Overnight hunting ventures

U

Upland at 'em

New member
I'm thinking about taking a couple/few days to work West from Central Kansas to explore some WIHA. I figured I could pull out the back seats in my Suburban and put in an inflatable mattress. That and a sleeping bag out to do the trick...I still should have room for my dog's bed in the middle part of the truck.

My question is, are there restrictions from just pulling over on some country road for the evening? Is it legal to sleep overnight just off the road adjacent to a WIHA area?

Anyone here have any experience doing this and/or advice?

I just figure that if I can feel assured of having a spot to crash that I will be able to venture into some new WIHA areas heading West.
 
only a pointer said:
man dude you are tough! Do you leave the truck running for heat or what?if i couldnt do a hotel or bed hell with it
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"Tough" would be facing the wife to tell her I spent the cash for hotel for a couple of nights! Aside from the cold, I figure I'm taking the easy way out.

I have to check to see what temperature my bag is rated for, first....I can't remember. But if it's a warm bag I figure it won't be that bad.

I just want to make sure I'm not breaking any laws with the idea, but I can't seem to find anything that shows I would be....
 
At least you won't be sweaty in the sleeping bag cause it is going to be plenty drafty out there my friend. I think I would take a cheap motel and face what wrath may come later on. You already have some bucks invested in gas and food.
 
I camp for elk, but never have for pheasants.
 
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I've done the same fly fishing in CO. However, I don't recommend an air mattress as the air temp in the mattress will be close to the same as the air temp in the vehicle. Silk underwear from wintersilks.com and a piece of heavy foam with a goose down comforter above and under me...then snuggle in with the pooch and all was well. I would still spring for the motel!
 
Camping on a pheasant hunt sounds "All-Good" in early season or during a mid-winter relative warm spell...but in the kind of long-lasting deep-freeze that currently grips the entire midsection of the country??? Have fun (Brrrhh) - better you than me! Sounds like the stuff not-too-good "memories" are made of to me!!! :eek:
 
I have done what your suggesting...

and it wasn't very much fun. Besides folks driving by you and making sure you are still alive I doubt you will get in much trouble. I generally choose the front seat with a heavy blanket and my boots still on. I try and set the alarm for every 90 minutes to wake up and run the heat a bit.

The temps out there right now would convince me to spring for the hotel and pay the hell at home.
 
Go for it. I did much the same thing for many years in my old 4 runner. Running the engine for heat can be a bit risky. A small propane heater was a better deal for me. just be sure to keep a window cracked a bit for fresh air.
 
Camping is one of the prohibited activities under #3 in the inside cover of your WIHA Atlas. I have two recommendations. You are going to need a real mattress to insulate youself from the cold vehicle to start. Second, I would just go to the nearest town and sleep in the vehicle within walking distance of the all night quick shop. Toilet, coffee, food etc in case the teens run you out in the middle of the night.
 
I have done that. One of the best times I had. I just pulled over on some boonie road off the beaten path. Foam mattress works best to insulate from bottom cold, then sleeping bag and blankets. Nothing better than sitting around in the night listing to the critters. Biggest down side is lack of coffee in the morning. And if it is muddy, you have a real mess to deal with.
 
coffee

I too like a good cup of coffee in the field. It seems that all of the coffee in the small towns I stop at have the worst tasting java in-the-world. I solved this problem by buying a 120 volt adapter and hooking it up to my 12 volt battery, plugging in my coffeemaker and making the best cup of joe you can imagine. These can be purchased at local auto parts stores for around $75.00
 
The can-do spirit of adventure is appreciated.

Scratch this from the list of staying warm ideas:

Man Sets Fire In His Car To Stay Warm

BOSTON -- Early this morning, a man from from Marstons Mills walked into the Hyannis Fire Department to get help with burns from starting a fire inside his car to keep warm.

The Cape Cod Times reported that 24-year-old Patrick Larue walked into the station at 4:40 a.m. and told firefighters that he had burned himself after setting a fire inside his vehicle.

Lt. Roger Cadrin of the fire department said Larue was parked in his rental car while talking on his cellphone at Stevens Street and North Street . After his car ran out of gas, Larue started a small fire inside the car to stay warm, but when he began to feel dizzy he extinguished the fire.

Firefighters who later arrived on the scene said the car was "heavily damaged."

Larue has been taken to Cape Cod Hospital to be treated for burns and smoke inhalation. â?? http://www.thebostonchannel.com/news/18792548/detail.html
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find a guy or two to split the cost of the motel room, if your wife gets mad , well just let her, it is better than freezing your a** off. It would really be hard to hunt the next morning with not getting a good nights sleep and all. I do not like the idea of an old propane heater unless it is one of the new buddy heaters that state they will go out if there is not enough oxygen for it to run, but it still is hooked up to the propane tank and I do not know if it cuts off or not. I have one but have yet to use it in vehicle. I think a old , nasty cockroached cheap as hell motel would be better than the inside of a vehicle. Plus if youm stay out on the side of the road what are you going to do about breakfast, hopefully not cook inside of the vehicle, I can see the caption now, a hunter trying to save a few dollars to prevent his wife getting mad at him set his car/truck a fire trying to cook breakfast in hsi vehicle. You may have seen him walking down the road in his long johns, bo boots and ice cycles hanging from his nose. Lost in the fire, guns, ammo, hunting clother, sleeping bag, blankets, one stove, one pot and perhaps a dog.
Buddy I ain't making fun of youas I am a hunter with limited funds trying to go as cheap as I can.
I have a slide in overhead camper that has a heater in it, you might consider that. At least it has a bed and a stove and a table so taht at least you would be in a bed whre you could get a good night sleep. I have used it elk hunting her in Colorado and not used the heater by using my x treme cold army sleeping bag, 2 army woll blankets, than the morning I use the big buddy heater and an able to fix a warm breakfast, usually hot oatmeal and bacon and hot coffee and I always can come back tot eh camper with the dogs is we get to cold. If you do not have a truck you can but a converted truck bed into a trailer to put a camper in. You can get a cheap but funtional camper for a couple hundred $'s as well about the same for a converted trailer. I use mine for everything. Justy an idea

Jim
 
Some good Bourbon, a night light, a good book, and three dogs and you will be fine...:10sign:
 
Fossil Creek Campground

I sometimes use Fossil Creek campground in Russell. She charges $12 to pitch a tent right next to a very warm shower house. There's a great Bar an Grill very close and morning coffee at an all night gas station next to Mickey D's. Sleeping bag, inflatable foam mat, dog,and extra comforter and I'm set. Flushed 40 birds in a walk-in east of Russell last week . Saw birds in every field I hunted. Popped only two caps, though. Birds were flushing just a little out of range. Anyway, if you don't use hookups, I bet you'd get the same deal. The shower,s worth it.
 
I sometimes use Fossil Creek campground in Russell. She charges $12 to pitch a tent right next to a very warm shower house. There's a great Bar an Grill very close and morning coffee at an all night gas station next to Mickey D's. Sleeping bag, inflatable foam mat, dog,and extra comforter and I'm set. Flushed 40 birds in a walk-in east of Russell last week . Saw birds in every field I hunted. Popped only two caps, though. Birds were flushing just a little out of range. Anyway, if you don't use hookups, I bet you'd get the same deal. The shower,s worth it.
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Excellent. No crusty rump to detract from the field experience.
 
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