New Zealand as a hunting destination has always amazed me, I can't believe it took me so long to visit the land of the long white cloud. Early in June 2024, I was fortunate enough to be booked for videography work through an outfitter that operates out of New Zealand for three months of the year. The goal was to capture the essence of what they do in the south island wilderness of New Zealand.  I spent a little over 10 days following Dave & Honor from Southern Ranges Safaris around with my camera in hand, learning and absorbing every detail I possibly could.

Earlier in the year my friend Colby Lesko was invited to feature in The Film Invitational competition. The TFI is a film competition where teams attempt to create, over a twelve week period, an exciting twenty minute film of a fishing adventure of their choosing which gets voted on by the public.

I recently experienced a wilderness hunt of a lifetime in the Northern Territory of Australia. On this remote top end adventure, I explored two boot options from CRISPI®. The first was the Summit GTX®, the other was the Attiva Mid GTX®.

There is always a feeling of great anticipation prior to every hunt. It’s the anticipation of the adventure about to unfold, the allure of the unknown and bumping into that giant, mature sambar stag that keeps drawing us back to the mountains again and again.

If you haven’t already tried a frame pack you should! Frame packs have changed the game when it comes to carrying heavy loads in & out of the bush.

Until you have the confidence in your gear and your mindset, don't feel like you need to push so far into the bush to get results. Take your time. Be realistic in your abilities and try not to travel too far in one go. You have everything you need on your back so if you need to stop before you get to where you planned, so be it.

Like with all gear its easy to get caught up on all the latest trends, I try to cut out all the noise by searching for a products that are both comfortable and within my budget.

Hunting Gear. It’s a topic that can get rather nuanced and confusing. Knowing what to add in your backpack can often stop a hunt in its tracks before it’s even begun. Below is a rough hunting gear list of what we used on The Hunters Journal story IN THE THICK OF IT featured in Issue 13. As well as a downloadable Basic Pack Hunt Checklist.

Like all good stories mine must start at the beginning. I am a huntsman, an adventure seeker and story teller. I have long been fascinated by the natural world, wildlife and photography. Exploring deep in the wilderness, carrying everything I need to survive on my back is where I feel completely alive.

2021 was a year like no other for those seeking the adventure of hunting hog deer in Australia. Historically, you battled to find public land where duck hunters were absent. That first gunpowder burn of duck opening would send the deer underground, vanishing like smoke from the end of a shotgun barrel. Because of COVID the year prior, both duck and hog deer seasons were cancelled, coupled with this year’s duck season being pushed back a month, it made for a very unique situation in April.