On this episode, Adam is joined by his GSP Toby for a quick hit “in-between-isode” and reviews some highly versatile gear and equipment he’s been putting to the test over the past while. He covers some boots he’s been very happy with, a uniquely configured spotting scope that’s proven incredibly useful, a functional and inexpensive knife, a versatile chest harness he’s used extensively, and a couple backpacking stoves to suit both ends of the budgetary spectrum.

On this episode, Adam, Mike and Kelly sit down with a full crew from the Backcountry Hunters and Anglers. They are joined by Land Tawney and Ty Stubblefield from BHA HQ and Bill Hanlon and Alan Duffy of the BC Chapter of BHA.

Fermented and dried meats aren’t cooked, and as such require different considerations than the sausages in the first article. Having never experimented with whole muscle curing wild game, my biggest concern was that there could be diseases present in deer meat that could not be managed through the regular pork or beef preserving techniques - particularly when creating anaerobic environments by grinding and stuffing sausages.

Australian deer hunters consider the Wonnangatta Valley to be the Mecca of the Australian hunting world, the Home of the Sambar Deer. The famed and historic valley of the Sambar lies below the highest mountain peaks of the Great Alpine National Park. The National Park is situated in the South East of the continent comprising of 646,000 hectares — 1.6 million acres. It is the largest National Park in the state of Victoria and covers much of the higher areas of the Great Dividing Range, including Victoria’s highest point, Mount Bogong at 1,986 metres (6,516 ft).

British Columbia, as most of you know, is a mountain hunters dream come true. Covering a vast 944,735 km2, and made up of 94% public land the options are seemingly endless come hunting season. Yet, even in the backcountry of Northern B.C. there can be crowds of hunters. Popular lakes and rivers can see quite a bit of traffic during certain portions of the hunting season, no matter how remote. Last season my hunting buddy, “Ole,” and I wanted to avoid the hoards of hunters and hunt well away from the conventional access points for hunters in B.C.

When it comes to improving your hunting skill-set, I've found that there is no better offseason practice then bow hunting predators. To me, it was obvious that it builds confidence in your shot, your ability to read sign, and play the wind. One thing I never counted on was that it would improve my success with other species and how I called to them.

There are two sides of the camp when it comes to archery training, whether for competition or hunting. On one side, it is believed by some that you must get in as many reps as possible to become proficient and create muscle memory for shooting. The other side of the camp believes in only shooting good shots, every shot. I agree with the concepts of getting in reps to create muscle memory, increasing your success in the moment of truth. I am also aware that bad reps can do more damage than good. So what are “only good” reps, what does that actually mean?

Before you come to blows with your buddies over who has the “Best” rifle, you need to understand two acronyms: bee-cee and em-vee, more commonly seen as BC and MV. These stand for Ballistic Coefficient and Muzzle Velocity. They and they alone determine which rifle/cartridge/bullet combination will yield the best trajectory. They also contribute significantly to POWER, more accurately referred to as terminal kinetic energy.

British Columbia is home to over 50% of mountain goats (Oreamnos americanus) that are found globally, with an estimated half of those residing in the Skeena region (MOE 2010). Mountain goats are ranked S3 and are Blue Listed in British Columbia, indicating they are a species of special concern (BC Conservation Data Center 2016), for management. Mountain goats are not only a species that need to be conservatively managed; they are also a symbol of rugged wilderness and have important linkages to First Nations cultures, hunters and non-hunters, in the Province of British Columbia and beyond.