Hunting in the wild

When you go to your chosen patch of dirt do you feel like you are in the wilderness? Does being outdoors give you the feeling of being in a place where you are the only person in existence?

I've been on a 10K acre piece of land by myself in a severe thunderstorm with no cell service and about 40 min from the closest small town. I got closer to God that night

I guess, the deepest wilderness I've had the pleasure of being in the middle of was a canoe trip in the Quetico Provencial Park in Ontario. We paddled around there out of Atikokan for about two weeks before we saw another person. We never even saw an airplane until we crossed over to the U.S. side into the Boundary Waters. There were fish that had never seen a boat or a lure.

No but a high altitude lighting storm will though.

About 30 years ago three of us spent a bit over a week out on a huge West Texas ranch. We had ample supplies, there were no facilities, and no cell phones then. We hunted any meat that we ate. About the only clue there were other humans was the occasional airplane trail in the sky.
When we returned to town it was actually quite strange being around other people, almost creepy. One guy even said "there are people here!"
We got really disconnected really quick. I would think being completely alone for that kind of experience would be interesting.

I've spent 4 days in the hills north of Leakey by myself. Never saw or heard any sign of human activity. No phone service. Don't think I'd do that today. Not alone.

FIFY LOL

I did that trip. Was one of the best trips I have taken. Saw more bears and moose than people.

Yep, because it's like 4 miles from the trailhead.....in a wilderness area. Well for archery elk at least.

Unfortunately I have never been in a place so vast by myself or with others that I felt that way (Does being outdoors give you the feeling of being in a place where you are the only person in existence?). I have been on big ranches in west Texas but there was a foreman house close and neighbors not that far away so I never felt like I was in deep chit, but then again I enjoy the wilderness.

Hunt the thickets in notheast and east Texas, dosen't matter how many acres you have, you feel alone very quick.

yep

You're right. Many times, sitting way up in a tree in the fall, and the leaves blowing around you feel that way. Most of the critters have no idea that you're there and the woods come alive. Awesome experience.

Or sitting in a tent on the continental divide for 2 days in a blizzard.

I used to camp a lot on my land alone when I'd hunt. There were several houses within a mile or so, but it was pretty thick woods in patches, so it felt like no one else was around. I was much more afraid of people walking up on me at night (poachers) than I ever was about animals. But I definitely felt very much alone. One night I had a coyote go off about 20 feet outside my tent. That'll wake you up in a hurry. He was going crazy until I unzipped my tent and shined my flashlight in his eyes. Got an instant "Oh god, it's a human" look on his face, tail tucked between his legs, ears flattened and he slunk down and crawled back towards the brush for a few seconds before breaking into an outright run.

A whole lotta stuff happens with those animals in the woods when people aren't around. That's part of the beauty of being out there when they don't know you're there.

I upgraded to the kifaru tut for that very reason. I don't really get the alone part but I get pretty damn stir crazy in a little UL tent. Ironically first time I used my tut I was in Idaho 9 miles back and got hit with an 19 hour storm and over a ft of snow. Fun times

Ive never been but my uncle told me the first time he went offshore out of site of any land or any landmark freaked him out. He said he was going from rig to rig and then finally got to where he couldn't see the last rig or the next anymore, the gps said it was there, but it was tuff to convince himself of it LOL.

Best week of my life when I was 15(almost 30 years ago) we had a real nice lease in San Saba county, my parents let me stay an entire week by myself (from Sunday afternoon to Friday night when they got back) No cell phone, no tv, had deer & quail meat, eggs, bacon, pancake stuff & beans to live on. Missed the biggest deer I have ever seen on the hoof that week too. I had my 3 wheeler for transportation and the landowner lived about a half mile from our cabin. Have not had the opportunity to be alone for that long since then but would in a heart beat. I plan to quail hunt alone a few times this season.

We were 38 miles from pavement in northern New Mexico. Luckily it was the first real snow of the season so we made it out in about a half day. I'm too old for that stuff now but it's a good memory.

Old is a mind set,

Been lost a few times and yes, I felt very alone Lol!

^^^^^ I hear you. My new motto is "I might give out but I'll never give up". LOL

I've hunted where the only folks in 10,000 square miles were other guides and hunters from the outfit. And none of them were anywhere near us.

Also felt the ground shake from lightning, experienced the overwhelming silence where a whisper seemed like yelling, seen animals I know hadn't seen a man, had grizzly a few steps away, worn myself out to the point I could hardly go, and much more. I have been blessed.

(Course, all of that may not really count since I was with a guide during some of those times.)

Love my east Texas place for all the reasons mentioned above too. There are woods - and there are places without real woods. There is a difference.

Several times. When on an elk hunt right after college in the Middle Fork of the Salmon River in Idaho on my own. Hiked in, set up camp and started hunting. Experienced an magnitude 7 earthquake. Saw elk but never got a shot at a legal animal.

In Wyoming. Though roads were all around, we had packed in about 4 miles from the end of the road. Nothing nearby. Got hit by a blizzard that dropped 18" of snow in one night. After that, everything was quiet and peaceful. Good time to thank the man above.

After one trip in New Mexico, we came back and everyone was talking about some little girl. We asked what they were talking about. Seemed some little girl fell down an abandoned oil well and got stuck. All sorts of national news was there with all of the volunteers working to get her out. The whole thing happened while we were out of touch with the rest of the world. That trip I could definitely relate to the earlier poster about feeling 'crowded' when we came back to town for the first time.

ship was anchored off the coast of Okinawa, fog so thick you couldn't see 20', I was coxswain of the motor whale boat heading for the landing, first time hit it dead on, the second, I felt I should have been close, the fog lifted, I was off course about a mile heading out to open sea, have thought about that a few times, wondering how that would have worked out, almost 60 yrs ago, didn't have the gadgets they have today.

I've been off -grid a few times, once hunting in SW Colorado and not a soul to be found for miles, but the most isolated I ever felt was hunting on a lease we had about halfway between Seymour and Benjamin, even though I knew there were houses scattered around. others on lease couldn't make it, so I spent 7 days alone hunting, with no cell service. I drove to town twice just to call home and report that I was alive. It was hugely fun to completely disconnect from all stresses, but also a bit unnerving to know if something went wrong, I would have only myself to blame, or get me out.

I would do it again tomorrow!

Yes. Many times.

Our camp is seven miles from the nearest paved road. No road noise, just planes. Cowboys house is just inside the gate so no noise from there.

I've been dropped at the top of Montana mountain ranges where I never saw a human the entire day. I enjoy the peace and feel these times are when I'm most connected to nature.

But, I wouldn't want it that way all the time. I really enjoy sharing the experience with friends and family.

It used to. Years ago, it was always so quiet except for the occasional train. If a car went down the FM road, you could hear it coming from a long way off, and you might only see 2-3 a day. Pulling out of the gate the other day, I had to wait for 4 cars. Feelsbadman.

baby Jessica (McClure) in Oct. 1987 ... we were driving to CO for the combination season while that was playing out on the radio ... she is the same age as my daughter who was about 1.5 years old ... we almost took a detour to try and go help. I remember that very well!

Been places it 2-3 days to get back into by horse and pack mules. Great trips and very peaceful. During my first trip in the mountains of Colorado, one of the members of our party told up to gather firewood and stack it beside out main tent. I looked at him like he was nuts. There's wood lying all around us, why pick it up and stack it I asked. He replied, when it snows tonight you will never find any. Woke up the next morning to two feet of snow on the ground....
Education is what you get from reading the fine print. Experience is what you get from not reading it.

My little title patch of dirt in east Texas is so thick that it seems remote even if it’s not really. Some of my favorite times are to go out there with my dog and not see any people for a couple of days. I can learn some things about nature, see some wildlife and plants, and feel like I’m alone in nature. I can pray and think and get some outdoor time.

Not so much hunting but lost in the dark on Caddo Lake. Finally found my compass and a chem light and made my way to the first boat road. So much for fishing till the last bit of light. Always carry spare flashlight and batteries now.

In the late 60's hunted the Valley of Fires State Park and Carizzo Peak by Carrizozo, NM. Could get isolated pretty quick and feel like no one in miles. Fond memories.

Luckily our lease camp is a mile from the nearest road that is only traveled on a few times a day. I always feel alone there when no one else is there which is often. But fresh donuts are only 20 minutes away!

Donuts are a necessity

Depends on the dose. Too much though, and your mellow will be instantly harshed by all the baby jesuse's that hide in the carppet and like to pop out when you least expect it. And once they start popping out of the inter-dimensional-portals, they wont leave until you play a game of Whacka-mole. My mom would get really pissed at the holes all over the walls, ceiling, floor, and furniture. But I'm not gonna burn in h3ll because I wouldn't play Whacka-Mole. No way.

It wasn't until I told my moom that NO ONE, tells baby Jesus no, that she left me alone.

I wasn't hunting but I felt that way once several years ago. I worked at a remote salmon hatchery in Southeast Alaska one summer in college that was off the road system. The only way in or out was by plane or boat. Well I'd worked nearly every day that I'd been there so on my last day my boss let me skip out and go fishing. He loaded a 4-wheeler into a skiff, drove it across the bay to the next mountain range, and turned me loose. This was early morning and he said he'd be back that evening to get me. He gave me a radio that he said might get reception at the top of a mountain and a .357 in case a bear got too close. I didn't even take lunch or water, I'd just drink right out of the stream. I spent all that day fly fishing for coastal cutthroat.

I'd spent the bulk of the summer around the same 14 people day-in and day-out, only two of which were women. The only wheeled vehicles I'd been in all summer were a skid-steer and a truck we used to move supplies from the dock up to the hatchery. We probably never topped 15 mph. When it came time to leave I flew from Ketchikan to Seattle to Dallas, then hopped in a car and headed south. Within 48 hours I'd gone from seeing the same dozen people and moving at a walk to driving 75 down I-45 and being surrounded by 40,000 fellow Aggies. It was certainly a strange feeling but it seemed right. Places like Alaska ought to have that mystique about them.

Not hunting, but more years ago than I care to admit (hint Bush Sr. was in the White House). I got a job riding fence for a large ranch between Marathon and Alpine. Just me, my dog, and horses with a million stars for a roof. Best 2 weeks of my life, up til then

I can go to our place in Runnels county at the cabin if I am on the north side at night not see a sign of any human habitation, no farm lights nothing but the sky. 10 steps to the east and I can see the lights of Rowena and Ballinger, 10 steps to the west, and I see the lights of Miles and sometimes the glow of San Angelo. Poor cell service so no phone calls, but I can go inside and have 3 TV stations and most of the comforts of home.

When I was a kid, my cousin, Papaw, and I used to spend 10 days down on the Rio for mule deer season. Desolate and 9 miles south of 90 to camp. We couldn't even get a radio station. It was a giant ranch and felt like we were the only people in the world down there. Good times and great deer for sure. We had to haul in everything we needed and ate mostly what we killed and slept in a canvas tent. Those days are some of the best hunting memories I have. The best thing about those trips was my Papaw treated us like men and we took care of ourselves and did what we wanted to.

My father would leave me and my brothers on a ranch that was 11 miles from town and 9 miles from the nearest neighbor. We weren't quite teenagers yet but he would leave us for about 3 or 4 days hunting and fishing. If the weather was bad we would hunker down in the barn if it was nice we'd pitch the army surplus pup tents by the pond. I would carry one side of the tent and a .22, my brother after me would carry the other and the next brother would carry the bed roll. The youngest would carry the cane poles. We would carry that stuff a mile from the gate and set up. My dad would come check on us the next day. The days with no cell phones were rough. Ever drink from a cattle trough and not get sick?

We've camped up in Alpine country just above the tree line. The camp was visited by fox that were not used to people. By the time we left they were like dogs. They would even sleep in our camp at night. We would feed them our dinner every night. Amazing how many shooting stars we saw up there.

Talk about close to god. Many nights I woke up to voices. It was weird but cool. I actually didn't shoot an elk even though I could of a few times. I ate my tag but came home so happy and humble. I wish I could do that again some time.