ISOutdoors April 2015

APRIL 2015

ISOutdoors enjoying the outdoors and sharing it with you

WILD TURKEY

FLY

WITH A FISHING BOW

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LITTLE RED RIVER

Photo courtesty of www.banffflyfishingguides.com

CONTENT little red river fly fishing the ultimate bowhunting challenge puppy training an antler dog live minnows for river smallies booking your first western big game trip

bass fishing

the big show publisher Brock RAY art director Colby RAY

COLUMNS Featured Outfitter

e Electro Mundo Gruppe 202 1st Avenue East Oneonta, AL 35121 205-625-5473

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Little Red River Fly Fishing:

Arkansas’ Most Fabulous Trout Fishery

“Is there anything finer than the feel of a frisky trout flailing against a willowy fly rod?”

by Don Kirk

M

any believe that North America’s finest fly fishing for trout is the Little Red River in Arkansas. The river boasts an incredible rainbow and brown trout fisheries, fostered by a year round growing season, high water quality and more macroinvertrbrates per cubic yard of water for the trout to feed than has been measured anywhere. The Little Red River is not a natural trout fishery, but one that owes it existence to man. When the dam was built, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers constructed a trout hatchery for annually stocking large numbers of trout here.

Among the world’s most heavily stocked waters, year-round stockings of 9- to 12-inch trout accomplish two critical things.

They maintain an abundance of keeper-size trout in easily accessed reaches of the river, so fishermen can catch a “limit.”

This takes pressure off the more remote stretches of these rivers.

Second, stocking large numbers of keeper-size trout also provides a source of food for the larger trout to which the Little Red owes its international fame. Stocking may have been the genesis of this trout fishery, but it is not its sole benefactor. To everyone’s surprise, a couple decades ago brown trout started spawning in the Little Red. Downstream from the dam on the Little Red, the temperature ranges from 50 to 60 degrees Fahrenheit.

These rivers are rich in the aquatic insect life needed

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Ken Moody Hunting Enterprises presents...

May 15-17, 2015 Gatlinburg Convention Center Gatlinburg, Tennessee Hunting, Fishing, Camping, Travel, Outdoor Adventures

Why Should You Attend the Great Smoky Mountains Outdoor Expo?

t All attendees may register for a free hunt giveaway! t Over 100 vendors – big game hunts, wood carvings, outdoor products, etc. t Byron Ferguson – World’s Greatest Archer – Daily exhibitions! t Daily seminars by Don Kirk, Brenda Valentine, John Sloan, and others. t 3D Archery Pop-Up Tournament provided by the good people at Bow Life®. t Special “Show Rates” for all attendees at the Edgewater Hotel.

In addition to attending a great outdoors show where you’ll meet and speak with some of the nations top outdoor exhibitors showcasing such goods and of the country’s top vacation spots. Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge, and the Smoky the Smokies has what you’re looking for. Come to our trade show and also enjoy

We’ll See You There!

Visit our website www.greatsmokymountainsoutdoorexpo.com or call 800-585-4868 to learn more.

isOutdoors to sustain a trout fishery, and have proven to be prime troutholding habitat. Tail water trout rivers, like the Little Red, are not like any natural stream found in the mountainous regions of the Appalachian or Rocky Mountains. Tail water rivers have four distinctive personalities, or flow phases referred to as low tide, rising tide, high tide, and falling tide. Low tide is when a tail water river is at its lowest flow level -- when little if any water is released by the upstream dam. This varies from river to river. Sometimes, this is when there is little to no flow, with trout concentrated in deep pools and is most pronounced at smallish rivers such as the Little Red. Rising tide is the next flow phase, and is universally regarded as offering the best fishing. When water is released at the dam, it races downstream.

The closer you are to the dam, the quicker that happens and the sooner the crescendo of good fishing it sparks ends. The farther downstream you are from the dam, the slower the rise of www.isoutdoors.com

water occurs, and the longer the good fishing it brings lasts. You can get the generating schedule by calling the dam. At high tide, these tail water rivers range from 2 to 10 feet deeper than they are at low tide.

Falling tide, when all or most of the turbines shut down and low tide is achieved, occurs more slowly than rising tide. It is common for the waters to drop 1 inch per 15 minutes, but the rate

isOutdoors of drop can be faster or slower.

Generally speaking, the best fly fishing is midway through the falling tide. The shutdown of the water flow upstream at the dam works like a wake-up call to the trout and the aquatic insects upon which they prey.

During falling tide, those fish come out to feed on the emerging caddisflies and mayflies, scuds, and midges, which come in large numbers.

At this Arkansas tail water river, dropping water levels typically provide two to four hours of great trout fishing before the action, and the water bottoms out. The problem is, unless you know the Little Red River tail water fairly well; it is difficult to recognize trout-holding cover while high tide float fishing. During high tide, the river can become an intimidating expanse of swirling, surging water. There is hardly a hint of what lies beneath the surface. This is why hiring one of the many trout fishing guides available on these tail water rivers is a real bargain. www.isoutdoors.com

Fly rods that are 8.5- to 9.5feet long that are engineered to cast 3 to 6 weight fly lines work well on this streams where most casts are under 50-feet in range.

Leaders need to be at least 9-feet long, and tippets of 4X to 6X are recommended. Because so much of the fly fishing here is subsurface nymphing, if you are new as this style of fly fishing, bring along a few strike indicators to help you get the hang of fooling these deft feeders.

Spring hatches on the Little Red River has a fairly predictable hatch of midges in the morning (sizes number 22, 24, and 26), and later during the day you usually will encounter emergences bluewing dun mayflies (sizes number 18, 20 and 22). Additionally, standards such as Sowbugs, Hares Ear’s and Caddis Pupas (sizes number 14, 16 and 18--the faster the water the larger fly you can get away with successfully using) are productive this time of year

Ken Moody Hunting Enterprises presents...

May 15-17, 2015 Gatlinburg Convention Center Gatlinburg, Tennessee Hunting, Fishing, Camping, Travel, Outdoor Adventures

Why Should You Attend the Great Smoky Mountains Outdoor Expo?

t All attendees may register for a free hunt giveaway! t Over 100 vendors – big game hunts, wood carvings, outdoor products, etc. t Byron Ferguson – World’s Greatest Archer – Daily exhibitions! t Daily seminars by Don Kirk, Brenda Valentine, John Sloan, and others. t 3D Archery Pop-Up Tournament provided by the good people at Bow Life®. t Special “Show Rates” for all attendees at the Edgewater Hotel.

In addition to attending a great outdoors show where you’ll meet and speak with some of the nations top outdoor exhibitors showcasing such goods and of the country’s top vacation spots. Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge, and the Smoky the Smokies has what you’re looking for. Come to our trade show and also enjoy

We’ll See You There!

Visit our website www.greatsmokymountainsoutdoorexpo.com or call 800-585-4868 to learn more.

Wild Turkey:

The Ultimate Bow Hunting Challenge

“Shotgunning is a piece of cake compared to successfully arrowing a strutting gobbler.�

by Brock Ray

If You Want The Best In Hunting And Fishing, go to brockstoplodges.com

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isOutdoors

B

ow hunting for wild turkey is crazy, nutty and too much for most archers, right? When you consider how tough it can be to kill a gobbler with a shotgun, the very notion of trying to accomplish the same task with a bow and arrow seems crazy.

Using a bow and arrow decreases your odds for success by four to eight times to that of a shotgun.

The biggest thing working against a bow hunter hunting turkey is the extra movement he must make when drawing his bow. It is not uncommon for a gobbler to “hang-up� at 50 to 60 yards for 30 minutes or more, but it is not practical for the bow hunter to hold even an 80-percent let-off bow for that long.

The average bow hunter has killed a halfdozen whitetail, including does, as well as other species of game such as antelope or bear. They have above-average shooting skills and have learned that controlling their emotions is the key to success. Most above-average bow hunters have three or four years experience.

Basically, there are two times to draw your bow when hunting turkey: first, when the bird has its back to you; second, when there is an object, such as a tree, between you and the turkey. If you are calling from an open field, your blind can act as the barrier between you and the turkey. I like blinds that can be set up in a minute and conceal all my movement, especially movement from the neck down.

Bow hunters that can call well stand a better chance of taking a gobbler than those who cannot -- even a trophy jake -- if they follow a few simple rules. Most turkey hunters are quick to point out nothing is more difficult to bag than a wild turkey.

Going after a gobbler with only a bow and arrow is like a boxer going into the ring with one arm tied behind his back. Still, it is popular because it is so challenging. www.isoutdoors.com

Portable blinds are convenient because you can carry, assemble, take down and repack them easily. Even if you use a camouflage blind, you should still dress in head-totoe camouflage. Regardless of what your favorite camo pattern might be, make sure that it matches where you are hunting enough to allow you to get close enough to a gobbler to literally pull its beard!

The next step is shooting. The vitals of a wild turkey, i.e. its lungs and liver, are located in its chest. The heart and lungs are the best places to arrow a turkey. Hitting either of these organs is difficult, as they are no larger than a baseball. In fact, half of what you see is just fluffed feathers.

Some bow hunters like to shoot right at the beard, in the center of the body, while others like side shots. I find front and side shots tricky. However, one shot that has proven lethal for me time and again is shooting the gobbler in its rectum after it has turned away from me. It is almost inevitable that this shot will penetrate and damage the lungs and heart. Decoys are helpful for this kind of shot, as they divert the turkey’s attention from me to the decoys, giving me a perfect shot.

Shooting equipment is largely a matter of taste. If you are shooting high poundages and have difficulty drawing your bow while seated on the ground, you may find

it easier if you turn down the poundage.

Actually, many southern bow hunters shoot poundages that are too big. Bows set as low as 40 to 50 pounds will allow you to take even the biggest gobbler.

Another hot topic regarding bow hunting for wild turkey is what to shoot. Many oldtime bow hunters still advocate putting a washer the size of a quarter behind a broadhead to slow down the arrow’s travel through the body of a turkey. This works well, but I prefer to use the same three or four-blade broadhead I use when deer hunting. It is difficult to top the killing power of a razor-sharp broadhead with a GameTracker string retrieval unit.

If you can call worth a hoot, or have a buddy who can call while you set up to shoot 50 to 100 feet ahead of him, combine your skills and put your efforts to work for bow hunting turkey this spring. After all, a jake is a grand trophy, especially if you take it with a bow and arrow. www.isoutdoors.com

puppy training an

antlerd “Create your own shed antler finding dog.

Roger Sigler, Master Trainer

dog i n the development of shed antler dogs we have worked with several different breeds and after great time and effort we have found that the Labs have the qualities that are best for shed hunting. We select pups that are from hunting blood lines. We really like the new style lab that is somewhat smaller then the l00 pound fur friends of a few years ago. The labs that we select are for the most part, black or yellow.

That may just a personal preference, but the chocolates that we tried at first, seemed to be a little more difficult to work with. We do not find much difference in the trainability of the pup from the male to the female.

Once again, most people have had dogs before and have a personal preference in that regard.

We test our puppies for play drive and prey drive first and foremost. The puppy must be crazy about playing with a ball or squeak toy and willing to chase it as much as you would expect an eight to nine week old puppy to be able to. Naturally, a puppy that is so young will probably not be retrieving the toy or ball to you, but you will be able to tell if he is really interested in the game. We have developed our own training program, which is a reward based training technique,

isOutdoors which we call “The science of participative training.� It is extremely important to use positive reinforcement in training puppies.

It is very easy to ruin a perfectly good dog, if you try to push them to hard and fast at the beginning of their training experience.

We have studied with some world class animal behaviorists and animal trainers and formed our own system. The science of participative training, SPT, is the safest and easiest way to get results in training your puppy. We have had great success with adult problem animals as well.

The possessive reinforcement builds a confident animal by developing a mutual language. Dogs do not understand English any more then they understand German or any other language, until they are taught the meaning of the words that are being used to ask for a behavior. Remember a treat is only used as the reward as the dog begins to understand your commands.

No matter what type of puppy you are training, obedience is the first step in making your pup a welcome member of your family. Puppies can be very difficult to handle if they are not shown the rules of their new home. If your puppy is going to

be a house dog, it is necessary to make sure he understands what you expect of him. Our puppies are started with simple commands such as sit. This begins at nine weeks. As the pup grasps the command, he will begin to offer the behavior for the reward. Your pup will pick up the sit usually in one session.

From the puppy’s introductive obedience training, we progress at the pace of our student. Just like children, puppies all learn differently. Some will catch on quickly and

isOutdoors others will take a little longer. The main concern in puppy training is consistence.

Shorter more frequent sessions are always preferred to one long session. After your pup has the basic obedience behaviors in full understanding, you can move on to the retrieve. We use a ball that has been cut in half and an antler tine passed though the middle for the fetch toy. The movement of the ball gets the attention of the pup and he will quickly be drawn to the action and look forward to playing the game of fetch and retrieve.

Scent discrimination is an entire book and cannot be covered in the words allotted.

However, it is the all important next step in the progress of your pup. It is impossible for any dog to know what it is that you want him to look for without this step. Your pup is capable of smelling a single drop of blood in a fifty-five gallon barrel of water. Just like a drug or bomb sniffing dog, they will have to be taught which scent he will be searching for.

The next step is the search. We have a series of games that we have for our pups, once they understand the scent they will be sniffing out. We work our pups almost every www.isoutdoors.com

day. It is like play time for them. They look forward to the games. By the time our pups are between five to nine months of age, they are ready for controlled antler hunts. We may start them in our indoor facility, under a pile of hay or other similar covers at first. It is incredible how much they enjoy the hunt.

From this stage, they move very quickly to the hunts outdoors. It is important to remember that a dog can smell you on any object that you have handled and may hunt your scent. We take great care to eliminate human scent from controlled hunts. These controlled hunts will go on for several months.

It is a thrill to set those young dogs out for the hunt for the first time and watch them cover the terrain, nose down, quartering in front of you like an old pro. With each season, the dogs just get better and better. We have puppies for sale of all ages at different times of the year. If you are interested in more information, you can visit our web site, www.r.s@randssigler.com. Feel free to contact us at 1-816-289-1154. We have DVD’s available that can give more detail about antler dogs at Antler Ridge. Remember, if you are hunting sheds without a dog, it’s just a walk in the woods.

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Live Minnows for

river sMaLLies

Stream bronzeback action is super in April.

by Ed Rivers

M

uch of the eastern half of the US is veined with rivers and streams sporting some of the country’s finest angling for smallmouth bass. The smaller cousin of the more widely available largemouth bass, the smallmouth, thrives in fast flowing currents of streams and rivers of the Mississippi as well as smaller watersheds along the Atlantic Ocean.

A few years ago, I noticed a few local anglers wade fishing the Little Pigeon River. Two days later I tried my hand at this wide, but shallow river that empties into

www.isoutdoors.com

the much larger French Broad River 15 miles downstream. Fishing live minnow under a float, I caught several dozen smallmouth bass.

Catching river-dwelling smallmouth bass during April is not difficult if you are not afraid of baiting a hook with a minnow.

During April no offering exceeds the lethal effectiveness of a lively minnow.

When fishing for bronzebacks, work a live minnow slowly along the bottom of a river.

This is where big smallmouth lurk to feed aquatic edibles. The flutter of a minnow moving along the bottom is more than

these bass can resist. The importance of presenting a minnow that is in good condition cannot be overstated. The livelier it is, the better it performs.

During spring, river brownies hang out in deep sloughs, slow murky runs, and pools where the current only inches by. Slow, murky depths are good places for them to ambush unsuspecting small fish. The two

secrets to fooling big river smallmouth bass is using the right size minnow and getting them deep enough into the right places.

Fishing the bait, dead slow along the bottom is the final key ingredient to this type of fishing.

I have experimented with several varieties of live minnows, including such bait shop specialties as Baltimore’s and shiners, as well as creek-dwelling varieties of darters, daces, sculpins and chubs. My greatest success is when using hardy, olive-colored 3- to 5-inch creek minnows captured by seining the shallow reaches of the rivers.

They are difficult to collect in quantities (two dozen is the most we have ever had at one time). As a rule, the bigger the minnow, the bigger smallies you are likely to catch.

Avoid handling valuable baitfish more than necessary so they remain as lively. Always hook these large minnows lightly through their lips to prevent crippling a minnow.

You want the friskiest bait possible. www.isoutdoors.com

isOutdoors Smallmouth bass in deep pools and runs are spooky. Drawing strikes from such bass requires finesse. When using live creek darters to tangle with smallies, use stout, size #4 O’Shaughnessy-style hooks.

A 1/4-ounce crimp-on sinker is located 18 inches above the hook. Heavy sinkers are used because they anchor the bait near the bottom, even when there is a strong undercurrent. Like most river rats, I prefer wading upstream, casting and fishing against the force of the current. To avoid spooking the bass, I cast many of the pools from up to 125 feet away, 4 or 5 feet deep.

The instant my bait hits the water, I trip the bale of my spinning reel and extend the tip of my rod high into the air to help me take up slack without interfering with the natural downward drift of the bait. Once the bait is on the bottom, inch it along at a snail’s pace.

When in big pools, strikes by these fish are often surprisingly light and many times are hardly noticeable when taking live bait.

At other times, though, a big brown bass will hit like a runaway steam locomotive.

Whenever a live minnow is in the water, it is important to be alert for bumps, tugs, www.isoutdoors.com

slow stops, and unmistakable strikes.

River smallies are predators which are not inclined to chase down healthy fish that are full of energy. Instead, they wait for a small fish that shows signs of having difficulty swimming or balancing itself in the current.

Most of the time, just the sight of a crippled baitfish will trigger an instinctive attack from smallmouth bass.

Maybe it isn’t quite fair for us fishermen to take advantage of this weakness on the part of Mr. Smalljaws. If your conscience won’t let you do it, I’ll understand. If, however, you spot another person fishing just as you, wave -- you may just have a new fishing partner.

BOOKING YOUR FIRST WESTERN BIG GAME HUNTING TRIP

You’re ready, right!? Or, are you??

by Brock Ray

After a year of dreaming and scheming, you feel that you are ready to book your wesern hunt of a lifetime. Booking a great, trophy hunting trip is neither difficult nor without room for to make a big mistake.

Meaning, even the most experienced, hardworking outfitters, who have access to the West’s best elk or moose, can have trips that, frankly, are clunkers. There are some aspects of a trip that are just out of our control; for example the weather, the behavior of our quarry, and, at times, our www.isoutdoors.com

performance as a sportsman.

Let’s say you have planned an elk hunt in NewMexico. Many hunters, who want an “away-from-home trophy elk hunt,” go to New Mexico because of its many ranches and liberal special permits for nonresident hunts for elk. You made the decision to go there because, according to all the reports, big record-class bulls are plentiful--even Boone & Crockett class bulls. You know in your heart that an elk-hunting trip to

northern New Mexico would, without a question, be a true adventure.

You look through your collection of hunting magazines for ads placed by outfitters who offer New Mexican, private, ranch, trophy elk hunts and do a “trophy elk� search on a common Internet search engine like Yahoo. To be thorough, you even attend a couple of big off-season, consumer, hunting shows where you talk to outfitters at their booths. In short order you are overwhelmed, as all options look great and are inviting. After considerable effort, you determine that five of them are in the price range you have budgeted for your trip. So, what do you do next?

All respectable outfitters provide reference lists of hunters or fishermen along with addresses and telephone numbers. When talking to a sportsman on a reference list, ask if he has the names and numbers of other people who were at the camp at this time. Many do exchange phone numbers when friendships are established by hunting together for 5 to 10 days. Probably not as successful as the sportsmen listed on the reference list, these individuals can provide you with a balanced opinion of the outfitter, and of the quality and quantity of animals they had opportunities to harvest.

Once you have thoroughly researched your short list of outfitters, make your choice and then contact them. Odds are that your selected outfitter will book you over the phone by establishing the dates and the particulars of the hunt. Always ask him about little details like the travel arrangements (especially ground transportation) and any hidden costs? You cannot ask too many questions, but you must also pay close attention.

Virtually every outfitter provides clients with lists of essential pieces of equipment and clothing as well as lists of suggested equipment. Follow the list with religious fervor. If it is suggested that you bring Gore-Tex rainwear or vulcanized, all-rubber hunting boots, by all means follow this to the letter. Bring, as closely as possible, precisely what your outfitter suggests.

If it rains every day of your trip, who can be blamed for this occurrence? On the other hand, if you show up in poor physical condition, unable to make a stalk or an 8-mile jaunt, you are to blame. If your shooting is grossly lacking--you are to blame. Prepare for your trip as much as you expect your outfitter to be prepared to insure you have a productive vacation. Making your first guided hunting trip to the West a success requires lots of effort, attention to detail, and preparation but, it is time well spent. www.isoutdoors.com

Big Show

The F

or many outdoorsmen sports shows have become as hallowed as the Opening Day of deer season. Even record setting blizzard conditions last February did not deter hunters and fishermen from descending on the grand daddy of all show, the Eastern Outdoor and Sports Show in Harrisburg.

Pennsylvania. After all, what is a little snow to strong, hardy outdoorsmen?

In recent decades so-called consumer sports shows have sprung up all over the country in just about every city with a population of 100,000 or more people.

The most diverse are the popular turkey, deer and fishing expos, but close on their heels is more specialized shows devoted to boats and recreational vehicles. Since the inception of sports show they have been designed to attract the public quite similar in ways to a state fair. Each year show promoters dedicate themselves to the making

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“Sports show season is in full swing, so get on the bandwagon.�

by Ed Rivers of these events bigger and better than its predecessors.

Sports shows are large gatherings which are typically made up of a mix of exhibitors who are retailers, guide services, manufacturers, tourism and conservation groups, clubs, outfitters and more. Even mediumsize shows will have a couple hundred exhibitor booths, while the big ones cover acres and acres. The events are held in civic arenas, state fair grounds and convention centers. On any given Saturday or Sunday, 10,000 or more people walk the aisles of what is the closet thing in the modern world to a medieval bazaar.

Sports shows are win-win ventures for everyone involved. For a nominal ticket price of $10 to $12, visitors get hours of entertainment where they can gets hands on experience with new hunting and fishing gear, see exhibits such as record

book whitetail head mounts, and attend seminars given by well-known hunting and fishing experts such as Bob Foulkrod or Bill Dance. Most show exhibitors have many things that are of interest to the entire family, with plenty to attract the attention of women and children.

Sports shows are also hotspots for finding bargains. Many times local retailers bring unsold stock from the previous season in their stores to shows to offer it for sale at incredible discounts. The same is true about booking hunts. In this slow economic climate, it is really a buyers’ market for anyone who is looking for guided big game hunts or vacations to the backwoods of Canada.

Outfitters from all over Canada, Alaska and even Africa “winter” at sports show where they can spend time talking to prospective clients about making the “trip of a lifetime.”

Exhibitors love consumer sports shows.

It gives them one-on-one contact with avid outdoors people who are otherwise impossible to distill into such a concentrated mass. This is just as true if you are the manufacturer of high tech rainwear or if you have invented a new fishing lure that is “guaranteed” to be the best bass catcher ever made available to mere mortals. Some of the most interesting discoveries many make at sports show is that group of exhibitors who offer free information. This might be a booth manned by the USGS personnel explaining the availability of topographic maps or your state’s BASS Federation diswww.isoutdoors.com

tributing membership information. If you are looking for great reading material for when you return home, the literature given away by the exhibitors will more than fill your complimentary tote bag.

Every sports show has its own dog and pony act made up of seminars on a variety of subjects from women in the outdoors, to fly casting. A few so-called headliner speakers known across the US are brought in to talk about their secrets for bow hunting success or winning bass fishing tournaments. Local experts who prowess may include local turkey technique or how fish for smallmouth bass at local streams also conduct seminars. Seminars are presented on a rotating schedule, with each speaker on stage an hour or so two or three times a day throughout the show.

Many sports shows have additional venues of entertainment and participation.

Offering to score and judge deer racks is frequently found at sports show, as are wildlife photography contest. According the Glenn Hegeland, whose company puts on a number of shows in the major cities throughout the Midwest, trail camera photo contests are quite the rage these days.

“Show promoters never stop seeking way to entice the interest of sportsmen,” says Hegeland. “Our newest addition is an ‘expert center’ manned by well known writer/ experts like Gary Clancey and Ron Spomer.

They will be in an expert center talking one-on-one with everyone at the show.”

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Southern Trout “Distilling Southern Trout fishing since 1959”

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f you like online magazines that are more like their paper counterparts, then the new issue of Southern Trout is for you!”

— Phil Monohan, Orvis

Don Says: “We do ‘how-to’ better than any other publication.”

Don Kirk

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Harpole’s Heartland Lodge Harpole’s Heartland Lodge in Pike County Illinois is a premier whitetail deer hunting lodge in the country perfect for making the big buck hunt of a lifetime. Located between the Mississippi and Illinois River drainages, the Heartland property provides habitat perfect for producing large whitetail bucks. The four key ingredients to having a quality deer herd are all found at Harpole’s deer hunting lodge. These are genetics, food, habitat, and a good age structure. The genetics here in Illinois are the best in the country. The food and habitat could not be better. With a strict management program in place to preserve growth, Heartland has it all when hunting

for incredible trophy class whitetail bucks.

Hunters stay in a fully accommodated lodge nestled in the rolling hills of this remote county. The kitchen serves up only homemade dishes that range from fried chicken, homemade noodles, breads, and desserts, to ice cream made under the old shade tree. The rustic lodge not only serves hunters, but families as well. Along with deer hunting, the lodge offers upland bird, turkey and waterfowl hunting.

(800) 717-4868 • (217) 734-2526 RR 1 Box 8A • Nebo, IL 62355

www.heartlandlodge.com www.isoutdoors.com

Adam Vinatieri, Indianapolis Colts Kicker

I am a Sentry, Are You?

and trapping rights. Sign up FREE at www.ussportsmen.org/BeASentry.

801 Kingsmill Parkway, Columbus, Ohio 43229 Phone- 614-888-4868 Fax- 614-888-0326 Website- www.ussportsmen.org Email- info@ussportsmen.org

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PRIVATE LANDOWNER TAGS, NO DRAW All inclusive hunt packages offered for: Elk, Bison, Mule Deer, Antelope, Mountain Lion, Bear and Turkey We have just a few spots left for the 2013 season. Please call to book your next New Mexico Trophy Hunt!

Let us take the guess work out of planning your next hunt.

Each hunt includes all necessary licenses, tags, tax, meals, lodging and guide.

w w w. n e w m e x i c o t r o p h y h u n t . c o m

419 Purvines Rd. Des Moines New Mexico • Mobile : 303-717-9767 • Land Line : 575-278-2833 •

www.isoutdoors.com

TIMBER LAND -‐ INVESTMENT LAND

RECREATIONAL LAND -‐ FARMS

COMMERCIAL PROPERTY BLACKBELTLANDLLC.COM -‐ 205-‐343-‐2110

MULE™ 610 4x4 XC CAMO

ATV PREVIEW

POWER

EngineFour-stroke, fan-cooled single, OHV Displacement401cc Bore x Stroke82 x 76mm Compression ratio8.6:1 CarburetionNikki 6C1026 IgnitionMagneto and transistor ExhaustMuffler with USFS-approved spark arrestor TransmissionContinuously variable transmission with high and low range, plus reverse Final DriveShaft-driven selectable four-wheel drive, dual-mode rear differential Top Speed25 mph, governed

CAPABILITY

Front Suspension / Wheel Travel-

elUnit swing axle, adjustable shocks / 3.1” Front TiresAT26 x 9R -12 Maxxis® tubeless Rear TiresAT26 x 9R -12 Maxxis® tubeless SteeringRack-and-pinion BrakesFour-wheel hydraulic drums, triple sealed Ground Clearance8.1” Fuel Capacity4.1 gallons Air FilterSnorkel-type with twostage dry replaceable element Turning Radius11.8 ft (differential unlocked) Oil FilterAutomotive-type spinon canister Roll Over Protective Structure (ROPS)This structure meets ROPS requirements for wheeled tractors under SAE J1194, 7.1.1, 7.1.2, and 7.5. This structure also meets FMVSS 216 Roof Crush

WxH)41.1 x 35.4 x 9.6” / 8.08 cu ft Cargo Bed Capacity400 lb Load Capacity926 lb Towing Capacity1,100 lb Lighting(2) 35w headlights, and tail/brake light

DETAILS

Overall Length108.5” Overall Width52” Overall Height73.8” Curb Weight1,056 lb** Wheelbase70.1” Electrical12V DC, 14 amp-hour battery, alternator InstrumentsOil temperature meter, hour meter Color ChoicesRealtree Xtra® Green Camo WarrantyKawasaki Strong 3 Year