Not sure how many days I wore these this year, alot. They are a little thread-bare, and have been ventilated by barbed wire a few times, but they have held up better than ANY pant I have ever worn! These things are BOMB PROOF!

Designed after the Mountain Pants, which I wore for the last two season also, they have been re-inforced in all the right places. The double layer, waterproof, breathable knees and rear-end are a major improvement. These pants just flat out work. Really nice pocket layout, with zippered small pockets for your important gear

The 4 way stretch fabric that Sitka employs is durable, very durable. Most of my hunting is in the Sonoran Desert of Arizona, plus some high country rock slide type stuff, with a little steep black timber elk hunting thrown in. These pants did it all for me. Some pulled threads, and frays from catclaw, cactus, and rocks, they stood up to a lot of abuse. These pants just won’t tear, even at the barbed wire holes. When I tear a small hole, the edges of it just fray, and it never gets any bigger. I really like this fabric. They are not a warm weather pant, but work in 75% of my hunting situations.

I removed the molded knee pads for the long walks, but wish I would have had them in for belly crawling after Desert Mule Deer in January. The knee pads are not bad to walk in, and I believe they will stay in for 2012.

In the early season, you find me in Sitka’s Mountain Pants, the rest of the season, the Timberline Pant gets the call. I grab a couple of pairs of Timberline’s in the October, and they’ll be in service all the way through Turkey season. I found my pants!

Check them out at the link below:

http://www.sitkagear.com/products/open-country/pants/mid-weight-pants/timberline-pant

Join the team from Borderland Adventures and Mathews Tv in Sonora for a week of Bowhunting Big Coues!

Dave Watson from Mathews TV will be in camp, filming an episode, Chasing Big Coues and enjoying the Sonoran Desert.

This is 6 days of fully outfitted Sonoran Coues Hunting, in the rut, all inclusive, with Borderland and Mathews TV, for $3750.

We’ve only got a couple of spots for this hunt, so call or email quick, This chance will be gone quick!

Join Mario Guisto, Dave Watson, Joel Maxfield and Myself in Sonora this January!!! Don’t miss this hunt!!!

Here’s two great rifle bucks from last season!

And here’s the video!

Kansas Turkeys-Between the Birds!

Enjoy!

Last summer and early fall, I had the pleasure of wearing the Hanwag Cheyenne GTX Boot from Lathrop and Sons. I bought them to hike and scout in the summer, and liked them so much, I wore them on and off all season! I consider these boots a “light hiker”, and that’s about what I expected out of them. That is, until, I caught myself grabbing them for early season elk in New Mexico, and October Coues deer in Arizona. They chased antelope in rolling Central New Mexico, and velvet Mule deer on the mexican border. They are quiet enough to be a go-to boot for a spot and stalk bowhunt also. I wore them for everything.

As expected from Hanwag, construction was superb. I put 40+ hunt days on these boots, and a ton of scouting, and I’m still wearing them (barely)! Seeing some stitching separation now, because the rocks have shredded the sides of the boot. This is to be expected in the terrain we hunt. The toe rand is still solid and attached completely (rare). These boots have just enough ankle support for me to tackle rough country in. Sturdy heel, and a pretty stiff sole helped.

As usual, I used the High Country Footbeds, from Lathrop and Sons. I love these footbeds. You’ll probably notice them in most of my boot reviews. http://lathropandsons.com/catalog/product_info.php/cPath/24/products_id/46

These boots held up surprisingly well. I wore through the threads on the sides, and walked right through the Vibram Endurance sole, so they definitely qualify as “pounded” boots. I like the tread pattern and the stiff “Roller” midsole for sticking to the rocks. I treated the leather with Nikwax three times. The leather is obviously very high quality, and thick. All the leather is in good shape, disregarding the scratches and gashes from sharp rocks.

Not a ton to say about these boot. They were just great hiking boots, and everyone needs great hiking boots. The interior of the boot is super comfortable, and held up great, it’s still in perfect condition.

Would I buy them again? In a heartbeat. I’ll likely order a pair this spring for summer hunting and scouting. And I’ll probably still be wearing them next winter. This pair is completely trashed, and I’m in the  market for light hikers.

Minor complaint on the Hanwags, the speed lacing hooks (the upper two) are made of thin, flexible metal. Definitely lighter, but bent on the rocks. I had to re-work them a few time this season with a leatherman tool.

Goretex and uninsulatated are two other plus’s for this boot.

Consult with the guys at Lathrop, and check these boots out at www.lathropandsons.com

Crazy comfortable. Like tennis shoe comfortable. I opened the box at 4:00 one morning, put them on, and left them on for a 5 day Mule deer hunt. Wet, blustery conditions in Central New Mexico, and rough, rock Mule Deer country were the perfect proving ground.

I did put in some green SmartFeet insoles. One of my favorites.  The ones they came with were junk, as they usually are. In December, I switched those out with a pair of High Country Footbeds from Lathrop and Sons, as usual, they are awesome.

These boots hunted 2 states, 5 species and took 14 Trophies in 55 days

2 Months? That’s pretty darn good for a boot in this country. 200-250 miles is about what I get out of most boots (there are exceptions). For most guys, thats about 2-3 week long hunts each fall, that equals about 4-5 years of use. These boots were not designed for what I put them through. Shale and volcanic rock, heavy loads, and constant abuse took their toll on them.

Disclaimer: I love these boots. Not pleased with the lifespan, but I didn’t expect them to do as well as they did. Had I been hunting in more forgiving terrain, they would have lasted much longer. I would buy these boots again, for hunts like early season elk, archery deer, antelope. They are great for covering distance (light), and hold up well to an occasional pounding in the rocks. Preferably somewhere other than the Sonoran Desert.

The speed lacing system is slick, sturdy and well designed. I pick these apart, because they tend to bend in the rocks. The Ridge Reaper’s speed laces are first class. They still look brand new. The blue/grey synthetic material between the leather is bomb proof. I don’t know what they call it, but it resists abrasion well, and I like it! It’s showing minimal signs of wear.

The full rand toe box is gets about an 8 out of 10.  Minor de-lamination on the rear part of the rand, it’s still waterproof, though! The heavy duty rubber pad on the toe, and thinner, flexible rand are integrated well, and did not separate at all. I did blow out the leather at the toe hinge point, on the inside. The leather dried, cracked, and eventually opened. I think a different leather conditioner or more use of a conditional would prevent or decrease the cracking. My boots were soaked most days, inside and out, and dried by a camp fire or propane heater. They were not allowed to dry slowly, as they should have been.

Here you can see the blown out leather at the hinge point

Blowing the hole in side was the death of these boots. Maybe expensive leathers hold up better? I don’t know. The rest of the boot still has some life in it. I treated these boots twice with NikWax. Once, when I first got them, then about a month later. The Gore tex waterproofing worked perfectly until I blew open the side of the boot, and trapping moisture inside the boot.. I hunted in snow and rainy conditions for 14 days in these this winter, and my feet stayed dry.

The stitching held up well. I hate exposed stitching in general. This boot had all front-end stitching cover by the rand, thumbs up. I blew threw quite a few stitches in the sidewalls, and these would have ruined the boot, if the leather would have given out.

I thought the soles on the Ridge Reaper held up very well...

This is a not an insulated boot, my feet stayed dry, but they where not warm! Blowing sleet in New Mexico, and deep snow in Central Arizona are not what this boot is made for. Again, I didn’t use them for what they were designed for.

I do not recall having a single cactus spine penetrate these boots. Solid.

Why do you buy this boot? Archery Elk, Western Archery Deer, Antelope, October Coues in AZ. Warm and cool season hunts. 25-90 degree hunts.

Who buys this boot? The athletic hunter. Not a stand hunting boot (cold!) Good ankle support. After a severe sprain last fall, I’m on the lookout for stiff boots, that are still flexible enough to cinch tight around my ankle when needed. These fit the bill. They are not a sheep country boot. If fact,  I’ll say they are not a coues boot, either. Just not “mountaineering” stiff. Awesome support for hunting hard in the mountains, but when your mission is deep, rough, and heavy, there are probably better boots for the job.

Verdict: Great western hunting boot. Not a mountaineering boot. Being under $200, makes it a fantastic boot, and a great choice.

Check them out here: http://www.underarmour.com/shop/us/en/pid1226086

Next up is the Hanwag Cheyenne and the Under Armour Caliber boot!

Borderland hunter Mark Young took this beautiful New Mexico Bull Elk with us in early October. Mark hunted hard for 4 days of rain and dreary conditions, before taking his 340 class trophy elk.

Guide Mario Guisto with Mark Young, of Adam Clements Safari Trackers

To learn more about Adam Clements Safari Trackers, look them up at www.safaritrackers.com or contact Mark Young at (307)587-6372

Chris Dowland and his stud 15"+ New Mexico Antelope

Sam Carroll and his beautiful, opening morning Pronghorn

Griffin Hall and his swept back, busted up Warrior

Casey Charter and his awesome New Mexico Pronghorn in front a great sunset

Chris Crosland and his massive 15" Pronghorn.

Just a couple spots left for 2012 New Mexico Pronghorn Antelope Hunts!

Borderland Hunter Ryan Dalton took this fantastic Columbian Blacktail in Northern California last month!

Ryan’s long range set up includes his Remington Sendero 7MM with NightForce scope,  mounted on a Bogen/Manfrotto tripod, with the Triclawps.

Take a closer look at the Triclawps at www.triclawps.com

Jeff and his 500+lb Boone and Crockett Bear!

Team Borderland member Jeff Crosland takes a whopper AZ Black Bear! Congrats Jeff!

All Jeff’s hard work paid off, when this giant hit the ground on opening weekend of the Fall bear season!

The Crosland Boys are on a roll this year! Good work guys!

117 7/8"

Congrats to Nate Crosland on his GIANT AZ COUES!

Nate took his buck on opening day of the first general rifle season, at 256 yards, with his 7mm-08.

Nate has hunted hard the last few years, and has taken Turkeys, Javelina, and Mule deer, this is his first Coues buck! What a way to start!

Nate and his Net B&C Typical buck