ISOUTDOORS | February 2015

February 2015

ISOutdoors enjoying the outdoors and sharing it with you

WINTER

SAUNA STYLE FISHING

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QUAIL HUINTING

IS STILL

KING

February 2015

CONTENT QUAIL ! HUNTING IS STILL KING WINTER SAUNA-STYLE FISHING COLD WEATHER COYOTE HUNTING WINTER SMALLMOUTH

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There was a time, not so long ago, when hunting in the South meant gunning for bobwhite quail. States such as Georgia, South Carolina, and Mississippi were packed with these upland game birds.

Virtually every hunter in the South had a shorthaired English pointer or an English setter. Shot shells packed with number seven loads arrived in Dixie by the boxcar loads. Getting up a dozen coveys late in the season was commonplace, and fried quail and grits for supper was pretty much a dietary staple.

Over the last four decades, land use changes from small family farms to large, roll-crop cultivation and pine tree farms has adversely affected quail habitat.

While the jury is still out on the impact of restored whitetail herd and wild turkey flocks, many hunters and wildlife managers point to these rebirth of these animals in large numbers as having a negative impact. Other hunters (and even a few wildlife managers) blame the overabundance of hawks and the demise of trapping as being partly respon

sible for the demise of quail numbers in the South. But everyone agrees that wild quail are not as plentiful as they were a little over a generation ago.

Gunning for wild bobwhite remains great in Texas, Mexico, and Kansas. However, in most areas where these game birds occur, finding accessible land where you can hunt is a pretty tough proposition. One might suspect that the same situation spells the ruination of the sport in the South. However, that is hardly the case. The majority of the private property quail hunting in the South

is for liberated quail—if you want to be condescending, you can call such quail “pen reared.”

Two decades ago most of the quail put out before a hunt were indeed docile, slow to take flight, and rarely inclined to wing away low to the ground farther than 20 to 30 yards. Many times, these pen-reared quail offered little more than an excuse to exercise hunting dogs and enjoy the camaraderie of hunting in neatly manicured meadows and vales. It resulted in a proliferation of hunting preserves that typically doubled as white

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ISOutdoors tail-hunting lodges and pine-growing plantations.

deliver faster flying, less domesticated quail. Quail houses modeled on structures developed for raising chickens and turkeys have been largely replaced by “flight pens,” where captive quail can fly up to 100 feet. Human contact with birds is far more restricted than in the old days, and selective breeding for faster, wilder birds became part of the program. The result is liberated quail that can offer a challenging hunt at most preserves.

When you consider how easy it is now, not having to train and care for dogs year-round that are only needed for a handful of hunts, and having someone else pluck and clean your birds,

Improving the Quality of the Hunt It is said that necessity is the mother of invention, and this proved to be true concerning the quality of the birds released for wingshooters at these privately owned hunting areas. Packaging half-day and one-day hunts, where gunners paid for the use of dogs, services of a dog handler, and “X” number of quail became a booming business from October through February throughout the South. And, of course, the better the hunting experience offered by a lodge, the more hunters wanted to go there and the more the lodge could charge their quail hunts.

well, perhaps these are the good old days.

Demand for “wilder” birds prompted the owners of quail farms to seek ways to w

The Dog Equation Dogs are a vital part of the quail hunting experience. When my Dad hunted wild quail, he and his brothers and pals all had a couple of bird dogs, some good and some questionable. In those days, there were enough wild birds that most pups could be run in fields with

IS Outdoors older dogs, where they would hit upon enough birds to eventually refine their quail-hunting skills. Perhaps the biggest downturn in modern quail hunting in the South has been the scarcity of wild birds, which has made the training of consistent bird dog behavior difficult to impossible.

Many preserves allow hunters to bring their own dogs. In my experience, this is not always a good idea. If the dogs are not regularly hunted, they end up taxing the patience of their owners and sometimes providing unexpected comic relief.

I, and most other shooters going to a preserve, prefer to use the lodge’s dogs.

These canines see action several times a week and are generally well trained.

A big part of the hunting experience is watching a brace of experienced setters or pointers do what these breeds were created to do. For casual wingshooters like me, who love to hunt at least a couple of times a year, the availability of well-trained dogs at the lodges is a true Godsend. I wish I had time to train up a decent quail-hunting dog, but I do not have that luxury. Preserves offer “turn key� hunting for those on the road or

with too little time to go it on their own.

The Cost and the Perks Lodges charge between $75 to $250 per half/full day of shooting. While some preserves only offer gunning for quail, others offer ringneck pheasant and chukar hunting, as well. The latter is especially common at the farther north payto-shoot upland game bird locations.

Preserve, or estate-style shooting as it is now being called, began in the South, but is now available as far north as the Dakotas, where quail are not found under natural conditions.

On the go professionals like the fact that nearly all bird shooting preserves have loaner shotguns, shot shells, and hunting vests available. Most preserves dress birds and, before you leave, present them to you inside a Styrofoam cooler full of ice so you can get them home hassle free.

When you consider how easy it is now, not having to train and care for dogs year-round that are only needed for a handful of hunts, and having someone else pluck and clean your birds, well, perhaps these are the good old days.

H O T P R O D U C T

H O T P R O D U C T

I n t r o d u c i n g t h e n e w T O R Q V L E -­ t h e m o s t i n n o v a t i v e c o m b i n a t i o n o f s i l e n c e , s a f e t y a n d p e r f o r m a n c e e v e r e n g i n e e r e d i n t o a n o f f -­ r o a d e l e c t r i c v e h i c l e . H a n d c r a f t e d i n t h e U . S . A . , t h e T O R Q V L E p r o v i d e s a s i l e n t , d r i v e r -­ o n l y e x p e r i e n c e t h a t ' s q u i c k e r, q u i e t e r, l i g h t e r a n d t i g h t e r t h a n a n y o t h e r e l e c t r i c v e h i c l e o n t h e m a r k e t . T h e T O R Q s a t i s f i e s o n e ' s n e e d f o r s p e e d w i t h a s w i f t , s i l e n t a n d s t a b l e m a c h i n e t h a t l e a v e s a l l o t h e r s i n t h e d u s t , w h i l e k e e p i n g d r i v e r s a f e t y t h e N o . 1 p r i o r i t y a t a l l t i m e s . T h i s e l e c t r i c v e h i c l e i s i d e a l f o r h u n t e r s , n a t u r e l o v e r s a n d r e c r e a t i o n a l d r i v e r s y o u n g a n d o l d .

T h e V L E i n i t s n a m e s t a n d s f o r Ve r y L i t e E l e c t r i c . I n f a c t , t h e l i g h t w e i g h t i s a k e y d e s i g n f e a t u r e , w h i c h m a k e s i t e a s i e r t o t r a n s p o r t a n d m a n e u v e r t h a n o t h e r e l e c t r i c v e h i c l e s o f s i m i l a r s i z e . T h e T O R Q a c t u a l l y b o a s t s t h e i n d u s t r y ' s l i g h t e s t o v e r a l l w e i g h t , m e a n i n g t h a t i t c a n o u t -­ h a n d l e , o u t -­ a c c e l e r a t e a n d o u t -­ b r a k e a l l o t h e r o f f -­ r o a d e l e c t r i c v e h i c l e s . I n t h i s c a s e , l e s s d e f i n i t e l y m e a n s more.http://ih.constantcontact.com/

T h e T O R Q V L E w a s d e s i g n e d f o r t h e a d v e n t u r e -­ s e e k i n g o u t d o o r s m a n o r w o m a n w h o w a n t s m o r e s p e e d , m a n e u v e r a b i l i t y a n d o v e r a l l p e r f o r m a n c e i n a v e h i c l e t h a t c a n a l s o p r o v i d e a s t e a l t h y a n d s i l e n t a p p r o a c h . W i t h a 3 5 + m p h t o p s p e e d , h i g h -­ a m p o u t p u t , l o a d s o f t o r q u e a n d s u p e r -­ l o w c e n t e r o f g r a v i t y, t h e T O R Q V L E i s t h e f a s t e s t a n d m o s t r e s p o n s i v e e l e c t r i c o f f -­ r o a d v e h i c l e t o e v e r k i c k u p d u s t . A n d e v e n t h o u g h i t c a n t o p o u t a t 3 5 m p h , l a r g e r t i r e s a n d a l l -­ w h e e l d i s c b r a k e s a n d i n d e p e n d e n t s u s p e n s i o n s m o o t h s o u t t h e b u m p s , m a k i n g i t c o m f o r t a b l e a n d e a s y t o d r i v e o n e v e n t h e m o s t u n e v e n t e r r a i n .

T O R Q t a k e s t h e b e s t o f c l a s s , U . S . -­ m a d e c o m p o n e n t s f r o m t h e E V R a c i n g a n d H o t R o d w o r l d a n d c o m b i n e s t h e m w i t h a c a r e f u l l y d e s i g n e d c u s t o m t u b u l a r s t e e l f r a m e t o c r e a t e a n e x t r e m e a n d u n i q u e d r i v e r -­ o n l y e x p e r i e n c e .

T h e T O R Q ' s i s q u i e t a n d f a s t , b u t i t s s a f e t y f e a t u r e s a r e t h e m o s t i m p r e s s i v e . A f u l l -­ c o v e r a g e r o l l c a g e w i t h f i x e d s i d e b a r s a n d a r a c e -­ w o r t h y 4 -­ p o i n t s a f e t y h a r n e s s p r o v i d e b o t h y o u t h a n d a d u l t r i d e r s w i t h p e a c e o f m i n d e v e n w h e n d r i v i n g o n t h e m o s t c h a l l e n g i n g terrain.

A l m o s t h a l f ( 4 2 0 l b s ) o f t h e v e h i c l e ' s c u r b w e i g h t i s l o c a t e d u n d e r t h e f l o o r b o a r d , b e t w e e n t h e a x l e s a n d h u b s , o f f e r i n g t h e l o w e s t c e n t e r o f g r a v i t y a n d m o s t s t a b l e a n d p r e d i c t a b l e p e r f o r m a n c e o f a n y o f f -­ r o a d E V o n t h e m a r k e t . A n d , s i n c e t h e T O R Q i s a s i n g l e -­ s e a t r i d e , t h e d r i v e r w i l l n o t b e d i s t r a c t e d b y o t h e r p a s s e n g e r s , s o h e o r s h e c a n r e m a i n f o c u s e d o n t h e t r a i l a h e a d .

I n f a c t , t h e T O R Q ' s s a f e d e s i g n p r o v i d e s t h e i d e a l o p p o r t u n i t y f o r r e s p o n s i b l e , p r e -­ p e r m i t t e d t e e n a g e r s t o g a i n s o m e v a l u a b l e s k i l l s c o n t r o l l i n g a v e h i c l e w i t h a u t o m o t i v e -­ s t y l e s t e e r i n g , b r a k e s a n d t h r o t t l e .

N o g a s e n g i n e m e a n s n o m e s s y o i l c h a n g e s o r f u e l t o h a u l o r h a n d l e .

A n d , y o u d o n ' t h a v e t o v i s i t t h e s h o p f o r p e r i o d i c m a i n t e n a n c e .

J u s t p l u g i n t h e o n b o a r d c h a r g e r, a n d w h e n t h e l i g h t t u r n s g r e e n , y o u ' r e r e a d y t o g o . I t ' s t h a t e a s y.

O n e o f T O R Q ' s m o s t u n i q u e f e a t u r e s i s i t s a b i l i t y t o e a s i l y c o n v e r t f r o m s t a n d a r d a u t o m o t i v e -­ s t y l e b r a k e a n d t h r o t t l e c o n t r o l s t o h a n d i c a p -­ r e a d y, u t i l i z i n g a w e l l -­ d e s i g n e d a n d e a s y -­ t o -­ u s e s y s t e m b y S u r e G r i p ™ .

B u i l t b y t h e f o l k s t h a t d e v e l o p e d t h e s a m e s e t u p f o r u s e o n h i g h w a y / p a s s e n g e r c a r a p p l i c a t i o n s , t h e s e c o n t r o l s i n s t a l l f a s t a n d e a s y, s i n c e e a c h T O R Q h a s t h e s y s t e m s ' a n c h o r p o i n t s a l r e a d y e n g i n e e r e d i n t o t h e f r a m e .

T h e T O R Q V L E ' s d e s i g n i s i d e a l f o r a q u i c k d r i v e a r o u n d t h e n e i g h b o r h o o d o r t h a t l o n g , s l o w, s t e a l t h y c r e e p t h r o u g h t h e w o o d s t o s c o u t r u b s a n d s c r a p e s o r t o c h e c k g a m e c a m s . U s e i t t o g e t t o y o u r f a v o r i t e t r e e s t a n d q u i c k l y a n d s a f e l y o r t o t h a t f i e l d w h e r e y o u s p o t t e d t h o s e l o n g b e a r d s t h e d a y b e f o r e .

D o n ' t w a i t . G o w h e r e y o u n e v e r t h o u g h t y o u c o u l d i n t h e n e w T O R Q V L E .

F o r m o r e i n f o r m a t i o n a b o u t t h e T O R Q V L E , v i s i t w w w. t o r q -­ v l e . c o m a n d c h e c k o u t T O R Q ' s F a c e b o o k p a g e .

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winter SaunaStyle fishing “The colder the better for fishing hot water discharge areas�

by Don Kirk

Cold winter weather cools fishing in most places. Among a handful of exceptions to this general rule is ice fishing in Green Bay, Wisconsin, and fishing the hot water discharge areas of the country¹s many coal and nuclear power plants. Nearby water temperatures hovering from the mid-50 degrees to just above the freezing mark affect fishing by making most game fish,such as bass, crappie and catfish,torpid; requiring less food because they are less active.

When water is discharged by thermoelectric power plants into a local waterway, the temperature of the downstream recipient waters becomes considerably warmer. This

predominantly occurs in rivers. Coldwater sensitive forage fish, such as threadfin shad, will concentrate in these warmer waters. An abundance of concentrated food in a markedly more comfortable environment translates to out-of-the-ordinary fishing in these artificially-created “hot spots.”

Here¹s how it works. In a steam power plant, coal (or oil or gas) is burned and the hot combustion gas is used to produce superheated steam in a boiler.

The superheated steam is expanded through a steam turbine, providing power to drive a generator. Steam power plant cycles are characterized by the pressure level at which they are

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ISOutdoors operated. Subcritical cycles use pressures below the critical pressure of water, while supercritical cycles operate above the critical pressure, providing higher efficiency. (Golly Sergeant Carter, Sheriff Taylor and I just want to catch a few fish, not become engineers.)

Well, having explained how the water is heated and used, at some point it departs its turbine-turning tasks to return the river from which it was collected. There are two general rules that apply to fishing these areas. One is that the closer you are to where the hot water enters a river, the warmer it will be. The fish will not be in these hot water zones, but they will be nearby. The other general rule is the weather. The colder it is, the more electricity people will need to heat their homes, and the higher the electrical demand, the harder the boilers are pushed at these power plants. In other words, the colder the weather, the greater the amount of hot water discharged into downstream rivers.

This is particularly important news those who never have enough time to find out where the fish are biting. Everyone reading this article lives near at least

one or two coal and/or nuclear powered thermoelectricity plants. The Tennessee Valley Authority alone operates almost two dozen coal and a handful of nuclear plants in the Tennessee River valley. No matter where in the country you live, you are rarely more than an hourยนs drive from one of these plants.

Playing the Odds This is not to say good cold weather fishing is not available where you like to fish at your favorite lake, even without hotspots. Those crappie you want to catch may be 30 feet deep on a rainy day, but on a sunny afternoon could be only a few feet deep on mud flats. All you need to catch a meal of crappie is cooperative weather and to be lucky enough to locate that .05 percent of the lake they are in when you want to find them.

Donยนt like those odds?Wellm steam plant discharge areas are as close to a sure thing as winter season angling offers, especially if you like mixed bag fishing.

Bait and game fish instinctively go where food is most available and temperatures are the most comfortable. That is why

walleye go 40 feet deep in July — they seek to escape hot surface temperatures for more comfortable cool water at such depths. This is why rainbow trout are not in Florida, where lake temperatures soar into the high 80-degree range, and largemouth bass are not found in Alaska where “hot” water in August is 50 degrees. All species of game fish have preferred water temperatures. Carp, largemouth bass, bluegill, and catfish prefer warmer water than pike, striped bass, walleye sauger, and trout.

Having said this, all of the above can often be caught in a single mile downstream from a discharge canal, as they congregate around the warm water like it is their own personal sauna.

How to Catch ‘Em Catching virtually any game fish at one of these hot spots is pretty simple. Drifting a minnow or cut-bait in the current a couple of feet beneath a bobber is easy to do, and tough to top. You will quickly notice where the bigger fish are stacked up. Usually, it is the transition zone between the warmed water and the colder, naturally occurring water. The

further downstream you fish from the mouth of the discharge canal, the wider the area of good fishing is before it ends.

You can usually determine that point by the well-worn trails leading to these popular cold-weather fishing spots.

Crankbaits, spinnerbaits, grubs, and plastic worms are all effective, too.

The best all-round approach is to cast upstream at about one o¹clock, retrieving your lure through the current.

A fairly brisk retrieval usually works well, although at other times slow turning works. Strikes are usually fast and aggressive, especially in comparison to the mealy-mouth strikes anglers usually get when cold weather fishing.

Additionally, catching a bass might be followed by catching a striper, followed by a catfish, and then a sauger. These discharge areas are equal-opportunity zones for all game fish in the waters where you are fishing.

Take time to pinpoint a couple of these winter-season fishing hot spots, so you can unwind on your next downtime.

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S P R I N G F I E L D , M o . – T r a c k e r M a r i n e G r o u p i s a n n o u n c i n g a n e w f i v e -­ y e a r, b o w -­ t o -­ s t e r n f a c t o r y w a r r a n t y c o v e r i n g 2 0 1 5 T R A C K E R B o a t s . T h i s 2 0 1 5 T r a c k e r B o a t s w a r r a n t y c o v e r a g e i n c l u d e s a t h r e e -­ y e a r w a r r a n t y o n t h e p o w d e r -­ c o a t f i n i s h , f a c t o r y -­ i n s t a l l e d t r o l l i n g m o t o r a n d f a c t o r y -­ i n s t a l l e d d e p t h f i n d e r, a l i m i t e d l i f e t i m e s t r u c t u r a l a n d d e c k w a r r a n t y, a n d f u l l c o v e r a g e d u r i n g t h e w a r r a n t y p e r i o d w i t h n o p r o r a t i n g . I n a d d i t i o n , t h e w a r r a n t y h a s p r o v i s i o n s f o r t r a n s f e r t o a s e c o n d o w n e r. T h e n e w f i v e -­ y e a r w a r r a n t y c o v e r a g e o f f e r s a o n e -­ s t o p s o l u t i o n , e l i m i n a t i n g t h e n e e d t o p u r s u e s e p a r a t e w a r r a n t i e s w i t h c o m p o n e n t m a n u f a c t u r e r s . T h e l e n g t h a n d c o m p r e h e n s i v e n a t u r e o f t h i s c o v e r a g e m a k e t h i s t h e b e s t f a c t o r y w a r r a n t y i n t h e a l u m i n u m f i s h i n g b o a t i n d u s t r y.

T h e n e w w a r r a n t y a p p l i e s t o T r a c k e r b o a t s b e g i n n i n g w i t h t h e 2 0 1 5 m o d e l y e a r ;; t h o s e 2 0 1 5 m o d e l y e a r b o a t s p u r c h a s e d b e f o r e t h e n e w w a r r a n t y a n n o u n c e m e n t w i l l r e c e i v e t h e e x p a n d e d w a r r a n t y p r o v i s i o n s .

“ F r o m t h e e a r l y d a y s w h e n w e s t a r t e d m a k i n g a l u m i n u m f i s h i n g b o a t s , w e w o r k e d h a r d t o m a k e g o o d q u a l i t y b o a t s t h a t w o u l d p r o v i d e o u r c u s t o m e r s w i t h y e a r s o f f u n o n t h e w a t e r, ” s a i d J o h n n y M o r r i s , f o u n d e r o f B a s s P r o S h o p s / T r a c k e r M a r i n e G r o u p . “ N o w, 3 6 y e a r s l a t e r,

t h e q u a l i t y c r a f t s m a n s h i p o f e v e r y b o a t w e b u i l d i s a t a n a l l -­ t i m e h i g h . W e a r e v e r y t h a n k f u l t h a t o u r c u s t o m e r s a r e s a t i s f i e d w i t h t h e i r b o a t s a n d c o n t i n u e t o r e w a r d u s w i t h t h e i r l o y a l t y. To s h o w h o w c o n f i d e n t w e a r e o f t h e p r o v e n q u a l i t y b u i l t i n t o T r a c k e r b o a t s , t h e y a r e n o w b a c k e d b y t h e b e s t w a r r a n t y i n t h e business.”

T r a c k e r q u a l i t y, c o n s t r u c t i o n a n d c u s t o m e r s e r v i c e a r e a l r e a d y c o n s i d e r e d e x c e l l e n t .

T r a c k e r c u s t o m e r s r a t e t h e i r s a t i s f a c t i o n w i t h t h e i r b o a t s a b o v e 9 0 o n a 1 0 0 -­ p o i n t s c a l e . B e c a u s e o f t h i s , T r a c k e r h a s b e e n r e c o g n i z e d f o r e x c e l l e n c e i n c u s t o m e r s a t i s f a c t i o n b y t h e m a r i n e i n d u s t r y t h r o u g h t h e p r e s t i g i o u s C u s t o m e r S a t i s f a c t i o n I n d e x ( C S I ) a w a r d f r o m t h e N a t i o n a l M a r i n e M a n u f a c t u r e r s A s s o c i a t i o n .

T r a c k e r a l u m i n u m f i s h i n g b o a t s a r e m a n u f a c t u r e d b y T r a c k e r M a r i n e G r o u p , a l e a d i n g b o a t b u i l d e r i n t h e U n i t e d S t a t e s . A t t h e c o m p a n y ’ s L e b a n o n , M i s s o u r i , p l a n t i n t h e h e a r t l a n d o f A m e r i c a , T r a c k e r c r a f t s m e n , g r o u n d e d i n t h e s k i l l s o f a l u m i n u m c u t t i n g , f o r m i n g , w e l d i n g , f a b r i c a t i n g a n d f i n i s h i n g , h a v e a p p l i e d b e s t -­ i n -­ c l a s s m a n u f a c t u r i n g s t r a t e g i e s t o r a i s e t h e b a r o n q u a l i t y a n d e f f i c i e n c y.

T r a c k e r p r o d u c t i o n t e a m s e m p l o y L e a n S i g m a t e c h n i q u e s — a p r o c e s s u s e d b y g l o b a l l e a d e r s i n t h e a u t o m o t i v e , a e r o s p a c e , a p p l i a n c e , c o m p u t e r a n d m e d i c a l e q u i p m e n t i n d u s t r i e s , t o d e l i v e r n e v e r -­ e n d i n g i m p r o v e m e n t , h i g h q u a l i t y a n d a p p e a l i n g p r o d u c t s t h a t b r i n g y e a r s o f e n j o y m e n t t o t h e i r o w n e r s .

T h e T r a c k e r a l u m i n u m f i s h i n g b o a t f i v e -­ y e a r, b o w -­ t o -­ s t e r n w a r r a n t y i s e x p e c t e d t o o f f e r a l u m i n u m f i s h i n g b o a t c u s t o m e r s e v e n g r e a t e r p e a c e o f m i n d a b o u t c h o o s i n g a T r a c k e r b o a t . T h e n e w c o v e r a g e o f f e r s a l e v e l o f a s s u r a n c e b o a t b u y e r s c a n ’ t g e t a n y w h e r e e l s e . T r a c k e r M a r i n e G r o u p , w h i c h i s p a r t o f t h e B a s s P r o S h o p s f a m i l y, a l s o p r o v i d e s b e s t -­ i n -­ c l a s s w a r r a n t i e s o n i t s S u n T r a c k e r a n d R e g e n c y p o n t o o n b o a t b r a n d s , a n d M a k o s a l t w a t e r f i s h i n g b o a t b r a n d .

F o r m o r e i n f o r m a t i o n a b o u t T r a c k e r a l u m i n u m f i s h i n g b o a t s , v i s i t h t t p : / / w w w. t r a c k e r b o a t s . c o m .

F o r i n f o r m a t i o n r e g a r d i n g o t h e r T r a c k e r M a r i n e b r a n d s l o g o n t o h t t p : / / w w w. t r a c k e r m a r i n e . c o m . F o r i n f o r m a t i o n a b o u t t h e n e w f i v e -­ y e a r, b o w -­ t o -­ s t e r n f a c t o r y w a r r a n t y c o v e r i n g 2 0 1 5 T R A C K E R B o a t s , v i s i t h t t p : / / w w w. t r a c k e r b o a t s . c o m / w a r r a n t y.

Cold Weather C

Coyote Hunting “No quarry requires less preparation to hunt than the wily coyote.”

by Buck Wilder

February is the hottest month of the year for coyote hunting. Those who hunt these canines agree that the coyote is the most challenging sport hunting around.

These miniature wolves are intelligent, wary, cagey, and tough to fool. February¹s freezing weather fuels the already high metabolism of these predators, so they are driven to hunt for prey almost ‘round the clock. This makes the yodie more vulnerable to hunters now than it is at any other time of the year. For time-pressed professionals, it is the perfect spur-of-themoment hunting opportunity.

Step One Finding a place to hunt for coyotes is step one. You can almost always get solid information on where to hunt by contacting local ranchers, farmers, landowners, and your local wildlife officer ¬and many times you¹ll also get an invitation to come hunt. Property owners are usually eager to have these troublesome animals killed.

My favorite place to hunt is abandoned quarries, as they contain great den spots where these animals hang out during

the day. Other locations that produce well include deer yards, bramble patches that attract rabbits, pastures and fields (especially those bisected by railroad tracks), and the edges of swamp and creek meanders. Rural mail carriers often know where these animals are most likely to found during the day.

Call Them In Calling coyotes is easier than most newcomers suspect. Thanks to electronic

calls, the job can be as easy as flipping on the switch. There are also many handheld and electronic predator calls to choose from.

Fox Pro (www.gofoxpro.com), Johnny Stewart Wildlife Calls (www. johnnystewart.com), and Extreme Dimension Game Calls (www. phantomcalls.com) make reliable, effective, inexpensive electronic calls.

While the use of hand held mouth-blown

calls is effective, mastering these requires considerable practice.

Most experienced coyote hunters start calling at a low volume. Starting out at a high volume will spook closeby yodies. If you donยนt get results after about 10 to 15 minutes of calling, increase the volume slightly. Calling in 5- to 10-second bursts every minute for 5 minutes is a good starting point. Coyotes are unpredictable. They often come charging in soon as you start calling. But at other times, these hunters circle, using their nose to wind the source of the calling.

At other times, they stay hidden in cover just out of sight, sizing up the situation for long periods of time before approaching. Sometimes coyotes respond vocally. So even if you donยนt see a yodie, stay put for at least 45 minutes before leaving for another location.

Calls that incite coyotes to come see what the racket is about include a dying (or injured) rabbit, a fawn in distress,

wounded crow or woodpecker, and coyote pups in distress. All work well in most areas. Calling success increases if you have visual stimuli to divert the eyes of these animals to the source of the sound. This is accomplished by using decoys that look like rabbits, pups, or birds. Even a feather tethered to a stick on the ground will work. Some predator hunters swear by using a life-sized

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ISOutdoors coyote decoy sprinkled with yodie urine, to make their quarry think an intruder is on their turf.

Where and how you set up to call is important. Locate in shadowy spots along the edges of open areas such as fields. Never set up where your outline will be silhouetted against the sky. Travel to and from your set-up site as quietly as possible.

Hide in Plain Sight A key component in calling is to remain motionless. Coyotes are extremely adept at detecting movement. Always carry shooting sticks or a bi-pod rifle rest.

Personally, I like the flexibility of the shooting sticks.

Good camo is important. Matching your surroundings enables you to avoid detection. If you are hunting Texas mesquite and cactus country, brown/ green is the ticket. If you are hunting where snow is prevalent, then of course you need snow pattern camo. I like insulated camo jumpsuits that I put on when I am ready to hunt. I buy them a size larger than my usual clothing,

so they are easy to get on and off. Do not forget to cover your face as well, and cover your rifle, too. These spooky critters are able to pick up glints of light from a rifle or scope.

Inexpensive, But Fun Getting started at coyote hunting does not require you to first spend a lot of money for a high-velocity rifle. Deer rifles in 30.06, .308, .280, .243 and .270 calibers are effective on coyotes. However, if you do a lot of coyote hunting, smaller caliber varmint hunting rifles such as the 22/250, .257, .223 or 221 are choices you may wish to consider. A good scope is recommended, especially for hunting at night. The larger the objective lens, the more light it gathers and the more it costs. My recommendation is to spend as much as you can stand for a quality 3x9 riflescope.

Coyote hunting this time of year is a great way to keep your shooting and hunting skills sharp. Reducing coyote numbers helps protect the whitetail and other game animals from these voracious predators, while you are having fun!

Southern Trout “Distilling Southern Trout fishing since 1959”

“I

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

Publisher / Southern Trout

Subscribe to our Newsletter for FREE! Click Here! w w w . s o u t h e r n t r o u t . c o m Don Kirk - Publisher / don@southerntrout.com

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Photo credit: Mountain River with Sunlight by Mihai Tamasila

How to Catch

Winter Smallmouth with Larry Nixon and Paul Elias By John E. Phillips

Although the Tennessee River produces big numbers of largemouths, smallmouths, like this one, are the big drawing cards for bass fishermen there in the cold months.

This month the big smallmo when warm fronts move ont often for a couple of days, the

hs n

outh will be biting, and to the Tennessee River, e big smallmouths will start biting.

Larry Nixon During the winter months, you’ll most often find big smallmouths on humps, ridges and ledges out close to the river channel. I expect to catch the smallmouths in 18 to 20 feet of water, but too, I consider the clarity and the temperature of the water.

Winter is a productive time to catch really-big smallmouths, because the fish are puttingon fat and bulking-up for the spawn. Smallmouths often will school-up in the winter, and I’ve caught as many as 28 smallmouth in one spot without ever having to move my boat.

Big smallmouths like these, have drawn professional bass fishermen, like Larry Nixon, to Pickwick Lake on the boarder of Tennessee, Mississippi and Alabama for years.

I like to fish a small blackand-blue or brown jig on 10- to 12-pound-test line for smallmouths, since the smallmouth’s primary food source during the winter is crawfish. Behind the jig I fish a small pork trailer. The real pork’s softer than plastic, and the smallmouth tend to hold onto the pork trailer better

ISCatching Outdoors smallmouths like these held by Paul Elias is what makes Pickwick Lake and the Tennessee River one of the nation’s top spots for heavyweight bronze backs.

than they do the plastic. Too, don’t make as long a cast at this time of year as you will at other times. Because wintertime smallmouths are more channel- or ledge-oriented, you can catch them within no more than 20-yards off the edge of the lip of the break. I just barely hop my jig along the bottom, since the smallmouth’s body metabolism slowsdown dramatically in the colder weather.

I keep my rod tip low or put it in the water when I reel-in a smallmouth to keep it from jumping. Because of the strength of smallmouths, check your drag before you ever make that first cast

to be sure it’s tight enough to set the hook yet loose enough to pull-off drag if a big smallmouth starts to run.

Editor’s Note: Professional bass angler Larry Nixon of Bee Branch, Arkansas, has won almost $3 million, not considering sponsorships, while bass fishing.

Paul Elias In January, big smallmouths start suspending off bluff banks and holding off bluff points at Pickwick Lake in northeast Mississippi. From the middle to the end of January is the best time

ISOutdoors to catch a trophy smallmouth at Pickwick. We can catch these suspending smallmouths that weigh from 2- to 6-pounds each on a Smithwick Suspending Rogue jerkbait and a Mann’s Stone Jig.

Roger Stegall, who guides on Pickwick Lake, catches and releases 4- to 5-pound smallmouth throughout most of the year. www.isoutdoors.com

My favorite colors are the shad and the bluegill chartreuse and orange color patterns, because these are the forage fish the smallmouths will be feeding on this month. I use 8-poundtest Berkley Trilene 100% Fluorocarbon line. I’ll work the lure very slowly, jerk it down four or five times, let the bait suspend and sit still sometimes for 10 seconds, shake the line to make the bait wiggle in place and

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Suspending Rogue and then a 1/4-ounce Mann’s Stone Jig in the black-and-blue and the hot-craw colors on 10-poundtest Berkley Trilene.

then allow it to sit for another 5 to 10 seconds. Then, I’ll jerk it two or three times, let it sit, quiver it and allow it to sit. I’ll go through the same retrieve, until I get the jerkbait about 20- or 30-yards from the bluff.

Because the water temperature will be cold, and the bass will be feeding slowly, I’ll drag the Stone Jig very slowly on the bottom, stopping it occasionally and then letting it sit still. I’ll fish the jerkbait on these points, and when the bass stop taking the jerkbait, I’ll start fishing the Stone Jig. Over the years, I’ve learned that during the winter months, the smallmouths bite better based on the moon charts and the bass’s actively feeding times.

Editor’s Note: Paul Elias, of Laurel, Mississippi, has won the Bassmasters Classic and each month fishes the lakes where he’s most-confident he’ll catch the most and biggest bass.

You can catch smallmouths using this technique over a 25- to a 30-foot-deep bottom. The smallmouths like to hold in that deep water next to the bluffs, so they can move either more shallow or more deep, based on the temperature of the water and the movement of the baitfish. On the bluff points, I’ll fish the

For more information, get the Kindle eBooks “Catch the Most and Biggest Bass in Any Lake,” “How to Bas Fish Like a Pro” and “How to Win a Bass Tournament” by John E. Phillips. Go to www.amazon.com/ kindle-ebooks, type in the names of the books, and download a free Kindle app for your computer, iPad or SmartPhone.

F E AT U R E D O U T F I T T E R

Fishing Bear Lodge The Fishing Bear Lodge is a small, family operated fly-in fly fishing lodge catering to a maximum of eight guests per week.

This unique wilderness location in the 1.6 million acre Wood River-Tikchik River State Park gives this outfit unparalleled access and opportunity to share Alaska’s most diverse river and stream fly fishing with all their guests. Your Alaskan hosts Justin, Lisa, Conner, and Kia Johns and their guides and cook staff treat you like an important friend. You are welcomed to a beautiful river front dining lodge, shown to your personal water front

cabin, and YOU are ready for a week of Alaska’s finest river and stream fly fishing.

Your rods are ready. Get your waders unpacked. Let’s GO! Fishing Bear Lodge is located in the heart of Bristol Bay’s trophy rainbow trout area with some of the highest concentrations of rainbow trout, Arctic grayling, and Arctic char in Alaska. The clients of Fishing Bear Lodge consistently catch rainbow trout and Arctic grayling on dry fly in the many rivers in the area. When you are standing in one of the rivers and it “turns on” with big rainbows and grayling sipping dry flies, there is no finer fly fishing experience on earth.

Fishing Bear Lodge offers: • World-class wilderness fly fishing for

...Alaska’s most diverse river and stream fly fishing.

Rainbow Trout, Arctic Grayling, Sockeye Salmon, Arctic Char and Northern Pike. (Fly-out for King Salmon or Silver Salmon is also available as add-on at cost).

• Personal attention to each of the 8 or fewer guests per week.

• The dining lodge serves wonderful gourmet meals and great camaraderie.

• The waterfront cabins are comfortable, cute, and cozy.

• Enjoy the convenience of hot water showers, sinks, and flush toilets.

• Professional friendly fly fishing guides are dedicated to your success.

• Fly fishing instruction is gladly given and available anytime.

• Evening fishing dedicated to having

you on the water for the “rise”.

• Enjoy riverside grilled dinners and maximize fishing time when fishing is best.

• Hiking and Kayaking opportunities are unlimited.

• Abundant wildlife and photography opportunities daily.

• Guests catch a lot of fish fly fishing each and every day!

• You will fish hard, enjoy the magnificence of the Park, and have fun!

Fishing Bear Lodge hopes to see you for a week of outstanding fly fishing on the beautiful rivers and streams of Alaska’s most diverse freshwater system. ou can contact the Lodge at : www.fishingbear.com

FISHING BEAR LODGE PHOTO JOURNAL

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a  g e n e r o u s  2 4 . 2 5  i n c h e s  b y  2 9  i n c h e s .   E a c h  p a c k a g e  i n c l u d e s  a  t r e e  s c r e w  a n d  f a s t e n e r  f o r  s o l i d ,  s e c u r e  i n s t a l l a t i o n .  T h e r e ’ s  a l s o  a  f u l l -­ b o d y  s a f e t y  h a r n e s s  i n c l u d e d  w i t h  e a c h  s t a n d .   B o t h  s t a n d s  w i l l  s e c u r e l y  a t t a c h  t o  t r e e s  a s  s m a l l  a s  n i n e  i n c h e s  i n  d i a m e t e r.

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X X X C B T T Q S P D P N •  A l l  s o l i d  s t e e l  c o n s t r u c t i o n •  S t u r d y  a n d  l i g h t w e i g h t •  E a s i l y  p a c k a b l e •  S e c u r e l y  a t t a c h e s  t o  t r e e s  a s  s m a l l  a s  n i n e  i n c h e s  d i a m e t e r •  Z e r o -­ g r a v i t y  s e a t •  E a s i l y  p a c k a b l e •  W e i g h t :  1 7  p o u n d s •  M a x i m u m  w e i g h t  c a p a c i t y :  3 0 0  p o u n d s •  M S R P :  $ 9 9 . 9 9

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In 2006 I made one of my usual hunting trips ever to the jungles of the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico. It took me to a part of the world that was new to me where life moves at a slower pace and sun shines brightly. My trip had been expertly arranged and hassle-free from start to finish, thanks to Nayo and Silvia Balderrama, owners of Amigo’s Guide and Outfitter. Over the years they have arranged quite a number of South of the Border hunts for me.

This trip I traveled to Carlos Moreno, of La Montana is located in Campeche, Mexico near the Calakmul Biosphere Preserve. I have hunted with Carlos before.

He is the owner of the camp where I based from on this hunt. The quarries were oscellated turkey and white-lipped peccary. Neither compares well to a rhino or a polar, but nonetheless it proved to be a true adventure that I would not hesitate to sign up for again.

My primary goal was to shoot an ocellated turkey on the ground, something I was told was improbable, if not impossible to do. I suppose I got my hardheadedness from my father, who often told me where there is a enough will, a way to make something happen will follow suit. Prior to my arrival I had communicated with my guides that I wanted to shoot my birds on the ground. At my bequest, a couple of weeks before my arrival they had studied the daily movements of the local birds. Several times each day they had observed these birds walking from the dense cover of the rain forest into a food plot-like opening where they graveled and made courtship overtures. A blind had been built for me, and coupled with the tasty local cuisine, I knew this was going to a fun trip.

The ocellated turkey exists only in a 50,000 square mile area comprised of the Yucatán Peninsula of Mexico, northern Belize and the El Petén region of northern Guatemala. The Yucatán Peninsula range includes the states of Quintana Roo, Campeche, Petén, and Yucatan, as well as parts of southern Tabasco and northeastern Chiapas. These stunningly beautiful birds are known by several

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different names that vary by Central American locale: pavo, pavo ocelado, or its Mayan Indian name, ucutz il chican.

Cutz is the most commonly used local name for these birds.

The ocellated turkey is easily distinguished from its North American cousin in appearance. Their bluecolored heads hold distinctive orange to red, warty, carbuncle-like growth waddles, which are most pronounced on males. Legs of ocellated turkeys are shorter and thinner than other wild turkeys. Toms have pronounced spurs and are longer and more attenuated than those of other gobblers. Spur length of two inches and over are found on three year old or older ocellated turkey gobblers.

Both male and female birds have a bronze-green iridescent feather color mixture, but neither have a beard. Unlike North American turkeys, breast feathers of male and female ocellated turkeys do not have beards. Their bluish-gray tail feathers are reminiscent of those of the peacock. Tail plums sport several well defined, eye-shaped, blue-bronze colored spot near the end followed by bright gold

tip. These spots helped give the ocellated its name. Ocellated turkey hens average 6-to-8 pounds, while adult gobblers in their weigh 10-to-12 pounds.

The call of these Latin American game birds really separates from the other species of turkey. No one describes it the same, but all agree it is anything but a gobble. In fact, more birds are seen with tight lips than making vocalizations to attract attention to themselves. The tropical forests of Central America are

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rich in predators. It may serve ocellated turkeys to remain silent as much as possible and not advertise their position.

Years ago this difference in vocalization and the unique tail plumage led some wildlife biologists to once believe the ocellated was more closely related to peafowl than to North America’s turkeys.

Ocellated turkey thrive in a diverse variety of tropical environment ranging from

arid brush lands, savannas, marshlands, second and old growth forests, fallow farmlands, and active agriculture area.

The Cutz has powerful wings, yet only maintains flight for short distances. It forages on the ground for insects, seeds, fruit and other food, avoids the deep jungle by sticking to open spaces like cornfields, marshes and the forests’ edge.

Central America’s remaining wildlife habitat occupied by ocellated turkeys is

disappearing as a result of slash and burn practices. The most significant undisturbed area for these birds is Guatemala’s Petén region and northwestern Belize.

As with the North American wild turkey, forest openings and grassy clearings benefit the ocellated turkey. These areas are especially important during breeding season. Strutting and vocalization associated with mating activity occurs near clearings. Vocalizations begins in mid-February and March, with some gobbling occurring in April, and even in early May. Prior to entering a full tail fan strut,ocellated tom turkeys position their tail feathers horizontal to the ground, moving from side to side like a cow’s tail going back and forth. Toms strut and vibrate their wings along the ground while circling a hen (known as “dancing”

by Central Americas) until she leaves, or squats to breed.

Generally speaking avid turkey hunters from the US find it difficult to set up a

traditional hunt, at least in comparison to contracting an outing for a Gould or Osceola wild turkey. At this writing only Mexico and Guatemala have spring (March/April) gobbler seasons open to nonresidents. In Mexico, the hiring of an experienced outfitter knowledgeable of Mexico’s firearms, travel permits and game laws is dicey at best. Once on the hunt most US sportsmen are dismayed by the fact that most guides request them to shoot their gobbler from its roost tree.

The tom we spotted emerged into the clearing as we arrived. Fortunately, we were still in the cover of dense vegetation. I set up to shoot just like I have often done when hunting the various subspecies of wild turkey living much farther north. I was in awe of the majestic sight of my quarry. When one quartered past me, I squeezed the trigger for a clean kill. The next morning we arrived earlier, but the turkeys arrived much later. Well concealed in a make shift blind, the tom was utterly ambiguous to his fate. Again I rolled the bird as it walked by. I guess it is possible to shoot these birds on the ground, eh?

H O T P R O D U C T

J o h n n y M o r r i s C a r b o n L i t e

c a s t i n g a n d s p i n n i n g r o d s o f f e r u n m a t c h e d s t r e n g t h , s e n s i t i v i t y

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e n d h i s n a m e t o a l i n e o f f i s h i n g r o d s , y o u k n o w t h e y ’ r e e C a r b o n C o i l Te c h n o l o g y a n d R T 4 G r a p h i t e , t h e n e w o d s a n d s p i n n i n g r o d s o f f e r a n u n m a t c h e d c o m b i n a t i o n y o n M o r r i s ’ f a m e d l e g a c y o f p e r f o r m a n c e t o u r n a m e n t

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a n g l e r l o o k i n g f o r a c o m p e t i t i v e e d g e . I n f u s i n g a r o d l i g h t b i t i n g f i s h t h a t c a n w i n y o u a t o u r n a m e n t . s a l s o i n c o r p o r a t e e v e r y p o s s i b l e f e a t u r e f o r s t r e n g t h o e n s u r e s e c u r e , c o m f o r t a b l e , s e n s i t i v e f e e l u n d e r a l l w i t h t h e r o d b l a n k f o r f u r t h e r e n h a n c e d f e e l ;; a n d P a c s t s e n s i t i v i t y, t o o . S o m e m o d e l s a r e a l s o a v a i l a b l e w i t h

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