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    New Guy Trying Elk

    I gotta ask, does this mean you're a new hunter chasing elk for the first time? Or completely new to hunting, and starting with archery elk?
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    Are Thermal Devices Ethical For Predawn Scouting and Hiking?

    If it's a shared public resource, then I absolutely care what other people are doing. This is why we don't allow spotlighting for deer, why wanton waste laws exist, why you can't use snares for big game. Any number of things. Just because most of these laws were settled before our time doesn't...
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    Are Thermal Devices Ethical For Predawn Scouting and Hiking?

    I'd normally agree with you, but not with emerging technology. Drones were pretty much legal for hunting, until they weren't. It took enough people seeing them as an issue and creating new laws to deal with it. The law had to catch up with the ethics. I'm just glad they did this before it became...
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    Sportsmans Promo Code?

    They've sent me the same promo codes, they exclude firearms, ammunition, and gift cards unfortunately.
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    Are Thermal Devices Ethical For Predawn Scouting and Hiking?

    Hard no from me. I tend to think of ethics in terms of "what would hunting look like if this became the norm", because on a personal level I absolutely see the temptation. If everybody starting buying handheld IRs, guys would be cruising the timber like the Predator, making moves on bucks that...
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    Camouflage marketing

    As far as camouflage goes, I've always found it interesting that people will wear head to toe matching camouflage... when the only thing really sticking out of the brush is their bright pink face. It's been my experience that a good facemask does more to hide a person in bow range than any...
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    Hiker lost on Colorado mountain for more than 24 hours ignored calls from rescuers because they 'didn't want to pick up an unknown number'

    The way I read the article is that he didn't make it back before it got dark, hiked out in the morning, and never really considered himself in an emergency situation needing rescue. Once he was back in town, he started getting unknown calls and didn't answer them - no surprise. Probably didn't...
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    Opinions on the $400 range of spotting scopes?

    I've used Swaro and Razor scopes with comparable objective lenses side by side. There's a noticeable difference in poor light, but at low magnifications I'd say the Razor was 95% of the Swaro. In good lighting I couldn't notice a difference, but the Swaro definitely edges it out when you're...
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    Opinions on the $400 range of spotting scopes?

    This is my exact experience with the lower end spotting scopes. Field of view is too small, image is too dark, and clarity just isn't there. And that's at the lowest magnifications. Only use I can think of is maybe for the range. Seriously useless for anything in the field, I put the scope away...
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    Give them time or not? That is the question.

    For what it's worth, I think you made the right call. Or at least the most prudent one. I had a real similar situation this year and made the same decision to back out overnight rather than pursue and potentially bump a marginal hit in the dark. Came back at first light, followed the blood...
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    Arrow failure or bad setup vs Elk

    My experience is that we are often pretty poor judges of shot impact in the moment, I've walked up on so many "perfect broadside shots" (mine and others) that turned out to be quartering, or high, or low, or any number of things. Especially at 60yds. Have you considered that the first shot was...
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    Elk in the rain

    Forecast for Oregon seems like Saturday might be decent hunting, but Sunday is looking too heavy to archery hunt in most areas. A decent amount of rain can wipe a blood trail out pretty quick, so if you make any kind of marginal hit and need to give it some time, that isn't always an option...
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    Rain gear for western Washington?

    Yeah, if you're hunting in the brush and not just sitting clearcuts, it's hard to avoid getting at least damp. I focus on dependable layers underneath my rain gear more than the rain gear itself, that stuff just gets trashed in the Coast Range. I try to find the least expensive, solid color...
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    First Time WA Blacktail Hunter

    Cliffs? That's about it. The steepest timbered slopes you can find will still have isolated beds and trails along them, steep enough that if you're standing vertical you can reach out and touch the hill right in front of you. Like others have said, rain is good and later in the season is...
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    Thermals

    Yep, that's pretty much it. Sun heats up hills and the warmer air generally moves uphill, sun goes down and cooler air starts to slide back down the hills. Transition times can be swirly. There's some more to it, but that's the broad strokes. Count on it going down the mountain at dawn, and...
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    Packing meat out in the rain

    Hunting mostly in western Oregon, I typically carry a small cheap tarp, some very light cord, and even a few light ground stakes. Great as an impromptu shelter when the weather really sucks and I want to eat lunch in peace, plus I can pitch over an animal as I quarter it if I need to, and if I...
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    8x32's as an all-around choice

    7x35 used to be a really standard binocular, big wide field and fast acquisition for birdwatching. Not sure why it fell out of favor, I think people are in love with "more zoom" but don't quite realize what they're giving up.
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    What to eat while truck camping

    Truck camping for under a week, I pretty much just bring leftovers. Make a few bigger pots of tomato sauce with ground venison and veggies over the month before season, or chili, or whatever, put the extra away in the freezer. Heat it up over a camp stove on the tailgate, cook some pasta or...
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    New Archery Elk Hunter in Oregon

    If there's elk, they're getting water from somewhere. Just because it's not obvious and you can't find it (for now), doesn't mean it's not there. Get in there and look for elk sign, run cameras if you can.
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    Help me with treestand layering

    From my treestand experience, here's my main tips for staying warm: Don't be sweaty Heavy-weight base layers make more difference than a sweater One thick layer is better than multiple thinner layers Stop the wind Watch for conductive heat loss through your stand Sweat is key, always carry...

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