Beyond the Kill

  When it comes to gear and equipment for mountain and backcountry hunting, regardless of the species you pursue, it's a short list of items that truly make a difference season after season.   Those with experience know that your boots and your pack are the most critical. You can get it done with an old rifle. The latest bow may or may not be worth the expenditure. There are more apparel and camo options than ever before. But binoculars are on that short list of truly crucial gear.  They're likely always on you, right on your chest. Drop your pack to make a stalk and those binos stay with you. Scanning tight cover hoping to catch a tine? They're in your hands. Doing a first pass of a basin before pulling out your spotter? Out come the binos. In terms of the equipment we use the most over a hunt, a season, or many seasons, binos are very high on the list.  With their new GEOVID MAX Leica has reset the bar for what a pair of binoculars is capable of. Combining top-tier glass with a full ecosystem of features and integrations, the all-new GEOVID MAX is a category defining product. Customizable HUD. Incredible ranging speed to extended distances. Environmental data. Applied ballistics. Mapping software integrations. The list goes on.  If you're serious about your optics, precision shooting, and getting the absolute most from your binos, the GEOVID MAX is in a league of its own.  @leicahuntingusa   ---------------------------  TRUSTED PARTNERS:  For over 100 years Leica has set the standard for premium optics. From spotting scopes to binoculars, rifle scopes and the new CRF MAX rangefinders, Leica is the choice for those who accept no compromises.  onX Hunt is the most powerful 3D mapping solution for hunters. Get your FREE trial today. If you're already a member, check out the exclusive offers and perks available when you upgrade to an Elite Member.   Spartan Precision Equipment is built for the mountains. Ultra-lightweight, packable, and versatile across shooting platforms. Be sure to check out their new Springbok line of products and the Ascent and Javelin series.  If you're interested in becoming a truly competent, confident and capable rifleman the Modern Say Sniper platform and Modern Day Rifleman community need to be on your radar. Digital courses, podcasts, videos, and in-person instruction taught by one of the best in the industry.  Tired of gut rotting instant coffee? Check out This Is Coffee and get yourself some great instant coffee for when you're in the backcountry or on the road.  ---------------------------  CONSERVATION ORGS TO SUPPORT:  Go to Wild Sheep Foundation to find a membership option that suits your budget and commitment to wild sheep.  Go to Wild Sheep Society of BC to become a member, enter raffles, buy merch and support BC's wild sheep populations.  Go to Rocky Mountain Goat Alliance to find a membership option that suits your budget and commitment to conserving mountain goats and their habitat.   

The list of gear that dominates attention in our space is long. Apparel, rifles, bows, tents, sleeping bags, packs, boots, optics...but when was the last time you really thought about your backcountry stove system?  Well, brothers Chris and Josh, the two founders of ROUGHRIDGE STOVE CO., did think about stoves. A lot. The launch of their truly differentiated stove system is a classic entrepreneurial story of being so fed up with the options available, that they went and built the very product they wanted but couldn't find anywhere else.  Their HIGHCOUNTRY Cook System took years to develop, test, refine and deliver on what they set out to achieve. Given how important staying fueled is on a multi-day backcountry hunt, this innovative cook system should be on every serious mountain or backcountry hunter's radar.    @roughridgestove  @cjneville23  ---------------------------  TRUSTED PARTNERS:  For over 100 years Leica has set the standard for premium optics. From spotting scopes to binoculars, rifle scopes and the new CRF MAX rangefinders, Leica is the choice for those who accept no compromises.  onX Hunt is the most powerful 3D mapping solution for hunters. Get your FREE trial today. If you're already a member, check out the exclusive offers and perks available when you upgrade to an Elite Member.   Spartan Precision Equipment is built for the mountains. Ultra-lightweight, packable, and versatile across shooting platforms. Be sure to check out their new Springbok line of products and the Ascent and Javelin series.  If you're interested in becoming a truly competent, confident and capable rifleman the Modern Say Sniper platform and Modern Day Rifleman community need to be on your radar. Digital courses, podcasts, videos, and in-person instruction taught by one of the best in the industry.  Tired of gut rotting instant coffee? Check out This Is Coffee and get yourself some great instant coffee for when you're in the backcountry or on the road.  ---------------------------  CONSERVATION ORGS TO SUPPORT:  Go to Wild Sheep Foundation to find a membership option that suits your budget and commitment to wild sheep.  Go to Wild Sheep Society of BC to become a member, enter raffles, buy merch and support BC's wild sheep populations.  Go to Rocky Mountain Goat Alliance to find a membership option that suits your budget and commitment to conserving mountain goats and their habitat.   

There are a lot of ways to get fit, and most methods will get some form of results.    But if you're looking to build the strength and capacity to handle long days in the field, for days on end, and want to be able to confidently tackle rugged country year after year, you need to choose wisely.   Return on time invested matters. Risk of injury matters. Over-training matters. Access to equipment matters. Because at the end of the day, consistency produces the best results, especially as we age, and the demands of life stack up. Regardless of whether you're in your 20s or 50s or even beyond, Jeff Sokol has advice on how to make the most of the training time you have available.  @sokolstrong  SOKOL STRONG SITE  FREE KETTLEBELL COURSE – USE CODE FROMSOKOL  ---------------------------  TRUSTED PARTNERS:  For over 100 years Leica has set the standard for premium optics. From spotting scopes to binoculars, rifle scopes and the new CRF MAX rangefinders, Leica is the choice for those who accept no compromises.  onX Hunt is the most powerful 3D mapping solution for hunters. Get your FREE trial today. If you're already a member, check out the exclusive offers and perks available when you upgrade to an Elite Member.   Spartan Precision Equipment is built for the mountains. Ultra-lightweight, packable, and versatile across shooting platforms. Be sure to check out their new Springbok line of products and the Ascent and Javelin series.  If you're interested in becoming a truly competent, confident and capable rifleman the Modern Say Sniper platform and Modern Day Rifleman community need to be on your radar. Digital courses, podcasts, videos, and in-person instruction taught by one of the best in the industry.  Tired of gut rotting instant coffee? Check out This Is Coffee and get yourself some great instant coffee for when you're in the backcountry or on the road.  ---------------------------  CONSERVATION ORGS TO SUPPORT:  Go to Wild Sheep Foundation to find a membership option that suits your budget and commitment to wild sheep.  Go to Wild Sheep Society of BC to become a member, enter raffles, buy merch and support BC's wild sheep populations.  Go to Rocky Mountain Goat Alliance to find a membership option that suits your budget and commitment to conserving mountain goats and their habitat. 

When it comes to really getting to the bottom of anything new, exciting or interesting in the shooting or ballistics space, as it relates to hunting, it's a pretty short list of people you can trust to give you the straight goods...especially when it comes to actual hunting experience. "Pap" is one of those sources.  Some time is spent discussing yet another trip to Africa, and why his passion for African hunting is even more intense than it was after his last trip and then the conversation transitions to one of the truly hot topics in hunting ballistics at present: the proven performance of very fast, small diameter bullets on an increasingly wide range of game animals.   @papwinkle  ---------------------------  TRUSTED PARTNERS:  For over 100 years Leica has set the standard for premium optics. From spotting scopes to binoculars, rifle scopes and the new CRF MAX rangefinders, Leica is the choice for those who accept no compromises.  onX Hunt is the most powerful 3D mapping solution for hunters. Get your FREE trial today. If you're already a member, check out the exclusive offers and perks available when you upgrade to an Elite Member.   Spartan Precision Equipment is built for the mountains. Ultra-lightweight, packable, and versatile across shooting platforms. Be sure to check out their new Springbok line of products and the Ascent and Javelin series.  If you're interested in becoming a truly competent, confident and capable rifleman the Modern Say Sniper platform and Modern Day Rifleman community need to be on your radar. Digital courses, podcasts, videos, and in-person instruction taught by one of the best in the industry.  Tired of gut rotting instant coffee? Check out This Is Coffee and get yourself some great instant coffee for when you're in the backcountry or on the road.  ---------------------------  CONSERVATION ORGS TO SUPPORT:  Go to Wild Sheep Foundation to find a membership option that suits your budget and commitment to wild sheep.  Go to Wild Sheep Society of BC to become a member, enter raffles, buy merch and support BC's wild sheep populations.  Go to Rocky Mountain Goat Alliance to find a membership option that suits your budget and commitment to conserving mountain goats and their habitat. 

It's easy to get swept up in the latest and greatest piece of kit, but what really makes a difference in the field?  Kev Toye is an experienced BC-based hunter who has spent most of his life chasing critters in BC, Alberta and more recently Manitoba. Now a dedicated bowhunter, he's been around long enough to know when it's worth spending money on gear and when good enough is good enough.   As a total elk nut, Kev also shares his thoughts on what works and what doesn't and how to figure out the most appropriate strategies and tactics for where you'll be chasing bulls come September.  Check out Kev's Focus Hunting Podcast available on all the podcast player platforms.  @kevinltoye  ---------------------------  TRUSTED PARTNERS:  For over 100 years Leica has set the standard for premium optics. From spotting scopes to binoculars, rifle scopes and the new CRF MAX rangefinders, Leica is the choice for those who accept no compromises.  onX Hunt is the most powerful 3D mapping solution for hunters. Get your FREE trial today. If you're already a member, check out the exclusive offers and perks available when you upgrade to an Elite Member.   Spartan Precision Equipment is built for the mountains. Ultra-lightweight, packable, and versatile across shooting platforms. Be sure to check out their new Springbok line of products and the Ascent and Javelin series.  If you're interested in becoming a truly competent, confident and capable rifleman the Modern Say Sniper platform and Modern Day Rifleman community need to be on your radar. Digital courses, podcasts, videos, and in-person instruction taught by one of the best in the industry.  Tired of gut rotting instant coffee? Check out This Is Coffee and get yourself some great instant coffee for when you're in the backcountry or on the road.  ---------------------------  CONSERVATION ORGS TO SUPPORT:  Go to Wild Sheep Foundation to find a membership option that suits your budget and commitment to wild sheep.  Go to Wild Sheep Society of BC to become a member, enter raffles, buy merch and support BC's wild sheep populations.  Go to Rocky Mountain Goat Alliance to find a membership option that suits your budget and commitment to conserving mountain goats and their habitat.