[Bruce Smithhammer]

in reply to: Colorado '13, from concrete jungle to aspen jungle! #14400

Good to hear from you, Dave! Hope the rains (and other issues) don’t get any worse down in your end of the state. Keep us updated – I always find it fascinating to hear what the elk are doing elsewhere and compare it with what I’m experiencing here.

[Bruce Smithhammer]

in reply to: Colorado '13, from concrete jungle to aspen jungle! #14350

Sounds like you have an excellent tour planned, Alex. Say hi to that crazy old man in the ‘jungle’ from all of us! Good luck on the wapiti and keep us posted.

[Bruce Smithhammer]

in reply to: wool or camo? #13867

Agreed on First Lite. I have a couple of their merino layers and they are awesome and well made. And it’s an Idaho company, so even better in my book.

Oh, and “the duck’s nuts” has officially been entered into my lexicon. 8)

[Bruce Smithhammer]

in reply to: Binoc recommendation #13860

Vortex. Excellent optics and a no-hassle lifetime warranty. Made for hunters.

[Bruce Smithhammer]

in reply to: wool or camo? #13391

My first concern, rather than camo, is fabric performance when I’m in the field. I can be a long way from the truck, and given where I live that means I need to be prepared for everything from 85F to snow on an “early season” September hunt.

Wool can work great…for some things, and depending on the type of wool. Anything made of ‘recycled’ wool is worthless in my opinion (since the recycling process strips wool of much of its benefits). On the other hand, good thick virgin wool is awesome in cold weather, but like Jason points out – wool can get very heavy when wet, and takes a long time to dry. If I’m on a multi-day backcountry trip, I can’t afford to have layers that are still soggy in the morning. Thick wool can also be bulky to pack, if you are doing long days or multi-day trips.

And while I love my old Pendleton wool plaid shirt, hiking up the mountain on a hot September afternoon while wearing it seems like a painful excercise, just to look “traditional.” Later in the season when the weather is much cooler? Sure.

Good merino wool, on the other hand, is the best baselayer (and midlayer) I have ever used. Far superior to any synthetic base/mid layers I’ve come across. The temperature range that it remains comfortable in is truly impressive. While I wouldn’t want my old Pendleton on a hot uphill hike, I’ve done so daily in a lightweight merino layer and been perfectly comfortable. And it deals with body odors far better than any gimmicky “scent-block” garments I’ve seen. I can wear it all day, hang it outside overnight (as I do all my hunting clothing), and it’s good to go in the morning.

And then there are a lot of applications that I think more modern, synthetic layers really do excel at, particularly for backcountry hunts in places with highly variable weather. For early season, warm hunts, a lightweight pair of synthetic pants wins hands-down, imo. Soft-shell layers are great in snow, and don’t absorb moisture like wool does if things warm up and start melting. Rain layers? No choice but some sort of synthetic shell, really.

So, as others have said, choices depend on time of year, anticipated weather, etc. Wool has its virtues, but it isn’t my only choice, and is often mixed in with synthetics as well. While I don’t need all the latest “cutting edge” hunting clothing, I also feel no need to dress “retro” just for the sake of feeling traditional either. I”m guessing that a lot of our trad icons, if they were alive today, would be adopting some of the better synthetic materials available now as well.

To the original question – I’m not opposed to camo (neither was Fred Bear…), though I fully agree that it has been way over-hyped, and that many patterns being sold now are just silly. But simple patterns like ASAT, Vias, etc. work just fine for just about any environment. If I can have good performing clothing for the backcountry, and it happens to come in a decent (non-digi, non-gimmicky) camo pattern, then why not?

[Bruce Smithhammer]

in reply to: What ya got goin? #12214

Pssst…..Asbell wool plaid hooded vest for sale in the classifieds…

[Bruce Smithhammer]

in reply to: bear hunt with great footage #11855

Jason –

That’s a huge sow!! Thanks for sharing that vid.

I’ve got a bear tag in my back pocket this season. Already had two within range in the past week, but both were quartering to me, and I didn’t have the shot. The one that came in yesterday morning was a big one. Gets pretty exciting when you’re trying to put a stalk on a bear that size…

[Bruce Smithhammer]

in reply to: Hi Folks #11847

Welcome, Don!

The Samick is a fine bow for “getting your feet wet” and building the foundations of form and technique, and starting to get an idea of what you prefer.

If we can help answer any questions as you go down the trad path, don’t hesitate to ask!

[Bruce Smithhammer]

in reply to: Brace height for a long bow? #11638

sinawalli wrote: Set it at 7.25″ and it shoots like laser beam! Thanks to all!

Excellent!

[Bruce Smithhammer]

in reply to: Brace height for a long bow? #10225

That seems pretty high for a typical longbow. All of mine are between 7″ & 7-3/4″.

[Bruce Smithhammer]

in reply to: Hi Everyone #9766

Good to have you back, Steve!

[Bruce Smithhammer]

in reply to: 2013 hunting rigs #8594

Fine looking bow, Brennan!! Greg sure builds some beauties. What’s the poundage?

Classy quiver, too.

[Bruce Smithhammer]

in reply to: The 2013 Season Bulletin Board #8399

Spent 14 hours in the mountains yesterday, from pre-dawn to sunset. Other than a few distant bugles in the morning, it was pretty quiet. Still, I didn’t feel like hiking out pre-maturely, and I knew that if I went home, all I would be thinking about was being back out in the wilds.

Came across this very recently destroyed sapling and torn-up ground. Hard to tell from the pic, but the tree and the ground around it, were really torn to hell. The bull who did this must have been seriously worked up!!

By mid-day, it was clear that the morning’s activity was done, and everything was bedded down for the afternoon. Seemed like a good idea, so I thought I’d take a cue from the rest of the animals. Last week, I packed in my hammock and tarp, and stashed them in a dry bag in a centrally-located spot. Since I planned to spend the whole day up in the hunting grounds, this seemed like a perfect time to lay low for a while and put it to use:

Sets up and takes down in a flash, and the whole thing weighs just over 3lbs. The mid-day spike – one of the best ideas I’ve had a in a while, if I do say so myself! 😀

Significantly cooler weather this week – can only help the hunting…

Good luck to everyone.

[Bruce Smithhammer]

in reply to: Bow quivers #7816

jpcarlson wrote: Smithhammer, I like the look of the single arrow quiver, but I don’t like the tip of your sharp broadhead sticking out! Yikes!

Yeah, the leather is thick and it was definitely a tight fit at first. But now my broadheads fit all the way in, no problem. Just needed to stretch a bit.

jpcarlson wrote: I liked those light quivers you spoke of in the beginning of this post. I think a 3 or 4 arrow quiver would suffice for the white tail hunting I do now days.

EFA makes a great quiver. They make 3 – 5 arrow options, too. I ordered an additional lower bottom gripper, and when I go stumping, I just replace the hood on top with the second gripper. Works great.

[Bruce Smithhammer]

in reply to: Practicing the "Cold Shot" #63210

PM sent!

Anyone else? Let’s see your “cold shots!”

[Author]

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