Travis Hobbs finally explains why he hates angled spotting scopes for mule deer hunting—it really does make more of a difference than you might think. He also explains glassing efficiency and why you should be using binoculars on your tripod more, and his thoughts on what binoculars you should buy if you are on a budget.

This episode is also available by video, it helps to see his demonstration, it is one of the first video episodes we have ever done.

Youtube Video: https://youtu.be/sGtiuyTVnn

You can also read Matt Cashell’s recent review: Swarovski vs Swarovski - NL 14x52 vs SLC 15x56 here

Today we explore how Jared Bloomgren's scouting process continues to put him on great animals even during general seasons. Jared explains what he's looking for during boots on the ground and explaining where to find proven spots during pre-season scouting. Will Frye compares two Swarovski heavy weights BTX vs dual STC spotting scopes. Maven's Cade Maestas takes us though the RS 1.2 riflescope and talks about how to get one. The guys from Black Ovis tell us about some new products to be on the lookout for. Sam then shifts the talk toward the other Rokslide.com gear reviews [https://www.rokslide.com/category/gear/] and recaps the latest Western news.

Rokslide Swarovski STC Big Eyes vs BTX Review-https://www.rokslide.com/swarovski-stc-big-eyes-vs-btx-review/

Maven-https://mavenbuilt.com/

Black Ovis-https://www.blackovis.com/

10% off using Rokslide10

Howl for Wildlife https://www.howlforwildlife.org/take_action 

Check out Rokslides 2023 Favorite Gear- Here

Visit Rokslide's Rokcast Forum to submit questions, request a topic or give feedback.

To be a guest on Tipsy Tuesday please send an email to [email protected]

[ Rokcast is powered by onX Hunt. For 20% off, use Promo Code “Rokcast” at onX Hunt here https://www.onxmaps.com/hunt/app

Travis jumps on the Podcast with Matt Cashell to discuss the latest binocular from Swarovski Optik- The 14x52 NL Pure. They discuss the upcoming full review by Matt, as well as their initial thoughts and just how good is this new offering from Swarovski.

Watch for Matt's Full Review in early August Here

find more Rokslide optic reviews here

Robby reviews one of the all-time classic books for archery mule deer hunters: “Hunting Open Country Mule Deer” by Dwight Schuh here

This book still applies to today’s bowhunter. While some of the gear might be outdated, Dwight's thorough and deep dive into preparing for a stalk on a mule deer still has not been matched in 39 years since publication.

Robby gives an overview of each important chapter and how it can help you stalk big mule deer.  Sadly, we lost Dwight Schuh in 2019 but here is your chance to see why he was considered one of our greatest bowhunters.

Robby also checks in with Darin Cooper of Rent Outdoor Gear here.

Rent Guns and Gear – Rent Guns and Gear (rgunsngear.com)

Darin’s company allows you to use some of the best optics, sleep systems, rifles, and more without going into debt. Rent Outdoor Gear is also the ticket to try-before-you-buy.

Rokcast is powered by onX Hunt. For 20% off, use Promo Code “Rokcast” at onX Hunt here https://www.onxmaps.com/hunt/app

Along with Dwight book, you can find Robby’s books, Hunting Big Mule Deer and The Stories on Amazon here

or signed copies from the Rokslide store here

Today Mark Livasay takes us though his E-scouting process in Treeline Academy. Mark's proven 12 core principles to finding elk when E-scouting can narrow down any unit in the west to its highest probability. Moultrie launches their new Edge2 and Edge Pro2 Trail cameras and gives tips on best use. PhoneSkope helps us master Digiscoping with their Carbon Pro along with accessory details and the uses of Pyro Putty. Sam then shifts the talk toward the other Rokslide.com gear reviews [https://www.rokslide.com/category/gear/] and recaps the latest Western news.

Treeline Academy-https://www.treelineacademy.net/

Review of Treeline Academy-https://www.rokslide.com/treeline-academy-e-scouting-masterclass-review/

Moultrie Mobile-https://www.moultriemobile.com/

PhoneSkope-https://phoneskope.com/

15% off using Rokslide15

Howl for Wildlife https://www.howlforwildlife.org/take_action 

Check out Rokslides 2023 Favorite Gear- Here

Visit Rokslide's Rokcast Forum to submit questions, request a topic or give feedback.

To be a guest on Tipsy Tuesday please send an email to [email protected]

[ Rokcast is powered by onX Hunt. For 20% off, use Promo Code “Rokcast” at onX Hunt here https://www.onxmaps.com/hunt/app

Robby is today's host. Summer is heating up, and a few big bucks are around, even in the most hard-hit winterkill areas.  Before Robby jumps into the next two chapters of Hunting Big Mule Deer, he gives a scouting update and covers advancements in Moultrie Mobile's cellular cams, including the incredible battery life, no SD cards, AI screening for bucks, and Smart Tags for efficient filtering.

Then it's on to Deer Drives for the big mule deer hunter. Do they really work? If so, how does a hunter organize a deer drive?  Finally, Robby discusses the need, or lack thereof, of Long Range Hunting to hunt big mule deer.

Rokcast is powered by onX Hunt. For 20% off, use Promo Code “Rokcast” at onX Hunt here https://www.onxmaps.com/hunt/app

You can find Robby’s books, Hunting Big Mule Deer and The Stories on Amazon here

or signed copies from the Rokslide store here

Robby hosts Taylor Gregory of the Wood River Chapter of the Mule Deer Foundation.  Find out how removing a single fence in critical mule deer corridors makes a difference in helping mule deer.  They also chat about getting off the "fence" and stepping up to help mule deer. Taylor took a hard look at himself and decided rather than just complain, he'd get his hands dirty helping mule deer where he can. Once he made the decision, the door flew wide open and soon he was co-chair of Idaho's Wood River Chapter of the Mule Deer Foundation, along with Ross Baker. These guys are donating their own blood, sweat, and tears to ensure mule deer get back on their feet.

Also, Robby does a gear-wrap on what he'll be using for 2024. Some new, some old, some sponsored, some not, but nothing stolen!

Bow: Mathews Phase 4, 29”

Arrows: Easton Axis Match Grade 5mm customized by Iron Will Outfitters

Broadhead: SEVR 1.5 TI expandable

Rifle: 6UM with Rokstock (Robby joined the cult), Swarovski Z5 scope

Optics:

Zeiss 10x42 SF binocular

Swarovski 8x42 EL Range TA binocular/rangefinder

Swarovski 17-40x56mm STC spotting scope

Swarovski 25-50/20-60 x 80 STS spotting scope

Tripods/Heads:

SLIK 624 exclusive from S&S Archery

MTN HNTR SS Tripod from Altitude Outdoors

Outdoorsman's Pan Head

Altitude Outdoors Nano Pro Fluid Head

Boots:

Kenetrek Hardscrabble

Crispi Summit II GTX

Schnee Hunter II Pac Boot

Satellite Mapping/Communications:

onX Hunt

Garmin inReach Mini

SPOT

Tents:

Stone Glacier Skyscraper 2-Man

Seek Outside 8-man

Sleeping Bags/Pad:

Stone Glacier Chilkoot 15

KUIU Super Down 15

EXPED Mega Mat

Backpacks:

Nimrod Apex Day Pack

Stone Glacier KRUX EVO 3300

Clothing Early Season:

Sitka Apex system/including their synthetic base layers

Clothing Later Seasons:

First Lite:

Puffy Uncompahgre

Pant Obsidian

Foundry & Furnace base layers

Gators: Traverse & Brambler

Kifaru Wind River Wind Jacket

Rokcast is powered by onX Hunt. For 20% off, use Promo Code “Rokcast” at onX Hunt here https://www.onxmaps.com/hunt/app

You can find Robby’s books, Hunting Big Mule Deer and The Stories on Amazon here

or signed copies from the Rokslide store here

Today's Tipsy Tuesday is all about the early season. Up first Larry Bartlet takes a deep dive into the science of meat care in the backcountry. Larry lays out how to mitigate meat spoilage in the early season, along with proven tactics that get the best table fare even when temperatures are warm and your packed in days from the trailhead. Some of the top clothing companies (Stika, Firstlite, Forloh, Skre Gear) talk about their favorites choices to stay comfortable during those hot early season temperatures. The guys from Hardside Hydration, show us how stay hydrated no matter the conditions. Sam then shifts the talk toward the other Rokslide.com gear reviews [https://www.rokslide.com/category/gear/] and recaps the latest Western news.

Prestine Adventures- https://pristineventures.com/

Mitigating spoilage in the Backcountry video-https://youtu.be/LFf6gs6_iso

Stika Gear- https://www.sitkagear.com/

Firstlite Yuma- https://www.firstlite.com/products/mens-yuma-synthetic-hoody.html?lang=en_US

Forloh Technical Hoodie- https://forloh.com/products/mens-solair-upf-technical-hoodie

SKRE Gear- https://skregear.com/

Hardside Hydration- https://www.hardsidehydration.com/

Review of Hardside Hydration Swig Rig- https://www.rokslide.com/hardside-hydration-swig-rig-review/

Enter the 2024 Cold Bore Challenge- https://rokslide.com/forums/threads/2024-cold-bore-challenge.360756/

Howl for Wildlife https://www.howlforwildlife.org/take_action 

Check out Rokslides 2023 Favorite Gear- Here

Visit Rokslide's Rokcast Forum to submit questions, request a topic or give feedback.

To be a guest on Tipsy Tuesday please send an email to [email protected]

[ Rokcast is powered by onX Hunt. For 20% off, use Promo Code “Rokcast” at onX Hunt here https://www.onxmaps.com/hunt/app

The Top 1% is a little mini series we are recording with some of the best DIY Mule Deer Hunters in the country. This is the second episode in that series.

The guys we really want to focus on and hear from are average hunters, family men, working blue collar jobs somehow taking the top 1% of Mule Deer over and over again on run of the mill type tags that the general public can get, they are getting it done legally and ethically.

Dioni Amuchastegui defines the Top 1% and is such a fun guy to talk to and get inside his head on the how and why. There is so much good information in this episode. Dioni also tells the story of his 2023 archery buck recently featured on the cover of Western Hunter.

For the first Top 1% Podcast Click Here

Dioni on the Shoot2Hunt Podcast

Western Hunter Magazine for Dioni's full Story and Pictures

Robby's back to his book, Hunting Big Mule Deer. Today's episode is in on tracking big mule deer, a top technique for buck hunters. Big mule deer can be very hard to track in the big mountains, due to the steepness of the terrain, but you still don’t want to ignore the technique. Even if big bucks are hard to track and shoot in their beds, paying attention to the tracks on the ground will tell you where deer go, where they don’t go, and a keen eye can tell the quality of the age class in the area by tracks. And occasionally, under the right conditions, tracking big mule deer is the only way to tie your tag on a big deer. Robby also directs you to several Instagram posts that can help you identify the tracks of big mule deer; see Robby’s or Rokslide’s Instagram posts from June 7, 2024 & July 28, 2023

Rokcast is powered by onX Hunt. For 20% off, use Promo Code “Rokcast” at onX Hunt here https://www.onxmaps.com/hunt/app

You can find Robby’s books, Hunting Big Mule Deer and The Stories on Amazon here

or signed copies from the Rokslide store here