BlackOvis Holiday Gift Guide

If you have a person in your life that loves the outdoors,  buying gifts during the holidays can be a tricky undertaking. Hunters can be very opinionated about their gear choices. Was that a nice way to say that? You never know the size they need or which color and camo pattern they prefer. Everyone wants to give a great gift but we don’t always have the information we need to pick exactly the right thing. With this in mind, I have tried to compile a few ideas that should work for any outdoor person in your life. The list below does not require you to know size, pattern, or preference.  It is all solid hunting gear that would be welcomed by any hunter regardless of skill level or age.

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Whitetail 365 Day Preparation

Most hunting seasons are a month or a couple of months out of the year. As the industry continues to expand and passions grow, those couple of months out of the year are not enough for most enthusiasts. When it comes to whitetail hunting, I personally think it provides the most out-of-season work, if you're willing to take it on. Throughout this article I will highlight a lot of the types of work that can be done throughout the year as the seasons progress. Keep in mind that I reside in Iowa and all weather patterns may not match up with other states.

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Rainwear Guide

Rain gear is a purpose-built layer that is great for rain, wind, and snow. It will be the most water-resistant piece in your layering system. High-quality rain gear will be waterproof and breathable. In comparison to other fabrics rain gear is made out of a tougher material that is water-resistant, but also noisier. The type of rain gear that I bring depends on the season and type of hunt.  

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Hawk Tree Saddle

By now most modern hunters have heard of a tree saddle or understand the concept of one. There are still some though who definitely looked confused when you throw the term “tree saddle” out there. The past couple of years they have grown a lot in popularity, especially for those who are into mobile hunting. Dive in with me as I talk about my first experience trying one out and what my initial thoughts are of the Hawk Tree Saddle.

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Kill Kit Essentials

The purpose of a kill kit is to have all the essential items organized in one place to process an animal in the field.   This list can vary a bit based on personal preference but in my opinion, there are some critical items that should be considered for every kit.  Here is a breakdown of what is in mine.

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New Sitka Dew Point Rain Gear Review

I just returned from a week-long black bear hunt on Prince of Whales Island in Alaska.    Prince of Wales Island is located about 600 miles north of Seattle, Washington in Southeast Alaska near Ketchikan.  The island gets about 220 inches of rain per year and 39 feet of snow.  This is compared to about 10-12” of rain where I live in Utah on an annual basis. 

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How to Choose a Hunting Sock

One of the first phone calls I took when I started doing Customer Service for BlackOvis was a gentleman who had just retired from his job. He explained that he was 71 years old and figured he had 15 or 20 years left. One of his retirement gifts to himself was buying 365 pairs of socks. For the first year of retirement he would get to wear a brand new pair of socks every day! Most likely each pair would only be worn a couple of dozen times before he passed away. This guy was my hero! 

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Elk Calling Setup and Tactics

I’m so pumped that elk season is just around the corner.  In a few short weeks, we will be piling into the backcountry in search of the magical sound of a bugling bull elk.  Even if you are only hunting over the counter tags for spikes or cow elk in Utah, for me, hearing that first bugle of the season is exhilarating.  Getting close enough to that elk for a shot opportunity is a whole different story.  This article will focus on my approach to getting close to elk and setting up on them for an optimal shot opportunity. 

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Important, But Often Forgotten Gear

We have so much information at the tips of our fingers.  Within seconds, you can search online for pretty much anything and start learning about it.  When it comes to hunting and the outdoor related topics, you can quickly and easily find information online.  From gear reviews and tactics to how-to articles and trip recaps, it’s all just a click away.  But there are certain lessons that we will inevitably end up learning on our own the hard way.  Maybe we simply never stumbled onto the right article or bit of information that would have helped us be better prepared for a certain situation.  I know I have learned a lot from reading reviews, articles, and forum posts about all sorts of different topics, and I also feel like I’ve learned quite a bit through personal experience.  The purpose of this article is to go over some items that can be easily overlooked, but be invaluable in the field in the right situation.  Alexander Graham Bell once said ‘before anything else, preparation is the key to success.’  Preparation can also be the key to comfort, and more importantly, safety.  Here are some items that I will usually have with me on all day trips, and I never head into the backcountry for any extended period of time without.

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