Tabla de contenidos para February/March 2019 en Field & Stream

THIS PAST FALL, TOWARD the end of a day of still-hunting in New York’s Adirondack Park, I took a break to eat an apple and write some field notes. The day had begun with a cold, heavy rain—which was miserable—that transitioned to a quiet snowfall, making for perfect tracking conditions—which was wonderful. Even though I failed to cut a deer track, it was still a great day in the wilderness, so I wanted to jot down some details of the more memorable moments of the hunt while they were fresh. I retrieved my notebook, which I keep in a leather case, and that’s when I noticed something new. Let me step back for a second. The case was a gift from my brother Brian. A fishing guide he…

Trout gobble nymphs in the frigid water of early spring. The question is, are you fast enough to register their super-subtle takes and strike on time? Rio’s Kahuna LT strike indicators ($10 per pack; rioproducts.com) will make your draw quicker. These practically weightless pieces of high-floating fly line can be cut to any length and are designed to slip over your leader. They won’t impede casting or drift in the slightest, and they’ll tip you off to the softest bumps and stops instantly.…

How many different varieties of jerky can you name? If you’re like most of us, your list probably aligns with the conveniencestore rack: teriyaki, hickory (or “original”), maybe Sriracha or another spiced-up flavor. But as butcher and author Taylor Boetticher points out, the equation that equals jerky, “meat plus salt plus sun,” is a global one, with almost infinite variations. In his new cookbook, Jerky, Boetticher and coauthor Toponia Miller round up dozens of the planet’s best, including the two game-specific recipes here. Traveling the world is as easy as firing up your dehydrator. INGREDIENTS Italian-Style Wild Boar Coppiette 2 lb. trimmed wild boar sirloin, cut into ½-inch-thick strips3 cloves garlic, lightly crushed1 Tbsp. plus 1 tsp. salt1 bay leaf1 juniper berry2 tsp. black peppercorns1 sprig fresh rosemary⅓…

It had to be one of the first ones made. Bear Archery produced its Black Bear recurve bow from 1972 to 1978, and for Christmas ’72 I scored one as part of a set, with arrows, that my parents ordered from the Sears Wish Book. The first time I shot it, I was standing in the backyard in my pajamas, the Christmas Day sun barely over the treetops as I flung an arrow at a hay bale my daddy had placed there. With a 50-pound draw weight, the bow was too much for an 11-year-old to draw and hold, but I’d insisted on one heavy enough to kill a deer. And inch by inch, day by week by month, I worked into full draw. From then until I left…

“I REMEMBER LEROY NOW IN GIFTS OF LIGHT WE ONCE SHARED… LIKE FALL SUNLIGHT THROUGH YELLOW LEAVES BESIDE A CREEK.” Leroy grew up a sheepman under a snaking line of buttes 40 miles south of Gillette, Wyoming. By the time I knew him, he had sold off the sheep, leased the ranchland, collected petroleum royalties, pack-trained into the mountains for outfitters, and hunted and fished as much as he liked while living as a divorced bachelor with grown children. If you called him a gun nut, Leroy would scarcely object, working by window light at the bench in his second-floor reloading room, then testing the handloads from that same window on the 100-yard range he’d built behind the house. Leroy hunted everything from prairie dogs to grizzlies. What he…

Photographer Lee Thomas Kjos captured this issue’s epic cover shot—his first ever for F&S. As the hunters packed out an elk near the south fork of the Shoshone River in Wyoming, Kjos got in position to shoot the scene. “It was breathtaking how gorgeous the light was,” Kjos says, “but I knew it would only last for moments. The heavy clouds were moving fast.” Kjos adds that in the moment of capturing the scene, he knew he had a “hammer” photo, but he’s hesitant to take much of the credit. “Honestly, it has very little to do with me,” he says. “All the grandeur, the weather, the horses, the perfect hunters, and that light—I have nothing to do with that. I like to say I’m just the conduit. If…

Snow geese are hard to fool, so to improve your odds of bringing them in to your spread, invest in a few dozen ultrarealistic, full-body dekes. They add a realism to the spread that you just can’t get with socks and shells. The ones in the Pro-Grade Full Body Snow/Blue Harvester Pack ($250 per dozen; avery outdoors.com) are as good as full-bodies get, with adult and juvenile sizes, in two color phases and two body positions. What’s more, the stake system is easy to set and makes motion in the wind.…

I WAS RECUPERATING from a broken wrist, which I suffered on a Montana trout fishing trip when my horse bucked as it stepped on a rattlesnake that had been mauled by a bear. In other words, I tripped on a rock while hiking back to my car and cracked the sesamoidal pisiform of my wrist. Right there at the triquetral joint. Ugh. I knew I’d have to modify my flycasting stroke while I regained strength and range of motion, and it so happened that I was working on a tribute to Bernard “Lefty” Kreh, the legendary flyfishing angler and instructor who had passed away just a few months earlier. Watching YouTube videos of Lefty casting was a revelation. At more than 80 years old, the man could cast 80…

Biltong – South Africa: Antelope or beef dried after a vinegar and coriander bath Bakkwa – China: Finely chopped pork dried into a luscious sheet Brési – Switzerland: A whole eye of round cured, cold-smoked, and air-dried Coppiette di Norcia – Italy: Thin sticks of pork loin with white wine and fennel pollen Gueddid – Morocco: Strips of goat coated in caraway, cumin, cayenne, and more Quanta – Ethiopia: Beef shavings caked in a wild profusion of spices Thit bo kho – Vietnam: Dried beef flecked with chiles and lemongrass.…

Once in a great while, whatever force controls our destiny gives a hunter a break. You punch your tag early on and then get to loaf in camp while everyone else goes out and busts their hump in the rain, snow, and cold. I got one of those days in a caribou camp about 70 miles east of Dillingham, Alaska, in the early 1990s. Caribou are flighty creatures, and hunting them is a case of feast or famine. They can come clickety-clicking right through your camp in brigade strength, or you can walk yourself to death and never see one. On this occasion, with no effort at all, I had killed a nice bull caribou the day before. We took a boat ride. I walked up a short trail…

My family moved from the West to southern New England in the 1970s, and we bought a house next to an old ice pond. The pond was maybe 5 acres, formed by a small impoundment, and was shallow and silted in. As a swimming hole, it was terrible. But it held fish—bluegills galore, some crappies down by the little dam, an occasional bullhead, and largemouth bass, which became my obsession. I knew nothing about fishing seasons, regulations, or licenses as a kid, but I quickly learned how to handle a spinning rod and rig up a purple Mann’s Jelly Worm with more hooks than a meat locker. Somehow, I got it in my head that every bass under 12 inches went back into the pond—those that were larger got…

➤ I have a hat onto which I retire flies that’ve caught memorable fish. There’s the Crazy Charlie that duped my first bonefish next to a Chernobyl Ant from a float down the Green River, where that iconic bug was invented. There’s a Prince Nymph that caught a trout on a day when I really needed to catch a trout, a frayed egg pattern, and a bunch of hoppers. In all, there are 13 flies, and of that baker’s dozen, there’s one, a streamer, that stands out—partly because of its shiny materials, but mostly because of who gave it to me. The pattern is a Cold Medicine, and after an hour of swinging it through a run on the Deschutes River, it caught the biggest steelhead of my life.…

➤ My daughter, Charlotte, was born in 2015. She was our first, and with your first comes a mountain of gifts. Being an angler, I was not surprised that a lot of those gifts were fishy. We got the MY DAD WILL OUTFISH YOUR DAD onesie. We got the plush striped bass. We got the CRAWL, WALK, FISH bib. I loved all of them, but none were as special as the purple Nautilus fly reel with Charlotte’s name engraved on the frame, from my good friends Kirk Deeter and Tim Romano. I let baby Charlotte crank away, drool on it, and bat it around in her crib. Eventually, though, I stuck the reel on the shelf in my office, where it’s been sitting for almost two years, waiting patiently…

➞ WINTER’S GRIP IS LOOSENING. YOU’RE DYING TO FISH. UNFORTUNATELY, THOSE SUPER-EARLY-SEASON BITES CAN BE THE TOUGHEST TO SCORE THANKS TO COLD, DIRTY WATER AND SLUGGISH TARGETS. HAVE NO FEAR. THIS QUICK-HITTER GUIDE TO EARLY-SPRING FISH LOCATIONS AND HABITS WILL GET YOU ON THE FAST TRACK TO A BENT ROD. JUST REMEMBER TO CHECK LOCAL REGULATIONS, BECAUSE SEASON OPENERS FOR MANY SPECIES VARY STATE BY STATE. BLUE CATFISH Where: Virginia guide Chandler Puryear says that some of his biggest James River fish fall in the winter and very early spring. During these times of year, he’s targeting depressions within shallow flats as well as shallow structures, often in less than 10 feet of water. — Why: Blues remain active when the water is cold. Since forage like shad and…

BY THE NUMBERS 800,000 The estimated decrease in the national turkey population from 2004 to 2014. This decline isn’t evenly spread out. Instead, the drop has been concentrated in pockets, especially in the East, where it’s been deeply felt by hunters. 65 The percent decrease in the Arkansas turkey population since the early 2000s, according to the Audubon Society. Other Eastern wild-turkey strongholds like Missouri, Mississippi, and New York have declined 30, 34, and 40 percent, respectively. 14 The age in days at which a wildturkey poult is able to fly. Most poult mortality occurs in the period leading up to this stage. 52 The temperature in degrees Fahrenheit at which a baby turkey can freeze to death on a rainy day. 50 The percent decrease in the turkey…

THE SPRING FISHING SEASON is right around the corner, and if you’ve spent the past few months trapped inside by freezing temps, that first day on the water can’t come soon enough. Until then, the next best fix is shopping for a bunch of cool stuff you may (or may not really) need for the warmer months ahead. That’s why we’ve rounded up 40 new gear items you’ll find on tackle-shop shelves right now. From apparel to reels, and shades to coolers, everything on these pages has been battle-tested and earned our seal of approval. COSTA UNTANGLED SUNGLASSES $199–$219 • costadelmar.com Here’s your chance to pick up a stellar pair of fishing shades that not only ups your style but also supports a great cause. Costa’s new line of…

WALL-HANGER LETTER I have been meaning for some time to tell you folks what a great job you’re doing. You knock it out of the park every issue. As a taxidermist, I see a bunch of magazines, including some pretty highbrow ones, and F&S produces some of the best content. Keep it up. Rhonda K. Braithwaite, via email CAUGHT IN THE CROSSFIRE After years of hearing from outdoor writers that crossbows were just a natural extension of archery equipment and that I should definitely not feel bad about buying one, you now publish an article (“Counter Effect,” Dec. 18–Jan. 19) saying that I’m killing deer hunting. Thanks. Terry Lepper, Quincy, Ill. WILL BRANTLEY REPLIES: I would ask that you read the story again. I said crossbows are phasing vertical…

Another trick for adding even more stability when you’re shooting from the sitting position is to add a rear rest. And you’re often carrying the most handy one on your back. Place your backpack between your legs and set your nontrigger hand on top of the pack. Cradle the butt of the stock with that hand. Flex the hand or squeeze the pack with your arm to control the elevation of your crosshairs. Practice this at home and at the range, and you’ll be able to extend your effective range from the sitting position by more than 100 yards.…

Devising your own jerky flavor is fun and rewarding. Start with the bedrock formula that Boetticher and Miller lay out in Jerky. For every 2 pounds of meat (trimmed and either sliced ⅛-to ¼-inch-thick against the grain or cut into ½-inch-thick strips), use one tablespoon plus one teaspoon of salt. After drying, this will yield about a pound of jerky. Next, add some flavor. Boetticher and Miller divide jerky flavors into five categories: savory, sweet, tangy, herbaceous, and spicy. For savory, think fish sauce, miso, and Worcestershire. For sweet, honey, molasses, or maple syrup. Use as few or as many of these categories as you like. Marinate the meat overnight. Now, to smoke or not to smoke? Think of smoke as just another flavor. It can complement vibrant seasonings…

➤ The summer I spent in Montana, working on the Missouri River, I tended to fish alone. I enjoyed learning the water on my own and having stretches all to myself. But there was one week when I met another angler, Tom, who had beaten me to my go-to spot. At first his company annoyed me, but as the week went on, we became pals. Because of work, I could only join Tom for the evening caddis hatch, but at the end of the week I had a day off, and I told him that I’d arrive early to lock down our spot. That proved to be a smart move, because the dry-fly fishing was remarkable—the best I’d experienced all summer. Tricos and PMDs raged till the afternoon. Tom…

➤ The men shot for a quarter an arrow at the summer 3D shoots, and at 15, I’d just started pulling a man’s bow. I stepped back to the grownup’s shooting line, said something smart-mouthed about taking their money, and with no cash in my pocket, ended up in debt. It was made clear that if I wanted to shoot for quarters, I’d better be ready to pay up when I lost. Otherwise, the kid’s line was 10 yards closer. I lost money at the end of most shoots—but not all of them. As September neared, I dug into my lawn-mowing savings and sprang for a half-dozen brand-new XX78 aluminum arrows. I showed them off to Dad’s buddy, Bobby, before one of the summer’s final shoots. “You sure you…

➤ I lose knives like people lose skin cells. A countless number have sloughed off me without my even noticing. For that reason, I’d never allowed myself to get attached to any blade. Then, a couple of years ago, F&S rifles editor David E. Petzal—my mentor—pulled this battered, stacked-leather Ka-Bar Hunter from his pack and told me a story. One bitter evening in 1972, on a high alpine divide in Montana, Norman Strung (a well-known F&S writer) field dressed an elk with this Ka-Bar and then walked off the mountain without it. His friend Sam Curtis (also an F&S writer) asked if he could keep the knife if he could find it. In the spring, Sam climbed to the divide, rescued the knife, and used it for more than…

➤ On occasion, I have received gifts from colleagues, and some have not been in the best taste. One editor, for reasons now long obscure, sent me his newborn daughter’s dried umbilical cord. But the most memorable gift came from Sandy Brister, who was married to the late Robert Brister, longtime F&S shooting editor. Uncle Robert had a personality with more juice in it than a hot cattle fence, and Sandy was his equal. While Bob talked constantly, Sandy maintained a queenly silence. Somehow we began giving each other gifts. At one SHOT Show, I gave Sandy a T-shirt that said JESUS LOVES YOU on the front and EVERYONE ELSE THINKS YOU’RE AN ASSHOLE on the back. That shirt placed her under an obligation to give me something of…

➤ Grandpa Davis knew everybody, and everybody knew him. Or at least it seemed that way when I was 7 and he took me to the sports show in Sioux City, Iowa. One exhibitor was an old friend named Cap, who had a friendly mien. “Are you a fisherman, Tom?” he asked. “Yes,” I said. “When I’m 8, my dad’s going to take me to Lake of the Woods.” “That wonderful,” Cap said. Then, reaching beneath the booth, he handed me a small plastic box. “When you go, give these a try.” The box held six hand-tied jigs. After the show, I learned that Cap Kennedy was a legendary angler whose jigs, marketed under the trade name Rock-a-Roos, had a reputation for being phenomenal fish-catchers. Years later, on my…

When I graduated from college in 1973, my father, who’d grown up in a Depressionera mining town, presented me with an Orvis Battenkill bamboo fly rod. It was more rod than he had ever owned. We had always fished and hunted together, but our bond became strained by my embrace of the counterculture and my conviction that he knew very little about anything. My only-child upbringing had been comfy, with material things readily available. I treated the rod like crap. The Battenkill came with two tips, and within a year I had broken both. I traded the butt and fragments to a friend for a bag of weed. I kept the reel that came with the outfit and taped it to the handle of a spinning rod. I loved…

WEATHER ★ Heavy rain and belowaverage temperatures in May create a doublewhammy for poults. Many biologists believe nesting hens are easier for predators to smell when it’s wet, and so more nests are outright destroyed during rainy springs. Young poults are also highly susceptible to freezing to death when rain persists for more than 12 hours and it’s below 52 degrees. PREDATORS ★ At the height of the turkey restoration, coyotes weren’t even present in much of the Eastern landscape. Now they’re everywhere. Along with foxes, bobcats, and birds of prey, they account for some turkey predation. But nest predators such as opossums, raccoons, and skunks actually do the most damage. Raccoons account for 50 percent or more of turkey-egg destruction. DISEASE ★ Turkeys are susceptible to diseases, including…

YOU’RE UNDOUBTEDLY familiar with elite anglers like me. We’re the guys who catch more and bigger fish, dominate cable fishing shows, and charge outrageous fees to show up at car dealership openings and pretend that we’re best buddies with the owner. While the right drawl and a limited command of the English language are a good start, what really sets elite anglers apart is our tackle-management skills. When I’m competing for hundreds of thousands of dollars, I get confidence from knowing that any bait I need is right at my fingertips or lodged between the seats of a truck back at the boat landing. Pay attention, because I’ll be sharing things you both should and shouldn’t do, and it’s important to know the difference. Also, I’ve organized these tips…