grouse

Dog Training Tips from Master Outdoorsman Jerome B. Robinson

fieldandstream-editor — Thu, 27 Jul 2006 11:20:00 -0400

Bird Dogs Hunting: 31 Great Shots from Photographer Bill Buckley

fieldandstream-editor — Thu, 22 Jun 2006 08:00:00 -0400

Slide Show: This Week's Tips from Jerome B. Robinson

fieldandstream-editor — Sat, 20 May 2006 07:00:00 -0400

Slide Show: This Week's Tips from Jerome B. Robinson

fieldandstream-editor — Tue, 16 May 2006 07:00:00 -0400

The Grouse Frontier

fieldandstream-editor — Wed, 26 Oct 2005 05:05:00 -0400

More than 20 years ago as I crossed the border into middle age, I promised myself that I would return to Michigan's Upper Peninsula every year to hunt ruffed grouse until I was too lame to walk or too blind to shoot. It's one of the few resolutions I have actually kept, and now that I am, by decree of the Social Security Administration and AARP, an official old guy, but still sound of wind, limb, and eye, I intend to keep on keeping on.

My choice of where to go is dictated as much by emotional and aesthetic reasons as by practical considerations. The U.P. is wild, a kind of mini Alaska, and that wildness is among the things that attract me. I like hunting in places where you can get lost. I don't mean temporarily turned around, but downright lost. Though I am fairly skilled at land navigation, on several occasions in the U.P., I have been utterly bewildered as to where I was and have had to spend hours finding my way back to my truck and civilization.

Stretching east to west for about 300 miles and north to south for 150, the Upper Peninsula is more than half covered by national and state forest. Much of the rest-hundreds of thousands of acres-is owned by pulp and logging companies but is also open to hunters and fishermen. Alger County, where I do most of my hunting, has a population density of about four people per square mile, which meets the U.S. Census Bureau's definition of a frontier. Up there, you're as likely to encounter a bear, wolf, or bobcat as you are a person. I don't have to ask a landowner for permission to hunt; I just park near likely bird cover, let the dog out, load my gun, and go. It's simply wonderful.

The U.P. is more of a recycled wilderness, however, than a virgin wilderness. Over the past 125 years, it has been used and abused by loggers and iron and copper miners. Its immense white pine forests, millions of acres of trees taller than 10-story buildings, were cut down during the lumber boom of 1880Â¿Â¿Â¿1910. Once it had all been exploited, it was left to its own devices and the woods grew back, though not with anything like their primeval magnificence.

Today, the white pine stumps that spread over loamy, lichen-covered plains resemble tombstones, which, in a sense, they are. These secondhand forests seem to breathe a melancholy atmosphere, as though they have a memory of the slaughter committed against their ancestors.

Logging continues on the U.P., which is a good thing for its inhabitants, who need the work, and for the grouse hunter. The bark and snarl of chain saws isn't pleasing to the ear, nor is a clear-cut pleasing to the eye, but the fact is that logging sites become magnets for grouse. Aspens sprout amid the slashings and grow to 10 to 16 feet within a few years, providing grouse with cover and food. The young trees seem as thick as grass on a golf course, making shooting difficult, and walking through piles of branches and rotted stumps is as treacherous as it is tiring, but these areas almost always produce birds. [NEXT "THE FEATHERED BULLY"]

The Feathered Bully
When I was young, I thought the bird was called a "rough grouse" and wondered how it had got that name. Was it a feathered bully? Or did the adjective refer to the nature of the bird's thickly wooded, brushy habitat?

On my first grouse hunt, in the fall of 1962, I formed another theory. My friend Bill and I joined his uncle, an enthusiastic grouse hunter, at his cabin on Michigan's Upper Peninsula.

"No wonder they're called Â¿Â¿Â¿rough,' because it sure is rough to hit them," I'd said after Bill and I, jump-shooting from logging roads, had failed to hit a single bird on the wing. Our bag-one apiece-was obtained through unsportsmanlike conduct: I blasted mine out of a tree. Bill got his on the ground.

I don't recall whether we admitted this to his uncle, but I do remember him correcting my error in nomenclature: "It's ruffed grouse, Phil," he'd said, fluffing t dark neck feathers that form a frilly collar when extended.

Now that I had the name right, the next step was to learn to shoot them in the approved manner-while the birds were flying. I had shot my share of pheasants and waterfowl, but the lessons gleaned in duck blinds and Midwestern cornfields were of little use. Grouse appeared and disappeared like apparitions, vanishing before I could get a bead on them.

Although my average has improved over the years, I still haven't learned how to hit them with even reasonable consistency. Exploding from cover with the sound a playing card makes in the spokes of a bicycle wheel, only louder, the ruffed grouse darts through the woods, its mottled brown, gray, black, and white combining with its speed to make it practically invisible.

Once in flight, the bird has an uncanny ability to put a large tree between you and it. You're dead on, you shoot, but all you see are shredded leaves. For this reason, I prefer hunting them in the mid- to late afternoon, when they are apt to abandon their forested coverts for edges and for black cherry and willow thickets that dot the meadows, thus presenting opportunities for an open shot. Jack pine plantations are also favorable to the hunter. Grouse like to roost amid these scraggly trees that, planted in rows, offer shooting lanes not found in natural woods. [NEXT "A BIRD FOR THE HARDCORE FEW"]

A Bird for the Hardcore Few
The very difficulty of the sport is what makes it attractive. Like dry-fly fishing, it goes against the current of our culture, which is to make everything faster, easier, more efficient, and convenient. If you really love driving interstates, eating Happy Meals, and going to shopping malls, grouse hunting probably isn't for you. You will tramp 5 to 8 miles a day through rugged country, get shots at perhaps half the birds you see, and consider yourself lucky if you drop half of those.

There are two rewards for all this effort: the satisfaction of making a fine wing shot and the exquisite taste of grouse. Its diet of seeds and berries and its sedentary ways give the grouse's white meat a distinctive but delicate flavor, less gamy than woodcock, ducks, or doves. Put your mouth to a grouse stuffed with apples and baked in Calvados and you'll find yourself able to eat the lumps of tissue paper sold as chicken in supermarkets only when faced with starvation.

Wildness and solitude compensate for the frustration of birdless days. I recall one such a couple of years ago. Skunked, my dog and I reached the banks of a lonesome, beautiful brook-trout stream. I sat high on a bluff under a stand of tall white pine, looking down at the river curving into a deep, umber-colored pool. Beyond the river, forests of fir and spruce reached as far as I could see, and there was no sound but the wind in the trees. Then out of the woods came a cautious buck. His white tail flashed when he saw me, and he bounded off. That moment made up for all the hard, fruitless effort.

And there are other memories. Two years ago I was hunting an old logging slash near a hamlet called Melstrand. It was a late afternoon in mid-October. In the slanting, amber light, the aspen and maple leaves glowed as brilliantly as electric lamps. As I walked back to my truck, my dog, an English setter bitch named Sage, started to sniff the ground, working back and forth in ever tighter circles.

Watching her, I knew she was tracking a grouse that had walked from one patch of cover to another. Sage began to creep. Suddenly, she slammed onto a hard point near a baby spruce, her tail straight out, her belly only a few inches from the ground, her body trembling. I could see the concentration in her caramel-hued eyes and was sure she wouldn't have flinched if I had exploded a firecracker a foot from her ear. But it was the effect the afternoon light had on her color that captivated me most-she appeared to be on fire, each strand of white fur a thin, copper flame.

A big, rufous grouse burst from under the spruce. I shouldered the gun, pulled the trigger, and realized that I'd forgotten to take the safety off. By the time I got around to doing this, the bird was 50 yards out, sailing away over a clearing. I fired twice and clean missed. And I didn't mind at all. The picture of Sage filled my heart and burned itself into my mind, a living, mental photograph that I could call up any time I chose. Sage and I will be at it again this fall. It is a ritual I look forward to all year, and look back on with pleasure when it's done. of white fur a thin, copper flame.

110 Greatest Tips

fieldandstream-editor — Mon, 24 Oct 2005 12:30:00 -0400

SELF-RELIANCE; TIPS 69-79

098
MAKE YOUR OWN COVER SCENT
Boil a few handfuls of leaves, bark, and coniferous needles gathered from your hunting area in a gallon of water. Let the mixture boil until the water volume is reduced by half. Wet your hunting clothes with the resulting concentrated tea, then let them dry before going hunting. J.B.R., March 2000

099
SHARPEN YOUR KNIFE
For the keenest and longest lasting edge, you need an extremely smooth stone such as an Arkansas oilstone. This is a natural rock of fine, uniform texture which for many years has had a reputation for putting the best edge on a blade. Put a few drops of light oil on it and sharpen with uniform strokes, the edge of the blade facing forward, maintaining the same angle. Don't press hard. Your purpose isn't to remove a lot of metal, but to smooth the edge. Half a dozen strokes each way may be enough. T.T., February 1970

100
MAKE AN EMERGENCY BACKPACK
All you need is a T-shirt and a rifle sling. Remove the sling from the rifle, tie the arms of the shirt to the ends of the sling, and tie off the bottom. The shirt neck can be either tied closed or left open. T.T., september 1974

101
FORECAST THE WEATHER
Smoke rising from a chimney on a calm day provides one of the most reliable of all weather signs. When the smoke rises upward you can bet on fair weather; when it drifts close to the ground that's a sure sign that rain or snow is on the way. H.G.T., July 1973

102
STUFF A STOCKING
Next time you head to hunting camp, drop a bar of soap into the toe of an old full-length nylon stocking. In camp, hang the top of the stocking close to the washbasin. The soap can't get lost or fall to the ground and get dirty, and it suds right through the nylon mesh. H.G.T., September 1964

103
FIX YOUR AXE
If you store your axe at deer camp hanging above the ground, the shaft may dry and shrink, loosening the axe head. To make sure the head is tight, stand the axe in a pail of water to swell for a couple of hours before using it. J.B.R., May 2000

104
STAKE THE DOG DISH
If your dog keeps tipping over his water, use a large angel-food cake pan, which has a hole in the center. Just place the pan over a wooden stake driven securely into the ground. The stake anchors the pan firmly so that even the most excitable dog can't knock it over. H.G.T., June 1974

105
BUILD A BETTER MOUSETRAP
Make a hunting camp trap out of a 10-quart kettle. Hang a bit of bread or cheese from the bail of the kettle, which will lure a mouse out on a sliver of wood extending from one rim and fastened to a wire crosspiece with an ordinary staple. It's balanced with a large nail so that the outer end rests on the rim of the kettle. When the mouse passes center, it'll plunge into 6 inches of water below. The weight of the nail quickly swings the board back down into position for another victim. It should be placed beside a low box, or have a board extending from the ground to the outer end of the pivoting sliver, so as to give the mice every possible opportunity to drown themselves. T.T., May 1942

106
KEEP WARM ON STAND
Metal tree stands sap body heat. Carry two squares of indoor-outdoor carpet, one for under your backside, the second to insulate the soles of your boots from the footrest. K.M., November 2003

107
SCRUB POTS WITH PINE
When you're stuck with the chore of cleaning up after a meal cooked over an outdoor fire, look for help under a pine tree. A dry pinecone makes a surprisingly effective scraper for scouring off food that sticks to the inside of cooking ware. H.G.T., September 1976

108
DON'T FORGET THE GARBAGE
Tuck a couple of plastic trash bags in your pocket when you hunt. Sit on one to keep your tail dry while watching a traail or fashion a poncho to shed rain-and if you must cross a stream, pull them on like hip boots and wade across without getting your feet wet. H.G.T., November 1973

109
MAKE THE PERFECT DOG HOUSE
You can make a comfortable and inexpensive house for your dog out of a 55-gallon plastic barrel laid on its side. Using a saber saw, cut out a rectangular doorway, and then use pop rivets to hang a heavy-duty piece of canvas over the opening. To keep the bugs out, elevate the barrel by placing it on a wooden scaffold. B.T., June 1989

110
IMPROVE YOUR CAMP
You can keep the floor of your tent much cleaner if you make a natural doormat. Gather some fresh boughs of pine, spruce, or hemlock and place them in front of the entrance. By wiping your feet on them before you enter, you will leave mud and woods duff outside. H.G.T., April 1972

110 Greatest Tips

fieldandstream-editor — Fri, 21 Oct 2005 05:05:00 -0400

BIRDS; TIPS 69-79

069
BREAK OUT OF A SLUMP.
The best way to start hitting again is to swing through the birds from tail to head. If you shoot as the gun passes the bird's head, the gun actually fires well in front of it due to the fast swing plus ignition delays from human reaction time and the gun's lock time. B.B., December 1998

070
PUSH PHEASANTS.
The trick to driving cornfields is to position the shooters at one end of the rows without making a sound. They should be all set before the birds in the field know there is a man within miles. Then, and only then, should the beaters start through. And as they go, they should talk-talk to one another, talk to the dogs, talk to themselves. It doesn't matter what they say, just as long as they talk. The human voice is anathema to a pheasant. T.T., October 1961

071
MAKE A WIGEON WHISTLE.
Take two bottlecaps and drill a 3/16-inch hole through their centers so they line up perfectly when the caps are placed lip-to-lip. With the holes perfectly aligned, epoxy the two caps together and you have made a wigeon whistle. It'll work like magic. N.S., November 1989

072
GIVE BIRDS THE FINGER.
Sporting clay pros often point the index finger of the forward hand at targets to get a more precise readout of their speed and angle. Hunters can do that on real birds and gain new trust in the body's incredible, instinctive ability to obtain instant alignment with a moving object. B.B., December 1998

073
SAVE A FEATHER (OR 20).
Can't remember how many gamebirds of each species that you shoot each year? Save a tail feather from each bird as a tally. At season's end, arrange a "bouquet" of them in a small vase half filled with sand, for a souvenir of the hunting season. T.T., November 1972

074
SCRATCH LIKE A TURKEY.
A wild turkey scratches once with its left foot, then twice with its right when searching for food beneath leaves and forest litter. These contented feeding sounds are reassuring to approaching turkeys, particularly in autumn when turkeys are motivated by feeding routines rather than breeding. To imitate the sound, brush dry leaves with your hand or a twig in a 1-pause-2-3 rhythm. Combine the sound with contented purrs and clucks from your turkey call. You'll fool even the most suspicious gobbler. J.B.R., September 2001

075
DON'T SHOOT.
Bird dogs become more reliable on point if gunners avoid shooting at birds that flush wild. Saving your shots for birds that the dog has pointed teaches the dog that shooting is a reward for a job well done. J.B.R., April 1995

076
SHOOT INTO THE WIND.
If a duck or goose is traveling into a strong wind (even with wings cupped and seeming to be almost motionless), swing through and give him more forward allowance than seems necessary. This will help compensate for the wind drift of the shot pattern. If the bird is going downwind, lead him as you normally would. He will seem to be going faster, and you'll instinctively give him more lead. Shot drift will be in the same direction as the bird. B.B., June 1974

077
SHARE A DRINK WITH YOUR DOG.
If you're right-handed, pull the dog's lower left lip from his gums at the side of his mouth, make a trough of the lip, and pour water into the trough. Gauge the flow. Pour no more than he can lap. Never try to pour water down his throat, or straight into his mouth. He'll just gag. Bill Tarrant, September 1980

078
GO WHEN IT'S COLD.
For waterfowlers, bitter is better. Cold weather forces ducks to feed more often and for longer periods of time to maintain energy. Bad weather also seals off many freshwater and saltwater feeding grounds with a mantle of ice. The birds are limited to a few special spots that remain open by virtue of warm springs, tides, or river currents, and theconcentrate there, often in unbelievable numbers. N.S., October 1978

079
AMBUSH A GOBBLER.
Wild turkeys usually prefer to walk to destinations rather than fly. Consequently, they are most likely to cross streams on fallen logs or other natural bridges when they can. Make note of these natural bridges, and set up near them whenever you are hunting turkeys in those vicinities. J.B.R., August 2000 [NEXT "BIRDS, CONTINUED; TIPS 80-86"]

BIRDS, CONTINUED; TIPS 80-86

080
USE A SEAGUL.
Your decoys may pull in more sea ducks if you add a gull decoy to them. Gulls often light among live du.cks but never really among decoys, and ducks seem to know this. If you can't find a seagull decoy, one or two Canada goose decoys sometimes help to convince wary ducks. H.G.T., November 1983

081
GIVE DECOYS LIFE.
To rig a dipping decoy, cast a cement anchor in a tin can with an eyebolt in the middle. Screw a smaller eyebolt under the tip of the bill of a decoy. Tie fishing line to the decoy's bill, then run the line through the anchor and to your blind. When you tug on the line, the decoy will dip exactly like a feeding puddle duck, creating ripples and reflections that can be seen from miles away. N.S., July 1986

082
FINISH THE RETRIEVE.
Never pull a bird from the dog's mouth, always push it. That's right. Take the bird in hand, then gently press it forward. This will naturally open the dog's jaws and release his hold on the bird. If he still holds, push with more pressure while at the same time turning the bird in the pup's mouth. This will release the carcass from his teeth, plus gag him. He'll literally cough up the bird. B.T., September 1980

083
HUNT ALL THE WAY.
Always hunt a piece of pheasant cover-swamp, swale, or weedfield-to its very end, even though it seems barren of birds. Ringnecks would rather run than fly, and often stay in cover till the last possible moment, then flush at the extreme edge. H.G.T., October 1973

084
STEP UP IN SIZE.
Use small shot during the early part of the bird season, then switch to larger shot as the cover thins and birds start flushing farther from the gun. In the case of pheasants, for example, start with 71/2s, then change to 6s. H.G.T., October 1973

085
KEEP YOUR PUP COMPANY.
The new puppy's first night in a strange home is a fearsome experience, and he usually lets the world know it by wailing inconsolably from dusk till dawn. Both you and the pup can get a night's sleep if you put a wind-up alarm clock beside his bed or in his kennel. The sound of its loud ticking will reassure him and supply the companionship he longs for. H.G.T., February 1952

086
PUT ON A SHOW.
When dove hunting, always carry one extra box of shells hidden on your person. It doesn't matter if you have to tape them to your body like a drug smuggler or bury them in the field a day or so in advance-you must have more shells available than your audience thinks you have. G.H., August 1984 [NEXT "BIG GAME; TIPS 87-97"]

BIG GAME; TIPS 87-97

087
SNEAK UP ON PRONGHORNS.
If you're stalking on open terrain, "Frenchwalk." This is an interesting exercise in calisthenics that finds you sinking lower and lower to the ground with each step. It creates the illusion of a profile that's proceeding toward the horizon, and darned if it doesn't calm the suspicions of antelope and other wildlife. N.S., July 1983

088
WATCH THE WIND.
Always tie or tape a piece of light thread near the end of your barrel. The "telltale," as sailors call it, shows how the wind blows, helping you still-hunt or make distant shots. H.G.T., December 1964

089
ESTIMATE RANGE.
The best way to learn how to judge distance is to guess the range to objects like telephone poles and then pace it off. You can practice it any time you take a walk. Whenever you kill an animal, step off the distance afterward. T.T., October 1969

090
HUNT THE EDGES.
Mule deer prefer the edges-the edges of big timber, the edge where brush joins grass or meadow, and all the other places where two kinds of vegetation meet. Food is more abundant here and occurs in a greater variety. Unbroken timber and big brush usually provide no food, yet are good escape cover, and food is plentiful in the lower growth adjoining them. T.T., October 1967

091
TRACK AN ELK.
Don't try to watch the tracks right at your feet. They're easier to see at some distance-possibly 4 or 5 yards. Alternate your glances at the footprints with careful looks ahead. After all, the purpose of following a trail is usually to get a shot at the animal that made it. If you lose the trail, remember that any game will normally pick the easiest, most logical route unless wounded or frightened. Go ahead a few yards in the direction you'd take yourself, and you'll probably pick up the trail again. T.T., October 1958

092
GET OUT OF THE WIND.
On a windy day you'll always find wildlife on the lee side of natural windbreaks, or holed up in quiet crannies in the timber. N.S., March 1991

093
SCOPE THE ANIMAL.
The easiest way to locate game in a scope, particularly in heavy timber or brush, is to keep both eyes open and bring the gun up into position so that the shooting eye is seeing the game through the scope and the other eye is keeping it in view for insurance. With practice, it will become second nature. B.B., December 1972

094
FIND ELK.
You would be far better off to spend all day inspecting 1 square mile of tumbledown terrain where the going is difficult than to cover 10 square miles of easily hiked, easily glassed openings. Along this line of thought, natural barriers to easy access make for a top spot to prospect. N.S., October 1979

095
USE YOUR HAT.
One of the handiest shooting rests for hunting out West is the cowboy hat. The crease in it holds the gun nicely, and the hat has enough "give" to prevent the gun from throwing its bullets upward away from the rest. B.B., December 1972

096
LOOK SOUTH.
Southern exposures that absorb maximum fall and winter sunlight continue to produce food long after shaded plants have become dormant. Once elk are stressed by a few snowstorms, you can always find them on a south-facing slope. N.S., March 1991

097
ACT LIKE A SPIKE.
One of the most common mistakes hunters make is trying to sound like a big bull. Throwing in half a dozen ringing grunts and a lot of chuckling at the end of the bugle might impress your hunting partner, but a herd bull's usual response is to round up his harem and nose tace it off. You can practice it any time you take a walk. Whenever you kill an animal, step off the distance afterward. T.T., October 1969

092
GET OUT OF THE WIND.
On a windy day you'll always find wildlife on the lee side of natural windbreaks, or holed up in quiet crannies in the timber. N.S., March 1991

110 Best Hunting Tips (36-68)

fieldandstream-editor — Sat, 24 Sep 2005 05:05:00 -0400

Deer
036 Make a clean kill. There is only one shot to take, and that is the lung shot. It offers the largest target and it is always fatal. D.E.P., July 2001

037 Hunt a crosswind.
The standard advice is to still-hunt with the wind in your face. But this isn't always best. Bucks like to bed at the edge of cover, with the wind at their backs, so they can see what's coming in front of them and smell what's behind them. By hunting at right angles to the wind, you have a better chance of getting the drop on a bedded buck before it either sees or smells you. Keith McCafferty, November 2004

038 Walk like a deer.
Moving whitetails generally stop on odd-numbered steps-three, five, seven, and so on-an irregular cadence that you should try to duplicate when tracking over crunchy snow, tricking deer into thinking that the intruder has four legs instead of two. K.M., December 2003Â¿Â¿Â¿January 2004

039 Find his bed.
When a buck track turns downwind and begins to move uphill, assume that the buck is going to bed down. He will probably stop at the edge of heavy cover, on a high spot that offers a view of his surroundings and permits him to sense anything following on his back trail. To approach his bedding site without being seen or winded, circle away from his track for roughly 100 yards and then move cautiously, parallel to the track. Jerome B. Robinson, July 1999

040 Study scrapes.
A series of scrapes made in the same direction tells you which way the buck was traveling when he last came by. Notice the direction the buck was facing as he pawed the ground, throwing debris to the rear. You can assume he'll pass in that direction again, so look around for a place to put your stand. J.B.R., June 1997

041 Look him in the eye.
If the rack of a deer is obscured by brush, check out the circumference of the antler base. If it's about the same as the buck's eye-about 4 inches-then counting points is beside the point. K.M., August 2003

042 Cool your buck.
To keep your deer from spoiling at camp during warm weather, put it in the shade and let it chill overnight. Then in the morning, before the sun reaches it, wrap it in anything available-extra blankets, canvas, even your sleeping bag. This will keep it cool until night when you can chill it again. You can keep a deer like this for several days. T.T., September 1974

043 Act indifferent.
Fred Bear thought that deer were quick to react to hunters who skulked through the woods but often stood still for humans who appeared to be out for a walk. The trick to fooling deer, he said, was to avoid eye contact and wait until you had passed the deer before turning smoothly to draw your bow. It works with a rifle too. K.M., November 2004

044 Block their way.
Find a well-used deer trail, block it with some fresh-cut brush, and wait nearby. Deer approaching the unfamiliar roadblock will stop and sniff and slowly pick out a new way around the obstacle. Totally preoccupied with this change in their world, they are oblivious to a hunter waiting near the trailside. An even easier way to create a similar diversion is to hang a slip of bright-colored cloth or shiny foil from a branch within good range of a trail, rub, or scrape. Norman Strung, February 1993

045 Don't overhunt.
The most carefully wrought blind won't work if you hunt out of it unceasingly. Alarmed by constant activity, wildlife will quickly learn to avoid the spot. Don't use the same blind more than once a week and never more than twice. N.S., September 1991

046 Read the snow.
When tracking a deer in the snow, look for sign other than hoofprints to judge if it's a buck. A rutting buck will often stop and sniff at crossing deer tracks and may leave the impressions of his antler tips in the snow. Al look for antler impressions where he drops his head to feed. K.M., September 2002

047 Make your move.
When a deer suddenly appears at close range in response to your grunt call or antler rattling, don't be afraid to move slowly to shoulder your gun. Deer coming to calls will usually just stop and stare at you, mistaking your movements for those of the deer that they were expecting to see. J.B.R., October 1999

048 String a trail.
Before the season starts, spend 50 cents on a spool of sewing thread and stretch it across deer trails at dawn. Check the threads at noon and again before nightfall to pattern deer movements and determine where to put your stands. K.M., December 2001

049 Keep the sun at your back.
A low sun behind you makes it harder for deer to see you, but easier for you to see them, improving your chance of seeing deer when you are still-hunting. H.G.T., December 1984

050 Carry an extra layer.
Roll your additional clothing into a 2-foot-long bundle, and tie the ends to a 5-foot-long deer-drag rope, leaving enough slack to slip your head and one arm and shoulder through the resulting loop. Wear the bundle on your back with the strap over your nonshooting shoulder. J.B.R., November 1994

051 Bring your turkey call.
Deer are often reassured by turkey sounds. An occasional feeding call made between bouts of deer grunts and antler rattling gives nearby deer a sense of confidence that your area is safe. Turkeys don't talk when they feel endangered. J.B.R., July 2001

052 Watch your back trail.
Deer are curious about where you have been. That's why you often find deer tracks on top of the ones you made earlier in the day. You can take advantage of the deer's tendency to follow human tracks by doubling back on the downwind side of your own trail before choosing a place to wait and watch. Pick a spot that overlooks an area used by deer and also gives a good view of your track from the downwind side. J.B.R., March 2002

053 Judge a trophy.
The best way to tell the length of a deer's antler tines is by comparing them to the length of its ears, which typically measure about 8 inches. If the first or longest tine appears longer than the ear and the second point is only a little shorter than the ear, you have all the information you need to make your decision. Shoot. K.M., August 2003

Survival
054 Survive in three steps.
If forced to spend an unexpected night in the wilderness, you can save yourself, no matter how bad the weather is, by following three steps: first, admit you're lost and stay where you are; second, use whatever materials you carried or that nature provides to shelter yourself from the wind; and third, build a fire. K.M., September 1997

055 Practice a worst-case scenario.
Make yourself spend a cold night without much gear. It won't be comfortable, but it's a great confidence builder. Plus you'll discover if your gear is adequate. i

056 Follow the road.
Logging trail systems branch out like tree limbs from the main stem. The sharp angle formed at their junctions always points to the route the loggers used to haul the timber to the road. J.B.R., November 1994

057 Get found.
Make an impression with your hunting boots by stepping onto a sheet of tinfoil and leave it at home before a hunt. This will help searchers isolate your track should you become lost. K.M., February 2003

058 Make tinder.
If you're without tinder, use your ingenuity. Paper money, the coveted elk license that set you back $500, shaved body hair, and even the lint in your pockets will burn. K.M., February 2003

059 Avoid grizzlies.
Stay out of places where bears feed in early autumn-berry patches, whitebark pine stands, mountainsides with cutworm moths. Always hunt with a partner. Use a flashlight when walking to hunting areas before dawn, and never investigate a carcass. K.M., September 2000

060 Build the perfect lean-to.
A Whelen tarp shelter is often all you need for shelter, and it packs much lighter than a tent. The sloping back wall reflects light and heat from a fire, and the side walls provide protection from crosswinds and space for gear. To make one, use grommets, lightweight stakes, and a nylon cord strung between two trees to set up a 12x20-foot piece of water-repellent ripstop nylon as a lean-to, with the open side facing your fire. Line the floor with pine boughs. K.M., August 2003

061 Save your dog's life.
Hunting dogs are bitten far more often by venomous snakes than dog owners are. Because many bites occur out of sight and the dog's hair may cover fang marks, it's vital to recognize secondary symptoms. Look for rapid swelling of the nose, face, or limb, vomiting, wobbly walking, seizures, pale gums, and a rapid heart rate. If you suspect your dog was bitten, try to keep it calm. Immobilize it and hurry to a vet. Administer an antihistamine to help the dog breathe. K.M., June 2004

062 Fight like a lion.
If you are attacked by a cougar, fight back. Lion attacks are predatory, not territorial like those of bears. Playing dead will just make you into a meal that much sooner. K.M., December 2003Â¿Â¿Â¿January 2004

063 Don't overload the boat.
Duck hunters favor unstable craft such as johnboats, sneak boats, and canoes, and tend to overload them. When they lean over the gunwales to retrieve a decoy line or a retriever jumps into the water, the boat capsizes. Pack carefully. K.M., February 2004

064 Build a fire.
In a survival situation the ability to build a fire could prove the difference between life and death. A simple dexterity test can tell you when you've reached the critical juncture: Try to touch one thumb to the little finger of the same hand. When your hands become so cold that this is difficult, drop whatever you're doing and build a fire. In a few more minutes, you might not be able to. K.M., November 2001

065 Drink the water.
Boiling is the surest way to eliminate all dangerous microorganisms. Contrary to popular belief, you don't need to boil water for 10 minutes for disinfection. Just bringing water to a boil will do the trick. K.M., May 2002

066 Find your way home.
If you get lost in flat country, make right-angle turns after hiking increasingly longer distances until you hit a familiar landmark. K.M., July 1998

067 Don't swim for safety.
If you capsize or fall overboard, stick with the boat if possible. Swimming exposes more surfaces of the body to cold water, hastening the onset of hypothermh cutworm moths. Always hunt with a partner. Use a flashlight when walking to hunting areas before dawn, and never investigate a carcass. K.M., September 2000

066 Find your way home.
If you get lost in flat country, make right-angle turns after hiking increasingly longer distances until you hit a familiar landmark. K.M., July 1998

067 Don't swim for safety.
If you capsize or fall overboard, stick with the boat if possible. Swimming exposes more surfaces of the body to cold water, hastening the onset of hypotherm

110 Best Hunting Tips (1-35)

fieldandstream-editor — Fri, 23 Sep 2005 05:05:00 -0400

Â¿Â¿Â¿Advice is cheap," goes the saying. "Bull," say the writers whose names appear above. This advice has been paid for in blood, sweat, lost opportunities, frustration, disappointment, and an incredible amount of ribbing for doing dumb stuff. In a combined 400 years or so in the fields and streams, they learned what works and what doesn't. And in the 110-year history of Field & Stream, we've discovered that smart tips and true wisdom are timeless. We figure there is no better way to celebrate our anniversary than to collect all this hunting knowledge in one place. We learned the hard way so you don't have to.

Sportsmanship
001 Be a leader.
Always obey the game laws. Always take less than the limit. Do some work each year toward improving habitat for game, controlling predators, preventing erosion, or a similar worthwhile activity. Belong to a sportsmen's organization and encourage others to do so. Try to instill the precepts of sportsmanship into at least one hunter a year. Ted Trueblood, October 1948

002 Stay modest.
Never brag about your shooting ability, especially before you start shooting. Gene Hill, January 1993

003 Lie a little.
Always tell a guide you're five years older than you really are. G.H., January 1993

004 Get lost.
For safety's sake, you should always tell someone where you're going when you hunt alone. Unless, of course, you're going to prime woodcock cover and the flight is down. You're not required to pass on everything you know. G.H., January 1995

005Don't be a snob.
Forget your guide is a hired hand. If you meet him on equal grounds, he may turn out to be the best friend you ever had. And chances are that you'll experience a brand of sport you never thought possible. H.G. Tapply, January 1954

007 Honor the game.
If the only thing important about hunting is what we can nail up on the wall, then we're not really hunters and we bring little honor to ourselves or to what we hunt, or why. G.H., August 1981

Guns
008 Stay cool.
It's the cool and collected individual who gets the best use out of a quick-repeating rifle, no matter what style of action it may be. He has sense enough to know that no shot is ever going to be any better than his first one. Warren Page, July 1955

009 Check stock fit.
Pick out your target object, shut both eyes, and mount the shotgun. Now open your right eye (if you're right-handed). Are you looking straight down the barrel? If you see just the bead sight or perhaps an inch of the end of the barrel, you are properly down on the gun. If you see half the barrel, or all of it, your head position is too high and the gun will shoot high. If you cannot see the bead sight without raising your head from a comfortable stock position, the comb is too low. Bob Brister, September 1979

010 Listen to the expert.
It goes down poorly when you tell a gunsmith how to do a job. If he explains his methods to you, your response should be "Fine, how much?" and not an argument over techniques. David E. Petzal, February 1988

011 Mount a scope.
You can avoid endless trouble by degreasing the base screws on your scope mounts and screwing them in hard. How hard is hard? Hard is when you're turning the screwdriver for all you're worth and the next thing you know you're lying on the floor and the dog is pawing at you and whining. Hard is when you're twisting away and everything turns purple and silver. You get the idea. D.E.P., February 1989

012 Mount a scope, part 2.
When tightening scope ring screws, you do not crank on the screwdriver until all the little blood vessels in your nose burst. You crank until, with a reasonable amount of effort, the screws will turn no longer. Then you stop. D.E.P., February 1989

013 Go large.
If in doubt about which shot size to use, pick the larger one. Although there will be fewer pellets and the patterns aren't as pretty, you'll get more clean kills at longer ranges. They're faster to the target because they maintain velocity better, and they deliver more shock. B.B., December 1998

014 Become a gun writer.
Shoot constantly. Lose most of your hearing by your mid-30s. Pick out one cartridge that you admire and one that you despise and make this a leitmotif of your writing. It helps to be from the West or the South, but Easterners can be successful if they are eccentric enough. Escape death in Africa at least once. D.E.P., June 1994

015 Save your hunt.
Bring a spare scope. A rifle that's put out of commission can often be fixed, but if your scope is damaged, it's time to pee on the fire and call in the dogs, because the hunt is over. D.E.P., October 1991

016 Go long-but only when you have to.
Shooting at long range is a last-ditch measure that should be in the repertory of every skilled hunter, but it should not be used as a substitute for being able to hunt. D.E.P., August 1990

017 Hurry up and take your time.
Wyatt Earp was a masterful liar about some things, but he was a deadly son of a gun and he had some advice that all shooters can use. If you're in a gunfight, he used to say, get your revolver out of the holster just as fast as you can, but take your time aiming. A skilled marksman gets on target very quickly, rifle to shoulder, crosshairs on critter, safety off, and then does not shoot but takes a fraction of a second to make absolutely sure of his sight picture. D.E.P., October 1994

018 Shoot a flashlight.
Insert a Mini Maglite flashlight into your shotgun's empty barrel. It will fit into a 12-gauge Skeet choke (or if the gun has interchangeable chokes, take the tube out). Tape in the flashlight so it can't fall out, focus the beam, and wherever the gun points, the light will go. Practice mounting the gun from the carrying position, and see how quickly you can light up some spot on the wall. You'll quickly find out how the gun has to be mounted to point where you look. Now have a friend shine a second beam, leaving it on just long enough so you can cover it with yours. It'll teach you speed. B.B., November 1998

019 Start small.
The beginning handgunner has no use for anything other than a .22 rimfire. Heavier calibers are useful for serious target work or the stopping of bad men, but none of these is a job for the man without some handgun training. W.P., June 1955

020 Reduce recoil.
No amount of muzzle energy can substitute for the ability to send a bullet right where you want it, and the less kick you have to handle, the more precisely you will shoot. Lose the magnum, and you'll probably shoot much better. D.E.P., August 1991

021 Fix your trigger.
If your trigger gums up due to cold weather, here are a couple of cures: Take the barreled action out of the stock and then pour either boiling water or unheated Coleman lantern fuel through the trigger. That should clear out whatever is jamming it. D.E.P., February 1997

022 Winterize your shotgun.
No gunstock can fit well in light clothing and also fit well with a couple of inches of padding created by a heavy winter coat. One easy solution is to have two recoil pads, one approximately an inch thinner than the other for cold-weather hunting, and change them to match your clothes. B.B., September 1972

023 Forget busting brush.
Putting the crosshairs on a tangle of branches with a deer on the other side and pulling the trigger results in tofu for dinner. No bullet bucks the brush. Would you like a real brush bucker? Get a 20mm cannon. D.E.P., September 2000

024 Fit your rifle.
A badly fitted rifle will kick all out of proportion to its calculable recoil energy. W.P., July 1949

025 Hold your breath.
Be careful as you bring your rifle up to aim that you don't exhale a cloud of moisture-laden breath onto the cold scope lenses. This will fog your scope in an instant. Hold your breath as you bring the rifle up, aim, and shoot. Then exhale. D.E.P., January 2000

026 Test your ammunition.
A box of ammo is not simply a box of ammo; it is either a buck lying slain on the greensward or a buck running off and you standing there with egg on your face. You must, dear reader, find out which ammo shoots accurately in your rifle, and then never depart from it thereafter. D.E.P., May 1987

027 Don't screw around.
Always carry a screwdriver that fits your gun. G.H., January 1993

028 Shop carefully.
When buying a used rifle, avoid anything that shows signs of home gunsmithing. There are two kinds of people who work on guns-those who know how, and morons. Amateur tinkering can not only render a rifle useless; it can also render it dangerous. D.E.P., January 2001

029 Shoot ice.
Ice cubes make sporty plinking targets. They shatter as explosively as glass when you hit them but create no litter that must be picked up later. They also encourage careful marksmanship, because every time you miss the target it melts down a little smaller. H.G.T., May 1983

030 Don't be surprised.
A man is a boob if he has not eliminated every possible element of chance from the performance of his gun. W.P., October 1949

031 Fix your recoil pad.
Soft-rubber recoil pads can occasionally grip on clothing no matter how well you mount your gun. Wrap the sides of the pads (but not the butt) with slick plastic electrical tape. If you don't want tape on your fine butt-stock, try spraying the sides of the pad with some slick vinyl protectant like Armor All. That will help the stock slide over your clothes. B.B., November 1998

032 Beat rust.
After hunting on a very cold day, let your gun warm to room temperature before you put it away in a closed case or cabinet. If you store the firearm while it is still cold, moisture could condense on the metal parts and leave rust spots. H.G.T., January 1981

033 Sight in right.
Eight rifles out of 10 will throw the first round from an oil-wet bore anywhere from 1 to 6 inches away from the center of impact normal to the barrel when it is fouled. W.P., January 1955

034 Save your Muzzle.
The rifling at the muzzle is critical because it puts the final spin on the bullet, and if there is a nick or a ding, or if the muzzle is worn by bad use of a cleaning rod, yp> 024 Fit your rifle.
A badly fitted rifle will kick all out of proportion to its calculable recoil energy. W.P., July 1949

027 Don't screw around.
Always carry a screwdriver that fits your gun. G.H., January 1993

030 Don't be surprised.
A man is a boob if he has not eliminated every possible element of chance from the performance of his gun. W.P., October 1949