I used to brag I could be ready to go hunting anywhere in North America for any critter in 20 minutes or less. Anywhere in the world in a half hour! My basement lair still has the framework to get it done … all the labeled, see-through plastic bins with covers; the huge locker with shelf space for all the ammo; the giant gun safe; and the peg board walls to hang paraphernalia where it’s always within reach.
Problem is, over the years, the gear has outgrown the organization. Seems like getting back into bowhunting increased the “stuff” by at least another 50 percent! It’s probably time to trim back, but who has the time (or desire) these days to go in and do the pruning? Besides, all that stuff might come in handy “next season.”
So my wife and I have negotiated a “staging area” upstairs in our home. It’s in a seldom used dining room. That’s where the gear pile for Mission: Dall’s Sheep expands a little more every day. Clothes, boots, ammo, optics, packs, gloves, sleeping bag, electronics accessories and more are all finding their way into the dining room.
This weekend, I’m going to sit back and look at what I’ve wrought. I need to do some serious pruning. A sheep hunter can not afford the attitude, “I might need that.” You can only take what you know you’ll need and figure out the rest if and when the situation arises.
I’ll grab the fish scale and the scale out of the bathroom and start weighing stuff. I want to keep my raw pack weight to 60 pounds including the rifle. It will be an interesting adventure to see what finally stays and what finally goes.
My own weight seems to have locked in for now at 205 pounds. An injury to my heel from a fall last December flared up, so I’ve cut back the running time and replaced it with biking and swimming. Seems to help the heel, but they don’t work as well for me taking the wait off. My wind is up though. I can go “all day” and my knees feel fine.
Shoot straight –
Bill Miller
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