journey- and if that involves a trad camp and wool clothing so be it- or an ultra light camp and and stae of the art clothing- thats cool too.

i know i hate regrets in my memories . i want a no compromise memory!

now if it were me- and its not, but this is how i like to hunt- its all a compromise i know- but i love  my asat leafy suit- and i love a trad canvas camp with a wood stove- either a self bow or one of my own glass bow creations- and ONLY wood arrows.
 lots of contradictions in there- but thats just me!

enjoy the journey mate- whatever or where ever it takes you    

[calgarychef]

Canvas, wood smoke, wool, leather, a glass of something nice- one can imagine the very essence of that feeling.  Unfortunately hiking in is a different story, Where ounces begin to feel like pounds and where extra pounds become like a personal torture.  You have to decide if you're going for a wonderful camp or a bear.  That all changes if you camp beside the truck and walk an extra couple miles in the morning.

[fujimo]

ahhh waddaya knows anyways cheffiegirl!

[fujimo]

good points and very true- probably  based on personal experience,  eh Tracy?

[oldrubline]

Wow!  Thank you all for the advice!  Not sure what to make of it all and what I'll end up doing in the long run.  But, to be on the 'safe side', I think I will error on the light side to begin with as this is my first trip. I do want to focus on the actual hunting. I have a light 2 man I could bring. If I pull a hunt or two off in the west and decide the canvas could work then I can always start to incorporate it down the road as I become more experienced. I do know one thing about my wheelen and that's that if I had only one of the above listed shelters for an extended stay (setting the weight issue aside) it would be the wheelen. It would keep out any weather and is always more cheery with that all night fire in front of it. I've used it in 4 foot snow bases and 10 degree weather after snowshoeing it in, in multi day rains, and high wind. But...again, I want to focus on being in the moutains hunting. I look to the advice of all of you who have done this with the deepest respect and appreciate the time you have taken to respond.
Oh..and calgarychef ,  sleep in??!!  No bear movement in the early mornings?  I thought they would be out early morn and evening?  It is good to know. I was planning on getting up well before light, throwing some wood on the fire in front of the wheele...uh, I mean turning on the LED light in the tent, and getting up to glass.  Any more ideas on hunting spring bears? I am all ears!

Dan

[calgarychef]

as to the sleeping in, bears in the afternoons and evenings seems the norm but the more you're out there the more likely you are to see a bear.  If there's grizzly don't even try your predator call or baiting either, even those bear bombs or a bacon candle might bring the wrong company.  Fujimo will tell you that neither of us wants to tangle with a grizzly again, they're bad news.  

Hunting bears where you can see a long ways is more productive than if you can't.  Logging roads, pipelines are great to find bears on but not if you can only see 20 yards.  
Dandelions, grass and clover are your friend    as is water and river bottoms close to sunny hillsides.

I'm not the most knowledgeable bear hunter, I've hunted them with fire sticks but not seriously with a bow.  So there's gonna be guys with better info than me.  If it's your first hunt for bears, don't be picky about size, doing it with a bow in an unfamiliar area is enough to make most bears a trophy.

[fujimo]

well kudos to making some kind of headway on your original question- thats whats so cool about this place- everyone has an opinion- usually based on sound experience and they are more than willing to share and help.
you will have a blast.

 and calgary chef is correct- we learnt a quick lesson in "grizzley bear entanglement".        
 its still one of my favourite stories- in hind sight that is - at the time... not so much!!!

but heed what he says- he knows the odd thing!