ION October 2011

INDIANA'S CHOICE FOR OUTDOOR NEWS AND INFORMATION • SINCE 1994

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Vol. 2011 • Number 10 Like ION in print?

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FISHING REPORT PAGE 9

NRC APPROVES RULE CHANGES FOR 2012 DEER SEASON INDIANAPOLIS – The Indiana Natural Resources Commission approved a package of changes to deer hunting rules late last month that will go into effect in the 2012 season.

None of the changes will be in effect this year.

The final adoption vote came after preliminary approval by the NRC in January and a six-month public comment period that included hundreds of written comments and two public hearings.

The rule changes include creating a crossbow license and authorizing its use during the entire archery season; extending the archery season without interruption from Oct. 1 through the first Sunday in January; extending the urban zone season from Sept.

15 through Jan. 31; requiring hunters in urban zones to harvest an antlerless deer before harvesting an antlered deer; establishing a special antlerless season from Dec. 26 through the first Sunday in January in designated counties; adding the non-resident youth licenses and a new deer license bundle; requiring display of hunter orange on occupied ground blinds; and extending the rifle

cartridge length that can be used in the firearm season to 1.8 inches.

These changes must still be approved by the Attorney General’s Office and Governor’s Office and published in the Indiana Register before taking effect.

In other actions, the NRC approved the dedication of four nature preserves at Fort Harrison State Park totaling approximately 670 acres; authorized State Park Inns to increase lodging fees from Jan. 28 through Feb. 12 to coincide with the Super Bowl in Indianapolis; approved final adoption of rule amendments governing logjam removal from floodways and navigable waters; turned down a citizen’s petition to allow high-speed boating on Shipshewana Lake in LaGrange County; approved preliminary adoption of rules governing the sale, distribution and transportation of invasive aquatic plants, and a rule to regulate thousand cankers disease in walnut trees; removed the four-toed salamander from and added the plains leopard frog and mole salamander to the state endangered species list.

MUSKIES TO BE STOCKED IN EAGLE CREEK RESERVOIR COYOTE TRIPLE PLAY PAGE 8

GONE AFIELD PAGE 15

UPLAND HUNTING PAGE 16

October, 2011

W W W. I N D I A N A O U T D O O R N E W S . N E T

INDIANAPOLIS -Anglers will soon have the opportunity to pursue muskellunge at Eagle Creek Reservoir in Indianapolis. The Indiana Department of Natural Resources will introduce muskies to the 1,350-acre reservoir late this fall.

Muskies are popular sport fish native to Indiana, yet there are limited opportunities to fish for them in the central part of the state. Stocking muskie in Eagle Creek Reservoir is intended to provide anglers with a unique sport fishing opportunity while also helping to manage an abundant population of gizzard shad.

In the most recent fish community survey of the lake, gizzard shad and other nonsport fish that muskie commonly prey upon accounted for 40 percent of the fish collected.

When shad densities are high they can have a negative impact on the survival and growth of sport fish. Muskie diet studies have documented that muskie feed heavily on gizzard shad and seldom prey upon largemouth bass, bluegill or crappie.

Indiana muskie populations

are dependent upon stocking.

The DNR Division of Fish & Wildlife currently stocks the species in 12 Indiana lakes.

Eagle Creek Reservoir will be stocked at a rate of one fish per acre, which is less than the traditional five-fish-per-acre stocking rate in other Indiana muskie lakes.

The DNR will closely evaluate the survival and growth of stocked muskellunge and the entire fish community in coming years to assure that stocking muskellunge does not negatively impact other sport fish in the reservoir. Eagle Creek Reservoir will continue to be stocked annually with fingerling walleye at the rate of 100 fish per acre.

Eagle Creek Reservoir is operated and managed by Indy Parks.

ION reader Pat Hendrixson has high expectations for the 2011 deer season after taking this beautiful Washington County 10-pointer in 2010. Indiana’s early archery season opens October 1 and runs through November 27, the firearms season is November 12-27, muzzleloader season runs December 3-18, and late archery season will run from December 3 through January 1. Photo provided.

SENATE URGED TO PASS BILL FUNDING GULF RESTORATION BATON ROUGE, LA -Vanishing Paradise, a joint effort of National Wildlife Federation (NWF) and multiple state, local and national hunting and fishing groups and businesses to unite hunters and anglers for Mississippi River Delta restoration, praised the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee for its recent approval of the RESTORE the Gulf Coast States Act, with a strong showing of bipartisan support. The bill passed by voice vote with only three requested no’s recorded.

The bill could mean billions of dollars for Gulf restoration by ensuring that penalties paid by BP and others responsible for last year’s Gulf oil spill are actually used to restore the natural resources, ecosystems, fisheries, marine and wildlife habitats, beaches, barrier islands, dunes, coastal wetlands and economies of the Gulf Coast; and to address the associated economic harm suffered by the people and communities of the region.

“Passing the RESTORE Act out of the EPW Committee by a voice vote shows the bipartisan support this issue commands,” NWF’s Senior Manager for Sportsmen Leadership Land Tawney said. “The Mississippi

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If I haven’t told you lately, thank you

JOSHLANTZ Writers and industry friends had been catching nice walleyes on the shallow rocks. By the time I found a few hours to fish at the recent Association of Great Lakes Outdoor Writers (AGLOW) conference, however, a cold front had rolled through southern Iowa and all but killed Rathbun Lake’s unique walleye bite.

Friends and fellow writers Curt and Tim sat in my boat, overgunned with stout spinning gear better suited for the lake’s abundant 25-inch walleyes than the 8inch crappies we were catching. I sat on the motor and did my best to control our drift through the suspended schools, tapping occasional commands on the Co-Pilot remote. The skies were brilliant.

The wind was crisp. We were happy to be together.

Tim was telling us how the pieces of his life had really meshed lately. Some of his good fortune had resulted from deci-

sions he and his wife had made, while the rest of it -- in his opinion -- had simply been dumb luck.

Tim is a hard-working, lovable guy with an infectious personality. Curt and I were happy for him and listened smiling. But fishermen are superstitious by nature and the conversation soon turned darker.

All of us know good, hardworking people who finally reach a point in their life when they can begin to worry less and enjoy more, only to be diagnosed with some horrible, terminal illness or become affected by some other tragedy. It is an all too common story and we’re always saddened when we hear it.

Tim wondered if his number was coming up.

It was an offhand comment, and while Curt and I gave pause, Tim quickly told us how it wouldn’t matter to him if it did come to an end. He’d had a wonderful life, he explained, and was grateful for each piece of it. Yep, that’s Timmy.

I left Iowa the next morning, but I didn’t forget about the conversation we’d had out on Rathbun Lake. I couldn’t stop thinking about the remarkable experiences I’ve had in my own life -- how fortunate I have been and how thankful I should be.

I thought about all the blue water I’ve seen -- from my blessed childhood on Lake Wawasee to my personal playground for the past 15 years, Lake Michigan. I’ve seen the sun rise and set from 25 miles offshore, and I’ve marveled at the power of every steelhead and salmon that has zipped or leapt on the end of my line.

Farther from home, I’ve been privileged to float and fish on five different seas -- each bluer and more mysterious than the next. Water and fishing have become key parts of who I am, and I am grateful for both.

I’m thankful for wilderness too.

As human beings, we are rightly humbled by true wilderness because once there we quickly realize our own insignificance.

I’ve experienced it many times.

As with fishing, I crave it now. I need it.

Wilderness is where you find it, but Alaska is packed full. I’ve come and gone many times -always with a vow to return as soon as possible. I’ve spent weeks on a boat on Alaska’s Prince William Sound, chasing bears over mountains during the day and sleeping more soundly than ever at night. I’ve camped on sandbars and been tolerated by grizzlies at their fishing holes.

I’ve experienced Africa on two occasions as well -- far away from the game preserves and the habituated animals we’re often shown on TV. I’ve heard the roar of a wild lion in the black of night. I’ve witnessed the primal terror in a wildebeest's eyes as our hunting party released it from a poacher’s wire snare. I’ve laid in a straw hut with my finger on the trigger while hyenas paced outside. I’ve felt the indescribable exhilaration that comes from standing undetected in the thick bush amidst a herd of elephants.

Four times, I’ve watched the life slip from an elephant’s eye, only to see it reappear in the form of increased protection for the species as a whole, and nourishment, schools, supplies and clinics for hundreds of people in need.

I think of every truly unique experience I’ve ever enjoyed in the outdoors and feel blessed. But I realize the true fulfillment in my life has and will continue to come from my family and friends.

No single adrenaline rush or awe-inspiring moment from the great outdoors can compare to the joy and inspiration that flooded through me when each of my kids were born. Whether I die today or 50 years from now, my children will be my greatest memory, most significant accomplishment and my only meaningful legacy.

So, I’m very thankful for my family, friends and readers who have helped me to find and enjoy the many opportunities life affords -- like having and raising children, and sitting in a boat with buddies on Rathbun Lake.

® Volume 2011 • Number 10 Publisher: Brian E. Smith Assistant Publisher: Mark C. Smith Editor-in-Chief: Joshua D. Lantz Sportsmen’s Rights Editor: Rick Story Field Editor: John Martino, Central Indiana Field Photographer: Bill Konway Graphic Design: graphics@ION4U.net Layout & Editing: Sand Creek Media Office Manager: Shannon E. Smith Advertising Sales: (877) 251-2112 E-Mail: contact@ION4U.net Web Site: www.IndianaOutdoorNews.net Business & Publication Office: Mailing Address: P.O. Box 69, Granger, Indiana 46530 Phone: (877) 251-2112 • Fax: (800) 496-8075 INDIANA OUTDOOR NEWS® is the official publication of Raghorn Incorporated, and is published monthly at the address listed above. For home delivery and subscription rates, look for the subscription card in this publication. Editorial contributions may be submitted to the above address. No material can be returned unless accompanied by a stamped, self addressed envelope.

Photographs are accepted and greatly appreciated. All materials submitted become the property of Raghorn Incorporated and are subject to editing to meet the objectives of this publication. The views and opinions expressed in this publication are those of the individual authors, not the editors, staff or any other representative of RAGHORN’S INDIANA OUTDOOR NEWS or Raghorn, Inc. “Raghorn’s Indiana Outdoor News” is a registered Trademark of Raghorn Incorporated. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. No part of this publication may be used or copied without prior written consent of Raghorn Inc. Violation of copyright laws will be prosecuted.

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to RAGHORN’S INDIANA OUTDOOR NEWS, P.O. Box 69, Granger, Indiana 46530.

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New liability law, DNR program combine to help landowners experiencing deer damage

Gulf Restoration -- Continued from Cover

A new landowner liability law combined with the DNR’s Hunters Helping Farmers program can help landowners experiencing deer damage to crops, forest regeneration or landscaping get deer populations under control on their property.

The DNR has liberalized hunting regulations in most counties to address deer populations by strategically targeting antlerless deer, but effectiveness depends on landowner participation because 94 percent of the state is in private ownership.

In the Hunters Helping Farmers program, each DNR district wildlife biologist maintains a county-bycounty list of hunters who are looking for places to hunt and willing to harvest antlerless deer during the hunting seasons. Landowners having difficulty finding hunters for this purpose may contact the DNR district biologist in their area for a copy. Contact information for district biologists is at www.wildlife.IN.gov/2716.htm.

The Indiana General Assembly took steps this year to protect landowners from liability associated with allowing sportsmen and sportswomen to recreate on their land. Indiana Code 34-31-9 was created to limit liability associated with agritourism related activities such as field days, self-pick farmers, corn mazes, animal exhibitions, and agricultural fairs, but also includes natural resource based activities such as hunting, fishing, hiking and trail riding.

The law, which went into effect July 1, states that landowners who provide access to their land for natural resource based activities is not liable for the injury or death of a participant resulting from the inherent risks of such activities. Also, a participant or the participant’s representative cannot make claim, maintain an action against, or recover from the landowner any loss, damage, or death resulting from the inherent risk of the natural resource based activity.

Inherent risks include conditions, dangers, or hazards that are an integral part of the activity, including surface and subsurface conditions and natural conditions of the land, vegetation and waters, the behavior of wild or domestic animals on the land, the ordinary dangers of structures or equipment on the land, and negligent acts of a participant that may contribute to the injury of that participant or others.

However, the law does not prevent or limit the liability of a landowner who has knowledge of a dangerous condition that exists on the land and does not make the danger known to the participant, who commits and act or omission that constitutes willful or wanton disregard for the safety of the participant, or who intentionally injures the participant.

The new law also protects landowners who charge a participant a fee for providing natural resources based activities, as long as they provide the participant with a specific warning notice specified by the law. The warning notice can be printed on a sign, posted and maintained in a clearly visible location at the main entrance to the property where the natural resources based activity is to occur, or included as part of a signed release or written contract between the landowner and the participant. The actual language of the new law can be found at www.in.gov/legislative/bills/2011/HE/HE1133.1.html More information on managing deer damage is at www.in.gov/dnr/fishwild/2718.htm. The 2011-12 Deer Hunting Guide is at www.in.gov/dnr/fishwild/6032.htm

River Delta is a national treasure that deserves to be made whole from the impacts of the largest oil spill this country has ever seen. We must carry the momentum out of the committee and take it to the full Senate and House in a timely fashion. The chorus of ducks quacking and redfish tailing has started, but we must follow through to ensure our children can enjoy this phenomenal resource into the future.”

Senators Mary Landrieu (D-LA) and Richard Shelby (R-AL) authored the RESTORE the Gulf Coast States Act, which is cosponsored by nine of the 10 Gulf state senators. They were joined as original cosponsors

by Senators David Vitter (R-LA), Jeff Sessions (R-AL), Thad Cochran (R-MS), Roger Wicker (R-MS), Bill Nelson (D-FL), Marco Rubio (RFL) and Kay Bailey-Hutchison (R-TX). EPW Committee Chairwoman Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA) was instrumental in securing her committee’s support for the bill.

Lake Michigan bass tournament raises money for Shriners 2 0 11 Bass Pro S h o p s Smallmouth Slam Results

EAST CHICAGO, IN -In the early hours of June 25th, twelve teams of bass anglers left East Chicago’s Pastrick Marina bound for the open waters of Lake Michigan.

The 2011 Smallmouth Slam, sponsored by Bass Pro Shops, brought out the best fisherman and put them to the test. The mission?, Catch the largest 5 fish limit of smallmouth bass to win the tournament while having fun and raising money for the Shriners in Michigan City.

Competitors worked the rock walls and other nearshore structure to pick up their bass before heading back to the dock at 4pm, where they were greeted by busy Shriners cooking hamburgers and hotdogs for all.

The winning team of Jake Horn and Mike Myers brought 5 bass weighing 16.24-lbs. to the scales and walked away with a cash prize of $1000. The duo’s largest bass weighed 4.12-lbs.

Big smallie of the tournament was caught by Ed Czerwinski and Nate Gunningham and weighed 4.44lbs.

All proceeds raised by the event went to the Orak Shrine in Michigan City.

Planning for next years Smallmouth Slam is already underway. Organizers hope to have many more boats, larger cash prizes and bigger fish caught! For more information, contact Dave Heath at 219-4054330 or send him an email at fastfruit@frontier.com.

1 s t P l a c e : Jake Horn and Mike Myers Jr. / 5 fish / 16.24 lbs. / big bass 4.12 lbs. / $1000.00 2nd Place: Ed Czerwinski and Nate Gunningham / 5 fish / 16.14 lbs. / big bass 4.44 lbs. / $400.00 + $120.00 big bass 3rd Place / Jeff Miller and Al Huhra / 5 fish / 15.68 lbs. / big bass 4.18 lbs. / $280.00 4th Place / Ross Tornbene and Randy Ramsey / 5 fish / 15.11 lbs. / big bass 4.22 lbs.

5th Place / Rick Coleman and Tashko V. / 5 fish / 13.98 lbs. / big bass 3.14 lbs.

6th Place / Eric Iyzinski and Jake Dammarell / 5 fish / 13.60 lbs.

7th Place / Jack Belt and Dave Heath / 5 fish /13.28 lbs.

8th Place / Mike Myers Sr. and Ron Meyers / 5 fish / 12.10 lbs. / big bass 3.06 lbs.

9th Place / Darryll Barnett and Rob Rongers / 4 fish / 10.60 lbs.

1 0 t h P l a c e / Dennis Price Jr. and Sr./ 4 fish / 7.14 lbs.

1 1 t h P l a c e / Art Kerns and Phillip Duracz / 2 fish / 5.44 lbs.

1 2 t h P l a c e / Brent Skrzekut and Mike Hoose / 0 fish

Reciprocal hunting and fishing agreement with Ohio ends Indiana’s reciprocal agreement with the state of Ohio that allowed people who live in the Buckeye state and own land in Indiana to hunt and fish in the Hoosier state without an Indiana license, has ended.

The change is in reaction to the Ohio legislature’s recent passage of a bill that eliminates the ability of Indiana residents who own property in the Buckeye state to hunt or fish that Ohio property without a license With the law change in Ohio, Buckeye state residents who own land in Indiana and want to hunt or fish on that or any other land in the Hoosier state must now purchase a nonresident license before they can hunt or fish on that or any other Indiana property. Similarly, Indiana residents who own land in Ohio will need to buy a nonresident Ohio hunting or fishing license to hunt or fish on that or other land in the Buckeye State.

EDITOR’S NOTE -The coastal wetlands surrounding the Mississippi River Delta provide crucial wildlife habitat that help Louisiana live up to its nickname as a “Sportsman’s Paradise.” The delta provides a winter or stopover ground for 10 million migratory waterfowl each year, which accounts for up to 70% of the ducks and geese using the Mississippi and Central flyways.

The delta also supports world-class salt- and freshwater fishing opportunities. But sadly, this Sportsman’s Paradise is vanishing at an alarming rate. Nearly 1,900 square miles, an area the size of the state of Delaware, have disappeared since the 1930s, largely because of flood control and navigation projects that have isolated the freshwater and sediment from the Mississippi River from its deltaic wetlands, while allowing saltwater from the Gulf of Mexico to intrude far inland. Every hour, an area of wetlands the size of a football field disappears. This habitat loss threatens homes, communities, nationally important economic interests—and our world-class hunting and fishing opportunities. For more information, visit www.vanishingparadise.org .

Harvest of ginseng, goldenseal from DNR properties prohibited DNR REPORT -Harvesting ginseng, goldenseal (aka yellowroot), and other plants is illegal on all DNR properties.

Although ginseng is currently in season, it can be harvested only on private property, with the permission of the landowner. Public Law 107 (IC 14-4-8) and the Ginseng Rule (312 IAC 19) prohibit all digging on state property.

The purpose of these regulations is to ensure a healthy ginseng population for the future.

Details of the ginseng regulations are at www.in.gov/dnr/naturepreserve/files/ginseng99.pdf.

The only items that may be removed legally from DNR properties are nuts, fruits, berries and mushrooms.

Free trapping course at Salamonie Lake, October 8 & 9 DNR REPORT -Salamonie Lake and Indiana State Trappers Association (ISTA) will host a free trappers education course on Oct. 8 and 9, at the Upper Wabash Interpretive Center.

The program starts on Saturday, Oct. 8, at 9 a.m.

Participants will learn about trapping issues, ethics and regulations.

Trappers will get a chance to set traps and accompany an instructor on the trap line, and set traps under close supervision of the instructor. Traps will be left overnight and checked the next day.

Free camping is available for all course attendees at the Lost Bridge West Youth Campground near the interpretive center.

On Sunday, Oct. 9, at 9 a.m., trappers will accompany trapping instructors to check traps and handle the fur of animals caught. After the traps are checked, furbearers that are caught will be used in skinning and fleshing demonstrations by ISTA instructors.

Participants will not need a trapping license to attend this program. Property entrance fees will be waived for all participants.

Trappers may want to bring waterproof boots or hip waders to wear and will need to dress for the weather. Trappers must attend both day sessions of the course to receive the DNR Trapper Education Certification. Lunch will be provided both days.

Registration is required. To register and for more information, call the Upper Wabash Interpretive Center at (260) 468-2127.

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Monster fish falls shy of record

LOUIESTOUT Ken McCormack is well known throughout the South Bend area for his walleye fishing expertise. He's taken his fair share of quality 'eyes from Elkhart to Lake Michigan along the St. Joseph River.

But the 67-year-old Osceola resident has developed quite a knack for hooking giant bigmouth buffalo, too.

By accident.

In September, McCormack “probably” broke the Indiana record with a 53-pound, 8-ounce monster he caught one evening from Lake of the Woods in Bremen.

We say “probably” because the fish came within an ounce of the current record when it was weighed the day after he caught it.

“It pushed 54 pounds on my scales, but I couldn't find any place open that has certified scales that can handle anything that big,” said McCormack.

“Grocery scales only go to 30

Walleye angler Ken McCormack hefts his Lake of the Woods buffalo, which fell an ounce short of the state record. Photo provided.

www.zolmantire.com

pounds.”

About 12 hours after the fish was caught, he took the fish to DC Meats where it was pegged officially at 53 pounds, 8 ounces.

The current record of 53-9 was caught in southern Indiana in 2002.

McCormack's fish measured 33 inches long and had a 42-inch girth.

“I tried keeping it alive but it bled out,” said McCormack. Fish, especially big ones, can lose a pound or more after they die.

Most people aren't familiar with the bottom feeding buffalo.

They often get mistaken as carp, yet the buffalo is a one of the larger species of the sucker famil y.

And, oddly enough, it's the second giant he's caught - and both came from the same sandbar on Lake of the Woods at Bremen.

His first weighed 48 _ pounds in December, 2004, a fish that won him Indiana's Fish of the Year honors.

And, in both instances, he was fishing for walleyes.

What makes this even more unusual is that Buffalo are plankton feeders and not known for

taking lures, yet McCormack caught his on a _-ounce jighead tipped with a 4-inch, white Yamamoto twister tail grub. It's the same lure combination that took the 48 _ pounder six years ago.

Fortunately, he had just spooled up with fresh, 6-pound, Cajun Red monofilament line on his Okuma spinning reel rigged on a 7-foot medium light Shimano rod. It took 15 minutes to land the giant fish as he let it play out before easing it into a net. It took everything he and partner Scott Fuchs (South Bend)

had to muscle the fish into the boat.

“I was just beginning the retrieve after the bait hit the water when the bait didn't move,” he described. “I figured it was stuck in weeds and I tried to pull it free when I felt the fish move off.”

Despite missing the record, McCormack has it entered in the Indiana Fish of Year contest for bigmouth buffalo.

“It was still fun to catch, but in my mind, I believe I broke the record,” said McCormack, who fishes year round and several times a week.

New fish bosses. . .

Two years ago, Jeremy Price stepped into some big shoes as Indiana's DNR District One Fisheries biologist.

Bob Robertson, the man he replaced whom held that job for three decades - had retired.

Price now finds himself stepping into perhaps bigger shoes - if not hip boots. The 35-year old fish manager was promoted to Northern Indiana Fisheries Supervisor, replacing Stu Shipman, who retired last spring.

As a district biologist, he coddled lakes and streams in 15 counties west of St. Joseph and Kosciusko. He's now over another 19 counties, the entire natural lakes region, and Lake Michigan.

Is he up to the task?

“All I ever wanted to do was become the District One biologist,” said Price, who grew up in Winamac and worked for Robertson for nearly five years. “But when the supervisor job became available, I felt I could make an even greater impact in

improving northern Indiana fisheries. And really, that's all I've ever wanted from my career: To make a difference.”

He'll get that chance if he can handle the lifestyle change. Instead of running a shock boat on a cold spring night, he'll be locked behind a desk, attending laborious meetings, and of course, flogging through state bureaucracy that tends to drive supervisors into old age fast.

But Price doesn't see it that way.

“Actually, that's how I can make a difference; be a buffer between the central office and the field guys so they can be more effective in the field,” said Price.

Tom Bacula, Price's assistant since May, will serve as “acting” District One biologist until a government hiring freeze is lifted.

“Tom is a sharp guy who has done an excellent job as the assistant and is more than capable to oversee the district,” Price noted.

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A fallen fall turkey is a real trophy

BABEWINKELMAN Harvesting a lovesick spring gobbler isn't easy. But the general strategy is.

Think about it: you know you're dealing with Toms that are on a quest to score with hens. So you gravitate to a favorable location close to known roosting sites. You set up a blind, put out a decoy or a combination of hen, jake and/or longbeard decoys.

Then you make the calls of a lonesome hen in need of company to elicit a gobbling response. You stay still and coax the dizzy gobbler into shotgun or bow range. Bang.

You're done.

Now, a lot can go wrong in this simple scenario. Even though gobblers are driven by a desire to breed, they still keep their wits about them. Their eyesight is just as keen, and their instinct to flee the scene if things aren't right is just as strong. So even though you know just what's in a big Tom's head, he's still hard to kill.

In the fall, he's harder to get. He's not driven by desire. He's driven by necessity to eat and not get eaten. Simple as that. So how in the heck do you go about harvesting a fall longbeard? There are generally four ways to hunt autumn birds: ambush, spot-and-stalk, scatter/call-back and flock calling.

Ambushing is a great way to score, if you know the lay of the land and the behavioral patterns of the birds you're after. For example, if you have a predictable roost site, and know that at some point during the day the turkeys feed in a certain field or scratch in the same places, then you can approach fall turkeys like deer hunting. Set up between bedding and feeding areas and wait.

Spotting and stalking is a fun way to bag a bird too. This requires a lot of time spent glassing and studying birds. If they're loafing on a field, hillside, ridge or whatever, you can creep within range. It's tough, because their eyes are so amazingly good. Plus you're typically dealing with flocks. A pack of 17 has 34 eyes - all on the lookout for you. Only the best stalkers equipped with great camouflage and a lot of patience can pull off a successful stalk. If you see a flock marching, then it's time to put on the gas and get yourself in front of them to intercept a bird.

The scatter & call back method is a very proven fall technique. If you're after a mature Tom, this really isn't the way to go.

That's because Toms are not terribly social in the fall. They don't care about the hens and poults. They're more likely to hang out with other Toms as they vie for their pecking order in the flock. When scattered, they take their sweet time getting back to other birds.

But if you're content with a hen or poult, go ahead and do the scatter technique. Find a flock, run into them making as much racket as you can and try to bust them up into as many different directions as possible. Then hunker down, wait a few minutes and make some standard yelps and purrs. If you get a response, or hear a

Maslowski photo / www.NWTF.org turkey in the distance calling independentl y, mimic that bird. Give the same call right back to it. The turkeys desperately want to regroup for security, and if you imitate their language then you can't go wrong.

If it is only a longbeard you want, and if you want to get him by calling, then calling to a gobbler group is the way to go.

The one thing that never changes among gobblers is their disdain for one another as they rank in the pecking order. And they're always up for a fight - or at least to watch one and see how it unfolds. So here's what you do: imitate a turkey fight. Fights are loud, so you need to make a lot of noise with fighting purrs, cutts and clucks. And remember that turkeys fight with their whole bodies, so mix a lot of wing beats, thumps and brush busting into the symphony. It's helpful to have a buddy work with you as a team to accurately duplicate

the sounds of a drop-down-drag-out fight.

One guy can call while the other guy beats the wings and brush. For safety's sake, make sure you know you're hunting in an area where there are no other hunters while doing this.

If you succeed on an autumn longbeard, then my hat is off to you. It's quite an accomplishment, and we'd like to hear about your success story and see a picture of your bird at Winkelman.com!

Good Hunting!

Babe Winkelman is a nationally-known outdoorsman who has taught people to fish and hunt for more than 25 years. Watch the award-winning "Good Fishing" and "Outdoor Secrets" television shows on Versus, Fox Sports, Texas Channel and many local networks. Visit www.winkelman.com for air times where you live and be sure to check us out on Facebook.

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The Coyote Triple Play

TOMBERG Fur trappers encounter a lot of firsts on the trapline. Some are good and some are bad. The first time you catch a raccoon is one of those good experiences. The first time you get sprayed by an angry skunk, of course, is not.

For some reason, it seems like the bad incidents are often the most memorable. It's hard to forget the first time your hand gets snapped in a trap. You'll also remember the first time you slip down a muddy bank and fall into an icy creek. If you accidentally drop your cell phone into the lake beside a muskrat lodge, you'll remember it too. The list goes on and on.

Happily, the good firsts can be etched into your mind, too.

Early last fall, diehard coyote trapper and ION contributor Mike Schoonveld from Morocco experienced a very good first on his rural Newton County trapline. He caught a trio of coyotes in one of his sets. Thankfully, I had come along for the ride.

Catching two coyotes at one location (a double) is not terribly

uncommon. After all, it's not unusual for coyotes to run in family groups, and if you catch one there is a good chance one of the others will investigate the same area. Or at the very least, one will stop to see why his companion refuses to move on.

Catching three coyotes at once, however, is pretty rare.

Coyotes are notoriously wary and cautious, so to fool three of them in a single location is a pretty amazing feat. Besides their natural wariness, coyotes have an incredible sense of smell. If they detect human scent on the trap or around the trapping site, they will usually leave or dig up the trap.

Mike was very careful not to leave any of his scent in the area when he set his traps the day before. He keeps his coyote traps scent-free by boiling them in water, and puts on a pair of rubberized gloves to prevent any human scent transfer when handling them.

Even though Mike buries his traps and covers them with a thin layer of dirt, coyotes can detect even faint scents beneath the dirt.

If they detect any human scent whatsoever, they become very suspicious and are extremely difficult to catch. Humans mean one thing to a coyote: danger.

Mike is always very thorough when he sets his traps, and makes sure the only scents he leaves behind come from the bait in the bait holes and the coyote

urine he squirts from a squeeze bottle. Mike buys the urine at his favorite trapping supply house and uses it to trick any visiting coyote that find the buried meat into thinking the coyote who buried it simply urinated nearby to mark his territory.

On this particular set, Mike had used the coyote urine near the first two traps. Those traps were set about 8-10 feet apart at the edge of a lonely farm lane between two pastures. A small ditch filled with brush separated the two fields. Mike had set a third trap on the other side of the ditch, figuring any wandering coyote would either travel along the ditchline or along the farm lane. No matter which way they went, they would have to go past all three of his traps.

Mike digs a hole with a small dirt auger and drops some stinky, slightly rotted meat into it to attract roaming coyotes to his traps. This meat smells very enticing to any coyotes passing nearby. They home in on it and think a different coyote has buried some food with plans to return later. Coyotes love to steal food whenever they get the chance.

When we drove up the lane to check the traps at this spot, Mike saw the first two coyotes right away and shouted “a double!”. As we pulled up near the brush-filled ditch to park the truck, he saw the third coyote caught on the other side. “No, a triple!”, he said. I

could tell he was excited, and he told me this was the first triple he had ever scored in his many years of coyote trapping.

The lone coyote on the other side of the ditch was an older male, possibly the father of the other two younger coyotes. He may have smelled the bait, came in to investigate, then was caught by the trap in front of the bait hole.

The two coyotes in the adjacent traps looked like young adults and were probably littermates. They may have stopped when the older coyote got caught, then hung around, reluctant to leave by themselves. As they milled around, they likely smelled and found the other two bait holes on the opposite side of

the ditch. As they walked around trying to figure out how to get the meat, they were soon caught, too.

Mike dispatched the coyotes quickly and humanely before carefully resetting all of the traps.

We moved on, as there were still several more traps to check at other locations.

Before the morning was over, Mike caught a fourth coyote at another spot and it joined the others in the bed of Mike’s Ram. It had been a very successful day on the trapline, but the real reward was the coyote triple-play.

It may not happen very often, but whenever you can catch three coyotes at one spot, you know you did everything right. It was one of those special days that neither of us will ever forget.

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INDIANA OUTDOOR NEWS ®

jitterbug and it seldom fails to get the attention of some of those big cruisers.

If you can spare the hunting time, October is a great month to be on the water. Here’s what to expect.

JIMBIDDLE I just returned home from the Association of Great Lakes Outdoor Writers’ annual conference at Honey Creek Resort i n South Central Iowa. Let me tell you, it’s a great place to get away and do some fishing on Rathbun Lake, hunt, take a dinner cruise, go kayaking, do some hiking, do some nature photography or just kick back and relax. I have to admit I didn’t drop a line in the water but the folks who did had a great time catching big walleyes in less than 3 feet of water! If you want more info, go to www.honeycreekresort.com.

At the conference I had a chance to look over a lot of new lures and other fishing equipment ready for the market and I was quite impressed. The folks from Berkley loaded me up with all kinds of lures and equipment to try out. My tackle box won’t look right with all the new stuff.

When I compare it to some of the old stuff in my tackle box it’s a wonder I ever caught a fish. Of course, as we all know, old doesn’t mean bad. When I want a few largemouth for an evening meal I tend to grab my old battle scarred

Lake Michigan Ed McCain at Mik-Lurch Tackle in Hammond says the word of the day is salmon! You can catch kings and cohos in Trail Creek and Salt Creek using spinners or spawn. Take salmon in the big lake on Jplugs or Rapalas. Ed says Willow Slough is the place to go for bluegill and Wolf Lake is the spot for walleye.

Use leeches or a Rapala and fish when skies are cloudy.

North Central Indiana Jim Housman at Ye Old Tackle Box in North Webster says the muskies are taking off and the action should just keep getting better -- especially on the Barbie chain and Tippy. Use live suckers or red October twisted tubes. Wawasee is the spot for perch, and the bluegill are hitting just about everywhere.

Head to Wawasee for smallies and fish the shallow waters with a Senko or a white spinner.

Saint Joseph River Dick Parker tells me the river is a steelhead and coho hotspot.

Fish below the I & M or Central Dams in Mishawaka using a spinner, spawn or Hot-N-To t .

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Northwest Indiana Penny Boisvert at Greenwood Bait Shop says they’re taking some nice walleye with large flathead minnows at the point in English Lake.

Regular or green crawlers fished along the banks of the Kankakee will get a nice smallmouth.

Horseshoe Bend just south of LaCrosse is the place to go for some nice ‘gills.

Doris Salada from Country Bait in Valparaiso reports great crappie action on Long Lake and Loomis Lake. Try drift fishing on the northern end of Long Lake using a minnow or a wiggler and you’ll probably get some good action. Doris says bluegill action is good just about everywhere. The local large mouth are hitting on leeches and night crawlers. There should be some good northern and walleye action this month too. Try minnows at night for the walleyes.

Central Indiana Dave McCalla from the Bait Barn in Indianapolis reports good smallmouth and bluegill fishing in the Blue River. The smallmouth like plastic worms, Senkos or a Kelly’s original scented worm -- especially the firetail. The local retention ponds are producing some real nice bluegills too. Wigglers, bee moths or crickets will get a bluegill’s attention quick, so be ready! Dave tells me that the DNR dumped all the fish from the

state fair exhibit into the pond at Fort Harrison . Don’t be proud, go out there and get yourself some. Take a youngster and let them have a good time.

West Central Indiana John Raines from Twin Lakes Fish & Game tells me the fall white bass action is starting.

If you fish the river use a deer hair jig and if you fish the lake use a Rattletrap or a Silver Buddy or other blade bait. John says you should hit the shallows with a minnow to take some crappies.

Black bass action is strong using just about any artificial. Catfish action is fantastic right now, as is bluegill. The Tippecanoe River and other feeder creeks into to lake are producing some nice walleyes. Sounds like you can take just about anything this month, so get out there.

East Central Indiana Ed Gipson at Peacepipe Bait & Tackle at Andrews tells me the shad are playing havoc with the fishing in the area. The shad are so plentiful that crappies aren't taking the bait. White bass are about the only thing being caught and they're hitting on night crawlers. Ed expects the crappie action to pick up once the shad die off. On the bright side, Ed reports some decent Northern pike being taken.

Southwest Indiana Dedra Hawkins at The Fishin

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Shedd in Bloomington says you can take a walleye by trolling with a night crawler or shiner near the dam at Monroe.

Crappies are hitting on small Southern Pro jigs around submerged brush. The largemouth bass will be coming on stronger each day this month. Catfish are hitting on just about anything from night crawlers to dough baits. Dedra says last week a fellow took a 40-lb. flathead.

Sounds rather exciting,don’t you think?

Southeast Indiana Tag Nobbe at Brookville Lake Guide Services in Brookville says fishing should be good this month. You can take crappies on a jig and minnow or catch yourself a smallmouth with a spoon. If a smallmouth doesn’t go for the spoon a white bass is likely to grab hold. The walleye action is good using night crawlers and jigs. The best spot for them is out on the flats.

Well, that’s about all the wisdom from the pros I have to share. Take this knowledge and go in peace. I think I’ll spend the next couple days cleaning and organizing my tackle box to make room for those new lures.

Hey, keep casting and remember what Ol’ JB always says, “fishing seems to be incessant expectation and perpetual disappointment.” Good luck and I’ll see you next month.

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The Safety Conscious Poacher One of the tools Indiana Conservation Officers (ICO) use to catch poachers is the animated deer decoy. Sophisticated versions can move, twitch their ears, and display other life-like actions.

However, it wasn’t always that way.

In the early days of using a deer decoy to catch poachers the ICOs were on their own to come up with something. Their decoy was limited by their own creativity and the materials at hand.

ICO Frank Routh described “Maxine”, the decoy that he and Mac Spainhour cobbled together with the fondness one would have for a prize winning science fair project.

“The first decoy that Mac and I made had tobacco stakes for legs, a chicken wire frame stuffed full of cardboard for a body, and a doe head that we stuck antlers on.

It didn’t even look like a deer but we made seven cases with it in the first year!”

One of those cases started when a local newspaper reporter, shopping in a Kmart department store, overheard some young men bragging that they were going to the state forest and weren’t coming back until they had killed some deer. To back up their bold statement they purchased a new shotgun and flashlights. The reporter quickly passed on this information to local ICOs Mac Spainhour and Frank Routh.

INDIANA OUTDOOR NEWS ®

Since the local state forest spanned three counties Mac and Frank didn’t know exactly where the men would strike, but they used their experience and intuition and headed out with their new decoy. To cast a broader net, Mac went into the forest on one road and Frank took another.

Mac’s route took him directly to their rendezvous point, but Frank had to take a route past Deam Lake on fire trails and through locked gates. “I no sooner got the decoy set up when Mac radioed that there was a car coming,” Frank explained. “I turned my lights off and went back up the road to wait.” The poachers were excited and quick on the trigger. “I had no sooner opened my door to listen when Mac radioed, ‘They’ve shot, they’ve shot!’”

Frank rushed back down to the decoy setup and joined Mac who already had the suspects on the ground. With the suspects full in the headlights and under control, Frank retrieved the decoy and placed it in the back of his truck.

Once Frank was back with the suspects, the shooter stated that he hadn’t shot the deer because he had watched it run off, not knowing Frank had just taken the decoy.

As the ICOs questioned the young men, the shooter confessed that he had shot at the deer decoy to protect the safety of his friend… His bizarre line of reasoning was that since the shot-

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ALANGARBERS gun was new (It still had Styrofoam packing balls clinging to it.) he didn’t want his friend to make the first shot in case the gun blew up!

All the young men went to jail and seven firearms were confiscated. Like many illegal activities their deer poaching adventure was not well thought out. “They had driven a Ford Pinto or something small like that,” Frank said. “So, I don’t know where they thought they were going to put a deer!”

Some Days The Bear G e t s You…or Your E l k !

Every ICO I know is also an outdoorsman. They love to hunt and fish as much as anyone. ICO Gary Pennington is no exception. In 2010 he went on a much deserved elk and mule deer hunt in Montana, which soon became an adventure.

“I had been elk hunting before with my bow but this was my first gun hunt,” Gary explained. “Due to the warm weather game was scarce.” On the third day of the hunt Gary and his friend Richard Penwick hiked to the top of several mountains and spent the day looking for game but only saw some mule deer.

As they headed back to camp for the night their luck changed.

“About an hour before sunset we

crossed a creek that bordered a meadow a few miles from the cabin.” In the meadow were two bull elk heading away from the hunters. Gary crouched and tried to get a shot at a nice 5 by 5 bull that was quartering away.

Gary looked through the scope. The commotion had alerted the elk and the large bull

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looked back as Gary fired. With the range only being thirty-five yards, the .300 Winchester Magnum did its work and the elk tumbled.

The weary hunters tagged and field dressed the bull. Being miles from camp and daylight rapidly waning, the two grabbed the elk’s head and vowed to return

ICO Gary Pennington and his 5x5 bull elk. Photo provided.

October , 2 0 11 Edition for the rest the next morning.

Early the next morning Gary awoke with an uneasy feeling.

He joked with his companions that he hoped the elk was still there. The plan was to go in with horses, quarter the elk up, and pack it out. It was a good plan but nature had other ideas.

They arrived at the meadow but the elk was gone!

“I had always heard a rifle shot is like a dinner bell to a grizzly,” Gary laughed.

“That proved to be true.” Since they were in grizzly country they approached the meadow with caution. “I had dragged the gut pile well away from the carcass hoping it would be left alone, but it

INDIANA OUTDOOR NEWS ® was gone.”

They followed the drag marks down into a brush filled ravine.

Gary knew that grizzlies often stay near a recent kill to guard it, so the hunter’s nerves were on edge. Since grizzly bears are protected, hunters are well advised to avoid confrontation at all costs, even if it means leaving their trophy behind.

With other hunters standing watch, Gary used the horses to pull the elk carcass back into the clearing and salvaged a good portion of the meat.

The sheer strength of the grizzly stunned Gary.

“The power of that grizzly amazed me,” Gary said. “To pull the

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500-lb. carcass of an elk 40-45 yards, something that we could barely move, that’s one heck of an animal!”

Gary is haunted from the possibilities and might-have-beens.

“Had we gone back that night to get the rest of the meat, we might have encountered the grizzly itself.” A hungry grizzly…in the dark? No thanks.

The author invites all ICOs, active and retired, to contact him at agarb84@bpl.coop with their own true stories from behind the badge.

Gary’s elk. . . post-grizzly.

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October, 2 0 11 Edition

Doubling Up o TIMLESMEISTER

I

t iverResort.ne R y in a .R w w w

Photo by author.

t started as a casual conversation with a guide on a fishing boat on Lake of the Woods. We were discussing the upcoming ice fishing season and our conversation somehow shifted to bird hunting. He began bragging up the ruffed grouse hunting in that neck of the woods and chastised me when I got this, “Ya, right,” look on my face. I was thinking that the only birds in those woods that far north were spruce grouse and I hadn't heard reports of many of those around. He told me he was seeing lots of ruffed grouse and he was predicting great hunting and I figured I better check it out.

I figured if what I was hearing was true, hunting that far north for grouse should be outstanding for a couple of reasons.

Hunters from the cities and even other states likely won't travel that far north preferring instead to hunt in the heavilypromoted north-central section of Minnesota. This means less pressure on the birds and fewer hunters in the woods.

So off to the northwoods I did go with a couple of my hunting buddies. Our goal was to take advantage of the bird hunting in the morning and get in some great fall walleye fishing in the afternoons.

We were barely 10 minutes into the woods when a half dozen spruce grouse started shooting out of the pines. I don't shoot spruce grouse but one of my hunting buddies dropped one and the rest of those birds took advantage of the nearby heavy cover.

People say that spruce grouse are not as wary as the ruffed grouse and they joke that sometimes you have to kick them to

get them to fly. Contrary to the reputation, these birds we were stumbling on were getting up quickly and high tailing it out of there.

Since the season had been open for a couple of weeks, maybe these birds had been shot at already. I wondered how many hunters chased spruce grouse and later I posed that question to the Minnesota DNR Forest Wildlife Coordinator. He said they do get picked off by predators, but not many hunters shoot them. They're not pressured by hunters because of how they compare as table fare. Ruffed grouse have been described as the best eating game bird in the world. Spruce grouse have been described as the very worst. You get an adult spruce grouse that's been feeding on spruce and jackpine buds and its meat is red and gamey.

The spruce grouse aren't as far south as the ruffed grouse are and this shorter range means less hunting pressure. It's along the northern tier of counties where you see big stands of conifers that you find the spruce grouse. It's more of a boreal bird.

Not many people pursue them. Data shows on the order of 20,000 to 25,000 get taken each year in Minnesota compared to several hundred thousand ruffed grouse per year.

After we circled a swamp in the Beltrami Island State Forest we came upon some high ground where the aspen were abundant and sure enough a few ruffed grouse scooted out from under our feet. I didn't have the right angle but the hunter to my left made a spectacular shot and dropped one as it pirouetted around a tree.

The other grouse were saved by the cover they flew behind.

Moving to our second spot the conversation was all about the abundance of

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INDIANA OUTDOOR NEWS ®

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on the Border snowshoe hares.

Dan Small, who hosts the popular television show, Outdoor Wisconsin was one of the hunters on this trip. He put the word out that he was going to shoot a couple of hares because he wanted to try some of his recipes and he hadn't had fresh snowshoe in awhile. The rest of us decided to stick to birds.

The first grouse off the ground in this spot was a ruffed and I made an impressive shot. We had decided as a group before the hunt began that ground-swatting was not allowed. This cost us some shooting shortly after I bagged my bird. When we came out onto a clear cut a few minutes later there were four ruffed grouse milling around behind some trees. They started to get real nervous when we moved out of the cover and as I tried slipping around behind them to get into shooting position they all flushed in unison and headed in the only direction possible where we couldn't get shots. We might have killed them all if we would have shot them on the ground.

By noon we were back at the lodge with a half dozen ruffed grouse and the urge to set the hook into some walleyes.

The walleye fishing on this huge lake is the best in the world. There simply is no equal. In the summer months the big charter boats can take out an entire family to troll through schools of big walleyes that are suspended in open water. In the fall it's the rock piles and reefs where walleyes sit waiting for someone to backtroll by with a fat leech on a red hook. And this is why I love fishing the fall period on Lake of the Woods. Instead of the tap-tap you get in the summer its a bone-jarring bite with a hard fight all the way to the boat.

www.lakeofthewoodsmn.com With four of us in the boat including the guide we were setting the hook and landing a dozen fish per hour -- and that was each of us. We only kept a couple fish each but the fishing was outstanding. The next day called for more wind so we decided to make it a full day of grouse hunting.

It sure is nice to have options.

Minnesota is the gold standard when it comes to ruffed grouse hunting. Those of us who live here may cuss a bit when the cycle is at a low point and we grouse hunters always hope for more habitat that suits the production of our favorite gamebird, but when the cycle is on the upswing, like it is now, there's no better excuse than a shot at a speedy little brown bird dodging through the trees to take a walk in the woods. Trust me. I drive from the Twin Cities, so it is well worth the drive from Indiana to experience this angling and hunting paradise.

You can bet I'll be doing a lot more walking in those northern border woods, and when my legs start getting a bit tired then it's time to wear out my arms setting the hook on one of the many walleyes that can be found on nearby Lake of the Woods.

It's truly the best of both worlds.

www.lakeofthewoodsmn.com There’s More Than Grouse and Walleye at Lake of the Woods While the trophy walleye fishing and grouse hunting are well worth the price of admission, as they say, the muskie, smallmouth, waterfowl hunting and big game options make an autumn trip to Lake of the Woods an irresistible proposition.

At approximately 1 million acres, Lake of the Woods is a serious factor www.sportsmanslodges.com with respect to migrating waterfowl, pulling and holding birds like perhaps no place else in North America.

Shoots are fast and furious, and offer waterfowl hunters the chance for limits of multiple species in an unforgettable setting.

When it comes to big game, Lake of the Woods doesn’t disappoint. As a matter of fact, guiding customers for big,northern whitetails and black bear is a core service of many of the area’s lodges. Over 70% of Lake of the Woods County is public ground open to hunting, while many lodges and outfitters maintain access to thousands of additional private acres for their guests and customers.

No matter what combination of hunting and fishing you’re looking for, one call to Lake of the Woods Tourism will put you in touch with the lodges and outfitters you’ll need to make the most of your autumn visit. Call them today at 1-800-382FISH, or visit them online at www.lakeofthewoodsmn.com.

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INDIANA OUTDOOR NEWS ®

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In praise of the .22

The Straight Shooter BRENTWHEAT Squirrels and .22 rifles simply go together. I would be willing to bet that the majority of readers took their first game using the ubiquitous cartridge that sits prominently in most American gun racks. If you haven't at least considered pulling out the old rifle and chasing a few bushytails around the woodlot during the cool mornings of October, federal law requires that you sell all your firearms and take up golf.

The .22 Long Rifle rimfire cartridge as we know it has been around since 1887 when the J. Stevens Arms & Tool Company took the casing from the older, existing .22 Long cartridge and combined it with a 40 grain bullet.

The new .22 Long Rifle cartridge proved to be a great combination of performance, accuracy, negligible recoil, minimal noise and low cost. Today almost every arms manufacturer makes at least one model that utilizes the cartridge. It is likely that there are more firearms chambered for this

cartridge in the world today that any other.

The .22 rifle is a great round for small game up to 120 yards.

Beyond that range, the bullet goes subsonic, the trajectory resembles a melting rainbow and accuracy decreases exponentially.

Accuracy of the .22 is reasonable for such a low-cost cartridge.

Any shooter with a decent rifle and a bit of practice should be able to hold 1” groups at 50 yards from a stable rest. A good shooter/rifle/ammunition combination can often keep three shot groups under one inch at 100 yards.

Most knowledgeable .22 shooters sight in their gun at 75 yards. If you are using the popular flat-shooting CCI Stinger, this translates to a .7 inch rise at 50 yards and 2.3 drop at 100 yards. For standard velocity 40grain offerings, the numbers are typically double.

An untold variety of .22 rounds exist today. The selection ranges from target rounds that will set you back at least .25 cents per shot to bulk packs of lead-nosed bullets that come in under $3.00 per box.

Cheap .22 cartridges from major manufacturers are good, even excellent. More so than other calibers, individual .22 rifles will have very decided preferences for certain rounds, so with the low cost of ammo there is nothing stopping you from finding the exact round that makes your rifle a tack-driver. In many

cases of sporting arms, the lowcost Winchester, Federal or Remington standard rounds are typically as accurate as the pricey target cartridges and may even offer better performance at the target.

We highly recommend sticking with the well-known ammunition makers. Perhaps in .22 more than any other caliber, low-quality rounds of questionable offshore heritage are frequently junk.

There are perhaps two dozen manufacturers from several countries who make good stuff; so far, China isn't among that group.

For small game and pests, virtually any reasonable hit will bring down the animal as you are essentially shooting it with -- relatively-speaking -- a bowling ball-sized projectile. Once you begin shooting raccoon-sized game, bullet-placement becomes critical. If you plan on shooting coyotes, it would be exceedingly optimistic and ethically questionable to plan on a clean kill at ranges longer than 60 yards.

There are several high-performance cartridges on the market, typified by the CCI Stinger, Remington Yellow Jacket and others. Essentially, these are rounds with a slightly lighter bullet and a longer-burning powder to tweak more velocity from the round. They do bump up the performance specifications and offer higher bullet energy while shooting significantly flatter trajectories.

On small and medium-sized game, these rounds are devastating. The range is somewhat shorter as the lighter bullets shed energy quicker downrange but if you properly place one of these bullets in a varmint under 100 yards, the results are dramatic.

Keep in mind that in shortbarreled weapons, these rounds won't have any appreciable performance increase. They will, however, dramatically increase muzzle flash and blast.

It is interesting to note that while the high-speed rounds offer higher downrange energies, the standard-velocity round nose lead cartridges often penetrate more deeply in ballistic gelatin tests.

Another interesting round that has drawn much attention is the CCI Quick-Shok pre-fragmented bullet. In essence, the bullet immediately breaks into three equal pieces upon hitting the target. Though we haven't personally put these rounds through the paces, correspondence and media reports suggest that they are spectacular in small game such as squirrel and rabbit, essentially exploding upon impact. In fact, increased meat damage has often been noted.

Things change when you are dealing with bigger critters. I would not attempt to use this round to put down a coyote but there are even some who believe the round has the potential for self-defense.

After a review of ballistic gelatin tests, we can quickly put that

argument to rest. The small bullet fragments that essentially “grenade” in small targets quickly lose energy as they travel through solid material and overall penetration in calibrated gelatin only averages around five inches- certainly not sufficient for medium game and not anywhere in the ballpark for two-legged attackers.

If you haven't dragged out the old .22 in a while, make arrangements to spend a pleasurable hour on the range or in the woods. You will be surprised how quickly that long-overlooked rim fire will take you back to a simpler time -- the days when the smell of smokeless powder wafting through the golden leaves of an October forest made some of the most indelible memories of a young hunter's life.

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THIS MONTH’S WINNER!

Cory McClellan with a nice Porter County 8 point buck taken with his bow.

Zach Stockman and ION Co-Publisher, Mark Smith with Zach's first deer.

Jack Minix from Knox, IN caught this nice 36-inch King salmon from Lake Michigan at Michigan City.

Tab Casper photographed this pair of mature bald eagles while waterfowl hunting on Dewart Lake last year.

Marcus Mejia from Elkhart, IN caught his first grass carp bowfishing in the St Joseph River. It was 19 inches long.

This months answers From Puzzle on Page 20

Jacob Adams of Connersville shot this doe in Franklin County with his 20 ga. single shot .

Gone Afield monthly photo contest. . .

It’s EASY! It’s FUN! Fill out this form and send it in with your favorite outdoor photograph.

A winner will be randomly selected each month to win a great outdoor prize!

Entry Information: Person submitting the photo: Name(s) of person(s) pictured: Other information describing the photo: If I’m selected as this month’s random winner, please send my prize to:

Send your photos to: Gone Afield P.O. Box 69 Granger, IN 46530 E-mail submissions welcome at: www.contact@ION4U.net.

If mailing photos, please include a SASE if you’d like us to return them to you CONTEST RULES: Raghorn, Inc. shall retain the right to publish or not publish any images submitted in any of it’s media outlets. Winners chosen at random. Prizes are subject to change and contest may cease without notice.

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UPLAND HUNTING Given the sorry state of wild quail numbers throughout much of the nation these days, a hunter might think that a trip back in time would be the only way to experience the kind of shooting his or her father and grandfather knew.

But that kind of thinking disregards the fast and furious action to be had today on some of America’s top upland bird hunting preserves. And here’s a newsflash: Some of these modern operations offer hunting and shooting that your forefathers could have only dreamed about.

One of the finest of the modern hunting preserves is within a mere three-hour drive of much of Indiana.

Winghaven Lodge, near Providence in western Kentucky, is where the in-the-know crowd of the Midwest’s and near-South’s quail hunting community gathers to relive the glory days of American bobwhite hunting. As wild bird numbers have fallen throughout the quail’s historic

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Winghaven Lodge offers a glory days hunting experience eastern U.S. range, a handful of preserve operators have perfected techniques that have spawned new generations of hard-rising, fastflying bobwhites. The nearly 5,000-acre Winghaven Lodge preserve is at the top of the heap when it comes to offering shooting that surpasses the finest quail hunting of days gone by. Couple the incredible hunting with fine lodging amenities and first class food and staff and you have the makings of a shooting expedition that will stay in your memory for a lifetime.

Russell Edwards, the mild mannered native of the land on which Winghaven is located owns and manages the preserve along with his wife Michele. He said it best when he mentioned in passing: “Last year, we put out 20,000 birds for 75 hunters. We always have at least a 50 per cent success rate.”

By rapid calculation, that’s 133 birds per hunter -- on a one or two -day hunt. My dad and grandfather, who lived through the glory days of Missouri quail hunting, never dreamed of a wing shooting bounty like that.

“A lot of the first-time hunters are skeptical when I tell them that we’ll see 15 covey rises in one area on one day and another 15 rises every day they hunt thereafter,“ Edwards admitted.

They become believers after a few

hours at Winghaven and tend to come back year after year.

Does Winghaven put out penreared birds? Yep. Do they require a boot to the butt to make ‘em fly, then stumble through the air like obese bumble bees?

Not on your life! These birds are bullets that rise like an explosion, and then rip through the air like feathery shrapnel! They are among the sportiest birds the wing shooter will ever encounter.

“It’s important to manage the land, certainly, but the key to a fine wing shooting experience is the quality of the birds,” said Edwards. “We start with state-ofthe-art breeding and employ the most aggressive and modern feeding and rearing programs that our industry has developed. Sure, we manage our property down to the inch and provide good cover and shooting lanes, but the birds themselves are the difference between great hunting and good hunting.” In the opinion of his clients, Edwards and his staff try for “great” every year and achieve it.

Winghaven, which has

received accolades from some of the nation’s top wing shooting publications, including Shooting Sportsman, and is one of Cabela’s World’s Foremost Destinations, offers a variety of species, including pheasant and chukar. You can even arrange a duck hunt, hunt rabbits or pursue Kentucky’s famous Crittenden County booner whitetails! Or, when your shoulder gets tender, you can opt for some bass, catfish or bluegill fishing on one of the property’s stocked ponds or arrange for a float trip on the nearby Tradewater River.

But the top draw at Winghaven is bobwhite quail and it offers packages that include nolimit hunts that start at only $695 per day. The hunt is all-inclusive. All you need to provide is the necessary license and some shot shells. Of course, it also includes meals and lodging. Stop and think: you’ll have a crack at more birds in a day than you would probably be able to find in two or three years of hunting wild birds back home!

Winghaven Lodge offers all

By Rick Story

the comforts of home, with fine southern cuisine and spacious accommodations including private rooms with private bath. The rooms offer internet and the lodge features top shelf libations, fine food, spa services, a media center, conference space, trap shooting facilities and a 3D archery course.

If you’re a wing shooter looking for legendary quail and other upland bird hunting you really should consider looking into Winghaven Lodge. It’s just a short drive to the kind of hunting most of us have dreamt about but have seldom if ever found.

Russell and Michele Edwards will treat you like family and offer you fine food and comfortable accommodations, in addition to the hunting, for which you would expect pay much more at other resort destinations. To inquire about a trip, go to winghavenlodge.com on the internet or phone the Lodge at (270) 8367998.

Ask for Russell or Michelle and feel free to ask any questions you might have. You can also send an email inquiry to redwards@apex.net.

October , 2 0 11 Edition

OPTICS The evolution of shotguns and muzzleloaders in the last few years has highlighted a need for scopes specifically designed for use on these popular firearms. The DeerPASS (Point and Shoot System) scope family from Hawke Sport Optics is that product.

Designed and tested specifically for use with shotguns and muzzleloaders, but customizable to any firearm, the DeerPASS reticle is the key to its use. The MAP (Multiple Aim Point) reticle is fully customizable using your own ballistic data, and the exclusive, and FREE, Hawke BRC (Ballistic Reticle Calculator) software, providing you the exact yardage of each aim point, no matter what bullet, powder, or slug you shoot. The benefit to the user is simple, the opportunity to drastically increase accuracy.

But the reticle is also a rangefinder.

With multiple ways to rangefind built directly into the reticle you can take the guesswork out of your rangefinding, without adding another tool to your pack.

Anyone who has hunted knows that most often, things happen fast. You don't have time to be reaching into your pack for your rangefinder to verify distance. You need to know if that buck of a lifetime is at 95 or 135 yards. Not knowing means you won't need to work overtime to pay the taxidermist.

Also exclusive to the DeerPASS EV (Extreme View) scopes is the EV lensing system, a radical new design allowing Hawke to provide its users with a 20%-43% wider field of view over comparable scopes on the market today. What does that mean to you? Put simply, quicker target acquisition when it matters most. The most important thing to note is that this was achieved without adding bulk to the scope.

The 1” mono-tube chassis has been designed and tested to withstand the violent recoil of shotguns and muzzleloaders.

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Hawke DeerPASS Scope brings new focus to deer hunting

DeerPASS MAP Scope

DeerPASS SR Scope

DeerPASS SR Reticle

Offered in 3 variations you are sure to find the model that fits your budget and needs. The base model features a wire DeerPASS MAP (multiple aim-point) reticle and a standard lensing system. The DeerPASS EV adds the extreme view optical system to the mix. Rounding out the family is the DeerPASS SR. It features a glass etched, dual color illuminated reticle that is black in the off position, in addition to the EV optical system. All 3 models are available with 3x to 9x magnification, a 40mm objective, 1/4” MOA fingertip turrets, flip caps included, and are threaded to accept a sunshade that is offered separately.

On the outside the DeerPASS scope appears to be just another hunting scope,

but with a radical new reticle design and revolutionary optical system you'll know as soon as you pick it up that this is anything but just another scope.

Like all Hawke scopes the DeerPASS is waterproof, shockproof, and fog proof and is covered by the the Hawke Worldwide Warranty.

To learn more about the DeerPASS a full video tutorial of the DeerPASS scope is viewable at www.youtube.com/hawkeoptics, or you can visit our website at www.hawkeoptics.com. If you have any questions regarding this, or any other Hawke product you can also call our office toll-free at 877.429.5347, we would be more than happy to assist you.

DeerPASS MAP Reticle

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News Headlines from the U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance

SPORTSMEN’S RIGHTS

New fund leads charge for future If you feel you are being squeezed as a hunter or angler, you are not alone. More and more hunters, anglers, recreational shooters, and trappers are facing more restrictive laws, less access, reduced opportunities, and fewer options.

The restrictions and attacks have occurred at the local, state and the national levels. Much of this has been caused by subversive laws passed in part because of back-door politics and deep funding by the animal rights lobby. Among these groups that are working against YOU are the Humane Society of the United States, PETA, ASPCA, Center for Biological Diversity and many others.

But help is on the way!

Thanks to the newly formed Sportsmen’s Issue Defense Fund (SIDF), developed by the U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance (USSA), the future of hunting and angling looks much brighter. The SIDF was launched during a recent USSA board meeting in Columbus, Ohio.

This fund will provide the “on-the-ground” dollars necessary to initiate efforts to protect the rights of sportsmen and sportswomen from attacks. The SIDF will support direct lobbying, grassroots coalition building, ballot issue campaigning, and legislative and government relations. In short, it’s a working fund, or war chest, designed to insure the future of hunting, angling, trapping, and recreational shooting across America.

“Every year I have been involved with the USSA, the animal rights lobby has attacked our hunting heritage,” said Mason Lampton, vice-chairman of the USSA’s board of directors. “This year is no different as we’ve seen no signs that they are letting up. As history is my judge, we will not

New bill will improve, increase public land opportunities

The U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance Board of Directors announced the Sportsmen’s Issue Defense Fund late last month. USSA photo. let up either.”

This fund will work in many ways and at many levels. It will defend against local dog laws affecting sporting dog owners and breeders, against trapping restrictions, against efforts to reduce hunting seasons, against unnecessary lead sinker and traditional ammunition restrictions, fishingfocused issues, plus other issues as they arise. As the anti-hunting forces are planning their next move and securing the funds to push their agendas, the SIDF is a chance to build a wall of protection against these attacks.

It’s important to note that all sportsmen and women will benefit from this unified fund that will pool financial resources for the defense of our outdoor heritage.

The SIDF will draw resources from the entire sportsmen community and provide the strongest –and most immediate—defense for each facet of our hunting heritage.

“The SIDF will provide immediate seed money whenever and wherever the animal rights lobby attacks our great hunting heritage,” continued Lampton.

“Whether in the states, in Washington D.C., or at the ballot.”

The SIDF fund is open for support by all sportsmen and

women.

Fighting for our heritage is not cheap. State and national campaigns are expensive to launch and carry out. The SIDF goal is to secure $1 million to ensure funding is available at a moment’s notice to defend all hunting, fishing, recreational shooting and trapping activities.

This is an on-going fund that sportsmen and women across America are urged to donate generously in their defense.

This SIDF fund needs your input immediately. The time is now as a hunting community to circle the wagons to defend the smallest segments of hunters, trappers, shooters, and anglers.

If smaller segments of hunters and anglers are forced out, you could be the next group in the sights of the anti-hunting and animal rights lobby. The anti- forces are already whittling away your rights, access, opportunities and options. A fully funded SIDF’s mission is to turn back these attacks. Donate now!

“We must ban together, pool all our resources, and stand up for our sport, our heritage, our fight!” concluded Lampton.

Sportsmen and women can donate directly to this effort at: www.ussportsmen.org/donate.

Suing for BIG bucks In case you have not heard, the U.S. economy is slow and federal dollars are scarce. Tax dollars are being very closely watched under public scrutiny. Now, there are less of those tax dollars to watch thanks to the former Fund for Animals, alias Humane Society of the United States (HSUS).

Back in 2003, the Fund for Animals (this group merged with and is now HSUS) sued the U.S. Department of Interior and its director Steve Williams, plus former director Dale Hall. The charge: that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service violated the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). These charges targeted the USFWS ruling that permitted hunting on 60 units of the National Wildlife Refuge system, and the lawsuit covered periods ranging from 1998 through 2003. The U. S. Sportsmen’s Alliance Foundation and others intervened in the case on behalf of sportsmen.

At great expense, the USFWS reviewed and updated the NEPA status and findings on those 60 refuges.

On April 13, 2011, a federal judge ruled that the USFWS new information met the criteria and hunting could continue on the listed NWRs. HSUS lost its lawsuit. Then, however, HSUS filed on July 12, 2011 for “an award of a portion of the attorney’s fees and costs.”

The result: the USFWS must now pay the defeated HSUS $116,000.00 dollars. Can you say fleecing or milking the system?

The bottom line: though the HSUS lost and was defeated by the U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance Foundation, the U.S. Department of Interior, and other groups in this 8-year lawsuit and hunting remains open on the refuges, the HSUS gets $116,000 for simply suing.

As you can clearly see and read, lawsuits are profitable for some groups.

Spread the word.

Special benefits for Sentries In an effort to help U. S. Sportsmen’s Alliance members live healthier and enjoy more of life, the USSA is kicking off a new member benefits package. All Sentries and other members are eligible to receive these benefits. The package features something for everyone with a wide assortment of products and services, including: •

October, 2 0 11 Edition

Insurance for health, life and pets

• Discount products for dental/ vision/hearing/prescriptions • There is also an online mall with products and deals for everyone.

You are eligible for these benefits if you are a current USSA Sentry or other member. You can sample the program at http://www.ussainsure.com/. To gain entry to the programs, or to enroll, you must email info@ussportsmen.org or call USSA at 614888-4868 to get your user name and password.

Please be prepared to confirm your membership standing when calling.

Hunting and fishing opportunities will become a priority on 440 million acres of federal public lands under the newly proposed “Recreational Fishing and Hunting Heritage and Opportunities Act” introduced today by Reps. Dan Benishek (R-MI) and Dan Boren (D-OK).

Cosponsors of the bill include Reps. Don Young (R-AK) and Mike Kelly (R-PA). The bill is also supported by other key members of the U.S. House Natural Resources Committee, members of the Congressional Sportsmen’s Caucus, and the U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance.

This vast acreage is managed by the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), is found from coast to coast, and is used – and relied on – by many public land hunters, trappers, shooters and anglers. This bill, championed by the U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance (USSA) and other leading angling and hunting organizations, establishes in law that recreational fishing, hunting (which includes trapping) and shooting are important and traditional activities to be continued on these public lands and that fish and wildlife conservation is improved by protecting these activities. Joining USSA in this landmark effort are the American Sportfishing Association, National Rifle Association, Safari Club International, and the Congressional Sportsmen Foundation.

“The USSA has strongly encouraged such legislation for over a decade to spell out in law that fishing and hunting on federal public lands must be protected from the rising animal rights lobby,” said Bill Horn, USSA director of federal affairs. “This bill will provide needed protection for years to come.”

This landmark measure recognizes that recreational anglers, hunters and shooters have been, and continue to be, the foremost supporters of sound fish and wildlife management and conservation in the United States. The bill further highlights that hunting, fishing and recreational shooting occurs on Federal public lands and waters, without adverse impacts or effects on other uses or users. These features are similar to the designation of fishing and hunting as priority public uses on refuge lands in the 1997 National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act. USSA played a key role in enacting the 1997 Act and has been working since then to expand these concepts to USFS and BLM lands. The Refuge Act has curtailed attempts by anti-hunting groups to stop hunting on some public lands where hunting has traditionally occurred.

Animal rights activists, however, continue to press for fishing and hunting closures on public lands. These assaults against hunters take several routes. Some courts require the land’s managing agencies to actively consider wholesale hunting and shooting closures to appease this fringe group. In other cases, fishing, and hunting get treated as “new” activities which cannot be authorized (and continued) until numerous lengthy and costly environmental reviews and land plans are completed. This new bill will block these threats.

“We have been very pleased to work with Reps. Benishek and Boren and the House Natural Resources Committee to develop this important legislation,” Horn continued. “USSA stands ready to assure enactment of the bill into law to ensure that our hunting and fishing heritage on federal public lands is protected.” Today’s introduction of the bill begins this important process.

When enacted, the Recreational Fishing and Hunting Heritage and Opportunities Act would specify that federal public land management officials shall exercise their authority under existing law, including provisions regarding land-use planning, to facilitate use of and access to federal public lands and waters for fishing, hunting, and recreational shooting. Going forward, all management plans would include provisions for those popular practices.

The affected lands that will be open include: lands under the jurisdiction of the BLM and the USFS, including lands designated Wilderness or administratively classified as Wilderness eligible or suitable, and primitive or semi-primitive areas. National parks, however, are excluded from the Act as are Wildlife Refuges (already governed by the 1997 Act).

The Recreational Fishing and Hunting Heritage and Opportunities Act will also recognize the work of conservation organizations and their assistance to fish and wildlife managers, plus enforcement officers, at the federal, state and local government levels. Hunters and anglers volunteer countless hours to fish and wildlife conservation projects across America that have also benefitted all public lands and citizens in general. Additionally, associated outdoor industries have generated billions of dollars of critical funding for fish and wildlife conservation, research, and management through revenues from purchases of fish and hunting licenses and permits. Many other projects undertaken on BLM and USFS lands are funded by excise taxes on fishing, hunting, and shooting equipment. Those billions of dollars are critical funding for fish and wildlife conservation, research, and management and are unequalled by any group or program in our nation.

It’s important to note that the new bill recognizes that recreational shooting is also an important and traditional activity in which millions of Americans participate, and establishes that safe recreational shooting is a valid use of federal public lands. Participation in recreational shooting helps recruit and retain hunters and contributes to wildlife conservation through taxes and assorted programs.

Opportunities to recreationally fish, hunt, trap, and shoot are declining, which depresses participation in these traditional activities.

As a result, less participation adversely impacts fish and wildlife conservation and funding for important projects by reducing or limiting monies available. The term “recreational shooting” means any form of sport, training, competition or pastime, whether formal or informal, that involves the discharge of a rifle, handgun, or shotgun, or the use of a bow and arrow. The public interest would be better served, and our citizens’ fish and wildlife resources benefitted, by action to ensure that opportunities are facilitated to engage in fishing and hunting on Federal public lands.

Another key provision finds that fishing and hunting are “necessary” to fulfill wilderness purposes on lands designated or managed as Wilderness. This ensures that recent anti-hunting, anti-wildlife management decisions by the Ninth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals in San Francisco cannot be used to bar fishing, hunting or wildlife conservation efforts in Wilderness areas.

“When passed, this legislation will have a profound beneficial impact on anglers, hunters and shooters far into the future,” said Horn.

October , 2 0 11 Edition

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Tips For Crate Training Your Dog

DOG TRAINING

D.T. Pro Staff dog trainer Ethan Pippitt of Willow Creek Kennels in Little Falls, Minnesota uses a variety of techniques in training hunting dogs. He has found the vibration feature of the D.T. Systems H2O 1820 Collar to be a very effective tool when crate training your dog.

Dog owners often see crate training as something that is unnecessary, too diffi-

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cult or time consuming to try, or even unnatural for the dog. When you look at the origin of dogs, and strive to use more natural training techniques, we can see these are simply common misconceptions about crate training.

Looking at the origin of dogs, we find that they are the domesticated form of the gray wolf. Over a time period of approximately 15,000 years dogs were domesticated and developed into hundreds of breeds designed for many specific tasks. Taking into consideration that domestic dogs were originally derived from wolves we can assume that some wolf habits will come naturally to the domesticated dogs of today.

Naturally wolves are den animals and like enclosed safe environments. Our dog's kennel is their den and should be a safe place that is their own within our house.

Providing this for our dog, starting at a young age, is not only good for us but also our dog. Having a crate or "den" for your dog will give him a safe place of his own as well as give you the ability to know where he is and what he is doing to prevent unwanted accidents, especially with puppies. With a little history behind why crate training is natural for a dog we can look at the proper way to crate train.

First, you need to start your dog in a

crate that is the right size. Your crate should give the dog enough room to stand up, turn around, and lay down without hitting their head on the top. However, the crate should not provide enough room to allow the dog to sleep on one side and defecate on the other. Dogs are clean animals and do not want to "go" where they lie. The correct size of crate allows you to prevent unwanted crate accidents.

Once you have the right size crate, it is important to keep it close to an outside door so that your dog has a quick route outside. Consistency is key; outside is the first place the dog should go when leaving the crate. You will be able to increase the time your dog stays in the crate gradually until your dog is able to hold its bladder at least eight hours or an average night's sleep. Also, making outside the first stop will condition your dog to this process, which leads right into house training.

After your dog has gained some bladder control and is conditioned to relieve himself first thing after leaving the crate or "den", you will be able to allow your dog in the house knowing when he last went to the bathroom. Begin this introduction to the house gradually starting with 30 minutes in the house then back in the crate.

You can wait 15 minutes or so, then allow your dog again to go outside to relieve

himself. You will be able to increase the time in the house always knowing when the last time your dog emptied his bladder.

Soon your dog will be fully house trained and will never learn that wetting in the house is even an option.

After looking at the history of dogs and their nature and comparing the natural concept of dens to crates, you can see that crating your dog is not too difficult to learn. Also, you can see how effective and helpful crate training can be while trying to house train your dog.

Having a solid crate training foundation will help when you start to teach the cue kennel. This process can be viewed in our recent video showing how to teach "Kennel". The video includes how we recommend using DT Systems H20 1820 to vibrate condition your dog to kennel.

Check out this video at www.willowcreekkennels.net.

For more information, log onto the D.T. Systems website at www.dtsystems.com, write to customerservice@dtsystems.com, or call a Customer Service Specialist at 214-3509 4 4 6 . For more information about Willow Creek Kennels and their training methods visit us at www.willowcreekkennels.net.

READER EMAIL Collin's First Deer: 8 Point Buck for an 8 Year Old Boy Collin and I took advantage of the 2011 Indiana Youth Deer Hunt this year. We were hunting out of a blind and as soon as we setup we had turkeys in the bean field in which we setup as well. Collin had used his own money and purchased a pair of binoculars and took them on this trip to field test them. I was showing him how to adjust them appropriately and we were whispering in the blind when we both jumped out of our seats after two does that were located 15 yards from the blind blew at us. They took off in the middle of the field about 80 yards and finally disappeared over the hill. Collin was sure frustrated after learning that we caused the deer to hear us. I got a kick of this because I have been hunting enough to know that every deer hunter has had this happen sometime or another.

About 45 minutes later we spotted another two does and then another doe and before long we had 10 deer in the field. I was watching one particular doe as she was curious of our blind and was heading straight for us. I had Collin sit on my knee because the gun holes in the blind are too high for him to use. The doe was getting closer and closer but Collin started saying, “Oh my gosh, Oh my gosh”. I turned slowly and looked and we both locked in on an 8point buck that come out on the other side of the field. While both of us were locked in on this buck, we failed to notice the doe that come within 10 yards of our blind and she started blowing at us. Making the other deer a little scared, I knew we better take a shot even though my range finder said 120 yards to the 8 point buck. I had Collin ease the gun out of the gun hole and get the buck in the scope at least but the buck started walking. I whispered to Collin that we have to stop him, hold on. I made a sound, stopped the deer, took the safety off for him, and told him to shoot when ready. Before I got the when ready out, BAM the 20 gauge went off. The deer took off in the direction that it came from. I couldn't tell if he hit him or not because we were both shaking and breathing so hard. I don't know who was the worst! We waited about 5 minutes and decided to see if we could find some initial blood.

I seriously doubted my son abilities because this is the first time that he had shot at a deer let alone the first time he shot the 20 gauge. I sighted the gun in at 50 yards using Lightfield sabot slugs. Now going out at a 120 yard shot seemed a long way for him, considering.

We located where the buck was at during the initial shot placement and sure enough we found what a deer hunter loves to find. We had our blood trail! I was actually shocked and Collin turned to me to, gave me a high five and said, “SEE, I told you I hit him”. We gave each other a high fives and I explained that you can't start looking for a deer right after the shot. We might jump him and chase him farther, Son! He wasn't happy about it but we both sit there looking at the blood and here come deer in the field again. For daddy

that was a good thing because it took his mind off of searching to watching the deer.

We waited about 25 minutes and started following the blood trail. The excitement in my son's face during the track was keeping me from staying on the blood trail as, I was just wanting to watch him. I let him do the work and not 30 minutes later, he found his buck! Smiles, high fives, jumping around and counting antlers!

Ol' Dad showed him how to clean the deer but I will tell you, Collin got his hands dirty and I didn't have to tell him to.

I am very proud of my son and his passion for hunting. He did say, “This was just like watching one of those deer hunting videos we watch all the time together”. I said, “This sure is a lot better in real life”.

I will have to share something that I was told during Dove Camp one year. Next time you go deer hunting with a shotgun, try using Lightfield ammunition. Now I won't say who told me that but the references were excellent. So I sighted Collin’s gun in at 50 yards with 20 gauge Lightfield Sabot Slugs. I was told you don't have to sight it in after that, you should be good at 100 yards.

Well we proved them right. Collin put it right in the kill zone on his first deer. The casing of the shell is on his dresser at the house. Lightfield did the trick for Collin and it's time to buy some 12 gauge for my gun now!

-- Edward V. Hayes II, South Bend, IN

World Class Fly Fishing with Josh Lantz Northern Indiana & Southwest Michigan Less than 3 hours from Indianapolis, 2 hours from Fort Wayne & Chicago, 30 minutes from South Bend.

All equipment provided. Catch & release only, please. Fly fishing specialist, but all forms of light tackle welcome. I have eleven years experience as a professional, licensed fishing guide to ensure you enjoy your day!

Call Today!

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• Now booking fall steelhead, salmon, muskie & bass!

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INDIANA OUTDOOR NEWS ®

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October, 2 0 11 Edition

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All forms of light tackle are welcome. Full or half-day trips. Equipment provided! Book now for best dates.

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October, 2 0 11 Edition

INDIANA OUTDOOR NEWS ®

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Final Approach Mallard Floating Feeder Decoys

Sport-Brella Portable Shelter / Blind The Sport-Brella is a portable 9 ft. wide group umbrella that gives you instant protection from the sun, rain and wind with its domed shape, side flaps and 125 SPF. It comes in a variety of colors/patterns, including camo for use as a blind. Its umbrella action open mechanism allows it to be set up in just three seconds.

The Sport-Brella ncludes top wind vents, side zippered windows for efficient airflow and additional visibility, internal pockets for gear and valuables, convenient carry bag and tethers/ground stakes for use when necessary for additional stability. The Sport-Brella retails for $69.99, and can be purchased online at sklz.com, via phone at 877-225-7275 or at retailers throughout North America.

RIBZ Front Pack The RIBZ Front Pack is an innovative new complement to or substitute for a backpack, the perfect solution for the outdoorsman who wants essential gear in a fast and easy to reach location. Capable of carrying more than 600 cubic inches of gear (smaller 400 cubic inch model also available), RIBZ fits comfortably and securely around the user's ribcage, positioning the contents so that they do not impede torso or arm movement and can be accessed from the front. The RIBZ Front Pack is comfortable enough to be worn in a vehicle or plane, not to mention any outdoors setting. Heavy duty but also lightweight, the RIBZ Front Pack is made from 210D waterproof ripstop nylon and weights just 11 oz (18 oz. water resistant 600D nylon also available). When used with a backpack, RIBZ allows important items to be moved forward to a readily accessible location, allows a greater quantity of items to be carried and repositions weight to decrease backpack size and increase comfort, balance and mobility. Four external zippered pockets, and four additional internal pockets provide plenty of storage options. The shoulder straps of the RIBZ pack are extrawide, heavy-duty nylon, designed to evenly distribute the weight, yet remain comfortable when wearing with an additional backpack. The back of the RIBZ pack consists of two adjustable velcro straps which will not bunch up or sag when wearing the RIBZ with a backpack. Available in camo, blaze orange or black. $64.95, ribzwear.com.

Carbon X Fishing Rods After Alton Jones won the Bassmaster Classic with the Ardent XS casting reel, invented and patented by fishing tackle innovator David Gray, Gray set out to build a fishing rod that anglers would proclaim delivers better fishing performance and is a better fishing tool.

Carbon X™ Fishing Rods have emerged from Gray’s initial vision, and professional anglers who have used and tested the rods over the past two years say they are the highest performing fishing rods made in the USA today.

Carbon X™ rods are quality built in the USA using premium materials and components. Their X1 graphite rod models use both SM and IM graphite in patterns and blends that deliver the superior action and fishing performance desired from each individual rod. Their X2 graphite models use higher modulus IM and HM graphite to enhance and deliver higher performance fishing rods.

Carbon X™ rods are manufactured with high quality, consistent grade graphite using the best resin systems. They use high strain rate graphite with very good elongation qualities and the blends of modulus required to produce superior rod performance in

each individual rod action.

All Carbon X™ rods use patterns of graphite, not just one piece of graphite. How the patterns are cut and rolled along with the modulus of the graphite have great effect on the action and performance of the rod. Other factors that affect the fishing performance of the rod blank are diameter, hoop size, wall thickness and blank taper. Carbon X combines and uses all of these factors when designing rods to produce exceptional fishing performance.

Carbon X does not to produce painted or colored blanks because doing so does not add to the performance of the rod. Painting or coloring a blank does, however, add manufacturing cost. Carbon X prefers to keep their costs in the quality of graphite they use rather than making a white, yellow, or red rod. Some colored rods do look attractive and are made that way to catch fisherman.

Carbon X™ rods are made with a

singular purpose and that is to catch fish. In addition to being highly utilitarian, their sanded, matte black finish is both durable and attractive.

One of our favorite rods in the Carbon X lineup is the S1, 6ft.-6in. medium power, moderate fast action spinning rod. The S1 was the first Carbon X™ spinning rod to go into production.

We think it is one of the sweetest all around high grade spinning rods available. It is very sensitive, with great casting characteristics. The S1 will handle above and below the recommended line weights of 6 to 10 lb monofilament and fluorocarbon. It has quickly become our favorite allaround spinning rod and we think you’ll agree. The S1 retails for $139 at www.fishingtacklejunction.com.

For more information on Carbon X Fishing Rods and each rod in their lineup, visit www.carbonxrods.com.

Successful waterfowl hunters understand the importance of having a realistic decoy spread. Ducks and geese see a lot of different presentations during the season and become wary as hunting pressure increases, making it increasingly important to have a collection of lifelike decoys.

Final Approach, a leading developer of waterfowl products and accessories, has introduced FA Gunner floating feeding Mallards to help add extra realism to the hunter's arsenal of decoys. The Mallard decoys are available in two-pack sets that include a drake and hen.

Designed by acclaimed decoy artist Marty Hanson, the decoys offer the most lifelike anatomy on the market, and feature a vivid custom paint scheme. Each decoy is complete with weighted keels for a realistic on water.

Pair the floating feeding Mallards with a six-pack of FA Gunner floating Mallards to enhance the realism of the spread.

For more information about Final Approach and its complete line of waterfowl products and accessories, visit www.fabrand.com or call 1- 800-423-3537.

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INDIANA OUTDOOR NEWS ®

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October, 2 0 11 Edition

Fishing the loneliest place on Earth

The Last Thought MIKESCHOONVELD I probably got hooked on Great Lakes fishing when I pulled my first yellow perch out of the waters of Lake Erie when I was a young teenager. A few years later news of coho salmon being stocked, living, maturing and even being caught fueled my imagination. A friend and I skipped morning classes at college and drove a couple of hours one morning to a Lake Michigan pier and spent the day casting every spoon, spinner and crankbait we owned hoping to catch one of these exotic species.

In those days, an exotic species was a good thing.

My biography on my personal blog (www. brothernature. info) includes the words, I started fishing for Lake Michigan salmon in 1969 and actually caught one in 1972. I’ve been hooked ever since. Once I caught a coho, I wanted to catch lots more. Then I hoped to catch a chinook salmon. Then, perhaps a steelhead, brown trout or laker.

I don’t remember all the details,

but after mastering (or at least having some tolerable success) the art, science and skills of Great Lakes fishing, I started looking for greener pastures.

I still enjoy fishing the same places I started fishing decades ago, but my quest for finding new and interesting places to fish has taken me to all five of the real Great Lakes and even the three little Great Lakes: Lake St. Claire, Wisconsin’s Lake Winnebago and Ontario’s Lake Nipigon.

You’d think I’d be satisfied with the amount of Great Lakes adventures I’ve had. Truthfully, I am. But there are still a few places on the Great Lakes I’d like to wet a line. One less than a few, actuall y, since I made it to one of the special Great Lakes places I’ve always wanted to fish, recently. I went to Stannard Rock far offshore in Lake Superior.

Picture a spot so desolate it’s been nicknamed the “loneliest place on Earth.” Picture the largest freshwater reef in the largest freshwater lake in the world, guarded by the most remote lighthouse in the United States.

“It’s 45 miles to Stannard Rock,” Captain Terry Huffman told me and my fishing companion, Pat Black, director of the Marquette Country Convention and Visitor’s Bureau. “The lake is laying down after last night’s storm and by the time we get

there, hopefully, it will be nearly calm.”

Getting there happened over 3 hours later with Capt. Terry and I taking turns at the helm.

I glanced at the depth finder when we were about a mile from the lighthouse. It read 513 feet deep.

Huffman was on the back deck readying the light spinning rods we’d use.

No downrigger trolling here, none needed. No trolling reels loaded with 20- or 30-pound line or leadcore and copper line rigs.

We shut down the engines just north of the reef and cast Little Cleos, Kastmasters and Pixie spoons into the crystal waters.

The reef juts up to within 15 or 20 feet of the surface along most of the length. Stannard Rock itself is a boat-sized island jutting above the waves.

“You can let the spoons sink a little,” Huffman coached, “but the trout are used to chasing the herring up off the bottom, so just casting out and reeling in will work.”

That’s how Huffman did it and he scored first. I had a hard time picturing lake trout charging 18 feet or more to strike my spoon so I let it sink. That worked, too!

Our fish were “eater” -sized lake trout, which was fine by us.

We kept a few, destined for the chef at Kapers, the restaurant at the Landmark Hotel in downtown

Marquette where I was staying.

The rest we quickly unhooked and watched swim back to their home.

Remember, lake trout are no longer stocked in Lake Superior.

The fish population grew to the point stocking wasn’t needed to supplement the wild stocks and it’s now increased to the point the daily limit at Stannard Rock has been increased to five per day.

Still, in the cold clear waters of Lake Superior, it takes a long time for a wild-spawned laker to grow-up.

There are plenty of places to catch Great Lakes lakers. None are so special, however, as the loneliest spot in the world. Just going there is special. Using common sense about your harvest will help keep it special.

Stannard Rock and the reef surrounding it lie 45 miles north of Marquette, MI in the middle of Lake Superior. Photo by author.

October, 2 0 11 Edition

INDIANA OUTDOOR NEWS ®

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