After hunting big and small game with a bow and a rifle, hunting in dry conditions and in snow and rain, and hunting near the trail and in the back country, by foot and by horse, our team went through a lot of gear before we found the best options.
- We are not biased towards products, other than their quality.
- We use the gear that we recommend, and aren’t paid to use the gear.
- We are here to help the reader attain their goals.
- We research and provide the information needed, so the reader can make a solid decision as efficiently as possible.
We exist to provide you, our reader, with recommendations for the best gear for your hunts and the best hunts for your gear. We also provide you “how to” advice on gear from a network of seasoned hunters, fishing experts, trusted guides, wildlife biologists and other outdoor enthusiasts you can trust!
- We want to save you time in the process of finding and selecting the right gear for your hunts without breaking the bank.
- We are not persuaded by price or marketing…we are persuaded by quality and value.
- We are biased, but not by brands…we are biased by quality, comfort, fit, durability and overall value.
- We like to view our recommended gear and outfitters as “top shelf.” Just like other Top Shelf items, gear only reaches the status of “Eagle Cap Approved” after enough peopled have tried the gear and determined that it deserves that position. Pursuing a quality hunt, or going after a trophy rack or a record setter, requires quality, trusted, safe gear.
At Eagle Cap Outdoors, we stake our reputation on your success and safety in the field.
Meet the team:
Ted Karr: Co-Founder
Idea Generator, Legal Controls, Writer/Reviewer, avid outdoors-man. Ted grew up in the town of Sweet Home, OR at the gateway to the high cascades. When Ted was 11 he saved enough money to buy a go-kart. After looking at used go-karts with his dad, Ted’s dad invited him to instead spend his money on a backpack, inflatable raft, and trout pole so he could join his dad in the outdoors. That was the beginning of Ted’s adventures backpacking into many lakes in the High Cascades, pursuing monster rainbow trout. It was around that time Ted also took to hunting. Today he hunts all big game, enjoys fishing remote lakes, and he is now on a quest to hunt bears, cougars and wolves. However, his passion is elk hunting. The one thing Ted knows for sure is that he feels more alive either on the top of a mountain as the sun rises, or next to a campfire under the stars.
Chris Woodburn: Co-Founder
Idea Generator, Technology Leader, Product Reviewer and avid outdoors-man. Chris was born in Texas learning how to bow and rifle hunt by the leadership of his dad who was an avid hunter. Mostly hunting whitetail deer, squirrels, rabbits, quail and dove Chris dreamed of being able to fly fish the flowing rivers of the Pacific Northwest and hunt big game high in the mountains with his stick and string. Once Chris moved to the northwest and finished college he has spent countless hours getting familiar with hunting elk, fishing the Northwest rivers and learning what’s needed to be not only successful, but making every moment in the back country count. He spends a lot of time during the year practicing archery, developing ammo, reading and learning about new products, so he can increase his chances of filling the freezer.
Austin Miller: Pro-Staff, Field Test
Austin was raised in Western Oregon. Sticking to his roots, he now calls McMinnville, OR home. He’s been hunting for a number of years and Spring bear season is arguably his favorite. Not only does it allow him to get into the woods early in the year to hunt, but it also helps him prepare for archery elk season by keeping tabs on the herds – observing patterns, where elk go when they get pressure, as well as bedding areas. He’s well versed on day hunts to extended 10 day back pack trips. Hunting the Pacific Northwest is something that draws him in with the vast mountain ranges and abundance of wild life. He enjoys and thrives on hunting public land because it’s open to everyone. One of the many things that draws him in, is that everyone is given the same opportunity and it’s all about how you choose to apply yourself. The mountains don’t care your age, wealth, or your status.
Jenna Waldron: Pro-Staff, Field Test
Jenna was born and raised in the small town of Pleasant Hill, Oregon. She graduated from Gonzaga University with her BSN and now works on the Cardiac unit at Providence St. Vincent. While new to the hunting world, she is no stranger to guns and the shooting industry. Both her mom and dad were International Trap athletes who competed at the Olympic level. Jenna started shooting shotguns at just 7 years old and went on to compete in her first American Trap competition at 8 years old. She continued shooting until high school when she decided to put the shotgun down and pursue more traditional sports. Jenna has always had a passion for health, fitness and nutrition, which has taken her down a number of different diet and lifestyle choices trying to find what best “feeds her soul”, as she says. It wasn’t until she met Austin Miller that he opened her eyes to the world of hunting and she realized how much it aligned with her life and what she had been striving for. While at first a little hesitant at the idea of harvesting an animal herself she was completely captivated by the hunt – the preparation it takes, the time invested into it, the physical endurance it requires, the challenges it presents, the patience and skills one must have, the overwhelming amount of gratitude and respect you have for the animal and the life you are taking, and so much more. She started tagging along on Austin’s hunts and quickly found herself loving the sport. She had officially caught the hunting bug and went on to get her first Black Tail buck in October 2019.
John Bowers: Pro-Staff, Wildlife Biologist, Adviser
John was born and raised in Texas. He holds a degree in Range and Wildlife Management from Texas A&M University. He’s worked as a guide and private wildlife biologist in South Texas since 1995. His cousin took him on his first archery elk hunt in 2003 in Oregon, and he’s been hooked ever since. He now spends countless hours studying habitat, animal behavior, terrain, historical precipitation and many other data points to improve his odds at being successful in the woods. His constant product research, archery practice and fitness program are all driven by his annual September trek out west. John lives in Kingsville, Texas with his wife and 3 children.
Joseph Knight: Fly Fishing Pro
Joseph was born and raised in Gresham, Oregon. He was introduced to hunting and fishing at a young age by his Uncle. As a kid he spent most of his free time fishing for trout at a pond nearby his house. As a Junior in high school, he bought his first fly rod and started Fly Fishing on the Deschutes river and after that first Redside Trout grabbed his fly and made his reel scream he was hooked. Over the last six years Joseph’s addiction to fly fishing has only grown stronger. He loves chasing steelhead on the Sandy River and searching for rising trout in the crystal-clear waters of the Metolius River. He now spends most of his time on the river with His wife Hailey who, fortunately, also loves fly fishing.
Murphy Simpson: Back Country Hunter/Angler and Guide
Murphy was born in the midwest and raised hunting and fishing the woods and waters of Wisconsin. He was a Dairy Herdsman/Breeder for the better part of his career but now sells trucks for Dave Smith. He fell in love with back country bow hunting while attending Eastern Washington University back in 2009 and also got involved with a very successful outfitter that taught him well. He sold Chris his current (bad ass) truck and during the transaction, Chris and Murphy both noticed they were just as much of a gear nuts as the other. If Murphy isn’t selling trucks, spending time with his wife and kids, or helping guide the occasional hunt, he is most definitely out somewhere in the Idaho pan handle filling the freezer or preparing to do so.
Josh Lauer: Sales
Josh was born and raised in Oregon City, Oregon. He was introduced to rifle hunting, as well as fishing in the Pacific Northwest by his dad when Josh was just 8 years old. Josh bought his first compound bow in 2006 to hunt elk with Chris, and just like John, Josh was hooked after the first season. He now prefers archery hunting over any other due to it’s challenging tactics, close encounters with elk and of course the sound of bugling bulls. During the off-season Josh enjoys razor clamming, crabbing and fishing for salmon, stealhead, trout or any fish that’ll bite a hook. He enjoys sharing the outdoors with his wife of 23 years and 2 kids; one attends Oregon State and and the other attends University of Oregon. Yes, their house is divided.
Colton Bowers: Pro-Staff, Field Test
Colton is a native Oregonian and began hunting birds and squirrels at a young age; he took his first blacktail buck at 12 years old and never looked back. In the early 1990’s he expanded into the rocky mountain states and has been trekking to Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Wyoming, Colorado, Utah, New Mexico, Arizona, and Iowa for 29 years consecutively…mostly hunting deer, elk, antelope, and sheep, although elk has always been the favorite. His motto is “any tag is a good tag, just go hunting.” When he is not hunting, he is fishing or spending time with his wife Mary.
Brett Bertrand: Software Development Engineer
Brett was raised in La Grande, Oregon. While not getting to many opportunities to hunt himself, he has always been surrounded by friends and family who love the sport. Instead of hunting he grew up playing baseball and soccer, continuing to play through his senior year. Now he’s an aspiring Software Developer working on his bachelors in Software Engineering (2022) at the Oregon Institute of Technology in Klamath Falls, Oregon. He enjoys hiking, fishing, and skiing with friends whenever the time presents itself.
Brian Krist: Customer Engagement, Field Test
Brian was born in upstate NY but raised in Southern Oregon were he spent his youth racing motorcycles and that left little time for anything else. Fast forward a few years while attending college in Eugene, Oregon the movie, A River Runs Through It came out and he was hooked! Brian chased steelhead with the fly up and down the west coast were he was blessed to meet guys that shortened the learning curve. In early Y2K he was invited on an elk archery hunt and has been addicted ever since. These days he can be found in the drift boat January through April, then on to spring bear, turkey, and spring chinook. Then it’s chasing June hogs until the ocean opens up and it’s fall opener again. Brian, his wife Becky and 2 daughters live in Beaverton, Oregon.
