Fishing, and hunting reports (share yours)

Brian77 said:
You live there? That's cool.
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I do! What area were you in? I didn’t elk hunt this year, first year I’ve skipped in a long time.

Brian77 said:
I use a 300 win mag. Custom rifle by TS Customs. We had it out in about 4 hours. Part of the fun?
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Good caliber choice! The real work begins when you pull the trigger! ;)
 
Two Eiders decided to land 20 feet in front of us behind the decoys.

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We let those two go since we wanted to get them flying.
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toker said:
You're in luck. Eiders make great mounts, but lousy meals. Unless you like duck with a strong flavoring of fish. 🤢
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Retired UPS Driver said:
Yep, Divers suck for eating quality, but those Eiders are beautiful, (especially when in full breeding colors in the spring) one of the largest we have here, for sure a trophy👍
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Hopefully I'll get to the states in 2026 for some hunting, if the seasons line up I'll do my best to add in some bird hunting too. What part of the country do those eiders live in?
 
Hatchet_Jack said:
Hopefully I'll get to the states in 2026 for some hunting, if the seasons line up I'll do my best to add in some bird hunting too. What part of the country do those eiders live in?
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I've hunted Eiders in Maine and Cape Cod. The latter has been a lot better for Eider, Scoter and Old Squaw. I also like the restaurants there better.
 
Hatchet_Jack said:
I'll either be cashing in my chips for WY or heading to PA for the flintlock season, undecided which yet. Winging it public land whichever I choose.
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Two entirely different regions. Get ahold of the location DNR for wherever you end up going.

They are all great people and more than willing to go out of their way to make you successful 👍
 
I'm looking for advice. I'm getting back into game hunting after a long hiatus.

I'm up to date on rifles, optics, and ammunition because I never stopped being into shooting. However, I find myself in unfamiliar territory when it comes to hunting packs. We always used whatever junky backpack we had laying around and relied on our backs handling the punishment. I was hoping some of you might share your knowledge with me.

Is the main advantage with external frame packs just that it's easier to tie down quarters to the frame?

Also, what's everyone's recommendation for a pack? I would need something that can handle elk and moose. Budget....I could technically afford whatever I need. I'm just not sure at what point I'm paying for a name versus a significant boost in utility.

From what I've read, it seems like exo mtn, stone glacier, and mystery ranch are all highly regarded. General opinion on MR seems to be their packs are heavier, but at a lower price point.

I'm pretty practical when it comes to my gear. I'm big on cost to benefit ratios. In general, it isn't worth it to me to pay 60% more in price for a 10% performance improvement, but there are exceptions like with hunting glass.

Any info is welcomed and I'll consider all opinions offered.
 
I think packs are very personal preference and size/build based and the fit is most important so it's hard to recommend a specific pack to someone online.

That said Kirafu, Mystery Ranch, and Kuiu are all good quality equipment. Those three I have used personally and can recommend ... Kirafu being my personal choice. I found as I got older it was well worth it to spend a little more and get a pack that fits well and is well built.

I have used Eberlestock backpacks and really like them. I've never use one of their bigger hunting packs, but they would be worth considering IMO.
 
JJ_Colt45 said:
I think packs are very personal preference and size/build based and the fit is most important so it's hard to recommend a specific pack to someone online.

That said Kirafu, Mystery Ranch, and Kuiu are all good quality equipment. Those three I have used personally and can recommend ... Kirafu being my personal choice. I found as I got older it was well worth it to spend a little more and get a pack that fits well and is well built.

I have used Eberlestock backpacks and really like them. I've never use one of their bigger hunting packs, but they would be worth considering IMO.
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I have a couple Eberlestock packs, and while I like the build quality and features, I think they’re among the heaviest packs for comparable volume and features, so that’s one thing worth looking into, depending on the pack.

I also have an older Arc’teryx Bora pack. For comparable volume, the weight difference is noticeable when I pick up the empty packs.
 
I need a new one when I stop spending money on knives. Pretty sure kuiu is all Chinese these days so I’m off that.

Stone glacier is US made and I’ve been considering them. My brother has mystery ranch and they’re good, manufacturing has moved offshore in recent years though.
 
carnifex knifeworks said:
I'm looking for advice. I'm getting back into game hunting after a long hiatus.

I'm up to date on rifles, optics, and ammunition because I never stopped being into shooting. However, I find myself in unfamiliar territory when it comes to hunting packs. We always used whatever junky backpack we had laying around and relied on our backs handling the punishment. I was hoping some of you might share your knowledge with me.

Is the main advantage with external frame packs just that it's easier to tie down quarters to the frame?

Also, what's everyone's recommendation for a pack? I would need something that can handle elk and moose. Budget....I could technically afford whatever I need. I'm just not sure at what point I'm paying for a name versus a significant boost in utility.

From what I've read, it seems like exo mtn, stone glacier, and mystery ranch are all highly regarded. General opinion on MR seems to be their packs are heavier, but at a lower price point.

I'm pretty practical when it comes to my gear. I'm big on cost to benefit ratios. In general, it isn't worth it to me to pay 60% more in price for a 10% performance improvement, but there are exceptions like with hunting glass.

Any info is welcomed and I'll consider all opinions offered.
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JJ_Colt45 said:
I think packs are very personal preference and size/build based and the fit is most important so it's hard to recommend a specific pack to someone online.

That said Kirafu, Mystery Ranch, and Kuiu are all good quality equipment. Those three I have used personally and can recommend ... Kirafu being my personal choice. I found as I got older it was well worth it to spend a little more and get a pack that fits well and is well built.

I have used Eberlestock backpacks and really like them. I've never use one of their bigger hunting packs, but they would be worth considering IMO.
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carnifex knifeworks carnifex knifeworks I think your bases are pretty well covered with the 6 options in bold. I also rock a Badlands pack for day trips, or for moving around a lot while hunting out of a vehicle.

It definitely comes down to personal preference. They ALL have their positives and negatives. Kifaru is local to me, but I’m not a fan of their packs. They are well-made, but IMO they’re pretty basic (and heavy) for the price, even with a local discount. Also, again IMO, they just don’t have some of the little niceties of some of the others.

I just made this decision myself a couple years ago. I went Kuiu. The frame/suspension is interchangeable with the bags, so you can literally have like 8 different size/weight packs with just the one frame. The individual bags are a fraction of the price of a full pack. I have 3 different bags, and just the one frame. I also have the meat loader too, which is another option that attaches to the frame.

Hatchet_Jack said:
Pretty sure kuiu is all Chinese these days so I’m off that.

Stone glacier is US made and I’ve been considering them.
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Kuiu is definitely not all Chinese. Actually, I think very little of it is Chinese these days. They do use offshore manufacturers, but iirc, it’s mostly Vietnam for the packs (I am going off memory right now, so that may not be completely accurate, but I am pretty confident that they’ve largely moved away from Chinese manufacturing across all their product lines).

carnifex knifeworks carnifex knifeworks Stone Glacier that Hatchet_Jack Hatchet_Jack mentioned is one I read about a lot, but I do not have any personal experiences with them. I know a lot of people that used to like Kuiu for their old US-made stuff now like this company instead. They are not inexpensive.

Finally, one thing I will point out, because it happened to me. I used to use a large backpacking pack (old red/black MountainSmith) for my long back country hunts. That thing stood out like a sore thumb in the timber. I just figured that hiking in/out, I wasn’t really hunting, just hiking. That was until the day that I came across a trophy Bull while hiking in one year, and he spotted me before I saw him. I had my bow in hand, and if he hadn’t seen that DAMN pack so easily, I may have gotten a chance at a shot on him.

That day, I vowed that I would NEVER hike for hunting without a full camo pack again! 🤦‍♂️ ☹️ :thumbsdown:
 
SpyderPhreak said:
carnifex knifeworks carnifex knifeworks I think your bases are pretty well covered with the 6 options in bold. I also rock a Badlands pack for day trips, or for moving around a lot while hunting out of a vehicle.

It definitely comes down to personal preference. They ALL have their positives and negatives. Kifaru is local to me, but I’m not a fan of their packs. They are well-made, but IMO they’re pretty basic (and heavy) for the price, even with a local discount. Also, again IMO, they just don’t have some of the little niceties of some of the others.

I just made this decision myself a couple years ago. I went Kuiu. The frame/suspension is interchangeable with the bags, so you can literally have like 8 different size/weight packs with just the one frame. The individual bags are a fraction of the price of a full pack. I have 3 different bags, and just the one frame. I also have the meat loader too, which is another option that attaches to the frame.


Kuiu is definitely not all Chinese. Actually, I think very little of it is Chinese these days. They do use offshore manufacturers, but iirc, it’s mostly Vietnam for the packs (I am going off memory right now, so that may not be completely accurate, but I am pretty confident that they’ve largely moved away from Chinese manufacturing across all their product lines).

carnifex knifeworks carnifex knifeworks Stone Glacier that Hatchet_Jack Hatchet_Jack mentioned is one I read about a lot, but I do not have any personal experiences with them. I know a lot of people that used to like Kuiu for their old US-made stuff now like this company instead. They are not inexpensive.

Finally, one thing I will point out, because it happened to me. I used to use a large backpacking pack (old red/black MountainSmith) for my long back country hunts. That thing stood out like a sore thumb in the timber. I just figured that hiking in/out, I wasn’t really hunting, just hiking. That was until the day that I came across a trophy Bull while hiking in one year, and he spotted me before I saw him. I had my bow in hand, and if he hadn’t seen that DAMN pack so easily, I may have gotten a chance at a shot on him.

That day, I vowed that I would NEVER hike for hunting without a full camo pack again! 🤦‍♂️ ☹️ :thumbsdown:
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I've heard good things about the Stone Glacier, but I have no first hand experience with the so I can't speak on them.

I will say the Kifaru is my choice because they have packs that fit big guys Kuiu does too. They may have a bit more weight but it's not noticable to me. That's where I say it's a real individual thing. An average sized guy may not have added weight in a pack that fits him ... and it's possible he may notice it more if there is added weight in a similar pack.

My best advice would be to find places that sell packs you're interested in and go try them on and ask questions. A day spent driving around doing that will make all your days in the field so much better. Well worth the effort IMO.
 
JJ_Colt45 JJ_Colt45 I SO wanted a Kifaru to work! They really bent over backwards to get me in to something that would work, but it just wasn’t meant to be. They let me try several different models in the field (they had some try-out packs in the store you could check out with a moderate deposit), and helped me adjust them to get the perfect fit in the store, but they just never fit me quite right. They make great gear, I have some of their other stuff (I love their gun presenter), but the packs just didn’t work for me (6’2”, 250#, wide/large chest).

JJ_Colt45 said:
My best advice would be to find places that sell packs you're interested in and go try them on and ask questions. A day spent driving around doing that will make all your days in the field so much better. Well worth the effort IMO.
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100% this! A comfortable, well-fitted pack will make a world of difference in the field! This takes time and effort, and may cost a bit of money, but it will be worthwhile in the long run when you find one that you like.
 
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SpyderPhreak SpyderPhreak

No rebuttal to your kuiu statements, I lost interest in them when they went overseas and haven’t followed their gear in years. I take your word on that.

On another note and granted it’s all a matter of personal experience and preference but I do almost exclusively western style hunting on foot and I have not found camo does anything other than look nice to people.
I don’t wear camo at all, drab colours or plaid/check clothing gets me within bow range of game regularly. It has to, I rarely hunt with anything other than flintlock or open sights rifle.
 
Hatchet_Jack said:
SpyderPhreak SpyderPhreak

No rebuttal to your kuiu statements, I lost interest in them when they went overseas and haven’t followed their gear in years. I take your word on that.

On another note and granted it’s all a matter of personal experience and preference but I do almost exclusively western style hunting on foot and I have not found camo does anything other than look nice to people.
I don’t wear camo at all, drab colours or plaid/check clothing gets me within bow range of game regularly. It has to, I rarely hunt with anything other than flintlock or open sights rifle.
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I certainly won’t argue about the Kuiu stuff. In my observation over the past decade, it is only a matter of time before ALL of the newer camo brands eventually go to overseas manufacturing. It’s simply a cost/profit thing, they can’t stay competitive without it. It’s just a matter of how soon before Stone Glacier does too, and I’d bet it happens in the next year or two, unfortunately.

I think it really comes down to the quality of the gear, warranty, and the innovation of the company. Some are simply better than others. I like Kuiu for now, but I am not married to them, and I’m starting to worry that they are over diversifying lately. Will their quality begin to slip? Time will tell.

There are definitely successful hunters that believe in solids and drab colors. A hunter’s clothing is only one part of the whole equation though; scent, movement/sound (stealth), and knowledge of your quarry’s habits and default behaviors are paramount if you’re going to successfully get within 50 yards of your target to make a good, clear shot at the vitals on a regular basis. Especially out here in the Western USA. Practice, practice, practice. Nothing beats experience, especially on public land.
 
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