Be Prepared buy a Quality Knife!

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Starting youth out in bow hunting can be a daunting task, especially considering the number of youth bows on the market. There are more considerations than just size to be considered when finding the right bow to get kids hunting and with many parents purchasing bows online these considerations become even more valid. A feature that parents should consider is the versatility of the bow. Any youth bow should grow with the child and adjust for height and weight. Another key feature to consider is the weight of the bow itself. The bow length and draw weight are two additional features that should be considered when purchasing a youth bow. There are three bows that take versatility, bow length, and draw weight into consideration and because of that have become the names synonymous with youth bow hunting.

“Mission Menace” By Mathews

The Mission Menace is one of the top rated youth bows on the market. The bow is designed by Mission Archery to be easy to use in every aspect of its design. The Menace is a youth bow designed to be versatile and to grow with the child. The draw length of the bow expands from seventeen to thirty inches.
Mission Archery continued their youth design by giving the Menace a draw weight ranging from sixteen to fifty-two pounds with no press necessary for adjustments. Mission Archery topped off their well thought out design with making the Menace bow weight less than three pounds.
Mission Archery is not the only company that delivers an outstanding youth bow. 

“Micro Midas” By Browning

Browning Archery has also delivered a great youth bow option in the form of the Micro Midas. The Micro Midas setup youth bow has a draw length of eighteen to twenty eight inches which is only a slight difference from the Menace. The big difference with this bow is the draw weight. If parents are looking for a lighter weight draw then the thirty to forty pound draw of the Micro Midas will be an ideal fit to start their youth bow hunting.

The “Edge” By Diamond

For parents who are interested in getting their daughters into bow hunting there is an optimal choice by Diamond Archery. The Diamond Edge is an ideal hunting bow for girls and boys, however, many parents are choosing this as the youth starter bow for their daughters due to two factors. Diamond has made the Edge to be a little bit heavier, but the draw length and weight balance it out. With a draw length of nineteen to twenty-nine inches and a draw weight of fifteen to thirty pounds the Diamond Edge bow is easy for girls to grow into.

When starting out a youth in bow hunting it can be “Easy to Overlook” the basics!

Parents may see the latest and greatest compound bow buy or model and buy it rather than making sure the basic features are there. Mission, Browning, and Diamond are all names that parents can trust to keep the basic features essential and to deliver bows that are suited to youth archery hunting. Overall, the best bow is the one that the youth tries out in the store rather than trusting to a strictly online purchase. Online shopping like buying a knife  is a lot different than buying a bow !

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Outdoor survival is an exercise in preparation. Having the correct equipment and the knowledge to use the equipment is crucial to survival in the great outdoors. Knowledge and equipment go together as it is useless to have all the equipment and not have the slightest idea how to use it.

With the advancement in technology and the advancement in search and rescue techniques it is typically hours before one is rescued.  With a basic survival kit and the knowledge of how to use the equipment most survival rescues should have a happy ending.

What to do “If You Get Lost” in the Wilderness!

Most novice outdoor enthusiasts do not know how to assemble a survival kit. They may go online and purchase a packaged survival kit.  A packaged Bear Grylls ultimate survival kit is on of the best packages survival kits on the market. However most experienced outdoor enthusiasts will assemble their own kit.

The basic survival kit an experienced outdoor enthusiast would have would contain the following; a knife (Survival Knife), waterproof matches, a water purification bottle, emergency food, maps and a compass, you will also need a signal such as a reflective mirror or a whistle. Perhaps the best tool for survival is letting someone, a friend or relative know exactly where and when you will be traveling.  Let this individual know that if you do  contact  them  by a specific date and time they must contact authorities and start a search and rescue.

Educate yourself for the “Rugged Outdoors”!

In addition to the survival kit it is also necessary to educate yourself on additional survival skills. Take some time to educate yourself on the type of wild plants that are edible. Take an class in outdoor survival, many colleges and universities offer classes in outdoor survival. Many colleges will also offer a three day weekend outdoor survival workshop. It is imperative that you master some very basic skills such as building a shelter in the wild and starting an maintaining a fire in the outdoors.

Don’t Let your Outdoor Adventure Turn into a Nightmare!!

With a complete basic survival kit, a good quality outdoor knife and a little knowledge one can survive the great outdoors. Remember outdoor survival is an exercise in preparation.

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Anyone that has ever been hunting, camping or fishing knows how important it is to carry a high quality knife. Knives serve many purposes and are a very handy tool to have around. Whether you need to clean some freshly caught fish, cut open a pack of batteries sealed in an almost indestructible manufacturer’s plastic case, or cut up your food, having a good knife to do the job is essential.

There are many different kinds of knives, each designed for a certain purpose. Some of the more popular kinds of knives are a fixed blade knife, folding knife, hunting knife, lockback knife and pocket knife. Knowing which type of knife or knives to carry with you depends on what you are going to use the knife to do.

Is the Fixed Blade Knife The Right Choice?

A fixed blade knife is usually made of a thicker and stronger steel or other composite material. A hunting knife is a good example of a fixed blade knife. It comes with a thick handle that fits firmly in your hand and is capable of killing small game, cleaning a fish, digging a hole and doing a variety of other useful chores. The knife is somewhat heavier and harder to store than some other types of utilitarian knives. On the other hand, it is very durable and easy to clean and maintain.

Folding Knives are more “Compact to Carry”!

A folding knife opens when you need to put it to use and closes when it is not being used. This type of knife provides a measure of safety that does not exist with a fixed blade. Most pocket knives are of the folding knife variety. Everything from a single blade knife to a multiple blade Swiss Army knife falls under this category. Folding knives can be dangerous when using them to cut aggressively. If you are not careful, the blade can suddenly fold up and cut your hand or fingers. To prevent that from happening, lockback knives were developed.

Should you Choose a Lockback Knife?

Lockback knives have a locking mechanism that keeps the blade secure so it will not accidentally collapse while in use. There is usually a little button or other mechanical method that you must deliberately depress to close the blade on a lockback knife.

Or Do you Prefer the Smaller “Pocket Knife”!

A pocket knife is probably the most common of all knives. It can have a blade just 1 inch in length or some really large ones can have a blade of 5 or 6 inches. The smaller pocket knives are easier to carry around, but the larger ones are stronger and can cut through tougher materials with much more ease.

Deciding which knife to buy depends on your personal preferences and the needs for the knife. Most quality knives do not cost that much, so, perhaps you should buy a couple of different types of knives so you will be prepared for any situation.

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Try to match wits with a spring longbeard while using archery equipment is a very challenging feat. To start with you must hunt from a  blind of some sort. I prefer a double bull blind now owned by the primo gang. The ground blind I like the best is a matrix 360. This blind offers  unobscured shooting in all directions by using a shoot through mesh netting that hangs from the top fabric. When archery hunting and using the mesh fixed blade broadheads are mandatory and range is limited because you will loose some kinetic energy when the broadhead passes through the netting. Some archers modify the netting by adding perminant shooting holes By cutting the netting and hemming to opening to keep the mesh from freying. The holes you cut also allow the use of mechanical broadheads. “Do not shoot mechanical broadheads through the mesh”.  It will deploy your broadheads an distort the arrow flight. I also will set the blind so the sun never shines into the blind creating shadows that will give your moment away.

When getting dressed for your hunt you want to wear a color that matches the inside color of the ground blind you are going to hunting from.  You will be suprised how much movement you can get by with if you dress to match the color of your blind. I use a camouflaged scent lock pullover because I can kill two birds with one stone. I can wear the camouflage “out” while going to and from my blind then turn it “inside out” when I am in the blind. I also use my Scentlock facemask, it is black on the inside because of the carbon layer. For me, wearing black is the best color to match the inside canvas of the blind

Practice, Practice, Practice!!

Practice, Practice, Practice if you are going to turkey hunt with you bow. Don’t think that going to the archery range and shooting is going to prepare you for a they hunt with a bow. You need to practice sitting in a chair and in a kneeling position. Selecting a ground blind that is not large enough to  to draw a compound or recurve bow unwilling cost you a wild turkey dinner.

Patience is a virtue! You are more restricted when you bow hunt turkey than carrying a gun so stand placement is a huge factor. Several things to consider when placing blinds and calling turkeys for archery. Morning fly down areas, morning strut zones and afternoon strut zone/feeding area.
Morning  fly down area is very productive early season because the longbeards are somewhat predictable. As the season wears on the gobbler will be roosting in several different locations making it harder to pinpoint where to set up and hens will be leading them in different directions. My philosophy, Don’t get to close! Try to set up in a travel area between fly down and there strut zone. You will have more success by doing this.

“Strut Zones” can be just about anywhere!

Strut zones can be just about anywhere!  I firmly believe a gobbler strut zone is a place  where he feels safe, it could be an open wooded ridge, creek bottom, pond levy. I’ve even seen them strutting next to a busy interstate. When you hunt a strut zone you may have long sits ahead of you but watching a longbeard work his way to you decoy setup is both awesome and rewarding because generally when he comes in his focus is on the decoys not a ground blind.

Get yourself ready for a new adventure!

There you have it! This valuable information comes from turkey hunting more than thirty five years and a success rate of over 75%. My phylosiphy in turkey hunting is the fun part, harvesting an adult gobbler consistently is the reward of hard work planning , scouting and setting up in the right place.

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Every spring residents and non residents flock to the wood to hunt  wild turkeys. The state of Kansas is home to more than 500,000 Eastern and Rio-Grande wild turkeys. Unlike many other states Kansas hunters are allowed to hunt from 1/2 hour before sunrise to sunset, basically all day. Most other states regulations allow spring turkey hunting from 1/2 hour before sunrise until 1:00 pm.

Youth and Disability Season:    April 1 -April 12, 2011. for kids the age of 15 or less to try their luck at harvesting a bearded bird. The shotgun season opens this year on April 13 and runs through May 31, 2011

Archery Only Season:    April 1 -April 12, 2011        Regular Season:     April 13 -May 31, 2011

Kansas is home to 2 breeds of wild turkey, Eastern and Rio Grande. The Easterns are found in the eastern half of the state and pockets extending over the half way point in the state. The Eastern Wild Turkey population is the largest of the two in the state giving the eastern the bird of choice to hunt . The range of the Rio Grande is just the opposite with pockets extending  from central to the east. Predominately the Eastern wild turkey is larger in size than the Rio Grande wild turkey. Not to say you won’t find a Rio That  weighs more and has longer spurs than an Eastern but the average size is bigger. Check out Kansas turkey trophy records and see for yourself.

Go After “Eastern” or “Rio Grande” Long-beards!

The two breeds have very distinguishable color traits to identify each species. The Eastern has Chestnut brown-tipped tail feathers and dark-buff or chocolate-brown tail tips. The  gobbler’s breast feathers are tipped in black, while other body feathers are colored with copper or bronze metallic iridescence. Rio Grande which is typically a very light to medium brown in color over the body. The feathers are tipped with a lighter color of buff or yellowish buff colors. The head of a Gobbler/Tom weather an eastern or a Rio is white and the waddle is very dark red and highly visible and has fleshy growths called “caruncles”. When males are excited, a fleshy flap on the bill expands, and this, the wattles and the bare skin of the head and neck all rapidly fill with blood, almost concealing the eyes and bill. The long fleshy object over a male’s beak is called a snood. When a male turkey’s excited, its head turns blue; when ready to fight, it turns red.

More Gobbling activity in the Spring!

Turkeys are very “Vocal” during the spring of the year, why? It is breeding season!  Why do they gobble? To show dominance for breeding rights and to attract  females. That is what I love most about spring turkey hunting. The adult male turkey will start gobbling in the morning on the roost consistently around mid March in central US. Earlier south and later as you move north. The reason they gobble is to let the female “hen” know where he is located so she can find him to be breed. When the season opens the time usually gobbble while on the roost and quit gobbling shortly after hitting the ground. As the season progresses they will gobble longer after coming off their roost unless hens show up from the gobbling immediately. Hens will stay with a tom most of the day in the early part of the season until they start laying eggs Late morning then becomes the better time to call one in because the hen will leave and the gobbler gets lonesome and will respond better to hen calling.

Buy your Tags and “Get Out There” and Hunt!

Spring Turkey hunting in Kansas is challenging! It is also very exciting and fun. Getting outdoors to watch the sunrise and pinpoint and setup in a gobbling Tom to match wits with him and then wrap a tag on his leg and be able to say “Mission Accomplished!”

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There are a variety of sport knives available to the consumer today, and the first and foremost question to ask yourself is, “What do I plan on using this knife for?”

Is the “Hunting Knife” Best For you?

If you are a hunter, the logical choice is a hunting knife used to field dress game. For those hunters who travel off road on snowmobiles or all-terrain vehicles, a solid, fixed blade hunting knife makes it possible to field dress an animal and bring it back. A gut hook is a common feature, although it does add bulkiness to the knife and some hunters dispute its usefulness.

Camp/ Utility Knives

If you are an outdoors man, such as a backpacker, hiker, or fisherman, but not a hunter, then a camp knife may best meet your needs. A camp knife can have a small blade or a very large blade and either style you choose will help you perform chores necessary for setting camp, such as chopping wood, cutting rope, and cutting meat for cooking. Another option for a Camp/ Utility knife is the lockback knife. It is compact to carry by means of a pocket clip, in your pocket or in a belt sheath. It is considerably less bulky than the fixed blade knife.

“Survival Knives” for wilderness trips

When you think of a survival knife, the one that first comes to mind just might be the “Rambo” knife. If you think of a knife as a tool, and the only thing standing between you and death in the wild, then a survival knife is your choice. Yet even an ordinary family can find themselves stranded and fighting to survive, such as the Kim family who took a wrong turn and were stuck in the Oregon wilderness for nine days. Desirable features in a survival knife may include a saw edge, a large blade suitable for chopping and cutting, and a fire starter or compartment for matches. The Bear Grylls knife, named after the renowned star of the Discovery Channel’s “Man vs. Wild” show, is a good example of this type of knife, with bright orange coloration, a pommel suitable for hammering, a built-in fire starter, and a lanyard.

“Self Defense” Knives

If you are more concerned with survival in the city than in the country, then tactical knives are what you need. “Tactical knives” is simply a term to describe a knife intended for self-defense. If you carry a knife for self-defense, you have a choice of a fixed blade knife or folding blade knife. The fixed blade is made to carry on your belt making it faster too grab in an attack. If considering the folding blade knife for self defense look at the assisted opening blade knife. This type of knife offers fast blade deployment.  Carrying  a folding knife is less conspicuous but also considered a concealed weapon. A sure grip handle and a strong blade are also necessary features when considering tactical knives, because a dropped knife or a broken blade can be fatal in an armed encounter.

Regardless of the types of sport knife you buy, always be mindful of the laws in your area affecting knife legality. When deciding on which type of Sport knife to buy keep in mind “How do I want to Carry this Knife”. I myself carry a mid-size lockback knife on my hunting trips. I use it as a general purpose knife around camp as well as field dressing smaller game.

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Rumor has it this wild boar was killed near the town of Cut-N-Shoot TX.  Despite Internet rumors and widely circulated e-mails claiming a medical radiology worker shot a mammoth 1,800-pound wild boar on the eastern side Conroe, officials say it is not true. No valid reports can be produced to verify this animal was taken in the town of Conroe or the State of Texas for that matter. The Conroe Courier received an anonymous  e-mail,  with three photos attached – stating the huge wild boar was shot and killed near the Lone Star Executive Airport while on a Texas hog hunt. Montgomery County residents have reported wild boars destroying property and moving through high-traffic areas for years. But no one has ever sited or reported a giant wild boar like what the photographs show.

The Real Story  ”If True” Has more Realistic Information!

According to a French hunting magazine published in 2005, the big boar was shot in July 2005 in the country of Turkey by hunters on an expedition hosted by Nature Tour Hunts. A 300 caliber magnum rifle was used to bring the huge wild boar down. This is the largest reported wild boar ever taken in Turkey, weighing around 781 pounds – the reporting magazine stated. The photos revealed “Nature Tours” logo on the side of a vehicle in one of the photos — indeed points to a Turkish hunting website on which the same images are displayed.

“Fact or Fiction!”

The story of this boar weighing in at over 1,800 lb. sounds a little far fetched. If  killed by a medical radiology worker what is his name and where is this animal on display? I agree this wild boar is extremely huge but 1800lbs, I don’t think so! I don’t know for sure what I would do if I met an animal like this face to face. What would you do if this beast was coming at you? Run for dear life? I don’t thick you could outrun one of these big guys. The largest reported boars seen in Montgomery County weigh between 350 to 400 pounds, but that’s not to say “they can’t get bigger than that”!

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Whether you’re out camping or trying to stay warm in the winter, a fire can be hard to start without a fire starter. Of course, flint and steel is the most trustworthy, foolproof way of starting a fire, but if you don’t have any available, fire starters are the next best thing. The purpose of a fire starter is to get the fire burning quickly no matter the conditions. You can buy them in the store, but it is just as easy to make them. Fire starters also make great gifts for scouts and scout leaders, campers, or anyone who has a fireplace.

Here are a dozen different ideas on how to make your own:

1. Take an empty egg carton and fill each cup 2/3 of the way full with sawdust, pencil shavings, shredded paper, charcoal, pistachio shells, or dryer lint. Pour melted paraffin or candle wax over the top and let it set. Cut or tear apart the cups.
2. Roll cotton balls in petroleum jelly until they are completely covered and saturated. Store them in a plastic container. Use two or three of them at a time to light your fire.
3. Put cotton balls in melted wax until they are fully saturated with wax. Pull them out and let them dry, and store them in plastic containers.
4. Melt wax in a double boiler. Line cupcake pans with paper cups and fill each cup about halfway full, and put a wick in each. When the wax is almost dry, press a pinecone into the top
Homemade Fire Starter Tutorial – The funniest bloopers are right here
5. Roll up newspaper and tie it with twine every few inches as you will need to cut the rolls into two or three inch strips. Holding the ends of the twine, dip the newspaper into melted paraffin.
6. Take small used candles (used birthday candles or stubs from taper candles) and roll them in waxed paper. Twist the ends closed.
7. Tie a piece of twine around a charcoal briquette. Holding the ends of the twine, dip the briquette in paraffin.
8. Stuff dryer lint into toilet paper or paper towel rolls. Roll it up in wax paper and twist the ends to close.
9. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and lay pinecones down. Put the pinecones into a 225 degree oven for 20 minutes. Turn off the oven but leave the pinecones inside for at least 2 hours. This is to dry all the sap. Line two shallow boxes with foil and fill one with sawdust. Dip your pinecones into the wax three or four times to make sure it is completely coated, then immediately roll them in the sawdust. Put them in the other box to dry.
10. Cut a cotton cord into 1” strips and dip in paraffin wax. Let them dry and store in a plastic container or bag.
11. Save your old cardboard. Cut it into 3”x3” pieces. Dip them in wax and let them dry. They stack easily for storage.
12. Wrap a dozen wooden matches together with a piece of twine or dental floss. Soak the wooden ends into paraffin and let them dry. This will make them waterproof and make them burn longer. Lightly dip the heads in the wax to waterproof them as well. To light the matches, strike them on a rock.

Melt your wax you use a Double Boiler!

Be sure that you when you melt your wax you use a double boiler that is made specifically for wax, since wax is highly flammable. Note that old crayons don’t seem to work well when making fire starters.

If you melt down old candle wax, your fire starters will give off a nice scent. If you’re making fire starters as a Christmas gift for people to use in their fireplace, you can find a nice holiday scent that will liven up the room.

For those who are campers, you may want to pack a pencil sharpener with your gear. You can use it to easily shave pieces of wood and make kindling on the spot.

Having a nice fire to sit around is great. Starting it isn’t always so easy. If you take the time to make firestarters, you won’t have to struggle the next time you build a fire.

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