I’m a big fan of the euro mount, especially for deer/elk. They’ve got a rustic look and I just love the color contrast between skull and antler. Early on, I would go through the whole process of creating these on my own. Boil, pressure washer, boil, pressure washer, etc. I enjoyed the process, but man it always took me forever to finish. With the time crunch that is now my reality going through that process is something I haven’t been able to revisit. Well, not entirely at least. After getting a hot tip from a buddy, the lazy man’s euro mount sounded like it was a perfect alternative. Now, a few years later, I’m happy to say it was.
Year in and year out life is filled with lessons. If you’re like me and always striving to be better than yesterday, you pay attention to those lessons. This past 2021 hunting season provided me with more than its fair share of takeaways, just like it should be. Here, I’m going to lay out my biggest lessons learned from the 2021 hunting season. I walked away from it with new perspective, and with any hope, you’ll walk away from this article with the same.
A good sleeping pad can either make your trip or break it. I’ve been on both ends of that, and the break part isn’t fun. Especially, when it’s 10 degrees at night. Picture someone running in place while in their sleeping bag, just trying to conjure up any bit of heat. That was me. Since that particular hunt, I vowed to always have a quality sleeping pad underneath me and ditch the old school foam roll up kind. Almost 10 years later, I’ll say this. Inflatable sleeping pads are the only way to go.
We were young. For the entirety of our friendship, my buddy John and I have shared the wild hills and waters of Arizona together. In our early 20’s John was suddenly captivated by bowhunting and soon after I caught the bug as well. When we first started trying our hands at archery hunting during our OTC deer hunts here, we swore off hunting coues whitetail deer. They were too hard, too jumpy, and way out of our reach given our limited bowhunting skills. Fast forward to present day and I have become obsessed with them. From their cagey nature to their beautiful coats, unique antlers, and second to none tasting meat. Hunting coues deer with a bow and arrow is the ultimate test for a bowhunter. While they are arguably the hardest animal to spot and stalk with a bow in North America, they are not impossible. Here’s a few proven tidbits of info I’ve gathered bowhunting the gray ghost through the years.
A few years back, I started experiencing some pretty bad bouts of target panic in my archery game. It was so bad that I’d flinch and completely miss my target. The dents on my brick wall in the backyard are proof. Target panic has a few different forms, but for me it chaotically rested in my anticipation of the shot. I’d anticipate when the shot was going to go off and react to that before it would actually go off. A very similar situation to when one is behind a rifle and either forgets to take the safety off or forgets to rack another round in the chamber and pulls the trigger. Nothing happens with the gun, but the shooter, in many cases, tends to flinch in anticipation of the explosion that didn’t actually happen. After coaching and countless hours behind the bow, the only solution I could come up with was to change the process entirely. This is what lead me to bowhunting with a thumb button release aid in the first place.
Backcountry shelters always bring up great conversation. Everyone has their own do’s and don’ts surrounding the topic. These are really a reflection of that hunter’s personal style, where they hunt, and what they’re willing to deal with. Some are minimalists and some want more comfort and livability. No matter where you might fall in the equation, backcountry shelters is what we’re going to be chatting about today!
You’ve done your research, planned a trip, and are about to embark on your first ever backpack hunt. First off, let me say CONGRATS! You are in for a real treat. Backpack hunting truly is the whole package. It’s beyond hunting and a great opportunity to cut the cord of city life and embrace some adventure. These hunts are learning experiences, as you’ll find out. Each time we go out, we learn a little more about what to bring and what not to bring. These items will vary of course from person to person, but I promise you, you’ll be making modifications to your gear list sooner or later. It’s inevitable. Down below, I’ve listed 3 items that I’ve found incredibly valuable on backpack hunts. They are simple, cheap, and very useful both physically and mentally. These items are of course aside from stuff like boots, backpack, weapon, etc. I could add much more to this list, but these seemed to reach across the board in terms of general items you really want to consider checking out.
Glassing has become such a huge part of my hunting, not just here in Arizona, but in the West as a whole. Sitting down behind a quality set of optics and watching animals act like animals from a distance is incredibly valuable to a hunter. It gives us the chance to really hone our stalking game and make a quality play at the critter. There’s some flat out big country out there though. Sometimes, so much that it’s intimidating to glass all together.
So, what do you do when there’s “too much” to look at? Down below, I break down my process for doing just that. Now, keep in mind, there is more than one way to skin a cat of course. These things are just what has worked for me personally behind the glass. If you’ve got some tips to add, feel free to drop them in the comments. I’d love to hear your thoughts. Until then though, I hope you enjoy the video!
As always, if you enjoyed the video, I’d super appreciate if you SUBSCRIBED to the Youtube and blog to stay up to date with future posts. Also, if you haven’t yet, check out my new book Becoming a Backpack Hunter. It’s a from start to finish beginner’s guide to backpack hunting, and I think you’ll really enjoy it.
We are right at the cusp of spring bear really getting good here in Arizona! I’m so pumped to get out there and put in the work. With any luck, I’ll be bringing an Arizona Spring Black Bear home with me!
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We are fully immersed in scouting season right now! Isn’t that exciting? Everything that we do now is laying a foundation for our upcoming season, no matter what species one might be after. This is the leg work necessary, to help ensure the highest quality hunt we can attain. It is what separates the consistently successful hunter from everyone else. Lately, I’ve been out scouting water sources for a black bear hunt here in Arizona. The hunt takes place during a dry and hot time of year, so water is key. This is going to help me eliminate water sources and key in on others. Hunting is a game of chance, so giving yourself the best chance for success is what it’s all about. Even though this hunt is focused on bears though, doesn’t mean I’m not paying attention to other critters I come across. I’m constantly scouting for next season…..this season.
Knowing what to pack, as far as food goes, for a backpack hunt is a common question among those looking to get into this. The immediate apprehension is fear of getting hungry. Folks are worried about not having enough. Then there is the what behind all of this. What kind of foods should you bring out? So, in this post, I’m going to dive right into my food bag for an upcoming backcountry hunt I have planned. While getting my stuff ready for this trip, I thought it might be beneficial to do a backcountry food bag dump. I’ll walk you through a whole day of food and also give examples of other options you might be able to take advantage of.
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