Sportsman's News September 2018 Digital Edition

FREE September 2018 | Volume 14 | Issue 9

Backcountry Buglers Elk Hunting Essentials

The Gear you need for the hunt Page 17

The Best of The Best From ICAST

See the latest in fishing gear Page 28

Bond Isaacson Jr. was able to put a good stalk on this great Wyoming bull. This was his first elk ever and the backcountry experience made for a memory that will last a lifetime.

Relentless Versatility: EVERYTHING YOU NEED AND NOTHING YOU DON’T WITH LEUPOLD’S VX-5HD PAGE 8

Gary Lewis: PacWest Outdoors

Western Quail

Chad LaChance: Fishful Thinker

Topwater Tidbits

SPORTSMAN’S NEWS 2322 W. Industry Way Cedar City, UT 84721

PRESIDENT/PUBLISHER Mike Deming President/Publisher 435-669-4624 mdeming@sportsmansnews.com

SENIOR EDITOR Kent Danjanovich 801-231-9838 kdanjanovich@sportsmansnews.com MANAGING EDITOR Dan Kidder 435-865-1680 dkidder@sportsmansnews.com EDITORIAL ASSISTANT Lisa Deming info@sportsmansnews.com VIDEO PRODUCTION MANAGERS Sam Staudt sam@sportsmansnews.com Andrew Saullo andrew@sportsmansnews.com Subscribers should contact Managing Editor for changes of address.

Sportsman’s News is published monthly.

The entire content of this newspaper is Copyright 2017 © All rights reserved.

No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form without written consent of the Managing Editor.

SPORTSMAN’S WAREHOUSE 7035 So. High Tech Drive Midvale, UT 84047

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September 2018 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS

WORDS FROM THE PUBLISHER

E

volution! Wikipedia says this is the change in heritable characteristics.

Basically, it is an adaption of change over a period of time and as I sit down to write this, Sportsman’s News is evolving. We have been the official publication of Sportsman’s Warehouse for the past 14 years. We have also been doing the Sportsman’s News Television DVD series since September of 2006. We have sold approximately 2-million DVDs during this time. It is amazing how our quality of production has evolved during this same period. We have constantly been changing in this area; standard definition all the way up to 4K video. One thing that was a constant during this timeframe - my philosophy of being a personality people looked up to.

This was never about the Sportsman’s News team. We always wanted to show that we were successful on our trips because we picked the right outfitters, locations, and did our research. I’m proud to say that over the past twelve years of producing over 30 shows a year, we held the line on this very well.

We started doing video product reviews half a dozen years ago. This was to accommodate the desire of people to watch short and informative information on products.

We also put these video product reviews onto the DVDs as well as our website and weekly email blasts. They also made their way onto the Sportsman’s Warehouse website.

This has been an amazing experience to build such a large media platform, but it’s time to make another major evolution change. The SNTV volume 6-DVD that is on the shelf right now, will be the very last one we do. I know that there are a lot of you who have watched these DVDs in your homes, travel trailers and cabins while enjoying the great outdoors, so I’m very sorry to deliver this news. I know that the donations to the troops has been a big hit as well and we have already gotten feedback from some of these outlets that they will be sorely missed.

But, just because the DVDs are going away, doesn’t mean that we won’t be delivering this same content in other forms. That is all part of the evolution. With nearly everyone walking around with a thousand-dollar smart phone, you have access to this content without a DVD player. Most smart TVs have YouTube as a regular channel as well. This is also causing the replication of DVDs to become nearly extinct. The lack of demand for production of these is causing costs to go up as well since there are a limited number of locations with the ability to do them. So, it is time to stop hanging onto this older technology of DVDs and move forward.

We ask that anyone who has been purchasing these DVDs for $2.99 to subscribe to the Sportsman’s News Television YouTube channel titled sportsmansnewstv. You will see a lot of the same great content we have been charging $2.99 to watch for over a decade for free now. We are going to have a few special prizes to give away over the next few months for those new subscribers.

Everyone wanting to get multiple tickets into the current giveaway needs to purchase as many of volume 6 of the DVD as possible and get them registered at www.sportsmansnews.com. The official contest rules say this contest will go through March 30th of 2019 and this will still be the case. Anyone who subscribes to the Sportsman’s News YouTube channel during the contest timeframe, which is free, will also be registered for one entry into the contest. So, either purchase a DVD or multiple DVDs while they are still available and get a free entry by being a YouTube subscriber.

We will be giving away over $20,000 worth of trips, guns, and gear on tax-day, 2019. This includes a killer mule deer hunt in northwestern Colorado, a fishing trip for two to Canada, a camping gear package worth $2,500, as well as a rifle and a shotgun. Thanks for all of your support over the past 12 years on this and we look forward to bringing you another phase of life until it is time to evolve once again.

Best of luck this fall.

By Michael Deming

WHAT’S INSIDE

4 Deep In The Backcountry For Bugling Bulls

Bulls and Bear in the Wilds of Wyoming with Open Creek Outfitters.

8 Leupold VX-5HD Relentless Versatility.

10

Platinum Approved Outfitters

4

Choose a Sportsman's News Endorsed Guide for your next trip.

14 Vortex Diamondback Tactical 6-24x50 FFP

An amazing long range first focal plane scope for under $400.

17 Elk Hunting Essentials

Dont get caught on the trail of Wapiti without this essential gear.

20 PacWest Outdoors: Western Quail and Pheasant Different young women experiencing different stages of growth.

26 Fishful Thinker: Topwater Tidbits No need to always be so deep about fishing.

28 ICAST Roundup

The latest and greatest new fishing products.

20

Pro-Member Update: North-49 Outfitting 35 Hunting whitetails in the frozen North.

35

39 41

Business Directory Video Product Reviews

A detailed look at some of the newest products.

47

Pro's Pick: Skoped Vision by PhoneSkope

48

Wild Game Recipe: Smoked Lake Trout

50

Adventures On A Budget: DIY Deer Hunt Planning

52

Writer's Contest: A Goose Hunter for Life

Put the utility of PhoneSkope on your rifle.

Make even the oiliest laker delicious with brine and smoke.

Steps to find success on a public land do-it-yourself deer hunt.

The thrill of blasting Canada honkers gets Dustin Brown hooked for life.

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Gary Lewis Chad LaChance Michael Duff Steve Mayer Bernie Barringer Dustin Brown

September 2018 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS

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Deep in the Backcountry for Bugling Bulls

Getting your trophy off of the mountain as soon as possible is a great way to avoid the grizzlies and having horses and mules that don’t mind a big 6-point on their back is the easiest way to get this done.

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September 2018 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS

By Michael Deming

C

ool crisp mornings, dew on the grass, and the ever-changing colors of the foliage are all prime indicators that it’s time. September is the time of year that every elk hunter anticipates. It’s the time where those big old nasty bulls come out of the dark timber and throw caution to the wind; they let out those distinct whistles we refer to as bugles that let the world know where they are hiding. This is a very special time of year to be in the field with a tag in your pocket. Most states reserve this vulnerable time of year for the animals to more primitive weapons. Archery and muzzleloader hunters get this limited opportunity unless you draw one of the coveted Utah tags, which is more like a once-in-a-lifetime tag than an opportunity that can be enjoyed regularly.

Wyoming is one of the few places which still offers this type of hunt with a rifle. It still needs to be drawn in the lottery application process, but is something you can plan on doing every couple of years.

This rifle hunting opportunity is available due to the extreme backcountry nature of this hunt. You aren’t going to just hop out of the truck and start hunting. This is a 25-plus mile horseback ride into the backcountry of Wyoming. The very limited pressure on these hunts is what allows this opportunity to still be offered with longrange weapons.

Since we are non-resident hunters, and this is a wilderness hunt, we are required by law to have an outfitter. We have done this hunt on many occasions and there is nobody better than Jay and Amber Reynolds of Open Creek Outfitters, so when I started putting together a plan for me and a group of friends, I gave them a call and reserved a few spots well in advance. Knowing that it would take me at least one bonus point to draw a tag, we booked for a year and a half out and we still couldn’t get the first week of the hunt that I wanted. Jay assured me that we wouldn’t have any shortage of elk on any of his hunts and would likely have more since the herds should be migrating out of Yellowstone by that time.

We arrived in Cody with our group for the third week of the season. We had one of our Sportsman’s News Pro Member Sweepstakes winners, James Haden, as well as another member, Bryan Dvirnak. My good friend, Bond Isaacson and his two grown sons along with myself rounded out our group of six, which took up most of the camp. The plan was to enjoy an evening in Cody and sample some local cuisine, rest in a warm bed, and have a final hot shower before we would meet up at the trailhead early the next morning. We also had an afternoon meeting with Jay and Amber to stage our gear for the pack train which would leave early the next morning.

We arrived at the trailhead about 7:30 a.m. and got everyone fitted for saddles and ready to roll. The 31-mile horseback ride to camp is an amazing experience. The climb is nearly 5,000 vertical feet and when you leave the valley floor, the onset of fall is starting to show itself. However, when we topped out over the pass 7 hours later, I felt like we were in the heart of winter. The wind was blowing forty miles per hour and there was already nearly two feet of snow that had drifts double that.

The view to the west is an elk hunter's dream; hundreds of miles of pristine wilderness and home to lots of elk, mule deer, and an overpopulation of grizzly bears.

We were stopped by one of these majestic bruins going about his daily business

The thirty-plus-mile horseback ride into this country has some of the most scenic views you can ever imagine.

September 2018 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS

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about two miles short of camp.

The horses are a bit uneasy around them and it was best to give him plenty of space.

Jay said that this would be a daily occurrence with the bears and to just be cautious. Nearly everyone in the group had bear spray, pistols, and obviously a rifle for the hunt. So, we had the protection that we needed.

It was nice to climb down off of the horse after a solid ten hours in the saddle, especially for those of us who don’t get much of this type of riding.

Large wall tents, a raging fire, as well as some cowboy coffee were ready for us upon arrival.

We settled in and got ready for a great steak dinner and a much-needed night of sleep to rest our sore butts and weary bones. Everyone in the group except Bond Jr. and Drew had harvested elk in the past so trophy hunting was the plan for most of us. Our discussion of the weeks plans was interrupted by some unsettled horses due to another visiting grizzly. This was a fairly young female with two-year-old cubs and she was right in camp. This made for a very long night even though I was tired. I slept with my Sig pistol under my pillow and my bear spray next to my bed.

The guides saddled the horses and after breakfast, we rode a few miles to a look-

Long-time friends Bond Isaacson, Mike Deming, Bond Isaacson Jr, and Drew Isaacson booked this trip 2 years in advance to secure a spot for all.

out point. We were all paired up with two hunters to one guide and the plan would be to glass and look for bulls. Jay said that the early winter storm had moved out a bunch of the resident elk and that the park elk were already migrating through. So, spending time behind the glass as well as listening for bugles was the best way to hunt with our current weather situation.

It didn’t take us long to pick up some elk on the move, but unfortunately there wasn’t a bull in the group bigger than 300” B&C. Not anything that myself or James was looking for and the two Isaacson boys were miles away. A huge male grizzly was about five hundred yards behind the group just shadowing them and hoping that someone would pull the trigger on one so he could have an easy meal. No such luck for him and after spending the entire day on the mountain, we had seen about a hundred elk, no shooter bulls, and five different grizzly bears.

The next morning, we were right back on the same lookout. We were getting another good dump of snow and a herd of elk was right below us at 400 yards. You could barely see the outlines of the animals let alone figure out how big the bulls were.

It snowed heavily for several hours and dumped about five inches of snow on the ground. By midmorning, it had stopped snowing and the sun was shining and the elk were moving. We spotted a herd of about ten elk and one bull with a good frame on him. By the time I got the spotting scope up, they were about a mile away and stood out well against the fresh blanket of snow. There was a good mature bull pushing the cows and a satellite bull bringing up the rear. Neither of these bulls were what James or I was looking for as we wanted something north of 350, but this was a 330-range bull and Bond Jr. was definitely interested in making him his first elk ever. Junior and Bryan had stopped by our lookout and the timing was perfect to put them on this group of elk. We stayed in position and provided hand signals to get them into a shooting position. The elk were enjoying the warm sun and filling their bellies on the shoots of grass protruding through the snow. It took them thirty minutes to get into position and one solid shot from Bond Jr. to secure this big herd bull.

Getting a tag

Wyoming non-resident license for all big game species requires you to draw a tag. They operate under a preference point system. The more points you have, the better your odds of drawing a tag are. This specific hunt is a general season hunt and usually requires one preference point to draw the tag as well as spending the additional dollars to apply for the special permit instead of the regular permit. Wyoming does offer a points-only time frame that is open during the late summer and early fall, where you can purchase a preference point for elk for $52. This is highly recommended. Buying a point now will give you one preference point going into the draw process in January the following year. The drawing is open fromJanuary 1 through January 31 every year and results are posted sometime in February. Book your hunt with the outfitter for open dates and they will help you with the application process, but don’t miss the bonus point time in Wyoming.

Hunting in bear country is all about preparation. It is nothing to be afraid of, but you should respect these magnificent animals and be prepared to defend yourself if you have to. Bear spray can be purchased at most outdoor retailers in the Cody, Wyoming area. If you are driving to the hunt, get it in advance. Purchase a holster or devise one that gives you easy access. Make sure you know how to deploy the pepper spray and work on getting the can out and handy in a timely manner. Putting it in your pack won’t do you any good when a five-hundred-pound bruin is running full tilt at you from thirty yards. Handguns work well, but using lethal means is going to require some serious investigation to make sure it was a matter of life and death. If you choose to use a handgun for self-defense, make sure it has plenty of stopping power. A 44 Magnum or 10mm are great choices and bigger is better in this situation as long as you can shoot it accurately. The high-powered rifle you have for your hunt is likely the best last line of defense. Most have plenty of stopping power at an extreme close range and these are usually weapons with which you are already proficient.

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September 2018 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS

Drew stands atop the elk carcass with the dead sow in the background. She was only two leaps away from taking down one of the guys.

You need to be very cautious whenever you are in bear country, but overly cautious when you have blood in the air and an animal down.

The radio silence was broThis picture is taken from half a mile away using a PhoneSkope and a spotter. This was the day after the charge. As ken when Bond said “big bull you can see, there is a huge boar on top of the carcass, another just to the right about ten yards, and another to the left down.” We had watched the about 25 yards. There was also a fourth grizzly just out of the frame. We could see a total of 7 different mature bears at experience unfold through the one time within half a mile of this carcass, as well as a bald eagle in the tree waiting to snag some scraps. spotting scope and already knew, but the excitement is always fun to share, especially when you are talking about a first bull elk ever and one that was over 330 inches. It’s a good reason to be excited. I would occasionally look back at the photo shoot going on but spent more time glassing for a whopper bull for James and I to go after.

It had been about an hour since Bond Jr. had shot when we heard two back to back shots ring out. I was scanning the hills with my binos to look for a herd of quick moving elk, but couldn’t turn up anything. Who had shot? It was only our group up here.

When the radio mic keyed in, it turned out to be Bond Jr. and he was rattled and had good reason to be. They had finished their photo session and had started breaking down the bull for pack out.

The rifles were all leaned up against a tree several feet away and they were totally focused on the job at hand. Suddenly, an old silver tipped sow grizzly topped the hill forty yards away. She snapped her jaws once and started heading towards the guys and the dead bull. Bond Jr. was the closest to his rifle and grabbed it and chambered a round. As if on que, she charged at full speed. The bear had closed the gap to twenty yards when he fired a shot in front of her to warn her that this was a bad idea. The dirt spewed over her as the shot hit at her feet. The shot didn’t phase her and she was still coming full speed ahead. Bond racked in another shell and shouldered the rifle as the sow closed inside of ten yards. The bear filled the scope and he touched the trigger when it was fifteen feet away and crumbled it in its tracks. She slid to a stop a mere few feet away from the hunters, which is why Bond and the crew were a little rattled.

They had escaped being attacked by a grizzly by just a few feet.

Jay notified the Wyoming Game and Fish immediately with his satellite phone and the guys took multiple photos of the scene of the incident to document it.

Needless to say, the dinner conversation is one you don’t often get to have and probably don’t ever want to have. However, it is a very common problem in the greater Yellowstone area with so many bears.

When the Wyoming Game and Fish flew in to investigate the shooting two days later, they informed Bond Jr. that there had been over thirty of these incidents over the past year, which didn’t surprise me since there were four huge boar grizzlies on the elk carcass the morning the helicopter flew in. Literally every herd of elk we saw were being shadowed by another grizzly. The young sow and cubs were into our camp each and every night and even the cracker shells only kept her away for fifteen to twenty minutes. It made for a very exciting week at camp.

There was no shortage of elk though and we were able to put a tag on several good bulls throughout the week and one of the guests took an excellent mule deer buck. Drew missed a bull in the 340-range, which was never seen again, but those bulls in the 350-plus range didn’t show up during daylight hours.

The fresh tracks indicated that a lot of elk were migrating at night during the full moon and possibly my shooter bull was in there. However, the backcountry hunt with a great group of friends is what I enjoy the most about this hunting heritage. This trip was almost like a trip back in time; where grizzlies roamed the hills, the glow of the wall tent lit up the night, and the roar of a camp fire and laughter of good friends made another great memory. This is true hunting and some of the best experiences and memories I’ve ever created. I can’t wait for another trip to the backcountry of Wyoming with Open Creek Outfitters.

September 2018 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS

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Relentless Versatility with Leupold’s VX-5HD

T

here are places you can only take the essentials, and only if those essentials make weight. The Northwestern backcountry is a rough, rugged place, and you need gear designed to survive that environment and still deliver in the clutch.

Leupold’s award-winning VX-5HD is the optic you’ll want at your side when the time comes to drop that long awaited trophy. Designed to be everything you need and nothing you don’t, the VX-5HD offers high-definition lenses and extended low-light hunting performance, a two-turn elevation adjustment for more accurate shooting at longer distances, Guard-ion lens coatings to shed water, dirt, and fingerprints, and a product lineup that was built from the ground up to appeal to our nation’s hunters.

A 5:1 zoom ratio means the VX-5HD line is available in 1-5, 2-10, and 3-15 power models, with varying objective lens diameters. Duplex, Illuminated FireDot Duplex, Boone & Crockett, WindPlex, and Impact-29 MOA reticles are also available, again providing maximum versatility. Illuminated reticles feature Leupold’s Motion Sensor Technology (MST), which puts the FireDot into a battery-saving standby mode after five minutes of inactivity. When the MST detects motion, it instantly activates the sight, so it’s ready when you are. The entire line also features 30mm maintubes.

Simply put, you’re looking at the lightest and most rugged riflescope in its class.

Want to know more? We’ve got you covered.

Superior Low-Light Performance Get behind a VX-5HD and you’ll see the difference. Every scope in the line offers superior edge-to-edge clarity and extreme low-light performance. Leupold’s Twilight Max HD Light Management System delivers the perfect balance of image color and contrast, light transmission, and glare management, so you’ll get the best picture any time of day. Most scopes only focus on transmitting high percentages of midday light, while the VX-5HD gives you maximum transmission of the entire visible spectrum. Why does that matter? The human eye is most sensitive to colors

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September 2018 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS

outside the middle of the spectrum during dawn and dusk, when game is moving – this system literally helps you see more in less light. Superior glare reduction, meanwhile, ensures the maximum amount of usable light gets to your eye. Leupold’s proprietary lens coatings and superior optical design help deliver the very best contrast and resolution, ensuring you’ll be able to see things like tines in heavy timber. With Twilight Max HD, your trophy shouldn’t be able to give you the slip in low light.

Custom Dial System Leupold’s one-of-a-kind Custom Dial System (CDS) makes accurate long-range shooting this simple: range your target, turn your CDS dial to match the range, aim dead on, and then squeeze the trigger. With a CDS dial and some practice, you can shoot farther and more accurately than ever before. Here’s how it works: Leupold customizes your scope’s elevation dial to match your exact load, velocity, and even the average atmospheric conditions where you hunt for unprecedented precision. With your CDS dial, you’ll easily compensate for bullet drop and make ultra-quick adjustments on the fly without having to worry about holdovers. You can even create multiple dials for the same riflescope to match different loads or different conditions. A free CDS dial is offered with the purchase of any CDS-ready riflescope, and extra dials are available for a nominal fee. CDS-ready scopes also come with a zero stop feature, precision click adjustments for accurate zeroing, and the CDS-ZeroLock 2 feature, which allows for two revolutions of elevation adjustment for extended distances. CDS is available on all VX-6HD and VX-6 models, and select VX-5HD, VX-3i, VX-R, and VX-Freedom models. CDS dials are also excellent when paired with a Leupold rangefinder, thanks to the company’s exclusive True Ballistic Range technology. Use True Ballistic Range to get the most accurate ballistic range to your target, and then set your CDS to the correct number. It’s as easy as that.

Built to Last Like every riflescope offered by Leupold, the VX-5HD is designed, machined, and assembled in Beaverton, Oregon – and it’s built to withstand a lifetime of abuse. Further, the VX-5HD features Leupold’s exclusive, proprietary gas blend, which nearly eliminates the effects of thermal shock and reduces the diffusion of gases sealed inside your scope. Every Leupold riflescope model is “Punisher” tested and verified to perform under the harshest conditions, so it can withstand whatever you might be able to throw at it. That said, if you do ever have a problem, know that the VX-5HD is backed by Leupold’s legendary Full Lifetime Guarantee.

Check out the Leupold VX-5HD at your local Sportsman’s Warehouse today.

VX-5HD

VX-5HD TWILIGHT MAX HD LIGHT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM TWO-TURN ZEROLOCK ELEVATION DIAL (CDS-ZL2) WATER AND SCRATCH-RESISTANT GUARD-ION LENS COATING WATERPROOF, FOGPROOF, AND GUARANTEED FOR LIFE

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September 2018 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS

9

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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360-532-7594

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10 September 2018 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS

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Fully Guided Fishing On Mcintosh Lake, Part Of The Legendary Churchill River System Which Holds Massive Pike, Trophy Lake Trout And Scrappy Walleye

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www.ranchlandoutfitters.com 877-924-8440 September 2018 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS

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CANADIAN HUNTING

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Specializing in Trophy Mule Deer, Elk & Mountain Lion

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Book your Bison hunt now to secure available dates.

Contact Season Elliott at contact@ranchodechavez.com or 505-884-3503 www.ranchodechavez.com

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Stillwater Outfitters is Colorado's oldest and largest Waterfowl Outfitter. We have exclusive hunting leases on over 50 farms on the beautiful Front Range of Colorado. Our goal is to provide the trip of a lifetime without any drama. We also offer Turkey and Trophy Whitetail Deer hunting.

• Colorado's Largest and most productive waterfowl Outfitter • Exclusive Leases on over 50 Farms on the Front Range of Colorado • World Class Guides and Equipment • Hunts are conducted in spacious in-the-ground pit blinds

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12 September 2018 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS

Day and all inclusive hunts available!

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SOUTH DAKOTA HUNTING Hunt the Grand Slam of the Dakotas World Class Pheasant Hunting Sharp-tail Grouse • Prairie Chicken Hungarian Partridge • Waterfowl

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SportsmansNews.com Logon to our website for a full list of endorsed outfitters with photos, descriptions, and details about each.

September 2018 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS

13

Vortex Diamondback Tactical 6-24x50 First Focal Plane Riflescope

By Dan Kidder Managing Editor

L

ong-range shooting is defined as shooting at ranges that require significant ballistic computation in order to adjust your zero to impact your target.

There is no set range that differentiates regular aimed shooting from longrange, but it is more about the process of computing a supersonic projectile’s point of impact based on the many variables that must be accounted for. Shooting at distances greater than the supersonic range of the projectile are categorized as extended long-range. At extended long-ranges, the computations get trickier as you must compute many more variables that exist in a transonic bullet than in a supersonic one.

The hallmark for long-range and extended long-range shooting has been a scope whose reticle will increase in size with the magnification and that is also calibrated to provide an accurate measuring scale, depending on how the reticle is magnified. This allows the shooter to use the subtensions (calibrated measurements of the lines in the reticle that cover a specified distance at a specific range) on his reticle as a measuring tape on the target and have them adjust depending on the range and magnification of the scope.

At distances too far to walk and measure, this saves a lot of hiking to the target to measure in order to make adjustments to your scope that translate into precision windage and elevation tweaks.

First Focal Plane optics are expensive. The lenses used and the mechanical gearing that allows the reticle to appear larger and smaller and still maintain calibrated distances, makes the cost of building these scopes quite a bit higher than their fixed focal plane or second focal plane counterparts. For those shooting at long-range and extended long-range distances, this type of scope is the Holy Grail and worth every penny.

Even for those who aren’t stretching their rifle out all that far, say within the 400600-yard range, an FFP scope has great versatility as a measuring device by pairing the subtensions with the parallax adjustment to create a makeshift rangefinder out of your scope.

Vortex took on the challenge to provide an FFP long-range scope available to the everyman shooter for under a thousand bucks. They built it in their Diamondback

14 September 2018 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS

Tactical line for the designated marksman role.

Featuring 6 times magnification, this 6-24x50mm riflescope provides a host of features you expect from any modern scope, including multicoated glass, inert gas purging, in this case with nitrogen; shockproof; waterproof; and rugged aircraft aluminum alloy construction. These have become the standard for modern riflescopes and you are hard pressed to find any manufacturers who don’t include these features.

What really sets the Diamondback Tactical apart, other than its FFP reticle, are the low-profile fast adjust tactical turrets for quick adjustment to windage and elevation on the fly without removing covers or needing tools. The turrets can be quickly reset to show zero by simply using a coin or a screwdriver. Nearly five rotations of adjustment (65 MOA) allow you plenty of room for stretching out the distance of your gun in ¼ MOA increments per click.

The wide parallax adjustment knob moves from 10 to 300 yards and then opens up to infinity and is easy to turn. A wide and conveniently located diopter adjustment ring is on the eyepiece.

With 3.9 inches of eye relief, you have less risk of busting your eye socket, especially with the more powerful rifles used for shooting at long-range distances. The 50mm objective lens provides an excellent twilight factor of 34.6 at maximum magnification and 17 at the lowest. It also provides you with a wider view of the battlespace with a field of view of 18-4.5 feet at 100 yards.

And since it is a Vortex, you know it comes with the VIP Warranty that means it will be repaired or replaced if it breaks, no questions asked.

Overall, the Diamondback Tactical 6-24x50 FFP scope is a great performing optic for those looking to break into the sport of longrange shooting or to stretch out their hunting distances. It has the right mix of features to be an effective tool for calculating your adjustments and giving you the precision you need for this exacting pursuit. And it puts this valuable tool in a price range of under $400 that guys like me can afford.

September 2018 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS

15

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16 September 2018 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS

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Elk Hunting Essentials

By Mike Deming

Zamberlan 980 Outfitter GTX Boots

G

rowing up in the west and specifically in Colorado gave me an opportunity that many don’t have - The ability to get a tag and hunt elk each and every year. As I got older, I extended my range of hunting elk to other western states. I started hunting them with archery gear and muzzleloaders as well.

I began scouting for elk early in the summer and watched them grow those huge magnificent velvet antlers. I also started hunting for those pieces of brown gold in the spring, which had been dropped on the winter range, telling me which bulls survived the fall hunting seasons. With nearly forty years of elk hunting experience under my belt and having tagged forty-three branch antlered bulls during this timeframe, I have determined pretty well the gear I must have in my arsenal when I go hunting. I’ve put together a list of items I personally use and won’t leave home without as well as a brief description why.

Each and every year, I test a lot of new products and as I determine that one new product is better than an old version, I add it to my arsenal. So, the list of products below is what I use and has been determined to be the very best for my hunting situations and you can be rest assured that they have been proven in the field.

Carl Zeiss Victory RF 10X54 Binoculars

Having binoculars when you are elk hunting is NOT an option and in my opinion is the primary reason for most of my success. You aren’t going to harvest an elk if you can’t find one and most people hunting elk don’t look far enough away. Although elk are in the deer family, their habits are completely different. Hunters tend to look for deer inside a half a mile and I find most of my elk at well beyond a mile. So, optics are extremely important. I prefer using rangefinding binoculars, which eliminates the need to have two separate pieces of gear - the rangefinder and the binocular. This reduces weight and more importantly, it allows me to have a rangefinder with 10X. When I find an elk, I can also determine how far they are away with my Zeiss Victory’s, since they will get me ranges out to about a mile and a half. Using this range allows me to determine that if I can get over to that next ridge, I’ll be close enough for a shot.

These rangefinding binoculars take things to the next level since they give me completely corrected data for my shot. What that means is that it takes into consideration the altitude, barometric pressure, angle, etc. and gives me the exact distance I need to adjust for my shot. They are an extremely solid piece of equipment and the glass is top of the line.

Vortex Razor HD Spotting Scope

Once again, you can’t harvest an elk if you can’t find one. Many times, I find elk at five or six miles and a set of binoculars just isn’t enough to look that far away. This is especially true if you are looking for a bull of a certain size. At these long ranges, you aren’t going to be able to judge a bull with just a set of binoculars and you don’t want to waste the day getting closer if you can do the job from a longer range. With a good spotting scope, you can zoom into 50-60 power and get a much better idea of what you are looking at. Now yes, this is an added weight as well as cost when it comes to hunting. However, the amount of energy you can save by looking through a spotting scope as opposed to hiking two to three miles to get closer is going to leave you with much more in the tank when you do find that bull you want to put your tag on. The Vortez Razor HD spotting scope has proven to be a great optic, one which is also somewhat reasonable in price. It also has an unconditional lifetime warranty, which means that if you kick it off of a rocky bluff while spotting at long ranges and it falls 50 feet, they will replace it no questions asked. Believe me, I know this from experience.

Between scouting, shed hunting and a full hunting season, it isn’t uncommon for me to put on over 1,000 miles a year on a pair of boots. Having a pair of boots that fit me extremely well and can handle the punishment of this kind is essential. If you are going to be a successful elk hunter, you are going to burn up some boot leather over time. When elk are spooked, they can sometimes go 5-10 miles or even more before stopping, so you need to have good boots that fit your feet well and are very broken in. Your feet are your wheels and a pair of boots that either fail on you or rub your feet raw are going to bring your hunt to a screeching halt.

Sitka Gear Subalpine System

Being able to stay dry and comfortable is essential to staying in the field longer, which gives you more time to be successful. Sitka Gear hit the stage in 2004 and basically took mountaineering gear and developed it more into a hunting platform, which included adding camo. Sitka Gear has numerous different layering systems, specifically designed around each and every style of hunting. Elk hunting during each season has a very specific requirement when you are talking about clothing. During those early August archery hunts, you have got to have an extremely breathable and technical piece of clothing. Getting overheated and sweating excessively is going to cause you to stink and getting close in archery season is a must. Those afternoon rain showers will cool things off and soak you to the bone if you aren’t prepared with a lightweight waterproof shell. When the cold weather kicks in for those late season hunts, you have got to be able to stay warm. This isn’t hard when you take off from the truck and are walking two miles to a lookout point, but it becomes a problem if you are soaked with sweat and now the wind is blowing 20-miles per hour. The Sitka Gear layering system does everything needed to keep you cool, dry or warm depending on the situation. This all equates into being more comfortable and allowing you to be in the field longer, thus giving you more opportunities for success.

ALPS Traverse Extreme Pack

It isn’t uncommon to leave the truck at four in the morning on an elk hunt and not make it back to the trailhead until well after dark. During this timeframe, you are going to need everything for a full day of hunting as well as all the required items should you be fortunate enough to put your tag on an elk. This means you are going to need a good, comfortable pack that can hold all of these items as well as help you get some of your animal out. This pack has taken care of my needs for the past couple of years. Its 2,900 cubic inches gives me plenty of room for a spotting scope, tripod, clothing, stove, food and water bladder, as well as everything in my “Kill Bag” which comes out when the animal hits the dirt, which includes knives, a saw, extra blades, headlamps, batteries, a small tarp, rope and game bags. This pack also has a meat shelf which helps me get a good load of meat out on my first haul. The shoulder straps are wider than most, which really helps when I get this pack to a hundred pounds.

Traverse Extreme has handled these types of loads on numerous occasions for me and has never failed.

You are going to require a pack for elk hunting and this is truly a great pack.

September 2018 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS

17

Elk Hunting Essentials Native by Carlton Elk Calls

Elk are extremely vocal animals and they are the reason most of us go to the woods every September. This being said, they are very susceptible to being called. This isn’t just in September either. I’ve had bulls answer me as early as June and as late as December. In fact, I’m pretty sure you could get a response from some bulls, year around. Elk calls, to me, are like shoes to my wife, I can never have enough. I’ve had instances where I have gone through nearly every call in my pocket, the big bull finally responding to the last one I pull out. So, you need an abundance of calls and you need to know how to use them. I personally like the Native

by Carlton Calls. Wayne Carlton was my idol as a child and he single handedly taught me how to call elk with all of his different videos.

His son, Marc, was making diaphragm calls at their dining room table most of his life while being critiqued by the master. I know the calls that come out of their production line are built for elk hunters, by elk hunters. P.S. The green weenie is a small, green, open reed mouth call that has been working wonders for me for years, but all of their calls are in my arsenal.

Elk Decoys

When you have gotten a bulls’ attention with your call and he has decided to come in, he is going to be looking for the elk that made that sound. I started using elk decoys about ten years ago and the results are worth the added weight and bulk that go along with carrying a decoy. This is especially true when archery hunting with a buddy.

The minute the elks lays his eyes on that decoy, you will see his body language change. He will usually go from a cautious search to a posturing mode, which puts some of those wary senses at ease. I’ve used numerous models of the Montana Decoy and have seen great results. Two years ago, the Butthead full face decoy was launched from Native by Carlton. By putting this decoy on a walking staff, it serves two purposes - it makes a good walking stick and t it is always in your hand. If you walk into a herd of elk in the timber, it isn’t uncommon to have them look at this decoy as your turn it from side-to-side and then go back to feeding. This decoy is with me the entire month of December.

GPS with Hunt On X Hunt Software Having a GPS and knowing how to use it is key to getting back to the trailhead each and every time. I don’t care how much of an experienced woodsman you are, if you are in new country and it gets dark or a fog bank rolls in, you are likely to have problems getting back to your truck. Whenever I get out of my truck or set up camp, I mark a waypoint on my GPS for future reference.

Since I usually hunt in a group, we like to use the Rino versions made by Garmin because they have a 2-way radio built-in and I can see where my buddies are on the

18 September 2018 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS

map whenever they key the radio. The mapping software on these GPS units will allow you to see the terrain and maneuver in an area without knowing the land in advance. The Hunt On X software is a chip that shows the type of land you are hunting on. Are you on national forest service land, BLM or possibly private? When you hunt in an area that has a good combination of all of the above and you have a bull hung up on the other side of a fence, you can now see if that is a grazing fence or private property and whether you can go after him or not. This combination is amazing when you know how it all works and has allowed me to harvest numerous bulls.

Outdoor Edge Knives

Once you have had the good fortune of connecting on an animal, it’s time to turn that trophy into quality tablefare. Breaking down a big, mature bull elk is a formidable task if you don’t have some good knives. Outdoor Edge knives makes just about every kind of knife you can imagine and they are extremely durable and affordable. Since I’m not a genius at sharpening knives, I like to use a replaceable blade knife which allows me to dispose of an old blade and replace it with a surgically sharp, fresh one, whenever I need it.

The Razor Pro set is exactly what I take in my “Kill Bag” every year. It is the Razor Pro replaceable blade knife with a gutting blade attached, which allows me to cut under the skin without puncturing the intestines. It also keeps my surgical blade sharp much longer. I always take a half a dozen replacement blades with me, which is more than enough to break down several bull elk. The Razor Pro set also has a small folding saw, which is ideal for cutting down small bushes to help get great photos. A large bull elk isn’t going to be moved very far by a couple of guys, so you need to take photos where they fall and you often have to cut down a bunch to get good photos. Outdoor Edge also makes a larger folding saw which is in my kill bag as well.

Game Bags

Taking good care of your meat is the key to having enjoyable and tasty meals of elk for the rest of the year. Getting that hide off of the elk and getting those large quarters of meat cooled down as quickly as possible is essential. I carry a small tarp or a, .2 Mil painters drop cloth, in my “Kill Bag” to help with keeping this process as clean as possible.

Once you have quartered up a bull and have them out on the tarp, you are going to need to get them into a game bag to help avoid the flies from getting on them. Fly larva is a major problem for your meat as well as your cape and can ruin it all. I like to put my skinned quarters into game bags as they come off of the animals. For years, I have used the Caribou Gear game bags. They are extremely lightweight, washable and reusable and since they are a bit on the pricey side, you want all of the above. However, last season we tested a new product on the market from Koola Buck - presoaked antimicrobial bags. They come in a vacuum sealed pouch with all the pretreated bags you need to haul an elk, deer, moose, etc. During the hot months when the blow flies are the worst, a fly will not stay on the quarters within this bag. A great product and now always in my pack for those days when I’m successful.

All of the items I’ve discussed have been fleshed out over thousands of days in the field. Whenever I find a new product that is an improvement over something in the past, I always replace the old one. I’m constantly testing products as well as myself to become the best steward of the land and the animals I harvest. I hope you find this information helpful and that it will help you avoid some of the wasted time, trials, and errors for you that I’ve endured. Best of luck this fall.

THE NE W ZE IS S CO N Q UE ST V 4

DREAM BIGGER W H A T E V E R D R E A M H U N T I S N E X T O N Y O U R L I S T, S U C C E S S I S N O W W E L L - W I T H I N R A N G E. S E E T H E N E W V 4 AT Z E I S S . C O M / C O N Q U E S T V 4

September 2018 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS

19

Western Quail and Pheasant: Different Stages One man's limit of valley quail, a rooster and a hare to split

Photo by Gary Lewis

Holding a complex point in heavy cover, the pudelpointer pup pressured the bird up through a tangle of branches and briars to flush ahead of the guns.

habitat, Chinese pheasant and valley quail thrive.

There are still places like that in Malheur County, in Umatilla County and in the Columbia Basin. We were on the outskirts of Hermiston where the flats give way to hat pheasants and quail want are layers of cover. Russian olive trees broken ground, where there is less "clean" farming, more hedgerows, more ditches growing out of tangles of blackberry bushes, tall grass and tangle grown in head-high cover. of cattails and more blackberry bushes. There may be no shortage Lauren Gehrmann thumbed cartridges into her shotgun while her dad, my old of sharp-toothed critters that eat them and the hook-beaked birds friend, watched. On the other side of the truck, my daughter Jennifer unsheathed a that pounce on them from above, but if there are enough layers of side-by-side and broke the action over her arm.

Lauren was 14-years-old that December.

She counts herself a hunter Photo by Gary Lewis and looks forward to several trips each season. My daughter Jennifer was 21 at the time and hunts not as much as she used to. It's just a stage.

The pup, Liesl, was 12-months then and all she knows is the hunt.

I remember thinking, not a one of these girls will be this age again.

This time the landowner would hunt with us. The Walchlis’ are wellknown in this corner of Oregon. A lot of watermelons carry their name, but the family devotes a good portion of land to waterfowl, quail and pheasant habitat. Phil Walchli and Larry Ables led the way.

It was late December and the last night's rain lay heavy on the leaves.

This was Liesl's eleventh time afield and I would ask a lot. No one expected her to do well, except me.

We started out from the hay barn and crossed a canal. For the young dog there were aromas of cows, cottontails and raccoons to categorize and ignore. She followed trails and left them, she crossed the road back and forth. When a rabbit appeared in an opening ahead of us, she ignored it.

We crossed the railroad tracks and the pup grew intent, cut smaller diagonals and zigzagged hard. A Phil Walchli with an old rooster that fell to the flock of dark-eye juncos bounced out young pup’s persistence. The tailfeathers are still over of the blackberries. the author’s writing desk.

A moment later, a covey of thirty

By Gary Lewis

W

20 September 2018 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS

quail popped out of the willows. Too far to shoot, they blew out down the railroad tracks to veer up and over roadbed and back onto the property into a patch of cattails, blackberries and Russian olive.

We fought our way in and when I was out on the other side of the cover, a single bird buzzed out behind me and I swung, squeezed the trigger and tumbled it on a crossing shot.

Photo by Jennifer Lewis

First Valley Quail for the Pudelpointer

Liesl trailed it, caught it, brought it back and dropped it on the ground, her first valley quail.

Photo by Jennifer Lewis

Gary Lewis and Lauren Gehrmann admire a valley quail.

Gary Lewis and Grant Gehrmann with two quail taken at the end of the hunt.

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21

I wanted to see if this dog would do the things required of a pointer in difficult circumstances. Did she have staying power? Could she search long fencerows and ditches and moist places? Could she run rabbit trails without running rabbits?

Soon we had one man's limit of quail between us. It didn't matter if we bagged a rooster, but it seemed to matter to the dog. She picked her way through muddy bogs, bashed through cattails and weeds to come out the other side, her face crusted with burrs. When she came to water, she jumped in to rinse off mud and shake the stickers. Her legs and her chest were scratched and bleeding, but she wanted back into the brush.

carried it out. They talked about hasenpfeffer and the rabbit stew they would make for Christmas dinner.

Every day we're standing in a time capsule, caught between the future and the past. It seems these moments afield are finer now. Maybe it's a stage. Maybe it's just our age.

Gary Lewis is the host of Frontier Unlimited, a TV show on Pursuit Channel and Hunt Channel.

Photo by Gary Lewis

First Rooster

Down deep in a canyon, with the other hunters scattered outside of the cover, she pointed a tangle of willows, briars and Russian olive. At its base, the dead limbs were woven tight as a basket and it was two stories high.

There was no way she could get in, but she knew a bird was there. She held point for almost five minutes.

Inside the tangle of branches something climbed up through the limbs. Way above my head the bird crawled out, paused and took to the air. I shot and missed. Still one-handed, I fired the second barrel and as I found out later, Phil, shot at the same moment. The bird crumpled.

It's enough to learn to share our pleasures. Jennifer admired the rooster, having seen enough of them to know how special this one was. Lauren still had not knocked down a bird and time was growing short.

Splitting Hares

Five of us were content to admire our pheasant and get out of the rain, but Lauren couldn't quit. We had walked a giant circle and now we were back in the spot where we'd jumped the rabbit.

When the pup went into the long grass, a cottontail went the other way. Lauren saw it. She walked in by herself and as the rabbit streaked through an opening, the girl's shotgun spoke.

The 14-year-old lifted her trophy aloft, then her dad put it in her vest and she

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September 2018 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS

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24 September 2018 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS 46 August 2018 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS

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September 2018 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS

August 2018 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS

25 47

Topwater Tidbits Q

uick, what do smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, spotted bass, white bass, wipers, stripers and pike all have in common? If you said they’re all fun to catch we’d Chad LaChance agree in principle, but that’s not what I’m reaching for, at least not specifically enough.

What I’d say is that is they all love to nuke a topwater lure in summer and fall and that for sure drives home the point that they are all indeed fun to catch.

For the record, any fish that is fun to catch is simply more fun to catch on the surface.

Truth.

Given that wide range of fish we’re trying to trick, along with the even wider range of places they can be caught, it stands to reason that a well-prepared angler seeking maximum fun might need several topwater options. No problem - we have options.

Let’s look at a few, focusing on the hard bait styles (as opposed to wire baits or rubber frog-type baits) because the hard baits have the widest fish species range appeal.

Probably the most common topwater type in use is a popper. Like some other topwaters, they are defined by their action, such that poppers are designed to be, well, popped. The key feature of a popper is the cupped mouth, which catches water and air. When retrieved, starting with slack line and rod tip twitch, that mouth literally makes a “bloop” sound and the best of the breed also spit a bit of water forward each time. Poppers are at their best working in small areas because they are generally the slowest to retrieve. I use them where I have a small strike zone like the backs of pockets, along steep dam faces or bluffs and especially along tight shade lines. I also reach for a popper anytime I’m fishing around bluegill beds. They are available in many sizes and with various amounts of mouth cupping to fine-tune your presentation.

Walking baits are another topwater named for their action when retrieved, but in this case, the name is not nearly so intuitive. Walking is a short derivative of a retrieve style known as “walking the dog”. In a nutshell, the bait is worked on semi-slack line, such that each pop of the rod tip pulls the bait forward slightly, but mostly just in the opposite direction from which it was facing at the end of the previous twitch. Done correctly, the bait will work rhythmically side to side with a bit of glide to its swagger, leaving a beautiful ‘V’ wake in its path. To be totally honest, the retrieve takes a bit of practice, but news flash - so does many other physical aspects of fishing that are valuable to master!

Walking baits are great for covering a bunch of water, especially relatively open water, in short order. They are basically cigar shaped, come in a variety of sizes to match whatever forage you may have and are known to draw fish up from considerable depths as well; they are definitely not strictly a shallow water lure option. True walkers are at their best on flat water because they tend to jump waves and foul hooks. Now, where it gets confusing is when other topwater baits are applied with a walkthe-dog retrieve style. The very best poppers are also capable of walking the dog, such that they are even more versatile than the walkers themselves. The Bullet Pop 70 comes immediately to mind for this. Yes, I can still pop it in tight quarters, but I can also walk it when space allows.

Poppers and walkers are the two most common topwaters in the hard bait genre, but they are not alone. Topwaters with various propellers are also an option. The props have the effect of added noise, vibration and water splash. They come in a couple

26 September 2018 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS

of forms; the plopper-style that have a single, unbalanced blade on the rear and a twoprop style featuring a front and rear prop, typically each with two blades. The former is typically continuously retrieved leaving the ‘V’ wake and a bubble trail, all the while making a ton of noise. They tend to have larger profiles and are generally considered to be big fish baits. The later is most commonly ripped in short, aggressive rod snaps and is associated with irritating active fish into biting. Both styles of prop baits are at their best in flat water.

At this time, it is best to point out that hybrids of all of these bait styles exist. Similarly, retrieve styles will differ amongst anglers. There are long, skinny walking poppers known as pencil poppers, short thick chuggers and even wakebaits that plod along just under the surface film. The key thing to remember is that in many cases, the fish are attacking the commotion as much at the lure itself, so pay attention to how aggressive or passive you are working your lure. I work most surface lures on old-school nylon monofilament because it floats and slows hooksets down, which is a very good thing as we anglers tend to get trigger happy when we can see fish bite. The rod is typically worked tip down and the reel only controls slack unless we’re talking plopper style lures. Other than that, the effectiveness of topwaters in summer is limited only by how much you fish them. Given the fun quotient, I recommend fishing them a lot!

WELD DONE.

browning.com September 2018 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS

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ICAST Roundup

PRO'S TIP

By Chad LaChance

I

CAST is the fishing industry trade show where manufactures from around the globe bring their new products to introduce them to the market. Having just returned from my 10th pilgrimage to the annual show, here are a few new products that caught my eye. Some are available now, others in the near future.

OtterBox Venture Cooler

The brand OtterBox is synonymous with well designed, bomb-proof dry boxes for a wide range of outdoor uses, so it’s no surprise that when the company decided to bring a product into the premium cooler market, it would be extremely well thought out and built. The cooler is called the Venture and in a recent long-term cooler test conducted by this very magazine, it held ice longer than any other premium cooler sold at Sportsman’s Warehouse. Besides being very efficient, the 45 and 65 quart Ventures are ruggedly built to the point of earning bear-resistant certification and feature a simple mounting system for useful accessories that maximize utility, including a dry storage tray, cutting board, and dividers as well as external bottle opener, cup holders, and dry box clips. The lid latches are very solid yet one hand accessible, built in handles are strong and comfy and double as tie down points, rubber feet keep the Venture where you put it, and a slanted bottom makes for easy draining. This all adds up to the most well thought out and executed cooler on the market, and it’s backed by OtterBox’s Limited Lifetime Warranty. Also keep your eye out for a soft version known as the Trooper and the innovative Yampa Dry Duffle that doubles as a backpack. Safe to say OtterBox is living up to its stellar reputation. www.OtterBox.com

Line Cutterz

Sometimes it’s the simple things that perform the best and Line Cutterz is a prime example, so much so that it was featured on TV’s Shark Tank! Everyone knows how tough it can be to cut braided line cleanly and we’ve all lost track of our pliers or scissors at some point. Well, Line Cutterz addresses both of those in a very effective product. The basic concept is a stainless steel curved and shrouded blade, originally built into a ring style tool that could be Velcro’d on your finger or fishing rod handle. The idea immediately expanded to attaching to anything the strap would reach around, and even further when the strap is replaced with a zip tie of appropriate length. Then came a flat base version with double-sided tape that can be stuck wherever you may need to cut line; I have one at my shop spooling station and my boat’s tackle rigging area, and they’re perfect for a kayak. The latest addition to the line-up has the same cutter built into a zipper pull tab to be attached to soft tackle bags, fly tippet spool holders, backpacks, etc. Besides the simplicity, it’s the cutting performance that is surprising. I tested 100# braid and it literally cuts with no effort and no fray, instantly. The blade is coated for durability even in salt water and in a couple of weeks of continuous use in my shop, still cuts like new. At around $10-$12, Line Cutterz is a no-brainer for anyone that fishes. www. linecutterz.com

28 September 2018 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS

PRO'S TIP

RidgeMonkey Vault Powerpack

Brand new to the US market, RidgeMonkey caters to those needing portable power to keep electronic devices like smartphones and action cameras charged in the field. In my line of work, this is critical and I tested their Vault C-Smart Powerpack in real world use.

Available in two sizes, 42Ah and 77Ah at 3.7V, the later of which will charge an iPhone 30 times from completely dead! It has four output ports; USB-C, two USB-A, and a 12V DC cigarette lighter style port, all of which can be used at once. The USB-C port is enhanced with their proprietary Power Deliver technology allowing you to charge compatible devices up to nine times faster than a normal 5V charger. The battery pack is dense enough to provide many charges to a smartphone yet powerful enough to charge a large laptop battery in only two hours and is designed for outdoor use. RidgeMonkey also produces a range of multi-connect solidly built charging cords, 16W pocket size solar panels, and compatible LED headlamps and camp lights. www.RidgeMonkey.us

St Croix Legend Glass Spinning Rod

St Croix Rods has long recognized that high quality fiberglass rods are the creme de la creme for presenting crankbaits effectively. They are very forgiving to cast and allow the fish to get a clean bite on a continuously moving lure, all the while protecting the smallish hooks from pulling out. To that end, the company launched the most high tech fiberglass rods ever last year and called it Legend Glass. Featuring a linear S-glass design built on a continuously tapering mandrel know as IPC technology, they are incredibly lightweight by any standard and pure joy to fish. Problem was, they were only available in casting rod models and many of you prefer spinning rods. Even those that do use casting gear typically use spinning rods to present very lightweight crankbaits like a Flicker Shad. So, St Croix stepped up this year and introduced a 7’2” medium power spinning rod model to the line up. Like the rest of the Legend Glass series the rod is moderate action and fitted with Fuji K-series tangle-free guides and a premium cork split grip design, all on a beautifully colored blank finished with two coats of Flex Cure. Spin-polers and wee crankers rejoice. You now have a fantastic rod made just for you, and it won Best New Freshwater Rod at ICAST 2018. www. stcroixrod.com

Berkley Topwaters

Fishing tackle leader Berkley came to ICAST 2018 loaded with hundreds of new products but it seemed like the buzz really surrounded the complete new line of topwater hardbaits. The new baits come as a compliment to the other subsurface hardbaits launched last year, including jerkbaits, crankbaits, and lipless cranks. Like those baits, the new topwaters feature fantastic color schemes and very high quality Fusion19 hooks, and the line covers 10+ models including the Bullet Pop and Cane Walker poppers, the J-Walker and Drift Walker walking baits, the Spin Rocket and Choppo prop baits, and the Wake Bull and Surge Shad wakebaits. Cover all your topwater bases no problem! www.berkley-fishing.com September 2018 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS

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PRO'S TIP

Berkley Powerbait MaxScent

What do you do when your company is famous for producing scented soft baits and you already lead the market? You up the game of course! That’s basically what Berkley has done with Powerbait MaxScent. Take the best of Powerbait and Gulp!, roll them into one and you get MaxScent.

Like Powerbait, MaxScent is made of rubber but is porous in its moulding process allowing it to soak up scent like a sponge! Unlike Gulp! which is water based resin, it won’t dry out, and is softer than either Powerbait or Gulp!. I started testing MaxScent last year with great results, but for 2018 the line has been expanded to include more shapes and colors. At the most recent B.A.S.S. Elite Series tournament, the brand new MaxScent Flat Worm debuted and occupied several of the top 10 spots. The bait is designed for drop-shotting and is off to a fast start. MaxScent is now available in a very wide range of shapes and super natural, matte finish colors. The whole series is inspired by bass fishing, but in my experience walleye and trout love it as well. Get you some! www.berkleyfishing.com

Gerber LineDriver

Gerber is known for their great knives, but they also make multi-tools, The Magniplier fishing plier with reversible line cutter blades, and even fillet knives with sharpeners built into the sheath.

In short, they tend to think products all the way through. Well, the new LineDriver line management tool is another example.

This writing pen sized, dual ended tool cuts line via light serrated scissor that can also be locked ever so slightly open to allow safe access to the blades while the tool is clipped in your pocket. The LineDriver also has a hook threader, a clearing spike to remove paint or head cement from hook eyes, a split shot crimper, and a super cool rotating hook vise to hold hooks while tying knots, which is perfect for small flies or knots requiring lots of twists. There is a bunch of utility built in this tool, and the construction is typical Gerber quality. www.gerbertools.com.

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A400 XTREME UNICO The best synthetic shotgun for every challenge. The A400 Xtreme UNICO is comfort, power and reliability at the highest level. Perfect for any type of hunting, it shoots all the 12 gauge ammunition, from 24 to 64 grams. The best strength and corrosion resistance are combined with the maximum shooting comfort thanks to the new Kick Off Mega: recoil and muzzle jump are reduced to the lowest terms. Only for real XTREME HUNTERS!

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32 September 2018 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS

PRO'S TIP

Abu Garcia Revo Rocket

Ahhh, my beloved Revo Rocket. I’ve been in love with the Rocket concept since Abu Garcia first debuted it several years ago. What’s not to like about a super fast reel that is smooth as butter and very solid? Well, for 2018 the Revo Rocket casting reel got a full re-design bringing it into the same frame size as the rest of the gen 4 Revo lineup. The latest version takes in 41 inches of line per turn of the oversized carbon fiber handle. Yes, 41 inches! That’s achieved through a 10.1:1 gear ratio and Infini II vented spool which is housed in an alloy frame. The drag is Abu Garcia’s proven Carbon Matrix Drag System and the reel is kept smooth with 10 stainless steel HPCR bearings, plus a roller bearing. Like all the Revo Rockets, this reel is finished in a beautiful red color with touches of carbon to highlight the technical side. I’ve been personally fishing the new model for about six months; rocket fast and silky smooth and very powerful; perfect for the ol’ flippin’ stick! www.abugarcia.com.

Cobra Storage

Another product that jumped out at me for its simplicity and functional utility is the Cobra Storage system.

We all have a stack of rods in the corner of the garage, right? Well, how about utilizing the garage door itself to store those rods horizontally, thereby freeing up that dusty corner in your garage for less important stuff? The Cobra system is designed to mount on any standard 18” or 21” garage door, and can be mounted to panel trim or directly to the panel itself, even insulated doors, without affecting the door operation. Each bracket has six holes and rods can be laid tip to butt, easily accommodating two per hole even with reels attached. They are free to rotate as the door rises/lowers, and multiple brackets can be used on a single door. The system is limited to 10 pounds per bracket set but not only rods; try brooms, landing nets and other long handled tools. I got several for my garage door. www.cobrastorage.com.

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34 September 2018 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS

PRO MEMBER UPDATE

S

askatchewan is home to some of the best whitetail deer hunting in North America as well as some of the biggest. The world record typical whitetail otherwise known as the Milo Hanson buck was taken in this province of Canada and why the Sportsman’s News team purchases one of these great hunts each and every year for their Pro Membership Sweepstakes.

I’ve known Mike Deming the President of Sportsman’s News for many years now and have helped him film a few things on occasion. So, when he asked me if I could possibly go to Canada for him with North 49 Outfitters and film this years’ hunt winner, I was super excited to help out. The cherry on top was if we got the lucky hunt winner killed out and on film, I would be able to spend the rest of the time trying to fill a tag of my own. I was all in before I even got the chance to hunt, but this was going to be extra special now.

The lucky hunt winner from the Sportsman’s News Pro Membership Sweepstakes was Michael Duffelmeyer who traveled from Morgantown, West Virginia for this hunt. Dufflemeyer has been an active Sportsman’s News Pro Member for the last three years and was in total disbelief when Deming called him to let him know he won a trip of a lifetime and all he needed to do was show up to North 49 Outfitting and lay the hammer down on a big Saskatchewan buck. One of the questions I asked Mr. Dufflemeyer the day I met him at the lodge was, what he thought when Deming called him to let him know he had won the hunt. Dufflemeyer’s response was “I couldn’t believe it and was in shock, I looked at my wife saying, pinch me honey this can’t be happening. I never win anything.” Dufflemeyer had plenty of time to prep for this hunt to get the proper gear and plan his trip to Canada. One question he had for Deming was what gun he should shoot his deer with? Deming with a quick response answered a “Browning X-bolt .26 Nosler topped with a Leuopold VX-6, using DoubleTap ammunition” He assured Dufflemeyer that this would do the trick. Dufflemeyer did not argue and a short time later, he had a Browning .26 Nosler and was dialed in and ready for this hunt.

This hunt took place mid-November and when hunting this time of year, it is important to know the elements you will be exposed to. Although you will be treated to a large, enclosed 360-degree view, heated tower blind, tucked away in the thick forest of pines, good insulated clothing and boots are necessary in these very cold temperatures.

After spending a few days in the blind and passing up buck after buck our patience was tested. Finally, on the early morning of day five, as I was looking out the frosted window, I spotted a buck in the 160 inch range; one that Dufflemeyer had been dreaming of. The buck was running towards a group of does at our bait station. We had very little time to get set up, as this deer had come in behind us. As Dufflemeyer set eyes on the deer, I asked him if this was the one he wanted. He assured me with “yes, definitely, this will be the biggest deer I have ever killed.” So, with that being said, I was able to get my video camera on the deer and wait for him to drop the hammer.

After one great shot with his Browning .26 Nosler X-Bolt, the buck didn’t go

North-49 Outfitting

By Michael Duff too far. After knowing the job was done, the look on Dufflemeyer’s face was priceless. He couldn’t wait to get a closer look and wrap his hands around those dark heavy antlers. After celebrating, we were able to tag the deer and capture the moment by getting some great field photos. We then made our way back to the tower blind. Once we arrived we used a Spot GPS unit that North 49 provides to let Doug and Rita know that Dufflemeyer had tagged out and we were ready for pick up. Within 30 minutes Doug arrived, we loaded the deer whole and made our way back to the lodge.

After returning, the deer was placed on a digital scale and weighed in at a whopping 268 pounds. (Doug and his crew will actually get the total weight on these harvest deer before and after being dressed and caped out.) Dufflemeyer’s comment was “that will definitely fill my freezer and put food on the table.” Doug and Rita have a large walk-in freezer where their guides cape, skin, process, and package the deer and would have it ready the next

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September 2018 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS

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PRO MEMBER UPDATE day for when he would make his long trip home.

Before Michael left to head back home, I asked him if this trip was worth him being a Pro Member with Sportsman’s News. He laughed and said, “absolutely; I will be a member for life.”

Since we had utilized the full week of hunting to get Dufflemeyer the buck of his dreams, I was only left with a day and a half to hopefully fill my tag. As I set out the very next morning and made my way to the blind, I was anxious and excited. Doug placed me in a tower blind and assured me that I would definitely kill at this location. The trail cameras were showing that this was the current hot spot. I had many opportunities with multiple bucks that were in full rut. I was patient enough and tagged out on a nice mature 9-point buck with giant eye guards. It was actually my first whitetail buck ever. I am very thankful for the opportunity and experience that was offered by Doug and Rita Hayes with North 49 Outfitting and Michael Deming and the Sportsman’s News team. I am hoping to make my way back to Canada in the future to hunt again with this great Platinum Approved Outfitter.

If you are new to hunting, or even if you’re an experienced hunter, I am here to tell you that the owners, Doug and Rita, along with their staff and guides have you covered in all aspects of hunting. They oversee a phenomenal operation that includes your hunt and all of its entirety, lodging, and all meals. From the moment you walk in the door you are treated like family. Rita prepares an amazing breakfast each day before you head out and sends you with a well packed lunch to eat while in the field. After returning from your long day,

36 September 2018 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS

you will be greeted with a top notch 5-course meal to end your day. I highly recommend booking your next hunt with Doug and Rita and North 49 Outfitting. You will not be disappointed.

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40 September 2018 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS

Sig Sauer Electro Optics LIMA365 Laser Sight

S

ig Sauer introduced their newest offering, the P365 at SHOT Show in January of this year to much fanfare. The micro-compact pistol has a tiny footprint, weighs just 17.8 ounces, holds an amazing 10 or 12 rounds of 9mm, and is an excellent pistol for every day concealed carry. Sportsman’s News provided a full review of this pistol in our July issue, which is also available online at www.sportsmansnews.com.

The one criticism some in the gun industry had was because the P365 was thinner than most other compacts on the market, most lights and lasers would not fit on its proprietary accessory rail. Sig Sauer Electro Optics, the optical side of the house, took on the challenge and has created a mountable laser that fits the rail and is easily activated by simply squeezing the grip as you would normally.

The LIMA365 comes in either red or green and provides a very bright aiming beam. While the standard tritium night sights on the P365 are better than most stock pistol sights, those of us getting up there in years really benefit from the visual aiming point of a laser. Add in the significant strategic and psychological advantages a laser provides, and you gain quantifiable benefits for concealed carry.

The LIMA365 molds seamlessly to the rail and trigger guard of the pistol, taking on the look of part of the frame.

A small activation pressure switch is located on the front of the hand grip where it is turned on or off by increasing or decreasing grip pressure. This intuitive technique of activation is superior, in my opinion, because the laser projection is not occluded by your indexed finger as it would be on a side-mounted laser.

Scan this QR Code with your The 5mW laser is extremely bright, even in ambient daysmart phone to view the light. I opted for the green because it is a bit easier to see Sportsman's News YouTube Channel. at longer range in the noon-day sun than the red, but both project their visible dot beyond 21 feet in daylight.

Video Product Reviews

The Aspheric Lens Technology provides the laser with a precision molded lens to keep the laser aiming point crisp on target.

The hardest thing is finding a holster that fits with the extra mass of the laser, but it wasn’t very hard to find a custom carbon fiber kydex holster for the LIMA365 online and I had it in less than a week.

The laser sight is extremely durable, holding up to even heavier +P loads, and it will run for up to 2 hours of constant on time on a single 1/3N photo battery. If something should ever go wrong, the LIMA365 features the Infinite Guarantee and 5-year Sig Electronic Component Limited Warrantee so you know it will be taken care of.

If you have been lucky enough to find the Sig P365 pistol in stock, you will want to check out the Sig LIMA365 at your local Sportsman’s Warehouse.

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Video Product Reviews

ALPS OutdoorZ Trophy X Pack

O

ver the years, I’ve tested a lot of packs from a number of manufacturers and after using bags designed for almost every and any purpose, I’ve seen a lot of really interesting concepts and designs, but none as useful and in its own class like the Trophy X Pack from ALPS OutdoorZ. This pack, which really isn’t what you would call a traditional “pack”, uses a simplified frame design similar to that of their Traverse X packs, but stripped down to only the frame and focuses on a no-nonsense approach to getting your meat and supplies out of the back country as efficiently as possible.

The most significant aspect of this frame pack that caught my attention has been the frame itself. The powder-coated aluminum frame quite literally sticks out and is the foundation of this pack that provides the necessary strength and rigidity to get those large loads of meat back to the truck. The frame also includes a freighter shelf to help hold the load on your back. I’d feel comfortable carrying 100 pounds or more on this pack without a doubt.

The ingenious of this pack doesn’t stop there, because ALPS has been able to add their adjustable molded foam suspension and Lycra shoulder straps to the frame, meaning that this pack is designed with comfortability as one of its strong points. Having this molded foam support really gave me confidence when testing this pack because even though some packs can hold weight similar to the Trophy X, they would either suffer from being uncomfortable on the back, hard to adjust or just plain awkward to walk with. A great feature of this molded foam support is its adjustability. The pack has an adjustable torso range, which means this pack can be custom fit for anyone. It’s this feature that really sets the Trophy X apart from other frame packs.

Another thing that really surprised me was its lightweight aspect. The pack when empty weighs only 5lbs. 6oz., much lighter than I would’ve anticipated for a rugged frame pack like this and since it is so light, it makes this pack much easier to bring on those hunts where every ounce counts. This pack also features ALPS’s Robic Nylon fabric, which is a super strong synthetic material used in the tie down straps for the Trophy X. These straps are featured all over the pack to give you plenty of options for securing your load and the pack even includes extension lashing straps if you need them.

The waist belt on the Trophy X is exactly like the one you’d find on a full-featured hunting pack, meaning that you have pockets to hold small items and anti-sway straps to keep the bag secured to your back. The Trophy X will also accommodate clip-style holsters for carrying a pistol or bear spray Scan this QR Code with in the backcountry. your smart phone to view The Trophy X pack is an incredible addition to the ALPS hunting pack family and it makes hauling the Sportsman's News YouTube Channel. your trophy out of the backcountry easier than ever. Your new Trophy X will turn that grueling hike back to the truck into a walk in the park.

Leupold BX-5 Santiam HD 10x42 Binoculars

L

ast month we showed you the new BX-5 Santiam HD Binoculars from Leupold in 15x56mm. These amazing binos provide superb optical performance but might be a bit larger than most outdoorsmen and women want to carry in the field. Fortunately, Leupold also offers the Santiam binos in an 8x42 and a 10x42.

Our test model is a 10 magnification and having used these on a doe hunt at first light, I can attest to their superpower to see in very minimal light.

At 10 minutes before legal shooting light, I could make out trees and bushes easily, and at one minute after it was legal to shoot, they showed me a deer at 100 yards as clearly as if it was early evening. When I brought up my rifle scope, not a Leupold, I couldn’t even see the deer in the scope. It was another 10 minutes of sunrise before the deer was visible in my scope.

The Santiam is named for a forest on the western slope of Oregon’s Cascade Mountains and is ideal for use in deep and dark arboreal forests where animals may be concealed in speckled light or completely in shadow.

Using state of the art high definition lead free glass with phase coating, multicoated lenses with BAK 4 Open Bridge roof prisms with their Twilight Max HD Light Management System and Xtended Twilight Lens System, the Santiam binoculars have exceptional low-light gathering capability, which in the case of my deer hunt was literally night and day.

DiamondCoat 2 protects your lenses from scratching, muck, dust, and moisture, and a proprietary nitrogen fill process keeps out any nastiness that might get inside or thermal shock that may create condensation and occlude your view.

Available in either Shadow Gray or Sitka Subalpine camo pattern, the rubberized housing not only protects your binos from dings and bumps, but gives you an ergonomic, sure grip without fatiguing your hands. Twist up eyecups provide you an ample depth of view and adjust for those wearing glasses. A smooth center focus dial is easy to adjust Scan this QR Code with with a single finger. They can be hand-held or use a center your smart phone to view tripod adapter for glassing over longer periods, so these bit h e S p o r t s m a n ' s N e w s nos are excellent for both hiking long distances or glassing YouTube Channel. from a stationary position.

42 September 2018 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS

The BX-5 Santiam HD binoculars provide everything you would expect from their premium German counterparts at half the price. But if anything should ever go wrong with them, they come with the Leupold Full Lifetime Guarantee, which means they will be repaired or replaced without question no matter if you sell them or give them away. Based on our testing, I can assure you that you will still own these binoculars for a very long time.

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While the heavily redesigned Ruger® Mark IV™ maintains the same classic outward appearance as the Ruger® Mark III™, it incorporates a significant improvement customers will love – a simple, one-button takedown for quick and easy field-stripping. A recessed button in the back of the frame allows the upper receiver to tilt up and off of the grip frame without the use of tools. The bolt simply slides out of the receiver and the barrel can be properly cleaned from chamber to muzzle.

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43

Sitka Gear Apex System

E

arly season archery and muzzleloader hunting requires a special kind of gear. You need to have clothing that is quiet, comfortable, lightweight, and will not absorb odor. All of these things are essential to getting close and allowing you to fill your tag with those close-range weapons.

The Apex System is purpose-built for just this type of hunting. The Apex Hoody is built with a merino-nylon blended fabric that gives you natural moisture and odor management. It has reinforced shoulders, arms, and elbows and the elbow pads are a huge benefit when you are waiting on your knees and elbows for that buck to stand up so you can take a shot. With the hood over your head, you can also deploy the built-in face mask, leaving only your eyes visible. It has a kangaroo style zipper pocket with mesh dividers, which is ideal when you decide to leave your pack on that last 100 yards of the stalk, but still need a place to put a rangefinder or other items. It has a durable waterproof finish that will help in resisting light precipitation.

The Apex pant has a soft micro-grid fleece interior which is extremely comfortable. It also helps with breathability. They are also built with a durable water repellent finish. The legs are tapered giving you minimal bulk and reduces noise when walking significantly. The cargo pockets on each leg are very large and have dividers to keep items separated, which eliminates unwanted noise on those final closing yards. The built-in knee pads are a lifesaver when you are spending significant time crouched and combined with the elbow pads in the hoody, could be the difference between painful failure and success. Both the pants and the hoody material Scan this QR Code with have good four-way stretch that allows for extreme comfort your smart phone to view t h e S p o r t s m a n ' s N e w s and no binding, which is often common when stalking YouTube Channel. and moving slowly. Both pieces are right about a pound in

weight, making this setup extremely lightweight.

Next, top off this setup with the Apex pack that weighs in at only 36-ounces. It is a frame-less pack that is 1,800 cubic inches, which is enough to carry all your daily needs on those early season hunts. It is hydration compatible and has extremely large pockets on the waist belt. It has a large main compartment with an internal zipper compartment that is ideal for items like extra calls and archery releases. It also has a fleece-lined top pocket that is a great place to store electronics like a GPS or cell phone. A water bottle pocket on each side gives you plenty of extra water to head deep into the backcountry without the worry of getting dehydrated.

The pack, hoody, and pants all come in the Optifade Subalpine pattern, which are designed for those up close and personal encounters.

The Apex System is the ideal early season setup and will take you well into the fall. We are truly seeing the next phase of Sitka Gear’s Purpose Driven Design of products.

Leupold RX 2800 TBR/W

K

Video Product Reviews

nowing the exact distance to your target is essential for pinpoint accuracy, regardless of whether you are shooting a bow, muzzleloader or long-range rifle.

Leupold has launched an entire fleet of new rangefinders for 2018 and there is sure to be one that fits into your budget.

Leupold’s RX-2800 TBR/W is the heavy hitter in the line and will range reflective targets out to 2,800 yards (but we could consistently get nearly 3,000 yards off of a house during our testing). The 7X magnification on this model is a big benefit when you are attempting to range targets at this distance. Also, the 3/8 tapped screw hole to accept a tripod mount is a big benefit when shooting these long ranges, as the slightest movement will often pull you off of the target at these distances.

The RX-2800 is equipped with what is called Alpha IQ, which makes this unit process extremely fast and spit ranges back out to you quickly. Even at extremely long ranges, we were able to get quick feedback without multiple pushes of the button. On objects like trees, the advertised distance is 1,300 yards and we found this to be conservative as well, often getting yardages in excess of 1,800 yards. This was the same with deer-sized targets, exceeding the advertised number of 1,100 yards. Leupold definitely under promised and over delivered here.

As with most range finders, this one will put readings out in both yards and meters and the red OLED display lights up well, even under extremely bright conditions. This rangefinder will also provide you LOS, which stands for ‘Line of Sight’ readings. This is the actual yardage or meters in the straight-line to the target. It’s also a dandy little computer and will give you what Leupold refers to as TBR or ‘True Ballistic Range’. This means that it will take into account the incline or decline and give you the corrected yardage or meters to hold. This takes the guesswork out of making a shot uphill or downhill.

The TBR mode truly takes you to the next level. You can get holdover outputs in several options. These all require you to know certain data about the load you will be shooting. The BAS output will give you the equivalent horizontal range and what I like to call corrected data.

It will also display data in MOA and MILS. This eliminates the need to have to cut a custom turret for your rifle. You can zero your rifle at whatever altitude you will be hunting or shooting and your corrected data will output and you can make a quick change on your rifles’ elevation turret in the appropriate MILS or MOA. It has the ability to give a constant 10-mph, full value, Scan this QR Code with ninety-degree wind measurement in these same measurements. your smart phone to view Truly a great rangefinder, as it performed extremely well in all of t h e S p o r t s m a n ' s N e w s our field testing.

YouTube Channel.

44 September 2018 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS

THE ULTIMATE ADVENTURE-SEEKING SIDE-BY-SIDE

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Shop 92 Locations or online at Sportsmans.com 46 September 2018 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS

Skoped Vision by PhoneSkope

PRO'S PICK

P

honeSkope has been around for quite a few years now and being a southern Utah company, we have been involved with them almost from their inception. We have been using the PhoneSkope adapters to take pictures through our spotting scopes and binoculars for the last six or seven years now. A couple of years ago, we even had Cheston Davis (owner of PhoneSkope) and his team make us a few adapters to shoot some video through our riflescopes.

The thought process was solid at the time and the adapters worked like a charm, but the recoil of the shot didn’t work out so well for the phones and we had to replace a few screens. The adapters on our rifle scopes made it great to take pictures and video of the reticles of the numerous riflescopes we tested, however, we put using this technique on hold for the time being.

Flash forward to July of 2018 and PhoneSkope has now launched Skoped Vision, which allows you to not only attach your phone to your riflescope on the side and use it normally, but it also gives you the benefit of being able to shoot the rifle without damage to your device. The technology behind this product is nothing short of spectacular as well as fairly basic to use.

The unit itself easily attaches to any riflescope with a small, well-designed ratchet system. Adjusting for the best eye relief on each riflescope will take some trial and error to figure out, but once you have that done, switching from riflescope to riflescope is very simple. You will need to download the App from either the App Store or Google, depending on the device you use. The App gives you the ability to manually rotate what you are seeing to give you a good picture on your device. You can also adjust the zoom as well as manually focus if your phone is having problems in this department.

Once you have the unit and your phone dialed in, you can remove your phone and quickly attach it whenever you are ready for the shot.

One of the things that I was really excited about with this product is what it brings to the table in a training situation. Having children and teaching them to shoot is a wonderful way to get them involved in our sport. If you have done this, you will also vouch for the problems it creates when everything doesn’t go according to plan.

Being able to have the Skoped Vision attached so the kids can see exactly what you are looking at when you pull the trigger is a great way for them to translate what you are telling them. You can also record their shots, which will show them exactly where the crosshairs were when they pulled the trigger. You can also use this to record your own shots in a hunting environment. This works great on the smaller caliber rifles, where the recoil doesn’t take you off target.

However, it doesn’t work to well on those magnum calibers.

I can personally attest to the value of having your shots recorded.

Before the days of filming, I was sure where every shot hit without a doubt.

However, with a dozen years of filming hunts and literally hundreds of kill shots to evaluate, I can guarantee that this isn’t always true. The animal might be angled towards you a bit more than you thought, which makes that

exit wound a bit further back than expected. This tells you that you might not want to go over there and take a chance of bumping that deer until he has enough time to expire. The examples of shots like this are limitless and now you can film all of your own shots without a person there to run the camera. Being able to record these moments yourself is a great resource and a great way to share these moments you hold so special with friends and family.

PhoneSkope has hit a home run with the new Skoped Vision product and with all the social media resources to share your video and photos on, this is sure to be a hit.

September 2018 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS

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

Smoked Lake Trout

T

here is a myth out there that lake trout are not good to eat. They are too oily, or fishy tasting. I would like to dispel this myth with this great tasting way to smoke them. I enjoy smoking fish and this fruit flavored brine is great with lakers. Lake trout has more omega 3 oil than most salmon, and are really good for you. Instead of throwing them back next time you catch them, try smoking them!

Ingredients

• 2 quarts water • 1 cup brown sugar • 2/3 cup kosher salt • 1 tablespoon garlic powder • 2 teaspoons onion powder

• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper • 1 cup peach schnapps • 8-10 pounds lake trout fillets • Teriyaki sauce for basting

Preparation method

You will need a vessel to brine the fish in. I use a food safe 15 quart plastic bucket. It needs to be large enough to submerge all your fillets in. A heavy plastic bag also works well. Do not use metal containers unless they are stainless steel.

Add the dry ingredients to the water in your container and stir well. Try

48 September 2018 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS

the schnapps and make sure it is tasty, then add it to the brine. You can use any fruit flavored schnapps or brandy that you like. Put the fillets into the brine and weigh down with a plate to keep the fish submerged. Place in the refrigerator for 12-18 hours. (I have to take out a shelf to fit my brining bucket in.)

Remove the fillets from the brine and rinse under cold water. Place them skin side down on a bed of paper towels pat dry. Let sit out for 30-60 minutes till the fish forms a glaze or pellicle.

You are now ready to smoke. Lay the fish on your smoker racks skin side down. Brush some teriyaki over the top of the fillets for some added sweetness. Smoke the fish for 2 hours at 165 degrees F with alder wood. Check a piece for doneness. You can also add some more teriyaki to glaze it with in the final 10 minutes.

Remove the trout from the smoke and let cool. There is nothing quite as good as fish still warm from the smoker and an ice cold beer! After you have sampled some, bag them up to refrigerate or freeze.

I like a cold Hefeweizen or a Saison to enhance the flavor of the trout on the brew side, and a dry Riesling or crisp Rose’ on the wine end to accompany this taste treat.

Cheers!

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September 2018 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS

49

Adventures On A Budget

How To Plan A Public-Land DIY Deer Hunt

finally settled on three of them and eventually, picked the exact right tree. That’s what being a successful freelance bowhunter is all about.

The positive outcome of that hunt was the result of a doing lot of homework. I’d spent a lot of time the previous winter doing research on this piece of public land, which included talking to a local hunter who gave me a lot of good information, reading what I could on the state DNR’s website, speaking to a biologist and game warden on the phone and gazing at aerial photos on Google Earth.

There’s no reason why you cannot do the same thing.

Choosing A Hunting Location

This is the one component of the puzzle where the decision is made before you ever leave home and winter is the time to do it. You first have to decide where you want to go. Some states offer tags over the counter (OTC), some require you to apply and choose a zone and yet others require you to apply for several years before you will draw. Make a list of the states you would like to someday hunt and start applying for tags or preference points.

I

By Bernie Barringer

’d been sitting in a tree by a trail that led to a bedding area composed of willows on a riverbank. A steep hill was 100 yards to the west and I was surrounded by rubs and scrapes. I had spent two mornings and an evening in this spot, with a great deal of confidence. It looked good and felt good.

The morning before, I watched a string of six does and a yearling buck walk a trail 60 yards to the west. I had considered that trail for my stand, but frankly, the one I was sitting in just looked a lot better. Over the next two sits, I continued to see deer using that other trail. I also had the frustration of watching a nice 10-point buck work a scrape just out of range. I decided to move my stand 60-yards, so I could cover that trail. I didn’t fully understand why, but that’s where the most activity seemed to be.

By all outward appearances, the place I was sitting should have been the right spot, but I moved anyway.

The following morning, an hour after daylight, I could hear two bucks fighting down by the river. They were in the bedding area and if I had been in the stand I had abandoned the previous day, I would have been able to see them. I silently cursed my luck for moving. But my disappointment would be short-lived.

Suddenly, a 3-year-old 8-pointer came running up the bank and raced by my stand.

He was followed by a heavy-bodied buck with dark fur, thick shoulders and a big gray head — a buck much older than you would expect to see on public land. He crossed the trail at a right angle, then stopped at 40 yards perfectly broadside, looking momentarily for the younger buck he had just vanquished. My arrow sliced through both lungs before I could even fully grasp the situation or think about the shot. It happened so fast, and I was in automatic mode.

I’d been hunting three different public properties in that area for 12 days and that subtle move of the treestand made the difference. I had drawn a tag for that state, researched the public land opportunities, chosen a small number of places to look at,

50 September 2018 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS

State Hunting Forums

It seems there are hunting forums for each and every state. Some of them are very active and others not so much. Find the ones for each of the states you have an interest in and start visiting them. Sometimes the locals can be a little harsh when you start asking for information, but if you establish a relationship, you can often find some good info and there always seems to be a couple guys with knowledge and a helpful attitude.

Avoid asking general questions such as, “I have an Iowa tag, which public hunting areas are good?” All that will do is make people think you are trying to use them to do the research that you should be doing yourself. A much better question would be, “Has anyone hunted the Shimek State Forest? Can you tell me how much bowhunting pressure to expect there the first two weeks of November?” That question will probably get a helpful response.

State Wildlife Agencies And Aerial Photos

Of course, it is important to spend time on the state DNR website and learn about the public hunting areas. Most states have maps of their public areas. It seems to work best for me to compare these maps with Google Earth aerial photos. I like to look at the borders of the areas to see what the property lines look like. What does the land on the other side of the property line look like? Is it open farm ground or maybe an urban area? I have hunted a couple pieces of public land that had some really wellmanaged private land adjacent to it. On Google Earth you will see what to look for — food plots, clearings, streams, sometimes even shooting houses or treestands. Once you have seen a well-managed deer sanctuary on Google Earth, you will begin to recognize what to look for.

In one case I was looking over a nice-looking piece of public land when I discovered that the northern border of the property was a stream. The DNR had planted a large

Adventures On A Budget clover plot along the stream, but it was a mile and a half from the nearest road. I liked what I was seeing already, but it was about to get a lot better. On the other side of that stream was a large block of timber that had a few openings cut into it. In those openings were green plots and they were way too small to be farm fields. Tractor trails connected the food plots and ATV trails showed where the stand sites could be approached. Clearly this place was being managed for whitetail hunting. A look at the land records for that area showed that the land was owned by a well-known television hunting couple. Think the potential for that piece of public land might be a little better than average?

Record Keeping Organization Statistics

The Boone and Crockett Club website offers a feature that allows you to search out the best states and the best counties within those states that have produced B&C bucks. It’s called Trophy Search, and it’s a great tool for the freelance hunter. You can sort their records according to the criteria you select. They charge $50 per year to use the tool and it is well worth it. Spend the $50 and then spend some time searching through their records. It can be quite revealing. The Pope and Young Club offers a CD of all their records. I use the entire set of records in an Excel file, so I can sort by state, size, county, etc. It’s not quite as easy to use as the B&C Trophy Search website, but the information is there if you take the time to mine it out. These two tools will help you discover trends that will help you understand which area of each state has the best potential to produce mature bucks.

Speaking With Biologists

Finding a person with boots on the ground in any area can be one of the best ways to flesh out your options. In fact, some conversations can be very revealing. It might contain a reference like this: “We have been doing a lot of work planting food plots on Public Area X this summer and the deer are really piling into it.” That’s good stuff right there!

Speaking in person with a state, federal or county employee can keep you from making a big mistake, too. In one case I called a biologist who looked at his calendar and said, “We’ll be doing a huge prescribed burn on that area that week. We’ll be burning 600 acres of switchgrass, so there will be a lot of personnel, trucks and smoke on that public area for about four days that week.” He kept me from making a big mistake.

In another case, a biologist once told me that the area I had been looking at took a huge hit from EHD that summer, but the next county over didn’t get hit as hard. He also told me that the two public areas in that county held some nice bucks and don’t receive much pressure except during shotgun season.

Don’t be afraid to call and ask specific questions. These people are public servants and your license fees pay their salary. Talking to you is part of their job, so use them as a resource.

You can find their phone number on the state Wildlife Agency website.

Sometimes it takes a while to track down the biologist, because they are often in the field every day. Winter is usually the best time to catch them in the office with time to talk.

If you have had a desire to hunt whitetails in another state, the work you put in now will have a lot to do with your success in the fall. There’s no time like the present time to get started. DIY hunting can be rewarding to the pocketbook, but success will be yours with preparation.

September 2018 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS

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A Goose Hunter for Life

OUTDOOR WRITER'S CONTEST

By Dustin Brown

M

ost hunters have never experienced the thrill of hunting Canada geese in the field like I have. Starting out, I would never have imagined I would be where I am today as a goose hunter.

Through many years of defeat came the success I have now.

My teenage years were spent waking up early and trying to beat crowds of people to a public spot, only to find out that someone had already claimed the small pond or open slough I had been planning on hitting.

Later, I was fortunate to meet up with a rancher who had a small tract of land close to Utah lake. This provided my passion with jump shooting ducks and the occasional shot at a passing goose off the lake, only to find out my 20ga. didn’t travel as far as I thought it should. Oh, but I do remember the first honker I was able to bring down with that over-and-under 20.

I was 16 and an after-school hunt in the slough was coming to an end when I heard a honk in the distance. I couldn’t see the flock of geese, but knew they were getting closer as the sound echoed through the trees just off the lake. I didn’t have a goose call at the time, so I tried to imitate the sounds with my voice, to no avail. I watched as they’d crossed the slough at only 20 yards high, but 200 yards south me. They glided with the south wind with minimal effort,

52 September 2018 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS

Sportsman’s News Outdoor Writing Contest Finalist See pg. 4 for entry details.

then banked east as they floated into a small farm pond. Having previously asked permission on this pond before, I knew there was no chance of hunting it, but where the birds crossed the slough would be just a few hundred yards of wading through thick cattail and the swampy mud.

The following night, the birds did the exact same thing, as they came in on the south wind and banked back to the east, drifting into the wind on their arrival. I was now more determine to find my way over that end of the slough than ever.

The next morning, I made my way out into the slough well before light. No duck decoys this time, I was planning on pass shooting ducks if possible and then breaking a trail through the thick cattails to where the geese came in the night before.

The first half hour of light was slow, with ducks coming off, but nothing moving my way. After the first hour, I was convinced to start my way over. I picked up my Beretta 20ga. and made countless attempts to get to the trees where they had crossed. Hours later, tired, cold and hungry, I finally reached my destination. I picked out a vantage point that I felt would give me the best view of where the birds were coming from and it proved to be good. I could see a small raft of geese out on the lake, probably 50 to 75 birds. Now the waiting game began!

Luckily for me, I had planned on a full day sit and packed a lunch that

OUTDOOR WRITER'S CONTEST It had to be. But where was it. Another honk rang out and they were getting close.

There was not time to take off my back pack as the lead bird crossed the tree line.

I shoulder my 20ga. and putt the bead in the center of his body to start my swing. As the barrel passed the base of his neck and toward the point of his nose, I squeezed off the trigger. The monster bird folded, as his wings didn’t even flap as he fell from the sky, I was so excited that I didn’t even pull the second trigger on that over-and-under.

I marked the spot in the tall grass where he hit and like a pure bread retriever, I ran over and picked up my prize. Back then, I had no idea what a band was, but this bird had a piece of metal on its leg that I found out later was used for tracking purposes by the Fish and Game.

This story was many years ago. Today, I have graduated to field hunting with decoys, bringing a new sense of accomplishment as limits of birds come easy with the group I hunt with. It’s now more about time spent with good friends and teaching our groups’ kids the joy of calling in birds close. I’ll never forget the joy of my first bird and now countless memories with young hunters and their first goose. Nothing beats that first bird and yes, mine was well earned. consisted of three Dr Peppers, four slices of leftover pizza and a peanut butter sandwich. As I sat back and enjoyed my lunch, the time seemed to move like molasses. Minutes seemed like hours, hours drug out like days, but as the sun dipped further west, that familiar sound started to play and the flock was getting restless.

The first group to pick up off the lake went north, the second group followed, I started to ask myself if this was really a good idea. The next group left about 10 minutes later and again followed the first. Finally, the last group lifted and my heart started to beat louder and louder until they turned and followed suit and went north as well. I couldn’t believe what had just happened. I had hiked for hours, broke a trail good enough that I could find my way back to the truck and the geese decided to change their schedule and go north. I was mad, frustrated and upset with how the day had gone. I grabbed my back pack, picked up my shotgun and started my way back before the sun went down.

About fifteen steps into the hike, that faint sound in the distance stopped me dead in my tracks and I ducked right to the ground. Was that really a honk?

September 2018 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS

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54 September 2018 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS