Western Hunter

A Special Fraternity Western hunters are drawn to mountains. Our appetite is for rugged terrain, steep slopes, clean air, and the effort required to pursue wild creatures in often unrelenting habitat. Many non-hunters think our quest is about only the kill, but we know it’s more. It’s about the experience, the challenges, and the journey. […] The post The Mountains Speak appeared first on Western Hunter. View the full article

Three reasons you may be having a hard time using a diaphragm call When it comes to using diaphragm elk calls, there are three reasons why I feel they excel over any other style of elk call: versatility, realism, and being “hands-free”. It’s hard to argue that there is a more versatile option for calling elk than the […] The post Overcoming the Struggle: Diaphragm Calls. appeared first on Western Hunter. View the full article

During my annual late-season archery hunt in Montana, a good friend of mine missed a “slam dunk” shot at a fantastic buck. He was incredibly upset, but also certain there had to be a problem with his bow. We set out for camp to see if we could correct the problem. We quickly confirmed his […] The post Shoot Better Now: 12 Setup Tips for Bowhunting Success appeared first on Western Hunter. View the full article

Thanks to new technologies, some great 10x42s can be had for less than $1000 Technology is growing at an exponential rate. Examples of this phenomenon are all around us. The old record player and LP’s dominated the music industry for decades. Then came 8-track players and cassettes, kings for their own timeframes. The CD player […] The post Some “Grand” Binocular Choices appeared first on Western Hunter. View the full article

Memories & Visions My favorite memory as a child was standing up in the back of my grandfather’s 1963 Willys CJ-5, holding onto the roll bar, and looking for bucks. California’s A Zone hunting season was definitely my favorite time of year. I never missed a weekend hanging out and learning everything about the outdoors. As […] The post This One’s For Gramps: Paying tribute the best way a hunter knows how, by Mike McCall appeared first on Western Hunter. View the full article

It is no secret that athletic performance is directly linked to diet and nutrition. Gone are the days when elite athletes ate pizza and drank beer after every game or workout. As the old saying goes, “You are what you eat,” and thanks to companies like Train to Hunt, Wilderness Athlete, and Journal of Mountain […] The post Livin’ Right; Eatin’ Right: For peak hunting performance, quality meals are a must appeared first on Western Hunter. View the full article

As outdoorsmen and women, there’s nothing we love more than the feeling that is achieved while navigating the rugged terrain found atop the highest peaks in the world. We all love the beauty of nature – these wild places worn with time are a sight to behold. Yet at home, in the privacy of our […] The post Skinny Fat: Tips To Cure The Syndrome appeared first on Western Hunter. View the full article

Any serious precision shooter worth his salt will tell you hand-loading your own ammo is the best way to ensure consistent performance – and he’d be right. That said, hand loads require three things I often find in short supply: time, money, and patience. For those fortunate enough to have an abundance of those things, […] The post Going Ballistic: Getting the most out of factory ammunition appeared first on Western Hunter. View the full article

Hunting shots are almost always improvised, so you must prepare. When I first started hunting, my father taught me how to shoot a rifle by constructing a rest from whatever resources you had to use at the time of the shot. This training early in my life was an invaluable tool that has built my […] The post Training For the Shot appeared first on Western Hunter. View the full article

Alaska is a dream hunting destination, it is wild, vast, and is home to animals not found in the lower 48. Providing a lot of opportunity for the DIY hunter. The only downside is that planning the hunt can seem like a logistical nightmare. Alaska might as well be a foreign country. The distance from […] The post Planning for a North Country Adventure appeared first on Western Hunter. View the full article

Know it or you’ll pay a permanent price I love backpack hunting; it reaches deep into my soul. The demand the mountain places on you, and that which you place on yourself, sharpens you physically and mentally. The accomplishment that comes with it and the feeling it provides is second to none. However, there’s a […] The post Backpacking: The Fine Line Between Tough and Dumb. appeared first on Western Hunter. View the full article

Packable rafts might just open you up to a new world Packraft hunting isn’t a subject often discussed by hunters in the western U.S. Alaskan hunters have been using them for over a decade, but most hunters in the Lower 48 haven’t even heard of packrafts, let alone have an idea about the hunting […] The post Floating a New Idea appeared first on Western Hunter. View the full article

For many, planning a hunt is a bittersweet endeavor. It is as much tedious and time-consuming as it is exciting and wrought with tradition. Despite the conflicting emotions, or perhaps in part because of them, we endure the process year after year in hopes of learning more about ourselves and returning with meat for our […] The post Tagline: April – May 2019 appeared first on Western Hunter. View the full article

This Ain’t Disney To me, coyotes are to the land what sharks are to the ocean. Like a shark, coyotes will eat almost anything. It doesn’t matter if it’s a mouse or a moose, a grasshopper or a grouse. If a coyote can kill it and eat it, then it’s going to get eaten. If […] The post How to Call in More Land Sharks appeared first on Western Hunter. View the full article

The Rollercoaster I looked up at the sky and heaved a sigh of frustration. Taking a deep breath, I looked around at the golden foliage in the fading light and tried to take stock of the moment. I reminded myself that I was fortunate to simply be there – hunting rutting elk in one of […] The post Enjoy the Ride, by David Burgess appeared first on Western Hunter. View the full article

It really doesn’t matter how good your camera and lens are if you don’t take care of them. A clean, clear lens is paramount to letting your images reach their potential. I’ve cringed more than once watching photographers carry their expensive telephoto lenses over their shoulder with the lens element facing the sky while walking […] The post Lens Care: An Ounce of Prevention is Worth a Pound of Cure appeared first on Western Hunter. View the full article

Horse and mule packing gear has changed very slowly over time. In fact, the sawbuck pack saddle dates back to the time of Genghis Khan. This saddle design was used by the American Indians and was the foundation of the pack gear used by the fur trappers and prospectors playing a significant role in opening […] The post New Gear for the Hunting Horseman: A time-tested art can still occasionally use a slight tweak appeared first on Western Hunter. View the full article

Trent Williams, Wyoming, 2015 “There are certainly risks with hunting solo in this type of country, but I’ll be taking this gamble again. With a gentle mountain breeze blowing from the bull to me, I sat there on my knees, arrow nocked, bow ready, and a rangefinder reading of 38 yards. I had made it! […] The post All In: A hunter gambles on big elk vs. potentially dangerous conditions appeared first on Western Hunter. View the full article

Elk are big, tough animals. Even with well-executed shots, tracking is an essential skill to ensure recovery. Understanding elk anatomy will help you before the shot, and it will help you analyze the hit – and the ensuing tracking job – after the shot. Obviously, the main goal is to get an arrow or a […] The post The Anatomy of An Elk: Proper knowledge of shot angles and placement is “vital” appeared first on Western Hunter. View the full article

Making a living hunting elk is a dream job, but there is little information on how to actually make that happen. One question I get asked frequently is, “How do I become an elk hunting guide?” If you want to be a lawyer or teacher, there are well-defined paths to those professions. The same info […] The post Land Your Dream Job: How to become an elk guide appeared first on Western Hunter. View the full article

First Lite didn’t “invent” merino wool. It was around, but few in the hunting world even knew about it. First Lite Founder, Kenton Carruth, wore some on snowmobile and backcountry skiing trips in 2003 and was amazed by its functionality and comfort. Soon, he began researching it. It did wonders to draw moisture away from […] The post Gear Legends: First Lite Merino Wool appeared first on Western Hunter. View the full article

Elk encompass a wide variety of terrain across the West, from big alpine basins in the Rockies to sage country of the high desert. Of their typical haunts, no area can be as daunting to hunt as thick/dark timber – the seemingly endless conifer forests that aren’t glassable. This type of terrain can be tough […] The post Timber Topography: Using a topo map to locate elk in the dark timber appeared first on Western Hunter. View the full article

A good hunting partner is like a good bird dog…you’re lucky if you get one great one in a lifetime. For the hunting horseman, a great hunting partner who also knows how to pack with stock is priceless. Each year of packing into the mountains and hunting elk is another great adventure. Fall of 2015 […] The post A Great Hunting Partner: The Forgotten Secret to a Truly Successful Hunt appeared first on Western Hunter. View the full article

Not to be left out of the revenue generation game, New Mexico has implemented their own. For 2019, the previously refundable hunting license fee ($65) will no longer be refundable. In addition to that, the Habitat Stamp and Habitat Management and Access Validation Stamp is now required to apply, at a cost of $10. The […] The post Hunt Tracker: New Mexico appeared first on Western Hunter. View the full article

“All the stalks that go wrong make the ones that go right just that much sweeter” Justin Davis, Colorado, 2017. I peered at the buck through the spotter as he fed with his ten buddies in the high alpine basin. It was the evening before opening day of the Colorado archery season and I couldn’t […] The post Picture Perfect – Justin Davis appeared first on Western Hunter. View the full article