Exo Journal — Mindset

Finding a high-country animal is tough, but getting into position and actually closing the deal? That’s where the real challenge begins. Whether you're chasing rams, high-country mule deer, or mountain elk, this fourth episode of our 2026 Expert Roundtable series is packed with practical strategies, gear considerations, and mental frameworks to help you turn hard-earned opportunities into filled tags — breaking down the critical moments between spotting an animal and pulling the trigger or releasing an arrow. Topics & Guests Patience vs. Aggression: How Ben Reynolds balances slow, methodical glassing with a "default aggressive" mindset once a stalk route is...

You've e-scouted, hiked in, and invested heavily—but there's no sign, the weather is crashing, and hunting pressure is high. What do you do next? In this third installment of our 2026 Expert Roundtable series, we dive into the practical side of adapting to adversity. We bring together four veteran backcountry hunters to debate one of the hardest questions in the field: When should you stay patient and trust the process, and when is it time to abandon your plan and move? The Expert Guests Isaac Deuling (mountain hunting guide) on why you shouldn't "fall in love with your plan," how...

Every experienced backcountry hunter knows that it isn’t a question of if you will face an obstacle on your hunt, but when that difficulty is coming. Whether it’s a sudden mountain storm, a blown stalk, unexpected hunting pressure, or a target animal that seemingly disappears into thin air, the true separator between success and failure isn't your gear—it's your mindset. In this second episode of our 2026 Expert Roundtable series, we sit down with veteran hunters Nate Simmons, Brad Brooks, Ben Reynolds, and Isaac Deuling to break down the mental game of backcountry hunting. The guys pull back the curtain...

If you asked 1,500 hunters about specific ways to make the most of shot opportunities, and ethically and effectively kill their target animal, what do you think they would say matters most? We asked those hunters, and we have those answers. As part of The Experience Challenge, we had 1,500+ hunters complete a detailed Hunt Reflection. Their answers inspired this new series, The Backcountry Blueprint. In each installment, we distill key takeaways from 1,500+ hunters to help you master the backcountry. Today, we're looking at how to make the most of each shot opportunity, including what hunters have learned from...