Saturday, September 27, 2008

A Honkin’ Good Time






I crouched low, tracking the approaching Canadas between rustling shocks of corn. With a few more double-clucks on my call, the birds set their wings. The lead goose was now only a few feet off the ground, gliding steadily toward our spread. My heart thumped loudly in my ears as I anticipated the first shots of the season. Wings beat rapidly as the flock slowed its decent, and then I finally heard someone yell, “Take em!”

Goose Hunting
Our decoy spread included full-bodied dekes mixed with a few silhouettes; That’s me giving my warmest welcome to an approaching flock.


Opening day of goose season is always special for me because it marks not only the first day of waterfowl hunting, but also the official start of the entire hunting season. After a summer of target shooting and scouting, I’m really in the mood to get back in the game…no pun intended. Waterfowl hunting has always been a family tradition and I was glad that my dad, Tom, was able to join us for the first hunt of the year. Several other good friends were eager to join us and we had a total of six hunters, including a cameraman and an unfortunate observer. I say unfortunate only because he just happened to forget his waterfowl stamp at home, so he had to leave his gun in the truck and settle for spectator status. Ever have one of those days?

Geese
An incoming flock glides over the freshly-cut oats.


Despite my friend’s misfortune, our luck with the geese was very good. Several different flocks found their way to our spread in the large oats field. Like early season geese often do, a couple of the flocks even circled back to our calling after the initial shots were fired, giving us a second chance to harvest more birds.

Dad Keeping a Watchful Eye
My dad keeps his eye on the horizon for distant flocks; A small flock pitches into the back of our decoy spread.


Shooting
Buck Weaver and I rattle off a few shots from the standing corn.


Retrieving Dead Geese
Buck and my dad retrieve a few geese, although they’re not quite as skilled as Drake, PSP’s official mascot and hunting dog.


After dropping two geese from the first flock to visit our field, I was very pleased to discover that one of the birds carried a band from the US Fish and Wildlife Service. The little metal leg bands are affectionately referred to by waterfowlers as “jewelry”, since they typically end up as ornaments on call lanyards. The bands do serve a very important purpose, however, by allowing biologists to study migratory behavior and resident flock movements. Band numbers should always be reported to the FWS by calling 1-800-327-BAND or by registering the band number and harvest details on their website at http://www.reportband.gov/. After reporting my bird, I received a certificate of appreciation in the mail which included banding data explaining that my goose was a 3 ½ year old male that was banded near Knox, PA when it was too young to fly.

Jewelry
A new piece of jewelry was a great way to kick-off the season; Al Hogue and I gather up the decoys at the end of our hunt.


After the sun had climbed high in the sky and the birds quit flying, we all gathered around and recounted the details of the hunt. Everyone agreed that the morning ranked pretty high among our past outings and would be one to remember for years to come. It was certainly a great start to the season and I can hardly wait for more upcoming hunts. I wish everyone good luck and a great ‘08 season!

Group Photo
My dad, myself, Al, and Buck pose with the morning’s harvest.


Heading Home
Our crew packed up and headed for home after an excellent morning in the field!

Friday, September 26, 2008

Exciting Time Of The Year






This is my favorite time of the year to be outdoors.  The anticipation for archery season is getting to be too much.  Last month has been busy including a fishing trip with the family, a great weekend get together with many people on this site, and preparing myself for the upcoming archery season.

Early in the month, we decided to take one last fishing trip to Lake Wilhelm before storing the boat for the winter.  The trip was relatively uneventful, but we did manage to catch a few small bluegill and perch.  On a side note, my sons rod and reel are sitting somewhere at the bottom of that lake.  He was reeling in a small panfish and the hook popped out of the fish’s mouth coming back at Nate.  His solution to the problem was to drop the rod and run.  We all had a good laugh and replaced the rod the next day.  Looking back on the spring and summer months, I had a great time fishing the many local lakes with my family and friends.

Nate Fishing



Nate Fishing
Nate's Monster Gill

There has been a lot written about Spring Lane Hunt Club, but I just want to add a few thoughts to the weekend.  This was the first time I had a chance to meet some of the staff and many of the moderators on this site.   I can honestly say there isn’t a better group of people anywhere.  As others have said, Spring Lane Hunt Club is a first class operation.  The lodges were beautiful, the owner and his guides were extremely friendly and helpful, and the dogs were awesome to hunt over.   I’ve had limited experience hunting pheasants or any birds for that matter, and I can honestly say I had a great time.  I now understand why so many people have a passion for bird hunting and their hunting dogs.

Spring Lane Hunt Club
My group for the day, AJ Johnson, Me, Rob McCoy, Frank Rodenbaugh and Andy Traister

Spring Lane Hunt Club
Our awesome guide for the day and his awesome dogs!

Archery season is almost upon us.  I enjoy the outdoors and all the outdoor sports but hands down, archery is my passion.  I love this time of year, and the anticipation for how the next couple of months might play out.  In this last month, I’ve been busy preparing myself for the upcoming season.  I’ve been shooting every evening and have made the switch from practice heads to my broadheads.  After a couple minor adjustments to my rest, my Slick Tricks are hitting exactly the same as my field points.  Broadhead flight had been a problem in my early archery experiences, but learning how to tune my bow and these low profile heads have made it much easier to get great results.

Shooting Bow



Slick Tricks
Slick Trick Broadheads

My Bow
My Matthews

Big Shot Archery Targets
My BigShot broadhead and field point targets

I had the opportunity to scout several areas we are going to hunt this archery season.  I found some good sign including rubs, a couple of scrapes, and good deer trails.  Though I don’t have any deer patterned, I am confident I will be hunting around deer and hopefully will get an opportunity this archery season.  My fixed stands were hung early this month, and my climber is ready to do some exploring in new areas.  Now it’s time to count down the days until the first archery hunt of the season.

Good luck, be safe, and enjoy the season

Mike

Saturday, September 6, 2008

My Son’s First Goose and Dove Season






Most of you know by now my passion for waterfowl hunting. This being my fifth season I think it will be my most memorable.

I have been longing for the Pennsylvania opener of Canada goose season for quite some time. This year brought on a new meaning to the day. It would be my son, Jimmy’s, aka Spike, first year he would be able to engage in the actual harvesting of waterfowl.

Jimmy has been tagging along the rivers, marshes, and laying in ground blinds for the past 4 ½ years through all types of weather. Don taught him how to use duck and goose calls and through the years he always helped calling the geese in. Patiently waiting for his chance to interact as a hunter. Even though he was unable to shoot while on our outings, he developed a sincere passion for the waterfowl hunting.

Some people get buck fever…my son just gets the fever! Jimmy has the tendency to become so overwhelmed in the anticipation of what might occur he becomes ill. So ill to the point he literally gets sick in his stomach. It has happened when we took him hunting turkey and deer. Don and I have prepared him for just about any situation. Engaging him in preseason scouting, gun safety, preparation in coming out of his ground blind, and simulating actual shooting scenarios with training rounds. But even with all the training and preparation, nothing is like the actual hunt.

One evening when coming back from scouting, Don and Jimmy made a bet. Don bet Jimmy he would be so worked up opening morning once he heard geese he would become sick. Jimmy insisted he was over all that and accepted the bet. Jimmy even decided the night before the hunt he was going to take some Pepto Bismol. Which he did. Well, needless to say, Don won the bet. Just at daylight, while we were set up Jimmy heard geese. He started breathing heavy, taking deep breaths, and I looked over at him. He was white as a ghost and under his face mask I saw sweat beads. Don and I looked at each other and he said, “He’s getting sick!” and I know it sounds cruel but we laughed quietly. Then Don told him, “Buddy if you need to go behind us in the bushes over there go ahead and take care of business.” Jimmy handed him his gun walked over to the brush…and threw up. Then It WAS all business, within one minute the geese started to fly in and we gave Jimmy and Bob’s boy Zeth first shot. Jimmy was settled in enough and harvested his first goose. We were so excited. Then the action started happening. I was able to see Jimmy take another great shot and down a goose right out in front of us a few minutes later. He and Zeth each had dropped a bird. Only then did I decide to take a shot at one of the other birds in the flock and dropped it. I was more excited and caught up in the moment I was sharing with my son then worrying about shooting!

Geese
The whole gang with our morning harvest. (Left to Right, Justin Miller, Snickers, Zeth Koch, Jimmy aka” Spike”, Drake, Don aka “Dropshot”, Back row: Bob Miller aka “goosehunter”, Scott Heverly, Brandon Ott aka “Deerhntr”, and me.


Then the moment arrived…we had 6 geese down and it was time to put Drake to the test. While Snicker’s was retrieving a bird Bob had downed, I sent Drake out on Jimmy’s bird. This was icing on the cake. Drake made the retrieve and right back to hand and heeled. Just itching to go out and get the other birds down. Each one he came back with a perfect retrieve. This day was so far perfect in my eyes. Jimmy was so proud of himself, but I don’t think he could be any more proud than I was at that moment! While sitting in the brush with Drake on one side and Jimmy on the other he said, “Mom, this is great! But I lost my bet!” We both laughed. Over all we harvested 12 geese in our group for the morning hunt.

Drake Retrieve
Drake retrieving Jimmy’s goose.


Snickers Goose Retrieve
Snicker’s on a retrieve.


Jimmy’s plan for the past year now has been he wanted to hunt geese in the morning and dove in the afternoon then geese in the evening again. That is just what we did. We hunted Dove around 12:30 PM. The doves weren’t flying well where we were, but Jimmy still managed to take a dove with his first 3 shots fired. He was thrilled. The doves flew by wide and then circled back right over his “dove tree”.
That topped the cake! His dove tree decoy worked. We hunted until 2:30 and headed home to get Drake and the gear for our evening goose hunt.

Jimmy's Dove
Jimmy with his dove.


Jimmy Cleaning His Dove
Jimmy cleaning his dove so he can fry it up for lunch.


Our final destination for the day was over an hour away from home. Once we arrived, we all helped set up the decoys and blinds.

Setting Up For Some Goose Calling
Jimmy, Scott and Brandon.


Bob and Snickers
Bob and Snicker’s


And like so many times in the past…we figured the birds would be arriving in about 7:00 PM, so we were standing chatting about past hunts, upcoming hunts, the morning’s hunt and
I looked out over Bob’s shoulder and saw wings waving in the horizon. I yell out, “Geese! Right over the trees headed right in!” We all jump into our blinds. I say to Jimmy, “Ok buddy, be sure of your muzzle! This is it boys here we go!” Bob and Jimmy do the calling and a small flock of 5 birds come in like being pulled on a string. They bank and circle behind. At this point our calls stop, all you hear is their loud honks and strong wing beats! They bank again and circle right in front of the spread and Bob yelled out, “Take ‘em!” Shots rang out and we managed to drop 3 of the 5. Then the dogs went to work. Snickers bolted out his blind and out to the first retrieve. Drake followed eagerly. Both dogs worked great!

Drake's Retrieve
Drake back from his retrieve holding the goose.

Decoys



Our total for the opener was 15 birds among the group. We all agreed… overall it was one of the best days hunting we ever had! Not in the sense of the number of birds we harvested. We have done much better than that on different occasions. But a wonderful day spent with family and close hunting companions who in our eyes are considered family. Just enjoying each others company, laughs and jabs at each with no mercy even for poor Jimmy. While he was “taking care of business in the bushes that morning, we all glance around at each other and started to laugh at him. Jimmy walks back immediately after his throw up episode to the group and states, “I’m good!” and proceeded to kill geese moments later! Ahh…this is what memories are made of!

Teresa's Geese

Monday, September 1, 2008

Getting Back to the Roots: Traditonal Bow Shoot

Enjoying Family, Friends, and Time in the Outdoors
By Todd Gruber, Knox, Pennsylvania

In the age of archery technology changing rapidly and archery equipment becoming obsolete almost immediately after you purchase it, there still are many that are converting back to the way archery used to be.  Bows and arrows made of wood and no sights to guide your shot are gaining in popularity more than most would think.

Little Girl Shooting
Emma and I with her first bow.


I have been shooting a traditional recurve bow for about 7 or 8 years now, and even though I have not hunted much with it because some back issues had kept me from practicing as much as I would have liked, I am looking to start hunting strictly traditional this year.  Over the past 3 years I have been able to introduce my wife and two daughters to the sport as well as some of my friends and their families.  Pennsylvania is home to two of the largest traditional shoots in the country.  I was fortunate enough to attend both events this year.  The STAR (Ski Sawmill Traditional Archery Rendezvous) and ETAR (Eastern Traditional Archery Rendezvous) and they are both located within an hour of the beautiful Pennsylvania Grand Canyon.  This year I was able to camp for the weekend at STAR with my family and my good friends Bill and Laura Evans with their son Tanner.

The STAR shoot is much smaller in comparison than ETAR but is a great shoot to take the family to because of the flatter terrain and laid back atmosphere.  STAR consists of 5 3-D archery courses, novelty shoots, and the canoe shoot.  Vendors are present at the shoot to stock up on supplies.  Last year my youngest daughter Emma was only about 18 months old but we were able to use a cart that you pull behind a bike to maneuver her through the courses.  I would not advise on taking a youngster up the ski slope to the two courses up on top because it can be very steep at times.  This year at 2 years of age she shoot her own bow made of CPVC and walked about 90% of the course.  My nine year old daughter Dani has been shooting for about three years and out shoots many of us adults.  My wife Deanna has been shooting for three years also and seems to enjoy it more and more.  Every year we attend we are seeing more and more families attending.  Both shoots offer a great atmosphere and we have met many people from all over the country.  The one thing that I have noticed is that most of the people that attend the traditional events are very laid back and willing to share there knowledge of the sport to offer tips and tricks of the trade.

Steelhorse
My daughter Dani is left handed so she must sit backwards on the horse for this shot.

STAR is a great shoot to go camping with your family because it is not real crowded and there is a lot of room for the kids to play.  Last year at STAR we shot all day on Saturday and saw only a handful of people on the courses we were shooting.  This year there were more people and the shoot seems to be gaining in popularity.  Seminars are available at both shoots to help you become a better shooter or enjoy some of the trick shooters that attend the event.  STAR and ETAR also have programs for the kids to improve there skills or just have fun.

ETAR is one of largest traditional archery shoots in the world.  I am not sure how many shooters this event draws, but I know it is in the thousands.  ETAR consists of 9 3-D courses as well as many novelty shoots and a raccoon shoot at night.  If you want to camp at this event I would suggest getting there on Wednesday because it fills up fast.  There are many vendors at this shoot and you can shoot some of the best made bows from the various bowyers that attend the event.  The  vendors sell bow making materials, archery accessories, furs, and quivers among various other supplies.
Getting Ready To Shoot
My wife Deanna with friends Bill and Laura

Both STAR and ETAR offer great accommodations with on site camping available, nightly swap meets, and unlimited shooting.  STAR is usually the last weekend in June and ETAR is the last weekend in July.  Both shoots start on Thursday and run until Sunday.  On Sunday both shoots end with a door prize drawing.  For more information on the shoots you can google Ski Sawmill or Denton Hill ski resorts or look at Archeryfestivals.com.  Ski Sawmill and Denton also offer compound shoots but I have never attended.

Bill Shooting
Bill taking aim!


If you are interested in trying your skills with a recurve or longbow this is a great place to go.  Even if you don’t shoot, it is worth making a trip to see what they have to offer and you can stop and see the sights of Pine Creek and the PA Grand Canyon.

Ski Resort
A view from atop Ski Sawmill Resort




Thanks for the great story and photos Todd. You can send us your hunting or fishing story and if we use it on our web site we will send you a Pennsylvania Sportsmen Portal T-Shirt. The Pennsylvania Sportsmen Portal is all about folks who hunt and fish in PA and we love to feature our site visitors. Only criteria is, you must be a Pennsylvania resident. Stories can be from out of state adventures also, but we are really looking for stories that feature hunting and fishing in PA. Click Here For More Information.

Scott Archery Little Goose Release

Product Review by Mike Bell, PSP Field Staff
Release

Cost
Black - 59.99
Camo - 64.99
Deluxe - 69.99 (includes 3 interchangeable triggers…Slim Line, Spring, Knurled)

Product Features

  • Four hole adjustment

  • Pivoting head

  • Fully adjustable Trigger

  • Angled jaw design for todays new bows

  • Single Caliper (1 moving Jaw)

  • Available in Black or Paradise Camo

  • Available in Buckle or Hook and Loop Strap


Personal Assessment
After several negative experiences early in archery, I’ve learned where I need to spend money and on which accessories I can save a little.  A quality release is a must and the Scott Mongoose release is worth every penny.  I started using the Scott Mongoose through several recommendations from friends and through research on the internet and magazines.  They are adjustable and extremely comfortable, durable and consistent.  I started using the regular Mongoose and went to the Little Goose five years ago when I put a string loop on my bow.  The Little goose is more compact with a foreword trigger and gave me an extra half inch on my draw.  Both releases work great and have served through many thousands of shots.  The last thing I want to concern myself with when touching off a shot, is a faulty release. The Scott has definitely lived up to its name as one of the best.  Since my early days archery hunting, I’ve went though several bows and all different accessories, but the one thing that has remained consistent has been my Scott Release.

Release



Limitations
The cost on the Scott Mongoose could be an issue for some archers, but after the initial investment you will have a quality release for many years to come.

Recommendation
Based on my experiences with my Scott Mongoose and Little Goose Releases, I would have no problem recommending the Scott Mongoose or Little Goose to any archer looking for a quality durable release.

AVERY Sporting Dog Products - Reversible Collar and Training Lead

Product Review by Teresa Patterson, PSP Field Staff

Leash

Leash


Cost
Reversible Collar - $9.99
Trainer’s Lead - $9.99

Product Features

Collar:

  • Heavy-duty webbing sealed in a waterproof sleeve.

  • Super tough powder coated steel buckle and D ring.

  • Three sizes to fit any dog.

  • Multiple colors. (Shadow Grass, (Killer weed) KW-1, Break-up)

  • One side camo/one side blaze orange.

  • Tough Quick-release buckle


Trainers Lead:

  • Heavy-duty 1 inch poly webbing.

  • Durable coated steel hardware.

  • Double webbing for durability.

  • Trigger snap & quick release buckle.

  • 6” wrist loop.


Drake



The waterfowl and upland bird season is almost upon us and I needed to versatile collar and lead for Drake.  I knew that a short lead would be my best answer. Drake is fresh out of basic training and I am still training him at home.  So controlling him on a short lead enables me to guide him more easily while we are training and in the field.

While goose hunting we usually like to keep our dogs staked down.  Dogs are as excited as we are about hunting. In the heat of a hunt  they see that first bird drop you never know what they may do. I have seen even the best trained dogs break from their blind at a fallen bird.  This can be an accident waiting to happen.  I found the Avery Trainer’s Lead very versatile for at home training and in the Field.   It’s inexpensive and yet very durably made.  The part I like best is that it can easily be hidden and is short enough to keep the dog in the blind. Not to mention the quick release snap. This is the feature I like the most. It can easily be reached and can release the dog on command for a retrieve. Not to mention there is no long leash or rope dragging behind them, getting muddy, wrapping around their legs or knocking over the decoys.

The Avery reversible collar is another great new product.  This collar is ideal for the dog that hunts both waterfowl and upland birds.  The collar has the same quick release snap as the Trainers lead and can quickly be switched from Camo to blaze orange in seconds. Which when hunting upland birds I always like to have some type of orange on the dog for safety reasons.

I have the KW-1 camo pattern.    I like both of the products.  They both seem to be made well and have held up to my use thus far. Both are very reasonably priced.  I would recommend these products to anyone who has a dog they are training or for use while hunting.