It has become a recurring theme in life to be surprised and caught off guard that time has flown by, and now this time, I can’t believe that hunting season is already upon us! As I sit here writing this Soapbox, I am packing to leave for Alaska for the next several weeks to guide two Dall sheep hunters in the Chugach Mountains. My first hunter has been a Huntin’ Fool member since 1999, so I am very much looking forward to spending 10 days with him in the field to learn how Huntin’ Fool has helped him draw more tags and go on better hunts. He has drawn a pile of sheep tags and is currently working on his third Grand Slam.
On page 20 of this issue, you will find my early season backpack article. I did my first backpack trip in 1996 on Table Mountain in Nevada’s unit 162. My gear list has changed a lot over the years with all the improvements in backpacking gear that have happened in the last 30 years. I would never have guessed that 30 years later, tents, sleeping bags, and stoves were going to be as light as they are today. The technology has allowed us to go further and stay longer in the mountains. And the best part is that backpacking meals taste like real food nowadays. Trust me when I say what was on the market back in the 90s was tough to eat and tough on your body with all the salts and preservatives.
Being a gear junkie is a prerequisite for working at Huntin’ Fool and especially for our store, Gear Fool. We spend a ton of time field testing gear and only carry proven gear in our store. A lot of the gear on my list can be found in our store. If you are looking to upgrade some gear for this fall, I encourage you to check out gearfool.com
I can’t help but mention this, and I apologize if I am “beating a dead horse,” but growing up in Nevada, I was fortunate to be able to enjoy a state that boasts more public land than most. I, like many of you, was upset with the legislation that was proposed to sell off some of our public lands. I was very excited and proud of how hunters pulled together and were able to get this public land sell-off taken out of the bill. I honestly think this is going to be a situation where we are going to have to continue to fight to maintain the public lands we have. We owe it to our children and grandchildren to keep public lands open for future generations.
With the lack of moisture in the Southwest, we are sure to see a below average year on horn growth. From many people I have talked to out in the field scouting, it appears that horn growth is down slightly. Another effect of drought is the summer fires. Currently, the Monroe fire in Utah is over 60,000 acres and only 4% contained. The Dragon Bravo fire is burning on the North Rim of the Grand Canyon and has burned 115,000 acres. Unfortunately, this fire burned down the Grand Canyon Lodge along with 80 other structures. There have been several big lighting storms rolling across the West, and all of the western states are currently seeing fire activity. Hopefully there won’t be many restrictions and hunters will be able to get out and enjoy the tags they drew.
I am always amazed and even sometimes overwhelmed at how much I try to pack into a hunting season. My wife is always telling me that I need to be more strategic about what tags to put in for and which hunts I say “yes” to, but I have not mastered that skill yet and tend to fill up August through December with hunts all over the West. Thankfully, I have a supportive and understanding wife who gets that this is what makes me, well…me.
Hopefully by the time you read this article it will be September, the elk are bugling, and you are in the middle of it chasing bugling bulls with a bow in hand. If you are successful this season, please send in your pictures and stories to us. There is nothing that we enjoy more than seeing the Huntin’ Fool members be successful and allowing us to share it with the rest of the community. Our magazine would be nothing without the great pictures and stories you send us. From all of us here at Huntin’ Fool, we truly appreciate you!