Do I really need Sitka gear to hunt mule deer in Idaho in October

[CRNA]

So I have my first out west mule deer hunt on the books for October. I have always hunted in the southeast and typically in a stand. This hunt may require several miles of hiking per day. I am looking at the possibility of buying some Sitka gear since it is available locally to me. Question is, what are the pros of this gear and is it worth it? Do I need it or would it be a waste of a lot of money?
I was thinking of pants and a jacket plus some other merino base layers if needed. Im truly at a loss. Someone school me.

Steve

 

[dfanonymous]

No. You don't "need" it.

Then again, the people who like to say our grand and great grand fathers did it in flannels and jeans are a poor example too.

There's two aspects, the camo and the hiking. The camo is easily addressed. You want something to break up your outline, but the color doesn't matter much.


The hiking is where things get different. Yes you want synthetics or merino. You want to avoid cotton. These are hiking basics. Most who are serious hikers don't like brings the couch and the kitchen sink, being smart with your layering system can make you comfortable for the various conditions you'll find on the mountain, while reducing the amount of things you need to put in your pack, and ultimately your total base weight.

Generally speaking of course.


As far as Sitka specifically; it's not my thing.
I think they are overpriced for being Chinese products, but they DO work and work they do for many. It's easy to find issue with all the brands in someway or another. The pros are the availability, and the diversity of their line up. They do have a ton of layering, models, patterns, puffy's, grid fleece, whatever.

 

[hesse]

Rain / snow is always possible in the mountains. Don't go cheap on the boots. Just make sure it is a a breathable membrane so you let that out while walking

 

[Gpkhill2]

No you don't need Sitka. Is it good gear. Yes. But it's not necessary. I wear a mix of Skre, Sitka,Firstlite and Kings XKG. It all works. I'm a big believer in Marino base layers. Check out the Black Ovis Marino. More than likely you'll be hiking in pants and a long sleeve base layer. But you'll want a puffy for when you're glassing.

 

[JTH]

Think differently about gear when hunting spot and stalk in the mountains, where you're going to be active climbing, hiking, then sit for a period of time glassing, then back on the move again. Temps can vary from 60 degrees to below freezing, and many places the wind never stops. You need to have layers that can easily be added on or taken off. Merino is great for base layers, throw in some soft shell outer garments, a puffy jacket for cold weather insulation, and high quality rain gear. And I agree with the above post, don't go cheap on the boots. Camo is ok but isn't necessary, natural colors work fine. Sitka, First Lite, Kuiu, Stone Glacier are a few brands I've been around or personally used that have quality high tech light weight fabrics.

 

[CRNA]

Thank you gentlemen for the very thorough answers. I truly appreciate it.
Do you gentlemen have suggestions as to which pieces of gear that would work well (Sitka)?
I looked at the Sportsman's Outdoors yesterday and was kind of dizzy with all the different styles.
So if you guys were in my shoes and didn't mind buying good gear BUT didn't want to buy one of every style Sitka has, what would you choose?

Thank you all so much for the help.
This is my first rodeo.

As far as the boots, I addressed that earlier on. I knew my old Rocky's were barely hanging on so I bought a pair of Kenetrek Mountain Extremes and have been working on breaking them in for the last couple months.

 

[Brad Quarnberg]

Don't scrimp on rain gear; like boots you get what you pay for so get good stuff. Google hunting rain gear and do your research: what you are looking for and what works for you might not be what works for others.
A prime example of this is the difference between my brother and I. I rarely wear rain pants (or even thermal bottoms), even when the conditions are bad. I'm short enough that wearing a quality jacket (not a tight fitting at the waist one, but one that hands below my belt), and good pair of waterproof, quiet gaiters keep all, but a small area of my thighs covered. I create a lot of heat when I'm hiking so the tech pants I'm wearing shed the water pretty quick. My brother on the other hand won't go without them when the weather is bad or threatens rain/snow. yes, sometimes in a hard sustained rain, water can get under my gaiters by running down my leg but generally I don't hunt when it's raining that hard, and if I happen to get caught in a squall like that, I have a quality, poncho I pull out and put on: it takes care of that potential issue.
Get a good quality light weight poncho and a heavy-duty emergency blanket... these things have come in handy on several hunts where unexpected storms caught me well away from camp and kept me safe, even when the temp got below freezing like on the North Slope and the Alaskan Peninsula.
Fit of your clothing, quietness and No Cotton are critical to hunting in areas where the temperatures can go from 50+ one day to blizzard like conditions the next and back again which is the high mountains of the west. I usually have lighter weight high Tek synthetic pants/shirts etc. as well as heavier to include fleece on any hunt I go on, especially if I'm not packing for a bush plane fly in hunt where weight is limited.
I don't a magic bullet because honestly, my gear is a mismatch of what I like, what I've found works, cost and how long they last. I have a mix of Cabela's, Kuiu, Sitka and Kings to name a few. Some of them are matched jacket, shirt and pants, others a mix of different brands.
Hope that helps and good luck on your hunt in Idaho!

 

[dogz]

need absolutely Not!

Perhaps look at Prana Zion pants at REI, and or go to Walmart and look for the Wrangler Extreme wear pants. This can easily be done for less than 100 bones

 

[Taylorbok]

I broke down and bought some KUIU gear for my first mountain hunt coming this year. I purchased the Valo camo Axis Hybrid pants and Jacket. I bought them a size big so I can stick some warm layers underneath. I watched the attached video and figured I could use it in my area as well, I also figure it will work well for goose hunting so it made sense to me since I needed new pants anyways and I can multi purpose them.

 

[Allen Kitts]

Camo is a fad. When I was a kid we killed everything in jeans and flannel. It gets in your head and you can't get it out. Sitka is a great company, at least in my opinion as is KUIU, Under Armour, first Lite, Cabela's etc. I have lots of each as I am one of those guys who just loves to buy camo. The hardest animal, again in my opinion, to take in the United States is a true wild turkey, A few years back I was just out scouting in Jeans and a Blue Sweatshirt with a big white circle logo in the middle with red lettering and a yellow smiley face on it. Found some turkeys and called in the long beard to about 15' and killed him. You wear bright orange during gun season here and tons of elk and deer are killed. Get a good breathable fabric, neutral colors and great boots. If your boots get wet and soak through you will be miserable for days. Use a good company like Crispi, Lowa, Schnee's Zamberlan etc. Proven boots in the field. Rain Gear is also a must as others have stated. Get the best you can afford! It may not rain once during your hunt but if it does you will be glad you spent the money. Good Luck and have fun, let us know how you do.

 

[CRNA]

I can't thank you gentlemen enough for taking time to answer my questions. I sincerely appreciate it. I hope I can start a thread later in October about how great the hunt was! Again, many thanks.
Steve

 

[CaptDru]

Look at REI for stuff. They have good sales and you can snag some good stuff for a decent price. Especially base layers. I have used stuff I have bought at REI with my Kuiu gear. It works great.

 

[BroncBlue55]

Plenty of animals have been killed from hunters wearing blue jeans and a flannel! It's definitely not a requirement to get a full high-end clothing system for your hunt but it would likely make your hunt a little more enjoyable. If you're willing to drop the money then my two cents are below.

With Sitka, or any "expensive" hunting clothing brand, you're paying for a system that helps in managing temperature and moisture. For example, base layers wick moisture away from your body and allow for evaporative cooling. This will also keep you dry and warmer if the temperature's plummit. Subsequent layers should be able to further remove that moisture through the system for this to work properly. You can build comparable systems through other hiking brands such as REI, north face, columbia, etc.,. but you'll need to know what you're looking for. Without the experience of having hunted much in the backcountry and what works best for your body it may be best to take the plunge and look at a full system from Sitka or other brands if you have the money. These brands have R&D into developing these systems and if you call Sitka or another company their customer service teams are typically fantastic and knowledgable and will help in getting the right system for you.
Over the years and especially for rifle season, I've gone away from camo patterns and prefer their solid color items because I feel it's more versatile and allows me to not feel like an idiot wearing it around town. Wearing the solids throughout the year help me in justifying the purchase since the piece is used throughout the year and not just during hunting season.
Best of luck on your upcoming hunt regardless of the clothes on your back!

 

[sp6x6]

I shot a lot of game back in the day wearing a woolwich shirt over a light synthetic.Hikes many mountains this way.Thin on way up, then wool shirt.I still have this cabala light wool, but wore pants out.Its not wool but synthetic, shot lot game with it, light dries fast, durable. I do have all, the other stuff by now, but still love my KOM.