Dream Fishing Destination - How to decide?

Note: This blog entry is my submission for the Red Tuna Shirt Club and Outdoor Blogger Network Writing Contest.

I was presented with the question “what would be your dream fishing destination?” and it took me back a little.  I mostly hunt, so I have my dream hunts on paper.  But my dream fishing destination, that had me search my thought database.

The nice thing about fishing is it can be what you want it to be.  If my mood strikes, there is nothing like popping the water with a fly in a cold mountain stream.  Then again, a beetle spin or mister twister worm in a farm pond or small lake pulling in largemouth, crappie, and bream, the action is all but guaranteed.  Pier fishing on the coast bringing in croaker and spot with the occasional flounder and blue; well that is a summer ritual at least once each year.

Read More Fishing Memories

But the one destination may not be the one destination.  I like the peaceful rap of the running water over the rocks in the mountains.  However, if I was there all the time, then that farm pond may be what ignites the memories that bring the solitude to an aging soul.

As far as my dream hunts go, there are two that may not be hunts at all, or they may epitomize what a hunt actually is.  I would love to hit the Trinity River in Texas with a bowfishing rig.  A huge alligator gar wading in the shallow turn of a muddy river, while I stalk the creature on the front end of a boat, bow, arrow, and line in hand.  What a rush it would be to have a 6 or 7 foot prehistoric monster on the barb of a bone and scale splitting tip.

Read about North Carolina's River Monster



(AP Photo/Illinois River Biological Station)



Then again, a weekend excursion up the Illinois to witness the flying curtains of carp, desperately trying to fling a shaft through a shiny alien fish all the while dodging the ones setting their flights toward you would be an adventure to behold.  All I can see there are laughter, misses, and an occasional exuberation when the arrow actually does impale a fish out of water.

So you see, fishing can take different forms and therefore can mean so many different things, that one destination may not be able to fulfill your actual dreams.

Bill Howard writes a weekly outdoors column for the Wilson Times and Yancey County News and the bowhunting blog site GiveEmTheShaft.com. He is a Hunter Education and International Bowhunter Education instructor, lifetime member of the North Carolina Bowhunters Association, Bowhunter Certification Referral Service Chairman, member and official measurer of Pope and Young, and a regular contributor to North Carolina Bowhunter Magazine.

Gear Review: LED Lenser H7 Head Lamp

Occasionally you come across a product and you cannot help but say “Wow!”  I was in the market for a head lamp and had searched several internet sites and businesses for just the right one.  I would be using it for bowfishing at night, but I had a bit of urgency in a purchase since I wanted one for an upcoming alligator hunt that was over three years in the making.

Typically for bowfishing, if you are using a boat, you connect several high wattage lights to a generator.  The problem with this for alligator hunting is the alligators are much wearier.  The noise from the generator, as well as the brightness of the light, tends to spook the large reptiles, and the larger ones are even more skittish.  So my goal was to find a head lamp at a reasonable price that was not so bright as to scare away a big’un, but would be bright enough for my eyes to adjust and see the bow and site pins.

I would say scouting for the right gear is about as time consuming as scouting for the right body of water to hunt.  I made several stops at the big box stores (Wal-Mart, Target, etc.) but most of the head lamps were in the 50 lumens of output light range or less.  This was not nearly enough for what I wanted to use it for.  I checked several outdoors outfitter stores that specialize in hiking and kayaking and found a few with up to 100 lumens, but the prices were exceeding $70.  Still, I was not satisfied.

Then one day I spotted a head lamp in a local home improvement store.  $49 suggested retail (it was on sale for $39), 155 lumens.  Uses AAA batteries.  The lamp was adjustable for the angle, brightness, and focus.  Too good to be true, but the price was in the right ballpark.

“Wow!”

The LED Lenser H7 was perfect for what I was looking for.  Being able to shift from floodlight to spotlight was magnificent.  Being able to turn down the intensity of the beam was astounding.  Being able to adjust the angle so as not to overpower my site picture as well as have it aimed to where my eyes naturally look was more than stellar.  Can you tell I love this head lamp?  Let’s put it this way, I went and bought a second one less than a week later.  Why?  Well the other guy in the boat needs a light too!

Now for the drawbacks.  Maybe I should say drawback, as I could only find one thing I was not impressed with.  The cover for the battery does not have that ‘snap into place’ feel to it.  That’s it.  The only thing I could find as a negative was the battery cover.

So if you are in the market for a head lamp, do not throw your money away on something that is just not going to fill your every need.  This light has enough adjustments that it can be used for any situation you would run into.  The LED Lenser H7 is definitely a buy!  You can visit http://www.ledlenser.com/ for more great lights and to purchase.

Want to read more reviews?  Bill Howard's Outdoors Reviews and GiveEmTheShaft Reviews


Bill Howard writes a weekly outdoors column for the Wilson Times and Yancey County News and the bowhunting blog site GiveEmTheShaft.com. He is a Hunter Education and International Bowhunter Education instructor, lifetime member of the North Carolina Bowhunters Association, Bowhunter Certification Referral Service Chairman, member and official measurer of Pope and Young, and a regular contributor to North Carolina Bowhunter Magazine.

How Bowhunting All Began

On August 29 of 1911, a man came out of the foothills of California.  Starving and without any family, he was seeking help from people he had never met and spent his lifetime away from.  An Indian from the Yahi tribe, he immediately gained national attention as the last Stone Age human.  In his tribal tradition, he could not speak his name, so he was given the name ‘Ishi’, meaning man in his native tongue.

Ishi was brought to the University of California Berkeley where anthropologists studied him.  They could not communicate at first, bringing in tribesmen from several known Indian tribes.  Finally, a student of dead languages was able to speak a word for pine when pointing at a pine table, and Ishi lit up with excitement.

Dr. Saxton Pope befriended Ishi and learned much of the Indian ways.  One thing that gathered Pope’s attention was Ishi’s use of obsidian and Juniper wood to make bows and arrows.  Archery was considered a European field sport and was not thought of as a hunting technique.  Pope was amazed with Ishi’s accuracy as well as his Stone Age type production of the hunting implements.

Be sure to check the bowhunting blog Give 'Em The Shaft!

Chief Compton grew up with Indians in the Midwest and moved to California in 1900.  He was a polished bowhunter before Ishi came out or the woods.  Compton soon joined Pope and Ishi, furthering his knowledge on bowhunting.  Compton later introduced a well known rifleman named Art Young to Pope, Ishi, and the bow.

Art Young soon became close to Ishi as well.  Together they would hunt small animals as well as deer in California.  Ishi taught his friends how to use scent control, wind direction, and natural cover to close the distance on animals in order to take them with the bow.  Young, along with Pope and Compton made it a mission to prove archery was a viable form of hunting.  After each big game animal taken with a bow, there would be challenges of the next animal that could never be taken.  Art Young became the front man to prove them wrong.  Young made many trips to places such as Alaska, the Arctic, and Africa, taking game ranging from Kodiak and polar bears to lions.

At a seminar where Young was showing a film called ‘Alaskan Adventures’ featuring Young on spot and stalk hunting, a young man from Michigan watched in awe.  Six years after meeting Young, Fred Bear took his first deer with a bow.  Later Bear would go on to create one of the largest and most influential archery business producing mass production longbows, recurves, and eventually compound bows.

The second weekend of September brings the archery phase of deer season in North Carolina.  A sport and hunting technique that was thought of as not being able to take a big game animal, was responsible for over 13,600 deer in North Carolina alone in 2010.  It all started with an Indian thought to be savage at first, yet was humble and wise.   An Indian who no one ever knew his name, though he created sincere and deep friendships with those he met.  An Indian who created a long legacy of followers in his teachings.  An Indian who exited the woods in California 100 years ago come August 29, 2011.

Bill Howard writes a weekly outdoors column for the Wilson Times and Yancey County News. He is a Hunter Education and International Bowhunter Education instructor, lifetime member of the North Carolina Bowhunters Association, Bowhunter Certification Referral Service Chairman, member and official measurer of Pope and Young, and a regular contributor to North Carolina Bowhunter Magazine.

Exciting News Coming...

with the next column Thursday!

Be sure to read this coming week's story, expecially if you enjoy bowhunting.

Helping the Hungry

When my grandfather would return from one of his amazing hunting trips, there were several things I could count on.  Of course there would be great stories.  Pictures and 8mm movies would be seen and played.  And lastly, there would be meat.  I am a picky eater, and more or less a meat and potatoes type.  But if there was red meat, I would jump at the chance to try it.  I was fortunate in that I was able to sample everything from deer, moose, elk and caribou to wild sheep and African game.

Several years back, after a successful dove hunt, I showed my son Turner how to clean the birds.  My wife Susan began looking up different recipes as we planned to grill the breasts the next day.  That Sunday evening, after marinating them the previous night, somehow it seemed the entire neighborhood arrived during the grilling.  I believe I was able to grab one piece of bacon that was previously wrapped around one of the dove.  The food was devoured by kids and adults alike.

I also made a dish for the Christmas party at work last year using deer meat.  The platter was quickly cleaned.  One of my coworkers, Deborah, came up to me afterwards in a hushed tone asking, “What was in there?”  She knew I favored wild game and never hesitated to share it with others.  We did get a good laugh out of it.

Outdoorsmen are responsible for an enormous amount of care for our communities, wildlife, and natural resources.  It is well known how hunting and fishing keep wildlife populations in balance with the land and each other.  The sales of hunting and fishing licenses are used to procure new land, introduce, establish and maintain various wildlife species, protect endangered wildlife and land, and educate the public.  One aspect that is not as well known is how outdoorsmen help other people.

Wildlife, especially deer, provides a significant addition to food supplies.  Many hunters for instance, will not only go after the trophy buck, but also take several doe to ‘fill the freezer.’  Several organizations formed allowing hunters to donate meat after the freezer was full, to be used for needy families and group homes.  North Carolina Hunters for the Hungry (NCHFTH), Farmers and Hunters Feeding the Hungry (FHFH), Sportsmen Against Hunger, and the North Carolina Bowhunters Association’s Deer Donation Registry.  Basically each of these programs does the same thing.  The goal is to get food to those who could use it most.  While there are different avenues toward the process, generally it involves a hunter taking the game and field dressing it.  From there, it either goes straight to the recipient, or to a meat processor.  If a processor is used, the meat will go to individuals or groups such as churches and shelters in order to distribute the food.

To donate or to accept donations, please contact any of the following:

North Carolina Bowhunters Association Deer Donation Registry

Farmers and Hunters Feeding the Hungry

Hunters for the Hungry

Bill Howard writes a weekly outdoors column for the Wilson Times and Yancey County News. He is a Hunter Education and International Bowhunter Education instructor, lifetime member of the North Carolina Bowhunters Association, Bowhunter Certification Referral Service Chairman, member and official measurer of Pope and Young, and a regular contributor to North Carolina Bowhunter Magazine.

The one that got away.

As Tough as They Come

There are some people who are just tough.  They don’t always have to be hulking big, or have a menacing look.  But when you see them, you respect them immediately.

My granddad was one of these people.  When I worked for him in my teens, he often told me if I could work for him, I could work for anyone.  By far, he was the toughest boss I had.  He was not necessarily mean, just tough.  He walked with a John Wayne pigeon toed swagger.  He also told me once that I should never expect someone else to do something that I would not do myself.  When he told me that, he was elbow deep in a sewer trying to clean out a pipe.  I respected that.  I carried that lesson over to my managerial career.

His last year of school was the sixth grade.  His wisdom and intelligence surpassed any person I know.  If you talked to him for just a few minutes, he could teach you a lifelong lesson.  He was opinionated.  That was ok.  He could teach you anything you ever wanted to know about religion, politics, business, or the outdoors.  He was in inventor and entrepreneur.  He once told me the only way you would ever make what you are worth is by going into business for yourself.  With only an elementary education, he was a successful builder, trucker, and eventually manufacturer.  He also was a lay minister with Peace Church for many years.

During the late 70’s and 80’s, he began hunting big game with a passion.  He bird hunted, mainly quail in his younger days, but with the success of his business, he was able to fulfill one of his dreams.  Traveling the world in search of large game, his stories could keep me in a trance for hours.  He was successful in taking over 90 big game animals that would qualify for either Boone and Crockett or Safari Club record books.  His videos of Alaska (on 8mm film), pictures of Northern Canada, and mementoes from various countries in Africa were mesmerizing.  I never passed up a chance to invite a friend over to Papa’s house to tour his trophy room, featuring elephant, Kodiak bear, hippo, caribou, moose, and Cape buffalo.

One story in particular showed just how tough of a man he was.  He was hunting rhino in Africa.  The land is exactly as you would picture it in your mind; Orange sand with no water and a few trees sticking up here and there.  His guide had several hands helping with the hunt.  Papa and the guide spotted a large rhino about 100 yards away across a dried river bed.  They glassed the monster, and the decision was made to take a shot.  Papa was using a Weatherby .460 WM.  To give you an idea of how big the cartridge is, hold up your pinky finger.  It is about the same diameter, but twice as long.  When were sighting the gun in, Papa allowed me to shoot it once.  It was during the summer.  I stopped feeling the pain in my shoulder when the following baseball season came around.

Anyway, back to the story.  Papa took the shot and placed it nicely.  The angry rhino turned toward the blast seeing the mob of humans.  In just a few moments, the rhino charged straight to Papa, going through the riverbed.  Papa held his ground, methodically throwing the bolt to chamber the next round and firing.  Seven times Papa shot the rhino, all in mortal locations, when the deadly game ended a mere 15 yards from him.  A large rhino, a cloud of dust filtering from the rushed steps of the beast, and the guide and his men scattering was the end result.  One of the tribesmen assisting on the hunt took a series of pictures.  The first showed Papa taking the first shot.  The rest were a little fuzzy and off center, as you could see everyone but Papa turning and running.  You could make out the head of the rhino in several of the photos with a cloud of orange dirt nearly 20 feet high trailing it.  Papa stood his ground.

William J. Howard Sr. (Aug 24, 1919 – Oct 27, 2005) and his trophy rhinoceros.

I was only fortunate enough to hunt with Papa one time.  My dad, a friend of mine, Bobby, and I went on an opening day dove hunt.  While I will always cherish that one day, I wish I had pictures to forever memorialize the occasion.  I make sure when my son, dad and I hunt now, I get plenty of shots.  Another bit of wisdom from Papa was he does not know when the end will be, but he knows every day is another day closer.  Papa would have been 92 years old on August 24^th.

Bill Howard writes a weekly outdoors column for the Wilson Times and Yancey County News. He is a Hunter Education and International Bowhunter Education instructor, lifetime member of the North Carolina Bowhunters Association, Bowhunter Certification Referral Service Chairman, member and official measurer of Pope and Young, and a regular contributor to North Carolina Bowhunter Magazine.

Pope and Young - It's official!

Trail Cams - A How-To

Trail cameras are fun and enlightening.  However, as a tool for hunting, there are some techniques which can help you punch the hole in your tag.

One saying about deer hunting that I have come to find true is ‘the best sign of deer, is deer’.  The camera will help you find the deer.  There are two main types of cameras, flash and infrared.  The difference is the flash camera does just that, it flashes when the ambient light is too dim for the camera to pick up an image.  Of course, a flash is highly noticeable by game animals, as well as humans.  The flash can cause the curious to come and investigate, whether it is a bear or a trespasser.  It is recommended to have a lock box on a flash camera.  The infrared is less conspicuous, as a dim red light is emitted in order for the infrared sensor to pick up an image.  The downfall of the infrared camera is lack of color when a picture is taken after light has fallen.  The great advantage of the infrared is in the number of images and extended battery life, since it does not use a flash to scare game off or drain the battery.

Want more on trail cameras after the season has ended? Click here.



Plot/Field Style Set-up on infrared
style camera.

Location is everything.  Because of this, it is worth noting that camera location can tell you when the game comes out, the quantity of game, and whether there is that trophy you have wanted to hunt.  Will Jenkins of TheWilltoHunt.com has broken camera set-ups to three strategies: plot, trail, and bait set-ups.  I actually use all, but combine the bait to both the plot and trail.  Basically, I use bait to stall the animal in front of the camera.  Therefore I base my set-ups on two strategies.  One is a plot sight.  Set up the camera on the edge of a field to see what comes out.  Many times, placing a pile of corn, fruits or minerals will help bring the animals visiting the field to the view of the camera.  This technique will show you many game animals and help determine when they are feeding.  If you are only getting nighttime pictures, take note on what animals are showing up, and then move the camera closer to where you think the animal is entering or exiting the field.  Your objectives with a field view camera setting should be in retrieving the quantity of animals, quality of animals, and times.

Trail Style Set-up.  This image catches
the deer traveling to the fields.

The other technique involves a trail setup.  In this setting, you are looking for a pathway to the field or scrape to set the camera near.  This is where you are looking to find out if the deer are returning to the field or from the field.  It helps in finding bedding areas.  With this information, you can determine stand locations and entrances to the stands so as not to spook the deer.  With this technique, you will likely view less game, but should get a better idea of the animals’ actual habits and trends.  You may have to change locations of this camera more often, as trails can change.  Also, with this setup, you will need to leave the camera alone longer in order for human scent to dissipate.  Older mature deer will abandon the trail for a while until it feels safe you have not been there.

It helps to keep a camera log by downloading the images to computer and location and time stamp them.  Using the field camera and trail camera images in conjunction with each other, you can map the deer’s patterns.

Flash Camera set up on a field.  The
racoon family helped devour the corn.

One racoon gets cozy with the camera.

Here are a few other notes on setting up your cameras.  Try to avoid setting the camera facing east or west.  The sun can cause silhouette images on flash cameras and can cause ‘white out’ on infrared cameras.  White out is when the infrared sensor is still reading as dark, even though the sunlight is out causing the whole image to be white or mostly white.  Also, it is best to hang the camera about 3 to 5 feet high with a slight downward angle.  Remember to have the camera close enough to the area you are trying to capture so the motion sensor will pick the game up.  If you set a bait pile 60 yards from the camera, do not expect many images.  Ideally you should expect images from 20 feet to 60 feet.  Lastly, try setting a camera in a tree facing toward your stand and the expected location of game animals.  Deer usually become accustomed to the ‘tick’ of the camera, and while they will turn toward the camera, they are not likely to be spooked by the camera.  This may allow you the distraction you need to draw back the bow or make minor movements before your shot.  And with the camera snapping a short series of photos, it will bring a nice set of images of your hunting adventure in process.

Bill Howard writes a weekly outdoors column for the Wilson Times and Yancey County News. He is a Hunter Education and International Bowhunter Education instructor, lifetime member of the North Carolina Bowhunters Association, Bowhunter Certification Referral Service Chairman, member of Pope and Young, and a regualar contributor to North Carolina Bowhunter Magazine.