Trail cameras are great tools for wildlife observers, photographers, and hunters. It allows you to view animals in their natural habitat and from a safe distance. Unfortunately, trail cameras are often an easy target for thieves. How to keep your trail camera from being stolen?

To prevent theft of your trail camera: Place it in a high and obscure location, around foilage, and out of direct sunlight. You should also consider a trail camera cable lock so a thief won’t be able to steal it. Also, avoid visible flashes and use a decoy camera to prevent theft.

There is a possibility that someone will steal your trail camera.

Here are 9 ways to keep your trail camera from being stolen. Learn how to prevent trail camera theft.

How to Keep Your Trail Camera from Being Stolen

Here are a set of tips and tricks to prevent theft of your wildlife camera.

While each tip is good, consider using many of them together for the best results.

Let’s get started!

1. Hiding Your Trail Camera

Disguising your trail camera can go a long way. It isn’t a waste of time or money. And you’ll retain your footage.

There are multiple ways you can do this action, including camouflaging it within the foliage of its surroundings. The use of branches and leaves makes your camera harder to see. You might also buy fake foliage since real leaves will die over time.

You could hide your trail camera in a tree stump or a nesting box to make it seem natural. Get creative so you can discover multiple ways of hiding your trail camera. You can also hide your device with the following methods.

Keep Camera Out of Direct Sunlight: This goes a long way in keeping your camera hidden. Compare the following photo with the feature photo of this article.

The first one glows and can’t be missed. And the following photo keeps the camera in the shade and much less visible.

2. Place in Low-Traffic Areas

Placing your trail camera in low-traffic areas is another useful tip when hiding the device.

Putting it in a remote area, choosing sections of woods where people do not typically go.

Easily accessible trails are the last place you want to place your camera, so find a spot difficult to access. The trail less traveled will be suitable in this instance.

3. Mount Your Camera Out of Reach

Mounting your trail camera in a place that is hard to reach is a great way to prevent theft.

Most thefts are crimes of convenience. Mounting it out of reach (especially with a ladder) means it will be hard for a thief to grab and go with your camera.

And a high vantage point means thieves could potentially harm themselves when climbing up a sketchy tree. It is also less likely to be seen by walkers.

Spotting a camera in a high place would take some effort, making this step one of the most ideal methods. It might be a hassle to mount your wildlife cam out of reach, but might be worth the effort.

4. Do Not Use Cameras That Flash

We recommend that you use cameras that do not flash during the nighttime. Cameras flash at night to get a better picture, but the light is a dead giveaway for a thief.

Even if you hid your camera nicely, the flash will reveal its placement and entice a thief to do what thieves do.

Your camera might be safe throughout the day, but once the night comes it’ll be like a lighthouse – visible from all around. The passerby could either steal your camera or break it, which is why a camera that does not flash is great.

Look for trail cameras with night vision and passive infrared (PIR).

5. Set Up a Decoy Camera

Another method of preventing your trail camera from being stolen or broken is by setting up a decoy camera. Place a camera that does not work in a spot that someone can easily notice.

The fake device can draw would-be thieves from noticing the real camera hidden away.

You can even place the decoy in the view of the real camera to catch the thief. This clever action will kill two birds with one stone, revealing the thief’s identity and spotting animals in their natural habitat.

6. Use Cellular Cameras as Surveillance

A cellular camera is perfect for surveillance. Linking it to your mobile will constantly send trail camera images to your phone. So, you wildlife observers can enjoy the beauty of nature in all its gloriousness in real time.

You could also catch the thief in the act if you decide to use a cellular camera.

Keep in mind that these cameras cost more to purchase. And because your phone is steadily receiving images, you will have data costs.

7. Label Your Trail Camera

Adding identification is an obvious thing to do, but labeling your camera can be helpful when on the look for it. Simply marking your name and contact information on your trail camera will prove helpful if it gets lost or stolen.

After stealing a camera, the thief’s first stop might be a pawnshop. But with your name etched into the trail camera, the buyer could realize the seller stole it. They will then contact you and return it, saving you from purchasing another trail camera.

8. Use Social Media for Help

If your trail camera has been stolen, you can use social media. Social media can be helpful when tracking things down. Labeling your trail camera, as previously stated, would make it easier to track down.

The hunter community can help you with this process. You might post images of the thief (taken with steps 5 and 6) and see if it might be tracked down. You could also make a deal for the thief to return your trail camera. And you can share these photos and video clips with police to report the theft.

9. Cable Locks

Trail camera cable locks are a great way to keep your camera secured. You should still use the other steps in this guide – especially hiding your trail camera. But trail camera cable locks can help ensure that it doesn’t get stolen if spotted.

Cable locks have a locking mechanism that will secure positions that are up to six feet.

Your camera will remain secure, even if someone spots it along their walk. The only way to unlock the cable lock is with a key, so the security should leave you relieved when you set it up.

Check out the lock systems below to see where to start.

Here’s how to use a trail camera for security.

More reading: Do trail cameras scare deer?

3 Trail Camera Cable Lock

The following systems will ensure your trail camera remains secure from thieves.

1. Master Lock Python

The Master Lock Python is available in up to twenty-four packs, and each is keyed the same. A thief will not be able to easily cut the camouflaged cable since it is cut-resistant.

The cable lock will survive harsh weather with its strong aluminum alloy lock, cylinder shutter, and vinyl-coated cable.

These features, along with the remaining cable locks, are excellent solutions to keep your valuables safe.

2. Browning Trail Camera Security Box

The Trail Camera Security Box is the next best thing to having a secure trail camera. The 16 gauge steel will protect your camera from damage and theft.

With its powder coating, you will not have to worry about it rotting.

The Browning has two locking channels for python cables and will accommodate a padlock up to 3/8″ in diameter.

3. Cam Guardian Tree Mount Holder

This trail camera attachment is another option for solving your problem. The Cam Guardian will not only mount your trail camera in a high spot but will also keep it locked, in case it becomes discovered.

You will no longer have to worry about damaged or frozen keys. Cam Guardian is also the most useful lock mechanism out of the bunch.

Looking for the best options? Here are the 13 Best Trail Cameras for Wildlife Photography.

Game cameras are popular among game photographers and hunters. They allow you to see what the animals are doing without having to be there in person.

The motion detection shoots only when there is wildlife. PIR delay on game cameras is an important feature.

More reading: How to Hide a Trail Camera from Humans

Your Turn

What tips are you going to use to keep your trail camera from being stolen? Let me know below!

Lighting a bonfire isn’t all that difficult as long as you have the right materials and tools. Start small by gathering dry tinder – very small twigs, leaves, newspaper, and other small materials that will easily catch fire. Then gather your kindling – larger sticks and thin pieces of wood to add on top of the burning tinder.

Finally, you’ll need your fuel wood. Larger branches, logs, and pieces of wood will burn slowly and keep your fire going. Get all the material on hand before you light anything or else you risk burning your tinder and kindling and having no fire to show for it.

However, for everyone else that doesn’t have a tree in their backyard or a wooded area to gather these materials, lighting a fire can be a bit more difficult. Regardless of how you start the fire, you’ll need some kindling to help catch the larger pieces of wood.

If all you have are larger pieces of wood, you can use an axe, hatchet, or even the Kindling Cracker, below, to help break small pieces off of the split logs. Throw these pieces on top of the ideas we’re going to walk through below.

We recommend the Kindling Cracker XL Firewood Splitter

6 Foolproof Ways to Light a Bonfire

Use Charcoal

Inexpensive, readily available, and slow-burning, charcoal is great for not only grilling but getting a fire going too. Pick it up at any gas station, grocery store, or campground with a bottle of lighter fluid and you’re ready to go! Lighter fluid helps get the charcoal going, but a charcoal chimney will save you money in the long run since it makes it easier to light the fire.

If you choose to use lighter fluid, make sure you let the lighter fluid soak into the charcoal for a minute or two before lighting. An added benefit of using a charcoal chimney is that if you choose to grill over your fire, you won’t get the lighter fluid taste cooked into your food.

We Recommend the Kingsford Quick Start Charcoal Chimney Starter

Cooking Oil and Paper Towel Waste

Next time you have leftover cooking oil, throw it into a large mason jar. Anytime you have paper towels that are still semi-dry, add those to the mason jar as well. These paper towels will soak up the used cooking oil and are great for lighting directly under kindling.

Bacon Grease, Toilet Paper Rolls, and Dryer Lint

If you grew up with a mason jar of bacon grease in the fridge, most of your meals were probably pretty tasty, even if they leaned towards the ‘unhealthy’ side of the spectrum. While you might not cook with bacon grease like your parents once did, that doesn’t mean you need to throw it out after a Saturday morning breakfast.

Keep your extra bacon grease in a mason jar and start saving your empty toilet paper/paper towel rolls along with any dryer lint. Lightly stuff the empty cardboard tubes with dryer lint and add in some bacon grease after it’s been heated up.

These are great fire starters you can put into a ziplock bag and take on the go. If you prefer working with something a little cleaner, the coffee ground option we mention in this list is the better option.

Sawdust and Paper Briquettes

This option requires quite a lot more effort than the previously mentioned ideas. If you do any sort of DIY projects where you’re cutting wood, you know it creates a lot of sawdust. Combine this sawdust with all the junk mail and amazon boxes that come to your house and you have a ton of burnable wood/paper products.

With some water and elbow grease, you can turn these wood by-products into burnable ‘logs’ or briquettes. A few videos are included below on how to do this, but the idea is simple.

• Create a paper/sawdust slushy – Add shredded paper, shredded cardboard, and sawdust to a water mixture.
• Push the slushy mixture into forms – whether bricks, bucket-shaped, etc.
• Squeeze the water out, then allow the ‘logs’ to dry in the sun

You don’t need a fancy rig or setup like many of the people below have. You can get started doing this with just 2x 5-gallon buckets and a piece of wood.

Pre-made Starters

While going the DIY route is easy and fun, it is time-consuming. For those strapped for time, below are our suggestions for pre-made fire starters.

We recommend QuickSurvive All-Purpose Waterproof Fire Starters

Tips for Lighting your Bonfire

Use Only Dry Firewood

Even if the wood appears dry, it might not be. A good way to determine if it’s fully dry is to drop it on concrete. If you hear a firm ‘thud’, rather than a hollow echo, then there’s still some moisture in it and you may have trouble lighting it.

If this wood is still a little damp, it will burn. If you’re in a pinch to get a fire going, buy some kiln-dried firewood to get the fire going, then add your slightly damp wood on top. It will smoke a bit more than fully-seasoned wood, but it’ll usually burn.

Feed the Embers Oxygen

After you’ve added your kindling and it’s begun burning well, start feeding it oxygen. You can use a piece of cardboard to fan it, or if you have an air inflator or leaf blower, those will work much better. The oxygen helps to raise the temperature of the fire and help it burn more efficiently. This helps the wood you’re adding catch faster.

Don’t Suffocate the Fire with Paper

If you have a large stack of paper or other documents you’re trying to get rid of, feed them to the fire slowly – preferably in crumpled balls. It’s easy to drop a large pile of papers and wait for them to catch, but you’ll risk suffocating the fire.

Buy a Blow Torch

If you have enough bonfires, using a stick lighter or matches gets old after a while. A blow torch head is under $20 and the refill tanks are only $3 or so a piece and last quite a while. Your thumbs and fingers will thank you.

Other Scenarios

How to Light a Beach Bonfire

Lighting a beach bonfire isn’t all that different from a backyard fire. There are only a few different precautions you’ll want to take to make the fire safe and enjoyable for everyone.

For starters, you’ll want to have a small shovel with you. The Glock E-tool is perfect for this and if your car is ever stuck in the mud or snow, this tool is a lifesaver for that too.

We recommend the Glock’s Entrenching Tool with Saw (E-Tool)

Dig a shallow hole in the sand and build a small berm around the perimeter of the hole. If there are some larger rocks you can move next to the berm, even better.

PRO-TIP

Make sure you know where the high tide comes in and stay well away from that area. Water can pool up in the bottom of your fire pit and cut your night short.

Pat down the bottom of the hole so you have a firm surface to work with. If you have additional rocks, these can be added to the bottom of the hole for a hard dry surface for the wood to sit on. The irregularities in the shapes of the rocks will also allow more air to flow to the fire.

Now you can gather all of your tinder, kindling, and fuel materials to get the fire going. Typically, it’s better to use a tee-pee structure for a beach bonfire, since that will encourage more air to flow to the embers. After the party is over, be sure to extinguish the fire with plenty of water and then bury the embers and ashes.

CAUTION

Check local laws to ensure it is legal for you to have a bonfire on the beach. Some areas will require you to request a permit.

Safety Precautions

Avoid Using Accelerants – Do NOT Use Gasoline

Apart from being a poor bonfire starter, using gas is dangerous and can be explosive. The vapors coming off of gasoline are what catch fire before the liquid itself does. Gasoline tends to ‘flash’ and can flash large enough to catch you and anything around you on fire before you even know it.

Charcoal and lighter fluid are much safer alternatives as long as you follow the directions on their packaging.

Don’t Burn Pressure Treated Wood or Anything Else Chemically Treated

Pressure-treated wood is most easily recognized by its greenish tint. Avoid burning this wood at all costs. Pressure-treated wood has been injected with chemicals to prevent it from decaying when in contact with the ground or moisture.

It goes without saying that burning this wood releases these chemicals into the air, which are known to cause cancer. Always wash your hands after handling pressure-treated wood

Key Point: Each of these pistols are truly excellent choices for self-defense or personal protection.

If you’re looking for a pistol that you can use for personal protection, self-defense, and concealed carry, you’ve come to the right place. 9mm striker fired pistols as a whole are the simplest and most reliable handguns that you can own, assuming that you’re going to buy from a reputable manufacturer.

Note – for the purposes of this article, we’ll be sticking with mid-sized and full-sized 9mm handguns rather than guns of other calibers and sizes. Also note that this article is aimed at beginners who have little to no knowledge of firearms and are looking to make a first purchase.

Here are the best striker fired pistols on the market today:

CZ P10C

The CZ P10C is CZ’s first striker fired pistol. The company had previously been most well known for making the CZ75 series of hammer fired pistols. The P10C was released in 2017 (after its initial development had began in 2014) and is designed to

The P10C comes with a fiber reinforced polymer frame along with a stainless steel side. It competes directly with the Glock 19. It was even built by CZ to fit the same holsters as the Glock as well. Since Glock has a massive array of aftermarket support and parts, this is a major plus.

Full size and compact variations of the P10C are also available.

Glock 17/19

The Glock 17 and 19 are the pistols that started the whole striker fired pistol craze in the first place. The G17 was released in 1983 and the G19 followed a few years later. The G17 is a full size handgun with a 17 round capacity while the G19 has a 15 round capacity and is more compact for concealment.

The main benefit to the Glock series of pistols are their inherent reliability, simplicity, and their massive array of aftermarket parts and support. In fact, the Glock pistol is one of the single most customizable firearms on the planet, rivaled only by the AR-15 and the 1911 pistol.

Heckler & Koch VP9

The HK VP9, also known as the SFP9, was released in 2014. The pistol was designed directly to compete with the Glock 19 and the Walther PPQ, but particularly the latter people as HK sought to make a pistol that would have a very similar trigger and ergonomics to the Walther.

The VP9 is more close in size to the G17, but has a smaller magazine capacity of 15 rounds. It comes with two polymer protrusions on the rear of the slide that make it easier to grasp with a wet hand. It also offers interchangeable backstraps and side panels on the grip to accommodate different

SIG Sauer P320

The SIG Sauer P320 holds the distinction of being the current sidearm of the United States military, replacing the Beretta M9 or 92FS. It also holds the distinction of being a truly modular pistol. The actual gun assembly of the P320 can easily be removed from the gun and swapped between different frame sizes that you can purchase separately.

The P320 was adopted into the United States military as the M17 or M18. The M17 is a larger version with a longer slide, while the M18 is a smaller compact option. The M17 is being issued to the Army and the M18 issued to the Air Force and Marine Corps. Both pistols come with a manual safety, which the standard P320 does not.

Smith & Wesson M&P

The Smith & Wesson M&P line was released in 2005 to succeed their 3rd generation hammer fired guns. The M&P line has since grown tremendously to become Glock’s main competitor. The M&P 2.0 series was released a few years ago, and features enhanced ergonomics with more aggressive grip stippling as well as a superior trigger.

There are also multiple sizes available for the M&P. The M&P 2.0 Compact is more similar in size to a Glock 19. The first generation M&P Compact was more similar in size to the Glock 26.

Walther P99

The Walther P99 (as well as the P99 Compact) is truly one of the most unique striker fired pistols ever made. This is because it’s a double action single action and does not have a consistent trigger pull as the other options on this list. Unveiled in 1996, the P99 has a double action pull for the first shot with all subsequent pulls single action. Meanwhile, a decocker lever on the side puts the weapon back into double action.

But the pistol can also be placed into AS mode by tackling the slide back slightly on double action. This AS mode essentially makes the double action a much lighter pull and therefore significantly easier to shoot, but also safer to carry than the single action.

Walther PPQ

The Walther PPQ is a developed Walther P99 that has a more Glock-like single action only trigger with a consistent pull. It also features enhanced ergonomics over the P99 with more aggressive grip texturing, a squared off trigger guard, and forward slide serrations that make it much easier to perform a brass check on the weapon.

There are two primary versions of the PPQ: the M1 and the M2. The M1 has a European style paddle magazine release and the M2 has an American style push button magazine release. There are also longer barreled options for both pistols if you desire a longer sight radius and increased bullet velocity. All in all, the PPQ is a very underrated pistol.

Conclusion

Each of the above striker fired pistols that we have covered are truly excellent choices for self-defense or personal protection, and you can’t go wrong with any of them.

This article by Nick Oetken first appeared at Gun News Daily.

Image: Flickr / Defence Images

The winter of 2017 has seen some pretty drastic temperature swings across North America. In fact, within the last 30 days we’ve seen air temperatures of 70 degrees at BWI airport in Baltimore, Maryland and 7 degrees just south of Birmingham, Alabama. When it’s warm out and water is available, deer get by no problem. However, what happens when the temperature drops and surface water begins to freeze? How do deer satisfy their basic daily requirement for water? Recently, I answered this question for an avid QDMA member in the #AskQDMA video shown above.

Deer get water from three major sources:

1. Free water: These are natural bodies of water from puddles, streams, seeps, springs, lakes or ponds, as well as cattle troughs and other man-made catchments. Basically, liquid water you can see and touch.
2. Preformed water: This is water found in food that deer eat. Its availability varies depending on the time of year and what vegetation is available. During spring and early summer the majority of a deer’s diet is comprised of forbs and other herbaceous material, which tend to be very succulent (high water content). When those types of plants disappear, what is left are plants that generally have less water in them – such as older leaves, needles, buds and twigs on woody shrubs and saplings.
3. Metabolic water: This is water that is released from food during the digestion process as a result of oxidizing carbs, fats and protein found in plants.

It’s important to note that the reasons deer need water actually fluctuates throughout the year as well. Water consumption helps control some basic, year-round things for deer such as daily metabolic function, waste excretion, and transporting nutrients and minerals throughout the body. But there are other seasonal or age-related influences too, including gestation, lactation, thermoregulation(keeping ‘em cool in summer and warm in winter) and growth, for younger deer. Taking that into consideration, it’s safe to say deer need water most in spring and summer when biological and seasonal conditions warrant it. Luckily, this time of necessity coincides perfectly with a period when preferred foods are available and full of water.

Even when free water is abundant in any form, deer still satisfy most of their needs through preformed water, which is water in their food.

Deer will obviously stop, bend down like Bambi and drink free water any time its available. Or, they may eat snow in winter, too. However, even when free water is abundant in any form, they still satisfy most of their needs through preformed water. This is especially true in places with adequate precipitation, which is much of their natural range in North America.

When free water is scarce, such as in a severe drought or the extreme Southwest, deer are obviously forced to get almost all of their daily water requirements from the other two categories. As you probably noticed, each are directly related to diet. What’s interesting, though, is as their foods diminish in water content, the more they need water, just like you or I would need a big gulp of water after eating nothing but dry food for days on end. Thus, it’s a catch-22. The drier the food, the more they need water; but, during a drought there isn’t any or it occurs ata time when foods are low in water anyway. That’s why drought years impact deer productivity so much that you see drastic fluctuations in population and even antler size in arid regions, like south Texas. The lack of water limits their ability to thrive and grow.

What about in the extreme North? When all the free water is frozen, isn’t that just as tough as southern drought conditions? Not so much. It sure would take a lot of snow consumption to equal 8 ounces of water. But, because their overall water needs are reduced this time of year, and because deer get most of their water from foods they eat anyway, northern deer satisfy most of their winter water requirements by eating green needles within reach on coniferous trees, like hemlock and white cedar, the last year’s growth of buds and branches on numerous deciduous saplings and shrubs, live bark off both, and even acorns and other hard mast that they can find under the snow. During winter, northern deer also have the unique ability to recycle their urine and dry their feces internally to conserve water as well. Pretty neat.

So, the next time you see a news clip of a deer stuck on the ice and hear the anchor mention the deer must’ve been looking for water – just yell “hogwash” at the screen! He or she must have water on the brain.

Keeping clean water available to your pigs can be a real challenge at times! These clever omnivores, combining strength with an inquisitive nature and a love of mud, can upset a water trough before you can turn around. But in high summer, even a few hours without water can seriously compromise a pig’s well-being; and even in winter, our animals need water to be constantly available.

Outsmarting our pigs is an ongoing project, so it’s a good thing there are lots of ways to water a pig!

How Much Water Does a Pig Need?

How much water pigs need is the first consideration. Water consumption for sus scrofa can be highly variable, depending on weather, the size of the animal and what it is eating. (Pigs on dry feed drink more than pigs on a natural diet.)

While young pigs may consume only a few pints a day, a lactating sow (mama pig nursing babies) can require as much as 6 gallons! So whatever method you use for delivering water to your pigs should take these requirements into consideration.

Read more: Check out these tips for preparing your pigs for winter.

Let’s Talk Troughs

First, of course, is the basic water trough. The lowest-tech solution, this may be the obvious choice when you’re just starting out.

Troughs can work well, too, if we take the time to plan thoroughly.

A trough for pigs should be heavy enough—even when half-empty—that the animals can’t flip it. And while the sides have to be low enough so that even the smallest pig can get a drink, you also want them to be high enough to prevent animals climbing (or being pushed!) over the side.

If you elect to water from a trough, putting one or two cinder blocks in the bottom of the tank can provide footing for any animal that might fall in—at least long enough for you to help it out again.

An open trough also presents a challenge for animals kept on deep bedding. Tank sides need to be high enough to prevent litter from falling in and fouling the water.

Other Options (Cup Waterer, Pig Nipples)

Only slightly more complex than a trough are the cup waterer and pig nipple. These simple valves can be fitted to a garden hose and attached directly to the wall of a pig pen. Since there is no trough, there is no danger of drowned animals or fouled water.

And animal-activated stem valves mean that water is delivered on demand only. This keeps waste to a minimum.

Of course, a pig who wants a puddle in which to wallow can—and may!—cause deliberate spillage to make a wet spot. But, generally speaking, these simple valves help keep to a minimum .

Don’t have running water to the pig pen? Not a problem! Pig nipples and cup waterers can be easily plumbed into the side of a large plastic barrel. This, when filled with water, will be too heavy for your porkers to flip. And you can stabilize it in one corner of the pen for further security.

Hooked up to a rain barrel outside the barn, your pig barrel will even fill automatically! Or, if your pigs are on pasture, an extra-large livestock tank can be similarly fitted with a pig-operated waterer. The tank’s broad base will prevent overturning.

Read more: Do you have a farm water backup plan?

Watering in Winter Weather

Of course, water in the heat of summer is an hourly necessity, but winter water can be just as much of an issue! If you are keeping a pig during the cold months, you’ll have to find a way to keep his water from freezing.

First, there’s nothing to prevent you from simply breaking ice in your stock tank, if that’s where the pig gets water. We do it ourselves and know others that do the same.

Stock Tank Deicer

Dropping in an electric stock tank deicer may be all that you need to keep water warm enough that it will not freeze. But if you are using a metal pig nipple, this extension may be the first part of your system to ice up.

In only moderately cold weather, inserting a copper wire or six-penny nail into the back of the stem valve will sometimes conduct enough heat from the main tank to prevent the nipple freezing. Make sure, though, that there is no possible way for the pigs to reach the heater—or the heater cord! Pigs will chew on anything, so take precautions so that you don’t get a shocked pig or an electrical fire.

Running Water Is Slower to Freeze

Other solutions may be even simpler. Running water is slow to freeze, which is why in near-freezing weather you may see an outdoor tap left open just a trickle. Why not direct this tiny flow into the pig tank? Even mere drips of water falling in a tank will disturb the surface enough to prevent freezing if temperatures are not too low.

Or you could do something as simple as filling the tank daily with a bucket from the house.

Let Them Eat Snow

Is there snow on the ground? Pigs are smart! Let them eat snow for their hydration needs, as long as clean snow is available in their pasture or paddock. Save yourself days or weeks of breaking ice or hauling water.

And there’s always butchering time to put an end to our pig-watering chores—until we get another pig!

Non-game animals include (but are not limited to) the following: armadillos, bobcats coyotes, flying squirrels, frogs, ground squirrels, mountain lions, porcupines, prairie dogs, rabbits, and turtles. There is no closed season on these animals and a valid hunting license is required. They may be hunted at any time by any lawful means on private property. Public hunting lands may have restrictions. The take of any nongame species for commercial purposes (sale, offer for sale, barter, or exchange) from public lands or waters is unlawful. Note: Take precautions when handling Armadillos, as they could possibly be carrying leprosy.

Bobcat

The Bobcat, Lynx rufus, is a medium-sized, reddish brown or grayish cat. Its ears usually have small tufts at the tips, and its fur is longer on the sides of its head than on the rest of its body, forming a ruff. They have a short tail, long legs, and large feet.

Bobcat pelts sold, purchased, traded, transported or shipped out of state must have a pelt tag (CITES) attached. A pelt tag must be attached prior to being transported or shipped out of this state. Pelt tags may be obtained from any permitted bobcat pelt dealer, or TPWD Regional & Field Law Enforcement Offices. For additional information contact TPWD (800) 792-1112, menu 7, option 9 or (512) 389-4481.

Coyote

Coyotes,Canis latrans Say, are slender, dog-like carnivores, common throughout Texas. They have adapted easily to the expansion of human communities into their habitat and can occasionally be found in urban and suburban neighborhoods. Coyotes may live alone or in small “packs” of up to 6 individuals. Coyotes are well known for their calls. They howl (a high quavering cry) and emit a series of short, high-pitched yips. Howls are used to keep in touch with other coyotes in the area.

Coyotes are opportunistic feeders and will eat almost anything, alive or dead, garbage, meat, fish, vegetables, berries or whatever they can find easily. Their natural diet consists mostly of rabbits, rodents and carrion. Coyotes are very wary of humans, however they can become accustomed to humans especially if they are fed. Since any wild animal that has no fear of humans can become dangerous, it is important to not feed them at all. Don’t leave pet food out over night, secure lids to garbage cans and keep small pets inside unless supervised. They do not normally pose a threat to livestock, however hungry coyotes may occasionally take small domestic animals or poultry.

Live coyotes are currently under a statewide rabies quarantine that prohibits them from being transported or sold in Texas (see exceptions). For information on the rabies quarantine, visit the Texas Department of State Health Services Infectious Disease Control Unit Web site.

Mountain Lion

The mountain lion, Puma concolor, also known as cougar, puma and panther, has been an integral part of the Texas fauna for thousands of years, The Mountain Lion has the widest distribution of any wild cat, from Canada to South America. Formerly distributed throughout North America, the Mountain Lion is now found mostly in the remote areas of the western U.S., as well as western Canada and much of Mexico. A small population still exists in southern Florida, where the species is considered endangered. In Texas, the Mountain Lion is found throughout the Trans-Pecos, as well as the brush lands of south Texas and portions of the Hill Country. Sighting and kill reports indicate that Mountain Lions now occur in more counties than they did 10 years ago and appear to be expanding their range into central Texas.

Retiring and shy by nature, and largely nocturnal by habit, the mountain lion is seldom seen in its native haunts. The diet of the mountain lion consists almost entirely of animal matter; but, like the domestic cat, it occasionally eats grasses and other vegetable matter. Deer and javelina are major food items; however, lions have been known to take elk and bighorn sheep as well as a variety of smaller animals. Contrary to popular opinion, mountain lions rarely use caves as dens, preferring cliff crevices, overhanging ledges or enlarged badger burrows instead. If you are in an area where lions are known to be present, hunt with others, not alone.

Turtles

Turtle, tortoise or terrapin? Many people get confused by these terms, often using them interchangeably. Texas has a single species of tortoise, the Texas tortoise (Gopherus berlanderi) and a single species of terrapin, the diamondback terrapin (Malaclemys terrapin). All of the remaining 28 species of the order Testudines found in Texas are called “turtles.”

Take or possession of any species of turtle for commercial activity is unlawful.

No person may possess a diamondback terrapin at any time.

Frogs

There are 42 species of frogs and toads in Texas (4 species are threatened and 1 species is endangered).

Bullfrogs are the largest frog in North America and the frog used by most for food. They are frequently found along the water’s edge and are most active at night. They are hunted usually with a gig, prized for their meaty legs.

The Glock 43X is the reverse stretch of Glock pistols. Glock took the wildly successful Glock 43 pistol and stretched the grip to accommodate a newer 10 round magazine. The Glock 43X became a very popular concealed carry pistol and opened up a new market for Glock slimline pistols. We will explore its various features in this Glock 43x MOS review.

The Glock 43X has recently gotten a welcome addition in the form of a MOS model. The new Glock 43X MOS is hitting shelves now and will likely be a huge hit.

MOS stands for Modular Optics System. This pistol bears the name MOS, but the MOS system on these guns is much different from the standard MOS system.

The standard system comes with a multitude of plates to accommodate tons of red dot optics.

The Glock 43X is a superbly small handgun, so it can’t accommodate bigger red dot sights. This MOS system is cut for the Shield RMSc pistol red dot.

This is one of the smallest pistol red dots on the market, and the footprint of the optic is quickly becoming popular.

This opens it up for the Shield RMSc, SIG ROMEO Zero, SwampFox Sentinel, and Holosun 507k, and a few newer models hitting the market hard and fast.

That’s not the only change Glock made to the 43X series pistol though so let’s dive in and check out the Glock 43X MOS and how Glock made a micro fighting pistol a bit more capable.

While these new small optics have yet to prove themselves, they are becoming increasingly popular. Especially when you pair it with a great Glock 43X MOS holster.

Fit and Finish

A big change Glock made to the Glock 43X MOS was changing the slide color from stainless steel to a traditional black nDLC finish. The guns came out in a black finish prior to the MOS series, but the MOS series will be exclusively nDLC.

This diamond-like coating is ultra-strong and proven to be durable on the vast majority of Glock pistols. The hardness level is extreme, and it doubled from the older tenifer finish.

I can’t lie, I like the stainless steel coating, and I think it makes the plain Jane, Spartan Glocks stand out a little, but I understand the change.

Stainless looks good, but the black is less reflective and will create fewer reflections on the lens of your red dot optic. The black finish gives the gun a more discrete look and allows it to disappear a bit better under a cover garment.

Silver does tend to stand out a bit more than most.

The frame is the traditional Glock black polymer frame. It’s a bit blocky and plain, but looks professional and is molded precisely. The Glock frame isn’t fancy but is perfectly suitable and well made.

You won’t see issues with the frame’s molding marks or texture.

The appearance of the Glock 43X demands a black optic to keep the black on black theme going. Luckily, black is the most common color in the tactical optics world. It’ll also match your shoes.

Specs

The Glock 43X MOS is a superbly thin and lightweight handgun designed with concealed carry in mind. The G43X MOS has an ultra-short barrel, and this makes OWB carry possible and makes the 43X MOS easy to carry IWB and AIWB (Appendix Inside the Waistband).

The overall length is 6.5 inches long, and the overall height is 5.04 inches, including the magazine.

The overall width is a slightly chunky 1.10 inches, and the slide is .87 inches wide. The gun weighs 23.07 ounces fully loaded. The gun isn’t the thinnest option, but it’s still exceptionally easy to conceal.

The gun is remarkably balanced, and those of us who want something small and light to carry but still want a full grip will love the Glock G43X MOS.

As you add an optic, the gun’s height and overall weight will change, but not significantly. The modern micro red dot is a super small and lightweight design that barely adds bulk to your firearm. The G43X MOS is one of the smallest optics-enhanced guns on the market.

The gun comes with ten-round magazines, and it cannot take magazines made for the G43. This cuts off a lot of extended magazines made for the G43. However, a company called Shield Arms makes a 15 round magazine that fits flush with the G43X MOS and Glock 48.

This adds five rounds of flavor to your Glock series pistol. I have no personal experience with these magazines, so I cannot speak to their reliability, but they do seem to be well-loved by Glock 43X MOS and Glock 48 owners.

Ergonomics

The Glock 43X MOS offers a much better grip than the original G43. The longer grip fills the hand better and allows the gun to fit the 10 round single stack magazine with ease. Another major improvement is the slight beavertail that provides some protection for my hand.

Me and Glocks sometimes don’t get along because I’m a victim of constant slide bite from the Glock series. The Glock G43X MOS is different and provides a nice little overhang that allows me to have a nice high grip and keeps my hand from getting bit.

The Glock 43X MOS is a very simple gun. Glock has a reputation for making guns as simple as possible, and admittedly simple is good in a pistol designed for combat. The 43X MOS features three safety devices, but not a single one is a manual safety.

The only thing close to that is the trigger safety, which will not allow the trigger to fall without a complete and purposeful press. This keeps things quite simple and allows a shooter to have a gun they can instantly engage with without much thought behind it.

The G43X’s hand-filling design does help with recoil and control. The grip allows you to comfortably control and handle the gun.

It’s much more comfortable for rapid-fire training and long days at the range than the standard 43. This is a must-have for an optics-enhanced gun.

A real grip ensures you can hold the dot steady and take full advantage of all the benefits a red dot has to offer you.

The G43X MOS isn’t perfect ergonomically.

One of the issues with the gun is the slide lock. With a good, thumbs forward grip, the slide lock will be pinned down and fail to engage when the gun is empty.

This might be a problem associated with my sausage-like fingers, but it’s one that plagues every Glock I’ve ever shot, including the G43X (non-MOS version).

That’s the life of dudes with 2XL sized hands.

Features

Red Dot Cut Out

The star of the show is clearly the gun’s ability to utilize an optic. An optic on a handgun might seem silly to some, but they’ve been proven by reputable trainers around the industry to be a drastic improvement on your handgun’s potential.

A dot equipped handgun is faster, more precise, and allows a shooter to hit targets at further distances with ease. On the G43X MOS, the optic makes a ton of sense.

Small guns typically have a short sight radius, and the presence of a dot completely erases the sight radius issue. This allows a small gun to be as precise as a large gun. Although learning to use the red dot takes some extra practice. It’s well worth the investment in the end.

The red dot cut cuts in the slide aren’t the only big change.

Picatinny Rail

Glock also added a small Picatinny rail on its new G43X MOS model. This small Picatinny rail allows users to attach any number of devices. This includes lasers, small lights like the Olight Mini Valkyrie, or even training devices like the MantisX.

The Picatinny rail is a nice touch, and as red dots and lights become more mandatory on guns, more companies will embrace small rails on their carry guns.

The G43X MOS also comes with most of the updates Glock made for the Gen 5 guns. This includes a high visibility follower in the magazine, a smooth finger groove-less design, front serrations, and a reversible magazine release.

The front serrations are an important touch and allow you to easily manipulate the slide when the gun is wearing a red dot. They’ve been on the gun since the original G43X and are more important on the MOS system.

Front serrations ensure you can manipulate the weapon without gripping the optic. You can grab the optic to manipulate the slide but you’re likely to smudge oil from your skin on the glass when you do so. A smudge-free optic works much better.

The below image shows a big thumbprint on the Swampfox Optic.

Shooting Characteristics

The Glock 43X is a weirdo, and the MOS model is also still a weirdo. The short slide combined with the compact-sized grip makes the gun interesting, to say the least.

The Glock 43X MOS fills the hand nicely, and the beavertail extension allows for a nice high grip on the gun. This allows you to maximize control over the gun and keep it on target, even when firing rapidly.

The original 43 used to bite the hell out of my hand, and I hated it. I would start flinching just a bit between each and every shot. That is long-gone with the Glock 43X MOS.

The iron sights are like all Glock iron sights, and they are made from plastic and kind of suck. Toss on a red dot and replace the sights with suppressor height sights for co-witnessing asap.

The recoil is minimal, especially with 115-grain loads. You’ll feel a bit more snap with self-defense loaded +P loads. This snap is notable, but not uncontrollable or even painful.

It has some jump and kick to it, but it’s not like a 357 from a snub-nosed by any means.

The gun cycles just about anything you could put through it. The G43X is built to the same standards as all Glocks, and a big part of that is reliability.

You can say a lot about Glock pistols, but you can’t say they aren’t reliable.

They eat everything without complaint and just keep on going even with poor maintenance.

You can say the trigger is average at best, the grip is blockish, and the magazine release needs to be bigger. All are very true, and the Glock 43X MOS carries all the issues the regular G43X has.

The good news is these problems are very small in the grand scheme of things.

Concealment

As a gun designed for concealed carry, size matters, and the Glock 43X MOS is not necessarily a big gun, but it’s not the smallest either.

The G43 is admittedly easier to conceal just by design. However, the G43X MOS is far from difficult to conceal. However, the addition of an optic will make it a slightly bigger gun height-wise.

The G43X’s light weight makes it a comfortable gun to carry, and it won’t sag or pull at your waist.

It’s a gun that’s easy to forget you’re even carrying. The G43X MOS disappears easily under a T-shirt. The shorter barrel design allows it to be comfortably carried OWB, and that’s my preferred method of carry.

The shorter barrel means you won’t have to wear a tall shirt to make it disappear.

The gun is also quite comfortable for appendix carry and traditional IWB. IWB is typically an easy way to carry almost any gun, but AIWB can be trickier with long guns.

I haven’t mastered AIWB with a full-sized gun just yet, but a nice short gun like the G43X MOS is the perfect AIWB companion.

All in a Day’s Work

The Glock 43X MOS is a helluva upgrade to the G43X. The presence of a rail and optic allows the gun to step into the territory of full-sized guns. The extra presence of an optic and light makes the guns all the more capable, and Glock made some wise choices with the Glock 43X MOS.

The Glock 43X MOS is a very capable, but also easy to conceal weapon. With the right holster and belt combo, you’ll be able to pack the G43X, spare magazines, and a good attitude due to your comfortably concealed weapon.

Check out the Glock 43X MOS and take a peek at the Glock 43X MOS holsters.

Let us know below if the G43X MOS is for you, or are you a G48 MOS kinda person?

Please comment to let us know if you liked our Glock 43x MOS review. Also Checkout our Taurus G3c Review

Hybrid Bass are pound for pound the hardest-pulling fish in freshwater.

In 1995, I was crappie fishing with a white road runner, 4-pound test line, and an ultralight. I was bringing the lure back to the boat using a lift-and-drop technique. Suddenly, my line darted to the left so fast the water was spraying from the line. My drag started screaming and the fight was on.

I turned on the trolling motor and followed the fish to keep from getting spooled. That fish fought hard for 5-10 minutes! I thought I would never land it! Finally, I held a 6-pound hybrid striper (a.k.a. wiper). It was the best fight of my life and came as a complete surprise. After this first experience, I have made it a point to chase wiper every chance I get.

Targeting these bruisers can be fairly straightforward. Hybrids are super aggressive fish and travel in packs like wolves. This means you can literally wear your arm out catching one after another! Here are my top 5 hybrid bass lures for chasing big fish.

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#1 – Hybrid Bass Explode on Big Prop Baits

There is absolutely nothing like seeing your topwater bait get knocked 3 feet in the air and then engulfed by a 6-8 pound hybrid bass. I saw this the first time fishing a 2-3 inch prop bait for largemouth bass. A big hybrid slapped it straight up in the air and then smashed it when it landed.

I had seen big chop baits used for Peacock Bass and immediately wondered: “Will hybrids attack them the same way?” A few weeks later, I had my answer. I was bass fishing when I heard the sound of a hybrid feeding frenzy one hundred yards away. I flung my new wood chopper bait before I even got close.

My adrenaline surged as it got smashed the same way my smaller prop bait had. For the next 30 minutes, I battled fish after fish! Catching fish any way is fun. However, if you tell me I can catch fish after fish and see the explosion… I dare you to tell me that’s not the #1 way to catch hybrid bass!

Another bonus of this hybrid topwater lure is you can actually draw the school of hybrids towards you. When two or three of you are in a boat splashing these baits around, it can draw these surface feeders to you. There are two great benefits of this. First, you don’t spook the school and end the feeding frenzy. Leave that to the jet skiers. Second, you can draw some of the largest fish from the perimeter of the frenzy!

This technique is best mid-summer to late-fall when the shad population is larger and the white-bass spawn is complete. Hybrid bass will target both.

The Luhr Jensen Wood Chopper bait I used is very hard to find, however, River2Sea recently made a topwater it named the “Big Mistake”. This bait works much the same way and will have your rod bending in no time.

Other topwater options for more subtle days include the Storm chug bug, Rebel Pop-R, or Spooks. I haven’t thrown a River2Sea Whopper-Plopper or the Berkley Choppo for hybrids yet, but would love to hear from some of you that have!

Due to the explosions and absolute fun, these are my at the top of my best hybrid bass lures list.

#2 – The Versatile Paddle-tail Swimbait

The simple reason this classic lure is at number two is versatility. You can fish fast (spring to fall) or slow (winter). It can be fished deeper: add a little weight or tie it with a 4-foot leader behind a deep-diving crankbait. It can also be fished near the surface. Again, I love to fish it fast almost like a wake bait.

Even though the swimbaits are reliable they do have a drawback. Hybrids will destroy them! You can go through a bag pretty quickly. Therefore, it’s a good idea to have more than one bag on hand.

The Sassy Shad and similar paddle-tail swimbaits are great lures to catch hybrid year-round.

#3 – Hybrid Bass Burning a Lipless Crankbait

WARNING!!! This technique may move you towards early carpel tunnel surgery. Check your drag!

One summer day headed out in a Bass Buster Boat with two fishing buddies we saw strange wakes and flashes of white just under the surface. There was no surface feeding but there was definite chasing going on! We tied on 3/4 ounce lipless crankbaits in shad patterns. Then we cranked them back as fast as we could just under the surface.

We caught fish after fish. I was shaking off 4 pounders as fast as I could looking for that big hybrid bite I dreamed of catching. Something in the 8-10 pound class. While I didn’t achieve that, all three of us caught 4-6 pound wiper on every cast for over an hour. Without a doubt, it was one of those special days.

Lipless crankbaits are also versatile in technique. You can speed burn them or yo-yo them with a lift and drop. At times, trolling a lipless crankbait is a great way to relax and catch fish.

#4 – Old Reliable – The Spoon

Spoons are great for the heat of the summer and the cold of winter. Both times of the year, hybrids will be deeper on the river or creek channels. Verticle jigging a flutter spoon is a great technique to reach the school and coax them into biting.

#5 – The A-Rig (a.k.a. Umbrella Rig)

These rigs mimic a school of shad. Exactly what these schools of hybrids have been rounding up. The A-Rig can also be retrieved fast or slow with varying weights to reach the depths of the school. However, the A-Rig is not without its challenges. You could be faced with catching multiple fish on one cast. That’s a great problem to have!

Final Cast

Hybrids are undoubtedly one of the most fun, hardest-fighting fish for fishing enthusiasts. They are sure to instill some amazing memories for young and old. We hope you too find these lures to be the best lures for hybrid striped bass. Coming soon…we will explore some of the best places to pursue the hybrid bass in Texas.

Until then, tight lines and fin time. We hope to see you out on the water chasing ThePerfectComb for some epic wiper fights.