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24 Articles

GIVE US YOUR BEST SHOTS

Most of us have a camera with us 24/7 these days. We take hundreds, maybe even thousands, of photographs in a year. I think we’ve come to appreciate them less because of it. When is the last time you studied a pic on your phone? Came back to it a couple hours later or the next day for another look because you enjoyed gazing at the object or scene or moment in time it captured? Hunters and anglers have good reason to take photos. The places where we pursue game and fish are oftentimes spectacular, and we want to remember what the lake looked like when the sun came over the ridge or how red the maples were the day two grouse fell to the gun in two flushes. But we…

GIVE US YOUR BEST SHOTS

TRENDING NOW AT GAME & FISH ONLINE

BASS MADNESS March means monster bass. “Beyond the Bait,” our exclusive video series on bass fishing, is the place to start planning for your personal-best. MASTER OF THE BOAT RAMP It’s OK to admit you could use a refresher on boat trailering before fishing season begins. Our “Tow Ready in 2” video series will make you an expert. LATEST FROM VEGAS The annual SHOT Show returned to Las Vegas in January, featuring the latest rifles, shotguns, ammo and more. See our reports for the scoop. WHAT’S THE FASTEST CROSSBOW? A crossbow that shoots a blazing 505 fps raised eyebrows at the Archery Trade Association Show. Learn more about it in our coverage of new archery gear. SPRING FORWARD FOR TURKEYS From preseason scouting to late-season strategies, check out our turkey articles for helpful advice. Find them in the Hunting…

TRENDING NOW AT GAME & FISH ONLINE

The great gun writer and backwoods hunter Townsend Whelen once wrote, “A man will travel farther, hunt over more country, have a better chance of coming on game, and be in better condition when he does if his weapon is light.” This is undisputed fact, but most hunters seem too obsessed with shooting precision to worry much about rifle weight. It’s also easier to build heavy rifles that shoot well, and they cost less. Many hunters, particularly those who are targeting whitetails, hunt from their backsides in blinds, shoot houses or treestands. They are stationary for the most part. In those situations, rifle weight is of little consequence. However, for those who trek deep and hunt “off their hind legs,” as my friend John Barsness says, rifle weight matters. New Ultra Light…

TOCAST OR NOT TOCAST

Targeting largemouth and small-mouth bass while they are on their spawning nests is an exceptionally popular, if somewhat controversial, early-season pursuit. Bass are fervent nest guardians, protecting their eggs, larvae and fry from a myriad of predators, including crayfish, panfish, gobies and even other bass. As a result, anglers that locate spawning beds can frequently trigger reaction strikes from bedding bass, making the nest susceptible to predation during the angling process. Bass anglers from coast to coast know that we can easily catch bass while they are on the beds, but the question is, should we? The importance of bass fishing as a recreational pursuit, as well as a driver of considerable economic activity, has focused the attention of fisheries scientists across North America on the question of targeting bass on…

TOCAST OR NOT TOCAST

GET YOUR KIT TOGETHER

It wasn’t exactly a medical emergency, but the piece of bark that had somehow worked its way into my right eye had the potential to make my day a disaster. I was more than a mile from my vehicle, a turkey was gobbling and the morning had showed great potential until my dominant eye teared up and began to feel scratchy. I blinked and blinked, but the bark or leaf or whatever it was wouldn’t come out. Luckily, I had a small bottle of saline solution in my first-aid kit, and a few blasts rinsed the debris from my eye. I didn’t kill the gobbler that morning, but at least I was still able to hunt. Of all the things we carry into the woods or onto the water with us,…

GET YOUR KIT TOGETHER

Eric Thompson laughs at the notion that the trail cameras he uses on his Missouri farm give him an advantage over the whitetail bucks he loves to hunt. “I’ve been dabbling with trail cams since their resolution got good enough that I could tell the difference between a deer and a raccoon,” Thompson says. “I’ve used pretty much all the brands, and the one thing they have in common is they give me an unnaturally high expectation that I’m going to kill a big buck.” Deer that consistently show up on Thompson’s cameras in the summer and early fall vanish once hunting season starts. Bucks that demonstrate high fidelity to patterns captured by his cameras go nocturnal, or they start deviating from their habits when crop harvest ends or shooting begins. “I used…

I’ve had a Kansas farm for 15 years. For the past decade, neighbor Chuck Herbel and I have pooled our properties and operated “Timber Trails” whitetail hunts. We have a lot of deer and a high buck-to-doe ratio. I’m convinced the population has increased over time, and I think our buck numbers have gone up. The state’s 2021 rifle season spanned the traditional 12 days, and in two rotations of six, our 12 hunters took 12 bucks. I took an “ugly” cull buck to make it 13 for 13. A few seasons ago, I would have said such results were impossible. It may never happen again, but our 2021 season was so exceptional—without ideal weather—that it’s worth examining. Whitetail rut movement being so random, was it blind luck or did we…

AROUND THE WEST

Everywhere in the West, March is for fishing. The equal and opposite of that statement is that March in the West is decidedly not for hunting, but let’s dwell here on the abundance of piscine plentitude. On the coast, spring Chinook are nosing into the Columbia, coastal rivers are hosting upriver-bright steelhead and in brackish bays from Tillamook to San Francisco, resident sturgeon are available for catch-and-release fishing. Let’s not neglect hunting entirely, though. Coyotes are available now, though their fur is rubbed and anything but prime. In Idaho and Montana, new and extremely liberal wolf seasons are still open.And it’s a good month to do some desktop hunting by applying for special big-game permits around the region. BIG-GAME DRAWS Montana’s deer and elk draw deadline is April 1, but you’ll need the…

AROUND THE WEST

Being able to make really long casts is a big advantage in many fishing situations, like when fishing from a pier or the shore or when wading. It is also advantageous when the water is calm, clear and shallow. The farther you can throw a crank-bait, the deeper it will run. And, of course, the farther the cast, the more water you can cover. That all sounds great, but how do you go about it? Here are some tips to get you reaching out the next time you hit the water. GEARING UP Former U.S. national casting champ David Roberts knows how to cast great distances. Roberts competed for years, and along the way he learned how to get the most out of his equipment. While his equipment for casting competitions is very…

The way a fishing rod performs is determined, in large part, by two factors—its power and its action—and there are various terms used to rate the power and action of every rod.A rod’s “power” refers to how much pressure it takes to flex the rod. Different rod powers are engineered to efficiently handle a specific range of lure weights and line sizes. These run from “ultra-light” through “medium” to “extra-heavy.” The “action” of a rod is determined by where a rod flexes along the blank’s length. Fast-action rods flex mostly near the tip and excel for casting lures long distances. Moderate-action rods flex more near the middle of the blank and are good general-purpose sticks. Slow-action rods flex closer to the butt section and are good for casting live bait and…

Trout fishing typically kicks off around the West in the middle of March, and this is one of the best times of the year to be on the water. The fish are coming off the lean winter season, and the first hint of warming weather triggers their desire to feed. On top of that, the rivers are generally uncrowded, and since the trout have haven’t seen an abundance of lures and flies for quite some time, bruiser-sized browns and rainbows are less finicky and cautious than they will be later in the year. Of course, early-season weather can be incredibly unpredictable, and the conditions on any given day likely will play a large role in determining how and where you need—or will be able—to fish. WATCH THE WEATHER March weather can range from…

GOOD, BETTER, BEST

The quality of your fly-fishing tackle is directly proportional to your level of on-the-water enjoyment, but finding the perfect pairing can be a daunting task. Here, we’ve assembled three perfect combos at three different price points. THE GOOD Our “good” combo pairs the Fenwick HMG rod (from $159.95; purefishing.com/ pages/fenwick) and Pflueger Monarch reel (from $54.99; purefishing.com/ collections/pflueger-fly-fishing-reels). The combo is the perfect entry-level package, with a rod capable of casting just about any fly and a reel that will withstand the bumps and bruises newbies typically inflict on their gear. The lightweight rig can be cast all day without producing fatigue. THE BETTER We chose the Greys GR60 rod (from $199.95; purefishing.com/collections/ greys-fly-fishing-rods) and Greys Tital reel (from $225.95; purefishing.com/collections/ greys-fly-fishing-reels) as our “better” combo. Greys has been a popular brand in the…

GOOD, BETTER, BEST

Riprap isn’t sexy. Few anglers would describe seemingly endless stretches of granite or broken concrete as “bassy.” And I’m certain that no bass has ever sent another bass a postcard with a picture of riprap and the words, “Wish you were here.” But riprap is bassy, and it holds fish all year long. It might not be flashy like standing timber or lily pads, but it’s like the fleece hoodie of the bass world—comfortable and reliable. By the time you finish reading this, you might even agree. WHAT IS IT? Riprap is chunk rock, often granite or broken concrete block, that’s been placed by construction workers or property owners to prevent erosion. Dams and bridges are common places to find riprap, but you’ll often see it along homeowners’ shorelines, marinas and other places.…

Do you need a lot of sophisticated electronics to fish riprap successfully? Absolutely not. But good sonar can help you identify key spots in the riprap that other anglers miss. For that, both downscan and sidescan capabilities are useful. Traditional downward-looking sonar is all you need to spot isolated rocks that slid down the incline a little farther than the rest. Remember that these rocks were unceremoniously dumped from a higher elevation. Most settled pretty quickly along the slope, but some kept rolling. Sonar can help you find them. Sidescan is just the ticket for looking at the riprap as you parallel the bank. It can show you the small depressions or projections that you can’t see from above the water. It will also reveal any submerged brush or debris that got…

RAID THE TIMBER

It had been 40 minutes since I first heard a distant gobble echo through the forest on my opening-day hunt. Suddenly, a split-tailed tom appeared among the trees as if from nowhere. The bird approached silently, slinking through the timber, weaving in and out of tall ferns and briars. When he paused to study my hen decoy at 20 yards, I fired and dropped him. From the time I first saw him until he walked right into my setup, the longbeard never strutted or made a sound. I had first located this mature bird, lacking a few tail feathers, two weeks prior when walking a 40-year-old growth of Douglas firs in search of elk sheds. Although I’d been scouting turkeys for nearly two months, I had yet to see a bird.…

RAID THE TIMBER

THE LAST-ICE WINDOW

By now, many anglers have started stashing away their short rods, shelters and tip-ups. However, ice season is not necessarily over—at least not everywhere. Any place you find safe ice conditions right now, you’ll probably find a trove of fish. This late-winter window—from the last feeble days of February all the way through March—can be an incredible time of year for ice-anglers. In many places, you’ll have opportunities at a wide range of species gathering in pre-spawn concentrations under ice that has only a few weeks to live. We’re talking egg-laden perch, voracious pike and walleyes, spawn-minded rainbows and cutthroats, as well as panfish, kokanee salmon and even lake trout. This bite occurs on the West’s high-country honey holes, some of which we’ll share here. Mostly, though, we want to arm you…

THE LAST-ICE WINDOW

Sometimes called ice “spikes,” this simple lifesaving tool comprises carpentry nails or screws fixed to pieces of wooden dowel. String a pair of dowels together, keeping the connecting cord over your shoulders. If you happen to fall through weak ice, the spikes float. Grab them, then use the sharp spikes to claw your way up onto the ice and out of harm’s way. MATERIALS • Old broom or shovel handle or wooden dowel, approximately 1 1/2 to 2 inches in diameter• 2 nails or screws• Approximately 5 feet of parachute cord• 2 wine corks STEP 1 Measure and cut wood into 4- to 5-inch lengths. Sand off any splinters. I like to put a slight bevel on the edges to tame splinters and prevent splitting. STEP 2 Drill a pilot hole for the nail just slightly…

ALL ’EYES ON THE COLUMBIA

We monitored the screen as we motored up the river channel, studying the underwater topography on both sides of the boat. Larry Hutchens split his Lowrance HDS-7 screen to three, sometimes four, windows, and toggled between side scan, structure scan, chirp sonar, GPS with map chart and down scan, eventually settling on the side-scan feature. The depth ranged between 8 and 60 feet while the scan searched for fish 100 feet to either side of the boat. There were a lot of fish on the screen—too many to ignore. Hutchens cut the motor and threw his crankbait toward a sandbar. He reeled hard, the plug dove deep and the rod bent over. Before long, the yellow flanks of a walleye flashed in the green depths and Hutchens leaned over to pluck…

ALL ’EYES ON THE COLUMBIA

STAY. EAT. DRINK.

BEST BREAKFAST Momma Jane’s Pancake House 900 West 6th St. The Dalles, OR BEST PIZZA Spooky’s Pizza 3320 West 6th St. The Dalles, OR BEST PRIME RIB Baldwin Saloon 205 Court St. The Dalles, OR BEST BREWS Freebridge Brewing 710 East Second St. The Dalles, OR LODGING NEAR THE RIVER Shilo Inn 3223 Bret Clodfelter Way The Dalles, OR LODGING WITH A VIEW Celilo Inn 3550 E 2nd St. The Dalles, OR LOCAL KNOWLEDGE Gorge Outfitters Supply 102 East 1st St. Rufus, OR FISHING GUIDE Twisted Waters Guide Service twistedwaters-gs.com FOR MORE INFORMATION The Dalles Area Chamber of Commerce thedalleschamber.com…

STAY. EAT. DRINK.

DOWN EAST HAT TRICK

Conventional wisdom holds that landlocked salmon are descendants of some Atlantic salmon that were trapped by geological upheaval about 10,000 years ago. That event stranded them from going to sea, so they just carried on with what water they had. Fish nerds call them “glaciomarine relicts.” However, the newer, enlightened thinking is that perhaps some of the fish just didn’t want to bother to run to the sea. Rather than follow the crowd, these mavericks said, “Forget that, I am good here. Lots of smelts to eat and no giant sharks or other sea critters trying to eat me. Besides, all that swimming is just exhausting.” No matter, landlocked salmon are a northeastern fish and there is no destination with more mystique and allure than Grand Lake Stream, Maine. No matter if…

DOWN EAST HAT TRICK

Down East anglers can keep two salmon per day. I don’t like fish and I really don’t like salmon, so catch and release comes easy. My idea of a shore lunch is to toss everything back and get a burger on the way home. However—and this is a big however—I have always liked smoked salmon. So we kept three that were hooked too deep and were going to die anyway. I brined the fillets using brown sugar, real maple syrup and kosher salt, and smoked them in my Bradley smoker using alder wood. I planned to share, but before I realized how out of control I was, it was all gone. The smoked landlocks really were that good!…

DOWNSIZING FOR TOM

It wasn’t that long ago when the .410-bore shotgun was considered a turkey gun only for kids or as a last resort for recoil-shy hunters. With a really good .410 load and gun, neither of which were particularly made for killing turkeys, the effective range on gobblers may have been 25 yards. Specific turkey loads packed with super-dense Tungsten Super Shot (TSS) changed all that in a hurry, and now the .410-bore is enjoying popularity in the springtime woods like never before. Shotgun manufacturers offer .410 models built just for turkey hunting, and with these guns firing TSS loads, patterns are lethal at 35 yards and beyond. Likewise, high-density turkey loads extend the range of 20-gauge shotguns as well. Game & Fish staff have hunted with 20-gauges that threw lethal patterns at…

DOWNSIZING FOR TOM

MOSSBERG 940 PRO WATERFOWL

Trying a new shotgun reminds me of the old days when I was still dating—there are going to be some attributes you like immediately and others you need to investigate further. A mixed-bag duck and goose adventure with the Saskatchewan Goose Company (saskgooseco.com) was the perfect place to put Mossberg’s new 940 Pro Waterfowl to the test. The first morning out, a flock of mallards and pintails broke the ice, and when the call came to shoot, I shouldered the gun and swung on a drake, dropping it clean, then doubled on a second bird climbing fast while trying to escape. It was duck dinner for two and love at first sight. A quick look down the blind proved it to be a wall of smiles. With shooters from 5 to…

MOSSBERG 940 PRO WATERFOWL

One afternoon in March Shane and his father drove to their hunting club’s new lease to scout for deer and turkeys. Shane was full of anticipation over what the land might hold, and he had a big goal in mind. “I want to find the perfect place to hang a deer stand of my own, Dad,” he said on the drive to the property. “One that nobody knows about except me.” Shane’s father nodded, understanding. No sooner had they pulled onto the club grounds than Shane spied an obvious deer trail. He bounded out of the truck and followed it into the woods. “Meet back here in an hour or so,” yelled his father after him. Shane scanned the leaf-littered ground while continuing on the trail. It led him down a ravine to a…

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