Anyone can buy a highly specialized shotgun designed specifically for the ugly head of a gobbler, but don’t think you’ve gotta get crazy with your setup to have success. Instead, just keep your shots to a reasonable distance—inside 50 yards—and consider the following tips.
Read MoreAs the mountains thaw and green up, bears emerge from hibernation and resume their quest for a full belly. Entire autumn hunting seasons can pass without a single bear sighting, but spring bears are usually more visible and easier to locate. With a few simple guidelines and some effort this spring, you will see bears and maybe even secure some delicious wild game meat.
Read MoreMany factors that make or break an elk hunt are out of your control: the wind swirls and sends your scent right into the nose of an incoming bull or another hunter pushes the herd out of the drainage. However, you can control your physical fitness. We interviewed elk hunting and calling legend Corey Jacobsen and garnered these tips to maximize your performance in the mountains.
Read MoreWhen it comes to preparing your own backcountry safety kit the biggest factor I feel is important is really evaluating every piece of gear you are carrying. Do you have the knowledge on how to properly use the item? Should you spend time learning with it before the season? A little effort can take a basic kit and turn it into something that can ultimately save your life.
Read MoreThis will be one of the hardest hunts out there to stay motivated. Some days, you might find ten bulls and other times you may not see an elk in ten days. Keeping your head in the game can be very difficult. A good hunting partner is invaluable for these types of hunts, but even small creature comforts can really help. Pack foods you like, take warm clothes and build fires during the slow times of the day. I've recently begun investing more of my time in photography and have found this as a fun way to take a 20 minute break from staring at the world at 10X.
Read MoreAcross the West, elk reside in a diverse set of habitat types and bedding grounds in each habitat vary significantly; therefore, it is my opinion that this can be the most difficult point on the triangle to identify. In fact, you may have to go back to your map and use the data you have collected for a little assistance. When you checked your water source(s), you should have identified at least one well-used trail and established which direction elk travel as they come to or leave water sources.
Read MoreA well-established wallow in that home zone can be a great place to set up and kill a bull that you have scouted during the early season. Even after the rut has kicked in and bulls are attending cows, they will continue to wallow; however, by that point, it could be many miles from where they spent the summer.
Read MoreThis article was to serve merely as a template to base your own kill kit off of. The items I carry have been refined and refined over the years and I feel like I have a setup that meets my needs perfectly. The kit is nothing special other than a bag that houses everything you need once a tag has been punched. Be creative, but smart, in your approach to building your system and decide what items need to be upgraded, cut or added.
Read MoreLayering systems might differ slightly from climate to climate, but the foundation remains. Nowadays, having a layering system is an absolute must for me and, truth be told, I won't do it any other way. Since I have changed my ways, I have never been more comfortable out in the field. Because of that, I find myself spending way more time in the field—no matter the conditions. This transfers into more animals spotted, which inevitably leads to more opportunities to fill that tag.
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