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Items To Bring On Your Outfitted Hunt

Also Please Note: 

- If not using our taxidermist or butcher, you may need to buy a cooler and dry ice after the kill to transport the meat and hide to your final destination.  If you are using our butcher and are from another state, you will need a UPS or FedEx account so he can ship the meat to you.

- Hunting guides rely upon gratuity for part of their income.  It is a common practice to tip your guide to show your appreciation.  For people that are unfamiliar with tipping of guides, most hunters give $100 to $500, depending upon the species hunted and services provided.

- It is nice to relax around the campfire with a “cold one” after a day’s hunt.  Due to the law and liability, we cannot provide your alcoholic beverages.  If you would like to drink alcohol, please bring it with you.  Your alcohol can only be consumed after legal hunting hours when the sun is down or if you are done hunting for the day. 

Equipment Recommendations, Brand Names, and Other Info

By Outfitter Pat Feldt

Each season I am asked by many hunters which brand or type of a certain item I recommend.  As with anything, it is important to buy the highest quality equipment that you can afford.  This eliminates having to purchase that item again or more often than you would like.  I also strongly recommend buying items of minimal weight.  This cuts back on fatigue while in the field, allowing you to go that extra mile.  It is not essential to your hunt that you have these particular brands, but here are a few things I have tried in the field and recommend:

• Binoculars - Recommended sizes are 10X42, 12X50 or 15X56 for open country hunts (coues, mule deer, antelope, sheep) and 8X30, 10X32, or 10X42 for forest hunts (archery elk and turkey).  If you are to buy one binocular, the 10X42 would be the best all-around size.  Swarovski, and Leica are superior European glasses that bring in much light and detail.  I highly recommend them.  If you don't want to spend the $1200-$3200 on a pair of these European optics, the higher end models of Leupold Golden Ring, or Vortex ($500-$1200) are good binoculars.  Remember, a good pair of binoculars is essential to finding big game in the large canyons of Arizona and New Mexico.

• Riflescope - European optics companies produce great binoculars, but my recommended riflescope is the Great Ol' American brand Leupold.  I have seen Leupolds take a tumble down a mountain, end-over-end, after which the hunter picks up the weapon to kill an animal at nearly 500 yards!  These are tough scopes and will usually not lose zero with a bad mishap.  I have witnessed this event with every other brand and cannot say the same for them.  Variable power settings are a must.  A 4-12X is minimum.  A 3-9X might be good for javelina, cow or coyote hunts when shooting distance are typically closer than 250 yards, but it is too small for big canyon hunting of any other species.  If you have ever looked at an animal over 250 yards on 9 power, you know what I mean.  Leupold Model Vari-X III in 6.5-20X or 4.5-14X will suit your needs for any species at any distance.  If you are coming on a bighorn sheep, coues or bear hunt, go with a 40mm objective to save weight in this rougher terrain.  Please note: a scope sunshade often helps when shots are uphill or towards the sun.  Also, always sight in your variable power scope on the highest power setting! 

• Bipod - Don't skimp and buy an "off the wall" brand thinking they are all the same.  I have used most bipods on the market and most come apart after a few field uses or have severe wobble.  Any "play" is magnified down range.  Buy a Harris Bipod in the 9-13" model, solid mount with leg notches.  This model extends when the button is pushed and can be clicked to different increments.  It is not the model that retracts when the button is pushed.  The recommended model is the 1A2-LM 9-13".  It is low enough to use a rear rest and is lighter than the swivel version.  It can be purchased at MidwayUSA.com

• Sleeping Bag -  Our sleeping quarters are usually in tents.  Hunters sleep on cots with nice, thick pads on top.  All hunters need to bring a sleeping bag.  Sleeping bags come in all shapes and sizes (I prefer a rectangle as opposed to the mummy), but what is important is the thermal rating and compactness (packing in your luggage for the plane).  Our cold month hunts in November through April may be spent in wall tents.  Outside nighttime temperatures may get as low as 10 degrees, with inside tent temperatures around 50 with the heater on.  If the heater goes out in the middle of the night (and it more than likely will), you need to be prepared.   I recommend a 20 degree rating for those cold weather hunts.  During mild weather hunts in August through October, I recommend a 40-50 degree rating.  Slumberjack, Eureka, REI, and Cabelas have a line of compact sleeping bags at various temperature ratings that fit nicely into your luggage.  Also, don't forget a small travel pillow or Coleman camp pillow.  These stuff into a sack to save room for luggage packing.  If trying to save even more room in your luggage, you can instead bring an empty pillow case and stuff it with your hunting clothes to act as a pillow.  

• Beanie - A beanie is great for keeping your head warm while sleeping during cold weather hunts.  It eliminates the need to bury your head under your sleeping bag and it actually keeps your whole body warmer while sleeping.

• Tweezers - Every plant in the desert can either poke, stick or jab you, often leaving stickers and thorns throughout your body.  Tweezers are essential in getting these thorns out if they happen to occur, especially the fine cactus needles.

• Daypack - Most hunters come with packs too small.  If you tag an animal, you will need to take the guide's gear in your pack (and they have a lot of stuff) as he packs out the game.  If it is a large animal such as a bear or elk, you will need to help pack out the game.  You do not need a giant backpack, but a good daypack with a waste strap for putting the weight above the hips and not all on the shoulders is best.  You should have a mid-sized pack with a capacity around 2000 - 2800cu-in.  My top choice backpack manufacturer is Eberlestock. Their backpacks allow you to slide your gun into a pouch or scabbard and also secure a bow on the pack.  This eliminates fatigue from carrying a weapon on your shoulders or in your hands all day in the rough, canyon terrain.  There are many Eberlestock configurations to choose from, but you don't need anything larger than 2800 cu-in.  The new Eberlestock X1A1 model is perfect for any Western hunt.  Cabelas has a couple economical, yet fair backpacks, as well.  There is no real need for packframes since the guides will supply them if needed; unless you are doing a special backpack hunt.  Turkey hunters can bring a turkey vest instead of the backpack, if they choose. You should visit www.eberlestock.com

• Water Transport - As many as three-hundred people die in the Arizona desert per year due to severe dehydration.  Having enough water in your pack is very important in this arid environment, especially after the kill.  Once you kill, you just doubled or even tripled your water requirement in order to help pack out the extra weight.  THIS IS THE DESERT!  There are no streams to drink from if you are out of water.  On our August through October hunts, two liters should be taken into the field at all times, even if you don't think you need it.  I don't mean two little drinking water bottles that you buy in the case, but two LITERS.  We provide cased bottled drinking water (4 bottles equals 2 liters).  On November through April hunts you should carry at least 1 liter.  Camelback or Dromedary Bladders work well, but make sure you rinse out the bad, plastic taste from newly purchased bladders.  We have seen many hunters dump out their water because it became too heavy or many hunters say, "I didn't drink all my water that I packed yesterday, so I'm only bringing half today."  This is a big mistake.  On several occasions I have rescued hunters and even guides in the early stages of heat stroke or severe dehydration.  It's hard for the rescuers to land a helicopter in the steep terrain that we hunt!  Your extraction bill could reach into the tens of thousands of dollars!  This can be prevented by staying hydrated and packing enough water.  The humidity in Arizona and Southern New Mexico rarely exceeds 10% which can dry you out in minutes!  Some don't even know they are dehydrated until it's too late.  If you are worried about the added weight of water, shave off a few pounds elsewhere. 

• Hiking Boots - Most AZ and NM terrain is very rocky.  Get a 9-10" high boot with good ankle support and traction.  If you have plenty of time for break-in, try the Meindl Alaska Hunters.  They are a tough German boot with a heavy duty Vibram sole, extreme ankle support and durability that will last for many years.  I hike over 220 days/year and can get the Meindl's to last 3 years (well over 2,500 miles of abuse)!  The average hunter that goes out a half dozen times per year, can probably make these boots last a lifetime!  Meindl's are available at Cabelas.  If you don't have much time for break-in, my top suggestion for you are the lightweight Danner Pronghorns.  It comes in models with insulation for cold hunts and no insulation for warm hunts (such as bear and early deer).  Cabelas and Rocky also offer quality boots.

• Hiking Socks - A good pair of wool blend socks, whether hunting in September or January, is essential to keeping your feet from being too moist and help to eliminate blisters.  Please, for the sake of the other hunters in your tent, bring one pair per day!  

• Archery Boot Silencers - For Bow and Arrow, Muzzleloader and Handgun Hunts.  These strap over your boots when making the last 100 yards of your archery stalk.  It beats taking your shoes off to get that extra few yards needed on the loud, dry, gravel desert floor.  Try Carlton's Felt Stalkers.  Stay away from "Baer's Feet" stalkers, as they tend to slip-off as you are walking.

• Clothing - There are many brands on the market, but what is important is the material they are made of.  High performance hunting clothing is not 100% Cotton.  Try a polyester/cotton blend or, better yet, a 100% poly material.  Long underwear is recommended on any hunt from the beginning of November through the April turkey season.  These also come in poly materials, which will actually pull sweat away, keeping you drier and warmer than cotton.  If you want a really good set of hunting clothes for our desert hunts that will repel water, will not fade, and will last more than one hunting season, Sitka Gear is my recommendation.  www.sitkagear.com  Unfortunately, Sitka doesn't produce a good camo pattern for our forest hunts (elk, turkey), but their open-country pattern is second-to-none for our desert hunts.

• Camouflage Pattern - The Camo pattern to bring depends upon which type of hunt you will be on; either a desert hunt or a forest hunt.  Desert hunts such as bighorn sheep, bear, deer, javelina, predators, and antelope require lighter camo patterns like Natural Gear, Mossy Oak Brush, King's Desert Shadow, or our #1 choice, Sitka Gear's Optifade Open Country.  Most colors in the desert during hunting season are light shades of gray/brown.  Stay away from the really bright "prairie" patterns though.  You'll stand out like a sore thumb using the prairie patterns.  Forest hunts such as Elk and Turkey require darker camo patterns like Mossy Oak New Break-Up or Real Tree AP.  

• Portable Field Seat Cushion - This may not sound too important, but when you are glassing and sitting on a cold, jagged boulder for hours, it is invaluable.  The comfort a foam pad brings will help you be more patient.  Brand does not matter, but make sure it is not too big or it will be cumbersome to carry in or on your pack.  You can often use any one-inch thick foam pad and trim it to fit in the pack.  One-inch thickness is plenty.  Don't bring a field chair unless you don't mind carrying the added weight or bulk.

• Flushable Wipes - For personal hygiene.  The flushable wipes often replace toilet paper and will decompose easier than cotton baby wipes.  They are highly recommended for camping to "freshen-up" when you can't take a shower and to eliminate sore bottoms (monkey butt). I do not want hunters disposing of cotton baby wipes in my porta-potty!  Flushable wipes are fine.

• Cell Phones/12-Volt Cell Phone Vehicle Charger - If you really need to use and re-charge your cell during the hunt, please bring a 12-volt cell phone vehicle charger (cigarette lighter plug).  The guides will let you plug into their vehicle when you need charging.  I recommend turning off your cell phone until you need to make a call.  We don't hunt near towers and typically have poor reception.  If you keep the phone on during the daytime, it will search for a tower, thus, drain your battery within hours.  Note: some areas we hunt have no cell phone service.  The Gila National Forest and some parts of the Apache-Sitgreaves, have no service the entire time we are there.  If hunting for elk or turkeys in NM and contact with the outside world is important to you, I recommend renting a satellite phone for your personal use.  

• Rifle Caliber Selection - Basically, choose a caliber that you can handle and shoot accurately without flinching.  If that means getting a muzzlebrake installed, than that is what you need to do.  We all know hunters that use big magnums, but miss everything they shoot at because they flinch and are afraid of the gun.  Again, a muzzlebrake will do wonders!  Don't worry about your guide's ears.  He's totally aware of muzzlebrakes and will usually cover his ears.  For hunters that like to use different calibers for different species, here is a range of calibers to use for each species:  Javelina - .243, up to .30-06;  Coues and Mule Deer, Sheep, Antelope - .270 up to .300 Magnum;  Bull Elk and Bear- 7mm Magnum up to .338 Magnum.   If I were use one cartridge for all rifle hunting, it would be either one of the .300 Magnums or Short Magnums, with a KDF or Gentry Muzzlebrake of course.  These cartridges can be loaded and used for all North American big game species from a 45 pound javelina to a 2500 pound bull bison.  They are also superior for long range shooting in high winds across canyons.  Another important point that I must mention is that you should have a weapon that is as lightweight as possible.  Rifles with heavy varmint or target barrels might be nice from a bench or while prairie dog shooting, but the mountains of the Southwest are no place for them.

• Ammunition - Just like anything, don't buy the cheapest ammo.  Good loaded rifle ammo usually costs over $50.00 per box.  The more expensive Federal Premiums, Remington Premier or Winchester Supreme loaded ammunitions are very accurate and precise.  They can be found online at Cabelas or MidwayUSA.  I recommend either all copper bullets OR bullets with a polymer tip and boat tail design that are bonded to the jacket.  Barnes TSX or Tipped TSX are my first choice bullets, with Accubonds being second.  Both of these bullets have a high ballistic coefficient for long range and stay together when they hit.  Try the Tipped Triple Shock X Bullet for nearly 100% weight retention and superior pass through.  Hornady Interbond or GMX is also a good bonded, polymer tipped bullet designed for long range performance.  Nosler Partitions will stay together, but are designed for close range and will dive like a cannon ball at longer ranges. So try to stay away from Partitions.  More than likely, you will not get any close shots in this open country anyway!  Important: sight in with the ammo you will be using on the hunt.  I see many hunters buy a cheap box of ammo to sight in their gun and use a totally different load on the hunt.  All ammo shoots differently and is magnified at long ranges.  

• Bullet Weight - You want to get the best trajectory and energy transfer for the cartridge you are shooting, which often means choosing the correct bullet weight.  Try not to match up the bullet weight with the game animal you will be hunting because flat trajectory is more important in this open country.  For instance, you wouldn't want to hunt open country elk using a .30-06 loaded with 200 grain bullets.  It seems logical to use as heavy a bullet as possible on a big animal, but it doesn't work that way with long range hunting.  The 200gr .30-06 bullet might have high energy coming out of the muzzle, but it will have terrible trajectory at long distance, unlike a flatter shooting 150-165 grain .30-06 bullet would.  If you look at the charts of the offered bullet weights for a particular cartridge, the middle weight will more than likely give you the best trajectory and knockdown power at long range.  The key is performance at long range.  For instance:  a .243 should get the best long range performance with a 85-90gr bullet, a .270 should get the best long range performance with a 130-140gr, a 7mm Magnum should get the best long range performance with a 150gr, a .30-06 should get the best long range performance with a 150-165gr, a .300 Winchester Magnum or .300 Short Magnums should get the best performance with a 150-165gr, a .300 Remington Ultra Magnum should get the best long range performance with a 180gr, a .325 Magnum should get the best long range performance with a 200gr, and a .338 Magnum should get the best long range performance with a 225gr.  If you cannot find these weights, then go lighter.  You will be more successful if you use a lighter bullet that is placed well than using a heavy bullet that is placed at the animal's feet!  Also, lighter bullets produce less recoil.  For instance, if using a 300 magnum, a 150 grain load will produce up to 30% less "kick" than a 180 grain load.

• Archery Broadhead Selection -  Two types of broadhead designs to choose from are the fixed blade and mechanical.  Mechanical broadheads are legal in AZ and NM.  These designs often have double the cutting diameter of a fixed blade.  They produce an awesome wound channel leading to a quick and humane kill, if the shot is placed well.  One cannot argue that these designs are superior in flight, much similar to a field point.  The only downside is if you hit bone on a bear or elk.  I have seen mechanicals slice in-between the ribs of bull elk, but have yet to see one punch through each side if it hits bone.  I prefer fixed three blades for elk or bear and mechanicals on anything else.  If using fixed heads, any brand with a 1-inch cutting diameter that flies without planing should be used.  The Muzzy Brand seem to fly true and rarely come apart when they hit bone.  The G5's, Shuttle T and Whack 'Em seem to work well too.  If using mechanical heads, I like the tuff Rocket (Trophy Ridge) brand.  They fly like field points, which is needed on shots out at 50 yards and beyond.  I have also recently seen a few clients with success using the Rage opening broadheads.  They fly true and produce a big wound channel.

• Using a GPS - All Guides and Outfitters "cringe" when they see a client using a GPS.  In most instances, the guide will be with you while in the field, which eliminates the need to "find your way back" with a GPS.  If you are afraid that you will get lost or that your guide will get you lost (highly unlikely), you can bring one for emergency purposes only.  Please refrain from using a GPS while on your hunt for marking our "hot spots."  This will make your guide paranoid and you might find yourself in a mediocre hunting area.  It is unethical to return to a guide's hard-earned hunting spots or tell others of their location.  Just think, if you booked a hunt with me and someone that I guided from the previous season showed up in a spot that you were supposed to hunt, you would be very disappointed!  Or, you showed your favorite fishing hole to someone, they brought a bunch of buddies and fished out the hole.  You would have every right to be upset.  Please be an ethical hunter and refrain from telling others or showing up to our spots after the hunt.  

• Weight of Gear - Again, I strongly urge big game hunters to bring field items that are LIGHTWEIGHT, without compromising quality of course.   If you can save a few ounces on each item, it can add up to pounds and will be felt (or not felt) at the end of the day. Bringing items into the field like: rifles with varmint barrels or heavy wooden stocks, big spotting scopes, big tripods, field chairs, sand bags, video cameras, big SLR cameras with telephoto lenses, sidearms, multiple boxes of ammo, giant Rambo knives, bricks, tire irons, etc., is a common mistake.  You can easily reduce the weight of most modern rifles (especially Rem 700) by 1 to 2.5 pounds by doing the following: use a Talley machined aluminum scope mount, replace the steel bolt shroud with an aluminum bolt shroud, replace the steel magazine follower with an aluminum follower, 40mm objective lens riflescope, a poly or nylon sling, and of course, an ultra light synthetic stock.  Bell and Carlson makes a lightweight stock around 2 pounds or McMillan makes an ultra lightweight stock around 22 ounces!  If you are looking to buy a new lightweight mountain rifle, the Tikka T3 Lite is an economical, yet very accurate option.  Another lightweight mountain rifle is the Kimber 8400 Montana, but a bit more expensive.  Since mountain rifles are so light, having a muzzlebrake installed is highly recommended.  Also, after the first hike, you will figure out that there are things in your pack that you don't need.  Unfortunately, it often takes that first hike to figure this out.  If there is anything in your pack that you don't really need (within reason), then leave it behind.  Saving weight reduces fatigue while in the field, allowing you to go that extra mile, thus, increasing your odds and having a more enjoyable hunt! 

• Temperature/Weather - The climate in Arizona and New Mexico is very arid and dry.  There is nothing to hold in the heat.  This means the fluctuation between morning and afternoon temps could be drastic.  Morning temps, as a general rule, are usually 35 degrees different from afternoon temps.  That means if it is 65 degrees as a daytime high, the nighttime low will usually drop to about 30.  The sun is intense during the day, but once the sun goes down, it could get quite bone chilling and happen very fast.  Therefore, we recommend layering.  Also, the wind will typically blow about 10-30mph for at least half of your hunt, so expect temps to feel cooler than they really are.  Rain and snow are not normal, but could happen on your hunt.  Also, don't expect the forecast for any of the 3 major cities (Tucson, Phoenix or Flagstaff) to be the same as our hunt area.  We hunt either in the mountains or near them.  Mountains have a different microclimate than the lowland cities. There is no way to get an accurate forecast for where we hunt since there are no cities nearby.  But, if it calls for rain in Tucson, Phoenix, or Flagstaff, just assume it will rain (warm months) or snow (cold months) in the mountains.  Below is an average temperature table for the particular species/season you will be hunting (wind chill is not factored into these numbers):

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