Back 40 Outdoors >> Do-It-Yourself Hunting

Posted on: July 22nd, 2010The Countdown

As most hardcore hunters our season starts when it is still hot and most average guys aren’t even thinking about deer season yet. As I write this I am well aware that our arrow slinging brothers to the west are already in pursuit of a trophy blacktail in the hills of California.
We here at Back 40 have exactly a month and two weeks before we head to the badlands for Mulies and whitetails, every year there is a ton of planning and excitement that goes into this hunt and I thought it would be neat to make a several part article on what we are doing to get ready to the countdown.
As with most western hunts,  the working out factor never really stops.   We are either snow shoeing in the winter or hitting the pavement and the gym in the summer. Being in good shape can make or break your hunt. Working construction full time can make it tough to have the motivation and time to want to work out after work, but knowing what the hills have in store for you out west can keep just about anyone motivated. The way I look at it is this if I can just run a mile or two and hit the weights for a hard 40 minutes every other night that is better than coming home and sitting on the couch. I would love to be able to have a set schedule for a hard work out regimen but having a familiy to keep happy that doesn’t really work out.
Stay tuned to next week when we talk about our shooting sessions and what we do to get ready for some tough western shooting.

Posted on: June 24th, 2010Fast and Light Hunting: Back 40 Style

I’ve long been fascinated with the “fast and light” modus operandi of some of the units in the American military.  The Navy Seals, Recon Marines, Green Berets, and especially the Army Rangers.  My grandfather was a member of the Army Rangers during the Normandy invasion, and visiting the battlefields of the Normandy Coast only fueled the fire to learn as much as I could about these brave fighting men.  In my studies, the one thing that pops out at you is the utter mobility of these units.  Utilizing these tactics and light gear, I’ve applied some knowledge to the animals I hunt. Read the rest of this entry »

Posted on: May 5th, 2010Early Season Update

Spring is upon us in the west. Well, somewhat – a few days ago we got about 5 inches of fresh snow here in the Bozeman Valley and yesterday it was 65 degrees and the snow melted away. This is a theme in the spring time out west. It snows one minute and its nice and sunny twenty minutes later. But I will take what mother nature brings.

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Posted on: March 2nd, 2010Spring Scouting for Whitetails

Noted whitetail expert and Back 40 Prostaff member Chris Eberhart penned this short piece detailing the finer points of post season scouting for the upcoming whitetail season.  Check out the new scouting service offered by Chris by clicking here.  Enjoy and use the article!

Spring Scouting

By Chris Eberhart

Despite what it might look like outside momentarily winter is winding down and spring is right around the corner. That means it’s time to think about spring scouting. For anyone who is serious about regularly tagging mature bucks the few weeks between snow melt and green up are some of the most important “hunting” weeks in the entire hunting year.  What you do now will set the stage for success this fall. Read the rest of this entry »

Posted on: February 19th, 2010Bowfishing on Ice: Back 40 Style

Back 40 prostaffer Kevin Biermeier and friend Alan Miller recently put a hurting on some carp in an open hole on a local river.  The carp congregated where they could find a little swimming room, and Kev and Alan were there for the party!  In Kevin’s words “We went to a secret honey hole and in a little over 2 hours the two of us shot another 70 fish.  We took on some new tactics as you can see in the photos.  I hate to think how many fish we would kill if we shot seriously for two hours.  Can’t wait to get the boat out and shoot some under the lights after ice out”.