ISOUTDOORS MAY 2015

MAY 2015

ISOutdoors enjoying the outdoors and sharing it with you

BLACK BEAR BOW HUNT

WWW.ISOUTDOORS.COM

AY

CONTENT read

hunting tennesee russians with a bow

read

spring’s topside striper bonanza

read

avoid the deadly 10

read

is it time to consider a crossbow?

COLUMNS hitchhiker big game

publisher Brock RAY art director Colby RAY

The Electro Mundo Gruppe 202 1st Avenue East Oneonta, AL 35121 205-625-5473 reproduction, in whole or part, retransmission, redirection or linked display is prohibited without written permission from the publisher

bass fishing ATV PREVIEW BOW PREVIEW featured outfitter

The Electro Mundo Gruppe

www.isoutdoors.com

Hunting Tennessee Russians

With A Bow

“For sheer fun and excitement, spring time wild boar hunting is awesome.

by Brock Ray

tor of Clark Range Hunting Lodge. In short order I made arrangements to visit his establishment to bow hunt for Russian wild boar. Insofar as Moody operates a pay-to-hunt preserve that is open yearround, late spring is the perfect time to bow hunt these tusk-wielding critters.

One of the most interesting year-round bow hunting in the Southern Appalachians where wild boar are 50 to 80 percent pure Russian wild boar. And yes, there is a difference in Russians and feral hogs. As fate would have it, a few years ago I met Ken Moody, the owner/opera-

Moody specializes in providing exciting high-octane Russian wild boar hunts, but while here you can also partake of a wide sampling of other exotic big game, including a variety of European and Asian sheep and deer and more. Rustic in appearance, Clark Range Hunting Lodge is one of the longest continuously operating preserves in the southeast. Located in the Cumberland Mountains, it is 1,000 vertical, craggy ridges, and steep-walled canyons the streams have deeply carved into the soft limestone and sandstone.

Morning hunts begin at the kennels, where a pack of hounds of nondescript

isOutdoors

bloodlines jump around. Following the hounds, we went along a narrow “hog run,� as Russian wild boar hunters refer to these game trails. At any moment from start to finish the hounds may strike the fresh scent of a Russian wild boar trail.

The surrounding forest resounds with the loud barks of the hounds as they raced in the direction the boar had traveled.

Hounds not only have the ability to nose out where Russian wild boars have been, they are trained to trail their foes as well.

Extremely aggressive, an old boar rarely goes far before turning to face his pursuers, coupling lightning-fast charges with www.isoutdoors.com

swift turns of his head in an effort to jut his long, razor-sharp tusks into his victim. The effects of such blasts of speed and energy can disembowel a 60-pound hound, or as the case can sometimes be, result in a nasty laceration on your legs if you do not climb trees as quickly as the person standing next to you.

Native to Europe and Asia, Russian wild boar were inadvertently introduced to the Southern Highlands approximately 100 years ago. Russian wild boar stock, which had been brought to a private fenced hunting preserve in North Carolina escaped, and subsequently established themselves. It didn’t take long

VIAGRA - LEVITRA - CIALIS discreet delivery /// excellent customer service

TABLETS

TABLETS

TABLETS

THE NEW $10 COMPOUNDED CAPSULE

THE FAST-ACTING SOFT TABS

US DOCTORS, US PHARMACY, MADE IN AMERICA

Tried and TRUE since 2005 888-609-0700

TRUEBLUEMEDS.COM.......an mtabs.com partner

isOutdoors before the “Roosians,� as the local mountain folk call them, roamed much of the Southern Appalachian Mountains.

old, it is a pretty good guess that the hound has felt the anger of his adversary on at least one occasion.

Bow hunting for Russian wild boar in the mountains of the South has grown from the obscure pastime of a handful of ardent archery hunters, to one of the fastest-growing high adventure hunting opportunities. The fact that these animals can be hunted at places such as Clark Range Hunting Lodge during the spring and summer months, when little other hunting is possible, only makes bow hunting for Russian wild boar even more inviting.

Catch dogs, as older hog hounds are sometimes called, are skilled at catching hogs, either by grabbing a wild boar by the ears or the scrotum. Once two dogs team up to make this happen, most boars significantly curtail their aggression. Battles in the brush can last ten minutes or longer. At anytime that boar is apt to bolt into the open to renew the race with the hounds

Most archers prefer to put their arrows into the ribcage behind the gristle pad.

This may sound easy, until you consider your overall target is reduced to the size of a grapefruit. Also, many times your target is constantly moving, and often obscured from view by a dog. When you catch up with the dogs, you usually arrive to find a battle underway in a rhododendron thicket. Through the tangle of waxy, green leaves many times you can only make out the inky outline of the boar. Smart hounds know which end of a boar has tusks. If a hound is two years www.isoutdoors.com

Bow hunters who have killed a few whitetail, usually have the shooting skill and bow set needed to humanely dispatch a Russian wild boar. Ken Moody offers year-round bow hunting for Russian wild boar. For information contact Ken Moody; Clark Range Hunting Lodge; P.O. Box 2008; Clark Range, Tennessee 38553; 615-863-3203. If you are looking for something that will spice up your summer, try a bow hunting outing to the Southern Highlands for Russian wild boar. These porkers are mean, challenging, and more fun to hunt than you can imagine.

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.

OUTFITTER PROFILE

Remington Cou

Remington Country Outfitters: You Hunting, Wingshooting, a ABOUT

Remington has long been makers of the finest firearms and ammunition in the world, and Remington Country Outfitters will work hard to offer its valued customers the finest collection of sporting pursuits in the world. Every location that we invite into this exclusive group of destinations has the highest quality

of hunting and fishing and the utmost levels of safety and comfort.

Remington Country Outfitters is your most trusted source for Big Game Hunting, Wingshooting, and Fishing Destinations.

untry Outfitters

ur most trusted source for Big Game and Fishing Destinations.

CONTACT HAVE QUESTIONS? NEED MORE INFORMATION? Go ahead and feel free to reach out to the Remington Country Customer Service Team. We’re real folks and we’re happy to help answer all your questions live on the phone or through email. You can reach www.remingtoncountryoutfitters.com us through the form below or feel free to send us an email, give us a call, or put a letter in the mail. We look forward to hearing from you.

(888) 283-7336

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

AVA I L A B L E O N LY AT W W W . K U I U . C O M SERVICE@KUIU.COM | 855-367-5848

Spring’s Top Side

“The Redfin Season is now and red hot to boot.”

by Don Kirk

Few fish found in lakes have more pronounced season behavior than does the striped bass. Where these saltwater transplants have been established in freshwater reservoirs, anglers who follow these fish know their season movements and feeding patterns just the same as a watchmaker knows the guts of a pocket watch. This month early spring spawning has concluded.

Stripers which sought reaches of rivers upstream from lakes are now back in lakes where they are hungrier than at any time of the year.

The striped bass’ return to lakes coin-

cides with the spawn of gizzard and threadfin shad as well as other open water dwelling baitfish. These algae/ zooplankton eating forage fish spawn along the shallow shoreline where they race in great schools along shallow reaches randomly scattering their eggs.

Shad are a year round staple for the stripers which must now locate closer to the shallow shoreline where their favorite meals are most available. Depending on the lake and location, this window of opportunity for anglers typically lasts most of this month.

Striper Bonanza

isOutdoors

This special time to catch striped bass so near the surface on topwater jerk baits has long been called the “Redfin Season,” in reference to the Cordell Redfin bait which is the hands down favorite top side offering this month. With the possible exception of a musky or a huge northern pike, no freshwater fish attack a surface lure as viciously as the striped bass. When attacking a surface lure from below, 40-pound striper often erupt completely from its watery world. It is even more common for these aggressive fish to launch into the air first so they can to come down to pound bait before actually grasping it in its jaws. However it might happen, when a big stripers wolfs down a surface lure, anglers experience a wild rush of adrenaline.

Armed with the correct surface lures, sturdy tackle, and know-how, this is www.isoutdoors.com

regarded by many as the best of all times to cast for striped bass. Catching 20 to 40 pound stripers is great fun, but it often requires hard work and persistence not typical to live bait fishing for these gamesters. When using artificial lures, dedication and hundreds of casts often are required to get a single heartstopping strike. But once you experience this thrill, you are hooked and know it is worth all the effort.

When late spring, post-spawn striped bass congregate in the shallow, shoreline water, one of the top techniques for them is slowly working large minnowtype topwater lures near points or underwater islands. Topwater lures such as the Cordell Redfin are retrieved very slowly. When the water is glassy smooth, the goal is to produce a steady “V” wake as you crank in the bait. It is vital that the lure remains on the surface while wig-

gling its way back during the retrieve.

In lieu of the larger bait casting rods and reels and heavy, 14 to 20 pound monofilament line preferred by many striper fishermen who troll or fish live bait most of the time, lighter tackle setups are recommended during the Redfin Season.

Medium action spinning, bait casting, spin casting rods and reels spooled with 10 to 12 pound line are the best choice.

The same tackle set up for casting spinner baits or jigs for black bass is perfectly suited. When topwater striper fishing lots of casting often is require to get strikes.

The lighter rods and reels are less physically taxing for casting the larger 6 to 7

long topwater lures than is heavy action tackle.

Which time of day is the best fishing is a matter of heated debate. As a general rule when using artificial lures, most stripers are caught during periods of lower light such as nighttime early morning, late evening and over overcast days.

This is because striped bass have large eyes that cause them to avoid strong sunlight. The theory is that lower intensity of light beacons these predators into the shallows lairs where they are most easily caught. While in shallow water, however, they tend to be very spooky.

Too much noise will make them vacate an area in a hurry.

Those very likely are the optimal times for catching stripers on the surface. However, it has been my experience on many occasions to experience great top side striped bass action at midday when the overhead sun burns in a cloudless sky.

My personal theory is that post-spawn stripers are exceedingly hungry, almost to the point of wreck less abandonment.

The easiest meals are shallow water spawning shad. While stripers might otherwise shun well-lighted shallows, they must go there to eat. Of course you have www.isoutdoors.com

isOutdoors to be quiet to avoid spooking them, but during the Redfin Season striped bass do not appear to have the luxury of eating where they choose.

The key to finding topwater striper in the spring time is to find where the gizzard and threadfin shad are spawning along the shore. This shad activity is easy to find by looking for blue and white herons wading along the bank. Next try to locate a spot you can observe where the wind is blowing the shad up against a point, rocky bank or sand flat. When you spot herons wading along such shoreline area, carefully ease up to them to avoid spooking these birds to flight. When you are close enough, cast your bait right at the edge of the water.

If the herons spook easily there is probably not much in that area, but if they stay and you see them catching shad you are right where you need to be. If the fish are really active you cannot miss but sometimes you will have to figure out what lure and action works best. Sometimes they want you to stop and just let the lure set still. If a fish strikes your lure don’t set the hook until you feel the fish because they will often swat at a lure several times www.isoutdoors.com

before eating it and if you set the hook too early you will just pull the bait away from a striper. When a big lineside first hits your bait, stop the retrieve. Next lightly twitch the lure a little to draw another strike.

When topside feeding is hot, a variety of surface baits work well. I like the Cordell Redfin and similarly sized Rebel and Rapala topwater plugs in the 8 to 10 inches long category. When it is windy I like to throw a 6” Pencil Popper because it is heavy, you can make long casts and it works well in a heavy chop. Other good choices for striper surface action is a Mirror Lure Top Dog or Top Dog Jr. the Storm Rattling Chug Bug in the 3 1/2” and 4 1/2” size.

If you have not experienced late spring surface action for striped bass, you will not be sorry if you a plan a trip to your favorite striper lake this month.

Avoid The Deadl “Hunt by the numbers to take a long beard this spring”

by Brock Ray

d

10

dly

Here’s ten solid tips which I guarantee will up your odds for wild turkey hunting success.

Set Up For Success When walking and you strike a gobbler, identify the direction the approach of the tom. Then find a good site where you can get comfortable on the ground to continue to call. Make sure the site has a clear unobstructed view to the direction of the bird and breaks up your outline.

Leaning against a large tree or rock is recommended.

Let It Happen Impatient hunters to give up, get up to leave and

isOutdoors

5 3 6 4 scare away a shy tom. One good rule to follow is to stay there for at least 30 minutes.

Remaining patient and staying put longer is always better, and it requires discipline.

Hunting The Roost If you are fortunate enough to roost a bird in the evening, the last you want to do is blow your chances the next morning. Be sure to mark the site so you can find it the next day. Return to the spot very early in the morning. Make a slow, silent approach without the aid of a flashlight. Set up a healthy distance from the roost; about 100 yards. This is the perfect distance to avoid being detected.

Quitting Don’t do like most hunters who walk the woods until mid-morning and call it quits. Whenever possible plan to hunt all day (some states have laws that you must stop hunting at a certain time, usually noon). At midday hens have left the tom to attend to their nests, but eager to breed toms stay on the prowl. www.isoutdoors.com

Stop Jerking Around Many opportunities to shoot are lost by hunters who make sudden, jerky movements. As the bird comes near, slowly raise your gun up and have it ready. You should get your gun ready long before you actually see the bird.

Choose a site that requires a minimum amount of movement to prepare for a shot. You should always make slow and deliberate movements - even if you think nothing is around.

Know The Lay of the Land Turkeys do not like to cross a bunch of cover and other barriers to respond to calls. These include but are not limited to streams, creeks, steep hills and gulley, fences, or thick brush and forest. When hunting, be sure to learn the lay of the land where you are hunting. It is smart to make a trip before a hunt and visit the area to identify possible hunting sites and potential barriers. When it happens that tom is on the other side of an obstacle, quietly move to the side it even it means making a lengthy retreat and return.

RECREATIONAL LAND SPECIALIST

HALESMITH.NET LAND DEVELOPMENT | TIMBER SERVICES | WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT

isOutdoors

7 9 10 8 Avoid Over Calling When your’ calling gets a response from a gobbler bird avoid the mistake of over calling. Excessive calling can make bird you are hunting become shy and wary.

Stick to using a few simple chirps or yelps. Soft calling fires up the hormones of an old long beard. If this does not work, revive the tom’s interest by using gobbler call. When doing this, when the tom resumes his approach, you respond by toning down your calling a notch.

Make the gobbler look for you by using soft yelps and chirps. If the wind is blowing toward you and from the direction the bird is approaching, louder calling is needed.

Don’t Stand Out It is pretty much a pat rule to turkey hunt is head to toe camouflage wear. Avoid the mistake of thinking any old patter will work everywhere you hunt. Choose camo patterns and colorations which match the woods around you. Camouflage covers everything from your gun and face, to your hands and hat. During the early season when the forest floor is still brown, I like brown camo trousers and a leafy green top. www.isoutdoors.com

Don’t Overlook Toms Many gobblers avoid detection by hunters who fail to hear these birds. If you are a Baby Boomer, odds are that years of shooting and rock concerts have rendered you partially deaf. It is very easy not to hear mildly vocal gobbler. If you use an electronic hearing device, such as a Walker’s Game Ear, you might discover more birds in the process.

Don’t Blow the Shot Close the deal with a killing spray of lead shot. Always aim at the neck of the gobblers. This can be either the head or where neck meets breast. Hunters often miss a shot at 30 or less yard ranges and cannot understand why. Know your shot patterns at various ranges by practice shooting your shotgun. Don’t make the mistake of not knowing its kill zone at various distances. My four step solution for making a killing shot is to breathe, aim, hold and squeeze the trigger.

ATV PROFILE

Pioneer 700-4

Americans appreciate versatility. Give us a multi-tool and a little baling wire, and we can fix just about anything. That’s the spirit behind Honda’s Pioneer 700-4, the most versatile side-by-side on the planet. It’ll take you just about anywhere a side-by-side can go—along with one, two or three other passengers or a bed full of cargo. You’re going to find it makes life and work a whole lot easier—and more fun.

Best of all, the Pioneer 700-4 is probably the best-built side-by-side anywhere, and that’s a real asset when you’ve got others depending on you to get where you’re going and back again in safety and comfort.

The Pioneer 700-4 features the industry’s first convertible rear seating design that offers the convenience and versatility of switching between two-, three- or

four-person seating configurations, and provides full bed space and tilt function while in the two-person configuration.

Honda Automatic Transmission.

The Honda Automatic with its automotive-style torque converter is not only tough, it’s smart, too.

A two-stage shift map optimizes power through the engine RPMs. 675cc Liquid-Cooled Engine.

The Pioneer 700-4’s torque and powerful liquid-cooled single-cylinder 675cc engine features an intake design that helps minimize dust and particulate ingestion. It’s also rubber-mounted on a separate subframe to minimize vibration.

The Side-By-Side With A Difference

Is It Time To Cons

“Why are crossbows the fastest area of growth in modern hunting?”

by Buck Wilder

sider A Crossbow?

In recent years there has been a slow, but decline in the overall percentage of American’s who hunt. Beginning in the 1970s introduction of the compound bow and the return of whitetail herds nationwide combined to create a huge surge in the participation in bow hunting. It also coincided with when the Baby Boom generation was 30

to 35 years old. Bow hunting remains popular, and deer numbers have never been higher. However, the Baby Boomers are not as robust as they were when Nixon was in the Whitehouse. Among the things that have slowed down is the ability to pull an 80-pound draw bow. As a few more realize every day, the mind is willing, but the flesh is weak.

It is not a coincidence that crossbow hunting has emerged as hunting’s fastest growth area. As many Baby Boomers have discovered, crossbow are ideal for extending the careers of aging compound bow hunters. Ironically, those nine out of ten bow hunters who cut their teeth using compound bows all too

isOutdoors often oppose changing archery hunting season regulations to include the use of crossbows. That is of course, until they cross Rotary Cuff Creek and then need to use a crossbow. A lot of archery hunters who oppose liberalizing the use of crossbows may not realize that a compound bow is pretty much a vertical crossbow minus the stock. They use the arguments against crossbows as were used by strict bow hunters who tried to ban the use of compounds.

Recognizing it was more difficult to shoot a deer with a bow than with a gun, most states used archery as a key deer management tool when herd levels of these animals were still relatively low.

States gave bow hunters much longer seasons than firearms hunters, and by requiring an archery license created a lucrative flow of revenue.

While Baby Boomers are the largest crossbow growth area, considerable drive to legalize crossbows comes from manufacturers and retailers to meet the new demand for the hunting tools.

With the average crossbow going out the shop door at about $500 or more, you can understand their interest. A www.isoutdoors.com

number of factors should be considered when shopping for your first crossbow for hunting. Questions to ask yourself include what quarries you plan to hunt, the season in which you anticipate using your crossbow, and your personal skill level as a hunter/shooter.

There are two types of crossbows: recurve and compound. A recurve crossbow is distinguished by tips that curve away from the shooter. A compound bow is slightly more complex-looking, with extra cables for pullback. A recurve crossbow is often better for a novice because its out-curving ends enable the archer to more easily draw his bow. Before making your purchase, consider the benefits and disadvantages of each type of crossbow.

The main factor that the recurve crossbow has working against it is that

isOutdoors it puts more strain on the arrows and in the opinion of some, is louder than the compound crossbow when shot. This is a significant factor when you are hunting. Recurve crossbows are generally regarded as easier to use, and therefore are recommended “first” crossbows.

A recurve crossbow is really quite simple in design. It consists of a stock and a simple prod (or lath), a metal arm which bends and retracts to launch the bolts.

The stiffer the prod, the more difficult it is to cock the crossbow, and therefore bolts will be fired at a higher velocity. Crossbows are rated by their “draw” weight. This indicates the amount of force - in pounds - required to cock, or “arm” the crossbow. A pistol crossbow may only have a draw of 50 lbs., while full size recurve crossbows will commonly have 120 to 200 lb. draws. To be an effective hunting weapon, recurve crossbows should have a draw of at least 150 lbs. and fire bolts at 220 fps or faster for deer.

One huge benefit of a recurve crossbow is that you do not need a bow press or have to take it into a shop to have the strings changed.

www.isoutdoors.com

The chief disadvantage of a compound crossbow is that the extra pulleys require much more strength in order to draw the bow. This is where the season of the year also becomes an issue. If it is a windy time of year, pulling back the bow will be more difficult. One of the advantages of a compound style model is that they are generally more compact. Compound style limbs do not need to flex much and therefore do not need to be as long. This makes it a lot easier when maneuvering through brush. Another advantage of the compound style is that, pound for pound, they tend to be slightly faster.

There are recurve models that are faster than 90% of the compound crossbows out there, but the fastest in the world are compound. The final advantage of a compound style is that generally they are easier to pull back. With recurves a lot of the pull weight is in the last few inches making it a little harder to pull.

Like archery, shooting a crossbow is challenging and fun. They are not for everyone, but they do provide another means by which to hunt and shoot. If you have stopped hunting during archery season due to illness, injury or just getting older the crossbow just might be your answer.

isOutdoors B I G

G A M E

Black Bear Bow Hunting

by Bob Foulkrod

Spring is not spring without a trip north to bow hunt for bear. Since the 1970s I have not missed a single season of hunting, even when one of the bears tried to gnaw my legs off that a client at my spring bear hunting camp in Ontario had

wounded. Bear is one of those rare quarries that Hemingway once wrote, had the option to run from or toward you when shot. I have experienced both, and prefer it when any bear I shoot runs from me.

North America has four species of bear. I have successfully hunted them all. Three

OVER 60 PREDESIGNED FLOOR PLANS! OR CUSTOM DESIGN YOUR HOME.

1·866·LOG·HOME (1-866-564-4663)

RIPLEY, WV |

info@mail.applog.com

www.applog.com

LOG HOME PACKAGES · PRECUT OR LINEAR FOOT LOG HOME MATERIALS · LOG SIDING & CORNERS LOG RAILING & POSTS · LOG HOME HARDWARE · TIMBER FRAME MATERIALS · WOOD CARE PRODUCTS

isOutdoors B I G

G A M E

“The popularity of spring season black bear hunting continues to attract bow hunters in big numbers. Here’s how to get the most out of your hunt.” decades ago you could hunt Polar bear from Alaska to Labrador, but now the only hunting available is at Canada’s Northwest Territories. Even then getting the hide of your trophy home takes an act of congress. Always poised to make a meal of a bow hunter, Polar bear are challenged in the most extreme conditions. The great white bear is a quarry only the most experienced bow hunter should ever consider. I was nearly killed on my Polar bear hunt.

Grizzly bear can be found from Rocky Mountains of Wyoming northward to the tundra of Canada and Alaska. These bruins average 600 to 800 pounds of lethal, are easily irritated, and often aggressive with muscle, teeth and claws. Bow hunting grizzly bear in Canada and Alaska is dicey business that is done from stands and by stalking. Until you have a lot of very successful bow hunting experience under your belt, mark the grizzly bear off your list of “must do” bow hunts.

Brown bear found along much of coastal Alaska and its islands like Kodak, are the largest of the continents members of the bear family. Often standing ten-feet tall, and weighing 1,000 pounds, brown bear are fearless, lightening fast, and unpredictable. Bow hunters must stalk within bow range, while most rifle hunters bag the brown bear at several hundred yards, and even that can be risky. Even if you take out both lungs, a brown bear can kill you and your guide before it expires.

I was nearly killed on both of my brown bear bow hunts.

Black bear prosper in pockets from Florida to Labrador in the East, and all through the Rocky Mountain states to Alaska in the West. All of Canada has lots of black bear. Most black bear are black, but in the West color phases varying from dark brown to a tawny tan are just as common. A big black bear weighs 450 pounds, but most average about half that weight. Fast, intelligent, and armed with sharp teeth and claws, these members of the bruin family usually are retiring and shy in regards to man. However, black bear are always unpredictable, and account for more attacks on humans

www.isoutdoors.com

isOutdoors B I G

G A M E

than all other species of bear combined.

Black bear is the most common of North America’s bears. They are the quarry most bow hunters want to hunt. Spring black bear hunting is still allowed in most of Canada and Alaska, while fall hunting is allowed everywhere there as well as almost half of the states in the lower 48-states. Spring season hunting occurs when there is little conflict with other hunting seasons for popular quarries such as whitetail and elk. During the spring outfitters, whose skill at coaxing these hungry animals within shots of well-concealed blinds make this hunt where many bow hunters are successful, can bait black bear.

Black bear are a quarry I recommend to bow hunters who have at least a couple of seasons of experience in the woods after whitetail, and preferably who have made at least one long distance trip for big game such as caribou or pronghorn antelope. If when bow hunting you have trouble controlling your nerves when a buck is under your tree stand, odds are you do not have the emotional maturity to hunt for bear. You may, but if you are not certain, wait a year and work on conwww.isoutdoors.com

trolling your nerves, breathing and heart rate while whitetail hunting.

If it is your first time spring season hunt, then what I call a budget hunt is a good idea. Such hunts are found in New Brunswick and Quebec and a few western states. These are hunts where you can drive a family vehicle to, and the cost is not high. Success rates vary, but if you research your outfitter, talk to his past hunters and are confident you are booking into area where there is a good chance of success, odds are you will get an opportunity to bow kill a bear.

Of course a big bear can show up at any time, anywhere, but most so-called budget hunts are known for having black bear in the 125- to 250-pounds range.

If your budget can handle it, and you feel you are ready to go after jumbo-sized, trophy black bear, you significantly up your odds for success by booking a hunt where such bruins are most plentiful.

Generally, trophy bear hunting occurs in more remote areas where travel expenses add to the overall cost of the hunt, which average $1,200 to $1,500 more per hunt than budget hunts.

isOutdoors B I G

G A M E

Recommended places for a trophy black bear hunt include coastal Alaska, Canada’s western provinces of Saskatchewan, Alberta and Manitoba, and in eastern Canada, the island of Newfoundland.

Again, carefully checking the credentials and references of potential outfitters is the first step. I personally recommend booking with outfitters that limit all hunting to bow and arrows. They understand the uniqueness of bow hunting for the animals and what is required to get you a shot.

When you book a black bear hunt, immediately begin preparation to make it as successful as your skills and participation are able to do. Failure to prepare properly for a bow hunt was one of my biggest complaints when I ran my spring bear hunting camp, although luckily I only occasionally had to deal with unprepared archery hunters. Bow hunting for bear is serious business, as you can get hurt if you wound an animal, which can run toward you as easily as it can from you.

I highly recommend practice shooting often to insure accuracy. The last thing you want is a wounded bear. Improve you odds for success by practice shootwww.isoutdoors.com

ing in the most realistic situations possible. Spring season black bear hunting is taught at my bow hunting school at my lodge in Pennsylvania. Students are placed in a tree stand while wearing a bug netting head covering and gloves.

Their target is a lifelike, 3-D target bear that moves from amidst brush in the direction of bait, but before reaching it, passes behind a big tree. The pressure factor is all of the other students at the school standing there watching and ready to take their turn. You would be surprised how many hunters miss their target under such a highly realistic practice shooting sessions. The anxiety shooters in the tree stand feel when these other students are around is only a fraction of the pressure you will feel when a bear arrive at bait beneath your tree stand.

Practice shooting is as much mental preparation as it is mechanical in nature.

When shooting, train your mind to envision shooting a bear--a feat that is easier if you use a 3-D target of a bear like the McKenzie targets I use. The only ethical shots you should consider are when a bear is broadside to you, or when it is quartering away. I highly recommend

against shooting bears that are laying on the ground, or those approaching you.

In recent seasons a growing number of outfitters have adopted policies that a wounded bear is “your� bear, and your hunt is over henceforth.

Prior to any other actual trip preparation, make a checklist. Most outfitters provide a recommended list. If your outfitter has sent you a list, follow it closely. Odds are the list represents years of experience and an understanding of what you are likely to encounter and need to make your bow hunting trip successful.

When driving to a spring black bear bow hunt, you have the luxury of taking along virtually anything you can wedge within the confines of your vehicle. If you fly it is doubly important that you follow the checklist provided by your outfitter.

There are two challenges. One is getting your gear there and the other is weight restriction each hunter is held to when bordering a bush plane. When it is possible, I UPS my clothing, equipment, and even bow and arrows ahead to the outfitter. This is done couple of weeks in advance of my hunting trip so I know for sure that my stuff is there in advance

of my arrival. This works well for me. I fly with a large Coleman cooler that is used either to carry home frozen fish filets I might get, or for containing the capped hide of my bear. Even if you do not fly, it is a good idea to invest in a quality bow case. I use an Americase, a brand I have used worldwide for many years without a single problem. A good bow case that is baggage handler proof is money well spent.

Black flies and mosquitoes are troublesome during the spring; so many smart outfitters anticipate the need for insect sprays by hunters that will tip off bears.

To get bears used to the smell of insect repellents, they spray it around bait stations in an effort to condition bears to this chemical odor. When booking a hunt, ask your outfitter if he does this, and what insect repellent he uses-match your insect repellent to his.

Three things that will lower your chances to arrow a black bear are noise, movement and odor. Noise usually occurs when a bow hunter moves or squirms in a tree. Bear have moderately poor vision, but they are quite able to discern movement like swatting bugs or scratching. www.isoutdoors.com

isOutdoors B I G

G A M E

When your movement creates even a little noise, it aids a black bear in determining its source. Sitting still is the best way to not make unnecessary noise that will tip of your quarry to your presence.

Concealment is further enhanced if you don head-to-toe camouflage. I wear ......

Realtree, including a bug-proof head net and gloves. This is perfect for chameleon like concealment in bear country and it serves me exceptionally well.

Fooling the nose of a black bear is just as, if not more difficult, than defeating the nose of a whitetail. Black bear have incredible odor discerning abilities, thanks to a labyrinth of olfactory receptors that line the inside of their long snouts. Savvy outfitters strive to locate stands downwind from their bait stations, but this is not fool proof since wind directions are not totally predictable.

In the old days, bow hunters relied on the wind and cleanliness when hunting these animals. However, today we can come pretty darn close to defeating the olfactory receptors of a black bear by using the new scent control product systems that are now available. I rely on the Hunter Specialties’ unique Scent-Awww.isoutdoors.com

Way system. I wash my hunting clothes in Scent-A-Way Laundry Detergent, a scent-free, concentrated liquid that does not have the ultraviolet brightening additives common to ordinary laundry detergents. After laundering, I place my scent-free hunting clothing in Hunter Specialties’ Storage bags, sealing them from desirable odors. Avoid storing your hunting clothing in plastic bags marketed for holding garbage. Garbage bags are treated with bacteria fighting chemicals that bear can detect.

Prior to going to my stand to bow hunt, I shower using Hunter Specialties’ Scent-A-Way Deodorizing Bar Soap, a scent-free soap that cleanses and neutralizes human odors. Next apply ScentA-Way Anti-Perspirant/Deordorant, a stick-style product that also keeps you scent free. Lastly, I spray my equipment and myself with Hunter Specialties’ Scent-A-Way Spray, a terrific product that eliminates all odors, including human scent, on contact. I also wear a suit made by W.L.Gore (makers of Gore-Tex and Windstopper) called Suppressant. It has human-scent absorbing, activated charcoal in its construction that is at least four times more affective in containing human scent than anything I have tried

isOutdoors B I G

G A M E

in the past.

When a bear comes in to the bait, your first job is to remain calm and relaxed.

Odds are your quarry will be there for a long time, so it is usually safe to presume that you will have all the time needed to execute a shot. When you are certain you are not shaking and will not rattle your arrow off of its rest, prepare for your shot. If you are not positioned for optimal accuracy, slowly adjust. Only move when the bear is facing away from you.

Your outfitter will have the bait station positioned so this will happen often.

Once you are positioned to shoot, it is time to draw your bow. Even if the bear has its head stuck in a barrel of bait, do this slowly and deliberately. Continuously monitor your emotions. If you are too excited to shoot, let off your draw. If you try to do it three times and you are still too wired to make an ethical shot, then pass on a shot that night. The next night you may have better control. When I operated a bear camp, I had grown men crying when I went to fetch them from a stand. Every one of them regained their composure and killed a bear before the end of their hunt. If you are new at bear www.isoutdoors.com

hunting, there is no shame in getting too emotional to kill a game animal that is capable of killing you. To pass on a shot is far better than making a shot that wounds a bear your outfitter will have to deal with the next day.

If you have never bow hunted for black bear, I encourage you to consider it.

These are one of the most magnificent of all big game animals roaming North America. It is a challenging hunt, but a hunt where most experienced bow hunters are successful. Although I have been on many, many black bear hunts, I still get pumped at the thought of taking just one more.

REDEFINING THE FOOD CHAIN. Assert YourÊ > ViÊ>ÌÊ > Ã Þ°V ÊUÊ716-877-7511 for FREE catalog

UNIVERSAL

Bowsharp™ Bowhunting Tool

Standard Sharpening System

Double-Sided Folding Diamond Paddle

COARSE/FINE TACTICAL

Blademedic™

BOW PROFILE

FUEL

Introducing the Fuel, an incredibly adjustable bow perfect for archers of all ages, sizes and skill levels. The Fuel features a rock-solid riser for supreme durability with BOWTECH’s Binary Cam System for maximum precision and arrow speed. The Fuel is anything but average.

Your BOWTECH bow was made with the highest quality components to last for a lifetime of use in the field with proper maintenance. It is important that you NEVER draw and release a bow without an arrow on the string. This could not only hurt you, but can damage your bow. If the bow is dry fired at any time, take it to your local dealer for a complete inspection. Never leave your BOWTECH bow in an area of extreme temperatures. This could cause your string and cables to stretch which affects timing.

Measure Here Before shooting your bow, always inspect the string and cables and check the limbs for any visible damage. If damage is found, take the bow to your local BOWTECH dealer for inspection or repair.

Your BOWTECH bow comes equipped with sealed

bearings in both cams. There is no need to lubricate cams.

Your new BOWTECH bow is a high- ly tuned, precise shooting machine. It requires special care and handling to achieve and maintain peak performance. The string, cables and limbs are under extreme tension, which creates an incredible source of energy that must not be taken for granted. Please respect this power and use it properly.

BOWTECH bows are standardized to fit most manufacturers’ accessories and will perform best when shot with a release.

REFU

FOLL

USE TO

LOW

Hot Shot

SEE more at tinks.com

• 100% PURE LURE

• ZERO CONTAMINATION

• 100% DISPERSAL

• ZERO WASTE INTERNAL BLADDER SEPARATES LURE

CONSISTENT SPRAY NO NOISY SPITTING

Pure Lure, Pure Attraction

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

Jeff Kirk - Editor / jeff@southerntrout.com

Photo credit: Mountain River with Sunlight by Mihai Tamasila

www.isoutdoors.com

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

AVA I L A B L E O N LY AT W W W . K U I U . C O M SERVICE@KUIU.COM | 855-367-5848

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

P

R

E

M T

I R

E O

R P

P H

Y

R

I

V

H

U

A N

T T

E I

L N

A

N

D

G

o n 45,000 a cre s

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