Field Gear

    It’s that time of year: Bird seasons are finally at hand. When you hit the fields and woods this fall, go in comfort and style with these new products.

Browning Gore-Tex Upland Jacket and Pant
    I’d like to go bird hunting with the Browning designer who created the company’s new Gore-Tex Upland Jacket and Pant. Why? To thank him (or her) for bringing out what may be the ultimate in upland outerwear. First, the shells of both garments are made of good old nylon—lightweight, flexible, durable and tough. Although not puncture-proof, the material is brier/picker-resistant; rugged overlays in the trouser facings increase the protection. Second, the clothing is waterproof, thanks to Gore-Tex linings. The jacket has a full-length zipper with snap-panel overlay and an external storm flap that also snaps shut. The pant is waterproof from knee to cuff. There’s lots more to like about this apparel.
    Comfort: The jacket is roomy without feeling bulky, and there is no binding on swing-through. You could wear a T-shirt underneath and feel comfortable, or layer up for colder weather. There is no insulation, which I don’t like in a bird hunting coat anyway. The pants have a shirt-snugging, rubberized waistband that is angled to be higher in back. Whether you wear a belt or suspenders (buttons provided), this feature adds greatly to comfort.
    Pockets: Where to begin? They’re everywhere. On the jacket, two huge bellows (cargo) pockets have magnetic flaps. A smaller pocket-expander system appears on the outside of each cargo pocket. This “half-pocket” has its own flap to protect elastic holders for six shells. Roomy hand-warmer pockets are provided along with a front-loading internal game bag that both zips and snaps open for cleaning. The pants have a single rear pocket (all you really need) with snap flap, and the hand pockets are spacious and moleskin-soft.
    Other features: The jacket has quilted  shoulder pads and left and right inside pockets to accept Browning’s recoil pads. If you’re a grouse and woodcock hunter who must elbow your way through saplings, you’ll appreciate the tough sleeve panels. Water-resistant laminated cuffs are Velcro-adjustable. Available colors: khaki/loden or khaki/orange. The pant has zippers from cuff to knee to aid in getting boots on and off. Pant color is khaki/loden.
    An aside to the Browning designer: Line the hand-warmer pockets with moleskin, add an inside breast pocket for e-collar transmitter or cell phone, and provide a tab for securing a lanyard.
    Price: $306 for the jacket, $229 for the pant. Sizes are Small through XL (2XL and 3XL are available for an upcharge).
Browning, 800-333-3288; www .browning.com.

Próis Reversible Sherpa Vest
    Próis Hunting Apparel, which launched its line of US-made garments only last year, is going all-out to capture the women’s hunting market. The company’s all-female pro staff is showing up on outdoor television programs, and its fine products are the subject of slick advertising in specialty magazines. Although the campaign appears aimed at big-game hunters, the new deep-fleece Sherpa Vest is ideal for pheasant hunting or range shooting on cold days. The vest, which comes in Realtree AP HD and Advantage Max-1 HD, reverses to hunter-orange Polartec 200 microfleece. When worn on the camo side, you hardly know there are hand pockets with zippers because designers cleverly built them into the thick, warm fleece. A third zipper opens to reveal a drop pocket as roomy as a game bag back between the shoulder blades. This pocket is ideal for toting shooting gloves, a cap, hand warmers or other light objects (not gamebirds, however, as it’s not bloodproof). A minor flaw:   Although still available when the vest is reversed, the pockets are no longer easily accessible. Sizes are XS through XL.  Price: $116.99.
    Próis Hunting Apparel, 970-641-3355; www.proishunting.com.

Buck Knives ErgoHunter Small Game
    While hunting woodcock in the Crimea Peninsula one fall, my guide and I chanced upon an older Italian hunter and his brace of setters deep in the woods far from any roads. Ignoring us, his dogs silently ghosted through the heavy cover while we exchanged pleasantries. The white-haired gentleman, dressed in forest green, toted his double gun on a sling. Noticing a slim wooden whistle on a lanyard and a small belt knife in a sheath, I sensed that I was in the presence of great experience. To this day, I regret not being able to speak Italian.
    I thought about this encounter as I admired a new knife series from Buck. Most bird hunters who carry knives like small, lightweight folding models that drop securely into a pants pocket, but a belt knife is just as handy and not so easily lost. The ErgoHunter Small Game has a fixed blade of only 2-1/2" and a just-right feel that comes from the ergonomic design and the materials that comprise the handle. The handle on the Pro Version Model 492, which I tested, is Alcryn rubber with an inlay of Rosewood Dymondwood textured for solid gripping. The blade is S30V steel and is extremely sharp and holds an edge. Safety feature: The blade backbone is purposely dulled to accommodate the index finger without slipping, offering control when skinning or leverage when cutting. The more I handle and use this knife, the more I realize how much thought and care went into its design. It weighs only 3.3 oz, comes with a handsome dark-burgundy leather sheath, and sells for $140.
    The Avid Model 491 has a blade made of Sandvik 12C27 steel and costs $90. It has the same sheath and handle as the Pro Version Model 492. A third offering is the Select Model 490, which comes with a 420HC stainless-steel blade, black Alcryn rubber handle and heavy-duty nylon sheath. Its price is only $65. A company spokesperson explained that all Buck steels are heat-treated for strength, durability and resistance to corrosion and wear. The key difference among the three models is the degree to which they are hardened.
    Buck Knives, Inc., 800-326-2825; www.buckknives.com.

Columbia Sportswear’s Warm Weather Cockbird Vest
    It’s 90° in South Dakota, sweat is soaking through your hatband, and the truck is somewhere over the horizon. You’re thinking survival not prairie grouse, and when the flock of sharptails goes up, you miss the day’s best opportunity. Had you dressed properly for hot weather, you might have put some heft in that otherwise empty game bag, now billowing like an airfield windsock as you trudge back across the grass.
    Heat is the enemy of the walking bird hunter; the new Warm Weather Cockbird Vest from Columbia Sportswear is a good antidote. Available in 100-percent cotton canvas, with or without 100-percent polyester hunter orange, the lightweight vest (1.9 pounds in size Large) features mesh in the back and front. There’s mesh in the front-loading, bloodproof rear game bag, too, to keep birds from cooking. A knitted yoke helps distribute weight evenly, and the front shoulders are padded for left- or right-handed shooters. Angled cargo pockets are cut deep for toting shells, or you can safely carry six to a side through durable mesh holders attached to the protective flaps on the cargo pockets. Nice touches include a halfway zipper, a peg loop in back, a snap closure on the game bag for easy cleaning, and a D-ring in front to set aside your whistle lanyard. Cool, indeed. Price: $90.
    Columbia Sportswear, 800-547-8066; www.columbia.com.

Tri-Tronics Upland Special G3 EXP
    Tri-Tronics, the company that revolutionized dog training and handling in the field, celebrated its 40th anniversary last year. Recently, intense competition from several other manufacturers has pushed Tri-Tronics to create new and better products. The Upland Special G3 EXP is as new and as good as it gets. I’ve been using this model to help train my young yellow Labrador, and so far I have been greatly impressed. Reasons include plenty of trainer options, ease of use, one-mile range, quick charge time and compatibility with earlier Tri-Tronics products.
    The transmitter has big tactile buttons for choosing between Continuous (eight-second time-out) and Momentary stimulation (low, medium or high). A six-step dial works with either mode to help you find the exact level that triggers your dog’s positive response. Put another way, you can choose levels 1 through 6 in Continuous mode (six different settings) or levels 1 through 6 in low, medium or high Momentary mode (18 different settings). The dial also features “N” (or “neutral,” to avoid accidental stimulation) and “T” (tone-only) settings. The transmitter has a color-code switch that corresponds to the collar of the dog being run (up to three dogs can be run with a single transmitter, provided you buy extra receivers and collars). My test unit was preset at the factory to correspond with the orange collar provided in the G3 kit. The other colors are green and yellow.
    The kit also contains a beeper that goes on the same collar as the receiver and is controlled by an accessory button on the transmitter. Like most beepers, you can open the back and manually choose low or high volume, up to four run tones, and a point tone that is either a single beep or a hawk scream. After you make these settings, you can turn the beeper on or off with the transmitter. That’s a nice feature for bird hunters who want their dogs to run silently but have trouble finding them on point.
    Battery life indicators on both the waterproof receiver and transmitter tell you when to recharge. They take NiMH batteries, which recharge from dead to full in only two hours, thanks to a clever cradle system. If you leave them plugged into the cradle, they will not overcharge. The beeper takes a separate 9-volt battery, is not rechargeable and is water-resistant (not waterproof). The G3 kit, which costs $519, includes long and short contact points for the receiver. Besides the plastic carrying case, a dry bag is included to keep the transmitter and charging system separate from wet collars.
    Note: You can add a waterproof Tracer E-Collar Light (reviewed in July/August) to the receiver for $44.
    Tri-Tronics, 800-456-4343; www.tri tronics.com.