Tag soup for me too. They stayed across the Shenandoah on the days I hunted.
As to gear, the Alps (Elite?) vest I bought was pretty good, except the shoulders bind at the top. It needs another front strap higher up.
The guns I put together worked fine on paper. Have covered them to death elsewhere here, but the main focus was on light weight and good sights without losing range. Accomplished.
Weather was great, lots of birdies to watch, and the wildflowers were amazing.
