Don't Double Freeze Your Catch

If you are an ice fisherman and plan on keeping some fish for future use by freezing them don't just throw your fish out on the ice after catching them. If your catch freezes and then you thaw them to clean and then freeze them again you will end up with mushy fish. You wouldn't buy frozen fish at the store, bring them home, thaw them out and then freeze them again so don't do it to your personal catch either.

Take along a cooler or pail to keep your fish in. Add enough water to cover them and they won't freeze. Using a stringer in an extra hole will also work. Taking a little extra care on the ice will pay big dividends at your next fish fry.

25 Ultimate Vacations for Outdoorsmen

Looking for a great place to go on a vacation as an outdoorsman, check out this link.

A Little Motion Goes A Long Way

We have all seen the motorized bunnies that shake all over the place in an effort to attract predators. These do work but they can be a pain to lug around and set up, not to mention the cost of buying your robotic bunny.

A much simpler method and one that is just as effective is to tie a turkey tail feather to a small rod that you can stick in the ground with ease. A fiberglass driveway markers works great, but you will need to paint it before using. This turkey tail feather will provide just the right amount of movement to help attract that wily predator when you are calling.

Squirrels or Deer

When you come across acorns that have been eaten in the woods don't get too excited about what you may have found until you do a little further investigation. 

Deer love acorns but so do squirrels. I know a hunter that has hunted over acorns with high expectations, only to be let down by the lack of feeding deer and all of the annoying squirrels running around his tree.

To tell if it was deer or squirrels eating those acorns take a look at the left behind portions of the acorn. Deer will snap the cap of the acorn off with their teeth and then eat the rest of the acorn. A squirrel will either take to whole acorn or will leave behind chewed acorns. They will look like someone took a bite out of the acorn. If you are finding mostly chewed acorns and not the caps, either change locations or go get your squirrel gun.

Improving Arrow Penetration

To improve arrow penetration, reduce wind drag and make your arrows easier to remove from the target during practice, apply a thin coating of either a gloss tire gel or a quality auto wax. Personally, I use Klasse sealant which is a high tech auto glaze. It last longer, is essentially odor free and is the slickest product I have found. 

Cold Feet

There is nothing worse than cold feet that has been caused by of all things, sweaty feet. If the conditions are right and your choice of socks were not, you will end up with sweaty feet which will lead to cold feet in a hurry.

The best way to prevent this, other than proper foot gear, is to use an antiperspirant on your feet. Make sure to use a scent free product. You don't want the heat of your feet carrying the fhu fhu smell of your antiperspirant all through the woods.

Money Talks

Unfortunately, Politicians make most (in my opinion) decisions based on either keeping their jobs or money. For once this may help the sportsmen, as long as we make a point to let our elected officials know about the facts revealed in a report released by the Congressional Sportsmen's Foundation. The CSF sent a copy of this full report to all Members of Congress but I think that if we each sent our Representatives a copy it would do more good. The full report can be downloaded here.

Some highlights of the report are:

• America's 34 million hunters and anglers directly support 1.6 million jobs.

• They spend more than a billion dollars a year just in license, stamps, tags, and permit sales.

• They pay $25 billion in federal, state, and local taxes which is enough to pay the salaries 0f 527,900 police officers or 454,000 firefighters or 476,870 public school teachers.

• Taxes paid by hunters have enabled the purchase of more than 15.4 million acres of federal and state managed wilderness and national wildlife refuge land.

• If Sportsmen as a whole were a major corporation, they would be among the top 20 largest companies in the world. Revenue generated by sportsmen exceeds the combined revenues of Microsoft, Google, eBay and Yahoo.

• Fishermen spend more than $1 billion on the purchase of bait alone.
  

Economic impact is not the only "big stick" that us sportsmen carry. We also have tremendous political influence. Outdoor enthusiasts comprise 1/3 of all voters, one of the largest voting blocs in the nation. 8 out of 10 sportsmen say that a candidate's position on sportsmen's issues is important in determining for whom they will vote. 73% of Americans approve of hunting and 95% approve of fishing. Only 3% that appose either or both hunting and fishing are from an animal rights philosophy (isn't it surprising how we only hear about the animal rights issues in the media).

With this information we should all feel a little bit better about the future of our sporting life. However, we must use this information to our advantage the next time the animal rights groups threaten to take away what we all love. The Humane Society and PETA don't want people to know the truth and they are very aggressive and persuasive at pushing their view points. Make it a point to inform your Representatives about the financial impact that we as sportsmen make and more importantly the political clout that we have as a group. If they want their job for another term they had better look at who is footing the bill.

Ice Safety

If you will be going out on the ice this winter please assume that "There is no safe ice" and read the information on this web page put together by the US Army. No fish is worth losing your life over. Play it safe and have fun.

Seeing Blue

Research has proven that deer can see color. The exact colors and the intensity is still being researched but the one color that the researchers are sure that deer can see is Blue.

This is one color I wish that deer couldn't see because I'm a creature of habit and comfort, which means that I wear blue jeans quite a bit while hunting deer. I guess that will have to come to an end.

Storing Your Gun

I was visiting with a local gunsmith friend this morning and the subject of cleaning/storing guns came up. He stated that he never oils the outside of his guns. This came as a surprise but he went on to tell me that oil floats on top of water. If moisture gets under the oil or was there when the oil was applied it will be trapped there and can cause rusting and pitting. He said the best thing to do is to wipe down the exterior of your gun with a silicone impregnated cloth. Water always beads up on silicone just like a car wax. He said he also uses carnuba wax on some of his guns.

Preparing Your Gun for Cold Weather

If you are planning on some late season hunting with your favorite gun it is time to make a few small changes before going afield.

Gun oil/grease and cold temperatures do not mix well. If you are using an autoloader, this advice is especially important. Before taking off on your cold weather hunting trip take your gun apart and spray everything, except the gas mechanism on autoloaders, with a good gun degreaser to remove all traces of oil and/or grease. Let the gun parts dry for a short time and then apply a graphite power to the moving parts. Put the gun back together and go hunting.

When you are done hunting you should again clean the gun to remove the graphite powder and other residue and then apply a good gun oil.

PETA Signs

Take a look at these signs from PETA. Remember also that the Humane Society is in the same boat as PETA and all sportsman need to get involved in fighting back against these groups. If we expect someone else to fight the fight then we will all lose.

Delayed Posts

I just wanted to check in with everyone and apologize for the low number of posts lately. With the fall hunting season and fall walleye fishing I have not had much time to sit behind the computer....and neither should you...get out there and enjoy the fall!! Keep checking back as I'll be adding posts sporadically and I promise to get back into regular posting as soon as my freezer is full.

For Great Tasting Deer

Meat preparation begins BEFORE THE SHOT! Older deer (bucks in particular) usually have a stronger taste (gamy), and will usually be harder to tenderize. So if meat is what you are after, first and foremost, learn to identify and choose an animal between 1&3 years old. Does are usually the best choice. Try to shoot a calm animal. Animals that have been spooked or are running when shot tend to have a "gamy" taste when cooked. The shot...careful shot placement is ALWAYS important! Proper shot placement is not only an ETHICAL MUST...a quick kill also insures the best tasting venison! Broadside shots, through both lungs are best. This insures a quick, humane kill and destroys a minimal amount of meat. Once your deer is down...gut it, clean the inside of the body cavity (use clean dry rags and keep water away from the inside of the carcass to prevent bacteria growth) and COOL it down ASAP! In the unfortunate event of a gut shot CLEANING of the body cavity becomes TOP PRIORTY! If you need to use water to clean the body cavity out because of a gut shot then be sure to wipe the body cavity dry with a clean rag. I wish you all good hunting this fall.

Fishing Females - Reader of the Month

Dear OutdoorU,

Once again I have out-fished the guys in the boat! While fishing in the Gulf off the shore of Florida I was able to bring over 20 fish into the boat (red snapper, mangrove snapper, striped bass, spotted bass and some other stuff.) The two men in the boat caught 6 fish total. One was a "lizard" fish and another a catfish, neither of which the Captain would allow in the boat. Tee Hee.

I've attached a picture of the one of the only fish we kept (for shark bate) because the captain believed in catch and release. Next time I take a charter I'm going to make sure we have a "filet and release" cruise.

Love your sight and hope to learn enough to keep out fishing all they guys in the boat.

Sincerely,
Anonymous Fishing Female

Timeless Bowhunting

Once again I want to recommend a book for those of you that bowhunt or are thinking about bowhunting. Timeless Bowhunting by Roy S. Marlow has been one of the best books I've ever read concerning archery.

It covers every detail of the mechanics of archery for both compound shooters and traditional shooters. The book is laid out with easy to understand chapters that are only a few pages per topic. I like books that I can pick up for just a few minutes when I get a chance, read a chapter and put it back down. The problem I had with this book is that I'd read a chapter and say to myself, oh what the heck, one more chapter and pretty soon the book was done.

If you are at all interested in a deeper understanding of archery and want an easy way to learn about it, then this book is for you.

Red Line versus Red Hooks

I have always wondered how they can advertise red fishing line as being invisible to fish yet you always here that fish bite better on red hooks. How can this be? Someone must be lying.

Well today I learned the answer on the Huntcast podcast. The answer is that the red color in fishing line is translucent. This translucence will cause the red color to disappear in about 4 feet of water.

The red color of a fishing hook is opaque and reflects light which will make the red color visible down past 100 feet.

Now I feel better knowing that no one has been lying.

Controlling Your Scent With Chlorophyll

In the pursuit of eliminating human odor you may want to give Chlorophyll tablets a try. Chlorophyll has been used by doctors for years in treating patients with bad breath and body odors. Chlorophyll works on the inside of the human body at the source of the odors. If the right amount of Chlorophyll is taken your body will produce very few odors which is the goal we all want to achieve while hunting deer.

One hunter, I forgot his name, on a recent Podcast said that he stops eating meat prior to and during the hunting season. He also shaves his head and the rest of his body hair. Another thing he stated as being essential to his success was the use of Chlorophyll tablets. He said that you will know when you are taking enough of the tablets based on the odor of... well you know. He stated that when there was no odor left you are taking the right amount.

I don't want to get into how to take Chlorophyll, when to take it or how much to take. I also don't want to talk about any potential safety issues, even though I'm not aware of any. What I want to do is let you know that Chlorophyll is an option for scent control and to encourage you to check into on your own. I think you will be happy with the results. By the way, you can buy Chlorophyll tablets, without a prescription, from most pharmacies.

Don't Spoil Your Big Game

The #1 cause of spoiling wild game comes from washing out the carcass or icing down the carcass. I know this sounds strange and counter intuitive but believe me in this matter.

My Father and Brother operate a professional meat processing plant and each year deer are brought in that have spoiled because the hunter washed out the inside of the deer or iced it down thinking they were doing the right thing.

The bacteria that spoils meat needs water/moisture to grow and do its damage. Without the moisture there can be no bacteria growth.

After field dressing your big game, drain out all of the fluid and then using a clean rag wipe out the inside of the carcass as good as you can. Be sure to wipe in every nook and cranny, especially between the hind legs and up into the throat area. Prop open the chest to allow for drying and cooling.

Don't skin your animal until you are ready to process the meat. The skin will protect the meat and keep it from drying out. If the temperatures in your garage stays at or below 40 degrees you can hang your animal to age for 7-10 days. If temperatures in your garage get above the 40 degree mark because of a warmer fall you should take your animal to a meat processor or process the game animal yourself right away. Just be aware that if you do not allow your deer to age for a while you will not have as tender meat. If you are going to be making all of your deer into hamburger or sausage the aging process can be eliminated all together. Another option is to quarter your animal and age the meat in a refrigerator.

You owe it to yourself and to the animal to properly take care of the meat after the kill. Remember, wild game is the best organic protein that you can eat. Check the price of true organic beef and you'll see that venison is a bargain. At least that is my story and I'm sticking to it :)

Weighing Fish Without A Scale

Carrying a scale all of time can be a pain and using a scale can do damage to the fish. An alternate way to weigh a fish is by measuring it and doing some calculations. You can either do the calculations in the field or just take the measurements and do the math at home. It is surprising how accurate this method is.

The correct way to measure any fish for International Game and Fish Association (I.G.F. A.) rules is from the middle of the tail in the fork to the tip of the nose. Use the length and width to figure out the weight of the fish.

Here is the math needed to weigh a fish without the need of a scale. Calculate the size of the fish with the formula: length times girth squared, divided by eight hundred e.g. 33” x 21” x 21” /800 = 18.191 pounds. Anglers who don’t have a measuring device can use dollars for size comparison with photographs for later calculations. A dollar is almost exactly six inches long; take a photograph with the dollar bill in the same frame to get a near exact idea of how big the fish is. You can also make markings on your fishing rod or take a measurement of your arm. What works great though is to go to a sewing/fabric shop and buy a flexible measuring tape. The roll up to fit in your pocket, they are waterproof and they are cheap.