August usually brings red hot days with temperatures hovering near the century mark. For many outdoorsmen, this month provides a chance to get back inside and beat the heat by cleaning rifles and getting their hunting gear updated or cleaned. It’s a good time to inspect ladder stands, shoot houses, portable stands and feeders. If your tree stands fail, you may pay a big price with injury or maybe even your life. Nobody plans to have an accident because of a rotted or deteriorated stand failing when you’re climbing or hunting, but if you don’t inspect those items and take action you may be planning to fail even though that’s not your intent.
Have you ever pulled the trigger and our rifle or shotgun didn’t fire? Did you miss that squirrel, dove or deer as a result of your weapon’s failure? It’s a hard pill to swallow if you miss a chance at that trophy animal due to a weapon malfunction. Don’t neglect cleaning your guns inside and out and also make sure the barrels are free of any debris or obstruction. Dirt daubers are known to build their nests in shotgun barrels and if that barrel is not clean and free of an obstruction, then firing the gun could cause serious injury to you or a loved one. Spend a few minutes inspecting your equipment and maybe a few hours cleaning, painting or refurbishing that equipment and you should avoid surprises during the upcoming fall hunting season.
While many anglers stow away their fishing gear to get ready for the fall hunting seasons, more than a few die-hard anglers just keep on fishing and catching fish. Fish have to eat even during hot weather and there’s more than enough to go around if you know where to look for them, how to locate them, and more importantly what lure or technique will make them bite.
In this issue
In John N. Felsher’s feature, “Cat Island cornucopia,” he describes how the barrier island offers a variety of fishing adventures which anglers may find will produce even during hot weather. If you can beat the heat and fish at the right time, you may find some hungry fish ready to partake of your offering.
“Crappie bite best after dark” by John E. Phillips gives us a peek on how crappie guide Will Hutto beats the heat and catches crappie after sundown. Though the summer days can be sizzling, Hutto shows us how he uses new techniques to take crappie at night. If you like to catch and eat the succulent papermouths then this feature may help you keep on catching and eating in August.
Kinny Haddox’s feature “Should I stay, or should I go?” gives us insight into how bass pro Tyler Stewart handles the age-old tournament question. Though there is no textbook answer, Stewart has made the correct decision many times and he gives us a few tips on when he stays or when he decides it’s time to move on.
Whether you are fishing around overhanging cypress trees or heading into the woods to scout or hunt during hot weather, you know that danger lurks behind some of those limbs. Phillip Gentry’s article “Don’t want to bug you, but….” gives us a few tips about avoiding stinging, biting insects, which is all part of taking to the woods when hunting season arrives. Gentry alerts us to some of the ‘demon-possessed creatures’ we may encounter in the fall woods.
“Sorry, we’re out of that” is a familiar response many of us get when we frequent the outdoor sporting goods stores and bait shops. Shortages of fishing rods and cane poles, boats, ATVs, ammo, fish baits have all been a part of the challenges we have faced post-Covid. The outdoor supply chain issues are real and Kinny Haddox’s feature gives us a look at how American outdoorsmen and women are still pursuing their favorite sports and finding ways to bear the cost and availability issues. If you don’t plan ahead, then you’re sure to be caught shorthanded.
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