Sportsman's News August 2017 Digital Edition

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August 2017 | Volume 13 | Issue 8

Trophy Mule Deer Hunting with Clear Creek Outfitters Gary Lewis

Catching Pink Salmon

Striking Back!

Five Striker Fired Pistols for CCW

Chad LaChance

This big buck gave us the slip one time but he couldn't do it twice. A 160-yard running shot with the CVA Accura V2 LR muzzleloader put this big bruiser down for good.

Specialized Gear

See Page 6

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 MANAGING EDITOR Dan Kidder 435-865-1680 dkidder@sportsmansnews.com PRODUCT SPECIALIST Wes Atkinson watkinson@sportsmansnews.com EDITORIAL ASSISTANT Lisa Deming info@sportsmansnews.com VIDEO PRODUCTION MANAGER Sam Staudt sam@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 2017 © 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

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August 2017 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS

WORDS FROM THE PUBLISHER

By Michael Deming

WHAT’S INSIDE

4 Clear Creek Muledeer

Sorting through hundreds of deer to find a shooter.

Sig Optics 8 Continuing to Prtotect the American Lifestyle.

Pro's Pick: GoPro 10 Three great new action cameras.

8

Approved Outfitters Platinum 14Choose A Sportsman's News Endorsed Guide For Your Next Trip.

Fishful Thinker: Specialized For Success 19 Specialty gear can make all the difference.

20 Birchwood Casey Handgun Dueling Tree Portable but heavy duty AR500 steel.

Primos Proof 02 Game Camera 23 The reliable Primos camera gets an upgrade.

I

hope that all of you are enjoying a wonderful summer. It is truly a great time to enjoy the outdoors with family and friends. You have picked up this copy of Sportsman’s News either on the way into the store or on your way out. We truly appreciate your patronage and hope you enjoy this current issue.

Whether you are picking this publication up for the very first time or whether this is a must-read whenever you stop by Sportsman’s Warehouse, I would like you to understand a little bit about what goes into filling these pages and why you see what you see.

We started this service fourteen years ago and our entire philosophy was to provide customers with some real world field knowledge about the products sold at Sportsman’s Warehouse. What this means is that everything you read about in the pages of Sportsman’s News is about a product you can either pick up at a store location or order online. There is lots of marketing hype out there about just about every one of the products on the shelves, but we cut through the hype and put these products to the test and give you real world experience, which can’t be gleaned from just a quick fondle at the store. We often get these products in hand from six months to a year before they ever hit the shelves of the stores. During this time, we will utilize these products in the field and put them to some serious use. Our team here at Sportsman’s News will likely spend more man days in the field during a season than most people will spend in 5 years. So, if a product will stand up to the punishment we put on it during a season, it is likely to last a really long time with normal wear and tear.

We do the same thing with outfitters. A fully outfitted trip can be extremely expensive and unless you know someone who has visited one of these destinations, you could very well spend a whole bunch of money for a substandard trip. Each one of our cover stories is based on a trip with an outfitter we have personally visited and with whom we have had a great experience. I won’t say that we are successful on a hunt or fishing trip every time, but I will say that the outfitter has done a very good job of taking care of the things that they are personally responsible for.

We always ask ourselves, “if time and money were no object, would we be willing to come back to this place?” If I can answer “yes” to this, we will give them our Platinum Approved Outfitter endorsement. We will usually revisit most of these places every two or three years to make sure they are keeping with our standards. It doesn’t take much more than a divorce, death in the family, or drugs, to change how someone runs their operation. We want to ensure that the outfitters we are endorsing are truly the best in the business.

We also purchase some of the very best trips from these vetted outfitters to give away in our Pro Member Sweepstakes. Every ten days, we give away some of the very best trips with the very best outfitters. These are trips like brown bear hunts on Kodiak Island, Alaska; desert bighorn sheep hunts in Sonora, Mexico; trophy red stag in New Zealand, as well as everything in between. Trips like this are up for grabs every ten days and getting five tickets in every one of those drawings for a full year will cost you less than a dollar a day. A complete list of the next twelve month’s giveaways are in the center page spread of this current issue.

Everything about Sportsman’s News is designed to make the most out of your hard-earned dollars. Whether it is a new pair of binoculars or a trip of a lifetime, we want you to feel confident in your purchase by knowing that Sportsman’s News has your back.

Best of luck with the upcoming seasons and enjoy the last of this great summer.

Steiner GS3 Riflescope 25 Amazing dependability and crystal clear viewing are the Steiner hallmarks.

Pro Member Sweepstakes 26Over $300,000 In Giveaways. Drawing Every 10 Days.

28 Pro's Tip: Muzzleloaders Getting the most from your smoke pole.

32

32 PacWest Outdoors: The Odds of Catching Pink Salmon Humpies on the spawn.

36 Video Product Review

Seven new product reviews for your viewing pleasure.

42 Striking Back!

Five striker fired pistols for CCW.

48 Pro Member Update: Open Creek Outfitters Hunting elk like they did in the good old days.

50 Business Directory Wild Game Recipe: Summertime Baked Salmon 52A great meal for a hot day.

54 Outdoor Writing Contest: Two To Remember Two giants with one cast.

Adventures On A Budget: No-Doubt Dove 56DIY Dove in Arizona is as close to a sure thing as there is.

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Chad LaChance Gary Lewis Richard Brookins

Steve Mayer Terry Clapp

August 2017 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS

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Trophy Mule Deer Hunting With Clear Creek Outfitters

By Michael Deming

M

y first conversation with Ty Bybee about trophy mule deer hunting in the spring of 2016 started something like most of my outfitter evaluation process conversations. I asked, “What can you expect to see for bucks on an average day of hunting?” His response was a bit astounding and what I expected to be a big load of BS. He said, “It isn’t uncommon to see a hundred bucks in one day”. I made sure that he repeated in several times so that I didn’t misunderstand what he was saying. I haven’t hunted many places where numbers like this were even possible, let alone be able to hunt and have a tag in my pocket. He assured me that we would see lots of bucks and if we weeded through enough of them, we could likely find one north of 180 inches. Ty told me they have killed bucks in the 200-inch range, but they aren’t behind every tree. He was confident in his product, but not cocky and in the process of reference checking Clear Creek Outfitters, it was possible that he might even be underselling his resource.

So, I booked for a muzzleloader season hunt in late September. My schedule was

going to be a bit tough to get there the last five days of the hunt, but it was what we had available to do this evaluation trip.

When the opening of our hunt started, I was stuck in Quebec on a caribou hunt, due to bad weather. By the time I arrived in Vernal, Utah for our hunt, we only had three days of the season left, which had me a bit concerned. I had talked with Ty on the satellite phone and let him know the deal and he didn’t seem too concerned. He said, “As long as the season is still open, we will be okay.”

We made the thirty-minute drive from town to the ranch where we would be hunting and arrived just about daylight. There was a herd of nearly a hundred elk being tended by a solid 340-350 class bull hanging in the sagebrush. “To bad we don’t have an elk tag”, I said. We would have been done before we started. Ty assured me that we would be in bucks before too long. Most of the terrain is what I would consider winter range, which consists of big mature sage brush, rolling hills and deep draws which butt up against the mountains. You could see for miles and miles.

We pulled up onto a high point and got out our spotters. Each of us started picking out deer everywhere. The sagebrush was taller than expected and did a good job of hiding

Hunting at Clear Creek Outfitters is more like deer shopping than deer hunting. We looked at over 100 bucks a day to find this shooter.

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August 2017 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS

This is one of the many quality bucks we gave a pass in hopes of finding something better; and it paid off. the deer, but we spent nearly an hour at this first spot and before we left, I had already spotted over twenty, four point bucks, none which were in that 180-plus range we were looking for, but pretty exciting to say the least. As we drove the truck to the next lookout, we rolled up on a bachelor herd of thirteen bucks and one was a 28” wide, heavy horned 4X3 with good eye-guards, which was surely approaching that magical 180” mark. If he would have been a 4X4, he would have been a viable candidate for my tag. So, onto the next lookout.

The higher we drove up the hill, the larger the sagebrush became and bucks started popping up right by the truck. They didn’t appear to be spooked, but if you got out of the truck, they would bolt like they were shot out of a cannon. By the time we decided to break for lunch, my buck count was up to 72 and I was sure we would exceed the 100 mark before we got to the end of the day. It was pretty obvious that Ty was conservative on his deer quantity on his ranch. I questioned him and he just smirked and chuckled and said, “People just wouldn’t believe it if I told them how many deer were here”. Now that I had seen it with my own eyes, I was believer.

I finally quit counting bucks at 110 on the first day and I’m sure it was somewhere around 130-140, but I had yet to see a real whopper. Ty showed us some of the scouting photos from earlier in the year, which included bucks we were looking to find. There were a couple of bucks that would exceed that 200” mark, but he hadn’t seen them since the archery season. Once they get hard-horned in mid-September, they take on a bit different pattern and tend to be a little harder to find (This is an archery hunters paradise as stalks are the key to having success and a hunter could expect to do several stalks a day with this many deer). The problem is, there are too many deer. I was wishing I had been here during the archery hunt, but since that wasn’t possible and I’d already had one of my best deer spotting days of my life, I was okay knowing we still had two days left to hunt with my muzzleloader.

The second day was a carbon copy of the first, but towards the end of the day, I stood on top of the truck and spied a big, mature buck with dark antlers, feeding in the sage.

All I could see was the top of his points most of the time, but I was sure that I wanted to get a better look at this buck. We tried to push through the sage and get a look at him, but he went the one way that provided us no shot opportunity. By last light, we had located the big boy again nearly half a mile away. He was a heavy horned four-point, with an extra on his left side, with lots of mass. I quickly set-up and made a long shot attempt, but we couldn’t tell if he was hit. Just before it was too dark to see, I picked him up in the spotting scope and he appeared to be doing just fine. I was both sad and happy at the same time. I was sad because I had missed, but happy that I hadn’t wounded this great buck.

The last morning of the hunt, we were back in the same area to see if we could find old dark horn. We had driven almost completely around the oversized sage patch, when James my cameraman said, “There he is”! Sure enough, he had come right back to where he was comfortable in the tall sage. He was less than 200 yards from where we had originally spotted him. However, when I got out of the truck, he disappeared. I stood on top of the truck for nearly thirty minutes and never got even a glimpse of this guy. I grew up hunting tall sage like this back in Colorado and I figured that this old guy had given us the slip by just laying down and hoping we would go away to look him somewhere else.

Next, we decided to set up to do a push through the sage. I hoped that by having Ty walk through the sage, the big buck would sneak out ahead of him and be watching his

backtrack so we could ambush him in the shorter sagebrush. It took nearly thirty minutes to get everyone in position and start the push. It wouldn’t take long because the patch was only about 500 yards across. I guided Ty into the last area I had seen the buck with hand signals. As Ty approached the last place I had seen the buck, he suddenly rose to his feet and I could see his antler tips. He was only 20 yards from Ty at the time and would have given him a good shot opportunity if he would have held a tag. He didn’t sneak out like we had hoped or go the direction we had hoped which is normal for big bucks. However, he ran out about 200 yards and stopped. I’m sure he was looking for us as his head swiveled back and forth scanning the sagebrush.

James and I were trying to see him through the sagebrush and all that was visible was his head. As Ty emerged from his hiding place, he couldn’t handle the pressure and bolted. On his current path, he would have to come over a small hump where the two track goes down the ridge. It would be about 180 yards from us and give us an unobstructed running shot as he crossed the road. James was recording as I rose to my feet and started tracking the buck in my scope. I could see his head and the top of his back as I tracked. As he crossed the hump where the two-track was, his whole body came into view as I slowly squeezed the trigger.

As my CVA Accura barked, the smoke blew into my face and clouded the entire scene.

However, the distinct whack of a well-placed bullet told me that I had hit pay dirt. As the smoke cleared, I could see the big buck laying just at the edge of the two-track.

Although we had never been able to thoroughly judge this buck, we knew he was mature. At this time, it was too late to change our mind, but when we walked up to this buck, there was no ground shrinkage. He had four deep points on each side, with great eye-guards and extra dark antlers. He had an extra point inside of his G4. A rough stretch of the tape showed that he topped the 180” mark with room to spare. We had seen well over 100 bucks a day, had a hunt of a lifetime and succeeded in harvesting a trophy buck in only three days of hunting.

Clear Creek Outfitters is definitely a first-class operation and worthy of our Platinum Approved Outfitters endorsement. Book your trip with Clear Creek Outfitters at www. clearcreekoutfitters.com or call Ty at 801-529-5774. We have also purchased a deer and an elk trip for the Sportsman’s News Pro Membership Sweepstakes giveaway with Ty. So, don’t miss your chance to win one of these great trips by becoming a member at www. promembershipsweepstakes.com.

August 2017 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS

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SIG Optics - Continuing to Protect the American Lifestyle

F

irearms juggernaut, SIG SAUER has a well-earned reputation for high performance, durable firearms. Law enforcement, military, competitors and countless citizens exercising their 2nd amendment rights trust their lives to SIG. Realizing that nothing compliments a quality firearm better than optics; SIG is now creating high quality glass to accompany it’s firearms.

Not satisfied with the optic options on the market, and seeing a need in the industry, the brains at SIG decided to do what any red-blooded American would do…build their own. Queue the birth of SIG SAUER Electro Optics.

SIG has fused together advanced electronic technologies, superior HD glass, and military-inspired designs to achieve maximum clarity, accuracy, and performance. They have developed truly game-changing optics for all types of shooters: military, law enforcement, hunters and competitive shooters. SIG SAUER Electro-Optics are guaranteed forever under an unlimited lifetime guarantee. SIG SAUER Optics offer unmatched accuracy, durability and innovation you can rely on, shot after shot.

Shooters can invest in Sig Electro Optics with the same level of confidence they have when choosing SIG firearms. In fact, SIG is so confident in their Electro Optics, that they support their products with an infinite, unlimited lifetime fully transferable guarantee. That warranty is sweet, but their technology is better. For example, the SIG Ballistic Turret (SBT) and Lockdown Zero System ensure that the absolute best sighting confidence for any bullet is rock solid, shot after shot. SIG has literally thought of it all, even their STEALTH ID configuration creates optics that are distinctively unique, and not as easily recognizable as a traditional scope for instance. Finally, the LEVELPLEX anti-cant system and HELLFIRE reticle ensure crisp images and sharp flat crosshairs.

As if this technology weren’t enough, SIG’s lenses are scientifically engineered to be exceptional as well. The MEGAVIEW field of view is huge, with the Aspheric Lense Technology (ALT) for consistent superior clarity make SIG’s optics easy and safe to use. SPECTRACOAT, HDX, LENSARMOR and LENSHSIELD are all very technical components to ensure that your SIG lenses remain in tip top shape throughout their life. SIG’s MOTAC motion activated illumination can be solar powered, and the TRUHOLD and SIG Optics Stabilizer (SOS) encourage a sturdy, consistent shot. To round out the ultra-high technology SIG has created in their optics, they are very proud to offer Angle Modified Range (AMR), LIGHTWAVE DSP (digital signal processing) and an easy to read LUMATIC DISPLAY. Unless you’re a ballistics engineer, these acronyms and technical jargon can be overwhelming. To get an in-depth look at all of this cutting edge technology, all you need to do is visit www.sigsauer.com/products/ electro-optics.

SIG Electro Optics offers scopes and scope rings, sights, rangefinders, laser sights, spotting scopes, binoculars, and pistol components. The Electro Optics series is so robust, that any marksman, hunter, shooter, military, law enforcement, SWAT team member, prepper, and competitive shooter will be sure to have something crafted by SIG to meets their needs.

All of the SIG Electro Optics line is incredibly impressive, but a few are standing out among hunters in 2017. The new WHISKEY5 LevelPlex rifle scope has set a new standard for hunting scopes and is a favorite for good reason. The WHISKEY5 with LevelPlex and TH100 Turret offers hunters the ideal optic for their long-range hunting needs. LevelPlex allows the user to remove unwanted cant

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August 2017 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS

from the shooting system up to +/- 0.5° of accuracy. The TH100 elevation turret offers a resettable zero stop and lock at zero, allowing the user to dial in with accuracy for long range targets.

“The all-new WHISKEY5 is the ultimate superzoom riflescope for the tactical hunter,” said Andy York, President SIG SAUER Electro-Optics Division.

“With massively upgraded TH-100 turret design, LevelPlex and milling hunter reticles, the new WHISKEY5 packs an unprecedented amount of technology into your next hunting riflescope.”

Built to perform in the toughest conditions, the new WHISKEY5 brings the hardest of targets into sharp focus. Featuring the proprietary HDX™ optical system for extreme clarity and low-light performance, the WHISKEY5 is available in HellFire™ CirclePlex, HellFire™ Quadplex, HellFire™ TriPlex and MOA Milling Hunter reticles.

As if all of this technology wasn’t enough, the WHISKEY5 also has the motion activated illumination MOTAC feature. To save battery life and promote safety, the MOTAC powers up whenever it senses motion, and goes into sleep mode when the action is slow. Coming standard with dependable waterproofing (IPX-7 rated for complete immersion up to 1 meter ) and fog-proof performance, all of SIG-Sauer’s Electro-Optics are covered by the company’s INFINITE Guarantee™ and Electronics Limited Warranty. Be sure to check out their website for full details. The WHISKEY5 comes in several configurations such as 1-5x20mm, 2-10x42mm, 2.4-12x56mm, 3-15x44mm, 3-15x52mm and 5-25x52mm.

With a free SIG Ballistic Turret, SBT Dial is included and is custom engraved to match your unique ballistics and environmental conditions.

Also catching a lot of attention is SIG’s new KILO2400ABS rangefinder. The KILO2400ABS is possibly the world’s most advanced rangefinder, featuring an embedded Applied Ballistics calculator, onboard environmental sensors and Bluetooth for synchronizing custom profiles with a free, downloadable ballistic app for both iOS and Android smartphones.

“This really is rocket science,” said Andy York, President SIG SAUER ElectroOptics Division. “The KILO2400 ABS solves the shooting solution and provides windage and elevation adjustments in MOA or MRAD, instantly.”

The KILO2400 ABS includes a tripod adapter, smartphone jack WindMETER, ballistic nylon Molle kit bag and nylon carry pouch. A lanyard, three spare batteries, and SIG SAUER Tactical pen/stylus also come standard with every KILO2400 ABS. This product has all the tools to get you up and running for

M A D E BY

ELECTRO-OPTICS 4 X M AG N I F I E R

JULIET4

4X MAGNIFICATION Effectively engage longer distance targets, especially when coupled with a SIG ballistic circle-dot reticle

POWERCAM™ 90° MOUNT Magnify any red dot sight with speed and confidence with the patented PowerCam quick release mount

™

MIL-SPEC Water submersion to 20 meters, dirt, dust, extreme temperatures, ice and abuse are of no concern - MIL-STD810G tested and approved.

sigsauer.com August 2017 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS

7

long-range precision target shooting and hunting.

There are too many cool features of the KILO2400 to list, but a few standout. SIG’s HyperScan™ Technology provides four range updates per second in scan mode, while their RangeLock™ reports the last range result when ranging distant targets. The advanced OLED display provides a smaller, extremely precise targeting circle along with milling features and ballistic info including holdover, angle, wind direction, wind speed, target mode, density altitude and shot angle. The KILO2400’s Digital Compass / Magnetometer / Inclinometer provide magnetic heading and incline for long distance shooting and Coriolis adjustment.

What’s next? That’s an easy question to ask, and a tough one to answer.

Many of us are left scratching our heads, wondering how did they come up with all of this? Others are grinning ear to ear, anxiously awaiting the chance to get their hands on some of SIG-SAUER’s new Electro Optics gear.

Regardless of what SIG comes up with in the future, a few things are certain.

They are going to continue to enhance the shooter’s experience. Thanks to

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August 2017 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS

SIG’s technology and workmanship, countless people can continue to confidently risk their lives each day protecting our freedom. SIG appreciates our military and law enforcement professionals, and is dedicated to continuing to make their jobs safer.

SIG also respects hunting as part of our American heritage, and will continue to make sure hunters are doing all they can do to get a quick, humane kill, shot after shot. SIG also respects modern day patriots, those who are committed to protecting their own homes, family, and freedom. They will continue to make tactical gear to fit their needs. All in all, SIG- Sauer is committed to continuing to do what they do best, support our American lifestyle, heritage, and values.

If they come out with something new – that would be awesome! The only complaints would come from their competitors.

MARK

IV

TM

Simple, ONE BUTTON Takedown

While the heavily redesigned Ruger® Mark IV™ maintains the same classic outward appearance as the Ruger® Mark III™, it incorporates a significant improvement customers will love – a simple, one-button takedown for quick and easy field-stripping. A recessed button in the back of the frame allows the upper receiver to tilt up and off of the grip frame without the use of tools. The bolt simply slides out of the receiver and the barrel can be properly cleaned from chamber to muzzle.

Accurate, Adjustable Sighting System

Available in a Variety of Grip Configurations

Available in Hunter and Target Barrel Configurations

Ambidextrous Manual Safety Positively Locks the Sear When Applied

Simple, One-Button Takedown for Quick and Easy Field-Stripping (No Tools Required)

© 2017 Sturm, Ruger & Co., Inc. 013017

RUGER.COM/MARKIV Find Ruger:

August 2017 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS

9

Let GoPro Make You A Pro PRO'S PICK

By Wes Atkinson Product Specialist

I

heard the bear behind me and instinctively turned on the Hero3 mounted on my tree stand. It had become second nature and the beeps let me know we were live. The bear cleared the timber and sauntered right under my stand. He was one with his entourage of drool and flies and attitude.

That moment and the look that was on my face when I saw what I saw as I reached for my bow, will forever be in my video GoPro library.

And it was a dang good thing the GoPro had my back, because as I turned to tell my cameraman I was going to shoot the bear – I FOUND HE WAS ASLEEP - just five unreachable feet away in an adjacent tree!

According to the GoPro, it took 1-minute and 6-seconds for my cameraman to wake up and capture the moment. It only took one click of the button for GoPro to capture that unforgettable look on my face.

For 14 years, GoPro has been a compact, waterproof, nearly indestructible tool for recording stunning video. With a once-in-a-lifetime trophy bear at my feet, the camera recorded my emphatic, but calculated attempts to wake my cameraman from his slumber.

But, as most of you know that 1:06 only has the muffled audio because of the waterproof housing that we have grown accustomed to when using GoPro. Granted some choice words would have made it nearly unusable anyway, as I attempted to wake my cameraman, but you get the idea. Now to our present day and moment.

After 14 years GoPro has solved the equation of lost audio. Wait, did I say that right?

GoPro has solved what? Yes, the game has changed! Not only with a single click of a button from a camera that can be mounted on any surface can every outdoorsman capture stunning video, but for the first time in the history of this technology, GoPro captures audio and its waterproof!

I was excited to breakdown the latest from GoPro and run a couple of tests under perfect conditions to help us all understand how this technology can help us relive the unforgettable. I opened the boxes of the GoPro Hero4 Black, the GoPro Hero5 Black and lastly the purest of all GoPro’s, the nearly invisible Hero5 Session. Below is a list of verified features that I feel distinguishes the three cameras. There are, to say the least, a long list of viable and amazing features that are not in this breakdown. These features show some of the main differences between the two, as well as communicating the battery life data we uncovered from the Sportsman’s News field test.

• • • • • •

cally adjusts frame rates for optimal lowlight performance.

High-performance audio when not in the waterproof case.

Compatible with the GoPro App and Smart Remote (not included).

Built-in WiFi and Bluetooth.

GoPro Hero4 cameras support up to 64GB microSD cards.

Sportsman’s News Field Test on Battery Life: 1hr 31m Price at your local Sportsman’s Warehouse: $399.97

Hero5 Black

Details 2-inch touch-screen display.

Waterproof to 33 ft. (10m).

Preview and playback your shots, change settings and trim your footage, all on the camera from the LCD screen.

• Enjoy hands-free control using simple voice commands.

• A single press of the shutter button powers the camera on and starts recording automatically.

• Capture video and photos simul• • •

taneously with 12MP photo capture during video recording.

• Advanced audio processing with three microphones captures left and right stereo audio channels, while simultaneously being waterproof (no more housing case).

• Sportsman’s News Field Test on Battery Life: 1hr 50m • Price at your local Sportsman’s Warehouse: $399.99

Hero4 Black

Details • Waterproof to 131 ft. (40m), contains twice the processing power and video frame rate speeds of previous models for enhanced quality and playback. This is the best of the HERO4 models.

For underwater divers, this housing still gets you deeper than the new Hero 5 Black or the Hero 5 Session.

• Hi-Light Tag lets you tag favorite moments while recording.

• Auto Low Light automati-

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Hero5 Session • • • •

Details Pocket-sized camera mounts with a pocket-sized camera.

Durable by design and waterproof to 33 ft. (10m) without a housing.

A single press of the shutter button powers the camera.

Enjoy hands-free control using simple voice commands

August 2017 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS

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• • • •

12 August 2017 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS

Bluetooth and Wi-Fi make it easy to stay connected with GoPro apps and the app is user friendly for us technically challenged.

Video and photo quality in low-light conditions is improved.

Sportsman’s News Field Test on Battery Life: 1hr 37m Price at your local Sportsman’s Warehouse: $299.99

Okay, so you want to know the bottom line when it comes to the three in question?

Hands down in every way, even in price point, the fully waterproof voice activated HERO5 Black is the way to go. Being able to see what you are filming while you are filming for playback and field data changes the game.

Last year I was on Prince of Whales Island and I wanted to get some underwater footage of the salmon, regarding data whether there were early silvers mixed in with the pinks and chums. The homemade harness took me a bit of time to balance, but I was soon able to lower the HERO4 Black into the water with a spin casting rod. In remote situations, I don’t carry my cell phone where the activity of the day can lead to my absentminded mind leaving the phone on the bank. I also know that the WIFI doesn’t work as soon as the GoPro is submerged in the water (something I learned while trying to get underwater walleye footage a few years earlier) despite all the GoPro data that suggests it should work.

All of that being said, when I reeled the GoPro back up out of the water because of the remote nature of the situation, there was no way for me to see what I had recorded until I got back to the lodge that evening. Investigation revealed the stream was packed full of pinks and chums and one only lonely silver graced the scene, information that would have been highly valuable in the field while we were there.

The HERO5 Black is a game changer and in the future I will have the option for field checking the footage with the LCD playback mode. The Session is small enough and it will make you laugh, but I look forward to using it where weight and space is an issue and I don’t need to see the data I’m filming in the field.

I also field tested the GoPro app with the Session, the Hero5 Black and the Hero4 Black. Pairing is user friendly and the navigation is simple. Just go to your ‘Playstore for Android’ or ‘Appstore for Apple’ and download the free app. I would be less inclined to use the Session camera without the app and I expect in a controlled setting, this will be my go-to GoPro in discrete situations, as it is quite literally invisible. The camera weighs 2.6oz, is fully waterproof and records high quality audio.

In short, GoPro has arrived at two cameras that are worth every penny. Feel free to buy any of the Hero4 series, because they work. But in my opinion, treat yourself to the Hero5 Black or the Hero5 Session. Next, I’m expecting them to figure out how to, upon hitting record, simultaneously capture epic footage and also wake up my dang cameraman!

Ruger American Rifle ® Magnum

Ruger American Rifle ® with Vortex ® Crossfire II ® Riflescope

N I N E P O P U L A R M O D E L S , O N E V E R S AT I L E L I N E

Ruger American Rifle ® Predator

Ruger American Rifle ® Predator with Vortex ® Crossfire II ® Riflescope

Ruger American Rifle ® All-Weather ®

Ruger American Rifle ® All-Weather ® Compact

Ruger American Rifle ®

Ruger American Rifle ® Ranch

Ruger American Rifle ® Compact

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Specialized for Success

C

“

alling fishing a hobby is like calling brain surgery a job.” While my brain apparently isn’t working well enough to remember who penned that gem, I still agree with it and would even expand the metaphor to include hunting. After all, a hobby is something you do in your free time; the outdoors is something you just do - a lot. We dream about trips, obsess Chad LaChance over tackle and spend the time when we can’t be involved wishing that we could. The tangible manifestation of all this passion is our gear and anybody that has been a outdoorsmen for very long has a ton of it and likely wishes they had more.

As my gear collection has expanded over the last 30 years, I have noticed that specialization has become more pronounced. Each piece of equipment has a specific purpose with very few, say, “general use” items in the line-up. It makes sense, too; as our skill level and experience grows, so too does our ability to take advantage of performance benefits afforded by specialized gear.

It’s like this; if a kid that learned to drive in a Corolla last week is suddenly driving in a Ferrari, it is highly unlikely that kid could coax even a hint of the car’s performance potential out of it, probably wouldn’t even know what to feel for and therefor, wouldn’t get much value out of the Italian supercar. However, after a few years of driving a variety of cars with increasing performance characteristics, our kid will slowly grow to get more out each car, learn what characteristics they enjoy and that inspire confidence and will generally get more of his money’s worth out of the driving experience. With increased driving skill and experience, the Ferrari becomes a better value.

High quality, specialized outdoor gear is exactly the same as the Ferrari, only cheaper.

Confidence is the single most important key to success in outdoor pursuits.

Quality, purpose-built gear, inspires it. When every component in my lure presentation is spot-on, I feel it and fish with confidence. It starts with the lure chosen for the conditions, which then dictates the line type and size to be used. The lure/line combo is paired with the appropriate rod in terms of length, power and action and that in turn is paired with a reel with the right retrieve speed. When it all comes together to feel “right” based on my experience, I fish better.

Same with a deer rifle and as I’m currently setting up a new gun to be my long-term companion in the field, I’ve really considered every aspect of performance that I desire out of it. Since I’ve been hunting deer my entire life and hunt similar terrain all the time, I have a pretty good idea of what I need from the gun. I know the size and structure of my quarry, the playing field characteristics, my own hunting style and shooting tendencies and what generally feels right in my hand. So, I’m taking the same track as with the lure presentation I broke down above, meaning it starts with the bullet performance.

I desired an extremely flat shooting round first and foremost, not because I’m jumping on the long-range shooting bandwagon, rather because I want to be able to shoot zero to 500 yards without too much consideration of bullet drop. That same bullet speed will reduce wind drift significantly, which is a definite advantage in the open country I hunt. The reduced drop and drift allows me to shoot faster with less calculations.

Since I sometimes “jump shoot” deer bedded in very tight coulees, I need a gun that swings like a shotgun, topped with low power scope with forgiving eye relief and a bullet that holds up to penetrate at weird angles and close ranges. Overall, the gun must be light enough to carry many miles, yet heavy enough to be stable for longer shots, balance well in hand and durable to all weather conditions.

I purchased a composite stocked Browning X-Bolt in .26 Nosler - just about the flattest round out there. The rifle is long and balanced, so it swings great and has a muzzle brake, so I don’t develop a flinch. I settled on Doubletap Ammo’s semi-custom load; a 127 grain Barnes solid copper bullet leaving the muzzle at 3,625 FPS that flies great in the wind, penetrates deeply at any angle and hits with more than 3,200 foot pounds of energy at 100 yards. With the right zero point, I can hold center-body on deer-sized game out to 400 yards and it’s only 14” low at 500 yards; very manageable without “dialing” or major hold over. Lastly, the Steiner GS3 scope is simple and durable, has a huge eye box for quick shots and 3-15X to cover my full range of yardages.

Based on my last 15-years hunting this area, I now have the perfect deer gun for it.

Is this a specialized rifle for MY hunting style and terrain? Yep. After a summer of practice with it, will I go afield with supreme confidence? You know it! Same with each rod and reel combo I put together. Next time you start to consider new tackle, seriously look at each performance trait you desire and choose your purchases based on that consideration, your skill-set and then practice with it. I know you’ll find your time afield filled with confidence if you do!

August 2017 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS

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Birchwood Casey World of Targets Handgun Dueling Tree

By Dan Kidder Managing Editor

I

messed up on this review. I got in a dueling tree to review and normally, I am a stickler for details. In this case, the Birchwood Casey World of Targets Handgun Dueling Tree arrived as we were headed to the range to test out a long-range precision hunting rifle.

In my rush, I missed an essential word on the dueling tree; the word HANDGUN. We took the dueling tree to the range and shot it multiple times at 200 yards with a 6.5 Creedmore long range precision rifle bullet travelling at many times the speed of the average handgun. This error could have been catastrophic, if the World of Targets Handgun Dueling Tree were made of metal other than AR500 steel. But since it IS made of AR500 steel, the paddles simply flipped sides and didn’t show a mark, other than the flaking off the bright yellow paint at the site of impact and the disintegration of the stick-on orange target dot.

Other than making a major error in my review process, the superior engineering, worksmanship, and materials saved my bacon in what could have been a major catastrophic failure.

The heavy AR500 steel paddles took all the abuse, the quality retaining pin stayed straight as an arrow, and the base never budged.

The entire dueling tree comes packed in a plastic rifle case and assembly is very simple.

Just line up the paddles with their spots on the frame and slide in the retaining hinge pin.

The top and bottom paddle are a different shape and have smaller slots on the uprght. I was able to set it up intuitively, without looking at the directions; a process I frequently use in reviews to test how intuitive it is to set up the product. Had I needed the directions, I might have noticed it was designed for handguns and not high powered rifles.

The stand is made of much thinner and lighter mild steel, which when it comes time to set up is a welcomed relief. If it were heavier, the dueling tree would be a bear to handle. As it is, it weighs 57 pounds.

I recommend attaching the base with the dueling tree upside down by sliding on the locking plate and then interlocking the two legs so the short side is facing the front. Once

you turn the tree over, the locking plate will slide down over the support legs and keep the whole contraption upright and leaning slightly forward to deflect bullets at the ground.

The six bright yellow target paddles are heavy duty and as I learned, can take tremendous abuse. The center V-shaped support post is made of a mild steel and angled to deflect direct hits and bullet splatter. In this regard, I am thankful that the rifle was accurate and kept its hits on the paddle targets.

So, even though I haven’t yet had a chance at press time to test the Birchwood Casey World of targets Handgun Dueling Tree with a handgun, I can definitely attest to its durability and capability with a high powered rifle. I don’t recommend you do this, but if for some reason, someone who doesn’t know any better takes a pop at it with a rifle, you can know that it will stand up to the abuse.

• AR500 steel paddles • Includes hard molded carry case • 6 shooting paddles • No tools required to assemble • Centerfire handguns • USA made target • Size: 48.5" H x 28.5"W x 23"D Size: 48.5" H x 28.5"W x 23"D • Weight: 57 pounds

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20 August 2017 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS

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August 2017 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS

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22 August 2017 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS

Primos Proof Camera 02

T

rail cameras are a great asset for scouting animals as well as hunting when your state allows. It’s like having a dedicated hunting buddy who will sit in the woods for you twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week and tell you exactly what he saw. We, at the Sportsman’s News, have over twenty years of personal experience with trail cameras and in that time, they have definitely changed. They have gotten to where they take better pictures as well as video. Most have shorter trigger speeds and will activate at longer distances. However, many of these things are considered to some to be very complicated in the setup process.

The Primos Proof Camera 02 has combined the best of the new technology, while simplifying the basics of setup and selections for those individuals who are electronically challenged. This provides an individual with the ability to get high quality photos, video or time lapse in a compact trail camera and the ease of operation by just flipping a few toggle switches on a well-marked panel. This is truly the simplest camera we have ever setup, with high quality to match.

The camera itself is small and compact, measuring just 4” wide, 5” high and 2.5” deep. It operates off of 8-AA batteries and will accommodate SD cards up to 32GB. A 32GB card will capture and store over 26,000 images taken in the highest resolution from the 12-megapixel camera. If you are just looking for standard definition photos which will output at approximately 400kb, the same card will store a whopping 80,000 photos. When you are looking to use your trail camera to capture video, you can choose either high definition or standard to take up less memory. You can expect to capture 2,400, 15-second high def videos on that same 32GB card. If you are using your camera to capture wide open spaces, under time lapse photography, taking one photo a minute, you can gather photos for almost five months.

Whether you are looking for photos, video or time lapse, this camera does it all. Each of these selections are executed with three simple switches (mode, settings, and delay) instead of complicated push button menus. The first switch allows you to choose if you would like photos, video or time lapse. The next switch selects the number of photos to take, time of video recording or amount of time you want between photos taken for time lapse mode. The last switch allows you to choose the delay between photos/video.

The setup for the clock and date is the only digital and push button thing on the unit. Once setup, you are good to go for the season. Each picture captured will display the time, date, day of the week, moon phase and temperature.

Primos’ Proof comes with a 60” tree strap and a steel buckle, brass set tripod mount and a built-in spot for a cable to lock your camera to the tree.

This is truly the simplest camera we have ever tested here at Sportsman’s News and it has performed flawlessly during all of our testing. We have five or six of these cameras in our arsenal and have for over two years, with all still going strong. It is priced significantly less than many cameras on the marked that don’t perform as well and they are built to last.

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24 August 2017 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS

Steiner GS3 Riflescope

By Chad LaChance

S

everal years back I was on an armed hike, hoping to spot and stalk a whitetail doe. Sure enough, I spotted three of them bedded in a coulee mid-morning and I put on a stalk that landed me 230 yards away on a solid rest. I peered into my rifle scope only to find that I could not see said deer. For whatever reason, my scope had fogged internally, yielding only a brown blob, not a deer, in my sight picture. On the venison-less hike back to my Tundra, I surmised that it was time to upgrade not only my scope, but my whole big game rifle. It was time to do some research.

The rifle was easy. I’m a life-long Browning shooter and the newish X-Bolt series was garnering great reviews. I settled on a .300 Win Mag with a muzzle brake and then I set out to find a great scope. All my research pointed to German glass and that’s when I discovered Steiner Optics.

Steiner has been around since Steiner Optik was started in Germany in 1947. The company is most known for its military spec optics, famed for their extreme durability and reliability along with fantastically clear and bright German glass, now sold in 65 countries.

With over 70 years in the business, the company produces tactical, military and hunting scopes along with a range of binoculars and even night vision products.

It was the hunting scopes that caught my eye, specifically the GS3 series and I bought a 3-15X version with a 56mm objective lens. Since X-Bolts are named for their scope mounting system, I settled on a Tally one piece base/ring combo to secure it to my rifle. I immediately fell in love with this combo, so much so that a year later when I needed another .30 caliber big game gun for my wife, I bought an X-Bolt .300 WSM for its shorter overall length and lighter weight and topped it with another Steiner GS3 in 3-15X, but with a 50mm objective mounted in the same rings/bases. This combo yielded another extremely shootable rifle.

Flashing forward a couple of years, several deer, including a truly huge mule deer buck, have learned the hard way about showing themselves. Spot and stalk hunting on public ground is usually my game, though I often employ classic old-school “jump shooting” of bucks bedded in tight coulees and breaks mid-day. Jump shooting deer in open country requires a scope allowing very easy target acquisition, edge to edge clarity and a simple, uncluttered reticle and lots of shooting practice on moving targets. This is why I choose scopes with 3X at the bottom end of the magnification range. After hunting three seasons and harvesting three bucks and six does at ranges from 25 to 500 yards, I can honestly say the GS3 delivers and then some.

Now I’m in the process of another rifle build, this time in the hot .26 Nosler cartridge, with the goal of building a 0-500 yard nearly idiot proof western deer rifle. I say idiot proof because the trajectory is so flat with the Doubletap ammo I shoot that it yields a maximum “point blank” range of 400 yards on a deer-sized target. Not having to deal with scope “dialing” or hold-over at that range is a real-world bonus where stuff happens fast. Given the great success I’ve had with my previous Steiner GS3’s, I once again opted for the 3-15X, 50mm model.

The GS3 is available in four models, each with a 5X zoom range; 2-10X50, 3-15X50, 3-15X56 and 4-20X50. The fantastic glass is imported from Germany and features what Steiner calls “color adjusted transmission” lens coating which enhances target separation, especially in low or varied light. I personally compared a bunch of scopes side-by-side to evaluate the glass and found the GS3 to be on par with or better than anything I looked through at any price. The edge-to-edge clarity is perfect and the reticle is etched into the glass. Speaking of reticles, I choose the Plex S1, which is simple and clean yet offers marks for holdover and cascading dots for windage. A simple 4A reticle is also offered.

The tube is 30mm and features a short mounting length, perfect for shorter actions. It goes without saying that they are water and fog proof.

A very major selling point is that the GS3 has an extremely forgiving “eye box”; the generous eye relief combines with the great clarity such that target acquisition is more forgiving

than with any other scope I’ve ever shot. Quickly mounting the rifle in a hunting situation yields a full, clear sight picture at any power, immediately.

Steiner is most known for its glass and reliability and on a visit to the Steiner factory in Colorado, I got a first-hand lesson as one of the engineers mounted a GS3 in vise and showed me the zeroed sight picture. He then took it out, smacked it like a framing hammer a couple of times on a hard rubber anvil while holding it by the objective end, reversed his grip and did the same thing while holding the ocular end and then remounted it in the vise to demonstrate that the zero stayed the same. While I cringed in horror at such treatment, the zero point didn’t change. Amazing! The bodies are milled from solid aluminum, while all other pieces are made in house and each scope is hand assembled and human tested right here in the good ol’ USA, using the aforementioned German glass of course. In three years of travel and hunting, I have yet to have a GS3 change point of impact or do anything else evil.

If you value extremely high-quality glass and coatings, combined with proven bombproof reliability in a simple and clean design, give the Steiner GS3 a try. I promise there will be some game animals that wish you hadn’t!

August 2017 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS

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PRO'S TIP

Getting The Most Out Of Your Muzzleloader

By Michael Deming

I

t was probably twenty-five years ago when I got my first muzzleloader. I had a Javelina HAM (handgun, archery, muzzleloader) tag for late January. I’d always bow hunted, but I truly wanted to extend my range with a trusty smoke pole.

One of the guys in our camp was a self-proclaimed expert in the muzzleloader department and he told me the items I needed to purchase. Before the days of YouTube, this wasn’t just a simple click away and you needed guys like this. Now you just hope the guy or gal on YouTube knows what they are talking about. My self-proclaimed expert didn’t turn out to be much help and even though I could get the rifle to go bang and smoke a lot, I wasn’t as accurate as I was with my bow. My tag ultimately got filled with a stick and string. However, my commitment to the muzzleloader continued and through lots of trial and error, I’ve figured out some great tips and tricks to get the most out of my smoke pole.

Today’s muzzleloaders and the bullets designed for them are significantly better than that of twenty-five years ago. Sportsman’s Warehouse has a very good supply of high quality rifles to choose from, but my personal preference is the CVA Accura V2 Long Range. We have put this rifle to the test with numerous different loads and paired with their own Powerbelt bullets, it’s a deadly combination.

First thing you will need to determine is what state you will be utilizing this primitive weapon in. This is important because each state has a different set of rules for these weapons or in some cases, no rules at all. Some examples of this are that you can only use loose powder instead of pelletized powders. Some states will only allow a percussion cap to ignite the load and others will allow a 209 shotgun primer. Some states will allow you to utilize saboted bullets, where others will not. Some states will allow you to use scoped rifles and others will not. Determining what is a legal setup for your state is very important because you don’t want to waste a bunch of money

and time figuring out what is the most accurate setup if that setup is ultimately illegal in your state.

Once you know what is legal for your state, it is much easier to determine what products you are going to need. If you are going to use loose or granular powder, you will need a powder flask and a powder measure device. I like this type of powder because it is very precise and if you are going to shoot with a scope at longer ranges, I think it gives you the best accuracy. If you are restricted to open sights, pelletized powder is quick and easy. These are just premeasured and pressed cylinders of powder in usually 30 and 50 grain increments.

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28 August 2017 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS

August 2017 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS

29

PRO'S TIP

Next thing you are going to need is bullets. There are numerous different kinds of bullets on the market to fit your needs and this process is no different than figuring out what works for your regular rifle. You will need to shoot all the various different types of bullets, sabots and other types to see what your rifle likes the most. Feedback from other folks on YouTube and your specific rifle will likely reduce the time and money it takes to get the job done. I find that like model rifles tend to like the same types of setups. My personal setup is a CVA Accura V2 Long Range, which likes 777 pelletized powder. I shoot 3/50 grain pellets and a PowerBelt Platinum 300 grain bullet. I use Winchester primers, but don’t see much difference in shooting other brands.

With this setup, I’m capable of shooting 2-3” groups at 300 yards with a scope.

Regardless of whether it is legal to shoot a scope on your muzzleloader or not during season, I highly recommend that you start your range time with a high powered scope on your rifle.

This will allow you to see the target very clearly at 100 yards and will let you shoot each individual load for groups. You will be able to see what works best, taking some of the human error out of the equation. When doing load work like this, I like to set up a full sheet of plywood with white paper covering the entire side.

I put ½” colored dots about 10” apart and making three rows to shoot at.

This setup gives me lots of targets to shoot at while at my public range and I don’t have to run downrange to change out targets every 3-6 shots. I can likely figure out what load works with all of those open targets.

Black powder is very dirty and corrosive and sabots will foul up your barrel as well, so it is important to clean your rifle after each group. I usually shoot one fouling shot after a cleaning and then dial in for a 3-shot group. Once you have a group which you feel is acceptable for your situation, you are ready for the next step.

Many states don’t allow for a scoped muzzleloader, so you will now need to sight in your open or peep sights. I personally like a peep-sight with a fiber-optic front sight, but this is all personal preference.

Now, the hard part is done and you know exactly where your rifle shoots your targeted load. You just need to work on your open-sight setup. Once this is completed, I like to mark my sights on the side with a sharpie. This allows me to see if they move during all the trips to the field with just a glance. It’s only happened once in my life, but that mid-day glance allowed me to do a couple of quick shots at the target and make sure I was back on for a big muley buck. If I hadn’t done it, I wouldn’t have even noticed that all the riding on the ATV had loosened up my setup.

These tips are learned from years of trial and error. I hope that one or all of them help you be successful on your next muzzleloader hunt. These seasons tend to be during some of the very best times of years to harvest trophies and hopefully you have enough knowledge to make the most out of this shorter range weapon.

30 August 2017 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS

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www.sportsmanswarehouse.com August 2017 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS

31

The Odds of Catching Pink Salmon While the forecast for this year’s pink salmon run is down, there are still a lot of fish destined for the rivers of the Puget Sound.

A

Photo by Gary Lewis

By Gary Lewis

long the banks of the Skagit, the regular waterline was visible, a white stripe along the rocks a foot above the surface. We launched near Sedro-Woolley and powered downstream toward the railroad trestle.

Last time I fished the Skagit, way up in western Washington, the pinks were in. The big run hits the river every other summer in oddnumbered years. They may be finicky at times, but pink salmon are the easiest of the Pacific salmon to catch.

It’s not hard to remember what kinds of lures and baits to employ - pink salmon like... Pink!

In fact, if you’re trying to catch silver salmon out of a river filled with pinks, you need to switch to black or green or any other color.

There were a few silvers in the Skagit, but we were targeting pinks and started with sparse streamers. The trick is to run the fly or jig, spinner or spoon close to the bottom. Dead-drift it or twitch it or cast and retrieve. There’s a speed and a cadence that will get them to strike, but the right combination changes every day.

My cousin, Neil Lewis and I were on the third day of a road trip from Bend to the Spokane Valley to the Skagit. Now we were on the river with Travis Huisman and Tracy Whisonant, in Tracy’s 16-foot sled. We beached on a sandbar and spread out to work a slow patch of deeper water above the tail-out of a run. I couldn’t help thinking about the old man of the river.

The Skagit used to be frequented by an angling scribe named Enos Bradner - he was the first fishing writer I read. I know he stood on this sandbar and cast a fly rod. But he probably tried to NOT catch pinks!

One of my treasured books is a first edition of Northwest Angling (A.S. Barnes

Neil Lewis with a pink salmon that fell for a rubber-skirted pink jig.

Photo by Gary Lewis

32 August 2017 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS

A male pink salmon or humpy, taken on a pink jig on the Skagit River. and Company, 1950) by Enos Bradner. He signed this copy to Ed Foss, one of his friends from the Puget Sound. Ed’s son, my friend Wade Foss, passed this book on to me after I was presented with the award named for Bradner.

When I think of the Skagit, when I stand in the river with those waters swirling around my legs, I think of Bradner.

I waded out, threw a 20-foot cross-current cast, mended upstream and let the fly tumble along the bottom. It was twenty minutes before I hooked my first one, a female whose flanks were already oxidized by the September water.

Pink salmon returns fluctuate up and down from one cycle to the next.

Of one season on the Stillaguamish, Bradner wrote, “I have observed the upper Stillaguamish on an odd year when the river was filled almost from bank to bank by spawning “humpies.” From a bridge over a shallow gravel bar one could see the sleek female humpback salmon digging their spawning beds.” Bradner liked to fish downstream from the humpies to catch the sea-run cutthroat that fed on their spawn. The richness of the ocean brought back to the natal stream to feed and nurture its young.

Pink salmon average four to six pounds, but the freshwater state record (caught in 2007 by Adam Stewart in the Stillaguamish River) tipped the scales at 15.4 pounds.

Silvery when they first hit freshwater, they quickly fade to spawning colors and the males get big humps on their backs.

When they hit the river in August, the fish seek the ancient spawning beds, often in the lower reaches of the river, but on the Skagit, they can be found a hundred miles up from the saltwater.

They blast up through the rapids, sometimes with their tails and dorsals spitting water, then rest in the soft stuff from the tail-outs up to the head of the pool. Small gravelly runs and silted-in sandy bottoms can hold pinks. Every day in freshwater brings a change in their bodies and, mature, they pair up, especially in tail-outs. By the end of October, the fish are spent and their carcasses wash downriver and stack in eddies.

In the spring, the fry hatch and soon shoot downstream to find their way to the ocean and the Gulf of Alaska.

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.

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August 2017 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS

33

When fresh and bright, they are good to eat.

After a few days in freshwater, the meat turns soft and is less desirable. I hoped to catch a bright one, but this one was not it. I let it go after a quick battle.

Cousin Neil started with a fly rod and a sparse purple streamer, but soon switched to a spinning rod with a lead-head jig, with a pink hoochie skirt.

It took a few minutes for him to perfect his twitch technique and soon he was tight into his first pink salmon.

Tracy Whisonant, with his hand on the motor, keeps the boat in line while Travis Huisman puts the stick to his first salmon of the day.

Forecast: Cloudy with a Chance of Pink

Access is good on many pink salmon streams.

Boat launches, parks, bridges and parallel roads offer a look at the water and some pretty good fishing. The traveling angler can find fish and places to prospect by looking for the tell-tale signs: cars parked along the river road, empty boat trailers and flotillas of the faithful upon the water.

Many anglers bring their own boats. Good choices include drift boats, pontoon boats and jet sleds.

In some waters, a raft or a float tube can be put to good use.

Armed with a spinning rod, the fisherman can catch pinks on a wide variety of lures. Some favorites include the Blue Fox (in pink), Dick Nite spoons, Rooster Tails (pink), Eppinger’s pink Dardevle.

For the fly angler, a seven-weight rod is best, with any No. 4 to No. 8 pink or purple streamer.

Best patterns include the Clouser Minnow, Humpy Hooker, Egg Sucking Leech, Pink Starlite Leech, Jeeves & Pink and Polar Shrimp.

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34 August 2017 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS

Photo by Gary Lewis The total forecast for this year’s Puget Sound’s pink salmon runs to 1.15 million, which is quite a bit less than the 10-year average. Some of Washington’s top rivers are the Puyallup, the Nisqually, Skagit, Snohomish, Nooksack, Stillaguamish and the Green.

Speaking of forecasts, you can’t trust them. We’d checked the weather reports for a week before the trip and our Friday was supposed to be nice. Nevertheless, in western Washington, the rain is never too long in coming. I prepped my wading jacket with waterproofing in the parking lot before we boarded the boat. Rain began to fall about midmorning and didn’t let up for awhile. It doesn’t matter how good the label on the gear, almost any rain jacket will soak through.

After a slow start and a bit of exploration, we began to rack up the numbers. Neil, the only first-time pink fisherman in the group, brought the most fish to hand.

We turned them loose to make new pink salmon.

If you want to go for pinks in Washington, mark the calendar for August 2017. It’s an odd year. And the odds are pretty good.

To order a signed copy of Fishing Mt. Hood Country, send $24.95 (free Photo by Gary Lewis S&H) to GLO, PO Box 1364, Bend, OR 97709 or Anglers can fight to be on the water at first visit www.GaryLewisOutlight, but the fish will bite all day. doors.com

August 2017 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS

35

Video Product Reviews

Sig Optics Romeo4S and Juliet4

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or rapid target acquisition with parallax fee viewing, nothing is faster on target than the Sig ROMEO4S. Featuring a hard anodized aircraft aluminum chassis, the Sig ROMEO4S pairs state of the art electronics with high quality coated glass to achieve excellent light throughput, a bright 2 MOA red dot, and minimal light dispersion.

The Sig MOTAC (motion sensing technology) turns the scope off after periods of inactivity and instantly springs to life when motion is sensed. Coupled with high tech power management and a solar panel that powers the optic when there is ample light, the battery life on the ROMEO4S is a staggering 100,000 hours out of a single CR2032 button battery.

The lenses are coated to resist dust, scratching, fog, water, and smudges. To further protect the lenses, the ROMEO4S comes with see-through removable flip up dust covers, as well as a bikini cover. quick release mount lets the JULIET4 be removed completely and quickly reattached The quick attach mount lets the ROMEO4S be quickly removed and reattached so it is only present when you need magnification. without losing zero and without needing tools.

Combined, the JULIET4 gives you better control of the entire battlespace The reticle has four modes, a single 2 MOA red dot, a 2 MOA red dot while the ROMEO4S provides rapid engagement at CQB distances. As a with two hold over dots, a 65 MOA Circleplex reticle with hash marks, or team, ROMEO and JULIET work together to provide greater flexibility a 65 MOA Circleplex Reticle with holdover dots. Each mode comes with whether you are engaging hogs on the run or clearing your domicile after 12 brightness settings, 10 naked-eye visible and two for use with night vihearing a noise in the dark. The ROMEO4S’ long battery life and MOTAC sion. It also has over 100 MOA of elevation and windage adjustment. IPX-7 will ensure that it is ready when you need it. waterproofing protects the delicate electronics from a quick downpour.

And should something ever go wrong, they are both covered by the SIG For engagement of targets at greater distance, pair the ROMEO4S with Optics Infinite Guarantee and 5 year Electronics Warranty, so you now JULIET4 for 4-times magnification. The Spectracoated glass will provide you can depend on them to perform, even in the harshest conditions. clear viewing of targets and the Dialectic coated prism displays the maxiScan this QR Code with Together, Romeo and the Juliet are a deadly combination for hogs. mum amount of light to ensure crystal clear viewing. your smart phone to view The JULIET4 comes with a 90 degree PowerCam hinge to lock into posi- t h e S p o r t s m a n ' s N e w s Check out the ROMEO4S and the JULIET4 at your local Sportsman’s Warehouse optics counter. tion and fold out of the way when not in use without bouncing around. A YouTube Channel.

Sitka Gear Subalpine Ascent Light and Fast

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ightweight, packable and designed for warm weather pursuits. The Sitka Light and Fast collection is built for speed and efficiency. Shadow the herd, sleep in a deer bed and put those training days to use while maximizing your time afield. The Light and Fast collection is performance oriented for the modern day mountain athlete.

The Ascent Pant weighs in at a mere 12 ounces for a 32 regular size. Everything about this pant was designed to make it lightweight, breathable, and extremely comfortable. It’s made from a 4 way stretch cordura nylon woven blend. The 2 mesh internal pockets as well as the cargo pockets are built from a highly breathable mesh fabric. Since these pants are so lightweight, crawling through the terrain for a shot is a lot like wearing nothing, Sitka was smart enough to put in a mesh knee pad pockets which will accommodate Sitka’s standard knee pads. These are a welcome feeling when you have to do extended times on your knees.

The Ascent shirt is the next garment in the arsenal. It only weighs 4.7 ounces which gives you a shirt/pant combo of just barely over a pound. The torso and upper arm of this shirt is made from 20 denier Nylon Ripstop. The underarm portion is like having an air conditioner onboard with polyester mesh. The shirt features an Ultra Violet Protection rating of 29 without any chemical treatments and the flip up color provides added protection for the harsh sunlight during long glassing sessions. The knit sleeves allow you to roll them up and provide string clearance when shooting your bow. There are two mesh backed, zippered chest pockets which is an ideal place to stick those diaphragm calls or other needed items.

In addition to the shirt, there is a highly breathable lightweight hat, gloves, and gators. The entire setup is designed to keep you cool, comfortable, and quiet as well as scent free. All of the garments are treated with Polygiene Odor Control Technology which is definitely going to help with getting close on those hot sweaty days.

Polygiene is introduced into the garment during manufacturing and is created from natural occurring silver salt. Polygiene neutralizes the bacteria created by your body when sweating that produces body odor. Polygiene is going to keep you from stinking up the woods.

The entire light and fast setup by Sitka Gear is truly the lightest early season concealment system ever designed and proves that Sitka is living by their own rules of building purpose driven designs.

36 August 2017 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS

Scan this QR Code with your smart phone to view the Sportsman's News YouTube Channel.

ZEISS Conquest V6 Riflescope The new precision scope for wide-open pursuits.

Made in Germany for the rugged demands of any hunting or shooting style, the new Conquest V6 with 6x zoom, 30mm center-tube and up to 103 MOA elevation adjustment is engineered to reach beyond expectations. ZEISS FL (Fluoride) Glass, enhanced T* lens coatings and LotuTec ÂŽ protective coating provide industry-leading resolution and shooter accuracy. Three models: 1-6x24 / 3-18x50 / 5-30x50.

Available with new ballistic turret and ballistic reticles ZMOA and ZBR for long-distance hunting or shooting. Protected by the ZEISS 5-Year No Fault Policy and Limited Lifetime Transferable Warranty. www.zeiss.com/ConquestV6

August 2017 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS

37

Video Product Reviews

Zeiss Conquest V6

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t was getting dark as I slammed the pack down over a rock, sweat pouring over my brow as the buck I had just spooked was quickly making its getaway at 500-plus yards. I cranked the Conquest V6 5-30X50 to 25-power and rested the crosshairs a few feet in front of the traveling shoulder and touched off. The muzzle blast lit up the twilight and from far, far away, the impact was obvi-

ous.

It was true, I had let that buck wind me and it was a rookie move, but choosing the Conquest V6 5-30X50 was the move of a veteran, a move that when my flashlight caught antler shine of the downed buck, I could only smile.

I pride myself in being a good hunter and the fact is, I blew that stalk. But let’s be honest, part of being a good hunter is making the right gear choice in the off season to minimize the damage of those in-the-field mistakes.

The right choice allowed for one of my favorite personal historic moments, a personal moment born from the historic genius of one such legendary man, Carl Zeiss. He moved on in 1888, but not until after revolutionizing the world of optics and leaving a path for the greats to keep the spirit of Zeiss Optics alive in today.

The Conquest uses FL lens and T* Coatings to allow for 92% light transmission, a feature which allowed me to make that low-light, 500-plus yard shot. Zeiss uses Schott glass to manufacture their binoculars and a fun fact is that all shares of Schott glass are owned by the Carl Zeiss Foundation. You might, if you are interested, do a little research to look up how many other companies use the Scan this QR Code with same glass to make their high-end optics. your smart phone to view The Conquest comes in three models: 1-6x24, 3-18X50 the Sportsman's News and 5-30X50. The 1-6X24 is the only scope that has the YouTube Channel. fine illuminated, .05cm (at 100 meters) red dot, which is

automatically deactivated when you put the rifle down, so there is never a worry of it staying on and depleting the battery life. This 1-6X24 is the perfect scope for closequarter encounters, in low light.

The 30mm 1-6 and the 3-18 have a 103-MOA of elevation adjustment and the 5-30 has a 64-MOA adjustment. I find the 1-5-30X50 to be my choice for western big game hunting because of the long-range opportunity it creates. All models are fitted with a large eyebox for run and gun, high speed, long-range or short-range target acquisition. The Conquest can only make you better at making your own personal history.

Stop by your local Sportsman’s Warehouse and check out this streamlined, distance killing, work of art.

Browning Buck Shadow 400G Boots

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remember finally going down to one knee and unlacing my boot. It was a name brand boot and as I unrolled my sock, it had produced a couple of name brand blisters. The season had just begun and I made a mental note for this to never happen again.

Some 15-years later, when I opened a new box of the Buck Shadow 400G boots from Browning, I silently recalled those painful blisters.

With respect to all of the miles we have all walked, let me tell you about my experience with the Buck Shadow. The Buck Shadow comes complete with the world famous OutDry technology owned by Columbia. I immediately tried to soak them, through waterfalls and creeks and the once-piece breathable membrane kept my feet dry inside and out. And the collapse-resistant, Silent Cell Midsole material held up to sharp rocks and cactus on a Texas Audad hunt this spring.

We have all had toe bumpers peel off the front of our boots long before the sole wears out. Field testing these boots on lava beds as well as the high Texas desert proved the TECTUFF toe bumper is there to stay, even in the harshest of environments. On the Audad hunt, the non-insulated boot gave sufficient warmth for the chilly desert mornings, as well as early season Utah scouting trips.

There are two other options for colder environments, 400gram and 800-gram, depending on how extreme the cold is where you are going. The uninsulated versions weigh 1.39 pounds and the 800-gram weighs 1.75 pounds, a very reasonable weight for a 8-inch Scan this QR Code with shaft height boot that is built your smart phone to view to last. the Sportsman's News When our packs were loaded YouTube Channel. down with the results of a suc-

38 August 2017 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS

cessful Audad hunt, the integrated SymmPlate external shank kept the boot stable, with the extra weight driving through the heal of the boot all the way down the mountain. And the Silent Grip formulated rubber compound gave the boots extra grip on those awkward downhill angles that can often lead to a slip.

The Buck Shadow is available in four camo patterns: Mossy Oak Country, Realtree Xtra, ATACS AU and FG. Overall, I am confident these boots will get the job done on an entire year’s worth of hunting in various terrain or if you just need a boot to take on that special once-in-a-lifetime hunt. Blisters are unacceptable and this boot proved to agree with my perspective. A solid purchase by any standards with an MSRP of $180.

DESIGNED | MACHINED | ASSEMBLED | IN THE USA

NO PACK IS C OM PL E T E W I T HOU T L E U P OL D’S N E W LTO -T R ACK E R™.

With this compact, handheld thermal tracker, you can clearly see the heat signature of game at up to 600 yards, day or night. Pack in the LTO-Tracker™ and steep terrain, thick cover, or even pitch darkness won’t stop you from packing game out. Just like a good knife, binoculars, and a rangefinder, the LTO-Tracker is essential gear.

For more details, go to Leupold.com/LTO-Tracker

LEUPOLD | AMERICAN TO THE CORE August 2017 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS

39

Video Product Reviews

Nikon LaserForce Rangefinding Binos

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ikon is celebrating 100 years of optics innovation in 2017, which puts the poetic introduction of the Nikon LaserForce 10x42 rangefinding binoculars right on schedule. I remember as a kid the Nikon film camera my grandpa used to capture my little league games on and as you might expect, it’s just plain fun to dive into a product that has made its name by bringing countless objects into focus for 100 years.

The ED, extra low dispersion glass and coatings collect ample light in low-light situations and after a solid day of use revealed very low eye fatigue. The nitrogen filled design makes them resistant to condensation and mold and the fully waterproof housing will keep you in the field during all types of conditions. The eyecups are easy to adjust and both right and left eye diopters can be focused to bring a clear image for any eyesight.

Our field test on the rangefinder revealed good return readout speed. I have field tested a few rangefinder binos lately on which the delay made me wonder if I had hit the button correctly. No concern with that here. I was able to get good display readouts on a small, reflective surface at 1,105 yards, deer out to 922 yards and a solid band of trees at 1,444 yards. This is all while hand-holding the binos in a hunting situation. In a non-hunting situation ranging a reflective surface, I was able to get a positive reading at 1,877 yards that is incredible by any standards. For most of us, these distances are much farther than we can accurately shoot.

The navigation through the menu is a simple two butScan this QR Code with ton process, which is a welcome attribute for those of us your smart phone to view t h e S p o r t s m a n ' s N e w s intimated by technology. The setting options are, in order of navigation: four luminance choices for the brightness YouTube Channel.

of the display, next the option for yards or meters and finally for those critical moments while ranging an animal to shoot, Horizontal Distance Compensation.

This is displayed with a small angle in the top right corner of the display.

The rangefinder is also equipped with scan mode for those pesky critters that don’t want to stand still.

Just press the power button once and then hold it down while following the animal.

The range will appear every 1.5-seconds as you follow your target. Out of the box, the Nikon LaserForce comes complete with a 3V CR2 lithium battery, which is good for approximately 4,000 uses. A neck-strap for carrying, flip-down objective lens covers as well as eye caps to ensure the glass stays in optimum condition for the life of the bino are also standard.

Another simple, but noticeable feature is that the power range button is on the right side of the binos. This allows for the right handed archer to hold the bow in the left hand, as well as range and glass with the right instead of having to set the bow down to range before the shot. I found this total package to be the best in product comparison and more than sufficient for practical hunting situations at an affordable price of $1,199.95.

Eberlestock Modular Hunting Pack System

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epending upon the type of hunting you do, having flexibility in your pack system can be the difference between configuring your pack in a way that makes the most sense to you or having a closet full of different packs for different game and environments.

But what if you could have a single pack system that could be adapted to your specific needs? Well, now you do thanks to the Eberlestock Modular Hunting Pack System.

Mainframe Pack

The system starts with the Mainframe Pack, a modular gear shelf with more than 100 optional combinations so you can personalize it to your needs. The pack is made to be used by itself as a frame to strap meat to or with many of the Eberlestock modular pouches and bags, so it is supremely versatile. It is made of ultralight Intex II aluminum and either NT7 or 1,000 Denier weight nylon, depending on your color choice. It comes in six different color choices and camo patterns and weighs a mere four pounds and five ounces.

Little Big Top Pack

This massive 3,800 cubic inch internal frame pack can be used alone or attached via the zipper system to the Mainframe Pack to increase its carrying capability. Featuring a giant top opening that rolls up like a dry bag and provides easy access to all of the internal storage, it also has a zipper opening in the front to gain access to the main compartment, as well as the four internal pockets. It is hydration compatible and has plenty of storage on the outside, as well as six side compression straps for locking down gear or meat. The ultralight Gossamer frame system is strong without extra weight. Coming in at just 3 lbs.

12 ounces without the hip belt and straps, it weighs just 5 lbs. 3 ounces when used as a complete pack by itself. It comes in six color/camo options.

Batwing Pouch

Add even more storage in the vertical Batwing Pouch. With the ability to zip into the Mainframe Pack, they can be used with or without another pack to increase carrying capability. Because they have very little lateral space, they allow gear to be stacked vertically for easier access and less movement. The tube-like shape is great for tripods or spotting scopes and keeps gear in place. They are available in four color/camo options and weigh

40 August 2017 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS

just 11-ounces each, making them a lightweight expansion option.

Spike Camp Duffle

Keep all of your gear clean and organized by sliding in the Spike Camp Duffle. It can slip inside your Little Big Top for easily pulling out and compartmentalizing your gear or it can slip under the compression straps of the Mainframe Pack to give you and ultralight cargo compartment. With three color options, the Spike weighs just 14-ounces.

Side Scabbard Scoped Rifle Case To keep your rifle protected and from slapping around on the move, connect the Side Scabbard Scoped Rifle Case with its Padlock PALS/MOLLE attachment clips and a couple of compression straps. The 1 lb. 5-ounce padded scabbard protects your delicate optics and the finish of your gun and is available in four color/camo options.

All together, there are more than 100 possible combinations of pouches, cases, rests and packs in the system and Sportsman’s Warehouse has a wide variety of options to choose from. Check them out in the hunting department and create your perfect modular system.

Scan this QR Code with your smart phone to view the Sportsman's News YouTube Channel.

ALPS Crusader X Dry Bag

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hen trekking through adverse weather conditions from the rainy marsh of south-east Alaska, to the blistering heat of southern Texas, you need a dependable bag that will out-last anything nature can throw at it, and ALPS OutdoorZ has made this possible through the Crusader X. This tough-as-nails waterproof duffel bag is designed to fight back against tough conditions, and keep your gear intact and safe, no matter the circumstances.

This bag can be found in both standard and extra-large dimensions, spanning from the 46L standard, coming in at only 2 pounds 8ounces, all the way up to the massive 82L extra-large version, which weighs a mere 3 pounds 1ounce. Fitting all your essentials, and even a few extra items, was never so easy, and with these bags you get the best of both worlds; easy to pack and fill up, and very easy to carry wherever you explore. The bag features removable, adjustable padded backpack straps, as well as a padded handle wrap, and additional grab handles on each end, making this bag a pleasure to carry and accessible from every angle.

The bag is a dark brown color, with ALPS’ own bright orange accents, so it’s appropriate for every hunting scenario and fits in with almost every terrain, not to mention it fits well as a daily-use bag too. Because of the ease of use that comes with this duffel, it’s ideal for anything from a hardcore hunting situation, all the way down to a bag that you carry your gym clothes in.

The impressive combination of the 1680D TPU material (which is a nylon compound found in many military fabrics), welded seams, and a roll top closure all come together to form a completely waterproof duffel that can conquer Scan this QR Code with any situation. your smart phone to view The bag also features dual compression straps on top, the Sportsman's News YouTube Channel. meaning if you find it difficult to fit all of your gear in a

Video Product Reviews

traditional duffel bag, this technology eliminates that problem, making it possible to completely compress your gear, and opens up the door for bringing more items into the field.

I can personally vouch for the toughness and waterproofing of this bag, as I brought it with me on a tough 10-day brown bear hunt in Sitka Alaska, where rain and snow are as common as the oxygen we breath. The conditions were adverse on a daily basis, and some days we had pouring rain for the entire day, yet I didn’t hesitate to bring this bag out on the water with us, and even left it sitting in the rain for hours at a time while we glassed from the boat. The one thing I didn’t try, was literally dropping the bag in the water to test out that waterproofing, but from seeing what this bag is capable of, first hand, I wouldn’t be worried about my gear, should it somehow fall overboard.

This bag is a musthave for anyone looking to keep their gear safe and dry, and while many other “waterproof” duffel bags are available on the market, none will compete with the performance, price, and value brought to the table with the ALPS Crusader X. I highly recommend that you pick one up on your next trip to Sportsman’s Warehouse.

Swarovski EL Binoculars

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ad handed me the green binoculars with the flying eagle on them and a name he couldn’t pronounce. The eagle had its talons stretched out and I pictured him plunging into the water for a fish. I took the binos and he said, “be careful.” He had every right, of course, when it came to hunting. My excitement often led me to anything ‘but’ careful.

They were heavy in my hands and solid, unlike the pair I lost on the pond that year. We were sitting in the dark in a parking lot and I glassed across the road to a gas station sign and quickly jerked them back down to my lap. “Whoa!” I held

them up again in total disbelief. I was startled - I might as well have been hanging on that sign.

“Okay, hand them back”, he said with a grin and a “pretty clear huh” remark as well. My life would never be the same!

I sat in silence and wondered where the key to the safe was? No doubt he would put them in the safe.

That was more years ago than I care to mention and to see an image that clear was something I have never forgotten. It’s no secret that Swarovski is on the leading Scan this QR Code with edge of high-end optics. The new 10X42 and 12X50 ELs your smart phone to view were placed down on my desk and as I opened the box, I t h e S p o r t s m a n ' s N e w s YouTube Channel. heard myself say, “Be Careful.”

They are lighter now than the older models, but no less solid with a much sleeker ergonomic design. Pressing them to my eyes could only be described as ‘good old-fashioned fun’. The carrying strap has been modified and detailed engineering obviously went into the idea for adjusting the neck strap to the preferred height.

Out of the box, the Swarovski 10X42 and 12X50 ELs come complete with eyepieces that seamlessly integrate onto the connected strap. Twist in and out eye cups for use with or without glasses. Objective lens covers and lens caps. The diopter is secured by turning it 180 degrees clockwise, a handy feature to keep the setting where you want it. Each eye can be customized to fit your eye sight by focusing the wheels of each lens.

The low light capability of this world-famous eagle has on so many occasions put animals in my clients’ freezers that I simply would not have been able to make the call on with a lesser product.

One thing of note is the 12X50s are challenging to hand hold. I found the UTA Universal Tripod Adapter to be almost mandatory when glassing for long hours.

So, if you are ready to take your game to a new level and hold true quality in your hands, stop by your local Sportsman’s Warehouse and at the very least, peer across the store at one of the mounts. I dare you to act casual about that image!

August 2017 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS

41

STRIKING BACK!

Five Compact Striker Fired Pistols for Concealed Carry

By Dan Kidder Managing Editor

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s a firearms instructor, I get to see how the average Joe and Jane handle firearms when they are not all that familiar with gun manipulations. Additionally, I get to see how those with weaker hands or disabilities caused by conditions like arthritis effect their ability to manipulate the gun. For some, just the action of cycling the slide can be difficult, if not impossible, depending on the strength of the recoil spring. And before you say “they should just shoot a revolver” keep in mind that there are guns on the market that still afford the increased capacity and ability to rapidly reload of a semiautomatic. A great subset of these guns are striker fired pistols.

Since the hammer is not present internally or externally, the cam-over action of cocking the hammer with the slide is removed, making them easier to cycle. They are also designed to be carried ready for use, making them a great choice for concealed carry.

Each of these five pistols are chambered in 9x19 mm and were tested with a variety of 115 grain Doubletap ammunition including their FMJ Match ammo at 1,200 FPS, their +P Controlled Expansion, +P Barnes TAC-XP, and +P Bonded Defense.

Glock 43

Glock has dominated the striker fired pistol market since the 1980s and are the choice for many competitors, law enforcement agencies, and concealed carriers.

The main complaint about Glock handguns is that they are blocky and aren’t a great fit for those with smaller hands. In the Gen 4 models, Glock incorporated interchangeable backstraps in three different sizes to quickly allow the shooter to adjust the size of the grip, but many still found the double stack magazine too large for their hands. In 2015, Glock introduced a single stack version that is essentially the same size as their popular Glock 26, with a thinner profile.

The Glock 43 reliably handled everything we fed it. My problem with the gun was that I have large hands and the slim grip was difficult for me to hold steady during firing and it was the hardest gun for me to hit a target with consistently. Those with much smaller hands shouldn’t have this problem. The Glock 43 comes standard with three 7-round magazines, two of which have an extended pinky rest on the baseplate, and one that is a flush-fit magazine for improved concealability. On the rack test, a female shooter with small hands rated it the easiest to cycle the slide and lock it back. It also had the easiest magazine to load. The 6+1 capacity was a little light for defensive carry, but it made it very easy to slip into a pocket holster or slip it into an inside the waistband holster and wear it comfortably all day.

While the Glock 43 definitely wouldn’t work for me because the grip is just

42 August 2017 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS

too small, it is an ideal fit for those with less grip strength and more diminutive digits and is comparable to the Glock 26 I typically carry during the summer months.

Beretta APX

The largest gun of the bunch, the Beretta APX is more of a full-sized duty gun than a small concealed carry gun.

As someone who concealed a full-sized 1911 for years, I can tell you that a gun this sized can be concealed, but it will take some work.

The trigger on the APX is one of the best on the market. It is exceptionally crisp and even though it is a little heavier than some of the others we tested, the short reset and very little overtravel, combined with an exceptionally smooth pull make the trigger on this gun a dream. It was also the most inherently accurate of the guns we tested, but with a longer sight radius and a longer barrel, that is to be expected. It easily ate fed, fired, and extracted every round of ammo we put through it without a single hiccup.

The frame of the APX can be swapped out with either an olive drab green or a tan earth, and all three frames have swappable matching grip panels to adjust grip size. One feature of the APX that is unusual among striker fired pistols is the ability to press a recessed button to decock the pistol for disassembly without having to pull the trigger. This is unique among all of the striker fired pistols we tested, but you need a ball point pen, a punch, or some other small pointy tool to engage the decocker. The double lock pin on a handcuff key works perfectly.

The ergonomics on this gun are extremely comfortable, but as I mentioned, I have larger hands, so the beefy grip swell and the finger contouring on the front of the grip made it very comfortable to hold for me. Those with smaller hands may have some difficulty, even with the smallest backstrap installed.

It was one of the easier to cycle pistols in our collection, but the magazines were extremely stiff to fully load. Fortunately, it comes with two 17-round magazines and a speed loader, which will be necessary for those who plan to put a lot of rounds through this gun. A 20-round magazine with an extended base plate is also available. An accessory rail on the front of the gun allows the use of a light or laser.

Smith & Wesson M&P 9c

Many reading this will wonder at why I chose the M&P 9c instead of the Shield. I have a Shield and carry it from time to time. I also make it available in classes and can tell you that is the one single pistol that is the hardest to cycle for the majority of students. The small grip surface, combined with a very powerful recoil spring makes the Shield a bear to lock the slide back on.

That problem isn’t present in the M&P compact. When I present students

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44 August 2017 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS

with the compact, they have no difficulty racking or locking open the slide.

I am not sure if it has a lighter recoil spring because of the greater mass of the gun, or it is just the difference of more surface area for the hand to grip, but it is just easier.

All told, the compact is not much larger in footprint than the Shield, and at only 1.18 inches thick, the double stack Compact is just ever so slightly thicker than the .98 inches of the single stack Shield.

The worst aspect of this gun is the trigger. You can pull on that 8+ pound trigger for a month of Sundays and still feel like it will never break. The entire time you are pulling it, it feels like you are dragging it across a gravel road.

The long reset also has a false reset in the travel that is present on all M&P triggers. This is caused by a part rolling over the connector and is noticeable enough that someone asked me to examine their M&P recently to see if there was damage to their connector or if it could be polished out. But even with the terrible trigger, the low bore axis and minimal muzzle flip compensate and let you get very accurate strings on target quickly, once you get used to the trigger.

The magazines on this gun have an issue. The follower is profiled so steeply that it causes a round being pressed into it to push the follower slightly to the lateral, which prevents the follower from receding into the magazine. You have to be very deliberate in aligning the force downward without putting any lateral force on the round as you insert it into the magazine. Of all of the guns that needed a magazine speed loader, this one did, and it doesn’t include one.

If you choose this gun, I highly suggest an UpLULA magazine feeding device.

The M&P Compact is a very comfortable gun in the hand and comes with three different grip inserts to customize the grip size. It comes with two 12-round magazines, one flush fit and one with an extended pinky rest.

trigger must be returned to start before you can mash the go peddle again.

The small size makes this an ideal jacket pocket gun or great in a cargo shorts pocket in the summer months. The Ruger was the only striker fired pistol in our test that included an external thumb safety, which is a bit of a silly feature in a gun with as many internal safeties as a striker fired has. But on the upside, it is there if you want it, and you just forget about it if you don’t desire it.

The LC9s is a great shooting little pistol and the slide lock was rated a 4 out 5 for difficulty for those with weaker hands. The single 7 round magazine gives it an extra shot in the butt over the Glock, but Glock saw fit to include three magazines. In this regard, I am a bit disappointed in what is usually one of my favorite gun companies for going on the cheap in the magazine department. Especially since additional magazines are nearly $40 apiece on the Ruger website.

Where the Ruger beats the Glock hands down is their sights. Steel sight frames with fiber optic inserts make the sights jump to focus, even with the short sight radius. It is no secret that Glock sights suck, and most Glock owners immediately replace them with something better, but if you don’t like the colors of the sights on the Ruger, you simply choose another LitePipe from the included HiViz container and use the protrusion on the holder to pop out the LitePipes that are currently installed. So for cheaping out on the magazines, Ruger more than made up for it with excellent sights.

EDITOR’S CHOICE

HK VP9SK

Of all of the striker fired pistols we tested, the Heckler & Koch VP9SK really shined; literally. It comes with sights, that while not containing tritium tubes, are painted with a fluorescing substance that makes them glow in the dark.

The sights themselves are steel, so strong enough to be used for one handed cocking of the pistol in an emergency.

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Ruger LC9s

The little brother to the larger Ruger LC9, this compact has all of the features and reliability of a full sized 9 millimeter over the anemic .380 Ruger LCP. Despite being around the same dimensions as the Glock 43, the ergonomics of the LC9s seem to fit in my hand better. The contours on the grip fill the swell of my palm, giving a more positive grip on the little gun than does the Glock.

In our testing, this was the only gun we managed to break. Well, disable temporarily because of the power of the ammo we shot through it. All of the ammo we fired met SAMII specifications for chamber pressure, but were on the top end of the spectrum. It had no issues feeding the +P ammos, with the exception of the Bonded Defense at 1,415 FPS. On one round the slide locked back and wouldn’t disengage until I rapped it rather smartly on the wood shooting bench. After that, it worked just fine on every other round fired.

The trigger on the LC9s is on the heavy side of the striker fired pistols at 7 pounds, 2 ounces, but it is smooth and steady, with a bit of a springy feel to it rather than a spongy feel. There is no reset point that I could find, so the

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The recoil spring was pretty stiff, which gave it the ability to reliably feed all sorts of ammo, but did put it a bit higher in the slide racking department, though not unmanageable. The oversized slide lock was easy to engage and disengage, which helped overcome the stiff spring. On the rear of the slide are two small wings that help you get a positive grip over just the standard serrations.

The two included magazines, one flush fit and one with an extended finger groove, are marked for 10 rounds and both accepted and fed 11 rounds flawlessly. I am unsure if this is a mistake on HK’s part or intentional, but if it is a mistake, it is a welcome one. The magazines on the VP9SK were some of the easiest magazines to load out of all of the guns we tested. Even so, it also includes a speed loader.

The trigger is awesome. It has a nice steady prep and then hits the wall with almost no overtravel.

The reset is very short and crisp, allowing rapid strings of shots.

One feature that may throw users who are new to the gun and to H&Ks in general is the placement of the magazine release on the edge of the trigger guard. It is accessible from both sides of the gun, making the magazine release truly ambidextrous without modifying the gun or swapping the release to the other side.

The size, balance, contour, and reliability of this gun make it the editor’s choice for our test and this one will be joining several others in my gun safe and in the hands of students on the range.

The real area where this gun performs is in ergonomics. It is contoured in such a way that it is supremely comfortable to shoot for long periods of time. Additionally, not only does it have interchangeable backstraps to increase the grip size, it also has three different sets of swappable palm swell inserts to go on the sides of the grip to increase or decrease its thickness in the hand.

This gives you ultimate customization options for various shooters.

Gun

Weight Barrel (unloaded) Length

Length

Width

Height

Slide difficulty

Lock Back Difficulty

Magazine Loading Difficulty

Trigger weight

Capacity

Glock 43

16.64 ounces

6.26”

1.02”

4.25”

1

1

1

5 lbs 6 oz

6+1

Beretta APX

26.8 ounces 4.25”

7.5”

1.3”

5.6”

2

2

5

6 lbs

17+1

Smith and Wesson M&Pc

24.7 ounces 3.5”

6.7”

1.18”

4.3”

2

2

5

7 lbs 10 oz 12+1

Ruger LC9s

17.2 ounces 3.12”

6”

.9”

4.5”

4

4

3

7 lbs 2 oz

HK VP9SK

23.07 ounces

6.61”

1.31”

4.57”

4

4

3

5 lbs 11 oz 10+1*

3.39”

3.39”

7+1

* Both magazines were marked as 10 rounds, but held and fed 11 reliably. HK will begin releasing 13 and 15 round magazines in November.

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47

PRO MEMBER UPDATE

W

hen we purchase trips from our Platinum Approved Outfitters for our Pro Membership Sweepstakes Giveaway, we purchase the very best season dates possible. After working with Jay Reynolds, who owns Open Creek Outfitters, for nearly a half dozen years, we knew that the first rifle season would give us one of the best opportunities to catch bulls rutting, bugling, and throwing caution to the wind. This would put us in position to be hunting elk during the third week of September and into the beginning of the fourth week. However, we needed to book this nearly three years in advance and when we did, I reserved half a dozen spots.

When I started telling all my buddies about the opportunity to hunt rutting bulls near the Yellowstone National Park with some serious big bull potential, I had people jumping up and down to fill the six spots we had reserved. The number-one spot was going to be for our lucky winner, which turned out to be Barclay Swann from Las Vegas. The remaining spots ended up getting booked by some of my really good friends here in Cedar City, UT. Since we do most of these drawings nearly a year in advance, there was plenty of time to think about the hunt. In the Wyoming case, it also allowed us to put the winner into the drawing for a bonus point, which practically guarantees them a tag in the draw. When the draw results came out in the end of February, Barclay and all of the Utah crew were the proud owners of Wyoming elk tags. This is exciting for everyone who lives in the hard to draw states like Utah and Nevada, where you could wait twenty plus years to draw a tag to hunt bulls in the rut. So, to be able to do this with only one bonus point is pretty exciting.

The reason these types of hunts are offered during the height of the rut is due to the difficult access of the units where they take place. Open Creek Outfitters hauls their hunters on horseback just over thirty miles into some of the most pristine wilderness the west has to offer. The hunters are treated to an old style traditional elk hunt, reminiscent of the late 60s and early 70s, with the glow of wall tents and

LaDell Eyre was able to hold out an connect on a great Wyoming bull.

48 August 2017 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS

Bulls of Yellowstone with Open Creek Outfitters

By Michael Deming bugling bulls throughout the night as well as an occasional grizzly encounter.

This is exactly what my buddies from Utah were looking for in an elk hunting experience. When September finally rolled around and the leaves started changing, the social media sites were abundant with big bulls already hitting the ground throughout the west. It makes the excitement of the upcoming hunt similar to that of a child waiting for Christmas morning.

Everyone arrived at Jay’s place the day before the hunt, to meet and greet the guides, weigh the gear, and get it ready for the next day’s ride. Everyone would overnight in the historic town of Cody and meet at the trailhead bright and early the next morning. They would ride the thirty miles in and the following day would be the opener.

With that many horses, mules, inexperienced riders, and an occasional grizzly, mishaps on the trail are almost expected, but the stock used by Open Creek Outfitters was praised by everyone on the trip and the ride in went without a hitch. The crew had a great meal and were ready for good night’s sleep when the time finally came.

Our winner and his good friend Brian Patterson, who was just along to share the experience and take photos, were going to be guided by Jay Reynolds himself, which is always a good thing because Jay knows about every trail, downfall, and elk hidey hole in the area. The Utah clan headed out in another direction with different guides. Rick Lunt and Rick Osborn would be hunting together and the plan was to hold out for something really big. Lunt already has several bulls adorning the walls of his cabin, so for him it was going to take something pretty impressive to pull the trigger. That was the plan for Osborn as well, until he saw a perfect six point bugling away on that first September morning. The changing of the leaves, high country, wall tents, and a nice six point is the vision of the perfect trip for Osborn and he put the hammer on the bull just hours into the hunt. During the same time Barclay and Jay were working on getting closer to a bull worthy of an opening day tag, but the big monarch gave them the slip.

Several days into the hunt, the other Utah group got an experience worthy of a national geographic movie. They knew the drainage they were hunting had several grizzlies in it and were always cautious. However, once LaDell Eyre pulled the trigger on his bull, they weren’t prepared for the grizzly to rush the bull and try to take him off of his feet. The big bruin was literally trying to steal his prized trophy.

He used a stump to launch high onto the wounded bulls back, but the adrenaline was kicking in on the bull and he spun the bear off. The second shot from LaDell’s rifle not only put the bull down for good, but was apparently too close for comfort to that bear and he blew off the mountain. However, it made for some very uneasy photo taking and packing out of the bull.

PRO MEMBER UPDATE Lunt, as well as our winner, Swann, were still holding out for the giant they had come for on the last day. They had seen a few bulls north of that 360” mark throughout the hunt, but were never able to connect. So, it makes passing those numerous smaller bulls pretty easy. Lunt had passed on over a dozen overly mature five-point bulls that would have topped that 300” mark and one was probably over 320”, but not what he wanted, especially early in the hunt. As the hours of the last day approached, the thoughts of an empty freezer or some tasty elk weighed on Lunt’s mind heavily and he filled his tag with some groceries for the fall. Barclay wasn’t as fortunate and the big bull never gave him the opportunity he so desperately desired.

The 30-mile horseback ride into camp is pristine wilderness in some of the most beautiful scenery in the west.

Rick Osborn was the first to connect with a Wyoming bull and got to be a spectator for the rest of the week-long hunt.

Although we purchase these hunts with the very best outfitters in the business, it is still called hunting; nobody is guaranteed an animal. We do this for the love of the hunt and the adventure and Open Creek Outfitters and their backcountry hunts are truly an experience. Best of all, some of those big bulls are still there and getting bigger for our next Pro Membership Sweepstakes winner, which will happen in September of 2018.

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51

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

Summertime Baked Salmon

I

have prepared Salmon a ton of different ways, and this recipe really stands out as a great way to showcase this noble fish. Not only is this dish tasty, it is super easy to prepare. Any type of salmon will be great, but I really prefer to go with wild-caught salmon, preferably self-caught or reeled in by a generous friend. Bring on the flavors of summer with a Salmon preparation that will knock your waders off.

Ingredients

• 2 pounds of Salmon Fillets

• Kosher salt and cracked black pepper

• 12 cloves of garlic, minced

• 1 cup of green onion, finely chopped

• 5 ounces of cream cheese, softened

• 1 cup of spinach, chopped

• 1 cup of white mushrooms, chopped

• ¼ cup of Italian parsley, chopped

• Olive oil

Preparation Method

I like to brine almost every protein before cooking; I feel it really improves the flavor. If you do not want to brine that is fine, but I will include some quick instruction on how to do it with a few simple ingredients. In a large zip lock bag combine 4 cups of cold water with ¼ cup kosher salt and 2 tablespoons of sugar. Seal and slosh the mixture around until the salt and sugar dissolve. Add the fillets, seal and refrigerate from a couple of hours to overnight. Remove from the brine and pat dry with paper towels. Remove pin bones with a clean pair of needle nose pliers.

This recipe goes together really quickly once the prep work is done. Measure out

52 August 2017 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS

the cream cheese and let it warm up to soften (a brief blast in the microwave will help). Mince and chop all of the vegetables and arrange them on small plates around your prep area. Pre-heat your oven to 400F. You will need a greased glass baking dish large enough to hold the fillets in one layer. Arrange the fish in the pan so they do not over-lap. This recipe works well with either the skin-off fillets or (my preference), skin on. The meat will pull right off the skin when the fish is cooked and contains a ton of vitamins. Cut some slits lengthwise down the fillets about ¾ of the fillet deep and ½ inch apart. These are going to be stuffed with the garlic and onions and will not be visible in the final presentation.

Mix together the minced garlic and chopped green onions. Rub this mixture over the fish and force into the slits. If you want a little heat you could easily add some chopped jalapeno, serrano, or even habanero Chile’s, to the mix. Spread the cream cheese over the top, trying to keep an even layer. Don’t worry about the small sots where you can’t get the cheese to cooperate; it will all melt together anyway. Layer the spinach and mushrooms on next and then top with a sprinkling of the parsley.

Add a dusting of pepper and drizzle some olive oil generously over everything.

Bake in the pre-heated 400F oven for 15-20 minutes depending on the thickness of your salmon. The fish should be flake easily when pricked with a fork. Remove from oven and arrange on a serving tray. A squeeze of lemon juice can be added, for a refreshing dash of flavor. Accompany with some grilled sweet corn of a meal that just shouts summertime.

This is a really wine friendly dish that is great with many wines. I would recommend an oaky chardonnay, or a Marsanne for whites, and a light Pinot Noir or dry Rose on the red side. For beer either e wheat beer or a Pilsner would go very well with this meal, and really aid in the cooking process if chilled and kept close at hand.

Cheers!

August 2017 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS

53

Two To Remember

K

elly and I sat on the back of the boat, debating, adding on an additional day to a fantastic 4th of July weekend. We discussed missing all the heavy traffic on the drive home, problems with pumping out the boats, however, these were just excuses to fish one more day.

We had been boat camping with a bunch of our friends, playing horse shoes, listening to great tunes, swimming and chilling with a cold one now and then. I had taken my fishing boat, to keep me entertained early in the a.m. and at dusk. I had a continual line of volunteers, willing to go fishing with me. Bill was one of the lucky guys to get to go and he caught a couple of really large fish.

Fishing for large fish at Flaming Gorge is a lot like hunting. You spend time cruising around at low speed looking for big fish in 50 to 100 feet of water, using a fish finder. Sometimes that is the easiest part. Getting these big boys to hit a rubber jig takes finesse and patience.

We fish out of a 1880 WX Skeeter, equipped with a Minkota electric trolling motor, 8 horse power Yamaha kicker motor, and a 200 HP Yamaha when we need to get around the lake. Flaming Gorge is 100 miles long and 1 ½ miles wide in some areas. The larger fish can put up a tremendous fight and have towed this boat at ½ mile per hour.

The lake on a holiday weekend can create a challenge of its own. Boaters, skiers, wake boarders, and people out having fun. Finding the fish and staying over them with the waves and wind can add to the challenge. Minkota helps solve the problem with their anchor in place technology.

Kelly and I convinced our wives to stay one more night. It really didn’t take a lot of convincing, as we knew it would be a chance for all of us to relax from all the hustle and bustle of the weekend.

Kelly and I got up early and headed out. We cruised around one of our favorite spots and spotted a fish at 90 feet. Kelly was lucky and got a bite.

After a short fight, he landed a 12-pound lake trout. We continued to look, but couldn’t find any more in the area.

We decided to cross the lake and check out a different spot. After cruising around looking for fish, without finding any, we were debating whether to stay at this end of the lake or to move and go up the lake. We still needed to pump out the holding tanks on our bigger boats, put them back in their slips and cover the fishing boat. We decided to hang right where we were due to the limited time.

We hadn’t moved more than 100 yards from where we were chatting when I spotted a couple of fish, after stopping the boat and getting back over the fish we were ready for some action. The anticipation of one of these big fish grabbing your jig makes your heart race a little. You would think that these

54 August 2017 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS

By Richard Brookins

Sportsman’s News Outdoor Writing Contest Winner See pg. 4 for entry details.

big fish would rip the pole out of your hand but that is not usually the case. They suck the jig in and as soon as they realize it is not real they spit it out. You have to be ready and set the hook the minute they suck in the jig. It didn’t take long for these fish to give me a chance and luckily, I hooked a fish within the first five minutes.

I told Kelly not to bring his jig all the way up to the top, but to leave his jig about five feet off the bottom. I could see on the fish finder there were several fish moving with the fish I had just hooked.

Fish when they are hooked will try and spit the jig out and a lot of time they will end up chumming from their stomachs in the process. Shortly, after the comment, Kelly hooked up and we both had a fight going on.

I was having trouble getting my fish up off the bottom. I would get the fish upto about 60 feet off the bottom and it would dive back to the bottom. Kelly was doing a little better but was still fighting his fish. Because we were alone, I kept my line tight, extended the large fish net to full length, got the scale out of the glove compartment, and my camera cell phone ready for a picture; all the while fighting my own fish with one and a half hands; no easy task when you are fighting a big fish of your own.

Kelly let me know when he could see his clear leader, a sign that the fish was close to the boat. I made my way to the back, still fighting my fish, and netted Kelly’s fish, with one hand! We weighed the fish in the net, I took a picture of Kelly and his 25 pound lake trout, and then went back to fighting my fish. Kelly released his fish and watched it swim away for another day.

We do not keep these beautiful trophies.

My fish was putting up a real fight; however, I offered to let Kelly bring the fish in. I told him, that my fish was as good a fish as I had caught in a long time. Kelly declined saying that I had let everyone else catch fish all weekend, and it was my turn.

After a half-hour battle, with the fish coming up to 60 feet and stripping line back to the bottom several times, I finally got him coming up. You are

always worrying did I tie the leader correctly; is my pole, which is bent over, going to break; however, Kelly got the net and was ready. These fish will blow bubbles as they release air from their bladder when they come up from deep water. There were bubbles everywhere.

The fish started to surface near the front of the boat where I was, Kelly hollered that there was another big fish following mine. When I looked closer, I could see a fish about four feet ahead of the fish I hooked. I told Kelly, I could see the jig in the bottom fish, and I would swing the fish toward the back and for him to net the top fish which he did.

Kelly got the net under the fish and the minute, I let slack in the line that fish dropped into the net. Kelly brought that fish into the boat and I maneuvered the second fish to where he could net it. Because there were only two of us in the boat, I couldn’t get pictures of me holding both fish out of the water.

We weighed them in the net one at a time. One fish was 25 pounds and the second was 23 pounds.

I had Kelly take a picture of me releasing both fish. What a day! The top fish had the line looped around his gill and the small bone on the side of his mouth, the second fish had the tube jig, 48 pounds of fish! TWO TO REMEMBER.

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No-Doubt Dove Adventures On A Budget

By Terry T. Clapp

T

here is no doubt that Dizzy Dean was one of baseball’s greatest pitchers.

And without a doubt, in his good old boy fashion, he was the Ozark dove hunter’s poet laureate. As each baseball season ended on the air as announcer for the St. Louis Cardinals, he would say these poetic words, “I’m headed to Arizona where the dove are flying low and slow.” Dove flying “low and slow”, now if that’s not poetry to every wing shooter’s ears, what is? I’m fairly sure that Mr. Dean never used the word “Nirvana” in his vivid Ozark descriptions of dove hunting in Arizona, but just as his pitching was always right on, so was his pick of Arizona as a place for no-doubt dove hunting. Dizzy’s words, along with his Ozark conventional wisdom on Arizona dove hunting, have stood the test of decades of dove hunting. He was spot-on in announcing to everyone that Arizona is dove hunting Nirvana.

A Three-Winged Circus To support Mr. Dean’s position, Arizona has two dove seasons and several species of dove of which three can be hunted. In ring one the incredible acrobatics of the Mourning Dove, the smallest of these three species, is always center ring in this wing shooting greatest show of speed and agility. This headliner can do 55 mph and change directions on a dime. Can you say pass the shells, please? In ring two is the ever popular White-Winged Dove. This headliner is noted for the white bar on the upper wings. The White-Winged Dove is a little larger than the Mourning Dove, with a more rounded tail. In ring three is a new comer. The largest dove of these three species and the feral hog of the dove family is the Eurasian Collared Dove. The Eurasian Collared Dove is considered an invasive dove species. It can be harvested year-round, without limits. A ring of black feathers around the back and sides of the neck of the Eurasian Collared Dove give this light gray colored dove its’ name.

Two Dove Seasons: Dates/Limits/License Fees for Non-Resident Hunters The first of Arizona’s two dove seasons has a usual start date of September 1st and runs for two weeks until about the 15th of September. This is a ‘hot’ in every sense of the word wing shooting experience. During this intense two-week period of dove hunting, the hunter can experience a delightful mixed bag of dove. The bag limit in this first season is combined to 15 dove a day. The 15 dove a day limit may consist of no more than 10 White-Winged Dove. Remember, the Eurasian Collared Dove does not have a bag or possession limit and can be hunted year-round. Both the Eurasian and White-Winged Dove are larger than the Mourning Dove and easy to identify. The responsibility to identify the dove taken is that of the hunter.

Season Dates: Early Season

September 1st-15th approx.

Bag Limit:

15 Dove a Day

Species of Dove:

No more than 10 WhiteWinged

Arizona’s late dove season runs from around Thanksgiving through the first week of January. This is usually about 45 days. The 15 dove per day limit is in full force and all 15 birds must be Mourning Dove. The unlimited daily bag limit on Eurasian Collared Dove is a given. After opening day of both dove seasons, there is a 45-bird possession limit. The exact dates for both of Arizona’s dove seasons should be listed on the Arizona Game and Fish site by late summer of 2017 at (www.azgfd.gov). A hunting license and an Arizona Migratory Bird Stamp are required for all dove hunters’ ages 10 years and older.

Season Dates: Late Season

Thanksgiving-1st Week of January

Bag Limit:

15 Dove a Day

Species of Dove:

All must be Mourning Dove

Refer to www.azgfd.gov for upcoming 2017 exact Hunting Season dates.

Non-residents, 18 years old and older, have two fee options for dove hunting licenses. The Combination Hunt and Fish license is good for one year at the cost of $160.00 or the short-term Combination Hunt and Fish license for the cost of $20.00 per day. The late or second season dove hunt, during the winter months, is a very pleasant hunt with excellent weather and the opportunity to hunt Arizona’s quail with the Gamble’s being the most abundant quail species. But, double check season dates for the time you are afield. A side bar hunt experience in the late hunt can be waterfowl if

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you are hunting desert tanks. Jump shooting ducks off desert tanks is more common than most hunters think. So, if you are planning on dove hunting over water, it’s nice to have the Federal Migratory Bird Stamp. Also, check on the season dates of such for both ducks and geese in Arizona.

Non-Residents 18 Years and Older

Option 1: Combination Hunting and Fishing License good for 1 year for $160.00 Option 2: Short Term Combination Hunting and Fishing License for $20.00 per day Plus $5.00 Arizona Migratory Bird Stamp.

For youth hunters, the second season includes a lot of time when everyone is out of school for both Thanksgiving and Christmas vacations. Non-resident kids, ages 10 to the day before their 18th birthday, hunt for $5.00 and this includes the $5.00 Arizona Migratory Bird Stamp. Oh, to be a kid again! Everyone 18-year-old and older will need to purchase the $5.00 Arizona Migratory Bird Stamp, along with the license to hunt dove in Arizona. The best way to buy a license and Arizona Migratory Bird Stamp is online at (www.azgfd.gov). Be prepared to use your social security number as your Department I.D. or have Game and Fish issue you a Department I.D. Whichever options you choose, make a note of your Department I.D. This I.D. number can identify you for future hunts or in case you lose your license. This number will be printed on your Arizona Migratory Bird Stamp.

Non-Resident Kids Ages 10 to 17

$5.00 Total This includes license and AZ Migratory Bird Stamp.

Places to Hunt and Field Conditions During the early dove season in September, it will be hot. Daytime temperatures will reach triple digits. However, early morning sunrises and late afternoons at dusk offer the coolest, most productive and comfortable times for shooting. The best dove hunting during both the early and late seasons will take place around agricultural areas where various grain crops are grown.

Fields that have been harvested are especially good at making locating downed birds very easy. In scouting, it is fairly easy to spot flights of dove moving from field to field, to roosting areas or to water. Scouting is as easy as driving around the croplands and looking for flights of dove.

These agricultural areas will usually have some dairies, which have huge feed lots. These dairies offer nice dove shooting opportunities and are easy to scout.

If dove are using these areas, they will be flying back and forth from the dairies to close-by water. The same applies to the croplands.

Dove are often plentiful in open desert areas.

Adventures On A Budget They move as you would expect along natural corridors of bushy tree-lined, dry washes. Look for stock tanks, irrigation overflow holding ponds and canals as sources of water. Sitting on a desert tank is a good way to hunt dove. The dove shooting can get very fast and furious over a tank, with the hottest action being just after they have fed in the morning. From 7:30am to 10am is a good time to be at a tank. Also, right before dark, tank shooting can really heat up. Arizona is home to 13 rattlesnake species and it is not uncommon to see them at these times during the early dove season in open desert areas. So, make sure you keep an eye out for them.

Dove hunting has to be one of the most fun of any hunting experiences. It is so social in nature that safety could be overlooked. Don’t forget all of the gun safety rules or snake safety rules you have learned because of the relaxed informal environment that a dove hunt will provide. Camouflage is okay, but more important is sitting or standing still and breaking up your silhouette.

Hunter orange is a good idea because a lot of hunters will be out on opening weekend. Ear and eye protection, water, hat, sunscreen, bags, coolers for harvested dove and bug spray are a few items you will need. You will be shooting a lot, so it is nice to have extra bags along to pick-up your empty shells. For me to take 15 dove, it will take at least two boxes of shells. That is a lot of empty shell casings to leave on the ground.

Last year on opening morning about 9am, my group of family and friends were cleaning our dove. I was out picking up empty shell casings in areas that I thought we may have overlooked. I already had a couple of sacks full of casings, when a property owner drove up to our group. He looked us over as I walked over to talk with him. He saw that we had cleaned up after ourselves and some others. Although we were on public property on the other side of his fence, he invited us back to hunt any time. He asked that we continue to shoot only in the directions he could see we were shooting from. It goes without saying that when hunting near feed lots or dairies, don’t shoot toward them, the animals or buildings.

Yuma/Metro-Phoenix/Buckeye/Tucson/Interstate Highways Uninhabited desert lands on the periphery of major city limits are open to dove hunting. This is about a million acres of land that is easy to access. Please see the Arizona Game and Fish map for Phoenix-Metro boundaries. Yuma is the self-proclaimed dove capitol of the country and has the dove shooting to support that claim. If you are coming to Arizona from California to dove hunt, you need travel no further than Yuma. Yuma has many events, contests and activities centered around dove hunting in the early season. The dove hunting is great in Yuma and the festivities are fun.

Great Mexican food abounds in Arizona and Yuma has some of the best you will ever find. Pass the salsa and another glass of water please!

Along the Interstate Highways in Arizona, look for the green irrigated agrarian areas. These areas hold dove across the state and the I-10 and the I-8 offer lots of great access. Good numbers of White-Winged Dove are usually found south of the I-10, from Metro-Phoenix to past Tonopah. Dove hunting the higher desert country of Arizona is doable, but lacks the action found in the low desert. If you do hunt the high country, look for open parks that have a tank. Hunting around water and fields of

sunflowers is best in the high country. Other game birds of the high country are also in season usually around September 1st. Check with Game and Fish to see what might be available in the area(s) you plan on hunting.

Accommodations and Services Excellent accommodations and services are available. Prices for motels are very reasonable in a wide range because end of summer in Arizona is off-season. Prices are $50.00 and up for one person at the low end, with weekly rates available in some motels. Many up-scale resorts offer staycation specials, with an emphasis on serving the entire family at greatly reduced prices. You should be able to get a place to stay very near your hunting area.

Flying into Phoenix or Tucson puts you in the middle of great dove hunting. Within an hour from either airport, you can be scouting or shooting. Sportsman’s Warehouses are around if you need to pick-up shells or other supplies for the hunt. If you rent a car, a normal two-wheel drive is fine for dove hunting. Again, good Mexican fast food can be had at Filiberto’s. Burgers are always available with several popular “In and Out” burger places around.

Zone of Fire Once afield, especially on opening weekend, there will be lots of hunters. This crowd of hunters has pluses and minuses. Conventional wisdom would indicate lots of hunters in certain locations means lots of dove and that is true. Now, you know of some places you may wish to hunt sooner or later. Mark these spots as waypoints on your GPS. If it’s too crowded or early to hunt, check the spot tomorrow or later in the day. The question becomes how to safely position the hunters with you in relation to surrounding hunters. There may be several hunters in your party and in other hunting groups. The camaraderie of dove hunting can be distracting when hunting popular spots. Have a great time, but be safe. A little extra travel time can get you away from crowded areas.

At all times, it is important to maintain a zone of fire for each hunter. At 100 yards, birdshot can have impact. It is very important to remember this when hunting over small desert water holes. Desert tanks of 100 yards across or more are very hard to find. When there are several hunters surrounding these small tanks, wear head gear with wide brims, wear safety shooting glasses and wear long sleeve shirts. This advice holds for all dove hunting, but around tanks, it is more of an issue. Your zone of fire is the 45-degree field of view in front of you, between 10- and 2-o’clock. When taking a shot, the birds should have clear sky above and below them before you shoot, so maintain your 45-degree field of view as your zone of fire. There are no exceptions.

Dove are plentiful. Remember, there needs to be at least 100 yards of spacing between hunters.

Arizona Dove Over sixty years ago, Dizzy Dean was right about the dove flying in Arizona. His low and slow flying dove are harder to find now, but on the other hand, maybe those are the ones that end up in my bag. Great dove hunting, camaraderie and wonderful food account for lots of bang, bang for your buck. Welcome, to Arizona! Please pass the shells, chips, salsa and ice water!

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