What is an archery spring bear hunt without the bow and arrow part right? Shot opportunities in bowhunting don’t grow on trees. Each one is earned and the earning part is gonna be on the healthy side for the backcountry bear hunt I have planned. In light of that, confidence in my setup, and confidence in my shooting needs to be absolutely dialed. I may only get one shot, so I’ll need to make damn sure it counts. My Set Up The setup I’m bringing on my archery spring bear hunt is one I’ve gained a ton of confidence in over the last few months. From the bow to the arrow/broadhead. The Bow The bow ..read more

This past January 2024, I spent 14 days bowhunting one of my favorite animals on the planet, the coues deer. It’s a spot and stalk hunt that I look forward to every single year and this past January was no exception to that. The exception was the number of days I stayed in the field though. The hunt was rough with lots of ups and downs. In the end, I was able to come out with a great buck, and now a great film that I’m super proud of. The film is called Fourteen – An Archery Coues Deer Story. It follows me throughout my January 2024 season from the backcountry to living out of my truck. It exp ..read more

Something else I’m really trying to focus on for this upcoming backcountry archery spring bear hunt is strength training. I will admit, that this is something that I have lacked over the past few years. My primary way of training for hunts has been trail running and weighted pack hikes. This has gotten the job done but with a caveat. I’ve noticed that I’ve been more prone to injury. Which is where strength training comes in. The Goal At least on the surface, when I think of strength training, immediately an image of giant muscles destroying the weight room comes to mind. While this exists in t ..read more

Back in March of 2020 I released my very first book Becoming a Backpack Hunter: A Beginner’s Guide to Hunting the Backcountry. The positive response was overwhelming and it continues even to this day as I sit here now in 2024. Shortly after writing that book, I started another. I’ve kept this as hush as I could over the years of writing it, but it’s time to get the word out. Becoming a Bowhunter… Along with backpack hunting, my biggest passion is bowhunting. Everything about it is addicting to me. From the joy and fulfillment it provides to even the frustration at times. When I first started ..read more

A quality layering system for western hunting is absolutely non-negotiable in my eyes, especially when it comes to backpack hunting. This is something that is going to keep you warm when it’s cold, dry when it’s raining, and cool when it’s warm out. Versatility is key and this year Sitka Gear hit the nail on the head for me. As an avid backcountry hunter having a clothing system that I can trust is incredibly important to me. Late last year I had the opportunity to try out some Sitka Gear and have been super happy with the performance from top to bottom. With that said, Sitka has a ton of gear ..read more

Going on 4 years now, I have gone to Idaho during the spring to hunt black bears. Since my first trip, which was actually solo for 8 days, I have looked forward to this hunt every year. The first year I missed several bears. The second year I made a bad shot and couldn’t recover a bear. And the third I finally laid my hands on my first Idaho black bear. These were all backpack hunts with my rifle. There was one thing on my mind the whole time. A dream. Each year I have returned back to this merciless country it has grown increasingly more fulfilling. Just being in this landscape is rewarding ..read more

There are a ton of different archery release aids floating around out there. Index style releases, hinges, thumb buttons, and resistance releases. And there are a bunch of options for each of those categories. I am a strong believer in an index-style release for bowhunting especially. My two go-to index-style releases are the Carter Like Mike II and the Stan SoleX. Both are very similar in design, but come in at very different price points. I’m going to break down what I like and what I don’t like about each of these releases. Hopefully, this can help you weigh out which of these awesome index ..read more

Almost 4 years ago now my life changed for the better. Not that the life I was living was bad at all. I loved my life. But, now I love it more than I could imagine at the time. On June 15th, 2020 my wife and I had our first child, Juniper Rain Kirchner. Things would never be the same for us and we’d grow in more ways than one. The Dad life began. As someone who lives a very busy life and spends a fair amount of time away from home during hunting seasons, I wanted to do a little virtual check-in with what I’ve learned since our little girl came into our lives. Some changes I’ve made, mistakes ..read more

Water is life. For a backpack hunter, there are few things as exciting as finding a reliable water source from which you can nourish yourself off the beaten path. Without water, we simply cannot survive out there. This poses a problem for those of us who live/hunt in dry climates. What do you do when backpack hunting in dry conditions? How do you do it? As a resident of Arizona for the past 20+ years and an avid backpack hunter for the past 10+ years, these are questions I am all too familiar with. Whether it was me asking them or others asking me for guidance around them. The solution to all ..read more

2023 had no shortage of gear changes for me. I’m always looking for ways to solidify my system even more. The only way to do that is to try out new things. Sometimes they work and sometimes they don’t. During the 2023 season, I was reminded of the phrase, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” My arrow setup is now what it once was instead of something totally new. My Setup Arrow – Victory VAP TKO I’ve ventured out of my comfort zone the last few years and tinkered with some new arrow setups. I’ve tried heavy arrows, midweight arrows, high-mod carbon arrows, low-mod carbon arrows, etc. From in the ..read more