Sportsman's News May 2016 Digital Edition

SportsmansNews.com

May 2016

Volume 12 Issue 5

Spring Bear Hunting At Its Finest

By Mike Deming

I

can hardly wait for the first big game hunts of the year. Being cooped up all winter long with most of the seasons closed really starts to wear on a guy. Sure those first turkey hunts start in the middle of March, but I’ve never really gotten too excited about the bird and if I hear one more person tell me how much it is like elk hunting, I’m gonna smack ‘em upside the head!

I’ve got nothing against turkey hunters or even the sport. I’ve taken my share of them all over the country and have taken my kids after them as well, but there is nothing even remotely similar to chasing a rut crazed, 800 pound brute through several thousand feet of elevation, while he herds a band of cows to the promise land. That moment of truth, when you convince him that continued on page 2

Leupold VX-3i

See what’s hiding in the shadows PAGE 6

Mike Deming (L) and Eric Christensen (R) teamed up in Idaho on Sparky Sparks’ M2D Properties to harvest a huge color phase bear on an over the counter tag.

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May 2016 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS DIGITAL EDITION

SPRING BEARS continued from cover

he left his hottest cow behind and he circles back into bow range, is a feeling only those who have experienced it truly understand. So, I’m sorry if I don’t jump on the bandwagon about how great turkey hunting is. Look at it this way - there is one less guy out in the woods to compete with.

Fortunately for me, spring bear season is just starting to get into full swing about now. So, I have a good alternative to turkey hunting. Blacks, browns, or grizzlies are all animals that truly get my blood boiling. This is probably why I have harvested 34 of them so far in my life. When you are looking to harvest big mature boars (males), chances are that you are hunting an animal that is likely over ten years old. That means he has a lot of hunting seasons under his belt and has gained a ton of experience making it a chess match and you had better bring your “A” game to have a chance. Whether you opt to pursue your bears with spot and stalk tactics

or the use of bait, you will have to do everything right to be successful at harvesting one of these big boys.

First, make sure you check your states regulations on the acceptable methods of hunting them prior to getting a tag. A great majority of the States offer spring bear hunting and there are numerous books on the different tactics. One of the best ways to get your feet wet in the sport is to hire an outfitter. You can glean years of experience in a week’s period of time to help put you way ahead in the bear hunting game.

Since I wasn’t successful in drawing a premium spring bear tag, I decided to look at some options outside of my home state of Utah that offered over the counter opportunities. Idaho is very nearby and offers some very liberal season dates. They also allow baiting with a permit, but due to the distance I would have to travel, I wanted to hire an outfitter. Michael (Sparky) Sparks, who owns M2D Camo Properties, has a huge operation in central Idaho. He is already one of our endorsed outfitters, which

This was the bear we finally harvested after he had given us the slip for numerous days. always means you will have a quality trip, so I figured I would go with what I knew on this one. One phone call to Sparky and he informed me that he was all ramped up for spring bears and had been running a bunch of baits on his private land. He was seeing good numbers of bears on the trail cameras, so we should be in good shape for the season to get me a crack at a trophy-class bear.

Mid-May we arrived at his operation in central Idaho. Sparky had already pulled all the trail camera cards and had them loaded onto his computer to show us what was hitting the baits and was in the area consistently. Since I’m pretty picky on what I want to shoot, we were flying through the hundreds of photos he had. All of a sudden, we came to a screeching halt when I saw

this monster color phase bear. He had that huge blocky boar head and his back was nearly as high as the 55 gallon bait barrel he was attacking. As with most mature bears, he was not having any part of hitting the baits during the daylight hours. He would occasionally make it to the bait with a minute or two of legal shooting light, but would usually come in well after dark. There was also a bigger bear that was totally black with a white patch on his chest that I would consider, but he didn’t have any sort of pattern to his visits at all. The number of younger bears and sows in the area told me that there was a very healthy bear population and that we just might have a shot at tagging a true bruiser. continued on page 5

Sparky was showing us numerous high quality bears suitable to put a tag on. We chose to wait for a chance at the color phase bear.

May 2016 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS DIGITAL EDITION

Words From The Publisher

By Michael Deming

S

pring has definitely sprung here in southern Utah. Our team has been in the field a ton already this year, testing new products and evaluating d i ff e re n t o p e r a t i o n s f o r o u r readers. The turkey hunt has been a huge success for those that have participated and spring bear hunting is just starting to ramp up. We have logged thousands of miles trying to find the mighty brown gold “sheds” which have been dropped by the trophies that gave us the slip last year. Ice-off on many of our reservoirs has been really good as well and the bass spawn is ramping up now.

It seems that there is always something exciting to do in the great outdoors. We sometimes take this for granted since it is what we do for a living, but occasionally we get to let someone from the outside into our inner sanctum for a look at our life, which gives us true perspective.

We just got back from a great west Texas free range Aoudad hunt with one of our lucky winners. We booked this hunt with long time Platinum Approved Outfitter, Steve Jones Backcountry Hunts well over a year ago, which is usually the case with our giveaways. This insures that

we get the very best dates possible and gives us the best chance of success. I seldom get to go on these trips, but occasionally my schedule will allow me to be part of the action. This trip was one of those experiences where it confirmed the vision of the Pro Membership Sweepstakes, giving people a chance to do a trip they never thought possible. It is a pleasure to see a winner like Eric Boley enjoy the trip of a lifetime and make new friends along the way, but it was even better to see how fortunate we are to do what we do for our careers. Our winner spends much of his year in an office where he dreams of the great outdoors. I don’t think there was a single moment during his entire trip that he wasn’t grinning from ear to ear and what’s not to grin about when you are enjoying a trip of a lifetime. It provided me with some true perspective of what we get to do each and every day. We get to work in the great outdoors, but even better yet, we get to share those experiences with many of you.

Some of the new additions to the current Pro Member Sweepstakes giveaways is another trip for two to world famous Tumbleweed Lodge for pheasants in South Dakota. We added a

great semi-auto shotgun from Browning and we finalized the May 30th giveaway for 2017 with another trophy mule deer hunt with J&J Outfitters from northern Utah. These guys have been one of our endorsed outfitters for over ten years now and they consistently deliver some giant muleys. So, we are super excited to have this opportunity once again. Please check out the centerfold spread of this issue to see the next twelve months’ worth of grand prize giveaways.

We will give away 36 grand prizes and over 200 bonus prizes over the next year worth over $300,000. So, make sure you get your opportunity to be like lucky winner Eric Boley.

Many people pick up Sportsman’s News when they are headed to the field where internet and phone service is limited.

In those instances, we are very happy to have your undivided attention. However, we know that many of you spend countless hours looking at your devices. Sportsman’s News is available digitally and we are happy to have you take delivery of our publication that way if you desire. We know that we can save a few trees that way. We are giving away a fishing trip to Tazin Lake Lodge for one person who subscribes digitally as well. This sign up is available at www.sportsmansnews.com and is free.

We have a lot of video product reviews on the docket for 2016 as well. These are full evaluations on some of the newest products to hit the market. If you would like to be notified whenever one of these new videos is loaded to our YouTube channel, please subscribe to sportsmansnewstv on YouTube. You just might win one of our Browning .26 Nosler Long Range rifles later this year.

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WHAT’S INSIDE

3 Words From The Publisher 6 Leupold VX-3i 8 Yakutat Lodge 10 Platinum Approved Outfitters 18 Pro’s Pick: Nosler 48 Tip: Outfitting Your 20 Pro’s Side by Side Member Sweepstakes 24 Pro PacWest Outdoors: Build A 30 Hunting Lodge 32 Fishful Thinker: Rod Pairing 34 Finding Precious Metals 36 Video Product Reviews Directory 44 Business Pro Member Update:

46 Papierski’s Big Game Hunts On A Budget: 48 Adventures South Dakota Shooting Beretta PX4 Storm 52 Under Armour Verge Barebow! Sagas: The 54 Longbow Does It Wild Game Recipe: Wild 57 Turkey Tetrazzini

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 Gary Lewis Chad LaChance Steve Mayer Dennis Dunn Terry Clapp

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May 2016 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS DIGITAL EDITION

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.

Sportsman’s News is published monthly.

The entire content of this newspaper is Copyright 2015 © All rights reserved.

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

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May 2016 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS DIGITAL EDITION

SPRING BEARS continued from page 2

The thing I truly love about bear hunting is that it really isn’t a morning sport. In the 34 bears that I have harvested, only one of them was taken before noon. It is to the point in my hunting of bears that I don’t even spend any time either in the stand or pursuing them until late afternoon, which makes for a lot of down time around camp. Where Sparky’s ranch is, the primary crop is alfalfa and the ranchers absolutely hate the damage ground squirrels do. These ground squirrels provide some great practice for your rimfire rifles and a good way to spend a good portion of the day.

The fishing on the small streams is another great way to spend the day as well.

By three O’clock, it’s time to switch your focus to bruins. I was interested in harvesting the big color phase bear with my bow. So, although I had the rifle along, I would spend the first few days trying to get it done with archery equipment. We had several smaller bears come into the bait, but they were very cautious. I figured the big boar had left his mark in the area and was definitely somebody to be worried about for these lesser bears and sows until the mating season kicked in. We waited until the very last seconds of legal shooting light, but no sign of the big bear.

Days two and three were a lot more of the same. The bait was in a good

area, but since we had been hunting it, the big bear had totally disappeared during daylight hours. He had made one visit late at night, but that was all. I figured that he was coming in very cautious and somehow winding our setup.

On Day 4, we decided to sit back at nearly a half mile away and watch through the spotting scope. If we got lucky enough and he came out early, we would be able to close the gap and get in for a shot before the daylight ran out. Just as the sun was setting, I caught a glimpse of a color phased bear. He got on his hind legs several times and sniffed the air. When he was sure nobody was near the site, he moved into the area. We did our best to get to the bait site prior to running out of legal shooting light, but when we got there, the big boy was long gone. We pulled the trail camera card and it revealed that he had probably heard us and vacated the area. He was a smart bear and had played this game plenty. Sparky kept pulling other trail camera pics and telling us of the other great bears we could go after, but I was now taking this kind of personal and wanted this guy or nothing. I’ve only taken a couple of color phased bears and this one would by far be my biggest if I could connect.

I swallowed my pride and put down my archery tackle. My custom .26 Nosler was going to tip the odds in my favor because I could now sit across the canyon, at just under 450 yards and wait for the big boy to

You don’t have to travel to the midwest to kill good whitetails. This 160-class buck was one of many seen during the season.

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Not only does the Idaho property have great bears, but it also has a good number of elk as well. They run nearly one hundred percent success rate on archery and rifle hunters. make a mistake. We got in position early in the afternoon and settled into a good shooting position. Soon we spotted a nice color phased bear in the sagebrush above us. He was ambling along and headed in the direction of the bait, but not providing any good shot opportunities or any way to truly evaluate his size. It wasn’t until he walked up to the fence that we realized he was a giant and he was also our target bear. His back was above the top wire on the fence and was all I needed to see to get me serious about harvesting this bear.

We scrambled to get into position and get the camera rolling, but by the time we put it all together, he had dropped out of site. We had a long time before dark, so we hoped he would come out by the bait site. We waited for what seemed like forever and we were starting to think we blew our chances. With about fifteen minutes to spare, he came out way below the bait site in the sage brush.

He had totally circled the area to make sure it was safe to approach. I’m sure that he had probably done this same thing when we were in position with my bow and he winded us and took off. He wasn’t aware that he was the one being watched this time. He was going to have no part of getting anywhere near that bait site while it was daylight and the huge sagebrush was providing him some good cover. With a few minutes to spare, he stepped into a small window in the sagebrush and I sent the 127 grain Barnes bullet through both shoulders. He crumbled in his tracks. We high-fived and

celebrated our victory. We had accomplished what we set out to do in harvesting a huge color phase bear.

It took us until well after dark to walk to the kill site and there was no ground shrinkage when we got there.

This bear was well over six and half feet long and had a skull in excess of 19.5”. I would consider this an excellent trophy anywhere, but over the top for an over the counter tag and a trip we planned at the last minute.

Sparky was absolutely right when he told us that he had good bears and lots of ‘em.

Sparky Sparks owns M2D Camo Properties and his Idaho operation is one of the most game rich places I’ve had the pleasure of hunting.

The September archery elk hunting is over the counter as well and since his land is primarily alfalfa fields, they hold the majority of the elk in the area. Having multiple shot opportunities at good six-point bulls is the rule of thumb, regardless of your skill level. Also, whitetail deer are abundant as well as antelope.

Rifle elk are limited draw, but if you are one of the fortunate few who get a chance to hunt this ranch with these limited tags, you are likely to get a crack at a 330-350 bull. The spring bear hunting is pretty darn good as well and a great way to experience what this outfitter has to offer first hand. This ranch is managed for a great experience and availability is limited, so book early to secure your spot. Visit them at M2Dcamoproperties.com or call at 509-499-4861.

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May 2016 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS DIGITAL EDITION

Reinvented for 2016: The Leupold VX-3i

By Dave Domin

I

n today’s world, riflescopes are more advanced than ever. When speaking of riflescope performance, most are judged by their overall light transmission but not all light transmission is equal. It’s not enough to merely have a high percentage of light transmission because most riflescopes are optimized to transmit midday light, when light transmission matters least. This is how so many optics companies can claim such high percentages of light transmission. It is for this reason that Leupold optical engineers worked diligently to redesign one of the greatest scopes of all time into the all new VX-3i.

The VX-3i is built around Leupold’s new Twilight Max Light Management System which balances all available light wavelengths, eliminates glare, and pushes resolution to the limit. Beginning with lead-free lenses, Leupold applies Twilight Max lens coatings.

These coatings optimize the red and blue frequencies of light, those found at the very first and last moments of the day, while maintaining a high transmission of the light at the center of the spectrum, delivering exceptional contrast and low light performance.

These lenses are then topped off with Diamondcoat 2 for the highest level of abrasion resistance. The next step is the elimination of glare. Although not often said, this step actually lowers overall light transmission by removing or absorbing stray light, only transmitting useful light to your eye, creating an improved sight picture.

This is accomplished by first precision machining the VX-3i’s interior and then by blackening the edges of key lenses within the scope.

Leupold engineers didn’t stop at light management on the VX-3i. They began with a one-piece maintube crafted out of aircraft grade aluminum for unrivaled durability. With a large range of magnifications, from 1.5-5x

to the jaw dropping 8.5-25x, 1 inch and 30mm tube diameters, and eight reticle options, this new riflescope will be ideal for virtually any hunting situation. An aggressively redesigned power selector is easy to grasp and turn and allows the shooter to quickly verify the power setting due to larger and brighter numbering. The dual spring, ¼ MOA finger click adjustment system ensures match grade repeatability and strength. Lastly, Leupold purges the scope of all its oxygen and replaces it with their second generation Argon/Krypton gas which more effectively resists thermal shock and ensures a 100% fog proof and waterproof seal.

Select VX-3i riflescopes are equipped with Leupold’s Custom Dial System or CDS. When the CDS is coupled with Leupold’s latest generation of RX rangefinders, shooters are afforded the best possible combination to achieve long range accuracy.

Unlike other systems that use generic ballistics information to generate equally generic drop data, the CDS uses the shooter’s unique ballistics and environmental conditions to calculate true custom drop values that are laser engraved onto the dial.

The first step in getting this done is to determine the best load for the rifle.

Since no two guns will shoot the same load identically, it is important to get the most accurate ballistic data possible. Since the CDS system will be as accurate as the information the shooter supplies to Leupold, loads should be chronographed and the elevation and temperature, +/- 2000 feet and +/- 20 degrees Fahrenheit respectively, should match the intended use area.

Leupold will need the following data, cartridge, bullet type, bullet weight, ballistic coefficient, muzzle velocity, average altitude, average temperature

and sight height. The CDS will have a 100 or 200 yard zero in most cases (determined by the customer), then read in 50 yard increments out to the maximum yardage that can be reached in 14.5 minutes of angle (MOA).

The CDS dial itself is a one turn dial with a built in zero stop. This allows the shooter to come back to zero without looking or counting clicks.

The RX-850i TBR and RX-1200i TBR/W are the perfect companion for the Custom Dial System. Leupold’s latest Digitally eNhanced Accuracy (DNA) rangefinding engine incorporates advanced signal processing techniques to generate longer range capability with more accurate returns. Leupold’s exclusive True Ballistic Range (TBR), and True Ballistic Range/Wind (TBR/W) available on select RX rangefinders truly sets these units apart. TBR links laser ranging, an inclinometer, and an advanced ballistics program to give extremely accurate distance measurements-regardless of the angle at which the laser is fired. TBR/W retains all of the capabilities of TBR with the addition of wind hold values. TBR and TBR/W algorithms were developed by the same engineers who developed Sierra Infinity Exterior Ballistics Software and who helped develop navigation and guidance systems for ICBMs and other missiles with far more demanding trajectory requirements than a hunting bullet. The result is distance measurements accurate to less than a yard, no matter the angle at which the laser is fired. Bullets travel in a ballistic arc, yet conventional range-

finders only provide a linear distance to your target. TBR delivers the ballistic equivalent range to the target, accounting for the effects of inclines or declines on the path of your bullet.

For rifle shooters, the Leupold team has added to the TBR functionality by adding wind hold calculations that will provide a fixed 10 MPH full wind value. Other features that are provided for firearms are outputs that display either MOA adjustments, inches, centimeters, or mils of holdover at that specific distance. TBR eliminates any potentially significant error, and provides a precise range for your aiming calculations. TBR is matched to each of seven firearm ballistics groups, while TBR/W is matched to twenty five, allowing compatibility with today’s most popular cartridges.

When these two state of the art technologies are combined, hunters and shooters are armed with the best possible tools to achieve long range first shot hits.

It took Leupold to bust the myth of “light gathering” optics and turn the conversation to light transmission.

Now prepare to hear a lot more about light management, as the rest of the industry tries to catch up to the new VX-3i. Check out the new Leupold VX-3i at your local Sportsman’s Warehouse today.

May 2016 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS DIGITAL EDITION

Without Twilight Max Light Management System

VX-3i with Twilight Max Light Management System

COUNT THE MINUTES ’TIL DAYLIGHT

OR COUNT TINES

INTRODUCING THE VX®-3i AND THE TWILIGHT MAXTM LIGHT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM. Nothing outperforms the VX-3i in low light. The Twilight Max Light Management System transmits light evenly across the entire visible spectrum and strips out glare that degrades images. Game stands out from any background, in even the deepest shadow. We all get the same amount of daylight, make sure you get the most out of it.

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May 2016 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS DIGITAL EDITION

Silver Is The Color In Yakutat

By Kent Danjanovich Senior Editor

O

K, let’s start this article out with a little daydreaming.

Imagine you and your best fishing buddy loading your gear into your awaiting drift boat, with one of your favorite river guides at the oars, on one of your favorite salmon and steelhead rivers in the world. You hurriedly put your fly rod together and then tie on your favorite articulating leech pattern as your drift on one of the most picturesque rivers imaginable unfolds before your eyes. Your guide gives you the word to make a cast to the slow moving water along some over-hanging willows to your right and with two quick strips of your line, a beautiful silver salmon breaks the silence of the morning and explodes out of the water, awakening you from your trance as you realize you are ‘really’ onto your first fish of the day on the Situk River in Yakutat, Alaska.

This scenario has been played out to perfection every spring or fall for me since 2011 and I hope it does for many years to come. I love to fish for silver salmon, especially with a fly rod and I know of no better place to fulfill my dreams than with Ken Fanning and his staff at his Yakutat Lodge, down the coast from Anchorage in southeast Alaska.

The Yakutat area is unique in the

fact that you have quite a few options to choose from during your visit. And, there are even more options to mull-over when it comes to what species you decide to go after. If you are a steelhead fanatic, late-March clear through the third week in May on the Situk River offers possibly some of the very best fishing you can find anywhere in the world. There aren’t very many destinations that I know of that you can venture after “The Silver Ghost” of fishing and have as good of a chance of landing double-digit numbers on most days during your stay.

Late June brings on the Sockeye run and good numbers can be found until the end of July. Both guided and unguided fishermen have great success along the scenic Situk as they work their way to the many great holding areas along its beautiful banks. Fly fishermen and spincasters never seem to have a problem filling their limits. Just make sure you have plenty of line on your spools and a lot of backing on your fly reels!

Now if you need a little break from the non-stop river action, Yakutat Bay offers some of the very best ocean fishing found anywhere in Alaska. Even though kings are not allowed to be fished for in the river system, they are available in the salt. And as the summer progresses, silver salmon fishing can

The ‘Spruce Hole’ produced big numbers of silvers on Day 1 of our trip to the Italio River.

Big silver salmon ‘On the Fly’ is the reason I go to Yakutat every fall. be pretty good too. All the while, filled out our form, Deb filled us in giant halibut, lingcod and rock fish on everything we needed to know are abundant throughout the area about our stay and our fishing and the display rack at the dock as schedule for the next four days; Day you unload your gear at the end of 1 Italio River fly out, Day’s 2 and 3 your day seems to always have a Situk floats and Day 4 a return trip to group of fishermen taking photo the Italio. After a great meal, Aaron after photo of their catch. and Tommy stopped in to tell us to And finally we come to my fa- meet them at the office at 8am the vorite time of the year, August and next morning for the fly out and we September and to be honest, the then jumped in our van and headed farther into September I can do it, to our cabins ‘On the Bay’, a short the happier I am. The crowds are drive from the airport to unload our down a little, the fish are plentiful gear and relax for the evening before and BIG and I just really can’t think our first day of fishing. of a more fitting ending to my sumThere was no need to set an alarm mer than spending time on some of as all of us were up and ready to my favorite waters in all of Alaska. go by 6:30am. Breakfast made to This past September 19th – 23rd order was awaiting us and then found myself and three of my best our groups time finally arrived as fishing buddies (my brother Bruce we loaded our gear into the awaitDanjanovich, Steve Allen and Dr. ing Cessna and in a blink of an eye, Jeff Smith) in Yakutat to again we were off to the Italio, a short 15 partake of some of the best silver minutes away. salmon fishing known to man.

The weather was a little dicey this Longtime lodge guides, Aaron morning, not unusual for Yakutat, Shook and Tommy Stahley, met us one of the wettest places in the U.S., at the baggage claim and loaded our with over 240 days of rain each year. luggage into our awaiting van as we But, Kip Fanning had no problems made our way over to the office and handling the situation and soon had restaurant to check-in. us touching down on the beach next Yakutat Jack himself, Ken Fan- to the Italio River. ning, welcomed us at the door and Bruce was literally ‘giddy’ with after a few introductions, instructed excitement as he filled Steve and Jeff us to head over to a table and or- in on exactly what they had in store der some dinner. A few minutes during our next six hours. We all later, his longtime manager, Deb- grabbed our gear and headed to the bie, strolled up to our table, license ‘spruce hole’ about a ¼ mile up river. forms in hand and again welcomed continued on page 14 us all to the lodge. As each of us

May 2016 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS DIGITAL EDITION

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May 2016 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS DIGITAL EDITION

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UTAH FISHING & HUNTING

YAKUTAT

continued from page 8

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As we arrived, Aaron and Tommy were bringing a group out already with their limits. Since they were spincasters, they had decided to get in, catch their fish and get out since the rain was coming down pretty good. We didn’t mind a bit as that would leave us with one of the best stretches on the river all to ourselves – at least for a little while anyway!

Tommy told us that he would be back as soon as they loaded the other group and their fish on the plane, but in the meantime, black and white Dolly Lamas had been hot as far as a fly choice. He then looked over at me and said, “But I am sure, Kent, that you will just be throwing on your usual pink bunny leech”. And of course, he was right.

the other boat would be throwing jigs with spincasters. Now for those of you that haven’t fished the Situk, both of these methods can be deadly, with really the determining factors being your accuracy and confidence with whichever you choose. But, it is usually best if both fishermen in the boat us the same technique to avoid timing problems.

One thing that you will quickly find out about silver salmon is that they are what you would call a little lazy. They will almost always follow the path of least resistance as they work their way up the river system to their spawning grounds. Because of this, your guide will have you casting to some awkward spots at times, over fallen trees, under overhanging willows and even drifting under submerged obstacles, so losing a few flies or jigs is pretty com-

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Dr. Jeff Smith, Bruce Danjanovich and Steve Allen with a limit of silvers on their last day on the Italio River.

By the time he returned, we had each landed a half a dozen fish and three of us had another one on. A group of fishermen from Texas that were also staying at the lodge soon joined us and the excitement was literally non-stop with more hoots and hollers from grown men being heard throughout the rest of the day, that we never did have to worry too much about having a visit from any of the four-legged brown furry residents of the area.

Days two and three found us drifting down the Situk River, with Dr. Smith and I being guided by Tommy and Bruce and Steve with Aaron. We would be using our fly rods, while

mon. But, believe me, one thing you always need to remember is, “ALWAYS LISTEN TO YOUR GUIDE”!

Now some days you will run into a lot of boats on the river. The Situk is such that you can choose to use the services of a guide (which I highly recommend) or you can float it on your own. The package that you choose through the Yakutat Lodge can reflect whichever you are comfortable with or even a combination of both. Other days, unbelievably you will hardly see another boat on the river. Now some of this depends on how early you get started, so it is continued on page 16

May 2016 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS DIGITAL EDITION

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May 2016 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS DIGITAL EDITION

YAKUTAT

continued from page 14 better to be on the river early, but even if you are not, you will find that different techniques used under the same conditions will result in different outcomes. Just because a boat didn’t catch many fish in a great hole with jigs, doesn’t necessarily mean that a fly fisherman, with the right presentation can’t do quite well in that same spot.

And you will see this play out on every trip you make down the Situk, I promise.

One thing to remember when fishing the Situk, is to use a little bit heavier jigs and quite heavy flies as well. Dolly Lamas, especially ones with white in them as well as plenty of flash, seem to get the job done much better. The flows on the Situk can vary greatly from day to day with the amount of rain that can be received, so many times standard barbell weighted flies won’t be able to get you into the ‘zone’ in many areas.

Most of your fishing will be done from the drift boat, but if flows are low, you will also be able to wade many of the sand and grass bars and cast to back eddy’s and pools.

Our last day again found us flying out to the Italio River, but this time we were greeted with bluebird skies and very light winds.

Kip landed us farther down the beach this time, about twice as far from the Spruce Hole as before.

Our friends from Texas were fish-

ing a stretch only a short distance from the plane, so we decided to walk over and see how they were doing.

As we walked up, three of their seven were hooked into fish, so our answer on how the fishing was didn’t even need to be addressed.

They invited us to join them and we each slide into a place along a slow bend in the river. The tide was just cresting and big numbers of fish could be seen working their way up the current, through the silty colored water.

During the next hour, at times, nearly every one of us could be seen with a fish on. Most were using fly rods, but a few would change over to spincast from time to time just as a change of pace.

As the tide started to head out, I noticed that the channel started to reveal itself a little bit more and soon I found myself working my way up river a hundred yards or so in search of another ‘honey hole’.

At the next major turn in the river, I found the spot. Hundreds of silvers were pooled and waves of hundreds more could be seen working their way up. I motioned to the group that I had found another great spot and three or four started to work in my direction.

My first three casts produced three big, bright silvers on a pink bunny leech (of course). I then noticed that fish were starting to ‘fin’ in a calm pool to my left. I quickly changed over from my

A ‘Cabin on the Bay’ and rented vehicle are standard equipment at the Yakutat Lodge.

Another happy group of fishermen display their catch after a saltwater trip. sink-tip to my floating line and tied on a foam popper and made a cast to a cruising fish. BAM – one strip and the fight was on! Now as much as I like stripping a fly with sinking line for silvers, there is just something special when it comes to catching one on top-water. The next half hour produced a half a dozen top-water landings and as the bite slowed somewhat with the receding tide, I quickly found myself reverting to my sink-tip and then again joining the rest of the group in hooking into fish after fish until the hands on my watch reached 2pm and our plane could be seen in the distance.

Well, as you can see, you could say that we had another pretty good trip to the Yakutat Lodge.

In all, I would say that I, myself, landed well over 200 silvers during our four day stay. In fact, I have to confess that by the end of the trip, my arms and wrists were just about worn out (I never thought that I would ever say that). I truly can’t say enough good things about the Yakutat area and Ken Fanning and his Yakutat Lodge. I plan on visiting again for steelhead in May and I am sure that we will have a group for silvers again in September as well.

When I walked in the door at the lodge at the start of our trip, Ken said to me, “Welcome Home” and believe me - that is just the way I feel every time I return. The Yakutat Lodge 800-907-784-3232, www. fish@yakutatlodge.com.

Kent Danjanovich and Dr. Jeff Smith are all smiles as they display two nice silvers on the Situk River.

May 2016 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS DIGITAL EDITION

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May 2016 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS DIGITAL EDITION

Nosler Model 48 Liberty Rifle

By Mike Deming

O

wning a rifle that shoots Sub-MOA (1” groups at 100 yards) was once reserved for those custom rifle owners who had deep pockets or the guys who reloaded religiously and had the time to find that sweet spot. Occasionally, a person would get lucky and get a factory gun that would shoot lights out and when they did, they would never get rid of it.

Thanks to Nosler and the Model 48 Liberty rifle, everyday shooters without the deep pockets can now own a rifle that shoots consistent MOA groups with factory ammo and have a guarantee behind it.

Nosler has been a household name for well over half a century due to their great bullets. They have been building rifles to test these bullets for quite some time now as well. In 2005, they started delivering custom rifles of the highest quality to consumers.

This has yielded them numerous awards and accolades from the outdoor industry and now in 2016, they are producing production rifles with the same high quality standards.

Production rifles are done in small batches to bring costs down, while still delivering high quality. The Model 48 Liberty comes in numerous calibers from the .22-250 all the way out to the .35 Whelen, but their most wellknown calibers and cartridges that are setting the world on

fire are the .26 Nosler, .28 Nosler and .30 Nosler, which are all powerhouse cartridges capable of taking down anything North America has to hunt. Each rifle comes with a Model 48 custom action, which is contoured to accommodate any standard 2-piece scope base that would otherwise fit a Remington 700 rifle. It has a custom hand-tuned trigger set at 3 to 4 pounds, a This three-shot group was taken at 1,000 side mounted rocker yards with Nosler factory ammunition. safety, and every action is proof tested to ensure it can handle overpressure Nosler Ammunition.

Nearly six months ago, I picked if it ever happens.

Barrels are premium, hand- up my first Liberty 48 rifle, chamlapped, match grade with a target bered in .28 Nosler. After mountcrown. Stocks are an aramid fiber ing a Leupold VX-6 in 3-18X50 reinforced composite that are both with Firedot reticle on it with lightweight and extremely dura- Talley 2 piece rings, it was time ble. An aluminum core provides to see how this thing would pera consistent foundation for the form. Since this caliber is fairly action. It has a glass aluminum new, the ammunition is somewhat pillar bedding. Each rifle is fin- limited. However, there were ished with a Cerakote all-weather several boxes of Nosler Trophy finish that will last for years. One Grade ammo loaded with 160 of the most important aspects of grain Accubond bullets on the each rifle is that is has an MOA accontinued on page 45 curacy guarantee with prescribed

A 30-inch audoad is the first animal to fall to the .28 Nosler for the Sportsman’s News team, connecting at 525 yards.

May 2016 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS DIGITAL EDITION

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May 2016 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS DIGITAL EDITION

Outfitting Your Side By Side

By Dan Kidder Managing Editor

L

ast September, I took a 500-mile, 5-day trail ride at the Rocky Mountain ATC/UTV Jamboree in Richfield, Utah in a Yamaha Wolverine. It was a blast, and I am anticipating doing it again.

During this outing, decked out in a state-of-the-art side by side, I discovered a few things that would have made my ride a bit easier and enjoyable. Here are a few accessories at Sportsman’s Warehouse that will make your side by side a real off-road warrior.

Classic Accessories UTV Roll Cage Organizer Black One shortcoming of many of the side-by side UTVs is adequate storage for all of the items you may wish to carry with you. Classic accessories provides a roll cage organizer to stow away all of that essential gear. Made of heavy-duty

UV-resistant ProtekX Extreme fabric shell with PVC backing, this organizer features scratch proof pockets for optics, and a ton of easy access pouches for everything from tool kits, first aid, tire repair products, and much more. It easily attaches to the roll cage of your UTV and can also be easily removed to safely lock up your gear in the truck when not in use on your side by side. It is water resistant and will stand up to serious abuse.

Classic Accessories UTV Storage Cover Olive For those times when you aren’t driving your side by side, this cover from Classic Accessories keeps out the elements and protects your seats and console from inclement weather.

Featuring an elastic draw cord in the base, it easily slips over your vehicle and locks in place. Two air vents prevent ballooning of the cover. It is made of the same UV resistant ProtekX fabric, so it will withstand even the fiercest of dust storms.

Pro’s Tips Kolpin Boottector Bracket and Gun Boot 6.0 Transport If you plan to use your side by side for hunting, having the means to carry your favorite long gun is a must. The Boottector mounting bracket from

Kolpin gives you the ability to place your favorite rifle case, mounted to the frame of your vehicle, snugly inside and secure it with either the included pins or a padlock. This frees up valuable cabin space for passengers. It comes with a versatile mounting plate, allowing it to be screwed to a wide range of continued on page 22

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May 2016 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS DIGITAL EDITION

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May 2016 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS DIGITAL EDITION

SIDE BY SIDE

continued from page 20 UTV models and the angle adjustment means that it can be adapted to ride the way you want it for easy access.

To carry that long gun in the Boottector, you need an appropriate gun case. I went with the 6.0 Gun Boot because it is very roomy, allowing a wider selection of rifles and shotguns, up to 51-inches in length, and even accommodates those rifles with scopes. It has a hinged and lockable back cap, as well as a soft internal pouch to protect your gun from bouncing around inside. It is airline and TSA approved for transporting a gun.

Slime Power Sport Tire Inflator and Slime 24oz Tire Sealant If you ride the trails long enough, you will eventually come across a nail left behind by an inconsiderate burner of pallets, or even puncture a tire on a sharp rock. Having the means to repair a flat can help avoid a long hike back to the truck. Slime makes a Power Sport Tire Inflator with a variety of power manage-

ment options. It can be pre-wired directly to the UTV battery and stowed away until needed by plugging into the cable adaptor. Other options let you power it via 12-volt auxiliary power plug or alligator clamps. If the tire only has a small puncture, you can fill it with Slime Tire Sealant, re-inflate, and get back on the trail. The 24-ounce Slime sealant is plenty to repair your ATV tire to make it back to the trailer.

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ATV TEK Clearview UTV Center Mirror and UTV Mirrors One feature I was missing on my stock side by side was mirrors. When riding alone, being able to see behind you isn’t that big of a deal, but on a long ride with dozens of other ATVs and UTVs behind and in front of you, knowing where the other riders are located can be a big help and save your neck a lot of craning and aching. The Clearview UTV Center Mirror easily camps onto the roll cage providing you with a standard rearview mirror in the cab.

The side mirrors clamp to the horizontal supports providing standard side mirror features. The mirror is equipped with breakaway technology that allows the mirror to fold in on tight trails

and tight trailers.

The spring tensioning ball joint allows 360 degrees of rotation and 15 degrees of tilt. It can be mounted to both the left and right side of the UTV and adjust four different ways for perfect mirror orientation. The rubberized seal, ball mount and in-line vibration isolator substantially reduces vibration.

Rotopax Fuel Pack and Water Pack Being able to carry some spare fuel in your side by side gives you the ability to extend your trip a bit further than you would normally be able to go, and still have plenty to make it back to your trailer. Even though the fuel tank on your UTV should be ample for more than 100 miles of off-roading, it is always nice to have the assurance of a reserve. The same goes for water if you are heading out into the desert. Trying to strap down continued on page 26

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SIDE BY SIDE

continued from page 22

a standard fuel tank is a nightmare on bumpy terrain. They bounce around, come undone, and leak like crazy.

Rotopax uses a center mounting hole and a heavy-duty rotating bracket to secure your tanks. The tanks are fairly flat and made of a heavy rotomolded three layer plastic and feature a gasket

seal to prevent leakage. They are EPA and CARB compliant for use in the US and Canada. The tanks can be stacked on top of each other or slide together to create a double tank.

Rotopax Single or Double Mounting Plates To securely mount your Rotopax, you will need to install either the single or double mounting plate. These plates come with a variety of pre-drilled attachment holes and various bolts and fasteners to fit a wide variety of UTVs and give you several placement options. The single mounting plate can hold a single tank or, by using the extender, can hold two 2-gallon tanks stacked on top of each other. The double mounting bracket will hold a double wide 4-gallon tank or by snapping together two 2-gallon tanks, you can attach them side by side.

ment with a cheap strap can cost you thousands of dollars if they fail. ShockStrap are made of polyester, which is mold, mildew, and rot resistant; has a higher working load; and stretches and frays less than nylon. ShockStrap features shock absorbing technology to keep the strap under constant tension. The ShockStraps are resistant to UV rays, oils, salt, and corrosion. They stretch to absorb bumps that can work regular straps loose under normal use.

The super ratchet has an oversized external ratcheting handle for use with gloves. Double steel hooks on the ends and soft loops to allow the strap to be wrapped and hooked on itself, providing versatility in attachment. Both the hooks and ratchet are coated in yellow zinc, which lasts longer than chrome and protects against rust and corro-

sion. The straps have a working load of 1,553 pounds and a breaking strength of 4,600 pounds. They are available in lengths of 9 feet, 18 feet, and 32 feet.

Liberty Mountain Topographic Map Bandanas Eating dust on the trail, especially if you have several vehicles in front of you, is inevitable. Most of the masks made especially for ATV/UTV riding that I tested, don’t fit properly and you are constantly fussing with them. A good old fashioned bandana seemed to work best at cutting the amount of dust I was eating. One bandana that

ShockStrap Ratcheting Tie Downs If you are hauling expensive equipment or gear, protecting your investwww.brockshuntincabins.com

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SIDE BY SIDE

continued from page 26 is great for those riding in National Parks, is the collection of topographic maps from Liberty mountain. Not only will the 100 percent natural cotton help keep out the dust, but they are printed with detailed topographic maps of various national parks, so in a pinch, they could help keep you from getting lost. Besides, bandanas have a multitude of uses from bandaging an injury to pre-filtering water, to starting fires, as well as keeping the grit out of your mouth.

Raider MX Premium Goggles Kit Black To help keep the dust of your eyes, I suggest a full pair of wrap-around

style goggles with a decent seal. The MX goggles from Raider provide a high-density foam seal with vented frames and anti-fog lenses to help prevent fogging. The wider anti-slip strap helps prevent them from slipping off your head or helmet. The double loop strap adjustment insures they will have enough adjustment to fit most heads, with or without a helmet.

Raider Wildfire MX Helmet Speaking of helmets, it is not required for many of the jamborees that you wear a helmet, but it is still a great idea. The Raider Wildfire helmet features removable and washable cheek inserts and comfort liner. Adjustable airflow scoops let you control the amount of air that enters the helmet to

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help cool it in warmer weather. Goggle strap channels help align your goggles and prevent them from slipping. It is DOT approved and made of a rugged yet lightweight thermoplastic shell.

It comes with a removable sun visor and a roomy full-face mouth protector.

Garmin VIRB Action Camera To capture your adventure, consider a quality action camera with HD recording capability and a long battery life. The Garmin VIRB offers a 16-megapixel CMOS image processor, true 1080p HD video recording and a just over an inch and a half of Chroma display. This technology offers the user quick feed back and the highest quality video to capture every moment of a great adventure. VIRB offers a long life battery allowing up to 3 hours of recording at 1080p which will give you enough time to record any great outdoor adventure you have planned.

The VIRB is easy to use with its large instant record slider switch so you can use your camera with gloves for year round use. VIRB has a built in digital stabilization technology called Lens

Distortion Correction (LDC) so that your videos will play back smoother.

VIRB Elite has a built in WiFi for wireless communication to your computer and smartphone. WiFi gives you control of the camera by giving you the ability to preview images, control playback, adjust the settings and take still photos from your phone and is compatible with both Android and iPhone mobile applications. VIRB is rugged, durable and waterproof (IPX7) making it the only option for any outdoor enthusiast. Additionally, the VIRB will pair with a wide variety of Garmin GPS devices to allow you to control the camera remotely with your GPS.

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May 2016 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS DIGITAL EDITION

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The full line of new Yamaha ATVs & SxS vehicles.

Serious about hunting? Time to get serious about the off-road vehicle you trust to get you there and back. Yamaha ATVs and Side-by-Sides are proven Real World Tough™ in the harshest, most ® ® rugged terrain. All boast class-leading features like On-Command 4WD and Ultramatic , the industry’s most durable transmission. Choose from the top-selling new Grizzly and Kodiak 700 ATVs starting at just $6,999*, or maybe an ultra-versatile Wolverine, Viking or Viking VI Sideby-Side is more your style. Either way you’re getting the most advanced, reliable, rock-solid hunting vehicle money can buy. Learn more at YamahaOutdoors.com.

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For your nearest Pro Yamaha dealer and to learn more about the full line of Yamaha ATVs and Side-by-Sides, visit YamahaOutdoors.com *Kodiak 700 model starts at just $6,999. Kodiak 700 EPS shown, $8,199 MSRP. Manufacturer’s suggested retail price. Prices may vary due to supply, freight, etc. Actual prices set by the dealer. Product and specifications subject to change without notice. ATVs shown are recommended for use only by riders age 16 years and older. Yamaha recommends that all ATV riders take an approved training course. For safety and training information, see your dealer or call the ATV Safety Institute at 1-800-887-2887. ATVs can be hazardous to operate. For your safety: Always avoid paved surfaces. Never ride on public roads. Always wear a helmet, eye protection and protective clothing; never carry passengers; never engage in stunt riding; riding and alcohol/drugs don’t mix; avoid excessive speed; and be particularly careful on difficult terrain. · For Side-by-Sides: Always protect the environment and wear your seat belt, helmet, eye protection and protective clothing. Read the owner’s manual and product warning labels before operation. · Specifications subject to change without notice. Professional riders depicted on a closed course. Models shown with optional Genuine Yamaha Accessories. ©2016 Yamaha Motor Corporation. U.S.A. All rights reserved.

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May 2016 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS DIGITAL EDITION

How To Build A Hunting Lodge

How three families turned bare land and their dreams into family businesses.

By Gary Lewis

O

ut on an old farm in eastern Oregon, you can still see the kit house Phil Carlson’s great uncle and aunt built from a Sears & Roebuck package in 1908.

Last roofed in 1948, the house still stands.

The Carlson place has been in the family for well over a hundred years. Phil Carlson wanted to keep it that way. That’s why, in 1987, he started a bird hunting operation he called TREO Ranches.

Ten years ago, on the eastern edge of Idaho, Jeff and Alana Lerwill broke ground to build a palatial lodge - a place where every hunter Photo by Gary Lewis

Brian Bachman (right) and Tony Collins talk strategy on the first day of the hunt.

would feel at home. Here, on what is some of the best big game habitat in the Rockies, they built their dream.

They called it Rocky Mountain Elk Ranch.

Thirty-some years ago, Brian Bachman took his first clients on a bear hunt in the Superior National Forest. Then he bought a small acreage, with spacious log cabin and several outbuildings. His dream was to carve out an operation on the land he loved and share the experience with clients from all over the world.

What each of these enterprises have in common are owners with a desire to build a family business and an uncommon love for the land and wildlife.

Arrowhead Wilderness Outfitters A small property and a lodge on the edge of a national forest “I started guiding bear hunts because I really liked to do it.” Brian Bachman went into business in the early 1980s. As his reputation spread, he realized he had to get serious about it.

“I didn’t charge people at first, but then it got pretty expensive and my friends didn’t want to give me any money.”

The forest on the western shore of Lake Superior is dense and rich with the kind of game that Bachman loved to hunt. Black bear and wolves are there in high numbers.

After a few years of learning the land, he began to develop a system that paid off with large numbers of black bears hitting his baits. And, when the state allows it, Bachman guides for wolf hunts as well.

For Brian Bachman and his wife, Cynthia, it is a simple philosophy.

They combine basic good business sense with the attitude they want to serve clients with the best experience they can deliver.

“In my mind, I’m selling an outdoor experience,” Bachman said.

“Everything I can control, I want to do the best at: the food, the hospitality. And I try to educate them along the way. If people have questions, I’m there to answer.”

It’s that attitude that left his clients wanting to hunt more seasons with him. In the early ‘90s, Bachman

Photo by Gary Lewis

This bear was taken on an evening hunt. Staff at Arrowhead Wilderness Outfitters retrieved the bear, skinned it and prepared the meat for shipping. AWO arranges everything from help with the tag application process to meat shipping and taxidermy. From left to right: Ray Crow, Paige Bachman, Gary Lewis and Brian Bachman. expanded his operation to include whitetail deer and turkey hunts in Kansas, as well as alligator and hog hunts in Florida. Even with this wide range of experience, his clients think of him as a North Woods bear guide first.

For the first 15 years, he camped or rented a house on the edge of the forest. In the year 2000 he bought a lodge on a piece of property only a few miles away from his closest bait sites in the Lake Superior National Forest.

I hunted with Bachman for the first time in 2015 and was struck by how many people in camp were repeat customers. Demand is so high, clients plan their hunts three and four years in advance. Clients and friends come for the camaraderie, to be able to be a part of the experience, even though they might not have bear tags themselves.

Ray Crow is one such customer.

He has hunted with Bachman for the last 13 years. When he doesn’t have a tag, he comes back to help, to set baits and guide clients.

“My people are really pretty diverse,” Bachman said. “They are millionaires and regular people that save nickels and dimes all year long, just to go bear hunting. I treat them

all the same.”

TREO Ranches A family farm turned into a sportsman’s destination Phil and Kathy Carlson founded TREO Ranches in 1987, on ground that had been in the Carlson family since the late 1800s.

“We were in wheat and cattle,” Carlson said. “In 1986, the government came out with the Conservation Reserve Program and that destroyed our wheat and cattle operation. We needed to find something else to do. It was almost like we were retired.” Carlson was 31 at the time.

In February of 1987, Oregon State University put on a seminar on alternative ways to make money on the land. They suggested guiding for elk hunters and deer hunters. “For us it was bird hunting,” Carlson said.

“It’s not like I’m some sort of genius, it wasn’t my idea, I just ran with it.”

“We started off with no plan, thinking let’s just throw this out to people and see what would happen.

After the first year we almost closed it down. But there was one group from Tillamook that kept coming back. They told us we were doing a great job.”

The rest of the family didn’t think

May 2016 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS DIGITAL EDITION

Photo by Gary Lewis

Phil Carlson (left) with Ben Brown and Gary Lewis. Carlson’s vision was to create a special place that hunters would want to return to again and again. He says the key to his success is the family focus on hospitality. Carlson’s timing was good. In the 1980s, pheasant hunting opportunities had declined on state owned land. A new system implemented by the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife allowed landowners to establish licensed preserves where landowners raise their own birds and turn them out into suitable habitat. it would work. The neighbors didn’t said. “When you sign up for a TREO think it would work. hunt, you get the whole experience “Finally I just quit talking to peo- with no worries, no fussing, no ple. So many things almost closed add-ons.” us down at the very beginning, but TREO’s pricing is simple and allI just kept pushing and pushing.” inclusive. After check-in, the huntOn a hunt last October, Phil Carl- ers sharpen up on a sporting clays son walked alongside and I listened course. I was part of a corporate to his story as we worked down a group that consisted of about 15 canyon. hunters, many of whom had never “We’re selling hospitality,” he hunted birds before.

Photo by Gary Lewis

Mike Taylor and Kent Taylor and the trophy elk taken with a family heirloom rifle.

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We shot nine or ten stations and I personContact Information ally burned through 130 rounds on some Arrowhead Wilderness Outfitters of the most chalBrainerd, Minnesota lenging targets I’ve Brian Bachman, 218-330-1353 encountered. After http://www.ahwoutfitters.com/ chukar soup and appetizers, we sat down Rocky Mountain Elk Ranch to a steak dinner. AfNewdale, Idaho ter that it was beer, Jeff and Alana Lerwill , 208-351-7301 pool and football on http://www.rockymountainelkranch.net/ the big screen and then early to bed.

TREO Ranches I expected plenty Heppner, Oregon of birds and that’s Phil Carlson, 541-676-5840 what we got . We http://treoranches.com/ hunted pheasants in the canyons and chukar in the rimrocks. Instead of rewarding employees. Perhaps sending us home with our birds, ten percent of their clients are Carlson boxed up chukar and individuals and smaller groups pheasant soups and pot pies to who return again and again besend home, complete with cook- cause they know they can expect a first-class experience hunting ing instructions.

The Carlsons have built their that family farm in the wide open business selling hospitality. Most country. of their customers are corporacontinued on page 39 tions, entertaining customers and

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May 2016 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS DIGITAL EDITION

Rod Pairing

Chad LaChance

H

ere at La Cueva del Fishful, we get lots of questions about tackle. Some are vague, some specific and I try to answer each of them with as much detail as the original question posed. If a guy emails asking “what is your favorite rod?”

I send a general answer like “a 6’6” medium power spinning rod” because to elaborate more than that would have no real value; the asker didn’t provide enough information for me to add anything

specific anyway. Beyond fishing, I have no idea what he actually wants to use it for.

The questions that sound something like “what is your favorite rod for crankbait fishing” or “you always fish Gulp! Minnows. What set-up do you use for them?” get very specific answers; those people are thinking about their fishing differently altogether than the “what is your favorite rod” guy.

Given that my nickname is the Fishful Thinker, it stands to reason that I think long and hard about most fishing decisions, including tackle selection.

Now, before somebody gets mad, I’m no way, shape or form mocking the general question guy. The beauty of fishing is that we can enjoy it regardless of how seriously we take it and besides, I know folks that fish several times a week, usually catch fish and always fish the same rod, reel and line regardless of the species or location. They have as much fun as I do and spend less money too.

Fish however you want, but for those of us that do see value in the details, let’s look at how I pair

rods, reels and lines for some common multi-species artificial lure presentations. In short, I always consider what tackle characteristics the technique benefits from, then choose the rod, line, and reel, in that order.

I think all serious anglers should be comfy with a finesse jig. I say that because it is the most universal technique there is. Therefore, it stands to reason that the combo used for that should be well thought out. Finesse jigging means jigs in the 1/16-1/4oz range, precise presentations and subtle bites.

That all adds up to a rod needing to be very accurate with the light weights and exceptionally sensitive. The line also needs to handle light weights without overpowering and therefore deadening the action on the jig, needs to let the jig sink easily and needs to be abrasion resistant because it’s often in contact with rock, etc. The reel needs a smooth drag to protect the light line, a large diameter spool and needs to be light in weight to balance with the rod.

Sooo, my finesse jig set-up is my best overall combo; a 6’10” medium-light power, extra fast action St Croix Legend Elite rod, 6# Trilene 100% Fluorocarbon XL, and an Abu Garcia Revo MGX 30 reel. The whole set-up weighs less than 10oz. The rod is exceptional; perfect power for an 1/8oz jig, long enough for distance and control yet short and fast enough for accuracy, so sensitive that I have total control of the jig at all times and with enough power to handle anything I may fool with it. The reel is equally fantastic; light and smooth beyond compare, excellent drag function even on hooksets and with a spool large enough to help the fluorocarbon handle well (fluorocarbon hates the tight wraps of small spools!). Trilene Fluorocarbon XL is more suppler than most fluoro and is designed for spinning reels. It resists abrasion well, holds knots very well, sinks to help the jig get down as well as maintaining a straighter continued on page 44

May 2016 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS DIGITAL EDITION

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May 2016 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS DIGITAL EDITION

Finding Precious Metals

By Dan Kidder Managing Editor

I

f you want a fun family activity for all ages, searching for precious metals may be just the thing.

Precious metals abound in areas where mining was prevalent, but can also be found just about anywhere people congregate. Either panning for gold or using a metal detector to find jewelry, coins and other valuable items can yield a great financial payout, but the memories you will make are the most truly valuable outcome.

Fisher Deluxe Gold Panning Kit The folks at Fisher Research Labs have created a kit, complete with everything you need to get started in panning for gold. It includes a classifier, for easily separating larger rocks from the smaller concentrate. It also comes with two

plastic pans, a small and large one, with ridges to help catch the gold.

There is a heavy-duty plastic scoop for moving dirt, a snuffer bottle for sucking up small gold flakes, a top hat magnet for easily removing magnetic black dirt and two small glass vials for collecting the shiny stuff. It all fits into a nylon carrying bag. The included instruction manual walks you, step by step, through the panning process and

provides tips on where to go and how to get your gold out of the dirt around it.

By panning in areas where there has been previous gold mining, you know that gold can be found nearby.

Additionally, streams that run from a mining area may contain micro gold dust flakes and even nuggets.

At the time many of the smaller gold mines were active, the price of gold wasn’t high enough to justify the extra labor to remove all of the fine gold dust from the tailings.

But now that gold is around $1,200 an ounce, it suddenly can become profitable to rework those old tailing piles by hand. Besides, who wouldn’t be excited at the prospect of finding raw, untouched gold in a pile of dirt?

Metal Detectors

Another way to get to the precious metals is to find valuables that have already been mined and turned into jewelry. Every year people lose rings, chains, watches and other valuables, as well as loose change at parks, beaches, along jogging trails and even in their own yards. Using a metal detector can help you quickly locate these valuables, but there is some work involved, as you will have to sort out the metal junk from the treasure.

Every year, people with metal detectors find valuable jewelry and even rare antique coins in unlikely places. They are also useful for finding another type of treasure from outer space; meteorites. Because they are made of iron, meteorites show up strongly on metal detectors, but you have to sort through

Teknetics Delta 4000

a lot of false signals from nails, pipes, wires and other trash before you locate the tiny bits of asteroids.

When you do find meteorites, they sell for a lot of money, depending upon size and weight.

Teknetics Delta 4000 A great entry-level metal detector that is easy to use, but still full of options, is the Teknetics Delta 4000 from Bounty Hunter. It has a multitude of professional-level features, such as the digital target ID system, a running digital depth indicator, pinpoint mode, preset ground balance and three-tone discrimination. The waterproof 8” coil lets you cover ground quickly and the unit can be customized to allow you to search for specific items and block out unwanted metals. That means less digging for junk and more digging for real treasure. The Delta is lightweight and features an easy-to-read digital display and selectable modes. Because it displays various metals numerically, you can place a sample of the metals you are seeking on the ground and find out the number that it gives off, so you will have a better chance of locating that metal again and then being able to identify it quickly. The construction of the Delta is rock solid, with sturdy piping and comfortable rubberized coating on the handgrip with plenty of room for various grips. The arm cup is wide enough for those with larger forearms, but will still accommodate those with smaller arms. There is ample length adjustment as well, providing options for the very tall without the need to stoop over while sweeping.

May 2016 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS DIGITAL EDITION

Teknetics Alpha 2000

Teknetics Alpha 2000 With the same ergonomic piping as the Delta, the Alpha provides a simplified screen with digital depth reading, sensitivity adjustment and

Bounty Hunter Junior

category target ID. This allows you to quickly tell what type of metal you have detected at a glance. Though it doesn’t have the numeric target identification, it does tell you the metallic category of the object found. It also allows you to notch out certain categories of metal or discriminate against entire ranges of metals. Both the Delta and the Alpha feature standard ¼-inch and 1/8-inch headphone jacks for traditional headphones as well as earbuds.

Bounty Hunter Junior A perfect entry-level detector for the little ones, the Bounty Hunter Junior offers a small, lightweight package, with serious metal detecting power. Featuring an analogue display, the Bounty Hunter Junior

has manual sensitivity adjustments and the ability to eliminate certain categories of metal with a rotary dial. It has a built-in speaker that gets louder the closer the object is to the coil. There is no external headphone jack on this unit. The rod has an adjustable spring loaded tension screw and extends up to 2.25 feet, so it can grow with the young user. It is suitable for children 6-years-old and up.

Bounty Hunter Pinpointer To help with locating objects discovered with the metal detector, Bounty Hunter makes their Pinpointer. Featuring a single sensitivity knob, along with audible and vibratory indication, the Pinpointer is a great tool to narrow your search.

Often, the object you are searching for gets dug up and it can be difficult to determine if it is still in the hole or in the digging tool or dirt pile.

Using the Pinpointer can eliminate the dirt

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pile or let you know if you need to keep digging. It is small and handheld for easy use.

While the metal detectors listed here are far from high-end professional units, they are a great way to get into the hobby of searching for valuables. And despite their entry-level pricing, they are robust with features that make it easy to get started without a steep learning curve.

There is no doubt that taking the family hunting for buried treasure is a great activity, gets you and the kids off the couch and into the great outdoors and can be a rewarding and lucrative pastime for all ages.

Get into the hunt for buried booty and find the treasure of memories that will last a lifetime.

Bounty Hunter Pinpointer

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May 2016 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS DIGITAL EDITION

2016 New Video Product Reviews

Leupold Deltapoint Pro Reflex Sight

A

growing trend among pistol shooters is placing compact reflex sights on your handgun for faster target acquisition and greater accuracy. These small aiming systems are especially attractive to those whose eyesight may make it difficult to get a good sight picture, especially in low light.

For this purpose, Leupold, the world leader in sport optics, makes the DeltaPoint Pro Reflex Sight.

Utilizing a series of custom mounts, the DeltaPoint Pro mounts to the slide of your pistol, utilizing the existing dovetail or set screw. It can also be adapted to mount to an AR rail or a Piccatiny mount. A module with a backup iron sight can be slid into the dovetail on the DeltaPoint to allow you to co-witness your sights with the aiming dot.

The lightweight aluminum hous- from giving away your position in ing is shrouded with spring steel for low light. extra protection and an aspheric lens Its tool-less spring actuated battery and proprietary coatings give you an cover allows rapid battery swaps with excellent wide view of the battlespace standard and easy to find CR2032 and exceptional optical clarity. An button batteries. Single MOA-peradjustable brightness 2.5 MOA red click adjustment screws are easy to dot is projected on this screen like a turn with even a fingernail, but flush Heads Up Display (HUD) for better enough to not need an adjustment depth perception while aiming with lock. This makes adjustments to elevaboth eyes open. tion and windage easy to make on the Motion Sensor Technology turns move without tools. The DeltaPoint the red dot off and brings it back Pro is impervious to water down to to life as soon as it senses 33 feet and comes with a the gun has been raised, to tough rubber cover, battery conserve battery life and and mounting hardware for make it ready to go when your chosen mount. It is also needed. The projector is available with a triangular set into a light tunnel to 7.5 MOA reticle for CQB minimize the light signa- Scan this QR Code with your applications. phone to view the ture in dark environments. smart Fast target acquisition, Sportsman's News YouTube This prevents the red dot Channel. Video Available long battery life, automatic after May 1st.

Camp Chef BBQ Sear Box

F

or those who have discovered the amazing capabilities of the Camp Chef SmokePro Pellet Grills, the one feature they may have missed over traditional barbecue grills is the ability to seal in the flavor of their meat with a deep sear.

To provide those awesome grill marks and a deep sear, Camp Chef has introduced their propane powered BBQ Sear Box accessory.

Made of a polished stainless steel, the BBQ Sear Box attaches to the side of any SmokePro model by removing the side shelf and bolting the sear unit to the SmokePro pellet grill.

The BBQ Sear Box features a 16,000 BTU burner, a heat diffuser plate to convert flame into infrared heat and enamel coated, deep ridged cast iron grill plates to put deep, even sear marks on your meat. With 180 square inches of cooking surface, the BBQ Sear Box will provide up to 900 degrees of heat for a hard and fast sear.

A propane hanger bolts to the stand of your SmokePro and suspends your tank for easy mobility with the grill.

The BBQ Sear Box is an excellent way to take full advantage of the SmokePro by cooking your meat to that perfect temperature with flavor of your favorite smoke, using Camp Chef ’s Premium Hardwood Pellets, then sealing in that delicious flavor with a reverse sear method. Or, sear the meat first and then place it in the SmokePro to get a delicious outside crust.

Whichever way you do it, the BBQ Sear Box gives you the versatility to cook perfect steaks and juicy chops with the deep smoky flavor provided by your SmokePro Pellet Grill.

Don’t forget your peppers and onions on the BBQ Sear Box while your brats are perfectly grilled and smoked in the SmokePro, then quickly toss them on the cast iron grates for a little crunch. A fat hard roll, some spicy deli mustard, your onions and peppers and a juicy smoked Scan this QR Code with your bratwurst is about the smart phone to view the Sportsman's News YouTube epitome of summer out- Channel. Video Available after May 8th. door dining.

illumination and rugged dependability, all backed by the Leupold Gold Ring Lifetime transferable warranty and the Gold Ring Electronics Limited Two-Year Warranty on the electronics, means that you can count on this optic to perform when it counts.

Check out the Leupold DeltaPoint Pro at your local Sportsman’s Warehouse optics counter.

May 2016 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS DIGITAL EDITION

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Garmin.com/virb ©2014 Garmin Ltd. or its subsidiaries * Device will withstand incidental exposure to water of up to one meter of depth for 30 minutes. Optional dive case increases waterproof rating to 50 meters.

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May 2016 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS DIGITAL EDITION

2016 New Video Product Reviews

Swarovski X5(i) Riflescope

L

ong range shooting is definitely more than just a fad.

Whether punching paper, banging steel or putting the crosshairs on that trophy of a lifetime, you must see the target before you can successfully connect when we are talking about long range.

Making the correct adjustments to elevation and windage are extremely precise when you are talking about taking a shot at 800 plus yards. Being off by a couple of inches at 100 yards isn’t a big deal, but that same error at 800 yards will put you 16” off target and be a miss or possibly result in a wounded animal.

The X5(i) Riflescope by Swarovski is a precision piece of equipment with the long range shooter in mind. It is built with an

extremely rugged platform and a 30 mm tube. Tracking on your adjustments for long ranges are crucial. When you adjust for one inch of movement, you must get one inch of movement - no more and no less. The spring retention and lever system in the X5(i) inThe 3.5-18X50 and 5-25X56 sures that you get the same pres- which both have 1/4 MOA adjustsure on both the elevation and ments for windage and elevation. the windage turrets to provide There is also the 5-25X56, which you with unparalleled tracking. comes in a 1/8 MOA adjustments.

The 116 MOA of vertical There are multiple reticle adjustment will provide options to choose from more than enough eland both illuminated as evation adjustment to well as non-illuminated get you on target well options of each. The ilpast 1000 yards for most luminated versions have calibers. The scope has a 10 different brightness this QR Code with your 5X magnification range Scan levels to choose from smart phone to view the and comes in several dif- Sportsman's News YouTube with a quick push of a Channel. Video Available ferent models. button. The magnificaafter May 15th.

tion adjustment ring is oversized and extremely smooth to operate, even with heavy gloves.

Our test model scope is the 3-18X50 and tips the scale at 28.6 ounces. It is fairly compact at 14.4” in total length and packs a whopping 91% light transmission. This precision piece of long range shooting equipment is just what you would expect from a company like Swarovski. See the full video of our testing on this long range scope at the QR code link.

By Eric Christensen

1200 comes with a plastic tray T h e Tu r b o that users set into the chemical S o n i c 1 2 0 0 and water bath. Objects need h a s a n e n to fit into the tray and also not t i re l y c l o s e d exceed the height limit, so the l i d a n d c o n sound waves can breakdown t r o l u n i t . the dirt or grime. The clean- R e m e m b e r ing action will get inside the the unit will primer-less casing and clean heat the wa around the primer pocket. The ter to around Sonic 1200 will do around 350, 2 5 0 - D e g r e e s 9mm cases in one session. If a n d c a u t i o n for some reason all the cases n e e d s t o b e did not get cleaned thoroughly t a k e n w h e n enough, they can be dipped for grabbing the another bath without having to p l a s t i c t r a y. add any more chemical or wa- The size of the unit makes it ter. The chemical mixture will ideal to save precious space last around 30 washes before on a reloading table. I would needing to be replaced with r e c o m m e n d a b o w l o f c o l d new cleaning agents. water to dip the tray A l t h o u g h t h e Tu r b o into immediately after Sonic cleans the entire a cleaning session to casing, it will not shine allow the brass or steel the case and may leave object to cool down a dull brassy finish. enough for a visual Re-loaders that desire inspection. The Turbo Scan this QR Code with your a s h i n y c a s e n e e d t o smart phone to view the S o n i c i s v e r y s i m p l e News YouTube tumble the brass with Sportsman's to use and is designed Channel. Video Available some polishing media. after May 15th. more for the average

re-loader. Lyman makes bigger ultrasonic cleaners that handle a higher volume or larger objects. I am able to break down my handguns and use the Turbo Sonic 1200 to clean my barrels without having to scrub t h e m . I t i s a v e r y e ff o r t l e s s way to clean brass, coins, gun parts, reloading dies and shell holders, and many other metal parts. I will be using the Turbo Sonic for many applications in the future.

Turbo Sonic 1200 Ultrasonic Cleaner

T

echnology has helped advance many categories over the past few decades. Manufacturers are innovating more and more every year to deliver tech-savvy products to meet consumer demands. Lyman shares this mentality with their lineup of products. The Turbo Sonic Ultrasonic case cleaner was brought to market to help their customers save time and m o n e y. R e - l o a d e r s c a n n o w get clean brass, inside and out in less than 10 minutes.

Ultrasonic action, combined with 250-degree water and a cleaning chemical mixture, penetrates dense carbon fouling and residue.

The ultrasonic action uses ultrasound waves combined with the cleaning agent and tap water to break down dirt, along with carbon deposits, grease and other grime on a variety o f o b j e c t s . T h e Tu r b o S o n i c

May 2016 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS DIGITAL EDITION

LEWIS

continued from page 31 Rocky Mountain Elk Ranch Private land stewardship and highend luxury accommodations Early one September, I spent a few days at Rocky Mountain Elk Ranch on the eastern edge of Idaho, not far from Yellowstone Park. One of the highlights was assisting with a hunt for a trophy bull. The client was taking his father on what turned out to be their last elk hunt together.

They used the rifle the old man had passed down to the son. Their trophy was a large 7-point monarch and several hundred pounds of good, wholesome elk meat.

Over the course of three days, I listened to the stories Jeff and Alana Lerwill related of similar hunts.

Over the last 10 years, they have created a mountain of memories for their clients while they have built a legacy for their children.

The Lerwills’ lodge sits on the highest point on the property and commands a view of the Tetons to the east and farmlands to the west.

In September and October, elk bugle in Wright Creek canyon and hawks ride the thermals above the ridge tops.

Way off the service grid, one of the challenges of building the lodge was figuring out where the power would come from. Rather than running electricity from the highway, Jeff settled on wind and solar. Two solar

panels and a windmill feed power into a bank of batteries.

Another challenge is preparing for the hunters, the bulk of which show up from September through November. Alana raises vegetables and buys from local producers. At harvest time, she cans peaches, apples, pears, beans and corn to feed guests and family. She makes jams and jellies and her own salsa. The Lerwill kids raise a pig every year and the ham goes a long way to supplement the elk meat the family enjoys year round.

On hunts, which take place on the property, Jeff guides or hires help.

Soon the Lerwill boys will be old enough to guide hunters as well.

The Lerwills are a hard-working family, but they are building a dream on their own piece of paradise. Hunters go away with their trophies and the meat that will feed their families for a year. They go away knowing they have friends in elk country.

A wilderness-based bear hunting outfitter. A bird hunting destination. A trophy elk ranch. Each one offers their guests a unique backcountry experience and perspective, but more than that, they offer hospitality. That’s what keeps their customers coming back.

To order a signed copy of Gary Lewis’s Hunting Oregon, send $24.95 (includes S&H) to GLO, PO Box 1364, Bend, OR 97709 or visit www.GaryLewisOutdoors.com

A kit house built in 1908 still stands on the Carlson place in eastern Oregon.

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May 2016 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS DIGITAL EDITION

2016 New Video Product Reviews

NightForce SHV 4-14X50 F1

By James Dansie

W

e’ve been using Nightforce products for years at the Sportsman’s News and we especially love the SHV line of riflescopes. The SHV perfectly combines our love for long distance shooting with our passion for hunting and we appreciate the work that Nightforce puts into them to make them one of the most versatile mid-power scopes out there. The new SHV 4-14X50 F1 brings the first focal plane option to the SHV line. This new feature gives you the ability of precision shooting by holding for elevation and windage at any magnification just by using the intelligence built into the reticle.

You can choose between two different reticle designs, MOAR

or MIL-R. These are two of Nightforce’s most popular designs and both reticle options come with an illuminated center cross. Like I said before, we love the SHV line for its versatility and the 4-14x magnification range offers an excellent combination of large field of view at lower power and resolving power at higher magnification. A 50mm feature also comes standard and objective, combined with a 30mm will quickly get you back to zero main tube, will give you excellent in any condition. The parallax light transmission at any time of adjusts from 25 yards to infinity and the adjustment nob day and also allows for is textured to give you a maximum adjustment a non-slip grip, making range of 90 minutes or it easy to adjust quickly.

26 mil-radians. The adThe illumination dial is justments are quarterattached to the parallax minutes of angle or tenth mil-radians, based on Scan this QR Code with your adjustment dial and has smart phone to view the which reticle you choose. Sportsman's News YouTube 11 brightness settings, enVideo Available suring that you will have The Nightforce ZeroSet Channel. after May 22nd.

the proper brightness for any time of day. Depending on the intensity you choose and the environmental conditions, the battery can last over 720 hours on continuous use.

Even with the high battery life, Nightforce makes it easy to turn the reticle off by putting an off setting in between each of the on settings.

SHV riflescopes go through a rigorous inspection process so you can feel confident with it on your rifle in any condition.

used based on needs and locations. A ‘travel’ position gives a lower center of gravity for more stability, while an ‘attack’ position gives a raised seat for casting.

The third position allows you to travel one way. The Predator flip the seat down for a stand- 13 comes with plenty of storing position to assist in poling, age and the rear Exo-Ridge tank well will keep your gear dry casting and sighting.

The Predator 13 is loaded to and secure. It’s ideal for coolers, the hilt with accessory options. batteries, trolling motors and Six removable mounting posi- tackle boxes. The bow design tions are strategically placed has rod tip holders and retainers throughout the framework. No for easy storage and convenient grab and cast. A large more drilling into the bow hatch can keep frame to place rod holdyour gear dry and safe ers or fish finders. Eight with one simple click. scupper-hole drains are The Predator 13 gets placed in key locations its name for being 13’ on the kayak to remove a n y w a t e r b u i l d u p , Scan this QR Code with your 2” long and weighs in while incorporating a smart phone to view the a t 8 6 l b s . T h e K a y a k News YouTube will hold weight up to patented scupper valve Sportsman's Channel. Video Available 425 lbs loaded down. It which only lets water after May 22nd.

handles very nicely in the water while offering great comfort.

The foot braces can be adjusted and have a stand up assist. The last thing you want is to stand up to float a fly and then get dumped in the drink. The seating options are a huge plus for a day carving to your favorite fishing location. Accessories can be laid out in whatever desire one wants. The versatility of the Predator 13 really makes this fishing kayak a great choice to match the fishing conditions.

You can rig up your accessories for a day out on the lake, an overnight river trip and everything in between.

Old Town Predator 13

By Eric Christensen

B

oats have been a resource for mankind since the stone-age. Watercraft has been used to explore our planet, develop new colonies, transport goods between nations and of course, fishing. Old Town canoes and kayaks have been building canoes for over 120 years. They are still on the cutting edge of technology and focus on delivering the best canoe or kayak to the customer.

The Predator 13 Watercraft has been reengineered to offer every amenity a watersport consumer would want into one innovative vessel.

Old Town built the hull out of LT900 Polyethylene which is a very strong and robust material that is impervious to water. Old Town incorporates an Element Seating System to top off the LT900 Polyethylene frame. The seating system is specifically designed for anglers. Three different seating positions can be

May 2016 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS DIGITAL EDITION

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May 2016 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS DIGITAL EDITION

2016 New Video Product Reviews Blackhawk Serpa CQC Concealment Holster

By Dan Kidder Managing Editor

finger alongside the slide of your gun, keeping it clear of the trigger.

It is made of a tough thermoplashave been wearing a Blackhawk tic polymer and specific to your Serpa for more than 15 years. make and model of pistol. It comes It has been my daily carry hol- with both belt loops for up to a two ster and I have one for most of the and a quarter-inch belt or a paddle. handguns I own. The Serpa has Included snap-locks let you keep it been a reliable system for carrying from sliding up and down on narand retaining my gun and I have rower belts. Both the belt slide and been very pleased with the perfor- paddle allow it to be adjusted to six mance it provides. As a firearms different angles of cant. instructor, I don’t hesitate A passive retention to recommend the Serpa screw allows the holster to my students. to be adjusted to make it The Serpa offers a pateasier or harder to draw ented retention device the gun and hold it firmly that is released easily with in place through a variety the natural draw of your of activities. The CQC gun by placing your fin- Scan this QR Code with your version offers a slimmer ger on the release. If done smart phone to view the design, less of a footprint News YouTube properly, drawing the gun Sportsman's Channel. Video Available and is easier to conceal instantly indexes your after May 29th. under different cover gar-

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ments. It comes in a smooth matte black color to help it blend in when covered. It comes in 43 different models, to accommodate the wide majority of firearms on the market.

A wide mouth and speedcut design make it easy to reholster quickly and also to get a good firing grip on the gun during drawing. The CQC has a deeper finger channel that guides the finger to the release lever and allows the finger to slide along the holster to index on the side of the slide for safety.

For positive retention, easy concealment and excellent reliability and safety from your holster, check out the Serpa Close Quarters Concealment Hol-

ster from Blackhawk at your local Sportsman’s Warehouse.

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May 2016 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS DIGITAL EDITION

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May 2016 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS DIGITAL EDITION

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continued from page 32 line to the jig even when slack and has just enough stretch to allow me to “pop” the jig free if I snag it. Specialized tackle for sure, but extremely good at what it is designed for.

Another excellent, yet specialized combo is my cranking rod.

Crankbaits are unique in that they are continuously wound, typically don’t cast well yet benefit, at least in terms of depth and have smallish hooks prone to loosing fish. Hence the rod needs to “load” and cast distance easily, yet be accurate and needs to be soft enough to cushion bites on moving baits with small hooks.

Since crankbaits have significant

resistance when retrieved, reels need to overcome it with gearing so the angler can still feel what the bait is doing on the retrieve.

My crankbait set-up consists of a St Croix Mojo Bass crankbait rod featuring fiberglass, as well as graphite to produce a blank that loads and unloads easily, offers tons of give when it gets bit and is longer than average, allowing long bomb casts. Its 7’4” long, medium power, moderate action and I pair it with 10# original Trilene 100% Fluorocarbon that helps get the bait down and has minimal stretch for good feel. The reel is an Abu Garcia Revo “Winch” with a very low gear ratio and oversized handle for overcoming water resistance of deep cranks. Here again, the system is specialized and highly effective.

These are just two examples. I look at fishing rod combos like golf clubs; a good golfer would not play very well without a club for each scenario and the rules allow them 14 clubs for a reason. Choose your tackle to fit your specific need and you too will score better!

May 2016 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS DIGITAL EDITION

NOSLER 48

continued from page 18 shelf at Sportsman’s Warehouse.

This is one of my favorite bullets for hunting and since Nosler has an accuracy guarantee when using one of their rifles with their ammo, it was a perfect fit. After a quick bore-site, we were ready to rock.

We followed the break in procedures in the owner’s manual to the tee. We were consistently shooting sub MOA groups while doing this, but the true test would be once we started to extend the range of this rifle. Targets were set out at 200 yard with ½” dots and we settled in for some serious grouping and evaluation. I was focused on eve-

rything this rifle was designed for when I squeezed the trigger. There was no creep whatsoever and I was truly surprised when the rifle reported. I replicated this process each and every time until a group of three shots were visible on the paper. At 200 yards, I had just pulled off a 3-shot group which could be covered with a nickel.

Pretty impressive for a factory rifle and factory ammunition.

As we moved to the steels set at 600, 800 and 1,000 yards, I was pretty excited to see the performance of this rifle and ammo combination over the next few hours as it was already holding sub ½ MOA consistency. With the use of my StrelokPro app on my

phone, I plugged the appropriate data into the app to give me the appropriate clicks for elevation and windage for this 3,300 feet per second setup. The dope was correct and we shot a 3” group at 600, 4” group at 800 and closed the day with a 5.5” group at 1,000 yards. We had done the break-in, sight-in and validated data all the way out to 1000 yards in less than two boxes of factory ammo. I knew I was holding a rifle in my hands which would spend a lot of time with me in the field going forward.

Our annual trip to Texas for free range Aoudad would be its’ first real world experience at game for me. I knew that my confidence with this rifle was high and I felt

45

that given the right conditions, I could hit just about anything with this setup. It took us until the very last day of the hunt to find a ram that was worthy of my tag. At 525 yards and with a 10-12 MPH full value cross wind, I knew that this would be the true test for the rifle.

As I slowly squeezed the trigger and felt the recoil, I could hear the team respond with a cheer. I knew I had just connected on a great ram with a perfect hit.

Guaranteed and proven MOA accuracy with a factory rifle and factory ammo, which is readily available, make this a deadly combination. It totally eliminates the need to spend excessive dollars on a custom rifle.

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May 2016 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS DIGITAL EDITION

Colorado’s Premier Antelope Destination

By Mike Deming

T

he northwestern portion of Colorado is known for some of the very best antelope hunting in the west. However, it can take a non-resident hunter nearly twenty years to draw a premium tag. Most people think that anything that would come so hard would have a trophy class animal around each and every tree. It isn’t until you have waited for a few tags of this caliber and went home disappointed that you realize that hunting is truly the same regardless of where you have a tag. You need to know where those big animals live, know their habits, know where they rut, what they do with pressure and a multitude of other things to be successful.

Paul Harris from Denver, Colorado, knows this old story all too well. He has worked long and hard on many successful and unsuccessful hunts, but Paul is also one of the luckiest guys I’ve ever met.

His luck was no different with this hunt. First off, he didn’t have to wait the twenty years to draw this premium tag as most would do.

Paul has been a long-time friend and when I told him about the Pro Membership Sweepstakes and all the hunts, guns and gear we would be giving away, he was one of the first to sign up.

The odds were extremely good

Sportsman’s News Pro Membership Sweepstakes winner Paul Harris takes aim with his brand new long range Savage 6.5 Creedmoor. for those first few drawings and ticular hunt. However, when we as luck would have it, Paul’s name arrived in Craig, Colorado, John was drawn out of the drum for our informed us that the rut was still second grand prize ever. He would in full swing and we would have be awarded a Savage long range a lot of good bucks to choose from.

I presented the rifle to Paul at the rifle set up with a Nikon scope dialed in for over 1,000 yards and lodge and he was excited to send also be the primary hunt winner some rounds down range. He had on one of Colorado’s Ranching for never owned a long range setup Wildlife units, which is operated and was excited to see what ‘it’

by John Papierski and Papierski’s would do as well as how ‘he’ would Big Game Hunts. I’ve had years of perform. We checked the 200 yard experience with John and was able zero with the first few rounds and to harvest a huge 87 4/8” antelope immediately swung onto the steel with him on one of these exact at 500 yards. The heavy bull barrel on this rifle and the crisp 2-pound hunts half a dozen years earlier.

The hunt would take place in trigger made staying on target a early October, which would be at breeze. The 6.5 Creedmoor barked the tail end of the rut for this par- at his first long range shot and soon after, the gong made a loud ring of a direct hit. Nearly a box of shells later and without a miss, Paul was grinning from ear to ear. He could hardly wait to hit the field the next morning.

As the sun crested the horizon of the Rockies, we were already in position to spot one of the many shooter bucks John had identified.

Bucks were chasing does everywhere. Each rolling hill and each pasture was filled with rut crazed antelope. Judging the difference between a 75” and an 80” antelope when you have twenty plus in your scope can be an extremely difficult task, but John is the best I’ve ever seen at doing this. We wanted to After 30+ years of hunting, Paul Harris finally puts the smack down find a buck in the 80” or bigger on a nice mature goat. area, but our first stop didn’t yield

anything John felt would make that mark. By the time we had taken a break for lunch, I had stopped counting the number of bucks we had seen, but I know it was well over a hundred because that’s where I quit counting for the day.

As we headed out for the afternoon hunt, the northwestern Colorado wind was giving us its’ all.

We had little hope of finding and making a long range shot in this type of wind, but Paul’s luck was right back at it again and we found what looked like a really good buck holding onto twenty plus does. He was running other bucks off and looked to be exactly what we were looking for. He was over 1000 yards away, but the topography allowed for us to close the gap significantly.

In less than thirty minutes, we had closed the gap to about 400 yards, but one of the does caught our movement. We figured the stalk was over when the buck started pushing the does our direction.

Paul set up on shooting sticks and if things went as planned, the buck would pop out at about 250 yards across the canyon. One by one the does started to come into sight.

We had a 20-mph, full value cross wind when the buck stepped over the hill broadside. I whispered to Paul that I was filming and to shoot when ready. The speed of that 6.5 and the 250 yards would only need a couple inches of drift and with one slow squeeze of the trigger, the buck dropped in his tracks.

With nearly forty years of hunting under Paul’s belt and a 3/4 slam of sheep to his credit, surprisingly this was his very first antelope and we at the Sportsman’s News Pro Membership Sweepstakes got the pleasure of bringing it to him as well as being part of the action. We look forward to many more great hunts with Papierski’s Big Game Hunts for future Pro Member winners. You can’t win if you don’t play. Become a member at www. promembersweepstakes.com

May 2016 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS DIGITAL EDITION

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May 2016 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS DIGITAL EDITION

Digital Edition Only Special Content

Trigger Time in South Dakota

By Terry T. Clapp

I

Conflicted Shooter or Hunter

t is not necessary for me to pontificate on the merits of wing shooting in South Dakota.

Every wing shooter’s dreams are fulfilled there with almost endless opportunities on numerous winged species, the top dog of which is the pheasant. Like the pheasant, another species that too is not a dog, but is at the head of the pack for shooters, is the prairie dog. It is in South Dakota that both the shooter’s and the hunter’s dreams come true. Shooters live for trigger time while hunters live for the hunt and all that goes with it. Even the most avid hunter feels a little remorse after a big game season has ended.

Why remorse, even if the hunt was successful by normal standards?

Simple - hunters would like to get more time behind the trigger under real time hunting conditions. So can shooting and hunting come together for a win-win? A trip to South Dakota to hunt a small, but objectionable critter the prairie dog, should settle the shooter/hunter conflict to everyone’s satisfaction.

Quality Trigger Time

One approach to quality trigger time involves shooting with a partner and taking turns shooting.

This takes planning, equipment and shooting skills. In South Dakota,

four of us prairie dog hunt together and each person gets 100 or so shots a day. This process takes 6- to 8-hours of shooting, depending on the conditions and everyone enjoys the camaraderie of the shooting/ hunting experience. Each of us has a homemade bench seat set-up, which will rotate 360 degrees. One of the two-person team will start as a shooter, while the other person acts as the spotter. The other twoperson team does the same thing at the same time on different targets.

After one shot is taken by a team member, the roles reverse, hit or miss. Now you will hear stories that this guy or that guy took hundreds of shots a day. One person told my brother he got 600 shots one day.

Think about that! At one shot a minute, well you do the math. So this guy must never let his rifle cool off or even take a break to eat, drink or you know what. Go figure!

If you are not happy with a 100 or so quality shots in eight hours, then stay out 10 or 12 hours. The four of us are happy with the 8-hours of hunting and 100 shots. We respect our rifles and ourselves. It is not about how many rounds you can let off the chain. Don’t be fooled by some folks telling you that they have a 90% hit rate on prairie dogs.

That could happen, but when a dog disappears that doesn’t mean it’s a hit. When shooting under real time field conditions at any significant

distances, few shooters will experience a 90% hit rate.

Mobility in the Field

To get 8-hours of quality trigger time, you will have to be mobile.

This is where a nice 4X4 and an enclosed trailer will facilitate the shooting. We have customized a 5X8 trailer to hold our assortment of rifles, shooting benches for each person and all other equipment associated with such a trip. Being able to pick up and move efficiently enhances the experience. Here is the reason: often after a set-up, within 10 or so minutes, all the dogs within 200 yards hunker down. Remember, prairie dogs are very social, so the word travels very fast that something isn’t quite right in ‘Dog Town’.

I don’t think it matters if the dogs are hunted a lot or a little, they just know when it’s time to vanish.

That marks the end of the first phase of shooting in that colony.

Now comes phase two, with shots out to 400 yards. This phase may last a little longer, but after an undetermined time lapse, all those dogs too drop out of sight. For phase two, you might be changing to another rifle. This scenario can repeat at different distances. It may require rifle changes out to the magic 1,000 yard mark. I will close the mobility issue by a comment on moving your set-up position. If you have a 4X4 and a trailer, then you can load your

Adventure On A Budget equipment up quickly and move.

A move is recommended once all the dogs within 400 yards have hunkered down. You may have to move only a ¼ mile through or around the colony and set-up again.

But to enhance your shooting, you will want to be able to make moves as necessary.

Two Rifles - Centerfire and Rimfire

I know ‘two rifles’ sounds like a great Native American name. However for this article, I will briefly discuss two rifles to take to South Dakota and one to leave at home.

Leave your .22 at home. The .22 will not serve you well in the biggerthan-life landscape of South Dakota.

This is not shooting a squirrel out of a Hickory Nut tree. As previously mentioned, often times within a few minutes, the 50 to 100 yard shots vanish and it follows with time, so do the 100 to 200 yard shots. So if you want to experience some very cost effective centerfire shooting, bring along a .17 HMR rifle. This is a great rifle out to 200 yards for most shooters. The .17 HMR is a very explosive round. It proves to be very effective on an animal the size of a prairie dog. If you are a

May 2016 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS DIGITAL EDITION

great shooter, I’m sure you can poke a small hole through a prairie dog out to 300 yards with your .17HMR. But at 300 yards, the .17HMR loses a lot of its’ explosive nature.

The second rifle I suggest bringing along is the .204 Ruger. It is a centerfire rifle that shoots fast, flat and has very little recoil. The .204 covers distances up to 400 yards and beyond, depending on the shooting skill level of the shooter. The guys I hunt with can make a 500 yard shot with the .204, me not so much. The .204 is a very, very explosive round

and great fun to shoot. Both the .17HMR and the .204 Ruger are super cost effective to shoot and efficient.

Factory loads of .204 Ruger, 32gr. VMax, work great for me, plus I save the brass. Remember, each rifle shoots different factory loads differently, so do your homework. Practice with different brands to see which shoots best in your rifle.

As you have guessed by now, my personal comfort shooting zones are out to 200 yards with the .17HMR and from 200 to 400 yards with the .204.

I shoot a .204 in a Remington Model 700. I shoot the Savage in the .17 HMR. I have one-shot a couple of coyotes in the 220 yard range using the .204 Ruger, 32gr. V-Max bullet. As I said before, the .204 is a very explosive round. But if you desire to

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Digital Edition Only Special Content

join the 1,000 yard club that may be possible depending how much time, effort and expense you are willing to expend. However, the .204 and the 1,000 yard club do not really go together.

That magical 1,000 yard shot changes everything and is beyond the scope of this article. This is where the real shooters shine. Make efforts to rub elbows with them, as they can share valuable information that will help you become a greatly improved shooter, even if you don’t make the 1,000 yard club. But be prepared to listen and learn the jargon. When they say BC, it doesn’t refer to timelines.

They will talk of long range chambers and factory barrels. They will rattle off numbers like 22-250 and 220 Swift.

They talk of different grain bullets in specific calibers and how they could retire other caliber rifles. They know which rifles can shoot high BC bullets and which can’t.

Licenses and Accommodations

The only license you need to buy for hunting both prairie dogs

and coyotes in South Dakota is called the Non-Resident Predator/Varmint License. This license costs $40.00 for 2016. If you hunt on Indian Reservations, at least on the Rosebud Reservation, a 3-day license will cost $60.00, but I don’t think a state license is required.

However, hunting on Indian lands will require the services of an Indian guide. Guide services on the Rosebud Reservation cost around $75.00 a day per person, with a two person minimum. Hunting on Indian lands with a guide is very cost effective, considering you will save a bunch of time while getting introduced to the area. On the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Game, Fish and Parks website, you can buy a license and obtain a list of guides. Getting an Indian guide is not as easy as it might seem, so plan well ahead of time.

Prior planning is always the key to a comfortable fun hunt. The South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks website can help you with online licenses and a ton of information about prairie dog hunting in South

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May 2016 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS DIGITAL EDITION

Digital Edition Only Special Content

Dakota. Their website contains maps of prairie dog distributions throughout the state. They are happy to mail you a packet of useful information for DIY public land hunting. The southwestern part of South Dakota, along the I-90, is where we focus our trips.

We hunt from Murdo, SD, west to the Badlands National Park and south of the I-90 to the Rosebud Indian Reservation along the Nebraska border. Motels can be found in Murdo, SD, on the I-90 and in Valentine, NE. Places to eat can be found in each of these locations.

Other than that, motels are few and far between as are places to eat.

There may be a few old ranch houses in certain areas available for rent. For DIY folks, these are usually great and in the middle of good shooting areas. We have been renting one such place for a week in June for 10 years. The place is booked up by regulars and by word of mouth. The owners didn’t want me to mention the place, because that’s just the way it is in South Dakota. In the big city, we call it supply and demand. However, there are three nice cabins in the

area that sleep up to four. The cabins rent for $150.00 a night and are called Salt Camp Cabins. They have a Rosebud, SD, address. Five miles from these cabins is a place called Allstop Grocery Gas and Deli. Here they serve breakfast and lunch and of course have an array of supplies, groceries and fuel. I mention these places because this area is where you might have to drive 50 miles to get a burger and a coke. Now once again, remember the supply and demand thing you learned in college. Always call way ahead of time to get reservations at the cabins. I’m talking up to a year ahead of your trip. If you don’t plan ahead, then likely you won’t be able to schedule three to six nights in a row. Remember too, these may well be the only rooms and other services available within 100’s of square miles.

Shooting Conditions

Uncontrolled variables include weather, insects, rattlesnakes and the Sylvatic Plague. One side bar about the Sylvatic Plague; it has been and continues to be very bad on public lands in the western US. I suggest that you gather all the

information you can on the places you desire to hunt. Both the Fed and the State will provide you with viable data, but remember hunting might be down 90% here or there and okay a few miles away. This is where private lands may trump public lands for availability of good prairie dog shooting. If you hunt a place on a regular basis you will see the cycle of life in all wildlife populations, but with the prairie dog, it can be very dramatic from year to year. We had a very down year three years ago, but the past two years, the hunting has gotten better and better in our location.

However, the national grasslands nearby are experiencing huge problems in the prairie dog colonies with the Sylvatic Plague.

Because of the plague as well as rattlesnakes, it is best to leave your pets at home. Of course, you need to protect yourself as well. Last year the mosquitoes were unreal, you know the kind of year where there is no escape from them. They bite through your clothes, go under every protective layer of clothing and bite you no matter what. Sitting still is next to impossible. Take

along some Thermacells with refills to keep mosquitoes at bay while shooting, just in case.

Equipment needs

Basic equipment, related rifles and ammo vary with individuals.

Some common things needed are coolers, lawn chairs, one shooting bench setup per person, a small table, binoculars and range finders. Optics can include spotting scopes, but good binoculars offer greater flexibility and mobility for fast action field use. Pack a portable awning or two for sun protection.

A predator call is nice to bring because where there are prairie dogs, there are Coyotes.

We use a 5’ by 8’ enclosed trailer that has the interior customized to accommodate mainly our rifles, ammo, shooting benches and other equipment. This trailer is key to our mobility and facilitates our shooting activities in the field. We drag it everywhere. Thus, our comfort inside the vehicle is insured as all our equipment is well protected and stored inside the trailer.

Trip Cost

A trip to South Dakota to hunt prairie dogs and coyotes as a side bar hunt if you wish, is a bargain.

Divide all the cost two or four ways for housing, fuel and food.

Cost per individual on our trip is divided four ways as follows: $50 a night on the road, one night each way for a total of $100 per person.

The ranch house cost each of us $35.00 a night for five nights for a total per person cost of $175. Fuel cost per person for the round trip will be $125. Food cost per person is $100 for the seven day trip. License cost $40 each. Total trip cost per person for seven days, five of which are hunting days is $540 plus or minus $50. Housekeeping duties and cooking at the ranch house are shared. Since one of us loves to cook, the rest of us divide the other chores. By the way, while our cook is putting the chicken in the pot guess what? A couple of us will slip off the porch of the old ranch house with a predator call. It’s a fairly causal and informal coyote setup, but still we get one or two coyotes a trip.

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Beretta PX4 Storm

By Dan Kidder Managing Editor

B

eretta’s contribution to the polymer framed duty style gun, the PX4 Storm in .40 S&W is a lightweight full-sized pistol in double and single action.

Featuring a durable polymer lower frame with very reliable internals, the PX4 offers the safety of carrying a gun with a chambered round without fear of an unintentional discharge.

The gun completely disengages the firing mechanism when the safety is engaged, removing the risk of going off, even if the trigger is pulled. An additional firing pin block prevents discharge if dropped.

The 27.7-ounce (unloaded) pistol comes with three interchangeable backstraps, making the gun suitable for any sized hands. The 4-inch barrel is sufficient for good accuracy without being so long that it interferes with concealed carry.

Designed for European law enforcement and military use, the PX4 Storm is also a great fit for a personal protection gun in the civilian market. The hallmark of Beretta pistols is the contouring and smoothness that prevents the gun from snagging when drawn from concealment. The smooth lines can also make it somewhat difficult to access the gun’s controls and the stiff slide spring makes chambering a bit difficult. This is aided by the addition of striations on the front of the slide, as well as the rear.

These forward striations are necessary, as the safety/de-cocking lever juts out enough to be painful when you are racking the slide. Using the forward slide striations helps avoid this.

The gun is simple to dissemble, though you do have to pull the trigger to get the slide off. Field stripping is a piece of cake, taking the gun down into five distinct pieces; barrel, slide, frame, recoil spring and central block.

The barrel utilizes a rotating lock to dissipate recoil away from the shooter.

This minimizes recoil and is especially noticeable in the .40 S&W. This makes returning to target faster and also helps make the gun easier to control for shooters of all strengths.

A 1913 Picatinny rail makes the use of accessories such as lights and lasers a snap to quickly install.

The trigger is fairly stiff in double action mode at around 11 pounds, but very manageable in single action mode at about six pounds. The gun cannot be cocked when the safety is engaged, so carrying a round in the chamber with the hammer back and the safety engaged (Condition 1) is not possible, but a round in the chamber with the hammer down (Condition 2) carry is.

Overall, the fit and finish is unbeatable. The high quality bar stock steel Beretta uses insures years of trouble free use. As always with Beretta’s, my only complaint is that upside down

safety and how it digs into your hands when cycling. Everything else is about as good as you can get in a handgun.

The Beretta PX4 Storm shoots amazingly well and the 5.2-inch sight radius and three-dot solid metal sights make target acquisition very easy to achieve.

Rapid firing is achievable, thanks to the sights, rotating barrel, recoil management, grip and the trigger combination, so it is an ideal gun for IDPA/USPSA competitions as well as self-defense.

The quality of the oldest firearms manufacturer in existence holds true in this offering as well and I give it very high marks overall.

is that the membrane will still breathe to allow the inside of the shoe to stay dry. Usually, 100 percent waterproofing means that your foot is going to sweat like crazy. Under Armour has done a great job at repelling water, while still allowing my feet to air out with the Verge.

The sole of the Verge doesn’t blow your mind visually. The term, “don’t judge a book by its cover”, really applies here. When walking on rocky ground for hours, you become reliant on the sole of your footwear to take the brunt of the impact and torque. For me, this was one of the best features of wearing the Verge. The charged cushioning technology is designed to absorb the impact energy and return it back to your step.

I just completed a hike in some nasty country for two days looking for shed antlers on my first trip with the Verge. Often, taking a brand new pair of footwear on steep terrain results in

some pain and agony to break in the shoe. I was pleasantly surprised at how well the Verge held up to steep, rocky side hills. Stepping on marblesized rocks and small branches didn’t shoot through the sole and cause pain sensors in my arch to go off like other shoes have done to me in the past.

The Michelin outsole, with Wide Gripper Traction Control, held its ground quite well on steeper slopes.

I could also feel the shoe grip when

traversing through large rocks or boulders. One major concern I’ve had with a trail shoe transitioning to hunting is the weight on my back. Heavy packs often require ample foot and ankle support. I don’t recommend using a lightweight trail shoe when packing a heavy load, but the Verge seemed to be up to the task. Check them out at your local Sportsman’s Warehouse before your next outdoor adventure.

Under Armour Verge Trail Shoe Breaking New Ground

By Eric Christensen It’s weird to think that 10 years ago I would have laughed at buying a $500 cooler or owning a gun that would shoot accurately to 1,000 yards. I also would have said you were crazy if you would have said I would be hiking all day through the mountains in a pair of running shoes.

Under Armour’s Trail running shoe, the Verge, is breaking new ground in the hunting world. Trail runningstyle shoes are moving into early season hunting as a lightweight, stealthy bow hunting shoe as well. I’ve worn other styles of trail running shoes that are trying to move into the eyes of the hunting crowd, but not quite like the Verge.

The Verge have a GORE-TEX outer shell membrane. This is a must for early season archery hunts. Walking through a field of grass, soaked with morning dew while getting your feet wet to start your hunt, is not something anyone wants. The really innovative part of Under Armour’s Verge

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Capacity

Durability

Accuracy

Up to 17 round flush magazine and extended round magazines available at www.berettausa.com.

The Px4 Storm has fired up to an amazing 150,000 rounds without any parts breakage.

Unique rotary barrel dissipates recoil in a radial direction, reducing felt recoil and muzzle rise.

For information on our pistols visit www.Beretta.com

Px4 2016 Ad V2 Sportsmans News.indd 1

3/29/16 10:33 AM

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The Longbow Does It!

so we began looking forward with great anticipation to another actionpacked bowhunt together. The summer could not pass fast enough.

On Reagan’s first caribou hunt in 1994, he had taken two Pope & Young bulls with his bow --- the larger of which actually qualified for entry into the All-Time Boone & Crockett Records Book. Since Boone & Crockett, however, does not accept entries with the antlers in velvet, Reagan never entered his outstanding animal. He really wanted to have it mounted by a taxidermist in the velvet. Such mounts are truly beautiful and can only be done that eptember, 1997. It had been way if the animal is killed early in three years since Karen ac- the season.

Within a three-to-four-day period, companied me and her two stepsons on a “family” big-game usually during that first week of hunt to Mackay Lake, courtesy of September, the bulls’ antlers all stop Gary and Bertha Jaeb of True North growing and the velvet starts to Safaris. When I discovered in the “itch” and drive them crazy. To get spring of 1997 that my younger rid of this fuzzy sheathing, so that the son, Reagan, would be free to join sharp “swords” which make up their me for another late-August/early- head- gear will be ready to do battle September bowhunt up there in during the impending rut, the bulls the Northwest Territories, I called start beating their antlers against Gary right away and asked if he every dwarf spruce tree or little could possibly squeeze us into his patch of willows they can locate out Warburton Bay camp for the hunt there in the vast barrenlands north of that began around August 30th. I the main tree line. It is a great time to had always wanted to try a hunt out hunt them, because they are often so of that smaller camp, because it was distracted by the violent thrashings down near the western end of the big they’re administering to the helpless lake, with more islands nearby and vegetation that you can sneak right therefore less “big water” to worry up on them. For every bull, each auabout in windy weather. Gary said tumn, there’s always a day or two — he had two slots left for that week, with the velvet in tatters, half-off and half-on — when he looks as if he’s just run through a pasta kitchen and been dueling with a huge pot of fettuccini marinara.

The success I’d had with my re c u r v e b o w near the end of my 1996 hunt at Mackay Lake A Pasta-Kitchen Bull. For every bull, each autumn, had gotten me exthere’s always a day or two — with the velvet in tatcited enough that ters, half-off and half-on — when he looks as if he’s I decided to do just run through a pasta kitchen and been dueling my next hunt with with a huge pot of fettuccini marinara.

S

a simple longbow. I knew I was re- things didn’t change much for the ally going to enjoy getting back into next seven days! A cluster of four or traditional archery and consequent- five, small, brightly-colored cabins ly, later that fall, I placed an order stood on the hill just above the dock with Jay St. Charles for a custom, and within 30 minutes, Reagan and take-down longbow designed to I had all our gear stowed within the draw 56 pounds at my draw-length. cozy confines of the pink one.

Jay finished it and autographed it for Having been airborne that afterme with a date of January 20, 1997. noon, we could not hunt legally until As September approached, I be- the next morning. As a result, when came more and more excited about our guide, Bobby Migwi, told us the idea of taking a big caribou with about a creek that emptied into the my longbow. Despite three previous bay just a half-mile from camp, we hunts at Mackay Lake, I still had not borrowed a spinning rod and went taken a caribou I could enter into off to catch something fresh for dinthe P & Y records. Thus the idea of ner. A 19-inch Arctic grayling readily finally doing so with a St. Charles obliged us. After a hearty breakfast longbow really had me pumped up the next morning, we prepared our more and more each day as the date packs for the day and met Bobby for our long drive to Yellowknife down on the dock. Our lunches and drew near. By then, I had developed a 16-foot aluminum boat filled with a good deal more confidence in the gas awaited us and — voila — the weapon and in my ability to shoot hunt was on! it accurately.

Throughout that first day, time Reagan and I decided we would after time, as we cruised around the only buy one tag apiece, but that many islands that choked up that we would really make it count by end of the big lake, we would spot turning down every opportunity to some good bulls near the shore, shoot at anything less than a “book” travel on beyond them out of sight, animal. If the hunting proved again then land the boat and try to make as good as it had been in the past, a stalk. Nothing ever quite seemed then we would both have plenty of to work out. Either the fickle breeze chances to be quite selective in how would change or the caribou’s direcwe filled our tags. That was the plan, tion of travel or we’d get “busted” at least and — indeed — I must say, visually, once we ran out of cover. it worked to a tee. Everything con- I guess that’s largely the nature of sidered, this hunt ended up being bowhunting, anyway. You never one of the most satisfying I’ve ever control all the cards in the deck and experienced. often your quarry holds most of the When the floatplane set us down trump. on Warburton Bay that August 31st, the water was calm, the weather perfect and the surrounding autumn tundra was sporting massive splotches of every conceivable shade of yellow, orange, and red. CariFall Colors Near Warburton Bay. When the floatplane bou were movset us down on Warburton Bay that August 31st, the ing pretty much water was calm, the weather perfect and the surroundeverywhere ing autumn tundra was sporting massive splotches of you looked and every conceivable shade of yellow, orange, and red.

May 2016 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS DIGITAL EDITION

As we were heading back toward camp that first evening in the boat, we spotted two very nice bulls feeding on this one medium-sized island.

After glassing them for a bit and deciding they were definitely worth the effort, we continued on around the point and put ashore for a stalk.

One of the bulls appeared gimpy for some reason and Reagan voiced a preference for going after that one.

With tongue in cheek, I told him I preferred the greater challenge of going after the healthier one, so — with a light heart and high hopes — we grabbed our bows and set out in two slightly different directions for the final stalk of the day. Unfortunately, 50 yards was about the closest I ever got to my bull, because he kept feeding and traveling away from me.

As for Reagan, he eventually crawled to within 45 yards of his bull, but then a change in the wind did him in and the “cripple” suddenly bolted out of sight as though he’d been a sprinter in training all summer long. It was — in summary — just another one of those glorious days of maybes, almosts, what if’s and should-have-beens that are so special in the nostalgic memory bank of every experienced bowhunter.

First thing next morning, we returned to the same island where we’d made our final stalk the night before. It didn’t take long to find Reagan’s gimpy bull. The wind was now perfectly in our favor. After sneaking the boat into a secluded cove, we relocated him feeding in our direction. Reagan and I took up positions about 80 yards apart in some decent cover and sent Bobby way around in a big loop to get on the upwind side of our quarry.

About the time we started seeing Bobby’s head “bobbing” along above the brush, coming our way, the big caribou snapped his head up, sniffed the air and began moving in our direction, as well. When the animal had reached a point just 25 yards from my son and broadside, he paused for a moment, then continued on. Reagan’s release of the arrow took place just as the bull resumed his forward motion and the arrow struck him at the base of the hip, rather than in the rib cage at which it had been aimed. Increasing his pace to a trot, the animal seemed only vaguely aware that something was

wrong as he headed toward the lakeshore. 40 yards along his path, the arrow fell to the ground — tugged at by some sturdy willow branches.

Perhaps 300 yards from the ambush spot, Reagan’s bull bedded on the edge of the lake, while the three of us sat down at a distance — on a little knob — to keep an eye on him and discuss the situation.

The accumulating evidence appeared substantial that the arrow had severed the femoral artery in the caribou’s right hip. When viewed through our binoculars, a long patch of crimson was showing there — and was expanding steadily. Along the path he had taken to the lake, our glassing turned up numerous little spots of scarlet on the green mosses or whitish lichens.

Reagan was absolutely convinced he’d struck that main artery in the rear leg and Bobby seemed to feel pretty certain of it also. We all knew that — if such were the case — the animal was probably feeling very little discomfort, but would simply get weaker and weaker — until finally slipping below the Lethean waters of permanent oblivion.

The only problem with that kind of hit on an animal is that it sometimes takes an hour or more before death arrives. No hunter wants it that way, but it is an infinitely better way for the creature to go than to be eaten literally alive by the kind of predator that kills with fangs — such as a wolf, bear or mountain lion. There is not one predator in all of Nature’s Food Chain — except man — who cares one whit about killing quickly, cleanly or mercifully. The magnificent bull Reagan had arrowed might live for another hour or so, but his life would ebb away silently and painlessly — for the simple fact that bleeding is not sentient for man or beast. We simply don’t feel it happening.

Three-quarters of an hour passed, as we waited for nature to run its course. Suddenly, to our surprise, the stricken bull rose from his bed, walked down to the water’s edge, waded in and began swimming out to a tiny island about 70 yards off shore. Perhaps he was sensing that the end was near. Once on the island, he lay down again, while Reagan — rather alarmed that his trophy caribou might be about to escape —

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ran down to the lakeshore to see if he couldn’t finish him off with a second arrow. Seeing Reagan approaching, the bull rose again and, as Reagan tried a longdistance shot in desperation, he slipped into the Reagan’s Boone-&-Crockett Bull. Following the 60water a second day drying period, his bull officially scored 351 7/8, time and be- Reagan’s second Boone & Crockett caribou in the gan swimming space of three years.

— this time, to only-he-knew-where. The arrow excited and pumped up as I’ve ever shaft sailed harmlessly over the seen him, before or since. Following animal’s back, disappearing beneath the 60-day drying period, his bull the waves. officially scored 351 7/8. At that Where we had parked the boat time, the minimum for the species a couple hours earlier was not far for listing in the All-Time Boone & from the little island, so Bobby and I Crockett Records was 345. Today hastened to join up with Reagan and the minimum is 360, but in either the three of us quickly jumped into case it was Reagan’s second Boone the boat and shoved off. If, indeed, & Crockett caribou in the space of as we suspected, the bull was now three years. nearly bled out from the hit on the My victory on this hunt was yet femoral artery, our great fear was to come, although not until the last that he might suddenly expire in the day. Days #3, #4 and #5 witnessed middle of his swim-to-nowhere and several exciting stalks on my part, then sink to the bottom of the lake! but nothing quite seemed to work Within a minute of being water- out the way it was supposed to. borne ourselves, we noticed the bull Murphy’s Law appeared to be the was starting to flounder. He was a order of all three days. I shall never good 100 yards from us and from forget, however, that — on Day #4 — shore, so when — seconds later — I was able to photograph at exceedall motion ceased, a collective gasp ingly close range, from within the could be heard emanating from safe confines of our boat, a tundra our boat. How long he might stay Grizzly. This is the scarce Barren floating, none of us knew, but we Ground variety which SCI classifies did know we wanted to get a rope as a separate game category. They around his antlers, asap! As things live only north of the tree line and turned out, he was still floating quite are especially known for being nasty nicely when we reached him and and unpredictable. towing him ashore was a piece of We happened to catch him crosscake.

Once we finally got the big, recordsclass bull hauled up on the bank, where the field-dressing could begin, it was time for the three H’s: Handshakes, High-Fives and Hugs! I think Reagan was as Tundra Grizzly Seven Feet From The Camera Lens

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ing a channel between two islands.

Swimming as he was, without his feet on the bottom, he could only snarl at us and give us the evil eye as we made slow, tight circles around him. I shall never forget the “OH, S___!”- look on his face when we first drew up alongside. It was priceless!

Day #6 was my lucky day. On the way back to camp the night before, we had passed close by a fairly small island and seen three large bulls together along this one particular shoreline. In the rich, golden light of evening, with the sun at our backs, one bull, especially, stood out above the rest — even before he rose from his bed to get a better squint at us right into the sinking sun. Unlike the other two, his antlers were completely stripped of velvet and seemed unusually yellow in color.

And his mane! His mane was just incredible! The front of his shoulders, brisket and full neck were as perfectly white as fresh-fallen snow!

For a bull so early in the fall, I could hardly believe my eyes. Normally, as the fall progresses and winter comes on, a bull caribou’s mane grows significantly longer and whiter. This particular bull was already sporting the biggest, whitest mane I think I’ve ever seen --- for any species of caribou, in any season of the year.

I thought about him much that night in our cabin. Even his two buddies would score well over the P & Y minimums, I felt certain.

Would the threesome still be on that same island, come morning? Could we find them again? If not on that island, maybe on a neighboring island?

Following a good night’s sleep and a hearty breakfast, I knew the answers would be waiting for us in

short order. Indeed, they were. And so were the three bulls!

Not more than a quarter-mile from where we’d last seen them, we found them again, though they’d been joined overnight by some cows and calves. After studying the direction of the prevailing winds, Bobby decided I should take a stand at the downwind tip of the island. He and Reagan dropped me off there and then proceeded by boat around the other side of the island to the far end, from which they would begin their drive on foot.

My tip of the island had quite a sharp point to it, with a well-worn game-trail coming right to the water’s edge — only 15 yards from a short hedgerow of little spruces.

By standing in six inches of water, I found the trees would provide me with perfect cover for an ambush.

Once in position, I had only to wait for the caribou to see (or catch wind of) the other members of my wolf-pack. It is a successful hunting technique used the world-over by predators of all kinds.

I had not been standing in the water for long when the bushes up-island started moving. Immediately, the gray-brown colors of the “women and children” were coming my way at breakneck speed. Right behind was one of the bulls, yet I was unable to spot either of the other two behind him. Had they chosen to depart the island in a different direction? No matter, I thought to myself. This one trotting right behind the cows and calves was all the bull I needed. Nearly always, when a caribou is about to enter the water, it will pause — at least momentarily — before getting its first foot wet. The cows and calves did just that before plunging in and, when the bull started applying the brakes as he neared the end of the waiting line, I started drawing my arrow, aiming as I drew. As soon as my stringfingers touched my chin, the arrow was away.

Thunk! A solid hit! In fact, as The White-Maned Monster Bull (at left)

the whole crew exploded off the bank and began swimming toward the next island 100 yards distant, I could see the turkey feathers of my wooden arrow just protruding from the center of the bull’s rib cage. A perfect, d o u b l e - l u n g Author’s First Central Canada Barren Ground Carishot, I noted, bou Longbow With His Longbow congratulating myself. It was only then that I between family members than simglanced down the trail they’d all ply spending time together in the just arrived by and saw the other Great Outdoors.

This 1997 caribou hunt with two bulls trotting my way. The huge bull with the yellow antlers was, in- Reagan was also very special for deed, bringing up the rear. At close me, due to another, far less imporrange, as he slipped into the lake, he tant reason. It allowed me finally looked even more awesome than I to notch my first Central Canada Barren Ground Caribou of recordshad imagined he would.

My trophy bull, nonetheless, book quality and I had done it with proved more than enough to send a longbow! An old friend named me home happy. My one worry, as I Rusty Watson, long-since moved watched him swimming off toward from Washington to Montana, had the next island, was whether he made the wooden arrow for me and could even reach it before expiring. another — Jay St. Charles — had He did, in fact, get there — but just made the yew wood bow. I want to barely! Once Bobby and Reagan thank them both for fashioning by brought the boat around to pick me hand the superb archery equipment up, we all hurried across the water which allowed me to fulfill one more to look for my trophy ‘bou. As we of my many dreams.

The BAREBOW! Sagas – Advenarrived at the precise spot where the animals had made “landfall” on the ture and Misadventure in the Wilds second island, we discovered that of North America Dennis Dunn doesn’t just tell huntmy bull had given that word new meaning. He had apparently died ing stories; he shares his dreams, his on his feet as he exited the water and victories, his disappointments, his fallen on the first patch of land he wisdom and he teaches from his knowlcould reach. The water was crimson edge and experience. The BAREBOW! for fifteen feet out from the shore Sagas will not only acquaint you with and we found his lifeless body ly- the sweet taste of success and the bitter ing in a clump of bushes only five agony of defeat; they will convince you feet from the edge of the lapping that well-regulated hunting sustains waves.What a great experience this the use of wildlife and gives the animals hunt had been with my younger increased value to justify their conserson! In reviewing the video of it, I’m vation and preservation. In this series, reminded that he seemed every bit Dennis takes you along on his quest for as genuinely excited about my kill the North American Big Game 29 Super as he had been about his own (And Slam. A bow, a string, an arrow – no vice versa!). I had taken his older trigger, no peep-sights, no pins – just brother, Bryant, in the spring of fingers, guts and instinct. That’s huntthat same year, on a successful bear ing BAREBOW! To learn more about hunt in Saskatchewan. Both hunts Dunn’s award-winning book (from had helped “pour oil on troubled which the above story was taken), or to waters,” and I am a strong propo- order a copy of BAREBOW!, you may nent of the view that few things in visit the author’s website at: www. the world can create more bonding barebows.com.

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

Wild Turkey Tetrazzini

T

his is not an Italian dish, as the name might imply, but rather a very popular American casserole from the early 1900’s. It is a great way to present that wild spring turkey to family and friends. It is rich and creamy, and is an outstanding way to share your harvest. It is equally as good with domestic turkey or chicken if you want to go that route, but this is a recipe you must try.

Ingredients • • • • • • • • • • • •

12 ounces curly egg noodles 4 tablespoons bacon grease ½ cup chopped onion ½ cup chopped celery Kosher salt Black pepper 3 cups chopped mushrooms 4 cloves chopped garlic 1/3 cup flour 1 cup white wine 4 cups chicken stock 1 teaspoon dried thyme

• • • • • • •

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper 1 ½ cup grated jack cheese 1 8 ounce pack cream cheese 1 pound cooked turkey meat, diced into ¾ inch pieces ½ cup chopped black olives 1 cup bread crumbs ½ cup grated parmesan cheese

Preparation Method

This recipe is perfect for one side of a turkey breast, which should yield about a pound of meat. It is also a wonderful way to use up the leftovers from a full roasted gobbler. Shred or cut the meat into ¾ to one inch pieces. As with any game-bird I highly recommend brining the meat prior to cooking. There is a lot of information about brining available on-line, and it is essential for getting the best flavor out of your game meat.

It pays to get the prep work done first, so chop the onions, celery, mushrooms, garlic,

and olives and set aside. Pre-grate the cheese jack cheese and set aside (Try pepper jack as an option). Cube up the cream cheese into 1 inch chunks so that it melts better. Pre-cook the egg noodles according to the package instructions.

In a large skillet or pot, heat bacon grease over medium-high heat. Sauté onions and celery for three minutes or so until onions soften. Add mushrooms and garlic, and sauté another three minutes. Salt and pepper to taste. Dust with the flour and stir until all it is dissolved and has coated the vegetables (1-2 minutes). Add the cup of wine and scrape stir in, scraping the bits that have stuck to the pan into the sauce. Pour in the chicken stock and add the thyme and cayenne pepper. Reduce heat to medium, and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the shredded cheese and stir until melted. Repeat with the cream cheese and blend until nice and creamy. Now fold in the turkey meat, cooked noodles, and chopped olives. Stir until it is all blended, season to taste, a n d re m o v e f ro m heat.

Pour the mixture into a greased casserole dish. Mix the bread crumbs and parmesan cheese together and spread evenly over the top.

Bake in a 350 degree F oven for 2030 minutes until the sauce is bubbling and the top is golden brown. This dish, combined with a mixed salad, is really tasty. I recommend a Chardonnay to wash it down, and some good friends to compliment you on your cooking.

Cheers!

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