Sportsman's News February 2016 Digital Edition

SportsmansNews.com

February 2016

Volume 12 Issue 2

The Kodiak Sportsman’s Lodge on Kodiak Island

By Kent Danjanovich Senior Editor

K

odiak Island is rich in history and beauty and home to plenty of outdoor activities, wildlife and of course, world class fishing. The Island is basically broken up into seven communities; Afognak Island, Akhiok, Karluk, Larsen Bay, Ouzinkie, Port Lions and Old Harbor. All together, they form the second largest Island in the United States.

Among the most picturesque of Kodiak Island villages, Old Harbor is nestled on a narrow strip of beach at the foot of a steep, grassy mountain. To the northeast is an awe-inspiring view of jagged, precipitous mountains which rise up at the end of a small bay. Old Harbor often claims the winning fish during the annual king salmon derby and draws anglers from across the map to its abundant waters. It is also a great destination for wildlife viewing

Most days are multispecies affairs, as your captain will have you on fish throughout the day.

continued on page 6

Seward Multi-Species Excursions

Hill Norvell Alaskan Fishing PAGE 2

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February 2016 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS DIGITAL EDITION

Hill Norvell Alaskan Fishing

By Kent Danjanovich Senior Editor

S

andwiched between the Kenai Mountains and the waters of Kenai Fjords National Park, Seward is one of Alaska’s oldest and most scenic communities. A spectacular 2.5 hour drive south from Anchorage brings you to this seaside village, which offers a bustling harbor, quaint shops and galleries, hotels, dining and some of the best fishing opportunities available, anywhere in Alaska.

This ocean port, known as Resurrection Bay, is a deep fjord, nearly 35 miles north to south, on the southeastern coast of the Kenai Peninsula. Most of the shoreline is rugged and deeply indented, with timbered or rocky slopes rising directly from its beaches. The water drops off dramatically along most of the bay’s shoreline and depths exceed 160 fathoms (about 1,000 feet) at places in the center of the bay. Tides are moderate, with average daily range on the order of six to 12 feet.

The bay remains ice-free in winter, making it easily navigable. This body of water was named by Alexander Baranov, who on an exploratory voyage in April 1792, was forced to retreat into the bay in the face of a fierce, North Pacific storm. The storm settled on Easter Sunday and the

bay and nearby Resurrection River were named in honor of the date.

Many great adventures await in this beautiful port, but our favorite reason to visit is Hill Norvell’s Alaskan Fishing, one of our long-standing Platinum Approved Outfitters and our “go-to” operation for multi-species trips in this part of Alaska.

Capt. Hill specializes in ocean trips out of Seward, but can also arrange Kenai River drift or powerboat trips, fly-out fishing and bear viewing adventures and Kenai Fjord and whale watching day trips, just to mention a few possibilities.

Hill first guided in Alaska in 2001 and after serving his country for a time in the US Army, he started Hill Norvell’s Alaskan Fishing or Fish with Hill, with his wife, Brittny, who he met on his very first day as a guide back in 2001.

Fishing trips with Capt. Hill aboard the “2 Day” are always a mixed bag of halibut, salmon, lingcod, yelloweye and black sea bass. His 46 foot, twin diesel cabin cruiser can easily accommodate groups of four and up to 14 for a perfect day on the water. The “2 Day” is also equipped for overnight trips to the outer reaches of the area if you’re game, giving you the chance to really go after the big boys of the sea!

The Sportsman’s News Team visited

The author with one of the variety of rock fish caught during his days on the water with Captain Hill and his crew.

Captain Hill Norvell and Kent Danjanovich with a great mixed catch out of Seward, Alaska.

Capt. Hill on two occasions in 2015 and both were nothing short of spectacular.

Our trip over the 4th of July weekend included limits of halibut, black sea bass and lingcod, as well as some of the hottest silver salmon action that I have ever experienced while ocean fishing in Alaska.

Jigging with ‘hoochies” in depths of 10 to 30 feet of water produced fish after fish, with our limits of three fish apiece filled literally in less than 40 minutes! Our new fishing buddies from Texas, Louis Saksen, Tom Stanfield and Greg Sims, really put on a show and were grinning from ear to ear, as they kept our deckhand pretty busy.

As we prepared to head to our next fishing spot, we noticed a bunch of gulls circling in the distance. We quickly got underway, heading in their direction. As we approached, to our delight, about a half dozen humpbacked whales started bubble-feeding on the surface, putting on quite a show for all of us and again greatly adding to the excitement of our day on the water.

It was then off to one of Capt. Hill’s favorite rocky, submerged outcroppings for lingcod, yelloweye and black bass. Hill’s ‘special’ technique had all of these bottom dwellers in a frenzy, the results being some of the biggest prehistoric looking, toothy lingcod I have ever seen. And I only wish I would have had my fly rod with, as the black sea bass were boiling all around us – easy prey for our spin cast outfits - as they seemed to hit before our crocodile lures even started to sink out of sight.

On our return visit, we ventured about

2 ½ hours out of the bay to Montague Island in search of big halibut. Once we found the spot, our arms began to burn as we hauled in big numbers, ranging from 20 to 150 pounds. Both jigs and circle hooks with bait did the trick, making the long boat ride well worth the effort. On our way back, we again stopped for a limit of silvers and a couple of nice lings.

Another perfect day on the water with Capt. Hill and the ‘2 Day’.

For those of you that have had a few problems keeping your breakfast down while hitting the high seas at times, let me assure you that your time on the water should be a little bit friendlier while fishing with Capt. Hill. Hill prides himself in having one of the cleanest boats on the water, helping to ensure your day will be the best it can be. Now some people are just going to get sick no matter what, but in many cases the smells associated with being on a boat, including fuel, fish and bait odors, are definitely not an issue on the ‘2 Day’, making for a much more enjoyable trip for everyone.

And oh by the way, Capt. Hill offers more than just ocean fishing too. Hill and his staff can put together a package that can include accommodations at their B & B as well as a host of fishing or sightseeing trips throughout the area. His Bed & Breakfast style lodging is located about six miles from Seward and within a short drive of Exit Glacier, another must-see attraction during your visit. Four well continued on page 8

February 2016 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS DIGITAL EDITION

Words From The Publisher

By Michael Deming

I

f you take a look at the back cover of this issue, you will see that Sportsman’s Warehouse has a bunch of new stores coming for 2016. It is so exciting to see this growth and the possibly of having a Sportsman’s Warehouse store right near your home.

As if this isn’t enough to be excited about, our Sportsman’s News team is already starting into the new show season. The Archery Trade Show in Kentucky, the Outdoor Retailer in Salt Lake City and the Shooting Hunting and Outdoor Trade Show in Las Vegas are just a few of the big shows in January. These are industry shows where all the manufacturers roll out their newest gadgets for 2016. Some of these gadgets have already been leaked to the press, but the majority of them will be unveiled over the next thirty days and the Sportsman’s News Team will be there to see what is new and exciting. We will listen to the sales pitches, but most im-

portantly, we will get to put our hands on the majority of these products and see what is real and what is just hype.

Over the next few months, we will be putting some of these products to the test and giving you a real field opinion on them. So, make sure you stop by your local Sportsman’s Warehouse each and every month to pick up the most current copy of the Sportsman’s News.

Many of these products that truly make the grade will get slated for us to do a video product review on. We do about fifty of them each and every year. These reviews show the testing that we do with each product and we also give you our opinion. All of our past video product reviews are available on the Sportsman’s News YouTube channel labeled - sportsmansnewstv. So, by becoming a subscriber of our YouTube channel, you will automatically see all of the new videos we produce. All of the new YouTube subscribers for 2016 will be eligible to win a Browning Long Range Hunter, chambered in .26 Nosler

Scan with your smartphone to join Now!

Join Today @

www.SportsmansNews.com

and topped with a Nightforce SHV 5-20 riflescope. All you need to do is subscribe, which costs you nothing. We will soon be launching the video of this great rifle setup, formally announcing the contest with this 1000 yard rifle.

The Sportsman’s News Pro Membership Sweepstakes is really gaining popularity from our readers. We had a big influx of new members over the holiday season, which we assume were Christmas presents. We will be taking this membership program to the next level in 2016 when we start hitting some of the outdoor shows with our own booth. We will be at the majority of the ISE shows in the west, but will also be hitting a few in the Midwest, Texas and the East. So, please stop by and talk to us if you are at one of these shows.

We have spent the last twelve years traveling the world and evaluating outfitters. We definitely know who is the best and have a pretty long list of who isn’t. So, don’t learn the hard way when you are looking to book a trip.

Make sure you book your trips with a Platinum Approved Outfitter. Every one of these outfitters is someone we have visited personally and we know about their operation. We are always available to discuss your needs and desires of a trip and can plug you in with an outfitter that will truly deliver the trip of a lifetime. These trips are very expensive and unfortunately, even the bad trips are expensive, so don’t learn the hard way. If you become a Sportsman’s News Pro Member, you will even get 5% off of your trips (regularly priced) with these endorsed outfitters.

All the trips we will be giving away in 2016, as well as the details on becoming a Pro Member are on the center pages of this issue. Then all you have to do is visit our website at www.ProMembershipSweepstakes.com and sign up. You just may be our next big winner!

WHAT’S INSIDE

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2 Fish With Hill 3 Words From The Publisher 5 Pro’s Tip: Shed Hunting 10 Platinum Approved Outfitters 14 Shelter In Place Strategies Member Update 20 Pro Outdoors: Umpqua Big 26 PacWest Fish 28 Fishful Thinker: Fundamentals 2 30 Beretta M9A3 32 Pro’s Pick: MTN OPS 34 Business Directory 36 Video Product Reviews Sagas: Crashing A 40 Barebow!

Stag Party 43 NWTF Banquet Schedule Game Recipe: Goose 44 Wild Parmigian On A Budget: 45 Adventure Missouri Turkey Contest: Puget 47 Writing Waterfowl

www.facebook.com/ sportsmansnews Become a Fan of Sportsman’s News for Fan Only contests and post comments about Sportsman’s News.

Tell your friends.

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Chad LaChance Gary Lewis Dennis Dunn Steve Mayer Terry T. Clapp Rob James

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February 2016 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS DIGITAL EDITION

SPORTSMAN’S NEWS 2322 W. Industry Way Cedar City, UT 84721

PRESIDENT/PUBLISHER Mike Deming President/Publisher 435-669-4624 mdeming@sportsmansnews.com

SENIOR EDITOR Kent Danjanovich 801-231-9838 kdanjanovich@sportsmansnews.com NATIONAL ADVERTISING MANAGER Eric Christensen 435-879-1212 echristensen@sportsmansnews.com MANAGING EDITOR Dan Kidder 435-865-1680 dkidder@sportsmansnews.com EDITORIAL ASSISTANT Lisa Deming info@sportsmansnews.com PRODUCTION MANAGER James Dansie jdansie@sportsmansnews.com

Subscribers should contact Managing Editor for changes of address.

Sportsman’s News is published monthly.

The entire content of this newspaper is Copyright 2015 © All rights reserved.

No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form without written consent of the Managing Editor.

SPORTSMAN’S WAREHOUSE 7035 So. High Tech Drive Midvale, UT 84047

February 2016 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS DIGITAL EDITION

Shed Hunting

By Eric Christensen

the winter range looking for dropped antlers. It was rare to run into a fellow icking up shed antlers has become shed hunter out hiking on a cold, late widely popular among many winter day or cut a fresh pair of boot different outdoor fanatics. I ask tracks going across a ridge. Back in the myself often, “What has made shed day, I would wait well into late April or hunting such a widespread activity?” early May before looking for a pair of Twenty years ago, there seemed to be drops. Mostly, I wanted to wait for the just a handful of people willing to walk majority of the elk and deer to cast off their head gear. I remember my grandfather asking me why I was wasting time and money to go pick up dropped sheds.

He could not grasp why someone would put forth the effort to pick up elk and deer antlers that were not attached to the animal that dropped them.

Unfortunately, times have changes and the new-age shed hunter can watch a particular animal Brown elk antler set dropped next to a white set for weeks and months, waiting for the buck to of elk antlers.

P

Pro’s Tips

5

trade his old pair of antlers in for a new, fuzzy set. When the Asian market had started buying antlers for medicinal purposes, it gave peo- might be ripe with antlers, stimulates ple a new way to earn some extra cash that emotional connection to nature; It for doing something they loved. Social makes you wonder if there is a giant media also has been a massive spotlight set of sheds burning in the sun for one for shed hunters to show off what they lucky person to pick up. It really is a have found. There are several people hunt. You’re reading the country side, and so called “productions companies” looking for sign from deer and elk. showing off their weekend trips with Fresh tracks are an obvious sign that antlers around a fire or the back of a you may be near some brown gold. truck. This has been one main contribu- Walking up a ridge and finding freshly tor for getting people out, walking the rubbed trees many times has kept my hills each spring. What these ‘show- feet moving for several miles in hopes off’ shed hunters don’t realize is that that I may find the bone laying on the by showing off their prize, they have ground that just killed those branches. created an interest for everyone to be There is just something about being the one holding a 200” set of mule in the wilderness in the wintertime. deer antlers on an Instagram post and It seems like you can hike up into an in the long run and in some cases, has area and sit to glass without hearing saturated the chances of finding even any noise of any kind. I have gained one antler from an entire day of hiking. a deep love for that peace, as I’ve sat Shed hunting provides another form behind my optics looking for tines pokof instinctual hunting that millions of continued on page 22 people enjoy. Looking into an area that www.brockshuntincabins.com

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February 2016 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS DIGITAL EDITION

KODIAK LODGE continued from cover

with large sea mammal haul-outs and the archipelago’s largest puffin colony, which is nearby on Flat Island.

Old Harbor itself is also rich in history. The Alutiiq people settled Old Harbor more than 7,000 years ago; the community is the site of the first Russian colony in Alaska. Just south of Old Harbor is Three Saints Bay, site of the first Russian settlement. Long dormant, Port Hobron served as the last commercial American whaling station through the 1920s. Historic Three Saints Russian Orthodox Church is a hub of community activity and the striking centerpiece of the village, with a yearround population of about 220.

Kodiak Island is synonymous with fishing. Although Kodiak is wellknown for its brown bears and Sitka deer, the largest financial provider for the economy, is fishing. Fishing on and around Kodiak Island is just about as good as fishing gets. The only problem with fishing in Kodiak is it will probably spoil you for fishing anywhere else.

You will enjoy the lack of crowds, the short ride to salt water fishing grounds and the abundant variety of fish found in its pristine waters.

One of our newest Platinum Approved Lodges is Kodiak Sportsman’s Lodge,located on the southeast side of Kodiak Island in Old Harbor, Alaska.

The Lodge is nestled behind Sitkalidak Island and is often rated the number one fishery, in protected waters, in all of Alaska. Many believe that they have the best salmon and halibut fishing in the world - period! A bold statement, but in most cases, very true. The waters are filthy rich in candlefish, herring and other bait fish which creates a very productive area for trophy kings, silvers, halibut and lingcod.

Kodiak Sportsman’s Lodge is “THE” place when visiting Old Harbor. They own and operate four of the six sport fishing boats in a 30 mile stretch of protected waters. Because of the low amount of pressure, your day on the water can start as little as 10 minutes from the dock, with most fishing grounds no more than 15 to 30 minutes away on calm, protected waters.

James Dansie with his first halibut with Kodiak Sportsman’s Lodge in Old Harbor, AK. Gary Sampson and his crew utilize four custom-built aluminum catamarans, both 25- and 28-footers with 10′ wide decks. Each boat is five-star Coast Guard rated, with full walk around cabins, fitted with twin engines, full marine heads, completely enclosed seating and top of the line electronics. Loomis and Lamiglas graphite fishing rods, with Shimano reels are provided, along with all the lures and bait needed for a great day on the water. They have a few spinning outfits for the river fishermen, as well as a few fly fishing outfits available for use. Another nice feature is the fact that they only fish four guests per boat.

They also have new jet boats that can navigate some of the local rivers for

fisherman during early and late season visits. Guests will fish at least 8-hours per day, weather permitting and all of their captains are coast guard licensed.

Gortex rainwear up to size 3X and 18″ knee boots up to size 14 are also provided at the Lodge if you don’t want to worry about bringing yours along.

Another of the great advantages of fishing in the Kodiak area are their liberal limits, with two king salmon, two halibut, two lingcod, five silver salmon, one yelloweye and four black sea bass allowed per person, per day. And just a little side note – the winner of the king salmon derby for Kodiak almost continued on page 8

The Kodiak Sportsman’s Lodge offers a perfect view of the Old Harbor Bay and lush mountain surroundings.

February 2016 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS DIGITAL EDITION

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February 2016 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS DIGITAL EDITION

KODIAK LODGE

that had a bunch of gulls hovering, frantically feeding on bait fish. Geoff continued from page 6 quickly readied our salmon rods and always comes from the Old Harbor kicked in the trolling motor in hopes area, with the Kodiak Sportsman’s of picking up a few silvers. The next Lodge fulfilling many of those dreams hour proved to be a great one, with 20, in recent years! chrome-bright Coho’s filling up the rest Our visit last July started out a little of the fish box. rough, as fog engulfed the Kodiak airAfter a great afternoon on the water, port for two days, but we finally were we made our way back to the Lodge for able to get in and then after another a quick shower and a change of clothes short flight to Old Harbor, we were and then headed to the common area soon at the doorsteps of the Lodge. for hors d’oeuvres and then took our After dropping off our luggage in seats along with the other eleven guests our rooms, we headed for the drying for the first of many great meals. The room to slip into our rain gear and kitchen staff provided us with a host then headed to the dock, only a few of creations during our stay and even hundred yards away for our first day made us copies of a few of the recipes on the water. to take home for later use.

Our captain on day one was Geoff Day two, with Captain Conrad PeBechtol, a thirteen year veteran of the terson, proved to be just as exciting, as Kodiak area. After a short ride across we were able to just about duplicate the bay, Capt. Geoff quickly attached our success of our first day. And on our lines to the downriggers, as we our last bite before heading for the would be first trolling for kings. With dock, a 20+ pound king hammered my the weather just coming out of a down- cameraman, James Dansie’s rod and he barometer, we were still able to land a was able to land his first king salmon nice king, with a couple of other close ever in Alaska! encounters as well. Next we were off Our final day would have to be cut for halibut and lingcod. a little short because of our early afterThe rest of the afternoon was spent noon flight back to Anchorage, but our stopping at some of Capt. Geoff ’s host, Gary Sampson himself, made sure favorite spots, with plenty of halibut, we would pack a full-days’ adventure big lingcod, black sea bass and a cou- into the time we had left. We landed ple of nice yelloweyes thrown in for two nice halibut, 60 and ninety pounds good measure. On our way back to the respectively, along with four more big Lodge, we stopped along a sandy beach lingcod and a bunch of black sea bass.

We told Capt.

Gary of our success with the silvers near the Lodge, so with our time running out, he made a be-line for our final stop. It took us under 30 minutes to haul in 15 silvers to fill our limits and then we sadly headed back to the dock to pack up and say our goodbyes.

Well, our first visit to the Kodiak Sportsman’s Lodge was a great success and I promise Big lingcod seem to always be on the prowl in the that it won’t be waters surrounding Kodiak Island. our last. Not

only was the fishing all that we had hoped f o r, w e f o u n d that all of their amenities came through with shining colors as well. The Lodge, which can comfortably accommodate up to 16 guests, offers all of the comforts of home, while t h e m e a l s a re delicious and I promise you will Kodiak Sportsman’s Lodge is a comfortable respite with never go hungry. comfortable rooms and dining area for resting up after a Sack lunches are big day of fishing. provided on all day trips along with Platinum Approved Outfitters and plenty of bottles of water and a variety strongly recommend that you consider them when planning your next visit to of sodas as well.

All of our catch was cleaned, trimmed, Alaska. The area is breathtaking and as vacuum sealed and frozen for our flights I mentioned earlier, the fishing isn’t too home and were loaded and ready in the bad either! Kodiak Sportsman’s Lodge, van for our short drive to the airstrip. visit them on the web at www.kodiakWe are proud to welcome the Kodiak sportsmanslodge.com or give them a Sportsman’s Lodge to our family of call at 907-982-7585.

FISH WITH HILL continued from page 2

decorated and comfortable rooms are available, with each sleeping two to four guests with its own private bath.

The rooms are a great place to relax after your exciting adventures. There is also a comfortable common area equipped with flat screen and cable television, with free WiFi available for your use.

A hot breakfast is served daily compliments of Captain Hill, then a hearty lunch is packed for each guest to take

on the boat with plenty to keep them full in between catching fish.

If you are looking to book an Alaskan adventure that will not only provide you with the ultimate in fishing opportunities, but also provide you with some of the best sightseeing and exploring opportunities available anywhere in Alaska, you really need to get on the phone right now and give Hill Norvell and his staff a call to talk about all of the possibilities at 907-321-8886 and visit them on the web at www.fishwithhill. com. You’ll be glad you did!

A group of humpback whales, bubble feeding, treated us to quite a show during our trip out of Resurrection Bay.

February 2016 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS DIGITAL EDITION

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February 2016 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS DIGITAL EDITION

The Sportsman’s News Platinum Approved Outfitter is an outfitter that has excelled in every aspect of their business. They put people and customers before profit. They do what it takes to make sure that they will be in business for the long haul and ensure that they have repeat customers. They practice good game management, which will ensure a top quality trip with them every time you

book. These are outfitters you would be proud to refer to a friend.

We know this because we are proud to endorse each one of these outfitters based upon our staff members personally visiting each one of these operations. These outfitters have proven to us that they have what it takes to be “Sportsman’s News Platinum Approved.”

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February 2016 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS DIGITAL EDITION

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February 2016 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS DIGITAL EDITION

CANADIAN HUNTING

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February 2016 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS DIGITAL EDITION

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February 2016 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS DIGITAL EDITION

Shelter in Place Strategies For an Emergency

By Dan Kidder Managing Editor

E

mergencies can take many forms and happen at any time. Being prepared to stay comfortable during a prolonged emergency begins with the home you already live in.

Many of the items you need to convert your home from a standard living space into an emergency shelter are readily available at your local Sportsman’s Warehouse store and your home improvement stores.

The main benefit of sheltering in place as opposed to evacuating or buggingout, is that shelter is already taken care of. Unless there is an impending danger, or the structure has been compromised, you are most often better off sheltering in place. Additionally, more supplies than you can carry can be stored.

Evacuating should only be attempted if an evacuation order has been given by local authorities. In such a case, having a location pre-planned, scouted, and

supplied is bethave special diter than just ranetary needs or “Survival is just like camping; food allergies, domly choosing an evacuation except for the part where it isn’t m e d i c i n e f o r direction and those with medianything at all like camping.” hoping to find a cal conditions, suitable location. and access for Bugging out is those with physactually bugging to. ical limitations. Installing ramps and The first step for converting your home wider doors, as well as railings might be into an emergency shelter is to make a one step to take beforehand if you believe plan. Your plan needs to consider the that those with mobility issues will be following: sheltering with you. Stockpiling low carb • The special needs of those sheltering. foods and plenty of medicine for diabet• The number of people being shel- ics is another step. Making arrangements tered and the length of time you to keep insulin refrigerated during a wish to shelter power outage is another consideration.

• Sleeping arrangements Powering life-saving medical equipment • Thermoregulation like respirators, CPAP machines or dialy• Sanitation and hygiene sis would also fall into the special needs • Comfort and recreation category. For these types of devices, a • Special Needs backup generator and sufficient fuel may be the answer.

Special Needs Special needs include dietary accom- Quantity and Duration modations for diabetics and others who Even with rationing, eventually your supply of food, water, and medicines will run out. In a prolonged emergency, it may take several weeks for food and water supplies to be replenished in local stores, and can take even longer for medical supplies to return to normal.

Depending upon infrastructure damage,

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Freeze-dried foods stored in pouches and a durable plastic pail have a long shelf life, provide a good mixture of macro nutrients, and are easy to prepare with minimal water. you may be without clean, drinkable, running water or power for a while.

When stockpiling food, it is best to have a mixture of different types of food. Some canned, some dried, and some freeze-dried products mixed into your diet will aid in proper digestion.

Suddenly eating foods that your body is

A glass wick kerosene heater can put out a lot of heat without the danger of carbon monoxide that a propane heater will create. unaccustomed to consuming will cause digestive distress, diarrhea, vomiting, or upset stomachs. That is why Imodium and Pepto Bismol should also be among your preps. When calculating your water supplies, also consider that you will need to use water for food preparation, and factor that quantity into your daily water ration. While canned goods can fill a portion of your supplies, having some professionally prepared freezedried foods with a long shelf life, such as Mountain House, Wise, Camp Chef, or The Outdoor Trail can provide you with a lot of calories without taking up too much space.

Many of the pouch meals provide multiple servings, so having some sort of cook stove and pot for meal preparation will allow you to more easily portion out the servings than cooking them inside the pouch. These meals are designed to provide higher calories, so you may get your nutritional needs met, but still be a little hungry after eating your portion.

This is about survival, not having a full belly, and you may have to hunker down longer than expected, so it is important to ration the supplies you have. Additionally, prepared camping and survival food tends to be more nutritionally balanced than typical canned goods. More focus continued on page 16

February 2016 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS DIGITAL EDITION

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February 2016 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS DIGITAL EDITION

SHELTER IN PLACE continued from page 14

is placed on balancing fats, proteins, and carbs to work together efficiently, than say just eating a can of pork and beans.

Since many of these packaged foods need hot water to be prepared, it is important to have a way to efficiently heat up water, and the fuel to last for the duration. You may also need to heat water for sanitation and hygiene, so calculate this into your fuel storage. Hedge your bets a little on the longer side so you don’t run out if consumption runs a little over what you expected. Children need to consume between 1,000 to 1,800 calories per day and adults need between 1,800 and 2,400, depending upon age, health, and physical activity. Plan on two gallons of water per person/day.

Food in your refrigerator will stay edible for a few days, and frozen food will be edible for several days more.

Eat the items in the refrigerator first, and then move on to the frozen foods next. Consume those before break-

Sleeping Arrangements While traditional bedding may work, arranging common sleeping areas may make more sense. It is easier to heat a single room than it is the entire house.

Additionally, security may be more easily accomplished when everyone is sleeping in close proximity. Also, if there is a nuclear, biological, or chemical (NBC) emergency, you may need to seal up a room with plastic sheeting and duct tape to keep out harmful substances.

This can more easily be accomplished with a single room with fewer windows. Having folding pads, inflatable mattresses, or cots that can be stowed in the Water stored in easy to handle smaller jugs will daytime and set up at night, keep longer in opaque containers. Large fill can keep the room from getting holes and pour spouts will make them easier cramped and accommodate to cycle and use. Avoid reusing milk jugs as multiple sleepers. Sleeping bags they allow too much light and may break. can be rolled up and do a better job of keeping you warm than ing into the canned and freeze-dried stuff. Otherwise, you may be left with regular blankets.

Getting some 2-4 mil plastic sheeting rotting foods that can smell up your at your local home improvement store in shelter and be difficult to dispose of. large rolls will save you money. Additional options such as stick on zippers can let you easily seal off rooms while still providing temporary access. Don’t forget copious amounts of duct tape as it has multiple uses. This film can be used to help keep out nasty stuff, but also helps contain heat to just the inhabited areas.

Thermoregulation Thermoregulation is the science of maintaining proper body heat. If the emergency occurs in the dead of winter, having a means to properly heat your shelter will be a major concern. Another issue with heating your shelter is proper airflow and ventilation. While some may

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A good quality sleeping bag, like this Browning McKinley, will keep you warmer than traditional blankets if the heat goes out for a prolonged period.

A plan for managing human waste needs to have the means to contain it, prevent odor from escaping, and make it easy to dispose. This bucket and seat also include double bags with powder to neutralize odor and bacteria. be counting on a fireplace, keep in mind that more than 70 percent of the heat generated from a fireplace escapes out of the chimney and in some cases, lighting a fire can make a room colder than just sealing up the room. A better option is a radiant wood stove that uses a wood gas combustion system and heats up the metal and glass of the stove to radiate heat into the room. For those who don’t have access to a woodstove or fireplace, carbon monoxide poisoning is a very real concern.

Any type of propane heater will give off deadly carbon monoxide. Something like a glass wick kerosene heater is a better choice. Be sure to keep sufficient kerosene on hand. The good news is that unlike gasoline, kerosene stores easily for several years. In case of an NBC emergency, the rooms occupied need to be sealed off with plastic. In the summer months in hot climates, this can become stifling. Because of the danger of airborne contamination, heaters, air conditioners, fans, and vents need to be shut off or sealed. Here is where an ample water supply can come in handy. Using evaporative cooling either through a mist or swamp cooler method can keep you and your family cooler in the sweltering heat. Minimizing activity will also help prevent overheating. Running a low power fan powered by a solar panel through a wet cloth can drop the air temperature by as much as 10 degrees in a confined space. continued on page 18

February 2016 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS DIGITAL EDITION

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February 2016 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS DIGITAL EDITION

SHELTER IN PLACE continued from page 14

Sanitation and Hygiene Poo happens. Especially when eating foods that your body is unaccustomed to digesting. In some types of emergencies, the public sewage system may be overwhelmed. Continuing to flush waste down the toilet can overtax these systems and cause sewage to backflow into homes. One piece of equipment I believe every home in America should have is a sewage backflow protector. This $30 piece of plumbing installed on your main waste line can prevent tens of thousands of dollars in damage to your home from raw sewage backing up.

For waste disposal in a crisis, nothing beats the old five-gallon Homer bucket.

Reliance makes a toilet seat cover that snaps to the top of a five-gallon bucket and Sportsman’s Warehouse carries a variety of bags with chemicals to neutralize bacteria and odor in human waste. Lugable Loo, RestStop, and Cleanwaste are just a few.

In addition, Cleanwaste makes bags with their NASA developed Poo Powder to gel the waste and encapsulate it so it can be easily handled and disposed of. Another

need to be emptied, so make sure you have a place where it can be emptied that is far from any water sources.

Because infection is a real danger when there is limited access to medical care, three items to stockpile in ample quantities are soap; antiseptics, like bleach, isopropyl alcohol, hand sanitizer, and hydrogen peroxide; and wet wipes. I like to keep both the bleach cleaning wipes as well as the gentler baby wipes on hand. These can be used for general cleaning and also for bathing. Making a concoction of about 1 part bleach to 20 parts water is This inexpensive piece of plumbing can save you great for a hand washing tens of thousands of dollars of damage to your station next to your portable home. It is a sewage backflow preventer and is toilet. Fill a bucket with this easy to install on your main waste line. solution and the hands can be washed in it and then option is to slice a horizontal slit in a swimming pool noodle and use it to create a dried without the need for rinsing. cushion on the rim of your bucket, and then seal it with an airtight Gamma Seal cover Comfort and Recreation Several people confined inside a tight between uses. Eventually, this bucket will space for a prolonged period of time can easily create some testy refugees. Having the means to create privacy areas will make people more comfortable and give them a sense of seclusion. This can be accomplished by hanging some opaque shower curtains to divide up the room. Ear plugs can help isolate the noise. Some items to distract the mind can help make everyone more comfortable. Books, magazines, and portable electronic games with extra batteries can help pass the time. Board games that can be played by the entire group will help keep everyone entertained and prevent boredom. A few decks of cards will allow people to play with each other or enjoy some solitaire if they need some alone time.

Lighting goes a long way to making people comfortable at night. Oil lamps can give off a lot of light and burn for a long time on their oil supply. A mirror tile placed behind an oil lamp will increase the amount of light it shines in a room. Regular candles don’t give off much light and can be dangerous if knocked over. Storm candles are long glass tubes with a candle inside that will burn for about 100 hours.

These are safer than standard candles. Electric lighting options and lanterns are the safest choice but will need extra batteries.

A radio will not only provide you entertainment, but also inform and update you with valuable information. Emergency

This Czech wall lamp has a builtin reflector to cast more light into the room. The same effect can be achieved by placing a mirror wall tile behind a lamp on a shelf. responders will update disaster information and provide evacuation notifications on AM and FM radio channels. Something that has batteries as well as a crank to generate power is a good fit for emergency preparedness.

Having the comfort of home, a place to store sufficient supplies, a door that locks, and the ability to keep in warmth and keep out predators is a far better answer to weathering an emergency than grabbing a bag of supplies and heading out into the unknown. My favorite way to shelter in place during an emergency is to hop in the car, drive a hundred miles and check into the nearest Ritz-Carlton Hotel and order room service. This option may not always be available, so preparing your home to serve as your emergency evacuation center is the best way to get through a local natural or man-caused emergency.

With some simple planning and preparation, your home can be equipped to keep several people comfortable and safe for a short-term or long-term emergency. Start planning today and take your time and build up your supplies slowly but steadily so you can be ready to shelter in place in case of an emergency.

February 2016 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS DIGITAL EDITION

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February 2016 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS DIGITAL EDITION

SHED HUNTING continued from page 5

ing over a bush.

Searching for antlers helps develop skills for hunting. After a few trips, you can start to get a feel for areas that hold deer and elk. Learning what these animals feed on for a winter diet will also help on future, late season hunts.

Elk and deer are creatures of habit. They will go to the same areas to winter and summer every year. It amazes me that these animals will travel well over 50 miles or more when they transition from summer, to rut and then to winter mode. How do they know where to go and how to get there? I’ve only had the pleasure of finding multiple years of antlers from an animal a few times in my more than twenty years of shed hunting. When it happens, it makes you want to quit your job to keep looking for more and more antlers.

Another tool that antler hunting provides to the hunting crowd is judging antlers while attached to their skull.

I honed my field judging skills after filming several elk in the summer and

rut, then picking up their antlers in the winter. I would write down what I thought all the bulls would score and then compared my notes to the actual antlers. It really opened my eyes how deceiving some racks can be. There is no better teacher for field judging elk or deer than seeing them on the hoof and then holding their antlers.

Now that I have kids getting a little older, I have started taking them on family shed trips. It is extremely rewarding to see their faces light-up and feed off their excitement when they find their own antlers. It is imperative that we develop a younger-aged hunting crowd to carry on the man’s desire to interact and respect wildlife. Shed hunting for youth teaches them so many necessary skills that they will use when they are old enough to get out and hunt for themselves.

One major problem that shed hunting has created is competition. Just like in most cases in life, there will always be a small number of people willing to do anything for a set of antlers.

Antler gathering laws have now been established in some states to combat

This giant muledeer matched pair was picked up in southern Utah. It scores around 217 inches. It takes a lot of miles of searching to pick up a set like this. people willing to trespass on private property or drive their ATV’s across winter range, harassing wildlife. We

as sportsmen must respect the delicate balance of these animals fighting for survival in winter ranges, even though it is a very small number of individuals cheating others and breaking laws to gain an advantage over other shed hunters. I’ve seen bull elk drop a hundred pounds from chasing cows in the rut. Their winter range is crucial for gaining back important calories, not only to survive the winter, but it can also affect next year’s growth if they are malnourished going into the spring.

Finding a new matched set of sheds is one of the best moments shed hunters can have. Finding the first brown antler is like injecting adrenaline straight into your veins. I’ve hiked for many miles longer than planned after stumbling onto a large white or brown antler. One problem with finding a single antler is the shed hunter now has to scour the hillsides and nearby drainages, hoping the other side is close by. Climbing back into the cab of your truck, knowing that the other side is still out in the wilderness, can drive you nuts. It’s amazing to continued on page 24

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February 2016 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS DIGITAL EDITION

SHED HUNTING continued from page 5

me that the other antler can stay on the buck or bulls’ head for a whole 24 hours or longer. I watched a good 340-class elk drop an antler while I was glassing him and the other side had already been cast

Freshly dropped mule deer antlers make all the hiking very rewarding.

off sometime before. I thought a brown set was in the bag. It took me a week to find the other side, with some help from a fellow shed fanatic. It was only about 400 yards from where I watched the bull drop his second antler.

Remember to check local and state regulations regarding shed hunting in your area, as they can change each year. Here are some states that have started antler gathering laws to prevent wildlife from being harassed or harmed while surviving the winter: Utah - Shed hunters must complete an Antler Gathering Course that you can take on the Utah Division of Wildlife website. You must carry the certificate from February 1st through April 15th. Kids are covered under your certificate and do not need to complete the course.

Deadheads: Antlers attached to the skull plate can’t be moved or taken.

Wyoming - From January 1st through April 30th collecting sheds on public lands west of the Continental Divide, excluding the Great Divide Basin, is illegal. Wyoming will enforce this law and has had several convictions of per-

sons violating their shed law.

Deadheads: No current restriction’s for antlers attached to a skull.

Colorado - Shed antler hunting is not allowed from January 1 - March 14 on public lands in GMUs 25, 26, 35, 36, 43, 44, 47, 54, 55, 66, 67, 444, 471 and 551.

From March 15 - May 15, these areas are closed to shed hunting only from sunset to 10am.

Deadheads: No current restriction’s for antlers attached to a skull.

Nevada -No current restriction’s for shed hunting.

Deadhead: Deer and elk antlers attached to the skull are legal to pick up in Nevada.

New Mexico - No current restriction’s for shed hunting.

Deadhead: Deer and elk antlers attached to the skull are illegal to pick up.

Idaho -No current restriction’s for shed hunting. Deadhead: Deer and elk antlers attached to the skull are legal to pick up.

Montana - State owned Wildlife Management Areas are closed until around June 1st. All other public land is open to antler gathering.

It’s pretty rare to have both antlers drop right next to each other Deadheads: No current restriction’s for antlers attached to a skull.

Arizona - Has no current antler gathering restrictions.

Deadheads: No current restriction’s for antlers attached to a skull.

February 2016 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS DIGITAL EDITION

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February 2016 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS DIGITAL EDITION

The Umpqua - A River For Big Fish It was late in September, 2003. I met Lyle Andrews at the put-in at Cleveland Rapids. Temperatures had been high, the river wanted rain, but there were salmon in that long run.

Andrews tied on a nickel-plated Clancy spoon with a dimple in the metal. A big fish hammered This five-pound Umpqua River smallmouth was the it at 6:30 in the boss of its little part of the river. When it streaked for morning. the bait, a dozen smaller bass got out of the way.

“Chalk up another one for the I think about my all-time best trophy Clancy,” Andrews said and I battled fish, I think chinook, steelhead and my biggest salmon ever to the boat. We smallmouth bass. The thing they have weighed that one at 42 pounds.

For years my biggest steelhead was in common is they came from the a 16-pounder from the North Fork Umpqua.

Lewis. I’d battled 20-pound class fish on the Kalama, the Clackamas and the Deschutes, but they’d beaten me every time.

Twenty-pound steelhead are tough.

Everyone you meet on the river is secretly hoping to someday get their “Twenty,” but there is a fish rarer still - a Photo by Gary Lewis

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nineteener. Have you ever had someone tell you they caught a 19-pound steelhead? Nope. They round up 19-pounders, even a lot of 18-pounders, become 20-pounders.

We were on the North Umpqua with guide Chris Carson in March, 2008. He handed Brad Hester and me matching rigs: nine-foot G. Loomis spinning rods with identical side-drifting baits.

We motored up the edge of a long run and then Carson turned his drift boat and pointed the bow downstream, slightly angled toward our targeted drift.

My bait was bouncing river left, when it happened. Something had changed with the rod tip, I could feel it in my hand, but the signal hadn’t traveled to my brain. Carson was on it. “Gary! Hit it,” he said. I swept the rod up and buried the hook. There was a headshake, a wobble, then the fish took off like a freight train across the river on an 80yard run.

Carson, on the sticks, followed it across and back again. The fish headed straight for the boulder where I’d hooked him and would have wrapped me around, but I got his head up and turned him. That’s when we saw him.

Three times in my life I’ve had fish on continued on page 34

Photo by Gary Lewis

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Gary Lewis admires his biggest steelhead, a wild buck from the North Umpqua. This fish was taken on side-drifting gear and was released to make more steelhead.

February 2016 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS DIGITAL EDITION

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February 2016 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS DIGITAL EDITION

Season of Fundamentals 2

Chad LaChance

T

he older I get, the more simplistic I get and I’m OK with that. Why? Because it’s made me a more consistent angler. As I wrote about in last month’s column (archived at www.

SportsmansNews.com), we have been distilling down the last 14 seasons of Fishful Thinker TV to the concepts that we most often rely on to ensure we catch fish. These techniques and concepts have been in development my whole life, but it wasn’t until I began teaching fishing (specifically light tackle, artificial lure/fly angling) through seminars and media that I really refined the when/ where/how of each technique in order that it may be efficiently conveyed to my audience.

Last month I focused on a few specific, on-the-water conditions, I use to help locate predatory sportfish because we have to locate them, especially the active ones if possible, before we can catch them. For this column, I’ll talk about a few universal techniques we use to catch said predatory fish. Oh and remember when I mentioned simplicity a minute ago? Yea, well I wasn’t kidding, because if you master these few presentations, you can catch a huge range of sportfish - bass, walleye, pike, trout, wiper, snook, redfish and a gillion more - in a wide range of conditions.

The first technique I personally think every light tackle angler ought to master is jigging. While there is a bunch of ways to work a jig, not to mention an infinite variety of jig sizes and styles, there is one specific technique and style I believe strongest in for triggering bites.

That, specifically, is “snap jigging” a

straight-tailed, minnow shaped soft body, threaded perfectly straight onto a 1/16-3/4oz jighead, depending on body size and conditions. The most consistent and versatile combination in my experience is a 1/8oz jighead tipped with a 3” Gulp! Minnow. This little dog will hunt everything from trout to bass to redfish and snook. It’s large enough to garner the attention of larger fish, yet small enough to be non-threatening if they are pressured or if you’re dealing with smaller fish, say, 10-12” stocker trout.

Walleyes really love this size combo and it works exceedingly well in the shallow waters found in most trout rivers or salt water flats. If I’m faced with smaller fish like brook trout or white bass, sometimes a 1/16oz jighead, 2.5” body combo is the ticket. Other size combinations include a 1/4oz head with a 4” body and a 5” minnow body on a 1/4-1/2oz head and is a staple for pike, walleyes, largemouth and anywhere in salty stuff. A 3/4oz head tipped with a 6 or 7” body is great on lake trout, pike and for fishing reefs. You can interchange “minnow bodies” with “Gulp! Minnow in the 2.5-4” size and Gulp! Jerkshad in 5”-7”. The Jerkshad is essentially a big minnow with a belly slit for Texas rigging options.

I fish all of these combos the same way when snap jigging; snap/rip/jerk the jig up vertically, allow it to stall and roll over in the water column, then follow it back down with the rod tip on semislack line. The semi-slack allows the jig to spiral some while you maintain eye contact on the line, watching for bites. I might be snap jigging on the bottom or anywhere in the water column, purely vertical or on a long cast with a snap/ drop retrieve all the way back. The quick snap up gets their attention, the stall and gliding fall triggers the bite. The biggest key is to aggressively snap up, not lift, the jig and also paying close attention to slack line bites on the drop. No hurry on the hook-set though; they’ll hang on to the Gulp!. I feel so strongly about this lure and presentation combination that if I was forced to choose a single technique to fish forever, this would be it. The largest fish I hooked all last year was a full grown tarpon that very casually ate the 1/8oz, 3” minnow combo in the Florida Keys.

Another presentation that is fished similarly, yet is more aggressive in affect,

is yo-yoing a lipless crankbait. For those uninitiated with this lure, it’s a crankbait with no diving lip and full of rattling bb’s so it sinks like a rock. The genera was invented with the Rat-L-Trap, but that bait, and most of its competition on the market, is designed to be retrieved fast in a straight line.

What I’m talking about is an aggressive snap up/drop as with the jig and my choice of lures for it these days is the Berkley Warpig because it stays upright and flutters on the drop, rather than plaining off to one side. The jerk up causes the bait to emit a sonic rattle blast of noise, said to mimic a scattering school of shad and the bait goes essentially quiet on the drop. Here again, it’s the lift that they notice and fluttering drop that convinces them to eat. While the retrieve is almost the same as with the snap jig, the yo-yoed lipless is better for expanding your strike zone with aggressive or feeding fish - they can hear it and therefor locate it from a long ways off - and is much better if the wind is blowing or the lake is otherwise “noisy” with boat traffic, current, etc. while retaining the multi-species appeal.

The final presentation I heavily rely on all the time for all predatory species is a suspending jerkbait. I use the Berkley Cutter line-up most often these days and in this case, the lure is snapped rod tip down starting from slack line and the slack is immediately thrown back at it; basically bounce the rod tip off the resistance of the lure in the water. The lure should pop sideways, not come forward much and then stop and suspend motionless. Here it’s the snap that gets them excited and the sudden stop to near motionlessness that trips their trigger.

The only limitation to this presentation is depth; jerkbaits will only run to about 15 feet max.

If you fish the areas I mention in last month’s column with the presentations I just outlined, you will be in the hunt a very high percentage of the time for whatever predator fish you like to catch.

Just keep in mind the timing of the spots, the aggressiveness of the snaps and jerks and always watch your line for bites; all of these presentations will be slack line bites. So there it is, 14 seasons of FTTV and a lifetime of catching in two columns. While there may be some missing detail, hit the water and give it a whirl yourself. Time to Fish Big!

February 2016 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS DIGITAL EDITION

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February 2016 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS DIGITAL EDITION

Beretta M9A3 - A New Look For A Proven Design

By Dan Kidder Managing Editor

T

he venerable M9, carried in combat by the US military for decades, is receiving a facelift.

While current issue M9A1s can be retrofitted to the A2 version, Beretta has gone a step beyond and released their new M9A3, and it blows every model before it out of the water.

Featuring an exterior that goes beyond mere aesthetics, it is coated with durable Cerakote, Bruniton, anodizing, black oxide, and PVD combined in flat dark earth coloring in a two-tone with

black accents color scheme, combined to give the user an attractive, tacticoollooking firearm, with enhanced protection and lubricity. These finishes not only protect the gun from wear, but help repel dust and debris and minimize the amount of lubrication required. They also help minimize the visual and infrared signature of the gun; something that is a real benefit in combat.

Like the A1, it comes with three 17-round magazines, but also features slim Vertec side panels for improved grip and reduced size. This thinner grip allows easier carry and concealment, and use by those with smaller hands.

For those not as concerned with the beefiness of the grip, Beretta includes a rubber overmolded wraparound grip

that can be replaced with just the removal of the four grip screws. While the gun shot amazingly well with the standard Vertec grips, my beefy mits appreciated the option of a fatter grip.

The profile is the same as the standard Beretta 92 that the M9 was based upon, so it will work with most of the holsters on the market that fit the 92. The addition of a longer, threaded barrel for a standard ½”x28 threaded suppressor means that some closed end holsters may not allow the longer barrel to fit.

The barrel is chrome lined, as is the chamber improving reliability and accuracy.

An oversized magazine release allows easy magazine changes, even with bulky gloves, and a taper around the mag-well speeds up magazine insertion for faster reloads.

The trigger on the M9A3 is about the best I have experienced in an out-of-thebox factory gun. It breaks at a crisp and even 5.5 pounds in single action and a steady even 9 pounds in double. The

short reset made rapid and accurate strings of fire easy.

The A3 comes with a convertible slide, allowing the user to easily convert the gun from standard FS safety/ decocker combination to the G model with no safety and just a decocker, by swapping out the safety lever.

A three-slot MIL-STD-1913 Picatinny rail on the front allows lights and lasers to be quickly installed and removed while retaining zero.

The long 6.3” sight radius, combined with high visibility Trijicon tritium night sights make target acquisition and accurate shooting quick and repeatable.

All-in, the M9A3 is a great shooting gun, with vast improvements over its predecessor, while still maintaining the manual of arms that is so familiar to anyone who carried the M9. I picked it up and immediately cycled it using the front relief cuts on the slide as I have done thousands of times previous in a different life 25 years ago.

February 2016 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS DIGITAL EDITION

30 YEARS OF UNWAVERING SERVICE. THE BERETTA M9 — RELIABLE, ACCURATE, PROVEN.

VISIT : M9.Beretta.com

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Fatigue Makes Cowards Of Us All

By Dan Staton

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ll elk hunting is hard. Elk simply do not want to die. In fact, they reside in areas that do not get disturbed and are able to disappear from danger at a moments notice. Wherever you find elk, there will be challenges ahead - that I guarantee you.

Fatigue usually comes knocking on ‘Day 3’ of the hunt, after lots of elevation gain/loss and rubber worn off your boots. Fatigue warning signs are subtle, such as choosing to sleep in, moving a lot slower or becoming less surefooted.

Fatigue will rob you of your confidence and diminish your predatory instinct.

Fatigue is a liar, so to ward off the ravages of fatigue, you should get into Elk Shape before the season rolls around.

Nutrition, training and supplementation can help you become fatigue’s worst nightmare. Here’s how to get started:

Training

Become One With Your Hunting Backpack A few fortunate elk hunters live relatively close to their hunting unit. They will make bomb-runs to scout, hump the hills, glass basins and leave trail cameras littered across the country. Meanwhile, others will be forced to study maps, beg for information on hunting forums and try to make things happen when they arrive in the fall. Whether you’re a veteran or greenhorn, you will hike to find elk and hustle to get into position on them.

A backpack will likely never leave you throughout the hunt. You have to carry

food, water and game bags every step of the way. So getting into Elk Shape requires that you wear your backpack loaded down while you train to simulate what elk hunting has in store for you.

Step-ups With Backpack Use a step or box with a height of 16” at the minimum and wear your hunting backpack loaded with at least 30 pounds of weight. Add a few pounds to the pack each week leading up to the September opener. I always train with a pack that is heavier than what my actual set-up is, that way I feel light and mobile on the mountain come September. Stepups are designed to use your legs and torso. Perform by stepping up onto the box with your lead leg, minimize push off with your back foot and pay close attention to perfect posture as you step up and down. Alternate legs each step and keep track of your reps.

Nutrition

Eat Real Food.

With so much advice out there on nutrition, how do you decipher fact from fiction? Let’s cut the crap and stick to the basics. Eat to live, don’t live to eat.

Food is medicine, food is fuel. Food is not your emotional support group. Having a bad day is no excuse to sit on the couch and eat ice cream. Strive to treat nutrition with some respect and due diligence. Search for foods that can be found in nature, not man made packaging and processing. If you can’t kill it, pick it, or dig it, then don’t eat it. Look for real foods and fill your plate with a rainbow a day. What I am saying is, eat colorful foods such as fruits, vegetables and lean sources of meat from fish and wild game. Your main source of carbohydrates should be from vegetables, not sugar. Nobody ever put on fat from eating too many salads.

Supplementation

Fuel Your Body With Proper Nutrition.

Proper nutrition boils down to planning and preparing food. Being cognizant of eating small, balanced meals throughout the day will ward off fat storage. Every time you eat there should be a lean protein source - a fruit and/ or vegetable and some healthy fats like nuts or seeds. The second you let your guard down and eat fast food or gas

station gut rot, the weight gain quickly ensues. Any weight you put on in the off-season will work against you once you step foot into your hunting unit. If I put a rock weighing 10 pounds in your hunting backpack without you knowing, you wouldn’t be happy about it. It would slowly work against you as you hunted. On the contrary, if you don’t mind lugging around an unwanted 5, 10 or 20 pounds all day, everyday of elk hunting season, then go ahead and continue to eat poorly. Most folks want to lose weight and some want to put on muscle or do both. So here are two Mtn Ops Conquer Combos:

Conquer Weight Loss Combo This system promotes a healthy diet with supplements and meal replacement products that deliver amazing nutritional properties. When combined with consistent exercise, you will see results. Whether you want to lose 5 or 75 pounds, maintain a healthy weight or improve your overall nutritional wellbeing, the Conquer Weight-Loss Combo is your premier weight loss transformation solution.

• Enduro – This will aid your cardiovascular endurance and stamina, as well as recovery and fatigue resistance.

• Blaze – This one does everything - you don’t even have to train (I’m kidding).

Blaze improves overall health and suppresses appetite.

• Renu – Time to gently clean and detoxify your body. This will get the ball rolling and boost your overall metabolism.

• Ammo – This will come in handy for a meal replacement and/or post workout shake. I take one immediately after training and you should too. Don’t waste your workout.

Conquer Strength Combo • Yeti – Pre-workout (take it up a notch).

• Ox - Increase testosterone naturally, faster recovery between workouts

and muscle gain to aid in metabolism and strength.

• Phenix - Amino acids (BCAA’s) for lean muscle maintenance/gain. This one is critical for keeping all your hard earned gains.

• Magnum - Meal replacement and/or post workout that packs a big protein punch.

Nothing can replace training, specifically humping the hills with a loaded backpack. If you have the choice of either pounding a treadmill or scouting in the mountains, obviously choose the latter. Make some small changes in your nutritional decisions. Small moments of self discipline will eventually lead to big changes in your body and attitude.

Endurance and confidence go hand-inhand, so make the most of the off-season to tame the mountain. Step up your game and invest in Mtn Ops supplements, they will aid in your recovery and performance. When fall arrives, you’ll be in Elk Shape, which means you’ll be ready to conquer fatigue and conquer your unknown.

About the Author: Dan is an avid bowhunter, holds a Master’s Degree in exercise physiology and owns CrossFit Spokane Valley. Follow him on Instagram @danthefitnessman and tag any of your training photos with #ElkShape

February 2016 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS DIGITAL EDITION

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Outdoor Business Directory ALASKA FISHING

UMPQUA BIG FISH continued from page 26

ALASKA LODGING

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that were this big. And three times I’d lost them when the hook pulled loose after five minutes or the line snapped. I looked at Carson and thought he might faint.

Next to the boat, the fish saw the net and ripped off another 30 yards. I gained it back and Carson plunged the net down. Most of the North Umpqua’s winter steelhead are wild fish and this could have been the archetype. On the south bank, we revived him in the water and laid a tape alongside. 37-1/2 inches long with a girth of 19 inches. He was thick in the shoulders and had a hooked lower jaw. We watched him kick away.

Stunned, Carson didn’t say anything for a minute.

It is hard to weigh fish that are turned back to the river. We rely on a cloth tape measure and a formula - length x girth x girth / 690. The formula says my fish was 19.62 pounds. Another formula in use says the fish was 18.5 pounds. Let’s just say it was a nineteen, the rarest of all steelhead.

In June 2011, we hit the Umpqua to fish for big smallmouth bass on the stretch that runs through the Big K Ranch. We were tired when we stopped for lunch on a rocky bar.

Our guides, Todd Harrington and Quintin Magee set up chairs. Brad Hester and Eli and Kelly Pyke looked into the coolers for sandwiches. I grabbed a rod rigged with a Gary Yexley crawfish jig and headed for a shallow bay out of the main current.

At the water’s edge, I spooked two 12-inchers. On the third cast, I threw to the far side of the channel and ripped it back.

A dozen fish streaked out of the way and a big dark shape pounded the jig.

When she felt the steel, she burned 20 yards of line off the reel. Two more times, she ripped away.

In hand, the fish measured a quarter

Photo by Gary Lewis

Brad Hester shows off a goodsized smallmouth bass taken on a river trip with guides from the Big K Guest Ranch. The Umpqua is one of the West’s best smallmouth bass rivers. of an inch over 21 and weighed five pounds even. By more than half a pound, it was my biggest smallmouth.

We watched her shoot back to green water.

I looked at Brad Hester. He has taken time away from his dental practice twice to fish with me and both times I’ve caught big fish.

It’s strange my biggest ones have come from the North Fork and the main-stem Umpqua, since I’ve fished everywhere else. I guess a fisherman has a good chance of catching bigger fish there.

Go in winter for big steelhead. Be on the water between April and mid-June for bass. Time the salmon runs for September and October. Go with a guide if you want to learn the river. Then fish a lot. If you have to take someone for luck, bring a dentist.

To order a signed copy of Fishing Mount Hood Country, send $24.95 (free S&H) to GLO, PO Box 1364, Bend, OR 97709 or visit www.GaryLewisOutdoors.com

February 2016 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS DIGITAL EDITION

Take it hiking. Take it hunting. Take it on the water. Montana™ 650t features a bold 4-inch color touchscreen display with dual orientation capabilities. Preloaded 100K TOPO maps come standard, plus support for multiple mapping options like BirdsEye Satellite Imagery and BlueChart® g2 (each sold separately). Montana packs a 3-axis tilt-compensated compass, barometric altimeter, and a 5-megapixel camera to boot. Buy the power mount and City Navigator® and it’ll give you spoken turn-by-turn driving directions. It’s big. It’s versatile.

It’s tough. It earned the name Montana – the ultimate in touchscreen toughness.

www.garmin.com NASDAQ GRMN ©2012 Garmin Ltd. or its subsidiaries

Sportsman’s Warehouse: America’s Premier Hunting, Fishing & Camping Outfitter www.sportsmanswarehouse.com

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February 2016 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS DIGITAL EDITION

LifeStraw

F

or those active in the outdoors, staying hydrated can be a challenge. Even when there is plenty of water, traditional water filters can be cumbersome, time consuming, and complicated.

For those on the go, the products from LifeStraw are the easiest, lightest, and most effective on the market.

There is a reason they are trusted by government agencies and non-government organizations to provide safe drinking water in austere environments.

The hollow fiber technology used by LifeStraw will remove 99.9999 percent of bacteria, such as E. Coli and 99.9 percent of protozoa such as Giardia.

LifeStraw Personal Water Filter The most commonly used filter from LifeStraw is their Personal Water Filter.

Its compact size and light weight mean that it can easily be carried in a pack or

2016 New Video Product Reviews worn on the included lanyard around 99.999 percent of viruses like Hepatitis the neck. It has a 0.2 micron pore size A and Rotavirus. These products feature and will decontaminate up to 1,000 liters ultrafiltration hollow fiber membrane, or 264 gallons of water. It only weighs the ability to filter larger quantities of 2 ounces and is just 9 inches long by 1 water for groups, and is ideal for campinch in diameter. sites, outfitters, or family emergency LifeStraw Go preparedness. They exceed both US For those in environments where EPA and World Health Organization water may be more difficult to find, the standards for water purity.

LifeStraw Go combines the reliability The Family features a rugged 2-liter and simplicity of the LifeStraw with a hard plastic containment unit and a 650 milliliter BPA-free water bottle. Put rubber feed hose and will clean 18,000 the contaminated water in the bottle and liters or 4,755 gallons of water. It weighs drink clean, filtered water through the just over half a pound and will filter 9-12 mouthpiece. The Go even has liters of water per hour. replaceable filter cartridges to The Mission comes in two extend its life. Just swap out sizes, the 5-liter and 12-liter. the filter and you are good for They feature the same filtraanother 1,000 liters. tion, lifespan, and flow rate LifeStraw Mission and Famas the Family, but come in ily a collapsible roll bag and a For really badly contaminylon carrying case.

Scan this QR Code with your nated water, LifeStraw offers smart phone to view the LifeStraw Steel the Family and the Mission Sportsman’s News YouTube For 2016, LifeStraw has deChannel. Video Available lines to include the filtering of after February 7th. veloped the LifeStraw Steel.

The same internals of the LifeStraw Personal Water Filter in a stainless steel body to better protect the filter membrane, and with the addition of a replaceable activated carbon pre-filter for reducing sediment and chemical taste, the LifeStraw Steel is rated to purify 1,000 liters or 264 gallons of water. It weighs just 8.2 ounces and is 4.25-inches long.

In addition to providing you and your family with quality drinking water, every purchase of a LifeStraw product provides clean drinking water to a student in a developing country for an entire school year. The LifeStraw Buy One Give One program matches your purchase to help provide this valuable commodity so many of us take for granted.

Visit FollowTheLiters.com to see how LifeStraw is working to provide clean drinking water around the globe.

Convection Style Smoking

IT SIMPLY COOKS

BETTER Take your outdoor cooking to the next level with a SmokePro Pellet Grill by Camp Chef. Designed with the home griller in mind, built-in features simplify the process of smoking so you can cook to perfection every time. SmokePro Pellet Grills are available with features ranging from innovative digital smoker controls to dual temperature sensors. Discover the real secret of award winning BBQ cooks, low and slow smoking.

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Pellet Hopper Clean-out (Select models)

Grease Catch Pellet Auger

Patented Ash Clean-out (Select models)

February 2016 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS DIGITAL EDITION

The Ruger 10/22 Takedown ®

™

combines all the features and functionality of the 10/22® rifle with the ability to easily separate the barrel/forend and action/buttstock for convenient storage and transportation. The simple reassembly of the barrel and action yields a rock-solid return to zero for consistent, reliable performance. Packed in a rugged, ballistic nylon case (included), the Ruger® 10/22 Takedown™ makes it easy to keep America’s favorite rimfire rifle by your side.

WWW.RUGER.COM/1022TAKEDOWN

©2012 Sturm, Ruger & Co., Inc.

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February 2016 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS DIGITAL EDITION

2016 New Video Product Reviews

Slumberjack Rail Hauler Pack

P

acking out meat from a successful its heavy duty external frame is conharvest can be a very rewarding structed of lightweight aluminum emotion. It also can be a night- tubes. An aluminum support shelf mare if you are using the wrong frame system folds up against the frame when pack or none at all. Fifty pounds or carrying the pack in after a kill shot for more of dead weight can put serious transport. It also folds down to securely strain not only on your shoulders and support your load and keep it from back, but your entire body. If the weight bouncing up and down, keeping the shifts, you are in for a long, strenuous load from adding more stress on your hike back to your vehicle. Slumberjack shoulders. Four compression panels makes some very innovative packs for also help keep the shelf solid under hunters that are venturing out for their the weight. The frame pack will allow first year and also for those you to pack up to 200 lbs. in well-seasoned veterans who one load, if you‘re capable of have tested out several packs carrying that kind of weight. over their outdoor career.

The Rail Hauler has straps The Rail Hauler pack form for hunters to pack their bow Slumberjack is a versatile or rifle, along with a drop frame and roll-top combo down weapons pocket. Two pack. The Rail Hauler pack Scan this QR Code with your large side wrap wings are phone to view the services a day of hunting smart a welcomed design. Most Sportsman’s News YouTube with an option to pack out Channel. Video Available frame packs leave the pack your kill comfortably. First, after February 14th. too open and use a few

1-inch nylon straps to secure your load.

Deadweight needs to be secured from top to bottom for a comfortable pack out. The large wings really help to keep the load from shifting horizontally. The top of the frame uses a small wing strap that has a leg hole, which I used for elk quarters to help the load stay centered in the frame.

The roll top pack is 2500 cubic inches and is cleverly designed to be used for your hunting gear after the kill. You can carry your meat on the aluminum frame and attach the roll-top pack to the outside of the frame pack to keep your gear away from the meat. I also like that Slumberjack added shoulder straps and padding to the 2500 cubic inch roll top. The waist belt is removable and can be transferred from the frame pack to the roll-top very fast and easily. This gives some diversity to the Rail Hauler combo for users who want

to pack into a hunting location where they might stay overnight or for a few days. The frame can be carried or left at camp and the roll-top will serve as a day pack. I also used the roll-top pack on hunting trips to serve as an extra bag for my gear, providing an extra pack if needed.

flavors, you can mix in some of the blends to provide a bit of a different taste. The Mediterranean Herb pellets are an easy way to infuse savory, Mediterranean flavors into your favorite foods. With no oils or chemicals added, these 100% herb pellets offer the perfect blend of oregano, sage and bay leaves.

Best with poultry, pork, lamb, fish and some baked goods. The Sage pellets will

impart delicious sage flavors into your favorite foods. They again have no oils or chemicals added and they are 100% herb pellets. They are best with poultry, pork, lamb, fish and some baked goods.

Believe me, you will quickly become a smoking expert with a Camp Chef Pellet Grill and these various hardwood pellets, which are all available at your local Sportsman’s Warehouse.

Camp Chef Premium Hardwood Pellets

T

he Pellet Grill is probably one of smoked flavor that can enrich mild flathe greatest products Camp Chef vored meats and are also very popular has ever developed. It makes with pork and poultry. The Cherry smoking great meals. It takes a process pellets will add that great fruity smoke which is traditionally pretty compli- flavor. A great option for beef, pork or cated and turns it into something that is chicken. Their Alder pellets adds a mild, very simple and user friendly for those sweet aroma without overwhelming the with a busy schedule. They do this with most delicate flavors, best used with the great technology in the cooking unit almost all meats including fish, beef, and most of all, they have developed poultry, lamb and wild game. Also great some of the finest premium wood pel- for pizza or other baked goods. The lets to give you a vast array of flavors.

Hickory pellets impart a rich, smoky, These pellets are not a byproduct, bacon-like flavor to almost all meats and but rather 100% pure virgin hardwood. are best with beef, poultry and pork. But No oils, chemicals or binders added. remember, Hickory can be overwhelmThe kiln dried process creates low ing to some delicately flavored meats moisture content for a very dry, hot like fish. The Mesquite pellets, which is burning pellet. A hotter burning pellet a very common flavor of the southwest, means it burns less to maintain your gives a strong earthy, smoke flavor that desired temperature, giving is perfect with red meats and you more pellets for your poultry. If you just can’t denext barbecue and less ash cide which flavor to choose, to clean. These pure virgin use the Competition Blend hardwood pellets will give which is the perfect mix for you consistent results, bag that great smoke flavor. It after bag. is a premium mix of Maple, Camp Chef ’s Premium Scan this QR Code with your Hickory and Cherry and you smart phone to view the Pellets come in a host of Sportsman’s News YouTube just can’t go wrong with any different flavors. The Apple Channel. Video Available type of meat you are cooking. after February 28th. wood pellets will add a fruity In addition to the prime

February 2016 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS DIGITAL EDITION

THE RUGER

®

LC380 ™

The Ruger® LC380™ is the perfect pairing of the award-winning LC9™ pistol and the popular .380 Auto cartridge.

It features a dovetailed, high visibility 3-dot sight system, 7-round magazine and finger grip extension floorplate, manual safety, loaded chamber indicator and light recoil spring for an easy-to-manipulate slide.

The LC380™ is the same size as the LC9™, yet offers reduced recoil making it Ruger’s lightest recoiling personal protection centerfire pistol yet.

Finger Grip Extension Floorplate Can Be Added to the Magazine for Comfort and Grip, Included FREE

Same Size as the LC9™ but with a Lighter Recoil Spring for Easier Slide Manipulation

Includes internal lock, Manual Safety, Magazine Safety and Loaded Chamber Indicator, Which Provides Confirmation of a Loaded or Empty Chamber

WWW.RUGER.COM/LC380

Dovetailed, High-Visibility 3-Dot Sight System

©2013 Sturm, Ruger & Co., Inc.

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February 2016 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS DIGITAL EDITION

Digital Edition Only Special Content

Crashing A Stag Party James Bond Style

prey. If only I could escape detection at such close quarters, I knew the assassination would follow swiftly. Bond is the name. James Bond. *** The setting for the above drama was New Zealand, South Island. On a mountainside far above Lake Hawea. Mission: Kill with my silent-but-deadly recurve bow a records-book, free-range Red Stag.

Time-frame for accomplishment of mission: five days or less. Start date: March 30, 2012. Date and time of “moment of truth” described above: April 1, 2012, 4:58 PM. *** This story really had its beginnings a year earlier when well-known, northwest outdoor writer Gary Lewis s the unsuspecting Red Stag invited me to join him (along with suddenly stopped feeding several other serious “agents” of and lifted his head a foot off wildlife conservation) on a hunt for the ground in mid-swallow — to stare the notoriously beautiful and elusive, right at me from a mere nine yards free-ranging Red Deer of the South Paaway — I knew the proverbial moment cific. I made it clear to Gary that I had of truth was at hand. This magnificent no interest in hunting any Estate stags 16-point monarch of Kiwiland would behind high fences, but he assured me either detect my presence or he would there would be plenty of free-range not. animals to pursue. Spousal permission I had already prepared for his arrival was easily obtained, once I persuaded as fully as possible. Dressed from head Headquarters (aka Karen) that we to toe in camouflage clothing, I had should go on a 12-day organized tour my hunting cap flipped around back- of New Zealand — together — prior to wards, and the bottom of the face-mask the start of the mission! sewn into the rear of it was now tucked Never before had I bowhunted inside the top of my shirt. Breathing anywhere outside North America, but was no longer an option. Even before here was an incredible opportunity my clueless quarry lifted his head, I not to be missed, so I told Karen that I had closed one eye and shut the other wasn’t about to travel halfway around down to a slit. Two, round, open eyes the globe, to one of the greatest huntwill always betray a predator to his ing countries on the planet, without taking my bow and a few arrows with me.

Leaving our tour group one d a y e a r l y, w e were picked up at our hotel in Queenstown and driven to the home of outfitter Richard Burdon and family. Their home sits on the shore of beautiful Lake Hawea in one of the most spectacular Final afternoon, with our quarry headed up toward settings I have his”boudoir.” ever seen — sur-

A

rounded by rugged mountains on all sides. The Burdons own 45,000 acres of largely mountainous terrain, of which some 2500 acres down near the lakeshore are highfenced and reserved for Estate hunting. There — behind those high fences — selective breeding, special food Bedded 35 yards below our hide. crops and nutritional supplements all combine to lake’s glassy surface. It was an eerie produce extraordinary antler growth sight that foretold the gorgeous day far beyond anything Mother Nature yet to come. can create each year, when left to her I doubt Simon and I had hiked more own devices. than 500 yards before we both hit the Simon Smith was the young man ground and brought our binos quickly selected by the outfitter to guide me on to our eyes. Not even half-a-mile dismy mission. His passion for the hunt tant, two marvelous Red Stags had was fully a match for mine and I was just emerged from the brush and were delighted to learn that he had never beginning to feed on an open hillside. hunted for himself with any weapon As free-ranging Red Deer go, these other than a bow. As soon as we met, two were both quite remarkable for the I had an inkling that our adventure size of their antlers. One possessed an together just might yield an extraordi- unusually wide and symmetrical rack; nary outcome. the other a tall, rather narrow set of antSimon picked me up at the Burdon’s lers — quite freakish-looking, due to an a half-hour before daybreak on the first unusually long brow-tine that swept morning of the hunt. A 15-minute drive down and then sharply upwards, well brought us to the access road leading to beyond the other three. the high country. Another ten minutes It didn’t take long for me to decide brought us to the gate on the upper that the wide-racked stag would be boundary of the Estate hunting enclo- the target of “Mission Possible.” For sure and ten minutes beyond that we the moment, however, we could only reached the bottom of the cloud-cover, watch, drool and “dream the impossiwhich was enshrouding the last couple ble dream” - No, strike that last. There thousand feet of the peaks hidden is nothing impossible in the world of above us.

James Bond.

“No point in hunting in the fog,” They needed to make a move before said Simon. “A 4-wheel drive vehicle we could make one. During the next like this one can make it all the way to three hours, the stag party relocated the top of the mountain range, but let’s to several different venues, giving us park here now and do some hiking and the visual slip for about an hour, at one glassing until the fog burns off.” point. Around 1 PM, we found them Looking down at the shore of Lake again, bedded just on the edge of the Hawea, I suspected my guide would trees, roughly 150 yards straight below be proven right. A lower cloud-bank us. A stalk finally seemed very doable. was blocking our view of all but the Head-high vegetation gave me ample very nearest part of the lakeshore, yet cover to within 35 yards of the unsusan unseen sun was practically blinding pecting pair, but then things became us by sneaking in underneath the fog- pretty dicey. If I could manage to stay blanket and bouncing upward off the out of sight for just another 20 yards,

February 2016 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS DIGITAL EDITION

I would once again have good cover to rise from behind (at full-draw, of course), with the two, bedded trophy animals only 15 yards away.

Alas, it was not to be! Scooting downhill on my back, feet-first, as low to the ground as possible, I suddenly winced at the squeaking sound of one rubber boot-heel on a wet blade of grass. My worst fear was confirmed, as the nearer animal quickly turned his head in my direction. I knew the mission would have to be temporarily aborted. The alerted stag grew increasingly nervous and he soon rose to lead his colleague out of danger. It was time for me and my fellow assassin to regroup and devise a different strategy. Our target, the wide-racked stag, had not heard the squeaking of the boot. He was still unaware he was being hunted.

On our way back up the mountainside, we came across a well-used mud wallow that offered a small, clear spring for drinking as an extra attraction. It lay just below the bottom edge of a dense patch of forest fringed with a heavy patch of brush. It was a superb natural ambush spot which had

“Bond” written all over it! For the rest of that first afternoon, the two of us sat on that hillside behind one big clump of greenery, less than 20 yards above the glistening mud-hole. No Red Deer chanced to come in that afternoon/ evening, but we did have one surprise visitor materialize out of nowhere in the form of a mature, most handsome, European Fallow Deer buck. His palmated antlers were impressive, indeed, but I managed to resist the temptation to take the easy shot, because the last thing I wanted was a scalding reprimand from Headquarters for having overspent my mission’s budget!

With dusk not far away, we headed back down the mountain toward the pickup. As we reached it, the last of the sun’s rosy rays were disappearing from the highest crags of the mountain range to our east that swept sharply upward from the far shore of Lake Hawea.

Unfortunately, the sunset, itself, was rudely blocked from our view by the mountainside we had spent the day on.

It must have been a beauty!

Having once arrived down on the flat, we paused at the last gate before

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hitting the highway, to exit the vehicle and do one final glassing of the high country where we had passed so many delightful hours that day practicing our espionage craft of treachery and deception. Simon’s hunch was on the money. High on a shadowy ridge — not quite silhouetted against the skyline — was our stag party of two, out in the open feeding, fully in view. Their racks were unmistakable: one very tall, the other very wide. Suddenly, as if on cue, they both bedded down. The night would allow us ample time to dream — and to devise the next day’s strategy.

Come morning, we had both concluded that — unless we could find the awesome twosome out in the open right off the bat — we should head directly for the mud wallow and spend all day there, if necessary. Not far below our stake-out position was a section of the high fence forming the perimeter of the Estate hunting grounds. The “roar,” as the Kiwis call it, was in full swing — or in “full throat” is perhaps a better way to put it. Stags in all directions could be heard responding to each other and giving

vent to their overloads of testosterone generated by the on-going rut.

My eyes could pick out several of the stags on the hillside below us — strutting about or chasing one or more of the many hinds who were ready (or nearly ready) to be bred. It was quite a spectacle to behold, especially when two stags would square off against each other and then lower their heads to test the mettle of their heavy antlers. Truly a feast for eye and ear, I found myself thinking. The “roars” struck me very much like the lowings of steers or even dairy cattle. The sounds were nothing at all like the elk bugles I was familiar with from North America.

My reverie was cut short when a load roar broke loose from the slope above us — a bit off to one side, but we figured fewer than 100 yards away. Was our quarry headed for our mud-hole?

Simon responded immediately with a roar of his own. If the spring or the wallow were not enough to draw him in, then maybe the thought of another stag with his own harem of hinds would be!

The stag above us spoke twice more — from perhaps a slightly closer loca-

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February 2016 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS DIGITAL EDITION

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Victory at last! tion, but then went silent for several hours. By mid-afternoon, he became vocal once again, but it seemed as if he were moving uphill further and further away. Simon’s calling (even his hind-bleats) proved ineffective. Was he one or were there still two stags there?

Trusting only to our ears, we weren’t sure. It was the final glassing at dusk, from the valley floor once again, that provided the answer.

Lo and behold! In the dusky shadows, our binoculars found both of them bedding down in precisely the same spot as the night before! How very odd, I thought. Was this just coincidence?

Or were we starting to discover a “pattern” to their behavior that might allow us to bring our assigned mission to a successful conclusion?

Daybreak found Simon and me climbing steeply uphill along the outside of the northern portion of the Estate high-fence barrier. My guide had decided that, by ascending in that particular direction, we could gain an excellent vantage point from which to relocate one or both of the trophy stags.

An initial check of the place where the pair had bedded each of the two previous evenings revealed that — sometime overnight — they had moved on to parts unknown. We felt reasonably confident, however, that one or the other would eventually allow us to catch a glimpse of hide or antler while feeding on the broad mountainside across from our lookout spot.

Two hours into the morning sit, our patience was rewarded when Simon made positive identification of a large animal feeding in a heavily vegetated hollow, still buried in deep

shadows. “He’s definitely carrying a good rack,” said Simon, “but I can only make out half of it right n o w, w i t h h i s head down like that.”

“I think you’re right, Mate,” I replied. “He just lifted his head and turned this way. In fact, I believe that stag is the one with the freak rack.”

“Gotta be,” Simon responded, “’cause 30 yards above him his sidekick just emerged from the shadows and that’s the one we’re after.”

Now our spirits really soared! We knew where they were; they didn’t know our location; and, indeed, they had no idea they were even being hunted! “Mission Impossible” was looking more and more possible all the time. This was only Day 3, after all. I knew Headquarters would be very pleased to see the mission completed ahead of schedule, since there was only so much shopping Karen could do in Wanaka and Queenstown.

Off and on, over the next several hours, the two trophy stags played visual hide-and-seek with us, as they alternately took cover and then reappeared not far away, to feed once again.

Oddly, they had no hinds anywhere around them and they seemed totally disengaged from the rutting action going on all about us in other directions.

During the long intervals when neither animal was visible to our binoculars, I amused myself by trying to count antler points on a couple of the truly monster stags we could occasionally see inside the Estate enclosure. One behemoth had an impressive, two-footlong drop-tine and I’m sure I counted at least 26 other points on his massive rack.

At 4pm, Simon made a judgmentcall, which turned out to be pure genius. The wide-racked stag had surfaced again and had begun feeding in the general direction of what we had started referring to as the “bedroom.”

In the world of James Bond, assassinations often take place in bedrooms and this suddenly became our plan as the

evening of Day 3 was fast approaching. However, our target’s buddy, did not seem to be traveling with him any longer.

After waiting a bit longer to reinforce that impression, Simon stated, “Dennis, I think it’s time to make our move.

Let’s see if we can’t get right up there in his sleeping quarters before he ever arrives. Then we’ll be in the catbird seat.”

Well, I certainly needed no coaxing. After the long sit, my back and legs were literally aching for exercise.

The middle segment of our approachroute was the tricky part. It required crawling for about sixty yards (low to the ground with precious little cover) directly underneath our quarry, as he fed entirely out in the open — about 300 yards straight uphill from us. Every time he lifted his head, we froze our motion. Fortunately, the gentle breeze was a crosswind, moving uphill to our right in the direction we were headed, so the afternoon thermals were not likely to betray us.

Once the “exposure” problem was behind us, the mission became much easier. Another fifteen minutes of hiking took us right up onto the high, open bench of his “bedroom.” The next challenge was to identify just the right spot from which to make our anticipated ambush. It didn’t take us long to settle on a brushy little donut-ring which nature had woven out of rose briars and bracken ferns. The hole in the center was comfortably big enough for both of us to conceal ourselves and it was obvious that a large animal had frequently bedded there in perfect cover.

The “donut” possessed “walls” about five feet high, as well as both a narrow entrance and exit. This very private boudoir, smack dab in the middle of the King’s bedroom, was certainly the perfect place from which to carry out our execution plans.

“No monarch deserves to live forever,” I told myself, as I settled into the bottom of our hidey-hole and began to ready my lethal weapons of dispatch. If our hunch proved correct, it would all come down within the next 90 minutes or less.

Some three-quarters of an hour had passed, when I suddenly heard Simon whisper, “There he is!”

“Where?” I asked. “About 100 yards below us, down there to the right. He just emerged from the heavy undergrowth and is feeding slowly uphill, right toward us,” Simon replied.

“In that case, I responded, “You and I had better switch places, so that I can shoot out through that exit-slot in front of you.”

The exchange was quickly made and the dramatic tension began to rise steadily, as the stag drew ever closer.

All at once, he stopped feeding and abruptly lay down on the hillside 35 yards below us — there to remain for another half-hour! At that distance, I judged the shot a bit risky with my recurve, but I was convinced a closer opportunity would present itself, if I could only remain patient long enough.

When, at long last, the stag-of-wellbeyond- my-dreams rose to resume his feeding uphill, right into my lap, so to speak. I was pumped, primed and ready to complete the mission with one, well-placed arrow.

The reader will recall that I began this story at the point where the Red Stag lifted his magnificent head off the ground to stare at me from a mere nine yards away.

My knees and the lower limb of my bow were now resting on terra firma; my buttocks upon my heels; my nocked arrow upon the string — held there, under tension, by the three middle fingers of my left hand. As I stated earlier, breathing was no longer an option, nor direct eye contact and — for maybe twenty-five seconds — time stood still. This was the agony preceding the “moment of truth.” Or perhaps this was the “moment of truth”!

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the old monarch — unable to detect any danger — turned and walked slowly, dead straight away from me. That was when I drew. At a distance of 13 yards, he stopped, taking one step downhill, quartering away. That was when I released the arrow. It took him just forward of the hip, penetrated some 19 or 20 inches, transfixing the liver, diaphragm, and reaching the far lung. On his deathrun straight down the fall-line, he only lasted less than 30 seconds, covering about 150 yards of ground and crashing into the fence that constituted the upper boundary of the Estate hunting grounds.

Simon and I immediately exchanged a big bear-hug and my James Bond “cool” simply flew out the window.

“Mission Accomplished!” I shouted out loud. I knew Headquarters would be very pleased. Not only had we crashed the Stag Party successfully, but

February 2016 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS DIGITAL EDITION

the most magnificent antlered animal I had ever harvested in my lifetime had just “crashed and burned” in mere seconds!

The execution had been swift and clean. Although I was plenty skeptical, Simon told me at the time he thought mine might be the largest free-ranging Red Stag ever taken by an archer in New Zealand. To my astonishment and delight, SCI recently recognized it as the new #1 Archery Free-Range Red Deer for the South Pacific Region. As Red Stags go, it was surprisingly symmetrical, possessing eight points on a side and an outside spread of 45 inches.

It is now in the book with a score of 305 and 7/8ths. I could hardly believe my good fortune (and still can’t). Maybe Headquarters will one day assign me another mission in that part of the world. I should be so lucky!

AUTHOR’S NOTES: On this hunt, I used a 60-inch, 59# Whitetail Hawk made by Steve Gorr of Cascade Archery, Arlington, WA. My broadhead was a two-blade Zephyr-Sasquatch, mounted on a cedar shaft built by Suzanne

St. Charles; binoculars were Leica 10 x 42s; clothing almost entirely Sitka Gear of various camo patterns; footwear — the 8” Lynx model of the ROCKY boot-line.

Richard and Sarah Burdon operate a sheep farm and successful hunting business out of their beautiful home on Lake Hawea. They offer hunts for Tahr, Chamois, Feral Goats, Arapawa Sheep, European Fallow Deer and Red Deer. The latter can be hunted either as Estate animals or as truly free-range animals. Richard can be contacted at: burdonrg@xtra.co.nz. Website is www.GlenDeneAdventures.co.nz .

The BAREBOW! Sagas – Adventure and Misadventure in the Wilds of North America Dennis Dunn doesn’t just tell hunting stories; he shares his dreams, his victories, his disappointments, his wisdom and he teaches from his knowledge and experience. The BAREBOW! Sagas will not only acquaint you with the sweet taste of success and the bitter agony of defeat; they will convince you that well-regulated hunting sustains the use of wildlife and gives the animals increased value to justify their conservation and preservation. In

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My happy Kiwi guide. this series, Dennis takes you along on his quest for the North American Big Game 29 Super Slam. A bow, a string, an arrow – no trigger, no peep-sights, no pins – just fingers, guts and instinct. That’s hunting

BAREBOW! To learn more about Dunn’s award-winning book (from which the above story was taken), or to order a copy of BAREBOW!, you may visit the author’s website at: www.barebows.com.

March 12th Cedar City – Ron McIintosh (435463-0268) Tags: Bull Elk (Panguitch Lake – Any Weapon), Southern Turkey.

April 8th Heber - Chris Bullock (435-731-0107) Tags: Bear (South Slope Yellowstone).

NWTF Hunting Heritage Banquets 2016

T

he National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF) is the leader in upland wildlife habitat conservation in North America and was a driving force in the comeback of the wild turkey, the most successful wildlife restoration story in the history of North America.

The NWTF and its volunteers work closely with state and federal agencies and other partners to improve wildlife habitat, benefiting wild turkeys and countless other wildlife and game species. The NWTF also actively protects our hunting heritage to ensure hunting and wildlife exist for future generations.

Come and join in the fun of a local National Wild Turkey Federation Hunting Heritage Super Fund-raising banquet.

The NWTF banquets are where you can buy exclusive merchandise, participate

in live and silent auctions and have a great time with friends. All the while, you will be raising vital funds for wild turkey conservation and important programs that introduce the outdoors to men, women, children and the disabled.

Here is a list of banquets for the NWTF Chapters in Utah and some of the great conservation tags available: January 23rd Richfield - Craig Blake, (435-979-6580) Tags: Bull Elk (Mr. Dutton - Any Weapon), Southern Turkey.

February 6th Lehi - Clay Shelton (801-358-1715) Tags: Buck Deer (West Desert, Vernon - Season Choice), Central Turkey.

February 27th Tooele - Collin Smith (435-241-0188) Tags: Buck Deer (Book Cliffs North & South - Any Weapon), Central Turkey.

March 5th Nephi - Lynn Worwood (801-368-5834) Dave Worwood (435-580-9004) Tags: Buck Deer (Book Cliffs - Archery), Statewide Turkey, Central Turkey.

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March 18th St. George - Kent Danjanovich (801231-9838) Tags: Bull Elk (Beaver East - Any Weapon), Mt. Dutton/Paunsuagunt Landowner Antelope, Southern Turkey.

March 26th Ogden – Kyle Garcia (801-510-5420) Tags: Bull Elk (Wasatch Mtn - Any Weapon), Cougar (Chalk Creek/Kamas, East Canyon and Morgan L/E).

April TBA Moab - Mark Thayne (435-260-1794) Tags: La Sal Bear (Multi-Season), Southeast Turkey.

April 1st Roosevelt – Kevin Richens (435823-0391) Tags: Bull Elk Book Cliffs (Bitter Creek/South – Any Weapon), Buck Deer (South Slope, Diamond Mtn. - Season Choice), (2) Northeast Turkey Tags.

April 23rd Spanish Fork – Brody Lambert (801921-9847) Tags: Cougar (Wasatch Mtn, Current Creek & Wasatch Mtn West L/E).

TBA Ephraim – Troy Larsen (435-636-5333) Tags: Central Turkey.

For more information on NWTF fund-raising banquets in your area, contact your NWTF Regional Director or call (800) THE-NWTF.

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February 2016 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS DIGITAL EDITION

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Presents Wild Game Recipes of Steve Mayer "The Wine Guy"

T

Goose Parmigian

his recipe is a great way to really enhance your dining experience with wild geese or ducks. The flavor is superb and everyone that tries it will look forward to a repeat performance. A lot of hunters are quick to say that wild goose is not at the top of their favorite game meat list. I have found quite the opposite to be true. Goose is one of my favorite meats to cook and this recipe will change your opinion about waterfowl and fine cuisine.

Ingredients Brine • • •

1 cup water 1 tablespoon kosher salt 1tablespoon brown sugar

•

1 ½ pound goose breast slices pounded to 1/8” thickness 1 cup all- purpose flour 1 teaspoon kosher salt

Recipe • •

• • • • • • • • • • • •

1 teaspoon black pepper 4 eggs, lightly beaten 1 ½ cups Italian style breadcrumbs ¾ cup grated Parmesan/Romano cheese blend divided 1 cup onion, sliced into 1/8” X 1” strips 4 cloves chopped garlic 1 bell pepper, sliced into 1/8” X 1” strips 8 ounces of mushrooms, sliced 2 tablespoons butter Vegetable oil for frying 1 28 ounce can Marinara Sauce 8 ounces coarsely grated mozzarella cheese

Preparation Method

This recipe utilizes boneless, skinless breast meat of wild geese. 2 large Canadian breast halves will equal about 11/2 pounds. Prepare the brine mixture in a zip-lock bag, add the breasts, and refrigerate overnight. Remove the breasts from the brine and pat dry with a paper towel. Slice them diagonally across the

grain into cutlets ¼ inch thick. Try to cut them into as large a section as possible. Pound them to 1/8 inch thickness with a meat pounder, being care-full not to tear the flesh.

Arrange three separate shallow bowls for breading the goose cutlets. In the first bowl mix the flour with the salt and pepper. In the second bowl the beaten eggs.

In the third bowl blend the bread-crumbs with ½ cup of the grated Parmesan/Romano cheese. Dredge the cutlets in the flour, shaking off the excess. Dip in the egg, letting the excess drip off. Dredge in the breadcrumb mixture to fully coat. Let stand for 30 minutes.

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees F. In a large frying pan melt the butter and 2 tablespoons of oil over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and sauté 4-5 minutes stirring occasionally until soft. Remove to a large bowl with a slotted spoon, leaving the juices in the pan. Next, sauté the bell pepper 4-5 minutes, or until just soft. Remove to the bowl with the onion.

Finally, saute the mushrooms for until they are soft, and add to the bowl.

Heat ¼ cup oil in the frying pan over medium-high heat. Working in batches, fry the cutlets until golden brown, 2-3 minutes per side. Transfer to a paper-towellined tray.

To assemble the dish, spread ¾ cup of the Marinara sauce in the bottom of a large glass baking dish.

Arrange the cutlets in a single layer over the sauce. If you have some extra cutlets, add some more sauce in the center of the pan and do another layer. Spread the vegetable mixture over the top, and spoon on the rest of the sauce, covering each piece. Sprinkle the last ¼ cup of the Parmesan/Romano cheese and the Mozzarella over the top.

Bake in the pre-heated oven for 15 minutes. Serve this dish family style right out of the baking dish with a healthy side salad and some warm French bread for a unique Italian spin on wild geese preparation. This dish pairs well with a hearty red wine like a Sangiovese, or a spicy Syrah.

Cheers!

February 2016 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS DIGITAL EDITION

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Don’t Worry, Turkey Hunt Missouri

By Terry T. Clapp

O

ne of the best cures for winter’s mysterious cabin fever is taking a huge dose of planning for a Spring Eastern Wild Turkey hunt in Missouri. You may be blessed to see winter flocks of wild turkey out your back door. Or, you might live where turkey numbers and range limit turkey hunting opportunities. In either case, you can have quality, additional cost effective DIY turkey hunting experiences with some winter planning. So about that cabin fever, don’t worry, turkey hunt Missouri. Fire up a Google search and go directly to the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) site. Everything you need to start your planning is there. Or, if you are like me, get out an old road atlas and take a look at the Missouri map. Both of these are good places to get a quick feel for Missouri.

The Numbers Game Why Missouri? Can you say 48,463 harvested turkeys in the spring of 2015? There are 114 counties in Missouri - that means that on the average, state wide, over 400 birds per county were harvested in the Spring 2015 Season. That translates into good to great turkey hunting state wide. To see a county-by-county harvest chart for the 2015 season, look at the MDC site.

There you will note that in Franklin County, over 1,000 birds were taken in 2015. Franklin County is about in the St. Louis city limits.

Location Overview Why Missouri? Location, location, location - Missouri is in the middle of it

all. Two major airports grace the state.

Kansas City airport, on the west side of the state and the St. Louis airport, on the east side of the state. Two major freeways cross Missouri; the I-70, the East-West connect of these two great cities and the I-44 (the famous old Route 66) out of St. Louis going west and south across the entire state of Missouri.

Ask grandpa about that old song that says something like, “I get my kicks on Route 66.” Go figure, that some of the best turkey hunting in America is included all along that old Route 66. Of course, hunting along the I-70 is good, but the majority of easy public hunting opportunities are on the massive Mark Twain National Forest, which is mostly south of the I-44 all the way across Missouri to the Arkansas border.

Vehicle Thoughts A logistics overview for turkey hunting must include vehicle types and uses. I will venture some bold suggestions: If you are driving to hunt in Missouri and have a 4-WD that is more than enough. Unless you get into lots of rain and pull off the well-maintained county gravel roads, you will probably not need more than a 2-WD. Missouri has some UTV regulations that often vary by county. Gravel county roads are good and you can get into great locations by using them. If you use a UTV, then you will most likely have to obtain a county permit for each county where you use the UTV. Missouri, with 114 counties, you can see what I mean. I would not drag a Ranger or something like that on a Missouri turkey hunt. On hard surface roads, Missouri, I think requires street legal tires (DOT approved tires) which you or I will not have on our UTV’s. If a UTV is part of the fun of hunting for you, then I strongly suggest you check the regulations for both the state of Missouri and the specific counties for which you wish to hunt. If you fly into either K.C. or St.

L. truck and car rentals are available at the airports.

Usually at least one rental agency will be open all night, but service late at night can get slow.

Adventure On A Budget

Turkey Season Overview Missouri turkey season is three weeks long, usually starting on the Monday closest to April 15th. A two-bird limit, with a Monday start date, always has the effect to spread hunters afield in the first week. The first weekend of the first week of the season will have the most hunters afield, except for those who have harvested a bird in week one of the season. One bird may be harvested the first week and the second bird may be taken anytime during the remaining two week of the season. Thus, giving a greater opportunity for all hunters to be more spread out during the long season. If a turkey hunter was unsuccessful in week one, then they may take two turkeys during the last two weeks of the season. Two turkeys may not be harvested on the same day during the last two weeks of season, but may be harvested on back to back days in week two or three of the season. A nonresident hunter without a lot of time and wanting a chance for two birds may consider this. Why not start your hunt on the Saturday at the end of the first week of the season. Then by the third day of hunting, you can have a chance at either your second bird or your first bird, with an additional opportunity the next day and so on until you reach your two turkey limit.

A youth hunt is held a weekend or two before the regular season. This is a Saturday and Sunday hunt, with a single bird limit. A youth can hunt during the regular season and harvest one more bird if he or she was successful on the special youth hunt. The two bird limit applies if the youth was unsuccessful during the youth season.

Check the guidelines for youth hunter education requirements for youth in the 6 to 15 year-old age range. Check the MDC web site for the guidelines on legal weapons for hunting turkey. Also, note that legal hunting hours for turkey in Missouri are from one half hour before sunrise to 1pm in the afternoon.

This leaves you free in the afternoons

for fishing, scouting or other activities.

This takes pressure off the turkeys, so nesting activities can proceed in a more normal nesting setting.

Permit Cost A three week turkey season, allowing you two gobblers in Missouri, will cost you about $9.00 a day as a nonresident permit holder or $190.00 for the season or $95.00 per bird. That is what I call cost effective. But wait, there is more.

If you wish to take a nonresident youth along in the 6 to 15 age group, then see if you can work another .40 cents a day into your hunting trip budget. That’s $4.25 per bird for a grand total of $8.50 for not only three week regular season, but included would be the early youth hunt also. That’s a total of 23 days of turkey hunting for a youth. The extra two days reduces the youth turkey hunt cost to .37 cents per day. Hunter education certification is required for all hunters within age guidelines. Check current Missouri regulations for details.

A heads up is to apply for your Missouri turkey permits online or on your smart phone with a MDC application.

If you plan to buy over-the-counter in Missouri, be sure to bring your hunter education ID card or certification. Otherwise, you may not be hunting.

More Hunting Locations Details Concern over places to hunt is always an issue for DIY nonresident hunters.

Again in Missouri, don’t worry. Here are some things that should give you more than a little comfort while hunting in Missouri. Go to the Missouri Conservation Areas Atlas - there you will find descriptions of over 1,000 conservation areas scattered throughout the state. There are about 1,000,000 acres of land, many of which can be hunted and camped on. Check it out. The I-44, headed south and west out of St. Louis, will put you into the Northern reaches of the expansive Mark Twain National Forest. If you refer back to the harvest rate chart for the 2015 turkey season, you will see that this freeway is on top

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February 2016 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS DIGITAL EDITION

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of some of the best turkey hunting that Missouri has to offer on public land.

Jump off the I-44 and go south into the Mark Twain and the hunting should be good. In the Ozark hardwood forest, turkeys, along with creeks and rivers abound in the hilly terrain. The further south you travel, the more remote things become. Most Missouri resident hunters have little need to hunt on public land, since private land hunting is easily available to the large majority of them. Missouri resident landowners can hunt their own lands for free. In Missouri, it doesn’t take much land to provide good hunting. I know folks that own 40 acres in Missouri and they get both turkey and deer there each year. So these people have no need to hunt public lands. Also, many resident hunters will hunt only on the weekends, since there are three weekends available.

Many resident hunters will hunt only the very early morning hours during the week, going to work by eight or nine AM. So many times, the hours from 9am to 1pm during the work week, will find few hunters afield. A sidebar is that gobbling Gobblers in that mid-morning

to noon timeframe, seem to be a little easier to call.

I will mention Ft. Leonard Wood as a place you may wish to check out for possible turkey hunting opportunities.

The area is about twenty square miles of an active, military training base.

So parts of it are always not available for hunting at any given time. Of course, special rules for checking in your weapon and being out of the woods by certain times apply. Since turkey hunting ends at 1pm each day, it should be easy to follow the rules for hunting on base. I’m sure it would be easier to hunt on base if you are active duty or retired military, but I believe civilians are also able to hunt, too. The advantage to hunting there is the large area, which allows you freedom to hunt anywhere you wish, by following the guidelines provided by the post hunting and fishing regulations. Also, guest quarters are available on post for $50 to $60 per night.

Spring Weather and Gear In the spring, the weather in Missouri changes a lot and quickly. It may be rainy and foggy at sunrise, only to become a sunny, delightful spring day by 8am. It can be in the low 40’s at sunrise and 70 by noon. It may frost a night or two or it might be in the 60’s all night.

Missouri weather is always a roller coaster ride, but spring is a nice time to schedule a ride. Pack rain gear and waterproof or at least an early morning pair of rubber boots. You may consider taking a pop-up blind along. A pop-up blind is a good place to wait out a rain storm. A decoy or two, set out by the blind in a gentle rain can also help.

Who can tell what might happen?

Rain moves in and out, so plan on sitting out in

a rain storm or two. I have watched turkey for a few hours at a time, in open fields during gentle to moderately heavy rain. Win-win, I was nice and dry in the blind and I was turkey hunting.

Pack all your normal turkey hunting gear and clothing. I always use binoculars, even in the hardwood forest.

It gives me a much better look at the birds, even to see the small beard of a Jake several hundred yards away. I like to get a long beard, but I have shot several Jakes after spotting far off and waiting for them to pass by my set up.

It’s fun to know they are there and often without binoculars, you may think they are just hens.

After 1pm Since turkey hunting ends at 1pm, this gives you lots of time to rest up or head into the nearest town for a hot meal. This will give you a chance to talk to some locals to get a better feel for how the hunt is going or get a heads-up on a better place to hunt. Many of the towns will have small gun shops, which are excellent places to talk hunting.

Some of these shops are just out of town and maybe open into the early evening on certain days of the week. I suggest you Google gun shops around the areas you are planning to hunt, as a source of current information. In addition, each county has a Conservation Agent.

The state is divided into eight regions for management purposes. Thus, by contacting the regional conservation or county folks in the region of the state you plan to hunt should give you additional hunt insight.

Missouri has great fishing. So you may want to spend an afternoon or two fishing. An easy way to spend some time in prime time turkey country and maybe catch a trout is as follows: Not far from the famous Old Route 66 are three trout fishing parks. In each of these, you pay a small fee to fish per day. But, these parks are surrounded by lots of turkey hunting opportunities.

These parks are Meramec

Springs, Montauk and Bennett Springs.

Each of these locations will have camping and nearby motels. The rates for motels are very reasonable, with many in the $50 to $75 per night range. If rains and temperatures are right, you can gather up some Morel Mushrooms to go with whatever you are cooking.

Take your camera, as each of the parks display the spring-feed head waters of some of Missouri’s most beautiful streams.

In Closing Respect the rights of landowners.

Some will have their land posted tight.

Others may indicate hunting with permission. Don’t be afraid to ask for permission. The season is so long that you might find that private land hunting opportunities may become available at some point in the long season. After family and friends have hunted on the private property, I have found that the locals are more adapt to consider a request for permission to hunt.

Safety is always an issue to be concerned with. Be aware of others in your hunting area and follow all the safety rules for turkey hunting in the woods that might have some other hunters afield. Missouri is home to Copperhead Snakes. They are in the same camouflage pattern as the dead oak leaves that cover the turkey woods in spring. Copperheads are silent and usually remain motionless. In the warm spring weather, turkey hunters need to be aware of their presence. Take time in your set up on the forest floor to be snake free and advise youth hunters with you of the possible danger. You will find some wonderful Mom and Pop old fashion places to eat in Missouri.

Look for these and enjoy a break from fast food at about the same cost.

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Waterfowl on the Majestic Puget Sound

By Rob James

T

Day 1 he alarm sounded at 4:00 a.m.

MST and three excited youngsters (well, okay then, youngsters trapped in the bodies of old men) begin the journey to the Pacific Northwest.

After a year of planning and months of work on the equipment needed for a self guided freelance outing, it had finally all come together. 13 hours later, and with the giddy excitement that comes with striking out on a journey of this nature beginning to fall somewhat in to a state of normalcy, we found ourselves standing at the boat ramp where the adventure would really begin on the following morning. We had put many miles worth of conversation between good friends that included much speculation on what we were about to expose ourselves to, along with several important stops that included licensing for the State behind us. The time was near, and along with sea salt, we could smell adventure in the air.

Having plenty of daylight, we quickly made the decision to get a scout under our belt, of the marvelous Padilla Bay. The boat was backed down the ramp and softly in to the salty water. My heart was pounding with excitement as I turned the key to the purr of the engine and watched as the salty clear water turned white and foamy while the engine warmed. My companions came aboard and we slowly moved out in to the Bay where we would soon see our first Pacific Black Brant, which

The Author with his first Brant.

was our primary target the following morning. The tide had moved at least a few gallons of water out to sea revealing much of the bay’s treachery, which is always welcome information to the skipper. Plotting a GPS course was comforting but it wasn’t until 6:00 the following morning that it was fully understood how important doing so really was.

Day 2

We had arrived at the ramp in a soup like fog that prevented sight of anything past 20 yards. After rigging our long line anchors, which were simply coffee cans full of concrete, we again launched the boat and slowly motored out in to the fog and darkness while following the course set the previous evening within mere feet until we had reached our target destination. Once there, we scrambled to prepare and set our decoys, which was a new experience for all of us. “Long lining” decoys is not necessary where we all hunt back home, and we are making it look difficult which would ordinarily be frustrating for me, but I’m enjoying the exposure to something so fresh. It’s hard to find things in life that are fresh when you’re middle-aged men, but we had found something here…something both fresh and exciting. I suppose it was not much over an hour later when we had finally accomplished deployment of our three 60’ long lines and were anchoring the boat where we had decided best to do so. The sky was beginning to glow with the signs that the sun that would soon join us on the scene. Guns were loaded and close at hand as we peered out across the bay at whatever we could see through the still heavy fog. Birds of all sort were beginning to move and excitement was heavy in our souls. Small flocks of Brant could be seen moving this way

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and that, across and away; hell, they were everywhere. The air show had Sportsman’s News begun and the three of us watched in Outdoor Writing amazement, more awe than amazement Contest Winner I suppose, but for myself, there was a See pg. 4 for entry period of time that I was entranced by details. what I was watching to the point that killing one of these marvelous birds that I had never seen before the previous day had escaped me. A flock of ten or taking of that Brant was almost as funny so was low and headed our way, and as watching him describe it. He was I quickly got over the previous notion seated behind me when the opportunity and gathered my gun. The birds were to take the shot presented itself. The drifting off a little but still headed our boat would gently move from one direcdirection, and one bird in particular was tion to another while at anchor in the certainly lined out for our gear. Crouch- wind. We would be pointed directly at ing now behind our canvas boat blind the decoys in one moment and all paraland looking out through the opening on lel to them the next. When time came the bow, I eagerly awaited the arrival of to take that shot, we were in relation to the birds to the point I could again see the birds in a manner that presented them. When they came back in to view, me with the only viable shot. Having all but the one had skirted us far enough that insight, I’ll get back to Jose’s story. to stay safe. The single had realized the While standing with arms extended as decision of the flock to move out was if holding a gun, he says “Bang” and best and turned to join them. I quickly then turns only his head (still holding stood and fired a single, lethal shot. The the imaginary gun upright) to a manner beautiful bird was now floating among that he can look and speak to the person the decoys that I had worked so hard directly behind him and hollers “I got on for several months to make what me one” in as an excited hill billy voice had just happened come to fruition. I as he can muster…Darrell Noble who was as proud as could be as I watched was sitting behind Jose when the actual the wind carry my trophy across one shot was fired, laughs and follows that line of decoys and to another. I was still up with his own impersonation of the somewhat astonished that I was really same quote, which only inspires Jose to seeing all of this happen. We soon un- better his first attempt, which he does clipped the boat anchor buoy and made nicely and then we’re all laughing to the retrieve, which was followed with the point of stomach pain. Needless to the celebration and support of good say, but I will anyway, I heard the “I got friends. Friends that are obviously gen- me one” line several more times over uinely as happy for you to take a trophy the course of the next four days which bird as they would be for themselves was only a testament to just how good are not easy to come by, but I had two of them right there beside me. We wouldn’t have the fortune of seeing another Brant inside shotgun range that day, but it was apparent to each of us that we were plenty satisfied with what we were given.

Listening to my friend, Jose Palacios describe the The Author with his first Harlequin.

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completed those tasks, we located the “fleet” using our field glasses. Everyone had set up far to the North a n d p ro t e c t e d from the wind.

We moved in to place among the Brant gunner ’s on the North end of Padilla Bay. Our timing was good and Brant Jose Palacios w/ a fine Harlequin drake were on the move of people those two are. Their genuine all around us. We had a better handle on excitement for me was obvious, and the tide, and were feeling confident. We it made me proud to have them for were again subjected to an air show of friends. monumental proportion put on by the Brant and we had a raft of somewhere Day 3 near 500 Canvasback ducks swimming With the hope of having more success 150 yards to our North. There was only than the previous day and a fog free one thing that could have been better morning we launched the boat for the and that would have been lighter shell third time, and headed for a location bags. The Brant continued to skirt us very near our previous hunt. There at 80 plus yards while only feet off the were six other boats along with our own deck, and several hours later shooting in this vicinity the previous day, but on hours came to an end w/o a shot fired at this morning it looked as if we’d have a Brant. This would be the end of Brant the place to ourselves. Huh. Watching season for the three of us. It would open Jose and Darrell deploy our decoys again three days later for a single day, was impressive. Only the second time and again two days after that for the we had done this, but we were clearly final two days of the season, but by then, much better than our single prior at- we would all be back in the midst of tempt. The knowledge we’d gained our daily life routine back home. There the day prior regarding the tidal cur- have been a several times in my hunting rents made life much easier on the “big experiences that I have been unsuccesswater”. We’d witnessed seasoned open ful in terms of harvest, but quite sucwater gunner ’s deploy many more cessful in terms of the experience. This decoys than we were working with in was certainly one of those times. I was under half the time it was taking us, in a place I’d never been with people I and they were even more impressive enjoy being with and we were sharing to watch while picking up their gear. I an adventure we’ll never forget…We was getting a better feel for navigating had all witnessed things we never had, the boat where it needed to be while the ate burnt bacon breakfast sandwiches others had a better grasp on clipping the prepared in the boat (it’s hard to keep mother lines. We got our gear in place eyes on the bacon while Brant are on the anchored the boat and sat proud of our- wing), learned a thing or two about long selves for our improvement right up to lining and oceanic tides, and put birds the point we began to realize why we on the water that none of us had before. were alone in the area. Wind came on We were fulfilled and we knew it, even strong, and our decoys were soon right without a strap full of Brant. We headed on top of each other and quickly just back to shore feeling good about the day. a tangled mess. We sprang back in to motion and began the task of rescuing Day 4 our gear. Once we had everything back You can’t go to the Pacific Northwest on board we set a course for shipping without considering Harlequin ducks. lane that was better protected from the The likelihood of harvesting one is rewind. Here we could lick our wounds, ally not good, especially for three selfrepair damaged gear, and remove tan- guided inlanders. gles from our long lines. Once we’d

Having done a little research and soon found ourselves well off shore acquiring just enough information from and watching them in amazement. We a retired guide in the area of 30 years had seen several more of the elusive to make us dangerous, we sprang up blue species and were at this moment at 4:30 a.m. and drove 60 miles north watching one 150 yards in the distance to try our luck. Having been so close with field glasses when I noticed one on to Harlequin grounds and not trying it the wing and headed at us. We scramwould have been a mistake none of us bled to fill our hands with firearms were willing to make. We arrived at an- and hide the best we could in a 20’ other very foggy harbor. Knowing even boat on open water. The bird was still less about this place than the previous, coming and it was becoming evident we thought best to wait at least until that shots would be fired. We all had daybreak to launch the boat. We again the same thought at the same time and enjoyed good conversation; some rib- we sprang in to motion. I was able to bing of one another that included new get to the trigger first, but put a shot knick names such as “oak wood”, cups on the water a foot behind my target. of hot coffee, and bacon and egg break- When I hit the trigger the second time, fast sandwiches, although much less three shots went off simultaneously and burnt while we awaited the morning the bird was down. We and I do mean sun. The sun made it’s presence felt and “we” had taken our first Harlequin. All we again headed out in to the unknown of us had fired and none of us could after passing by moored ocean going claim the prize. I clearly missed my first commercial crab and fishing boats that attempt and it stands to reason that I made us feel like we were riding a tri- missed my second. Jose had fired only cycle in my 20’ jet boat. The water was once, but he too wanted clear confirmaas smooth as we’d seen it and all sorts tion before he would lay claim. There of ducks were all around us. We took would be no way to confirm who or a heading that would keep us within how many of us hit this bird. Jose and sight of the beach and at a slow enough I both understand that Darrell has an clip that we could keep an eye out for affection for anything with a feather on the elusive blue duck. It wasn’t long it like no other man you’ll ever meet, at all before we all watched in amaze- so it was easy for both of us to remove ment as a pair of them flew right by us ourselves from this…it was Darrel’s roughly 40 yards out. We were again bird in our eyes, no questions asked. overcome with excitement and starting Time to celebrate once again, and we to realize that we may in fact actually did just that. 20 minutes later we’re harvest one of these spectacular little back on anchor at our set and I soon see creatures. Harlequin ducks are truly the a pair of birds headed our way in my holy grail of all water fowl, and each of field glasses. At 100 yards out I confirm us understands that. We find what we that they are Harlequin, “both drakes” agree will be the place to make our set I announce to my gunning mates. They and deploy 11 decoys scattered across stay on heading until they reach our set, our three long lines, and anchor the boat turn slightly in and directly at us and in a position that will give all three of us light right in the middle of the decoys. a good look at a potential shot. I suppose we managed to stay at anchor for a couple of hours before our patience had run thin and we all had the need to explore further.

We unhooked from anchor and left our set to do just that.

It wasn’t long before we caved to the allure that the surf-scooters and long-tailed ducks Darrell Noble w/ a fine Long Tailed duck presented, and

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I quickly realize that my initial impression is wrong and that they are in fact a pair, a drake and a hen. I have rose from my seat just high enough to settle the bead of my shot gun on the top of the drake’s head and begin to squeeze, but the bead is dancing all over the place. There’s just enough chop on the water to rock the boat and I can’t steady my gun. There is the ultimate waterfowl specimen 20 yards in front of me and I can’t even get the bead on it long enough to swat him on the water.

I’m beginning to panic but I manage to force the bead to the target at the instant the bird starts to go to the wing and I slap the trigger. The water settles and he’s still there and quickly expires right there on the water in front of us.

The excitement even over a bird I’ve essentially just shot on the water is indescribable, but I don’t fully feel the effect of what has just happened until I motor along side and set my eyes on the beauty floating beside me. I gently lift the bird from the water and quickly become overcome with a sense weakness in my knees and I’m still sitting at

this point. The three of us are in a mind numbing state of awe as we analyze the beauty in hand at every unique characteristic. You see the bird we shot earlier was a phenomenal trophy, but it was clearly a juvenile bird, this year’s hatch and was not fully colored. This bird however was fully plumed and absolutely stunning to say the least.

We again celebrate and photographs are taken. I set the bird on the dash board of the boat and literally stared at it for a good long while we waited for fortune to find us one more time for Jose’s sake. It wouldn’t find us again that day, but who could really ask for more than what we had already been granted?

Day 5 Today we would put the Puget Sound in the rearview and make the deadhead drive back to reality, but not before we make a final stop at the closest sporting goods store to purchase Jose the paperwork needed to make one more try for a blue duck. Our three day licenses had expired. Jose needed to ante up if he were

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Brant decoys made by the Author floating on Padilla Bay to have another chance. Soon we’re back on the water and within an hour, Jose had collected his prize. It’s a stunning specimen, and Jose is clearly happy that we were adamant that he give it another shot before we leave. In his defense, he simply didn’t want to hold us back from making the journey back home, but Darrell and I would have gladly stayed all day and another night if need be to see the look

on his face when we retrieved his prize.

Early the following morning would find us at my home in South Idaho, but my two comrades still had six hours between them and their own homes in Central Utah. We said our good by’s and parted ways bringing an end to our great adventure. I know one thing that is as certain as death and taxes; we’ll be back on the Puget Sound someday very soon.

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