sportsman's news march 2015 digital edition

SPORTSMAN’S NEWS | March 20152

By Colby LabrumSportsman’s News Pro-Staff

When planning a fishing trip to Alaska, many things must come into play in the decision

making process. And when it comes right down to it, most of those decisions are pretty much dependent on each other. Timing of the trip depends on the species you are targeting. The area that you want to go to usually dictates both the timing and the species that you want to go after. If you want to river fish for salmon and trout, in most cases that means ocean fishing for halibut in the same trip is going to be out of the question. So unless you are able to plan multiple trips a year to fish for multiple species, your task of narrow-ing your choices down can be a tough one indeed.

One area in Alaska that does offer anglers a chance to experience just about everything that this great state has to offer is the Kenai Peninsula. Now I’m not saying that you can cram everything into a seven day trip that even this area has to offer, but the variety that you are able to take in is definitely wider than any place that I have found in my many adventures throughout the ‘Last Frontier’.

My favorite destination because of its variety factor is the Gone Fishin’ Lodge on the world famous Kenai River, about 150 miles southeast of Anchorage in the town of Soldotna, Alaska. Owners Ralph Crystal and Dick Bowen never let me down in planning great adventure after adventure every time we book a return trip. Their standard packages includes 7-nights’ accommodations and five days of guided fishing. And with their lodge perched above the banks of the fabulous Kenai River, when we are done with our regular guided trips during the week, we are literally just a few steps away from as much fishing on our own as we want to partake of throughout our stay.

Now although there are over a dozen structured packages for you to choose from, in reality, you can design your trip to include only the things that ‘you’ want to do. And that is exactly what we do when we plan our trips each visit.

Depending on the species we want to target, the month of our visit is first determined. If king salmon are part of

Just Tell ‘Em I’m Gone Fishin’

the equation, then June or July are the target months. If this is the case, then red salmon (sockeye) will also come into play during their first and second runs in the latter half of June and by the middle of July. I love their deep red filets and for those of you that have fished for them, you know what I mean when I say that pound for pound, reds are probably the hardest fighting of all of the salmon species on any type of tackle. And by the way, the Gone Fishin’ Lodge just happens to offer one of the very best stretches of river access right behind their lodge, available only to their guests and is definitely the place to be during the July run for sockeye!

Now as far as halibut goes, I really haven’t been to the lodge and not had good success when fishing for halibut. Of course, here and there you may run into some bad weather and nobody has control over that (well, almost nobody) but from May through August, fishing in Cook Inlet with Gone Fishin’s char-ters always produce limit after limit. And now because of the regulations that have been put into place throughout Alaska, the Cook Inlet is one of the few places that charter trips are still able to retain two halibut, giving you the abil-ity of keeping one of any size and one under 29 inches. Because of our love of halibut as table fare, we always plan two halibut trips during our stay, which again highlights that ‘variety factor’ that

is at our fingertips at the Gone Fishin’ Lodge.

Along the lines of ocean trips, another great trip is to the beautiful town of Seward, about 90 miles to the northeast of Soldotna. Now this trip does require a little extra travel time, but in my esti-mation, is well worth the effort.

You will be boarding your charter promptly at 7am and quickly head-ing out of Resurrection Bay for prime fishing waters. This trip is normally a multi-species trip for a combination

of salmon, halibut, lingcod, yelloweye, black bass and other rock fish (usually the combination of species will be de-termined before you depart). You can also choose to make it just a salmon trip, which will double your limit from three salmon to six. I love the multi-species option though, with my pick the salmon/lingcod/yelloweye combo that fills your day with plenty of action and a lot of variety. Another fun aspect is that you really never know what you may pull up from the bottom next as you jig your line along the rocky outcroppings of the oceans peaks.

The next great day-trip that Ralph and Dick can set you up on is an upper Kenai River drift boat float trip. Now depend-ing on the timing of your trip, this can be a combo sockeye/trout day in June and July or more of a specialized rainbow/Dolly Varden trip during the month of August and up until the Lodge closes for the season. This trip can be done with either spin cast or fly equipment as both will offer you a very unique experience, one that most fishermen that travel with me never want to miss. Your float will begin near the headwaters of the upper Kenai River as it exits Kenai Lake and makes its way through some of the most gorgeous country you will ever see.

For those of you that have not had a chance to try fly fishing much, this

The author shows off one of the great Kenai silver salmon that are common to this part of Alaska. No one does a better job of getting you on the fish than Gone Fishin' Lodge.

Now, no trip to Alaska is complete without partaking of a floatplane ride and of course, the Gone Fishin' Lodge has some great options available.

continued on page 5

March 2015 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS 3

WHAT'S INSIDE 2 Gone Fishin' Lodge

3 Words From The Publisher

6 Fuel Your Obsession with the Sportsman's News Pro Membership

8 New Product Showcase

10 Platinum Approved Outfitters

14 PacWest Outdoors: Pork On The Hoof

20 Sportsman's News Pro Membership Giveaways

26 Pro's Pick: Beretta Pico

28 Fishful Thinker: Spring Salvation

32 Business Directory

34 Pro's Tip: Map And Compass

Digital Edition Content40 In Memorium: Chuck Buck

42 Wild Game Recipe: Crispy Duck

43 Alpen Optics His and Hers

45 Outdoor Writing Contest

46 Wheels Afield: Keep Warm in Your Vehicle

CONTRIBUTING WRITERSColby Labrum

Gary LewisChad LaChance

Steve MayerAndy Lightbody

Dave Wilson

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Words From The Publisher

By Michael Deming

It’s finally here. The Sportsman’s News Pro Membership Program is finally here. If you don’t know what

this is yet, please take a pause and read the cover article. I will guarantee that it is well worth your time.

The idea of the Sportsman’s News Pro Membership Program came about nearly two years ago and has taken this long to get it to the public. I’ve learned that being able to give stuff away isn’t as easy as one might think. Every state in the union has a different set of rules, beliefs, and laws to follow when you want to do something of this sort. Once that hurdle is handled, you get to work through the com-puter programming aspects of delivering your message to the consumer. I’m pretty sure I would have a better chance of speaking Mandarin Chi-nese (of which I know none) and getting my point across than I do getting the results I want from the tech squad with weekly conversations. However, we have made major progress in this department and will continue to make ad-vances as we go forward. It has officially launched and by the end of this month, we will give away our very first trip with one of our best outfitters. You can see the full details of this trip as well as all the other giveaway items by looking at the center page spread in this issue of Sportsman’s News. There is also plenty of information on the sweepstakes page at

www.sportsmansnews.com. We have included some short videos of the trips we will be giving away so that you have a good idea of what you are getting if you win. I don’t want to rehash what I wrote for the cover article, but I do need to reaffirm that these are the very best trips we have been able to experience in our last ten years of doing business as Sportsman’s News. We feel very blessed and fortunate to have had the opportu-

nity to do these trips and for those of you who get to do the same, we are certain you will feel equally as blessed. I can’t wait to call some of you and inform you that you will be participating in a true trip of a lifetime.

I do want all of those forum par-ticipants to know that even though we are launching this huge membership

program, we won’t forget about you guys. Although we might not have as many guns and gear items to give away through our old process, we will still make sure some good stuff gets cut out of the inventory for those of you who just don’t feel the desire to become a Pro Member. We value each and every one of you and many of our content ideas come from these long-time supporters of Sportsman’s News. We have over 17,000 forum members and want to see this part of our family grow as well as the Pro Membership, so please keep your feedback coming.

Our team put out a great publication again this month. With the completion of the major industry shows like the Shooting, Hunting, Outdoor, Trade Show (S.H.O.T.), Outdoor Retailer, and Archery Trade (ATA), we have gotten a good chance to see what is new for 2015. We have a new product roundup section in this issue that shows a bunch of the new products hitting the market. We could probably dedicate this entire issue to these items, but we picked some that caught our eye. The expanded ver-

sion of this column will be available to digital subscribers only. There is no cost for this, so make sure you sign up at www.sportsmansnews.com to be able to see all the new products the Sportsman’s News team found exciting. If you are a Pro Member, you will get it automatically. You will also start to see a lot more articles dedicated to the digital only publication. We have a lot of “How To” articles as well as some “Destination on a Bud-get” articles coming up that you won’t want to miss.

We want to thank everyone for making our last ten years here at Sportsman’s News a ma-jor success and look forward to our next ten years. Our Sports-man’s News Pro Membership

Program is going to be a huge part of it. So, please share it with your friends and family.


SPORTSMAN'S WAREHOUSE7035 So. High Tech Drive

Midvale, UT 84047

ADVERTISINGMike Deming

National Advertising Manager435-669-4624

[email protected]

SENIOR EDITORKent Danjanovich

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SALES ASSOCIATECollin Dalley

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MANAGING EDITORDan Kidder

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EDITORIAL ASSISTANTLisa Deming

[email protected]

PRODUCTION MANAGERJames Dansie

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Subscribers should contact Managing Editor for changes of address.

Sportsman's News is published monthly. The entire content of this newspaper is Copyright 2015 © All rights reserved.

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trip is a great chance to “get your feet wet”. Your guides will set you up with everything you need and will take the time needed with each fisherman to make sure you have a great day on the water. You will not only be fishing from the drift boat, but if the water conditions are right, you will also have the chance to wade the banks of the river, using your new found technique to expertly present your strike-indicator/bead setup to giant rainbow trout and Dolly Varden char that are gorging themselves on thousands of salmon eggs that are being released from spawning salmon moving up the river.

Now, no trip to Alaska is complete without partaking of a floatplane ride and of course, the Gone Fishin’ Lodge has a couple of options available that you will not want to miss. Although they do have a few other possible des-tinations as well, their most popular spots are across Cook Inlet to Big River Lake and also the Kustatan River. Both are outstanding day trips and are usu-

ally dependent on weather and water conditions. A variety of techniques can be used during these trips and again, all of the equipment and bait will be sup-plied by your guides (except for you fly fishermen on this one).

Another great feature of your trip to Big River Lake is the fact that you will be right in the middle of one of the very best bear viewing spots in Alaska. Much of the fishing is done at the mouth of a crystal clear stream running into the glacial waters of Big River Lake and sometimes as many as a dozen brown bears can be seen roaming the shore, try-ing their best to catch the same salmon that you are casting to. Now luckily, you are in a boat, out in the lake, so safety concerns are on your side, but believe me, it is quite a sight to see, one that I look forward to every time I make the trip with Ralph and his crew.

As you board your flight back to the Lodge, if the weather conditions are just right and time permits, you just might also get a chance for an “up close and personal” flight through one of the near-by glaciers of the area before heading back across the inlet. Glaciers are truly

one of the marvels of God’s creations and if you ever have the chance to take a flight through them, do it!

Well, there you have it – a full week of adventures courtesy of the Gone Fishin’ Lodge. I just don’t know of anywhere else in Alaska where you can experience a different and exciting adventure every

day of your trip and at the end of the week, have such an assortment of filets ready for your trip back home to your smiling family and friends. Don’t just take my word for it, why not check them out for yourself. Give them a call today at 877-462-5752 and visit them on the web at www.gonefishinlodge.com.

GONE FISHIN'continued from page 2

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Gone Fishin' Lodge Owners Ralph Crystal and Dick Bowen have now been taking care of their guests on the banks of the world famous Kenai River for 20 years.


the “Sportsman’s News Pro Member-ship.”

When was the last time you were able to go on an incredible Hunting or Fishing Trip? I mean an actual Hunting or Fishing trip of a Lifetime. How many of you hon-est to goodness, hard-working souls have ever been able to afford to go on more than just a “Do It Yourself, Hunting or Fishing Trip, to your favorite location? The place

where your Dad, Grandfather or Uncle first took you hunting and fishing. Where you connected, heart and soul, to your passion for this great adventure, to your OBSESSION for Hunting and Fishing?

If this isn’t you, No Problem. STOP, right here and now. Don’t read any further. However, if this is you, then you know what I’m talking about. What I’m going

to share with you NEXT, will blow your mind because I want you to go on your Hunting and Fishing Trip of a lifetime, NOW! Yes, in 2015 and I have THREE HUNDRED THOUSAND reasons for you to do this NOW!

I know money is tight, the economy has been tough for all of us. Especially, you the hard working men and women who keep this country moving forward, in spite of a

government that no longer seems to have our best interest at heart. However, forgive me, I’m not here to talk politics, I’m here to tell you, all of you, that you have blessed my life and allowed me to do what I love and now with the “Sportsman’s News Pro Membership, I can share it with YOU!

“After working ten years as a profes-sional hunter and fisherman I’ve learned that, MOST Outfitters Are NOT worth

their Salt and will take advantage of the working class man and woman.”

As I mentioned, there are 300,000 rea-sons for you to become a Sportsman’s News Pro Member. So let me explain. You have given me the opportunity to Hunt and Fish full-time for the past 10 years. During this time, I have been able to discover and build relationships with the “Best of the Best” Outfitters in the business. These Outfitters have become Sportsman’s News Platinum Approved. You need to know, we don’t give this ap-proval to Outfitter’s, they have to qualify for it. In fact, over the past ten years, I’ve learned from experience that most Out-fitters are “Not Worth Their Salt!” Yes, that is correct. They don’t have your best interest at heart. So, even if you can scrape together the thousands of dollars to go on a trip of a lifetime the question is, who do you spend it with? Where do you go? Which Outfitters really have the Trophy Caliber Animals or just the experience you are looking to share? Trust me, I know you work too hard for your money and you don’t want to waste it. So now for a monthly membership fee of $27, you

With more than $300,000 worth of trips and prizes, this is one of the largest hunting giveaways ever.

FUEL YOUR OBSESSION!On March 1st, 2015

Sportsman’s News Introduces the Next

Big Thing in the Hunting, Fishing and

Gun Universe By Michael Deming

On March 1st, 2015 Sportsman’s News introduces you to the next “Big Thing in the Hunting, Fish-

ing and Gun Universe.” What we’ve put together for you will absolutely blow your mind! However, please don’t take my word for it. We hope you’ll take a look for yourself.

Over the past 10 years Sportsman’s News has been working hard for you, our avid Outdoors Hunting and Fishing Commu-nity. You’ve shared with us your passion for Hunting, Fishing and Guns through the Sportman’s News Forum. The Sports-man’s News Forum is a community with over 17,000 members. Many of you have participated in our “Great Gun and Gear Giveaway” and have WON some amaz-ing Guns and Gear. However, we know that your LOVE of Hunting and Fishing is not solely based on Guns and Gear. Your LOVE for the Great Outdoors, for Hunting and Fishing is based on doing. The need, the passion, the OBSESSION, to go and do what you LOVE!

Here at Sportsman’s News we have hunted and fished with some of the best Outfitters on the planet and met a lot of wonderful people along the way. I often sit back and reflect on my life and what has happened over the past ten years. I truly feel blessed. We have gotten feedback from you, our avid readers and follow-ers about how lucky we are to be able to do what we love and I absolutely agree with you!

So, during the past two years I’ve been working hard to figure out a way that I can share this love of hunting, my passion, yes my OBSESSION with you! Good news - I have figured out a way for YOU to “Fuel Your Obsession” for Hunting, Fishing and Guns! It’s called

The first hunt giveaway, with Jeff Lester of Hunt Hard in New Mexico, will be given away on March 30, 2015. You must be a Pro Member by March 20, 2015 to qualify to win this hunt.


well as some hard to get ones in Sonora, Mexico. If New Zealand is on your list of destinations to visit, the trophy red stag and tahr hunt with Lindsey Frasier Sa-faris will definitely catch your eye. The lodge itself is worth the trip, but the foot hunt for trophy tahr will make it truly a trip-of-a-lifetime.

The list of Quality Adventures as well as Fantastic Gear is very extensive and something we are very proud of and happy to share with our precious Sports-man’s News Pro Members. To see the entire 2015 Sweepstakes Calendar turn to the inside spread of all the upcoming Sportsman’s News papers or go to www.sportsmansnews.com and click on the Sweepstakes List link.

As our membership grows, so will the number of our trips we will be giving away. Our first years’ Trips and Gear are as I’ve already stated, valued at over $300,000.

In addition to these premium Platinum Approved Outfitters Trips, there are also Guns and Gear. These are Guns and Gear we have put to the test and proven to be the best. We have used and reviewed them as part of our weekly Video Product

Reviews, Pro’s Picks and monthly feature articles in our Sportsman’s News publica-tion. Top names like, Beretta, Sako, Tikka, Browning and Sitka Gear are just a few of the manufacturers we have lined up for the first year. These are the Guns and Gear that we trust to get the job done and make sure we don’t die doing it. So trust me, the Guns and Gear are the “Best of the

Best” that money can buy.

Being a Sports-man’s News Pro Member will not only get you five chances in the hat to win every one

of these great Trips, but it will also entitle you to some great benefits each and every month. For example, every Pro Member will get the enhanced issue of the Sports-man’s News Digital Edition delivered to their in-box every month. It has all the same gear reviews and trip evaluations as in the printed version, but is expanded with special tips and product information to make sure you are at the top of your game for the upcoming season and best of all, it will always be on your portable electronic device. So when you’re bored out of your gourd and need to Fuel Your Obsession, it will always be right at your fingertips.

Yes, there is more. As each of you know, the Sportsman’s News Television DVD series is put out eight times a year and until now could only be purchased

will be entered for a chance to win three incredible Pro Membership Sweepstake Prizes each month. These are hunting and fishing trips of a lifetime, plus some amazing guns and gear as well.

So what do you get for $27 a month?

First, you’ll have five chances each month to win Hunting and Fishing Trips of a lifetime, plus Guns and Gear. Begin-ning on March 1st, 2015 and over the next 12 months, the “Sportsman’s News Pro Membership Fuel Your Obsession Sweepstakes” has a combined total of prizes to give-a-way that are valued at over $300,000, making this the largest outdoor sweepstakes ever offered.

You no longer have to sit on the sidelines watching these adventures take place as a good number of you are going to be the focal point of our next ten years at Sports-man’s News. We have purchased some of the very best trips our Platinum Approved Outfitters have to offer. These are trips we reserved over a year ago to make sure we secured the best trips and the best dates for those lucky winners. We will kick off our very first sweepstakes drawing on March 30th. This is an awesome adventure with the Platinum Approved Outfitter “Hunt Hard”. The lucky winner of this “Trophy Bull Elk Hunt in New Mexico” will entitle you to a five day, fully guided elk hunt with owner, Jeff Lester, himself. He is known for his ability to “Hunt Hard” and deliver quality results. Drawing a trophy bull elk tag in New Mexico is a feat in itself, so we have provided a landowner voucher with this drawing to eliminate the possibility of not drawing a tag. This pack-age is valued at over $11,000 and is a great

way to start “Fueling Your Obsession!”

To be eligible for this drawing, you will need to be a Sportsman’s News Pro Member by March 20th and the draw-ing will be held on March 30th. Video of the drawing itself will be posted on the Sportsman’s News Pro Members website. The April 10th drawing will be a hunt with me, Michael Deming, Sports-man’s News President and long-time Platinum Approved Outfitter Papierski’s Big Game Hunts for a trophy antelope hunt in Northwest Colorado. We will be hunting a prestigious “Ranching for Wildlife” ranch which is known for producing Boone and Crocket antelope. Drawing a tag in this part of Colorado will take a nonresident over a dozen years of applying. John Papierski is one of the best Outfitter’s we have ever hunted with and one I personally look forward to each and every year. Since we want the lucky winner to be able to execute the long range shooting required for this area, we are going to equip them with a Savage long range rifle in 6.5 Creedmoor dialed in with a Nikon Monarch 7 riflescope setup, ready to go for the hunt. This total package is worth over $6,000.

Each and every month, the give-a-ways are some of the best you could imagine. We have fishing trips for two aboard luxury yachts in Alaska, Dall sheep hunts, brown bear hunts, Alaskan Yukon moose hunts, trophy mule deer hunts in the United States as

continued on page 22

See page 20 for a full list of prizes and drawing dates.Go to www. SportsmansNews.com

for full details and rules and to join.

This ten-day Dall sheep hunt with Alaska Statewide Guides is one of the premium giveaways and will be awarded August 30, 2015. Must be a Pro Member by August 20, 2015 to qualify.

Trophy antelope and a long range rifle package worth $6,000 will be our second Pro Member giveaway. Must be registered by March 30, 2015 to qualify for this great prize package.


AVAILABLE AT

By Sportsman's News Staff

Each year the Sportsmans News team travels to the various trade shows and picks out some of the

hottest new products we feel our readers would be interested in learning about. Here are a few of the great new items coming to your local Sportsman's Ware-house store in 2015.

Bushnell Legend BinosBushnell is adding three new series to

its award-winning Legend line of binoc-ulars. The Legend E, L, and M series pro-vide a quality binocular in a price point to fit nearly every consumer. The Legend E Series reaches new levels of excellence and value with the all-weather assurance of Bushnell’s exclusive RainGuard HD coating. Built with a lightweight mag-nesium chassis and fully multi-coated optics for amazing light transmission. Available in 8x or 10x magnification with powerful light-gathering 42mm objective lenses, E Series binoculars also feature improved high-resistance twist-up eyecups and fine-click adjustments built into the diopter.

The Legend L Series binoculars are category leaders in image clarity and per-formance. Based on the award-winning Legend Ultra HD series, the L Series of-fers an improved user experience with a soft rubber housing, increased eyecup resistance, thumbhole cutouts, custom objective covers and a locking diopter. The L Series comes with ED Prime extra-low dispersion fluorite glass that allows the visible colors of the spectrum to focus at virtually the same point. Available in 8x and 10x versions.

Legend M Series binoculars from Bushnell take the Legend line to a whole new level with maximum brightness

New Products Showcaseand clarity. Constructed on a lightweight, open-bridge magnesium chas-sis, these high-end 8x and 10x optics have 42mm objectives and provide 92 percent light transmission through the entire opti-cal system using the very best dielectric prism coat-ing. This coating reflects more than 99 percent of incoming light to allow for maximum light out-put at dusk and dawn. To push this technology to its highest level, Bushnell has paired it with ED Prime extra-low dispersion fluorite glass that brings out detail under low light, provides improved color resolution and contrast and practically eliminates chromatic aberration and color- fringing. Add in RainGuard HD, improved eyecup resistance and a locking diopter, and the Legend M sets a new standard for maximum brightness, clarity and performance in the field.

Sitka Gear Whitetail Fanatic SystemSitka Gear, the industry leader in per-

formance hunting gear has developed its most focused system ever for the hard-core rut hunter, by re-introducing the Fanatic Jacket and Bib and adding a Hoody and Lite Series to the Fanatic System.

The Fanatic Lite Jacket has a durable high gauge face fabric and is bonded to an air-permeable honeycomb jacquard Micro-Fleece to allow breathability and remarkable noise reduction. A front stor-age pocket, rangefinder pocket with tie-off and safety harness pass-through port keep you and your necessities in place.

The Fanatic Hoody, here Sitka took the chassis of a traditional hooded sweatshirt and used a body mapped grid and micro grid fleeces, to regulate your temperature while keeping scent to a minimum with Polygiene Odor Control Technology. The hood is cut for maximal peripheral vision, and from within it you can de-ploy the built-in facemask for enhanced concealment. The half-zip construction allows for a built in hand muff, which, together with the flip-over hand mitts in

the sleeves, works to keep your fingers warm and dexterous.

The Fanatic Jacket and Bib are made of a Berber fleece face which silences the GORE WINDSTOPPER barrier, while body-mapped Primaloft Silver Insula-tion traps body heat where you need it. At the heart of the Fanatic Jacket is the diagonal-zip, which while sealing out the wind, allows for a zippered front muff to keep your digits toasty and agile, waiting to take that next shot. A magnetic closure rangefinder pocket, safety harness pass-through port, and internal gasketed cuffs round out this feature filled jacket. The Fanatic Bib allows for rubber boots to fit comfortably over the low-bulk hems, where a dedicated ankle pocket lets you rest your traditional bow hands-free.

Rounding out the Fanatic System are the Fanatic Gloves, built from 4-way stretch-woven polyester; these gloves of-fer the balance of warmth and dexterity. The half-finger design on the forefinger and thumb free up your primary finger for release triggers and touchscreens.

Alps Outdoorz Traverse X PackEvery hunter loves a good challenge.

And so does ALPS OutdoorZ. When it was time to design and manufacture the



THE DEVIL MADE US DO IT.For 2014, Browning’s Hell’s Canyon clothing

is designed to get you there and back, in even

greater comfort and style. It is now tougher, better

fi tting, better looking and offers more styles than

before so you can dial-in your clothing to match the

hunting conditions. Head to your dealer now to see

what makes Hell’s Canyon so hot.

14-BCL-105_Hells_Canyon_9_75x10_5.indd 1 5/8/14 10:36 PM

10 SPORTSMAN’S NEWS | March 201510

ALASKA GUIDED FISHING




book. These are outfitters you would be proud to refer to a friend. We know this because we are proud to endorse each one of these

outfitters based upon our staff members personally visiting each one of these operations. These outfitters have proven to us that they have what it takes to be "Sportsman's News Platinum Approved."

The Sportsman's News Platinum Approved Outfitter is an outfitter that has excelled in every aspect of their business. They put people and customers before profit. They do what it takes to make sure that they will be in business for the long haul and ensure that they have repeat customers. They practice good game management, which will ensure a top quality trip with them every time you

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ALASKA FISHING

ALASKA FISHING

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March 2015 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS 11ALASKA GUIDED FISHING


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12 SPORTSMAN’S NEWS | March 201512

SOUTH DAKOTA HUNTING

Day and all inclusive hunts available!

Contact Brett Waibel: [email protected]

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Ranchland Outfitters offers First Class Waterfowl Hunts and Big Game hunts in Alberta, Canada. If you are looking for an Outfitter that cares about each hunt,

look no further. Ranchland Outfitters is a First Class Waterfowl and Big Game

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March 2015 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS 13SOUTH DAKOTA HUNTING

SOUTHWEST HUNTING

Bucky BonnerP.O. Box 460, Port Aransas, TX 78373 • 800-460-1843

Hunting Packages Include:• Meals• Lodging• Guides

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We have 24 years of outfittingand guide experience.

We manage thousands of acres ofprivate hunting ground throughoutthe state of Utah. We offer qualityfair-chase hunts for Trophy MuleDeer, Elk, Shiras Moose andMountain Lion. We have guaran-

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Logon to our website for a full list of endorsed outfitters with photos, descriptions, and

details about each.

SportsmansNews.comUTAH FISHING & HUNTING

TEXAS HUNTING

WESTERN GUIDED HUNTING

UTAH HUNTING & FISHING

TEXAS HUNTING WYOMING HUNTING


(907) 335-2001 P.O. Box 2200, Kenai, Alaska 99611 www.salmoncatcherlodge.com

Email: [email protected]

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onCatcherLodge

Kenai, Alaska

Hunting wild boar in the burn

By Gary Lewis

On a mountaintop, west of I-5, in California’s coast range we shook hands with Mike Gardner,

of Hoss Hog Hunting. The 30-year-old

Gardner specializes in helping ranchers control populations of porkers in their proximity.

Along, for his first hunt of his life, we had Mark Quinlan a.k.a. “Q,” from Bend, a 56-year-old cancer, coma and California survivor. He assured me he had been out to the COSSA Park and had practiced with a borrowed bolt-action and Nosler bullets.

It has been a long dry spell for Cali-fornia, perhaps the longest drought in the state’s history and what is bad for a neighbor is bad for us. A well-known public figure recently made a speech about the subject then proceeded to play three rounds in three days on golf courses that consume an average of 1 million gallons of water a day.

Drought can be studied through the examination of tree rings, sediments and other natural evidence and the cur-rent thinking is that California is in the midst of her worst drought in over four decades. There have been longer dry spells; the natural record shows a “mega-

drought” started in the year 850 and lasted for 240 years, while another began in the 1140s and lasted for 180 years.

Rain came early in February to North-ern California, from a system that blan-keted Mt. Shasta with snow and put three inches back in the reservoirs. Three inches might not be much, but it was enough to get crops started in the fields and green-up on the mountains.

Seventeen miles from base camp, we

pulled into a ranch driveway, negotiated a rutted road between the house and the barn and wound through some bottom-land to get a look at the reservoir – dan-gerously low for February. All around the edge we could see pig tracks and fresh rooting. It was our job to see that two of those California pigs went back

California Dry Spell And Pork On The Hoof

Lewis took this feral hog with a Kimber .308 and a Nosler E-Tip.

Photo by Gary Lewis


These two wild hogs, a boar and a sow, showed up in camp after the tags were filled.

Photo by Gary Lewis


The 100% American-made, Ruger American Rifle™ is the latest engineering innovation from America’s leading firearms manufacturer. Offered in short- and long-action

calibers, the Ruger American Rifle™ combines the rugged reliability of Ruger’s past with the award-winning ingenuity featured in so many of Ruger’s new products.

A n A m e r i c A n L e g e n d i s B o r n

Power Bedding™ Integral Bedding Blocks for Outstanding Accuracy

Ruger Marksman Adjustable™ Trigger Offers a Crisp Release with an Adjustable Pull Weight

Three-Lug, 70˚ Bolt Throw Provides Ample Scope Clearance

Flush Fit, Four-Round Rotary Magazine Provides Smooth,

Reliable Feeding

Visible, Accessible and Easy-to ActuateTang Safety

Larry Weishuhn, “Mr. Whitetail”

WWW.RUGER.COM/AMERICANRIFLE ©2012 Sturm, Ruger & Co., Inc. 041312


to Oregon as pork chops. Into my rifle I bolted an environmen-

tally friendly Nosler E-Tip, designed in Bend, Oregon, expressly for activities such as these in a place like California.

We eased through stands of oaks, swung our legs over barbed wire, checked for tracks at the edges of the fields then parked our posteriors on a prominence and watched the sun go down in the West.

I glanced at Q. He had his binocular up, scanning the opposite hillside try-ing to separate a hog from the chemise and the chapparal.

“With the drought, you can’t figure these pigs out,” Gardner whispered. “When this field is green, when the crops are up, you can’t keep the pigs out of here. It seems like they are in smaller groups now. Twos and threes instead of the groups of 20 to 40 we’re used to.”

Twenty minutes of light left. That’s when Gardner spotted them, a line of black porkers on a hillside a thousand yards away.

Gardner made a decision. “It’s a long way and we’re almost out of light, but we’ve got to go after them.”

They were high on the hill, moving fast when last we glimpsed them. They could have taken any one of a dozen

draws choked with chemise, but we had to trust our guide’s intuition. The only thing we were sure of was they were headed to the reservoir to drink some more of California’s precious water. Ten minutes of light left?

We were back in the oaks now, trot-ting to keep up with Gardner. He spot-ted the first one and then there were more, streaming out of the chemise on the other side of the dry creek bed. A sow with piglets, a grizzled boar and a smaller one. We thought they would run right into us, but then part of the group caught our scent and they began to stream downhill to the south.

“There.” The rifle was sighted three inches high at 100 yards and I forgot to compensate for the slope. A bullet kicked up dirt over the boar’s back.

We sprinted 50 yards to head them off, saw the sow and piglets go through the open at a dead run. The next one through was a single with a long, Eu-ropean snout and bristly black hair, headed uphill at top speed. When my crosshairs found its snout, I squeezed the trigger.

Moments later I walked up to my trophy and smelled a scent not unlike maple syrup.

“It’s all about what they’re eating. These are some of the sweetest smell-ing pigs you will ever find,” Gardner said.

“Okay, I get it now,” Q said. “I was imagining how the hunt would go and now I see you might have to move fast, you might have to run, be ready to shoot.”

He was ready. In the morning, after a two-mile hike in which we found no swine, we were almost back to the cabins and lunch when three pigs crossed the trail in front of us.

Our new hunter finished his first hunt with the main ingredient for a barbeque. We celebrated with glasses of water brought in from out of state. We passed a golf course on the way home, but refrained from setting a tee time. We want to be part of the solution.

Gary’s latest book, Fishing Mount Hood Country, is avail-able at www.GaryLewisOut-doors.com.

PACWESTcontinued from page 14

On an evening hunt in Northern California, Mark Quinlan (left) and Mike Gardner scout out potential trails the hogs use to access croplands.

Photo by Gary Lewis

best packs on the market, ALPS didn’t take the challenge lightly. By using premium materials and components, extremely adjustable and comfortable suspension systems, and design features that support your hunting activities, you could say that ALPS has hit the bull’s-eye with this new Traverse Extreme Pack. The pack has been tested, used and abused, modified, and put back to the test again to bring consumers a pack that is reliable, durable, and practical. The Traverse X is a 2900 cubic inch internal frame pack with a stow-away meat shelf, fleece-lined side wing pockets for optics, and carry systems for a bow, rifle, and handgun.

FlameStowerElectronic devices have become so

commonplace, that it is not unheard of to take them to camp. The FlameStower allows you to recharge any device that uses USB technology for power. By sticking the heat blade directly into the flame of an isobutane stove or campfire, FlameStower will translate that heat into electrical energy, providing up to 2.5 watts of power through its USB charging

NEW PRODUCTScontinued from page 8

cable. Simply plug your device cable into the built-in USB port, turn up the heat, add water to the cooling chamber, and wait for the electricity to start flowing into your device. At only 2.25 inches wide, 7 inches long, and less than an inch thick when folded, the FlameStower weighs only 10 ounces, making it ideal for backpacking. Solar panels only work in the daytime, and are degraded when cloudy, battery packs run down, and not all devices let you just swap out the batteries. The FlameStower works with any kind of fire, so it can be used over the campfire, or any time you cook your food on the stove. For less than $90 you can have a limitless charger for your favorite electronic device that easily fits in a pack or pocket.

Stanley Mountain Vacuum Coffee System

Coffee on the trail is a necessary luxury for many people and Stanley has made that necessity even easier. The Boiling Pot + French Press + Vacuum Bottle of the Mountain Vacuum Coffee System incorporates all of the items needed to make great tasting coffee and keep it hot for up to 24 hours. Featuring a stainless steel boiling pot with a collapsible heat resistant handle, water can be boilied over a stove or campfire. Open the vacuum bottle stopper to find a coffee grounds compartment and dump your grounds directly into the boiling pot. Use the French press basket to separate the grounds, and pour the contents into the 1.1 quart vacuum bottle. The bottle includes two nested cups that act as the stopper cover. All of this nests compactly inside the pot and features locking lugs to keep it all together. Overall, it weighs in at 2.4 pounds, so it is great for car camping or basecamp. And the double wall vacuum insulation not only will keep your coffee hot for 24 hours, it will keep beverages ice cold for up to 20 hours. For under $60, having coffee on the trail is a priceless proposition.



Eagle Nest Outfitters Ember 2 Under-quilt

Hammock sleeping is the most com-fortable night’s sleep I have had on the trail. As with ground sleeping, proper insulation beneath is more important that a warm sleeping bag. When I set up my Eagle Nest Outfitters Jungle Nest hammock, I make sure to protect from cold air coming up from the ground by also slinging the Ember 2 Underquilt on my hammock line. The Ember 2 simply clips onto the same strap that supports my hammock, but provides an extra layer of insulation around the outside of the hammock. Rated for sleeping in warmer weather, between 40-50 degrees


Fahrenheit, the Ember 2 polyester fill wrapped in ripstop nylon with DWR coating and a taffeta lining provide ad-ditional insulation to keep me warm and snuggly all night long. At 25 ounces, it is lightweight and compressible enough to take up very little room or space in my pack. Unfolded it is more than 7 feet long, so it protects my head and my feet, and more than 4.5 feet wide, so it wraps all the way up the sides of my floating bed.

Helle Sylvsteinen Camp KnifeFeaturing a 5.3-inch blade, made of

Helle’s legendary Norwegian laminated steel, the Sylvsteinen Camp Knife is a perfect all around field knife for every-thing from butchering meat, prepping vegetables, or general bushcraft. The straightback, full-tang blade is hollow

ground with an aggressive edge and is topped by an attractive curly birch and antler handle capped with a brass fingerless guard. The handle is beefy enough to provide positive control for even the most delicate work but also gives sufficient grip for gross actions such as carving tent stakes.

At right around 10 inches of overall length and weighing just under 6 ounces, the Sylvsteinen is small enough for detail work but large enough for heavy duty bushcraft. It comes in an attractive hand-stitched leather sheath. When a top-quality knife is needed, nothing compares to the craftsmanship of Helle of Norway.

Aimpoint T-2 MicroBuilding upon the success of their

popular T-1 Micro Red Dot, Aimpoint has ruggedized the chasis and added additional modifications to allow the inclusion of front and rear flip caps and anti-reflective devices, and to protect the zero turrets. The most important de-velopment in this new sight however, is enhanced optical performance. A newly designed front lens, incorporating an important breakthrough in reflective lens coatings, provides a noticeable increase in the clarity and performance proper-ties of the Micro T-2. This ensures that no matter what angle or conditions the shot presents, the user is able to get on target quickly and accurately. The T-2 will work with most Aimpoint T-1 acces-sories, magnifiers, and mounts and will run for up to 5 years of continuous use on a single CR-2032 battery.

ShockStrapsShockStraps are a unique shock-ab-

sorbing tie down that incorporates three of the most versatile tie down principals into one superior system. They are quick and easy like a motorcycle tie down, have the reliability of a ratchet system, and the versatility of a shock cord. A ShockStrap, when stretched, maintains tension on the webbing, locking it into the buckle. When road vibrations cause loads to shift and settle, other tie downs can loosen and

become unsafe. Under these condi-tions, ShockStrap stretches, acting like a shock absorber and contracts with the load keeping it secure. For haul-

ing your expensive machinery over long distances on bumpy roads, ShockStraps will not come loose and will not break. Heavy steel hooks stand up to extreme

force without losing shape or bending. Super aggressive cam teeth bite into the nylon webbing straps and hold tighter than other brands of tension straps.

Spork OriginalThe Spork Original has a full spoon,

full fork, and a serrated edge that works like a knife. The spoon-fork-knife combo brings a bit of civilization to the wild and a bit of the wild to civilization. The Spork is perfect for your backpack, boat, picnic basket, lunchbox, purse or briefcase.

Spork TitaniumSame great Spork design constructed

from strong, yet light, titanium. Its high biocompatibility means that it is very non-toxic plus it is hypoallergenic, non-corrosive and non-magnetic. Great for your next outing, no matter where it is.



WWW.RUGER.COM/LC380 ©2013 Sturm, Ruger & Co., Inc. 122812

THE RUGER®

LC380™

Finger Grip Extension Floorplate CanBe Added to the Magazine for Comfort

and Grip, Included FREE

Dovetailed, High-Visibility3-Dot Sight System

Includes internal lock, Manual Safety, Magazine Safety and Loaded Chamber Indicator, Which Provides Confi rmation of a Loaded or Empty Chamber

The Ruger® LC380™ is the perfect pairing of the award-winning LC9™ pistol and the popular .380 Auto cartridge.

It features a dovetailed, high visibility 3-dot sight system, 7-round magazine and fi nger grip extension fl oorplate,

manual safety, loaded chamber indicator and light recoil spring for an easy-to-manipulate slide.

The LC380™ is the same size as the LC9™, yet offers reduced recoil

making it Ruger’s lightest recoiling personal

protection centerfire pistol yet.

Same Size as the LC9™ but with a Lighter Recoil Spring for Easier Slide Manipulation

WWW.RUGER.COM/LC380 ©2013 Sturm, Ruger & Co., Inc. 122812

THE RUGER®

LC380™

LC380™

LC380

Finger Grip Extension Floorplate CanBe Added to the Magazine for Comfort

and Grip, Included FREE


LC380


LC380

Dovetailed, High-Visibility3-Dot Sight System


The Ruger® LC380™ is the perfect pairing of the award-winning LC9 is the perfect pairing of the award-winning LC9 is the perfect pairing of the award-winning LC9™ pistol and the popular .380 Auto cartridge.

It features a dovetailed, high visibility 3-dot sight system, 7-round magazine and fi nger grip extension fl oorplate, It features a dovetailed, high visibility 3-dot sight system, 7-round magazine and fi nger grip extension fl oorplate, It features a dovetailed, high visibility 3-dot sight system, 7-round magazine and fi nger grip extension fl oorplate,

manual safety, loaded chamber indicator and light recoil spring for an easy-to-manipulate slide. manual safety, loaded chamber indicator and light recoil spring for an easy-to-manipulate slide. manual safety, loaded chamber indicator and light recoil spring for an easy-to-manipulate slide.

The LC380™ is the same size as the LC9 is the same size as the LC9 is the same size as the LC9™, yet offers reduced recoil

making it Ruger’s lightest recoiling personal making it Ruger’s lightest recoiling personal making it Ruger’s lightest recoiling personal

protection centerfire pistol yet.

Same Size as the LC9™ but with a Lighter Recoil Spring for Easier Slide Manipulation but with a Lighter Recoil Spring for Easier Slide Manipulation but with a Lighter Recoil Spring for Easier Slide Manipulation


One lucky winner during 2015 will have a chance to co-host Sportsman's News Television on a hunt for red stag and tahr in the rugged and beautiful wilderness of New Zealand.

PRO MEMBERSHIPcontinued from page 7

at your local Sportsman’s Warehouse. When you become a “Sportsman’s News Pro Member” you will receive all eight of these 4-hour DVD’s right to your mailbox. Plus, if you are one of the lucky monthly winners, not only will you get to see the pages of Sportsman’s News come alive you’ll get to live it and share it. That’s right, the Sportsman’s News Television Team will be there to capture the entire adventure for future episodes. The monthly winners will become a co-host of a SNTV episode.

The next perk of becoming a Sports-man’s News Pro Member, is you’ll get a 5% discount on any Hunting and Fishing Trip that you book with one of our Platinum Ap-proved Outfitters. We have worked things out so that each and every member will get a 5% discount on any trip they book with them. These Outfitters are the best in the business and getting a 5% discount makes being a Pro Member worth every penny.

Plus we have partnered with Hunt-Draws.com to provide you with more benefits to your membership. If you hunt the West, you have become familiar with all the draw deadlines and how important it is to your hunting future to not miss a deadline. This added benefit to our mem-bers will allow them to pick four states that they would like to be notified about for the drawings. HuntDraws.com will notify them via email and or text on the opening of the application period, as well as about 7-days prior to the close of the application period and one last time, the day before the closing of the application period. This will

insure you don’t miss any of those impor-tant dates again and you can add additional states at a discounted price, exclusive to Sportsman’s News Pro Members.

If you are looking to hunt or fish in a specific destination, being a Sportsman’s News Pro Member will entitle you to personal consultation from the specific member of the staff who has been with this Outfitter in the past. He or she will provide you with the best information as to where

and when to go to accomplish your goals and give you the very best experience.

Cancellation trips from Outfitters is a great way to save a bunch of money and it happens each and every year due to unexpected events. These short notice op-portunities are usually reserved for a very short client list due to their past status with the Outfitters. Since the Sportsman’s News has such a long standing relationship with our Platinum Approved Outfitters and is buying some of their very best trips each and every year, we are at the top of the list for these cancellation specials. Pro Members will be notified of these deeply discounted opportunities prior to anyone else ever getting a chance to purchase one of these great opportunities.

Additional Sportsman’s News Pro Membership benefits will be added on a regular basis, so make sure to check the website at www.sportsmansnews.com for an up-to-date list.

A Sportsman’s News Pro Membership will only cost you $27 dollars a month or $297 for the full year if you pay in full when you register. We feel that we have made the Sportsman’s News Pro Membership affordable for everyone to participate.

However, for those of you who don’t want to sacrifice the $27 per month or don’t have that ability right now to pay the monthly fee, we have structured a way for you to participate in the, Sportsman’s News “Fuel Your Obsession Sweepstakes” with-out a purchase. Unfortunately, you won’t get any of the great added benefits that come with being a Sportsman’s News Pro Member, but you could still have a chance at winning one of the sweepstakes prizes.

For information on how to do this, visit the Sportsman’s News website at www.sportsmansnews.com for full details on how to participate as well as how to become a Sportsman’s News Pro Member or just scan the QR Code below and start, “Fueling Your Obsession!”

Scan this box with your smart phone to enter today!

Our fourth giveaway for the Pro Membership program will be for a brown hear hunt with Renfro's Alaskan Adventures, drawn April 30, 2015. Must be registered by April 20, 2015 to qualify.


Tetra USB Charger + Lantern + Flash-light

The rechargeable and collapsible Tetra LED Lantern + USB Charger + Flashlight shifts easily between flash-light and lantern functions and features a USB-charger port perfect for charging a camera, mobile phone or GPS. The Tetra has a durable, water-resistant housing that helps ensure illumination and a reliable source of power in foul weather. The Tetra offers a long-lasting battery life that will run for up to 120 hours on low, has adjustable brightness up to 170 lumens and has 3-lighting modes that range from high to low to S.O.S. emergency strobe. Powered by a rechargeable 2.6AH Li-Ion battery, the

frosted globe of the Tetra slides up for a diffused white light in lantern mode and collapses down for flashlight mode with a super bright R4 XP-G2 CREE LED beam projection of 10-140 meters.

Original Candle Lantern This is the classic, long-burning, col-

lapsible Original Candle Lantern that has provided warm, natural light to millions of outdoor enthusiasts for de-cades. It is perfectly suited to backpack-ing, mountaineering, snow-camping and similar outdoor pursuits. Light-weight and compact, the Original Can-dle Lantern provides 9-hours of warm light from a single candle, surround-ing it in the safest, most efficient lan-tern housing avail-able anywhere. The lightweight alumi-num or brass frame holds the g lass chimney securely in place, creating a windproof environ-ment for the flame.

And the unique, easy-slide chimney allows the glass to slide down into the lantern, making the candle easier than ever to light. The spring-powered candle tube pushes the candle up as it burns, keeping the flame burning at a constant height. A viewing slot on the side of the lantern allows the user to monitor the slow burning candle for remaining burn time.

Camp Chef SmokePro SE Pellet GrillTake your outdoor cooking to the

next level with a SmokePro Pellet Grill by Camp Chef. The SmokePro SE Pellet Grill is built so you can discover the real tastes of award winning BBQ right from your own back patio. Simply select the desired cooking temperature and let the electronic controls maintain tempera-tures for you. Cooking temperatures range from 160°F up to 500°F, including low or high smoke settings. The built-in grease management system keeps things clean for the next barbecue. The SE offers great entry level value and pricing while still rivaling any other pellet grill on the market. Its features include:• Electronic auto-ignition• Internal temperature sensor gauge• Large 19.5” x 22” grilling area• Utility shelf• Recipe booklet

ThermaCELL Heated Insoles ProFLEXThermaCELL Heated Insoles are

designed to go with you everywhere so you can stay one step ahead of the cold. Simply insert them into your boots or shoes to keep your feet consis-tently warm and comfortable for hours, whether you’re on the construction site, in a tree-stand, out for a day of ice fishing or while taking in your favorite cold weather sporting event. The Pro-FLEX are truly the extended solution to cold feet. These wireless, battery-powered insoles easily slip into your favorite footwear and with the ability of choosing between three heat settings,

being misera-ble because of cold feet will become a thing o f the pas t . Rechargeable, removable bat-teries can eas-ily be replaced with fresh ones for hours and hours of con-tinued warmth. Check out this

new and improved version at your local Sportsman’s Warehouse.

Spudz ProSpudz Pro is a credit-card-sized

cleaning kit that includes a bottle of anti-fog solution that fits alongside the cloth inside the attached pouch. Spudz Pro clips to packs, straps, binoculars or zippers so you always have it with you when you need it.

BinoSlickerBinoSlicker is a lightweight, weather-

proof binoculars cover that is designed to stay on while in use. It stuffs compactly inside its attached storage pouch and clips wherever you need it. It also has a microfi-ber cloth attached inside for quick cleaning.

Nite Ize- Gear Tie Dockable Twist TieNite Ize is always coming up with new

products and ways to improve existing products. The Gear Tie Dockable Twist Tie is not only one of the most creative products of its kind, but extremely ver-




By Dan KidderManaging Editor

Building upon the success of their Nano design, Beretta has gone even smaller with the in-

troduction of their .380 pocket pistol, the Pico.

Typically in a review, I start on the strengths and move to the weak-nesses, but for this gun I am going to reverse the usual order of business to explain how some of the weaknesses actually work together to create strengths.

This gun is very small, which makes it difficult for those with larger hands to properly grip and operate. Couple that with an especially stiff double recoil spring and minimal grip ser-rations and you have a gun that is difficult to cycle for those with weak hands and difficult to hold for those with large hands. Additionally, the gun had issues cycling anything but the stiffest +P ammunition we fed it.

On the plus side, the gun is very small. It is ideal for slipping discretely into a pocket holster or in a Flashbang Holster beneath a bra as it practically disappears. At just over ¾ of an inch wide and only 5 ¼ inches long, it van-ishes when concealed. The weight is minimal as well at only 11.5 ounces with an empty magazine. This makes this little guy easy to carry and conceal.

Beretta Pico .380 Pistol

The Pico comes with two maga-zines, a flush fit that adds nothing to the 4-inch high grip and a finger extension version that adds about an inch of gripping surface. Both magazines hold six rounds.

Because the Pico uses a tilt barrel, it helps minimize felt recoil over other small .380s with fixed barrels. It also means the slide doesn’t have to travel as far to the rear to eject

s p e n t c a s i n g s . With ammo under 850 FPS we saw s e v e r a l f a i l u re to eject malfunc-tions. This was an easy issue to fix once we took the gun apart. Inside, the recoil spring is actually com-prised of two non-captive springs, o n e i n s i d e t h e other. By remov-ing the internal spring and replac-ing the guide rod and outer spring, we were able to easi ly feed and

eject less powerful ammo. My sug-gestion is to remove the internal spring unless you plan to carry stiffer +P loads.

Because the gun is designed like most Berettas, to be free from sharp edges and snag points, it is sleek in the hand and has a very smooth fin-ish. This can make cycling the slide difficult, but is easier when the inter-nal recoil spring is removed.

The magazine release can be a bit tricky to figure out, as it resembles the trigger guard-mounted ambi-dextrous release found on many HK and Walther firearms. By pinching it with the support hand and sliding downward at the same time as you pull the magazine away, it quickly ejects the empty magazine.

The gun shot amazingly well for such a little package. The sights on the gun are real sights, not a channel cut into the frame. These white dot sights give the shooter a quick sight picture and make target acquisition and follow-up shots faster.

The trigger is one area that could use some serious work. The thin and narrow grip causes those with larger hands to have difficulty pulling the trigger the last quarter of an inch to fire. It runs at about 8-pounds up un-til that last quarter inch, then jumps to about 12.5-pounds. Normally, I am

okay with a hefty trigger pull on a defensive gun, but this trigger is a bit gritty at the end, though ultimately, the break is clean and crisp.

As I mentioned previously, the gun is difficult for those with large hands to manipulate, but that actu-ally works in favor of those with smaller hands. There are plenty of self-defense guns available for those with beefy mitts, but not many designed for the smaller hands out there. All of the controls and there aren’t many, are accessible for those with diminutive paws. The slide lock lever is slick and the magazine re-lease is easily accessible. Other than those two controls, the Pico has no external safety, de-cocking lever or any other accruements to confuse or snag; a clean simple design.

The true double-action mechanism requires no cocking to fire, so it is an ideal gun for practicing dry-fire. The semi-exposed internal hammer stays flat when not in use and only travels rearward when you pull the trigger. It is recessed within the frame, so no danger of accidently dropping it on the hammer and causing an unintended discharge.

Overall, I was impressed with this gun, though it would not be an ideal fit for me or anyone who wears a medium or large glove. For those with smaller hands and thinner bod-ies, this gun is the answer they have been seeking to be able to carry a concealed firearm for self defense.

The inclination is that this is a la-dies gun, but there are plenty of men with small hands and many women who like the beefy feel of a larger framed weapon, so this gun will be enjoyed by users of both genders.

If you are looking for a reliable, proven and quality firearm for self defense, then you can’t go wrong with the world’s oldest continuous gun manufacturer. Beretta has been making guns for 500 years and their fit, finish and overall feel is second to none. Check out the Beretta Pico at your Sportsman’s Warehouse gun counter and see if it is a good fit for your self defense needs.


The con� dence to stay in shape.

For information on gun safety and concealed carry visit www.beretta.com/pico

Extremly soft shooting and easy to control, the powerful and accurate Beretta Pico is confidence you can carry.

• Thinnest .380 ever made for super concealment

• Hammer-fired operation for reliability

• Exceptionally smooth trigger for greatest control

HUNTING • FISHING • CAMPING • RELOADING • CLOTHING • FOOTWEAR

Pico Ad.indd 1 10/8/14 7:53 PM


I figure by this time of year, I’m lucky to be alive or at least lucky to be of sound mind and body. The arrival of March

means I’ve survived the bulk of winter and the sheer bliss of being a prisoner of the weather. It means I’ve beaten the shack nasties for another year and can now find strength in the lengthening days of the approach-ing spring. And, i f I haven ’ t freaked out and “shot six holes in my freezer” to quote Jimmy Buffet in talking about his own bout with cabin fever, than I’m doing just fine, thank you.

For the re-cord, I do go outside in the winter. I fish, I hunt, I walk D a n g e r, m y three year old Lab who would likely freak out, too if I didn’t force myself outside so he could burn off some steam. I do go out and, umm, enjoy the

Spring Salvation

Chad LaChance

beautiful Colorado winter, but only because I truly would either explode or fizzle away if I stayed indoors too long.

Let’s just say that cold weather ain’t my thing and call it good.

Sure, we still get some cold this time of year, but it is punctuated with periods of warmth, which helps - a lot. We still have some lingering snow in shady areas and even ice on many lakes; watching as its beaten back by daily warmth is very empowering.

As soon as the calendar rolls to the third month annually, it triggers some sort of Pavlovian response in my brain to get serious about tackle. Somehow, even working on gear gets mentally tough by February, but it gets oh-so-easy in March when open water and boating are on the immediate horizon. A sense of urgency takes over and suddenly I feel like there is not enough time to get it all ready, but at least I’m in a better mood anyway. In the same way that pregnant women are known to “nest”, in early spring, I tinker with tackle.

Assuming I was a good Boy Scout – err, angler - back in fall when I put all my open water tackle and gear away, it’s all ready for the spring tune up. Five months ago, I stripped old line, cleaned rods and

reels and took a thorough inventory of lures. Even better if I’ve used idle winter time to replace hooks and/or split rings, sort plastics, cleaned nets and waders, etc. If I didn’t complete those tasks, now is the time. If I did, then now I can re-spool line on specific set-ups. I can stack loaded Plano boxes by lure genre for easy access as I head out on spring flings and basi-cally I can be certain I have what I need immediately at hand.

This doesn’t sound like a big deal, even as I type it. But given that I am a multi spe-cies angler and guide, it’s a lot of tackle to tackle. When it comes to fishing, I’m also a perfectionist; the tackle needs to be just right, down to the finest details. We may be filming ice-out lake trout fishing one day, early spring bass fishing the next and then guiding for walleyes the day after that; the tackle required for each is different and there is no time to work on any of it between days without a fire drill.

To add to the early spring busyness, I typically move into a new boat in March. Like many fishing industry profession-als, I sell my boat every fall (Hey wait, perhaps being boatless is the cause of my winter blues?) and start again in



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satile and just flat out cool. The Gear Tie has a rubber service that will securely grip your gear, while the flexible core allows you to wrap it around a variety of items from fishing rods, skateboard, tools or just about anything you can fit it around. The Gear Tie Dockable Twist Tie comes with a durable plastic mountable Dock that you can permanently screw into the wall. It works by taking the Gear Tie and securing it around your fishing rods or desired gear with one end, while

attaching the other end of the Gear Tie to the Dock, which has a V-Shaped opening that securely grips the flexible Gear Tie at any point you attach it. Use the Gear Tie separate to help you organize in ways you couldn’t before.

Yeti- Hopper 20Yeti Coolers is one of the top known

names in the cooler industry and when needing to keep ice for days, it’s easy to see why so many people choose Yeti. New for 2015, Yeti is coming out with the Hopper 20, a smaller version of the Hopper 30, which filled the demand for many consumers. Where the Hopper 20

stands out most is in its smaller design, making it ideal for a trip to the golf course or tailgating. The Yeti Hopper is as tough as nails, leak-proof and holds ice for days. Yeti is staying true to their slogan, “wildly stronger keeps ice longer”. It has 1.5” thick foam on the bottom and 1” thick on the sides. The Hopper 20 is made of a high tenacity 840 denier nylon with double TPU coating that is waterproof and is resistant to puncture, abrasion and UV-Rays. It’s similar materials and overall construction is used for high performance whitewater rafts. The heavy-duty EVA bottom makes for an abrasion resistance that is very stable and has no problem standing upright on its own. The overall size is 13 ¾ inches tall, 21 ½ inches long and 10 ½ inches wide. The 4.6 gallon ca-pacity used with the recommended 2:1 ice-to-contents ratio will hold 12 cans, 49 creamsicles, a limit of rainbow trout or about 369 orange slices. Lightweight and easy to carry, the Yeti Hopper 20 is sure to be another favorite.

GSM Outdoors- Stealth Cam RX36GSM Outdoors is a top company with

some of the best products on the market. Stealth Cam is one of those products and this year they have done it again with the new RX36 Infrared Scouting Camera. For starters, RX36 by Stealth Cam has mul-tiple settings and features to ensure your camera provides the quality and versatil-ity needed. It’s quick, simple and easy to set up. The 3-in-1 tech-

nology allows video with audio, still photos and a time-lapse modes, letting you program your camera to take photos over a predetermined period of time. The resolution is fully adjustable between 8.0, 6.0, 4.0 and 2.0 Megapixel. It has an 80 ft. range with a sub 1-second trigger to ensure you never miss that once in a lifetime photo. The blur reduction tech-nology provides a crisp picture and the rapid-fire burst mode will give you up to nine pictures per triggering. One of my favorite features is the overall compact size, measuring approximately 4 ½ inches tall and a little over 3 ½ inches wide. It’s perfect for throwing in your pack and ven-turing into the backcountry for a scouting trip. They’re completely re-engineered to optimize energy efficiency, resulting in longer batter life, so you don’t have to worry about a dead camera.

Remington- Express XP Tactical Air RifleAir guns have been around for decades

and with recent advancements in technol-ogy, the latest air guns are more advanced and powerful than ever before. For many of us, our first introduction to shooting started with an air gun and provided a great way to learn safety and gain an over-all respect for guns. Remington has devel-oped a line of air guns that are perfect for learning the basics to hunting small ver-min and squirrels. With multiple models to choose from, the Remington Express XP Tactical .177 Caliber Air Rifle with its sleek design and full length SPS style synthetic stock stands out. Powered by a spring piston with a break barrel action, this air rifle will deliver an alloy pellet 1,300 fps. The Express XP Tactical comes with many innovative features, including a sound suppressing muzzle device to reduce noise, a 9x32 scope, a two stage precision trigger, an auto-reset safety feature, plus a 19-inch accuracy-tuned barrel to give you unmatched precise shooting, shot after shot. If you’re looking at air guns this year, then make sure you check out the full line from Remington. They have been build-

ing guns for decades and know what it means to make a quality product you can count on.


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spring so that all the systems, design and components are new and theoreti-cally reliable and the whole rig will look sharp on TV and for guide clients. It’s an outwardly great system, until you have to go through the buy/move in/set-up/sell/move out process yearly for a decade. Then you realize its work, like any other job. By the time I get really comfy in a new boat, it heads off to live with someone else who gets the benefit of all my set-up labor while I’m left to start over.

Given that I’m borderline OCD with my tackle, I refuse to move into a new boat without everything going into said boat being ready for battle. Given that I’m borderline lazy with mid-winter tackle prep, March gets real busy to ac-complish this and I wouldn’t change a thing.

You know the great part about this whole annual process? It’s the life it breathes into my inner angler. You see, it doesn’t matter if you’re an industry professional that lives, eats and breathes fishing or a weekend worm dunker

that only fishes now and then when the weather is nice and you happen to have some free time. The opportunity and potential that a dawning spring season promises is pure magic. If there is even a hint of fisherman in you, at some point this month you’ll think about hitting your local waters. Subconsciously or otherwise, even the most casual anglers are programmed to be in a positive mood when things thaw out.

Make the most of this productive energy. I guess that’s my point. Get your tackle together (using whatever “together” means to you), grab a friend and go fishing. Geez, go alone, even. It’s a very natural spring thing – a right – to get outside and soak up some sun, all the while taking in the new life occurring at a rapid rate in the riparian habitat you’ll be experiencing. Get a head start on the approaching warm weather, catch a few fish and go home a reenergized person. Therein lies the power of spring and nothing says spring like a good ol’ fishin’ trip.

To paraphrase another Buffet original, “I’ve gotta stop wishin’, I’ve gotta go fishin’, I’m down to rock bottom again.” It’s a good thing March just got here!

FISHFUL THINKERcontinued from page 28


By Dan KidderManaging Editor

Getting lost sucks. At best, it means extra time spent wander-ing around trying to find your

way back to camp or to your truck and at the worst, it can be the end of you. Trusting in just one single way to navigate in the outdoors is a recipe for disaster. Two is one and one is none. A GPS can make navigating much less dif-ficult, but it is not a guarantee that you will be able to find your way. Batteries die, devices break, cliffs and valleys can obstruct the satellite signal or just not understanding the terrain can all mean that your GPS device is a useless weight you are lugging around and depending upon it as your sole means of naviga-tion can be a costly mistake.

As a backup, a map and a compass never run out of batteries, are not de-pendent on access to the sky and also, provided you have the correct type of map, can give you important details about the terrain you will be traversing.

The purpose of this article will not be to teach you how to use a map and compass. There are volumes of books available on the subject. The purpose here is to provide guidance on what skills to learn and those resources to learn them. We will also discuss some common navigation terminology that you may need and bust a myth or two.

First, get a good compass and a good map of the area in which you will be spending time. While the tiny button compass on your survival bracelet, zipper pull or the butt of your survival knife is better than no compass at all, it is not a substitute for a good base plate compass. Base plate or map base

Using A Map And Compass

compasses are designed to be used with maps and offer tools that will help you navigate with your map. Two I recom-mend for this purpose are the Brunton OSS 70 M Eclipse or the Suunto MCA D Compass. Each offers declination ad-justments, distance scales for different types of maps and a mirror and lens for shooting a target. Don’t worry about the terminology just yet, as we will discuss them in a bit.

While the old military style or len-satic compass is a good tool for field navigation, it lacks many of the tools available on map base compasses that will make navigation easier. You need to have a rotating bezel and preferably a declination marker arrow, as well as easy to read cardinal points and degrees. You want a straight edge and distance scales, as well as the means to align your map and compass with landmarks.

A major concept to understand is dec-lination. Declination is the difference between true map North and magnetic North. This difference will vary de-pending upon where on the planet you are. It also changes over time, some-

times just a little bit and sometimes by a lot. This is why it is important to update your maps on a regular basis. Any more than a

few years old and it is time to get new maps. Additionally, newer maps will show the addition of changing features, such as roads, radio towers, windmills and campgrounds, which can be used as navigational landmarks.

Your map will list the declination either on the map page, showing a line pointing straight towards the top with a tangent coming off in a dotted line and the number of degrees of declination or in the map key, telling you how many degrees to adjust. The DeLorme Atlas and Gazetteer for Colorado explains that the western part of the state has a declination of +10 degrees, while the eastern part of the state has a declina-tion of +7 degrees. Having the ability to set your declination on your compass and having a map to give you the cor-rect declination is just one reason to have a map AND a compass together.

The next skill is taking a bearing. A bearing is a direction towards some-thing, measured in degrees. A circle has 360 degrees and a straight line from the center of your compass to the target is the bearing, assuming that North is 0 degrees. Thus, if you are stand-

ing facing due North and walking toward an object or landmark in a straight line, your bear-ing is 0 degrees. Due East is 90 degrees.

Your course is the route you take to get to a location. So if you make a variety of turns, say to go around terrain that is impassable, then you need to record each

turn you make and the distance travelled. It is best to carry a pencil and

mark these turns on your map using the straightedge of your compass base plate.

As for distance, it is vital that you know your stride length. Lay a tape measure on the ground and make natu-ral steps to measure how far each stride of your walk is. I find that my stride on level ground is average; 4 paces for 10 feet. Knowing this, I can compute that with my stride, 100 paces equals 250 feet and 2,112 paces equals a mile. By counting my paces, I can estimate fairly accurately how much distance I am covering. Keep in mind that your pace will differ on uneven ground or while travelling uphill or downhill so you will need to adjust.

All of this may sound very confusing, but with a little instruction and some practice, it will become second nature to you. Some good resources to look at are the Boy Scout Fieldbook and its section on orienteering and the Falcon Guides Basic Illustrated Map and Com-pass. Both of these books contain easily understandable guides for using a map and a compass to navigate. The Falcon Guide book, as well as a variety of com-passes and maps are available at your local Sportsman’s Warehouse store.

Additionally, your Sportsman's Ware-house store will have a great selection of DeLorme Atlas and Gazeteers for a variety of surrounding states, so it will be easy to update your maps.

A compass by itself will tell you where North is, but it will not tell you what lies to the North. If you are fa-miliar with your surroundings, it will be a good guide to get you to a general safety target, such as a road or a river that cuts your path in a perpendicular line. However, for true land navigation, you need a map to tell you how to get to your destination and what types of land features lie in between.

A map without a compass is a best guess. You can see landmarks that lie all around you, but without a compass

Pro’s Tips


A Map Base Compass such as the Brunton OSS 70 M Eclipse (left) or the Suunto MCA D Compass (middle) will serve you better for map and compass navigation than a military style lensatic compass (right).


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to orient your direction, can you be cer-tain which mountain is to your right? Do you know for a fact that the stream in front of you is the one that leads toward camp or another one that runs at a right angle to camp? Moss doesn’t always grow on the North side of a tree. It grows on the side of the tree that gets the least amount of sunlight and in can-yons or in the shade of mountains that

can be any direction. Only by pairing your map and compass together can you truly orient and navigate on the ground. By laying your map flat and placing your compass on top of it, you can determine which way is North and what lies ahead. Orient your map so that the top of the page matches North on your compass, then adjust for the declination. That way, you will be able to determine what kind of terrain lies between you and your target, shoot the target (determine the bearing to

get you there) and plot a course on the map to take you around im-passable terrain.

Knowing the distance, by using the map scale, you can then set off in a particular direc-tion confident that you will be able to follow the course using landmarks and counting your strides, as well as

avoiding obstacles you identified on the map. This will save you from having to backtrack or wander around trying to get around that canyon with 200 foot sheer walls you come across because you didn’t see it on the topographic lines on the map. The closer together the contour lines are on a map, the steeper the terrain. Using these guides, you can more quickly and confidently get to your destination without burning valuable daylight and even navigate at night if needed and with a bit of practice.

So rather than trusting your ability to get to a location and back to an elec-tronic piece of gadgetry that can fail and leave you high and dry, always make sure you take along a backup in the form of a map and compass and spend some time learning to navigate like so many generations have done for thousands of years. Once you get the hang of it, you will feel more confident and actually have a bit of fun showing off your wizardry to others who haven’t yet learned the magic of land naviga-tion with a map and compass.

MAP AND COMPASScontinued from page 34


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inReach ExplorerBy Dan KidderManaging Editor

The convenience and peace of mind of the DeLorme inReach satellite communicator just got even better

with the addition of built-in navigation functionality, including a digital compass, route planning, waypoints and high-detail trip logging. inReach Explorer is the first personal satellite communica-tor to bring together the power of navigation with truly global SOS alerting, GPS tracking and two-way text messaging in one rugged, waterproof device.

The easy-to-use unit offers a basic map view, which displays routes, waypoints, tracks and messages geo-located onscreen for backtracking or self-rescue. The built-in digital compass,

barometric altimeter and accelerometer sensors ensure accuracy and provide head-ing and bearing information, accurate elevation readings, speed and other useful trip statistics. When paired with a mobile device, inReach also owners get exclusive, unlimited access to DeLorme’s topographic maps and U.S. NOAA charts.

In an emergency, the Iridium-powered satellite communicator will notify GEOS,

a 24/7 monitoring service to send search and rescue to your exact location, anywhere on the planet. Because the Iridium net-work works anywhere, without blackout areas or fringe areas, you can be assured of a rescue no matter how remote.

The inReach Explorer also al-lows you to send text messages over the satellite network to friends and family, letting them

know if you are delayed or need supplies. You can also send prewritten text messages with ease.

Friends and family can see your posts and track your progress on social media sites, such as Facebook and Twitter, com-plete with your GPS coordinates. Because it syncs with your phone’s contacts via Bluetooth, you can easily send messages to anyone in your address book. The com-panion Explore web portal allows you to set up your tracking preferences, social media accounts, preset messages, review previous trips, and plan new ones.

The inReach is rugged, shockproof, and waterproof for up to 30 minutes up to 1 meter, so you can take it into the wettest locations and not worry about it failing you when you need it.

The rechargeable lithium polymer bat-tery will last for about 100 hours of continu-ous operation, and can be recharged with

a portable power cell, a solar panel, or any USB charg-ing device.

DeLorme offers both contract-free monthly and an-nual subscrip-tion plans, which means you can select the level of service you need for the time pe-riod you need it. It is also easy to adjust your plan

should your needs change. For ultimate peace of mind, be sure to

take an inReach Explorer — the world’s only satellite communicator with built-in navigation — with you when you get off the beaten path.



Scan this QR Code with your smart phone to view the Sportsman's News YouTube Channel. Video Available after March 15th.


Leupold VX-6 Riflescope with Wind-Plex

Nightforce TS-82 Spotting Scope

The gold ring of Leupold has al-ways been a brand you can count on and the VX-6 holds true with

the same tradition. This top of the line scope is design, machined, and assembled right here in the good ol’ United States of America.

The VX-6 comes in various differ-ent models ranging from the 1-6X24 all the way out to the 7-42X56. The majority of the scopes in this line come with a 30mm tube which makes them a light gathering dream. Our test model is the new 3-18X44mm CDS-ZL with a FireDot Wind-Plex.

This scope features unsur-passed light transmission, uncompromising mechani-cal performance and un-beatable optical clarity, the VX-6 is undeniably as good as it gets when it comes

to high end optics. The powerful 6:1 zoom ratio and crystal clear image from edge to edge throughout the entire magnification range make the farthest targets appear right on top of you. The features and benefits of this scope is nothing short of spectacular. Leupold’s Quantum Optical System with legendary Xtended Twilight lens coatings and DiamondCoat 2 combine with edge blackened lead-free lenses

for astonishing clarity and light transmission. The ex-treme fast-focus eyepiece ensures a generous eyebox, superior field of view, and optimal diopter adjustment in the field. The Illuminated reticle VX-6 features either traditional or super bright FireDot illumination. The 1-button low- profile design allows users to choose be-

tween 12 intensity settings. Proprietary motion sensor technology automatically deactivates illumination af-ter five minutes of inactivity, yet re-activates as soon as any movement is detected. The new wind-plex reticle provides for 10 MOA adjustment holds within the reticle making it easy to quickly dope for an accurate shot.

All Leupold VX-6 riflescopes are CDS capable and include one free Custom Ballistic Dial with purchase. The CDS models allow you to quickly dial your elevation to different sight-in ranges with a custom adjustment matched to your specific ballistics information. The CDS dials change out easily, allowing you flexibility with different loads, conditions and calibers. Every CDS dial features ¼-MOA click or 1 cm click (metric versions), finger adjustments

and no adjustment covers to lose, mak-ing the VX-2, VX-3, VX-6 and VX-R even more accurate. The CDS System Works by laser-inscribing your scope’s elevation dial to match your load, ve-locity and conditions. Your scope will be in perfect synch with the way your rifle and load shoots, even for hand loads. Each CDS dial is unique, taking all practical ballistic and environmental factors into account:

Each scope is waterproof, shockproof, and backed by the Leupold Full Life-time Guarantee/ Leupold Golden Ring Electronics Warranty.

Nightforce is known for their rugged, high end rifle scopes. They have been battlefield

tested and consistently perform at a higher level than other optics. So it should be as no surprise that when they launched the TS-82 spotting scope, it would be one of the best spot-ters on the market. It was awarded the Field and Stream Best of the Best award in 2014.

It weighs in at a hair over 4 pounds and is 16.4” in length. The eyepiece that it comes with is an astounding 20-70x, but has an optional wide angle 30-60x. Since the launch of this product there have been both straight and angled versions of this spot-ting scope, with the angled model knocking off about a half an inch in length. The aluminum body provides ruggedness and thermal stability. It has been thor-oughly shock tested and is waterproof to live up to the Nightforce name. The large center focus ring is extremely precise and easy to adjust even while wearing heavy duty gloves.

Vivid and high contrast im-ages are the norm, even at the highest magnifications. The TS-82 produces crisp, razor-sharp resolution with no distortion from edge to edge. The internal prism design provides maximum light transmission, as op-posed to mirrors which ab-sorb critical light rays. It is also easy on the eye, which greatly reduces fatigue and extends viewing time. The

APO fluorite glass is very costly and is only found in the highest qual-ity optics. There is no other glass that provides truer and more brilliant color and this is obvious when you test this scope head to head with other top European models. The 82mm objective

lens provides for exceptional low light performance. This is especially obvi-ous when you are at the 70X power range. The proprietary Nightforce

coatings result in superb contrast and brightness, just like their riflescopes. Nightforce has added a hydrophobic coating which immediately sheds water without leaving residue. It also repels fingerprints and smudges, keep-ing your images crisp and clean.

Nightforce has recently added some accessories such as foam molded carry-ing cases, custom covers to keep your

optics looking new for years to come, and phone adapter accessories so you can take long range photos using your iPhones or other devices.

The Sportsman’s News team has had the pleasure of truly beating one of these scopes up for over year. In head to head testing, there hasn’t been a better product on the market than the Nightforce TS-82.



Scan this QR Code with your smart phone to view the Sportsman's News YouTube Channel. Video Available after March 22nd.

Aimpoint PRO and Micro T-2


Vortex Optics Crossfire Binoculars

When it comes to quick en-gagement for self defense or hunting, being able to

shoot on target with both eyes open is imperative. No company offers the level of performance for rapid target acquisition like Aimpoint.

Featuring easy to see red dots, amazing battery life, and incompa-rable lens coatings are the hallmarks of Aimpoint optics.

Their rugged depend-ability, outstanding cus-tomer service, and proven rel iabi l i ty are the rea -sons I choose optics from Aimpoint when the shot counts.

Two great options for the hunter or defensive shooter are the Patrol Rifle Optic and the brand new, redesigned Micro T-2.

PROThe Patrol

R i f le Opt ic ( P R O ) w a s designed with extensive input from profes-sionals in the field to deliver amazing ac-curacy, fast target acquisition, rugged

reliability, and a host of op-tions to suit military and law enforcement. These same fea-tures make the PRO a great choice for hunters as well. Special coating on the lenses not only make them easy to see with night vision, but also enhance low light viewing, while staying smudge and dust free. Built-on flip up lens covers protect your lens and a

see-through rear cover allows you to get on target quickly with the covers open or closed. An adjustable on/off/brightness dial provides rapid adjustments to the red dot brightness. On lower settings, the long battery life will allow you to leave the PRO on for up to three years of constant use. A hard coated 30mm tube provides a rugged housing that will withstand nearly every bit of abuse you can throw at it. A special base elevates the optic to cowitness with standard AR sight towers and can also be removed for use with shotguns or slick top AR configurations. A ratcheting attachment knob prevents over tightening and just the ideal amount of torque.

Micro T-2Tiny. This is the best way to describe

the Micro line of red dots from Aim-point. Lightweight and with a minimal footprint, the Micro sights allow your red dot to be mounted on any type of

gun from a pistol up to a shotgun. It takes up very little real estate and offers all the advantages of a premium red dot optic in a small package. The Aim-point team took user

feedback and have released an upgraded version called the T-2 for 2015. Featuring protection of the top elevation dial, a hard anodized case, and integrated mounting hardware, as well as flip up lens covers, the T-2 externals have been completely redesigned. The internals have also been significantly upgraded with too many features to list here.

Check out the video at Sportsmans-News.com or scan the QR code with this article to see the video showcasing all of the great features of the PRO and the new Micro T-2.

The new crossfire binoculars by Vortex are designed to give a great quality binocular at a great

price. The entirely new optical system, housing and aesthetics push the new Crossfire’s into a realm previously un-heard of at this price point. They may be the entry point in the Vortex lineup, but there is nothing entry level about these binoculars

The upgraded fully-multicoated lenses promote impressive clarity, reso-lution and color fidelity. A wider field of view and enhanced depth of field ensure optimal subject acquisition, easier scanning of the environment and overall better views.

High-Quality components, including improved twist-up eyecups, a smooth center focus wheel and right-eye diopter deliv-er durable, precise function-ality. Rubber armoring with clean, striking transitions protects the chassis and pro-vides a nonslip grip. O-ring sealed and nitrogen purged for a lifetime of waterproof and fogproof performance.

It comes in various dif-

ferent models to suit all types of glassing needs. 8x42, 10x42, 10x50, and 12x50’s to provide a bit more magnification to that western hunter. Field of view ranges from 273’ at 1000 yards for the 12x50 models all the way down to 393’ for the 8x42 mod-els.

The Crossfire series re-defines what binoculars in their price bracket can be, further solidifying Vor-tex’s well-earned reputa-tion for providing quality, value and innovation. As

with all Vortex products, it is backed by their well know VIP warranty which will repair or re-place your bro-ken optics if it becomes dam-aged or defec-tive regardless of cause.

SPORTSMAN’S NEWS | March 201540 SPORTSMAN’S NEWS | March 201540

Digital Edition Only Special Content

Charles Theodore Buck1936-2015

The Buck fami ly, the Buck Knives company and millions of outdoors lovers have lost

a very special man with the pass-ing of Charles T. (Chuck) Buck, 78, February 6, 2015, in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. Born May 13, 1936, in San Diego California, to the late Alfred and Ida (Shapter) Buck, Chuck was a man of deep faith.

Chairman of Buck Knives, Inc., Chuck personified the warm family tradition of the American knifemak-ing company he headed. He was the third generation, fol lowing his grandfather, Hoyt Buck, who made his first knife in 1902, and his father Al Buck. After his discharge from the U.S. Navy in 1961, Chuck learned the ins and outs of the knife business and was there when Buck Knives, Inc. emerged. Within a few years, Chuck was named corporate vice president for manufacturing. In June of 1979, Chuck became president of Buck Knives at age 43. He was later inducted into the Blade Cutlery Hall of Fame in 1996.

Chuck was an outstanding busi-ness leader and was influential in Buck Knives' considerable growth. The company, which started out in

a wooden lean-to, has now grown to a 128,000 square foot building, employing more than 300 people in Post Falls, Idaho. Chuck handed over the business to son, CJ in 1999 but remained active as Chairman of the Board.

Chuck was widely known and respected by outdoor editors and w r i t e r s , e s p e c i a l l y t h o s e w h o shared time with him at the annual meeting of the Outdoor Writers Association. They always made it a point to hear what he had to say about innovations in cutlery, and many also wanted to exchange thoughts on their mutual Christian faith.

Chuck was such a friendly, gre-garious gent leman that people meeting him for the first time went away feeling they had been friends for years. It really did not matter who they were, they were impor-tant to him. He loved to travel all over America, many times with his wife Lori, visiting with customers in stores to hear what knife users liked and what they wanted.

As testament to his faith, Chuck included with every Buck knife a message from the Buck Family that speaks of the growth of Buck Knives and the determination to make God their Senior Partner. "If any of you are troubled or perplexed and looking for answers, may we invite you to look to Him, for God loves you," a thought Chuck added to the message, originally written by his father in 1974. The message is clear, and a testament to the foundation to which Buck Knives was built upon.

Chuck took every opportunity to share the message and through the years had received numerous letters thanking him for spreading the word. One of his most cherished letters came from a woman who re-dedicated her life to Christ after reading the message. The woman was planning to commit suicide by cutting her wrists with a Buck knife. When she opened the box, the mes-sage fell out and as the woman read the passage, "For God loves you..." she felt warmth in all directions and

knew it was the Holy Spirit. In a mentor session, Chuck recalled this story and added, "If we don't ever get another letter, that one will be the one I count as most important."

Chuck attended San Diego State College, Southern California Col-lege and Mesa College and was also served in the U.S. Navy.

Chuck was preceded in death by his parents Al and Ida; and brother, Frank. He is survived by his be-loved wife, Lori; son, CJ (Heidi); daughter, Mara lee ( Joe ) Buck-Houser; sister, Janice (Robert) Holt; grandchildren, Josh Buck, Sarah (Hans) Hauge, Rachel (Tony)Wag-ner, Andy Houser, Aaron Houser, Brittany Nelson, Reese Hyde; great grandson, Tandrup (Tan) Hauge; and numerous family and friends throughout the country.

Chuck will be greatly missed by his family, friends, everyone at Buck Knives, and throughout the outdoor industry.

A celebration of Chuck's life will was held Friday, Feb. 13 at Real Life Ministries, Post Falls, Idaho. A final memorial will be held May 13, 2015 in San Diego, CA.

EDITOR'S NOTE: my stepfather, R o y H e l t o n , w o r k e d f o r B u c k

Knives during my childhood. Our home was only a few miles from the Buck factory in Santee, California. I wil l always fondly remember Chuck's generosity and how he dressed as Santa Claus to pass out gifts to the children of his employ-ees. Company picnics, parties, and other gatherings, he was always a very gregarious and jolly soul who took time to speak with each and every employee and their families. I had the pleasure of seeing him at last year's SHOT Show and we spoke of those old days, which he also recalled. He was always will-ing to share his strong Christian faith, not in an overbearing or preachy way, but with true love and awe of the God he proudly served.

My very first knife was a Buck 110 with nickle bolsters and I car-ried it for many years. Today, I am reminded of the gospel message that was included inside the box for that knife. I am thankful that I had the opportunity to get to see the testimony of this man and the example of leadership he set. He will be missed by the outdoor com-munity he loved.

— Dan KidderManaging Editor

In Memorium - Chuck Buck

March 2015 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS 41March 2015 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS 41


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Presents Wild Game Recipes of Steve Mayer "The Wine Guy"

Crispy Almond Duck

Years ago I routinely enjoyed Pressed Almond Duck at a hole in the wall Chinese restaurant

in Las Vegas. The establishment is long since gone and the dish is seldom found on menus due to a complex and painstaking cooking process, so I decided to come up with something that would match the flavor, but really simplified and made with any type of waterfowl. This is truly a unique way to prepare your ducks or geese. Don’t be intimidated by the list of in-gredients, the cooking process is easy and goes quickly. The sauce itself is stunning, and can be used with many other recipes as a condiment. These also make awesome burgers, just leave

out the cornstarch coating and grill them up.

IngredientsOrange Sauce• 1 cup (12 ounces) orange marma-

lade or jam• 3 tablespoons vinegar• 1 tablespoon brown sugar• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper

flakes• 1 teaspoon grated orange zest• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powderRecipe• 1 1/2 pounds ground duck breast• 1 pound ground pork• 1 cup finely chopped onion

• 1/3 cup finely chopped parsley• 1 teaspoon kosher salt• 1 teaspoon black pepper• 1/2 teaspoon Chinese five spice

powder• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder• 5 tablespoons bacon fat or veg-

etable oil for frying• Corn starch for coating the patties

prior to frying• 1/2 cup chopped roasted almonds

Preparation MethodI recommend brining the skin-

less duck breasts overnight in a gallon zip lock with 1/8 cup of ko-sher salt mixed in 2 cups of water.

Make the sauce first. In a sauce-pan over medium heat, combine

all the ingredients. Stirring fre-quently, bring the mixture to a light boil and remove from heat.

Dra in the duck and cut in to one inch cubes . Chi l l them in the freezer for 15 minutes or so, and then grind them with coarse grind in a meat grinder. In a large bowl, combine the ground duck, ground pork, onion, and spices. Mix th i s gent ly by hand unt i l well blended. Form the meat into square patties about the size of a hamburger, making sure there is a slight indent in the center. This will help the patties stay flat dur-ing cooking. These can be made in advance and wrapped and kept in

the refrigerator until you are ready to cook them.

In a large heavy fry pan add 3-4 tablespoons (de-pending on pan s ize) of bacon fat and heat to me-dium/high. Coat the pat-ties with a light dusting of corn starch. Do not over-crowd the pan! You may have to cook them in two batches, adding the extra fa t to the second batch . Cook the meat for 3-5 min-utes until nicely browned, then flip and cook until it is cooked through but still slightly pink in the center. R e m o v e t o a r a c k w h e n done and cover them with the chopped almonds.

Pour the sauce over these crispy delights and serve with some fried rice and s teamed vegetable . This g o e s b e a u t i f u l l y w i t h a bottle of Merlot or Syrah. For this and any wild game or f ish wine pair ings go check out my website at www.wildgamewine.com.

Cheers!



Quality glass for yourself and your lady, doesn’t have to cost you a months’ salary!

By Andy Lightbody

Over the last few years, I have continued to be marveled and awed as to how binoculars

have changed and morphed from an always needed necessity for shooters and hunters into heavy, gadget-laden doohickeys. Instead of quality optics that are lightweight, provide qual-ity glass/prism systems and stand up to the outdoor elements, we see a proliferation of “add ons” that have many of us simply shaking our heads in disbelief.

Remember the old joke about the group that got together to design a race horse? After incorporating everyone’s ideas and suggestions, they ended up with a camel! Features on many binoculars today now include laser rangefinders, night vision options, GPS, compass bearings, thermometers, mil-dot ranging reticles, hidden stor-age compartments and even digital cameras!

Not only do all these accessory fea-tures add weight, they also add to the cost of the binoculars. Until they come out with a pair that has an early morn-ing hunting camp wakeup alarm and

His And Hers Binos from Alpenwill start the coffee, I think I’ll take a pass. After all, whatever happened to good, high-tech/quality binocs that were available to sportsmen at a rea-sonable cost?

I found exactly what I was looking for, not only for myself, but for my better-half as well with offerings from Alpen Optics. Alpen got its start back in 1997 with the goal of providing “superior quality optical products at affordable prices.” With that simple credo they’ve grown a full line of spot-ting scopes, rifle scopes, binoculars and accessories.

In the world of sporting optics, some companies have a little secret that they would prefer that you not know about. Some actually don’t even make their own optics and simply “rebrand” or put their name on generic glass that is made for several optic companies. Sometimes, this lack of attention to product detail results in subpar prod-ucts and inferior workmanship. In plainer words, if you end up with a problem - your fault or shoddy work-manship - you may have a difficult time in getting them repaired or replaced. Break a piece of Alpen glass and it is backed with a No-Fault Lifetime War-ranty. No receipt required, no questions asked.

For the ladies, one of the favorites is the Alpen Pink Series of binoculars.

While a lot of companies are producing “pinky” products, Alpen is much more involved with the fact that the color rep-resents a lot more than a fashion statement. “Pink is the color most associated with breast-cancer research,” says Vickie Gardner, vice president of Alpen Op-tics. “Our line of Al-pen Pink is more than just a pink binocular. With more than 40,000 Americans dying each year of breast cancer (400,000 worldwide), Alpen Optics has cre-ated its Pink binoculars to help focus on a cure, while delivering the

best binocular for the best price in the marketplace”.

With the sale of the Pink Series of binoculars, Alpen has donated more than $27,000 to date, to the City of Hope for breast cancer research and search for a cure.

For the lady in our family, Kathy’s favorite is the Pink #393 that is a rugged 10x42 model. It has a 10-times/power magnification feature and 42mm objective lenses for great light gathering capabili-ties. They’re completely wa-terproof and light in weight, tipping the scales at only 26 ounces.

The binocs are center focus, have adjustable eye relief features (great if you wear glasses) and are adjustable for super-close focus (7-feet) out to infinity. At 1000 yards, the glasses pro-vide a full 330 feet field-of-view (FOV).

“Many binoculars that are supposed to be designed for women are just too wide for smaller faces,” says Kathy Mattoon, avid outdoorswoman. “The Alpen binocs are built to be folded close or opened wide and really fit both of my eyes comfortably when in the field.”

While ladies like the pink binocs, my choice in Alpen glass goes to the more traditional green rubber armored Apex Xtreme Performance (XP) series. A total of nine different models are offered in their #600 series, with a choice of 8, 10 and 12 fixed magnification powers. They even offer an 8-16 power zoom model for taking targets at long dis-tance and bringing them in close.

The model #695 is a 10x42 binocular that has most all of the same features as the PINK series, but is just slightly smaller and four ounces lighter (22 ounces). They are rubber armor coated and have a large and long extra-wide neck strap. It’s not a big deal, but the wide strap keeps the binocs from cut-ting into your neck and reflects the extra attention to detail that Alpen puts into its products.

In the overall quality department for both his and her binoculars, both models have full multicoated lenses. This means

The APEX models are lightweight (22 ounces) and are offered in a choice of different magnification power options. For Him, the top choice was the #695 in 10-power and a 42mm objective lens.

Affordable, lightweight and of course—Pink, the Alpen Optics #393 is a 10x42 binocular set that is rubber armor coated with great image optics. Like all Alpen Optic products, they come with a lifetime, no-questions-asked lifetime warranty.

With the Alpen Optics binoculars, Vickie Gardner (VP) and the company, put their money where their mouth and marketing are. A portion of all pink sales is donated annually to the City of Hope for breast cancer research.



ALPEN HIS AND HERScontinued from page 43


you’re looking at in everything from ideal to low-light conditions and blue-bird weather to the worst that Mother Nature can throw at you. For him and for her, Alpen offers the quality and features you should demand.

that all the lenses have multiple-layer coatings that are applied to all the sur-faces and this again reflects the highest quality.

Binocular prisms are in the tubes of the unit and are actually mirrors that serve to reflect the incoming light between the eyepiece lens and the objective lens. A few of the Alpen bin-oculars use “porro prisms”, but all of the higher quality glass uses the “roof

prism” system. R o o f p r i s m binocs are more expensive, but offer much bet-ter light-gather-ing capabilities and clarity.

Kathy and I have low-light h u n t e d a n d sp ot t ed w i t h both porro and roof prism de-signs and the c l a r i t y a n d quality of the image we were trying to spot

was marginal with porro prisms, while exceptional with the roof prism designs. Both our binocs use the roof prisms and the Alpen BaK-4 glass. Without getting too technical, many “cheapy” binocs use what the industry calls BK-7 glass. While it is adequate in bargain binocs, the much higher quality BaK-4 Barium Crown glass provides much better optical clarity. Try a side-by-side com-parison at your local Sportsman’s Warehouse and the results will be obvious.

As we said at the beginning, you can load up binoculars today with so many gadgets, widgets and accessories that it feels like they should be mounted to wheels so that you can roll them into the field or you can keep it simple and remember the essentials of what good quality glass can do for you when camping, scenery-looking or hunting. The bottom line is to “clearly see” what

The pink #393 are adjustable for super-close focus (7-feet) out to infinity. At 1,000 yards, they provide a full 330 foot field-of-view. This makes them a great choice for everyone from close-in bow hunters to long range rifle shooters.

Alpen binoculars are designed to be simple, rugged, affordable and provide high quality optics for hunting in the field. Since 1997, they’ve been a favorite for everyone who enjoys the out of doors.



Buffalo The Old Fashioned WaySportsman’s NewsOutdoor WritingContest Winner

See pg. 4 for entry details.

By Dave Wilson

For many, when we think of Buffalo, our thoughts turn to places like Yel-lowstone National Park. The bison

is a huge and majestic animal, with a long history in the United States. In the early to mid-1800’s buffalo herds were wide spread across many States, and existed in large numbers. I think they are beautiful and I have long admired the buffalo and dreamed of going on a buffalo hunt. Al-though they are sometimes thought of as rare, there are actually numerous public and private herds across the United States and Canada.

Buffalo are massive! They may stand five to six feet at the shoulder, be up to ten feet long, and weigh up to a ton. For years, I had thought that if I were ever to go Buffalo (American Bison) hunting, I would want to honor the opportunity and the animal by hunting in a more traditional manner.

Arizona has excellent big game hunting and “public land hunting” for buffalo. Most big game hunting in the State is con-ducted under a “Lottery System”, where the hunter applies for the annual desired hunts, based on locations, tags available, weapon choice, etc. An application fee is paid and a tag fee if drawn/selected, and for some species, a “bonus point” is awarded for non-selection. Bonus points serve to give additional lottery chances for individuals in future hunt drawings.

In Arizona, buffalo tags are made avail-able for yearlings, cows, and bulls, at two

different locations in the State, in limited numbers, with a limit of one buffalo a lifetime. The amount and types of tags available varies from year to year. I had decided long ago that if I were only going to be able to hunt once, I would want to hunt a bull. Over the years, I had stock-piled thirty-four bonus points for buffalo, by not getting drawn. I expected this year to be the same, when I was drawn for the one and only bull tag available for the Fall 2014, hunt.

Initially, it was just a thought of, “if I ever get drawn …” and now it was actu-ally happening and the planning began. That is when my old fashioned ways began to take shape. I chose the 45-70 cartridge, which is still readily avail-able in modern production. I chose the

Remington car-tridge shooting a 405 grain soft point bullet. I had purchased a “Sharp’s style” single shot rifle several years ago with Creedmoor style sights (simi-lar to the famous “Quigley” rifle). Although the rifle is accurate and capable of very long shots, my old eyes are not! I also crafted some old style shoot-ing/cross-sticks.

It ’s not about fashion, but the 1870’s style cloth-ing, with my sus-penders, seemed to complete the look!

Although I was the only one with a tag, I had asked a friend to go along as a helper and photographer. On the day we drove to the hunting area (the day before the season opened) the weather was nice and promis-

ing for the hunt. The area was rolling grassland with prairie grass and sage, at an elevation of about 6000 feet, with few trees. As a result, the land offered great visibility. It had rained a little earlier in the day, but the forecast for opening day was good, with a major storm forecast for the second day of the hunt. As we were setting up camp there was a big rainbow in the sky to the East. We were able to spot a herd of buffalo through binoculars, about two miles in the distance, which happened to be right where the rainbow met the horizon. What a great sight, see-ing buffalo at the end of the rainbow.

Opening morning was beautiful, with no wind. Hunting from a Ford, instead of from horseback, we headed out under clear and sunny skies. It was fairly eas-ily to locate the herd from a significant distance, close to where we had seen them the evening before. We were able to approach the herd and move to within shooting distance without disturbing them. The animals were just milling about and grazing. We moved into a favorable wind direction to further mini-mize the disruption to the herd. There were 50 to 60 buffalo in the herd, which consisted of calves, cows and bulls of all sizes. At just over 100 yards, the desig-nated bull was easy to identify within the group, standing about a foot taller than the surrounding cows, calves, and other bulls. The obvious tan colored hump, and sheer size, made it easy to keep track of the desired target. The animals were constantly moving around, but clustered together making a shot impossible. The

bull seemed to move through the herd, but cows or calves were always in front or behind the bull. After what seemed like an hour, the bull was finally in the clear.

I tried to take a steady aim behind the bulls broadside shoulder, and fired. At the shot the bull lurched. I thought it was a good shot and waited for the buffalo to drop. I re-loaded, but a second shot was not possible as the other animals once again surrounded the bull. As we waited, I became surprised by the herd dynamics. Cows and calves moved about to check on the bull while other, smaller, bulls almost immediately began challenging the “herd bull” for dominance. There was head butting and pushing. Dust began to rise from the dry dusty ground. Several times the bull appeared to go down, only to roll in the dirt and get back on his feet. After another long wait, the herd cow, the matriarch, decided it was time to move out. As she headed across the prairie, the other buffalo began to fall in behind in single file, and follow the matriarch.

As the herd began to move and spread out, another shot opportunity opened up, but the distance to the animals was increasing. A couple of follow-up shots and the bull was finally down for good. It amazed me how the bull was able to absorb the bullet impact and weight, and remain standing.

In hunting we frequently hear that once the animal is down, the real work begins. That statement really hits home with a mature bull buffalo. It was estimated the bull was 1700 to 1800 pounds, live weight. I was not even able to pick-up the head by myself, let alone maneuver the bull into a favorable position for field dressing. With the help of others, and several hours of work, we were able to get the bull “dressed”, skinned, and ready for transport to the meat proces-sor, and the head ready for transport to the taxidermist. My once in a lifetime tag was filled, and the freezer would be soon, and the head will be proudly displayed to admire for years!The author with his trophy

Part of the herd, with the bull mixed-in the group.



Freezing temps are not only uncomfortable, but they really can be dangerous to you and your outdoor buddies and family.

Outside of living in a few western or eastern sunshine states, most will agree that we’ve had some

really cold winter temperatures. I keep asking Al Gore to send us some of that Global Warming, but my e-mails have thus far gone unanswered.

When it’s cold outside, I mean sub-freezing and sometimes down to -25 degrees, as it does here in the high mountains of Colorado, getting in-spired to get your hunting or fishing

Ten Quick Tricks For Getting Warm In A Freezing Vehiclevehicle started and warmed up for an outdoor adventure is sometimes a daunting task. Asking my wife or my outdoor buddies to help with that, while I am feigning a limp or bad back, nearly always falls on deaf ears.

Automotive lesson #101 is also a simple rule of physics. Mechanical parts (metal, plastic or composites) that have to move, twist, turn or rotate in extremely cold temperatures are rarely “happy campers.” Add in that your vehicle’s heater is not working prop-erly or feels like it takes until summer to warm up and even the best planned winter journey can be a cold and mis-erable start from home to your final destination. Sometimes, it can even be life-threatening.

Here are a few tips for taking the chill off your next sub-freezing expedition.

1. Start your vehicle a good 10-15 min-utes before you plan on piling in or load-ing everyone up. Even if your heater is not working, firing up the engine and adding the heat under the hood with the heater/fan turned on will add a few degrees to the inside of the vehicle.

2. Check your radiator for anti-freeze fluids. Running just water in your ra-diator is a big mistake! Make sure that you are running the right mix of water to anti-freeze fluid so that they circulate properly. If you don’t, you can actually

overheat your engine with the frozen water, especially if the temps are below zero.

3. Install a block heater on your engine. They range in costs from $50-$250 de-pending on your vehicle type and the quality and brand of the block heater purchased. The block heater plugs into a household out-let and warms the engine and vital fluids even when the temps turn “nasty cold.” In addition to helping the engine components work better and with less wear, it will help the engine heat up more quickly and actu-ally assist in warming the passenger compartment.

Several models are available, includ-ing some that use powerful magnets to attach to the engine block, oil pan or intake manifold. They can be pulled off once the vehicle is warmed up and save a lot of money versus those requiring permanent installation.

4. Use/install a remote starting sys-tem. Push the button to start the vehicle 10-15 minutes before ven-turing out in the cold. Many newer vehicle models come with this fea-ture as standard equipment or as an option. Even older vehicles can be “retrofitted” with a remote start.

5. Park your vehicle in the garage. It may seem obvious, but if your sports-man’s vehicle is usually delegated to being parked out in the elements, think about moving it inside the night before your trip. Inside garages, even if not heated are often a few degrees higher in temperature than those in the parking lot or great outdoors. If nothing else, you won’t have to deal with blustery “wind chill,” spend time scraping ice/snow or digging it out before you leave. If a garage isn’t an option, park your vehicle facing the

east and in a place where the morning/rising sun gets a chance to let Mother Nature help warm the vehicle a little.

6. Invest in a 12-volt heater. Available at most all auto supply stores and even truck stops, these inexpensive heat-

Block heaters on your vehicle’s engine can be installed permanently or just when needed, thanks to a host of offerings that come with powerful magnets to attach to the oil pan, intake manifold or engine block.

Stretchy car seat heater covers are great for the driver and passenger and can be fitted to nearly any vehicle with bucket-style seats. For rear seated passengers, try a car heater blanket or two.

When the outside weather and temperatures are sub-freezing or sub-zero, warming your vehicle for an outdoor adventure is critical, not only from a comfort standpoint, but from a safety standpoint as well. If the vehicle’s heater isn’t working, you can still get the passenger compartment warm and toasty.



ers will plug into your old cigarette lighter (now termed auxiliary 12-volt outlet) and can make the passenger area toasty warm before you have to get out in the cold. It’s best to use these heaters once your engine has started. Many will work even with-out starting the engine, but make sure you don’t drain your battery!

7. Power inverter and space heater. While not ideal, a power inverter sys-tem (built-into the vehicle or a truck-stop accessory) can take the 12 volt DC power from your vehicle’s battery and convert it to 110 volt AC power. In plainer words, you can start your en-gine, turn on the inverter and plug in a regular household space heater. Just be very, very careful to make sure it does not overheat/melt anything on the floorboard or other parts of the vehicle. Propane heaters like you might use in a work shed, duck blind or ice hut should NOT be used. There

is a real and too much danger of fire or carbon monoxide poisoning!

8. Vehicle seat warmers. Seat warm-ers are cheap and nearly universal in fitting most bucket seats. If you have passengers in the rear bench-type seats, you can also get seat blankets. A 12-volt splitter or two may look a little goofy with wires running around the inside area, but for the sake of warmth, that is soon forgot-ten! If all else fails, huddle and cuddle with some blankets from the house.

9. Chemical hand/body warmers. Not real high-tech, but they actu-ally can help out in a pinch by putting them under your arms, down between your legs, in your boots and across the back of your neck. Keep a hand-ful of them stored in your glove box.

10. Warming up your “insides.” A big mug or thermos full of hot drinks

such as coffee, tea or hot chocolate can also aid in the process of taking away the chill from the inside out. Also, eating spicy foods before head-ing to your vehicle is another way to toast-up. In the winter, there are advantages to being a “pepper belly!”

The bottom line with cold and frigid temps and trying to get your vehicle warm is that it is not only uncomfort-

able, but can be hazardous to your health and anyone else in the vehicle as well. Hypothermia can set in within minutes and a 3-degree F drop in body temperature can cause severe/uncon-trollable shaking and disorientation. If it continues, it can kill you! Once it starts, it can take hours to recover and totally mess up whatever outdoor adventure plans you may have had.

Stay warm, my friends!

A 12-volt vehicle heater that plugs into your cigarette lighter or “auxiliary power supply port” can be one way to quickly warm up the inside of your frigid vehicle. They are inexpensive and available at most major sporting goods stores.

It’s not the most high-tech solution, but it works! Hand and foot warmers are cheap, readily available and a pile of them can be stored in your glove compartment or storage area for use when needed.

A couple of 12-volt heated blankets are a great way to warm up pas-sengers in both the front and rear seating areas. Plug them in once the vehicle is running and in advance of loading everyone up. Don’t use them when the vehicle is turned off, or they will drain your battery quickly!

sportsman's news march 2015 digital edition

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