This Fall has sure been an eventful one and I couldn’t be more grateful. I just returned from a wicked trip hunting mule deer in the Idaho backcountry. While the trip was rather short, it was a great hunt that ended with a great surprise(hint hint…). And the best part, all of it is on film.
Throughout my childhood, my Dad would tell me old hunting stories from before I was around. At the time, I hadn’t really experienced much of the hunting life, so these stories sunk deep in my mind. One of those stories was of an archery deer hunt in upstate New York. It was just him and his bow. No rangefinder to speak of.
My Dad was sitting up in a tree and a lone buck came in beneath. He pulled his bow back, aimed, and let it loose thinking that deer steaks wouldn’t be far away. What really happened was he watched the arrow fly right over the buck’s back, followed by said buck running out of his life. “Should have aimed lower” my Dad said. It was my first lesson on shooting up or downhill with a bow.
It was just after Christmas. A new bow rested in my lap and I had a nice buck located in the desert that morning. He was in a lust crazed stare at a few does beneath him. All I had to do was make a small loop and my first archery deer would lay at my feet. Once I reached the base of the hill I needed to climb that would put me in shooting range, I dropped my boots and pack. Long story short, I ended up going way farther than I thought looking for the deer. I also stepped on a jumping cactus in my socks. These two instances made me question if this whole “dropping your boots” thing was really necessary for successful spot and stalk bowhunting. More experience in the coming years would tell me it wasn’t.
Each turn of the calendar I have grown to look forward to a few certain times of year. One of those times that has stolen a piece of my heart is early season high country mule deer hunting with a bow. The views are nothing short of breathtaking, as is the country beneath my feet. It steals my breath in more ways than one. And the sight of big velvet bucks feeding in what resembles a golf course and bedding in what resembles Mordor is addictive beyond measure. This past August I found myself on a solo backcountry bowhunting trip to Utah in search of such things. Along with what I’ve mentioned, I found something else. Something that will hold its weight throughout my days. Perspective.
I just returned from Utah not that long ago. It was a wicked backcountry hunt with just me and my bow that truly threw all of the highs and lows of bowhunting my way. I return to the very area that sparked my love for high country mule deer hunting and this time, the mountains rewarded me in more ways than one. So, naturally I’ve got another film in the works. It’s called “Absolute.” The teaser for this film is down below. Stay tuned in the near future for the full film release.
As always, I’d super appreciate if you hit that SUBSCRIBE button on Youtube to stay up to date with all future content. Thanks and good luck out there. Fall is here!
Rangefinders have changed the game in hunting. They take our accuracy and lethality in the field to a new level and have really become a standard for most hunters. Earlier this year Vortex Optics released a new line of rangefinders to their already fantastic lineup. They are the Crossfire HD 1400, Diamondback HD 2000, and Viper HD 3000. I was fortunate enough to get my hands on the new Vortex Diamondback HD 2000 Rangefinder and have been putting it through the ringer this year.
A quality headlamp is 100% non-negotiable for me. When the lights go out in the backcountry, the lights go out. I don’t know about you, but last I checked, my night vision was far from that of a cat’s. Late last Fall I got my hands on the Vizz from Princeton Tec. I’ve used the same headlamp for quite a few years, but there were a few things about the Vizz that caught my attention. With big shoes to fill, time would tell if the Vizz would stay in my backpack or get left at home.
Backcountry shelters are one of those things that I try and constantly pay attention to in terms of what’s available year after year. It’s one of the main items we carry on hunts and one of the biggest/heaviest in our packs. So, if I can find something that gives me a slight edge without compromising performance, I’m all ears. The new Rincon 2p tent from Argali had my attention since the day I found out about it and after a few hunts under my belt with it, I’m happy to say my assumptions were correct.
Index style release aids are without a doubt the most popular release aids in bowhunting. That’s for good reason. They are incredibly practical for the field and easy to use. A seamless transition from shooting a gun and one that you won’t have to worry about losing on a hunt, due to the wrist strap.
That seamless transition though is exactly where many run into problems though. I know I did. The running string of events is similar across the board. Someone grabs an index, says this looks easy to use, hooks it on the d-loop, and pulls the trigger. In the grand scheme of things, that’s all we’re really doing, and if that works for you, that’s awesome. Personally, I ran into issues, because there is a bit more to it than that.
Fall bear hunting is where I cut my teeth as a bear hunter. With that being said, Spring bear has really grown on me through the years. And now, it’s one of my all time favorite hunting seasons on the planet. Each year I try to make it out on several different hunts across the West with the hopes of furthering my overall knowledge of black bears, but also the hope of bringing home some tasty bear meat.
This past spring I spent 8 days bear hunting in the backcountry of Idaho with my good friend Eric. With previous experience in the area, I knew we’d find bears. What I didn’t know was how much weather we’d find. It was a grind of a hunt and the most time I’ve ever spent in a tent as we sought shelter from the rain/snow. All of that said, we had a great time, found a good amount of bears.
Copyright 2019 Dialed In Hunter
Design by NXNW.
