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California

Sportsman Your LOCAL Hunting & Fishing Resource

Volume 11 • Issue 4 PUBLISHER James R. Baker GENERAL MANAGER John Rusnak EXECUTIVE EDITOR Andy Walgamott EDITOR Chris Cocoles CONTRIBUTING EDITOR Brittany Boddington LEAD WRITER Tim E. Hovey CONTRIBUTORS Scott Haugen, Tiffany Haugen, John Heil, Art Isberg, Bill Schaefer, Amy C. Witt SALES MANAGER Katie Higgins ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Mamie Griffin, Mike Smith, Paul Yarnold DESIGNERS Kayla Mehring, Jake Weipert PRODUCTION ASSISTANT Kelly Baker DIGITAL STRATEGIST Jon Hines ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT Katie Aumann INFORMATION SERVICES MANAGER Lois Sanborn ADVERTISING INQUIRIES ads@calsportsmanmag.com CORRESPONDENCE Email ccocoles@media-inc.com Twitter @CalSportsMan Facebook.com/californiasportsmanmagazine ON THE COVER Winter is a great time to flee California and head south of the border. La Paz is one of the Baja Peninsula’s best fishing destinations for exotic Sea of Cortez species like pargo.

(HAUGEN ENTERPRISES)

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CONTENTS

VOLUME 11 • ISSUE 4

89

CALLING THE WILD: BRING IN MORE PREDATORS

(TIM E. HOVEY)

Coyote. Fox. Bobcat. Three of California’s most ubiquitous predators are found throughout the state’s desert terrain and several other habitats, offering hunters a chance to stay busy through the winter. Our lead writer Tim Hovey has become something of a predator hunting savant and his favorite way to bring the fur running is through hand calls. Find out how he does it.

FEATURES 45

AS THE CROWS FLY

Upland bird seasons are winding down and we’re entering the home stretch for waterfowlers as the calendar has turned to 2019. But Redding sportsman Art Isberg still has birds on his mind well into winter and even the early spring. Crow season in California – and the whopping 24-bird limit that hunters are allowed – runs through April 4, and there are so many of these black birds in the state that you can stay plenty busy, as Isberg details.

59

SPECIAL HUNT AT SUCCESS

The foothills adjacent to Porterville, a San Joaquin Valley farming community an hour’s drive from Fresno, hosts a unique pheasant hunt at Lake Success.

Rollin’ For Ringnecks is a Southern Tulare County Sportsman’s Association charity event that brings out active duty service members, veterans and wheelchair-bound hunters for an opportunity to harvest game birds.

Local resident Amy Witt was on the scene for 2018’s hunt and has a profile.

69

BAJA CASTS CAN BE A BLAST

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE

Even in California winter can make you dream of warmer weather, sandy beaches, tropical drinks and some outstanding saltwater fishing. Scott and Tiffany Haugen head south this time of year and find their way to Mexico’s Baja Peninsula. La Paz is the Haugens’ go-to Mexican getaway, one where the stars of the show are the Gulf of California’s bonito and pargo, the latter a bucket list species that Scott and Tiffany were after in their latest Field to Fire entry, which also features a tasty ceviche recipe.

39

81

GET THE DROP ON BASS

Bill Schaefer fishes for bass with a variety of baits, but this time of year he and so many other anglers put down their cranks, swims and jigs in favor of drop-shotting the shallows and deeper water for lurking largies in Southern California’s myriad fisheries.

Schaefer shares how to fish these waters with the effective set-up.

Company profile: Pacific Northwest walleye guide JB Knotts 43 New column! Guide Fly – Skinny Herring 101 A rabbit hunting tradition lives on 109 Gun dog training: The importance of eye contact

DEPARTMENTS 15 19 27 31 87 113

The Editor’s Note: Thankful for our correspondents Protecting Wild California: Why are young Klamath River salmon dying and what can be done about it?

Photo contest winners Outdoor Calendar Rig of the Month: Bubba shot set-up She Hunts: Brittany chases plains game in Mozambique

California Sportsman is published monthly by Media Index Publishing Group, 14240 Interurban Avenue South, Suite 190, Tukwila, WA 98168. Send address changes to California Sportsman, PO Box 24365, Seattle, WA 98124. Annual subscriptions are $29.95 (12 issues), 2-year subscription are $39.95 (24 issues). Send check or money order to Media Index Publishing Group, or call (206) 382-9220 with VISA or M/C. Back issues are available at Media Index Publishing Group offices at the cost of $5 plus shipping. Display Advertising. Call Media Index Publishing Group for a current rate card. Discounts for frequency advertising.

All submitted materials become the property of Media Index Publishing Group and will not be returned. Copyright © 2019 Media Index Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be copied by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying or recording by any information storage or retrieval system, without the express written permission of the publisher. Printed in U.S.A.

Read California Sportsman on your desktop or mobile device. Go to www.calsportsmanmag.com

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12 California Sportsman JANUARY 2019 | calsportsmanmag.com

THEEDITOR’SNOTE

H

appy New Year!

We work hard to put out quality content in California Sportsman – from our executive editor to our designers and specifically, our correspondents. They provide the heart and soul of our publication’s words, whether they’re how-to pieces, news stories that dive deep into some of the state’s issues or just memorable moments that they’ve shared with a fishing rod, rifle or shotgun in the Golden State.

I’m so thankful for them each month as they send me stories, photos and ideas. But I wanted to make sure they know that this editor appreciates them deeply and wishes them well in 2019. So here are my New Year’s hopes for our regular and

semi-regular contributors (and a shout out to all of the writers who have contributed to California Sportsman in my five-plus years on the job).

For Scott and Tiffany Haugen: That your experiences in Alaska, the Pacific Northwest, California and beyond continue to thrill you and inspire our readers.

For Mike Stevens: That you find another secret creek or pond

deep in the Eastern Sierra wilderness where the trout are biting. And that your L.A. Dodgers make it back to the World Series (preferably against my Oakland A’s!).

For Nancy Rodriguez: That you get to enjoy more backcountry fishing and hunting trips with your husband Joe. And for you and Joe to have another awesome international vacation with Alaska friends Louis and Ruth Cusack. calsportsmanmag.com | JANUARY 2019 California Sportsman

15

For Tim Hovey: That your daughters Alyssa and Jessica never tire of joining their dad (and mom, Cheryl) fishing, hunting and exploring as a family.

For Todd Kline: That whether it’s commentating at a pro surfing competition on

some beautiful Pacific island, competing at an FLW tournament or providing clients with their fish of a lifetime, that your “Adventures of Todd Kline” are, well, adventurous.

For Bill Schaefer: That there are more trophy bass landed on your boat at the Southern California lakes you have covered so diligently during your stint with us.

For Mark Fong: That we can meet up again this year and have another one of those Feather River striper trips like we had a

couple years ago. Another Golden State Warriors NBA championship would be OK too.

For Brittany Boddington: That you continue to show everyone that women can be just as avid and skilled hunters as the guys. And that you have a great wedding day!

I also wanted to send some thoughts to one of our part-time writers, Don Black, who suffered a terrible tragedy during the Camp Fire in November. Here’s hoping for better days ahead for Don and all of you this year. -Chris Cocoles

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PROTECTING

WILD CALIFORNIA

Chinook migrate up a Northern California river to spawn. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service biologists from the Arcata office and California Nevada Fish Health Center worked closely with Oregon State University and Klamath Basin tribes to initiate several fish disease-related studies to understand the impact tiny polychaete worms have on salmon infection and mortality rates in the Klamath River. (USFWS)

MATH SHOWS HOW TO REDUCE SALMON LOSS FROM PARASITIC WORM A

By John Heil

human eyelash. That’s the size of a polychaete worm.

A recent U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service study on the polychaete worm has identified the importance of it to the survival of juvenile salmon in the Klamath River.

Understanding the worm’s life cycle is critical in understanding their contribution to the infection and mortality of the Chinook salmon in the North Coast’s Klamath River since the early 2000s. It’s an infection rate that reached 100 percent of fish in some samples since 2005.

To unravel the mystery, Nicholas Hetrick, the Fish and Aquatic Conservation

lead for the Arcata Fish and Wildlife Office since 2004, recognized early on the need to develop a prevalence of infection study on the parasite (Ceratonova shasta), its impact on juvenile salmon population levels, and how the distribution of polychaete worms factored in.

Hetrick worked closely with the Service’s California Nevada Fish Health Center, Oregon State University and Klamath Basin tribes to initiate several fish disease-related studies, which generated an enormous amount of complex data to analyze.

“As juvenile salmon migrate down the Klamath River, we would expect the population to build as fish enter the river from tributaries and emerge from mainstem spawning sites, but instead we were

seeing the population disappear the further downriver you went,” Hetrick says. “There was obviously a big issue, but we just didn’t know at the time what the cause was.”

ENTER DR. NICHOLAS SOM, a career mathematician and former schoolteacher in Colorado who studied ecological statistics at Oregon State University.

Som, who has been drawn to rivers since childhood, made a conscious decision to take his passion for statistics and pair it with his love for moving water.

“Nick’s desire to work with rivers and fish is also a self-serving interest because he likes to fish and he wants to catch more fish,” says Hetrick with a smile.

“When interviewing for this position

calsportsmanmag.com | JANUARY 2019 California Sportsman

19

PROTECTING

WILD CALIFORNIA what stood out about Nick was his interest in applied management and not just wanting to do research or apply statistics – but wanting to make a difference on the ground.”

Discovery of the parasite as a cause of salmon mortality by Oregon State University’s Dr. Jerri Bartholomew of the C. shasta life cycle involved transmission of the parasite between the salmon and the worms, and different types of parasite spores that infected the salmon.

“There was a thought that if we could disrupt the transmission of the spores between the salmon and the worms, or vice versa, or disrupt the habitat that the worms depend on, that might be an effective management tool for reducing impacts of the disease,” Som says. “Only, we didn’t know which habitats the worms were using.”

That was the start – to determine what kind of habitats the worms use and how that relates to where the infected worms were.

“We had to start over – begin to quantify which habitats the worms use and knowing where they are,” says Som. “A lot of people had their face in the water and thought they knew where to find these worms, and we went there and didn’t find them. We had to rethink our

USFWS fish biologist Nicholas Hetrick recognized early on the need to develop a prevalence of infection study on the parasitic worm and its impact on juvenile salmon population levels.

(JOHN HEIL/USFWS)

sampling process for the habitat study.”

Essentially, Som’s job was to translate how likely a spot is to be suitable habitat for polychaete worms into a mathematical formula. This formula needed to incorporate the habitat as well as water flow and speed of flow.

The formula he developed consisted

“It was like looking for a needle in a haystack,” said Dr. Nicholas Som, a career mathematician and former schoolteacher in Colorado. “You can’t see them from the surface sitting in a raft.

You have to be in the water on the bottom of the river looking for them.” (JOHN HEIL/USFWS)

20 California Sportsman JANUARY 2019 | calsportsmanmag.com

of three main components: density of substrate (sand and silt at the small end of the spectrum, up to bedrock), depth of the water, and water velocity. The idea was to quantify habitat conditions required for polychaetes to persist, and then create conditions that fall outside of that suitable range through management actions.

“Think of it like changing the setting on a treadmill to 30 miles per hour – you wouldn’t last either,” says Hetrick.

Eventually they found the worms.

“It was like looking for a needle in a haystack,” Som says. “They have a patchy distribution. You can’t see them from the surface sitting in a raft. You have to be in the water on the bottom of the river looking for them. The densest colonies look like a (19)60s shag carpet.”

WITH THEIR FORMULA IN hand, Som is able to predict which sections of river are potentially habitable by the polychaetes.

He followed that up by looking at water management alternatives – “What happens if we send water from the dam down in differing patterns?” For example, flat-line base flows that don’t change at all, versus unstable flows that have short spikes or tall spikes.

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A whiteboard hanging on a wall near Som’s office displays the formula he developed, enabling USFWS to predict which sections of the Klamath are potentially habitable by the polychaetes. (JOHN HEIL/USFWS) “There are all sorts of ways to shape water releases, but it’s a precious resource that has a limited volume. We need to devise the most efficient way to send water,” says Som. “We take a couple of options and apply our formula and see which one of those creates the lowest amounts of potential habitat for polychaete worms, and we can apply the formula in the areas where they historically have been the most abundant.”

Som’s research on the impact of water deliveries in the Klamath to the survival of the polychaete worm has since been confirmed. The percentage of sites showing decreases in the amount of polychaetes was about seven times greater for the

years with high peak discharge (11,200 cubic feet per second) compared with the years with very low peak discharge (1,890 cubic feet per second).

In 2016, the Service’s California Nevada Fish Health Center and the Arcata office found the amount of fish disease was dramatically lower than the previous year, and when they went back to look at polychaete habitats, they had been reduced, mirroring what Som’s formula had predicted.

“We went back after a high flow event and found significant changes that matched what our predictions were,” says Som. “It feels fantastic – incredibly satisfying. With this information we can

The distended stomach of this Chinook smolt is a visual clue that it is sick. (JOHN HEIL/USFWS) 22 California Sportsman JANUARY 2019 | calsportsmanmag.com

PROTECTING

WILD CALIFORNIA make changes that can benefit fishermen, tribes, and the ecosystem.”

“We want to make sure managers are making decisions using the best available, peer-reviewed science,” Hetrick says. “We’ve gained a lot of ground over the years and will continue to do so in the future.”

CRITICAL

PARTNERS

INVOLVED

IN

understanding the salmon disease dynamics in the Klamath River include Dr. Scott Foott and Kim True of the Service’s California/Nevada Fish Health Center, Humboldt State University and Oregon State University’s Dr. Julie Alexander and Dr. Jerri Bartholomew.

“We’ve been incredibly lucky to overlap with both Nicks,” Alexander says.

“Nick Hetrick has been so instrumental in directing and supporting disease research on Klamath River salmonids.

His fundamental knowledge of aquatic ecosystems is extensive and his

This image shows the comparison from 2014 to 2016 of polychaete worms found in the Klamath River.

“The densest colonies look like a ’60s shag carpet,” USFWS statistician Nicholas Som said. “Before the 2016 photo was taken, there was a flow event large enough that our model predicted reduced habitat for polychaetes relative to 2014, and this photo, taken at the same location in both years, demonstrates that it was true.” (JULIE ALEXANDER/OREGON STATE UNIVERSITY) interpersonal skills are admirable. He manages to pull together really great teams and people listen to him.

“Nicholas Som is one of the most versatile statisticians I have ever met or had the pleasure to work with. Most of the research on the Klamath has involved him in some capacity. His skill set is really unique – he effortlessly explains math to the layperson and cranks out outstanding

science. I think Nick Hetrick summarized him well – he is passionate about salmon, and it makes such a big difference.” CS Editor’s note: John Heil is as the deputy assistant regional director for external affairs in the Pacific Southwest Region headquarters in Sacramento. For more on the USFWS’s Pacific Southwest office, check out fws.gov/cno.

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PHOTO

CONTEST

WINNERS!

Devin Schildt’s picture of he and niece Noel Chilson and her first Dungeness crab is the winner of our monthly Yo-Zuri Photo Contest.

It wins him gear from the company that makes some of the world’s best fishing lures and lines!

Ray Gomboski is our monthly Hunting Photo Contest winner, thanks to this pic of his sons Luke and Reed and their father’s Canada goose.

It wins him a knife and other hunting stuff from California Sportsman!

For your shot at winning hunting and fishing products, send your photos and pertinent (who, what, when, where) details to ccocoles@media-inc.com or California Sportsman, PO Box 24365, Seattle, WA 98124-0365. By sending us photos, you affirm you have the right to distribute them for our print or Internet publications.

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OUTDOOR CALENDAR

From hunting dog exhibits to a trout pond to kayak fishing seminars, there’s something for every outdoors lover at the Sacramento International Sportsman’s Expo from Jan. 17-20. (JOHN KIRK/ISE)

JANUARY 1 First day 2019 hunting and fishing licenses are valid 1 Topaz Lake Fishing Derby; visitcarsonvalley.org/ 2018-topaz-lodge-fishing-derby/ 1 Online harvest reporting begins for steelhead,

sturgeon and North Coast salmon report cards 17-20 International Sportsman’s Expo, Sacramento (sportsexpos.com/attend/sacramento) 18 Last day of duck hunting season in Northeastern Zone 19 Opening of Humboldt Steelhead Days (humboldtsteelheaddays.com) 27 Last day for duck season in most zones 28 Opener for falconry rabbits and varying hare

FEBRUARY 2-18 Second Imperial Valley Canada goose season 2-3 Foundation Sportsman’s Club Original Sturgeon Derby,

Sacramento River Delta; originalsturgeonderby.com 2-3 Youth waterfowl hunts in most zones 2-3 Second Balance of State Zone falconry waterfowl season 4 NorCal Trout Challenge, San Pablo Reservoir; anglerspress.com 10 Central Valley Anglers of Lodi Members Only Trout

Derby, Camanche Lake; centralvalleyanglerslodi.org 23 Start of North Coast late Canada goose season 22-24 The Fly Fishing Show, Alameda County Fairgrounds,

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CO. PROFILE

JB GUIDE SERVICE COMPANY NAME JB Guide Service LOCATION Pasco, Washington CONTACT (509) 547-7450; jbguides.net California Sportsman How did you get into fishing?

Owner Jeff Knotts I’m an eastern Washington native who has fished the Columbia and Snake Rivers for over 50 years.

Growing up, my father was a hardcore salmon fisherman – both off the shore and out of friends’ boats. When I was 14 I purchased the family’s first boat and have been chasing local spinyray species and migratory salmon and steelhead ever since.

CS When did you first start walleye guiding?

JK I started JB Guide Service in 1998 and guided salmon, steelhead and sturgeon. By 2000 I realized that walleye were not heavily guided and began guiding them in the Snake and Columbia.

CS With no walleye fishing opportunities in California, can you give us a little bit of information about walleye to know about?

JK Walleye are excellent to eat and the minute you have them dialed in a simple change in the weather can leave you scratching your head. They are a wonderful challenge to catch on a consistent basis, making their popularity soar as more fishermen add them as a go-to option.

CS What are the best ways to fish for them?

JK Walleye are fished year-round here and can be caught numerous ways.

Whether your preferred method of fishing is vertical jigging, pulling worm harness or cranking, depending on the time of year these fish can be caught from

Guide Jeff Knotts, or JB as he’s known, says that Columbia River walleye attract anglers from as far away as the fish species’ native waters, the Midwest. (JBGUIDES.NET) calsportsmanmag.com | JANUARY 2019 California Sportsman

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glers in the Midwest and even further north. What makes them popular to target on the West Coast and specifically the Pacific Northwest?

JK Part of the reason folks from the Midwest are willing to travel to our region for walleye is both the abundant resource and the chance of catching a trophy. Any day I go out for walleye could result in fish over 10 pounds. Each year there are many

40 California Sportsman JANUARY 2019 | calsportsmanmag.com

walleye caught in the 15-pound class.

CS Can you make a sales pitch for Californians to head up to Washington to fish with you for walleye?

JK As for a day on the water, the beauty of the Columbia River in eastern Washington is, in my opinion, unparalleled.

Being in often-uncrowded conditions with fish numerous enough that anyone of any age or skill can have success makes a trip chasing walleye with me on my home water a day to remember. CS

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FISHING

THE SKINNY HERRING I

t’s a new year and I’m making a resolution not to make any more New Year’s resolutions. This is something I learned the GUIDE FLY hard way. Contrary

By Tony Lolli to what advertisers would have us believe, apparently I don’t look so good in knee-high leather boots and hot pants. Ask the neighbors. But I digress.

Capt. Ben Zander of Seattle owns Sound Fly Fishing (soundflyfishing. com). He’s a sea-run cutthroat specialist who’ll guide you on Washington’s Puget Sound from a boat or while wading the flats. He doesn’t care if it’s New Year’s or not, but his Skinny Herring works any time of the year, including January.

Zander started guiding in Puget Sound for sea-runs in 2006. At that time there were hardly any commercially tied flies for this fishery. Most anglers were using Clouser Minnows and pinheads.

The Skinny Herring, one of Zan-

der’s Skinny Series, can be fished in both skinny and deep water. It has a thin profile to mimic the appearance of speeding baitfish in the water column. This fly incorporates lots of flash to attract predator fish while maintaining a slim profile. It’s the motion and profile of the fly that attracts fish. Cutts can be in all types of water in the Sound. Zander focuses mostly on the shallows.

Most of the time the Skinny Herring is fished on an intermediate sinking line. After the initial cast, count from five to 15 to achieve desired depth, then strip! Puget Sound baitfish stay horizontal in the water column unless being chased. The sinking line keeps the fly moving horizontally.

“2018 was my 11th year and for various reasons, my favorite,” recalls Zander. “On the last trip of the year I had two excellent anglers. We were nearing the end of the day and fishing had been somewhat slow. I decided to fish an ultra-skinny water section with the thought that the fish might be in tight to shore due to the

high sun creating a bright day.

“We had fished depths of 2 to 22 feet throughout the day. I use a push pole from my Boston Whaler Montauk and guided the boat in about a foot of water. I polled for five minutes and told the guy on the bow to cast the fly on the beach and strip it back to the boat. Man, the fish were in tight and laid up over a shallow eel grass line. We produced about 12 fish in one mile. We didn’t take the Skinny Herring off once and boy, was it was beat up at the end of the day,” he said.

You can also learn more about Sound Fly Fishing on Facebook and Instagram, but don’t expect to see any knee-high leather boots and hot pants. ’Tis a pity, no? CS Editor’s notes: This new column will rotate monthly between California Sportsman and sister titles Alaska Sporting Journal and Northwest Sportsman. Autographed copies of Tony Lolli’s new book, Art of the Fishing Fly, with an intro by President Jimmy Carter, are available from Tony Lolli, 1589 Legeer Rd., Grantsville, MD 21536 for $30 with free shipping.

MATERIALS

Hook: Daiichi 2546, size 8 Thread: Danville Mono Thread .006 Under body: Polar Flash Pearl Top body: Polar Flash Black Rainbow Top wing: Krystal Flash Herring Back Gill plate: Tuft of red rabbit off strip Head: Epoxy Eyes: Wapsi Flat Stick On Eyes 3/32 Mirage

(BEN ZANDER, SOUND FLY FISHING) calsportsmanmag.com | JANUARY 2019 California Sportsman

43

HUNTING

MATCH WITS WITH CROWS LONG SEASON, GENEROUS LIMITS MAKE THESE BLACK BIRDS AN UNDERRATED SPECIES TO TARGET

By Art Isberg

T

he February dawn was a cold, crimson slash in the eastern sky behind crooked fingers of bare oaks when I settled into my brush blind.

The decoys were already out.

Multiple calls hung from the lanyard around my neck. That’s when I heard the first distant call of birds rising to a gusting wind even before I saw them.

I eased my 12-gauge auto gun a little closer for company.

As the first flock came into view I got on a call with a loud, steady “over here” as I tried to turn the lead bird toward me. A little more coaxing and all six flyers started my way.

They’d seen the decoys and I kept up a steady chatter until the flock was in solid shotgun range.

The American crow might have become famous by Alfred Hitchcock’s 1963 film The Birds, but for hunters, crows don’t carry the same popularity as upland birds and waterfowl. Yet considering the length of season, limits and excitement, don’t underestimate this species for a great winter hunt. (USER MDF/WIKIMEDIA)

calsportsmanmag.com | JANUARY 2019 California Sportsman 45

HUNTING the nation, so has the crow.

They are as at ease feeding in harvested fields as dumpsters back in town while unwrapping leftover Big Macs. Their large and often growing numbers are a byproduct of having very few natural predators and a low take by hunters.

This is clearly reflected in nearly unbelievably generous seasons and limits compared to other popular upland birds. They read like something out of the early 1900s when game laws were sketchy or nonexistent. Here’s a good example of what I mean: Here in California, crow season opens December 1 and continues for 124 consecutive days. The daily bag limit is 24 birds, with 48 allowed in possession. Adding to this most generous season in bird hunting is that shotgunners do not have to rack their guns after all other bird seasons have closed. This means hunters can continue to see action far into the new year and all the way to early spring.

PATTERN YOUR BIRDS

It’s easy to add decoys to your field sets by making your own out of quarter-inch plywood and spray-painting them flat black. (ART ISBERG)

As they came to my feet I concentrated on the wing leader. He crumpled with my first shot and I swung onto his wing mate as the flock clawed for a frantic getaway. Two more shots brought him down, too.

I quickly recharged my smoke pole as other birds began showing on the brightening sky. That’s how fast this kind of shooting can get when you do your homework.

Dawn pintails soaring over an estuary marsh, you ask? Nope. Honkers rushing into a morning stubble field? Not that either. How about mallards parachuting into cut corn?

Strike three; you’re out. What I was gunning for is the most overlooked and underhunted game bird in the continental United States, the American crow. I’ve never understood why.

Crows offer advantage no other game bird can come close to matching.

LOTS OF BIRDS These black birds are found both in and out of town. No other species hunted in California can be seen with such regularity, and it’s little wonder why.

Current crow populations nationwide stand at 31 million. Unlike many other game birds, as man expanded across

46 California Sportsman JANUARY 2019 | calsportsmanmag.com

Even though crows can be seen every day just about anyplace, the way to get serious about hunting them is to “pattern” their daily flights and movements in your area.

This is actually relatively easy to do. The answer is to watch where they go at day’s end to roost for the night. Once you learn this location you have the “keys to the kingdom,” as the birds will follow the same pattern day after day.

At dawn crows disperse over a wide area on feeding forays. You can intercept them either along these flight lines or find where they’re feeding, setting up there. They will also follow these same sky paths back at day’s end, but it’s wise not to shoot at roosting sites. That will only alarm and force birds to flee, which means you’ll have to start all over again to find new roosting sites.

Once crows move into feeding areas, they break up into small flocks of three to six birds scavenging on their own. This is a wise thing for them

HUNTING

Commercial full-bodied plastic decoys like these are the basis for author Art Isberg’s field sets. The top hole is to hang them from tree limbs for added realism. (ART ISBERG)

48 California Sportsman JANUARY 2019 | calsportsmanmag.com

to do because they can cover much more ground scattered out than as one big unit.

During midmorning, they’re also very susceptible to both calling without decoys and certainly bringing them to dekes with calls.

Because the birds have nearly an endless diet of both animal and vegetable material, you can narrow areas you choose to hunt by the produce being grown there. Birds will feed on sorghum, wheat, peanuts, corn, beans, gyp corn, and also fruit – apples, cherries, figs and wild berries of all kinds.

Outside of agricultural areas, crows regularly patrol roads and highways for roadkill, small insects, the young of other birds and even small mammals. That kind of wide-open diet is why the birds have been so successful in so many places where other game birds cannot make a living.

It’s also true that crows often fly

calsportsmanmag.com | JANUARY 2019 California Sportsman

49

HUNTING Set your decoys on open ground where they can be easily seen by birds on the wing. A dozen works well and the addition of “flying wing” decoys makes any set even better.

(ART ISBERG)

into towns and cities to do their feeding. Even though you cannot hunt inside city limits, you can set up on the perimeter and attract birds as they wing into and out of these places.

PASS SHOOTING The man who is an ardent waterfowl hunter is the perfect candidate to hunt crows. Why? Because both crows and waterfowl have exactly the same kind of daily timetable and reaction to changing weather.

Crows are up and moving at first light. They’re active throughout the day and head home at sundown. Big winds put crows up for riding gusting air currents, which they seem to enjoy. They can retire during heavy rains or snow, but the moment it stops they’re right back out there.

These habits endear them to hunters who understand these timetables.

They will avoid a hunter standing out in the open, and avoid one even faster who’s carrying a gun. So using a blind, either natural cover or a manmade camo surround, is a must. Pass shooters can also help themselves by

using crow calls without decoys. The birds will come to authentic calling for at least a close look before breaking off. That’s really all you need to get them in solid shotgun range.

You can also help yourself by placing downed birds with wings folded against the body on the ground and facing different positions. That gives fliers something to look at and in turn come closer to investigate.

Far and away the 12-gauge shotgun is America’s first choice for almost all bird hunting, including for crows. Even better is the fodder that goes with it. Inexpensive low-base trap loads in number 7½ or even 8 shot work perfectly out to 40 yards.

If you’ll be doing your gunning pass shooting in the 40- to 45-yard range, then switch to number 6 shot.

It’s also true that the 20-gauge has a large following today. It supplanted the once popular 16-gauge. A 20-gauge hunter can do well pass shooting with number 6 shot out to 40 yards. You might also consider using high brass shells for this work, especially if you’ll stretch that 40 yards from time to time.

50 California Sportsman JANUARY 2019 | calsportsmanmag.com

Under 40 yards use a modified choke.

Go to full choke over 40.

DECOYING To me, the mother of all crow hunting comes when using decoys. The thrill of convincing crows into the field sets is something very special as well as satisfying. When you couple decoys with good calling, you’ve got the best of both worlds. Decoys can be set up in feeding fields where crops are grown, but by no means does that limit their use. Far from it. Crows search and feed over riparian lands and even western deserts for worms, grubs, wild seeds and carrion.

The only requirement is that you set decoys where cover is low – or even bare – so they can be easily seen. It’s the birds’ natural curiosity that does them in, their greatest weakness to capitalize on. They just have to see what their fellows are doing and feeding on.

Unlike waterfowl decoys, where the goal is to set big numbers to lure birds in, crow sets of just 10 or 12 decoys works wonders even on flocks

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51

HUNTING

Isberg strongly recommends using more than one crow call when out hunting. And while he admits that crow calls aren’t necessary to score birds if you have decoys set out, “Authentic calling will get you more gunning action, more birds, and pull those in that might not see your layout without it,” Isberg writes. (ART ISBERG)

52 California Sportsman JANUARY 2019 | calsportsmanmag.com

twice that size.

You can buy either commercial full-bodied plastic decoys or make your own, as I have for many years.

I use quarter-inch plywood silhouette cutouts spray-painted flat black.

Make yours larger than live birds.

They can rightfully be called “magnum” decoys.

They mix in easily with full-bodied decoys and add a lot of drawing power. It’s wise to use both feeder and heads-up decoys spaced 2 or 3 feet apart, just as feeding crows would be.

One other addition can make your decoy set come alive. This is the use of motion decoys, those with rotating wings that are either battery-powered or wind-driven.

The smartest crow that ever flew cannot resist coming in for a closer look with this lifelike flying movement. Another addition to these are crow decoys that can be hung with clear monofilament fishing line from

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53

HUNTING tree branches, wings extended or those on long, thin rods with wings out hanging over the decoys and ready to land. Two or three winged decoys over a dozen field decoys works wonders. They’re great convincers.

CALLING

So why hunt crows? “Shotgunners do not have to rack their guns after all other bird seasons have closed,” Isberg writes. “This means hunters can continue to see action far into the new year and all the way to early spring.” (ART ISBERG) 54 California Sportsman JANUARY 2019 | calsportsmanmag.com

I would be the first one to admit that hunters using crow decoys do not absolutely have to use calls to be successful. You can bring in birds without uttering a sound. But I’d have to add that authentic calling will get you more gunning action, more birds, and pull those in that might not see your layout without it.

I’d also say that not all callers use exactly the same calls, volume or sounds; yet they all work. It’s not an exact science. Researchers say that crows make many dozens of different calls, from the usual “caw, caw” that most think of to groans, chirps, clicks and mews.

The hunter who wants to talk in crows with mouth calls need only learn three basic deliveries. These are the “over here,” “all’s well,” and “welcome” calls.

The opening call is blown at the highest volume and repeated to get the birds’ attention. It sounds like this, with no pause between each call: “Caw-caw-cause, caw-caw-cause!”

Use it until birds hear you and begin to swing your way for a looksee. As they wing closer switch to the “all’s well” delivery, but blown with slightly less volume. It is a three-note call that can be produced by saying the words “Kak-kak-kak, Kak-kakkak” into the call.

The third and last call is made when you’re certain birds have seen the decoys and heading for them. It is a softer delivery spaced out with a second or two between each delivery. You can also bite down on the tip of your call to soften this sound. It goes like this: “Caw-cak-can, Caw-cak-can.”

After this, stop calling and prepare to shoot. You’ve done your job and you don’t need to do any more of it.

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55

HUNTING I would also suggest carrying at least two and often three different calls into the field. Each has a slightly different sound, pitch and raspiness.

If it doesn’t seem to produce results, a change in calls can.

ELECTRONIC CALLS For the shotgunner not interested in learning the nuances of mouth calling, digital electronic calls are the answer. Many manufacturers offer their own models with perks and prerogatives. The price is the dividing line.

These calls have three big advantages over mouth calls. First, it’s hands-free calling, so the movement of hand calling that might give you away is eliminated.

Second is the much wider choice of calls you can make electronically.

Besides the usual cawing sounds, a menu of other calls that can excite crows into coming in are available such as “crow fighting owl,” “young

crow in distress” and “crows attacking hawks.”

The third point is that you can switch back and forth to any of several dozen choices simply by a push on the control pad held in your hand.

If one call doesn’t do the trick, it’s a matter of quickly selecting another.

As a general rule, most electronic callers keep up a steady volume. A nonstop delivery produces a cacophany that mimics many excited crows that are all calling at the same time.

That certainly has a power of its own.

GET OUT THERE! And so we’ve taken an in-depth look at some of the most exciting shotgunning available today going begging for more shooters. If you want to experience hunting where limits run into dozens of birds per day and get outdoors when all other bird seasons are closed, try crows. One hunt is usually all it takes to make you a believer. CS

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AMERICAN CROW HUNTING REGULATIONS The season opened on Dec. 1 and continues through April 4 in the balance of the state. The following areas are closed to American crow hunting this season per the California Department of Fish and Wildlife: Those portions of Trinity and Mendocino National Forests south of Highway 36. North and east of a line beginning at the mouth of the Eel River. South along the Eel River to the town of Alton. East on Highway 36 from the town of Alton to Highway 89 west of Chester. South and east on Highways 89 and 395 to Interstate 15 near Hesperia. South on Interstate 15 to Interstate 10, and east on Interstate 10 to the California-Arizona border.

The daily bag limit is 24 birds with a possession limit double the daily bag. CS

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57

HUNTING

HUNTING WITH VETERANS A ‘SUCCESS’ 12TH ANNUAL PORTERVILLE-AREA PHEASANT OUTING HONORS MILITARY HEROES, OTHERS

By Amy C. Witt

T

he sun worked hard to sneak its way through the clouds to shine on the several hunters who had traveled from all over California to gather and mingle amongst coffee and breakfast fare.

The rolling mountains of Lake Success – in the foothills just east of Porterville in Tulare County – greeted the visitors with tall grass, shrubs, nice moisture, open spaces and good visibility for a beautiful early-morning hunt.

Veterans, active-duty service members, volunteers, men in wheelchairs, dog handlers, and various individuals from the community were excited and appreciative to participate in the 12th Annual Southern

Tulare County Sportsman Association’s (STCSA) pheasant hunt on a hazy fall Friday.

HUNTING FOR A CAUSE On November 16, five mobility-impaired individuals (non-veterans), 35 military participants and 10 volunteer dog handlers were given the opportunity to hunt and shoot up to three long-tailed ringneck pheasants.

One hundred ninety birds were donated and released by the Friends of NRA and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife in the fields of the Lake Success Wildlife Area. Of those birds, 88 were harvested.

“This was one of the smoothest and biggest hunts we’ve hosted. It’s hard to believe that we gave so many people this experience,” said Bill Mo-

ench, five-year vice president of the STCSA (stcsa.org), a nonprofit organization that has promoted wildlife habitat and conservation since 1943.

The STCSA was inspired by Moench’s cousin Rich Riethmayer, who served in Vietnam and was a victim of Agent Orange. On Thanksgiving 2006, Moench took his cousin and a few other hunters to Lake Success to observe if the terrain would be conducive and forgiving enough for hunters in wheelchairs. It was.

Shortly afterwards, Rollin’ for Ringnecks was born and has provided disabled hunters an opportunity to hunt – one they might not have otherwise had.

Allen Roope, who traveled from Bass Lake in Madera County, has attended the event for six years. Roope

A group that included mobility-impaired hunters, veterans and active service members participated in an annual pheasant hunt near Porterville. Rollin’ For Ringnecks is the brainchild of the Southern Tulare County Sportsman’s Association. (AMY WITT)

calsportsmanmag.com | JANUARY 2019 California Sportsman 59

HUNTING has trouble raising his hand all the way up to hold his gun, so he uses an adapted mechanical mouth bite trigger and custom parts welded onto his gun and wheelchair to facilitate his hunt. Roope said he especially tries to come every year because he only gets to do it once a year.

Rollin’ for Ringnecks has evolved three times since its birth. First limited to 12 hunters, it is now open to people of all ages who require the use of a wheelchair and possess a valid California hunting license and an upland game stamp.

A few years ago, veterans and active-duty service members were invited to the event. At the end of the day, the hunter who shoots the bird with the longest tail receives a commemorative knife.

A MEMORABLE EXPERIENCE Veteran Mike Angulo, who traveled from Hanford, served two years in the Army as a military policeman.

He was informed about the hunt by Local volunteers helped out by providing retrievers and serving meals for the hunters. (AMY WITT)

60 California Sportsman JANUARY 2019 | calsportsmanmag.com

HUNTING the American Legion. Angulo said he had a great time and harvested two pheasants.

Originally from South Dakota,

Alex Bullene, an active duty Navy man stationed in Lemoore, has served nine years. This is the second time to he has ventured to Lake Success to

hunt, and he shot his limit of birds.

My father Cliff Witt of Porterville’s Witt Hardwoods was invited

by Moench to help flush and retrieve

“It is wonderful that our community is so willing and excited to be involved in our event and it is rewarding that hunters travel from all over to participate,” says the sportsman’s club president Bill Moench. “It has become more important over the years, because I don’t think a lot of us realized how important it was to do these things. It is our way of giving back.” (AMY WITT)

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HUNTING pheasants with his yellow Labrador retriever, Sage. Witt’s group included two veterans and two active Navy sailors. Eight birds were harvested within the group.

“This is a super fun hunt. This is my second time bringing my dog and I love it. It is great exposure for her and awesome to be able to help the veterans and servicemen,” Witt said.

STILL HUNTING DESPITE INJURY Fresno resident John Cook has attended Rollin’ for Ringnecks the last three years. He honorably served eight years as an aviation structural mechanic and while working one day, Cook broke his right leg.

After a horrible surgery reaction, the military amputated his right leg due to a methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (also known as MRSA) infection. These days, Cook is the outdoor recreation program coordinator for Our Heroes’ Dreams

(ourheroesdreams.org), a nonprofit veteran-operated organization “existing solely to help our fellow soldiers and their families in their time of need,” he said.

“I volunteer with a couple local NPOs, and through networking amongst these groups we were able to bring out a few vets we work with that have never got to hunt pheasants before. It was awesome to see the guys so excited and create those bonds of brotherhood we had in the military. For the guys with physical disabilities, these hunts are extremely helpful to get us out in the field and active.”

Over 57 volunteers, including members of the Ducor 4-H club, Porterville, Granite Hills and Monache High Schools’ FFA, did the cooking and assisted in making the event successful. Springville Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 9449 has been providing lunch and supporting the

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event for the past six years.

GETTING KIDS INVOLVED TOO The efforts of the volunteers and STCSA members didn’t just end on the Friday pheasant hunt. On the ensuing Saturday and Sunday, they welcomed 150 junior pheasant hunters, all 18 years old and under, to participate in a one-of-a-kind hunting experience.

“It is wonderful that our community is so willing and excited to be involved in our event and it is rewarding that hunters travel from all over to participate. It has become more important over the years, because I don’t think a lot of us realized how important it was to do these things. It is our way of giving back,” Moench said. CS Editor’s note: For more on the author, check out her website (caliidreamin.com) and follow on Twitter (@CaliifDreamin) and Instagram (caliiforniadreamin).

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Mark your calenders for upcoming events like Whisky Flats Days and the Lake Isabella Fishing Derby. Get the latest info from the Kern River Valley Chamber.

www.kernrivervalley.com • 760-379-5236 66 California Sportsman JANUARY 2019 | calsportsmanmag.com

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FISHING

FROM FIELD ...

YOU’LL LOVE EVERY MINUTE IN LA PAZ WARM WEATHER, GREAT FOOD, EPIC FISHING TO BE HAD IN BAJA

By Scott Haugen

H

appy New Year! There’s a lot going on this month, whether you’re knee deep in the duck marsh, hunting coyotes, chasing winter steelhead or looking forward to sports show season.

If you’re a fair-weather outdoor enthusiast and love adventures that take you to sunny places, consider a fishing trip to La Paz, Mexico.

Last January while at the International Sportsmen’s Expo in Sacramento, I talked with Jonathan and Jill Roldan, owners of Tailhunter International (626-638-3383; tailhunter.com), based in La Paz, Baja Sur. Shortly after that conversation I booked a trip for Tiffany and I, plus another couple, for October.

A GREAT OFFSEASON DESTINATION While fishing can be had in La Paz all

summer and fall, we chose late October and were glad we did. This time of year temperatures are comfortable in La Paz, there are fewer tourists and less pressure on the water. And in La Paz there’s no shortage of adventure to be had, day or night.

Our best day of fishing came when Jonathan booked us with one of his top guides, Poncho Francisco Lucero. We’ve fished a good bit throughout Mexico and Poncho was, far

Viva Mexico! Last fall authors Scott and Tiffany Haugen traveled to the sunshine of Mexico to fish with Tailhunter International out of La Paz on the Baja Peninsula. This wahoo was just one of many species they caught. (SCOTT HAUGEN)

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FISHING

... TO FIRE

TRY A SIMPLE BUT DELICIOUS CEVICHE

By Tiffany Haugen

T

here are few impressive appetizers as easy to prepare as ceviche.

Originating in Spain but popular throughout Mexico, and Central and South America, when created with your catch of the day ceviche is hard to beat.

We’ve enjoyed ceviche from many corners of the world, prepared with a variety of fresh seafood. From scallops to shrimp or octopus, to firm whitefish such as sea bass, sole, rockfish and dorado, there are many types of seafood that can contribute to a fantastic ceviche.

Recipes and exact ingredient measurements run the gamut when preparing this dish, but all include an ample amount of citrus, usually lime or lemon,

Looking for a bit of southof-the-border flavor with that fish you caught? Tiffany Haugen recommends a ceviche appetizer.

(TIFFANY HAUGEN)

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to “cook” the fish in. While the fish isn’t exactly cooked, the acid in the citrus will actually firm the flesh, giving it an opaque, or cooked, appearance.

Other typical additions to ceviche include cilantro, salt and pepper. It’s easy to combine your favorite flavors and come up with your own signature ceviche. Try adding diced pineapple or mango for a sweet element and/or minced jalapeño or Thai chilies for a jolt of spice. Diced sweet onions are also a flavorful add-in, but be sure to also marinate them in the citrus to get rid of the raw onion flavor, which can be overpowering.

Whether you have a fish fresh from the ocean or a frozen fillet from your last trip to Mexico, try your hand at ceviche to brighten up a winter’s day.

2 cups raw whitefish ½ cup fresh lemon and/or lime juice 1 tomato ¼ cup finely chopped cilantro ¼ teaspoon red chili flakes, optional Salt and black pepper to taste Cucumber for garnish Chop fish into small, bite-sized pieces. Cover with lemon or lime juice and set aside 15 to 20 minutes. Stir two or three times to make sure all of the meat is coated in juice. Seed and chop tomato. In a medium bowl, gently mix marinated fish, tomato, cilantro and red chili flakes. Salt and pepper to taste.

Pour juice off of fish mixture and place in a serving dish. Garnish with cucumber and additional cilantro if desired. Serve with tortilla chips. CS Editor’s note: For signed copies of Tiffany Haugen’s popular cookbook, Cooking Game Birds, send a check for $20 (free S&H) to Haugen Enterprises, P.O. Box 275, Walterville, OR 97489, or order online at scotthaugen.com.

Follow Tiffany on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter, and watch for her on the online series Cook With Cabela’s, The Sporting Chef TV show, and The Hunt on Netflix.

72 California Sportsman JANUARY 2019 | calsportsmanmag.com

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FISHING and away, the best local guide we’ve ever had. When we go back, I want to book every day fishing with Poncho. He has his own panga, excellent gear, and electronics that allowed us to move fast, find the prime fishing spots and stay on fish.

At daylight Tiffany and I hopped into Poncho’s boat and made a five-minute run to where baitfish were being forced to the surface by bonito. Tiff and I caught a dozen tenacious bonito from this spot. The bonito would later be used as bait for pargo, a bottomfish that had been on our bucket list for many years.

TUNA TIME

Tiffany Haugen with a prized pargo, a fish the Haugens would return to Mexico for. Now is a great time to look into booking a fishing adventure to this Latin America paradise. (SCOTT HAUGEN)

74 California Sportsman JANUARY 2019 | calsportsmanmag.com

After securing our bonito bait, we tried working the edge of the baitfish school for tuna. Lots of tuna were surfacing, but they were being finicky. Suddenly, a school of dorado sped by, so we flipped our baits in front of them. Instantly, Tiff’s rod

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FISHING Haugen shows off a beautiful, hard-fighting, great-eating dorado taken near La Paz. Anglers can get in some of the West Coast’s best fishing in the Gulf of California. (SCOTT HAUGEN)

got hammered, followed by mine.

The brilliantly colored dorado were soon cartwheeling through the air, their bright yellow and striking blue hues accentuated by the clear water and rising sun. Just like that we had a double.

After putting our lines back in the water, we hooked two more dorado, but one tossed the hook. We went on to battle more dorado throughout the day, something we can never get enough of. These hard-fighting fish are excellent eating.

CHECKING OFF THE LIST

“You ready for pargo?” Poncho asked after tossing another dorado into the box. He knew catching a pargo was a priority, and he too was excited to try for one.

We had heard stories of anglers spending the better part of a week trying to catch a prized pargo. We didn’t go in expecting too much during the short time we had slated for them, but we also knew Poncho specialized in these fish.

I slipped a live bonito onto the hook and free-spooled the line, letting the fish swim to the bottom. Poncho positioned the boat over a rock pinnacle so the slow-moving tide would carry us over it. While I held the rod, Poncho felt the bonito on the line, feeding it slack as it moved.

“Oooh, one is after it,” Poncho whispered while letting the line run through his hands. He added further instructions. “Let it go and when I say ‘Lock the bail,’ set the hook and hold on!”

It was our first cast, my line hadn’t been in the water two minutes and I wasn’t sure what to expect. But when the line started screaming off the reel, I had an inkling I was in for a battle.

After 30 yards of line stripped out, Poncho gave the order. The instant I set the hook, he gunned the panga.

All I could do was hold on.

After a fast, 50-yard run, Poncho killed the engine.

“There, he’s out of the rocks, now 76 California Sportsman JANUARY 2019 | calsportsmanmag.com

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keep your line tight and have fun!” he said with a smile. The fight didn’t last 10 minutes, but I was surprised at how hard the pargo pulled and how heavy it felt. Soon we were admiring the beautiful fish. We made three more passes, had three more hits and Tiffany too got to feel the thrill of catching a pargo and crossing a fish off our bucket lists.

We then trolled for wahoo and landed a whopper. Tiffany also had a massive roosterfish chase her bait, but it didn’t get the hook. We caught more dorado and left having experienced one of our best days ever of fishing in Mexico.

FROM THE BOAT TO OUR PLATE That night we went to our host Jonathan Roldan’s famous restaurant, the Tailhunter Cantina, which is on the main drag in La Paz. Here, they cooked up some of our catch. Enjoying fresh ceviche and perfectly seasoned and grilled fish was a wonderful ending to a fabulous day.

During our week with Tailhunter International, we swam alongside massive whale sharks, snorkeled in remote waters, explored the city, danced, ate some of the best food we’ve had in Mexico, golfed, paddle boarded, swam in the hotel pool, and, of course, caught more fish.

We brought home a cooler of fillets with us, and every time Tiffany prepares some we’re reminded of what a glorious time we had with wonderful people in a very special place in Mexico.

Every dinner conversation ends with both of us confirming that we need to go back soon to fish with the Tailhunter International crew and experience more of what La Paz, Mexico has to offer. CS Editor’s note: For signed copies of the Haugens’ popular cookbook, Cooking Seafood, visit scotthaugen.com. Scott Haugen is the host of The Hunt on Amazon Prime. Follow him on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

78 California Sportsman JANUARY 2019 | calsportsmanmag.com

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BUT AT 70 MPH YOU BUT AT 70 MPH YOU 70BUT MPH ATYOU 70BUT MPH AT YOU 70 MPH YOU BUT AT 70 MPH YOU CAN’T HEAR THEM. CAN’T HEAR THEM. EAR CAN’T THEM. HEAR CAN’T THEM. HEAR CAN’TTHEM. HEAR THEM.

It’s a glorious sunrise, viewed in fast forward thanks to the power of your 250 ProXS. It’s a glorious sunrise, viewed fast the forward thanks toyour the power of your 250 ProXS. glorious d in fast sunrise, forward viewed It’s thanks a glorious in to fast the power sunrise, forward ofviewed thanks yourneed 250 to in to ProXS. the fast power forward thanks your 250 tofish ProXS. theare power 250 ProXS. Because you get thereofin while stillof eating breakfast.

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FISHING

DROP IN FOR A WHILE SOMETIME OF ALL SET-UPS USED FOR BASS, MANY ANGLERS STAND

BY THE DROP-SHOT RIG MOST FOR WINTER FISHING

By Bill Schaefer

S

outhern California lakes are waking up for the new season and bass creel numbers will be rising on all the local waters. Water temperatures are climbing as well, and in the next couple of months male largemouth will be roaming the banks by the hundreds. They will be looking for that perfect place to make a nest for themselves and their giant female mate. It is a time of year when the bass are scattered from the shallowest shoreline to the deepest point on the lake.

Largemouth anglers often look for that perfect winter bait. It’s a search that sparks a lot of debate amongst us: Which set-up is the best? Among all the jig, plastic, spinnerbait and crankbait options, which one will draw the most bites this time of year?

Most of the time it may be that plastics have the edge over hard baits, but it is not so much the plastics themselves as it is the technique used to fish them that can make a Author Bill Schaefer’s son Bricen shows off a nice El Capitan Reservoir largemouth he took using the drop-shot method, which is a favorite of many Southland bass anglers. (BILL SCHAEFER) calsportsmanmag.com | JANUARY 2019 California Sportsman

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FISHING big difference.

Options include the Bubba rig, Carolina rig, Texas rig, split-shot setup, Wacky rig, as well as a few more locally named rigs in your area.

BEST OF THE BEST But the rig that swept the nation’s bass anglers off their feet and has become the go-to over the last several decades is the drop shot. This set-up can be used from the most shallow area of the lake to the deepest point or old riverbed. Sure, some of the

other rigs will work this time of year, but the drop shot seems to produce in almost any situation.

The drop shot is most often fished on a spinning rod with a lighter action and soft tip. I use the Daiwa Tatula series drop-shot rod and spinning reel. The line or leader is kept down in breaking strength as well, usually 4- to 8-pound test, with 6-pound being the most popular. I like to line my reel with Daiwa or Maxima braid and go with some Maxima fluorocarbon line for my leader, taking every ad-

vantage of new technology.

A sensitive tip is the key to dropshot fishing. It takes some practice to detect a bite, but once you have it down it will be hard for you to put this set-up away. The braid and fluorocarbon help transmit the bite.

The hook is tied to the main line with a palomar knot. The tag, or the end of the line not attached to the reel, is left very long, so you can cut it down to size after tying the hook on.

Hooks can vary with the bait being used, but usually run small. There are even specialty drop-shot hooks.

Leave that tagline anywhere from 12 to 18 inches long and attach the weight to the end of it. The weights will vary with the depth being fished.

There are also drop-shot weights that can be changed quickly if more or less weight is needed. I still go with the old method of a split-shot squeezed on at the bottom.

BOTTOM FEEDERS

A trolling motor, graph, and spinning rod and reel represent the backbone gear of good drop-shot fishing. (BILL SCHAEFER)

82 California Sportsman JANUARY 2019 | calsportsmanmag.com

Another question to ponder: What are the advantages to having the bait above the weight? Well, almost all Southern California lakes have some type of moss or vegetation growing on the bottom. This rig helps you keep the bait above that.

Even if the fish want the bait presented right on the bottom instead of up off of it, the weightlessness of the bait lets it settle on top of the moss or weeds without being pulled down into it by the weight if it were right against the bait, such as with a Texas-rigged worm.

Twitching this bait in almost any situation lets it dart and flutter without getting hung up. Even if you hang the weight up on some bottom structure, it will just pull off and you can quickly put another one on without losing a lure or having to take a long time to set up again. This rig can be fished around any type of structure there is in your local lake. Soon the bass will be on the cruise looking for nesting spots, but once they lock onto a bed this set-up can be excel-

calsportsmanmag.com | JANUARY 2019 California Sportsman

83

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lent as well.

Think about it. The sinker is on the bottom, below the lure. If the bass picks up the bait to take it out of the nest, it doesn’t feel the weight of the sinker as it starts off. This can give you an extra second to detect the bite and set the hook.

Lots of the time the female largemouth will just suck the intruder in and blow it off the nest. But again, this lighter object may stay in her mouth longer, giving you extra time to hook her.

DEPTH PERCEPTION Sometimes the males are locked on the beds and the females are hanging off in deeper water, such as out on the points leading into the spawning area. This bait still lets you fish deep as well. You may have to put a slightly larger weight on, but the effect is the same. A darting, fluttering, swimming lure looks much more natural to those big wary females.

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There are companies that specialize in drop-shot weights, hooks, and baits. This reflects how popular this method is and your local tackle shop will have an assortment.

Usually, smaller plastics are used, but almost any type of plastic lure can be put on your drop-shot rig. Worms, creatures, grubs, or small shad-type plastics all work with this rig.

If you have never tried this technique before, we are approaching the right time of year for you to gain confidence in it. You may have to fish a little deeper for the next couple months – depending on the weather – but soon there will be so many males starting to roam the banks that it is pretty easy to get bit.

And once it starts to become productive for you, you will not put it down. It will become your rig of choice and you will end up using it all season long.

So get out there and drop in on some bass! CS

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HUNTING

DISCOVER YOUR PREDATOR PROWESS WINTER CALLING TIPS TO BAG MORE COYOTES, BOBCATS, FOXES

By Tim E. Hovey

I

dropped my seating pad on the ground in the shadow of a Joshua tree and sat down. I placed my rifle on my shooting sticks and got comfortable.

Being right-handed, I favored the right side as I always do and out of habit placed my left leg between the legs of my sticks. Hunting partner Jose De Orta was set up on my left.

I looked over and nodded to him. He gave me a thumbs up, signaling that he was ready too. I took one last quiet look over the desert terrain before I started calling.

I sent screaming rabbit sounds out over the desert floor while using the Dan Thompson hand call. The cold morning air carried the sounds out over the flat terrain. I knew we’d

shake something loose.

During the third series, I caught a flash of fur cutting through the bushes 30 feet below me. Ten feet from where I was sitting the coyote slammed on the brakes. For less than a second we locked eyes and then he was gone.

I stood up and left the sticks on the ground. Reflex took over and I

easily found the running coyote in the scope. Leading him slightly and with both eyes open, I squeezed the trigger. The first coyote of the season rolled to a stop in the desert sage. I absolutely love this time of year.

BACK IN 1986, A friend of mine gave me a video on predator calling. I don’t

Author Tim Hovey (right) and Jose De Orta are veteran predator hunters and relish the winter opportunities to carry their hand calls out to the high desert to pursue coyote and bobcats among other predators. (TIM E. HOVEY) calsportsmanmag.com | JANUARY 2019 California Sportsman 89

HUNTING recall the title, but it was a VHS tape produced by the Burnham Brothers, well-respected predator call makers.

At the time, I knew very little about what was involved in calling coyotes, foxes and bobcats into range. All I knew was that I was completely immersed in all types of hunting and thirsty to learn whatever I could.

I can clearly remember watching the video three times over the following days and I was absolutely obsessed. Individuals, dressed completely in camouflage, sat in the shadows and used handheld predator calls to fool some of the smartest animals on the planet.

I watched footage of coyotes running towards the hunter with the look of blood in their eyes, and bobcats carefully picking each step and sneaking in close ready to pounce.

It was the first time I had ever seen predators called in and I knew I had to give this type of hunting a try.

After reviewing the state seasons and picking up a few hand calls, I headed out to try my luck. Those early days were wrought with failure.

Trying to mimic what I had seen and heard on the video, I became puzzled why I wasn’t successful.

Looking back, I realized that there were many subtleties of predator calling that weren’t mentioned on the tape. The video was, of course, filled with stands where predators came running in and seasoned hunters skillfully and calmly put fur on the ground. However, it lacked the information needed to become a consistent and successful predator hunter.

Realizing I was missing something, I began reading everything I could get my hands on regarding hunting predators. I scoured internet hunting forums for tips and tactics and read online magazines that featured calling coyotes. Adding in what I gathered from still more videos, I began to

slowly figure things out.

To illustrate the clarity of this particular epiphany, I can still remember the date of my most memorable learning experience as a beginning predator hunter. In November 2000, I was calling a small valley that looked amazing to me. At that time I had yet to call in, let alone see a predator in almost four years of trying. After nearly 20 minutes of calling with no takers, I stood up and realized that I could see a lot further from my standing position, almost doubling the territory in view. That day I realized I needed to dissect each potential stand to identify the best vantagepoint for calling. In short, I needed to sit where I could see. By the end of that year, using this fairly obvious information, I called in and killed my first coyote.

OVER THE YEARS, I have dedicated myself to becoming the best predator hunter I can be. I search out and dis-

Elevated areas that put the sun at your back are prime for calling in the predators that call these desert areas home. (TIM E. HOVEY) 90 California Sportsman JANUARY 2019 | calsportsmanmag.com

HUNTING Coyotes can be pursued throughout the year in California, offering hunters plenty of opportunities for quantity and quality. (TIM E. HOVEY)

92 California Sportsman JANUARY 2019 | calsportsmanmag.com

sect new hunting areas to pick the best spots to sit when I eventually call it. I make note of the sun direction and quickly determine if the new area is a morning or evening stand, always trying to keep the sun at my back.

I’ll also look for game trails and identify the types of animals that use the area, making sure to determine fresh sign from old tracks. Essentially, I want to ensure that there are predators in the area before I ever call a new spot.

While there are dozens of specialized steps involved with being a successful predator hunter, to me hunting where animals are present is obviously one of the most important. I spent many early hunts simply walking into an area, sitting down and calling, never even considering if animals regularly used the location or not.

A truly valuable step in becoming successful in predator hunting is evaluating the area for animal movement during preseason scouting.

HUNTING It’s also important to use the wind to your advantage. All canines, including coyotes and foxes, use the wind to determine the potential for danger. This means they will routinely circle downwind of a calling spot when they come in to investigate.

Hunters who make note of the wind before they call can use this behavior to their advantage.

Before I make a sound I’ll check

the wind. Once I determine the direction, I will concentrate most of my careful searching in that downwind direction when I start calling. More times than not, if a coyote is close and coming to the call, he will do so downwind.

Unlike coyotes, bobcats are quiet ambush predators that sneak in close before pouncing. While I have seen bobcat jog into the call, for the

most part they sneak in, using every bit of available habitat to hide their approach. While I look for flashes of brown fur quickly moving through the brush when I hunt coyotes, I do more concentrated searching when I predator call for bobcats.

Cats are the masters of stealth when they hunt the wild terrain.

They frequently just appear on stand when I’m calling, having sneaked in almost undetected. It’s been my experience that bobcats don’t rely as much on the wind as canines do when coming to the call. They depend on their eyes, ears and silent approach to capture prey. When bobcats are in season and I’m hoping to hang a tag on one, I will scan every piece of habitat at each stand before I get up.

PROBABLY THE MOST IMPORTANT aspect

Jose De Orta with a bobcat, a species that can be hunted statewide through Feb. 28 with an overall limit of five of either sex. (TIM E. HOVEY) 94 California Sportsman JANUARY 2019 | calsportsmanmag.com

in being able to consistently call and kill predators is being on target. I use shooting sticks on stand to steady my shot, but when things get hectic, and they frequently do, I’m very comfortable shooting off-hand and quickly.

Since predators show up at unexpected times and places during a calling sequence, quick target acquisition is a must. Spending too many seconds trying to find a moving animal in the scope or being unable to quickly settle the crosshairs on a nervous coyote is usually a missed opportunity. By far, the most successful new hunters I’ve taken with me to call predators have been those who are comfortable behind a rifle and shoot very well.

For me, predator hunting is something that I do when other seasons are closed. Coyotes are open yearround, but I only hunt them in the fall and winter months when their fur is prime. I enjoy the amount of effort it takes to become consistently successful, and I will never tire of seeing all that work pay off when I’m able to fool a predator with a $10 wooden whistle.

In a world where gadgets and gear seemed to overwhelm us all, I find myself drawn to anything that I can make

HUNTING simple. To spend an entire day calling predators, I don’t need anything more than a set of shooting sticks, a seating pad and my trusty rifle.

Over the years I have accumulated dozens of different hand calls, some bought and others given to me. Several of my favorites are strung on a lanyard that hangs around my neck within easy reach. When the weather is good and I have some free time, all my friends know exactly where I’ll be.

JOSE AND I CONTINUED calling for the

“Over the years I have accumulated dozens of different hand calls, some bought and others given to me,” Hovey writes. “ When the weather is good and I have some free time, all my friends know exactly where I’ll be.” (TIM E. HOVEY)

96 California Sportsman JANUARY 2019 | calsportsmanmag.com

rest of the day. We shot a few coyotes, saw some amazing country and enjoyed our time afield. As we always do, we started planning the next trip on our way back. I’ll add this trip to my memory, just like all the others.

What I’ll remember won’t be how many animals we harvested or how many shots we took. I’ll just remember a great time with a good friend out chasing predators. CS

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HUNTING

TAKE A COTTON TO WINTER RABBITS COTTONTAIL HUNTING OPENS IN SUMMER, BUT SEASON’S END OFFERS ITS OWN REWARDS, INCLUDING FAT BUNNIES FOR THE POT Cottontail rabbit season opens in July, but winter - the season runs through January – is also an ideal time to hunt them in colder conditions. (TIM HOVEY)

By Tim E. Hovey

I

will always have a special place in my hunting heart for rabbits. Back when I first started hunting, my first actual hunted animal was a cottontail rabbit that I shot with an old lever-action .22 in the back hills of Central California.

Cottontails are usually abundant where they persist and easy to pursue. Depending on your hunting approach, I’ll almost guarantee most hunters already have a firearm in their safe adequate for hunting rabbits. All you really need is a box of shells and a hunting license.

GUN TALK If I’m in the mood to walk some good rabbit habitat, I’ll almost al-

ways grab my Browning 12-gauge shotgun. Moving through the desert sage with a shotgun and kicking up cottontail rabbits is one of my favorite types of hunting.

I also enjoy grabbing the smaller rimfire rifles, like a .22 or a .17 HMR, to change things up. I find a high spot in the early morning or late afternoon and glass the area for feeding rabbits. While I started hunting this way when I was a kid using my trusty Ruger .22, for the last decade I’ve transitioned over to the smaller and faster .17 HMR. I feel like the .17 is more accurate at distance than the .22 and it is definitely a fun round to shoot. When I have to stretch the distance on shots out to 150 to 200 yards and want to accurately place the bullet, I’ll always

reach for the Savage .17 HMR. Most years, I will head out early for the California cottontail opener, hoping to add a few rabbits to the cooler. The July 1 opener always consists of an early hunt to beat the encroaching desert heat. Almost like clockwork, we start hunting at sunup and are usually done by 10 a.m. By then we’re dragging ourselves back to the truck, overheated and worn out.

COLDER AND BOLDER This year, not getting my fill of rabbit hunting during the opener, I decided to plan a winter hunt in cooler temperatures. I had been back to the area we hunted in July and was still seeing enough rabbits in the thick sage to warrant another walk through.

With cooler weather forecasted

calsportsmanmag.com | JANUARY 2019 California Sportsman 101

HUNTING and a free weekend, I drove out early to a drainage I’ve hunted for the last 15 years. I arrived as the sun rose and got my gear ready. I decided to split up the hunt by glassing early for feeding bunnies first and then walking around with the shotgun to hopefully finish off my limit.

For the last several years I’ve been taking new hunters out with me to experience our hunting heritage. This day I was solo and hunting for myself. I do enjoy sharing my hunting knowledge with others interested in getting started, but I wanted to walk the hills alone on this hunt.

I slung the .17 over my shoulder, tossed some shells in my pocket and grabbed the binoculars. I hiked to a small group of rocks that gave me a perfect view of the thick sage and drainage below. As I got comfortable I looked down and noticed a tarnished piece of brass. Having hunted this

t

spot before, I smiled knowing that I likely left the .17-caliber shell case here on a previous rabbit hunt.

The sun started lighting up the tips of the vegetation, making it look like it was on fire. I knew this was prime time for rabbit movement and felt the thrill of just being here and being ready. Movement to my left caught my eye. A rabbit had stepped

Cottontails can be hard to see along the desert floor amid thick sagebrush.

Keep an eye out for rabbits darting through the brush. (TIM E. HOVEY)

102 California Sportsman JANUARY 2019 | calsportsmanmag.com

out into the open to feed and I felt my heart jump.

Over 40 years have passed since I shot that first rabbit up on a hillside and the thrill is still as fresh.

I looked through the binoculars at the critter feeding in the shadows. The jackrabbit had no idea I was there, but got a pass. I was only interested in harvesting cottontails on this hunt.

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HUNTING

A limit of cottontails means some great meat for the freezer this winter. (TIM E. HOVEY)

QUITE A SCENE As the sun got higher in the sky, the desert came alive. A covey of quail sounded off from their roost across the drainage and then flew down, moving towards cover. A roadrunner raced along an old two-track, searching for lizards. And the first cottontail of the day moved from the thick cover 120 yards below me.

I quietly steadied the rifle on the sticks and got the rabbit in the scope.

I placed the crosshairs on the neck to save the meat and squeezed the trigger. The bunny fell dead there.

I spent about 45 minutes searching the gaps in cover waiting for cottontails to move. After a clean miss on a second rabbit, I connected with two more out at 150 and 140 yards. I’m certain I could’ve limited out just sitting on the rocks, picking them off as they appeared. But I really wanted to see if I could pick up the last two with the shotgun.

I hiked out and picked up my three cottontails. All three were plump adults, bigger and fatter than the rabbits I had shot during the opener.

Back at the truck, I loaded the rabbits in the cooler, dropped off the rifle and grabbed the shotgun. It was time to do some snapshooting.

FINDING BUNNIES In the thick sage of the desert floor, the rabbits are tough to see. Sometimes all you get is a glimpse of fur or the flash of their cotton-ball-like tail as they run through the brush trying to escape. Opportunities are brief and successful shots must be quick.

I found a good spot further upstream and started slowly moving through the vegetation. Within steps of starting, a jackrabbit broke from cover and ran off to my right.

I tracked him with the shotgun for practice, but held the shot.

I kept pushing through the sage,

104 California Sportsman JANUARY 2019 | calsportsmanmag.com

intentionally bumping into the brush.

A few minutes after encountering the jack, a cottontail dashed out in the open and ran straight away from me.

The shot was instant and instinctual.

The rabbit cartwheeled to a stop in the sand.

I pushed through the rest of the brush and didn’t see anything else.

At the end of the stretch, I watched a few quail run up a side hill. For a few seconds I thought about chasing them for a bit, but decided that maybe I was done.

ONE MORE FOR THE POT With four rabbits in the bag, I had plenty of meat and it had been an awesome few hours in the desert. I rested the shotgun on my shoulder and headed back to the truck. Despite feeling that the hunt was coming to an end, I kept my shotgun loaded. To me, the hunt is never over until I’m back at the truck.

HUNTING CALIFORNIA COTTONTAIL HUNTING CDFW’s cottontail season opens up on July 1 of each year and runs until the end of January, so this is the last month hunters can get in the action until next summer comes around. The daily bag limit is five rabbits per person, with 10 in possession.

The end-of-the-season date may change each year, so make sure you’re aware of that before you head out to hunt. TH

I took a slightly different path back, doing more observing than hunting. I kicked up a few more quail and actually chased the covey for about 10 minutes without ever taking a shot.

Taking a shortcut through the creek, I kicked up cottontail number five and easily added it to the bag.

At the truck I decided to fielddress the rabbits. Cottontails are easy to skin, as with a small cut in the back hunters can easily pull the entire skin off the rabbit. Once the skin is off you have two options: You can remove the entrails, clean it and you’re done.

Or you can part out the rabbit – taking the back straps – and all four legs.

I always prefer to part out my cottontails.

I bagged my cleaned rabbits and placed them on ice, then stowed all my gear and started for home. Driving out of the area, another cottontail raced across the dirt road in front of me. I stopped and watched as the bunny ran up the hill, disappearing behind some sagebrush. A second later, he hopped out and sat out in the open. An easy shot, I thought.

It had been a few years since I

Hovey’s first hunting experience was chasing rabbits, and though he loves taking his kids and friends out on these fun adventures, he doesn’t mind going out alone in the winter and scoring a few cottontails. (TIM E. HOVEY) 106 California Sportsman JANUARY 2019 | calsportsmanmag.com

picked off some rabbits with the .17 HMR. The rifle actually belongs to my daughters, who each bagged their first limits with the rimfire Savage rifle. They are accurate and super fun to shoot. Balancing this hunt with the shotgun was an awesome way to mix things up and put a limit of rabbits in the cooler.

A NOSTALGIC HUNT I still enjoy all different types of hunting. Chasing rabbits is where my hunting career began, and I will always plan a trip or two to hunt bunnies when the season opens. I normally take new hunters out, or I’ll hunt the season opener with friends.

However, despite being alone on this winter day, I had an amazing time.

I like to say that I’ve been alone thousands of times, but I have never, ever been lonely. The outdoors will always be my companion. CS

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HUNTING

THE IMPORTANCE OF EYE CONTACT

By Scott Haugen

O

“

h my gosh, your dogs are just sitting there, staring at you with such intensity,” said the man as I taught him how I train my pudelpointers to track birds.

My dogs, Echo, 5, and Kona, 2, sat exactly where instructed, just as they’d been doing since they were 10 weeks old. Both knew we were in training mode, and they were eagerly awaiting the next set of instructions.

Actually, Echo and Kona were trying to read my eyes to see what my next action would be, which would key them in as to what their next command was. In other words, their drive to please me was so intense, they were trying to anticipate what to do before I instructed them.

EYE CONTACT IS one of the most important training tools you can establish. A dog that’s been trained to watch your eyes will actually be able to read your mind through your eyes, eagerly trying to please you before you even tell it what to do. The man I was coaching was blown away by it, but when I explained what was happening, it made perfect sense to him.

He was a dentist and had three high school- and college-age children.

“When you were raising your kids, or when you talk to your patients, and you need to tell them something important, what’s the first thing you do?” I asked.

“Well, I make sure I have their attention before talking,” the man replied.

“And you affirm that by eye contact, right?” I responded. He smiled as the light bulb went off.

Establishing eye contact with your pup paves the way to having a disciplined hunting dog that will want to please you its whole life, and it will achieve much of that through reading your eyes. (SCOTT HAUGEN)

The gentleman was new to dog training, and didn’t understand the true intelligence of a hunting dog.

Nor did he realize that their drive to please their master was so strong.

I was a science teacher for over a decade before getting into the outdoor industry full time 19 years ago, and my wife and I have two teenage sons of our own. In all we do, eye contact is the focal point of establishing clear communication, both in our marriage and our relationship with

our children. Dogs are no different.

IT ALL STARTS the moment you bring a puppy home. The easiest way we’ve found to get a puppy to look at you is hold a small piece of kibble by your eye while giving the command to “look at me.” You want the puppy to look into your eyes before giving the next command.

Whatever command you give should maintain the same positive inflection every time, for the life of the

calsportsmanmag.com | JANUARY 2019 California Sportsman

109

HUNTING dog. And every family member should communicate the same way, with the same words and tone, in order for the dog to understand what’s expected.

When training, no matter how bright the sun is shining, I never wear sunglasses. If wearing a hat, make sure the brim is up so the dogs can see your eyes. Most dogs are so tuned in to reading your thoughts through your eyes that covering your eyes will only confuse them and make it harder for them to read you. They’ll be able to sense if you’re happy, sad, mad or frustrated, all through simply looking at your eyes, without a word being said.

If family members have a hand in training the pup, make sure everyone is on the same page. Not only is it important to give directions using the exact same words, but to also deliver them in a consistent manner and with the same exact tone.

It’s best to establish control of the pup through eye contact before giving any directives. By holding a treat

Eye contact is a key part of dog training, no matter who in the family is giving the instructions. Author Scott Haugen’s teenage son Kazden played a key part in training Kona, along with the rest of the family. (SCOTT HAUGEN)

next to your eye, teach the pup to look into your eye as soon as you get it home, as this will calm the pup and establish that you’re the one in control. Quickly, the pup will learn that another command like “sit” or “come” is quick to follow. From there,

A dog’s drive to please you comes down to respect, discipline and desire, all of which can be established through eye contact. Here, Haugen’s dog Echo works hard at bringing a Roosevelt elk shed to hand. (SCOTT HAUGEN)

110 California Sportsman JANUARY 2019 | calsportsmanmag.com

they’ll be looking to please you as other commands come.

AS TRAINING SESSIONS progress into retrieving, tracking, hand-signal training and more, you’ll see your puppy wanting to make eye contact with you as soon as possible. If a puppy respects you, it will want to please you, and this will lead to a dog that’s willing to work hard to make you happy.

When your pup does well, praise it, and be sure to look into its eyes and offer a smile. Often, no words are needed, as they can see your sincerity in your eyes. This look of approval alone is often all it takes to praise a pup and keep it motivated.

From eight weeks of age through your dog’s entire life, eye contact will be one of the most important tools of communication you’ll use. Start early, use it every single day, and be consistent.

After all, when a pup loves you, it’ll do anything to please you, even to the point of reading your mind so it can make you happy before you even tell it what to do. CS Editor’s note: To watch Scott Haugen’s series of puppy training videos, visit scotthaugen .com. Follow Scott on Facebook, Instagram & Twitter, and check out his TV show, The Hunt, on Amazon Prime.

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(BRITTANY BODDINGTON, BOTH)

PLAINS GAME PARADISE ROUGH-AROUND-THE-EDGES MOZAMBIQUE OFFERS SEASONED HUNTERS PLENTY OF OPTIONS

By Brittany Boddington

M

ozambique is one of those magical places I could go to over and over again.

The last time we were there was primarily for my fiancé Brad to get a buffalo (California Sportsman, November 2018), but we did a lot of other hunting as well. The plains game there are all slightly different to other places, which makes it a great destination for those who have been there and done that in nearby South Africa and Namibia, in the southern end of calsportsmanmag.com | JANUARY 2019 California Sportsman 113

the African continent.

My favorite of the Mozambique antelope are the blue duiker, suni and the red duiker. They are part of the pygmy antelope group – tiny and elusive. Hunters typically use a small-caliber rifle for the red duiker, while the blue duiker and suni are mostly hunted with a shotgun because they are so small.

They live in dense forest undergrowth and move about in little channels carved by constant travel.

For the most part they are undetectable, unless you catch them in little open areas. But even then they stand still with incredible camouflage skills.

It took me a couple days to start picking them out as we drove around.

I had to train my eyes to look for their shape and color. Hunting these small antelope is always a challenge, and only the lucky hunters succeed on their first try to get them all.

If the small antelope are not exciting for you, larger antelope are

Mozambique has plenty of wildlife viewing opportunities, so expect to stumble upon cobras and monkeys (below) in your travels. (BRITTANY BODDINGTON)

also unique to the area. You’ll find Lichtenstein’s hartebeest, Chobi bushbuck, Selous’ zebra, Livingstone eland, Nissan wildebeest and more.

A HARD-CORE EXPERIENCE For first-time hunters and families I typically recommend Namibia; it is safe and wonderful for all ages. But for more seasoned African hunters I highly recommend Mozambique.

It takes some effort to get to the hunting area. You must fly to Johannesburg, South Africa, and then up to Beira – the fourth largest city in Mozambique – where you can catch a charter flight into camp. It’s not a huge deal to get there, although it does take some effort and patience.

I only go to Mozambique with Zambeze Delta Safaris (zambezedeltasafaris.com), which is run by Mark Haldane. They always have everything planned out and take care of all the details, making the customs entry and exit smooth sailing. Since I do not speak Portuguese and very few airport employees speak English I really appreciate his attention to detail.

EARNING YOUR STRIPES I was hoping for the chance to hunt a zebra on this last safari. The Selous’ zebra is a beautiful creature, featuring stripes going all the way down the legs to the hooves and no brown shadow stripes.

They don’t get very many permits to hunt these zebras, so I wasn’t able to hunt them on my last safari. This year Mark saved one tag for me!

They tend to stay in herds, with most of the animals avoiding the thick forest and staying more toward the edge of the floodplains where the buffalo reside.

We went out to the edge of the floodplain to glass for zebra in the early afternoon. We saw a few herds 114 California Sportsman JANUARY 2019 | calsportsmanmag.com

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115

way out in the open floodplains, but there was no way to get anywhere near them with zero cover, so we continued to glass.

This continued for a few days with no luck for us. But one day toward the end of our trip we happened upon a group of zebra grazing in a relatively open area. We decided to make a plan and sneak in. We were so fixated on the zebra 400 yards ahead of us that we almost missed the small group with a stallion off to our left at 150 yards. Brad spotted them and got our attention.

We changed our plan and got behind some small palm plants. I was able to get the sticks up and take a standing shot and hit exactly where I aimed. The zebra dropped to the shot.

I was shooting a borrowed Blaser in .300 Win. Mag., my favorite caliber for plains game. The zebra was incredible – a true stallion with battle wounds from years of fighting, but it had still beautiful stripes and was exactly what I was looking for.

HIGH ON THE HOG

Lush green conditions greeted the hunters’ morning coffee at camp. (BRITTANY BODDINGTON)

Our final wish-list species was a big warthog for each of us. Fortunately Brad and I both found an old dinosaur in the last two days of the hunt.

The edge of barren floodplains like this offer a good opportunity to spot zebras, which congregate in herds away from the thicker forests. (BRITTANY BODDINGTON) 116 California Sportsman JANUARY 2019 | calsportsmanmag.com

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“Mozambique is one of those places I could easily visit every year,” Boddington writes. (BRITTANY BODDINGTON)

I thought my warthog was huge until I spotted the one for Brad to shoot.

The tusks were so long that one of the warthog’s eyes was blocked by the tip of the tusk. The trip was a huge success and we are already planning our next adventure there.

I’m hoping for an eland next time and Brad really wants to hunt a bushbuck. Translation: Mozambique is one of those places I could easily visit every year! CS Editor’s note: Los Angeles native Brittany Boddington is a Phoenix-based hunter, journalist and adventurer. For more, go to brittanyboddington.com and facebook. com/brittanyboddington.

118 California Sportsman JANUARY 2019 | calsportsmanmag.com