Campfire

The First Lite Campfire is our spot to share with you, our customers, stories about our adventures in the field, information on our pro staff, pictures from our trophy room, the latest news and everything in between. Please check back with us as we build the First Lite community and feel free to drop us a note at to let us know how we are doing.

If you are looking for products that aren't available on our website, please contact one of the following retailers.

Scheels
Lincoln, Nebraska
402.420.9000

High Desert Sports
Hailey, ID
208.788.3804

Press Releases

NOVEMBER 2009: BIG OLD BUCK- WYOMING
Deer Mulie First Lite team member Elliot Corwin found this old buck on opening morning of the 2009 Wyoming rifle season. As you can see, the conditions were miserable. The temperature dropped 40 degrees in the 36 hours leading up to opening morning, and over a foot a snow came with the cold. With all of the blowing snow, glassing for deer was next to impossible. About 2 hours into the morning, the wind let up briefly, and the deer started to move. Over 900 yards away, five bucks came out of the pines to feed. Elliot picked out this buck, grabbed his gear, and was in pursuit. After 30 minutes of battling the terrain and playing the wind, he was in the perfect spot for a shot. This was the third consecutive year that Elliot has taken a buck out of this basin on solo, public land hunts.

Congrats on a great mulie!

FIRST LITE WINS FIELD & STREAM 2009 BEST OF THE BEST
(September 16, 2009) As seen in Field & Stream September 2009 "Best of the Best" feature for Best New Base Layer of 2009, the First Lite Llano crewneck took top honors. Check out the First Lite Llano or at your local archery pro shop.

Also, please see more hunting gear reviews on Field & Stream

FIRST LITE CAN NOW BE FOUND AT SCHEEL'S IN LINCOLN NEBRASKA
(August 24, 2008) First Lite is adding new dealer's everyday and was just picked up by our friends at Scheels in Lincoln Nebraska. So, if you are looking to get your hands on the best performing hunting apparel on the market head over to Scheels in Lincoln to do your shopping.

Southpointe Pavilions
2960 Pine Lake road - Ste B
Lincoln, NE 68516-6010

Ph: 402-420-9000
Web: www.scheelssports.com

FIRST LITE AVAILABLE IN CANADA AT GROUSE RIVER OUTFITTERS
(August 8, 2008) Canadian hunters can now get First Lite from Grouse River Outfitters. Glenn over at Grouse River Outfitters in Kelowna, BC has picked up a complete line of First Lite gear in black and ASAT camo. So, all of you hard core hunters and outdoorsmen north of the border should check out his website or give him a call to order up your First Lite gear.

Grouse River Outfitters
2720 Hwy 97 N
Kelowna, BC V1X 4J7
Ph: 877-547-6873
Email:
Web: www.GrouseRiver.com

HUNTIN' FOOL NAMES FIRST LITE AS ESSENTIAL GEAR
(August 5, 2008) Check out the August edition of "Huntin' Fool" as Garth Carter names First Lite Merino wool base layer on his "10 Day Extreme Backpack Gear List for his Yukon Dall Sheep Hunt". The First Lite team are excited that Garth has tested our products and has chosen to take it with him this exciting hunt. Thanks Garth.

FIRST LITE GOES TO FRENCH RANCH FOR SUMMER BLACK TAIL AND PIG HUNT
(July 15-17) The First Lite crew made its way from the mountains of Idaho to the coastal range of California for a summer Black tail and pig archery hunt. One of the owners of First Lite, "Brick" Blackburn has resided in the Hollister area for the past 10 years and has been archery hunting for Black tail for the past 3. The location for our hunt was the gorgeous French Ranch. The guided operation working out of the French Ranch has access to over 120,000 acres of prime Black tail, wild pig, and turkey habitat. The ranch manages the Black tail population with limited hunting for mature bucks and we were all blown away by both the quantity and quality of the animals we saw on this trip.

For those of you that have never hunted Black tail in July , when the bucks are still in velvet, the hunting opportunities come fast and furious. These deer can be hunted as they are feeding and watering during the normal dusk and dawn hours. However, you can keep hunting right through the heat of the day as the deer will take to the high ridges and under large oak trees to catch some shade or a coastal breeze. This meant we were on the move from 5:00am until 9:30pm.

Day one saw J.R arrow a nice buck high on a ridge top after an uphill stalk to the unsuspecting 3x3. On day two, Scott was able to sneak in on a great buck that was spotted below as we came over a ridgeline. After a well placed arrow, the buck was retrieved in a ravine about 80 yards from the oak tree that he was first seen under. On the evening of the second day, Brick was able to get in on a monstrous archery buck and with the situation presenting itself, he took a long, but accurate, shot that stopped the buck quickly. Day three, our last day, came upon us and Kenton was still left to fill his deer tag while J.R. and Scott went out in search of a couple of nice boars.

After several unsuccessful sneaks, J.R. and Scott saw a small group of pigs a couple of draws away. Taking two different approaches to maximize both the wind and then terrain, they set out to fill their tags. On the way to the rendezvous, Scott spotted a good sized boar with several small pigs. He changed his game plan and got ahead of their path heading up a small ravine. As the boar came into the open, Scott let an arrow fly. The boar moved slightly and the shot did not hit the intended location. However, the hit was good enough to slow the pig and allow Scott to watch it move into a small thicket of trees in the ravine. Our guide came down after hearing the pig let out a squeal and after about 30 minutes, they decided to try to push the pig from its location. As the guide went into the lower end of the ravine, Scott waited above. Sure enough the guide spooked out the pig and it ran up the ravine towards Scott's position. He was ready and let an arrow fly. This one passed straight through but didn't slow the pig down too much and the pig, now extremely irritated, charged Scott. Luckily, with two arrows passing through him, he wasn't moving too fast. After making a quick retreat up the hill, Scott turned and fired another well placed arrow. This one also passed straight through. These boars are tough and when the arrows pass through, their fatty, oily tissue plugs the wounds quickly. Finally, the boar succumbed and the work of hauling him out began. Meanwhile, J.R. put a perfect sneak on the original group of pigs that the two had seen. Even with a perfect heart shot, his pig ran 50 yards before calling it quits.

That evening, Kenton still hadn't filled his black tail tag and was anxious to get on the scoreboard. With daylight closing, he found himself stalking a non-typical that we had seen earlier in the week. Feeling confident that he could make the shot, Kenton took a 50 yard shot that hit the mark. The retrieve was no problem and after dressing his prize out and getting him to the jeep, we all had a celebratory beer.

I can't say enough about the French Ranch, their terrain, quality of animals, facilities and guides. If you want to experience quality pig and black tail hunting, give them a call. Check out the photos to see what you are missing.

FIRST LITE ANNOUNCES LAUNCH OF MERINO WOOL PERFORMANCE LAYERS
Ketchum, Id (May 15, 2008) First Lite Merino wool performance layers announces the launch of its first product line to specialty retailers across the US. First Lite give the outdoorsman the ultimate performance layering system. From a hot mid summer California blacktail hunt to a late fall Alaska sheep hunt, First Lite will keep you comfortable and scent free. Merino wool is unique in that it stays odor neutral while remaining extremely breathable. Merino wool also has the ability to regulate the body's temperature like no other fabric. First Lite's products will keep you warm on cold mornings, cool as the day heats up, and completely odor free day after day, hunt after hunt.

First Lite is the first company to offer Merino wool in a camouflage pattern. After testing many camo patterns First Lite found that the ASAT (All Season All Terrain) pattern was the most versatile pattern across a wide variety of terrain and conditions. We are proud to offer First Lite performance layers in three weights in the ASAT camouflage pattern as well as black. Visit www.firstlite.com or call 208-721-0101 to learn more.