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Phot ograph by ART STREI BER
All Dolled Up
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THE NEXT LEVEL
This collection of advanced hunt-
ing, fishing, and camping skills
plus game-changing gearwill
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total outdoorsman.
by t. edward nickens
WHATS NEXT
Huntresses, hipsters, new world
records, passenger pigeons,
MSRs, advanced aiming systems,
drones, the Sixth Great Extinc-
tion, and more bold predictions
on the future of the outdoors.
100 NEXT BEST PLACES
We combed the country to find
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Scientists are using cutting-edge
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40 64 53 58
MAY 2014
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MAY 2014
RE GUL ARS
6
F ROM T HE E DI TOR
8
F I RST SHOT
The neighborhood tom.
10
CHE E RS & J E E RS
Explaining why we hunt.
13
T HE L AT E ST
Nominate a young Hero.
90
A SPORTSMAN S L I F E
By Bill Heavey
ON T HE COVE R
SHOCKE Y T RE AT ME NT
Photograph by
Art Streiber
CAMPF I RE
14
F I SHI NG
The biggest, toothiest
predator in freshwater vs.
the gentle art of flyfishing.
By Joe Cermele
19
ASK PE T Z AL
The AK-47s utter domi-
nance, the 97-yard wing-
shot, and the irony of
Daves kindly appearance.
By David E. Petzal
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I N SE ASON
Have a gas sight-casting to
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T HI S J UST I N
A high-value reel, circle-
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HE ROE S OF CONSE RVAT I ON
Sportsmen mentoring the
next generation and work-
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By Kristyn Brady
26
RI F L E S
Four keys to successfully
introducing women to rifle
shooting.
By David E. Petzal
NOT E BOOK
28
I NSTANT GUI DE
Three ways to tweak frog
lures for lunker bass.
30
GE AR SMARTS
Match your turkey load to
your hunting style.
32
E XPE RTS
Slow-troll for trophy post-
spawn walleyes.
34
F OOD
Give your gobbler the
flavors of old Mexico.
36
T I PS
How to find and catch slab
bluegills in big lakes.
38
SKI L L S
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F I E L D T E ST
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28 73
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Contributing editor Ste-
ven Hill says his snake-
head fishing trip was a
rare chance to see whats
on the cutting edge, for
Whats Next (p. 64). Hill
began writing for F&S in
1998 after he looked up
Shotguns editor Phil
Bourjaily and took him
out for a beer. Before I
left Iowa, I gave Phil some
great spots to bird hunt. I
think he owes me a drink
the next time I see him!
Creating info graphics
for the Sportsmans
Notebook is challenging. I
try to find interesting
perspectives on the
scene while keeping the
how-to accurate, says
illustrator Jason
Schneider (p. 29), whose
work has appeared in F&S
since 2004. A muskie and
walleye angler, Schneider
also contributes to The
Wall Street Journal,
Fortune, and ESPN.
Bucks for Ducks
WHY AN I NCREASE I N THE COST OF THE FEDERAL DUCK STAMP I S A BARGAI N
M WRITING THIS 80 years to the day when President Franklin D.
Roosevelt signed the Migratory Bird Hunting Stamp Act into law.
The birthday of the duck stamp, as its better known, is a good time to
celebrate one of huntings greatest success stories and talk about how
our generation of sportsmen can make sure were doing our part.
In the spring of 1934, the country was in the middle of the Great De-
pression and the American prairies were suffering under a terrible drought. The Dust
Bowl, as it came to be known, caused massive losses of wetland habitat, and ducks and
waterfowl hunters were feeling the effects.
Many Americans were focused on just putting food on the table, yet sportsmen took a
longer view, realizing that if they werent going to step up and do something, we could
lose ducks and duck hunting forever. Hunter-conservationists like artist Ding Darling
and Ray P. Holland, a former game warden and the editor of FIELD & STREAM, led them.
In this very space, Holland advocated for the duck stamp, writing: Will Congress pass
the Duck Stamp Bill? I believe that any and every duck shooter is willing to give a dollar
for ducks. The one-dollar Federal duck stamp plan, to secure money to care for and in-
crease wild ducks and geese, has the endorsement of all those who will be called upon to
put up the cash. Holland was right. Despite the severe economic hardship that most
Americans were facing at that time, sportsmen pushed to voluntarily tax themselves. The
results have been extraordinary. Since its enactment, duck-stamp sales have funded the
conservation of more than 6 million acres of waterfowl habitat across the country.
The parallels between then and now are striking. Were also in the middle of tough
times, with a deep recession and the greatest loss of wetlands since those dark days of the
Dust Bowl. But its been 23 years since the price of the duck stamp was last raised to its
current fee, $15. Ask yourself this: Are we paying the same price for land in the prairies, for
duck leases, or even for shotgun shells as we were in 1998? In its 80-year history, the
buying power of the federal duck stamp has never been lower.
The solution is simple. We just have to follow the lead of our ancestors and demand
that Congress increase the cost of the stamp so we can better fund the critical conservation
work that waterfowl depend upon. Sen.
Mark Begich (D-Alaska) is the sponsor
of S. 1865, which would raise the price of
the federal duck stamp to $25. To para-
phrase Ray Holland, I think every water-
fowl hunter is willing to give 25 bucks for
the ducks. Contact your senators and
representative and tell them you support
this legislation, and contact Ducks Un-
limited (ducks.org) to find out how else
you can get involved.
I
Anthony Licata, Editor-in-Chief
anthony.licata@bonniercorp.com
Fine Art The
201314 duck stamp
by Robert Steiner.
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COMMUNITY OUTREACH
We nicknamed this 3-year-old gobbler Whitey, for the white markings on two tail feathers in the cen-
ter of his fan, says photographer Tom Martineau, who joined hunter Jeff Lobitz on an 80-acre farma
rare large swath of private land in the archery-only Minneapolis suburbsfor the May 2013 gobbler
season. Jeff and I had the right setup for taking photos: our backs to the morning sun, side by side in
pop-up blinds uphill from the treeline, where we knew some turkeys were roosted. If wed been there
just to hunt, wed have set up right underneath them. They gobbled in the roost, flew down, and kept
getting louder and louder as they headed straight for our decoysit was a turkey hunters dream.
Whitey was the first to crest the hill into the plowed cornfield, followed by four toms, three jakes, and a
few hens. I kept pressing the shutter as he threw his head out in full strut. When the snood starts flap-
ping like that, its pretty cool. KRISTYN BRADY
PHOTOGRAPHER: TOM MARTINEAU + LOCATION: CHANHASSEN, MINN.
FI ELDANDSTREAM. COM
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ANTIHUNTER ED
Thanks to Bill Heavey for ex-
pressing what I hope many of us
feel about hunting in Faced
With an Anti (A Sportsmans
Life, March 2014). I have strug-
gled for years to put into words
why I hunt and trap without
sounding like the cretin that the
anti crowd makes me out to be.
Thad Davis, via e-mail
At the age of 74, I totally agree
with Heaveys description of the
hunt and emotions resulting
from a kill. At the age of 14,
when I killed my first deer or
brought home a pheasant, I was
praised because I had made a
significant contribution of food
to our family of nine. Bringing
game home was appreciated.
Now it is far more satisfying just
to be in the woods hunting with
buddies. I hope to be able to
continue to do that for a while,
whether I kill something or not.
I have, on occasion, let game go
by to continue my time out there,
but I still enjoy taking a buck,
duck, or turkey when it happens.
Glen Venable, Gaines, Mich.
We mature and responsible
hunters should always be look-
ing for positive ways to help deal
reasonably with the antihunter
crowd. Bills article addressed
one strategy wonderfully, but
even he admitted to having a few
other things he would have liked
to say. Given the time and place
of potential conflict, it sounded
like he took the higher road.
Personally, I have grown tired
of fighting the emotionally
driven animal-rights extremists,
and these days I spend more
time and energy educating will-
ing nonhunters. For the most
part, they do want to hear both
sides, will accept vital biological
wildlife data, and often want to
experience the hunt to make a
fair and impartial decision for
themselves. I fervently enjoy
harvesting fish and wild game,
and I will never apologize to
anybody for that.
J.W. Kunkle, Placerville, Calif.
Usually I enjoy reading Bill
Heaveys last-page columns, but
his response to an antihunter re-
ally ticked me off. The first win-
ter I was married to my husband,
he had been laid off from work
and we had a newborn baby.
The venison that he brought
home from hunting was the only
thing that we had in our freezer.
Some people dont know what
its like to choose between food
and utilities. So heres a different
explanation: Not all hunting is
for sport. Some of us hunt to
survive.
Trisha Goodrich, Edinburg, Pa.
Heavey has given me a method
for talking to my in-laws who
harp on me for hunting
Bambiand explaining that I
do not go out for the kill, but for
the thrill. It would be nice to
convince them that hunting is
not as evil, or easy, as they like
to think, and help them under-
stand what it is that drives me to
continue my pursuit.
Justin Tucker, via e-mail
Years ago, I clipped a column
from F&S titled In Defense of
Outdoorsmen, by William G.
CHEERS & JEERS
SUPPORT FOR OUR SPORT, FREQUENT FLY, LONG SHOTS AT BI G BI RDS, AND FI NDI NG TRUTH AT A HONKY-TONK
FEEDING THE
SENSES
March of the
Snowshoes is
the kind of arti-
cle that induced
me to subscribe.
I could smell the
cedar branches
and hear the
beagles as the
narrative swept
me up in the
hunt. And that is
what F&S should
be about.
Douglas
Alexander,
Spring, Texas
R E A DE R T I P
WIN
THIS!
Possible
Protection
Muzzleloader
scopes can be
permanently
marked
where gases
escape from
the breech.
Use black
electrical
tape over that
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scope to pro-
tect and keep
it from
corroding.
David Huffman,
Stuarts Draft, Va.
fieldandstream.com/tips
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YOUR
HUNTING AND
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COMMUNITY
Tapply. I still have it to this day. I did that
so I too could eloquently explain to anti-
hunters the allure of the outdoors. Thanks,
Bill Heavey, for saying what the majority of
the hunting fraternity feels.
Henry Bosco, Totowa, N.J.
A MOST POPULAR PATTERN
I catch tons of silver salmon on Clouser Min-
nows (Spring Fling, In Season) with extra
flash in Alaska. The humpies seem not to like
the bucktail as much as they like marabou.
Where I fish, humpy avoidance is a big deal.
labrador12, via fieldandstream.com
I always tie up water-specific flies that I want
to try and still fall back on the trusty Clouser.
Corey Chandler, via Facebook
Chartreuse Clousers are awesome for white
bass and freshwater drum in shallow rivers
like the Trinity, here in east Texas.
Daniel Gomez, via Facebook
CLOSER CALL
While I welcome news about shotshell in-
novations and improvements, I would ask
you not to encourage hunters to shoot long
range at turkeys. Ive taken a few on public
and private lands that were peppered with
old shot. Because of the industrys push for
long-range ammo years ago, waterfowl
hunting has gone down the same road.
Wheres the passion to become a skilled
hunter and take a tom up close? Or make a
clean kill on ducks and geese over decoys? I
feel our hunting heritage suffers when we
become shooters rather than skilled hunters.
W.S. Westlake, via e-mail
. 338 KICK AND THREE-CHORD COUNTRY
I enjoyed this edition of Ask Petzal. I found
out 12 years ago that if you can handle the
recoil on a 12-gauge slug gun, you can han-
dle the recoil of the .338 Win. Mag. Mine
was a Ruger 77 Mk II, and what a differ-
ence it has made on my elk hunts.
And Petzals thoughts on the current state
of country music are on the money. Two
things really bother me on that subject: (1)
Except for George Strait and Reba McEn-
tire, the country stations rarely play anyone
over the age of 35; and (2) It amazes me that
during any awards show, todays country
stars get up in front of their peers and a na-
tional TV audience in jeans with holes in
them. Forty years ago, the men wore suits
and ties and the women wore beautiful
gowns, probably because they were proud
to have raised themselves out of poverty.
Lee Trunnell, via e-mail
Country music is alive and well. It just takes
effort to discover it. Country-music radio is a
different story. Radio has been dead and
buried for 20 years. The days when you
could hop in your car and discover a new fa-
vorite are long gone, but streaming online ra-
dio, a few Google searches, or a night at your
favorite honky-tonk can still help you find
great new renditions of that tried-and-true
country formula: three chords and the truth.
Ryan Blizzard, via e-mail
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D
O YOU KNOW an Eagle Scout who
builds wood-duck nesting boxes, or
a Girl Scout who created handicap
access to a fishing pier? How about a high
schooler who does volunteer work for a local
sportsmens group?
Such young conservationists are perfect can-
didates for our new Heroes of Conservation
Youth Awards, created to honor three extraordi-
nary volunteers under 18 years old who are mak-
ing positive impacts on fish, game, or habitat.
Since 2005, FIELD & STREAM has worked to
shine a spotlight on the conservation work of
volunteers of all ages, but kids and teens who
make time outside of school and friends to give
back to our sports deserve special recognition.
Tell us about these standout volunteers by
filling out a nomination form at field and stream.
com/ youthHOC. Three young conservation-
ists will appear in the Sept. 2014 issue and on-
line, and each will receive a $250 gift card.
To learn more, visit fieldandstream.com/
heroes
YOUT H AWARDS
Nominate an inspiring young
conservation volunteer for our
new awards
UNDER 18?
YOURE A
HERO TOO
Deep Roots Young volunteers (below and at
top) helping habitat in New Jersey, Washing-
ton, and Wyoming.
EVERY DAYS A PURSUIT.
Every expedition has the potential to become epic with the new SOG
Huntspoint at your side. Small, maneuverable and comfortable in
your hand with a co-molded or rosewood handle its everything you
need to turn a typical hunt into a trip to the taxidermist.
SOGKNIVES.COM
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MAY 201 4 Phot ographs by TOM MARTI NEAU
NOW THATS A FLY
The art, the science, and the incredible
magnitude of the streamer patterns that
flyfishermen tie to fool giant muskellunge
By Joe Cermele
FISHING ASK PETZAL IN SEASON THIS JUST IN HEROES OF CONSERVATION RIFLES
FI ELDANDSTREAM. COM
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15
NEWS AND
STORIES
FROM THE
EXPERTS
I
F YOU TIE your own trout flies, the operation probably goes
something like this: Whip up a dozen bugs the night before a
trip, lose half the next day, repeat. If youre part of the cult of
flyfishermen who chase muskies, however, tying a single fly is a labor
of love, and for many, the result is as special to its creator as the goliath
muskie thats supposed to eat it.
Some of these fishermen routinely foolor at least get follows
fromwhat is arguably the pickiest predator that swims, so its fair to
say that more thought, trial, error, and devotion go into tying flies for
muskies than for any other fish. Understanding the qualities that
make these muskie flies productive can help you tie more effective
streamers for any species.
Big Love
Gabe Schubert tying
muskie streamers at
Bob Mitchells Fly
Shop in Lake Elmo,
Minn.
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TROPHY BUCKTAILS
Minnesotan Gabe Schubert
landed his first muskie on the
fly in 1994 at age 14 while casting for
smallmouth bass. It was an incidental
catch but provided the motivation for
Schubert to begin creating bigger flies
and start targeting big toothies, as
he calls them. His personal-best
muskie now measures 49 inches, and
his fliesmassive concoctions of
bucktail, saddle feathers, and Flasha-
bouare so beautifully crafted, they
were featured in a Stillwater, Minn.,
art show in 2013. While flattered,
Schubert purposely priced the flies in-
sanely high so no one would buy them.
These are, after all, his babies.
You get attached to certain flies.
They have sentimental value, he says.
Ill spend hours scheming out a de-
sign. With some of my 16-inch doubles,
Ill tie in one section, then keep holding
up different colors of bucktail to figure
out what I like. Sometimes Ill need to
think on it, so one fly could take days.
Although Schubert may be uncer-
tain about color schemes when he ini-
tially sits down at the vise to begin a
new fly, he is sure of how the fly needs
to behave. A long tail acts as a stabiliz-
ing rudder, and a big round head of
spun deer hair causes the fly to jack-
knife on the pause, giving following
muskies a nice side-profile view. If he
wants a fly to glide and walk smoothly,
so he can fish it like a jerkbait, hell
skip the bun head and taper the nose
down to a point. First and foremost,
the action needs to pique the fishs cu-
riosity, says Schubert. Then the fly
any less effective. His signature tie, the
Esoxulator, has hooked about 50
muskies for himself and clients since its
invention in 2004. With a huge head
made of stacked Fuzzy Fiber, a jointed
body, and an overall length of nearly 15
inches, the Esoxulator pushes a tremen-
dous amount of water and displays a full
3D profile from any angletwo fea-
tures both Wascher and Schubert be-
lieve are key to a productive streamer.
I want the fly to do all the work, not
the rod, says Wascher, who has been
addicted to the sport ever since a muskie
followed his fly the very first time he
tried flyfishing for the species, 16 years
ago. I dont want to have to use my
wrist to make a fly dance. On a straight
retrieve, the Esoxulator has great tail ac-
tion and the large head creates great
pulsation in the body. It seems to get
the attention of neutral fish.
Spending hours or days at the vise
and using an entire bucktail to create
one fly may seem extreme, but its the
type of dedication thats necessary to
catch muskies on a 10- or 12-weight rod
in the first place. Schubert finds far
more reward in fooling one muskie
with a streamer than 10 with conven-
tional gear, and that reward is amplified
by the work that goes into his patterns.
Sometimes you pull a fly out of the
vise and you just know its a winner,
Schubert says. Its a good feeling.
FS
You can sit in on one of Schuberts tying
seminars at Bob Mitchells Fly Shop
(bob mitchells fly shop.com) in Lake
Elmo, Minn. See the website for dates.
Otherwise, all the fly-shop staffers tie
muskie patterns and can answer any
questions about materials or rigging up.
just needs to be big enough to encour-
age a muskie to actually go after it.
WATER WORKS
The major difference between Schubert
and Steven Wascher, a former guide on
New Yorks Lake Chautauqua, is that
Wascher has fully embraced synthetic
materials, which allow him to tie flies
faster and more affordably. That does
not mean, however, that his patterns are
When youre flyfishing for muskies and pike, a strip-strike is a must, be-
cause these wide-jawed fish often spit flies on a lift-up hookset. Thats
why many anglers who target these species keep their rod tips in the
water during the retrieve. When a fish hits, the taut line helps set the
hook into its bony mouth and may thwart any instinctive lifting of the
rod. The method also works well for any fish with a mouth positioned
under the head, such as bonefish and redfish. Even if your target doesnt
require a strip-strike, such as a trout or bass, keeping the tip in the wa-
ter when working a streamer will help you maintain better contact with
the fly and detect subtle takes more easily. J.C.
STRI P UNDERWATER
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Super Flies
About 50
muskies have
fallen for an
Esoxu lator. Be-
low, Schuberts
creations pile
up on the tying
bench.
FI ELDANDSTREAM. COM
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19 I l l us t rat i on by MARK MATCHO
Since Mikhail Kalashnikovs passing, Ive
read that the AK-47 is the best weapon of
its type and that some U.S. soldiers used
them in place of their M16s. True?
THOMAS RENFRO, BARLETT, TENN.
from my rifle will shoot better
for me because they are per-
fectly fitted to my gun?
MICHAEL OBOYLE, SHAWANO, WIS.
A:
Reloads assembled from cases
fired in your rifle will give you a
better fit than unfired brass, but not
necessarily a perfect one, because
there will be some differences in
shape and dimensions between your
barrels chamber and your resizing
die. Generally, its a minor factor.
Years ago I stopped neck-sizing my
cases, which would give me a perfect
fit, and instead started full-length-
sizing them, which provided a less-
than-perfect fit but ensured that the
cases would cycle without hanging
up. If there was any accuracy loss, I
couldnt find it.
Q:
I am a crusty, funny- looking,
over-the-hill has-been who
is 100 percent certain he is the
smartest man in every room. Im
looking for a job. What line of
work do you recommend for me?
CRAIG HEDD, MAPLEWOOD, MICH.
A:
I would say that you were ideal
for my job, but its taken. How-
ever, I think you have every qualifica-
tion for a U.S. senator, and a multi-
term one at that.
Q:
What is the most impressive
feat of marksmanship you
have ever witnessed?
GERALD BEARD, SILVERTON, ORE.
A:
In 1973, at a pigeon shoot, then
F&S Shooting editor Bob Brister
killed a swooping sky rat at 97 yards
(we paced it off) with a 12-gauge shot-
gun. When he was accused of being
lucky, he did it again.
FS
A:
In terms of widespread use,
casualties inflicted, longevity,
number of rifles produced, influence
on firearms design in general, and
just about any other indicator you
can come up with, the AK-47 is in a
walk the most successful military rifle
of all time. In Vietnam, during the
disastrous introduction of the M16,
in which the gun jammed and broke
on a more or less regular basis, there
were numerous instances of Ameri-
can soldiers using AKs when their
M16s failed.
Q:
I recently saw a photo of
you in which you appeared
well dressed and kindly. Are you
worried this could hurt your
image?
HAROLD HARPSTER,
PENNSYLVANIA FURNACE, PA.
A:
I am not worried. Although I am
well dressed, the kindly part is an
act. Ask anyone who knows me.
Q:
When hunting deer, I tend to
pull the trigger too quickly
when Ive got my eye in the
scope. It hasnt cost me, but still,
do you have any remedies?
JAKE MORRIS, TEMPLE, GA.
A:
Your priorities are backward. If
more people trained themselves
to pull the trigger fast when they have
a good sight picture, there would be a
lot more dead animals on the ground.
No surprise it hasnt cost you.
Q:
Is it true that reloads made
with cases previously fired
Q
A
GOT A QUESTION FOR OUR RIFLES EDITOR? Send it to askpetzal@fieldandstream.com. We cannot guarantee polite answers to all questions.
David E.
Petzal
answers
your
questions
about guns,
shooting,
hunting,
and life
ASK PE TZ AL
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I
M FOUR DAYS LATE, but its the best I can do. Every spring I plan to fish the
full moon of May, the peak of a magical week when spawning bluegills simply cant
keep their mouths shut. Popping bugs and sinking ants, doves cooing in the pines,
damselflies dippingflyfishing for bedding bream is one of those annual gotta-dos. When
its on, you can hardly make a cast without hooking up. Even when its slow, youre going
home with fish enough for a small family fry.
And this year theres a bonus: I recently stumbled across my ancient float tube and fins,
wadded up in a dank corner of the basement, behind the kitty litter box and a plastic tote
of emergency supplies that dated to the Y2K scare. Skimmed over with cobwebs, the float
tubes outer fabric was a bit mildewed but seemed sound enough. The inner tube, though,
was honeycombed with surface rot. It took a serious patch job of rubber cement and
I N SE ASON
PARTY ON THE FARM POND
Its the most fun you can have with a fly rod
this monthcatch bedding bluegills from
a float tube or pontoon boat By T. Edward Nickens
Gorilla tape before it held air over-
night, but after that I was set. Id spent
some fine spring hours in that old
tube, pulling in bluegills, redbreasts,
and the occasional shellcracker with
its clam-cracking gullet. I cant imag-
ine why Ive gone so long without
shipping off.
Oh, yeah. Life.
Its become harder to find the time
for such a simple pleasure. So I drive
to a buddys farm pond, four days of
the full moon late but early enough for
sunrise. I slip into the water and hold
tight to the bank at first, fingers
crossed. Not a single bubble hisses out
of the tube. I flutter-kick for the south
bank, hoping there is still time to catch
some of that old bluegill magic.
GET YOUR KICKS
One, two, three, four Dont move the
bug. You gotta count to 10. Six, seven
Wait for it. Wait for it. Eight, nine I
cant take this. Im gonna twitch
Blurp. There he is!
It takes me a while to get my cross-
hairs on the fish. I work a small cove
first, but the fish are not where I
thought they would bein the shal-
lows near the sunny bank where the
water trickles in from the hardwoods.
Kicking around the pond, I smell the
bream bedsan oily musk, strawber-
ries mashed up with fish slime. The
cream-colored craters are like elephant
tracks in the shallows. These fish are
cluster-bedded in front of a grassy
fringe of green reeds, beside a blown-
down pine where a kingfisher perches.
We eye each other, friendly competi-
tors. I work the outside edges first, fan-
casting left to right, trying to pick off
the big females that hang back from the
beds. (See p. 36 for spawning- bluegill
tactics in big water.)
Now another bluegill smacks the
popping bug with a slashing strike, its
blue-black back and dorsal fin arcing
like a porpoise. I strip in a bit of slack
and let the rod work. The float tube
spins away from the bank as the blue-
gill heads for deep water, and I cant
help but laugh out loud. When the
bite is on in a bluegill pond, it is cast
after cast. I go six for six before the
commotion puts the fish down and the
bite flattens out, but thats no problem.
A few flutter kicks take me to new
water, new bream beds, new fish that,
for a few blissful days in May, just
cant help themselves.
Im as happy to be back in this old
float tube as anything. Its such a pe-
High & Mighty
Like a tube, a
pontoon is easy
to launch and
great on ponds.
R
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culiar sensation: being in the water,
but not really, dry as toast in
stocking-foot waders. Years ago I
used to sneak the float tube into a
state park pond that was posted
against swimming and boating, and
confound the rangers that whistled
me over for a talking-to.
No, sir, Im not swimming, not with
these waders on. And no, sir, youre
right. Im not really boating, either.
Theyd shake their heads and wave
me back into the pond. Now, with
my eyes just a couple of feet from the
pond surface, I share the perspective
of the damselfly, the kingfisher, the
slider turtles sunning on the bank. I
cast the popper, let the rings dissi-
pate, count to 10, and take in tiny
little strips of fly linenot to move
the bug so much as to keep the line
taut as the wind pushes me almost
imperceptibly toward the bream beds,
like another leaf on the pond.
The next bluegill is a beauty. It
runs for the deep water and leaves me
tangled in my fish stringer, which is
weighed down with browns and
blues and the flash of orange bellies.
This big old copperhead bream is
the granddaddy so far. When I bring
him to hand, its all I can do to get my
fingers around the fish. His flanks
have gone deep purple, and theres a
hump on his head that tells me hes
seen his share of full April moons.
This sucker is an inch and a quarter
thick, easy, by far the biggest bluegill
Ive ever pulled out of this pond. He
goes on the stringer. Two more keep-
ers and then its all for fun and games.
My white popper is working like
magic, but Im not one to leave well
enough alone. In my fly box a sinking
yellow-jacket pattern catches my eye.
Its a bit meatier than my standard-
issue popping bug. Meatier and a
touch sinister-looking, which might
be double-trouble for a fat bream
guarding a bed full of babies. The fly
is also quite the dapper fellow,
spruced up in a tiny black tuxedo
with a yellow cummerbund.
That thought seals the deal. I pull
out the yellow jacket, snug down the
knot. I may be a few days late to the
party, but the morning has all the feel
of a special occasion.
FS
T I P OF T HE MONT H
POP GOES THE POPPER
Traditional hook disgorgers such as hemostats and needle-
nose pliers can tear up popper bodies and wings, damage
hooks, and nick tippets and knots. The best hook removal
tool for small-mouthed bream is a simple wooden Popsicle
stick. Whittle one end of the stick to a width of
1
4
inch.
Place it on a hard wooden surface such as a picnic table, and
use a knife blade to cut a V-notch into the narrowed end.
Now just slide the V-notch down the line to the hook eye,
and pop the popper free. T.E.N.
all-new
Americas best-selling reel, redesigned for a
whole new generation. zebcosnngcom
2
0
1
3
Z
e
b
c
o
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r
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n
d
s
,
a
W
.
C
.
B
r
a
d
l
e
y
C
o
.
Remember when kids used to literally
Laugh Out Loud?
TANKLIKE REEL,
LIFELIKE FAKE
First reports on the newest
and hottest outdoor gear
T HI S J UST I N
3-TAND TF SERIES FLY REELS
$180$210; 3-tand.com
If youre looking for a reel that has the guts, rock-solid con-
struction, and tanklike toughness of the most expensive fly
reels, without the big price tag, you cant beat 3-Tands new
TF series. Available in weights 1 through 8, made from T-6
cold-forged aluminum, and featuring a sealed NanoCF carbon-
fiber drag, these reels are exceptionally smooth and rugged.
The bottom line is that you simply will not find this kind of
performance anywhere else for under $250. Having put both
the 7-weight and 2-weight models through their paces, Im con-
fident in saying either one could stop a bonefish or withstand
being run over by an M1 Abrams. Joe Cermele
1
REDHEAD REALITY SERIES CRAZY JAKE
$50; basspro.com
The big trend in molded-rubber turkey decoys
is ultrarealismand attendant sticker shock.
RedHeads new Crazy Jake gives you the former
without the latter. For half the usual price, this fake
is impressively lifelike. Designed to not run off shy
gobblers, it is 30 percent smaller than most such
dekes and strikes a nonthreatening three-quarter-
strut pose. Crazy Jake comes with a fabric fan but
accepts the real thing, and it is compatible with
RedHeads new motion stake, which spins the
imposter like its strutting for real. Dave Hurteau
YO-ZURI SASHIMI CIRCLE HOOK SERIES
$15; yo-zuri.com
For catch-and-release anglers, Yo-Zuri offers the
first factory lures made with circle hooks, which
help prevent gut-hooking fish. The series includes a
suspending jerkbait (3
1
2-inch,
7
16-ounce), a float-
ing pencil (4-inch,
5
8-ounce), and a floating min-
now (3
1
2-inch,
3
8-ounce), all with the companys
patented Sashimi finish. These proven designs will
catch a wide variety of species, from largemouths
and pike to stripers and reds. The jerkbait that I
tested in early spring delivered enticing action and
ultra-easy hook removal. Mark Modoski
CLEAN-SHOT NOCK OUT LIGHTED NOCKS
$29; clean-shot.com
OCD bowhunters like me want to practice with the
same equipment well use for hunting, right down
to the arrow nock. That rules out most illuminated
models, which are activated with every shot and
tend to burn out over weeks of target shooting.
But not Nock Out nocks, which have an innovative
locking on-off collar. Simply keep the light off
during practice, then twist the collar to activate the
LED when hunting. The provided adapter sleeves
fit just about any arrow, including the latest
micro- diameter models. Michael R. Shea
2 3 4
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toyota.com/tundra Prototype shown with options. Production model may vary. 2013 Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc.
HEROES OF CONSERVATION
Volunteers opening access, improving hunting
lands, and creating new sportsmen By Kristyn Brady
CONSE RVAT I ON
Nominate your Hero of Conservation.
Every hero featured in the magazine
receives a $500 grant from Toyota. fieldandstream.com/heroes
MORE ONLINE
1 2 3
BRINGING BALANCE TO
LAND MANAGEMENT
RYAN KRAPP
BISMARCK, N.D.
As state chair of the North
Dakota Mule Deer Founda-
tion for two years, and a
leader of his local chapter for
six years before that, Krapp
has been instrumental in rais-
ing the funds to enroll land-
owners in the states Private
Land Open to Sportsmen
(PLOTS) program. He also
spearheaded a $75,000 pre-
scribed burn project, which
should take place this spring.
We raffle off a muley tag
each year to raise between
$10,000 and $15,000, which
helps cover PLOTS contracts
for 27,000 acres in the west-
ern part of the state, says
Krapp, who has his masters
in wildlife and fisheries biol-
ogy. He is also working with
his contacts in the energy in-
dustry to lobby for a more
balanced approach to oil and
gas development.
BUILDING BETTER HABITAT
AND HUNTERS
BOB KEICHER
CHEEKTOWAGA, N.Y.
When a local Boy Scout
camp was closed due to poor
conditions, Keicher helped
raise $80,000 to build a new
facility and furnish the
troops with rifles, ammo,
and archery equipment. I
contacted the heads of com-
panies who were former
Scouts willing to give back,
says Keicher, and we got
more than enough dona-
tions. Working with the Ad-
irondack Catskill Chapter of
SCI for eight years, Keicher
has helped local children
make 150 wood-duck boxes
annually. The kids feel so
proud to build something,
and later we take them to
see how the boxes were
used and count eggshells.
He has also been involved in
launching a program in
which prison inmates raise
thousands of pheasants.
FOSTERING SAFETY
AND FUN
HAROLD HOLT
SHEBOYGAN, WIS.
Holt first started volunteer-
ing to teach hunter-safety
courses 36 years ago, only a
few years after the program
was established in Wiscon-
sin. To date, he has taught
more than 3,500 boys, girls,
and adults how to use fire-
arms and bows safely. I of-
ten receive photos of for-
mer students with the deer
or ducks theyve hunted,
and that always makes me
feel good, says Holt, who
has also served on the volun-
teer planning committee for
the Sheboygan County
Greenwing Day, alongside
2013 Conservation Hero of
the Year finalist Jeff Gorr,
for 25 years. Its really im-
portant that kids learn to
handle guns properly, he
says, then jokes, and get-
ting them outside keeps
them out of the saloons!
Advertisement
THE BOBWHITE
QUAIL
IMPROVE. RESTORE. CONSERVE HABITAT.
THE FACTS:
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Chicks follow their parents upon
hatching and fledge in one week.
If someone you know is
conserving wildlife habitat,
nominate them to be a 2014
Hero of Conservation. One Hero
of the Year will be awarded a
new Toyota Tundra.
2013 Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc.
Source: www.quailforever.org
Bobwhite quail range
in weight from
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The major factor leading to the
decreasing numbers of bobwhite
quail is habitat loss.
fieldandstream.com/heroes
26
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WHI T E TAI L S
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A
FEW YEARS ago a friend and I
gave a compressed instruction
course to two women who were
about to go on a mule deer hunt and had
never fired a rifle before. We conducted the
class separately, and after an hour or so my
friend walked over to where I was and said,
I cant show her anything. She hits the 10-
ring every time she pulls the trigger.
Some women, like some men, do not learn
to shoot easily, and do not become good
shots. But from what Ive seen, many women
learn faster than men and do at least as well
or better. Women concentrate better than
men; they listen better; theyre more flexible,
so they get into shooting positions more
easily. And since theyre coming into the
shooting sports faster than any other group, it
behooves us to know how to get them started
should we have the chance.
RECOIL
If you start a woman shooting with anything
but a .22 rimfire, you have taconite ore be-
tween your ears instead of brains. Nobody
likes recoil, and women have sense enough to
admit it. When you move to a big-game rifle,
a cartridge such as a 7mm/08, a .260 Reming-
ton, or the old 6.5x55 or 7x57 Mauser will
drop anythingand with minimum kick and
muzzle blast. The wife of a friend of mine
took a 7mm/08 to Africa last year and killed
12 critters with 12 shots.
GUN FIT
The average factory rifle is stocked for a man
who is about 5 feet 9 inches. The average
woman is considerably shorter and has a
longer neck. This means that the standard
FEMALE ACADEMY
The correct way to introduce a woman
to the ways of the rifle By David E. Petzal
length of pull of 13
1
2 to 13
3
4 inches is going to
be much too long. In addition, the comb will
be too low for her to get any support from it.
To check for gun fit, have the shooter wear
the clothes shell have on when she hunts.
Ask her to close her eyes and mount the rifle;
if her eye is not level with the center of the
ocular lens, and she does not have around 3
1
2
inches of eye relief, there is work to do.
If moving the scope rearward in the rings
doesnt achieve proper eye relief, take the rifle
to a gunsmith who knows how to fit guns and
have the stock shortened. (While youre at it,
have a good recoil pad installed.) This leaves
the problem of comb height. There are sev-
eral accessory combs that lace or slide on, but
I dont like any of them because they dont
stay put.
Instead, you can build up the comb with
thicknesses of moleskin or by duct-taping
rectangles of
1
2-inch closed-cell foam to the
stock until you get the height you need. Both
solutions look like hell but work great.
EYE DOMINANCE
Ive seen a surprising number of women
shooters who are right-handed and left-
eyed, or vice versa. This causes problems, so
check for it. Have the woman stand 20 feet
or so from a bulls-eye target, form a circle
with the thumbs and index fingers of both
hands and, in one motion, bring the circle
up and center the bull in it. Now, have her
open and shut one eye at a time. If the bull
appears to move when she shuts an eye, that
is the dominant eye.
You always try to shoot with the stronger
eye, so if she is right-handed and left-eyed,
shell do better learning to shoot left-handed.
For what its worth, Im right-handed and
left-eyed, and I shoot left-handed; Warren
Page was left-handed and right-eyed, and he
shot right-handed.
CHASING PERFECTION
Keep in mind that women, unlike men, tend
to want everything perfect. That can make
them slow to pull the trigger. Its not a prob-
lem at the range, but its a big deal in the field.
Work on getting off an accurate shot within
three seconds of acquiring the target.
FS
Sized Right Make
sure length of pull
and comb height are
spot on.
RI F L E S
G
E
A
R
T
I
P
SavagesnewModel 11/111 LadyHunter ($840; savagearms.com) ismilesaheadof anythingelseIve
seenthatsdesignedfor femalehunters. Thisgood-lookinglittlebolt actioncomesinachoiceof eight
sanecalibersfrom.22/250to.30/06andhasideal stockdimensions, weight, andbalance. D.E.P.
THE I DEAL WOMAN S RI FLE
CUTTING-EDGE STRATEGY FOR THE FISHING FANATIC
SPECIAL
BONUS
SECTION
Score more topwater bass
with this stealthy
approach to fishing tidal
creeks and rivers By Ben Duchesney
Striper, Corner Pocket
Bay Payday
A striped bass
from the
backwaters of
Shelter Island, N.Y.
FI ELDANDSTREAM. COM
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TACTICS SKILLS
THROW LONG
Just before the boat rounds the turn, make
a long cast with a popper over the corner and
into the slack pocket on the other side. Braided
line helps cut through marsh grass if a section
of your line ends up spanning dry land. Stripers
often smash the lure within two pops.
POWER DOWN
When you approach a bend, position the boat
so the current carries you toward the inside
corner, and kill the engine. If you have a trolling
motor, youll be able to make adjustments once
the big engine is shut down; if you dont, do your
best to gauge the path of the current and keep
the bow pointed downstream.
1
T
hroughout the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic, striped bass begin swimming up the coastal creeks, inlets,
and rivers in May, where many will often remain for the summer to feed on the plentiful baitfish that get
pushed with the tide in these high-current areas. Targeting these bass takes some stealth, as they can be
highly pressured and wary. Step one is to attack at first and last light. Step two is using the current to
time your approach and dictate your boat position. Stripers use the slack pockets on inside bends to
ambush prey, and the best way to ensure your topwater lure gets smashed is to cut the corners.
3
LEAN IN
When you get bit, set hard and move the
rod away from the corner. As the boat is pushed
around the turn, you want to keep side pressure
on to steer the fish away from the bank. Get-
ting a fish out of the hole quickly also ups your
chances of scoring another bass from the same
pocket on a repeat drift.
FS
2
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RECORD RECORD
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SKI L L S
Change the Channel
Tired of early-season bass and trout?
Switch gears for trophy cats
By Mark Modoski
THE LOCATION
Farm ponds are an especially good choice
in early spring, because they warm much faster
than big lakes and rivers. Cats are drawn to the
shallows that have dark mud bottoms, which heat
up much quicker than hard bottoms.
THE GEAR
A 7-foot medium-heavy spinning or casting
rod is perfect for spring catfishing. Spinning reels
with a bait-runner feature or casting reels with a
clicker are ideal, as they allow big cats to run off
with the bait while tension remains on the line.
Spool up with 20-pound braid.
THE RIG
Slide a
1
4- to
1
2-ounce egg sinker up the
main line, then tie on a barrel swivel. To the other
side, attach a 12- to 18-inch leader of 20-pound
fluorocarbon, and finish the rig with a 3/0 Kahle
hook. Channel cats will be scavenging for baitfish
that died over the winter, so strong-smelling baits
produce best at this time of year. Chicken livers
are my personal favorite, but dough baits loaded
with baitfish scent work, too.
FS
1
2
3
M
ost freshwater anglers
associate spring with
prespawn bass fishing
and trout pursuits.
While theyre casting jigs and
spinners, however, channel
catfish are waking up from
their long winter nap and put-
ting on the feedbag. Catfish-
ing can be phenomenal as the
water temperatures climb out
of the 40s, and theyll con-
tinue to chew hard until the
water hits the 70s. Put your-
self in the right spot, and
youll have more bent rods
(and bigger fish) than those
guys chasing largemouths and
stocker rainbows.
Introducing the new Mitchell 300Pro. Its innovative bail halo design increases
strength and prevents line from getting underneath the spool. Combined with
a carbon hybrid drag, a machined aluminum spool and handle, this reel will
deliver the legendary durability and performance of the Mitchell 300 family.
Thats Mitchell. Thats the joy of shing.
www.shmitchell.com
IT KEEPS GETTING BETTER
/mitchellfishing
K
E
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T
H
S
U
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#GOWHEREYOUDONTBELONG
E
v
a
S
h
o
c
k
e
y
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INSTANT GUIDE GEAR SMARTS EXPERTS FOOD TIPS SKILLS
S
P
O
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T
S
M
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S
TIPS,
TRICKS,
AND
ADVICE
QUANTUM LEAP FROG
Three ways to modify brand-new
frog lures into killer rigs the large-
mouths in your lake havent seen yet
By Ben Duchesney
Although you can
find frogs in almost any
color, stick to natural pat-
terns. Mottled greens and
browns are especially good
choices, as they best mimic
a frog that was in hiding
now suddenly running
scared in open
water.
WATCH YOUR TONE
Phot ograph by TRAVI S RATHBONE
L
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N
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L
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S
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(
3
)
HOP TO IT Our experts share their go-to frog lures
LUNKER HUNT
LUNKER FROG These
hollow-body baits with
extending and retract-
ing legs are realistic
and deadly on their
own. But add a suction
cup to one of these
lifelike amphibians, and
it becomes just lethal
($7; lunkerhunt.com).
BOG BAITS NATU-
RAL BOG FROG With
naturally extended
legs, the floating
version of these baits
is ideal for mimick-
ing a frog swimming
subsurface. They are
Jamie Pistillis favorite
for Texas rigging ($6;
bogbaits.com).
STRIKE KING RAGE
TAIL TOAD This is
VanDams choice for
hole- punching. The
long legs offer plenty
of extra length to trim
back, creating a frog
with a more subtle
swimming and falling
action ($5 for five;
strikeking.com).
ITS EASY TWEAKING GREEN
Frog baits can lose their potency over time
if you keep throwing that same pattern over
and over. Rather than look for the next great frog, I
started tweaking my favorite patterns to re-up their
hog-fooling capabilitiesand Im not the only one
doing this. My frog tweak, plus two from pro anglers
Jamie Pistilli and Jonathon VanDam, will turn the
heads of the biggest, most pressured bass in the lake.
How to modify and fish three proven frog fakes
SINK & SWIM Big City Fishing host Jamie
Pistilli drowns his soft-plastic frogs by Texas-
rigging them on a 5/0 hook with a split shot
a foot up the line. This way, the buoyant frog
hovers below the surface. Weave the bait
through lily stalks and be ready for reaction
strikes. A straight retrieve at medium speed
produces the most strikes, Pistilli says. But
make sure you always look for movement
behind the bait before you yank it out of the
water. Bass will follow right to the boat.
SUCK IT UP I add a clear suction cup to
the head of my hollow-body frogs to create a
surface disturbance that mimics the sound of
a frog plopping off a lily. Poke a hole through
the cups middle, thread it over the hook eye,
and secure it in place with superglue. When
I work the frog through open water, the cup
creates enough popping action to attract
more attention without spooking fish. If fish
are wary, push the suction cup backward, like
a broken umbrella, to reduce the pop and
make the bait slide from side to side.
PLAY DOCTOR Pro Jonathon VanDam
cuts
1
2 inch off each leg on sinking soft-plastic
frogs, which reduces the amount of noise
the bait makes in the water but maintains
just enough kick for the frog to stand out. He
pitches the frog to a hole in the grass and lets
it fall. The flutter on the drop looks like a real
frog swimming below the grassline. The short
legs make the frog look smart, VanDam
says. A real frog doesnt want to draw atten-
tion by fully extending its legs when it swims.
I l l us t rat i on by JASON SCHNEI DER
Phot ographs by LUKE NI LSSON
LOADED FOR ANYTHING
OUR SHOTGUNS EDITOR PICKS THE BEST LOAD
FOR YOUR STYLE OF TURKEY HUNTING
> By Phil Bourjaily
GE AR SMARTS
ROOKIE
LOAD
Federal Mag-
Shok Heavy-
weight ($18 for
five)
The Specs:
20-gauge, 2
3
4-
inch, size 7 shot
The Skinny:
Light 20-gauge
youth shotguns
kick hard with
3-inch magnums.
Let your begin-
ner hunter shoot
these 2
3
4-inch
Federal loads.
They carry 1
1
8
ounces of size 7
Heavyweight shot,
which hit like lead
5s even with a
modest 1100-fps
velocity.
OLD-GUN
LOAD
Federal Mag-
Shok High Veloc-
ity ($25 for 10;
federal premium.
com)
The Specs:
12-gauge, 2
3
4- or
3-inch, size 6 shot
The Skinny:
Fixed-choke guns
with standard
chambers can
still kill birds with
the right ammo.
This loads wad
gives near turkey-
choke perfor-
mance through a
standard Full. The
lead pellets dont
harm old barrels.
Size 6 shot gives
dense patterns.
BARGAIN
LOAD
Winchester
Double X
($20 for 10;
winchester.com)
The Specs:
12-gauge, 3
1
2-inch,
size 5 shot
The Skinny: You
dont care about
recoilits paying
for premium non-
toxics that hurts.
Double X turkey
loads (originally
called Supreme
High Velocity) in
3
1
2-inch 12-gauge
offer affordable
long-range per-
formance. They
kick brutally but
deliver tight pat-
terns at 1300 fps.
RUN-AND-GUN
LOAD
EnvironMetal
Hevi-13 ($26 for
five in 12 gauge;
hevishot.com)
The Specs:
12-gauge, 2
3
4-inch,
size 5 shot
The Skinny:
You hunt wary
public-land birds
and dont want to
pass up any ethical
shot? You carry a
light gun and need
a soft-kicking load
with reach? The
1
1
2-ounce 12-gauge
payload of dense
Hevi-13 pellets has
a velocity of 1090
fps, producing
tight patterns and
low recoil.
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MAY 201 4 I l l us t rat i on by RYAN KI RBY
E XPE RTS
CRAWL EYES
E GIANT SPRING WALLEYES SLOW (WAY) DOWN TO SCORE G
> By Ross Robertson
TAKE IT SLOW
A 1-mph S pattern
works best now.
TUNE PRECISELY
You can have the hottest-
color lure in your area, but it
wont do you any good if its
out of tune. Even a crank
that ran well last week can
be off this week simply from
the weight of a thrashing
fish, or perhaps you were
overzealous with your pliers
when removing a hook. To
check your tuning, put the
lure in the water and pay out
a rods length of line. Pull the
rod forward as the boat
moves. The lure should dive
straight down. If it shears off
to one side, bend the line-tie
eye in the opposite direc-
tion of the way the lure is
tracking with needle-nose
pliers. The trick is to bend it
slightly, readjusting until it
runs true. Dont twist it like a
pretzel, because you risk
making the lure perma-
nently un-tunable.
GET LAZY
Walleyes are often found in
the sun-warmed top 10 feet
of the water column, which
also happens to hold the
most baitfish. If this is where
youre marking them, its all
the better to opt for a
crankbait attack because
their position suggests
theyre actively feeding and
hunting for bait. Start pull-
ing your cranks at 1 mph in
lazy S pattern. Your lures
will speed up on one side of
the boat and slow down on
the other, giving your pre-
sentation a little variety. Ev-
ery once in a while, stop the
boat completely. This can
get walleyes to hit when all
else fails. The Rapala Husky
Jerk and Reef Runner 800
are two of my favorite lures
for this approach.
In May, most walleye waters are still cold, and the bulk of the big girls will
be in their postspawn stages. That means you have a prime shot at hooking
the eye of a lifetime. The giants are fairly easy to find at this time of year, as they
often stack up over areas with muddy bottoms. Though crankbaits are often put
into play when the water warms, they can be lethal now if you know how to use
them properly. The trick to getting a bite starts with slowing your trolling speed to
a crawl and making sure your crankbaits are tracking true.
EYE JOB Adjust the eye of
your crankbait to the left or
right to get it diving straight.
NOTHING LIKE HOOKING THE RIGHT INSURANCE. Being out on the water. Its just
one of the things that make the great outdoors great. And with our Outdoorsmen Insurance,
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36
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MAY 201 4
D
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HUNT FOR GILL GROUNDS
May is prime time for hubcap-size bluegills, Duckworth says. Theyre often spawning
now, so head for the back of a cove or tributary arm, and wearing polarized sunglasses,
search for clusters of spawning beds near the shoreline. They look like little lunar
craters on the bottom, and you should see bluegills darting all around them. If the fish
arent spawning, he says, theyll hold in the shade beneath overhanging trees and boat
docks, and near submerged logs and weed patches in 2 to 8 feet of water.
RIG FOR BULLS
If youre fishing with your kids and want nonstop action, live bait is the way to go. Thread
two or three fat crickets on a No. 2 Tru-Turn Blood Red long-shank panfish hook and
fish them 2 to 4 feet beneath a small bobber. Once youve located a school of bluegills,
pinching a tiny split shot just above the hook gets the bait into the strike zone quicker,
Duckworth says. For bull bluegills and fat shellcrackers, he prefers small artificials like
the Johnson Beetle Spin and Blakemore Road Runner
1
8 ounce around shallow
spawning beds, and
1
4 ounce for probing the deeper water beneath docks. Both of
these lures produce flash and vibrations that trigger strikes from monster bluegills.
Simply cast them past your target and slow-roll them back to the boat. I fish both live
bait and artificials on a 5
1
2-foot light-action spinning outfit with 6-pound line.
Most fishermen target bluegills solely in farm ponds and other small bodies
of water. But these scrappy fish are abundant in sprawling lakes and reser-
voirs as well and are a fun alternative when heavily pressured bass or walleyes
arent biting. Bluegills and shellcrackers tend to be totally ignored in big waters,
says Tennessee guide Jim Duckworth. And they can grow huge as a result.
Heres where Duckworth finds the fish and how he rigs for them.
MORE THAN FAIR GAME
T I PS
HOW TO CATCH JUMBO BLUEGILLS IN YOUR BASS LAKE > By Don Wirth
Why So Blue?
If the bass bite
slows down, odds
are the bluegills will
still strike.
The idea of a hot dog
roasted over an open
fire is a romantic one,
but the reality is usu-
ally bitter black on
the outside and cold
in the middle. A truly
perfect dog requires
techniqueand
maybe a couple of
secret ingredients.
First, the heat source:
Let a hardwood fire
burn down until you
have a pile of glowing
coals that you can
hold your hand over
for a count of five.
A flat metal skewer
(with a handle) trans-
fers heat better than
a green willow, cook-
ing the hot dog from
the inside as well as
out, and keeps the
meat in place as you
turn it. Next, while
a plain dog is fine,
thinking outside the
bun is even better.
Wrap the dog with
bacon or prepared
biscuit dough, then
hold the frank about
4 inches over the
fiery ashes. Slowly
spin the skewer so all
sides roast evenly.
This, of course, leaves
you with a hand free
for the perfect hot-
dog beveragea cold
beer. DAVID DRAPER
DOGGONE
DELICIOUS
I l l us t rat i on by ANDREW RAE
VERSAMAX
Nitro Turkey
S
(
S
H
I
R
T
,
P
A
N
T
S
,
B
O
O
T
S
)
;
F
I
L
S
O
N
(
V
E
S
T
)
Like supermodels, mod-
ern arrows keep getting
lighter, stronger, faster,
thinnerand more com-
plicated. Scott Andress,
the owner of Pike County
Archery in Illinois, and a
man obsessed with ar-
rows, walked us through
the components that make
up the ultimate arrow.
Nock Andress recom-
mends changing nocks,
which can wear, every
yearand every one at
the same time.
Fletching Short 2-inch
vanes are stiff and tough
and have nearly replaced
4-inch vanes. Most factory
arrows have straight or
offset fletching, but heli-
cal fletching gets an arrow
spinning more quickly for
better stability.
Arrow Wraps These help
hunters follow the flight
of small-diameter arrows.
Shaft Micro-diameter ar-
rows have smaller shafts
of stiffer materials that
can lead to better pene-
tration. Arrows with vary-
ing spine ratings along the
same shaft seek to tame
the flex that occurs when
the enormous load of en-
ergy is applied at the re-
lease of the bowstring.
Stiffer back sections take
up the force, while the
lighter middle and for-
ward sections contain
most of the flex.
Broadhead Mechanical
broadheads create
wicked wound channels.
And theyre getting ever
larger, with cutting diam-
eters over 2 inches.
46
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MAY 201 4
L
U
K
E
N
I
L
S
S
O
N
(
A
R
R
O
W
)
mount steady
Tripod adapters allow
binoculars to be
mounted to the
1
4-
inch screw bolt of a tri-
pod. Many manufac-
turers offer adapters
specific to their
models.
twice as nice An op-
tical doubler doubles
the magnification of
binoculars, turning a
10X binoc into a 20X
elk finder. A doubler
typically fits over one
eyepiece and is light
SHOOT LIGHTS-OUT
FROM A LAYOUT BLIND
Shooting from a layout blind is tricky. You
have a split second to sit up while shoving
blind doors open and shouldering a shot-
gun, only to find that your range of motion
is seriously limited. Heres how to set a de-
coy spread so the birds present you with
the best shotand how to make the shot
when they come sailing in.
STEP ONE
Work with an H-shaped decoy pattern in a cut
field. With the wind coming from your right, set
two parallel groups of decoys about 60 yards
apart. Position a perpendicular line of decoys
upwind of the blinds to connect the first two
this creates the H with a landing zone right in
front of the blinds. Now when birds approach,
their attention will be diverted away from the
blinds, giving you and your hunting buddy
crossing shots at decoying birds.
STEP TWO
Figure out exactly where your blind will be,
then make a hip hole by digging out 4 or 5
inches of dirt at the position of your butt. Once
inside the blind, pull the knee of your shooting
side up a bit, which will give you a bit of lever-
age to drive your rear end into the hip hole as
you sit up for the shot. In this scenario birds
will be landing from left to right, and should
have their wings set just as they cross into
range. When its time to shoot, rise into posi-
tion, lean forward an extra inch or two to help
absorb recoil, and concentrate on swiveling
your entire torso with the birds instead of
pushing the gun with your arms. Shoot as the
birds drift into the H, so they will be directly
above your toes for a follow-up shot.
good! The full version
of the recipe is in Ley-
saths The Sporting
Chefs Better Venison
Cookbook. Heres the
quick version.
Marinate 3-inch-
long strips of venison,
duck, or other wild
game in a mix of olive
oil, sesame oil, soy
sauce, orange marma-
lade, Tabasco, and
black pepper.
Make a normal, ev-
eryday, wild-game
popperwrapping
the meat, jalapeo,
and cream cheese
with a strip of bacon
and securing it all with
a toothpick (prefera-
bly one thats been
soaked in water so it
doesnt catch fire on
the grill).
Except
Replace the cream
cheese with a piece of
sliced mango, and use
prosciutto instead of
bacon. Grill the pop-
pers until the pro-
sciutto is crispy.
Distribute. Eat. Take
a bow, chef.
enough that you can
toss one in your pack
and, in a pinch, use it
without a tripod. Just
brace the binoculars
against a tree.
COOK A MEANER
WILD-GAME POPPER
Scott Leysath, a.k.a.
the Sporting Chef, has
elevated the beloved
jalapeo popper to
red-carpet status, as if
dressing it in Gucci
and Louboutin heels. I
mean, damn, these are
YOUR
NEXT-LEVEL
ARROW
1
2
3
4
5
THE
TOTAL
OUTDOORSMAN
The H creates a
landing zone.
Blinds go on the
top row of dekes.
4
1
2
3
Continued from p. 45
5
When aiming feels as natural as breathing, thats when you know theres
an M&P in your hands. An 18-degree grip angle ensures a natural point of
aim, and three interchangeable palmswell grips tailor your gun to you.
Where grip meets hand, where fit meets form, where design meets you.
FIND THE RIGHT M&P FOR YOU AT SMITH-WESSON.COM
WELCOME TO THE
CLOSEST BOND YET
C a m p i n g
+
+
CHANNEL YOUR INNER AXMAN
AND DOUBLE UP A V-CUT TO
CLEAVE FALLEN TREES AND
CLEAR ROADS OR ATV TRAILS
OF OBSTACLES.
FI ELDANDSTREAM. COM
|
49
DIG A DAKOTA FIRE HOLE
Native Americans used a Dakota fire
hole to hide cooking fires from their ene-
mies. Turns out that these small pits also
consume less wood while burning hotter
than open fires. Plus, they excel in windy
conditions and provide a great platform
for cooking. The fire hole works by draw-
ing fresh air into the combustion chamber.
Hot air rises from the hole, creating a draft
that draws air through the vent and into
the base of the fire. The cycle is self-
sustaining, and digging the vent on the up-
wind side of the fire hole helps suck up the
breeze like the air scoop on the Bandits
Trans Am. Heres how to dig one.
STEP ONE
Dig the fire chamber. Excavate a pit 1 foot in di-
ameter and 1 foot deep. Now widen the base of
the chamber a few inches so it has a juglike
shape. This lets you burn larger pieces of wood.
STEP TWO
Dig the air tunnel. Start a foot away from the
edge of the chamber, on the upwind side, and
carve out a molelike tunnel 5 or 6 inches in di-
ameter, angling down toward the base of the
fire chamber.
STEP THREE
Build your fire in the chamber and top the hole
with a grate or green saplings stout enough to
hold a pot over the flames.
TRICK OUT A
MUDPROOF ATV
Unless you live in the
desert, your ATVs big-
gest challenge is likely
to be good old-
fashioned mud. Al-
though ATVs are trail-
worthy right off the
factory floor, you can
take your machines
performance up sev-
eral notches with
shade-tree mechanic
skills and a modest
cash investment. If
you can change the oil
in your truck, you can
handle most of this,
says Rick Sosebee, an
offroad guru and the
ATV blogger on field
and stream.com. Here
are Sosebees four
ATV upgrades that will
boost your machines
mud-eating potential
in half a days work.
pull with power
Youre going to get
stuck. Be prepared
with a winch whose
pulling power is rated
at least twice the
weight of your ma-
chine. That way youll
have plenty of reserve
for uphill tugs. Make
sure the components
are sealed for a water-
proof unit; water resis-
tant isnt good enough.
gear up Recalibrate
the CVT (continuously
variable transmission)
with an upgrade kit.
This changes the en-
gagement of the trans-
mission so the motor
ramps up before fully
engaging the drive,
Sosebee says. The re-
sult: less spin, more
get-up-and-go-
through-the-muck.
Many kits are available
with the tools re-
quired. Its a three-
hour job, give or take,
and any hobbyist
grease monkey could
pull it off.
do tread on these
Upgrade to a mud tire.
Look for lugs at least
1 inch deep and in an
open pattern with
BUCK A LOG
WITH AN AX
You round a corner and
groan: A fallen tree blocks
the road. Your buddys de-
fault response is to stomp
to the back of the truck,
pull out the chain saw,
check the chain tension,
futz around for premixed
fuel, try to find earplugs,
and look for safety
glasses. By the time he
walks up with chain saw
ready, youll be well on
your way to a bucked tree
and a clear road with little
more than an ax and atti-
tude. Smirking follows.
Chop, Chop Stand on
top of the log and chop a
V-notch into the side of
the log between your feet,
using a six-stroke count:
Make three swings angling
in from the rightthe
first one high on the log,
then low, and then in the
middle. Next, repeat with
swings angling in from the
lefthigh, low, and mid-
dle. On that sixth and final
stroke, flick your wrist
slightly outwardan inch
will do itright after the
bit bites wood. This will
help toss the chips out of
the notch and prevent the
ax from sticking. Cut half-
way through one side of
the log, then turn around
and chop another V-notch
through the other side.
Plan the Vs so the tips of
the two notches are
slightly offset. This pre-
vents the final stroke from
overtraveling, sending the
ax bit between your legs
and that strong hickory
handle into your nuts at
warp 9.
THE
TOTAL
OUTDOORSMAN
Refill the holes
before you leave.
F
I
L
S
O
N
(
S
H
I
R
T
,
U
N
D
E
R
S
H
I
R
T
)
;
C
A
R
H
A
R
T
T
(
P
A
N
T
S
,
B
E
L
T
,
H
A
T
,
G
L
O
V
E
S
)
;
S
T
I
H
L
(
A
X
)
Folding knives are evolving
with increasingly engineered
components. For proof, look at
Spydercos LionSpy, a collabora-
tion with the Italian knife maker
LionSteel. Think Jim Bowie meets
Lamborghini.
Steel Elmax PM 170 is a
powdered steel from
Austria, with a high car-
bon and chromium con-
tent. Compared with tra-
ditional steels, powdered
steels offer fine-grain
structures for extreme
sharpness and even dis-
tribution of added alloy
elements to provide
toughness and corrosion
resistance. Other new
powdered steels to look
for include S35VN, with
niobium and a superfine
grain for ease of sharpen-
ing, and CTS-XHP, one of
the super-stainless
harder steels that can be
ground very fine.
Handle The unique two-
piece handle is made of
two different scale mate-
rials: G10, on one side, is
woven glass cloth im-
pregnated with epoxy,
then pressed and heated.
The titanium side
(shown) is light like alu-
minum but stronger and
feels warm in the hand.
Lock This is not your
everyday frame lock. This
one is machined out of
the titanium handle scale
and tipped with a hard-
ened steel insert. It is also
backed with LionSteels
patented (and very cool)
RotoLocka titanium
disk that can be dialed
into a locking position
that prevents release of
the frame lock.
FS
50
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MAY 201 4
plenty of spacing in be-
tween. Sosebee likes a
broken-chevron pat-
tern, in which the two
sides of a V come in
from the right and left
and cross at the cen-
terline of the tire.
stop gaps To keep
grime out of differen-
tials, extend a hose
from the differential
vent up to the steering
bracket. You can cap it
with an inexpensive
fuel filter to double the
protection. While
youre at it, remove
CVT covers and run a
1
4-inch bead of sili-
cone around the rims,
then replace. Its a
snap. If you can caulk
cracks around your
house to keep air from
coming in, Sosebee
says, you can caulk
CVT covers to keep
water out.
STRENGTHEN A TENT
WITH PICKET STAKES
This next-level guy-out
plan kicks in when the
wind cranks up to 25
mph. Picket stakes
boost the holding
power of tent stakes,
so use them on the
guylines attached to
the side of the tent that
faces the wind.
hammer time Drive a
tent stake into the
ground and attach it to
the tent guyline as you
typically would.
line up To make the
picket-stake line, at-
tach one end of a 16-
inch length of para-
chute cord to the first
stake (A, below). Run
the cord around the
stake twice and finish
with two half hitches.
Cinch tight against the
stake.
thats a wrap Drive
another tent stake (B)
into the ground 8 to 12
inches from the first
stake so that its in a
straight line with the
guyline. Wrap the run-
ning end of the p-cord
around the second
stake twice and finish
with two half hitches.
FOLLOW THE LAW,
PACK A POOP TUBE
Pack it in, pack it
out. Thats the leave-
no-trace mantra of
many wilderness
areas, especially popu-
lar rivers, and its not
just talking about
candy-bar wrappers.
Packing out your own
poop is actually re-
quired in some back-
country regions, and
its not as gross as you
think. (Almost, but not
quite.) The elegant so-
lution, devised by big-
wall climbers who
spend days aloft, is
called the Poop Tube.
pipe for the job Cut
a length of 4-inch-
diameter PVC pipe to
size. For a three-day
trip, 6 to 10 inches
should do it. Better too
long than too short.
This is irrefutable.
crap caps Glue a solid
cap to one end of the
tube, and a threaded
fitting to the other. At-
tach a tether of para-
chute cord to the tube
and a screw cap.
its all in the hips
When duty calls, bring
along a plastic grocery
bag. Reach behind your
back, grab one handle
of the bag in each
hand, pull the handles
toward your hips, and
get er done. (A dou-
bled bag never hurts.)
doodoo drop Tie the
bag, then deposit into
the Poop Tube.
BRING BATTERIES
BACK TO LIFE
When batteries give
way in frigid condi-
tions, there are ways to
pump them up with
temporary new life.
These techniques
wont give you enough
juice to battle your way
to the next Fruit Ninja
level, but you could get
enough to lock down
your location on a GPS
or send a text.
hot pocket First, re-
move batteries from
the device if possible.
Warm them next to
your body. Armpits
work well. Chest pock-
ets do the trick, espe-
cially if you are moving
and generating body
heat. Overnight, toss
batteries into the foot
of a sleeping bag. They
should be ready to fire
up come dawn.
solar shower Fill a
zip-seal bag with dark
materialsa black T-
shirt, dark leaves, or a
swath of black foam
padding will work. Put
the batteries on top of
this dark material, seal
the bag, and place it in
direct sunlight. The
sun will heat the mate-
rials, trapping the re-
sulting warm air inside
the bag. The batteries
should heat up suffi-
ciently for a few sec-
onds or minutes of
emergency use.
YOUR
NEXT-LEVEL
CAMP KNIFE
1
2
3
1
3
2
THE
TOTAL
OUTDOORSMAN
L
U
K
E
N
I
L
S
S
O
N
A
B
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LOOKING AHEAD, THE QUESTION ON EVERYONES LIPS
IS: WHERE WILL I HUNT AND FISH? HERES WHERE. TURN
THE PAGE TO FIND THE NEWEST, MOST IMPROVED, AND
UP-AND-COMING HUNTING AND FISHING HOTSPOTS FOR
EVERY STATETHE VAST MAJORITY OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
E AST WE ST MI DWE ST SOUT H
BEST PLACES
P
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R
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Long View
Elk hunters in
Montanas Region
4 (No. 88, inside).
F&S
Next
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CANADA
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MD
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OCEAN
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CONNECTICUT: ZONE 11,
WHITETAILS
1. With crossbows newly
legal in archery season, the
deer-rich southwest sub-
urbs are primed to produce
big bucks for hunters will-
ing to ring doorbells.
2. Runner-Up Eastern
Long Island Sound: Black
sea bass catch is way up.
DELAWARE: NANTICOKE RIVER,
GRASS CARP AND SNAKEHEADS
3. As invasive-fish numbers
have spiked, a new bow-
fishing season openswith
no limits or closed dates.
4. Runner-Up Midlands
WMA: Better habitat
points to more big bucks.
MAINE: REGION B, TURKEYS
5. Bird densities are soar-
ing in the heart of Region B,
which has 22 WMAs, and
this year residents and non-
residents can shoot four
turkeys (spring and fall, up
from two) for just $20.
6. Runner-Up Aroostook
River: New access at
Forbes Pit enables easy day
floats for brook trout.
MARYLAND: UPPER CHESA-
PEAKE BAY, STRIPED BASS
7. In the 57 years of state
surveys, 2011 saw the
fourth-best spring spawn.
Members of that bumper
crop should now be at or
over the 18-inch minimum.
8. Runner-Up Mount
Nebo WMA: Better grouse
and woodcock habitat.
MASSACHUSETTS: OAK
BLUFFS FISHING PIER,
STRIPED BASS
9. The largest sportfishing
pier in the state will open
on Marthas Vineyard this
spring, allowing foot an-
glers to push 300 feet out.
10. Runner-Up Burrage
Pond WMA: Better water
levels will pull more ducks.
NEW JERSEY: LENAPE FARMS,
WHITETAILS
11. This new 5,000-acre
state acquisition used to be
a private high-fence hunt-
ing club. The fence is now
mostly down, but deer
numbers are still up.
12. Runner-Up Del-Jersey-
Land Reef: A sunken ship
teems with fish, 28.5 miles
southeast of Cape May.
NEW HAMPSHIRE: LAKE
UMBAGOG NWR, MOOSE
13. Its 4,000 acres of
prime moose habitat will
open to hunters this fall.
14. Runner-Up Nash
Stream Forest: Healthier
habitat means bigger trout.
NEW YORK: LAKE CHAMPLAIN,
SALMON AND TROUT
15. With tributaries con-
taining fish-killing sea lam-
preys now treated, biolo-
gists expect a surge in big
trout and salmon this year.
16. Runner-Up Wilson Hill
WMA: More water, more
waterfowl.
PENNSYLVANIA: BIG SPRING
CREEK, TROUT
17. On the heels of a
$587,000 habitat project, a
2013 study showed that Big
Spring now has the highest
combined biomass of wild
browns and rainbows in
the commonwealth.
18. Runners-Up WMUs 2C
and 4B: More black bears,
expanded seasons.
RHODE ISLAND: RODMANS
HOLLOW, WHITETAILS
19. Shoot a deer, or eight,
on Block Island. A state lot-
tery now allows limited
public hunting to control
the estimated 80 to 100
whitetails per square mile.
20. Runner-Up Brenton
Reef: More big stripers.
VERMONT: BATTENKILL RIVER,
BROWN TROUT
21. A 2012 study found all-
time-high numbers of juve-
nile wild browns, which bi-
ologists say will be 14- and
15-inch fish this year.
22. Runner-Up Green
Mountains: Longer season
for abundant black bears.
WEST VIRGINIA: CHARLESTON-
BECKLEY CORRIDOR, BLACK
BEARS
23. This 60-mile north-
south stretch between the
capital and Beckley now
boasts the highest bear
densities in the state, and
theres plenty of public
land to hunt.
24. Runner-Up Ohio
River: Aggressive stocking
yields big blue catfish.
54
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FI ELD & STREAM 1 00 NEXT BEST PLACES
Maps by Hai s am Hus s ei n
Blue Ribbon
A promising bend
on Maines Aroos-
took River (No. 6).
BY MI CHAE L R. SHE A
Best PL ACE S
W
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FI ELDANDSTREAM. COM
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55
WI
ND
SD
NE
KS
MO
IL
IN
OH
KY
IA
MN
MI
CANADA
30
25
29
50 49
31
32
33 34
40
39
35
36
37
48
47
38
28
27
26
42
41
43
44
45
46
ILLINOIS: JIM EDGAR PANTHER
CREEK FISH AND WILDLIFE
AREA, WHITETAILS
25. Antler restrictions and
major habitat projects
have made this 16,000-
acre parcel a top bet for a
public-land trophy.
26. Runner-Up Des
Plaines River: Dam remov-
als boost channel catfish,
pike, and more.
INDIANA: AUSTIN BOTTOMS
CONSERVATION AREA,
MIXED BAG
27. The state just opened
these 2,400 acres of pro-
tected Muscatatuck River
bottomland to deer, turkey,
and waterfowl hunting and
plans to open more.
28. Runner-Up Eagle
Creek Reservoir: New
stocking procedures yield
more walleyes.
IOWA: MISSISSIPPI RIVER
POOLS 1219, WALLEYES
29. A slot limit imposed in
2004 is paying off with
trophy- size walleyes, in-
cluding 10-plus-pounders.
30. Runner-Up St. Marys
Island WMA: New grasses
hold more pheasants.
KANSAS: CHEYENNE BOTTOMS
WILDLIFE AREA, DUCKS
31. Eradicating cattails and
seeding millet and duck
cover on this 19,000-acre
wetland has produced the
best hunting in years.
32. Runner-Up La Cygne
Reservoir: The power-
plant cooling lake grows
heavyweight largemouths.
KENTUCKY: LAKE CUMBER-
LAND, BASS AND TROUT
33. Rising water thats
flooding new growth has
set the stage for a bass
boom above the dam,
while cooler tailwaters
should vastly improve
trout fishing below.
34. Runner-Up Land Be-
tween the Lakes NRA: Bet-
ter habitat for big bucks.
MICHIGAN: UPPER PENINSULA
GEMS, GROUSE
35. Nine U.P. state for-
ests, from Drummond Is-
land to Houghton County,
will become ruffed grouse
gems under a new
Grouse Enhanced Man-
agement System.
36. Runner-Up Little Bay
de Noc: Invasive round go-
bies are making hungry
smallmouths fat.
MINNESOTA: LAKE CHRISTINA,
DUCKS
37. A $2.3 million habitat
restoration project has
this legendary duck stop-
over ready to rebound.
38. Runner-Up Red River:
Dam project boosts big
channel cats and sturgeon.
MISSOURI: LAKE TANEYCOMO,
BROWN TROUT
39. Thanks to aggressive
stocking, 76 percent of
brown trout caught ex-
ceeded 13 inches and 35
percent exceeded 16 in a
2013 creel survey. Many will
reach 20 inches soon.
40. Runner-Up Duck
Creek Conservation Area:
Wetland renovations
promise excellent
waterfowling.
NEBRASKA: PINE RIDGE
WMAs, TURKEYS
41. In partnership with the
National Wild Turkey Fed-
eration, the state is en-
hancing 14,000 acres of
habitat at Gilbert-Baker,
Ponderosa, Chadron Creek
Ranch, Bordeaux Creek,
and Metcalf WMAs. Expect
more birds, better hunting.
42. Runners-Up Lake
Wanahoo and Ed Zorinsky
Reservoir: Nebraskas best
emerging mixed-creel
fisheries, mainly for bass
and bluegills.
NORTH DAKOTA: LAKE SAKA-
KAWEA, PIKE AND WALLEYES
43. Pike are booming
thanks to the massive 2009
spawn, and better forage is
producing trophy walleyes.
44. Runner-Up Missouri
River: Hot late goose hunt-
ing below Garrison Dam.
OHIO: LAKE ERIE, WALLEYES
45. The huge hatch of
2003 has matured, creating
lots of 14-plus- pounders
and prime conditions for a
new state record.
46. Runner-Up Tranquil-
ity Wildlife Area: Public
hunting in a red-hot trophy
whitetail county.
SOUTH DAKOTA: JAMES RIVER
CORRIDOR, PHEASANTS
47. As part of a water-
quality enhancement initia-
tive, farmers have enrolled
85,000 acres of private
land in CRP, all open to
hunting via the states
Walk-In Area Program.
48. Runner-Up Lake
Oahe: Lots of 10- to
20-pound pike.
WISCONSIN: CITIES AND
SUBURBS, WHITETAILS
49. A new law prohibits
banning archery hunting
within city limits. This, plus
the recent legalization of
crossbows for bow season,
will transform Wisconsin
backyard hunts.
50. Runner-Up Driftless
Area: New public access to
world-class trout fishing.
Buck and Cluck
An Adams County, Ohio, deer (No. 46);
Duck Creek, Missouri, geese (No. 40).
F
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Midwest
BY ST E VE N HI L L
B
e
st P
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A
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E
S
F
R
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T
O
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:
R
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K
A
D
A
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;
D
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J
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South
BY WI L L BRANT L E Y
FL
GA
SC
NC
AL MS
LA
TX
AR
OK TN
VA
MEXICO
ATLANTIC
OCEAN
GULF OF MEXICO
74
73
60
59 61
62
63
64
68
67
58
57
65
66
54
53
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72 56
55
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69
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52
ALABAMA: ALABAMA AND
TOMBIGBEE RIVER SYSTEMS,
CRAPPIES
51. Fish from the banner
crappie spawn of 2010
have matured to slab size,
many topping 15 inches.
52. Runner-Up South-
west Alabama: A brand-
new February deer season
will hit the heart of the
very late rut in this region
of the state.
ARKANSAS: EASTERN ARKAN-
SAS, SPECKLEBELLIES
53. Aerial surveys and har-
vest data show a shift in
wintering areas from the
Gulf Coast to the Delta
rice country, boosting har-
vests in eastern Arkansas.
54. Runner-Up Bull
Shoals Reservoir: High wa-
ter has three species of
bass booming.
FLORIDA: TAMPA BAY WMAs,
WILD HOGS
55. Swine are swarming
public parcels inland from
Tampa. Hunters killed
about three times more
hogs on Green Swamp
WMA last year than on any
other in Florida.
56. Runner-Up Forgotten
Coast: Redfish, speckled
trout, and flounder num-
bers worth remembering.
GEORGIA: SATILLA RIVER,
BREAM
57. High waters led to ex-
cellent survival and
growth but poor catch
rates last seasonsetting
the stage for a banner
bluegill and redbreast sun-
fish season.
58. Runners-Up Albany
Nursery, Elmodel, and
Chickasawhatchee WMAs:
Habitat work will boost
bobwhite quail.
LOUISIANA: MISSISSIPPI
ALLUVIAL VALLEY, WOODCOCK
59. As more farms enroll
in the Wetlands Reserve
Program, eastern Louisi-
ana is becoming a timber-
doodle haven, with lots of
WMAs like Dewey Wills
and Sherburne providing
plenty of access.
60. Runner-Up Lake
Pont chartrain: New artifi-
cial reefs make easy pick-
ings for redfish, flounder,
and speckled trout.
MISSISSIPPI: NESHOBA,
BILL WALLER, AND CALLING
PANTHER LAKES, BASS
61. After 10 years of im-
provements, these state
lakes are now producing
giant first-generation
largemouths. Were talk-
ing bass in the teens.
62. Runners-Up Stone-
ville and Canemount
WMAs: These and other
Delta WMAs are primed to
produce huge bucks.
NORTH CAROLINA: LAKE
MATTAMUSKEET, SWANS
63. Hunting success rates
are soaring for tundra
swans in the Tar Heel
State, where some 70,000
birds winter. The area sur-
rounding this lake in Hyde
County holds the biggest
numbers.
64. Runner-Up Roanoke
River: Biologists are
shocking up huge cow
stripers.
OKLAHOMA: CEDAR LAKE,
BASS
65. Recently renovated by
the U.S. Forest Service,
this 78-acre lake is now
pumping out huge Florida-
strain largemouths, in-
cluding two state-record
bass between March 2012
and March 2013.
66. Runner-Up Cross
Timbers WMA: This 8,135-
acre, newly acquired par-
cel is managed for big
whitetail bucks.
SOUTH CAROLINA: COASTAL
WMAs, DUCKS
67. Intensive manage-
ment has paid off with
highly successful lottery
hunts at select WMAs
along South Carolinas
coast, like 12,000-acre
Bear Island, where last
years hunters averaged
four birds per hunt.
68. Runner-Up Lower Sa-
luda River: Cold water and
liberal stocking is yielding
20-inch trout.
TENNESSEE: CENTER HILL
LAKE, MUSKIES
69. Native muskellunge
are making a comeback in
much of the state but espe-
cially in the headwaters of
Center Hill Lake, thanks to
prime forage and habitat,
plus a 50-inch minimum-
size limit.
70. Runner-Up Bear Hol-
low WMA: Aggressive
management has pro-
duced lots of gobblers.
TEXAS: TRANS-PECOS,
MULE DEER
71. Muley populations
here are responding well
to habitat improvements,
and managers plan to of-
fer more permits and ex-
tended seasons.
72. Runner-Up Guada-
lupe River: Stricter regs
will result in more trophy
rainbow trout.
VIRGINIA:
PIEDMONT REGION, TURKEYS
73. Thanks to consecutive
banner hatches, turkey
numbers appear to be up
by an astounding 25 per-
cent, making this top re-
gion even better.
74. Runner-Up South
Holston Lake: Keeper wall-
eyes (18 inches or better)
now make up almost half
of this lakes catch.
56
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FI ELD & STREAM 1 00 NEXT BEST PLACES
Rich Bottomland
The Mississippi Delta
hosts waterfowl (No. 53)
and big deer (No. 62).
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CA
NV
UT
CO
NM
AZ
OR
WA
ID
MT
WY
PACIFIC
OCEAN
MEXICO
88
87
100
99
82
81
91
92
78
77
95
96
89
90
86
85
97
98
93
94
80
79
AK
76
75
CANADA
PACIFIC OCEAN
84
83
HI
ALASKA: MAT-SU VALLEY, MOOSE
75. Moose numbers are
rebounding from a brutal
201112 winter. Add a mild
winter, and 2014 could be a
banner year in the valley.
76. Runner-Up Chena
Slough: Restoration proj-
ects will revive the urban
grayling fishery.
ARIZONA: YUMA, DOVES
77. Changing farm prac-
tices on the Colorado
floodplain combined with
ideal roosting cover have
created a dove mecca here.
Bag limit could rise to 15.
78. Runner-Up Canyon
Creek: Brown trout are re-
sponding to improved
spawning habitat.
CALIFORNIA: SAN FRANCISCO
BAY, DUCKS
79. Tens of thousands of
acres of sterile salt flats
have been transformed
into fertile wetlands
opening hunting areas that
hadnt been accessible in
more than 100 years.
80. Runner-Up Upper
Klamath River: Down-
stream quota could send
more salmon upstream.
COLORADO: UPPER
ARKANSAS RIVER, TROUT
81. Once a Superfund
cleanup site, 102 miles of
the reborn river was re-
cently designated a Gold
Medal trout fishery.
82. Runners-Up Routt and
Grand Counties: Pine bee-
tles improved elk habitat.
HAWAII: BIG ISLAND,
BOWFISHING
83. Incredible inshore
bowfishing is taking off on
shallow reefs for parrot
fish, unicorn fish, and other
tropical species.
84. Runner-Up Lanai Is-
land: Guaranteed bow tags
for burgeoning axis deer.
IDAHO: SOUTHEASTERN IDAHO,
PHEASANTS
85. A 2,700-acre Pheasants
Forever acquisition now
connects Camas NWR and
Mud Lake WMA, creating a
contiguous 21,000 acres of
managed pheasant habitat.
86. Runner-Up Boise
River: Redband trout
rebound.
MONTANA: BLACKFOOT RIVER,
CUTTHROAT TROUT
87. Twenty-five-year con-
servation project hits mile-
stone: Native westslope
cutts are now 10 times
more abundant than when
improvements began.
88. Runner-Up Region 4:
More cow elk, more tags.
NEVADA: LAKE TAHOE, TROUT
89. Drought is emptying
Nevadas lakes, leaving fish-
eries managers with some
400,000 fingerling trout
and few places to put them.
Comparatively deep Lake
Tahoe will likely receive a
bulk of the stockings.
90. Runner-Up Selenite
Range: Chukar numbers
have nearly doubled.
NEW MEXICO: QUEMADO LAKE,
TIGER MUSKIES
91. Quemado, first stocked
a decade ago, now holds an
age class of tiger muskies
capable of setting a new
state record.
92. Runner-Up Gila Na-
tional Forest: Turkeys are
weathering the drought
better here.
OREGON: COLUMBIA RIVER,
CHINOOK SALMON
93. Habitat enhance-
ment, dam overspill, and
La Nia should create ex-
ceptional smolt survival
rates. The projected result
is a record run of 1.6 mil-
lion kings up the Columbia
River this fall.
94. Runners-Up Curry,
Jackson, and Josephine
Counties: Forest grouse
and mountain quail num-
bers are well up.
UTAH: HUNTINGTON NORTH
RESERVOIR, WIPERS
95. Hybrid bass were
stocked here in 2009 to
control Utah chubs, and
theyve been gorging since.
Expect to hear rumors of
10-pound wipers soon.
96. Runner-Up Great Salt
Lake: Far better access to
great waterfowl hunting.
WASHINGTON: KITTITAS
COUNTY, ELK
97. With the Yakima and
Colockum elk herds well
above management objec-
tives, state officials are
handing out additional
tagsand three-quarters
of this county is public land.
98. Runner-Up Potholes
Reservoir: Panfish thriving
in newly flooded habitat.
WYOMING: LARAMIE PLAINS
LAKES, RAINBOW TROUT
99. Fast-growing rainbows
are being saved from the
threat of winterkill by aera-
tors installed in waters
such as Meeboer Lake. Sur-
viving fish could top the
6-pound mark.
100. Runner-Up Bighorn
Mountains: Limited li-
censes and few predators
mean big bulls.
FS
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BY DAVI D DRAPE R
A Lot of Bull
A monster Alaska
moose (No. 75)
wades the willows.
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MAY 201 4
AS IF WILD TURKEYS WERENT ALREADY PARANOID ENOUGH,
SCIENTISTS ARE NOW USING SOPHISTICATED GPS TECHNOLOGY
TO TRACK THE BIRDS EVERY MOVE AND LEARN ABOUT
WHAT GOES ON INSIDE THOSE LITTLE RED HEADS. WHAT
THEYVE DISCOVERED SO FAR MAY CHANGE MUCH OF WHAT
YOU THOUGHT YOU KNEW ABOUT TURKEY HUNTING
// BY T. EDWARD NICKENS
P H O T O I L L U S T R A T I O N B Y D A N S A E L I N G E R
GOBBLER
POSITIONING
SYSTEM
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(
3
)
Gobblers answered every crack. Within
an hour, 23 jakes and hens passed by the
blind at 20 yards or less, but not a single
mature bird joined the parade. Instead, the
big toms stayed put, hung up in a ribbon
of cottonwoods and live oaks, answering
thunder with thunder.
Out front, the young males shook rain
off their feathers like Labrador retrievers.
More thunder followed and more gob-
blers responded, their calls now fading
as the toms turned their tails toward us
and struck out in the opposite direction
from the other turkeys. Turkey hunters
everywhere would be able to feel my pain.
Theres just no way to get inside the head
of a wild tom. Except: Decoding the gob-
blers brain was the reason Id come here.
THE WILD TURKEY LAB
Where did they go? Did I bust the roost?
Botch the call? What makes a wild turkey
do what a wild turkey does? These are
the questions that keep turkey hunters
up at nightquestions that biologists are
pursuing with an innovative new push
in wild turkey research. Using high-tech
devices, such as tiny backpack GPS units,
satellite imagery, and computers running
algorithms that ingest enormous amounts
of data, university scientists and agency bi-
ologists are beginning to get a look inside
a gobblers brain. Theyre teasing apart
the factors that drive a turkeys selection
of brooding, nesting, and roosting habitat,
and theyre drilling down on the specifics
of how wild turkeys react to humans and
how hunting pressure affects turkey move-
ment and behavior.
This new wave of science, says Bret
Collier, a professor at Texas A&M Univer-
sity and a serious hunter, is filling in some
of the most significant gaps in our knowl-
edge about wild turkeys. Were watching
turkeys do stuff we never thought turkeys
would do.
The work is taking place across wild
turkey country in the Southfrom South
Carolina to Louisiana to the vast Cross
Timbers region of north Texas, where I
showed up for three days last April. Col-
lier oversees much of the groundbreaking
GPS research here at the private MT7
Ranch, 13,000 acres of rangelands about
140 miles west of Dallas. Owned by Dal-
las businessman and philanthropist Mike
Terry, MT7 Ranch functions as a family
retreat, hunting camp, and unofficial
research station for university scientists,
resource-agency personnel, and biologists
with groups such as the National Wild
Turkey Federation.
The ranch is thick with Rio Grande tur-
keys. Over the last few seasons on MT7,
Collier and other researchers have outfit-
ted scores of birds with small GPS units
that strap on like a backpack. In the past,
traditional VHF radio telemetry required
field staff to patrol the ranch, acquiring
signals with a cumbersome antenna and
receiver that gave only a rough approxima-
tion of the turkeys locations. Once these
GPS units are placed, though, the birds
are released and records of their where-
abouts can be taken as frequently as the
researcher desires. There is one downside:
In order to pull data, the birds must be ei-
ther recaptured or killed. But the next gen-
eration of GPS units is becoming available
that will allow data downloads wirelessly
from as far as 1,000 meters away.
Until recently, turkey research had
stagnated, said Mike Chamberlain, a
wildlife professor at the University of
Georgia and another pioneer in this field
of GPS-based research. We now have
the chance to reinvent the wheel and learn
things we never could learn before.
For turkey hunters, all of this brings
good and bad news: The good? More
knowledge is always better. The bad?
One thing were learning, Collier said,
is that the birds are smarter than we are.
ODD BIRDS
One afternoon I hit the ranchs back roads
with Mason Conley, Colliers graduate
student on the MT7 Ranch project. Con-
ley drove a research truck sporting a giant
telemetry antenna protruding through the
roof. We cruised through steppelike grass-
lands that sprawled in a mosaic of skunk-
bush and scattered mesquite, mesas thick
with live oak, and creekbottoms timbered
with cedar, cottonwood, elm, and the pen-
cil cactus Texans call tasajillo.
Love was in the air. In an hour we
spotted plenty of hens and jakes and a
half dozen strutting toms, fans ruffling in
the wind like full-blown Plains Indian
headdresses. At any given time, Conley
tracked between 30 and 40 birds, a couple
outfitted with newer wireless GPS units,
others wearing VHF transmitters. That
data was then fed into algorithms written
to quantify specific questions: How much
time do hens spend looking for nest sites?
NE THING SORRIER LOOKING THAN A SOPPING-
WET JAKE IN THE GRAY LIGHT OF A RAINY DAWN IS
THE SIGHT OF SIX SOPPING-WET JAKES, SKULKING
AROUND A HEN DECOY LIKE VULTURES AROUND
ROADKILL. WE HAD DODGED THE FORECASTED
2-INCH HAIL BUT CAUGHT THE REST OF A FREAK TEXAS
SPRING STORMSHEETS OF RAIN, 30-MPH WINDS,
AND A RAW TEMPERATURE OF 32 DEGREES. HUNKERED
DOWN IN A GROUND BLIND OF MESQUITE AND CEDAR,
I SHIVERED. THE RAINDROPS ON THE GREEN BOUGHS
GLISTENED LIKE CHRISTMAS LIGHTS. THE CRAZIEST
PART, THOUGH, WAS THE THUNDER, WHICH ROLLED
OVER THE NORTH-CENTRAL PLAINS.
WE NOW HAVE THE CHANCE TO LEARN
THINGS WE NEVER COULD BEFORE.
ONE THING WERE LEARNING IS THAT
THE BIRDS ARE SMARTER THAN WE ARE.
FI ELDANDSTREAM. COM
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SCIENTIFIC
METHOD \\
THESE RESEARCHERS ARE APPLY-
ING WHAT THEYVE LEARNED
ABOUT WILD TURKEYS TO
BECOME BETTER HUNTERS
Hunt turkeys like deer. People
dont treat turkey hunting access the
same way as they do approaching a deer
stand, and thats a huge problem, John
Gross says. Turkeys pattern hunters
pretty quickly. While scent is not a
concern, turkey hunters should avoid
crossing elds and use alternate routes
to get into position.
Make a move on private-land
toms. Im not going to sit back and
wait anymore, Mason Conley says. If
a bird hasnt been hammered by other
hunters, make a move. Boom or bust,
Im going to be more proactive. If I hear
a bird and he doesnt respond, Im mov-
ing in on him.
Sit tight on pressured turkeys.
Often, birds will just clam up once hunt-
ers stir the pot. Lots of data show that
hunters will call, then move away from
birds before the birds get to them,
Bret Collier says. Just because theyre
quiet doesnt mean theyre henned up.
On public lands or hard-hunted private
tracts, stay put.
Dont overscout. If I controlled
a piece of land, I wouldnt scout too
much, says Gross. Theres just too
much of a chance that a mature gobbler
will scatter. T.E.N.
ing, the data shows that when pressured,
some turkeys hunker down, while others
fly the coop to set up shop elsewhere. The
challenge is that no matter which strategy
the birds employ, their behavior changes
once turkey season opens. One thing that
is very consistent is how quickly they learn
that there are hunters in the woods, Gross
said. Dont fool yourself: The turkeys
know you are there, and they know you
are not a turkey.
Several birds have illustrated that flight-
or-stay-out-of-sight choice, but Chamber-
lain had told me about one turkeyMale
240in particular. That bird showed us
just how far a turkey will move to get out
of the way of hunters, he recalled. Outfit-
ted with a GPS unit, Male 240 roamed the
dense forests of Sherburne Wildlife Man-
agement Area, deep in southern Louisi-
anas Atchafalaya Basin. On the opening
morning of a youth hunt, as a few permit
holders entered the woods, Male 240 hit
the road and traveled 1,000 meters north
of the areas where hed been ranging.
Forty-eight hours later, the gobbler shifted
another 800 meters north. He then stayed
put, at least for the time being. When the
general hunting season opened up two
days later, as many as 50 permitted hunt-
ers poured into the swamp woods. Male
240 didnt stick around. This time he put
an additional 2,000 meters between him
and the hunters. All told, within a week,
What specific habitats do they choose?
How often do hens leave an active nest?
How long are they gone? How many
encounters do wild turkeys have to have
with hunters before they abandon an area?
If you bump a bird from a roost, does it
return? If not, how far does it go?
The answers are just now starting to
take shape, but already theres enough
data to make Conley reconsider his
own hunting methods. Growing up in
Mississippi, he chased turkeys with a
Remington 870 and took a conservative
approach. Tracking Rio Grandes with
GPS equipment, he tells me, has changed
how he thinks about turkey hunting. Hes
watched dozens of birds sit tight for day
after day. Im definitely going to be more
proactive, he said. My dad and I talked
about this, and last year he worked out,
got in shape, was much more aggressive,
and killed two birds in Missouri. Hes
convinced he needs to move in on them,
and it paid off.
Of course, if theres one thing turkey
hunters and turkey biologists can agree on,
its that every wild tom has a mind of its
own. There is a lot of variability in how
turkeys respond to humans, said John
Gross, a graduate student working under
Chamberlain at the University of Georgia.
In the last two years, Gross has tracked 18
birds outfitted with GPS units, logging
39,766 separate locations. Broadly speak-
STUDY HOUR
FROM TOP: THE
AUTHOR TAKES
AIM ON A SPRING
HUNT; RESEARCH-
ERS COVER A BIRDS
EYES TO KEEP IT
CALM AS THEY FIT IT
WITH A GPS UNIT.
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ONE MILE
KEY
During turkey season
Trails
The month before
hunting season
On opening day
Location of Gobbler:
Concentrationof hunters
WMA
66
66
Tunica Hills
State Wildlife
Management Area
TUNICA
Old
Tunica
Road
M
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LA
TX
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MS
Area of
detail
that gobbler shifted his base of operations
almost 2
1
2 miles away from the area of
disturbance.
Another GPS turkey, an Eastern in
Louisianas Tunica Hills Wildlife Man-
agement Area, proved just how sneaky a
bird can be when he doesnt want to be
found. Whereas many birds shift to put at
least some distance between themselves
and encroaching humans, Male 780 put
down roots near a food plot at the inter-
section of two of the busiest trails into
the public hunt area, and mostly refused
to budge. We have gobs of data on that
bird, Gross said. For that one gobbler, 46
percent of 377 locations recorded during
the hunting season were taken when a
hunter was within 100 meters. Hunters
were on top of him all season long, Gross
said. He was surrounded by hunters for
days, and no one ever killed him. We all
know theres a lot of variability in turkey
behavior but, man, some turkeys are just a
whole lot harder to kill than others.
Like another bird that bamboozled me
in Texas. Late one morning, Josh Flem-
ing and I sat against a double-trunked
mesquite that leaned forward just enough
so that no position was comfortable for
more than six seconds. We sat there for 40
minutes, hardly moving, pinned down by
an obstinate gobbler that refused to leave a
little patch of broomweed maybe 80 yards
away. After 53 minutes, the gobbler had
closed the distance twice to 60 yards, each
time raising my blood pressure, before
retreating back to his little happy place.
They dont get big by being dumb,
Fleming whispered. In one hour, that
turkey gobbled at least 80 times, all within
100 yards of my unhappy place, all while
responding to our calls, before he shuffled
off into the cedars. Wed had a perfect
setup. We were crazy-close to a gobbler so
hot and vocal he must have had to gargle
saltwater after our encounter. But he il-
lustrated one of the nonscientific findings
of gobbler hunters everywhere: There are
times you cant even buy a turkey.
GOING OUT WITH A BANG
And then there are times when what goes
through a turkeys mind is as plain as day.
On my last morning at MT7 Ranch,
Clint Faas, a ranch biologist, and I struck
out for a run-and-gun hunt. Our plan was
to cover groundhit likely spots with a
quick calling sequence and, if nothing
happened, jump in the truck and strike out
for another promising area.
Sunlight was barely washing over the
broomgrass and tasajillo cacti as we made
our way through scattered post oaks. Faas
pulled up short and squeaked a weak yelp
from his slate call. And that was all it took.
Gobble.
Faas looked at me: You heard that,
right? I didnt have time to even squeeze
in a nod. The turkey gobbled again, and
already hed cut the distance in half. Faas
and I scattered like quail and flopped to
the ground. I crawled to a live oak as Faas
vanished into the grass behind me. The
tom gobbled again, and again. This bird
was on a dead run. I scooched my knees
up and settled the shotgun just as I spot-
ted one gobbler and then another, high-
stepping in at 11 oclock. They were 25
yards out. Faas never made another peep.
At 20 yards one bird stopped, cocked his
head, and fixed me with a stare. I didnt
need a computer program to hear what he
was thinking: That doesnt look right
The data is coming in fast, shedding
light on all the variables that make a turkey
tick. But when theres sex on the brain,
deep in the turkey woods, its as simple as
it gets. It took less than three minutes to
solve this equation. Daylight, hen yelp,
gobble-gobble, get down, bang.
FS
The points represent the locations of
one Eastern gobbler, fitted with a GPS
unit in Louisianas Tunica Hills WMA, taken during the month leading up to the spring turkey
opener, as well as throughout the season. Despite having access to the entire area, hunters
stuck very close to the trailsa fact that researcher Bret Collier thinks pushed the bird off
the WMA. So, what can this bird teach public-land hunters? Get off the roads, Collier says.
PLOT POINTS \\
TEST RESULTS THE AUTHOR
KILLED A RIO GRANDE ON THE
LAST DAY OF HIS TEXAS HUNT.
GOBBLER POSITIONING SYSTEM
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FI ELDANDSTREAM. COM
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Phot ographs by TRAVI S RATHBONE
Lets Hunt!
A German short-
haired pointer with
a Garmin Astro
receiver and collar.
BARGAIN SHOPPER READER TEST
SHADES FOR UNDER $30
Can cheap sunglasses perform well on the
water? We tested four pairs that wont
break the bank or your heart if they
oopssink to the bottom By Joe Cermele
GEAR
REVIEWS
YOU CAN
TRUST
74
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MAY 201 4
A great pair of polarized fishing sunglasses can go $200, easy. But if like many anglers you
cant keep from sitting on them or dropping them off the dock or leaving them at the diner
counter, you dont want to spend that much. Just for you, I tested four pairs that cost $30 or less to
learn which offers the best glare reduction, fish-spotting capabilities, durability, and comfort.
T H E T E S T
BARGAIN RATING: Very good
LENS COLOR: Mirrored amber
POLARIZATION: Very good
CONSTRUCTION: Very good
SCRATCH RESISTANCE: Fair
COMFORT: Excellent
COMMENTS: The Boltons have nice, wide lenses, which
provide excellent peripheral coverage, and yet they are very
lightweight. I experienced slight pressure from the earpieces
but nothing that made them hard to wear. Overall, perfor-
mance on the water was very respectable, although these
being the darkest lenses, I got the best underwater view only
during the sunniest times. That dark tint did, however, make
them excellent for driving a boat or car. Earpiece holes allow
for a thick-mono or fly-line-backing neck lanyard.
BARGAIN RATING: Fair
LENS COLOR: Amber green mirror
POLARIZATION: Good
CONSTRUCTION: Good
SCRATCH RESISTANCE: Fair
COMFORT: Poor
COMMENTS: Maybe its the shape of my head, but I was
constantly pushing these up the bridge of my nose, and it
felt like theyd slip off whenever I leaned forward. Typically,
a mirrored finish doesnt overshadow or drastically change
the basic lens color. But it did with these. The combo of green
mirror and amber lenses gave the world a bluish tone that
made everything appear too bright for my liking. The polari-
zation was good, especially during cloudy periods, but these
couldnt match the others for underwater clarity.
BERKLEY BOLTON
$24.99; BERKLEY-FISHING.COM
FLYING FISHERMAN SAN CARLOS
$29.95; FLYINGFISHERMAN.COM
Polarization: In
both sunny and
overcast conditions
on a Pennsylvania
trout stream in win-
ter, I assessed the
visibility of under-
water structure, fish,
and lures.
Construction: To
test toughness, I re-
peatedly opened and
closed the arms and
twisted the frames.
Scratch Resis-
tance: I gently
rubbed the lenses
with the rough side
of a Scotch-Brite
kitchen sponge, then
with a more abrasive
Brillo pad.
Comfort: I evalu-
ated the comfort of
the earpieces and
nose bridges, as
well as how tightly
or loosely each pair
hugged my face.
J.C.
BARGAIN RATING: Excellent
LENS COLOR: Clear amber
POLARIZATION: Excellent
CONSTRUCTION: Excellent
SCRATCH RESISTANCE: Good
COMFORT: Very good
COMMENTS: The SKP10 glasses had the best polarization
of the lotI could track my lures underwater from greater
distances, even through faster runs and riffles. They had ter-
rific glare reduction and good contrast both on the water and
on the road while driving. They hugged my face nicely and
didnt slip. The frames felt solidly made, the hinges were tight
and smooth, and the lenses weathered my scratch test with
the least damage. Provided you dont step on them, these
shades should serve you well for a good long time.
STRIKE KING SKP10
$22.99; STRIKEKING.COM
BARGAIN RATING: Excellent
LENS COLOR: Clear amber
POLARIZATION: Excellent
CONSTRUCTION: Excellent
SCRATCH RESISTANCE: Poor
COMFORT: Excellent
COMMENTS: In terms of comfort, the Stripers took the
win. The frames are nice and wide, the arms gripped the sides
of my head snugly without creating pressure points, and the
vented rubber nose pad is a nice touch. Excellent polarization
provided good contrast and glare reduction for a crisp, clear
look below the surface of the stream. The lenses are fairly
dark, which helped combat direct sunlight on the water and
while driving. The Stripers did scratch more easily than the
others, so take extra care if you buy.
FISHERMAN EYEWEAR STRIPER
$19.99; FISHERMANEYEWEAR.COM
Available for purchase with coupon
in fne stores everywhere or online at:
www.appliednutrition.com
Enter Coupon Code:
011469
For Men
Who Want to
Stay Active!
These statements have not been evaluated by the Food & Drug Administration.
This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
All-in-One Formula for Men:
Stamina
Endurance
Performance
Consumer: Redeemable at retail locations only. Not valid for online or mail-
order purchases. Retailer: Irwin Naturals will reimburse you for the face value plus
8 (cents) handling provided it is redeemed by a consumer at the time of purchase
on the brand specifed. Coupons not properly redeemed will be void and held.
Reproduction by any party by any means is expressly prohibited. Any other use
constitutes fraud. Irwin Naturals reserves the right to deny reimbursement (due
to misredemption activity) and/or request proof of purchase for coupon(s) sub-
mitted. Mail to: CMS Dept. 10363, Irwin Naturals, 1 Fawcett Drive, Del Rio, TX
78840. Cash value: .001 (cents). Void where taxed or restricted. ONE COUPON PER
PURCHASE. Not valid for mail order/websites. Retail only.
EXPIRES 07/31/14 MANUFACTURERS COUPON
SAVE $3
T - S T R O N G
SAVE TIME
24
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3 TON
HEAVY DUTY
STEEL FLOOR JACK
LOT NO. 68048 /69227/62116
$
69
99
REG. PRICE $159 .99
Weighs 74 lbs.
Item
68048
shown
SAVE
$90
12,000 LB. ELECTRIC WINCH
WITH REMOTE CONTROL AND
AUTOMATIC BRAKE
LOT NO. 68142 /61256/60813/61889
SAVE
$
200
"Voted the Best Deal in Winching"
Off-Road Magazine
S
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!
LIMIT 5 - Good at our stores or HarborFreight.com or by calling 800-423-2567. Cannot be used with other discount
or coupon or prior purchases after 30 days from original purchase with original receipt. Offer good while supplies last.
Non-transferable. Original coupon must be presented. Valid through 8/15/14. Limit one coupon per customer per day.
3/8" x 75 FT.
CAMOUFLAGE
POLY ROPE
LOT NO.
47835/61674
$
2
99
REG.
PRICE
$8 .99
Item 47835
shown
SAVE
66%
LOT NO.
68784
69387
62270
REG.
PRICE
$649 .99
$
369
99
44", 13 DRAWER
INDUSTRIAL QUALITY
ROLLER CABINET
Item
68784
shown
"We Are Impressed With the Quality...
The Price is Incredible"
Car Craft Magazine
Super High
Gloss Finish!
2633 lb. Capacity
Weighs 245 lbs.
SAVE
$280
NEW!
Item 60657
shown
SAVE
33%
3-IN-1 PORTABLE POWER PACK
WITH JUMP STARTER
LOT NO.
38391 /60657
$
39
99
REG. PRICE
$59 .99
900 Peak Amps
S
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!
LIMIT 5 - Good at our stores or HarborFreight.com or by calling 800-423-2567. Cannot be used with other discount
or coupon or prior purchases after 30 days from original purchase with original receipt. Offer good while supplies last.
Non-transferable. Original coupon must be presented. Valid through 8/15/14. Limit one coupon per customer per day.
LOT NO. 67847
61454/61693
"The Perfect Compressor with Powerful,
Quiet and Consistent Air ow...
Plus we Love the Low Price"
Street Trucks Magazine
Item 90714
shown
8" HUNTING/
SURVIVAL KNIFE
LOT NO.
90714/61733
$
6
99
REG.
PRICE
$11 .99
SAVE
41%
LIMIT 3 -
or coupon or prior purchases after 30 days from original purchase with original receipt. Offer good while supplies last.
Non-transferable. Original coupon must be presented. Valid through 8/15/14. Limit one coupon per customer per day.
S
U
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O
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Item 94141
shown
LOT NO. 94141
69874
61320
61913
61914
TRIPLE BALL
TRAILER HITCH
$
19
99
REG.
PRICE
$59 .99
SAVE
66%
Item
68887
shown
LOT NO.
68887/ 61849
90 AMP FLUX
WIRE WELDER
REG. PRICE
$149.99
$
99
99
No Gas Required!
SAVE
$50
WE CARRY
A FULL LINE OF
WELDING WIRE
20-60 x 60mm
SPOTTING SCOPE
WITH TRIPOD
$
39
99
REG. PRICE $64 .99
LOT NO. 94555
SAVE
38%
3-1/2" SUPER BRIGHT
NINE LED
ALUMINUM
FLASHLIGHT
ITEM 65020
69052/69111
VALUE
$
6
99
Item 65020 shown
Customers Say and Experts Agree Harbor Freight WINS in QUALITY and PRICE
S
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LIMIT 3 - Good at our stores or HarborFreight.com or by calling 800-423-2567. Cannot be used with other discount
or coupon or prior purchases after 30 days from original purchase with original receipt. Offer good while supplies last.
Non-transferable. Original coupon must be presented. Valid through 8/15/14. Limit one coupon per customer per day.
LIMIT 4 - Good at our stores or HarborFreight.com or by calling 800-423-2567. Cannot be used with other discount
or coupon or prior purchases after 30 days from original purchase with original receipt. Offer good while supplies last.
Non-transferable. Original coupon must be presented. Valid through 8/15/14. Limit one coupon per customer per day.
LIMIT 5 - Good at our stores or HarborFreight.com or by calling 800-423-2567. Cannot be used with other discount
or coupon or prior purchases after 30 days from original purchase with original receipt. Offer good while supplies last.
Non-transferable. Original coupon must be presented. Valid through 8/15/14. Limit one coupon per customer per day.
LIMIT 3 - Good at our stores or HarborFreight.com or by calling 800-423-2567. Cannot be used with other discount
or coupon or prior purchases after 30 days from original purchase with original receipt. Offer good while supplies last.
Non-transferable. Original coupon must be presented. Valid through 8/15/14. Limit one coupon per customer per day.
LIMIT 5 - Good at our stores or HarborFreight.com or by calling 800-423-2567. Cannot be used with other discount
or coupon or prior purchases after 30 days from original purchase with original receipt. Offer good while supplies last.
Non-transferable. Original coupon must be presented. Valid through 8/15/14. Limit one coupon per customer per day.
LIMIT 5 - Good at our stores or HarborFreight.com or by calling 800-423-2567. Cannot be used with other discount
or coupon or prior purchases after 30 days from original purchase with original receipt. Offer good while supplies last.
Non-transferable. Original coupon must be presented. Valid through 8/15/14. Limit one coupon per customer per day.
LIMIT 5 - Good at our stores or HarborFreight.com or by calling 800-423-2567. Cannot be used with other discount
or coupon or prior purchases after 30 days from original purchase with original receipt. Offer good while supplies last.
Non-transferable. Original coupon must be presented. Valid through 8/15/14. Limit one coupon per customer per day.
LIMIT 8 - Good at our stores or HarborFreight.com or by calling 800-423-2567. Cannot be used with other discount
or coupon or prior purchases after 30 days from original purchase with original receipt. Offer good while supplies last.
Non-transferable. Original coupon must be presented. Valid through 8/15/14. Limit one coupon per customer per day.
LIMIT 5 - Good at our stores or HarborFreight.com or by calling 800-423-2567. Cannot be used with other discount
or coupon or prior purchases after 30 days from original purchase with original receipt. Offer good while supplies last.
Non-transferable. Original coupon must be presented. Valid through 8/15/14. Limit one coupon per customer per day.
LIMIT 5 - Good at our stores or HarborFreight.com or by calling 800-423-2567. Cannot be used with other discount
or coupon or prior purchases after 30 days from original purchase with original receipt. Offer good while supplies last.
Non-transferable. Original coupon must be presented. Valid through 8/15/14. Limit one coupon per customer per day.
LIMIT 4 - Good at our stores or HarborFreight.com or by calling 800-423-2567. Cannot be used with other discount
or coupon or prior purchases after 30 days from original purchase with original receipt. Offer good while supplies last.
Non-transferable. Original coupon must be presented. Valid through 8/15/14. Limit one coupon per customer per day.
LIMIT 8 - Good at our stores or HarborFreight.com or by calling 800-423-2567. Cannot be used with other discount
or coupon or prior purchases after 30 days from original purchase with original receipt. Offer good while supplies last.
Non-transferable. Original coupon must be presented. Valid through 8/15/14. Limit one coupon per customer per day.
LIMIT 3 - Good at our stores or HarborFreight.com or by calling 800-423-2567. Cannot be used with other discount
or coupon or prior purchases after 30 days from original purchase with original receipt. Offer good while supplies last.
Non-transferable. Original coupon must be presented. Valid through 8/15/14. Limit one coupon per customer per day.
LIMIT 9 - Good at our stores or HarborFreight.com or by calling 800-423-2567. Cannot be used with other discount
or coupon or prior purchases after 30 days from original purchase with original receipt. Offer good while supplies last.
Non-transferable. Original coupon must be presented. Valid through 8/15/14. Limit one coupon per customer per day.
If You Buy Tools Anywhere Else,
You're Throwing Your Money Away
Item 90018
shown
SUPER-WIDE TRI-FOLD
ALUMINUM LOADING RAMP
LOT NO. 90018
69595/60334
$
79
99
REG. PRICE
$149 .99
1500 lb.
Capacity
SAVE
$70
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N
!
$
34
99
PORTABLE
FISH FINDER
LOT NO.
94511
REG. PRICE $47 .99
SAVE
27%
12" SLIDING COMPOUND
DOUBLE-BEVEL MITER SAW
N
EW
!
S
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LIMIT 5 - Good at our stores or HarborFreight.com or by calling 800-423-2567. Cannot be used with other discount
or coupon or prior purchases after 30 days from original purchase with original receipt. Offer good while supplies last.
Non-transferable. Original coupon must be presented. Valid through 8/15/14. Limit one coupon per customer per day.
SAVE
$
170
SAVE
55%
REG. PRICE $44.99
18 VOLT CORDLESS
3/8" DRILL/DRIVER AND
FLASHLIGHT KIT
LOT NO.
68287/69652
Includes one
18V NiCd battery
and charger.
Item 68287
shown
$
19
99
$
79
99
REG.
PRICE
$129 .99
1500 PSI
PRESSURE
WASHER
LOT NO. 68333 /69488
Item
68333
shown
SAVE
$50
SAVE
37%
9 FT. 6" x 7 FT. 4"
CAMOUFLAGE TARP
LOT NO.
46411/61765
$
4
99
REG.
PRICE
$7 .99
Item
46411
shown
$
21
99
REG. PRICE $44 .99
3/8" x 14 FT. GRADE 43
TOWING CHAIN
Not for
overhead lifting.
Item 97711
shown
LOT NO.
97711 /60658
5400 lb.
Capacity
SAVE
51%
S
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!
LIMIT 3 - Good at our stores or HarborFreight.com or by calling 800-423-2567. Cannot be used with other discount
or coupon or prior purchases after 30 days from original purchase with original receipt. Offer good while supplies last.
Non-transferable. Original coupon must be presented. Valid through 8/15/14. Limit one coupon per customer per day.
SAVE
$
60
"Top of its Class in Quality at a Really Great Price"
SAVE
$40
EIGHT DRAWER
WOOD TOOL CHEST
LOT NO.
94538
$
59
99
REG. PRICE $99 .99
Item 46092
shown
ADJUSTABLE SHADE
AUTO-DARKENING
WELDING HELMET
LOT NO.
46092 /61611
$
35
99
REG.
PRICE
$69 .99
SAVE
48%
AUTOMATIC
BATTERY FLOAT
CHARGER
LOT NO. 42292
69594/69955
$
4
99
REG. PRICE $14 .99
Item 42292
shown
SAVE
66%
S
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C
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O
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!
LIMIT 5 -
or coupon or prior purchases after 30 days from original purchase with original receipt. Offer good while supplies last.
Non-transferable. Original coupon must be presented. Valid through 8/15/14. Limit one coupon per customer per day.
SAVE
$
80
1500 LB. CAPACITY
MOTORCYCLE LIFT
S
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LIMIT 9 -
or coupon or prior purchases after 30 days from original purchase with original receipt. Offer good while supplies last.
Non-transferable. Original coupon must be presented. Valid through 8/15/14. Limit one coupon per customer per day.
1/4" DRIVE
3/8" DRIVE
1/2" DRIVE
LOT NO. 2696 /61277
LOT NO. 807 /61276
LOT NO. 239
TORQUE
WRENCH ES
Item 239 shown
"Impressive Accuracy,
Amazing Value"
Car Craft Magazine
Item 47902
shown
40 PIECE 1/4" AND 3/8" DRIVE
SOCKET SET
$
3
49
REG.
PRICE
$9.99
LOT NO.
47902
61328 SAVE
65%
Item 68221
shown
4-1/4" grinding wheel
included.
$
29
99
ELECTRIC CHAIN SAW
SHARPENER
REG.
PRICE
$49 .99
LOT NO.
68221/61613/93213
SAVE
40%
SAVE
37%
1500 LB. CAPACITY
DUAL WHEEL
SWING-BACK BOAT
TRAILER JACK
LOT NO.
67500 /69779
REG.
PRICE
$39.99
$
24
99
Item 67500
shown
Item 60625
shown
REG. PRICE $19.99
$
9
99
LOT NO. 95578
69645 /60625
4-1/2" ANGLE GRINDER
SAVE
50%
Item 93888 shown
MOVER'S DOLLY
LOT NO.
93888 /60497
61899
SAVE
46%
$
7
99
REG. PRICE
$14.99
1000 lb. Capacity
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5 Minute Setup!
Our Sea Eagle 285 Frameless Pontoon
Fishing Boat goes where
the lunkers lurk!
The completely re-designed Sea Eagle 285 frameless
pontoon fishing boat is one mean green fishing machine.
Carry it in your car trunk and be ready to fish whenever
you pass an inviting body of water. Perfect for hard to get
to bodies of water where the really big fish hang out. The
SE285 Pro Angler package includes everything an angler
would need to get out on the water in 5 minutes or less!
SE285fpb
42 lb. hull
Takes up to 3 HP
Holds 1 Adult & Gear
9 x 4 Fits in car trunk
Includes floorboard for standing & casting,
pedestal swivel seat for 360 degree fishing,
genuine Scottyrod-holders, fish ruler/stripping apron,
motor mount for 3 HP motor, front & stern stow bags,
2 oars, foot pump - in short, everything an angler needs!
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Call 800-944-7496 800-944-7496 for
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Mean Green
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FAR FASTER & EASIER to use than hard-
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TOWS BEHIND ATVs, riding
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TILLS A 3-FOOT
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Most branches
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Marble size pellets. Work at any depth.
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2
7
4
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4
Finally, an easy
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Try a DR
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ShurTech Brands, LLC 2014/57772
STRONG STICKY WATERPROOF
Trust Duck
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/// SPORTSMAN'S MARKETPLACE
For advertising information please call Frank McCarey at 800-445-2714 or 212-779-5510.
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MAY 201 4 I l l us t rat i on by JACK UNRUH
Vol. 119, No. 1. FIELD&STREAM(ISSN1554-8066, USPS 570-650) is publishedmonthly except for a combinedDecemberJanuary issue, by Bonnier Corp., 2 Park Ave., NewYork, NY10016. 2014 by Bonnier Corp. All rights reserved. Reprinting in whole or part is forbidden
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T
HIS MONTHS magazine is devoted to the future,
mostly because it greatly speeds up fact-checking. Like
everyone else who tells lies for a living, I have seen the
future, and there are three things you should know about it: It will
be chaotic, inefficient, and prohibitively expensive. Basically, itll
be just like nowonly more so. A few fearless predictions:
Crankbaits will dive even deeperinto your wallet. In bass
fishing, the guy who shows the fish a new look has always had a
competitive edge. (Throw something the size of David E. Petzals
head into your local water and you can count on two things. One,
the bass definitely havent seen anything like it. Two, theyre sure as
hell seeing it now.) This is an area in which the Japanese have long
been eating our bento box. They already offer a swimbait that mea-
sures a foot long, weighs 10
1
2 ounces, and sells for $425. Want one?
Youll have to wait about two months. Within three years, they will
develop a crankbait that dives to 7 miles, enabling anglers to target
those sluggish fish at the bottom of the Mariana Trench. It will cost
$4,000 and youll have to wait two years to buy one. The good
news is that by then there will also be 80-pound-test line that
makes our current 2-pound fluorocarbon look like bridge cable, so
the average spinning reel will easily spool the necessary 12,320
yards of line. The one drawback: It will take some lucky angler
three days to crank up that first fish. Which will turn out to be a
Nike Air Jordan sneaker from 1992.
Fire making will go bye-bye. Like the scimitar-horned oryx,
the frustrating, engrossing, and uniquely human experience of
making fire from natural materials will soon survive only in captiv-
ity, mostly among buckskin-clad reenactors at living museums.
Who needs the hassle? Duraflame already makes nine kinds of fire
logs, including the Crackleflame, the Colorlog, and Roasting Logs
(whichhold on to your hats, kidscan actually be used to cook
food). Stax, the first stackable fire log, is shaped like split wood
and burns with the same charred appearance and crackling
sounds of a wood fire. And it doesnt even require a USB cord.
Within the next decade, increasingly arcane words like tinder and
kindling will vanish from the lexicon. In my view, this cant happen
soon enough, because weve got the whole deal bass-ackward.
What we should be doing is developing whole trees that light and
burn as easily as Duraflame logs. And if we could get them to grow
red and yellow flammable bark, that would be awesome.
Video will conquer reality. More than 65 years ago, some dude
named Aldo Leopold wrote: A peculiar virtue in wildlife ethics is
that the hunter ordinarily has no gallery to applaud or disapprove of
his conduct. Whatever his acts, they are dictated by his own con-
science, rather than by a mob of onlookers. It is difficult to exagger-
ate the importance of this fact. Actually, its difficult to exaggerate
the irrelevance of this fact. Within 18 months, no fishing or hunting
event will officially have taken place without video documentation.
There are still a few naysayers who contend that video actually di-
lutes rather than validates the peak experiences of our lives. These
geezers (most are at least 40, some even older) say that video, in-
stead of fostering a profound and personal connection to the natural
world, in fact encourages a public fist-pumping celebration of
mans domination of nature, complete with hip-hop soundtrack.
Like thats a bad thing.
Yours truly will sell out faster than a bullet. After its been fired,
I mean. Dont lump me in with the dinosaurs above. Print journal-
ism is circling the drain and piety wont pay the bills. Heck, Id run
over the 2014 Hero of Conservation for the opportunity to move
from your bathroom reading pile to your living-room TV. Which is
why within two years youll see me starring in The Bone Protector.
This groundbreaking new reality show will revolutionize outdoor
TV with explicit footage of me blowing chances at deer all across
this great nation. With a toupee and a Southern drawl, Ill show
everybody that there are indeed things in this world that can be
bought. And for far less than youd think.
Its all gonna be O.K. Sure, the world is going to hell in a hand-
basket. Thats how the world, generally, prefers to travel. Well have
the apocalypse, everybody will lose power and their minds for a few
days, and then well start working with whatevers left. You hear a
lot of folks fretting over the future of hunting and fishing, mostly
from people trying to sell you camo trail markers and the Butt Out
VII. Hunting and fishingthe things themselveshave survived
for a very long time and will continue to survive, despite ridiculous
gear, ridiculous technology, and boneheads like me.
FS
HOT PROPHET
A dire forecast of where hunting and
fishing are headed By Bill Heavey
RECKLESS
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