HUNTING & FISHING WESTERN
December 2020
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“Researching in 3D means you are able to better execute your scouting efforts for a hunt. Basically, you will know just about everything about the terrain before you step foot in the unit.” Photo credits www.goHUNT.com
WHY 3D MAPS ARE CRITICAL FOR WESTERN HUNTERS By goHUNT Staff Originally published at
www.goHUNT.com
s Western hunters, we need 3D to effectively A research and plan for a hunt. 3D maps allow you to visually see all the folds in the terrain, locate glassing
points, find camping spots, and even hidden benches that might get overlooked on a 2D map. Without 3D, you’re going in blind. Hunters used to have to do their 3D hunt research in a totally different application, pull layers from another source, then later transfer all that data and possibly lose some of it. Why did we have to do that for so many years? Like everyone else, we asked mapping companies for 3D, but nobody listened. So, we’re building it. And we aren’t just building a mapping tool, we’re building a hunting tool. Something that we can trust to take in the field because it has what we need in the research phase for actual hunting situations.
exact spot, and then take that information directly in the field. Planning in 3D and then taking everything offline all in one tool is a game-changer. Mobile with offline GPS is right around the corner. We’re in final testing of goHUNT Maps for Android and iPhone right now. Why 3D hunt research is important What we’ve noticed over the years is that trying to figure out the differences in terrain features on a 2D map leads to huge missed opportunities. Researching on a 2D map and what you will see in the field can be totally different. Having to use a 2D map service on one screen and Google Earth on the other is not much better. You simply cannot prepare as effectively without a good 3D map. Researching in 3D means you are able to better execute your scouting efforts for a hunt. Basically, you will know just about everything about the terrain before you step foot in the unit. You can get a better understanding of where the animals may be.
3D hunt research also allows you to plan safer routes if you hunt in some unforgiving terrain at the top of the mountains. Now you can actually read the ridgelines, see what is safe, and isn’t safe by using tools that goHUNT provides. We live in 3D and hunt in 3D, so everyone should be researching in 3D to fully understand the big picture of where we are researching. When planning a hunt in 3D, you’re getting a huge head start on what you can expect to see in the field.
goHUNT Maps completely simplifies e-scouting. It is a dedicated, hunting-focused 3D mapping platform to find the perfect ridge to hunt from, drop the pin in the
4 | Hunting & Fishing News
If you’re not an INSIDER, you can try goHUNT Maps for free for 7 days. Go here: https://join.gohunt.com/try/insider
TRICKS FOR LANDING WALLEYE ON ICE By Mark Romanack Fishing 411 www.fishing411.net Photo courtesy www.fishing411.net
nyone who has ice fished for walleye or other larger fish A species knows that the moment of truth comes when the fish is at the bottom of the ice hole. Getting that fish’s nose
into the hole may seem simple, but it’s amazing how often fish get off at this critical moment. What makes this situation even more frustrating is the fish comes unbuckled right before your eyes! A number of years ago I got so frustrated at losing hard fought fish at the hole, I started rigging my ice fishing rods with what I call a landing leader. I spool up my ice fishing combos with 10 pound test Berkley XT monofilament, a line that’s highly respected for having exceptional abrasion resistance. Next I tie in a 36-inch leader of 15-pound test fluorocarbon line using a double uni knot. The web page www.animatedknots.com is a good site for learning to tie unique fishing knots. This fluorocarbon leader serves several purposes. First off, fluorocarbon is invisible in water making it the perfect terminal connection option.
Photo courtesy www.fishing411.net
Secondly, fluorocarbon is exceptionally abrasion resistant. The sharp teeth of a walleye or lake trout are no match for premium fluorocarbon line. Also, fluorocarbon can take a lot of abuse from the edges of the ice hole. Most importantly the fluorocarbon leader gives me the leverage to muscle fish up into the hole. When the leader knot comes up the hole, I grab the leader with one hand and pressure the fish up into the hole. I can put more pressure on the fish by pulling on the leader and forcing the fish into the hole than I can by pulling with the rod. When the fish’s head hits the top of the hole, the fluorocarbon leader is also heavy enough to pull the fish quickly up onto the surface of the ice. A second trick I use often to land big fish while ice fishing is to cut two holes side by side, but slightly overlapping. The figure 8 shaped hole provides more room to land stubborn fish. Obviously cutting oversized holes takes more work, but it also insures that hooked fish will become landed fish! It’s the little things we do on the water that transforms a fishing nightmare into the fish story of a lifetime.
Hunting & Fishing News | 5
Photo credit Scott Christensen
PREPARE AND YOU CAN ELK HUNT EVERY YEAR FOR LESS THAN $1,500 By Jake Horton Originally published at
After you select a state, next, choose what part of the state or what hunting district you will be going into. A great way to do this is by using goHUNT to select units that are either OTC or units that can be drawn with zero points. This same information is available on the individual state’s website; however, using goHUNT can save you hours of pouring through data. It also has information on the difficulty of the hunt, pictures and other users’ comments about the unit. After you evaluate all of the units that you can hunt annually, I would suggest going to state’s website and looking for their maps. Most states have elk density maps or maps that show if a unit is under or over the game commission’s objective for elk. I like to pick a unit that is not at the highest density or over objective, but is somewhere in-between. In my experience, doing this has increased my chances of finding elk while reducing the frequency of running into other sportsmen when afield.
www.goHUNT.com
riginally from the East Coast, for me, the notion of getting O out West to hunt the majestic wapiti was always an overwhelming, complicated and expensive dream.
However, I am here to tell you that heading out to the Rockies to chase bull elk can easily become an annual event if you have the drive and about $1,500 to allocate to this once-in-a-lifetime experience. Whether you live in Maine, Florida, Texas or anywhere in-between, this article will explain how doable and affordable it is to get out West. Hunting in western states starts with preparation and ends with preparation and involves choosing what state to hunt, hunting districts, spots, financial planning and selecting a good hunting partner. Preparation, preparation, preparation The first step to get out West hunting every year is to pick a state. Selecting the right state involves analyzing the opportunity and financial costs for the tag. In my experience, if you are coming from out-of-state, the greatest advantage is to be able to hunt the same location year after year. To do this, you have to be able to draw the unit annually. A state like Arizona or New Mexico may be known for great trophy elk hunting; however, if your goal is to hunt more than once every three or four years, then you should look elsewhere. A state like Colorado is very nonresident friendly due to the immense amount of over-the-counter (OTC) tags and units available. This allows a hunter to learn the land and be able to compound his experience since he has the opportunity to hunt the same unit annually. Some of the greatest hunting spots are travel corridors or escape sanctuaries that get overlooked; it takes time and experience on the ground to figure this out. It takes days, if not weeks, to be able to hunt a specific area and be able to cross off spots and find elk, so keep your chin up when hunting a new area.
The decision to hunt a specific state should involve the cost of the tags, the travel distance to the state and the frequency you can draw. Some states offer a tag that is good for multiple seasons; however, if you only have enough time off for one hunt, this may not be an advantage for you.
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For more information on how to become an INSIDER and use these tool-sets click here: https://join.gohunt.com/try/insider. Once you settle on three to four OTC units with decent harvest statistics and a healthy elk population, it’s time to find out more information on each one. The most time consuming part of your research involves using Google Earth, aerial maps, Forest Service maps or any other obtainable information in order to familiarize yourself with the geography and public land. Typically, I locate and mark all trailheads, then find drainages that look like they are multiple miles from the nearest trailheads or seemingly hard to reach. Once you have a fairly good virtual understanding of the unit, it’s a good idea to call the local Forest Service, game and fish department and game wardens to ask them what they can tell you about your unit. Be sure to write down specific questions that you may have about drainages, trailheads and road information in order to make the best use of your time on the phone. From experience, when talking with area officials, I learned that one of the things that frustrates them the most is when they talk to people who do not know anything about the unit and are looking for hunting spots to be handed out. Being confident and asking the right questions can help you cross off spots that are over hunted or that don’t hold game before you get there. This is a great way to ensure you don’t waste your legs and your precious hunting time finding out the hard way. When on the phone, be sure to use a notepad and have a map open to write important details down and follow along. Make sure to pay attention to who you talk to and, if you call back, ask for the same person or a different person depending on how the first conversation went. After you’ve done your own research and have made a few calls, you should have a good idea of if the unit seems right for you. If it doesn’t, then start the process over again. However, if it sounds like a good unit, then commit and plan the next part. (continued page 36)
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I point out two major keys to Derek’s success, and I urge you to keep them in mind. One, if you use trail cameras, keep them running until the last day, you never know when and where a buck you have never seen before might show up. Secondly, and this is huge, hunt the buck’s winter core area, but switch it up. Vary your normal approach into the woods each day…set up, either in a stand on the ground, in a funnel or near a cover edge… That buck is there because he is a master of moving around and avoiding hunters. Get that element of surprise and you might get him yet.
Derek Plautz ND Photo courtesy www.bigdeerblog.com
December Deer-Hunting Tactics
By Mike Hanback Big Deer Blog www.bigdeerblog.com
If you’ve still got a buck tag in your pocket, read on. One recent winter in North Dakota was atypical, as it has been in many parts of the county these last few years. “We had almost no snow and record high temperatures,” said local bowhunter and BIG DEER blogger Derek Plautz. “Needless to say it made the hunting difficult.” Derek hunted hard, and the first week of December he started getting trail cam pictures of a shooter 10-point. “He only showed up on cam one time in shooting hours,” he said, “but at least we knew he was there. We hunted him for several weeks.” With only 2 nights left in the season, Derek decided to change it up. He moved to an entirely new location within the ghost buck’s core area, and set up in a hidden spot that nobody had hunted all season. He didn’t hang a tree stand, but rather fashioned a small ground blind behind a fallen tree. The first deer to step out that evening was the giant! He moved slowly toward Derek, bronze antlers glinting in the last light. On the ground Derek had to be especially stealthy, and he was. When the deer crossed at 30 yards, he pulled his Hoyt and let the arrow fly. The buck kicked and ran, but didn’t go far. “What a great way to end a weird weather season,” said Derek. “I can’t imagine anything better than to get to enjoy hunting all season, and then to get a buck like this at the very end!”
8 | Hunting & Fishing News
Hunt the Food: Your late-season strategy has to center around the limited foods that remain for the deer. Both does and bucks are run down from the November rut, and they have to eat. The colder (and snowier) it is in December, the harder deer will move to and from the leftover feed, and the more visible they will be in daylight. Some tips for 3 common feeding habitats: Photo credit wasppics|depositphotos.com
–Crops: You’ll see the most animals if you have access to corn or soybeans, by far the two best winter food sources. A patch of standing corn is especially good, as it provides both eats and cover for skittish deer. In a harvested bean field, scout edges and corners where a few strips of beans were missed and still stand. Those will be a magnet for deer. The less gun pressure in and around a field so far, the more bucks you will see in daylight. Pray for snow and temps from the teens to 30. A hungry buck might pop out into the crops morning, noon or night then. Bundle up and be out there till the end. –Ridge: I love to hunt a hardwood ridge within a mile of a crop field anytime of season, but not any old ridge will do in December. Ideally, look for a hogback that was thinned a few years ago and that now offers brushy ground cover. A lot of does and bucks will travel through the second-growth saplings and thickets en route to and from the fields, and they’ll stage and browse in the greenery. Tip: Sneak in somewhere through mature, open woods and set a stand or blind on the first downwind edge of where the thinned second-growth begins. You shouldn’t jump a single deer. –Greenery: If you hunt public or private woods miles from the nearest corn or beans you won’t see nearly as many deer—none some days. To have a prayer of punching that last tag you must find and watch what little food/cover mix is left for a buck—edge of a clear-cut or power line, oak flat near a cedar swamp (maybe a few nuts), grape or honeysuckle thicket…you get the picture. Set a stand on the fringe of a pine, cedar or honeysuckle thicket. Bucks love to run any green edge left in the woods.
Factor In Pressure: Virtually every farm or woods has had some hunting pressure, moderate to heavy, come December. Don’t fret about that pressure, but rather factor it into your strategy and use it to your advantage.
Numerous studies have shown that almost all people hunt within a mile of a field, logging road or similar easy-access area.
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In late season, the answer is neither to keep hunting these same spots, nor or is it to necessarily go deeper into the woods away from roads. Studies also show that most whitetails do not flee pressure by leaving their core areas and heading miles farther into cover. Rather, most bucks continue to live around the same fields and ridges, they just seek out hidden, thick spots where most people never hunt. And they move at night. That is why switching it up where you hunt is so important in winter. Think “out of the way.” A beaver swamp beside a gravel road, a 6-acre thicket behind a neighbor’s house, an overgrown hog lot back of a barn… a thick spot like that is where an old 8- or 10-pointer will hide in hopes of riding out the season. Find such a spot, set a stand (ground or tree perch), hunt it hard and score at the bitter end.
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What About Second Rut?: Across the country, some mature bucks continue to rut into early December, and a second rut happens at some point. But this rutting is so spotty and unpredictable that I do not recommend hunting the second rut per se. That said, you ought to: –Lay a doe-in-heat trail into your stand most days. Far fewer does mist the woods with estrus scent now; a buck might cut your trail and follow it in, hoping to hook up with a last hottie. –Carry your grunter and continue to call. If you see a flurry of rutting activity in early December, you might try rattling to mimic two bucks fighting over a last hot doe. But if and when the deer you see appear secretive and skittish, indicating the rut is done, back off because bucks will shy from the horns rather than come to the racket.
Photo credit shlag|depositphotos.com
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How To Choose Your Outfitter SNS Outfitter & Guides www.huntwyo.com
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huntingfishingnews@yahoo.com www.huntingfishingnews.net The entire contents is © 2020, all rights reserved. May not be reproduced without prior consent. The material and information printed is from various sources from which there can be no warranty or responsibility by Big Sky Outdoor News & Adventure, Inc. Nor does this material necessarily express the views of Big Sky Outdoor News & Adventure, Inc. All photo & editorial submissions become the property of Big Sky Outdoor News & Adventure, Inc. to use or not use at their discretion. Volume 17 Issue 8 Cover Photo: jill@ghostbear.org | depositphotos.com
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dmittedly, selecting the right hunting outfitter is A not an easy process. With hundreds of thousands of outfitters around the world, there are numerous
aspects to take into consideration. First, what species are you interested in hunting? Once you have that figured out, which state do you want to hunt in? Are you looking for an area where tags are easy to draw? Furthermore, are you looking for a trophy or simply want to fill your freezer? You’ll also want to consider the length of the hunt and whether or not you prefer a horseback hunt. As you can see, there are a plethora of factors to take into consideration. Once you narrow down your preferences — or at least have a fairly solid idea of your likings — you take to the Internet. Between interactive websites, great trophy photos, and testimonials that make you feel like you were on the hunt yourself, it’s difficult to choose . So, here is what we suggest: 1. Interview the outfitter: Pick up the phone and give the outfitter a call. Make sure you ask plenty of questions. Ask about their process, the quality of hunt, the overall experience, and simply have a friendly conversation. Generally speaking, the feel that you get from a call with the outfitter you’ll know the hunt is right for you or not. However, if you’re still wondering you can ask for references. 2. Call the references: Touch base with the references that you received from the outfitter, hear their hunting experience(s) with said outfitter you’re interested in. Ask if they would change anything about their experience or if they would always recommend family and friends to this outfitter. 3. Search online: Look for reviews, images, stories, or blogs. More than likely, you’ll either find the best news or the worst, it can be a true test to the outfitters reputation.
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4. Years in business: There is something to be said about the longevity of the outfitter’s business. You should be more hesitant to send a large deposit to a newly established outfitter. Typically, outfitters that have been in business for several years are highly reputable. 5. Understand what is offered: Be sure you understand what is offered in the hunting package you’re purchasing. For us at SNS Outfitter and Guides, we try and make the process as simple as possible. We purchase your hunting license, preference points, and take care of as much of the paper work as possible. However, many outfitters are not like that, so be sure you understand what is included and what is not. 6. Insurance and policies: This is critical — be sure your outfitter is bonded, licensed, and insured. Check the cancellation policy. Simply know the ins and outs of the entire outfitter. Your hunter-to-guide ratio: Upon booking and knowing your package, you should also be aware of the hunter to guide ratio. Is it 1:1 or 1:2, or possibly more? Here at SNS, we offer both one guide to one hunter as well as one guide to two hunters. Be sure to ask — that way, there won’t be any surprises upon arriving to hunting camp. Lastly, while many outfitters are reputable, knowing the right questions to ask (and trusting your instincts) will take you to the right outfitter. It’s important that you enjoy your hunt and it checks the boxes that you were looking for.
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If you have any questions for SNS Outfitter & Guides, please do not hesitate to reach out. Click here https://huntwyo.com/contact to fill out a contact form. Or, if you would like to know more about our hunts, click here https://huntwyo.com/our-hunts/all-hunts. Lastly, for a free brochure, fill out a request form here https://huntwyo.com/brochure-request.
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TIPS To HUNT In
B itte itterr ly Cold Weather (And Why You Should)
By Zach Lazzari and Ryan McSparran Caribou Gear Outdoor Equipment Company www.caribougear.com
Base Layers Wear base layer materials that help manage your body’s moisture and dry quickly. Fabrics like merino wool are ideal, as they retain their insulative properties even if damp. Quick drying synthetic base layers are also important. Don’t even think about cotton – and that includes your socks and underwear. Outerwear Waterproof, breathable outerwear is also critical. A high quality hardshell jacket and pants will evacuate moisture from the inside while protecting you from snow and moisture from the outside. A garment with a waterproof, breathable membrane is also windproof – a major key to avoiding convective heat loss. Managing Moisture While hiking through elk and mule deer country, you will build up a sweat. Sitting after that hike will quickly lead to a chill. When you are about to begin a climb or any period of exertion, layer down. It’s better to be a bit cold when you begin the climb than to be drenched in sweat a few minutes later. You might even carry an extra base layer to swap out when the original becomes wet. When it’s time to sit and glass, bundle up with your dry gear and you’ll maintain the heat that you generated on the hike. Footwear The same principle applies to your feet. Cold feet are very uncomfortable and they will quickly end a day in the field. Waterproof, insulated boots are ideal. Use a boot with a breathable membrane to help evacuate moisture. We highly recommend Kenetrek boots. They’re warm, waterproof, comfortable in rugged terrain, and they’ll last you for many years.
Photo credit Ryan McSparran
t’s rifle season. And it’s getting late into the fall. When you Iteens look at the weekend forecast, temps are going to be in the or even single digits. Do you cringe? Or do you think, “Game on!”
When the weather turns very cold, you shouldn’t hesitate to go hunting. In fact, you should get motivated when you see a major cold snap coming just in time for your hunt. When bitter cold temperatures arrive, it can mean fewer people on the mountain. Plus, it vastly improves your chances of seeing animals on their feet. In very cold conditions, strategic clothing and a logical approach to staying comfortable will extend your hunting day. Being able to hunt those extremely cold dawn temperatures and all the way through dusk can increase your odds of harvesting an animal. Here are a few tips to take advantage of these cold weather opportunities while staying comfortable in the field…
TIPS FOR STAYING DRY Moisture is the enemy in cold weather and you must find ways to let sweat escape while preventing outside moisture from entering. This starts with your clothing materials.
12 | Hunting & Fishing News
Even in a breathable boot, your feet will inevitably build up some level of sweat. For that reason, carry an extra pair of socks in a plastic zip bag. If your feet become sweaty and then cold, swap them out. Putting on a fresh pair of socks will make an incredible difference, adding comfort and preventing blisters. Choose a high quality merino wool or merino-synthetic blend sock and avoid cotton at all costs. Again, we can’t say enough about Kenetrek... Shelter Finally, be prepared to stay dry through sleet and snowfall. Our ultralight Hunter’s Tarp weighs just 4.3 ounces and is totally waterproof. This is a no-brainer to keep in your daypack. It’s a ground tarp for quartering or deboning meat. It’s a pack liner for transporting game bags full of meat. And in these foul-weather situations, it’s a great waterproof shelter. Stake it out with trees or trekking poles and paracord to make a great little storm shelter or glassing shelter.
TIPS FOR EFFECTIVE LAYERING You’ve heard this one a thousand times but it remains important. Carry base layers, insulating layers and quality outerwear throughout your hunt. The key however, is to use them strategically.
LAYERING PRIORITIES
OTHER TIPS FOR STAYING WARM
If you’re on a budget, your order of importance should be your outerwear first – those waterproof, breathable jacket and pants aren’t cheap. Save up and buy good ones. Next come your base layers. Try to find high quality merino wool or synthetics. And lastly, insulating layers. These mid-layers are the easiest to find at reasonable costs. A cheap down puffy from your favorite discount store will do. Sure, it will be heavier and bulkier than the expensive version with 800-fill goose down. But if you’re making cuts somewhere, that’s usually the layer to do it.
Sometimes, an external heat source can make all the difference. Depending on where you’re hunting and how far into the backcountry, consider bringing a thermos full of hot coffee, tea or soup. Warming from the inside out will make you feel much better on a bitter cold day. Soup is especially nice because the extra calories will keep you warm for an extended period of time.
Bring at least two different mid-layers of varying weights in the truck so that you can mix or match depending on the weather. For example, pack a synthetic fleece jacket for milder temps and a puffy down jacket for very cold weather. Gaiters When the weather is foul, gaiters become another important piece of gear. If the ground is wet or if there’s snow, eventually water can wick up your pants and then down your socks. You might think your boots are leaky when in fact, moisture is moving in from your calf down. Gaiters provide an extra layer of protection to keep your feet and the bottom of your pants dry.
Alternatively, you might bring a lightweight stove system, like a Jetboil, in your daypack. Even in harsh conditions, a Jetboil will heat water in no time. Then, some instant coffee or tea is all you need to warm up out in the backcountry. In addition to beverages, this allows you to fix a hot meal while you’re on the mountain. During those long hours of glassing in the cold, a hot lunch or cup of coffee can make a big difference to keep you energized and focused. Calories are Fuel
Extremities
And finally, when the weather is extremely cold, pay attention to your calorie intake. Bring enough food and make sure you’re snacking throughout the day. When you’re feeling cold, a bite to eat can recharge your system. If the weather is extremely cold, plan on having a snack every hour. Late season mule deer and elk hunting means lots of glassing – so there will be plenty of stationary time to snack while you’re behind the glass.
In addition to the layers, winter calls for a warm hat and serious gloves. Choose a hat with insulation and plenty of cover for the ears. A neck gaiter will also make a big difference. And in extreme cold, a balaclava that covers everything including the neck is useful.
If you have questions or need help getting ready for your next hunt, please don’t hesitate to reach out to Caribou Gear at 303-798-5824 or visit www.caribougear.com. The later seasons offer some of the best hunting conditions of the year – get out there, take advantage of it and have fun!
Hunting & Fishing News | 13
THROUGH THE STORM – A STORY OF CHRISTMAS, LOSS, AND HUNTING By Erin Woodward Project Upland www.projectupland.com
never asked me to join him on his November pheasant hunts. We spent the better part of the day walking the valley behind our dogs, watching their tails stand at attention, the silence of their bells alerting us to birds. Walking back to the truck that evening, dad placed his right hand on my shoulder. “Amos,” he said, “I’ve made many mistakes as your father. The liquor became too comforting, too strong for me. I . . . I thought it would help me to escape the worries of the farm, of the war. I know you have been stealing sips here and there. Be stronger than I was, son. I beg you to stop.” Tears were slowly rolling down his face. Dad and I hugged; we made our peace that night. We both promised to never pick up a bottle again. Neither of us ever raised our shotguns that day. It was perfect.
Image deepgreen|depositphotos.com
The author takes us on a fictional journey into a hard world of family, loss, and the bonds of hunting. out the family room window I could see the barn Lin ooking entrenched in the dormant grass of winter, a sentinel the field of knotted overgrown apple trees. I recall handing dad each board, intently watching his strength nail the scraps of wood into place. He would smile back as we talked about birds and our pair of English setters, Pearl and Daisy. Hunting season had come again, and the dogs knew it as well. Our Pilot radio played in the background, Paul Harvey’s voice crooning us with another story.
The outline of where the basketball hoop used to be had somehow survived the years, like the shadows on the sidewalks of Hiroshima. Dad had ripped the basketball hoop two weeks after my 15th birthday. Only the nails would remain. Mom wanted to blame his actions on stress and work, but we all knew the real reason. A bottle always kept him company whenever he lingered outside around the barn. He thought he could hide the schnapps inside a wheel of the tractor. Sometimes I’d go out there and steal a few sips. I knew he knew, but what could he say? To this day I’ve spoken very little of those events to my own family. Memories are sometimes best reserved for your own heart. Winter arrived early that year in the Midwest. The fall harvest was well beyond our expectations. The phone calls from the bank stopped. Men dressed in suits no longer came knocking on the front door. Mom and dad were both happy again. I would watch while they danced circles in the kitchen, listening to the Righteous Brothers play from the radio. I would spend afternoons with Pearl and Daisy fishing for crappie. They became my best friends. Dad and Daisy were leaving that first Saturday in November for their annual ring-necked pheasant hunt. Before climbing into his truck, he leaned over the hood, smiled at me and said, “Come on Amos, grab Pearl and jump in. Let’s get your dog on some birds.” Dad had
14 | Hunting & Fishing News
Dad had been away for two days quail hunting with his old Navy buddies. The ground was hard and white and brittle that night, like old bones. Pearl and Daisy were sitting near the fireplace. Snow had been falling for hours. The smell of turkey scented the entire kitchen and family room. Mom and I could see flashes of light down the end of the drive and we went to the window, both of us pressing our faces so hard against the glass that for a moment we thought our heads might go through the panes. Pearl and Daisy moved through the living room at a nervous pace, both barking, whimpering, and anxious to bolt out the front door. Flashing red lights from the sheriff’s car followed behind. We began to notice the silhouette of a man walking down the drive. I opened the door, attempting to get a better look. Daisy rushed out the door at full speed to the figure coming down the road. I clutched Pearl in my arms. I could feel her trembling. She was not alone in that feeling. It was the sheriff. The sheriff, my Uncle John, dad’s eldest brother, delivered the news. John’s beard was covered with flakes of snow. Hands shivering, his nails dug deeply into dad’s Parker shotgun. John mentioned finding the shotgun lying on the ground. Looking down through water-filled eyes, his words displaced by tears, John muttered quietly, “I guess this shotgun belongs to you now, Amos.” I took the gun by the stock. It was so cold. Uncle Sam came calling for me soon after dad passed. I kissed mom goodbye. We both cried. Pearl and Daisy escorted me down to the end of the drive, where a cab awaited. I clutched onto my pups, not wanting to leave them. Vietnam became my home for the next three years. I trudged through the most vile, evil, I could imagine. Death become a welcome thought, something I came to accept. I longed for the companionship of Daisy and Pearl. I missed the days before the war, days when dad and I would trek through the woods, watching the dogs point pheasant. Nightly I clutched the cross that laid across my chest while on patrol behind the wire. Once home, away from the sounds of the mortars and screams of war, I made my peace with God and with myself. I was eager to hear the sound of bells again. Pulling the Parker into my hands, gripping the wooden stock and feeling the coolness of the barrel, a warmth of memories flooded through my mind.
I spent the better part of the evening cleaning the barrels. Arising the next morning I stuffed my pockets full of grandma’s fruitcake and mom’s peppermint candies. I watched as Pearl and Daisy excitedly began waving their tails. Walking into the woods, I eagerly waited to see the rise of my dogs’ tails. The outing into field was bittersweet. It had been the first time I had hunted behind Daisy without dad.
Stopping briefly to eat I found myself enjoying the sandwiches more than I ever could remember, sharing bites with the dogs, just as dad once had done. Watching Daisy and Pearl, I would see them move in a beautiful pattern as they worked in tandem, slowly moving when they scented birds and coming to staunch point. We kicked up two pheasants that Christmas Eve. I plucked the tail feathers and placed them in the wreath.
I spent the weeks leading to Christmas helping mom shuffle through boxes we found in the barn. I came across our old red and green bubble lights, my favorite, along with strands of garland. In the background the old Pilot radio softly played Bing Crosby and Carol Richard’s “Silver Bells.” Among the collection of decorations were photos of mom and dad dressed for Uncle John’s wedding. Grandpa tipping his fedora with a clutch of pheasant happily raised in his left hand. The final box contained the wreath dad and I made from grandpa’s pheasant tails. Closing the door to the barn, wreath in hand, and for the first time since dad’s passing, I placed the wreath on the front door.
Arriving home that evening, I turned on the radio hearing Paul Harvey’s voice while mom roasted a pheasant in the oven. His popular “The Man and the Birds” was being broadcast. Hearing him speak made me smile as I thought of my dad. The creamed broccoli and baked potato were a nice touch. Mom and I finished the meal with a piece of fruitcake. Snow continued to fall throughout the night.
Each Christmas Eve Dad and I would make the yearly pilgrimage to the fields in search of a Christmas tree. Dad would carry his axe while I held onto his shotgun. We would fill a thermos of coffee and wrap meatloaf sandwiches in wax paper. Pearl and Daisy would put their noses to work. The silence of bells made me smile. The yearly outing to find a tree always seemed a bit brighter when I filled the game bag with wild birds. A snow storm moved in by mid-morning on Christmas Eve. I packed up the traditional lunch before heading afield. The thermos warmed my hands. With Pearl and Daisy eagerly waiting. I scratched their heads, gave them a quick wink and we headed for the truck.
Christmas arrived the next day. I felt the cross around my neck. Strapping on my boots, I kissed mom on the forehead. She smiled when I grabbed the axe. Pearl and Daisy jumped up and closely followed behind. The truck broke down at the edge of the woods on the far western side of the farm. I dragged that Douglas fir for well over a mile back to the house. Daisy and Pearl tumbled around in the snow, nipping and pawing at each other along the way. The tinsel and bubble lights found a new home neatly nestled among the branches. I looked outside the window, again seeing the barn. The nails were covered from last night’s snow, but the faded outline of the basketball hoop still remained. Pressing my nose against the glass, I watched closely as dad I and played basketball, Pearl and Daisy weaving in-between our legs barking with excitement, running to point out the occasional songbird. And I watched as dad scooped me into strong arms, both of us laughing.
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Fishing tips brought to you by
gets light. Space your tip ups out across a transition in depth to cover 5, 10 and 15 ft depths. The main takeaway is to spread out and cover various depths across areas that hold vegetation.
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Once you find your spot, the next step is to gather your tip up rigs and bait for pike fishing. Learning to rig a quick strike rig is beneficial as it is one of the tried and true set ups for tip up fishing. The hook up ratio on pike with this rig is way better than a single treble hook set up. Using two trebles on heavy line, you hook one near the tail of the bait fish and the second treble just inside the dorsal fin. The second treble is attached up the line (3-4 inches) and connected with a crimp or snap. This method allows you to set the hook as soon as you get to the hole. Once you get a good hook set, retrieve the line hand over hand. The quick strike rig should be used on larger sizes of bait like 4-6″ shiners, sucker minnows or shad.
Photo courtesy Tailored Tackle www.tailoredtackle.com
ICE FISHING FOR PIKE: How to Target Northern Pike Through the Ice By Justin Brouillard Tailored Tackle www.tailoredtackle.com
ike are a popular ice fishing target for anglers of P all skills due to their aggressive feeding habits, large sizes, and abundance. The two most common
species of pike are northern pike and chain pickerel. Chain pickerel is most common along the eastern states while northern pike is more common across the midwest. Chain pickerel average around 2-5 pounds while northern pike tend to grow larger at 3-7 pounds. Both species respond to the same tactics, however it is important to size your bait and tackle according to the target population in your particular water body. Let’s take a look at some tried and true tips to ice fish for pike of all sizes across the ice belt.
Tip Up Fishing for Pike
When tip-up fishing for pike, there are several things you can do to ensure success. The main thing is to spread out and cover a lot of water. As much of an area that you can manage with 5 tip-ups will drastically increase your odds of catching fish. The next best thing to do is to place your tip ups in locations that are likely to hold pike. Weed lines and large clumps of vegetation are key hang outs for pike. Healthy vegetation holds bait fish which lure in pike. Target the edges of weed lines, around denser areas, as well as transitions from weeds to deeper bottoms. Shorelines that sport a change in depth, as well as the edges of shallow flats are great places to zero in on. Once you find your spot, the last thing to do is to place each tip up at a different depth. Pike and pickerel are most often found in 3-15 ft where vegetation still
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Dead Sticking for Pike
One of the most productive ice fishing techniques is dead sticking for pike. To dead stick, rig up your ice fishing combo with a live bait jig and a large shiner or sucker minnow. Suspend the lure a few feet to halfway up the water column. Let the bait sit perfectly still by placing your rod on a bucket or in a rod holder. Within close proximity to your dead stick, jig a second combo with a flashy lure, like the Rattle Rip lure or the Jigging Lure in our ice fishing kit, to call in roaming pike to your live bait. Jig rapidly and cover large portions of the water column, as your primary goal is to call pike into your live bait offering. When pike sneak in, they usually prefer to eat the dead stick bait. You will have little luck jigging for panfish or other small species as a roaming pike will spook them off. So only set up a dead stick with a large minnow if you are targeting predator species.
Why NOT to Jig for Pike
When targeting pike...through the ice, it is a good idea to focus on tip-ups and dead sticking. Jigging is helpful for calling in pike, but the live minnow sitting in place is the key offering. Pike usually roam alone or in small pods of 2 or 3 fish. There will generally be a single or small pod of pike for every 20-30 yards. Jigging to find pike simply won’t get as many bites as spreading out and letting pike roam to you. Focus on covering productive water and spreading your gear out. Work the area with tip-ups or lock into a key spot with a dead stick rig. Jigging is a good way to pass time while fishing for pike, but work through flashy and other attractive baits to draw in curious fish. Most of your bites will come from the tip-up or dead stick with a live bait fish.
3 Advantages Of A Rod And Reel Combination Package By Zach Lazzari Mystic Outdoors www.mysticoutdoors.com
into the sport of fly fishing is exciting. But the Jshortumping selection process for your first rod and reel is nothing of overwhelming. Matching a rod, reel and fly line
takes some time. Plus, finding a combination that doesn’t break the bank is difficult at best. You can jump into the high-end department and drop a thousand bucks without blinking. But go too cheap, and you risk needing to upgrade again in a year or two. When picking out your first rod – or at least one of your first rods – finding a quality combo set saves time, a ton of money and it puts a quality rod in your hands that is ready to get a workout. 1. SIZE AND BALANCE Finding the perfect balance between a rod and reel requires a good deal of testing. Before you purchase a rod and a reel, you might have to demo several different combinations to find the one that feels just right. A setup like the Inception rod and reel combination already has the balance predetermined. Your reel is designed to match the rod and it does not over or underweight the rod. The balance maximizes your casting abilities and the rod performance as a whole.
2. LINE MATCHING Matching a fly line to a fly rod should be a simple science. Yet one look at the varying options will have you secondguessing your selection. All of these lines serve a purpose, but you really only need one to get started in fly fishing. A high quality fly line that’s matched to your rod makes a major difference in terms of performance and durability. The Inception reel is spooled with a weight forward, floating fly line. The line is from the Sage brand and is competitive with the best lines on the market. Some of these lines cost more than $70 at retail. That’s nearly half the cost of the entire Inception package. The line is also made to match your rod. This means it will load the rod and deliver casts with minimal energy. (continued on page 38) THE ULTIMATE FISHING EXPERIENCE.
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Hunting & Fishing News | 17
Photo credit Chris Neville
FOUR WORKOUTS INSPIRED BY THE ELK MOUNTAINS By Anthony Wright
Originally published at
www.goHUNT.com
ive these workouts from my personal training routine G a try before your next hunt or to keep in shape during the hunting seasons. Designed around keeping the muscles and joints in shape for the mountains for when you’re covering country with a pack on. Good luck! Disclaimer: Perform these workouts at your own risk. Adjust movements as necessary to accommodate prior injuries or physical restrictions.
THE 30 MINUTE HUSTLE
Equipment required: Rower, 20” or 24” box (or something equivalent) and one dumbbell. Each exercise that requires a dumbbell will use the same weight. Choose a dumbbell that allows you to perform each movement without being too heavy. One of the main objectives
JOIN
is to continue moving. Having the weight on shoulder and alternating each round will engage your core and stabilization muscles in your abs, ankles and hips, replicating the movements of hiking with a pack on in terrain such as deadfall or rocks. Each round consists of: Bike: 60 seconds at a medium resistance. If a bike is not available then alternates include: fast jump roping or medium pace run. Box step-up with dumbbell on shoulder: 20 repetitions (10 each leg). Use a 20” box for easy or a 24” box to increase difficulty. Alternate which shoulder the weight is on with each round. Forward lunge with dumbbell on shoulder: 20 repetitions (10 each leg). Alternate which shoulder the weight is on with each round. Dumbbell front squat: 10 repetitions. Hold the dumbbell in front of you and keep it chest level with each squat. You should feel your core/stomach engaging throughout the movement. I personally like to change the variation of each squat with each round from normal width, narrow width and wide width. This activates different muscles with each variation. Continue until 30 mins has expired. For more of a challenge, bump it up to 40 to 45 minutes.
ELK RUNNER
Equipment required: (2) matching weight kettlebells, 20” box (or equivalent), rower (or jump rope) 10 Rounds as fast as possible. Each round consists of: 30 seconds row or jump rope: If rowing, put resistance at highest setting and try to keep an 800 kcal/hr pace (high pace for those who don’t have one that measures this). 20 (10 each leg) kettlebell step-ups: Complete a full step-up and alternate with each repetition just like you were hiking. 5 burpees with push up.
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10 (5 each leg) kettlebell lunge. 10 kettlebell straight leg deadlift or regular deadlift: If trying to work the hamstrings more then use the straight leg deadlift; if wanting to work more back muscles use the regular deadlift. 10 sit-ups (unassisted) Yes, the goal is to complete 10 rounds as fast as possible while keeping form at the forefront of the movements to prevent injury. For your first time, I would recommend using lighter kettlebells. Then, once you’ve completed the workout, you can determine whether or not to use heavier kettlebells. This workout will work everything from grip strength to legs. It is a great all-body workout to get in shape for the hills. Keep track of how long it took so you can beat that time the next run through. PROGRESSIVE WEEKLY STEP-UPS I’m a big fan of incorporating step-ups in my workouts. Being able to do movements that replicate hiking to strengthen the hip flexors, IT Band and hips is great in preparation for hunting season. Start this progressive step-up routine a couple of months out. Equipment required: 20” or 24” box, 45 lb barbell (intermediate and hard only), (2) 25 lb barbell weights (hard level only). Beginner - Start Week 1 with 200 step-ups with no weight on a 20” box. Make a goal such as knocking out as many step-ups possible then taking a small break if just starting out. Then get back at it. For increased difficulty, try a 24” box. Add 50 to 100 repetitions each week until you reach the goal of 500 total or jump up to intermediate. Intermediate - Start Week 1 at 250 total step-ups using a 20” box with a 45 lb barbell on your shoulders. For increased difficulty, use a 24” box. Add 50 repetitions per week until you reach the goal of 500 total or if you are feeling froggy, jump up to the hard level (pun!). Hard - Start Week 1 with 200 step-ups on a 20” box with a 45 lb weighted barbell with a 25 lb barbell weight on each side for a total of 95 lbs. Add 50 repetitions per week until 600 repetitions have been achieved.
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This is an absolute burner of an exercise that is great to do at home without the need of a gym or weights. It’s simple yet requires some mental drive to get through it! Equipment needed: None! Just some motivation and maybe a notepad to keep track. 1,000 air squats: I prefer to break these into sets of 25 to 50, take a small break to shake the legs off then get back into it. Be sure to squat down until you reach a 90-degree angle bend in your knees. Once you complete the squats, move onto the finishing exercise: lunges! 250 forward lunges: Once again, I break these into 20 to 25 repetition segments. Allow yourself some time to complete this routine. If needed, start with half of the prescribed workout and bump it up each week.
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I hope you enjoy these workouts I’ve devised to help gear my training into a reflection of what I plan to see come the hunting season... Stay safe and train hard!
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MAKING REALISTIC CALLING SEQUENCES FOR COYOTES
By Dylan Hazen Vortex Optics www.vortexoptics.com ow that whitetail season is over, a lot of hunters will be heading out to chase coyotes so they can pass time until spring. Just like with deer hunting, there will be some guys who get really hardcore, but the majority of the folks in the field will be your average Joe schmo. There is nothing wrong with that, but it does mean your success will depend on how you hunt.
N
This call can be a great sequence to pull in curious song dogs, but it may also not work on some high-pressure areas. My favorite distress call to use is a woodpecker in distress. You can learn how to do this call on a softer open reed with a little practice, and it is also found on most electronic calls. At this point, if you haven’t enticed anything in, switch it up and go with a fox or raccoon fight followed by a coyote distress call (usually some sort of pup distress). The goal here is to paint the picture that a young coyote came in to the dinner bell, and now is getting his butt kicked by an angry fox or raccoon. After your last call, wait for 10-15 minutes and keep your eyes peeled. Just like turkeys, some coyotes will come screaming in to the call, and some will sneak in without a noise. Those aggressive screamers would have likely already come in, but the ones who are going to tip toe in will pop up now. If you’re not on your toes, these wary responders may bust you quickly, or get too close for you to move before you have a chance to get your weapon on them. Now, there’s a couple of very important things to keep in mind before you start your vehicle and grab your gun. 1.Wind is everything.
Coyotes will almost ALWAYS circle downwind of where they hear the calling from. You can use that to your advantage and setup where you can predict them to circle. Fence lines, drop-offs, water dams, frozen bodies of water, etc, are all good travel routes, and you can also use factors like open bodies of water to pinch down the distance a coyote can circle away from you. The goal here is to get coyotes to circle as close as possible to you, and then take your shot before they get down wind. 2. Blend in.
Covering lots of ground this time of year will be your best strategy in the woods.
Often times you will see an electronic call on top of a pickup with guys standing around the truck. While this may sometimes work for them, a blind squirrel finds a nut every once in a while, and if your goals are higher than a couple chances every year, you will need to put some miles on the boots. My favorite setups are crick/river bottoms. Coyotes love traversing across frozen bodies of water as they can see distances and travel is relatively easy.
Coyotes can see very well. If there’s snow on the ground, you will stick out like a sore thumb in an open area with regular camo on. Snow camo bibs and a coat are a good idea, but if you’re on a budget, a couple of white bedsheets can definitely do the trick with some redneck ingenuity. 3. Stay mobile. Try to stay around the half hour mark with each setup. Wait a few minutes between each different call in your setup, and make sure you give coyotes enough time to come in, but don’t make the mistake of staying in one spot too long. Covering a lot of ground will be the most crucial factor to your success. HAVE FUN.
In this setup, we are blowing our call across the open water and anticipating a coyote to circle in between us and the water’s edge.
When you first set up, try doing some sort of a lip squeak or mouse squeak. If you’re walking quietly, you could surprise yourself on how close you can set up. If nothing comes in, use a variation of a coyote locator howl, and then transition to a prey distress call. Probably the most common distress call is a cottontail in distress.
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It will be cold and windy, and you will probably be walking a lot, but we are supposed to have fun and enjoy being outdoors. Hunting shouldn’t be a grind. If it gets to that point, you will burn out quickly, and your success will plummet.
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I listened carefully for more barking and kept my eyes peeled for a carcass, but didn’t hear or see anything else wolf-related.
Let’s TALK About WOLVES By Tom Cooper
Photo credit twildlife|depositphotos.com
ow long have you hunted your favorite elk area? H Twenty, thirty, forty years? Have you considered wolves might coexist with your elk? While your elk area may be
private or public land, if you are like me, the only requirement is to see a few elk occasionally. Since I have hunted my primary area for just over 30 years, I am accustomed to seeing elk regularly, whether I’m scouting, hiking, or hunting. During those thirty years, a rare wolf track, usually a single or a female with a couple pups, hasn’t been a concern. I guess they were just passing through. My purpose for this article is to share recent experiences involving, for the first time, the movement of wolves into my primary public land hunting area. After four months, they aren’t just passing through. Most years, scouting in my area starts in late May or early June depending on how quickly the snowdrifts melt. 2020 was no exception, I made my first hike into the area the first week of June. After multiple trips to the woods during June and July, I was disappointed in my ability to find elk. The only elk sign was pretty old. Chapter 1, Barking Wolf During a late July scout, I covered about a mile and a half without seeing, smelling or hearing anything elk-like. After crossing a narrow park, about 50 yards wide, I started to follow an old game trail into a patch of timber. Right away there was a deadfall, new, since my last visit. I broke a few branches, then crawled over the tree. As I dropped to the ground on the far side of the tree, somewhere behind me, I heard a deep growling bark. Immediately turning to face the noise, I suspected someone had turned a dog loose in the woods. While taking a dog when scouting elk doesn’t make sense to me, I have to remind myself, it’s public land and not everyone is looking for elk. A second, louder bark caused me to climb back over the dead tree to see what was going on. I knew the opening was behind me and I should see whatever was there. With a third bark as I dropped to the ground again, I remember thinking, could this be a wolf? And, there it was, sitting on the far side of the park, a light grey and white wolf, maybe 75 pounds, looking at me. There was another bark, but it wasn’t the wolf I was looking at. The bark seemed to be 30-40 yards farther up the draw, out of my sight. After two or three more barks, my quiet wolf stood, slowly turned, and walked into the brush (north). The barking wolf apparently did the same as the barks continued, but moved away from me to the north. Continuing my hike to the south, I made a loop about a half mile out and returned. I was 150 yards farther down the draw from where I had seen the wolf. At this point, I spotted something dark in the game trail ahead of me. Approaching carefully, I could see bones, skin, and hair. Up close, I could easily identify moose hair and leg bones, including the hoof (adult size). Where the ball joint for the hip should have been, the bone had been shattered. As I hiked back to my vehicle,
24 | Hunting & Fishing News
Chapter 2, Howling Wolves Over the next four weeks, I scouted as much of my area as possible: open ridges, timbered hillsides, drainages with small flowing streams, and large mountain meadows. While there was no fresh wolf sign, there was also still no elk sign. In late August, a couple of hiking buddies joined me for a scout on a mountain just a mile southwest of my earlier wolf sighting. Using GoogleEarth, I had identified a ridge near the perimeter of my area that appeared to have several grassy parks (good eats for elk), but the parks were 600-800 vertical feet up the side of a steep mountain. It was about an hour after daylight when we parked. Almost immediately an elk (raghorn bull, still in the velvet) ran across the road within twenty yards of us. It seemed odd this elk had been spooked by us just pulling into a parking spot. Anyway, we grabbed our packs and hiking sticks, and headed upcountry. Not more than 125 yards from the vehicle, we heard a noise we first thought was an elk bugling (because that’s what I wanted to hear). As the howling continued, we agreed we were not hearing an elk. It was unanimous, this was a wolf howling! We pinpointed the location at 250 yards downhill from us and a bit down the main drainage. A couple minutes later, the initial howling was joined by more howling below us, but this one was 200 yards upstream in the same drainage. Now, we knew there were wolves in two locations below us. We also noted more than one wolf seemed to be howling in both locations. It didn’t make sense to any of us to try to approach either group of wolves; we were close enough. With the wolves below us still howling, we saw movement along a small, ridgeline about 60 yards on our right and slightly above us. All we really saw was just shadowy legs moving in the timber, headed uphill. At that point, we weren’t sure what we had just seen -- elk, deer, wolves? Maybe two minutes later, about 60-75 yards above us in thick timber, first one wolf, then two or three more, started howling. When wolves howl in Yellowstone National Park a half mile or more from the highway, the tension level is pretty low. At less than 100 yards and surrounded, I can assure you the pucker factor is a lot higher. Eventually, the howling all moved to the north. Now, it seemed clear we did not spook the young bull elk, the wolves did. It was also clear we had seen wolf legs moving through the timber along the ridge. We had simply parked right in the middle of nature’s never ending food-versus-survival adventure. Anyway, we continued our hike with no further wolf or elk encounters. Chapter 3, Tracks in the Snow Now the elk archery season was open; I hunted eight of the first fourteen days in my primary elk area without seeing an elk and I heard just two bugles. I neither saw nor heard another wolf. Maybe they were gone? So, along comes an early Fall storm. While it rained at lower elevations, there was snow above 6000 feet. At 7000 feet, the snow was five inches deep. The day after the storm, with warmer temperatures, the snow started to melt. I took advantage and hunted a south facing side of the mountain. Surprise! Elk tracks crisscrossed the mountain. Surprise number two! Every elk track, and I mean every one, had multiple wolf tracks following it. Track sizes included small, medium and large. Not only were the wolves following the elk, but along the way they were stopping to dig for voles or gophers, or whatever else wolves dig for. There were dozens of dig sites, all with the dirt on top of the fresh melting snow. The question that came to mind was: why eat vole when elk is available? (continued on page 27)
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Great Communication Optics are obviously one of the higher-dollar items in a hunter’s arsenal, and it can be super nerve-wracking to ship them across the country wondering what’s going to happen. Vortex seems to know this, and does a great job keeping you up to date throughout the whole process. The day my shipment arrived at Vortex, I had an email from them assuring me “my glass was in good hands.” It included the service order, reassurance that there really is NOTHING they won’t cover, and even provided timeline estimates for my repairs. Then, once they completed the repair, a second email arrived letting me know my glass was on its way back to me. Of course, they include the tracking number so you can watch your gear make its way back across the country and to your doorstep.
Photos courtesy www.latetothegameoutdoors.com
VORTEX OPTICS WARRANTY IS IT REALLY THAT GOOD? By Eric Voris Late To The Game Outdoors www.latetothegameoutdoors.com
’ve purchased a lot of gear from a lot of companies over Ibehind the years, and they all have different ways of “standing their products.” There’s always the cheaper stuff with a 30-60-90 day warranty…if one of those fails me, I usually just pitch it and get something different because who wants a second one of those anyway? Then, there’s the 1-year people…I’ve had more than one issue where something finally shows signs of a problem 367 days after purchase, and I wonder how they could possibly design it to fail so close to the expiration of the warranty. Finally, there’s the lifetime warranty people (and I don’t mean “limited lifetime warranty”)…I mean those companies who believe so strongly in their product that they boldly proclaim that they will make it right no matter what happens at any point in the life of the product.
Vortex is one such company! In fact, there’s an entire page on their website dedicated to spelling out just how passionate they are about repairing anything that happens to your optics. But, can it really be that simple? Will they actually cover anything? And will there be a whole bunch of red tape, a list of hidden loopholes, a phone call once they have your glass trying to up-sell you or explain how they can’t fix your problem but won’t be sending you a replacement because of X, Y, or Z? I know, I’m a bit on the suspicious side…I’m working on it! Well, as the winter hunts came to a close here in AZ, I had two different pieces of Vortex glass that I had been procrastinating getting repaired. So, while I was a couple months away from my next hunting adventure, I decided to put that Vortex warranty to the test. I boxed up my riflescope and binoculars, shipped them off to Vortex headquarters, and immediately felt naked (it’s a weird feeling to suddenly have two of your primary hunting tools out of your possession). But, here I sit just a few weeks later with all my glass back safely, and let me tell you just a couple reasons I’m now a Vortex guy for life… DISCLAIMER: I am not endorsed by or affiliated with Vortex in any way, and they have no idea I’m even writing this. I just wanted to share my experience in hopes that it helps someone else make an informed purchasing decision.
26 | Hunting & Fishing News
That’s a great system on its own, but I even tested their communication a bit further. I sent Vortex two separate shipments at the same time. My riflescope (a Viper 6.5-20x50, since you asked) had a small issue I wanted corrected, and my binos (old school Diamondback 10x50s) had been through close to a decade of hard hunting and needed some serious work. The riflescope got turned around in six days, and I was pumped! But as I entered the 3rd week since I had sent my binos away without an update, I got a little nervous (especially as Spring bear season was fast approaching). I try not to be a high-maintenance customer, but I finally fired off a quick email just asking for an update. Within an hour I had a response from a real live human who had confirmed where my optics stood in the queue and an updated timeline of when I could expect them. Sure enough, my second “your glass is coming home” email arrived a few days later, which was a couple days sooner than she had predicted in the email. In short, I was blown away with their level of customer service, but that wasn’t the only thing that impressed me… Full Coverage…No Matter What The exact verbiage Vortex gives about their warranty is as follows: “VIP Warranty: Optics are meant to be used outside - often times in the harshest environments imaginable. Couple that fact with ‘life’ happening, and there’s a lot that can impact your prized optical instruments. One thing is certain - from cliff drops to camp destroying brown bears and house fires to hurricanes - The Lifetime - Unconditional - Transferable -No-Fault Vortex VIP Warranty has you covered.” That sounds pretty all-inclusive, but I was still waiting for some sort of catch. My binos were all jacked up, and I’m sure it had something to do with the fact that I’ve dropped them in the field at least 20 different times. And even though the warranty is “Transferable,” I kept thinking that I had never submitted a warranty registration card, and my riflescope was an eBay open box special…I was just sure I was going to get dinged somewhere in this process. Well, my suspicious nature was no match for Vortex’ warranty …they really didn’t care what had caused the issues; they just fixed them! The repair sheet on my binoculars was a paragraph long with a whole bunch of technical jargon that basically meant “these things have been through hell,” and they came back in the same shape they were in when I unboxed them one Christmas morning many years ago. The Repairs ACTUALLY Fix the Problem I don’t know if you’ve ever had a mechanic who is clearly just throwing parts at a problem with your car, but it’s maddening. You take it in, describe the problem, pay him a few hundred bucks, and drive away. On the way home, the problem reappears. So, you go back the next day, go through the same process, pick up your car, and it’s still not fixed…that’s usually when people find a different mechanic. To be honest, I was a little afraid that I might have this happen with my optics, (continued on page 38)
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Let’s TALK About WOLVES (continued from page 24)
Chapter 4, A Lone Wolf Another week of the archery season passed, three more trips to my trusted hunting area, and I still hadn’t seen an elk there. However, I was not willing to give up. Somewhere in my area an elk must be hiding. On my next hunt, I retraced a trek made early the week before. The results were the same, no elk or fresh sign. It was also apparent the number of antler-rubbed trees was significantly less than in recent years. A bit bummed, but still not willing to give up or to start looking for a new area to hunt, I decided to head home. On my way, a mile north of my first wolf observation weeks earlier, something raced across the narrow, rough mountain road. The timber was pretty thick, only flashes of color were visible. I saw the top of a grey back and thought I was looking at a mule deer. However, when I followed the color further to my right to a small opening, it was obvious this was no deer. It was in fact a very large wolf (my guess, well over 100 pounds), mostly various shades of grey with some tan and white on the legs. This wolf appeared to be alone. For some reason, the word “loping” came to mind and it stuck. When I looked it up, “long bounding strides” seemed like a pretty darn good description. It’s a Personal Decision As I write this article, the 2020 archery season is almost over. I finally saw a cow and calf elk on a mountain about three miles west of my original wolf sighting. Still no bugling in the area, but there were a few elk tracks in the soft, dry dirt. Maybe there was hope for the general firearms season. Maybe. That of course leaves me with a personal decision. I can purchase a wolf tag over the counter if I want one. Buying a tag is not the issue. Using it is. Given what happened to my primary hunting area (and my elk) during the past year, I am very comfortable carrying a wolf tag during the firearms season. Montana FWP Wolf Observations Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks (FWP) established a wolf reporting site at fwp.mt.gov. None of us can be certain of the outcome when a wolf pack establishes itself in a new area. Therefore, reporting wolf observations is important and can impact management decisions. Just so you know, I reported my barking wolf, howling wolves, and lone wolf observations. Melting tracks in the snow didn’t seem to fit the observation criteria. Please report your wolf sightings.
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e know, we know, this recipe is a bit outside of the box. But, if you’re looking for a fun and creative way to spend an evening, this can be it. Creating a new recipe for your family will undoubtedly bring feedback and we’re nearly positive everyone will love this one. Our advice is to make these potstickers with store-bought wrappers, it really simplifies the process. What you’ll need: FILLING SAUCE 3/4 pound ground wild game 1/4 cup soy sauce 3/4 cup green onions 3 tablespoons rice vinegar 2 tablespoons minced ginger 1 hot chile, minced 2 tablespoons minced garlic 3 garlic cloves, minced 1 teaspoon salt 1 tablespoon minced ginger 1/4 cup chicken stock or water 1 teaspoon white sugar 2 tablespoons soy sauce 2 tablespoons sesame oil 1 tablespoon dry sherry 2 teaspoons sesame oil WRAPPERS / COOKING Either 30-36 store-bought potsticker wrappers 2 – 3 tablespoons vegetable oil Instructions: Mix all the ingredients for the sauce together and let sit at room temperature while you make the filling. In a large bowl, mix all the ingredients for the filling together until well combined. Let the mixture sit for at least 30 minutes. Fill each wrapper with a scant tablespoon of filling. Close each one into a half-moon, making sure there are no air pockets. It is probable that some of the filling will smoosh out the ends as you seal them — this is normal, just drop it back into the bowl with the rest of the filling. If the wrappers are dry, get a little bowl of cool water and wet half of each wrapper circle with the water; this will help it seal tightly. Pleat the edges: Start from the center and do 3 pleats on the left of the dumpling, then another 3 on the right of the dumpling, As you make the pleats, settle the dumpling on your work surface so it sits flat. You will need this flat surface to get a nice crispy bottom to your potsticker. Set each finished dumpling on a baking sheet lined with either parchment or a little semolina flour or corn meal. To cook your potstickers, get a large, non-stick frying pan out and heat about 2 to 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, lay the potstickers down in one layer; they can touch each other. Fry like this 1 to 2 minutes, until the bottoms are browned. Add enough water to come up about 1/4 inch. The pan will sputter and spit, so have a lid ready. Turn the heat down to medium, cover the pan and cook for 6 minutes. After 6 minutes, move the lid partway off the pan to let steam escape. Cook 2 more minutes, then remove the lid entirely. You will soon hear the cooking change from boiling to sizzling — that’s your cue they are done. Serve immediately. We recommend that you serve with a soy dipping sauce!
30 | Hunting & Fishing News
Photo courtesy www.deltawaterfowl.org
Find Ducks in the Late Season By Kyle Wintersteen Delta Waterfowl www.deltawaterfowl.org
hat’s my favorite time to hunt ducks? It’s not the W early season, despite its pleasant temperatures, nor even the mid-season, when the migration often peaks. No, give me the bone-chilling days of late December and January, when only the heartiest ducks — and heartiest hunters — are found hitting the remaining waterfowl hideouts.
The remaining mallards are highly concentrated on waning food and open water resources. They’re therefore much easier to find and rather predictable — a cold duck must eat, and a duck that’s eaten must drink. Perhaps that’s why many hunters, myself included, tend to kill far more ducks in January than November. Here are a few places you’ll find ducks seeking refuge from the freeze. Dry Agriculture Fields Field hunting is a go-to tactic in Canada and many areas of the U.S. prairie pothole region, as ducks and geese stock up on carbohydrates for the long journey ahead. In other parts of the continent, ducks are less frequently found dry feeding. That is, until the late-season chill fosters an urgent need for calories. Case in point: A cornfield near my mid-Atlantic home won’t see more than a few occasional ducks for much of the season. Yet every January, it’s covered in hundreds of mallards, causing me to ditch my waders for field bibs. The best fields are located near open water, allowing the ducks to make short hops from chow to beverage. Go with Canada goose decoys for maximum visibility, with a few full-body ducks mixed in. Often Canadas will save energy by dozing in the fields during extreme cold, so sleeper shells can offer realism. Creeks and Streams Two seasons ago, a wind chill of -15 led a buddy and me to warm our hands by a small campfire as our decoys bobbed in the creek an hour before sunrise. But as the smoke cleared on that final day of the season, the ducks emerged: plump drake mallards and a quick limit of black ducks (we could’ve shot many, many black ducks that day).
I look forward all year to hitting ice-lined creek banks winding through the hardwoods, because once the ponds freeze, creeks offer a taste of flooded timber: Ducks darting through the trees and presenting exhilarating, in-your-face shooting. No need to bother with a huge decoy spread. A dozen or two mallards, with at least a couple on the down-current edge of a riffle to add motion, are plenty. Smaller streams, particularly if they’re spring-fed to prevent sudden freeze-ups, can also be surprisingly effective. If you find one isolated from additional open water or near food, you’re in the game. Rivers
Photo courtesy Delta Waterfowl www.deltawaterfowl.org
Like creeks and streams, rivers tend to heat up as the freeze sets in. My preferred time to hit them is once a few ice floes are present, which tells me nearly all other water will be locked solid. Just be careful: Navigating the floes requires the right equipment and a little common sense — if they’re too large or numerous, it’s not worth the risk.
Ideal places to set up include the down-current edge of an island, point or bend in the river. Thus your decoys are protected from the floes and force of the water, and your spread offers ducks enticing, calm water.
Lakes and Reservoirs Large lakes and reservoirs typically provide open water well into the season. However, access becomes an issue once plummeting temperatures form a ring of ice around the edge of the lake. If the boat ramp remains open or coated by mere sheet ice — allowing you to access the open water in the center of the lake — you’re in for a great float-blind or layout hunt for divers and other species. A few pockets of open water often remain, especially near the mouths of creeks down to the tiniest of streams, even as the ice thickens elsewhere. They’re easy to find — just follow the ducks. Locate one relatively near shore with thin surrounding ice, and you’re in business. Slide a jon boat onto the ice, and as it breaks across the bow of your boat, paddle or motor yourself into the open water. If necessary, carefully use your boat to bust ice around the edges of the hole to widen it after the overnight freeze. Then, toss a dozen floating decoys into the hole and line the edge of the ice nearest your blind with full-bodies and sleeper shells. Goose decoys work great for this spread, as they’re visible and ducks will decoy to them as well. This can be a highly effective setup, but it requires extra emphasis on safety. Take at least one hunting buddy, know the limitations of your boat’s construction and always wear your life jacket. Late-season conditions are hard on equipment, hunters and even the ducks themselves. Yet those who brave them know the rewards justify the shivering.
From all of us at Sandfire Resources America,
Have a Merry Christmas and a safe and prosperous New Year!
www.blackbuttecopper.com Hunting & Fishing News | 31
Bear Hunting Basics 8 Tips For Starting Out By Andrew Jackson Outdoor Empire www.outdoorempire.com ear hunting isn’t like deer hunting. B Well, it is in some ways; you go into the wild armed with a
weapon and attempt to overcome that wild animal. But deer don’t weigh 500 pounds and won’t run at 30 miles per hour to maul you. Believe it or not, but in some places bear hunting is actually easier than deer hunting. There are parts of Alaska where the bear have learned that a gunshot means that a deer carcass has become available so the hardest part of deer hunting is dealing with the bears that come to visit! In most of the US, though, bears are cunning animals who know how to avoid you better than most other animals (except maybe coyotes). Personally, I’ve found bear hunting to be far more satisfying than deer hunting. The first time you approach a bear you’ve shot is an adrenaline-filled experience you’ll never forget. However, you have to know how to hunt them properly. 1. Hunt With a Partner The biggest piece of advice I’ll give about bear hunting is to hunt with a partner. Always hunt a bear with someone watching your back! Always hunt a deer with someone watching your back if you’re in an area with bears, too! A bear is a predator. Even black bears, who are omnivores that prefer to eat berries, are capable of mauling a human in seconds. Before you go into the field you should have established clear communication with your partner so that both of you know who is going to do what in the woods. For example, whenever I hunt in Alaska, I always hunt with a partner. One of us has a weapon sized for the game we’re hunting, typically a bow or small-caliber rifle for deer, while the other carries a big gun for a bear. I typically carry a Marlin 1895 GBL in .45-70. Watch each others’ backs, especially after you’ve fired a shot. That sound, or even the smell of cleaning an animal, can attract a bear. I know someone who went deer hunting and came back with a deer and two black bears because they kept investigating his kill. You’ll always want that second set of eyes, and second rifle, when dealing with a predator. 2. Learn Field Identification and Anatomy Before Hunting Bears aren’t as easy to identify as deer. The sexes of a bear are harder to tell apart and even species can be hard to judge. “Black” bears can be colored brown. Is that brown bear in the distance a large chocolate-colored black bear or is it a small grizzly? Also, you need to know where to shoot a bear. Their heart is lower than you’d think, and a poorly-placed shot can only serve to anger such a large predator. Before you step into the forest you need to know exactly what types of bears live in your neck of the woods and exactly where to place your shot in order to put one down. You should also know what to look for in a bear. For example, larger male bears tend to walk slowly and with a swagger
32 | Hunting & Fishing News
while smaller males tend to be more tenderfooted and act more cautious. It can be hard to judge a bear’s size from a distance, so behavior is a better indicator. However, don’t let a bear pass you by because it’s not the perfect bear. Any legally taken bear is better than an unsuccessful hunt! 3. Shatter the Shoulder? One piece of advice that even non-bear-hunters know is to shoot a bear in the shoulder. This stops the bear in place so you can take a follow-up shot to put them down. The idea is that the shoulder is a large target and, when shattered, renders the bear unable to charge at you. While some people preach this, I do not like this advice. A bear’s shoulder is large, extremely tough, and unlikely to be in-line with vital organs. It’s also not likely to be where you think it is. A shoulder shot is likely to deflect or plain ol’ not hit anything vital, so you just made the bear angry. It’s better to aim for a kill shot the first time. Take out their heart and/or lungs and the bear is down in seconds, without the need for a follow-up shot! 4. Prepare for the Aftermath Beforehand Bears are large. Much larger than a deer. You can field quarter a deer and bring it back with the right type of deer carrier. If you try this with a grizzly bear then I’d be willing to bet you’re also able to win strongman competitions. What are you going to do with all that meat? I hope you know of a meat processor who knows what to do with bear. And what are you going to do with the pelt? Turning a bear into a rug can be a big project that costs a lot of money. And once you’ve shot the bear, the clock has already started ticking. Before you hunt the bear, know what you’re going to do with every part of it. Don’t get blindsided when you realize you’re going to have to deal with 300 pounds of dead animal. 5. Use the Right Gun Notice that I didn’t say “Use a Big Gun.” Whether black or brown, a bear has lots of flesh and big bones that function as armor. You need to use a firearm that’s capable of massive amounts of penetration and can dump plenty of kinetic energy into the bear. This CAN mean a “big gun”, but it can also mean a well-designed bullet in a smaller caliber. For example, a 6.5 Grendel out of an AR-15 is capable of taking a black bear in southeast Alaska. And, if one shot doesn’t do the trick, the higher capacity is good for follow-up shots. However, I wouldn’t use a 6.5 Grendel against brown bears or even black bears in areas where they grow bigger. You can even take down bears with arrows, though I’d want a partner with a gun next to me just in case. Prioritize penetration when choosing your bullet. Normal hollowpoints are not for bears. The standard recommendation is to use heavy-for-the-caliber hard-cast lead bullets. Controlled-expansion bullets and advanced bullets like the Barnes TSX are also good choices. Also, be prepared for close-range shooting. Bears tend to prefer dense forests instead of woodland and they can be surprisingly quiet. So, you’re more likely to find one at 30 yards than 300 yards. 6. …And Bring a Backup Gun Most bear hunters have a sidearm, and the bear hunters who don’t wear one should really consider it. As I mentioned before, bears are predators, the biggest in North America. They’re surprisingly stealthy, and you may not always have your main gun at hand. (continued on page 35)
P
HOTOS FROM READERS
Montana hunter Dean McClain with a beautiful mule deer buck.
Jordan and his dad Michael Lisle with a nice Washington salmon.
Kayden with his deer and first Montana bull elk.
Ricky Haggerty with a great Eastern Montana mule deer buck.
Jason Phelps, owner of Phelps Game Calls with his 2020 Wyoming elk.
Send us your photos at huntingfishingnews@yahoo.com Hunting & Fishing News | 33
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Ammo Battle:
Factory Vs Handloads By Anthony Wright Originally published at
W
www.goHUNT.com
All photo credits Anthony Wright
hen it comes to ammunition for your rifle(s) there’s definitely a lot of choices. From ammunition on the shelf at your local sporting goods store to the opportunity to load your own, the spectrum is very broad. Here is my head to head comparison of each.
LET’S START OFF WITH FACTORY AMMUNITION Factory ammunition
PROS: •Readily available in most outdoor retail stores (most popular cartridges). •Popular bullet weight offerings covering plenty of barrel twist rates. •Many brands to choose from. •Decent velocities, low chance of over pressure issues. •More affordable. CONS: •Can be expensive for certain cartridges. •Chances of inconsistent velocities and extreme spreads from shot to shot. •SAAMI Specifications (no option to seat bullet out further or closer to the lands of the rifling). •Unknown powder temperature stability. •May take a few boxes to find which brand works in your rifle. Now, don’t take this the wrong way; I’m not dogging factory ammo by any means. There are great offerings out there and, in fact, I currently use factory ammunition in my primary hunting rifle (6.5 PRC) since I’m able to buy a box and get a 1/2” group at 100 yards every time, which is great for off the shelf ammo. I believe that the performance you see downrange will somewhat reflect in the price on the box. For example, if you buy a cheap box of ammo, you may get mediocre results. Whereas, if you spend a little more, you more than likely will get better results.
34 | Hunting & Fishing News
Handloaded ammunition
PROS: •Complete control over ingredients, i.e., brass, primer, powders, bullets. Making the cartridge a perfect fit to your rifle. •Ability to gain more velocity to take advantage of the bullet’s coefficient downrange. •Adjust bullet seating for fine-tuning of shot group and ability to “chase the lands” aka keep the bullet to rifling distance the same while the barrel starts to slowly wear out over time. •It’s fun to learn and know more about the bullet in the chamber; how each component plays a part in a completed cartridge, which in turn speeds up the process of loading over time. •Using high quality brass can be used for many iterations. •Once you’ve found the perfect “recipe,” you’re able to hammer out identical loads to stock up. CONS: •Initially expensive to get started if using quality components. •Takes time learning each step; preparing, loading, testing and adjusting the load. •Could run into increased barrel wear (typically only an issue if having to shoot a lot due to trouble finding the best concoction). •Possibility of components (bullets, powder, brass, etc.) not being in stock when you need them. When I was handloading my own ammunition I really enjoyed it. I liked learning the process, knowing that I was the sole reason why they were or were not accurate. You have complete control on how picky you want your ammo to be, which, when you find the right combination, becomes very rewarding. There are now third-party companies that will come up with custom handloads for you, saving you the time and money investing in the equipment. Once they find the recipe that works for your gun, they will keep your load information on file, giving you the ability to order as you need. The only negatives are that it can be pricey and that you may need to send your rifle in for best results; however, if you get it completed in the offseason then it’s no big deal. Like I mentioned, I’ve done both options and am currently using factory ammunition from Hornady. Technology has come a long way in the factory ammo world, which, in turn, gives you, the consumer, better ammo on the shelf ready to go, providing you with repeatable results. However, I will likely do some handloading in the future for my varmint rifle since the bullet I’ve chosen to use isn’t offered in box ammunition.
IN CONCLUSION
Each one has its pluses and minuses just like anything. And if you’re a person who just wants to grab and go, doesn’t have the time or you don’t want to deal with all the components and equipment, then factory ammo fits your needs and, in most cases, will be satisfactory. If you enjoy the handmade process, the ability to have control over each variable, want better than factory results or are having a hard time finding a factory load to work in your gun then maybe you should give handloading a try...
Bear Hunting Basics... COUNT ON IT! TORO SNOW BLOWER (continued from page 32)
So, when you’re in bear country, you should always have a personal protection piece on you. Bear spray might work, though it’s more for hikers who won’t be dealing with a bear investigating blood from your kill. The traditional advice is to carry a big-bore revolver. Good choices include a .44 Magnum, .454 Casull, and a .500 Smith & Wesson. Hip holsters are okay, but I prefer chest holsters. What you’ll find worn by many Alaskan hunters, though, is a 10mm semi-automatic pistol. Glock 20s and Glock 40s are the most common because they allow you to carry 15+1 rounds of 10mm and reload with 15 more in seconds. Don’t bother with most 10mm ammo; get hot-loaded 200 or 220-grain hard-cast lead (or Xtreme Penetrator) ammo. I prefer Underwood, although Buffalo Bore is also popular for bear defense in Alaska. You may need a heavier recoil spring to cycle the stronger ammo properly. Most 10mm handguns come from the factory set up for weak 10mm FBI loads that are barely stronger than .40 S&W. I carry a Glock 20 with a 6.61″ barrel to take advantage of all the powder burn. Remember, your sidearm is for last-ditch protection. You need to be well-practiced with your handgun, both in drawing and firing, but you should use your rifle whenever possible. 7. Practice Shooting from Multiple Positions Remember how important shot placement is when hunting bear? You won’t be shooting off a bench in the woods. It’s a good idea to practice firing your rifle from multiple positions, including awkward ones, at the rifle range. That way you’ll be more stable when you have to use the side of a tree as a rest in the field. State land that allows recreational shooting without limiting you to an established range is great for this. Bring small targets, be careful of your backstop, and practice real-world shooting conditions. 8. Hunt at the Right Time Bear hunting season depends on the state but is often in spring, fall, or both. Bears are lean in the spring because they just left hibernation and are restoring their energy stores with nuts and berries. Bears are fat in the fall because they’re eating as much as possible for winter hibernation. It sounds like you want to harvest a fat bear, right? Especially if you’re after bear meat? Not always. It depends on early or late spring and early or late fall. Early spring bears will eat winter carcasses. However, once the berries start growing, bear meat starts tasting better. Early fall bears are aptly fed from the summer’s bounty. Late fall bears are eating everything they can in order to consume as many calories as possible. Everything. They’ll eat rotting meat, propane tank labels, and every other bit of nasty trash they can fit in their mouth. If you’re lucky, late fall bears will just taste not as great as a spring bear. If you’re unlucky, they ate something nasty that contaminates their meat. This mostly applies to bear closer to urban areas, though; late fall bears in wild areas will likely still taste good. Bear fur also tends to be of higher quality in the spring than in fall, and better in early fall than late fall. This is because bears rub on trees once it starts getting warm and their hide degrades from about mid-spring until winter...
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PREPARE AND YOU CAN ELK HUNT EVERY YEAR FOR LESS THAN $1,500 (continued from page 6)
Photo credit Jake Horton
Once your hunting unit is selected, you need to plan out your hunting days. Typically, for a seven day hunting scenario, I plan on 15 to 20 possible day hunts in different areas all over the unit. This should account for changing plans based upon an excess of other hunters in your spot, you boogering up an area, road closures, weather issues or any other unforeseen circumstances. I use Google Earth or OnX to pin my camps, plan my trailheads and pick glassing or hiking destinations for all of these hunts. If you plan to bivy hunt, then planning routes in and around and out should definitely be on your radar. The goal is to be over-prepared and always have a backup plan for every day in order to get the most out of your hunt. I always expect for my plans to not work out as projected and have a backup plan in hand ready for when it is needed. That way I am always over-prepared.
Financial planning
After finding your perfect spot it is time to talk finances. No matter your budget, I believe that elk hunting can be done annually for less than $1,500, especially with a hunting partner or two. For example, let’s say you are a resident in Maine who wants to go hunting out West; a Colorado nonresident license will cost about $700. A trip from Portland, Maine to Denver, Colorado is approximately 2,000 miles each way. If your hunting rig gets approximately 15 miles per gallon and the average price of gas is $2.50, then it will cost about $333 each way. If you were going solo that only leaves you about $150 for food, which could be doable; however, if you add a hunting buddy or two, then your costs go way down. As a part of your financial preparation, decide how many hunting buddies you would need to make your budget work. Each person that you get to hunt with you will be responsible for splitting gas and food costs during the entire trip. Before leaving, or at the last available grocery store, plan on shopping together and splitting the costs for food. In order to be cost effective, you need to plan and bring good coolers for your food. The goal should be to buy food that everyone likes, but that will last, such as canned chili, hotdogs, Manwich, etc. I know that eating this food might not be ideal, but you are there to hunt, not eat five course meals. Tip: Don’t plan on buying your food or going out to eat once you are hunting because typically these smaller hunting towns have inflated prices, which will hurt your budget. I would also not suggest hunting with more than four or five people in a camp. More people affects your hunt and, unless you are a super tight-knit group, after seven to ten days you will most likely get sick of people, which is why selecting the correct hunting partners is so crucial.
36 | Hunting & Fishing News
Selecting hunting partners
Though selecting your hunting partner may sound like an easy task, it should not be taken lightly. I like to consider selecting a hunting partner very much like a friendly interview. You are about to share expenses and seven to 10 days in a camping situation with these individuals. Small things that bother you on day one will drive you crazy by the end of your hunting trip. I select my hunting partners by asking or knowing their commitment level, financial situation and hunting style and drive. You want someone who is just as excited or more excited than you to get out West. After you see that your prospective partners can commit in advance, then make sure they will be financially able to go. Tell them the projected costs upfront and make sure they are able to swing it. It’s best to get this out of the way months before the trip so there are no last-minute changes and they can prepare financially. Finally, find someone in similar physical shape as you that plans on hunting in a style that meshes with yours. If you plan on bivy hunting, then they need to decide if they are going to bivy or if you are going by yourself and they will hunt from the truck. If you plan on hunting as partners, then make sure that they are on the same page. Tip: Typically, I plan our camping spots, but let my partners select their hunts with some guidance. The last thing you want is to feel as though someone is freeloading off of you when it’s your first year in the area, too. Picking hunts and glassing points, etc., is part of the adventure, too, and is very rewarding for each hunter. When thinking of who you would like to go with, it’s important to remember that almost every person who hunts has dreams of elk hunting out West; however, not everyone is going to be the right person for your hunt. If something seems off or your possible partner seems uncommitted, then find a new partner. A week is a long time to spend with the wrong hunting partner and can really ruin your trip. The wrong hunting partner can make a once-in-a-lifetime experience the last time you ever want that experience.
Photo courtesy www.goHUNT.com
In Conclusion
After you have located a state that works for you, identified multiple spots to hunt within a hunting district, talked to local outdoors officials, planned your finances and selected your hunting partners, you are ready to head out West. If you commit to this process and follow through with it, you will have a successful hunt whether you harvest an elk the first year in an area or not. Every year you can hunt a spot that makes you that much more of an expert in that area and increases your chances of success in that area. Make the commitment today to start preparing for your... elk hunt! If you start the preparation during this winter season, by September, you should be ready for a great chance at elk hunting. Just remember: once you go chasing those majestic wapiti, it will become an addiction to hunt them year after year.
3 Advantages Of A Rod And Reel Combination Package
VORTEX OPTICS WARRANTY IS IT REALLY THAT GOOD? (continued from page 26)
(continued from page 17)
3. READY TO FISH FROM DAY ONE The best thing about a combination setup is the fact that you will be ready to fish, without any further setup. The Inception combo includes fly line and backing that are already spooled on your new reel. Ultimately, you will save time, money and have a fly rod and reel setup that should last a very long time. The Inception has a progressive fast action that pushes beginners into better casting habits. The rod itself has a lifetime warranty as well. Advanced anglers with a strict budget and high expectations are also familiar with the advantages of combo packages and they know few exist with a faster action and high quality line to match a high performance rod with a lifetime warranty. Take a look at the Inception Rod and Reel Combo here: https://www.mysticoutdoors.com/products/inception-rod-reel-combo. You can also call Mystic Outdoors at 1-888-669-7842 or contact them online at www.mysticoutdoors.com. Zach Lazzari is a fly fishing guide and an outdoor writer based in Montana. Zach has fished and guided in Alaska, Colorado and Patagonia. Zach is also the blogger behind The Busted Oarlock.
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