It was the BEST of my hunting gear last year
- Thread starter Spruster
- Start date
Without a doubt, my Tidewe battery heated hunting seat. I dont see any on amazon.ca at the moment, but my wife got me the following battery operated heated hunting seat with backrest and I used it this fall deer hunting. Strongly recommend one - will be taking it ice fishing this winter as well. I actually turned it off a couple of times as was too warm!
https://www.amazon.com/TIDEWE-Backrest-Self-Supporting-Resistant-Portable/dp/B0B2ZZSKYD/ref=sr_1_3?crid=DZ6V0SDLL9X5&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.XdN3VUzoqQ6umYVqT5k-XZBMyLjSzHcEM4a4Z-XmEwyqiajFEmJW5kTqG-OGLQ2FLnXCBC0iq07FfEB8AuXLefiedsJeIIaMVyZ36tsHv4Z9qm6B76zCxcUu26wDA0hSiNnzpFrNfJg6kw3snW5tY9i8u1Igg1lRTWyeHspxRJJ4Tocp8WQrKlPJ3K8F4-UikaRwoxHbFAsY_qd1Zhfds3pOMxExBBVMoRaMn2YTYjrPI5-tSMenYl7V6osnz-YAOG9_406cXwf0J_YcO-Ji76lPsBGaWepVfOE1nmjkg_w.m4eLMnmPLKeiUnQ5x6sIjSERj5SI2GDF1ACp88XQOb0&dib_tag=se&keywords=tidewe+heated+seat&qid=1705876704&sprefix=tidewe+heated+seat%2Caps%2C200&sr=8-3
Without starting the made in China rant from others, I have bought a number of Tidewe hunting products from Amazon.ca (heated vest, boots, hunting pack and heated pants) and I am satisfied with all of them. I use camelcamelcamel.com and watch for price drops and buy them on sale.
https://www.amazon.com/TIDEWE-Backrest-Self-Supporting-Resistant-Portable/dp/B0B2ZZSKYD/ref=sr_1_3?crid=DZ6V0SDLL9X5&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.XdN3VUzoqQ6umYVqT5k-XZBMyLjSzHcEM4a4Z-XmEwyqiajFEmJW5kTqG-OGLQ2FLnXCBC0iq07FfEB8AuXLefiedsJeIIaMVyZ36tsHv4Z9qm6B76zCxcUu26wDA0hSiNnzpFrNfJg6kw3snW5tY9i8u1Igg1lRTWyeHspxRJJ4Tocp8WQrKlPJ3K8F4-UikaRwoxHbFAsY_qd1Zhfds3pOMxExBBVMoRaMn2YTYjrPI5-tSMenYl7V6osnz-YAOG9_406cXwf0J_YcO-Ji76lPsBGaWepVfOE1nmjkg_w.m4eLMnmPLKeiUnQ5x6sIjSERj5SI2GDF1ACp88XQOb0&dib_tag=se&keywords=tidewe+heated+seat&qid=1705876704&sprefix=tidewe+heated+seat%2Caps%2C200&sr=8-3
Without starting the made in China rant from others, I have bought a number of Tidewe hunting products from Amazon.ca (heated vest, boots, hunting pack and heated pants) and I am satisfied with all of them. I use camelcamelcamel.com and watch for price drops and buy them on sale.
New gear tried this year; Most impressed with the on-game performance of the Terminal Ascent ammo from Federal.
Took 5 animals with it in the Creedmoor (red stag, fallow buck, Arapawa rams and caribou: all one shot kills either DRT or fell within a few steps, and all full penetration). Taking it to Africa in May.
Not to mention the accuracy of it in my 6.5 CM and 270 Win (not as accurate in my 300 WSM, but will shoot again as I think it was me). Just ordered some for 6.5 PRC (importing form the States as none to be had anywhere else). Look forward to trying it in the 270 WSM when I can acquire some.
Otherwise still happily using tried and tested gear that has been providing good results over the years, which incl/ the following this year:
Sitka Camo clothing and raingear
Under Armour Cold Gear base layers
Trigger Sticks
Badlands packs
Outdoor Edge SwingBlade knives
Alaska Gamebags
Leupold scopes
Sako and Browning rifles
Took 5 animals with it in the Creedmoor (red stag, fallow buck, Arapawa rams and caribou: all one shot kills either DRT or fell within a few steps, and all full penetration). Taking it to Africa in May.
Not to mention the accuracy of it in my 6.5 CM and 270 Win (not as accurate in my 300 WSM, but will shoot again as I think it was me). Just ordered some for 6.5 PRC (importing form the States as none to be had anywhere else). Look forward to trying it in the 270 WSM when I can acquire some.
Otherwise still happily using tried and tested gear that has been providing good results over the years, which incl/ the following this year:
Sitka Camo clothing and raingear
Under Armour Cold Gear base layers
Trigger Sticks
Badlands packs
Outdoor Edge SwingBlade knives
Alaska Gamebags
Leupold scopes
Sako and Browning rifles
Without question it was my Leupold VX5 HD 1-5x24 illuminated scope. This fella came in behind me with 4 minutes left in shooting time. He was crashing through the leaves with no fear, letting everyone know the boss was in town. He crossed behind me, downwind and went silent. I was totally busted. A minute later he started snorting and blowing, full of frustration as he tried to figure out what I was. My buddy who was in a valley about a km away could hear him so loudly he thought he was the one getting busted.
It was a grey, dark dusk and visibility was almost zero....I glanced down at my cellphone and saw I had 1 minute left ..... figured I'd go for it.
I stood up in my treestand, spun to my left, threw up my BLR....and saw nothing but grey haze. I transitioned to the right side of the tree, brought the rifle up, and to my surprise, could see the buck perfectly outlined in the haze. I put the illuminated reticle on the shoulder, and touched off the .358. Total silence followed. No thrashing, no sound of him scrambling off in the dark. He was DRT. Couldn't have made the shot without the excellent glass and illuminated reticle.
I never take a low % shot and that scope made an impossible shot very doable. Great piece of kit.
It was a grey, dark dusk and visibility was almost zero....I glanced down at my cellphone and saw I had 1 minute left ..... figured I'd go for it.
I stood up in my treestand, spun to my left, threw up my BLR....and saw nothing but grey haze. I transitioned to the right side of the tree, brought the rifle up, and to my surprise, could see the buck perfectly outlined in the haze. I put the illuminated reticle on the shoulder, and touched off the .358. Total silence followed. No thrashing, no sound of him scrambling off in the dark. He was DRT. Couldn't have made the shot without the excellent glass and illuminated reticle.
I never take a low % shot and that scope made an impossible shot very doable. Great piece of kit.
Great story DTM5. Nice Buck . Kool getting him with BLR 358 W - what bullet you using ? Thxs for sharing - RJ
I'm shooting the hornady 200gr interlock SP. Excellent performance - double lung shots are always pass thru with great expansion, shoulder shots are devastating - liteerally knockscem off ther hooves. I take the shoulde to anchor them in bad weather or in areas where a 50m run might back problem (swamps, bluffs, etc)
I was curious on their heated seats but wasn't sure without knowing anyone who had one or seeing many reviews on it. I ended up getting their heated vest on a decent markdown a while back so i'm going to test it out ice fishing this winter and see how i like
The stuff I use hasn't changed much in a fair while. Most recently...a few years ago...I switched from using my favourite Leica or Zeiss binoculars to a Steiner binocular for all my cold-weather hunting. I love coyote calling, and it's at its best during the coldest weather, but fumbling with the focus wheel of a binocular in frigid temperatures while wearing gloves or mitts is a PITA. Some binoculars can also get much stiffer to focus in extreme cold, compounding the problem.
I picked up a couple of Steiners, a 10x50 (bulky as hell) and an 8x30 (nice and compact), both of which use the individual eyepiece focusing system. They have excellent depth of field, and once each eyepiece is focused separately for about 50 yards, they give a nicely-focused image on anything between about 20 yards and infinity. Those numbers are guesstimates; the point is that you play around with the focus until you find the sweet spot that goes from infinity down to short range, and forget about it after that, just grab them and look; no need to worry about focus. I actually put tape on the eyepieces to make sure the focus doesn't get accidentally misadjusted.
This makes them impossible to lend to somebody else unless their vision is identical to yours...so that's a plus in my book!
And the Steiners have decent glass but don't have the fantastic optical quality of the big-name optics; they'd be useless for birding or other extremely precise observing, and if I were going on an expensive exotic hunt I would be going back to Leica. But all my cold-weather hunting is more or less in my backyard, with shot distances rarely exceeding 300 yards. The Steiners are more than adequate for glassing deer or coyotes at those distances, and much more comfortable and convenient to use in the cold.
The 10x50's are great for sitting on stand. At first and last light, they give up maybe 3 or 4 minutes to my "good" binoculars...but they still allow observation in much darker conditions than any legal shooting light. The 8x30's are not as bright but are way lighter and more compact for still hunting, or for running and gunning coyotes.
I picked up a couple of Steiners, a 10x50 (bulky as hell) and an 8x30 (nice and compact), both of which use the individual eyepiece focusing system. They have excellent depth of field, and once each eyepiece is focused separately for about 50 yards, they give a nicely-focused image on anything between about 20 yards and infinity. Those numbers are guesstimates; the point is that you play around with the focus until you find the sweet spot that goes from infinity down to short range, and forget about it after that, just grab them and look; no need to worry about focus. I actually put tape on the eyepieces to make sure the focus doesn't get accidentally misadjusted.
This makes them impossible to lend to somebody else unless their vision is identical to yours...so that's a plus in my book!
And the Steiners have decent glass but don't have the fantastic optical quality of the big-name optics; they'd be useless for birding or other extremely precise observing, and if I were going on an expensive exotic hunt I would be going back to Leica. But all my cold-weather hunting is more or less in my backyard, with shot distances rarely exceeding 300 yards. The Steiners are more than adequate for glassing deer or coyotes at those distances, and much more comfortable and convenient to use in the cold.The 10x50's are great for sitting on stand. At first and last light, they give up maybe 3 or 4 minutes to my "good" binoculars...but they still allow observation in much darker conditions than any legal shooting light. The 8x30's are not as bright but are way lighter and more compact for still hunting, or for running and gunning coyotes.
Nice!
Have enjoyed using my pre-81 BLR in 358 Win over the past 20 years! Always performs well.
I too am impressed with the low light performance of my VX-5 and 6 HD scopes, and liking the illuminated reticles (Firedot, and illuminated B&C) on dark skinned animals in the thick brush and low light conditions!
Have enjoyed using my pre-81 BLR in 358 Win over the past 20 years! Always performs well.
I too am impressed with the low light performance of my VX-5 and 6 HD scopes, and liking the illuminated reticles (Firedot, and illuminated B&C) on dark skinned animals in the thick brush and low light conditions!
^^^^ I too am impressed with the Leupold Firedot Reticule for close range moving shots on whitetail deer in the bush.
Last fall I introduced a new fellow to hunting (he was a rookie at 52 years old) and he did a terrific job hunting in tough wet cold conditions. When it came to field dressing I tried for the first time a very small BUCK Gut Hook to open the belly membrane and it did a terrific job.
My new partner watched me clean my deer while I instructed what I was doing. The next day he gut his own deer as I directed him. He was uneasy about putting both of his hands way up inside the chest cavity for fear of cutting himself. I showed him how to hold the back edge of the blade and just work with the tip my he was still nervous. So I had him wear a Normark Fish Filleting glove on his left (support) hand, these gloves are almost cut proof and give him a good grip. He also wore the same glove when we skinned/butchered his deer the next day, and he did not cut himself.
My partner also brought a small Cast Iron Dutch Oven to the camp, we cooked in it every day for a week, it was a real asset. WK
Last fall I introduced a new fellow to hunting (he was a rookie at 52 years old) and he did a terrific job hunting in tough wet cold conditions. When it came to field dressing I tried for the first time a very small BUCK Gut Hook to open the belly membrane and it did a terrific job.
My new partner watched me clean my deer while I instructed what I was doing. The next day he gut his own deer as I directed him. He was uneasy about putting both of his hands way up inside the chest cavity for fear of cutting himself. I showed him how to hold the back edge of the blade and just work with the tip my he was still nervous. So I had him wear a Normark Fish Filleting glove on his left (support) hand, these gloves are almost cut proof and give him a good grip. He also wore the same glove when we skinned/butchered his deer the next day, and he did not cut himself.
My partner also brought a small Cast Iron Dutch Oven to the camp, we cooked in it every day for a week, it was a real asset. WK
A heated vest!!! Total game changer IMHO... Can't believe I didn't have one before now.
Other than that, finally harvesting a white tail deer with a muzzle loader!
Shot them b4 with bow/crossbow/rifle/shotgun, but never a muzzle loader...
Cheers
Jay
Other than that, finally harvesting a white tail deer with a muzzle loader!
Shot them b4 with bow/crossbow/rifle/shotgun, but never a muzzle loader...
Cheers
Jay
My best was the Merino wool mid layers I bought. I got some 400g long johns and turtleneck.
They are called Woolpower out of Sweden (Canadian outdoor equipment sell them here) and made up of 70% merino, 28% polyamide and 2% elastane
They are called Woolpower out of Sweden (Canadian outdoor equipment sell them here) and made up of 70% merino, 28% polyamide and 2% elastane
- Location
- Blaster land, Okanagan BC
Merino really is a game changer, it’s hard to beat.
- Location
- AB foothills
So very true!
+1
Been enjoying the benefits of Merino for yrs now. Have lots of pieces ranging base to mid layers from 150g-250g weights and adjusting according to temps as required.
My brand of choice is Black Ovis, but I do have a few Kuiu pcs as well.
Tree stand.
Usually I hunt from a blind or walk around during the hunt, this year I decided to try from a tree stand, was a bit of work finding the spot and setting it up (crown land) but that just added to the experience. I was able to Tag out with a beautiful buck 6 hours into day 1. Could have just been luck but 2 years of not getting anything then this...what a welcome change. I will be using the tree stand again next year.
Usually I hunt from a blind or walk around during the hunt, this year I decided to try from a tree stand, was a bit of work finding the spot and setting it up (crown land) but that just added to the experience. I was able to Tag out with a beautiful buck 6 hours into day 1. Could have just been luck but 2 years of not getting anything then this...what a welcome change. I will be using the tree stand again next year.
