Innholdsfortegnelse for October 2020 i Game & Fish East

With an entire week dedicated to all things deer hunting, #DeerWeek airs Sept. 14 to 20 starting at 7 p.m. ET on Outdoor Channel and Sportsman Channel. Featuring the best deer hunting programming on TV, #DeerWeek will be hosted by Jeff Danker and country music star Tyler Farr. Additional programming will be available for streaming on MyOutdoorTV throughout September, all brought to you by Academy, Old Trapper and Forloh. For a complete schedule, original recipes and more information, visit deerweek.com.…

Partway through the meat-recovery operation, when the backstraps had been carried across the lake and one rear leg was dragged on the shore, Neil stopped and asked if we were going to get hypothermia. We were breaking ice at the shoreline, which meant the temperature had dropped below freezing. That was when I realized how warm I was. Certainly the adrenaline played a part, but I was also dressed in a base layer from Grays Harbor Unders. Except for the parts of my legs actually underwater, I was dry, warm and comfortable despite having fallen down in the freezing water. Amy wore a base layer and good clothes for the conditions. Cousin Neil, by contrast, was wearing blue jeans and a camo flannel shirt. He must have been really cold…

I’ve been told I have a funny way of doing math. When I look at the price of something, I don’t see the total in terms of dollars and cents. That grande mocha chai latte with extra whip and a side of ridicule? It’s not $10—it’s one good broadhead. Those designer sunglasses? Nope, not $250. That’s a non-resident deer tag. So, when I see the bill for a few nights of lying on a lumpy motel mattress, I can’t help but think of all the tags, arrows, boots, treestands and other bowhunting toys that cash could have bought. That’s why I quit. Cold turkey. No more wasting money on a place to sleep. Instead, I did what I usually do. I built my own solution. CHEAP BUT COMFY You can…

There’s a chance you’ll find grouse anywhere you find young, managed forests. Learn the ropes by trying some of these well-known areas around the East. Maine: The Golden Road from Millinocket to the Canada Border (1) New Hampshire: The Kilkenny Range of the White Mountain National Forest (2) Vermont: West Mountain Wildlife Management Area (3) Connecticut: Kollar WMA (4) New York: Rattlesnake Hill (5) and Erwin (6) WMAs Pennsylvania: Raystown Lake (7) and State Game Lands 104 (8) West Virginia: Rehabbed coalfields in Mingo (9) and Pocahontas (10) counties Virginia: Little North Mountain WMA (11); the VDGIF’s website has a handy “Young Forest Finder”…

For better or worse, many of our rivers and streams in the East have been dammed to create reservoirs whose functions vary from flood control to water supply to hydro-electric power generation. When the water exiting an impoundment includes discharge from the bottom of the dam, the water is much colder than it would typically be, often creating a quality, albeit artificial, trout fishery. How far this cooling effect exists downriver varies greatly and is influenced by the size of the river, the temperature and flow rate of discharged water and the existence of warmwater feeder streams that add to the flow. In some cases, a tailwater trout fishery may only occur within a mile or two of the dam. In others, the cool flow is such to keep trout…

With black bear numbers on the rise throughout the East, they are apt to be found just about anywhere these days, but management studies indicate the best bear habitats consist of large, unbroken tracts of forest mixed with wetlands and riparian areas away from populated areas. Thankfully, our region has just what bears need in the form large national and state forests, state game lands and other public forest lands. As always, time invested in preseason scouting will increase your odds of success come opening day, but here are a handful of areas around the East to focus your efforts this season. BEST BET FOR BIG BEARS There are few states that consistently produce as many truly massive bears as Pennsylvania. During the 2019 season, 60 bears were officially weighed…

Started in 1995, the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism’s Walk-In Hunting Access (WIHA) Program is one of the first, biggest and most successful public-access initiatives in the country. While numbers of participating properties fluctuate, there is typically more than 1 million acres enrolled in WIHA each year. Land enrolled can be in CRP, native rangeland, wheat or milo stubble, and riparian or wetland areas. Many WIHA lands in the western part of the state are great for pheasant hunting, and because of habitat overlap, bobwhite quail can be found on many. Same goes for those in the central part of the state. Eastern Kansas walk-in areas often have pretty good quail numbers, with only an occasional pheasant. While paper maps can be found with a little searching, the…

Idaho Fish and Game estimates the state’s moose population at 10,000 to 12,000 animals.The agency issued 560 antlered tags and 74 antlerless tags for each of the 2019 and 2020 seasons. Populations are monitored through hunter success rates, the number of days needed to harvest a moose, antler spread and other information derived from carcasses. When a hunter tags a moose, additional data can be collected. In the field, Neil and I collected blood samples and obtained nasal swabs. We looked for ticks on the animal and did not find any. When we checked in the moose the next day, a game officer extracted a tooth, which will be sectioned to determine the animal’s age. The antler spread was 42 1/2 inches from tip to tip.…

The buck you’ve been waiting for steps out just before the end of legal shooting light. Your release is clean and you’re confident in the shot placement, but the deer runs off into the timber and out of sight. By the time you’ve given the buck time to expire, the moonless sky is pitch-black. Your checkout-line headlamp is sufficient for getting you to and from your stand in the dark but isn’t up to the crucial task of tracking a wounded animal at night. At times like these, it’s best to reach for something that will cast a bit more light on the situation at hand. On its brightest setting, the new Streamlight Waypoint 300 spotlight ($214.20; streamlight.com) is capable of producing a 1,000-lumen beam that reaches more than 1,100…

As we paddled the Aquapods downriver and into the cut that would take us to the morning’s hunting spot, my companion, a senior at the high school where I substitute teach, broke the silence with an honest question. “Aren’t we going to need more decoys?” he asked. “I mean, you’ve got, like, 10 there. Is that going to be enough?” I assured him we had plenty of plastic ducks to make it work. Once we arrived at the location, though, the young man’s confusion grew. “This spot is the size of my living room,” he said. “And it’s four inches deep. Are you sure we’re in the right place?” Pausing momentarily as we readied our setup, I pointed out the feathers floating atop the muddy water and the webbed tracks…

1. West Branch Delaware River, NY/PA: Flowing out of Cannonsville Reservoir, the West Branch features special-regulations areas in both New York and Pennsylvania. 2. Farmington River, CT: Two specially regulated trout management areas exist on the Farmington. Typically a busy river during the summer, fall anglers can expect a welcome absence of tubers, kayaks and canoes and lighter fishing pressure. 3. Allegheny River, PA: Given it’s deserved reputation as an excellent warmwater river, the Allegheny is often overlooked as a trout water. But a good trout population fueled by fingerling stockings exists from the tailrace of Kinzua Dam down to Warren in a trout-managed section. 4. Big Gunpowder River, MD: Fed by Prettyboy Reservoir and flowing through Gunpowder Falls State Park, anglers can expect excellent public access and a good…

Hunting bears in remote or secluded areas, some of which are accessed over rough gravel roads, calls for some careful pre-trip planning. Vehicles should be in good working order and include a full-size spare tire, a jerry can of gasoline and a toolkit for unforeseen backcountry repairs. Plenty of food and water are a must since drinkable water sources are unreliable in many remote locations. High-energy snacks and water should be carried while hunting, as well. Wear durable, comfortable footwear and appropriate clothing for the season when hunting, but bring an extra pair of boots and apparel for a variety of conditions. Carry a hunting knife, a flashlight, a fully charged cell phone, a compass or GPS unit (with extra batteries) and rain gear in your pack.A small hank of…

A Kansas license for hunting upland gamebirds costs a nonresident just a little more than $100, which is a bargain in my book. Buy it online before going if possible, because it can be somewhat tricky to get a license from a local agent the day before the opener. Keep it on your person when hunting, as game wardens diligently check hunters to ensure they are properly licensed. Most small Kansas towns have a cheap hotel or two, and nearly all love visiting hunters. Plan ahead and find a room well before your trip, as you’ll likely have a hard time finding lodging if you wait till just before the season starts. Bird hunting attracts lots of outof-towners to local areas. Airbnb and VRBO offer some opportunities, although many owners…

October is Squirrel Awareness Month, a time to admire and appreciate those ubiquitous woodland rodents—and shoot them in the head. Fall squirrel hunting in the East ramps up with the hard-mast drop, as gray squirrels switch into overdrive and hoard tree nuts for the winter ahead. Stalking beech, hickory or white oak stands with a scoped rimfire rifle is a recipe for success—and the first step of another satisfying recipe: braised saddle of young squirrel. 1 TOURNAMENT BASS BITE This month marks the last good opportunity of the year for northeastern tournament bass anglers to reel in some cash—and the October bite can be outstanding. First up is the Cashion Rods Towne Marine Fall Brawl on Oneida Lake on Oct. 3. On Lake Champlain, the Vermont B.A.S.S. Open takes…

A few Octobers ago, I was hunting public land in Maryland with my good buddy, Dean. We were walking several yards apart when I heard him whisper at me. “Hey, look! A buck rub!” This was his first time hunting, and I was excited that he’d identified some sign on his own. When I walked up for a closer look, it hurt me to break the bad news to him. Machine tracks and a pile of debris a few steps away indicated the bark on the ground was caused by man, not deer. I don’t take pleasure in proving someone wrong, but this was a great opportunity to teach Dean how to read deer sign. It can surely be confusing, and sometimes the more you read the more confusing it…

Count the flushes. It’s something I remind myself every time I turn my dog loose in a grouse covert. Early in my stumble-bumble-fumble grouse hunting career, I learned that passionate hunters thrill as much to hearing the elusive bird escape as they do to shooting one. That should tell you something. Adjusting your expectations is one way to maintain your sanity when hunting these mystical forest dwellers. The fun is in the journey, not the (presumed) destination of meat on the table. My first grouse hunt resulted in a litany of scratches on me and gouges on my gun, a literal poke in the eye, a lot of gasps and numerous whispered utterances of did you hear that? from my hunting partners. I shared credit on a single bird and…

Tailrace fisheries offer much for the fall trout angler, but they’re certainly not the only option when it comes to angling for vividly colored fish amidst an equally eye-pleasing setting. Freestone and limestone waters can also excel. Freestone rivers are most affected by fall rains, often rising rapidly and draining off quickly. The same basic principles apply to free-flowing freestone streams as those dramatically regulated by upstream dams. Expect higher flows to push fish closer to the bank, back into quiet pockets where they can elude the force of the current yet be in prime position to feed. There’s one scenario that applies to freestone streams that fall anglers should not overlook. That’s the significance of tributary waters that feed rivers that harbor brown trout. As most anglers know, brown…

Hunters have lots of options come fall that don’t include members of the deer family. Upland birds, early migrating waterfowl and small game are all on the table—or they will be with the right setup and some luck. The new shotguns and rimfires now available to hunt these species are as varied as the birds and animals themselves. Be it a weatherproof workhorse 12-gauge or a super accurate .22 LR, each firearm in this roundup offers features that hunters will appreciate. The hardest decision may be choosing what to hunt with them, but luckily the best part of the year is only about to start. SAVAGE RENEGAUGE FIELD The American-made Renegauge is the first semi-automatic shotgun to wear the Savage name, and the company’s engineers spent nearly eight years fine-tuning…