Field and Stream - DIY RSS

How To Fix a Poorly Fitted Trailer Coupler in Minutes

Online Editors — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 16:49:20 -0400

by Bob Stearns

The fit between the ball hitch and the trailer coupler should be tight enough to prevent a disastrous decoupling while on the road, but not so snug that the trailer will have trouble making turns. Here’s how to achieve the perfect fit in just a few minutes.

Step 1
Uncouple the trailer and insert a spare ball into the coupler (a). Close the coupler latch lever. If the fit is too loose, remove the ball, and tighten the spring-loaded nut (b) on the underside of the coupler.

Step 2
Reinsert the ball and check the fit. Repeat the latter part of Step 1 until you get a fit that is snug but not so tight that you cannot move the ball by hand with reasonable effort. Rehitch the trailer.

From the April 2012 issue of Field & Stream magazine.

How To Fix a Poorly Fitted Trailer Coupler in Minutes

Online Editors — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 16:49:20 -0400

by Bob Stearns

From the April 2012 issue of Field & Stream magazine.

Hunting, Fishing, and Camping Tips from Field & Stream Readers

Online Editors — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 14:08:57 -0400

Some of the best hunting and fishing tips that appear in Field & Stream every month don't come from the editors or writers at the magazine. They come from you, the readers. We get so many good tip submissions, in fact, that it's sometimes tough to select the winners for our "Reader Tips" section. But there were never any doubts about the tips in this gallery.

If you have a good Reader Tip for the magazine, e-mail it to fsletters@bonniercorp.com, or post it on The Tip Board. If it appears in the magazine, we'll send you some great outdoor gear—free!

How to Make Bacon-Infused Bourbon

Online Editors — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 10:49:34 -0400

Geese Tip: Add Wings To Silo Decoys

Online Editors — Sat, 22 Jan 2011 23:02:45 -0500

Silhouette goose decoys possess one major disadvantage: They're two-dimensional. At certain angles—especially from overhead—these flat goose shapes can literally disappear from view. And full-body decoys, while more realistic, are big, expensive, and a pain to store and transfer—everything silhouettes are not.
Fortunately, waterfowl hunters can have the best of both worlds simply by adding a bit of body—literally—to their silhouette decoys. Dried goose wings tacked onto a flat decoy provide a third dimension and improve the decoy's natural appearance. The process is easy and effective and can be used for Canadas, snows, or specklebellies.

STEP 1 Disjoint each wing at the body, and cut away with a sharp knife. Remove as much flesh and skin as possible from the ball and entire first joint.

STEP 2 Using finishing nails, pin the loosely folded wing, underside out, to a large, overturned cardboard box. Generously pour salt or borax onto the exposed flesh and let dry for at least two weeks.

STEP 3 When dry, mist the bone ends lightly with flat black spray paint. Place one wing in position atop the “wing” on the silhouette, and drill two 1/8-inch holes through the decoy—one above and one below the bone. Position both wings and secure them to the decoy by cinching a 6-inch zip tie around the bone ends. Trim the tag end.

How to Make a Candle From a Used Shotgun Shell

Online Editors — Fri, 10 Sep 2010 10:37:46 -0400

If there's one thing most if us have a lot of this time of year, it's empty shotgun hulls. If there's one thing our wives and/or girlfriends love above all things, it's candles. So why hasn't someone gone all Reese's Peanut Butter Cup and combined the two? Ask and ye shall receive.

I give you the shotgun shell candle, courtesy of the Instructables website...

You'll need ...
Used shotgun shells (That's kind of a given) Make sure that the plastic is intact and the metal isn't completely rusty, because if it is, then it could break.

Candle wax. You can use the big blocks of it, or tea lights, or old candles. Whatever you want.

Double boiler. I use one that is originally meant for melting chocolate, but I find it more useful for this. You can make one by putting a tin can in water in a pot, or you can buy one.

Some kind of colorant. You can use another candle, or crayons, or that coloring stuff that's meant for candles.

Candle wick

X-acto knife

A stirring utensil

The illustrated instructions give you a step-by-step for making what I believe are extremely handsome and functional candles, appropriate for any décor. Whether or not you wife and/or girlfriend agrees is another matter entirely...

How-To: Build Your Own Custom AR-15 Rifle

Online Editors — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 09:48:14 -0400

best gun ads from the 40s and 50s

Online Editors — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 09:48:00 -0400

Project: How to Make a Whitetail Bow-and-Arrow Mount

Online Editors — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 11:33:32 -0400

Tyler Stefanelli was a member of the 2009 Generation Wild Pro Staff.

This the my bow and arrow rack that I designed and constructed in my Engineering class at Easton Area High School. I got the idea from doing some research online, then used my own ideas in a few drawings. The first step in making this rack was to create the shield. I did this by taking four pieces of oak approximately 1.5 feet x 3 feet and 3/4 inches thick, then glued them together side by side. I also did the same thing, but with smaller pieces of walnut for later pieces of the project. After the pieces had dried together, I took the huge slab of oak and traced a shield design on it using one of my drawing printouts. Next I used a band saw to cut out the shield, then I used the same process to create the smaller walnut pieces of the project, which include the bottom piece that holds the arrows and the middle piece that holds the skull.

After having all of the pieces cut out, I routed, sanded, and stained them appropriately. The only thing left to do was to drill holes in the bottom piece for the arrows, then attach the two walnut pieces to the oak shield. I did this by pre-drilling holes in the shield, then screwing in the walnut pieces from the back of the shield. Lastly, I mounted two small, rounded pieces of oak to the top left and top right of the shield, which the antlers sit on (also attached by screw).

My finished project holds one bow and six arrows, and will eventually be mounted up on a wall.

Hurteau: Make Your Own Wrist Sling

Online Editors — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 11:40:43 -0400

Just for you, Walt. (Isn’t it nice to be influential?) But also for anyone who wants a good wrist sling but doesn’t want to pay $20 to $25 for it, here is an excellent three-part video from Project Bow on how to make one yourself with common materials for about $3. Here's Part I. If you just want a very simple sling, you can skip the cobra-weave portion (Part II). By the same token, you don’t absolutely need a leather bracket to attach the sling to the riser (Part III). On the other hand, if you follow all three steps, you’ll have one very slick sling.

Tell Us Your Survival Story

Online Editors — Wed, 26 May 2010 14:19:26 -0400

Did you have a close call while hunting or fishing? We want to hear about it. E-mail your story to closecalls@bonniercorp.com.

Recipe: How To Cook Root Beer Glazed Duck Breast

Online Editors — Sat, 15 May 2010 20:33:04 -0400

The rich flavors of duck meat have always attracted sweet, fruit-based sauces. Witness duck à l'orange, for instance. In this recipe, we forgo the fruit for something darker, woodsier, but no less sweet: root beer. Once it is reduced down to a saucy glaze, the root beer offers a tangy new twist on the classic combination. It's incredibly easy, but more than elegant enough to serve guests. And when they take their first bites, ask to see if they can guess the secret ingredient.

DIRECTIONS

MAKE THE GLAZE: Combine the root beer, brown sugar, ketchup, lemon zest, and mustard in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over low heat. Cook, stirring often, for about 10 minutes, or until the mixture is saucy and coats the back of a spoon.
HEAT A LARGE SAUTÉ PAN (or grill pan) over high heat until very hot. Pat the duck breasts dry with a paper towel and lay them skin-side down in the pan. Reduce the heat slightly, to medium-high, and cook undisturbed for 5 minutes.
TOAST THE SESAME SEEDS: Place the seeds in a small pan over medium heat. Shaking the pan occasionally, cook until the seeds turn golden and fragrant, about 3 minutes, being careful not to scorch them. Remove from heat and let cool.
FLIP THE MEAT OVER and generously brush with the root-beer glaze. Cook for 2 minutes, or until just medium-rare. Flip again, brush the meat side with the glaze, and remove to a cutting board. Cover with foil and allow to rest about 5 to 8 minutes.
REMOVE THE DUCK BREASTS from the refrigerator about 15 minutes before cooking, and salt. (If using domestic, farm-raised ducks, score the skin with a sharp knife, in a crosshatch pattern.)
TO SERVE, SPOON ANY REMAINING GLAZE onto the breasts and sprinkle with the toasted sesame seeds, then slice. Mashed sweet potatoes make a fine accompaniment.

INGREDIENTS

2 large whole duck breasts (mallard, pintail, canvas-back), or 3 medium breasts (wood duck, wigeon)
4 tsp. sesame seeds
1/2 cup Barq's, Boylan, or other strong root beer
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 Tbsp. ketchup
1 tsp. grated lemon zest
2 tsp. Dijon mustard

DIY Fly Drying Tip: Shake Your Frog's Fanny

Online Editors — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 13:06:53 -0400

I was going to make Frog's Fanny dry fly powder a "Stuff That Works" honoree because it is indeed the best stuff I've used to revitalize soggy dry flies by way of wicking away moisture.

But I like my flies shaken, not stirred.

And Frog's Fanny comes in a little vial with a paintbrush applicator attached to the screw-cap. I don't know who thought that one up, but they obviously don't fish in the Rockies. I mean, I'd love to dab and paint my duns, drakes, and hopper flies, but when the wind is hoofin' 30-m.p.h. as it was all day today, I end up choking on more of that stuff than I can stick to a dry fly. And that's a waste of a fine product and money.

Here's the fix. Get a vial of "Dry Shake" with the little beads and some powder inside. Inevitably, that stuff shakes near-dry of the powder element after a good day or so of fishing. No worries... take a little puff of that Frog's Fanny and pour it into the spent Dry Shake vial. NOW you have something that will wick those flies dry, and keep them riding high for hours on end. Just drop your fly in the vial, gently close the cap (Not all the way, so you crimp your tippet) and shake your fly dry. It's magical.

Years of guiding have taught me that I often have to mix and match one product with the other to find the best solution. Keep "spicing up" your shake bottle with some Frog's Fanny powder as the season goes on, and you will inevitably save money... recondition more dry flies... and catch more fish.

Sometimes a home-brew twist on using different products will help you get more bang for your buck.

Trust me on this one.

Deeter

How To Make A Fishing Lure Out of a Wine Cork

Online Editors — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 13:42:36 -0400

Next time you enjoy wine with dinner, hang on to the cork, which you can make into an effective bass plug. I've fooled more than one lunker with these lures—and saved some money, too. They're easy to make, and chances are you already have most of the necessary parts. One tip: Use plastic wine corks. They don't crack, are easy to cut and shape, and have a smooth finish once painted.

Photo by Chris Philpot

Instructions:
[1] With a Dremel tool, or circular rat-tail file, shape the front of the cork in the profile of a floater-diver plug. (Or hollow out the front to make a popper.) Next, drill a 1/16-inch hole through the middle and insert the wire shaft.

[2] Bend a U in the front end of the wire so that you have a short length—about 1 inch long—that is parallel to the main shaft. With needle-nose pliers, squeeze the short end of the wire and main shaft together Keeping your grip on the pliers with one hand, insert a large finishing nail into the loop formed in the wire, and twist the nail 3 to 4 times This will form the hook eye.

[3] With the pliers, pull the rear end of the wire until the hook eye abuts the front of the cork. Now slide the following, in this order, onto the wire: plastic bead, propeller blade, plastic bead, rubber skirt, treble hook. Repeat Step 2 on this end, making sure the hook is trapped in the newly formed wire loop. Paint the lure however you'd like. After the paint dries, cement one eye on each side. All you need now is water.

Bourjaily: Make a Homemade Trumpet Call

Joe_Cermele — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 09:51:37 -0400

For one of the extra credit questions in April’s “Gobbler Exam” quiz, Senior Editor Colin Kearns asked me if I could make an improvised turkey call. I looked around the top of the landfill that is my desk, found a ballpoint pen, a 12 gauge hull and some duct tape and cobbled together the trumpet call you see pictured here.

A ballpoint pen turns out to be a perfect primer punch, so the first step is to pop out the old primer. Then you take the insides out of the pen, leaving a hollow plastic tube. Put the end of the pen over the primer hole – it doesn’t quite fit, but it doesn’t matter – just hold it in place and wrap the whole thing together with duct tape.

When I tried this, I had never done it before and had no idea what to expect, but it makes sounds which could, I think, call in a really, really lonely turkey. To run it, hold the shotgun shell in the web between your thumb and index finger. You can cup the other hand over that one to make a sound chamber and change tones. Put about a quarter of an inch of the mouthpiece between your lips and, keeping your lips pressed together, make a kind of kiss, sucking into the call. With a little practice, you can get decent clucks and yelps out of it.

How To Make A Turkey Fan Decoy

Online Editors — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 23:02:06 -0500

Strutting gobbler decoys are hot items now, and for good reason: They work. But they're also pricey and a pain to carry. A real gobbler fan costs nothing and packs easily—and can be as effective as the full-blown fake. Here's how to put a bird's tail feathers to work for you.

[1] Remove the entire fan by cutting around the fleshy base of the tail. Trim the flesh and fat, being sure to remove the milky-white oil glands. Using three long heavy T-pins, tack the fan onto a large cardboard box, and push the pins all the way through for a secure hold. Place one pin through the base of the tail and one each through the middle of the quills of the left- and rightmost feathers. Pour salt or borax onto the butt end to preserve the fan. It should be dry and ready for Steps 2 and 3 in two weeks.

Photo by Chris Philpot

[2] Drill four 1/8-inch holes in the butt end. For the stake, use an 18-inch length of 3/4-inch PVC pipe. Cut one end at a 45-degree angle so you can easily drive it into the ground. Scuff the PVC with sandpaper and spray-paint it a dull color, like matte black.

Photo by Chris Philpot

[3] Flip the fan over and secure it to the stake with two 8-inch cable ties threaded through the holes drilled in Step 2. Cinch another tie at the top of the stake as a collar to keep the fan from sliding off the top. To take it hunting, fold the fan in half or thirds lengthwise and stuff it in your vest.

Photo by Chris Philpot

Merwin: Want a Boat? Build Your Own

Joe_Cermele — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 13:12:44 -0500

Speaking of winter projects, have you ever considered building your own boat? I thought about that for a long time, researching boat plans on the Internet and measuring my basement door to see if what I might build would fit through it.

My wife was terrified, wondering if some huge project would linger for years unfinished. Then I got lucky and found the home-made skiff shown here. The guy who made it in his garage soon decided he wanted a bigger boat. So I was able to buy this boat very inexpensively (partly because the resale value of owner-built boats is typically very low).

I’ve used this particular 16-foot skiff very happily in fresh- and saltwater for several years now. With a Honda 50 four-stroke, it’ll do 32 miles an hour wide-open while cruising easily at 20-plus all day long. The high bow and lots of freeboard have gotten me safely through rough water more than once and create a nicely curved sheer line that gets lots of compliments at various boat ramps.

The boat, as with most homemades, is just marine plywood and fiberglass. Plywood is cut to a pattern, bent and clamped over some simple molds, then wire-stitched and epoxy-glued along the seams. Then the wire stitching and molds are removed, and you’re left with a more-or-less instant hull. The particular model I have is called a Glen-L Console Skiff. You can learn more about boat-building and various boat plans at Glen-L’s website.

Boat-building is a lot of work. Make no mistake about that. But I’m still very tempted. A drift boat, maybe, or perhaps a small rowing skiff that would fit in the back of my pickup to be used in fishing smaller ponds. It just seems like such a cool thing to do....

Build A Survival Fire With Condoms and Underwear

Joe_Cermele — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 11:58:22 -0400

When my wife notices the small, square foil wrapper on my desk, she regards me with a coolly level gaze.

“I can explain,” I tell her. And I do, but she remains skeptical. After all, it’s not the kind of wrapper she’s used to seeing when I’m conducting research for this column. She becomes even more skeptical when I tell her I need it to start a fire.

After discovering the mess I’ve made of the kitchen—steel wool strewn on the floor, several unwrapped condoms, spent shotgun shells dripping wax onto the countertop—she admits that just possibly I’m telling the truth. But she banishes me to the backyard anyway, where a picnic table offers a more appropriate base of operations.

Each year, Field & Stream readers send us a truckload of fire-starting tips, ranging from the practical to the absurd. My editor has asked me to test a handful of the most promising, or at least the most interesting. The goal is to find the best tools in two categories: ignition and tinder.

The Spark: Ten minutes into the morning’s work and already I’m stumped. Following the reader’s instructions on how to start a fire with steel wool and a D battery produces heat, but no sparks. I decide to test the method using AA batteries, which a hunter is more likely to have handy in his GPS or headlamp. Holding two batteries end to end—with the base of one touching the terminal of the other—I press the steel wool to the extreme ends, which produces a fizz of sparks and glowing wire. The tricky part, I find, is placing a tinder nest on the wire, which glows for only a few seconds, and blowing it to a flame. Because the sparks are an indication that you are shorting out your batteries, you have to get it right quick. With numb fingers and core body temperature falling on a zero-degree night, my bet is you’d die trying.

A letter from a metallurgist spurs the next test. A few years ago, this man wrote to express his disgust with the magazine for printing an article I had written about starting fire with a knife and a flint, asserting that for steel to be hard enough to spark it would be too brittle to make a knife. I refute his argument in three flicks of the wrist. It’s true that you need a knife with a hard, non-stainless blade. But knocking around my basement are several knives, including Swedish Mora blades and some tarnished folding knives, that spark when struck against quartzite or flint. The knack is the flicking motion that scrapes steel against stone to produce the sparks, and catching the sparks on a piece of char cloth. Then you must transfer the glowing char cloth to a tinder bundle and blow it to flame.

By now the sun is high, which means it’s time to test the condom. The method, which the reader calls Forbidden Fire, involves filling the condom with water and using it as a lens to focus sunlight onto a pile of tinder. Unfortunately, this R-rated version of the old magnifying-glass fire falls into the wouldn’t-it-be-pretty-to-think-so category. I finally turn the trick after an hour of trying, having figured out that you have to fill the condom to the breaking point so that it makes a large, transparent sphere in order to concentrate the light into a small enough point. But even then you need strong overhead sun, bone-dry tinder, steady fingers, and time—none of which are likely in a survival situation (for video of this trick, click here).

Winner: Sparking fire with a knife and stone is far and away my favorite, but it’s really just a trick. To spark a fire, you’re better off going commercial. A steel striker (like the Brunton Striker Fire Starter; brunton.com) is easier to use and will produce a thicker shower of sparks.

The Flame: The first tinder experiment finds me holding a match to lint deposited by a dryer load of hunting wash, including a fleece jacket and Thermax underwear. The reader who submitted this tip has called lint the “perfect tinder,” but mine provides only anemic flame before subsiding into hot goo. Lint from a load of blue jeans flames up much higher. The secret is the fabric: Cotton lint makes excellent tinder, whereas lint from synthetics, like fleece, merely melts.

Next, I try out a couple of recipes for making candles. Pouring wax into a spent shotgun shell is the sexiest, but the simplest and most effective is the bottle-top candle. Pour candle wax into a plastic soda bottle cap and insert three wicks. The result will sustain a long-lasting flame.

Cotton balls smeared with petroleum jelly are another popular suggestion—and a good one. They are lightweight, compactible, and easily ignited. The jelly is fuel to a minute’s worth of tall flame that resists being blown out by the wind.

One reader suggests shredding up a bunch of cedar bark and rolling it into a ball. It flames all right, but a ball of shredded birch bark will burn even when wet and makes a better tinder.

I save the most bizarre tip, burning underwear, for last. Ducking under the lilacs for privacy, I shuck my drawers, strike a match under the crotch and behold—flames shoot 4 feet into the air. Holy Fruit of the Loom! Seriously, this is a great idea. Most hunters who have succumbed to hypothermia were found with matches in their pockets. They died because they couldn’t get tinder to stay lit. Many might have survived if they’d thought of burning their cotton y‑fronts, which flame like a blowtorch to start even damp firewood. The lesson? If you want to be safe, don’t worry about getting chafed.

Winner: The briefs are the hands- (or pants-) down winner.

The day has produced a couple of useful tips. The cotton balls will undoubtedly be in my hunting pack this fall. Beyond the specifics, what I’ve learned is there are a lot of ways to make a survival fire. Some methods are better than others. But the more resourceful you are with the gear you have at hand, and the more you practice making fires, “forbidden” and otherwise, the more likely you are to be rewarded with that candle of light and warmth to see you through a bitter night.

Step-by-Step Construction of the Field & Stream Dream Cabin

fieldandstream-editor — Wed, 09 Aug 2006 05:00:00 -0400

SUPPLIERS
We wish to thank the following companies for their participation in the Field & Stream cabin project.

Andersen Windows.
800-426-4261
andersenwindows.com

Bass Pro Shops (interior furnishings)
800-465-2628
basspro.com

Cabot Stains
800-US-STAIN
cabotstain.com

Congoleum (flooring)
800-934-3567
congoleum.com

CorrectDeck (exterior decking)
877-DECK877
correctdeck.com

Eemax (water heater)
800-543-6163
eemax.com

Jeld-Wen (interior doors)
877-JELD-INC
jeldwen.com

Northeastern Log Homes
800-624-2797
northeasternlog.com.

Owens Corning (Cultured Stone veneer)
800-GET-PINK
owenscorning.com

ReddiForm (foundation forms)
800-334-4303
reddiform.com

Therma-Tru (exterior doors)
800-THERMATRU
thermatru.com

Utica Boilers (furnace)
800-325-5479
uticaboilers.com

How to Build a Rod Rack to Keep Your Fishing Gear Organized and Safe

fieldandstream-editor — Sun, 31 Jul 2005 20:00:00 -0400

Stacking fishing rods in the corner of the garage is no way to treat expensive tackle. They can get tangled, fall over, and end up damaged. And they look messy, too.

This easy plan for a horizontal rod rack is your remedy. The rack accommodates four large rods and reels and is designed for wall mounting. This is a quick project—it might take you two hours—but can save many future headaches and broken rods.

MAKE THE PIECES Cut two 3×30-inch backing strips and two 4½×24-inch rod support strips out of a 1×12-inch, No. 2 pine board. Round their corners using a saber or band saw.
SAW THE SLOTS Stack the two support strips together. Starting 2½ inches from the bottom, drill four centered holes 5½ inches apart using a 1-inch Forstner bit. Be sure to put a backer block under the bottom strip to prevent splintering when the bit breaks through. Then, with a saber or band saw, cut angled slots to meet the holes.
BORE THE BACKS Using a countersink bit, drill three ¼-inch-deep depressions into one of your backing strips: one at 6, one at 15, and one at 24 inches from the top of the strip. Using a 1/8-inch bit, bore holes through the center of these depressions. Repeat with the other backing strip. Finally, bore a centered hole 1½ inches from each end of the strips. You'll use these last holes to mount the rack on your wall.
ASSEMBLE THE RACK Sand all the pieces well. Then fasten them together by drilling self-starting wood screws through the countersunk holes in the backing strips and into the edges of the rod supports.
FINISH AND MOUNT IT Touch up with paint, stain, or polyurethane, and glue felt to the insides of the rod slots. Mount the pieces on the wall of your garage.

TOOLS: • Electric drill • 1-inch Forstner bit, ¼-inch countersink bit, 1/8-inch standard bit • Band or saber saw • Paintbrush MATERIALS • One 6-foot-long No. 2 pine sheet, 1×12-inch: $9 • One box selfstarting brass wood screws: $4 • 4-ounce bottle Tacky Glue: $1 • 1 yard of felt: $5 WORK TIME • 1–2 hours TOTAL COST • $19

Build a Marsh Table to Keep Duck Gear High and Dry

fieldandstream-editor — Mon, 28 Feb 2005 19:00:00 -0500

•A lot of great walk-in duck hunting takes place in ankle- to knee-deep water, where there's never a dry place to set your decoy bag, Thermos, shells, or other accessories. Solve the problem with a section of stackable plastic shelving, which you can find at home-improvement stores for about $15. Pick a neutral color—gray, which blends well with water, is a good choice. One shelf and its four detachable legs weighs just 4 pounds and, assembled, forms a table about 18 inches high. Carry it disassembled in a decoy bag, snap the legs in, push them into the mud until the top is just above water level, and you're ready to hunt. As a bonus, the holes in the corners of the shelf make perfect receptacles for willow branches or other camouflaging vegetation. —PHILIP BOURJAILY

See More Deer (and Save Money) By Building a Natural Blind

fieldandstream-editor — Tue, 31 Aug 2004 20:00:00 -0400

The Coyote was so close I could have touched him with my rifle muzzle. He turned his head once, giving me a look of indifference, and then jumped from the log and melted into the underbrush.

A better litmus test for a game blind is tough to imagine, and the fact that mine was made from only a few thorn branches is proof that they do not have to be expensive or require hours of construction. But to be effective, natural blinds must camouflage the human form, blend with existing cover, and permit the use of guns or bows without alerting game.

INTO THE WOODS It isn't necessary to totally screen yourself. A partially fallen tree trunk that forms an angle with the ground provides a ready framework; just put branches or other natural items underneath, but be sure to leave yourself holes to shoot through. Incorporating a tree trunk as a backrest will shield you from the eyesight of approaching animals. Fence-lines also provide a buffer of cover that can be turned into a hasty hide. Where such frame-work is unavailable, drive sticks or tent poles into the ground and clip on leafy branches with wooden clothespins painted olive or flat black.

For deer, locate your blind near trail inter-sections and bedding areas, downwind of the line of approach. Position it so that you can take aim after the deer has passed you and is angling away. For fall turkeys, situate yourself close to where you scatter a flock. In the spring, build within 200 yards of a roost tree in a strut zone. Construct your blind around a tree, making sure a second is nearby, between you and the gobbler's probable direction of approach: Take aim when the turkey passes behind it.

SITTING FOR DUCKS Puddle ducks shy away from willow clumps and tall reeds, so keep your blind low and within the perimeters of emergent vegetation, not in front. A folding stool is invaluable for sitting low and keeping dry. Digging a hole for your feet and the legs of the stool can lower your silhouette even further.

Locate duck blinds to one side of the birds' approach—into the wind—and out of their direct line of sight. Overhead cover helps. For dawn hunting, put the paling horizon at the front. If you plan to be out all day, have the sun at your back to avoid detection.

Break cattails, reeds, and dry grasses by grasping clumps with gloved hands and pushing sharply downward, folding the stalks at their base. Yank them out and weave them into a framework of driftwood or some loose-weave netting. Along rocky shorelines, a few piled-up stones can serve as a blind as long as the color of your clothing matches.

SCREEN TEST A natural blind is tested twice: once when game approaches and again when you shoot. Remember the blind the coyote tested? An hour later a buck approached from the one direction in which I could not turn without detection. He was gone with a wave of his tail—a painful reminder that without the right blind placement you might as well be standing out in the open.

MAKING A MARSH STOOL

To keep yourself from sinking too deeply in a marsh, modify your seat. You'll need a light-weight folding chair, a plywood square cut just larger than the chair's footprint, and 3 feet of strong elastic cord.

[1] Drill two holes the diameter of the cord near one edge of the board. Place them slightly farther apart than the front chair legs. On the opposite edge, cut slots into the wood, slightly farther apart than the back legs.

[2] Pass the end of the cord through one of the holes and tie an overhand knot so that it can't slip back through. Run the cord over the board and down through the opposite slot, then under the board and up through the other slot, and finally back across the top of the board. Pull the free end through the other drilled hole. Stretch the elastic for a tight fit and tie an overhand knot.

[3] Release the cord from the slots. Put the stool on the board and draw the cord through the legs and back into the slots. Tension will keep the stool on the board (you can also grind grooves in the board to help secure the legs). The flat board will keep you afloat. —K.M.

How to Build Your Own Bass Pond

fieldandstream-editor — Fri, 30 Apr 2004 20:00:00 -0400

Bob McFarland is an ordinary guy who likes to bass fish. So when he chanced upon some land not far from his home in Houston, Texas, he did what most bass fishermen dream of doing--he started construction of his own pond. Nine months later he was adding fish. If all goes according to plan, the largemouth bass under McFarland's tender governance will grow to brash Texas proportions by 2010 in a 6-acre watering hole that was dry land a year ago. "We'd love to even challenge the Texas state record," says the 62-year-old retiree. McFarland isn't the only fisherman breaking ground.

"Pond building is a phenomenon with its foothold in the South," says fisheries biologist and pond consultant Bob Lusk of Sadler, Texas-based Texoma Hatchery. "But it's swiftly moving to other parts of the country."

Surprisingly, you don't have to be an heir to the Trump fortune to participate in the trend. If you already have a nice chunk of land or belong to a hunting club that does, a 5- to 6-acre pond will cost no more than a glittery bass boat with a thundering outboard (see "The $25,000 Question"). Split the cost with your best fishing buddies and you have a sweet investment that keeps on giving, season after glorious bass season.

GOT WATER? Similar to the rover Spirit's probe for Martian life, the possibility of any upstart bass pond depends on the presence (or potential) of water. Beyond the size of the lake you envision, it's necessary to have an adequate watershed to fill the pond when it rains--a bare minimum of 5 acres of land for every acre of water. The amount of land necessary to yield sufficient water relates to annual rainfall, which varies from parched to diluvial locales. While runoff is the most common source, springs and even wells are other options.

The pond's ability to hold water is entirely dependent on the presence of clay. Some soils are simply too porous for the construction of an earthen dam that will keep water in rather than letting it trickle out. If your soil can't hold water, hauling in clay is an option, though an expensive one.

For a free consultation that will take into account rainfall, soil types, dam construction and, therefore, the feasibility of a pond, contact the technicians at your local office of the Natural Resources Conservation Service, a division of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The pond savants there will advise you on the size of dam necessary and whether enough soil of the right density is present to build one. Getting the input of the NRCS--essentially their vote of yea or nay--is a crucial stepping-stone to cross before reaching the next couple of stages: first the permitting process through governmental agencies, then the solicitation of contractors to bid, excavate, and build the pond.

GENTLEMEN, START YOUR EARTHMOVERS
Sorry, friend, but you're going to have to jump through some bureaucratic and legalistic hoops before breaking ground. The degree of difficulty depends on the size of the pond and federal, state, and local regulations. A certified pond consultant can help direct clients to the proper agencies.

Consultants are also well versed in pond economics: The smaller the pond, the greater the per-acre cost. The going rate to excavate ponds of less than 20 acres is $3,000 to $5,000 per acre. Reach the 20-acre threshold and the cost drops to about $2,000 per acre.

Financial drudgery and reality aside, it's time for the fun stuff: plotting with consultants and contractors to establish bass habitat that's good for you and good for them. One such specialist in bass behavior is pro angler Alton Jones of Waco, Texas, who helped a friend orchestrate the layout of 38 acres that would become the acme of largemouth architecture.

"We wanted to put features in the lake that make the bass easier to find and catch," Jones says. "But we also wanted to create an environment that's pleasing to them and matches their preferences."

To help the bass out, Jones sought to furnish places to rest, feed, travel, and spawn. And so he started by suggesting that the contractor dredge the silted creek and integrate twists and turns into an otherwise straight channel. Since largemouths love nothing better than a point of land, Jones & Co. had a number of peninsulas sculpted to fall into 10 or 12 feet of water; others to slope at a 20-degree angle into 25 feet of water, a sanctuary from which the fish could quickly ascend to feeding grounds. For spawning purposes, pea gravel was deposited in shallow bays and on flats to provide some hard bottom, and bulldozed pathways from deep to shallow water made travel routes for the bass to follow.

For fishing in the cooler months, when largemouths gravitate to rock, the fishermen placed a pile on a channel bend, and more along a prominent point alongside the channel. And although you can't incorporate all of Jones' suggestions in smaller ponds, you can pick and choose according to your favorite fishing styles.

FISH AND THEIR FOOD
Ready, set, stock! The fish and their accompanying food chain have to come from somewhere, and that somewhere is the hatchery. The first consideration is food--bluegills, in particular. Expect a range of 500 to 1,500 comestibles per acre. "The key to fast-growing bass is having the groceries," says Barry Smith, co-owner of Alabama-based pond consultants Southern Ponds and Wildlife. You'll need 10 bluegills for every bass. Other goodies include perch and fathead minnows. Gizzard or threadfin shad are also possibilities.

In the case of McFarland's 6-acre pond, he spiked the punch with 150 mature bass, 175 Florida bass, and 50 pellet-trained bass (for spectators' benefit when the critters do dinnertime cartwheels), complemented with a buffet of 400 bluegills, 100 perch, and 45 pounds of fatheads. All told, the digging and stocking carried a price of about $24,000.

Within a year, fingerlings should grow to somewhere between 1/2 and 2 pounds, depending on local growth rates related to water temperature and fertility. One year is also long enough for the bass to reach sexual maturity and start to spawn. McFarland's pond, which he stocked last year, should be producing small though catchable bass this spring and a selection of 2- to 5-pounders in two more years. How big and how fast the bass grow depends on food plus genetics: hence his inclusion of Florida-strain bass to yield the precious few monsters that could achieve state-record proportions. The mix of pure Floridas and pure natives will breed a pool of offspring that should not only grow big but also withstand the rigors of cold weather. Even so, Lusk says Floridas are best stocked south of a geographical line running approximately through Oklahoma City, Little Rock, Memphis, and Nashville.

What's the catch? Often, the food chain can't do everything on its own, which rules out laissez-faire stewardship. "The smaller the pond, the more management," Jones says. "Bigger means greater diversity, and the lake pretty much keeps itself in check."

Seek the guidance of pond consultants regarding phosphorus- and nitrogen-based fertilizers and timed feeders to subsidize the food chain.

THE END RESULT
What you get out of a pond depends upon what you put into it. Lake Fork--like monsters are one thing. Plenty of bass and panfish for entertainment purposes are another. Catfish are one more possibility. So, too, are pond excavations with deep water around the edges for shore-fishing opportunities.

And if one pond entrepreneur builds with his grandchildren's grandchildren in mind, another does so for the here and how. Take the case of an 85-year-old who figured he hadn't the time to wait for little fishes to grow up. Two weeks after he stocked his lake with adult bass, he pulled out a 9-pounder--an enormous stocked adult.

Ultimately, it's all about the bass--aided and abetted by whatever it takes to make them feel at home where there was once dry land.

--An earthen dam works only if the soil is suitable for holding water

--Digging pathways from shallow to deep water will allow bass to move comfortably between feeding zones

--Spice things up by dredging bends in typically straight creek beds

--Bass can't resist a rock pile placed near a deep channel

--Submerged peninsulas that slope to 12 feet of water provide a sanctuary for bass

--Anchoring structure, such as thick limbs or Christmas trees, gives baitfish and bass a place to hide

--Bluegills are the No. 1 forage fish for bass, but perch and fathead minnows round out the menu

--Adding pea gravel to shallow areas creates a perfect spawning site

THE $25,000 QUESTION HOW MUCH FOR A 5-ACRE BASS FISHING NIRVANA?
For the perfect pond site, expect to pay $3,000 to $5,000 per acre, permitting and dam building included. (In some cases, where the terrain is lacking suitable soil, the cost could spiral to $10,000 per acre.) Beyond the architecture, finned critters are going to set you back up to $500 per acre for baby bass and a buffet of baitfish. You're looking at $15,000 minimum for excavation and permits and $2,500 for an embarrassment of fishes. Throw in feeders and other minor necessities and you'll max out around $25,000. --D.S.

POND BUILDING 101 FOUR INDISPENSABLE RESOURCES FOR CREATING A BASS HAVEN
Agriculture Handbook #590: Ponds--Planning, Design and Construction. Despite the yawner of a title, this tidy little primer from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Natural Resources Conservation Service (formerly the U.S. Soil Conservation District) is a handy resource. www.nrcs.usda.gov

Great Small Waters. This 45-minute video produced by bass impresario Ray Scott, founder of the Bass Anglers Sportsman Society, details the soup-to-nuts process of building a bass pond in a friendly, informative manner. 334-281-3661; www.rayscott.com

Pond Boss. Fisheries biologist and pond consultant Bob Lusk of Texoma Hatchery puts out this bimonthly magazine with helpful insights on dam construction, aeration systems, weed management, and other pertinent topics. 800-687-6075; www.pondboss.com

Southern Ponds and Wildlife. This useful quarterly publication and website offers pond research and management information. 334-281-7770; www.southernpondsandwildlife.com --D.S.