From Grandfather's Hounds to Solo Backcountry Pursuits: Carl's Hunting Lifestyle

For most people, hunting is a weekend escape. For Carl Lewallen, a 57-year-old Oregon native, it's the foundation of who he is. "It's not like a weekend warrior thing. It's a part of my life. It's something I don't know if I could go without," Carl explains with the quiet certainty of someone whose connection to the outdoors runs deeper than hobby or pastime.

Roots in the Hunting Tradition

Carl's journey into hunting began early, shaped by family tradition and the rugged Oregon landscape. "Ever since I can remember, when I was younger, my granddad was a hounds-man, did a lot with hounds, so I was out with him a lot, handling dogs as far back as I can remember. 10, 11, 12 years old" he recalls. This early exposure to hunting wasn't just about the pursuit of game, it was about understanding the wild, respecting the land, and developing the patience and persistence that would define his approach to everything in life.

His first official hunting experience came when he was old enough to rifle hunt. "I got an over-the-counter tag, went to Eastern Oregon, hunting with family over there in my very first year and didn't really have any luck." But that initial setback didn't deter him. The following year, a childhood friend introduced him to archery hunting, and everything changed.

The Draw of the Bow

"I got hooked on that and I've been archery hunting ever since," Carl says. "And when I mean archery hunting, I don't mean just for deer or elk. I got deer, bear, elk, cougar, you name it." What captivates him about archery hunting goes beyond the technical challenge. "There's just something about archery hunting that has that specific raw feeling that it's really hard to explain. I don't know. I just enjoy every minute that I'm out there doing it, either with friends or alone."

The solitary aspect of his hunting isn't born from antisocial tendencies, but from the reality of pursuing his passion at the highest level. "I do a lot of solo stuff. There's a lot of places that I will go in the backcountry that most won't. So I end up doing a lot of that alone. Very few people I found out there that you can make a connection with and be comfortable with the outdoors and backcountry."

Carl's approach reflects a deep understanding of what drives him. "I like the hard stuff, I guess. The challenge, you know, and it's definitely a challenge. I am by no means a trophy hunter. I'm about putting meat in the freezer. And if I can fill a tag with my bow, you know, any animal I get is a trophy to me."

The Philosophy That Drives Success

One story from Carl's years of hunting perfectly encapsulates his mindset and has become a guiding principle in his life. It was the last day of archery season, and nothing was going right. He couldn't find his truck keys, was running late, and frustration was mounting. When his hunting buddy called asking if he was still coming, Carl was ready to throw in the towel.

"That's when he made that quote that, well, you can't kill nothing sitting on the couch," Carl remembers. "And I'm like, all right, man, I'll meet you. If nothing else, we'll just go look around and see what we can do."

That decision led to one of his most memorable hunts. They located a herd of elk with a herd bull that wouldn't come in, but their calling brought in a raghorn. "I shot him at 10 yards, and pretty much dropped him in his tracks," Carl recalls. "So it just goes to show you never know when, where, or how, but even though we were late getting out there and things just didn't seem like they were going to happen, things can happen any time."

That phrase, "you can't kill nothing sitting on the couch," has stuck with Carl for years. "When I am not quite feeling it, it's a good reminder to know that if I'm not out there putting the time in or out there putting the miles in, I'm not going to see anything. I'm not going to kill anything."

The Nutrition Challenge in Backcountry Hunting

For someone who embodies constant motion in the field, nutrition has always been a significant challenge. "I'm the type of hunter that's constantly moving, going here, going there. I have a hard time just sitting and being patient. I feel like I have to be on the move, and I had a tough time getting calories and carbs out there on the move," Carl explains.

This presented a real problem for sustaining energy during long hunts. "It was inconvenient to stop and eat for me. So I was always on the move, and I know that that's probably not the best thing when you're out there. I just had a hard time filling those nutritional needs with quick granola bars or just whatever I could grab that was easy and convenient and be able to still keep moving."

His solution? He adapted his body to the challenge. "So a lot of times I didn't eat enough. I didn't consume enough water, but I guess in a way I trained for that too, depriving myself of calories and water on purpose, just so that my body gets used to it."

Finding the Right Fuel: Easy Camping Meals and Hunting Meals

Traditional hunting meals and lazy camping meals weren't cutting it for Carl's style of hunting. The process of stopping, preparing, and eating conventional camp food conflicted with his need to stay mobile and responsive to opportunities in the field.

When RecPak was introduced to Carl's nutrition strategy, it solved a fundamental problem. "It's given me the opportunity to be able to stay out there longer and go farther," he explains. "The ease and convenience in my backpack, you don't even notice it there because of the weight of it. So I try to carry at least a couple of them in my pack. You know, only 5.9 or 6 ounces. They don't weigh a lot. So that will give me at least two full meals if needed."

The 700 calories and 42 grams of protein in each RecPak provide the sustained energy Carl needs without the bulk or preparation time of traditional hunting meals. "It pretty much has everything I need to get me to that next canyon or over that ridge without sacrificing time and without feeling weighed down from eating a heavy meal or protein bar."

Beyond the Hunt

Carl's use of RecPak extends beyond hunting to his work as a self-employed contractor and ultra running. "I've used it in that area. Even for days with my construction work... I got some long, hard, heavy days even at work and I don't have the time or the convenience to stop and do a full meal."

The mental aspect is equally important. "It's also a good mental boost knowing that you have that backup or that food there that you can utilize if need be if you do get stuck out there somewhere overnight or an extra day."

For Carl, the outdoors isn't just where he hunts, it's where he lives his fullest life. Whether tracking elk through Oregon's backcountry, helping others experience their first successful hunt, or simply finding solace in "the space, the quiet time, the satisfaction of seeing a lot of things out there that others don't get to see on a daily basis," his connection to the wild runs as deep as his roots in the hunting tradition that shaped him.

As he puts it simply: "I just love my time out there in open space and nature itself." And when you can't kill nothing sitting on the couch, you'd better be prepared to fuel the pursuit properly.