As I’ve walked the path of a bowhunter gear has always been something I’ve paid close attention to. If I don’t have trust in my tools then my confidence tends to crumble and it’s not a pretty place to be mentally. Release aids are no exception to this and for most of my bowhunting journey, I’ve been a fan of the index-style release. To be fair, I still am. They’re incredibly practical for bowhunting. Both time and experience have a way of changing things though. Sometimes, for the better. Since then I’ve tried thumb buttons and hinge release aids too. All have taught me something.

A whole lot of attention by newer hunters gets put on the actual gear itself for backpack hunting. Rightfully, so I suppose. There is a lot of gear involved and we all want to make sure we have the best and lightest setup for our hunts. With that said, what flies under the radar is how to load a backpack for the best experience possible. This was a question heavy on my mind when I was first starting out as a backpack hunter. Where things go inside of the backpack matters on multiple fronts.

The choice to go on your first backpack hunt is one that starts with excitement, but is oftentimes followed up with being overwhelmed. There are a lot of moving pieces and if you don’t take the time to line those up, you will either end up not going at all, or will have a less than desirable experience out there.

Right about now, I think it’s safe to say, that we are in a moment of reflection. Hunting seasons have passed and we are left with rich memories to look back on and hopefully bounty a plenty in our freezer. For many, this means that next hunting season won’t matter until…well, next hunting season. Bows get hung up, maps aren’t given any attention, and hunting gear acquires more dust than they do miles. It is officially the “off season.” If you are looking to make the most of next hunting season, it’s better to look at this time of year as the “on season.”

The more lightweight you can be heading into a backcountry camp, the fresher you’ll be for the hunt, as well as the hopeful packout ahead. In a new video I recorded down below, I run through 5 ways that I’ve found to save weight on backpack hunts. If you like the video, don’t forget to hit SUBSCRIBE! I’d also love to know your thoughts on the matter. Did I miss anything? Add your tips in the comments for ultralight backpack hunting and let’s learn from one another. Enjoy the video!

Now, I know it may sound cheesy, but when a new year starts, it feels like my mind gets a reset. Things seem more attainable and motivation is high for what’s to come. This is how I feel walking into the coues mountains every January. And every January my fingers are crossed that the year will start off with a bang, or I should say an archery coues deer.

It’s January right now as I write this. January is most often associated with new beginnings and setting goals for the year. I support that with full force. However, I also heavily associate this month with coues deer hunting. January is archery deer season here in Arizona and coues deer hunting involves an immense amount of glassing. So, in light of that, and for those new to coues deer hunting, I’m going to lay out the glassing set up I use for these special little deer and why in the video below.

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.

Learning how to backpack hunt can seem like a tall order that forces you to drink from a fire hose. It can even feel overwhelming and leaves many folks right at the trailhead or setting up a truck camp instead of heading down the trail. After a decade of backcountry hunting, I’m going to try and help clear the noise for you newer or aspiring backpack hunters. Here are 4 things I wish I would have known when I started.

Throughout my years of backpack hunting, I’ve fired up a stove or two…or 10 and Jetboil has always been a top performer in this category. My first stove ever was a Jetboil. So, when I got word that they released their most ultralight stove yet, I just had to get my hands on it. The Jetboil Stash will be getting at least a few backpack rides in 2025 from me. Right off the bat, I have a few thoughts and one concern.

If you want to pick up a Jetboil Stash of your own head over to Black Ovis and use my code DIALED10 to save 10% off sitewide.