Sportsman's News December 2016 Digital Edition

DIGITAL EDITION FREE

December 2016 | Volume 12 | Issue 12

Chad LaChance

Dishes With Fishes

Mule Deer Mecca Of The West

By Michael Deming

W Page 6

henever you think about trophy mule deer, Colorado has got to be at the top of your list. If not, it should be since the world record mule deer comes from there. He was taken

Steve Mayer

Crispy Orange Venison The fish are biting

HIT THE ICE

Lengthen Device Life

Kiss Battery Drain Goodbye Bill Maddus from Texas with a 217-inch whopper mule deer taken with Colorado Hunting Expeditions. in Dolores County, which is in the southwest corner of the state. It is also the home to Colorado Hunting Expeditions, one of our newest Platinum Approved Outfitters. Although they didn’t harvest the world record, they consistently harvest some of the largest mule deer in the state. continued on page 2

COLORADO MULE DEER continued from cover

This consistent success is what put Colorado Hunting Expeditions on my radar. These majestic giants are what keeps me up at night. I finally had the pleasure of meeting Robert (Bob) and Terri Luna, the owners of this first-class operation in Las Vegas at the Safari Club International Show. With over twenty years in the business, Bob and Terri have figured out how to consistently get it done. Not only on deer, but also on elk. Bob took the time to explain this area of Colorado to me and even though I’m originally from southern Colorado, I seldom hunted over in this area. It has a lot of private property and for that reason, we had stayed away.

The private property situation in this area is the reason that these bucks have the opportunity to get so big. Genetics and age are the key factors in growing big bucks. Colorado Hunting Expeditions not only have deer, but they also have a good number of elk on these sanctuary properties. Colorado is more known for their quantity of elk and not so much their quality, however, with ranches bordering Utah, they often harvest bulls larger than average on some of these ranches.

Knowing that we wanted to hunt with Bob as soon as possible so we could evaluate their operation first hand, I was willing to hunt whenever he had an opening. He said that he had one opening for early archery elk on one of his ranches near Pagosa Springs and the guide would be someone who has been on this ranch for half a dozen years. It had some surrounding public ground on this 3,500 acre ranch which would hold a good resident herd, but would get even better as the season rolled around. All I wanted was an opportunity to evaluate his operation and this was perfect for me and my schedule. So, we were booked for the first week of September.

We rolled into Pagosa Springs on September 3rd, only to be greeted by daytime temperatures in the high 80’s. Not exactly what you would hope for on an early archery elk hunt, but Lester Hawkins, our guide and ranch manager, assured us that we would be into elk. After settling into my 1200 square foot master suite and being served up a nice ribeye for dinner, we decided to settle into the Jacuzzi out on the deck. It wasn’t exactly what you would consider a rough backcountry elk hunt, but I enjoy having a comfortable hunt like this every now and then. Actually, I don’t mind them all of the time!

Lester picked us up well before daylight, but since we were staying on the ranch, we didn’t have to travel very far. We drove to the middle of the ranch and Lester explained that the elk would come out into the fields on the lower portion of the ranch and would gradually work their way back up into the timber to bed as daylight ar-

rived. With the wind blowing from the mountains down into the fields, the plan would be to spot the elk and then flank them in hopes of getting a shot.

A distant bugle snapped us into reality and made us focus on the task at hand; find the elk. As we searched through the grey light in our binoculars, Lester picked up the herd still out in the fields. The closer it got to daylight, the more the elk communicated. There were at least seventy-five elk in the field and well over a dozen bulls. One of them was a nice, mature bull and exactly what we were looking to put our tag on, but he was the first one into the trees. It took nearly an hour for the rest of the herd to disappear into the trees and the wind to change directions. We covered the half mile of distance pretty quickly and were immediately into the elk.

They had no idea we were in the country, but we also had no idea where the big herd bull was either.

This game of cat and mouse continued for nearly two hours before we finally decided it was best to move out and wait for the evening hunt.

Early afternoon had us rolling the dice on where we thought the elk would enter the field. There were several ponds at the base of the hills which spread out over a mile. So, it was like a game of roulette on where to go. Lester said to just take our pick and hope for a break as the elk seldom come out where they went in, but that it does happen.

He told us that one of the draws did get hit more than others and based on his encouragement, we set up where we would have a fifty-yard shot when they entered the field.

The wind wasn’t exactly ideal, but we figured that we could pull it off. The plan was for Lester to sit off at a distance and spot the mountain and give us an indication if we were in the right place when the elk showed up. Another 80-degree day blessed us, which meant the elk would be moving very late and probably be pretty thirsty when the golden hour finally came. My good friend and cameraman, Wes Atkinson and I settled in for the long wait.

An hour into the sit, Wes suddenly whispered, BEAR! I had purchased a bear tag due to the high density of

The private property situation in this area is the reason that these bucks have the opportunity to get so big. Genetics and age are the key factors in growing big bucks.

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December 2016 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS

This is the bull the author spent his week chasing with archery tackle.

(Inset) Great mule deer are the norm for this part of the state.

Trevor Luna with a 187 and 5/8-inch mule deer.

bears in this area, so we immediately went into kill mode. At sixty yards, he was well within my range, but he was chewing on an old elk leg giving me the opportunity to stalk in closer. Wes and I closed the distance to twenty yards before we decided to let this young bear get some age under his belt. He had a great coat and was a sure thing at this distance, but I was more focused on elk unless he would have been a whopper.

As we laughed about the bears’ shock of us being so close to him, we heard the first bugle. It sounded raspy and low, so we hoped it was the herd bull we were looking for. We moved closer and closer, but the bugles were few and far between. Next we started seeing cows and juvenile bulls enter the field several hundred yards to the north of us and with limited cover, we knew we would only get to watch if something didn’t change. As we moved along the edge of the hill, I caught movement in the wallow below us. Low and behold, the big herd bull had left the entire herd for a drink in the open field wallow. How had this happened without us seeing him? The roll in the hill provided him just enough cover to stay out of sight, apparently.

We quickly made a plan to stay low and close the distance as much as possible. When we reached the last of the cover, he had his head down and was still drinking. I dropped my pack, nocked an arrow and set my sight for the appropriate range. It was at the edge of my effective range, but with his head down and relaxed, I knew I could pull it off. I consistently shoot 4” groups at this range and I knew this bull was going to be mine. I clipped onto my loop, took a deep breath and drew my bow. I stepped out from behind the cover to settle in for the shot just in time for the bull to finish his drink. The bull stared at these two bizarre objects that had snuck into his kitchen with that “nice try fella’s” look on his face. Dang it! So, very close, but no cigar.

At least not today. Well, we tried our best!

The next morning, we were right back after

continued on page 5

WORDS FROM THE PUBLISHER

By Michael Deming

L

ast month, I dedicated this column to “Enjoying the Experience”. It was a reflection on my view of what our hunting world has come to. It was from the heart and apparently it resonated with many of our readers and followers. I’ve never had so many comments from you about an article.

For this, I want to thank you. It is good to know that others feel the same way. I think by the results of our recent election, there are a lot more of you in this country who feel the same way about a lot of things, and far more of you than I ever thought possible. It truly makes me proud to be an American and even happier to know that I served this great nation as a U.S. Marine.

This last month, I’ve spent the majority of my time in the field and away from my family. However, I usually get to spend that time with fellow blood brothers and sisters as Mr. Ted Nugent would call them. These are the folks who enjoy hunting and fishing as much as I do and it is always great to make new memories with these extended families. Hunting and fishing is a major part of our heritage. It isn’t just a hobby, but more of a way of life. So, it is always fun

to share these things with the next generation.

One of my good friends and Sportsman’s News Pro Member, Bohm Townsend from Nevada, informed me last year that he would like to take his grandson on a hunt. Having three children of similar ages, I know that they have a challenging attention span to say the least. So I knew the very perfect place to take him. Wyoming, with Bighorn Outfitters, would provide us an opportunity to see a lot of deer and the rut would be in full swing.

It would keep Bohm’s young grandson excited.

I didn’t know when we booked the trip that I would have just started getting feedback on enjoying the outdoors or even the fact that I would write that article. However, the trip was a total reinforcement of what I had just written the month before.

Josh was a fine young man and would celebrate his 14th birthday the week after our hunt. I took great pleasure in showing him how to hunt, how to spot, how to glass for deer, what to look for in identifying a buck. He was an absolute sponge when it came to learning these things.

Although his grandfather has taken him waterfowl and upland bird hunting, this was his first experience

at big game hunting. When it was all said and done, we had harvested his first deer and a pretty darn good buck. We not only got to enjoy the experience, but I was able to share nearly forty years of knowledge of hunting.

I’m pretty sure Josh enjoyed the experience as well.

All except the opportunity to field dress his first gut shot deer. I’m sure it is a memory he will share with his own children when he gets to do the same thing with them.

I truly did “Enjoy the Experience” and am thankful for my good friend Bohm Townsend for allowing me to be part of this.

With most of the big game seasons’ closed for the year, we can sit back and reflect on all memories we created. Over the holiday season, we can also enjoy some of the wonderful protein we harvested with our families. Most importantly, we can make plans to share more of those good times in the future with our family and friends in the woods and help shape our younger generations to insure that our heritage of hunting and fishing is here long after we are gone. It is very easy for these young kids to get caught up in the electronic world and sometimes it’s hard for them to step out of it when you get them in the woods. I will assure you that the memories created in the field are the memories that will last long after you are gone.

Have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

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Battery Lock 34 Coleman ESEE IzulaKnife

Video Product Reviews 36 A guila Ammunition, SPOT Gen. 3

38 Fishful Thinker: Fish Dishes Salvage your catch with these tricks.

Member Update: Big Sand Lake Lodge 40 Pro Moose

Pro Member Sweepstakes winner Jerry Bouwens gets a Dream Come true moose hunt

46 Business Directory 48 Wild Game Recipe

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Crispy Orange Venison

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Adventures On A Budget

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BAREBOW! Sagas

DIY Ice Fishing

The Bowling Ball Ram

Outdoor Writing Contest 58 The Four-Year Deer

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Gary Lewis Chad LaChance Steve Mayer Bernie Barringer Dennis Dunn Alec Smith

December 2016 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS

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December 2016 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS

COLORADO MULE DEER continued from page 2

him again and Lester had their play book. At first light, we were already in the trees and had eyeballs on the big bull. Within thirty minutes, we were well within bow range of nearly half the herd, but the cover was thick. The overnight drizzle of rain had quieted down the forest floor, making stalking a dream.

The bull bugled and broke the silence. It sounded like he was screaming in my ear. Lester caught his movement first as he was following a cow and was pushing her right towards us. I ranged several objects and got set for the shot. At fifty yards, he started rubbing a small clump of oak brush which gave me a chance to draw my bow. I came to full draw and anticipated his next move. There was a window to the left and one to the right, but no shot where he stood.

I had just about reached my limit of being at full draw, when the dreaded warning bark of a cow sounded the alarm to the right of us. She had slipped down the hill and caught our wind and my opportunity disap-

peared as my bull ran straight away.

This guy surely had someone watching over him, but I was sure that we would get an arrow in him if we stayed persistent.

For the next five days, this game of cat and mouse continued with the big bull. I passed on other bulls each day because this had become a game of one on one with two professionals. I had decided on day two that it was this bull or something bigger or nothing for me. In the end, he proved that he was better at this game than I was. He knew the mountain, wind and how to use his other elk friends to stay on the winning side of the game.

The hard-core rut never kicked in to get him to throw caution to the wind either. I’ve never had so much fun hunting elk while not being able to punch my tag. I was in great elk every day and even during the early part of the season. Bob was right, he had elk and lots of ‘em. I will definitely be back to hunt elk with Colorado Hunting Expeditions in the future.

After seeing all of the photos and mounts of twenty plus years of trophy mule deer hunting during our stay, I’m even more certain that I will be

continued on page 8

Terr Amrine from Cortez, Colorado with a 212-inch trophy mule deer taken with a muzzleloader.

Ian Radich from Redding, California tips over a 31-inch Colorado giant mulie.

December 2016 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS

5

Ford F-Series Super Duty

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The engineers, designers and men and women who build Ford F-Series trucks know that they are responsible for innovative leadership, quality, dependability and impressive, hardworking performance. Well, the F-Series’ record as the best-selling trucks on the road for 39 years confirms that they know a thing or two about building great trucks. Those same numbers also confirm that YOU as customers also know a thing or two about a great truck when you see one too!

The 2017 Super Duty® is more than just the most capable heavy-duty Ford pickup ever built. This all-new Super Duty beats the competition hands down in maximum payload, as well as in conventional and 5th-wheel/gooseneck towing.

And the pickup with the highest gross combination weight rating? No surprise here. The all-new 2017 Super Duty® delivers the highest combination of horsepower and torque ever in a Ford heavy-duty pickup. The 6.2L FFV gas V8, with its best-in-class torque, delivers more heavy work-capable muscle. And now, the optional Live-Drive Power Takeoff (PTO) Provision with Mobile Mode is available with the gas engine as well as the turbo diesel.

Need the severe-duty stamina of a durable, powerful diesel? The 6.7L Power Stroke Turbo Diesel V8 is the winner in diesel performance with its best-in-class horsepower and torque ratings — 440 horsepower and 925 lb.-ft. of torque. The Power Stroke owes much of its performance bragging rights to strong design features, including its unique inverse-flow configuration: The turbocharger is located between the cylinder heads and the top of the block. And the exhaust manifold is positioned inboard and close to the turbocharger — close proximity means faster air displacement and more power. Another notable feature is the compacted graphite iron engine block that is stronger, yet lighter than cast iron.

Weight savings reinvested where it really counts. The 2017 Super Duty® is the toughest and most capable Ford full-size pickup truck ever. All-new highstrength, military-grade, aluminum alloy slashed the weight of the body. Some of that weight savings was then reinvested where it counts the most in a work truck - in an all-new fully boxed frame built of over 95 percent high-strength steel, stronger axles, beefier steering and chassis components. The result is a pickup that's stronger than ever before, yet up to 350 pounds lighter.

The smartest Ford Super Duty® ever. Technology expands your vision - and productivity. New available cameras, up to seven in all, enhance visibility for onsite tasks, including trailer reverse guidance for the often tough job of backing up a trailer. And Super Duty now offers available blis® with cross-traffic alert and trailer tow, lane departure warning, plus adaptive cruise control and collision warning with brake support.

The 2017 Ford F-Series Super Duty offers two-door regular cab, four-door extended cab (a.k.a. SuperCab) and four-door crew cab configurations (a chassis cab version is also available for commercial up-fitting). The extended cab has rear-hinged doors, while the crew cab has four full-size conventional-opening doors. All feature longer cabins, more legroom and a new interior design. SuperCab and Crew Cab models also offer flat second-row floors to make it easier

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December 2016 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS

to load large items into the cab. Cargo beds remain available in either 6.8-foot or 8-foot lengths. Trim levels include base XL, new STX Appearance Package, midlevel XLT, upscale Lariat and luxurious King Ranch and Platinum.

And just a little side note before we finish - it is amazing how well these next generation Super Duty’s ride. It’s no wonder you see so many Ford trucks on the road today. You may just find it hard to pry it away from your significant other when it’s time to hit the hills or head to work!

Built Ford Tough. It's synonymous with the rugged capability, outstanding performance and dependability of Ford F-Series trucks. Whether it's hauling a big load or getting you to a job site, count on the lineup of versatile, hardworking F-Series trucks to work overtime and get the job done. Check out the all-new Ford F-Series Super Duty at your local dealer today.

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COLORADO MULE DEER continued from page 5

there to hunt mule deer as soon as an opening presents itself. In fact, the Sportsman’s News team has purchased one of these premium late season deer hunts for our Pro Membership Sweepstakes. This hunt will be given away in the early part of 2017 for a 4th season deer hunt. This will include one of those very limited landowner vouchers, which allows you to hunt without having to draw a late season tag. It also includes the fully guided hunt at one of the lodges and most importantly, lots of big rutting mule deer. Colorado Hunting Expeditions, visit them on the web at www.coloradohunting. com or give them a call at 970-882-5400.

Robbie Hind from Hawaii, a long-term client of Colorado Hunting Expeditions gets it done with a 382-inch bull.

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Easy Elk

Photo by Gary Lewis

While taking an elk in Oregon or Washington is never a cake walk, some tags are easier to draw and some units are much more hunter-friendly.

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By Gary Lewis

H

“

ere in this valley, we are like the last line of defense to keep the elk out of the next valley. If they get down there into the orchards, it would be chaos.”

My friend Dale, the property owner, waited for my dad and me

Roosevelt elk in the foothills of Oregon’s Coast Range. When scouting an area, consider the habitat. Studies show that elk thrive in environments characterized by early- to mid-growth timber. When mature stands of trees dominate the landscape, the carrying capacity of the land is diminished.

on the gravel road. Through a screen of 30-year-old evergreens, we could see tan and chocolate shapes on a grassy slope, framed against the dark greens of a tree plantation.

Dale’s property is on the edge of the Coast Range, outside of Yamhill and Carlton. Uniquely situated, Dale sees his land as a buffer that attracts elk out of the high country but keeps them out of the next valley below.

There are almost too many elk.

When I looked at the pictures later, I counted 50 animals in the herd.

“This is one of three herds using the valley,” Dale whispered as we ghosted down through the trees.

We crossed a small stream then set up at the base of a low ridge to glass up the hill. The animals were strung out along the top of the ridge. Some were bedded, some were on the move. Two spike bulls sparred. The lead cow already had us pegged.

She stared into the trees.

Dale took out his range finder.

“Two-hundred-eight yards,” he whispered.

continued on page 16

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EASY ELK

continued from page 14 This was a damage control hunt.

The landowner can get tags from the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. Together, the biologist and landowner determine

how to protect the elk and property by removing a few animals from the herd.

It was time to do the triggernometry. I’d just sighted this Montana Rifle at the COSSA Range east of Bend the week before. It had

Photo by Gary Lewis

A short stalk through a stand of timber allowed for a rest on a fence post and a 230-yard shot.

a new Meopta scope on top and a 180-grain Nosler AccuBond in the chamber. The first shot on a cold barrel would strike two inches high at a hundred yards. At 200 yards, I should hold right on. I slid into position and rested the rifle on a tree limb.

The lead cow turned and the animals began to follow. There was an elk at the back of the herd and when there were no other animals behind it, I let the crosshair drift behind the shoulder.

“Two-hundred-thirty yards,” Dale whispered. At the shot we heard the bullet strike and saw the herd flow together up the hill then circle down into the valley. There was a young branch-antlered bull in the group.

All around us timbered ridges fed down into the narrow valley.

The green grass was like a magnet for these big Roosevelt elk. It was easy to see how these 40-or-so females would multiply in June when another 20 calves would hit the ground on wobbly legs. More

elk means more mouths to feed and more fences broken. And, if they are not kept out of the vineyards, the hazelnut orchards and the seed plantations, then destruction follows.

We hung the elk, skinned it and then, at lunchtime, drove down into Carlton for sandwiches in a wine tasting room. The roast beef was very good, and the water I drank, on the rocks, had been filtered down through Oregon’s coast range. I suspect their wines are just as good.

The elk we trimmed up with our knives and readied for the butcher had dined on verdant Yamhill County grass. Grasses would have made up about fifty percent of its diet. It would have eaten flowering plants, fiddleheads, weeds, leaves, the new growth on salmonberry bushes, blackberries, huckleberries and nibbled on mushrooms and mosses. Every day an elk has to put

continued on page 18

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December 2016 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS

EASY ELK

Photo by Gary Lewis

continued from page 16 away about 20 pounds of groceries.

Because Dale is committed to the wildlife, he protects the hazelnut orchards, grapes and clover seed fields in the next valley.

Dale and his wife Jenni love the elk on their property, those great troublesome animals that break down fences and trample gardens.

“They have to eat someplace,” Dale said. “We like to coexist with them.”

WASHINGTON Elk sign.

The State of Washington recognizes 10 main elk herds. These The hunter looking for an easy are the Selkirk, Blue Mountains, elk is more likely to find it in areas Yakima, Colockum, North Caswith more animals, attendant agricades, North Rainier, South Rainier, cultural damage and fewer hunters.

Mount St. Helens, Willapa Hills and Special Permit Seasons offer the Olympic herds. Some herds are at highest harvest percentages with a management objectives and others 2014 statewide success average of are decreasing in size. The state is 31.3 percent. For an easy elk, focus allowing room for increase in othon Washington’s Special Permit ers. Statewide, elk populations are seasons. estimated at between 55,000 and For harvest data click on http:// 60,000 animals. wdfw.wa.gov/hunting/harOf the 11 western states, Washvest/2014/ ington has the highest number of hunters per elk and the highest OREGON human population density of all the For Oregon hunters, statewide elk states. elk hunt harvest success averages Managing people is harder than between 11 and 14 percent. Accordmanaging elk. The Washington Deing to population estimates there partment of Fish and Wildlife conare 74,227 Rocky Mountain elk on trols hunters and harvest through the east side of the state and 41,550 season structures. Spike-only, antler continued on page 46 point restrictions, season length, weapon type and region are used to moderate Photo by Gary Lewis harvest.

For all weapon types, the general season hunter success rate was 7.9 percent in 2014, the last year for which the data was available.

Broken down: 6.8 percent hunter success for modThere might be no such thing as an easy elk, but ern firearms, in every western state there are hunts designed to 10 percent for reduce elk numbers to minimize crop damage. Such archery, 9.4 hunts offer a better chance to tie a tag on an elk. percent for And there is no better way to fill a freezer with good, muzzleloader. organic steaks and burger.

眀眀眀⸀匀瀀漀爀琀猀洀愀渀猀圀愀爀攀栀漀甀猀攀⸀挀漀洀

December 2016 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS

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Stake Your Claim For Protection With A Browning Prosteel Yukon Gold Safe

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mong the names in the hunting and shooting sports business, none have a better reputation than Browning.

While best known for building high quality, innovative firearms, Browning has been selling equally impressive gun safes for more than 30 years. With the number of safe brands available, the best way to begin the search for a safe is with a brand name you know and trust.

While secure gun storage is the most obvious reason to purchase a safe, there are actually many reasons to own a gun safe. A well-designed safe will, of course, help prevent your prized firearms from being the targets of theft and keep them out of reach of those not qualified to handle them. A high level of fire protection will protect against a blaze. A safe with a versatile, convertible interior will allow other expensive and irreplaceable items such as binoculars, spotting scopes, cameras, laptop computers and your wife’s prized earrings from Aunt Pearl to reside inside without eating into precious gun space. Browning covers these three important aspects — security, fire protection and storage — down to a science, and you’ll find them to varying degrees with every safe offered.

Among the safes that wear the Browning name are the Yukon Gold series.

Yukon Gold safes are exclusive to Sportsman’s Warehouse and share many features with other Browning models, at a price that makes them very attractive to the first-time safe buyer. Six models are available, ranging from the YG12 with a

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modest 12-gun capacity, up to the YG40 Extra Wide that is capable of securing up to 56 long guns. This article will focus on the features of the four largest models, the aforementioned YG40 Extra Wide, the YG33 Wide and the YG23 Elite and YG23.

Yukon Gold safes begin as a single sheet of 12-gauge steel, 40% thicker than the 14-gauge steel many competitors use in their safes in this price category. Not only does 12-gauge steel make the safe heavier, stiffer and stronger, it also secures an important UL RSC (Residential Security Container) rating that ensures the safe will resist punch, pry and drill attacks using basic hand and power tools for a minimum of five minutes. Essentially, if a safe doesn’t have a UL RSC sticker, it really isn’t even a safe.

Once the body of the safe, including the door frame, is formed from the sheet of steel, it is welded together using continuous welds rather than the weaker spot welds some competitors use.

Continuous welds are not only stronger; they help prevent heat from entering the interior in case of fire and won’t break if the body flexes due to heat deformation.

A high security 1” Formed Door is engineered with a rugged steel face and has back and reinforcement panels that provide superior strength and attack protection compared to similar safes. Inside the door is the Force Deflector Locking System (U.S. patent #7,665,405). This system is designed using a rotating cam device that is very effective at preventing pressure, applied to the bolts or handle, from reaching the lock. Attached to the rotating cam on three sides of the door are rock solid, 1” diameter locking bolts that protect against pry attacks. An array of hardened steel pins are placed in front of the lock to protect against drilling. A relocker offers further protection against entry should the lock be breached. Two locks are available on Yukon Gold safes: The gold standard S&G mechanical or the SecuRam electronic.

ThermaBlock Fire Protection guards guns and valuables against disaster by eliminating the flaws in safe design and construction that allow heat to enter the interior of a safe. ThermaBlock is a combination of protective features that elevates Yukon Gold’s above anything else in their class. First, ThermaBlock combines thicker sheets of fire insulation arranged in an interlocking pattern that eliminates gaps in the insulation where

December 2016 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS

heat can enter the interior. Second, Yukon Gold safes use external door hinges that, unlike internal door hinges, don’t require insulation to be removed from the safe. Lastly, the thicker steel of the safe body plus continuous weld construction guard against heat caused flex that occurs during a fire. Together, ThermaBlock gives YG40, YG33 and YG23 models an honest fire protection rating of 1,400° for 60 minutes.

Because the whole point of a gun safe is to keep your valuables safe, it makes sense to purchase a safe that allows you to use every square inch of the interior without hampering locating and retrieving your guns and gear. Yukon Gold YG40, YG33 and YG23 models feature the supremely adaptable, industry exclusive, Cantilevered Modular Shelving that borrows heavily from their patented Axis Adjustable Shelving (U.S. Patent #D662341).

With Cantilevered Modular Shelving, gun racks and shelves can be added or removed and raised or lowered to fit guns and possessions of all sizes and shapes.

Additional long gun storage is located on the back of the door courtesy of the quick access DPX barrel rack.

All the aforementioned quality and innovation of a Browning

ProSteel Yukon Gold safe comes clad in a durable, attractive finish that is accented by black chrome hardware; and the combination is sure to be the highlight of any room, be it the garage, man cave or den.

When you decide on a gun safe, look no further than Browning and the legacy of quality you trust.

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5/2/16 1:05 PM

PRO'S TIP

Let’s Hit The Ice

T

he days are getting shorter and the temperatures are diving. What’s a fisherman to do? Well, you can still get out on the water – well at least frozen water that is!

Preparing for the upcoming ice fishing season is just like anything else – you need to make sure everything is in working order and everything you need is ready to go when the time comes. From my experience, it doesn’t hurt to make a list and check it twice (Ho, Ho, Ho).

First, round up you gear and give it the once over. Remember all those things you were going to fix or adjust last season, but then just stashed away without taking another look? Let’s start with the big stuff and work our way down.

For the best A good shelter and maybe even a sled will protection from make your day on the ice a whole lot more enjoythe weather, a able. shelter is the way

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www.himtnjerky.com December 2016 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS

to go and the ‘flip type’ is the most popular style out on the ice.

These models are built on a sled base, which holds all your gear while you travel and contains one to four seats for you and your friends. Just like a tent, you simply extend the poles and pop up the structure. Most models let you choose whether you want to have the structure fully open on the warmer days, zip the tent up on those really cold days or set up half-way like a wind break.

The main benefit of this hut style is that you can set up or collapse it for travel quickly and easily, which allows you to easily move around a large fishing area, while also keeping you protected and insulated from the elements.

Check out you ice auger. I like the powered type myself. Drain and replace your old oil with new oil prior to initial start-up.

Fill it up with a fresh tank of gas also unless you stabilized the gas before storage. If you added fuel stabilizer to the tank, it’s advisable to run that tank empty first

before added fresh gas. Check and clean your spark plug. If you have a difficult time starting or it is running rough, now is the time to replace the plug. Check your blades and sharpen or replace any that require attention. Coating the blades with some Vaseline or fine-grade oil will help keep snow from sticking and will ensure that the blades will not begin to rust.

Having the right clothing combination may just be the most important thing you can do to ensure an enjoyable day on the ice.

Layering is a must, working your way from a good base layer, then maybe some wool, wind-stopper and then of course something waterproof for those fast moving winter storms. I tried out a pair of neoprene gloves last season and the uses are extraordinary for ice fishing. They work great for grabbing fish coming through the ice and will keep you dry while jigging.

continued on page 26

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December 2016 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS

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PRO'S TIP

Replace Your Blade, Not Your Knife.

“To break down and pack out a full-size bull I need a strong, reliable knife that stays sharp through the whole process.

That’s why I carry Outdoor Edge’s RazorPro. With just one knife and a few replacement blades, I can finish several bulls and never worry about my edge going dull. I just push the lock button, insert a shaving sharp new one and I’m right back to work.”

ICE FISHING

continued from page 22 Next, I would highly recommend picking up an ice fishing specific rod and reel combo. I always thought that just using my regular spincast outfit was OK, but once I tried using the correct setup, things have become a lot better. A good reel is very important, even more so than the rod.

Without fully dissembling a reel, there is still some basic maintenance that can be done that will help lengthen your reels life and maximize its performance. The first step I take is cleaning the exterior and working parts with rubbing alcohol, cotton swabs and paper towels. This will get rid of all the dirt, grime and extra oil and grease. The next step is oiling the bearings and greasing the gears. Simple and quick maintenance like this will help keep your reels functioning for many seasons of use. Also, I would recommend replacing your line at least every-other-year, if not every season.

This is a good time of year to clean out your tackle box. While you have everything out and in front of you, give the box itself a

Have a good assortment of jigs and ice flies, as well as a few of your favorite lures. good cleaning with soap and water. This will get rid of oils, grime and rust that have no doubt built-up over the year, as well as unwanted scents that can have fish shying away.

Go through your tackle boxes and inspect your baits and lures.

Since you have probably used a few of these lures during the summer and fall, hooks can get dull throughout the season, so have a file on hand to sharpen them.

If the hooks are rusty or bent, replace those hooks – this can give old baits some new life. Make sure you have plenty of jigs and ice flies in your arsenal, as well as fresh scented baits if they are legal in your area.

Well, there you have it, my tips for you winter fishermen and women. Ice fishing is a great way to continue angling through the winter months and preparing early for the season will enable you to tackle anything you may encounter when on the ice. Follow these tips and advice and ad a few of your own to get ready for an enjoyable and productive season on the hard stuff.

Mike Eastman, Founder

Eastman’s Hunting Journals

Pick up a Razor-Pro before the next hunt for a strong, surgically sharp knife with blades that change safe and easy with the simple push of a button, plus gutting blade to open game like a zipper.

See your local dealer or call 800-447-3343 www.outdooredge.com

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December 2016 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS

Whether you use an auger that requires a little more elbow grease or one that has a little more power, make sure it is in good running order.

A little ingenuity can go a long way sometime, so don’t be afraid to think a little out of the box for new ideas.

December 2016 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS

27

Kuju Pocket PourOver Coffee

By Dan Kidder Managing Editor

I

can give you several reasons to try the Pocket PourOver Coffee packets from Kuju Coffee. I could tell you how they buy their coffee from locally sourced, organic producers who employ over 80 former victims of sex trafficking to help them re-establish their lives. I could tell you that it was developed by a couple of Eagle Scouts with a dream and a KickStarter. I could let you know about how one percent of every sale is donated to

28

the National Parks Foundation to help preserve our wonderful natural habitat. But most importantly to me, it is just a really good and convenient cup of coffee.

If you are a true junkie, like I am, you have gone to great lengths to carry your favorite bean juice with you in the backcountry. I have packed thermal bottles, French presses, and every other conceivable heavy and bulky item possible with me on trips to make sure I had access to my java.

Those days are in the past.

Featuring an innovative fold out, pre-filled filter in a small tea-bag sized container, the Pocket PourOver allows you to brew coffee directly over your mug with nothing more than hot water. And because it is real coffee, dripped in the traditional method, and not some freeze dried or instant mess, the coffee tastes amazing.

Simply open the outer package, tear off the top, unfold the wings and place them over the lip of

December 2016 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS

your favorite receptacle, and pour hot water through the filter. Piping hot, delicious, real, brewed coffee in about 2 minutes.

And for the ease and portability you get, coupled with the great taste, it is still less expensive than an over-roasted cup of inferior coffee beans from a major international chain.

Kuju is available in three roasts, Angel’s Landing, a light roast named for a magnificent landmark in Utah’s Zion National Park with floral, nutty, and citrus notes; Basecamp Blend, a medium roast, consciously sourced brew with hints of oak, chocolate, and honey; or Bold Awakening with earthy, dark cocoa, and dried berry undertones. All three have an excellent flavor, but I tend to enjoy Angel’s Landing the most, because I like a

more delicate flavor, and because the lighter the roast, the more caffeine.

All three of these coffee Pocket PourOvers is now available at all Sportsman’s Warehouse locations in the camping department, next to the freeze dried foods. Pick them up, toss them in your pocket, and fire up your portable hiking stove and enjoy a cup of bliss on your next adventure. You will not only be getting a great cup of Joe, but will be helping support some worthy causes as well.

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No matter the lighting conditions, weather conditions, or terrain, the extremely rugged ROMEO4 red-dot sight has you covered. Shoot with confidence with both eyes open, when it counts.

DUAL RETICLE SYS TEM Advanced LED illumination system toggles between a 2 MOA Red-Dot for precision aiming and a 65 MOA/2 MOA Circle-Dot for rapid target acquisition.

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Includes both M1913 Picatinny low profile and 1.41” cowitness riser mounts.

December 2016 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS

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Flat-Out Backen’ Portable Grill

T

he Flat-Out Backen’ Grill is a small, lightweight, portable fold up charcoal or wood stove for the backcountry.

While it is compact and light enough to carry in your backpack, its 11-and –a-half pounds makes it a better fit for horseback or vehicle camping.

Made in the USA in Idaho from American made heavy-duty stainless

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steel, the Flat-Out Backen’ Grill is a durable and rugged cooking product that will withstand a ton of abuse.

It folds down to roughly an inch and a half thick by 10-inches wide by 20-inches long. When unfolded, it stands 19 inches tall, which is a great height for cooking. A hinged cooking grate lets you have easy access to the fire box, and holes in the box let air

December 2016 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS

easily flow into the combustion chamber for hot, even cooking.

The cooking surface is spacious enough for two rows of three standard-sized burgers, or three jumbo patties, as well as steaks, chops, or other grillable foods.

The grill can be used with either charcoal briquettes or chunks, or with scavenged biomass and gathered wood.

We found in our testing, that the heat from charcoal is more even and controllable with fewer flareups than wood, but having the wood option means you don’t have to carry the fuel with you.

Because it is heavy gauge stainless steel, it is recommended that you set up and take down the grill wearing gloves to prevent cuts or scrapes on the thin metal, but we did it without them, just being cautious, and didn’t have any issues.

The stainless steel prevents rust, and makes cleanup very easy. Stainless steel is an excellent conductor of heat, so it makes for even cooking. The entire stove is made of stainless, so it will radiate heat, and you need to be

very cautious not to touch the metal anywhere on the stove, until after it has cooled.

The grill comes in a custom nylon bag with a heavy zipper and two carrying handles, as well as a very nice heavy cardboard gift-style box for presentation or storage.

The grill retails for $159.99 at Sportsman’s Warehouse and would make a great Christmas gift for the camper, hunter, or woodsman or woman in your life.

The Sportsman’s News team really enjoyed this little grill, and it will become a permanent part of our camp kitchen on upcoming hunts.

December 2016 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS

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Bushnell Trophy 3-9x40MM Riflescope With Multi-X Reticle

By Dan Kidder Managing Editor

tal movement. At one quarter MOA per click, they are standard enough to make on-the-fly computations and adjustments ometimes, the best without breaking out the ballistic answer is the most basic one. For big game calculator.

A second focal plane means hunting, a standard that while your target will inhunting scope with crease in size, the reticle will stay great optical clarity, and a the same at all levels of magnisimple Multi-X reticle is your fication for pin-point accuracy. easiest and best way to get on Four inches of eye relief will give target and get the job done. you a comfortable position on The Bushnell Trophy line of your stock and a fast focus eyeriflescopes are known for their piece lets you quickly get your high quality construction and target into crisp view. It is also simple elegance. available with DOA 600, DOA Featuring fogproof, shock600 CF, DOA 250 MZ, DOA 200 proof, dustproof and 100 percent waterproofmulti-coated Shotgun, Circle X, or Mil-Dot reticles. glass, they provide 91 percent And to top it all off, the Trolight transmission. The simpleto-use crosshairs of the Multi-X phy is covered by the Bushnell No Questions Asked Lifetime reticle provide a clean aiming Warranty, which is fully transferpoint with thinner lines in the able, covers accidental damage center to prevent target coveras well as defects in materials & age and thicker lines on the outside to guide the eye toward workmanship; no receipt or warranty card is required; they will your point of aim. A 38-foot repair or replace product with a field of view on 3 power at 100 product of equal or similar value yards and 13 feet at 9 power, and/or specifications; and will gives you ample context down return the product to you at no range and lets you see what is charge. around your target.

While it doesn’t have many of The one-inch, nitrogen purged, aircraft aluminum one- the bells and whistles of some pricier models, the Bushnell piece tube, lets you mount the scope on a variety of rifles with Trophy is a well-made, reliable companion for your big-game plenty of room and weight to gun. spare.

All of this is available to the Finger adjustable windage hunter for around $130. The and elevation dials with easy Bushnell Trophy 3-9x40mm to read hashmarks and numbers, let you make adjustments riflescope would be a welcome without tools and are protected gift under the tree on Christmas morning. under the caps from acciden-

S

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December 2016 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS

December 2016 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS

33

Coleman’s Battery Lock Technology

By Shane Chuning

C

oleman has come up with a brilliant way to save on a batteries life span through their new innovative line of lighting products. Their new line of lanterns, flashlights and headlamps are equipped with a BatteryLock technology which allows you the convenience of storing these items even longer.

What is one of the biggest prob-

lems that occurs time and time again during emergencies such as power outages? Batteries are dead in your flashlights and other emergency devices.

And, how about when you are getting ready for your next camping trip and those batteries that worked so well before they were packed away, have become dead the following year. This happens all too often due to the trickle effect when your batteries are still connected to the negative and positive points.

How often did you take out those batteries to conserve their power just to be inconvenienced at having to put them

ESEE Izula Knife

N

amed for a mean and nasty South American ant, the Izula from ESEE has all of the strength, tenacity, and power of its namesake.

Made of 1095 high carbon tool steel and featuring a profiled frame and handle in a single-piece design, the Izula is a perfect companion for everyday carry. While it is designed for defense or survival, I have found myself going to this knife over and over again for every kind of use.

Thin enough to be lashed to a handle as a spear, the Izula has a very comfortable grip in the hand, considering that it has no scales.

The hole in the rear of the handle allows you to place your pinky through it to prevent slipping for stabbing motions or to hang from a carabiner, and a wide, integrated guard gives you excellent control for more detailed tasks.

The Izula measures just 6.25 inches overall length and has a 2.63-inch clip point blade with a flat grind

back in? When stored too long in the device, you will eventually see signs of corrosion, which then leaves you the costly task of having to replace those items. All of this leads to unreliable flashlights, lanterns, headlamps, etc.

Through Coleman’s new BatteryLock system, you will be able to stop battery drain and get the full intended use out of the batteries stored in these items throughout the years. You won’t have the premature usage caused by the circuit still engaged on traditional products with batteries. To engage BatteryLock, you would simply rotate the bottom cap counterclockwise until the red cutouts are visible. This completely disengages the circuit and stops the slow battery drain normally associated with anything powered by batteries.

Then to operate the item when needed, you simply rotate clockwise so the red is hidden. Now the batteries are connected and are then ready for normal use.

This cutting-edge BatteryLock system of flashlights, lanterns and headlamps offers a range of benefits for both the consumer and the environment. This system extends the life of these products by reducing the risk of corrosion from prolonged battery storage. Getting the most use out of your batteries’ life is a great cost effective way of reducing how often they have to be replaced. This has a positive effect on our environment by reducing the amount of waste from battery corrosion and unnecessary replacement.

Whether you are looking to add some reliable items to your emergency kits or just add some items to your outdoor and camping needs, look no further to Coleman’s new BatteryLock technology line. This will bring you and your family many years of reliable use and gain the most out of your batteries’ inherent shelf life.

and features ESEE’s textured powder coating in a variety of colors. It comes with a tough molded plastic sheath that locks the blade in, and has an adjustable strong steel spring clip for carrying in a variety of configurations.

All of ESEE’s high carbon knives are made in America and come

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December 2016 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS

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35

Video Product Reviews

Aguila Ammunition

D

tor in .22 LR, reaching speeds of uring the Great Ammo 1,470 FPS. Whatever your applicaShortage of 2015, shoottion, Aguila has a rimfire round for ers began looking at other most activities, from subsonic rounds options to keep their favorite guns for use with a suppressor, to match fed. One of the products they ammo, to nickel plated rounds for discovered was cartridges made by more reliable feeding, to .22 Win. Mag Aguila Ammunition from Mexico. loads for increased knock down.

Aguila has been making ammuBecause Aguila uses the highest nition since 1961, and in that time quality components, and provides they have progressed from using excellent quality control, their amleftover Remington machinery to munition is not only a great value, but modern and updated equipment provides excellent performance and to make high quality, consistent accuracy. performing, and clean burning amAguila makes their ammunition munition. in Mexico, but it is distributed in the As one of the largest manuUnited States out of Texas by Texas facturers of rimfire ammunition, Armament & Technology, who has Aguila produces millions of rounds helped Aguila increase proof rimfire ammunition, duction and quality control. including their primer The partnering of these actuated Colibri and companies gives shooters Super Colibri, which access to high quality amuse just the primer for munition at a great price propellant, for super point. quiet, low-recoil target Aguila makes more than shooting and small game Click To Watch 56 different metallic carhunting at close ranges.

Video tridges in center and rimfire, They also produce the with a variety of new ophigh velocity Intercep-

tions introduced for 2016. Those who have tried Aguila due to shortages of availability have continued to use this ammunition even once other brands became available because of its performance and value.

Whether you are shooting your modern sporting rifle, your daily carry pistol, your favorite tin can-killing plinker, or your shotgun, Aguila has a round for you that you can depend upon to perform and that won’t empty your wallet.

Aguila’s ammunition is a great price value, and is usually available when other brands are having a hard time keeping stock on the shelves. If you

SPOT Gen 3

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Video to a selected email list However, the ones that

36

December 2016 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS

which is ideal for non-life threatening situations. Tracking allows people to follow your trip as it progresses through the continuous custom motion tracking. This can be setup to track your location every 2.5,5,10, 30 or 60 minutes based on the level of service you subscribe to. These five buttons will provide you all the communication you need to the outside

haven’t tried it yet, pick some up the next chance you get, and you may just become a customer for life, even when ammo isn’t in short supply.

Sportsman’s Warehouse keeps a wide selection of Aguila ammunition on hand, so pick some up before your next range day, and shoot the way you did before ammunition was expensive and hard to find.

world during your backcountry visit.

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Since it is satellite driven, it functions nearly everywhere. It is rugged, lightweight and IPX7 waterproof rated which means a rainstorm or a quick dunk in the river won’t render the unit useless. The five individual functions can be executed with the push of a button and nothing more. All you need is a fairly clear view to the sky.

The unit is very basic and easy for nearly everyone to setup and understand. It is a great piece of insurance for those of you that like to hit the backcountry where cellular service isn’t an option.

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December 2016 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS

37

Dishes With Fishes

Chad LaChance

H

unter, angler, or general paleo type; it doesn’t really matter how you classify yourself; odds are, if you are any good at it, the freezer is probably full this time of year.

Summer’s fishing season has long since peaked and the fall bite has subsided.

We’re basically done with many of the big game hunting seasons. Waterfowl, upland birds, and small game are in full swing too. Now, we’re all look-

38

ing at Holiday Season and copious amounts of visitors and visiting. What does all this mean? It means, now is the perfect time to prepare some of your hard earned food to share with friends!

Since this is a fishing column first and foremost, let’s talk fish.

Now, if you ever harvest fish to eat, you may have some in your freezer. I dislike freezing fish if possible, strongly preferring to eat them fresh, but I’ll admit to freezing some occasionally in the interest of preserving them for later. I bet you do the same and if so, I’d double down that every now and then you leave some in the freezer too long to be ideal, or perhaps that you packaged somewhat less than ideally and it has now passed the point of perfection.

I say that because I know it happens to me every year at some point and I also get emails from folks saying the same thing. So, since you have Holiday company coming over and less-thanfresh fish that should be consumed ahead of that tasty whitetail or elk you just stuffed in the freezer, let’s look at a couple of ways to make those fish tasty.

We’ll start with the salmonids, meaning trout or salmon.

December 2016 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS

The simple answer to serving previously frozen trout is fish dip. I like this one because you can cook the fish virtually any way you like and then take liberties with the dip to take the flavor profile any direction you like.

The obvious choice - and my favorite is to smoke the fish. I use a Camp Chef SmokePro Pellet Grill and Smoker and smoke either fillets or whole fish over applewood pellets. Even whole trout tend to dry out quickly when freezing, so I thaw it in a light brine solution which helps hydrate and flavor, effectively covering two steps (thawing and brining) in one process. Brine time depends on the potency of the brine and your taste buds; I typically thaw and brine “old” fish in a five percent solution for about three hours or so, then remove, rinse thoroughly in cold water, pat dry, and rub lightly with salt, pepper, cayenne, and brown sugar. The goal is to lightly season; remember it’s only one ingredient - albeit the main one - in the dip. You can also grill, broil, or bake the fish. Grilling is my second choice and I do so over medium high heat on a Camp Chef Grill Box, starting fillets flesh side down (that added color helps with overall flavor) for a few minutes before flipping to finish cooking skin side down. Preheat your grill or it will stick at first. The Grill Box heats up to 450 in a couple of minutes.

After cooking, let the fish cool slightly and flake by hand, being careful to remove all bones. Then mix with a base of softened cream cheese, sour cream, a touch of mayo, and some sort of acid; white wine, lemon juice, etc. A little grated fresh Parmesan or Cotija cheese helps. Good flavor additions include hot sauce, capers, or soy sauce. Almost any kind of herbs or seasoning round

out the dip. Make the dip ahead of time; a few hours in the fridge will allow the flavors to come together.

Maybe you got on a hot white bass or walleye bite and now have white flaky fillets that may not be so white and flaky anymore. If the fillets are past their prime, soup or chowder are great options to prevent waste. Cooking even freezer burned fish in liquid will make it surprisingly good again. The worse off your fish looks, the bolder I’d go with my dish. A spicy fish soup is a great choice for your worst fish, while a milder chowder is great with any decent white fish you may have. The recipes are nearly endless; let Google be your friend. When cooking fish in soups, make sure the dish is almost completely done, adding the fish with only a few minutes of cooking time to go. Freezer burned is bad enough, don’t compound it by overcooking the fish.

All soups or chowders are best when cooked in a cast iron Dutch oven, keeping good control of the heat.

The last idea will work with literally any kind fish you have; make fish patties! As with the dip, cook the fish however you want, then flake. I strongly prefer a “mashed potato” base and even left-over mashed potatoes work great, to which I add the flaked fish, a little Panko and an egg or two, along with some minced and sautéed onion/ bell pepper/Jalapeno/garlic (whatever flavors you like). Cool completely, form patties, dust with Panko/flour and brown them evenly in a cast iron skillet, turning once. Fish patties are a favorite at La Cueva del Fishful.

Hopefully these concepts will help you use the fish that got overlooked in the freezer while enjoying the Holiday with family and friends!

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December 2016 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS

39

圀圀圀⸀匀倀伀刀吀匀䴀䄀一匀圀䄀刀䔀䠀伀唀匀䔀⸀䌀伀䴀

圀圀圀⸀匀倀伀刀吀匀䴀䄀一匀圀䄀刀䔀䠀伀唀匀䔀⸀䌀伀䴀

PRO MEMBER UPDATE

Big Moose At Big Sand

By Kent Danjanovich Senior Editor

O

K, admit it – if you are a hunter, one of the dreams you have is someday getting the chance to hunt for a big moose, whether it be a Shiras in the lower 48, a Yukon probably in Alaska or a Canadian in one of the providences. This was exactly the case for Jerry Bouwens of Craig, Colorado. It was one of those “bucket list” things that he wanted to do someday, but it would have to be down the road a ways, when he was able to put away enough to finally afford it.

His wife and her family had been planning a trip to Florida for almost a year. She asked Jerry if he had any conflicts if the days were around the end of September and he said, “Not that I know of, unless of course I get lucky and draw a tag or win a hunt somehow”. So

the plans were made for the trip to Florida, not a bad trade off, but not really what a hunter wants to be doing during the fall months.

Well, just a few weeks later, his wife asked him if he had heard who had won the latest Sportsman’s News Pro Membership prize. Jerry said that he hadn’t heard, but that the latest drawing had just been done and he would take a look on the website to see who the winner was. When he brought up the feed, Mike Deming was pulling out a name from the barrel. He announced the winner – Jerold Bouwens of Craig, Colorado and then pulled out a few more tickets for the rest of the prizes for that particular drawing. Jerry and his wife looked at each other for a moment and each said, “Hey, they called your name for something this time”.

Not quite realizing what the grand prize was and not thinking that he had won it, Jerry pushed the button to replay the drawing, this time paying a little bit more

attention. To both his and his wife’s amazement, Jerry’s name was drawn for the moose hunt at Big Sand Lake Lodge in Manitoba, Canada!

Almost immediately, his cell phone started ringing and all of his friends were calling to congratulate him on his prize, while telling him he was the luckiest #%/# in the world! He still didn’t quite believe it until the next day he got the call from the Sportsman’s News team that he had really won the hunt.

When he got off of the phone with all of the info, he turned and looked at his wife and said, “Yes, I actually won, but you won’t believe it – the dates are September 23 – October 2 and that’s when your family is going to Florida”. Now what!

As the word got out to his and her family, with the encouragement of all, it was decided that he couldn’t pass up this “trip of a lifetime” and that they all wanted him to live out his dream of bagging a big moose. Flight arrangements

waters were full of big northern pike, walleye and lake trout, a little added bonus after he filled his moose tag.

September 23rd finally arrived and I met Jerry for the first time at the Best Western in Thompson.

We shared a room that night and found ourselves the next morning at 7am at the ticket counter of Calm Air, checking our bags for the charter flight to the lodge.

Finally the girl made her way to the podium and we all lined up to have our tickets and passports checked at the door before climbing the stairs of the 32 seat plane.

Thirty minutes later, our wheels were touching down on the sand esker runway at Big Sand Lake Lodge. Rick Bohna and his staff greeted all of us as we exited the plane and instructed us to either start on the short walk to the lodge from the air strip or to hop in the covered trailer and we could hitch a ride as soon as the staff unloaded our gear from

Fifteen of the sixteen hunters at the lodge during our first week were able to take a great moose on the trip. Ten of the successful hunters got together for a group photo while waiting at the airstrip for their flight back to Thompson, Manitoba. were quickly made and the required days off from work were secured.

I finally had a few days back at my office, so I dialed Jerry’s cell number to fill him in a little bit more on what to expect on the hunt.

He of course was excited as the dates were quickly approaching and informed me that he had made his airline arrangements and secured a hotel room in Thompson, Manitoba on the way in and again on the way back from the lodge. I filled him in on my last hunting experience at the lodge and also told him to bring along his fishing equipment as well, since Big Sand and its outpost camp

40

December 2016 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS

the plane and back on the trailer.

Jerry and I, along with most of the other hunters and quests decided to stretch our legs out and start the short walk to the main lodge.

A great walleye brunch was awaiting us and soon Rick stood in the middle of the room to fill us in on what would take place during the next eight days.

Each hunter was assigned to either the main lodge or one of outpost or tent camps located throughout the area. We were assigned to the Wolf Lake Out-

continued on page 42

December 2016 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS

41

PRO MEMBER UPDATE

BIG SAND

continued from page 40 post Camp with another hunter, Jason Kirwin and his father, Keith.

We would be the third floatplane flight out, so we found a seat in the main lodge and mingled with the other hunters until it was time for our short flight to our outpost camp.

As soon as we unloaded our gear from the plane, we hurried to our cabin and quickly threw on our hunting clothes. Jerry then grabbed his .300 Win Mag and I grabbed my Sony in hopes of capturing his hunt for a future edition of SNTV. Our guide, Delbert Moose (yes, his last name is really Moose!) led us to our awaiting boat and we quickly started out across Wolf Lake on our first nights’ hunt.

Anticipation was high, but the moose didn’t cooperate the first evening. The next day proved to be much of the same – great looking areas, but no moose in sight.

Our other hunter spotted a pretty good bull, but decided to hold off in hopes of finding a bigger one, not a bad idea, since Big Sand has

a great reputation not only for big numbers of moose, but also just plain big moose!

Day three (well really day 2 ½) came and went, again with no moose spotted. Jerry started to get a little restless as reports from many of the other camps started to come across the radio. Five moose had been taken, with two of them in the 58 inch range. I assured both hunters at dinner to not despair and that with all of the great areas that Wolf Lake offered, it was just a matter of time and as we rounded the corner of any one of the many bays, a big Canadian moose would show itself.

As night approached and we started working our way back to camp on day three, we stopped in a few areas and Delbert made a few cow calls in hopes of arousing a love struck bull into action for the next morning.

The next morning we again headed to the “Mistay River” area of the lake. After stopping to call in a couple of bays, we headed through a shallow area of the river and rounded the corner. Almost immediately, Delbert whispered, ‘moose’ and both Jerry and I quickly spot-

Pro Membership Sweepstakes winner, Jerry Bouwens and guide, Delbert Moose posed for a few pictures before the real work began. ted him straight ahead at the end of the bay, some 400 or 500 yards away. I then raised my binos and quickly whispered to Jerry, “He’s a shooter”.

Jerry grabbed his gun and I grabbed my camera and zoomed in on our target as Delbert slowly

worked the boat in the moose’s direction. Soon we had cut the distance in half and Jerry started to get into position at the bow of the boat. As we hit about the 150 yard mark, Delbert killed the mo-

continued on page 44

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er the w, discov ie v o t in s ity AND buck slip E reliabil t trophy H a T h t m o n e r f rmance h w omes c e Perfo c t n a ie h r t p e x c sure you confiden PR.™ Make X E H T F O accuracy ext hunt. on your n unts scope mo and ringsded. not inclu

42

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December 2016 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS

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December 2016 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS

43

PRO MEMBER UPDATE

BIG SAND

continued from page 42 tor and Jerry asked me if I was on him. I gave him the ‘OK’ and Jerry clicked off his safety. Moments

later, his Sako reported – a solid hit.

The moose turned and lunged into the water and struggled to find his footing. Both Delbert and I, almost in unison shouted, “Don’t shoot him in the water” as Jerry’s moose

Jerry hooked into a monster, 46-inch northern pike on our way back to the main lodge.

Made in the U.S.A.

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December 2016 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS

tried valiantly to decide what to do next.

Moments later, he was pulling himself back onto the lakes bank and Jerry pulled the trigger again, this time hitting him going away in the hump. As the moose turned into the willows, Jerry let one more bullet fly and down he went.

It took a couple of second’s for it to sink in, but Jerry then quickly turned to the camera, with a grin from ear to ear while exclaiming, “Wow, I can’t believe what just happed. I just shot a giant Canadian moose and I can’t thank you and the Sportsman’s News Pro Membership Sweepstakes enough. I don’t believe it. This is unbelievable”!

All in all, 15 of the 16 hunters during our week were able to take a great bull, with the largest 58 1/8 inches and the smallest, 42 ½ inches. Jerry’s moose was a beauty, coming in at 52 ½ and not only having great width on its paddles, but full palmation through its fronts as well. A truly spectacular trophy and an experience that he will not soon forget.

Jason Kirwin was able to take his

bull the next day as well. We then started our boat ride back to the main lodge (Wolf Lake is actually accessible by boat from the main lodge) with our gear, racks and meat. And on the way back, Delbert stopped off at one of his favorite northern pike spots and Jerry hauled in a 46 inch monster pike to cap off the experience.

Well, this story is just another in the line of great adventures that our lucky winners of the Pro Membership Sweepstakes have to tell.

If you aren’t a member yet, what are you waiting for? After hearing that Jerry had won this trip, four or five of the other guests back at the lodge couldn’t wait to join as well. Yes, membership does have its benefits – you can just ask Jerry Bouwens of Craig, Colorado. And if you want to experience possibly the ultimate moose hunting experience in Canada, give Rick Bohna and his staff a call at Big Sand Lake Lodge to book your dream hunt at 1-800-348-5825 and visit them on the web at www.bigsandlakelodge.com. P.S. – tell them Sportsman’s News sent ya!

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December 2016 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS

EASY ELK

continued from page 18 Roosevelt elk west of the Cascades.

The top east side units are Heppner (6,000 elk), Starkey (5,300), Ukiah (5,100) and Ochoco (4,150).

In the Cascades and to the west, the most elk are found in the Tioga Unit (8,000 elk), Saddle Mountain Unit (5,200), Wilson Unit (4,200), Trask Unit (3,600) and Sixes Unit (3,500).

In eastern Oregon, the Fossil and the Lookout Mountain units are among the easiest places to draw an elk tag and find high numbers of elk. The trouble is these units are made up of a high percentage of private land. In the Fossil Unit with 14 percent public land, if you don’t have access through a guide, or gain landowner permission, the elk are going to be anything but easy.

Antlerless hunts are used to keep herd levels from growing out of balance and to control damage complaints on crops and ranch

lands. The best bet to raise the odds in an antlerless hunt is to gain access to private land or find public land adjacent to private croplands.

For data on specific hunts, visit the ODFW web site at www.dfw. state.or.us/resources/hunting/ big_game/ Not coincidentally, these “easy elk” hunts are a great draw for another kind of hunter. Elk country is black bear and cougar country.

Don’t go afield without a bear tag and a cougar tag. You have a chance to bring some relief to the local elk herd and pack home a unique trophy.

Wherever the elk hunt takes you, pre-season scouting increases the odds of success. When the hunt starts, spend the first two days in open country, where you can watch well-traveled trails.

On the third day, predict the elk behavior as the animals adapt to hunter pressure and the weather.

Your easy elk is out there; plan on spending most of the season to find it.

To contact Gary Lewis, visit www.

GaryLewisOutdoors.com.

December 2016 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS

47

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

Crispy Orange Venison

M

erry Christmas and a very Happy New Year! This is a super tasty way to enhance your game meat, bringing an Asian flair to the table.

The thin slices of meat ensure a tender dish, and the complex flavors are really enhanced by the beverage pairings. The recipe feeds four adults and is easily doubled for larger gatherings. The left-overs are every bit as good the next day. The recipe is really easy to make, and the results are fantastic.

Ingredients

• 1 ½ pounds venison, thinly sliced • 1/3 cup rice wine vinegar • 1/3 cup white sugar • 2 Tbl frozen orange juice concentrate • 1 tablespoon soy sauce • 1teaspoon kosher salt • 1 cup long grain rice • 2 cups water • 1 tablespoon butter • Pinch of salt • ½ cup cornstarch • 2 cups frying oil • 3 tablespoons freshly grated ginger • 1½ tablespoons finely chopped garlic • 2 teaspoons orange zest • 1 teaspoon crushed red chili pepper • 1 pound steamed broccoli crowns

I

Preparation Method

like to use the sirloin for this recipe. Using a roast or steaks, slice the venison across the grain into thin strips. Ideally they should end up about 3” long and 1” wide. The meat is easier to slice if it is slightly frozen. Place the sliced meat in a single layer on a paper towel lined baking sheet. Put the uncovered tray in your refrigerator to dry the meat for a minimum of 30 minutes.

48

December 2016 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS

In a small bowl blend the rice wine vinegar, sugar, orange juice concentrate, soy sauce, and salt. Stir well and set aside.

Put the rice, water, butter, and a pinch of salt to a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, and then reduce the heat to low and simmer until the water is absorbed, and the rice is tender. You can also use a rice cooker if you have one.

Remove the meat from the refrigerator. Toss the meat in the cornstarch, and coat well. Heat the oil in a wok or large frying pan and bring up to frying temperature over medium-high heat. Fry the venison in small batches for 1-2 minutes, flipping once, until golden brown. It cooks quickly so pay attention and do not overcook!

When all the meat is cooked, set aside and drain all the oil from the pan except for one tablespoon. Keeping the heat at medium-high, add the ginger, garlic, orange zest, and chili flakes to the pan. Cook for 30 seconds to one minute until fragrant. Add the rice wine mixture to the pan. Bring this to a boil and cook until thick and syrupy (two to five minutes). Add the venison back into the pan, and stir well to fully coat the meat and warm it through.

Serve the meat over the cooked rice and surround by the broccoli. You can add some condiments at this time to further hi-lite the flavor profile. I suggest some toasted sesame seeds and a splash of hot chili oil or sesame oil if you have it.

Recommended wine pairing is a dry or off-dry Riesling or a crisp Chenin Blanc. I would suggest a craft beer to accompany this meal in a strong IPA, or a hoppy Pilsner. You also can’t go wrong with one of the Chinese Pilsners.

Cheers!

December 2016 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS

49

Adventures On A Budget

Getting Started: DIY Ice Fishing

By Bernie Barringer

O

ne of the great things about ice fishing is this: You can make it as simple or as complicated as you like. With a cheap rod and reel, a hand auger and a bucket to sit on, you can be ice fishing for about a hundred bucks. Or, you can invest thousands in shelters, electronics, underwater viewing, rods and reels, baits and an ATV or snowmobile. I know people who have ice shacks that feature satellite TV and microwaves and cost more than a new pickup truck.

The author says ice fishing can be as simple or as complicated as you choose to make it.

Most of us fall somewhere in between those two extremes. And that’s one of the beautiful things about this great sport; you can start small and work your way up as high as you choose to go. Let’s explore the options for a basic setup for Augers that attach to the drill you already own are one option and save you a little money. ice fishing that will make it fun, not too much work and above all, productive.

Gas-powered augers are the mainstay of ice fishing. They are reliable and will work in any conditions and plow through ice up to three feet thick. It’s an investRods and Reels ment well worth the money even at the very beginning for the ice fisherman just Of course, this topic is listed first because you must be connected to the fish starting out. in order to get it on top of the ice. The models of rods and reels you will need will depend mostly on what species of fish you plan to target. Most of us will Depthfinder fish some for larger fish such as pike, walleyes and trout. We’ll also spend some Several companies make portable sonar units that are specifically designed for of our time in search of panfish. Since rods and reels are fairly inexpensive, I ice fishing. Vexilar, MarCum, Humminbird, Lowrance and Garmin are examples. suggest getting about four, two with a little more backbone for larger fish such These units have drop-down transducers with cone angles made specifically for as lake trout and walleyes and two light bite models for crappies, bluegills and hardwater work. You can choose between a flasher or an LED screen. A starter perch.

Spinning reels do not need to be high-end, expensive models because you will model will run about $200 or you can add features and extras that bring the price not be casting them. Simply open the bail and let the line spool off. You do want a up to about $600.

Most of these units will allow you to change the cone angle to wide for shalreel with a quality drag, however. You don’t have much rod to fight the fish, so in ice fishing, the line and reel are doing more of the fighting than in an open water low water and narrow for deeper water fishing. The flashers allow you to set the depth ranges. Some models have the option for high power or low power, which situation. You will use and depend on your drag more than normal. comes in handy for fishing in weeds.

Equip one of the lighter rods with a spring bobber for finicky panfish. Spool Another great option is to buy a portable ice pack for the sonar on your boat. the reels up with a good ice fishing line. Use four to six pound test for the lighter Several companies offer battery and transducer packs that allow you to ply the rods, eight to ten pound test for the heavier ones. sonar you use in open water into ice fishing situations. Hook the depthfinder from your boat to the mount, attach the battery and transducer and you are Power Auger ready to fish for about half the cost.

One of the first and best investments you will want to make is in a power There’s a big advantage to using the unit you have on your boat, especially if auger. Hand augers really just don’t “cut it” for the serious ice angler. You really have two options these days, the gas powered auger and the electric. When I saw you have GPS. You can mark spots on your GPS during the summer and then the first ice auger attached to a cordless drill a decade ago, I was pretty skeptical go back to them in the winter. See a spot that looks like it should be good for ice until I saw it work. Incredibly, the six-inch auger had drilled more than 50 holes fishing? Simply punch in an icon and then you can fish that exact spot through the ice with ease. through a foot of ice with an 18-volt cordless drill when the battery finally died.

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Adventures On A Budget Baits

Baits are low-cost items individually, but it’s easy to get carried away and it can really add up. You will need some blades, jigs and live bait rigs. In this category, it’s best to consult the experts at Sportsman’s Warehouse for local preferences on colors, patterns and types of lures that are working in the area you plan to be fishing.

A small, clear plastic box is all that’s needed for ice fishing gear. You won’t need a big tackle box because you don’t want to carry a lot of stuff you most likely won’t need. Keep the majority of the lures at home, just pick out the ones you may use during the day and drop them in a small box that can be carried in a pocket or small pack.

Live bait containers are important. Grubs, worms and minnows are often used in ice fishing. Insulated, aerated buckets and coolers will help you keep your live bait fresh and active.

Shelters

Clothing and Boots

You probably already have the clothing you need to keep warm on the ice if you are an outdoorsman. But it’s worth mentioning that there have been some remarkable developments in ice fishing suits, boots and gloves. Behind much of this improvement has been the Clam Company, Striker and Frabill, who produce inner and outwear specifically designed for hardwater anglers.

Knee reinforcement, wind blocking fabric, fleece lined pockets, lots of pockets, removable towel wipes, storm flaps, even flotation.

The bibs and parkas with all these great features require a significant investment, but it’s hard to put a dollar value on the comfort they provide and the ability to stay out longer and focus on the fishing, rather than on trying to stay warm and dry.

Aqua-Vu

Some of the biggest fish are pulled through a hole in the ice while using live bait. Get to know how to keep the bait fresh and rig live bait for excellent results in fishing for pike and walleyes.

Shelters are an area where the options and the prices of the options are all over the chart.

Let’s divide them into three basic categories: sleds, hub-style houses and shacks.

Sleds include the Clam or Fish Trap style flip up shelters, which are very popular and versatile. These allow you to pull all your gear out to the fishing site in them, then set up and cover up. These have the advantage of being very mobile.

It’s easy to pick up and relocate, a short distance or a long distance, because they are so easy to move. They come in one-person models or lager models that accommodate up to three. You can pull them by hand or tow them behind an ATV or snowmobile. They are the most popular choice among ice fishermen for good reason.

While they do not offer the easy mobility of Clamtype shelters, hub-style shelters have been growing in popularity because they are roomy and easy to set up. For small groups they are a great option, they allow you to sit around and fish while you chat, they hold in heat well and if you After terminal tackle, a portable shelter are out for the day, you can and an auger are two important items hardeven set up a table with a water anglers should look at owning. camp stove and cook yourself a meal. Add a small propane heater if you like. This goes for any of the portable shelters.

The term “ice shack” doesn’t really mean what it once did. Today’s wheel houses are basically campers you roll out onto the ice. The discussion on these would be best suited to an article in itself, but it’s worth mentioning that if you want to make a serious commitment to ice Many options are available for fishing at some point, these shelters. It’s hard to beat the portathings are really cool and offer bles that fold over to keep the wind so many great features that and weather off you. Staying mobile is fishing in one is more like a important and these shelters are key to different sport than sitting on a mobile attack. a bucket with a rod.

You may think of this as unnecessary or over the top, but I added it here because of one main reason. It may not help you catch that many more fish although in some situations it can be an incredible tool for putting more fish on the ice - but the value in seeing the fish underwater comes from the sheer enjoyment I get out of using an underwater viewing system. Dropping a camera down and watching the fish is a fantastic experience for me. I use it to identify the species of the fish I am seeing on the depthfinder and I position it so I can often see the fish take my bait.

It’s just plain fun and well worth the investment for me. If you are taking youngsters out on the ice with you, this item could make the difference between boredom and begging to go back out again next time.

So there you have my take on the options for ice fishing. If you are just getting started, you will probably want to pick out a few of these items and stick with the basics, but as you get more serious about it, you can sure see there are a lot of possibilities for fishing in comfort and style, not to mention fishing more effectively.

Ice Fishing is surging in popularity as more knowledge and better products become available.

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The Bowling Ball Ram

hough there’s probably no way to prove it, I suspect I may be the only American ever to take a Stone’s ram with a bow and arrow on a solo DIY backpack hunt in northern British Columbia. No guide, no hunting buddy — only the Good Lord to protect me from myself and all the other dangers of wilderness hunting. The year was 1993, the place was Todagin Mountain and I was age 53 at the time.

I look back on that ultimately successful hunt as the greatest “Rocky Mountain High” (or Canadian Mountain High) of my entire hunting lifetime.

Because I had married a Canadian lady in 1988 and had made Vancouver my home for nearly eleven years, I was able to hunt B. C. as a resident and the annual sheep tag cost me all of $50 Canadian. Talk about fortunate?!? Well I have to say, I do consider myself the luckiest man I’ve ever met.

After two, previous, unsuccessful hunts on Todagin Mountain — one as a nonresident (1986) and one as a resident (1991) — I was convinced that I finally understood the terrain and the habits of the local sheep population well enough to be able, with a bit of luck, to outsmart one of the many resident Stone rams. The real challenge, as always, was going to be finding and outsmarting a legal ram. There were plenty of barely-sub-legal rams around, but finding and identifying a legal one had always been the difficulty on Todagin Mountain. This meant either eight years of age or having horns that met the B.C. definition of a Thinhorn “full curl”.

For reasons I no longer recall, a return visit to Todagin Mountain had just not been in the cards for me in 1992, so I needed to postpone the next attempt to realize my dream for one more year. During the intervening two years, however, one huge change had taken place up north in that wonderful, bowonly, Stone Sheep unit: namely, old man Adams had sold the ranch he had homesteaded for nearly fifty years! He had been very friendly to me and my hunting partner two years prior, so I was in for a big surprise when I drove onto the ranch around noon two days before the August 1st opening of the 1993 Thinhorn sheep season.

The new owner was a much younger, German fellow who seemed anything but friendly upon first approach. He seemed to have a rather sour personal-

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ity, as well as some kind of chip on his shoulder. I couldn’t figure out whether the “chip” was rooted in real paranoia or just a general distrust of humanity itself.

I knew the conversation was off to a bad start when “Mr. Sauerkraut” told me he didn’t want anybody hunting any of his sheep up on the mountain. I pointed out that they were all well up above his ranch, on public land and that the archery season would be opening in two days.

Things went from bad to worse when he asked me, “What have any of them ever done to you, Mr. Dunn? Why do you want to kill one of them, anyway?”

“Well, for starters, I love wild sheep meat,” I replied. “Don’t you?”

I squinted at him, questioningly.

“Yah, is good,” came back the grudging response.

“Besides,” I added, “I’m only interested in shooting a mature ram, but if I should get lucky enough to take one with my bow — and if you’re willing to give me access through your ranch to the western buttress ridge of the mountain — I’d be happy to give you one of the two back-straps when I return at the end of my hunt.”

Instantly, my hopes started rising, as his eyes sought the ground and there was silence for a few seconds.

“I’d also be glad to pay you $100 bucks for the right to park my Subaru while I’m gone — under cover, so it can’t be seen from a distance — up there at the far end of your ranch, closest to the mountain.” The German scratched his head slowly and I knew I had found a soft spot or maybe two.

“Well,” he said suddenly, “If you swear not to tell any other hunters you run into how you got up on the mountain, then we have a deal!” I gave him a big grin, nodded in assent and stuck out my hand.

It had not been easy, but I was downright jubilant as I wound my rig through the German’s Back Forty toward the base of the massive mountain known as Todagin. All the other options would have been much more painful, especially since the part of the unit I wanted to spend my time in was less than a mile from the rocky, skyline, ramparts of the “Citadel” which looked right down on the ranch from an elevation nearly 3500 feet higher. Had I been forced to access the mountain via the trail from Tatogga Lake, it would have meant at least 10 additional miles of some pretty tough backpacking. This meant I would have one whole extra day for scouting and for setting up my ambush strategy.

* * *

My “Game Plan” was something I had spent nearly two full years developing. Hardly a week went by that I hadn’t spent some time thinking about the short, “secret” little waterfall I had found two years earlier on my hunt with Martin. It lay hidden in the bowels of the enormous, south-facing basin which had eroded away the southwestern edge of the high mountain plateau. The reason I describe it as short and “secret” is because it simply came out of nowhere, tumbled down a steep, shale talus slope for 50 feet, then disappeared beneath the rocks again — never to resurface, short of the valley floor! It was sort of tucked away inside a tight little gully that only revealed its treasure to the sheep who knew where to find it and to the lucky hunters who had stumbled across it at the end of their hunt two years earlier. By no means was it a cataract, but — rather — more of a gentle cascade that could not be seen from anywhere higher up on the mountain. Nor from lower down. The soft pitter-patter of its spray on the shale was no more than a whisper from ten yards distant. It was, of course, the well-used sheep trails leading to and from this veritable fountain of life that had given away one of the mountain’s best kept secrets.

Depending on the year, and the previous winter’s snow-pack, finding water in the late summer and fall on the upper parts of Todagin Mountain can be a difficult proposition, at best. During my first August hunt in 1986, there had been lots of lingering snow patches lying around the top of the mountain. Not

so, in 1991. Finding water to drink and cook with had been a real problem for Martin and me. The discovery of the “secret” waterfall near the end of our hunt had fueled my imagination for nearly two years. Well-traveled sheep trails converged on it from both directions and any animal traversing the basin at that elevation would be bound to stop there for a drink. As far as we could tell, during any dry end-of-summer, it was very likely the only water available anywhere nearby.

I had noticed in 1991 that there was simply no way to enter this very broad, deep and steeply-inclined basin without being spotted by any sheep already contained within its embrace. The skyline silhouette of the basin’s long, high outer arms — east and west — made any clandestine entry impossible. Approaches from below or above were equally infeasible. If I were to have any chance of ambushing and taking a ram there with my bow, my nearly two years’ of thinking about it convinced me I was going to have to get inside that basin at the start of the season and hide out there — for days on end, if necessary — until a legal ram came a-calling. If I could stay hidden well enough, it would just be a matter of time before I was bound to have my opportunity.

Also in 1991, Martin and I had learned that — when pressured by other hunters up on the high plateau of the mountain — the Stone rams would often take refuge in the huge, concave basin. It was obvious they felt more secure there, being virtually unapproachable. My 1993 strategy was pretty straight forward. After negotiating my agreement with the rancher and concealing my Subaru in a shady spot near the base of the mountain, I prepared my internalframe pack for the long and challenging climb up to the top of Todagin’s southwestern summit.

With enough food to last me eight days, two small tents, a sleeping bag, air mattress, cook stove, spotting scope, tripod, movie camera, still camera, film supply, binoculars, toiletries, extra clothing, raingear and survival gear — all in all, I figured my backpack load probably weighed about 65 pounds. That did not count, however, the weight of my bow, quiver, and arrows — which I was intending to hand-carry. Having a companion always helps, by splitting up the weight of essential equipment. When you’re by yourself on a lengthy backpack hunt, one’s burden is always — of necessity— heavier.

I began the climb around 2pm, knowing it would take me until nearly sunset, with my load, to reach the “Citadel” up top. The weather was perfect. If anything, it was too warm for the climb, yet even on a cool, cloudy day I have found that I can easily lose five pounds of perspiration from such an effort. Once I broke out of the last of the trees, into the alpine, my spirits began to soar. This was the first, solo, backpack hunt I had ever made for wild mountain sheep. What an adventure it was bound to be! For reasons hard to explain, I was thrilled to be there on that mountain all alone.

absolutely reveling in the joys of solitude, breathtaking natural beauty and anticipation of unknown adventures just ahead.

I finally reached the summit of the long ridge as the evening sun began to snug itself down into the western horizon. I had all but exhausted my water supply — having saved only enough to wet the contents of one freeze-dried dinner pouch. Fortunately, I did manage to locate a tiny, residual snow patch not far from where I pitched my tent for the first night. It would be entirely gone in a few days. Although the location I chose for the larger of my two small tents was up on the mountaintop plateau, it wasn’t more than 150 yards from the edge of the big basin, as well as the access chute which would allow me easy entry down into that basin. I pitched the first tent inside the deep cleavage of a narrow little washboard-cut, formed by two up thrusting, grassy, rib-like ridges that stood barely ten yards apart. This tent was to be my refuge in case any major storm-front came in to assault the mountain. Its positioning would give me pretty fair protection against strong winds and the tent itself could contain me and all my gear if refuge became necessary.

My larger tent up on top

Self-Timer photo of author on SW Buttress Ridge The alpine has always been, for me, a halfway house to Heaven. In good weather, there is nowhere more beautiful. In bad weather, there can be no place more ugly — or more dangerous. The frequent wilderness traveler learns pretty quickly that he sets foot there only at Nature’s pleasure.

Sometimes, up in the mountains on good-weather days, when I am feeling especially close to God, I feel as if I really don’t want to share that special intimacy with anybody else. Somehow, at such times, it seems that the presence of a second person puts automatic limits on the extent to which you can feel “at one” with the natural world that surrounds you. On that late afternoon of July 30, 1993 — even though another 2400 vertical feet of the steep buttress ridge still rose above me — as the timberline receded slowly below, I was

My second tent was just a tiny bivouac tent — seven-feet long, only a few inches wider than my shoulders, 24” tall at the head, tapering to 12” at the foot; more of a long sack than anything else. Barring really nasty weather, this was where I intended to sleep for the next week, once I inserted myself into the bowels of the huge basin, which had to be nearly two miles across.

About a third of the way down, between the plateau and the timberline, there was one grassy bench running across the mountainside. It was the only place inside the steep basin that offered anything like a flat spot big enough to pitch a normal size tent.

The problem was that any tent in that location would be quite obvious to any ram that might be considering coming into the basin. This explains the reason I had decided to bring the very narrow, little bivvy-tent. It would fit lengthwise on any decent sheep-trail. Many of the trails crossing from one side of the enormous bowl to the other were not only more-or-less flat, but also wide enough — in places, at least — to accommodate my shoulders as a bed. The more serious challenge was not going to be finding a spot to sleep, but to keep from rolling over in my sleep!

On the morning before the season opened, the sun rose bright and early and I tried to follow suit. Rolling out of the sack in the larger tent was risk-free, but it wasn’t easy! The long, hard climb of the day before had left my shoulders sore and turned my legs to hamburger. However, within minutes of achieving verticality, a cup of hot cider combined with the bluebird weather to put me “on top of the world.” In the valley far below, a heavy blanket of fog completely obscured the Todagin River that drained the lake of the same name many miles to the east. I was looking forward, after breakfast, to taking up residence in “The Big Basin of the Little Waterfall.”

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I had learned in 1991 that — if there were any rams already there — my arrival could not escape notice. I knew that descending my entry-chute to the one flat bench I mentioned earlier would be sort of like trying to reach the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington National Cemetery without being spotted by the soldiers who guard it. The biggest difference would be that the Stone soldiers on Todagin are genuinely possessed of 8-power binocular vision. As things happened that morning of July 31st, there were already seven sheep in the upper reaches of the basin and my entrance down through the chute captured their immediate attention. I had known it would likely be that way and there was simply no alternative.

Band of stone sheep, only one ram possibly legal The band of sheep contained two decent rams — one of them quite possibly legal. They did not act as if badly spooked, but gradually worked their way eastward across the basin until they finally disappeared an hour later over the distant skyline. I had not waited for their complete disappearance before completing my climb down to the level of the waterfall. Approximately 100 yards west of the waterfall was another gully of a totally different character.

Instead of being filled with just rock, it was a green ribbon of verdant mosses and sods that cut straight down the steep mountainside, reaching almost to the tree line.

I had realized, in studying the topography there two years earlier, that — once ensconced within the confines of this narrow little cut (about ten feet deep and twenty-feet wide) — I would be able to move up or down the bottom of the gully freely, without being visible to any sheep approaching the waterfall from either the east or the west. In other words, unless my quarry happened to come off the top of the mountain from directly above me, I would be able to adjust my elevation — sight unseen — to match the elevation of any legal ram that decided to traverse the basin from one arm to the other.

There were many horizontal sheep-trails crossing my gully at various levels on the steep side-hill, so — as long as I was careful to stay out of sight — an ambush at close range seemed not only possible, but altogether realizable.

This was the game plan I had spent two years evolving in my mind.

My green gully topped out right at the midpoint of the flat bench. On the outer edge of that bench, nearly overhanging the precise start of the cut, was one large boulder that I also considered pivotal to the eventual success of my strategy. For most of the day, it offered me shade from the sun (and shadows to hide in — on one side or the other) and its location gave me a splendid view of the entire basin. I knew that by spending all day under that rock, I’d be able to see any ram coming my way from virtually any direction. If a legal ram were to descend the chute behind me, I would hear him coming from the minor rockfall and still be able — without leaving my boulder — to ambush him when he reached the bench.

Staying put in that key spot would, indeed, eventually yield me the victory I wanted so desperately. During my two previous visits to Todagin, I had learned the hard way, many times over, that the sine qua non of bowhunting Stone sheep successfully is to see your quarry (and his companions) before they see you. Yet eyeball versus eyeball, the competition is anything but an even match. Out in the open, well above the tree line, motion is either your biggest friend or your worst enemy — depending on who’s doing the moving.

The way I had things figured by the opening of the 1993 B.C. Thinhorn

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View from my Lookout Rock across the valley below sheep season, I saw no reason to traipse endless miles all over that huge mountain, when — if I were simply patient enough — I felt certain a legal ram would sooner or later decide to cross the basin I was “staking out” and perhaps even take a drink at my “secret” waterfall. Once such a ram came off either skyline ridge and dropped down into the many hidden folds of the basin’s interior, I would be able to choose the right moment to slip into my green gully from my hiding place under the big boulder and then hustle downhill to whatever altitude seemed appropriate for the interception at close range and the speedy dispatching of my unsuspecting quarry.

* * *

Opening-morning arrived with the same brilliance and stunning alpine vistas as had the day before. This time, however, I was “IN THE BASIN” — having spent the night on a sheep-trail in my bivvy-sac, some 200 yards below the lookout-boulder. Psychologically, I was really primed and in a murderous mood — for any legal ram. “Third time’s the charm!” I said to myself, as I climbed back up to the top of the gully, where I would be spending the entire day.

The hunt did, indeed, prove to be a matter of patience. Days one through four of the season were all pretty much the same: perfect weather, lots of sheep coming and going, but no rams with horns that would have gone any better than about three-quarters curl. On the third morning, I did leave my friendly boulder to scurry down my verdant gully for a close-up, surprise, video interview with a dandy, four-year-old ram. His horns clearly contained the makings of a Boone & Crockett trophy ram, were he to live out a full life of 8-12 years. Although his horns were just starting to tip up at the bottom of the

curl, there was a very deep drop to the curl and the bases already appeared to be at least 14” around. He and his smaller cohort crossed the mountainside just 20 yards above me. When the uphill thermals gave them my scent, they stopped momentarily and stared downhill in disbelief, trying to find the source of the alien aroma — before bolting forward to continue their traverse.

Day #5 dawned as had all the others — with cloudless skies and the hope of excitement coming from beyond my horizons. It was to be an extraordinary day which I would never forget. Sometime around 1pm, a very nice looking ram entered the basin from the east and soon adjusted his elevation to that of the waterfall. At a moment when he was temporarily out of sight, I slipped into Green Gully and within minutes had relocated to a spot within the cut just above the well-worn trail that came directly from the falls. He took his time getting there, feeding along the way, but after an hour or so the ram suddenly materialized on the rocky shoulder of the waterfall gully. From where I was situated, the short cascade was hidden within its own cut, but — following a long drink — the ram reappeared and bedded immediately just a few yards beyond the falls in full view and full sunlight.

Graphite drawing — Courtesy of Dallen Lambson It was now time to go to work with my spotting scope. Over the next two hours, my quarry drank again and re-bedded twice more — perhaps 120 yards, at most, from where I lay in hiding. Throughout most of that time, I had one eyeball glued to the eyepiece of my scope, trying to determine with certainty whether or not the ram was “legal.” I finally concluded that — when his horns were viewed in perfect alignment from the side — they did complete an exact 360-degeree curl. If the ram were to continue his journey across the basin, he would almost certainly pass right below me at a distance of only 11 or 12 yards. Staying low to the ground in the bottom of my cut, I snuck down to the trail he would probably be traveling and planted one, big, clear, Vibram-sole boot-print right in the middle of the soft dirt of his pathway. I then snuck back up to where I’d just been and positioned my body for the long-anticipated shot.

My biggest concern was how to come to full draw without the ram seeing the motion of the upper limb of my bow. There were no bushes on that hillside more than 8” high. Even just sitting upright on the edge of my gully, so that I could spot him approaching along the trail, would run the risk of his seeing my silhouette — not to mention my drawing motion! I knew there was no way I could shoot an arrow while lying down, but it did occur to me that perhaps I could draw my bow while lying down, if I simply lay on my back against the steep side-hill. Then, as soon as the ram passed below me and stopped to sniff the boot-track I had left for him, I could sit up, quickly take aim and launch the arrow for his rib cage.

The strategy sounded simple, but I knew it was going to take perfect execution. I decided to practice drawing a few times while lying on my back, with my bow horizontal across my pelvis. Not only did the action feel extremely awkward, but — as I drew back — the nock popped right off my arrow shaft!

Obviously, it had not been glued on, so I quickly extracted a second arrow from my bow-quiver and tried drawing it again while lying supine. To my mounting alarm, the very same thing happened. After the third nock went flying, I knew I had a serious problem. Back at Boorman’s Archery, in Vancouver, B.C., Bill had not used glue on any of the arrows he had made up for me for this hunt. He had relied merely on a sort of “pressure lock” to keep the nocks in place. He had never imagined I might be wanting to draw the bow from a supine position, thereby subjecting the nock and shaft to such torque as that maneuver clearly must have produced. Of course, I never imagined that I might ever want to draw my bow in such a manner, either!

What saved my “sheep meat” and cost the ram his life on that fateful day, was the lucky discovery of one maverick arrow in my quiver that didn’t match any of the others. I don’t even recall why it was there. The important thing was that the nock was glued on and there was a sharp broadhead on the other end! No sooner had I successfully executed a test-draw with the maverick arrow than I noticed my ram getting up from his bed again. He vanished down inside the water gully and I began to hold my breath — arrow on the string.

The time was about 4:30pm. Instinct told me that this was the time he would resume his travel westward. Somehow, I just knew the moment of truth was nearly at hand.

Suddenly, his horns appeared, coming my way — 80 yards and closing.

With the three middle fingers of my left hand curled tightly around the bowstring, I pressed my head and shoulders as hard as I could against the sod behind me and simply froze. When he was nearly directly below me, I began the difficult draw. As his trail dropped down into my gully and gravity increased his gait a bit, I sat up and took aim. Dead aim! The boot-trick worked perfectly and, when he halted to lower his head for a sniff, my arrow passed almost noiselessly through his chest. Rather than bolting or fleeing in a panic, the ram simply turned around and started walking slowly back the way he had come.

I’m not sure he had felt a thing; at least he certainly wasn’t acting as if he had.

I knew he was mine and that he couldn’t last more than 60 seconds. Just as he reached the near shoulder of the waterfall cut, I watched in horror as he toppled out of sight, headfirst, into the gully. By the time I could run that 90 yards or so and get a look down into the long, vertical chute, all I could see was a cloud of dust that extended a 1000 feet down the very steep mountainside. There was no sound, save the spray of the nearby water, no motion down below — just dust hanging in the air. I sat down on the edge of the sheep-trail and pulled out my binoculars. As the dust settled, I finally made out the lifeless form of my Stone ram. The fall had not killed him; he had died on his feet — just one or two steps too close to the waterfall. Then, like a bowling ball, he had tumbled, end over end, 1000 feet down the mountainside.

In looking at my watch, I realized I still had several hours of daylight left.

There was much to do. After retrieving my rucksack and other assorted gear from Green Gully, I started cautiously down Waterfall Gully. Just below where the water vanished for good, the shale became pebbles and then sand.

The cut opened up some into a broader slope for a while and I found I could “ski” downhill on the heels of my boots, with much of the sand and gravel “skiing” with me. As I went flying along on the wings of my excitement and the obliging scree, the sobering thought hit me that maybe my ram had busted a horn during his long, uncontrolled tumble. I would know shortly, because his carcass was drawing closer at breakneck speed.

Fortunately, my worries were unfounded. The horns were intact and I was one happy camper! What a thrill! To have taken a Stone ram, on a solo backpack hunt, with a bow and arrow. No guide, no companion — just me and the mountain and the ram! All for the price of a $50 resident’s sheep tag.

It was pretty heady stuff! Without a doubt, I was on the highest of Canadian Mountain Highs — yet definitely no longer very high on the mountain called Todagin. I had a ton of work to do and my spike-camp was a long way above me.

The slope where my ram had come to rest was still pretty darned steep and working on him with my skinning knife was not exactly easy. It took me nearly an hour to cape him out and get the head and horns removed from the neck, but at last the job was finished. I began to contemplate my options.

I hadn’t been cogitating for long when a sudden thunderclap secured my instant attention. Glancing up at the top edge of the plateau a good 2000 feet above me, I saw several black thunderheads coming my way. It was already December 2016 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS

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Self-timer photo of author’s ram on 45-degree slope pouring up topside, but I didn’t have the impression it was going to last for long. My big pack was way up at the lookout-boulder and I knew I would need it to get the meat up the mountain.

Given where my wheels were located, taking the meat down the mountain was not an option. I was going to have to climb all the way up to my upper tent before dark, carrying my spike camp, as well as the cape, head and horns and then return in the morning to bone out the meat — only to carry it back up to the top of the plateau, so I could then carry it back down to my waiting Subaru at the ranch. I prayed my adrenaline-high might sustain itself for another 24 hours.

As I was tying the cape, head and horns onto the only loop I had on the outside of my rucksack (which had never been designed to carry such things), another clap of thunder rattled through the rocky ramparts above me and I looked up to see a wonderful rainbow hanging right over the part of the mountain I now needed to climb. It was beckoning and I was in a mood to get out of that gully as fast as I could. I had no idea what the weather might do next, but I had no raingear with me at the moment and the only extra piece of clothing I had in that rucksack was a light, down vest.

Immediately I found I had a serious dilemma on my hands. The gully low down had turned into more of a half-pipe, with walls as hard as concrete that were vertical or even overhanging in places, not to mention eight to ten feet high. To march back up the bottom of the gully was out of the question — due to the degree of incline and the shifting sands underfoot that gave me nothing to push off against in my efforts to move upward. I simply had to find a way to get out of the chute, but it clearly was not going to be easy. It soon started to rain hard and I was becoming less and less sanguine about my circumstances.

About 20 yards above me and off on the left edge of the gully, I noticed a rare clump of alders that had somehow beaten the odds and managed to establish themselves a bit above the general tree line, which was several hundred feet lower. There appeared to be some alder branches draped over the lip of the gully right there, so — thinking that I might use them to haul myself out of trouble — I made my way upward with great difficulty, to the point where I finally could grasp one of the downward-slanting branches.

The question now was whether I could haul myself up, with the aid of the alder branches, to join the bow I had already tossed up there above me. Sad to say, I didn’t seem to have sufficient, brute arm-strength to pull it off. After standing tiptoe on the highest part of the wall on which I could gain purchase, I could reach two of the branches, but my hands were still nearly three feet below the rim of the wall. I tried three times to get myself up over the edge, but the rim was slanting downward and really gave me little to grip onto. Having 25 pounds of cape, head and horns tied on my pack was not helpful either.

On the third attempt, when my arm strength finally gave out, I had to let go. When I hit the ground below with a thud, the concussive force combined with the weight of my load to rip the stitching right out of that one loop on the top of my rucksack. In astonishment and horror, I watched helplessly as the head and horns — utilizing the perfect, geometric full-curl of the horns — became an even more efficient bowling ball than the first time. I had used

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a cord to tie the cape into a tight little ball with the horns, so this time when it went sailing down the mountainside the only thing that stopped it was a boulder it crashed into right at timberline. A part of me wanted to laugh at the ridiculous situation; most of me wanted to cry. Fortunately, there wasn’t time for either, as my brain tried to refocus on my now-more-serious-than-ever dilemma. I didn’t want the dilemma to transmogrify itself into a nightmare.

Were the horns still intact now? That might be a second possible nightmare — one which I really didn’t care to contemplate.

I certainly had no wish to spend the night on the mountain (if, indeed, I was still on it) — far removed from my sleeping bag, bivvy-sack, rain-gear and extra clothing. It didn’t take me long to figure out that the sanest course of action was to abandon my trophy ram for the time being and see if I couldn’t find a way to get back to my spike camp before dark. The time was now pushing 7pm. I simply had to hope and pray that, overnight, no grizzly would find any of the sheep parts strewn up and down the gully.

They say that God helps those who help themselves and I have to say that perhaps extricating myself from my temporary gully-prison involved a bit of providential aid. I suddenly noticed, about 60 yards down below me on the other side of the chute, what looked like a diagonal rib of extraneous, geologic material that traced a line — away from the slope — all the way up the wall to the rim where “freedom” lay waiting for me. The rib was ever-so-slightly extruded from the host matrix. Was the extrusion enough to give me a series of toeholds that might allow me to work my way right up to the green sod above? There was only one way to find out.

Ten minutes later, I was a “free man” and I began scrambling up the mountainside on solid ground that did not give way underfoot. What a joy it was! An hour later I reached my spike-camp. From there, it was 1000 vertical feet of climbing up to the big tent on top. I knew it would be a race against darkness, but I did manage to win that contest with just enough light left to locate my tent and collapse into it exhausted. Fortunately, I had had enough presence of mind to refill two, one-liter poly-bottles with water at the falls.

My body’s state of dehydration absorbed all of that water long before morning came and two complete, freeze-dried dinners hardly made a dent in my appetite. If that Thursday had been exhausting, I knew Friday was going to make Thursday feel like a picnic in the park.

The morning light came much too soon. I knew, however, that I’d need every bit of daylight available to accomplish what I had to get done. The first thing — after wolfing down another double portion of freeze-dried dinners for breakfast —was to empty my big pack completely and head back down to the bottom of the big basin to recover my abandoned trophy. That done, the next challenge was to exit the gully again and climb back up the slope past the carcass to a point where I could reenter the cut. Thank heavens I had remembered to retrieve my bow the night before!

Once I arrived at the site of the first bowling-ball landing, I scooped out as level a place as I could fashion in the steep sand and gravel surface. Then began the hard work of skinning out the rest of my ram and boning out the meat. I’m sure it took a good two-and-a-half hours. The warm weather had returned and — by the time I’d placed all the meat in my pack and readied myself for the trip back up to the mountaintop — I was already in a heavy sweat. I was very lucky to have noticed, earlier that morning a spot on the eastern edge of the gully that looked as if it would give me a relatively easy egress. My hunch proved correct and finally, around 1pm, I began my last, long, hard climb up to the top of the plateau.

I believe I reached my tent a bit before 5pm, having paced myself and having refilled my water bottles once again at the “secret” falls. I’d purposely left the tent standing, just in case things turned out such that I needed to spend one more night there. By six o’clock, I had everything taken down, reorganized, compressed to the max and either carefully stuffed inside my pack or tied to the outside of it.

My best guess was that the fully-loaded pack, including the weight of the sheep meat and the cape, head and horns, probably weighed something close to 140 pounds. That didn’t count the weight of my binoculars or old-fashioned still-camera, which I intended to carry around my neck. Nor, of course, did it count my bow with arrows attached. Never before and never since then (Praise the Lord), have I ever had to carry on my back a pack anywhere near that heavy.

Getting into the pack and then rising up onto my feet was one of the toughest things I’ve ever done. Needless to say, without that precious, biological substance known as adrenaline, I never would have made it off the mountain that evening of Friday, August 6th. But, I truly was on an adrenaline high

that night and that made a huge difference, plus the fact that it was virtually all downhill to the ranch. The human body seems to do whatever it truly has to do, when called upon, in extremis.

Much of the going was steep, with one short cliffy section that caused some problems, but I managed to make it back to my Subaru — just as the sun was touching the horizon — with only four falls where my legs actually went completely out from underneath me. Each time, I would simply roll out of the straps, unhurt, set the pack upright on the steep incline, then slip back into the straps from the downhill side and struggle back up onto my feet. The steeper the slope, the less difficult the maneuver was.

When I reached the ranch house just after sundown, I wouldn’t exactly say the owner was glad to see me, but he did seem pleased to take possession of my $100 bill and one of my ram’s backstraps. I thanked him for his “kindness” with some genuine gratitude in my heart, then aimed my wagon down his dirt road, which pointed the way toward civilization. As I turned out onto the Stewart-Cassiar Highway and headed for Tatogga Lake to spend the night, I could hardly contain the jubilation I was feeling.

Was I really the first Yankee ever to take a Stone ram with a Time to hike out! bow and arrow, on a solo backpack hunt — unguided — and without even a companion to help in the effort? tories, his disappointments, his wisdom and he teaches from his knowledge and My hunch is that I was. If not the first, I surely had to be one of the very experience. The BAREBOW! Sagas will not only acquaint you with the sweet few! For some reason, I had not so much as seen — even in the distance — one taste of success and the bitter agony of defeat; they will convince you that wellother hunter (or any other humanoid-looking creature) during my entire eight regulated hunting sustains the use of wildlife and gives the animals increased days on the mountain. value to justify their conservation and preservation. In this series, Dennis takes Was that Stone sheep hunt of 1993 the most exciting and gratifying hunt of you along on his quest for the North American Big Game 29 Super Slam. A bow, my life? Well, very likely. If not, it certainly had to be right up there! a string, an arrow – no trigger, no peep-sights, no pins – just fingers, guts and instinct. That’s hunting BAREBOW! To learn more about Dunn’s award-winThe BAREBOW! Sagas – Adventure and Misadventure in the Wilds of ning book (from which the above story was taken), or to order a copy of BARENorth America BOW!, you may visit the author’s website at: www.barebows.com.

Dennis Dunn doesn’t just tell hunting stories; he shares his dreams, his vic-

December 2016 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS

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OUTDOOR WRITER'S CONTEST

The FourYear Deer

F

By Alec Smith

rom the first time I picked up a bow four years ago, I had a dream of taking a whitetail. Any deer would do. A doe, a spike, or a 180-inch buck, it didn’t matter. Hours of practice, scouting, and setting up stands gave me a naïve hope that I could achieve this goal. A goal that so many before me have achieved and made seem easy. Little did I know that it isn’t.

The first year, I hunted every day and time possible. From early mornings until I could barely see the light poking through trees from the far off ridge, yet I never saw a deer. No matter what stand or location I was at, each following year was like the last, yielding nothing but disappointment. As if I was a doctor, I tried to diagnose the reasons I could not find success in the woods. Was it my stand location, my scent, or perhaps my inexperience? Or maybe I just needed to step back and take a look at things from a different perspective. I finally broke down, started from scratch, and tore every stand I had off the property.

I continued to scout for areas I thought deer would move through. Finally, as I was walking through the property on a late summer evening, I found a heavily used deer path; one that I had overlooked simply because it was adjacent to the entrance to the property. As I looked further, I noticed a bedding area beyond this path. Since I had never learned what to look for when setting up stands or searching for locations to set up stands, I used what I considered to be common sense, and picked a tree that provided ample cover that was about twenty-five yards from the trail. At the time I did not have a trail camera, so I set up the stand and waited for season to open. I felt like a kid on Christmas Eve, lying in bed waiting for the morning to come so I could tear into my presents.

Finally, the end of September came and I was fully prepared and eager to start my hunts despite the eighty-degree weather. I simply couldn’t wait any longer. The first morning of the season, I sat for three hours watching squirrels and chipmunks chase each other around. Every time I heard them behind me, the hair on my neck stood straight up with the hopes that it was a deer.

I eventually gave up hope and sat thinking about what I should eat when I climbed down and headed back to the house. Without noticing, the terribly loud rustling of the leaves behind me stopped and started to make quieter more subtle sounds. Then out of nowhere a brown body was moving beneath my feet. My heart was pounding and sweat was in my eyes. I didn’t dare move and give them the chance of spotting me. I sat, watched, and counted as those deer moved through the path I had overlooked for four years. I never had the opportunity at a shot at those does. Perhaps it was the shock of actually seeing something after so long, but nonetheless I was almost as happy as if I had arrowed one.

The confidence and excitement of seeing a deer for the first time while in my stand gave me a tremendous amount of hope for the season. I went ahead and purchased a trail camera so I could see exactly when those deer were moving through. I set up the camera and waited a week before I pulled the card out to view the pictures. After scrolling through, I found that group of deer traveling the trail in the mornings and evenings every day. The same four does wandered on this path. Whether they were moving to or from the bedding area, I didn’t care; I was just happy to see deer. I kept scrolling and eventually came across the picture that made me stop and stare for what seemed like hours. An old 10-point buck had shown up on camera. Judging by the sagging of his middle section and the gray in his face, an educated guess would provide reason to believe he was about a five or six year old deer. The month went on but I never encountered him, although I knew he was still in the area from the continued pictures of him on the camera. However, this did not stop me from wanting to reach my goal of taking a deer with my bow. I knew that whatever deer stepped out in front of me, I would take the shot if presented. From an old 10-point to a little spike, it didn’t matter. I just wanted a deer.

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Sportsman’s News It was a Tuesday morning that Outdoor Writing I decided not to hunt. I caught up on schoolwork and a little sleep, Contest Winner as I had been hunting early almost See pg. 4 for entry details. every day. The weather was warm with a low of seventy that day but I didn’t have class.

I decided, despite the warm weather, to hunt that evening. I climbed into my stand about two o‘clock and sat for three and a half hours without seeing any sign of life aside from a few squirrels burying acorns beneath me. By this time of the season, I had experienced sightings of many deer without ever having the opportunity at a shot at any of them. Six o’clock rolled around and I decided that I would pack up and call it a day, but before I started gathering my things, a group of turkey started to make their way over the ridge. I decided to stay and watch them before the remainder of light faded over the treetops. As I sat and watched the turkey, I started hearing leaves crunch behind the stand. I slowly turned my head and watched with my peripheral vision to try to see any movement and what I saw was a pair of antlers poking up over the side of the hill where the trail turned and ran back into the woods. I slowly reached for my bow and sat as still as possible. I realized that this was the buck I had on camera; the five or six-year-old mature buck that had me shaking just looking at the pictures, and here he was coming into bow range. I watched and waited as he slowly crept along the trail. He made his way twenty-five yards from the stand and stood perfectly broadside. I waited until he turned his head away from me to draw my bow, and cautiously moved my top pin to the middle of his chest right behind his right leg. Without hearing anything except the pounding of my heart, I slowly squeezed the trigger of my release and watched as if in slow motion as the arrow flew through the air. The arrow hit high in his side and he dropped to the ground. I quickly pulled another arrow out of my quiver to make another shot at his vitals and double lunged him. There were no words to be said. I had done it. I had arrowed a deer, but not just any deer, the biggest deer I had on camera.

I often think about those previous seasons and almost wish I had done things differently. I constantly remind myself that without the failure and experiences of those seasons, I would not have had the opportunity to learn as much as I did. I like to think of my previous seasons as more of trial and error than failures, because the only way I truly would have failed is if I had given up. The journey for my first deer with a bow was full of disappointment, and sitting in a stand with nothing passing me but time. Although that deer took four years, I wouldn’t change how any of it played out. This might be the end of a story I’ll never forget but it is just the beginning of many stories yet to come.

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