Innholdsfortegnelse for March 2025 i Game & Fish East

One of the quirks of my job as an outdoor magazine editor is I start to experience each hunting season long before opening day. It’s early January as I write this, three months before I’ll try to convince a longbeard that I’m the hen he just has to come see, but I’ve been reading articles about spring turkey hunting since Thanksgiving. Just after Christmas, I tested a new turkey gun from Henry with new loads from Apex so I could write a review for this issue (see page 76). It’s difficult to not be fired up for turkey season when I’ve already been immersed in my favorite part of spring for weeks on end. The wind chill has been in the teens in my part of Pennsylvania, but I’m already…

Portable shooting rests started out as nothing more than two sticks tied together with a leather strap near one end. That’s what the old-time buffalo hunters used. They just spread them apart and rested their rifle at the point where the sticks crossed. Of course, shooting sticks have since evolved, and many hunters are now even foregoing shooting sticks and bipods altogether and instead turning to tripods, onto which they can easily attach their rifle. There’s a wide assortment of these tripods to choose from, and how and where you hunt will ultimately dictate whether a shooting tripod is compatible with your pursuit. If you hunt from a treestand in the timber, they’re probably not for you. But if you like to spot and stalk open country or hunt from…

My buddy Ed has a way with verbs. He says he “stuck” a buck when he connects with his bow, he “blasts” or “schwee-schwacks” deer with his rifle, and he “gives dirt naps” to the elk he drops in the Montana mountains. His is colorful and descriptive language, but those verbs don’t convey much empathy for the animals that will feed his family and quench his passion for hunting. I don’t care that much. I know Ed as a hard and serious hunter, and his earthy descriptions of killing wildlife form a sort of code between committed hunters. I find myself sometimes describing how I “blasted” a duck or goose. But what if a non-hunter or even an anti-hunter overhears Ed? They’re likely to judge him—and by extension, other hunters—as…

Perhaps you’ve seen them, but most likely you have not. They troll rural back roads, mostly in pickups, in the pitch darkness of the coldest New England winter nights. There is nothing nefarious afoot, however. In fact, their mission is purely noble, and these sportsmen should be lauded for their endeavor, which is to help the local deer and turkey populations by attempting to control coyote numbers. According to the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department, “Coyotes capitalize on a variety of prey species, including deer. Many studies have documented that coyotes, black bears and bobcats all kill fawns in the spring. Coyotes also kill some deer in the winter.” ITS OWN BEAST “They go by many names: coydog, yodel dog, song dog, trickster, brush wolf, tweed wolf,” says Maine outdoor…

The first time I waded into a trout stream in mid-winter, 30 years ago on New Jersey’s Musconetcong River, I wondered whether I had lost my mind. The water was leaden and cold, and there were no visible bugs or rising trout. As a novice angler, I wondered if it was even possible to catch a trout in these conditions, but the thought of spending another Sunday afternoon in front of the tube was even more unappealing. So, I tied on a couple of nymphs and hoped for the best. I set up just below a riffle and cast my tandem rig upstream, allowing the flies to tumble over the drop-off at the head of the pool. On about the fifth or sixth drift, the indicator dove under the surface…

When it comes to hunting turkeys, if anyone is overqualified it’s Matt Van Cise. As a turkey caller with 16 Grand National championships, 11 World titles and three U.S. Open championships under his belt, the Brookville, Pa., native can call turkeys with an ability few others possess. But it’s his 30-plus years of turkey hunting experience that provides the additional insight needed to seal the deal on any tough turkeys he encounters. “This past spring I hunted nine states for turkeys, from Oklahoma to Maine, and that’s a typical year for me,” he says. “Getting into all those turkeys helps to hone your ability, that’s for sure.” Hunting nine different states in one season is a bit like getting nine years’ worth of turkey hunting experience in one spring—and that’s…

Options for adventure abound in south-central Alaska. There is, of course, great fishing for salmon and trout in seemingly every waterway, and visiting anglers make spending time on the water a priority. Many also recognize that the state offers numerous other activities such as glacier trekking, jet boating, ATV or Jeep touring, flightseeing and dogsledding, along with the more typical hiking and wildlife viewing. Considering all these opportunities, a lot of anglers don’t need or want to fly to a distant, isolated lodge and fish seven days straight. Those visiting Alaska with their spouse or other family members can blend interesting non-angling outdoor activities with excellent fishing to experience the beauty and bounty that makes Alaska a top destination. To add to the adventure, such day-trip fishing opportunities include exciting…

WHAT’S GOING ON OUT THERE? Find out what Game & Fish fans love online, from hunting and fishing how-to videos, to trophy successes, to the best and newest gear. Our “Trending” section is updated every week. ‘FIELD TO FIRE’ Andrew Zimmern, host of the Outdoor Channel’s “Field to Fire” series, says cooking over an open fire remains a great way to prepare game dishes. See a trio of his favorite creations under “Recipies.” BEST BASS STATES There’s great black bass fishing in every corner of the Lower 48, but where’s the best? Digital staffer Lynn Burkhead breaks down the data to determine the “Top 10 Bass States in America.” HOW ABOUT THESE GUNS? If you’re planning for next season and looking to scratch the whitetail itch, you need to check…

Bass-fishing success year-round demands versatility. Hollowbody frogs may be great when the slop thickens, but froggin’ gear is of limited utility when the fish are on the bank and more likely to chase squarebills. An expert-level jerkbait angler will struggle when fish go deep, unless they become equally competent with a drop-shot. Whether you are climbing the competitive-angling ladder, or simply want to consistently enjoy a steady flow of bites, becoming proficient with a broad range of bass fishing techniques is of critical importance. Of course, changing presentations isn’t simply a matter of snipping one bait off your line or leader and tying on another. The rod in your hand is as central to bass fishing success as your choice of lure. An outstanding jerkbait rod is a bad choice…

I had visited Vermont once. I was in eighth grade and attending my cousin’s high-school graduation. Vastly different from the openness of the West where I called home, Vermont enchanted me with its brilliant greens, massive maple woodlots and miles of hardwood ridges. I never forgot those sights, and nearly three decades later when my amigo Justin Brouillard invited me to Vermont to hunt turkeys with him, I jumped at the opportunity to return. I’m a turkey junkie, and I find new states in which to satisfy my addiction each spring. Last season, I officially started my “Chasing 49” quest to harvest a wild turkey in all 49 states with a huntable turkey population. Alaska is the only turkey no-go, thanks to fantastic conservation groups like the National Wild Turkey…

Vermont fly-fishing guide Drew Price loves to hunt for trophy trout in winter by fishing streamers on a dead-drift. “I definitely catch fewer fish,” he says, “but the ones I do hook are bigger.” Price uses patterns that offer a lot of movement in the water, such as rabbit-strip flies, Zonkers and Bugger Changers, and fishes them like nymphs on a floating line and a 3X leader. He high-sticks the flies through likely holding water and then strips them back at the end of the drift. It’s a visual game, and you can often watch a big trout move off the bottom to eat the big fly.…

SNAKEWOOD AND WALNUT BOX CALL “It’s a great combination of woods and it has a more realistic tone and more volume than most calls. I don’t use it necessarily to kill turkeys, but it’ll reach out there and get a response, which starts the process. It’s especially helpful in the big hills I hunt because its volume really carries. I use it mainly for yelping and cutting to strike up birds.” CANARYWOOD SLATE “Canarywood’s a great wood when it’s paired with slate, offering good volume and, again, a very realistic sound. I usually use a pot call for cutting, and this call works well for that. I use it mainly for striking or locating birds, and it’s a goto call for doing both.” SIGNATURE DIAPHRAGM “I’ve made diaphragm calls since…

I will never forget the first time I caught a proper northern pike. It was a warm, late-ice day on a topsecret backwater of the Connecticut River in Western Massachusetts. Among my tip-up spread was a large, dead pond shiner, tactically placed along the edge of a reed bank in a mucky cove. The flag eventually popped, and after a good tussle, a 35-inch northern was brought topside. That memorable fish can be credited with turning me into a lifelong enthusiast of big pike. Simply catching a northern through the ice is not that difficult. Lively bait and setting up shop in shallow, weedy areas can provide plenty of action, with good fish in the mix all season long. Catching big pike, however, requires a more strategic approach. Success hinges…

There are several productive streams very close to Alaska’s largest city. Combine those with an abundance of accommodations and infrastructure, and Anchorage becomes a great base location for any Alaska fishing trip. Just keep in mind that some of the close waters are not remote and may attract crowds when salmon runs are heavy. Anchorage lies just south of the Mat-Su Valley, named for its two primary drainages, the Matanuska and Susitna rivers. To the west is the Cook Inlet, and to the south is the Kenai Peninsula. The Talkeetna Mountains are to the north, and the majestic 5,000-foot-plus peaks of the Chugach Mountains lie to the south. It is easy to reach several exciting salmon and trout fisheries from Anchorage. Dustin Slinker has been fishing the area for more…

I had spent the morning turkey hunting in the West Virginia mountains. On the drive home, I found three black-legged ticks crawling up my arms, even though the temperature at more than 3,100 feet had been in the upper 30s. Unfortunately, I did not find all of them that day. It wasn’t until the next morning that I discovered a fourth tick, which had attached to my body. I immediately asked my wife to remove it. She used curved tweezers to grab the tick close to my skin and gently, but firmly, pulled backward to remove the bloodsucker. Just as importantly, I took two pills of doxycycline, which I always keep on hand through a doctor’s prescription. The black-legged, or deer, tick is about the size of a pencil point…

Spring is a time of transition for all living things, and fish are no exception. As such, certain baits and lures work better than others this time of year. The following three rigs, in particular, are springtime-tested and bass-approved. You’ll do well to try them all this season. 1 HOVER RIG Despite its name, this mobile technique is used to creep a jig-head minnow through the water column for suspended fish, a common spring scenario. Not to oversimplify it, but it’s essentially the horizontal version of the static vertical technique known as “Damiki rigging” or “moping.” Pennsylvania angler Jonathan Kelly throws the hover rig when water temperatures remain below 55 degrees and the fish have not yet started their prespawn move. He’s looking for bass that are between true winter…

The most amazing thing about a black bear: suddenly, it’s just there, appearing in absolute silence. My first big black bear materialized like that at the forest’s edge. No warning, just there. Although I was young, I knew it was big. A quarteringto shot from my .375 anchored him. Big and burly, over 7 feet. Sadly, I don’t know exactly how big that bear was. The skull mysteriously disappeared, and the rug showed shrinkage. That was 50 years ago. Since then, I’ve taken a few good black bears, but I’m not sure I’ve taken another as big in all dimensions. In the last half-century, the black bear has increased in population and has reoccupied historic habitat. He has the largest range of any North American game animal, from the Atlantic…

In those dark days before the emergence of tungsten turkey loads, very few hunters carried a .410-bore shotgun for gobblers because they wanted to. They hunted with a .410 because they had to. Either they were too young or recoil-shy to handle a larger gun, or a .410 was the only shotgun they owned. Loads for the .410 just didn’t hold enough No. 6 lead pellets to reliably dispatch longbeards past 20 yards—an unfavorable constraint in the spring woods. Most turkey hunters (except maybe those with an envious amount of time on their hands) still don’t want to limit their shots to 20 yards, but soft-shooting, wand-like .410 shotguns are becoming increasingly popular gobbler guns. Thanks to incredibly dense Tungsten Super Shot (TSS), the effective range of the .410 as…

Shane had yearned for a dog of his own for as long as he could remember, but there was always some reason why his parents wouldn’t let him have one. “Maybe someday you can get a dog when you prove responsible enough” was the common refrain from them both. But Shane’s sustained lobbying ultimately wore them down, and finally, after years of begging, he was told he could get a puppy for his 14th birthday—under a few conditions. One, Shane was solely responsible for tending to the dog each day, training him and cleaning up any messes. Two, the dog would sleep in a doghouse in the backyard. Finally, Shane must earn money through chores to help pay any vet bills. After weeks of research and listening to endless opinions…