How to find big crappie seems to be a well kept secret. In reality it is imperative to know their preferred habitat for the season. It’s worth saying a hundred times: ninety percent of the fish are going to be found in ten percent of the water.
Springtime; the weather is getting warmer, the birds are out, and for most outdoorsmen, you are back inside daydreaming of next fall. Some may see springtime as the time of year to hang up your hunting boots and practice your range shooting. However, that is not totally necessary. While springtime hunting takes some thinking outside of the buck, we’ve compiled five springtime hunting opportunities for you to pursue this “offseason.”
Barnett is introducing a new line of King Rat Slingshots for hunters of any age. Inspired by Barnett founder David Barnett’s childhood, the King Rat Slingshot line is perfect for any early hunters, or for anyone looking to relive the excitement of young adventures. The line is available in many different models, including the Havoc, Havoc Hunter, Cobra, Black Widow, Black Widow Hunter, and Ambush designs. The full line is suitable for beginners practicing their aim, plinking, or taking on smaller animals like rodents.
Irish Setter just launched the lightest rubber boots in their entire history, the Irish Setter MudTrek rubber boots. These boots are 17-inches, non-insulated and topped with 7mm neoprene for ultimate waterproof protection. They are available in Realtree EDGE camo, to help you blend in with your surroundings. The highly effective TempSens technology helps regulate your temperature, so that in hot weather moisture is wicked away and evaporated for cooling, while in cold weather it creates a thermal barrier to maintain heat.
Last week we had a gorgeous early spring day here in Central Pennsylvania. Not one of those almost too-warm afternoons that brings everyone into frenzy, but a pleasantly mild 50-some degrees, truly my favorite weather. I took the opportunity to head straight from work to scout for deer in the mountains.
Many folks shed hunt this time of year, which I somewhat do, but what I am really searching for is buck sign leftover from last fall's rut. During winter, the deer in this area herd up in thermal hemlock valleys which they don't frequent nearly as much during hunting season, so shed hunting does not benefit me substantially. Early spring prior to green-up is a tremendous time to be searching for new spots. I am looking for general areas with good deer concentrations, and next fall I will do stealth recon missions to verify there are bucks using the area and pinpoint stand locations. The combination of signs I look for are quite simple, yet require tuned-in observation to locate: convergence of deer trails, typically on benches, saddles, and other map features; with scrapes and rubs (preferably big) in the vicinity; and, food (acorns) and bedding within easy reach.
These bagels make for a hearty handheld meal and are truly delicious. If you’re into a high stack of meat on your sandwich, allot ½ lb of venison per person. If you’d prefer a normal amount of meat, do ¼ lb instead.
Hunting is a wonderful hobby, but it can take a lot of energy to plan and execute a successful trip. Sometimes you might just feel like spending the weekend at home after a long work week, relaxing with your family. But maybe you still want to get that same outdoorsy feeling at home as you do when you’re out on the prowl. While nothing can truly compare to the exhilaration and joy that comes with being on a great hunt, these five films do a good job at giving you that same rugged, adventurous feeling.
Barnett has combined 60 years of industry experience into another great addition to their Hyper line: The Barnett Hyper Raptor Crossbow offers the smoothest, fastest and easiest shooting experience on the market with its futuristic design and impressive shooting speed capability. Capable of sending a small-diameter HyperFlite arrow down range at speeds up to 410 feet per second and landing with 142 lbs. of bone-crushing penetration, every shot you take with the Hyper Raptor will hit its mark.
The popular and award-winning Mauser M18 is getting updated with two new looks: U.S. Marine Corps (USMC) and Fred Bear Old School Camo. The two new camo patterns come complete with a rugged composite stock with grip inserts and a threaded barrel for the option of a suppressor or muzzle break. These new designs afford hunters greater camo options for a wider variety of locations while retaining the same great Mauser design.
Returning from his mule deer hunt in Arizona, outdoors content creator Mike Rogers has a few pieces of advice to pass on to other outdoor enthusiasts eager to follow in his footsteps. One of the most important parts of hunting in the desert is finding the highest vantage point and being able to remain resilient in the fluctuating daily desert conditions. This means two types are gear are essential keys to success: clothing and optics.
