Western Hunting Basics For The Midwestern Hunter

Marked by rough, uninhabited terrain, the lure of vast lands occupied by wild animals fuels hunters across the United States to pack up and head to the backcountry.

As a team of Western and Eastern hunters ourselves – from packing and planning to mapping, navigating, and glassing public land – we can help you tip the odds of a successful big game hunt in your favor. And though the Eastern experience of hunting whitetail deer from a treestand is much different than that of the Western plains and mountains, your unique skill set as an Eastern whitetail hunter compliments both the knowledge base and hit rate necessary of a Western hunter.

In other words, you don't need to be a mountain athlete who can shoot the tip-off of a crayon from 100 yards to be a big game boss.

Research and Prepare

Any sportsman worth their salt knows that learning how to be a successful hunter is a lifelong pursuit of learning and experience. Yet, with today's suite of available tools and technology, a lack of knowledge should never again prevent you from being fully prepped and ready before going on any hunt from East to West.

For instance, as an Eastern hunter, you are likely limited to a specific area you have permission to utilize or lease, and public lots are much smaller.

What you might not know is that in Western states such as Montana, Idaho, or Colorado, massive expanses of public land house species are not found anywhere else in the country. Over 70 percent of the land owned by the United States Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management in the continental U.S. is found in the West. 60 to 80 percent of some Western states are federally owned.

This type of research and preparation can make a Western hunting adventure a less daunting task.

Don't Hope for Success – Plan On It

Advanced mapping overlays, species-specific hunting predictions, and detailed public and private land boundaries – all at your fingertips through apps like HuntWise – give you revolutionary new ways to scout and plan that weren't available to hunters even ten years ago. HuntWise helps hunters prepare for and progress through successful hunts in unknown territories.

Before embarking on a backcountry big game hunt, using a toolset like HuntWise to e-scout or digital-scout enables you to not only find and view, layer by layer, the land you are about to hunt, but it also allows you to harness industry-leading data to pinpoint the best times and optimal conditions to hunt the most sought after species.

Scouting for big game like elk or moose has never been easier than with HuntWise.

8 Backcountry Backpacking Essentials

It can be overwhelming when it comes to selecting the right gear. A general rule of thumb is higher-quality gear makes your experience more enjoyable, allows you to stay out longer, and frees you up to concentrate on what's important – your target – instead of the weather.

Boots, your pack, good glass, and a quality layering system are among the most important pieces of gear you should invest in.

For a Western hunt, gear weight is the most important factor to consider. Hiking deep into the backcountry with everything you need on your back provides a freedom and solitude that cannot be topped – as long as your pack is bearable.

Here are your eight backpacking essentials for a successful western hunt:
 

1. Backpacking tent
2. Sleeping bag
3. Sleeping pad
4. Backpacking stove
5. Lightweight pot
6. High-quality knife
7. Water purification system
8. Food

Once you have successfully filled a tag out West, there is a lot of work to do. Whether you debone or quarter your meat for transport, a high-quality knife is a necessity.

Western Hunting Gear Specifics

Western hunting gear, although similar to Eastern hunting, requires a few specialty items not needed on a whitetail hunt.

Whether hunting from a truck or a spike camp, a high-quality backpack is an absolute necessity. Accordingly, optics best suited for Western hunting vary slightly from those of a treestand hunter.

Since Western hunters need to glass further and cover a larger territory, bigger magnification is necessary. Therefore, a quality spotting scope is beneficial. Also, a quality pair of 10x binoculars and a sturdy tripod could do the trick.

Don't Forget the GPS

Another key piece of gear for hunters is a GPS. A simpler, cheaper, lighter alternative to carrying a GPS receiver is to have the HuntWise App on your smartphone.

With the app's offline maps, you'll have the ability to access your location, save markers, and use all Layers and Tools even if you don't have cellular service.

HuntWise allows you to access your location, save markers, and use all mapping layers even if you don't have cellular service.

Train For The Terrain

Climbing over and under trees, up and down muddy slopes, and through scree fields where animals make the only trails is taxing, to say the least. Going one mile in the woods out West at elevation is harder than any 5-mile trail hike in more forgiving environments.

There's no doubt that hunting elk in the Rocky Mountain West is a physical activity. If you don't live in a state like Colorado, where the average elevation is 6,800 feet above sea level, then you are already going into the season at a disadvantage.

When heading West, the only way to prepare for new terrain and high elevations is to be in the best shape possible before you start your hunt. Your body is most likelyn't used to carrying heavy loads in a backpack. Also, if you don't live out West, your lungs won't be acclimated to hiking at elevation.

To have an enjoyable trip, you must do everything possible to be prepared physically. The more in shape you are, the more likely you'll be able to stay on the mountain longer. The best way to get better at hiking is to hike.

Use the Stairs

One of the best things you can do is hike hills or stairs with a weighted pack. However, don't go overboard and cause injury by filling your pack too heavy.

Use 35 pounds or so to start, and do that regularly.

In the gym, get your lungs and legs into shape. The Stairmaster is an excellent training tool. Do a lot of weighted step-ups, lunges, and squats.

Anything that can prepare you for climbing up and down steep terrain with weight in your pack is good exercise.

Then, once you arrive out West, a good plan of action is to sleep at elevation your first night after two days of heavy hydration. Make sure you are drinking plenty of water and stocking up on electrolytes. This will help prevent altitude sickness.

A Prepared Hunt = A Successful Hunt

From flat coastal plains to rolling plains and from hilly lowlands to mountains, the rugged terrain of the American West is beckoning Eastern hunters to take their best shot at the bull elk, mule deer, antelope, and moose that roam free. With the right gear, due diligence in e-scouting, physical preparation, and a robust app like HuntWise that features GPS navigation, advanced mapping overlays, hunting predictions, weather forecasting, and much, much more – you will drastically increase your chances of filling your tag on a Western hunt.

If you're planning a Western hunting experience this season, now is the time to download HuntWise and explore every feature - free – for your first week.

Content reviewed and updated July 16, 2024.