Indholdsfortegnelse for October 2024 i Game & Fish

It’s only October, but the upcoming elections are on everyone’s mind. You are registered to vote, right? If so, read on for ways to fulfill your civic duty while making the most of your hunting and fishing time. If not, go to gunvote.org to register now. Many states still permit voter registration for the upcoming elections. There are a few things besides registering to vote that we must do in the coming weeks to ensure our participation in the elections. First, we should double-check our calendars to make sure any outdoor plans don’t interfere with exercising our right to vote on Tuesday, Nov. 5. November is a busy month, especially for hunters. If you intend to hunt or fish and vote in person that day, work out a schedule now…

As a whitetail deer hunting fanatic, I find it hard to admit that there might be a better month than November. The fact is, however, October might be it. This statement does come with its share of caveats, including the biggest of them all: hunting pressure. As one who will spend about 90 percent of my time hunting public ground in an average year, hunting pressure dictates everything, including whether or not October is a better choice than oft-favored November. In areas of limited pressure, there’s no question in my mind that November is the month to hunt. It’s really not even a close contest when you consider the entirety of each month. Sure, the last week of October can be awesome, but it comes at the cost of three…

There is more carbon fiber in the Bergara B-14 Squared Crest Carbon than steel, which is a good thing for hunters who want a lightweight rifle that doesn’t sacrifice strength or rigidity. The Crest Carbon is built on the two-lug, push-feed B-14 bolt action, but the two other major components of the rifle—the stock and barrel—bring the benefits of carbon fiber to Bergara’s mid-priced line. Produced by carbon-fiber resin-transfer molding, the rifle’s stock is made by hand-assembling dry carbon fibers in a mold, which is then injected with resin. The result is a monocoque, all-carbon-fiber stock that incorporates a spine to provide more rigidity and strength. Rigid stocks tend to produce greater accuracy due to less flexing under recoil, and stronger stocks have more resistance to damage from drops, bumps…

A nice buck steps forward from the trees and into view. He stands in the open, surveying his surroundings. He’s toting a great rack that spreads out past the ears. However, he’s a bit thin through the neck, and the back doesn’t sway or sag at all. The shoulders and rump are roughly proportionate in size. No doubt, he’s a decent-looking buck, but is he mature enough to be a shooter? The best way to age is buck is to analyze its teeth, but that’s not happening from a treestand. Those who wish to target mature bucks must know how to age one on the hoof, and there are many reasons to learn to do so. First, recognizing younger bucks allows them to reach an older age class and results…

Prairie grouse, including greater prairie chickens and sharp-tailed grouse, can be found in grasslands across the Great Plains and offer hunters a unique early-season challenge. Early fall provides hunters with long days, beautiful sunsets and incredible access to public hunting lands before they become congested in November. Fall prairie grouse hunts are a must-try endeavor for bird dog and wing-shooting enthusiasts looking to get a jump on their hunting season. While the enormity of the Great Plains can seem overwhelming, with the right strategies and a willingness to walk up prairie grouse, hunters can certainly have success. FIND THE BIRDS Greater prairie chickens occur in parts of 12 states, but by far the greatest populations exist in Kansas and Nebraska. Sharp-tailed grouse, meanwhile, have a range that extends from Nebraska…

The buck, silhouetted on the previously empty skyline, stole my breath. I froze until he dropped out of view into the draw below me, then I raced ahead of him and hunkered down with an arrow nocked. Growing impatient, I rose up and saw his antlers through a cedar. I slumped back down and got ready for what looked like a 40-yard shot in the making. However, the buck didn’t appear. Moments later, he finally popped up out of a small cut that I hadn’t seen 15 yards away—much closer than I anticipated. He turned away from me and walked up out of the cut before turning broadside at an estimated 22 yards. Already at full draw, I aimed and shot. My arrow slammed into the buck’s far shoulder and…

Rarely will you find something that is less expensive today than it was five or 10 years ago. Although technology does have the potential to lower the cost of manufacturing and components, better technology usually produces goods that come with more features or greater benefits, which in turn carry higher price tags. There is an exception, however, and it comes in the form of the inertia-operated shotgun. Semi-autos built on inertia operating systems have established themselves as workhorses among bird hunters because they can handle a wide range of loads and shoot them day in and day out with little maintenance. They may never win a beauty contest, but there is something to admire about one gun that can go from dusty, 90-degree Texas dove fields to icy, 30-degree Maine…

There are plenty of things that can kill a man in the woods,” Shane’s father told his son, “but three in particular worry me the most because they are particularly unforgiving. Luckily, all are things we can usually control.” Shane, who was gearing up to go bowhunting by himself for the first time, stayed quiet because he knew the answer was forthcoming. “Guns, boats—especially while duck hunting in cold water with waders on—and treestands. With all these things, it just takes one little slip—one split-second of complacency—and your life can be snatched from you in the time it takes to think, I wish I’d worn my life vest. “I knew one poor fella who fell out of his treestand—an old, rotted board in the crotch of a tree—and broke his…

GET READY FOR THE RUT! Our annual Regional Rut Update—exclusive weekly field reports on whitetail activity in each region—brings you timely info from pre-rut to post-rut. Look for reports beginning in mid-October. SNEAKY TACTICS Become invisible in the deer woods with Josh Honeycutt’s in-depth look at how to slip up close to a breeding pair of whitetails. Read “How to Stalk a Buck-and-Doe Pair During the Rut” for pointers. WE GET A LITTLE SALTY Season 5 of our “Beyond the Bait” series hits the saltwater off Jensen Beach, Fla., to share expert tips and strategies for success with hard-fighting gamefish. Find all episodes in the “Watch” section. BEILUE’S BEST FROM ICAST “Bass Crash Course” video series host Shane Beilue details the most interesting rods, reels and tackle he could find…

What is it, exactly, that I’m looking for in scrapes? There’s no magic or wizardry involved; I’m simply on the hunt for scrapes that are active. I’m looking for those scrape areas that are being visited regularly. They’re easy to spot—they’re cleared of leaves and debris, have an obvious licking branch and usually carry an aroma of deer urine. Finding an area with several active scrapes in close proximity is even better, and that’s a common scenario when hunting farm country. Standing cornfields are my habitat of choice in October. Those cornfields offer the very best bedding cover available and create a ton of natural edge. If I find several active scrapes in a 30- or 40-yard stretch along the edge of a cornfield, I’m wasting no time in getting…

One of the pillars of our North American Model of Wildlife Conservation is that we should avoid the commercialization of wildlife and their various parts. After all, it was the unregulated trade in furs, feathers and meat that led to widespread declines in wildlife as America industrialized a century and a half ago. That prohibition on “market hunting” is the primary reason you don’t find wild venison cutlets in your grocer’s butcher case and why it’s illegal to sell sausage from last season’s elk. There is a lively market for game in America, but almost without exception it’s not wild. The meat is sourced from game farms, where ear-tagged elk, bison and whitetails are treated like Herefords and Holsteins. But our consensus agreement that we shouldn’t sell wildlife parts is…

The first time I made Mississippi pot roast, I couldn’t believe the deliciousness that resulted from the unlikely combination of pepperoncini peppers and powdered ranch dressing. The meat wasn’t spicy but instead savory, and it quickly became a favorite of my household. The standard recipe calls for beef, but I use venison instead. A pronghorn hindquarter roast might be the best meat for the dish. Serve it over mashed potatoes, egg noodles or thick slices of bread as an open-face sandwich. INGREDIENTS • 3-4 lb. pronghorn hindquarter roast • 1 packet of powdered ranch dressing • 1 packet of au jus gravy mix • 1 stick of butter • 8-10 pepperoncini peppers • Fresh chopped parsley DIRECTIONS 1. Trim roast of exterior silver skin and place in slow cooker. 2. Sprinkle…

In recent years, duck hunting has developed a reputation as an endeavor only for the affluent. Thumb through retailer catalogs or walk through a sporting goods store, and you quickly see why. A pair of waders may run between $600 and $1,000, while a high-quality semi-auto shotgun can set you back another grand or two. Custom calls and top-tier decoys can fetch a couple hundred bucks, and dedicated duck boats rigged with surface-drive motors may necessitate extended payment plans. Foregoing these expenses and instead purchasing an outfitted duck hunt at a premium lodge is hardly any better, as that cost can be excessive as well. Modern duck hunting can indeed be very expensive—to the point that it sometimes scares off newbies and veteran hunters alike. However, it doesn’t have to…

The Midwest is blessed with some exceptional areas to hunt prairie grouse, whether you’re after greater prairie chickens, sharp-tailed grouse or both. Predictably, the most productive states for prairie grouse lie in the Great Plains. So, for most Midwesterners, any prairie grouse pursuit will involve heading West. If planning a trip, keep the following areas in mind. SMOKY HILLS HAVENS North-central Kansas’ Smoky Hills region is a terrific place to start your search for greater prairie chickens. Look to stay in Russell, Wilson or Lucas. Begin by scouting for chickens on Walk-In Hunting Access (WIHA) areas in the King Hill, Twin Mound and Sunny Slope Mound areas. These spots are geographical landmarks on private lands with public WIHA areas nearby. For solid dining, hit up the Midland Railroad Hotel and…

Bass fishing is one of few outdoor pursuits that, in some places anyway, can be enjoyed year-round. However, depending on the season, the fishing can be alternately thrilling and maddening. During springtime, bass move shallow in preparation for the spawn and can provide fast-and-furious action … until a cold front shuts everything down. Summer can be strong, but lakes are often crowded, and crawling a worm or fishing slow and deep may be the key to getting bites. Winter is hit-or-miss. Sometimes, you can load the boat, but finding fish and making them bite can be a challenge. And then there’s fall, when all the stars align. Baitfish move shallow with bass in hot pursuit, and the pleasure boaters, water skiers, PWCs and other distractions are mostly gone. In other…

The 8-point was standing under the feeder and a raccoon was dishing out corn as fast as the buck could eat it. He was only 69 yards off, but his chest was behind a big white oak tree. We watched him for 20 minutes, and finally something spooked him. He jumped out into the open, slightly quartering away. I whispered, “Shoot,” and my daughter pulled the trigger. The buck mule-kicked like he was heart shot, ran a tight circle, wobbled like a drunk, dropped and went still. When we got to where he’d piled up, there was nothing but blood. He was gone, and we never saw him again. My daughter is a decent rifle shot. Just six months before shooting this whitetail buck, she’d completed her first African safari.…

Somewhere in the darkest corner of the continental U.S., we slowed then pulled over beside the pickup, its hood flying like a white flag of surrender. Later that day, my wirehair limped toward us as we jawboned about the climb and cursed the chukars that streaked down the hill we’d just ascended. Both situations—broken-down pickup and hurt dog—were quickly remedied with stuff in my truck, vest and pockets. Over the thousands of miles I’ve walked and driven during bird hunts, I’ve managed to overcome dozens of serious or merely inconvenient problems because I was prepared with some basic items, organized in my truck or on my person, to deal with mishaps. They got us back to the hunt, truck, nearest veterinarian and, in a few cases, hospital emergency room. In…

Important decisions must be made on every hunting trip. Some require immediate action while others may take hours or even days of consideration to reach a determination. The one at hand, which I was intensely mulling over in the cab of Chad Schearer’s pickup, was stretching into two or three minutes. It’s a good thing no one was behind us in the drive-through line at Sip’s Coffee. Just off a plane, I was set on a café mocha when Chad said, “You know, you really ought to get one of these vanilla chai lattes.” The last three words were terminology that I’d never heard come from Chad’s mouth before, and we had been friends for almost 20 years. We had usually talked about bolt-action rifles, muzzleloader bullets, pronghorn antelope and…

October is arguably the best month of the year to be outdoors in the Midwest. Archery deer seasons are open across the region, upland hunters are stretching their legs across the plains and anglers have so many opportunities they don’t know what to do with themselves. If you like largemouth bass, they’re feeding aggressively now, as are toothy predators like northern pike and muskies. Panfishing is hot region-wide, and anglers are busy filling freezers with bluegill, crappie and perch filets. With a little planning and calendar management, sportsmen can truly have it all in October. 1 MICHIGAN ARCHERY DEER Michigan’s Upper Peninsula has a strong deer population spread across millions of acres of public lands, leaving bowhunters ample options where they’re unlikely to encounter others. Camping is free on most federal…

The tall 8-point emerged from thick brush and walked slowly toward the field edge. I’d seen him cross a small gap in the dense cover minutes earlier, but he’d melted back into the thicket before I could get on him. Now, it seemed, I might get a shot. Some luck, given I was hunting the final day of Illinois’ second firearm deer season with less than 20 minutes of legal shooting light remaining. If I didn’t get a chance here, an unfilled tag was all I’d be bringing home. I cocked the hammer of my rifle, a Henry Single Shot Steel. The deer must’ve heard me shift in my stand because he turned a bit, going from quartering away to broadside. Framed between two trees in the fading, golden light,…

Many hunters have recognized the advantages of cellular trail cameras, and manufacturers have been steadily improving the capabilities of these modern scouting tools. This includes two of the latest models from Spypoint, the FLEX-M and FLEX-PLUS, both of which impressed me with their performance in concert with the Spypoint app during testing. All FLEX series cell cams feature easy setup, mobile activation and remote firmware updates through the Spypoint app. Each model utilizes an optimized antenna for greater connectivity and Dual SIM technology that automatically selects the best cell service in the area. This ability to work through two carriers (AT&T and Verizon) alleviates much of the concern over poor signal, which can drain batteries or prevent transmissions altogether. FLEX series cameras are capable of photo (single shot or burst)…