Resources
By Alex Comstock
This time of the year, anything I can do to scratch my deer hunting itch, I do it. I don't know if it's a coincidence or not, but it seems to me that every year once bucks start becoming identifiable, I start going deer crazy on another level. There are a few hunting films that I like to watch over and over again, and during the summer, these films get me even more pumped for deer season to get here.
By Alex Comstock
Have you ever searched for a piece of hunting clothing that seemed to be the ultimate warrior? I mean that one garment that goes with you everywhere, on seemingly every hunt? Recently, I have came across quite possibly the best hunting garment I have ever owned, and I wanted to give it a quick review for you. This winter, I decided to switch over my hunting clothing to a more "technical gear" type of clothing and chose Sitka Gear. I'm usually the one wearing about fifteen layers when it gets below freezing, and I wanted to become more efficient with my layering system. Knowing that I wanted to switch to this type of gear, I knew it would be expensive, and have started switching over slowly, but surely. One of the first new pieces of clothing that I picked up was the Sitka Gear Fanatic Hoody, and let me tell you it hasn't disappointed me.
By Alex Comstock
Online media and blogs have continually grown more and more over the years. I would venture to say that a majority of people that consume their deer hunting information does so online. With that said, I wanted to focus on a few blogs that I read, and that contain a wealth of knowledge which I believe are worth following. So here we go in no particular order.
Rather recently, I was turned on to a book titled Growing & Hunting Quality Bucks, authored by Tom Indrebo. Tom is the owner of Bluff Country Outfitters, located in Buffalo County, Wisconsin. I was chatting with a friend who knows Tom, and he highly recommended that I read the book. Naturally, when I get a book recommendation, I don't hesitate to read it, as reading is something that I love to do. With all of that said, lets jump in to the review of the book, and what made it such a great read.
Recently, it seems as though I've been getting a number of questions on what it costs to film your hunts. Though this can vary, largely depending on what kind of quality footage you are looking for, what your intent is with filming, how nice of gear you want, etc. I will give a breakdown of what it cost me to get into filming this year. What it cost me will not be an exact cost for everybody, but it should give you a general idea what you might be able to afford, and what kind of quality you can get out it. With all of that said, lets jump into the breakdown.
By Alex Comstock
So often, deer hunting becomes a single track activity. There is only one thing on our mind, and that is to kill deer, or hunt mature bucks, and success is directly correlated to whether or not you end up over a expired deer at the end of a blood trail. So much gets lost during the pursuit of these animals, and I think it is important to take time, and remember everything else that makes deer hunting so special.
By Alex Comstock
We've got a problem. It's something that we don't like to admit, but it's there, right in front of us. There is a glowing problem that I continue to see within our community and our deer hunting industry as a whole. What we do about this problem could ultimately decide what direction our industry heads. Do we turn this into a positive, or let it dictate us and have deer hunting spiral out of control? It really boils down to you and me.
Hawk Helium Hang on Stand: Let's start out with the stand itself, and the positives that go with it. First of all, it is very well put together. This is the first actual nice stand I have owned, and it is easy to tell how much better put together it is than a cheap $30 stand from Menards. Simply put, I felt exponentially safer in the tree. Next, it is light. It is rated at 10lbs, with a 21" by 27" platform. It is small and compact enough to pack in easily, and is big enough to be comfortable when sitting in. Also, the seat is extremely comfortable. It is by far the most comfortable seat cushion I have ever sat on while being in a tree. Last, but not least, it gripped the tree very well. It was a quick setup, and was very sturdy while in use. What I like about this stand is its price, as it retails at $129.
Nowadays it seems as though everybody is carrying a camera with them into the woods. Whether you want to make your own TV show, film for fun, or like to put YouTube videos together, we all film for different reasons. If you're new to self filming, or are thinking about starting to partake in it, you've got to ask yourself one vital question. If you've been self filming for some time now, you've already answered it. Camera or Deer?
Hunting gear is expensive, no doubt about it. Especially if you want decent quality with your gear, it can get really really expensive. Thankfully, there are ways out there to avoid paying full price for quality hunting gear. Whether that be clothing, bows, rangefinders, boots, you name it, the following four ways are what I've found to be the best way to buy quality discounted gear.
Hunting packs, I don't know what I'd do without mine. I'm not sure how some folks can go on a hunt without one. My pack is always filled not only with items of necessity, but plenty of things I don't need as well causing quite the heavy weight on my back. You don't necessarily need quite the overkill that I have, but here are 7 things you should always have in your pack, no matter what time of the year it is.
Forums, we've all heard about them. I'm guessing more negative than positive. Forums have known to become pretty nasty at times, especially when people get the slightest bit offended. If you haven't heard of The Hunting Beast forum, it's time to look into it. For the longest time, I had known of The Hunting Beast, and it's creator Dan Infalt, but I never took the time to join. Recently, I finally did, and boy am I happy I made that decision.
Do you love watching hunting shows, or have a particular show you love to watch, but you don't have cable or get a certain channel? Since about May, I stopped receiving cable to save on some money, but in turn, not getting to watch the Sportsmans Channel or Outdoor Channel was killing me. I had heard of CarbonTV before, but never really thought too much of it. That was a mistake. If you are a deer junkie as I am, CarbonTV is a must have, and is a great way to get that whitetail fix while counting down the days until opener in your state.
Binge watching hunting shows, it's a serious case for most of us. Recently, I've become guilty of this as I binge watched all of Midwest Whitetail's new online TV show, Chasing November. I am a big fan of Bill Winke and the work that the guys do over at Midwest Whitetail, and Chasing November is no different.
Bowhunting whitetails is my greatest passion in life. For most of you reading this, I would assume that line of thought probably falls into your belief as well. I absolutely love the chess match that one plays when trying to hunt and ultimately harvest a mature buck. My favorite time of the year is hunting in September, because I can pattern and really learn how a deer lives in the summer, and then apply it to hunting him early in the season while he is still on that summer pattern. More often than not, when a buck sheds his velvet, there is a change in his testosterone levels. This usually goes hand in hand with a change in home range. This can take place anytime within a couple weeks of the velvet coming off the antlers, which usually occurs sometime in the first week or two of September. Based on that notion, most bucks home range will change sometime at the end of September, or very beginning of October.
Podcasts are a great way to get that whitetail fix, or to soak in hunting information. I personally enjoy listening to podcasts because I don't have to stop what I'm doing to read a magazine or watch a TV show. It gives me the ability to digest information while driving, working out, mowing the lawn, walking the dog, etc. etc. Simply plug in your headphones, turn your favorite podcast on, and your ready to go. With the 2016 hunting season almost upon us, here is my top 5 (in no order) hunting podcasts to listen to this year.
Sometimes the days can drag on when it's not actually deer season. How do you get your whitetail fix when your craving the days of sitting in a deer stand? I know for me personally, I try to soak in as much as I can. I'm constantly reading books and magazines, and watching TV and web shows. I have found that there is a lot of dramatized material in the hunting industry these days. But there is a lot of good information out there as well. I'm going to go over some of my favorites. Do you agree with me?
