www.huntresslife.com | Huntress Life Magazine July/August 2016 | 1
Spring Bear Hunting With Candy Yow
VOL 2 ISSUE 3 Jul y/August 2016
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Articles Saturday Night Swine Hunting By Candace Hubble..........................................................................................4 Spring Bear Hunting By Candy Yow................................................................................................8 Keep Calm and get in your Tree Stand By Christy Turner.........................................................................................10 Pushing my Limits, For the Love of the Hunt By Joni Marie Kiser.......................................................................................14 Pitbulls and River Hunt By Amanda Bronder.......................................................................................17 Judy’s Reviews What to Choose ATA Show Part Two:”Camo is the New Black” By Judy Erwin Branham................................................................................18 Off Season, Fish On! By Kimberly Snyder......................................................................................22 Furbearer Trapping Aficionado By Lisa Selner..............................................................................................26
DUO International’s 20th Anniversary! By Reika Shimizu..........................................................................................30
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Saturday Night Swine Hunting By Candace Hubble
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It was Saturday night and our trail cameras were showing hogs at the feeder before dark and I was pumped! It’s been a long time since I have hunted hogs during daylight hours... About 8:00 pm, 4 nice hogs came in from the left of the feeder; I was hidden behind one bush, sitting in a chair on the ground, bow in hand. There were 2 black and 2 brown hogs; one of the brown hogs was pretty aggressive bumping and grunting the other hogs and I could see he had good teeth on him. However, in past experiences I have learned with hogs that trying to be picky can sometimes leave you empty handed because they spook each other and move around a lot eliminating shots. The plan now is to take a shot on a hog that is most calm or presents the best shot first. As I waited for that shot opportunity the aggressive one broke away from the bunch and went to the right and was focused on me, or what he thought was something suspicious. I tried to stay as still as possible because without the cover of darkness I knew I could be exposed. Finally, 3 of the hogs lined up for a great shot and I took it. I watched as my arrow went through the first black hog and stuck in the shoulder of the second brown hog behind him! As they scattered I was shaking and full of excitement but 2 of the hogs were still hanging around in the brush. I waited but they finally left. As I waited, I noticed my green lighted nock in the brush to the right of the feeder and I decided to go check it before it became too dark just to see the amount of blood on it. It felt like a great shot and the footage confirmed it. As I was kneeling in the brush just 10 yards to the right of the feeder looking at my arrow, another group of hogs came in with a group of piglets! Feel free to laugh along with me because here I sit 25 yards from my bow, hiding in the brush with an arrow in my hand trying to figure out how to get to my bow without being seen (I had my 10mm on my hip but we have all agreed there would be no gun hunting on the lease). As I crawled through brush to try to get back to my bow, I was hoping maybe if they only heard me they would think I was another hog and wouldn’t spook. Somehow I made it back to my spot but on the back side of it leaving me in another dilemma. The lone bush I had for cover was my only hope but my bow was in front of my chair on the ground and getting to it would expose me if I moved the chair. I reverted back to my gymnastic days and planked across the chair while hiding behind the bush and somehow managed to get my bow off the ground. I also managed to move the chair forward slightly so I would have a shooting lane around the bush and I was able to stick my arm through the thorny bush and turn the camera back on but off to my left was the aggressive hog from earlier watching me again. I was able to inch the chair forward just enough to get a clean shot. I launched an arrow at a small sow and it zipped through her. As she ran off the piglets
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came right back! I grabbed another arrow and shot into a group of piglets. A few ran off but they kept coming back! I didn’t want to use any more arrows on piglets because they can be hard to find so I decided to see how close I could get to them. I began stalking and even though they would spook they would come right back. I was within about 8 yards when they finally decided they had enough of this game and left unwillingly. I was having a blast though! Now the tracking had to start…it had rained a little earlier in the day, it was hot with 95% humidity and every known bug in the area was out to annoy me. My friend Tina hadn’t seen anything yet so as she continued to hunt I started tracking the first hog. I found good blood and began crawling through the brush when I heard someone coming through the gate and a vehicle driving by just 50 yards away. I bolted out of the brush, slammed my head on a branch, saw a bright light (from the head hit, not the headlights of the vehicle), and kept running to go see who it was. (There shouldn’t have been anyone passing through the property however, I found out later because of a lock issue on the main gate they had to come through our property to go out a secondary exit). My spirits sank a little because they had just driven right by where my first hog had run. Hoping they didn’t bump him I went back to the blood trail. As the brush became thicker I was crawling on my hands and knees finding small holes to stand up from time to time and give my legs a break from being crouched down. As I was crawling looking for blood face to face with the ground I saw some eyes looking back at me. It was small and camouflaged and as I shined my white light on it, the bull bat (night hawk) freaked out and started trying to fly...except he flew right into my face! It was so thick he couldn’t fly up and kept hitting the brush crashing back into me, flapping his wings, and crying out...or maybe that was me letting out some random noises as I lay on the ground covering my face from getting clawed or scratched! How does this happen to me? Here I am in the middle of the brush getting attacked by a night hawk; after about 30 seconds of this going on he finally found a hole to fly up and away from me. As I lay there dripping in sweat, covered in spider webs and my arms scratched up, I just laughed out loud and realized that really did just happen! I continued searching for the first hog but ran out of blood and decided to try to find the small sow I shot second. It had to be easier than this one and less dramatic! I went back to the feeder and immediately started following blood to the left and about 40 yards in I found her! Success without a bird beating! I searched around for the piglet but was unsuccessful. I made my way back to the arrow that had hit the second hog on the pass through of the first hog. I knew I didn’t get much penetration but I had to finish the job and confirm he wasn’t dead or wounded. I looked for blood, followed a few paths that he could have taken looking for any
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signs of blood, fresh droppings or even a wounded growl. I didn’t find anything and I was satisfied I didn’t do much damage because the arrow hit and fell out within 10 yards of him running off. I had been tracking hogs for over 2 hours now and was dripping with sweat, bruised and cut up from the crawling, the thick brush, and the night hawk attack, but I was so excited. I checked in with Tina who hadn’t seen anything but figured with the vehicle driving through the property the hogs probably scattered. We loaded up and headed home, but in the back of my mind I couldn’t get over the first hog not being found. It was a great shot, I had great blood and it was driving me crazy. The next morning I headed back out to look for the hog again; it had rained even more overnight and everything was wet but I had to try. I looked for another hour and found a little more blood but never recovered the hog. My clothes were soaked, my arms were bleeding again from more brush scratches and somehow a bug crawled into my boot and stung my ankle causing extreme burning pain and swelling. I wrapped a baby wipe around my ankle to soothe it and decided I had done all I could do. I was devastated I didn’t recover the first hog, but knowing the vehicle passed by shortly after I shot could have easily pushed him further into the brush. It was still another epic adventure in the woods and I always feel blessed to be there. Here is a link to the video of the hunt: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eno3BCJfGxQ
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Spring Bear Hunting g
By Candy Yow
B
ear hunting has always been at the top of my bucket list, I can’t explain why, maybe the fear of knowing what they are capable of, maybe the goal of managing them to help our elk, deer & antelope herds grow, or possibly a combination of all of that. Growing up in the desert we didn’t see bear and I don’t really understand them, after hunting the Western States the past few years I am beginning to understand the Black bear but that desire to harvest one was still really strong. Each year we go Spring Bear hunting, but it seems we never really spend the time we need to as we hurry back to work, or the weather isn’t in our favor, or something. This spring Randy & I vowed to take the tents and go for a week and really give it a try. I was overly excited to get out, I love to camp and get away from the world while hunting. Since we had some great weather we took off for our week, picked a camping spot where we had seen tons of sign the year before only to find out we couldn’t get anywhere near that spot due to the high snow fall (which is a good thing, it makes great horn growth for the other animals), my heart dropped as I realized there was no way we were going bear hunting in this, nor would they be out if they had any smarts at all. We packed up camp and headed home a little discouraged. We waited a couple weeks and got the itch to try again, the weather had been much better and we headed out, Friday was in the 70’s and I was so excited to go visit the areas of past sign again. Alas, we head out but CRAZY, Saturday it snowed 8-10 inches, we did find some sign but couldn’t’ see
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more than 10 feet in front of us with the snow and fog. We did track one bear for a couple hours in the snow, but he wasn’t a very big guy and decided to let him grow for another year. Like a dog with his tail between his legs I slumped home defeated one more time. We decided to take 3 days over Memorial weekend and give it one more try; the season would end then anyway. My thoughts were it would be a fun getaway even if we didn’t see a bear. We knew where we had seen sign the year before but with two weekends of unsuccessful scouting I was worried we wouldn’t have time to find fresh sign and actually locate a bear. Day one we scouted some old areas and some new, finding some sign my hopes grew, but still hadn’t laid eyes on one yet. Day two Randy and I take off before day light on the 4-wheeler, layered in Kryptek to protect us from the chilly morning. We ended up in a new area that looked pretty “Beary” and got off the 4-wheeler and hiked down an old skid road, we hadn’t gone very far at all when, There, finally, as I focused I couldn’t believe my eyes, not only was it a bear but a cinnamon and a beautiful bear at that. To say I got a touch of buck fever would be an understatement as I have always wanted a cinnamon, but I took a deep breath, said a quick prayer and lined up my Leupold scope (which was brand new and just dialed in) , the silence before the shot seemed eternal, but the shot was perfect and I had just taken a beautiful Cinnamon bear. It seems you would get used to harvesting animals and not get as emotional after a few years, but that is not the case, I was so excited and so thankful for this bear. I did’t even try to hold in the emotion, as I Thanked the Lord for the harvest, hugged my wonderful husband for always being there for me. Then the work began, but this time it was only a short pack to the 4-wheeler then back to camp to share with family and friends. Such a huge part of a successful hunt is the gear and products you use, I was so pleased with my Weatherby Vangaurd, it never lets me down and my new Leupold VX-6 3-18x44mm CDS scope. I still have a lot to learn on how to use it to its potential, but it did the job for me absolutely perfect. If you want success you need to use quality products that you can count on to help you get success more frequently. I have a total faith in the products I use in the field.
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Keep Calm and Get in Your Tree Stand By Christy Turner
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I feel like I go a hundred miles an hour, twenty four hours a day, seven days a week. Being a Wife, Mother and working forty hours a week takes a toll on me. Having so many responsibilities and running kids to all their activities, doing everything for the husband, house chores, barn chores the list goes on and on. I need a break before I lose my mind. It seems like everyone needs something from me and I never have a minute to sit down and take a breath. For every Wife, Mom, and Women for that fact needs Calgon to take her away. My Calgon therapy takes me away to my tree stand. It is the only time I can sit still in peace and quiet without anyone needing anything from me, no dishes to wash, no deadlines to meet, etc. Even if it is only for two or three hours before it smacks me back in the face. I need my Tree Stand therapy. During deer season I get a lot of stand therapy. Our family makes deer season a priority. But after deer season, hunting slows down and life gets busy. Kids school, 4-H, Livestock Show’s, music lessons, and busy season at work. Even with Turkey Season I usually only get to get out in the field a couple times. Finally when the kids school summer vacation gets here, no more worrying about bed times and schedules. It’s ok if I go sit in the stand Tuesday night and break the routine and schedule. I’m still multi-tasking while getting my therapy in; eliminating those pesky nuisance wild hogs and getting some good pork for the grill.
Stand therapy during the summer months can almost get brutal. Or maybe it is just my good weight loss strategy. Sitting in a box stand or blind is like a sauna here in East Texas even if it is in the middle of the night, which is legal here in Texas if you are hunting hogs. The temperatures can be in the high 90’s and inside the sauna box it feels twenty degrees hotter even. But it is still my peace and quiet time and still multi-tasking with my weight loss therapy. Sometimes I never see a hog and that is just fine by me. The other evening I had a huge Owl land in a tree next to me and I was just in awe. It was an unbelievable sight. God’s creatures are so amazing. Another evening I was sitting in a folding chair on the ground in a pop up tent blind. A big group of hogs came in behind me and stopped at the back of my pop up blind. I could hear them breathing just inches behind me, I think my heart stopped. One by one I could hear them start walking on both the left and right sides of me. I was on the verge of panic! I wasn’t expecting them to come in behind me and now being surrounded by them on the ground! I have seen the movie Old Yeller and don’t think that didn’t cross my mind those few seconds that passed. I still have nightmares of Old Yeller getting tore up by those wild hogs! Well thank goodness they did not charge my little pop up tent over and tear me to shreds. They walked out in front of me and I was able to squeeze the trigger on one.
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In Texas we are allowed to trap hogs as a way to help control the population as well. It’s crazy how many hogs we trap. We had two in the trap the other day and by the time we gutted and quartered them up and put them on ice in the cooler we had two more in the trap! I have always known we had a Wild Hog problem here in Texas but when I read this article in the May 20, 2016 Texas Agriculture newspaper published by Texas Farm Bureau. It really opened my eyes to our problems. In Gary Joiner’s article called Wild Pigs Plague he wrote, “One pig can become 200 over the course of two years. About half of the U.S. wild pig population lives in our state. Seventy percent of the pigs must be killed each year just to maintain current population levels.” I had never heard of it said like this and my jaw just dropped! “Seventy percent of the pigs must be killed each year just to maintain current populations” Wow!! That is a big number and here I thought I was helping. I think I might have to get a little more serious about my hog hunting. But then that is definitely ok because I will multi task with my stand therapy. Let the therapy sessions begin!
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Pushing my limits, for the love of the hunt By Joni Marie Kiser
I’m completely afraid of heights. I am not sure where the fear came from; but it has gotten worse over the years and looking over a steep cliff can start me into a panic. Additionally, I have a lung disorder that has now taken 28% of my lung capacity. This effects my daily life and really puts me at a disadvantage on tough hunting trips. Knowing these two things you might ask, why on earth I would agree to go on a Spanish Goat bowhunt; which would take place hiking on steep rocky cliffs? The answer to that, is that I am passionate about bowhunting and I refuse to let my health or my fears limit my adventures! I have an inner drive to push myself, to test my limits and to overcome my fears. And so, this is how I found myself at the top of the cliff in this photo,
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in the middle of my goat hunt. I was on my knees because my legs were quivering from climbing a huge steep cliff. With my fear of heights, I was so thankful to be off the steep face and on flat ground that kneeling also felt comforting. I was red faced because my lungs were burning and having a really tough time getting enough air from the climbing. I didn’t give up, I got up and kept going. This is certainly not the most flattering photo of me, but I actually really love this photo because it is honest. This is the true reality of a hunt. Its not all smiles and harvest pics - its actually all the stuff in between for me that truly makes the hunt amazing. I hunted with Hawaii Safaris on Kona. My guide Matt, was awesome. Hunting on steep, rocky slopes with my fear of heights was a real test of my determination! Matt did a great job of pushing me as well as encouraging me in the steep stuff. I took a fall at one point and due to the incline my body rolled over several times down the slope. For a brief moment, you feel this terror go through you that you don’t know whats below you or if you are going to stop or roll off a ledge. I got ahold of some weeds that were sticking up to stop myself and I was just laying there face down and I heard my guide Matt (who was lower down the mountain in front of me) say nervously, “how bad is it?” I wasn’t sure for a moment if I had broken anything or not because the pain from bouncing over jagged lava rocks in my back and hands was pretty intense for a few moments. I said, “give me a second” and just laid there assessing everything. Once I got turned around and sat up, I saw there was just a little blood on my palms and some scrapes on my arms and that I was ok. I was shaking pretty good through, from the scare. He climbed back up and we sat there for a minute talking about what in the world we would have done if I had broken something and how he could have gotten me off the cliff! He said, “I know that must have really freaked you out, I totally understand if you want to call the hunt.” I told him “absolutely not” and he smiled. He said, “Pat (the Outfitter) told me not to take you down this cliff” I was surprised and said, “why not?” He said, “he didnt think your lung disease could handle getting back up it” I admitted that I was pretty concerned myself about that! He said, “Im not.” I was confused and asked why he
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wasn’t worried about it. He said, “I can see that even if your lungs aren’t strong, your mind is. You are mentally tougher and more determined than most men I guide - and that mindset is all you really need.” That was exactly the comment that I needed to hear. It made me feel really proud that he could see how intense that drive in me was not to quit. We hunted the rest of the day and just before sundown I got my opportunity! We had discussed when last light would be and agreed that 30 minutes before sundown would be my cut off point for shooting. We needed enough time to get up to the top of the cliff and didnt want to get into a bad situation in the dark on rocky, steep slopes. About 10 minutes before our agreed upon “cut off time” we heard a goat below us and he called to it. We couldn’t really see him as he was almost directly below us tucked into a ledge. Matt whispered, “he’s going to jump up on that rock and look to see what is calling, you are going to have a really short window of time.” I got in position and sure enough, moments later an awesome Billy Goat jumped up onto a rock 32 yards straight below me on the cliff. He was looking downward away from me, and I drew and made my shot. There was a decent amount of wind, but my arrow flew true and I had a full pass through. He took a leap off the ledge after my arrow passed through and we saw an enormous amount of blood on the rock he had been standing on. We couldn’t see him for a few moments and then we saw his body tumbling and rolling down the mountain and we knew he was dead. When a hunt is challenging it makes the success even sweeter! I could not be more excited about my Spanish Goat! When I got to see him up close, I could see that someone in the past had taken a shot at him with a gun. A bullet had chipped the top of his horn and had passed through his ear, which was now healed up with a perfect bullet hole through it. I love that, and will not have that “fixed” when mounted as it shows his history and adds more character to him. I got a few nasty bruises and scrapes to remember the hunt by - but even better - a beautiful billy, a freezer full of goat meat, some awesome memories and a renewed confidence in what I can accomplish! To push yourself and accomplish a goal despite your limitations is an incredible feeling! Joni Marie Kiser is the founder of Rockstarlette Bowhunting, an avid bowhunter and a National Pro Staff for Xpedition Archery, HHA Sports and Prois
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Pitbulls
By Amanda Bronder Pitbulls or American Pitbull Terriers are a very versatile breed of dog. They are loyal, work hard, and always want to please. This breed is used in everything from service dogs, to hunting dogs, to family companions (and of course a lot more) despite the medias attempt at giving them a bad name. Pitbulls are solidly built very muscular and have a short coat that can come in a wide variety of colors; they can come in everything from solids, to paints, to brindles. Pitbulls usually weigh between 50-70 pounds. While everyone recognizes pits as pets some people have forgotten that these dogs are true working dogs also. A lot of people depend on them to catch hogs due to their drive, eagerness to please, and sturdy structure. It is a desired trait by hog hunters once you send them to a bay they “lock on” and don’t regrip the hog once they have it. I know without a doubt I trust my pitbulls when they have a hog caught that it’s not going anywhere. These dogs are very intelligent, and assertive. Aside from all of the good this is not the breed for everyone. They do need to have stern and consistent training because if their larger than life personality, which can make them difficult to train. Consider them when looking for your next companion or working dog, but make sure you are dedicated to their training and do your research first.
River Hunt
By Amanda Bronder After being up all night hunting the night before we woke up late and rushed out the door to grab the dogs and head to a place we all call “the River”. We were already late and to make matters worse someone had accidentally locked us out at the gate; but luckily the next gate over was opened. On this property there are always hogs and we had high hopes that this was going to be a quick hunt. This is a pretty easy place to hunt; there is a big 300 acre open field with a rode around it. The entire field is surrounded by a strip of brush that runs alongside the San Antonio River; hence how the property got its name. It was a warm morning and we drove along the field along the brush line and we didn’t see anything. The river bottom was extremely thick with weeds and vegetation since we had gotten quite a bit of rain; so we decided a couple of us should stay at the truck and the other two would walk the dogs into the bottom and we’d drive the road up top. About three quarters of the way up the field we heard a dog bark across the river. Then the chase was on. One bad thing is the hogs at this place do like to run. Once the dogs had the pig stopped and bayed across the river a friend and I grabbed the knife and pistol and ran down. This was easier said than done. The blood weed was neck high and THICK! Once we met up with the other two guys we could see the three dogs had a big red and black paint boar bayed across the river. The hog was sitting in the shallow water and the dogs had him bayed up top. After a long hot exhausting morning (four hours) of fighting with weeds and brush my husband swam across the river Glock in hand and just like that is was over. All in all it was a great morning and we could not have asked for the dogs to do any better.
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Judy’s Reviews
What to Choose ATA Show Part Two: “Camo is the New Black” By Judy Erwin Branham
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Women’s camo apparel has come a long way this past decade. With female hunters rising to 13% of the hunting population in America the clothing world has had to pay more attention to this fast growing commodities group. Women purchase most of America’s clothing lines either for themselves or their families so marketing strategists have noticed and accommodated the female hunting market. Even non hunters state “Camo is the new black”; and this broadens the market substantially for manufacturers. ATA Show 2016 proved to market this elite group of females with a larger selection of serious camo clothing lines for the outdoor woman. From undergarments to outer wear manufacturers are covering diverse female personalities, sizes, and outdoor activities including lingerie. Although many companies have great choices I cannot include everything in one article; so I chose my favorite five finds from this year’s ATA Show. All you have to do is go to the company’s website to search for women’s apparel to see more. Believe me it is worth the search if you are in need of a clothing item. I hope these few I have chosen will enrich your outdoor hunting closet. I am an outdoor enthusiast from simple hiking to extreme hunting and everything in between. I wear camo in all types of weather from over 100 degrees to 20 degrees below and have clothing to make those temperatures comfortable. Believe me when I say your clothing is one of the most important safety items to have with you in the outdoors. Your clothing choices can save your life or make your experience comfortable or miserable. First Lite Merino wool products: My #1 choice was found at the Hadulla Associates, Inc Preshow booth. Their company name is First Lite with a slogan of “Go Farther Stay Longer”. Merino wool base layers are their forte in undergarments. The gentlemen in their booth claim even after five days in the woods wearing the same base layers you still will not have odor problems. According to their Product Catalogue, “The unique molecular structure and neutral charge of wool fibers moves moisture away from the body and repels bacteria.” Lightweight, ultrafine, pure 100% Merino wool form fitted for women give versatility for cold conditions base layers and excellent lightweight layers for active warmer weather excursions. Features such as an Ergo cuff with thumb loops, flat lock seams for “next to skin comfort”, hood and quarter zip for temperature regulation, wider rear yoke with a 3 inch self-waistband and more are included in their base layers. The Alturas Guide Pant is manufactured of durable Nylon fabric with built in stretch and has Durable Water Repellant (DWR) finish for versatile weather conditions. First Lite included 3D double cargo pockets, belt and suspender loops, with quiet zipper and pocket adjustments while “on the move” in their Guide Pant for women. Offering two camo patterns and three plain colors covers a broad selection for the outdoor woman in diverse conditions and outings. Products can be found at Cabela’s stores from $65 to $135 according to Cabela’s website. They have many outlets to purchase their products. Check out their website at: http://www.firstlite.com
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Muck boots for women: Another favorite of mine are Muck Boots for women. Although Muck offers great choices for the entire family from infants to men, I love the wide variety of women’s wear. I own the Women’s Woody PK and Pursuit Stealth and love them both. The Woody PK offers two types of lining for different temperatures. PK mesh lining is more breathable for warmer temperatures while the fleece lining is rated to keep you warm up to -40 degrees. Comfort is never a problem as the EVA Midsole and form fit of the boot keeps my feet comfortable all day while hiking or hunting. These are like walking on pillows to me. If you are worried about the bright pink accents, don’t be. I have successfully hunted deer and turkey with no problems. The Women’s Pursuit Stealth all-terrain hunting boot includes all the same features as the men’s Pursuit Stealth with an added “splash of pink”. Rated to keep you warm down to -40 degrees the “etc® sockliner not only adds extra comfort but reduces heat build-up”. Durability, comfort, and style always come to mind when shopping Muck boots. They offer a large variety of hunting, rain and garden, play, cold weather, work and horse and stable footwear in diverse styles, patterns and colors for everyone. Check them out at http://www.muckbootcompany.com XTRA TUF boots have many new products for spring 2016 also. Check them out at http://www.xtratufboots.com/category/new. I own the Women’s Legacy 15 inch non-insulated Neoprene boot and really like them. They have a tight form fit to keep them on if you walk through mud or a muddy creek bed. The upper can be rolled down outwardly for warmer weather comfort or kept up for deep water treading up to 15 inches. Priced at $134.99 they are a steal as the new look for spring offers color and pattern choices on the inside. When you roll them down they are fashionable for more than just work or hunting boots. You can see the new choices at http://www.xtratufboots.com/ product/Xtratuf-Womens-15-Inch-Legacy-Print-Boot/new. 10X offers Scentrex lock down women’s jacket and pants in Break-up Country and Realtree Xtra camo patterns. This dual action scent elimination technology dons an athletic fit with many great features such as: quiet, breathable, wind resistant and two way stretch fabric. Their Thermostat Midweight Baselayer ¼ zip top uses antimicrobial wool for moisture wicking effect as well as being compiled of 50% Merino wool/ 40% cotton/ 6% Nylon/ 4% Spandex. My favorite 10X product is the Kids Grow System Jacket. The sleeves have a red thread inside to snip which lengthens the sleeve when your child’s arms grow longer giving the jacket years more use; a revolutionary idea.
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ScentLok Technologies offers Nexus Active Weight apparel for ladies plus their “Wild Heart” line of women’s clothing. Carbon technology for “odor absorption, gold + alloy for odor prevention, Coolcore® fibers to wick away sweat, and poly/spandex heather fabric for comfort” all enhance the features of a wide waistband, hidden pockets and flat-lock seams with a tagless design. Their Wild Heart series in Realtree Xtra camo includes jacket, pants, hoodie jacket and full season pants, beanie, facemask and gloves all matching with the ScentLok and Wild Heart logos in pink and gray. Check out these snazzy women’s camo apparel at http://www.scentlok.com/ shop/products/options/women/. Last but definitely not least is Wilderness Dreams lingerie, loungewear and swimwear. They exclusively have the market on lingerie utilizing “Muddy Girl” camo. From Baby Doll & Chemise to Camisoles and Boy Shorts they have beautiful ladies lingerie as well as active wear and swimwear in diverse camo patterns and styles. “Muddy Girl” camo is popular and sold in many stores hunting apparel lines including Walmart. While attending the ATA Show the Wilderness Dreams booth donned a wide variety of camo products for the outdoor person. Check out their 2016 Catalog at http://www.wildernessdreams.com/.
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Off season, Fish ON! By, Kimberly Snyder
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If you are like me when hunting season ends you are ready for the next season to begin. But what do you do in between the seasons, how do you fill the gaps. Some hunters are already avid anglers; I on the other hand have never claimed to be one. When the opportunity arose to go on a Charter fishing trip with my husband and some friends I couldn’t wait to experience the adventure. My husband booked a fishing trip with Bay Pony Fishing and Captain Jeff Rankins out of Smith Point in Reedville, VA definitely put us on some big Fish! I was actually nervous about the trip as motion sickness has been a curse for me since I was young, but the steady hand of the Captain and his ability to make me feel at ease made the trip top notch for a girl who has never been blessed with sea legs.
We started the morning bright and early and knew the water would be rough and there was rain in the forecast all day. We also knew that many of the big Striped Bass, or as we refer to them, Rock Fish had already left the warmer waters and were moving North. But with an experienced captain who knew how to find the fish and put us on a trip of a lifetime that wasn’t a problem. It was a day that could be gloomy to many it was an experience of a lifetime. There is much to be said for picking the right place, the right captain and the right people to enjoy a day of fishing. The captain shared some amazing tips for trolling for striped bass, the techniques he utilized, the different lures and baits, and even shared with me after the hunt how to filet and clean the fish. Not only was this fishing trip a huge success in the beautiful rock fish we caught
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but willingness to share his knowledge and make me feel comfortable on the water was unmatched. I honestly never knew how much work, time and dedication goes into fishing. I just thought if you throw out a line with some bait, Fish on! But that isn’t how it works at all! Fighting a big fish on an umbrella rig is the thrill of a lifetime and one heck of a fight! I would recommend any person take a fishing trip, get out on the water and experience a whole new outdoor adventure that awaits them. Sharing the day with my husband, father in law, friends and crew was one laugh after another. Hearing my husband shout “Fish on” and seeing the smiles on all of our faces as we pulled up fish after fish from the water was nothing less than Amazing! Not only did we hook big Fish, but this girl is now hooked for life on another outdoor activity that brings joy and appreciation for the creatures that share this beautiful Earth with us. I would like to send a huge thanks to my husband for always introducing me to new outdoor adventures and including me in everything, and thank you to Captain Jeff of Bay Pony Fishing for making me feel like I had been doing this my entire life and making a day of memories for me and my husband to share forever.
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Furbearer Trapping Aficionado By Lisa Selner
Lisa with a river otter capture; photo by J.D. Hopkins
The opportunity to trap emanates a sense of self-reliance, independence, and ability to provide for oneself. It bestows a wholesome appreciation for nature. Historically in this country, trapping was crucial to human survival. Furbearing animals were captured as a source of income, food and clothing. Today, furbearer trapping continues to be a way of life for many, providing similar benefits. Though highly regulated and controversial, it remains of cultural and economic importance. Modern advances in trap designs have made them more humane and species-specific, thus more desirable as a tool. I have been fortunate to have gained experiences as a trapper both professionally and personally. With regard to wildlife conservation and management purposes, I have utilized trapping as a means of research and monitoring, to aid in protecting endangered species, to protect sensitive ecosystems, and to protect human safety and private property. I have learned various techniques by many skilled trappers across the country, but have come to most appreciate the knowledge I’ve gained through those who have trapped for most of their lives; some who are equally fond of teaching a zealous learner. Close to ten years ago, while living on the Eastern Shore of Maryland, I assisted a local trapper with fox, muskrat, raccoon and otter trapping on weekends during the designated trapping seasons. I also assisted with the dressing, skinning, fleshing, stretching, and drying of pelts to prep them for sale to a local fur buyer. The experience provided me with greater knowledge, appreciation, and understanding of the subject. But for the local trapper, it was a necessary complement to his household income, especially during a time of economic uncertainty. In Maryland, I took a special fondness to muskrat trapping, or “muskratting� as the locals referred to it; the entire animal was utilized for human con-
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sumption. Muskrat pelts were sold to fur buyers, later to be made into clothing, and muskrat meat was sold to local residents and markets, to be eaten by families, or at church dinners and other public gatherings. It was a tradition still living on even in this modern-day, fast-paced society. I have tried muskrat; it’s popular along the Eastern Shore to prepare them with sage. I will always remember those cold, brisk mornings during wintertime; when I stood at the edge of a marsh just before dawn, and watched the moon’s reflection in the calm, frosty water. A silhouette of a muskrat swimming across the creek up ahead would break the water’s stillness, as tiny ripples were emitted behind the small creature. The quiet, surreal atmosphere was soon broken by the sound of a myriad of ducks and Canada geese in the distance, and then by the boat motor while it tried to start in the bitter morning chill. As we loaded the boat and set out for a busy day of trapping, we saw a small herd of white-tailed deer swim across the creek under the soft glow of sunrise. On occasion, a red fox peered out through the marsh grasses as we passed by, before escaping back into the safety of the marsh. Bald eagles soared overhead or perched atop trees that bordered agricultural fields behind the marsh. So began my muskrat trapping ventures on the Eastern Shore of Maryland, along the various tributaries of the Nanticoke River. The Nanticoke is one of the most unblemished rivers in the Chesapeake Bay locale, an area profoundly rich in history and wildlife. As a trapping assistant to a local furbearer trapper on the Eastern Shore, named J.D. (having forty years of experience at the time), I was taught how to trap muskrat in a tidal marsh environment. The passion and respect for the marsh clearly showed through as J.D. relished in the opportunity to pass his knowledge and skills along to a surprisingly attentive student. J.D. used to fur trap for a living, and has continued his efforts on personal time both as a hobby, and for supplemental income. The number of fur trappers has diminished drastically over the years in this area, but J.D. was one of the few who continue to partake in such endeavors. So how is muskratting unique to the Eastern
Lisa with red fox capture; photo by J.D. Hopkins
Shore? Trappers have adapted to tidal flow and still marsh (no tidal fluctuation) trapping methods. Tidal marshlands of the Eastern Shore generally have moderate salinity. Drought increases the salinity; during severe drought, high salinity can kill the muskrat population, or force them to move to fresher water. Muskrats are pretty durable animals, however. They can flourish in these salty and brackish waters when salinity levels are normal because of adequate rainfall. As a precaution against the salty waters, traps can be dipped in motor oil or mineral spirits. We used cooking oil because it doesn’t gum up the traps as much. They are dipped at the end of each season, and then stored for the summer.
Trap shed photo by Lisa Selner: Muskrat, otter, raccoon and red fox pelts; the end result to a busy trapping season, Eastern Shore of Maryland.
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I have been fortunate to be able to accompany J.D. for several trapping seasons. He traps mostly along private marsh, in exchange for the predator work he performs for private hunting club properties on his personal time. He uses body-gripping traps (conibear traps), which are spring-loaded lethal traps that come in various sizes. To prepare, we attached 150 traps to poles, which makes it easier to pull them during high tide. Then we loaded the traps into a sixteen-foot aluminum boat with a twenty-five-horsepower motor, or a canoe, and away we went! We trudged through mudflats on foot to set traps at low tide. This was tedious work. We set active leads (trails leading in and out of muskrat burrows); but since some leads remained hidden while the tide was still going out, we wore gauntlet gloves to feel for them. Gauntlet gloves reach up to your shoulder so the whole arm is protected. Active leads were quite obvious, as cuttings and scat or cloudy, muddy water flowed out. An occasional belly slide or tracks along the mudflats indicated nearby muskrat activity. We set traps by placing them as far in a lead as they could go so the muskrat couldn’t go around them. Before we set a lead, we would feel inside to see what angle the muskrat would be coming from. We didn’t stabilize the traps by a stake, but rather by their spring in the mud. If there was a root mass on top of the lead, we set the trap with the spring facing downward. If not, we could stabilize the trap with the spring facing upward. We could set it using either the first or last notch on the dog. The dog is the part of the body-gripping trap that holds the jaws open. It is also called the trigger hook. It is notched so that the trigger can fit in it and hold the jaws open when the trap is set. At high tide the next day, we had an easier time maneuvering our boats through the creeks to check or pull traps. We didn’t need to check traps at high tide, but it was much easier than walking the mudflats again. Precipitation seems to make the muskrats more active. We’ve had better catch nights after fog or rain. Of course, freezing conditions slowed things down some, and trapping on the ice made it more difficult to find leads. But after a two- to three-week freeze, movement increased while muskrats restocked their food staples during the thaw.
Lisa with muskrat captures; photo by J.D. Hopkins
Checking muskrat traps was always very exciting! Although some of the catch was discovered by raiding scavengers, including bald eagles, raccoons, and turkey vultures, on a good season he still harvested close to eight hundred muskrats. And that’s only what he captured on weekends! The trapping season ran from early January through mid-March in that particular county. We trapped both brown and black muskrats, along with an occasional albino. We occasionally targeted raccoon and river otter as well, in areas where we observed plenteous sign. When we returned to the trapping shed, we skinned the harvested muskrats, then fleshed and stretched their pelts. We sold the pelts to a fur buyer at the end of each season. We also prepared the meat for sale. Muskrat meat is very popular along Maryland’s Eastern Shore, and there was always a steady flow of local customers awaiting J.D.’s return. Sometimes the muskrat meat was worth more than the pelt itself. Muskrat trapping on the Eastern Shore can be exceedingly arduous work, but also extraordinarily enjoyable. It is a gratifying experience that I will always remember. To this day I still enjoy working with pelts, and take every opportunity possible to keep in good practice. Happy Trapping!
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DUO International’s 20th Anniversary! By Reika Shimizu
DUO’s History This August, DUO will celebrate its 20th birthday. DUO is now a lure maker of original brands marketed in 80 countries worldwide. Their humble beginning commenced as a wholesaler of fishing gears. Two years into business, they invited Mr. Adachi, current CEO, as a lure designer to start their brand, DUO International. At the beginning of DUO, Japanese lures were mass-produced overseas to cut the cost. However, DUO went against the tide of the era aspiring to “make the best quality products with [their] own hands”. When hearing the word “lure maker,” we tend to think that everything from designing to production is done within a company. However, there are only a handful of makers who can actually do that. Even
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in Japan abounding with many famous and popular makers, less than five of them may be capable of self-production. The reality is that because of economical limitations, it is quite challenging for a single company to acquire all the machines and technologies. DUO is also sought after by other JDM companies to design and make lures for these companies. Again, another compliment to DUO ability and creativity. DUO has an extensive R&D time of staff who test and re-test DUO lures for the appropriate intention and field of fishing. Sometimes it takes as many as 3 years for a prototype to reach market. Again giving example of the DUO’s commitment to function, innovation and quality. DUO has all of these; they not only own technologies and know-how, but also have supported other makers as an OEM original equipment manufacturer.This fact demonstrates how DUO is supporting the Japanese lure industry. Not only as one lure maker, but also as a corporation, they have been trust-worthy in their business. Debut at the Height of Time In this milestone year, DUO will release their first soft material product in the bass lure category.
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“REALIS, V-TAILSHAD3” After almost two years of research on materials, they have finally developed V-TAILSHAD3. With an ideal ratio of salt composition, its material, shape and size all convince anglers, “this will catch!” As you can see in the cross section, the back is slightly dented. This is added in consideration of it floating up and balancing while it is swimming. This shape is engineered to adapt to the change of water pressure in shallow, middle, deep and bottom ranges, assuring it to respond to the variety of needs of anglers in the global field. 3 inches and 12 colors. A different sizes will be released later. I can’t wait to try this lure. New Brand, Fang OPS is Born Seeking monster fish is gradually becoming popular in Japan these days. Inviting Japan’s most famous monster fisher, Mr. Uyama as an advisor, DUO has started FANG OPS, a lure brand specialized for monster fish. A hard-core hunter who spends a third of a year overseas seeking monster fish, Uyama is also CEO and a designer of ONEBITE ONEFISH, an apparel brand that “looks great for daily wear (other than for fishing)”. He has collaborated with various makers and designers. It will be interesting to see what kind of chemical reaction will come out of the collaboration between him and DUO’s Adachi. FANG OPS will not be sold in Japan and will only be available overseas, Since there is no species called monster in Japan, we cannot change that. While DUO fans in Japan will be grinding their teeth, anglers in other countries are likely to have monstrous catches with FANG OPS lures. Ninety Years since Bass Arrived in Japan It has been 91 years since bass was introduced to Japan in 1925. During the height of bass fishing, the fish were so abundant all over Japan’s fresh water that you could catch it even with a rubber eraser on your hook.
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These days, you may wait all day for one or no catch, depending on locations. The less catch anglers get, the harder anglers think and learn from their experiences. For the past twenty years, DUO walked along those anglers as they learned and grew, searching for lures that could meet their needs. DUO’s “NIPPON QUALITY” is not just a motto, but it is also their pride and philosophy. With amazement at their passion and relentless efforts to maintain Nippon Quality for the past twenty years, we will keep an eye on DUO, during this anniversary year, as they renew their history and keep growing alongside anglers in Japan and in the world.
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