Sportsman's News June 2015 Digital Edition

SportsmansNews.com

June 2015

Volume 11 Issue 6

Experience Colorado’s Flattop Wilderness

By Collin Dalley

M

eeker, Colorado is well known for its beautiful scenery, large populations of elk and excellent trout fishing.

Adams Lodge Outfitters operates in the Flattop Wilderness area of the White River Forest in northwest Colorado and offers some of the most breathtaking scenery surrounded by mountains, wildlife and exceptional fishing and hunting. If you want to explore this scenic backcountry of Colorado, then Adams Lodge Outfitters is your ticket. They’re a horse-based operation, meaning everything you do will start and end on a horse. They can pack your gear in and drop it off, while you journey into the backcountry. Specifically, they specialize in pack trips for Colorado’s GMU 24, just outside of Meeker, Colorado. Their area encompasses the Marvine Drainage and Marvine Lake area.

On our trip we started the day off by meeting our guide and owner, Bruce Clatterbaugh at his home where we watched Bruce and his guides round up our horses for the trip. I think it’s safe to say, Adams Lodge Outfitters has no shortage of horses that are some of the gentlest, most well-behaved horses I have ever been around in my many travels. I was lucky enough to take my wife and in-laws on this trip with me and even though we have spent time around horses in past years, we definitely are not experts by any means. Needless to say, no one had any trouble on the entire trip. Overall, Adams Lodge provides a way to experience Colorado’s backcountry continued on page 6

The author with a beautiful Colorado 18" Colorado cutthroat that was released back into the beautiful waters of Marvine Lake to live another day.

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SPORTSMAN’S NEWS | June 2015

A True Sportsman’s Paradise in Northern Utah

By Michael Deming

E

ach and every spring, my daughter’s start asking the question, ”when are we going to Paradise”? Paradise, Utah which is just a few miles west of Logan, Utah is the place to which they are referring. This is home to Sportsman’s Paradise and a place I’ve been taking my family for the past seven or eight years. Our annual migration up north every spring has become a part of who we are and keeps us close as a family. It is something we look forward to each and every year. It is primarily a private fishing and hunting club, but for us it is a place where memories are made.

The Little Bear River as well as a bunch of springs make up the over two miles of steam flowing through this private ranch and fishing club. In this stretch of water, you will find over 20,000 fish ranging from fingerlings all the way up to some 15 plus pound lunkers. The fish consist of browns, rainbows, cutthroats, cutbows, steelhead, splake and tiger trout. The spring fed still water lakes are abundant and loaded with the same types of fish.

Banks are well groomed to accommodate the novice fly fisherman and an ideal place to introduce people to the sport. This is a catch and release facility which insures top quality fishing for all that visit the ranch. Although this ranch is private, it is affordable and a

great fishing experience for everyone.

When we first started coming to Sportsman’s Paradise, my youngest daughter was only a few years old and the oldest was just big enough to be interested in fishing. Nothing provided enough interest for them to last very long doing much of anything. However, there was plenty of stuff on the ranch to hold their interest throughout the entire stay which allows the adults to unwind and enjoy the experience.

During the early fall and winter time, Sportsman’s Paradise becomes a hunting club with pheasants, chukars and Hungarian partridge being the prime target. All of these species are abundant in the valley and especially active in the spring mating season. The girls could spend hours looking for a cackling rooster pheasant putting on a show for the hens. The horses have dropped their colts and the abundant deer population is out most of the day and enjoying the good groceries to be had.

All of these things provide for great attention grabbers for the kids and keep them engaged in the experience.

We always stay on the property where there are numerous individual cabins which accommodate our family of five just fine. There is also a larger cabin which can accommodate much larger groups. Each cabin comes with a television, small kitchenette and private bathroom. There truly isn’t much need for the kitchen since the food

Mike Duff and his daughter Camry enjoy father daughter time by catching some of the beautiful rainbows available at Sportsman's Paradise.

Camp Chef's Steve McGrath tries to get Taylor Deming to kiss the fish, an annual tradition as these families get together each year at White's Ranch. served at the ranch is something the ranch except a splake. This is my target girls look forward to each and every for next spring. trip. Grant White is one of the owners We always take a time out from and truly knows his way around the fishing and hanging out to do some kitchen. Mornings are usually greeted sporting clays while we are on the with biscuits and gravy or their world ranch as well. The five stand sporting famous sweet potato and buttermilk clays course shows you everything pancakes with maple syrup. The fresh from decoying ducks to fleeting rabtrout is a lunch or dinner special that bits. The course was designed to help should be tried by all. We look forward shooters prepare for their day at the to every meal while we are in ‘Para- hunting operation, but we always find dise’, but the trout is a special treat and it a nice addition to our fishing excurbetter than any I’ve ever eaten around sion as well. the world. During your entire stay, Over the years, we have invited you can have breakfast, lunch and din- numerous friends with us to enjoy the ner prepared for you at set times and experience. Everyone always wants to never have to worry about leaving the return and share the experience with us property. once again. Each and every person has Most of our trips are three day ex- their own reason for wanting to come cursions and I spend a good amount back to Paradise. The fishing is one of of time on the water fishing. It isn’t the big reasons people want to visit, uncommon to land over forty fish dur- but for me it is all about the overall ing a day of fishing. Although all of my experience with the family. It is relaxtrips to Paradise have been during the ing, beautiful and it gets my kids away spring, every one of the other members from their electronic devices. They love have encouraged us to come up during the outdoors and Sportsman’s Paradise the hopper explosion in the fall. I have is a great place to give them a sensory a hard time imagining the fishing be- overload of it during our stay. It is truly ing much better than I’ve experienced a great place for anyone looking for a already, but big dry fly action is pretty great time. Sportsman’s Paradise is one exciting. I’m sure it’s something I will of our Platinum Approved Outfitters have to experience in the future when and has been for many years. Don’t big bull elk aren’t calling my name dur- hesitate to reserve your getaway with ing this same time of year. I’ve had the them soon. You won’t be disappointed. pleasure of landing some really great Sportsman’s Paradise 435-245-3053 fish on the ranch over the years and and visit them on the web at www.

I’ve caught all species available on the whitesranch.com.

June 2015 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS

3

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SPORTSMAN’S NEWS | June 2015

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 NATIONAL ADVERTISING MANAGER Eric Christensen 435-879-1212 echristensen@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.

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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

June 2015 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS

Words From The Publisher

By Michael Deming

I

t is hard to believe that we are already half way through 2015. The only good thing about that is the ‘do nothing’ dead time of year is behind us. Fishing is in full swing and nearly all of the western states have posted their draw results for tags, so there is something on the horizon for nearly everyone.

This month brings us Father’s Day and it is time to pay tribute to the person who probably taught us a lot about the outdoors. If it wasn’t your father, it was definitely a father figure and someone you shouldn’t forget on this special day. We have put together a list of great items in this issue which would make a great gift for dad. We

have field tested each and every one of these products and they have the Sportsman’s News stamp of approval and they are available on the shelves of your Sportsman’s Warehouse.

We have picked items from all price ranges and have all voted that each one of these items would be ones we would be happy to receive as a Father’s Day gift. If you don’t see something in the list that excites you, there are hundreds of thousands of other products on the shelves at Sportsman’s Warehouse to fit the bill.

Speaking of great gifts, an annual Sportsman’s News Pro Membership for $297 would be a great gift for dad as well. We launched this program in March of this year and have already given away nearly $50,000 worth of first class trips, guns and gear. We are giving away a total of over $300,000 worth of the best trips we have experienced over the past 11 years of doing Sportsman’s News. These are all trips we have personally been on and we endorse these top of the line outfitters. We have a great lineup of guns from Browning, Beretta, Sako, Tika and H&K as well as gear from some of the best manufactures.

With each Pro Membership, the applicant gets five entries in each drawing, making the cost of each entry less than $2. We wanted to make this sweepstakes one of the biggest outdoor sweepstakes in history and we have succeeded. You can see a complete list of drawings available for the next 12 months by looking at the center spread

of this Sportsman’s News issue or by logging onto www.sportsmansnews. com . The most current drawings and winners are on page 3 of this issue.

With just under 300 members in the drawings right now, the odds of winning are tremendous. We have done bonus drawings during the past three drawings as well for optics, ammo and gear and we plan on continuing this process to say thanks to all of our Pro Members. Being part of this membership also entitles you to discounts on trips booked with all of our Platinum Approved Outfitters. We are providing you with a full year of Sportsman’s News Television DVD’s and each one is jam packed with four hours of hunting and fishing footage from around the world. We have partnered with our good friends, the Eastmans’ and we are providing a full year digital subscription to both Eastmans’ Hunting Journal and Eastmans' Bowhunting Journal, which will provide you with top quality information on all the great places to hunt out west. We will also be giving you a digital subscription to Sportsman’s News Magazine for a full year.

All the newest gear in Sportsman’s Warehouse is covered as well as great places to hunt, fish and camp around the country. We are continually adding additional benefits to this program to make it better and a better value to our consumers. We know each and every dad would be happy to get a Sportsman’s News Pro Membership on Father’s Day. They will think of that special someone who provided the gift every ten days throughout the year as we do membership drawings for all of these great prizes. If you are one of our lucky winners, you will not only get to go on a trip of a lifetime, but you will become one of the co-hosts of your own Sportsman’s News Television episode. We are scheduled to film over eighty percent of the trips we are giving away and we look forward to sharing the silver screen with those lucky winners. Best of luck to all and Happy Father’s Day.

5

WHAT'S INSIDE

2 Sportsman's Paradise 3 Pro Member Update 5 Words From The Publisher 8 Father's Day Gift Guide 10 Platinum Approved Outfitters News Pro 24 Sportsman's Membership Giveaways 26 Beretta A300 Outlander 28 Fishful Thinker: Misconceptions On A Budget: Morel 30 Adventure Mushrooms

Tip: Maximize Your 34 Pro's Premium Tag 35 Pro's Pick: Traditions Revolvers 36 Fishful Thinker: Sonar 40 Business Directory 42 PacWest Outdoors: Crankbaits 44 Shane Adair 46 Video Product Reviews 48 Browning Citori 725 50 Wild Game Recipe: Planked Salmon 53 Camp Chef Triton Water Heaters

www.facebook.com/ sportsmansnews Become a Fan of Sportsman's News for Fan Only contests and post comments about Sportsman's News.

Tell your friends.

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Collin Dalley Andy Lightbody Tom Claycomb III Chad LaChance Gary Lewis Shane Adair Steve Mayer Brett Hunt

6

SPORTSMAN’S NEWS | June 2015

ADAM'S LODGE continued from cover

that is perfect for the entire family.

Our job at Sportsman’s News is to visit and evaluate quality outfitters for our readers to provide not only great stories, but hopefully the perfect outfitter and destination for the trip of a lifetime. On our trip we were lucky enough to experience the Marvine Drainage Lakes first hand.

This beautiful area can’t be described by words or pictures alone and is definitely something everyone needs to experience first-hand.

The horseback ride was fun and picturesque. Upon arrival at upper Marvine Lake, we found that Adams Lodge had a permitted camp site already set up with spacious wall tents, sleeping cots with pads and a full cook tent with everything needed to enjoy our time in the wilderness.

With different packages to choose from, guests can bring their own food and schedule a time for their guide to pick them up after a few days of relaxing and fishing or have Adams Lodge provide you with an onsite wrangler and camp cook, including food, drinks and all camp equipment.

Just bring your fishing gear, bedroll and you’re set. Bruce and his crew have even packed in small rowboats for guests to use on upper Marvine Lake, which offers non-stop action

for brook trout, cutthroat trout and the occasional brown trout.

Along with fishing, this area is known for its abundant wildlife, especially elk as well as plenty of fantastic hiking opportunities. Trips typically run 3-4 days with the option to add as many days as desired.

Adams Lodge Outfitters will not double book the camp, so you can be assured of a comfortable and private trip with friends and family.

The Upper Marvine Lake provides great fly-fishing with its crystal clear water and abundant fish. I always enjoy fishing high mountain lakes because the fish typically have had less pressure and will look at dry flies all day. Using large top water flies, such as grasshoppers is so much fun and it’s easy to keep an eye on your fly as you wait in anticipation for the take.

On this trip I brought along my St. Croix 9’ 4wt Imperial fly rod.

Its 4-piece design is compact and ideal for horseback trips and still allows me to make a longer cast for fish lurking in shallow, clear water without spooking them. I typically use anywhere from 8-10ft of leader to ensure I don’t alarm any fish with my fly line on these clear water lakes. As we arrived at camp, everything was already set up, so we decided to take a short walk to the lake and use one of the rowboats.

It only took a couple of casts to

catch our first fish, a nice 13-inch brook trout. As we rowed along the shore we saw fish after fish actively feeding on the surface. Almost every cast produced a take as fish could be seen surfacing seemingly everywhere. We continued to catch more fish than we could count and as nighttime approached, we headed back to camp where the guys from Adams Lodge Outfitters were busy cooking up some steaks and potatoes for dinner.

The timing of our visit was in July, when the temperature for most of the southwest is reaching around 100 degrees. Our temperatures were in the mid-70’s during the day and cooled off at night to a perfect temperature, ideal for sitting around the campfire.

As we retired to our personal wall tents, we anxiously waited for morning to arrive, so we could do it all over again. After a good night’s rest, we partook of a great hi-mountain breakfast and headed back out on the lake to fish.

With another beautiful day forecasted with plenty of sun and mild temps, we found that the fish were again actively feeding. After catching numerous fish, we noticed one fish in particular. It was a big cutthroat, which would rise to the surface occasionally as insects landed on the water. After setting my sights on this trophy, we waited for him to reveal himself so I could try and make that perfect presentation.

Finally I spotted him hiding behind a boulder in the water. I gently eased my grasshopper in his direction and the presentation was perfect! I knew he saw it. The water forms a ‘V” as he swims towards my fly, with great anticipation I’m waiting for this magnificent cutthroat to surface, but he suddenly stops a couple feet short as if to examine it. I twitch my hopper a couple times to try and entice him to bite and it appears to work as he creeps closer and closer. Now with him only inches from the bait, I’m trying to stay steady. Wary of making his move he instead just stares at my fly, trying to decide whether to eat or not. After what felt like the longest stare down between my fly and this fish, the cutthroat slowly swims away, back behind the security of his boulder.

I retrieve my fly, trying to figure out what just happened. I knew the fish was interested and apparently continued on page 14

June 2015 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS

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SPORTSMAN’S NEWS | June 2015

Father’s Day Gift Guide

E

ach year, the Sportsman's News team tests out hundreds of items.

These are a few of the items we have tested, and would be quite happy to receive as Father's Day gifts. All of them are available at your local Sportsman's Warehouse.

Primos Tall Tripod Trigger Sticks Making sure you have a steady rest is essential to making clean and humane shots. However, there isn’t always a tree, rock or something in the natural terrain to afford you this luxury. The Jim Shockey Edition of these Trigger Sticks alleviates this dilemma forever and is a product we at Sportsman’s News won’t leave home without. It is a tripod, but can be used as a monopod by keeping the legs tied together with the included rubber wrap. The rubber wrap is quickly removed and the unit can adjust from 24” all the way up to 62” high making it the perfect setup for the smallest children all the way up to 6’ plus tall shooters. A quick pull of

the trigger and you can adjust to the desired height. The V-yoke on the top provides a solid slot to hold your rifle and allows for ninety degrees of rotation to stay on the animal as it moves. This yoke will unscrew, revealing threads to fit your camera, rangefinder or anything else which would use a 1/4” or 3/8” threaded fixture. The lanyard secures around your wrist which makes this unit an ideal walking stick that is always at the ready to convert to a solid tripod rest to steady your shot.

Handcrafted, American Made, Precision Ammunition Available in the following calibers:

.380 ACP 9MM+P .38 Spec. .357 Mag. .40 S&W 10MM .41 Rem. Mag.

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Scan with your smartphone to see it in action.

Bushnell The Truth Rangefinder Truly an entry level archery hunter ’s rangefinder and priced to sell this unit runs right at $200, making it affordable for just about anyone looking for a great Father ’s Day gift. It comes with a 4X magnification which is on the lower end of the spectrum of magnification, but since it is really designed for more of a bowhunting application, this lower magnification yields a great field of view. It provides angle range compensation from 7-yards all the way out to 199-yards making it ideal for the treestand hunter or the extreme long range western bow shooter.

It can be used for rifle hunting as well and will provide you with true line of sight yardage all the way out to 850 yards on highly reflective targets.

On non-reflective targets like trees, you can expect to get yardages out to 600 yards. The unit is very compact and not much larger than a standard business card that is 1.4” thick. It only weighs 5.3 ounces and comes in a nylon belt holster with a carabineer clip attachment as well. It also comes with a 2-year Bushnell Warranty.

Grizzly 150 Coolers When the Sportsman's News team did our extreme cooler test in 2013, the Grizzly brand of coolers dominated the field. It held ice six days longer than one of the most advertised brands on the market. So, we have been using them on all of our excursions ever since. These extreme coolers are on the expensive side and will run you nearly $500, but this is truly a Father’s Day gift that will be cherished for life. It will also be handed down to future generations. These coolers are built right here in the U.S.A. and designed to last. The 150 quart cooler is 48” wide and 22.5” deep and stands 20.5” high. It weighs in at 54 pounds empty. It will hold 144, 12-ounce cans of soda. We have packed an entire weeks’ worth of food for a hunt in one of these units and put two quartered up mule deer in it for the return trip home. It is made with rotomolded construction and pressure-injected insulation. The heavy duty rubber latches are secured with stainless steel hardware. The drain channels are designed to allow you to get all of the water out of the unit without having to tip the unit up. The 2” drain plug also aids in quick and easy draining as well as cleaning. It has non-slip and non-marking rubber feet which means your cooler will stay where you put it and won’t be all over the bed of your truck. Each cooler is IGBC bear certified and comes with a lifetime warranty.

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continued on page 16

June 2015 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS

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SPORTSMAN’S NEWS | June 2015

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14

SPORTSMAN’S NEWS | June 2015

ADAM'S LODGE continued from page 6

still hungry, as I catch a glimpse of him breaking the surface for a bug on the water. It was obvious this big cutthroat was a picky eater on a strict diet. Now matching the hatch is important to catching fish, but occasionally you can find a fly pattern that makes no sense at all, yet you are able to catch more fish than your buddy who is actually using the pattern or fly that represents the insect hatch. Looking through my fly box I didn’t have anything to match this small midge hatch and yet I knew this fish was interested in my hopper, but something was stopping him from taking it.

I knew that when I twitched it across the water, the fish was attracted to the grasshopper. I debated whether to use a larger blue winged olive or try again with my special foam bodied grasshopper I had tied last summer as an experiment. It has at least 10 legs and when it is twitched across the water the rubber

legs come to life and look like something swimming across the surface.

I decided to give it a try; it was about 1-inch long and definitely a big fly when it comes to fishing high mountain lakes. As I presented my cast, I sent the fly a little further

away from the fish in hopes the big splash wouldn’t scare him off. I was going to slowly retrieve it with little twitches past the boulder and try to entice my finned prey. As the hopper approached the boulder, I gave my line a short but quick pull to make it splash on the water. That splash got his full attention and like a torpedo the cutthroat exploded from the shadows and came out of the water with my fly in its mouth. I delayed the hook set until I felt a slight tension on the line to ensure a good hook-up and the fight was on. After getting a great fight on my 4-wt., I released an extremely healthy, 18” Colorado cutthroat back into the water to live another day.

With so many options to accommodate your outdoor activities, Adams Lodge Outfitters can help take the work out of the do-it-yourself trip.

With camps set up that are ready to go and multiple large canvas tents, cots and your own cook tent, just bring your gear, sleeping bag and they will cover the rest. If you like the idea of the do-it-yourself trip from hunting to fishing then they have you covered too. Pick your favorite place and they will pack everything in for you, including your entire group. With over 40 horses to choose from, Adams Lodge Outfitters will simplify your trip. Whether its elk hunting or fishing high mountain lakes & streams, you can count on Adams Lodge Outfitters to get the job done.

With flights available into Grand Junction, Colorado, located just an 1-hour and 40 minute drive from Meeker, Colorado, you can find daily flights from a variety of major airlines, making travel extremely simple and convenient. If you’re looking to experience the Colorado backcountry and all it has to offer, give them a call today to talk about all of the possibilities. We hope to get back this fall to experience the hunting side of things. They offer archery, muzzleloader and all three rifle seasons. We’re happy to welcome Adams Lodge Outfitters as one of our valued Platinum Approved Outfitters. 907-878-4312 and visit them on the web at www.adamslodgeoutfitters.com.

June 2015 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS

Power Bedding™ Integral Bedding Blocks for Outstanding Accuracy

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Ruger Marksman Adjustable™ Trigger Offers a Crisp Release with an Adjustable Pull Weight

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Flush Fit, Four-Round Rotary Magazine Provides Smooth, Reliable Feeding

Visible, Accessible and Easy-to ActuateTang Safety

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Three-Lug, 70˚ Bolt Throw Provides Ample Scope Clearance

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The 100% American-made, Ruger American Rifle™ is the latest engineering innovation from America’s leading firearms manufacturer. Offered in short- and long-action calibers, the Ruger American Rifle™ combines the rugged reliability of Ruger’s past with the award-winning ingenuity featured in so many of Ruger’s new products.

Larry Weishuhn, “Mr. Whitetail”

WWW.RUGER.COM/AMERICANRIFLE

©2012 Sturm, Ruger & Co., Inc.

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SPORTSMAN’S NEWS | June 2015

FATHER'S DAY continued from page 8

Okuma SST RODS Designed with passion, desire and experience, Okuma SST rods are elevating performance standards throughout coldwater fisheries. Species- and technique-specific actions provide the definitive rod selection for salmon, steelhead, trout, kokanee, halibut and sturgeon. With Okuma IM-8 graphite providing a premium foundation (E-glass in halibut rods), the rest of the components build on SST excellence. Durable stainless steel guide frames feature braid-ready Zirconium inserts. Custom reel seats, premium grips and a gorgeous metallic copper finish complete the SST rod series as one that makes elite level performance available to anglers of all levels of commitment.

Okuma Ceymar Spinning Reels In the Okuma tradition of creating gear that creates a desire to go fishing, the all-new Ceymar spinning reel delivers stunning engineering at an MSRP beginning at $49.99. With its ultra-lightweight, aggressively ported spool and rotor and red on black styling, Ceymar makes a statement on the water. Backing up the fierce look is a core of excellence: 8-bearing system including Quick-Set anti-reverse, machined aluminum spool, Blade Body Design, forged aluminum handle, EVA handle knobs and up to 18-pounds of max drag. Available in three sizes, Ceymar takes on all mid- to heavy-duty freshwater applications. This great corrosion-resistant graphite bodied reel is backed by a 1-year warranty.

Caddis Northern Guide Wading Shoes Caddis has been the company of choice for years now at Sportsman’s News. One of our favorite products is their Northern Guide Wading Shoe. It is durable and comfortable while weighing in at under 1.5 pounds. The uppers are made of durable nylon and leather and feature a speed lace system for ease of entry with two lock-down eyes.

The soles are a one piece construction and their patented EcoSmart II soles are the best on the market and compatible with stud kits as well. With many states now going away from felt soles, do yourself a favor and stop in to your local Sportsman’s Warehouse and pick up a pair for your next fishing adventure.

Columbia Tamiami II PFG Shirts Designed for cool comfort and functionality over the long haul, this performance button up is crafted in ultra-light ripstop fabric that’s wicking and sun-shielding, with mesh-lined venting at center back. Omni-Shade UPF 40 provides maximum protection for long hours in the sun and Omni-Wick technology actively breathes and pulls moisture away from your skin. No matter our fishing destination, you won’t find the crew at Sportsman’s News without an assortment of Columbia shirts. Do yourself a favor and buy the long sleeved models. With the great loop design on the mid-sleeve, just a couple of roles of material and you are ready for any environment. Sizes from XS through XXL. Allen Company Cottonwood Rod & Gear Case The perfect case for the ultimate angler. Versatile as well as durable, the Cottonwood Fishing Rod and Gear Case from Allen Company boasts honeycomb frame construction and a non-slip, wear-resistant bottom. The case holds up to four 4-piece, 9-1/2’ rods. Inside are multiple seethrough, zippered pockets. On the outside, padded exterior pockets hold even more gear. Other features include heavy-duty molded zippers, a removable padded shoulder strap and padded carry handle. Dimensions: 31-1/2”L x 11”W x 9”H. This case is perfect for trips into the backcountry or throwing over my shoulder on a trip to Alaska with all my rods and reels.

continued on page 18

June 2015 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS

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SPORTSMAN’S NEWS | June 2015

FATHER'S DAY

MSR Windboiler Stove New this year from Mountain Safety Research is the Windboiler Stove System. Using their popular continued from page 16 mesh screen radiant heating element, the Windboiler also incorporates an enclosed design with heating fins and exhaust ports allowing the stove to heat liquids rapidly, even in full winds up to 12 miles per hour. Winds of this speed will often either extinguish other stoves or prevent them from getting hot enough to boil. This wind chamber channels airflow around the heating element, preventing blowouts and creating a vortex that maximizes heat exchange. The system also includes a one liter pot, capable of boiling 20 ounces and has a pot insulator with a handle to facilitate handling the hot pot.

This iso-butane stove will work at higher altitudes than traditional propane stoves, as well as in colder weather. It will boil half a liter of water in about two and a half minutes with winds up to 8 miles per hour and 2 and three quarter minutes in winds up to 12 miles per hour.

The pot also includes a lid with a strainer and a drinking hole to prevent burning your lip on the edge of the hot pot. An additional plastic graduated measuring and drinking cup affixes to the bottom to protect the heat exchanger from dings and dust.

The entire system, including the fuel canister, stores inside the pot, which is also graduated for measuring. The whole stove, without the fuel canister weighs just 15.25 ounces, so it is small and light enough for backpacking, but large enough to cook in. Add the optional coffee/tea press and your Windboiler becomes a French press. This additional option folds flat and stores right inside your pot with your stove for easy transport.

Remington Universal Gun Care System For long range shooting, being able to clean your rifle in the field will improve accuracy and consistency. For pistol shooting, being able to quickly clean up your carry gun after practice means you will be ready to go immediately. The Remington Universal Gun Care System lets you easily transport all of the cleaning supplies you need in a single easy access nylon case. Using Remington’s innovative Rem Squeeg-Es and Rem All In bore cleaning solution to remove fouling, carbon, copper and lead without the need for patches, the heavy plastic coated steel cables, quickly attach to a T-handle for extra power when pulling through extra dirty bores.

Elastic loops placed inside zippered compartments help you easily organize all of your cleaning supplies and bronze bore brushes. A coated felt cleaning mat with hook and loop backing stays in place while you clean and prevents spilled solvents from soaking through and damaging the surface beneath it. The inner compartment of the carrying bag acts as a range bag for carrying ammo or eye and ear protection. Squeege Es and bronze brushes from .22 caliber to 12 gauge shotgun are included in ten popular sizes for the majority of guns on the market. An adapter and handle are included to convert them into revolver cleaning tools so each chamber of the cylinder will sparkle. Finish the whole process off with the included Rem Oil, the proven choice for gun protection for more than 10 years. The entire 32 piece kit continued on page 20 can be quickly washed up with soap and water when you are done.

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June 2015 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS

THE RUGER

®

LC380 ™

The Ruger® LC380™ is the perfect pairing of the award-winning LC9™ pistol and the popular .380 Auto cartridge.

It features a dovetailed, high visibility 3-dot sight system, 7-round magazine and finger grip extension floorplate, manual safety, loaded chamber indicator and light recoil spring for an easy-to-manipulate slide.

The LC380™ is the same size as the LC9™, yet offers reduced recoil making it Ruger’s lightest recoiling personal protection centerfire pistol yet.

Finger Grip Extension Floorplate Can Be Added to the Magazine for Comfort and Grip, Included FREE

Same Size as the LC9™ but with a Lighter Recoil Spring for Easier Slide Manipulation

Includes internal lock, Manual Safety, Magazine Safety and Loaded Chamber Indicator, Which Provides Confirmation of a Loaded or Empty Chamber

WWW.RUGER.COM/LC380

Dovetailed, High-Visibility 3-Dot Sight System

©2013 Sturm, Ruger & Co., Inc.

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SPORTSMAN’S NEWS | June 2015

FATHER'S DAY

Thermarest Neoair Xlite Mattress Small, light, comfortable and tough, this ultralight continued from page 18 inflatable air mattress from Thermarest provides maximum comfort and thermal protection from the cold ground. Weighing just 12 ounces and deflating down to the size of a 1-liter water bottle, the NeoAir XLite inflates to provide 2.5-inches of protection between you and the ground. The tough outer shell resists puncture and tears and the reflective triangular core gives the mattress rigidity and also provides a 3.2 R-Value thermal break. ThermaCapture Layers form hundreds of internal cells making this one of the warmest three-season mattresses per gram on the market. Cold air is reflected back toward the ground and warmth from body heat is reflected back toward you. The NeoAir XLite comes with a stuff sack and a field repair kit should you spring a leak.

Camp Chef 14-Inch Classic Dutch Oven If your dad likes to show off his culinary skills in camp, nothing says outdoor cooking expert like a Dutch oven. The Dutch ovens from Camp Chef take regular old cast iron to an entirely new level, with the addition of their sprayed-on True Season Finish. These Dutch ovens come out of the box ready for decades of hard service. This 14-inch, eight-quart beast will provide goodies for between 14 to 16 people. It features a flanged rim on the lid to make it an ideal choice for top and bottom heating with wood or charcoal. A solid lift loop on the lid, a notch for a thermometer and even a meat bail hook on the lip, make this portable oven a versatile camp cooking companion. An attractive elk design on the lid adds character and the deep kettle body allows you to place larger roasts inside. A Dutch oven is a supremely functional piece of camp cooking kit, acting as a pot, a skillet, an oven, a roaster and a pan, all in one single implement.

Even if he has a dozen Dutch ovens, this big boy will be a welcomed addition to dad’s camp kitchen. From cakes, to bread, to cobblers, to roasts, to stews, to the ever present funeral potatoes, a 14-inch Dutch oven from Camp Chef will be a gift that gives back to you every time dad cooks in it. Make sure you also grab the additional carrying bag. Made of tough nylon, the 14-inch Dutch Oven Carry Bag protects your oven and makes transport a breeze by way of the wide carrying strap. A heavy YKK zipper seals your bag up tight, keeping the lid and kettle together, protected and also keeps messes inside until you can continued on page 22 get them home for clean up.

What started as an opportunity to improve campsite cooking more than two decades ago, Camp Chef is now an industry leading innovator of outdoor cooking equipment. This year Camp Chef celebrates 25 years of quality outdoor cooking

and would like to thank each customer for its success.

From stoves to smokers and a complete line of cast iron cookwqare, Camp Chef is The Way To Cook Outdoors. For more information go to www.CampChef.com today.

25 Years of Quality Outdoor Cooking! www.CampChef.com | 800.650.2433

June 2015 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS

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SPORTSMAN’S NEWS | June 2015

FATHER'S DAY continued from page 20

Grill Grate If you like the flame broiled taste of burgers on the grill, but can do without the char and uneven cooking caused by flare-ups, the Grill Grate is your answer. Made of two interlocking hard anodized aluminum grates, the Grill Grate lifts your food nearly an inch above the standard grate while radiating infrared heat beneath it. This improves the cooking of the food and makes restaurant quality grill marks. Meats stay juicier since flames aren’t licking away the moisture and charring the surface. You get the same great charcoal taste, but without the drawbacks of charcoal. The grates are precision machined and then anodized to form a hard, non-stick surface. The Grill Grate also catches drippings so they simmer beneath the meat, wafting their flavor over the food cooking above.

The even heat distribution avoids hot spots for even cooking and the vents provide the flavor of the smoke coming up from below.

The Grill Grate can also be used with gas grills, providing all of the same benefits as it does for charcoal. Each Gill Grate comes with the Grate Tool, a wood handled stainless steel slotted spatula that fits perfectly between each fin of the grate for easy cleaning and lifting of food. The Grill Grate is made in the USA and is the perfect companion for your grill.

JOOS Orange Solar Power Supply It is a solar charger and a battery for storing power, all in a single rugged, weatherproof housing. The JOOS Orange features a super-efficient 2.6-watt hour solar panel composed of a monocrystalline solar cell with silicon nitride, anti-reflective coating, to provide better light gathering and conversion than many other cells on the market. This is technology usually reserved for large house mounted solar panels. The JOOS Orange is so efficient that is can directly charge your devices with just normal ambient household lighting or can store power on a cloudy day and then output 20 watt hours at 5,400 mAh. What this means is plenty of juice in the JOOS to charge your electronic devices and the versatility to collect it and store it in a wide array of ways. It will even charge and store power from a USB, your computer or a wall plug, so you can take that power with you far from civilization. The JOOS Orange will charge your standard iPhone 52 times and recharge about 35-40 percent of an iPad. It will recharge GPS devices, cameras, MP3 players, radios, lights and anything that can be charged via USB. It is easy to use - just stick it in the sun or plug it in to a power source and it starts collecting electricity. Unplug the input cable and plug an output cable into the single micro USB port and start charging your device. Unlike many products on the market, you don’t have to worry as much about the battery completely draining, destroying the device. Because the solar panel is so efficient, it will continue collecting ambient light and short of totally draining and placing it in absolute darkness for more than a month, the JOOS Orange will continue to gather light and make power, keeping a small charge in the batteries to protect them from damage.

The rugged, waterproof case will let you set the JOOS Orange in the sun and not worry about a sudden downpour. Adjustable legs allow you to prop the JOOS Orange up and angle it toward the sun for the most efficient charging. It weighs 1-pound 9-ounces, and is 8.5- by 5.75-inches and less than three quarters of an inch thick. It’s small enough to attach to the back of your backpack so you can continue to gather electricity while you hike. continued on page 28

GrizzlyCoolers.com Made in the U.S.A

June 2015 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS

REMINGTON® VERSA MAX.® ANY LOAD. ANYWHERE. EVERY TIME.

Any perceived advantage of an inertia-driven autoloader dies the instant you shoulder a VERSA MAX ®. Its new VersaPort ® gas system cycles every load, from light 2 ¾" to heavy 3 ½" magnums, with flawless consistency, dramatically less recoil and less maintenance than any other autoloader out there.

For a devastating combination, choose Hypersonic Steel.® At 1,700 fps, it’s the world’s fastest, hardest-hitting steel.

©2012 REMINGTON ARMS COMPANY, LLC.

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Beretta’s A300 Outlander

By Andy Lightbody

I

n addition to being a career Outdoor Journalist with over 40-years of poverty-driven writing, editing and broadcast experience, I also do a lot of offroad/SUV and vehicle writings. Drawing upon those experiences with automotive manufacturers that are constantly changing their yearly vehicle lineups with such catchy slogans as “new and improved” or “same great feel at a reduced cost” and the infamous “one-size-fits all” I am hesitant to embrace those marketing sayings without a quizzical/questioning look on my face and a raised eyebrow.

And having owned and shot dozens of fine Beretta shotguns over the decades, I was skeptical of the A300 Outlander as a quality entry-level offering that I would want in my gun locker. After all, Beretta has been around since 1526 and that’s longer than I have been doing gun tests! Add to this their reputation for making fine high quality firearms, albeit pricey and concerns were high when the Beretta box with the new affordable 12 gauge semi-auto field gun arrived for evaluation.

Boy, was I wrong!

To begin with, the A300 Outlander is a good-looking field gun. It has similar sleek and flowing lines that could be found on the older model A391, which this new shotgun now replaces. At first glance and feel, the new shotgun melds the best features of its proven A391 with some nice touches found on the much more expensive A400 series. Available in 4-model offerings, the A300 can be had with a wood/walnut stock/forearm, all black synthetic or in a choice of Realtree Max4 or Max5 camo. Least expensive re-

tail is the black synthetic, followed by the Max4 camo and wood stocked shotgun.

At the top is Max5 pattern.

Regardless of the model you select, the Outlander series represents Beretta’s first

gas piston that makes it much easier to clean than other shotgun actions. For the obligatory end-of the-season thorough cleaning, the trigger group is also removable, but make sure you follow the

$100 REBATE

Beretta is running a $100 rebate on all new A300 Outlanders purchased between May 24, 2015 and June 30, 2015 venture into providing sportsmen with an affordable entry-level autoloader that comes in at less than half the price of the company’s flagship A400 line. Designed and sporting the MADE IN THE USA label, the shotgun is built at the Beretta factory in Accokeek, Maryland. All A300 shotguns are in 12-gauge and sport a 28inch vent-ribbed Steelium barrel, with a single steel bead sight. Because the A300 is designed for a host of shooting and hunting opportunities, the 6mm wide vent rib is ideal for adding optional TRUGLO sights or bolt-on optics/sights for turkey hunting.

Coming out of the box, the first thing the shooter is going to notice is that there are only four major parts - stock, barrel, forearm and tightening nut/ lug. This makes it simple to take apart and clean even when out in the field. Beretta says that it also has a self-cleaning

manual’s instructions. It is a little more challenging than you might expect!

The A300 series comes with Beretta’s MobilChoke system that includes three chokes—Improved Cylinder (IC), Modified (M) and Full (F). Unless you really want to fine tune the gun for personal preferences, for the entry-level shooter or budget-conscious hunter, these are likely to be the only chokes you’ll ever need for

any of your shooting or hunting condition - upland birds, waterfowl, turkey, trap, skeet or sporting clays.

Tipping the scales at just 7.25 pounds, the gun balances nicely and comes to your shoulder naturally and with ease.

From port-arms to shouldering, the A300 feels lighter than its stated weight and points effortlessly. Two features that we found to be outstanding were that the stock is adjustable in terms of length or length of pull and on the synthetic stock versions, you can fine tune the gun to your personal shooting style.

Out of the box, the gun has a length of pull from the butt stock/recoil pad to the trigger of 14-inches. This is standard for the average shooter. But by using or removing the butt stock spacers that are included, it has an adjustable stock length of from just less than 13-inches to 14.5-inches. For younger shooters or men/women with a smaller frame and shorter arms, this is an ideal feature for proper shotgun fit, without having to “chop and lop” the stock. If you have a longer reach, simply add a spacer or two.

I’d have to guess that with all my years of shooting, testing and writings, probably 90 percent of shooters that are using a shotgun out of the box, don’t give much consideration to some important shooting/comfort specifics such as the gun’s comb height, drop and cast of the stock. In plain English, this means you can adjust how the shotgun fits to your face, making it easier and more comfortable to shoot when you shoulder the gun and get your sighting picture when you look down the vent-rib barrel. It’s pretty easy to make adjustments by removing the recoil pad, loosening the stock screw and making continued on page 30

June 2015 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS

BERETTA IS MAKING IT RAIN

May 24 - June 30, 2015

BUY A NEW PX4 GET $75 BACK

Visit promo.beretta.com/Px475promo * Void where prohibited. All Federal, state and Local laws apply.

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SPORTSMAN’S NEWS | June 2015

FATHER'S DAY continued from page 22

Zero Tolerance Rick Hinderer Slicer And Ken Onion Serrated Tiger Stripe Knives If you like a good beefy folding knife with amazing quality steel in a no compromise package, then the knives from Zero Tolerance are for you. Made of the amazing CTS 204P tool steel, this knife will take an amazing edge without an annoying burr or forming a wire edge. Because it has a hardness of 62 HRC, it is one of the toughest knife steels on the market and is a favorite for high-end custom knife makers. The high concentration of tungsten in the steel gives it a less shiny sheen so it has all of the aesthetics of a serious working knife. Coupled with the industrial appearance of the clip side of the knife and the sleek look of the carbon fiber scale, this flipper is a manual knife that is as smooth and fast as many assisted openers.

The tubby flat ground slicer blade is ideal for generalpurpose cutting, but also maintains its strength in the tip. Ball bearings give it an amazing smoothness when opened, but a rolling cam inside the bolsters makes a positive action necessary to overcome resistance, so there is no fear of it accidentally opening in your pocket. A heavy duty liner lock prevents accidental closure, but is also beefy enough to quickly disengage, even when wearing gloves. The Hinderer Slicer is an excellent general purpose blade for those interested in a real working knife. If you put your knife to hard use, this is the blade for you. Model #0562CF The Tiger Stripe Serrated Zero Tolerance from Ken Onion is an assisted opening G-10 scaled workhorse.

Made from the versatile CPM S30V steel, it utilizes vanadium carbides rather than softer chromium carbides to make a finer edge. Seen by many makers of high end knives as the best all-around knife steel, neither too hard nor too soft, with just the right sized crystalline structure and corrosion resistance, S30V will always over perform. DLC powder coating provides a subtle black and gray tiger stripe finish that is durable and will hold up to years of abuse. Not only does the finish protect the steel, but it makes the blade easier to clean and just looks rad. The black G-10 scales are textured for a positive grip, even when wet and a heavy duty liner lock is easy to disengage. The SpeedSafe Opening System provides a quick and positive engagement by using the dual ambidextrous thumb studs or the blade flipper and can be operated with or without gloves.

The addition of partial serrations on the blade make this a real work tool for those who may need to cut rope or leather easily without needing to sharpen on the fly. Model#0350TSST Zero Tolerance Hinderer Slicer

Zero Tolerance Ken Onion Tiger Stripe

Kershaw Link Kershaw Knives in Tualatin, Oregon continue their quality and craftsmanship with an affordable USA-made folding knife. The new Link model was developed by their master craftsman to capture the Kershaw qualities that have set them apart as a topnotch knife maker.

Kershaw started by choosing a patriotic model number in 1776. The Link has a 3.25” blade and overall length of 7.6” when fully opened. With a closed length of only 4.4” the Link felt comfortable in my front or back pocket and I did not feel it pressing against my body when walking or hiking. Weighing in at a mere 4-ounces, this knife is extremely versatile to carry on any outdoor exploration.

Kershaw chose 420HC stainless for the blade steel.

This modified 420 steel has higher amounts of carbon and chromium to boost hardenability and corrosion Kershaw Link

resistance. It is an excellent everyday steel: tough, corrosion resistant, it’s easy to sharpen and takes a good edge. The handles are glass-filled nylon in basic black. The sculpted lines of the handle provide for a comfortable and secure grip. For easy opening, the Link is equipped with SpeedSafe assisted opening, accessed with the built-in flipper.

I really like how easy the blade can be flipped open using the built in flipper tab on the handle. When the blade opens you can really feel how effective the SpeedSafe mechanism is at opening the blade for use.

When the blade is fully open you can really feel the secure liner lock secure the blade and hold in position. I was very impressed with the glass filled nylon handles, as they are very light and can take a beating.

I actually dropped our test model from waist high numerous times on a concrete surface and the handle held rock solid with each impact. The handle felt good in my hands when using the blade. The pocketclip is reversible for either dominant handed users. The Link is available in four models and comes with a very affordable price point. The Link is an excellent addition to the Kershaw line and would make a great Father’s Day gift.

June 2015 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS

The Ruger 10/22 Takedown ®

™

combines all the features and functionality of the 10/22® rifle with the ability to easily separate the barrel/forend and action/buttstock for convenient storage and transportation. The simple reassembly of the barrel and action yields a rock-solid return to zero for consistent, reliable performance. Packed in a rugged, ballistic nylon case (included), the Ruger® 10/22 Takedown™ makes it easy to keep America’s favorite rimfire rifle by your side.

WWW.RUGER.COM/1022TAKEDOWN

©2012 Sturm, Ruger & Co., Inc.

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SPORTSMAN’S NEWS | June 2015

OUTLANDER

continued from page 26 adjustments. If your shotgun is “biting” your cheekbone when you shoot, you are adjusting your face and shooting style to the gun and not the other way around the way it should be! With the A300, a simple 5-minute adjustment, using the spacers and following directions in the owner’s manual can make a world of difference in shooting comfort. If it fits and doesn’t hurt your face when you pull the trigger, chances are you are also going to become a better shooter and hunter.

Another nice feature is that both the stock and forearm grip have the sling studs factory installed and quite literally makes the addition of swivels and a shoulder sling, a snap.

Hmmmm, one-size-fits all and everyone’s shooting needs? We’ll see.

When familiarizing yourself with the shotgun, you’ll notice that the A300’s safety is located in front of the trigger and is actually over-sized as compared to many other shotguns where the safety is located behind the trigger group. It takes a little getting used to if most or all of your

other shotguns have the safety behind the trigger, but once you do a little “relearning,” it is easy to operate bare handed or even when wearing bulky field gloves.

For those of us that are left-handed when shooting/hunting, a small Allen wrench (not included) enables you to convert/ flip it for a much more natural fit.

Great lines, nice features and affordability add to the A300’s overall appeal.

However, some of the best looking guns

and vehicles I’ve tested over the years turn out to be DOGS in the performance department. Head to the range or the field and it’s time to validate that Beretta’s new offering is not just a pretty wall hanger.

While the gun is chambered to take 3-inch magnum shells for chasing tough-feathered waterfowl, it is also designed for light 2 ¾-inch shot shells. We mixed up a couple of handfuls of cheapy/light 7/8th ounce #8s, some 3-inch Winchester Blind Side waterfowl 1 ½ ounce #2s and some of their fire-breathing 3-inch turkey shells with 2-ounces of #4 shot. The A300 has a hybrid gas system that is remarkably fast in cycling whatever shells the gun was fed. Our test shooters that missed a practice clay bird with the first shot were impressed with how quickly the shotgun’s action cycled and allowed for a second/follow up shot.

The trigger was smooth with very little creep and breaks nicely. Unless you are a trigger-job fanatic, there is no reason to take it to the gunsmith. In the recoil department, the light loads were easy to handle by all and there were only a few complaints when shooting the super duper hot magnums. With 300 rounds of mixed ammo fired by four different shooters, we experienced absolutely no jams, extraction/ejection problems or malfunctions.

After the clay target testing, we immediately headed to field for the opening afternoon of dove season and switched back to the cheapy/light #8 target loads.

With a few of our invitees being relative “newbies” to actually hunting fast flying doves and properly guestimating ranges, angles and leads, there was a whole lot more shooting going on as we passed the A300 around and let everyone fill the air with pellets. With a simple Phillips head screwdriver, we were able to add and delete the stock spacers so that everyone was able to have the gun properly fitted to their arm lengths. Individual dove counts were not real high for the afternoon, but it sure wasn’t the shotgun’s fault. Again, no problems or malfunctions after now cycling through another couple hundred shot shells. Many in the group simply said that the doves were flying too fast and were wearing Kevlar protective vests!

Back at the home front, the shotgun broke down into its four component pieces easily. A liberal spraying with my favorite can of Gun Scrubber to clean out the powder residue, a quick swabbing of

the barrel and a light coat of gun oil and the A300 was reassembled and readied for the next outdoor/shooting adventure.

As an affordable semi-auto shotgun offering, the A300 was a very pleasant surprise in terms of styling, features and capabilities. Without breaking the bank and purchasing the Beretta name/heritage, this shotgun is as close to the truth in the saying that one-size-fits all as anyone could hope for.

Beretta is running a $100 rebate on all new A300 Outlanders purchased between May 24, 2015 and June 30, 2015, so head on into your Sportsman’s Warehouse store and get yours while they last.

June 2015 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS

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SPORTSMAN’S NEWS | June 2015

Morel Mushrooms

By Tom Claycomb III

A

fter being holed up all winter, I love spring. Sure, there’s winter activities and I do all that, but after a long cold winter, spring is sweet.

It always teases us. Snow will start melting, the sun will poke her head out for one day and then temps drop and we’ll get another snow. She plays with us like a cat with a mouse. But, no matter how hard she plays to get, we know that soon spring will be here in all of her glory.

How can you not love spring? Suddenly, after a hard winter the grass is green, trees are budding and the earth is coming back to life. This year, Easter fell right in the midst of it all, which is the personification of spring.

Suddenly good things hit all at once.

Whistle pigs are out in full force, crappie start spawning, bear and turkey seasons open and the morel mushrooms start popping up. The spring morel mushroom season is a huge event for many people. I learned to hunt them over 35 years ago from my boss, Maurice Dalton.

He had been raised in Iowa and he took vacations to go back to Iowa and hunted them there every year. He was a fanatic.

I thought he lived a pretty boring life to get that excited about a mushroom - until I ate one.

If you’ve never eaten morel mushrooms, you’re missing out on one of God’s best delicacies. In case you wonder why I’m getting so excited, just try one. You’ll be sold for life. I have access to the best beef and seafood in the country and I’d have to say that morel mushrooms are the best delicacy in the world, supposedly second only to the truffle found in England.

Here is what the prize looks like.

Maurice always started hunting them the middle of April in the Midwestern states, but out west I start finding them at the 5,500 feet elevation the 2nd-3rd week of May. Some people act like that they’re authorities on where they grow and where to find them. I’ve been hunting them for over 35 years and sometimes I’m still not sure that I have a clue, but let’s cover a few generalities. They’re triggered by the spring rains and a few warm days and nights. Suddenly it seems like they almost spring up right in front of your eyes.

They have about a two week growing period, but you can extend your hunting season by rising in elevation. Here’s what I mean by that. If this week you’re finding them at 5,500 ft., next week hunt them at 6,000 ft.

But the absolute best place to hunt them is in last year’s burns. Fresh burns are magical. Find where there was a forest fire last year and hunt there. I’ve had burns where Katy, I and another couple found two 5-gallon buckets a piece and

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Adventure On A Budget

along fallen logs, in root holes and even on open hillsides.

If you find a mushroom, look up/downhill.

The spore washes downhill and more often than not, where I find one I’ll find more.

I remember once I found 162 in an area that you could have covered with an 8x10 tarp. That was a crazy year.

Move slow. It’s unbelievable, but even in a burn you’ll miss them. Katy set down her backpack to get a drink of water. We were there for about two minutes and then I noticed one right at our feet. I’ve always said I’d trade all I found for what I walked by within 10 feet and missed.

• Make sure you hunt with an old-timer the first season so he can show you the ropes. You don’t pick poisonous ones.

• I took a mushroom class and they told me that I’d be able to ID 10 different edible mushrooms in Idaho, but I’m still not comfortable. But it is crazy not to be able to pick more than one species if you’re spending the time out in the woods.

• Again, be careful. If you pick the wrong mushroom, for instance the angel of death, you’re toast. I’ve heard that back east there are false morels that can be poisonous.

• I’ve picked a few other varieties, but morels are the best! we had to leave and walk over a million coming out. We found so many that Katy was selling them to restaurants.

If the fire is from two years ago though, it’s not the same.

Only last year’s burn is the ticket. Call the forest service and ask them where they did controlled burns last year or where there were wild fires.

In burns, look

wise and then gently rinse them off.

They’re fragile, so be super careful or you can damage them. Put them in a bowl and fill with water and dump a few times. Mushrooms out of a burn will have a lot of ash on them and require more rinsing. Then fill a bowl with water and sprinkle with salt to kill the bugs and set overnight in the frig, but usually I’ll fry up a batch that night.

To cook, drain and then mix an egg in a bowl with a little milk. Dip in the egg batter and then throw some flour on a plate and roll them in the flour. Throw in a black skillet with semi hot grease and sprinkle on your favorite seasoning salt (Tony Cachere’s). Fry to a golden brown and get ready to partake of the best treat that you’ve ever had.

I’ll tell you what else is excellent milk gravy with sautéed morels. If you want to make it really good mix a little cream with the milk.

If you find too many to eat all at once, you can dry them by stringing them with a needle and thread and hang them out to dry, lay in the sun or use a fruit dryer. When you’re ready to use them, just reconstitute them.

I’ve also split, rinsed and froze them in baggies, but this method makes them a little mushy.

To p r e p a r e Sometimes you will find one knocked over and in the them for eating, downhill process. They will be somewhat crumbly and I split them long- may even have a little mold like this one.

June 2015 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS

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SPORTSMAN’S NEWS | June 2015

Making the Most of Your Premium Tag

By Michael Deming

A

s you sit at your computer hitting the refresh button and just hoping that the state will post the results of this years’ drawing just a few minutes early, the anticipation is killing you. Every year you go through the same ritual, hoping this will be your year. Unfortunately for a great number of people, this time ends with disappointment. However, there will be a small percentage of people who get to see their name in the successful category. WOW! The excitement is close to what you used to experience as a young child at Christmas. The opportunity for this upcoming season has now become endless. It’s time to call all your buddies and let them know about your good fortune.

This scenario has played out in a lot of homes this year and has for decades.

The problem with this situation for the majority of people is that they have never put their boots in the unit they have just drawn. If they are lucky, they have driven through it on occasion.

They might have had a buddy tell them that this is a good unit because they had a tag there years ago. They might have just applied for the tag because it takes 20 preference points to be guaranteed one. Regardless of the reason, you have a tag right now which may or may not have the potential to yield you a trophy of a lifetime and you need to make the most of it.

Here are the questions you need to know the answers to about your tag so you can truly make the most of it. What is the possible trophy potential of this unit? How many tags have been given out and how many other seasons are going to be going on when I’m planning on hunting? What is the moon phase during the open dates? Where

Pro’s Tips

do the animals rut and what happens to them if there is an early snow? What do the animals do when they start to see excessive pressure from hunters?

These are just a small smattering of questions you should know the answer to if you plan on being successful this coming fall. If you don’t know the answers to these questions, you are likely going to go home with tag soup or an animal that doesn’t live up to the expectations you put on this precious tag.

Every year I have numerous conversations with hunters about these exact issues. Unfortunately, these conversation usually come after the hunt is over and they are disappointed with the outcome. They have either killed a substandard animal or gone home unsuccessful.

Just because it has taken a ton of points to draw this unit, it doesn’t mean that there is a monster buck or bull hiding behind every tree. As a matter of fact, there are very few units anywhere that this is the case. Sure, there are always those lucky guys that drive into the unit on opening morning and shoot a giant just off the road.

If you are that guy, it is a great place to hunt.

However, if you aren’t that guy, you might find out your premium tag wasn’t worth the wait.

You more than likely see and kill

bigger animals in the units you can draw every couple of years and this is because you know the answers to the questions asked above.

The number of points it takes to draw a specific unit has a lot more to do with the amount of available public land in the area than it does animal quality. Limited amount of tags usually always means more opportunities, but it doesn’t always equate to trophy potential. There aren’t very many Utah Henry Mountains premium deer tag type units anywhere.

If you don’t have years of experience in the unit, there are many of those questions that you have no chance of answering. If you do have some experience or friends willing to help you that have experience, you are probably in for an enjoyable experience.

Now, I don’t mean to throw water on your raging fire of excitement about that premium tag you have in your pocket. Instead, I want to create the awareness of what you need to do at an early enough time in the year to actually make a difference. If the hunt unit is in your back yard, you should spend every free minute you have figuring out the roads, water sources, feed sources and talk to as many people as you possibly can about the past hunts they have been on in this unit.

If time away from home is limited or you will be traveling to far away states to hunt, I would highly recommend using an outfitter. This is a tag of a lifetime and if you were to purchase it at an auction, it could cost you between $5,000 and $350,000. That is a huge investment and one you shouldn’t take lightly.

Definitely not a tag that you just “HOPE” to kill a giant. There are probably some great ones there, but they don’t get big by being stupid or easy to harvest.

Outfitters are in these units year after year and know the answers to the questions, which means that they can help you make the most out of that tag.

Their years of experience is well worth the knowledge you will gain about the area if you hire the right outfitter.

Hiring the right outfitter is another difficult decision, but we can help with this process. We have been in this industry nearly a dozen years now and it is a very small industry when you put a microscope on the best in the business. We know who is good and better yet, we have a really good list of who is not.

If an outfitter is in your budget, they are highly recommended to help you make the most out of your tag. We are happy to pair you with one of the best for your premium tag.

If the cost of a guided hunt isn’t in your budget and you just want to go enjoy your hunt with family and friends, I wish you the very best of luck and encourage you to savor every minute of every day. Enjoy the hunt.

For those of you hard-core trophy hunters who already know this info and are hoping to glean some new intel, I appreciate your time. However, we all know that time in the hills and burned boot leather is the key to harvesting the best stuff the unit has to offer.

June 2015 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS

35

Traditions Black Powder Revolvers

By Dan Kidder Managing Editor

T

here is something sexy about the blending of steel, brass and wood in a black powder pistol. The sleek lines, elongated barrel and iconic look of these guns is reminiscent of old cowboy films.

I have been wanting to get into shooting black powder pistols for quite some time, but being mainly a tactical shooter, I wasn’t quite sure about where to start. I had heard horror stories about double loads, exploding guns, chain fires, where multiple chambers in the cylinder fire at once and was a bit timid to try this aspect of the sport without getting some more information.

I wish I hadn’t waited so long. Finally deciding to take the plunge, I contacted the folks over at Traditions Firearms, distributors of some of the nicest replicas of iconic muzzleloading guns ever made. Soon they sent me over their replica of a Remington 1858 New Army in .44 caliber. They were going to send over a Colt 1850 Army, but I told them as a Southern boy I couldn’t be seen shooting a Yankee gun.

Because the ATF doesn’t classify a black powder pistol as a firearm, in most states they can be purchased mail order or over the counter without any paperwork and they can be shipped by the US Postal Service or common carrier.

Once the gun arrived, I was able to

figure out the process with minimal difficulty. The four basic rules of gun safety should still be followed, but loading the pistol does require you to be on the wrong end of the gun, albeit off to the side. It wasn’t difficult to figure out the loading sequence; measure out your powder, pour it in an empty chamber, add a lubed patch to form a seal, seat a ball on top, rotate the cylinder until the ball is under the loading arm, pull down the loading arm to insert the ball on top of the patch. I was surprised to see a circle of lead cut off the ball as it seats, but some reading let me know this is normal and is caused by the ball being just slightly larger than the chamber. This insures a tight seal to prevent a spark from getting in the

chamber and setting off the powder. That made me feel better about the whole chain fire issue.

With a bit of practice, all six chambers can be loaded. It isn’t a quick process, but there is some enjoyment in the methodical process of carefully measuring powder and loading each chamber. There are also a few tricks to be learned. For my first two cylinders, I was having a hard time getting my caps to stay on the nipple with each shot. Crimping the open end of the cap with firm pressure from your fingernail is the trick I had to figure out to keep the loose fitting caps on the nipples.

As for the gun, it is just one of the many revolvers carried by Traditions and made in Italy by F.Lli Pietta, which makes historical reproductions of hundreds of different firearms. The attention to detail on these guns is exceptional and the fit and finish are of amazing quality and precision. From the deep black bluing on my New Army, to the cast brass trigger guard, to the deeply stained walnut grip, every hint of the original has been carefully reproduced in exacting detail. The six and a quarter-inch long octagonal barrel offsets the weight of the heavy steel frame and acts as a counterbalance. It also gives the slow burning black powder a longer amount of time in contact with the ball to increase velocity and accuracy.

As I mentioned, Traditions offers a wide variety of black powder replicas, including the smaller .36 caliber of this same gun, dubbed the Remington New Navy, as well as different finishes and handle

materials. They have black powder revolvers with nickel finish, stainless steel, faux ivory or pearl handles, adjustable target sights and many other modifications that may not be exact to history, but are cosmetic changes the shooter may desire.

If you have ever wanted to tap into your inner cowboy, don’t put it off.

These guns are reasonably priced, easy to purchase and just a lot of fun to shoot. With a bit of care, a little reading on some online forums and the right equipment, you can get into the sport of black powder shooting. For about $250 for a nice gun and another $30 worth of accessories (powder flask, measure, cap seating tool, etc.) you can quickly and easily get into this super fun sport. And they are amazingly more accurate than I expected. Traditions also has a starter kit for your specific caliber that comes with everything you need, except caps and powder. Do yourself a favor and give this fun and historical segment of the shooting sports a try. Just resist the urge to yell “yipeekaiay” as you are shooting. It will be harder to resist than you might think.

36

SPORTSMAN’S NEWS | June 2015

SONAR

I

Chad LaChance

f you could have one super-power that could improve your angling, what would it be? How about some crazy Aquaman communication thing whereby you could just speak directly with the fish? That might be helpful in catching, but since folks don’t seem to

have such a skill, perhaps underwater vision would be a useful super-power?

If you could see where they live, they would be easier to catch, right? Well, guess what - you can have that power!

Yep, underwater vision or at least a digital version thereof, is available to anglers everywhere. All you need is a way to float yourself and the desire to learn a couple of basic concepts.

Obviously, most of you have figured out I’m referencing sonar, not super-human powers. For those that were holding out for the comic hero stuff, well, read on ‘cause I’m going to make this article so simple that even you can apply it to your fishing.

First, some background info: Sonar is an acronym for “Sound Navigation And Ranging” but since the 70’s, the commonality of sonar in so many uses has brought the concept mainstream. Just about any well-equipped modern boat has some version of the technology and many boats feature GPS - an acronym for “Global Positioning System” – with

sonar in the same unit. I don’t know how you fish, but sound navigation and ranging and global positioning systems sounds pretty much like fisherman super-powers to me.

While all this technology can seem overwhelming, the truth is it is very accessible to a wide range of boaters, from kayakers to full-on bass and walleye derby rigs. You can spend around a hundred bucks or several thousand depending on your goals. The key is looking closely at the various features each brand and model provides and determining if they are right for your application and budget.

For the sake of this article, I’ll break down the major features you should consider first and then look at some specific units based on three price points - you can decide what is appropriate from there. For the record, my entire fishing career has seen my boats equipped with Lowrance electronics and for this reason, I’ll speak primarily from personal experience with these units. The various brands all feature different menus, user interfaces and network technology, but the sonar and GPS concepts are about the same, regardless of the brand.

Fundamentally, all of the brands and models have basic sonar, meaning a 2D image depicted in either color or black and white (aka grey scale) that scrolls across the screen. What the sound wave is detecting is changes in density and the various densities are depicted in either grey scale (varying degrees of grays/ blacks, with darker equaling denser) or different colors. Color is easier for beginners to understand and typically easier to read in sunny conditions, but with a little practice grey scale can be learned and will save a few bucks.

Screen size can have as much to do with being able to identify what you’re looking at as anything else; size and pixel count will determine the amount of detail communicated. For instance, if you have a small screen that is only 100 pixels tall and you’re looking at water 100 feet deep, each pixel equals one foot, not ideal for details like fish near the bottom regardless of color/grey scale image. More pixels and larger screens equate to more detail, more cost and overall unit size.

Traditional sonar provides a view of what is directly under the transducer (the physical part that sends and receives sound waves, typically mounted either on the transom, electric trolling motor

head or inside the hull on some fiberglass boats) and always a little behind the boat depending on speed. It gives you a continuously scrolling record of what you just passed over. The screen may be stopped to study something that catches your eye, but otherwise the info keeps flowing by.

Even with all the new 3D imaging available these days, my Lowrance units are typically set to display traditional sonar screens, albeit backed up with 3D imaging, which Lowrance calls DownScan. Traditional sonar is excellent for subtle variances in density (like fish right on the bottom), deep water applications and overall simplifies the view. Lowrance and other brands all offer a wide range of traditional sonar units and they are the most affordable style you can buy. Adding 3D capability is getting less expensive as the technology matures and it’s a good addition if it’s in your budget.

Lowrance calls their imaging application StructureScan; I’ve utilized it on all my boats since its inception. These days you can get a unit that has only sonar and DownScan or you can step up and get the full package that includes side scanning capability. To put it simply, traditional sonar will show you that some sort of hard object is on the bottom; DownScan will show you that it is a cinder block lying on its side. Sonar will show you clutter with fish around it; DownScan will show you it’s a willow tree with fish suspended in and around it.

Basically, with even speed and a straight pass over something, you’ll get a nearly photographic view of it. As part of the StructureScan package, side scanning will show you the same type of detail, but way out to either or both sides of your boat. This allows an angler to effectively look at large swathes of the lake bottom while looking for both structural elements and fish-holding cover. The 3D effect is accomplished with shading and a harder return is depicted with lighter

June 2015 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS

color while a soft return is seen as darker, meaning it’s either physically softer or farther away from the transducer.

When it comes to looking specifically for fish, especially those tight to the bottom, traditional sonar really shines for me. But for dissecting structure (the actual contour of the lake bottom, dropoffs, channels, etc) and cover (anything sticking up or out from the lake bottom, wood cover, weed lines, rocks, etc) StructureScan and similar technologies are the way to go. The detail is amazing and the ability to look well out to the sides – 350+ feet out to each side in some units – is invaluable for saving time. Flatter bottom contours is where the SideScan works the best; on really steep banks/areas some information is lost.

If you really want to get into some serious electronics discussions, terms like transducer frequency will come up. Very generally speaking, increased frequency (measured in kHz) yields increased image detail, but less range. Manufactures now offer units with multiple frequency transducers; these are the best of all worlds as they allow excellent detail, target separation and shallow-to-deep

water effectiveness. Since 3D imaging and traditional sonar use similar technology, the principle applies to both.

Also generally speaking, the more total power the sonar unit has, the stronger the signal it will send (called ping) and bounce it will receive (called echo). This plays into the multi-frequency vs. single frequency transducer debate to some degree, but as I already mentioned, multi frequencies yield better target separation and less possibility for interference while single frequency transducers (commonly referred to as broadband sounders) yield the clearest bottom track and great marking of suspended fish/bait, but are more susceptible to ambient underwater noise interference. When you get into higher end 3D technology, really high frequencies yield great detail at closer ranges.

All that sonar and imaging technology is awesome for finding fishin’ holes, but you know what is more awesome? Being able to get back to those holes effortlessly or being able to sit a cast length away and know you’re hitting the key spot or being able to easily share those holes with your friends. You know what makes all that possible? GPS! Who knew that the

United States Air Force could help you catch fish?!

GPS is not new at this point; in fact it’s been in civilian use since the mid 90’s. The Air Force may administer the technology, but just about everyone in

American has access to it through our smartphones or otherwise. As an angler, combining GPS with sonar in a single unit or on a network is the cat’s meow continued on page 38

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SONAR

continued from page 37 for fish catching technology. Folks often ask about just buying a sonar unit and utilizing their phone or hand-help GPS for marking spots and you can certainly do that, but having the two different info streams on one cohesive unit allows for instantaneous use and layering of data.

See a rock pile you’d like to come back to on your sonar? No problem, just scroll the screen back to it, mark a waypoint, and viola - you can then turn the boat around and go to the exact rock pile you originally saw on the sonar 200 yards back.

GPS allows you to follow a specific trolling pattern, grid out a flat while scanning it, plot a trail following a creek channel and perhaps most importantly, gives you scalable maps of the lake you’re fishing. In the case of many popular lakes, you can get map “chips” (SD cards pre-loaded with hyper-detailed maps, including contour intervals of one foot) that take a ton of guesswork out of finding likely spots to fish.

My GPS data is some of my most protected info. It depicts many years’ worth of waypoints and critical trails, even of lakes that I rarely fish. I may not have been there in several years, but the waypoints I have accumulated will give me a starting spot. With most GPS-equipped sonar units you can insert the SD card, download the data to the card and then physically transfer the data for back-up or sharing purposes. Built-in GPS is, at least in my mind, almost mandatory if you’re considering new electronics for any application. It just isn’t that expensive in the grand scheme of things to miss out on the advantages it offers the angler.

Alright, enough info about various features, so let’s look at a few good choices

to consider. For those either on a tight budget or fishing from a simple handlaunch craft like a kayak or jon boat, spending $300 or less still yields viable and effective options, so let’s start there.

My personal hand-launch boat, a mid90’s spec Coleman Crawdad, is equipped with a Lowrance Mark-4 sonar/GPS unit.

I chose it because of my aforementioned statement about the usefulness of GPS in any situation. I didn’t want to spend too much money on a plastic boat, but I wanted to have both sonar and GPS combined in a physically small unit. I saved money by not considering 3D imaging or a color screen. While that relegated me to what some may call “old school”, the truth is I can determine depth, temp, bottom density and shape and fish, all while utilizing GPS to “memorize” and return to spots. This unit is about $200.

If you’d rather DownScan imaging in lieu of GPS, while staying in the same price range, a Mark-5X DSI (about $200) will give you the DownScan ability and a slightly larger screen. If you want color and DownScan, plus variable frequency sonar, an Elite-4X CHIRP (also about $200) is a good choice, though you’ll lack GPS. If you can swing about $300, the Elite-4 CHIRP unit will give all the bells and whistles in a small, easy to install/ use and affordable package. Incidentally, any of these units will operate on a tiny little 12V battery, definitely a plus for simple hand-launch boats.

Let’s say you’re more in the market for a mid-size unit with larger screen size, full color and more robust processing.

Perhaps it’s for an upgrade on an older boat or a new but somewhat basic aluminum boat and you can spend up to $1000.

In this price range, a diagonal screen size of 5”-7” is suggested and I’d say that GPS should be a mandatory consideration.

The Elite-5 HDI would be a good starting point as it has GPS, color sonar and DownScan, all for about $700.

For a hundred more bucks, you can get the Elite7HDI; the same basic features as above, but with a larger 7” screen.

This, to me, is Lowrance’s best overall value in this price range.

At the top of the range in terms

of price and features is the HDS-7 Gen2 Touch, a serious player for any boat. In addition to the features the other units have, this unit features full StructureScan - meaning you can look out to the sides of the boat with 3D imaging – as well as a touch screen user interface. We already talked benefits of side scanning and the touch screen is sweet for speed and simplicity. It’ll cost you nearly a grand, but it will do anything most users could possibly ask for.

My 21’ Ranger bass boat is my main office. I spend a lot of time in it and much of that time is spent utilizing the electronics system. If you’re perhaps a weekend tournament guy or a hardcore angler with a full size boat and applicable budget, then current high-end units will amaze you. I’ll take the price limit out of the equation for this discussion, but we’ll keep it in mind for value purposes. My boat is equipped with twin HDS-9 Gen 3 Touch units, one at the helm and one on the bow, which are linked together via a network. The Gen 3 adds CHIRP (multi frequency, as we discussed) sonar and a few other tech bits and the 9” is obviously a larger screen. Full StructureScan, HD screen, touch and/or button controls and a host of other features are built-in. For fresh water applications the only way to get more out of an electronics unit is to add a larger screen and that can be arranged up to 12”! Products in this price range ($1500 and up, let’s say) get you features too numerous and detailed for this article, but also units that will amaze you. At $1500ish, the HDS-7 Gen 3 Touch StructureScan bundle is a great value in

a full feature unit, while the nine and twelve inch versions add screen size for visibility, especially when the units’ displays are split-screened (a feature all of the units I’ve mentioned have) to display various data streams.

It is important to reiterate that this article is written from personal experience with Lowrance; other brands offer their versions of the various features I’ve mentioned. Spend a little time comparing them all at www.SportsmansWarehouse. com to learn more for yourself.

I’ll end with this: I asked a bunch of full time touring bass pro’s what they thought was the single biggest asset they had in their boats. Without variance, this unique profession of guys who seem to have almost super-human ability to find and catch fish under any conditions, on any lake, at any time of year answered the same way - their electronics. The use of sonar and GPS quickly solves the fish-finding puzzle for them on the largest and most pressured waters in the country. Regardless of your price range or boat size, I promise you that some carefully considered time and money spent on electronics will help you catch more fish, too!

June 2015 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS

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SPORTSMAN’S NEWS | June 2015

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UTAH FISHING

June 2015 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS

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SPORTSMAN’S NEWS | June 2015

By Gary Lewis

Y “

ou are in bull trout country." It is the first sign you see at Laurance Lake on the east slope of Mount Hood. We passed it again as we started across the dam, up the Laurance Lake Loop Trail.

Kayaks and Crankbaits in Bull Trout Country On the north side of the lake, the trail switchbacks up the ridge. After we gained elevation, we began to see Mount Hood in the clouds and more of the water became visible. At full pool, this lake is 127 surface acres and is over 100 feet deep at its deepest point.

Wind howled down out of the Cascades and the clouds blew through, whitecaps whipped up. Fed by the Clear Branch and Pinnacle Creek, the lake’s outflow joins the Middle Fork of the Hood River.

From various vantage points we should have had a clear look at Mount Hood, but the clouds hid the glaciers and summit. We climbed on, my daughters Jennifer and Mikayla stopped to look at “fairy caves” and wildflowers.

We were almost to the next switchback when I heard a high-pitched whistle.

Not a marmot. A pika.

At that moment we became hunters

again, stalking a pika for a look at the elusive animal that my Photo by Gary Lewis girls had never seen before. We hid in vine maple and scanned a rock slide.

There, perched on a rock, looking out over the mountain valley, was a pika, a rock rabbit, one of my favorite creatures. Now I knew why we’d hiked all this way, A two-inch crankbait can be a great go-to lure when the we needed go no fishing is good, but the catching is tough. further.

The Hobie Pro Angler can be paddled On the way back down, the clouds like any other kayak, but its real strength parted, the wind began to still and is the Mirage Drive system, which runs Hood’s Langille, Coe and Ladd glaciers on a pedal system. Drop the rudder then appeared, lit from the east. pedal it like a bicycle. Beneath the boat, The afternoon before, I’d borrowed two fins kick like a merman’s tail and a 12-foot Hobie Pro Angler kayak and the boat goes. A rudder control at the strapped it to my trailer for the two- left hand turns the boat left and right. hour drive to the lake. After lunch I This time I left the fly rod cased and slipped it into the water. Mikayla was tied on a crankbait. First cast. Bam. I in another kayak. My dad, who had joined us for the day, pushed his poncontinued on page 45 toon boat in.

Photo by Gary Lewis

A pika surprised on a boulder field high above Laurance Lake.

Tue Apr 7 13:52:10 CDT 2015 - 18287Y1519_CAMO_non Bleed.ps

June 2015 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS

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SPORTSMAN’S NEWS | June 2015

What To Look For In A Precision Rifle

By Shane Adair

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hope to address some of the components that are necessary to have a great shooting rifle. It’s hard to always know what you are missing out on until you try something different.

Often asked questions are: “Is this just a manufactures gimmick?” “Am I being up-sold something that I don’t really need?” “Will the add-ons ever end?”

“When is enough, enough?”

I’m always cautious when I do some work for a customer in trying to find a balance between what their rifle needs and trying not to overwhelm them with too many needs all at once. We don’t want to scare them away before we even get started, but the customer needs to realize just how necessary these components are. They really aren’t that pricey in most cases. I relate both a brush gun for 200 yards and a great 800 yard gun the same – they are both equally served well with the same components. While trying to properly place a good shot between the brush at 50 yards or squeezing a shot off at 600 yards, your point of impact will greatly change if you don’t eliminate the error in your weapon. So, in this article, I will break down the components, not in necessarily any order, because really they all go hand in hand.

Triggers Triggers need to be a three-pound pull or lighter and crisp with little creep. Unless you have severe lack of feeling in your hands, 3-pounds is never too light. This is a must for all hunters and shooters. When you pull the trigger, the rifle needs to go off right

where you had the cross hairs. With heavy triggers, your point of impact will move and you will pull that shot, especially if you are standing or when your adrenaline is rushing through your veins. I believe most shots on game are missed due to the trigger.

How many shots are taken with that cross hair floating all over the target, then the trigger is jerked or tugged on as it floats over the target only to be pulled away by the “error” in the trigger? You must eliminate the error factor. It is a must.

Stocks I prefer synthetic styles, but don’t be misled that all will suffice. While they won’t weather or absorb moister, most are not stiff enough and are very flimsy in the front-end. A good stock, both wood or synthetic, needs to be STIFF. If there is wiggle in the fore-end, this vibration will transfer throughout the entire rifle and make it very hard to shoot accurately. Whether on a sandbag, backpack or a bipod, it has to be stiff. You can stiffen up all stocks with a good glass bedding agent or some fiberglass resin and it will only add a few ounces. They all need some kind of bedding system, even if they have an aluminum bedding block in them. If they wiggle, your point of impact will always change.

Rings and Bases Try to use mounts that eliminate too many screws and joints. The dovetail designs are famous for vibrating loose.

Little caps on top with one screw on each side are not enough. There are some great options out there and

most reputable gunsmiths know which ones they are. Sorry, don’t let the guys behind the counters at the box stores do your installs for you. Not to disparage their efforts, but they just can’t devote the proper time and detail needed to do a really good job.

This is very critical. Your entire platform of the rifle is hinged on these little screws being held tight enough, true enough, and strong enough to handle a 50,000 PSI explosion of vibration going on in the metal chamber below it. Yes, 50,000 PSI. The stock on the left is on example of a good bedding I feel that they job with a stiff stock The stock on the right needs to be also need thread stiffened in the front and and have a better bedding job lock. I prefer the around the recoil lug.

Muzzle Breaks gel kinds which They have their place, but are not for don’t spread all over the top of the action causing a thin layer for the bases everyone. Yes, they are loud, with some to rock on top of the action like the louder than others and they will blow liquids do. These need to be rock solid. some dust. But they will also make I’ve never not been able to remove a set most shooters better shooters. As you due to thread lock. A little heat trans- get older, you will do much better with ferred down through a screw driver them. You don’t want young shooters to feel too much recoil or it will ruin works great.

We Take The Gun You Already Have, Customize It And Extend Your Range

Shane Adair (435)559-7764 LongRangeShane@gmail.com

Tune Up Your Rifle Turn Your Rifle Into A Long Range Gun Re-scope W/custom Turret One On One Shooting Lessons Educate You With Shooting Tips Custom Fit A Bullet And Load Cedar City, Utah

June 2015 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS

them early. Many will say they can handle the recoil. For some this is true, but too much recoil will result in way too much barrel hop as the rifle moves backwards into your shoulder before the bullet ever leaves the barrel. The noise can usually be addressed in hunting situations with small ear plugs. I prefer a beanie or more pricey sport ear devices can work well.

Scopes A huge decision: How much magnification? How clear, how thick are the cross hairs? What kind of mechanics are needed for the application - a turret, cross bars for hold over? Avoid using scopes with too large of crosshairs. It’s hard to hit a target you completely cover up. As you get older your eyes won’t like the real thin ones. With magnification you don’t always gain a ton of weight. For 100-yard shooting on paper, I feel that even 9-power is doing your rifle an injustice. At 200-yards 14-power on paper is the minimum. I don’t ever hear my clients complaining about too much magnification. Remember, aim small hit small. For 500-yards

and beyond, 14-power and larger is a must. There are some great 4x14, 4x16, 5x20, 5x22-power scopes on the market that will fit almost everyone’s applications. Give me a call, I can help you with those decisions.

I hope this article has helped you understand a little more about how necessary these components are. I’ve had the opportunity to help all kinds of shooters, young and old and of all shapes and sizes learn to shoot better.

Whether it’s modifying your current rifle, suggesting a custom build or coaching you in an over-the-counter purchases, we will make you a better shot. One-on-one coaching on the range and understanding shooting and cleaning techniques will last you a lifetime.

Nothing is more fulfilling than watching people shoot with me and having their world opened up to new potential and then having it result in harvesting a dream animal. When it all comes together it is pretty dang cool. We can work with your budget and we won’t sell you on gimmicks that don’t work.

Give us a try and thanks for your time, we know its valuable.

CRANKBAITS

continued from page 42 was in bull trout country. This one was about 12 inches long.

My second fish was a hatchery rainbow. It is easy to imagine the rainbows know they are in bull trout country shortly after they go in the water. The slow ones don’t make it. Once a bull trout reaches about 16 inches, it makes its living eating other fish. And a 24inch bull can choke down an eight-inch stocker.

Some big predators lurk in that lake.

Dad caught a nice rainbow on a rubberlegged Hare’s Ear and, when I figured out where the fish were concentrated, I caught two more bull trout and another rainbow. Some of the best fishing is at the mouths of the creeks, along the north shore and along the dam. Parts of the lake are protected from the wind. We found calm water off the mouth of Pinnacle Creek and along the south shore.

When I ventured into the wind chop, the Hobie did well out there too. It is a unique kayak in that a person can stand and cast. This one was equipped with

a rod holder behind the seat. At first I wanted one up front, then I realized I didn’t need a rod holder at all. I used the paddle only in very shallow water and pedal-kicked everywhere else, my rod in my right hand, ready to set the hook.

Hatchery rainbow trout, native cutthroat trout and bull trout are the main catch in this irrigation reservoir. There are some smallmouth in the lake as well.

There is no limit on smallies. Only finclipped trout and bass may be kept. Bait fishing is not permitted.

As we pulled our boats out of the water, the campground host, Ken Nelson, related a story about three anglers that didn’t abide by the above-mentioned rules. Fishing with bait, they had 10 trout each in possession when the trooper fingered them. According to Nelson, it cost each fisherman $4,350 and all their gear. Welcome to bull trout country, where it pays to read the regulations.

To order a signed copy of Fishing Mount Hood Country, send $24.95 (free S&H) to GLO, PO Box 1364, Bend, OR 97709 or visit www.GaryLewisOutdoors.com.

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46

SPORTSMAN’S NEWS | June 2015

2015 New Video Product Reviews

Lansky Knife Sharpeners

By Dan Kidder Managing Editor

nicks or has been improperly sharpened previously, restoring the proper angle, then finely polish it to a razor edge. hen it comes to keeping your The new and improved clamp has rubblade edge sharp, some people ber grippers to firmly hold the knife blade have the toughest time getting in place and two hand tightening screws so the proper angle on a traditional bench no tools are needed. Evenly spaced holes on stone. To alleviate this problem, the folks both the top and bottom allow easy selection over at Lansky Sharpeners have created the of the proper angle for your desired knife.

Angle Sharpening System.

Simply clamp the knife in the holder, select Utilizing a blade clamp and guide, as the desired grit sharpener, attach the rod, well as a variety of different grit slide the rod through the desired sharpening stones on removable angle hole and slide it against guide rods, the Angle Sharpenthe edge of the knife. The holder ing System provides the correct does all of the work for you. angle each and every time.

The Deluxe Controlled Angle The Angle Sharpening SysSharpening System comes with tem comes in both standard five color-coded sharpeners stone, as well as diamond for Scan this QR Code with your from extra coarse to ultra-fine a faster edge. By using the pro- smart phone to view the and provides a wide range of Sportsman's News YouTube gressively finer grit sharpeners, Channel. Video Available sharpening options. The Deluxe you can repair a blade that has after June 7th.

Diamond Sharpening System

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FlameStower

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aving a recharger that is not talk time on a cell phone for every dependent on the sun to minute of charging time. keep your portable electronThe FlameStower features a foldics running, is lightweight, compact, ing aluminum stand that allows the portable and will work anywhere charging blade to be adjusted for there is a heat source just became a height. When not in use, it folds reality. The FlameStower works by down to 7.75” x 2.25” x 1” and placing its bi-metal blade in any radi- weighs just 10 ounces. Toss it in your ant heat and generates electricity to pack and any time you have fire, you directly power your USB chargeable have a way to charge your GPS, camelectronic device. era, phone, radios or any device that Just insert the blade into charges via a USB port, the coals of your fire or over even on a cloudy day. the flame from your stove, Not only is the fill the collapsible cooling FlameStower a great comtower with water to keep panion for hikers and the electronics from overbackpackers, it is also heating and plug in your piece of mind for emerdevice or storage battery. Scan this QR Code with your gency preparedness, alphone to view the The FlameStower will be- smart lowing you to stay conSportsman's News YouTube gin generating electricity, Channel. Video Available nected during a prolonged on average 2.5-watts and after June 14th. power outage. Because it a maximum of 3-watts of will work day or night, power almost immediately. even over a heat source as small The heat resistant cable will trans- as a candle, it will be able to help fer energy away from the heat source keep you connected when there is into your storage battery or device. no other power.

Just like any other standard USB Check out the FlameStower in the charging source, the FlameStower camping department of your local will generate two minutes worth of Sportsman’s Warehouse.

gives you four sharpeners from extra coarse to fine. Each comes with a bottle of Nathan’s Honing Oil, a specially formulated lubricant for use with Lansky Sharpeners.

In addition to the newly redesigned clamp, two additional accessories are available to make using your Angle Sharpening System even more convenient. The Universal Mount, which lets you set your sharpening system clamp on top of your workbench or other flat surface and the Super C-Clamp mount, which will let you securely clamp the sharpener to a table or bench.

I have used Lansky Sharpeners for more than a decade and rely on them to get my knives razor sharp. People often ask my secret for a sharp knife after feeling the blade and now my secret is known. The Angle Sharpening System from Lansky will keep almost every knife you own in razor sharp condition with a polished edge.

Also check out the Four Rod TurnBox

Sharpening system for your kitchen knives and longer blades. It features two stone rods that can be set into different holes for either a 20 or 25-degree angle, as well a pair of ceramic rods to polish the edge. The rods store right inside the box.

Check them out at your local Sportsman’s Warehouse.

June 2015 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS

47

2015 New Video Product Reviews

Swarovski EL Range Binoculars

S

warovski is definitely a household new EL Range start with the developname and usually the first name ment of the FieldPro package. The new that comes up when you are talk- easy-to-use rotating strap connector with ing about the best optics in the business. a cord adapts perfectly to any movement They are a brand you can count on year using a bayonet catch that enables you to after year. New for 2015 is the launch of fit and switch the carrying strap and accesthe Swarovski EL Range 8x42 and 10x42 sories quickly and silently. The redefined binoculars. pressure point of the new, distinctive The EL Range offers the best combina- measurement button, helps measure the tion of long-range optics and ergonomic range accurately and comfortably even design. The master craftsmanship un- for extremely distanced targets. The EL derlying these binoculars is Range has an internal angleproven by razor-sharp images compensating program which combined with precise range displays the corrected shooting and angle measurement, as distance based on the angle well as their perfectly balanced and distance of the shot. Once weight, allowing you to hold activated, the actual straightthem steady. This great new line distance to the target is dismodel provides all the same Scan this QR Code with your played and just below that, the great benefits of the standard smart phone to view the corrected shooting distance is Sportsman's News YouTube EL binoculars and more.

Channel. Video Available also displayed. This is the perThe improvements to the after June 21st. fect system when combined

with a ballistic turret or etched reticle. The new objective lens and eyepiece covers securely attach, while blending into the overall design of the body of the EL Range better. The result of a more slip resistant design is that it allows easier use of the focusing wheel and diopter adjusting rings.

Maximum stability is now achievable due to the rounded fins and additional thumb depressions, allowing longer observation time with less fatigue to the user.

The EL Range continues to be extremely lightweight and ergonomic, respectively, being the lightest in their class. The EL Range, with its integrated electronics, has a large field of view and impressive light transmission. The SWAROAIM technology allows measurements of key parameters such as angle and range to target as well as the corrected shooting distance.

Having both a top quality set of binoculars and an angle compensating range

Alps Outdoorz Traverse X Pack

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he Sportsman’s News team has been added protection for those high end optics. using the Alps line of packs for sev- Inside the wing pockets are additional eral years now. They have proven pockets to help hold your tripod or shootthemselves time and time again to be ing sticks. The front organizer pocket is extremely dependable, well designed and ideal for holding your calls or other items very affordable. used most often. There are also pockets The new Extreme series of packs has on the waist belt which are good for your taken this brand to the next level. It is a radio, GPS or extra ammo.

2900 cubic inch pack which weighs in The waist belt is designed to accomat a hair over six pounds. It comes with modate a clip style holster, giving you molded foam suspension and extra wide quick access to your handgun. If you like Lycra shoulder straps which provide strapping your bow or rifle to your pack, added comfort when carrying a heavy the drop down pocket on the X Pack is load. The heavy duty waist belt as well as a great feature. It allows a solid base for the load lifters make it easy to adjust your your weapon to rest and the wing pockets load perfectly and will allow you to be second a securing mechanism to insure it comfortable from the beginning of the day doesn’t move. This pack is hydration comuntil the end. The 1680D nylon ballistic patible and has a port to accommodate the fabric is used throughout the largest of valves. The X Pack pack, providing unmatched comes with its own rain cover, strength and Hypalon is used another of its valuable features. at stress points to insure years The built-in stow away meat of service. It has multiple shelf is a great asset when compression straps as well you are successful on your as lower bedding straps. The hunt. The pack comes in two long side pockets will accomseparate color configurations. modate most spotting scopes Scan this QR Code with your For those who love camo, the smart phone to view the and allows quick access when Sportsman's News YouTube Brushed Realtree Xtra HD and needed. These side pockets are Channel. Video Available the Coyote Brown will get the after June 28th. fleece lined which provides job done.

finder all in one package allows the user to eliminate multiple pieces of gear, saving weight and bulkiness. As a guide, being able to keep the target in view and constantly rattle off yardage to the target could be the difference in failure and success.

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SPORTSMAN’S NEWS | June 2015

Digital Edition Only Special Content

Browning Citori 725

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rowning’s Citori 725 is the evolution of John M. Browning’s legendary B25 Superposed, now with the modern performance advantage of a low-profile receiver. The 725 receiver is significantly lower than other Citori 12 gauge receivers, yet the 725 shares the renowned durability of generations of Citori over and unders with the same rugged full-width hinge pin and tapered locking bolt design. With a 725, you get the “one with the gun” feeling you want, with the long lasting durability you expect from a Browning over and under. And the features don’t stop there. The 725 showcases an allnew mechanical trigger (Fire Lite) that offers unmatched feel and lighter pull weights than ever before. Inflex Technology has also been added to make shooting more comfortable. And the new Invector-DS choke system moves to a new level of performance.

The exclusive new Fire Lite Mechanical Trigger is a big part of the Citori 725’s performance package. Unlike an inertia trigger, Fire Lite does not rely on recoil to set the next shot, instead, you get immediate second shot capability.

The innovative design features reduced take up, a crisp break and shorter overtravel.

Improved recoil control and less muz-

zle jump are two of the big benefits of a low profile receiver. There is also the “one with the gun” feeling that makes the shotgun act like an extension of your body. Many over and under shooters prefer a low profile receiver. The lower profile moves the shotgun down and into your body for faster target acquisition and more accurate follow-up shots.

The Browning Invector-DS choke tube system is the biggest leap forward in design since interchangeable choke tubes were introduced. With the Invector-DS, Browning has really done their homework and taken the proven thin wall, muzzle thread choke concept to the next level of shot pattern performance. The exclusive brass alloy band at the base of the tube seals out gas and grit that sneaks between the barrel and tube, making the Invector-DS tubes easy to remove even after extensive shooting. Thin wall construction reduces the flare at the end of the barrel for a sleeker shotgun appearance. Lastly, the

Invector-DS offers the most consistent, reliable tightening of any system ever.

The new Inflex II Technology recoil pad is the next generation of the most recoil absorbing pad available. A softer new material provides even better recoil absorbing performance and is super slippery to prevent snagging on clothing when shouldering. Internal directional deflection construction guides the comb down and away from your cheek for greater shooting comfort and faster, more accurate follow-up shots.

The new low profile receiver makes the Citori 725 feel incredibly balanced in your hands. Put a 725 to the real test by picking one up. The 725 feels light and swings fast. The grip is comfortable and the forearm is narrow and sleek to place your front hand closer to the bore line for superior hand-eye coordination and pointability.

Their barrels are made to handle the punishment of steel shot. Unlike some manufacturers whose guns face an uncertain future after shooting steel, Browning has long been at the forefront of dependable steel shot performance and durability. Their barrels meet the strictest material and construction quality standards.

The barrel blanks are made from rolled and tempered steel bars and are stress relieved to offer exceptional mechanical properties. The barrel blanks are then precision drilled, reamed and honed to exacting specifications.

With proper care, Browning Citori 725 barrels will last a lifetime.

All 725 target shotguns come equipped with the Triple Trigger System, which fine tunes finger-to-trigger length of pull.

Choose a wide checkered, narrow smooth or wide smooth canted trigger shoe.

Unlike other low-profile over and unders, the Citori 725 features a transverse-mounted, full-width tapered locking bolt and full-width hinge pin to

maintain the legendary Browning strength and reliability counted on for generations. The locking bolt engages a full-width tapered recess in the rear barrel lugs. Tapering the bolt and recess allows the bolt to seat deeper, accommodating for wear. Unlike guns with side-mounted trunnions, the 725’s hinge pin extends the full width of the receiver for maximum strength. Like the original Citori, the 725 is engineered to wear in, not out.

Browning was the first manufacturer to recognize the performance advantages of a back-bored barrel and to make it a standard feature on their shotguns. Now they have gone a step further with their Vector Pro lengthened forcing cone. Longer, tapered Vector Pro dimensions minimize shot deformation and maximize pattern uniformity, consistency and density. Back-boring increases bore diameter specifications and decreases friction between the shot cup and the bore to maximize shot pellet velocity and to reduce felt recoil.

Reducing constriction from the forcing cone on the shot column results in fewer deformed pellets for more uniform patterns and keeps more pellets in the central part of the pattern where they’re needed to bag more upland birds, waterfowl and clay targets.

Unique to the 725 Sporting Model • Signature 725 rounded fore arm with subtle palm rest is both comfortable and stylish • Barrel porting assists the shooter by reducing muzzle jump, enabling consistent sight plain and quick follow up shots.

• HiViz Pro-Comp fiber-optic front sight and ivory mid-bead sight for excellent target acquisition even in low-light conditions.

• Five Invector-DS extend choke tubes (Full, Improved Modified, Modified, Improved Cylinder, Skeet) • Beautiful gloss oil finish Grade III/ IV Walnut • Gold accented Engraving

June 2015 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS

Reload And Save!

Get the RCBS® reloading gear you need, and earn cash back! From Jan. 1, 2015 through June 30, 2015, reloaders who purchase $50 of RCBS tools and accessories can receive a $10 rebate, or those who buy $300 in RCBS products can get $50! Purchase must be made Jan. 1, 2015 through June 30, 2015; rebate must be submitted by July 31, 2015.

Available at

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50

SPORTSMAN’S NEWS | June 2015

Digital Edition Only Special Content

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

Planked Salmon

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or those of you who have not tried plank cooking, try this! Plank cooking dates back to the native people of the Pacific Northwest, who grilled salmon over open fires on planks of cedar and alder wood. The plank serves two purposes. The fish does not fall through the grill and the wood smoke flavors the meat. The technique is really easy and there is no mess but a smoldered plank when you are done.

Ingredients

• • • • • • • •

2 Cedar grilling planks 1/ 4 cup pure maple syrup 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard 1 tablespoon grated lemon zest 1/ 4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes 1/ 4 teaspoon sea salt 1/8 teaspoon black pepper 2 pounds skin-on Salmon Fillets

Preparation Method

First of all you need to pre-soak the planks. They need to be soaked at least 2 hours, but overnight is ideal. You can soak them in water, but any type of wine, sake, or apple cider will lend unique flavors to the dish, and is a lot more fun. A glass baking pan is ideal. Lay the planks in the dish and add enough liquid to cover them. Place enough weight on the planks to keep them submerged. A wine bottle works great!

In a small bowl, mix the maple syrup, Dijon mustard, lemon zest, pepper flakes, salt, and pepper.

Place the salmon fillets in a large zip-lock bag and add the maple sauce. Making sure the fish is well coated, remove as much of the air from the bag as possible and seal. Let stand at room temperature as you prepare the grill.

You can use either a gas grill or charcoal. I really

like the charcoal for this as I think it emphasizes the smokiness, and hey, it is just fun to get the plank smoking over hot coals! If you are using gas use the medium high setting. You are aiming for about 400 degrees F. On the charcoal grill, get the coals going, and spread them evenly. Open the top and bottom vents.

Drain the planks and wipe the excess moisture off. Place them on the grill for a few minutes to get them warmed up. Put the Salmon skin side down on the planks and drizzle the remaining sauce over them. If you want to get really fancy, you can add thin slices of an orange or a lemon under the fish.

Cover the grill and cook for 13-15 minutes. Do not flip the Salmon during cooking, it will cook completely on the one side. Resist the temptation to constantly check the fish, as the smoke that builds under the cover and provides the wonderful flavor will escape. The planks will tend to smolder and start to burn on the edges. As long as it doesn’t reach the fish and create an inferno, let it go; it’s all good. If it gets out of hand, tame it down with a spritz of water. Check for doneness by separating the thickest part with a fork slightly. It should still be a touch rare in the center. If you have a meat thermometer you are looking for around 125 degrees F in the center.

You can either remove the fish to a serving tray at this time, or place the planks with the fish still on them in a baking tray and serve them that way. Serve with a side of wild rice and a green salad with vinaigrette. This meal pairs well with white and red wine. My pick would be a creamy Chardonnay for a white, and a nice Pinot Noir for a red. Some exceptional wines to fit the bill are available on my website at www. wildgamewine.com.

June 2015 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS

Jeep Patriot

It’s the lil-off-roader that’s small and affordable.

I

f you’re looking for an affordable, but dated-technology small SUV that has pretty darn good off-road capabilities, you don’t have to look much further than at the Jeep Patriot series. However, if you’re looking for more modern tech features, performance and comfort options, you’re likely to find that Patriot is lacking in a lot of departments.

Having changed little since 2011, and not slated for retirement or a major, major overhaul until 2017 models come out, the Patriot is dated, but surprisingly continues to be an excellent seller for the Jeep folks. For a lot of fans, the Patriot is an inexpensive base model SUV with some very decent off-road capabilities.

In its favor, the little Jeep continues

with some rugged looks and has a traditional off-road boxy body style. With the rooflines not curling in on you like some of the other “jellybean-shaped” vehicles, the Patriot feels roomier inside. New for this year is Jeep’s High Altitude Package that gives the vehicle a power sunroof, power driver’s seat, leather upholstery and 17-inch gray wheels. What any of these new features has to do with High Altitude, escapes us.

Offered in a lineup as the Sport, Altitude, Latitude, and Limited, the base engine for all models with AWD (All-Wheel-Drive) is a 2.4 liter fourcylinder powerplant that is rated to 172 horsepower and 165 pound-feet of torque and is mated to either a 5-speed manual or 6-speed automatic trans.

Fuel economy is rated at 21 mpg city an 27mpg highway. With its 13.5 gallon tank, you’ve got around a 350-mile range. With the 6-speed gearbox, the Patriot 4x4 is rated to deliver 21mpg city and 27 mpg on the highway.

And yes, there are Patriots that are front-wheel drive only (2WD), and with a small 2.0 liter engine… but trust us… you likely do not want to go there.

Even the larger 2.4 liter powerplant is “anemic,” especially when driving at 70-75mph highway speeds or towing much of any load. Our 0-60 mph acceleration runs were a rather sluggish 9.9 seconds. The only areas where the little powerplant is pleasing is in dayto-day city street driving, or when crawling around the back country and off-roading. Here is where the Patriot still shines like a Jeep and shows its true colors as a viable trail-traveler!

Standard AWD or 4x4 system for the Patriot is the Freedom Drive I. It’s an electronic system that responds for needed traction and senses wheelslippage by transferring power from the front to the back wheels as needed.

No driver input is required.

The more aggressive and optional 4x4 package is

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Jeep’s Freedom Drive II (FDII) Off-Road Group that replaces the 6-speed automatic trans with a CVT (continuously Variable Transmission) and a 19:1 crawl ratio to be used on steep grades, and growling along at very slow speeds.

With this package, the vehicle is even better tuned for off-roading, and Jeep includes a Hill Descent Control, more aggressive tires, engine oil cooler, tow hooks, brake lock differential, 140Amp alternator, tow hooks, and skid plates around the fuel tank, transmission and oil pan. As an added bonus, it comes with the wiring and towing package that will enable you to tow up to 2,000 pounds of trailer or boat. With the standard 4x4 package, you’ve got 8.1 inches of ground clearance, and with the optional FDII it increases to 9.1 inches.

Inside the Patriot Latitude with the High Altitude option, niceties include leather upholstery, a power sunroof, power driver’s seat, touchscreen display, remote ignition, tire pressure monitor and a decent sound system.

Dashboard dials and gauges are large, no-nonsense and easy to read.

In the Latitude, you also get heated front seats and a 115 volt connection for plugging in to household-equivalent power. Up front seating for driver and passenger are pretty spacious, and offer good support on the back and backside for taking longer trips. Rear seating in the legroom department is adequate,

but with the addition of reclining rear seats, passengers can make a few adjustments for those longer journeys.

Because the Patriot series from Jeep rates as a small SUV, looks are deceiving when it actually comes to overall cargo carrying capacity. With the rear seats in use, there is a scant 23 cubic feet of storage room. Even when the rear seats are folded down, total cargo area is increased to only 53.5 cubic feet.

Unless you are packing light for your next hunting, camping or fishing adventure, you are going to be glad that you ordered the optional roof rack system to carry overflow gear and larger items on top.

As we said earlier, the Patriot series is in its twilight years and it will be interesting to see what the Jeep-folks do with it in two years. For now, it may not have all the whistles-and-bells, but for those looking for an affordable 4x4 that is designed for outdoorsmen and women who enjoy getting off the-beaten-paths, the little Patriot Latitude will get you away from it all, and back.

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My Black Tail Tale

By Brent Hunt

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his wonderful adventure began one summer day in June 1997 in Chehalis, WA. Summers there are a dream come true for outdoor adventure and my mom and I always enjoy being outside. Mom said, “It is in our DNA”. We are a family of farmers, loggers, fisherman and hunters. That alone is reason to be outdoors most of the year.

The day all this began, mom and I were on our way to town for some garden plants for mom’s garden. We passed a garage sale, which I almost never stop at. We did stop at this one though because I spotted a 1960 Honda 70 trail bike. The small Honda motorbike with little fat wide tires is too small to carry a large person but I am far from large and I knew this bike would do the job I desired. I could visualize me, my rifle, and gear all on the little bike headed to my favorite hunting spot.

Rifle season was just a few months away. That $200 was going to make what I did each year easy.

When hunting season started I loaded up my gear and Honda and headed to my favorite hunting area. I hunted a power line area that was gated off.

You couldn’t take large vehicles in but motorcycles were not frowned upon so long as you stayed on the roads.

For many years prior I walked in and hunted. I covered four to five miles each time I walked in and out. For many years, I packed my animal out, but I was headed uphill to 40 at that time. It’s different when you are headed uphill

to 50. I am still strong and willing but not quite so excited about carrying a 120 pound deer two or three miles up and down hills.

It was dark and cold when I unloaded my bike and started loading my gear. I strapped the tree stand on the back of the bike in a rather precarious fashion, but it would stay if I took it easy. I put all my cold weather gear on. I threw on my backpack and slung my rifle over my shoulder. Off I went with a grin on my face. I thought about the big smile mom would have had on her face if she was there to see me. She loved to hunt but was not able to do much hunting any longer because of her age and health.

I arrived at my destination, unloaded the tree stand, and started my walk into where I would hunt. I had to walk about four hundred yards, locate my tree, and set up my stand. I also had some doe estrus I placed in a semi-circle around my tree. I think back to this moment often and grin while remembering events that followed.

I have a climbing tree stand. I wrapped it around the tree, hooked it together, and attached my two safety ropes. One of the ropes is for my gun and backpack, the other is my safety strap to keep me from hitting the ground when I unwillingly test my ability to hang from the tree stand, which has happened more than once. Alder trees are not ideal for climbing. I got in the tree stand and began to climb. I was up about 12 feet when the bottom of the climber slipped, my feet came out of the stirrups, the bottom of the stand fell out from under me, and there I hung

with my face against the tree. As I had been there before, I had a general idea how to recover from the predicament.

In a few minutes I was back in control and climbing to my destination. Now it is time to bring up my backpack and rifle. Of course that wasn’t easy either.

They hung up on some brush. I had to go back down and free them, climb back up and try again to bring them up.

Ah, finally I was in place, everything

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

secured, rifle loaded, and watching for my opportunity to take my black tail buck.

It couldn’t have been 30 minutes and I heard brush cracking. Peering out into the early morning, straining to determine the direction of the cracking

June 2015 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS

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Digital Edition Only Special Content brush, I spotted movement. The underbrush where I hunted is quite dense and extremely difficult to see through.

Many animals are heard and never seen. I was fortunate. About 30 yards out, sniffing at one of the doe estrus baits I had placed around the tree, was a fine three by three-black tail buck.

What an amazing experience. I have taken other deer in my life but each one is a new and fascinating experience.

Each encounter, successful or not, is an experience I cherish. I raised my Rock Island Arsenal model 1903 30-06 that I had traded my old father-in-law for in 1970, and got Mr. Black Tail in my sights. I took a deep breath, grinned, and as always said to myself, “meat’s in the freezer mom” as I pulled the trigger. I sat back against the tree for a short time and then went down without falling and claimed my prize.

Now I had to get him back to the road where my Honda was. I packed out my climbing stand, backpack and gun and went back for the buck. I had

to drag him to the road. Standing at the road with my heavy cold weather clothes, backpack, gun, tree stand and now the deer, I started to grin and shook my head in wonder. What in the world have I done? You can’t imagine what goes through your mind when you realize you are worse off with the Honda than you were if you had just walked in.

If I had walked in I certainly wouldn’t have brought so much stuff with me.

Well here it is so let’s figure out what to do with all of it.

As a kid, I spent a lot of time playing cowboys and Indians. I usually played the Indian. My Grandmother was Cherokee and French Canadian. She hailed from the Oklahoma Cherokee strip as a child. One of our play days, I tied my sis and cousin to a tree not knowing the tree had a yellow jacket nest under it.

I won’t tell you what happened to my bottom end when mom came to rescue the two cowboys I tied to the tree. Mom promptly stripped the cowboys down, made a mud hole, in the garden and

rolled them both in the mud.

The reason I mentioned playing cowboys and Indians as a kid is because that is how I came up with the answer to my problem of too much stuff to carry on my little Honda. Memory of younger years with my bicycle as a horse carrying my gear behind my bicycle came to mind. I cut two poles about 10 feet long a couple more three feet long and built a carrier to drag behind the bike. I used my safety rope to secure the poles. I tied the carrier to the rack on the back of the bike. I loaded the deer on the carrier, the tree stand on the deer along with my cold weather gear and backpack.

I slung my rifle over my shoulder and climbed on the bike. I was grinning from ear to ear as I started the little bike and hit first gear.

The little bike grunted and the front end came off the ground. Too much weight on the back and my 150 lbs on the seat were not holding the front end down. I leaned over the handlebars as far as I could and tried to move the

little bike again. I made some headway this time. I stayed there as I drove the bike uphill for ¼ mile. Every few yards the front came off the ground. I met a couple hunters walking down the road, I smiled, they gave me a strange look, and I laughed and kept going; and so it went all the way back to the truck. It’s the kind of situation you need to share with someone but there was just me to laugh and thoroughly enjoy every inch of the two- mile trip. When I got back to moms, I shared the story with her. We laughed off and on all day.

I have a few antler mounts on my wall from other memorable hunts but had never had a head mounted. I had this one mounted and it hangs on my study wall. It is truly my trophy and the most fun I have had doing something I live all year waiting to do. The picture under the mount is a hunt in Canada with my very good friends who were kind enough to let me hunt with them when I lived in Canada. That’s another story.

By Dan Kidder Managing Editor

Both feature an 8-foot water hose with an adjustable shower head that has shower, jet, mist, and off settings, so it can be used to clean around camp, bathe, or fill a bucket. They have a 5 and a half-foot long bulk propane tank hose and regulator, so you can use small or large bulk propane tanks or distribution trees. Mounts on the back allow you to hang them on a wall or tree for easy access, and the 5-liter model has a stand to allow it to rest on a table or the ground.

The Triton 5-Liter features a 34,000 BTU/hr burner and will produce 1.5 gallons (5 liters) of warm water per minute or half a gallon of hot water.

On high flow, it will raise the water temperature 38 degrees and on low it will increase the temperature by 102 degrees. The Triton 5L weighs 15 pounds.

The Triton 10-Liter will features a 68,000 BTU/hr burner and will provide 2.6 gallons (10 liters) per hour of warm water at a 41-degree increase and 1.1 gallons (4 liters) per minute with an 84-degree temperature increase. The Triton 10 L weighs 25 pounds.

For general camp use, either Triton will fill the bill or the bucket, but for my uses, going bigger allows me to complete more cleanup chores faster, which means more time sitting around the campfire with a cold beverage. Not only do the Tritons let me have a more en-

joyable camp, but it helps me get those reluctant individuals who may not want to rough it without the amenities of a hot shower to get out into the woods a little more often. And the memories that will help create makes them worth their weight in gold.

Camp Chef Triton Portable Hot Water Heaters

W

hen the apocalypse comes, the thing I will miss the most is a hot shower. It is where I do my thinking, planning, and just relaxing and letting the hot water wash away my stress. Well, so long as I have running water and a propane tank, I will continue to be able to enjoy my hot showers, thanks to the Triton portable water heaters from Camp Chef.

Available in two sizes, a 5-liter and a 10-liter, the Tritons allow you to quickly and easily provide piping hot water to any remote location that has a garden hose capable of generating 25 PSI. And because they have a built-in flow control valve, you don’t have to keep running to the faucet to turn the water on and off. An electric starter uses two D batteries to turn on the burner only when water is flowing, so you can set the water temperature and it will automatically turn on the burner as you need it, so there is no wasted propane running the burner to heat water when it is not needed.

5 Liter

10 Liter

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SPORTSMAN’S NEWS | June 2015