With Thanksgiving now in the rear view mirror, it got me thinking. So much has happened in the past 11 months that I have to be thankful for, both in the field and out. With our fast paced way of life, it’s sometimes hard to realize what’s in front of us. At least for me it is. For example, I get so amped up about everything involved in a trip, from planning it to actually being out there in the field hunting, that I forget to slow down and take in what is going on in my life at that very moment. I’m too worried about where the elk are or why this bear hasn’t hit this water source yet. Little things like, the fact that I am physically able to hike back into the areas I go. Some people aren’t so fortunate. Another that comes to mind are the things that I get to witness while out in the field. Some people will never get to see the steam like breath of a bull elk hit the cold morning air as he bugles and makes his presence known. That is a sight to behold. I’m also extremely grateful that I actually have the time to get out in the field as much as I do. I hear how some folks can only hunt 2 weeks a year, and while I would do the same if I had to, I can’t imagine only being able to hunt that amount of time. For me, it would feel like suffocation.
Anytime a new endeavor is taken on that has an ultimate goal to it, it oftentimes seems hard to imagine actually achieving that goal. At least it does for me. Things like buying a house for the first time. After my parents raised me and I spent so much time with them growing up, the thought of moving out and owning my own house seemed foreign to me. Life without Mom and Dad everyday? It was a foreign feeling, but one that would inevitably be thrown upon me. As with other things in life that might intimidate us, once we get passed them and achieve those unimaginable goals, we realize that it’s not that bad. Sometimes, I questioned why I would even let such things intimidate me to begin with.
Something that I looked forward to every year, when I was a kid, was when my dad and I would make our annual trip up to deer camp. The key word there is “up.” Our deer camp was located at 9800 ft. on top of a mountain. What a beautiful area. I didn’t even know that places like this existed in Arizona until I saw it with my own eyes. I am used to seeing mostly desert/high desert country. Where we were, straight looked like the photos that I would oogle over in my outdoor magazines at home. Even surrounded by all of that beauty, something always bothered me for the first day or so I was there. I’d have headaches and just feel downright drained of energy. I didn’t know, until recently, that I had been suffering from Altitude Sickness. Never before, did I give any thought on how I might remedy the issue. It was something that I just dealt with for the time being and then it would go away. That was until I heard of Wilderness Athlete’s Altitude Advantage. Let’s take a closer look at what Altitude Sickness is before we dive into this product.
If you’ve been following along with me for the past few years, then you know how much of a bear nut I am. Last year I wrote a story called Canyon Bruins, which took you along the epic journey that was my 2015 season. If you read that story then you know that is when I was able to harvest my first black bear. On that morning, we were able to see 9 bears in about an hour and a half, all within 300 yards of each other. Everything from the shot to the packout was nothing short of an adventure. It took me 3 years to find a good bear spot here in AZ, so you can imagine how excited I was to get back to that magical hell hole that these Canyon Bruins called home for the 2016 season.
I’ve decided to do something a bit different for this post then previous ones that went over my hunts. On this trip, I actually kept a journal while out in the field and I think it turned out pretty neat. I might end up doing this a lot more in the future, just because of the genuine point of view that it offers with the play by play perspective. This was not only my first out of state hunt, it was my first archery elk hunt, along with my first extended backpack hunt. My brother and I packed into the Colorado backcountry for a week in hopes of making some awesome memories and arrowing my first bull. We ended up doing both…..technically. Enjoy.
Finding a good hunting partner can sometimes be just as difficult, if not more difficult than hunting itself. A lot of things have to lineup between two people in order for it to work. This became all too apparent when I really got into all of this. Up until a certain point, I had always hunted with another person. As the fire grew inside of me to be out in the field though, I came to a fork in the road. Either I was going to not go out at all or I needed to go out alone. I chose the latter and throughout my adventures have really grown to love hunting on my own. Even with that being the case, I still enjoy getting out into the mountains with good friends and family. After all, that is how I ended up loving hunting as much as I do in the first place.
If you are an archer/bowhunter, then you know the feeling of watching your arrow cut through the air and land right where you want it to. It’s a soothing feeling and, for myself, has become somewhat of an addiction. Achieving the accuracy that you strive for doesn’t come free of charge though. It takes much practice and dedication in order to crush your archery goals. Some folks are just naturals and will be busting the bullseye at 60 yards in a heartbeat. Other people have to work a bit harder. Wherever you fall, I think there are a few things that we all should keep in mind while we prepare for our future hunts.
This is an exciting time of year for us hunters. The early archery seasons are right around the corner and some have already started. Soon after that we will take to the mountains in search of bugling bulls followed up by the fall deer and bear seasons. It’s a busy time to say the least if you are a hunter. Some of us have been training all year long in preparation for what lies ahead. Maybe, you have been shooting your bow religiously or you have been hitting the gym and the trails in your free time. Whatever the case may be, hunting has been on your mind and you have been doing what you can to be better than you were last year. Endless scouting has and will take place. Gear testing is in full effect to ensure we are properly equipped for our adventures. The amount of effort that we put into our way of life may seem excessive to an outsider, but for us, it is just that. A way of life.
What if I told you that you could get a bomber pack capable of handling as much weight as you could pick up, carry that weight extremely well, AND come in at a mere 4 lbs 14 oz? Sound too good to be true? Surely, there must be some give and take or sacrifice happening to reach these numbers. The only sacrifice that happened though, was all of the man hours that Steve Speck and Lenny Nelson put in to make said pack a reality. If you don’t know what I am talking about yet, I am referring to the company that is Exo Mountain Gear, and specifically, the Exo 3500 backpack. I have been using this pack for the past couple of months and have been VERY impressed with its performance and functionality.
If you are in the western hunting world and have not heard of Wilderness Athlete, you are missing out. They are the makers of high quality, field tested, sports performance products specifically for the outdoor athlete. Most notably, they are known for their superior Hydrate & Recover and their Energy & Focus drink mixes. I have been using these two products for the past 2 years and I don’t go into the mountains without them. Recently, I got the chance to test out their Ultimate Pre-Workout and Nighttime Optimizer supplements. I will admit, it was hard straying away from the first two products mentioned, BUT I have been pleasantly surprised with the outcome.
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