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All photos courtesy Montana Angler
SKATING CADDIS FOR MONTANA TROUT By Montana Angler For a guided fly fishing trip call 406-522-9854 or www.montanaangler.com In Bozeman at: 435 E. Main Street
hen we are first learning to fly fish the concept of the W dead drift is constantly reinforced. It almost seems as if beginners are taught that trout won’t eat a fly unless it has
zero drag on it and it’s drifting along perfectly with the current. Fortunately, not all insects are just “dead drifting” along on the current and trout will actually eat flies that are deliberately dragged and twitched. It can actually provoke more action under the right circumstances.
Skating caddis patterns can make for some really exciting fishing on our Montana Rivers when the conditions are just right. By “skating” we’re referring to dragging the fly around on the surface, creating a little wake. A natural caddis would delicately skitter and bounce around on the surface while trying to break through the surface to dive down and lay eggs. Caddis typically hatch mid morning to mid afternoon, when water temps rise past a certain point. Their emergence is fairly quick, they’ll typically drift along the stream bed for a while and then will make a mad-dash for the surface and shed their pupal shuck and fly away fairly quickly. They’ll typically spend a few days around the bushes along the river and they will return to the water to lay eggs in the evenings once they’ve mated. This skating caddis technique typically works best during the last few hours of daylight during the summer months. The technique for skating caddis is typically done with a shorter line and the rod held high. The angler casts across the current and slightly downstream (in the vicinity of splashy rising trout hopefully). As the fly drags across the current the angler gently shakes the elevated rod tip, giving the fly a slightly erratic skittering motion. The takes are generally quick and aggressive while skating caddis. The fish only get a quick shot at their meal, so they often will come cartwheeling completely out of the water while chasing egg laying caddis. The trout may react better to a different swing speed as well, if there are fish actively rising around you but they’re not interested in your offering try making the fly move across the surface faster or slower. Certain flies excel at skating as they tend to stay on the surface while they’re under tension and dragging around on the surface. Flies that are heavily hackled and incorporate foam tend to work very well for skating. Elk hair wings are very buoyant and durable, which makes for a great caddis fly to skate. Another great skating pattern is the classic Goddard caddis. The spun deer hair body on the fly makes it very buoyant, even if it has caught a number of fish. It also helps to grease up your leader and fly, we want everything riding high on the surface of the water. As mentioned, this technique is typically done late in the day, when visibility may be a little low. Flies that have a bit of neon colored yarn incorporated in them can make them easier to track in the evenings. A few good looking caddis patterns for skating are below:
The Goddard Caddis
Hot Wing Elk Caddis
Grillos’ Later Skater
Puterbaugh’s Foam Caddis
At Montana Angler they love teaching their guests new techniques, their guides are great teachers and would love the opportunity to share their knowledge of skating flies for trout with you. All of the rivers they fish offer great caddis hatches, call to set up a day of fly fishing with one of their guides in Southwest Montana!
4 | Hunting & Fishing News
Tips For Patching a Raft in the Backcountry
By Zach Lazzari Mystic Outdoors www.mysticoutdoors.com ith float season approaching on many of our favorite rivers, it’s time to load the fly fishing gear in the raft. But don’t push off until you have everything you need to patch a leak in the backcountry. There is nothing worse than hearing a loud hissing sound while floating a remote river. Or simply watching a tube fall flat on your raft. Luckily, you can put together a solid repair no matter where you are located. When you do notice a problem, get to safety immediately. Pull the boat on dry land and unload your gear while locating the leak. Circle it if a pen is handy or mark the damaged area with a piece of tape or anything you can improvise on the spot. If it’s raining, try dragging the raft to a sheltered area where you can work.
W
REPAIR OPTION #1 - QUICK FIX
The quick and easy solution for small leaks is Tear-Aid. It’s a miracle tape of sorts that can also patch tents, rain gear and fix many different fabrics. The product comes in two styles specific to the raft material. Type A works on Hypalon and Type B works on vinyl and PVC materials. When using Tear-Aid to patch a leak, start by cleaning the damaged area with a wet cloth. Let it dry then rough up the area slightly with sandpaper. Clean again with an alcohol pad and wait for everything to dry before applying the patch. Make sure you press it firmly against the material and give the patch a half hour to set before inflating and testing. It’s a good idea to run the tube a little soft to reduce the amount of pressure placed on the repair.
REPAIR OPTION #2 - FULL REPAIR
You can do a full raft repair in the field on Hypalon and PVC boats. It will take about half a day in the sun to set and cure the patch. A full day is better if you can spare the time on a multi-day float. Here’s what you’ll need: Sandpaper, Hypalon or PVC material to patch, Scissors or Knife, Hypalon or PVC glue, Clifton Glue (buy the specific type for Hypalon or PVC), Clifton Glue Accelerator (optional but it helps cure quickly), Alcohol Swabs or Toluene The patching process is pretty simple but it takes some time. Cut an oval or circular patch around 2x the size of your hole or tear. Trace the patch on the raft if possible. Rough up the area to be patched with sandpaper. Also rough up the patch itself. Do not sand it down to the threads but make sure it has a nice, grippy surface. Clean the area with alcohol pads or toluene. You aren’t likely to keep a full bottle of toluene handy and alcohol pads are much easier to pack. Let the area sit in the sun to evaporate and dry completely. 10-20 minutes should be adequate. Add a drop or two of accelerator to the glue and coat both the patch and area to be patched with the glue. Wait a few minutes until the glue is tacky but not dry. Add another layer of glue and wait a few more minutes for it to get tacky. You can repeat a third time if enough glue is available. Set the patch on the boat. If you have a roller in your kit, roll it out to remove air bubbles and flatten the materials together. If not, take a small river rock and roll it over the patch in all directions to do the same. Wait for at least a half day in the sun to cure. If you can squeeze 8 or more hours of sunshine to cure, the patch will really set nicely. It might be a good opportunity to camp out for a night or head out hiking while the glue cures. Inflate, test and get back on the water...
Hunting & Fishing News | 5
Bull of the Month #15 Montana Non-Typical BOONE & CROCKETT
Score: 406 4⁄8 Location: Granite County, MT Date: 1946 Hunter: Arthur Lundgren Photo credits: Josh Kirchner
LONG RANGE ARCHERY PRACTICE, FOR BETTER CLOSE RANGE ACCURACY
View 720-0519-002
this magnificent bull and more at the Elk Country Visitor Center.
Directions: Take I-90 to Exit 101 in Missoula. Drive 1/4 mile north to 5705 Grant Creek Road. accessible with RV parking. Open year round. For information, call (406) 523-4545 or 866-266-7750 or visit www.rmef.org.
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By Josh Kirchner Originally published at
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can remember the first time I ever shot a bow. It was in Idad my backyard when I was around 12 years old and my had just borrowed a bow from a family member for an
upcoming deer hunt. We set up a target at 10 yards and he let me try out the old relic of a compound. One of the things that I remember the most was how much my fingers hurt from pulling back the string. This was before we found out about release aids, so my Dad would shoot with fingers. It felt like it took everything I had to get that bow back. When I did, though, and settled that crooked rusty pin on the target, that’s when it happened. I released the string from my sore fingers and it hit me. Not the string, but the addiction of archery. That arrow traveled so fast from my bow to the target. I was amazed and hooked. Since then, that addiction has grown and so has the distance from the target. Whether you condone shooting an animal at long distance or not, there is a satisfaction of standing at a great distance from your target, pulling through your shot and watching that arrow sail right into the spot you were aiming. That entrancing flight of the arrow. Here are some tips I’ve found through the years to get that arrow to hit right where you want it at distance.
Start small
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huntingfishingnews@yahoo.com www.huntingfishingnews.net The entire contents is © 2019, all rights reserved. May not be reproduced without prior consent. The material and information printed is from various sources from which there can be no warranty or responsibility by Big Sky Outdoor News & Adventure, Inc. Nor does this material necessarily express the views of Big Sky Outdoor News & Adventure, Inc. All photo & editorial submissions become the property of Big Sky Outdoor News & Adventure, Inc. to use or not use at their discretion. Volume 16 Issue 5 Cover Photo: ©Twildlife | dreamstime.com
You’ve got to start somewhere and bravehearting an arrow is no exception. There is a ton that you can do at that measly 10 to 20 yards in your backyard and that is where you need to start. Or, take it one step further and shoot at a piece of string hanging from a target in your garage.
6 | Hunting & Fishing News
Don’t jump from 20 yards to 80 yards right off of the bat. Move to 30 yards and get that dialed. When you feel comfortable with that, then move to 40 yards. This is something that I think is best to not rush because you are building the foundation to your shooting. The farther you step back, the more magnified any inconsistencies become. So, take them as such, little by little. There is a process to all of this and I think if you rush the process, you will fail to gain what you are looking for. Shooting a target at 30 yards is essentially the same as shooting one at 80 yards. The difference is all in your head. That is the hard part—beating those mental demons.
shooter will cause shots to hit left and the opposite is true for a lefty. Aligning your peep with your
>
sight housing and leveling your bubble are other things that will breed consistency. The more you are “in check,” the more your groups are going to shrink. I know it might sound like a lot to remember, but, with repetition, it will become muscle memory. Sound equipment
Repeatability So, remember when I said that any of your inconsistencies are going to be magnified at distance? This is where your technique and form are going to come into play. Continuously putting
Anchor points come into play here as well. Those insist that we repeat the same thing as before. It might be when an archer lets the string rest on a particular part of his or her nose at full draw. Or it’s a spot on your cheek where your knuckle rests. That cheek pressure from your string has to be consistent as well. Too much pressure for a right-handed
Simplicity and quality of a Black Gold Ascent Verdict 5 pin.
Sure, your technique and form and, of course, encouraging repeatability is incredibly important; however, your equipment needs to be up for the task as well. You could have the best car in the world, but if you don’t maintain it, it’s going to break down. The same goes for your bow and the equipment on that bow. Making sure your bow is sighted in, is obvious, but I’m mainly talking about tuning here and making sure that tuning doesn’t go off. If your equipment isn’t up to par and tuned, then you are going to have difficulty getting consistent groups out to distance and could have issues with arrow flight. Plain and simple, if the arrow isn’t coming out of your bow straight, then there are going to be complications. Now, don’t get me wrong. (continued on page 38) ©KENETREK, LLC 2019
arrows in the X is all about being able to do the same thing over and over again. So, “proper” form aside, if you can repeat what you are doing, you are going to see results. There are folks out there that technically have bad form, but they still shoot well. Even shooters that punch the trigger or people that might have an awkward stance. Why? Because they can repeat it. I’m not encouraging anyone to have bad form, but I do think that everyone needs to do what is comfortable for them. All of us are different and what might work well for one person might not for another. I think this is why having your own pre-shot routine is huge. It creates routine, which then translates into consistency.
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How to Choose a Quality Hunting Backpack An Excerpt from 8 Best Hunting Backpacks Reviewed (Backcountry, Deer, Elk Hunting & Hauling Meat) By Andrew Jackson Outdoor Empire www.outdoorempire.com I believe any hunter should have a hunting backpack, While not all hunters should wear the same packs.
Bringing a backcountry backpack is overkill for a short day hunt, while a daypack won’t allow you to haul out an elk quarter. So, it’s smart to choose the pack that will work best for your hunt.
Purpose and Carrying Capacity
The most important factor to consider is how much stuff you want to carry. In other words, what is the backpack’s purpose? If you need to carry not only hunting gear but also camping supplies, such as a tent and bedroll, then you want a larger backpack such as the ALPS OutdoorZ Commander. You may need upwards of 5,000 cubic inches to carry all your equipment. However, if you’re hunting out of a cabin or your truck, then you can get by with a much smaller daypack, and 2,000 cubic inches or less may be more than enough. A huge pack will slow you down and make your trek more awkward than it needs to be. Also, how will you carry the meat once you’ve shot your target?
Target Game
Small game, such as goat and deer, can often be dressed and carried out of the woods without needing a huge, externally framed backpack.
Photo courtesy Andrew Jackson Outdoor Empire
This holds especially true if you’re hunting with a partner and can split up the meat-hauling duties. However, if you’re hunting larger game such as elk, you’ll need a meat-hauling pack. Though some smaller bags do have meat shelves, for those big animals you will need a larger bag.
Design
Backpacks come in three styles: External frame, Internal frame, No frame External frames are the big boys and are best for carrying as much gear as possible. They are generally the most adaptable because you can take off the sack and lash the game bag directly to the frame. This makes external frames great for longer hunts. Internal frames hold the weight closer to your body than external frames and are almost always lighter. However, they are typically less suited for meat-hauling because you can’t take the pack off the frame. Backpacks without frames are the lightest duty but are also the cheapest. They’re best for day hunts and rarely have the capability for carrying lots of meat. (continued on page 29)
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Berkley Fishing Tips www.berkley-fishing.com
TOPWATER TIME alking baits, W poppers, propeller baits and Turn line tie downard to make lure dive.
Replace rear treble with heavier hook.
Remove lip and tie to minnowbaits forward hook hanger. twitched on top shine on rivers during the summer File lower lip of popper. months. Much of the habitat is shallow and snaggy, and topwaters keep you File groove in line tie fishing without of walking bait. hang-ups. Tie to rear and place treble hook on nose. Topwaters have magic appeal for river smallmouths in warm water, too. Work them, then pause and let the current carry them over another likely spot.
Image courtesy www.berkley-fishing.com
SWIMMING JIGS TO SUMMER BASS
uring summer, bass hold in woody snags at the D edge of islands and side channels of larger rivers, where they feed on shad that swim by in the current. To lure them out, cast a jig upstream and toward the bank, then work it back through the logs and trees with a swimming retrieve. Experiment with a steady retrieve much like a spinnerbait or a hopping action that sometimes triggers extra bites.
FISHING DOCKS FOR LARGEMOUTH BASS ocks and boat houses are important cover for bass, D particularly when shoreline development has depleted natural cover. High-percentage spots depend on water
depth and cover options. To tempt bites, flip or pitch jigs or softbaits like tubes, soft stickbaits, worms, or craws by pilings and into boat stalls. Rig with a pegged sinker to achieve a low trajectory under the structures. When bass hold far underneath docks and platforms, often the case on bright sunny days, skipping baits underneath with sidearm casts is most effective.
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Also, plan the route based on the animal you want to harvest. If you want the best odds, focus on the satellite bucks and find a way to reach a position with multiple shooter bucks. If you want that one big buck dominating the herd, expect a more challenging stalk to navigate past the does and satellite bucks.
3. Buck and Doe Decoys
Photo by Ryan McSparran
3 SPOT AND STALK DECOY TACTICS FOR ANTELOPE By Zach Lazzari Table Mountain Outfitters www.tablemountainoutfitters.com
yoming is antelope country and hunters can approach W their hunt in a number of different ways. Hunting from a blind over water is certainly the most effective method for archery hunters. Rifle hunters can often use folds in the landscape to get close enough for a shot. Even so, antelope have excellent eyesight. The ability to shoot comfortably out to 300 yards and beyond is a major advantage.
You can go with your gut on this one and see where the cards fall. Otherwise, doe decoys are perfect for the satellite bucks as a general rule. Photo by Ryan McSparran They will create some curiosity and are ideal for a less aggressive stalk. If you want to get the big herd buck moving, try a buck decoy to challenge and draw him out. You can also get really creative and go with a cow decoy. Montana Decoy Company makes a big red heifer cow style cow decoy. When you are hunting around cattle, these can really put the antelope at ease and the big footprint is easy to hide behind.
Antelope Hunts With Table Mountain Outfitters
If you’d like to learn more about antelope hunts in Wyoming with Table Mountain Outfitters, please give them a call at 307-632-6352 or contact them online at www.tablemountainoutfitters.com
Or you can get close. Spot and stalk antelope hunts are exhilarating and incredibly challenging. Rifle and archery hunters alike can use the same decoy tactics to close the gap. Without the use of a blind, decoys are a fun way to get within range on a spot and stalk antelope hunt.
1. Start Out Still Antelope are curious by nature. Before you jump behind the decoy and gallop into a group of bucks and does, just set up and wait. If you have a vantage for glassing with cover behind a tree or rock, set your decoy and watch the antelope to feel them out. You can sit 300 or more yards out with a decoy and a curious buck might roam into range to check things out. At the least, they will become more comfortable with the decoy presence while you plan a route into range.
2. Draw a Play in the Sand Always make a plan to approach. Expect the plan to evolve as you go. After all, the antelope are not static. They are likely to move around or change positions throughout the stalk. Your biggest obstacle to a mature buck is often the does. If they bust you, you’ll hear a snort or wheeze and the whole group will bust out of range. Draw your play to work around the does in the most efficient manner. You may account for the wind, but remember that an antelope’s first line of defense is its eyesight. Look for natural breaks and features in the landscape and use them to move through the terrain safely.
Hunting & Fishing News | 13
Spankin’ Lakers Author Trevor Johnson, photo courtesy Trevor Johnson
By Trevor Johnson Owner Kit’s Tackle and Kit’s Tackle Outfitters www.kitstackle.com
ot only is the weather usually the most stable in the N month of July, so is the fishing for monster lake trout on Montana’s massive Fort Peck Lake! I can attest that this
is some of the most fun and exhilarating angling that fresh water has to offer. Lake trout are actually part of the char family and arguably the most defiant predator that swims in fresh water. They are flat out eating machines and not afraid to devour overly large prey. Lake trout are a fish of substance, and they want a substantial meal! In other words, when fishing for lake trout, you better bring the groceries along! Studies have shown that on average, lake trout prefer a forage base that is 1/6 to 1/4 of their overall length. This means a 32” lake trout prefers a 6-8” bait! In the summer months lake trout are pelagic, meaning they fluctuate in depths following the baitfish (Cisco) from 60 to over 100 feet of water. Lake trout are long lived with an average life span of twenty years, with some specimens aging in at over sixty years old.
Lake trout inhibit the coldest, most oxygen rich water they can find in any specific lake or reservoir. This is why the big, deep main lake area near the dam of Fort Peck has the highest concentrations of lake trout. Western Montana’s Flathead Lake has always been known as Montana’s powerhouse for big lake trout. In my opinion, in the last five to ten years Fort Peck has been crowned the king for not only numbers, but trophy size lake trout. Flathead Lake has taken the back seat to Eastern Montana’s Fort Peck Lake. The lake trout on Fort Peck have a much larger average size than anywhere else in Montana ranging about 6-12 pounds. And it is very common to catch multiple fish in a day over twelve pounds and fish over twenty pounds do get caught on occasion. The cool thing about lake trout Gage Gordon with a Fort Peck monster is that they don’t grow big by being picky; meaning they can be much easier to catch than say, walleye. With multiple ways to target lake trout, I am pretty biased on doing it with a jigging rod, and July is perfect for that! Holding the rod in your hand and imparting the action on the bait that triggers a strike from one of these prehistoric monsters is absolutely exhilarating. Last year, while fishing with my buddy Wayne Wilcox, I had a fish smash my jig and almost rip the rod out of my hand! I missed the fish but could feel that it got my bait so I started reeling in as fast as I could. With my jig almost back up to the surface, I about greased in my shorts by how bad it scared me when my jig came to an abrupt stop. It felt like I had snagged bottom just feet below the boat! My drag starting singing and my line was heading back down to the bottom at mach 10! This folks is big game pure power fishing at its finest!
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It’s actually pretty easy to get started and the amount of gear you need is pretty minimal to target lakers jigging. The most important tool to catching these monsters on Fort Peck is to have decent electronics (fish finder(s)) on your boat. And I’m not saying you have to go out and buy a big screen graph with a 15” display and spend 4k. You just need the ability to be able to read and mark fish on the bottom and balls of baitfish. This time of year, lake trout are pretty foreseeable and dependable, when you see a mark(s) on your graph, you can bet on getting bit!! To make it extra fun we actually just use a fast action, medium power (6’3”-6’6”) walleye rod when jigging for lakers. You have way more feel and when you set the hook into a sixteen pound lake trout its GAME ON!! We have had the most success using our Kit’s Tackle Glass Minnows in a baitfish pattern like the Bluefin or Walleye Fry. Coupled with the glass minnow we attach a strip of cut sucker meat or a big white twister tail grub to the jig. It seems for us that the one ounce Glass Minnow jig is the all-around best size to keep bottom contact and get strikes. On average we find the fish between 60’-90’ this time of year so it’s of paramount importance to use a braided super line to feel the bites and get a solid hookset. I would recommend 8-10lb Power Pro or Berkley Fire-line. You will want to attach a 6-8’ leader of 10-12lb fluorocarbon (Seaguar is our favorite) to your braid. Lake trout can be line shy even in deep water. We just let our jigs straight to the bottom and then try and control the boat to where we can keep the jig presentation as vertical as possible while slowly covering ground. We then lift the jig about six inches to a foot off the bottom and let it fall back to the bottom. We keep a close eye on the graph and if a big mark shows up or a cloud of baitfish, get ready! Obviously, with Fort Peck being so massive, it can be really intimidating as to where to start. I have included a Google map of three key areas the lake trout like to hang out in during the summer months. This is just a starting point, but there will ALWAYS be fish in these three spots. There is pretty fast access from both the Marina and Duck Creek west of the Dam and Flat Lake to the East of the dam. Also remember, Fort Peck is not a lake to be taken for granted. It is an ocean like body of water that can turn dangerously angry in the blink of an eye, especially out on the main lake area where the lake trout roam. Just keep a lookout on the weather and be cautious and careful with smaller vessels. And remember, as with all fisheries and species, be mindful and respectful of the fishery. If you want a couple of the smaller fish for the smoker, they can be great. The bigger fish are not good eating and also old awesome beasts..so be respectful and practice selective harvest. This is “Jiggin’ the Dream” If interested in a guided trip with Kit’s Tackle Outfitters for jigging up monster lake trout on Fort Peck give us a call (Trevor 406.459.2841) or email (contact@kitstackle.com) THANKS!!
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Hunting & Fishing News | 15
Yakima’s Mag Lip series (3.0 and 3.5 sizes) is a new comer that also performs exceptionally well at faster trolling speeds. Ironically, all three of these wide wobblers were actually designed with cold water species like steelhead in mind, but these lures also have the perfect characteristics for targeting walleye when these fish are actively feeding in warm water.
Brightly colored lures like this Yakima Mag Lip in “Mad Man” contrast nicely and are very visible in stained water conditions so common during the summer months. Photo courtesy Mark Romanack Fishing 411
HIGH ACTION CRANKS FOR WALLEYE By Mark Romanack
Fishing 411
www.fishing411.net
A
bout this time of year, fishermen who enjoy using crankbaits start shifting gears. Literally, throughout the summer the most successful anglers are ramping things up a notch. Summer crankbait trolling is about speeding up, covering more water and switching to baits that excel at higher trolling speeds. For years I have taught that crankbaits are best understood when they are divided into four distinctively different categories. Those categories include stickbaits, minnow divers, shad baits and wide wobblers. When water temperatures spike during the late spring and throughout the summer, the cranks that produce the best are most often the shad baits and wide wobbler categories. Among these two categories most walleye fishermen have discovered how productive the shad baits can be. Seemingly every manufacturer of crankbaits has several lures in this category to pick from and the majority of anglers have a good selection in their tackle boxes. The wide wobbler category remains the one group of crankbaits that most walleye fishermen have not embraced. Wide wobblers look different and wiggle more than the typical walleye crankbait, but when the conditions are right these lures can literally be lights out.
WIDE WOBBLERS A few wide wobblers have carved out a niche among avid walleye anglers. The Storm 3/8 ounce Wiggle Wart is a good example of a bait that hits its stride when water temperatures are warm and trolling speeds get ramped up from 2.0 to 3.5 MPH. Another example of a productive wide wobbler is the Brad’s Wiggler which looks like and has a similar action to the Wiggle Wart.
16 | Hunting & Fishing News
The characteristics that make these lures produce so well of course centers on a wide and aggressive side-to-side wobble. Lures with this much action displace a lot of water as they move, making it easier for predatory species like walleye to zero in on them. This is important because during the summer months the best walleye fisheries are fertile environments that feature water clarity that becomes heavily stained with plankton blooms. All of these lures also feature rattles which again help walleye find these baits. The third advantage wide wobbling baits enjoy is because these lures are generally fished for steelhead and other salmonids, they are often produced with some exceptionally bright and flashy color combinations. Lots of wiggle, rattles and color options that fish can see in stained water conditions add up to some powerful fish catching characteristics. On top of these attributes, wide wobblers also do a great job of imitating gizzard shad, one of the most widespread and important species of forage fish across the walleye belt.
ADDING SCENT The final piece of the summer crankbait puzzle centers on using fishing scents to create a natural and attractive scent stream in the water. Pro Cure is a leader in the fishing scent industry and their Super Gel series are made from the actual baitfish walleye feed on including smelt, alewife, emerald shiners and yes gizzard shad. The Gizzard Shad Super Gel formula is sticky and produces a long lasting scent stream in the water.
SUMMING IT UP
High action crankbaits like these are deadly effective when trolling for walleye in warmer waters. The more stained the water becomes from plankton and algae blooms, the more productive these wide wobbling and noisy lures become. Treating baits with fish scent like Super Gel is also a good way to create a natural scent stream in the water.
Selecting wide wobbling crankbaits, boosting trolling speed, picking some bright colors and greasing down those baits with fish scent adds up to a killer summer time walleye trolling pattern. Planer boards are the final piece of the puzzle. Using in-line boards like the OR12 Side-Planer from Off Shore Tackle allow anglers to fish the maximum number of lines allowed by law, flooding the water column with baits, covering more water and dramatically increasing the odds of catching fish in the process.
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Trolling deep diving crankbaits on deep structure is a big fish tactic come mid-summer. Photo courtesy Jason Mitchell Jason Mitchell Outdoors.
Late Summer Trolling For Walleye By Jason Mitchell www.jasonmitchelloutdoors.com
ave often heard not to fish memories. When I look back H however over my own fishing career, some of my greatest fishing memories involved trolling deep diving
crankbaits over deep water. So many situations from mid-summer on where traditional live bait locations and tactics just got tougher. Situations where big fish were difficult to find until we put deep diving crank baits behind the boat and focused on deep contours or in some cases, suspended fish. Of course, deep is relative but typically, we were often trolling over twenty to forty-five feet of water. The popularity of snap weights, lead core and sometimes wire has changed the trolling game dramatically over the past twenty years. As the summer wears on however, I still find myself going back to the big billed, deep diving lures that you can flat line down to deeper depths by just using thin diameter braided line. Bigger fish especially, often prefer the larger profile and water displacement of a deep diving crankbait that has the mass and bill to dive to twenty feet or more. A lure that can touch down in thirty feet of water simply moves much more water than a much smaller lure behind lead core or snap weights. As summer progresses, we often catch many of our biggest fish trolling deep diving lures over deep water. The types of locations we target can vary amongst different fisheries but typically we find ourselves contour trolling along some type of edge. The edges of the old river channel are often the focus on the Missouri River reservoirs of Fort Peck, Sakakawea and Oahe. Deep troughs like the Paris Trench are often great deep trolling locations on natural lakes like Leech Lake. Pulling in and off the deep mud flats is a classic pattern on Mille Lacs. Shipping channel edges are a classic location on Great Lakes fisheries.
18 | Hunting & Fishing News
On many of these locations, we might be targeting locations in between twenty and forty feet but we might often be right next to deeper water. More often than not, the allure of these locations is not only proximity to deeper water but colder water as well that holds schools of pelagic baitfish that often need well oxygenated and cooler water. Interpreting your electronics is crucial but there are some myths to what to look for. The key is to find schools of baitfish on the location along with schools of larger predator fish that look like walleyes. Catching these fish however is so often related to timing. There are so many baitfish on some locations and what is surprising is that some of our best fishing often happens when we quit marking baitfish. Imagine massive schools of smelt stacking up along a deep ledge for example. Doesn’t take long for walleyes to show up. What happens so often however is that the fish eat for a very intense window and become more difficult to catch. Typically, baitfish that are getting pushed by predators will school vertically into balls. If baitfish are spread out across the bottom, there are typically no predators pushing those baitfish. Some of the best feeding windows however often happen shortly after the baitfish move or shift. There is always a lag between predator and prey as the walleyes are often one step behind. Whenever you can find fish still on a location as the prey starts to dissipate, you typically have a great opportunity, but that opportunity is good a short time and then it is gone. The spot is dead the next day. The moral of the story is don’t fret if you aren’t marking baitfish on a location as long as the baitfish were stacked in the location the day before. When you are marking baitfish and predators, don’t give up on them and understand that the feeding windows are often short and intense. These locations often ebb and flow and are often very effected by wind. A lack of wind will set up a thermocline at a certain point and walleyes will often hang just above that. Strong winds however can pull colder water up shallow on the leeward side of the lake and push warmer water deeper on the windblown side of the lake. Some baitfish like ciscoes are notorious for stacking up along the leeward side of points of islands to avoid any turbulence. Extremely strong winds can actually pull baitfish up into shallower water on the leeward side. The deep baitfish patterns often see a bulk of the baitfish suspend over open water that has the favored water temperature. As these baitfish collide with deep structure, walleyes often use these edges to pin down baitfish. Walleyes will often roam over open water as well, but these fish can be harder to find consistently on some fisheries. Over basins and bowls, focus on suspended fish but along channels and breaks, focus on the contour. When fish do suspend off old river channels for example, they are often in close proximity to the edge. In most cases, we are trolling multiple rods and often use planer boards to spread out lines and to cut a larger swath as we cover water. I have always been a fan of the Off Shore Boards as they are simple, functional, handle a pretty good payload and I prefer their clips.
The classic lures include the Reef Runner 800 Series, Rapala Tail Dancer and the Bomber Long A. All these lures catch fish but if you are looking for an absolute perfect deep diving crankbait that catches fish and runs perfectly true, the Salmo Free Diver is a lure you will simply fall in love with. I am to the point where I always start out with Free Divers in the trolling spread and almost always have at least one behind the boat. I personally had a hand in picking out many of the colors. Besides simply triggering big fish, the advantage of deep trolling is that you can move with the fish and simply cover water. You can quickly eliminate the dead water. Tuning in the key locations is the most important element of this type of fishing tactic. Once you find the location and fish, you can fine tune running depth, lure and color along with speed.
One of the most important aspects of fine tuning the trolling spread besides how to follow the contour and when and where to start and stop your trolling pass is simply figuring out how high fish will move on a crank bait. On tough days, you will have to put the lure right in front of the fish but there are also many days where it seems like you catch more fish by fishing five to ten feet above the fish and making the fish move up for the bait. I like to run the lures high whenever possible as it gives me flexibility with crashing into the contour and also keeps lures out of snags and debris that can foul the action of the lure. These types of locations typically have good water visibility so if you are in doubt, run the lures above the fish.
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Keep your trolling system consistent by calibrating your line counter reels with the same exact ten pound braid so that everything is identical. I like to keep my planer board rods high to keep the line from the rod tip to the board out of the water but angle my rod tips very low to the water on rods running behind the boat to keep my line counters more consistent with my planer board measurements. If you run your rod tips high behind the boat, you will have a ten to twenty-foot discrepancy between the boards and the rods without boards. Deep trolling crankbaits simply catches a lot of big fish come mid-summer and these patterns often last all the way into the fall. Many tournaments have been won with these tactics and are a consistent way to find and catch big fish.
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Hunting & Fishing News | 19
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Beyond The Bugle
LOCATING QUIET ELK By Zach Lazzari
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can also go silent. I hunt one area in Montana where the numbers are great but you wouldn’t know it by the sounds during rut season. It could be a response to predation or even other hunters, either way calling is not a productive tactic. The same applies pre and post rut. When calling is not an option, finding elk requires a little more leg work to get the job done.
Early and Late Elk love to bed down in thick timber during the day, especially when hunting pressure is heavy. If you’re not hunting first and last light, you are missing the best times to locate elk. That doesn’t mean hiking out at dawn either. Hiking to a scouting point in the early morning darkness is often necessary so your glass hits the hillsides at dawn. If you catch a glimpse before they bed down, making a plan to stalk is possible. If you see them at last light, at least you know where the elk are moving to feed and you can revisit that zone at first light. Glass, Glass and Glass It should go without
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saying but get comfortable and glass until it hurts. Your binos and spotting scope are your best friends when the elk are quiet. Placing binos on a tripod and carrying a small padded chair makes it more bearable when you have a big country view worth watching for a few hours. Bring along warm clothes and some snacks for the long sits.
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22 | Hunting & Fishing News
tackle a steep, heavily timbered hillside on foot. It’s always a workout and is never guaranteed to produce but scouring the timber for sign is a great way to find clues about elk behavior in the area. I’ve struck out more times than I can count but have also ran right into elk tucked away in timber. The north facing slopes are especially great until the heavy snow flies. Some of the steepest looking hillsides will have tiers of semi-level ground between the really hard inclines. If you can find the well worn game trails i n th e se areas that are used every year, you’ll have a good elk spot to hunt every year. You may also have located elk in an area overlooked by other hunters because they are silently navigating the thick timber, out of sight. To learn more about Montana elk hunts with Lazy J Bar O Outfitters, please call 406-932-5687.
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THE SWITCH TO
TRADITIONAL ARCHERY By Luke Griffiths Originally published at
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All photo credits Luke Griffiths
still remember my first bow. It was an old fiberglass Itocan Bear “Red Fox” recurve. When my grandfather gave it me he told me it was my mother’s when she was a child.
It was nothing fancy, a long, skinny piece of fiberglass with a rubber grip that doubled as an arrow shelf. I remember feeling so cool shooting beside my grandfather. I shot it once in a while and had fun, but I didn’t get serious about archery until much later. When I was in high school, my dad, who was a long time rifle hunter decided to take up archery—mostly to extend his deer season and afford himself more opportunities afield. My dad has always gone out of his way to share his passion for hunting with me so, of course, I also got a bow. I started casually hunting with a compound at the age of 14. I would practice a month or two before the season and was lucky to hunt a couple of weekends with my bow before the rifle season started.
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It took a few years, but once I killed my first deer with a bow, I was immediately hooked. The excitement of being so close and the sense of accomplishment in finally making it happen was like a drug. I began to dive deeper into the world of archery in the years that followed, spending more time (and money) on my new found passion. I hunted with my compound bow throughout my 20s with moderate success and even shot in a few tournaments during the offseason. After a while, the joy I once had in shooting faded. I still loved hunting with my bow, but the daily shooting had almost become a chore. Until I made the switch. Since watching my grandfather shoot his Bear Kodiak as a small child, I was intrigued by traditional archery and in February of 2017 I finally went out and bought a recurve. I started shooting immediately and, though the results varied, I was having fun again. I found myself coming home from work wanting to shoot. After about a month of practice, I committed to hunting with the recurve in the coming fall.
For the rest of the year, I shot at least six days a week, even if it was only a few arrows each day. I made time to shoot because I wanted to. I even mounted a light over my target so that I could shoot at night. I learned very quickly that the importance of form and consistency was amplified with the stick bow. I spent hours fletching and testing arrows, researching shooting techniques and shooting. I was obsessed (just ask my wife). I tried multiple aiming methods, including a fixed crawl and gap shooting, but I found that shooting instinctive delivered the most consistent results.
The simplicity of shooting a recurve is a big part of its appeal to me. There are no fiber-optic pins or drop away arrow rests to adjust: just a stick, a string, and an arrow. It took time, but soon I developed the ability to simply focus on where I wanted the arrow to impact and, then, let it fly. As long as I executed proper form and maintain focus, it worked. As hunting season drew nearer, I was confident in my ability to deliver a lethal arrow out to 30 yards. With nano diameter shafts and 250 grains up front, I was getting great penetration at that range. I knew that if I could get within 30 yards of a buck, I could kill it. If it were only that easy. I am fortunate to have a small piece of private property here in California to archery hunt that holds a few decent bucks each year. I started hanging trail cameras in late July and there were a few bucks hitting the cameras. I knew that killing my first buck with a recurve was going to be a matter of getting close so I decided to sit in a treestand in hope that one of the bucks would give me an opportunity. In the weeks before the opener, my target bucks were showing up on the camera less frequently, but they were still showing up. I went into my first sit on opening day with high hopes but only does came in. I had to work the next day and my brother-in-law sat in his stand (on the same trail) and killed a nice 3 point. My vacation started on Tuesday and I elected to let the area rest for a couple days and packed into the wilderness. I spent three days there and saw bucks, but was not able to get within that 30-yard limit I had set so I went back to the treestand. I pulled the card from the trail camera on my way in and checked the photos once I settled in the tree. There were still a couple bucks coming through, but it was well after dark. With the moon fading, I hoped they may show up with enough light for a shot. I sat for two more evenings, but each time I saw the same eight does. On my way home that night, I called a buddy and expressed my frustration. I was ready to give up on the treestand. He graciously offered up some information on an area that I had never hunted and I decided to check it out the following afternoon. I parked my truck around 4:30 p.m. and stepped out to the sweltering 113-degree heat. I grabbed my bow, shouldered my pack, and started hiking through thigh-high dead grass and volcanic rock. I walked slowly with the wind in my face, stopping frequently to glass ahead. I noticed a heavily used trail cutting across a distant ridge and decided to investigate. As I got closer I could see that the trail cut through the tall grass down to the dirt and was littered with big deer tracks. I checked the wind and crept slowly up the ridge; the bare earth made for much quieter travel than the dry yellow grass. Stopping to glass as I neared the top of the ridge, I noticed that the trail cut through a saddle and I decided that I would post up in the saddle for the evening in hopes of catching deer moving through.
As I neared the saddle I caught movement on the periphery. I froze and turned my head slowly and was shocked to see a buck stepping out of his bed and start feeding on a branch above his head. I dropped to my knees, nocked an arrow and attempted to crawl closer. I moved a mere two yards before deciding that the dry grass was too noisy; I could make out the top of the buck’s back and his back tines as he continued to feed with his head back. He was big and close enough. Setting my fingers under the string nock, I told myself not to look at his antlers; “Pick a spot.” I stood and drew simultaneously and focused on a spot behind the buck’s shoulder. As I pulled through the shot the buck turned towards me, but the arrow was on its way. Everything happened so quickly that I don’t remember hearing the arrow hit. After the shot broke, the buck took one step and disappeared over the ridge. I stood there dumbfounded for a few minutes trying to process what had just happened. “Did I miss?” I pulled out my rangefinder and checked the distance. The buck was at 26 yards when I shot. Still unsure, I walked up to where he was standing and found blood. I walked back to the trail and sat down. (continued page 36)
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Hunting & Fishing News | 25
Good camouflage that matches your surroundings might not be essential in every situation, but it definitely does not hurt your chances. For the most part, if you are going to buy clothing that is designed for hunting, your options are all going to come with camouflage prints. Whether you are perusing online or walking through a store, the wide variety of available patterns can be overwhelming. The intent of this article is to make the process of choosing the camo pattern that is right for you and your hunting scenario a little easier.
All photos courtesy Erik Jutila Outdoor Empire
Types of Camouflage
A GUIDE TO HUNTING CAMO PATTERNS (By Type, Location, Specie…) By Erik Jutila Outdoor Empire www.outdoorempire.com unting apparel has come a long way since blue jeans and flannel were the go-to for many. Not only have the H materials advanced significantly, so to have the options for camouflage patterns. Some people will contend that you do not need camo clothing to be successful while hunting, which is true to only a certain extent. While lots of animals have been harvested over the years by people not wearing camo, concealment is definitely on a long list of details that each make you just a little more successful. Many animals seem to key in on movement more-so than color or shape, but some animals like ducks and coyotes do a very good job of picking out unconcealed people, even if they are holding still.
Your first consideration when selecting camouflage clothing is deciding on the type of camouflage pattern that will work best for your situation. This primarily means picking between three different choices: 1. Mimicry-Based Camouflage Mimicry camo clothing borrows its strategy from a host of animals that use it as their primary defense against predators. The concept is to make yourself look like something you are not. Mossy Oak Obsession
In the terms of camo patterns, this means looking like the vegetation you are hunting in. For years Mossy Oak and Realtree brands have dominated the camouflage hunting apparel market with printed patterns that include images of tree bark, leaves, sticks, and grass. They have made clothes meant for hunting open desert, dark timber, snow-covered areas and everything in between. As the two most prominent players in the field with many patented patterns, manufacturers have paid for the rights to use these patterns on their apparel, guns, boots, vehicles, and accessories.
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While other brands have attempted to design their own mimicry camo patterns, none have been so popular as Realtree and Mossy Oak. 2. Breakup Camouflage Breakup camo is what probably pops into many people’s minds when they hear the word “camouflage.” The idea behind breakup camo is to blur your body’s outline so you blend in with your surroundings. KUIU Camouflage Hydrographic Film Instead of trying to look like what you are standing in front of, breakup camo is designed to make you disappear into it. The traditional brown, green and black military camo pattern is a basic example of breakup camo. Today, digital breakup camo patterns are common for both military and hunting applications. One major advantage of a breakup camouflage pattern over a mimicry pattern is that it makes movement harder to detect. By blurring your outline into the surroundings, there are less hard edges to be seen as you sneak through the woods. Sitka and Kuiu are two major players in the high-end hunting apparel market and both have played a role in making breakup camouflage more popular. By designing their own digital camouflage pattern, they have avoided paying to use another proprietary pattern and they have made the pattern a huge part of their brand identity. While a Mossy Oak jacket could be made by a variety of different brands, it is easy to identify someone as wearing clothes from the Sitka line. Like mimicry patterns, breakup patterns are made in a variety of color combinations, each ideal for a different setting.
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3. Three-Dimensional Camouflage While not the most practical for moving around in, 3D camouflage is probably the end-all for going unseen. You may see some mimicry or breakup patterns marketed as 3D. However, the products that actually fall into this category literally use the third-dimensional plane as part of their system. This means added texture and volume in the form of fake leaves, grass or other excess material. An example of 3D camo that many people are familiar with is the Ghillie suit. Most Ghillie suits are full body outfits covered in several inches of multi-colored grass. Because 3D camo clothing is difficult to move in and becomes caught on things easily, it is best used when the hunter will be stationary. An example of when 3D camo would be somewhat practical is stand hunting for predators. For most big game animals 3D camo is cumbersome and overkill, especially since most animals in that category are not necessarily known for having great vision in the first place.
Picking the Right Camo
After narrowing down the camouflage choices available to you, you’ll need to select the best option for the setting in which you’ll be hunting and for the species you pursue. By Setting In order to get the full benefits of camo clothing, you must pick a pattern that works well for the area you hunt in. (continued on next page) Sitka subalpine
Hunting & Fishing News | 27
A GUIDE TO HUNTING CAMO PATTERNS (continued from page 27)
A dark Mossy Oak pattern may work great in heavy timber, but if you use it in open, snowy country, the contrast could make it worse than no camo at all. In any given state, there could be three or four types of terrain that all have significantly different plant life. Each of those different settings will also change colors over the course of seasons. In a perfect world, you might have three or four different sets of camo to cover all the areas you hunt. However, anyone who has purchased a quality hunting jacket knows that one set of clothes is expensive enough, let alone several.
Consider the areas that you hunt most, and try to pick a pattern that matches the backdrop. It may be that one of the top mimicry brands makes something that is ideal for the area you hunt, which would make it a good choice. Some of the digital camo patterns are a little more versatile because they have incorporated various colors that do a good job of blending in with a variety of backdrops. Some of the modern military camo patterns were designed to help conceal personnel that spent time in several different settings but only had one pair of fatigues. Hunting camo designers have followed that model with their patterns, so you should be able to find a pattern that encompasses most of the areas you visit. Snow can be a big game changer, so a lot of people go with one lighter color set and one darker color set.
A lot of times, the type of terrain the pattern is designed for is included in the name. Sitka uses “Optifade Open Country,” “Subalpine,” and “Waterfowl Timber” or “Waterfowl Marsh.” Mossy Oak uses “Mountain Country” and “Duck Blind.” This is a tactic that other brands use to some extent, but there are a lot of names out there that are not indicative of what they are intended for (like “Elevated” or “Obsession.”). If a name from the list does not jump out at you as matching your setting, you will have to use the eye test instead. By Species In a lot of ways, it is probably easier to talk about various camo choices based on the species being targeted. You can certainly identify a few major sectors of what is available. Waterfowl is one area that has distinctly different patterns because Sitka Waterfowl most of the hunting is done around water or in flooded fields with tall grass or cattails. For the most part, the yellow hues of grass blade camo do not blend in well with big game locations. Likewise, unless you are hunting flooded timber, the patterns designed for woods hunting are pretty dark and obvious in a duck hunting setting. As mentioned in the discussion of 3D camo, a full Ghillie suit may work out well for hunting coyotes or other predators. This is especially true in situations where you do not have a good blind, or the cover is a little limited. A full 3D camo suit will allow you to become a bush just about anywhere there is vegetation. Most other camo patterns are made to be used in big-game hunting situations, or animals found in similar areas to big game (like turkeys). (continued on page 36)
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The physical features of the bag can be more important than the backpack’s carrying capacity. What good is a backpack that doesn’t fit you? Most backpacks are adjustable enough to fit most people, though some, such as the Badlands 2200, won’t fit smaller hunters. I’ve found that hunting backpack manufacturers err toward fitting larger people. The bag’s weight is also important to consider because you’ll be walking a long way with your backpack. Thankfully, properly fitted backpacks feel much lighter than they actually are. Still, unless you need the features of a heavier backpack, it’s often a good idea to shave off weight.
Weather Resistance
Hunters are often caught in the rain. You can’t just pop indoors to avoid a rain shower if you’re on a tree stand three miles from the nearest road! Unless you like having waterlogged gear, it’s a good idea to get a backpack with some measure of water resistance. Zippers are weak points, so even waterproof fabric doesn’t mean the bag itself will be waterproof. Some backpacks come with a built-in rainfly to best protect from the rain. If they don’t, well, a garbage bag is a cheap and simple way to protect your backpack from the rain.
Weapon Holders
Hiking through rugged terrain can be extra difficult and even dangerous when you’re holding a rifle. Many people, myself included, recommend keeping your bow or rifle stowed until you’re at your hunting spot. Many hunting backpacks come with holsters, scabbards, or other types of rifle holders. Some also have ways to carry bows. A few even have places to attach handgun holsters. These will allow you to carry a weapon hands-free.
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And if smaller and faster steel loads are better, some people reason, why not go even smaller and even faster? Thus “high-velocity” duck loads, commonly a 3-inch shell accelerating 1⅛ ounces of shot to a blistering 1,500+ fps, are offered by practically every major manufacturer of steel shot. Are they advantageous? Let’s compare the merits of shells packing added velocity versus those that sling more shot. Photo courtesy Kyle Wintersteen Delta Waterfowl
PATTERN DENSITY VS. HIGH VELOCITY By Kyle Wintersteen Delta Waterfowl
www.deltawaterfowl.org
Would you rather have blistering speed or pack more pellets?
hen non-toxic shot laws went into effect in 1992, W the initial steel shells were abysmal. Soon, ammunition engineers and hunters learned that an ideal lead waterfowl
payload — say 1½ ounces of No. 6 exiting the muzzle at 1,300 feet per second — produced terrible results when swapped for lighter, energy-shedding steel. A breakthrough was achieved when manufacturers began offering shotshells with larger steel pellets and smaller charges delivered at higher velocities, such as 3-inch shells packing 1¼ ounces of No. 2 steel at about 1,400 fps. Given this refinement, plus improved wads and other advancements, steel loads have become substantially better.
Does Speed Kill? The key benefit to loading your magazine with high-velocity steel is that it hits hard and tends to reduce the forward allowance otherwise known as “lead” — certainly when directed at committed ducks. For decoying birds, I’ve found ultra-fast loads often allow me to simply focus on the greenhead’s bill and pull the trigger. However, I disagree with the notion that high-velocity shells provide much of an advantage beyond 35 yards — which is where many proponents argue they shine most. It makes sense: If pellets are traveling faster at the muzzle, then why wouldn’t they carry more downrange, duck-smacking energy at 40 yards? Trouble is, this common assumption contradicts the laws of physics. As noted by Tom Roster, a shotgun author and ballistics consultant, the faster a ball (pellet) is accelerated, the faster it decelerates. This is why, Roster says, a pellet traveling 150 fps faster than another pellet of the same size and weight will have shed nearly all its ballistic advantage by the 40-yard mark.
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30 | Hunting & Fishing News
Additionally, stronger G-forces are exacted upon speedy pellets, causing high-velocity patterns to open more quickly. This wider pattern will also offer weaker pattern density, given that fast shells typically necessitate smaller payloads, lest safe chamber pressures are exceeded. Therefore, if I intended to stretch the max range of a high-velocity load, I’d carefully pattern it with the tightest steel-safe chokes at my disposal to ensure the fewest duck-sized gaps at my intended distance. I sometimes prefer speedier steel inside of 30 yards when quick, snap-style shooting might be required, such as for wood ducks zipping along canopied creeks or mallards weaving through the timber. When time is of the essence, it’s nice to take calculating the lead out of the equation. It has required years of hunting for me to reach these conclusions. I once wrote a piece extolling the virtues of small, high-velocity payloads for decoy-shy, late-season ducks.
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The irony is that today’s large, slow duck loads would’ve been considered small, high-velocity charges back in the lead-shot era. Something clearly had to change to improve the performance of steel shot, but in my experience, ammo makers have found the sweet spot: Further attempts to reduce and accelerate the shot beyond 1,500 fps have provided little payoff under most conditions. Perhaps you’re tougher than me, but I find the recoil generated by a 1,400 fps shotshell to be an adequate acknowledgment that I pulled the trigger. Also, a 3-inch shell sporting 1¼ ounces of No. 2 steel sends roughly 155 pellets downrange, while 1⅛ ounces of No. 2s offers about 140 — which will spread more widely with every yard. Given that two to three pellet strikes are required to promptly and consistently dispatch birds, slower duck loads are arguably more lethal for general hunting applications. That might not be true if you are a wingshooter who actively attempts to ascertain lead, rather than directing your shotgun instinctively. The former tends to hit more close, decoying ducks with high-velocity loads, given the few less inches of lead required by high-velocity steel. In fact, one manufacturer claims its scorching-quick 1,700 fps load reduces lead by 8 inches at 40 yards. If that helps you hit more ducks skirting the decoys, then your long-range mental calculator is more accurate than mine. Assuredly, determining that fact will leave our shoulders equally battered.
Decision Time Ultimately, the choice between high-velocity duck loads and standard offerings has some to do with your preferred hunting methods, but it’s best settled by answering the following question: What gives you confidence? If you think a smaller, faster load will help you nab more mallards than a larger, slower charge, then it probably will. Wingshooting is mental, perhaps more so than any other form of marksmanship. When you mount a shotgun thinking good thoughts, they’ll likely come to fruition.
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Bird Hunting Public Lands
Breaking The Stigma
By Edgar Castillo Project Upland www.projectupland.com Photo by schlag | depositphotos.com
With a little determination and walking, bird hunters can hunt “in private” on public lands
n many upland circles, public land hunting gets a bad rap. Ihunting There are boundless opportunities and locales for bird public land to spread their wings. Many states have
thousands upon thousands of acres of both public and public access lands waiting to be explored and hunted. It’s sad to say, at least in my experience, that public lands are frowned upon simply because they are open to the public. It takes the savvy and determined bird hunter to find some prime hunting grounds. I pretty much exclusively hunt public land, and on rare occasions, private. Given the choice, I would rather hunt public. The quality hunting I get on public land is outstanding. My experiences on these lands have not come without a little boot leather on the ground scouting and exploring the backroads and public access tracts for places that would hold birds. Too many bird hunters use hunting on public lands as a last resort. Why?
34 | Hunting & Fishing News
Is it the perceived “pressure” typically associated with public lands? Or is it the notion of accessible open lands lacking in game? Some of the best places to hunt are often passed up, overlooked or ignored. Why? Because hunting on public land is hard. This is partly due to the high “foot” traffic, lack of land access, location, hunting pressure and probably a host of other reasons. This attitude is common among most hunters whether you’re hunting upland birds, waterfowl, deer, or other species. Hunters just don’t like to hunt public lands because they assume that public access lands are going to be full of hunters and offer little to no game. And it’s not just on opening day, but a commonly held thought throughout the season. Public lands are hit hard, there is no way around that. But I’m here to tell you that through my experience of trial and error, hunting public ground can take place in private. Here are six easy and quick tips to help you hunt privately on public land.
Bigger Does not Always Mean Better in Public Land Hunting
Don’t judge an area by its size. Personally, I think areas are often (though not always) passed up because they appear to be small and/or insignificant.
I tend to bypass the larger areas because I know they’re going to be hit first and hit hard by everyone. I specifically target small “clumps” of public land during the beginning of the season, as most hunters are in medium to large groups. These groups head for the large expanses of lands, leaving the smaller tracts untouched.
Go Where No One Else Has Gone Be Smart about Stretch your legs. To find anything, hunters Public Lands must spend some time walking and scouting. The goal is to walk farther than the average bird hunter and reach those areas that have not been pressured or hunted. It’s safe to say that most hunters forego traveling more than a mile from their vehicle or road. Those remote spots deep in the grasslands, fields, and woods will increase a hunter’s chances for success. This is why hunters should physically condition themselves to walk long distances, if necessary. Once these places that hold birds are found, they become sanctuaries for the bird hunter who found them.
Pressured
Hunt pressure spots early. If you are going to hunt an area known to be hit hard, you may have to sacrifice some sleep. If time and locations are limited, you may have to get out in the field and be ready for legal shooting time.
Be flexible and alter your methods.
Areas pressured in the mornings may be huntable in the later hours. Use these pressured spots to your advantage and hunt smaller or adjacent On the flipside to bypassing large areas, areas that may hold birds that fly out sometimes the tracts are just big. This is of the pressured field. when technology and maps come into play. It has been my experience that hidden Think Outside the Box on Where hunting gems lie amidst these sizeable to Hunt Public lands tracts. Not really a problem, but more of Hunt in unusual places. This goes along an inconvenience in finding and getting with the first point of not judging an area to them. Sometimes it’s as simple as by its size, BUT it also means that hunters walking over a ridge or through a line of should look for those out-of-the-way hedgerows or tree line to discover that areas. This may cause you to drive a bit, upland oasis. but you could be rewarded with a vest Many hunters simply continue driving by full of birds. Lands that stand “alone” may because they cannot observe what lies be too out of the way for other hunters beyond whatever is blocking their view. to check out, leaving that tract to another Stop the truck and get out and walk a bit. hunter who is determined to put in the Explore. I’ve had many occasions where extra effort. I have walked a good distance in some Think outside the box and hunt WPA’s prime habitat but have seen nothing. (Waterfowl Production Areas). These offer No birds. Wasted? No, because excellent cover for pheasants. Don’t pass at the end of many of those empty up those “bare” fields with brushy cover rainbows lay a pot of upland gold. and plum thickets way off in the distance, Just when I thought the property was because I guarantee you, others have. a bust, eureka! Birds, and more birds. It makes sense that these birds probably Explore Diverse Overlapping had been pressured enough and they Public Land Habitat relocated onto the same piece of land. Look for lands with overlapping habitat. These are the areas that will be named A diverse piece of public land that and marked on my map. Yes, it may take contains brushy cover, corn, milo, draws, a lengthy walk to get there, but I know thickets and ponds may hold that no other hunters have made the trek. a smorgasbord of different birds. I now have a public place all to myself — Hunting pheasants in corn rows may flush a covey of quail or doves feeding. to hunt in private. Cut corn or milo may hold prairie chickens Watch What Other Bird Hunters as well as pheasants and quail. Walking a pond in the middle of an open prairie Do on Public Land may yield a few ducks. Wooded plots, Take advantage of other hunters’ habits streams or creeks can hold pheasant, as they enter public land. You can tell quail and snipe. the predictable parking and heavy traffic areas on public lands relatively easily by Use these tactics and tips to help give the number of vehicles in parking places. you a better chance in locating birds. Use this to your advantage. Instead of Take note that these may not work all the parking where everyone else is, look time, but it gives you CHOICES. These at your maps, GPS, and Google Earth tips have worked for me and I follow overlays to find out-of-the-way locations my own advice to typically end up with to park. This will benefit you in two ways. birds in my vest. You may not limit out, First, these isolated areas can become but you’ll get to watch your dog work, pockets of populated wildlife. explore new areas, and you may find that Birds will be pushed from the high traffic elusive honey hole. It’s up to each hunter areas to relocate in less pressured to determine who they will share these areas. Second, use the “parking lots” locations with, and maybe along the way, as a sort of blocker as you approach from new coveys, coverts and birds other entry points. will be added. Good luck!
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Hunting & Fishing News | 35
A GUIDE TO HUNTING CAMO PATTERNS (continued from page 28)
Other Considerations While Mossy Oak and Realtree
have done well to hold down a huge share of the hunting camo market for so long, many of their patterns are designed for very specific applications. This is true with many mimicry patterns. What Sitka and Kuiu have discovered with their camo options is that by having a few different patterns that are a little more versatile, their camo choices rarely prevent someone from buying their products. And, if you make top of the line apparel, the last thing you want to do is offer it only in camo patterns that are a deal-breaker for hunters. Although this article is focused on the camouflage element of concealment, remember that many animals rely heavily on scent and sound to detect predators. Some of the clothing brands make clothes that include a scent barrier or have a material finish that is much quieter than others. So, for species like deer and elk that are better at catching movement than they are spotting still objects, other attributes of the apparel should be taken into consideration as well. Conclusion Because there are countless different hunting settings, most of which change color over the course of the year, there is no single right answer for which camo to use in any specific region. Your best bet is to consider the areas you will be hunting the most and what they look like when you hunt them. Then pick a pattern that matches the colors reasonably well. Camo that is not quite right for the terrain you are hunting is still more helpful than blue jeans and flannel.
THE SWITCH TO
TRADITIONAL ARCHERY (continued from page 25)
I now knew that he was hit, but unsure of where I decided to wait at least an hour before taking up the trail. It was now 6:30 p.m. and I had a little less than two hours of light left. I called my dad and told him what happened and he encouraged me to wait as long as I could. I called my hunting buddy to thank him for the hot tip. After an hour and 45 minutes, I decided to look for my arrow and start tracking. Crawling into the manzanita brush that was behind the buck, I found my arrow stuck in the ground. The white feathers were painted red. There wasn’t much blood to speak of on the ground, but the tall grass was disturbed so I followed it on my hands and knees. Ten yards of crawling and I was on blood again. I stood up and took a few steps before seeing an antler sticking up out of the grass ahead. The buck went a mere 40 yards after the hit and died, piling up in a small drainage.
I stood in awe for a moment and lifted the rack out of the grass. I didn’t spend much time judging the size of the buck before the shot and was in shock when I realized what a great buck he really was. I snapped a quick photo and sent it to my brother-in-law, Jason, who immediately called me. “Where are you?” he said, “I’ll be there as soon as I can!” Jason left in the middle of dinner and rushed out to help take photos and pack meat. On the trip back to the truck, I reflected on all of the hard work and preparation that preceded this night and how fortunate I was to stumble onto such an awesome deer. Though this buck lived on the wrong side of Interstate 5 to be considered a “true” blacktail, he is the biggest buck I’ve killed in 20 years hunting in California. When I made the decision to switch to a traditional bow, I assumed it would be difficult. I didn’t expect to have much success in my first year hunting with a stick bow much less on a trophy deer. There were many times when I doubted my decision and a few times I was tempted to pick up the compound. In the end, I am so glad that I stuck with it. The experience I had on this hunt and the sense of accomplishment that came with it is unmatched in all my years of hunting and I know that I will be chasing that rush as often as possible in the years to come. If anyone reading this has any interest in shooting a traditional bow I would encourage you to pick one up and start shooting!
36 | Hunting & Fishing News
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(continued from page 7) I am all for setting up the equipment yourself, but if you aren’t that experienced with the stuff, you might consider bringing your bow to a professional. They can help guide you in the right direction and get your bow shooting right. The same can be said about building your own arrows. Some arrow builds are just not going to fly right and, if you aren’t educated on the matter, you will most likely have issues. I will take my bow into the pro shop before each season and have them give it a full inspection. Shooting through paper, confirming third axis, etc. We want our bows to be as tuned as possible. By doing this, we know that any inconsistencies come down to us solely—not the bow. If we do everything right, the bow should essentially shoot itself.
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38 | Hunting & Fishing News
Let it float
This is something that I have really just started to nip in the bud as far as my shooting goes. I think our natural reaction at full draw is to try and get that pin to be dead set on where you want your arrow to hit. Makes sense, right? I mean, the more steady to pin, the more accurate you should be. Yes and no. I think there is a balance here. Obviously, we need to be able to hold steady, but we don’t need to be rock solid steady. I might even go as far to say that it’s impossible for one to do so. So many things factor into our movement. Things as minuscule as our pulse will make us move. Therein lies the battle. We need to get over this slight movement and let that pin float over our mark. Just keep focused on that mark and the pin will naturally go back to it throughout your slight and natural movement at full draw. It will likely make a figure eight type of pattern over the spot you are aiming. Let it float and don’t fight it. By fighting that float of the pin, you are going to cause unnecessary movement and not the natural kind. That movement will have an influence on where your arrows are hitting. It all comes back to consistency. That float is consistent. You fighting it is not.
CLOSING REMARKS
Whether you are a hunter—or just like shooting a bow because it’s fun—I truly believe that shooting long distance will make you a better archer. Like we stated above, it brings things to light that we wouldn’t know were there in terms of our possible inconsistencies. Folks, myself included, will often disregard an inch at 20 yards. That won’t be an inch out to distance I can tell you that. If you can get dialed in at 60+ yards, imagine how well you would shoot at 30 and 40 yards. They would be chip shots. Those slight improvements that are made here and there to close that group up at long range are going to really close the group up at the shorter ranges. So much so that you might have a hefty arrow bill in your future!
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