Category: Hunting

More Simple Tricks to Up Your Average on Doves

More sage advice from Sporting Classics’ shotguns columnist Robert Matthews

Not all shotshells are created equal. Shoot wisely this dove season. (Photo: hakoar/iStock)Not all shotshells are created equal. Shoot wisely this dove season. (Photo:

 

A couple weeks ago I passed out a few tips that I thought might be helpful for guys heading into the dove season. Now the opener has come and gone. I’ve been out several times, but the season is still in and a few other things came to me that I wanted to pass on. Watching the boys pop away at ’em reminded me of a few things that I didn’t mention last time.

First of all, use the best shell that you can afford. Many shell manufacturers offer cheap loads at this time of year in an effort to get you to buy more. The problem with these loads is that they contain soft shot (which is cheaper than hard shot) and it doesn’t pattern as well as the better shot. A lot of those “misses” and “feathered” birds that you’re getting are really well-hit birds. They end up as fox food because of sparse, irregular patterns.

I don’t mean to imply that you need high-brass shells or a stiffer charge. The issue isn’t power—it’s consistency. Read more

Hunting

Looking for a new place to duck hunt this fall? Check out Little Mud Lake Flooding


Little Mud Lake Flooding signFor waterfowl hunters looking for a new place to hunt, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources suggests Little Mud Lake Flooding in Roscommon County as a great location to try this coming hunting season.This 260-acre managed flooding, just north of Prudenville, had water levels lowered slowly this spring, allowing the muddy bottoms to be exposed to sunlight and air for the first time since 1988. Drawdowns typically are completed to allow the built-up plant matter to decompose and important plants (that waterfowl prefer) to germinate. Read more
Hunting

Alaska: Coast Guard Evacuates Hunter Mauled by Bear near Juneau


JUNEAU, Alaska — A Coast Guard Air Station Sitka MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew medevaced a 57-year-old hunter after he was mauled by a bear while hunting on Admiralty Island near Juneau Friday.

The aircrew hoisted the hunter and transferred him to local emergency medical services personnel in Juneau.

Coast Guard Sector Juneau command center watchstanders were notified at 11:27 p.m. Thursday by a crewmember from the vessel Sultana that a bear had mauled a member of their hunting party. The hunter was reported to have multiple puncture wounds. Watchstanders launched the Jayhawk aircrew to the scene.

“This rescue is a reminder of the importance of being prepared in the event of an emergency,” said Petty Officer 1st Class Georgette Lopez, Sector Juneau watchstander. “This includes ensuring that everyone who ventures into the Alaska wilderness has a reliable means of communication should the need to call for help arise.”

The weather on scene at the time of the medevac was reported as 3-mph winds and approximately eight nautical miles of visibility.

General, Hunting

Tree Stand Safety Tips for Hunters

MONTPELIER, Vt. – Tree stands get hunters out of sight and smell of wary deer, but they can also get hunters into trouble. Here are some tips from Vermont Fish & Wildlife to help stay safe and get the most out of your tree stand hunting experience:

  • Choose a live, straight tree.
  • Buy smart. Only use stands certified by the Treestand Manufacturers Association (TMA).
  • Inspect your tree stand each time you use it.
  • Know the rules. On state lands, it is illegal to place nails or other hardware into trees or to build permanent structures. On private lands, you must have landowner permission to erect a tree stand, cut or remove trees or other plants, or to cut limbs. All stands, including ground blinds, must be marked with the owner’s name and address.
  • Always wear a full-body safety harness, even for climbing. Most falls occur going up and down the tree and getting in and out of the stand.
  • Don’t go too high. The higher you go, the smaller the vital zone on a deer becomes, while the likelihood of a serious injury increases.
  • Never carry firearms or bows up and down trees. Always use a haul line to raise and lower all gear. Make sure your firearm is unloaded, crossbow cocked but unloaded, and be sure broadheads are transported in a hard case.
  • Familiarize yourself with your gear before you go. The morning of opening day is a poor time to put your safety belt on for the first time.
  • Be careful with long-term placement. Exposure can damage straps, ropes and attachment cords. Also, the stand’s stability can be compromised over time, as the tree grows. Read more
Archery, Hunting

QDMA and Powderhook Release 2016 Edition of Deer Tracker App


ATHENS, GA (September 22, 2016) – QDMA and Powderhook are pleased to release the 2016 update to “Deer Tracker,” a popular free app that allows hunters to monitor deer activity and harvests in their neck of the woods and across the country. New interactive features allow users to estimate the age and score of bucks in posted photos as well as locate nearby public hunting land.Deer Tracker is a free app, thanks to the partnership between QDMA, Powderhook, Cabela’s, Hunting Lease Network, Fusion Ammunition and Yamaha.

QDMA’s Deer Tracker app allows hunters to submit reports based on observed deer activity or deer they harvest. Based on this user-driven data, the app generates a heat map estimating the likelihood of seeing deer activity during hunting hours in a selected area. The locations of users are generalized, so it is impossible to pinpoint actual properties where reports originated.

New in 2016, any observation or harvest report with a photo includes “Age This” and “Score This” buttons to help users get opinions from fellow users. The age most selected by participants is shown as DT Age in the report. QDMA encourages hunters to learn to estimate ages of live bucks, since selecting bucks for harvest based on age is the most effective way to improve a deer population and create a more natural age distribution among bucks. Read more

Hunting

Realtree EZ Rope


COLUMBUS, Georgia, Sept. 19, 2016 – The Realtree EZ Rope™ allows you to safely and easily hoist your bow and other equipment into your tree stand. Realtree’s secure-twist EZ Rope features 30 feet of flat cord with the EZ tie system to make attaching gear simple. Reflective threads on the flat cord help you locate your stand in the dark. The coated carbineer hook attaches to your tree stand.
The EZ Rope is part of Realtree’s recently expanded, exceptionally popular Realtree EZ Hanger Line, which includes exciting new offerings designed to make time in the stand a bit more convenient.

Visit your local retailer to purchase this handy rope.
www.realtree.com.

Archery, Hunting

B&C, P&Y Confirm Potential World’s Record Elk

MISSOULA, Mont. – The Boone and Crockett Club and Pope & Young Club confirm the existence of potential new archery World’s Record typical American elk taken in Montana by a resident hunter.

The elk’s B&C green score is an astounding 429-6/8 net and 444-7/8 gross. It was taken on a solo hunt early in the Montana archery season. After a couple days of packing the bull out, the hunter who at this time prefers to remain anonymous, took his bull to a taxidermist. A rough score confirmed it was time to call an experienced Boone and Crockett Official Measurer. Read more
Hunting

Falconry Allowed in Select State Parks for Squirrel and Rabbit Seasons

Falconer Symeon Robins with Red-tailed hawk, Gizmo. Photo by David Rainer, ADCNR

Falconer Larry Mullis with Red-tailed hawk, Dixie. Photo by David Rainer, ADCNR

Falconry is one of the world’s oldest forms of hunting. In Alabama, the most commonly used bird is the red-tailed hawk and squirrel is the most commonly pursued game animal. Photo by David Rainer, ADCNR

In an effort to expand recreational opportunities in Alabama’s state parks, the parks system will allow falconry in the following parks this fall: DeSoto, Joe Wheeler, Lake Guntersville, Lakepoint, Chewacla, Buck’s Pocket, Lake Lurleen, Monte Sano, Oak Mountain, Paul Grist, Wind Creek, Frank Jackson, Cheaha and Cathedral Caverns. Park entrance fees will apply.

Falconry will be available in the parks listed above only during squirrel and rabbit seasons, which run from September 15, 2016, to March 5, 2017. Participating falconers are required to check in with the individual park’s management to learn about recommended hunting areas and other falconry program guidance.

“Parks is happy to offer this new hunting opportunity as a pilot project for the 2016-17 seasons,” said Forrest Bailey, Natural Resource Section Chief for Alabama State Parks. “After this first season, we will review the feedback from both falconers and the parks. Based on that information we hope to offer more falconry opportunities in the coming years.”

Alabama falconers must have a valid state hunting license and falconry permit. Falconry permits are issued by the state, but also operate under federal guidelines related to migratory birds.

Falconry is one of the world’s oldest forms of hunting. It involves pursuing wild game in its natural habitat with a trained bird of prey. In Alabama, the most commonly used bird is the red-tailed hawk and squirrel is the most commonly pursued game animal. There are currently 58 permitted falconers in the state. Read more

Hunting
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