Indholdsfortegnelse for August 2022 i Game & Fish

My first Western big-game hunt was for mule deer, and what I remember most about the experience was the preparation leading up to it. Like many whitetail hunters, I was intrigued by the “other” deer species and knew I had some work to do. I believe my longest shot at a deer up to that point was something around 120 yards, and I wanted to have the confidence to shoot three times that far. By the fortune that only a grandson can have, I happened to be in possession of my grandfather’s Winchester Model 70. It was an oldie, made in 1954, but a goodie that just needed a bit of attention. In the months leading up to the hunt, I disassembled the rifle and gave it a thorough cleaning.…

It is routine for me to travel to three or four states each year to hunt. With a couple decades of whitetail road tripping under my belt, I have learned that no plan is infallible. When preparing for a trip I naturally make every effort to be as successful as possible. That means doing my best to be prepared. Whether that’s hours spent staring at digital maps and marking locations of interest or making multiple checklists to ensure I have everything for the journey. But experience has shown me, all of that planning can only take me so far. The rest will be reactionary because it’s not a matter of “if” something will go awry, it’s a matter of “when.” There was a time when these unexpected turns would derail…

I was hunting mule deer in an aspen forest when I heard strange, bird-like sounds off in the distance. Something about it wasn’t right, though; these were unlike any birds I’d heard before. I eased up to a ridge and looked down the other side to try and identify the source of the sounds. To my surprise it wasn’t birds at all, but a herd of elk. That incident took place many years ago. I didn’t give it much thought at the time, other than to acknowledge that elk make sounds that resemble a bird’s chirp or a cat’s meow. Years later, in 1985, I was chatting with Don Laubach about elk hunting in a Gardiner, Mont., saloon. Don lives in Gardiner, a small town next to Yellowstone Park’s North…

One hot August day many years ago, I went fishing with my Uncle Julius on a big farm pond. He and I fished together often, but we hadn’t visited this place before. Other anglers might have had difficulty finding the late-spawning bluegills we were looking for, but not my uncle. He pointed toward a spot by the shore with foam and an oily film atop the water and asked if I could see it. I did. A fishy smell also permeated the air. I asked him if that was where it was coming from. He nodded and told me that a bubbly surface and musty smell like that were sure signs of bluegills guarding their nests in the shallow water. We put crickets on our hooks and threw them over…

Having grown up fishing the Mississippi River, I learned how to fish vegetation—and understand the opportunities it presents—early on in my fishing career. Now, in addition to my continued trips to the Mississippi’s lily pad fields and eelgrass lines, I also get to fish many lakes in Minnesota that are filled with milfoil, coontail and cabbage. Bottom line: I’m fortunate to fish around vegetation for much of my fishing season, including late summer, and this has given me time to try many different approaches. However, when fishing weeds and other cover for largemouth bass, there are four key presentations that I traditionally employ, and these are tactics you can try on your own home waters. EDGE MOVES Buzz the Surface During low-light hours, or when it is overcast, bass get…

On 2015, when I heard Mercedes-Benz was set to release the 4x4 version of its popular Sprinter van in the U.S., I said: This is it, I’ve found it, and I can’t live without it. I researched and made lists to justify the choice and proposed upgrades, but in the end, the decision was easy. With a family of four, it needed to perform at soccer tournaments and ski trips, then convert into a solo or two-person, expedition-grade fishing and hunting rig, while being able to cruise in comfort on family road trips. The first of which was a cross-country trip from Oregon to Louisiana to visit my wife’s parents, whom I included in my sales pitch. VEHICLE CHOICE These demands leave two realistic vehicle choices in my opinion: the…

August marks the end of summer, and time before the kids return to school is slipping away, but there’s still a chance for one or two more outdoor adventures. Countless options exist for a Midwest camping and fishing trip, but few compare to exploring northern Minnesota’s Boundary Waters. Other options, like Illinois’ Pyramid State Park, offer plenty of chances to relax and wet a line. Those seeking to jumpstart their fall hunting exploits can pursue less-common game species like feral pigeons and woodchucks. It might be hot this month, but there are still plenty of cool outdoor pursuits across the Midwest. 1 INDIANA FERAL PIGEONS There’s no season or limit on feral pigeons in Indiana, but many farmers would love for you to reduce the population around their barns. Set…

Mule deer country starts in the Great Plains, continues over the Rockies and Sierra Nevada, and eventually bumps into the territory of the smaller blacktail along the Pacific Coast. There are also whitetails in much of the mule deer’s range today, plus Coues deer in desert mule deer country. However, the muley is the primary quarry for most Western hunters, pursued annually and avidly. It stands to reason, then, that Westerners know their deer, just as Eastern deer hunters are the real experts on whitetails. Many whitetail hunters journey to mule deer country every fall, and others dream of a trip out West. With millions of acres of public land, hunting mule deer is a doable deal, but hunters from elsewhere are going into new country after unfamiliar deer. Research…

Shane returned home from school one day to find his father cleaning the garage on his day off from the steel mill. “Learn anything today?” his father asked him. “Well yeah, actually,” Shane said as he grabbed a broom to help. “I learned Steven McDonald killed a 12-point buck last year.” “Twelve pointer, eh?!” crowed Shane’s father. “I didn’t even know they grew that big ’round here. That’s the trophy of a lifetime!” “Not really,” said Shane. “The year before that, he got a non-typical 14-pointer.” “Shane, I hate to say this because I don’t know Steven, but plenty of guys stretch the truth. You know, tell fish stories.” “That’s what I was thinking before I saw the pictures,” said Shane. “They’re legit.” “OK, I stand corrected. I guess I’m…

A guide and I were sitting in a pop-up blind, not far from the Texas coastline. I was helping with a culling operation for whitetail deer. It was my job to do the shooting and the guide’s job to tell me what to shoot. I’d already taken two deer at a little over 100 yards with a rifle when several came out of the brush closer to the blind. Pointing, the guide said, “That one.” I unholstered my 4 5/8-inch Ruger Single Seven revolver in .327 Fed. Mag. and said, “If you don’t care, I’ll use my handgun.” The guide kind of grimaced, “I’m not sure that thirty-two is enough gun.” Leveling the little revolver on the whitetail at about 30 yards, I whispered, “Watch.” The revolver bucked and so…

This month I’ll enter my third decade as a volunteer Hunter Education instructor for Montana’s Fish, Wildlife & Parks Department. Actually, I’m not doing this for the department. Because I’m a selfish muck, I do it mainly for myself, with the perennial hope that some stray comment or perspective might hit a student in the right way, and they’ll see my view of our shared obligation to the animals we hunt. There are maybe half a dozen instructors in my little town, and we’ve been teaching together so long we know which chapters of the coursebook each will lead, and who we can count on to come to Saturday’s field day. I generally teach the squishier parts of the course, the ones on situational ethics and how to tell your…

Shooting at a manicured and measured archery range—indoor or outdoor—has benefits. When zeroing your bow or during a prolonged stretch of inclement weather, a controlled environment is ideal. Those occasions aside, your archery practice sessions should simulate the hunting situations you’ll encounter in the real world, right down to the exact bow, arrows and broadheads you intend to use during the season. Once your gear is lined out, try some of the following scenarios to get field-ready for opening day. SHOOT THE GAPS Start by setting targets in natural settings. It’s likely that not all your hunts will occur on the trimmed edge of a planted food plot. Interior woodland stands might lead to shots on deer meandering through brush or shrouded by limbs. Set your targets in thick vegetation…

In America, deer seasons are limited to August through February, location depending. However, it’s what you do during the other five months that really sets you up for success in the coming season. And while it might not always seem like it, pre-season projects are often time-sensitive. You need to complete certain things when they need to be done, and in the proper sequence. Here are the things I do, and the order in which I tend to do them. 1. REFLECT ON SHEDS You found a bunch of sheds back in the spring, but all you did was pick them up and toss them in the corner of the garage. Finding antlers is great, but using these sheds to better yourself as a hunter is important, too. First, understand…

Although I don’t have an exact number, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to claim that the first dozen or so deer I shot in my lifetime all fell to the Remington Core-Lokt. I started hunting when I was 12, and Core-Lokt loads were the only ammo I used for whitetails until well after I graduated from college. In fact, for all but four of those years, I used a single Core-Lokt load, the 150-grain .308 Win. Took a bear with it, too. (Not long ago I found an old empty box of .308 Core-Lokt that must have been from my high-school years. The price sticker was marked $8.99, which might buy six rounds today.) I’m not alone in my connection to the Core-Lokt. No doubt some of you reading this…