Gear & Optics

There it is! An answer! The best thing an archery elk hunter could ask for. It was a reply to my location bugle, deep down in a nasty Idaho backcountry hell hole.

With outdoor gear companies churning out excursion-size packs at a fevered pitch, I was anxious to get Sitka’s take on the bread and butter of a backcountry hunter’s gear.

I am no different than the next hunter in that I always look for something to make my hunt better. My old blind bag was wearing out and I was glad when I got my hands on the new Old School Camo Blind Bag offered by Lifetime Decoys. 

I’m not one to rely on a piece of untested equipment on a hunt unless I have a backup for it, therefore I started the fall hunting season with the Havalon Evolve multi-tool and Rebel in my pack, backed up with a couple of other skinning knives I had used previously. I was anxious to see how they held up over the course of several months of hard use, with Alaska’s and Montana’s big game seasons as the trial runs.

Familiarizing yourself with your weapon system components and personal marksmanship ability is the best investment that you can make to notch that tag during hunting season.

Looking to make dad smile this June 16? We have you covered. Peruse the following items and select something special for dear old dad.

Elk Mountain Tents have created a traditional style wall tent with some very innovative features while solving some of the issues that plague traditional canvas tents.

I had the opportunity to try out some First Lite gear this fall and couldn’t wait to put it through its paces. Until this year, I had only owned one piece of their clothing and had about loved it to death so I was anxious to see what the folks at First Lite had been working on. With several deer, antelope and elk hunts planned for the fall across Montana, I was confident I could put it through the wringer and see how the different pieces performed.

Bushnell has been all over the map in recent years, in terms of levels of products. They have spent a lot of time solidifying their place at the table on high-end products, like the XRS and HDMR, both contenders in military circles. Then they will turn around and introduce sub $200 scopes, such as the Engage series. It can get a bit, well, confusing. So I am very happy with what seems to be a recent change to the product lines.