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This year on my Wyoming highcountry mule deer hunt I had everything thrown at me. From terrain to weather; I battled through mud, snow, rain, sleet; scrambled across scree slides, slipped through dark timber, and ground up sheer ridge faces to sit like a gargoyle atop a barren, windswept glassing perch. Because I knew the area and the challenges that it holds I was able to prepare with the necessary gear to stay warm, dry and most importantly, find big deer.

This list won’t be comprehensive, like what Guy put together here, or what Brandon Mason put together with his OCD (ounce counting document). This list is a reference to the major pieces that performed for me and you can reference both of the other lists for the nitty gritty more detail oriented information.

Rifle:
Savage Model 11/111 chambered in .300 Win. Mag. shooting Hornady Precision Hunter. The rifle was topped with a Zeiss HD-5 with the Rapid-Z reticle. This combination had me “in the game” quickly and easily at any range inside my MER.

Optics:
Zeiss Conquest 10×42– Light and efficient for the country I was in while still giving me the power needed to pick up deer while “rough glassing.”
Zeiss Diascope- Will soon be replaced by the Gavia, which I’m excited to try but the Diascope served me well for dissecting cover and making those judgement calls a little easier on a potential trophy buck.

Tripod:
BOG-POD HD 3S– I am hard on gear and therefore the heavy duty option is what I use, even with a slight weight penalty. The extra weight also makes it easier to glass in windy conditions, keeping my optics steadier.