Dump your pack?

[El Jason]

I've noticed in few recent threads folks are talking about dumping their packs when closing out a stalk. Personally, I never drop mine. I've actually found a pack to be invaluable for shooting. Three of the my last four animals have all been shot from a sitting position, leaning over the pack itself. The distances have been 300, 140, and 400 yards. Each time, the slope of the hill prevented a prone shot.

I missed an opportunity at a really nice mountain whitetail buck several years ago because I was f*&^ing around with a bipod. Had I simply used my pack from a sitting position, I have little doubt the hunt would have turned out quite differently. So, what say you?

 

[Hilljackoutlaw]

Archery i dump it when closing. Rifle i never dump it.

 

[DouglasR]

it’s definitely easier for me to sneak around without my pack but I don’t like to take it off because it’s so easy to get tunnel vision pursuing whatever you’re after and end up leaving it far enough behind that it becomes a hassle to go retrieve.

 

[RobG]

When I need to belly crawl, but only when it will be VERY easy to find it. The only thing that could be worse than losing your pack would be to also lose your shoes because you wanted to be extra sneaky!

 

[Irrelevant]

I've dumped it for a stalk, under the "tallest tree around", got close, shot, missed, then realized I was in a forest of "tallest trees"

I've also blown a ton of stalks archery getting seen, which I always blame on the pack, I mean it basically doubles my girl-ish figure.

 

[MTLabrador]

The last time I dumped my pack to sneak in on an elk I ended up spending almost two hours looking for it in the dark. Never again.

 

[Deleted member 18333]

Only when taking a dump. Even that can turn out to be a bad idea as I once crapped on a few stray straps in a full on blizzard. Nothing a good camp fire couldn't fix though.

 

[El Jason]

When I need to belly crawl, but only when it will be VERY easy to find it. The only thing that could be worse than losing your pack would be to also lose your shoes because you wanted to be extra sneaky!

I've had to hunt for my boots before. It kinda sucks.

 

[Deleted member 16014]

Almost never drop it, but on occasion. The only guarantee is that whichever I've chosen, I end up wishing I'd done the other.

 

[El Jason]

Only when taking a dump. Even that can turn out to be a bad idea as I once crapped on a few stray straps in a full on blizzard. Nothing a good camp fire couldn't fix though.

I had a miserable and messy experience with my archery release one day. it now come off with the pack during a dump.

 

[belshawelk]

I Have a KUIU pack. I am one of those that carries way more than most as I don't mind the extra little but of weight. While I do prefer to have my pack to use for shooting if need be, I now carry the KUIU smaller pack inside my big one. I have taken my big one off when I am going scouting up a couple steep canyons hills, knowing I am coming back down.

 

[VAspeedgoat]

Dropped it about 10 years ago trying to run and cut off a buck chasing a doe during muzzleloader season. Got there, rushed the shot while breathing hard and missed. The buck stood perfectly still long enough for me to walk back and get my pack and think about reloading.......never dumped my pack since.

 

[rtraverdavis]

I had a miserable and messy experience with my archery release one day. it now come off with the pack during a dump.

We had some big wind on the last day of my recent Wyoming hunt. I was watching some deer on the ridge in front of me, and had to pee. The only place I could go and not be seen was about 12 feet over on the ridge where I was sitting, and upwind. I started peeing, and look back, and was just full-on spraying my pack. Too bad I didn’t have that Tropicana bottle...

 

[kwyeewyk]

I prefer to keep mine with me if possible, but I usually take it off to shoot if I can. My last elk hunt I dropped it thinking I was about to shoot, but ended up needing to move to get the shot. Normally I mark it with GPS if I drop it, but of course in the heat of the moment I forgot. As I was making the final stalk I realized I forgot to mark it and hoped I didn't end up needing to go far, luckily I didn't and it was easy to find.

 

[MTelkHuntress]

I drop my pack a lot during archery and I have a small little bag to take water, knife, and toilet paper (never forget the tp) just in case.
During rifle I'll rarely drop my pack unless I'm checking out a close area and will be coming back the way I walk in.
I did leave my pack once to go chase elk during rifle and walked way further than I thought we would, no water and no flashlight...stupid ideas.

 

[1_pointer]

I've only done it once on a elk, but other than that I just keep everything with me.

 

[Bob-WY]

I never drop it, the final step of a stalk often takes a LONG distance

I do, especially rifle, take it off and carry it, as my preferred shooting it prone over the pack

 

[RobG]

Yeah, um, I don't take it off for #1 breaks, but after 20 years of pissing all over then tag ends of my waist belt maybe I should.

 

[brownbear932008]

I almost learned the hard way in the breaks years ago not to dump it. It took an hour to find it in a sage flat after I stalked a buck only to pass it.

 

[Carl 9.3x62]

I normally dump it closing in on stalks, and I normally have to look around a bit to find it. Maybe I will learn one of these days.