$6.99
COLLECTORS EDITION
SEASON 1, ISSUE 1
SPRING 2011
10
TAGG’N A PERFECT SKINNING TAIL IN FOUR EASY STEPS. TURKEY HUNTING
EVOLVES +FATHERS DAY GEAR GUIDE
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or bow hunters, the beginning of the season is a time we anticipate with great enthusiasm. All have their bows tuned, tree stands set, and you just can’t wait to try out that new decoy. But, is every bow hunter really prepared to see more big
bucks in that first evening than they ever had before? Well, I wasn’t. I took for granted that the first day of the season may be the day where there is no room for error. By the time the rut kicks in, we have taken care of all the nicks and knacks, but sometimes it’s too late. The opportunity you blew in the early season might be the only opportunity that presents itself. Everyone can see big bucks, but if you can’t deliver perfect execution when the moment arrives, you may be slobbering over the television for the next year watching Lee and Tiffany shoot the big ones. It just so happened that my big moment presented itself on the first evening of bow season. Of course I wasn’t planning on seeing a big buck that first evening. It’s never happened that way before. It had been almost a year since I had been in a tree stand. All I cared about was getting out and hopefully seeing a few deer. I scouted the area with a few trail cameras and knew of a few big bucks hanging around. I just didn’t figure I would see them all the first evening!
So that first day, I got all my hunting equipment ready to go: grunt call, rattles, scent away, the works. Right after I practiced shooting a few shots with my compound bow, I headed off to my stand. When I got in my stand I was just happy to be there. Once September hits, it seems like an eternity before October rolls around, so this moment couldn’t have come sooner. I had a nice little setup in a tree on a fence line, with woods in front of me, a cornfield on my right and soybeans on my left. Wouldn’t you know, after sitting in my stand for only 25 minutes, a 140-class eight-pointer walked out of the woods on the same fence line where I was set. This was the same eight-pointer I had on trail camera from the year before. He was very distinct with a cowlick on the back of his neck, and brow tines that started out very wide, so he wasn’t hard to identify. He was about 100 yards away when he walked out. I couldn’t believe it. I had been preparing all summer for this moment and it was all happening within 25 minutes of sitting in my stand! When he looked to the ground, I slowly stood up and got my release on the string. He started walking right down the fence line, right at me. Things were all going to come together. But then, he got 50 yards away, smelled the ground, looked up, turned around and went back in the woods. The path I took to my tree stand was the same path this deer was walking to me. I knew these bucks had been taking this path, so I should have taken a different route to my stand.
My next mistake was the deer may have smelled my boots. I was wearing old boots because I had forgotten my new boots at my parent’s house. Needless to say, I felt pretty devastated. I made a few small mistakes that probably just cost me a big buck. Forty-five minutes later I felt a little better when I saw what was coming from my left. Two, 130-class bucks came grazing into the bean field. They ended up walking within 30 yards of me, but knowing that the 140-class eight was still out there was enough to make me hold off. I had never passed up a 130-class buck, but seeing a much bigger one a half hour earlier made me persevere. I even saw two does and another 130-class buck come out of the woods before dark and walk by me on my right side. This was, by far, the best evening of hunting I had experienced that early in the season. Lucky for me, I got another opportunity at the brute the following week. On Oct. 7, I was off to the woods around 4:15 p.m. In previous trail camera shots, I noticed the big buck had been coming out of the corn most often, making his way to the woods. On this particular day the wind was blowing from the field to the woods, so naturally I figured the best place to set up was downwind of where I thought the buck would come from, which was the cornfield. I learned from my mistake the previous week, so I decided to take a different path than usual to where I was going to set up my climber. I ended up getting in a tree just inside the woods, about 250 yards away from the cornfield. I didn’t want to be seen if something did come
from the field so I faced my stand away from the field so my tree would serve as camouflage. I really felt good about this evening. A cold spell had come through so the deer were moving. I had been in the stand for 45 minutes and hadn’t seen anything yet, but I was still hopeful. At 5:45 p.m., I heard a stick break from behind me. I slowly glanced over my shoulder and to my amazement the big eight was staring right at me, with a nine-pointer standing right behind him from about 70 yards away. I thought I had messed up again because he had spotted me. A moment later, he put his head to the ground and began walking right at me. I knew it was now or never to stand up, so I slowly rose out of my seat. He didn’t see me stand, so that was a plus. I thought for sure the smaller nine would come through first, since a smaller buck usually leads when the two are together. Lucky for me the big eight walked right underneath me. I was able to hold off until he got in front of me a bit. He was walking at a steady pace so I was going to have to make an attempt to stop him. As he walked directly
underneath me, I slowly drew back and attempted some fancy footwork to get my body turned so I could make the shot. At about 13 yards he was quartered perfectly as he was still walking. I gave out a loud bleat to stop him and it worked. I placed my first pin behind the front shoulder and let my arrow fly. When I heard the familiar thwack of my twoblade rage hitting that buck, I knew I had made a good shot. I found him about 200 yards from where I shot him. He was a shade over 22-inches wide and scored 140. He wasn’t the biggest buck in the world, but a trophy to me. The moral of this story is be prepared to see the big one from the beginning of the season to the end. You never know when he’s going to show up. When opportunity comes calling you don’t want to let yourself down.
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oil water in a paper cup- believe it or not you can boil water in a paper cup. Just fill the cup full and then place it in the fire. The cup will burn down only to the water level. It is great for sanitizing dirty water or cooking an egg. For many bachelors out there, this revelation may mean the end of doing dishes. Hint: make sure the fire is big enough so if the water boils over it will not put the fire out. Also fully soaking the cup keeps it from burning down to the water line.
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ock Steady- When glassing, it is important to get comfortable. When using your binos, sit down and support your back against something solid. Lock your elbows into your body or brace them on your legs. Think of how a tripod works; the more points of your body you have on the ground, or a solid rest, the more stable you will be. If you are wearing a ball cap, hold the binoculars to the brim of your hat. This is just one more touch-point for added stability. The more comfortable you are and the more stable you are, the easier it is to spot game.
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oving Archery Targets- a package of balloons, a slight breeze and a body of water make for great archery practice on moving targets. Blow up a balloon then place it on the surface of the water up wind of the shooter. The balloon will drift past creating a great moving target. It is like skeet shooting for a bow. Hint: This can also be done on the ground. For ground shooting use blunt tips and make sure there is a good backstop to catch your arrows.
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ighting in your bow & tightening your groups- Aim small miss small. When sighting in your bow or trying to tighten up your arrow groupings, place a small one inch diameter white sticker on your target. The smaller size of the white sticker helps you aim more precisely. The white color is easy for your eye to pick up and contrasts great against your pins. By using the small white dot you will tighten up your groups and make it easier to tell where you are really hitting. You may surprise yourself at how accurate you are when you have a small focal point that is easily picked up by your eye to aim at. Hint: The top to a bottled water also works great by wedging it in missing chucks of a beat up target.
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ong-range shooting is becoming more popular every year with hunters. In the past, only a few production rifles were chambered for cartridges suitable for long-range hunting. The Weatherby line of cartridges was at the forefront years ago but now Remington, Winchester, Savage and many other companies have chambered rifles in the big 30 and 338 caliber magnums. Today’s hunters have a much larger selections of rifles and cartridges to choose from. Probably the biggest advancement in long-range hunting is the laser rangefinder. Before the laser rangefinder came out, we had scopes with reference points or prism-type rangefinders to tell yardage. The laser rangefinders today are very accurate, with most of them estimating at plus or minus one yard. So what does it take to get into longrange hunting? For starters, a hunter needs a rifle capable of precision shooting and adequate one-shot killing power. If you’re lucky enough to have an off-the-shelf rifle that will shoot accurate, feel very fortunate. When I say accurate, I mean groups of one minute or less (one inch at 100 yards). Once you have an accurate rifle in your hands you will need to gauge your longrange capabilities. I like to use gallon milk jugs filled with water – hits are very
obvious and sometimes spectacular. I think the milk jug represents a good killzone size for large game. When hunting limit your shooting distance to the furthest range you can consistently hit the milk jugs at. Start at 200 yards and work your way back. Don’t just shoot in flat areas, shoot across gulches, up hills and into the wind to see what your capabilities really are. When you start missing the jugs, you know what your limit is. Besides having good equipment, practice is the key to becoming a good long-range shooter. You don’t need to shoot your big rifles to get in good practice. Shooting a .17 or .22 rim fire at 100 yards and beyond really teaches a person to read the wind and calculate bullet drop at yardages beyond what you would think a rim fire is accurate at. When I was a kid and my dad gave me my first .22, it was a Winchester model 67a single shot. All my friends had repeaters and would burn up the ammo shooting gophers and rock chucks. I did just as well or better with that old single shot, one bullet at a time. This really taught me the importance of a well placed first shot at a young age. Times have changed plenty since my younger days. I now shoot a .375 or .408 chey-tac for my long-range rifle but still use a single shot action and know the importance of that first shot. I try and get out to shoot the big rifles at least a couple times a month at extended ranges, but get out all the time with a .17 HMR for practice. I can’t stress how important it is to get out and shoot as much as you can to
become a good long-range shooter. I think back over the nice bull elk I have shot over the years at long range and never would have harvested them if it weren’t for my ability to make that long shot. The rifles, optics and rangefinders get better all the time and the ranges I routinely shoot now are beyond what I thought were ever possible years ago. Just when I think it can’t become any better someone comes up with new equipment to make that shot just a little longer and more accurate. Now days with all the great longrange cartridges, hunters don’t really need to go with a wildcat to get a truly great long-range cartridge. Off-the-shelf rifles like the 30-378, 338-378 WBY and 300 RUM or 338 RUM (just to name a few) have made long-range hunting/ shooting much easier to get into. One last thing I’d like to touch on is the ethics of long-range shooting at game animals. If you can, try and hunt with a partner so they can range and spot for you when you make a shot. Your spotter can call the shot and if conditions are right, he can even tell you where the hit was on the animal. Don’t make the shot if you don’t have adequate time to get to the animal in good light. Most importantly, never make a shot unless it’s within your limits. When you can’t consistently hit the jugs, you’re at the end of your limit.
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he word pyramid conjures up images of sand and camels surrounding the tombs of the pharaohs of ancient Egypt. There is however another great pyramid, possibly just as old, but this one is not manmade. Emerging out of a desert lake, a sacred pyramid shaped tufa rock formation stretches out from the deep, clear, aqua-marine colored waters of Nevada’s Pyramid Lake. In the waters below the sacred Piute Indian icon lie the world’s largest cutthroat trout. The lake is a remnant of the prehistoric Great Basin, which at one time covered a large portion of the western United States. The water in the lake is the final resting place for the water flowing out of Lake Tahoe via the Truckee River. There are no dams on Pyramid making it a natural sink for Lake Tahoe. Pyramid lakes’ water has a high Alkaline content, almost making its PH closer to brackish tidal waters than an inland lake. The lake is home to some of the largest cutthroat trout in the world. In 1925 the recognized world record Cutthroat trout of 41 pounds was caught from Pyramid Lake. Although fish of that size no longer remain in the waters today due to environmental and human related transformations of the ecosystem. Fishermen still line the banks and troll the waters for a chance to do battle with a 10 plus pound cutthroat. Sinking their lines into
the deep waters with a possibility of landing a fish over 15 pounds. Having some monster cutthroats in the water is what keeps the die hard anglers coming back. While over ten pound fish are not a daily occurrence fish under two pounds are rare with five pound fish not too much to ask for. The lakes underwater topography includes a sandy shelf that may go out a few hundred yards from shore at knee to waist deep then drop straight down anywhere from twenty to over a hundred feet deep. The bank fisherman line up along the shelf off of the shore wading out and fishing from ladders in the water. In the spring, fisherman may be found almost shoulder to shoulder for miles along the bank as the fish cruise the abrupt drop-off at the edge of the shallows. The savvy fly-fishermen of the lake often take two rods with them so they are ready to throw whatever the fish seem to be taking. One rod will have sinking line with a large colorful woolly bugger trailed with either another woolly bugger or a floating beetle. The other rod generally has floating line and a strike indicator trailed with a bugger or midges. Depending on the day both setups can be big trout dynamite. If you want to figure out what is catching, bring a pair of binoculars and look up and down the shore to see whether they are hitting sinking line, indicators, or both. When fishing from a ladder, fish will
often follow the fly all the way in before striking. Make sure to slowly bring your flies out of the water as many strikes happen at point blank range. Don’t forget that the fish can even be behind you. In calm days you may even see fish swim under your ladder. The point is that you don’t have to be the furthest fly caster in the world to catch fish in Pyramid. The fishing is best with a slight breeze to add some chop to the water. This gives your nymphs more action and helps hide the fisherman’s movement from the fish traveling close to the ladder. Trolling is also popular on the lake. Some fishermen choose to troll the deep water with a down rigger while others are equally successful trolling the shallows and the shelf close to shore. U-20 flatfish are the most popular lures for people trolling, while spin fisherman opt to use large heavy spoons and cast from shore. The fish in the lake seem to be more prone to colors than type of lure. Change your lure color often until you find what color is hitting that day. The lake has a special mystique surrounded by local tales and historic lore. The mystery of the pyramid and tales of people that go missing each year fuel the stories. Talk to any angler who fishes the lake enough and you will hear of some hair rising stories of lake monsters, Indian spirits, and other unexplainable happenings.
Continued on page 43
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H UN TING
HEALTHY
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fter reading outdoor magazines for over 20 years now, I am still amazed at the new products and strategies available to improve your odds of bagging a trophy animal. However, one of the most underappreciated and overlooked factors in hunting success is your nutrition strategy. If your hunt is physically demanding, then re-thinking your eating and drinking habits can be the difference between bagging the trophy of your dreams or going home tired and frustrated. Here are a few nutrition do’s and don’ts to remember when heading out on your big hunt.
at breakfast! Your body needs calories for the demanding work ahead. A motivated hunter can easily expend 4,000 - 6,000 calories over long day of hiking. After fasting overnight, choosing to skip breakfast can mean going up to 17 hours without any fuel by lunchtime. This is a preventable situation that will cause even the most fit individual to suffer. As a rule, consume at least 500 – 1000 calories of mostly carbohydrate-rich foods within two hours of waking up. These are your bodies preferred source of fuel when exercising. I suggest you pack fruit, whole grain cereals, cereal bars, Pop-Tarts®, bagels, English muffins, pancakes, milk or yogurt. If you’re generally not hungry in the morning or have a sensitive stomach, you may prefer either fluid or semi-solid choices like 100% fruit juice, fruit smoothies or drinkable yogurts, and meal replacement shakes like Ensure® and Boost Plus®. Joe’s Bio: Joe is a Registered Dietitian and Certified Personal Trainer specializing in sports nutrition and endurance training in Reno, NV. He teaches both recreational and professional athletes of all ages how to improve health and performance with food and specific exercise. Joe is a graduate of Cal Poly State University. In 2007, he was awarded Nevada’s “Recognized Young Dietitian of the Year”.
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oad up on fatty foods. Over-consuming fatty foods will prevent you from getting enough carbohydrates - and will probably better prepare you to take a long nap then to chase trophy elk. Go easy on fatty meats like sausage and bacon, biscuits, croissants, fried doughnuts, and toppings like butter and gravy, Also remember that caffeine is a stimulant, meaning it provides only perceived energy. This can make hiking seem easier, but if you are a coffee drinker, you still need breakfast!
nack throughout the day. It is no secret why endurance athletes consume carbohydrates throughout their events. Studies clearly show that this practice improves endurance significantly. Start reading food labels and carry an assortment of lightweight, shelf stable products that have at least 20 grams (g) carbohydrate per serving. I prefer Cookie Boy cookies (available at www.cookieboy.biz), CLIF Mojo™ bars, fresh or dried fruit, granola bars, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, cheese or peanut butter sandwich crackers, even mini candy bars and other candies. These products will keep your energy levels up, your aim steady and your mind sharp.
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ely on salami, jerky, cheese, nuts and seeds. Yes, they have calories but you may be surprised to find that these foods contain very little carbohydrate per serving, making them more suitable for stationary hunting situations.
rink enough fluids. Heavy sweating and breathing will cause dehydration, even in cold climates. Symptoms of dehydration include muscle cramps, lightheadedness and fatigue. As a guideline, I suggest you drink a tall glass of water upon waking. Then, continue to drink fluids throughout the morning until you urinate. Back off but continue to hydrate throughout the day so that you urinate about every 2-3 hours. Your urine should be lemonade-colored or lighter. I often carry either sports drinks like Gatorade® or 50% diluted juice (mix water with apple or cranberry juice cocktail). This is a great way to get both carbohydrates and fluids. I also prefer backpacks with a CamelBak® drinking system. They make packing and carrying the extra weight easier and drinking more convenient.
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rink excessive amounts of alcohol during your hunting trip. Alcohol will dehydrate you, impair your decision making, slow your reaction time and will also delay your ability to recharge your internal carbohydrate stores, which are vital for consecutive day hunting. Save your stuff for the celebration when your tag is filled.
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Cooking with Buck My Texas brethren would probably like to lay claim to the fajita, but history gives credit to the Mexican ranch workers whom lived and worked along the Rio Grande (West Texas-Mexico border) in the early 1940’s. When a steer was butchered the workers were given the least desirable parts to eat. Often they were given this meat in lieu of a days wages Because of this, the workers learned to make good use of this tough cut of beef. In Spanish, fajita is a form of the word faja which translates to “belt” or “girdle” in English. With its mix of Mexican and Texas roots this is bound VENI SON F to be a hit at your next meal. AJITA Ingred S (Fee ients: ds 4) • 1/2 cup or By substituting venison or elk this meal ange j • 1/4 uice cup w will surely become a mealtime favorite: hite • 1
vineg tabl • 1/4 espoon seas ar te o • 1/4 aspoon pep ning salt* per* teaspo on cay • 1 1/ en 2 • 1 m lbs venison ne pepper* edium steak or 1 1 g • 1m /2 edium reen peppe r, julie lbs elk ste sweet • 1m aks, c nned ( red pe edium ut in cu pp o • 2 ta blespo nion, halve er, julienne t in long str to thin strip ips) d and ons ve d s • 8 flo slic ge u • 2 cu r tortillas (8 table oil, di ed vided p i • sour s shredded M nches) cream exican • sals Blend a cheese S N O I T or 2 c C E DIR ups ch eddar le b cheese la * subs resea t s e r g fi r e la th a t i e t In u in t b e m w/ a p eat. ag, co acket plastic b ients, then add m coat all the of faji ta mix to d e te r g ta e o in g r n e d a from y r n fiv o a e g e a th b m , a s ou loc e r g u th d o l d il h a te e w 3 a s al gro e t 2 in x r th r e a N cer or move r nal m rate fo e u o e r s o r ig y r e to f e p r e c e r I mini-m ; la iz r, s r p . e e e , p tt c d e ix is n ie r b p m c te e art e d a th d n s a a e a t d t e in u a r c c ic a a in n u l r m o a il ce y card ing is ou m in is y th s d juice w y r r t; e d . e g n le v it a n il e l to sk the lo you drain f oil unti y brown at to the taste (so t). After / 1 tablespoon o w add your me get a nice stir-fr h ig n s r u e this ov and no r delicio ink) to skillet w the side longer p f oil. Spoon you es in large to o s n s ie l le g ti b g n e ta u o v ge sid n s( crisp ve 5 minute and 1 tablespoo nd salsa, fold in Put your it only takes 3s a n , io m n a e o r es, d pers and e, sour c thin slic Saturate your pep , top with chees in k c at (16g) Sodium a F s l a ta ll o ti r Add b T to ries, 35g 1218mg on over concocti 738 Calo mg Cholesterol, ) g .! in .. v .. r OY nt per se iber 214 and ENJ n: (amou te,4g Dietary F w o d k a e ohydra nal Br Nutritio otein, 43g Carb r P Fat, 59g
Tell us how they came out: kitchen@racksandtails.com PG19
ith the seasons changing, and the first hint of snowfall, I know it’s that time of year. The time of year when I look out over my grandpas’ 100 acre ranch and know the small game are ready to flourish. The vast fields and ponds are bound to be filled with small game (muskrats, beavers, and raccoons) ready to be harvested. As I look up from writing this article (sitting on my porch) and I see the snow coming down thicker and whiter; I am reminded of my last outing patrolling the property. Seems like yesterday: The snow began to fall and I was walking the creek with my trusty “Ruger” (Rifle) when I noticed an unusual ripple or air-bubble come from the water. I stopped dead in my tracks and calmly squatted down to look, listen and feel for motion or disturbances in the water. The creek runs steady and often I can mistake a floating twig as my next potential trophy. As I lie in wait, surveying the rushing water, I conclude its just my mind playing tricks on me. As I resumed walking the creek, just about a half mile I noticed what appeared to be a beaver dam; now thats a good sign. As I got within 10 feet, a branch fell off the dam and hit the water and floated my way. I wondered is there a beaver hard at work at this exact moment. What a treat if so, since I have never caught one while hard at work. I saw a pair of eyes, then heard a splash, the rascal was in the water and coming towards me; i drew my gun slowly and took steady aim. My cross hairs were aimed between his eyes, when i drew in a winter breathe and pulled the trigger. A single shot rang out over my property; my little furry friend began to splash around while taking in his last winter breathe. Within seconds, all was clam again, with the currents help, brought to me, my latest harvest a beautiful multi-colored dirty blond beaver (very rare). I slang my rifle over my shoulder and reached down to picked up my hefty (68lbs) beaver. I examined the bullet hole and just as I thought “right between the eyes,” I said internally. With a giant grin on my face I slung this rare find over my other shoulder and headed
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back to the truck muttering softly “One ‘N Done, Baby.” So the fun was now over, and the real work was about to begin.
#1
Initial Cuts:
#2
The Real Deal:
First off, you’ll want to take a knife and cut around the beavers paws completing a full circle around them. While staying as close to the paws as possible. Then you’ll want to start a cut between the beavers lower teeth and the jaw line. From there you’ll take a Wyoming knife or a knife with a skinning hook and pull it straight down the beavers body starting at the head, and cutting around the genitals. You must be careful when doing this not to sink the hook in to deep, you’ll want to be just under the skin. After that make a cut around the beavers tail just deep enough so that you don’t go through the skin, try to stay as close to the tail as possible.
This is where you must take your time and be very patient! I start by the chest but you may start this step where ever you like. Pick one side of the beaver. Now use one hand to pull the fur away from the body and use the other hand to do the skinning. You’ll want to stay as close to the skin as possible without cut-
ting any wholes. You’ll want to cut away all the web like membrane attached to the skin. Slowly work your way up and down the beaver’s side separating hide from body. Make sure to skin the lower jaw up to the upper jaw, this will help during the next step. Then skin up the legs to your first cut. When your close, poke the end of your blade through any of the layers so you can see the tip of the knife through the area where you made the cut around the paw earlier. Now you know where you’re at, continue to skin around the leg until you have about 3/4 of the fur off around the leg. Then bend the paw towards the hole and push it through to the other side, if it won’t go through you may have to skin further around the leg or cut into the tendons so that the paw will be able to bend enough to go through. Do this step on the other side of the beaver and complete all four paws.
#3
The Delicate Spot:
Now that you have the skin off the base of the body you must skin the head. Don’t worry if there is still some meat or fat left on the skin, you can de-flesh the excess material when you stretch the hide out. Now that your on the
#4
head, continue skinning the head but pay close attention to where the ears of the beaver are located because once you have an idea, you’ll cut into the head and cut through the ear’s cartilage so that the ears will stay attached to the fur. The cartilage will be a white color when you cut into it, it will appear as if you just put a whole in the hide, don’t worry that’s the way it should look. Cut all the way through it and continue skinning. After you have completed both ears you will come to the eyes. You need to angle your knife more towards the skull in order to cut out the eye lids, when doing this you’ll be able to see the eyes and this will help show you where you need to cut. After you get passed the eyes, be sure to work around the skull skinning the top of the mouth towards the nose. As you get close to the nose you need to angle the blade like you did on the eyes, against the skull, and as you skin you want to push a little harder on the skull, you’re feeling for a soft spot. This is the cartilage of the nose, once you find it cut straight into it and the nose will detach from the head with the rest of the fur.
Stretching:
If you don’t have a beaver stretcher don’t fret, you just need a staple gun and a large piece of plywood. Lay your plywood down and then place the beaver fur in the center of it, skin out, then place a staple at the base of the tail. Stretch the head of the fur out as far as possible without tearing the hide through the staple at the base of the tail, then place a staple directly above the nose. Continue applying staples across from one another in this manner, you want the hide to be stretched tight and to be in a circular shape. Once you have the hide stretched you can now de-flesh any fat/meat that was left behind, you can do so with a flay like technique by using your excess hand to hold the material away from the hide and your other hand to slowly cut it off. When the hide is clean place it some where outside where the sun light can hit it and in a few days your hide will be dry. However, if you would like to speed up this process just apply some rock salt to the hide before placing it in the sun, this should shave off a few days of the drying process. Check on your hide after a couple days, if it is stiff you can remove the staples and you are good to tan! If not, let it sit out longer until it reaches this state.
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FACES IN THE FIELD B R O T H E R S
E D I T I O N
Trevor T. Hunt 22, Carbondale (CO) Senior at Johnson & Wales University, loves to be on the lake with family and friends. When he is not leading his former high school team to an undefeated regular season; you will find him on a boat in Lake Powell hooking the big ones. In the summer of 2007 he snagged a personal best, 2ft Striper (which put up one hell of a fight). Trevor’s love for the water, makes you wonder where he hides his gills...?
Tyler L. Hunt 22, Carbondale (CO) Event Coordinator for Colorado Convention Center, though an active outdoors man; unlike his twin brother (Trevor); Tyler’s outdoor actives consist more of camping, wake-boarding, cliff jumping, mudding and hiking. During the winter months you will find Tyler on the slopes carving up fresh powder on his snowmobile. Tyler’s competitiveness doesn’t end at the base of the mountain; as a phenomenal basketball player, he lead his high school team to state four years in a row.
Alex Kohls 16, Buena Vista (CO) Sophomore at Buena Vista High School, enjoys all types of hunting but really enjoys predator hunting with his brother and good friend (Tanner, Jr. Editor). His last outing yielded him two large beavers, and three muskrats. He loves to fish and on his last outing he took a personal best trout with a simple worm and bobber. “that sucker latched on real quick.”
Nate Kohls 17, Buena Vista (CO) Junior at Buena Vista High School, really likes to be outdoors rather than anywhere else. Nate has gone on several big game hunts, with his uncle, in the mountains of Colorado. Though several big bucks keep eluding him season after season; he has taken down a monster elk and proclaimed it the best burger ever. “now thats good eaten (elk burger), friend.” PG23
D
avid Halloran grew up in the same town as me. We went to the same school, and even played football together. I had no idea at the time that he’d started making his own turkey calls – but it’s sort of hard not to notice at this point. At age twentythree David is the youngest winner of the D.D. Adams award for best pot call with his Crystal Mistress presented at the NWTF Grand National Hunting Call Competition. The fact is that David has been winning competitions with his calls since 2005, and it’s a long list of top place finishes. I was able to get in touch with David and we set up this interview, because I know I’m curious about his rise to what will certainly be fame in the hunting world, and I’m guessing a lot of other people are curious as well.
Q: What made you decide to try and produce your own Turkey calls? A: I was always a creative kid growing up. At the age of 11 when my neighbor
began bringing me turkey magazines by Q: Was there ever anything that made the house it peaked my interest. After that you doubt your choice? I bought a few calls at Wal-Mart and realized even then that I could make someA: It is a scary economic time for any thing better than what was available. business. When you own your own and rely on people to spend their hard earned Q: Did any of it come naturally, or was money on your products its tough, but I it a really big challenge at first? have never doubted it. After all I get to hunt all over the country. A: For the wood working part I learned everything I know from my Dad. As far Q: In your opinion what is the best as the call making portion I feel flat on thing that’s happened since you started my face several times before figuring it this? out over the past 12 years. A: The best thing that has happened Q: At what point did you tell yourself to me in this business is being able to “I’m going to try and do this; I’m going meet a lot of great people. I have made to jump into the hunting industry”? contacts all over the country. I met my Fiancé, Ashley, at the NWTF ConvenA: I never really made the decision to tion in Nashville Tennessee several years back. jump in, it just happened as part of the evolution of my turkey call making. Q: Do you have any highlights from
your time doing the hunting shows? Any moments that you’ll just never forget?
A: Winning the DD Adams was a major win. But every time I go to a show I meet someone new and get to experience new things Q: A lot of us hunters tell ourselves that when you turn hunting into your profession it starts to lose its luster. You’re well on your way in the hunting world, on behalf of many readers I want to know if hunting has started to become any less fun for you. A: This time of year I make calls 7 days a week from daylight to dark. So it can be stressful but it all pays off when I get to start killing turkeys because that is why I do it. When it takes the fun out of hunting I won’t be doing it anymore. Hunting is what I love to do. Due to a very busy schedule this time of year with shows all over the country I wasn’t able to sit down with David, but he was kind enough to answer some questions via email in between shows. The short interview just doesn’t do the man, or his achievements, justice. To get more on David, or to check out his calls visit www.davidhalloranturkeycalls.com I’m sure we’ll all be seeing a lot more of David in the coming years – maybe even another article if I bug him enough to help me bag a turkey this year.
Turkey Talk || Above: David and his Fiancé Ashley Hartley after a successful South Dakota Turkey hunt. David carrying out a Tom he called in with his box call.
*only 1,500 hats will be produced
Tippin’ Ten|| Left:Robbie’s 2008 Antelope. Top: 2008 Mule Deer. Bottom: 2008 Turkeys
A
cold winter brought on a new year and ended what I thought was my best season in Montana yet. A perfect score of 10 for 10, all but one was with my bow. How could I ever top 2008? Then just a few months into my 2009 season, I found myself at the base of a tree with a giant cat. I took only one look at this beautiful tom and my bow was immediately at full draw. A five-year dream soon became a stark reality and a great beginning to my 2009 hunting season. My next “pay day” came in early May as I was lucky enough to double on gobPG27
blers. I could hardly wait for fall to see if Mr. Luck would stay with me. The summer was spent scouting and things appeared bountiful for the fall. After a long wait, September finally came rolling around and I became acclimated by hitting the trail hard. A couple of does early in the season was an exceptional pre-game warm up. Then on the morning of Sept. 19, I spotted the buck I was after. A stalk was quickly started and six hours later I was standing on top of a colossal buck. The 95-degree weather was nothing to stop my killer instinct and I was grateful for my success. Two days later Mr. Luck glanced my way again and sent a 6-by-6 bull strutting past me at just 8 yards. Minutes later I was standing over my second Pope and Young
One Year with a Bow|| All the animals on these two pages were harvested by Robbie with his bow during the 2009 hunting season.
within three days. Heavy pack trips quickly put my hunting game on hold while it took two days to get this monster of a bull out. With my tags fast disappearing and the antelope rut rocking, it was a no brainer as to what to do next. I grabbed the decoy and headed out to my favorite antelope spot. Things were going crazy and I set up on a big herd buck. As I got to watch him chase
off five different bucks, I soon realized a move 200 yards closer was necessary. I just stood up to move and for some reason, maybe to catch a glimpse of Mr. Luck, I looked behind me. A buck was on a dead run at the decoy. With only seconds, I barely had time to jump behind the other side of the decoy and knock an arrow. At 16 yards I came to a full draw, settled on his chest and an arrow stopped him dead in his tracks. I barely had time to make sense of what and how fast this happened, but quickly realized this just brought me my third trophy in just seven days. The question – Could I do it again? The thought was really haunting my mind. I knew I was getting close to repeating the success of 2008 and the pressure was on. I still had the toughest tag in our country left to fill – a black bear. The first of October would be the next day I could get back to hunt the mountains. At about high noon I spotted a bear. It only took one look and I knew he was a shooter and was in a perfect spot for a stalk. He was 600 yards away and
in just a few minutes I quietly worked myself to just 20 yards. Peering around a large boulder, I cocked the hammer on my .44 Mag lever gun and put the open sights right behind his shoulder. One touch of the trigger and my dream season was over just as fast as the bear went down. It was perfect in every way. I can only hope to have half the season my last two have been.
Hunting Streak|| Top: Robbie’s wife with a huge Whitetail. Robbie with his huge 2008 black bear. Bottom: Robbie’s 2009 color phase bear & his 2008 archery bull elk.¬
a n i t s i r h C . . . G N I C U
TROD INOUR HOMEgrown
HOTTIE
TM
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Name: Christina Age: 30 Measurements: 36-26-36 H: 5’10” W: 134
TM
TM
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A
s the sun started to set, the intensity of the July heat began to dissipate as the shadows across the sage covered pocket grew. The evening wind picked up across our high mountain lookout as we glassed for movement below. We continually scanned the open areas, hoping to catch a glimpse of what the area had to offer. We
were looking for clues, clues that would help us harvest a trophy mule deer in the months to come. Out of nowhere, bucks began to emerge below us in the ever-growing shadows. The area, only minute’s earlier void of life, revealed what we were looking for - a bachelor group of trophy bucks feeding out into the open. There
were twelve to be exact, all shooters in my book. My adrenaline began to pump at the sight of the monster deer. Having only seen smaller bucks in the other areas, these deer were a welcome sign. Even though it was still summer, I was well on my way to harvesting a trophy in this area.
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Scouting deer in the summer is a great way to learn about an area and find the big bucks within it. Aside from the rut, bucks are the most vulnerable during the summer months. The bucks are grouped up, they spend a lot of time in the open,
and their patterns are fairly regular and predictable. Summer scouting also has its advantages because the deer are largely unpressured at this time. They are more focused on feeding than eluding hunters. Although scouting just prior to the season allows you to locate the deer before you hunt, summer scouting is an overall better tool to locate where the big bucks are. It provides you with a better gauge of the areas trophy quality by allowing you to see what is around before the pressure hits. Whether you are an archery hunter or a rifle hunter, what you find during the summer will help you hone in on big bucks during the season.
Deer in the Pocket: where to look for the big boys Summer scouting is all about glassing and locating the pockets that hold deer. You can start by looking over a topo map of where you plan to scout. Look for areas that hold both water and ample food. I like to look for and concentrate on areas that have numerous pockets by
one another. I consider a pocket a self sustaining bowl where deer could live for months at a time. It is important to remember that 90 percent of great looking deer country may have no deer or only younger animals. What you are looking for is that single bowl, canyon or break that holds big deer. The reason I look for deer habitat with several good bowls in one area is that the deer will travel between the pockets to keep from over browsing a particular hillside. If there are numerous pockets in close proximity to one another, you will have a better chance of locating deer in one of the pockets since the area will be able to sustain a larger
deer population. Once you find a group of deer that peak your interest, learn the area like the back of your hand. Know the surrounding one to two square miles. It is likely the deer will stay in this broader area for the rest of the season. By becoming familiar with the surrounding areas, you give yourself options of where the deer might be when the hunting season rolls around.
From Summer to Season: deer that remain in the summer range Even though I found the group of the twelve huge bucks in July, they stayed
in the same area all the way through the mid-October rifle season. I took a friend of mine back to that spot for the rifle season, where we got in on one of the big bucks but never had a clean shot. Sure enough I was back the following summer where I scouted and later harvested a great buck out of the area with my bow. As a bow hunter, the deer I find during mid-to-late summer remain in their pattern and hold the same general area when the archery season rolls around. As long as the deer still have velvet on their horns they will remain vulnerable in the area where you found them earlier in the summer. If you find deer in lower elevations the area may not receive enough snowfall to force the deer to migrate. If so, odds are they will be in that general vicinity during rifle season- as long as hunting pressure remains minimal. Even if they do receive a lot of hunting pressure they may still be in that area. However, they may go nocturnal, remaining in heavy cover during daylight. Summer scouting can be particularly productive in general hunting units
that receive a ton of hunting pressure. As soon as the season starts, it may be near impossible to locate a trophy deer. Scouting in the summer allows you to find where the deer are residing before the pressure hits. The big bucks will be
easier to find during the summer and will give you an idea of what to expect from the area. Being able to hone in on an area you know already has big deer will help you focus when the pressure from the season hits.
Summer Sleuthing: clues for later in the season Even if you will be hunting deer later in the season you can scout effectively during the summer. Keep in mind, deer may migrate as the season progresses. The clues you find in the summer can help you pinpoint where the deer will be later in the year. Old sign is a good indicator that the animals remain in the area at different times of the year. If you find a pocket during the summer that is full of deer, look for signs that indicate those deer will be there come October and November. Old rubs are a sure sign the area is also used during the rut. If you find a bachelor group during the summer in an area with a lot of deer rubs and older sign, it is a sure bet the deer you are seeing during the summer are the same ones who inhabit the area come November. While summer scouting a general area in Montana, I had spotted a group of deer in the high country that far exceeded my expectations. However, there was no sign the deer would be staying in the area for the rifle season, it was too high and they would be forced down by late October. Knowing this, I studied logical trails and travels routes, locating clues as to where the deer go during rifle season. It paid off when one of my clients harvested a great 5x6 buck out of the area in early November.
Shed antlers can also be a good clue as to where deer may be later in the season. If you find a lot of sheds in an area that is holding deer during the summer, it is a good indicator that the animals will still be in there come late rifle season. If you find an awesome shed in one area but no summer deer, remember that area. It may be a clue the deer will move to this area later in the year. On one summer scouting trip I found an area on the map that had it all, it was a lower elevation pocket, perfect for deer. I scouted the area hard during the summer but didn’t see a single buck. However, I did manage to pick up a decent shed on almost every trip, including one that was the largest I had ever found up to that point. I returned back to that spot with a friend of mine the last week in November of the same year, where he harvested a monster 216 inch buck. Even though I didn’t see any deer in the area, recognizing the clues I found while scouting during the summer lead us to a giant buck. By scouting during the summer, you increase your chance of locating a trophy of your own. Some of the most productive scouting trips can take place in late June, July and August. The summer is a great time to figure out what kinds of monsters are lurking around in your hunting area. By honing in on what you find and paying attention to the clues around you, you will be prepared with the knowledge of where to find that big buck when the season rolls around.
Deer Sleuthing || Clues found during the summer, like big sheds and old rubs, can help you pinpoint an area to hunt during the late fall season. Summer scouting also makes it easier to find big bucks as they spend more time in the open in large bachelor groups.
Continued from page 15
The lake can be extremely dangerous for people who do not know the lake well. The winds can pick up quick on the lake and when they start, wise boat fishermen choose to head in. Every year boaters and anglers fall victim to the turbulent winds that can come up in a matter of seconds, capsizing boats and taking the unprepared down with them. If you see other fisherman heading back to the launch, it is advised you do the same. What you need: The lake is located about 40 minutes northeast of Reno, Nevada on Pyramid Highway NV 445 N. If you plan to fish the lake you will need to buy a Piute Reservation fishing license for the day, as well as get some Pyramid Lake fishing regulations. If you bring a boat you will also need to get a reservation boat pass. When fly fishing most fisherman use a five or six weight rod with heavy test. I personally use a good four weight for the added fight. Make sure you bring a ladder to fish from as it is the most effective way to fish.
GAMING AGENCY & GEAR TESTER DIRECTORY South Africa, Gauteng
CT - Connecticut
Professional Hunters Association www.phasa.co.za Senior: Rens Techman Junior: Open Email: Africa.Gear@racksandtails.com
Department of Environmental Protection www.ct.gov/dep/site Senior: Open Junior: Open Email: CT.Gear@racksandtails.com
Canada, Alberta
DE - Delaware
Government of Alberta www.albertaregulations.ca Senior: Wade Williams Junior: Open Email: Canada.Gear@racksandtails.com
Delaware Division of Wildlife www.fw.delaware.gov/Pages Senior: Open Junior: Open Email: DE.Gear@racksandtails.com
AL - Alabama
FL - Florida
Outdoor Alabama www.dcnr.state.al.us Senior: Open Junior: Open Email: AL.Gear@racksandtails.com
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission www.myfwc.com Senior: Mike Wyland Junior: Joseph Ramion Email: FL.Gear@racksandtails.com
AK - Alaska
GA -Georgia
Alaska Fish and Game www.adfg.alaska.gov Senior: Open Junior: Open Email: AK.Gear@racksandtails.com
Georgia Department of Natural Resources www.georgiawildlife.com Senior: Open Junior: Open Email: GA.Gear@racksandtails.com
AR - Arkansas
HI - Hawaii
Arkansas Game and Fish Commission www.agfc.com/hunting/Pages Senior: Justin Russell Junior: Nick Lipsmeyer Email: AR.Gear@racksandtails.com
Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources www.hawaii.gov/dlnr Senior: Open Junior: Open Email: HI.Gear@racksandtails.com
AZ - Arizona
ID - Idaho
Arizona Game and Fish Department www.gf.state.az.us Senior: Open Junior: Open Email: AZ.Gear@racksandtails.com
Idaho Fish and Game www.fishandgame.idaho.gov Senior: Mike O’Brien Junior: Andrew Howell Email: ID.Gear@racksandtails.com
CA - California
IL - Illinois
California Department of Fish and Game www.dfg.ca.gov Senior: Open Junior: Open Email: CA.Gear@racksandtails.com
Illinois Department of Natural Resources www.dnr.state.il.us Senior: Open Junior: Randy Letlebo Email: IL.Gear@racksandtails.com
CO - Colorado
IN - Indiana
Colorado Division of Wildlife www.wildlife.state.co.us Senior: Gary Davis Junior: Buck Adams Email: CO.Gear@racksandtails.com
Indiana Department of Natural Resources www.in.gov/dnr/fishwild Senior: Open Junior: Open Email: IN.Gear@racksandtails.com
To be considered for a gear tester position with Racks & Tails Magazine contact: gear@racksandtails.com
GAMING DIRECTORY (CONTINUED) IA - Iowa
MS - Mississippi
Iowa Department of Natural Resources www.iowadnr.gov Senior: Open Junior: Open Email: IA.Gear@racksandtails.com
Mississippi Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks www.home.mdwfp.com Senior: Shaun Copeland Junior: Brian Gordon Email: MS.Gear@racksandtails.com
KS - Kansas
MO - Missouri
Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks www.kdwp.state.ks.us Senior: Open Junior: Open Email: KS.Gear@racksandtails.com
Missouri Department of Conservation www.conservation.mo.gov Senior: Randy Davis Junior: Open Email: MO.Gear@racksandtails.com
KY - Kentucky
MT - Montana
Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources www.kdfwr.state.ky.us Senior: Open Junior: Open Email: KY.Gear@racksandtails.com
Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks www.fwp.mt.gov Senior: Terry Essick Junior: Tyler Ferris Email: MT.Gear@racksandtails.com
LA - Louisiana
NE - Nebraska
Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries www.wlf.state.la.us Senior: Open Junior: Open Email: LA.Gear@racksandtails.com
Nebraska Game and Parks www.outdoornebraska.ne.gov Senior: Nick Tramp Junior: Bryce Schmollinger Email: NE.Gear@racksandtails.com
ME - Maine
NV - Nevada
Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife www.state.me.us/ifw Senior: Craig Elliot Junior: Open Email: ME.Gear@racksandtails.com
Nevada Department of Wildlife www.ndow.org Senior: Open Junior: Open Email: NV.Gear@racksandtails.com
MD - Maryland
NH - New Hampshire
Maryland Department of Natural Resources www.dnr.state.md.us Senior: Open Junior: Open Email: MD.Gear@racksandtails.com
New Hampshire Fish and Game Department www.wildlife.state.nh.us Senior: Open Junior: Open Email: NH.Gear@racksandtails.com
MA - Massachusetts
NJ - New Jersey
Massachusetts Department of Fish and Game www.mass.gov/dfwele/dfw Senior: Open Junior: Open Email: MA.Gear@racksandtails.com
New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection www.state.nj.us/dep/fgw Senior: Open Junior: Bill Hudson Email: NJ.Gear@racksandtails.com
MI - Michigan
NM - New Mexico
Michigan Department of Natural Resources www.michigan.gov/dnr Senior: Shaun Laurie Junior: Open Email: MI.Gear@racksandtails.com
New Mexico Game and Fish www.wildlife.state.nm.us Senior: Open Junior: William Marek Email: NM.Gear@racksandtails.com
MN - Minnesota
NY - New York
Minnesota Department of Natural Resources www.dnr.state.mn.us Senior: Cody Gruchow Junior: Rick Plouffe Email: MN.Gear@racksandtails.com
New York Department of Environmental Conservation www.dec.ny.gov Senior: Damian Stokes Junior: Andrew Whipple Email: NY.Gear@racksandtails.com
To be considered for a gear tester position with Racks & Tails Magazine contact: gear@racksandtails.com
PG45
GAMING DIRECTORY (CONTINUED) NC - North Carolina
TN - Tennessee
North Carolina Wildlife Resource Commission www.ncwildlife.org/ Senior: Jeff Beasley Junior: Open Email: NC.Gear@racksandtails.com
Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency www.state.tn.us/twra Senior: Open Junior: Open Email: TN.Gear@racksandtails.com
ND - North Dakota
TX - Texas
North Dakota Game and Fish Department www.gf.nd.gov Senior: EJ Gabel Junior: Open Email: ND.Gear@racksandtails.com
Texas Parks and Wildlife www.tpwd.state.tx.us Senior: Justin Luckey Junior: Dustin DeRouen Email: TX.Gear@racksandtails.com
OH - Ohio
UT - Utah
Ohio Department of Natural Resources www.dnr.state.oh.us Senior: Paul Potemski Junior: Jason Butler Email: OH.Gear@racksandtails.com
Utah Division of Wildlife www.wildlife.utah.gov/dwr Senior: Open Junior: Patrick Bond Email: UT.Gear@racksandtails.com
OK - Oklahoma
VT - Vermont
Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Commission www.wildlifedepartment.com Senior: Scott Stedman Junior: Open Email: OK.Gear@hotmail.com
Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department www.vtfishandwildlife.com Senior: Open Junior: Open Email: VT.Gear@racksandtails.com
OR - Oregon
VA - Virginia
Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife www.dfw.state.or.us Senior: Open Junior: Mark Sanderson Email: OR.Gear@racksandtails.com
Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries www.dgif.virginia.gov Senior: Open Junior: Open Email: VA.Gear@racksandtails.com
PA - Pennsylvania
WA - Washington
Pennsylvania Game Commission www.pgc.state.pa.us Senior: Chris Carr Junior: Chris Johnson Email: PA.Gear@racksandtails.com
Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife www.wdfw.wa.gov Senior: Open Junior: Open Email: WA.Gear@racksandtails.com
RI - Rhode Island
WV - West Virginia
Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management www.dem.ri.gov/programs/bnatres/fishwild Senior: Open Junior: Open Email: RI.Gear@racksandtails.com
West Virginia Division of Natural Resources www.wvdnr.gov Senior: Open Junior: Open Email: WV.Gear@racksandtails.com
SC - South Carolina
WI - Wisconsin
South Carolina Department of Natural Resources www.dnr.sc.gov Senior: Open Junior: Keith Smith Email: SC.Gear@racksandtails.com
Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources www.dnr.state.wi.us Senior: Eric Hrudka Junior: Jim Noskowiak Email: WI.Gear@racksandtails.com
SD - South Dakota
WY - Wyoming
South Dakota Game, Fish, and Parks www.gfp.sd.gov Senior: Open Junior: Sean Tryner Email: SD.Gear@racksandtails.com
Wyoming Game and Fish Department www.gf.state.wy.us Senior: Open Junior: Open Email: WY.Gear@racksandtails.com
To be considered for a gear tester position with Racks & Tails Magazine contact: gear@racksandtails.com
ON POINT With Chris Carr
W
henever the depressing thoughts of another season coming to an end, I find myself reflecting back to one of my favorite movie quotes from Rambo Trautman: “It’s over Johnny. It’s over!” Rambo: “Nothing is over! Nothing! You just don’t turn it off!” Let’s see a show of hands, how many of you tied that bandana around your head just like Rambo? C’mon, be honest………., put those hands in the air. When I was a kid, my Dad would send me up in the attic to retrieve the old hunting trunk. I would get out my hand-me-down long johns, goose down jacket, and we headed for the mountains of Pennsylvania. When we came home, the season was over (“It’s over Johnny. It’s over”). As I grew older, getting involved in other game and seasons helped shorten the void. It started with bear season, then turkey, followed by archery, flintlock, waterfowl, predators, even trapping. These new addictions not only helped me learn more about game, it broadened my group of hunting buddies. Think of all the
changes in hunting over the years. When I started out, no one thought about base layers, scent drippers, trail cameras or videoing your hunts. Hunting is constantly evolving and branching out into different avenues. I firmly believe it was that down time that leads to these new avenues. Here are just a few ways we can help deal with that down time until we begin to sight in for next year: • Shed hunting with the family – what better way to get the kids involved. Taking the kids for a hike in the woods not only helps with exercise, it also opens that door to learn about nature and the outdoors. • Scout – take advantage of that snow fall in our area for follow those tracks. You just might find that hot trail that you could not see in the spring or fall. • Scent Control – wash those clothes in a good quality scent detergent like Dead Down Wind, and then get them stored in an air tight container. • Use the Internet – check on line for a hunting forum in your state. Joining a hunting forum opens the door to people who share the same passion as you. Compare deer sightings; learn different tips and tricks that have worked with other hunters. You can also learn about a season you always wanted to try, but
were just unsure how to get started. I love the hero pictures on sites such as HuntingPa.com • CLEAN THOSE GUNS! – set aside a couple hours and get all those guns out. Go over gun safety with the kids and keep those investments in great working order. • Support Local Wildlife Organizations – Wildlife organizations have chapters all over the states. If you have never attended a DU, NWTF, etc… banquet, give it a shot. Not only do you get a great meal, support wildlife, but they have great prizes, games, and giveaways! • Practice – (We’re talking about practice?) Get those turkey calls and start to practice now. Get the rust off and be prepared when they start to sound off the roost. • Outfitter research – as a working man, our time and budget is very important! If you dream about going on those outfitter hunts like I do, start researching now. Plan out what game you are looking for, your price range, and location. Start to make a list of outfitters that fit that criteria and make some reference calls. Check your hunting forums for feedback or other suggestions. Start making your own coffee and packing lunch to save up for that hunt! Working Man’s Hunter: “Nothing is over! Nothing! You just don’t turn it off, you just reload.” Hunt Safe!
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y company produces advertising for the shooting and tactical industry. We often have weapons and equipment on loan worth more than our vehicles, so we act as our own security and have concealed carry permits. We also travel for our business, so it is important that we understand the self-defense laws in different states. As a disclaimer, this is not a legal interpretation or advice from an attorney. This is a general observation of the U.S. laws on self defense from the standpoint of a layperson. A duck gun with a 28-inch barrel is not the preferred close-quarters, self-defense weapon. However, if you are on a hunting trip and an armed robber kicks in your motel door at 3am, it will work. In most states you would be justified in defending yourself, but laws on self defense vary by state and it is wise to understand these differences before you reach for your shotgun. Justifiably using deadly force against an attacker requires the threat of death or serious harm to you or perhaps your
family. The threat also has to be due to no fault of your own. For example, a criminal committing felony cannot claim self defense against a police officer. It also means that you cannot turn an argument or fistfight into a gunfight and expect leniency from the law. The term justifiable homicide is used in self defense cases. If the prosecutor does not agree with your judgment, you can be charged with murder. In that instance, 12 reasonable people on a jury will decide if you were justified in your use of deadly force. Even if you are justified in defending yourself, you may still be sued in civil court. In many states, self defense laws provide immunity to the victim from civil suit filed by, or on behalf of an assailant in the case of a justifiable shooting. However, this immunity does not apply to third parties, a bystander hit by a stray bullet for example. Once you press the trigger, you are subject to the self defense laws in the state where the attack takes place. The two legal extremes of self defense law in different states are obligation to flee and stand your ground. A sort of middle point is castle doctrine. Obligation to flee places the most legal burden on the victim, so it is important to understand it as a foundation for self defense law before discussing castle doctrine and stand your ground. States with obligation to flee require that you have exhausted all reasonable options to avoid an attack before using deadly force. If your motel room door crashes open at 3am, obligation to flee first considers if you can
run from the attack before considering whether or not deadly force was justified in defense of your life. Generally, states with castle doctrine laws give you the right of self defense in your home and possibly any place you legally occupy, like a motel room or your business. Inside your home, castle doctrine is pretty clear. A bad guy breaks into your home, you shoot bad guy, end of story. However, if you are outside of your home or motel room, castle doctrine does not apply, so obligation to flee is often the default and is open to interpretation. If you are attacked in a motel parking lot, it should be clear that you feared for your life, retreat was not possible and that the only option to was to use deadly force. This requires considerations about the ability to flee, which can vary greatly between individuals due to athletic ability or other circumstances, not whether or not the citizen feared for their life. Stand your ground, adopted in over 15 states, uses the standard of fear for your life, regardless of location. It places the most legal burden on the attacker, not the victim. Outside or inside your home, stand your ground is far clearer than obligation to flee. It requires you have a reasonable fear of death or injury from an attacker with a deadly weapon. It is a yes
or no question with no considerations for athletic ability or location. If the answer is no, the citizen has the burden of justifying their actions to a jury. Again, this is not legal advice. In many states the specifics of these three general standards can vary widely. If you have questions, check with your local prosecutor’s office for clarification. Most states have their self-defense laws posted online and www.usacarry.com is a good online reference. No armed professional, civilian with a concealed carry permit or hunter who slides a duck gun under their motel bed wants to take another human life. It is huge moral and legal responsibility. However, you also have a responsibility to yourself and to your family to understand your rights well before the crash of a motel door comes at 3am. Tony Dean is the Managing Director of HBL Productions, LLC and resides in Oklahoma which has had stand your ground for 5 years.
BY THE
NUMBERS 100X
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*by the numbers provided by: Journal of Quantitative Criminology 2000
A
great way to pass on our hunting and shooting heritage is through 4-H. 4-H clubs across Montana instruct 9-18 year olds in archery and air rifle/pistol shooting. Our son started archery shooting with the 4-h club when he was 9. He is now in his third year. The amount of improvement in his shooting ability and self esteem has been fabulous. The instructors for his club are certified and some have been trained and shot at the Olympic level. Our instructors are a good group of men and women who volunteer their time in an effort to teach these kids and young adults the skills to shoot or to improve their shooting. It seems that instructions are
easier to follow from a voice that is not mom or dads sometimes! Our 4-h club practices shooting every Friday night for an hour and a half. Practices start in mid November and continue through till early march. This is a great winter activity that can involve the whole family. All of the participants shoot from 10 yards. They have to follow strict range and 4-H rules, designed for their safety. Range etiquette is also taught as there are times when they will be shooting three feet away from someone else on the line who is also trying to shoot. Practice leads to tournaments. These competitions are held by different 4-h clubs across the state during the winter months, and culminate in the state 4-H shooting tournament. If you qualify, you can also go on to a national tournament.
Participants enter in their respective age group in any number of different categories. Bare bow, bow hunter, Olympic recurve and unlimited are some of the different categories that one can shoot in. During their designated time, a shooter will be shooting with individuals from any age group or bow type category. This can make for positive interaction between young adults and youngsters who are all trying to achieve the same goal, hitting that bullseye. It is truly special when these older kids talk with and help the younger kids. After two practice rounds, the shooters are given two and a half minutes to fire three arrows. When everyone is done, they are given the signal to proceed to their targets where they score their shots. Then it is back to the line to shoot again. This is repeated until they
have scored thirty arrows. At which point, their score cards are totaled and the scores are posted in the age group and category the shooter was participating in. Everyone is trying to get the blue ribbon, but self improvement is what is pointed out. As with most sports, there are some costs that need to be figured in, equipment and club fees for example. Most clubs, however, will supply a basic bow and arrows for beginners that want to try shooting. The biggest cost is probably your time, but it is worth it to watch your child grow and improve. 4-H archery is a great place for kids and young adults to hone their shooting and life skills. If you are looking for a place for your child to get involved in the shooting sports in a safe and positive atmosphere, check out your local 4-h clubs.
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t seems that many Canadian black bear hunts have become somewhat predictable. You drive north, meet the wonderfully friendly and accommodating hosts and settle in to a nice lodge. Many of these wilderness lodges give new meaning to the phrase, “sitting in the lap of luxury.” Coming away with a new spare tire under your belt isn’t uncommon after a week of over-eating. During the day, you can usually help the outfitter check and replenish bait sites. Sometimes these baits sites are within 100 yards of a major highway, but the bears don’t seem to mind. Once they get used to the idea of free grub, they’ll
generally visit the baits at least once in a while. Typically, the bowhunter will slip into the stands late in the afternoon and hunt until dark. Predictable or not, I’ve spent more than 50 evenings in tree stands hunting bears in Canada and I love it. I enjoy the warming weather and spring green-up of growing grasses and forbs, miles away from the busy, time-eating lifestyle of the early 21st Century. A bear hunt is a wonderful gift that you can give to yourself, especially after a long, cold winter. Being there with a bow in hand only makes it better. All in all, bear hunting over bait is a
great way to relax in the splendid Canadian north woods, and when a bear does come to a bait site, the adrenalin rush is real. Many bowhunters have all but melted down at the sight of one of North America’s most awesome big game animals. By no means is a hunt over bait a guaranteed dead bear. During all the times I’ve hunted black bears in Canada, I’ve only managed to tag one. I was hunting whitetails with Monty McKenzie of McKenzie Outfitters in Manitoba when he mentioned his bear hunts. Immediately, I was all ears. “What I offer for black bears is a little different,” Monty said. “I do my hunts
on pristine lakes accessible only by float plane, so virtually all competition from other hunters is eliminated. We stay in wall tents with wooden floors, and when we’re not bear hunting, we fish during the day, so we usually enjoy a few shore lunches. Oh, and by the way, did you know that with a hunting license in Manitoba, you can take a wolf?” No kidding? I can take a wolf if one comes by while I’m sitting in my tree stand hunting bears? That really got my attention. A timber wolf is one of North America’s rarest bowhunting trophies, and a chance at one would be worth the trip all by itself. Of course, who doesn’t like the idea of fishing for walleyes and northern pike? To top it off, we get to fly in to the hunting area. It sounded good to me. I contacted my friend Rocky Torgerson, who made a few calls. Before I knew it, we had a full camp of six bowhunters. We opted for a fall bear hunt, and it was helpful that bear season opened in Manitoba a week before archery season opened in Montana. Bowhunters enjoy opening weekend in Montana, and it might have been a hard sell if we had to sacrifice more than the first two days! A full day’s drive took us to Winnipeg, where we met up with the sixth member of our group and bought last minute supplies and fishing licenses. Our next leg of the journey was a three-hour drive north to Bissett, where we boarded the float plane for our flight to Giraffe Lake, home of one of McKenzie Outfitters’ bear camps. When one compares Manitoba’s bear population with that of other Canadian provinces, it becomes unclear why Manitoba isn’t more of a bear-hunting Mecca.
The estimated population of 30,000 bears competes favorably with Alberta’s 36,000 bears. Manitoba’s southern region is mostly wide-open, flat farm country that grows some mighty big whitetails bucks, but not a lot of bears. One doesn’t have to travel too far north before Manitoba’s tundra and taiga region begins. That’s a great place to hunt caribou and it does hold bears, but by far most of the bears live in the wooded areas between the southern and northern regions. The country surrounding Lake Winnipeg and Lake Manitoba is excellent bear habitat and in this comparatively small area is where most of the bears live out their lives. Non-resident hunter success typically runs close to 75 percent. With these thoughts in mind, we were fired up as we boarded the single-engine turbo-propped Otter that would ferry us to Giraffe Lake. The 40-minute flight gave us ample opportunity to see the lay of the land. It looked like bear heaven, and if there were walleyes in each of the dozens of lakes we flew over, then it was a fisherman’s paradise as well. We spent our first night fishing successfully for walleye and had a great time. The next night was our first in the stand and for the most part, was uneventful. The weather was warm, and the ber-
ries were ripe, so we knew that our bait sites were in competition with natural food sources. While there were no bear sightings, Tom had a crack at a wolf. “There were two stands overlooking the bait,” Tom told us later. “The strapon tree-stand was only 10 yards from the bait, which I felt was too close. But the ladder stand was about 20 yards out, and
Manitoban Black Bear || Kenny with his bear and Robertson recurve bow.
I’m very comfortable at that range with my longbow. I was caught sitting down when the wolf came by. If I had been standing, or if I had sat in the strap-on stand, I would have been able to shift around enough to make the shot. As it was, I just got a good point blank look at him. He was huge, and absolutely gorgeous!” While several Canadian provinces offer wolf licenses, Manitoba is the only one that allows hunting of wolves with the procession of a current, unused hunting license. As long as a hunter hasn’t taken a game animal, it is legal to take PG55
a wolf on that license, and the hunter is still allowed to use that license to take his bear, deer or whatever. This amounts to a free wolf tag – a wonderful opportunity. Manitoba is to be commended for its forward-thinking in regards to wolf management. The next evening, we had our first bear encounter. Kenny was in his tree, patiently waiting to hear the boat arrive, when a he noticed movement right
That same night, it was Rocky’s turn for a chance at a wolf. He had a jet-black, mature wolf visit his bait site on and off for the last hour of the day. The wolf would slip in, lick bacon grease for a second or two, and then scamper off, always just before Rocky could release the string. Rocky was at full draw more than once, but again, like Kenny, he won’t take anything but a perfect shot. When Rock told the story over the
bounty nature offered. The bears visiting Kenny’s stand, though, had different ideas. It seemed that every time the bait was checked, the barrel had recently been knocked over. According to the tracks, at least three bears were coming in. One of the pads measured six inches across, indicating a large, mature bear indeed. Kenny stepped up his efforts and asked to be brought in to the stand earlier around 1 p.m.
The Crew || Left: Moon Mayers, Rocky Torgerson, Tom Torgerson, Kenny Satra, Steve Sukut, and John Poole pose by Giraffe Lake. Right: A tough crowd to shoot in front of, especially if you missed!
below his tree stand. A bear was carefully stalking the bait site. With only five minutes left of legal shooting time, Ken knew right away it was too late to ethically shoot this bear. Ken is one of those individuals who will not loose an arrow unless all the pieces are in place. He does not trust luck and will not take chances. As a result, Kenny has a very low percentage of anything but clean kills. He stayed in the stand until Mont came in to get him, thus ensuring that the bear wouldn’t know how close a hunter had been to him. His decision would pay big dividends later.
libations and fish fillets that night, I think Mont was more disappointed than Rocky. He said wolf sightings at his bait sites happen all the time, but so far very few wolves have been taken. “For some reason,” Mont said, “the wolves seem to come most often to the stands that have bowhunters on them. Do you suppose those things are that smart?” The rest of the week started going by like a shot. We’d get up, run out on Giraffe Lake to fish, come in for breakfast, then return to the lake and fish until it was time to go bear hunting. The bears continued to be shy and content with the
“This is beginning to get personal,” he quipped once, after yet another eighthour sit without a bear sighting. The rest of us hadn’t seen a bear yet, but just about all the barrels had been knocked over at one time or another during the week, so we kept after it, though at times it was hard to leave the fishing boats for a quiet night of watching squirrels, ravens, and camp robbers – or Canadian Jays. But time spent in a treestand wasn’t time wasted, we came in from a quiet evening feeling not disappointed, but relaxed, happy, restored somehow. Between the fishing and time spent in
camp, we were having a great time. Most days we’d shoot our bows for a couple of hours, sharing bows with each other and learning the benefits of a variety of brands and models. Sleeping in a wall tent with five other guys didn’t prove to be much of a problem. The 14-by-20 foot tent was more than enough for six comfy cots and all our equipment. All the men in camp were considerate and polite, and showed great tolerance in certain areas.
was able to calm myself down and focus so I was ready when it turned broadside.” His cedar arrow flew true out of his recurve and Ken had his bear. The fall coat was lush, and unlike spring bears, the hair was almost exactly the same length all over. A beautiful bear in every way, Ken was ecstatic. We were all happy for him and our outfitter Monty was relieved, at least a little. He was feeling badly about the scarcity of bears and was
warm weather, ripe berries, and an amazing array of other natural foods can spell defeat for a fall bear hunt. But this was no defeat. Between the wolf opportunities, the awesome fishing, Ken getting his bear and the wonderful, relaxing time we spent in the Canadian woods, this was a successful and very enjoyable trip. It was definitely a “different kind of bear hunt” where the ancillary opportuni-
Archer & Bear || Right Kenny Satra shows the focus and intensity that makes him an excellent archer and bowhunter. Left: Chief cook and bear guide Justin McKenzie accompanies Ken’s bear back to camp.
Earplugs were available for those who needed them. It was Friday when it finally came together for Kenny. He was quietly sitting, pondering his misspent youth, when movement caught his eye. A large black head was easing out of the thick bush, followed by a bulky black body – a mature bear, for sure. True to form, Kenny waited for the exact right time to shoot. “I had to,” he told me later. “As soon as I saw the bear, my brain started doing one of these.” He grinned, and started waving his hands all over and around his head. “Fortunately, I
glad at least one of us had scored. Taking home meat or a trophy is the goal of all hunts; otherwise, why would we buy the licenses? The older we get, though, the easier it gets to prioritize the experience and to happily make lemonade out of lemons. As Moon said setting the hook on another fat walleye, “So our bear hunting trip has turned into a fishing trip. Are we having any less fun?” Hunting is not shopping and we all realized that. Even with an average success rate on bears of 75 percent for non-residents in Manitoba, variables like
ties of wolves and walleyes became the primary goal. The final score was bears 5, bowhunters 1, but the bowhunters were still happy. We had fun and were even talking about going back. We made lemonade and enjoyed every drop.
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watched as the bull appeared out of nowhere and quickly descended the ridge looking for the source of the cow calls. My mind raced as I replayed 20 years of elk hunting experiences, failures and memories in a matter of seconds. Will the bull come in closer? Will he catch my wind? Should I reposition myself? Should I stand and shoot? When is the right time to draw? The bull was closer now. I could see his dark horns and ivory tips. “Don’t look at the horns,” I told myself. He angled up the ridge and if he stayed true to the trail, would soon be broadside at 30 yards. At 50 yards, the bull went behind some trees. Taking advantage of the opportunity, I came to full draw. The bull hung up, moving up and away into thick cover, pausing briefly to rake his horns and take out his frustrations on the thick foliage. As it happens so many times, the opportunity was lost. It was early September in the mountains of Idaho. While on my way to elk
camp, I received a call from my hunting partner saying he would not be in for the evening hunt, but would arrive the next morning. With that in mind, I knew just where I wanted to be in a few short hours. The weekend prior, we mountain biked down an old logging road, parked the bikes on the south side of a lush green meadow, walked 30 yards and ran smack dab into elk! We attempted a set up with some soft cow calls, but weren’t able to bring the elk in. A small grunt up the ridge confirmed that a bull was nearby. This was the first year I was introduced to mountain biking for elk and after many years of hunting for a nice bull without closing the deal, my options were open! I’ve read some of Cameron Hanes’ articles on mountain biking in, and I have to admit, that even with all the hours spent on the treadmill, stair climber and elliptical, I should have added the stationary bike to my routine as well! One benefit of mountain biking uphill, is that you know on the way out, it’ll be downhill!
After arriving at elk camp and unloading my supplies, I managed to get in a bonus shooting session on forest grouse – a great benefit on most western elk hunts and an opportunity for some fine camp table fare. As the afternoon hours arrived, I strapped on my bow, donned my pack and mountain biked the two miles in to the meadow where we saw elk the weekend prior. Around 5 p.m., I found a great place to sit on the backside of the meadow facing the timbered ridge. I sat for an hour enjoying the peacefulness, the fresh air and just listening to the mountain. As the sun began to cast shadows over my hiding spot, I decided it was time to make something happen. I started a soft cow calling sequence using a variety of cow calls, and it wasn’t long before I had a bull coming to investigate. Well, you already know what happened at the beginning of this story: bull elk – 1, hunter – 0. As the bull made his exit, he capped off the encounter with a crisp, clear bugle as he made his way up and away from PG59
my intended ambush. I’ve heard stories of hunters calling bulls back many times, even getting multiple shots at the same bull, so I continued cow calling. I was desperate to turn the bull back for a second look and a possible shot opportunity. Not this bull, not this time. Just as I was about to chalk one up to “another great experience,” I heard a bull grunt from near the same spot the previous bull had entered the scene. Across the top of the ridgeline, I notice an even bigger bull making his way off of the mountain! The bull came in strong, quickly making his way down the ridge looking for the source of the excitement. He charged into the meadow looking for tan bodies. Thirty yards behind a knob, all I could see was horn. The bull looked into the meadow, didn’t see any cows, then turned and stopped at 40 yards quartering away, but his vitals were covered by brush. No shot. The bull sauntered away back into the thick timber and out of sight. Thinking the bull winded me and left, I continued with a few soft cow calls. It seemed like a handful of minutes passed, not knowing if the bull had made a full retreat or was listening silently, hidden by the thick brush. Next thing I knew, I caught movement out of the corner of my eye. The bull appeared coming directly into my line of sight. He was walking a trail and quartered to me at 35 yards. I came to full draw as he turned broadside. Again, his vitals were covered by limbs and brush! He continued on up to my left, turned, then walked across in front of me broadside. I had ranged a big quaking aspen at 32 yards prior, and as the bull walked be-
hind a tree, I came to full draw again. As the bull stepped out a little more than half way, I settled my 30-yard pin and cut it loose. Direct hit, complete pass through! The bull ran 30 to 40 yards and with the sound of crashing timber, was down for the count! It was my first bull with a bow. I sat back, catching my breath and thanked God for the opportunity to harvest such an incredible animal and for the experience! I sat there on a timbered ridge, miles from the truck, on a solo hunt in griz country with 800 pounds of elk lying there as it got darker by the minute – I was wishing for some help! I managed to set up the digital camera for some self-timer shots, then ran to position and grabbed the rack trying to maintain composure, over and over
until I got at least a couple decent shots (A chore that had to make even a squirrel laugh!) I’ve skinned and quartered plenty of elk and mule deer, so I set forth on the task. By 9 p.m., it was dark and I worked by means of my headlamp. Now I was really praying for safety! As I was nearly out of energy, not sure if I could get it done, I finally got the quarters and the back straps hung in a tree to cool overnight and mountain biked down the mountain by the light of my headlamp. The next morning, a couple of my long-time hunting partners showed up to help pack the bull out. Perseverance finally paid off on a trophy six-by-seven public land, DIY, Idaho bull!
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made the climb up the hill to my tree-stand on the long point. I settled in right at first light. The sounds of birds waking up and the beautiful colors of the sky as the sun climbs in the clouds makes dawn my favorite time of day. On this particular morning, all was calm with no wind until 8:18 a.m. Suddenly, I heard a crunch as a deer approached from my right. I looked and it was the buck I had been looking for. I stood up and looked for the shot, but he never gave it to me. The
buck walked right on through like he is on a mission. My heart sank and so I settled back in my stand to wait. At 9:47 a.m., three does blasted out of a thicket just over the hill from where the buck had disappeared. They stopped 10 yards from my tree and looked behind them. Then, the big buck with five points on each antler came chasing another doe. I stood up, drew my bow and started praying. Just then, the buck turned broadside at 12 yards and started to rub a cedar tree. Somehow, I settled the pin on his shoulder and released the arrow. The arrow found its mark, the buck turned and ran back into the thicket and the does crossed the point, out of sight. Then just, silence once again. I was shaking so hard I had to sit down before I fell or dropped my bow. As I settled down, I heard a loud crash come from the area I last saw the buck. I climbed down and started to track the deer. As I exited
the briar thicket, I saw antlers down and ran up to the deer. I thanked God several times, then sat down and just looked at him for several minutes. I had hunted this deer for two seasons and couldn’t believe he was finally down. Hunting is 2 percent luck, 3 percent skill, 80 percent patience and 15 percent prayer which equals 100 percent fun – I’ll never quit!
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GOOSE CALLS • DUCK CALLS • ACCESSORIES