Wyoming bound

[jersey joe]

Assuming I draw tags I will be heading out to the Wind River area come October and I am terrifically excited about the opportunity. My brother and I will be hooking up with an outfitter and will hunt antelope and mule deer. I have hunted NY and NJ but never where I could get lost or where I could be exposed to a dramatic weather shift. Since I will be with a guide I am curious as to how much I need to be prepared for emergency situations. I am suitably (might say minimally) prepared when hunting NJ but I don't carry a solar blanket, matches and other items. I would greatly appreciate your wisdom regarding a guided hunt.
Thanks in advance.

 

[Art Eatman]

For one thing, ask your guide. He'll likely have some stuff for regular loaning, and would certainly have specific advice for his area.

You're going up a few thousand feet; lotsa thousands if up in the mountains. So, forget elevators and take the steps. Got a stadium nearby? Stadiums have steps. First walk, then jog, then start straining a bit, toward a run.

You get in the high country, "There ain't any air in the air, up there!"

 

[knoxville]

Ya lots and lots of stairswhat hunt did you put in for and who will you be hunting with-what outfitter? That is definately gods country but i'm sure the outfitter will take care of everything but your physical fitness you gotta do that on your own. Eveything else should be fine ... oh ya be sure to hunt in wool it will make your trip much more enjoyable

 

[jersey joe]

Ya see, I knew you would come up with something - stairs, many of them, simple and effective.
Bro' has visited Allen's Diamond Four previously and this will be my first time. The scenery, per pictures, is spectacular. I am not sure where Jerimiah Johnson roamed but that is close to my expectation.

 

[crghss]

You'll already have most what you need on you.
Knife
Flashlight (I assume, I carry a headlamp because I leave camp at dusk)
Fluid (water) & Snacks.

Only additional I'd carry is:
Fire source.
Mirrored or shiny object (for signal)

These are thinks I always carry when I hike and fish out west. I guess it depends on what type of hunting you'll be doing.

The altitude can be a killer. I run regularly in South Florida but being 3 ft elevation it takes a little bit to adjust. The better shape you're in the better the hunting experience will be.

 

[22-rimfire]

Interesting country. I spent a summer in Dubois WY. You probably aren't going to be far from there.

I would ask your guide what you need to bring with regard to supplies. Your supplies will depend the weather patterns in October. You will likely have some freezing nighttime temps. I doubt you will need an awful lot of emergency supplies other than the usual things like a small first aid kit, compass, knife or two, fire making stuff, binoculars, layered clothing, rain gear, and of course your rifle. I would pick up some wool pants for hunting.

Lots of sage brush in the basin. Lots of ticks if there hasn't been a good freeze or two at that point in time.

You going to be going on horse back up into the mountains for mule deer?

 

[jersey joe]

No horseback. My brother's first trip was affected by an early snow. The combination of snow and elevation forced him to flater lands as opposed to humping hills.
As long as you mention Dubois, we plan on arriving early and spending a night in Dubois as well as travelling north. I have heard that Dubois is very cool place to visit. We also want to head up to Cody and the Beartooth weather permitting. Not asking for anyone to approve my agenda; just excited about the whole trip.

 

[Art Eatman]

If you have time in Cody, check out the Museum of the Mountain Man. Among other things, there's a Jim Bridger rifle that was on display there. I once owned it, but figured it oughta be more available for folks to look at. It was shown at their website at one time...

 

[Gbro]

The Cody Gun Museum also. They are on winter hours, so plan for early visit. We topped off a hunt a few years back by swinging through Cody.

When you get used to a good long stair climb, put a dust(particulate) mask on.
Make sure it has a free flow exhalation valve. It will make you work harder for air. I have done that many times prior to hunting trips, and strap on a good heavy pack.

 

[longranger]

Don't rely on your guide to provide necessary equipment for you survival in unfamiliar territory.Should your guide become incapacitated you need to know where and how to use survival equipment of your own.
I just watched a show on the "Outdoor Channel" they were hunting in N.W. Wyoming and the guide forgot a spotting scope and water.Just understand that no one is responsable for your well being other than yourself.
Congratulation on drawing a Wind River tag,beautiful area and they whack some good bucks in there.

 

[waterfowler]

Ask the guide. Usually they will have the necessary items for emergency situations.

 

[shafter]

Don't count your chickens before they hatch. In other words, you haven't drwn the tags yet. Anyway Good Luck!!! I'd love to be going

 

[grubbylabs]

First of NEVER I repeat Never trust your life to some one else like that. Always plan to take care of your self.

What you need is:

small day pack(pick your pack after you pick your gear that way you don't get to big of a bag and fill it up with gear you don't need.

Blanket of some kind and or a small tarp like Visqueen (clear plastic for painters). you just need something to keep the wind and weather of you you and 5X10 is more than enough.

Water purifier, Find at least a water bottle with a built in filter at minimum, a hand pump filter is best.

Fire source, a source if ignition and something to sustain flame. small and simple is best.

Small first aid kit. Nothing you don't know how to use. Keep it simple. Include an anti histamine Advil-Tylenol, and Midol(altitude sickness), and chocolate(altitude sickness)

Survival food, some thing you don't like to eat. That way if you need it you will have it. If it is something you like it is likely to disappear after lunch.

GPS and compass do have them and do you know how to use them? If not learn. If you are going with your brother then look into getting a set or Garmin Rinos. Very good GPS unite combined with a very good two way radio system.

Send for maps of the area, even though you are going with a guide you should still study maps of the area and learn the lay of the land a little bit.

A really good set of boots should be bought first thing in the morning and you should start breaking them in yesterday. Plan on insulated boots and non insulated. Bad boots will ruin your hunt so fast it will make your head spin.

Good luck and have lots of fun.

 

[jersey joe]

darn, I like the survival food tip. thanks for all of the info

 

[22-rimfire]

I would not DEPEND on your guide completely, but I would listen to what he/she has to say, where you are likely going, and the kind of terrain you will be encountereing. Definitely have some emergency supplies with you in a small pack. I'd go a little larger on the plastic for either a ground cover or shelter construciton. I'd have enough stuff for a couple days alone. You should be able to find water if you are in the mountains; filtration/purification rig is up to you, but not a bad idea.

Definitely pick up some topo maps of the area you're going. Definitely get some good boots; I would just have an insulated pair that is well broke in. A back up pair might include some light hiking boots that fit you well.

You may in fact be hunting relatively close to dirt roads. So the maps will be quite handy along with a compass and gps. I still don't have a gps. If you hunt New Jersey, you probably already have those as you can very easily get mixed up on the broad forested flat areas where every direction looks the same.

There isn't much in Dubois by the way. It is a small town or it used to be when I was there. The rodeo is worth doing if they are still going on that late in the year (which I doubt).

 

[grubbylabs]

I bought both my GPS unites on ebay and paid well under retail for them. I was under 200 for each of them. I think I paid something like 180 for my 130 and my 120 was 130ish or so. I think you could find some good deals on them if you really wanted one.

 

[Buzzcook]

Satellite phone.

 

[knoxville]

and maybe a team of pack goats to carry all this stuff. Just talk to your guide oroutfitter they will give you a more accurate idea on what you will need good luck on the draw what region did you put in for

 

[jersey joe]

Lil' bit embarrassed to admit that I don't know the region. The outfitter filled in the details. However, based on all these usefull suggestions I will become more involved - assuming I draw.

 

[elkman06]

Where exactly did you apply there Joe?
I am a little bit south of the Wind Rivers and not my norm but conditions there and where I hunt will not be much different.
elkman06