TIPS FOR EARLY SEASON ELK

Elk trails converge on an east Cascade Mountains creek. “Once I locate some water sources, I usually have unlocked all the clues I need in order to have an optimal chance at notching a tag,” writes author

Dave Anderson. (DAVE ANDERSON)

Bowhunters face tough conditions in September, but they’re not insurmountable.

By Dave Anderson

Archery hunting for elk during the early season has several challenges that seem to increase with each year, particularly east of the Cascades.

September seems to be hotter and dryer, which makes for tough hunting conditions in itself. Then there are large land closures as forest managers react to wildfires or fire danger. In addition, the elk are generally quiet and not even talking for the first few days of the season. I’m not saying that they will not be talking at all, but not nearly as much as when the first cold snap hits. When I drew my quality bow elk tag in 2016, the bulls were still flying solo and had yet to round up any cows.

I will detail that hunt in a bit, but in my opinion, the number one key to success for combating the challenges of early season is to find water. Whether you are hunting for a cow, spike or large bull, one thing remains the same – they all need water to survive. Having a few to several days to scout can be crucial. I have gone into areas that were super dry with no foot traffic and spent three to four days just wandering around looking for water sources off the beaten path. Once I locate some, I usually have unlocked all the clues I need in order to have an optimal chance at notching a tag.

I was able to locate a gold mine water source after three days during my quality elk hunt. It had everything from lush grass to water coming from a mountain spring that led to a bedding area on a deep, dark north-facing slope. I seriously wanted to yell “Bingo!” when I found it. This has been something that has worked very well for me during the early archery season, but I’m sure there are other tactics that have worked well for others too.

are very dry. Every little step you make and every leaf, twig or piece of bark you step on turns into an alarm that lets all the animals in the forest know you are there. However, if you are calling and working elk, that may be an exception, as that is quite different than trying to sit it out and wait for them to come to you.

I do not necessarily believe it is crucial to be out hunting all day and sweating in the heat this time of year. You can still be very effective by heading out midafternoon and finding a place to hunker down. The optimal early-season place to set up is between a bedding area and a water source. You want to be at this location early enough so that the elk do not have a chance of hearing you make noise entering the area. As the elk start to transition from their bedding area to the water source/feeding location, you will already be settled in, quiet and prepared. Sometimes you may find an area where there are multiple game trails coming in and out. These are great areas to set up in, especially with friends so you can spread out amongst the multiple trails.

Next, be conscious of the wind and always make sure that it is in your face coming from the bedding areas. An elk’s number one sense is their nose. If you feel the wind on the back of your neck, it is game over. When looking for a place to set up, look for game trails coming out of the bedding areas. Elk are not very good at covering up their tracks and leave behind a lot of clues as to where they are coming from and going to.

PACK YOUR PATIENCE too in the early season. Hunting this way can be very tough for some, but I know firsthand how highly effective it can be. Find a nice area where you can sit and stand without making a lot of noise. Move all sticks and loud crunchy leaves away from you. You do not want to step on a stick or leaf as you position yourself to take a shot with your bow.

Once I find the most ideal location, I will sit as long as I can for the first few hours. By the evening, I want to be standing up behind a tree or shrub to break up my outline. It is important that you wait and stay in position until the last legal shooting light.

This same method will also work in the morning. You just have to sneak in super early, in the dark, without being detected and target elk as they are transitioning from the water source back to their bedding area. If you have followed all the rules of keeping the wind in your face, breaking up your outline and keeping movement to a minimum,

An Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife map shows where archery elk hunting will expand to controlled permit only next year. Seven of the units – Chesnimnus, Ochoco, Maury, Mt. Emily, Sled Springs, Walla Walla and Wenaha – plus the Starkey Experimental Forest were so designated this season. (ODFW)

CHANGES COMING TO N.E. OREGON ARCHERY ELK

More wildlife management units in Oregon’s Blue Mountains will move from general season to controlled archery elk hunting only starting next year, an effort that will reduce harvest.

The state Fish and Wildlife Commission made that decision last month because it was “needed to help wildlife managers meet elk plan objectives in areas with low bull ratios and a high percentage of branch-antlered bull harvest occurring within the general archery season.”

While seven units were previously designated as controlled hunts, the change folds in 13 more plus three subunits, with the Catherine Creek, Imnaha, Keating, Minam and Pine Creek WMUs all lumped under a new Eagle Cap Controlled Hunt Zone.

Per the Department of Fish and Wildlife, agency staffers have also been directed to come up with plans for controlled youth elk bow permits for the units “to promote youth hunting opportunity and hunter recruitment.” A proposal is expected to come before the commission for adoption starting with 2023 hunts.

The rest of Eastern, Central and Western Oregon will remain open for general season archery elk hunting. –NWS

everything else will fall into place.

Some of you may ask, Why wouldn’t I just walk into the bedding area during the day and try to get a shot at an elk? Trust me, I know it can be very tempting, but I am an adamant and firm believer that if you know elk are traveling to and from a specific area, you will catch them on that path. Spooked elk will blow so far and fast out of an area, it will make your head spin. I personally have refused to take some of my best friends to certain areas that I know hold elk because they will not sit still. They can’t handle being patient and waiting, so for that reason we will hunt other areas where it is not such a big deal. Sitting down and waiting is not for everyone, which I totally understand, but it has been a very effective method for me from the early through the late season when hunting elk with a bow.

NOW BACK TO detailing what I found that made my quality elk tag in 2016 successful. I was in the mountains every other weekend from July to the day I filled my tag. I put up almost a dozen trail cameras with Trophy Rocks under each camera. If you

The author credits his whopper 2016 bull to months of scouting and preparation. (DAVE ANDERSON)

After locating good late-summer elk habitat, Anderson peppers the area with trail cameras and mineral licks to get a sense of what bulls are

using the area. (DAVE ANDERSON)

didn’t already know, these mineral licks are like crack for elk. I did my due diligence in researching the area and properly prepared for my hunt.

My friend, his son and my wife spent most of the summer checking cameras. We looked for trails and placed cameras in locations we anticipated would be high-traffic areas for elk. By the time opening day came around, we had 27 different branch-antlered bulls on camera. I knew exactly where we wanted to sit on opening morning and shot my bull at 7:27 a.m. that day. All of this happened because of proper preparation. We knew which area was being traveled most, as well as which area held the most bulls. At that time, the bulls were still in singles and bachelor herds. As I mentioned

above, they did not have any cows rounded up yet. The bull I shot was solo and the crazy part was that we hadn’t even seen him until two days prior to me taking the shot. We did get a glimpse of him on a camera, but that one was also set up a couple miles away from where I shot him.

THIS ISN’T THE only way I hunt elk and there are definitely different scenarios that call for different tactics. This is also not for everyone – especially if you have a hard time sitting still and being patient.

It takes a lot of discipline to sit for hours upon hours. Be sure to have something to read or listen to, or even a game to play – it helps make the time go by. I hate to admit it, but I harvested an elk with my bow several years ago while I was in the middle of a game of Candy Crush. It helped pass the time and I certainly wasn’t bored.

With that said, good luck during this year’s elk season and hopefully this article gives you some different ideas and perspective on how to be successful during early archery season east of the mountains. NS

ODFW ACQUIRING NEW WILDLIFE AREA

When it comes to land acquisitions in the Northwest, Washington’s Department of Fish and Wildlife is the most active, but last month Oregon’s critter and habitat overseers began the process of securing a sprawling 24-plus-square-mile property along the Minam River for a new wildlife area that will also host hunting, fishing, hiking and other recreational activities.

The state Fish and Wildlife Commission signed off on the project’s first phase, the purchase of almost 5,000 acres, with funding from the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation and revenues from federal gun and ammo excise taxes via the Wildlife Restoration Program.

“This will permanently protect crucial big game winter range and provide habitat for salmon, bull trout and Oregon Conservation Strategy Species, including white-headed woodpecker, Rocky Mountain tailed frog and several priority bat species,” said ODFW in a press release.

The land is located up the Minam River between La Grande and Enterprise and has been managed by Hancock Natural Resource Group.

ODFW sees it as a “‘working landscape’ where livestock grazing and active forest management assist with habitat management goals.”

Funding for the acquisition of the remaining 11,000 acres is dependent on a USDA Forest Legacy grant that will be matched by RMEF. ODFW reports that the Oregon Hunters Association, Oregon Chapter of the Foundation for Wild Sheep and others are contributing money towards the project. The state agency will pay in-lieu property and fire taxes to Wallowa and Union Counties. –NWS

An image from a Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation fact sheet shows a portion of the 15,573 acres along and above the Minam River that the organization is partnering with the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife and others to acquire for a major new state wildlife area. (RMEF)

SJX JET BOATS

Growing up in the Lewis Clark Valley, aka the “Jet Boat Capital of the World,” it was an easy career choice for Steve Stajkowski to start working in the aluminum jet boat industry. In the early 1980s, when he was still in high school, Stajkowski got a job at a manufacturer, starting as a cleanup boy and working his way up the ladder. He was eventually able to experience every aspect of the aluminum jet boat manufacturing process, and he was fascinated.

“During breaks, before or after work, I was always using the tools of the trade, learning how to fabricate, building various boat parts, and grabbing a welder whenever possible,” says Stajkowski.

His interest didn’t stop there. After high school, he enrolled in a night welding course at the local college, but he concluded that he was better off getting a handson education and on-the-job experience that was much more specific to the aluminum jet boat industry.

By the late 1990s, Stajkowski had started working for himself, and a few years later, he designed the very first “inboard tunnel hull” jet boat with the ability to run extremely shallow debris-filled waters.

“Most all aluminum jet boat manufacturers, past and present, produce the Hells Canyon River Jet Boat design, which I call the typical jet boat design,” he explains. “All of them are pretty much the same with truly little design differences. When you live in the jet boat capital of the world and the gateway to Hells Canyon, it stands to reason that they would all be similar. Form follows function.”

Stajkowski continues, “My type of tunnel hull aluminum jet boat was not designed specifically for Hells Canyon use, and it did not look anything like the typical jet boats. There is only one Hells Canyon in the entire world. I designed the tunnel hull jet boat to target all the thousands of other types of rivers and shallow bodies of water around the globe.”

After nearly a year of CAD work designing the boat, the structure, and optimizing the material use, the first jet boat was produced in 2007, and a new company, SJX Jet Boats, was born.

What makes Stajkowski’s jet boats unique is that they are designed with a structure he calls a heavy-duty, lightweight construction. The continuous full-length welding, accompanied by a double bulkhead floor structure system, allows an SJX jet boat to flex as a unit, preventing any possibility of fractures or cracks beginning. All of this combined with the truly brutal testing they do on a continuing basis gives SJX the confidence to place a lifetime hull warranty on every jet boat produced.

“To date, we have had zero warranty claims on our tunnel hull design,” says Stajkowski.

But perhaps the biggest attraction for SJX’s customers is having the shallow-water abilities to reach places that other typical aluminum boats cannot even come close to, opening up so many more hunting, fishing and recreational possibilities. This has never been more important to outdoor sportsmen and -women than right now, when social distancing is the new normal.

Says Stajkowski, “The SJX jet boat allows people to get away from it all and go to places where there is not a chance of any other boats sharing their space.”

For more info, visit sjxjetboats.com.

A lot of preparation goes into the perfect venison steak, starting with how you cut your deer or – in this case – elk up. (RANDY KING)

How To Prep, Cook The Perfect Venison Steak

There’s just about nothing as American as a hunk of grilled red meat. Sure, some By Randy King CHEF IN THE WILD people harvest a deer or elk and dream of pot roasts or hamburgers, even spaghetti. But most of us, myself included, dream of a grilled hunk of backstrap. With 2021’s big game hunting seasons here already or fast approaching, learning how to grill a steak the best possible way is paramount.

Often the refrain from hunters is that venison is chewy or gamey. Most times that is simply because it is overcooked. The right cut of venison, off just about any age class of animal, will eat wonderfully. You just need to consider a few things.

AS A KID, my whole family participated in butchering our kills. When anyone shot a big game critter, the whole family was part of making it into meals. One person was the meat cutter, one was the wrapper, one was the labeler. We had a process and we all had a role to play.

Looking back, it seems idyllic. But truth be known, we were wild game processing apostates. We were sinners. We did one very common thing, and it slowed the whole operation down and made our food worse. We butterfly-cut our steaks.

I know, I know. We have sinned and I am asking for forgiveness.

Why not butterfly? Well, I am glad you asked. When butchering and freezing, the temptation is to cut backstrap and sirloins into steaks and then freeze. The theory is that when you thaw the meat, it is ready for the marinade, dry rub, wet rub or whatever.

But I recommend not cutting steaks before freezing. Precutting steaks disturbs more cells in the meat. The more cells you

COLUMN GIVE YOUR STEAK A WET RUB

Atraditional rub on steaks is completely dry, no moisture allowed, while a traditional marinade is for flavor and tenderization. So, the only oblivious (yes, I know what word that is) choice is to combine the two and make a wet rub.

Usually, I like to let my venison hang out in the wet rub overnight, if possible. If not, no worries, it will still taste good. The basic idea of a wet rub is to combine the flavors with a binding agent and some sort of garlic or onion combination. I use olive oil and then pulse the items in a food processor until they form a paste. Then I will add the paste to a bowl and toss the meat that I will be grilling into said bowl.

Basic Wet Rub

3 cloves garlic 5-6 sage leaves 1 sprig rosemary, leaves removed 1 teaspoon smoked paprika 2 teaspoons cracked black pepper 1 tablespoon kosher salt 3 tablespoons olive oil

Asada Rub

¼ yellow onion 5 cloves garlic 1 tablespoon Tapatío 1 tablespoon ground cumin 1.5 tablespoons carne asada seasoning (Hispanic section of most grocery stores) 1 tablespoon kosher salt 1 tablespoon lemon juice 2 tablespoons oregano 1 tablespoon paprika 2 tablespoons olive oil

Moroccan Rub

½ teaspoon cinnamon 1 teaspoon garlic powder 2 teaspoons white sugar ¼ cup olive oil ½ teaspoon cayenne

A basic wet rub would include (clockwise from top) kosher salt, cracked black pepper, smoked paprika, garlic, rosemary, sage leaves and olive oil, or you can spice it up with other herbs and seasonings.

(RANDY KING)

No need to burn your venison all the way to 145 degrees. The concept of carryover cooking means it will still gain temperature as it rests after being taken off of the heat and before it’s served

up. (RANDY KING)

Ideally, you let your evenly coated steak marinate for 24 hours before cooking, or at least overnight.

(RANDY KING)

1 tablespoon paprika 1 teaspoon ground cumin 1 lemon, juice and zest

Kalbi Rub (inspired by the Idaho Beef Council)

¼ cup soy sauce 3 tablespoons sugar 2 tablespoons sesame oil ½ onion 2 cloves garlic 1 green onion, rough chopped ½ tablespoon black pepper 1 tablespoon sriracha paste 1 tablespoon sesame seeds (optional)

Whichever wet rub recipe you’re trying, combine all of the ingredients in a food processor. Pulse until a “chunky” paste is formed. Rub onto about 1.5 pounds of venison.

Cover the meat as evenly as you can with the wet rub. Then let the meat hang out in it, covered, for 24 hours in the fridge. If that long is not an option for you, just give the meat as much time in the rub as you can. The flavors tend to meld better together that way.

Preheat the grill. Scrape the grill clean with a wire brush. Then soak a paper towel in oil and carefully remove the black scraping from the grates. The grill is ready for venison! Cook to the temperature you desire.

Enjoy a good steak! Be an American! For more wild game recipes, see chefrandyking.com. –RK

disturb, the more water purge you will get. All the “blood” in a thawed freezer bag is just red purge from the muscles. So limiting the number of cuts helps retain meat quality.

Also, precut steaks have more surface area and more surface area is more opportunity for freezer burn. Freezing whole cuts of meat is better for the meat than precutting it into steaks. A few extra seconds cutting the meat into medallions when thawed is worth it for higher quality. Don’t cut steaks, cut “primals.”

ALSO, DON’T FREEZE meat in the chest

freezer. The faster any meat freezes, the better. Freezing sends ice shards through cell walls, causing them to break down – to the detriment of the meat. The slower the freeze, the worse the meat. A chest freezer is simply cold; it has no forced air circulation.

Instead, I freeze all my meat in the home fridge, right next to the unit’s fan. While not any colder, the forced circulation freezes the meat faster. That is a good thing.

When thawing meat, time is your best friend. Most weeks I will pull out enough meat for the week on Sunday evening. That way I know that what I want to cook is thawed and ready to cook. Putting meat underwater to thaw quickly is OK, but not great. Also try to avoid using the defrost

button on the microwave if at all possible.

WHEN YOU HAVE a primal ready to be eaten, the next “step” is to find the direction of the grain of meat. When you do, cut the steak about 1.5 inches thick, at a minimum. The reason you want the steak so thick is to allow caramelization of all the surfaces without overcooking the inside. The classic “grey” venison steak is caused by getting the grill marks but not having a steak thick enough to be medium rare on the inside.

According to the USDA, venison falls under the “beef” category when it comes to cooking. The federal agency recommends getting venison to 145 degrees Fahrenheit before removing it from the heat source.

The USDA does not like good venison, apparently. To quote them: “Cook all raw beef, pork, lamb and veal steaks, chops, and roasts to a minimum internal temperature of 145° F as measured with a food thermometer before removing meat from the heat source. For safety and quality, allow meat to rest for at least three minutes before carving or consuming. For reasons of personal

Chico Locker Sausage Company Steak ‘Doneness’ Guide

Blue

Rare

Medium rare

Medium

Medium well

Well done

Overcooked very red and cold

cold red center; soft

warm red center; firmer

pink and firm

small amount of pink in the center

gray-brown throughout; firm

blackened throughout; crispy 115–120 °F

125–130 °F

130–140 °F

140–150 °F

150–155 °F

160-212 °F

+212 °F preference, consumers may choose to cook meat to higher temperatures.”

Thankfully, this is a free country, and we can cook our meat the way we want, including to lower temperatures. On this page is a chart from the Chico Locker Sausage Company that shows the stages of “doneness” for red meat. You pick how you want it done.

AND REMEMBER,WITH all meat there is a “carryover” cooking component. When you pull steaks or whatnot off of the grill, frying pan, oven, etc., assume it will gain 10 percent more degrees internally before you eat it.

If you want medium rare, pull the steak when it is rare and allow it to rest before eating.

And no, you are not risking life and limb by eating venison that is under 145 degrees. The reason? Well, most bacteria and “bad stuff” accumulates on the outside of meat. So as long as you cook the outside layer well enough, the meat will be just fine and safe to consume below that temperature. NS

Should You Zero For Deer At 100, 200 Or 300 Yards?

September is the month to be getting ready for the deer opener in October, and when ON TARGET By Dave Workman I say “zero” a rifle, that doesn’t mean being able to punch a couple of holes in a 10-inch paper plate at 100 yards. It means being able to fire a threeshot group that preferably measures an inch or less at that distance.

Several years ago, I would infrequently volunteer, or simply stop by, at the Snoqualmie Valley Rifle Club range east of Seattle during the annual “public sightin days” to witness some decent shooting, and some disturbingly bad shooting.

You’re making a cold bore shot on an animal that may be a couple hundred yards away, so you’ve got to know where that bullet is going to strike when you press the trigger.

FIRST, UNDERSTAND A bit about ballistics. Bullets do not shoot flat from the muzzle to Point A. They may be half an inch high at 50 yards and dead on at 100. If you’re that close to a buck in Western Washington or Western Oregon – where many shots are

Frank Workman clobbered this three-point mule deer last fall with two shots from his Ruger rifle in .308 Winchester. The rifle is zeroed 2.5 inches high at 100 yards using 165-grain bullets.

(DAVE WORKMAN)

The Cedar Creek Fire burns in western Okanogan County earlier this summer. During similar extreme fire danger and drought conditions last September, Washington hunting managers asked those after grouse, deer, elk and other animals to “cold camp” – to not use lanterns, stoves and other gas-fueled equipment and instead cook their food at home or bring meals that don’t require heating. (INCIWEB)

BE EXTREMELY CAREFUL WITH FIRE

This writer would be extremely remiss if no mention were made this month to be careful with fire.

If the forest is posted “No Fires,” don’t be the knucklehead who figures he won’t get caught and lights up a campfire anyway.

Fires this year have already burned critical habitat for deer, elk, bear and other game animals all over the West, and all the non-game species that share the same environs are in the same predicament. We’ve seen the hazy skies from all the fires elsewhere – from California to Montana – and take this correspondent’s word for it: Those two states are as close as you ever want to get to a full- blown forest fire.

Don’t smoke. Take care pulling trailers by making sure your chains don’t drag, even on a gravel road. Light up your camp with lanterns.

Any rains we may get between now and your hunting trip may help, but they will definitely not solve the problem. The West needs rain. The Pacific Northwest needs lots of rain, and snow wouldn’t hurt, either!

A lot of the Northwest has gone up in smoke this year, so check ahead with your Forest Service ranger district and/or the state forestry department about conditions where you intend to hunt. You can also monitor individual fires at inciweb.nwcg.gov.

I’ve lost good hunting grounds over the years to forest fires. I don’t want to lose any more. —DW made in the dense brushy cover – a half an inch isn’t going to matter that much.

However, if you spot a buck in Eastern Washington or Central or Eastern Oregon, where distances stretch out well beyond 100 yards, and if your rifle is “just a little low” at 100, it could be disastrously off at 200 or 300 yards. By the time that bullet gets to 300 yards, it will have dropped anywhere from 10 to 15 inches, depending upon the caliber, muzzle velocity and type of bullet. (I prefer boattails with good ballistic coefficient because they cut through the air better.)

Remember, a bullet leaving the muzzle at 2,200 feet per second, for example, is going to cross 300 yards (900 feet) in a fraction of a second. You may not get a second chance, so make the first one count.

Today’s crop of new cartridges built around the 6.5 bullet (the Creedmoor, Grendel and Remington Magnum, for example) are all long-shooters, and ballistically they travel fast and relatively flat. The .264-caliber bullet in these rounds is deadly at ranges beyond 400 yards, but the basic principle still applies. Study the ballistics and check the muzzle velocity. A bullet traveling at, say, 3,200 fps out of the muzzle with a ballistic coefficient of .510 that is dead on at 100 yards can drop 2.2 inches at 200 yards, just over 9 inches at 300 yards and a hair over 20½ inches at 400 yards. That’s according to the universal table for rifle bullets found at the rear of the Nosler Reloading Guide #7.

LET’S TALK WINDAGE and elevation now. I’ve zeroed all of my rifles and I may be out on the opener with my trusty .257 Roberts this year, or my lever-action .300 Savage Model 99, only for nostalgia. I’ve killed deer with both guns, along with the bucks anchored with my bolt-action Savage in .308 Winchester and my Marlin MR7 in .30-06 Springfield.

Each rifle has one thing in common. They are all sighted to shoot about 2.5 inches high at 100 yards. Since they group typically straight above the 10-ring, that “windage thing” is not a problem. But with the loads/bullet weights I use in each gun, shooting that high at 100 yards typically puts the bullet in the boilerworks

at 200 to 250 yards.

I dislike taking shots beyond 350 yards (I’ve killed two Snake River muleys at that range with the -06), but there are others who find it challenging. For me it’s a bullet-weight-plus-velocity-plus-energy thing. I load a 180-grain Nosler AccuBond in my .30-06 rounds, a 165-grain Nosler Ballistic Tip in the .308 load, and a 150-grain Ballistic Tip in the .300 Savage. For the .257 Roberts, I use a 100-grain Ballistic Tip or a Speer boattail, which has been ample enough on a Colville whitetail and Taneum Ridge mule deer.

Others may disagree with this simple formula, but it has worked repeatedly for me, and for my brother, who shoots the same loads I do in his Ruger .308 and Marlin ’06.

I once zeroed his rifle as a favor and punched three holes into a sub-1-inch group at 100 yards. I then shifted the sight picture up 10 clicks and fired one round at a clay target someone had left at the 200-yard backstop. The clay vanished in a bunch of particles, and a month or two later over on the Snake River, he headshot a buck on an uphill angle.

Last October, we were hunting in Washington’s Douglas County when we spotted a nice buck with a group of does and smaller bucks. I estimated the range at just under 200 and he fired. That particular buck didn’t immediately drop, however, but started moving uphill into the brush, with my brother in hot pursuit. The buck was hit hard, and he eventually tried to hide behind a big bush, but Frank spotted him and finished him off.

NOW TO SANDBAG rests and three-shot strings. No matter how many times I repeat this to people, some just don’t get it. When you’re checking zero or sighting in a new gun or scope, use a sandbag rest.

In my experience it’s the most reliable platform because you’re not likely to find a handy bench rest in the middle of nowhere, but you can quickly deploy a daypack that may have a vest or something else inside to create a reasonable sandbag facsimile.

Never, ever fire more than a three-shot string without opening the action and racking the rifle to allow the bore to cool. Trying to sight a rifle with a hot barrel is at best frustrating, and your marksmanship goes downhill from there.

Give the rifle at least five minutes between strings. It can save wear on the barrel too.

I’ve known of people who hit the range, fire one or two shots and then go home, only to return a day or two later, repeat the routine, and drive away. Such people are patient geniuses and you can bet by the season opener they will know exactly where that bullet is going!

SWITCHING GEARS, WASHINGTON’S grouse

season opens midmonth, and I know of a lot of people who have been taking careful notes about ruffies and blues they’ve been

Sometimes, hunting the big timber produces fat grouse. Dave used a 20-gauge Franchi Instinct L 20-gauge stoked with Federal No. 6s to conk this pair of high country blues in central Kittitas County. (DAVE WORKMAN)

spotting during their summer travels.

As I wrote a couple of months back, we’ll miss the traditional September 1 opener because it did allow for a long Labor Day weekend hunting opportunity. On the other hand, that is one weekend when human conflicts seem to multiply because the woods are often filled with morons on dirt bikes roaring up and down trails and/ or national forest roads, and otherwise making nuisances of themselves.

It doesn’t occur to them there may be bowhunters or bear hunters, and especially grouse hunters out there also trying to enjoy the outdoors.

Officially, the bump-back of the grouse opener to September 15 – a Wednesday this year – is to reduce pressure on hens. By the oddest of coincidences, I’m staying out of the office that day!

I’ve spotted grouse in several places, and folks over at the Hunting-Washington forum are talking things up with enthusiasm.

The trade-out for the late opener is a

The author recovered this perfectly mushroomed bullet from his brother Frank’s buck. (DAVE WORKMAN)

January 15, 2022 season finale, but I suspect most grouse hunters will have long since put away their shotguns by then.

I’ve got smoothbores in 12- and 20-gauge, and a .410-bore double S/S. I’ve found the best luck with No. 6 shot, as it seems to pattern effectively on grouse at 15 to 20 yards or a bit more. I like 2¾-inch highbase shells in the 12 and 20, but in the .410 I go with 3-inchers for a bit more reach.

For blue grouse, I typically start the season up on the high ridges, hunting the big timber. It’s been hot and dry, so this year I’ll be concentrating on areas where I know there is water, hunting mornings and evenings, while probably napping during the midday because at my age, I’ve developed a penchant for laziness that is second to none!

I learned years ago to clean out my bores by using a bore brush around which a patch has been wrapped, soaked with Hoppe’s No. 9. Then I follow up with some dry patches, a bore mop and finally a lightly oiled patch. Even if the gun has been sitting in a safe all year, take it out now and clean it! A few drops of oil in the moving parts areas doesn’t hurt.

FINAL REMINDERS: KEEP a separate cooler

for your game and have at least a bag or brick of ice inside. Clean your kill quickly and get it into the cooler to preserve the quality of your birds.

The daily bag is four grouse, but only three may be dusky or sooty (blue) grouse. Possession limit is 12 birds, with no more than nine being duskies or sooties.

Be sure to share your success pictures with Northwest Sportsman! We like sharp, colorful images, depicting safe gun handling and good sportsmanship. Be sure to provide details with each image: where, when, type of gun, the load you were using, who is in the photo, who snapped the photo and any other info pertinent to the image. (Check the photo of Dave on the previous page with the grouse, and the caption. That’s the detail we like.) Email them to awalgamott@ media-inc.com. You just might win a photo contest prize! NS

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Cumberland’s Northwest Trappers Supply is your one-stop trapping supply headquarters, featuring one of the largest inventories in the U.S. We are factory direct distributors on all brands of traps and equipment which allows us to offer competitive prices. Give us a try. Our fast, friendly service will keep you coming back.

Over 50 Years Of Service To The Trap & Fur Industry

Request A Catalog Or Place An Order By Phone, Mail Or On Our Website If you get in the area, visit our store!

We are the new home of “Trappers Hide Tanning Formula” in the bright orange bottle. Retail & dealer inquiries are welcome.

P.O. Box 408, Owatonna, Minnesota 55060 • (507) 451-7607 trapper@nwtrappers.com • www.nwtrappers.com

CUMBERLAND’S NORTHWEST TRAPPERS SUPPLY

Hide Tan Formula has been used successfully by thousands of hunters and trappers across the U.S. and Canada. No more waiting several months for tanning. Now, you can tan your own hides and furs at home in less than a week, at a fraction of the normal cost. Our Hide Formula tans deer hides either hair-on for a rug or mount, or hair-off for buckskin leather. Tans all fur skins – muskrat, mink, beaver, fox, coyote, raccoon, squirrel, rabbit, etc. It also applies to bear, elk, moose, cowhide, sheep and even snakeskin. Hide Tan Formula is premixed and ready to use and produces a soft, supple Indian-style tan in five to seven days.

One 8-ounce bottle will tan one deer hide in two medium-sized fur skins. Bear, elk, moose and caribou require three to six bottles. Complete instructions are included. You’ll be amazed how easy it is!

Tanned hides and furs are great to decorate your home or camp and also to sell for extra income. Tanned hides and furs are in demand by black powder enthusiasts, American Indian traders, fly tyers, country trading posts and many crafters. Our products are proudly produced and bottled in the U.S. for over 20 years.

Available at Cumberland’s Northwest Trappers Supply in Owatonna, Minnesota.

Call (507) 451-7607 or email trapper@nwtrappers.com. nwtrappers.com