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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Here's a quick look at the information we've gathered on if and how much blaze orange you might need in the state you're hunting:
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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.
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.
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!
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.
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.
If someone were to ask me, “What is the most critical piece of your arrow setup?” My quick and easy answer would be BROADHEADS.
After an hour phone call with Grim Reaper National Sales Manager, Matt Bateman, and having shot Grim Reaper Broadheads for three years myself, here are a few reasons why you should consider picking up Grim Reapers this fall.
I think most hunters can agree they grew up using knives that did not have replaceable blades. Nowadays you will find lots of hunters that carry them and do not remember the last time they had to sharpen a blade. If you were to ask a handful of people which style of knife they prefer, I am sure you would get different types of answers. In this article I will help point out some of the main differences and which style of knife I would choose if I could only choose one.
When researching places to hunt elk, no scouting method is more effective than strapping on the old boot leather and roaming the woods. This method allows you to discover honey holes such as old wallows, elk rubs and perhaps even bones from a previous years kill. When you do run across one of these areas, be sure to mark it on your GPS or smart phone. The elk may not be in these areas during your early season scouting, but the bulls will surely return when the rut starts. Unfortunately, most of us don’t have enough time for this type of boots on the ground scouting, especially when hunting multiple states. So, an effective way to scout an area remotely is by using Topo maps and Google Earth. This form of scouting will give you a basic lay of the land, identify access points, and help you find remote areas which will distance yourself from the crowds. Below are a few suggestions to help you get started.