HUNTING | FISHING | GEAR | OUTDOORS | PREPAREDNESS
INSIDE: Does Effort Equal Success? Newfound passion
WINTER 2017 HUNTAVID.com
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Contents Table of
WINTER 2017
HUNTING
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06 Does Effort Equal Success? 10 Hunter’s Choice Giveaway 14 Deer Story 18 The Challenge of the Hunt 22 Newfound Passion 26 Persistence Pays Off
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With a Touch of Luck
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GUIDES & OUTFITTERS
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Stanley Pieterse Safaris
GEAR
36 Kowa TSN 553 Compact 40 Kenetrek Mountain Extreme Series 42 DryGuy Boot Dryers 43 Etymotic Ear Plugs
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DEPARTMENTS
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Spot the Hunters
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The publisher is not responsible for the accuracy of the articles in AVID Hunting & Outdoors Magazine. The information contained within has been obtained from sources believed to be reliable. Neither the publisher nor any other party assumes liability for loss or damage as a result of reliance of this material. Appropriate professional advice should be sought before making decisions. Outside of our staff authors, articles written by providers or professionals are invited authors and represent the opinions of that particular individual, business, group or organization. If an article is a paid “advertisement,” or “advertorial,” it will be identified as such. ©Copyright 2018. AVID Hunting & Outdoors
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PUBLISHER – Desert Hunter LLC CHIEF EDITOR Neil Large – nlarge@huntavid.com EXECUTIVE EDITORS Brandon Walker Justin Walker PHOTOGRAPHERS Brentten Stowe Brad Cunningham Laura Sheets Cody & Sheryl Saxton VP MARKETING AND SALES Justin Walker – jwalker@huntavid.com CONTENT MANAGERS Josh Wilson Dave Heath FIELD STAFF Chris Staffeldt Josh Steinke Josh Rowley Steven Falkner Kayla Islas Meyer Kevin McNair Lance Poole PREDATOR STAFF Vince Donohue For information on advertising or other inquiries: CONTACT: (435) 574-9763 www.huntavid.com or info@huntavid.com Facebook/Instagram Submit articles and pictures to info@huntavid.com The publisher is not responsible for the accuracy of the articles in AVID Hunting & Outdoors magazine. The information contained within has been obtained from sources believed to be reliable. Neither the publisher nor any other party assumes liability for loss or damage as a result of reliance of this material. Appropriate professional advice should be sought before making decisions. Outside of our staff authors, articles written by providers or professionals are invited authors and represent the opinions of that particular individual, business, group or organization. If an article is a paid “advertisement,” or “advertorial” we will identify it as such. ©Copyright 2018, AVID Hunting & Outdoors magazine.
Hunting, Fishing, and enjoying the Outdoors should
be time spent allowing oneself to simply take it all in. To
revel in the camaraderie of family and friends, to appreciate
the world around you, and to harvest clean organic meat.
Letter from the
Editors
Competition and greed have turned our mutual obsession into a race for notoriety and status among our peers. Here at
AVID, we would like to bring the “meat and potatoes” back
into outdoor activities. We want to revive the passion and share the entire outdoor experience with you!!
AVID is dedicated to providing the very best local
and regional stories from across the west while providing unbiased gear reviews and outdoor news to keep our
readers informed and entertained. Our passion for wildlife
conservation and the preservation of our outdoor heritage is tightly knit into our lifestyle and shared within the pages of our magazine.
We’re just like you! We work hard for a living, spend time
with our family, and dream of glassing for bucks and calling in bulls if we’re not out in the field actually doing it! We live
and breathe the outdoors while sharing our passion with our
families. We’re AVID about all aspects of our lives, we just
decided to make a magazine about one very important slice of the pie.
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HUNTING
Does
Effort Equal Success? By Brandon Etterlein
Y
ou work hard and get rewarded right? This seems to be the sentiment of the majority of hunters, so it must be true…As with anything in life, if you pour blood, sweat, and even tears into something, you have a greater chance of achieving success. The following account of a 2017 public land, general season deer hunt explains the trials and tribulations leading up to a hunt that will not soon be forgotten. My friend, and Rowdy Racks Outdoors business partner, Austin Gardner and I had spent the last year planning, scouting, and taking overnight backpacking trips to a new area of a unit we had hunted before and were relatively familiar with. Our plan was to backpack in to the most remote part of this general unit in hopes we would “outwork” the other hunters and be rewarded with a big buck. We scouted all summer long, miles upon miles of hiking, glassing, and running a very productive set of trail cameras, and had a solid idea of the caliber of deer that this area was holding. Although we had a rifle tag, we had run into people out scouting that were bow hunting the same area. One of the bow hunters was fortunate enough to harvest a spectacular deer we had been watching on camera for months. After all the preparation, opening weekend had finally come so we hit the long trail early Friday morning. The forecast called a 40 percent chance of light rain Friday afternoon. As we were finishing our six-hour hike into camp, at about 9,000 feet in elevation, that “light rain” hit us about thirty minutes from our camp. But this was no light rain, it was a tree-bending windstorm with heavy, wet snow as if Mother Nature was willing us to turn back. After all the preseason work, there was no way we would abide her advances and rushed to get to camp to get our tent set up. The storm ended up dropping six inches of snow, which originally had us thinking was an ideal situation—but the high elevation winds never subsided. From
3 pm until the next morning we were stuck in the tent just itching to get out there and live a dream. We woke well before sunrise opening morning and raced the sun to our glassing spot. The fog never lifted and we were never able to see more than ten feet in front of us. After the first morning, our hopes were still high, the weather should calm down.Shouldn’t it? But for two long, cold, days the weather never let up. All of our water was frozen, and we were unable to keep a fire due to the torrential winds. Grudgingly, we decided to pack it up and head out. We convinced ourselves this was the safest and wisest decision given our current circumstances, although we were unsure of our next move. All considered, we were a long way from giving up, but we had to throw in the towel on this area. This was mentally the lowest part of our hunt. We had spent the last year planning and looking forward hunting this remote country, but never got the opportunity to even glass for deer. We headed home to thaw out and refuel our bodies. We headed up to a local spot that is more heavily hunted knowing this was exactly the situation we were trying to avoid originally. We knew this area from previous hunting experiences, however, we had never seen truly big deer on a rifle hunt due to the extreme pressure of other hunters. My mindset had shifted, because at the original spot I had felt confident we would harvest a big, mature deer. Because it was so much work to hunt that area, we felt our hard work just had to pay off. Coming to this new area, my hopes for a trophy deer were much lower because it required much less physical work. For some reason, I correlated sleeping in a tent on the ground six miles in made you more likely to be successful than sleeping in a heated camp trailer and riding a four-wheeler. Continued on Page 8
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We were up two hours before daylight, made a 45 minute ATV ride then hiked about a mile in before sunrise. Austin and I split up and posted up on two different ridges to glass. I had my eyes glued to the glass from sunrise until 10:30 am when a good buck stepped out. When I first glassed him with the binos, I instantly knew he was big but did my best to keep calm and get the spotting scope on him. It only took me a split second to know he was a shooter. I didn’t spend any more time looking through the spotter, I have a tendency to get a little buck fever. My body was shaking so bad that I could barely hold the range finder steady enough to get a range. I dialed my scope, got prone, and laid my crosshairs on him. I let out a big breath, squeezed the trigger, and heard the crack of the rifle, followed by the thump of a hit…He expired only five feet from where I shot him! I was overwhelmed with excitement, disbelief, and gratitude. Austin eventually got to where I was and instantly shared in the joy. Did my theory prove true? I mean, I didn’t kill this buck six miles deep in the backcountry…I believe the previous work in the other area truly played a part in my reward. I also believe that things happen for a reason and chose to persevere with a positive attitude in a new area. So I guess in a weird way the correlation of work and outcome do relate in some way, you just have to look harder for it sometimes.
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HUNTING
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Hunter’s Choice Giveaway
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HUNTING
By Mike Mecham
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he story of how my first elk hunt came to be still blows me away! I had entered a contest called “The Hunters Choice Giveaway” online thanks to a joint effort of Avid Hunting and Outdoors, and Rebel Ranch Outfitters. Knowing that the odds were pretty slim of actually winning, I didn’t expect much. That all changed with a phone call! Justin, one of the owners of AVID, called to tell me that I had beat the odds and actually won the random drawing! I was going elk hunting in New Mexico…During the rut!! Looking back, I still can’t believe this actually happened! My good friend Joey and I rolled into Pie Town and met Mark Crump, the owner of Rebel Ranch Outfitters. We didn’t waste much time before hitting the range to make sure my rifle and I were shooting well. From there we drove to our home away from home, a cozy, rustic cabin right in the middle of New Mexico elk country. I couldn’t wait to get this hunt started! On opening morning we hiked in for about an hour and a half before reaching the area Mark wanted to be. The New Mexico wind is unreliable to say the least and we were fighting to keep it in our favor all day. Unfortunately, the only herd we would see on the first day winded us and bolted into the thick cedars before we could get a good look at the bull. Still pretty amped we had seen some elk, we would hike back to the truck wondering what the next day had in store for us. The next four days played out in a similar fashion although we were having the time of our lives! The good times and beautiful country were only complimented by the amazing celestial views at night! The stars were everywhere, and so bright! I have never seen nights as dark with such amazing views, truly something you would have to experience for yourself. We woke up on the last day of my hunt with as much enthusiasm as we had for the opener. Our plan was to hunt the south west corner of the unit in hopes the rut was a little more intense there. We had hiked about three miles and called intermittently in the process without getting an answer. About 8:30 we set up and Mark let out a series of cow calls, and was promptly answered by a bull on the other side of a meadow. Mark told me to get ready because the bull is coming! Sitting there under a cedar tree, waiting for that bull to come in, was one of the most intense times of my life! My heart was absolutely pounding as I heard the bugles get closer. When the bull was at about 400 yards, I finally saw him. There were a lot of big bushes in the meadow which prevented a clean shot, but he just kept coming. He stopped behind a bush at 130 yards while intently surveying the area for the cow that he heard. As he stood there, I had to take some deep breaths to calm my nerves…I was in awe of the situation and that I was watching this beautiful 6x6 bull in his environment. He just needed to take a step in either direction and I would have a clear shot. Continued on Page 12
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The wind changed and the bull got nervous and began to leave. I was going nuts mentally but saw an opportunity through the bushes and took the shot. I hit him high and back, I shot again and missed as he disappeared into the thick trees. We regrouped and under Marks instruction, waited about half an hour before looking for the blood trail. We initially found some decent blood although it started to get pretty sparse as we continued pursuit before we lost it completely. I was a wreck.
Sitting there under a cedar tree, waiting for that bull to come in, was one of the most intense times of my life!
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HUNTING
We decided to spread out and continued in the general direction he was traveling. We walked slow and glassed ahead, looking for any sign that he was in the area. I thought my mind was playing tricks on me when I saw him through a “V� in the base of a tree. He was standing there looking at me, and I could see blood running down his side. I took the frontal shot and he was down! I was so elated and relieved!
This hunt would not have been possible without AVID, Rebel Ranch Outfitters and the Hunters Choice Giveaway contest. I would also like to thank Sneekee for all the gear they gave me for this hunt of a lifetime! Most of all, I would like to thank Mark Crump, the owner of Rebel Ranch Outfitters for showing us a great time, telling amazing stories, and for being an awesome cook! I came to New Mexico as a guy that had never hunted elk and left as an elk hunter with a new friend!
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By Jeffrey Roberts
T
his story actually begins way back in the summer of 2015. I had just shot a bear in my home
state
of
Washington
and jumped an absolutely
beautiful buck out of his bed while hot on the bear’s blood trail. I didn’t see the buck in 2016 after only spending a limited amount of time in the area due to my possession of a limited entry elk tag. I put the idea of harvesting this great buck on the back burner another year and hunted elk, although my mind continually drifted back to this particular buck. Continued on Page 16
DEER
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HUNTING
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Fast forward to August 2017. A few weeks before the archery deer opener, my fiancé and I were scouting the unforgiving country the buck, who for all I knew was a distant memory, called home. We found several good bucks during that trip, and the last day of scouting I was really starting to believe this buck would only be a memory. And them I found him! Opening day could
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not arrive fast enough! Opening day resulted in a few buck sightings and surprisingly a couple bears! We had spent the majority of the day packing in and setting up camp but were able to get a few hours of glassing in before dark. And as it turns out, plenty of time for my buddy Jacob to shoot a good bear! We made it out of the canyon pretty late and had high hopes
for the morning hunt although were a little worried we may have busted the bucks out of there with all of the commotion. Saturday evening, after a relatively uneventful day, my friend Robbie finally glassed up a good buck bedded high up in goat country. After a quick look, I recognized him instantly…My target buck! We felt pretty good about the next morning. We gassed up three good bucks feeding right away. The morning was starting out like a dream…Dew on the grass, a cool mountain breeze, and bucks in the glass. My buck wasn’t with this group of deer but a new buck showed up with the group that got my attention. Big 4x4 framed mature deer although he was sporting some shallow forks. My brain went into overdrive! I was expecting the birth of my son at any time and knew time was drawing short on this hunt. I accepted the fact that this buck would be a nice consolation to my target buck and planned out a stalk. As the bucks fed along the side of the canyon towards their beds, we spotted three more bucks already in the timber. My buck
HUNTING
was with them! I was beside myself and somehow knew that we would pull this off! After the 2000 foot ascent, we were in “the bedroom” although I needed to get much closer to make the shot. I noticed a bedded buck looking my direction at 145 yards, realized that I just might have to take what the mountain gives me, and accepted Jacob’s crazy plan of rock climbing a death face to get into position. I knew the other five deer were in there somewhere, and was well within range of every deer in the group, but I could still only see the one. At 47 yards from the only visible buck, I ready for the shot and catch movement from the corner of my eye. My target buck is walking right towards me!!! At 16 yards I stop him with a quick “meah” and absolutely smoke him!! I couldn’t believe it and let out a celebratory “Yeah baby” before settling in for the longest hour of my life to give him time to expire. At the end of the blood trail was the culmination of a two year journey at the bottom of a cliff. One stalk, one arrow, and the realization dreams do come true.
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The
Challeng
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HUNTING
e
Of The
Hunt
By Stephen Heath
A
fter receiving the news of a successful draw on the Fish Lake limited bull elk hunt, it wasn’t long before I was losing sleep due to the potential excitement of such a tag. Two of my brothers had already received tags this year from the hunting expo, and one of them was also for Fish Lake; this certainly increased our anxiousness to get on the mountain and find some elk! Before dreams could be realized and memories of a lifetime created, I first must face an unexpected, life altering experience. Just three weeks before opening morning, I was camping with family at Baker Reservoir. Early that fateful evening, a five gallon tank of gasoline caught fire which quickly set both of my legs ablaze from my ankles all the way past my knees. I was quickly rushed to the emergency department in St. George and treated for my burns. Once the doctors finished scrubbing my legs, they explained I needed to be flown to a burn clinic in Las Vegas at once. My time spent in the burn clinic was filled with breathing treatments on an hourly basis because my lungs had received burns as well during the incident. Occupational therapy was performed daily to ensure proper healing for the skin behind my knees, artificial skin was also applied to protect and help heal the burns on my legs. Luckily for me, the head doctor for the burn clinic was a fellow hunter! I received fantastic care and very specific instructions about preparing my legs for the elk hunt. I had purchased a new rifle not long before my accident, and was hitting a target consistently past 800 yards. This could potentially be a key factor because I could only walk about 100 yards at a time due to the condition of my legs. After a lot of help from friends and family, my gear was packed, truck and trailer ready to roll, and I was finally heading up the mountain just one day before the hunt! On opening morning, we had our eyes on a bull that my dad had been watching for the past couple of days. After a short walk from the truck, my family and I were within 800 yards of the nice bull. I fired at first light and shot right over him. Unfortunately no one was able to tell me where my bullet went. Without making any adjustments to the turret on my gun, I shot high again. The bull was making a move toward the trees and I had no chance to further adjust for the range and my moment was gone as the bull sauntered back into the trees. The embarrassment and frustration set in immediately, thanks to my brothers the sting was especially sharp with constant reminders of the misses! We hunted the next two days, saw plenty of bulls, but I had yet to pull the trigger again. Sunday night two of my brothers who had been hunting elk on their Southwest Desert permits had finished up and joined us in the Fish Lake unit. Monday morning came and somehow I knew shots were going to be fired! I Continued on Page 21
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jumped in the truck with my brother Dave and good friend Paul. We went to the same spot I missed on opening morning to see if the bull would show up again. After only a short time watching, we decided to move on. We drove down the road and had just reached Johnson Reservoir when my brother Dave spotted a lone elk on the hill. We pulled just off the road and into camp. We pulled out the spotting scope and right away we knew it was a shooter! The range was a scant 560 yards, I knew I could make the shot. I put the pull in the scope took a deep breath and squeezed the trigger. After hearing the tell tale “smack”, Dave told me to put another one in him, which I promptly did and
the bull dropped to the ground. I will never forget the feeling of looking through the scope to to realize I had just filled my tag with a beautiful 7x7. The three of us starting celebrating promptly after the shot. My entire family was able to walk up to the bull and take some amazing photos. I thank my friends and family enough that helped me in my time of need. My elk hunt will forever be remembered as a time in my life where I had to overcome a challenge head on and with the help of others I came out successful.
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NEWFOUND
PASSIO 22
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HUNTING
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HUNTING
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By Heather Russell ’m a new hunter….There’s no other way to put it. I’ve been hunting for the past four seasons with my husband, and have learned so much in the short amount of time I have been in the field. This year, I was introduced to my new obsession, archery hunting! I tried hard, made a bunch of stalks, and ultimately was able to thread an arrow through a buck. Luckily I could return with a rifle in hand a short time later! We knew which bucks we wanted to hunt when the rifle opener was upon us. One afternoon, we looked over (and passed) over 20 bucks, we just hadn’t seen one of the bigger bucks we found while archery hunting…Yet! One evening we had decided to try another spot and my husband quickly found asome antelope in a steep canyon. We broke out the spotter and determined the buck in the group was worth going after. At about 900 yards, we needed to get a closer look to make sure, these things are though to judge on the hoof! Well, we got way closer! At 75 yards, there was no denying that I wanted to take this buck home with us. We crawled to the top of the hill, I settled in behind the rifle, and took the shot. This buck was bigger than I had imagined. He has gorgeous white tips on his horns that made him that much more beautiful. I honestly couldn’t be more proud of him. If it wasn’t for my husband getting me into hunting, I would not have this intense passion of the hunt or be the type of hunter I am.
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With a Touch of Luck 26
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By Taylor Checketts
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he 2017 season started out with my wife Haley and I both drawing general season archery tags and this was our first year ever doing archery. We experienced all of the ups and downs that all archery hunters talk about, we even made a couple of stalks on some decent bucks early in the hunt but we weren’t able to seal the deal until September 5th. On day 14 all of the frustration and exhaustion started to settle in, in fact, we were ready to go after any buck that presented itself. The day after Labor Day I decided to sit in a stand and see what might come my way although after waiting for three hours, becoming impatient, stir crazy, and only having a few turkey and squirrels run by, I decided to head back home.While walking out I spotted a large group of deer out in the sage. I sat down, pulled out my binos and noticed two incredible bucks! Both were large and mature so I started a stalk but with over 40 eyes watching I quickly decided to back out and return the next day. Haley and I came back late in the evening the following day and we spotted 4 bucks coming out of the pines into the sage flats.Looking through my binos, I immediately recognized the two bucks from the night before! One was an old warrior 2x3 with big, gnarly, twisted, and heavy antlers and the other was a beautiful 3x3 with a large kicker on the left side and I immediately knew that I wanted to harvest this buck. I began a 200 yard stalk down in a creek bottom, which was working out perfectly with the loud noise and tall grass for cover. As the bucks made their way to water, Haley stayed back and guided me in with the radios. After crawling for about 30 minutes Haley came on and told me one of the small bucks had just come off of water and the big 3x3 was following right behind him. I slowly pulled out my range finder and ranged the smaller buck at 60 yards, I stood up and waited for the big buck to present himself. He stepped out and my heart started to pound, I rushed a shot, and it went right beneath him. I thought I had just blown the only opportunity I would have on such a great buck. However, all of the bucks just glanced around and went right back to feeding. I was amazed that I might get a second Continued on Page 29
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chance as the bucks fed out in to the sage. I then managed to get a cedar tree in between myself and all of the bucks, so I booked it to right to the tree when they couldn’t see me. The big 3x3 jumped over a fence and fed out directly in front of me, so I took two steps forward and started to pull my range finder out when all of a sudden my arrow caught some sage and bounced out of the nock and made all kinds of noise. My heart sunk and I dropped to the ground, the buck looked in my direction and by some amazing miracle didn’t see me and went back to feeding. I took a deep breath ranged him at 51 yards, quartering away, I drew back and let my arrow fly. I heard the whack as the arrow sunk in and passed through him, he went roughly 50 yards and went down. What I thought was going to be impossible all happened so fast, came together, and became the most exciting hunt of my life! This is my first archery buck and my largest buck to date and the greatest part was that Haley was there to share it with me. Even after all of the frustration and challenges of archery I think I am now addicted and I am looking forward to next season! I know I won’t continue to get as lucky as I was on this hunt but I believe hard work definitely pays off!
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Stanley Pieterse Safaris
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GUIDES & OUTFITTERS
We went to Africa as dreamers, and returned to Utah having lived a dream thanks to our new friend Stanley.
Africa had always been such a distant dream, so distant in fact that I didn’t actually know if that dream would ever become a reality. Life and work commitments that hinder “extended vacations”, not to mention the logistics involved with such a journey! When an African safari DOES become your reality, I’ll be the first to tell you that at first it is very hard to grasp or even believe your dreams are happening right before your eyes! Try not to let the planning and preparation part of the process cloud your excitement. In fact, many of your initial “woes” can be eliminated by choosing the right outfitter! After making the commitment to hunt “The Dark Continent”, pay attention to the following items to make your life little less hectic before stepping off the plane and into your dreams to hunt in a strange land. Continued on Page 32
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Choosing an Outfitter Without a doubt, the most important aspect of successfully living out your dream, the way you envisioned it, is choosing the right outfitter! Due diligence is key here! Don’t be afraid to ask potential outfitters for references, and follow up by actually calling them! Past clients are essentially your eyes into the future. Take what they say and use your newfound information to help narrow down the potential list of candidate outfitters. As with any profession, there are outfitters that care only about the money. These guys will sell you the moon before your trip and deliver sub-par animals on a relatively small ranch upon arrival. The food will suck and the customer service will leave you dreaming of 32
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a return trip back to the states! Operations like the aforementioned give African outfitters a bad name and give potential hunters apprehension in regards to actually booking a hunt! The potentiality of a horrible hunt can be nearly eliminated by simply doing your research before committing to an outfitter. Passport and Vaccinations This should go without saying, but make sure you have your passport, and that it does not expire within 6 month of your trip. There are also certain diseases that you will need to be immunized for before taking the plunge into a malaria infested jungle!
GUIDES & OUTFITTERS
Without a doubt, the most important aspect of successfully living out your dream, the way you envisioned it, is choosing the right outfitter!
Weapon/Flight Selection Will this be an archery hunt or will you be bringing a rifle? Needless to say the “red tape” involved with getting firearms on a plane, through customs, and into the field are far greater than if you choose to hunt with a bow. If electing to take only your bow, the restrictions are almost non-existent. On the other hand, if taking firearms ensure your serial numbers are confirmed with a customs agent BEFORE your trip. Also, each airline had different guidelines about the transport of your firearm, please contact them directly to ensure you are following all of the rules. The process really isn’t that difficult as long as you fill out the required forms and give yourself Continued on Page 34
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ample time before the flight to get signed off on your cargo. When you book your flights, there are a couple things to keep in mind. Delta has a direct flight everyday from Atlanta to Johannesburg, and consequently this was one of the better priced flights we could find. Also, if traveling with rifles, you may want to avoid flights that travel through Europe. We personally did not have any issue, but we have certainly heard some horror stories!
Conclusion With all of this said…The single most important decision you will make is the outfitter you book through! We chose Stanley Pieterse Safaris, and can honestly say that our dreams became a reality thanks to Stanley and his staff! From the moment we stepped off the plane, he was there waiting for us with a smile and knowledge to get us and our rifles through security quickly and easily. His giant ranch is absolutely amazing and has all of the luxuries you would expect in a Five Star establishment and more! The animals are plentiful and Stanley and his staff know how to get you within range of your trophies! We had such a great time, especially because he and his staff were not just professional, but a TON of fun to be around! We went to Africa as dreamers, and returned to Utah having lived a dream thanks to our new friend Stanley.
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Providing Structural Engineering Solutions for Over 30 Years Salt Lake City – 801-255-7700 Logan – 435-227-2218 St. George – 435-632-7660
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GUIDES & OUTFITTERS
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GEAR
REVIEW
Kowa TSN 553 Compact
B
ackcountry hunters will likely benefit the most from this ultra compact, super clear new option from Iowa! Spotters are somewhat necessary at many points during a hunt, and worth their weight in gold when you actually need them! Imagine hiking over 10 miles deep into a remote western wilderness. Weight is a factor, and you weren’t sure if you wanted to include a spotter in your pack. You glass up what appears to be a good buck over almost two miles away, across a HUGE canyon… Are you going to waste your time getting a closer look, or bust out your compact Kowa spotter and make sure this buck is worth the time and effort? I thought so… The clarity is where this little workhorse really shines, although we quickly learned of the extreme durability of this product after a tripod mishap! None the worse for wear after a short roll, we just put it back up, and kept glassing! At a scant 1.7 pounds and complete with the fluorite crystal objectives lens, this scope has ensured a spot in our packs for years to come!
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Product Highlights • 45° Angled-Viewing •1 5-45x Zoom Eyepiece •5 5mm Objective Lens •U ltra Low-Dispersion PROMINAR Glass •P orro Prism Optical Path •F ully Multi-Coated Lenses •L ightweight Polycarbonate Chassis • Nitrogen-Filled, Water and Fogproof • 1/4”-20 or 3/8”-16 Tripod Mount • Fine and Coarse Two-Speed Focusing
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REVI EW
Kenetrek Mountain Extreme Series
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GEAR
A
s a creature of habit, I don’t typically change the type of boots I wear. As western hunters can attest, few things will take you out of a hunt as quickly as foot problems, so I usually just stick with what works for me. Usually I like to bring at least two pairs of boots on a hunt, just in case! Since I’ve made the switch to Kenetrek Mountain Extremes I haven’t touched touched a back-up pair in months! The break-in period is on par with other boots we have tested in the past. It usually takes about 20 miles before the boot starts to form fit with the unique curvature of each individuals feet. The Kenetrek boots were no different, although when all was said and done, they fit very well, are free of rubbing, plus they will keep your feet protected from anything Mother Nature throws your way! In comparison to other boots we have tested (Hanwag, Zambelan, Lowa, and Danner), the Kenetrek Mountain Extremes, once broke in, may be the most comfortable. The have a nice stiff trekking sole is not to overbearing, flexible enough to navigate with confidence, although not nearly as stiff as ski boots. The flexibility is right at that “happy medium” the industry has been trying to attain for years! It is hard to speak to the longevity of these boots, but I would say if anything is going to wear out first it would be the K-Talon outsoles. While these boots have great traction they do seem to slightly wear faster than some others we have tested. At the end of the day, these boots are hard to beat and will most likely be with me for many hunts to come!
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GEAR
REVI EW
DryGuy Boot Dryers
W
et feet have a way of putting a “damper” (yes-pun intended) on a hunt! To remain comfortable in wet hunting conditions I have often found myself bringing two pairs of boots with me each time I go afield. Sometimes even the best $400 pair of boots will spring a leak and leave you wishing for either another pair back at camp…Or a simple solution! For around $200, the DryGuy Boot Dryer will dry just about any article of clothing from boots, socks, gloves, hats etc…In no time at all! This will allow you to continue hunting in comfort and worry free! I recently used mine on an elk hunt when I had an unfortunate circumstance with my current boots, and had forgotten to bring a back-up pair in my hurried rush out of town. We received a barrage of rain/hail for two solid days, and needless to say the moisture had finally found its way into the cozy interior of my boots. It was getting pretty uncomfortable! In about an hour my boots were 100 percent dry! Next, I put my gloves on the easy to use DryGuy and they were back to wearing condition in no time! I was really impressed with the ease of use and functionality of this product and will never go into the woods without one. As a side note, there is a wader attachment as well that fits onto the unit with no tools required! I cant wait to use this on my duck hunting waders if they ever spring a leak! Visit www.dryguybootdryers.com to pick one up for yourself today! 42
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GEAR
REVI EW
Etymotic Ear Plugs
Etymotic has been manufacturing high quality earplugs, right here in the USA, for both consumers and the United States Military since 1983! The proven design of the world’s highest fidelity non-custom earplugs has ensured they will be around for years to come, here’s why… We tested the GunSportPRO electronic earplugs both on the range and while hunting and they absolutely shined in both scenarios! On the Range After securing the new ear plugs firmly in place, I first noticed just how comfortable they were compared to other models I have used in the past. As I settled in behind my 6.5 Creedmoor I began to go through the shot process and had to stop in amazement, and admittedly with a little hesitation…I could hear very clearly the people around me talking. After listening to a short exchange between a father and son, I settled back into my rifle. At the shot, the GunSportPRO ear plugs cut out the voices and reduced the sound of the shot very significantly. Immediately after my shot (2”high and a bit to the right), I could once again hear the conversations around me. How could this be? I have used several electronic ear plugs in the past, to say I was amazed at the performance would be an understatement! In the Field I was invited to shoot some ducks a few days later and jumped at the chance to try out the Etymotic ear plugs in the duck blind. I attribute a slight hearing loss to time spent behind the shotgun happily shooting green heads without a care in the world, especially for the well-being of my ears! In the blind, the conversation flowed as it normally does, and “huh?” just wasn’t in my vocabulary that day! I could hear my buddies better than I normally could because of the amplifying capabilities of this product and, you guessed it, when we would shoot, the sound was reduced to a very manageable level! My only complaint that day was that there just weren’t enough ducks around to shoot more often! That about sums it up! A quality American made product that performs exactly as advertised. Learn more about Etymotic hearing products at www.etymotic.com and pick up a pair for yourself when you’re there!
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Spot The
HUNTERS Find the two hunters.
(Locations shown on page 46)
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SPOT THE HUNTERS
L1 - L2 - L3 - L4 - L5 Layering System
XKG Series was born from an idea to use the most realistic camo patterns and combine them with lightweight, technical fabrics to build comfortable, high-performing hunting gear at an affordable price.
PERFORMANCE • PATTERN • PRICE COMPARE THE DIFFERENCE KINGSCAMO.COM/XKG-SERIES 833-889-8972 46
L2 - XKG Ridge Pant
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Support Our
Military 48
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