Sportsman's News February 2015 Digital Edition

SportsmansNews.com

February 2015

Volume 11 Issue 2

Glacier Bay Eagles Nest Lodge

By Kent Danjanovich Senior Editor

A

laska is well known for having quite possibly the best fishing on earth. From its untapped rivers, countless wild streams, spectacular mountain lakes and pristine ocean waters, there is simply no better place on earth to wet a line and in most cases, it is not only called fishing – its’ called catching!

One of the most outstanding areas in this seemingly endless wilderness is the Juneau/Gustavus area in southeast Alaska. But first let’s delve into a little bit of history about the area: continued on page 5

Utah Playground

Falcon's Ledge Lodge

PAGE 2

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SPORTSMAN’S NEWS | February 2015

Falcon’s Ledge Lodge

By Collin Dalley

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astern Utah is home to one of our favorite outdoor playgrounds, offering unmatched fly-fishing and exceptional upland bird hunting. While isolated, this property is easily accessible and located just over 2-hours from the Salt Lake International Airport. The drive will take you through some of the most scenic country Utah has to offer.

Their hunting preserve offers guided pheasant and chukar hunting adventures. Now, this isn’t your ordinary hunting preserve consisting of flat ground and food plots. Pleasant Valley Hunting Preserve has an extremely knowledgeable manager and staff that utilizes the natural landscape to ensure the property has the ideal habitat for birds as well as top accommodations for clients. Consisting of over 3,000 acres of irrigated and dry--farm fields of grain and native prairie grasses, it’s the natural landscaping and food plot placement that makes this some of the best bird habitat we’ve seen. The PV Hunting Preserve takes time to plant food plots near rocky hillsides, cottonwood thickets, sagebrush flats, Russian olive thickets and cattail and bulrush marshes. It’s this type of strategic planting that gives birds plenty of feed and the type of cover to challenge every level of hunter.

The manager, Keith Hicken, has been running the PV Hunting Preserve for 27-years, including raising his own birds

for the hunting preserve. He believes in only using the birds he raises for their operation and not buying birds from another company. They do this because they want healthy birds that are not familiar with humans. If a bird is hand fed its entire life and then suddenly released into the wild for hunting, chances are it won’t fly away the same as it would if it was not familiar with humans. Its little things like this that set apart a company from others, which the general public doesn’t always think or know about.

Not only did we find a good number of wild birds on the property that were hard flying, but even the pen raised birds proved to be in excellent health and behaved exactly like one would hope for while pheasant hunting. These hard flying birds were impressive and provided the ultimate challenge as they used the natural habitat for cover, along with their ability to explode into flight.

If you have never heard the cackling sound of a colorful rooster as it bursts into flight, you are missing out.

As we arrived at the hunting preserve for our first day of hunting, our guide, Dale Jenkins along with the general manager, Dave Danley and Pleasant Valley Hunting Preserve manager, Keith Hicken greeted us and we then proceeded though a tour of the building and clubhouse. They have a full pro-shop with everything from shotgun shells to hunting attire, so don’t worry if you forgot something because chances are

Mark Francis and Kent Danjanovich with a couple colorful roosters from Pleasant Valley Hunting Preserve.

Our fishing guide, Jake Ricks and Kent Danjanovich with a high mountain brook trout. they will have you covered. Also, inside tested our abilities and let us see what the clubhouse is a full service restaurant. clients can expect when coming here to We sat down and had an excellent lunch hunt. If you’re looking for a great place before heading out for our first afternoon to hunt upland birds with a top-notch of hunting. staff, accommodations and guides, then Falcon’s Ledge Lodge offers a vari- make sure you get in contact with Pleasety of hunting and fishing packages ant Valley Hunting Preserve and see for to choose from with lodging available. yourself why they are one of our trusted Check out their website for a full list of Platinum Approve Outfitter for upland packages available. We opted for the bird hunting.

Cast “N” Blast package, which would We spent each night at the incredible provide lodging with meals, guided Falcon’s Ledge Lodge where we found upland bird hunting and guided fly- ourselves surrounded in luxury and acfishing. commodations. The lodge is 15,000 sq. ft.

As we headed out after lunch to an al- with nine private rooms, ranging from falfa field surrounded by Russian olives a single king bed and luxurious master and marshland, the dogs were anxious bathroom to a double queen bunk room to get to work. As soon as our guide let that will sleep up to six adults. One of the dogs out of their kennels, the game our favorite parts of staying at the lodge was on. We set out and watched the was breakfast and dinner. Our chef dogs do what they love. In a matter of never let us down in his quest to surprise minutes we had our first point from the us with a new and exciting creation at dogs. Excitement boiled in our blood as every turn. His dishes were nothing we readied ourselves for the action, as short of amazing. soon Dale sent his lab in for the flush The fully Orvis endorsed lodge has and a brilliantly colored rooster sprung a complete fly-fishing pro shop in the into the afternoon sky. Mark Francis of basement that has you covered from Browning Arms, who joined us on the flies to fishing rods and everything intrip, made a great shot and the first bird between. If you need to rent any equipof the day was quickly being retrieved ment, they have you covered for that by the dogs. too. After your fishing gear is ready just For those that haven’t used dogs for walk out the front doors of the lodge hunting, it’s extraordinary to watch and decide which of the eight ponds them work the terrain for birds. Once a surrounding the lodge you want to fish bird is tracked, the dogs stop and point, or take a short drive and choose from typically sticking their tail straight out another seven ponds as well. and using there snout to point at the The ponds are full of hard-fighting bird. The next two days were filled with monster rainbow, brown, tiger and empty shotgun shells and downed birds. brook trout. If fishing stillwater ponds We were fortunate enough to hunt a continued on page 16 variety of habitat and landscape that

February 2015 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS

WHAT'S INSIDE

2 3 Words From The Publisher 8 Panama City Beach 10 Platinum Approved Outfitters Outdoors:Bobber 14 PacWest Doggin' for Steelhead 18 Pro's Pick: Ion Ice Auger 20 Fishful Thinker: Confidence 22 Beretta M9 24 Primos Alpha Dog 28 Business Directory Game Recipe: Pheasant 32 Wild Rolls 34 Wheels Afield: Acura MDX 36 Pro's Tip: Stay Found 38 North Idaho Antler Dogs Falcon's Ledge Lodge

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CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Gary Lewis Steve McGrath Chad LaChance Steve Mayer Diane Schmid

Words From The Publisher

By Michael Deming

L

ast month, we said that we would do the official launch of the Sportsman’s News Pro Membership Program in February. This is still the plan, but we will do more of a soft launch in the middle of this month rather than a full-fledged launch. As my grandfather always told me, “you only get one chance to make a good first impression” and we want to make a really good first impression with this new program. It has been ten plus years in the making and getting it right might take a few extra days, but I will guarantee you that it will be well worth the wait once we get this program to the public. This delayed hard launch is going to put a few of you that are paying attention to what is going on in a very good position to capitalize on our desire

for perfection.

An example of this is with our very first trip we will be giving away. It is a trophy New Mexico elk hunt with long time Platinum Approved Outfitter, Hunt Hard - Jeff Lester. This hunt is going to include a landowner tag for one of New Mexico’s premium hunt units. The combined package of this hunt is worth over eleven thousand dollars and one heck of a way to start off this program. Ten days later, we will be giving away a trophy antelope with another one of our vetted outfitters in the northwestern corner of Colorado.

This area takes nearly a dozen points for nonresidents to draw and is home to some major trophies. It will be during the heart of the rut and will be an opportunity to do some serious long range shooting. Since we want the winner to be prepared for this, we are going to equip them with a long range rifle and scope which is fully dialed in and ready to make those 500 plus yard shots.

Wild Alaska Cruises falls into our 3rd give-a-way slot. The Sportsman’s News team has been to this Platinum Approved Outfitters half a dozen times over the past dozen years and it is always nothing short of spectacular.

You get to live aboard an 86’ luxury

3

yacht for a full week, touring southeast Alaska on a very up close and personal basis. A gourmet chef cooks world class meals and Larry Larson and his team take you out to fish for all the different species of fish available in Alaska every day. While you are out fishing, the yacht relocates to another secluded bay with world class views. An entire week of this type of activity will have you overly spoiled for future fishing trips, one truly worthy of taking a spouse or friend along on. That is why we have made this trip for two, with a total cost of $10,600.

What you have seen here is the first thirty days of give-a-ways and a sneak peak at what we have in store for those of you who choose to become a Sportsman’s News Pro Member and a unique part of our family. The entire first year is a lot more of the same, but those of you who are paying attention are going to be able to enter first and will have the very best odds on these early sweepstakes. The entire first year of sweepstakes will consist of over $300,000 worth of trips, guns and gear with the best outfitters on the planet.

Our past ten years of business has given us the ability to vet these top outfitters and make sure that each trip we give away is truly a trip of a lifetime.

These are trips that average blue collar, hard-working Americans could only dream about, but that isn’t going to be the case with the Sportsman’s News Pro Membership Program.

To make sure you are one of the lucky people who have a chance at one of these trips of a lifetime, visit the Sportsman’s News website at www. sportsmansnews.com and sign up to become a regular member which will cost you nothing. Our regular members will be notified when they can upgrade to a Pro Membership when we start the soft launch process. If you are already signed up for our forum or are a subscriber to the digital edition of Sportsman’s News, you will also be notified.

Remember, “Membership Definitely Has Its Privileges”!

4

SPORTSMAN’S NEWS | February 2015

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

ADVERTISING Mike Deming National Advertising Manager 435-669-4624 mdeming@sportsmansnews.com

SENIOR EDITOR Kent Danjanovich 801-231-9838 kdanjanovich@sportsmansnews.com SALES ASSOCIATE Collin Dalley 435-862-7441 cdalley@sportsmansnews.com MANAGING EDITOR Dan Kidder 435-865-1680 dkidder@sportsmansnews.com EDITORIAL ASSISTANT Lisa Deming info@sportsmansnews.com PRODUCTION MANAGER James Dansie jdansie@sportsmansnews.com

Subscribers should contact Managing Editor for changes of address.

Sportsman's News is published monthly.

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

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February 2015 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS

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GLACIER BAY

Conservation Act elevated the monument to national park status and also continued from cover extended the park boundary northGlacier Bay was first surveyed west to the Alsek River and Dry Bay. in detail in 1794 by a team from The park has snow-capped mounthe H.M.S. Discovery, captained by tain ranges rising to over 15,000 feet, George Vancouver. At the time the coastal beaches with protected coves, survey produced showed a mere deep fjords, tidewater glaciers, coastal indentation in the shoreline of the and estuarine waters and freshwaGlacier Bay area, as the massive gla- ter lakes. Steep, sculpted peaks and cier was more than 4,000 feet thick scoured, rock-strewn valleys show in places, up to 20 miles wide and scars of glacial activity and mark the extended more than 100 miles to the advances and retreats of glaciers datSt. Elias mountain range. ing back over 115,000 years to before By 1879, however, naturalist John the Wisconsin Ice Age. Muir discovered that the ice had The sheltered waters of Glacier Bay retreated more than 30 miles, form- ebb and flow with the region’s huge ing an actual bay. By 1916, the Grand tides, which can change as much as 25 Pacific Glacier – the main glacier feet during a six-hour period. Ocean credited with carving the bay – had waves pound the beaches of the wild melted back 60 miles to the head of and remote Gulf of Alaska coast and what is now Tarr Inlet. you just never know what those tides Efforts for protection of Glacier might wash up.

Bay were made by John Muir and Between the bay and the coast, other conservationists and in 1925 snow-clad peaks of the Fairweather President Calvin Coolidge signed a Range capture the moisture coming proclamation creating Glacier Bay in off the Gulf of Alaska and, in turn, National Monument. At the time the spawn the park’s largest glaciers. monument contained less than half At the base of these lofty peaks, dethe area of the present park. In 1980, glaciated foothills and outwash plains the Alaska National Interest Lands rapidly turn green as the ice retreats and seeds find their way to the newly revealed land.

In Johns Hopkins Inlet, several peaks rise from sea level to 6,520 feet within just four miles of shore. The great glaciers of the past carved these fjords (drowned valleys) out of the mountains like great troughs.

Landslides help widen the t ro u g h s a s t h e glaciers remove the bedrock support on upper slopes. In all, Alaska is about 4% ice, with the world under about 10% today, There is probably not a better place in Alaska if you are equaling the perin search of a monster flat fish, with many 300+ pound- cent that is being farmed. ers caught each year in the Glacier Bay region.

As you enter

These lucky guys deserve a cold one at the docks after bringing home two big ones with Eagles Nest Lodge.

Glacier Bay you will be cruising along shorelines that were completely covered by ice just 200 years ago. Glacier Bay National Park includes 16 tidewater glaciers, while 12 actively calve icebergs into the bay. The show can be spectacular. As water undermines the ice fronts, great blocks of ice up to 200 feet high break loose and crash into the water. The Johns Hopkins Glacier calves such volumes of ice that it is seldom possible to approach its ice cliffs closer than about 2 miles.

Your journey to Glacier Bay Eagles Nest Lodge first brings you to Juneau.

For most of the fishing season, Alaska Air has daily flights to Gustavus from Juneau, as well as many other smaller flight services. Once on the ground in Gustavus, the staff will quickly load your gear into the van and within minutes you will be unpacking your luggage in your room at the lodge.

The lodge can accommodate up to 20 guests, with rooms of varying sizes available, with some holding up to groups of six. Adjacent to the guest rooms is a 2000 square foot recreation cabin complete with a 60” TV, pool table, Ping-Pong, card tables, an old fashioned popcorn machine and for those that would dare to show their wild side, a Rock Band karaoke machine!

All meals are served family-style in the dining cabin, with breakfast at 7am and dinner at 7pm. A wide

variety of dishes are served, with of course wonderful fresh seafood selections sprinkled in throughout your stay.

Sack lunches are prepared fresh each morning for your day on the water and plenty of snacks and beverages are also available throughout the day.

Eagles Nest Lodge is located just five minutes from the pier, so once you are finished with breakfast, its back to your room to suit up for the day and then into awaiting vans for the short drive. Your boat and captain are awaiting your arrival and within minutes, you will be cruising out of the dock area to prime fishing waters.

Speaking of prime fishing waters, the Glacier Bay area has plenty of them and most don’t include the usual two hour boat ride to get to there. In fact, many of the best spots that I have visited with them are literally only minutes from the dock. And the best thing of all – the waters are very well protected from the elements and you will be fishing in most cases in less than 120 feet of water! Halibut fishing just turned into a pleasure rather than a chore.

All of their charter boats are 28 to 32 foot metal hulled vessels with twin outboards that are comfortable, safe and capable of getting you to the fish continued on page 6

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SPORTSMAN’S NEWS | February 2015

GLACIER BAY continued from page 5

in a hurry. All boats are equipped with stout halibut rods, salmon rods and even a couple of lighter-weight spincasters for those seasoned veterans who think they want to try their hand at hauling in a big boy on light tackle.

All five species of Pacific salmon migrate through the area, but the most targeted species are kings and silvers.

The kings are available throughout the season, but primetime is June and July.

The silvers start making their way in around the first of August and run well into September as they make their way into the freshwater streams of the area to spawn. Trolling and mooching are very effective techniques as well as spincast and fly fishing in the streams surrounding the bays.

In fact, during our last visit in September, our guide took us into the remote Idaho Creek for a day of salmon and trout fishing. Pods of both pinks and silvers could be seen on nearly every stretch, making for a day of spot and stock with both fly rods with leech

patterns as well as spincasters while throwing pixies and spinners. There is nothing quite like hooking into a feisty silver salmon and then trying to hold on for the ride as they are flying through the air as they make run after run up and down the river. Dolly Varden char were also plentiful in the Idaho as well as they followed the salmon while gorging on their eggs.

Now although the salmon fishing is spectacular in the Gustavus area, for most the real reason to pick this area is for the halibut fishing. There is probably not a better place in Alaska if you are in search of a monster flat fish, with many 300+ pounders caught each year in the Glacier Bay region. Most of the fishing is done with circle hooks and bait, especially with the odd currents in the area. Many times the tides will be going one way as the top water currents are going the opposite, making it tough on the boat captains as they try and keep everyone fishing rather than untangling their crossed lines. But if you can hit the tides just right (which is most of the time), you can almost be assured of having the

chance of battling a true ‘Barn Door’ bruiser that will leave you with sore arms and sweat rolling down you cheeks. But remember – at least you will be fishing in manageable depths, not 300+ feet of water with four to five pound weights.

If you are OK with a little bit longer boat ride, a trip to the outer reaches in the Gulf can produce epic catches of yellow eye, lingcod, black bass rockfish and many other creatures of the deep. A true mixed bag of fish can be captured each day of your trip with Glacier Bay Eagles Nest Lodge and it is really up to you how much fun (and torture in some cases) you are up too.

And at the end of the day, your catch will be cleaned, packaged, boxed and frozen for your trip home at the end

of your stay.

All of this can be yours with a quick call to Kent Huff and his staff to talk about all of the possibilities. Not only is the fishing superb, but as I mentioned at the start of this article, the scenery isn’t too bad either! It is no wonder Glacier Bay is one of the most popular cruise stops through the Inner Passage as sights and sounds of Alaska truly come alive. Whales, sea lions, puffins, otters, eagles as the things to see in Alaska are just endless.

Glacier Bay Eagles Nest Lodge, visit them on the web at www.glacierbayfishing.com or give them a call at 801-376-6513. Maybe we will even run into each other this summer – I sure hope so!

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SPORTSMAN’S NEWS | February 2015

Panama City Beach

By Kent Danjanovich Senior Editor

N

ow for those of you that think that I only write about Alaska and all that it has to offer, after getting an offer to visit a destination a little bit farther east and south definitely seemed to offer a distinct change of scenery. Summer in Alaska and fall in Florida – what a great idea!

It’s not that I haven’t visited this part of the country a number of times over the years, but it was usually with family and friends and those trips really never gave me the opportunity to really check out what it had to offer. On this trip to Panama City Beach, my eyes would definitely open a little wider.

First let’s start with a little history about the area, in the NW section of Florida along the Gulf of Mexico.

Before modern settlement began in the 1800’s, the St. Andrew Bay area was home to Native Americans. Then, as today, the abundant fish in the Gulf of Mexico and

St. Andrew Bay provided fresh seafood to those original locals, as well as visitors to the sandy white shores.

Spanish explorers gave the St. Andrew Bay its present name in the 1500’s as they explored the northeast gulf coast. Pirates also found the deep pockets of the Bay to be a prime spot to lie in wait for richly laden European ships en route to Mexico or Spain. An old Spanish galleon and a 700-pound cannon were unearthed during construction of a motel in the early 60’s, proving the presence of such pirates and opening the door to the possibility of pirate treasure! Thanks to the sinking of modern day ships for artificial reefs, the Gulf of Mexico waters off Panama City Beach are well known with sport divers, who find treasure of a different kind in colorful marine life and underwater adventure, prompting Skin Diver Magazine to dub the area the “Wreck Diving Capital of the Southeast.”

Although the area was alive with settlers and the St. Andrew Bay was even the site of a skirmish during the Civil

Rick Rosenberg is all smiles as he displays his nice amberjack "on the fly" with Captain Todd Jones of Back Bay Adventures.

War, Panama City Beach’s history doesn’t officially begin until May 2, 1936, when the city was founded. The city’s name was reportedly based on being the near-

est American port to the newly opened Panama Canal. Surrounding the new continued on page 26

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SPORTSMAN’S NEWS | February 2015

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SPORTSMAN’S NEWS | February 2015

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SPORTSMAN’S NEWS | February 2015

Bobber-Doggin’ For Winter Runs

In pursuit of an angler’s first steelhead

By Gary Lewis

I

n the dark the river was bank-high quick, gray and angry. These steep, little streams fill up fast with the gales that blow in off the ocean. Winter was almost

over, but it had more it wanted to show us.

We had planned to fish the Wilson which was full of fish, but our guide called a change of plan.

My daughter, Mikayla was a year-and-ahalf into the pursuit of a quest for her first steelhead. We have a rule in our family: the girls must each bag a deer and catch a steelhead. Mikayla is daughter number three. For her the deer hunting had come easy, but the steelhead fishing had not. She had heard they were the fish of a thousand casts. She had heard that some people never do catch steelhead. They give up.

This is why we do this in our family. We do not give up.

Mikayla held the boat at the ramp while Josiah Darr parked the truck and trailer.

If the rain kept up, the river would blow out by noon. Josiah had gambled this was the best place to put us on fish. That is the tension the guide faces every day. But this time, I had taken that tension dial and cranked it up all the way.

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tries and a thousand casts; some people Boat after boat passed us and sometimes never get one. we passed them again. There was tension Down to the river came Jeff Kastner, a in every gaze, every lift of the hand. Some native of Tillamook, a photographer for had boated steelhead, some had not.

Grant McOmie’s Grant’s Getaways. Grant “Doing any good?” couldn’t join us, but Kastner would shoot “If we get a couple more, we’ll have the story. If there was a story. two.”

In the dark we pushed away and let Mid-morning, our floats drifted in the river sweep us down. This would be separate current lines four feet apart. one of the last of Darr’s guided trips as he Mine was ahead of hers and then her float transitioned to a career as a salesman for disappeared.

Clackacraft. We pulled ashore downstream The stressed-out father stood transfixed and let the light come up. It was a Friday, at the miracle that was a bobber down, there were a lot of boats, competition for the 17-year-old didn’t do anything, the the biters. cameraman hit the red RECORD button We would be bobber-doggin’, which is and the guide hit the panic button. a technique that, like side-drifting, pres“Set! Set!” ents a bait at the speed of the current in a The line cut a zigzag in the green water line to fish holding along current seams and the rod pulsed. If the hook was in the and structure. Like side-drifting, bobber- corner of the mouth, we’d have a chance. If doggin’ requires a great degree of skill the leader didn’t break, if the swivel held, if from the boat operator. The angler must the knots held. There it was at the surface, master the art of line control. Line slips on its tail, crashing back down. through the float and, modulated by the It seemed to take forever to get the fish proper amount of weight, slides the bait, in to the boat. Tensions already high, Josiah this case, fresh steelhead eggs and a bead, and Mikayla had a brief misunderstanding in what we like to think is “the zone” 12 that led an insulted Josiah to sit down and to 18 inches off the bottom. refuse to net the fish. “No, no, I was talking With the sun up now, Josiah pushed the to the fish,” Mikayla affirmed.

18-foot drift boat away from the bank.

It was hard on old dad and the camera“Gary, see that riffle? Cast right on the man. But then the fish was in the net. edge of that slick. Perfect. Mikayla, right Yes, there were fish that bit after that one. behind him, a little closer. Perfect.”

We hooked two at the same instant twice Even if it wasn’t. and lost them both times. But the fish that Sometimes the guide fishes. It doesn’t mattered was the one that bit straight up matter if the guide hooks a fish and hands at 9:00 in the morning. The sun came out. it off to the client. This trip it mattered. Winter was over; spring had sprung.

Mikayla wouldn’t accept a hand-off. It “I think it took a thousand casts,” Mikaywas understood. la said. It didn’t take that many more to get Our floats were not more than six feet the next one. We finished with four to the apart; mine a little ahead, Mikayla’s on a boat. That’s the way it works sometimes. bit different line. Then mine went down.

Gary’s latest book, Fishing Mount Hood When that happens, Josiah had warned, Country, is available at www.GaryLewisOutthere’s a 60 percent chance it is hooked doors.com on the bottom, 40 percent in the mouth of a fish. I don’t know about his math, but I know about fishyness. I reeled down and swept the rod tip back.

Instead of solid rock, I felt muscle and gristle, the heartbeat of the river; a steelhead fueled on the energy of the Pacific stored in every cell. Minutes later the fish, a hatchery hen, was in the net.

We drifted down and set the hook on rocks and reeled in sticks Photo by Gary Lewis and bent into the wind and rain that howled off the ocean. Mi- March is a great month to intercept fresh kayla still hadn’t touched a fish. winter-run steelhead on their way upriver.

February 2015 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS

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SPORTSMAN’S NEWS | February 2015

FALCON'S LEDGE continued from page 2

for big, hard fighting fish isn’t your cup of tea, then maybe one of the numerous steams or rivers in the area will be what you’re searching for. We spent one day fishing a small mountain stream catching browns and brook trout with the occasional rainbow. This was just one of many mountain streams available to fish while staying at the lodge.

If you want to experience Mother Nature at her best, then fishing the surrounding mountain steams is your ticket where it’s common to not see another fisherman all day. The average sized fish in most of these streams will vary between 13-18 inches with the occasional fish over the 22 inch mark, but don’t get me wrong, fishing the ponds around the lodge is a lot of fun too, especially when you’re catching 20 plus inch trout almost every cast with possibility of a 32 inch or bigger trout lurking. The scenery around the lodge is beautiful as it sits in a canyon of rolling hills full of cedar trees with spectacular views from the deck where you can watch rising fish taking insects

off the water, but there is something different about fishing a mountain stream, especially in the fall as we experienced during our trip with the leaves changing colors; looking like the art work of a Picasso painting.

Overall, the Falcon’s Ledge Lodge is a fantastic place to relax or just get-away to with family and friends. Their accommodations are top notch with excellent food, games, fishing and hunting. Make sure you check out one of their 15 stillwater ponds for a chance at catching some BIG trout or spend the afternoon sharpening your shooting skills at “The Bird Walk”, a seven station clay range designed to simulate shooting scenarios encountered in upland bird hunting, all just a short distance from the main lodge.

With all the comforts of home and then some, I’m confident you will enjoy your stay at this one of a kind lodge. From the wireless Internet access to stay connected with the outside world to a game room and endless outdoor activities, we had no problem filling our time with lasting memories.

Our days at Falcon’s Ledge Lodge were full of adventure. The upland bird

The Falcon’s Ledge Lodge, overlooking one of the 8 ponds on the property. hunting was truly a unique experience and the fly-fishing was superb with plenty of fish and breathtaking scenery. It’s easy to see why we value Falcon’s Ledge Lodge as one of our prestigious Platinum Approved Outfitters. This is one of those

places perfect for the entire family or your next corporate retreat. Make sure to check them out online or give them a call to plan your next adventure. Toll free (877) 879-3737 www.falconsledge. com and www.pvhunting.com.

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SPORTSMAN’S NEWS | February 2015

Ion Ice Auger

By Steve McGrath

I

ce fishing and technological advances are two terms that are probably not uttered together very often. Can you really do much to change an age-old, seasonal sport?

Ion answered that question with a resounding YES with the introduction of their lithium Ion battery powered ice auger.

The Ion Ice Auger was introduced a few years back and has been received well among the hardy crews that fish the hard deck. New for 2015 is the addition of a reverse feature, a handy feature after you’ve drilled a hole. It’s used to flush the hole of the slush created after cutting a hole. Ion claims the auger will cut 1000 inches of ice per charge on its 40V lithium Ion battery. I didn’t have the time to test that myself with the auger, but based on what I saw, I have no reason to doubt that claim. Equally as impressive is the recharging time, less than 2-hours from a drained battery to cutting holes again on a full battery. The included lithium Ion battery is said to be good for 500 cycles, which should last the average ice warrior quite a few seasons and

the rest of us the better part of a decade. The model tested has an 8” auger; 6” and 10” blades are available as accessories.

I was able to test a model in early January and was impressed with how well it worked. It cut as well as any auger out there, while weighing significantly less than most I’ve been around. In the past we would set up our shelter, then cut the holes with a gas auger. The rest of the day was spent with the smell of exhaust, wishing for a slight breeze to help push the smell out of the tent. With the Ion, those days are long gone.

We set and anchored the tent, then got to work on cutting holes to start fishing. I cut over 40 holes in the time spent out on the ice that day and the on-board battery level indicator never dipped from full. As with any batteries, they are susceptible to colder temperatures and it’s wise to remove the battery from the auger when not in use. I stored mine in an insulated fabric pouch with a disposable hand warmer. It’s held a charge just fine during our cold day out on the ice. Additional batteries can be p u rc h a s e d f o r the marathon fisherman or those just wanting a backup.

During my test day the ice was only 5” thick, so it may not have been a true test, but it’s what we had to work with. For those that live in the colder parts of the country and will deal with thicker ice, the auger comes with a 12” extension. You can a l s o p u rc h a s e a 24” auger extension for the hardiest ice fish-

erman.

The weight or lack thereof, of the auger was noticeable as it was toted around the ice, drilling in different spots. At 22lbs the Ion weighs a full 10lbs less than most comparable gas powered augers. Speaking of gas, I can’t say enough about the battery operated auger and no need for fuel.

The times of forgetting to refill the auger or the leaking fuel on your fishing gear are long gone with the Ion. No need to yank on a start cord hoping it will turn over; the lithium Ion battery is battle tested and ready when you need it. The quietness of the Ion is another noticeable advantage. No more combustion engine to break the stillness of a frozen lake top.

The actual auger blade itself is another great innovation with the Ion. They have developed the ‘Spot on Centering Ring’, meaning you can re-drill holes in permanent shacks or out on open water. Another great feature integrated into the auger is the ‘Straight-Through Blade Design’, nearly getting rid of the usual “catching” at the bottom of a hole. Like other augers, the cutting continued on page 22

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SPORTSMAN’S NEWS | February 2015

Confidence

Chad LaChance

F

ishful Thinker LLC is my fishing company. It’s a humble little company, twelve years old and steadily growing. When I set out to turn fishing into a business, I needed a product or service to provide -- angling success and motivation became that product. Hence, angling education became a cornerstone of all things Fishful and more than a decade later, it is still our focus. In all our guided trips and media endeavors, teaching fishing is a primary goal. The best part of teaching is that, in considering your content, you must first completely analyze it, only then can you communicate it effectively. Do you know what comes up nearly every time I really look at some aspect of successful fishing?

It’s the same thing that comes up for most athletes or business folks during times of success - confidence.

Yep, in my opinion, successful angling is a game of confidence. A high confidence level positively affects your decision making and mechanical skills, strengthens your focus and gives you a general demeanor that screams “let’s catch ‘em!” We all want confidence, but how do we gain it? The obvious answer is by catching.

Great, so we need to have confidence to catch fish to gain confidence? This scenario sounds suspiciously like the chicken/egg conundrum. And even worse is that, as Joe Montana pointed out, confidence is a very fragile thing. Having it one day does not automatically mean you’ll go forth with confidence the next.

Have no fear, gang. I have an easy and surefire way to gain confidence. You need a good luck charm! That’s right, your golden ticket to the angling mother lode is based in superstition.

Think I’m kidding? Well, think about it.

When an angler is successful, they often describe it as “having some luck”. Many have lucky lures and some even have odder items they’re sure will sway the fish Gods in their favor, like, say, my lucky boxers. For the record, yes they have fish on them and they can only be worn to fish in.

Others rely on omens, some from the natural world, some from who knows where. Some anglers have short rituals they perform and many have things they refuse to do on outings. Bringing a banana in a boat is a common one.

Do not ever bring a banana in a boat without first asking the captain and if he says you can bring it, find a different captain!

I’m personally a numbers guy; combinations of 7’s, 0’s and 1’s are always a great sign of success to come. I’ll hunt or fish with confidence if they pop up somewhere. The specific number 701 is the most powerful of all; if I cross paths with it serendipitously, it’s on!

Need proof? I was just on a very tough multi-day deer hunt. In checking the sunrise time while setting my alarm, I realized it occurred at precisely 7:01 am the next morning. I took to the field positively oozing confidence and promptly dumped my deer at first light. If that isn’t conclusive proof that the stars aligned, I don’t know what is! I feel so strongly about it that 701 is the first personalization I do to any boat or truck I get and it goes on the boats before I ever launch them.

I know outdoorsmen with lucky rocks they rub before heading out, tournament guys that only wear a certain pair of socks for an entire multi-day derby, fly dudes that toss a penny in the river before fishing and a guy that always makes his first cast in such a way as to remove any possibility of catching a fish, thereby ensuring he avoids the dreaded “fish on the first cast curse”. I always figured it was a good sign to catch one right off the bat until I met him. Now I know better. The day that guy catches one on his fish-avoidance cast ought to be interesting; like I said, confidence is fragile. He might be ruined.

Now that’s some education you can use right there.

All you have to do is feel lucky to get lucky. Simple, just believe. Yea, right, but it’s true because you are the

one actually fishing, putting you in control of your destiny.

Do you know where confidence really comes from? Practice. Preparation. Observation. And last, but certainly not least, time on the water, especially with someone who is typically more successful than you are. Yep, if you get more proficient with your mechanic skills and tackle through off-the-water practice, you execute with confidence. If your tackle is in order and you have a game plan for the day, you’ll start confidently. Then, if you’ve been observant today and in past outings, when things get slow, you’ll sport the confidence to make an informed adjustment to improve your success. If you’ve experienced someone else’s success first-hand, you’ll have confidence in whatever the successful presentation was by virtue of seeing it with your own eyes. This right here is the best reason to hire a fishing guide.

All jokes aside, I honestly believe that fishing, which can hardly be considered an exact science, IS largely affected by the supernatural powers that make up superstition, if for no other reason than it affects our confidence. Whether a good omen or bad, our brain will act according to what we believe, logically or otherwise.

I believe that in all aspects of life including the outdoors, we are truly mind-overanything beings. If you want to succeed at anything, it starts with believing you can – confidence that you’ll succeed – and ends when you’ve taken the steps to practice, prepare, observe and ultimately perform.

Therein lies the education.

Whether your confidence is rooted in an odd superstition or thousands of hours of studying the sport is not relevant, that you have confidence is. If a guy with a goal to live an angling lifestyle by teaching others to do the same can build a successful company starting with nothing more than a few dollars and a bunch of confidence, surely anyone that really wants to catch more fish can do so. You just gotta get a little lucky!

February 2015 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS

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SPORTSMAN’S NEWS | February 2015

Beretta M9

By Dan Kidder Managing Editor

F

or any veteran who has served since 1985, reviewing the Beretta M9 is sort of like going out on a date with a former lover. One of those relationships that ended, but the feelings of attraction never quite went away.

Handling this gun brought back a flood of memories. The feel of the beefy grip, the exquisite balance, and satin-like finish, all reminded me of the sidearm I carried daily for years.

The M9 is the civilian version of the same M92F 9mm carried by American service personnel for more than 20 years. It has seen combat in Afghanistan, Iraq, Grenada, Kuwait, Haiti, and dozens of other theaters around the globe. It has been fired by hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of American GIs. I have heard all of the complaints about it, as have many others. It jams, it is clunky, it can break, etc. The American military is notoriously poor at properly maintaining

ION AUGER

continued from page 18 blades are replaceable and can also be sharpened.

The optional Bit-Switch system is a slick way to change auger sizes or even just to make the overall length shorter when it comes time to haul the sled off the lake.

If you are a portable shelter guy, like myself, you will find that Bit-Switch system handy when it comes to sinking screw-in anchors into the ice. The tool makes inserting and removing screw-style anchors as simple as pushing the button.

Bottom line, if you are in the market for an auger or looking for an upgrade, don’t overlook the Ion. It simply works better than any other auger I’ve ever dealt with. My friends with gas augers are all looking to now make the switch! I can promise you one thing,

any gun. These are the same complaints they had from 1908 through 1985 about the 1911. They are the same complaints they have about the Stoner designed AR-15/ M16. Any gun, if not properly maintained, cleaned, and lubed, will suffer failures and breakages.

For those who properly maintain their firearm, the Beretta M9 is a gun lover’s dream. They are supremely reliable with either hollow points or ball ammo. The ergonomics favor those with larger hands, but this makes it a great fit for comfort when wearing gloves. I can’t speak for those with tiny mitts, but for me the M9 has always felt as if Beretta had molded my hand and created a custom grip just for me. Everything just feels like it is in the perfect spot for just my hand. I can reach all of the controls while maintaining a proper shooting grip. The slide is just of the ideal stiffness to reliably chamber each round, yet not so stiff that it is difficult for the average user to manipulate.

The military is comprised of people of all strengths, sizes, and backgrounds, so it is I won’t be leaving mine at home on any trips this year!

Check one out at your local Sportsman’s Warehouse or online at SportsmansWarehouse.com.

a great representative cross section of the average shooters out there.

The natural point of aim, high beavertail backstrap, and elongated trigger guard make this a very comfortable gun to shoot. The weight of just over two pounds is more than many of the smaller handguns on the market, but adds to its overall controllability by providing greater inertia to overcome recoil.

High contrast dot on dot sights make aiming very easy, even for those who have a tough time aligning the plane of the front sight with the top of the rear sight.

Placing the white dot of the front sight on top of the half circle on the rear sight completes the dot and takes all of the fine tuning out of the equation.

The 12 pound double action trigger is what you want for a self defense gun that you will carry with a round in the chamber.

It requires you to really mean to pull the trigger for the gun to fire. The 4 pound single action break makes follow up shots more consistent. The trigger breaks cleanly

and smoothly, as you expect from a company like Beretta that takes the extra steps to ensure a bright polish on all internal and external parts.

A fully ambidextrous safety/decocker, as well as a reversible magazine release make it a great fit for left-handed shooters.

Not to mention the brass ejects straight up and over your head so lefties don’t get pelted in the face with spent casings.

Needless to say, I have missed spending time with this girl, and I am glad I had the chance for a second date after so many years.

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SPORTSMAN’S NEWS | February 2015

Primos Alpha Dog

By Collin Dalley

P

redator hunting is one of the fastest growing hunting sports. And with so many predator calls available these days it can be hard to decide what type is right for your situation.

Some people will tell you mouth calls are the only way to go and don’t get me wrong, there are a lot of advantages being able to fluctuate the tone and sounds produced from a mouth call, especially as that old wily coyote approaches. But, electronic calls have there definite advantages too. They don’t require much practice; just select the desired call sound, volume level and you’re set. However, using an electronic call can give you more of an advantage, especially when calling areas where coyotes might be leery of coming in and want to approach a sound from down wind. If you’re using mouth calls, most hunters will tell you if a coyote catches your scent in the wind, good luck. Hopefully, you can get a shot or two off before that happens, but all too often that isn’t the case.

With electronic calls you’re able to place the call in a strategic location to increase your odds of seeing more predators and avoid having them smell your scent. Coyotes will rely on their senses when coming into a call. Sound, smell and sight are their main senses used, but if you can figure out a way to trick them, you can increase the number of coyotes coming in.

First off, a coyote uses sound to locate its prey, so in most cases a dying rabbit sound from either a mouth call or an electronic caller is the ticket. Once the coyote gets close enough, it will start to use one of its other senses to determine what and where the sound is coming from.

Now this is where we can trick that old desert dog. By using the Primos Alpha Dog Electronic Caller you have the ability to produce some of the most realistic sounds from an electronic call that I have ever heard. You can place it up to 200 yards away from the shooter and operate it with a remote, which is a huge advantage. By placing it further away, you can

eliminate the chance of a dog coming in down wind and catching the scent of a hunter or seeing that unwanted movement from your hunting buddy, who is still trying to get comfortable sitting on the ground. I prefer to use a decoy with this call to confuse the coyote’s senses even more. Coyotes are sight hounds meaning, when they see their prey, they usually forget about scent and sound.

The Alpha Dog from Primos is extremely easy to use and comes with 75 sounds and six complete expert hunt sequences that were designed by Randy Anderson to call in coyotes. In short, if you’re in need of a specific game call, Primos will have you covered for deer, elk, turkey, moose, cougar and many

more. Another great feature of the Alpha Dog is being able to play custom sounds from your MP3 by using the audio-in port or you can download up to 1,000 or 2GB of your own sounds directly to your Alpha Dog. I have used a variety of electronic callers over the years and have never found one until now that is this versatile and didn’t sound like a recording.

The Alpha Dog is the real deal! This is my go-to-call when using electronic calls.

If you’re looking for realistic sounds with extreme versatility, then make sure you stop by your local Sportsman’s Warehouse and get all the details for yourself or check them out online at www.sportsmanswarehouse.com

February 2015 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS

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SPORTSMAN’S NEWS | February 2015

PANAMA CITY continued from page 8

city were other, small cities known as West Panama City Beach, Long Beach and Edgewater. Some years later, the four merged to form a single chartered government, which kept the name of Panama City Beach.

In 1935, developer Gideon Thomas built the Panama City Hotel. Thomas saw great potential in the area for tourism development at a time when most people were only concerned with harvesting crops. Many criticized his vision of Panama City Beach, arguing that there was no future in what they deemed “the ugly white sand.”

Thomas told his critics, “I’m not attempting to grow vegetables here; I’m going to grow people.” And grow people he did! It wasn’t long before Gideon Thomas’ ideas began to catch on and the beach became a popular destination for fun-loving travelers. In the 30s and 40s the beach was known for a beach bar called “The Hangout.” The white building with bright red trim was a hotspot for dancing and mingling on the beach

until it was destroyed by Hurricane Eloise in 1975.

Through the years the face of Panama City Beach has continued to evolve and change. Today it is a premiere destination for visitors from around the world, most of whom flock to bask in the Florida sun, play on the beautiful white sand beaches, tee it up for a round or two on the great golf courses of the area and watch the same amazing sunsets over the Gulf of Mexico that travelers and locals alike have been treated to for thousands of years.

It is no wonder that the area is so popular. I don’t know if I have visited another place quite like it to be honest.

Along with averaging 320 days a year of sunshine, the area boasts just about everything for every type of traveler that you can imagine - fishing, nature parks, golfing, shopping, food, attractions and of course, miles of beautiful white sand beaches, all contributing to making Panama City Beach a truly year round destination.

Since I do enjoy casting a line on most of my adventures, let’s first delve into the fishing side of things. Panama City

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Dur­ing our stay, we teed it up at the beautiful Hombre Golf Club, host of the second stage of the PGA’s Qualifying School.

Beach is famous for fishing of all kinds - especially deep sea fishing in the Gulf of Mexico. But serious anglers also catch plenty of fish from the piers along the beach and St. Andrew Bay or by casting a line directly from the shore. Anglers also enjoy bay fishing or scouting a local river or freshwater lake as well.

On our visit, fellow Pro-staffer, Rick Rosenberg joined me, as his expertise in fishing many waters around the world for hundreds of different species would really come in handy, both before and during the trip. On our first morning of the trip, we walked out of our suite at ‘Sterling Resort Reflections at Bay Point’ (850-236-6190) on the southeastern end of the 27 mile long beach area, down the dock in the bay and to our awaiting boat and its Captain, Todd Jones of Back Bay Adventures (850-819-5829). After a quick stop for some larger bait, we headed around the corner as Captain Todd readied his casting net and zeroed in on the abundant balls of smaller bait fish that we would be using as ‘chum’ in our quest as we headed off-shore for the next few hours.

Five hours later, Rick and I found ourselves tired and sore, as Captain Todd had us on fish from beginning to end.

Amberjack’s, Red Snapper and King Mackerel seemed to be literally everywhere and as we capped off our trip, Rick hooked up on a nice 20 pounder (Amberjack) on his 11 weight fly rod that added a little frosting to the cake and capped a truly great day on the water.

I can’t wait to get back to the area during other parts of the year, as other

targeted species include Redfish, Sheep Head, Speckled Trout, Bonito, Grouper, Cobia, Sailfish and Tarpon both in the open waters of the Gulf as well as the sheltered bays and flats of the areas state parks.

The Panama City Beach area also offers fishermen four great fishing piers to choose from - three that reach far out into the Gulf of Mexico and another that offers anglers a chance to cast their line into the Grand Lagoon.

The two most prominent fishing piers in Panama City Beach are the identical Russell-Fields Pier and the M.B. Miller Pier, often referred to as the City Pier and the County Pier. Constructed within a year of each other (completed in 2009 and 2010), these two concrete piers are built to resist hurricane damage and are the longest twin fishing piers on the Gulf of Mexico, stretching some 1,500 feet into excellent fishing grounds. In addition to fishermen, the piers are popular with spectators as well, who enjoy walking out over the water, witnessing some amazing catches and just enjoying the unique view of the beach and the clear emerald waters swirling around the pilings of the piers.

St. Andrews State Park offers two fishing piers, one (The Tiller Pier) on the Gulf Side and the other fishing pier gives fishermen access to the protected waters of the Grand Lagoon. Fishing or walking on these piers is free, although there is a charge to enter the state park.

Next, how about some golf. With five championship golf courses (includcontinued on page 28

February 2015 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS

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SPORTSMAN’S NEWS | February 2015

Outdoor Business Directory ALASKA FISHING

CALIFORNIA HUNTING

ALASKA LODGING

IDAHO SHED DOGS

85 Rooms 10 Minutes to Downtown Free Airport Shuttle Complimentary Breakfast Free Wi Fi

NORTH IDAHO ANTLER DOGS Kevin and Diane Schmid Pierce, Idaho 208-464-1117

4400 Spenard Rd., Anchorage, AK 99517 (800)-4PUFFIN - (907)-243-4044

www.PuffinInn.net PANAMA CITY continued from page 26

ing the only Nicklaus Design course in northwest Florida), 320 days of sunshine a year and an average temperature of 74 degrees, it’s no wonder that Golf Digest has named Panama City Beach one of America’s top three golf towns. There’s plenty of variety, too. In fact, with

WWW.NORHTIDAHOANTLERDOGS.COM 162-holes to play, you’d be hard pressed to squeeze all the great golf Panama City Beach offers into one vacation.

Thanks to affordable greens fees and tee times available year-round, golfers from all over the world always make sure they bring their clubs along. During our stay, we teed it up at the Hombre Golf Club, host of the second stage of the PGA’s Qualifying School.

Pier Park Panama City Beach is a 900,000 + square foot shopping center and entertainment hub located in the heart of this beachside city, serving as the mecca for shopping, dining, special events and exceptional nightlife activities.

The best beach vacation – period, that’s what Panama City Beach, Florida offers for every kind of fun imaginable, so you can surround yourself with emerald waters, white sand beaches, temperate weather and have the time of your life.

No matter who you are or what you enjoy, you’ll find your kind of fun in Panama City Beach.

Legendary worldwide for their breathtaking white sand beaches and southern hospitality, Panama City Beach, Florida is a natural draw for those seeking the warmth and sunshine of a tropical climate with its let-your-hair down kind of charm.

Facts about Panama City Beach: • Located in northwest Florida, just 98 miles southwest of Tallahassee and 297 miles southwest of Atlanta.

Perfect spot for a Florida vacation!

• The city has a year-round population of just over 12,000.

• Ever wonder why their beaches stay so clean & powdery white? The legendary pure white sand of Panama City Beach is attributed to quartz crystals washing down from the Appalachian Mountains centuries ago. Along their journey, the crystals

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were bleached, ground, smoothed and polished. The surf and tides of the Gulf of Mexico is responsible for depositing these millions of grains of sugar-white sand onto the pristine shoreline - the result of this rigorous process is the beautiful, renowned beaches of Panama City Beach.

St. Andrews State Park has been named the ‘#2 Ranked Beach in America’ by Trip Advisor. The 1,260 acre park has forests, sand dunes covered with sea oats, fresh and saltwater marshes, a lagoon swimming area, fishing jetties, hiking trails, 1.5 miles of beach and two campgrounds. Opened in 1951, St. Andrews was once the site of a World War II Military Reservation and has won the World’s Best Beach Award.

The city is also known as the Wreck Capital of the South due to the large number of historic wrecks for scuba divers to explore.

Panama City Beach is home to one of the country’s largest sport fishing fleets.

The area boasts one of the highest continued on page 30

February 2015 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS

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SPORTSMAN’S NEWS | February 2015

PANAMA CITY

continued from page 28

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concentrations of bottlenose dolphins in the world, one of the many reasons Panama City Beach travel is so popular.

A community-coordinated project with Panama City Marine Institute led to the development of 50 artificial reefs off Panama City Beach. The natural reefs range in depth from 80 to 100 feet and are just a few miles offshore. These reefs range in height from three to eight feet and are teeming with sea life, including small corals and colorful sponges.

Florida Ironman Triathlon has been held since 1999.

Home to the only Deepwater Diving Museum in the U.S., the Museum of Man in the Sea and the U.S. Naval Diving and Salvage Training Center.

Speaking of diving, the Gulf waters surrounding Panama City Beach provide the perfect home for a wide variety of marine life. Sea turtles, Goliath grouper and bottlenose dolphin are just a few of the species that you can

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spot in the emerald waters or northwest Florida, making Panama City Beach your ideal jumping off point for an amazing diving adventure.

Dive Charters in Panama City Beach offer trips year-round and there are multiple dive shops in the area that can certify beginners to dive, take you on a Discover Scuba trip or tailor an offshore expedition for expert scuba divers.

Historic wrecks are scattered throughout the region and include the 185foot Black Bart, the 441-foot World War II Liberty Ship and the 465-foot Empire Mica. Because of these and so many other artificial reefs in the area, Skin Diver Magazine dubbed Panama City Beach the “Wreck Diving Capital of the Southeast.”

In addition to sunken ships, new artificial reefs are continuously being added to promote sea life. These reefs include a hovercraft, fighter jets, fifteen 160-foot long and 35-foot high bridge spans, ten barges, specifically designed artificial reefs and others.

Natural reefs, just a few miles from shore, range in depth from 80 to 100

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St. Andrew Bay in one of the many areas that offer wonderful inshore fishing and other watersport opportunities in the Panama City Beach area. feet and form ledges from three to eight feet in height. They offer ideal habitat for marine life and scuba divers are treated to views including small corals and colorful sponges.

From the shore, the jetties at St. Andrews State Park are popular spots for snorkelers as well.

• And of course, the shopping, restaurants and nightlife of the area are worth the price of admission all on their own! Pier Park Panama City Beach is a 900,000+ square foot Florida shopping center and entertainment hub located in the heart of this beachside city. Serving as the premiere northwest Florida shop-

ping destination, this mecca offers dining, specialty shops, attractions, special events and more. Pardon the pun, but you can really get your feet wet with all that Panama City Beach has to offer!

So what are you waiting for? If you haven’t visited this part of the country, you are definitely missing out on a great adventure. It is no wonder that it has become such a well-known destination for visitors from around the world.

Panama City Beach, Florida truly has it all. Check them out on the web at www. visitpanamacitybeach.com to find out even more of what they have to offer for your next vacation.

Trophy Chinook & Halibut Fishing Vancouver Island BC, Canada

www.FISHNOOTKA.com layout.indd 1

250-850-1500 15-01-06 4:03 PM

Sterling Resort Reflections at Bay Point was our host accommodations for our stay and offered wonderful amenities and a perfect setting for a Florida get-a-way.

February 2015 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS

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SPORTSMAN’S NEWS | February 2015

Digital Edition Only Special Content

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

Pheasant Rolls

P

heasants have been a cherished game bird in Europe for thousands of years. They were brought over to North America in the late 1700’s, but it wasn’t until 1881 in the Willamette Valley of Oregon that pheasants first became firmly established in the United States. They have flourished in many areas and I encourage you to support groups like Pheasants forever to ensure conservation of habitats and survival of the pheasant in North America. The meat is delicate and is considered a delicacy to connoisseurs. This recipe features the skin-less, bone-less breast meat of this, the king of gamebirds. Allow 2 breast pieces per person, and get ready to WOW your family with this regal presentation.

Ingredients Brine • • •

1 quart water ¼ cup kosher salt 1/8 cup brown sugar

• • • • • • • • • • •

8 Pheasant Breasts Butter Italian Seasoning 16 slices prosciutto Cream cheese Jalapeno pepper, sliced into strips Tooth picks Flour 2 eggs, well beaten Italian Style Bread Crumbs Vegetable Oil

Recipe

Preparation Method

In a large bowl, mix together the water, salt, and brown sugar. Make

sure the brine is blended well and all the solids have dissolved. Place the pheasant breasts in a large ziplock bag, add the brine solution, seal and refrigerate at least 1 hour.

Overnight would be ideal.

Remove the pheasant from the brine and pat dry with paper towels. Lightly pound each breast between two pieces of wax paper until flat and about ¼ of an inch thick. Be careful not to tear the meat. There are commercial food m a l l e t s a v a i l a b l e f o r t h i s . Yo u could also use a small heavy frying pan, or my personal favorite, a wine bottle. Place the outer side of the breast (this will have a covering membrane over the meat) down on a clean work surface.

Warm the butter until it is really soft, and apply a thin layer over the top of the breast. Season to taste with Italian seasoning. Lay 2 slices of prosciutto on next, and add a thin layer of cream cheese over the top. Place a few strips of the jalapeno to taste on the smaller, pointed end of the meat.

Now, starting with this end, roll the breast up and pin with the toothpicks as necessary.

L i n e u p t h re e s h a l l o w b o w l s .

In the first add the flour. In the second the beaten egg wash, and the third the Italian style bread crumbs. Dredge each roll in flour, then dip into the egg bath to cover completely. Finally, roll them in the Italian bread crumbs, pressing the crumbs into the ends well to coat completely. Remove to a plate and prepare for cooking.

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees F. In a skillet, heat a1/4 cup of vegetable oil to medium. Brown the rolls on all sides. Do this two at a time by placing them in the oil seam side down and rotating them every 2 minutes or so until uniformly golden brown. Transfer to an oiled baking sheet. If you have a slotted rack, use it to keep the rolls off the cooking surface.

Bake for 10-12 minutes depending on how large the rolls ended up.

You can slice into the middle of one to check doneness. Remember to pull the toothpicks before serving.

Serve these delicacies up with s o m e m a s h e d p o t a t o e s , a f re s h vegetable, and a fresh green salad.

Wine suggestions are a crisp dry Rose’ or a creamy California Chardonnay. To obtain the perfect wine to go with this and all your special game meat dinners, go to my wine store at www.wildgamewine.com .

Cheers!

February 2015 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS

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SPORTSMAN’S NEWS | February 2015

Digital Edition Only Special Content

W A

heels field

By Andy Lightbody

Virtually everything is carried over “unchanged” from last year, but actually, that’s a good thing!

P

robably the first thing you’ll notice when you drive an Acura MDX is that it is impressively impressive.

Acura models are the “upscale” line of vehicles that Honda has been making since the mid 1980s. Since then, they’ve established themselves as a full line of vehicles that sport lots of luxury and performance. With the carryover of the 2015 Acura MDX, that’s almost an understatement!

The Acura MDX is a midsize luxury SUV that will actually seat seven occupants, or allow you to load it up with lots of outdoor gear. The reason it is being carried over for the new model year with virtually no-changes, is that it was completely redesigned and reengineered last year. If you are a bargain hunter and aren’t concerned about model-year “status,” look for a 2014 leftover or lowmileage lease vehicle. Dollar savings are likely to be substantial and worth considering!

Beginning with the basics, the four versions of the Acura MDX do not come cheap. Base prices start at over $47,000 and opting for all the whistles and bells will boost that price to nearly $56,000. As part of the 2014 redesign, all the MDX models come standard with front-wheel

2015 Acura MDX

vious that these of overall length and width. It tracks cylinder-shutoff well and is responsive in turns and systems would cornering. Part of the vehicle’s wellclunk, hesitate or mannered driving characteristics comes from the engineering and performance lag.

Slide into the of the SH-AWD system that constantly MDX as the driv- monitors the wheels/tires and seems to er or a passenger, instantly shift power where and when it and when driving is needed. This was especially evident or at idle speed, and performed well, not only on wet/ it’s obvious that icy roads at highway speeds, but when luxury appoint- we took off and plowed through snowy The Acura MDX actually has a lot of interior seating ments leave little trails to get to a favorite fishing spot to room, and will carry up to 7 people. Back seats are adto the imagina- catch some migrating Kokanee salmon. justable to make for comfortable leg room, even if you The only two shortcomings that we tion. All have just get stuck in the 3rd row seat! noticed were that like so many SUVs about every opin this class, there is not a whole lot of drive. If you want their Super Handling tion, button and touch-control that can ground clearance.

Specs say you’ve got All Wheel Drive system (SH-AWD) it is be conceived. Seats for driver and pas7.3 inches, but when on muddy/snowy one of the few options throughout the sengers are large and comfortable, and trails where there is not a solid asphalt line, but carries an additional price tag even the rear seat for passenger #6 and base, you wish you had more.

The MDX of around $2,000. When all is said and #7 are easy to access and provide decent also had a few issues in the braking dedone, sticker price for the rig is upwards legroom thanks to the second bench seat partment.

Everything worked fine, but being track-mounted and adjustable. of $58 grand.

If you are not hauling the entire shoot- the pedal was “mushy” and didn’t give For that price however, there is little if any competition in the luxury depart- ing/fishing team on your next outing, all the drivers the confident feeling of being ment from any other vehicle makers. It those seats can be folded down FLAT to in control. Step on them with a little more is as simple as that! Both the 2-wheel give you plenty of room (90 cubic feet) “authority,” and the anti-lock braking and AWD vehicles come with a 3.5 liter for everything from fishing rods and system wants to second guess you and V6 engine that is mated to a six-speed long gun cases to big ice chests and lots take over. A little more back pressure on automatic transmission that kicks out of camping gear. There’s even a small the system to add more driver “sensing” 290 horsepower and 267 pound-feet of hidden underfloor compartment that is is in order.

Acura MDX fans praised the changes torque. Both those ratings give the MDX big enough for your camera, a couple of that the company made with the vehicle a trailer/boat towing rating of 3500 handguns and ammo, or a small laptop last year, and for all the right reasons. As pounds. If you opt for the AWD model computer. we said at the beginning, carried over for Once on the road to your next fa(which you should), a dealer-installed 2015 with virtually no changes adds to the accessory package can boost that towing vorite outdoor adventure, the MDX is bottom line of that being a good thing! almost frighteningly quiet. Road noise capability to 5000 pounds.

With the AWD system, the MDX is rat- and engine vied to deliver 27 mpg on the highway, 18 brations were mpg in the city and a combined of around virtually non21 mpg. What adds to the higher than existent, and anticipated fuel economy for a luxury on more than 4,300 pound SUV is that the engine has one occasion, a variable-cylinder-management-system I looked down that turns off three at the speedof the six engine ometer/gaugcylinders when es to see if the you are at cruis- SUV’s engine ing speeds on the was actually highway. Best of still running. all… you’ll never None of us even know when in the vehicle i t s h u t s t h e m could hear it!

In the ride If you can think of an option, appointment or luxury control down or brings them back to life! and handling feature, it’s probably already been built into the MDX for Gone are the days department, 2015. Buttons and touch-screen controls are everywhere, of some vehicles the MDX has and take a little time to figure everything out and what it is where it was ob- the right mix supposed to do!

February 2015 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS

35

Digital Edition Only Special Content

NWTF - Save the Habitat, Save the Hunt 2015

O

n March 28, 1973, the Commonwealth of Virginia issued incorporation papers to a fledgling organization in Fredericksburg called the National Wild Turkey Federation. The NWTF has come a long way since its founding chief executive, Tom Rodgers, took $440 out of his own pocket to put this organization in motion. And what it has turned into is nothing short of phenomenal. When the NWTF was established in 1973, there were estimated to be only 1.3 million wild turkeys. Today that number stands at more than seven million birds throughout North America and hunting seasons have been established in 49 U.S. states, as well as in Canada and Mexico.

The National Wild Turkey Federation is the leader in upland wildlife habitat conservation in North America and was a driving force in the comeback of the wild turkey, the most successful wildlife restoration story in the history of North America. The NWTF and its volunteers

work closely with state and federal agencies and other partners to improve wildlife habitat, benefiting wild turkeys and countless other wildlife and game species. The NWTF also actively protects our hunting heritage to ensure hunting and wildlife exist for future generations.

Come and join in the fun of a local National Wild Turkey Federation Hunting Heritage Super Fundraising Banquet. The NWTF banquets are where you can buy exclusive merchandise, participate in live and silent auctions and have a great time with friends and fellow supporters of the “Great Outdoors”. All the while, you will be raising vital funds for wild turkey conservation and important programs that introduce the outdoors to men, women, children and the disabled. Here is a list of banquets for the NWTF Chapters in Utah: January 24th Sevier Valley - Richfield, Utah, Craig Blake, (435-979-6580) -Tags: Thousand Lakes/Fish Lake Bull Elk, Southeast Tur-

key, Southern Turkey.

February 21st Point of the Mountain - Lehi, Utah, Clay Shelton, (801-358-1715) - Tags: North Slope 3/Corners Bull Elk (AW), Central Turkey March 7 Salt Creek - Nephi, Utah, Lynn Worwood, (801-368-5834) - Tags: Book Cliff Buck Deer (Archery), Statewide Turkey, Central Turkey.

March 20 Spanish Fork - Spanish Fork, Utah, Brody Lambert, (801-921-9847) - Tags: Book Cliff Buck Deer (AW).

March 21st St. George - St. George, Utah, Kent Danjanovich, (801-231-9838) - Tags: Paunsaugunt Buck Deer (AW), Panguitch Lake Bull Elk (AW), Southern Turkey.

March 28th TC Strutters - Tooele, Utah, Collin Smith, (435-241-0188) - Tags: Book Cliffs Buck Deer (AW).

April 3 Chico - Roosevelt, Utah, Kevin Richens, (435-823-0391) - Tags: Diamond Mtn. Buck Deer (AW), Book Cliffs/Bitter Creek Bull Elk (AW), Henry Mtn. Cow Bison (AW), Northeaster Turkey.

April 11th Wasatch Summit - Midway, Utah, Chris Bullock, (435-731-0107) - Tags: South Slope Buck Pronghorn Antelope (AW).

April 18th Price - Price, Utah, Ryan Falk, (435731-0107) August 8th Manti - Manti, Utah, Troy Larsen, (435636-5333) September 12, 13, 14 TC (WITO) - Tooele, Utah, Cleora Evans, (435-830-7802) **(AW) Any weapon Check out the NWTF website at www. nwtf.org for more information on these banquets and many more from around the country.

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SPORTSMAN’S NEWS | February 2015

Digital Edition Only Special Content

Using Your GPS To Stay Found

By Dan Kidder Managing Editor

I

n the digital age in which we live, it is a fairly simple thing to avoid getting lost, if we know a few simple tricks. That being said, if we don’t know the basics of navigating, we can get ourselves in trouble pretty quickly.

In the 1970s, the United States military created an array of satellites in orbit to provide radio signals that can be received on handheld devices for the purpose of navigation and time synchronization. This Place and Time (PNT) signal is used to provide up-to-date location information. Together, these devices and the satellites make up the Global Positioning System (GPS). When people talk about purchasing or using a GPS, they are actually referring to a GPS receiver, which is a radio receiver with a built-in computer to collect radio signals from the satellites and compute that signal into a useable interface for navigation. In order to work, the GPS receiver needs to have a signal from the satellites, location data, maps and the ability to mark waypoints.

A waypoint is a specific location that has been recorded in the memory of the GPS, which the device uses as a reference. The GPS will log your current location and provide distance to the desired waypoint, in a straight line. This is different than a vehicle navigation system, which will use your current location and available road maps to navigate you to your desired destination, via roads.

A standard GPS will only provide straight-line navigation and may in-

terface with maps, such as USGS Topographic maps that show elevation and land features such as mountains and rivers. More sophisticated systems may provide roads and other man-made features.

Where many people with a GPS receiver get into trouble, is by not fully understanding how to use their GPS properly. A GPS can tell you exactly where you are, but without knowing how to properly use it, it will not get you un-lost.

Most modern GPS receivers have the ability to quickly add waypoints to the memory. They may even have the means to rename these waypoints and add special icons to them. By recording an important waypoint, say your vehicle or camp, it will give you information to help you find your way back to that waypoint should you get turned around.

Again, it will provide distance and direction in a straight line, but will not provide turn-by-turn directions.

If the terrain is too rough to traverse in a straight line, then you will have to navigate as the topography allows, adjusting course while moving toward your marked waypoint. The good news is, as long as the GPS receiver is able to connect to the satellites, the device will continue to update your distance and direction to your desired location. Most devices will also tell you your heading, the direction on the compass you are moving, in either cardinal points, North, South, East, West, Northwest, etc. or in degrees. It will also tell you your current speed, average speed and estimate a time to your destination, based upon these averages.

Getting from Point A to Point B is only one option of many possible ways to use your GPS receiver. By setting multiple waypoints in advance, you can create a path to a location, avoiding obstacles

or via particular landmarks, so you are not limited to going in a single straight line. Another feature of many GPS devices that can help is the footprints or breadcrumbs f e a t u re . T h i s tracks the path you took and will show it to you overlaid on a map so you can easily track back, following the exact path you took.

Marking your starting point and finding your way back to it is just one use for a GPS. A solar panel and a power bank like this GoalZero Nomad Another com- and Guide 10 Plus are a great way to recharge your GPS mon use is to reciver on the go. share a location with another person providing coordinates in the same forwho is also using a GPS to help them mat as the other user. GPS coordinates navigate to it. This is a favorite for hunt- can be in standard latitude/longitude ers who need help getting their animal or in another format such as UTM, WGS packed out to a road or vehicle. Where 27, WGS 84, NAD 83, etc. There are GPS novices can get into trouble is not dozens of various formats and each is

Pro’s Tips

A map and compass and the knowledge and skill to use them are a great back up for a GPS. Maps don't need batteries and a compass doesn't need clear access to the sky to work.

February 2015 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS

37

Digital Edition Only Special Content in UTM and his device is set to one of the WGS formats, he can end up miles away from your location. Always check this before you use your GPS, even if you haven’t changed it.

Many GPS receivers are made in Asia where WGS is the standard.

I f y o u a re Using your GPS breadcrumb feature will help you avoid using your rough terrain and follow your previous path back to your GPS device starting point. with a USGS in common usage for various purposes Topographic map, then the map will be or locations around the globe. marked in both Lat/Long and UTM. The most standard formats for It is also a good idea to get into the land navigation in the United States habit of announcing the format you are are standard Lat/Long or UTM. It is using as you give the coordinates. As I essential that you set up your GPS call out my coordinates across a radio, devices beforehand to use the same I always say I am at ‘X’ location UTM. format. This will be done via the GPS This tells anyone who is receiving my map setting tools in your device. If you signal the format I am using. This is radio your buddy your coordinates especially important if trying to get rescue personnel to a specific location in case of an emergency. Most Search and Rescue agencies utilize UTM for navigation, but are able to convert Lat/ Long to UTM if needed. It is vital for them to know which format you are using so they can quickly get to your location, so you need to know which format your device is set to use.

The fact is that most people only use a fraction of the features available on their device. GPS devices today contain maps, games, databases and many functions such as area calculation, altitude tracking and even cameras and heartbeat monitors. There are so many functions on the average GPS device that it can take years to fully understand how to use them all.

Because of the complexity of learning Walking through the user's manual these tools, I suggest that people get can help you learn many of the into the habit of playing with their features of your GPS, or bring it device regularly as they go on simple with you as a reference should hikes, drive around town and even as you need to access an unfamiliar they travel to different cities. Another feature.

fun way to learn to use your device is by geocaching, a worldwide treasure hunt where players hide containers all over the planet and publish the coordinates at www.geocaching.com. The kids will love this game and you will also become very proficient at learning how to use your device.

The most common mistake I see from those who get a new GPS is to open the box and toss it in their pack as they hit the trail, without really getting to know it in advance. I have seen folks pick up a brand new GPS and a pack of batteries and head out, not realizing that the GPS doesn’t take batteries, but requires being charged before use.

They end up holding a dead GPS and a bunch of batteries that won’t fit inside, with no way to charge it. Another is for folks to get to their destination and turn on their GPS, thinking it will somehow guide them back to their starting point, even though they have not marked their starting point as a waypoint before they left. They also did not have the unit on to record

their footprints. Again, it will tell you exactly where on the planet you are, but it will not get you un-lost.

Here are a few tips and tricks to keep in mind before you head out with your GPS: 1. Learn how to use it, change features and what kind of batteries or charging it needs before you hit the trail.

2. Predetermine which coordinate format you will use, but also learn how to change the format should the need arise.

3. Make sure you have maps for the region where you will using your GPS. Several companies offer memory cards with detailed maps of various regions.

4. Don’t rely solely on any single technology to keep you from getting lost. A backup map and compass are good to take with you and they don’t need batteries.

5. Just because you have a GPS doesn’t mean you don’t need to tell someone where you are going and when you will return.

Continue to exercise good safety.

6. Mark your starting point and clearly label it on the GPS before you head out on the trail.

Keep your GPS on as you are moving to log your footprints, to make it easier to get back along the same path you took.

7. Take spare batteries or a way to charge your GPS. A solar panel and a fully charged USB power storage device are great accessories for rechargeable devices.

8. In addition to packing spare batteries, make sure to also pack the manual and any accessories, such as charging cords or memory cards.

A GPS receiver can be a great tool to help you navigate, but like Most GPS receivers will also display other any tool it is only as good as your useful information such as course heading, skill in using it. Practice with it speed, distance, estimated time of arrival, and get to know how to use it, sunrise/sunset, and much more. before you hit the trail.

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SPORTSMAN’S NEWS | February 2015

Digital Edition Only Special Content

North Idaho Antler Dogs

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By Diane Schmid ere at North Idaho Antler Dogs we have taken shed antler hunting to the ultimate high! We breed and train the perfect companions that not only have a true devotion to their owner, but also love the sport of shed antler hunting.

The sport of shed antler hunting with a dog has become a very popular springtime activity. Not only for sport, but profit too. With shed antlers bringing a nice price, more and more sportsmen are seeing the benefits of having a well-trained shed antler hunting dog by their side. With their keen sense of smell, a highly trained dog can double or even triple what a person alone could find.

For those of you new to the sport or that maybe have never heard of shed antler hunting, I would like to give you a brief explanation of the joys of shed antler hunting.

Antlers are shed every spring from deer, elk and moose. These shed antlers are gathered by sportsmen of all ages. The antlers are then sold and used in furniture, decorative displays, sold to taxidermists, used in medicines or simply saved in huge collector piles. There is no license required to find sheds (although in some states there is a season), it’s great exercise and makes a wonderful family activity to do after a long, hard winter.

The North Idaho Antler Dogs’ careful breeding program has produced

puppies that are born with the desire to hunt sheds. They are introduced to the antler as 3-week-old puppies and trained daily to love the antler.

When these puppies reach 8-10 weeks old they are retrieving the antler to your hand. By 12 weeks they are out searching for an antler in deep grass and brush. Whether it’s a steep hill or a deep ravine, gnarly brush or snow covered fields, the North Idaho Antler Dogs go through it all in search of an antler. They love what they do and their reward is simply bringing the antler back to your hand.

The trained dogs of North Idaho Antler Dogs have gone on to find many sheds for their new owners and a few are starting to earn recognition at the NASHDA (North American Shed Hunting Dog Association) competition in Minnesota. North Idaho Hunter, of Indiana, won the 2014 NASHDA Junior World Championship. This year one of the North Idaho Antler Dogs, at just 10-months-old, won his first NASHDA qualifying junior competition.

As a breeder/trainer of shed antler hunting dogs, the three most often asked questions I get are, “What breed of dog works best for shed hunting“, “Can I train my older dog to find sheds” and “What is better to train, a mature dog or a puppy”.

Let me start by saying, not every dog will make a good shed hunting dog. The type of breed and particular

bloodlines that know how to use their nose, are the ones that could possibly learn to find sheds best. It also takes a special drive for a dog to go after something just lying on the ground, stationary. Not only to find it, but also, to know what to do with it once it’s in their mouth.

If you have an older dog you are wanting to train to find sheds, it can be fun to do. But, sometimes unknown bad behaviors have already been learned that will be extremely hard to break them of, like chasing deer, rabbits and squirrels. When you train a dog to find sheds, you must have that dog’s complete focus. If your older dog has been allowed to chase, his focus will not be on finding antlers - the chasing is much more fun! He must be broke of that bad habit first before you can begin training him to find sheds.

Sometimes dogs periodically bring antlers back to the yard, not knowing what they are. Most of the time the dog is out playing or chasing something in the woods and come across an antler. He gives it a smell and decides this would be a tasty object to chew on in the yard. However, a North Idaho Antler Dog knows just what it is when they see it and they know what to do - bring it back to their owner and go find more! They aren’t just running around the woods playing, they are working hard, sniffing the wind in search of these antlers. Their focus is not on chasing birds, squirrels, deer

or rabbits. Their focus is purely on the antlers shed by the deer, elk and moose.

To start a puppy out from the beginning is the most rewarding experience a person could have. To watch a little puppy at 8-weeks waddle down a hill or find his way through tall grasses to find an antler you just tossed him, to see him go through the phases of training, from antlers just lying in plain sight for him, to ones that have been hidden deep in the woods or stuck in a pile of brush, is a joy to watch. To watch them make that transition of smelling your hands or his own saliva on the antler, to knowing the true smells of a fresh shed antler, is amazing.

There are a lot of training aids, how-to books, gimmicks, advice, good and bad, out there on the market on how to train a dog to find sheds. My personal favorite is simply the shed antler itself.

Training dogs to find shed antlers is a passion. I cannot express enough, the joy and rewarding feeling I get when I send one of my trained shed antler hunting dogs to their new home to become that person’s lifelong shed antler hunting partner and companion.

If you are interested in more information on the North Idaho Antler Dogs, please visit our website at www. northidahoantlerdogs.com or call us at 208-464-1117.

February 2015 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS

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SPORTSMAN’S NEWS | February 2015