Gear

The dog days of summer have arrived, and we’re all dreaming about cool fall mornings filled with rutting bucks and bugling bulls. Instead of daydreaming, get out there and scratch the itch by setting trail cams, prepping stands, and summer scouting. That way, you’re fully prepared and out of excuses...

A dull knife is like a rusty car or a worn out pair of sneakers. It’s almost useless and can be quite dangerous. Your knife will get dull eventually. Rather than replace it, it’s far cheaper to sharpen it. The question is how. You can sharpen a knife on a rock. I once watched two skinners in Africa...

My dad hauled a beat-up old pop-up camper into the Virginia mountains every deer season. It wasn’t much more than a tent on wheels, just some canvas walls, a tiny two-burner stove, and barely enough room for two people to stand up. But after a hard day of climbing steep ridges and toughing out...

Hunters and anglers like to strut around in well-worn gear like they’ve earned a merit badge. Scuffed-up rifle stocks, blood-stained jackets, and threadbare packs usually tell a good story in the rips and stains. Well-earned wear is one thing. Flat-out neglect is another. Worn gear may tell a story...

A good turkey choke can turn any old shotgun into a certified gobbler getter. It might require some trial and error to figure out which turkey loads a choke patterns best, but that's part of the fun. Of course, it isn't feasible (definitely not affordable) to test every ammo and choke combination...

You don't have to be a scent-control junkie to appreciate a good pair of rubber hunting boots. They're perfect for those late-season whitetail hunts when you need to layer extra socks, run some toe warmers, and keep your scent to a minimum. But, they're also necessary if you spend a lot of time in...

Some hunters love disappearing into the wilderness and hoofing it miles. Others don’t mind a little motorization to help them punch their tags. Last fall, a Can-Am Defender saved my flatlander legs and lungs while I tagged a bull elk in Idaho, especially when it came time for the pack out. Back home...

If you ever hunt overseas, you will undoubtedly encounter DIY shooting sticks. In places where there are few trees or rocks to brace a rifle on, like parts of Africa, a tripod shooting stick is standard issue. Simple, cheap, and effective, shooting sticks allow a foot-bound hunter to brace...

The one upgrade you can make to a truck that will result in the most noticeable difference while driving is suspension. If you spend a good amount of time driving on washboard roads and rutted-up two-tracks, or maybe your county is just behind on mending potholes, a good suspension system will aid...

Whether you’re a hunter, angler, or outdoor recreator, you might find it tricky to navigate all your pursuits while balancing family time. There’s no better way to remedy this dilemma than by mixing the two. Some of my earliest memories in the outdoors involve me tagging along with my dad and...

If you spend enough time chasing game, exploring river accesses before daylight, or driving down two-tracks that barely qualify as roads, you’ll eventually realize that your truck isn’t just transportation, it’s a critical part of your gear system. Over a few articles, we’re going to dive into...

On the surface, spotting scopes have limited applications for most hunters. The whitetail crowd can put them to use for dialing in summertime bachelor groups munching away in the beans. The western crowd can employ them for on-the-job recon to locate bedded mulies, bands of early-season elk in the...