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SUCCESSFULLY HUNTING PRESSURED TURKEY By Erik Barber Vortex Optics www.vortexoptics.com
HOW TO FOOL A TURKEY THAT’S SEEN IT ALL
Thundering gobbles echoed through the Wisconsin woods as sunlight pierced the horizon on a late-May morning. Three toms gobbled from their roosts in large white oaks on a secondary ridge across the valley from a flock of yelping hens. Being later in the season, these birds had already seen their share of hunters, and any pressure from hunters in the form of excessive calling or choosing a careless access route would have certainly shut them up. After gobbling on the limb for a few minutes, the toms eventually pitched from their roost and marched toward the harem. Unbeknownst to them, I silently awaited their arrival, tucked underneath the overhanging branches of a gnarly cedar tree. When the toms veered to intercept the hens in the neighboring field on private land, a few light purrs and scratches in the leaves were all it took to pique their curiosity. When they popped into strut at just 13 yards, a single shot from my trusty (and, very rusty) Remington 870 anchored a loudmouthed tom.
SCOUT FROM A DISTANCE
To effectively hunt pressured turkeys on public land, you need to know where they live. But unlike scouting other game animals, scouting that’s intensive and time consuming, turkey scouting allows hunters the unique opportunity to listen from afar at dawn and dusk when gobblers are most vocal. Use a mobile mapping software, like the OnX Hunt App, to pin the tom’s suspected location. Take your scouting from afar one step further by glassing nearby fields or clear cuts. Observational scouting helps you identify behavioral traits and travel patterns. Pair your knowledge with the
When hunting birds that have seen it all, you’ll have to think creatively to fill your tag. Photo courtesy Vortex Optics.
right setup, like an intruder Jake decoy to play off a tom’s aggressive tendencies, for example, and you’ll dramatically up your odds of punching your tag.
BE MOBILE
A mobile (or “run and gun,” as it’s commonly called) approach to turkey hunting helps you cover more ground and increases your chances of striking a gobbler. Walk ridge tops on a calm morning so you can project your calls across plenty of habitat that might hold turkeys.
Don’t get attached to any particular hunting spot. Instead, set up and call for a few minutes and wait for a responding gobble. If a tom fires up, stay put and work the bird into your setup. If nothing answers, keep covering ground. HUNT THE HOT BIRD, NOT ANY BIRD Turkey are notoriously finicky birds. Even when you know their exact whereabouts, sometimes they simply aren’t interested in your calls or decoy. The old saying, “Don’t leave fish to find fish,” doesn’t apply to turkey hunting. (continued on page 31)
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Suspending jerk baits like the Salmo Rattling Sting are absolutely deadly on spring smallmouth bass in shallow water. Simply snap these lures one to three times in a cadence and then momentarily stall the lure. Photo credits: Jason Mitchell
Early Season Smallmouth Bass By Jason Mitchell www.jasonmitchelloutdoors.com
mallmouth bass are one of my favorite fish to target. S Smallmouth bass are just built to provide joy and excitement. Much has been written and said about the fight
of a smallmouth. The stubborn digging below the boat and airborne acrobatics simply make these fish so much fun to target and catch. Late spring and early summer can be such a tremendous time to target smallmouth because fish are often shallow and relatively easy to catch. Smallmouth bass will typically spawn when the water temperatures reach the low sixties but fish will move shallow long before. Stable and warming water temps often create tremendous shallow water fishing opportunities. Cold fronts will often momentarily push fish off these shallow locations but only temporarily. Smallmouths typically look for rock, boulder and gravel locations in which to bed. Reefs and shorelines that offer this rock rubble bottom are prime. If I had to pick a perfect location to find shallow smallmouth in the spring, that location would be a large shallow flat or reef that protrudes from the shoreline where there are scattered rocks that range between the size of a baseball to the size of a bowling ball. Larger boulders scattered in the mix are alright and the entire reef doesn’t necessarily have to be covered with rock but you can bet that the rock areas are the sweet spots. Obviously large spots can hold more fish and attract more attention from anglers as well. Some of my favorite locations that often get overlooked or missed by other anglers are simply shallow rock spines that are slightly offshore, perhaps a hundred yards. The closer to shore these locations are, the easier these locations are for other anglers to find. Of course, you can always catch fish on the easy to find obvious locations depending on the amount of fishing pressure but missed and overlooked is often better for cooperative fish in today’s world. Polarized glasses are a must for reading water and side imaging can also help immensely. To really maximize the potential of side imaging, I often like to search through an area with my bow mount trolling motor down and lift my outboard motor so I get a better reading off both sides of the transducer. When I see patches of rock or boulders, I then move the crosshairs to mark that locations with a waypoint. You can bump fish off a location if you move too close but the fish typically return so if you have to get your
6 | Hunting & Fishing News
boat right on top of a location to really learn the spot, do what you have to do to understand what you are fishing. For simply covering water and fishing through locations relatively fast, jerk baits like the Salmo Rattling Sting are simply deadly. The lures have a long cast weight transfer system that allow for launching casts which is important early in the year when you must be able to reach spots and cover water. Snapping the rod forward will cause the lure to slash and careen in opposite directions but the pause or stop between the snapping cadence is often what triggers strikes. If I could pick just one hard lure for springtime smallmouths… my vote would be a jerk bait. One change we have seen however on some fisheries is the move deeper by bedding bass. This seems to correlate with angling pressure. On heavily fished water, we are seeing more bass bedding in much deeper water. Depending on the lake, these deeper locations are often seven to fifteen feet of water. This is where deeper diving crankbaits and even some square bills can really shine especially if the fish are scattered and there are numerous locations along a shoreline that all have potential to hold fish. Salmo Rattling Hornets in both the 5.5 and 6.5 sizes can be deadly along with Square Bills. There are times however when soft baits shine particularly with extremely clear water or post frontal conditions that cool down water temps. My favorite all-time plastic for early season smallmouth in shallow water would have to be a fluke style plastic. Flukes can be fished slowly unweighted or fished faster like a jerk bait by simply rigging on a darter head. You can also drop shot flukes particularly if you are fishing over deeper ten to fifteen-foot locations offshore. I haven’t mentioned color yet but usually early in the year; location, depth and speed are so much more important. In other words, if you find fish, you usually can catch them and often with a variety of presentations. These fish are often triggered to react out of aggression. Don’t be consumed with matching the hatch but do focus on being visible. I usually vary from the basic white to dark spectrum. Soft baits like flukes can be very effective on White and smallmouth bass in shallow water and are particularly pearl can be effective in ultra-clear water or after cold front conditions. great colors as can be black, pumpkinseed and motor oil. Crayfish patterns always seem to produce but these fish often strike out of annoyance. Simply get lures in front of fish. Spend time to really dissect locations and learn spots. Always try to learn spots and fish from a comfortable distance. If you can see fish, these are often the toughest fish to catch. Try to back off far enough where seeing the fish is difficult. If the water is ultra-clear and the fish are difficult, what I have done with great success is running my boat around the area with my big motor to churn up and stain some of the water, often just making a pass back and fourth idling upwind of the fish. This will sometimes cloud up the water just enough where the fish are not as spooked and discriminating on the presentation. Jason Mitchell Outdoors airs on Fox Sports North on Sunday mornings at 9:00 am. More information including past episodes can be found online at www.jasonmitchelloutdoors.com
4 Tips To Finding
GREAT FISHINGDURING RUNOFF
By Ryan McSparran Mystic Outdoors www.mysticoutdoors.com estern states received a heavy snowpack this year and flows will be running above average on many rivers for the next couple of months. Unfortunately, runoff is often associated with poor fishing. But a simple change of tactics will increase your chances of success. Keep your focus on safety in the boat and on foot when fishing during runoff. Big flows will move trees, create dangerous currents and demand your attention. Always play it safe and prioritize your safety above the fishing. Here are four tips to finding great fishing during runoff: WORK THE BANKS Fish tend to hug the banks when the water levels are high. Work your flies tight to the bank, and wading is rarely necessary. Simply face upstream and slowly walk along the shore, presenting against the bank. Fishing from a boat is ideal because you can cover ground and have a continual presentation against the bank. Drifting dry flies, nymphs and streamers are all effective. LOOK FOR STRUCTURE Pay special attention to any structure that breaks the current.
W
Logs and boulders will have fish stacked in the soft water.
Set up on structures and work them thoroughly. Take the time to try different flies, adjust your depth and find the right formula for success. ADD WEIGHT When the dry fly fishing is slow, focus on getting your flies down quickly in the quick current. Add plenty of weight
Photo credit: Ryan McSparran
to nymph rigs. Fish will often be holding low in the water column, and placing your bugs right in their faces is important. Try using a point fly that’s weighted or has a tungsten bead. The same tactic applies to streamers. Use extra weight if needed to break through the current and get down. Fishing with a sinking leader like the Rio VersiLeader is a great way to get your streamers down in a hurry. GO BIG Early summer is your chance to fish big bugs. Don’t be afraid to use those big salmon flies and golden stones. A large, foam-bodied dry fly is capable of carrying a heavy nymph, and these dry-dropper setups can make a great combination. RECOMMENDED FLY RODS “During the spring runoff, we like to fish our all-around trout rods like the 9’ 5-weight Reaper X, allowing us to fish both dries and nymph rigs. But on many such days, we certainly appreciate the extra performance and reach of the 10’ 3” 6-weight M-Series.” Ryan McSparran
Hunting & Fishing News | 7
PRO TIP:
Photo courtesy Vortex Optics
EARLY MORNING GLASSING
By Greg Mchale Vortex Optics www.vortexoptics.com
ften, when breaking camp in the morning, we tend to O pack up and head out. We are tempted to move on without glassing the immediate area, as one gets the feeling Lodge Like Atmosphere With Resort Amenities •Spacious & Comfortable Rooms • Free Hot Breakfast •Large Indoor Pools & Jacuzzis - All Hotels • Business Meeting Facilities •High Speed Internet Access • Exercise & Game Rooms •iPod Docking Stations In All Rooms •Refrigerators, Microwaves, Coffee Makers In Every Room • 42” or 50” Flat Screen TV In Every Room
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huntingfishingnews@yahoo.com www.huntingfishingnews.net The entire contents is © 2020, 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 17 Issue 1 Cover Photo: ©SulaeArts | depositphotos.com
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there couldn’t possibly be something in the immediate vicinity where we have spent the last eight to 12 hours. This temptation can lead to a big mistake: We all know stories of people who’ve seen game as soon as they’ve gotten out of the tent, or even before leaving the tent. Most game animals rise before dawn to move into feeding areas, which means they could walk over a ridge or into view, and they wouldn’t have been visible the previous night. They may also be unaware of your presence, and your evening cooking and relaxing will have had no effect on them. Thus it would help if you disregarded your intuition that they are “somewhere else” and make a priority of looking around while you wait for your water to boil. Morning light is fantastic for glassing, and it helps to cast shadows from feeding animals, making them more visible. The glare of the mid-day sun will not yet be washing out the landscape, and the animal’s colors will pop more readily. The golden hour at sunset is well-known as the best time to find your animals, but the morning is equally as good. On a recent sheep hunt, glassed from camp before leaving. Though we didn’t pick anything up, a few minutes after leaving, a ram came up out of his bed and over the ridge. Had we been in camp with our heads down, we would have missed him. Once leaving camp, don’t watch the ground as you move to your destination. Keep your binos at the ready and your head on a swivel, always looking around—and behind you— as your movement through the terrain reveals new lines of sight. If you are moving camp, you may be losing view of slopes and valleys for hours or even days. Your knowledge of the landscape and your continued focus on looking in all directions will serve you well...
“It’s a best-practice to go with a plan for the next day. If that plan sees you moving camp, or moving far from camp to glass, taking the time to do a quick check of the skylines and approaches to your tent site will open a bonus hunting opportunity sooner or later.” Greg Mchale
Photo courtesy Vortex Optics. WATCH A VIDEO HERE: https://youtu.be/G4FmEkemHYA
BUILD A SHOOTING BENCH 5 TIPS FOR FOR $100 By Mike Hanback BETTER MARKSMANSHIP aw this from one of S our followers, Scott, on the @ www.bigdeerblog.com
By Zach Lazzari Table Mountain Outfitters www.tablemountainoutfitters.com
bigdeertv Instagram:
I have had a lot of people ask for build plans for this bench. I posted the website. https:// sierrabulletsblog. Photo courtesy Big Deer Blog com/2017/09/08/shooting-bench-plans-and-inspiration/ The bench is made with pressure treated wood and cost me $107 dollars to make. Plans give cut measurements and detailed directions for build. Enjoy. Mike Hanback I know that many of you would like to build one of these on your land (if you have a safe spot for a rifle range) or out on your deer lease, so I researched it further. I went to the blog for the build and was impressed. First, they give you a list of tools you’ll need: circular saw, drill, bits, etc. Then, they give you a specific list of materials needed. They provide the plan (free) only, you need to go to Home Depot or Lowe’s and purchase the following: Materials needed: –All lumber needs to be as straight and smooth as possible. — Pressure treated wood is highly recommended. It will greatly increase the life of your shooting bench. (1) 6x6x8’ (6) 2x6x8’ (4) 5/4 x 6×8’ decking boards 2 pounds 3” deck screws. Torx (star) or square head are recommended. 1 Pound 2” deck screws. Torx (star) or square head are recommended. Then they give you very helpful step-by-step directions and dimensions to cut each of the boards. Finally, there’s a step by step list of 13 assembly directions (with good photos and sketches) to help you each step of the way, until the finished product! A couple additional notes: This shooting bench can be built by one person, but a second set of hands makes it easier. Scott says his bench is pretty heavy, but 2 guys can move it easily. Once you have the tools and materials laid out for the job, you can build your bench in a short afternoon. Scott says it took him about 30 minutes to cut all the wood, and then about 45 minutes to assemble it. Enjoy the project and shoot straight!
Photo courtesy Table Mountain Outfitters
oo many hunters sight in their rifles just before the season T and head straight into the field. Shooting on a regular schedule and practicing in real hunting scenarios is essential
for building a reliable skill set. Training at the range and in the field will make you a better marksman and a more successful hunter. j Get Your Setup Dialed - Shoot with the same rifle, optics and rests in practice as you will use during the hunt. Shooting on a bench with a rest is great for sighting but it does not represent the shooting scenarios you will encounter in the field. Get your rifle outfitted with a bipod or use a tripod and rear sandbag for long distance shooting. k Shoot from Different Positions - Hunting rarely puts you in an easy shooting position. Get used to shooting from the ground, setup in prone positions, use shooting sticks and rest on tree limbs. The ability to set up efficiently and find a stable shooting position in any type of terrain will quickly give you an edge in the field. Simply working through the setups to find stable positions without firing is a useful practice. Focus on finding a stable rest and settling on your target downrange. l Shoot At Angles - In many hunting scenarios, you’ll find yourself shooting at uphill or downhill angles. Practice shooting at different inclinations or declinations to prepare for hunts that take place in rugged terrain. It’s not uncommon that you must take a shot down into a drainage or slightly uphill. Take the time to work through different scenarios and practice at a variety of angles until your shot placement has confidence on the mountain. m Range vs Field - Shooting at the range is great but it’s difficult to get angled positions and mimic hunting scenarios. The range is a great asset and is convenient but head out into the field for practice whenever possible. You can combine shooting sessions with physical training by hiking to a remote area where shooting is safe and legal. The range is ideal when you are short on time but hit the mountains for shooting practice whenever possible. n Practice Often - Frequency makes all the difference when developing marksmanship skills. Set a schedule and shoot as often as possible. Ideally, you will shoot once a week throughout the summer. Consider ramping up the month or two prior to a hunt and really find your groove while building confidence. It will make all the difference when you make a difficult shot in the field. Learn About Hunts with Table Mountain Outfitters If you’d like to learn more about guided hunts with Table Mountain Outfitters, please explore their website at www.tablemountainoutfitters.com. They offer hunts for antelope, deer, elk, mountain lion and spring black bear.
Hunting & Fishing News | 9
MTNTOUGH —
FITNESS TRAINING FOR THE WESTERN HUNTER By Anthony Wright
Originally published at
www.goHUNT.com
reparing your body and mindset for your next western P hunting adventure whether it be high country mule deer, elk, bighorn sheep or mountain goat is nothing to slouch at. Getting your gear in proper order is one thing, but getting your mental and physical aspects ready for what you’re about to do is another beast all in itself. I’ve done everything from heavy weight training, running long distance, circuit training and tinkering with mixing one style with another, but there is hands down one training program that really trumps them all: MTNTOUGH. I’ve always kept myself in athletic shape and was never one to buy into programs or routines since I thought that what I was doing was fine. Until I heard about this group of people who have been training strictly for endurance mountain hunting. So, I decided to drive to Bozeman on my day off to participate in a class to see what all the fuss was about. To my surprise, I walked out a believer covered in sweat with my butt completely whooped and sore for the next few days wanting to find out more.
WHAT IS MTNTOUGH?
MTNTOUGH Fitness Lab is located in the popular outdoor city of Bozeman, Montana. There they have a newly-acquired facility where they hold seminars as well as training classes during the week for those who are local or simply passing through. But they don’t stop there! MTNTOUGH was founded by a certified National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) personal trainer and western hunter Dustin Diefenderfer.
All photo credits: Nate Hill of Niveus Productions
Diefenderfer has designed training regiments geared specifically for the backcountry hunter looking to build mental toughness and endurance. Along with Diefenderfer, the hand-picked staff behind the multiple programs they offer is comprised of a retired Army Ranger officer, a former Navy SEAL member and many other highly-qualified personal trainers. The company is dedicated to preparing you to be in peak mountain shape mentally and physically regardless of where you live. The programs that they have created have elements of endurance, strength and mobility, which are critical when pursuing game in the unforgiving terrain and weather of the West. The exercises within the programs all have to do with strengthening muscles involved in hunting movements like weighted step-ups to replicate hiking steep terrain, cardio to increase stamina, and power/strength movements to build your back and legs to prepare them for the heavy loads you will encounter when far away from the truck. Although I’ve mentioned it before, the main aspect of these workouts comes down to mental toughness, which, in their findings, was the ultimate hindrance on why people quit in the backcountry, resulting in them being unsuccessful. (continued on page 38)
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ELK COUNTRY VISITOR CENTER
Washington’s Forests, Elk Habitat Get $880k Upgrade Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation he Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation and its partners T awarded $880,232 of grant funding toward Washington wildlife habitat enhancement and scientific research. RMEF
directly granted $306,741 and leveraged an additional $573,491 in partner funding. “These funds will pay for a variety of treatments including forest thinning, meadow restoration, prescribed burning, noxious weed treatment, aspen restoration and planting nutritional forbs, all to benefit habitat for elk and many other species of wildlife,” said Blake Henning, RMEF chief conservation officer. Sixteen projects benefit 6,378 acres of elk habitat across Asotin, Chelan, Clallam, Columbia, Garfield, King, Kittitas, Okanogan, Pend Oreille, Pierce, Skamania, Thurston and Yakima Counties. There are 23 chapters and nearly 15,000 RMEF members in Washington. “We greatly appreciate the passion and diligence of our volunteers,” said Kyle Weaver, RMEF president and CEO. “It’s due to their efforts of hosting banquets and other fundraising events that these dollars are generated and put back on the ground in their home state.” Since 1985, RMEF and its partners completed 693 conservation and hunting heritage outreach projects in Washington with a combined value of more than $128.9 million. These projects protected or enhanced 493,523 acres of habitat and opened or improved public access to 129,732 acres. Below is a list of Washington’s 2020 projects, designated by county. Asotin County •Treat noxious weeds across 871 acres on the Chief Joseph and W.T. Wooten Wildlife Areas in the Blue Mountains to improve year-round elk range (also benefits Columbia and Garfield Counties). •Treat noxious weeds and apply seeding as needed across 300 acres of big game and riparian habitat in the Lower Grand Ronde River watershed, a tributary of the Snake River well-known for its hunting and fishing opportunities. The project benefits land managed by the Pomeroy and Walla Ranger Districts on the Umatilla National Forest, Bureau of Land Management, Chief Joseph Wildlife Area and private landowners. •Treat noxious weeds across 700 acres of important year-round elk habitat on private lands in the county. •Treat noxious weeds across 500 acres of winter elk range on privately-owned land adjacent to state-managed public land in the Cougar Creek area of the Lower Grande Ronde Watershed. Chelan County •Provide funding for a study to monitor elk movement and habitat use in the upper Stemilt Basin including identifying migration corridors and calving areas. The data will assist wildlife managers to make decisions that protect and improve critical habitat including land exchanges, the location and timing of forest health treatments, and seasonal trail closures. Clallam County •Thin dense forests and implement planting and seeding across 325 acres in the Hood Canal Ranger District on the Olympic National Forest. The project improves forest health, facilitates animal movement and opens the forest floor to early seral forage growth while also treating invasive weeds.
Photo courtesy Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation
Kittitas County •Thin 1,029 acres of forestland on the Oak Creek Wildlife Area to promote high quality habitat for elk and other wildlife as well as increase forest health and resiliency to natural disturbances. •Apply noxious weed treatment across 250 acres of previously thinned forestland on the L.T. Murray Wildlife Area in preparation for a second phase of prescribed burning. •Thin 200 acres of the L.T. Murray Wildlife Area where years of fire exclusion and past harvest practices altered forest structure and composition creating a high risk of uncharacteristic wildfire, insect and disease effects. Removing small diameter trees and opening up the forest canopy will also promote understory pathogens in a changing climate. Okanogan County •Plant native forbs and treat noxious weeds in an area previously seeded with a native grass mixture across 300 acres on the Chesaw Wildlife Area, an area serving as both elk spring range and calving grounds. (continued on page 35)
Hunting & Fishing News | 11
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Don’t overlook crankbait trolling patterns on natural lakes early in the season. The author Jason Mitchell with a beautiful walleye caught slow trolling a Salmo Bullhead 8SDR. Photo courtesy Jason Mitchell.
A Case for Cranks on Natural Lakes By Jason Mitchell www.jasonmitchelloutdoors.com
arly season post spawn walleye tactics often incorporate E live bait rigging and jigging. Particularly with states like Minnesota and Wisconsin that have a walleye opener, crankbaits
often get overlooked on many fisheries and they shouldn’t. Many anglers associate presentations with water temperatures. Rigs and jigs, perhaps live bait early in the season with faster and more aggressive presentations kicking in when the water temperatures warm up. There are some elements to these general assumptions that do seem to hold true. What also determines the presentations however is the location. If you are finding fish stacked up on one side of an offshore reef in twenty-five feet of water on a spot the size of half a tennis court, trolling crankbaits is going to be inefficient. Both rigging and jigging are excellent presentations for pinpoint location. Here are a few scenarios however where I absolutely clean up trolling with crankbaits on natural lakes early in the season. Large expansive sand and gravel flats that come off shorelines often hold a lot of fish. When these locations are big, say a football field or bigger, crankbaits allow you to find fish faster. We also find that these fish are often moving or scattered so crankbaits really shine because you can breakdown water. Now you can also snap jig these locations as well at a faster speed to find and catch fish. What I like about crankbaits however is I can control the running depth much better if there are emerging weeds starting to appear. If weeds are starting to grow in clumps that range between one to two feet off the bottom, I can run my cranks precisely at three feet off the bottom and feel I can cover distances more efficiently.
My absolute favorite situation for trolling crankbaits early in the season is what I call a “hot wind.” The first warm days of late spring when the temperatures are bumping up and the wind starts to blow hard and feel warm. The surface water temps might jump four or more degrees in an afternoon and this warmer water is quickly getting mixed deeper into the water column. In these conditions, fish really seem to respond well to the vibration and speed of crankbaits. (continued on page 18)
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Hunting & Fishing News | 13
Fishing tips brought to you by
For the gear you need. In Missoula, Bozeman, Helena, Butte and Hamilton or 24/7 at www.bobwards.com
Talk about ole school, this Spring Frog FlatFish is not only an ole school bait it’s an ole school color choice as well. Mark, pictured here with a dandy walleye. Photo courtesy Mark Romanack
Walleye Tricks For Ole School Wobblers
In this case a little goes long ways. Breaking a nightcrawler into three pieces is about the perfect “tipping” size for the wobbling crankbaits outlined... USING WOBBLERS AS DIVERS Another old school tactic for targeting walleye is to remove the hooks from a wobbling plug and use the plug as a diving device to get a crawler harness or trolling spoon to depth. High action wobblers work well for this chore because they have a steep “Dive Curve” and they are more than capable of towing other lures. The most common set ups involves adding a 36 to 40 inch long nightcrawler harness to the back of a wobbling plug. A similar rig can be fashioned by using a 50 to 60 inch leader off the back of the plug with a small trolling spoon at the business end. Some anglers might argue that there is no need to remove the treble hooks from the plug. My experience suggests that leaving the hooks on the plug leads to massive tangles in the landing net. Most of the fish are going to be caught on the trailing lure anyway, so removing the treble hooks from the plug helps to keep tangles to a minimum. TWO LURE RIGS For those anglers who insist on keeping the hooks on the plug, I’d suggest running a three-way swivel set up with the main line coming to one end of the swivel, a 36 to 40 inch leader trailing back to a spoon or spinner rig on the top swivel and a 12 to 24 inch dropper leader to the plug on the bottom swivel.
By Mark Romanack Fishing 411 www.fishing411.net
ack when I started fishing professionally over 30 years ago, B walleye fishing was a little different. Yes, there were walleye way back then and no they did not swim with
dinosaurs! One of the presentations that routinely produced fish in those days was a technique known as “tipping” a wobbling plug. Tipping is the process of adding one or two inches of nightcrawler to either the belly or tail treble hook on a wobbling plug. Tipping presents a scent stream in the water and a little different action or look to the bait. Back in the day, tipping was hugely popular and yet today I can’t remember the last time I witnessed anyone else doing it. Strange how times and fishing tactics change over time. CANDIDATES FOR TIPPING Not all crankbaits are ideally suited to tipping. In part this is because hanging anything off the treble hook of a crankbait can seriously deaden the action. This is particularly true when dealing with lures like stickbaits that have a modest amount of action in the first place. The best plugs for tipping tend to be high action wobblers like the iconic Yakima FlatFish, Heddon Tadpoly, Storm Hot n Tot and Wiggle Wart. All of these wobblers feature a pronounced side-to-side wobble that can handle a little “tipping” without seriously damaging the lure’s natural action. Other more modern wobblers that cry out for tipping include the Yakima Mag Lip, Luhr Jensen KwikFish and Brad’s Wiggler. EASY DOES IT The way fishermen think scares me sometimes. If tipping a crankbait with an inch of fresh nightcrawler works well, there are anglers out there who would say, “hell yes, let’s use the whole crawler”! The idea of tipping is to add an enticing scent stream in the water, without destroying the lure action in the process.
14 | Hunting & Fishing News
Back in the day, wobbling plugs like this ionic U-20 FlatFish were commonly used by tipping the treble hook with a small piece of nightcrawler to establish a scent stream in the water.
Two lure rigs are not legal in all states, so it pays to check with local regulations before putting this ole school rig into play. BOTTOM BOUNCERS AND WOBBLERS It was also popular in the day to combine using a bottom bouncer sinker with certain wobbling plugs. The goal here of course was to fish deeper than the lure was capable of naturally diving. The Yakima Bait FlatFish was perhaps the most common choice because the FlatFish comes in so many sizes and color options. The other advantage of the FlatFish is this plug doesn’t dive very deep preventing it from dredging bottom and staging when fished with a bottom bouncer sinker or a three-way swivel rig. The F-7 FlatFish would be an ideal size for fishing in combination with a bottom bouncer sinker. WRAPPING IT UP Fishing tactics are constantly evolving, but that doesn’t mean that methods used decades ago will no longer work. On the contrary, some ole school walleye fishing methods are just as deadly today as they were back in the day. Throw back Thursday would be a good time to try out some of these oldies, but goodies.
9 PRO TIPS & TRICKS TO MASTER
Fishing in the Rain By Ben Team Outdoor Empire www.outdoorempire.com
nglers enjoy a pretty neat luxury, which few other outdoor A enthusiasts can: Rainy weather won’t necessarily ruin your day. In fact, rain can often improve your chances of
catching fish, in a number of different ways. The next time you notice dark clouds rolling in, grab your fishing gear and head out to your favorite fishing spot ( and take your kids with you ). If you employ the nine tips and tricks explained below, you’ll likely have a great day on the water and become an instant advocate for fishing in the rain. 1. Invest in high-quality raingear. Keep yourself dry and warm, and you’ll enjoy a much better time on the water (and because state-of-mind is an important factor in angling success, it’ll also help you catch more fish). This essentially means investing in some good raingear that’ll protect you from the water in even the heaviest of rains. Skip the dollar-store ponchos and “emergency” rain suits. They may be better than nothing, but they’ll leave you soaked once you start moving around and focusing on the fish. Instead, outfit yourself with a button-up or slip on rain jacket and a matching set of rain pants. You’ll also want a good pair of waterproof boots or boot covers to keep your feet dry.
Photos courtesy Ben Team, Outdoor Empire
2. Look for the clearest water available. As rainwater flows across the land, it picks up sediment and dumps it into the lake you’re fishing. This can quickly turn a normally clear lake into one that looks like it’s been filled with chocolate milk. This will make fishing exceptionally tough, so you’ll want to look for the clearest water available. If the lake you’re fishing is large, and it hasn’t been raining for very long, you should be able to find clear water by moving away from the primary feeder streams. On the other hand, you’ll want to seek out sheltered coves or similar, protected locations if it has been raining for an extended period of time. 3. Be sure to try your topwater lures. Many anglers love to fish with topwater lures — they are, after all, a blast to use. But the problem is they don’t work in all situations. (continued on page 17)
Hunting & Fishing News | 15
Photo credit: Ryan McSparran
Fast Versus Slow:
Understanding Fly Rod Actions
By Zach Lazzari Mystic Outdoors www.mysticoutdoors.com
ly rod actions are often misunderstood and understated F when rods are sold through retail outlets. Obviously, a few great fly shops exist and they will take the time to walk an angler through the actions and options but many will simply suggest a medium-fast rod as a safe bet and drive the purchase. In many cases, the medium-fast action rod is the best bet. But it’s worth understanding other actions and options, in case there is another perfect fit for your fly fishing purposes. SLOW FLEX Slow action rods appeal to a very specific crowd. I would categorize fiberglass rods into the slow flex class as well.
A slow action has little to no spine and it loads through the entire rod. You aren’t double hauling and slinging 80-ft casts here. It’s a more elongated motion with a longer pause on each end to load the rod and lay out a cast. Slow actions are deliberate and are most often used for dry fly fishing to trout. They can crossover to plenty of other species, but the flex is almost custom made for small dry flies and delicate casts over selective trout. That’s not to say big fish are out of the question. In fact, the rods are great for absorbing the weight of a big fish on small hooks and light class tippets. You get more bend and give against a big fish. If you fish spring creeks, tailwaters and stillwaters where small bugs and picky fish are the norm, a slow or full flex rod is a joy to fish. MEDIUM ACTION You don’t see a ton of medium specific action rods. Many are lumped into a slow-medium action rating by manufacturers and that does make sense. The medium action is similar in function to the slow action rod. It’s not loading fast but it has a little more punch and versatility than a true slow action stick. If you want a lower rod without dropping the spine completely, look for a medium action rating. THE MEDIUM-FAST STANDARD The medium-fast action rating makes up the bulk of fly rods today. It really is the most versatile action available and it serves every skill level well. The rod is a little more forgiving to beginner casters than a fast action that requires precision control. It still has the spine to launch bigger flies with a single or double haul and it casts everything from a tiny dry fly to big streamer without any ill effect. In terms of a general action to do everything, you want a medium-fast rod for utility purposes. I do a ton of fishing for numerous species with a medium fast 6-weight. (continued page 36)
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9 PRO TIPS & TRICKS TO MASTER
Fishing in the Rain (continued from page 15)
They’re typically best reserved for the early morning, late afternoon or throughout moon-lit nights...However, they can also be deadly when it’s raining, when bass often approach the surface and feed aggressively. You can use your topwater lure of choice, but you’ll likely have the best results by using lures that create a fair bit of commotion on the surface. Pick out one that makes a lot of noise and splash and opt for a slightly larger size than you normally would. 4. Follow the wind to find the fish. It can often be difficult to find the fish when it is raining, as it disrupts their normal patterns, causing them to stage in places you may not often suspect. However, if you find the baitfish, you’ll almost always find bass close on their heels. And, because small fish tend to get blown around quite a bit, you can often find them at the downwind side of the lake. However, many baitfish will also use current and windbreaks as resting spots, so it also makes sense to target areas that may allow baitfish to escape the forces of nature and take a breather. This can mean coves, the down-wind side of points or around docks and other manmade objects.
8. Consider the water temperature when searching for fish. Rain can alter the temperature of the water pretty significantly. If, for example, a cold front moves through during the late spring or summer, it can quickly drop the water temperature, which may encourage fish to feed. Conversely, a warm rain will help elevate the temperature of the water, which may be advantageous during the cool portions of the year. Note that precipitation won’t change the temperatures in deeper water very much. So, if the rain is causing the temperature to change in the opposite direction you’d like (such as a cold front blowing through in the early spring), you may be able to find fish hanging out deeper, in water that provides more comfortable temperatures. 9. Cast around feeder creeks and runoff areas. Creeks and other areas that drain into lakes often bring with them an abundance of insects and feeder fish. This can make these areas very productive, as bass and other gamefish often hang out in these areas, in an effort to ambush prey. However, it is important to note that these areas will also carry a lot of sediment with them, which can make the water cloudy and make fishing more difficult. Accordingly, it is usually wise to hit feeder creeks shortly after the rain starts. Once it has been raining for a while, you’ll likely want to move on in search of clearer water. Hopefully, we’ve not only convinced you to try fishing in the rain but given you a few tips and tricks that should prove helpful too. Just remember to keep safety in mind and be reasonable when trying to fish through the rain. Don’t head out on the water when lightning, high winds or dangerous water conditions threaten. It’s always better to be safe than sorry, so err on the side of caution if you don’t feel like the conditions will allow you to fish safely.
5. Get a bit closer when possible. If you like to pitch or flip for bass holding in tight cover, you probably already know that you need to stay back far enough to avoid spooking the fish. But when it’s raining, the fish won’t be able to see you as well, which means you can usually creep a little closer to the areas you are targeting. This will not only help improve your casting accuracy and make hooksets easier, but it will also let you reduce the amount of splash you make when the lure hits the water. 6. Try to identify the most effective pattern quickly. Rainy weather often causes fish to change up their typical routine. They may stage in different places than they normally would, move up or down in the water column, or they may begin looking for different types of prey. This all means that you’ll have to try a number of different lures and presentations to figure out the winning pattern. However, you’ll often need to do so quickly; if the weather changes, the bass will likely begin changing their behavior too. 7. Experiment with new presentations and lures. Fishing in the rain often requires a good bit of experimentation, as the lures and techniques that are typically effective on a given lake or river may fail to produce results once it begins raining. Sometimes, you can find a winning combination by simply making minor tweaks, such as changing your lure color, but you’ll need to be more creative at other times. In such cases, you may want to throw out the rulebook entirely. If the conditions and time of year would normally call for a deep crankbait fished quickly, try to “helicopter” a spinnerbait or slow-roll one along the bottom. If you haven’t yet figured out the most effective pattern for the current conditions, you don’t have much to lose by experimenting.
Hunting & Fishing News | 17
A Case for Cranks on Natural Lakes (continued from page 13) Typically, when fish are relating to shoreline contours which they often do early in the season (especially if wind has been pounding into the locations), we get focused on the irregularities. We look for points or inside turns. Maybe a flat protrudes out or there are some tighter contour lines along an area where the break is much sharper. These irregularities are often where fish get concentrated and focused and if the spot is small, go back to rigging and jigging. Some shoreline contours however can be bland and uniform. This is another perfect scenario to troll crankbaits to cover water. Many different crankbait styles and lures can work early in the season. Often, we find some of our most consistent crankbait patterns early in the season in less than twelve feet of water. Jerk baits or shallow running minnow profile lures often shine in clear water and cold water that is less than fifty-five degrees. This style of lure has the line tie on the front of the lure instead of the bill and these lures typically run shallow and take more line behind the boat. Classic options include the Rapala Husky Jerk or Smithwick Rattling Rogue. A lure today that I absolutely love and have a lot of confidence in is the Salmo Rattling Sting. We have filmed several episodes with the Sting and this lure just catches fish and runs perfect out of the box. This style of lure really shines when fish are shallow and spooking from the boat. With less of a dive curve, these lures can be fished further back behind the boat. I often find that I catch more with these lures by snapping or pumping the rod. When you are using these suspending minnow
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style lures, pump the lure next to the boat and adjust the lure, snap the line so that the lure really hangs horizontal. I find that on tough bites especially, lures that just hang without sinking or tipping nose down seem to catch more fish. I believe this is why the Sting is so effective is the balance. Early in the season, this hang or pause can be important and often seems easier to accomplish at times by using straight up ten-pound mono. Later in the summer when the water warms up and I am dealing with more weeds, I often switch to braid with a heavier fluorocarbon leader because I find that I can snap the lure more aggressively and not stop the lure for such long periods of time. Again, these are just observations and general assumptions based on my own experiences. The other lure category that shines are traditional crankbait style lures that have a deeper dive curve where the line attachment is on the bill. Classic lures in this category include the Rapala Shad Rap, Salmo Hornet and Berkley Flicker Shad. If there is one lure however that is my absolute favorite early in the season that doesn’t ever get talked about by many anglers, that lure would be a Salmo Bullhead 8SDR. This might be the best lure ever that most people have never heard of. I love to troll these lures over shallow sand flats in six to twelve feet of water that are getting baked by the sun. At times I will use planer boards if I can run multiple lines clean or if the fish are bumping from the boat. Especially during calm conditions, I often troll crankbaits early in the season with the bow mount trolling motor and find that I catch a lot of fish by bumping down my speed to 1.4 to 1.6 miles per hour. In the wind or if the water temps are really climbing, I find that I can troll much faster and catch fish. I often put the lure in the water next to the boat and see how slow I can troll to get the vibration. (next page)
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Bow mount trolling motors that have speed control are deadly for trolling crankbaits early in the season because you can just crawl along. Over large flats, implement a lot of S curves so that the lures speed up and slow down so you can fine tune the speed even more. If all the fish come on the turn, speed up. If the fish start coming on the stall, slow down. Sometimes, just the change in speed is the trigger. By zigzagging this way, you also pull your baits in front of fish that are bumping off the boat which is common early in the season. On so many natural lakes, live bait and classic jig and rig presentation are entrenched as they should be but don’t overlook the effectiveness of trolling cranks. This presentation allows you to cover water and you can really rack up fish fast when everything comes together. There are situations where trolling cranks might be the very best presentation for learning water and finding fish. There are other situations where trolling cranks can be the very best presentation for simply putting the hammer down on fish. The difference can be dramatic.
Recipe - Fish Cakes From Bass By Lindsey Bartosh a 12 gauge girl www.huntingandcooking.com INGREDIENTS: For Cakes: 4...Bass Fish Filets (About a pound and a half Photo courtesy Lindsey Bartosh to two pounds) Medium sized Sweet Potato Two Scallions, diced One Red Bell Pepper, diced Two inch piece Ginger, grated Two Stalks Celery, diced One Tablespoon Dijon Mustard One Tablespoon Mayonnaise Salt and Pepper to Taste For Batter: One Cup Flour One Egg One Cup Panko Vegetable or Canola Oil For Sauce: One Tablespoon Minced Tarragon Half Cup Mayonnaise Half Cup Greek Yogurt Teaspoon Lemon Juice INSTRUCTIONS: Microwave Sweet Potato on High for about five minutes, be sure to pierce the potatoes with a fork. Place fish filets in steam basket and cook until fish is white and flaky, about five minutes. Flake fish into medium size bowl. Add mashed sweet potato, diced red bell pepper, celery, ginger, and scallion. Mix in mayonnaise and Dijon mustard. Incorporate all ingredients together. Create battering and frying station by placing flour, egg, and panko bread crumbs in shallow dishes. Press fish cakes into palm sized discs. Dip cake in flour, egg, and panko. Drop into pre-heated deep sided pan with oil. Cook for four to five minutes per side, until golden brown and crusty! For sauce, mix all ingredients together. Serve on top of cake!
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Hunting & Fishing News | 19
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HOW AND WHY YOU SHOULD CARRY A SIDEARM WHILE HUNTING By Andrew Jackson Outdoor Empire www.outdoorempire.com
Photo Credits: Andrew Jackson
comes to mind when you think What of an armed outdoorsman?
It’s probably a man carrying a rifle, striding into the wilderness like you’d see in an old Winchester advertisement. That image almost always includes a single firearm. I don’t think that’s a good idea. Every hunter should have some sort of backup, whether to increase their chances of success or to provide self-defense. A partner can provide this backup. But even when hunting with a partner, you may be alone and in need of something other than your main rifle. A handgun is light enough to not weigh you down but will provide great utility if you find yourself needing to use it. So, when will you need to use that spare gun? And how can you best carry that gun? Why Carry a Handgun While Hunting? Well, so you’ll have the advantages of a handgun, of course. Rifles are great, but they aren’t good for everything. Especially hunting rifles, which are designed for slow accuracy. There are two main reasons to carry a pistol or revolver while hunting (or fishing, or trapping, or … you get the idea): 1. Self defense 2. As a backup hunting weapon Those are generally self-explanatory, but if you need some more convincing, continue reading. For Self Defense Many of you surely carry a pistol for self-defense all the time. Why not in the woods? You may think your rifle is good enough for self-defense, but that’s not always the case. A rifle is perfect for medium- to long-range shots. Chances are you’ll have a scope with at least 3x magnification, if not more. Also, a rifle requires two hands to use. So, what if you need to take a close-range shot or are surprised by a bear while you’re field dressing a deer?
Bears in hunting areas sometimes learn to associate gunshots with delicious deer carcasses. A friend of mine was hunting in Alaska and shot a deer. While he was cleaning the deer, a black bear arrived and became aggressive. He had to shoot it. While he was cleaning that black bear, a second black bear arrived. My friend had to shoot that one as well. Because he was elbow-deep in an animal
both times a bear surprised him, he couldn’t reach his rifle in time. His .44 magnum let
him get home instead of being a hungry bear’s lunch. And that’s without saying anything about two-legged predators … As a Backup Gun Another reason to carry a sidearm is to complement your hunting rifle. If you’re stalking, you’ll have your rifle at the ready and will be able to take a shot within seconds. Same for when you’re in the hunting stand. But what about the long trek to and from your hunting location? It’s often wise to carry your rifle in a safe location that allows both hands to be free. This might be slung on your back or in a hunting backpack’s rifle pocket. You can hike long distances with less fatigue that way, especially if trekking through difficult terrain. But what if you come across a deer in your path? Drawing your rifle from your back is slow, noisy, and likely to spook the deer. But if you have a hunting handgun, you may be able to silently draw, take aim, and fire. Also, modern rifles are reliable pieces of equipment. But they are not infallible. A backup revolver will let you take your dream animal even if your rifle fails to fire. A backup gun is doubly important when you want to hunt multiple species at once. Bear and deer require different ammo choices to put down quickly. If you carry a rifle and a pistol, you can bring one as a bear gun and one as a deer gun. How to Carry a Handgun While Hunting Concealing a handgun is a tradeoff between comfort, ease-of-draw, and concealment. Good news! When hunting, you can ignore concealment completely. (continued on page 33)
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Hunting & Fishing News | 23
All photos credit: Ryan McSparran
6 Tips to Prep Your Gear for Spring Turkey and Bear Hunts By Zach Lazzari and Ryan McSparran From Hunting Gear Outfitters www.huntinggearoutfitters.com
pring hunts offer the chance to hit the woods well ahead S of most big game hunting seasons. Spring gobblers are wary. And locating emerging black bears often requires patience. Before you dust off your skills on one of these hunts, you’d better dust off the gear and make sure you’re prepared.
1. Check Boots and Clothing Hopefully you carefully cleaned and waxed your hunting boots before putting them away. If not, it might be time to show them some love. Start by rinsing the dirt and leftover grime off your boots. Once they’re completely dry, apply a generous amount of Kenetrek Boot Wax. Let it sit for an hour and then remove the excess with a clean rag. Likewise, take inventory of your hunting clothing. Make sure everything is clean and ready to go. If needed, apply a fresh layer of DWR (durable water repellent) finish to your rain gear and softshell garments. Nikwax offers a great lineup of products for this purpose. Spring showers and even snow are a real possibility during bear and turkey season! 2. Break Out the Calls Prepping your gear for a Spring turkey hunt is about much more than organizing and packing a bag. Practicing your call sequences and brushing up on technique is critical. Without practicing, you might blurt out a call that doesn’t sound right at all. If a turkey is close, it might vacate rather than move closer to examine the situation. Listen to clips of turkeys talking and practice with your calls to imitate the sounds and sequences. Calling instructional videos are also an excellent resource. Learn to send out location sequences and prepare yourself mentally to play the patience game in the field. Overcalling is a common mistake. In addition to turkeys, calls can be effective for Spring black bear hunting, too. Fawn or calf distress calls, as well as rabbit and other typical predator calls can be used to bring black bears into range. You can use the same diaphragm elk calls you would for elk hunting – start practicing and give it a try this spring!
24 | Hunting & Fishing News
3. Streamline Your Gear A spot and stalk Spring bear hunt might require a fair amount of hiking and a lot of glassing. Likewise, Spring turkey hunts often require hunters to find strategic locations and then wait for the birds to make a move. In either case, you want to be ready to quickly leave your truck and get into position. Begin streamlining your gear by examining pack contents and anything you’ll need for a long sit. A butt pad is nice while sitting for long periods, whether calling turkeys or glassing green mountainsides for bears. You want to be ready – but you also need to stay mobile. Like so many hunting situations, there’s a balance between being prepared and over packing. Take inventory of your accessories and make sure you have a sharpened knife and other accouterments in your field dressing kit. For a spring bear hunt, you’ll want game bags and cordage. On these hunts, consider our Magnum Pack for black bear sized game. This pack comes with four quarter bags, a meat parts bag, a camp meat bag and a trophy cape bag for the hide. Finalize your pack contents well in advance of the hunt to avoid forgetting essentials like extra ammo, headlamps and any other gear you carry on a regular basis. NEW HUNTER’S TARP The Spring hunts will be a great excuse to check out the new Hunter’s Tarp! Weighing only 5 ounces, this 100% waterproof sil-tarp will serve a number of purposes. During spring snow showers and rainstorms, the Hunter’s Tarp will pitch quickly using the 4 included stakes along with a trekking pole or tree branch. In addition to being an impromptu field shelter, it’s also perfect for field dressing game when you need to set quarters on the ground or debone meat in the field. Finally, use it as a pack liner when you’re hauling out that bear meat and hide. Even under heavy weight, blood won’t soak through the double silpolyU™ coating, keeping your pack clean. 4. Prepare Your Decoys Decoys can be a major asset to turkey hunters. When your calls bring a turkey into the area, decoys can help draw that bird into shooting range. There are many theories about how to setup decoys but the main idea is to entice a tom into shooting distance. Using several hen decoys is common and adding a young Jake to the mix adds a realistic element to the spread. Decoys come in many different forms but the lightweight versions are ideal for carrying in the field. The paper-thin decoys are perfect for longer hikes into hunting locations and they move when a breeze comes through. This adds to the realism and can bring a tom close with confidence. In some cases, the tom might actually make contact with the decoy. Ideally, you will locate the turkeys first and setup the decoys in a manner that forces them to move past your shooting position. 5. Check Your Optics If you’ve got a Spring bear hunt on the horizon, take time to check your optics before the hunt. With a lens cleaner and cloth, carefully clean your optics of any dust and debris from last season. Make sure eye pieces are rotating smoothly and that everything is in top condition. Better to discover any issues now, than in the days before your hunt. Similarly, take a close look at your tripod and any other glassing necessities. Check to see that legs are extending smoothly and that everything is in order. After all, you’re going to be spending a lot of time behind the glass on that upcoming Spring bear hunt! (continued on page 38)
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Hunting & Fishing News | 25
PREDATOR CALLING
FOR BEAR
Vortex Optics www.vortexoptics.com
By Josh Kirchner
Photo credit: Josh Kirchner
WHAT A CALL CAN DO “That’s either a black cow or a bear,” my friend said to me, as he looked through his optics. Bears have a certain walk that is unmistakable and once this animal moved, there was no denying we were indeed looking at a bear out for an evening stroll and a bite to eat. There was about an hour of light left and I needed to cut the distance quite a bit if my hopes of arrowing this bear were going to come true. Before I knew it, I was on the same hillside that we last saw the bear. Then my buddy texts me and tells me the bear actually passed beneath my position and that I should go back. After a mad dash back the way I came, I quickly picked up the bear walking up the opposite side of the drainage from me. 300 yards separated us and he was moving away.
“My
very first instinct was to grab my predator call in hopes of bringing the bear to me. Subtly, I whined through the call. The bear stopped in his tracks and looked up in my direction. It didn’t take him long to start running towards me.”
WHY BLACK BEAR? Hunting black bears is growing in popularity each year. It’s for good reason too. The opportunity is far and wide, it’s a fun hunt (especially in the spring, when no other big game seasons open), and they are mighty delicious. There are a few proven ways of hunting black bears, with the most common being spot and stalk, sitting bait, or running hounds. These methods hold their own set of challenges and excitement. There is another exciting way to hunt these amazing animals though. A way that sets the men and women apart from the boys and girls. Most folks that hear “predator calling” in conversation immediately think about coyotes, fox, and bobcat. Personally, I think of black bears. The concept of ringing the dinner bell for a hungry bruin was first introduced to me by a mentor of mine down here in Arizona. The stories he told so captivated me hook, line, and sinker that now, I never go bear hunting without a call. IS PREDATOR CALLING BEARS RIGHT FOR ME? There’s a story that mentor told me, that I can never get out of my mind. He was archery hunting for bear here in Arizona and was trying to call one into range. Before long, he had a bear coming up the hill to investigate the sweet song of death echoing through his canyon. My friend drew his bow back once the bear was at 10 yards and wasn’t covered by brush. His release malfunctioned and the arrow went sailing off into yonder. As tears rolled down his cheeks, he was able to nock another arrow and put it through the bear’s chest at mere steps.
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26 | Hunting & Fishing News
Predator calling for any animal brings a pretty constant flow of adrenaline with it. When you sit down and start calling, you’re literally asking the predators in the area to come “finish the job”. The point of a bear call is to make a bear believe there’s an easy meal close by. Sometimes, they come running and sometimes they come in sneaky, but both have the same intentions. I’ve called in plenty of varmints through the years and it is nothing compared to calling in a black bear. A bruin offers a different level of adrenaline rush entirely. For that reason, this stuff isn’t for everyone, and that’s totally OK. My brother for instance HATES calling for bear. I mean, I get it. Remember, they are coming to finish the job. HOW DOES SOMEONE GO ABOUT CALLING YOGI? So, if you’re still interested in this “calling- for- bear” business, let me help point you in the right direction! Calling for bear involves a lot of patience, your full attention, and plain old persistence. The first thing you’re going to need is a predator call. There are calls specifically designed for calling bears, but a good old fashion rabbit or fawn in distress will do the trick. There are hand calls and electronic calls. I personally don’t put a lot of stock into electronic calls for bear. They absolutely work, but I believe a lot of bears are a bit too smart to fall for the audio loop an electronic call plays. For that reason, I prefer the hand call. With it, you can pour much more emotion into your calling and really convince that bear something is perishing. Think of it like playing an instrument. WHERE SHOULD I CALL? As far as where to call goes, that is only gonna be answered by getting your boots dirty and scouting for some bear sign and bear country. If going in blind though, I’d focus in moist canyons that are rather dense. You want the bear to have to come check out the noise, not see you from 400 yards away calling in open country. Because of that, I like to set up on small rises above the bottoms of a canyon. This will make the bear have to come up the hill to see you, hopefully offering a shot. Have your head on a swivel though, because they can come from any direction, and sometimes fast. Try to put your back up against something like a boulder or tree. If calling with a partner, a good thing to do is sit back- to -back while calling. HOW LONG? Once you find out where to call, it’s time to start singing. I like to start out subtle and build from there. This is the route I take, just in case there happens to be a bear close by when I start. Bears have a short attention span, so plan on calling for quite a while at each stand you make. I’m talking 30-45 minutes of constant calling before thinking about moving. Of course, you can stop for a minute or two at a time to catch your breath, but don’t stop for long. If a bear is making their way to your call, you stop calling, and they find a bush full of berries, guess what? Yeah, they can be lazy and will likely get distracted by those berries. Calling a bear off food they already have is difficult. Think about it. Why should they come to you when they’ve already got food right where they are? Best not to mess with it and just keep the track rolling. Do these 30-45 minute stands throughout the day. Focus in or around feeding areas in the morning/evening and then move to the edges of bedding midday. CLOSING I couldn’t believe my eyes as I watched the bear cut the distance between us effortlessly. In no time at all, black fur was filling in the gaps through the trees beneath me. My rangefinder read 40 yards. With my release clipped on, I could see an opening towards where the bear was heading. A path right to where I was. Just as I was about to draw back my bow, my wind made it to him before my arrow could even try. That bear bounded out of my life, but still resides in my memory bank and will for some time...
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Hunting & Fishing News | 27
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THE TRUTH ABOUT
SPRING BEAR HUNTING By Jake Horton Originally published at
www.goHUNT.com
ou know it’s springtime when the weather finally breaks Y and the sportsmen and women can finally get outside to enjoy hunting and fishing again. Whether we’re shed
hunting for elk or deer antlers, chasing those early morning gobbles, or fishing for wild trout in the icy cold mountain waters, we are still enjoying the great outdoors and everything Mother Nature has to offer. There is one hunting season that seems to get easily overlooked by hunters for a variety of reasons but is every bit as exciting as those sheds, gobblers or brook trout. What season am I talking about? Well, spring bear season, of course. Until recently, spring bear season seemed overly complicated with the chances of getting a bear nearly impossible; however, the truth is that the chances for success during your first year are really high. You can figure out excellent spots and see bears nearly every day. You can do this hunt on a limited budget and this hunt is my most enjoyable and stress-free hunt of the year. With some preparation, time off, and a good long-range rifle, spring bear season can be something you look forward to every year. In my opinion, the best states to hunt for spring black bears are Idaho, Montana and Wyoming. Yes, there are a lot more western states that allow you to hunt black bears in the spring, but, let’s face it: you have a limited amount of time, so why not go where the bear numbers are highest. You may be wondering why bear numbers are so high in these states. Well, that’s because these states have some of the nastiest, steepest, thickest country that exists in the United States and bears thrive in this environment. Idaho, Montana and Wyoming have over-the-counter (OTC) bear tags for specific units. Wyoming is the only one out of these states with a specific quota of bears that can be harvested in each specific unit and this information is available daily. Hunters can strategically use goHUNT to see what units offer OTC spring bear tags and how many bears are harvested annually. Honestly, if you go bear hunting in any of these areas and hunt hard you will have a good opportunity of seeing a bear and getting close enough for a shot during a five-day hunt. Once you pick a state, get an INSIDER membership and cut some major time out of your scouting. Most people are very familiar with the benefits of using goHUNT’s INSIDER platform for determining where to spend their mule deer or elk points; however, the information compiled on other species like black bears is top-notch.
28 | Hunting & Fishing News
Jake Horton and his buddy tagged out on a nice bear. Photo credit: Jake Horton
On the goHUNT INSIDER platform on Filtering 2.0, you can simply search Idaho, Montana, Wyoming or any other state by OTC Spring Back Bear Season, then search by number of bears killed and you’ll see the top bear harvest units. This information coupled with the amount of public land can allow you to pick a unit where you find bears and have a chance at killing one — usually within less than 10 minutes of research on goHUNT’s site. It honestly doesn’t get any easier than that and as an INSIDER member myself, I would highly recommend it... Once you have a unit or two picked out in the state of your choice, you should make some calls to the local forest service rangers, game wardens, and other local officials to determine when the bears typically come out of hibernation, what roads will be open during the spring season due to snow closures, and confirm that there are good bear numbers there. Typically, these local officials are very aware of the bear density in their area because of camper, hiker and backpacker reports. If they say there are a lot of bear sightings and the goHUNT harvest numbers are good, then it is time to start some online satellite scouting.
Online scouting
Before we get into the nitty-gritty of where, when and how, it’s important to talk about bears’ spring behavior. In the springtime, bears naturally come out of hibernation between March and June, depending on the snow line and weather. Every year will be different; however, you can bet that the lower in elevation a bear is hibernating, then the sooner they will typically awake. As soon as a bear wakes up from their winter slumber, they immediately seek out food. The easiest food for these omnivorous mammals to get are new blossoms, flowers, berries, tree buds, bugs, grubs and anything in between. Bears tend to live and hibernate in the dense forest, but usually after waking from their hibernation, they are drawn to any open hillside facing south. These southern hillsides typically have the snow melted off by the time a bear wakes and has already turned green and lush with small plants and buzzing with bug activity. Surprisingly, at high elevations, plant life tends to sprout and bloom at an increased speed compared to lower elevation plant life, which actually leads to a greater amount of protein for a bear to consume. Keeping all of this in mind, it is time to begin your online scouting and plan out some spots to sit for your hunt. Online scouting can be super beneficial during spring bear season in order to drastically increase your odds of spotting and harvesting a bear. Start by finding a reliable satellite imagery website with up-to-date images within the last five years. Google Earth or maps provided on state websites are excellent resources. Then, search within dense forest a mile or two from trails and roads and mark any open parks, two to five- year-old burns, avalanche shoots, controlled logging areas or (continued on page 34)
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SUCCESSFULLY HUNTING PRESSURED TURKEY (continued from page 5) Turkey behavior is dependent on their mood, and you can read their body language by observing their head color and snood position. For example, when a tom’s head turns white and he pops into strut, laying his snood over his beak, rest assured he’s aggressively approaching your location. On the other hand, a blue head and short, erect snood signifies a timid gobbler that likely won’t socialize with other birds, making him almost impossible to coax into range. In situations where a bird is playing hard to get, sometimes the best decision you can make is to abandon it and search for a “hot” bird. When a gobbler is hot, he’ll respond almost immediately to your call. When you give him the silent treatment, he’ll likely get agitated and gobble even more frequently. CALLING ISN’T ENOUGH Heavily hunted turkeys have heard and seen it all. If your calling lacks inflection, a wary tom will quickly identify you as a hunter and serve the silent treatment. However, you don’t need to be a great caller to consistently dupe gobblers. If you’ve ever watched a flock of turkeys, you know they spend a lot of time scratching leaves in search of food. By adding the realism of scratching leaves with your foot as you make soft yelps, you’ll quickly differentiate your calling strategy from most other hunters. These subtle sounds are also difficult for a nearby gobbler to pinpoint, forcing him to come closer if he wants to investigate. HUNT MID-DAY Just because gobblers are most vocal shortly after they pitch from the roost doesn’t mean the early morning hours are the best time to bag your bird. In fact, most turkeys flock up after they fly down, which makes it incredibly difficult to lure a tom (continued on page 38)
Hunting & Fishing News | 31
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3 Steps to Critical Off-Season Archery and Rifle Practice
By Ryan McSparran Hunting Gear Outfitters www.huntinggearoutfitters.com
ne of the most important elements of ethical hunting O is being prepared and confident with your weapon. That means more than just a quick sight-in the week
before your hunt. When I was guiding elk hunts in western Colorado, I witnessed more than one botched opportunity for no other reason than lack of familiarity with a weapon. Whether your upcoming hunt is the trip of a lifetime or an annual occurrence, you owe it to yourself and the animal to put in plenty of practice time. Here are a few things to consider as we prepare for the upcoming hunting seasons. 1. Finalize Your Setup If you’re making changes to your archery setup or rifle loads, this is the time of year to make those decisions. Don’t put it off and go into the summer still undecided. The last thing you want is to feel rushed trying to dial in your system right before opening day. Get to the range here in the next few weeks and spend time with those new arrows or bullets. And remember – you could spend eternity tinkering with these decisions. At some point, you’ll have to make a decision. Do it soon, giving yourself plenty of time to dial it in and then practice. 2. Get Familiar with Your Gear Will you be hunting with a new backpack this year? How about a new binocular harness? As you spend time at the archery or rifle range over the next few months, you should also think about your hunting gear, clothing and accessories. When your hunting gear is settled, give yourself plenty of time to get familiar with it. How does your rifle sling work with your backpack? Can you comfortably draw your bow wearing that new jacket? When the weather gets warmer this spring, take your gear out into the field for some test runs. Don’t forget to practice with your bipod or shooting sticks. Wear your hunting gear to the range for practice. All these little things can cause hang-ups in the field. When it counts, you’ll be doing it out of breath and heart pounding. Will you be ready under pressure? 3. Find Your Confidence The benefit of starting these things early in the year is that there’s plenty of time to practice without feeling rushed. Little by little over the next several months, become confident in your weapon and how it works with the rest of your hunting gear. Don’t leave yourself any surprises. Hunting is full of uncontrollable factors. So by the time fall hunting seasons arrive, it’s a great feeling to be prepared. That confidence in your weapon is one less thing you’ll have to worry about. Confidence is an important part of maintaining a positive mental attitude throughout your hunt, which subsequently, is a key ingredient to success. Gearing Up for Your Next Hunt As you gear up for the next big adventure, please let us know what we can do to help. From game bags to boots, and cook systems to knives, the hunting products we carry are items we have tested and personally use in the field. Hunting Gear Outfitters www.huntinggearoutfitters.com
HOW AND WHY YOU SHOULD CARRY A SIDEARM WHILE HUNTING
PERFORMANCE PARTS & CUSTOM ACCESSORIES
(continued from page 23)
This lets you choose the most comfortable holster you can that’s also easy to draw from. Hip holsters are more than acceptable. However, for hunting, I prefer a chest holster. I don’t mean shoulder holsters, which hold the gun under your arms (though those can be fine too). I mean a holster which holds the gun in front of your chest, typically at a 45-degree angle. I find that this type of holster is more comfortable than hip holsters when out in the woods. They catch fewer bushes and aren’t in the way of a good backpack’s hip belt. Then, when you need to use your hunting pistol or revolver, you’ll have a fast draw that’s already halfway into your shooting stance. Retention There is an important caveat here. You need to make sure your hunting handgun’s holster has good retention while having a soundless draw. Hunting sometimes entails climbing and passing through dense brush. You don’t want your handgun to fall out as you clamber over a log! However, you also want to avoid noisy Velcro. A snap might work but can still cause noise. The best options are a holster with a buckle, which can be opened quietly with some practice, or a tightly-formed Kydex holster. The Kenai Chest Holster by GunfightersINC is an excellent choice. It’s comfortable, retains the gun well without a retention strap, and has a very quiet draw. Good chest holsters are not cheap, but they won’t fail and cause you to lose your gun when you’re miles into the wilderness. This turns your handgun from a “sidearm” to a “chestarm,” which is even more convenient while hunting. Choosing Handgun Ammo Now, if you’re going to carry a sidearm while hunting, you need to load it with the right ammo. Carrying a .380 into the woods is not a good idea. City threats are different from wilderness threats. So, how do you pick the right hunting pistol or revolver? The Right Caliber First of all, many states specify legal hunting calibers. Often, it’s a minimum, so you need to carry a handgun chambered for a larger caliber. Most will be cartridges intended for revolvers, though there are some good semi-auto hunting cartridges as well. Here I’ll be talking about big game, deer-sized and larger. Revolver Cartridges .357 Magnum and .44 Magnum are popular hunting revolver cartridges. You can stop a black bear with .357 with the right bullets, though the bigger calibers are better for defense against bigger animals, such as brown bears. I carried a .357 Magnum revolver in Alaska to good effect, though I wasn’t in grizzly country. (continued on page 36)
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along to help pass the time and to help you pack out when you finally pull the trigger. During the spring,
bears can habitually feed in the same area for a few days to weeks in a row so I would typically give a specific spot one to two sits before moving on to a different hunting spot. This also keeps your morale up and
allows you to see more beautiful spring country. If you are successful and harvest a bear, make sure to have a plan to get it out. Though sometimes it gets a bad reputation, bear meat is actually quite good, especially if made into some sausage.
THE TRUTH ABOUT
SPRING BEAR HUNTING (continued from page 28)
obvious logging roads that are grown up and green. The next step is to see if there is a place to spot and shoot from within a decent distance from the bear feeding habitat. These potential shooting points can be either across, above or below the location where a bear may appear while hunting. If there is not a shooting area within my rifle’s range, then the spot is not a good one. Personally, I determine this by using Google Earth and using the measurement tool to see how far the potential shot would be. With practice and good ammo, an average rifle today can shoot out to 400 yards give or take. A long-range rifle can shoot much farther — even up to 600 to 700 yards for a skilled marksman. However, while scouting and hunting, it is important to be honest with yourself about your rifle and your skill. It does you no good to hike back off the trail multiple miles and see a bear that is 2,000 yards away across a valley and not be able to take the shot or get any closer. It is equally as bad to attempt to take a shot that is too far for you or your rifle and end up wounding one of these animals. In my experience scouting, for every 20 perfect bear spots, I find in a unit only one has an opening to shoot from that I can make with my rifle. Keeping that in mind, if a spot is not perfect, move on and find another. Places like Idaho, Montana and Wyoming seem to have endless open south facing areas if you look closely. It’s also important to note the elevation of the spots you are scouting and planning to hunt. I like to pick multiple hunting spots for every 1,000’ in elevation change from 7,000’ to 12,000’. Depending on when you are hunting and what the winter was like that year, bears can come out of hibernation at different times of the spring, putting them in open areas at different times. The last thing you want is to come out to Idaho and plan to hunt bears at 10,000’ to find out that they are all under 3’ of snow still in the middle of May.
Bear hunting
After you have found some good spots and entered them into your GPS, take some days off of work and go after some bears. Bears are typically out and about at first and last light so you need to be at your shooting point for the first few hours of the morning and the last few hours of the day. Other than that, the rest of the day is yours to plan, which is why I feel that bear hunting is way less stressful than other hunts that keep you on your feet and pushing all day long. Plan for a morning and evening hunt and maybe some fishing during the middle of the day. If you are deep in bivy camping, days can be long so bring a hunting buddy or two
34 | Hunting & Fishing News
Photo credit www.goHUNT.com
BEAR SAFETY
It should go without saying; however, it is important to note that bears are predators and can be very dangerous to any humans entering their habitat. By themselves, black bears typically will run away from humans at their first smell or confirmed sighting of us, but that is not always the case. If you startle a bear or come across one with cubs, they can easily have a fight mentality. When it comes to black bears, the National Park Service recommends you DO NOT PLAY DEAD. They recommend that you fight the bear back by kicking or punching the bear in the muzzle. Once the bear backs off and goes out of sight, vacate the area immediately. Many of the prime bear hunting areas in Idaho, Montana and Wyoming also have grizzly bears. Though the grizzly numbers are fewer than black bears, they are less likely to run away from you as they feel they are the dominant predator. If attacked by a grizzly bear, the National Parks Service recommends you leave. Do not drop your hiking pack in order to protect your back, then lay on your stomach and spread your arms and legs to prevent the bear from flipping you off your back and PLAY DEAD. Hopefully, the grizzly bear will lose interest and leave; however, if the attack continues and the bear is not losing interest, fight back as hard as you can and hit the bear with anything you have. In general, bear attacks are rare; however, they do happen so don’t be afraid to talk out loud on your way in to your morning spot until you get close, carry bear spray, firearms or a quick access knife. When camping, store your food away from your camp suspended in the air between two trees. Bears can climb trees so putting it up in the air, leaning on a tree will only delay the inevitable. Pack in food that doesn’t smell through the packaging and clean up after you eat. Bears are incredible animals and hunting them can be the biggest excitement of your year, but be sure to do it safely... Good luck this spring!
Washington’s Forests, Elk Habitat Get $880k Upgrade (continued from page 11)
Pierce County •Prescribe burn and seed 47 acres, cut back ferns and other competing vegetation on 12 acres, and treat noxious weeds across five acres in the Snoqualmie Ranger District on the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest. Crews will also erect signage across 21 forage units to inform the public about hunting and wildlife opportunities. Managers hope the signs will discourage trash dumping and direct recreational target shooting to more appropriate areas within the watershed (also benefits King County). Pend Oreille County •Lop and scatter encroaching conifers within 210 acres of meadow habitat and aspen stands in the Newport and Sullivan Lake Ranger Districts on the Colville National Forest. Crews will also repair fencing designed to keep livestock away from aspen sprouts and riparian shrubs. •Thin and prescribe burn 300 acres of big game winter range in the Newport and Sullivan Lake Ranger Districts on the Colville National Forest. The treatments in the Ruby Creek watershed will rejuvenate forage and promote forest wildfire resiliency in an area that historically supported open timber stands with a brush and grass understory. In addition, the improvements may reduce the big game use of private farmlands and livestock feed in the Pend Oreille River Valley. Skamania County •Treat a variety of noxious weeds across 616 acres of meadows in the Mount Adams Ranger District on the Gifford Pinchot National Forest, an area that provides important forage for the Mount St. Helens elk herd.
Thurston County •Apply prescribed burning, brush mowing, seeding and noxious weed treatments to improve 100 acres of wet meadow and oak woodland habitat on the Scatter Creek Wildlife Area’s West Rock Prairie Unit. In addition to elk, the project benefits the recovery of the federally threatened Oregon spotted frog along with several rare butterflies and plants. Yakima County •Remove encroaching conifers and invasive plants from 72 acres of meadows in the Naches Ranger District on the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest. The South Fork Tieton River area is important calving and summer range for the Yakima elk herd, one of the largest in the state. It also provides key habitat for deer. Project partners include the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife; Mount Baker-Snoqualmie, Colville, Gifford Pinchot, Okanogan-Wenatchee, Olympic and Umatilla National Forests; Bureau of Land Management, private landowners and various conservation, sportsmen, local government and civic organizations. About the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation: Founded more than 35 years ago, fueled by hunters and a membership of nearly 235,000 strong, RMEF has conserved more than 7.9 million acres for elk and other wildlife. RMEF also works to open and improve public access, fund and advocate for science-based resource management, and ensure the future of America’s hunting heritage. Discover why “Hunting Is Conservation™” at www.rmef.org or 800-CALL ELK.
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Hunting & Fishing News | 35
Fast Versus Slow:
Understanding Fly Rod Actions (continued from page 16) Photo credit Ryan McSparran
It’s caught panfish, trout, pike, steelhead, salmon and bass on a host of flies. Fish ranging from 10-inches to 15-pounds have held up fine on my medium-fast 6-weight. FAST ACTIONS FOR SPECIFIC PURPOSES The fast action rod is less forgiving but many casters adapt quickly. You have less margin for error on the loading time but the rod can handle distance, wind and big flies better than any other action. Saltwater anglers default to fast action rods. Dedicated streamer fisherman on trout waters should be using them more as well. It’s an easier delivery on heavy streamers. Same goes for pike, musky and bass. Steelhead and salmon fisherman tend to go fast action on single hand fly rods as well. When you need to deliver big bugs, long casts and fight through the elements, a fast action rod is your best bet. Zach Lazzari is a fly fishing guide and an outdoor writer based in Montana. Zach has fished and guided in Alaska, Colorado and Patagonia. Zach is also the blogger behind The Busted Oarlock.
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36 | Hunting & Fishing News
HOW AND WHY YOU SHOULD CARRY A SIDEARM WHILE HUNTING
(continued from page 33)
Other choices include .41 Remington Magnum, .454 Casull, and .480 Ruger. Semi-Auto Cartridges If you want to carry a semi-automatic pistol hunting, you have fewer ethical choices. The most common pistol cartridges—9 mm, .40 S&W, and .45 ACP—are all marginally effective against deer (at best!) and should not be carried if you’re concerned about being attacked by any animal larger than a coyote. The two best semi-auto choices today are the .357 Sig and 10 mm Auto. Those are both high-powered, high-recoil cartridges which can put down a game animal. The .357 Sig is basically a semi-auto .357 Magnum. 10 mm Auto is more powerful still. If I were to carry a pistol hunting, I would carry one in 10 mm. Bullet Type When you’re in the woods, the predators you’re most likely to need to defend against are bears. Bears are large and have dense bones that love to shrug off bullet impacts. Unless you’re carrying in an area without any bears, you should load your handgun with ammo capable of putting them down. Pistol cartridges have inherently less penetration than rifle rounds, so this means you need hard-cast bullets that are heavy for the caliber. These bullets are more likely to penetrate deep into a heavy animal, which increases the odds of hitting the central nervous system, taking out a vital organ, or breaking structural bones that would stop most bullets. Will they be uncomfortable to shoot, with large amounts of recoil? Yes. But they’ll be much more likely to break a bear’s shoulder blade than hollow points. Check Your Local Laws Above all, you need to pay attention to your local laws and follow them. Some states allow you to carry self-defense handguns while hunting and fishing, provided you don’t intend to use them to take game animals. Oregon is one of these states, last I checked. This can allow you to carry a pistol even during archery or muzzle-loading seasons. Sometimes. Other states require all firearms you carry to comply with the legal hunting requirements. Keep in mind that regulations may change from season to season, too. What’s legal to carry during centerfire season may not be legal to carry during archery season. You don’t want to run into a game warden while illegally carrying a handgun! Conclusion Many hunters enter the woods with one weapon: their hunting rifle. This is good enough 99% of the time, but that 1% can bite you worse than a copperhead snake. Carrying a hunting handgun can cover situations not suitable for a hunting rifle, such as self-defense or a surprise visit by a game animal when your rifle is out of reach...
FITNESS TRAINING FOR 6 Tips to Prep Your Gear for THE WESTERN HUNTER Spring Turkey and Bear Hunts (continued from page 24) (continued from page 10) Your body will last a long time in less than ideal conditions; your mind, on the other hand, will make you quit long before your body does. These workouts improve your mental state so you can continue to push past adversity.
THE ULTIMATE SPRING TRAINING REGIMENT
MTNTOUGH has made it easy for those who are not local by creating a digital platform for you to get access to your workout of the day along with included videos to show you how to execute the proper techniques required to complete the workouts. The format is simple, yet efficient, breaking it down by weeks to monitor your progress. Also, the digital platform has a social media element to post your completion times, ask questions and link up with other members to complete workouts that helps build comradery and make workouts more fun. The best part is that there are multiple workout programs offered like Backcountry Hunter PreSeason Prep, Backcountry Hunter Post Season, 30-30 No Equipment Workout Strength Program, and the highly popular 22’s Workout and videos to help dial in your nutrition.
TAKE MY WORD FOR IT
If you want to be in the best shape for the West, then give this a try. I guarantee you will walk away beaten and battered, but also ready to destroy any thresholds that held you back in the past. I personally still use these programs and will continue to as they have definitely made hunting for extended periods of time much easier, which, in turn, has made me more successful. To find out more about MTNTOUGH, visit www.mtntough.com.
6. Check Your Weapon Whether you’ll be toting a bow, shotgun or rifle for your Spring hunts, spend plenty of time over the next several weeks practicing. Shotgunners can use a piece of plywood to test the spread and shoot at small targets before the hunt. Archery hunters should practice shooting at close range and from awkward sitting positions. If you’ll be hunting Spring bears with a rifle, take the time to get dialed in at the range. Then, make sure to spend time practicing with your weapon while wearing your hunting gear. It’s time to get excited for those first hunts of the New Year! But don’t wait until the final days before your hunt to go through your hunting gear checklist. Start now and be ready for that next adventure!
SUCCESSFULLY HUNTING PRESSURED TURKEY (continued from page 31)
away from his harem to investigate your decoy. Hens won’t entertain the tom for long, as they normally head to their nest once the sun gets high in the sky. As soon as they head to nest, toms get lonely and don’t waste any time looking for a mate. If you’re still in the woods while the rest of the hunters are enjoying breakfast, you’re in luck. Between 10:00 am and 1:00 pm is the witching hour for striking a gobbler and sweet talking him into your ambush. CONCLUSION At their core, these hunting tips break the mold of what’s normally thought of as the conventional way for hunting turkeys. Don’t be afraid to get creative and think outside the box. By doing so, you’ll fool more toms and enjoy delicious wild turkey table fare.
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