ISOutdoors | January 2017

ISOutdoors enjoying the outdoors and sharing it with you

january

honker huntIng

deep South

whItetaIl www.Isoutdoors.com

predator vS. predator the bIg Show

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January 2017

CONTENT deep South whItetaIl january honker huntIng predator verSuS predator bama porker bonanza: bIg, mean and Fun to hunt goIn’ wabbIt huntIn’

COLUMNS

the bIg Show

hItchhIker

SecretS to great guIded bIg game huntIng

bIg game baSS FIShIng wIng ShootIng

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Deep South

by Bob Foulkrod One of the more interesting things about growing older, other than having body parts which tend to ache more than they used to, is how people from your past tend to pop up where you least expect to see them. Everyone has an old classmate from high school they have not seen for years, but wish they could spend a few days with once again.

Last summer, my telephone rang and I was greeted by a voice I had not heard for a long time—a very long time—Tim Ford, my high school running buddy, my partner in crime. Between the two of us, we nearly brought the community of Troy, Pennsylvania, to its knees in our heyday. As is so often the case, Tim and I had only meager contact over the last 25 years. I hardly believed it was him.

After exchanging greetings, Tim said I had to come to southern Alabama to bowhunt with him for big whitetail bucks. By the end of that conversation, I agreed to come to Demopolis, Alabama, where Tim now resides.

The trip was planned for the final week of the season, which ends in late January, a month after most hunting seasons end in other states. The limit is one buck per day—all season long. However, according to Tim, this is misleading, because most property owners have their land registered in the state’s voluntary trophy management program.

That program does not permit hunters to take bucks with less than six points.

The Finer Points of Alabama Hunting Tim picked me up in Montgomery, then we headed west through some of the

h Whitetail

ISOutdoors a lighter color, but is nevertheless very fertile and well-known for its ability to produce bumper crops of soybeans as well as heavy-antlered bucks.

Demopolis is a sleepy southern town where you almost feel you have stepped back into 1960. At the local diner where we took most of our meals, talk centered on two things; who would win the next annual grudge match played between Alabama’s Crimson Tide and the Auburn Tigers, and where the latest big buck had been taken and by whom. Tim advised me to state I was a Crimson Tide fan, as he had, so only half of the local residents would dislike me, as opposed to all of them if I did not state a choice. This was the first important lesson he learned when he relocated here years ago to take a job with the Ford Motor Company.

flattest land I have ever seen east of the Mississippi. Extremely fertile, this portion of Alabama is the famed “Black Belt,” socalled for the inky color of its rich soil.

Demopolis is located on the western edge of the Black Belt, where the soil has www.isoutdoors.com

My only interest was in the big bucks.

The week before, a cold snap had gripped the area, plummeting the mercury to a shivering 20 degrees F. Where I live, in northeastern Pennsylvania, that¹s considered a heat wave in mid-January. But not so in the Deep South, where a year¹s worth of frost days can often be counted on your

ISOutdoors around Thanksgiving through the first week in December, and further south in Florida usually runs from the first week in December through the third week in December. But in between these two regions, South Alabama’s peak of the whitetail rut occurs in early through late January. This has more to do with the age structure of the herd than geography, although some experts do believe the Yellowhammer State’s southerly locale plays a small role.

fingers and ice is something you buy in plastic bags at the corner store. The colder the weather in southern Alabama, the better your odds are for taking a buck.

Aspects of the Black Belt Rut The whitetail of southern Alabama are something of an oddity among members of their species. The whitetail rut peaks to the north in Tennessee www.isoutdoors.com

The reason for the late-occurring rut?Whitetail in this area are born six to eight weeks later in the year than those born at most other locations. Because of this later birth, does come into estrus six to eight weeks later, as well. Of course, the bucks are ready and eager to breed well in advance of this but, as is nature’s plan, it is the females which determine where, when, and with whom breeding will occur.

How or why this later birth and breeding cycle occurred the way it does is unknown, but the phenomenon is widespread throughout southern Alabama, Mississippi, and portions of Louisiana.

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ISOutdoors Finding The Right Place to Hunt Tim had made arrangements for me to hunt some of the best property in the county. The tract covers 2,200 acres and is owned by Douglas Peteet, a topnotch Southern gentleman who also is one of the region’s most successful whitetail hunters. Like most other tracts of real estate in the area, most of Peteet’s acreage is dedicated to the production of timber, as well as some grain crops. He also has his land enrolled in the state’s trophy buck management plan, which gives him tags for the number of does that need to be taken from this property each year.

Peteet’s hunting property borders the Pearl River, a wide expanse of slowmoving brownish water that ends up in the Gulf of Mexico. His property is a quilt-like pattern of pines, open fields, bottomland hardwoods, and swamp country. The latter two are where I did most of my hunting.

Few people in a four-county area have a better idea of how the local whitetail hunting is progressing or what the bucks are doing than Douglas Peteet. He runs a deer-packing business where most of the www.isoutdoors.com

local and out-of-state visiting whitetail hunters bring their kills to be skinned, processed, wrapped, and frozen. Douglas Peteet’s policy is to quiz every hunter who brings a buck in as to where, how, and why the hunter succeeded.

Rack Management When I visited Peteet at his venisonpackaging business, I was astonished at the impressive size of many of the racks local hunters had taken prior to my arrival.

Alabama has long enjoyed a widespread reputation for its abundant number of whitetail. However, by the same token, the state long had a reputation for the smallish size of its deer, as well as the spindly racks commonly produced by its bucks. The state is still known for its abundance of whitetail, especially in L.A., (i.e. “lower Alabama”). However, research conducted at Auburn University and the

ISOutdoors University of Georgia has proven there is little genetic difference between the bucks of the Deep South and typically larger members of the species from northerly locales such as Wisconsin and New York.

While it is true that the farther north a mammal occurs, the larger it will be in order to conserve body heat in the colder climate, it is also true that such factors as herd density, the quality of available food and minerals, and age play equally important roles. In dealing with Southern hunters and landowners, researchers discovered that, to these groups, quality deer management largely boils down to “antler management.” Few hunters are interested in trophy class does and, in this region, there is little interest in increasing the total numbers of whitetail per square mile.

According to these studies, the main things most whitetail hunters in the Deep South want to see are large, welldeveloped antlers. “Horns management” is the bottom line for which landowners and hunters of the region are actively managing their whitetail herds. www.isoutdoors.com

The concept of antler management was first developed in the ranches of southern Texas. Today, that region of the Lone Star State is nationally known for its big-antlered bucks. However, these animals are largely the result of supplemental feeding and a harvest program that enables all genetically sound bucks to reach at least four years of age—the minimum age for many bucks to produce true trophy-class racks.

Tight control of the Texas deer harvest is possible for two key reasons; the exceptionally large tracts of land and the use of high fences.

In southern Alabama, property owners such as Peteet have control over sizeable acreage, but nothing compared to the expansive ranches of southern Texas.

High fences are only now being erected in Alabama and, even where they are,

ISOutdoors the most that is fenced in to control whitetail herds is 1,000 to 4,000 acres.

Trophy deer management enables most bucks to survive their first and, in many instances, their second hunting season. Three-year-old bucks make up the majority of the harvest where this program is in effect, as opposed to bucks four years and older in southern Texas.

Still, a larger number of bucks make it to their fourth season and beyond as a result of the program.

Supplemental feeding, a key element in southern Texas antler management, is not really necessary in southern Alabama, where an abundance of naturally-occurring forage, as well as crops such as soybeans and corn, keep whitetail relatively well fed. However, throughout virtually all of the state, the natural larder is still supplemented with food plots. Planted in late summer prior to the hunting season, one- to ten-acre food plots sporting clover and other greenery relished by whitetail deer not only provide reliable sources of food during the winter and spring, but also a readily available supply of protein and minerals. www.isoutdoors.com

The result in southern Alabama has been astonishing, even to the biggest supporters of whitetail hunting in the region. Bucks of Pope and Young record quality have become increasingly common, and Boone and Crockett class bucks, something almost unheard off a decade ago, are popping up with regularity. Even the bucks’ body weights are up. Bucks in excess of 200 pounds are no longer regarded as exceptional animals, according to Peteet, who should know wince he processes hundreds of bucks each season.

Shifting Winds My hunts began after scouting three areas with my old friend, Tim Ford. Each spot had its pluses and minuses. The first spot was where two well-traveled trails intersected at the edge of a heavily overgrown cypress swamp. The second spot was a pine thicket overlooking a lush, four-acre food plot well-marked with whitetail hoof prints. The third spot was a tall oak still clad in much of its summer foliage, which overlooked a narrow strip of food plot that led to a larger food plot.

For the first morning of my four-day

ISOutdoors bowhunt, I opted for stand site number three. As I stepped outside my motel room, my face was greeted by a warm, balmy breeze that must have been at least 50 degrees F, blowing northward from the Gulf of Mexico, only 80 miles to the south. That was my first indication my hunt was in trouble, but not the last.

While seated in my treestand, I spotted movement—a trio of coyotes moving along the far side of the nearby food plot. They left, but later four does moving in pairs trotted within shooting distance of my treestand, and as soon as they came within 40 yards of where the coyotes had been sniffing about, they reacted by bolting in the opposite direction.

An hour after sunrise the wind began to pick up, first blowing from the southwest to the northeast, then from the southeast to the northwest, then from due north to due south. I heard a twig break to left, then a blowing sound—I had been winded, which under the circumstances was certainly not a surprise.

The wind played musical chairs for the www.isoutdoors.com

next two hours. Sitting there in the warm southern sun, I wished I brought along suntan lotion. That afternoon I stuck it out in the same stand location, with no luck. An hour-and-a-half before dark I moved my treestand to the opposite side of the narrow strip of greenery leading to the larger food plot, in an effort to get the wind in my favor. Luck was not with me, though—as soon as I was in place, the wind shifted again.

As darkness settled, I spotted a nice tenpoint buck feeding at the far end of the food plot. At least I now knew the place I was hunting held trophy-class bucks.

The high for the day was 65 degrees F, which made the 72-and 74-degree days which followed look very cool. I desperately hoped for cold weather, which might get the bucks moving and create wind which blew in a constant, predictable direction.

Warmer Isn’t Better Warming trends are the biggest bane facing bowhunters in this southerly whitetail hunting region. When the temperatures are warm, the bucks do not move until after dark. However, when

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ISOutdoors the mercury drops below freezing—and especially under 20 degrees—the bucks go on parade.

The other downsides to late-season bowhunting in southern Alabama are the lack of public hunting and the fact these animals have often been rifle-hunted since mid-November.

The region has loads of pay-to-hunt properties, many of which advertise in this publication. Douglas Peteet, who controls more than 2,200 acres, allows hunters to access his land for dollars per day, which is quite a bargain. However, you are responsible for everything from your own lodging and meals, to transportation and care for your venison.

eat them. The vast majority of hunting at this time is done with a rifle, with the average shooting distance being 100 to 300 yards. That is roughly ten times the distance at which most bowhunters will attempt a shot.

There are those who say bowhunting is not the way to go if you are looking for a decent, late-season buck in the Deep South. However, that is not true if you are lucky enough to get cold weather. Your odds of this are really better than 50-50 and, when you see a buck, odds are that it will be a good one.

Other pay-to-hunt spots, such as the famous White Oak Plantation, offer great hunting, plus amenities such as lodging, meals, trophy and venison care, and transportation. Of course, these amenities come at a much higher price.

While I did not get an opportunity to shoot any of the fine bucks I observed while hunting with Peteet, the weather was my biggest problem. Had the temperature dropped to freezing, I am confident the treestand and ground blind techniques I used would have enabled me to get within arrow distance of a desirable buck.

Bowhunting in Late Season Hunting pressure affects whitetail behavior, even with Bama’s bucks. By January, these animals are keenly aware that people in the woods want to kill and

If you are interested in setting up a whitetail bowhunt in the vicinity of Demopolis, contact Tim Ford; 5 Gaston Lane; Demopolis, AL 36732; 334-2893454 or 334-289-1179.

www.isoutdoors.com

January

Honker Hunting

Overhead the sky was barely pink, signaling that legal shooting time was only a few ticks of the clock away. For almost 20 minutes we had heard the distant honking of Canada geese, as they moved from their twilight roosts

in the neighboring wildlife refuge to the forage-rich cornfields around our pit blinds. The sound of thousands of honkers taking wing at first light will bring the hair up on the back of your neck.

s e v ie th s a k ic th re a e s e Canada ge t. o h s e b to g n ti n a w d n a

by Ed Rivers

ISOutdoors

For over an hour, our party of six had worked hard clearing the fresh-fallen, six-inch layer of snow from the more than 1,000 Canada goose decoys scattered about the hillside. As the cloudless sky lightened, the increasing sunshine cast a ruby sheen on the snow. Five minutes later, we were in the pit blinds that faced the impounded backwaters of the Tennessee River, which was almost a mile beyond our position.

My hosts, David Hale and Harold Knight, www.isoutdoors.com

are two of the country’s best-known goose callers. Founders of Knight and Hale Game Calls of Cadiz, Kentucky, these two self-made entrepreneurs have created a successful company by offering some of the most innovative whitetail, elk, waterfowl, turkey, predator, and other game calls since the 1970s. Their waterfowl gunning lease along the Camden Bottoms, in webfoot-rich western Tennessee, ranks among the country’s top duck and goose spots. Lots of targets, combined with the expert calling

ISOutdoors skills of these champion callers, makes any invitation to gun there an experience no one would want to miss.

The first group of honkers wasted little time noticing our large spread of decoys.

As they were already several thousand feet in the air traveling southwest in “V” formations, I didn¹t think there was a realistic chance of coaxing these geese from the stratosphere within range of a 12-gauge shotgun. That I would consider this improbable was unusual, since I had goose hunted with this Bluegrass State duo on several occasions in the past.

For the following five minutes, David Hale and Harold Knight combined their vocalizing efforts to woo the high-flying honkers. At first it appeared the geese would not respond, as their strong wing movements did not waver. Then, without warning, the lead goose veered downward. As if they were in tow, the other eleven geese followed suit. If you have never been a pit blind when a flight of geese was circling overhead, you have really missed a major part of your outdoor education. Constantly honking, the geese spiraled downward. Calling to the www.isoutdoors.com

geese as hard as they possibly could, Hale and Knight continued to talk with our quarry, slowly drawing them closer and closer. Through the corn stalks laid over the top of the pit blind, the descending geese more resembled lowflying airplanes than 12- to 15-pound wildfowl.

After what seemed like an eternity, it was clear the Canadas were ready to set their wings to land. This was the moment we were hoping for. At Knight’s signal, we rose to shoot. Those shooters located at the left of the blind concentrated their efforts on the geese to the left, while hunters at the right or center of the blind put their beads on targets in their respective areas. First shooting the honkers farthest away from the blind, our group immediately dropped six birds. The re

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ISOutdoors maining geese closer to the pit blind were next, with all but one of these birds being dropped to the ground.

Still four honkers short of a limit for our group, we gathered our kill and returned to the pit blind, to find Knight, always the perfect host, busily cooking on a gas range located in the back of the spacious pit blind. Like most of you, I have hunted in damp, cold pit blinds where comfort is regarded as being diametrically opposed to successful hunting. When building their pit blind, Knight and Hale did not pay attention to this footnote in the waterfowling handbooks. This concrete floored and cinderblock walled pit blind, measuring more than 50 feet long and 20 feet deep, includes such astonishing amenities as electricity, gas heating, comfortable chairs (obviously kidnapped from some unsuspecting den), a small refrigerator, and a gas range.

While we waited for additional action, Chef Knight plied us with hot, freshly baked biscuits, venison tenderloin, wild boar sausage, golden fried strips of wild turkey breast, and french-fried potatoes.

Once the aroma of these victuals began www.isoutdoors.com

wafting through the cold winter air, most of the shotgunners, including myself, gave only a passing thought to downing more honkers. I was a little worried about my tongue slapping my brain senseless, as I wolfed down sizeable second and third helpings of my host¹s table fare.

Dead of Winter Delight One of the best things about the dead of winter in many parts of the country is gunning for Canada geese. Regarded by many as North America’s premier wildfowl species, Canada geese are hunted throughout the United States and Canada during hunting seasons that open— depending on locale—as early as September and as late as the end of January.

Regarded as abundant to the point of being pests in some parts of the country, the Canada goose ranks as one of the most successful chapters of 20th century wildlife management.

Wingshooters will find few quarries more perfectly fitted to their tastes than the Canada goose. Unless you are extremely fortunate, like my hosts in western Ten

ISOutdoors nessee, who had permanent pit blinds located adjacent to a waterfowl-rich federal waterfowl refuge, you probably are going to need to be mobile, going to where the geese are.

Most goose hunters must rely on the goodwill of those farmers who are willing to allow hunters to access the agricultural fields, Luckily, getting permission to gun them has gotten pretty easy these days. Many times, where Canada and snow geese are available in large numbers, farmers regard them as pests and are more than happy to allow responsible wingshooters to access their fields. However, please understand that many farmers today have discovered that many wildfowlers are willing to pay a trespass fee for the privilege of knocking a limit of geese from the sky.

Average costs vary considerably: from well over $100 per person a day at popular shooting places such as Maryland’s famed Eastern Shore or the rice fields located south of Houston; to $25 or less at places where hunting for Canada geese (as well as snow, blue, and speckled geese) is less well developed, or where www.isoutdoors.com

flights of these birds are not well known or especially predictable.

Decoy Spreads In many areas, Canada geese numbers have reached record levels.

There is a good argument that decoy spreads made up of 50 or more honker deceivers are better than 8- to 20-deke setups. But in most instances, the larger sets are found at more or less permanent pit blind locations.

When goose hunting agricultural fields, mobility and simplicity are recommended. Finding a place to hunt is easier if you have a rig that enables you to enter and exit your hunting area without a hassle.

Smaller spreads can be highly effective when coupled with good concealment and excellent calling.

If you have not tried your hand at goose hunting, be careful. Few things a sportsman can dabble in have more addictive potential than decoying, calling, and gunning the Canada goose.

Predator Versus Predator

Natureยนs hunters are the ultimate winter quarry.

by Don Kirk

In her infinite wisdom, Mother Nature rarely pits one predator against another predator. Predators are creatures that

thrive by instinctively seizing opportunities to prey on those animals that are usually equipped to defend themselves through speed, camouflage, or acute hearing, olfactory, and visual senses.

Grabbing a critter for dinner that is well armed with slashing claws and razorsharp teeth is hardly most predatorยนs cup of tea.

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This is not to say that Nature does not occasionally change the script in the drama of life. A case in point is Bill Bynum, who during the 1990s was my Editor-At-Large at Varmint Masters Magazine. What I would give to examine an accurate DNA reading of this fellow’s blood: If it didnšt show strong traces of coyote or wolf DNA, I would be astonished. If there was ever a human put on the world to inflict revenge on the realm of the varmint, it is Bynum. www.isoutdoors.com

Bynum and I first met in the late 1970s, when I was a freelance writer and he was hunting eight days a week. At the time, Bynum had just begun peddling information on coyote hunting in the eastern United States, and I was peddling stories to any magazine capable of writing a check that would clear the bank. Like most eastern varmint hunters in those days, I had yet to see my first coyote, much less hunt one.

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That changed forever the first time I went varmint hunting with Bill near his home in northwestern Tennessee, located a short distance from the Mississippi River. On that cold day in February, I dropped my first yodie before lunch.

It was the beginning of a new type of hunting for me, as well as the beginning of a friendship that has grown closer over the passing years.

Being in the woods with Bill Bynum is like no other varmint hunting experience any of us will ever know. He is so much at home in the woods, that he looks out www.isoutdoors.com

of place sitting in front of a television— something I wish could be said about me. Bynum grew up in western Tennessee between Kentucky Lake and Reelfoot Lake. Those even remotely familiar with the area know it is famous for three things: waterfowl, whitetail, and wild turkey.

Bill’s interest in coyote hunting began when the varmints invaded his favorite whitetail hunting spots in the Mississippi River bottomlands. A doe that had been giving birth to a fawn was caught and downed by a pack of voracious yodies.

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That sparked Billยนs interest in these wild canines, and that interest that ultimately led to the demise of hundreds of their kind at his hands.

Calling Them In One of Billยนs favorite predator lures is to mimic the distress calls of a mortally injured cottontail. An expert varmint caller, Bill can orchestrate realistic whines, yips, yelps, and groans that would bring tears to the eyes of a lumberjack.

On one of our hunting trips near his home, we were out looking to reduce www.isoutdoors.com

the number of yodies. We located at the head of a wooded hollow, where Bill began calling.

The sun was shining brightly as we sat along the edge of a deep hollow. The forest floor was sparse beneath the widely spaced, mature oaks, hickories, beech, and other hardwoods that were in the 80- to 100-year-old range. I sat and got comfortable against a massive, old white oak 50 feet in front of where Bill located to do his calling. An instant later Bill was blasting away, using a reliable, productive canine distress call.

Eight minutes into Bill’s woeful serenade, I spotted movement through the tangle of broom sage grass that carpeted the ground beneath the pines. Wind, which until than had been nonexistent, wisped over my shoulder. “Just great,” I thought as I felt the increasing wind tickle the back of my neck. Thanks to the wind, the movement I had spotted was all I saw of what could only have been a curious grey fox. Bill also spotted the animal and believed it was a small grey fox at first, but it turned out to be a shy bobcat.

Keep It Loud According to Bill, many hunters use too little volume when attempting to call in yodies and bobcats. Intensely curious when not called too often, these predators are usually not frightened by loud calling. Unknown to me, Bill had known the bobcat was in the vicinity and had hoped it would be possible to entice this particular old tom from its daytime lair. In western Tennessee and Kentucky, bobcats are almost totally nocturnal, rarely hunting during the daylight hours.

However, like any predator, the prospect of snatching an easy meal before the www.isoutdoors.com

ISOutdoors competition puts it in the crosshairs is more than a napping spotted cat can resist.

To be honest, I did not see the bobcat when it first emerged from the craggy confines of the hollow to my left. Sunlight was beaming in brightly over my right shoulder, producing a deceptive reflection on the brown understory of the forest. The tawny, spotted coat of the bobcat blended in flawlessly with its drab, wintry surroundings. Only when the feline predator progressed within 40 yards of my position did its movement catch my attention.

Only when the

feline predator progressed within 40 yards of my position did its

movement catch my attention.

Raising my 10-gauge Remington shotgun, I aligned the beads on the chest of the bobcat. An instant later, I squeezed off a round, sending the animal into an www.isoutdoors.com

unexpected backwards summersault. The number four shot had been more than this old feline could stand. It was a quick, clean kill.

The Total Bag At end of the day, our tally was two bobcats and two coyotes.

Not bad shooting for an editor who spends way too much time behind his desk, and not enough time in the woods— nowhere near as much as I used to spend when I was a freelance writer.

You might say that this was just another run-of-the-mill varmint hunt, and you would be right in most respects. But in other ways it was not; I was fortunate enough to hunt with the person I consider the country’s leading expert in the field of hunting predators east of the Mississippi River. (I must add, Bill is not bad when it comes hunting these same critters on the other side of the Mississippi River.)

Try changing gears to challenge Alabama’s wild porkers

by Don Kirk Wisps of mist from the warm backwater emerging from nearby Lock Number Seven gave the massive, bottomland hardwood forest an eerie appearance.

John Talley and Shane Bates slowly walked through the mist in the direction of the noise, created by a big boar attempting to have its way with a group of uncooperative sows. Approaching on his knees through a hog run tunnel that cut through otherwise impenetrable www.isoutdoors.com

brambles, Talley emerged on the other side of the tangle. From there, he could see the gang of vocal feral hogs, a few of the population explosion of feral hogs at Talley¹s and Bate¹s club lease in Wilcox County, in the southwestern corner of Alabama.

“Low brush and the strong probability of being spotted by the hogs prevented me from attempting a shot while on my knees in the brambles. I eased back out to return to Shane,” says Talley. “We de-

Bama Porker Bonanza:

big, mean

and Fun to hunt cided to move to cut off the hogs¹ easiest escape route, which we figured they would use to get across Dixon Creek when they detected us. Our strategy worked perfectly. Within seconds, the group of alerted wild hogs bolted in the direction of the creek into our trap. Leading the herd of swine was a high-shouldered, brown boar.

He raced passed Shane, offering him a great shooting opportunity. Shane released an arrow tipped with an expandable broadhead that caught the big boar in the upper ribs.”

“Shane then took off in pursuit of another of the quickly scattering hogs, while I trailed the boar he had arrowed.

I trailed it for only 75 yards www.isoutdoors.com

ISOutdoors when I spotted the massive porker lying motionless in the middle of Dixon Creek.

I was amazed to see the animal had died so quickly. However, to my surprise, as I approached, its bristle-covered ears twitched. In a single movement, the wounded boar sprang to its feet, swinging its head to reveal its long, sharp tusks,” relates Talley who lives in Homewood, Alabama.

Talley responded quickly response to the reinvigorated boar, delivering an arrow at the fast-moving animal as it quartered away from him to get across the creek. Although the arrow entered the back region of the gut of the boar, its path took the broadhead through the animal¹s lungs. The porker struggled on for only a short distance before expiring. The scales at Talley¹s and Bate¹s hunting club only go to 325 pounds. When they hung the boar from its hind legs to weigh it, with the head of the animal still on the ground, the scale¹s needle was flush against 325-pound mark.

Hog Numbers “A few years ago, we did not have any wild hogs on our whitetail hunting property in Wilcox County. Feral hogs are now www.isoutdoors.com

there in large numbers. These animals have proven extremely difficult to contain,” Talley admits. “Our club killed more than 100 wild pigs last year. Mostly we shoot these animals from treestands while we are whitetail bowhunting. I have personally killed four in a single day there. While I prefer whitetail hunting to hunting for wild hogs, I have discovered that hunting these animals is a welcome diversion on days when whitetail action is slow. Also, spring and summer bowhunting for wild hogs is great sport.”

“Early in Alabama¹s history, domesticstrain hogs probably roamed everywhere in the state,” explains Alan Angress, Assistant Chief of Enforcement for the Alabama DNR Wildlife Division. “We do not have much in the way of detailed records on the subject, but we do know free-roaming feral hogs were introduced and exterminated from areas quite often during the last 150 years or so.”

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According to Angress, feral hogs (that is the official name for free-roaming porkers, which in Alabama can be purebred Russian boars or a two-tone PolandChina county fair winner), are managed like no other wildlife in the state. Hunting is permitted year-round, and to do so requires only a valid state hunting license and adherence to all general hunting laws, such as observing trespass laws. However, once a hog is harvested or caught by a hunter, it is not regarded as a game animal. The lucky hunter is free to sell all or parts of the hog, or if it is live captured in a trap or with the aid of dogs, a feral hog can be kept as long as desired in a pen or sold to an individual or private hunting preserve.

“For many years wild feral hogs have been plentiful in the southern swamplands along the coast. The Tombigbee and Alabama river bottomlands have traditionally held large numbers of these nonnative animals. Over the last couple of decades, however, avid hog hunters and houndsmen have transported these animals to other regions of the state. Today excellent feral hog hunting is found www.isoutdoors.com

in all three regions of the state, even in the timbered highlands of the state¹s northern tier,” explains Angress.

“Most of Alabama¹s free-roaming feral hogs are of largely domestic lineage, but we have documented numerous instances where hunters and houndsmen have released swine that were 100 percent Eurasian or, as hunters call them, Russian wild boar,” says Angress. Interestingly, though, even purebred hogs often revert quickly, in only a few gnerations, to a wild boar state once they become feral.

Piglets born with camouflage-striped bodies—identical to those born to wild sows in the forests of Europe and Asia— are not uncommon in Alabama.

Adaptable and Capable You would have to look long and hard to find a more adaptable animal, or one more capable of defending itself, than the wild hog. These unique animals aggressively and very successfully compete with native wildlife, especially whitetail and wild turkey, for available hardwood mast crops. The wild hog¹s ability to utilize a variety of natural foods ,such as roots and carrion, is rivaled only by the

equally adaptable coyote, making these exotic transplants among natureยนs top survivors.

bowel several hounds on a single race, as hound-and-hog chases and fights are usually called.

A wild boarยนs ugly, long snout is honeycombed with sensitive scent receptors that can detect delectable tubers up to two feet deep in the earth. They can wind a hunter faster than a whitetail can.

The vision of a hog is fair, but their hearing is acute. They are rarely seen in many places by hunters, as they quickly hide when alerted by sound or noise to human presence. Most the time, wild hogs retreat rather than confront man. However, like the black bear, the wild hog is an unpredictable quarry, capable of hunting as well as being hunted.

Intelligence is the wild boarยนs and feral hogยนs most impressive attribute. These animals are at least as smart as the coyote, dog, and black bear, and eclipse the whitetail by a few billion years of evolution. Even where they are only lightly hunted, the hogs avoid man when they are alerted by their keen senses of smell and hearing. In areas where hunting pressure is applied, feral hogs typically revert to nocturnal feeding and movement patterns, spending the daylight hours in the heaviest, most impenetrable cover available.

A mature, 150- to 200-pound boar is a formidable opponent, so much so that in the Old World these animals long served as the sport of kings. Incredibly fast and agile for its size and build, a mature boar can outrun dogs and fend off a bobcat. Large, razor-sharp tusks jutting from their lower jaws make the head-on charge of a boar as deadly as an attack from a boot knife. It is not uncommon for a mean old boar to disem-

Once established in an area, complete removal of resident feral hogs is virtually impossible. Their reproductive capacity rivals that of rabbits. Females have litters of 10 to 15 piglets, up to twice a year, beginning before the female hog is even a year old. Where there is sufficient cover and a source of food, feral hog population explosions usually occur, seemingly overnight.

www.isoutdoors.com

ISOutdoors If there is an Achilles Heel among feral hogs, it is their dependence on hardwood mast for food. When food is scarce, the hogs do not breed. Periodic flooding can also prove deadly to young piglets who are unable to escape rising waters.

The Best Time to Hunt Year-round hog hunting is possible throughout the state, but according to most the best hunting occurs during late winter through early spring. Never mind that this time frame also encompasses some of the best hunting for whitetail and wild turkey. We are talking tuskers here, dangerous big game that truly is in a class by itself. Besides, this is the best time of year to avoid troublesome mosquitoes, ticks, gators, cottonmouths, and rattlesnakes—at least for the most part.

The presence of wild hogs in area is easy to determine. Their rooting activity is usually substantial. If you do not have access to private land where porkers roam, contact your local wildlife officer for the names of farmers experiencing feral hog problems. Youšll find your welcome is usually as warm as if you were hunting coyote; many farmers welcome hunters www.isoutdoors.com

with open arms who are willing to reduce populations of these troublesome non-natives.

Think food when you want to bag porkers. They follow mast production even closer than do whitetail. On farmlands they will have preferred areas for raiding corn and soybean fields. The same treestand setups used for whitetail usually are great for pig hunting, too. A few years ago, sow sex scent urine and mouth-blown hog calls were touted but, like many such things, these were largely gimmicks when not the hands of expert callers and hunters.

Feral hogs thrive throughout all of Alabama, nearly as uniformly as do whitetail. High population densities are scattered, especially in the central and northern regions of the state. A call to local wildlife officers can net information on the locations of huntable numbers of wild boars near you.

Give it a try. There is not a better way to add spice to your whitetail and wild turkey hunting than catching Alabamašs pig-hunting bug.

Goin’ Wabbit Hu

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untin’ Cottontail and hare hunting is the quintessential American hunting tradition.�

by Buck Wilder

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Two generations ago, rabbit hunting was the most universally popular of all of the field sports. With the return of the whitetail, elk, and wild turkey, going afield to bag old Thumper is just not as alluring to the current generation of hunters as it was to our grandparents. It’s a real shame, too, because rabbit hunting incorporates much of what American hunting is all about; the gear needed for rabbit hunting is simple and affordable, they are certainly a spirwww.isoutdoors.com

ited adversary, and these animals are tasty tablefare, with a flavor that never takes a backseat to any of the venisons.

Depending on the area where you are planning to hunt, or who you ask, rabbits are generally not as abundant as they were in the 1960s. Reduced trapping of predators such as foxes and bobcats has had an impact on rabbit numbers, as have the laws preventing hunters from shooting hawks.

ISOutdoors The proliferation of coyotes in recent decades has also curbed rabbit numbers and, in many instances, has changed their behavior, as well. However, don’t worry about the abundance of rabbits, as the current interest in whitetail hunting has dramatically dropped the numbers of rabbits taken by hunters. So rabbit populations, while not as abundant as in the past, are still quite numerous in some areas.

Most of the land management practices which benefit upland game birds, wildfowl. and whitetail also help rabbit numbers.

The continent’s classic prey species, rabbits reproduce rapidly wherever they have sufficient food and escape cover. Bramble thickets, overgrown fence rows, gullies, woodlots, and brush piles are examples of prime escape/nesting cover. Recent research completed by a number of state DNRs consistently shows that these gamesters are only driven from cover by hunters—even those with dogs—between 20 to 30 percent of the time. The rest of the time bunnies sit tight, only running when they are literally nipped on the rump.

In the old days, any old dog that had a game bone in its body was a suitable rabwww.isoutdoors.com

bit-hunting dog, including a good many illtrained bird dogs. Those were simpler days, when boys hunted on their own and sold their booty to obtain yet another box of shot shells. While in some area boys are still able to be boys, most modern rabbit hunters are also the owners of small packs of beagles. Likeable, relatively simple-minded little canines, during the heyday of the Peanuts comic strip, beagles were among the most popular family pets. These days, though, beagles have the good fortune of being back in their preferred role of hunter.

Beagles are a breed perfected for hunting

ISOutdoors rabbits and hare. They have excellent noses for trailing, and boast legendary stamina and tenacity during the chase. Highly vocal little hounds, beagles announce their progress to hunters through their husky, baritone bays. Rabbits can easily outdistance a pack of beagles, but catching their fleetedfooted adversary is not the role of these hounds. When fleeing hounds, jumped rabbits tend usually make wide circles back to their home grounds, where the race began. The vocal pursuit of beagles not only identifies where these canines are at the moment, but once you get the hang of hunting with them, you have a pretty good idea where the bunny is likely to present itself.

Unless a beagle is old or inexplicably lazy, most rabbit hunters do not fault their four legged hunting companions laid-back trailing habits. In fact, there are two categories of beagles specifically bred to help regulate their speed. Hunters in more closed hunting territory. such as Pennsylvania or Michigan. often prefer slower beagles than do rabbit hunters in more open territory, such www.isoutdoors.com

as Kansas or South Dakota. The so-called 13-inch beagles are slower than 15-inch beagles: as their designations imply, the former have shorter legs than do the latter.

Granted, it’s a small difference, but in the world of rabbit hunting, there is no shortage of sportsmen willing to split hairs on this subject.

The conclusion of successful rabbit hunting trips is eating these animals. However, it must be noted that dressing wild-harvested rabbits must be done with care. Occasionally wild rabbits carry Tularemia, which is also transmissible to man, so people should not handle or dress rabbits when they have cuts or abrasions on their hands, and rabbit meat must always be thoroughly cooked. I recommend using thick rubber kitchen gloves when processing wild rabbit.

Confession of a G

Grizzly Bear Guide

by Steve West with John E. Phillips

Editor’s Note: Steve West of La Grande, Oregon, a professional hunting consultant and host of the TV shows, “The Adventure Series” and “Steve’s Outdoor Adventures,” began guiding black bear hunts in 1994. In 1998, he started working as an assistant bear guide in Alaska for blacks, browns and grizzlies until 2006, when his schedule didn’t allow him time to guide anymore. West books his clients on Alaska and British Columbia bear hunts with the top 1% of outfitters and guides.

If you’re hunting grizzly bears or brown bears, 99% of the hunt is boredom, and 1% is sheer terror and excitement. I like to guide clients to Alaska’s big bears, due to the hunts’ high intensity when we spot bears and move in close. The guide must calm the hunter, so he can make an effective close-quarter shot on a bear. You’ll experience that 1% of sheer terror and excitement and learn what’s caused guides to return year after year.

My taking the Muzzleloader World Record Grizzly Bear in British Columbia in 2012 (https://www. youtube.com/watch?v=z8LhLC57c20) was an intense hunt. When I squeezed the trigger on my muzzleloader, the gun failed to fire. I quickly removed the spent cap, replaced it and downed the bear. That fleeting moment, from the time the gun didn’t fire, until I put on a fresh percussion cap, and the gun did fire, contained the terror that makes brown bear and grizzly bear hunting so addictive.

The other 99% of a hunt leading up to taking a dangerous bear involves sitting on top of a high spot and using binoculars and a spotting scope for 10-16 hours a day. In the fall, we’ll be glassing berry patches on the sides and the bases of mountains where salmon streams attract bears.

Once a bear’s spotted, you must make a mad dash to intercept the bear or stalk in close to take him in bed. The shortest stalk I’ve made was when we spotted a bear walking straight toward us. The longest stalk I’ve made was about 4 miles.

The Characteristics of a Successful Bear Guide and His Responsibilities Bear guiding and bear hunting are patience games. A guide also must entertain the hunt-

er, since the majority of the hunt will be boring.

Besides long days of sitting on hillsides and not seeing bears, you may have several days of being weathered in, due to fog, rain and/or snow. A good bear guide has plenty of jokes and stories.

Too, a guide must cook a good dinner, get up early, cook breakfast and prepare lunches.

One of the primary jobs of a bear guide is keeping his hunter’s mind right. You may be sitting on top of a mountain glassing for bears, and your hunter may say, “Let’s go someplace else.” That’s when a guide must draw on his experience and say, “Be patient. I’ll get you a bear.” Ninety-nine percent of our clients will take the bear they’ve come to take, however, rarely on the first day.

Once a hunter takes a bear, generally the trophy of his lifetime, the guide must skin the bear skillfully, getting the meat around the eyes, lips, ears and paws skinned properly, fleshing the cape down and rubbing salt into the bear’s skin to preserve it. Think of the horror of a hunter getting his bear hide to the taxidermist, and splotches of hair falling out. A bear guide needs a strong back and physical prowess to skin a bear and carry the bear’s hide and possibly the head back to camp.

The longest I’d ever been on a bear hunt was last season when I was filming a Marine for a TV show on the Alaskan peninsula and not hunting.

We had some of the worst weather I’d ever encountered with 10 days of fog, rain and horrible visibility. However, this Marine had been stationed in Fallujah, Iraq, before the hunt and was accustomed to staying in a bunker for days. He was mentally tough. But finally we got his bear.

The most-critical ingredients for a successful bear guide include patience, mental toughness and the ability to find and hunt bears, entertain hunters and keep hunters enthusiastic about their hunts - no matter what’s happening. He needs to be a good cook, skinner and physically tough to work enthusiastically for 8–10 hours a day in the fall and 8–16 hours per spring day, while keeping his spirits high, and his hunter entertained.

To book a black or a brown/grizzly bear hunt, call Steve West at 1-800-303-1304, or visit www. steveshunts.com.

To learn more about bear hunting, go to John E. Phillips’ book, “Bowhunting the Dangerous Bears of Alaska” at http://amzn.to/16ayVM0. For hunt-

ing information on all species, visit www.amazon. com/author/johnephillips.

Cutlines for Steve West Bear Pictures – All Photos Courtesy of Steve West

Secrets to

great guided

big game www.isoutdoors.com

hunting

Make your guided hunt of a lifetime a smashing success.

by Brock Ray Sooner or later, every hunter takes a serious look at going on a professionally guided big game hunt. Even the most stubbornly independent archers must use the services of a professional outfitter/guide if they want hunt anything in Canada, Mexico, or Africa. If you want to hunt for dangerous game such as grizzly bear in Alaska, or bighorn sheep or Rocky Mountain goat, you must first make arrangements to do this at least once accompanied by aprofessional outfitter/guide.

Before delving into the how’s and why’s of arranging a great guided big game hunt, let’s get all of the terminology in order. Many times outfitter and guide are used interchangeably, but they are two very different, but closely related items.

Typically, an outfitter is the business end of a guided hunting operation. He’s the fellow who books hunters, makes deals for leases and hunting concessions on public land, secures the necessary permits, and owns the equipment and

horses. An outfitter may or may not be in your hunting camp, and he may or may not guide hunters. In Africa, outfitters are called professional hunters, or PH’s. In the southern states, outfitters are often known as lodge owners.

The guide is usually an employee or partner of the outfitter. He’s your “guide” on the hunts, the fellow who helps get the horses ready, perhaps cooks, makes camp, helps you find your animals, and usually helps take care of your trophy.

Contrary to what many hunters think, a guide is not a bond servant placed in a hunting camp solely to cater to their needs. The best way to get the most out of hunting guide is to share camp work with him just like you would with any hunting partner you might be on a hunting trip with.

Some outfitters are small, one- to fiveman operations who specialize in hunting for one to three species of big game.

On the other end of the spectrum is a handful of rather large outfitting businesses, such as those specializing in

ISOutdoors caribou hunting in northern Quebec.

They may have several camps, and during hunting season employ 50 or more people to insure that their operations run smoothly.

people in the outfitting business. Sure there’s a sprinkling of crooks and lazy outfitters, but these are the exception.

Many times outfitters do their own booking and marketing, but many of the better-known big game outfitters rely on booking agents to take care of this.

Typically, a large booking agent, handles big game hunt bookings for scores of individual outfitting businesses. The plus side of using a booking agent is the various outfitters’ operations have usually been thoroughly checked out, and meet a standard the booking agent takes pride in telling prospective hunters about.

This is not to say you should not do your homework and check out any prospective outfitter you might be interested in booking a hunt with. Initial contact usually results in you receiving a brochure outlining who the outfitter is, where he hunts, some of his past successes, as well as the dates and costs of the hunts he offers. Avoid any outfitter who does not willingly furnish you a reference list consisting of some of his past clients, plus his state guide/outfitting license number (and if applicable state or province outfitter association number).

Getting burned is the worse thing hunters fear when dealing with booking agents and outfitters. Like any business, the big game hunt business has its share of exceptionally good outfitters, mediocre outfitters, and not-so-great outfitters.

Luckily, the good outfitters vastly outnumber the others. The reasons are simple. Outfitting and guiding hunters is not a business that will make anyone rich. It is a labor of love for most of the

Naturally, you will check at least a few of the names appearing on the list of past successes as references. However, bear in mind that even the most reputatable outfitter will list his most successful, and therefore happiest, customers. One thing I always do when checking out an outfitter is ask if the fellow on the reference list has names and telephone numbers of the other hunters who were in camp when he was there. Sometimes the not-

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so-lucky hunters can provide you with a more balanced appraisal of the service provided by the outfitter, the quality of the big game found in his hunting territory, food, condition of the equipment, and other questions you need to know.

Also, make a call to the state or provincial wildlife agency and corresponding outfitters association. The last thing you need is to find yourself in a hunting camp which is under surveillance.

Sure, it’s a long shot, but when you are spending $2,000 or more, plus investing a week or two of your time, it’s worth the time and effort to get a clean bill of health for your outfitter.

Outfitters have a set rate for various types of hunts ranging from “fly-by-the-seatof-your-pants” spike camps, where you are dropped off and are responsible for everything from your own food to game care, to plush one-on-one guided hunts where fine wine is served with every evening meal. It is considered bad form to dicker on the price, although you are entitled to know as much as possible about what services are and are not covered in the price you pay. Key questions to ask

include; who is responsible for all on-theground transportation and lodging incidental to the hunt, care of trophies and meat, and other possibly hidden charges.

Experienced outfitters usually have all this information in their brochures, but never be embarrassed to ask questions about anything not clear to you.

Under the best circumstance a hunt with a outfitter is a pleasurable experience where you have a great time, everything runs smoothly, and you bag the trophy you’ve dreamed about for years. However, guided hunts are never sure things, even when you are the best and have the best outfitter and guide. Reputable outfitters never guarantee a kill, but only guarantee to provide you with the best possible service and opportunities within their power. Keep this in mind, and remember, hunting is just that, hunting, and you will have a great time on your guided hunts. www.isoutdoors.com

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Mexico Whitetail & Collared Peccary

by Bob Foulkrod Over the years I have whitetail hunted south of the border on several occasions, but this hunt it had always been with a bow. Hunting Mexico for whitetail is remarkably like hunting much of Texas. It is an arid to semi-arid region located east of the Sierra Madre Mountains and is drained by the Rio Grande River where there is access to water for farming and livestock, primarily cattle, but for the most part this is an open range. The ranch we were hunting covered thousands of acres that was dotted the low growing mesquite trees that are some common to the region, and had an abundance of lower thorough www.isoutdoors.com

greenery, all of which was armed with needles or thorns. Were it not for the great whitetail hunting found there, I am not sure it is a place I would venture back to when on vacation. Meals at the plush ranch house were major events, and being quite fond of Mexican cuisine, I eagerly anticipated every opportunity to weld a fork and knife during my stay.

Prior to dawn the first morning we loaded into the vehicles to explore the ranch to see what was going on with the whitetail. It was the peak of the rut there.

According to my guide, the bucks were hotly pursuing does which were still hanging out in good numbers at the limited watering areas at the ranch as well as at the feed areas located near these opportunities for these animals to drink.

Many hunters traveling to Mexico and Texas during the rut see this as a great opportunity to antler rattle in eager to spar bucks.

It does work, but I do not believe that antler rattling is the way to get the biggest bucks on a property. Dominant bucks are already with ready to breed does, and while fighting may be amus-

ing to big antlered bullies, a hot doe is hard to leave just to give would-be suitors a black eye. Our plan was to roam the many miles of narrow dirt roads that crisscrossed the ranch, while keeping an eye out for doe and buck activity. The first day we saw loads of whitetail, but no buck of the size I was interested in taking on the first day of my Mexican hunt.

This is not to say that the day was uneventful. Early in the afternoon while we were on foot exploring a ravine hidden www.isoutdoors.com

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from view from the road, we heard the cold chilling sound of a rattlesnake’s tail.

It was as large as any rattlesnake that I have ever seen, measuring over seven feet long and at its largest girth was as big around as a muscular man’s forearm.

Not wishing to encounter this beautifully marked viper again, we dispatched it, sending its snake soul to where ever it is that snake souls go when they meet an untimely end.

mesquites extended out like spokes on a wheel. It was a great vantage point that forced me to stay alert every second of the hunt.

Highly adaptable to living in many habitats, these pig-like animals are just as at home in the desert as they are in the deep rainforest.

The second day of the hunt began much the same as the first with us bouncing along dusty ranch road while nursing cups of coffee that we hoped to drink before they splashed all over us. The plan differed this morning. Before it was light, I was to locate inside a shooting house that was elevated ten feet above the ground. From this location, shooting lanes cut into the underbrush and www.isoutdoors.com

I quickly gained a keen appreciation for the folks who had located this stand and made the shooting lanes.

To my left I spotted movement, and when I had turned enough to get a view, I saw two does completing a walk across a 20-feet wide shooting lane. In the blink of an eye, a huge, heavy antlered buck appeared, its head held and shoulder height and his nose leading the way. Shifting to the next shooting land to my right, I did a quick range calculation and readied by rifle, I had barely made the necessary preparations when the same pair of does emerged at the same speed I had seen them before.

An instant later the big buck popped out, still in hot pursuit of the does. Fully

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prepared for this fleeting opportunity, I put the crosshairs on the passing buck.

Squeezing the trigger, I watch the buck drop dead in his tracks, dying in a fashion I am sure the animal would have regarded as fitting. We wasted little making our way to my fallen trophy, which was an outstanding example of the Mexican whitetail. The guide told me that if we hurried and got the pictures we needed, it was possible to make it back to ranch house in time to have lunch. We made it there with time to spare and to plan an afternoon outing for javelina.

While looking for whitetail at the ranch we had seen several bands of these native peccary. Getting one in a single afternoon did not seem to be too great an undertaking given their apparent abundance on the property. The javelina that are found on the ranch are the collared peccary, which are found the southwest of the United States all the couth through Central America and even further south to Argentina. Highly adaptable to living in many habitats, these piglike animals are just as at home in the desert as they are in the deep rainforest.

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Hunters generally refer to these peccary as javelina, although they are sometimes called “musk hogs� because of the strong, gland produced odor released when these animals are alarmed. Contrary to common misconception, these animals are not closely related to swine.

Javelinas have an exaggerated reputation for aggressiveness. They will defend themselves with their long tusks if they feel threatened but otherwise tend to ignore human beings. Generally these animals ignore human, even to the point of taking up residence in some suburbs in Mexico and US border states.

As predicted, we had not looked long when a group of perhaps a dozen peccary raced out of tangle of undergrowth before us, disappearing into the next thicket almost as quickly as they had appeared. The dry ground was so hard that the javelina barely left a trail, However, between the pungent odor left behind and the noise these critters created, putting a stalk on them was not difficult.

Within forty-five minutes I had bagged a couple of males with over-sized tusks.

“NOW YOU’VE MADE ME HUNGRY.” —FREDY REIHL, SHOOTING SPORTS NEWS PUBLISHED BY SKYHORSE PUBLISHING 307 WEST 36TH STREET NEW YORK, NY (212) 643-6816 SKYHORSEPUBLISHING.COM

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Florida’s Winter Backwoods

Swamp Bassin’ The days may be cold now, but the fishing action is still warm if you take the low road.

by Ed Rivers It’s never been much of a secret that the world’s best winter season bass fishing is www.isoutdoors.com

found in the swamp waters of the Sunshine State. Florida basks in the warm winter sun, and largemouth bass are

found in every lake, pond, and river. Even the earliest bass-fishing lure makers, such as James Heddon, Jr. and Jim Pfeffer, retreated south to Florida when winter winds blew, spending their winters casting to the stateยนs large-growing bass.

Then, as now, the backcountry swamp waters brimmed with green- and silverflanked largemouth bass.

Beginning in the dead of winter, fat-bellied sow bass look for shallow bedding areas, where they fan out nests used during February for spawning and rearing their offspring.

Some of Floridaยนs best winter bass fishing is found in well-known waters such as the Kissimmee lakes system and the fabled Saint Johns River. However, this is also where the crowds are found. For most off-road sportsmen, these are precisely the waters they wish to avoid, regardless of how good the fishing is.

While the Sunshine State has more than its share of headline-grabbing lakes and rivers, it also has hundreds of lesserknown, less-often-fished backcountry waters that offer as good and, in many instances, better fishing than the better known waters. www.isoutdoors.com

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Finding Backcountry Waters Some of these seldom-fished waters are found on public lands, such as national forest or wildlife management area holdings. Still others are found on private land, especially tracts owned by large timber companies, which often allow anglers to access these waters for a small fee. Still other waters are found on tribal lands controlled by native Americans.

Especially great to find are those rewww.isoutdoors.com

mote waters which, during the summer months, are overgrown with vines, briars, and sawtooth palmetto, as well as being infested with mosquitoes, pit vipers and other snakes and, of course, alligators.

Such conditions keep all but the most insane bass anglers at bay.

During the winter, these waters are more accessible. However, the roads/trails used to access these waters are hell on earth to inexperienced off-roaders. Mak

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ing a backcountry trek to the forenoted prime fishing holes is not for the faint of heart, or those not prepared for swampy off-road travel. Florida may not get much in the way of snow and ice during January and February, and balmy temperatures in the 70- to 80-degree range are not unusual. But so is rain, which often falls several days a week during these “rainy season” months. It is rarely warm enough at this time for the ground to become dry and firm between rains.

Car topping is a favorite way to explore these backcountry waters. Lightweight, two-man aluminum or ABS plastic johnboats and canoes, equipped with small outboard or electric trolling motors, are perfect for prowling the hidden sluices and troughs. If you are adventurous, fish from the banks or when wading; both

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work well, especially at beaver ponds and creeks. Bank fishing like this is virtually impossible during the summer, and it is a mistake to pass such small waters.

They have incredible reputations for holding bass so large that they could make your eyes pop from your head.

One word of caution when wading the banks of these swampy fishing holes— wearknee-high, snakebite-proof boots.

True, most troublesome pit vipers such as the rattlesnake, copperhead, and cottonmouth are not particularly active during January and February. However, these pests are remarkably active on sunny days when catching a few “rays” is one of their favorite pastimes.

Bassin’ With Ease Catching backcountry bass is not the most difficult angling you are likely to

encounter in your life—in fact, if could be the easiest, as many of these hawgs have never seen their first hook. Since they reside in remote locations, these fish have been insulated from the anglers who spend many hours educating largemouth bass to the ways of the barbed hook. While a ten-pound bass in Lake Kissimee has probably been caught or hooked a hundred times in its life, and has had literally thousands of lures pulled by its nose, a fish of the same size and age found in a swamp-country puddle may never have seen its first fraudulent offering.

When making backcountry treks for largemouth bass, I like to keep my tackle box as simple as possible. Artificials include an assortment of shallow running Storm Rattlin’ Thin Fin (green, silver, and shad), RapalaOriginial Floater (chartreuse, perch, and gold), and Bill Lewis Lures Rat-L-Trap (chrome, Tennessee shad/green, and pumpkin shad). Other shallow offerings carried include a selection of 1/2-ounce spinnerbaits, such as Mann’s Hank Parker Classic Spinnerbait and Hart’s Double Throb/Double Willow (yellow, chartreuse and yellow). www.isoutdoors.com

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For probing deeper areas, nothing tops soft plastic baits, particularly Zorro Bait’s Ninny Craw (black sparkle/chartreuse, smoke pepper, and grape electric), and Berkley’s Power Bait’s Power Leech and Power Sand Worm (motor oil, pumpkinseed, and black/gold). These, along with 1/2-ounce jigs tipped with pork rinds, are all you need to entice strikes from deepwater holding bass.

Top-water action is not particularly prevalent during January and February, although on warm, sunny days these fish relish smashing baits offered on the surface. Proven favorites on these waters include Heddon’s Zara Spook (silver flitter shad, firetiger, and G-finish blue shad), and Rebel’s Pop-R. The latter is deadly on large bass located in shallow shoreline areas.

The Better The Weather Winter bass found in Florida’s waters respond strongly to the weather. Generally speaking, the better the weather, the better the fishing. Mild, stable temperatures are conducive to predictable fish feeding activity. Unlike other times of the year, when the first hours of morning and the last hours of day usually provide the best catches, at this www.isoutdoors.com

time of year the largemouth bass are more civilized. Under most conditions, the best winter catches occur between mid-morning and mid-afternoon—the most pleasant times of the day.

Casting accuracy is also a key to successfully catching Florida’s lunker swamp-country bass. At this time of year, these game fish are fond of holding extremely tight to covers such as stumps, root tangles, weedy edges, submerged shell beds, deadfalls, and submerged weed beds. Water temperatures are at their coldest for the year. Many times—though not always—this results in slowed movement on the part of the bass. Drawing a strike often requires literally presenting a lure right on the nose of your finned quarry. Correctly pulling the right lure or bait by a resting swamp country bass seldom goes unrewarded.

If you are wondering what in the world to do to keep from letting “cabin fever” drive you crazy this winter, think swamp country bass fishing. One of America’s most overlooked and exciting winter sports, swamp bassin’ may be just the winter tonic you need.

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IS Outdoors Wingshooting Column: W I N G

S H O O T I N G

Hunting Sandhill Cranes

by Larry Cook One of the most remarkable 20th century success stories in the restoration of a wildlife species is the recovery of the sandhill crane. The species was on the brink of extinction in the 1930ยนs, but today the crane population has grown to the point that they are hunted in 11 states. Texas has the largest huntable population by far, and issues approximately 125,000 crane permits each year.

I have been privileged to hunt cranes several times

over the years. I cannot think of any more wary wildfowl than a crane. Hunters often refer to these magnificent birds as “sirloins in the sky” and, speaking from first-hand experience, I can testify to that claim. There is simply no tastier wildfowl than cranes. On my first crane hunt, our hunting host¹s spouse was a master at preparing this culinary delight. I embarrassed myself and my fellow hunters with my determination to eat as much as I could bag.

season for these majestic birds. Tennessee currently manages sandhill cranes as a non-game species. However, the U.S. Wildlife Service, whose duty is to protect migratory birds, lists them as a game species. Tennessee¹s population of cranes is part of the Eastern population of greater sandhill cranes. Most of the sandhill cranes found in the State reside in and around the Hiwassee Waterfowl Refuge, where over 40,000 birds have been recorded.

To Hunt or Not? My home state of Tennessee is considering the feasibility of a limited hunting

Each year, hundreds of bird watchers and other enthusiasts gather to watch and listen to this display of cranes on Hiwas www.isoutdoors.com

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see Refuge. Naturally, as expected, folks like the Tennessee Ornithological Society, which annually sponsors the Sandhill Crane Viewing Festival, oppose any hunting season.

The TWRA, on the opposite side, cites crop damage as one reason for a hunting season. TWRA¹s approach is simple.

It is a large enough crane population to support both hunting and bird watching. The overall decision will be based upon the premise that the local crane population has reached the point where

it can sustain limited hunting. The TWRA has proposed that 733 permits be made available, with a three-crane limit. Therefore, the maximum potential harvest would be no more than 2,199 cranes per year.

The bird watchers don’t have to worry.

First of all, no crane hunting would be permitted on the refuge, so the annual crane viewing festival at the refuge would not be affected. The cranes would only be hunted in surrounding fields where serious crop depredation has become a major problem.

Obviously, both parties would be in a win-win situation.

How to Hunt Sandhills Now, about the hunting.

Cranes are super-wary birds—so wary that, in my humble opinion, they make geese look like simpletons. And I have great respect for geese. That wariness means that the harvest total will in no way

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approach the maximum allowable bag limit.

Cranes will be bagged; that is understood. But, after the first couple of days, the birds will have figured out that outside the refuge there is danger. Then hunting success ratios will drop. It will not be the “slaughter” that some doomsayers predict.

Hunters will have to learn the methods that will enable them to successfully bag one of these trophies. To begin with, the hunter will have to do a lot of scouting to identify the fields the birds are consistently using.

Decoys are mandatory, and not just any www.isoutdoors.com

decoys. They have to resemble a feeding crane, a relaxed crane, and a content crane. I don¹t think the full-bodied decoys that are available will necessarily do the trick. The guide I hunted with in Texas made his own and, at first glance, you wouldn¹t have thought they would fool a sparrow. They resembled a dishpan, with strips of leather to imitate a long neck. They were easily carried in the field and worked wonderfully.

Wonderful, But a Warning Crane hunters are in for a fabulous hunting experience. The cranes are such amazing birds to hunt. Their ringing calls and their inherent wildness bring the hunting experience to a fever pitch. The approach of a decoying flock of sand

hills will stir your blood. They seem to be flying slowly and somewhat laboriously, but, like decoying geese, their actual speed can be deceptive.

I had a wonderful sandhill hunt near O’Donnell, Texas. O’Donnell is famous for cotton production, for being the home of Dan Blocker (the actor who played Hoss Cartwright on Bonanza), and for being the center of Texas sandhillcrane hunting. In addition to cotton, milo is grown in large quantities, and cranes love milo.

As far as shotgun gauge and shell size I recommend a 12-gauge loaded with BB¹s.

One final thought. Never approach a

wounded crane too closely—dispatch it from a distance. These birds have been known to inflict serious injuries with their dagger-like bill, and more than one hunter or retriever has been killed in an encounter with a wounded bird. They are aggressive when injured. www.isoutdoors.com

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Curing Cabin Fever

by Craig Haney

Traditions are a regular part of our lives.

Usually we don¹t think about them that much—they just happen when and where and how they should. It might be cousin Alice bringing the blackberry crumble to the family reunion every year, Mom making her sinfully good pecan pie at Thankswww.isoutdoors.com

giving and Christmas, or just getting a Coke and a Little Debbie snack on the way home from the trout stream. Usually, we don¹t know how they got started or why; we just know they are traditions.

I remember very well how one of my favorite traditions, the cabin fever trip,

got started. It was quite a few years ago, when I was much younger and considerably more mad at the fish. Deer season had been over for several weeks and, even though the thermometer on my deck read 28 degrees, I really wanted to go fishing. Worse than that, I really NEEDED to go fishing. I called my buddy Larry to see if he wanted to head to the Cahaba River. Fortunately, he did. The ravages of cabin fever were about to be thwarted.

When Larry got to my place, we loaded the canoe and our gear and eagerly took off for the river. I would like to report we caught a number of fish, with some of them being better than average, but we did not catch a single fish and pretty much froze our tails off in the aluminum canoe. Overall, the trip was a success.

About a hour in, we decided we probably were as dumb as we looked fishing in a metal boat in water not too far away from freezing. We found a place to beach the canoe, got out, and gathered some wood for a small, but toasty, fire. The steaming dark coffee we brought in two thermoses warmed our insides, while

the fire warmed our outsides. We spent a couple of hours talking about fishing trips remembered and of trips yet to come.

After getting home to a hot shower and a big bowl of chili, I realized my symptoms of cabin fever had disappeared. The fishing trip was the right prescription at the right time and it had unlimited refills.

Preventative Medicine Cabin fever trips have become an important part of my winter planning. I tend to think of them as preventative medicine.

Some are simple and close to home with a buddy, while others are more involved and may include a five-hour drive to get the cure.

There are several keys to a successful cabin fever trip. One of the secrets is to go with low expectations, at least as far as catching fish is concerned. After all. depending on where you live, it could be 30 to 35 degrees during the warmest part of the day, when the fish are most active. Is talking about 30 degree days and active fish an oxymoron? For me, this is when the trip is less about catch www.isoutdoors.com

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ing fish and more about everything else coming together to make a great trip.

Another key ingredient is who you invite to share the cure with you. Make sure they will enjoy being knee deep in a creek in less than ideal temperatures, and won¹t get bummed out if the fishing is less than what it is when the yellow sallies are coming off later in the year.

Over the years, I¹ve built up a list of those I¹ll call when I start planning a trip. Of the 10 to 12 friends that have gone in the past, we can usually get together a good group, whether we need 3 or 4 or 7 or 8.

Trip Structure The trip is definitely loosey-goosey, with no set schedule other than when we eat at the cabin. You fish where you want to and when you want. Some of us bring fly-tying gear, in case we run out of “secret flies” or old standards. Some are designated cooks, some designated dishwashers. The important thing is that we get along, and everyone always seems ready for the next trip.

It might be argued by some that food is the most important component of www.isoutdoors.com

the fishing, fellowship, and food combo that we try to stir up for a successful trip.

Some great dishes have been conjured up during these trips, and have become standard fare for us. Nantahala chili is one such dish, and has become a group favorite with an iron skillet or two of cornbread on the side.

We¹ll generally grill steaks another night, served with Missy¹s locally famous, honest-to-goodness, real hash browns with her secret seasoning. Many have said they would rather give up the steaks than the hash browns.

Breakfast is usually a real treat, with country ham, local fresh sausage, and Steve¹s made-from-scratch biscuits, served with homemade jelly made from local blackberries. We do not believe in a heart-healthy diet on these trips. Just writing about the food, I feel like I¹ve gained 2 pounds.

There you have it—Dr. Feelgoods¹ prescription for cabin fever. It can be filled most anywhere and is guaranteed not to cause cancer in laboratory mice.

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Ray Scott’s

Trophy Bass Retreat Hope Hull, Alabama

There’s bass fishing, and then there’s BASS FISHING. In the US, the latter is found at Ray Scott Trophy Bass Retreat, a collection of three bodies of water which are universally acknowledged as www.isoutdoors.com

the country’s best bass fishing trinity. Sez who? Well, says everyone who has fished there, including former presidents of the USA, George and George W. Bush, as well as professional bass fishermen such

as Rick Clunn. And many people would agree.

These lakes are the personal bass waters of fishing legend Ray Scott, founder of the Bass Angler’s Sportsman’s Society.

Located a short distance south of Montgomery, Alabama, these lakes are the culmination of a lifetime working to create the ultimate bass environment, not just for the fish but for the angler as well!

Until recently, these private waters were reserved for only the close friends of the owner. But Ray Scott decided that, as part of an initiative to promote the black belt area of Alabama, he would open his home, guest quarters, and lakes to anglers wishing to fish these legendary waters. To reserve your dates at these elite

bass lakes, you will need to bring a few friends or clients and select either a Friday, when you can fish all day with lunch included, or a Tuesday through Thursday that includes three overnights and two fishing days with all meals. The record bass caught at this lake was a whopping 13 pounds 15 ounces!

The largest of these lakes is President’s Lake. Covering 55 surface acres, this world-class fishery was designed and managed using all the hard-earned know-how of the owner’s lifetime career in bass angling. Over the past 23 years it has been the venue of many fishing shows and has been fished by both celebrities and the world’s top pro anglers. www.isoutdoors.com

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Eighteen acre Tabernacle Lake is named for the historical 1846 country church.

Probably no lake its size in the world has produced more trophy bass than this maturehoney hole. Created when Ray Scott acquired this property in the 1970s, it has been lovingly managed since then to be an astonishinglyconsistent producer of trophy-class fish.

Red Eagle Lake is the newest 14-acre experimental lake, and is stocked with all female bass to eliminate overpopulation and provide an abundance of food to allow the fish to grow to their absolute maximum potential. The owner let his imagination go wild when he created this largemouth sanctuary, which is loaded with structure to create the ultimate bass environment.

Ray Scott’s Trophy Bass Retreat offers attractive and comfortable accommodations, including the cozy President’s cabin, where both Bush presidents have stayed, the spacious boathouse suite with a bird’s eye view of the President’s lake, and a generous bedroom and bath suite in the guest wing of the main house, just down the hall from the handwww.isoutdoors.com

some Great Room and the lakeside verandas. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are taken in the family dining room in informal buffet style, except for the traditional shore lunch, weather permitting. They offer up tasty and hearty dining with an emphasis on distinctly Southern fare.

After your meal, you can walks down the thebeautiful , two-mile-long driveway lined with trees, which will often bring you eye-to- eye with the local whitetail deer that enjoy a lakeside drink.

For more info, visit www.rayscottbassretreat.com

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Irish SetterDeer Camp Wool Field Coat

By Staff Between mid-November and Christmas, we field tested the new Irish SetterDeer Camp Wool Field Coat. Perhaps the most recognizable hunting coat style ever made in this country, the red/black plaid outer shell of this coat is sheer eye candy. (The coat is also available in solid charcoal for the less flamboyant.) Better still, we found the coat to not only be well made and superbly comfortable in the field, but also quite warm. Frankly, I would love to wear this coat all the time, but my 15-year-old son has claimed it as his own.

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Features abound on the Irish Setter Deer Camp Wool Field Coat. The wool outer layer is given added warmth through the inclusion of traditional quilted insulation, but the quilted layer is not bulky or confining. One of my favorite features is the inclusion of the high-tech Ultra Dry membrane, which is both wind resistant and waterproof. Similar in technology to the old-style GoreTex membrane, Ultra Dry breathes, so body moisture is wicked away through the coat, but wind and rain are held at bay. Pretty nifty, eh?

Construction features include a center front zipper covered with a snap front placket; a pair of lower dual entry pockets; and two interior pockets (a cell phone pocket and a zippered safety pocket)along the liner of the coat. The outer shell is constructed of Melange wool. Melange wool is a neat sounding tag for some sort of wool, you know like worsted and virgin wool. To the mere hunter on the street though, what does using Melange wool mean? We’re glad you asked.

from color printed tops or slivers. The color bands are short enough that each fiber has multiple colors. This results in a heathered effect after spinning. So what does that mean? Okay, think of the individual hairs of a tabby cat. Individual hairs are banded so they contain both black and grey on the same hair. When the hair is brushed off the resulting effect is a heathered grey. Melange yarn hasa similar appearance, since the yarn is composed of blended cellulose and protein fibers,which take dye at different rates.

As is the tradition at the ISO Field Test laboratory, we judged the Irish Setter Deer Camp Wool Field Coat on a scale of 1to100,000—the higher the number, the more impressed we were. The Irish Setter Deer Camp Wool Field Coat received a near perfect 99,999.082 rating, meaning heck yeah we liked it, and recommend it to everyone with the IQ of at least 65, like us.

For more information, visit www.richlu.com

Melangewool is wool yarn which is dyed before is it spun. The yarn is produced www.isoutdoors.com

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What is hip dysplasia?

Provided by Drs. Smith and Foster

To understand hip dysplasia we must have a basic understanding of the joint that is being affected. The hip joint forms the attachment of the hind leg to the body and is a ball and socket joint.

The ball portion is the head of the femur while the socket (acetabulum) is located on the pelvis. In a normal joint the ball rotates freely within the socket.

To facilitate movement the bones are shaped to perfectly match each other; with the socket surrounding the ball.

To strengthen the joint, the two bones are held together by a strong ligament.

The ligament attaches the femoral head directly to the acetabulum. Also, the joint capsule, which is a very strong band of connective tissue, encircles the two bones adding further stability. The area where the bones actually touch each other is called the articular surface. It is perfectly smooth and cushioned with a layer of spongy cartilage. In addition, www.isoutdoors.com

the joint contains a highly viscous fluid that lubricates the articular surfaces. In a dog with normal hips, all of these factors work together to cause the joint to function smoothly and with stability.

Hip dysplasia is associated with abnormal joint structure and a laxity of the muscles, connective tissue, and ligaments that would normally support the joint. As joint laxity develops, the articular surfaces of the two bones lose contact with each other. This separation of the two bones within the joint is called a subluxation, and this causes a drastic change in the size and shape of the articular surfaces.

Most dysplastic dogs are born with normal hips but due to their genetic makeup (and possibly other factors) the soft tissues that surround the joint develop abnormally causing the subluxation. It is this subluxation and the remodeling of the hip that leads to the symptoms we associate with this disease. Hip dysplasia may or may not be bilateral; affecting both the right and/or left hip.

What are the symptoms of hip dysplasia?

Dogs of all ages are subject to hip dysplasia and the resultant osteoarthritis.

In severe cases, puppies as young as five months will begin to show pain and discomfort during and after exercise. The condition will worsen until even normal daily activities are painful. Without intervention, these dogs may eventually be unable to walk. In most cases, however, the symptoms do not begin to show until the middle or later years in the dog’s life.

The symptoms are similar to those seen with other causes of arthritis in the hip.

Dogs often walk or run with an altered gait. They may resist movements that require full extension or flexion of the rear legs. Many times, they run with a ‘bunny hopping’ gait. They will show stiffness and pain in the rear legs after exercise or first thing in the morning. They may also have difficulty climbing stairs. In milder cases dogs will warm-up out of the stiffness with movement and exercise. Some dogs will limp and many will become less willing to participate in normal daily activities. Many owners attribute the

changes to normal aging but after treatment is initiated, they are surprised to see a more normal and pain-free gait return. As the condition progresses, most dogs will lose muscle tone and may even need assistance in getting up.

Who gets hip dysplasia?

Hip dysplasia can be found in dogs, cats, and humans, but for this article we are concentrating only on dogs. In dogs, it is primarily a disease of large and giant breeds. German Shepherds, Labrador Retrievers, Rottweilers, Great Danes, Golden Retrievers, and Saint Bernards appear to have a higher incidence, however, these are all very popular breeds and may be over represented because of their popularity. On the other hand, sighthounds such as the Greyhound or the Borzoi have a very low incidence of the disease. This disease can occur in medium-sized breeds and rarely in small breeds. It is primarily a disease of purebreds although it can happen in mixed breeds, particularly if it is a cross of two dogs that are prone to developing the disease. www.isoutdoors.com

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Sporting Books

by Don Kirk

Dear Don: Recently at an auction a box lot came up that was termed only as hunting and fishing books. The crowd didn’t show much interest. To my surprise, I got the lot—all two dozen books, for a bid of $12. Most are pretty common titles that I recognize. However, there is a couple of books that really aroused my attention. One is Tales of Southern Rivers by Zane Grey (first edition; Harper & Brothers; 1925); another is Tattered Coat by Nash Buckingham (first edition; Putnam’s; 1944); and another isA Book of Trout Flies by Preston Jennings (Crown Publishing; 1935). They are all in excellent to very good condition. What sort of value do they have?

Roger J., Homer, NY Roger: You did well. All three of these books are rare and highly sought. Zane Grey’s Tales of Southern Rivers is a real catch.

Best known for writing western cowboy adventure novels, Grey was an avid fishermen and fishing writer. He also worked closely with the South Bend Bait Comwww.isoutdoors.com

pany, which offered a line of Zane Grey lures.

With the dust jacket, your first edition should easily fetch $500 to $1,000.

Tattered Coat by Nash Buckingham is one of the most moving wingshooting books ever penned, and in the world of wingshooting, no writer is more revered than Mr. Nash, whose famous shotgun recently brought over a quarter of a million dollars when sold last year. Your first edition of this book demands $200 to $400 at auctions held by Langs.

Preston Jennings’ A Book of Trout Flies was the first US printing effort to explain May and caddis fly hatches to the budding world of fly fishing. Yours does not appear to be a first edition, but it looks to certainly be well cared for. I estimate its value at $150 to $250. I would love to learn what other books you got in your auction lot.

If you have questions about sporting collectibles, old shotguns, or knives, email Don Kirk at dkirkemgruppe@aol.com

U LT R A L I G H T H U N T I N G

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Timber Hawk Rut Buster The Timber Hawk Rut Buster hunting pack features 1,700 cubic inches of storage, wrapped in Realtree AP camo. Other features include a bow carrier, Hawk Eye binocular system, a hip belt, and dual mesh pockets that can be tucked away behind the back panel when not in use. Designed to be backcountry hunter friendly, the Timber Hawk Rut Buster hunting pack has dual shoulder strap pockets for radio/GPS, high-visibility zipper

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pulls, and a two-liter water bladder.

For more info, visit www.timberhawkgear.com Stoeger X50 The Stoeger X50 is the magnum choice for all air rifle chores, from plinking and target shooting to pest control and small-game hunting. A robust, spring-piston, break-action system power-drives .177-alloy pellets at a potent 1,500 feet per second. The X50 has an ergonomic cocking grip that assures fast and easy, single-stroke charging on each and every shot. The blued-steel, rifled barrel provides accuracy, and comes with fiber-optic front and adjustable rear sights. All X50 receivers feature an integral dovetail scope-rail.

For more info, visit www.stoegerairguns.com

St. Croix Elite Fly Rods The new St Croix Elite fly rods feature the company’sinnovativeNSi (Nano Silica) resin, which was developed by 3M (3M™ Matrix Resin).The result? Enough spaceage science and American handcraftsmanship to create a four-piece rod that performs like a one-piece. Freshwater models are finished in a smooth Gallatin green, while the saltwater rods—which have a max-power butt section for handling big fish and even bigger winds—are finished in a sweet Belize blue. They are available in 12 freshwater and 8 saltwater models in the full gamut of line weights and lengths.

For more info, visit www.stcroixrods.com

Bettencourt Baits Real Fish Bluegill The Bettencourt Baits Real Fish Bluegill is one of over a dozen stunninglooking, fish-catching lures made—one at a time, by hand—by Nathan Bettencourt. Using his background in fly-tying, Bettencourt strives to create lures with triggering characteristics not found in other lures.

Each lure is made from the finest components available and bears its date of completion. The Real Fish Bluegill is five inches long, and comes in two models: Floating (1¼ ounce) and Sinking:(1¾ ounce).

For more info, visit www.bettencourtbaits.com

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