Thanks Kodiak, I've always thought it would be fun to hunt deer in the Northern CA or PNW area. The landscape there is just so interesting to me.

Thanks for the advice, we agonized over boots (between Scarpa, Crispi, kennetrek and Schnee) and ended up going with Schnee's with light insulation. Kuiu Yukon gaiters, and we've got good knives and water purification from previous camping/ hunting outings. One of the things I'm researching now is a good value in trekking poles, trying to find the best option between $100-$150 for ultra durable, easy to use/ effective adjustments and comfortable.

I'm glad to hear that about the peak refuel meals, I've heard from other that theyre better than mountain house, I've got a discount from OnX elite membership that makes them about the same price as MH so I think I'll end up going with them. I've got a Jetboil Java kit so I'll use that for heating water and making coffee and our transporter says we'll find enough drift wood where we're going to be able to make small fires for cooking meat/fish/potatoes/onions etc.

I've also head they're serious about the wanton waste law. I skimmed over the booklet for caribou and luckily they provide a very detailed list of what must be harvested with drawings, but I'll definitely need to study it before we head up.