Field Tips & Tricks

We have so much information at the tips of our fingers.  Within seconds, you can search online for pretty much anything and start learning about it.  When it comes to hunting and the outdoor related topics, you can quickly and easily find information online.  From gear reviews and tactics to how-to articles and trip recaps, it’s all just a click away.  But there are certain lessons that we will inevitably end up learning on our own the hard way.  Maybe we simply never stumbled onto the right article or bit of information that would have helped us be better prepared for a certain situation.  I know I have learned a lot from reading reviews, articles, and forum posts about all sorts of different topics, and I also feel like I’ve learned quite a bit through personal experience.  The purpose of this article is to go over some items that can be easily overlooked, but be invaluable in the field in the right situation.  Alexander Graham Bell once said ‘before anything else, preparation is the key to success.’  Preparation can also be the key to comfort, and more importantly, safety.  Here are some items that I will usually have with me on all day trips, and I never head into the backcountry for any extended period of time without. Continue reading →

When researching places to hunt elk, no scouting method is more effective than strapping on the old boot leather and roaming the woods.  This method allows you to discover honey holes such as old wallows, elk rubs and perhaps even bones from a previous years kill.  When you do run across one of these areas, be sure to mark it on your GPS or smart phone. The elk may not be in these areas during your early season scouting, but the bulls will surely return when the rut starts.  Unfortunately, most of us don’t have enough time for this type of boots on the ground scouting, especially when hunting multiple states.  So, an effective way to scout an area remotely is by using Topo maps and Google Earth.  This form of scouting will give you a basic lay of the land, identify access points, and help you find remote areas which will distance yourself from the crowds.  Below are a few suggestions to help you get started. Continue reading →

Just a quick intro to Mark and Jeff Skousen.  We are twin brothers that live in Utah. We both have 5 kids and busy careers. We have been hunting together from a young age and have had a lot of success over the years because of hard work, dedication, and being in top shape.  For us, preparing for hunting season is a 365 endeavor.  Just as the four seasons come and go each year, we likewise break our fitness training into a calendar cycle.  There is nothing really scientific to our approach, but the end goal is to be in elk shape come September. It is no secret that our preferred weapon and species is bowhunting Elk.  So, every available moment from the end of August through the end of September is spent in the mountains chasing elk. Continue reading →

Hunting backpacks have come a long way in recent years.  They are stronger, lighter, and more customizable than ever before.  A good pack is one of my most utilized and important pieces of gear, second only to a quality pair of boots that fit me well.  Packs these days come in all sorts of varieties and sizes, from day packs to expedition packs.  You can go ultralight, or with a stouter, heavier pack.  The world is your oyster when it comes to choosing a hunting pack.  But what you need to decide first and foremost is what am I looking for in a pack?  What will your main use cases be: day hunts?  Extended backpack hunts?  Any and all of the above?  Also, what criteria must the pack satisfy to meet your needs (and not anyone else’s)? Continue reading →

Spring bear is one of the best times to test and try out new backpacking gear for the year. I am always eager to test all the gear that I have upgraded during the winter. Below is my gear that I use for my backcountry spring bear hunt. Typically, I will try and be in the mountains for 5-7 days and follow a nomad style of hunting for spring bears. This style of hunting allows me to be light and mobile which is critical to find bears in rugged terrain. My bag weight will depend heavily on the weather forecast but I will try and keep it as light as possible for this style of hunting. I will be glassing most of the day during this hunt so a glassing chair will be worth its weight in gold. Depending on how stable the weather is, I will leave clothing at the truck or pack more clothing in my pack.  Continue reading →

With Turkey season on the horizon I couldn’t be more excited to dive into an article about turkey hunting. Just a few years ago I never understood what all the hype about turkey hunting was. After some convincing from a good buddy of mine, I agreed to tag along with him on my first turkey hunt. It only took a few moments of walking along the field edge that first morning and hearing my first gobble that I knew I was going to be hooked.  Continue reading →

As the long, cold days of winter come to an end, the need to scratch the “Cabin Fever Itch” is stronger than ever. My favorite outdoor activity during from February to June is looking for antlers that deer and elk have shed.  As a shed hunter, I catch myself as my efforts are mostly focused on where I am going to hike, which hillsides the animals wintered on, and dreaming of how many sheds I am going to find. And rightly so! These factors are crucial in increasing the success of a shed hunt.  Continue reading →

Why I hunt for my own meat Growing up in a deer hunting family was a blessing. For many years it was always in my eyes about killing the biggest buck in the woods. Don’t get me wrong, I still enjoy pursuing and chasing mature bucks, but today there is so much more beyond that. Let me give you a few examples. Deer hunting to me is more than going out one weekend a year and shooting a deer. In my eyes there is something you can be doing 365 days a year to be preparing yourself for a better opportunity of being successful. Spring time is a great time to shed hunt, scout new and old areas, and to learn how deer move and use a specific piece of land. There is so much you can learn from simple observations and just being in the woods. Continue reading →

I love being a hunter these days because there are so many great advancements in technology that make life in the backcountry more efficient and more comfortable.  Packs are no different.  It seems like right when I get settled into a pack that works great, someone comes up with a cool new concept to make them function better. When it comes to fitting a pack, I think it’s important to first determine your intended use of the pack.  Are you the type of hunter that carries camp around on your back for 5-7 days? Or do you usually hunt from a truck or spike camp where a lot less gear to haul on your back is required?  Fortunately, there is more than a few packs out there that are dual purpose packs.  Meaning they can be used as a day pack as well as an extended backcountry hunt. Continue reading →

One of my favorite things to do each fall is chase bugling bulls with my bow.  From the moment the last light fades on my last hunt, I start tinkering with my bow and arrow setup to see how it can be improved.  Over the years I have done a lot of research on what I think makes the best Elk hunting arrow. I have also looked at a lot of “Game Film” in the offseason from the hunts of others’ trying to determine what set-ups seem to work best.  Continue reading →

There is no reason to just “survive” in the backcountry. You can still eat good and not add a ton of weight to your pack or your load. In this article, I will show you two styles of backcountry cooking and the basics for each. Whether you have backpacked in and are living off your back, or you have a small basecamp out in the woods. If you follow these basic rules, you will never go hungry.  Continue reading →

Hunting in the late season when temperatures drop and weather is inconsistent can significantly hinder your hunting style and opportunities. I will never forget a hunt, when I was 16 years old.  My friend and I were chasing late season mule deer in Utah. When we started hiking in the morning it was 30 degrees and no snow, by the end of the day it was in the teens and over 2 feet of snow. My memory from that experience was how freezing cold and wet I was.  Continue reading →

What’s in a boot?...... A foot! Now that the lame joke is out of the way, I can address the topic at hand. What does it mean to select the right boot for you? What kind of features do you look for? What brands are out there? Why does any of this matter, it is just a boot…...right? My intention for this article is to share my experience from lessons learned to help shed some light on selecting a boot that is right for you.  Continue reading →

As the upcoming season approaches many of us are planning hunting trips, scouting trips, shed hunting and spending time outside. I spend a lot of time by myself on solo trips. Communication has become essential for my safety and peace of mind for my family. Luckily with the rise of modern technology satellite communicators are affordable and practical. Garmin inReach is at the forefront of handheld communication devices.  What is the Garmin inReach The inReach devices have become an essential piece of gear for myself and hunters around the world. In this article, I will mainly be covering the inReach Mini and briefly talking about the Explorer+ and the SE+ models. The Garmin inReach is a two-way satellite communicator with pole-to-pole coverage. The three models have the same basic functions with different options offered by each model.  Continue reading →

Well, springtime here in Utah is just around the corner. For some this means nicer weather, rainstorms, and getting out of the winter funk. For others, it means to have the opportunity to get out in the woods and chase after turkey. There’s something about being in the turkey woods during the early spring. Maybe it’s the smell. Maybe it’s the sound of the birds chirping in the early morning hours. Or maybe it’s hearing that first gobble of the day echo through the trees. Whatever the reason, it makes for an exciting time in the turkey woods. Turkey hunting has been around for a while in Utah. There are two sub-species here in Utah, the Rio Grande and the Merriam’s. There are two seasons to hunt turkey in the spring - the Limited Entry and the General Season that includes a youth hunt the first weekend. The Limited Entry runs the last couple weeks in April. The youth (hunters 17 years of age or younger) then has 3 days to hunt before the General Season runs for the month of May. Hunting during the spring season can be exciting but very challenging. Utah wouldn’t be Utah if you didn’t experience all four seasons in a day. Depending on the day and where you’re hunting, you may have to deal with existing snow, mud, rain, or other obstacles Mother Nature may have in store for you. With all of that being said, you still can’t beat the time, experience, and the memories you get to have while in the woods.  My intention of this article is to highlight what I would consider my Top-3 preferences for turkey gear to help someone wanting to start into chasing after turkey. Like trying anything for the first time, some really don’t want to break the bank before knowing if this is something they enjoy. These three items could be considered basic elements to get you started while still trying to be budget minded. Just keep in mind, what works for one may not work for another. Continue reading →

BlackOvis offers a variety of water filtration systems. The goal is to find the one that works the best for you. Water filtration pens, bottles, gravity bags, and pumps are a good option because there is a physical filter that removes material from the end consumed product. Some can even remove or reduce the number of chemicals in the water. However the filters on all of these have a limited lifespan and require cleaning and eventually replacement. Continue reading →