Hunt Detail

In today's episode, Jacob breaks down gear that he used on his recent 10 day elk hunt out west, and shares the successes and failures of the gear he brought (boots, satellite communicator, coolers, power system, headlamps, meals, hunting pack, bugle tube, neck knife, other gear). Of course, nothing tests your gear like an out of state multi-day hunt. You end up getting to know your gear on a very...

In today's episode, Jacob has returned from his Colorado elk hunt and reports that he was in fact bluff charged by a bull moose. He was not harmed...but neither were any elk during this hunt unfortunately. That said, there were some key themes and key takeaways from the hunt that Jacob addresses. Notably, how his mindset evolved and how he maintained a focus on the journey, demonstrated patience,...

On today's episode, Jacob shares his own struggles with mindset as it relates to his upcoming solo elk hunt out west. Letting go of the steering wheel related to work life, related to home life and other commitments can be difficult when leaving on a 2 week trip in the backcountry. The patience that is required to play the "long game" with an archery elk hunt can also prove to be difficult. We all...

On today's episode, Jacob runs through a list of whitetail season chores that you may want to take care of in prep for the season as whitetail seasons begin to open across the country this month and next. As you know, when the season opens, you don't want to dedicate any amount of time to activities that could or should have been taken care of during the off season...so now is your chance to take...

On today's episode, Jacob outlines how to discern between white and red oaks, and more specifically, some of the subtypes of white and red oak trees that cover different regions of the midwest, northeast, and southeast. As archery deer seasons begin to open across the country, identifying the hot oak flat for whitetails can translate into early season success. White oak flats specifically can be i...

In today's episode, Jacob shares his thoughts on the finale of this year's Total Archery Challenge (TAC), as it wrapped up the tour in Southern Indiana. TAC offers a variety long range 3D shots that challenge archers in shot placement and angles. TAC has typically toured the western states, but over the past 2 years has expanded their tour east. While Jacob didn't participate in the courses, he di...

Mobile hunting gear for the public land whitetail hunter continues to evolve as more and more small manufacturers of saddles, platforms, and accessories continue to enter the market. One sticking has become more and more popular with saddle hunters, in addition to using a set of sticks combined with a hang on platform. But, what about a climber platform designed specifically for saddle hunters? On...

Is your firearm dialed for the upcoming fall seasons? Have you tweaked your rifle setup? Changed ammo in your slug gun? Put a new scope on your muzzleloader? Now is the time to load up on ammo for your respective guns and get to the gun range and zero in your setup. On today's episode, Jacob share his thoughts on what you can do to get your firearms ready for the fall, and some aspects of ballisti...

If you hunt other states, the amount of information available to you in order to plan your hunt has increased significantly over the past decade. From YouTube, Podcasts, Forums, Pay Wall Information, Facebook Groups, etc. So, where will this expand to in the next 5 to 10 years? How will it evolve and spread from other states that you hunt, to your state, your county, and eventually your own backya...

While cell cams will continue to evolve in size, picture quality and other specs, the greatest opportunity for differentiation within the market is the evolution of the app that accompanies the cell cam. Cell cam apps are now incorporating artificial intelligence, tagging of specific animals, and greater sorting features. But, what about all the other data that pics provide. That is where the real...

Over the past 5 years, the cellular trail camera market has evolved tremendously. The quality of pictures and video have increased, trigger speeds are faster, and the price of the actual camera and the corresponding data plans have dropped. In today's episode, Jacob shares the his ranking of 9 different cellular trail cameras for 2024, and the pros and cons of each respective camera. This includes...

The start of deer season openers is getting closer and closer by the day. Are you planning on a cell cam upgrade for this upcoming season? Evaluating cell cam options can be a bit overwhelming...with various trigger speeds, photo range, photo quality, etc. In today's episode, Jacob shares some of what he learned when he began examining 9 different cell cams and their respective specs. What he foun...

In today's episode, Jacob continues the discussion on braodheads by discussing some of what he likes and doesn't like with the composition of today's broadheads. Some of the more popular broadheads from companies like Iron Will, Cutthroat, Valkyrie, VPA are made with a grade of Tool Steel. How do those compare to broadheads from Slick Trck, NAP and QAD that have 400 Series Stainless Steel blades....

Every year a new batch of broadheads hit the market and for whatever reason, it excites us as we imagine how much more efficient and effective a new broadhead could be when compared to our current broadhead set up. Expandable or mechanical broadheads are especially interesting as there are new ways in which these heads deploy a variety of blades. In today's episode, Jacob shares his thoughts on hi...

You've done everything you can possibly do to prepare for your trek west to hunt elk this September, but what if everything doesn't go as planned? What if there is car trouble on the trip? What if you have issues with your bow? Have you set up systems at home to ensure things go smoothly for your family while you are out? We all know that there is an "inertia" that often keeps us home from hunting...

Getting into a herd of elk or finding elk can be a success in and of itself. But, what should or can you do in those situations? Do you bugle back? Do you cow call? Or, should you simply hang tight to the herd and remain quiet? The answer isn't always clear and when one is in those situations, it can be a little overwhelming because nobody wants to mess up a stalk or blow up a herd. In today's epi...

Your hunt systems are those aspects of your preparation that should simply work on their own with little thought or energy. Examples from the previous week's episodes have been: Meat Care, First Aid, Clothing and Water Systems. These are important because time is so limited when you have traveled from out of state. A poor hunt system for some aspect of your hunt can cause headaches or cut your hun...

The current series is focusing on prep for a western elk hunt. Last week, Jacob pivoted to examining hunt systems for this type of hunt. In today's episode, Jacob examines two hunt systems that are often thought of last minute or poorly planned out. How does one take care of meat in the backcountry? And, what should a backcountry first aid kit be compromised of? Both of which are important aspects...

In this current series, Jacob has discussed the how one's hunt objective, one's mindset, and one's capabilities are inexplicably connected to one's e-scouting and hunt planning for a trek west. In this episode, Jacob pivots to the topic of "hunt systems". This includes aspects like backcountry meat care, mapping/electronics, daily food, kill kit, etc. The systems that are the focus for this episod...

As one prepares for a western elk hunt, it's important to continue to zero in from a 30,000 foot view down to a more microscopic view of what is transpiring within a particular region or area that has been outlined as the area to hunt. What layers are important? What are some non-hunting apps that can help? Where is the recreational hiking pressure coming from? What are some non-web based tools th...

Believe it or not, in 4 short months it will be elk season. So, where does one start to e-scout an entire state of huntable elk units with a general tag? Where are the elk, what terrain features should one look for, what about other hunters and general pressure, what platforms are best for e-scouting, how does one identify elevations for elk, etc. In today's episode, Jacob shares his perspective o...

Last week, Jacob discussed some of the high level considerations when planning your trip west to hunt elk this year (Hunt Objective, Hunt Plan, and Hunt Systems). Getting a tag to hunt elk is becoming more and more difficult, and the probability of getting an archery elk tag and filling that tag is low. In today's episode, Jacob discusses how your mindset and your capabilities, will dictate your h...

Last week, Montana and New Mexico announced their "Big Game Draw" results. If you drew a tag, congratulations! Now, the work begins as you have a lot decisions to make to ensure you maximize your time during your hunt. In today's episode, Jacob breaks down what some of those decisions are and some of the questions you will need to ask yourself. Your hunt objective, hunt plan and your hunt systems...

By now you have likely heard about the incident involving a wolf in Daniel, Wyoming. The waves of coverage on this incident are getting larger and larger as more details come out. Whether we, as hunters, like it or not, this incident is going to impact how the public views those that hunt wolves, and those that hunt in general. So, when someone asks you, "Why do you hunt?", how do you respond? In...

There are more than a few whitetail hunters that believe the moon has an impact on deer movement during the fall seasons. There are essentially 2 groups of "moon" hunters, those that believe in hunting based on the "red" moon, and those that hunt based on the moon phase. Last week, Jacob provided clarity on what the "red moon" and "overhead" and "underfoot" means as it relates to this upcoming fal...