Western Hunter

Spring in Arizona is a fickle season. Some years, the weather is gorgeous and reinforces the appeal of this state I love so much. Other years, it feels like summer lite, and our mountains are anything but blue. This spring had been especially unpredictable. March gave us summertime temps, and I was really starting to sweat my upcoming turkey hunt.

When I first pick up a rifle scope that does not come from one of three or four "known" brands, my first thought is, alright, how many features did they add to make up for the lack of glass quality? That was the case when I looked through the Element Helix Gen 2. Douglas was going to test the big hoss, the Nexus Gen 2, which has an MSRP of $2199.99, and I chose to see what Element was capable of producing at the more approachable price point of $559.

Eberlestock has an option for just about every person and purpose out there, and the Brute Series is another great one. This series was specifically designed to be an out-of-the-box pack for the western hunter who is looking for a high-quality all-in-one system. Featuring an internal frame, customizable comfort, an adjustable load shelf, elevated load lifters, and it’s rifle scabbard ready (highly recommend it).

I couldn’t shake the feeling that something bad was going to happen to my bow as I loaded it into the case. I hate those thoughts, but the bow for this trip was integral in my mind. I just needed it to show up–unlike other trips where I could make do. This hunt was to take place in the most remote reaches of North America, and it was a trip I had been dreaming about for a long time.

Just because this is a review of a 7200-cubic-inch pack, don’t think this is only useful for extended backpack hunts. While it is great in this department, it’s a great all-around workhorse, and that's the main reason I decided to order this model vs one of the smaller-capacity models. There really isn’t much of a weight penalty when choosing the 7200 vs a smaller 3600.

I did not grow up turkey hunting. I don’t have a long history with the bird or any springtime traditions. I started chasing turkeys while in graduate school in eastern North Carolina. That first spring in eastern NC, I picked up a cheap TruGlo turkey choke and some Remington Nitro turkey loads for my 870 Express. I put a found beer can on a stick, walked back 30 yards, aimed, fired, and heard the impact of at least one pellet. I called it good enough and headed afield.

When I first pick up a rifle scope that does not come from one of three or four "known" brands, my first thought is, alright, how many features did they add to make up for the lack of glass quality? That was the case when I looked through the Element Helix Gen 2. Douglas was going to test the big hoss, the Nexus Gen 2, which has an MSRP of $2199.99, and I chose to see what Element was capable of producing at the more approachable price point of $655.99.

I have been using a hand-me-down Montana Canvas for a few years now. Before it was semi-retired to me, the tent had seen adventures across the West following Chris Denham as he filmed dozens of episodes of The Western Hunter. Starting with Season 3, all the way through Season 10, to be exact. When it came time for me to fully retire the tent, I had done all the first-hand "research" I needed and went straight for another Montana Canvas.

Prime Archery has been producing top-level bows for many years now, and their latest Divide series is no exception. Utilizing American-made carbon rods, the Divide is built on what Prime calls "Advanced Structures Technology." By combining machined aluminum with carbon rods through what they call "X Weld" bonding, they’ve been able to dramatically increase the stiffness of the bow’s riser while simultaneously reducing the bow’s overall weight by half a pound.

Swarovski’s newest product for 2026, the AT Endura 21-65x75 spotting scope is the replacement for the long-standing ATS/STS line of entry-level premium spotting scopes. Immediately upon removing it from the box, I noticed the new design. It has a sleek, modern chassis with a new rubber armoring texture and slightly lighter green color than in the past. I also noticed that the Swarovski emblem is engraved on the foot rotation ring instead of the iconic stamped pin on the body.