Check out our short film submitted to the Backcountry Hunters and Anglers filmfest this year! We shot this over two elk hunting trips, bow and rifle, in Montana.
We’re proud to have shot this all on public land and could not have done it without them.
American citizens own and have access to 640+ million acres of land to recreate on. It is more important now than ever to fight for these lands. We’re the land’s greatest advocate – let’s use our voices to save what’s ours.
As one of the first product extensions to our very popular and successful Extreme line, the Bino Harness X is the perfect companion for your optics. Designed to keep the pocket close to your chest and reduce the amount of movement you’ll feel in your optics. Constructed using 1680D ballistic nylon fabric, the Bino Harness X is as tough as you and ready for any hunting environment. A lens cloth is included, and the design features an easy to use one handed opening mechanism for quick access.
“As one of the first product extensions to our very popular and successful Extreme line, the Bino Harness X is the perfect companion for your optics. Designed to keep the pocket close to your chest and reduce the amount of movement you’ll feel in your optics. Constructed using 1680D ballistic nylon fabric, the Bino Harness X is as tough as you and ready for any hunting environment. A lens cloth is included, and the design features an easy to use one-handed opening mechanism for quick access.”
Company/Brand: ALPS OutdoorZ
Company/Brand Location: New Haven, MO
Manufactured/Made in: Vietnam
MSRP: $49.99
Product Number: 9901700
Sizes: One Size Fits All
Colors Available: Coyote Brown
Listed Features:
Total Weight: 11 oz.
Total Dimensions: 6.5″ x 5.5″ x 2.25″
Scoring criteria:
Scoring will be out of 5 for each section and then calculated as a percentage out of 100% for ease of comparison.
The design of the ALPS OutdoorZ bino harness is a simple, yet functional design. It simply performs the one job it’s supposed to do – carry your binoculars. The harness design is slim and is crafted out of nylon ballistic fabric. The harness is rather thin and does not come with any bells and whistles which keeps the harness from being too bulky or bulge once a pair of binoculars is inside. There are, however, two lashing points and a small pocket on either side to lash and store whatever your heart desires, but should you not need them – the harness functions great without it.
Tested over the course of a year on a variety of hunts, scouting trips, and differing locations, the bino harness has functioned quite flawlessly and has held up through many scuffs and scrapes from dogs, humans, trees, rocks, etc. Our binoculars have all come out without a scratch. The harness has shown no sign of fraying or deterioration through the hunting season and has performed just the way we wanted it to – out of sight and out of mind until we need to pull out the glass. All the straps have held perfectly and does not sag over time.
As a one size fits all – it truly does a great job of doing so. The straps come with extra length to accommodate a variety of users big and small. The binoculars fit very snug into the compartment and does not rattle around at all. The harness is wide enough that you don’t feel out of proportion. It seems to fit snug and centered onto your sternum with the sides of the harnesses within reach without feeling awkward when you reach for something. The only complaint is the drawstring that is used to close the front flap – as is out of the factory it does not hold the flap closed very well. This is quickly solved by opening the plastic loop retainer and shortening/cutting away excess string to make the loop tighter.
At only 50 bucks – this is a rare case of something that is cheaper than most (if not all) of its competitors, yet gives them all a run for their money. Although we are firm believers of the age-old saying “you get what you pay for” this harness truly gives you a great product for what you pay. At the price of a box or two of shells, you can protect your bino harness without all the bells and whistles. If you have an extra pair of binos that you like to keep in the truck or wherever, this could be a wonderful solution without breaking the bank.
A great binocular harness for a wonderful price. This harness gives you the protection that your binoculars need without the dent in your wallet. Some people might be a little reluctant to put their $1000+ binoculars in a harness that’s $50 bucks, but we’ve done so without much worry. The harness is slim and designed very well. It fits and compacts down to pretty much nothing when not in use and can be stored pretty much anywhere due to its small footprint. The straps, enclosures, and fabric are all extremely durable. If you’re in the market for a harness that will give you the peace of mind and function when you need it to – look no further.
Check out our latest blog post! The team heads to Montana for the opener of the elk archery season. Grueling temperatures, wildfire smoke, and silent elk made for a challenging hunt. Chasing the Wapiti is not easy – as they seem to disappear and reappear in the alpine forest in the blink of an eye.
Hunting elk in the mountains of Montana is by far one top of the bucketlist hunts in North American Continent. Steep terrain, thick timber, and sweeping views offer many hardcore hunters exactly what they’re looking for – high risk for high reward.
Chasing the Wapiti is not easy – as they seem to disappear and reappear in the alpine forest in the blink of an eye. Despite their large size, with some bulls weighing close to 1000 pounds, these ungulates are ghost of the forest.
One’s first expectation for an animal so large is that they’re easy to find. For the most part, this can be true during the rut and later part of the fall, where the elk migrate and gather in large herds. However, getting one up close and within shooting range of your bow – is a completely different story. Many hunters will find (and learn) quickly that they may see elk in one location one day and by the time they hike out to the last known location – they’re gone.
This is the cat and mouse game of elk hunting – this is the addiction.
One can come out of the elk woods empty-handed, as we did this past weekend, but you will never come out without an experience of a lifetime.
Rest assured, we will be back.
Be sure to check out our team’s contributors Seth Morris and Rick Hutton’s work on Instagram!
Check out Drake’s new short film “How Do You Hunt?” highlighting the product testing and development by Drake’s Guardian Elite Team – these professional guides, dog trainers, outfitters, and hunters push product testing to new heights. Be sure to go over to Drake and check out the Guardian Elite Series, as well as their revamped site, before the season comes – that’s when you’ll need it!
Check out Drake’s new short film “How Do You Hunt?” highlighting the product testing and development by Drake’s Guardian Elite Team – these professional guides, dog trainers, outfitters, and hunters push product testing to new heights. Be sure to go over to Drake and check out the Guardian Elite Series, as well as their revamped site, before the season comes – that’s when you’ll need it!
Usually, when the average person thinks of dog training, two things pop up in their minds. Either a fast-charging German Shepherd Dog chomping down on a man in a pillow suit or a some sort of canine on a leash following a human around a classroom learning how to ‘sit’ and ‘roll over’. Now, tell that same person about training a dog to hunt any kind of animal and that’s sure to raise some curiosity – not to mention a few questions.
Bird dog training has always been (and probably will always be) a world of its own. Like any training, of any sort, the means and methods will differ from trainer to trainer. However, it all boils down to one thing, training a dog to do something it was naturally meant to do – hunt.
Usually, when the average person thinks of dog training, two things pop up in their minds. Either, a fast-charging German Shepherd Dog chomping down on a man in a pillow suit or a some sort of canine on a leash following a human around a classroom learning how to ‘sit’ and ‘roll over’. Now, tell that same person about training a dog to hunt any kind of animal and that’s sure to raise some curiosity – not to mention a few questions.
Bird dog training has always been (and probably will always be) a world of its own. Like any training, of any sort, the means and methods will differ from trainer to trainer. However, it all boils down to one thing, training a dog to do something it was naturally meant to do – hunt.
JC Bosch, a young and motivated individual, is one trainer that has done just that – training a dog to not only hunt, but hunt with a vigor, drive, and finesse in the field.
We had a chance to not only meet, but actually witness first-hand what JC can do with the dogs under his wing.
In this interview, we dive into what it takes to handle and train high-performing dogs, as well as guiding in the bird hot-spots in the state of Kansas.
Warning: Long interview!
We hope you enjoy!
Tell us a little about yourself, JC. Who are you and what do you do? Where are you based out of?
My name is J.C. Bosch. I own and operate No Limits Kennels, LLC; a full-time and full-service dog training and boarding kennel in the heart of central Kansas – just outside of Great Bend.
NLK specializes in the training and breeding of the versatile German Shorthaired Pointer. We train and develop the ultimate canine companions, from obedience to finished level hunting retrievers and pointing dogs.
What is it like to be a professional dog trainer and wingshooting guide?
Each hunting season, we have the opportunity to guide and hunt all things fowl with outfitters, friends, and clients. It is very rewarding to watch and hunt over my personal dogs and the dogs I have trained throughout the year. The real icing on the cake for me is meeting and hunting with all of the different people each season. We work very hard every off-season so that each November – January we can hunt and guide to the best of our abilities.
You have to love the social aspect of the wing-shooting sports and being a guide, the opportunity to meet so many great people from all different walks of life and different places is a real blessing.
The thing I like the most about being a professional dog trainer and wingshooting guide has to be the opportunities to work with amazing people and their dogs. I am sure that sounds pretty generic, but it really is that simple for me. We have some of the most amazing clients in the world with great dogs to match. Many people will never understand the bond between a hunter and a good gun dog. That relationship between a working dog and his owner is what it’s all about for me. I would love to help everyone I can, find a dog like that, and develop a relationship that runs deep with the highest level of trust and respect.
How did you get into hunting, training, and what was your first hunting dog?
I grew up hunting, and I grew up training dogs, but the two worlds never really collided until a few years ago. Growing up in Great Bend, Kansas there are only a few things to do outside of hunting and fishing.
We are located right next to the nations largest inland marsh, the Arkansas river, and Quivira National Wildlife refuge – so hunting and fishing is a way of life for most people around here. Growing up out her, even with all of the opportunities, there never were many bird hunts I went on with dogs. The few that I can remember going on – all I can remember is someone yelling at their dogs all day and the dogs running off. I bought my first GSP from Brad Weets of TKO Kennels and he opened my eyes to what I was missing.
I WAS HOOKED, up until this point I had just been helping friends and family do basic things with their dogs and helping people as I could with behavior modification with aggressive dogs. Ever since I brought home that first GSP (Cash) I haven’t looked back, slowed down, or even thought about doing anything other than training dogs, hunting, and helping others.
A quote that comes to mind here is “Every master was once a disaster.” I don’t consider myself a master, I have a ton that I am still learning every single day and I have made plenty of mistakes along the way.
I am glad to say that I learned a lot from those mistakes. I take a lot of pride in what I do with each dog and client I get to work with. I will continue to give each of you the very best service possible!
You have 7 German Shorthaired Pointers – tell us about them!
So we have 7 German Shorthaired Pointers now all of which are pretty young (under 4 years old). Each of our dogs I have very carefully selected for our gun dog squad and each have the potential to have a place in our breeding program.
They all go through a FULL hunting season of multiple species of upland and waterfowl birds. We do full health clearances and they are all family companions as well as working gun dogs and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Our dogs are tested in titled in many different venues, some titles our dogs have earned are Champion x’s 2, National Champion, International Champion, Junior Hunter, Natural Ability prizes, and we will have a couple of new Master Hunters this fall and we will be going to our first NAVHDA Utility Test in October that we are very excited about as well.
When training dogs – how do you set yourself and the dogs up to succeed? How do you define your own success and that of your kennel?
I believe with an open mind and a closed mouth we can all learn a lot from each other and many different trainers. I could really delve into the training subject for hours and hours. Every dog is different, but with the proper timing of rewards or corrections, a good attitude, and plenty patience – I believe every dog and handler can achieve a level of greatness and reward!
What’s your training process like?
Our development and training philosophy is derived from many different mentors and trainers that I really respect or have studied. Robert Cabral is a world-renowned dog trainer from California that I really respect. His philosophy, methods of training, and especially his philosophy of dog psychology. For hunting dog training, I take inspiration from many different trainers and mentors – from George Hickox to the guys at the local NAVHDA chapters and everyone in between.
What do you think defines your approach compared to everyone else?
We live in a world that is drowning in information, but starving for wisdom.
You can google anything and find a million different answers or ways of doing any particular thing. The question we need to ask ourselves first is:
“Why is my dog doing this particular thing?” instead of jumping straight to the “how do I get my dog to quit doing this particular thing?”
Foundation is critical for development!
You can start casting, handling, and steadiness work with any dog at any time, but without the basics and the foundation – you may just confuse your dog. This will ultimately end up in more force and a lot more time in the long run than you would if you had a solid foundation to positively teach and build on.
I could really delve into this for hours and days on end with my opinions and philosophy, but what it boils down to is just keep it fun. Be patient and always strive for a relationship of trust and respect with your dog.
During the hunting season – what is guiding like for you? How many hunts and trips do you guide a year?
Hunting season is what we live, breath, and train for all year-long! We guide or hunt with 100 or more hunters each year and love every second of it. It isn’t all glory and it is pretty embarrassing for me when my dogs make mistakes or don’t perform well on a given day, but at the end of the day it’s always worth it.
I’m always a little nervous having strangers shoot over my dogs and each other for that matter, but normally everyone is safe and respectful. We go out and have a great time!
Guiding wild game hunts of any kind gets frustrating at times when it doesn’t work out the way you want it to, but hey it’s called “hunting” for a reason.
I love sharing fields and getting to know other people. The chance to watch different breeds and types of dogs do what they were bred to do is always fun. The rush of flushing wild bobwhites and decoying mallards or specklebellies in the same day is just un-beatable!
What are some of the things you look forward to every year?
We are anxiously awaiting the season opener and teal season, which is my personal favorite hunting experience!
The dogs and I can feel the crisp air moving in. The sights and smells of fall will soon be upon us. I am really excited to meet all of the new people who are coming out this year, finish up some hunt tests, and get into the fields or the blind! With the quail numbers up over 250% from last year, the good rains, and food this season will be one for the record books here in central Kansas!
If you find yourself out this direction, give me a shout! I would love to talk and toast to the good days, bad days, and the love of good dogs and the great outdoors. Shoot straight and God bless! #thisisNLK
Thanks for taking the time for this interview, JC!
Be sure to follow him on Instagram and check out No Limits Kennels.
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