Hunting Gear

Cheap and Versatile Shooting Sticks

Take two 4-foot long half-inch diameter dowels from a hardware store. Wrap them in duck tape, to help quiet them in the field, and bind them with several sturdy rubber bands four to six inches from the ends. Now you have a fast and steady shooting platform. Hold them with the bound end down and they double as a passable walking stick. There is no need to extend them or pull them from a pocket to make a shot—they are already in your hand. Rest your binoculars on the ends balanced near the center focus (takes only a little practice), hold the sticks against your belly and you can glass much longer because your arms are not always raised to the level of your face. Tie a length of rope from your deer to the middle of the sticks and two hunters, each holding one end and walking side-by-side, will make quick work hauling the animal out of the field. Combine them with a simple tarp and some nylon cord for an emergency shelter.