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.
Let’s face it. Bowhunting can be and is an extremely difficult endeavor. It doesn’t matter if you are an expert or a beginner, life with the bow constantly challenges us. My biggest hurdle when I started out, and now for that matter, is getting close enough for a shot. This is why we hunt with a bow though, is it not? We love the intimate connection that is shared between predator and prey. Being close enough to hear every step that the animal takes is all too alluring. In order to get good at something though, we need to have ample opportunity to practice it. There are many days when I don’t even find a buck to stalk though. How can you practice something as much as you can, if you don’t have the opportunity to do so?
If you asked me a few years ago if I would be investing the money that I do now in high quality hunting clothing, I probably would have laughed at you. I was indeed a skeptic of these higher end purchases and honestly didn’t see the reasoning behind why someone would pay $100 for a shirt or $200 for a pair of pants. That was until I finally tried the stuff out.
The world that we know today is host to a fast paced, hustle and bustle lifestyle of an environment. Get up early, go to work, come home, eat dinner, go to bed, and do it again tomorrow. I believe it is called “The Rat Race.” With the tap of our finger on a little screen, we have access to whatever information that we desire and are served with instant gratification in most cases. No work needed and when work is needed, some of us get frustrated, due to how easily things usually come. Imagine that, your phone didn’t load Instagram fast enough for you.
When I was a kid, I often times never even used binoculars when in the field with my dad. Nowadays, I don’t know how I survived without them! Back then, during the off chance that I had binos, I had them attached around my neck with nothing more than an old red shoelace. I hated carrying those things! The shoelace always dug into my neck and the binos danced on and off of my chest with every step I took. It seemed like more of a chore having binoculars than a luxury. Gear has come a long way since my nemesis that is that old shoelace.
The world of western hunting and hunting in general can be a bit overwhelming to a new comer. I found this to be all too true after blitzkrieging my way into this lifestyle. It is a lifestyle in my opinion. What gear do I need? What do I want to hunt? Do I hunt alone or with a partner? Then there is a the question of WHERE do I hunt? This one probably plagued me the most in the beginning and still does from time to time. With so much public land to hunt out west, the question of where to hunt almost seemed unanswerable at the time. A guy can walk a whole lot out here before finding that “magic” spot.
So, you’ve just about had it! You have looked through every western hunting magazine that is in existence, watched every hunting show out west, and just can’t take it anymore! The West is calling. The Mountains are screaming in your thoughts. It’s time to go on your first western hunt.
First off, let me say, CONGRATULATIONS, and I am super excited for you! The world of western hunting is filled with adventure and memories that will last a lifetime. Be it the views of our vast landscapes or the animals that call them home, they will for sure leave an imprint on you for life. Going on your first western hunt can be pretty overwhelming though, especially if you are coming from another part of the country. I am gonna do my best to lay some basic information out for you that you NEED to know.
“Trust your camo.” I have heard this said many times, but up until recently, it never really resonated with me. This may sound funny, but I don’t think I have ever really TRUSTED my camouflage. Not that I didn’t like it, I loved my camo. I think it was just that though. I wore it because that is what you were suppose to do………and it looked awesome. Who doesn’t love camo? It didn’t change my thoughts on how I stalked animals though. Honestly, even though I have always worn camo, I really have gone about doing things like I wasn’t wearing camo. This caused me to maybe be more careful than need be and might have cost me opportunities in the past.
Before I really got bit by the hunting bug, I am probably guilty of saying that I had “No Time to Hunt.” We say things like this from time to time, whether we are saying we have no time to hunt or we have no time to workout. The digging for excuses not to take part in said activity starts right when we realize how hard something can be. Without the promise of reward, some folks find it hard to justify taking the time to try and create opportunity for themselves. “There is probably too many people in the hills today. We are better off staying home.” “Last time I was out, I didn’t even see a deer.” Things like this cross our minds from time to time and inevitably cause us to miss out. The more you let these things affect your decision making, the less you will be in the mountains. We dream all year about running around the mountains with our bows/rifles or sitting in a blind waiting for that monarch buck to walk by. The second adversity hits though, discouragement sets in. Thoughts of a warm bed and home cooked meal gnaw at us like a caged rat. Adversity is a huge part of hunting though and having the ability to push through is going to keep more meat in your freezer, I promise.
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