Western Hunter Magazine

08/05/2025

“Every year, we compile gear reviews for our annual gear issue and try to cover all the latest and greatest gear on the market that we have personally tested in the field. This year, I wanted to task our editorial staff with choosing one piece of gear they will never leave for a hunt without. The obvious bow, rifle, pack, and glass aside, there is always some knowledge to be gained from other hunters in what they carry in their packs and why. Often, it is the smallest piece of gear or item that gets overlooked that can make or break your hunt...”

You can read the full article in the link below:

Explore the must-have hunting items that can enhance your hunting experience. Discover expert gear recommendations.

08/04/2025

“I left my rifle and spotting scope and walked back to the truck to grab my pack. I called a buddy from the office, and he started heading up to meet me, take photos, and help with the pack-out.

Still unsure what I had just shot, I made my way to the deer… and was floored. He was one of the coolest character bucks I’d ever seen. I admired him for a while and propped him up for pictures. As I waited for my buddy, I climbed a hill that overlooked the valley. I sat alone and watched the sun come up over the country my dad and I had explored together just four years earlier. I know he was there, taking it all in with me.

It was bittersweet. After months of scouting and preparation, the hunt was over in just three days. But this will always be one of the most memorable seasons of my life–not because of the buck I shot, but because I got to spend quality time with the people I love and watch both Sarah and Trey tag their biggest deer on a second chance at a once-in-a-lifetime tag.”

You can read “Bittersweet” by Chase Harris of in its entirety in Issue 5. Subscribe by August 10th in order to receive this issue. Link in BIO.

08/01/2025

Issue 5 - The next evolution of Western Hunter Magazine.

For the last 23 years, Western Hunter Magazine has been bringing you the most relevant and thought-provoking articles, photography, and information possible.

Never fear–that is not going to change. However, times do change. People change, technologies change, and even the most beautifully stubborn of things need to adapt in order to best serve their purpose.

Earlier this year, we decided it was time to give Western Hunter Magazine a full-scale remodel, not just a facelift, but a complete rebuild. Our subscribers will soon be holding the result of that effort in their hands. An updated look, some tweaks to the organization, an influx of new energy and creativity, and reignition of passion have created what we believe to be the apex of Western Hunter’s trajectory so far. We are thrilled and honored to be able to share it with you in just a few short weeks.

To say the world is changing fast is an understatement. With AI tools, anyone with a laptop can look like an expert. But we have built this brand on something real, and we intend to keep it that way. Hunting is about as real as it gets. Sure, we have gear our grandfathers could not have imagined, but the soul of it has not changed. We still draw tags. We still count the days to opening morning. We hike into the mountains with hope in our hearts and camp on our backs.

That part is timeless.
And we hope to God it stays that way.

Subscribe by August 10th to receive Issue 5. Link to subscribe is in our BIO.

07/30/2025

We got our hands on this new scope in advance, and it’s been stellar so far! It’s an ideal, everything-you-need optic, and with some upcoming hunts this fall we’re going to continue to put this through its paces and report back.

You can learn more about the VX-5HD Gen 2 by visiting Leupold’s website. Link is in their BIO.

07/28/2025

“It’s hard to say that hunting influenced my work meaningfully before I moved to Montana, as I didn’t have any exposure to it before then. Growing up in Seattle, I don’t believe I knew anyone who hunted big game. I knew a few folks who participated in guided hunts for birds, but nobody like the gnarly backcountry hunters I’m surrounded by in Montana now. I didn’t hunt the first few years I lived in Montana–I didn’t know how to. I didn’t have anyone to mentor me or guide me in the basics of finding and harvesting an animal on public land. I harvested my first buck in 2022, a public land whitetail on opening day of rifle season. The feeling of being able to make a delicious dinner centered around a piece of wild meat was intoxicating.

My hunting knives have been changed since the day I processed my first buck. Before then, a hunting knife was a theoretical object to me, something that someone probably wouldn’t use. If they did, as long as it had a sharp edge, it would probably be fine, right? Well, it turns out that is wrong, and a good hunting knife is hard to build properly. While you can use almost anything to get the guts out of a critter and the hide off the outside, making something that makes processing a nice experience is a different story.

I have done my best to try out many different knives from different makers when I’m taking apart animals. I’ve had the opportunity to help take apart about a dozen elk and deer in the last three years between my own harvests and those of friends. What I’ve found is that edge shape, thickness, grind style, edge length, blade steel, handle shape, and material choice all affect performance. But I believe that the shape of the knife’s tip and the thickness of the edge are the two factors that change the way the knife feels to cut with the most, and good steel means it will stay that way for a long time….”

You can read the full article about our Featured Artist - Makers Edition, Will Stelter, in the link below:

Explore the story of Featured Artist Will Stelter, who transformed his childhood experiences into a passion for the outdoors.

07/25/2025

“With only my caribou tag remaining, I already felt content if we weren’t to find an old mature bull for me to chase. I enjoyed the prior stalks and packouts with the guys. The scenery was stunning and I was grateful to be there after everything, but the hunt wasn’t over.

Caribou numbers seemed to be dwindling day by day. After lunch the following day, we crawled our way through the alders and out of the river bottom to gain a little elevation out of the stream bed. Not long after getting set up, a half-dozen cows and calves ventured precariously past us at darn near a stone’s throw away. We could see for miles in all directions, but we saw only a few nursery groups across all that country.

Logan commented that a small group of cows and calves were further up the mountain behind where I was focusing my efforts. I turned to take a look, and a half-mile to the right of them, a couple of bulls were skylined, coming our way. Both Chris and Logan looked through their spotters and said, “We need to go.”

We hastily navigated on the edge of the tundra and the alders to remain out of sight for as long as possible and not fight the entangled mess of branches. The terrain was saturated, unstable, and unforgiving. However, those bulls were flying, probably covering twice the distance we did in the same time. The bulls had ventured across the river and intertwined themselves with the herd of caribou Logan had spotted earlier. We were close enough to tell that both of those bulls were undoubtedly mature….”

You can read the full story by Kyle Reedy in our July/August issue. Link to subscribe is in our BIO.

07/24/2025

Two great brands and one shared vision make for an epic collaboration. Wilderness Athlete and Leupold launched the Relentless Series this week, and it’s designed to help you push further than you ever have.

It’s not about getting ready one week before a hunt. It’s about putting time and consistent effort into your training and training with purpose, so when the time comes to pull the trigger you’re ready, your gear is ready, and your body and mind are ready too.

We were lucky to get our hands on these, and our days at the range, on the mountain, in the office, and everything in between just got a whole lot better!

You can learn more about the Relentless Series by visiting the link in the comments below.

07/22/2025

“In the realm of strength training, few exercises hold as much importance and reverence as the squat. Whether you’re an athlete, a fitness enthusiast, or someone seeking to pack you and your buddy's sheep off the mountain with a smile on your face, mastering the squat should be a cornerstone of your training regimen. The squat not only targets a plethora of muscles in the lower body but also offers numerous benefits beyond sheer muscle mass. With each squat, you’re building resilience, stability, and power, ensuring your knees stand strong against whatever challenges come your way.

In this article, I will share my insights from my many years of training and education from the best in the industry in regards to squatting and how it translates to the backcountry. We will focus on the three rules for squatting, proper bracing techniques, and a few examples of squat variations. Let’s explore the vital role of squatting in building leg strength and unlocking its full potential….”

You can read the full article by Matt Ward below:

Explore strength and resilience for backcountry athletes with effective squats that enhance stability and power.

07/18/2025

What do you think Chris Denham’s Oregon mule deer buck scores?

If you guess correctly, we’ll send you our newest magazine that’s got this buck on the cover…

07/15/2025

“Results from the Arrow Ballistics Study have been way more anxiously anticipated than I ever imagined. I have received thousands of comments, direct messages, text messages, and emails about this study. It's obvious that the same questions and curiosity that sparked my interest in this study in the first place are burning inside others as well.

Questions like, is there a sweet spot in terms of vane shape/size/quantity that optimizes arrow flight for field tips, mechanicals, and fixed blade broadheads; which broadheads are most aerodynamic; which broadheads fly the best (most accurate/group the smallest); what vane shapes “control” broadheads best; how much advantage is there to 4-fletch versus 3-fletch; what vane shapes are the quietest; is there an advantage to shooting 4mm arrow shafts?”….

Read the full results from James Yates in the artile below. If you’re a serious archery hunter, then you don’t want to miss this!

Explore the findings of our Arrow Ballistics Study and uncover the best vane shapes for optimal arrow flight.

07/09/2025

Hunting season is here! Well, if you’re going to the Yukon to hunt sheep, but for the rest of us, it’s not that far away. It’s the perfect time to take a look at what you either ran out of or broke last season and start replacing things before the real pre-season gear rush happens and everything you need goes out of stock. It just so happens that it’s Amazon's Prime Day and there's a solid selection of hunting gear in the mix, so we thought we'd share a few things we use that are on sale now.

Find the best Hunting Gear Deals this season and prepare for your next adventure with discounted essentials.