Clean eating sounded intimidating enough when I decided to try it out. Honestly, it was kind of overwhelming with all of the restrictions that would be put in place once I got going on it. They aren’t really a big deal from a bird’s eye view, but once you realize how many of those creature comfort foods you can’t eat anymore, it can become daunting. So, eating clean is one thing, but what about on hunts and not just any hunts. What about eating clean on a backpack hunt to be more specific? After doing this diet for one month during our spring bear season, I can assure you that it is entirely possible. It probably isn’t going to be what you’re used to back there, but if I can do it, you can do it too! Who knows, you might even find a few new staples in your backcountry menu!
Here is a short film of my 2019 archery deer/javelina hunt with my brother here in Arizona. Our December/January archery deer season here in Arizona is a hunt that has skyrocketed to the top of my favorites. The weather is generally great, the deer are rutting, and it’s just a phenomenal time to be out in the mountains here. The tags are over the counter and if you play your cards right, you can draw an archery javelina tag and be hunting them and rutting coues and mule deer at the same time! A great excuse to get off of the couch in the month of January! Each year my brother and I look forward to backpacking into some of our favorite units to chase deer with our bows and soak up that backcountry experience we long for. This hunt was a wild ride and one that I will never forget. You can read about it in depth at a few recent posts called 2019 January Archery Deer and Javelina Hunt (Part 1) and 2019 January Archery Deer and Javelina Hunt (Part 2) Hope you like it! I’d love to hear your feedback in the comments below!
I have gotten asked quite a bit lately about HOW I actually go about packing my backpack for a backcountry hunt. Where I am putting certain pieces of gear, how I am putting them in the pack, and why. I thought the absolute best way to convey this was with a video! Now, there are way more ways to pack for the backcountry than what I show you here. This is just what has worked for me over the years, so don’t feel like they are hard set rules. That is one of the beauties of backpack hunting. It’s all on you. After you spend more and more time in the backcountry, you will find out what works best for you and your specific style of hunting. Maybe, you like to bring an ultralight chair with you? Awesome! More power to you! Luxury comes with a price though and it is paid in weight. I wouldn’t consider my system a super ultralight kit, but it is getting there. I do enjoy things like an actual tent back there, rather than a bivy sack. You might be different and that it totally fine.
In this day and age that we live in, we have so many resources at our fingertips. Anything that you want to know is likely only a few taps or clicks away. The information is almost endless, and I love it. For us hunters, there is no shortage of captivating content to fuel our passion. Throughout that content a word that you might hear over and over again, is “backcountry.” It has become more and more popular as time has gone on and is now a regular part of many hunters’ vernacular. The world of “backcountry” hunting is a growing one. People want to feel and experience the adventure that it holds. So, what does it mean? What is the “backcountry?”
So, it began, or I should say continued. Another backpack hunt lay in front of us. This particular area has held a meaningful part in my heart for years. It is where I took my first archery deer and a place I have spent a good portion of my Dec/Jan archery deer seasons in the past. What the next few days would hold, we did not know. I did know that we would have a great time though chasing rutting bucks. On top of that, I had been seeing a herd of javelina regularly in the area. Lucky for us, Jake had a tag in his pocket.
January in Arizona has become a time of year that I cherish to the upmost. While everyone else around the country is reflecting on their past fall hunting seasons and warming themselves by a fire, I am usually out hiking around with a camp on my back in search of rutting bucks. The weather is beautiful, the deer are moving, and it’s just a great time to be out and about in our Arizona desert. My brother Jake and I usually take the first week or so in January to chase mule deer and coues deer with our bows. This year though, Jake drew an archery javelina tag, so that was on the menu as well. 8 days of backcountry hunting was in front of us and our arms were wide open.
When this comes out, our archery deer seasons here in Arizona will have started. This is definitely one of my favorite hunts of the year and a time where I get to spend a great deal of time backpack hunting here in the desert. Chasing rutting mule deer and coues deer with a bow is a perfect way to spend the month of January if you ask me. So, right now my brain is going a mile a minute trying to decide where I want to go, planning scouting trips, researching water, etc. The feelings that we have before a hunt can sometimes drive one mad. We relive moments of past hunts over and over again in our minds and inevitably head into our seasons with those experiences almost expected. The expectations of a future hunt does indeed motivate us and fuel the fire, but it can also work against us.
2018 has been absolutely jam packed with awesome hunts! I started off in January with archery deer season. From there, we drifted into spring bear for a few months, which then led into fall bear, deer, and elk. Through that time I not only made some incredible memories, but got to test out lots of gear! With the holidays coming on fast, I thought it might be a good time to highlight some of my favorite gear items of the year. Maybe you can convince your significant others to put some of these under the tree for you this year. These are in no particular order.
I just recently switched over to a fixed blade knife for my hunting endeavors and landed on the Benchmade Hidden Canyon Hunter. A phenomenal little knife that you can find my personal review on HERE. Being the gear nerd that I am though, I am always looking to better my system, especially for backcountry hunting. Things need to be lightweight and extremely functional, not to mention dependable. When I saw that Benchmade came out with an ultralight knife, tailor made for the backcountry hunter, I just knew that I would eventually have to get my hands on it. The Benchmade Altitude Knife is one that has not disappointed me in the least bit. Could this be the perfect knife for the backcountry hunter?
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.
