New to hunting
- Thread starter D_unit760
- Start date
I use Merrell boots that I got from REI 3yrs ago. I use to use steel toed boots I got free from my work as my hunting boots but they were extremely heavy and gave me hot spots all the time. The Merrells are way more comfortable. I ditched my trail runners and decided to go with my hunting boots (Merrell) on a 5 day 30+ mile backpacking trip this yr w/ 50lbs + on my back and had zero hot spots throughout entire trip. It's possible that the socks I used (darn tough) helped too?
One thing I would recommend is going to REI to get fitted for boots before you buy. They do it for free. Once you know which boots or size, works best for you, you can shop for deals on Amazon/eBay and save some cash. Your feet will swell as you are putting in work so you will most likely have to size up on the boots you buy. Your normal size would work but chances of getting hot spots or blisters will increase. You don't want that. Lol
One more thing I take with me along with water are salt/ hydration tablets. You can pop them in your water to help keep you hydrated. They are also good to have in case you come across another hiker that is dealing with dehydration. Happened to me once on a hike up My Baldy and another older hiker saved my life by giving me one. I always keep these in my pack.
Hope this info finds you well man. From one noob to another, good luck out there and shoot straight!
Cheers!
upland m
Predators meaning coyotes and I guess just foxes since all the kitties will be protected before 2 months.
Upland meaning quail, dove, chukar, pheasant, etc.
Predators meaning coyotes and I guess just foxes since all the kitties will be protected before 2 months.
RE: Boots, I'm on my second pair of Salomon Quest 4 GTX's. The prior pair (something like 3-4yrs I think) could have been worn longer, but I felt the shock absorption of the sole was starting to sack out finally, and I don't have the best joints in the world, so I opted to get some fresh ones.
RE: Tripod -I had one, was looking for one that went taller. Asked around here on this message board. I *think* it was LungPopper or maybe NBK? Suggested I try a SLIK Sprint Pro II. I'd prefer Twist locks, but I'm getting used to these regular cam-lock ones now. Wasn't very pricey at all. There certainly are more stable ones, but I was looking for packable, which means light. It does the job fine.
Now... I'd recommend saving up so you can buy the Outdoorsman's Bino Adapter + Bino Stud deal they have. Makes it VERY quick and easy to put on and take off the mounting of the Binos. But it ain't cheap. I also got the Micro Pan-Head they have. I do like it, but now I'm thinking, since I don't realistically see myself needing more than 15x Binos, I wish I'd have possibly gotten their Pistol-Grip Head which looks like it'd be the hot ticket for Binos. But this is just nit-picky fine-tuning stuff to your setup for max efficiency. You'd still do fine with the included Ball head. It's just that you can scan thru an area a degree more quickly with those nicer components is all.
And totally get the Kwik Stix shooting sticks for your pack. Like $20 bucks, don't weigh anything, and make taking long shots on Ground Squirrels and Rabbits real fun!
RE: Tripod -I had one, was looking for one that went taller. Asked around here on this message board. I *think* it was LungPopper or maybe NBK? Suggested I try a SLIK Sprint Pro II. I'd prefer Twist locks, but I'm getting used to these regular cam-lock ones now. Wasn't very pricey at all. There certainly are more stable ones, but I was looking for packable, which means light. It does the job fine.
Now... I'd recommend saving up so you can buy the Outdoorsman's Bino Adapter + Bino Stud deal they have. Makes it VERY quick and easy to put on and take off the mounting of the Binos. But it ain't cheap. I also got the Micro Pan-Head they have. I do like it, but now I'm thinking, since I don't realistically see myself needing more than 15x Binos, I wish I'd have possibly gotten their Pistol-Grip Head which looks like it'd be the hot ticket for Binos. But this is just nit-picky fine-tuning stuff to your setup for max efficiency. You'd still do fine with the included Ball head. It's just that you can scan thru an area a degree more quickly with those nicer components is all.
And totally get the Kwik Stix shooting sticks for your pack. Like $20 bucks, don't weigh anything, and make taking long shots on Ground Squirrels and Rabbits real fun!
What I don't get about that... and I'd like to know... is how did they go from an item.... a Tag that's $3.24... to just straight-out BANNED? I don't get that. You figure if there were some kind of observable issue with their numbers... they'd be lowering the number and availbility of the tags...as well as jacking up the price re: supply/demand. So seems like further evidence of it being non-science-based gives-them-a-warm-case-of-the-feelz legislation which will ultimately back-fire on them.
The key is seeing things that don't move....
Meh.. a lil of that too. But if you wait long enough... everything eventually moves.
I love that feeling when an ear-flick happens and it's like "Ah-HA! Gotcha B*tch!"
I'm pretty new too but I've had a good experience with CDFW's Advanced Hunting Clinics (link). In fact, next week they have a free Wild Game Processing class up in LA County. Looks like there's a waitlist, but if you can slip in I'll see you there.
Write stupid bill. Bill passes stupid democrat controlled state. Stupid governor signs into law.
There was nothing scientific about it was just some dumb rep from an urban district in LA and that jerk off Newscum.
It's not backfiring on them either. We weren't voting for them already.
Hey Zak,
I got an email from BHA about this and reserved a spot. Will you be attending?
Yeah I'll be there, really looking forward to it since it says we'll practice doing real game processing
My binos came in yesterday, holy crap! What a difference from cheap ones I've looked through before. Definitely getting a tripod.
I have the relatively inexpensive Garmin eTrex 30. It's a lil sluggish (for a spoiled techie guy like me) in refreshing it's screen. But it runs off AA's. And another really cool thing about it is with the OnX microSD card installed into it... when I connect it to USB on my desktop machine and go into their Garmin Homebase software... it can overlay the OnX data on top of the map display! And what's cool about that is I can take waypoints I saved on the GPS... see them on this screen.. popup a form to nab the longitude/latitude info... the Alt+Tab over into a Google Maps window and tell it to goto that coords... then in sattelite view I can look around nearby that area with an overhead view... if I see something of interest not too far away from that spot... I click on the Google map... it make a point... I copy+paste the lat/long info into a new waypoint I can insert into the GPS easily using the desktop software... so that way... next time I'm back out there... I can look for that waypoint I hand-entered on the desktop and have it's compass features let me know I'm pointing in the right direction. I've used this technique to find a few opened-up areas of meadow within the sea of chapparal there is in the zone I mostly go into, that I would not have seen or known about otherwise.
And once you've got into an area you're focusing on a number of times. You then seldom need to turn-on the GPS really. Also GPS units are frequently built to be able to fall into a bit of water and still remain nice and sealed and functional. Phones? Not so many of them.
And once you've got into an area you're focusing on a number of times. You then seldom need to turn-on the GPS really. Also GPS units are frequently built to be able to fall into a bit of water and still remain nice and sealed and functional. Phones? Not so many of them.
Nothing like a good USGS Topo map as a back up.
i used to use OnX heavily at first but not so much anymore, more for planning access with a few glances to see how far away from the road I am when I can’t see it. But as mentioned above put in in offline mode with a saved map to help with the battery drain, it will drain a phone pretty damn fast.
i used to use OnX heavily at first but not so much anymore, more for planning access with a few glances to see how far away from the road I am when I can’t see it. But as mentioned above put in in offline mode with a saved map to help with the battery drain, it will drain a phone pretty damn fast.
Just read both volumes of the complete guide to hunting butchering and cooking wild game. Very helpful!