Camping depends on your hunting with your own hands. A roadside setup with a camping trailer and/or a spacious tent (pictured) is ideal, but remote adventures require a small camping tent and other spartan gear.
By the time I spotted the deer, half a day had passed. He is alone – a rarity for summer Sitka black-tailed males. Mostly hang from two to six bachelors.
Great, I thought as I adjusted the large velvet-rimmed 3×3 through the tourist’s scope. His horns are symmetrical and unusually large, except for the forked tip of his left eyebrow.
I drank another $17 that morning, including a pair of 3x3s with brow attachments. The customer was a little bigger and had an advantage, there were no other deer nearby. Excellent tracking capability.
I hurried down the mountain, forded the stream and crawled along the opposite slope. At a distance of 200 yards, I dropped my backpack and walked forward through the damp grass and earth. As usual, it rained on Kodiak in the morning. Slippery walk with little noise to scare the male.
Deer are covered with low bushes along the hollow. I relaxed, pressed my lips together, found the tip of the thick horns dead ahead, and raised the binoculars for a quick count—32 yards. I hobbled forward two yards or so, got up and waited. The deer will have to get up sooner or later.
Luckily for me, the male began to turn his head within five minutes, a sign that he was restlessly getting up to eat. I drew my bow as his hips rose. Its front end was above the bush and I dropped the bowstring. The Easton barrel and wide G5 pierced Bucks’ chest with a liquid slap. My big deer!
Small animals like my 2021 106-inch Sitka deer can often be hunted without a guide, but only if you learn local regulations. For example, non-resident do-it-yourselfers can hunt species such as deer, elk, caribou, black bears, and Alaskan moose. The benefits are limited cost and complete freedom to hunt on your terms and on your own schedule. The downside is planning your own meals, camping logistics, transporting and rescuing meat.
Some of my best friends are hunting outfitters and guides. I do not hesitate to contact these professionals when required by law. But when it’s legally possible, I’ve found that archery on my own has a special magic. If you’re an experienced and confident archer, the freedom, privacy, open time frame, and cost savings can be attractive. Even if you feel inexperienced, there is no better way to learn than to hunt yourself.
When I returned to camp after 5 miles deboning my big Sitka, I experienced a reality check that every homemade archer can understand. No one but me can handle and process 65 pounds of meat and horns. Back at my tent, no one but me could pack and dip my deer into the lake without the brown bear showing up and ruining my day. No one but me prepares a late dinner before getting into the bag. These efforts and logistics are handled by other guided hunters, so if you prefer to be catered for, homemade bowhunters are not for you.
After 11pm, I finally dropped my heavy backpack next to the tent. The twilight of summer in Alaska is rapidly deepening, but I feel great. Another hour of butchery and camping and I can play the delicious tapes of the day horizontally in my head. If I roast the stalk, no one can blame me but me. Nobody congratulated me, only I did it. Just the way I like it.
In many parts of our continent you can do archery on your own. As a rule, non-residents of Canada need a hunting guide. Also, some places, like my home state of Wyoming, have weird rules, like the rule that non-residents can’t hunt in certain areas on US Forest Service land. If you cannot obtain a free or paid bow hunting permit, large private property is prohibited due to landowner preference or lease agreements with outdoor vendors. But, despite these restrictions, there are still plenty of places where you can hunt yourself.
Some archers I know openly scoff at the idea of paying for access to private land with their own hands, but everyone has to make their own decisions. I can pay to enter private property with elk, deer or antelope if it’s not too expensive. There are usually fewer competitive hunters and more mature animals than nearby heavily hunted public lands. More elbow room may be worth the access fee.
Camping needs can vary greatly, depending on where you intend to do your DIY. I usually go to public and accessible private hunting grounds in the west, camp in my vintage 17ft Airstream trailer when the road permits, or pitch my tent when I can’t pull a trailer.
For fly hunting in Alaska, standard camping equipment is best. All-weather yurts, simple cooking equipment, tarps, quality sleeping bags and backpack pillows, and similar equipment are required. To save on excess baggage fees, I usually buy food, camping stoves, propane tanks, and other heavy equipment after arriving in cities like Kodiak. In the context of inflation in the US and rising prices for air tickets, it is worth carefully calculating everything, and then choosing the most appropriate route.
Rescuing meat can be a major hurdle for solo adventures. For bow hunters like my 2021 Kodiak tour, you need to be in good shape to cut and take out the meat quickly. The desire to spend anywhere is a serious hunting violation and a shame in any case. While it is possible to hunt moose on your own in Alaska, doing so is largely foolish. An adult male moose can produce about 600 pounds of edible meat – deboning is a difficult task, and even transporting short distances is a frightening nightmare. If you don’t act fast and have a few buddies to help, a dangerous bear is sure to show up and ruin your day.
After the meat is removed, arrangements must be made to transport it back to cold storage. In Kodiak, I immediately called the air taxi service to arrange delivery and cold storage around the city. Be sure to plan your meat care in advance to avoid legal and ethical issues later.
In 2021, I hunted Alaskan deer alone because none of my shooter buddies could break free. But I usually go on these trips with one or two good friends. The camaraderie is special, it’s safer in a remote country, someone helps pack the meat, and you can share big expenses, like air taxi services.
You can follow Chuck at Chuck Adams Archery on Instagram and Facebook. Visit Chuck’s website: chuckadamsarchery.com.
Finding land to hunt on your own: Research is the key to finding places where you can hunt on your own. In our digital age, this has never been easier. Online maps, state-specific Garmin HuntView SD cards, onX and HuntStand smartphone apps, and other state-of-the-art tools show you exactly where the lines are and who controls the land. These benefits are available online and through outlets such as Cabela’s.
You can also contact hunting agents, taxidermists, and hunting department representatives for information on private “block management” areas open to the public, private estates that charge fees to visit hunts, and other DIY opportunities.
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Post time: Oct-20-2022