Every year, companies introduce new gear that promises to change the way we hunt. Some of it lives up to the hype. Some of it quietly disappears after a season or two. As someone who spends a lot of time in the field, and is fortunate enough to test new equipment before it reaches many hunters. I’ve learned to be skeptical until I can put gear through its paces myself.
This summer has given me the chance to spend time behind several new products that I’m genuinely excited to carry into mule deer season. None of them replace good woodsmanship or time spent scouting, but each one has found a place in my hunting kit because it solves a real problem I’ll encounter in the mountains.
Here are four pieces of gear I’ll be packing this fall.
Weatherby Backcountry Mark V Carbon
I’ll admit it, I’ve been late to the carbon-barrel party.
Carbon-wrapped barrels have been around for several years, and I’d certainly handled them before, but this is the first season I’ve spent serious time shooting one on Weatherby’s legendary nine-lug Mark V action.
After a summer on the range, I’m impressed.
The first thing you notice is the weight. When you’re climbing ridges before daylight or side-hilling across shale slopes all afternoon, every pound matters. Shaving weight from your rifle without sacrificing confidence is something every mountain hunter can appreciate, and the Backcountry Mark V Carbon accomplishes that remarkably well.
I chose the .300 Weatherby Magnum, and that wasn’t an accident. I’ve long believed in the engineering behind Weatherby cartridges. Roy Weatherby’s philosophy of high velocity wasn’t simply about speed, it was about creating cartridges that deliver flat trajectories and dependable terminal performance across the wide range of situations Western hunters encounter.
For mule deer, that versatility matters. One morning you may be slipping through dark timber, and by afternoon you could be glassing across a canyon where distance becomes part of the equation. I wanted one rifle capable of handling both with confidence.
After spending the summer getting comfortable with this rifle, I can’t wait to carry it into mule deer country this fall.
Silencer Central: Protecting the Hearing You Still Have
One piece of gear that has become increasingly important to me isn’t something that makes me shoot farther or more accurately, it’s something that helps protect the hearing I have left.
Like many veterans, I live with hearing damage and tinnitus. Years of military service around gunfire, heavy equipment, and explosions leave their mark, and once you’re hearing is gone, it isn’t coming back. That reality has changed the way I think about hunting.
A suppressor has become an important part of my hunting setup, not because it’s “tactical,” but because it’s practical.
Working with Silencer Central has shown me just how accessible suppressor ownership has become. They walk hunters through the entire process, making what once seemed complicated surprisingly straightforward.
More importantly, shooting suppressed dramatically reduces muzzle blast. It helps protect my hearing, makes range sessions more enjoyable, and reduces the concussion experienced by the people hunting beside me. Anyone who has spent time spotting for a partner or hunting from a blind knows just how loud a centerfire rifle can be.
Suppressors don’t make rifles silent like the movies portray. They simply reduce noise to a safer, more manageable level while making communication easier in the field.
For me, it’s an investment in the future. I can’t undo the hearing damage I already have, but I can do everything possible to protect what’s left. If I can preserve my hearing while making the experience better for my hunting partners, that’s an easy decision.
Learn more about Silencer Central at Silencer Central.
BOGS Recovery Shoes
Not every piece of hunting gear has to help you kill a deer.
Some gear simply helps you hunt better tomorrow.
For me, that’s exactly where my BOGS recovery shoes fit in.
I’m a truck hunter at heart. I enjoy setting up a comfortable wall tent as a base camp and spending several days exploring different pieces of country. After hiking miles through rocks, sagebrush, and uneven terrain, the first thing I want to do when I get back to camp is kick off my boots.
Sliding into a lightweight pair of BOGS recovery shoes has become one of those little comforts I didn’t realize I was missing.
Call me old.
Call me soft-footed.
I don’t care.
The supportive insole makes a noticeable difference after long days on the mountain. By giving my feet a chance to recover each evening, I wake up feeling fresher and more ready for another day of climbing. When you’re hunting hard for a week or more, those little improvements in comfort start adding up.
Good hunts aren’t won in camp, but recovery in camp absolutely affects how well you hunt the next morning.
Sitka’s New Base Layers
If you’ve spent much time scouting during the summer or hunting the early archery season, you’ve probably donated enough blood to mosquitoes, ticks, chiggers, and every other biting insect in the West.
It’s just part of being outside.
That’s why I’ve been so interested in Sitka’s newest base-layer technology designed to help defend against biting insects.
The first thing that caught my attention wasn’t the technology itself—it was the realization that I wasn’t constantly distracted by bugs. Anyone who’s spent an August afternoon behind a spotting scope knows how quickly mosquitoes or biting flies can wear on your patience. Anything that lets me stay focused on glassing instead of swatting insects is worth paying attention to.
Pair that innovation with the comfort, durability, and proven camouflage patterns Sitka has become known for, and it’s an easy addition to my layering system. Base layers often don’t get the attention jackets and packs receive, but they’re the first thing you put on every morning. If that first layer keeps you comfortable from sunrise to sunset, everything else tends to work a little better.
COAST Lights
For years, I walked past the COAST display at Home Depot without giving it much thought.
I knew the name. I just didn’t know what I was missing.
After spending time with their hunting lineup, I’ve come away impressed by both the products and the company behind them.
One feature I especially appreciate is the voice-activated controls on several of their lamps and lights. When your hands are full of trekking poles, game bags, or gear, not having to fumble for a tiny switch is surprisingly convenient. Add in rechargeable batteries, compact designs, and dependable light output, and you have a system that’s well suited for life in hunting camp.
But there’s another reason COAST has earned a place in my pack.
They’re a company that believes in conservation.
As a proud partner of the Mule Deer Foundation, COAST doesn’t simply market to hunters—they invest in the future of the resource we all depend on. That matters to me. When I’m choosing between quality products, I’m always going to lean toward the company that’s willing to support habitat restoration, wildlife conservation, and the organizations working to protect the places we hunt.
It’s nice knowing the gear you’re using is backed by people who care about mule deer just as much as you do.
Good Gear Doesn’t Replace Good Hunting
The best rifle in the world won’t replace preseason scouting. The most comfortable boots won’t glass a hillside for you. The brightest headlamp won’t help if you don’t know where the deer are.
But the right gear removes distractions.
It lets you walk farther, hunt longer, stay more comfortable, and focus on the things that truly matter.
That’s exactly what I’m looking for every time I add something new to my pack.
Support the Future of Mule Deer
Every piece of gear we carry ultimately depends on having healthy mule deer populations and wild places worth hunting. That’s why conservation remains the most important investment any hunter can make.
The Mule Deer Foundation’s 2026 campaign, “The Vanishing Icon of the West,” is dedicated to protecting the habitat, migration corridors, and landscapes that make our hunting traditions possible.
Join the Mule Deer Foundation today and help conserve the future of the West’s most iconic big game animal.
Visit www.muledeer.org/join to become a member and help protect the Vanishing Icon of the West.
