January in Arizona is one of my favorite times of year. The weather is incredible, the holiday vibes are still in the air, and coues deer are rutting their tails off. Oh, and it’s also archery hunting season.
Just this past January I was joined in camp by some great folks who were new to this whole thing. We had a blast and I can’t wait for them to come back. A couple of Idaho boys that I can’t wait to hunt with again. Some folks just click and that’s what happened in deer camp. They had never experienced coues deer hunting and it was a pleasure showing them the ropes. Coues are an animal that I have come to hold so dear over the years, but it wasn’t always like that.
Which lands us here. This short film called “Looking Up” is about not only how I came to start hunting coues deer, but it’s also about the incredible landscape that is Arizona, the place that I am lucky enough to call home. And between all of that a relationship has blossomed. The landscape, a magical little deer, and a curious kid that had never even seen a mountain before stepping into the desert.
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I’d love to hear about your coues experiences down below. How did you start hunting them? What season? Bow or rifle? These deer are really something else and it is an absolute privilege to live in a state that they call home. Rifle coues deer seasons are right around the corner. Good luck to everyone out there and I hope you find what you’re looking for. Whether that’s a giant buck or simply a good time around a campfire.
Coues deer are a special little deer that have a way of capturing the hearts of hunters. This is the story of how that very thing happened to me years ago. Since I started hunting them on accident as a kid, they’ve ingrained themselves in me for the long haul. From many failed attempts to simply watching them do their thing, they captivated me. Coues Deer are found in Mexico, a little in New Mexico, and my home state of Arizona. It’s a privilege to live in a state where I get to see and hunt them as often as I do.
The full film will be covering how I started hunting coues, my struggles through the years of doing so, the Arizona landscape, and then underneath all of that is an actual archery coues hunt. The hunt took place earlier this year in January. It turned out to be a great time with good friends.
You can look for the full film to be released on my Youtube Channel October 4th! Don’t forget to hit SUBSCRIBE to stay up to date with future posts and videos. I’d also love to know how you got started hunting coues deer! It’s always nice hearing stories from likeminded folks. Drop them below in the comments!
Another year, another gear list! I was lucky enough to draw another high country mule deer tag in Colorado this year. This will be a backcountry archery hunt for 10 days above treeline! Last year was the first year that I had ever done a high country mule deer hunt and I got absolutely hooked on it. So, the fact that I get to return this year is causing anticipation to shoot through the roof.
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!
What do you get when you combine an ultralight backpacking company with a high end technical clothing brand in the hunting industry? You get a list of gear that needs to be on all backcountry hunter’s radar. Earlier this year, Nemo Equipment and First Lite came together and released a line of gear specifically geared towards the backcountry hunter. This new Nemo x First Lite line includes shelters, sleeping bags, sleeping pads, and more. Among that list are two shelters that have the weight conscious hunter in mind. The Spike 1p and Recurve 2p. Both were made for going light and fast. With Nemo’s track record of developing stellar, dependable shelters for backcountry enthusiasts and First Lite’s intimate knowledge base of backcountry hunting and technical fabrics, these two shelters are sure to impress. The only way to really find out though, is to get them dirty.
It’s June, it’s hot, and the Fall Hunting Seasons are coming in fast! Before we know it, we’re all going to be chasing our dreams in the mountains and making some incredible memories in the process. In light of the new season approaching, I wanted to introduce a new video series I’ve been working on. The series is going to be called Dialed in Diaries, and it’s exactly what it sounds like. A video diary of my entire hunting season, along with the folks that I have the pleasure of sharing camp with. From failures to triumphs and everything in between.
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.
It’s trail camera day! A few episodes back I set a few trail cameras for my upcoming spring bear tag here in Arizona. These are set on secluded water sources that looked pretty “beary” to me. It’s been over a month since I’ve been there, so my brother and I were pretty stoked to drop down into this country and pull these cards.
My plan with this hunt is to check my trail cameras one more time before the opener. That will be about 2-3 days out from when I’m actually planning to hunt for a few days. If I’ve got bears hitting my cameras regularly, then I’ll backpack down into this area and sit the water. If they aren’t quite hitting the water yet, I’m going to backpack into a different area and put the glass to use for a spot and stalk hunt. Either way, I’m stoked to get out there! You’ll also see me pick out potential camp spots in the video below.
One of the things I’m most excited about with this particular area where my cameras are is that it’s where my spring bear hunting bug started. I knew next to nothing back then. At that point, I had never even seen a spring bear. This was the first spot I had ever hunted spring black bears in Arizona, and one that I’ve thought about since then. Returning is pretty nostalgic for me, which makes the trips all the more better. Harvesting a bear there would be nothing short of epic for me. Another thing I’m excited about is I don’t usually ambush hunt. Spot and stalk hunting is usually my main course of action. Sitting water like this and waiting brings a whole different level of adrenaline. When an animal comes into an area that doesn’t know you’re there, it’s a great way to get the blood pumping. Not to mention, if that animal is a black bear.
As always, if you like the video, I’d super appreciate if you hit the like button and SUBSCRIBE to the Youtube and blog to stay up to date with future posts. This whole video thing I’ve undertaken over the past 6 months has been a learning process for sure. I’ve been enjoying every second of sharing the adventure with you all though. Thanks for watching and until next time, stay safe out there.
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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Here we are! Winter is finally starting to wave through the rear view mirror and spring is coming in hot. Turkeys are starting to gobble, vegetation is greening up and the bears are coming out to play. It truly is one of my favorite times of the year. In this episode, we continue with the spring bear hunting season 2020. My brother and I head up for a few days to try our hand at finding a lurking spring bear. We head into an area that we’ve never been before and experience all sorts of weather.
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