Successfully Prepare for an Extended Hunting Trip With These 4 Tips

You, the woods and your prey – for the next several blissful weeks, that’s all you need to worry about. Lucky devil. Still, an extended trip takes more than time off work to pull off right. You need to prepare successfully. Covering the bases beforehand lets you relax and submerge yourself in the experience. Here’s how to ensure a safe, successful hunt.

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Schedule and Book

This tip goes beyond booking plane tickets if flying from Pennsylvania to Montana. Who’s going to keep your mailbox from overflowing in your absence and water your prized begonias? Check in with your neighbors before leaving to increase security around the homestead. It’s just plain smart to let someone know where you’re going and plan to return.

Your average 5-year-old can carry a brace of pheasant out of the woods, but extended hunting trips often involve big game. A full-grown bull elk weighs between 600 and 700 pounds, far more than you can pack out by hand.

That means renting an off-road vehicle or booking a packout service. Think of it as a manifestation charm to increase your odds of good luck. If renting a ride instead of mule service, consider a whisper-quiet electric ATV — your fellow hunters will appreciate it.

Clean and Pack

Clean and oil the weapons you plan to take. Check your gun’s sights and ensure you have the correct choke. Disassemble the weapon, clean the barrel and surrounding cylinders — especially the action — and apply a protective coat of oil. For bowhunting, correct your peep sight and mark your cams. Check for loose hardware, inspect the fall-away cord and replace frayed D-loops. Similarly, inspect your arrows, including the fletching and broadheads.

Few things evoke a flurry of colorful curse words like realizing you forgot your contact lens solution when you’re 50 miles from the nearest pharmacy. Start packing early so you have plenty of time for those “oh, yeah” moments.

Even the most careful make mistakes. Try keeping an electronic list of things you want or need at camp but didn’t have, adding to it on each hunting trip. Before long, you’ll have a handy checklist to consult to avoid future oops. Those needs may vary depending on where you go and how much comfort you prefer, but should include the following at a minimum:

Sleeping gear: A sleeping bag and ground cloth or cot unless staying in a fully outfitted cabin
A mess kit: A simple cookstove or pots for heating water and food over the fire
A first-aid kit: Emergency supplies and needed prescription medications
Hygiene items: Soap, toothbrush, toothpaste, towel, scent-masking stuff and a way to wash it off
Layers of clothing: Wicking inner layer, insulation, waterproof outer layer, covers for your head and extremities, and plenty of extra dry socks

Prepare Your Homestead and Office

You might spend the entire fall in Montana, but your landlord expects their rent like clockwork. Put your bills on autopay and do the same for yourself by automating your savings so you don’t go wild, spending every last remaining dime on buying rounds to celebrate bagging a big one.

The same goes for the office. Let clients know you’re out of town by setting up an autoresponder on your email and voicemail and tie up loose ends. Going out of town nearly invariably means returning to a heaping workload, but tending what you can before leaving eases your transition. If possible, do so even further by padding your time off with a half-day upon your return to go through email and review what occurred in your absence.

Stay Safe in the Field

You’ve informed folks of your plans, but a handheld GPS goes even further in places like Rocky Mountain National Park, where phone service isn’t a guarantee. Satellite-based tech lets you call for rescue from anywhere, significantly increasing your peace of mind should something happen. Prevent accidents from happening in the first place by following the ACCT rules while on your extended hunting trip:

Always treat every gun as if it were loaded. Don’t rely on the safety.
Control the muzzle at all times, and never point it at anything you don’t intend to shoot.
Be certain of your target and know what surrounds it.
Don’t put your finger on the trigger guard until you’re ready to fire.

Preparing for an Extended Hunting Trip

A long stint in the wild is what many hunters dream about. Prepare for an extended hunting trip that relaxes and rejuvenates you, regardless of whether you bag the big one. Every excursion is a chance to grow your skills and create stories you’ll be proud to share around the fire.

Martin Banks

Martin Banks is the managing editor at Modded.com, where he writes about the outdoors, hunting, gear and more. Follow him on Twitter @TModded for frequent updates of his work.