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Hunting has many choices that one can make. As long as we enjoy, have fun and be safe & legal. I could tag out every year on younger bucks but choose not to. The big bucks are so very difficult to hunt, the challenge testing my acquired skills to the max. Just living my retirement dream, having time to hunt and enjoy the great outdoors.

Weather temps too warm, maybe delays the AZ mules rut in the southern desert areas. Current storm front moving thru with colder temps should change things up and get the big bucks more active

@@MavHntr Ya, winds were really moving today. Even got some sprinkles. temps the next few days are really dropping too.

Got very lucky with spike bull, 2nd to last day of season.

my modification just made the snake gaiter easier to attach on/off. Pain in the butt to run boot laces thru eyelets.

Snowtrekker is a quality canvas tent for sure, especially for horse packing into the backcountry. However, for general near vehicle camping, the Kodiak 10x10 is 1/2 the price of the Snowtrekker. And more stand-up room in the Kodiak too, as the Trekker is sloped roof from Peak centerline to ground.

Those bull sealions can get very territorial over dock space. Just interesting to watch...

An experience 40 years ago that always stuck in the back of my mind... On an elk hunting trip, 3 hunters passed away from asphyxiation from Co2, running their trailer's propane heater overnight. There were camped a mile above my dad & I on the forest service road. Their family called the sheriff after not hearing from the hunters. In their 20' trailer, the windows, vents were closed due to 12deg temps. They passed away at night in their sleep. Kittitas County Sheriff checked on my dad & I, told us what happened. so, when it comes to using anything propane, I always have ventilation of some sort. Nice thing about Kodiak are the 2 vents located near the roof's center peak. Option to zip open or leave closed. Today, Co2 detectors are nice preventative warning device. But with propane burners of any kind... After all, why take the chance? Better safe than sorry my Dad always said. if my dog is with me during cold temps, I have her dog bed, wool blanket and a down mini comforter, for her to sleep warm & comfortable.

However, EV1 know this... I tried running my Lil Buddy for a few hours one cold evening, no ventilation and zips on the 10x10 Kodiak vents closed. After 3 hours, my eyes & nasal passages felt strange. In the light of the LED lantern, near the top of the tent, the air looked hazy. Opened the vent zips, also unzipped a window a little bit and within 10 minutes, I felt normal again. The haze disappeared too.

Joyful Holidays and Happy New Year to you & your family. Stay warm in that northern climate!

Axopar 45 yacht next to sea lions too cool! i live here.

thank you. After couple years, still pleased with how this DIY build worked out. Many overland trips, nothing came loose, still solid in construction. I'm not a carpenter, that's for sure. 🙂

Depends on the situation, morning or late afternoon, wind conditions etc. I will position when it's still o'dark AM-thirty, but one must be careful not to spook any deer in the vicinity of the set-up area. I use a red light headlamp on low lumen to sneak into an area, turning it off once set into position. Deer vision is exceptionally good in darkness, we/humans do not.

if a short trip, about 90 minutes, start to finish getting all my camp gear in place, inside and outside of tent. Tent itself, about 30 minutes taking my time at senior age. As mentioned in my Kodiak tent videos, most time is spent staking down the tent. These tents use a lot of stakes, one reason why performance is so good in high winds. New Video soon: I have a new RTT too but installed on a utility trailer & rack. The diesel heater for the RTT works great. Prefer propane heater in the 10x10 as it heats within a few minutes from start up. The diesel heater is used for 10x10 tent too, but it takes up to 20 minutes to warm up the tents near 900 CF interior.

Topper is made of heavy-duty poly-cotton canvas. The Cover Top is water tight and blocks light (it’s totally opaque - light does not pass through this material).

You should contact the dealer or store you purchased from. I recently heard of this leaking problem occurring in the area you described with new tents purchased in 2024. Perhaps there is a manufacturing defect or Kodiak factory missed something there. My 10x10 has never leaked, even after 7 years of hard use. However, in torrential rains and especially if snow accumulation is forecast, I put a poly tarp over the tent.

@@MavHntr I tried calling Kodiak several times today; however, only voice mail. Will send email. I am so disappointed that they dissed the 2024 models!! Not cool. This morning I went out and it was bright and sunny and dry and very cold all day today and the tent is bone dry with every square inch. Someone told me that a first rain will help it and then tent will swell and then be good from then on. However, it was just that section of the dark canvas to include door and window on exposed side. I will continue to reach out. Thank you for replying to my comment. I LOVE the tent, by the way. Everything else is perfect.

remember, the Turkey Day holiday is upon us this week. For many companies, next week should be better for customer service requests. Set my tent up today, looked at that area. You might try a seam sealer working into the stitching there on the lower portion of the dark material area. And true, the first good wetting of the Kodiak canvas tent, whether from rain or hose in the backyard, will help seal, shrink the canvas threads & spacings tight. I prefer the garden hose down over rain as the water is much cleaner. Rain could be contaminated & dirty depending on your area. I did this 7 years ago the first time I set up my 10x10 tent. Chose a hot, sunny day as it dries the canvas tight and fast!

@@MavHntr Well Kodiak returned my call. She mentioned to apply a water hose to that portion of the tent (the whole side where the canvas is dark and includes the door and window) from top to bottom from side to side. She said after that, take a picture or two on the outside what the water beading looks like so they can see if the "waterproofing" has been done sufficiently. What ever that means. LOL So I will do this today with the water hose. Thank you again for your replies and help. I want this thing to work and so at least they are working with me. Happy Turkey Day to you!! Eat too much and enjoy!!

same as most upper Teanaway areas....until high elevation snow flies and the mule deer migrate to lower elevation areas.

Mule deer hunting the "T" is not what it was back in the 1990's. Wolf & mtn lion tracks, especially if snow is in the higher elevations, are more evident these days. Particularly late season near Dickey Creek & surrounding area. These days, I won't waste my points on the late Teanaway archery tag. Rifle/modern tag maybe worth scorching a few points as this hunt takes place during the peak of the mule deer rut for this region.

Thanks, it's the little things that make a good hunt even better!

Glad it was helpful, thanks for watching and good luck in the field!

No, MaxTerra custom rear bumper. FrontRunner folding table, modified to fit the MaxTerra tire swing out arm.

​@@MavHntrawesome thank you! I'm going to look into doing something like that

More east….

Thank you sir

AZFG department has many areas reviewed for otc archery hunting. See Arizona Fish & Game Department for Where2Hunt details and information.

Thank you sir

I run a centerline rope over the tent, each end tied around a tree. The rope suspends the tarp above the Kodiak tent approx 6-8”. Then use 4 extendable tarp poles at each corner, each pole roped & staked down. The tarp is a 16x20 size, will cover over optional forward vestibule too. Extra size allows extra overlap of tarp over/down tent sides, over rear door/ front door. Tarp side edges are tied, suspended above ground & staked down along sides for wind flapping protection. Rain and especially snow will slide off easily using the tarpaulin. See my other elk videos 2023 to see tarpaulin set when finished.

@MavHntr thank you. I really enjoyed your videos. I recently bought a kodiak canvas 10x10 tent with the weather topper and vestibule. I lost my camper in a hail storm in the spring, and I wanted to buy a tent, and your videos led me into purchasing a kodiak tent. ⛺️

Congrats, with a little care this Kodiak tent should serve you well for many years. Just make sure to completely let the tent canvas dry BEFORE long term storage. So important for a canvas tent of any canvas or canvas material combination tent. After every trip, at home, I will unroll my tent to let it breathe. Moisture, especially trapped moisture, will quickly ruin any canvas tent if stored damp.

@MavHntr Mavhunter, I have some pictures of my kodiak tent first time set. I'd like to share with you if you don't mind sending me your email address

Welding the washers is a great idea. Since I don’t weld, will have a welder at local garage do that for my lag bolts. Now I always use lag bolts on the tent corners. The bolts hold steadfast in windy conditions. EZ in/out using my 12v drill too.

since 1968 up through 2023, I have tagged 31 bulls and 4 cows. Back in the 1970's > 1980's, you could shoot any bull. We often passed on spikes & raghorns, hunting for a mature bull 5x5 or better. About 1991, regulated bull tags, ie draw permits, were put into effect in WA State and are still in effect today. Unless you drew an "Any Bull" tag, you were limited to spike bulls only. Of those 31 bulls tagged, 17 of those were spike bulls taken in years 2004>2021. Yes, I tagged out on spike bulls for 17 consecutive elk seasons. At my senior age, hunting elk is getting harder now. By that I mean the processing and packing elk meat out, especially solo as most of my elk hunt partners are gone to heaven or no longer hunt. Every elk season I miss my dad, the best elk hunting partner I ever had. It's been 15 years gone now, but I often sense his spirit with me when out in the elk woods. Regarding elk hunting...Do it while you are young.

Had used standard 3/8" grommet, suggested by Kodiak Tent Mfg. Applied/installed with professional grommet tool that I purchased on Amazon.com Later converted to a #0 spur grommet, recommended for 3-4 layers of reinforcing canvas material by a sail making/sewing shop.

I’ve used a few cots over the years. Had 2 Cabelas, worked great once put together, which was a pain in the rear. Past 2 elk seasons, used a cot sold by Teton. Goes together easy, very supportive. Also use an air mattress or 3” memory foam with quilted mattress cover for some cushiness and a great nights sleep.

thought about it but followed the manufacturer's directions for installing grommets to the letter. The instructions mentioned nothing about reinforcing the grommet install area.

Overall, the Kodiak 10x10 Canvas tent is great value, good quality. I've used it for 7 years now. But the manufacturer's instructions for grommet install required to use the optional Front Vestibule were lacking more information. I should have followed my gut experience and sew-in reinforcement canvas patches before using grommet tool. But I did not have the proper canvas sewing tools or extra material so just followed manufacturer's instructions.

thanks, several viewers had corrected me. Including a store clerk on my first visit to the Lake Panguitch General Store. Being from the Pacific Northwest, tribal names pronounce the "U" distinctively. The native dialect that I'm used to hearing, pronouncing.

there's something special about early morning fishing with the surf crashing in front of you. Especially if baitfish are breaking within casting distance!

Particularly where the zipper pull has to be pulled thru a bend, corner of the tent door. I find myself taking extra caution when moving or rather guiding the zipper tab through the zipper track as it bends around the door. So far so good after 7 years heavy use, now over 400 nights in the Kodiak tent. However, I keep the zipper clean & dry lubricated often.

Considered installing a stove jack in the Kodiak many times. My old 10x12 wall tent set up was used with large wood stove w/5" pipe. Great heat source, cooking and drying out wet clothes too. The urethane/vinyl floor of the Kodiak would have needed a large area for a spark resistance ground cloth if a wood stove used. Other brand tents with wood stove jack have a zip out area of the floor for wood stove use. Have a new diesel heater to try this fall/winter, with special vent that zips into one of the Kodiak tent doors.

I use several methods/techniques when archery hunting Coues deer bucks. Usually find a high spot, hilltop or mountain to glass with high grade optics to locate Coues deer. Then use the appropriate method; Spot-n-Stalk, Ambush w/natural ground blind, Tree-stand hunting, using Coues deer calls, rattling etc. On this day, I chose to still-hunt, take ground stands along deer trails, in a white oak drainage having a small creek gurgling along. Days before on high ground, glassed up several deer, 2 shooter 100" scoring Coues bucks, feeding & rutting in this low area. Days later on in this hunt, I was spot-n-stalking 3 different bucks high on the open ridgelines & basins in the area. Trying to get in close, archery/bow range is a true challenge with Coues deer. comment here below which are your favorite methods to hunt Coues deer bucks.

ground coffee is an individual preference, I like the Don Francisco coffee which comes in a 1-lb tin w/lid. But have even used Starbucks ground or Folgers in a pinch. My coffee mug, see this video link from my YT channel; th-cam.com/video/2e5fPcUZ96E/w-d-xo.html

Wishing you good luck. If flyfishing, have a few imitator chub streamer flies on hand. And some wooly buggers tied in balanced leech configuration. Olive & brown color, little flash-a-bou in a marabou tail and touch of orange throat is killer on big tiger & cutthroat trout in the fall season.

Dry side of WA State. Hunting the Yakima-Cascade Mountains elk herds.

Glad it was helpful!

Used a wood stove in my canvas wall tents, 10x12 & 12x14, for many elk seasons. Just can't beat that nice heat, easier to dry wet hunting clothes and listening to the fire burning inside of the stove. Also, a warming shelf, hot water tank and stove pipe oven were very nice to have too.

True, the yotes kill lots of fawns. Personally, I don't shoot or kill any animal that I will not eat. Shot a big male yote once, had huge cojones too. Skinned, processed for the pelt, but didn't eat the meat. I felt bad having taken it's life, but the meat didn't go to waste in the great outdoors. Ravens and other creatures picked the yote carcass clean in 3 days.

this unit closed down before Xmas 2023 for OTC archery mule deer. Stayed open for coues deer bucks. Yes, javes frequent this wash often. One day the stink pigs are there, the next day gone.

@@MavHntr well I'm sure it will close sooner this year with 5 less on the quota. Wouldn't be surprised if we see some monsters come out of the rifle hunts in the next couple years with a 10 deer OTC quota.

Agree on water proofness, in over 6 years of use at 50+ nights per year, I've never had my Kodiak Canvas tent leak in all kinds of rain, inclement weather. The Topper Cover provides additional protection from tree sap, pine needles etc staining your roof top canvas. Also, provides an extra layer, creating an air pocket above the rooftop which aids in reducing heat loss if tent is heated with propane or other type heater. Especially nice in cold, frigid or snowy conditions.

IME when the canvas is wet it doesn't breath as well. By keeping the roof dry canvas with the air gap it's going to breath a bit better. Same for snow, if the roof is covered in snow it's not going to breath as well.

I will lay tent across 2 tables of 6' length. Sometimes styrene blocks inserted inside tent door openings to create better airflow. Tent material is above the garage floor, allowing air to circulate. Garage door open if I'm home but will work if garage door closed too, garages not being that airtight as the interior of the house. Now if I'm lucky with good sunny, warm weather, which is often in southern Cal, I will dry outside and using the 2 folding tables (6' Costco type). Or better, set the tent up outside, opening doors and windows when the weather and my time allows.

your storage unit is good. I did that in WA state, drying out my Kodiak tent before making the next trip. You just need some type of airflow. I generated air flow with electric fan on a timer.

privacy and protection from chilling breezes when showering are what I like the best.

Using 1/2" Lag Bolts. At least the 8" length. I have four 8" and four 10". 10" works better in softer dirt, better grab. Yes, use with large, wide fender washers.

especially on flat graveled campsites or hardpan surfaces.

I have had two truck campers, they are just as much work if not more. He is by himself also and older so it takes him more effort. I have had many many campers and many tents. I’m much prefer a tent.

Yes. 3x had the tent & roof cover-topper in heavy weather conditions. Winds of 25mph sustained, gusts over 40mph. Heavy rain, even snow conditions. The tight fit of the topper, along with tie downs on each side, are very secure with NO flopping, flapping or movement. Now for snow, I did have a heavy Poly tarp set over my entire tent-awning-topper set up. Easier to brush, sweep off snow on the poly tarp. Poly tarp also provides another air layer, adding to retention of heat inside the tent.

I have the smallest version, the two man tent, with the topper and it flapped like crazy with some good winds in the 20-30 sustained for about 8 hours. At one point I crawled out and tied all the grommets out but it didn't slow it down much. This wasn't a structural problem, it was just a keeping me awake with the noise problem. I had to remove it for the night. The topper really helps with condensation on wet/damp nights, with the roof of the tent dry it can still breathe, but in heavy winds that's usually not so much of an issue. My wife bought me the 10x14 and I'm here looking at that wing vestibule option but saw the comment and figured I'd reply. I'll be buying this topper for the 10x14 as well but I'll remove it when it's windy.

not my experience with using my 10x10 size. I've used it through now 4 windstorms and no problems. The last storm, I corded the top grommets to stakes in the ground, the wind was so bad. The Kodiak Cover Top for the 10x10 that I have fits very tightly at all 4 corners using the flex cross poles. So much that it's a bit difficult to install the Cover Top corners. Being that the Cover Top comes in 4 sizes, which of the 2 smaller sizes (8.5x6, 9x8) did you use?

@@MavHntr I've got the 8.5x6 and it's an awesome little guy for sure. The top fits tightly just like you said, it actually took me about an hour to get it over the spring poles because I just couldn't get that last half inch installed. Once it stretched it's a little easier now. But yes even with the grommets tied down it would flop randomly all night, wind had switched and was coming from the side scooping which didn't help. The windy side was fine, it was the downwind side that would flop even with all three grommets guy'd out, the in-between section would pop up and down. I'm about to buy this for the 10x14 because I love it for preventing condensation when the canvas wets out, but I have other specialty tents for windy conditions so don't plan to use the 10x14 in anything windy if I can help it.

You could get a piece of plastic or even a wooden dowl like 4 inch long and put it under between the topper and tent roof, or even a folded towel or something