Western Hunting & Fishing News June 2023 FREE eMagazine

HUNTING & F ISHING

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How To Find Big-Buck Sanctuaries

By Mike Hanback Big Deer Blog www.bigdeerblog.com

Asanctuary is the major bedding and security cover for the deer that live on or travel through your property. There are smaller satellite covers dotted around the woods that bucks use frequently, but here we’re talking about the main safe zone. In a Maryland study, researchers found that GPS-collared bucks were drawn like a magnet to a greenbrier-and-thorn copse that was basically impenetrable to humans. “The only way you can get in is to find a deer trail and get on your hands and knees and go in there,” said Dr. Mark Conner, who led the study. In the same project, the researchers found that another cover preferred by deer was a designated waterfowl sanctuary around ponds and marshes. “It’s almost the opposite of the other sanctuary,” said Conner. “It’s very open, but like the (thicker) one, there is no human disturbance.”

Conner and his team noted that the 2 areas were not only sanctuaries but also core areas where multiple bucks spent 50 percent of their time during the hunting season. Because there’s no human disturbance.

How Big? Size doesn’t matter....scout out the thickest, roughest, most inhospitable spot and designate it as the sanctuary... Ideally, your sanctuary will be located in or near the center of your land. As bucks travel to and from it on trails and in funnels from all points on the compass, you’ll have many options for tree stands and blinds on different winds...

Food Factor You can have the best security cover for miles, but if there is not quality feed nearby, deer will not stay there long or consistently.

Crop fields in the vicinity are best, along with mixed hardwoods and mast...

Hunting a Sanctuary Once you designate a cover as a buck sanctuary, never step a boot inside it. No scouting, no shed-hunting, no human disturbance. But if you’re smart, you’ll bowhunt the fringes of it smartly this fall.

Good access from downwind is critical, so use a steep creek, old log road or the like to sneak in and hang tree stands. The cover and topography are different on every property. You might be able to close to within 60 yards of a sanctuary, or a stand in a rub-laced funnel 120 yards out might be better. Use your gut to decide.

In early season, I love to hunt the edges of a sanctuary where acorns fall...Deer use the edges heavily when moving from bed to feed.

As the rut approaches, bucks cruise the edges of security cover, checking does as they go in and out of the bedding area. When bucks rut, you can push your setup closer to the cover, but only when the wind is perfect.

If you see an old buck cruising the fringes, and especially if he’s heading into the cover, 8 times out of 10 he’ll circle downwind a ways and sniff for does and danger before he steps inside the bedroom. Work that into your stand setup. Later, once gun season opens, you must post on a vantage that overlooks a main funnel into your sanctuary. When the rifles crack on neighboring lands, bucks will come to the safe haven you’ve left undisturbed on your side of the fence. Depending on the size and lay of the land, it might take a good buck 2 or 3 days to get there, but he will come. Keep watching.

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Five Ways To Introduce Others Into Backpack Hunting

By Anthony Wright

Originally published at GOHUNT.com

Backpack hunting can be overwhelming when staring down the rabbit hole of what’s needed, especially as a newcomer. From the type of gear required to understanding how to make it back to the truck safely to living comfortably while in the field — and that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

Recently, I had a coworker show interest when I was talking about hiking in a mile or two with everything required for three days on my back for camping/hunting. His response was, “I wish I could do that.” My response in return was, “Why can’t you?” We proceeded to talk about ways he could slowly introduce himself and, eventually, his family into the world of backpack hunting and camping. I don’t claim to be an expert, but there is some things I have learned along the way. Here’s what I recommended:

BORROWING GEAR

I know for myself one way that helped me get hooked into backpack hunting was friends offering to lend me pieces of their gear so I didn’t have to fork up a bunch of money just to get a taste of the backpack hunting bug.

A rain jacket here, a backpack there and a few other odds and ends and I was ready to rock. As most of us gear nuts know, lightweight, compact gear goes for pretty pennies. To make the process easier and less stressful for those interested, be a good lad and lend out what items you can to make them more comfortable. If you are the person in search of borrowing gear, don’t be afraid to ask; most people won’t mind lending a helping hand. There are also places, such as Rent Guns and Gear, that offer the opportunity to test and rent gear.

START SHORT AND EASY

The next topic we discussed was where to go once you have all the necessary gear. This particular individual I spoke with isn’t a frequent hiker or camper so I recommended some training options as well as some very simple popular camping areas with easy trails within our local national forest — at the most one mile away from the road. Being a mile or less from the truck gives him the peace of mind that he really isn’t too far from aid in the event something was to happen, such as bad weather, a sprained ankle or shortage of food. He could just return to his rig. I also recommended that he starts with short-duration trips during the summer like an overnighter. I made him aware of the fact that it’s a different dynamic than your typical camper camping and requires a little more mental fortitude, especially solo.

CARRY THE LOAD

In this scenario you are taking a beginner along with you and showing them the ropes. I recommend carrying the majority of the weight in your pack. I know when I introduced my wife into backpack camping I didn’t want her to be in discomfort during the hike in (in this case, it was supposed to be only two miles, but ended up being four miles). Luckily, it was an expedition in the summer so our packs weren’t overly heavy, but I made sure to carry about 75% of the weight between the two of us. This made her pack somewhere in the 30 lb range, which doesn’t seem like much, but she’s 5’ tall and only 115 lbs so it was a good break-in weight.

This leads us to the next tip: making the inductee comfortable.

MAKE THEM COMFORTABLE

One of the last things I would want to induce to a new backpack hunter would be too much uncomfortability. Granted, it’s not always a five-star resort. I’m sure we’ve all been there during the miserable times stuck in the field. That’s where your expertise can help set them up for a successful trip. For example, if you have multiple sleeping pads, take the less comfortable one and let them use the nicer option. Help them plan the logistics of their trip: weather, trail map, etc. You never know — maybe by having them enjoy themselves on their maiden voyage they could turn into someone who’s more willing to accompany you in the future on what some refer to as a “Death Hike.”

All photo credits Anthony Wright

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This could, ultimately, be a deciding factor in many people’s hesitation to venture into the woods unknowingly. I know for myself it definitely was. I had friends let me borrow gear with the assumption I knew what I was doing. I also had buddies who loaned me gear and, upon receiving it, had shown me exactly how to use it — along with some extra pointers. This was much more helpful than the latter.

Given that I’m now a gear nerd, I really enjoy showing people different options as well as what I like to use and why. I shared what I know about good boots and how they make a difference and made sure he was aware of what to expect while being alone in the wilderness. I also shared some short stories about failures and troubles I had along the way.

I would recommend teaching them what food to bring, how to gather clean water, which clothing to wear, etc. Don’t forget to refer them to goHUNT articles and the Gear Shop when they need to buy some gear!

Camping and hunting from a backpack has brought myself and family a lot of joy and introducing others to the recreational activity I enjoy is very rewarding. My family and I went from knowing nothing to slowly acquiring more gear and knowledge, taking us to more adventurous and scenic places.

I encourage anyone interested to give it a try.

The views you have the ability to see just a short distance away from civilization are pure and self rewarding.

AS ALWAYS, STAY SAFE AND HUNT HARD.

Giving people a small informal lesson that helps familiarize how to use a tool or specific item and informs them about what to expect while in the field will strengthen their confidence and hopefully minimize any doubt when it comes time to go afield.

Is Micro-Adjust Needed On An Arrow Rest Or Bow Sight?

By Josh Kirchner

Originally published at GOHUNT.com

and moving the sight or pins by hand. This can be a pain sometimes when sighting in as our movements are not perfect. With a micro adjust, you’d loosen the screw and then turn the dial to move the sight or pins ever so slightly. Having this ability makes finite adjustments a breeze. The same can be said about an arrow rest. When tuning, you’d loosen a screw and pop the rest in the direction you want by hand. With the micro adjust, it is done precisely and accurately via a dial. Is it necessary, though, in either capacity?

Sights

Bowhunters tend to be analyzers. We pay attention to the little things and shoot for big results. Each and every year, our gear and skills are honed in a bit more than previous years in an effort to become or remain successful.

Wrapping tags on animals with a bow on a consistent basis is no walk in the park. For great results, a great amount of effort needs to be put in. These days, many hunters are training and shooting year-round because of this. The scales are put to use when weighing gear and each and every aspect of our bows are analyzed. How can we be more effective than before? Can we even do such a thing? Maybe it’s with a different arrow setup? Possibly, it’s something to do with our form? Would adding the ability to have micro adjust on our rest or sight make a huge impact on our precision? This last question is something that I’ve definitely thought of in the past but never put into action. As I said above, bowhunters are analyzers. So, let’s start analyzing. Is micro adjust needed on a bow sight or rest?

So what is micro adjust?

You’re at the range and ready to sight in your bow. Shot after shot is sent downrange and you start moving your sight in the desired direction. You move it up a tad because your arrow was hitting high. After doing so, though, now your arrow is hitting low. Back to the allen wrench you go. You move the sight down a tad and now the arrow is hitting a tad high again. Does this sound familiar to any of you? I know I have gone through this a time or two while sighting in a bow. The same thing can happen with the individual pins and I’d even say more so with them than the whole sight housing. There are lines on a lot of these elevation and windage bars, but that doesn’t change the fact that none of us are perfect. Granted, archers and bowhunters have been sighting in their bows like this for more than a long time and have been just fine. So, why would you change? If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, right? I think there is always room for improvement, though, and, in this case, it might be more efficient to have micro adjust on a bow sight. Think of the time you might save.

Pins

Being the tinkerers that we are, having the ability to micro adjust may be something that intrigues some of us. What exactly is it, though? For those who are possibly new to archery or bowhunting, I’ll lay it out for you. Micro-adjust on a bow sight or rest is exactly what it sounds like. When we are sighting in a bow or tuning a bow, there are adjustments that need to be made to these accessories for the desired results. With a sight, we might be moving the entire sight up, down, left or right to get that arrow right where we want it. You can also adjust the individual pins in a sight either up or down. This is usually done by loosening an allen screw

Adjusting individual pins has proved to be somewhat of a pain in the past for me. You are trying to loosen that screw just enough to move the pin a skosh, but not too much to where the pin might move way more than intended, ultimately losing the spot it was in in the first place. That has happened to me more than a few times.

Smooth and simple micro-adjustment on the Mathews Ultrarest Integrate MX.

Photo credit Chris Neville

All other photo credits unless otherwise noted Josh Kirchner

Micro adjustment for windage on a single pin Spot Hogg sight.

Photo credit Chris Neville

Having micro adjust on individual pins completely eliminates this hurdle. Being able to adjust pins right where I want on the spot is definitely intriguing to me. There would be no more “oops” factor involved by accidentally bumping the pin too much. However, once my pins are set, they are set unless I end up changing something drastically about my setup or arrows that would cause a totally different ballistic path of the arrow, of which the likelihood is slim. Keeping that out of the equation, you might not really use the micro adjust on pins that much at all once they got the pins all set up.

Gang Adjustment

The next micro adjustment on a bow sight that might catch your eye is going to be the gang adjustment. What I mean by that is the adjustment you’d make to the whole housing itself. I find myself tinkering with this way more than individual pins. It’s still not a ton, but definitely more often. The times that I have switched arrows or changed point weights, I have had to move my sight housing to reflect that. I’ve also had to move my sight housing when getting a new bow. Arrow trajectory pretty much stays the same as long as the bow isn’t too different from your last in terms of speed. As we shoot and shoot, we can also continue to fine-tune our bows. Maybe I am consistently hitting an inch left. I’d move my whole housing left a tad. With the micro adjustment, you wouldn’t have to worry about over adjusting and that is something that I like the sound of. Efficiency is a time saver and this is no exception. You can spend less time adjusting and more time shooting.

Arrow rests

Just like with bow sights, you also have the option to go with a rest that has micro adjust. Where would this come in handy? This would really shine when tuning a bow. Getting an arrow to fly perfect is essential for consistency. Popping the rest over a tad to the right or left can do a lot. When I say a tad, I am talking a 32nd of an inch sometimes. Try to fathom that small of a movement. It’s almost not a movement. This minute adjustment is way easier done with micro adjust than by hand. However, people have indeed been doing things like this for a long time and been fine. I’m not going to say that you absolutely need a micro adjustment on your rest just like I’m not going to say that you need it on your sight. However, it does make things a bit easier. With convenience comes a price, though.

The price tag for more adjustability

Micro adjustment is really a convenience and, just like anything, that convenience comes a price. With some companies, it’s a whole lot more than their non-micro adjust models and with others, it’s a tad more. The fact of the matter is you are going to be spending a bit more money for this slick feature. This should be expected because that’s just how things work. So, you’ve got a question to ask yourself: does the price difference justify the perks? For some, it’s a no-brainer. For others, they might scratch their heads a bit and be willing to “deal” with not having the feature...

Micro-adjust is a great convenience when tuning a bow.

Photo credit Chris Neville

Using Summer Hikes To Pick Future Fall Hunting Spots

By Jake Horton

Originally published at GOHUNT.com

Enjoying the great outdoors has been one of my passions my entire life. Living out West in the Rocky Mountains allows me to get out and go hiking, camping, four-wheeling and exploring in addition to scouting and hunting throughout the year. This type of recreating is enjoyed by thousands of people here in Colorado and in other western states mainly throughout the summer and early fall when weather is prime. Many times these outdoor enthusiasts or recreators are blamed for disturbing hunting spots or hunts in general by hiking and camping in areas where animals would inhabit; however, there are ways to use them to your advantage.

Overall, any human activity in the back country will change animal behavior, habitat and area use. If you understand what elk, deer and other animals do when they feel human presence you can be more successful at finding game — even in some of the more recreated and popular areas. This can be an especially successful strategy to add to your e-scouting for early season hunts when recreators are trying to squeeze in last minute trips to the mountain and you are trying to put a bull or buck on the ground with a bow or muzzleloader.

DETERMINING POPULAR TRAILS

The first step to using outdoor enthusiasts or recreators to your advantage is understanding where they want to be. Most public lands in the West have some hiking trails, roads, ATV or motorcycle trails. For the most part, people who use these designated roads stay on the trail or road and do not venture off for fear of getting in trouble or lost. When it comes to hikers, most hikers are in search of beautiful vistas and far stretching views. If your area doesn’t have that you are probably in good shape since fewer people will visit because there are less photogenic views to share on social media. ATV and motorcycle enthusiasts typically do not care about the views, but are looking for a lot of interconnected trails that are open year-round. Understanding if a trail is popular can be done with some minor research or by calling local forest service, department of wildlife, BLM managers and local department of natural resources or whoever is the public manager of the public land. They should be from that area and be able to tell you how popular the trails are near your proposed hunting areas. Once you determine which trails are not popular, you automatically should understand that the animals there have limited pressure. When you determine which trails are popular, you should automatically think and research where the animals go that would want to live there, but are pushed out by summer hikers, campers and recreators.

DETERMINE SANCTUARIES

The biggest thing I have learned from living in a state that has a lot of elk and deer, but also a ton of outdoor enthusiasts, is that the animals are there somewhere; you just have to find them. The best bucks and bulls are in areas that don’t see people or are not frequented often during the offseason. If you understand that basic principle, you will start looking at all trails and roads as areas to avoid instead of highways to the game. Start thinking that if the basin has a trail in it, then, most likely, other hunters will be there and many animals will not be. If there is a road along the ridge, you will not consistently find bucks or bulls along this road. If there are a lot of ATV trails across a side hill, then most likely you will find your elk or deer in the next basin with no trails.

Often, we get stuck in a mental rut thinking that if we just hike that trail two or three miles deep we will be into all sorts of animals, which can sometimes be true; however, a lot of the times you will have better luck hiking one or two miles into a basin with no trails than you would hiking in the basin with an extensive trail system. Finding these sanctuary basins that are hard to reach and access is the key to consistent quality animals on public land.

PRESSURE

As mentioned, recreators will push bucks and bulls into sanctuary basins that have no trails and no easy way to access. Finding and hunting these areas during the early seasons can prove very successful; however, once the weather changes and recreators return to enjoy the mountains, fewer and fewer deer and elk can migrate into those areas again. This happens because hunters slowly start hunting the easy areas and then go further and further until they finally find the gnarly hole in the wall basin that is holding bucks or bulls. Then, they get pressured and come back to the easy-to-reach, trailed cover areas and back and forth they get pushed. That is why the rule to finding elk and deer is always that you will find them where they are.

Overall, during the early season is the easiest time to be able to predict where you should be able to find deer and elk year after year. Getting away from the trail heads and roads is the first step, but also looking at spots where people don’t like to go or want to go can be important. Though this applies in every state it is especially important in Colorado where there is a good population of people who just love the mountains and also a good population of hunters. Finding these hidden gems that hold deer and elk all summer long with no pressure may just be the ticket to filling your tag during the next early season. It is important to use trails, roads and paths to our advantage, but that doesn’t always mean hiking on them; sometimes it means avoiding them.

Photo credit Chris Neville

Photo courtesy GOHUNT.com

What’s In Your Day Pack? Accessories That Matter

By Zach Lazzari Kawdy Outfitters www.kawdyoutfitters.com

Ready for your next backcountry hunt? Carrying a few critical accessories can really improve your experience in the backcountry. That doesn’t mean you should load a pack full of gadgets. But some do make a massive difference in the field. They are often the most simple and purposeful items as well.

Wind Check

There is one universal truth in hunting – your scent is a dead giveaway. It doesn’t matter where you go or what species you chase, playing the wind is critical. A wind check system is convenient and should be a habitual use item.

You can always get your finger wet and point to the sky to gauge wind direction but a small bottle with unscented powder is the best way to really visualize where the wind is moving. It can even show when the wind is swirling on occasion. Keep your wind check close and use it often.

Hiking Poles

A surprising number of hunters forego hiking poles and they are missing out on a major advantage. Trekking poles help you through the steep terrain while making it possible to go farther and longer with less fatigue. They also take pressure off your knees and joints. Invest in a quality set of trekking poles and use at least one in the backcountry. Two are better for those longer hikes. There are varying degrees of quality with trekking poles and the higher end models are often lighter and made with more comfortable grips. High quality models will also pack down smaller, taking up less space and weight in your pack.

Optics Tripod

Weight is always an issue in the backcountry. On horseback hunts you have more luxuries and can bring a solid tripod for your spotting scope and binoculars. A portable, telescoping tripod made for compact storage is worth bringing along on every hunt. Having a stable glassing platform makes it possible to search for long periods of time and find animals that you would simply miss otherwise. Bring your best glass and a quality tripod system.

Bow or Rifle Sleeve

Carrying your bow or shouldering a rifle all day is not necessary. Some packs are built with straps to carry your weapon while in transit but many do not have these integrations. A simple bow or rifle sleeve that attaches to your pack makes a huge difference in the backcountry. You need to protect your weapon but handling it constantly is a pain. Get a quality sleeve, you won’t regret the upgrade.

Navigation Tools

On guided hunts, it’s easy to skimp on navigation aides but bringing along a GPS system is never a bad idea. At the very least, carry an emergency satellite messenger like the Garmin InReach to transmit your location in case of an emergency. Additionally, consider downloading a digital mapping application like OnX Hunt or Gaia that allows you to bring topo and satellite maps on your smartphone as well.

Contact us with questions at https://www.kawdyoutfitters.com/contact/ or email hunting@kawdyoutfitters.com

Zach is an outdoor writer, a hunting and fly fishing guide, and very proud to be a part of the Kawdy Outfitters team. You can follow Zach’s adventures at bustedoarlock.com.

How To Avoid Buck Fever

By Mike Hanback Big Deer Blog www.bigdeerblog.com

Here’s an 8-step plan for staying cool and collected, and making all the right moves when a big buck is close.

Set up smartly.

Play it smart before you lay eyes on a big deer. Do you normally hang a tree stand 18 to 20 feet high? Well, move it on up to 22 feet when archery hunting. A little extra elevation lets you get away with a lot more movement (which we will discuss later) when a buck approaches. Also, if you shoot right-handed, angle a perch on a tree so that your left shoulder points toward a spot where you expect to see deer (vice versa for southpaws). If a buck shows there, you can stand up and draw a bow or raise a gun with little movement. And your body and feet will be in good shooting position.

Be Ready.

Climb up and organize your gear. If you’re right-handed, hang a bow on a hook or set it in a bow holder within inches of your left hand. Don’t lay a gun across your lap; rather, sit with it tucked on a thigh and between your knees. Hang your binocular, range finder, rattling horns and other stuff on hooks within easy reach. The point is, get organized before a buck shows. You’ll fidget less and won’t get busted.

Look and Listen.

It’s tough to stay on red-alert, especially when it’s cold and you haven’t seen a buck for hours or maybe even days. But you gotta stay sharp. The minute you drop your guard, presto! A dominant buck will pop up within 50 yards of your stand and you don’t want that. When a big buck surprises you, you might get rattled, make a fast move and spook him. So methodically scan the woods and try to pick up the flash of antlers or hide as far out as possible. You’ll have time to calm your nerves, shift into position and start planning your final moves. (continued on page 34)

Photo credit Wirestock | depositphotos.com

Fast-forward to today and the original Rapala CountDown, along with the Scatter Rap® CountDown®, the X-Rap® CountDown® and the CountDown® Magnum®, still remain favorites among anglers worldwide, including many top bass fishing pros. Rapala’s new CountDown® Elite bait builds on that tradition while blasting into the brave new world of high-tech tackle and digital-age anglers. The CD Elite is forged, flattened, one piece through wire construction that improves durability making this a super premium balsa bait.

New CountDown® Elite

Builds On Legendary Rapala® Tradition

Rapala www.rapala.com

Good things come to those who wait. Such wisdom is understood well by every angler who’s ever caught a big fish on an original Rapala® CountDown® bait. Cast. Wait. Count: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10…Now reel. Fish on! Rapala knows this as well, having waited until now to leverage 80-plus years of lure-making experience and expertise into its new high-tech CountDown Elite lure.

Like its predecessor, the CountDown Elite is built from balsa and features the legendary controlled-sink characteristic. That classic

Photos courtesy Rapala www.rapala.com

Introduced in the 1960s, the original CountDown Rapala ® has been a consistent multi-species fish-catcher.

Cast or troll CountDown Elite lures to find fish quickly and consistently throughout the water column, whether they’re hanging around weed tops or holding tight to the bottom. Hand-tuned and tank-tested, they will swim perfectly, fresh out of the box. Secured tip-to-tail by a forged, flattened, one-piece through-wire, they’re as durable as they are dependable.

CountDown Elites are available in 12 high-definition color patterns that add fish-triggering flash with metallic plating and gilded faces.

In stained to muddy water, tie on one of the four bright, attention-grabbing color patterns – Gilded Clown, Gilded Chartreuse Orange, Gilded Firetiger,

and Gilded Hot Tiger. In crystal-clear to lightly stained water, throw a CountDown Elite in one of the eight natural-baitfish patterns – Gilded Minnow, Gilded Brown Trout, Gilded Rainbow Trout, Gilded Gold Shad, Gilded Silver Shad, Gilded Vairon, Gilded Iwana and Gilded Wakasagi.

The CountDown Elite is available in two sizes. The No. 55 model weighs 3/16th oz. and measures 2-¼ inches. It comes armed with two No. 12 VMC Inline Hybrid Treble 2X Hooks secured by heavy-duty split-rings. The No. 75 model weighs 3/8th oz. and measures 3 inches. It comes with two No. 10 VMC Inline Hybrid Treble 2X Hooks secured by heavy-duty split-rings.

Photos courtesy Rapala www.rapala.com

Summer is now in full swing throughout North America. The days are growing longer and warmer, and water temperatures are rising. And that means only one thing: It’s bass time! But, as the temperatures rise, bass like to head a little deeper. From the shoreline, they move out into the weed beds, where they can ambush bait fish. They gravitate toward rock piles and points, and roam long flats in search of minnows and crayfish. As you scan your electronics, you can see the bass clumped up. But getting down to them –that’s the tricky part. Especially when it involves getting your lure to the exact depth – and keeping it there, where the bass are.What’s a bass angler to do?

In a new video by Al and James Lindner, the answer of course, is the Rapala DT-8 (Dives-To Series).

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Using A DT®-8 For Summertime Crankbait Action

Rapala www.rapala.com

...the most important thing to remember about the DT-8 or any of the DT Series (DT-4, DT-6, DT-10, DT-14 or DT-16), is that these lures were designed to stay in the designated strike zone.

When it comes to summertime crankbait fishing, there is no lure that will relieve the summertime blues than the DT-8® .

“The whole DT® Series is one of the most productive crankbaits to come along in the history of the sport for largemouth bass and smallmouth bass,” said legendary angler Al Lindner. “It’s really a killer bait. Fish love them and boy do these lures hook ‘em.”

Lindner points to the DT-8’s extra thin lip, its ability to be cast a long distance, its internal rattle chamber, its vibrating action, and the fact that it is made from balsa, which allows it to float up on the pause for reaction bites – all of which contribute to why every bass angler needs to tie one on in the thick of the summer.

In addition, the DT-8 comes in 39 color patterns to cover nearly any type of fishing situation.

But the most important thing to remember about the DT-8 or any of the DT Series (DT-4, DT-6, DT-10, DT-14 or DT-16), is that these lures were designed to stay in the designated strike zone.

So if bass are hovering along the deep weed edges at 8 feet – the DT-8 gets down to that level fast, and stays there.

That’s the secret of the DT Series — keep the lure where the fish are! Which means you will be having more than your fair share of summertime fun.

In the meantime, check out the new DT-8 video by Al and James Lindner and let them show you how it’s done.

3 Tips For Fishing Streamers In Small Wilderness Waters

By Zach Lazzari Budge’s Wilderness Lodge www.budgeslodge.com

The next time you’re fishing a small river or creek, here are a few tips for fishing streamers in small water…

1. Scale Down the Size and Profile While you shouldn’t rule out the big articulated flies entirely, most small streams call for fly patterns that dart and dive without being oversized. They are easier to cast and control in narrow spaces. Tight roll casts are almost always a necessity in small waters. Therefore, flies that turn over easily are ideal.

You can never go wrong with the classic wooly bugger in black or olive. Adding a conehead and legs is also deadly in the right conditions. The bugger is versatile and the hackles push water without adding a ton of volume.

However, we find that one of the most fun things about fishing streamers is getting creative. In addition to the classic bugger, try fishing some of the newer and highly effective micro-streamers. A few of our favorites include the Thin Mint, Freshwater Clouser, Sparkle Minnow, Baby Swim Coach, Pops Bugger, Egg Sucking Leech and Squirrel Leech.

Visit your local fly shop and pick out a few different small streamer patterns. Be sure to grab a variety of colors and weights for different situations. An unweighted streamer is perfect for swinging through a shallow riffle. But you may want a heavy option when trying to get down into a deeper hole. Likewise, be ready to mix it up between baitfish patterns, leech patterns, and different profile shapes and colors...

2. Getting into Casting Positions - Positioning your body in a stream is the most challenging aspect of fishing narrow corridors. In a meandering stream with deep undercut banks, fishing your way up river is a good move because you avoid alerting fish by walking over the banks where they hide. That said, swinging through the undercuts at a downstream angle can also produce if you’re careful to avoid stomping on the banks... In streams with heavy vegetation and little casting room, moving downstream is better because you can roll cast across and continually step and cast, covering water on the swing. With some practice, the roll cast becomes very accurate and you can start pinpointing holding water. Small depth changes, pockets and structure will all hold fish.

When you do encounter a deeper run, take the time to fish from several different angles while being careful to hide your presence. Standing back a ways will lower your profile and reduce shadows on the water. If the run looks great and nothing chases or strikes, try dead-drifting the streamer through the deepest holding water. A lightly weighted streamer is great for alternating between the retrieve and dead-drift.

3. Line Management in Tight Spaces Fly lines will dangle, tangle and cause all kinds of problems on small waters. Space is limited and line management is critical to create a nice flow of cast and retrieve without interruptions. On many streams, you can find a nice relative amount of line that reaches the opposite bank without having a bunch of slack. When fishing streamers, we recommend a short, stout leader. A leader in the 5-foot to 7-foot range is ideal. A heavy leader material will help turn over these flies... Set yourself up for repetitive casting motions that are short, accurate and consistent. Cover every little nook and keep on moving at a reasonable pace. It’s not uncommon to have fish chase and short-strike frequently... If they don’t commit by the third cast, continue moving and covering more water (unless it’s a larger fish of course – in which case, a change of fly may be in order)...

Reasonable Rods

By Dennis Foster www.focusedoutdoorpromotions.com

Nowis the perfect time to contemplate updating your current inventory of tackle. Including, rods and reels. Hopefully, without disposing too much of our shrinking disposable income.

Tons of directions to head to try your new gear out. Might be your desire to master some new tactics this season. With the advent of live, forward-looking sonar, many techniques that have proven successful in a more shotgun approach in the past, are now downright deadly as we can deliver our baits with a sniper’s accuracy. One cast, one bite in this context. Get yourself in on the game slinging a slug of options at individual fish and watch them react. In real time. Maybe in the genre of jigging raps, lipless crankbaits, blade baits or for a totally realistic-and not just reaction based-presentation, swimbaits are always a good and becoming an overlooked choice. Think of surgical strikes while operating with surgical grade instruments.

Right tools for the job:

I see far too many anglers that just use any old rod for a variety of techniques. A hammer, crescent wrench and vice grips may be versatile tools and do have the ability to perform many tasks. Clumsily. At best. As technology, the plethora of information available and our fishing techniques advance, so should our selection of rods designed for specific species and techniques. It is safe to say that a professional mechanic’s tool chest is much larger and sophisticated than in years past. If you are a passionate angler looking for more reliably successful outings, your tools of choice must become more refined. This also gives you a very valid reasoning for buying more toys. Increased catches and obviously more fun, will no doubt ensue.

With a little research and effort, we can keep the updating expenditures within reason. Inflation has had an impact everywhere. Particularly, in the outdoor industry... That being said-the good news is-there are some areas where you can obtain top of the line equipment and not break the bank.

Quality can be cost effective:

...Are the rods that can push well beyond the $300 apiece mark nice? Yes, they are. Are they worth that kind of coin? In many cases, probably not. This is one area where quality is not always quantitative with dollars. Another consideration to the ultra-high dollar rods is that it would be almost sinful not to outfit them with a new reel for a minimum of half of the rod price. By the time you have the rod and reel spooled up and ready to rock, you can easily have $500 plus invested.

I will now attempt to pull you out of the electric chair of sticker shock. Quality can indeed be had for far less. You will just have to do a little research to find what you are needing-and darn sure wanting. I would like to assist you in narrowing the search and enlighten you on a comprehensive selection that was purpose built for walleyes and the numerous presentations that we are now employing for consistent catches.

In full disclosure, I have had a hand in designing a line of walleye rods to help fill this niche and scratch a nagging itch for budget, yet quality conscious anglers. With a ton of experience and even more importantly, hard earned respect in the ultra-competitive world of professional bass fishing. It was only logical and inevitable that with some well-placed prodding, the folks at Duckett Fishing have produced and brought to market, a completely new offering of premium walleye rods...now after field testing the prototypes, the final line up is now available to the public.

Do yourself a favor and visit www.duckettfishing.com to check it out for yourself. There are 5 spinning rods to choose from that possess a range of actions that will perform admirably in about any application you can imagine. Have a pulling personality? We have you covered there as well with 7’10” and 8’6” telescoping trolling rods with just the right combination of power, sensitivity and forgiveness to handle everything from planer boards, diving devices, snap weights, leadcore, flat lines, etc. If you can conceive it, these rods will achieve it. With, plenty of smooth loading and releasing flex in the upper third to handle big, surging fish, on no stretch lines. You will immediately appreciate the 10.5 inch handle. Every single trolling rod now available have handles that are far too long and offer only issues and not advantages.

The research and testing efforts that went into producing the Walleye Series has made it simple for walleye fisherman to forgo spending countless hours handling, pricing and then hoping what they plunked down their hard-earned dollars will work well. I prefer plug and play purchases versus pay and pray scenarios.

Your next choice is to couple the rod with a reel that not only matches the action, but also has a silky-smooth drag and infinite anti-reverse. The Paradigm series of spinning reels pair perfectly. And reasonably. With the rods priced at $139 and reels ranging from $99 to $199, you can have a dandy combo in your hands for under $250. And even get Free Shipping thrown in by using the promo code FOCUS when checking out on the www.duckettfishing.com site...

There are a few other suitable offerings from a couple of well-known manufacturers that can fill a presentation niche - here and there for reasonable rates. But most are not branded as such and require a lot of in-store handling to figure out what may or may not work best for you. Furthermore, you will be hard pressed to find trolling rods with the same performance characteristics, at any price point.

You can now apply your savings for acquiring more baits...

Photo courtesy Dennis Foster

Building A Better Bucktail Jig

Northland Fishing Tackle www.northlandtackle.com

Nelson especially likes to work the Deep-Vee Bucktail tipped with “meat” as a river option in May, noting the larger sizes are his first choice whenever he needs to fish vertically. As the waters push up over 50 degrees and the fish slide deeper, he’ll swap out the minnows for soft plastic trailers. “If the fish are holding deep and you can park over them, there’s just no way to beat this bait,” says Nelson, “but you can also drag the Deep-Vee Bucktail on the drift because its head shape cheats the current and it tracks so straight. Either way, it’s vital to stay near the bottom on river systems because walleyes love to hold in deep sand traps, divots, and small swales. Jigging mindlessly at mid-depths doesn’t help. Staying glued to the bottom is what counts and the Deep-Vee Bucktail excels in that respect.”

One tip Nelson offers for drifting is to use your trolling motor to go just a little faster than the current, which will push you when heading down-stream. Conversely, when dragging upstream, proceed very slowly to keep your lure as close to the bottom as possible.

If you’ve been fishing for any length of time, you undoubtedly realize bucktail jigs catch a ton of fish. In fact, so productive is this basic fishing lure that for years the U.S. Army included it in their survival kits.

With a storied past and reputation for producing under a wide array of fishing conditions, you might think it would be impossible to improve on this simple and legendary lure design, but Northland Fishing Tackle has done just that –they’ve built a better bucktail! Meet the Deep-Vee Bucktail, a jig that has been quietly amassing a legion of believers who reach for it first when arriving at their honey holes. Benefiting from a new keeled “Deep-Vee” head design that’s thicker on the top and thinner on the bottom, this “hair jig” tracks straight and true whether dragged on the drift, cast and retrieved, or even trolled. It features large 3D eyes that exude a match-the-hatch realism and descends at a rate both fast enough to get it to the bottom and slow enough to get whacked on the way down whether tipped with a minnow, soft-plastic trailer or left unadorned. It’s Barb-Wire® Keeper hook locks both plastic and live-bait additions in place and is suitable for use in a wide range of situations. With a dozen fish-catching color patterns and four sizes, you can fish this baby from the shallows to channel edges, main lake humps and deep structure or mud flats connecting with walleye, bass, crappie and just about any other predatory species that swims in your waters.

“I absolutely love fishing in the latter scenario,” he explains, “because if you can see the fish with your electronics, you can slowly crawl along and keep your Deep-Vee Bucktail right in front of them for a long time. That bucktail waving in their faces is ultimately irresistible. I love this approach when walleye are over slightly hard bottom, one littered with clams, for example.”

As for productive colors, Nelson favors Firetiger and Glow Pink in turbid waters, plus White and Chartreuse. “That Firetiger is dynamite on the ‘eyes,” he reveals.

(continued on page 38)

Still, it’s for the walleye that most anglers tie on this smoking new entry during spring and summer. Exceptionally versatile, the heavier versions excel in deeper water for vertically targeting the tasty predators, while lighter options can be cast shallow and hopped, dragged, or “ripped” back to the boat. The Deep-Vee Bucktail Jig is an excellent open water walleye bait, and excels in river and stream scenarios, too, where it hugs the bottom with little “washout” due to its innovative low-drag design.

“There’s a lot to like about this lure, says Midwestern walleye hot shot, Joel Nelson. “For starters, it has a natural look. Watch it in the water and you’ll see the materials combine to present a lifelike quality that seems to pulse in the water. You don’t even need to tip this jig to make it work, although I usually do.”

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Photos courtesy Northland Fishing Tackle www.northlandtackle.com

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How to Hunt Pronghorn Antelope (A Seasoned Guide Explains)

By Terry Nelson Outdoor Empire www.outdoorempire.com

If you like hunting big game then you’re most likely always looking for a new challenge. Or perhaps you’re seeking a different species to add some diversity to your hunting accomplishments. Learning how to hunt pronghorn could certainly scratch that itch and offer a tremendous adventure.

No other big game animal today portrays, nor is associated with, the wide-open spaces of our country’s western prairies and grasslands more than the American pronghorn antelope (Antilocapra americana).

Having pursued these animals myself and guided pronghorn hunts for many years, I compiled this guide to summarize what you need to know to get started.

Hunting Pronghorn, The Prairie Speedster

The pronghorn is the fastest land mammal in the western hemisphere.

Top speeds can reach 55 mph with the pronghorn often being cited as the second-fastest land animal, second only to the African cheetah.

Horns and Appearance

Both males and females (bucks and does) can have horns. Bucks also have a distinctive black cheek and neck patch on both sides, while the does do not.

A female’s horns, if she has any, rarely exceed the length of her ears.

Males shed their outer black sheath once a year leaving the boney inner core atop their head for a short time until the sheath supporting the prong grows back.

Pronghorns are the only ungulates (hoofed mammals) in the world that have horns and shed the outer sheath.

How to Identify a Trophy Buck

So, what factors do you look for to determine a good buck when it comes to trophy class horns?

Three things to consider:

• Horn length

• Prong length

• Circumference of the horn, or mass of the horn itself

From my experience, a buck with a horn length of 12 to 13 inches should be easily obtainable in most locations. That’s a good first pronghorn.

A 14-inch buck is beginning to be more interesting, while a 15 to 16-inch buck will be viewed as a trophy. With good prong length and some mass, a buck of that size could even make Boone and Crockett.

Despite popular belief, pronghorn are not actually antelope like the species found in Africa or Asia. Pronghorn are truly a unique North American species that use their incredible vision and speed to evade predators going all the way back to the Ice Age.

The longer the prongs, the better the buck will score. Trophy bucks will usually have prongs in the 3 inch and above category. If the prongs start above the ears, and the buck has good hooks on top, he is worth a very hard look.

A buck with 17 inches of horn length or greater is not common and, without a doubt, would be a trophy class animal.

Note the black cheek patch that all male pronghorn have. Photos by Terry Nelson, unless otherwise noted.

This buck is truly unique with horns going straight out instead of straight up. The mass on these horns is impressive. Photo by Robert Turner.

States That Have Pronghorn Hunting

Huntable pronghorn populations exist in the following states:

Wyoming

New Mexico

Montana

Idaho

Arizona

Nevada

Oregon

Colorado

Utah

South Dakota

Texas

Pronghorn numbers today are somewhere between half a million to one million animals scattered across western states. Wyoming is the top producer of pronghorn.

How to Hunt Pronghorn Antelope

Hunting styles are usually based around a spot and stalk approach.

Normally a good tactic is to be positioned on any elevated ridge or hilltop early in the morning with the sun at your back. Once the sun begins climbing any pronghorn to the west of your position will literally shine with the morning sun reflecting back off of them.

A good pair of binoculars and a spotting scope are a must-have, especially when trying to determine horn length. Some years, when there has been excellent grass growth, all I have spotted while glassing is the black horns of a buck sticking up above the grass while bedded.

If you don’t spot a buck that you like, keep moving and repeat the process until hopefully finding a buck that meets your criteria. Once you have pinpointed the buck you want to try for, a stalk may be in order. But be advised, pronghorn have excellent vision and they can run like the wind.

One interesting trait that these animals possess is that they are very curious.

You may have heard of a hunter “flagging” a pronghorn to them. Although I have never taken a buck in this manner, I have concealed myself in tall grass and waved a cap or neckerchief when the animals were already watching me. They did in fact move closer to me out of curiosity, so I believe the tactic could be worth trying in a hunting situation.

(continued on page 36)

Some

pronghorn habitat.

What’s The Cheapest Rifle Caliber To Shoot?

(Most Bangs For Your Bucks)

By Andrew Jackson Outdoor Empire www.outdoorempire.com

My least favorite part of the shooting hobby has to be dealing with ever-inflating ammo prices.

Unfortunately, unless you’re collecting vintage firearms, you’ll almost never shoot or are one of those hunters who shoots three shots a box the day before hunting season to make sure you’re still on paper. Your main shooting expense will be ammo.

Even if you’re a slow shooter and only put one box of ammo through your rifle every month, you’ll still go through hundreds of rounds per year. This will exceed your rifle’s cost within a few years.

And who only shoots a single box of ammo per trip?

My minimum shooting averages one magazine’s worth of ammo per week...

At the current cheapest prices, .223 or 7.62x39m plinking ammo, both would cost me $550 per year.

The cheapest hunting cartridge is generally .308 Winchester, costing $800 per year. Both lose dramatically to .22 Long Rifle at less than $150 for a year’s supply!

The cheapest rifle caliber to shoot, by far, is .22 Long Rifle. This venerable rimfire round is light and weak, so there’s little cost by way of raw materials. It’s also popular. Very popular. Which gives it an excellent economy of scale, further driving prices down.

$0.10 per round is my upper limit for plinking .22 lr, though it can be found down to about $0.08.

However, since it’s such a light, low-velocity cartridge, you can’t replace most rifles with a .22 lr version. Don’t go bear hunting or try to win a 1,000 shoot with .22!

This means we need to focus on other rounds to truly answer the question of what’s the cheapest rifle caliber to shoot. Right now, it’s either .223/5.56×45, 7.62x39mm, or .308/7.62×51.

All of these benefits from a large supply and guaranteed consumption base. A round such as .30-30 Winchester will have a lower material cost than .308, but it can’t approach the same price levels because it’s not manufactured on such a large scale.

Note that this advantage dissolves when reloading enters the picture. The cost, for you, is basically just the materials cost. So, you can reload even the rare cartridges for about as much as the common ones.

What Disciplines Can You Shoot Cheaply?

Certain shooting disciplines cannot be done “cheaply.”

You need to shoot match-grade ammo any time you want to maximize your rifle’s precision.

There’s no way around it. Cheaper ammo is just less accurate than more expensive ammo.

This makes Benchrest shooting, Precision Rifle Series, Bullseye/Precision Pistol, and other such competitions expensive to shoot no matter what.

Even your practice for these events should involve higher quality ammo.

You can get away with mid-grade ammo for hunting, 3-gun competition, and many other disciplines. If “hits” are what’s essential, not minute-of-angle, then you don’t need to use the best stuff possible.

And, when practicing these disciplines, you can get by with cheap ammo, as long as it’s not too inconsistent. For casual plinking, short-range target shooting, and drills where you’re focusing on speed rather than precision? Use the cheapest ammo you can get for your gun that’ll still let it run.

The Overall Cheapest Rifle Caliber

Note: Prices are from early 2022, aggregated from many websites and excluding remanufactured ammo. Reloaded prices based on starting loads of IMR 4895 powder for most cartridges.

What About Steel Cased Ammo?

There’s a trend toward steel cases for cheap ammo nowadays.

Some people shy away from steel cases, but I say, let them fly.

The main concern people have regarding using steel-cased ammo to save money is how it can accelerate barrel wear. (This is likely from the Eastern Bloc manufacturers using hotter burning powder, causing increased throat erosion, but I digress).

The cheapest brass-cased .223 I can find right now costs $0.08 more per round than steel-cased .223. This saves $80 per 1,000 rounds....

So, yes, shooting steel-cased ammo still saves you money!

The Cheapest Practical Rifle Calibers

Most of the advice above applies to for-fun shooting. Paper doesn’t care about what type of bullet you’re using, making cheap rifle shooting easy.

But what about those rifles which are for use against the live game?

You don’t want to cheap out when hunting or defending your life. You ALSO don’t want to get a gun that prices you out of being able to hunt.

A rifle I love is my Marlin 1895 GBL. However, it’s chambered in .45-70 Government. That gun’s practice ammo is $2.50 a round! Hunting ammo costs $3 per round or more, which means I don’t take it out much.

So, let’s look at some highly-effective cartridges that won’t bleed your wallet dry.

The Cheapest Rifle Caliber for Big Game Hunting

.308 Winchester wins for being the least-expensive big game hunting round. It’s just too common for any of the specialized hunting rounds to compete.

You can take almost any game in North America with a .308 rifle. Only the biggest animals shrug it off.

If you’re hunting a Grizzly, then your ammo costs are going to be a rounding error on your hunting cost spreadsheet.

The Cheapest Rifle Caliber for Varmint Hunting

While I love small-caliber varmint loads such as .17 HMR and .22 Hornet, .223 Rem is exceedingly common and is, in fact, a varmint round.

It’s not the best varmint round, but it is the least expensive.

The Cheapest Rifle Caliber for Long Range Shooting

Low-volume, high-precision shooting muddles the discussion a bit when it comes to cheap rifle practice.

There’s no such thing as a cheap long-range load. Some are cheaper than others, though.

In my experience, 6.5 Grendel is the best long-range precision round for inexpensive shooting. 6.5 Creedmoor, another common long-range rifle round, always seems to be about $3-$15 more per box.

6mm ARC is about the same price but is less commonly available.

.223 match ammo exists and is cheaper still, but it’s not as long-ranged as these heavier calibers, so I still place 6.5 Grendel as the cheap long-range king.

The Cheapest Rifle Caliber for Self Defense

.223 wins here, too. I favor .223 as a self-defense round for reasons I’ve covered before.

Price shouldn’t be a consideration for the actual loads you use to defend yourself. Get the best self-defense ammo you can then take advantage of cheap ammo to be well-practiced for if such a bad event comes to pass.

The Cheapest Rifle Caliber to Reload

I remember when 7.62x39mm ammo was cheap enough, it cost you more to reload it than buying new ammo!

That’s not the case anymore.

For most cartridges, reloading equalizes costs.

.30-30 Win and 7.62x39mm both use .30 cal bullets, similar primers, and about as much powder. Provided you have empty cases, which are reusable and thus don’t shift the cost much, these two cartridges will cost about the same to reload. Calibers are where costs change, though. Larger, heavier bullets tend to cost more than smaller, lighter ones, though bullet prices tend to be in bands.

For example, .358 caliber Hornady InterLock bullets are about $0.12 cheaper per unit than their .270 bullets. And larger calibers require more powder as well, also increasing costs.

This means that the smallest caliber with the lightest powder load to achieve your goal will be the cheapest caliber for you to reload. This depends heavily on your desires.

For example, this is part of what led me to reload 6.5 Grendel instead of 6.5 Creedmoor for long-range shooting. They both use the same bullets, but my Grendel is cheaper to reload than the Creedmoor and is just as effective at the distances I’m comfortable shooting. If I wanted to push past 1,000 yards, then I’d upgrade to 6.5 Creedmoor.

However, for poking holes in paper, .224 bullets are almost always the cheapest. 60 gr .224 Hornady V-Max bullets cost the same as .20 gr .17 caliber bullets, for example. This makes .223 the cheapest rifle cartridge to reload.

Tips for Cheaper Rifle Shooting

REMINDER: Completely unload your rifle before pulling the trigger when dry firing!

No matter how you spin it, high-volume shooting can be expensive. Here are some methods you can use to maximize your training without feeling like you’re throwing money into a bottomless pit.

#1 Dry Fire Practice

I can’t always get to the gun range. So long as I have access to my guns, though, I can get in some trigger time every day. Except for recoil management, there’s very little practical difference between pulling the trigger on a full or empty chamber. Most of what makes you accurate—breath control, stance, and trigger control—can be practiced by dry firing your gun.

Careful observation while dry firing your gun can reveal any jerking and allow you to fix this problem before you develop a flinch. This will save you money with real ammo, too, as all the bullets will go where you want them to go.

Make sure your gun is completely unloaded before pulling the trigger, including the magazine. I even have a dedicated dry-fire mag with the spring and follower removed!

Failing to follow the basic rules of firearm safety will be more expensive than any range trip. (continued next page)

What’s The Cheapest Rifle Caliber To Shoot?

(Most Bangs For Your Bucks)

(continued from page 25)

#2 Dry Fire Training Systems

Up your dry fire game by using a laser training system such as the LaserLyte Laser Trainer.

These systems make any instability in your aim more obvious. That dot can bounce all over the place!

You can also add targets that react to the laser, though this increases the initial expense.

#3 Use a .22 Long Rifle Adapter

Remember how .22 lr is much cheaper than even the crappiest, cheapest rifle cartridge?

If you have a specific type of gun, you can adapt it to use .22 lr.

I use a CMMG .22 Chamber Adapter, which replaces my... bolt carrier group so I can use the cheap stuff while getting real trigger time with that rifle.

You can find .22 adapters for other guns, such as the Advantage Arms Glock 17/22 adapter, or pick up a dedicated .22 lr version.

#4 Accurize Your Cheap Ammo

If you need inexpensive long-range ammo but don’t have the components to load your own, you can apply the “Mexican Match” concept to make lower-quality ammo more accurate.

Much of a cartridge’s contribution to accuracy comes from consistency. Consistent powder throws consistent bullet weights consistent seating pressure. And consistency is where they cut costs...

#5 Have a Secondary Gun in an Uncommon Caliber

As we’ve seen in the past few years, the common cartridges can get bought out quickly. Then the price increases. Less common cartridges will experience the same phenomenon but more slowly.

There was a time when I couldn’t find .223, 7.62x39mm, or .308, but I could find 6.5 Grendel—and for less than the inflated prices of those other rounds!

Grendel’s price eventually rose as well, but that was well after people with only .223 and .308 rifles cursed me for being able to find cheap ammo.

Conclusion

.22 LR is the cheapest ammo you can buy for a rifle, but it’s not the best choice for many shooters.

Even after prices have inflated, .223 and 7.62x39mm tend to jostle each other for the cheapest intermediate rifle ammo you can buy.

If you want a full-power rifle, then .308 is the cheapest choice

Don’t be that poorly-practiced hunter I mentioned back at the beginning, by the way.

Shooting is a skill and, like any skill, needs consistent practice for you to be effective. Confidently placing your shot wherever you want will make you a better hunter and increase your chance of a swift one-shot kill that drops the deer where it stands with minimal damage to meat and hides.

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Tips For Elk Hunting Using Water And Wallows

By Zach Lazzari Dark Timber Lodge www.darktimberlodge.com

Elk require a fair amount of water and creating strategies around water sources can be a great way to pin down sneaky bulls. If you can figure out where they are using water, bedding and generally feeding, intercepting them becomes a real possibility.

When it comes to elk hunting using water and wallows, here are a few tips to remember…

The Caveat of Using Water Based Strategies

In areas where water is very plentiful, the odds of intercepting elk at a water source are significantly reduced. There may be too many options to try and reliably ambush elk at a single location. What’s more, areas with abundant water also tend to have widely distributed food sources. In general, this can lead to more widely distributed elk and less predictable movements.

As a general rule, elk hunting strategies that revolve around water sources are more effective in arid areas. Locating isolated water sources with feed nearby would be an ideal scenario. While this can be a great strategy in some places, it can be very difficult in others.

Sitting on Wallows

Viable water sources aren’t always found in the form of clear running streams and creeks. Elk frequently utilize small springs and seeps. During periods of warm weather and in the pre-rut timeframe, bulls will often use springs and seeps for wallowing. If you find a wallow that is frequently used, consider setting up nearby. Fresh tracks, rubs and evidence of regular traffic means you may have found a perfect spot to intercept a bull.

If the wallows and springs have little to no sign, it doesn’t mean they won’t be used but the odds are clearly diminishing. Look for alternative water sources in the surrounding area and adjust based on sign and the results of glassing efforts.

Timing Water Use

There is no exact science to timing a bull’s appearance at a water source. But use the conditions and available sign to create a logical approach. During periods of hot, dry weather in September for example, bulls will frequently go to water or wallow during the late morning or mid-day hours after their harem of cows is safely bedded down nearby. In other scenarios, elk may be using water sources at first or last light.

Listening and glassing are two ways to determine which water sources are being used regularly, and at what time of day. Do your best to pattern elk movement between bedding and feeding areas to see where water enters into the equation.

Keep in mind that in some scenarios, elk may be watering at night and then moving to higher ground in the dark or low-light hours. In a situation like this, it can be an effective strategy to try and intercept elk at first or last light as they move to or from those bedding areas.

Tips for the Setup

When setting up for any ambush, whether that’s on a water source or a travel route, pay close attention to scent and the wind. That includes what the wind is doing when you arrive, and also what it may be doing several hours from then.

For example, if you arrive at your ambush point before daylight or in the early morning hours, thermals will be moving downhill if there’s no other prevailing wind. However, as the sun comes up and begins to warm the air, those thermals can begin rising and moving your scent uphill. Keep these factors in mind as you choose a place to set up.

Finally, consider shooting lanes and your comfortable shooting range for whichever weapon you are carrying. If all goes according to plan and the elk show up, you may be pinned down and unable to move and adjust your position. So choose the spot wisely, where you’ll be in range for a shot and with clear shooting lanes.

Often times, this requires a little guesswork. You may not know exactly where the elk will appear or what direction they’ll be coming from. But based on your observations, nearby bedding areas and any other clues, do your best to choose your position accordingly.

Contact Us With Questions

If you have questions about guided elk hunts in Colorado or if you’d like to chat about availability, please give Adam a call at (208) 691-3014 or send us a message at https://darktimberlodge.com/contact.

Make us your basecamp for hunting, fishing, hiking and off-trail riding.

Photo credit Dark Timber Lodge www.darktimberlodge.com

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20 Critical Water-Related Conservation Projects Boosted By New Funding

National Wild Turkey Federation www.nwtf.org

The NWTF’s Waterways for Wildlife initiative kicks off another year of vital restoration work in and around water corridors by funding 20 conservation projects throughout nine of the initiative’s 10 focal states in 2023. The NWTF is contributing $225,000 to these critical projects, which will be leveraged with partners to more than $5.3 million this year alone...

“We are beyond excited to keep the momentum going after a productive first year of Waterways for Wildlife projects,” said Jared McJunkin, NWTF Director of Conservation Operations for the central region. “Our average match rate for projects in 2023 was 17.8:1, underscoring our partners’ investment in this critical work...

Waterways for Wildlife addresses urgent conservation needs in riparian ecosystems, or areas situated along creeks, streams and rivers, which are magnets for wild turkeys and many other wildlife species. Bridging the gap between water quantity and the quality of available water, these essential ecosystems store water and recharge aquifers; likewise, the plants, soils and wetlands associated with them serve to filter pesticides, herbicides and sediment before they travel into downstream water supplies. In short, they are imperative for a healthy ecosystem.

However, many of these riparian habitats are in poor condition due to various causes – such as increased water demands, disrupted floodplains and changes in land use – that have altered their natural cycle and impacted the health of these essential communities. Through the Waterways for Wildlife Initiative, the NWTF is committed to reversing these trends and implementing work to improve riparian health for wild turkeys and the many other land-dwelling and aquatic species that rely on these ecosystems. The initiative began in 2022, and significant headway was made through 14 shovel-ready projects, impacting 7,677 acres of wildlife habitat and nearly 80 stream miles.

Over the next nine years, the NWTF seeks to raise $10 million in private funding and leverage $40 million in matching partner funds to improve 75,000 acres of wildlife habitat along 1,500 linear miles of waterways in the Great Plains landscape...

As work begins, the NWTF will highlight the 20 new projects on NWTF.org in the coming months.

For more information about applying for funding through the NWTF’s Waterways for Wildlife Initiative, contact McJunkin at jmcjunkin@nwtf.net.

Two Men Sentenced To Poaching Mule Deer Buck In Custer County

Idaho Fish & Game https://idfg.idaho.gov

Acall to Idaho’s poaching hotline helped officers detect and solve crime.

On Saturday October 29, 2022, a mule deer buck was taken illegally in Unit 36 near Rankin Creek, a tributary of the Yankee Fork Salmon River near Stanley. The general deer season closed five days earlier on October 24.

The case began when a witness called Idaho’s Citizens Against Poaching Hotline on Sunday, October 30, reporting that he encountered two out-of-state hunters that had taken a large, 3-by-4 mule deer buck the previous day. According to the witness, he told the shooter that the deer season was closed and that he had better turn himself into authorities. The shooter did not turn himself in.

The witness provided critical details on the suspects, vehicle involved, and location of the incident. Fish and Game conservation officers located the kill site, collected DNA, and found an unspent bullet dropped at the scene.

The bullet later helped confirm which of the two suspects was the shooter. Based on the witness description of the men and vehicle, officers were able to narrow down a list of suspects. Through investigations in Idaho and in California, both suspects were identified, interviewed, and eventually confessed to taking the mule deer after the season had closed. Additionally, the shooter possessed a Unit 39 deer tag, not a Unit 36 tag. The man that killed the deer took steps to cover it up by filing on his harvest report that he did not harvest.

After coordinating with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, the two men were charged and appeared in Custer County Court recently. Carlos Rodrigues received a three-year hunting license revocation and approximately $2,500 in fines. Tony Solorio received a three-year hunting license revocation and $1,530 in fines.

This case demonstrates the importance of public involvement in catching poachers stealing wildlife from Idaho citizens.

“Without the witness providing critical details, this case would likely not have been detected, let alone, solved,” said Austin Dupuis, IDFG conservation officer based in Stanley. “License plate numbers are extremely important, as well as the location, time, and a description of the suspects.”

Persons with any information about suspected poaching are encouraged to call the CAP hotline at (800) 632-5999, report online, or contact their local Fish and Game office...

Located in the heart of some of the best deer hunting in Montana. Book

Best Hunting BootsKenetrek Boots

By Ryan McSparran Caribou Outdoor Equipment Co. www.caribougear.com

...Ifwe were to pick one boot that’s versatile enough to handle any hunt, it would be the Kenetrek Mountain Extreme. Here are a few reasons why we love this boot:

1. Comfort

When we say, “comfort” we’re not talking about your favorite pair of slippers. We’re talking about all-day mountain hunting comfort. Actually, these boots are relatively stiff and might feel strange at first when walking around on flat ground. I remember the first time I put on my Kenetrek mountain boots – it felt a little bit like wearing a ski boot. Not that extreme – but you get the point.

If you’ve never worn a tall, stiff boot, they may take some getting used to. But as soon as you’re hiking through rough terrain, climbing or descending a steep mountain, or hauling a heavy load of meat on your back, you’ll immediately recognize their value. These boots shine in the nastiest conditions.

Whether you’re chasing sheep at high altitude or scurrying down a desert coulee to get in position on an antelope, these boots keep your feet protected and comfortable on the most uneven terrain. They offer excellent support for any mountain or western hunt.

2. Durability

There’s no escaping the fact that a pair of Kenetrek boots are pricey. We understand that it’s a significant investment. But we believe is a worthwhile investment.

Boots are one of the most important pieces of gear you’ll purchase. Bad hunting boots can absolutely ruin a hunting trip. Blisters, wet feet or frozen feet can end a hunt in a hurry –or at least make you a less effective hunter. No matter what pair of boots you decide to purchase, it’s worth investing in a quality pair.

Using the best possible materials and high quality construction, Kenetrek boots are extremely durable. They are built for the long haul. This year will mark my seventh season in my Kenetrek mountain boots – and they’re still in good shape! When you invest in a pair of high quality boots, you should expect outstanding durability. And that’s exactly what you get with the Kenetrek Mountain Extremes.

3. Versatility

One thing we love about our Kenetrek boots is their versatility. From September archery elk hunts to November mule deer hunts, these boots carry us through the hunting season. This is truly the “do it all” western hunting boot.

Kenetrek boots are completely waterproof. The breathable membrane allows moisture to escape, helping to keep your feet comfortable in a wide range of conditions.

If you’re only going to purchase one pair of boots, we’d recommend the Mountain Extreme 400-Gram Insulated boot. We find these boots to be just the right balance – not too much for those early season archery hunts – but warm enough to take us well into the later seasons.

Quick Specs:

Men’s Kenetrek Mountain Extreme Insulated 400-Gram

- 10” Tall

- 4lb 2oz

- 8mm Thick Premium Full Grain Leather Uppers

- One-Piece Construction – No Seams Down the Tongue for Abrasion Resistance and Waterproofness

- Reinforced Double and Triple Stitching

- 7mm Nylon Midsoles for Support with Heavy Pack Loads

- Premium Hardware that Swivels Instead of Breaking

- Reinforced Rubber Sole Guard – Extra Abrasion Resistance

- Windtex Waterproof/Breathable Membrane

- 400 gram Thinsulate Lightweight Insulation

- K-Talon Outsoles Provide Excellent Traction

Quick Specs:

Women’s Kenetrek Mountain Extreme Insulated 400-Gram

- 8” Tall

- 2lbs

- 8mm Thick Premium Full Grain Leather Uppers

- One-Piece Construction – No Seams Down the Tongue for Abrasion Resistance and Waterproofness

- Reinforced Double and Triple Stitching

- 5mm Nylon Midsoles for Support with Heavy Pack Loads

- Premium Hardware that Swivels Instead of Breaking

- Reinforced Rubber Sole Guard – Extra Abrasion Resistance

- Windtex Waterproof/Breathable Membrane

- 400 gram Thinsulate Lightweight Insulation

- K-Talon Outsoles Provide Excellent Traction

Merino Wool Socks

When purchasing a pair of high quality boots, don’t forget the importance of socks. The best boots in the world won’t perform well if you’re wearing cotton socks underneath! For the waterproof/breathable membrane to work properly, you must wear a sock that will wick moisture and dry quickly.

We highly recommend a merino wool sock for any hunting expedition. The merino-nylon blend from Kenetrek is an excellent choice. They come in medium, heavy and super heavy weight versions. Kenetrek also offers a great liner sock that can be paired with any of the three. You can vary the sock weight based on the weather – or you might find that your boots fit best with one particular sock. For example, I personally find that my boots fit best with a heavy weight sock – no matter the weather or season.

Kenetrek Boot Wax

When you invest in a high quality pair of mountain boots, make sure you take great care of them. We recommend cleaning and waxing your boots after every trip. This will help keep the boots waterproof and the leather in great condition for years to come...

To learn more and shop our online store visit www.caribougear.com

Photo credit Ryan McSparran

Adventure awaits with the ATC/STC from Swarovski, the ultimate spotting scope for adventurers and wildlife enthusiasts. Its compact size and lightweight design make it the perfect companion for rough terrain and remote areas. With SWAROVISION technology and field flattener lenses, experience stunning color intensity and razor-sharp images with optical perfection. The intuitive operation and easy-to-use half shell allow for effortless positioning and focusing. Capture special moments with the phone adapter and take your exploration to the next level with the unmatched optical quality of the ATC/STC. Check out Swarovski Optiks at Bob Ward’s today!

17-40x MagnificVation

56 mm

Effective objective lens diameter

186-102 ft/1000 yds

Field of view at m/1,000 m / ft/1,000 yds

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17-40x Magnification

56 mm

Effective objective lens diameter

186-102 ft/1000 yds

Field of view at m/1,000 m / ft/1,000 yds

34.2 oz

Weight 10.2 in Length in mm.

Price from $2,721.00

Pronghorn Steak Sandwich With

Avocado Pesto Recipe

A 12 Gauge Girl

www.huntingandcooking.com

INGREDIENTS:

Avocado Basil Pesto

1 avocado

2 cups basil

1 clove garlic

2 Tablespoons lemon juice

1/2 cup pecans

1/3 cup grated parmesan

Salt and pepper

Everything Bagel Crusted Pronghorn Steak Sandwich

Sourdough Bread

1 pound pronghorn steak (or elk, deer, moose, etc)

Everything Bagel seasoning

1 Tablespoon oil

3 heirloom tomatoes

4 eggs

INSTRUCTIONS:

Avocado Basil Pesto

In a food processor, chop the avocado and basil until broken up.

Add full clove of garlic and pulse until chopped.

Mix in pecans, lemon juice, and parmesan cheese. Blend until mixture is like coarse salt.

With food processor running, slowly drizzle in olive oil until desired consistency is reached.

Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Everything Bagel Crusted Pronghorn Steak Sandwich

To cook pronghorn, preheat oven to 500 degrees.

In a skillet able to be transferred to the oven, heat a tablespoon of oil (I just used olive because it was already out but any cooking oil is fine) to medium high heat.

Generously season the pronghorn steak with the Everything Bagel seasoning. Drop into hot pan and brown each side for about three minutes per side (based on about a 1 and 1/2” thick steak, decrease time if steak is thinner and increase if steak is thicker).

Place the entire skillet into the oven for five minutes to finish cooking the pronghorn.

Let the meat rest for 8-10 minutes before thinly slicing for sandwiches.

Toast slices of sourdough bread.

Generously coat one slice with the avocado basil pesto.

Place three slices of heirloom tomato slices and then pile high with sliced pronghorn steak.

For the fried egg: Fry eggs to medium so the whites are cooked but the yolk is still runny. Typical fry time for an egg to reach medium over a medium level of heat is about five minutes (three minutes the first side, flip and two minutes the second side).

Top the sandwich with a fried egg, slice to let the yolk run all over, and enjoy!!!

How To Avoid Buck Fever

(continued from page 13)

One time I hunted for 3 days in Saskatchewan and never saw a buck. Six hours into the fourth day I heard a branch crack, then one snort. I raised my .270 in the nick of time to shoot a 150-inch non-typical that raced past my stand. It can happen that fast, so look and listen for bucks. One good thing about a quickie hunt is that you don’t have time to get buck fever. If you’re ready, you just react and shoot. Watch a Buck. Let’s say you spot a huge buck 150 yards out, angling toward your stand. Do not, I repeat, do not take your eyes off the deer. If you look down at your bow or gun for just a second you might look back up and he’ll be gone, down in a ditch, behind a hump, whatever. It might take you a couple of minutes to find the buck again. Heck, you may never see him again. Try a sort of double vision. Watch a buck with one eye and with your other eye look 20 yards ahead of him for holes in the cover to shoot. Start planning a shot as far in advance as possible. Also, read a buck’s body language. Things are good when a big deer strolls along with his head down. But if a buck is alert and nervous, looking all around, you’ve got to be extra careful. He’ll bust you in a second.

Don’t watch a rack. A surefire way to catch the fever and shakes is to spot a giant buck and then gape at his rack. The more you count tines, gauge mass and guesstimate score, the more your heart pounds. You start to hyperventilate. Your legs turn to jelly. The closer a buck comes, the bigger his rack looks. Keep watching it and you might lose it! Once you spot a shooter, don’t look at his rack again. Pick a spot of hair on a buck’s side and watch that instead. It helps you stay calm and get ready for the shot. Move when you can. When you spot a buck a good way off, grab your bow and stand up slowly. You’ll probably want to sit in a stand and shoot a gun, so simply twist your body in the deer’s direction. When a buck pops out of the cover within 100 yards, be careful. But not too careful. The second he turns his head away or sticks it behind a tree or patch of brush go for it. Move smoothly and quietly, but don’t be tentative. You’ve got to get into shooting position early, before a buck gets tight and pins you down. Freeze if you have to. If a buck looks your way freeze! He might have spotted a flicker of movement, or whiffed a few of your scent molecules or simply sensed that something is amiss. Whatever, he’s wired and ready to bolt. Wait until the deer settles down and drops or turns his head before moving again. If he stays wired, stay frozen. You might have to let him walk past or beneath your stand. Make your final move as he quarters away.

Close the sale. So far so good. You’re sitting pretty with a muzzleloader or rifle pointed at a wall-hanger. Well, what are you waiting for? Take a deep breath and take the buck as soon as he is in range and you have a clear view of his heart/lung vitals. Every second that you wait, the chances of something going wrong are magnified. Shoot when you can! An archer must be slick when a big deer is inside 30 yards. Don’t draw your bow when a buck is quartering on. He’ll look up and bust you. Wait until he turns broadside or walks away. And don’t pull the string until he looks away or runs his head behind a tree or brush. Bore your eye through the peep and onto that spot of hair you’ve been watching all this time. Aim just behind a buck’s front leg and a third of the way up his body. Take a deep breath. Focus on a smooth release and total follow-through. Keep watching that hair patch until your arrow’s fletching disappears into it. A deer shot through the lungs with a bullet or a broadhead won’t go far...

Photo credit www.huntingandcooking.com

Josh Kirchner courtesy Vortex Optics www.vortexoptics.com

How To Hunt Successfully With Family And Friends

By Josh Kirchner Vortex Optics www.vortexoptics.com

We were 6 days into a backcountry mule deer hunt in Colorado. My brother and I had been looking forward to this hunt all year long. This was a newer type of hunt for us, taking place up above tree line, and setting us in pursuit of velvet high country bucks.

Backcountry hunts are hard though, and sooner than later, our anticipation and excitement turned to something different. Something darker and more poisonous. The rigors of this adventure we’d dreamed about for years was waning in a bad way and affecting our relationship. He was mad at me for being too serious and I was mad at him for not being serious enough.

It was ugly, and both of us hated every second of it. Hunting with family and friends should never look like this, but sometimes what is truly important gets lost in the weeds of the hunt. Here are some things to ponder over, should you find yourself lost in the thick of it.

WHY SO SERIOUS?

Serious hunters, the ones that get it done on a regular basis, tend to be serious in the field. It’s what keeps them on track, driven, and focused. If someone wants to get good at something, it’s natural to start taking it more seriously. There is a threshold here though. A point in which that seriousness starts affecting the ones around you. Whether that is not paying mind to your significant other come hunting season or holding resentment towards your brother in the field.

The key to all of this, is walking a line. There needs to be a balance and a realization that your loved ones are more important than any hunt you’ll go on. They are your support system and the ones that can impart the friendly reminder that….you ready for this? This hunting thing is supposed to be fun. A way for us to shake off the city and take a load off, all the while testing our moxie on both the animals and the country they call home. Not everyone is going to have the same level of drive or enthusiasm as you, and to ignore that, is to ignore your relationship.

WHAT IS SUCCESS?

On the very surface, success in hunting is usually associated with filling those tags. While they are indeed our tickets to the fun house, they are not the only measure of success. The pulling of a trigger literally lasts a second. One second out of a weeklong hunt is not a whole lot. So much else happens on these hunts, and with the right perspective, these things are undoubtedly wins.

It reminds me of my first bear hunt. At the time, a friend and I knew absolutely nothing, but were nonetheless putting in the work, somewhat aimlessly might I add. We spent some truly quality time together out there and even managed to see a bear. While I didn’t fill that tag, we walked away from that adventure reinvigorated, both about bears and more opportunities to hunt together in the future. Just thinking about the conversations we had on the way home gets my blood pumping.

Another thing that comes to mind is my Dad. For years and years, he took me out as a youngster with him deer hunting. The amount of deer that I probably spooked because of noise, movement, etc. is more than I can recall. He didn’t care though. Old Dad never got a deer when I was a kid. What he did get though years later was a clinicallyobsessed-about-hunting son. He made it fun and never put a lot of pressure on me, which is important to note for parents out there. The success was never about the hunt, but more so the big picture.

THE REASON

As a person walks the path of a hunter, it’s easy to get caught up in the hunt. Relationships are ruined, fist fights are had, and soon what is truly important drifts from view. In these moments, it’s important to look back and remember your why. Remember why you’re out there in the first place and what continuously pulls you towards the mountains. It’s the love and memories made that does it. The laughs you have with a friend around a fire or the feeling of your heart beating through your shirt during a close encounter with that huge bull elk screaming in your face.

And then there is the camaraderie that you share with others. When someone lifts you back up to your knees after missing, or when the two of you tightly embrace when met with a filled tag. I’ve been fortunate to take some first timers out in the field in the last few years. Folks that are some damn good friends, but never hunted too much. When I see their wide, saucer-like eyes after showing them, say the bucks we’re hunting, and hear the undeniable excitement in their voice when we talk about it? That right there is a reminder of my why and the start of theirs.

CLOSING

On the morning of that sixth day in the Colorado backcountry, my brother and I awoke with a new goal. No more stress. No more arguing about what we should or shouldn’t do. Our number one goal from that point forth was to have fun. We simply wanted to enjoy this amazing place that we were so fortunate to call home for a week and to do it together. That evening I shot my first high country mule deer and it was a hunt that my brother and I won’t soon forget...

Photos credit

As you plan your hunt, and when you’re out in the field, think about how serious your friend or family member is about hunting. You might have to dial it up or down to be good partners.

How to Hunt Pronghorn Antelope (A Seasoned Guide Explains)

(continued from page 23)

Bowhunting Tips

If you are an archery hunter, you will most likely need to utilize a blind.

Some states have archery hunts beginning in late summer or early fall. Hotter temperatures mean water sources will be your best bet at getting within range for a bow shot, especially if set up with a ground blind.

Rifle Hunting Tips

Any flat shooting rifle caliber is appropriate for hunting pronghorn. I have taken them with everything from a .243 Win, to .270 Win, to .30-06.

A .308 Winchester will also take down a pronghorn just fine, along with most big game animals in North America.

Pronghorn Hunting FAQs

1. What Time of Day Are Pronghorns Most Active?

Pronghorn generally live in open country, where tree cover is limited or non-existent, therefore it’s possible to hunt pronghorn throughout the day. It’s not necessary to start hiking or driving into your hunting area well before daylight.

2. How Hard Is It To Hunt Pronghorn?

Pronghorn are not considered tough to bring down, so any well-placed shot is usually adequate. Shots could be from less than 100 yards to as far as you can see considering the flatness of the terrain that pronghorn occupy.

Your ability and skill for longer shots rest on your shoulders. Be responsible and ethical, always striving for a clean kill.

3. How Is Pronghorn to Eat?

Like any wild game, pronghorn can range from just ok to excellent as table fare. Personally, I have the whole animal made into breakfast sausage and summer sausage which puts the meat in the excellent category in my book.

Final Thoughts

The American Pronghorn is well, truly American and no trophy room is complete without one in my estimation. Plenty of opportunities abound across many states for hunting the pronghorn. If you have never taken the time, maybe this next hunting season should include a pronghorn hunt in your crosshairs.

Wind And Water-Resistant Midseason Gear

New for 2023: ScentLok BE:1 Paradigm Jacket and Pant caters to midseason hunting

Conceived to deliver elite-level hunters with pinnacle ScentLok technologies and performance, BE:1 Bowhunter Elite Series products check every box. From base layers, early-season, midseason, and late-season outerwear to warmth on demand thermal pieces, accessories, and ozone storage solutions, the BE:1 name means hunters are getting the very best of what ScentLok’s 30 years of proven-deadly research, science-based technology, materials, and manufacturing can provide. Collectively, the BE:1 Series provides serious archery hunters with a premium apparel toolkit to match the specialized conditions of any hunt.

Adding to the hunting wardrobe of today’s advanced hunter, the all-new for 2023 ScentLok BE:1 Paradigm Jacket and Pant provides an elevated option to hunters doing battle with the special challenges of midseason hunting. Features “triple threat technology”; Carbon Alloy™ technology provides maximum odor absorption; Silver Alloy™ to inhibit the growth of bacteria; and, Fusix™ technology to help destroy bacteria and control odors while maintaining supreme stretch.

Engineered for warmth and versatility, the ScentLok BE:1 Paradigm Jacket and Pant is built to stand up to wind and weather. Light drizzles and blustery cold fronts are a concern of the past with the new workhorse BE:1 Paradigm Jacket and Pant Series. A highly wind- and water-resistant fabric with a DWR treated micro tricot shell and a micro-grid fleece lining delivers versatility and just enough warmth to help you endure almost anything you’ll encounter while waiting for that buck of a lifetime.

ScentLok BE:1 Paradigm Jacket & Pant Features:

•Carbon Alloy™ technology for maximum odor absorption

•Silver Alloy™ helps inhibit the growth of bacteria

•Fusix™ technology helps destroy bacteria and control odors while maintaining supreme stretch

•DWR treatment helps repel moisture

•Premium quiet micro tricot shell

•Grid micro fleece lining for warmth

•Removable adjustable hood

•Four pocket design (2 waist, 2 cargo)

•Adjustable cuffs for a secure fit

•Articulated elbows for mobility

•Comfort stretch waist for a perfect fit

•Leg zippers for easy on/off over boots

•Safety harness access opening

•Comes in: Mossy Oak Terra Gila (225), Realtree Excape (223), or all-new Mossy Oak Terra Outland (264)

•Item No: 1030910

•MSRP: $279.99 (SM-XL) / $289.99 (2X-3X)

Be prepared to succeed. Designed and engineered with an elite combination of ScentLok materials and technologies to leverage preparation and maximize opportunities during the unique challenges of the mid-season, the all-new ScentLok BE:1 Paradigm Jacket and Pant give mid-season hunters every possible advantage. Available summer 2023 at ScentLok dealers nationwide and online at scentlok.com.

A trophy class buck, over 16 inches in length with nice prongs and deep hooks on top.

When you want to take the best-of-the-best to the next level. Enter the Razor UHD. The Ultra High Definition optical design features an improved optical prescription and unparalleled image resolution. Whether you need to pick apart a densely packed hillside, or observe the finest details at insanely close distances, the Razor UHD can do it all!

Building A Better Bucktail Jig

(continued from page 19)

“For river smallmouth bass, I’ll toss a Black or White Deep-Vee Bucktail behind rocks, in current seams and anywhere current flows converge. The Black has a little streak of red in it, a touch I really like. I also suspect the Purple will be great for crappies when throwing the 1/16-ounce size, but that’s on my list of things to try later this spring.”

Like Nelson, Northland Tackle’s own diehard multi-species angler and content creator, Nick Lindner, considers the Deep-Vee Bucktail a truly solid, all-around tool for walleye. “Combining that new style head with those 3D eyes really sets it apart,” he says, “But I also love the hook because it’s perfect for a lot of walleye-fishing situations.”

Lindner believes that bucktail jigs are ideal for targeting walleyes because the hair, in combination with a minnow or soft-plastic trailer, really slow the lure’s drop speed when rip-jigging. “Early in the season, that slower drop speed can be vital to success,” he points out. “You don’t want your jig to drop too quickly.

“I’ve done some tank tests with the Deep-Vee Bucktail and I can tell you that it descends noticeably softer than other bucktails I’ve tried when tipped with a minnow,” continues Lindner. “Tip it with a soft-plastic, either straight or paddle tail, and it drops even slower. That combination can be super productive during the crispness of early spring and even when the water begins to warm. That slow drop speed is an awesome draw for walleyes both during the pre-and post-spawn periods.” Early in the season he prefers a simple lift-and-drop presentation.

As waters warm in late May and early June, Lindner will often graduate to a rip-and-drop presentation. At that point, he might even try ripping a Deep-Vee Bucktail with no plastic or minnow at all. “That’s one of the great things about this bait,” he says, “Because you don’t actually need to tip it, you can keep fishing for a few seconds after missing a strike even if you suspect you’ve lost your bait. Oftentimes, that fish will return to finish the job, resulting in a solid hook-up.”

Of course, it’s always important to match the size of your lure with the water depth, current and your intended targets, adds Lindner. As a general rule, the 1/16 ounce is great for targeting big crappies and panfish, the 1/8 ounce works great in shallow water, ¼ at mid-depths and 3/8 ounce if you go deep or fish in heavy current, he advises. “You’ve got to get out there an experiment until you find the right size for the present conditions. You’ll know you’ve got things dialed in when your rods all start to double over.”

All 12 Northland Fishing Deep-Vee Bucktail fish-catching color patterns are available in four sizes. Lures come packaged 1/card with an MSRP of $3.99 - $4.59.

DEEP-VEE BUCKTAIL FEATURES:

• Life-like bucktail moves and acts like an injured baitfish

• Features 3D eyes to “match the hatch”

• Barb-Wire® Keeper keeps plastics or live bait in place

• Keeled “DEEP-VEE” design tracks straight and true

• Available in 12 color patterns and four sizes: 1/16 oz. (#2 hook), 1/8 oz. (#1/0 hook), 1/4 oz. (#2/0 hook), 3/8 oz. (#3/0 hook)

For more go to www.northlandtackle.com

Charge less. Cruise more.

For electric vehicles. Designed to spread the ground pressure evenly, the iON evo AS provides longer usage and less replacement.

Eagle Tire

Bozeman Tire World

Butte Lisac’s Tire

Butte American Car Care

Darby Automotive Solutions, Inc.

Ennis Dickinson Tire

Eureka Big Sky Tire

Gardiner Yellowstone Dino Lube

Glasgow Arch’s Tire

Glendive Berg’s Tire

Great Falls Falls Tire Service

Helena Eagle Tire

Helena Kolar Tire 3213 Euclid Ave.

Helena Kolar Tire Hwy 12. E

Kalispell M&C Tire

Lewistown OK Tire Store

Missoula Big Sky Tire

Plains Gary’s Glass & Auto Body

Plentywood Jones Tire, Inc.

Polson Beacon Tire

Ronan Arnie’s Gas & Tire Center

Shelby Mark’s Tire & Alignment

St. Ignatius Stuart’s Hometown Auto

Thompson Falls Easy Street Auto & Tire

Three Forks Three Forks Motor Supply

Victor Grenfell Garage

Whitefish Howie’s Tire & Alignment

Whitehall Full Circle Tire

Williston, ND OK Tire Store

Ashton, ID Tri-State Tire

Rexburg, ID Tri-State Tire

Rupert, ID Nick’s Quality Tire

Victor, ID All American Tire & Brake