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BASE CAMP BLOG
Hunting stories, tips & behind our brand.


There’s something special about waking up before the sun, coffee in hand, boots on the ground, listening to the woods slowly wake up. If you’ve ever heard that first gobble...
News
The Infamous Early Goose Opener!
As we discussed where we were going to head for early goose opener this year we decided to go somewhere we had never been. The...
Myth of the October Lull
At the beginning of the season, spirits and hopes as bowhunters are high. The woods have been active with the bucks we’ve been chasing and...
Poptart the Timber Ghost
Bon Vivant River Brothers, It was Sunday morning November 24 (second season) and about 30 degrees outside. I woke up and thought about all of the...
Waitin' on the Season
Howdy Guys! It’s about that time of the year again. The daydreaming of early mornings with the crew out in the field setting spreads...
Winter Open Water Walleyes
Ice fishing has always been something I look forward to every winter but it’s always sad for many serious anglers putting the boat away...
Halloween Strategy: Trick or Tenderloin?
Halloween week is said to be one of the best weeks to be 20 ft up in a tree. Why some people may ask? ...
Camp Talk: Ben Esterly
A large part of what we want to do at Riverbrothers is to show other outdoorsmen’s stories about how they got started in the hunting...
Gravel Roads, Gas Tanks & Tasty Spit Cups
Almost every day during the hunting season I found myself behind the wheel of my scouting rig, a 2011 Honda Fit. Many of you may laugh, but when it came to the many miles put on it and the MPG it got; I think I am the one laughing in the end. Heading out of town with a buddy, some binocs, a plat book and a last-minute stop at the Casey’s gas station for pop, dip and a quick bite to eat before trekking off into no-man’s land, in search of the next day’s hunting spot. Sometimes two of us went out together and scouted, sometimes we had five separate vehicles out; kind of just depended on how desperate we were for a spot. I think most people scout the same way as we did. We would turn up some music, typically some sort of mix between Kesha and Garth Brooks (depended on the day), and drive off out of town. We would go past other feeds and roosts that had been good in recent years, while also keeping an eye out for other spots. At times it got super frustrating, driving all over eastern South Dakota and not seeing a single bird. The sun got lower and lower and we would frantically start driving faster. I cannot tell you how many times, just as the sun went down and we could barely see anything, that we would find a field that was absolutely stacked with birds. It’s like God was looking down on us and planned it out perfectly. We would open up the plat book and figure out who owns the field, and whoever gets the permission from the farmer, gets to invite who they want and come up with the plan for when and how they want to hunt that spot. I always enjoyed driving down the gravel roads, dodging deer, avoiding the ditch due to watching fields for too long without looking back at the road (we’ve all been there, many times). ...
New Seasons, Fresh Ducks & Friendly Competition
The beginning of the fall season brings many different reasons to get excited: Football, brisk mornings, bonfires as well as the oh-so-wonderful hunting season. As far as us here at River Brothers Outfitters, it’s the best time of the year. Deer shed their velvet, local ducks clear out and make way for the new birds, the fall walleye bite heats up and last but not least, school starts back up for many students (not really something we look forward to but it’s necessary for some). I, myself, went to South Dakota State University in Brookings, South Dakota which just so happens to be along the path of the Mississippi and Central flyway, and what most may say is the best waterfowl territory in the world. I met an incredible group of people that all shared the same passion for the outdoors. We spent countless hours sharing hunting stories from when we grew up, constantly trying to one up another because that’s how competitive we all were and still are to this day. I remember throughout my 4 years at SDSU, every duck opener I pulled an all-nighter (not recommended) because I was so incredibly excited, even more excited than Christmas morning as a kid. We would start a bonfire, eat marshmallows and hotdogs and wait for the sun to rise so we could begin the hunt. I remember every time we got done with a solid duck hunt, the next day in class I would be sitting next to some friends who were also duck hunters and had hunted the previous day. We would share stories about how the hunts went and any other highlights. I always felt some ...