Buying into bowhunting tech trends
August 2010
The hard part about evaluating archery gear is trying to separate the buzz-word hype from real performance. Often we are sold on mere catch phrases conjured up by marketing and sales magicians working in the smoke-filled back rooms apart from product development and manufacturing.
Wily varmints there for summer fun
July 2010
The 4th of July has traditionally been as hot as a firecracker. The whole month is a sweltering powder keg of heat and humidity. Who in their right mind would be thinking about hunting now?
Don’t overlook backyard bass in June
June 2010
Those guys jetting across our big-water lakes and reservoirs in their rocket-powered shiny bass boats have nothing on those bass anglers who fish small ponds.
4 great options for May crappie
May 2010
What is finer in life than a platter of hot and crispy crappie fillets? Well, sure bass fillets are pretty good, and so are flounder, redfish and speckled trout. Fresh fish is good, and that’s the reason a lot more outdoor enthusiasts fish than hunt.
Three primo public turkey hunts
April 2010
It’s April. Spring has sprung, and we are in the throes of prime time for turkey hunting. Big toms are heating up their gobbling action. Hen groups are starting to bust up a bit and separate. This is the time when a big gobbler can be coaxed into gun range with some seductive hen calls. The trick is where to go to find these gobbling toms.
The best two turkey calls
March 2010
I stood amazed at the display. Walking the jam-packed turkey hunting gear aisle of a local big box store checking out the latest in turkey calls, I was simply blown away by all the options. I lost count twice before I finally headed up a mind calculation of 75 different calls spread across a huge variety of brand names, call types, materials and package deals including instructional tapes and DVDs.
Try a light-goose close-out hunt
February 2010
It’s February. You’re sick of deer hunting. Your rabbit dogs are dead tired. The woods are too wet to squirrel hunt. Turkey hunting is more than a month away. It is way too cold to fish — besides the bass boat is still in storage.
Mississippi’s chill is the real deal
January 2010
The first time I went deer hunting, I nearly froze. Not to death, mind you, as the phrase is often used, but colder than a ditch digger’s you-know-what.
Primitive hunts no longer primitive
December 2009
Old-school deer hunters used to have a clear idea of what was meant by the term “primitive weapon” when it was applied to deer hunting. However, since the rule changes in 2005, the clarity of the term has gotten considerably cloudier. So let’s shed some light on its current status.
Gear up now for gun season
November 2009
Just before the start of the first firearms season last year, which the state officially calls “Gun Season with Dogs,” I made the rounds to several of the top hunting gear outlets in the Jackson area. What I found were full parking lots, a buzz of folks coming and going with some acting like they were in a sort of panic like the supplier was maybe going to run out of the exact item they needed.
October is the interlude month
October 2009
For many deer hunters, the month of October is it. Me included. The weather is starting to change. Cool fronts are coming in. Bowhunting is in full swing, and archers are already bringing bucks in for mounting and public appreciation. The saws and meat grinders at the venison processors are whining at high speed. Anticipation for the upcoming gun season in November is whelming up inside hunters of every age and sex.
Two-week bow season prep plan
September 2009
What would you say was one of the most inexcusable acts in deer hunting? Certainly the list could be quite long. But perhaps at the top of the order is when a hunter falters on the most elemental responsibility of undertaking proper preseason preparation.
Trail cams valuable this time of year
August 2009
Digital scouting cameras are all the rage these days. Indeed, they are great tools for collecting data both ahead of the oncoming deer season and during critical phases such as when bucks are rubbing and scraping.
Sanctuaries pay big-buck dividends
July 2009
“My first encounter with the hunting land management concept of maintaining a game sanctuary was when I took over control of Eagle Spirit Outfitters outside of Steamboat Springs, Colo.,” said Jim Sanchez. “Whether we’re talking elk, mule deer or whitetails, the idea is to set aside a sanctuary where game can escape to rest and recoup.”
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