There is a part of me that would want to start this story out the day I arrived in elk camp this year here in Arizona. However, it just doesn’t start there. The area that I drew my tag in has become one of the most special places to me. I frequent it year round and have had many firsts come to life right in those very hills. The first time I ever saw an elk bugle happened right there. I remember him trotting and bugling at the same time. Like he was trying to assert his dominance over the herd. The first deer I ever took the life from happened 300 yards away from that. It was a coues spike that meant the world to me. Not a mile away from that, I wrapped my tag around my first bear. An experience that lit a fire under me that still burns bright today. Now, it was my turn to try my hand at elk hunting in these hills that I’ve called a second home.
Success or successful are words that get thrown around a lot in the hunting world. You hear it all of the time when folks are telling hunting stories or talk of hunts that have yet to come. “Were you successful? Did you find success?” I think the first thing that most think of when they hear this is filling a tag. That is what equates success on a hunt. Maybe, on the surface. There is much more to it though. As we dive into another fall hunting season, let’s dive below that surface a bit and remember why we are out there.
This post is sponsored by Everywhere Agency on
behalf of FoodSaver®; however, all thoughts and
opinions expressed are my own.
We live in a digital age. There is no getting away from that. Social media, internet TV, and online businesses are a very real thing. If you said that stuff to me 25 years ago, I would have no idea what you were talking about. Fast forward to today, and it is our new normal. Less and less kids are getting outside and more are sitting inside, in front of a screen. Most adults are bound to a desk for their 9-5 grind in a cubicle. No sunlight, no fresh air. Just keyboards and screens. Yeah, you could say that things are a bit different nowadays.
When the month of August rolls around, I have one thing on my mind when it comes to hunting. For those that know me, you know that the answer to that is bears. Over the years, bears have become my favorite species to pursue here in Arizona. This hunt that takes place at the end of August has become one of my most anticipated hunting camps of the year. I get together with friends and family to escape the heat/daily grind of city life. Camp is filled with shenanigans, laughs, and sometimes we come home with something that has a tag wrapped around it. While this is mainly a bear hunt for me most years, this year was different. For one, we had some new company in camp. Good company and some folks that I wouldn’t hesitate sharing a camp with again. For another, I had already filled my bear tag earlier this spring. I still had a deer tag in my pocket though…
I can see it now. After just arriving to camp on my first backcountry hunt, I felt lost in a sense. Not because of where I physically was, but with what to do and how to do it. The flow of backcountry living just hadn’t hit me yet. Just like anything, it was only a matter of time though. Every backpack hunt since then, things get a little more efficient every time I go. It is a rhythm that I still do this day try to catch up with. If you’ve spent any deal of time in the backcountry, this phrase probably rings true to you. Efficiency is everything. The fact of the matter is backcountry hunting is just plain hard. Here are 3 ways that have helped me personally be more efficient in the backcountry.
We are currently coming up on the middle of August as I sit here and write this. If you are anything like me, you have been salivating for months anticipating what is to come. I’ve been shooting my bow all year long, dialing in gear, and making sure that I stay in the best shape that I can. Preparation is key. One of those gear items that I think is beyond important to get squared away is your boots. Our boots are our wheels essentially on our trips through the mountains. If you don’t spend the proper amount of time and take the necessary precautions with boots, you might be in for a world of hurt come your hunt. If you feet go out, your hunt might follow. Nobody wants that. Let’s take a look at 5 tips for choosing a hunting boot.
As a person goes through the learning process of anything, I think it is only natural to want to soak up as much info as possible. Be it through the internet, magazines, books, or just having a chat with someone that is more experienced than you on the matter. I turned to all of these outlets when I first started bowhunting. We live in a day and age where we have an endless amount of information at our fingertips. Anything that we want to know is just a few clicks and swipes away. Aside from the intel I gained through the internet, there were a few books that stood out to me though. Books that I continue to read over and over again. They are timeless.
It seems every year that goes by, I am constantly searching for ways to lighten up my pack for the backcountry, and this year is no exception. One of the bigger items in our packs is going to be our shelter. I started out hauling around a 7 pound tent for hunts. After that, I moved to a 3 pound ultralight tent. There is still room for improvement though right? This had me considering some of the trekking pole style shelters. Going this route would eliminate the need for tent poles and free up even more room in my pack. I have been running a Nemo Hornet 2P shelter for a few years with no hiccups. When I saw that Nemo was coming out with an ultralight trekking pole style shelter that had a floor to it, I was immediately intrigued. Sooner than later, the Nemo Spike Storm 1P shelter was on my doorstep. I could not wait to get this thing in the field for testing.
For the past few years I have been a heavy advocate of replaceable blade knives. The idea of not having to deal with sharpening a blade out in the field was very appealing to me. They have worked great for me, but they do have their drawbacks. One being that the blades can tend to break, depending on which model knife you are using. This can be a pain in the butt when you are in the middle of taking care of an animal and your knife is gunked up with fat and meat. It’s also quite dangerous, so this year I decided to change things up a bit and try out a fixed blade knife. I have always heard great things about Benchmade and the quality/longevity of their knives. After witnessing a friend take care of a bear without sharpening the blade once, I was sold. The Hidden Canyon Hunter, by Benchmade, had my attention.
Ever since I was a kid, I have been a planner. Knowing what laid before me for the day was something that I took pride in doing. Whether it was who’s house we were going to hang out at that day, or where we were planning on eating, I wanted to know. “Going with the flow” was never really in my repertoire. With how our lives our structured, this makes a lot of sense to me. We live on a schedule. Those are going to differ from person to person, but they are there. We get up, go to work, come home, eat dinner, and go to bed. There might be some other things sprinkled in there, but for the most part, there ya have it. Breaking that monotony is downright uncomfortable for some. The unknown can be a terrifying reality.
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