There are no shortage of questions that come with being a new backpack hunter. Many of them revolve around the gear side of things, and rightfully so. There is SO MUCH out there and knowing what to bring and what not to bring can seem confusing. Within that gear the Backcountry Sleep System gets a ton of attention. I’m referring to shelters, sleeping pads, and sleeping bags/quilts. It is your home away from home essentially.
In order to help paint a more clear picture, for new backpack hunters especially, I’m going to lay out my own backcountry sleep system. This is not only what I’ve used for years, but what I’ll be using for the 2024 hunting season.
Eagerness flowed through my veins as I stared through the steam of my coffee. It was January in Arizona. A beautiful time of year to be a bowhunter. Bucks were rutting does like mad and I couldn’t wait until the sun climbed its way up the horizon. At this point in my bowhunting journey, I hadn’t yet touched an animal with my arrow. I had a lot to learn back then some 10 years ago from now. One lesson that sticks out the most to me, which was a turning point in my success, was falling victim to paralysis by analysis. From my experience, the biggest mistake of new bowhunters.
I made shirts! This is something I’ve wanted to do for a long time and finally got around to it. At the moment I have two designs, but there is more merch to come. So, keep you eyes out for that. Until then, let me give you the skinny on the Dialed in Hunter Shirts available now in The Shop.
At the time of writing this, it’s late July 2024. This time of year always makes me think of one thing, besides the unrelenting heat in my great state of Arizona. It’s Fall black bears. Our archery season starts at the end of August and I just returned from my first scouting trip of the year.
If you caught my Custom Arrow Build 101 post, you saw that I got new custom arrows built up from Evolution Outdoors. Right there in the owner Dale’s shop, I was impressed with the build and the level of detail that went into making sure they were all top-notch. Looks are one thing and results are another, though. I just got back from the range with these arrows and I’m liking what I’m seeing so far.
It’s hotter than heck out, tags are arriving in the mail, and I’ve been shooting my bow as often as I can. We are knee-deep in the pre-season of hunting, otherwise known as, at least to me, the refining season. Along with shooting my bow, I’ve been trying to refine not only my shooting skills but my equipment, and arrows are a massive part of that. I do believe I have found my best arrow build to date and I’m gonna share it with you.
In March of 2020, I wrote my very first book, Becoming a Backpack Hunter. As an avid writer, this is an accomplishment I don’t take lightly in the least. I’m extremely proud of how that book turned out and even more grateful for the amount of positive support it received and still receives to this day. On this day, July 1, 2024, it brings me an immense amount of pride and joy to tell you my second book Becoming a Bowhunter – A Complete Beginner’s Guide to Archery Hunting is now officially for sale. I wish I had this when I started bowhunting.
It was about an hour before dark and I spotted a nice black bear feeding along the edge of a bluff. Quickly, I scaled the cliff I was sitting up against and scurried my way over to him. If everything worked out, I’d be able to come in from above and have a steep downhill shot at the bear. That’s exactly what happened and exactly where I learned a harsh lesson about my 3rd axis adjustment.
Serious bowhunters will likely have at least one story similar to what I’ve laid out above. I’ve been burnt more than once by 3rd axis and it’s stung each time. In order to try and save you some “sting” I’m going to give you the nitty gritty on your 3rd axis adjustment in the video below. If you’re not paying attention to 3rd axis, you’re asking to fail. Whether you’re bowhunting from a treestand or spot and stalking in the west, this applies to you.
I’ve had the pleasure of using a pile of index style releases. Some are great and some I wouldn’t care to try again. And over the last few years I’ve really come up with a certain criteria for myself on what makes a good index style release for me and my style of hunting. Usually that recipe costs a pretty penny. I just recently found a release that shatters that standard. The Stan SoleX is everything I need in an index style release aid, but with a much more affordable price tag.
I hope you enjoy the video review. If you do, please subscribe to the channel, leave a comment, you know the routine.
If you’ve used this release, I’d love to know what you think. I’m currently carrying this SoleX in my backpack as a backup release. I still prefer the Carter Like Mike II, simply because it feels more beefy than the Stan does. The Stan is every bit of functional though, and I have the same impact points with both releases. My brother uses this SoleX as his main release and he loves it. All in all, this is a fantastic index style release aid for anyone looking to get a full hook around their trigger and a surprise shot. From beginner to vet, the SoleX is a winner in my book.
Want to learn more about backpack hunting? Check out my book Becoming a Backpack Hunter: A Beginner’s Guide to Hunting the Backcountry.
Not 3 days ago I got back from what was my second round of Idaho spring bear. The first round took place in late April and I snuck away again a month later in late May. Both were backpack hunts in some of the most rugged country in the lower 48.
On the first trip, I was joined by my cameraman and friend Dillon Flint, along with two other friends Brian and Eric. Both are on the green side of bear hunting, but both are ever so eager to get after it. Early spring hunts like this are very weather-dependent in terms of bear sightings. Bears aren’t moving a ton this time of year anyway, so if any bit of nasty weather blows in, they usually shut down. We found this out very quickly.
All in all, we only turned up 2 bears in the 6 days of backpack hunting we did. They were 2 small boars that were both sticking very tight to their dens. We’d see them one day and then they’d disappear for a few days. My hope going early like this would be that we would have a better opportunity at pinning a bear down for a stalk. If it weren’t for the weather, based on what the bears were doing that we saw, the plan would have worked perfectly. We just never saw the right bear.
On the second trip, I was alone backpacking into the same country from earlier in the spring. It would be a short trip. Just a few days. With it being later in the year, I knew ALL of the bears would be out moving around. My first two days in camp were HOT. It felt more like my home state of Arizona than it did Idaho. In that time I only saw one lone bear. Again, a small bear. The weather was set to turn for the next few days with a temperature drop of 20 degrees. This is what I needed.
Once the temperature dropped, the bears really started moving. In the one day I got to hunt during this time I turned up 6 bears. A sow and 1 cub, a sow and 2 cubs, and another lone small bear. Even though I never saw a bear I wanted to go after, watching these animals never gets old. From the cubs playing with their Momma to watching little bears try and move big boulders around to uncover food underneath. It was a great hunt.
I think the number one thing I learned on this hunt is there is only so much you can control and plan for. My focus was so lasered in on bringing a bow into this landscape. It was all I could think about and something I had wanted to do for years. Not for a second did I think I wouldn’t even go on one stalk. I love Mother Nature for that. She always has a way of getting me to look at things in a different way.
Walking out of that Idaho backcountry there was a smile on my face from ear to ear. Not only was I fulfilled with another spring in Idaho, but I was looking toward the future. An August spot and stalk archery black bear hunt in my home state of Arizona. Arizona Fall Bear is very near and dear to me and I am so very eager to start my scouting and enjoy another Fall season in Arizona bear country. I have a few scouting trips already planned and will try and keep you all updated!
Want to learn more about backpack hunting? Check out my book Becoming a Backpack Hunter: A Beginner’s Guide to Hunting the Backcountry.
Copyright 2019 Dialed In Hunter
Design by NXNW.
