In the last three years that I have been hunting in Western Wyoming, I have developed some lasting friendships with a variety of people I’ve come in contact with. Billy is one I always look forward to seeing. Now to look at Billy you might dismiss him as just another wrangler or cowboy. Once you talk to him, you realize that the saying “still waters run deep” holds true in this case. We have had some great conversations about books, music, botany, history, horsemanship, and hunting.

Billy was raised in Eastern Wyoming near Devil’s Tower. His father was a champion Wild Horse racer. Under his tutelage Billy learned the tricks of the trade well enough to win seven buckles of his own in the event. With family who ranched throughout the West, Billy had a wide variety of exposure to horses and cattle and gravitated towards any activity that involved horses. I was surprised to learn, while on a long ride back to camp from hunting, that Billy had worked in the movies as a teamster and rider. You can see him in the closing scene of Rambo III waving as John Rambo leaves. (he is wearing a turban, and mounted on the horse with the bobbing head).

Currently Billy works seasonally for a variety of outfitters in Wyoming, Montana and even Arizona, as both a horse wrangler in the summer, and a hunting guide in the Fall. In the spring he collects antler sheds from elk wintering areas. These sheds are used to fashion a variety of antler art items that can be found throughout stores in the Jackson, Wyoming area. He also has an antique shop he keeps in Jackson, buying and selling artifacts, and knives.

So the next time you are in the Jackson Hole area, if you see a dark hatted fella with a feather in the band and one on the stampede string, you might be looking at another example of the type of person that makes the West so special to me. Billy is a product of the cowboy code, and my world has been bettered by knowing him. Here’s to you Billy, Happy Trails Partner!

“…Old model 70s have a signature smell. It is walnut and oil and old steel worn bright in callused hands. It is saddle leather and linseed oil, the lodgepoles of western Montana and the sagebrush of southern Oregon.” Wayne Van Zwoll

Those words could not be truer. I grew up in a home where Winchesters were, and still are, your one rifle. I shot my first blacktail deer with what was my great grandfather’s model 64 lever action in .25-35. All the men in my family had a Winchester Model 12 shotgun, and a Winchester rifle for deer. My uncle chose a model 94, while my father and grandfather had pre-’64 Model 70’s.

So when the opportunity arose to review the Shooting Times Book of the Winchester model 70 & 94, I leapt at the chance. Now I am not a gun collector, but I came to love these guns because of their utility as an “everyday using gun”. Thankfully, much of the shooting and hunting media has shared that sentiment and the articles collected in this 138 page compilation give collectors, shooters, and hunters information and entertainment value.

If you have the least bit of nostalgia, you will be pleased at the in depth discussion about the model 94, it’s place in firearms history, and the caliber that it was nearly synonymous with, the .30-30. Winchesters colorful history and restoration of the Model 94 is covered in the book in detail.

For bolt action aficionados, much of the debate about designs of the action pre and post 1964 is mentioned as Captain George C. Nonte evaluates the “new”design in the June 1964 issue. While it was hailed as a “greatly improved version” consumers soon made it clear that features like controlled round feeding were the heart of this rifles appeal.

I can appreciate the sheer variety of models in the article “Collecting the Model 70” from standard, to Super Grade, Carbine, National Match, Target, Bull Gun, and Featherweight models. Pictures of the packaging, and rifles give the neophyte as well as seasoned collector an understanding of the variety available.

Each model and caliber is valued on a percentage condition scale. For the rifle owner unsure of the vintage, a table with the production dates matched to serial number ranges can give the year of production. In looking through the family gun closet, I found a 1962 .264 magnum, a .270 from 1952, and a .30-30 Winchester still used today from 1949.

Now none of our rifles are high in the collectible value since they bear the signs of use such as worn bluing and scratches on the stock. But they do hold a firm place in my heart because of the fact that they come from a long line of rifles that earned the respect and admiration of generations before me. The book of the Winchester model 70 and 94 pays homage to that lineage in a manner that is informative, as well as entertaining. You may pick up a copy of it for a limited time on newsstands where Shooting Times is sold.

Back Pack
Sometimes your game is at the bottom of a deep canyon whose slopes are littered with down fall timber. in this case, the only reasonable way to get that critter to the butcher, is to pack him out on your back. Now on large animals like moose and elk, that means at least 4 or 5 trips with meat and antlers.

 I have observed folks who have made a pack out of hogs and deer, and packed out the animal whole, For me the ever present creepy crawly ticks and fleas give me the shivers, and blood from field dressing has a tendancy to run down ones back and form a sticky mess in your drawers. A more civilized and weight reducing method is to de-bone the carcass and pack it on one of two time tested backpack designs.

External Frame

For large awkward loads, nothing can beat an external frame pack.   If you want to read some tales of feats performed, check out Bull-Pacs, made in Lewiston, Idaho.  Other External frames that have seen extreme use include Barney’s of Alaska, and even the Cabela’s Frame Packs.  A new one on the market is the Bighorn Frame Combo, made by  Wilderness Packs,  It uses a rigid, but flexible Molle Frame with detatchable bags, and an optional meat hauling attachment

My preference is to have a Frame pack back at Base Camp or at the trailhead.   If I have a multi-Trip meat extraction, I will pack out the First trip with my internal frame pack, and finish out the rest of the meat packing with the frame pack. 

Extenals have the advantage of being stiffer and more rigid allowing you to lask almost anything to it, given enough rope.  HoweverI find them to be to cumbersome and noisy for wearing during a hunt.  Hence my use of the Internal Frame.
Cost – at least $100, as much as $379
Skill required – ability to bone or at least quarter a large animal into small parts. Weight distribution on pack, and ability to carry loads determines capacity.
Terrain suited to this method – Above timberline where horses can’t go, steep hillsides, and thick off trail locations
Drawbacks – Large animals require multiple trips or multiple packers, injury is possible if done incorrectly. Multiple trips could be time consuming and result in meat spoilage in warm weather.
Benefits – if you are tough enough, you can get any game animal out of anywhere.

Internal Frame

Many hunters prefer internal frames, to keep the load closer to their back, and also appreciate the quiet design.  I know I do.  My internal framed Badlands 2200 is a great daypack, and I can even fit all the gear I would pack for a weekend archery season hunt in it.   The meat shelf pulls out to accomodate any parcel up to the size of an elk quarter.  So I can hunt with a full pack, and still be able to make the first trip out with a load of meat.   For packing in to a remote camp without horses, I find that the internal frame design is more sleek, and moves with me if I have to twist and turn over and around obstacles.  Mountain climbers have come to use this type of pack exclusively, and I can see why. 

The hunting market is served by a couple of pack manufacturers who build packs with hunting and meat packing specifically in mind.  Badlands, Kifaru and Eberlestock are well respected names in the backpack hunting community.  One trait seems to be the hall mark with the effective internal frame pack.  They all strive to be used while hunting, and still work effectively to get meat out of the field.  Each has its own way of expanding to accomodate the additional load, but for pure “freighting” they don’t come close to the capacity of the External frame. 

Cost – at least $100, as much as $379
Skill required – ability to bone or at least quarter a large animal into small parts. Weight distribution on pack, and ability to carry loads determines capacity.
Terrain suited to this method – Above timberline where horses can’t go, steep hillsides, and thick off trail locations
Drawbacks – Large animals require multiple trips or multiple packers, injury is possible if done incorrectly. Multiple trips could be time consuming and result in meat spoilage in warm weather. Less weight capacity, Boning most highly recommended.
Benefits – Able to make one trip out rather than go to camp for a frame back. if you are tough enough, you can get any game animal out of anywhere.

Horses and Mules
There is nothing more picturesque than a string of mules with elk quarters and antlers coming through a mountain meadow. That is the image that I associate with Western hunting more than any other. If you have access to horses to transport your game you will never regret your decision…..unless you have a wreck. Folks I can tell you when you deal with pack animals of any type there will be unintended excitement. Bear and moose encounters plus icy trails and ropes makes it a question not of if there will be a horse wreck but when! There is definitely a skill set required to be adept at transporting game out of the mountains with pack stock. Many Western outfitters and packers have rates for packing out game for their drop camp clients who like to hunt on their own terms. It is not for the average backyard hobby horseman, but can be learned. The school of hard knocks, along with reading books by folks like Smoke Elser, Bob Brown, and Joe Back, will help with the steep learning curve.
Cost – Wide range. $50-$500 per season for hired meat packers. $2500 per year per horse owned for annual feed and upkeep.
Skill required – horsemanship skills, packing skills, basic quartering or boning ability.
Terrain suited to this method – all but the steepest slopes and thickest downfall.
Drawbacks – requires ability to notify horse packer, may be a day or more before he can respond. With your own horses, it adds a new list of responsibilities to camp chores caring for horses.
Benefits – for long treks, the least amount of sweat expended, large weight capacity rewarding use of resources.

Alternative Pack Stock
If you want some packing assistance don’t overlook llamas, goats or even dogs as alternatives so shouldering the burden yourself. My buddies Jody and Kirk recently had a great hunt with a string of pack goats in the wilderness of Northern California. Kirk even said he liked hunting with the goats better than a horseback hunt…

The Eastmans’ Bowhunting Journal Super Duo, South Cox and Cameron Hanes, have each had experience packing llamas on self guided hunts. Llamas present some unique management challenges as well, so do your homework before undertaking this venture.

Game Cart
These first appeared on the scene in the 70′s and 80′s. They come in one and two man models and with modern materials and fabrication techniques have become easy to pack large animals whole or in pieces. Be aware though that in Designated Wilderness areas, that these wheeled devices are not legal! As long as it is not a “Federally Designated Wilderness” you are A-OK though. These carts are amazing where they can go. From homemade ones to State of the art alloy frames, the wide range of designs will allow one or two hunters to haul their game through almost any terrain. Dead fall trees do present more of a problem though…

The Photo above is from an excellent article by Andrew McKean in his article “You bag it, you pack it”
Cost – $100 to over $200
Skill required – basic mechanic aptitude to assemble.
Terrain suited to this method – Non-”designated wilderness” All but the steepest slopes, open timber with minimal dead falls, low brush.
Drawbacks – Difficult to have on hand while hunting. Will require hunter to go get cart.
Benefits – in areas where permitted, an excellent method to pack in camp to roadless areas.

Part 2 of a series

Team Carry
I have never had to resort to this. The animal is slung from a pole and carried by two hunters You see this frequently in cartoons depicting successful hunters. I can see how it would be better for critters that don’t have a like bears,wher you want to mimimize hide damage, or the ground has more obstacles to step over. But I don’t know if on steep slopes or animals over 200 pounds if it is practical. I don’t like the uneven weight distribution of a pole digging into my shoulder, but some folks swear by it.
Cost – Minimal, just need a pole, and something to tie the critter to it.
Skill required – basic knot tying, and a a sense of direction towards the truck
Terrain suited to this method – relaitively mild slopes, can step over a degree of ground obstacles
Drawbacks -Two people required, weight is borne by shoulder on small area, injury is possible if done incorrectly. Steep slopes and thick timber increase difficulty.
Benefits – Whole animal retrieved at once, hide intact and less likelyhood for hide damage

I’m one of those individuals who always wants to know “the rest of the hunting story”.
1) Where did the bullet/broadhead hit and what was the result?

2) How did you get the critter out of where you found it?

To me those are the mark of a skilled outdoorsman, things that I take pride in. So I thought I would elaborate on methods of transporting big game at least to your vehicle if you can’t drive to the kill site. I have focused on the non motorized methods, but I recognize that the ATV, used properly is an excellent tool. In this series we will focus on each of the individual methods, one at a time. We will discuss Dragging, Team Carry, Game Carts, Pack Stock, and Backpacks individually..

Dragging
I grew up dragging 90 pound blacktails down out of canyons in Northern California. Luckily the roads were at the bottom and gravity helped quite a bit. Since we were hunting in a group, there was usually someone to help drag out a buck, and we didn’t have to contend with deadfalls. If it is a critter under 100 pounds, and the vehicle is downhill, with few obstacles, then dragging is an option. Snow is your friend when dragging is chosen. My hardest drag, while downhill, was my first Wyoming mule deer. I shot him on a STEEP slope and while one guy went back for a pack horse, I dragged the buck through an old burn littered with deadfalls. It was more of a control the fall/lift out from behind the log/try not to break a leg, until we reached the side of the trail on a more gentle slope. The packer was grateful that I had the deer in a more accessible place, but I was worn out! since then I have expanded my game retreval repertoire
Cost – Minimal, perhaps a dragging strap, and/or sled
Skill required – just a sense of direction towards the truck
Terrain suited to this method – smooth ground with few obstacles, snow is ideal, downhill is best.
Drawbacks – hide can be damaged, not ergonomicly wise unless a strap system is used, injury is possible if done incorrectly
Benefits – one person job unless large animal. Whole animal retrieved at once

I kinda feel like a little leaguer talking about being related to an Major League star. My cousin married a nice fella a few years ago and we knew he wrote technical books for computer stuff. Turns out the book was WeBlog, and my cousins spouse was Paul Baush. At the time I was not cognisant of the Blogging world. well now that I have jumped in, I have come to appreciate all of the work that goes into the technical aspects of blogging. Thankfully the folks at Skinny Moose, (Steve Remington in particular) take care of my technical issues that arise from my ineptness.

 Since that book on blogging, Paul has authored a number of other books including , Yahoo Hacks, Amazon Hacks, Google Hacks,and  Flikr Hacks . 

 So if you get a chance click over to Paul’s Blog at http://www.onfocus.com  I’ve added him to my blog-roll.  After all, he wrote the book on Blogging. 

I received an e-mail from my friend Ed Fanchin of the California Bowhunters big game club. Ed is the records chairman and quite an accomplished bowhunter. Turns out that his nephew Joe, who he introduced to archery, and bowhunting is climbing up the ranks of the men’s Collegiate Archery

Fanchin and Hanson qualified after placing third in the men’s recurve team event at the U.S. Collegiate Championship earlier in the year.

With 67 qualifiers and only three spots on the men’s Olympic team, competition was intense. Fanchin, the Archery Club’s president, scored in the top 16 at the tournament and will move on to the two remaining tournaments that determine the final Olympic squad.

How archers get their start in a sport mired in obscurity is often as intriguing as how well they do in competition

Both Fanchin and Hanson began shooting at young ages, and both began as bowhunters, only later switching to the Olympic-style bow, called the recurve.

Fanchin began when he was 8 years old. His uncle, a bow-hunter, taught him to shoot with a hunting bow and allowed him to practice at his house.

“I was able to shoot whenever I wanted to at his house, because there was space,” Fanchin said.

The full story appeared in the Daily Trojan, the student newspaper of the University of Southern California, on October 17 2007.

How does a future Olympian get his start?   I’ll let Ed tell the story:

I have 15 nieces and nephews and when they were younger I had a few small recurves for them to shoot when they came over. I live on a few acres and they shot at , targets, rabbits, squirrels… A few years back my nephew Joey (now it’s Joe) was really interested in stepping it up a little. I gave him one of my hunting bows and taught him how to shoot. Years passed and he stayed with it….

Joe with his first big game animal and his proud dad. I was standing next to him when he took the shot.

So take a kid hunting or shooting. You never know what sort of profound effect you may have on them…

I received a package of the HiMountain Inferno Blend Jerky Cure and Seasoning from Scott at Sage Creek Outfitters to try.  I was one of Five Hi Mountain product testers and we all posted our evaluations on the Sage Creek Forums. 

When the rain put the kibosh on my hunting plans, I followed the wellwritten, and easy to follow directions that accompanied the product.  I mixed in the evening, and put the jerky in the dehydrator in the morning, and had dry jerky that night.  The seasoning is suitable for drying in oven, smoker, or dehydrator.

Materials and methods:
Ingredients:
Hi Mountain Jerky Cure mix
Hi Mountain Jerky Seasoning mix – Inferno Blend Hot Pepper
Ground Bull elk meat (ground meat uses a higher level of cure and seasoning)
Treatments (1 pound of meat per batch)
Batch 1: Cure and Seasonings at recommended levels
Batch 2: Cure at recommended level, Seasonings at ½ level
Batch 3: Cure at recommended level, home assorted Seasoning (Black pepper, Onion powder, garlic powder and Liquid Smoke)

I mixed each of the three batches of ground elk meat with the cure, water and seasonings according to directions. The seasoned meat then spent the night in the refrigerator. The next day, I rolled the meat mixture out between 2 sheets of waxed paper, and cut it into strips about 2 inches wide, and ¼ inch thick. Getting those strips onto the drying racks of the dehydrator was tough but by the third batch, I had the knack. Hi Mountain has a “Jerky Shooter” that would have made this easier. The jerky dried in the dehydrator for around 8 hours and I removed it when the strips were a rubbery texture, and stored them in the refrigerator in Ziploc bags.

Results: The Inferno blend jerky Seasoning is not for SISSIES. At the recommended level, it is best suited to folks who love Tabasco or East Indian food. The seasoning consists of a blend of habanero, jalapeno, and chipotle peppers, with no dilution of any kind. At first I laughed at the warning to “keep out of reach of children, injury may result” but I see they aren’t kidding.

When I tried out the Hi Mountain Seasonings Inferno blend, I figured I would get some impartial feedback from the people I work with. I soon found out that if it’s jerky it’s good. After I pried and prodded, I finally got some comments from the folks

In the interest of public safety, I did two levels of Inferno seasoning. One batch I added the recommended level of seasoning and one at half level. The half level was plenty to get folks to comment on the heat. The workers from Sonora, as well as a couple of Texas chili fanatics complimented the jerky made with the recommended level of pepper seasoning. However it was too intense for the majority of my workmates. A couple commented that they couldn’t detect the flavor for the “heat”.

The Hi Mountain Jerky mixes are simple and easy to use. I noticed there are a variety of seasonings available, you can find one to suit your preferences. The cure has just the right amount of saltiness, so you do not want to add additional seasonings that have salt in them. I think that the inferno blend seasoning is a great blend of peppers that adds plenty of pop to a batch of jerky. Just don’t exceed the recommended level of seasoning, unless you are a trained pepper professional!

Some notes on Jerky in General:
Ground meat jerky is a great way to use your lean ground meat. When dried, it holds together well, and doesn’t splinter like sliced whole muscle cuts. I expected my jerky to be crumbly, but the opposite was true, it held together well and traveled great.

I noticed a ‘gamy’ flavor that I attributed to the state of the elk (full rut, mature bull) , and what seemed to be some flecks of fat that made it into the ground product. The next batch I try will be beef and I will see if that makes a difference.  Surprisingly my counterparts at work did not notice any gamy flavor.  Perhaps I’m overly critical of myself.

Ground Meat Jerky requires a higher addition of Cure and Seasoning.  A package of the Hi Mountain product will make 15 pounds of whole meat sliced jerky, but only 11 pounds of ground meat jerky.