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  1. Paul in Idaho

    In pursuit of my first bull - nothing like I had planned.

    I’m not much of a storyteller, but will share my elk season as I attempted to tag my first bull. This is long, since I had 3 separate trips during my season. Spoiler alert - if you’re looking for a story about a hardcore backpack hunt that ends with taking a trophy bull, this isn’t one of those...
  2. Paul in Idaho

    Test your truck battery and check its cables

    In case sharing my experience yesterday can help anyone protect their hunt from complications... It's worth taking a few minutes before leaving for a hunt to test your truck battery health and inspect its cable connections for corrosion. My truck has been so reliable I forgot about this step...
  3. Paul in Idaho

    Goodbye, Ruger

    It has taken me a while to be ready to share this. Earlier this year my once-in-a-lifetime dog Ruger reached the end of his amazing life. He was a central part of our lives for 12 years, and 12 years is nowhere near long enough for a dog like him. His hunting skills were incredible to watch...
  4. Paul in Idaho

    Owning a saltwater boat in SE Alaska?

    It seems the summer heat has baked my brain enough I'm having crazy thoughts about buying a boat and spending summers on it in southeast Alaska. It's not financially possible right now, but I want to start finding out what the total cost of this idea might be. If any of you have owned a boat...
  5. Paul in Idaho

    Camp chair with good back support?

    Can anyone recommend a folding camp chair that has good back support? I need better chairs for base camp that won't cause back pain. Something with both lumbar and upper back support would be ideal. Thanks.
  6. Paul in Idaho

    Bercomac snowblowers?

    After spending almost 10 hours this past weekend pushing snow with a standard UTV plow blade, I'm ready to upgrade to something faster. That wasted a lot of fishing time. The majority of the area I have to clear is a road cut into a mountainside. It's narrow to begin with, and as winter...
  7. Paul in Idaho

    Rib Roll recipes and cooking methods?

    There's a good thread at https://www.hunttalk.com/threads/the-rib-roll.303429/#post-3115785 about the rib roll technique. I used it for the first time on my late elk hunt and it worked very well as part of the gutless method. Now that I have a huge slab of rib, flank, and brisket meat, I'm...
  8. Paul in Idaho

    Question for Swarovski spotting scope users

    Do you use your Swaro spotter at max magnification at distances over 2 miles? If so, is the view crisp? I have only used scopes in the mid- and low price ranges, and have found that at longer distances the image gets distorted as I zoom in. If the Swaro glass provides a clear view without...
  9. Paul in Idaho

    Preserving fish with salt? (Alaska regulation question)

    I'm hoping to go on a fishing trip to Alaska and spend a week or more at a Forest Service cabin without electricity. I would like to keep fish if I catch some. Since you're only allowed to have 2 days' limits in possession, and fish count against the possession limit until they are "preserved,"...
  10. Paul in Idaho

    Winter tent recommendations?

    I'm looking for suggestions for a new tent for shorter trips when setting up a complete wall tent camp isn't worth the time. This would be used mainly for base camps that I can drive to, so weight isn't a concern. It needs to be a synthetic fabric so mold isn't a problem. It needs to have a...
  11. Paul in Idaho

    Cold elk video for hot days

    The hot, smoky weather recently has me thinking about cooler times. I remembered this video from a couple of winters ago of a bull elk wading an Idaho river. Despite at times being submerged to his ribs, he seemed to be in no hurry to get back on dry land. We watched from a long distance for a...
  12. Paul in Idaho

    Depreciation and valuation of high-end optics?

    I'm considering adding some Swarovski or Leica glass to my hunting equipment collection, and am deciding whether to buy new or used. Is there any commonly accepted standard or reference of what the value of used optics is, like NADA or Kelley Blue Book are for vehicles? From what I have read...
  13. Paul in Idaho

    Attempted fish theft

    I have never seen anything like this before. I give the snake an A+ for effort and persistence, but its assessment of prey size needs work.
  14. Paul in Idaho

    Manufacturers of .54 caliber bullets and accessories?

    It appears Hornady and Thompson Center both stopped making their .54 lead bullets. My muzzleloader is a .54 Knight. Here in Idaho, sabots are not allowed and bullets must be lead only, so that limits my options. Most of the discussions about the lack of .54 options I have seen recently...
  15. Paul in Idaho

    Knife search - matching an heirloom

    About 20 years ago one of my uncles made me a beautiful knife. It is made of Damascus steel, ironwood and brass. Its balance and fit are perfect for me. I carried it hunting for several years. Now that he's getting up in years, the knife stays at home since it could never be replaced if I lose...
  16. Paul in Idaho

    Choosing a revolver - what factors to consider?

    I'm thinking about buying my first revolver. It'll be a large caliber, since I already have a small-caliber handgun. It would be carried as a bear defense gun when I couldn't carry a rifle or shotgun. (I always carry pepper spray, I don't want to restart that debate.) I'll want to be able to...
  17. Paul in Idaho

    COVID-19 medical mask shortage - can hunting gear companies help?

    This week I have seen a lot of posts by medical professionals concerned about the lack of N95 masks and other personal protective equipment (PPE). Now, a surge of requests is starting for people to make fabric masks for hospital staff to have some level of protection. At least one hospital has...
  18. Paul in Idaho

    Almost killed a bull

    ... but fortunately had good reflexes, steering, and brakes.
  19. Paul in Idaho

    Does anyone carry a wind meter while hunting?

    I chose to pass up a shot at an elk this year because the wind was blowing hard. They were about 275 yards out, but I had not practiced shooting in windy conditions so I chose to not take the opportunity since I didn't know how much the wind would move the point of impact. It's easy to find a...
  20. Paul in Idaho

    Post-rut cow elk location?

    I have heard a lot about bulls moving into sanctuaries after the rut, but haven't heard much about what the cows do. In mid-October during my deer hunt, I saw lots of elk. Bulls were still bugling and tending cows. This year I had a November antlerless elk tag, so I went to the same area where...

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