The Bugler’s Elk Hunting Bag Dump


With September’s bugling bulls just days away the panic pack has begun! You know what I’m talking about. You pace throughout the house talking to yourself, stuffing anything and everything into your tote or pack that you think you may even remotely need during the hunt away from home. I take a few minutes and write everything down. This is my backpack list for whether I’m day-tripping it, or bivy hunting with my pack on my back all day while wandering around trying to find an ornery old bull who wants to bugle back. I’ve found that I use very little of the gear that I carried in the past, so I have trimmed the list down to the essentials.

The Bugler's Elk Hunting Bag Dump

Day Pack: Full day trips

Kifaru Stryker backpack
  • Kill Kit
    – Bugler Blade (Standard)
    – Worksharp “pocket knife sharpener”
    – 50’ paracord
    – Blackovis Meat sacks
    Includes: 5 meat bags, plastic drop cloth, 2 pairs of nitrile gloves, a roll of
    orange ribbon
  • 3 extra Phelps Maverick elk diaphragms
  • Anker battery charging pack
  • LED Headlamp (Lithium batteries)
    – Extra Lithium batteries
  • Small LED handheld flashlight
  • Matches
  • Trioxane fire starter bars
  • Firstaid kit
    – Super Glue (for cuts)
    – Benadryl
    – Ibuprofen
    – Band-Aids
    – Leukotape (for blisters and taping bandages)
  • Steripen water purifier
  • Sissy Stix brand trekking poles
    – Use code THEBUGLER to save 15% off at checkout
  • Firstlite Raincoat: Stormlight Ultralight rain jacket
  • Firstlite Puffy jacket: Uncompahgre 2.0
  • InReach Mini
    Food
  • Breakfast and dinner at camp
  • Lunch
    – 2 Bagel/meat sandwich: one for lunch, one for the evening.
    – Protein bar
    – Jerky & pepperoni sticks
    – Wasabi Almonds
    – Dried Mixed fruit (mango, blueberries, strawberries)
  • Water: 3-liter Camelback reservoir
  • Pistol & Bear spray in grizzly country
    – Springfield Armory .40 S&W super compact
The Bugler's Elk Hunting Bag Dump
The Bugler's Elk Hunting Bag Dump

Bivy Pack: 4 days, 3 nights

Kifaru 44MAG backpack
  • Sleep System
  • Kifaru Supertarp shelter
  • Stoneglacier 0degree Chilkoot sleeping bag
  • Big Agnes Q-Core SLX insulated sleeping pad
  • Klymit Luxe inflatable pillow
  • Kill Kit
    – Bugler Blade (Standard)
    – Worksharp “pocket knife sharpener”
    – 50’ paracord
    – Blackovis Meat sacks
    Includes: 5 meat bags, plastic drop cloth, 2 pairs of nitrile gloves, a roll of
    orange ribbon
  • 3 extra Phelps Maverick elk diaphragms
  • Anker battery charging pack
  • 1 pair extra Firstlite merino socks
  • 1 pair extra Firstlite merino underwear
  • LED Headlamp (Lithium batteries)
    – Extra Lithium batteries
  • Small LED handheld flashlight
  • Matches
  • Trioxane fire starter bars
  • Firstaid kit
    – Super Glue (for cuts)
    – Benadryl
    – Ibuprofen
    – Band-Aids
    – Leukotape (for blisters and taping bandages)
  • Steripen water purifier
  • Sissy Stix brand trekking poles
    – Use code THEBUGLER to save 15% off at checkout
  • Firstlite Raincoat: Stormlight Ultralight rain jacket
  • Firstlite Puffy jacket: Brooks Down Puffy Sweater
  • InReach Mini
    Food
  • Breakfast x 4 days
    – Oatmeal
    – Bagel
    – MTN OPS energy drink
    One packet Yeti, One packet Enduro
    One packet Emergen-C
  • Lunch x 4 days
    – Protein bar
    – Jerky & pepperoni sticks
    – Wasabi Almonds
    – Dried Mixed fruit (mango, blueberries, strawberries)
  • Dinner x 3 days
    – Stowaway Gourmet, Freeze-dried entrée’
  • Water: 3-liter Camelback reservoir
    – Nalgene bottle to collect water for purification and storage.
  • Pistol & Bear spray in grizzly country
    – Springfield Armory .40 S&W super compact
The Bugler's Elk Hunting Bag Dump

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About the author: Dirk Durham was raised in a small town Idaho town and was lucky enough to chase elk only minutes from his home. Bugling bulls in September became his passion at the young age of 15 and has continued for the last 30 years. He enjoys picking fights with ornery bulls each fall and sharing what he’s learned with others. Dirk has elk hunted in front of the camera many times over the years including YouTube hit series- Land Of The Free (Born And Raised Outdoors) Destination Elk, and other ELK101 films (ELK101) and The Linguists (Sitka Gear film). Dirk owns and operates THEBUGLER Brand website (www.thebuglerbrand.com) and is the sales and marketing Manager for Phelps Game Calls. You can follow him on: YouTube- https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCe-sek31OKJRevdfitScTKQ?view_as=subscriber Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/thebuglerbrand/?modal=admin_todo_tour Instagram- https://www.instagram.com/thebugler/

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  • Greg September 1, 2020, 2:35 pm

    Coffee for gawd’sake, man!! no stove, fuel or pot for boiling water at least for your oatmeal? You must be on a diet, LOL! Just giving ya a hard time ‘cuz I WISH I could pare my load down that much!

  • Larry towns September 1, 2020, 2:44 am

    Sig is really super

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