The demands of spot-and-stalk bowhunting are many. Your gear needs to keep up with the demands of what it means to be on the move. Pants are no exception. Slipping into bow range is no easy feat, so the pants you choose need to be quiet, comfortable, and capable.
When investing hard-earned dollars into hunting apparel, versatility is also important. Not only do your pants need to be able to adapt to changing environments and activity levels during a specific hunt, but you’ll likely want to use them in a variety of settings on different hunts. The Sitka Gear Intercept Pants hit the nail square on the head across the board and may just be the perfect pant for the spot-and-stalk bowhunter that does it all.
In short: If you’re willing to bite the bullet on price, the Sitka Intercept Pants are an absolute no-brainer for serious bowhunters.
- Season: Early/Mid (later season if layered with base layers or puffy pants)
- Material: The outer is stretch nylon. Inner is merino blend
- Color options: Optifade Subalpine and Deep Lichen
Pros
- Keeps noise down on all fronts from the quiet material to the silent snaps on the pockets
- Has zippered heat vents
- Removable knee pads
Cons
- Very pricey
- The inner cargo pocket doesn’t close, so navigating between the two can get confusing
Sitka Gear Intercept Pants Review
Overview
A more technical hunt requires more specific demands on gear. Spot-and-stalk bowhunting is about as technical as you’re gonna get. Sitka Gear is no stranger to the word, and the brand has set itself apart as a master in serious hunting apparel for serious hunters. With the wild popularity of the Timberline Pant, Sitka set out to create a new pair of pants that would accommodate all fronts of spot-and-stalk bowhunting. Thus, the Intercept Pant was born.
The Intercept Pant is an early- to mid-season hunting pant created with absolute stealth in mind. It has a merino wool blend inner lining to aid in odor resistance and temperature regulation. It also has a stretch nylon outer to aid in durability, especially for crawling into bow range. On that note, Sitka has included removable knee pads to keep your knees from being eaten up in the most gnarly of crawls.
The pants have dual cargo pockets on each side with a silent snap to keep the noise to a minimum. You’ll also find heat dump zippers on each thigh for ventilation during high-intensity moments in the field. The Intercept pants are available in both Optifade Subalpine and Deep Lichen.
The Intercept Pant Breakdown
Quiet Material
The less noise, the better when trying to sneak into bow range. Whether it’s pants swishing together or rubbing up against the local vegetation, both can bust you in the red zone. I’m not sure how they did it, but Sitka created a quiet outer nylon shell. Traditionally, nylon is a louder material, at least in most other pants I’ve personally worn. The Intercept does not fall into that category, though, which is fantastic for a bowhunter.
Heat Ventilation
Zippers for heat ventilation are so beneficial for spot-and-stalk bowhunting. Opening these up when covering ground quickly to slip into bow range helps with moisture mitigation. The real beauty of these, in particular, is where they are located. Instead of being centered on the outside of the pant leg, they are positioned slightly back — a feature that helps when brush busting and avoiding debris falling into the vents.
Knee Pads
If you’ve ever tried crawling into bow range of an animal, I’m sure you’ve fallen victim to a sharp rock or two. It’s never fun. And while knee pads are nothing new, they can sometimes be more of an annoyance than anything, whether it’s causing excess sweat because of how thick they are or their improper placement that rubs against your shins when walking. Sitka nailed it on these D30 knee pads. They aren’t super bulky but are very effective at doing their job.
My Experience With the Sitka Gear Intercept Pants
Spot-and-stalk bowhunting is something that I am extremely passionate about. Living in Arizona, where the country is vast and open, is just what we do here. So, I have experienced a long list of pros and cons in the hunting pants department. For that reason, I’m always on the lookout for a pant that can check all of the boxes for spot-and-stalk hunting. I’m really glad that I tried out the Sitka Intercept pants.
Right off the rip (not literally), the outer material of the Intercept pants intrigued me. I’ve used quite a few nylon pants in the past, and none of them have been this quiet. I’ve slipped into bow range of many animals with these.
With that, the fit was great. I was slightly worried about the inner merino lining because there is a little texture to it, and I thought it might bug me. It doesn’t, though, and I don’t even know it’s there.
The same can be said about the knee pads. This is something that has annoyed me in the past with other pants. I’ve just resorted to taking the knee pads out of them altogether because they rub on my legs while hiking.
With the Intercept, though, I am so happy to say that I haven’t had to do so. After miles and miles of hunting the backcountry of Arizona, not once have I wanted to take out the knee pads. They are there when I need them, and I don’t notice them when I don’t.
Much of Arizona is brush country, so I am no stranger to busting brush, whether it has thorns or not. Durability is super important here, and the Intercept has performed great through the rigors of the high desert.
Another thing to mention about brush busting is where the heat vents are located. Sitka placed them slightly back, and I have put them to the test time and time again. Does it keep out all of the debris? No, but it dang sure helps out, and I appreciate the attention to detail.
I tested the Intercept pants on several backcountry archery coues deer hunts in Arizona in January. Temperatures ranged from the mid-20s at night and early morning and into the 60s during the day.
I paired the pants with a merino base layer bottom and was fine the entire time. During heavy hiking, I’d open the heat vents, and when stagnant, I’d keep them closed. There were no rips through the dense, spiny brush and no issues overall throughout the entire hunt.
What’s Wrong
In my eyes, this is currently my favorite pant created thus far for spot-and-stalk bowhunting. There are two things I wish were different, though.
One is mostly personal, and it has to do with the cargo pockets. I wish that the inner pocket of the cargo pocket had some way of closing. It’s easy to either get caught on or confused about which pocket your hand is going into without looking.
The second is the price. These are going to cost you a pretty penny to acquire, but you know what they say. You get what you pay for.
Sitka Gear Intercept Pants: Final Thoughts
The Intercept pants from Sitka are a response to a problem, which is how hunting apparel should be designed from the get-go. Sitka saw a need for a pant specifically created for spot-and-stalk bowhunting big game to help make us more successful in the field.
And I deeply appreciate the result of that being the Intercept pants. If you are serious about your spot-and-stalk bowhunting, you’ve gotta check these out. I’m sure glad that I did because they are gonna get a ton of use from here on out.
