Even though September has come and gone for the 2019 season, I seem to be getting a flood of questions regarding my gear choices for spot and stalk archery elk hunting. I’ve been elk hunting for 5 years, spending anywhere from 7-21 consecutive days in the field each time. I typically layer up with a mix of the following pieces!
BOTTOMS
I’ve worn all of the following pants in the field and would highly suggest any of them for different reasons. Decide which one caters more to your needs and/or body type. I guarantee you’ll be happy with any of them!
Women’s UA Tactical Patrol Pant: my absolute go-to choice for over 90% of my hunts, especially spot and stalk! They recently released a RidgeReaper Forest camo version (something I requested for years!), so this was my first season to put some miles in that pair to break them in a bit. I’m still partial to the solid colors (Coyote Brown and Marine Od Green), but love the option of camo! This is by far the most worn pant style in my massive collection of camo.
Women’s UA Enduro Pant: very similar to the above pant in terms of the durable rip-stop fabric; however, the fit is very different. It’s a higher waste, which I do like when I have a heavy pack on my back so that the seam of my pant isn’t being pressed tighter against my skin. They are also a bootcut style, versus the wide pant leg, so they work nicely with rubber boots or hiking boots with higher ankle support. In general, these are the more comfortable pant, but I have one big issue with them in comparison to the Patrol Pant: pockets. I really love the cargo pockets on the Patrol Pant, so I’m not completely satisfied with the Enduro style for that reason alone. In a perfect world, UA will release a combination of the two! A girl can dream, right?
UA Brow Tine: very quiet and comfortable, and way more water resistant than the previous two styles. It’s an awesome pant for mid season hunting, but I would never wear them early season, which is why you usually see me running around in #1 and #2. The Brow Tine pant isn’t meant for warmer temperatures, especially when you are spot & stalk hunting. With that being said, I wore them while elk hunting in Montana in October and I’m so grateful I had them. Recommendation: order a size up in this item for flexibility and the option to layer.
TOPS
UA Threadborne Early Season: I wish I could find the men’s cut of this because I prefer a higher neck to protect my chest from the sun (redhead problems) while hiking in the mountains. Either way, you’re getting a breathable option that keeps you cool when you’re sweating nonstop during elk hunts. I would say this is my base layer on over 90% of my early season hunts of any kind (even tree stand hunting in Texas), as well as all through the spring for turkey hunting. It’s the thinnest base layer that UA offers.
Women’s UA Extreme Reversible: I’ll always say that every girl needs a good vest on her hunts. If I can keep my core, hands, and feet warm, I’ll last a lot longer in cooler temps. It also keeps your arms free of having too many layers on when you’re bow hunting and need the flexibility.
RidgeReaper Infil Windstopper: This is not a women’s cut, but it’s my favorite UA hunting jacket as of right now. It blocks the wind and repels water (although it’s not completely waterproof) without being really loud the way that true rain gear can be. It keeps me warm on my elk hunts without being bulky, so it works very well for layering. It’s just a badass jacket!!
UA Brow Tine: While it’s not my first choice for a jacket, it’s a great option and matches the UA Brow Tine pants. It’s a woman’s cut and is very comfortable. Recommendation: order a size up in this item for flexibility and the option to layer.
OTHER
Women’s UA Mid Season Reversible Wool Base: It’s a rare occasion that I put these wool base layers on during the day, but I have packed it along for multiple years to sleep in, and also to have the option to layer up if needed. If temps drop, I will occasionally replace my early season shirt with this top, and put the bottoms underneath my (patrol or enduro) pants. It’s definitely a must-have for mid season whitetail hunts where I’m not moving much, so either way I end up using these a lot!
Men’s Ridge Reaper GORE-TEX Pro Shell: I refuse to tell anybody that they need to invest in this exact rain gear, but I will always tell every hunter to keep rain gear in their pack. You never want to combine cold and wet - those two together become dangerous. This is the rain gear that I use and I love it for it’s durability, but there are lots of options out there that will work if you don’t have the funds to invest in this initially.
STARTER KIT SUGGESTION
Top: Threadborne Early Season // Bottom: Enduro Pant // Jacket: RR Infil Windstopper
If you’ve read through this article and now you’re staring at the screen thinking, “Ok cool…so what pieces should I buy though?” then the following breakdown is for you. It’s really tough to say that one kit is perfect for all situations, so naturally I’d suggest that you slowly piece together a little bit of everything over time. However, below is what I’d recommend for someone who plans to go on an early-to-mid September SPOT & STALK elk hunt, which is the norm for me. I really can’t speak from experience outside of that. I don’t typically hunt past mid September for elk; this season was the exception, and even then I didn’t hunt past the first week of October. Please keep this in mind if you’re looking for gear recommendations on muzzleloader/rifle elk hunting (normally later in the year), neither of which I’ve experienced. In fact, the ONLY reason I included the Brow Tine kit above in this blog is because I did use it when temps dropped. It’s a great option for mid-season hunts, and possibly late season hunts depending on where/what/how you’re hunting.
Bottom: Choose between the Patrol Pant (color: Coyote Brown or Marine Od Green) or Enduro Pant (color: bayou) depending on the features you like most
Jacket: RidgeReaper Infil Windstopper
Base Layers: Women’s UA Mid Season Reversible Wool Base
Those are my go-to items for every elk hunt and what I’d tell any woman to start with - they are on my “must have” list every single year. Aside from that, make sure you have good wool socks, thin gloves, durable rain gear, comfortable shoes, a beanie, & a light scarf. I’m only referring to items on your body, of course, otherwise we’ll be here all day :) Quality gear will make a hunt so much more enjoyable. I could write a book on bad experiences from poor gear choices - it’s not worth it! As always, comment below with any specific questions you have!