Innehållsförteckning för September 2017 från Field & Stream

PHOTOGRAPHER: KALEB WHITE LOCATION: NEBRASKA This tall-tined 5x6 elk was basking in the moment after fighting off a rival during the rut in Nebraska last September. That morning, photographer Kaleb White located two bulls bugling for cows. “They got closer and closer, to within 100 yards of each other, then they went at it,” he says. “My heart was pounding. Their hair tenses up; you hear the crack of the antlers. The 5x6 ran the satellite bull off, then went to strut his stuff on top of a hill.” Sneaking through the grass about 75 yards away, White followed the bull to see what he’d do next. “He wasn’t bugling anymore. He just stretched and scratched his back with his antlers— you can see the spots on his hindquarters—for a…

September wood ducks are set in their ways. They know where they want to be, and they plan on getting there early. The morning flight usually won’t last a full hour—but if you’re in the right place, you might see hundreds of ducks in the air. This time of year, woodies are creatures of habit. So long as they have food and security, they will pile into the same hidden, swampy honey holes day after day. If you can crack the code to their daybreak routine, you can pack an entire morning’s worth of action and shooting into 30 intense minutes. 1. ON THE MONEY While scouting, dissect the duck hole for the microhabitats that suck in wood ducks. Creek channels below beaver dams are great spots for pass…

ISTILL BELIEVED, even after our guide called it a day. Whitecaps were stitching the broad plain of the Columbia River, from shore to shore deep in the gorge, all the way to the mouth of the Deschutes. I knew the run back to the boat ramp would be a back crusher. I knew we hadn’t had a strike in four hours, despite five anglers in the boat and legendary guide Herb Good at the helm. And I knew all too well that our crew had caught just three fish in four full days of fishing. Still, I believed my fish was coming, despite Good’s concession. “Crank them up, boys,” he said. “We’re heading in.” Through 30 hours of relentless fishing, through the slop and chop, the long faces at the…

B Black bear woods—a half hour after sundown and a quarter hour more since the rifle crack. It is dark. The only glow for miles, besides three lamps sweeping for blood, are two headlights from a revving UTV behind us. The threat of a wounded bear in these woods keeps us from walking too deep; none of us dare tread beyond the reach of the vehicle’s shine or hum. I stop often to look back and listen. The shot felt good, I remind myself. Keep going. But doubt and fear creep in after each step and every second that passes with no trace of encouragement that I’m on the right track. We search as far as we’re willing for the night, then turn back toward camp. We’ll look tomorrow, when…

B luebills, also known as scaup, are found across the country’s flyways, and in settings ranging from shallow-water rivers to the Great Lakes to marine environments. This bird’s haunts include some of the most inhospitable and dangerous waters in North America. Here’s how to hunt them successfully. THE DUCK Two subspecies of scaup exist in the U.S., both predominantly black and white from bill to tail. They can be difficult to tell apart, particularly in flight, but there are differences. The larger of the two at 20 to 22 inches, the greater scaup is white from its shoulders to the tips of the primary and secondary feathers. The lesser, 16 to 18 inches, is white only to the midpoint of the wing. In the right light, the greater’s head glows…

That’s it. It’s all over, I thought. The 4-year-old 10-point buck that I had scouted, photographed, and painstakingly held off hunting until conditions were absolutely perfect was gone…forever, I assumed, when my arrow flew high and he bounded away in a panic. That’s exactly what many hunters believe, whether they whiff a shot, bump a buck while heading to their stand, or get busted on watch. Sure, you might get a second opportunity on a young deer, but an older buck? Not a chance. On a crowded public area, that may be true. But in most cases, you shouldn’t be so quick to write off a mature buck that you bump just once. Handle things right and you could get a second chance. First, consider what happened. How spooked is…

Q: Between you and your great colleague, Phil Bourjaily, who is more skilled at the other’s shooting discipline? —JACOB HONEYCUTT, OREM, UTAH A: I have absolutely no idea. I’ve never seen Phil shoot a rifle, and he’s never seen me shoot a shotgun. However, I am better looking, speak six languages, and play eight musical instruments. Q: Wise and Enlightened Dave: I would like to have a backup handgun for dangerous game. What cali ber do you recommend? —HENRY ALDAZ, DENVER, COLO. A: I’m not a believer in backup handguns for dangerous game. They’re not nearly as powerful as a big rifle, and unless you piss ice water in times of mortal danger, they’re too hard to hit with. I know of an Alaska guide who tried to stop…

THE FIRST THING the outfitter asked after meeting me was what kind of rifle I’d brought and how far could I shoot. “A .30/06,” I said. “I’ve killed some deer at 300 with it, so I’d feel comfortable to 350 yards or so on an elk.” My answer seemed reasonable to me. But I recognized the change in the outfitter’s tone the instant he responded. It was the same disappointed, authoritative voice I take with my toddler when he doesn’t pick up his toys before bath time. “It’ll be tough for you to get an elk out here, then,” he said. “Pretty much all of them we kill are at least 500 yards away.” Long shots were the conversation theme of the week. This was a post-rut combo hunt for…

YOU EMPTIED your gun at it, and the bird never missed a wingbeat. It’s gone. It’s history— and those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it. A lot of history is made in the dove field. The oft-repeated statistic is that the average shooter expends five to seven shells for every dove bagged. Now is not the time to hector you about how you should have practiced all summer instead of fishing or golfing. It’s time for some quick advice. The next dove is coming, and you need to hit it. Here are five reasons you missed the last one, and five solutions to help you hit the next. REASON NO. 1 YOU LOOKED AT THE BEAD Most shotgun misses occur because you look at…

STEP 1 Find Your Range First, for states within reasonable driving distance, check DNR websites to find out which offer over-thecounter nonresident whitetail buck tags. Most do. This should take about five minutes on your smartphone. (Skip this if you just want to hunt your home state.) Next, compile maps that show public access for your chosen states. Ten years ago, this meant a pile of paper maps. Now you can just download electronic versions from DNR sites, or even better, buy a subscription to a service like OnXMaps Hunt, which shows public-private boundaries and is always available for quick reference via a smartphone app. STEP 2 Get Away From It All Identify the largest cities on your maps and work away from them. More people equals more hunters, and…

CUTTING-EDGE STRATEGY FOR THE WATERFOWL FANATIC SPECIAL BONUS SECTION I t’s opening day of duck season. You’ve scouted. You’ve planned. You’ve plotted and schemed. Your gear is ready. Rover is ready. And you’re in the best shape, physically, since high school. Well, almost. Everything’s as it should be, and all you have to do now is count down the immeasurable hours until legal shooting time. Unfortunately, there are circumstances beyond your control. Variables you haven’t taken into account, ones you couldn’t have anticipated. Human elements. Weather. Governmental actions. A wrench in the gears. Time for Plan B. You have a Plan B, right? Follow along here as we improvise, adapt, and adjust to five unforeseeable, less-than-perfect situations we waterfowlers, especially those gunning on public land, often see on opening day…

W hen the ducks don’t come to you, you can go to the ducks. Floating a river or jumpshooting ponds, potholes, and creeks puts ducks in the bag on tough days. The tactic has an excitement all its own: You trade the breathless anticipation of seeing ducks drop into the decoys for the adrenaline boost of waterfowl blasting into the air in a shower of spray. You’re also trading incoming and overhead shots for chances at birds going up and away. The shooting is much more like upland hunting than typical waterfowling. Here are some tips. A jump-shooting gun should be light. You’ll often carry it at port arms throughout a day of hunting. Put a sling on it, too, to save your arms as you hike from pond to…

Soybeans are a favorite of farm-country whitetails from midsummer until the combines appear. Indeed, if I had to name one solid and consistently attractive big-buck crop, I’d pick soybeans over just about any other. But early fall is an important transition time for the annual bean crop, and your whitetail hunting strategies have to change as the plant matures. Here’s how to identify three major changes in a soybean field and how to adapt your hunting tactics during each stage of growth. STAGE ONE: THE BIG GREEN SALAD BAR WHAT’S HAPPENING: Early-fall beans are often summer-green and attractive to deer. Unless acorns are dropping in the woods, expect deer to hit soybeans consistently. YOUR MOVE: If your beanfield is big, whitetails can enter from many trails, almost anywhere. In order…

• THE SEASON • ASK PETZAL • THE WILD CHEF • SPORTSMAN’S NOTEBOOK • HUNTING • THE TOTAL OUTDOORSMAN • SHOTGUNS • FISHING THE YELLOW CONEHEAD Woolly Bugger whistles by my ear and plunks in the river on the far side of a white plume. At the end of the swing, it glides into the slack water around my feet. A crimson blur flashes toward it—a brook trout trying to chase an intruder from the eddy. But then the trout sees me and vanishes into the clear flows of Maine’s Kennebec River. Another 15 minutes of casting and turtle-hunching in the wind. Should I switch flies? I wonder, stripping in the conehead. Suddenly, a salmon is in the air, skittering across the rapids. My line snaps through the guides. I…

Bowl of red, meet bowl of black. This deep, dark chili gets its richness from bear meat, its kick from roasted ancho chiles and chipotle peppers, and its faint hint of sweetness from an unexpected (and bearapproved) source: wild blueberries. Raise an eyebrow, sure, but the berries are just doing the same job that tomatoes do in traditional chili. Dissolving into the chili, they add a mysterious note of complexity—and even more midnight color to the bowl. Top with a dollop of sour cream for some wild contrast. INGREDIENTS 21⁄2 lb. bear roast, cut into 1-inch chunks 4 ancho chiles 2 chipotle chiles 3 Tbsp. olive oil or bear fat 11⁄2 cups chopped onion 6 garlic cloves, minced 1 Tbsp. ground cumin 1 tsp. oregano 11⁄2 cups beef stock…

SCHOOL-AGE KIDS hate September. Even if you’re a grown-up, it’s still kind of an end-of-summer bummer. And it can be worse if you love to fish. Those 30 days often leave an angler stuck in between waning summer patterns and fall bites that won’t develop for weeks. I’m in limbo—missing mayfly hatches and dreaming about Halloween stripers. False albacore can take the edge off if the run is good, or I may pencil in a Great Lakes salmon trip. Ironically, my favorite ray of September sunshine stems from the fact that the sun sets so much earlier than it did in July. For me, September is the month of midnight bronze. Oh sure, you can catch topwater smallmouths after sunset all summer, but come September, I swear those smashes ring…

“The Closer” CULLEN PORTS Could talk his way onto Fort Knox if there were geese to kill. “Country Boy” TRAVIS GRIMES Family farmer who fights to get time off from the tractor. “The Commander” JOSH PELLETIER In a family of equals, someone has to call the shots. “Bull” GABE WHITE Wing a bird and the man won’t give up till it’s found. Ever. “Detail Man” JOSH EDDINGS Because every band of buddies needs a voice of reason. “Ain’t Right” JOHN WEBB The jokester, 24/7. But time to shoot, he brings the thunder. F &S It all started as an internet date, back in 2005. Josh Pelletier posted a photo of greenwing teal on a local duck hunting chat board, and up popped a direct message from a total stranger: “You…

M any of today’s goose hunters never get their feet wet, and that’s a shame. Focusing solely on dry fields means you miss out on some of the best hunting. Geese often buy into a water spread much more readily than they commit to field decoys. A water spread doesn’t take a whole trailer load of decoys, either—and as a bonus, goose floaters also make great duck decoys. Early in the season, before cold weather forces geese into reliable patterns centered on high-energy foods like cut corn, geese change fields often or eat after sunset. Some mornings they skip breakfast entirely, flying from the roost to a loafing pond first thing. There, they’ll pick on green vegetation and generally live the easy life. Rather than stay in the fields and…

I t’s opening day on Management Area X. The boats and the blinds are thick, but so are the birds. It’s a good hunt for everyone. Day two dawns, and the crowd’s still there on Area X, but the ducks didn’t get the memo. While there’s a stray here and there, the activity has dropped off to almost nothing. It’s another typical day after the opener on public grounds, and good reason to stay home and get something less enjoyable done. Or is it? LUKE CLARK, A MEDIA MANAGER for Rig’Em Right Waterfowl, has done more than his fair share of gunning public wetlands on the day following the opener. It takes some extra time and effort, but there are usually still birds to be had. “Anywhere you go,” Clark…

PROBLEM: Plots are doing well, but mature bucks only show up on your trail cameras at night. DIAGNOSIS: Chances are, your food plot lacks sufficient security cover for older bucks to feel comfortable using it in daylight. To bring them in during shooting hours, you need edge cover that offers a sense of safety and also more varied fare to supercharge the plot’s appeal. RX: Fell several trees on the edge of the plot. Leave a few of them hinge-cut so they stay alive for a while, supplying both food and cover. Cut more low-value trees and cedars from nearby and drag them in, or build a windrow of scrub brush and logging tops leading into the plot just upwind of your stand. Plant edible shrubs along the edges, such…