My daughter and I are currently vegging out with the flu on the couch together next to the Christmas tree. While I “scribble” down my thoughts here, she’s taking care of some important coloring business and watching one of her favorite shows. In the midst of all of this, my mind is blown at how quickly the end of the year has come. It feels like not long ago I was revved up for 2024, jotting down my thoughts here. And now 2024 is coming to a close.
As I write this, I’m sitting next to our Christmas tree admiring the many ornaments and reflecting on the memories they all hold. This time of year is naturally a time of reflection. We’re about to close the door on one chapter and move on to the next. A year in review is in order.
I seriously cannot believe that we’re closing in on another year. 2024 was filled with lots of adventures and there was no shortage of nights spent beneath the stars paired with days hiking through the mountains. In light of all of that, I wanted to lay out some of my top 10 favorite hunting gear items I used throughout the year. This is the gear that I was most stoked on in 2024 and will for sure be bringing into the 2025 season. Let’s get into it! These are in no particular order.
Not 48 hours ago I arrived home from whitetail camp in Colorado. The hunt was snowy, cold, and offered very little in terms of deer movement. I came home with much more than a hunting story. It was a new addiction I feel coursing through my veins as I type this.
Unlike most kids that watched cartoons on Saturday mornings, mine were a little different. There was a TV involved, but instead of cartoons my Dad and I would watching hunting shows. Most of them revolved all around the whitetail deer. An animal I’ve wanted to hunt for quite some time. And now I’m going to get to do just that.
It is undeniable that hinge releases have grown in popularity for bowhunting. What is also undeniable, though, is that many of us thrive on the DIY mentality. So, when it comes to buying your first hinge release, this often translates into not properly learning how to use the release from the get go and trying to figure things out on our own. In light of that, I’m going to lay out my 3 favorite methods to using a hinge release. These are all what I believe to translate the best to hunting and what have given me the most in terms of accuracy and feel.
Hey, everyone! Man, I can’t believe it’s already almost November. Time has been flying by this season. I hope you’ve been out there crushing your goals in the field and living it up. Hunting season only comes around one time a year, so make the most of it. With that said, I need a favor from you.
My history of using hinge releases to shoot a bow has been somewhat brief. It is that way, not because I didn’t like using a hinge. I actually really enjoyed shooting them. It was brief because I’m primarily a bowhunter and I didn’t believe that hinge releases were practical for bowhunting. So, I have shot an index-style release and thumb button release for that application the past 10 years or so. My original opinion of hinge releases has been influenced to shift in a different direction and it’s all because of the Evolution Outdoors Ibex. A hinge made for bowhunters by bowhunters.
So, I’m going whitetail deer hunting. This may not sound like a big deal to many of you, but I’ve honestly never done a legit whitetail hunt. This November, though, I’m heading to CO to hunt with a buddy on some ground that he’s got a ton of experience on and manages. This will be a treestand hunt and I’m thrilled about it. With that said, this all called for a different clothing system than I’m used to.
Now, keep in mind, I’m mainly a western hunter. I do mostly backpack hunts, so my normal clothing system reflects that. Everything is based on effectiveness and efficiency with weight and packability in mind. The system I’ve picked down below for my whitetail deer hunt is more about staying warm and quiet. Here goes nothing. A whitetail deer clothing system through the eyes of a western hunter.
Everything mentioned here is made by Sitka Gear. I’ll be doing a full review on BlackOvis.com about my experience with everything after the fact as well as a follow-up video. If you want to save money over there use the code DIALED10 and you’ll save 10% off sitewide.
I’m not going to get much in the weeds at all here with this stuff, because I don’t have an honest opinion about it yet, aside from just first impressions. And first impressions across the board are THIS STUFF IS COMFORTABLE. I love my western system, but everything here is so warm and soft. Of course the packability is extremely limited, but that’s not the point or goal of this system based on the style of hunting.
I’m new to this whitetail deer thing. So, if you think I missed anything here that would be of value, please let me know! I’ve got my western system pretty dialed, but this is a new world to me and I’m stoked to dive in.
There it is! Everything fits great and feels great. My bow is shooting absolutely awesome too. Now, all there is to do is wait for November to come. Thankfully, I’ve got a fall bear hunt here in AZ coming to help pass my time until I head to CO for whitetails. Can’t wait to share everything with you all. Thanks for tuning in.
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Sheesh, I can’t believe I’m already writing a start of the Fall hunting season update. Feels like spring was just here a few weeks ago, but here we are. At this point in the season, I’ve had two hunts. A black bear hunt in Arizona and an elk hunt in Colorado. Both landed on the rough side, but both held their own lessons.
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