Preparing for a 2-3 day camping/hunting trip.

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I work for a seasonal road construction company and get laid off in the winters. My current residence of Central New York is in the middle of muzzleloader season, and, since I don't have much else to do, I am spending most of my time hunting. I am feeling a bit adventurous and have been putting some thought into setting out into some deep woods to camp/hunt for 2-3 days. Besides the obvious (food, water, shelter, fire starters, compass) what are some things I should bring along with me? This would be my first time doing something like this so I want to make sure i'm not missing anything.

[Doc]

This is exactly what a buddy of mine from highschool an I did on my very first deer hunt. It was great fun. We didn't even have a tent, and built a very tight small structure from saplings, and pine boughs. It was pretty primitive. We even dined on a squirrel cooked on a spit over the fire. It had the consistancy of shoe leather..... lol. We weren't all that far in (up the hill behind the house), so we weren't too strapped as to what we could take. Your proposed adventure sounds like it will take a lot more planning....lol.

If it were me, one item I would take along would be some kind of communication device (cell-phone?) so that if an emergency were to come up you might have a chance of getting some help. I think it might be a good idea to check on-line for back-packing tips and techniques. You know...... some clues about weight and bulk concerns so you don't start dragging everything from home along with you. Might not be a bad idea to keep in mind that anything that you get will have to be packed back out along with whatever you take in.

What you didn't say was how far you intend to go and what the terrain might be like. That makes a huge difference as to what you lug along.

[Daveboone]

Which ML season are you referring? Northern Tier, which is in October or Southern Tier, which is in December? By deep woods, are you thinking ADKs or southern tier state forest?

Although it is possible to run into similar weather either place, the potential for trouble is greater in northern NY with its much more secluded areas and increased likelihood of unseasonable cold and snowy weather.

I take it you are planning ahead for next year, as this year only has a couple days left. Regardless, basics II would be very confident in: Compass use (GPS is designed to be an augment to map and compass, not a replacement...as you quickly learn with dead batteries or thick overhead conditions that render them useless). Excelllent appropriate footgear becomes more important than when you are only out for a day or two. Totally avoid any cotton clothing: it absorbs moisture insteads of disperssing it, which will chill you. Learn to depend on the basics, and leave the toys at home.

Make darn sure someone knows wherre you are going. Do not depend on cell phones for an emergency. Even the best reception companies are poor in most parts of the ADKs, Tug Hill, and rural hilly areas. Do not plan on having a fire for warmth or cooking. First, you dont want a fire in an area you are hunting. You dont want to spend time gathering the wood and tending a fire, and weather conditions may not allow you to even have one. A quality single burner stove is very compact, will heat your meal quickly , and can be safely used under a tarp (NEVER in a tent)....by the way...allways be sure you have an area for a tarp to cook under, keep gear in, stretch out under when it rains, etc.).