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.

I remember sitting on the side of a cliff with my brother, being mad at myself on the third day of our hunt.  We had just picked up a bear that morning with our glass and I chose to not try to close the distance with my bow.  Instead, I caught myself just overthinking the situation.  This led to a bunch of time wasted.  That was at 7:30 a.m.  At 10:30 a.m., I indeed picked the bear back up with my binoculars.  It happened again though, and I didn’t act.  Excuses rolled through my head about why I shouldn’t try to make that stalk.  “The bear is not going to be there when I get over there.  I don’t want to waste time going on a blind stalk.”  Before I knew it, we were heading back to the truck, dreaming of the fantastic breakfast we would have in town the next morning.  The whole time in doing so, I was frustrated.  Frustrated that I didn’t at least TRY to make something happen.

This post is sponsored by Everywhere Agency on behalf of FoodSaver®; however all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

GameSaver® 710 Big Game™ Vacuum Sealing System Review

Some of my fondest memories are from my childhood. These special times are what shaped me into the person that I am today. We are so impressionable as youngsters, and I will forever be grateful to my Father for bestowing a life in the outdoors on me. As far back as I can remember, he was taking me fishing and hunting. It was here that I learned a great deal about what hard work gets you. In order to achieve great results, I needed to put in great effort. All the while, truly appreciating what was in front of me, and the landscapes that I called home. Preserving these memories has become something incredibly important to me over the years, as is preserving our riches from these trips. I’m not talking about money, no. I’m referring to that precious organic free range protein that we are so fortunate to acquire through our great efforts. I’ve been preserving said protein through vacuum sealing for years and have full faith in its effectiveness. The GameSaver® Big Game™ Vacuum Sealing System fits that bill and here’s why.

As I sit here and write this, we are landed in the month of May.  Turkey season is upon us, spring bear seasons have gone, and more are to come.  I’m actually going through spring bear withdrawals over here myself.  That’s besides the point though.  Even with spring seasons in full effect, I know most of us have our eyes fixated on the coming fall.  You know, when a lot of us go missing for a bit or “get sick” and can’t go to work?  Things really pop off here in Arizona during the month of August.  From that point until the end of January, there is just a lot of hunting to be done.  Spending all of that time in the field, you get to know yourself pretty good out there in the quiet.  Your strengths and weaknesses are magnified on these excursions.