How can you compete with all the noise out there today to capture the attention of children around hunting and keep them interested in the sport? In this episode I interview Jack Armstrong, a lifelong hunter, pastor, author, and speaker who has dedicated himself to the cause of inspiring children to embrace the outdoors, hunt, and grow closer to family.
So what do you need to do in order to Get & Keep Kids Interested In Hunting
Inspire Them – To want to hunt, to go outside, to have adventure. Reading to your kids is one of the best possible ways you can do this year-round. And not reading just anything but books designed to cultivate imagination and a desire for hunting. Books about strong values, character building, and hunting deer, turkey, waterfowl, elk, fishing and more.
Modeling – You need to model or demonstrate the pursuit for them to see and value. But just leaving for a week every fall to go to deer camp doesn’t do it. You need to bring them in deep enough so they can really see some things. Maybe they aren’t ready to come to deer camp, but maybe they can go with you for a work day at deer camp.
Involve them in all aspects of the hunt – Scouting, shed hunting, working the land, building blinds or hanging stands, cutting trail, checking cameras, studying the weather, planning and packing the gear, etc. There are year round opportunities to cultivate relationships with the child and engage them around the bigger pursuit.
Equip Them For Success – They don’t need SITKA gear but if you are cozy in your down jacket and they are shivering, they won’t be able to enjoy the hunt. You can get great used gear on places like Facebook marketplace from kids that outgrew it. You buy it, use it for 2 seasons, and then sell it and get them the next size up. Consider other things too like getting them a trail camera for their birthday that they can setup anywhere they want, make it fun, engage them in all kinds of ways.
Pick The Right Hunts – Not all 10-year-olds are ready for a 12-hour deer hunt, maybe they aren’t suited for deer at all yet. Maybe squirrel hunting is a better place to start, turkeys, ducks, pheasants, doves, etc, are a better place for them to start hunting, or are more active pursuits that will help hold their interest.
Recalibrate Your Expectations – Redefine success. Taking a deer or a 12-hour sit can’t be the goal. The goal has to change. Maybe it is seeing a deer, or hearing a turkey, maybe its lasting an hour. Maybe it’s the kid wanting to come back. This is a long-term investment, the goal is helping the child, not just pulling a trigger.
Periodically Give Them The steering Wheel – Let them make decisions, what to shoot, where to hunt, what to hunt, how to do it. Maybe you hunt by sitting but they want to hunt on foot. Maybe you prefer rifle but they want to use a bow. Maybe you have strong proven strategies but they want to try something weird. Go with it. Give them space to stretch their wings, to experiment, to fail, and to have fun.
Some people will feel like they won’t be able to hunt anymore if they do all this. Maybe don’t take your kid to your best tree strand that is a 10 out of 10, you save that for you and your solo hunts. Instead, maybe you work with the kid to build a blind in a spot that is a 5 out of 10 for hunting a but it’s better for them because it gives them cover to fidget, it’s easier to get into, has a comfier chair, and they can see a lot of does passing in the distance. Its ok to keep things for yourself, but when it’s for them, let go of yourself and freely invest in them at those times.
Some additional authors in this space putting out great books are Lane Walker and Kevin Lovegreen. Their stuff is also outstanding.
People often make crow hunting harder than it needs to be. They try to go straight to a massive professional hunt where the goal is to down hundreds of crows. That is both unrealistic and unreasonable for most hunters. Most hunters should go into the woods with first time goals of a shooting a crow or a couple of crows. In this episode I talk about one of the easier ways to hunt crows in the woods with minimal gear and expense.
Often when people hunt in timber their goal is to get the crows to land in a clearing or shoot them as they circle overhead. Both of these approaches work and can be fun and effective. But they require more work, ideal conditions, the right setup and a fair amount of skill and/or experience to pull it off well. A much easier plan is to find a fair spot and try to get the crows to land in the treetops and then pick them off.
Doing this drastically increases your chances of getting crows and minimizes many of the weaknesses of new hunters or new crow hunters. You get to observe the birds, better understand them and how they work, and take shots that are much easier and realistic than trying to take down fast moving birds are variable ranges. I have done it the hard way and the easy way, and I wish someone would have gotten me started hunting crows this way.
Now it is true that your total number of crows taken will likely be less using this strategy than many of the professional setups, but those professional setups only work if you have a truck full of decoys, the perfect farm to hunt, and a perfectly brushed in hunting blind. Very few new hunters have all or any of those things. And very few crow hunters ever will.
This podcast episode talks about the various strategies and approaches for hunting crows like this and how you can much more easily get into the woods with the land available to you and take your first couple of crows.
There is something about being in the woods with predators that can make your pulse race a little bit. However, every time you are in the woods, you are there with predators, so what makes this different? On this episode I dig into the fear of predators, where it comes from, why it comes, what to do about it, and when extra precautions really should be taken when hunting.
Fear is irrational by nature. The dark can make us afraid, the woods at night can make us doubly afraid, and predators in dark woods can be enough to paralyze some people with fear. But the truth is, darkness cannot hurt us, darkness in the woods is no more dangerous than darkness in your bedroom, and if there are predators in the woods, there are there day and night, whether you are hunting predators or not. But when we are hunting animals with sharp teeth or claws, we are more aware of them, and it weighs on us more.
Most predators are more afraid of us than we will ever understand. We have to work hard, do everything right, hide, and work to draw predators into gun range, hoping they do not detect us before we can pull the trigger. The moment they sense our presence, they often flea. So why would we be afraid of them? That occurs with far more animals than most people realize as well.
There are only a handful of north American forest animals that post any significant threat to hunters. You are more likely to be injured falling, cutting yourself with your own knife, or getting in a car accident on the way to the woods than being attacked by a predator in the woods. With rare exceptions, you do not need to carry a sidearm for protection from animals. Other hunters, maybe, but animals, almost never.
However, one of the best things you can do is gain all the knowledge possible and then contact your local game commission and local hunting guides, where every you plan to hunt, and ask them about what the local risk factors are during the time of year you plan to hunt there. There is no substitute for this because there are so many variables in different ranges and seasons, that only true focused locals will know what dangerous and when in their area.
In some areas, brown bears may pose a significant danger to deer hunters, in other areas allegators may be a threat to duck hunters. But the only way to know for sure is to contact local officials and follow their guidelines to stay safe when you are hunting. There is always some risk, but the kinds of things that most people fear are irrational and unrealistic. And the things that do merit some concern are often nowhere close to them.
In this podcast episode I go deep into the different predators most people hunt or are likely to encounter and talk about the risks and risk levels posed by each. This episode focuses on north American animals, yet many of the principles apply far beyond this region as well.
There are a lot of myths and misconceptions when it comes to cold weather hunting, especially subzero hunting. The word alone invokes powerful images of punishing cold and impossibilities. But the truth is, you can hunt lots of game very effectively when it’s cold, from deer to goose. On this episode I get into debunking some of the lies surrounding late season cold.
Hunting below 0 degrees Fahrenheit comes with numerous challenges and obstacles to overcome. Some are technical, some are physical, and some are simply made up. For some reason mystical qualities are applied to cold weather hunting. The simple truth is that there are people in different parts of the world who live, work, and hunt at temperatures below zero for weeks if not months out of the year. Many people see zero as warmer than usual.
But for those who live in warmer climates, this number is seen as some very important threshold and many myths have crept up around it. But the reality is that nothing magical happens at 0 degrees. The animals keep moving, equipment keeps working, and hunting is very possible. But cold weather hunting is more difficult and requires some special strategies for dealing with the cold across all levels.
You need to make sure your gear is fully operational and winterized. You have to be dressed for the cold, and that means more than just wearing super expensive brands. You also need to be sure you are in proper physical condition or take steps to mitigate your shortcomings, so you are not hindered by the difficulties that come with cold weather hunts.
There are some pros to late season artic weather as well. It simplifies hunting some. Where animals go becomes more focused and predictable. There are fewer options on how and where you can hunt. And while it does become harder, some of it becomes simpler as well. Deer patterns change, goose patterns become more predictable, and small game is easier to spot much of the time.
What you wear matters a lot, but it is more about finding the right types of layers than the right brands. Different materials and garments serve different roles and as long as you have those roles covered, you can hunt very effectively even in cold weather, snow, and powerful wind chills.
In this podcast episode I dive into examine five lies about subzero hunting and how you can overcome all of the legitimate challenges to be successful in the woods.
When the winter sets in, is it really worth the time and effort to go waterfowl hunting? Can you really be successful? The answer to those questions may surprise you, however there is not a blanket one-size-fits-all answer either. But there are principles I provide in this episode that can help you answer that question no matter where you are or where you hunt.
There is a very important and often overlooked truth when it comes to late season duck hunting, and it is this. In most places, not all of the ducks leave for the winter. Now in Alaska, yes, the ducks are gone. But in New York and Pennsylvania and Indiana, and many other northern states, there are birds there year-round. If you can’t find any ducks that does not mean there aren’t any ducks.
The single biggest indicator of ducks is open water. If you can find water that has not frozen, be it lakes, streams, creeks, or rivers, you will find ducks. Or rather ducks can and do live there year-round. Some people have their best hunting in the winter because it concentrates where the ducks are and can hang out.
Another very often overlooked element is the concept of a fluid migration. Ducks do not just fly dead south until they hit the Gulf of Mexico and perch on the shore all winter. Many fly south until they find more comfortable weather, and when there are warm weeks they will drift back north some. They may be pushed further south again by a cold front, but birds move a lot. A duck may fly 100 miles for breakfast. They are very capable and mobile creatures. If you do not see birds in your area in the late season, just wait. Cold or warm weather could bring birds in from different directions.
The biggest consideration of late season hunting is safety. Falling in a stream when its 70 degrees outside is inconvenient. If it’s 20 degrees, that can be life threatening. You need very safe strategies to set up decoys and recover birds if you are hunting around water. Having gear that is up to the task is also important. You need to be able to stay warm and dry even in harsh weather conditions. High wind is much more common this time of year as well. But I think this can be a very effective time of year for most hunters.
Late season hunting can be very good hunting, some of the best of the year, but it takes a little different approach.
Listen to the full podcast episode to hear all of the details.
Is it really even worth your time and energy to hunt deer in the late season? The most direct answer I can give is, sometimes. But it depends more on your willingness to learn and adapt than any particular hunting skill. On this episode I talk about the differences of late season hunting and how you need to change your strategy in order to find consistent success. Anyone can do it, if you have the drive to do it right.
The biggest problem with hunting in the late season is people have less drive and motivation to put in the effort needed to hunt successfully. They don’t realize the late season is different than the early season or the rut. They don’t realize the deer behave differently, use the land differently, and move to different locations.
If you want to be successful in the late season you need to scout for the late season, prepare for it, and establish hunting spots for it. You almost need to treat it like a unique game/season altogether. The same spots, tactics, and timing of the early season rarely works here. And the only time you can effectively scout for the late season is during the late season. So very few people have the best hunt they can have at this time of year because do not go to the ends needed to make it work well. But you absolutely can.
People tend to get busier with holidays, family, and work. Also, the excitement of early season and rut hunting wears off, so it becomes doubly hard to muster the motivation to scout and prepare. Weather and gear become an obstacle too. But you can extend the capabilities of your gear with a few tricks and tips I mention in this episode.
The biggest thing hunters must have is the will to hunt this season. If you can muster that, you can be very successful. There also some significant advantages to hunting in the late season as well. In fact, you can accomplish a lot with minimal time hunting, if you put in all the work needed up front.
The single best piece of advice I can give you is to scout the late season on years when you are not hunting it. When you learn how deer use the land one year, they will very likely use it in similar ways the following years. So scouting when your tags are full is a great way to help you prepare for hunting next year. Time invested now can pay off in future seasons.
Listen to this whole podcast episode to hear all the details strategies about late season deer hunting.
The newTideWe Turkey Hunting Vestwith adjustable seat and game pouch is one of the best values in turkey hunting vests that I have seen. What you get for the money is really impressive. When my old turkey vest broke, I began the search for a replacement. I looked at some really expensive options and then came to TideWe and when I saw the price and the features, I felt I should give it a try.
Now having hunted spring gobblers with this vest, I am all the more certain that my initial impression was accurate. But being less expensive than the competition only matters if the gear is good. So, what makes this vest so good? In short, this thing is rugged, very strong, comfortable, has more pockets than anyone should ever need, and has a very sturdy seat that is the most comfortable of any vest I’ve used. This review goes in way more depth on all these points, but I have become a big fan of this turkey hunting vest, though I did not feel that way at the beginning. More on that in a moment.
The cost for theTideWe Turkey Hunting Vestshipped is usually about $90, but with the 18% off discount code TideWe gave me, you can get it for about $74. And sometimes it goes on sale for even cheaper than that. Just enter the code GK18 at checkout to get the extra discount.
How I Went From Hater To Fan In One Hunt
When I first got this vest I have to admit I was very disappointed. My old vest was very light weight, trim, sleek, and minimalist. When I tried the TideWe vest on in my living room it felt bulky, cumbersome, and I hated how the seat cushion deployed. I was so close to sending it back before ever using it. BUT I figured I had to try it in the woods first, after all it was not designed to excel in the living room, it was made for the woods.
So I loaded the vest up with my calls and gear and headed out on a big day of public land hunting. By the end of that first day my opinion on the turkey vest had totally changed. It didn’t feel bulky at all. The way the pockets were designed and how the material folded, provided no hinderance to me at all in the woods. In fact, after awhile I preferred it to my old vest in alot of ways.
In my old vest I could feel the box calls in the pockets jabbing into me, I could feel the range finder and strikers for the slate calls. This vest was thicker, had more substance, more material, better and smarter curves. Almost all of the gear was stowed without hindering me or reminding me every moment I was carrying it.
And this vest was rugged, I was not afraid to break brush with it, not concerned it might break like my weak old vest did. This thing was impressive. And after a few hours I got used to how the seat deployed and it didn’t bother me at all. I went from hater to fan in one hunt. This is why you should take unboxing videos and “reviews” with a grain of salt. If people haven’t hunted with a piece of gear, their opinion is only worth so much. For more information on turkey vests, check out my podcast episode: All About Turkey Vests.
The first thing you notice about this vest is that it’s strong, rugged, and well made. It is a turkey hunting vest that is made to be a workhorse.
The next big feature is the padding. There is very nice padding along the back, enabling you comfortably lean up against even the most knurled tree trunk.
The back also has a nice breathable mesh which helps you from getting too sweaty on days when you are covering alot of ground.
The seat cushion is very thick, sturdy, and comfortable. You really couldn’t ask for more in the seat, and one side is waterresistant and stiff while the other camouflaged and soft.
The seat folds up and secures to the back of the vest via a strong magnet. This enables you to easily pull it loose and fold it down to sit on without having to look at it. You can easily get used to this, but one downside is the magnet is not as strong as I’d like and it can be a little challenging to secure it on the fly.
Next you have the pockets, lots of pockets, somewhere around 12-15 pockets depending on what you count. There are pockets made for all your turkey hunting gear, box calls, slate calls, mouth calls, other calls, shells, phones, snacks, turkeys… you name it.
There is a large game pouch in the back that will certainly fit a large gobbler. I am not a fan of putting turkeys in game pouches because I don’t want to damage the feathers, but I also do not hunt turkeys deep in the mountains either. The pouch might get more use if you used this vest hunting other game, more on that in a bit.
There is also a large back pocket that gives you the space of a small backpack, but I wouldn’t put a lot back that if you plan to lean up against trees.
There are two nice camo patterns, both look great, and overall the material is relatively quiet and the pockets that have zippers are fairly quiet as well.
TideWe really has been making some high-quality gear in recent years. Check out myTideWe See Through Hunting Blind Review, its great for turkey hunting as well.
How It Performs In The Woods
All the features in the world don’t matter unless the vest performs well. And this one really does. I have covered a lot of miles wearing this vest and spent a fair amount of time sitting in it too. I feel very comfortable and confident in it. Never do I have to worry about maybe breaking it. This thing can also carry way more gear and provisions than I could ever need, the storage capacity is off the charts for a turkey vest.
When I’m calling, I feel no restrictions, I can easily access my gear, its comfortable, and lets me hunt wherever and however I want. Honestly it does just about everything I want a turkey vest to do. If you paid more money for more expensive vests, you would get lighter, but less durable options, fancier pocket fastener technology to avoid more zippers, and perhaps more streamlined designs with fewer straps and clips but likely less adjustability. So more expensive options don’t gain you much, you have some trade offs, but nothing that is really going to help you take more turkeys. In the woods, this vest does its job and does it well.
Multi-Purpose Options
This is 100% designed as a turkey vest, but it can be a multi-purpose hunting piece. You can remove the seat to use this in a blind, either for turkeys or also waterfowl hunting. It would nicely for hunting squirrels or small birds. You can fit a lot of game in the pouch, and a lot of gear and ammo in the pockets. It could also be used for predator hunting, thanks to that nice seat giving you good dry comfortable options after hiking a long way.
I don’t think people take advantage of some of their gear, this vest can help you do a lot of things. This is durable enough to be used across many hunting seasons. I would encourage people to think outside of the box for numerous different hunting pursuits. They also make a version of this vest with a kick stand that enables you to sit upright even when there is nothing to lean up against. For some people, that version can help open up new hunting areas. But this one is better for me.
Pros & Cons
Pros
Strong & Durable
Very comfortable padding and seat cushion
Adjustable and removable seat cushion
Breathable
Lots of pockets
Quiet
Well designed to fit big awkwardly shaped turkey calls
Nice zipper extensions to aid those wearing gloves
Game pouch
Outstanding value
Cons
A bit heavy
The magnet that secures the seat could be stronger
There are a lot of straps, clasps, and adjustments to figure out when you get it, and some straps dangle
The seat storage and deployment technique takes a little practice to get used to
Conclusions & Recommendations
Overall the TideWe Turkey Hunting Vest is one of the best options on the market for new hunters and experienced hunters alike. I used to use a more expensive turkey vest, but I think this one is better. For the money, you get a very high-quality piece of gear with some features that even the more expensive brands cannot beat. Don’t forget to enter this 18% off discount code at checkout: GK18 to get the TideWe Turkey Hunting Vest even cheaper.
I have been very impressed with some of the gear that TideWe has been cranking out over the last couple of years. Again and again they put high quality items on the market for price points that are very hard to beat. And like many other pieces of gear from them, the great strength of this vest is the great combination of performance and value.
Till next time. God bless you, and go get em in the woods!
George Konetes Ph.D. – Founder and Host of the New Hunters Guide.
The New Hunters Guide is simply what George wishes he would have had when learning how to hunt; a single place to get practical hands on knowledge about different kinds of hunting, gear, strategy, and tips that can improve your comfort and fun factor in the woods.
As a note, TideWe gave me this vest at my request for testing, thanks to them for their support.
Are there really waterfowl hunting ammunition secrets? Unfortunately, yes, and a lot of them. But I spent two years and a lot of money doing ballistics and pattern testing to learn a lot of the big ones, so you don’t have to. This episode draws from my research and data to help you navigate the cluttered marketing and myths of duck hunting ammo. Tetra Hearing protection – Get 10% off with the code: NHG2410
Up until 1991, waterfowl hunting was simpler and cheaper. Lead ammo worked well, could be very inexpensively bought in bulk, and there was no ammo hysteria like we have today. With the advent of non-toxic shot, companies began to complete over everything they possibly could to gain market share and one-up each other. Then materials like bismuth and tungsten began to make their way onto the scene and multiplied the level of complexity in the duck hunting ammo isle at the store.
Is high velocity waterfowl ammo better? Is higher payload better? Is one wad better than another? WHAT IS A WAD? Why does some steel ammo cost twice as much as others and is it really twice as good? Why is bismuth way more than some steel but the same price as other steel? Is TSS ammo really worth what is costs and why? Is all steel ammo created equal? What does spending more money really get you? I found myself facing all kinds of questions like these.
I couldn’t take it anymore, so I felt compelled to begin a journey to find out what really worked and what didn’t. I begin doing ballistics gel, pattern, and recoil testing. I began talking to ammo manufacturers, choke tube manufacturers, and others in the industry to get insight and context to help interpret my data and research.
What I learned began to debunk a lot of the marketing and myths being thrown around as truth. It also began to explain a lot of the things I was seeing in the field. The simple truth is, companies have been focusing on things of minor importance to try and make their products look superior while ignoring things that are of greater importance because they aren’t popular with hunters, mainly because hunters do not understand the facts. Because of this, untruths continue to be propagated and less than optimal ammo continues to be made, sold, and used. It a self-fulfilling prophecy.
But the truth is not that hard to understand, and if you apply the principles I share in this podcast, you will have a tremendous advantage in picking the best ammo for the money and hunting situation you find yourself in. That is the other side of the coin no one talks about. The way you hunt has a lot to do with what ammo choices are ideal for you. There is no one size fits all approach. You MUST learn the principles so you can be able to make the right choices for you. Copying someone else’s gear and setup likely will not give you what is truly best for you.
Listen to this whole podcast episode to learn these secrets to waterfowl hunting ammunition.
Are you looking for ways to be more effective sneaking up on ducks? Jump hunting is more challenging than using traditional decoys and spreads, however it has numerous benefits. On this episode I cover numerous tips and strategies to make you more effective hunting waterfowl on foot. Tetra Hearing protection – Get 10% off with the code: NHG2410
Jump hunting is a very fun and very ethical activity if done thoughtfully and safely. This is not the same thing as the proverbial “sitting duck”. These are not the ducks at the park that may eat bread out of your hand. In the wild, they are cautious, anxious birds that have keen senses and can instantly take off like a cruise missile and disappear forever. If you can sneak up on ducks in their native habitat and get a shot at them, you have done an impressive thing.
It is one the easier ways to get started waterfowl hunting and requires a minimal amount of gear. All you really need is a shotgun, camo, and a way to retrieve the birds. Oh, and strategy, lots and lots of strategy.
The basic principles are simple, sneak up on birds that are on the water or on the shore and shoot them before they fly out of range. Sounds easy. Unfortunately, it can be really hard. The biggest tip you can employ is to use terrain to your advantage. Put land and dirt between you and the water. Do not break the plain of sight with the birds until you are as close as possible and be aware that the moment you do, stealth becomes extremely critical.
Raised banks and hills can keep ducks and geese form seeing or hearing you. You must still be quiet and use caution, but you should be much more able to move around if you can position some terrain between you and the birds. Once you begin to make your approach to the water, you have to try to get to within 40 yards of the birds. The best way to do this is to move under cover, and only when the wind blows.
The wind does multiple things to help the sneaking hunter. It creates noise that helps cover the sounds of your approach. And maybe more importantly, the wind creates motion in the woods. Your movement blends into the shifting branches, blowing leaves, swaying grasses, weeds, and so on. The wind can be your biggest ally when trying to hunt birds on the water.
Listen to this whole podcast episode to hear all 10 tips for jump hunting ducks on the water.
This is a combined review for the Cabela’s Instinct GORE-TEX Barrier Jacket and the Cabela’s Instinct Super-Warm Puffy Jacket. I have found these two jackets to be special ops style hunting gear. What I mean by that is they are each super light, packable, specialized gear that you can pull out of your pocket at critical moments to enable you to hunt deer, ducks, turkeys, elk and more in conditions that would have otherwise sent you running out of the woods for shelter.
The Barrier Jacket in particular enables you to stay dry in the heaviest pouring rain and keeps you warm from the harshest bitter cold winds. It is a perfect barrier against the elements that you can throw overtop of almost any gear setup for instant wind and rain protection. The Puffy Jacket weighs almost nothing and fits into a pocket. It instantly springs back to full size with a duck down and PrimaLoft blend that provides incredible warmth in the coldest conditions.
These types of products are not unique to Cabela’s, but I looked at similar products made by SITKA Gear, First Lite, Kuiu, and others and ultimately felt that the Cabela’s product provided the best intersection of price and performance. I have worn these hunting in rough weather conditions and also in the neighborhood, just enjoying the perks of this specialized gear. Does every hunter need these? No. But they would benefit every hunter by enabling them to hunt in weather that is volatile, unpredictable, or just plain miserable.
Cabela’s GORE-TEX Barrier Jacket Overview
TheCabela’s Instinct GORE-TEX Barrier Jacketis designed to be a shell layer that fits over whatever gear you are wearing. It is designed to adapt to any weather conditions from 70 degrees and raining to 35 degrees and storming to below zero with gale-force winds. It is not insulated so you can wear it when it’s hot and it has plenty of room so you can wear it over a warm parka. I got a size large, and I typically wear large in everything, and it fits over all of my outer layers with plenty of room.
It is a three-layer jacket with a nice textured inner material, the GORE-TEX membrane and a durable outer layer. Is it really waterproof? Yes, absolutely. And it is certainly wind proof. It has a nice adjustable hood along with several pockets guarded by waterproof zippers. The zippers themselves are noteworthy in their rugged quality and seem like they will last a long time. Overall, the jacket is more durable and robust than I was expecting. I have pushed it through brush and been harder on it than I recommend you be, but it has survived unscathed so far. The best part of course is how the jacket rolls up so small and fits in a backpack or large pocket.
It is fairly light and gives you the perfect layer you can just pull out in case of foul weather. I am impressed with its performance. The only downside is the jacket is a bit loud. However, every jacket in this category is a bit loud. It is the nature of a rugged barrier layer. But what you must keep in mind is you would only wear this jacket if it was raining or windy. And in those conditions, the noise being made by the weather would hide all the sound being made by the jacket. Case in point, I was able to sneak up on ducks in the marsh, within about 30 yards, in the rain, while wearing this jacket. On a quiet crisp morning, it would be loud enough to spook game, but you would only wear it when the weather would hide all the noise.
Cheaper than the comparable layers from competing brands like SITKA Gear, First Lite, KUIU, and others.
Great Instinct camo pattern
Cons
Relatively loud material
Not an inexpensive piece
would benefit from an inside pocket
Cabela’s Puffy Jacket Overview
TheCabela’s Instinct Super-Warm Puffy Jacketlives up to its name brilliantly, it is super warm. I am not sure how you could pack more warmth into such a lightweight package. It is a combination of duck down and PrimaLoft insulation that is fully packable and rolls up into something small enough to fit inside of a pocket. Combined, the insulation has a 650-fill power equivalent with a durable DWR treatment to help repel initial moisture. This has become one of my favorite jackets that I now wear for much more than hunting, because it is so lightweight and warm.
What really makes this jacket useful is the different inside and outside material. It is more rugged than your regular puffy style jacket and it has the right texture to be worn as a mid-layer. Heavy outer layers will not slide around on the face of the material and the inside of the jacket has a different lining that fits nicely overtop of other layers. So, you can wear this as mid layer or an outer layer. The hood is also very warm, surprisingly so, and makes a great addition along with several external pockets.
The insulation is sown into baffles keeping it from bunching up in the bottom of the jacket and the pockets have a different texture than the jacket face which aids in hand warming and gear storage without being too slippery. The zippers are also very nice. The downsides include a lack of internal pockets, and it is a little too loud and fragile for sneaking around in. I recently went duck hunting with this and drug in my gear and set it all up on a very cold day. I left this in my pack until I finished all the work and finally began to cool down, then I added the puffy jacket and was instantly toasty warm. Without this I would have likely under or overdressed. But the versatility this jacket provides is really nice.
Puffy Pros & Cons
Pros
Super warm
Exceptionally light weight
Can pack up into a cargo pocket
Good inside and outside texture
Great zippers
Versatile as a mid-layer or outer layer
Great Instinct camo pattern
Less expensive than comparable jackets from competing brands like SITKA Gear, First Lite, and KUIU
Cons
Lack of internal pockets
Too loud for sneaking
Too fragile to break brush in
When Each Jacket Shines Brightest
The greatest strength of each of these jackets is their versatility. The barrier jacket is obviously well suited to unpredictable weather and even extreme weather. You can take it with you on uncertain days and pull it out whenever is needed. This could enable you to hunt in weather conditions that were too problematic otherwise. And it is useful for all temperatures, as well as for fishing. Whether you are hunting turkeys, ducks, deer, elk, or anything else, this GORE-TEX jacket fills a very important role, helping you hunt in conditions that would have sent you home or kept you at home.
The down puffy jacket provides the same crucial type of versatility but with fluctuating temperatures. On days when the activity level and hunting style are uncertain, this jacket enables you to adapt. Perhaps you wear it under your coat on a frosty morning and then pack it away for the warm afternoon. Or maybe you hike in hot and sweaty with minimal layers and then sit down and add this puffy jacket after an hour or two once you have cooled down. Maybe you are going away for a weekend and need options to adapt to a wide range of conditions, this small lightweight layer is perfect.
Both of these jackets also function very well together. Having both at your disposal empowers you to brave all kinds of weather, conditions, and hunting styles. You can go further, stay longer, and have more confidence now that you are prepared for the elements.
Recommendations & Conclusions
These are not the kind of specialized gear that all hunters need. But they are the type of gear that would benefit all hunters. They are not cheap, but they are significantly cheaper than the comparable jackets produced by large high end hunting brands and provide great quality. I think that is one of the chief advantages of Cabela’s gear. It often gives you more for the money and still competes with the highest end brands. I would recommend the Cabela’s Instinct GORE-TEX Barrier Jacket and the Cabela’s Instinct Super-Warm Puffy Jacketto anyone looking for a jacket that fills these roles.
What is better still is they do go on sale, and Cabela’s regularly provides various discounts, club points programs, and coupons that can help you further defray the cost of great pieces of gear like these.
Till next time. God bless you, and go get em in the woods!
George Konetes Ph.D. – Founder and Host of the New Hunters Guide.
The New Hunters Guide is simply what George wishes he would have had when learning how to hunt; a single place to get practical hands on knowledge about different kinds of hunting, gear, strategy, and tips that can improve your comfort and fun factor in the woods.
As a note, Cabela’s gave me these jackets at my request to use and do this review, thanks to them for their support.
