Field Test Articles

The Ravin R10X Pro crossbow provides a killer shooting experience at a not-too-bad price.

Barnett’s latest flagship model smooths out the cocking experience, shoots deadly accurate, and is priced right.

During spring turkey season 2026 in South Dakota, the author field tested the new Ol’Man Bounty Hunter 270 pop-up ground blind.

The author field tested the new G5 Outdoors Dirty Bird turkey broadhead this spring in South Dakota, and the results were insanely impressive.

With the new Bowtech Alliance, you can expect tunable precision, vast customization, pinpoint accuracy and workhorse dependability.

The author has planted Evolved food plot seed in western Wisconsin for two consecutive years. Growing conditions were less than ideal in 2024, and it was a repeat in 2025. Thankfully, the results were better than expected.

During fall 2025, the author and his hunting partners field tested five annual seed blends from Mossy Oak BioLogic on three of their western Wisconsin food plots.

The author placed a Spypoint Force 24 non-cell trail cam in a deep, heavily-wooded South Dakota river-bottom that doesn’t receive cell service. What did he discover after letting it shoot pics for 3 straight months?

The author and his family test three blends from Magnet Outdoors on a few of their Wisconsin food plots.

The author has been building and maintaining food plots for 30 years, but he made two big blunders in 2025.

The Jakl is part of Wiley X’s Tactical Series — but the author put them to the test bass fishing during spring, summer and fall.

Leupold Daylight Max polarized lenses are designed for low-light conditions. The author put them to the test during his most-recent Minnesota open-water fishing season.

The author has been running Spypoint trail cams for six years, and in 2025 he added the Flex-Dark and Flex-S-Dark (solar) cell models to his scouting mix.

The Benchmade 7-inch Fishcrafter is put to the test on everything from bluegills and crappies to northern pike and channel catfish — and even whitetail backstraps.

The author changed up his whitetail gear list with the addition of these three products, and each one performed flawlessly.

The ultra-portable and lightweight Crazy Creek HEX 2.0 Original Chair is put to the test during the 2024 whitetail season.

The Rise Pack from Badlands was designed for deer hunters who ambush whitetails from treestands. Did it pass the author’s test?

The author carried the Steiner Predator 10x42 binocular during the 2024 deer season, and also put it to the test later while watching wildlife in much more challenging lighting conditions.

The author used two new Spypoint cell cams during the 2024 South Dakota deer season, and also placed four of his older Spypoints (2022 and 2023 cell models) back in the woods for an extended field test.

The author was reluctant to try a clog, but the Muck Muckster Lite has now become his most frequently worn shoe.

During late summer 2024 in western Wisconsin, the author planted three food plot blends from Evolved. How did they grow, and did the local whitetails target these green fields?

The author owns nearly 30 different stands — here are two of his favorites.

The author has found an ideal solution to decoying whitetails in far-off public land hotspots — and her name is Trixie.

The author and his elk guide put a hunting and hauling workhorse, the Can-Am Defender, to the test in the Arizona backcountry.

The author and his son put a Frogg Toggs Grand Refuge 3.0 wader to a season-long torture test on public land sloughs.

The author field tests the Mossberg Patriot LR Hunter on a Coues deer hunt in Sonora, Mexico. In his opinion, this new rifle provides long-range precision at meat and potatoes pricing.

The author seeks a clothing solution for October whitetails, when temperatures are 40-65 degrees. He finds it with KUIU’s new Encounter series.

The author field tests a Barnett Whitetail Hunter 400XTR during two deer seasons in Wisconsin, and along the way learns that this model overdelivers in almost every way.

Featuring 1,600 grams of PrimaLoft Gold Insulation and 100% waterproof construction, LaCrosse Alpha Evolution boots prove to be a critical component of the author’s success last deer season.

The author has used SpyPoint cellular trail cams for a few years, and in this review he details his most recent experience — over a 7-month period — with the LM2, Flex G-36 and Flex-S models.