Put yourself where the animals are and in their travel corridors. Be observant of your surroundings and sign. Know if they have the best eyesight, smell, or hearing. Know when to push it, when to slow down, when to back out, and when to close the distance. This comes with experience in most cases.

The hunter with the gun shot the bear in the hind end, believing he had no other shot option. To take the time for a side shot may have meant a broken neck for his partner. His quick, moxie-rich action saved his friend as the bear leapt away from his victim and slipped into thick brush only five feet away.

Over the years I have noticed that it seems like new technology is always trying to replace a skill to make success easier to come by. Everyone is looking for a hack or shortcut to success. While I have nothing against this and embrace many of those technologies myself. I am a firm believer that there is no shortcut or technology to make you consistently successful or at your core, a more competent hunter.

California offers a lengthy deer season timeline and a generous two tag per hunter allowance in its blacktail zones, making it an appealing yet highly under-recognized hunt opportunity for out-of-staters. If only I had a nickel for every time someone’s head spun in disbelief when I told them that we begin archery hunting for blacktails on the second Saturday in July!

While many guys day hunt from home or a luxurious base camp when winter starts setting in, you can still enjoy all of the benefits of a bivy camp while staying comfortable and safe, with not much more than a little extra thought and planning.

There are some basic tips in hunting that all apply to being successful and there is also information that is more nuanced to hunting mule deer.

The hunting horseman can accomplish a “run and gun” technique while traversing a lot of country in search of game. The logistics of horse feed and water are essentially the only limiting factors. 

In this article I will describe how I have traveled in remote areas throughout the West with my pack and riding stock, using both age-old techniques as well as the technology which is currently available to us today.

With backcountry hunting becoming more popular these days, there is a great percentage of hunters out there that are truly not prepared for the journey that lies ahead of them. Without first-hand experience, it is hard to know how prepared you actually are.

Unfortunately, hunters have learned that the beautiful scenery and loneliness of the wilderness can also be very dangerous if they’re not properly prepared for such an increase in elevation.

E-scouting can help you understand a unit’s terrain, road access, habitat, pressured areas, animal behavior, and develop backup plans that will ultimately lead to more success.

When I show up to a new area, I already know many of the best vantage points in the unit before I ever set foot there. This starts at home, well prior to the hunt. Here are the steps I take in order to locate what I would deem as the “best spots”.