October 17, 2025
🏹 Weekend Dispatch: “Frost on the Grass, Rifles in the Truck”
Good morning, Western.
Sit back, grab a coffee (or a little whiskey — no judgment), and let’s roll into the weekend with your tag checks, predator updates, and gear finds to keep you dialed in.
🔥 Quick Hit CTA:
👉 Read the Full Issue + Cast Your Rifle Caliber Vote: https://www.westernvantage.com
🧭 Today’s Line-Up
🎯 Tag Tracker: Rifle Openings + Reg Reminders
🐺 Predator Watch: Wolf Movement Post-Opener
🧰 Gear Drop: Boots + Cold-Weather Layers
💪 Fit to Hunt: Shoulder Tune-Up
🗳️ Poll: Favorite Rifle Caliber
😂 Meme of the Week
🎯 TAG TRACKER // Rifle Openings
Idaho: General deer rifle open statewide — check unit-specific antler rules.
👉 Idaho Big Game Seasons & Rules (PDF)Montana: Final archery weekend before general rifle (opens Oct 26).
👉 MT FWP Hunting InfoWyoming: Elk regions 51–56 closing soon — confirm dates.
👉 Wyoming Game & FishOregon: Eastside general deer ends Oct 23 — late tags release right after.
👉 ODFW Hunt Page
💥 Field Flash
First week of Idaho rifle season already turned wild — two hunters reported close wolf encounters near Stanley, and Montana FWP says opening week could push record wolf harvest numbers.
👉 Read FWP’s early-season wolf report
🐺 PREDATOR WATCH // Wolves After the Opener
When rifles start cracking, wolves go nocturnal.
Tracks near gut piles = ambush opportunities
Midday howls = regroup after morning pressure
Thermal glassing late at night = high odds
🧰 GEAR DROP // Cold-Weather Must-Haves
🥾 Crispi Briksdal EFX Boots — serious grip, mountain-built.
🧥 Badlands Pyre Jacket — windproof + quiet for glassing ridges.
🎒 Cabela’s VersaHunt 80L Pack — budget-friendly elk hauler.
💪 FIT TO HUNT // Shoulder Saver Routine
Keep those joints happy for recoil season:
Band External Rotations – 3 × 15
Scap Push-Ups – 3 × 20
Wall Slides – 3 × 15
⏱ 5 minutes before range days = 5 months less pain.
🗳️ POLL OF THE WEEK
What’s your go-to western rifle caliber?
🤠 Sign-Off
From the first cold front to the last tag punched, this season’s about more than meat — it’s about miles, memories, and the grind in between.
Hunt smart. Shoot straight. Stay dangerous.
— The Western Vantage Team