Archives for December 2017

http://www.deeranddeerhunting.com/articles/deer-news/remembering-charles-alsheimer

It is with heavy hearts and deep sadness that we report the sudden passing of longtime Deer & Deer Hunting Senior Field Editor Charles J. Alsheimer of Bath, N.Y. He was 70. Charlie was not only our longest-tenured contributor (since 1979), he was a very dear friend to everyone on our staff. His insights on deer behavior and hunting helped educate countless thousands of whitetail fanatics.  Please check back here […]

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http://www.wideopenspaces.com/fishing-ambassador-robert-field-boats-a-bucket-list-alligator-gar-from-a-kayak/

Robert Field of YakFish TV finally sets the hook on an impressive alligator gar in Texas.

The famed Trinity River in the Lone Star State was the backdrop for a bucket-list alligator gar angling adventure. This was shared with me by the venerable Mr. Field and Fishbrain, the world’s first fish species recognition App.

The first thing we all do when we see these great angling adventures happen is to ask where were they fishing, and what were they using?

Included is a great video of the catch, the location and yes, what Field was using when he latched into that beast of a gar. Also included is the Fishbrain social fishing network’s data on the top five states to boat an alligator gar, the top five baits and the best time of the year to hook into one!

Whew!

Robert had issues trying to land his first gator gar.

“Finally, I decided to get help,” he said. “I met a fellow Fishbrain user Bubba Bedre at a trade show in Orlando. We got to talking, and it turns out he’s a world-renowned gar guide on the Trinity River in Texas, the alligator gar capital of the world. Bingo. We worked out the details, and the next thing you know I’m launching my kayak in the Trinity near Palestine to go fishing for dinosaurs. We used common carp for bait, soaked on the bottom in the muddy river.”

Fishbrain provided me with some amazing data on this hard-to-get fish, and after its users had logged more than 6,000 gator gar catches, here are the numbers:

Top 5 States to catch an alligator gar are:

1. Texas

2. Louisiana

3. Mississippi

4. Florida

5. Alabama

Top 5 baits used to catch alligator gar are natural baits and in this order:

1. Common carp

2. Gizzard shad

3. Smallmouth buffalo

4. Mullet

5. Tilapia

The best time to catch one is between March and September.

Obviously, hiring a professional and experienced guide is the key, and by simply using the Fishbrain App, anglers can have the knowledge they need right at their fingertips!

We’d like to think Robert Field and the Fishbrain network for sharing this amazing video and the stats to go along with it.

Stay tuned for more bucket-list adventures from some of your favorite angling legends right here!

NEXT: ALLIGATOR GAR BEING REINTRODUCED TO KILL INVASIVE ASIAN CARP

The post Fishing Ambassador Robert Field Boats a Bucket-List Alligator Gar from a Kayak appeared first on Wide Open Spaces.

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http://www.wideopenspaces.com/watch-those-crosshairs-are-there-for-a-reason/

When you can get your crosshairs on a shooter buck like this and get it all on film, you’ll have some company to share it with.

This isn’t just a picture of a nice buck with a scope’s crosshairs leveled on it. This is a truly great shot you just have to see. The onset of technology has given us the best way to see what we’re shooting and where we’re striking the target.

Watch as one lucky hunter gets his deer and the film to prove it!

Here’s the great shot:

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Did you see all those white deer? Yeah, I want to know where this is, too!

Congrats on the beautiful buck! Now get back out there and get some more awesome footage.

NEXT: VIDEO: 15-POUND GOOSE BUTTS HEADS WITH HALF-TON COWS

The post Video: Those Crosshairs Are There for a Reason… appeared first on Wide Open Spaces.

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http://www.wideopenspaces.com/video-slingshot-channel-guy-just-weaponized-robot-vacuum-cleaner/

This is how Skynet gets started isn’t it?

Joerg Sprave, the Slingshot Channel guy, has done it all. Somehow he comes up with something else new and crazy in each video he shares.

This time he found a way to arm a robotic vacuum cleaner. No, we’re not kidding! See for yourself in the video below. And yes, the thing still cleans even with its new armament!

I really shouldn’t be surprised at this point. We’re talking about a man who once weaponized his own beard hair. Taking that into account, outfitting a robotic vacuum cleaner with a gun actually seems somewhat normal by comparison. We think it does anyway…

Yes, this was only an airsoft gun, but it definitely looks like the Glock 17 would definitely fit into the rig. The only question is how well would it hold up to a 9mm recoil? If he’s not going to test it, he should send the rig to someone like Demolition Ranch who we’re sure would be more than happy to try!

Our only concern is this is how Skynet from the Terminator movies gets started doesn’t it? Today it’s arming robotic vacuum cleaners and tomorrow is the cybernetic apocalypse!

NEXT: CHECK OUT THIS CRAZY, 8-SHOT REVOLVER AIR BOW PROTOTYPE!

The post Video: The Slingshot Channel Guy Just Weaponized a Robot Vacuum Cleaner appeared first on Wide Open Spaces.

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http://www.wideopenspaces.com/steve-ecklunds-killing-canadian-cougar-sparks-online-outrage/

In response, the wife of the former prime minister of Canada tweets: “Must be compensating for something, small penis probably.”

Steve Ecklund, Canadian host of the hunting show ‘The Edge’ and Cabela’s Ambassador, recently came under fire for posting images on his  Facebook page of a cougar he had legally killed in northern Alberta.

The Facebook post, made on December 3 but which has since been removed, showed several images of Ecklund posing with the dead cougar as well as making a stir fry with the meat. The pics were accompanied with the following caption:

“What an unreal ending to a fun filled season. Northern Alberta lion with BIG CAT ADVENTURES Brian and Claudette Chorney … can’t thank you guys enough for the eye opener into your world of houndsmen.”

His post was met with a maelstrom of criticizing comments across social media, most filled with expletives, threats, and name calling. The most notable was a tweet by Lauren Harper, wife of former prime minister of Canada, Stephen Harper:

Ecklund stands by his original post, and wrote the following words on Dec. 4:

“If you can guess what post has 900 likes, 450 comments, 13 confirmed death threats, 754 swear words and one very happy hunter in it … I will enter your name into the draw for the new cougar cook book, filled with mouth water recipes for your next mountain lion hunt.”

He also posted this follow-up Dec. 23 to his Cabela’s Facebook page:

Fellow hunters and outfitters have chimed in with messages of support for Ecklund, as well as chastising those anti’s for the hate and threat-filled comments they have posted.  Wild TV, the network who employs Ecklund, made this statement of support via Twitter on Dec. 21:

Here is Wild TV's official response and Steve Ecklund's final comments #Istandwithsteveecklund pic.twitter.com/mFmlZt2qfs

— Ryan Kohler (@ryantkohler) December 21, 2017

A biologist, when reached by the CBC news outlet, proclaimed the backlash to be unwarranted. Mark Boyce, a professor of population ecology with the University of Alberta, said “Cougar hunting is popular, especially with hounds. The hound hunting season begins on Dec. 1 and strict quotas are set for males and for females in a number of cougar management areas.”

Cougar hunting is legal in Alberta from Sept. 1 to the end of February for residents, and from Dec. 1 to the end of February for non-residents. There are currently 32 management zones, and quotas range from one to five animals for each.

Did you enjoy this post? CLICK HERE to view more article by Justin Hoffman. You can also check out his Photography Site Justin Hoffman Outdoors, as well as follow him on Facebook Justin Hoffman Outdoors, Instagram hoffmanoutdoors, Twitter @HoffmanOutdoors, or subscribe to his YouTube channel Justin Hoffman. 

NEXT: COULD THIS MOOSE BE THE NEW RECORD?

WATCH

The post Steve Ecklund’s Killing of a Canadian Cougar Sparks Online Outrage appeared first on Wide Open Spaces.

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http://www.wideopenspaces.com/did-this-guy-just-shoot-a-50-cal-round-out-of-a-pistol/

Is this an actual .50-caliber round being fired from a pistol, and why did they let this rookie shoot it?

This guy appears to have Luke Skywalker’s blaster from the very first Star Wars movie. But, it seems to actually be a pistol that can fire a very large caliber of ammunition.

While we all want a crack at firing this thing, it’s hard to look past the number of safety rules that weren’t followed in this video.

Count the safety violations:

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There’s a school of thought that you don’t blame the dog for having a bad trainer. He handed the guy the ammunition, watched him load it, and then saw him turn around toward him with the barrel aimed right at his body.

Also, the shooter completely forgot his hearing protection on one side. And, it kind of looked like he pointed it at the guy’s head afterwards, too.

What do you think? Eventually, you have to let a rookie shooter load and fire, but he should’ve worked with him a whole lot more beforehand.

NEXT: HERE’S HOW A NOSLER 77 GRAIN CUSTOM CHAINSAW WORKS

The post Did This Guy Just Shoot a .50 Cal Round Out of a Pistol? appeared first on Wide Open Spaces.

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http://www.wideopenspaces.com/8-great-military-surplus-ammo-cans-storage-containers/

Head to the military surplus section of Sportsman’s Guide for these great finds.

If you’re like us, you realize the advantage of military surplus items, especially when it comes to storing ammo and other equipment.

Sportsman’s Guide is home to a ton of ammo cans, and other military surplus storage containers. They’ve sold these items, both new and used, to satisfied folks for years, and the benefits of these tech-filled pieces are obvious.

Get a taste of what they’ve got, and you’ll see it too.

Waterproof .50 Caliber Ammo Can

Pelican 1750 Rifle Case

Steel Jerry Can

58-Gallon Shipping Drum

Tactical Magazine Can, .223 Remington/5.56 NATO

Military Surplus Storage Box

Thermodyne ShockStop Shipping Container

Soft Transit Case

All these and more can be found at Sportsman’s Guide, your military surplus go-to destination.

NEXT: 8 WINTER MUST-HAVES FOR OUTDOORSMEN EVERYWHERE

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http://youtu.be/7rgGEkI510Q

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http://www.wideopenspaces.com/primitive-technology-making-fired-clay-pot-boil-water/

Our man in the jungle has a new location where he can engage in his primitive technology experiments. Here he makes a clay pot and several bowls.

He’s got a new location with a stream running through the land. So, he’s starting over by first making a grass hut, and then fashioning a clay pot from clay he gathered at the stream bank.

He dug the clay with a digging stick and made several pinch pots and one larger clay pot with a lid. After firing the lidded pot, he retrieved water from the creek and boiled it, showing the pot was an effective vessel for this purpose.

He’s made clay vessels before, but what was interesting in this project was that he worked the clay very minimally. He also didn’t fire the bowls and the pot in a mud kiln. He simply made a small, controlled tipi fire around the pot.

This was sufficient to fire the pot, which he tested by striking the side of it with a stick. The fired pot made a clear, ringing sound, signifying that there were no cracks and the pot was strong.

It will be interesting to see how his work with natural clay continues to progress. I’m curious to see if he’ll fashion a pottery wheel to turn the clay into more elegant vessels, as opposed to making simple rope or coil pinch pots.

As always, he learns something with every project he undertakes. He indicates that the next pot he makes will have thinner walls so the water can boil more quickly. He also learned that the oven he made cut down on the smoke in the hut and increased the life of the coals made by the fire.

Like what you see here? You can read more great articles by David Smith at his Facebook page, Stumpjack Outdoors.

NEXT: PRIMITIVE TECHNOLOGY: MAN BUILDS TILE-ROOFED HUT ENTIRELY BY HAND, DEEP IN THE FOREST

The post Primitive Technology: Making a Fired Clay Pot to Boil Water appeared first on Wide Open Spaces.

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http://www.wideopenspaces.com/this-tree-chomping-beaver-shouldve-worn-a-hardhat/

A Maine beaver makes an epic appearance on this trail camera footage when it takes down a big tree and nearly pays the price.

Trail cameras can be worth their weight in gold when it comes to capturing things we can’t be there to see.

Case in point, this hard-charging beaver decided to take on a large tree in a Maine man’s front yard. Once the beaver made enough progress over the course of several nights, the tree came crashing down.

However, the beaver wasn’t ready when it happened!

Here’s the video:

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You have to wonder how often that happens in nature. Hand it to Will Sturtevant for having his trail camera set up in the right place and sharing this unique video!

It always fascinates us that beavers try to tackle such big trees, but they can do some serious damage.

It’s just that when we see them almost get crushed, we wish they would wear a hardhat!

NEXT: MEANWHILE IN CANADA: BEAVER STOPS WEDDING BY CHEWING DOWN POWER POLE

The post This Tree-Chomping Beaver Should’ve Worn a Hardhat appeared first on Wide Open Spaces.

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