Innehållsförteckning för May 2016 från Outdoor Life

WAYPOINT West Glacier, MT / May 14 / 7:01 a.m. Not once in 30 years of photographing bears has Don Jones deployed his bear spray. He has, however, learned much about their behavior. So when this browsing boar backed his rump into a spruce tree and started wiggling around, Jones knew he was about to stand up. After scratching his itch and leaving plenty of scent behind to mark his territory, the bear ambled off to resume his roadside search for a breakfast of spring greens.…

Though muskies are native to Green Bay and other Lake Michigan waters, they were considered extirpated by the mid-1900s because of habitat degradation and water pollution. However, cleaner water and a cooperative effort between biologists and anglers have produced what is now a world-class fishery. The first of the Great Lakes strain of spotted muskies were stocked in 1989. Heavy stockings followed, and today there is evidence of natural reproduction occurring throughout Green Bay. Wisconsin DNR efforts are supported by funds raised by the Musky Clubs Alliance of Wisconsin, which represents about two dozen clubs. Today, Green Bay is seen by many as one of the finest muskieproducing bodies of water in North America. Fish are protected by a minimum size limit of 54 inches.…

The jungle pressed hard against the banks of the river. Viewed from a distance, it was a wall of undifferentiated green with no breaks in the foliage. Up close, I could make out individual trees. They all rose to a uniform height as if kept in check by a divine hedge clipper. You rarely saw a tree that managed to outgrow the others by more than a foot or two as they fought each other for sunlight. The trees had a band of discoloration about 25 or 30 feet up their trunks, indicating the river’s highwater mark during the rainy season. This was mind-boggling, given that at its current “low” levels, the river I was steaming up dwarfed the Mississippi many times over. The Rio Negro is a tributary of…

While most anglers don’t go to extremes to get to the fish they seek, Gary Schwarz has risked life and limb, literally, to grow the biggest largemouth bass the world has ever seen. The 64-year-old Texan is best known for creating Tecomate Seed, which revolutionized the approach to growing deer. Now, though, his focus is on bass. Big bass. And his motivation is simple. “The largemouth bass is as American as apple pie and baseball,” says Schwarz. “It just doesn’t seem right that the world record is in Japan. So, for the sake of national pride, I sure hope we can produce a fish that will bring the title back to the U.S. “I learned through my many years of growing deer how important proper nutrition is to the growth…

By the numbers 1997 Maine, bait. First successful hunt 1998 Maine, bait. Second bear 2000 Manitoba, bait. Both spring and fall hunts. Unsuccessful 2001 British Columbia, spot-andstalk. Passed on small bears 2001 Eastern North Carolina, treestand. Unsuccessful 2002 British Columbia, with McManus and Zumbo. Passed on small bears 2003 Alberta, bait. Took largest black bear to date 2003 Idaho, spot-and-stalk. First color-phase bear 2004 Vancouver Island, spot-and stalk. Successful 2004 Eastern North Carolina, treestand. Unsuccessful 2005 Alberta, bait. Killed single bear 2006 Alberta, bait. Killed single bear 2006 Eastern North Carolina, hounds. Killed 330-pound sow 2007 Alberta, bait. Killed two bears 2008 Alberta, bait. Killed two bears 2009 Aniak River, Alaska, spot-andstalk. First grizzly 2009 British Columbia, spot-andstalk. Killed small bear 2009 Alberta, spot-and-stalk. Unsuccessful 2010 Russia, spot-and-stalk. Killed brown…

The Buffalo was established as America’s first national river in 1972, and today it is still one of the few remaining undammed rivers in the Lower 48. The 135-mile section of the free-flowing waterway located within the park is flanked by multi- colored sandstone and limestone bluffs of the Ozark wilderness. Backcountry anglers can expect generally clear water, with plenty of running rapids mixed in with quiet pools. As with most popular national rivers, the trick is locating quiet stretches of water during the spring and early summer months. Austin Albers, general manager of the Buffalo Outdoor Center, says, “Anglers should find plenty of action and relief from the crowds along the stretch from Carver to Woolum.” Two designated primitive campsites also make this 15-mile section ideal for an overnight…

LINES AND LINEAGE ▶ I grew up in the fur business, and it was great to read the feature “The Fur Trade” [Feb./Mar. 2016]. My grandpa started buying furs in North Dakota around 1940 while he was running a creamery. My dad still runs that fur business today. My first job, when I was about 6 years old, was stacking muskrats in piles of 10 so they could be baled and shipped out. If space permitted, I sometimes got to ride along when those bundles went to the airport. It was also a trip down memory lane to see Craig Swick mentioned. I met him when I was in high school, and got to know him when I accompanied Dad to Swick’s Rocky Mountain fur exchange sales in Colorado.…

WALTHER LGV ULTRA (.22) SCORE: 86 PRICE: $650 ▶ I consider the German-made LGV one of the best-shooting conventional spring-piston rifles ever produced. Compact, with a well-designed stock, the LGV shot more accurately than any other springer in the test. The smooth firing cycle and match trigger are miles ahead of what you’d find with most springers on the market. In fact, this pricey production rifle is so smooth and well-finished that you might be forgiven for mistaking it for a custom-made air rifle. CARL-WALTHER.DE DIANA N-TEC (.22) SCORE: 80 PRICE: $450 ▶ Another German rifle, this is an example of a gas ram done right. The firing cycle feels silky smooth, and compared to most springers, it’s easy to keep on target throughout the cycle. Coupled with the Bavarianstyle…

Be the fish. This is the mantra of a few adrenaline seekers whose fishing addiction has taken them offshore and out of a boat, to bob in the ocean with nothing but a wetsuit to keep them afloat while casting for ocean-run striped bass. While most would call it crazy, the participants call it “skishing.” Julio Silva is a skishing junkie. This Chulmsford, Massachusetts, angler got the itch three years ago and scratches it often. “There is just something about being submerged in the fish’s environment, with nothing separating you from your target but the water you both swim in,” the 41-year-old says. “It’s not easy and there are dangers, like sharks, boats, and rogue currents. But the exhilaration of catching a fish while swimming is unlike anything I’ve ever…

SOMEWHERE THERE MAY BE WISE, FUNNY, CHARITABLE IGUANAS, AND SOME OF YOU MAY KEEP THEM AS PETS. BUT SQUINTING UP INTO A MANGROVE TREE IN SOUTHERN PUERTO RICO, TRYING TO RESOLVE A REDEYED, HISSING WILD IGUANA IN THE CONFUSION OF SLENDER GREEN LEAVES, IT’S HARD TO IMAGINE THESE LIZARDS AS ANYTHING BUT BACKALLEY LARCENISTS. LUNCH-MONEY BULLIES. GRIFTERS. MAYBE IT’S THE AIR RIFLE IN MY HAND THAT PLACES ME IN SUCH STARK OPPOSITION TO THESE IGUANAS, BUT I ADMIT IT: IT’S DEEPLY SATISFYING TO SHOOT THESE INVASIVE OPPORTUNISTS THAT ARE QUICKLY TAKING OVER THE ISLAND. THERE IS ALSO A SENSORY REWARD. THWAP SPITS THE GUN. THWUNK ANNOUNCES THE MEETING OF HOLLOWPOINT PELLET AND LEATHER. IF IT’S A GOOD SHOT, THE SOUND OF A 10-POUND LIZARD FREE-FALLING THROUGH THE LIMBS AND SMACKING…

Once the cartridge to use if you planned to hunt the world with just one rifle, it is powerful, flat-shooting, accurate, and hard-hitting. But in a world awash with newer, even flattershooting rounds (like the .338 Lapua), this graying cartridge is yesterday’s news, and its fans are aging out of the sport. At one time, the .257 Roberts had it all. It was a hot little number based on one of the most respected cartridges of the time: the 7x57mm Mauser. But after the 1930s, it was no longer the “it” girl, and lost the limelight to cartridges like the .243 Win. It still has a small but devoted following among those who know that it is a great deer and antelope round. Moderate ballistics also make it ideal for…

I am a regular reader of obituaries. The distillation of a life in 10 column inches requires postmortem editorializing, and what interests me are the activities that define a person. Last words, as it were. Because I live in a rural area, the majority of obituaries in my community refer to hunting, guns, and landscapes. “He loved the prairie,” read one recent postscript. “She was a lifelong shooter.” “He never missed an opening day of deer season.” In mixed company, we might call these enduring interests “passions.” But we know them for what they are: obsessions. I’ve been obsessed with hunting and guns, and deer and fish for as long as I can recall. I don’t flinch from the term. Obsessions define me (and most of my friends), and I…

Spring muskie fishing has traditionally been seen as an opportunity for anglers to tune up for the summer months—when the action can be as hot as the weather. But that perception is changing. Imagine launching your boat in the spring with the plan of catching multiple big muskies during the day with a strong chance to break the celebrated 50-inch barrier. That’s the expectation that Wisconsin charter captain Brett Jolly has every time he fishes in the springtime. A full-time guide on Green Bay, an arm of Lake Michigan, for the past nine years, Jolly has developed a pattern that puts his clients in position to catch some of the biggest fish in the system in the spring. His largest measured 54 inches and likely weighed more than 40 pounds—and…

Dashboard-mounted sonar units help boatbased anglers catch more fish. So what are we landlubbers supposed to do? Now, thanks to personal sonar “bobbers,” fishermen on shorelines, docks, and piers can identify structure, bait, and gamefish. These tennis-ball-size fishfinders can be cast or trolled and transmit what they see below to your phone or tablet. We put four units to the test. DEEPER CONNECTION: Bluetooth: iOS or Android smartphones or tablets SONAR: Dual beam (290 kHz, 15 degree cone; 90 kHz, 55 degree) DEPTH AND RANGE: Effective to 130 feet deep; 150-foot range POWER: 6 hours per charge (USB cable and AC adapter) WEIGHT: 3.5 ounces WHAT’S COOL: Smart Imaging provides impressive sonarmapping clarity for detailed bottom composition, including weeds growing off the bottom and realistic fish images tagged by depth.…

Few lures are more effective on walleyes than crankbaits. But just as any good mechanic will tell you there is a tool for each specific job, there are also specific crankbaits that work best in the springtime. Regardless of where you live, these cranks will help you put more walleyes in the boat. REEF RUNNER 800 BEST APPLICATION: Clear water—The 800’s ability to hunt and run much deeper than traditional crankbaits makes this lure the most valuable on this list. COLOR: Bare-Naked Clown DEPTH: To 28 feet when trolled COST: $7 RAPALA #12 DEEP HUSKY JERK BEST APPLICATION: Clear to semi-stained water—the Husky Jerk will perfectly suspend in water less than 50 degrees. Irresistible wobble at slow speeds. COLOR: Glass Pink Clown DEPTH: To 19 feet when trolled COST: $6.50…

BROCOCK COMPATTO (.22) SCORE: 87 PRICE: $1,000 ▶ This British rifle incorporates all the elements we consider key for a small-game hunting gun. It is accurate, easily knocking out sub .-inch 50-yard groups. It has plenty of power (28 ft.-lb.) for bigger varmints such as groundhogs. It offers a high shot count on each 3,000 psi fill of air. And it has a robust and reliable magazine design, a great trigger, and an innovative semi-bullpup style that delivers all the compactness you could want in a hunting rig. It’s a pure shooter. BROCOCK.CO.UK AIRARMS TDR (.22) SCORE: 79 PRICE: $1,250 ▶ The TDR stands for Take Down Rifle. This gun has been around for a while in the U.S., but because it was developed for the low-power British market, it…

TIP Train for any hunt by walking 30 minutes per day with a pack. Add 5 pounds per week to your load. There’s a new breed of sportsman out there, a growing community of highly skilled, superdedicated outdoorsmen and -women who are challenging old stereotypes and ideas about what it takes to be a hunter. For them, hunting is not a diversion to participate in only a few months a year; it’s the cornerstone of an active lifestyle that involves year-round training, constant attention to their craft, and, now, some truly unusual off-season competitions. Here’s a look at a few. 1 TOTAL ARCHERY CHALLENGE totalarcherychallenge.com Bowhunting out West is defined by lots of walking and shots at extreme distances and angles. For those who think their bows and bodies are…

Spring and summer are a great time to improve your shotgun skills for the upcoming hunting season, and I can’t think of a better way to do this than with a steady diet of trap, skeet, and sporting clays. But shotgun sports aren’t just for hunters; there are a growing number of recreational shooters who have never taken to the field and simply enjoy the challenge of intercepting a 108mm clay in midair at 45 miles an hour. Whether you’re sharpening your shooting abilities for dove season or looking to break your first 100 straight, here’s advice from some of the top shooters in various shotgun sports disciplines that will help you become a better shooter. INSTRUCTOR’S TIP A WINNING MINDSET Clay target championships are often decided by a single…