Eric Morken: Gear that stood out from the 2025 hunting season

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Summer is gear season for many hunters. With turkey season over, fall is on our minds, making this the time to think about what worked well and what changes could be made to add to our efficiency as hunters. 

I bowhunt whitetails in multiple states from late August through December. There’s pheasant hunting with my black Lab, Gus, from October through January and turkey hunting multiple states in the spring.

That covers a wide range of weather and hunting conditions in the Upper Midwest. 

Here are some gear items that stood out from this past year after hundreds of hours in the field.

Sitka’s VentLite GTX Boot

Sitka entered the boot market heading into the 2025 fall season and they produced a great product with the VentLite GTX Boot.

I’m constantly bowhunting around water from early to late season, often utilizing river access with my kayak. Up until last season, that meant using two different pairs of rubber boots — one uninsulated for early season and another insulated pair for when the temperature drops.

I wore the VentLite GTX Boot from a late August opener through mid-November. They are far and away the most versatile rubber boots I have ever owned. 

The first thing you notice is how comfortable and lightweight they feel. The internal padding makes for a snug fit, and the boots feature 100% waterproof GORE-TEX fabric.

Sitka describes the PrimaLoft Gold insulation as “low-bulk warmth that breathes on warmer days.”

I put many miles on these boots in temperatures as high as 90 degrees. You are going to sweat in that type of heat no matter what you’re wearing, but I never had any issues with pressure points or blisters on long walks.

Fast forward to Nov. 8 and I walked up a creek in 20-degree temperatures before staying in the tree for five hours that morning. My feet were completely comfortable in those temps. 

I filled my final tag by mid-November, so I can’t say how well the boots perform down to the extreme cold we see in the Upper Midwest in late December. But I was impressed with how well they worked through such wide temperature variances. 

My only complaint? I wish the boot came with a buckle for cinching the top collar tight to the calf. There were times during the early season while wearing light pants where vegetation (seeds, etc.) got into the boot while walking through high cover. This wasn’t as much of an issue once the temperatures dropped and thicker pants meant the collar fit more snug against my calf.

Pants

I wore Forloh’s AllClima Stretch Woven Pant as we got into more mid-season temperatures.

The stretch fabric on these pants makes for a comfortable fit. They have a durable water repellent coating that makes them water resistant, and six zippered pockets make for plenty of storage space. 

I wore the AllClima pants for mid-season bowhunting and also during pheasant hunts through mid-January. With a warm base layer underneath, they kept me plenty warm while busting through cattails in freezing temperatures on bird hunts in Minnesota and South Dakota.

It should be noted that these pants run small. Size up if you are in between sizes.

Also be mindful of following the washing and drying directions on the tag. These shrunk a bit on me after they accidentally got washed and dried on high heat.

Millennium turkey chairs

The one thing that gets hunters busted while hunting on the ground more than anything else is movement. And nothing causes us to move more than being uncomfortable.

I hunt with family and friends during the turkey hunting season, so I ended up getting both of Millennium’s TU05 Field Pro Turkey Seat and TU02 Run N’ Gun turkey seat for us to use this past spring. The Field Pro (6.4 pounds) weighs more than the Run N’ Gun (4.2 pounds) seat.

That’s because the Field Pro comes with a backrest, which aids in overall comfort. You do not need to be up against a tree to sit comfortably on the Field Pro. That could come in handy if using the chair to tuck into something like a cattail slough to ambush whitetails.  

Millennium chairs and treestands have the most comfortable seats I have ever hunted out of. I predominantly deer hunt from a saddle now, but I still have a few M50 hang-on stands ready to go for locations where a stand fits better on the tree.

Those M50s are kings of comfort, and my family and I were equally as impressed with these turkey chairs from Millennium. If I go into a run-and-gun hunt where I know I’m not sitting down until I strike a bird, I’ll likely leave the seat behind. On hunts that feature longer setups or a shorter walk, the extra comfort from these chairs is worth carrying a little extra weight.

Which one would I go with if choosing just one? The TU02 Run N’ Gun seat has adjustable legs and is a bit lighter. Go that route if you are really concerned about weight. But I personally would lean toward the Field Pro. I didn’t notice a big difference when carrying them around, and that backrest is nice to have on longer sits.

Iron Will broadheads

I have used Iron Will single bevel broadheads for the last six seasons and have shot 24 deer with their heads now. Simply put, the way they perform each and every time makes it hard to switch to any other broadhead.

I specifically shoot a 150-grain wide single bevel with bleeder blades. Almost every deer I shoot is a close encounter at less than 30 yards, and these wide single bevels are a great head for those close-range shots.

They create big wound channels and massive hemorrhaging that lead to really quick kills and good blood trails as long as the shot is where it should be. I have a few examples over the years where they have saved me from long tracking jobs after I made less than ideal shots. This video below is an example.

You can read more about single bevels here, but here’s where I have seen these heads shine:

• They eliminate deflection problems I saw too frequently when using lower quality broadheads years ago.
• The A2 Tool Steel Iron Will uses makes for sharp, durable edges that stay sharp through the cut. This makes the force to cut so low that the arrow tends to zip right through the animal. It’s very common to watch deer run 15-20 yards after a lethal hit before stopping and expiring. They don’t seem to know what even hit them.
• These heads have been incredibly accurate for me. I have never had to change anything on my bow or sight when switching from field points to broadheads.
• These are expensive heads, but they’re reusable. I use the Precision Adjust Elite sharpener from Work Sharp to sharpen them and have shot up to six deer with one broadhead.

It’s important to note that the primary concern some have with single-bevels is that the edge has a higher chance of becoming damaged compared to a double bevel of similar steel quality. I don’t see this often, but I have seen some edge chatter on rare occasions, usually when hitting the scapula or backside humerus bone on the exit. Each time the deer still died quickly. Iron Will has a lifetime warranty on their heads.

Iron Will has a wide range of broadheads to choose from, both double and single bevel, that you can find here. Customers can get free shipping with any order by using the code OUTDOORFREESHIP.

A couple of items from Latitude Outdoors

I wrote about my first impressions on a few items from Latitude Outdoors last summer. After hunting a full season with them, those first impressions held up.

The Ranger 22 pack was exactly the right fit for my hunting style and the gear I bring in each hunt, which includes three sticks and a platform (strapped to the outside with the help of a compression sleeve you can use or remove), a grunt tube, hand saw, rattle bag, headlamp, bow hoist, gear strap and bow hanger, as well as camera equipment used to film hunts with a phone. 

I’m able to place gear exactly how I want it on the outside with items I need to get at while setting up. Larger gear goes in the main pouch on the inside that I get at once I’m in the tree. Come late season, I was able to easily strap down my cold-weather bibs and jacket in addition to all my normal gear I bring in each hunt.

The Ranger 22 is comfortable with well-placed foam padding. Adjustable shoulder straps, a wide removable hip belt, and a lightweight internal frame (also removable) fit the pack to your individual body, as well as distribute the weight evenly. 

I also hunted out of Latitude’s Method III and Lonestar saddles all last fall. Both are great saddles. Read my full review from this past January here. I’m confident hunters will really like the Method III if they prefer a two-panel saddle, but the Lonestar (a single panel) is the most comfortable saddle I have hunted out of to date.