A man who has read my daily blogs for several years had a question. He wondered about my countless deer hunts, both here and elsewhere around the North American continent, and whether I could still fish and hunt. 
He asked my age and I told him I turned 70 years old on July 22, and he asked if there were things I couldn’t or wouldn't do again within the realm of hunting and fresh-water fishing. It forced me to explain once again the lack of vision in my left eye, and the diminished quality of right-eye vision. I told him about the Crohn's Disease which affects my digestive tract, and having broken my back twice many years ago. All have had a long-term effect on my overall health. I told him a stress test two months ago found no heart problems, but I'm troubled by asthma and hay fever at times. I can't run a half-mile on snowshoes as I once could.A complete physical took me over the hurdles today. Lungs and heart, OK.
Monday, September 21, 2009
Saturday, September 19, 2009
Bragging On Fish and Game Is Not Necessary
A boast sometimes rankles other people, especially when two or more anglers are on a trip together. Almost always, one of the people is big on himself and wants everyone else to know it. 
Most people could care less what people have done. The trick is to be courteous and helpful, and if asked, answer the question as well as possible without bragging yourself up. For instance, I know how many deer I've shot over 55 years. It's really too many, and I seldom bring up the topic. I've been fortunate to have deer hunted in many states beside my native Michigan but choose not to constantly dwell on myself and my deeds. On the other hand, I dislike being in a group that is being monopolized by an ego-freak who is determined to quote numbers, sizes, the width of a rack which invariably is larger than anyone else has taken. After a short time, the egotist discovers he no longer is preaching to the choir. They've left.
Mentoring other writers …..
I mentor younger outdoor writers. All are making or have made many of the same mistakes I made when I started, but in my case, there was no one who offered to teach me any of the things I didn’t know. I struggled, made more mistakes, and trust me – when I tell people how to avoid making these mistakes, there is not a word of a brag to it. I tell them about my mistakes and how long it took me to correct many such errors. They learn fast or struggle for a long time. A friend stopped by yesterday, and he is looking forward to drawing a turkey tag next spring. He wanted some calling advice, and I told him I am not a good turkey caller. I also told him that many, many hunters can call ten times better than me, but I can call turkeys. No brag involved when I downplay my minuscule calling skills, but others can associate with my lack of such because they have their own foibles. Some of these beginners are far better callers than me. I showed him a couple of tricks I've learned, told him how I do it, and repeated what he'd been told before. Don't call too much, don't call too loud, don't move and be patient.A quick lesson …..
Years ago, I gave my twin brother a five-minute lesson on turkey calling. I took my gent out, and the bird I tried to call came in behind us, stood there drumming and spitting, and we couldn't get a shot. My brother was hunting a mile away, and we drove over just in time to watch him call in and kill a gobbler with just five minutes of instruction. He got a well deserved pat on the back. My gent was disappointed for a bit, but he shot his gobbler that afternoon. The lesson to all of this is that bragging long and hard on oneself is boring to others. If I'm asked, I'll answer a question and quickly turn the conversation back toward them. Beginning anglers and hunters need to boast a bit over their successes, and that's OK … up to a point. But if you've shot 100 bucks with a bow, it means that you've hunted far more than most people. It also means, if you dwell on that number without teaching, those people often think you are lying, boring or a game hog. None of which may be true. I'm a good deer hunter and a good steelhead fisherman, and have spent 55 years at both endeavors. Unless a person is blind or stupid, it stands to reason that they should have learned something along the way. Share that knowledge with others but spare the bragging.A guide teaches a gentle lesson …..
Forty years ago I drove to New Brunswick to fish Atlantic salmon with a guide. I sought his advice on which salmon flies to buy, and he pointed them out. I sought his advice on which fly to start with, and he picked one out for me. Two hours into fishing, my guide said softly: "Begging your pardon, sir, but I suspect you've washed that fly long enough. I'd suggest changing to a brighter pattern." He didn't have to dwell on the fact that I should have changed flies earlier. He offered a suggestion that I gladly accepted, and when I hooked a 10-pound salmon on a brightly colored fly, he didn't claim any credit. I'd been the one to choose the fly, and luckily, it produced a fish. He could have bragged about his knowledge and skills, but instead, offered me a pat on the back for "choosing" the right fly. I had no clue what I was doing, and it was his suggestion that made that cast a success. Even today, I enjoy giving credit to him for me catching my first Atlantic salmon. He poled the boat into position, told me where to cast, how long a cast to make, and all I did was manage to land the high-jumping fish once it hooked itself on the strike. Stow the bragging, and if possible, share your know-how with another person without trying to make yourself look important. I labor in a business where there are more egotists than I ever believed possible, but I check my ego at the door when I leave home. It works for me.Thursday, September 17, 2009
Need A Gift, Buy Books Now
Let's face it, folks. We live in troubled times.
Jobs are in peril. Job security is questionable or even doubtful. Management in many areas care little about the worker. Insurance rates are rising, as are prescription drugs, and many wonder how long they can hang on to their job. Amid all these worries is the desire to fish and hunt more often, and to spend time outdoors. The cost of travel with $2.50-per-gallon gas, and fuel prices show no signs of going down anytime soon. Jobs have left this state like rats fleeing a sinking ship, and billions of dollars go overseas while our workers wonder about the security of their future. Sportsmen want to fish and hunt. We find it difficult to justify a trip north for a two-day fishing or hunting trip because we'll easily spend $75-100 for gas, another $50-100 for a motel, and then add another $50-75 for food and suddenly the price of fishing and hunting becomes very expensive. What can anglers and hunters do to take the edge off their outdoor cravings. It's simple, and much like my need for a fishing or hunting fix when I was a Michigan kid. If a round-the-world trip cost $10, I couldn't get out of Clio, my home town. 
I still have time to read, and my choice of reading material includes everything from a cereal box to a mystery to a nonfiction fishing or hunting book. Some people don't know what they want, and they contact me and we discuss it their wants and needs by email. I’m happy to make suggestions. Books are the gift that keeps on giving. Christmas is coming, and instead of a goofy power tie for work, take his mind off the office with a book on a topic of interest to him. Buying book gifts now removes the panic that sets in if you forget to shop. Reading a good book may not be quite as exciting as catching a fish or taking a big buck with a bow, but when travel to do these things becomes prohibitive in these economic doldrums, reading about fishing and hunting beats whatever else could come in second-best.
Invest in fishing and hunting books …..
Each year I squirreled away money to pay for subscriptions to Field & Stream, Outdoor Life and Sports Afield magazine during my teens. I devoured every word, and then as my meager job began to pay a bit more I took a second job, joined the old Outdoor Life Book Club and read avidly. Once a month would come a notice about an upcoming book, and if I thought I'd like it, the book would be ordered. Mind you, being entertained in your mind through the magic of the written word and a wonderful photograph isn't quite the same as actually fishing or hunting, but it provides an escape for those sportsmen who financially can't shake loose $200 or more for a weekend fishing or hunting trip. Books provide that escape we need to visit another world, to a place where fish bite and deer are abundant. It can take us to places where big browns sip flies off the surface, where grouse and woodcock inhabit tag alder runs and dogwood thickets, to places where rooster pheasants cackle in mid-air, and a wedge of bluebills skim the tops of white-flecked waves under a pewter-gray sky.Read what the great wordsmiths wrote …..
Books can carry us along on a voyage of discovery, to a place where vicariously, we could have fished alongside Ernie Schwiebert for trout or listened to the tales of Robert Ruark's Old Man talking to the boy. Now, because of books, we can learn about Louis Spray’s muskies and the meanderings of his life, to the Green Hills of Africa with Ernest Hemingway (Spray and Hemingway both committed suicide), to the wonderfully written hunting books of the incomparable George Bird Evans. We can read and inherit the love of hunting from the late Jack O'Connor, whose books are steadily increasing in value. O'Connor has almost as many fans now as he did 50 years ago, and his skill at writing hunting stories became legendary. Book catalogs that deal with fishing and hunting titles are wondrous things and I get a few every month. Name the genre, and there are books out there to fit the wallet of every sportsman. Muskie fishing and turkey hunting are my two passions, and I spend time looking for those titles I don't have or simply can't afford. I maintain lists of books I need. Some books are author signed, and many are not. Some books I need are low-priced and common and a few are expensive. Books allow people who can't afford a fishing or hunting trip to pour themselves into a good book and come out the other side knowing they've experienced something grand and wonderful.I buy & sell fishing & hunting books …..
Most of you know I buy and sell books on by Scoop’s Books through my web site. Click on Scoop’s Books on my Home Page, and numerous book are available, and there are many more that are not listed.Tuesday, September 15, 2009
A Fish Fighting Option
What follows can apply to fish caught from the Great Lakes, inland lakes or streams, or actually, wherever your fish. Anglers have two basic options: the soft touch, long fight and a dead fish or the alternative, a quicker and harder scrap that doesn’t sap all of a fish’s strength.
My preference is the hard-and-fast rule. Fighting a fish to a quick finish is like fighting a man: a stiff punch in the nose can settle a fight quickly between two humans. Fighting a big fish operates on somewhat the same theory: hitting them hard and fast can break their spirit and result in a faster end to the tussle.
Yeah, I know, many people want a big-fish battle to last a long time. They feel the longer the battle continues, the more excitement they receive.
All of this is true, up to a certain point. Some people agree wholeheartedly with my fight-'em-hard philosophy and just as many probably disagree. That's fine, but since this is my article I'll argue the fine points of why beating up on a game fish is best -- if that fish is to be released alive!
PLAY FISH SOFT & EASY
The light-line, the short limber rod or long noodle rod angling methods are wildly popular. Many such anglers practice catch-and-release. Noodle rods and light line were (and still are) very popular, and there is no arguing that this method does produce an exciting fight and perhaps more hooked fish.I proudly own three noodle rods and treasure them highly after their many years of trouble-free use, but some light-line fans differ with me on several points.
The old light-line, noodle-rod gang often fought big steelhead and salmon to a standstill on two- and four-pound line and set numerous line-class records. Some of those anglers also released a great number of fish.
The problem was that those river-fishing people would tie up a river hole for long periods of time as they wrestled with those big fish on light line. The extended battles didn’t set well with other anglers. The light-liners kept others from fishing that hole during the duration of their epic struggles.
If fish are to be kept, I have no problem with this angling philosophy and encourage it as long as it doesn't interfere with the rights of other fishermen. However, if a person plans to release a 15-pound steelhead or a 20-pound king salmon after a long fight on light line, many of those fish will soon die because of lactic acid buildup in their muscle tissue. Once lactic acid builds to a certain critical level, and this varies from one fish to another, death is almost always just a matter of time.
BEAT UP ON THEM
My method may seem a bit harsh and perhaps heavy-handed but the majority of my salmon and trout are returned to fight again or to spawn. This is not an advocacy column for catch-and-release: it's merely my opinion, and differences are encouraged as long as they are kept on an open-minded and rational basis.Once my fish are hooked, the fight is immediately carried to the salmon or steelhead. I never allow a fish to sulk on bottom in a deep hole. That fish is always kept in continuous motion.
If it swims to the left, I pull it to the right. If it goes right, I pull to the left. If the fish jumps, my practice is to pull it off balance. If it tries to go upstream, it is pulled back downstream to the limits of the line being used. The fish is never given a chance to rest.
For every action, with my fish-fighting method, there is an equal and occasionally more severe opposing reaction. I don’t brutally manhandle a fish, but I work it hard and keep it off-balance.
I remember steelhead fishing back in the mid-1950s at the old More Trout Incorporated dam on the East Branch of the AuGres River. A guy hooked a steelhead with 10-15 other people nearby, and he allowed the hooked fish to sulk without moving. If he pulled back on the rod tip, the fish would pull in the opposite direction, and nothing else would happen. The fish was resting.
Me, being a loud-mouth 16-year-old kid, yelled "Make that fish work. You'll be here all day and night fighting it like that."
The kid apparently felt he was tying up the hole for everyone else (which he was), and he started to carry some muscle into this fight with the fish. It responded in similar fashion, and five minutes later the fish was landed, amid wild applause from nearby anglers. Break the spirit of a fish or a man, and the battle is quickly won.
A TRICK WORTH LEARNING
It’s the breaking of a fish’s will that enables the fight to be settled rather rapidly. Fish are not accustomed to being pulled off balance, and that is just one trick. Getting below the fish, and making it fight both the rod and the river current, is another fish-fighting tactic that can pay big dividends.It’s my personal belief to not keep fish, and that is particularly true with spring-spawning steelhead or fall-spawning salmon. I’ve had many situations where I’ve fought a 10 to 15-pound spring steelhead, and landed and released it in two or three minutes. I’ve landed numerous 20-pound or heavier river salmon in five minutes or less. It can only happen when you beat up on the fish and quickly break their spirit.
I once hooked a summer-run Skamania steelhead below the old Homestead Dam on the Betsie River. The fight didn't last 30 seconds. Mind you, the water temperature was in the high 70s, and the date was July 4, and the warm-water conditions and 30 seconds of fighting killed that steelhead.
That, I can assure you, is not common except for Skamania steelhead because they are a wild but short-lived fighter. Often, the first few wild jumps in warm water would kill the fish.
A PERSONAL QUESTION
Is it more dignified to fight a fish for a long time on light line or to make short work of it before releasing the fish to fight again? All I know is that my method works, and has been used for many years. It is, however, an acquired talent that requires practice and some lost fish.It can work well on big salmon or steelhead in the Great Lakes, but know this: if a fish is hooked in deep water, and is fought rapidly to the surface, that fish will probably die whether properly released or not. The rapid ascent through the water can weaken the fish in many different ways, and often, such fish are incapable of going back down and are eaten alive by sea gulls. Perch caught in deep water often are landed with their air bladders out of their mouth. They cannot be returned and be capable of surviving.
My method relies on knowing precisely when to upset the fish's balance, when to tip if over during a jump, and when to give line to keep from breaking the fish off. Occasionally I'll lose a fish, but I'd rather lose one a minute into the scrap than after 15 minutes of a back-and-forth tug of war. Give me one jump, and I'm satisfied because I don't need to kill a fish just to prove something to myself or someone else.
A few people have accused me of not showing due respect to the fish, and that is too bad. I believe that a released fish should still have some spunk left rather than being listless and rolling upside down in the current as it tumbles downstream to a certain death. I also believe in holding a fish upright and facing into the current until it can swim away under its own power.
Which method is best suited for you? Whichever one you choose is fine by me. I happen to be a great believer in the freedom of speech. I will gladly respect your right to dissent as long as you extend an equal respect for me to voice my opinion.
Bottom line: what works for you is fine and what works for me is fine. The whole thing is about angler pleasure, respect for the fish and the environment in which it is found, and any returned fish shouldn't be so whipped that it will not survive.
Monday, September 14, 2009
The Harbor Patrol, Madness On The Water
HARBOR PATROL
Ever been stuck in a slow-moving elevator when it’s nearly impossible to breathe because you’re packed in like big sardines in a small can? Ever been in a strange dark room, and can’t find a door to get out? People get a bit claustrophobic under such conditions. Now imagine being in a boat with two or more lines down and trolling for Chinook salmon that range up to 25-30 pounds, and there are a hundred boats packed all around and there’s no place to go except around in what seems to be a never-ending circle.
That adequately describes what some anglers call The Harbor Patrol. Most harbors around the Great Lakes are quite small, and when the fish move in (like right now) before bolting upstream on the next rain, it’s touguh to fish. Countless boats follow the salmon into the harbor from various launching sites, drop some lines and begin fishing.
What many people find, especially on weekends, which can be worse than taking a beating, is it gets monotonous. The Harbor Patrol beats up your brain, and many wonder how they got into such a mess.
The answer is simple: they want to catch a big Chinook salmon. Some should be careful what they wish for because they might succeed.
RULES-OF-THE-ROAD
Everyone has heard about one basic boating principle. It’s called the Rules of the Road. When boats are nearly gunwale to gunwale, and bow to the stern of the boat in front of you, and someone nearby hooks a big rampaging king, those rules go right out the window.All except one, and it’s a necessary rule for everyone to remember. Forget about which boat must give way: the only rule that makes sense is to do whatever is necessary to avoid colliding with another vessel. And that can be tricky when a salmon is hooked by an angler two boats over, and it suddenly leaps from the water and lands in your boat, along with a gigantic tangle of fishing lines from two or three other boats.
Even worse is when a big King wraps heavy mono two or three times around the prop and shaft, and the boat stops. The mess is worse than a four-car pile-up on Detroit’s Lodge Freeway during rush hour.
Civility and common sense fail when some idiot accuses you of trying to steal his salmon, as is you had anything to do with it jumping into your boat. People on the piers holler because they don’t have room to fish, and you’re being crowded too close to the jagged rocks.
Throw several big charterboats into the fray, and it turns into a gigantic mess because the smaller boats are soon forced into each other.
Does this sound like fun? Well, it can be, and it can be very nerve wracking. I’ve watched first-timers to The Harbor Patrol bolt for open water although it may take them an hour or more to thread their way cautiously through the floating mass of boating humanity.
The savvy anglers work the outside edges of the river current where it flows between the piers and into the big lake. They work the color line where dark river water meets clean lake water, but this can get a bit jammed up with boats as others see someone catch a fish.
Spoons and glow-in-the-dark J-plugs work as do luminous
- Little Cleos
- Kastmasters
- Krocodiles and
- other spoons
It’s when the sun goes down, and the night gets dark, that pier fishermen begin casting luminous spoons. The trick is to cast out, let the lure sink to bottom and then reel them slowly along bottom.
The average trolling speed also is quite slow but be aware that a very short 10-foot speed up-slow down can trigger a strike. Fish lures quite close to the cannonballs, and don’t be afraid to switch lures. The luminous lures work best just as dusk turns to dark.
Salmon trolling between the piers at
- Frankfort
- Manistee
- Ludington
- Pentwater
- Muskegon
- Grand Haven
- Saugatuck
- Benton Harbor
St. Joseph along Lake Michigan can be a hoot. Just keep a sharp eye out for people making sudden turns, and if you’re smart, you’ll get an early start to avoid the harbor area and its early-morning crowd.
Find a clear spot to troll just outside of the piers, and plan ahead to have plenty of open space around you. That works for me.
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Betting The Farm On A Shot
Those who were staunch in their opinion said they could feel it in their bones. Now me, feeling something in my bones usually means a touch of arthritis is flaring up.
They continued to plunge on saying the wind was right, they were planning to hunt such and such a ground blind or tree stand. They had this dream formed in their mind, and I wasn't about to try swaying their thoughts.
Off they would go, a big grin of anticipation on their face. Over many years of hunting whitetail bucks, more often than not, a hunter with a no-fail plan will be the first to fold his tent when the deer go elsewhere.
It's my nature to let them natter on and on, and if they ask for my opinion, I offer it for what it is worth. Some pay attention, and others just fritter away an evening of hunting without ever being within 100 yards of a buck.
INSTINCT BET
Deer operate on instincts, and getting too hyped up in advance can make a hunter careless. In their rush to get settled into the stand, something falls out of their pocket and is left laying on the ground where every nearby deer will see or smell it.Their giddy mood often makes them a bit antsy. The beat goes on, running through their brain, and in breathless anticipation of the shot they know is coming, their toes are tapping the stand in time with the music paying in their head.
A buck stands back in the brush, hears a faint sound, and eventually the animal locates it high in a cedar, pine or oak tree, and heads off to visit his girlfriend 300 yards away.
Or, our hero sits in the tree, looking a bit southwest with binoculars to his eyes, scanning the terrain for a buck. Every so often, sunlight will glint off the lens and sent a flash of light on its way. A deer that looks up just in time to see the flash of light will be suspicious and approach that area with extreme caution, if at all.
Sometimes the buck does show, and after hours of dreaming of a close and deadly shot, the bow hunter becomes all fumble-fingered, and creates too much movement as he prepares for a shot. Or, he turns slightly in the stand for a close shot, and something falls out of his pocket and goes clattering across the stand.
It could be a wallet or anything. The bow limb could rub against the tree, and some bark or pine needles could go drifting to the ground. A sharp-eyed buck will spot the falling stuff, wonder why he'd never seen it happen in that spot before, and before we know it, the buck is two fields away and still running, scared plumb out of his wits.
SURE BET
These things happen. I've learned never to predict a buck at the end of my hunting day. First of all, I'd have to see one I wanted to shoot, and that never happens on a regular basis.I do believe in being optimistic. Feeling confident is much different than almost bragging about a buck that may not come within two miles of the hunter.
Respect for the animals we hunt is important. It's far more important than bragging about an animal that as yet has not been seen or shot. It may be time for some hunters to critically analyze the reasons why they hunt, and those who have true convictions, hunt for the sake of hunting. A buck or doe is only a bonus.
Killing a buck or doe proves very little other than the hunter was in the right place at the right time, and made a good shot. It rarely proves anything else.
Saturday, September 12, 2009
Ways To Prevent Seasickness
It can strike young and old alike. It’s called seasickness, and early fall salmon trips on wind-swept waves can cause problems.
My buddy was deep in the throes of this marine illness. He was gut-wrenching seasick. Knee-walking ill. Puking his guts out. A feeling of dizziness overwhelmed him. His face was pale, perspiration dotted his brow, and he was sucking air like a person after running a 1,500-meter race. He was in sad shape.
We were 10 minutes out of port, and the boat was rolling in five-foot swells pushed by a stiff northwesterly wind that was blowing foam off the top of the whitecaps. Five minutes after reaching open water, he was hanging over the rail while I kept him somewhat upright by grabbing his belt and hoping it would hold.
All this didn't make him feel better. In fact, it made him feel even worse but I was trying to keep him from pitching head-first into the rolling foam-flecked waves.
“Oh, God, I’m sick,” he sputtered, vomit dripping off his chin. “How long will this last?”
The skipper, unsympathetic as most are to people who are afraid others will think they are a wimp if they take medications to prevent getting ill, said: “It will last until I turn this boat around and drop you off on shore.”
Bob’s ongoing vomiting brings truth to an old saw often spun by ancient and modern mariners -- when a person first get seasick, they are afraid they will die. After a prolonged bout with this malady and the dry heaves, they are more afraid they won't.
This is how Bob felt until we took him back to shore. Five minutes after his feet touched dry dirt, and he kneeled to kiss the ground, he experienced a miraculous recovery.
Seasickness can affect anyone, at any time, and its causes are many. The only sure cure is firm ground underfoot, and even then, nausea or queasiness in your guts can linger for hours.
What is seasickness, and how is it treated? I've never (that’s me knocking on wood) been seasick, although I've had an upset stomach several times. What causes the illness is hard to determine although there are many guesses as to its causes.
Boating sickness is another name for this problem. Motion sickness is another. It can occur in a car, boat, bus, roller coaster, Ferris wheel, or bumpy airplane ride, to name a few. Motion upsets the middle ear, which helps us maintain our balance or equilibrium, and this sets up a feeling of exaggerated movement. Rough water isn't the only thing that makes people ill.
One major factor in seasickness is fear. Few people readily admit they fear the water, but they may be very uncomfortable being on big water, regardless of the boat size or the captain’s skills. They subconsciously think about the boat tipping over, them being thrown overboard, and they become nauseous and ill.
This part is all in their head. They talk themselves into getting sick, and this is the one thing over which they have some control. Don a life jacket, tell your friends you’re a weenie, and go fishing and don’t think about the waves, motion and stomach queasiness.
What an angler or boater eats or drinks can trigger seasickness. What a person thinks or hears also can do a nasty job on those on the cusp of becoming ill.
Drinking alcoholic beverages before or during a boating trip is a major cause. A booming morning hangover after a long bout on the bottle can lead to a naval disaster.
Certain foods are known to precipitate motion sickness. Orange, grapefruit or other citrus juices are high in citric acid, which can trigger seasickness. Avoid tomato juice as well, and apple juice can make some people very sick.
Little or no sleep will hammer most people prone to this problem. Too much coffee or pop are major factors that lead some folks to becoming sick on the water. Eating fried eggs, hash browns and bacon or sausage for breakfast, and then chasing it down with a large OJ, is a great recipe for on-the-water barfing.
Sometimes, even talking about motion sickness makes people ill, and some old salts who never get sick take savage delight in talking about the illness. I once watched a father talk about getting seasick, and he literally talked his son into leaning over the rail to upchuck his breakfast.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you," I told the father. "Sometimes that kind of comment will come back to haunt you."
His son recovered, and then the Old Man got sick. He got zero sympathy from his kid or me. Keep such comments to yourself, and it makes for a better fishing experience for everyone.
Impending seasickness is easy to spot. The victim begins to sweat and often feels nauseous. Gradually, skin color becomes pale or white, and cramps hit the abdomen.
Sucking noises are heard as the victim tries to take in more air through the mouth to offset hyperventilation and to ease stomach cramps. The next step – nausea -- continues until the stomach is emptied and dry heaves set in.
It's no fun for the victim. Frankly, others never enjoy watching the results of this malady in other people. It can be contagious, and if one person gets sick, that causes others to do the same.
What can be done to prevent seasickness? Numerous over-the-counter medications such as Dramamine are available. One or two pills should be taken the night before a trip and one should be taken at least 30 minutes before leaving the dock. Check with a doctor to see if Dramamine or any other motion sickness pill is right for you, and prescriptions are needed for some medications.
Don't take anti-motion pills after becoming ill. Scopolamine, an anti-motion sickness medicine, is released slowly into the skin through a behind-the-ear patch, and it works for many people when properly used. The patches are obtained with a doctor's prescription. It's recommended that a patch be applied the evening before a boating or fishing trip.
If you start feeling ill, start doing some boating chores. Don't sit motionless and hope the queasiness will go away. It won't. Don’t go below deck and sit in the head (bathroom) because that will only aggravate the problem and make matters worse.
Rig tackle, watch other boats, study the rods or look at the distant shoreline or horizon. Stand in fresh air, hopefully with the breeze in your face, and breathe deeply. Don't inhale gasoline or diesel exhaust fumes, and do not sit or lay down. It only makes it worse.
Avoid unpleasant odors. A lack of ventilation and close quarters can cause an attack. Never go below or lay in a V-bunk if illness strikes. Stay in the fresh air, and remain upright, and look at the horizon. Never look down at the deck or down at the water.
Try eating dry bread, gingersnap cookies, lemon drops or mints. Eat slowly, do not swallow air and think about something other than a queasy stomach. Do not drink milk, alcoholic beverages or soft drinks. Bottled water and mints are good to rinse out a mouth after vomiting and the mints will freshen the mouth and relieve some of the aftertaste of vomit.
Seasickness can strike anyone, anytime. I've been lucky, but someday I'm sure my time will come. Hopefully I'll be able to follow my own advice, and conquer the problem before it overwhelms me.
Friday, September 11, 2009
Scent & Wind: What We Know About It
RIGHT SCENT
The hunting world is filled with things that are supposed to help eliminate human odor, and help make a hunter scent-free. It’s my intent every time I hunt big game to be as scent-free as possible.I also make every attempt to be downwind of where the bear, caribou, deer or whatever game I’m hunting will travel. Sometimes it’s easier said than done, but before I go any further in this discourse, I’ll state that even though it is important to be scent-free, it’s much more important to be downwind of the game, and know how to sit still and control your movements while on stand.
Years ago I smoked cigarettes. Nasty habit, I know, but there it is. The world is filled with former cigarette smokers. Smoke is an odor or scent, but guess what? During my smoking days I shot six bears, many whitetail bucks and a few moose while smoking. What spooks game for smokers is the constant hand-to-mouth movements.
That’s a true fact. On many occasions, I’d sit my smoke aside, draw, aim and shoot one of the above animals. The smoke was drifting around, and in several cases, it was blowing directly to the animal. The critter would walk in, pay little or no attention to the smoke or the accompanying human scent, and putz around for a few minutes before giving me a broadside or quartering-away shot.
How can this be? It flies in the face of common belief that game will spook at the first sniff of human odor and that smoking hunters will be pinpointed immediately. That may be true for wilderness deer, but where most people hunt on a regular basis, deer are accustomed to smoke from a wood fire, burning leaves, and cigarette smoke.
I quit the cigarettes many years ago, feel no different for having quit, and hunt avidly. I own one old and raggedy Scent-Lok suit, an old Scent Blocker suit, and using Scent Eliminator, Scent Shield, Vanishing Hunter and other sprays whenever I hunt.
Does this clothing and sprays help? I honestly think so. Are these carbon laden clothing and scent eliminating sprays the complete answer? Absolutely not.
SCENT REVELATION
So what is? Hunters would be better served by believing in themselves, believing in their scent-free clothing and scent eliminating sprays, and the most important point of all. They must believe in their ability to be downwind of game.The wind must be in your favor to be successful. Go back to the note above about shooting bears and deer while smoking. All of those animals were shot within 15 yards and two or the bears were within 10 feet when I shot. The truth of the matter was that I was downwind of the animal, sitting motionless and silent, and could control my nerves as I waited for the animal to offer a good killing shot.
Those three factors – being downwind, sitting still and knowing when to draw my bow – were the main ingredients in this hunting success stew. I suspect that wearing scent-free clothing or soaking yourself in scent eliminating spray would help, but conquering those three key factors have long been the keys to my hunting success.
Those products named above are fine, and I wear them and use the sprays. I also spray my tree stand, the ladder steps, my hat, gloves, clothing and rubber boots to further enhance the possibilities of success, but most of all, I play the wind like a fine violin.
One area I hunt is relatively small, and getting to the three elevated coops, four ladder stands and one pit blind really boils down to knowing the wind and knowing which stand will produce best in certain winds. The stands are approached from downwind, which incidentally is downwind of where the deer come from.
SCENT SENSE
Famous deer hunter Claude Pollington of Marion, Michigan, once showed me how to really keep track of the wind direction. Many people carry little squeeze bottle of (hopefully) unscented talcum powder but it quickly dissipates in the air. Instead, get milkweed pods, wrap rubber bands around them and set them aside for a year to dry. Pull out one or two of the dried seed filaments, and set them adrift on the breeze.Crawl up into a stand, and repeat the process. If the filaments, which are easy for me to see out to nearly 20 yards, drift toward where the deer will be coming from, try to find another stand in a different area. The milkweed filaments from inside the dried pod will drift on the slightest breeze, and this is especially true when you can’t feel a breeze.
The weed seeds and fibers are free, and one or two pods will last the average hunter a full season of steady hunting. Get in the habit of releasing a couple every 15 minutes to test the wind. If it shifts direction, as frequently happens, get out of the tree so you won’t spook incoming deer and render that spot useless for the rest of the season.
Many people pick a spot that looks good without checking the wind, and they may spook unseen deer. A night without seeing deer (if you are in a good deer area) means they’ve scented or seen the hunter moving.
Never go hunting without checking the wind. To do so is to court failure. Once a deer sees or smells you, you’ve just educated those animals to your location. An educated buck or doe is far more difficult to hunt in the future. Just remember that the wind can be your enemy or your friend, and it all depends on how you play the breeze.
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Autumn Is Coming
Remembering and solitude
But for now, on the sixth anniversary of my twin brother George’s death, I welcome the bright sunny day. I fished the Betsie River for Chinook salmon, without success, and suffered and sweated in the near 90-degree heat.That I didn’t catch a fish didn’t matter. It was a time of quiet solitude, a chance to think back to our 64 years together, and to remember all the great times and good fun we enjoyed along the way. That said, there is more to autumn than this early heat wave.
Autumn’s Magic
There is something magical that offers to show its pretty face right after Labor Day. The hordes of tourists have abandoned northern Michigan, and once they leave, the frantic pace of northern living slows down and the residents can take stock of their lives.Mine revolves, as it always has, around fishing and hunting. It's just that these outdoor pastimes speak a bit more provocatively to me, and I willingly imbibe in everything that epitomizes autumn weather.
It might be enough for most people just to watch the brief flurry of autumn colors as future days grow shorter and the weather cools. It begins with a gradual blend of orange, purple, red and yellow colors. They quickly intensify in the depth of their beauty, and brilliant sunshine seems to make each color more lovely.
There are one or two days each fall when the brilliant sunshine combines with just the right angle of the sun in the sky to make each color stand out in vivid contrast against any nearby conifers. I've yet to see a pine tree whose beauty wasn't enhanced by its close proximity to aspens, maples or oaks in full color.
Those days are when I stop the car, step outside, and bask in the glory of the autumn hues. I love the sight of the leaves in full color on the trees, and frown slightly once they lose their sparkle, and fall dead and somber to the forest floor.
Other magical things about autumn …
I love running water. The sight and sound of a trout stream twisting through the woods and gurgling around a log jam, makes me happy to be alive. I often pause, during an autumn day, to idly sit on a river bank to watch the ritual of recreation as Chinook salmon move onto a spawning redd and renew their kind.The old adage about Pacific salmon holds true: They are born an orphan, and die childless. Think about it, and it's another marvel of nature that requires too much thought to explain. It's enough to know that it is true.
Autumn means testing my mettle against the thunderous flush of a ruffed grouse, the corkscrewing flight of the woodcock towering over an alder run, a long-tailed rooster pheasant cackling into the air, or the quick flush of a snipe from the edge of a wooded water puddle once their hunting seasons open. These game birds, although I seldom run into snipe anymore, provide something immensely important to me.
These months often deliver a day of fine dog work. It's wonderful to watch a brace of pointers or setters work the cover, singly or in tandem, moving into the wind, cutting the breeze at a 45-degree angle, and suddenly slamming to a rock-hard point, their bodies quivering with anticipation of a flush.
They stiffen in position, one dog backing the other, and hold steady as we move in. Calming words of "easy now" are muttered softly as a hand gently touches the dog's head or shoulder to steady them up, and the hunter moves ahead toward the flush. His eyes aren't on the ground but a few feet above the ground, a built-in hedge against being startled when the bird goes up.
The bird is up and away, and a shotgun barrel swings through the grouse or woodcock, and when everything looks right, a shot is fired.
An occasional good shot …
Sometimes, for me at least, the bird commits suicide, diving into a long shot string of No. 7 1/2 bird shot early in the season and slightly larger shot once the leaf drop occurs.It is sitting still in a tree stand, marveling at the fall splendor of color along the oak ridges, and watching a buck ease through a saddle and become back-lit by the setting sun and a back drop of blazing color.
Autumn is knowing I can kill a buck with my bow, and having the intestinal fortitude to forgo the shot because it isn't necessary. There are times, once I draw on a buck, and then let off without taking a shot, that I know that buck could be killed. Knowing it and doing it are two different philosophies.
This next two months are the finest of the year. They provide me with everything I need to feel whole. They stroke my one-eyed vision, offer me daily glimpses of some of the most colorful sunrises and sunsets that an angler or hunter could ever hope to see.
Fall is my time. It is the best time of my life, and just think, it starts this month and I can't wait for it to unfold. I'm ready, quivering like a dog on point, and panting to be afoot in the woods again.
Being there, once again, moves me in such an exquisite way that words to describe my awe often fail me. But then, you probably know what I mean.
Wednesday, September 09, 2009
Michigan’s Brown Trout Record Is Broken
RECORD BUZZ
It began as a local buzz in the Manistee area Wednesday before turning into something that resembles a feeding frenzy for the world-wide angling community.
A brown trout certified by Department of Natural Resources’ fisheries biologist Mark Tonello of Cadillac was positively identified as a huge brown trout once the weigh-in scales were double-checked and the huge fish was weighed in front of witnesses.The Ludington News today reported the fish weighed 41.725 pounds. It measured 43.75 inches, and was caught by Tom Healy of Grand Rapids, who hooked the fish while fishing the Manistee River. Of all the state record-book browns caught, this is the first brown trout caught in a river that is tributary to Lake Michigan. All of the others have been caught from the big lake or a drowned river mouth lake.
If Healy’s fish holds up after any possible further checking, and certification from the National Fresh Water Fishing Hall of Fame http://www.freshwater-fishing.org/index.php, it will become the largest brown trout ever caught in the world. It soundly beat the previous Michigan state record brown trout caught on Mothers Day, 2007 by Casey Richey of Frankfort, Michigan.
BROWN TROUT RECORDS
Casey’s fish – a 36.81 pound brown trout from Lake Michigan at Frankfort, Michigan – was hooked while trolling a Rapala http://www.rapala.com/index.cfm. His fish also holds the world record in the 10-pound line class.
Healy’s fish was earlier reported as weighing 40 pounds, 6 ounces, which would have been two ounces heavier than the former world-record 40 pound, four ounce fish caught by Howard Collins on May 9, 1992 from the Little Red River in Arkansas.Currently, the next largest brown trout was caught on August 7, 1988 by Michael H. Manley from the North Fork River in Arkansas. His fish weighed 38 pounds, nine ounces.
Casey Richey’s Michigan state record weighed 36.13 pounds (both weights stated here and above are from the Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame.
“Records are meant to be broken,” Richey said. “My father held a state record for pink salmon for about a dozen years, and then someone caught one much larger. It wouldn’t surprise me to see this new record broken sometime in the near future, and I intend to try to reclaim that record.”
It appears, if no further developments require a change, that Healy not only will own the Michigan state record but the all-time world record for brown trout as well.
This begs two questions: when will Lake Michigan get the attention it richly deserves as the best brown trout fishing hole in the world, and how long will this record stand before it too is broken by a heavier brown trout?
Records are made to be broken, and it makes one wonder just how big Great Lakes brown trout can grow. Only time will tell.
Tuesday, September 08, 2009
Crossbow Hunting by William Hovey Smith
TITLE: Crossbow Hunting
AUTHOR: by William Hovey Smith
PUBLISHER: Stackpole Books
DISTRIBUTOR: Stackpole Books
CONTACT: Stackpole Books5067 Ritter Road, Mechanicsburg, PA 17055
WEBSITE: Stackpole Books web site
ISBN: 978-0-8117-3311-4
COST: $19.95 + S/H; paperback Crossbow hunting has taken the hunting world by storm, and whether some sportsmen love or detest it, is immaterial. Those who argue against crossbow hunting often lean toward traditional archery’s long bow and recurve. Sadly, there is no right or wrong way to hunt with a bow. It all boils down to personal preference and one’s ability to shoot straight. Whether they or anyone wish to argue the point, the average age of hunters today is growing older. Many sportsmen no longer can pull a recurve to full draw yet others argue that a crossbow is really not a bow. It shoots an arrow, and unlike other bows, this bow is shot from the shoulder. Some arguments for or against crossbow use have become volatile. This book debunks many of the common myths. For instance, it is not an ideal poachers weapon, even though it is relatively silent. It loses its accuracy beyond 40 yards, and because of the shorter arrow, it also loses its velocity very quickly, making down-range shots less accurate than many people believe. The heaviness of a crossbow is another detriment. It is, however, a salvation for those bow hunters who no longer can pull and shoot a more conventional bow. It’s ideal for the elderly, the infirm and for youthful hunters with strength problems. This book covers the evolution of different crossbows on the market today, and how to select the right arrow, target point, broadheads and sights. It covers shooting and hunting techniques for deer, bear, hogs and elk. It also covers classic crossbow hunts for big game in Africa, Australia and Canada for a variety of big game. A battle has brewed for many years here in Michigan and in other states. In Michigan, as just one example, a group of approximately 2,000 people have kept everyone who is healthy, and many who are not, from hunting with a crossbow unless they were legally certified as being unable to shoot a regular bow. George Gardner, the innovator of the 10 Point crossbow company, was unable to hunt with a crossbow for many years because his physical problems were not distinctly addressed by the existing rules. Now, Michigan has allowed a more general and more liberal law about crossbow hunting for the 2009-2010 season, and many more elderly or infirm hunters are welcoming the change. Some of those folks who fought against crossbows in Michigan may find themselves in a position in the years to come where the only way they could hunt would be with a crossbow. Also, this book even has a chapter on cooking wild game. This book describes in reasonable depth the various manufacturers of crossbows in the United States. It discusses hunts to Africa and Australia, and includes one to Canada’s Northwest Territories for musk oxen. The controversy over the use of a crossbow may rage on for years but it mostly falls on deaf ears except for some traditional bow hunters. Many traditionalists argue that the use of these modern imitations of medieval weapons will cause an erosion in the ethics and proper respect for the game being hunted. Personally, I’ll continue to hunt with my compound bow. However, for those who choose a crossbow because of health reasons, I’m all for them to hunt with this now-legal but old-fashioned method. People will grow accustomed to the bow, and whether I agree or disagree with the crossbow issue is immaterial. Let’s face it, folks. We’ve lost some hunters over the year. This use of crossbows could bring a resurgence of enthusiasm and interest for hunting among our older sportsmen. We need to save as many of these hunters as possible. This book makes a solid case for crossbows for hunting. Now that it’s legal in Michigan, each and every hunter must make a personal decision. It’s very possible that this book could provide the knowledge needed for hunters to make a logical and wise decision before buying a crossbow.
AUTHOR: by William Hovey Smith
PUBLISHER: Stackpole Books
DISTRIBUTOR: Stackpole Books
CONTACT: Stackpole Books5067 Ritter Road, Mechanicsburg, PA 17055
ISBN: 978-0-8117-3311-4
COST: $19.95 + S/H; paperback Crossbow hunting has taken the hunting world by storm, and whether some sportsmen love or detest it, is immaterial. Those who argue against crossbow hunting often lean toward traditional archery’s long bow and recurve. Sadly, there is no right or wrong way to hunt with a bow. It all boils down to personal preference and one’s ability to shoot straight. Whether they or anyone wish to argue the point, the average age of hunters today is growing older. Many sportsmen no longer can pull a recurve to full draw yet others argue that a crossbow is really not a bow. It shoots an arrow, and unlike other bows, this bow is shot from the shoulder. Some arguments for or against crossbow use have become volatile. This book debunks many of the common myths. For instance, it is not an ideal poachers weapon, even though it is relatively silent. It loses its accuracy beyond 40 yards, and because of the shorter arrow, it also loses its velocity very quickly, making down-range shots less accurate than many people believe. The heaviness of a crossbow is another detriment. It is, however, a salvation for those bow hunters who no longer can pull and shoot a more conventional bow. It’s ideal for the elderly, the infirm and for youthful hunters with strength problems. This book covers the evolution of different crossbows on the market today, and how to select the right arrow, target point, broadheads and sights. It covers shooting and hunting techniques for deer, bear, hogs and elk. It also covers classic crossbow hunts for big game in Africa, Australia and Canada for a variety of big game. A battle has brewed for many years here in Michigan and in other states. In Michigan, as just one example, a group of approximately 2,000 people have kept everyone who is healthy, and many who are not, from hunting with a crossbow unless they were legally certified as being unable to shoot a regular bow. George Gardner, the innovator of the 10 Point crossbow company, was unable to hunt with a crossbow for many years because his physical problems were not distinctly addressed by the existing rules. Now, Michigan has allowed a more general and more liberal law about crossbow hunting for the 2009-2010 season, and many more elderly or infirm hunters are welcoming the change. Some of those folks who fought against crossbows in Michigan may find themselves in a position in the years to come where the only way they could hunt would be with a crossbow. Also, this book even has a chapter on cooking wild game. This book describes in reasonable depth the various manufacturers of crossbows in the United States. It discusses hunts to Africa and Australia, and includes one to Canada’s Northwest Territories for musk oxen. The controversy over the use of a crossbow may rage on for years but it mostly falls on deaf ears except for some traditional bow hunters. Many traditionalists argue that the use of these modern imitations of medieval weapons will cause an erosion in the ethics and proper respect for the game being hunted. Personally, I’ll continue to hunt with my compound bow. However, for those who choose a crossbow because of health reasons, I’m all for them to hunt with this now-legal but old-fashioned method. People will grow accustomed to the bow, and whether I agree or disagree with the crossbow issue is immaterial. Let’s face it, folks. We’ve lost some hunters over the year. This use of crossbows could bring a resurgence of enthusiasm and interest for hunting among our older sportsmen. We need to save as many of these hunters as possible. This book makes a solid case for crossbows for hunting. Now that it’s legal in Michigan, each and every hunter must make a personal decision. It’s very possible that this book could provide the knowledge needed for hunters to make a logical and wise decision before buying a crossbow.
Monday, September 07, 2009
Bow Quivers: On Or Off The Bow
BASIC CHOICES
Life is about making personal choices. None of us must follow other hunters like a flock of sheep, and do as they do.This applies as well to bow hunting as anything else. Every bow hunter worthy of the name has his or her way of doing things, and often they turn out right. We all learn from the best teacher, experience.
Bow quivers are a case in point. Should hunters leave the quiver on the bow while sitting in a stand and shooting or should they take the quiver off to minimize weight and to remove an unnecessary item that could easily tangle in tree limbs and mess up a shot?
I'll go first, and throw my hat in the ring and voice my opinions. I climb into a tree stand, and after attaching my full-body safety harness to the tree and my body, I sit down, and use the haul rope to raise my bow from ground level. The bow quiver is then removed and placed elsewhere on the tree after one arrow is removed. I often hang the quiver on a nearby limb where it will help break up my silhouette.
Once the quiver in hung, I unscrew the broadhead and attach my Game Tracer string behind the FirstCut broadhead, and screw it into my Maxima carbon arrow shaft.
I attach the release to the string, stuff the lower limb of my C.P. Oneida Black Eagle bow into my left boot, and relax. I hunt and shoot sitting down, and my stands are positioned so bucks usually come from behind me and on my left side.
PREP and PATIENCE
If the deer follows his normal pattern, he will approach from behind and on my left side. I'm right-handed, so when the buck comes within shooting range, and looks the other way, I start my draw and as I reach full draw, the lower limb clears my boot and is clear of my leg, the stand or any tree branches.This allows for a minimum of movement, is very quiet, and oh so effective once a hunter becomes used to it. This method of drawing a bow wouldn't be possible if my bow quiver was still attached.
The arrow shafts, vanes or even the quiver could get caught up in clothing, limbs or branches. But there is another reason why my quiver comes off my bow when I begin hunting.
It reduces the overall bow weight. Not much, mind you, but when hunting in a variety of locations, sooner or later a bow quiver is going to hang up on something. I remove all possibilities of that happening by taking it off and hanging it some place where it is out of my way.
COMMON SENSE TIPS
Whenever I watch a television show, or hunt with someone who always leaves his or her quiver on the bow, it makes me wonder how many lost opportunities have occurred because of that quiver.A bow is a one-shot piece of archery equipment. It's not like hunting with a bolt, pump or semi-automatic firearm. Unless the wind is very strong and noisy, second shots at a buck are so rare as to almost be nonexistent.
A bow quiver on a bow, doesn't speed up getting off a second shot at a deer. It is somewhat awkward to reach to the quiver, pull out another arrow, reach across the bow to nock it, and prepare to shoot. Chances are, any self-respecting buck with heavy headgear will be gone if you miss the first shot.
I often use my bow to help camouflage my upper body and head. I wear a face mask while hunting, and can still turn the bow inside my left boot so the handle and upper limb breaks up my silhouette. If a deer offers a shot, a simple and slow half-turn of the wrist will point the bow toward the animal as the hunter comes to full draw.
Such a movement may or may not be necessary, and that is a debatable point, but it would be impossible to do with a bow quiver attached. For me, that is a strong reason for removing the quiver.
The slight added weight of a bow quiver (even a three-arrow quiver like I use) can allow a hunter to unknowingly cant the bow to that side. Is it enough, under the pressure of a nearby buck, to throw the arrow off its intended course?
I don't know and don't care to test the theory. My preference is to shoot a bow unencumbered by a quiver. It's my thought that it simplifies things, reduces weight, eliminates canting, and besides ... it works for me.
Anyone willing to plead their case for keeping a bow quiver on a bow while hunting is encouraged to contact me. You won't change your mind, I won't change mine, but I'd love to hear your philosophy.
Sunday, September 06, 2009
King Salmon: Heart-Pounding River Action
BUMP - BUMP - ACTION!
A large male king salmon held almost motionless in a four-foot-deep run along the edge of an undercut bank. Long tendrils of grass hung down, creating some problem in accurately placing a fly.My fly would swing past his nose, time and again, and he’d either back away or ignore it. The casting became repetitious, cast, drift, lift the line and fly out and cast again and again.
After perhaps 50 casts the big male moved forward an inch or two to intercept and inhale the wet fly as it drifted near bottom. The fly’s drift simply stopped, and only one thing makes that happen.
The rod tip slashed back with a forceful hook-set, and the 17-pound king uncorked a jump that would have made any fish proud. The big buck salmon surged upstream, throwing up a wake in the shallow water, made another belly-smacker jump and the yellow-orange fly hung from its lip like a lit cigar. Rod pressure was applied, and the fish took off on another short, stuttering run.
Minutes later the fish rolled up on its side, and rod pressure slowly skidded the fish up onto a gravel shingle, and the hook was wiggled free. The fish was held upright in the current until it gathered its energy, and swam off toward the deep holding water. It was 15 minutes and 200 yards of river that was traveled to beach this hefty fish.
KING SALMO ON FLY
It’s still a bit early, and the water is still too warm for active spawning, but salmon have begun their spawning runs. This is a fly-rodding sport unequaled by any other river fishery in this or almost any other state.There are king salmon in varying numbers up the AuSable, East Branch of the AuGres, Betsie, Boardman, Cheboygan, Little Manistee, Manistee, Muskegon, Pere Marquette, Pentwater, Rifle, White and many other streams that are tributary to Lakes Huron and Michigan.
Cooling air temperatures and a good cool rain will lower river water temperatures and cause king salmon of both sexes to head upstream to find spawning gravel. It’s here during the next four weeks where flyrodders can find great fly rod action.
IF YOU DECIDE TO GO
..take this advice from an old river guide who originated most of these techniques 45 years ago.- Wear polarized sunglasses and slowly walk the river banks and study the water. Stay out of the water until you spot fish, and then slowly move within casting distance. Slowly can mean taking 20-30 minutes to get to within 30-40 feet of the fish. Move slowly, and if the fish start milling around, stop and remain motionless until they settle down.
- Fish only for the males. If fish numbers are scarce, and the female is hooked or caught, the reason for the males to hold in that spot is gone. They will disappear in search of another female.
- Sight-fishing for visible fish seems like it should be easy, but it isn’t until you’ve got a few trips under your belt. Learn to read current speed, depth of water, and sinking time in fast water. Flies should be tied in sizes 4 and 6. I usually used wet fly and nymph patterns.
- Two fly categories exist: attractor and imitator patterns. The attractor patterns are tied with bright colors while imitator patterns are tied in shades of black, brown, gray, dark green, etc. On any given day, fish will go for an attractor or imitator pattern. Choose one pattern, and if after 15 minutes of pitching it to a salmon without a take, switch. It also pays to switch from smaller to larger sizes or vise versa.
- Anglers can choose shooting heads, sinking fly lines, floating lines with a sinking tip for shallow water, but in many areas where a back cast is impossible and a roll cast won’t allow the fly to go deep enough to interest the fish, it may be time to switch to the chuck-and-duck method.
This method means using enough split-shot to take the fly deep. My choice is to determine depth and current speed, and add just enough weight to take the fly to the proper depth, which means scratching along the gravel. Carry a hook hone to keep the hook points razor sharp.
- Casting positions vary depending on location and water current conditions, but my preference is to cast from below the fish. If fishing with a fly line, mend the line often to slow the drift and keep the fly near bottom. If chucking-and-ducking, I still prefer a downstream approach. Read the water speed, water depth, and cast quartering up and across. Strip line as the fly comes down, and make certain the fly line or shooting head, lead core line or whatever you use is out of the fish’s sight. Fish each cast out but once the fly drifts past the fish’s nose without a hit, lift the line out and cast again in a quick, repetitious manner. Don’t wait for a salmon to chase it downstream. It doesn’t happen.
It’s possible to be a bit more precise with the split-shot, monofilament (usually testing 10-12 pounds) and fly. The split-shot will take the fly deep must faster than a fly line, even if the leader has a split-shot or two a foot up the leader from the fly. Once the fly passes the fish’s nose, lift the fly out and cast again. You’ll soon learn that a cast too close to a fish will spook it, and judging exactly where to place the fly takes time to learn so take your time and don’t get discouraged.
- I don’t care how skilled you are as a fly caster, if you cast enough times to a motionless salmon, if your cast is off a little bit, there is a chance of foul-hooking the fish. If this happens, don’t set the hook but jiggle the line to make the fly fall off. Or wait for the fish to move and often the fly will fall off. Occasionally salmon will hit a fly hard but you can’t count on it happening. Most takes are very soft as the fish picks up the drifting fly, moves it a few inches and drops it.
- Some people don’t feel competent at casting flies. Guide Mark Rinckey of Honor (231) 325-6901 uses spinning gear with bait or spinners to catch king salmon in the Betsie River. He has a night job, and may be sleeping or guiding when you call so leave your name and number on the answering machine and the best time to call.
Saturday, September 05, 2009
Counting Coup On A Buck
I was making a long stalk on a big antelope buck surrounded by other goats, and trying to get close enough for a bow shot took me through some low brush and a few scattered trees. I was moving low and slow, stopping often to look at the antelope 100 yards away.
It was during one of these pauses that I looked ahead to check the big buck antelope and spotted a mule deer buck bedded down only 15 yards away. I was hunting into the wind, and the mulie buck was bedded down with his nose into the wind. He apparently didn't expect danger to come at him from behind. This buck was about the same size as the photo of a mullie buck shot by me in Wyoming.
COUNT COUP
He was safe because I only had an antelope tag. I was too close to try to circle the buck, and to turn around might spook the animal. I decided to do as some High Plains Indians used to do during a battle, and that was to "count coups."Coup is a French word, and is pronounced "coo.""Webster describes it as a highly successful, unexpected strike, act, or move," said Douglas Deihl, director of Indian and Ethnographic Art at Skinner, Incorporated, in Boston, quoted from a published article. "It is a clever action or accomplishment."
He said the High Plains Indians, such as the Blackfoot, Cheyenne, Crow or Sioux, often used a coup stick or bone or willow riding quirt to touch an enemy.
"In Plains warrior societies," Deihl explained, "Sioux warriors gained their status by being brave in battle, and one way this was done was known as 'counting coups.'
"What the Indian warriors tried to do was get close enough to the enemy to touch them without getting injured or killed. Doing so was considered more honorable than going in and killing and scalping them. To touch the enemy and survive was considered the greatest honor in battle. This put the warrior close to the enemy, which offered a great risk and required more courage than shooting them from a distance."
BLISTERED COUP
The mule deer buck was now less than 10 yards away, and the tension was mounting. Each step was a soft and very slow movement forward. The forward toe felt softly for any stick or piece of brush that may snap or make a noise.Once the foot was placed, the other foot came forward, feeling for a noiseless place to set it down. Foot by slow foot brought me ever closer to the mulie buck, and I was alert to his every small movement.
I was perspiring in the heat, and was surprised his instincts had not warned him of my presence. I was hunched over in a low crouch to prevent being seen by the antelope. I eventually remembered the bow as I stalked closer.
I was now within six feet, and could have leaped on the buck, but that's not how counting coups is done. It is the classic pitting of one's skills against the other, and although it was done by one armed Indian against another in the old days, in this case it was man versus animal.
Each step brought a mounting sense that the deer would leap to his feet before I could touch him. Another step was taken, and the buck moved his head slightly, but didn't turn to look at me. I eased forward another step, and was now only four feet away. Another small step was needed.
Ever so slowly the last step was taken, and I was directly behind the buck now. I settled into a kneeling position, intuitively bowed my head in respect to the buck, and slowly reached out and put my left hand on his left back leg.
The buck turned his head, looked back at me, and our eyes met, and then he bolted, nearly running me over as he headed away. One might wonder how the antelope hunt played out. I stalked within 20 yards of a buck but a roll in the land contour kept me from getting a shot at its vitals. It didn't matter.
On that day, I had counted coup on a mule deer buck. It was similar to an Indian brave doing the same to an enemy warrior, except under admittedly less dangerous conditions.
PUBLISHED COUP
I've since done it twice on whitetails, and each time under windy and wet conditions. Whitetails are more spooky than mule deer, but no matter. Under Webster's definition, I've also counted coup by telling my story to my readers.It is one of the most exciting hunting methods, and it doesn't always work. In fact, it rarely works, and only with the right conditions (a sleepy mule deer) or two whitetails during a wet and windy storm can be claimed by me.
Each time it worked was exciting, but I shall never forget the first time I counted coup on a wild deer. It's more exciting than shooting a trophy buck.
Friday, September 04, 2009
Never Trust A Black Bear
"These wild bears are not Disney cartoon characters," Marquette author Richard P. Smith said. "A black bear can outrun a horse on flat ground for 50 yards, and they possess incredible strength and agility. They are very unpredictable and can cause great harm or death to an unwary person."
Smith has written Understanding Michigan Black Bears: The Truth About Bears and Bear Hunting. It can be ordered directly from
Smith Publications
814 Clark Street
Marquette, MI 49855
814 Clark Street
Marquette, MI 49855
It is available for $19.50 postpaid. He also has written Black Bear Hunting, and it sells for $38 postpaid, at the above address.
Michigan’s black bear season first begins on Sept. 10 in the Upper Peninsula, and about a week later in the Lower Peninsula bear management units.
Black bear encounters can be sticky or the bruin will run at the first sight or smell of a human. Each bear encounter can be different, but attacks are rare.
Here are some recorded black bear attacks where the animal didn't follow the rules.
- The Early 1900s: Frank Devereaux, of the Cheboygan area, was attacked by a bruin after he shot the animal in the flank with a muzzleloader. The bear struck the man on the head and killed him after biting him on the leg. The animal was later found dead a short distance from Devereaux's body.
A wood sign was placed at his grave site and it reads: "Here lies F. Devereaux, killed by the ferocity of a famous bear, in whose memory this monument has been erected out of generosity of his grandson." A marble headstone was added years later. One wonders, the way this is written, whether the monument was for Devereaux or the bear.
- July 7, 1948: Three-year-old Carol Ann Romranky lived with her parents in the Upper Peninsula in a remote U.S. Forest Service fire-tower cabin near Brimley. The girl was playing outside when a 125-pound bear pulled her off the cabin porch. The animal dragged her into the woods, killed her by biting through her neck -- severing her spine -- and fed on the body. The bear was killed the same day as it returned to feed on the girl's corpse.
- June 5, 1960: Arthur DeGault, 71, of Engadine was attacked by a sow with three cubs. The man happened on the bears by accident, and when he tried to get away, she attacked and bit his thigh. He hit the sow with his fist, and it stood erect to swat and bite him as he tried to back away. He drew a knife and stabbed the bear several times. The bruin fled, and he walked a mile to his home. His injuries required 100 stitches.
- July, 1975: Paul Cameron, 16, of Dearborn, was camping in the Upper Peninsula's Porcupine Mountains. He awoke in the morning and heard a bear prowling around. The animal knocked his tent down and began dragging it away.
Cameron rolled from the tent, lay motionless on the ground, and the bruin grabbed him by the throat with its teeth. He screamed, and the bear dropped him and ran away. A 125-pound sow with two cubs was later killed as they ransacked his abandoned tent.
- Autumn, 1976: Joe Newman, Sr. of Palmer was grouse hunting and nearly stepped on two sleeping bear cubs. They screamed, and Newman was charged by the sow. The bear was shot three times at point-blank range with a 20-gauge shotgun. Newman was not injured.
- June, 1978: Michael Patterson, 19, of Alma, was attacked by a boar and climbed a balsam tree to escape. His back and legs had been bitten and scratched by a bear, but he died of a ruptured lung and kidney. It's thought a bear pulled him from the tree, and the fall killed him.
- September 19, 1982: John Skosnik of Warren was bear hunting and apparently shot a sow that was accompanied by unseen cubs. The wounded sow charged the hunter and bit him numerous times before leaving.
Bears are very unpredictable. There have been several very close encounters between me and adult black bears but I have never had a major problem, and the same holds true for Richard Smith, but we both know the next bruin we meet may prove to be an exception to the rule.
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