Opinions Wanted

[AZDirtyTaco]

Hey Gents -

I'm looking for your opinions regarding a backpack hunt I'll be heading out on tomorrow morning. I have OTC archery deer and bear tags in my pocket and am heading to an area that I feel good about my opportunity of tagging out on either. The kicker is that I don't feel confident that I will be able to get within an arrows range of a bear and would need to take a rifle to realistically have a chance.

 

I have loaded both bow and rifle on my pack and am having last minute thoughts on whether or not I'm out of my mind. The trek in will be a moderately difficult one for me and I'm good with the added weight of the rifle (13pnds), but I am wondering if I'm being a little to eager here. Thoughts?

[oz31p]

I would not backpack with a both. Make a choice....is this a bow hunt or a rifle hunt?

[Jazz]

A ton of units are closed for bear- are you sure your unit of choice is open?

 

There's always a big pistol option and a bow?

[300RUM]

I have stalked a bear and put an arrow through it. If you can get close enough to a deer to take it with a bow why can't you get close enough to a bear?

[elkaholic]

younger days numerous hunts carring bow/ gun - just in case that super trophy buck wasn't allowing a bow kill-- usually makes for easy gun kill.

 

take Both !

 

I had one hunt where I was VERY GLAD I carried that RIFLE!

[Delw]

I have carried my ar and bow at the same time while archery deer hunting. only way I will go now in most places if I am hiking in and camping from the pack the night. but walking around glassing and deer hunting in units 31 32 and 33 I always carry my ar and bow while hunting.

other thing is you might want to look into a 44 or 41 cal revolver.

I have a scoped savage striker .243 bolt action pistol like he one in this pic. Tried to carry that many times in and out of the pack with the bow its just to cumbersome and easier to carry my shorty ar on a sling

[AZDirtyTaco]

A ton of units are closed for bear- are you sure your unit of choice is open?

 

There's always a big pistol option and a bow?

Good call, and yes, the unit is still open. I figure my best chance will be a cross canyon shot and it is a smallerish sized canyon. Best guess at range will be 200-400yrds and I'm just not confident enough that I'll be able to put the stalk on a bear in that terrain, because it is steep stuff.

 

I don't have the big pistol for that job in the tool box just yet. It is moving up the list though!

[AZDirtyTaco]

I have carried my ar and bow at the same time while archery deer hunting. only way I will go now in most places if I am hiking in and camping from the pack the night. but walking around glassing and deer hunting in units 31 32 and 33 I always carry my ar and bow while hunting.

other thing is you might want to look into a 44 or 41 cal revolver.

I have a scoped savage striker .243 bolt action pistol like he one in this pic. Tried to carry that many times in and out of the pack with the bow its just to cumbersome and easier to carry my shorty ar on a sling

That's a nice piece! While it certainly would be nice to shed that 13 pounds, it's not necessarily the driver for my second guessing the plan. I'll actually be humping my lightest pack of this season. This hunt will be a little more on the casual side since I'll be bringing my 9yr old son in with me. He's turning into a great little glasser, but I'm not putting a ton of weight on pushing long hard days like I normally would if I were on my own. So my plan and thinking has been to spend some time doing a little still hunting for deer and then also some time sitting a few familiar spots to glass for bear.

[MULEPACKHUNTER]

Take both, make it the hunt you want.

[AZDirtyTaco]

I have stalked a bear and put an arrow through it. If you can get close enough to a deer to take it with a bow why can't you get close enough to a bear?

Mostly just inexperience honestly. This will be my 1st real (if only half) effort to fill a bear tag. I've done well in these first 2 season of archery getting good and close to a bunch of animals, but never yet a bear....

[MULEPACKHUNTER]

Legally though you might get flack for the combo

[Delw]

Legally though you might get flack for the combo

in the 30+ years I been bow hunting this state I have never had a game warden say a word about it. been checked a few times, both driving and walking down the road back to the truck.

with a 22 mag(pistols and rifles) that I used to use for yotes and fox's I was told thats not a good idea while bow hunting.

 

 

Now with all hill monkeys and drug runners, meth labs and just weird people out in the woods and desert I carry something with maximum capacity and range while bow hunting for 2 reasons I go out alone or with my Daughter.

[Delw]

 

I have carried my ar and bow at the same time while archery deer hunting. only way I will go now in most places if I am hiking in and camping from the pack the night. but walking around glassing and deer hunting in units 31 32 and 33 I always carry my ar and bow while hunting.

other thing is you might want to look into a 44 or 41 cal revolver.

I have a scoped savage striker .243 bolt action pistol like he one in this pic. Tried to carry that many times in and out of the pack with the bow its just to cumbersome and easier to carry my shorty ar on a sling

That's a nice piece! While it certainly would be nice to shed that 13 pounds, it's not necessarily the driver for my second guessing the plan. I'll actually be humping my lightest pack of this season. This hunt will be a little more on the casual side since I'll be bringing my 9yr old son in with me. He's turning into a great little glasser, but I'm not putting a ton of weight on pushing long hard days like I normally would if I were on my own. So my plan and thinking has been to spend some time doing a little still hunting for deer and then also some time sitting a few familiar spots to glass for bear..

 

 

thats cool your kid will have a blast, if you got a .223 take it and try to call in yotes and vamits also, your kid will love it breaking up the hunt like that.

[AZDirtyTaco]

I just needed that little extra push to make a decision. THANK YOU to each of you that took the time to reply!!! I owe several of you a huge show of appreciation for consistently sharing your hard earned knowledge with anyone searching. I've only been a member on here since last year, but have been lurking a couple of more, and since I first started this journey of hunting. I have a great deal of respect for each of you and treat your opinions like gold. I didn't grow up hunting and would not have advanced the hard learning curve to the point I have without the generosity of others sharing their knowledge. The learning never stops and I truly appreciate you all.

 

 

 

[AZDirtyTaco]

 

 

I have carried my ar and bow at the same time while archery deer hunting. only way I will go now in most places if I am hiking in and camping from the pack the night. but walking around glassing and deer hunting in units 31 32 and 33 I always carry my ar and bow while hunting.

other thing is you might want to look into a 44 or 41 cal revolver.

I have a scoped savage striker .243 bolt action pistol like he one in this pic. Tried to carry that many times in and out of the pack with the bow its just to cumbersome and easier to carry my shorty ar on a sling

That's a nice piece! While it certainly would be nice to shed that 13 pounds, it's not necessarily the driver for my second guessing the plan. I'll actually be humping my lightest pack of this season. This hunt will be a little more on the casual side since I'll be bringing my 9yr old son in with me. He's turning into a great little glasser, but I'm not putting a ton of weight on pushing long hard days like I normally would if I were on my own. So my plan and thinking has been to spend some time doing a little still hunting for deer and then also some time sitting a few familiar spots to glass for bear..

 

 

thats cool your kid will have a blast, if you got a .223 take it and try to call in yotes and vamits also, your kid will love it breaking up the hunt like that.

 

Thanks man! He's grown up a backpacker and is stoked that we will be hunting on top of it. We've always brought along a .22 over the years for small game. Heck... I started him off carrying a nerf gun in his pack when he was 3. It's just been these past 3 going on 4 years that we've been after anything more than rabbit, squirrel, etc...