Luck is one of those words that get thrown around in the hunting world quite a bit. I remember being a kid, in deer camp with my Dad, and him saying something along the lines of “Just give us some luck.” A little luck goes a long way right? While that is true, as I got older I realized that it wasn’t absolute. If we only relied on luck, I feel like we would never be successful out there filling tags. Putting yourself in the position to experience that luck is what it’s all about. By that, I mean putting in the work beforehand. Luck does go a long way, but hard work goes farther if you ask me.
2018 has been absolutely jam packed with awesome hunts! I started off in January with archery deer season. From there, we drifted into spring bear for a few months, which then led into fall bear, deer, and elk. Through that time I not only made some incredible memories, but got to test out lots of gear! With the holidays coming on fast, I thought it might be a good time to highlight some of my favorite gear items of the year. Maybe you can convince your significant others to put some of these under the tree for you this year. These are in no particular order.
A great deal of my time as a youngster was spent in front of a TV watching hunting and fishing shows. I just couldn’t get enough of them. On Saturday mornings, I would get up way before the sun came up just so I could start watching outdoor television all morning long. Saturday cartoons? Nope. Immersing myself in these adventures lit a fire in me from a young age. For hours on end I would live vicariously through various hunters and anglers in my TV screen. They inspired me to learn more about this stuff and to be out in the field as much as possible. Almost to the point of me getting bad grades, because it was all I could think about. That fire inside would soon turn into an explosion once I hit my mid twenties.
I just recently switched over to a fixed blade knife for my hunting endeavors and landed on the Benchmade Hidden Canyon Hunter. A phenomenal little knife that you can find my personal review on HERE. Being the gear nerd that I am though, I am always looking to better my system, especially for backcountry hunting. Things need to be lightweight and extremely functional, not to mention dependable. When I saw that Benchmade came out with an ultralight knife, tailor made for the backcountry hunter, I just knew that I would eventually have to get my hands on it. The Benchmade Altitude Knife is one that has not disappointed me in the least bit. Could this be the perfect knife for the backcountry hunter?
First thing in the morning, I had 2 very good friends show up to help track down the bull elk. I couldn’t have been more grateful for them donating their Saturday to me. When you find good hunting partners, hold on for dear life. They are far and few. We made our way over to the scene of the crime and got on blood right away. After 500 yards of tracking, the blood came fewer and farther between. With hard work though, we kept pushing forward finding a drop here and a drop there. We followed the bull’s tracks for a great deal of the way, which led us to more blood. After almost a mile and 6 hours later though, I came to the conclusion that I didn’t kill that bull. This is the part of bowhunting, and hunting for that matter, that nobody likes. If you do this long enough though, it is bound to happen. I practice shooting my bow all year long and still things happen. What actually happened though wouldn’t hit me until the next morning though.
There is a part of me that would want to start this story out the day I arrived in elk camp this year here in Arizona. However, it just doesn’t start there. The area that I drew my tag in has become one of the most special places to me. I frequent it year round and have had many firsts come to life right in those very hills. The first time I ever saw an elk bugle happened right there. I remember him trotting and bugling at the same time. Like he was trying to assert his dominance over the herd. The first deer I ever took the life from happened 300 yards away from that. It was a coues spike that meant the world to me. Not a mile away from that, I wrapped my tag around my first bear. An experience that lit a fire under me that still burns bright today. Now, it was my turn to try my hand at elk hunting in these hills that I’ve called a second home.
Success or successful are words that get thrown around a lot in the hunting world. You hear it all of the time when folks are telling hunting stories or talk of hunts that have yet to come. “Were you successful? Did you find success?” I think the first thing that most think of when they hear this is filling a tag. That is what equates success on a hunt. Maybe, on the surface. There is much more to it though. As we dive into another fall hunting season, let’s dive below that surface a bit and remember why we are out there.
This post is sponsored by Everywhere Agency on
behalf of FoodSaver®; however, all thoughts and
opinions expressed are my own.
We live in a digital age. There is no getting away from that. Social media, internet TV, and online businesses are a very real thing. If you said that stuff to me 25 years ago, I would have no idea what you were talking about. Fast forward to today, and it is our new normal. Less and less kids are getting outside and more are sitting inside, in front of a screen. Most adults are bound to a desk for their 9-5 grind in a cubicle. No sunlight, no fresh air. Just keyboards and screens. Yeah, you could say that things are a bit different nowadays.
When the month of August rolls around, I have one thing on my mind when it comes to hunting. For those that know me, you know that the answer to that is bears. Over the years, bears have become my favorite species to pursue here in Arizona. This hunt that takes place at the end of August has become one of my most anticipated hunting camps of the year. I get together with friends and family to escape the heat/daily grind of city life. Camp is filled with shenanigans, laughs, and sometimes we come home with something that has a tag wrapped around it. While this is mainly a bear hunt for me most years, this year was different. For one, we had some new company in camp. Good company and some folks that I wouldn’t hesitate sharing a camp with again. For another, I had already filled my bear tag earlier this spring. I still had a deer tag in my pocket though…
I can see it now. After just arriving to camp on my first backcountry hunt, I felt lost in a sense. Not because of where I physically was, but with what to do and how to do it. The flow of backcountry living just hadn’t hit me yet. Just like anything, it was only a matter of time though. Every backpack hunt since then, things get a little more efficient every time I go. It is a rhythm that I still do this day try to catch up with. If you’ve spent any deal of time in the backcountry, this phrase probably rings true to you. Efficiency is everything. The fact of the matter is backcountry hunting is just plain hard. Here are 3 ways that have helped me personally be more efficient in the backcountry.
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