Innehållsförteckning för November 2015 från Field & Stream

WHAT’D YOU SEE? That’s the question of the hour during late October and November, when my hunting buddies and I are constantly checking in through calls and texts. We all want to know what’s happening in the deer woods and have the suspicion that whenever we’re not there, the action is hot. Whitetails aren’t the only ones driven wild during the rut. We have good reason for the frequent updates, because conditions change quickly and dramatically at this time of year. Even though it can be the best time to bag a big buck, it can also be the most unpredictable and frustrating. To help you get a handle on that uncertainty, F&S has dispatched a team of expert deer hunters across the nation to give real-time updates on rut…

PIG IDEA Hiring Will Brantley as hunting editor was a stroke of genius. His writing is excellent, and his story “The Pig Report” (Sept. 2015) is one of the best pieces on environmental, hunting, or wildlife issues I’ve ever read. W. Alan Wentz, Germantown, Tenn. LET’S HEAR IT FOR THE GUIDES “Straight Talk From the Deer Guides” was one of the most informative and well-rounded hunting articles I’ve read in a long time. I would love a followup about exit strategies for stands along field edges. Tram Rogerson, Greenville, S.C. The “Best & Worst” segment had me laughing so hard it hurt. Larry Donna, Hudson, Wis. Your guide survey labels New York and New Jersey as the states with the worst hunters, but one step over the line into Pennsylvania,…

I STARTED from scratch three months ago. Pulled off the old burlap, pulled out the old corner stakes. This blind wasn’t quite right last season. Too many ducks looked too long and too hard. It seemed fine to me, wedged against a root ball, but I was doing the selling, not the buying, and the blind lacked in customer satisfaction. So on a hot day in August, I tore the blind down to bare mud and hauled in a rubber tub filled with fresh burlap, camo netting, cable ties, tomato stakes, wasp spray, handsaws, and a portable drill and staple gun. I was in no rush. I’d work till I was invisible. When it comes to blinding up on a duck hunt, I’m a stickler for details. Those hunters who…

Squirrel hunting with dogs has all the excitement of old-time coon hunting, but it’s easily managed on public lands and smaller forest tracts. Below, three squirrel-dog breeders share their thoughts on the best dogs for treeing bushytails—and the best way to get a clear shot at a squirrel hiding in the tall timber. LEE MOORE phoenixsquirreldogs.com Where I Hunt The Mississippi Delta. My Kind of Dog… …is a little feist, 20 to 25 pounds. A small dog is easy to handle, and you can fit more than one in a dog box. I think most feists use their eyes more than a cur, and tree the squirrel a little quicker. I don’t like a real loud, hard-barking dog, either. I’d rather hear what the other hunters are saying and where…

THE FROST GIANT ✖Hunter: Shawn McDonough ✖Location: Buffalo County, Wis. ✖Score: 1943∕8" gross B&C ✖Date: Nov. 7, 2014 First McDonough’s cousin missed the buck in 2012, when it was a 160-class 3-year-old. “His arrow nipped a branch and sailed off,” says McDonough. Then McDonough almost put his tag on the giant in 2013. “He chased a doe right past my stand—at just 10 yards—but I couldn’t get him stopped.” So, heading to the same area around 11 A.M. on a blustery, cold Nov. 7, 2014, McDonough knew exactly what deer he was after. But by 3 P.M. he hadn’t seen a thing. “Then it started to sleet, and the wind began whipping like crazy. I decided it was time to bail.” As he reached for his quiver to attach it…

IN CASE YOU EVER get thrown in jail— and I’m not suggesting that you do—you probably already know which of your friends you’d burn your one phone call on. If you’re lucky, he’s not just a guy who would post your bail but one who would also pick you up at 4 A.M., make sure you’re O.K., and even tell the cops that you couldn’t have robbed that orphanage because the two of you were getting drunk in a strip club at the time. I know who I’d call. Jim, my friend of more than 30 years. We’ve each seen the other through a divorce, periods of high drama and low money, and various births and deaths. Twenty-five years ago, I held his eldest son the day he came home…

Most hunters save drives for the late season. Deer are holed up in pockets of cover then and aren’t moving much—perfect circumstances for organizing a drive to get those bucks out of hiding. But the peak breeding period presents a nearly identical situation. Bucks are hunkered in cover, and not moving much, because they have what they want: an estrous doe. Their urge to stay with that doe and breed her can actually make drives during lockdown even more productive than late-season ones. When those late drives occur, survival is a buck’s only goal. But during the rut, he has conflicting urges—breeding and survival— which make him less likely to abandon his mate and slip out some overlooked escape route. Two kinds of drives work now: a two- or three-hunter…

With the photographs for “The Rut Club” (p. 57), husband-and-wife team Jenn Ackerman and Tim Gruber hoped to showcase both the trophies and the hunters who tagged them. “We wanted to capture a slice of these guys’ lives,” says Gruber, whose work with Ackerman has appeared in Esquire and Wired. “We didn’t want straightforward portraits.” Tom Davis has spent the past 30-plus years writing about dogs and bird hunting, but in telling the story of two of his setters (“Butch’s Legacy,” p. 78), he forced himself to be especially candid. “It was less an assignment than a challenge from F&S,” says Davis. “I wanted to pay tribute to both dogs and reveal what connects them without lapsing into sentimentality.”…

1. THE “BIG CHIP” At more than 15,000 acres, the Chippewa Flowage is Wisconsin’s third largest lake. That’s a lot of water to cover and hundreds of islands and bays to explore. If it’s your first trip here, hire a guide such as Ty Sennett (ty sennett.com), who’s been fishing these waters for nearly 30 years and can reliably put you on feeding fish. 2. DOUBLE UP To up your odds of boating a giant, plan on fishing two rods—a quick-strike rig floating a live sucker and a casting outfit tied with a Suick Thriller, Bull Dawg, or the local favorite: Shumway’s Funky Chicken. You can pick up everything, plus some local intel, at Jenk’s Bait & Tackle (715-462-3055) on the way to the lake. 3. REST STOPS When the…

KEVIN BUSHNICK HAYWARD, WIS Fishing for muskies on Moose Lake. IN 2008, Bushnick was volunteering for an overnight youth fishing event when a young son of one of the fathers on the trip was asked what it was that he wanted most. The boy replied, “To go fishing with my dad, but he’s always working,” and then started crying. The experience so moved Bushnick that in 2010 he founded the Youth Conservation Alliance, which is an allvolunteer organization with the overall goal of teaching kids about the outdoors through hunting and fishing. The group’s multifaceted approach includes fishing days with an emphasis on muskies, field and camping trips, wildlife and environmental study programs, school seminars, and other events that strive to involve the entire community. The YCA now has several…

NOTE: Collectors like to see knives in “as is” condition. If yours is rare or collectible, consult an expert before restoring. [ 1 ] Start with a thorough cleaning. An old toothbrush and a can of Birchwood Casey Gun Scrubber will remove most of the dirt and crud. Reach deep into blade channels with a stiff nylon bristle brush. Use a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser to scrub away years of groundin gunk in the handle. [ 2 ] Reshape broken tips by removing metal from the back of the blade to regain the original contour. The easiest way to do this is by stroking it over a coarse stone in a circular motion. Avoid grinding wheels or belts, as they can overheat the blade and alter the temper of the…

Modern waterfowling is heavy on face paint and autoloaders. Bring some class back to the blind with a blackpowder shotgun. Picking up a mallard from the decoys is never more satisfying than when you’re surrounded by a cloud of white smoke. Most replica shotguns, like the Classic Side-by-Side (shown) made for Cabela’s by Pedersoli, are safe for use with steel shot, too. Here’s how to create an excellent pattern. Powder Down Opt for Goex FFg black powder, since modern blackpowder substitutes can generate too much pressure and blow the pattern. One hundred grains is usually about right for a duck load, but you may experiment with 10 grains on either side of that to get the best results. Cushion the Blow A thin piece of cardboard over the powder creates…

A diehard contingent of traditionalists still dress in skins and tote period smokepoles, but the vast majority of today’s muzzleloader hunters use modern in-lines, for three reasons: These guns go bang pretty much every time; they are comparatively easy to maintain; and you can buy a decent one for just a few hundred bucks. The only question is, which should you choose? For this yearlong test, we asked four experienced blackpowder hunters to use the four entry-level in-lines at right to see which delivered the best accuracy, reliability, and value. And given the foul nature of muzzleloading propellants, ease of cleaning was a top issue, too. TEST PANEL DEL AKINS, 63 Home Hunting Area: Kansas Days Hunted per Year: 45 ED BUETI, 50 Home Hunting Area: New York Days Hunted…

It’s a simple equation: The more rutting bucks move, the less successful hunters do—as in, not at all. For much of the year, whitetails are generally crepuscular creatures. But when breeding activity ramps up, a buck is as likely to be on his feet at noon—or 10 A.M., or 2 P.M.—as he is at dawn and dusk. The only way to tag such a buck is to be waiting when he puts his track shoes on. But when is that, exactly? Where should you locate yourself? And are you truly prepared to put in the hours? Follow the guidelines below to sit your way to a rut wall-hanger. 1 ANALYZE BREEDING ACTIVITY Sure, lots of rubs and scrapes are exciting, but an explosion of buck sign is just a preamble…

Q: I hunt with an 85-year- old man who is still a great wingshooter and a legend at our club. I’ve been hinting to him that, God forbid anything should ever happen to him, I wouldn’t mind getting his Winchester Model 12 sweet 16. When should I start hinting to his wife? —JOHN YOTHERS, NORTHERN MICHIGAN A: I’d do it after you’ve gotten your own affairs in order, because I don’t think the wife is going to appreciate your overtures one little bit. Q: Suppose you had an Adirondack deer camp and a rack on the wall that held five guns. What five rifles would you fill it with? —ALAN MACLAREN, UTICA, N.Y. A: First, not all of them would be rifles, because there’s more than deer at an Adirondack…

Bulk spools of fluorocarbon and high-quality monofilament aren’t cheap, but the reason you pay up is to have a few seasons’ worth of line on hand when you need it, right? Rather than let your investments roast on a garage shelf, or sit in a cabinet in your dank basement, store them in your freezer. Over time, exposure to moisture, sunlight, and seasonal temperature swings can degrade monofilament and fluorocarbon. The cold, dark, humidity-free environment where your Hot Pockets and fish fillets live, on the other hand, provides a stable, dry climate that can keep a spool of line—or fly tippet— fresh indefinitely.…

RUT PHASE: SEEKING TROPHY TACTIC: STAGE AN AMBUSH ●The Action: Ever watch a zoo lion pace the perimeter of his cage in an endless circle? That’s how bucks are behaving right now; they’re prowling the confines of their home range, laying down rub and scrape lines, nosing around food sources, looking for the first hint of a hot doe. At no time are bucks more active, yet more predictable. The Hot Zone: While bucks are seeking does, they’re mainly doing so near the usual key feeding fields, and the true brutes will be reluctant to step into the open until the last sliver of light. That makes staging areas the top bigbuck spot now. Walk field-entry trails 50 to 70 yards into the timber, and you’ll soon find an area…

THE FLOODED FIELD • Expert: Tony Vandemore, co-owner and manager of Habitat Flats; manages 2,800 acres of scattered properties • Location: Missouri’s Golden Triangle HIS SECRET When most hunters hear “duck field,” they think flooded corn, but Vandemore relies heavily on moistsoil vegetation like smartweed and wild millet— stuff that’s naturally in the seedbed. “It has a lot of advantages,” he says. “It’s cheaper to grow, it holds its nutritional value longer than grain once it’s flooded, and early in the season, it’s full of invertebrates, which are a huge part of a duck’s diet.” It’s also easy to establish. “You can take a farmer’s field that’s been sprayed and cultivated for 50 years, leave it alone for one year, and it’ll grow up fast in natural vegetation,” he says.…

Have you noticed that virtually all the top-shelf hang-on treestands cost north of $200 these days? That’s crazy. Totally nuts. I don’t know anyone who spends that kind of money on a lock-on. Do you? I do know, on the other hand, that you can get a perfectly good general-purpose model for less than half that. It’ll be constructed of steel (not aluminum), so it’ll be a little heavier. And it will probably have fewer bells and whistles. But it’ll do the job without mugging you. Here are four great examples. FIELD & STREAM TIMBERLINE $79.99; DICKSSPORTING GOODS.COM OUTLET PRICE: SAME BARGAIN RATING Excellent • Ease of Use: Very good • Features: Excellent • Comfort: Very good • Stealth: Very good SPECS Steel construction; nylon cinch strap • 19.8 lb.…

Bucks are hunting does as hard as we’re hunting bucks right now, so it makes sense for us to ambush our trophies where they’re most likely to search: places where the females bed. Here are four of the favorite sanctuaries that does are using— and how to set up in them to take a buck. 1 RIDGE END Does love to bed on ridge ends, even more so when the wind is blowing straight along the ridgetop, directly toward the point. Then, does can bed down at the very tip and look over the edge. The wind warns them of danger approaching from their back, and their eyes can detect any threat approaching from below. BEST SETUP Place a stand right at the end of the ridge, and sit it…