Category Archives: Hunting & Fishing

Coyote Hunting – Varmint Hunting at Its Finest

Coyote hunting season is one of many hunters’ favorite times of the year. Starting in October and lasting through the spring, many who live in the Midwest and Western states of the United States, as well as many countries in Europe, relish the challenge of pursuing these wild dogs. Many others however view coyotes as varmints and hunt them only to preserve their livelihoods and their cattle or sheep. Still other hunters prize the animals’ furry pelts. There are some states, such as South Dakota, that permit licensed varmint hunting year round, while other states have specific hunting seasons. It is critical that the hunter be well versed in the regulations of the state where the hunt is taking place.

The prime coyote hunting months in most areas are the months of December, January, and February. The heavy snowfall experienced in many of the coyote’s habitats is a boon to hunters, making the animals highly visible against the stark white background. The dogs’ pelts are also in prime condition during the cold weather months. Add to this the fact that breeding season begins in January and extends until mid to late February and the winter is perfect varmint hunting time. It also helps that the animals are a wee bit distracted when females are in heat and this helps the hunter chase this normally wary creature.

Finding the best area to place the stand is a challenge for hunters. If the hunter can locate the coyotes’ den areas then it is a no-brainer to locate the stand in close proximity. Since coyotes are opportunistic predators, they love to hang out around barns, pastures and any other areas where there are herds of livestock available for the sampling. Securing the permission of a ranch owner or farmer to hunt on their land can be a real advantage when chasing coyotes. All hunters who enjoy the sport know not to hunt on any privately held land without the owner’s permission. Not only can the trespasser be arrested, but he may also be subject to the sound of shotgun fire if found on someone else’s land.

Learning and using calls is key to coyote hunting success. There are a couple of types of calls used in the sport. The first is known as a locator, a call that mimics the howl of the dogs and determines if they are in the area. In addition to the howling sound, these calls can mimic the coyotes’ yelps and yips. The second call is one that imitates the sound of another animal in distress and leads the varmints to believe that an easy supper may be in the making. The sound of a wounded rabbit is one of the favorite coyote calls. These different calls are not easy to master, but a little bit of time spent studying a few good coyote hunting videos will really help the beginner.

The choice of preferred gun for the hunter is as varied as the hunters themselves. The pursuit of wild dogs can involve both long range and close range shooting and for this reason, many hunters prefer a gun that is a combination of shotgun and rifle. One weapon worth consideration is the Savage 24F.

Coyote hunting is done for many reasons. Whether for pelts, livestock protection, or simply sport, it is a favorite of many hunters as it has been for many, many years.

What Makes A Good Hunting Knife?

The best hunting knife is the one that you have on you at the time you need to use it. If you are an outdoorsman or a hunter then you should know that there are many kinds of hunting knives that have been made for a variety of chores. In fact there is no one knife that is the best knife for “everything.” The main focus is to determine what you need your knife to do for you in order to decide what is the best knife to fit your needs.

So what is your hunting knife going to be used for? Will it be mostly for skinning? Is your hunting knife going to be used for wood craft and survival. Do you want your knife to be stainless or carbon steel? These are all major considerations.

Once you have laid out what it is that you want then you can choose a knife that will meet the standards that you have set for it.

Here are some things to consider when looking for a hunting knife:

Folder or fixed blade? The fixed blade version is the most popular with hunters and outdoorsman. Fixed blades are stronger than folders and are easier to clean, sharpen and maintain.

The shape of the blade is important. The best hunting knife for you is in direct relation to the blade shape. The standard blade shapes are drop point, clip point, and skinner. There are also modifications of these blade shapes in between. Skinners are for skinning. Drop point and clip points are for skinning and general woodcraft chores.

What type of steel do you want? There is no such thing as “the best steel.” All steels have their own inherent advantages/disadvantages. Stainless stays sharper longer than carbon, but is harder to re-sharpen in the field. Carbon is easier to sharpen but won’t stay sharp as long as stainless.

Other things to consider will be hand ergonomics, material construction and sheath types. If you use a checklist like this then you will be able to choose the best hunting knife for your needs.

If you already own one or two knives that you now realize aren’t perfect there is no need for anxiety you can just buy more!

See also a related post, what you should look for in a hunting knife.

Fishing as a pastime for you and your family

Lots of folks prefer fishing, over other physical activities such as tennis or golf, as a relaxing pastime to get away from worries. Some view it as a personal hobby, others as a quality activity to enjoy with friends and family. Evidence supports the fact that over 50 million Americans choose to make fishing a big part of their life, rather than enjoying other sports. Fishing activity has a huge impact the economy. Hundreds of millions of dollars are devoted to fishing; and, around 20,000 people report fishing to be their livelihood. However, the majority of fishing enthusiasts consider it a peaceful indulgence and a family pastime.

Generally speaking, fishing is a lifestyle option. “The Incomplete Psychology of Everyday Fishing” is a book written by psychologist Paul G. Quinnett. In this book, Quinnett devotes a whole chapter to fishing and its ability to relieve stress. In the chapter entitled “Ethics of Fishing” he brings attention to the fact that a true fishing enthusiast must have an appreciation, and find joy, in the benefits of nature. He also brings attention to the fact that fishing correctly carries over into a person’s ability to live a more disciplined lifestyle.

Fishing also makes a wonderful family activity that can provide quality time for the entire family. “Family Life First” is a group that specializes in presenting to parents ways that they can spend quality, constructive time with their children. FLF possesses factual data that proves that in the past 20 years children have experienced a 25 percent decrease in play time. Outdoor activities, which are responsible for the majority of a child’s play, have gone down by 50 percent. A study performed by the White House Council of Economic Advisers concludes that from 1969 to 1996 family time activities have experienced a 22 percent drop.

Needless to say, any positive time spent interacting with your children is worth investing in. And, fishing is definitely a way to achieve this family time. The quality time that you experience is a very rewarding result of the effort that you put in. The significant aspect of fishing, actually catching fish, is the bulk of the enjoyment. With an abundance of public fishing lakes, all with countless fish to catch, all children can experience the excitement and adventure of fishing. Your first catch is a very memorable one. And, it would be hard to forget the parent who guided you in catching it. The enjoyment, the thrill and the learning experience all make fishing a wonderful idea for a family activity.

Everything that you need to go fishing can be found in a store–except for your family. Fishing can relieve your stress and help to promote a calm and stress-free lifestyle for both you and your family. So, gather the loved ones and be pleasantly surprised at how much you will actually like each others company while you enjoy the best family entertainment ever–fishing.

Author Bio: Nichole Weathers is a content writer for Online Schools and Online MBA who gives advice on the pursuit of education and living a healthy life. In her free time she enjoys writing, gardening and horror movies.

Fishing games—a sea of options

Hunt with Only the Best Fixed Handle Hunting Knives

Hunting is one of life’s greatest challenges for the avid hunter who looks at his knife as a necessity that he cannot live without. For the more serious ones who use their knives exclusively for hunting, the fixed blade knife is the perfect choice. Some brands use both full and partial tangs in their blades. Good quality brands use high-carbon stainless steel. Some knives have coated carbon steel blades which are easy to sharpen and stay sharp for a longer time than stainless steel. The handles used for these hunting knives are usually wood, stag or soft grip rubberized or composite handles.

These types of knives are permanently in an open position. They are considered as the strongest, most secure and most reliable among the hunting knives as they do not have any moving parts. The only downside is that the knives are always open and therefore would need to be carried in their sheath. Even with the same blade, the fixed blade hunting knives are definitely bulkier than folding hunting knives.

Some of the best brands in the market today are the 50-year old Gerber Hunting Knives, century old Buck Hunting Knives and Ka-Bar Knives which have been field and battle tested by the military since World War I.

When buying hunting knives, there are criteria that you should look out for. Dependable fixed blade hunting knives should be strong and reliable. Its handle should provide a good grip to make it easy to work with, whatever the weather or hunting conditions may be. A metal handle would be too hot to hold in the desert while it would stick to your fingers in extreme cold. Find knives that have changeable blades so you can carry different types of blades for different uses.

Whatever your choice may be, the best thing to do is buy the brand that you are most comfortable with or do some research over the internet for those that come highly recommended.

What should you look for in a hunting knife?

Selecting the right hunting knife from the beginning will save you money, and likely some frustration. Spend a bit of time to learn about your options and select the features that are likely to best suit your needs before you buy one.

You should first ask yourself a number of questions. Like, what type of hunting will you do? Are you after moose or squirrels? Do you hunt game birds, or are you after white-tail deer and bear? Are you interested in cutting up game for meat or do you want to bag specimens for mounting?

Clearly, different sized and shaped knives will suite different needs better, and there is nothing worse than trying to gut or skin an animal with a knife that is out of proportion for the job. Using your Bowie knife to gut a squirrel is overkill to say the least, and skinning a bear with a short-bladed folding pocket knife is an exercise in frustration.

How often are you going to use the knife? Will you carry the knife when you are not hunting? Thinking about some of these issues up front will really help you in the end.

If you are going to be doing a lot of hunting, or want a strong knife, you most likely want to get a fixed-blade knife. This is the sort you keep in a sheath. The blade is fixed with the handle and it does not fold for storage. These knives are strong as the blade and handle are usually one continuous piece of steel with some material around the handle end for comfort. Being one piece, these knives can take more torque and abuse than a folding knife. With a folding knife, the blade is hinged to fold, and the pivot point is an inherent weak spot for the knife.

Many styles of blade shapes are available.

Many different blade shapes are available in hunting and pocket knives.

There are many styles of blade shape too. The ends can be gently or dramatically curved, with the point of the knife more or less defined. A knife with a rounded tip is often better for skinning as it is less likely to stab through the hide or meat. Dedicated skinning knives have short, blunt blades with a sweeping cutting edge. They are not very long, so you can control the tip of the knife well.

Some hunting knives have a gut hook. This is a notch on the backside of the blade designed to puncture skin and make a shallow cut. When you are working to eviscerating an animal you want to avoid cutting into the gut contents and having that spill out over your meat. The gut hook helps prevent you from accidentally doing this by cutting just through the skin and muscle layer of the abdominal cavity, allowing you to remove the guts cleanly. This feature might be worth it to you if you are gutting larger animals like deer.

Pocket knife with a bird hook.

If you hunt upland birds, like pheasants, you might want to consider a bird hook. The hook is used to insert into the body cavity, swirl it around, and pull out all the viscera in one smooth action.

Remember, you do not have to spend a lot of money on a knife for it to suite your needs well. Even utility knives from the hardware store can be very serviceable in the field, cutting and preparing game. I would also recommend that you not get a knife that is too large. Avoid the “Crocodile Dundee” temptation of getting a huge knife—you don’t really want to carry that heavy thing around and it is too big for most tasks anyway.

Handle material is often a personal choice. You can get wood, leather, bone, antler, and various plastics on your knife. Some people really like the natural look, but for utility and strength, plastic is a good choice. It is strong and easy to clean. You can soak it to get blood and other “junk” off of it, and not worry about it being damaged in the water. Plus, it may be less likely to pick up “gamy” smells from use.

There are many considerations and I hope this helps you to think about them before you sink a lot of money into this useful tool.

Skinning a road-kill Black Bear to recover its pelt and skeletal elements.

Boneblogger: Science and the outdoors

Exploring the natural world