One of the most frequent questions I am asked when visiting anglers are planning their fishing trip to Montana is “when is the best time to come out”. That question is impossible to answer so I generally try to feel out what is most important to someone: nice weather, lots of action, dry fly fishing, big trout, etc. If your top priority is catching big brown trout the answer is easier: October. There is no better time to fish Montana for large trout than October (and even November). Brown trout which tend to make up the majority of the trophy size trout that we see each year spawn in November and early December. Browns are notorious for becoming more aggressive prior to the spawn.
The aggressive nature of browns in the fall combined with the fact that they are on the move running up river and sometimes into tributaries can produce some heart stopping action for lucky and persistent anglers. Late fall fishing isn’t just about targeting huge trout, there can also be some great dry fly fishing over the baetis hatch. For most of our guides, however, we get caught up in chasing really big fish in the autumn months. Hunting huge browns in the fall isn’t for everyone and if you are going to play the game there are a few important guidelines worth considering.
Dress for Success October and November in the Northern Rockies can be notoriously unpredictable. Days can be warm and sunny or the snow can be blowing sideways. Make sure you prepare for any kind of weather from hot and sunny to cold and wet. If you are travelling all the way to Montana to chase big October browns you don’t want to be shut out just because some bad weather blows in. Although October and November are dry months, there will always be some early winter storms that move through and these often produce great conditions for browns that love low light conditions. I still wear gore tex waders but I also have long underwear and fleece pants to layer underneath as well as plenty of layers on top. Don’t forget the gloves and winter hat either.
Arrive at Peak Times Although big browns begin moving in late September, the best fall run fishing isn’t until after the middle of October and sometimes as late as mid November. The peak fishing on the Madison run above Hebgen in Yellowstone is usually the third week of October while monster browns on the Missouri usually don’t start showing up until November.
Throw Giant Streamers Most anglers know that big browns are predators and that fishing streamers is a great way to target them. If you are going to throw streamers in the fall don’t underestimate how big of a fly a huge brown will eat. I have seen big browns regularly eat relatively big trout in the 15” range – they often can’t swallow them all at once and spend a day with a big tail sticking out of their mouth. If you want to move fish over 24” make sure you are stripping the biggest streamers that you can find. I usually have to tie my own tandem hook streamers that are around 10” long. These massive flies are best fished on a seven or eight weight. They won’t put you into many small trout but if you throw them long enough you are sure to see some huge fish at some point.
Try Egg Patterns Whitefish, brown trout and brook trout are all fall spawners which means there are a lot of eggs bouncing around the rivers in October and November. Although huge browns tend to prefer a big meal, eggs are so packed with nutrients that even the largest browns will still eat them. There are days when fishing egg patterns under an indicator will outfish every other method for big browns.
Target Spawning Runs Although any large river that holds big browns can produce a monster in the fall, targeting fisheries that receive a spawning run of browns from a lake or larger river downstream is a good option in late October and November. Most of these fall run fisheries are no secret. Expect to see some other anglers if you are chasing browns on these fisheries that include the Madison in Yellowstone Park, The Lewis Channel in Yellowstone and the Missouri between the lakes. There are other locations that aren’t as well known that also produce a great run of fall browns if you do some legwork and experimenting. Even on the famous fall run fisheries like the Madison in the park there is always plenty of room and on a weekday with a bit of fall weather you will often see very few other anglers. November fishing is also extremely productive and the fishing pressure dramatically drops off with very few visiting anglers in the state and most of the locals out hunting.
If you’re looking for classic, reliable, and easy-to-wear winter options, we recommend the Carhartt Waterproof Insulated. Their functional construction and flexible polyester material make them dexterous despite their bulk. All that insulation keeps your hands toasty. One of our testers wore them in temperatures as low as -20° F while collecting glacial data in the Yukon. After that, it’s easy to recommend them for shoveling the walk or walking the dog. It doesn’t hurt that they block wind, and the main body is waterproof.
While the outer shell does repel water effectively, its cozy fleece cuff does not. When it gets wet, moisture creeps up the liner and inside. You can protect the cuff with the sleeve of a jacket, but that doesn’t work in a snowball fight. Sweat can build up in them as well. Once wet, they often take more than a day to dry. While they move well, their slippery fabric and bulky insulation make it difficult to complete detailed tasks, like tying your shoelaces. Though imperfect, these are the best winter gloves we’ve tested for daily use.
Best Women’s Winter Gloves
Carhartt Quilts Insulated
Material: Polyester | Touchscreen Compatible: No
The Carhartt Quilts Insulated women’s winter gloves are almost as warm and water-resistant as the men’s, making them a good option for anyone with smaller hands. They’re soft against the skin and well insulated, with quilted polyester insulation and fleece lining. Though not technically waterproof, they repel water and block wind completely. Straps that tighten at the wrists hold them in place, and a tab that extends from the thick synthetic palms makes them easy to pull on.
While Carhartt doesn’t claim these are waterproof, they hold their own in wet weather. During a submersion test, water only snuck through one seam just before the two-minute mark. The cozy fleece lining is a weak point, though. It holds onto moisture, which can sneak in from the cuff. They take up to two days to dry. The fingers are short and bulky, and the fabric is slick, making it hard to perform detailed tasks. And a few loose stitches from the start have us questioning their durability. Still, they’re reasonably priced for hands looking to shovel, pull sleds, and make snowballs.
Best Ski Glove for Men
Arc’teryx Fission SV
Material: Nylon, polyester, goat leather, Gore-Tex | Touchscreen Compatible: No
Since they’re meant to be worn for days at a time, the best skiing and snowboarding gloves are warmer, more technical, and pricier than most winter-generic options. The Arc’teryx Fission SVs are the best we’ve tested. The tough, synthetic shell is reinforced with a double layer of goat leather, while a Gore-Tex membrane insert keeps your hands dry. The combination shuts out cold, wet, or windy weather. We’re also impressed with how well they hold up. It took 150 days of use to see wear on the leather palms and fingers, which is far better than the competition. They’re also warm and breathable, keeping your hands toasty and dry. Despite the generous layer of insulation, they’re very dexterous and keep our hands useful in the snow.
The Fission SVs do run large. They’re wide and lack an adjustable wrist strap to tighten and hold them in place. They’re also expensive. Since they work well for a range of outdoor pursuits, you’re likely to get your money’s worth. If you’ll be out for hours or days in brutal winter conditions, these are the best gloves we recommend.
Read more: Arc’teryx Fission SV review
Best Ski Glove for Women
Arc’teryx Fission SV Glove
Material: Nylon, Polyester, Goat leather, Gore-Tex | Touchscreen Compatible: No
These technical snowboarding and skiing pair are the favorite of both our men’s and our women’s testing teams. The Arc’teryx Fission SV is a unisex option with a synthetic shell reinforced with two layers of goat leather. They’re tough and durable, barely showing any wear after months of intensive use. The Gore-Tex membrane kept our hands dry in even the most trying conditions, day after day while remaining breathable and avoiding sweaty hand moisture build-up. Though they’re not touchscreen compatible, these warmly insulated gloves are still surprisingly dextrous.
However, these genderless handwear run a bit large and are best on wider hands. They also don’t have an adjustable wrist strap, which can be a dealbreaker for some women. They’re also some of the most expensive ones we’ve tested, though their functionality ensures we wore them through pretty much every winter endeavor, getting the full range of use out of this investment. Ultimately, we’re big fans of these and recommend them to anyone looking to get outside without getting cold hands.
Read more: Arc’teryx Fission SV – Women’s review
Best Overall Women’s Ski Mittens
Black Diamond Mercury Mitt – Women’s
Material: Leather, Pertex nylon, waterproof BD.dry | Touchscreen Compatible: No
If you have trouble keeping your hands warm, mittens may be for you. The Black Diamond Mercury Mitts are our favorites. They’re double layered, with an insulated, fleece-lined insert (the warm and quick drying Primaloft Gold if you’re interested) and a durable shell. The outer layer features a water-repellant shell, waterproof insert, and large gauntlet cuff that overlaps your jacket sleeve to form a weatherproof seal. These mittens breathe well, and the removal liners dry quickly if you’re hands go clammy at the top of a steep drop. They’re also durable. Some of our testers have worn them for years. Despite braving some seriously frigid climates, we haven’t found a cold they couldn’t handle.
Mittens keep your hands warmer than gloves by letting your fingers huddle together, but they sacrifice dexterity. We have to remove these mitts to do much of anything with our hands, and it would be nice if they had leashes so they weren’t so easy to drop in the snow. When it’s really cold, we like to pair a thinner liner underneath and then pull these mittens on for serious weather protection. We love them for frozen days and any time we’re worried about keeping our hands warm.
Read more: Black Diamond Mercury Mitt – Women’s review
Best Men’s Ski Mitten
Black Diamond Mercury Mitt
Material: Leather, Pertex nylon, waterproof BD.dry | Touchscreen Compatible: No
Black Diamond also makes a men’s version of the Mercury Mitt. The only difference between them is that the men’s version runs larger. Our men’s and women’s test teams can’t say enough about the warmth and weatherproofing of this two-layer mitten. The puffy, fleece-lined inner mitt holds warmth, while the waterproof shell keeps the weather out with a large gauntlet cuff. They’re also well-built, featuring a goat leather palm, overlapping layers, and a handy patch for wiping your nose. They proved durable for long cold winter days.
The downside to mittens is that they make it hard to use your hands. The Mercury Mitt proved to be one of the least maneuverable ski or snowboard gloves or mittens in the lineup. It’s often hard to complete basic tasks like zipping a jacket or working small buckles while wearing them. As a result, we often take them off and wish they had a leash to help us keep track of them. As long as you can deal with having to expose your hands to the elements from time to time, these mittens can’t be beaten when it comes to warmth.
Read more: Black Diamond Mercury Mitt review
Best Value Men’s Ski Glove
Gordini GTX Storm Trooper II
Material: Polyester, Gore-Tex, synthetic leather | Touchscreen Compatible: No
Gordini has been making a version of the GTX Storm Trooper IIs for a long time, and they’ve consistently offered exceptional value. They never fail to impress our testers with how much warmth and weather protection they offer at a significantly lower price than the competition. Our hands consistently stay dry and content in these. Solid construction also means that they’re durable enough to last multiple seasons for even our most dedicated ski testers — industry pros who are on the hill well over 100 days a season.
These aren’t the warmest option we’ve tested, though. They aren’t our top recommendation for bitterly cold days when only the die-hard folks brave the elements. They’re also unwieldy, with insulation stacked at the fingertips, making it hard to complete simple tasks like handling a zipper or buckle. Note: We tested these just before the company simplified the name to Gordini GTX Storm Glove. The changes are largely cosmetic, and we’ll direct you to the newer version. They’re the option we recommend to anyone looking for excellent performance on a budget.
The affordable women’s Burton Gore-Tex Mittens are impressively warm and easy to wear. Combining a lightweight liner and a waterproof mitten shell, they give you the best of both worlds. The liners (like actual gloves with separate fingers) are touchscreen compatible, making it easy to use your phone without exposing your hands to wind and weather. The outer mitten shell is surprisingly nimble as well. It’s also well-insulated and decently warm. The durable palm stands up to a fair bit of abuse, and the price is hard to beat.
These mittens aren’t the warmest we’ve tested. The shell material feels less durable than some of the higher-priced options, and the fabric does eventually saturate when exposed to wet weather. The inner waterproof liner keeps your hands protected, but you do end up with a soggy outer layer. Still, if you’re looking for a bargain, these mittens are an excellent option. If you’re not into mitts and want a good deal on a women’s glove, check out the Dakine Camino.
Read more: Burton Gore-Tex Mitten – Women’s review
Liners are great on their own in mild weather and do a lot to improve the warmth rating of a winter pair when layered underneath. Lightweight, soft, and impressively warm, the Achiou Touch Screen Thermals are an excellent example. They balance insulating your hand, blocking wind surprisingly well, and letting moisture and sweat escape. If the Achious do get wet, they dry quickly. Touchscreen-compatible patches on the thumb, pointer, and middle fingers let you use your devices without exposing your fingers to the cold.
On the downside, you have to wash these by hand. And we don’t love their fit. The cuffs are short and often disappear beneath your outer mitt when worn as a liner. The thumbs are long, making their touchscreen patches less effective than those on your fingers, which work wonderfully. All told, if you’re looking for durable, affordable liners, these are our picks.
The Mechanix Coldwork Originals are the best work options we tested. Meant for cool to cold weather, they have a lightweight fleece lining with a durable softshell and rubber exterior. They breathe well, which is great for warmer days, and our lead tester found them comfortable for small engine repair down into the teens and twenties. They’re machine washable and work well for a range of activities, from raking leaves to shoveling. All five fingers are touchscreen compatible, making it exceptionally easy to check the instructions on your phone for whatever YouTube project you have going. They also moved so well that we rarely needed to pull them off to complete a detailed task.
Since they’re insulated, these aren’t the best for warm fall days. They’re also not waterproof, are slow to dry, and aren’t warm enough for extremely low temperatures. Though the size small Mechanix fits our women testers with size small hands, the fingers are a touch long. If they are too big for you, we’d recommend checking out the Wells Lamont Hydrahide women’s option. If they do fit you, though, we highly recommend the Mechanix for detailed tasks in mild to chilly weather.
Light and breathable with a dialed fit and precise padding, the Xen is a top-notch choice for biking. Mesh panels keep your hands from overheating, and supple palm fabric provides excellent feedback from the handlebars and the trail. Padding across the knuckles and wrapping around the outside edge of both hands kept our skin intact when we grazed a few rocks and trees during testing. Giro claims that their product engineering process results in a Superfit. We have to agree. With a velcro wrist tab that effectively snugs them around your hand, these fit to a T. The touchscreen-compatible thumb, pointer, and middle finger keep you connected.
Our only concern with the Xens is how long they’ll last. They arrived out of the box with frayed seams, their construction is relatively lightweight, and the wrist closure is not as robust as we’d like. That said, they stood up during our tests, including a few light impacts. All told, these perform well for a range of riders and styles, from downhill laps to long, aggressive trails. They’re the ones we tell our friends about. There’s also a women’s version, the Xena, that we expect would deliver the same outsized performance in smaller sizes.
Best Unisex Climbing Glove
Petzl Cordex
Material: Goat leather, nylon | Touchscreen Compatible: No
The Petzl Cordex are the best climbing gloves we’ve tested for a day of belaying. Combining a sturdy leather palm with a breathable synthetic backing, they manage to maximize palm protection, durability, and comfort simultaneously. Well-placed leather reinforcements increase durability and provide additional padding. We especially appreciate the extra leather on the thumbs and index fingers, taking the edge off a day of rope wrangling, belaying, and rappelling. The nylon baking keeps them lightweight and makes them our favorite option for hot days when a full leather day would mean sweating hands and potential blisters.
The leather surface doesn’t grip as well as we’d like, and this isn’t our favorite for long belays. The fit isn’t precise either, making it harder to handle carabiners and perform other detailed tasks than we’d like. We still consider them dexterous, just not the best we’ve seen. We love this option for its cooling comfort on hot days and the extra padding in its tough and supple leather palms. It’s our favorite option for causal craig belays.
Best Crack Climbing Gloves
Ocun Crack Glove
Material: Synthetic, rubber | Touchscreen Compatible: No
If you need to protect your hands for crack climbing but are sick of taping up, crack gloves are an excellent alternative. The Ocuns are our favorites. Their thoughtful construction balances durability and hand protection with enough sensitivity for precise placements. We put in a few thousand feet in these on both rock and plastic splitters and struggled to find flaws. Most crack climbing mitts we’ve tested felt either incredibly durable but too bulky or thin and flimsy. Despite the Ocun’s slim profile, they provide plenty of padding and hold up under steady abuse.
The Ocuns run small. Our testers ordered one size up, and we suggest that you do the same. Aside from that, the only issue we have with these is their wrist closure strap, which can be hard to secure. Once you get it to hold, the excess strap tucks behind the backing and out of the way. They’re not cheap, but after hundreds of pitches, they still deliver unrivaled performance.
Why You Should Trust Us
We’ve tested close to 200 pairs of gloves over the past 11 years to bring you this review and carefully researched even more before deciding which ones we should buy and test. We sent our winter test teams out into the cold and up into the mountains, handed our garden and work testers shovels, banished our mountain bike test team to the single track, and climbed and belayed our way to glove guru status. We took detailed notes and photos along the way, documenting each model’s performance in the real world before taking them back to the lab for repeatable tests.
We assess each product’s performance in key metrics like:
Fit and Dexterity
Warmth
Water Resistance
Durability and Protection
Breathability
Features
We tested winter and work gloves in Maine, Canada, and Alaska, tackling daily chores, winter runs, small engine repair, and glacial research. Lead tester Clark Tate has lived in every major mountain range in the US and likes warm hands. So do Amber King, who moved from Canada to Colorado’s San Juan Mountains, and ski patroller, Jackie Kearney. Amber and Jackie test and review women’s ski gloves. IMGA Mountain and Exum Ski Guide, Jeff Dobronyi, heads the men’s ski glove review. He spends over 120 days a year on his skis and needs handwear that can keep up.
Bike racer, Jeremy Benson, and bicycle product developer, Zach Wick, tested the men’s mountain bike gloves. Longtime riders, Pat Donahue and Annie Clark, teamed up to test the women’s mountain bike gloves. Both organize their lives around singletrack, and Pat has worked in the bicycle industry for eight years. Chris McNamara and Steven Tata tackled the climbing glove review. Between them, they’ve climbed El Cap 80 times (70 and 10 times, respectively). We tend to trust their judgment on all things climbing.
Decide When and Where You’ll Wear Them
We’ve established that you need a pair of gloves, but what do you need them for? Make sure you consider all the tasks you’d like to tackle while wearing them, and think about what type of weather and conditions you’re likely to encounter. Then we’ll walk you through how to find the right pair for your unique needs.
Decide How Much You Can Spend
Another important factor to consider is your budget. It’s important to decide how much you can afford upfront so you won’t be wooed by the flashiest options available. There’s often a sweet spot where you get nearly top-of-the-line performance without spending top dollar. We make it our mission to find those options and steer you to them.
What Type of Glove is Right for You?
There are three general glove types – 1) cold weather or winter versions that are meant to keep your hands warm, 2) garden or work pairs that protect your hands from dirt, abrasions, and blisters, and 3) sport options that are built to protect your mitts during a specific activity like skiing, rock climbing, or mountain biking.
These categories overlap, but the boom in outdoor recreation has led to more specialized options over the years. This is great for your hands but can be hard on your wallet. Wherever possible, we point out where any given pair can pull double or triple duty.
Winter Gloves
The most basic purpose of these is to protect your hands; often, this means keeping them warm. Since winter temperatures vary widely across the globe and winter activities vary widely across individuals, this is a broad category, varying from classic waterproof snow gloves to mittens to light liners. We’ll break these down below.
Single vs. Double Gloves — Single gloves have only one layer. Double versions have two; an outer shell and an inner liner. You can pull off the shell to reveal the thinner, more flexible liner when you need to perform detailed tasks without completely exposing your hands to the elements. This gives you the benefit of a weather-protective layer without having to deal with the bulk of one when you need to check your phone or tie a shoe. Double gloves are nearly essential in seriously cold climates where frostbite is a frequent concern.
Liners — If you do opt for an unlined or single winter glove, you can always buy a separate liner and layer the two. Just make sure that the combination isn’t tight enough to restrict blood flow since blood brings warmth to your extremities. Liners are also a great stand-alone option for shoulder seasons. Often lightweight and stretchy, they can work wonderfully for high-output activities like running or cross-country skiing.
Gloves vs. Mittens vs. Lobster Claws — The great thing about mittens is that they keep all your fingers in the same compartment, allowing them to share heat. The downside is that then your fingers aren’t available to use. You can solve this problem by adding a liner in super cold weather. Keep your digits cozy in the mitten when you don’t need to use them, and deploy your liner-gloved hand when you do.
Another option is to buy a lobster claw, which divides the mittens into two sections, one for your pointer finger or pointer and middle fingers, and one for the rest. These really shine while biking in the winter months, when you need to keep a few fingers on the break but can use all the warmth you can get.
Garden and Work Gloves
Garden and work options protect your hands from detritus and damage. Rough surfaces, rocks, and wood can abrade your hands or splinter. Tools can quickly cause blisters. A well-fitting pair can protect you from this pain and keep you working longer. Whether or not these are also insulated depends on the time of year they’re meant to be used.
Winter versions of work and garden gloves will have some level of insulation; a few are also waterproof. The tradeoff is that insulation is bulky, making it harder to get work done. Those meant for warmer weather will be lighter, thinner, and more dextrous. They will also provide protection from the sun and will, hopefully, breathe well. You can layer liners underneath these to extend their use into the colder months.
Sport Gloves
These are built specifically for the task at hand. In this review, we cover skiing/snowboarding, climbing, and mountain biking gloves. Ski options are waterproof and insulated, as a matter of course. Climbing and mountain biking versions can be used in a wider range of temperatures and thus vary in warmth and breathability. What they all have in common is that they’re meant to keep your hands healthy when you head out to the wild. Here are some things to keep in mind while searching for your perfect pair.
Ski Gloves
Winter gloves can be used to keep your hands warm while walking from the car to the office. Ski gloves are tasked with keeping your hands dry and warm for a full day, often while spending half of it sitting very still on a chair lift. That’s why they are almost always heavily insulated and waterproof. They also often include additional features like nose wipe patches and large gauntlet cuffs meant to extend over your jacket sleeve to help keep the snow out.
If you are using yours in the backcountry, hiking your way up the mountain before skiing back down, it’s a good idea to take two pairs with you for safety. One can be lighter weight and more breathable for the climb. Or you can wear a pair of liners for the sweatier part of your day.
Climbing Gloves
Few climbers wear gloves while they’re climbing a rock face. Instead, the best climbing gloves give your hands a break when you’re handling rope while belaying and repelling. As such, they have to be flexible enough to function just as well as your bare hands, and they have to grip the rope well. Leather palms often last longer, but synthetic options are more breathable, which is great for hot weather. Our favorite options combine the best of both worlds.
Crack climbing is a different story. Traditional climbers have long taped the backs of their hands before wedging them into rock clefts to heft their bodies up a mountainside. Dedicated crack climbing gloves have since become popular.
Some die-hards still swear by the feel and function of tape or by the flawless technique that makes them unnecessary. Others enjoy that modern crack gloves are made of tacky rubber and work a lot like climbing shoes to improve friction while saving you from paying for every mistake in blood. The best crack climbing gloves are tough enough to be durable and protective without being so bulky that they make it hard to fit your hand in smaller spaces.
Mountain Biking Gloves
Mountain bike gloves protect your hands if you crash or glance a tree branch or rock while riding. More conservative or confident riders may opt for a lightweight model with only fabric and a bit of leather between them and the dirt. Aggressive or crash-prone riding styles and dedicated downhill trails demand more protective elements with integrated gel, foam, or rubber padding.
You’ll also want an excellent grip to make sure you have solid contact with the handlebars and breaks. If you are riding in cold, wet weather, you may want waterproof versions with light insulation. If you ride in the summer, look for options that breathe well.
How Will You Need to Use Your Hands?
You’ll also need to consider what you’ll need to use your hands for and whether the pair you’re interested in is capable of the task. For example, winter mittens are warm but make it difficult to complete complex tasks like transitioning from skinning uphill to skiing down in the backcountry. A well-fitted, highly dexterous model will let your hands move more naturally, and you’ll have to remove it less frequently throughout the day. Other aspects to consider are grip, durability, and features like touchscreen compatibility or a leash.
Dexterity and Fit
One of the first things you’ll notice after pulling on a pair is whether or not it’s easy to use your hands while wearing them. How well they fit will be a factor, but how well it moves is often this is a function of its purpose.
Insulated winter options are bulky by nature and must balance the need for warmth with the need for flexibility. As we mentioned above, mittens are warmer but less dextrous still. That’s probably fine if you’ll be skiing at a resort, riding the lift all day, and have easy access to a lodge for any major tasks or adjustments. If you’re heading into the backcountry, though, you’ll need a more dexterous option.
That’s also true if you work with your hands outside during winter months. Insulated versions that prioritize dexterity won’t be as warm, so you’ll have to plan accordingly. Hopefully, you’re working hard enough to generate warmth. We pay close attention to the flexibility and articulation of each pair we test.
Grip
A solid grip is always important, but perhaps most important for working, mountain biking, and climbing. To work, you have to be able to hold tools; to bike, you must hold onto bars and breaks; and if you’re belaying or rappelling, you really need to hold onto that rope. Some offer lather palms to improve grip. Others implore tacky rubber or gripping patterns. We note these features where we find them. Since basic winter mitts can be slippery, we look for those with enough grip to complete simple tasks.
Common Important Features
Touchscreen Compatability — Capacitive touchscreens like your smartphone are covered by a thin, transparent layer of conductive material. When you touch them with your bare finger, you interrupt the current. The device recognizes that as touch. For gloves to work the same way, they must include a conductive material, often in the form of a thread pattern or patch of fabric on several of the fingertips and the thumb.
This technology is increasingly common, especially since people often navigate trails and off-piste slopes using mapping features on their phones, not to mention documenting their epic adventures. Touchscreen compatibility is especially important in liners, which may be all that’s left standing between you and a bitter winter breeze while you figure out where you are on the mountain.
Cuff type — The cuffs can also affect how well it fits and how effectively it blocks the wind and weather. For winter and ski versions, it matters whether the cuff is designed to extend over the sleeve of your jacket. The style is known as a gauntlet cuff and creates a double layer that’s an effective seal against wicked winter weather.
Also, pay attention to whether or not there is a velcro or buckled strap to hold it in place or to adjust the fit. Small tweaks can really improve the fit and function of any handwear.
Winter-Specific Features — Winter and ski options often have more bells and whistles than the rest, probably because they stand between you and frostbite. A leash, for example, can help you keep track of them if you have to pull them off on the mountain. Keeping them dry and out of the snow is a safety concern. A nose wipe patch certainly improves your comfort, and fun additions like a Tuskegee to clear the fog from your goggles can come in handy in a pitch.
Conclusion
Taking good care of your hands can keep you out on the ski hill, on the singletrack, or on the job longer. But with all the options on the market, it can be overwhelming to find your perfect fit. We hope we’ve helped you find the perfect glove for your goals.
Most household farms plant fruit trees for a year-round supply of nutritious crops to market or consume. But there are other types of trees, aside from fruit trees, that are edible and profitable at the same time, such as nut trees. In this article, we’ll help you identify 17 of the most common nut trees, so you can select the best option for your farm.
The most common nut tree types include pecan, hazelnut, almond, chestnut, cashew, pistachio, hickory, macadamia, pine nut, black walnut, English walnut, Brazil nut, butternut, oak nut (acorn), Pili nut, beech, and Ginkgo nut tree. Each of them has unique characteristics and features that can help you identify them among others.
Aside from being delicious additions to your meal, the nuts of these trees offer great health benefits and can be a rich source of many vitamins and minerals. Let’s dive into more details about the characteristics, growing conditions, and benefits of these nut trees.
17 Most Common Nut Tree Types Pecan tree Macadamia nut tree Pili nut tree Hazelnut tree Pine nut tree Beech tree Almond tree Black walnut tree Gingko tree Chestnut tree English walnut tree Oak tree (Acorn) Cashew nut tree Brazil nut tree Hickory nut tree Pistachio nut tree Butternut tree
1. Pecans are fast-growing nut trees
Pecans are native to the United States and thrive in a variety of soil types, including wet soil. They require plenty of water and a significant amount of space to grow.
These nut trees are fast growers, gaining at least 2 – 4 feet in height per year from when they are young. Pecan nuts are rich in vitamins and healthy fats, which make them a valuable addition to your garden.
2. Hazelnuts are prolific nut producers
Hazelnuts are also known as filberts, and they are grown in many parts of the world, including Europe, Asia, and North America. They are used in a variety of culinary applications, including baking, confectionery, and as a snack.
Hazelnut trees are resilient and can grow in different soil conditions. Their nuts are also a good source of protein, fiber, and healthy fats. They are prone to Eastern Filbert Blight, but resistant varieties do exist.
3. Almonds are versatile nut trees
Almond trees are one of the first trees to blossom in the spring, producing beautiful pink and white flowers. Most almond varieties are self-pollinating, which means they do not require cross-pollination with another tree to produce nuts. These trees are well-adapted to dry climates and can tolerate drought conditions, which makes them easy to manage.
The nuts of these trees are used in a variety of culinary applications, but their trademark is that they can be processed into products such as almond milk and almond butter. These nuts are also known for their nutritional content, containing vitamin E and healthy fats.
4. Chestnut trees are long-lived trees
Chestnut trees can live for several hundred years, with some specimens reaching over 1,000 years old. They can grow up to 100 feet tall and have a broad, spreading canopy. Their wood is a good source of lumber, which is also high in tannin and has been used for centuries in the tanning of leather.
They produce edible nuts, which are a popular food crop used in a variety of culinary applications, including roasting, baking, and as a flour substitute.
If you have a bee apiary, you may want to consider planting chestnut trees to produce amber-colored honey which has natural antimicrobial properties, and a low glycemic index, which makes it good for diabetes patients.
5. Cashews produce both nuts and fruits
Cashews are tropical nut trees that grow well in warm climates. They produce both a nut and a fruit, with the nut being the more commonly consumed of the two. The cashew nut is surrounded by a shell that contains a toxic substance called urushiol, which can cause skin irritation and other allergic reactions, so you may need to roast or steam them before consuming them.
Cashew nuts have various culinary applications and can also be processed into cashew butter, cashew milk, and other products. The nuts of these trees are believed to have several health benefits, including improving heart health, reducing inflammation, and promoting healthy bones.
6. Pistachios are popular nut trees
Pistachios are known for their unique green-colored nuts, which are a rich source of protein, fiber, healthy fats, and many vitamins and minerals, making them a popular health food.
Pistachio trees are dioecious, which means that there are separate male and female trees, and both are required for pollination and nut production. They are well-adapted to dry climates and can live for several decades, with some species reaching over 100 years old.
7. Hickories are majestic growers
Hickory trees take about 10 – 15 years before they can bear nuts, but they can live for centuries. The nuts they produce are small and sweet, with extremely sturdy shells. These majestic trees grow up to 60 feet tall and require ample space to develop.
They have beautiful fall foliage and are considered an important part of many forest ecosystems because they provide food and habitat for a variety of wildlife species, including squirrels and birds.
8. Macadamia nut trees are profitable nut trees
Macadamia trees produce nuts that can fetch premium prices in the market. These nuts have a very hard shell that requires a special tool to crack open. Macadamia nuts are high in healthy fats, with a high percentage of monounsaturated fatty acids.
However, the trees are slow-growing and can take several years to produce nuts. Either way, if you want to add ornaments to your orchard or farm, you can plant macadamia trees for their attractive foliage in addition to their nuts.
9. Pine nut trees are produced from specific pine trees
Pine nut trees have long, thin needles that grow in clusters of two to five. These trees produce large, woody cones that can be up to 10 inches long.
The bark of a pine nut tree is usually gray or brown and has a scaly texture. As the tree ages, the bark may become rough and deeply furrowed. Pine nut trees can grow quite large, with some species reaching heights of 100 feet or more. However, there are also smaller varieties that are well-suited to home gardens.
10. Black walnut trees produce edible and nutritious nuts
Black walnut trees are native to the United States and are often grown for their high-quality wood used in making furniture. These trees produce a strong-tasting nut, providing a unique flavor compared to other walnut varieties.
It takes 7 years before they can produce their first nut crop, but full maturation is expected only until 25 years of age. If you opt to plant these nut-bearing trees, perhaps consider planting them solely, as they can inhibit the growth of other plants if grown together.
11. Brazil nut trees produce nuts that have high selenium content
Brazil nut trees are native to South America and produce large, edible nuts rich in selenium. They can grow up to 50 meters (165 feet) tall and have a broad, spreading canopy that can reach up to 30 meters (100 feet) in diameter, providing shade for other plants and animals.
The fruit of the Brazil nut tree is a large, woody capsule weighing about 4- 5 pounds that store 10 to 25 individual Brazil nuts, which are a valuable food source for humans and animals.
These nuts are highly nutritious and are a good source of protein, healthy fats, and several important minerals, including selenium, magnesium, and zinc. They are also rich in antioxidants, which can help protect the body against damage from free radicals.
Their rich, creamy flavor and crunchy texture make them good as a topping for salads, oatmeal, and yogurt, or as an ingredient in desserts like cookies and cakes.
12. Butternut trees are cold-tolerant nut trees
Butternut trees, also known as white walnut trees, are cold-hardy nut trees native to North America. They can grow quite large, so you may want to consider giving them ample space in your garden when planting.
These trees are unique and attractive and are easily identified by their distinctive bark, compound leaves, and oblong nuts. While the species is currently facing threats from a fungal disease called butternut canker, efforts are underway to conserve and protect these trees for future generations.
13. English walnuts are well-known nut-bearing trees
English walnut trees are easy to identify by their long, narrow leaves, smooth gray bark, and large, oval-shaped nuts with a hard outer shells. The nuts are highly valued for their nutritional content and delicious flavor and are used in a variety of culinary applications, including baking, cooking, and snacking.
14. Oak trees produce acorns
Although more valued for lumber production, oak trees also produce nuts, and these nuts are called acorns. Acorns are a staple food source for various wildlife species. While not typically consumed by humans, they can be transformed into nutritious flour and meal options.
15. Pili nut trees produce highly favored nuts
Pili nut trees can grow up to 20 meters tall and produce large, ovoid drupe fruits that are about 4-7 cm long. The fruit has a hard, woody shell that encloses the edible kernel or nut.
The pili nut itself is elongated, pointed at one end, and has brown, papery skin. The nut is rich in oil and has a sweet, buttery flavor.
16. Beech trees produce edible nuts
Beech trees are slow-growing and can live for several hundred years. They typically have a tall, straight trunk with a rounded crown of branches at the top.
The bark of a beech tree is smooth and gray, with a unique texture that resembles elephant skin. Their flowers are small and inconspicuous and are usually not noticeable.
They produce a prickly burr fruit that contains two or three triangular nuts. The nuts are about 1 inch long and have a hard, woody shell.
17. Ginkgo biloba is a resilient type of nut tree
Ginkgo nut trees are known for their resilience and ability to withstand harsh environmental conditions, including pollution and drought. They are often planted in urban areas as hardy and attractive ornamental trees.
These trees can grow up to 30 meters (100 feet) tall and 9 meters (30 feet) wide, and produce small, yellowish-brown nuts that are enclosed in fleshy, plum-like fruit. The fruit has a strong, unpleasant odor that is often compared to the smell of rancid butter or vomit.
Ginkgo nuts are highly valued in traditional Chinese medicine for their medicinal properties. They are believed to cure cough, fever, diarrhea, and even gonorrhea.
Spinner fishing is one of my favorite ways to catch trout in almost any kind of water. In addition to being fun, it also regularly produces big fish that bite aggressively on these classic trout lures.
Another advantage of this technique is that it’s relatively easy to set up your gear and get started, making it an excellent technique for beginners.
In this article I’ll walk you through the basics of how to set up your gear for trout fishing with spinners, as well as the best lures, tactics and locations to help you catch more fish with this method.
Yes, spinners are great for trout fishing, because their rotating blades produce strong vibrations in the water, which is very effective at triggering bites.
Another reason why these lures work so well is that the moving blades generate flashes of light in the water, creating an additional visual stimulus that resembles a small minnow behaving erratically.
These lures also make a excellent search baits, since you can easily cover a lot of water by casting while systematically moving around a lake or pond.
That’s why spinning for trout is usually my first tactic when exploring a new fishery.
Trout fishing spinner setup
The first thing you need to do is set up a good trout rod, reel and line. Here are the tackle components you’ll need:
Rod: 6 to 7 foot, fast action, ultralight power spinning rod
Reel: 1000 to 2000 size spinning reel
Main line: 10 pound test braided line
Swivel: Size 10 barrel or snap swivel
Leader: 4 to 6 pound test fluorocarbon
The best trout fishing rod to use for this is an ultralight power rod for spinner fishing, since that will enable you to cast ultralight lures (such as a Rooster Tail) over longer distances.
If you’re going to fish in a stream with overhanging trees and bushes, it’s best to choose a shorter rod around 6 feet long.
On the other hand, if you’re going to be casting from the shore of a lake, it’s better to choose a longer rod between 7 and 8 feet, as that will increase your casting distance and will also improve your line management during lure retrieval.
My favorite size spinning reel to use for this technique is a 2000 size, since that’s light enough to work well with lightweight lines and small lures, but it’s also big enough to hold enough line for casting longer distances.
The best main line to use is a 10 lb test braid, since this has excellent casting properties, which increases your casting distance by 10 to 15% compared to other line types.
In addition to this, braid has almost zero stretch, which increases the sensitivity of the whole setup and enables you to feel every single vibration of your lure during retrieval.
If you don’t want to use braid, monofilament is also a good option as a main line for this type of fishing. Now let’s talk about the terminal tackle and leader rigging.
How to rig a spinner for trout fishing
If you’re spinner fishing for trout that aren’t line shy, you can tie your main line directly to a snap swivel, and then attach the snap to the eye of your lure.
The advantages of this rigging is that it is very easy to tie, and it’s also very easy to switch out your lures, since you just need to open and close your snap. Incidentally, this is also one of the best steelhead rigs.
However, in heavily fished lakes and rivers there’s a good chance that the fish are line shy, and this is especially true if you’re angling in clear water.
In that case it’s best to tie a 1 to 3 foot leader with 4 to 6 lb test fluorocarbon.
Fluorocarbon line has much lower visibility in the water compared to braid, and using a fluoro leader thus gives you more stealth.
Tie a size 10 swivel between your main line and the leader, and then tie the fluoro leader directly to the eye of your lure.
If you want to fish in deeper water or in a strong current, add one or more split shot weights above the swivel, which will help to get your lure down into the strike zone faster.
What is the best spinner for trout?
The 4 best trout spinners are:
Rooster Tail: This lightweight lure works best for a slow retrieve speed. Needs additional weight if you want to fish it deep.
Panther Martin: Heavier body than the Rooster Tail, helping to increase casting distance, and for getting it down into deeper water more effectively.
Blue Fox Vibrax: These lures come with a vibrax blade mechanism that produces sounds by rubbing against the bell shaped body of the lure, thereby emitting stronger vibrations in the water than a regular lure.
Mepps Aglia: A classic lure that has been around for many decades, and continues to catch fish reliably every season.
While there are many other options on the market, the ones above are my all time favorites, and have caught countless fish for me over the years.
But keep in mind that each of these fishing lure brands comes in a multitude of sizes and colors, and in general it’s best to have as many different options as possible in your tackle box.
The fish can be quite picky at times, and having the right color combination can make the difference between catching your limit or going home empty handed.
If you’re fishing in a heavy current with deep water, you may also want to try out lures with extra weight, or with a torpedo shaped body, which sink faster and are specifically designed to fish in these conditions.
What is the best size spinner for trout?
The best lure size to use depends primarily on the size of the fish you’re expecting to catch.
Spinner blade sizeWeightRecommended use 07/64 oz.Small brown and brook trout in streams 11/8 oz.Small brown and brook trout in streams 23/16 oz. Average size rainbow and brown trout 31/4 oz.Average size rainbow and brown trout 43/8 oz.Big rainbow and brown trout 57/16 oz.Big rainbow and brown trout 65/8 oz.Steelhead
Trout Spinner Size Chart
The table above shows the recommended sizes for catching different species and sizes of fish.
While you sometimes catch small trout on a big lure and vice versa, in general there’s a clear correlation between the size of the lure and the size of the fish that you catch.
So if you’re targeting trophy fish, it’s better to choose one of the bigger sizes (3, 4, or even 5).
On the other hand, if you’re targeting small brookies or brownies in a shallow stream, go with the smallest size you can get away with (0 or even 00), as these small fish have a hard time getting a big lure into their mouth.
What color spinner should you use for trout?
The two best spinner colors for trout (that consistently catch most fish) are a golden blade with black body, or a silver blade with yellow body.
With that being said, it’s necessary to keep in mind that bites can be triggered to bite on a wide range of colors, and which one works best can be very different from fishery to fishery, and even from day to day on the same lake or river.
So you may encounter situations where the colors that usually produce the most fish don’t work, and you need to mix things up in order to get bites.
Because of this complexity, it’s important to have as many different colors in your tackle box as possible, in order to be able to do some testing in order to figure out what works best on any particular day.
In general, it’s best to use more subdued colors like blue or black on bright days with clear water conditions.
On the other hand, brighter colors such as yellow, chartreuse, or pink can work better on overcast days, or in stained waters, or if you’re fishing for trout at night.
Where to use spinners for trout
The great thing about this technique is that it’s easy to cover a lot of water, which means you can use it as a search bait to find locations where you can catch trout.
Here are some of the best places to cast your lures:
The inlets of tributary streams of lakes
Drop off zones along weed flats
Shore points and other underwater structure
Old river channels in reservoirs
Stocking areas
When searching for hungry fish, it’s important to keep in mind that they tend to be more mobile than many other fish species, and don’t usually spend the whole day in one spot. So if you don’t get any bites, just move on to the next spot.
If you know the stocking area(s) of your lake, it’s always a good idea to start there, as some fish will stay close to these spots for a long time before they disperse in the lake.
How to catch trout with spinners
The best way to catch trout on spinners is by using it as a search bait to cover a lot of water in a short time.
The most common way to do this is to cast your lure out from shore, but you can also throw it from a boat or kayak, and you can even troll it.
Spinner fishing for trout in lakes
When casting from shore, divide the water in front of you into a pie chart, and cover it systematically with a series of casts that move from one side to the other (either clockwise or counterclockwise).
After you finish covering a particular spot this way, move on to the next one.
You’ll usually get very aggressive bites on these lures, so if you don’t get a bite, that either means there are no fish around, or they don’t want to eat your spinner. Because of this it’s best to keep on moving, until you find hungry fish.
Very often trout relate to the bottom, and can be found cruising 2 to 3 feet above the bottom. Because of this, it’s usually best to fish close to the bottom.
After casting it out, let it sink to the bottom before starting to retrieve it, and then retrieve it with your rod tip down to the water.
Casting spinners for trout from a boat
If you’re using a boat, this often gives you access to deeper water than casting from shore, which can be ideal for targeting fish during the summer, when they retreat into deeper water during the day.
In order to fish in deep water, it’s necessary to add additional split shot weights above the swivel on your rig. That way you can even use lightweight options (such as the Rooster Tail) to fish in deep water.
Spinner fishing for trout in rivers
When fishing for trout in streams and rivers, it’s important to stay mobile and cover as much water as possible.
That means you’ll be finished with one location in just a few casts, after which it’s time to move on to the next spot.
The only exception to this is if you get a short strike, and then try out a different style or color to try and trigger another bite from the same fish.
When casting a lure in a stream or river, it’s usually best to cast across the current, and then let the current carry it downstream while you retrieve it, thus forming an arc.
If you want to target a specific feeding lane, it’s best to cast slightly upstream of it, and let the lure swing into that area during the retrieve, as the current pushes it downstream.
Trolling for trout with spinners
Trolling is a great technique for catching more fish in lakes, as it enables you to cover more water with less effort than if casting your lure.
If you’re trolling for stocked rainbow trout, you can use the same setup and rigging as for casting from a boat, though you may want to add additional split shot weights to get your rig deeper in the water.
However, if you want to troll in deeper water than 10 to 15 feet, refer to our guide on trout rigging for trolling to get the best setup for your specific purposes.
Anyone interested increasing their self reliance, going off-grid, or simply providing for their family when times get tough should be heavily focused on creating a productive and sustainable food source. The foundational building block for this is a survival garden.
Providing enough food to sustain your family can seem like a daunting proposition that would require several acres of land. But with a little planning and consideration, you can create a productive garden that will serve you and your family well all year long.
The simplest explanation would be that it is a garden capable of growing the food you and your family need to survive (or at least a large portion of it) until the next growing season.
This may seem straightforward, but when you break it down and see how many calories, vitamins, and minerals you need to replace daily to stay healthy, you realize there has to be some serious planning and consideration put into it.
Survival gardening has a critical urgency about it, and doesn’t have to be pretty.
If you’ve seen the movie “The Martian”, you can use the example of Mark Watney, who formulates a plan to survive the harsh climate of Mars by potato farming in his own feces. Is it going to make the cover of Better Homes and Gardens? No. Did it keep him alive? Yes.
When you consider how important food security is to your family, there is no reason not to do everything in your power to make the most effective survival garden possible.
In addition to keeping you alive, there are a few other reasons why having your own garden is beneficial:
Health Benefits: Starting a garden for the resulting health benefits alone is worth it. Do you know what most people do when they have access to fresh, free produce? They eat tons more of it! Even if you are relatively careful with what you eat, increasing your produce consumption will always benefit you.
The Money: Eating your own produce can save you some significant coin. And to top it off, you could also take it to the very same markets where you used to spend your money and make some money. You probably will not get rich, but you’ll certainly be able to offset some costs.
Help Feed People in Need: In times where you’re not depending on every calorie from your survival garden to feed your family, another option is to donate the surplus to a local food bank or family in need. The extra potatoes and carrots you are tired of seeing in the cellar could be the reason someone’s kid has a little more to eat.
Survival Garden Layout Examples
If you are trying to provide a chunk of your family’s calories from the homestead, then you need to be really smart about your survival garden layout.
So what do survival gardens look like? Well, that question has a lot of answers. There are many different types of gardens, each with their own corresponding perks and benefits.
It is perfectly acceptable to use a pre-established clearly defined archetype, or you could take your inspiration from several styles and create something unique to your situation and property.
Here are some terrific and time-tested survival garden layouts to help get your wheels spinning:
1. Square Foot Gardening
Square foot gardening was originally devised as a way to teach growing capabilities and capacities to people in underserved areas. They can be made in nearly any size or configuration.
There are some solid reasons you might choose to follow a square foot gardening format. The planting guidelines prevent crowding while helping to maximize the space available and eliminate the wasted space of row planting. Similar plants are grown in non-linear configurations as they would in the wild so that they are not crowded out and can reach optimal size.
This same aim of efficient use of space also applies to how the garden is physically built. It is a raised bed that is visually divided by materials like wooden dowels, string, or twine tacked into a square-foot grid. This allows the cultivation of personal amounts of produce, in small areas, with little need to travel.
As they are raised beds, less bending is needed, so they are less work to maintain.
2. Victory Gardens
The victory garden is seeing a comeback in these uncertain and turbulent times. While it started as a way to reduce reliance on staples in order to free up rations during the second world war, it is once again enjoying a resurgence in popularity.
Victory gardens are designed to provide most of what a family of two to four people will need for much, if not all, of the year. With a high reliance on beans, drying and preservation will be crucial for maximizing the usefulness of the garden.
3. Keyhole Gardens
Keyhole gardens are perfect for hot and particularly dry climates. They consist of a wide round garden that is several feet deep and has a small radial arc of material removed.
With this material removed, the gardener can stand in the center of the garden, with the produce at approximately waist height. All areas of the garden can be reached easily by the gardener with very little strain on the back.
Since they are so deep, a key benefit of constructing keyhole gardens is their resistance to drought. Cardboard layered into the soil also helps to prevent water loss through evaporation. The center is preferred to be a compost bin with a base of rock at least the size of gravel, to facilitate drainage. As the material in the bin composts and is watered into the surrounding soil, it helps feed the crops in the garden.
Keyhole gardens do not make especially efficient use of space, since they are often quite a bit deeper than simple raised beds, but they do offer an extremely rich substrate to grow in.
Since they are fed by the compost, as well as being primarily watered from there, keyhole gardens are perfect for root vegetables like carrots, radishes, and beets, and leafy vegetables like spinach, lettuce, chard, and herbs.
4. The Permaculture Food Forest
One of the hallmarks of a permaculture style “food forest” is that it’s typically not in 1 specific “garden.” Rather, the plants and trees making up a food forest are strategically scattered throughout an area, to take advantage of microclimates, optimal growing conditions, and companion plantings as much as possible.
If you have a larger area and are looking to build an extremely diverse and naturally productive garden, creating a food forest modeled on permaculture principles might be the perfect option.
The benefits of permaculture systems are myriad. They not only focus on boosting biodiversity across the board, they also promote function stacking.
For example, a portion of the food forest may utilize clover as part of the ground cover. Clover could “stack functions” by not only preventing weeds, but also acting as a nitrogen-fixer, increasing the available nitrogen for neighboring plants. A 3rd function of a clover ground cover could be that it’s a source of pollen for important pollinators like bees and butterflies. This mentality will extend to many aspects of gardening and is the foundation for the entire permaculture model.
5. The Backyard Homestead Layout
The concept of a “homestead” is one that feels bigger than just a vegetable garden. Instead, a homestead typically incorporates fruit trees, perennial plants like berries, animals like chickens and goats, honey bees, or any number of other things. Still, at its core, the goal of a homestead is in line with survival gardening-support and sustain the lives of the people living there.
The Backyard Homestead Book is a popular and info-packed resource for planning maximum food production, even on postage-stamp-sized lots in the city and suburbs. It has a comprehensive walk-through of all the pertinent info you need to begin your journey towards self-sufficiency and self-reliance.
It covers the basics like garden design and crops to plant, but then it takes things a step further, by covering material on food preservation, highlighting methods like pickling, canning, even drying, and dehydration. This gem will help you through the entire food production process, from seed to snack.
6. Self Sufficient Backyard Layout
This is one of those resources that you can keep on your bookshelf, and every time you read it you seem to find something new and useful in it.
It is written by a couple that would be considered modern-day pioneers, living a lifestyle that includes growing their own food all year, collecting water, producing natural remedies from foraged plants, and using renewable energy.
It is a great book for anyone looking to begin the transition to a more self-sufficient lifestyle, or anyone wanting to learn how to effectively use just a quarter acre to produce food and energy for their own family.
What should I grow in my survival garden?
That is a very open-ended question, but we can start to narrow it down by your growing zone and garden location. It is important to have a large variety of nutrient-dense vegetables, and ideally ones that can also be stored in some long term fashion, whether it is by canning, drying and dehydrating, pickling, or cellar storage.
Proteins & Fats
You will need plenty of protein and fats in your diet. Protein is needed to build and maintain muscle mass and fats are needed as a source of energy.
Nut trees: Hazelnuts, hickory nuts, walnuts, pecans, chestnuts, and so many others. The options for nut trees that will grow in the US is impressive. Nuts can provide a source for healthy unsaturated fats, as well as omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, and are full of vitamins and minerals.
Chickens: While not a vegetable, you certainly can raise chickens in your garden area. You will need to take some infrastructure precautions to ensure they do not eat your plants, but letting them free range in the area will keep your gardens largely bug free, and cut down or eliminate the need for separate feeding.
Beans: An important source of vegetarian protein, beans and other legumes also provide ample fiber and a robust dose of antioxidants. Even if you are growing chickens or other livestock for meat, beans will be a vital source of supplemental off-season protein.
Carbs
Carbohydrates are forms of sugars that occur in starchy or fibrous foods. They are an energy source and are broken down and metabolized into either long-term or short-term energy.
Potatoes: Potatoes are a fantastic and long-storing carbohydrate. It is an easily grown root vegetable that stores well and can be used in countless ways. A smart planting of potato slips can contribute hundreds of pounds of potatoes for your stores.
Corn: A relatively fast-growing cereal grain, corn is very versatile and can be used and stored in many ways. With minimal processing, it can also be converted to feed, flour, alcohol and fuel.
Beans: You thought we ran through all the benefits of beans? Nope! Beans will also fill a slot for complex cards, giving you a source for the long term, all-day energy you are going to need to keep your homestead running.
Squash: A plant that is incredibly nutritious and versatile, squash is another vegetable that can store easily, in its native state, for long periods. The meat is generally eaten roasted or steamed.
Peas: Peas are a good source of starches, like potatoes, they are great thickeners. They are high in fiber, protein, and vitamins A, B6, C, and K.
Vitamins and Micronutrients
Vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients help your body to function by providing essential components to support bodily processes.
Chard: A leafy green that is great in salads, and adds a splash of color. A common ingredient in healthy diets, both the leaves and the stalks can be eaten.
Spinach: A super healthy leafy green. Loaded with antioxidants and nutrients, and a great source of iron.
Garlic: Closely related to onions, garlic is in the same family as leeks, shallots, and chives. Garlic is a long-standing favorite and is used to season cuisines the world over.
Broccoli: The tiny trees that are the bane of every child’s dinner plate. One of the most versatile plants, can be eaten raw or cooked, and the leaves, stalk, and flowering head can all be eaten. Growing broccoli provides a great return on investment.
Cauliflower: Another relative of the mustard plant, cauliflower often resembles cheese curd but has a texture that couldn’t be more different.
Kale: A close relative of cabbage, kale is packed with nutrients and vitamins. Care should be exercised not to eat kale to an excess, however, as it contains a compound that can interfere with thyroid hormone synthesis.
Cabbage: Is a leafy green that gives a tremendous amount of leaves on each densely packed head. They can grow very large and can be stored for long periods and used as needed, like potatoes and other staples. A great source of vitamins K and C, along with significant dietary fiber.
Medicinals
You may want to consider adding a section in your garden to contain your medicinal plants. These are plants that can be used to treat common ailments like headaches, inflammation, and pain. Often made into teas, salves, or pastes. Common medicinal plants you may want to consider include:
Calendula: known to be an antifungal, antiseptic, healer of wounds.
Cilantro: Helps digestion, possibly linked to heavy metal removal from the body.
Lemon Balm: Relaxing effects with possible antiviral properties.
Peppermint: Helps with digestion if brewed in tea, and soothes aches when applied topically.
Rosemary: Increases oxygen to the brain, a great alternative to caffeine.
Mullein: Can help heal respiratory infections.
How much space do I need to grow it all in?
That is probably the best part about a survival garden-there is no one single way to do it that will be best. Do what is right for you and your circumstances. This means it is extremely easy to adapt this information to your needs. From tiny urban gardens to acres of country land, there is something for everyone.
Urban gardens are growing in popularity and are becoming more widely permitted. There is a push in many urban centers for green rooftops to reduce HVAC load and provide additional food for building residents.
Agriscaping is transforming common landscapes into productive agricultural spaces. This can look like neighborhood food forests or fruit and nut trees alongside the street in place of ornamentals. Many neighborhoods have begun creating spaces that function as both food forests and community gardening space.
All that said however, one of the early contributors to SCP Survival shared the following recommendation from her grandma who was a serious gardener at the turn of the century:
Grandma Carrie’s Rule of Thumb (how big does my garden need to be?)
Grandma Carrie grew and preserved everything that her family ate in the late 1880’s and early 1900’s short of wheat, sugar, salt and spices. Her garden was well over a quarter acre. And she had a rule of thumb – One quart per person, per day.
Since she was feeding ten people she would need to can 3,650 quarts of fruits and vegetables. Add to that the crops that went into the root cellar, some crops were dried and stored in burlap bags, milk and eggs were gathered year ‘round, animals were butchered as needed and the meat was stored in crocks.
To supply each member of the family with their “quart a day” you should plan approximately 1,000 to 2,500 square feet of garden space for each person. This amount depends on soil fertility, the crops you choose to grow, methods of cultivation, and the length of your growing season. Other food sources like fruit trees and livestock also play a huge part in the amount of vegetables you need.
A 2,000 square foot garden would be a 40 foot by 50 foot section of your property. This can be a pretty significant undertaking especially if you have no experience gardening. Crops such as squash and cucumbers require significantly more space than spinach, Swiss chard, carrots, onions and beets. Peas, tomatoes and some beans do best with a fence, cage or pole to grow UP on which decreases the square feet necessary.
Here are some rough estimates on space to yield for feeding four people for one year:
CropGarden SpacePoundsCanned or Frozen
*Estimate based on ½ whole and ½ sauce
This chart would be 2,018 square feet of growing space without any paths in between them. I have given the yield in quarts but to have a better idea if this would suit your family, you will probably want to consider pints (or twice as many jars half the size). For example, one pint of beets would probably be adequate for a meal for four people, a 100 foot row will yield around 48 pints which would provide enough beets for one meal a week for a year.
This chart provides 657 quarts plus potatoes, about half of Grandma Carrie’s rule of thumb.
What is the best location for my survival garden?
You will want to make sure you evaluate all possibilities before deciding where to put your garden. Make sure you consider the exposure to the sun, water, soil, and how easy it will be for you to access it as often as you will need to.
Most people think about the first few, but not everyone considers access. The last thing you want to do is put a big garden plot in what you think is a perfect place, only to have to lug all your gardening equipment or any tools you need, to a garden that is now quite inconvenient to get to.
When considering your garden’s placement, you will naturally have to consider the sun and water placement. If you live in the northern hemisphere, you will want to make sure your garden is south of your house, or far enough north of your house that it will not lie in its shadow. Use this same logic when plating. When possible plant so that the taller crops, like corn, on the north end of the garden bed, so that they do not cast a shadow over the other plants.
One of the principles of permaculture is the zones of use. The mindset being that you do not want to expend excess energy to get to things you use all the time, and things that are largely self-managing should be the farthest away. It also simplifies care and harvesting. The zones of use are:
Zone 1 is the most visited area or areas. This zone will have things that either need daily attention or that you use daily. Examples of things to grow in zone 1 are seedlings, salad components, cooking herbs, or anything that needs daily water, like a lemon tree. Believe it or not, animals are ideally sited in Zone 1.
Zone 2 are things that still need attention, but not specifically daily. If your particular setup allows for it, zone 2 is irrigated. Zone 2 is also mulched. Examples of zone 2 plants would be smaller fruiting trees and trellised fruit vines, bramble berries like blackberries, raspberries, and blueberries. This is also the zone that contains windbreaks, ponds, and barrier hedges. Plants that are only harvested once or twice per season belong here like potatoes and corn.
Zone 3 is semi-managed. An example of zone 3 plants would be large and mature fruit and nut trees. It is not mulched, nor visited on any regular basis.
Zone 4 is a minimally managed area for foraging wild foods and growing timber.
Zone 5 is completely and entirely unmanaged. All pure native plants and wildlife.
Keep in mind what you will eventually be planting, and be sure to plant companions together when possible. The main idea of companion planting is that you plant different crops together, they help sustain each other and ensure you have a strong and fruitful harvest.
Companions can be used for pest deterrents, balancing out nutrients, and attracting pollinators. For instance:
Tomatoes work very well with beans, chives, and oregano, but not with corn, dill, and potatoes.
If you want a successful cucumber and squash harvest, plant corn, beans, or radishes with them.
If you have pine trees on your property, be careful not to place your garden where the shed needles fall, since they make the soil very acidic.
For more on companion planting, check out this comprehensive guide.
Knowing Your Soil is Crucial
The quality of your soil is the imperative. Much more needs to be done to prepare a garden space than simply digging up the lawn. “Friability”, or easy to crumble is normally the first obstacle to overcome. Grasses can grow in clay – or cracks in asphalt for that matter but vegetables need lose, crumbly, loamy soil. Amendments need to be made in the way of compost, perhaps sand and possibly nutrients to alter the pH level.
How do you intend to water your garden? Tomatoes for example, need to be soaked 6-8 inches deep every 5-10 days depending on the heat and amount of rain you have. If the grid is down, is your water down? If you are collecting water in a rain barrel, do you intend to drip irrigate or hand water? Is one barrel enough? Do you have all the materials on hand now?
Want Some Extra Credit? Here Are Some Gardening “Force Multipliers”
The following are tools or techniques used to be more effective at reaching your objective of producing enough food to survive. They help you get the most out of your garden by helping to create ideal conditions, one way or another, for your crops.
Greenhouse
A greenhouse is one of the common things that people think of when picturing a large garden set up. A greenhouse is a large open building that is largely transparent or translucent, allowing in sunlight, but also sealed against the outside elements.
Utilizing a large amount of solar gain, greenhouses are able to trap solar energy in the form of heat, and can often be used to extend the growing season.
Greenhouses can be used to grow later into the year, in order to gain an extra harvest or two, and also to begin earlier each year, by providing a warm place to germinate seeds and give plants a head start before transplanting to the soil once the threat of frost has passed.
Cold Frames
Cold frames use the same principles of trapping solar energy as greenhouses but on a much smaller scale. Cold frames are made from a wooden box similar to a raised bed, frequently angled toward the south. They will usually have a windowed lid, often made from an upcycled home window that is attached to the top with a hinge so that it can tilt open for easy access to the contents.
Cold frames are frequently used in the same manner as full-size greenhouses, to either continue growing past the fall frost dates or to gain an early start by germinating seeds and plant starts before they would normally be able to be put in the ground.
Row Covers
Row covers are also known as low tunnels. A crucial force multiplier for those who utilize planting rows for their crops, row covers can protect from freezing temperatures, wind, and pests.
They are essentially tiny hoop houses that run the length of the planting rows. They are very low to the ground and often only allow around 1-2 feet of clearance for the plants they cover, and as such are only suitable for very young plants or those that grow close to the ground like root vegetables and greens. They help keep the soil in the row warm for early season starts, and for late-season harvests.
Chickens or livestock
Introducing chickens or other small livestock to your survival garden can have several benefits. Not only will they create manure that will be essential to your composting and fertilizing capabilities, but they also can help reduce pests and insects.
People do not give chickens enough credit, they are amazing little omnivores. They eat just about any organic matter you allow them to, but they will also meet you halfway on the cleanup, tilling most of their waste directly into the soil. You do need to keep an eye on them, and make sure that they aren’t sick. If so, there are a handful of DIY chicken doctoring things you can do own your own.
Guinea fowl are another valuable addition, frequently eating so many nuisance insects like ticks, that they will not need any supplemental feeding. Using livestock in conjunction with a rotating pasture system will allow you to always have perfectly fertilized and productive soil ready for planting, while your livestock always has fresh ground to work.
Composting
Generating your own compost is an incredibly valuable process for anyone seeking to grow large amounts of high-quality produce.
Composting is the breaking down of common solid organic matter by aerobic bacteria. It is used to recycle organic material into nutrient-rich material called compost that is similar to humus. It is one of the best soil amendments and can be a valuable fertilizer for self-sustaining gardeners.
Vermicomposting
Similar to composting, the goal of vermicomposting is to create a nutrient dense growing medium from discarded organic materials. The basic process is the same, the organic matter that would normally be discarded is added to the compost pile, decomposed aerobically, and turned into a usable highly fertile soil material.
The difference is that in normal composting the main agent breaking down the matter is aerobic bacteria and other organisms, and with vermicomposting that process is accelerated through the use of earthworms to break down the material faster and more thoroughly than without.
Rainwater harvesting
One of the most valuable resources for gardeners, water, literally falls from the sky. With a little preparation and sweat equity, a rain catchment system can quickly and easily be implemented, allowing the storage of large quantities of water for later use.
Rainwater harvesting is often done with a minimum of special equipment, generally requiring little more than a roof, a gutter with a downspout, and a rain barrel or water tank. Provided measures are taken to discard the water contained in the “first flush” which will contain debris and contaminants that should be allowed to wash away before collection begins, rainwater can easily be made potable.
Earthworks and Landforms
A very effective method of large scale gardening and permaculture resource management is to create earthworks to help control water flow and erosion. These methods can include:
Ditches
Ditches are essentially a trenched drainage device. Ditches are going to be fairly deep and narrow, allowing an easy way to direct high volumes of water that will also be fast-moving.
A ditch will often be used to prevent a surge of water volume from eroding other portions of the gardening or crop areas. For example, ditches may be utilized to funnel water runoff from a large rainstorm away from delicate beds of greens or herbs, and directed to a swale where it can be spread out over a larger area, slowed down, and allowing the water to settle and soak in.
Swales
Swales are large, open, gentle depressions that follow the contour of the land, allowing stormwater runoff a place to slow down and spread out over a larger area, eventually facilitating settling and absorption.
They are broad and shallow and are only slightly depressed when compared to the surrounding area. Swales are perfect for filtering runoff, immobilizing contaminants, pollutants, and particulates by allowing them to settle and be filtered by the surrounding soil.
Hugelkultur
Often thought of as the perfect companion to swales, the hugelkultur or more simply “hugel”, is a hill or a mound for growing, that is built on a foundation of a pile of felled trees or rotten wood. It is ultra-low maintenance and drought-resistant garden and earthworks feature that will produce a fertile mound of growing medium that only gets more productive over the years as the wood continues to rot and release nutrients into the soil around it.
While it takes a good bit of effort to physically construct the hugel, it will compound the benefits it offers over the years. For the first several years after its creation, the aerobic decomposition will have an exothermic effect on the soil, giving you a longer growing season.
In the years following that, the wood will begin to shrink and will create voids that allow a self tilling effect to take place. The rotting wood will also hold water like a sponge, retaining large amounts of water that are automatically released into the surrounding soil, combating dry conditions, and reducing or eliminating the need for separate irrigation.
The main thing to remember with hugels is to use wood in the core that will rot and decay. Do not use any rot-resistant or allelopathic woods like cedar, black walnut, l7 or black locust. They will not rot, and will actually inhibit microbial growth, significantly reducing the desirable effects produced by the decomposition.
Preservation and Long Term Storage
While the short term goal with your garden is to feed yourself and your family, the long-term goal is to have a decent stockpile of survival foods. There are many methods that you can utilize that will allow you to save your harvest and to feed your family over a tough winter or in an emergency.
Root Cellars
One of the oldest long-term storage methods, root cellars work to preserve and store food by using the cool dampness of being underground to their advantage. Root cellars are nice and cool, but still above 32°. They are also humid which allows vegetables to retain their moisture and preventing them from turning rubbery. In addition to root vegetables, cellars are great for storing nuts, seeds, and even some fruits and vegetables.
Canning
Canning is a great way to save meats, stews, veggies, and jams for later use. With canning, you use mason jars to store and preserve your foods and either pressure or hot water method to seal them. The lids of the jar have a wax ring that seals to the rim of the jar. If left in a cool, dark place, home-canned items can be stored for a year or more.
Dehydration
Dehydration is a fantastic way to preserve your favorite fruits, vegetables, and even herbs and meats! Some items you will want to eat in the dried form such as apple chips, others you may want to rehydrate by soaking in hot water or adding to soups and stews.
Seed Saving
While most seeds you won’t be eating, saving your seeds is an easy way to get a jump on your garden for next year. Saving the seeds from fruits and vegetables that you grew this year allows you to cut down on your gardening costs in the future. Heirloom seed preservation is also important for genetic diversity and can be traded and sold.
Getting Started
There are many articles out there inferring that preppers should buy seeds packaged for long term storage so that when the shit hits the fan they can dig up part of the lawn and grow their own food. This is a woefullly misguided notion. Remember, the time to start learning is not when you are hungry.
Once you have taken all the factors into consideration and chosen a location, it is time to plan out your garden. Make a sketch on some graph paper of your garden, and get that seed catalog handy. If you need help planning it, the Farmers Almanac has a very easy to use garden planner.
Once your garden is prepared, your layout is decided, and your seeds have arrived, you probably want to get planting, but you might be wondering when is the best time to start. The good news is, every season has things that can be planted, whether you are in spring, summer, or fall, there are plants that should be going in the ground to get ready for the upcoming growing season.
You might think that because you weren’t ready until late August, you may have missed the summer season. And you would be right! But that’s alright, late-season brassicas do well, and fall is the perfect time to get some garlic and onions in the ground. The same goes for spring and summer, there is always something that needs to get in the ground soon in order to be ready for the upcoming season.
Winter is the perfect time of year to solidify next year’s garden plan. It is time to inventory the pantry to evaluate the most popular crops and adjust the garden space allotments accordingly. Heirloom seeds are inventoried, new seeds are ordered and indoor starts are planted.
Need An Easy Way To Start? Try the 3 Sisters
If you are eager to get started with an easy garden, you may want to try out a small plot with a “3 sisters garden”. This is a method that has been used for thousands of years to grow multiple crops in one place simultaneously, and is a perfect example of function stacking and utilizing natural architecture. This layout can also be adapted to nearly any type of garden.
You will plant beans (generally a pole bean), sweet corn, and squash. The rationale behind the companion plants here is that the corn provides a sturdy stalk for the beans to climb, while the squash leaves shade the soil, minimizes water loss, and prevents weeds, and the beans fix nitrogen in the soil for the corn and the squash to excel.
Most of us long time hunters have a set, or if we’re lucky enough, a bag of elk ivories that we have laying around that we have always wanted to do something memorable with, but never have. I found myself in this exact situation, when I came across Autumn Fahnholz of Hammered In The Mountains. I was amazed by her attention to detail and her ability to capture the essence of a hunt through her work. I reached out to Autumn to learn more about her story, her work, and her life experiences. Autumn shared with me how far her work has come, and how it all began as a devoted hunter.
With a background and bachelor’s degree in Biology, she expressed that finding a year-round position that she was passionate about in Salmon, Idaho was not easy to come across. Her life experiences from working with the Idaho Fish & Game taught her a lot and led her to learning western bright cut engraving from a local silversmith. That is where Autumn’s interest with silver and becoming a maker was immediately sparked.
She expressed to me that she knew from the very beginning that engraving wasn’t what she wanted to delve into, so she went her own way carving her own path. At the time she did not have a lot of money to her name. In fact, her first hammers, files, and pliers were purchased from the trading post in Salmon. They were well used and had a little rust on them, but that was not going to stop her from using them. While working random jobs with not much to do in the evenings during the cold and dark winters, she found herself sitting at a makeshift workbench in a little primitive cabin in the mountains. Autumn spent countless hours and nights trying to figure out how to solder, saw, forge, and stamp silver by hand, and there it was, Hammered In The Mountains was born.
Teaching herself this skillset came with wasted silver, failure, frustration, and more experimentation than she could begin to mention. However, when she would finally start to see the end result of what she had imagined, that moment of joy significantly outweighed all of the bad. Two years ago, Autumn took a big chance and decided she wanted to become a full-time silversmith. Although she knew it was the right decision, it was not an easy task with losing a steady income. Her husband, Benjamin, was behind her 100% of the way and paid the bills until she could get on her feet. Benjamin and his family own and operate Life-Like Taxidermy in Carmen, Idaho. Her husband, his dad, and his brother have entered in many taxidermy competitions over the years and in 2019 Benjamin brought home a Best in World Title with a pedestal antelope, and his brother Brandon, a 2nd Best in World Title with a life-size Mountain Lion.
Their passion and attention to detail with their clean and precise work when recreating animals is something she looks up to. She learned a lot from those guys when it comes to detailed work and strives to keep her work neat and clean just like them. The passion and tradition with hunting in the Fahnholz family is something that runs deep through their blood. While the guys at Life-Like Taxidermy are recreating animals from memorable hunts, she has also found a way to relive those memorable hunts with her very own skillset involving elk ivory. The Fahnholz name values family, tradition, and the stories that come from their times afield and strive to create things that will not only last a lifetime, but can be passed down to the next generation with a story behind it.
In life there are small moments that cannot be summed up by simply looking at the physical actions that have taken place. There are times when those actions hold a meaning deeper rooted into our souls, forged into our hearts and minds by the preparation, determination, hard work and faith we put forth. One instance that Autumn recalls took place deep in the wilderness on one of the most physically demanding hunts Benjamin and her had ever embarked on. After sealing the deal on potentially the bull of her lifetime with a perfect cross canyon shot, they made their way up to the huge bodied bull elk. Flooded with emotions that one can only feel after taking part in such an amazing hunt, Benjamin got down on one knee and asked her if she would spend the rest of her life with him. Some may have questioned the fact that he did not have a ring in hand, Autumn however, knew that the moment they shared on that mountain could be forever symbolized by creating something with that bull’s ivories. Where a person lacking in the ability to relate to and know such feelings might just see a tooth from an animal, she saw an opportunity to memorialize a life changing experience. She has since made him a ring and still has the other ivory she plans to use in a very special piece for herself. Benjamin and his brother, Brandon, still wear matching pendants from a bull hunt that they shared together years ago. For their family, there is no better way to symbolize the bonds and ties created in the mountains and woods.
Autumn’s true passion with Hammered In The Mountains is to turn those elk ivories into wearable memories. As an avid backcountry hunter herself, she knows the significance of each hunt and how those memories are so meaningful to us all. Her handcrafted, rugged, and creative hard work is an extension of your hunts and celebrations. Three custom pieces that she just finished up for the Western Hunter Magazine are a men’s elk ivory ring, a talisman, and a Benchmade Hidden Canyon knife inlay.
Hammered In The Mountains jewelry is sawed, soldered, forged, hammered, stamped, filed, sanded, and polished all by hand making each piece irreplaceable. Her work is meant to be used and worn, and people are always asking the stories behind these pieces, which gives you an opportunity to relive each of the amazing hunts and experiences all over again.
If you’re interested in a custom piece, give her a call (814-221-2408) as she would be happy to hear about your hunt and work with you to capture exactly what you are looking for. You can also see and choose from any of her previous elk ivory work on her website Hammeredinthemountains.com Autumn’s work is meticulously designed, ruggedly crafted, and handmade for hunters, by a hunter.
Hunters who can dissect and recognize the unique activities that occur during the lockdown phase of the rut are the ones most likely to earn a trip to the taxidermist.
Once bucks find a receptive doe they stick with her until breeding is completed in what is known by some hunters as the lockdown phase. This can be a challenging time to hunt mature bucks but it’s not impossible to put your tag on one during this period. (Photo: Getty Images)
It doesn’t matter if you pick up a rifle once a year and climb into your only treestand, or if you hunt the entire deer season across multiple states, every whitetail hunter has one thing in common: anticipation of the rut. That’s because the rut always makes deer more visible, more likely to fall into our laps, and ultimately we have a better chance to see big bucks during this period of the season. We all buy tags with the goal of punching them, and even those of us self-proclaimed “meat hunters” are mesmerized by a fine set of antlers.
While the rut is often referred to as a singular event, in reality it’s a series of events that are all biologically neces- sary for deer to do their business and create more deer. You don’t have to be a biologist to understand the whitetail’s breeding rituals, and thankfully there are plenty of places to apply your knowl- edge and hunt during the heart of the rut — when daylight deer activity is at its annual peak and your odds of scoring are highest.
The lockdown phase of the rut helped me kill my best buck to date, after an eight-hour standoff in the Nebraska Sandhills. Before I share that story, let’s brush up on some rut realities with whitetail biologist Dr. Harry Jacobson, and discover why he’s also a fan of hunting bucks during the lockdown.
RUT TRIGGERS AND TIMING The breeding and birthing schedule of whitetails is optimized to maximize fawn recruitment. Research and logic suggest weather greatly dictates the timing of this schedule, so that does drop fawns when Mother Nature is feeling warm and fuzzy.
White-tailed does carry their fawns an average of 200 days no matter where they call home, but there are some notable differences in the rut across the whitetail’s range. For instance, white- tails in Canada breed only once per year, usually in October/November. Canadian fawns are thereby born during summer, when they have plenty of time to insulate their bones before winter’s harsh grip takes hold. On the opposite end of the spectrum, Southern deer, living where the average climate is moderate, have a wider breeding period.
A decreasing amount of daylight — or photoperiod — is the primary trigger for whitetails to prepare their bodies for breeding. We refer to this initial stage as the pre-rut. Bucks start getting antsy and they become increasingly drunk with testosterone, priming them to establish their role in the pecking order. They rub trees and lose velvet on their antlers, their necks swell, they make scrapes, and they start sparring to prepare for the breeding war that looms on the horizon. When it comes to does, however, these changes are mainly within their internal reproductive system and therefore less evident.
While photoperiod is the main factor influencing rut timing, genetics can also play a role. Jacobson pointed to a study in which a handful of deer were swapped between Michigan and Mississippi, and the deer “… shifted their reproductive patterns about three weeks earlier or later, depending on whether in Michigan or Mississippi. However, regardless of geographic location, the rut of Mississippi deer was about seven weeks later than that of the Michigan deer.” Intriguing data, but under natural circumstances with native deer, you should be able to closely predict annual rut timing in your neck of the woods by photoperiod — because it’s consistent year to year.
Pre-rut bucks begin traveling more, hoping to find the first hot does on their stomping grounds. “Usually the first does to come into estrus for the year will trigger most of the buck fighting activity,” Jacobson explained. “It might be three to four weeks before the peak of the rut. The fights are most serious at this time of year, so this is when most buck-fighting trauma occurs.”
The pre-rut is chaotic, as anxious bucks impatiently wait for does to fulfill their breeding desires. It can be an exciting, yet frustrating time to be in the woods. You’re likely to witness chasing, fighting and an overall surge in deer movement. But this is also when bucks become unpredictable, and those you see are likely to be on a mission and difficult to stop for a shot.
WATCH: WHAT TO DO AFTER FINDING DEER SIGN IN THE WOODS
PEAK RUT AND LOCKDOWN And now, the moment we’ve all been waiting for: the peak rut. It’s a critical event for whitetail hunters because a doe — or multiple does — are ready to bow-chik-a-wow-wow with bucks on your hunting ground. This goes hand in hand with lockdown.
Lockdown is when an estrous doe is being tended by a buck or multiple bucks. Estrus lasts approximately 24 hours and the doe might only be receptive to breeding a fraction of that time, so her suitor will stick to her like Gorilla Glue.
“During that period she usually gets pushed into thick cover by a dominant buck,” Jacobson said. But other bucks will often be lingering nearby, hoping for their chance at some action. “I’ve seen 12 to 14 bucks hanging around a doe,” Jacobson added.
Strategically, Jacobson recommends covering lots of ground to make the most of lockdown. “Bucks can be downright stupid during lockdown, but it’s pretty unpredictable where they’re going to show up, so I go look for them by spotting and stalking,” he said.
“You need larger acreages to be able to do it.” This is easiest done with a rifle in hand, but don’t think for a second it’s impossible as a bowhunter. “I’ve used this tactic in several places — Texas, New York, Mexico — and I haven’t hunted with a rifle for well over 30 years,” Jacobson said.
How far will a buck travel during peak rut? According to Jacobson, it depends on individual bucks.
“Basically, you’ve got two types of bucks: the searcher that travels throughout the countryside looking for receptive does, and the buck that just waits in the neighborhood for the action to begin. But when the rut is on, both types of bucks will be traveling way more than at any other time of year.”
Bucks in open country with sparse cover are also likely to travel farther than their brush-country brothers, and they’ll also be more visible. Chasing Western whitetails during the rut can be very fun and productive. Regardless of your location, there’s one constant as noted by Jacobson.
“Bucks are much more approachable during lockdown than they are at any other time in the season. As long as the doe doesn’t see you, the bucks are going to stay. They almost ignore you.”
Buck-to-doe ratios, nutritional conditions, habitat types and other local factors can influence such deer dynamics during lockdown. Generally speaking, most does in one area will go into estrus within a short time window and get the opportunity to mingle with at least one buck.
“With a very low buck-to-doe ratio, there’s a remote possibility a doe won’t be bred on her first cycle,” Jacobson noted. If she doesn’t get lucky, she will go into estrus again 21 to 29 days later — referred to by some as the second rut. “If you have good nutritional conditions, upward of 40 percent of yearlings will breed during their first year of life,” Jacobson said. “This usually happens a month or two after the first rut. They’re using that extra time to reach a critical body weight that allows them to carry fawns as yearlings.”
Buck-to-doe ratios, nutritional conditions, habitat types and other local factors can influence such deer dynamics during lockdown. Generally speaking, most does in one area will go into estrus within a short time window and get the opportunity to mingle with at least one buck.
EIGHT HOUR STAND-OFF It was mid-November in north-central Nebraska — a remarkable region of the country where mule deer and whitetails thrive together in the rolling, rugged Sandhills. As I pulled into Goose Creek Outfitters, owner Scott Fink greeted me and my cameraman, Jeff “FaFa” Shelby. Two years had passed since I’d visited Goose Creek for an unforgettable mule deer hunt, when I killed my first muley buck that was locked down with a doe. This time, whitetails were on my mind.
Upon our arrival at dusk, I verified the zero of my Mossberg Patriot with Nosler Ballistic Tips punching a tight group at 100 yards. Scott added to the momentum of my confidence by laying out a game plan for the following morning. “A really big buck has been hanging around a swamp down the road. I think we’ll start by glassing that swamp tomorrow.” A deceiving warm breeze whispered across the prairie as we packed up and headed back to the Fink ranch, but ScoutLook Weather forecasted a cold front that would scream into the area overnight. Morning came quickly and two important predictions were validated as we glassed the Sandhills at sunrise: It was blistering cold and the swamp buck was there.
But the 150-class whitetail wasn’t across the road in the willow swamp where Scott expected. Instead, I spot- ted him through my 8X Nikon binocular on our side of the road — chasing a doe into a dense patch of cedars. Several minutes passed as I watched for the deer to pop out, but it didn’t happen. It was the tail end of the rut, but this buck was on lockdown with one last hot date.
These deer were tucked into a precarious position. They were downhill just far enough that I’d have to get even with them to be in comfortable rifle (and camera) range, but the only available cover would put them downwind. Scott backed out to reduce the human variable of our potential failure. FaFa and I plopped down in the wide open, with a stiff wind blowing across our desperate faces. I set up my shooting sticks and he deployed his camera tripod. We would wait until the buck surfaced outside the cedars, but like him, we knew this futile effort was at the mercy of a stubborn doe.
“There he is!” The buck came blazing out of the thicket on the doe’s heels. I didn’t even have time to shoulder my rifle, let alone prepare for a shot. They ran to the opposite side of an adjacent woodlot, out of sight. “Damn,” I whined to FaFa. “We’re probably screwed on this deal.” But holding onto a fragment of hope, we hurriedly ran uphill and circled around an evergreen windbreak, praying this would get us parallel to the deer while remaining downwind and in range. We found our new post and settled in.
The massive swamp buck reappeared in a flash, this time jumping a fence and showing himself just long enough to make us scramble for a shooting position, but just brief enough to compound our frustration as he disappeared again behind heavy cover. Seven hours had now passed since my first glimpse of this lockdown giant. The gloomy autumn light was fading, but our commitment to this hunt was burning stronger than ever.
One hour later — a total of eight hours on this rutting duo — I found a steady rest and sent a Ballistic Tip into the swamp buck’s broadside heart. Patience, determination and luck were all integral to my success … but I’d be remiss without extending some gratitude to the bossy doe that kept a lovesick buck on lockdown.
— Josh Dahlke is an outdoor writer and host of an online hunting film series called THE HUNGER. To see the author’s hunt featured in an exciting short film, search YouTube for “Hunting a giant whitetail on lockdown.” When his three freezers aren’t full of wild game, he suffers from anxiety and depression.
[activecampaign form=1]The most expensive mushrooms in the world are rare and hard to cultivate. So no, you aren’t getting them at any local grocery stores. They are sensitive and not easy to mass-produce, driving consumer prices up to exorbitant amounts.
You might recognize some of the fungi listed if you’re a mushroom lover. If not, the good news is that they’re highly nutritious, delicious, and a part of haute cuisine. They are also a growing business opportunity for artisanal farmers and entrepreneurs worldwide.
Mushrooms grow wild in habitats across the globe, can be cultivated by individuals, and are produced by enterprising mushroom farmers in urban warehouses, isolated basements, caves, and under trees on a forested acreage. Maybe you’ll get lucky and find some of these under the most expensive bonsai trees in the world! The demand for “designer” mushrooms is, well, mushrooming! And some of them fetch very high prices.
Mushrooms are the “fruit” of fungi that thrive under certain conditions. They are fast-growing and adaptable and have been used by diverse cultures throughout history. Tens of thousands of varieties of fungi have been identified. But a relatively small number of edible mushrooms exist. In some ways, they are a “super” food, and modern science quickly points out their benefits.
Mushrooms are loaded with antioxidants, minerals, and healthy vitamins. Some have significant amounts of potassium, iron, manganese, Vitamin D, B2, and B6. They are also low in calories and fat and high in fiber and protein.
In a sense, mushrooms are the ultimate organic foods, in the scientific definition of “living organisms” interacting in the environment with other organisms. Certain mushrooms play an essential role in the natural world because fungi and bacteria recycle the nutrients of dead or decaying matter. They “feed” on wood, leaves, and occasionally insects, speeding the decomposition process.
It’s a complicated, multi-phase process that requires the interaction of a host of variables. Others enhance plant growth by producing the spores that help perpetuate the fungus that nourishes the soil and promotes plant growth. Light and moisture, temperature, oxygen and nitrogen levels, and other physical conditions must be just right for fungi to do their work.
Fungi exist in diverse forms and can live in water, soil, air, or on plant material. What we call mushrooms are just one step in the fungal lifecycle. Although most people consider mushrooms part of the plant world, scientists believe fungi are closely related to animals. In addition to their vital role in the environment, they “behave” differently based on where they exist.
Health Benefits and Medicinal Qualities
There is validity to the claim that mushrooms have health-giving benefits and medicinal value, including alleviating chronic pain and lowering cholesterol. Researchers continue to explore their uses. Controlled studies confirm that some mushrooms can reduce some symptoms and may impact the treatment and prevention of certain diseases.
Mushroom allergies are relatively rare, but anyone sensitive to mold is advised to approach mushrooms with caution. Symptoms can occur not only from ingestion but also from simple skin contact or by inhaling airborne spores of the fungus. Wild mushrooms have other hazards. Some are highly toxic to humans.
Others contain a substance that produces hallucinogenic or psychotropic effects. Certain strains have been used in religious ceremonies since ancient times. Foraging mushrooms in the wild is not recommended for anyone who is not thoroughly trained.
Mushrooms are adaptable, readily available, and may be prepared in various ways. They add flavor and enhance the taste and appearance of other foods. Some have a pungent odor; others taste nutty, fruity, woody, or spicy. Most can be consumed raw, steamed, sauteed, fried, baked, stuffed, or grilled. Mushrooms are available commercially in many forms — fresh, dried, canned, frozen, and sometimes preserved in oil.
Choosing the Best Mushrooms
Mushrooms are not the “perfect food,” but they are good — and they’re good for you! An appreciation for mushrooms transcends cultures and borders, but not all mushrooms are equally prized across the globe.
The first commercial mushrooms were introduced in Paris restaurants in the mid-1600s, but it was not until later that actual mushroom cultivation began. It took until the early 20th century before Dutch growers developed highly effective cultivation methods. Mushroom popularity grew followed, both in Europe and in the United States.
The classic white button mushroom, still known as the “Champignon,” or forest mushroom, is the favorite for gravy and sauces and stir-fry dishes and casseroles.
Even though they go by different names, the three most common varieties are identical. The only difference between the well-known White Button and Cremini Mushrooms is the age. Think of the little white ones as babies that turn a darker tan or light brown as they age and grow larger. They are sometimes also called Baby Bellas.
When Cremini Mushrooms are fully grown -they can grow to have a cap five inches or more in diameter — they are known as Portabella Mushrooms. These big ones are typically dark brown with a smooth cap and dark gills on the underside. All have a firm texture, and the older Cremini have a hearty, meaty flavor.
Rare and expensive mushrooms are distinctive. There are some unique varieties and some that are widely known.
Are Truffles Different From Mushrooms?
Truffles and mushrooms are both fungi’. The biggest difference is truffles are scarcer when compared to mushrooms. You’ll be able to find mushrooms at your local market, but you’ll have a hard time finding truffles.
Truffles grow in very specific conditions, making them harder to cultivate. Due to their rarity, truffles are much more expensive, which you’ll see after reading through this list.
Here are the world’s 12 most expensive mushrooms
Let’s take a look at the most expensive mushrooms and how they are produced around the world. We’ve included truffles in the list as they are mostly the same, the main differences being the size and where they grow. So whether you’re interested in growing mushrooms for profit or just curious, let’s explore these pricey pieces of fungi.
12. Kalahari Truffles
Grown in the Kalahari Desert in Namibia, and known locally as African potatoes, these are pretty cheap, but they still have some of the mystique of their higher-priced “cousins.”
Price: About $4 for a pound
These truffles are lighter brown and have a milder scent and taste than black or white truffles. In addition, they flourish in the sandy landscape and are quickly discovered just by looking for cracks in the sand. There’s no need for pigs or dogs, just a stick to pry them out of the ground in the vicinity of Camelthorn trees. They can be eaten raw, boiled with spices as a side dish, or used in creative ways to flavor meats and vegetables.
During the season, they are widely available at roadside stands, open markets, and on restaurant menus. Truffle butter is full of distinctive flavor, and one restaurant in the country’s capital city features Kalahari Truffle ice cream!
11. Oyster Mushrooms
Typically large, pale grey or pearl white, Oyster Mushrooms are also called Abalone Mushrooms. They have fluted gills and a firm, relatively short stem on the underside. Also available in blue, pink, elm, and gold, they have an oddly alien look.
Price: Retail prices range from about $5 to $15 a pound
Oyster Mushrooms have been sprouting up at Farmer’s Markets throughout the nation and are used in recipes by innovative chefs, particularly in their exotic colors. They are best used almost immediately after harvesting but will last several days if quickly dried. Easy to cultivate, they are one of the best mushroom varieties for novices, and kits for home sprouting are available in large cities or through mail-order companies.
Oyster Mushrooms have a delicate, if alien appearance, with a meaty texture and exciting flavor. Traditional in Japanese, Chinese, and Korean cooking, they are native to forest habitats in Siberian Asia, Northern Europe, and much of the United States.
10. Shiitake Mushrooms
Considered a specialty variety, these are a staple of Asian cooking, but their popularity has now spread to Western countries. They are tan or brown, with caps that are typically from two to four inches in size.
Price: From $12 to about $24 per pound, depending on location.
There are several different varieties of Shiitake, and each has a slightly different texture and taste. The Shiitake is sometimes considered a medicinal mushroom, and it is used both fresh and dried in traditional Japanese and Chinese cuisine and throughout East Asia. Touted for antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and anticarcinogenic properties,
Shiitake Mushrooms have a meaty, chewy texture and a pleasing taste that goes well with other ingredients. It is a staple of traditional Japanese cuisine. It is available fresh or dried in many parts of the world.
9. Lion’s Mane
Although it has a sprawling, undefined shape with no cap and no stem, Lion’s Mane looks like a round balloon with long, shaggy “hair” or spines. It is sometimes known as a pompon or Bearded Tooth Mushroom.
Price: Varies widely, from about $8 to $36 a pound.
One of the most other-worldly edible mushrooms, the Lion’s Mane, Hericium erinaceusm, has characteristic shaggy spines that give it a furry appearance. It’s found in North America, Europe, and Asia from late summer to early fall on dead or dying logs. It also is cultivated fairly quickly in controlled environments. It is white when young but can age to a yellow or tan hue.
Lion’s mane was known for its medicinal qualities before being identified as a fascinating edible mushroom. The antioxidant content is exceptionally high and is currently studied for its possible ability to regenerate nerve tissue. The flavor and texture are compared to crab or lobster.
8. Porcini Mushrooms
The highly prized Boletus Edulis, or “King Bolete,” is found in hardwood forests, typically on the ground among hemlock, spruce chestnut, and pine trees. The Italian word for them translates to “piglets.”
Price: Between $55 and $70 a pound, sliced and dried.
Porcini are not easily cultivated and don’t live everywhere, so they are sometimes difficult to find. Known for their oversized caps, sometimes up to 10 inches in diameter, they also have sturdy, fat stems and look heavy. When mature, they can weigh up to a few pounds.
They also have a distinctive hearty, nutty flavor that can be used in many different dishes. Famously found in Italy, they grow in other parts of Europe, North America, and some other countries.
7. Enoki Mushrooms
With long stems and tiny caps, these little clumps of fungi “fruit” are among the most interesting edible mushrooms. They are fun to use in many dishes and have a mild flavor reminiscent of fresh white grape or mild radish.
Price: $108.00 a pound or 25-pound packages for $388.75 by mail order.
One of the more distinctive varieties, Enoki Mushrooms, calls to mind visions of miniature cauliflower or glossy bean sprouts with little white button ends. They have significant nutritional content, with high percentages of niacin and folate, as well as thiamin, potassium, pantothenic acid, phosphorus, and riboflavin.
Enoki is easy to use in stir-fry dishes and soups; the attached ends should be cut off to separate individual strands. Common in Asian cooking, they typically retain their crunch, even when cooked.
6. Chanterelles
A golden Chanterelle almost looks flower-like when spotted on a mossy forest floor. They grow in clusters during hot, humid days following heavy rainfall. Unlike other mushrooms, they can make people sick if not fully cooked.
Price: About $225 a pound, dried.
Chanterelles are easy to identify, with smooth caps and ridges that run down each stem. They are typically found in central Europe and Ukraine, where beech trees coexist with pines. Chanterelles have a light, fruity scent with an almost spicy flavor. The golden variety is highly sought, but other colors are equally tasty. They range from orange and yellow to white.
They appear in late spring but only develop under sauna-like conditions, so they are available only until early autumn.
5. Morels
These expensive mushrooms are like little trolls standing at attention on a forest floor. With a sturdy stem and a ruffled, conical “head,” they also can look slightly comical, even when cooked and served with other foods.
Price: $254 a pound dried; between $30 and 90 a pound fresh.
Dried Morels fetch more per pound than they command when fresh. The dried ones are much lighter. The ruffled cone-shaped head of the Morel is spongy. The mushroom is found in the wild only from March through May. With a nutty flavor similar to Shiitake Mushrooms, they have a more intense, unique taste. Because they are typically small, they are served as a garnish or with an accompanying sauce.
Fresh Morels are not easily cultivated and are not readily available fresh. They can easily be foraged because of their distinctive appearance, but a better alternative is to buy dried Morels for home use.
4. Black Truffles
Because they are highly prized in Europe and challenging to harvest, a “black market” for truffles continues to exist in some areas. Trained dogs have primarily replaced the female pigs traditionally used to root out truffles. It seems the pigs devoured too many pricey mushrooms when digging them up!
Price: Wholesale prices vary from $800 to $900 a pound.
The French Black Perigord, tuber melanosporum, is still primarily a European product, harvested traditionally with the help of trained animals. However, commercial cultivation has been initiated in Australia and the United States because of high demand and long shipping delays.
Tennessee, Kentucky, California, and Oregon producers have met with some success, but it is a costly business. In 2017, more than 425 tons of fresh, dried, and canned truffles were imported into the United States, an increase of 75% from just seven years earlier, according to USDA statistics.
The primary market is for chefs and restaurants. Still, truffles are occasionally available at local markets in the states where they are harvested, just as they are in Europe during the season. New hot markets include Slovenia and Croatia, where truffles and truffle products are highly popular.
3. Matsutake Mushrooms
The Japanese Matsutake is an easily-recognizable little, pale mushroom with a well-formed cap and short stem. It has distinctive gills on the underside of the cap, and it’s appreciated for its spicy, slightly fruity flavor and aroma.
Price: $1,000 to $2,000 per pound
The Matsutake Mushroom has a spicy, somewhat fruity flavor and aroma. Typically it grows under red pine trees in the Tamba region of Japan, near Kyoto. It has traditionally been associated with the beginning of autumn and is considered a Japanese delicacy. However, its habitat is shrinking because red pine forests have been devastated by insects. Cultivation methods have not proved successful for this mushroom. Currently, it is considered to be an endangered species. Because of its rarity, the price is exceptionally high.
2. European White Truffle
Truffles grow underground, usually near the base of oak trees, and are relatively commonplace throughout Europe. Still, they are challenging to harvest, even with the help of truffle-sniffing female pigs or trained truffle dogs. The animals can detect the pungent odor of the ripe mushroom.
Price: Around $3,600 per pound, depending on the harvest and the market.
Truffles are one of the most treasures and rarest food products on Earth. The white truffle has so far resisted cultivation efforts, which is why the price is consistently high.
Interestingly, though, prices for all truffles are lower than two years ago, partially because other European countries are harvesting them more significantly.
Additionally, more locations have begun cultivating the black truffle, which makes it more readily available to chefs and mushroom lovers around the world.
The Italian white Alba, or tuber magnatum pico, still holds the crown as the most expensive truffle.
1. Yartsa Gunbu
The story behind these mushrooms is not very appetizing, but Tibetan men believe ancient texts identify the fungus as an aphrodisiac. NPR has described it as the viagra of the Himalayas Being able to afford it and to eat it even in minimal amounts, is considered a status symbol.
The Yartsa Mushroom Price is $2000 an ounce!
This parasitic fungus infects the bodies of caterpillars with tiny air-borne spores. Once the fungus is inside the caterpillar, it begins eating it alive from the inside. Gross.
The caterpillar dies in a mummified state, in an upright position, at the earth’s surface. In early spring, the fungus will begin growing up, emerging from the caterpillar carcass, to pop up out of the soil
You can harvest the long, thin-looking mushrooms between 3,000-5,000 meters above sea level in the Himalayas and the Tibetan Plateau.
Would you try these mushrooms? Let us know in the comments down below!
Chris Parkin puts the Bergara B14 to the test and discovers an accomplished, all-round rifle that is reasonably priced too!
credit: Archant
PROS: Excellent trigger and overall build with intelligent stock design; The barrel showed good thermal stability with a hot cartridge burning 80gr of powder; Not light, but not too heavy for an occasional stalking trip with a biathlon sling; Stable recoil manners with or without the moderator; Very good value for money
CONS: No Left Hander
VERDICT: I really liked the 6.5 Creedmoor short action HMR, and this big boomer shows how inherently sound the overall design is when submitted to more recoil. I can’t wait to see the short 22-250 which will be a cracking varminter
credit: Archant
TECH SPECS
Overall length – 1200mm/47.25”
Weight – 4.6kg/10.2lbs
Magazine capacity – 5+1
Trigger – Single stage, 950gr break
Barrel length – 660mm/26”, 1 in 10” twist, button Rifled
Stock material – Injection moulded polymer with integral aluminium bedding block and skeleton
Length of Pull – 335mm/13.2”- 365mm/14.4”
credit: Archant
RRP
Bergara BMP 6.5 Creedmoor – £1127
Kahles K624i – £2550.00
Hausken WD60, Tier One Picatinny rail and 34mm Rings, RWS, Norma and GECO Ammunition
Contact – RUAG, 01579 362319, www.ruag.co.uk
ALSO USED
Hornady 165 GMX and BTSP Interlock ammunition
Hornady Edgar Brothers 01625 613177 www.edgarbrothers.com
credit: Archant
IN DEPTH TEST AND REVIEW
After shooting B14 sporting rifles and the BMP chassis rifle in 6.5 Creedmoor, I was fortunate to be loaned an HMR in the same calibre for a longer trial and video review. The HMR format impressed me as much as I suspected it would when I first saw it at the British Shooting Show in 2017.
I heard a lot of chatter about a long-action version chambered in .300 Win Mag which was set to appear in the US to massive fanfare – the Creedmoor was already showing sales beyond Bergara’s manufacturing capacity.
The .300 WM appeared at BSS 2018 and I was quick to get one ordered. It shows the same build and differences as the regular short-action rifle does to a Remington 700, with a single-stack magazine holding five rounds being the only difference other than bolt travel.
credit: Archant
A 26” No.5 profile barrel (19mm at the muzzle) is an ideal companion for a longer-range rifle hoping to achieve the most velocity from a cartridge burning around 80gr of powder and driving .30-cal bullets from 110 to 230gr, a 180-grainer likely to be projected at a speed approaching 3,000 feet per second (914m/s).
The stock is an injection-moulded polymer vertical grip design showing similar ergonomics to a Macmillan A5. It has an adjustable cheekpiece with forceful thumbscrew to lock it in place and marking lines on the front post to indicate position.
You can shoot thumb up or wrapped around the vertical pistol grip carrying moulded stippling. Three 10mm spacers are fitted to adjust length of pull between the maximum 365mm (14.4”), down to 335mm (13.2”) which will suit most shooters. Reach to the single-stage trigger is perfectly specified, allowing your index finger pad to sit relaxed with a trigger pull directed toward the centre of the recoil pad in your shoulder for minimal aiming disturbance. Any aftermarket Remington compatible unit will fit but you are unlikely to need it: mine had a fraction of discernible creep that soon bedded in to virtually nothing with a reliably predictable break of 950g.
The twin-lug bolt opens 90° to cycle the action with an oversized, conical bolt-handle to speed up processing, adding leverage with less disturbance to the rifle’s aim. There are no ‘three rings of steel’ so famously advertised by Remington, but the action shows a single Sako-style extractor claw rather than the internal circlip of its forefather.
credit: Archant
Primary extraction of the large 62,000 Psi (CIP) belted magnum is plentiful, although the sprung plunger in the bolt-face is quite delicate in its ejection, the cases not thrown more than 30cm laterally from the gun (a factor I also found on the Creedmoor even with its smaller, lighter case).
The action and floorplate are seated within the stock with a recoil lug sandwiched at the front between the receiver and threaded barrel. I like the Bergara update of enclosing this lug within the action’s face to ensure it will return exactly to position if you ever have a barrel change. I especially like the aluminium skeleton moulded within the polymer stock, extending from the grip to the tip of the fore-end from the machined bedding block the action sits in. Twin-action screws fasten everything in place and I was pleased to see no stress applied to the action when they were tightened to 65”/lb.
Each round is push-fed from the magazine up the feed ramp into the chamber and, like all long-action rounds, feed and reliability is that little bit more assured than shorter cases with a correspondingly shorter overall length to jump the ‘moat’ formed by the bolt’s locking abutments.
RUAG kindly supplied me with a full armoury of Tier-One scope rings and Picatinny rail (screwed to the action with four bolts) as well as a Kahles 624i FFP optic well suited to some long-range steel plate shooting.
credit: Archant
I also had two Hausken sound moderators, the larger of which, a Hunter WD 60 still weighing only 414g for its 224mm length, does a fantastic job of reducing both noise and recoil. I have shot .300 WM for nearly 10 years and am well aware of its character – this moderator really impressed me!
Ammunition came from RWS, Norma (180gr Oryx), GECO (180gr SP) and Hornady (165 GMX) with a selection of polymer tipped and spitzer bullets in the 165-180gr region. These were all designed for hunting and tested for accuracy on paper to assure me of the gun’s likely capability, because were I to be seriously shooting long range, I would use a 200gr+ bullet with a B.C. above 0.6 to make the most of the .300’s capability. Unless you use 300gr bullets in a .338 Lapua, the plain old .300 can cope well out beyond 1,000m and be pushed as far as a mile, although that is stretching things significantly.
My own .300 WM driving a 208gr Hornady A-Max closely mirrors the ballistics in terms of windage and drops of my .260 Rem shooting a 139gr load to about 1,200m, yet the recoil is the major difference with the .300. I shot with the WD60 in place for most of the test as it tamed the stout cartridge well and wasn’t as disturbing as a braked muzzle.
credit: Archant
I spent a lot of time at 300m which will interest those wanting to use such a rifle for long-range culling. None of the ammo was cloverleafing on paper at 100m, yet none threw flyers either. I did get the gun quite hot with some 15 and 20 round strings (in very cold wind chill conditions) to show the thermal consistency of Bergara’s steel.
If I were handloading, I’m confident this would have been improved upon and could have been tailored to my needs, but the 26” tube showed good velocity with little point of impact shift between any of the ammunition types at 100m.
180gr GECO developed 959m/s (3,147 fps/3,959 ft/lb), the largest energy output with the similar 180gr Oryx lagging a little with 882m/s (2,894 fps/3,348 ft/lb). Hornady 165gr GMX developed 957m/s (3,141 fps/3,615 ft/lb) with the best consistency out to 400m for elevation and wind resistance on steel targets but none were a disappointment.
credit: Archant
After a good clean, a second experiment on paper actually showed some RWS Doppelkern to have the most consistent accuracy, with two sequential cloverleaf groups of five rounds, whereas all the rest stuck into the ¾” bracket and stayed that way.
I wouldn’t normally have set off to the range to shoot over 100 rounds of .300, but this gun was a soft shooter. The heavier bullets were detectable with a shade more recoil, but even so, the superb moderator and versatile length of pull adjustment in the stock allowed repetitive hold, aim and recoil control, and the trigger was a blessing.
To be honest, I would like to have kept the 6.5 Creedmoor HMR as it just oozed reloading potential and the .300 did too. Neither are expensive rifles for what they are capable of if paper and steel are your game.
On the other hand, all the ammo tested was reliable for any realistic hunting and the gun, although bulkier than a sporting rifle, was a good compromise for occasional use on game from static positions. It did shoot accurately from quad sticks with the rear butt hook wedging into position, but the steady push of recoil did lose your sight picture from a standing shot on sticks.
Fore-end stiffness was assured and the free float never wavered. If you are of bigger build, this gun might suit you perfectly for stalking as the generous length of pull without undue weight does nicely for long stalks on the hill with a biathlon sling, but it is never going to be a fast, pointable woodland rifle.
At a base weight of 4.6kg, you can add another 2.5kg for a suitable scope, mounts, bipod and moderator. With the base rifle at 47.25” long before you add a moderator (totalling 1,360mm), think carefully!
The fall Canada goose migration is one of the grandest spectacles in the natural world. Flying south in large V formations, these big, garrulous birds capture the attention—and the imaginations—of folks all across the country. Hunters in particular look forward to this fall flight as honkers gather in great numbers on migration and wintering areas. Resident geese are also part of the show, and together these birds offer waterfowlers plenty of exciting hunting opportunities.
Over the years, Canada goose hunting has become a highly specialized sport. It takes a combination of hunting savvy, good equipment, and persistent effort to consistently outwit these challenging game birds. Here are 40 tips from some of the nation’s top Canada goose hunting experts to help you bag more geese this season.
Follow this sound advice to become a more effective goose caller in the field by Wade Bourne
1. Choose the Right Call
Canada goose calls come in three basic styles: resonant chamber, flute, and short-reed. Resonant chamber calls are the easiest to use but are limited in the range of sounds they can make. Flute calls, which take more skill to blow, produce a broader range of sounds and are more realistic and mellow in tone. Short-reed calls produce the widest range of Canada goose sounds and are the handiest calls for expressing excitement and aggression. They are also louder than other calls and require less air to operate. Learning to blow a short-reed call effectively does take some practice, but this call’s versatility makes it well worth the effort for serious goose hunters.
2. Seek Proper Instruction
The best way to learn to call geese is to work one-on-one with an experienced caller. An expert can help you develop proper calling techniques and avoid some of the pitfalls and bad habits that can plague novice callers. The next best way to learn is to watch an instructional DVD or online video. These resources offer plenty of how-to instruction and tips for improving your calling.
3. Start with the Basics
To imitate Canada geese you need to learn four basic calls. The first and most identifiable sound is the honk, which is typically a relaxed, contented call. A cluck is a shorter, faster honk with more intensity and excitement. A murmur is the sound that geese make while feeding and loafing. A moan is a universal call. Sometimes it signals contentment, other times excitement—and it’s typically made by geese in flight or on the water. All other Canada goose calls consist of combinations or variations of these four fundamental sounds.
4. Pour It on Distant Birds
When geese are passing at long distances, hit them with a “wall of sound.” That is, call with loud, continuous honks, clucks, and moans. Produce as much excitement as possible. Do so with a loud, high-pitched call that cracks sharply between low and high notes. Continue hailing the geese with this rapid, loud calling style until they turn your way or fly out of earshot. The goal here is to capture their attention and convince them to come to you instead of flying on to their intended destination.
5. Ease Off When You Turn ’Em
Once Canada geese turn in your direction, shift from loud calling to “ground talk”—contented calls that geese make on the ground. These include murmurs, moans, and occasional clucks. At the same time, be careful to gauge the birds’ reactions. If they start sliding away, revert back to more excited, aggressive honks and clucks. As soon as the flock turns back toward your calling, tone it down again. The more experience you gain, the better you’ll be at adjusting the mood and tempo of your calling to match the reactions of the geese.
6. Convince Them with Comebacks
When Canada geese approach a decoy spread and suddenly veer away, try using comeback calls to convince the birds to return. Many callers believe that only excited moans should be used in this situation. In fact, just about any form of enthusiastic calling can be used to persuade geese to turn back. One very effective comeback routine is a combination of moans, clucks, and spit notes blown loudly and rapidly. The idea is to use excitement and forceful calling to overcome the departing birds’ timidity and pull them back toward the decoys.
7. Synchronize Your Calling
Multiple callers can frequently exert more “pulling power” over a flock of geese than one caller alone. The notes are doubled or tripled, thereby increasing the excitement and attraction to passing birds. Remember, though, that there’s more to it than simply making more noise. Callers should work together to sound as natural as possible. For example, one caller might blow a flute call to produce mellower notes while his partner blows a short-reed call to make higher, sharper sounds. Having a lead caller who sets the tone for others by telling them when to ease off or pour it on is also helpful. Callers should practice calling together to synchronize their cadences and learn to avoid piling notes on top of each other. Be mindful that too much calling can spook geese. If a flock shies away, one or more callers should quit calling to reduce the pressure.
8. Call Carefully on Big Water
On big rivers, lakes, and marshes an abundance of water gives geese plenty of potential landing spots. Catching the attention of flocks passing at long distances and steering them toward your spread is essential in such situations. If the wind is high or the geese are flight birds, call loudly and continuously, toning it down as they draw closer. When the wind is calm or if the geese are local birds coming off a nearby refuge, reduce the noise and call with more discretion than force. In this latter case, use a call that’s deeper pitched and softer.
9. Build Your Skills in the Field
After mastering the four basic calls, practice making them until they become second nature. Learn calling routines that communicate a range of emotions—from calm and relaxed to excited and aggressive. Visit areas where Canada geese rest and feed, and observe how their calls match their interactions. Finally, spend as much time in the goose pit or blind as possible. Experience is one of the best teachers in goose calling. Learn what works best in different hunting situations, and enjoy the success that will come as your calling skills improve.
10. Don’t Overdo It
The biggest mistake most goose callers make is overcalling. Too many callers mistake speed and volume for emotion. Calling geese is more art than science. There’s a definite feel to it. You have to learn to read how the birds are reacting to your calling and make adjustments as you go. Call with a “message” instead of blowing a lot of fast notes. As mentioned earlier, there’s a lot more to goose calling than simply making noise.
Decoys
Set a better goose spread with these tips from the Avery Outdoors pro staff by Bill Buckley
11. Set Decoys Near Good Cover
Keep concealment in mind when you are placing your decoys in open fields or pastures. You will almost always bag more birds by hunting where you can hide, even if it puts you 50 to 100 yards off the X. Look for rows of tall grass, piles of crop stubble, or a dip in the terrain where you can conceal layout blinds. Use online satellite land-cover maps and apps to find good concealment spots that you may not see from ground level. —Casey Self, Kansas
12. Avoid Getting Stuck in a Rut
Hunt the same area with the same spread day after day and it won’t take long for local geese to recognize and avoid your decoys. As the season progresses, give your spread a fresh look by varying the number of decoys you use as well as the configuration. Watch how the birds react. If they’re not decoying the way you’d hoped, change up your spread. Otherwise your luck isn’t likely to change. —Kevin Addy, Pennsylvania
13. Don’t Mix Up Your Decoys
Each type of decoy creates a certain illusion. This is true whether you’re using full-body decoys, shells, wind socks, or silhouettes. Mixing these different decoy types can give your spread a mismatched look, which can keep geese from finishing like they should. Full-body and shell decoys of the same brand are the exception to this rule because they are similar enough in appearance to be used in the same spread. In almost all other cases you’ll see better results if you stick to using one type of decoy in your spread. —Mike Bard, New York
14. Balance Your Spread
Whatever the size of your spread, it should consist of roughly 80 percent feeder and 20 percent “active” decoys. Group most of the feeders upwind of where you want the birds to land, near the spread’s center. Then place the active decoys downwind of this group to look like birds that just landed and are walking toward the feeders. Position some actives around the outside of the spread in small bunches of three to seven decoys, keeping in mind that it’s normal for geese to have their heads up when they first land. You can also position lines of feeders to mimic geese that are competing for a concentrated food source. Watch birds in the fields when you’re scouting and set your spread to imitate them. —Vance Stolz, Colorado
15. Be a Contrarian
If everyone else in your area is hunting in the middle of cornfields, try setting up somewhere else, such as a pasture pond, river bend, field edge, or anywhere that geese are not accustomed to seeing hunters. If other hunters are using big spreads of full-bodies, try a significantly smaller spread of highly realistic fully-flocked decoys. The goal is to make your spread look different from what the majority of hunters in your area are using. —Ben Cade, Minnesota
16. Scale Down Your Setup
You can deploy the best decoy spread in the country, but you won’t fire a shot if you don’t have adequate concealment. The more layout blinds you use, the greater your chances of being seen by incoming geese. If you have six hunters, try setting out three layout blinds and then rotating shooters among them. Escaping detection by decoying geese should be your number one priority. You can also control the hunt better with fewer blinds. Communication is easier. And it’s also easier to call the shots when the geese are coming straight into the decoys, which can result in higher-percentage shooting. —Travis Mueller, Iowa
17. Spread Out Decoys and Hunters
As the season progresses, geese get wise to rows of layout blinds and masses of decoys. By spreading out hunters (always with safety foremost in mind) and hiding them in clusters of decoys, you accomplish several things. First, birds conditioned to looking for rows of blinds will have a harder time spotting danger. Second, setting decoys in scattered family groups mimics a natural, relaxed flock and gives you a bigger footprint and more drawing power. And finally, flagging and calling locations are also dispersed, making you look and sound less like a group of hunters and more like an actual flock of geese. —Ben Cade, Minnesota
18. Get Out of the Way
Late-season geese are adept at spotting suspicious rows of bumps—telltale signs of hunters lying in wait. Setting up with your blinds facing downwind—and therefore directly in line with the birds’ approach—only invites trouble. To reduce the likelihood of being detected, place your blinds 10 yards to the side of the landing hole or parallel to the wind. Now the geese will see nothing but decoys in front of them, and your crossing shots will likely be at backpedaling birds. —Mike Bard, New York
19. Bring High Incomers Down
Few situations are more frustrating than high-flying geese coming straight over your spread and seeing your blinds, as often happens on days with little or no wind. To prevent this from ruining your hunt, grab six decoys and walk 50 to 60 yards downwind (or in the direction the geese are coming) and place them in two groups on either side of your spread. While this will certainly position these decoys beyond gun range, the whole idea is to get approaching birds to lose altitude. When the next flock approaches, the geese will likely focus on these decoys and start dropping. Don’t call until the birds commit, and then be prepared to call and flag aggressively to prevent them from short-stopping. Once you pull the birds past the downwind decoys, call only as much as is needed to keep them on a string. —Casey Self, Kansas
20. Keep Frost Off Your Decoys
Frost presents a real challenge for goose hunters on cold, clear mornings. Even fully flocked decoys can frost up quickly under such conditions, and when the sun rises they’ll shine and flare geese. To reduce the chances of your decoys frosting up, brush up your blinds and organize your guns and gear first, then set out the decoys right before shooting time—as late as you can without missing the first flight. The less time the decoys have to collect frost before sunup, the better. —Arliss Reed, New York
Strategies
These time-honored tactics are sure to improve your goose hunting success by Wade Bourne
21. Find the “X”
In the morning, Canada geese will typically return to the spot where they were feeding the previous afternoon. This is why scouting is crucial. When you find a feeding flock, wait until the birds fly back to roost before going into the field to pinpoint their feeding area. Check the ground for fresh droppings, and when you locate them, take a GPS reading or mark the spot so you can return to it the next morning in the dark.
22. Follow the Leader
Every goose hunting party should have a recognized leader. The job should typically go to the most experienced hunter or caller. The leader watches the geese work and determines not only when to call and flag based on the birds’ reactions but also when to shoot. By directing the calling and shooting for the group, the leader helps ensure that other hunters stay concealed and that the hunt progresses smoothly and safely.
23. Don’t Forget to Flag
Flagging goes hand in hand with calling and should be used primarily to gain the attention of passing geese. Several hunters waving flags intermittently can help pull birds in by simulating a flock of geese landing among the decoys. When the geese turn toward your spread, however, only the lead caller should flag, and he or she should stop flagging when the birds fully commit and are on their final approach. If the geese veer away, resume flagging and calling to regain their attention and turn them back toward the decoys.
24. Hunt without Decoys
While most Canada geese are taken over decoy spreads, pass-shooting and jump-shooting are also effective hunting methods for these birds. Pass-shooters should scout to see where geese are entering and exiting a feeding field, then position themselves in cover beneath these flight lanes. Try to hide as close to a feeding area as possible to intercept low-flying birds. Sometimes a call can be used to entice geese (especially singles) to fly directly overhead. Jump-shooters should use cover such as thickets and fencerows and other topographical features to slip within range of feeding geese and shoot them when they flush. Success with both of these techniques requires sound strategy, patience, and good concealment. Like all waterfowlers, pass- and jump-shooters have an ethical responsibility to not take shots at geese at marginal ranges.
25. Get Low in Small Spreads
Not all hunters can deploy dozens of full-body decoys that offer enough concealment to hide several layout blinds. If you’re using a small spread of three to four dozen decoys, a good way to make layout blinds disappear is to dig them in (with the landowner’s permission). This helps lower a blind’s profile, making it much harder for geese to spot. It takes only a few minutes to dig a shallow “grave” to conceal a layout blind. With mud or sand filled in around its edges and camouflaged with natural vegetation, you will be virtually invisible to incoming birds.
26. Don’t Limit Layout Blinds
Layout blinds aren’t just for field hunting. These portable hides can also be used effectively in other locations, such as on river sandbars, mudflats, pond edges, and sheet water collected in fields after a heavy rain. Some layout blinds can even be equipped with waterproof tubs that allow them to be used in water up to a foot deep.
27. Mind the Details
Pay attention to small details to make your hunting setups as natural looking as possible. For example, when camouflaging layout blinds in a cornfield, use stubble gathered onsite. Add additional stubble to blinds as needed during the hunt. Also, be sure to pick up spent shotgun shells and keep your eyes open for anything out of place that might alert geese to danger.
28. Take it Easy with Young Retrievers
Retrieving a full-sized Canada goose can be a daunting prospect for a young duck dog. You can avoid an unpleasant experience that might dampen a retriever’s enthusiasm for goose hunting if you start your dog out on doves and ducks, and introduce him to geese only after he has a year of duck hunting behind him. If your dog shows some initial reluctance about retrieving a goose, go out into the field with him, pick up the bird, and encourage him to take it from your hand. Soon he should overcome his hesitancy and retrieve geese with gusto.
29. Hunt the Afternoon Flight
In bitter cold weather, Canada geese often adjust their daily routines to conserve energy. One of the ways the birds do this is by spending the morning on the roost and flying out to feed when the temperature peaks during the afternoon. At these times, scouting is essential to determine exactly when and where the geese are feeding. Once you have the birds patterned, get to the field early to make sure you have plenty of time to set up before the first flights arrive.
30. Get Real in the Snow
Grainfields covered in snow can provide productive goose hunting, but you usually have to put in some extra effort to ensure success. For example, you can make your spread look more realistic to approaching geese by using rakes and shovels to expose large areas of dirt and stubble both downwind of and among the decoys. These disturbed areas, which look as if geese have been rooting under the snow to find food, are visible to birds in flight from a good distance. Conceal layout blinds with snow covers and Avery Real Snow Spray to blend in with the white background.
Shooting
Here’s how to make every shot count on your next goose hunt by Phil Bourjaily
31. Angle Blinds for Better Shots
If you shoot right-handed, position your layout blind slightly to the right of the landing hole. You can swing much farther to the left than you can to the right, so this will provide you with more shooting opportunities than if you were facing directly downwind. Position any left-handed shooters on the right end of the line, so they can intercept any geese that slide off on that side.
32. Use Leverage in Layout Blinds
If you have trouble sitting up to shoot out of a layout blind, dig a depression under your seat so you’re partially sitting up when you recline. Alternatively, you can scoop some dirt out from under your feet, which will allow you to dig into the ground with your heels to help you sit up.
33. Carry Lighter Loads for Cripples
If you hunt without a retriever, keep extra shells in your pocket while you’re goose hunting so you’ll have ammo on hand if you need to dispatch crippled geese. Steel 2s or 4s will do the job just fine at about 15 yards.
34. Be Clear on Shot Calling
Agree beforehand who will call the shot and what types of shots the group should take. Although one person should call the shot, there’s nothing wrong with talking it over as the birds approach and reaching a group decision about when to take ’em. Positioning the blinds fairly close together so the whole party can communicate helps everyone stay on the same page as well.
35. Focus on the Head
To ensure clean kills, try for a head shot when geese are decoying at close range. The distinctive black-and-white markings on a Canada goose’s head make it a highly visible target. It’s a good size as well, comparable to the body of a mourning dove. A close-range shot to the head will bag the bird cleanly without leaving a lot of pellets in the breast.
36. Don’t Pass Up Good Shots
When geese hang right over the blinds on a calm day and look down at you from 30 yards up, you might as well shoot. The birds’ vitals are exposed, offering a good killing shot if your gun is loaded with BBs or larger pellets. There’s a good chance those birds are going to see you, especially on windless, sunny days when there are shadows on the ground around the blinds. In my experience, geese rarely commit under such conditions so don’t hesitate to take a good shot if you have one.
37. Slow Down When You Shoot
One trick for successfully shooting geese, especially at longer ranges, is to move the gun more slowly than you think is necessary. Swing slowly through the bird from behind, and pull the trigger when you see some daylight between the barrel and the goose’s head. Most people swing too fast and try to shoot too far in front of geese. Slow down and watch them drop.
38. Be Sure of Your Pattern
The best all-around steel pellet for hunting large Canada geese is BBs, while BBBs and Ts are better at longer ranges. Whatever shot size and choke you choose, your pattern should deliver a minimum of 60 pellets in a 30-inch circle at the longest range you plan to shoot. Anything less lacks the pattern density to ensure multiple pellet strikes in a goose’s vital areas.
39. Get the Gunk Out
To keep semiautomatic shotguns running in the very cold conditions that make for great goose hunts, strip all the oil out of the action and moving parts with something like Birchwood Casey Gun Scrubber Firearm Cleaner. It’s a messy, smelly process, so you’ll want to do the stripping outside. Spray the solvent into the action until it runs out clean, then lightly lube all the moving parts with Break-Free CLP. Be sure to give the magazine tube the same treatment.
40. Always Wear Earplugs
All waterfowlers should take precautions to protect their hearing. Goose hunters in particular are vulnerable to hearing loss from shooting magnum guns with heavy loads. I wear earplugs whenever I hunt. I can hear surprisingly well with them in, and I can still hear today because I wear them.
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