2017 Archery Mule Deer Hunt

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Jan 12, 2018
Bowhunting

As I woke up on the morning of December 29th, I told myself that today was going to be the day.  Today would be the day that I closed the distance, and filled my archery tag on a mule deer buck.  The 29th would be my 5th day of hunting mule deer here in my home state of Arizona.  This time of year here is a time that has grown on me and dug its roots deep into my core.  Year after year I take to the field with my bow to chase both mule deer and coues deer.  Every year I have a few successes mixed in with a ton of failures.  Of course I like to look at those failures as lessons learned and opportunities to grow.  That goes for all walks of life, not just hunting.  This year would prove no different in the “lessons learned” department.

The Bane of Bowhunting

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Nov 19, 2017
Bowhunting

If you are anything like me, you are probably constantly trying to figure out how to be better at what you do.  I am not one that tends to settle for good enough.  In this case, I am talking about a love that most of us share and that is bowhunting.  The thrill of sneaking in close and sending an arrow through the vitals of our quarry is one that is unparalleled.  It’s a feeling that wouldn’t be describe as “a dime a dozen.”  For that reason, I think is why we want more and more of it.  At least that’s how it is for me.  I don’t know about you, but I have way more failures than successes in the field and I think that’s how it should be.  If I killed something every time I went out, bowhunting would lose the mystique that I’ve grown to love so much.  Still though, I am always trying to progress as an archery hunter.

Jigsaw Bowhunting

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Oct 29, 2017

My wife LOVES jigsaw puzzles.  Oftentimes my whole coffee table is nothing but puzzle pieces for weeks at a time.  Every time that she opens a new box and dumps out thousands of tiny pieces, I can’t help but admire her tenacity.  Of course she doesn’t look at them as a whole, she looks at them in sections and breaks them down like that.  Usually, she finds all of the end bits and organizes them.  From there, she will proceed to actually connect them.  After going through this arduous process, while all the while maintaining an intimidating level of patience, she finds success.  What happens when she is finished?  The puzzle gets broken back down into thousands of pieces and put back in it’s box.  Done and done.  Onto the next puzzle.

Do We Romanticize the Backcountry?

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Oct 15, 2017
Backpack Hunting

I am going to go ahead and say that “Backcountry Hunting” is the cool thing to do right now.  Rightfully so!  I think it is pretty cool myself!  The ultimate, most hardcore hunt right?  A truly wild experience, living out of nothing more than what is in your backpack.  The promise of adventure coupled with the anxiety of the unknown.  You see it all over social media about how more and more folks are getting into backpack hunting.  I personally think it is great.  Good on them for wanting to take on such a demanding endeavor.  This desire is oftentimes paired with a sudden need to start hitting the gym.  If you have ever backpack hunted, you know why.  Again, I love hearing this.  People bettering their lives and pushing their limits in the name of hunting.  In a world where more and more folks are glued to the couch instead of outside, this is definitely a plus in my book.

First Lite Sawtooth Hybrid Jacket Review

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Sep 30, 2017
Sawtooth Hybrid Jacket

Something that I have grown to look forward to every year is the coming of new products from various companies in the hunting industry.  I am always so eager to see what these folks have been cooking up and how the new additions might fit into my gear list.  Our gear has come a long way in the last 10 years and somehow it just keeps progressing.  Look at bows 5 years ago, or technical clothing.  We have come leaps and bounds in that time.  Just when I think that nothing else can be improved, a company like First Lite crushes my assumptions with their 2017 line of clothing.  One of the products that I am especially jacked up on is their new Sawtooth Hybrid Jacket and that is what we will be diving into today.

Little Brother’s First Bear

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Sep 24, 2017
Bear Hunting

When I was a kid, I always wanted a little brother.  I remember asking my parents for one throughout my childhood.  No matter how much I asked though, it just didn’t happen.  That was until one morning when I was 12 years old.  Just about to head out of the door to go to school, my parents gave me the news that I would indeed be having a little brother.  That morning, as I swung on the swing set with my best friend, we chatted about how awesome it was going to be, me having a little brother.  We talked about the things we would teach him as he got older.  We looked way into the future and gazed at the days we would share a campfire together.  It’s hard to believe that was almost 20 years ago.

The Disconnect: A Necessary Evil

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Sep 17, 2017

Fall is Here

Fall hunting seasons are just getting kicked off and it is an exciting time of year, to say the least.  The very moments we have been dreaming about and training for all year are about to present themselves.  Maybe, we will capitalize on them and maybe we won’t.  Time will deliver us that truth when it sees fit.  That time I spend away from home usually wears me down pretty good mentally.  While I do enjoy the disconnect of TV, social media, cell phones, and just people, I can’t help but get struck with a bit of homesick.  I think it is necessary to feel this though.

Optimus Crux Lite Stove Review

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Aug 6, 2017
Backpack Hunting with the optimus crux lite stove

Earlier this year, I decided that I wanted to start looking at smaller, more lightweight options, in terms of backcountry gear.  I feel like I say this to myself every time I set off for a new adventure.  As the saying goes, “ounces equal pounds and pounds equal pain.”  Right off of the bat, I thought of my cook set.  Not necessarily for the weight(although less can’t hurt), but for the size.  The one I have been using is rather bulky and takes up more room than I’d care for in my pack.  So, my goal was to find something that was efficient, lightweight, and more compact.  I looked at a ton of different options and finally landed on the Optimus Crux Lite stove.

Why OTC Tags Are “Where It’s At”

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Jul 31, 2017
Bowhunting

The term “OTC Tags” is one that is growing more popular everyday in the hunting community.  For those of you that don’t know what that stands for, it means “over the counter.”  It is getting increasingly harder to draw tags through lottery systems.  I don’t think it is going to start heading in the other direction anytime soon.  We spend a ton of money every year on bows, clothing, optics, you name it.  Hours and hours are spent at the range shooting our rifles and sighting in our archery equipment.  For a lot of folks, myself included, it is disheartening when you invest so much time and money into something, only to be told you can’t go hunting this season.  Not going hunting is just not an option on the table in my house.  This is why I focus most of my attention on OTC tags.

“Life of a Bowhunter”

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Jul 22, 2017
Bowhunting

Fall

As an avid bowhunter, the anticipation of Fall is enough to drive someone mad.  It seems like last Fall came and went faster than ever.  Unlike the time of year coming and going, the experiences I had are still fresh as rain.  So fresh, that I find myself thinking about them daily.  It feels like just last week I was on my first elk hunt in the backcountry of Colorado.  That was something special I got to share with my brother and will be talking about with him well into old age.  We experienced a lot of firsts on that trip.  Some of them being our first out of state hunt, longest backpack hunt, and first bull elk we’ve ever called in.  This hunt left a mark and instilled an addiction in both of us for backcountry elk hunting and just elk hunting in general really.

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