I'v lay'd up shooting squirrels from a hammock before....that was only like 50yrds max, it seem to make for a brilliant hide thoughOriginally Posted by Acer
I'v lay'd up shooting squirrels from a hammock before....that was only like 50yrds max, it seem to make for a brilliant hide though
Never shot anything from a hammock but I do use it as my sleep shelter when backcountry hunting. I don't have any pics handy but it is my preferred sleep system when backpack hunting. The only places I wouldn't use it are above treeline and possibly on a desert hunt. I don't typically do hunts to those areas so it's never been a problem for me.
Never crossed my mind to hunt from it but then, I do all western spot & stalk w/ a bow. Some guys on a hunting forum thought a hammock for chasing elk in the Rockies was ludicrous. But to me, a shelter is about 3 things. Comfortable rest, protection from the elements and portability. I sleep better in a hammock. I am dry and toasty in a hammock. It can go up anywhere fairly quickly. I don't see why it would be deemed stupid...especially in areas where flat ground devoid of roots and rocks are in short supply.
This is one of the main reasons I got into hammocking. I love that I can pack it with me in a lightweight, modular system and set up anywhere with trees and sleep WAY better than on the ground. Ask me again this fall and hopefully I'll have pics and stories to share.
I switched to using a hammock last elk season. Weight is a little more than my floorless megatarp, but the comfort is much better. However, if it is cold or rainy, the megatarp gets used as I have a stove for that set up to dry things out and keep me warm.
I agree, to me it makes more sense to camp in a hammock for the style of hunting I like to do. A lot of guys use a bivy setup so it's portable and always with them. That way they can spend the night anywhere the hunt takes them. The hammock is the same thing, only infinitely more comfortable! I've seen some guys camped on some pretty nasty hillsides and they didn't get much sleep on the ground. With a hammock, camping on a hillside is my favorite place spend the night! I think it makes a lot of sense. I've only been doing it for the last couple of years as that's when I got into backpacking/hammocking but I don't plan on going back to the ground ever again!
Haven't done it yet but I am making plans for extending my stay on some public hunting areas where it will allow me to hunt some places farther from the road without having to walk in so far in the morning and be able to stay till dark in the evenings. Basically just use it as a spike camp just more comfy than a tent based spike camp.
Using my hammock rig next fall is definitely what I will be doing to get deeper into the Adirondacks where other humans haven't been in a while.. or never. Got to get away from the "flat lander's" who come up here in droves to hunt..
Ozi
Anyone else hunt with a hammock?
You bet! I do an annual Colorado DIY public land muzzleloader elk hunt. We place a big base camp at about 10.5k ft and spike camp out for 2-3 nights at a time. We'll go about 3-4 miles out and up to 12k. I spike camp with my dad who uses a tent, and it can be very difficult at higher elevations to find a flat spot for him, but never an issue for me. What's great about the hammock option is the reduced bulk compared to a tent, which makes the first meat load-out much easier. I made a ridgeline-hung sling for my gun, but everything else just gets stuffed into my pack at night.
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