Sportsman's News January 2017 Digital Edition

SPECIAL RELOADING EDITION FREE

January 2017 | Volume 13 | Issue 1

Alaska's Boardwalk Lodge Has It All 10 Cs of Survival Dave Canterbury

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Top Reloading Products

Chad LaChance

Sportsman's News Pro-staffer Wes Atkinson fights an aggressive Dolly Varden on one of the numerous freshwater lakes on Prince of Wales Island.

Trophy Status Bruiser Alberta Whitetail Seward Multi-Species Excursions

Ranchland Hill NorvellOutfitters Alaskan Fishing Page 8

Get Precise

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SENIOR EDITOR Kent Danjanovich 801-231-9838 kdanjanovich@sportsmansnews.com MANAGING EDITOR Dan Kidder 435-865-1680 dkidder@sportsmansnews.com NATIONAL ADVERTISING MANAGER Shane Chuning 435-592-6106 schuning@sportsmansnews.com EDITORIAL ASSISTANT Lisa Deming info@sportsmansnews.com PRODUCTION MANAGER James Dansie jdansie@sportsmansnews.com

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January 2017 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS

WORDS FROM THE PUBLISHER

By Michael Deming

A

t some point in everyone’s life, a makeover must be considered. Sportsman’s News has had the same look for over a dozen years. So, it was time for a complete makeover and you are looking at the first print issue of this new look. It has been in the process for quite some time and we truly hope you enjoy our new look and format.

Everyone has twenty four hours in a day, but with the electronic world we live in, there is major competition for those valuable minutes. We wanted to provide our readers with a more picture friendly and shorter read for each article and review as we value the minutes you share with us. We also know that Sportsman’s News is often the last thing people pick up when they are headed to the field on the way out the door of Sportsman’s Warehouse. Many of these adventures put you in areas where there is no cellular or wireless service, which has a tendency to drive some folks a little crazy. We have modeled this new look and format after some of the most viewed websites and tabloids, so we truly hope you enjoy this new format and find it exciting to pick up. For those of you who never get off the grid or just wish to get it digitally, make sure you log onto www.sportsmansnews.com and sign up for the digital edition. It has additional stories and gear reviews and many links to special deals. It also links to video reviews from our staff which might help with your buying decisions. We spend over 1000

man-days a year in the field and we truly beat our gear to death. So, if we endorse it and say it holds up, we are sure it is great for more moderate users. Plus, one lucky digital subscriber is going to get an opportunity to travel with me to Tazin Lake Lodge, in Saskatchewan, Canada for a world class fishing trip just for signing up.

We are entering our second year of the Sportsman’s News Pro Membership Sweepstakes.

This is truly the largest outdoor sweepstakes in history. We will once again provide more than $300,000 worth of trips, guns, and gear throughout the year. These are the very best trips and with the very best dates with our Platinum Approved Outfitters who have been thoroughly vetted over the past twelve years. In most cases, we have booked these trips two years in advance to ensure that we can have the very best trips. We do a major giveaway every ten days and this gives our members something to look forward to nearly each and every week of the year. So, these are great gift ideas as well. Some of our largest giveaways this year are another Desert Bighorn Sheep hunt in Sonora, Mexico; Dall Sheep hunt in Alaska; Kodiak Island Brown Bear hunt with world famous outfitter Larsen Bay Lodge; and a 4th season landowner voucher and fully guided hunt with Colorado Hunting Expeditions in Dolores, Colorado, which is the region where the world record typical mule deer came from back in 1972.

The center spread of this issue shows you all of the giveaways for the next 12 months, so if you aren’t a member as of now, you might just want to consider it. The odds of winning are way better than most of the good tags of the west. We film each and every one of these drawings and post them and email them out so that you can see the process. If you would like to see the process or become a member, log onto www.promembersweepstakes.com.

Once you become a member, you will be entered into all 36 grand prize drawings for the entire year. Each drawing, we usually do between three and six bonus prizes as well.

This consists of knife sets from Outdoor Edge, ALPS Outdoorz packs that we use here at Sportsman’s News, and Sig Optics is providing us twelve of their rangefinders to give away throughout the year, and much more. Lots of great prizes for all of those who enter.

I hope everyone has a very happy and prosperous new year.

Sincerely,

WHAT’S INSIDE

4 Alaska's Boardwalk Lodge

Eat, Fish, and Be Merry on Prince of Wales Island.

Member Update: Bruiser 8 Pro Alberta Whitetail Ranchland Outfitters

4

Platinum Approved Outfitters 14Choose a Sportsman's News endorsed guide for your next trip.

18 10 Cs of Survival Part 1: Cutting Tools

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Pro Member Sweepstakes

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Pro's Tip: Plinking Versus Precision

Over $300,000 in giveaways. Drawing every 10 days.

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32 Pacwest Outdoors: Breaking The Ice A young dog learns her way around the duck blind

36 Fishful Thinker: Trophy Status What constitutes a trophy?

40 ESEE Camp -Lore Knives

Knives purpose-built for survival and bushcraft

42 Wild Game Recipe 44 Teriyaki Goose Kababs

Business Directory

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Adventures On A budget 46

Arizona Javalina Safari Outdoor Writing Contest 49 When The Hunter Becomes The Hunted Sagas 50 OneBarebow!

Hot Day Under the Florida Sun and Moon CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Wes Atkinson Dave Canterbury Gary Lewis Chad LaChance Steve Mayer Terry Clapp Dan L. Woods Dennis Dunn

January 2017 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS

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Alaska's Boardwalk Lodge Has It All

By Wes Atkinson Special for Sportsman’s News

With over 1,000 feet of boardwalk, the impressive entrance to Alaska's Boardwalk Lodge is the namesake for an even more impressive lodge and fishing experience.

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January 2017 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS

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laska. The 49th state of the United States, an expanded state of mind, and the stage for your next daydream that you turn into your next reality.

The magnitude, the timelessness, the thrill, the adventure, you, and wide open unpressured wild salmon and halibut. For the outdoorsman; for those still listening to the call woven into our primal DNA, Alaska speaks to those listening. Granted, not everyone is listening, as is obvious by our current culture, but you aren’t one of those not listening or you wouldn’t be reading this article. Just say it a few times out loud; “Alaska, Alaska, Alaska.” According to Wikepedia, the United States purchased Alaska from the Russian Empire on March 30, 1867, for 7.2 million U.S. dollars at approximately two cents per acre. In 1959, Alaska became the 49th state of the U.S. On our planet there are roughly 190 countries. Alaska is larger than all but 16 of those countries and is over twice the size of Texas. Only Wyoming, North Dakota, and Vermont have a smaller population than Alaska. It ranks 47th in overall population of the states, and is one of the least densely populated regions in the world.

So it is huge, and there aren’t many people, and we practically stole it from the Russians; so now what?

How do you know where to go?

How do you know how to get there?

How do you know you will be valued when you get there?

How do you find an outfitter that will value your dollar and give you the experience you desire?

The best news is that the Sportsmans News team knows the answers to all your questions and has invested trip after trip into this sacred land to find the business gems operating in this paradise more times than can be counted over the last 20 years.

Feel free to thank us later. Especially after you return from Alaska’s Boardwalk Lodge, as that was our most recent adventure and we are happy to report our findings. Also feel free, as well, to breathe easy when you give them a call. Maybe Google Thorne Bay just so you know where you are headed.

The flatfish that strolls the bottoms of the ocean in the Alaska waters, also known as the halibut. They range from 10 to over 400 pounds and it is not uncommon to catch 30+ each day.

With a seasoned executive chef at the helm, it is always exciting to return to the lodge to see the menu board prior to each evening's dinner.

After a short 20 minute float plane ride from Ketchikan’s Pacific Air, the Beaver throttled down and kicked broadside to the dock of Alaska’s Boardwalk Lodge. The pilot mentioned “there’s the man himself” and Brad Steuart, owner of Alaska’s Boardwalk Lodge grabbed the rope and tied us off at the dock with the good old-fashioned solid and fast cleat hitch.

Gear made its way to the dock in short order and was loaded into a 4-wheeler trailer and sent off to our room before we even made it up the ramp.

Smiles were everywhere, and I made a mental note of that. Having been an outfitter for over 15 years, I pay a lot of attention to smiles and to the attitudes of the staff from guides, to maintenance, to cooks, to administration personnel; as it all starts at the top “with the man himself”. It was exciting to see so many smiles. We, as humans, no matter who we are, like to be welcomed when we arrive.

And while some of us could get over ourselves a little, we still like to be “kind of a big deal.” Smile.

You know what I mean. Mike and I made our way across a thousand foot of boardwalk and up to the lodge. In less than an hour, we were headed after freshwater Dolly Varden and to search for a potential early silver in the river system. Prince of Whales Island is over 12,000 square miles and has a very intricate river system, and we had some exploring to do. I knew that my first cast was pounded by a Dolly Varden but Mike Deming was running the camera and I was still trying to look a little less rusty, so I downplayed the miss like a pro. Four casts later, and I was going to have to start being honest about my rust and reaction time.

Deming was laughing as I finally hooked up with a 16-inch speedster and the first fish facilitated by Alaska’s Boardwalk Lodge was in hand. Roll tape and smile, which was easy since I already was. I

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ecome a Sportsman's News Pro Member by March 20th for a chance to win a fully guided 6 night 5 day fishing package for you and a guest with Alaska's Boardwalk Lodge. All meals and lodging will be included in this package. Round trip float plane ride from Ketchikan to the front of the lodge and fishing licenses.

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January 2017 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS

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managed to shake the rust off and landed nearly 20 underwater lightning bolts before we headed back to the lodge.

Communication was plentiful, and after a four-course dinner consisting of an appetizer of lamb chops; a strawberry salad; a main course of halibut steak; and a desert of créme brûlée, we were sitting down with Brad and Jay, the fishing manager, creating a game plan for the following day.

The king salmon were in the saltwater inward passage and several 30-plus-inch fish had been caught by the clients that day. We moved our conversation to the hot tub and Rack of lamb, halibut steak, créme brûlée, discovered that two of and many other exquisite dishes were standard the guides had been fare at this first-class lodge. with the lodge since the late 90s. There is a reason guides stay with the same operation for over 10 years. You will want to capitalize on this.

Morning came early, as it barely gets dark in Alaska this time of year, and after breakfast we were headed to the saltwater. My experience on saltwater is minimal and compounds my micromanaging controlling type-A personality.

Thus, I double checked everything from a slightly hyper-diligent perspective. I am excited to report the boats were in fantastic shape, the gear was solid and reliable, and just 15 minutes after we dropped plane and the big motors throttled down, we were rigging up for giant king salmon. This is a down rigger trolling method with 12-inch flashers on double hooked herring. The ship captain, Blake, has six years of experience and moved efficiently throughout the boat. In less than 10 minutes, we had our first king salmon hooked. I could drone on and on about how much line the kings ripped through our fingers, and no doubt bore you with stories of deep running powerful fish, but I know you have heard all of that before. What I will mention, is that after our first day of king salmon

Amy is the smiling face that meets you each day at the dock and helps organize float plane transportation, flights, licensing, and trip reservations for all of the guests at Alaska's Boardwalk Lodge.

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January 2017 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS

fishing with Alaska’s Boardwalk Lodge, we netted 27 king salmon and those that were keepers are currently residing in freezers in the lower 48, all neatly vacuum sealed and packed, compliments of Alaska’s Boardwalk Lodge. With four other boats on the water from the lodge, the two-way radio crackled to let us know we weren’t the only ones enjoying the king salmon activity.

Is there such a thing as too many smiles? We made our way back to the lodge around 4:30 pm, and mentally prepared ourselves for way too much food, compliments of Chef Jeff who has been with the lodge for 10 years. Keep in mind, this is a very remote location and he has to skillfully order and plan meals from the middle of nowhere, and he did it flawlessly.

After two successful days of fishing, one saltwater and one freshwater, it was obvious for day-three that we had choices. The option to daily fish saltwater or freshwater, sets Alaska’s Boardwalk Lodge apart. Very few lodges have this capability, so as you ask yourself your own questions, ask whether or not you want to fish both freshwater and saltwater. If the answer is, “yes I want to fish both,” then you have where to go answered as well. I like options! Deming and I chose freshwater on day-two, and were back to the rivers and freshwater with Jay, and now I had to fool two seasoned veterans that I wasn’t as slow as I really am. This is one of seven Orvis Endorsed lodges in Alaska, so I wasn’t going to be able to blame it on the lodge-supplied Orvis fly rod and reel I held in my hand. Literally, to enjoy this lodge, you only need bring your clothes. You can of course bring your very own fly rod if you prefer, but the gear line up they provide, is sufficient for the novice or all the way to the seasoned switch rod enthusiast. Stories of 30-inch steelhead were in the air as I landed another Dolly Varden, a sockeye broke the surface and I focused on where he splashed for 10 minutes with no results other than three more Dolly Varden. It was easy to see we were a few weeks early for the river run fish but it was a fantastic time for the saltwater kings for the 4th of July. Simply put, fireworks in Thorne Bay are cool; king salmon are even cooler, and casting a salmon fly searching for the early silvers in the river might be the coolest of the cool.

Back at the lodge, there were saltwater boats returning and bragging over a 40-inch, 35-pound king salmon. I did, of course, get my picture taken with that fish; sometimes I still like to be a big deal.

Day-four was on us super fast and Deming and I agreed to head out to the salt in search of halibut and yellow eyed rock fish. I had almond crusted halibut the night before for dinner, as a result of this trip. I like to make notes in retrospect that are impossible to argue with. For example, “fly to Ketchikan Alaska, take a float plane to Thorne Bay, meet Brad at the dock of Alaska’s Boardwalk Lodge, leave said dock and head out to known location of halibut, drop salmon belly from previous day 250 feet down onto halibut’s head, set hook, battle 40-pound halibut up to boat, gaff halibut, and repeat process many times daily.

Return back to Alaska’s Boardwalk Lodge for a night’s rest to prepare to repeat process for several more days. On return trip home grab box of salmon and halibut that has your name on it and take it home with you. When home, open box and place the contents in the freezer, catch up on sleep for a night. Wake up and go to the freezer and set out two frozen vacuum sealed packages from Boardwalk Lodge. Set oven to 375. Smiles everywhere.

Wes Atkinson with a beautiful yellow eye. They are not only a beautiful fish, but also excellent table fare.

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T

PRO MEMBER UPDATE he Canadian providences of Alberta and Saskatchewan are well known for their great hunting opportunities. Black bears are plentiful and moose and mule deer are also sought after species throughout the farmlands and forests north of our U.S. border. But, the object of most hunters’ dreams when booking a trip to this part of the world is for the opportunity to harvest a monster whitetail during the rut.

Well, when we were putting together the line-up of prizes for our Pro Membership Sweepstakes, of course one of the first things we secured was a prime-time rut hunt with one of our premier Platinum Approved Outfitters, Ranchland Outfitters, located about three hours north of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Rob Reynolds not only runs one of the best waterfowl operations in Canada, but also has access on his big game side of things to some of the best deer hunting property as well. So, the dates were set for November 6-13, 2016 for a lucky winner to accompany me on a trip of a lifetime in search of a bruiser Alberta whitetail.

Mike Schafer of California was chosen as the lucky guy and soon plans came together for us to meet up in Edmonton on the afternoon of November 6th. Rob had arranged for us to meet up with three other hunters coming in from Tennessee and had an SUV waiting for us in the parking garage. After a quick stop at the local sporting goods store for a couple of items, we were off on our drive to the lodge in Elk Point.

Rob called us on the way and told us to drive directly to their restaurant in town for dinner. Italian night was waiting for us and after we all of course ate a little more than we should have, Rob filled us in on what was in store for us on our first morning and then we headed to our lodging accommodations nearby for a good nights’ sleep.

Mike and I were up before my phone alarm went off at 5am. Temperatures were fore-

The Tennessee Boys with their last-night bucks with Ranchland Outfitters.

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January 2017 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS

Bruiser Alberta Whitetail

By Kent Danjanovich Senior Editor

January 2017 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS

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PRO MEMBER UPDATE casted in the low 50’s during the next few days, not exactly prime temps for getting the big boys in the rutting mood in early November in Alberta, but sometimes you just have to take what you are dealt. By 5:30am we were loading our gear in the truck and heading to our tower blind about 20 minutes from town.

As soon as the sky started to lighten to the east, deer started to move along the tree lines around us. First a couple of does, then a young buck following with his nose to the ground. An hour later, Mike spotted a pretty good buck about 150 yards to the east of us.

Minutes later, another buck suddenly popped into the picture.

Soon the first buck worked his way into the trees and the larger buck turned and also went out of sight. All was then quiet for a few minutes.

All of the sudden, only fifty yards from our blind, a buck darted across the small opening between the tree. Hot on his trail was the larger buck and this time we were able to get a little bit better look at him and some footage on the Sony as well, as I was filming Mike’s hunt for an upcoming edition of SNTV. This larger buck looked even better up close and personal as we both thought we saw a hint of a drop tine on his right side. But the encounter only Mike Schafer of northern California poses for a great photo with his Alberta drop-tine lasted a few seconds and although Mike may have been able to buck. take a quick shot, I would not have been able to get it on film because of the angle of the sun.

The rest of the day was pretty quiet, with a few does wandering through and a to his right and as he turned his head he froze and whispered, “The drop-tine buck is couple of younger bucks peeking through the trees just before dark. right outside my window”!

Days two, three and four offered much of the same. Warmer than normal temperaEver so slowly, I turned my head and sure enough, there he was, not forty yards in tures, resulting in minimal deer movement. Day five arrived with nighttime temps at front of us looking right at our tower stand. I quietly moved my camera into position least finally getting down into the mid-'20s. Right at light, a solid eight-point emerged and as I clicked it on, I looked over at Mike and he was mouthing the, “What do you right below us from our left. He worked his way behind our blind and again gave us think” words and my answer was a whispered, “Take Him”! an opportunity for some good footage. All of the sudden, Mike saw something move It seemed like an eternity, but in reality was only a few seconds later, our buck start-

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PRO MEMBER UPDATE ed to take a few more steps away from us and then again turned broadside and gave us another stare. Mike clicked off his safety and rested his cheek on his rifle. His .270 sent its payload perfectly to the intended target and the familiar high-kick of a whitetail buck resulted in a mad dash for the trees. As he entered the tree line, he lost his balance and slammed into a solid Alberta hardwood and 20 feet later, he was down for the count.

I quickly moved my attention from the deer to my hunter and as you can imagine, he was all smiles! His first Canadian whitetail was down and it was a beauty. After four and a half days of sitting and waiting, it had happened so fast, it took both of us a few minutes to let it all set in, then we climbed down out of the stand to check out Mike’s prize.

Mike was first to his buck and as soon as he got close he uttered, “He’s a great buck and he’s got a bunch of junk along with a great drop-tine on his right side”. I couldn’t be happier”! A quick call to Rob and thirty minutes later, we were loading Mike’s trophy into the back of the truck and headed back to town.

The next evening, our last of the trip, two of our new friends from Tennessee were able to also fill their tags with two great Alberta bucks as well. In fact, one of them actually looks a lot like Mike’s buck, with a drop-tine on its right side and with even a wider overall rack as well. What a great conclusion to another exciting adventure with Ranchland Outfitters in northeastern Alberta, Canada.

Well, there you have it, another great success story of a lucky winner from our Pro Membership Sweepstakes. Mike Schafer was able to experience a true adventure of a lifetime by just taking a few minutes and signing up at www.promembershipsweepstakes.com. And not only did he win this exciting trip, he also took advantage of one of the other perks of his membership and booked a trip for brown bear in Alaska in 2016 and saved an additional 5% on that trip, which was enough to cover the cost of his membership for the next three years! Yes, membership does have its privileges. If you’re not a member, you are really missing out on some unbelievable adventures.

Who knows, maybe you will be joining us on this same adventure in 2018 as we will be adding another hunt with Ranchland Outfitters to the mix. And if you want to partake of what they have to offer in 2017, give Rob Reynolds a call today at 877-924-8440 to talk about all of the possibilities.

Sportsman’s News Pro-Staffer, Kevin Orton took this great buck on our first visit to northern Alberta.

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The Sportsman’s News Platinum Approved Outfitter is an outfitter book. These are outfitters you would be proud to refer to a friend. that has excelled in every aspect of their business. They put We know this because we are proud to endorse each one of these people and customers before profit. They do what it takes to make sure that they will be outfitters based upon our staff members personally visiting each one of these in business for the long haul and ensure that they have repeat customers. They practice operations. These outfitters have proven to us that they have what it takes to be good game management, which will ensure a top quality trip with them every time you “Sportsman’s News Platinum Approved.”

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O

Part 1: Cutting Tools

ne of the most frequent questions I receive is, what is the best knife to buy? Well, in my mind, that is often a loaded question, but here are my thoughts on cutting tools in general, and then we will look at knives specifically. In the Pathfinder System, I teach a concept known as the 10 Cs, these are 10 types of items that should always be carried in case The spine of a blade is better for striking a ferrocerium rod, as it an emergency were to arise when recreating in the wild. The provides a better shower of sparks as well as conserves your cutfirst of these Cs is Cutting Tool. Now, we should all realize ting edge. Find a knife with a good 90-degree spine that can be as a few facts; one, we should always carry multiple items within the same functional category so that if we were to loose or break one we would have another. useful as the cutting edge in bushcraft.

So an axe, saw, knife, and pocket knife or multi-tool are always good choices, and depending on the environment, a machete may replace the axe. However, for the wood needs to be split, you will want some blade outside the split when batoning. sake of a discussion on emergency gear, I think there should be one knife attached It is easy enough to beaver-chew your way around a four-inch sapling for building to our belt in a sheath that we will have a very hard time loosing, unless someone with a knife larger than the tree’s diameter as well. steals our pants? For this knife, certain criteria should be Now to the structure of the belt knife. I strongly believe met so that it is the most robust and functional it can be. the best belt knife is that of full-tang design. This means It may have to perform multiple tasks in an emergency if that scales are pinned or bolted to a solid piece of matethat is all we are left with. It can be used for processing fire rial and the knife itself is one piece from tip to end of the materials; fine carving tasks; skinning and processing game handle. Any reduction in steel from things like a rat tail or fish; and to help create a fire by use as a striker for a feror partial tang knife are an inherent weakness we want rocerium rod, a hard stone, or just as a spokeshave to create to avoid if this tool may be abused in an emergency. fine materials for easier combustion.

Now to the steel; if we want this knife to be as functional Looking at this list, we now can begin to see the necesas possible it should be high carbon steel, not stainless. sity for the right knife to begin with. The brand and cost are Choose a blade long enough to be The reasoning here is that for fire mentality, which we truly inconsequential to the attributes the knife possesses. useful for batoning a 4" diameter sapling. will discuss in the next installment, we want to be able to First, I think a good belt knife should have a 5-inch blade; use this blade in an emergency to strike a hard rock and create a low temperature though a bit less or more is okay. Four-inch green wood is structural material for spark that is capable of igniting charred materials. Carbon steel is also easier to building a temporary camp, and four-inch wood makes good fuel as well. If this re-sharpen in the field using natural stones, should the need arise, as well as the simple strop of a leather belt to hone the edge.

The top of the blade should be a 90-degree spine, not sanded or ground over, while this is more comfortable if you rest the thumb atop the blade while working a lot, it negates a very important function of this tool. We want to ALWAYS conserve our resources in an emergency as well as MANAGE them properly. If we use the blade of our knife for scraping a ferrocerium rod, or to make feather sticks, when we could perform both functions much quicker and easier using the back of the blade in spokeshave fashion, then we are sacrificing blade edge retention we may need later.

Let's now speak to blade profile and grind. There are as many profiles out there as there are colors in the world now, but the tried and true knife is always simple.

The three main profiles that work well for a woodsman are the butcher-style blade, probably the most popular of all profiles across the US from the early days of the Hudson’s bay trading company to the early civil war era, and still preferred later by many like Nessmuk; who carried a sort of squatty butcher style knife himself.

Then there is the spear-point design popularized by Horace Kephart, and the standard kitchen knife profile carried by many woodman through history, simply because many of the knives along the frontier were repurposed from the homestead A good bushcraft knife needs a full tang and carbon steel to take and came from the kitchen (hearth) to begin with. Today we call this a bushcraft abuse, and a point that will stand up to heavy structural use, while still design blade and it is a very functional tool for lots of tasks mentioned above. allowing for finer detailed carving.

18 January 2017 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS

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

January 2017 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS

19

The profile is really a personal decision but don’t be fancy; be functional. Now to blade grinds. Here again, there are many variations but the main ones are “V” or Scandinavian grind, convex, full flat, and hollow grinds. Hollow grinds are truly reserved for smaller knives like pocket knives, or specific blades like razors. Full flat grinds cut and split well, but the blade thickness in the spine is a concern as the thinner the material to begin with the weaker a full flat grind will be at the blade edge, and chipping can become an issue if the tool is abused. The two best, in my opinion, are Scandi and convex. Some of this is a matter of personal preference, but I find that a Scandi grind makes a better knife for finer work, is easier to sharpen, and splits well. However, there is good argument to a convex grind as well, for edge retention and the shear slitting power of these type of grinds.

I hope this helps. Whatever you do, don’t get hung up on price or brand; get hung up on function and quality.

About the Author - Dave has been published in Self Reliance Illustrated, New Pioneer, American Frontiersman, and Trapper's World, and has appeared on the cover of Backwoodsman Magazine. Dave’s book BushCraft 101 is a two-time NY Times Best Seller. In addition to writing about survival, Dave is the Co-Owner and Supervising Instructor of The Pathfinder School in SE Ohio, the United States premier school for self reliance. The Pathfinder School is listed as one of the top 12 Survival School in the U.S.

by USA TODAY. Dave holds a bachelor’s degree in Wilderness Ministry from Frontier Christian University is certified in Advanced Search and Rescue,Wilderness First Aid/ CPR, as an Expert Trapper by the Fur Takers of America, and holds basic and intermediate certificates from the International School of Herbal Arts and Sciences.

A good cutting tool can make shelter, process food, repair gear, and make warmth and light. It is one of the oldest tools, and an invaluable aid in survival. Don't scrimp on this essential tool.

A knife with a flat back can be used as a spokeshave to create flammable wood fuzz and tinder that takes a spark easily for making fire.

20 January 2017 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS

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22 January 2017 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS

January 2017 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS

23

Plinking Versus Precision Reloading

PRO'S TIP

By Dan Kidder Managing Editor

F

or those who roll their own ammo, there are two distinct methods of reloading; precision and mass production. While everyone would love to have a mass production ammo loader in their garage, cranking out thousands of finished rounds per hour, the cost of such a machine is prohibitive. Not to mention keeping the beast fed with components.

For mass production of practice ammo for plinking, target practice, work on the fundamentals, and just general time at the range shooting pistol or modern sporting rifles where mass quantities of ammo will be expended, a progressive press is the way to go.

At Sportsman’s News, we use the Hornady Ammo Plant progressive press with the addition of a case and bullet feeding hopper. This progressive press can be finicky and set up takes a lot of adjustment and fine tuning, but once it is rolling, production is fairly consistent and you can quickly press out hundreds of rounds in a short amount of time. The velocity of rounds built in this press differs by only about 20-30 feet per second, which is usually not an issue at the ranges most people plink.

There are some things to be aware of when using a progressive loader. For me, primer tubes are the way to go, but you can easily get them tangled up and getting the primer feeding side unstuck can take some time and a litany of words you wouldn’t want to utter in the presence of your grandmother. The case feeder can get jammed up as well, and the turning and feeding case plate can come off the cam, causing cases to get underneath. This will necessitate scooping out all the brass so you can reseat the plate. The spring tube that feeds bullets from the bullet feeder to the seating die can slip out of the die, spewing bullets all over the floor. This becomes a tiresome occurrence, and I have spent many hours on my knees rounding up all of the errant projectiles. The Hornady One Shot case lube is a great product and allows you to bulk spray your cases before loading them into the hopper. Without it, expect to have many stuck cases.

Their companion product, One Shot Cleaner and Dry Lube with Dyna Lube, is a great product for cleaning out excess lube from the dies, as well as general clean up and lubrication of your press. And the last issue that will give you fits, is if the timing lugs get out of proper timing. If you don’t need to mess with them, don’t touch them! If you do, it can take some time to get them back into the A progressive press is a great proper setup for smooth operation. way to do mass quantities of ammo Be patient, take your time, and douwhen precision isn't as important. ble check all of your stages to make

24 January 2017 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS

sure you haven’t missed anything along the way.

Precision reloading is a much different beast. There are far more steps to get a precision metallic cartridge that shoots groups from 1,000 yards you can cover with a dime, and neglecting The Hornady Lock-N-Load Ammo Plant any one of them can have is a great value for a progressive press and noticeable repercussions comes with a litany of options. downrange.

Without a doubt, the only way to get a precision hand load is on a single stage press. For this we have tested both the Hornady Lock-N-Load system and the venerable RCBS Rock Chucker Supreme. For ease of use and the ability to quickly change out dies without resetting their depth, the Hornady Lock-N-Load system is a winner. The locking lugs and collar let you quickly set your depth, twist and replace. Additionally, I vastly prefer the Hornady dies, especially at the crimping stage, as we had real issues getting a good crimp with the RCBS dies. More on that later. We also had issues stripping out the soft brass set screws on the locking collar on the RCBS dies. The good news is both companies have decent warranties. The RCBS warranty procedure is more cumbersome, with proof of purchase required and the need to send in the broken part for repair or replacement. Hornady is just a phone call and the part number of the broken part, and replacements are quickly in the mail to you.

For good precision cartridges, toss out the OAL measurement in your reloading manual and measure the chamber of the gun you will be firing these rounds through. To do this, a great tool is one of the OAL Gauges from Hornady. Fit with a modified shell casing with threads cut into the primer pocket, this shell and gauge will provide you with the exact OAL you need for the bullet to contact the rifling of your barrel. This exact overall length is the depth you will want to seat each and every bullet for maximum accuracy.

In order to get that proper depth consistently each and every time, it is vital to ensure that every case is exactly the same length. I measure every precision case and then trim them to the same length using a Hornady Cam-Lock Trimmer. This trimmer lets you easily and quickly swap cases with just a half turn of the camlock, and the length can be easily set and locked so you can run through cases pretty quickly. There are more expensive powered case trimmers, as well as drill attachments, but I find I get better control manually turning Consistent case length is key in getthe crank. The cutter is hard ting precision loads. Trimming your cases and sharp, and the effort to get to the proper length will improve accuracy. a good trim is minimal. This step is especially important if using previously fired brass.

Once you have a good case trim, I like to spend some time on the primer pocket. Using a dressing tool, clean out the primer pocket and remove any burrs. Also, check the concen-

PRO'S TIP tricity of the flash hole and look for any burrs and clean them up from the outside. I then shine a light inside the case and check the flash hole from the inside.

You can use an RCBS flash hole deburring tool to get down to the bottom of the case quickly and easily. Having a properly prepped primer pocket and flash hole will improve the consistency of ignition of your propellant giving you consistent pressure and velocity.

The last step I do in brass prep is to chamfer the case neck. Using an RCBS Trim Mate Case Prep Center, I chamfer the inside and the outside of the mouth of the case, for more reliable feeding Case prep will improve conand seating. Be careful not to remove sistency and make loading preciso much brass that you change the case sion rounds possible. length. You want just enough to taper the mouth to the ideal length.

Now that your brass is properly prepped, you can move on to choosing your components and assembling your cartridge. The selection of components is as personal as picking a spouse, and many reloaders would have an easier time swapping out a spouse than they would changing the reloading components to which they are married. My advice, try several loads of powder, bullet, primer, case combinations and find the one your gun likes best. Even the same make and model of rifle can perform drastically different with the same load.

Once you have selected your load, you are going to assemble them in your single stage press.

When I get a new rifle, I experiment with a variety of loads to find the one it likes the best. This is the time consuming process of loading and trekking out to the range to verify data and DOPE. Once I have the load combo I like, that becomes the load of every round fired through that gun.

To get a consistent powder load, I really like the RCBS Charge Master 1500 Powder Measure and Scale. This little machine trickles out a precise, pre-set amount of powder into the pan and verifies it with a precision digital scale. I get inA single-stage press sanely consistent powder dumps this way. Otheris the best way to load wise, get out your scale and tweezers and prepare precision ammo. to add single sticks or balls of powder until you get the right amount. A manual scale just won’t give you the same consistency as a digital scale for this kind of precision.

Once you have seated your primer, using a hand priming tool, dump your powder and then weigh the entire case, primer, and powder combo to make sure they are consistent. A bit of deviation is expected, as the case thickness will differ, but this will let you know if there is a major deviation.

Now it is time to set your bullet. I measure the weight and length of each bullet, and stay with high quality manufacturers like This Lee Precision Nosler, Barnes, Speer, or Lapua, as they have betcrimping die ensures a ter consistency in weight and length. If a bullet better crimp than most is out of specification, it gets tossed in my other resizing dies can propile for practicing fundamentals at 400 yards for Minute of Pumpkin accuracy. The bullets within vide. specification get loaded for long range precision shooting.

To get consistent seating, I use a bullet comparator from Hornady, attached to my digital calipers. This comparator, with the proper caliber-specific insert, gives me a more consistent reading than just the flat tips of the calipers, by ensuring that I am measuring on the same place on each round for a very consistent OAL. The comparator, paired with the OAL gauge gives you amazingly reliable measurements each and

every round.

I then, once again, weigh my completed rounds and anything wildly out of spec goes in the Pumpkin Pile.

I do all of this in stages, first measuring, selecting, and prepping brass; then seating primers and lubing cases, then filling and re-measuring, and finally seating my bullets. But there is an additional crucial stage that many overlook. We have had terrible luck achieving a good crimp with RCBS dies, and hit or miss luck with Hornady with bullets that don’t have an ogive. Because of this, I add a final crimping stage using a Lee Precision Crimping Die, to achieve a solid and precise crimp on each and every round. A good crimp will help prevent bullet setback on chambering as well as ensure consistent chamber pressure. Not having a good crimp is disastrous to accuracy.

For mass producing ammo, I tend be a sloppy reloader, and minor variances are not that big of a deal to me. For precision ammo, I approach it is a craftsman, taking the time to carefully craft each and every round, and disposing of anything that is wildly out of specification. It is a matter of quantity versus quality. With the right tools, and the time and effort, reloading can be a rewarding way to save money in the long run, but in the short term, it is a great way to add knowledge of how ammo and its components operate together to give you improved accuracy. That knowledge translates to better shooting on the range and more meat in the freezer. Good loading and even better shooting.

Look for detailed information on some of the Digital scales proproducts mentioned in this article, as well as some vide better precision others in the Reloading Product Roundup article than manual. on page 26.

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Reloading Accessories RCBS Flash Hole Deburring Tool

Hornady Cam-Lock Case Trimmer

Getting a consistent ignition from your primer can be impeded by burrs around the flash hole inside the case. The RCBS Flash Hole Deburring Tool features a comfortable rubberized handle with a long shaft topped by a hardened deburring point to reach down inside the case and quickly remove these bits of shaved brass that can impede consistent ignition.

Getting precision from your rifle cartridges requires starting with the right case length.

A consistent case length will affect bullet depth, crimp, chamber pressure, and proper engagement of the bullet with the rifling in your chamber. The Hornady Cam-Lock Case trimmer uses a cast iron frame with adjustable case holder and a cam lever to quickly swap out cases. This system gives precision cut cases with fast cases swaps for consistent case lengths every time. It comes with a set of pilot guides to endure a wide variety of calibers can be prepared in this trimmer.

Hornady Bullet Comparator and Inserts

To get a truly accurate measurement of cartridge overall length (OAL) you need to use a good caliper and make sure you are measuring the bullet in the same exact spot each and every time. The Bullet Comparator from Hornady attaches to your caliper blade and acts as a cup, ensuring proper placement for every round measured. Different inserts for various calibers, ensure that you will get a consistent reading every time.

Handloading bullet seating and crimp dies use a roll crimp to lock the bullet in place. Achieving a proper crimp with this method is hit or miss if you don’t trim your cases to all be the exact same length. It is even more difficult to achieve a good crimp on rifle bullets that don’t have a groove cut around their diameter.

Bullets lacking this ogive can be set back upon chambering and develop inconsistent chamber pressure, effecting accuracy. The Lee Precision Factory Crimp Die places a consistent taper crimp all around the bullet the same way that major ammo manufacturers do, to get a precise, even crimp on all kinds of rifle bullets. It is an extra step in the reloading process, but one that will provide tremendous improvement in accuracy and consistency.

Hornady One Shot Gun Cleaner and Dry Lube

Every set of new dies comes coated in a packing grease that can become sticky over time. Before starting to use these dies, they need to be properly cleaned. Hornady One Shot Gun Cleaner and Dry Lube uses a proprietary DynaGlide formula to remove this packing grease and provide a clean, non-gummy dry lubricant. It can be used on guns, dies, and other reloading equipment as a maintenance product to keep your press running clean and prevent build-up of brass, powder, case lube, and other components. Just give your parts a quick spray, and wipe them down to keep your press running smoothly.

RCBS Chargemaster Combo Hornady One Shot Case Lube

Using the same DynaGlide lubricant, the Hornady Case Lube allows you to quickly spray lubricate your cases, preventing them from getting stuck in the die, while avoiding dents in the cases caused by excessive lube buildup. It is an efficient way to lubricate large quantities of cases without a pad or dip of each case.

Cases can be lubed in a tub, box, hopper, bag, or tray with just a quick spray.

26 January 2017 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS

Lee Precision Factory Crimp Die

For getting ultra-precise powder measurements, the RCBS Chargemaster 1500 Scale and the Chargemaster Powder Dispenser into a single unit. Program in the weight of the powder you would like dispensed and hit the dispense button. A load of powder will be dumped out and then trickle until the exact amount desired is dispensed. No more fussing with a manual powder trickler, and re-dumping powder because you overshot the mark. Get a perfect charge each and every time. A powder dup chute on the side makes it easy to quickly remove excess powder from the hopper for changeover to a new powder.

Comes with brass calibration weights and a clear plastic cover that protects the scale from the influence of a breeze.

January 2017 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS

27

Reloading Accessories RCBS Trim Mate Case Prep Center

Proper case preparation leads to more consistent completed cartridges and fewer problems in the loading process. The RCBS Trim Mate Case Prep Center features a motorized base with five rotating stations and a variety of tools that will deburr primer pockets, remove military primer pocket crimps, chamfer the inside and outside of the case mouth, clean primer pockets and much more, depending upon the tools or brushes you screw into the threaded rotating stations.

Two additional stationary threaded stations on the upper portion will hold unused tools or can be used to manually brush the inside of the case neck with long case brushes. A cup is in place to hold dry case lube for dipping.

Hornady Lock-N-Load Classic Reloading Kit

For those thinking of getting into reloading, this complete kit has just about everything a new reloader will need. It includes the Hornady Lock-N-Load Classic single stage press, Reloading handbook, digital scale, powder drop, hand priming tool, powder trickler, loading tray, One Shot Case Lube, Lock-N-Load bushings, funnel, and everything but calipers, shell holders, dies, and reloading components to get someone started on rolling their own ammo.

Hornady OAL Gauges and Modified Shell Casing

Finding the proper overall length for your cartridges is dependent on getting an accurate measurement of where the bullet engages the rifling in your chamber. Using one of the Hornady OAL gauges and modified shell casings will give you the perfect length to set your reloading dies. A curved gauge is used to measure the chamber in lever action and semi-auto rifles and other guns that don’t have a removable bolt. The straight gauge is used for bolt action rifles. Using this measurement will increase accuracy in your hand loads.

Hornady Lock-N-Load Ammo Plant

Stack-On Professional Steel Workbench A good reloading setup is only as good as the bench you mount your press on. In reloading, there are a lot of little parts and components to keep track of, as well as tools. The Professional Workbench from Stack-On gives you a steel clad MDF work surface to mount your press on, as well as plenty of storage and organization. Two pull out drawers, as well as ample compartments for larger items or powder and dies will help contain and organize your equipment. A peg board backer will let you easily organize tools where you can quickly find them. It solid steel frame will give you a stable mounting base with minimal bounce as you actuate the arm of your press. Over 1,200 square inches of workspace provides you with ample room to spread out your reloading process, and a convenient top shelf above the peg board gives you even more options for storage and organization.

For those looking to make the jump from a single stage press to progressive, the Ammo Plant from Hornady provides everything you need to take your reloading to the next level. A heavy-duty five stage press with auto-indexing lets you spit out a completed metallic cartridge with every pull of the handle. Powered bullet and case feeding hoppers set up your press so that all you need to do is keep it filled and keep pulling the handle. It is like a slot machine that pays out with every pull. For even more productivity, add the Deluxe Control Panel to monitor powder level, primers, and a powder cop to stop the press and notify you if there is a double charge. The control panel also features a stick-on light strip and a counter.

Sensors easily connect to different stages of the press and give you auditory feedback if something goes wrong.

Lyman Turbo Pro 1200 Case Tumbler

Shiny cleaned brass gets stuck less, reloads faster, and feeds in your gun more consistently. Of all of the case tumblers I have tried, the Turbo Pro 1200 is hands down the most robust. It can handle large loads of heavy brass, and even a variety of media, including heavy stainless steel that bogs down lesser tumblers. Its heavy duty motor, and large hopper let it power through extra-large loads of brass and it will run for hours without overheating or wearing out. I can’t even count how many tens of thousands of cases I have prepped in my Turbo Pro 1200. With a high rate of vibration, and beefed up suspension, it won’t walk off the counter on you. The 10-inch bowl will hold up to 350 .38 Special cases and media at one time. A sifter lid makes media and brass separation a snap without an additional media separator.

28 January 2017 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS

January 2017 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS

29

PRO'S PICK

Hornady Lock-N-Load System

By Dan Kidder Managing Editor

T

ypically, our Pro’s Pick column is a specific product. This month, we will be focusing on the Lock-N-Load system used on Hornady reloading products.

While it is not a product in itself, it is a great feature that works to make the Hornady products unique in the industry, and provides multiple benefits for the user.

The Hornady Lock-N-Load system consists of a press with a collet receiver, the locking collar for your dies, and a conversion kit to convert competitor’s presses, to receive the Lock-N-Load die bushing.

Hornady Lock-N-Load presses feature collets that receive the threaded bushings and quickly lock into place with six locking lugs. This allows the user to quickly swap out dies, without changing their depth. This means that you can be reloading one caliber on a progressive press and then quickly switch calibers, without readjusting the dies for depth of resizing, or bullet seating and crimp. Once you have properly adjusted the die and tightened its locking ring, you can remove it from the press and retain the proper adjustment over and over again.

The bushings come individually, or in packs of 2, 3, or 10, and are inexpensive enough that a set can be purchased and threaded on every set of dies you own. When I get a new set of reloading dies, I also get a new set of bushings for them, so each set of dies has its own bushings and I never have to reset their depth. I also put them on specialty dies, like those for trim, swaging, and crimp.

The bushings also have a rubber O-ring that makes the bushing fit tightly in the collet and exerts slight upward tension on the bushing to prevent it from working loose in the press.

The bushings accept any die with standard 7/8-14 threads, which is the industry standard, except for some specialty dies, like those for the .50 BMG. To convert your non-Hornady press to work with the Lock-N-Load bushings, Hornady makes a conversion kit that replaces the threaded receiver collar on your press with a Lock-N-Load receiver. This conversion collar will fit any press with a 1 ¼-12 threaded die bushing. You simply remove the existing die bushing and replace it with the Lock-N-Load receiver collar.

The conversion kit also comes with 3 die bushings so you can get started using it right away.

The Hornady Lock-N-Load system lets you Lock-N-Load lugs allow the quick and easy swapincrease your ping of dies without resetting depths. cartridge pro-

30 January 2017 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS

Hornady's Lock-N-Load Conversion Kit will let you use Lock-N-Load bushings with other manufacturer's presses and dies. duction in a single stage press, because you don’t have to re-screw and adjust your dies between stages of production and because you can rapidly switch back and forth between stages as needed. For progressive presses, you can quickly change out calibers for all of your stages without having to readjust them. It is a quicker, simpler, and more efficient way to reload.

Give the Hornady Lock-N-Load system a try. You will wonder how you ever managed to reload without it.

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Breaking The Ice A young dog learns her way around the duck blind.

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In the dark before dawn, we negotiated a narrow dike road between ponds and held our breath each time the truck slid in the mud and ice. The ponds were iced over, but the hard water wasn’t hard enough to hold more than a 40-pound e wadered up in Dave Rogers’ seed barn. He had a sweet black Lab named Annie that knew she was top dog. When she met my dog. I know that because, Liesl weighs 48 pounds. pudelpointer, Liesl, she had to prove it.

We climbed into the blind, wedged shoulder to shoulThey had a little scrap and after the peckder. Liesl, if she had hunted ducks before, would have ing order had been reinforced, everyone Like a ponderous blanket known that we sit, we wait, we watch. She wanted to go got along fine. flapping against the sky, a cloud point birds, but pudelpointers are supposed to be versatile Rogers calls his place River Refuge. He plants crops to hunters. encourage the birds to feed year-round or stop on their of cacklers lifted off the water, I had to hold her down with one hand and whisper enmigrations north and south. Situated close to the Willacouragement.

Thus occupied, I sat on the right side of the above the trees, blackening the mette, located just out of Brownsville, Rogers’ refuge feeds blind. Troy was on my left, then Kristy, then Sam. sky to the east. a lot of birds. On Wednesdays and Saturdays during the The sun came up. Geese gabbled out on the shallow season, Rogers and his friends go out to blinds situated on lake to the west. We began to see flights of ducks. Liesl lay various points on the property and try to harvest a few. on the ground and watched birds go overhead. She swivMost of the blinds are built for two. Some will fit three. We had four: Kristy eled her head at every tweety bird that flitted by, at every mile-high V of geese Titus with her 20 gauge, Troy Rodakowski with his 12 gauge, Sam Pyke who and watched teal and wigeon streak by, close but not close enough. was shooting a Canon camera and me with my side-by-side. Four, plus Liesl, the Kristy had the left panel of her sunglasses completely encased in Scotch pudelpointer.

By Gary Lewis

Liesl works her way back to the blind with a teal taken over the ice.

Photo by Gary Lewis

32 January 2017 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS

tape, kind of like the crust of ice that covered the pond in front of us. It’s one of several tricks cross-dominant shooters can use when hunting right-handed. She shoots right-handed, but her left eye is the dominant. By Scotching her glasses, she forces her right eye to do the work.

There wasn’t a lot of work to do. Then the geese got up off the lake. Like a ponderous blanket flapping against the sky, a cloud of cacklers lifted off the Breaking the ice to retrieve a widgeon on a pond near Brownsville in Oregon’s Willamette Valley.

Photo by Gary Lewis

water, above the trees, blackening the sky to the east.

They broke apart in tens and twenties, headed different directions, then two geese split away from the rest and headed straight for our pond. Liesl’s eyeballs almost popped out of her head as I held Left-eye dominance presents a chalmy hand on her to keep lenge for wing-shooting. Kristy Titus wore her from giving us away. glasses most of the morning with the left The birds circled, then lens taped up to force the right eye to do the they were over the blind work. and Troy and Kristy stood up. Troy fired and one of the birds crashed.

Whack. I heard it hit the ice on the pond behind us.

Now it was time for a lesson in retrieving. My 48-pound dog put her foot on the 40-pound ice.

A long crack shivered out away from her toward the goose 20 yards out. I had to walk alongside to break the ice.

Waterfowl smell a lot different from the quail and chukar and pheasant this dog is used to. She Photo by Gary Lewis got a sniff of that goose

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33

and knew she was supposed to do something. She nipped at the wing, jumped back and nipped again and jumped back, but finally got the 12-pound bird in her mouth and started her way back to dry land.

Back in the blind we watched our forlorn decoys and decided we needed to encourage the birds that went by so far overhead with a little open water.

Troy and I tromped out and stomped the ice back to water around the decoys.

And as we were headed back to the blind, several flocks of ducks flew over and flared when they saw us. Better educated, they flew off in search of a safer place for breakfast.

The hour hand marched around the dial twice and was headed for its third revolution. I had to wedge the dog behind me now. She wanted to get out and run, not wait for them to come to us. Every time I moved, she leaped out.

Then, all of a sudden, we had 40 teal in front of us, a whirling, spinning, flashing wall of ducks, all 10 to 15 yards out, going right to left. Troy swung and fired then Kristy shot next. When we reviewed the video later, we saw five ducks fall to Troy’s shot. Kristy’s was out of frame, but we retrieved six birds.

There in Brownsville they filmed a coming-of-age movie about four buddies.

You can walk across a bridge and see other places made famous in the ‘80s classic. I didn’t see the movie, but I taught the dog to stand by me.

To contact Gary Lewis, visit www.GaryLewisOutThe temperature doors.com presented challenges - The water was too Photo by Gary Lewis hard for ducks to land and the decoys froze in place. And the clear blue sky allowed the ducks to circle from out of range while they inspected the approach.

The landowner created a private refuge that attracts birds from all over the valley.

Photo by Gary Lewis

Photo by Gary Lewis

Seed production encourages waterfowl to keep coming back for more.

34 January 2017 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS

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Trophy Status

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Chad LaChance

here’s an old saying that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, referencing that what you might think is a thing of beauty, I might see as ho hum and vice versa. The difference lies in our perspective and neither one of us is wrong. That very difference is beautiful in and of itself; it’s what makes up diversity and makes us individuals. It would be a bland world if we all saw beauty in only the same things. I feel that way about trophies.

As a professional outdoorsman, the term “trophy” is commonly tossed around. Sometimes it relates to some very specific qualifiers, as if the trophy status is directly dependent on a minimum size or score. Personally, this kind of bugs me. Don’t get me wrong, it ain’t keeping me up at night and we can be friends, but I’m always skeptical when someone goes down that road.

In my mind, trophy status, like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder and not standardized. You can call whatever you caught or harvested a trophy and I’ll do the same for my quarry. See, still friends!

The reason I’m not a fan of tying

36 January 2017 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS

trophy status directly to a certain score or size is because it removes elements of the pursuit and those are key aspects of a sporting adventure. As an extreme example; a five-pound trout caught in a hatchery pond is not the same trophy as a five-pound trout caught from cirque lake high in the Rockies, at least in my eyes. However, say a five-year-old catches that same five-pound trout from

the same hatchery pond on his Snoopy pole. The kid will forever view that trout as a trophy and I wouldn’t disagree. The surrounding circumstances are different. The funny thing is that the kid’s dad would view that trout as a trophy even if it was covered in saprolegnia and its fins rotted off. It’s the situation that dictates the status, not the fish itself.

There are a few keys to earning trophy

status in my own hunting and fishing.

The most important one is how much luck was involved. If I feel a major dose of luck was involved, it diminishes trophy status. Now, some of you will immediately recognize that I have put myself in jeopardy with the fish gods by dismissing otherwise trophy-sized catches as lucky, but I see it as the other way around. If I take credit for some-

January 2017 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS

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thing I lucked into, the fish gods will have their way with me for being arrogant so I recognize lucky catches for what they are - lucky. Don’t get me wrong, luck is commonly part of our success, but it should never be mistaken for skill.

A great example of this is catching a fish I was not targeting. Even if I catch a true trophy-sized specimen, if it’s not the flavor I was targeting, the element of luck played too big a part in the success for me to honestly feel like I’ve caught a trophy. Sure, some skill was required to fight and land the fish, but we all know that finding the intended fish and getting it to bite is the true hard part.

But if I were to post a pic on my social media of said lucky catch, I’d get lots and lots of “atta boys” for my trophy catch.

For the record, lucky catches I post are labeled accordingly to avoid issues with the karma and the fish gods. Another solid element in earning trophy status is the difficulty of the conditions faced to conquer said quarry. Easy success automatically discounts trophy status. For instance, I harvested a huge mule deer buck last season, a true giant. I did so after hiking 56-miles over eight consecutive days, glassing for what seemed like eternity and finally putting a plan together to get within range of and execute the shot.

38 January 2017 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS

Had I shot the same deer 50-feet off the road on the first day of the hunt, I don’t care how big he is, I would not have the same sense of accomplishment and he therefore would not feel like as much of a trophy. Here again, those that saw pics or his mount would spew trophy comments regardless, but I’d know better in my heart.

All fish being equal, I feel a higher sense of accomplishment and thus trophy status for fish caught EXACTLY how I thought I’d catch them prior to fishing, especially at places I have little or no recent experience. It means I read and recognized and the conditions and then executed correctly. Hence, I take pride in that day’s fishing and nice fish will be a be trophy to me. While I’m always grateful for surprise catches, they just don’t feel the same.

My best trophy fish of all time is a big ‘ol lake trout. Why that fish? Because it is a species I had targeted for a long time with little success. I studied, learned from a couple laker guides and planned to hit a good lake at what I thought was prime time, fishing solo. My plan and skills worked, resulting in a true trophy by any standard, but even more so to me.

May your 2017 be filled with trophies, however you choose to judge them!

䌀䠀䄀䴀倀䤀伀一吀䄀刀䜀䔀吀⸀䌀伀䴀

January 2017 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS

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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

ESEE Camp-Lore Knives

By Dan Kidder Managing Editor

A

good bushcraft knife contains a very simple design, with elements, proven over time in the field, that make it ideal for general versatility, ruggedness, and simplicity.

ESEE Knives, out of Idaho has utilized these principals to design two great cutting tools that will get the job done, without the frills usually found in specialty knives.

While vastly different from one another, the JG3 and the RB3 both incorporate some similarities, yet vary widely in the details.

ESEE knives are an affiliate of Randall’s Survival and Adventure, a prominent survival training school, and their knife line is an extension of that, making sure their students have access to survival cutting tools that won’t fail in the real-world environments in which their students may find themselves.

These knives are made in America from American sourced materials, and input from some of the top knife designers in the world. They both use hard as nails and tough as Chuck Norris 1095 high carbon tool steel to create a long lasting edge that will hold up to years of hard abuse, while still taking a razor sharp edge. Each comes with an attractive, thick cowhide sheath with an ample belt loop. The leather comes from one of America’s oldest tanneries and is beautiful in its natural color, that will change over time and use to become your unique sheath, decorated with blood, sweat, and tears of use in the field. The micarta handles on both can easily be removed in the field, and I found that the Link 7 3/32 Allen key on my Leatherman Tread was a perfect fit for this. Each features a lanyard hole in the handle.

ESEE Camp-Lore RB3

The RB3 is a Ruben Bolieu designed buscraft blade. Ruben has been travelling

40 January 2017 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS

the globe for more than three decades, and this knife is the culmination of lessons learned through these extreme ultralight backpacking trips.

The 3-inch full-tang blade features a drop point and a Scandinavian grind. This Scandi grind provides a wicked sharp tool for fine details, and some gross skills, but can be a bit fragile for batoning or heavy chopping. Where it really excels, is cutting through coarse fibers, such as rope, and also for processing game.

The removable Micarta handle scales are chunky, so it is easy to hold for those with larger hands, but not so large that people with more dainty digits will have difficulty with it. This heavy-duty handle prevents cramping from trying to squeeze too hard, as you might find with a flatter handle design. It also gives better control for fine detail work.

ESSEE Camp –Lore JG3

Jim Gibson, the designer of this knife, has been bladesmithing for 18 years. In addition to forging metal, he carves wood and bone, and teaches survival. All of these arts come together in this lightweight and versatile blade. Featuring a prominent curve between the handle and the cutting edge, the blade fits comfortably into the hand without kinking your wrist as you work with it. The 3-inch blade features a flat grind and a drop point. The full tang knife has removable micarta handles, and a very flat edged 90-degree spine for shaving wood or striking a ferro rod.

The curve gives you excellent control for fine detail work, but the 1/8th of an inch blade thickness is beefy enough to handle gross skills such as batoning wood and chopping. All told, this knife feels very comfortable in the hand and prevents fatigue when used for long periods of time. It is an excellent all-around bushcraft knife.

All of ESEE’s high carbon knives are made in America and come with a complete repair or replacement guarantee. Because they are made to order, they are available in very limited numbers in select Sportsman’s Warehouse stores and online at www. sportsmanswarehouse.com. Check online frequently to see if they are in stock.

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January 2017 | SPORTSMAN’S 020516NEWS

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January 2017 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS

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

T

Teriyaki Goose Kababs

here is something primal and satisfying about eating meat grilled on a stick.

The Shish kebab has been a way to cook meat over an open fire for many a generation of hunters. This recipe is great for goose or duck, and can be modified to include any vegetables you like. Kids especially enjoy skewering the kebabs, so get the family involved. This is a very interactive form of cooking, and a great way to introduce them to grilling.

Ingredients Brine

• 4 cups water • ¼ cup kosher salt • ¼ cup brown sugar • 1 teaspoon baking soda

Recipe

• 2 pounds goose breast meat • 1 Large can of pineapple rings • ¾ cup brown sugar

Preparation Method

• ½ cup soy sauce • ½ cup white wine • 1 tablespoon canola oil • 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped • ½ teaspoon ground ginger • ¼ teaspoon black pepper • 1 large onion • 2 bell peppers • Skewers

Put the salt, brown sugar, baking soda, and water into a large zip lock, seal and shake until fully dissolved. Slice the goose breasts into 1 inch chunks. Add the meat into the brine, and refrigerate, for a minimum of 2 hours, or ideally overnight. Remove and pat dry.

Open the can of pineapple rings and drain the juice reserving ¼ cup. Set pineapple aside. In a small bowl dump the ¼ cup of pineapple syrup, brown sugar, soy sauce, wine, and canola oil. Blend well with a whisk, then add the garlic, ginger, and black

44 January 2017 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS

pepper, and whisk again until everything is dissolved. Voila, you have a really flavor-full homemade teriyaki sauce!

Put the breast pieces into a large zip-lock bag and add the teriyaki sauce, reserving about a ¼ cup. Save this to drizzle over the kababs before serving. Let the meat soak in the marinade for at least an hour, or even overnight.

Cut the onion and bell peppers into1½ inch pieces, and cut a slit in the middle of each for the skewers to go through. This will keep the vegetables from splitting when you slide them on. Remove the meat from the marinade, and similarly pierce a slit in the middle of each piece with a sharp pointy knife.

I prefer using bamboo skewers over metal when cooking goose, as the metal tends to overcook the meat. Make sure to soak them in water for about a half hour to prevent them from completely burning during the cooking process. It is also preferable to use a flat skewer over a round one to keep the pieces from spinning as you turn them while cooking. You can also add an extra round one so there are two skewers in each kebab to prevent slippage.

It is now time to assemble the kababs. Alternate chunks of meat and vegetable on the skewers as you build the kabobs. You want each piece to touch, but not be smashed together in a tight group. You can add more vegetables if you desire.

Grill them over medium high heat turning frequently. They cook quickly and you want to serve the meat rare to medium rare. Do not overcook them as they will dry out.

A couple of minutes per side should be sufficient. Remove the kababs to a serving platter and drip the remaining sauce over the top. Toss the pineapple rings on the grill and cook till each side has caramelized. Serve these alongside the finished shish kebabs.

The kababs are complimented well with a spicy California Syrah or a Malbec. If you prefer beer, try a brown ale to go with the succulent goose. Cheers!

January 2017 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS

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Adventures On A Budget

Arizona Javelina Safari

By Terry T. Clapp

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his Adventure On a Budget is what DIY dreams are made of. It’s an American Safari to Arizona in pursuit of the exotic, “collared peccary.” A midwinter Javelina hunt in Arizona is perfectly timed to provide a most pleasing way for hunters to break the chains of cabin fever. A week afield in sunny Arizona will give needed relief from the winter doldrums no matter where you live. Javelina are the aristocracy of this swine type species and are hunted as big game in the southwest. Center-fire hand guns or rifles are required. A nice side bar in the Javelina hunt is the array of weapons you have the chance to use. The Hornady .17 Hornet, 20gr V-Max is a nice center fire round. The .204 is another viable, fun round.

Many hunters use some form of the .223 in a bolt action or on an AR platform. A few use the .223 in pistol size as a different approach to hunt Javelina. In other words, you can leave the heavy artillery on the shelf for this southwestern Safari. Of course, primitive weapons including archery related items, along with muzzleloaders and handguns, have special hunting opportunities during the Javelina season.

Javelina have a telling musky order, similar to that of a bull elk, but more obnoxious, so in this case, our limited sense of smell can be an asset on a Javelina hunt. All Javelina have tusks for rooting, shredding Prickly Pear Cactus and defense. They have the instincts of a bird dog and when they feel something isn’t right, the entire herd will stop mid-step and hold their position frozen like a champion bird dog on point. They will assess the threat of danger, largely by their keen sense of smell, since their eye sight is poor. Once they are on high alert in frozen positions, they will likely bolt. After flushing like a covey of quail, they gingerly use their propensity for disappearing and do so right before your eyes. The normal size of a herd is in the single digits, but double digit herds are sometimes seen. If you see a single Javelina, take your time and glass because they are a herd animal, so others may be nearby.

The bolting or busting up of a herd can work in the hunter’s favor. The action and drama of the herd heading in many directions may confuse some members of the herd.

If you find yourself in the position of walking into a herd and busting them up, watch

46 January 2017 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS

where they head, but hold your position. Many times a confused Javelina or an old boar will depart after the mass exodus of the main herd. This may give the hunter a shot opportunity. If a shot opportunity does not present itself, then find a good glassing point and glass the area the herd headed for. This is one of the many challenges of Javelina hunting.

One minute the Javelina herd may be well within range, then bolt or drift over the next rise in elevation to not to be seen again. If you are glassing a herd and they drift out of sight, then take a break. Hunt another area if you have the time, then return to where you left them and approach from a different angle and direction. From this different approach point, pick a good glassing spot and scan the area. You would be wise to have chosen this good glassing spot before you made the decision to leave your original position and come back later. A herd of Javelina will often return to a good food source. Remember too in the desert environment, water is a critical factor in the hunt. Do not over-look riparian areas as they usually have water sources.

After glassing with no sightings in the spot where you first spotted them, consider moving into that area. Stalk carefully down to the area where you spotted the Javelina.

Once to the spot, take your time and check for fresh sign. Look for rooted up

January 2017 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS

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Adventures On A Budget cactus, mainly Prickly Pear and shredded pads from the Prickly Pear plant. Use your nose, smelling for that musky scent.

Javelina tracks are very small as are their droppings. However, they make a mess of the Prickly Pear where they are feeding. Hillsides full of Prickly Pear are an invitation to dinner for the Javelina.

Planning and Cost for Licenses

Prior planning for an Arizona Javelina hunt takes place in September and early October of the year before your planned hunt in January or February. If you wish to apply for a specific Javelina hunt area, that can be accomplished online with an application due in early October. There are some OTC tags available - these are called Non-Permit Tags. They are valid for some Arizona Javelina hunting units.

No draw necessary, just purchase and go hunting. Either way, a non-resident will be required to buy a Non-Resident Combination Hunting and Fishing license which costs $160.00. Thus, to apply for a Javelina tag, the total cost up front would be $175.00, which includes the $15.00 application fee for applying for a Javelina tag. If you go the OTC route, then there is no $15.00 application fee. Therefore, the total OTC cost to hunt Javelina is $160 plus the $100.00 Javelina tag or $260.00 total. If you apply for the draw hunt for Javelina and get drawn, the total cost to hunt Javelina is $275.00.

For youth hunting under the age of 18, the costs are very low for Javelina hunting. The Non-Resident Combination Hunting and Fishing youth license is $5.00 and $30.00 for a Javelina tag. There of course is the $15.00 application for a

48 January 2017 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS

draw hunt fee. So, for a youth only Javelina hunt, a non-resident could hunt for not more that $50.00 if drawn and as cheap as $35.00 for the OTC tags. A youth 10 to 13 must have passed their hunter education.

The hunting licenses purchased are good for one year from date of purchase. Thus, the non-resident hunter could apply for and if drawn go on other big games hunts in Arizona for one year without buying a new non-resident license. The cost would be only the $15.00 application fee for each hunt applied for plus the cost of the tag. However, if drawn for say an elk or deer hunt, the season drawn for would of course have to fall within your license timeframe or you would have to buy a new license.

Places to Hunt and Lodging Expenses The Javelina hunt is a real gentleman’s hunt. These little aristocrats prefer outstanding weather conditions for their day-time activities. They love to dine on nice sunny days. Good for the gentleman hunter is the fact that you are as likely to see them in good weather conditions at mid-morning, noon time mid-afternoon as you are at day-break or dusk. So, you don’t have alarm clock worries or concerns about rousting a teenager out of bed or getting a little more shut-eye for yourself. It’s okay to be in the field a little later or a lot later.

The Javelina hunt lends itself to a nice comfortable stay in a nearby motel. Look at the Arizona Game and Fish website for a map showing the distribution of Javelina in the state. You will see that the Javelina distribution flow east, west along the I-40 across the entire state and at Flag-

staff all along the I-17 south to Tucson. If you are coming from California, then the same thing is true for the I-8 or if from parts of New Mexico or Texas, then I-10.

There is Javelina hunting all around these major highways. Motels abound all along these highway corridors and rates vary, but $50 to $100 a night will usually get you an average type room. If you wish to camp, then that’s easy in Arizona.

Arizona Game and Fish Department provides detailed information about each specific Javelina hunt unit. Since the hunt units are large, they will indicate areas where Javelina are most likely found.

Public lands are available for great hunting, but private lands require permission.

Just ask ranchers and for a Javelina hunt you will probably get permission to hunt.

Also, you might get some information as to where the local populations of Javelina might be located. Forest Service roads are good in most areas and a truck can access lots of Javelina country. Check with the local Forest Service to get updates on any possible road closures. That being said, a 4WD or ATV offers greater access and more fun in Arizona’s very user friendly off-road adventures.

Diversity in Arizona Is the Norm

Sand dunes to 12,000 foot mountaintops, with Javelina found on the floor of the Sonoran Desert to places around 7,000 feet in elevation along the I-40 East and west of Flagstaff are all possibilities.

Habitat, weather, wildlife and temperatures change with the elevation. So, it is that Javelina share most of their range with elk, three species of deer, bear, lion and bison. A viable sidebar to a Javelina

hunt is that it can be used as a vehicle to gather boots-on-the-ground wildlife data on other species in specific hunt areas.

This should be of great benefit if you have interest in applying for other Arizona big game adventures on a budget.

Reservation Hunting

Arizona does offer viable Javelina hunts on both the San Carlos and White River Apache Reservations. These two reservations are well known for their outstanding, but pricey elk hunting. They offer, on a first come first serve basis, Javelina tags for about the same price it would cost for a non-resident to hunt in Arizona. For example, on the San Carlos in 2016, it was $280.80 for a Javelina tag.

You do not have to draw, but tags are limited in number, so watch their website to see when they become available. Both these reservations are off the beaten path and favor those hunters traveling from the east. San Carlos is three hours east of Phoenix and the White River location for hunting is over four hours to the northeast of Phoenix.

If you opt for a reservation hunt on the San Carlos, hunt around the Gila River and San Carlos Lake. Both of these locations offer easy access and reliable numbers of Javelina. The White River hunt is usually good for Javelina in the southwest corner of the reservation, above the rim of the famous Salt River Canyon. Experience with hunting the reservations is a little on the tedious side as information is more difficult to obtain than you would expect. At the end of the day, if you opt for a state hunt on public land or a reservation hunt, plan your safari as far ahead as possible.

When the Hunter Becomes the Hunted

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By Dan L. Woods

he bull elk’s high pitched, musical bugle rang through Idaho’s high country.

It bounced around the still leaves of the aspens and filled every void of the bench that I was hunting on. He was close. My heart began to race as I responded with a quick challenge call. Immediately, I followed the bugle with cow calls to coax the bull toward my location. He was hooked. His second bugle revealed a direct path coming toward me from about one hundred yards away.

The morning breeze was very gently moving in a crosswind direction. I monitored it by the drifting vapor from my breath. One large pine tree with low limbs stood between me and the approaching bull. His battered antlers revealed fierce struggles with other bulls in the area. I could see his legs moving my direction through the branches. His path would take him past the tree I was crouched behind and give me a ten yard shot.

Silently, I prayed that all would go as planned. It was perfect.

I drew my bow and held. Two more steps and he’d be mine. Suddenly, he hit the unmistakable barrier of human scent. Without hesitation, he spun and ran back the way he had come. My heart sank. I had been so close. It had been the dream setup—until it wasn’t.

Hoping to stop or call the bull back, I immediately let out a series of cow and calf calls as I slowly stalked the direction the bull had fled. I was watching intently for any movement—an ear flick, antlers swiveling, or anything to locate the bull. Within minutes, I felt that feeling of defeat that so many hunters feel as I moved from my original spot. I continued to cow call as I made my way along a small finger of pines.

Movement to my right caught my eye. I froze, bow and arrow at the ready, and turned to face the movement. Something didn’t look right. This movement wasn’t an elk. My mind struggled to figure out what I was looking at—a coyote perhaps? In the shadows of the pines about seventy yards away, I saw a beautiful but terrifying sight. It was a mountain lion approaching in a crouching, stalking stance. Its large eyes looked like saucers burning a hole right through me. Those eyes, windows to its soul, told me what it was doing—hunting. With a lock on my position, the mountain lion remained low as it continued to approach. My mind recalled my house cats sneaking up on mice in the same manner. It hit me rather hard when I realized that I was the prey in this cat and mouse scenario.

The stories of mountain lion attacks I had read came rushing into my mind as the adrenalin dump began to course through my veins. I could feel my body shaking a little. Then, the big cat stopped in his crouched position at about 30-35 yards. Those eyes never left mine. He just laid there watching, waiting, and tearing through my camouflaged clothing. "Would I be his next meal?" was the thought that passed through my mind.

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Having a mountain lion tag comes with my Sportsman’s Pack license I purchase each year. I had never used my lion tag in all my years of hunting because I’d never seen one.

I had seen plenty of sign but no lions. My mind shifted from potential victim back to the predator mode, switching the roles, yet again, on the predator that was stalking me.

A small tree lay between us. Thicker pines lay to my right. A small open area lay to my left. I began to mentally prepare. Maybe the lion would go left and give me a shot. If it went right, there would be only one small opening where the shot would be possible.

What if he came straight at me at a run and leaped at me? So many thoughts rushed about inside my head as I wondered when the lion would make its next move.

The sun was peeking over the ridge now. Half of my body was in the sun. I could feel the heat beginning to increase within my hunting clothes. I wanted to move into the shade, but I couldn’t. The lion was still watching with keen interest.

After about thirty minutes, the mountain lion began to look left and right. I was beginning to think it was losing interest in whatever it had seen moving through the trees.

I was still holding my bow at the ready with the lower pulley resting on my thigh. I was still frozen like a storefront manikin, but that all changed in an instant.

The mountain lion snapped its gaze back to me and locked on again. I could clearly see that it had a renewed interest in me. I hadn’t moved. I hadn’t made any noise. I was barely breathing. Why it renewed its interest so quickly is still a mystery.

As luck would have it (bad luck was being served up in large portions that morning), the lion began a low, slow, creeping action toward me. Its eyes were glued to mine again. The head didn’t move up and down. It was fixed as its body moved over the shady forest floor. The small tree between us must have prompted the lion to turn to the side. The thicker side to my right became the angled path of the lion. At about 25 yards, I lost sight of it in the trees, but as it began to approach the only small shooting lane, I could still see that it hadn’t taken its eyes off me. It glared at me, watching for any movement.

I realized that I would have to be at full draw when the lion crossed the small opening. There wouldn’t be any chance of drawing and firing as it slipped by the small area, so as it approached the opening, I drew my bow. The mountain lion froze momentarily.

I needed to rotate about ninety degrees to shoot comfortably. As the lion took another two steps, I rotated. Still watching me with those piercing eyes, he froze again in the center of the small opening.

I centered the twenty yard pin behind his shoulder and released the arrow. At that range, the arrow was there quickly. The big cat leapt into the air skyward and ran back about ten yards before stopping and turning back to look at the arrow lying on the forest floor. I began to wonder if I had missed. I had instinctively placed another arrow on my string and as the cat continued to look in wonder, I released another arrow that struck him behind the shoulder but a little higher than the other. Jumping, clawing, and scrambling, it ran from the trees toward the area it had come from. I heard what sounded like a struggle in the trees about fifty yards away, and then, the forest went silent.

My excitement was elevated. Finally being able to move, I quietly checked the arrows that were both lying on the forest floor. They were covered with blood. I knew the big cat was mine, but I waited for twenty minutes to ensure it had time to expire peacefully.

During those twenty minutes, I reflected on what I had just accomplished. Decades of hunting and I had never even seen a mountain lion in the wild. Today, I had learned how to hunt them accidentally by becoming the hunted. The blown elk opportunity had become a new and better opportunity. I thanked the Creator for not answering my prayer earlier and letting that elk live. Had I shot the bull, the lion would have never been mine.

The trail to the lion was clearly marked with the crimson blood from the four holes in its sides. A few minutes later, I was standing over my mountain lion. It was a beautiful male. My adventure had changed from an elk hunt to a mountain lion hunt. The momentous morning had been filled with imperfect and perfect events that will be forever cherished as an unforgettable part of my hunting experiences. It was, in fact, the best hunt of my life. The element of danger, of facing a predator with nothing but a bow and arrows, and of hunting solo deep within the forest had merged into the perfect hunt.

As I knelt over my trophy in reverence, I gave thanks for the missed opportunity that had brought a far greater reward. I paid respect to a fellow hunter. Predators may become prey—so be watchful. Hunts don’t always go as planned, and I’m grateful for it.

Endnote: My mountain lion missed the P&Y minimum by ¼ inch measuring 13 ¼ inches. Nevertheless, he’ll always be a special trophy.

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ONE HOT DAY UNDER THE FLORIDA SUN AND MOON

“

Y

ou know, alligators and wild hogs are so ugly, I really think I COULD bring myself to shoot one of those nasty critters”, said my wife one evening — apropos

of nothing.

Coming from a woman who was an anti-hunter when we had first met 22 years earlier, Karen’s words were unexpected music to my ears. Granted, with the help of Dr. James Swan and his marvelous book, In Defense of Hunting, I had succeeded in convincing my wife during the first few years of our marriage that all legal hunting does play a crucial role in wildlife management and conservation.

However, it was actually the “ugliness” of a turkey (in Karen’s eyes) which eventually allowed her to “cross the Rubicon” and join the growing ranks of women hunters.

I believe it was at the 1994 convention of the Foundation for N. A. Wild Sheep that my wife asked if she could bid on an Alabama turkey hunt which was being offered for auction (“They’re just so ugly I know I could kill one without it bothering me much!”).

Well, her paddle never went down until the five-day hunt was ours and that fall she used a shotgun to bushwhack her first gobbler — and first wild game of any kind.

Hunting with my recurve bow, I missed cleanly on my only shot opportunity and returned home empty-handed, though ecstatic about Karen’s successful initiation into hunting.

Further positive experiences in the field followed for her, in the form of downed doves and pheasants, but I had become convinced she was destined to remain a bird

Lee’s ‘Swamp Buggy

50 January 2017 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS

hunter until her sudden, off-the-wall remark about hogs and alligators. We were attending, at the time, one of the 2011 Reno winter hunting conventions, so I immediately “commissioned” my wife to spend the next two days interviewing all the Louisiana and Florida outfitters with booths at the show, who were offering combo hunts for the gruesome twosome.

She finally reported back to me and said to go visit a Lee Lightsey, of OutwestFarms Outfitters (also doing business as Trophy Florida Gators, Inc.). Lee’s home is near Lake Okeechobee, Florida and he assured me that the local population of both gators and hogs was so healthy we wouldn’t need more than two days to fill all our tags.

Since I had never taken a gator or a wild pig with my bow (or any weapon), I was quite excited to see what sort of luck my 59-lb. recurve could “piggy-back” on top of!

For Karen, however, this was to be a rifle hunt, so I borrowed one from my son, Reagan and made sure she had a couple of chances to practice with it at our local gun range. Early December found us winging our way to Orlando and renting a car to drive north to our chosen hunting grounds. After getting ourselves royally lost out in the country after dark, we discovered that not every rented GPS system is reliable. We did finally find our motel, however and a place for supper. That was when disaster struck!

While eating her salad, Karen was describing to me the large handbag and pair of boots she intended having made from the hide of her still-living alligator. In midsentence, she fell silent and it became readily apparent she was not feeling at all well.

By midnight, the symptoms were clearly those of the flu and come morning she was sicker than a dog. After playing full-time nurse on the first day of our “hunt,” on the second day I succumbed to Karen’s entreaties that I go hunting without her. She no longer had the strength to twist my arm, but then that was hardly necessary! My anticipation of the adventure before me had already warmed up to around 211 degrees, and my luck in the field was about to turn red-hot!

Lee picked me up at 8:30 a.m. and we headed out to his farm, consisting of a patchwork quilt of meadows, marshes and pockets of green timber — both evergreen and deciduous. There were numerous, low wire fences here and there, but none that wild hogs couldn’t go through or under with great ease.

My outfitter/guide explained that the gators and pigs could be found most anywhere in that landscape, as long as both water and cover were close by. Our means of travel was what Lee called his “swamp buggy.” Possessing four, huge rubber tires at least four-feet tall, it was overhung by a large sun-canopy and consisted of a gunmetal, steel superstructure for riding along that allowed you a moving vantage point from about ten feet off the ground. If there was anything stirring within 50 yards, you were likely to catch a glimpse of it.

The first three groups of hogs we spotted that morning were all sows and piglets.

Lee knew I was hoping for a crack at a good-sized boar and around 11am we saw one in the distance that was hot on the trail of a sow in heat.

Lee piped up, “Dennis! That brushy fence-line they’re following takes a sharp bend to the left up ahead; hang on for the ride and we’ll have a good chance of getting ahead of them and cutting them off.”

Sure enough, after 250 yards of jouncing and bouncing over numerous “speed bumps” encountered by our swamp-buggy, I heard Lee shouting at me to jump down and run toward the fence-line as fast as I could.

“You won’t have long, so be ready to shoot”, were the last words I heard coming from behind me.

He was right. I barely had time to slap an arrow on my bowstring before I saw the sow pop out into the open, passing from left to right, at a fast trot about 30 yards in front of me — just on my side of the fence. I could hear the loud grunting, huffing and puffing of the big boar not far behind her. A brilliant sun had just emerged from behind a dark cloud over my shoulder and the surreal scene unfolding before me had a sort of Hollywood feel to it. The colors were intense, the action fast, my adrenaline rushing and, when the large, shockingly-black form of the running boar suddenly materialized in front of me, my instincts took charge and I did what I had to do to kill him.

In a fraction of a second, my bow-arm was up, moving sideways with the motion of my quarry and I recall seeing an arrow come out of nowhere to nail him through both lungs. I really don’t recall the draw or the release, but I do remember hearing Lee shout out, “What a great shot, Dennis!” Fifteen yards from where my arrow struck him, the boar piled up, rolling on my cedar shaft, snapping it in two. Within twenty seconds of that, he was moving and breathing no more. Fewer than 30 seconds had transpired since the release of the arrow.

It had all happened so swiftly, I could hardly believe what I was looking at. Indeed, death had come so fast, it struck me that my broadhead must have caught the top of the heart, as well as both lungs. Never had I made a luckier shot in my entire hunting lifetime. It is actually very seldom that I have ever allowed myself to take a shot at an animal in motion. Two months earlier, in northern B. C., I had come to full draw on an old bison bull that was walking slowly across in front of me — fully

Equipment Note: For both the species hunted in this story, Dennis used the same bow — a 59# Whitetail Hawk (60”) made by Steve Gorr’s Cascade Archery. For the gator, he used the fish-arrow, bowfishing reel and line sold by the AMS Bowfishing Company. For both the hog and the finishing shots needed on the gator, he used cedar shafts made by Suzanne St. Charles, tipped with two-blade Zephyr-Sasquatch broadheads and two-blade Howard Hill broadheads.

Despite blood loss, still 208 pounds of hanging weight

Wooden arrows don’t survive being rolled on!

broadside at about the same distance (30 yards). I wanted him in the worst way, but I never released the arrow, because my elk “mew” did not succeed in getting him to stop, thereby offering me a stationary target.

The two situations were very different. Even though the bison was a huge animal compared to the hog, darkness was falling, I was hunting in heavily-forested, very mountainous country and I didn’t dare take a chance on just wounding him. Bison have very small lungs for their body size, which are entirely located below the midline of the chest. I knew that a marginal hit on the bull would render him unrecoverable in that wild country. By way of contrast, I knew that I would almost certainly recover a marginally-hit hog, because Lee Lightsey owned several well-trained hounds, for the sole purpose of tracking wounded quarry.

So far from home and with still another week of vacation planned following the hunt, I knew there was no way we could get 100 pounds of fresh pork back to the Evergreen State. Consequently, I told Lee to donate it all to the local food bank. With that done by early afternoon, it was time to focus on hunting gators.

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Lee suggested I take a mid-afternoon siesta back at the motel, saying he’d pick me up after supper for some nighttime hunting on a nearby lake. “How cool is that?” I thought to myself: hunting alligators at night, with a bow and arrow, under what I knew would be a nearly-three-quarter moon. Karen’s condition, meanwhile, had gone from bad to worse. She assured me she would not be going out on the lake with us, but nonetheless urged me to go. The die were cast and I guess it was meant to be that way. I felt badly for my wife, as this had been her idea from the beginning!

The outstretched wings of Lady Bird Dusk were rapidly closing around us as Lee and his assistant slipped our boat quietly into the calm, glassy waters. It was so quiet I swear you could have heard a bat plucking a bug out of the air at the other end of the lake, some 400 yards away. By contrast, the sudden “swoosh” of a gator’s tail along some part of the far shore was almost jarring to my eardrums and produced my first adrenaline rush of the night.

The aluminum boat was long, broad and flat-bottomed. On one corner of the bow there was a tiny electric motor turning a pygmy prop that moved us forward at the speed of an inch-worm or — on occasion — perhaps as fast as the Energizer Bunny (but no faster). Almost inaudible to my ears, it was perfect for sneaking up on an alligator basking on the surface or one dazzled by the bright glare of the headlamps attached to the helmets of my two guides.

My bowhunting gear, which I hoped would deliver success that night, consisted of the same recurve bow with which I had nailed the big hog earlier in the day and a heavy, solid, fiberglass fish-arrow which was attached to my bowfishing reel by 25 yards of 400-pound Dacron line. One end of the line connected to a detachable steel arrowhead, possessing a very sharp tip and two very blunt barbs. Once embedded beneath the tough hide of a big gator, those barbs would not allow the head to pull out. The other end of the line was tied to a red buoy, which could be quickly tossed overboard if the gator’s first run threatened to haul you into the water, as well.

Lee had told me that the gators in this lake ran all sizes — that we would likely see some as small as five feet and possibly — if we were lucky — some as long as 12 or 13 feet. Anything ten feet or bigger, he assured me, was considered a true trophy specimen. I told him I’d go home happy if I could bow-kill any size critter, but I agreed a ten-footer-or-better would be a worthy goal to strive for.

Once Lee had maneuvered us out near the middle of the lake, we started scouring the surface of the murky water in all directions with our headlamps, looking for those tell-tale, bright orange, twin-periscope eyes that belied the presence of a prehistoric reptile lurking just beneath and behind them. The many pairs of eyes were truly mesmerizing. To me, they looked exactly like the orange reflector discs state highway departments place at the top of those tall, white, roadside-markingstakes in wintertime snow country. There were several occasions during our hunt that night when we could count a dozen-or-more pair of eyes staring back at us from just a single direction. It was downright eerie at times!

The night’s adventure proved full of excitement, but I did not cover myself with glory in the marksmanship category. This wasn’t my first time bowfishing, but it was the first time in several decades. Since the fishFinally in the boat, with jaws taped shut arrow I was using

52 January 2017 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS

weighed over twice as much as my normal hunting arrows, my first three or four shots struck the lake’s surface well short of the target. Also, shots across open water always appear closer than they really are and on that night — under the bright Florida moon — the combination took its toll on my archer’s pride. The shots were not long -no more, it seemed, than 10 -15 yards. Fortunately for me, however, opportunity was everywhere!

I believe it was my fifth shot of the night when I finally hit pay-dirt. At first, I actually thought I’d missed him, until I noticed my white line and arrow shaft moving off with him. Lee and his sidekick immediately grabbed the stout cord and hung on for dear life, as the behemoth began to tow our craft around the lake.

“You got yourself a dandy, Dennis,” Lee shouted. “He’s likely to go well over ten feet.” I don’t think I replied, but I’m sure I was grinning from ear to ear. The battle was now engaged. After maybe five or six minutes, our quarry began to tire and eventually settled to the lake’s bottom, to see what we would do next.

“How deep is it there?” I asked.

“Only 10 or 12 feet,” came the reply.

Soon we had our boat right on top of him and then my guide tossed a large, grappling treble hook out beyond our quarry, proceeding to drag it back along the bottom with the strong rope he had attached. Once Lee felt solid resistance, he gave a hard yank and suddenly we were fast to both ends of the surly beast! The fireworks weren’t long in coming. As soon as the big gator was hauled up to the surface, the thrashing and splashing grew wild for a few seconds, but then stopped all at once.

Perhaps the old codger was deciding to play it cagey again and see what our next move might be. Pretending to be dead is an old alligator trick, I had read somewhere. “Sucker your enemy into doing something stupid,” I think is how it goes.

With the gator’s long body lying temporarily quiescent alongside our boat, Lee invited me to take one of my sharp broadheads and try to sink it right into his walnut-sized brain. Obligingly, I released an arrow at the spot he had told me to aim for, but I couldn’t really tell from the brute’s reaction if I had completed the mission or not. He hardly moved at all in response.

“Put another broadhead into his spinal cord, just behind the head,” came the next suggestion. I complied, but with a very similar result. At this point, Lee’s assistant carefully slipped Measured at 11 feet, one inch — a noose around the front end of the the next morning long jaws and cinched them shut. I opined that the battle seemed over, but Lee replied, “Not necessarily! Notice that he’s still got at least one eye open. You’d better fire a couple more insurance arrows right next to the first two.”

Well, so I did and the battle, indeed, finally seemed terminated. The one big challenge remaining, though, was — somehow — to get the monster into the bottom of the boat. It soon became clear that my guides had done this many a time before. Using me as ballast on the opposite side of the boat, they hauled the head and front-legs-section over the gunwale and — I guess you’d say — more or less into the boat. Then— using the wet, slippery hide of the belly to their advantage — they managed to complete the job with a few more heave-ho’s.

I was impressed, to put it mildly! Yet, more to the point, I was in awe! This huge inert form, lying on its back and taking up most of the inside of the boat, was absolutely awesome! A quick measurement the next morning showed my American Alligator to be a tad over eleven feet, from nose to tail. I found myself wondering out loud, “How could I have been so lucky?” Two quality bow-harvests in the space of ten hours? And two different species, to boot? It certainly had been one hot day of hunting under the Florida sun and moon! And I had Lee Lightsey to thank for a most professional job, well done. The next trip to Florida will be for Karen, because she refused to accept my alligator hide for her handbag and boots!

Author’s Bio Note: Dennis Dunn and his wife Karen of 28 years make their home in Kirkland, WA. He is an outdoor writer whose articles have been published in half-a-dozen different magazines and his book, BAREBOW! An Archer’s Fair-Chase Taking of North America’s Big-Game 29 has garnered six national awards. It is also available as a 7-volume digital series of eBooks.

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