OCTOBER 2014
!
stretch your legs on
autumn ruffies the tailgate
party
autumn trout
OCTOBER 2014
CONTENT stretch your legs on autumn ruffies the tailgate party autumn trout - think grasshoppers
COLUMNS hitchhiker big game bass fishing featured outfitter publisher Brock RAY editor-in-chief Don KIRK art director Dennis JOHNSTON
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ISOutdoors H I T C H H I K E R
There and Back Again By Brock Ray By the time this letter is published I will again be sleeping in the comfort of my own bed in Alabama. For the last two months I have mostly been in Colorado, with a side trip to hunt elk in Montana. Its been a great experience, but as I figured out after about two weeks of being in the Rockies, there is no place like home.
Anyone whose efforts to make a living take them far from much of the time knows the meaning of the term “home sick.” They also know that as we grow older we learn to manage the yearnings to be home, but missing home never really gets easier with time.
I fear that way to many people in this country fail to grasp the sacrifices made by people who leave their homes and loved ones to earn a pay check. I know many of you do, and when it comes hunting season time, the yearning to be home burns ever hotter. I want you to know that you are appreciated by us, and we want you to know we understand your sacrifices.
Remember, take a kid to the woods and you’ll keep him off of the streets. Trust in God and He will bless you just as he as blessed me. All you have to do is ask Him.
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ISOutdoors who is fond of swinging a shotgun on fleeing winged targets, odds are that when you are driving stretches of highway, you are wishing you could trek a hollow or two in pursuit of grouse. While hunting season dates vary from state to state where grouse hunting is available, most states permit grouse hunters in the woods during October, and never later than November. Almost as large as a chicken, various members of the grouse family are found through the Appalachian Mountains region east of the Mississippi River, and throughout the Rocky Mountains and adjacent valleys and plains as well as the northern woods and prairies from Michigan to the Dakotas. Regarded by many sportsmen as the country’s finest native game birds, grouse embody the essence of wildness that live and thrives in a hostile world where few other game birds live. Eleven species of grouse exist in North American prairies, shrub lands, forests, and tundra. The ruffed grouse is North America’s most widely distributed grouse species. According to wildlife experts,
sportsman
ruffed grouse populations generally have declined since 1980 throughout much of the eastern United States where their popularity as a game species is greatest. At this same time ruffed grouse numbers in the western United States and Canada have increased. Odds are if you are in the mountains anywhere in the country, you are where “ruffies” can be hunted. The next most popular to hunt of the grouse family, as well as the second most available and widely distributed, are the sharp-tailed grouse, blue grouse and spruce grouse. These birds are widely found throughout most of the areas of the Rocky Mountain’s states, and are found where forest dwelling “ruffies” are common as well in more grassland type habitats. Although well known, the next groups of grouse are hunted but are not
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nearly as plentiful or widely available as they once were. These are the so-called big grouse of the prairies, the sage grouse, and pinnate grouse (generally known as prairie chickens.) These birds have experienced serious population declines during the last 50 years and for many wing shooters, they are now regarded as once-in-a-lifetime trophies for taxidermists. Available mostly in Alaska and northern Canada is the least hunted group of grouse, the ptarmigans. During the summer these birds resemble brownish colored spruce grouse, but in winter they turn white. Unlike most other grouse, ptarmigan are not well known for their tasty attributes. On the other hand, these slow to flush, slow on the wing game birds are quite a relieving tonic after missing a couple darting ruffed grouse that are anything but slow. The lifestyle of many professional drivers meshes quite well when it comes to working in a little hunting for these birds, even if you live in coastal area or the Deep South where grouse hunting is not available. Grouse are usually quite abundant where they are found, which is in wooded, mountainous areas. If you are a long distance driver, odds are your delivery routes either take you across or
along mountainous or north woods areas where at least one species of grouse lives. Much of this roadside and is either part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s national forest system, or U.S. Bureau of Land Management tracts. In either case, these areas are almost always open to public hunting throughout the season for small game such as grouse. As a handful of drivers already know, some of the best ruffed grouse hunting that is otherwise untapped can actually be accessed from rest areas along the interstate system where thoroughfares bisect national forests and other public hunting lands. Hunting does not get less complicated than when working the woods for grouse. Ground dwelling birds, grouse like to huddle under laurel or honeysuckle vines, staying there until flushed skyward to evade approaching danger. More often than not you will hear more grouse flush in front of your sight than you actually see. However, it is not uncommon for these birds to hold tight when approached, and even allow you to pass within a few
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feet before erupting skyward right behind you. Such unanticipated explosions of feathers and sound can almost give you a heart attack. In a perfect world every time you go grouse hunting there would be with a brace of well-trained English pointers that would tirelessly scour the woods for the scent of hiding grouse. Ah yes, wouldn’t that be the life. I for one would love to try it once. However, until then, I suggest we hunt the way 99 percent of all grouse hunters do so. That is by walking trails and logging roads jump shooting these fly bullets of feathers and fury. If you have walked around the perimeter of rest areas in remote mountain areas, doubtless you have many times seen trails leading off into the woods. These trails meet with other trails that also are perfect for jump shooting grouse by merely walking along these ways. If you are like me, the very notion of climbing even a steep grade is unappealing. When doing a little rest stop grouse gunning, walk the edge of the ridges parallel to the crest. It is easier and covers just as much terrain with far less investment of energy. Walk out a
half mile or so, and then drop down the ridge a couple hundred feet to return in the same direction you went. Any shotgun works well for mountain grouse. Most shots are less than 40 yards at the zigzag flying speedsters. I recommend a semi-automatic 12 gauge with an open choke loaded with number 6 shot. At twenty yards you are throwing a wide deadly spray of pellets that give you about a 4-feet square killing zone. Other than good boots and enough time to hit the woods, that is about all there that you will need. Grouse hunting is exciting and exhilarating. The next time you are cutting your rig through the Adirondacks or mountains of northern Georgia, and anywhere from Montana to New Mexico, free your brain from the road with a little grouse side show. It is good for the body and the soul as well.
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The
Tailgate Party
by Don Kirk
Wing shooters and dogs are inseparable, both afield and in the hearts of each other.
My idea of watching a ballet is not seeing women in tutu’s being twirled by men in spandex tights. Instead it is watching a brace of English pointers work cover in search of bobwhite quail. Deft of stride, and more intense in purpose than the most focused human, these animals blissfully pursue the quest the canine was created for. I am dumbfounded when watching the dogs; the four-legged wizards detect in the air that which we cannot even fathom. It is the essence of wing shooting, and that, which elevates it above all other types of hunting. Some of my earliest memories of life are bird dogs, I suppose, a little like General Douglas MacAuthur noting his earliest memory was the blaring of the bugle at the army camp where his father was the commander. My dad only had one good dog in his life, which is all any wing shooter can rightly hope for. Only a few days
difference in age separated this ole salt-n-pepper English setter named Sergeant and me. At the time we lived in Michigan in the heyday of the hunting for ring neck pheasants. My parents moved there from eastern Tennessee following World War II where dad had landed at Normandy on D-Day and fought in the Battle of the Bulge. Like many returning soldiers, he was eager to pick up where he left off, and wing shooting was part of what he needed catching up on. He got a new, Belgium made, 12-guage Browning Auto Five with some of the first money the old J.R. Hudson Company bequeathed to him for his daily services. Shortly thereafter he embarked on an odyssey of going through a string of undistinguished pointers and setters. He learned one lesson very quickly--any bird dog offered to you for free is rarely worth feeding.
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Dad finally did manage to get a fairly decent dog, a bitch named Cindy. He had hunted with a man named Bomar, who owned a classy dog named Colonel. Arrangements were made for when Cindy came into season for the two to breed. Their successful efforts resulted in a litter of 8 pups. Sergeant was head and shoulders above his litter mates in all aspects. Insofar as Bomar’s stud fee was his pick of Cindy’s litter, Dad was on pins and needles until Bomar chose a pup other than Sergeant. Sergeant turned out to be one of those super dogs you hear about and wonder if they were really that good. I recall when I was three years old walking him around, giving him verbal commands he followed as sharply as the redcoat guards at Buckingham Palace. His obedience paled in comparison to his hunting skills. As methodical as a clock, this handsome canine ferreted heavy cover as expertly and thoroughly as any dog could. After a few cock pheasants eluded his careful approach, he learned to quickly change gears to circle around them to cut of their escape. A handful of years later my family returned to eastern Tennessee, where Sergeant successfully made the transition from pheasant to quail. His first season would have been stellar except for one fatal flaw. Joined by a friend, he and Dad approached behind Sergeant who was holding tight on point in chest high brambles. As the covey of quail
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burst skyward, the other shooter reacted fast-blasting a bird barely clear of the tops of the weeds. Still unaccustomed to seeing so many birds wing from one spot, Sergeant had developed a bad habit of trying to catch one for himself. This time his bad habit put his head in the pattern of shooter’s pellets. Sergeant was not killed by the blast, however, one of his eyes took a pellet and infection set in. Despite all the vets could do, Sergeant died a month later. So did my Dad’s quest for another dog for over a decade. If Sergeant was the perfect marriage of style, discipline and talent, then George was his opposite. I was in high school when Dad came home with George. He was a three year old English pointer. Well marked with liver spots, this perfectly formed animal reminded me of a four-legged Heisman Trophy winner. Remarkably, Dad was not concerned that George had never been trained, or worse still, had grown up with a pack of beagles. Thus began one of the strangest relationships between wing shooter and bird dog, if indeed bird dog was the correct tag for George. The first time we took George (he was named before he arrived) hunting, he provided us with unparalleled shooting opportunities. He pointed three coveys of quail, a dozen singles, plus ran three rabbits and pointed a cow. As we were to learn, George’s talents were
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many, and very mixed in nature. He minded well enough in the field, and was undaunted at our laughter. It was not until it was time to return home that George failed to display an understanding of the golden rule for bird hunting, which is “A dogs hunts with the man, not the man hunts with the dog.”
toward Dad at full run, passing by him so close and fast that he knocked Dad to the ground. Another 100 yards away we watched George leaped atop the trunk. Apparently a path of communication had established between the two of them. All that remained was fine tuning.
After a half hour calling to George, and the dog coming within 100 feet of the car (in those days it was fashionable to carry bird dogs in the trunk of the family car), Dad leveled his shotgun at the reticent hound, and then peppered his hinny with number 7s. Two more doses later, George understood the command very well. Dad was a teacher of dogs.
George had considerable expertise at finding quail, as good as any dog I have seen. His weakness was rabbits. To make matters worse, when chasing a rabbit, he howled like a beagle, a source of small embarrassment to Dad when in the presence of other hunters. George may have loved bird hunting, but he had the heart of a hound. One afternoon after he had made a successful escape from his pen (he should have been named Houdini), a neighbor called, informing Dad that George had just killed himself.
That evening the lesson was getting in the car, and the faster it was accomplished the better the teacher liked it. He opened the truck, and drop kicked all 85 pounds of George into the trunk. Normally one of the most gentlemen I have ever known, Dad then opened the trunk, and with the command, “get in”, he again booted his wayward student into the trunk. This repeated until George understood that jumping into the trunk on his own forestalled the pain of the boot. The next time we took George hunting, he got four coveys, many singles, three more rabbits, but no cows. The most improvement came however, when it was time to return home. Dad yelled get in here to George who was about 100 yards out. The dog turned, running
We arrived to find the still body of the dog, its head covered with blood. It seems that George was chasing a cat. With George only inches from overtaking it, the cat darted under a 1963 Lincoln. Without slowing down, George lowered his head and followed. The impact of the frame on his head was dreadful, peeling back a chunk of skin bigger than the palm of my hand. However, once revived he was no worse for the experienced, and was still as passionate about chasing cats and rabbits was he ever was right up until his last hunt.
Can a spooked buck be successfully hunted? Unfortunately, there is no clear-cut answer to this question. There are circumstances where it can be accomplished, and times when no one can successfully bag a spooked buck. Prime examples of the latter include when spooking or seeing a spooked buck too late in the evening to develop a cut-off and stalk strategy. Another example is a wise old whitetail that goes beyond the usually predictable 300 to 600 yards before stopping. Occasionally, a hunter-wise old buck will run this distance, then continue walking for up to a mile more before stopping.
On the other hand, at times spooked whitetail can be successfully hunted, especially if they are given an opportunity to settle down, and do not wander too far from where you expect to encounter them. Knowing your hunting area very well is a key to having a reasonable chance to bag such animals. Your odds of taking a spooked whitetail are better if you know the escape routes used by these animals, or the refuge spots they like to use. You must determine the direction of the wind, and play it to your advantage. Having the wind to your advantage means the wind is blowing into your face. By having
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ISOutdoors the wind in your face, regardless of how strong the breeze may be, you significantly reduce the chances a whitetail in front of you will pick up your human scent. When you are lucky, the wind is in your face, and allows you to make a narrow, looping approach to reach the area where you anticipate finding the spooked whitetail.
Bagging a spooked
buck
this reason, you must always assume you are close to the animal, and act accordingly.
When moving, do so slowly and deliberately. If the wind is blowing in gusts, move when it does, and hold still when the wind is not gusting. Never get in a hurry. If it takes less than 15 minutes to move 100 yards, you are probably going too fast. Walk softly, avoiding stepping on dry twigs, leaves, or loose gravel. Strive to use the terrain and available cover, such as trees and bushes, to conceal your advance. Remember, the always keen senses of the whitetail buck are now functioning at a heightened rate.
is one of the
toughest challenges
When you are not as fortunate and the wind is not in your favor, longer, completely circular approaches must be negotiated. One of my favorite ways of doing this is to circle the area where I expect to find the whitetail, staying at least 500 yards away from the animal. If it sounds like a lot of work, you’re right, much of the time it is.
any whitetail hunter can accept.
The final approach on a spooked animal should not occur sooner than 30 to 45 minutes after you have seen or heard its alarmed movement. Before making your stalk, make sure you have the wind blowing in your favor. Unless you have already spotted the whitetail when beginning a stalk, at best you probably have only an educated guess as to where it will be. For
The closer you get to a buck, the lower your odds of success get. For rifle hunters, close enough may be 50 to 150 yards, depending on the terrain and cover between you and the animal. For a bowhunter, the effective killing range is usually less than 40 yards, with 20 to 30 yards recommended for less experienced shooters. Frankly, getting that close to an already spooked buck is no easy assignment, but it can be done if you keep
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the wind in your favor and execute a nearflawless approach. Anticipating spooked whitetail movement is one of the most effective of all whitetail hunting strategies you can use on heavily hunted public land. If you are one of the millions of urban-bound whitetail hunters who must utilize such places as popular WMAs, national forests, or other public hunting tracts, you know all too well how the best scouting and strategies can be ruined by fellow hunters, who have thought exactly as you have. Rather than curse the pre-dawn arrival of otherwise competing whitetail hunters at such places, develop strategies that allow you to capitalize on these hunters spooking the quarry. For example, bucks that have survived a single hunting season need little predawn, autumn season stimuli in the way of slamming doors on pickups, coughing, crashing through the trees, the smell of coffee, and such to know that their least-favorite time of the year is at hand. These deer know the game is afoot, and for them to survive they must flee to the most remote, rugged, and thickly overgrown areas available to them in their range. Their refuge spots are rarely near easily-accessed
areas or along roads. Rather, they are in the steepest terrain, which you must travel a couple of miles to reach, or in areas where moving through the swamps, brambles, or thickets is so tough few hunters care to venture. However, if you want the biggest buck a heavily-hunted public area has to offer, this is what you must do. Obtain the best maps available of the area you plan to hunt. My favorites are 2.5-minute U.S.G.S. topographic maps sold by the federal government. Using these as reference points, ask the WMA managers to pinpoint the areas from which most of the hunters approach and where they hunt. Mark these spots on your map. Then, gleaning your map for information, look where hunters do not appear to be concentrating their efforts. If you can find a back door that enables you to get to a prime refuge area before the disturbed bucks arrive, you are really in business. It is worth the trouble, too. Bagging a spooked buck is one of the toughest challenges any whitetail hunter can accept. It is a low percentage gambit, but one that provides a sense of satisfaction unmatched in our sport.
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HOG HUNTING BY GREG FINZEN
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GUNS READY My 23 year old son, Andrew, and I entered the hunting ground. Chief hunting guide Jeff Potton asked us, “Can you smell them?” I sniffed the air. “Yes!” The smell was faint but unmistakable – hogs. Russian Boars! We were in deep woods just outside Negaunee, Michigan, a few miles from Lake Superior in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula and very near to the quaint port town of Marquette. As guests of Bear Mountain Lodge we were embarking on a planned three day authentic Russian Boar hunting adventure. I admit it’s not exactly the first place you’d think of when you consider hog hunting but when you find what Bear Mountain Lodge proprietor, Greg Johnson, has to offer, you should not pass up the chance to go. At the behest of noted sportsman, Brock Ray, my son and I booked a date for an early August hunt. And contrary to what you’ll find hog hunting in Texas in August the temperatures in Negaunee were in the upper 60’s and low 70’s with a cool breeze. The temperature is not the only thing that’s differThe temperature is not the only thing that ent. The hogs are different. These are real Russian Boars with massive heads, huge humps on their backs, thick wooly hair, and massive tusks.The hogs graze on the plains of Canada in the summer with a diet of lentils and barley. Johnson imports these enormous beasts to the U.S. and sets them free to roam wild on his 210-acre hunting complex.
What you’ll find in the hunting grounds are Cedar forests, Balsam firs, swamps, winding trails, rocky outcroppings, and countless places for hogs to hide. Jeff, the head guide at Bear Mountain, said it was likely the hogs we were looking for were bedding down on the edge of the swampy ground and would probably start moving toward dusk. The Russian Boars are dangerous and can rip a man to shreds. Our guides told us that being in the hunting grounds with Russian Boars without a gun would not be a good thing. To emphasize the point Jeff showed us the .454 Casull revolver he carries on his hip while Zach Baij carries a 12-gauge pump gun with slugs. Heavy firepower yes, but a reassuring backup should the occasion arise. Before going into the field each hunter is briefed on what to expect and given a detailed explanation of where you should be aiming to make a good hit on these tough animals. The kill spot is a bit higher, a little further to the front, and smaller than the spot you’d aim at on a deer. Our first venture into the hunting area was just before lunch.Hog tracks were everywhere. Unfortunately during this outing we didn’t get a shot but we did see what we thought was a sow running off in the distance and another sow with piglets a little closer in. What you’ll find in the hunting grounds are Cedar forests, Balsam firs, swamps, winding trails, rocky outcroppings, and countless places for hogs to hide. Jeff, the head guide at Bear Mountain, said it was likely the hogs we were looking for were bedding down on the edge of the swampy ground and would probably start moving toward dusk.
The Russian Boars are dangerous and can rip a man to shreds. Our guides told us that being in the hunting grounds with Russian Boars without a gun would not be a good thing. To emphasize the point Jeff showed us the .454 Casull revolver he carries on his hip while Zach Baij carries a 12-gauge pump gun with slugs. Heavy firepower yes, but a reassuring backup should the occasion arise. Before going into the field each hunter is briefed on what to expect and given a detailed explanation of where you should be aiming to make a good hit on these tough animals. The kill spot is a bit higher, a little further to the front, and smaller than the spot you’d aim at on a deer. Our first venture into the hunting area was just before lunch. Hog tracks were everywhere. Unfortunately during this outing we didn’t get a shot but we did see what we thought was a sow running off in the distance and another sow with piglets a little closer in.
I’m glad Andrew decided to be the hunter. One shot from his .308 AR-10 put the hog down. Next it was my turn. After going to see the hog Andrew shot and having an ATV come to retrieve it we headed back to the blind where I had previously been stationed. Before we could enter the blind things really got interesting. Not more than 75 yards away several large hogs were crossing a trail. When the hogs realized we were nearby they took o they took off running
I raised my rifle hoping for a shot. Several hogs went running past the crosshairs of my rifle scope. Finally a hog stopped. I had a clear shot and took it. In the seconds that followed I lost sight of the animal. Brock had his camera going when I shot and we looked in the viewfinder to see if the animal was hit hard. I was sure it was. Now we just had to find the hog to prove it. After waiting 15 long minutes we went to find the hog. Brock’s sharp eyes spotted the downed boar about 40 yards from where I shot it. These are impressive beasts. Until you’ve had one in your sights you will never know how amazing they are. The guides told us most hunters don’t get their hogs so quickly. We had a bit of luck on our side and took our shots when we had the chance. We sent both hogs to a local butcher shop which processed and packaged the meat in record time. And unlike reports I’ve heard from some hunters in southern states who say wild hog does not taste good – boar meat is excellent. I highly recommend it. Bear Mountain Lodge offers hunts for additional species such as Mountain Ram and deer. If you have the opportunity and budget you can shoot additional hogs. Lodge owner Greg Johnson also offers a fishing charter for lake trout and you can combine a hunting/fishing adventure.
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Wingshooting hunts are professional guide and occur over a cadre of well-trained dogs from the lodges two kennels. All trophy whitetail hunts are conducted on a one-onone basis, meaning only one guide and one hunter. Hunts occur from their spacious shooting houses overlooking food plots and from stands on isolated ridges. For the stout of heart, guides also allow hunters to undertake the challenge of silently stalking your trophy through their thickets and hardwoods. Trophy fees based on Boone & Crockett gross green score per trophy. For booking or for information contact Brian Wood, 205-410-7834, or Jenna Wood, 205-625-7400; or visit www.thundermountainpreserve.com
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G U N
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DEAD ON AT 500 YARD: WHAT THE EXPERTS SAY: Part One by Buck Wilder There is no shortcuts for hunters to achieve consistent accuracy at 500 yard ranges, but there it certainly does not hurt to get started on the right foot. The following is how you can become “dead on� an animal at 500 yards.
The Rifle: If you were to pull any assembly line rifle from a box, and shoot five boxes of randomly selected factory ammunition through it, your odds of getting a consistent group at 500 yards would be about the same as back-to-back wins in a state lottery. If could happen, but the overwhelming odds are against such an occurrence. Factory guns utilize less than optimal steel for their barrels. Their mechanisms are rarely tuned, and are often undesirable for long range shooting accuracy. The rifling and tolerances while often acceptable in factory rifles, are not always so. It is not unusual for a factory barrel to be off by as much as 1/1,000 of an inch.
Factory hunting rifle makers strive to be no less than one minute in degrees off at 100 yards. That means that it should shoot a one-inch group at 100 yards. Even when you find one that shoots that well, there is little real chance that it will be within fiveinches at 500 yards, as the variance typically grows expediently. “The barrel is the single biggest factor in a rifle achieving consistent shooting accuracy,” says Jack Sutton of Hart Rifle Barrels of LaFayette, New York. “Factory made rifles simply do not offer the accuracy of a custom-made rifle any more than a Ford Fairlane compares to Shelby Mustang.”
“To shoot accurately at 500 yard ranges, you need start with a rifle that shoots sub halfminute angles,” says Sutton. “That degree of accuracy costs money too. To achieve threequarter minute angles, the cost of rifle barrel goes up four times the cost of a barrel used in a typical factory made rifle. To get within the elusive half-minute angle range, the cost of such a barrel jumps and four or five times in cost.” Sutton says everything about a rifle barrel made companies like Hart Rifle Barrels is different and more costly. For example, the steel alone used just for barrel costs $40 to $45 before any work begins. Hart Rifle
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Barrels are produced with only the highest grade of stainless steel. barrels are button rifled with six grooves. All of their barrels are made to the customer’s specifications as to caliber, twist, and contour. Each barrel is contoured on a CNC lathe, then hand lapped to ensure the best possible interior finish. Every barrel leaving our shop is individually inspected several times to make sure it meets their high quality standards. Annual output is only 3,000 barrels, and everyone in the company is a member of the family. “We guarantee all Hart barrels to have a groove dimension tolerance of +.0005” (for example: .243 caliber can range from .2430 to .2435). Considerable testing has proven that any barrel within this tolerance will shoot as well as another,” says Sutton. “The groove will not vary more than .0001 from breech to muzzle. Every barrel is measured with an air gage and examined with a borescope to insure that there are no tool marks or other defects which we feel would affect accuracy.” If you want to be consistently dead on at 500 yards, then a getting a custom-made barrel is first step. A great barrel needs to be matched to a great action. Some custom gun makers use only custom actions, but many like Hart Rifle Barrels, used Remington-made actions, which are universally acknowledged as the among the best
production line actions. Custom gun makers tune and refined Remington actions to make sure they are up to their exacting standards. These days no one building custom hunting rifles intended for real field use, builds using anything as a stock material other than fiberglass. Impervious to moisture and temperature changes, these high tech material is unsurpassed. When a barrel is properly bedded into a fiberglass stock, a possible reason for a miss at 500 yards is removed. Triggers are another key component in a rifle that will hit where it is pointed at 500 yard ranges. With exemplary shoot form, you can manage a trigger with a 6-pound pull. Most hunters prefer trigger pulls of 3to 2-pounds pull. If your goal is consistent accuracy at 500 yard ranges, a trigger pull of 1-pound could be desirable. Arnold makes jeweled trigger assemblies that can be safely set a 1-pound.
Shooting Accessories: When you shoot beyond 200 and 300 yard ranges, understanding and dealing with windage and trajectory become increasingly important. Knowing range as accurately as is possible is paramount to success. Luckily, the recent advent of laser-equipped rangefinders has made this easier and more accurate than it has ever been possible. A number of well-known optics makers such as Tasco, Bushnell, Nikon and Leica make laser rangefinders. Utilizing a concentrated, thin thread of light, these devices tell you if it is a 554 or 630 yard shot. In the old days yardage was guessing game, and then even if you were correct, you had to put the cross hairs of your riflescope on an animal, then raise it 2 to 3 feet to compensate for bullet drop. That sort of guess work opens the door to self-doubt and raises the odds of missing. It is why I recommend using a so-called tactical riflescope that enables you to dial out the problem so you can put the cross hairs of the riflescope dead on the target. I use a Luepold Vari-X III 3.5-10x40mm Long Range M3 that features an elevation adjustment that also compensates for bullet drop. The elevation dial is calibrated for bullet drop in increments from 100 yards to 1,000 yards, requiring less than a full revolution of adjustment. Compensating for bullet drop is only pos-
sible for certain calibers, with specific bullet weights and muzzle velocities. Windage is a little more complicated to deal with than is determining range. A five miles an hour wind can blow a bullet several feet at 500 yard ranges. To know how much effect the wind will have on the bullet, you must be able to classify the wind. The best known method is the so-called clock system. Using it, a half value wind will affect the strike of a bullet approximately one half as much as a full value wind of the same velocity. Wind velocity corrected in this manner is called the effective wind. No value wind significantly effects bullets at the long ranges if it is not blowing directly from 6 or 12 o’clock. This is the most difficult wind for shooting as switching or fishtailing requires frequent sight changes. Depending on the velocity of this type wind, it may effect a bullet’s vertical displacement. You can estimated wind velocity using these guidelines. Wind under 3 mph can hardly be felt, but will cause smoke to drift. A 3-to 5-mph wind is felt lightly on the face. A 5-to 8-mph wind keeps tree leaves in constant motion. An 8- to 12-mph wind raises dust and loose paper. A 12- to 15-mph wind causes small trees to sway. There is software, charts and formulas that can help you calculate how much to compensate for the effects of wind.
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Fishing the Americas with David Fields
Return to the Delta I must admit, I was a little apprehensive. How would we the conditions be after the last 100 plus days following the Deepwater Rig Horizon explosion? A couple of hours driving time and change put us at the doorstep of Captain Keith Kennedy’s “Born to Fish Charter’s” camp. Besides being a dead ringer of a double for Tommy Lee Jones, Captain Keith is without a doubt, one of the premier bull redfish guides on the planet today. Oh yes, he is a multi species captain and guide, but his niche is monster red fishing with their habits and haunts around the marshes and beaches of South Pass. No question, I’m the first to admit I love to catch the giant reds on top water offerings like a Bomber SW Grade Badonk-A-Donk or a Walkie-Talkie or a magnum chugger. Watching a bronze torpedo racing all out for a walking top water is a rush all in itself…and then the explosion! I also employ a lipless crank bait under certain conditions
like a Bomber SW Grade Super Pogy or an Excalibur One Knocker for bone jarring hook ups. And over the course of three days Dr. Gary and I would give those numbers a workout, but with minimal success at least for this outing. The offering of choice for the giant reds over the next three days would be soft plastics and it would be identified chiefly as one Bomber SW Grade Mud Minnow Paddle Tail in Pearl w/ Chartreuse Tail. Secondary to the Paddle Tail would be a 4” Glass Minnow Split Tail. Corks, bobbers, floats call them what you will, I became reacquainted with “corks” a year earlier on another trip to this anglers’ wonderland of the Delta Region. “Popping Corks” as a technique, earns a top ranking. The next two and one half days would prove the case once again. Pop, pop, pop…Smack! “Fish on” and this bronze torpedo is attached to my line! “About time!” And who offered those words. This is way different cork fishin’ than
I remember with my grandfather. These “popping cork rigs” are most effective at triggering strikes and efficiently controlling lure depth and presentation. Plastic grub, shrimp, paddle tails and glass minnows are like sticks of dynamite under a cork. Sure, they work equally well with live offerings like shrimp, pilchard, mullet, pinfish and pigfish. But at the end of the day, I’ll choose plastics as my offering of choice. Here’s why. First, I believe they are more effective. Don’t get me wrong, live presentations some days are the only ticket paying dividends, but hands down I prefer soft plastics. Fact is, I don’t like messin’ with minnows. They’re a challenge to hold on to; keep on the hook when casting; and simply keep alive. They’re only worth one fish. They require an investment of time and/or money often to die before they ever get the opportunity to interest anything swimming with fins. Whew, and then you have to put up with the pesky bait thieves like pinfish and puffers set on a quick lunch before your offering has the chance to entice a specimen of more appealing size and species. Creating surface activity around the float grabs the attention of the ravaging reds, as well as most other feeding game fish. They will attack the soft plastic attached under the cork on a “set to depth” drop line and often times attack the cork as well. Feed-
ing fish, whether reds or trout, themselves create popping, splashing and a myriad of other sounds as they attack their quarry and drive helpless baitfish to the surface. It’s no wonder that any nearby predators are driven to jump in to the feeding frenzy as well rather than miss out on an easy meal. Light tackle applications employed by anglers for shallow water fishing are perfect for the “popping cork” technique. Whether wading or casting from a boat, anglers who target game fish in the shallows will find noisy offerings attract multi species including trout, redfish, jack crevalle, ladyfish, snook, flounder and snapper. By the end of the trip we had landed bull reds from 27-inches up to a 36-pound monster. The Delta is back! This is within 50 miles of the worst oil spill on record. Right now the fishing is fantastic and the fish are substantially under pressured right now. The timing is perfect…with the late summer and fall feeding frenzy just coming in. So if you’re ready for some outstanding monster Bull Red action give me a call and let me set you up with Captain Keith Kennedy for a trip to the Delta! It just might prove to be “a fishing trip of a lifetime!” For more information contact David Fields at david@fishingtheAmericas.com, or visit www.fishingtheAmericas.blogspot.com
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and trapping rights. Sign up FREE at www.ussportsmen.org/BeASentry. 801 Kingsmill Parkway, Columbus, Ohio 43229 Phone- 614-888-4868 Fax- 614-888-0326 Website- www.ussportsmen.org Email- info@ussportsmen.org
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The Best Time
To Go Fishing by Craig Haney Growing up, I read everything I could about fishing. Whether the article was about bass,
panfish or trout, I devoured it with relish and anticipation of the fish I would catch. Along the way, I discovered the Solunar
...the best time to go fishing is whenever you can get away!
Tables in Field and Stream. They were based on sun and moon phases and showed the angler what time day or night the fish would bite best. Generally, these peak periods would be about two hours in duration. Believing in the concept of the tables, I would try my best to be fishing during those special times. It has been a lot of years from then until now and my memory has faded with time like the color of my hair. I do remember catching a fair amount of fish, however, my faded memory doesn’t recall how big a factor the Solunar Tables played in my fishing at the best times. School, jobs, marriage and fatherhood all played a role in my inability to plan fishing trips around the best times anymore, in fact, I often felt lucky just to go fishing. I soon learned the best time to go fishing was whenever I could get away. I learned
not to worry about the time of day, season of the year, air or water temperature or the sun and moon phase. I just went fishing.
Recently, the “ want to’s” got hold of me and wouldn’t let go. I had to go fishing; I badly needed the water therapy. I had not been fishing in a few weeks because we were having a record breaking heat wave with temperatures in the 98-100 degree range with 85-to-90% humidity. It was really too nasty, hot and humid weather to do anything outdoors, but I decided I would go to a river an hour’s drive away and fish from afternoon until dark. However, I got antsy, put my gear in my vehicle and headed to the river arriving at 3pm just as the radio announced it was 99 degrees. Getting my gear together, I hurried to get in the water
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downstream of the bridge. I couldn’t believe it when I first put my foot in the river; the water was as warm as a baby’s bath. I tied a Clouser minnow to the leader of my fly line and headed downstream looking for a deep run that might hold fish. I came to one shortly and got into position to fish the head of the run. Soon I was rewarded with a feisty spotted bass that probably weighed a pound and a half. This was a pleasant surprise because I had come to the river not really expecting to catch a fish due to the heat. Continuing downstream, I stopped at the deeper runs and fished thoroughly with my Clouser minnow and was rewarded with two more angry spotted bass in the one and a half pound range. As I unhooked and released the last bass, I noticed a sandy, shady, shallow bank that looked really fishy because of a tree top down in the water. Quickly, I cut off my streamer fly, looked in my box for my favorite topwater bug and hurriedly tied it on. My first cast with the blue Boogle Bug popper landed gently next to the brush top in the water. What
happened next was not so gentle as a bass blew up on it in less than a foot of water and headed for deeper water. Working the fish in quickly, I soon released the long, lean three pound spotted bass back into the water. Fishing down the shady bank, I soon caught another bass about two pounds on the blue popper. I would have been really excited about the fishing prospects for the rest of the afternoon but the heat was starting to get to me and I decided to head back to the car. As I drank a cold Gatorade on my way home, I reflected on the afternoons’ fishing and decided once again the best time to go fishing is whenever you can get away! You can contact Craig Haney at jcraighaney@charter.net.
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