Archery Antelope Go To'sUpdated a month ago
Antelope season is one of the first seasons that open up in the country which usually means it’s going to be hot. Hot weather, spot and stalking in the desert and heavy clothing mix just about as well as peanut butter and anchovies. The good news is First Lite has you covered for those days that make you wonder if this is what hunting on the sun feels like. When you need to stay cool as the action or the day heats up, you want the lightest, most durable gear to make sure that you can go farther and stay longer.
The Trace pants are everyone’s go to pant within the First Lite office for those early season hunts. The Kinetic Grid Fabric within the pant makes them super durable while maintaining a light weight. The micro perforations throughout the pant allow for air flow and if you open the side vent zippers on the outer thigh you have basically opened up the vents for air conditioning. I personally prefer to run the Trace pants instead of shorts on hot days as I feel the Trace pants provide substantially more air flow throughout the entirety. If you have ever driven a 95-model Chevy Tahoe with the lower steering wheel air vent, you know what I’m talking about. Once you put on a pair of these pants during the summer heat, you’ll never want to go back to shorts.
The next stop on the quest to keep you cool would be our Wick Hoody. The Wick in the summer time is worth its weight in gold. Whether it be a long sleeve shirt or the hoody, the Wick is what you want. Personally I like to run the hoody for the added head and neck protection from the sun. I can attest to the power of the Wick from my experiences in the desert chasing down speed goats. Last year I was doing the impossible attempting to break 60 yards on a goat in 95 degree weather, with no shade in the middle of the desert with a bow. After 5 days of taking my bow for a walk in the desert I was finally able to connect with an antelope. The work was not done there as then came the skinning, packing out and more sweating. Once I got back to my tent I took off the Wick that I ran for 5 days straight and pulled another Wick out of my bag that was washed and had not been worn. I conducted a smell test side by side and could not tell which one was unworn and which one was worn and sweated in for 5 days. They both smelled the same as if they were both just washed, with zero evidence or indication of how hot the weather was and how far I walked. That is some serious smell fighting power in a shirt that keeps you cool and wicks sweat. It is everything you would want or need on early season hunts. I'm not talking solely antelope either. I have put the Wick through its paces on early season Georgia White-Tail hunts, high desert Mule Deer hunts, and western Elk Hunts in the timber. If there was ever a piece of gear that is universal across all tags and all seasons you have found it.
Finally, some socks. Socks are pretty straight forward id like to think and the socks we offer on FirstLite.com are all named so you can easily identify the best use case for them. I run the Early Season socks as they are built for just that, early season! They are also merino wool so as you start to sweat those socks will wick it up and help you stay cool through out your miles.
This is not an exhaustive list as there are always some additions or subtractions that could be made, but if you have never been antelope hunting and want to start, or if you’ve been doing if or years and want to explore a new set up, what I have suggested above is what I have found that works extremely well for me! If you have any questions about the kit or want to look at some other options shoot us an email at [email protected] or give us a call at 208-806-0066 and one of our gear experts would be more than happy to help you out, myself included!
Stay vigilant, Stay mobile, and Get After it.
-Garry C.