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.
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 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.
Ever since I was a kid, I have been going on hunting trips with my dad. In my teenage years, I would head out with both friends and dad. There came a point though, when I reached adulthood, where I wanted to spend more and more time in the field. I wanted to be out there more than just for the annual deer hunt or sporadic quail hunt. As we grow up our list of responsibilities keep getting bigger though. This proved difficult in being able to schedule hunting trips with friends and even dad. So, I had a choice to make. Either I don’t go out hunting as much or I grab my bow/rifle, put on my backpack, and head out on my own. I think you can guess what my decision was.
Over the past few years, I have become sort of a backpack nerd. This is pretty funny to me, because when I first really jumped into hunting, I really didn’t see the need to have one. The first backpack I owned was a 2300 cubic inch day pack. I loved that pack until I actually killed something and realized that I had no room in there to haul meat. I was also starting to grow an interest in backpack hunting. From there, I jumped to an Eberlestock Just One pack. Right off of the bat I was impressed with it, but started experiencing some pains in my hips whenever I would wear it. It is one tough pack and can handle anything you throw at it, but it just wasn’t for me. So, the search began!
It seems, as of late, the podcasting world, as it pertains to hunting, is getting more and more popular. To which I say, “AWESOME!” My only complaint is having too many good podcasts to listen to and not enough time to do so. Since the last podcast post I made, My Top 5 Hunting Podcasts, quite a few new shows have emerged on the scene and not without force. I have put together another list of 5 hunting podcasts to check out. These especially excite me, because they are all mostly geared toward western hunting.
In light of Born and Raised Outdoors’ new video, Expectations, being premiered at the Full Draw Film Tour this year, I thought it would be a perfect time to review their DVD entitled, Uncommon Ground. This story follows 6 friends through an entire elk season, taking place in Oregon and Wyoming, during September, the month that every archery elk hunter dreams about. 6 guys, 12 tags, 2 states, a guest appearance by Wayne Endicott, and the first backcountry mouse hunt probably ever recorded.
I don’t know about you, but I wait all year long in anticipation of that magical time when I can grab my bow or rifle and head out for the start of hunting season. Getting up before the sun, enjoying a hot cup of coffee while embracing the peacefulness of the outdoors, and finally grabbing my pack to start the morning’s journey is something that I truly cherish. That rush of adrenaline that comes over you when the silence of the woods is broken by the sound of something walking towards you or the glint of an antler that jumps out at you through your optics is a foreign feeling to a lot of people. Unless you have experienced these things firsthand, it might be hard for someone to understand why we obsess over this time of year so much.
Copyright 2019 Dialed In Hunter
Design by NXNW.
