Innholdsfortegnelse for November 2019 i Game & Fish East

I HAD just begun to ascend the red oak with my climbing stand when I heard the shuffle of leaves behind me. Turning toward the old logging road, I immediately caught the glint of a white antler. Nose to the ground, the buck was following the scent trail I had laid just minutes before on the way to my stand tree. The scent wick I had drug behind me now hung in a maple sapling 23 yards away. The buck was heading straight toward it. Problem was, my bow lay at the base of the oak, beneath my climber, separated from my grip by 20-some feet of cord. I was 5 feet up the tree, and I didn’t think there was any chance of getting the bow into my hands,…

THE WOODS erupted as the pair burst into my periphery. I craned around for a better look, a gush of adrenaline driving my heart into my temples. The two whitetails were locked in a primordial mating ritual, and suddenly I was in the middle of the action. He shadowed her in lockstep, their dance choreographed by a wash of hormones. Around my stand they scrambled, darting in and out of my 20-yard comfort zone. Above, I twisted myself into a pretzel, contorting into odd shooting positions, praying for the perfect shot on the chocolate-horned, 180-incher. This, the biggest buck I’d ever eyed with bow in hand. A QUANDARY The whitetail rut is arguably the best time to ground a lovestruck buck. A deluge of testosterone now drives his normally timid…

THINK ABOUT the causes of wildlife habitat destruction. What comes to mind? Usually, the first thought is man has done something to screw up things. Industrial pollution, runoff, unchecked development, perhaps climate change. However, there is massive wildlife habitat destruction that continues to take place in the United States, but man is not the culprit. Rather, the destruction comes from wild pigs. The species is a big problem—not only for wildlife habitat but also for agricultural crops, pastureland and timberland. It’s so big, in fact, that the new federal farm bill contains $75 million to combat these destructive animals. THE INVADERS Feral hogs. Swine. Razorbacks. The names are numerous. More than 30 states have populations of wild pigs, but the south-central and southeastern U.S. are the major problem areas. Feral…

NO MATTER where you live in the northeastern United States, sit out on your porch at night and listen. If you think you hear howling, it’s not your imagination. You’re probably hearing coyotes. These ubiquitous little predators—once associated primarily with the Western plains—moved into the Northeast during the latter half of the 20th Century, and now are found from the mountains to the suburbs. They’ve even been reported in Central Park in New York City, with 12 sightings reported in the park between January and June of this year. The coyote—also called the brush wolf—is not native to the Northeast, and in fact didn’t start showing up in northeastern states until the 1960s. “Maryland and Delaware were the last two states in the United States to get them,” said Harry…

A REALISTIC decoy is key to coaxing a buck into range. Rinehart’s Doloma Decoy features a hand-sculpted look. I’ve used these on several occasions and found them to be an excellent choice. They are easy to carry and even easier to set up. Constructed of a proprietary foam, the Doloma is naturally quiet; its components don’t clank together like traditional hard plastic decoys. The head is on a swivel, allowing it to articulate and offer an extra dimension of realism. MSRP: $150; rinehart3d.com —Dr. Todd A. Kuhn…

WHEN IT comes to jerk cords, it’s tough to beat the Step-Up Jerk Rig from Rig ’Em Right (rigemright.com). The 1.5-pound folding grapple anchor holds tight in a variety of bottoms, yet collapses neatly into a nice small package. One-hundred feet of rugged #550 paracord comes wrapped around a user-friendly line winder and includes heavy-duty swivel clips for quick and simple attachment to up to four decoys, all of which slips neatly into a durable floating stuff sack. Setup takes a minute, pickup, the same. And it works incredibly well. For several seasons now, my go-to jerk rig has been the Step-Up; however, instead of four large decoys, I’ve opted to run two water-keel green-winged teal. They’re lightweight, bounce easily and move plenty of water around the spread without being…

NOVEMBER IS a time of year many anglers eagerly anticipate, when shiny steelhead sporting as much chrome as a ’57 Cadillac have restocked Great Lakes tributaries. From easily waded streams to brawling rivers, the waters of Pennsylvania and New York provide steelhead anglers with diverse options. Here is a look at four of the best—Elk Creek, Walnut Creek, Oak Orchard Creek and the Niagara River—and how to fish them. Over the years Ed Novak has developed into a skilled steelhead angler, one who regularly plies several Lake Erie and Lake Ontario tributaries each steelhead season. He’s even chronicled these adventures in the book “Meet Me at the Net.” Elk, Walnut and Oak Orchard are part of his fall-through-early spring steelhead beat. Before delving into the particulars of his three chosen…

HUNTING OPTICS don’t exactly sell themselves. Binoculars and riflescopes all look pretty much the same on the outside. And their interior attributes are so confusing that you can be excused if you zone out as a clerk talks about resolution, aspheric lenses, chromatic aberration, hydrophobic coatings, and the importance of correcting for parallax. Huh? Here’s what you need to know about optics: You should have them in order to be a more effective hunter. And you can spend thousands of dollars on them. But you also need to know you can find relative bargains for much less money that will offer tons of performance. This piece is designed for savvy shoppers who want to stretch their dollars and ensure they go home with quality glass that will serve them for…

ESCAPING INTO the great outdoors heals the soul and nourishes the pioneer spirit. For those who want to enjoy the great outdoors, but don’t want to miss the big game or the latest episode, DISH Outdoors offers the convenience of live TV that travels with you through its lineup of portable satellite antennas. The Tailgater Pro, with its Wally HD receiver, provides residential-quality satellite TV in an ultra-compact, lightweight, portable unit without the need for Wi-Fi or cellular signal. BUILD The Tailgater Pro is designed to withstand the most extreme of elements with its rugged build. The unit’s compact base (approximately 12 inches high by 16 inches wide) is molded from an impact-resistant acrylic styrene acrylonitrile (ASA), while its see-through smoke-colored dome is crafted from a tough, special proprietary material.…

EARLY IN my lifetime as a hunter I learned the hard way about the importance of having an ammo management device. By that I mean a tool or piece of gear to carry your ammo in a way that’s comfortable, convenient and easy to access in a hurry. Loose rounds in your pocket can get damaged, they rattle when you walk, and sometimes it’s not that easy to dig them out quickly. You might get into a situation where you’ve nearly depleted or completely run out of ammo in your gun before you’ve managed to put down the critter. Having extra ammo close at hand is always a good idea. If you hunt with a gun, you need an ammo management device. Whether you call them ammo carriers or holders,…

THE APEX GEAR COVERT PRO is a “pin-less” sight incorporating a single illuminated dot. The design eliminates the need for multiple sight pins and the possibility of “pin confusion” under pressured conditions, like the rut. Manually adjustable for range, the sight is extremely accurate at varying target distances. The Covert Pro’s elevation-adjusting, gear-driven system is buttery smooth, a testament to Apex’s commitment to design excellence and quality of manufacture. Ruggedly built, the Covert Pro is designed to withstand the rigors of rough and tumble use in the field, and battery life is reported to be approximately 700 hours.The sight comes with 120 pre-marked yardage tapes, which makes calibrating it to your bow’s arrow speeds a quick and easy process. MSRP: $258.99; apex-gear.com…

ANDY MORGAN MLF Bass Pro Tour angler Hometown: Dayton, Tenn. Years Pro: 24 G&F: You’re the only bass pro I know who would rather be a professional duck hunter. AM: That’s pretty much the truth, although I’d have to say that we might have to expand that a little. I’m a duck-hunting fool, but if I could have my wish and be a full-time pro at hunting, I’d have to hunt deer and turkey, too, and maybe throw in an elk here and there. Duck season doesn’t last but three months a year—we’d have some lean months between February and November. Plus, a man can’t live on duck meat alone, can he? G&F: But you’re a hunting fool, no opposition to that statement? AM: I am. I’m maybe the biggest…

NOVEMBER IS a time when the woods explode with deer activity—and sounds. Master the following vocalizations to maximize your chances for success. 1. SOCIAL GRUNT (BUCK) The best-known deer call is the simple social grunt. A buck uses this call to keep tabs on other deer, especially a doe he knows is near but may not be able to see. It is a low volume call, usually a single note. A hunter making this call may induce a buck to answer or come closer. 2. TRAILING GRUNT (BUCK) A buck trailing a doe that is rife for breeding makes rapid, multiple, low-volume calls that may even have a ticking sound. To blow the ticking call, use the same technique duck hunters use for blowing a mallard feed call, tonguing the…

OZONE GENERATORS are the rage; however, they produce unwanted side effects. Wildlife Research Center’s Scent Killer No Zone offers a convenient alternative to these machines. The liquid-based, proprietary formula attacks unwanted odors on a molecular level, canceling them. No Zone can be safely used on almost any surface, and hunters will appreciate that it’s scent-free. I found it to be perfect for dousing down my truck’s interior, camo clothing containers, ground blind and bow case. No Zone is available in a 32-ounce spray bottle and retails for a reasonable price. MSRP: $15; wildlife.com…

THE BURNING question among rabbit hunters is: Can one hunt rabbits alone and on foot, without a dog? Considering that I spent most of my youth and early teens doing exactly that, I can say without a doubt, yes. Rest assured, it is possible to be a successful, houndless rabbit hunter. Limit days are possible for hunters with infinite patience who are sharp-witted, sharp-eyed and quick on the draw. HOUNDLESS COTTONTAIL STRATEGIES Hunting cottontails without a hound can be tough, but it can be done. What’s required is an intimate knowledge of rabbit habitat, the ability to walk very slowly through dense cover and eyes sharp enough to pick out the form of a hunched-up cottontail backed into a blow down 20 feet away. Easy enough. Many, many years ago…

THE BIG liver headed pointer had been gone for several minutes, and I knew something was up. The damp November woods still showed a lot of color high on a ridge in southwest Virginia, and we had been walking in fresh turkey scratchings for 200 yards. So fresh was the sign I thought I could almost smell the turkeys myself, and the anticipation in the air was so thick you could cut it with a knife. Just then, a few hundred yards above me, I heard the excited, high-pitched, almost hysterical barking of the pointer, Patches. Next came the heavy, thudding wing beats of turkeys clawing at the air and trying to gain altitude to escape the fleet canine pursuing them. The wuff, wuff, wuff sound of wings mixed with…

Knowing the specific distance to a target is one of the best ways to improve your rifle accuracy. But the instrument to do that—a laser rangefinder—is a significant investment, costing $500 or more depending on the brand and the capabilities of a specific model. Here are critical qualities to consider if you’re in the market for a rangefinder. RANGE Most units highlight their ability to range targets at extreme distances, but those distances are generally maximum yardage on highly reflective targets, like billboards or metal roofs. When you test a laser rangefinder at a retail counter, ask to take a test unit outdoors and range various targets in all light conditions. See how far you can get range readings on a deer-sized object with various surfaces. Try ranging a moving…

IT’S THE most wonderful time of the year. The hours spent strategizing and staring at the clock waiting for 5 p.m. to arrive so you can slip out with precious few hours of sunlight left to check cameras, hike a new ridge to look for sign, or spend some hours glassing and game planning has arrived. Do you remember your first hunt? Or the first heart-pounding moment you stood behind the sights and aligned them with your trophy? All the factors lined up so that you could be ready in that moment. Success: many measure it with a grip-and-grin photo or a giant trophy on the wall. But on some of my most memorable hunts I didn’t even pull the trigger. Don’t get me wrong, no one likes tag soup…

WITH THE acceptance of certain straight-wall cartridges for deer hunting in some states that previously permitted only shotguns and muzzleloaders, the single-shot rifle is making a comeback. Chambered for classics like the .45-70 Govt. and .44 Rem. Mag. as well as the trendy .450 Bushmaster, the Traditions Outfitter G2 is about as modern a single-shot as you’ll find. Built on a break-action design with a large action release forward of the trigger guard, the Outfitter G2 is easy to load—and fast to reload, if you keep your ammo close at hand. Also consider the barrel. It’s made by Lothar Walther, a firm that has produced barrels for nearly 100 years and has earned a reputation for precision among world-class competitive shooters and hunters alike. The bore of the Outfitter G2’s…

IT’S HUMAN nature to modify stuff. From the day the first Paleolithic tinkerer discovered that attaching a wood handle to his stone axe hugely improved its efficiency at bashing in skulls, we’ve strived for ways to make our tools work better. The logical modern analogy to that axe is a handgun, and if you’ve ever googled “1911 accessories,” you know how easy it is to spend three times the cost of your Colt on modifications guaranteed to make it “better.”But modifications can go too far. Is a defensive handgun really “better” if it can fire a 2-inch group at 50 yards at the expense of 100 percent reliable function? The same is true of the four-wheel-drive vehicles we use to explore the backcountry. Rare is the buyer who gets a…

I’VE BEEN hunting Oklahoma whitetails for 35 years, but the most exciting deer hunt of my life didn’t result in me killing a buck. In fact, I didn’t even have a gun with me that day. Our hunting lease near Pawhuska, about 60 miles northwest of Tulsa, consisted of 1,050 acres of mixed pasture and hardwoods, with several creeks, ponds and draws. A group of six of us—mostly 40-somethings with kids in grade school and junior high—had found and leased the property five or six years earlier. Since that time, we had extensively scouted it, hung stands in prime locations and killed many deer there. To the kids, deer camp at the lease was like a dream come true. It was the place they could go to get away from…

WHEN THE rut’s on, common dogma is for hunters to sit passively in wait of a buck either cruis ing in search of a doe in estrous, or with his nose on the tail of the same. While you can certainly kill a big buck like this, there is a better way. For those who want to be a bit more aggressive, a bit more proactive—there is another option. One which involves fakery and deception. While it might not be as hokey as the old Statue of Liberty play in football, using deer decoys can be either magic (or poison). Therein lies the rub. Decoying deer is a lot of work, but when it all comes together, a buck will come charging in, eyes bugged out and hackles standing on…

BELIEVE YOU me, I enjoy the new stuff as much as the next guy or gal. A fresh pair of Chuck Taylor Converse tennis shoes. A hot-off-the-block pizza (hold the olives please). Or a shiny copper penny. Yep, I still like the look of a shiny penny. But when it comes to duck hunting, I’m an admitted old-school kind of guy. Not that 21st-century technology isn’t good. And some of it’s downright effective. However, give me a ragged heavy canvas duck coat, an original Olt D2, a jerk cord, a good hide and the benefit of being in the right place at the right time, and I’ll be willing to bet on most days, there’ll be a nice strap of ducks enjoying a ride home in the back of Grandpa’s…

IT CAN be frustrating in November. You arrive at a favored trout haunt and begin working your way along the creek or river, dropping offerings into each of the patches of holding water where you have been finding fish since the spring. Yet, not a single strike follows, no matter how well you place the cast. If you creep closer to inspect the water, it’s likely you find the flow is so low and clear that you can easily see the bottom. It also reveals that there are no fish holding there. In this generally dry mid-fall period with the raw, bitter months of winter bearing down on us, trout are forced to change their habits regarding where they hold and how they feed. They still are in the stream…

PAINT BANK, VA., is in the heart of the beautiful Potts Creek Valley about 50 road miles north of Blacksburg, in the southwest region of the state. The town is surrounded by turkey country, including the expansive George Washington and Jefferson National Forests. The Depot Lodge, Paint Bank General Store, Potts Creek Outfitters and Swinging Bridge Restaurant are all located at the Paint Bank crossroads, making it the perfect place for your headquarters while hunting this region. depotlodge.com, paintbankgeneralstore.com, pottscreekoutfitters.com TURKEY TROT ACRES has been a premier hunting destination and lodge in the Finger Lakes region of New York since 1987. Run by Pete and Sherry Clare, Turkey Trot Acres offers guided fall turkey hunts using Byrne Turkey Dogs, as well as spring gobbler hunts. turkeytrotacres.com…

THE ADVENT of the trail camera, now decades old, forever changed the way we scout for game and hunt. Trail cameras give us the ability to constantly monitor our favorite spots, helping us determine when and where to hunt. And, equally important, they help us realize when and where not to hunt. However, trail cameras are not without their drawbacks. Investing the time to slog out to remote hunt locations to change cards and download pictures can be labor intensive, resource draining and, potentially, a disturbance to deer in the area. The new Moultrie Mobile XA7000i and XV7000i cellular cameras eliminate much of that hassle. They transmit remote trail camera images to a smart phone, tablet and/or computer, saving hunters time while leaving camera sites undisturbed. BUILD The Moultrie Mobile…