Terrain dependent. If there is a lot of brush/logs and it's not flat, then No hobbles. I'd rather chase them than have one flipped over & hung up. If it's flat and just grass, I have hobbled a few problem animals. I don't tie up at night, because I want them getting food and/or moving when it's...
I'm a bit late to the party, but mule deer hunting is something I can definitely chime in on. (Especially solo hunting). The best pack stock is the stock that can follow you into the rough & steep country. Horses and mules just ain't it! Every time I take the nags, it is more of a minus than a...
I switched to a GallagherS12 solar unit this year. That little sucker packs a punch! It is definitely not weight prohibitive with horses. I always run my basecamps with solar fencing. That way my fat lazy horses can mow down some calories and keep themselves occupied.
Wow, this thread revived from the dead! I posted it two years ago looking for colors that matched well with sagebrush. I was out of the country and didn't trust the colors based on computer images. It turned into an unsolicited tutorial, which I figured would benefit other folks, so I just let...
Has anyone put the S12 on an ounce scale??? I've got some long hunts coming up, and I'm considering switching over (for my horses at a minimum). I've seen 2.1 on the website and 2.4 on other sites.
The guide would have a good opinion. I say that because it depends on the hunt. They might stick to terrain they can ride on, and never stray far from the horses.They might tie the horses and hike into some steep holes where you need all your gear on your back.... and possibly haul meat/rack out...
Skinny / uninsulated sleeping pad. As a wide shouldered dude, I spent half the night with an arm on the cold ground. Bad sleep and failing to stay warm all night wears you down. In general I've plus'ed up my sleep system. Too many unexpected freezing cold fronts. I'd rather take the weight...
After all the bad years, I tend to notice more twins and triplets the following year. There is no doe hunting, so hunting does not impact herd growth much. Gonna see a few gaps in buck quality in the years to come, but the genetics didn't disappear.
Hammer just came out with a tipped 125gr bullet. 26N and 142 ablr's are both finicky as hell, so don't get too worried. I ditched US869 in favor of temp stable powders (got sick of my loads going to hell when I needed them). 50BMG doesn't get quite as much speed, but it doesn't fall apart at the...
They are finicky with depth. Way tougher to tune than a regular accubond. I've seen the results with a 26 Nosler on an elk (142gr) and a deer (129gr), as well as a .280 on deer (150gr?). I have no complaints on the terminal performance end, from the shots Ive seen. You'll find bad stories on...
A super sharp thin-bladed knife is not going to put much pressure on your hand. I've run a lot of similar knives with paracord on the handle, and it is adequate until it gets really dull. I just wish he'd do an ultralight sheath like Rainier Knives, (that dude nailed it). I bought his Speedgoat...
I was exploring that Custom Pack Rigging site... and it looked a bit out of date! Guess I'll have to see if they still exist, lol. They have the exact tree I had in mind, though (the scisorring sawbuck). I could have swore OutfitterSupply sold one a while back, but that is definitely not the...
That's a neat design! (And im definitely using a hlaf breed on my new one). Do you like that style for looping standard panyards over, or is it a bit tough to do?
I'm in the process of finding a new pack saddle. Since it's a world of boutique shops, I figured I should ask around. (In addition to my own Google research). I'm looking for a sawbuck or hybrid, not into straight up deckers. Definitely looking into an adjustable tree, since my animals tend to...
I'm really curious about the low light performance of the ATC vs the Kowa. I ran a Kowa 554 on a mulie hunt last year and wanted to chuck it down the mountain by day three. I hunt bucks that go in early and come out late. It was damn near full daylight before the Kowa was worth a damn, and it...
Another vote for a Kowa 550 vs Swaro ATC/STC showdown!!! The low light performance between the two is what I really want to see more opinions on.
I bought the Kowa 554 last year. I hunt timber bucks that feed in early, and come out late. So, low light performance is very important to me. It...
That's actually pretty impressive. That being said, I still wouldn't be comfortable generalizing a 25-06 going by that. Thats faster than my 110's! Starting to talk a bit of a different animal with the new fast-twist / shooting 130gr+. I say that owning a few rifles / science experiments that...
Reminds me of gunwriters saying the "myth" of knockdown power. You don't think a 50BMG to the gut would drop one on the spot??! I'll bet i could miss the vitals with that one! Take that same concept, roll it back towards to acceptable meat loss, and maybe you can conceptualize the "myth" of...