Iowa Sportsman - January 2018 by Twin Rivers Media

THE IOWA SPORTSMAN • 1517 3rd Ave NW • FORT DODGE IA 50501 • 877-424-4594 Presorted Standard U.S. Postage

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FEATURES

10 LAST MINUTE DEER PLAN 14 BIG ICE PANFISH CALLING TACTICS FOR IOWA COYOTES 18 AGGRESSIVE 22 END OF THE SEASON BLUES 26 TARGETING NORTHERN PIKE SETS FOR YOUR TRAPLINE: PART 2 30 EFFECTIVE ACTION REVIEW: TAKING ACCOUNTABILITY 34 AFTER By Ryan Graden By Rod Woten

By Troy Hoepker By Earl Taylor

By Steve Weisman

HOLE PATTERNS FOR ICE FISHING SUCCESS 42 COMMON 48 WHITETAILS 365 WHAT GOES ON UNDER THE ICE 52 NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS FOR 60 SPORTSMAN PLANNING A SUCCESSFUL 64 FAMILY FISHING TRIP By Ben Leal

By Tom Peplinski By Todd Reed

By Ben Leal

By Joel Johnson

By JD Rogge

By Earl Taylor

DEPARTMENTS 6 PUBLISHER’S STATEMENT SPORTSMAN INTERACTIVE 8 IOWA PHASES/ SUNRISE-SUNSET 9 MOON 38 AROUND THE STATE 46 TROPHY ROOM By Patrick McKinney

56 GUNDOG CORNER 59 FISHING IOWA 68 ASK THE SPORTSMAN 70 IOWA COOKBOOK By Ryan Eder

By Bob Jensen

Pheasant/Venison Recipes

Photos Submitted by Readers

ON THE COVER

Welcome to the January issue of The Iowa Sportsman Magazine! On the cover this month is a photo of a thick winter coated coyote staring down his prey. Arguably one of the hardest species to harvest, coyote hunting offers hunters a great challenge. Hence the reason that coyote hunting is becoming one of the fastest growing species to hunt in Iowa. If you are looking for a challenge and up to the task get out there and try and harvest a song dog this winter. 4

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January 2018

HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO EVERYONE!

As we flip the page on 2017 and get ready for 2018 I wanted to take the time this month and wish everyone a safe and happy holidays. I also wanted to let all of our readers and followers know that we appreciate your support. I have said it before, but will do so once again. Without our audience we wouldn’t be able to publish this magazine. It seems like yesterday that we started this project, fast forward 13 years later and here we are putting out Iowa’s most recognized hunting and fishing magazine. Honestly when we started this venture we were not sure what to expect, but we were willing to give it a shot. Our goal way back when was simple, let’s put out a high quality publication that can relate to the average everyday Iowa hunter, angler, and outdoor enthusiast. There was and still are a lot of great publications out there, but we wanted and still want to provide Iowans with a product that they can flip through the pages and say “this magazine gives me, an Iowan, the best information to help pursue my hunting and fishing quests.” Hopefully we have done that for all of you at some point in time when you pick up the magazine. As proud as we are of our past we are even more excited about the future. While we will always consider the magazine as our “baby”, we are not blind to the notion that the days of technology are here to stay. So while we will always look at bettering the magazine anyway we can, as we move forward into 2018 we are eager to bring our audience even more ways to access information about hunting and fishing in our state. For starters we are in the midst of a complete website overhaul and design. The current website, which many of you have probably visited, was a great tool to bring Iowans together in a social setting via the internet. We kind of joked that it really was the first form of Facebook for Iowa hunters and anglers. The current website, for those of you that haven’t used it, is a forum based website. Meaning users generate the content based off of the “posts” they create. In return other members reply to those posts and start a conversation. While we love the interaction of the website, we realized it needed a face lift. So hopefully in a matter of months you will see and use the revamped website. It will still have a forums area, but will also supply more content and functionality to the users. We think you will love it! On top of that, The Iowa Sportsman is going to be committed to the social media scene. While some of us are not keen on the whole social media thing, many of us are. So we want to cater to you as well and offer more content and information on our social media platforms. Expect to see even more information from us in many social media forms in the months to come. We have a big year planned for 2018, a plan that will hopefully allow for us to give you more content, more interaction, and ultimately more success pursuing your Iowa hunting and fishing adventures. Thanks again to everyone for making The Iowa Sportsman what it has become today and what it will become in the future. We sincerely appreciate the support you provide and look to continue to build upon the relationship we have established with you. Have a safe and happy holidays. We will see you next year, back and better than ever!

Patrick McKinney

@TheIowaSportsmanMagazine

The Iowa Sportsman

TWIN RIVERS MEDIA, LLC. 1517 3rd Avenue NW Fort Dodge, Iowa 50501 877-424-4594

VOLUME 16 • NUMBER 1 • JANUARY 2018

Gale W. McKinney II, President & CEO Patrick McKinney, Publisher Audra McKinney, VP of Finance Dustin Hector, VP of Sales Aaron McKinney, Field Editor Brandon Peterson, Art Director/Graphic Designer Dawn Busse, Office Manager Shawna Nelson, Circulation Manager

OUTDOOR MARKETING SPECIALISTS

Joyce Kenney - joyce@twinriversmedia.com Ed Junker - ed@twinriversmedia.com Kendra Sassman - kendra@twinriversmedia.com Jack Maggio - jack@twinriversmedia.com

SUBSCRIPTION SALES

Shawna Nelson - shawna@twinriversmedia.com Falon Geis - info@twinriversmedia.com

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Tom Peplinski, Rod Woten, Steve Weisman, Ryan Eder, Todd Reed, JD Rogge, Joel Johnson, Earl Taylor, Bob Jensen, Troy Hoepker and Ben Leal. The information and advertising set forth herein has been obtained from sources believed to be reliable and compiled with great care. Twin Rivers Media, LLC. however, does not warrant complete accuracy of such information and assumes no responsibility for any consequences arising from the use thereof or reliance thereon. Our advertisers are solely responsible for the content of their respective advertisements appearing in this publication, and Publisher shall not be responsible or liable in any manner for inaccuracies, false statements or any material in such advertisement infringing upon the intellectual rights of others. Publisher reserves the right to reject or cancel any advertisement or space reservation at any time without notice. Publisher shall not be liable for any costs or damages if for any reason it fails to publish an advertisement. This publication may not be reproduced, in whole or in part, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopied, recorded or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher. Copyright © 2018 All rights reserved.

The Iowa Sportsman was awarded the Niche Magazine Award for best consumer magazine in the nation!

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INTERACTIVE PAGE

WHAT AM I

IOWA SPORTSMAN ONLINE POLL HOW BIG IS THE GROUP YOU DEER HUNT WITH DURING SHOTGUN SEASON? Just me 2-5 5-9 10-14 15+

CAN YOU GUESS THE OBJECT IN THE PHOTO?

Please send your guesses to The Iowa Sportsman at 1597 3rd Ave. NW Fort Dodge, IA 50501 or email to info@twinriversmedia.com. Answer will be given in the following month on the interactive page.

WHAT AM I WINNER

The winner of last month’s “What Am I” was Nate Thorson. The answer was: brass of a shotgun shell.

Like us on Facebook! @ theiowasportsmanmagazine

11 (14.29%) 19 (24.68%)

24 (31.17%) 10 (12.99%) 13 (16.88%)

77 votes

FIND THE MISSING ANTLER

We need your help readers! The antler in The Iowa Sportsman logo has come off and we need your help to bring it back! This antler could be anywhere, but most likely it will be hiding in a photo, so it will not be easily found. If you find the missing antler in this month’s The Iowa Sportsman magazine, send in your guesses via email to info@twinriversmedia.com or by mail with the page number and a brief description of where the antler is found. A reader with the first correct answer will be listed in next month’s magazine. Good luck! The antler last month was located on page 20. We are sorry, it was a tough one to find.

NO ONE FOUND THE ANTLER IN THE DECEMBER ISSUE. AGAIN WE APOLOGIZE FOR HOW DIFFICULT IT WAS.

PHOTO HUNT: CAN YOU FIND THE 12 DIFFERENCES ON THIS PHOTO?

Answers: Crack in the wood is bigger, the second shotgun shell on left is darker red, antler tine is longer, feather has some red on it, screw is missing from the guns hammer, top part of shotgun shell brass is missing, part of trigger is gone, one of the shell loops is missing, there is a black mark on barrell, piece of antler is missing, a blade of grass is pink, part of stock metal is brown.

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MOON PHASES

December 2017/January 2018 10 Visible: 49%

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24 Visible: 46% 25 Visible: 57%

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January 2018

Sunrise: 7:29 AM Sunset: 5:26 PM

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TheIowaSportsman.com

SO YOUR TIME is ticking away, huh? Or at least it feels like it. The taste of tag sandwich is beginning to form in your mouth. Well, let me give you some words of advice that Bob Newhart once gave in his popular “psychiatrist sketch”, “Stop that! Don’t do that!” That’s right, time may be running out, but it’s certainly not over yet. If you are still determined to fill that yellow and white Iowa sticker, it is still possible to do so. With a little thought, advice, and determination you can certainly make that “tag sandwich” into a wonderful venison steak. Here’s a few things you should know about.

PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT

By this time in the season (especially if it’s late), you are probably shooting one of two choices to fill your tag. Either a bow or a muzzleloader. Regardless of what you are using, practice, practice, practice! When it comes to shooting a bow in the colder 10

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Iowa weather of late December or January, you have to make sure that you are prepared to make an ethical shot when the time comes. Colder weather will cause a different response in your bow as well as increased difficulty in drawing it. You also have to remember that you will most likely be wearing more layers, thus, making it more difficult to maneuver and have the proper form for your shot. Take your bow out on a cold day and practice those shots. Make sure that you are wearing the same layers that you would be if you were in the stand. Shoot at ten, twenty, and even thirty yards. Draw and pause. Hold the string for some extra seconds to make sure

that your muscle endurance is prepared for cold weather. Also, think about a compression sleeve over your supporting forearm. If you are wearing layers, chances are your sleeve is going to be much “thicker” and more apt to be hit by your string. Consider a compression sleeve to help with that. Think of everything that could keep you from making that perfect. Remember, it’s late season and you may not get that second chance. Be prepared for what you get, when you get it! If you’re shooting a muzzleloader, there is a little less to worry about. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t take a few practice shots in preparation. Again, colder weather can cause a different response in the performance of your gun. Make sure that it’s shooting correctly at the distances that you need it too. Another tip to avoid a misfire with your muzzleloader, put a piece of electrical tape over the end of your muzzleloader. Blowing snow or an accidental “tip over” in the snow To Subscribe CALL 877-424-4594

could fill your barrel with enough moisture that could cause a misfire when the time comes. Trust me, that has happened a time or two to me. It’s never a good situation!

THE COLDER IT GETS, THE MORE YOU SHOULD BE OUT

I’m sure you’re rolling your eyes at this one, but I can’t stress the value in this tip. When the weather gets cold, you should put on your “big kid” pants and brave the weather. When the temperature drops deer WILL be moving. They have to! In order to stay warm they have to move, eat, and generate heat. Their thick winter coats will trap what they produce to keep them warm on those singledigit days. When there is movement, you have a better chance at seeing something. On colder days key into a few particular areas. The first to consider is a food source. If you have access to a good plot, you’re in good shape. Especially if it’s corn or soybeans that January 2018

has been planted. These are high resources of calories. Deer will flock to these areas in colder temperatures. If you don’t have access to food plots consider snow covered hay fields. Sometimes deer will venture into these and paw down through the snow to access what leftover greens there might be. The second area to consider is somewhere sheltered from the wind. When the deer are not feeding, they are looking for an escape from those cold Iowa winds that can really blow during our winters. Timbers that would shelter them from gusts are an ideal place to stay warm. Also consider south facing slopes that would catch a certain amount of sunlight throughout the day. Feeling the warm sun, even when temperatures are bitter can keep a deer from the chill of winter.

NOTICE THE SIGNS

In the late season, one of the most beneficial tips I could give you is this, look

for the “signs” that deer are present in certain areas. Take a little bit of time to notice the things that might give you a hint that deer will return to an area on a somewhat regular basis. Deer trails can be a “golden ticket” if you are hunting late season. When deer are finding warmth in a bedding area and an ample food source to help them survive the colder temperatures, the trail between the two is what you need to be watching. Deer will get into a routine at this time of year and as long and nothing disturbs that routine deer will continue to do the same thing each day. Find the tracks, find the deer. As I mentioned earlier, deer are pretty smart. They can remember where the food is. When snow covers the ground during the late hunting seasons of Iowa’s winter, deer will still know where to get the food they need. Don’t overlook these pawing marks in the snow. If they are feeding in this area, they may be back for more. The colder the temperatures get, the TheIowaSportsman.com

LAST MINUTE DEER PLAN more desperate they will be for food. One more thing you may want to make a note of is the direction of the tracks you’re seeing. If most of the tracks you are seeing are heading towards the areas of food, then obviously this would be a good spot to be in the evening. If they are leaving the food source and heading back into the woods, then this would be a good early morning spot. Remember though, if you are hunting this in the morning it will be tricky to get into a position without spooking them. Consider where they might be heading and cut them off there. It would be much better approach.

GET YOUR FEET ON THE GROUND

If you aren’t having any luck still hunting in a blind or a stand, you might consider adding some miles to your boots! A person with a “driver” personality would agree with the statement, “if it’s doesn’t seem like it’s going to happen, then MAKE it happen!” During the late season, sometimes that might be the only option you have. If time is ticking away and the final day of the season is fast approaching, it’s time to make it happen. Over the years that I have chosen to hunt the late muzzleloader season, I have had the most luck using this style of hunting. I put on a good pair of hunting boots with my wool socks and a few layers to block the cold. Then, I start on a walk through the timber. My tactic with this method is to walk the flats of the timber strategically “popping” up over the top edges of deep ravines looking for those deer that might be bedded below. I would be confident in saying that I’ve probably had an 80% success rate in filling my tag. There are two good things that come with this tactic of hunting. First, you will stay warm no matter how cold it is out. The constant walking will generate enough heat that might even cause you to shed a layer while you’re walking. Staying warm will keep you from wanting to escape the woods thus forfeiting time to fill your tag. Another benefit is the amount of area that you are covering. If you want to see deer with a limited amount of time, you need to be the one moving. Holding up in one spot could work, but you generate a better chance by covering more ground. Think of it. If you are in one spot of the woods in a stand, you MIGHT eventually see the deer in that one area. If you are covering more area, you WILL see many more deer collectively. Granted, they might be fleeing, but you still might have a shot.

LOWER YOUR STANDARDS

This might be something that guys may not be willing to do. I guess it depends on the hunter that you are. If you are looking for 12

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something that will be displayed on your wall for years to come, then by all means, keep your standards. But, if you are trying to fill your freezer with a pile of healthy venison, then you might need to chuck your wishes and dreams of shooting that wall hanger and take on the approach of “if it’s brown, it’s down!” What hunter wouldn’t want to have an amazing trophy to brag about? Truthfully, that’s always been my goal as I’ve entered the woods. To have an opportunity at that once-in-a-lifetime buck. However, as the days continue to pass, the temperature continues to drop, and the snow continues to get deeper, my tune begins to change! I just want to get the tag filled. A big doe will do just fine for me at that point. My family will get much more use out of the steaks and roasts from a deer than it’s antlers. Lowering your standards should not be an act of shame. Remember, it’s the thrill of the hunt that makes it “successful” no matter what the size of the harvest is.

DON’T BE AFRAID TO ASK

By late season, if you pay attention, you’ll begin to notice that deer will be herded up more than other parts of the year. It’s not uncommon to see small herds of a half dozen on up to herds of forty or fifty deer. The rut is over, food is scarce, and the deer begin to see safety in numbers. This could be a huge benefit to you if you’re not afraid to meet somebody new. As you drive around, you might begin to notice herds out and about in the same place every night. They truly become creatures of habit if there’s a reliable food source and the weather cooperates with it. I would encourage you to find out who owns some of the properties that you might be seeing this on and contact them. Ask them if you might be able to setup on that herd sometime to fill your tag. You’d be surprised how many folks may not give you permission earlier in the season, but would let you come onto their property in the late season. Usually by then their family and friends are done hunting the bow and shotgun seasons. If that’s the case, they might just say, “yes”. If they do, remember this. If you have some success harvesting a deer in this situation, ALWAYS thank them somehow. Bring them some of the meat as a “thankyou”. If they aren’t venison lovers, drop off a thank you gift card to a gas station, grocery store, or a popular restaurant. Receiving a gift from a considerate hunter can go a “long way” for hunting there in the future. As Red-Green would always say at the end of his comedy show, “Keep your stick on the ice”. Just because it’s late season, it doesn’t mean that all is lost. Make the proper efforts and you will be rewarded. Good luck! To Subscribe CALL 877-424-4594

January 2018

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FINDING QUALITY PANFISH in any larger body of water can be a daunting task.

weeds may also be a great place to find crappie and perch during early ice. This makes any weed bed that is green and thriving a nobrainer for spots to fish when you find them on a big lake. It’s also pretty well known that if and when those weeds begin to die off, decay and consume oxygen, the bluegills make tracks for deeper water. Sometimes they can be found in the muddy areas feeding on those same bugs the perch are eating. Other times you might find them on the bottom beneath those suspending crappies. The key here is look for anyplace the bluegills will have bugs they can eat and protection, however minimal it may be, from predators.

In the winter it becomes even more challenging because the sheet of ice covering the lake prohibits you from freely casting wherever you choose in order to cover water and forces you to drill a new hole each time you want to “cast” to a different location. Fishing at first ice can be a relatively simple affair because the first places to get fishable ice are small ponds or shallow bays in larger lakes, which makes tracking down those panfish a much easier task since they are all contained in a relatively small area. Once the entire lake ices up however, the hiding place that you must sniff out increases exponentially. It can almost feel overwhelming trying to decide where to fish. Here is my technique to help me see through the chaos and systematically LOOK AT THE MAP fish large frozen bodies of water until I find the panfish I’m after. It’s much easier to try and make sense of

KNOW THE HABITS OF THE FISH YOU PURSUE

Generally speaking, most panfish, regardless of species, follow a vague pattern of movement during the three distinct periods every frozen body of water goes through: early ice, mid-season and late ice. During early ice, a good portion of the panfish population can be found in shallower water. Shallow weedy bays and shallow woody cover are both good places to start. As winter wears on, many fish will move to more mainlake types of habitat. During this mid-season period, more fish will be found in deeper water further out in the lake than they were at early ice. During late ice, most of those fish will begin to transition back towards the shallower areas they were found in during early ice. As the ice melts and runoff brings warmer water, more oxygen and microscopic bits of food into the lake, fish will be attracted to these shallow areas that contain these and warm up more quickly as they begin to come out of the mid-winter funk that they were in during the mid-season period. Beyond all of this however, different species of fish will show an affinity for different types of habitat. Knowing the preferences of the species you want to pursue will go a long ways towards determining which areas to concentrate on in a big body of water. Do these preferences overlap amongst January 2018

species sometimes? You bet they do! But there are also definitely times when they occupy distinctly different areas at any given time of the hard water season. For example, the tendency for crappies to move to the main lake basin and suspend out there during midseason is very well known to ice anglers. This makes it very easy to narrow down where to search for crappies during the mid-season period. Sure, some crappies can be found in other areas, but a large portion of the crappie population will most likely be found out there roaming around in the basin. Even if you can pick up a few crappies in other areas, this midseason pattern is such a predicable one that it would be a sin not to fish it. Similarly, perch are very well known for roaming the mid-lake mud flats during mid-season. Gorging themselves on emerging mayfly nymphs, blood worms and many other creepy-crawlies that live in that muddy lake bottom found in those flats. Sometimes it may take a lot of holes to finally land on a school of them, but it’s the surest bet there is when targeting perch in a big frozen lake. The love affair that the bluegill has with weeds is very well known as long as those weeds are green and producing oxygen, they are happy to live there, relatively sheltered from their predators. These green early-ice

a large lake using a map than it is from the ice on that same lake. If you know what you’re looking for, you can identify all of the species-specific preferences I’ve just detailed. A map also allows you to put together a plan from the comfort of your kitchen table that you can put into action as soon as you get to the lake. This means you spend a lot less time scratching your head trying to figure out what to do next and a lot more time drilling holes and finding fish. Knowing how to identify about four major features on any lake map will go a long ways towards determining where to drill when you get to the lake. The first feature you should be able to identify is an inside corner. These are pretty easy to identify because the contour lines bend to the right or left. Basically an inside corner is a bend that concentrates fish because it prevents them from moving forward. Essentially they “run into the wall” that makes up the other side of the inside bend and must pause or linger before changing direction and proceeding. Break lines are another feature you should be able to identify. These are indicated by the contour lines being very close together. The closer together they are, the steeper the break is. It is at the base of these breaks that those mid-season bluegills can often be found. They are there because the bottom composition at the base TheIowaSportsman.com

BIG ICE PANFISH of this break is the perfect composition for the burrowing insects that the bluegills love to feed on; not so hard that they can’t burrow into it, yet firm enough that it doesn’t collapse on them as they burrow. Knowing how to identify pinch points on a map can be very useful as well. These are identified by the hourglass shape the contour lines form as they narrow and then open back up again. These areas are also called funnels because they will funnel any fish moving through right through the center of it. This is the same reason that deer hunters often look for funnel or pinch points when selecting a spot to hang their tree stand. The last feature you should know how to identify on a lake map are called flats. These large open expanses are indicated on the map by a bulge or wide spot between adjacent contour lines. If they are shallow enough, a flat will indicate a weed bed and if it’s deeper, it may be a good mud flat that will hold perch. Often times you will find just such a bulge on either side of a break line. The upper bulge will probably be a weed bed, and the lower a mud flat. Finding the three features stacked like this is an ice angler’s dream, because it offers three different types of environments to choose from with just a short swim in one direction or the other. There’s a very good chance you will find fish in one of these stacked areas. If you can identify these four features on a map and then find them and fish them once you get to the lake you will find fish sooner or later. So simple yet so powerful!

DISSECT THE LAKE

Finding fish under the ice of a large body of water is a difficult thing because it can be so overwhelming. There is so much water to cover that it’s hard to even pick a starting point. One very effective strategy to overcome this is to break the lake into segments. Maybe you’re only going to fish the north end? Or maybe you’re only going to fish the basin areas? However you decide to dissect the lake, the important thing is that you break it down into smaller more manageable sections. Often times, when we’re over the basin looking for roaming perch or suspended crappies, we will even break the main basin down into smaller football-field-sized segments that we can more effectively fish. If we don’t contact fish after sufficiently covering one football field, we simply move over to the next football-field segment and start the process all over again. This approach allows us to systematically eliminate non-productive areas until we contact fish.

STAY ON THE MOVE

Even if you know and have mastered all of the things above, none of it will do you any good unless you’re willing to keep moving until you contact fish. It’s a game of executing each step of your plan, and moving to the next step if the previous step doesn’t pan out. This means a willingness to continually move and drill fresh holes. It’s really easy to fall into the trap of setting up and waiting for the fish to come to you. In order to effectively cover big ice you need to go out and hunt the fish… find them rather than waiting for them to wander by your location…be proactive instead of reactive. It also means traveling light and setting as few items on the ice as you can. Each item you set down is another item you have to pack up before you can move to a new location. Dave Genz, the Godfather of modern ice fishing, calls these items “anchors” and theorizes that the more “anchors” you have out, the less likely you will be to move. Staying on the move also means being willing to leave fish to find fish, especially if the fish you are catching are not the species or size that you’re after. It’s very easy to camp over the fish you are catching now, the sure thing, rather than move to a new hole where there may be no fish. If you don’t move however, the chances of catching the target species or the size desired diminish greatly. There’s no need to let big ice intimidate you. Sure there are millions of places the fish could be hiding in all that water. If nothing else, big ice means more opportunities to contact fish and more opportunities for trophy class fish. Armed with the knowledge and skill presented above, you can attack big water with the confidence, rather than confusion. 16

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January 2018

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The Iowa Sportsman

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THERE’S NOTHING LIKE a full day of coyote calling to provide a perfect example of all the multiple ways you can have success, or failure, in trying to take Iowa’s most elusive predator! Last year my calling partner Mark Johnston and I had just such a day. After the day was over we had taken three coyotes on about seven calling attempts. A decent day as coyote calling standards go for Iowa, but it was the way in which we took all three of those coyotes that stood out to me after the day was done. We didn’t remain vanilla, boring or unimaginative with the coyotes we were after. Instead, we attacked them, got aggressive and stayed on the offensive with all three coyotes that ended up finding a cold ride in the back of the truck at day’s end. Here’s how we did it. After the first cold stand at daybreak went for nothing, we took the long way around to drive to our next location. It was past midwinter and with a nice skiff of snow freshly beautifying the Iowa countryside, we hoped to spot a coyote up on its feet in the early morning hours. At that time of year after a snow, that’s a tactic I like to employ to find a vulnerable coyote that might be callable. I’m lucky that with the help of many gracious landowners, I have the ability to cover thousands of acres and go on the hunt by having standing permission if I spot something I want to pursue. We hadn’t gone 5 miles when just as we turned the corner of a gravel road, there stood two coyotes right out in the wide open only a couple of hundred yards off the road. They had wanted to cross but our drive by interrupted their plans. I didn’t stop completely but slowed and they turned back,

headed towards the safety of a wooded draw a half-mile to the northeast. I kept the pickup rolling east down the road so that they would just continue on to that spot. After we went over a couple of hills, we turned into the field entrance of a property I had permission on and across the fence to the farm where we had spotted the

doesn’t take long for them to come. In this case however, I blew three of four series on my trusty mouth call and still there were no customers? Eleven minutes into the calling, I had that weird feeling that something was watching me, a feeling that’s happened to me plenty of times over the years. I turned my head slowly and behind me on my right, sure enough, there stood a big coyote not 40 yards away staring a hole right through us! I whispered to Mark, “Behind us!” Somehow, a coyote had gotten around behind us and the only thing to try was to aggressively swing the gun and bipod around on him to try for the shot. “Here goes nothing,” I thought as I tried the maneuver. As I swung, the coyote began to move, but Mark swung on him as well just seconds after me making the coyote do a double take and slow, giving me the extra half-second needed to make the shot. The coyote dropped right there and proved to be a 42 pound male. The biggest I’d taken in some time. No partner ever showed itself and the odd thing to us was that this coyote seemed a bit browner than possibly the two we had saw earlier. Whether this was one of the same two coyotes, we weren’t sure, but aggressively heading into the section to outmaneuver those coyotes had resulted in success. The next spot we went to has been a great spot for us over the years. There’s usually a coyote or a bobcat nearby and this time proved to be no different. This time Mark did the calling and we sat high on a hill at a division between the tall switch grass and

AS WE WERE STILL GETTING SET UP A COYOTE LIT UP THE AIR WITH A LOUD HOWL TO OUR WEST WHICH IN TURN, TRIGGERED A COYOTE TO THE SOUTH OF US TO SOUND OFF IN SONG OF HER OWN.

January 2018

coyotes. The plan was to quickly move one half mile to the north and get set up ahead of or off to the east of where those coyotes were headed to. A couple nice hills between their route and us provided cover and we settled into a nice little bottom where we hoped to call them to. Usually when we do this if we’ve successfully remained undetected, it

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AGGRESSIVE CALLING TACTICS FOR IOWA COYOTES

shorter mowed hay where a couple of lines of timber lead to our position. Mark has a special sound sequence that he’s put together on his e-caller using some sound editing software to combine a variety of sounds into one thirty minute series that has worked numerous times for us over the years. He began the series and about halfway through, there’s a nice variation he’s put together that gets very excited and features some crow confidence sounds along with distressed rabbit sounds that to your ears, just invites you to want to know what’s going on at the scene of such aggression. I’m sure a coyote can’t resist as well, especially given the buildup Mark recreates beforehand. As if on a string, a coyote came hooked right in towards the caller. Mark even had a little trouble getting him stopped for the shot he wanted since the coyote was so convinced he was going to find an easy meal. I heard Mark’s gun sound off! He had taken the air out of a 31-pound male with a nice coat! That aggressive sequence proved to be the ticket on yet another unsuspecting coyote. After a few dry stands, we went into our last place of the day before dark. As we were still getting set up a coyote lit up the air with a loud howl to our west which in turn, triggered a coyote to the south of us to sound off in song of her own. We had two customers to work with in fairly close proximity. We immediately sat down without setting up the caller and went to work. In late January, in a situation like that, it called for some aggressive howling to light the match under these coyotes, or so I thought. The coyote to the west sounded as if he had issued a domain howl of some sort and so I thought a challenge howl or three would drive him crazy enough to come charging in. Maybe a bit antagonistic on my part but when a coyote issues a low-pitched 20

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powerful howl that sounds a bit like it’s coming out of a barrel, then it sometimes means that those are a “my territory” type of howl that can used that time of year to keep other coyotes at a distance but also to entice any females in the area to come to him. The second howler from the south returned the howl in a high pitched “friendlier” type of communication. My challenges hoped to bring one or both on the charge. A few minutes went by and nothing showed itself in front of our position facing an open pasture squared up by timber on two sides. Mark began playing some pup distress on his caller to try and get attention off of me in case coyotes would show at any minute and to add to the intensity of the scene. I had already been made and I didn’t know it. Not sure what I was looking at, I slowly raised my binoculars to confirm a coyote looking right at me, half its body behind a tree and his head and shoulders looking around the tree at me. Figuring I’d never be able to move the gun on him, I thought I might as well take his picture. I raised the camera and he let me snap a cool photo. So now I figured I might as well try swinging my rig to the left on him. I did that too and the coyote just stood there defiantly looking at me, possibly looking for a fight, so convinced by the sounds he had heard earlier? With my body twisted extremely to the left I took the shot and to my surprise the coyote took off running. Just as I squeezed off a second shot Mark did what a great partner does. He anchored that coyote right there. The aggressive howling worked perfectly and by not being too subtle we had induced the reaction of one of those coyotes to get to us while there was still enough light to see them. The other one never showed itself after the shot, but likely had been coming as well. As we stood talking over our killed coyote, almost in total darkness,

the second coyote chastised us repeatedly with barks and short howls from a short distance away in the timber showing his displeasure of our being there. In each of those successful hunts throughout the day, there was an aspect of aggressiveness in the way we called or approached the coyotes that we were after and it was the key factor in our success in each case. Sometimes it’s easy to become complacent or get caught up in the same old groove when calling coyotes. I encourage anyone to experiment and to think outside of the box to better your odds. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t, but you learn from each experience. Relying on your own instincts is a big part of it and along with that, experience plays a factor. Just as with those howling coyotes, instinct and experience from previous hunts directed me as to how to call to them. Or when putting the sneak on a coyote, experience and gut instinct tell you what you can get away with and what you can’t. There’s also a time to be aggressive and a time not to be. A lot of times less is more with coyotes too. In the fall for example, a few simple short series of calling combined with a lot of patience in a good area is all it takes. Same goes with the breeding season of winter months. A few calls are sometimes all it takes if you offer up the right combination of howls to a nearby set of ears. How do you know when to try aggressive tactics? The answer to that comes from the scenario that is being played out. If you have a vocal coyote, try and determine his demeanor. Is he being bold with his howls? If he is, then maybe it’s a fine time to attack him with challenges, or a domain howl of your own to make him upset that you are in his territory. Are coyotes vocal but not moving toward your calling efforts? If so, maybe it’s time to study the terrain around you and if you’re able to move without being discovered, reposition yourself from a new vantage point and call towards them. Sometimes it’s just a change in location that will get them moving to a spot where you can shoot them. This is especially a good nighttime calling tactic. Is there a coyote that is staying just out of range for some reason? If so, ask yourself why first of all. The answer usually lies in one of three things. Available cover for that coyote to use for an approach to you; the sounds you previously sent his way or the wind. If it’s a cover problem, wait and back out. Then reattack him an hour or more later with different sounds from a location that will make him feel more comfortable To Subscribe CALL 877-424-4594

to come to the call. If he’s heard the wrong sound, it may be because he’s a subordinate coyote that just won’t approach any closer if he’s heard what he believes is an alpha howling. Now turn the calling into a submissive type of calling. Whimpers and invitation howling are best to make him feel at ease. If you believe wind direction is the problem, then work on your setups. Always remember that you’ve got to give the coyote the feeling that it can use the wind and get downwind of your location. You want him to have enough cover that he commits to coming to your call but can’t quite make it downwind of you completely without exposing himself to you right before he get’s downwind. It’s an ambush point and the cover he uses on the way to it is enough to give him the false sense of security to commit to coming to you. When you sit down to make a calling stand using distress sounds try some stands with aggressive, more continuous calling and some stands with just a few sounds and more long pauses in between. See what works, but make those sounds you use count. When you’re done calling with a mouth call you should feel like you’ve poured your heart and soul into it. Actually picture in your mind a rabbit being attacked and tormented by bites

January 2018

from a predator as you call. Make every series feel like it drips blood and oozes anguish. Include high-pitched squeals with raspy excited screams all together. Reach out and grab a coyote’s ears! With an e-caller, pick those excited sounds where you can really hear the desperation in the squalling and use them. Add into the

mix crows or owls. Make the scene where you feel like there’s a desperate fight for life going on. If you spot a coyote from the road out in one of those Iowa sections, stop and think how you can get in on the coyote without the coyote winding you, seeing you or hearing you. Don’t try to call a coyote back to where it’s already been and don’t worry about getting too close to it. Instead, flank them or get ahead of them using the terrain to hide your movements. Never try to see it again. Just try to get to an area where you can bring him to you. Trust that it can hear you when you begin calling. You’d be surprised how little you need to make it work sometimes. But don’t be afraid to get a little risky. During breeding season, turn to more aggressive tactics like using challenge howls, deep and threatening domain howls or pup distress howling. A coyote is more likely to defend its territory during this time and hitting them with territorial triggers can work well. If you’ve been experiencing a lack of coyotes coming to the call, mix things up and go on the attack. Just like in sports, sometimes you have to go on a strong, bold offensive to take what you want!

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JANUARY 11TH BRINGS the pink slip to Iowa deer hunters. All licenses are null and void. There is no 3 p.m. rush to gather gear and head for the timber for the last hours of light. You now either help your wife with supper, or you stay late at work and get caught up with work left undone over the past 70 days of hunting. It is now 263 days until October 1. Personally, I always welcomed the end of deer season; there were many years where I seldom missed a day of sitting in a blind or a tree stand through November and December. Thanksgiving, Christmas, 22

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New Year’s Day found me hunting rather than sitting at home or with family. I wore myself out with hunting. As with any addictions, there is a drying-out period. A time to be sober. A time to be “nicotine” free. A time to stop

deer hunting. All addicts will tell you that, “this is the roughest time.” The mind of the man is linear; which simply means we are wired simply to do one task at a time. As we work at this task, we become overly focused on completing the task before any thought of the next task. We approach deer hunting as the only task to do for nearly 70 days. Before the rut, most men are scurrying around picking up the yard, mowing one last time, and winterizing boats and other summer toys; once November arrives, there will be no more honey-do lists. All energy is focused on bringing home To Subscribe CALL 877-424-4594

the winter’s supply of meat. Our early ancestors followed this plan. Even in Genesis 27:3 it states: Isaac said to Esau, “Now then, get your equipment-your quiver and bow- and go out to the open country to hunt some wild game for me.” Modernday deer hunters are only living out what has been genetically coded into the brains of a man and recorded in the Bible. No one wants to talk about it, but it is

true; men get out of whack when they deer hunt. They become obsessed. They are addicted. Neither cold, snow nor rain will

him run to his stand as soon as the storm passes. An age-old joke exemplifies this: Ole and a friend were ice fishing when a funeral procession passed by the lake. Ole stood up and placed his hand over his heart until the hearse was out of sight. His friend was moved by Ole’s empathy and commented, “That was a thoughtful gesture.” Ole said, “That was the least I could do, I was married to her for 35

AS WITH ANY ADDICTIONS, THERE IS A DRYING-OUT PERIOD. A TIME TO BE SOBER. A TIME TO BE “NICOTINE” FREE. A TIME TO STOP DEER HUNTING. ALL ADDICTS WILL TELL YOU THAT, “THIS IS THE ROUGHEST TIME.”

January 2018

keep the die-hard inside in November and December. It takes a December blizzard to force a man to stay home; only to have

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END OF THE SEASON years.” As with most addicts, productive activity is needed to get him through the next day. The same is true for deer hunters as they come down off their deer chasing drive, and return to normal. Here are some ways to make it through the winter months until spring turkey season arrives in April. There are only so many times that a gun needs cleaned or a bowstring needs waxed. However, there is your large supply of equipment and supplies tossed in every corner of your garage and truck. Spend some time going through wornout calls, releases, and clothes. Package the old up and give it away to a young person just getting started hunting. Bless them with your generosity as others have blessed you. The freezer is full of roasts and backstraps and scraps that are destined to the locker for summer sausage and deer sticks. Use your Cabela points and buy yourself some equipment to process your deer meat into these snacks. A dehydrator, a meat-grinding attachment for the wife’s kitchen-aid mixer, and a jerky shooter caulking gun will allow you “do-your-own.” Hunters can easily spend a minimum of $150 having the local locker process deer meat into portable snack food like jerky and sticks. It takes 10 pounds of deer meat to make three pounds of jerky. If you lack the imagination to figure out a recipe for jerky, go to www.jerkyholic.com, to find the flavor that interests you. All beef recipes transfer to venison. I personally never buy the pre-packaged jerky mixes; I find the store-bought concoction as too salty and too expensive. Most ingredients are found in your refrigerator or cupboard. I can create my mixture for under a dollar for each batch of meat I prepare. Jerky

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from all wild game- goose, pheasant, rabbit, or squirrel is possible by adjusting the ingredients accordingly. By grinding up the scrap meat, minus the fat, I can use up the least desirable parts of the deer and create “store-like” jerky by grinding it first and forming it into jerky strips. I add dried hot peppers that I have dehydrated from my garden to give jerky a little heat and zing. Liquid smoke, dried onion flakes, red pepper flakes, Worcestershire sauce, or teriyaki sauce can create different flavors. I like to mix up about three pounds of meat per batch which I place in a gallon zip lock bag overnight before I place the meat into a dehydrator. By processing smaller batches, you can test the flavor of your mixture. If you wish not to spend additional money for equipment, use two small plates with wax paper to flatten the burger mixture into a dryable diameter. Start your dehydrating by morning to be finished by bedtime. I throw my jerky in zip lock bags back into the freezer to prevent it from molding in case I didn’t get it dried 100%. Not all wives are thrilled at using your beautiful deer roasts for their Sunday dinner; their sensitive taste-buds can pick up the wildness of the meat that yours can’t. Roasts have a way of making their way to the bottom of the freezer. Pull out the canner your wife put away last fall. Go to Fareway, walk past the meat counter, and head to the vegetable aisle. Pick up potatoes, carrots, onions, cabbage, and celery. Find yourself quart jars and dig deep into the freezer and pull out the less desirable deer roasts (front shoulder and the rump roast). You are now ready to can yourself some of the best deer stew you have ever eaten for under a dollar a quart. Layer, the bottom third of the quart jar with deer meat, cut up into one-inch

chunks (about ½ pound). Layer the next third of the jar with potatoes and carrots or any other vegetable that you enjoy eating in the stew. Top off the jar with cabbage, onions, and celery. Add a teaspoon of salt, and fill the jar with boiling water from your tea-kettle. Place quart jars in canner and process for 90 minutes at 10 pounds of pressure. A quart of stew is perfect for one hungry person; the stew is thoroughly cooked, so it can be heated up in the microwave right in the jar while at work. Consider this stew as nearly organic without any preservatives. Meat juices will create a nice broth from the water added to the jar. If stew doesn’t interest you, perhaps just canning deer meat will. Again, remove all fat, cut up roasts or scraps into one-inch chunks, and place in a quart jar. Buy yourself a couple of fatty beef ribeye steaks for Valentine’s day date night, trim off the fat, and place a small piece of beef fat per jar. Somehow this small piece of fat flavors the entire quart jar into tasting like beef rather than deer. Great for soups or casseroles. Again, use your canner at 10 pounds of pressure for 90 minutes. You have now eaten up four or five weekends. The super-bowl will eat up another one, and you are now ready to do some shed hunting, some early turkey scouting, and some tree trimming and lane cutting to prepare for next year. You have a cupboard full of stew to use on upcoming hunting and fishing trips. You have a freezer emptied of fresh meat, but full of jerky. And, you have kept yourself busy as you have gone through six weeks of deer hunting detox. You will now be able to say, “Hi. My name is ___________; I am a deer hunting addict, I have been camo-clean for 45 days. I have made it through another long winter without a tag. I have only 215 days until October 1.”

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IT SEEMS LIKE we ice fishing enthusiasts all have our favorite species of fish that we target. From panfish to walleyes to northern pike…all can be readily caught in Iowa’s waters. One of the more prolific gamefish that is often overlooked is the northern pike. Yet, no matter what we are fishing for, it seems we all run into this freight train of a fish! Anglers targeting panfish in bays with good weedbeds are more than likely to find northern pike cruising the area in search of an easy meal. Most of the ice fishing occurs in the northern third of the state, and a lot of lakes and ponds host good populations of northern pike. Living in the Iowa Great Lakes, I have lots of opportunities to catch both panfish and northern pike. What a lot of anglers will do is target both panfish and northern pike by jigging with tiny baits for the panfish and placing a second line off to the side to entice a pike bite. For anglers who 26

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want to add another line, they can purchase a license that allows three lines per person.

GAME PLAN

Success begins with a solid game plan, which can change as the winter season progresses. Early in the ice season, look

for weedbeds that will hold bluegills and crappies. During this time, options are to set up as shallow as 3-4 feet and up to 10-12 feet of water, wherever the best standing weeds are located. If you marked good weedbeds during the open water season on your GPS, these will be good spots to start the search. Mobility is a major key to success. Before starting, I often drill several holes and then use my underwater camera (Vexilar Scout) to search for both bluegills and pike. This helps put you on fish. Not all weeds will hold panfish, so it takes moving until they are located. If the fish don’t bite or if there are no fish, move. This does not necessarily mean moving to the other side of the lake. No, it means moving a little deeper or maybe further along the weedbed or weedline. Although To Subscribe CALL 877-424-4594

this can be a tedious task, it’s better to take the time rather than setting up right away in a spot and not having any fish activity. At the same time, structure like points, breaks, rock piles and humps are classic examples of structure that will have pike in the area. Things can change as the ice season goes. Here in the Iowa Great Lakes by mid-winter on West Okoboji or Big Spirit, for instance, the bigger pike often move into deeper water, say a rock pile or a deep weedline up to 20-feet or so on West Okoboji and up to 12-14 feet on Big Spirit. At late ice, things change again. Pike are getting ready to spawn, often times spawning beneath the ice. In preparation, they will move to areas where water is flowing into the lake. On Spirit Lake, this means the Buffalo Run area, Little Spirit January 2018

area and Hale’s Slough. A common practice for anglers targeting pike is to use tip-ups with a big fathead minnow or a lively chub for bait. Everybody has his/her own strategy, but common practice is to spool the reel with, say, 20-pound braid and then use a Bigtooth Rig made by Clam Outdoors. A common approach is to take one of the hooks and secure it just under the skin just behind the dorsal fin on one side. Then do the same thing with the other treble hook on the side. To help attract the pike, some anglers will clip the tail off where the tail meets the body of the chub. This gives a ‘blood’ scent trail, and if a pike is in the area, it’ll come to the chub. It’s not necessary to get the bait on the bottom because pike often cruise up off the bottom.

The Bigtooth Rig is a quick strike rig, so it is important not to wait a long time to set the hook. When the flag trips, get over there and lift the tip-up out of the water, letting the pike take the line (don’t want them to feel resistance). While doing this, strip off some extra line in case it is needed if the pike is big and makes a strong run. Set the hook when the fish is making a run and then work the fish toward the hole. The big key is to take your time as the fish gets near the hole, and get it to come up the hole. Once started, you’ve got it!

ANOTHER APPROACH: THE WALLEYE SNARE

Sounds like something a trapper would use, doesn’t it? Well, it’s not. The Walleye Snare is one of the hottest presentations TheIowaSportsman.com

TARGETING NORTHERN PIKE going in the ice fishing world. At a recent ice fishing weekend extravaganza, I happened to talk to Chad Loreth, owner of the Iowa Great Lakes Outdoors, Inc., guide service. Loreth, who has been a fishing guide for the past five years, told me, “I can’t wait until this ice season. The Walleye Snare is designed and built by JT Outdoor Products to be the ultimate ‘dead stick’ on the market. It is going to be awesome for both walleye fishing and northern pike fishing.” Loreth was adamant that I shouldn’t just take his word for it, but that I should check out the many YouTube videos on the Internet. “Really, Steve, you have to give Joe Bricko, owner and designer of the Walleye Snare, a call.” So, I did my research, checked out several YouTube videos and then gave Bricko a call. This is what I found out…I think you will find it an interesting story… What I found was an ice fishing system. Bricko is your typical Minnesota ice fishing nut. Of course, Minnesotans have been using dead sticks up there for years. However, when you leave the confines of the heated ice house, the intense cold makes anglers figure out ways to keep ice holes open so they can use their dead stick outside. Bricko says, “Back in the mid-90s, I went with a friend and his grandpa up to Mille Lacs, and there I was introduced to the Mille Lacs Box that helped keep the ice hole from freezing over. Guys had made an enclosed wooden box and often times used charcoal as a heat source. However, that wasn’t very efficient, so my friend’s grandpa used a dual mantel lantern. The trouble is they were so cumbersome.” Over the years, Bricko kept thinking there has to be a better way. Reflecting back, he says, “About six years ago, I began developing the HOT-BOX TM. Then when my dad retired as a Design Engineer with Toro Company four years ago, we really got serious. After a lot of trial and error and a lot of protoypes, we now have the HOT-BOX TM.” It’s made of lightweight aluminum with a thermo plastic base and hinged on all four corners so it can fold flat and fit into a five-gallon pail. It uses a small propane disposable tank and a stainless steel mantel that increases its durability. It will keep holes open to -20 degrees. Personally, I’ve used a dead stick for years, and there have been many times it has been the top fish catcher. However, the trouble with a dead stick for me is having the walleye or northern pike grab the bait, feel the pressure before I can grab the rod to give the fish some line. Too often when the fish feels this pressure, it then drops 28

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the bait. That or the fish will slam the bait so hard that I have no chance to even grab the rod. Even with these problems, I continue to use the dead stick because, well, it works. With that in mind, Bricko and his dad began to develop their own dead stick rod. The goal was to have a rod that had a “loadable” tip and a solid backbone. Enter the Walleye Snare Rod, the ultimate dead stick. Bricko says, “Where the traditional dead stick requires the angler component to set the hook, the Snare rod often times does it all on its own.” This 36-inch rod is designed as a blend of both fiberglass and carbon, which allows engineers to perfect the action of the blank. According to Bricko, the key is the nitinol (nickel & titanium) blend flexible end almost like a sensitive spring bobber inserted right into the flexible rod tip. He also notes that their nitinol blend holds its rebound effect down to -30 degree temperatures. The nitinol tip has an orange ball at the end that serves as a strike indicator. This system works well for both walleyes and pike. Bricko suggests using a splitshot (just large enough to keep the bait down) and either a lively shiner, fathead minnow or chub for bait. When set up on one of JT Outdoor Products patented rod holders, the Walleye Snare Rod will slowly load when the fish takes the bait. Not able to feel any resistance, the fish repositions the bait in its mouth and starts swimming away. The rod’s flexibility allows the end to continue to bend even to the point of the tip reaching the water. Bricko says the key is, “The moment the fish starts to feel some pressure, it’s often too late and it darts away. With this rod, the darting action then ‘Snares’ the fish. The angler is often watching the rod load up at a distance as the spring bobber disappears into the hole! This gives him the time needed to get to the rod.” To check out this style of fishing, just google the Walleye Snare and you will find several YouTube videos. I can see why Loreth is exciting to try this on the Iowa Great Lakes this winter. So, there you have it: two different ways of targeting northern pike through the ice. No matter your choice, though, always remember to do your homework and make sure you are fishing areas where pike will be roaming through!

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January 2018

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ONE OF THE great things about trapping is that many different methods can be used to get similar results. In last month’s issue we looked at some simple effective sets for your water trapline. This month we’ll look at simple sets and techniques for your dryland trapline. Trapping dryland is one of my preferred techniques. It is said that ten percent of trappers catch ninety percent of the fur harvested each year; they do this with hard work, speed, and efficiency. Many very successful long liners stay in the water pounding out pockets and smear sets to their hearts content. I prefer to keep my feet a little drier and get a little less muddy, by using snares, dog proofs, and foothold traps to fill my truck with fur. I’ll take dry fluffy field coon over wet muddy creek coon any day. I’ll take them both, actually, but the dry coon will take less work in the end to look great when the time comes to sell, and who doesn’t get excited rolling up on a fox or coyote in their set.

SNARING

As a snare manufacturer, snaring is near and dear to my heart, but it is still misunderstood by many people. Snaring is an extremely quick, efficient way to catch fur with minimal expense. Snaring requires no bait, lure, or expensive steel traps, and the January 2018

and fields, high bank trails along creeks and bridges, power poles, intersecting fence lines, and trees in the fence lines. Locations for fox and coyote include ½ and ¼ mile fence intersections, across from single farm drives, game trails through waterways and CRP, and livestock trails in pastures (when livestock is not present). In late winter when the creeks are frozen they are highways for canines, narrow creek lines are hot spots to snare coyotes, and don’t overlook old beaver slides as places that coyotes use to access the ice. In recent years with the explosion of the coyote population and the subsequent severe decline of the fox population, it seems most fox are caught near farms or towns, where the coyotes aren’t as willing to go. Look at the dust along the edge of the gravel roads where

beauty of it is that the target animal does not need to be hungry or curious to be caught, they only need to be going about their business to be caught. Trails can be located simply by looking for what the target animals need to survivefood, water, and shelter. Locations for coon trails include culverts, corners of groves TheIowaSportsman.com

SIMPLE, EFFECTIVE SETS FOR YOUR TRAPLINE the trails cross, the coons/coyotes/fox will tell you which trails they’re using. Often multiple species are using the same trails and it pays to set one snare loop size and height for coon/ fox, and one for coyote. Many coyotes have been caught by setting a coon snare higher after it being knocked down. When I’m snaring coon/fox I set my snare with a 6”-7” diameter loop, and the bottom of the loop 6” off the trail. This diameter/height combo will take coon and fox, while avoiding most skunks and opossums, and will result in a high percentage of neck and high shoulder catches on coon. When snaring coyote in Iowa we are limited to an 8” diameter loop unless within 30 yards of water, the limit then becomes 11”. Set your coyote snares 8” in diameter, and 10”-12” high. Snaring requires a solid support for your snare so you can keep your loop the proper height off the ground. This is usually accomplished by using a support collar, commonly known as a “whammy”, and a length of #9 annealed wire. The whammy and #9 wire allow you to hang the snare the proper height off the ground while manipulating the loop into the proper position in relation to the trail.

DOG PROOF TRAPS:

Dog proof traps, commonly known as DP’s, are a raccoon specific trap designed to take advantage of a coon’s willingness to reach into a hole, and the dexterity of their fingerlike paws. Most DP’s are a tube design, with some sort of stabilizing stake at the bottom of the trap to keep the tube upright until the coon works the trap. Triggers on DP traps are usually either a pull only design made to fire only when the coon pulls up on the trigger, or push/pull designs made to fire if the coon pushes or pulls the trigger. Tube style DP’s include Z-Traps, EZ-Traps, and Duke DP’s, Z-Traps and EZ-Traps would be my favorite designs with Duke’s not far behind. The only knock on the Duke’s

in my opinion is the flare on the bottom of the stabilizing stake, during cold conditions it will freeze into the ground and cause problems. There are many different opinions on what to bait DP’s with, and many things that will work. A good DP bait must taste good to the raccoon. Often the coon will get some of the bait from the tube and you want them to go back for more. When DP’s first came out the bait of choice for everyone seemed to be marshmallows, and while they will work, they have little power as an attractant. I also don’t prefer paste baits or fish chunks, they certainly work but spoil and dry out quickly, and make my traps stink when I hang them up for the year. I prefer strong sweet-smelling kibble style baits, such as my Roadrunner DP Dry bait. These style baits not only have great calling power, and taste, but the small kibble of the bait create a lot of foot action in the traps when the coons try to get all the small pieces. I would caution you not to fill the trap to the top with bait as some do, but only fill the trap level to the trigger with bait; baiting too much can cause misses. I think sweet baits attract far less non-target animals such as opossum, skunks, and feral cats, all of which can be caught in DP traps, but sweet baits cause these catches to be few and far between. Late in the season when coon are approaching breeding season any kind of glandular smell, coon, fox, coyote, etc will bring the boars running. Locations for DP’s mirror snare locationsany trail will work. I run all my DP’s on cable stakes and have the traps baited and set, with the stabilizer stake pushed into a thick piece of Styrofoam in the back of my truck. When I arrive at a location, I grab my cable stake driver and as many DP’s as I’m using at the location, push the DP in the center of the trail, drive the stake and it’s done. That’s just about as simple as trapping gets.

THE DIRT HOLE SET

The dirt hole set is one of the most basic sets in all of trapping. The dirt hole will take any land animal and there’s dozens of variations of the set. The dirt hole set is supposed to mimic a food cache or den 32

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site for small rodents. Many predators, fox, coyote, badgers, etc., spend a large portion of their day seeking out rodents, or trying to locate food that something else has stashed. Locations for dirt holes are plentiful, but great locations include field edges and corners, along fence lines and farm roads, edges of waterways, CRP edges, and basically anywhere predators are hunting. Read the signs the predators leave, tracks and droppings, they will show you where to set. When I’m making a dirt hole I look for a short backing, a short tuft of grass, cow pie, cornstalk, etc to dig my hole in front of. The backing keeps the predator from working the hole from behind, and the backing is short to get the predator to stand closer to the hole. Once I’ve found a suitable backing I dig my hole. There are many opinions on hole size, but I use two kinds, either a 3” hole dug with a cordless drill auger, or a small mouse hole made by pounding in a rebar trap stake and reaming the hole. The hole is dug at about a 60-degree angle so the predator has to get close to the hole to look inside. Approximately 6” from the bottom lip of the hole I bed a MB550, or a Bridger #2 dog less trap. The bedding of the trap is one of the most important parts of making this set. The trap must be solidly bedded so that it will not move if any part of the trap is pushed down on. If your trap moves it will become something that canines fixate on and they will dig your trap up. I use wax paper as a pan cover on my trap to keep dirt from getting under the pan, then sift a light covering of dirt over my trap and blend the set well. I wear rubber gloves when I am handling my traps and doing my bedding and blending, then take the gloves off before handling any bait or urine. After the hole is dug and the trap is bedded and blended it’s time to bait. I take a teaspoon sized glob of predator paste bait and put it down the hole on a wad of grass or sheep’s wool. Backwater Baits makes a very good mouse based formula that predators love. I finish the set off with a shot of fox urine on the backing above the hole. The dirt hole set has been taking predators since long before I was born, and will be around long after I’m gone. There are few dry land sets with as much versatility, and as many variations as this. These are three examples of highly efficient dryland sets that you can use to take any furbearer that Iowa offers. Hopefully the above sets help you maximize the effectiveness of your trapline and keep your trucks filled with fur. To Subscribe CALL 877-424-4594

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THE ARMY has a procedure called the after action review (AAR), where it analyses what happened, why it happened and how it can be done better by the participants and those responsible for the project or event. This AAR is a tool to build a culture of accountability. The rut was on and the bucks were moving. I was in my stand and I had my decoy at 20 yards, when I first noticed a good buck moving along a tree line at 120 yards. A series of grunts turned the buck and he headed my way. I had my bow up and was ready when he postured himself in at 25 yards, readying himself for a fight with my plastic buck. The shot looked good, the blood trail looked great, but after 7 hours of tracking, the buck was never found. I replay this morning hunt often in my mind. It was a chip shot. 25-yard shots are easy and the buck was standing still when I released. He was quartered away and he was focused on the decoy; he never

knew what hit him. What went wrong? My glasses. My equipment worked perfect. My set up was perfect. My decoy placement was perfect. I forgot to push my glasses tight against my nose. I did not see correctly through my peep sight.

hard lesson from that encounter, but today my glasses are always pushed back up my nose; I am near neurotic about it. Often, when something goes right, the word “I” is used profusely; when something goes wrong, words like “we, they, and it” are used as the pronoun of ownership. We and they deflects the accountability of the action over to others rather than the actual perpetrator. No one person takes the blame, and no one person learns from the mistake. I had a 75-year-old friend who had never shot a deer; he had spent 20 years attempting, but could never get a deer shot. I took him hunting during a late muzzle load season, and had a 140 inch 8 pointer at 40 yards in front of him. He shot, but I could not find one drop of blood in the new snow. Not one drop. I tried to assess what could have gone wrong. Dear old Don admitted later that he had fiddled with his scope before the hunt and when he put the scope back on the gun, it was not set into the scope

BY BREAKING DOWN THE ENTIRE SEQUENCE OF EVENTS, WHENEVER THERE IS ANY ACTION, ALLOWS THE HUNTER TO UNDERSTAND WHICH PARTS FAILED AND WHICH PARTS HE CARRIED OUT CORRECTLY.

January 2018

Did you hear the word “I”? I did not push my glasses up my nose. It was not the deer’s fault. It was not the Matthews bow’s fault. It was not my sight’s fault. I screwed up. I lost a great buck due to my lack of paying attention to details. I learned a

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AFTER ACTION REVIEW: TAKING ACCOUNTABILITY

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www.deerstandsdirect. com rings correctly. He lost an opportunity because of his scope was shooting low. Mind boggling! But a mistake to learn from even at 75 years of age. Own your mistakes. You placed the stand on the wrong side of the tree. You forgot to cut a bothersome twig off an overhanging branch. You changed your broadhead without testing the flight. According to the Army, “An AAR occurs within a cycle of establishing the

to implement the same regiment every time there is an encounter with a wary buck; regardless if the encounter was successful or disappointing. • “Did I pre-check my bow, sights, arrows and broadheads on the arrow I was shooting?” • “Did I go through the 4 steps of pulling back the bow and settling in?” • “Was my shoulders and hips in the right position that allowed me not to

MY SHOOTING WAS ACCURATE. MY EQUIPMENT WORKED FINE. I MAPPED OUT A STRATEGY FOR BOTH ANIMALS THAT WORKED, AND YET I CAME OUT EMPTY HANDED BECAUSE I HAD NOT DISCIPLINED MYSELF TO CHECK ALL THE DETAILS. leader’s intent, planning, preparation, action and review. An AAR is distinct from a de-brief in that it begins with a clear comparison of intended vs. actual results achieved. An AAR is distinct from a postmortem in its tight focus on participant’s own action - learning from the review is taken forward by the participants.” Take responsibility, and review what went right and what went wrong on your hunt. Become self-aware so that you are able to own up to your own screw-ups. The army is emphatic about utilizing the AAR process to ensure that soldiers learn from their mistakes and to train soldiers to be near perfect in the field. Hunters need 36

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pinch the shot?” • “Was I looking at the whole animal or did I actually pick a spot?” • “Did I actually know the exact distance of the shot or did I estimate the yardage?” By breaking down the entire sequence of events, whenever there is any action, allows the hunter to understand which parts failed and which parts he carried out correctly. This review of the process should promote accurate repetition for the future. I was hunting Roosevelt elk in Oregon, when a cow elk came in quietly to eat a meal from an abandoned apple To Subscribe CALL 877-424-4594

orchard. Everything went as planned, except the string slapped my coat sleeve when I shot. The cow bolted and I was left frustrated and depressed at missing such an easy shot. Two weeks later, I was crawling up on a mature bedded mule deer in South Dakota. It was a windy, cold evening, so I haphazardly threw on a heavier coat. You guessed it. I missed the bedded buck at 25 yards; again, my sleeve threw my arrow flying over the buck. It was a long, cold walk back to the truck. My shooting was accurate. My equipment worked fine. I mapped out a strategy for both animals that worked, and yet I came out empty handed because I had not disciplined myself to check all the details. There had been no regular AARâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s to embed into my thick skull to create healthy habits of putting the whole hunt together. Much of why some hunters are successful is because they created a habit out of a procedure. They pull back the bow once in a stand to make sure all parts are working and quiet. They protect a

January 2018

noisy bow hanger with a glove. They snip any branches that possibly could interfere with any potential shot; they do this every time they step into a stand or a blind. Whereas in the Army these precise after action reviews are in place because in an actual battle, lives are put on the line. A mistake by one soldier could cost another soldier his life. In hunting, mistakes only cause frustration and disappointment. It is not life threatening, but it feels like it after sitting in a cold tree stand day after day and returning to the truck with only mud on an arrow. Over the years, I usually get only one chance at harvesting a good mature buck; rarely do I get a second chance. When the time arrives, I need to be mentally ready, physically alert, and have my equipment working perfectly in order to leave the timber smiling. Enact your own AAR. Learn to take responsibility for your own shortcomings, screw ups- then correct it, and be ready the next time a buck walks through your shooting lane. Eliminate bad habits, but embed good habits into every hunt.

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AROUND THE STATE

FALL TROUT SPAWN

IN FULL SWING

Hundreds of yellow ovals offset the brown and green coloration of each female brown trout ready to spawn at the Manchester Fish Hatchery.The splashes of color are signs that trout spawning season is in full swing. Brook trout, Iowa’s only native trout, already gave up their eggs in October. A domesticated strain of brook trout is maintained at the Manchester Fish Hatchery. Over 534,000 eggs were collected this year. Brown trout are currently being spawned. Brood trout are brought to the hatchery from French Creek in Allamakee County. They are held at the hatchery across two spawning cycles then released back in French Creek, supplementing earlier generations of brown trout. All brown trout are stocked as 2-inch fingerlings. “Anglers like these ‘wild’ stream raised fish. They are harder to catch than our put-and-take stocked fish,” explains Mike Steuck, Iowa DNR fisheries supervisor for interior streams. “Many of the public streams have lots of brown trout in them.”

Rainbow trout, the backbone of Iowa’s trout program, take up much of December and January. Roughly one million eggs will be collected this season. Once a week, crews check for ripe female brood stock. After a quick sedative bath to quiet them, each big trout is held

feather to avoid bruising the eggs. The fertilized eggs are poured into an incubator tray and slid into their place below a stream of 50 to 52 degree water until they hatch. About 30 days after fertilization, tiny sac-fry hatch. Dark clouds of tiny fish grow in raceways at the hatchery. The fish are “trained” by automatic feeders to eat. As the trout develop and grow, they are monitored and transferred to larger tanks, then raceways. The fingerlings will be kept at Manchester or transferred to Iowa’s two other stations, near Elkader and Decorah, to be raised for future stocking. In 12 to 14 months, they will be a half-pound and ready to be stocked. Nearly 50 put-and-take streams throughout nine northeast Iowa counties and almost 20 urban locations are stocked

“WE STOCK ABOUT 380,000 CATCHABLE RAINBOW AND BROOK TROUT FROM THE HATCHERIES,” SAID STEUCK. “WE ALSO STOCK APPROXIMATELY 200,000 BROWN AND RAINBOW TROUT FINGERLINGS ANNUALLY TO GROW IN THE STREAMS.”

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firmly over a plastic bowl, as one of the workers rolls a hand down her belly to force out a stream of orange-golden eggs—up to 4,000 to 6,000 per fish. Mixed in quickly is the milk-white sperm from two males. Water is added to activate the eggs and sperm allowing fertilization to occur. The ingredients are gently stirred with a turkey

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through the cold weather months. “We stock about 380,000 catchable rainbow and brook trout from the hatcheries,” said Steuck. “We also stock approximately 200,000 brown and rainbow trout fingerlings annually to grow in the streams.” There’s natural spawning, mostly brown trout and some brook trout, in more than 40 northeast Iowa streams. Most trout caught, though, are spawned under the eyes of hatchery workers at Manchester. These coldwater fish are great fighters and beautiful in their spawning colors this time of year. Find more information about Iowa trout streams and tips for trout fishing on the DNR website at www.iowadnr.gov/trout.

REMODELED DNR SHOOTING RANGE OPEN IN POLK CITY

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources is proud to announce the newly remodeled Olofson shooting range in rural Polk City is open for business. Due to a need to update the facility, the Olofson shooting range closed in midDecember 2015 to undergo a complete

January 2018

renovation including a new administration and classroom facility, new earthen berms, 30, 50 and 100 yard ranges, and a trap range. Additionally, updates are being made to the skeet range along with construction of a new 5-stand range and archery range, which will include both static and 3D archery courses. Olofson shooting range provides a safe and centrally located area for target shooters of all skill levels to practice their bow and firearms skills. The range will also play host to numerous special events like hunter education classes, skill trainings, and school archery and trap shooting matches. The Olofson shooting range is open Wednesday through Fridays from 11am 5pm and Saturdays and Sundays from 9am – 5pm. Olofson is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays. Safety is the top priority at Olfoson shooting range. Anyone visiting or utilizing the Olofson shooting range is required to abide by the strict safety guidelines set forth for the area. The DNR has Range Safety Officers on site at all times. Banner shooting range in Warren County is open similar hours but closed on Wednesdays and Thursdays and provides another option in the metro area for

recreational shooters and archers to utilize. DISCOUNTED PASSES! The holiday season is right around the corner and the Iowa DNR is offering discounted individual and family annual passes beginning Black Friday through Christmas Eve for both Olofson shooting range and Banner shooting range. DISCOUNT: Annual Family Pass: 15% SAVINGS – $260 (Originally $300) Annual Individual Pass: 20% SAVINGS -- $200 (Originally $240) *The discounted passes will be available for purchase at both locations beginning November 24 – December 24.* Gift cards also make for a great option for the shooting and archery enthusiasts in your family. Gift cards are available for purchase at any DNR shooting range.

BUTCH OLOFSON SHOOTING RANGE 11652 NW Nissen Dr., Polk City, Iowa 50226 (515) 795-4000 To learn more about the Olofson Shooting Range, visit: http://www.iowadnr.gov/olofson * Courtesy of Iowa DNR

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January 2018

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THERE’S NOTHING QUITE like getting out on the ice and finding yourself over

make decisions on where to fish based on the information the map is giving us and for that matter what the fish are doing or not doing. We move, change depths, find points and cast shallow to come deep. The key is moving…easily done with a trolling motor yes? What about when you’re standing on hardwater above that same spot? You do exactly the same thing…you move.

a stack of fish after you’ve punched a hole through the ice. When this happens your confidence level skyrockets because you’ve just picked the spot! After what seems like an eternity all of the sudden the fish aren’t biting and your electronics are completely devoid of fish. And so you wait, an hour passes and you still see nothing. Peering out of the ice shack you notice that you are all alone in your neck of the ice and there is a small ice shack town a few hundred yards from your spot. DRILL MORE HOLES One thing stands out to you though…there is a group of anglers that appear on And how do you move while you on the ice…you drill more holes. “It’s not at the move. Not settling in on any given spot for too long. all uncommon nowadays for ice anglers to So what are these guys up to and why are they moving so much? When I first started out ice fishing I asked myself the same question and more often than not, I’d sit and wait for the fish to come back to me. But, there is a true and tried method to their madness and we’re going to share that with you so you can be just as maddening in your method.

WHAT’S BELOW THE ICE

I have no doubt that most ice anglers are also open water anglers. With the advent of mapping systems and advanced electronics, we can decide where to fish and depending on the time of year when to fish. Mapping helps us see what’s below the water. Like any topographical map, it shows where the points are, river beds, drop-

offs from shallow to deep water and it will tell you what the interval is so you can tell if it’s a steep drop or gradual. All this information is at our fingertips…in a boat. Well, that has even changed for the ice angler. Most of us carry cell phones now and there are quite a few mapping apps that will give you the same information you have from your GPS unit on your boat. So fishing on the ice really is no different than fishing from your boat, well with the one obvious change, you’re

drill 20, 30, 40 or more holes per day”, said Coldwater Guide Service and Ice Team Pro Rod Woten. “While drilling more holes is definitely where it’s at unless there is a rhyme or reason to where and why you’re drilling you may only be wasting fuel.” So let’s break down some common hole patterns that will help you increase your success out on the ice.

SHOTGUN

And just like the word implies this is a random pattern of drilling holes. “This is probably the most randomlooking pattern, but it is a great way to cover huge expanses of water”, continues Woten. “As its name suggests, this pattern is scattered, but it is far from random since this pattern

SPREAD THE PATTERN OUT, MAYBE 20 TO 30 YARDS APART, AND DON’T SPEND A LOT OF TIME FISHING INACTIVE HOLES. IF THE FISH DON’T SHOW UP ON THE ELECTRONICS MOVE ON

January 2018

standing on the ice above where you’d be fishing from your boat. As we’re fishing from our boats we

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COMMON HOLE PATTERNS FOR ICE FISHING SUCCESS always targets a specific portion of a lake.” And in the same manner, you move in your boat from one location to another based on the mapping information before you, you can move around a specific point or area of a lake looking for active fish. This is a great method for midwinter crappies suspended over a basin or schools of roaming perch. “Spread the pattern out, maybe 20 to 30 yards apart, and don’t spend a lot of time fishing inactive holes. If the fish don’t show up on the electronics move on”, he added.

GRIDS

This is an organized version of the shotgun pattern. If you’ve dialed in on a school of fish or know a particular part of a lake that historically produces well, this pattern will allow you to fish a specific feature you’ve marked on your map. “When drilling a grid pattern, I will try to pre-determine the hole spacing in terms of the number of steps and then actually count those steps out when moving from one hole to the next”, advised Woten. If you’ve mapped these points from your boat during the warmer seasons, you’ll have a leg up, as well. Marking waypoints at key structures and spots that have produced for you in the past lets you drill holes on those points, as well as the surrounding area.

ZIG ZAG

Figuring out where fish are suspending along a steep break line in some cases can be difficult to determine. There have been many occasions when I’ve been out on the ice and found fish, yet they move off just as quickly as I found them. Picking up and punching another hole just 5 feet from my last location, I’m 12 feet deeper. “The zig-zag pattern is the perfect choice when searching this

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type of structure because it allows you to check both sides of the break along its entire length”, added Woten. This will allow you to fish varying depths along the break line till you find where the fish are hanging out. “You can use your GPS system along with your ATV or snowmobile to “map” the break line as your drag your shelter along the feature. When you’re finished you’ll have a highly visible line above the break where you can start drilling.” Along reefs, down a drop-off, or checking a flat, a wide zig-zag pattern of holes is smart. With this strategy, you’ll hit upon key features, like vegetation or sunken timber, which are ideal for holding fish.

FAN OUT

This type of pattern starts at a specific point that you’ve marked with your GPS. The first hole is the fulcrum point. From there you’ll fan out in varying degrees and depths. This allows you to cover each side of the feature, get to the shallow of the spine, the deeper base and some basin water that might have suspended fish. You can also create a wheel pattern by completing the fan pattern. “When sitting on top of a midlake school of crappies or perch, sooner or later they will move on”, continues Woten. “Often times they are only moving at a walking speed, however, so it is possible to get out in front of them by drilling out from the hole you were originally catching them in a circular pattern.” Woten also noted that when fishing with others, he will often have them do some radial drilling as soon as a school is contacted in any given hole. This way they have holes that are ready to be fished immediately as soon as the school begins to move on.

STRAIGHT LINE – OUT AND BACK

If you’re like me there’s nothing quite like going out on a small body of water, especially one that doesn’t see a lot of fishing pressure and hooking into some of the trophy bluegills that often call these places home. In most cases you’re not going to have a GPS map of the lake or pond, so the best way to determine depth and the rate of change of that depth is to drill holes from the shoreline out to the middle of the water your fishing. “Let your findings direct your hole spacing”, advises Woten. “If you are not seeing much change in depth in the first few holes then widen your spacing. If the depth changes drastically from hole to hole a closer spacing would be appropriate.” One little nugget of advice he offers is that if there is snow on the ice you can write the depth of the lake next to the hole. By repeating this several times you’ll get a pretty good idea of what the topography is below the ice.

DRILL…AND DRILL AGAIN

Ice augers have come a long way since the old hand crank spoon augers to today’s modern gas and electric machines. You can spend an entire day out on the ice and move just as much as you would in your boat because you can drill…and drill again. Keep your blades sharp so they can cut through the ice quickly. Keep a cover on the auger as well to prevent accidents. If you’re using a gas auger, fill the auger on the shore prior to coming out on the ice and put an absorbent cloth down in the event you spill fuel. This help keep the fuel out of the lake and from leaching down into the groundwater. So now you have a method to your madness. Tight Lines All!

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January 2018

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AS I LEFT OFF in the December article of last year, this year will be different in THE CONS that I will be attempting to answer questions from our readers. Because I write articles a month and a half ahead of the month they are published, I had wondered what I would write about this January. I wanted to write about buck dispersal because it is an important topic that so few hunters understand. Well, as luck would have it, we got a question from Wayne about setting up a cull program on your property…which it turns out is directly related to buck dispersal. So let’s go! Wayne from Davenport Iowa asks “Is it really worth setting up a cull program (shooting unwanted deer in the herd) on your property in Iowa? What would be the pro’s, con’s, how do you actually do so, time frame for results, etc?” 48

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So…I’ll try to break this question down into chunks so that I can best answer the questions within the question. I’ll start with the peripheral questions first. What would be the pros and cons…how would you actually do it, and what would be the time frame?

The theory popular on the TV shows and on hunting DVD’s is that a mature or close to mature buck offers a shot for the hunter, only by the hunter’s estimation he has something less than desirable antler attributes. We all know these deer exist, there’s no denying that. So the hunter harvests the buck and proclaims that he took a cull buck out of the herd and thus the local genetic pool is helped by his sacrifice. There’s a very real problem with this line of thinking. First, there is very little accuracy in identifying bucks that have poor racks because of genetics at younger than age 5 or maybe 6 years old. You absolutely CANNOT tell a whitetails antler genetics in the adolescent To Subscribe CALL 877-424-4594

years of 1.5 and 2.5 years of age and even at 3.5 and 4.5 you’d be surprised at what a “below average” buck can still turn into. Abnormal racks (you know the spike on one side and beautiful 5 points on the other) are very often times injury related and will go away in future years…again you don’t know. Because it is nearly impossible to determine genetics of a buck until it reaches the ripe old age of 5 or 6, they have already spent many years doing the breeding that you are attempting to prevent them from doing in the first place. The little good you might have done will be greatly overshadowed by the amount of mistakes you could make in the process of harvesting younger deer that you thought were “culls” but actually weren’t. Think I’m wrong? Think of it this way…cattle and horse breeders have to document and breed for generations in completely controlled environments to get traits that they are targeting. If that breeding is left to chance, the genetic traits they sought will revert back to generic traits of those animals in a very short time. Artificial insemination of dairy cows by prized bulls is a very controlled and scientific way of breeding for dairy production…it works but it is done in a controlled environment and matches heifers and cows to documented bulls. Let it go to chance for even a generation or two and you’ll be right back to where you started. Now think you’re going to do this in the wild?

of any offspring they produce, how would you possibly document and cull inferior does? Breeding genetics requires intense documentation and controlled environments…something no hunters have at least not on a scale ever attempted before in the wild in Iowa. And, because bucks disperse (next topic), you would need the cooperation of landowners in a nearly 10 mile radius to be like minded in what is becoming an experiment at best. There have been attempts at manipulating antlered buck potential by using harvest methods (including intense harvests of “cull” bucks) in Texas for example. Even there, with thousands of acres in extreme management efforts to cull bucks of inferior antlers and no improvement was seen in the amount of smaller antlered bucks still being produced. This is intense private land occupying thousands of acres…not even close to what normal hunters see in states across the Midwest.

BUCK DISPERSAL

So you see the cons of trying to establish a “cull” program on free ranging wild animals by everyday hunters. But let’s suppose as a hunter, you can get thousands, even tens of thousands of acres of private lands all in cooperation to cull bucks of inferior antler growth at a mature age with few mistakes…and that you can keep this practice going for decades so it doesn’t revert back in a generation … then you might start to see minimal results in 10-20 years. Well, there’s still another problem…Buck Dispersal. Bucks on your property in large part were not born there and came from miles away. Most bucks will disperse and leave the home ranges they were born into and wander aimlessly looking for a new area that they will call home for the rest of their lives. They do this when they reach their first birthday in the spring---through the fall of their first antler growing season. Studies show that this can be as high as 90% of bucks dispersing and traveling a mile or two away to as far as five or even twenty miles. Each year, from spring through fall, yearling bucks will begin this journey to find their new home that they will call home for the rest of their live. This makes the practice of “culling” for a better genetic pool impossible in free ranging whitetails…IMPOSSIBLE. The idea seems logical, but impractical once you understand the complexities of trying

IF YOU WANT MORE BUCKS TO SET UP SHOP ON YOUR FARM, MAKE IT A PRIORITY TO HARVEST DOES THAT HAVE BUCK FAWNS WITH THEM.

HOW WOULD YOU ACTUALLY DO IT?

To do this in the wild would require scientifically documenting every buck from age 1.5 on up and determining their antler potential. Then, it would require very intense harvests of the magnitude you can hardly imagine to make sure only “trophy” class bucks do the breeding. Thus, the only bucks that could be shot would be the culls (which you won’t know until 5 or 6 years old) and the “trophies” would then have to be left to do the breeding. If that 200” 4 year old walks past…let him go, he is your prized breeder! Because of the uncertainty of which bucks to cull until they reach a mature age, this type of program would have to be intensely ran for decades or even longer to even begin to see changes to the deer herd. And because the does carry half the genetic makeup January 2018

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something like this in wild animals. Buck dispersal is so common, yet arbitrary in where these bucks relocate that trying to manage genetics through what you harvest would simply not work. However…let’s take a different look at buck dispersal and how it can actually help you in a different way. We know that bucks disperse based on radio collared deer studies. But what else do these studies tell us that we can exploit. Well, the science also tells us that although bucks disperse at very high rates, orphaned bucks do not. That’s right, bucks that lose their mothers stay home also at very high rates. So, in very simple terms…bucks with mothers disperse, orphaned bucks do not! At this point I don’t really care why this happens. I’ve read many theories but as a hunter the reason why doesn’t matter all that much. This is HUGE! So… once you understand this it would seem logical to harvest does that have one or more buck fawns with them in the fall. By harvesting these does, you are greatly increasing the odds that those buck fawns will remain in the home ranges they were born into. These same studies show that bucks that don’t disperse also have higher survival rates in their first year and a half too. This makes sense because they aren’t leaving familiar territory and bumbling around making them susceptible to cars, predators, or less picky hunters. If you want more 50

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bucks to set up shop on your farm, make it a priority to harvest does that have buck fawns with them. And, by spending your efforts on creating the best habitat you can on your farm, you also increase the odds that the bumbling bucks that disperse from neighboring farms find your place appealing if they happen by!

THE ANSWER

Although an appealing concept for hunters trying to grow giant bucks with large high scoring racks, using any kind of “cull” program simply won’t work on wild deer in Iowa or any other free roaming herds. Heavily managed areas containing thousands of acres in areas like Texas have already tried with little to no success. Instead, hunters seeking to grow bucks with large antlers should focus on things we can control like making sure every buck reaches full maturity, has ample food, and has great cover. This will make sure every buck can reach its full potential. Once these bucks reach maturity, you can then have the fun of hunting all of them, both low and high scoring. If you concentrate on the things you can control, rest assured your hunting will get better and you’ll also start seeing more and bigger deer. Make sure to send any questions or ideas about what you’d like me to write about to tapeppy@gmail.com.

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R & R Sports 3250 Fields Drive Bettendorf, IA 52722 563-243-4696 www.randrsportsinc.com Fin & Feather 125 Hwy 1 W Iowa City, IA 52246 319-354-2200 www.finfeather.com Palo Outdoors 1204 1st Street Palo, IA 52324 319-851-5290 www.palo-outdoors.com Sommerfeld Outfitters 330 N Main St Lidderdale, IA 51452 712-822-5780 www.shopsommerfeld.com The Iowa Outdoors Store 1597 3rd Ave NW Fort Dodge, IA 50501 515-955-HUNT (4868) www.iowaoutdoorsstore.com

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THE WORLD UNDER the ice has always been a mystery, a guessing game you WIND might say. When the world of the fish suddenly gets covered with a sheet of glass how do they react, their world has been changed dramatically. The more we understand about what happens to the daily lives of fish, the better we can find them in the winter time and enjoy a day of catching them. A few facts to get us started on this journey of “under the ice”. Fish still react to sunlight, barometric pressure, traffic (that was once boats are now snowmobiles and augers), wind and fishing pressure. Just because their world has a large blanket on top of them, the forces of nature still affect them on a daily basis. Let’s catch up on these one at a time.

SUNLIGHT

During the winter months fish most certainly react to the sun much like they do in the summer. On sunny days if brush piles are present in the lake, those fish will be buried tight in them. They are using them just as they did in the summer, for shade to hide themselves from prey and to mask them while they feed. The sun will penetrate the ice, even when snow covers it, sending fish to structure. It is vital to find those brush piles and get right on top of them during a sunny day. A good GPS unit is like gold during those sunny days, allowing you to mark them and quickly access them. Another simple cure to this is fishing the sunrise and sunset hours of the day. Typically the first three

hours and last three hours of the day will be the best bite on any given day.

BAROMETRIC PRESSURE

We have all seen the days on the ice where the fish just won’t bite. We can see them on our electronics but they seem uninterested. This is most likely due to the rising barometric pressure. In the winter, as long as you are marking fish on your Vexilar you can make some slight changes to get a few to bite. The first thing I will go to is live bait. A waxworm, or spikes will save your day. Many anglers are turning to plastic baits in the world of ice fishing, and they are fantastic, however on those “tough bite” days, never leave home without your bait.

This is something that most anglers forget about in the winter. If it’s windy, they hunker down in a shack and try their go-to areas. Wind can and will cause currents under the ice, especially on big bodies of water. This can upset the world the fish have been feeding in. Areas of lakes can get dirty over night, this isn’t a phenomenon that magically occurred. Rather it was probably wind or runoff water entering the lake. If you see an area of the lake that is much dirtier than you are used to seeing, it is probably a good day to explore a bit. Fish rely heavily on their sight in the winter months to feed, and when their little world becomes muddy, they will be looking for other places to feed.

TRAFFIC

During the winter this comes in two different ways. First, we have the machines that zoom around the lakes looking for that next hot spot, and augers causing a commotion at the top of the water column. Both of these natural ice fishing movements can cause fish to be on high alert, especially in water under ten feet deep. I have seen this dozens of times on the ice. My group would be catching some fish in a general area, and then a few more people join. They may drive up on their machines, go punch 20 holes and in no time those marks on the Vexilar are all of a sudden not willing to bite anymore or worse have

ONE BAD THING ABOUT ICE FISHING, YOU CAN’T HIDE FROM OTHERS VERY WELL, ENJOY IT, SHARE IT, AND KEEP LOOKING FOR THAT NEXT HOTSPOT! MAKE SURE YOU ARE THE FIRST TO THAT HOTSPOT TOO.

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One or two spikes on a down-sized jig might entice some fish to bite, a half of waxworm works well too. Your rod selection on days like this can be critical as well. Some days a spring bobber is the only way you will see any indication of a bite. If you can’t see the bite, you won’t catch the fish.

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WHAT GOES ON UNDER THE ICE completely disappeared from the screen. Hmmmm, what could of happened? There was only one new variable and that was the traffic above causing a disturbance below. So I have come to the conclusion that traffic can and does tip off fish. Typically after a while the fishing resumes, but there have been times where it doesn’t. To counter this I will use the same techniques used in barometric pressure rises; downsize. Something else that seems to get fish going again is to pound the bottom with your jig. The vibration of a potential meal may just bring them back in for a look.

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FISHING PRESSURE

Fish know more than most anglers give them credit for. Fishing pressure on a certain part of a lake is a prime example. A great fishing spot/area will only last so long. As more and more people fish the area the fish will wise up to baits, noises, and relocate. There isn’t much you can do about this, except enjoy the bite while it lasts. One bad thing about ice fishing, you can’t hide from others very well, enjoy it, share it, and keep looking for that next hotspot! Make sure you are the first to that hotspot too. If you are willing to leave the crowd

to find a new spot you will enjoy a longer time on the bite than those coming to join in will. Ice fishing is a great wintertime activity, however paying attention to the small details, no matter what species you may be after, can lead you to a great day on the ice instead of shaking your head on the drive home wondering why the fish weren’t biting. These small things, which most anglers don’t think much about on a day to day basis will hopefully lead you to some conclusions this year that will make you a better ice angler.

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GUNDOG CORNER

ARTICLE SPONSORED BY

BEING A BETTER DOG OWNER By: Ryan Eder – President, Southfork Retrievers, Avery Outdoors

Have you ever heard the expression,“dogs often reflect their owners”? In many experiences, I would have to agree. We spend a great deal of time analyzing how we train our dogs and what types of drills will help us get the most out of our dogs in the field. What we haven’t done enough of is looking at what we can do to be better dog owners overall, and what kinds of benefits yield from striving to be a better as owners. Here are a few key areas in which we can be better dog owners and in turn achieve more in our training and hunting experiences.

OVERALL HEALTH

1. Veterinary care: For obvious reasons it is important to have your dog up to date on all vaccinations on an annual basis (rabies is often a 2 or 3 year vaccine for adult dogs). Additionally, make sure to provide monthly preventatives for heartworm protection as well as flea and tick prevention. 2. Nutrition: Not unlike humans diet can be the root cause of so many things (physically and emotionally). This is no different with our canine companions. Feed your dog the healthiest diet you can, and pay attention to their ration and their overall weight. During slow times of the year where exercise is less, you may (or may not depending on the dog) feed less. During the hunting season, extra calories are almost always needed. Healthy nutrition and portions have severe impact down the road on bone and joint health as well. 3. Exercise: Also not unlike people, exercise plays an important role in overall health. When it comes to our dogs, a wellexercised dog is a well behaved dog! Whether your dog is a pet or working dog (or both) they need daily opportunities to exert their energy for 20-30 minutes. Properly exercised dogs will demonstrate less angst, and pent-up behaviors. 56

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CONTINUING EDUCATION

For many of us in our day jobs we are required to attend seminars or certification events to continue learning and developing as employees. Because I moonlight as a dog trainer, it may be easy to say that I am a unique case but I would disagree. Attending training seminars and learning more about how to develop and train dogs can be eye opening; whether it is on behavior, obedience or specific disciplines such as agility, show or hunting. Even though I focus on retriever training for upland and waterfowl hunting, I have attended agility or obedience focused seminars to gain further insight into how we can achieve higher standards in our dogs’ basic training. If seminars or workshops do not interest you, look into various breed clubs or specific dog clubs in your area. You can locate such clubs online perhaps starting with the American Kennel Club (AKC). I have found that surrounding yourself with fellow dog owners that have similar goals and situations can be encouraging and motivating to continue to put time into your dog. As a result, your dog receives adequate attention and their training will excel. I cannot stress this point enough; joining clubs is a win-win situation for you and your dog. These are family friendly groups that help us meet new people and make new friends, but also give us something to do with our dogs included.

Often times our lives are spent doing things that our dogs are not included in, which leads to negative consequences. Another great option is to read books and look into DVD products that cover all aspects of dog care and dog training. I highly recommend building your personal library of training materials that you can reference any time you wish; inevitably a time will come where you want to go back to information you once knew and having it on standby will help you through any hurdle you may encounter with your dog. In today’s day and age, finding content on dog care and training is easy! Between YouTube and Amazon, you should be all set! I will conclude with advice that I still see as the best answer to the question “how can I be a better dog owner and handler”? The answer is simple; always try to put yourself in your dog’s shoes before you react. In order to train a dog, or simply understand what is happening with them, we need to see things from their perspective. All too often we observe through only our lenses, and react to our dogs as such. Things need to be black and white for a dog to truly understand; they need to associate cause and effect, action and reaction enough times to learn something and make sense of it. We need to be clear to them and most of all be fair to them within that process.

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FISHING IOWA

CATCH MORE FISH

THROUGH THE ICE By Bob Jensen

With the ice-fishing season upon us, now is good time for some reminders about improving your chances for success through the ice. Following are some of those reminders. Just as in open water fishing, probably the most important key to catching fish through the ice is that you’ve got to be fishing where the fish are: It sounds simple, but a lot of the time anglers just aren’t fishing where the fish are. With the sophistication of today’s sonar units, there’s no need to spend time where the fish aren’t. If you’re using a modern sonar, and if you have it tuned properly, you’ll see if fish are down there. The anglers who catch the most fish don’t spend more than five minutes on a hole if they don’t see fish. Early in the season when the ice is thin and there isn’t much snow on the ice you might want to sit on a hole a little longer to prevent spooking the fish, but later in the year, keep moving until you find them. Once you have fish located on your sonar, don’t drop the bait right on them. Slow the bait as it falls, and stop it a couple feet above the fish. We want the fish to come up and take the bait. If it plummets right through them, it could spook them, and even if they don’t spook, they typically won’t go down to 58

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take a bait. We want to keep the bait above the fish. The most active ones will go up to get it. If they don’t, lower it a little bit closer to them. Make them come up to get it. Eventually the action will slow on the hole you’ve been fishing. You’ll still be able to see fish down there, but they don’t want to bite. Try a different bait, or a different color, or try a different action. By doing so, you can usually get a few more to bite. When you don’t see them anymore, or when they won’t take your bait regardless of what you put down there, it’s time to move to the next hole. When it comes to sonar for ice-fishing, you can’t beat Vexilar. They’ve been making sonar for ice-fishing a long, long time and make the units that have the features you need. When panfish like bluegills and sunfish are the quarry, you will do best going small and light: Small baits and light line. One of the baits in the Northland Helium series of baits would be a good choice.

Along the light side of things, you want light line. Light line handles the tiny baits better, but it’s also less visible to the fish. At times in clear water it’s possible to look down the hole and watch fish come in and look at your bait. It’s interesting to see how closely they examine it at times. Light, invisible line will make your bait look more natural and the fish will be more likely to eat it. P-Line Floroice is a very good line choice, with 4 pound test being as heavy as you would want to go. Last thing. Perch are abundant in many areas, they’re willing biters, and they’re great on the table. The past few years we’ve been using a lot more plastic for the perch. They like it just as well as live, and you can catch a lot more fish per bait with the plastic. Use it with a small spoon or jig and just quiver the bait. Impulse MiniSmelt and Bloodworms are perch-catchers. Now we just need to make sure the ice is safe. When it is, try the ideas we’ve just talked about and you’ll catch more fish. To Subscribe CALL 877-424-4594

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NEW YEAR’S EVE…2017… we’ll be up late and watch the ball drop in New York City signifying the sunset of the year and the dawn of a new one. Like every year that has come and gone, folks from all walks of life resolve to make a better life for themselves. It could be weight loss, maybe a job change, moving to a new town or state; time to start over, or maybe a new life with someone special. Regardless of the reason, the New Year brings a spirit of hope that 2018 will be better than its predecessor. What about our sporting life? How many of you have made some resolutions that are directly linked to the passions we share outside of our everyday normal life. Hunting, fishing, hiking, camping, biking, boating on and on…all of the things that take us outside. When was the last time you took time to make resolutions about the great outdoors here in Iowa? Well, today’s your lucky day! We’re going to help by giving you a few ideas for your “Sportsman’s Resolutions for 2018”!

MAKE AN INVITATION

Over the years I’ve written countless articles. Each one filled with tips and tricks on where to go, what to look for, how to do it hoping that each new piece gives you an edge and creates success. In most cases at the end of each of the pieces, I write I will encourage you all to take a kid or someone that has never been hunting or fishing out and introduce them to the sport. So of all the resolutions, I’ll mention here this month I am going to start with this one…invite someone that has never been hunting or fishing to go out with you. Young or old, it really doesn’t matter because there is something within us all that longs to be outside. Put that rod and reel in their hands and let em catch a fish. The kid comes out all the time. And if they are a kid, trust me it’s a moment they will never forget, nor will you if it’s a son, daughter or grandchild. Sharing that special moment, the first fish is something that neither one of you will forget. For the adult January 2018

that’s never been fishing the experience is quite similar and well honestly I’ve heard a squeal or two out of full grown adults. Not sure though if it was the fish or the wiggling worm that caused it…have to ponder that one. But nevertheless, it is a moment not long forgotten. Pass it on…it will never get old I promise.

LEARN SOMETHING NEW

Who says you can’t teach an old dog new tricks? I’ve been around for oh…well never mind…a while and I’ve taken time to learn a few new things from time to time. And quite frankly it doesn’t have to be something hard. Take for instance fishing. I have all kinds of very sound advice in that regard and I’m sure you want to hear all about it. But I digress. Let’s focus on something that truly is tangible. When it comes to fishing we all have that go to bait, the one thing we have a TON of confidence in. For me, it’s the plastic worm. I love to cast that thing up around rocks, weeds, trees, grass; you name it. If I can find a place to toss it, then that is where it will go. A few years ago I decided to tie on one bait that I had little to no confidence in and learn how to use it. So for an entire summer, I tied on a variety of jigs and kept one tied on a rod each time I went out. After a lot of practice and a bit of frustration, my success rate improved. I was catching bigger fish too! Sure, the plastic worm is still on but I have a second rod with a jig with some sort of trailer rigged on a rod ready for action.

It doesn’t even have to be related to actually casting a line. How about creating new lures, or tying your own flies. Or hey even this…learn how to fly fish! Warning though, it can lead to pierced ears as well as small impalements as the fly wizzes by. For the experienced fly angler that is the teacher it can be quite humorous to watch and worth the free lessons. And make sure to take video, it’s important to review what went wrong (and great Facebook fodder)

PRACTICE

It definitely can be said that practice makes perfect. Whatever your outdoor endeavors are, practice your skills. If you enjoy pheasant hunting you all know how fast and quick those birds can shoot up off the ground and take flight. More than one tail feather has been nicked over the years. Some gun clubs have electronic clay throwers while others may rely on the old handheld version. Either way, shooting at a moving target certainly will increase your accuracy and success. The same goes for bow hunters as well as fishermen. As an avid bow hunter myself, my biggest fear has always been that I would take a bad shot and wound a deer that doesn’t result in a recovery. Though inadvertent shots cannot be completely eliminated, practice will certainly limit them. For an angler, especially those that like to pitch jigs and plastics into tight spaces, using a small cup to pitch into will improve accuracy. And while you’re out on the water, be a line watcher; practice watching that line as your lure drops. I’ve missed many a fish because I wasn’t watching what the line was doing and by the time I noticed it, it was too late. Practice, practice, practice…

LEARN HOW TO SURVIVE IN THE OUTDOORS

While this may be one of the obscure resolutions, it may mean the difference 61 TheIowaSportsman.com

NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS FOR SPORTSMAN between making it home or not. We all strive to be smart in our outdoor pursuits, but an accident is exactly what it is, an accident. No planning went into getting into trouble, but planning to get out of trouble and survive is something we should all consider. Here are some basic things to think about however this is not a comprehensive list and you should take time to learn more. Stay Found – Your goal is not to end up on the six o’clock news, but when the realization of the fact that you are lost sets in, don’t panic. Panic can actually lead you into a worse situation that you already are. Keep a topographical map with you if possible. While cell phones and the advent of modern technology help, there is no guarantee that the signal will be available to you. If you’re on a well-worn trail stay on it, find an open area and try signaling for help. Landmarks help if you can reach someone via cell phone. Fear The Weather – Always be prepared for the unexpected. Survival blankets that provide heat are actually very small and compact and help keep you warm if you find yourself in a cooling environment. Wear clothing that will keep you cool and dry as well as warm in the cold. Communicate – I say this often when it comes to ice fishing; always tell family members where you’re going and when you plan on returning. In the case of an outdoor adventure add the location of where you may be on a trail somewhere. If you’re in a group, make sure that everyone has phone numbers. Also, let folks know what you’re going to be doing; biking, hiking, canoeing, snowshoeing, horseback riding, hunting, ice fishing, whatever that activity let them know. Buddy Up – Whenever possible go as a group or at least a pair. For some, part of the enjoyment of getting out is time alone. If that’s you, then make sure the one thing you really do is communicate your plans to friends and family. Sharing the experience with your friends and family leads to memories that last a lifetime, while at the same time creating a safety net. S.T.O.P. – S – Stop, sit and stay… remember to stay found. T – Think. Take time to study your map if you have one. See if you can’t find your location using landmarks that might guide rescuers to you. Remember your direction of travel and the time of day so you can calculate when it will get dark. O – Observe and access your current situation. Are there any other issues that may lead to a worsening situation? Any possible weather coming in…heat or sun that may affect your body. Is there a good place for shelter nearby? P – Stopping to think and observe will help

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you plan your course of action. Whether or not you need to stay in place and build a shelter or try moving out to aid in your rescue. Staying calm and not feeling the pressure to rush can increase your chances of being found and surviving the night. First Aid – last but certainly not least. Take time to put together a small first aid kit that helps with cuts and scrapes. There are quite a few outdoor sporting goods stores that sell first aid kits for the outdoorsman. Take stock though and make sure it’s adequate enough to help if needed.

VOLUNTEER

Being a volunteer with any outdoor activity is very rewarding and helps pass along the knowledge we all have to future generations, and to folks that just want to learn about some of the opportunities we have across the nation. Be a mentor to a young hunter or angler. There are a ton of organizations that have mentoring programs. Remember that the future lies in the hands of those that come after us. We need to teach them how to respect and take care of the resources and preserve them for the generations that follow them.

FIND A NEW FISHING HOLE

I think that is something that every angler can truly relate to. And even better than finding a new one is keeping it a secret…for a while. And it may not be “new” in every sense of the word, but a new to you place to fish. There’s something about going out to a new body of water, taking the skills that we have and putting them all into practice. Studying the maps, checking the weather, checking your gear and deciding what baits to start with, using every bit of information to make a game plan for the following day. You roll out and hit the water. Make several casts, not much going on with that bait so the decision to change is made. Another type of bait and…nothing! Oh, now frustration begins to settle in a bit, grabbing your go-to bait and whispering to yourself a few words of encouragement or maybe not. Cast, reel, reel, and wham! Hookset and fish on…see that wasn’t so hard.

BE KIND

My final note to this list of resolutions is to be kind to one another. All too often our social media streams are full of bad news, telling us of tragedies among all peoples. Treat others as you would like to be treated, respect one another and help those that cannot help themselves. Reach out with a lending hand; for that very hand may be reaching down to help you in your time of need. It’s a New Year, a new beginning…a new dawn…Tight Lines My Friends. To Subscribe CALL 877-424-4594

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to some, but every family member may have different goals for the trip, and their version of success may not simply be the number or size of fish you catch. Every family has both diehard and fair-weather anglers, and any successful vacation plan must accommodate both. When determining the location for your trip, make sure the area has more to offer than just fishing. Doing so will mitigate boredom from a slow bite, misery from severe weather, and frayed nerves from too much “quality time”. For example, if the destination is Storm Lake for spring walleye fishing, make a point to take the kids to King’s Pointe indoor waterpark. Similarly, if you are heading to the Iowa Great Lakes, leave room in the schedule for some shopping in town and rides at Arnold’s Park.

INCLUDING YOUR KIDS IN THE PLANNING AND MAKING SURE EVERYBODY OWNS PART OF THE PROCESS CAN INCREASE YOUR ENJOYMENT AND INSURES THAT ONE PERSON ISN’T RESPONSIBLE FOR THE PLANNING AND ULTIMATE SUCCESS OF THE TRIP.

IT’S JANUARY AND deer and pheasant hunting seasons are recent memories. Ice fishing and predator hunting are in full effect, but if you’re like me, the open water fishing season can’t arrive fast enough. It’s time to start planning a spring fishing trip, and all I can think about is launching the boat, locating some fish, and watching my wife and girls hammer them! By mid-January the annual boat, sport, and travel shows are converging on the Midwest, and people are flocking to these events; Googling the newest line-up of boats and RVs and staring slack-jawed at outfitters’ photos of full stringers and trophy catches. These shows are a gold mine for intelligence and a well-spring of inspiration. If a fishing trip is on your family’s agenda this spring, I recommend hitting one of the shows in Cedar Rapids, January 2018

Des Moines, or Omaha, and stopping at as many booths as you can to see what is available. Next, narrow the destinations down to your top 5 and spend time reviewing guest feedback online. Visit fishing guides’ websites and Facebook pages and solicit information from your favorite fishing boards. Once this process is complete, identify your top 2 locations and sit down as a family to define “success”. This may seem silly

Another consideration is how far you are willing to travel to get to the honey hole. In my experience, 4-5 hours in the truck is the maximum my family is willing to travel. In addition, if we are going that far it is important to fish for species we can’t easily find locally. For example, where we live big bluegills and crappies are abundant in several area lakes and farm ponds. However, perch, northern pike, and walleyes are rare to legendary, so targeting these “unicorns” helps build excitement. One of our favorite places to fish is near Wabasha, MN, on pool 4 on the Mississippi. The beauty of the area, number of things to do, and the variety of species available to even the casual angler are second to none on this stretch of the river. For those wishing to stay in Iowa, pools 9 and 10 in Northeast Iowa also boast scenic beauty and excellent angling opportunities. We all dream of fly-in vacations to remote Canadian fishing meccas. However, most family budgets cannot support these once-in-a-lifetime destinations. When planning your spring fishing trip, it is important you don’t succumb to champagne dreams on a light beer budget. Half-day guided trips in many areas can cost $250 or more, TheIowaSportsman.com

PLANNING A SUCCESSFUL FAMILY FISHING VACATION

and for full day outings you can easily double this amount. If you plan to trailer your own boat to the water, make sure to calculate and budget not only your fuel costs, but also pre-trip vehicle, boat, and trailer maintenance expenses. The last thing you want to worry about are flat tires, check engine lights, and worn out bearings. These issues can ruin months

Including your kids in the planning and making sure everybody owns part of the process can increase your enjoyment and insures that one person isn’t responsible for the planning and ultimate success of the trip. The one wild card that we cannot control is the weather. As a result, if you can bank enough vacation time to spend

BY MID-JANUARY THE ANNUAL BOAT, SPORT, AND TRAVEL SHOWS ARE CONVERGING ON THE MIDWEST, AND PEOPLE ARE FLOCKING TO THESE EVENTS; GOOGLING THE NEWEST LINE-UP OF BOATS AND RVS AND STARING SLACK-JAWED AT OUTFITTERS’ PHOTOS OF FULL STRINGERS AND TROPHY CATCHES. of planning and preparation before you even make your first cast. Planning a spring fishing vacation builds excitement and gives everyone something to look forward to during the winter months. The research and preparation required provides a convenient distraction to the winter doldrums, snow, and frigid temperatures. A side benefit of this effort is the opportunity to thoroughly check your gear prior to the coming season, and investigate trending tactics and presentations to put more fish in the boat. 66

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at least 3 days on the water, this should help mitigate a total wash out. When my family goes to Wabasha, we count on at least one day of rain, and on these days, it is fun to hit the creamery across the river in Nelson, The Eagle Center in Wabasha, putt-putt golf in Kellogg, or one of the many local taverns for fishing intel. Wherever you decide to take your family this spring, do your homework and spend some time planning. You will be glad that you did! Good luck and tight lines!

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ASK THE SPORTSMAN

DO YOU THINK PARTY HUNTING SHOULD BE ALLOWED DURING THE WHITETAIL SHOTGUN SEASONS?

Charlie, from Madrid Thanks for the question. To start I think it is important to define what party hunting is for those that might not know. The Iowa DNR regulations state the following about Party Hunting - Resident and nonresident deer hunters with a valid deer hunting license may hunt with and assist other deer hunters only in the season specified on their license. Party Hunting is allowed in the Shotgun 1 and Shotgun 2 seasons. Hunters must have a valid tag for the county in which they are hunting. During the first and second regular gun seasons anyone present in the hunting party may tag a deer with a tag issued in that person’s name. Party Hunting is not allowed while hunting with a youth tag, regardless of the season. This tag shall be proof of possession and remain affixed to the carcass until the animal is processed for consumption. The head, and antlers if any, shall remain attached to the deer while being transported from the place where taken to the processor or commercial preservation facility or until the deer has been processed for consumption. So in a nutshell, during the 1st and 2nd shotgun season you can tag someone else’s deer in your hunting party, so long as you have the valid licenses. This differs from the other deer seasons where the deer you harvest had better have your tag on it. With that said, my take on Party Hunting is there is nothing wrong with this style of hunting. While it may not be for everyone, many hunters prefer this type of 68

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hunting because it allows for more deer to be harvested, which means for more meat to be processed and yes potentially more big bucks to place on the wall. Plus this is the style of hunting that allows for “deer camp” to take place, creating long lasting memories for all involved. The naysayers of Party Hunting tend to argue it is unfair, not real hunting, and can wipe out a deer population in an area. I don’t really buy any of those arguments as none are really factual but more so opinions. If Party Hunting was to wipe out the deer population it would of done so by now. Fairness is usually judged by jealousy, and as long as you follow the rules and are not a high fenced hunter then I think real hunting has been achieved. The reason I think Party Hunting is allowed is because it is a great way for the state to control deer population. I don’t say that in a negative way either, because if the majority of the deer were not harvested during 1st or 2nd shotgun, I am pretty sure other ways of controlling the deer herd would be introduced. Kind of a roundabout answer to your question, but I really don’t see anything wrong with Party Hunting. Even if I did, what good would it do? It is a great way for the state to control the deer herd, it offers hunters to fill their freezers for the year, and it allows for a yearly gathering of friends and families. Isn’t that what hunting is supposed to be about anyways?

I AM NEW TO ICE FISHING, GIVE ME SOME WORDS OF ADVICE ON GETTING STARTED?

Scott, from Manchester Congrats on your quest into the

ice angling world, you will not be disappointed. The best piece of advice that we can give you is to ask questions and learn from your mistakes. Ice fishing is an art and just like anything else it takes practice and knowledge to become proficient at it. You will most certainly fail many times and become extremely frustrated. However the more you can learn from your mistakes and the more knowledge that you can gather the better ice angler you will become.

WHY DOESN’T THE DNR OFFER LIFETIME LICENSES TO EVERYONE?

Glenn, from Sioux City I agree it would be great to have a lifetime hunting and fishing license for anyone who wants one, but I think it is unrealistic to expect that to happen. How do you price them, flat rate, age range base, etc.? How would it affect the cash flow of license sales? There are just too many variables involved to offer everyone a lifetime license. Even if a price was determined it would likely have a sticker shock effect, and no one would probably purchase them. Not a bad idea Glenn, but probably not going to happen due to economics and other variables involved. Probably best to just tip our caps to the hunters that can purchase a lifetime license, knowing that they have paid their dues in years past.

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IOWA SPORTSMAN COOKBOOK

FAMOUS WW:II PHEASANT SANDWICHES SERVED TO WW:II SOLDIERS AS THEY TRAVELED THROUGH ABERDEEN, SD.. INGREDIENTS • 3 cups cooked pheasant, finely chopped • 2 hard-cooked eggs, finely chopped • 2 carrots, grated • 1/2 medium onion, finely chopped

• 1/2 cup finely chopped celery • 2 teaspoons sweet pickle relish • Salt and pepper • Mayonnaise or salad dressing

DIRECTIONS Mix all ingredients together. Add mayonnaise or dressing to make right consistency. Chill. Spread on sandwich bread and serve.

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GROUND VENISON BURRITO BOWL INGREDIENTS • 1 c. white rice • Kosher salt • 1 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil • 1 lb. ground venison • 1 tbsp. chili seasoning • Freshly ground black pepper • 1 c. Shredded Monterey Jack

• 1/4 c. freshly chopped cilantro • 1 c. Pico de Gallo • 1 c. guacamole • 8 oz. shredded Cheddar • Tortilla chips, broken • 1 c. sour cream

DIRECTIONS • In a small pot, cook rice according to package instructions with 1/2 a teaspoon salt. Fluff with a fork and keep warm. • Meanwhile, in a large cast-iron skillet, add oil and cook ground venison until browned, breaking up meat with a wooden spoon. Remove excess oil with a spoon and discard. • Add chili seasoning, salt, pepper, and Mon-

terey Jack. Just before serving, fold cilantro into the rice. • Assemble, in a bowl, add a large spoonful of cilantro rice, cheesy venison, pico de gallo, guacamole, cheddar, and a handful of broken tortilla chips. • Top with sour cream and serve immediately.

PHEASANT JERKY INGREDIENTS • 1 pound pheasant breast • 2/3 cup Worcestershire Sauce • 2/3 cup Soy Sauce • 2 ounces Mesquite Liquid Smoke • 1 teaspoon garlic powder

• 1 teaspoon onion powder • 1 teaspoon McCormick “Kickin Chicken” seasoning • 2 teaspoons seasoned salt • 2 teaspoons ground peppercorns

DIRECTIONS • Cut pheasant into thin slices. • Blend all ingredients into medium bowl. • Add pheasant pieces into bowl. • Put lid on bowl and set in refrigerator for 3-6 hours. • Turn dehydrator to 150F and let warm up. • Place pieces onto paper towel-covered tray to absorb excess marinade. • Place pheasant pieces onto trays, leaving room between pieces for air. • Place lid on dehydrator. • Let dehydrate for 5 or 6 hours, rotating trays from top-bottom every hour. • Bag it, mark it with date, and eat within 2 weeks.

WE WANT YOUR RECIPES!

We want to see what our readers are cooking up, more importantly we want to taste what you are cooking. Please send us some of your most tastiest wild game recipes and we will publish them in the Iowa Cookbook Section. You can send recipes to patrick@twinriversmedia.com or mail them to The Iowa Sportsman, 1517 3rd Ave NW, Fort Dodge, IA 50501.

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GUN SHOWS KOSSUTH RIFLE & PISTOL CLUB BURT GUN SHOW January 20th & 21st 100+ Tables of Guns & more items Activity Complex 406 Bush St Burt, IA Sat 9am-5pm Sun 9am-3pm Tables available, Brandon Stebbins 515-341-1633 www.kossuthrpc.com/burtgunshow

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GUN SHOWS

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2018 Gunshows

Harlan, IA • Jan 6-7th Veterans Auditorium Odebolt, IA • Jan 20-21st Odebolt Community Center Sat 9am to 5pm • Sun 9am to 3pm For Show or booth information contact JR Gun Shows Jamie Robinson: 712-782-3195 Duane Gehling: 712-684-5893

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