Deer hunting is a well-liked sport for many New Yorkers.

Whether it’s to get close to nature, connect with a place, take control of what you eat, or understand our connection with other animals, it’s hard not to see why.

Deers are significantly larger than other game types and produce more meat. Furthermore, when compared to other red meats, this meat is healthier. Hunting for deer is excellent because it’s fun to track and find the animals.

You should know a few things before hunting in New York if you want to have a more enjoyable hunt.

Deer Hunting Season In New York

Deer hunting season in New York runs from mid-September through late December. The seasons differ in the state’s northern and southern zones. The “early” and “late” bow- and muzzleloader seasons are each followed by the regular and “late” seasons in the northern zone.

Deer hunting seasons in New York are divided into bowhunting, muzzleloader hunting, and regular hunting and crossbow hunting seasons.

Dear hunting season in the northern zone

The early bow season opens on September 27 and lasts through the Friday before the regular season. Throughout the final ten days of this season, crossbows are permitted.

On the first Saturday following Columbus Day, the early muzzleloader season opens and lasts for seven days. After that, the regular season begins on the second Saturday following Columbus Day and lasts for 44 straight days. After the regular season ends, there is a seven-day late bow and muzzleloader season.

Dear hunting season in the southern zone

Seasons in the southern zone are very similar to those in the northern zone. The main difference, however, is that instead of an early muzzleloader season, there is an early firearms season.

The early firearms season begins on the 2nd Saturday in September and lasts for nine days. The early bowhunting period runs from October 1 through Friday, well before the regular season.

Crossbows are allowed during the season’s final 14 days. The regular season begins on November 3rd and lasts for 23 days. After the regular season, a nine-day late bow and muzzleloader season follows.

New York Deer Hunting Season Regulations

Deer hunting season regulations in New York differ from zone to zone.

Deer Hunting Hours

Half an hour before sunrise to half an hour after sunset is the prime time for hunting big game. In all of New York, hunting is permitted on Sundays. Before hunting on state-owned property, check the local hunting laws.

Deer Hunting Permit

A resident or non-resident hunting license is required for all New Yorkers aged 12 or older. However, no child under 12 may purchase a hunting license or game hunt. Seniors that are older than 70 are eligible for discounted hunting license fees.

Annual hunting licenses for residents aged 16 to 69 are available at $22, $5 for seniors older than 70, and children aged 12 to 25. For non-residents, the fee goes up to $100. A lifetime hunting license is available for residents at $535.

A person is considered a resident if they have lived in New York for at least 30 days. Active-duty service members stationed in New York and non-resident full-time students residing there. For further information, we recommend visiting the New York government website.

Clothing Requirement

Anyone hunting whitetail deer or accompanying the hunter in New York must wear fluorescent clothing. Pink or hunter orange are available as color options.

In the past, New York’s big game seasons did not require wearing brightly colored clothing. The change was made to lower the number of hunting-related accidents.

Bag Limits

Depending on the type of licenses and privileges acquired, a hunter may take a certain number of deer. A licensed hunter can kill more than one deer daily with the appropriate tags.

Tagging and Reporting

Any deer, bear, or turkey taken by a hunter must be reported within seven days of the animal’s capture.

Using this data, DEC biologists can estimate future hunting seasons and harvest limits and calculate the amount of game that has been harvested. Tagging is easy to do in New York’s online game harvest reporting system.

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Sportsmen flock to Steuben County, a top hunting location in New York’s Southern Tier. With more deer per square mile in Steuben County than any other county in New York State, the Finger Lakes Region offers some of the best hunting for big and small game alike.

Other than Steuben County, the best counties for record-book whitetails are Allegany, Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Erie, Genesee, Monroe, Niagara, Ontario, Orleans, Steuben, Tompkins, Wayne, and Wyoming. Even the crowded area of the state’s Orange, Suffolk, and Westchester counties are pretty good.

Have you ever wondered if deer are nocturnal, diurnal, or crepuscular?

Many people assume that because deer are often seen at night, they must be active primarily during the dark hours.

However, a closer look at the habits of deer reveals that they are actually quite versatile when it comes to their activity levels.

So, what’s the truth? Let’s take a look at the evidence and find out!

What Is The definition of Crepuscular?

The word crepuscular comes from the Latin word crepusculum, which means twilight.

Crepuscular animals are those that are most active during the twilight hours of dawn and dusk.

This is when light levels are low but there is still some visibility.

Several factors contribute to why some animals are more active during these times.

For example, predators typically hunt during the day when visibility is good.

This leaves many prey animals with a window of opportunity to feed during the low-light periods of dawn and dusk when predators are less likely to be out hunting.

In addition, temperature changes throughout the day can also influence animal activity levels.

For example, many reptiles become more active in the mornings as they bask in the warm sun to help regulate their body temperature.

What Is The Definition of Diurnal?

The word diurnal comes from the Latin word diurnus, which means day.

Diurnal animals are those that are most active during the daytime hours.

This is when light levels are high and visibility is good.

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What Is The definition of Nocturnal?

The word nocturnal comes from the Latin word nocturnus, which means night.

Nocturnal animals are those that are most active during the nighttime hours.

This is when light levels are low and visibility is poor.

Are Deer Nocturnal?

The word nocturnal comes from the Latin word for night, and it refers to animals that are most active during the darkness of night.

Many people assume that deer are nocturnal because they often see them at night.

However, deer are actually quite versatile when it comes to their activity levels.

While they may be more active at night, they are also known to be active during the day.

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One of the main reasons why deer are often seen at night is because they are less likely to be disturbed by humans during this time.

Additionally, nighttime provides deer with a cooler temperature which helps them stay comfortable while they are active.

Nighttime also offers deer increased protection from predators.

So, while deer may be more active at night, this does not mean that they are strictly nocturnal animals.

Instead, deer are crepuscular, which means that they are most active during the twilight hours of dawn and dusk.

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Are Deer Diurnal?

The word diurnal comes from the Latin word for the day, and it refers to animals that are most active during the daytime hours.

Many people believe that deer are diurnal because they often see them in the daytime.

However, as we mentioned before, deer are actually quite versatile when it comes to their activity levels.

While they may be more active during the day, they are also known to be active at night.

When Deer are Most Active?

Deer are known to be crepuscular, which means that they are most active during the twilight hours of dawn and dusk.

However, they are also known to be active during the daytime and nighttime hours.

One of the best ways to determine when deer are most active is to track their movements.

By doing this, you can better understand when they are moving around and how often they are changing their patterns.

Additionally, you can use this information to help you decide when the best time to hunt deer is.

If you’re interested in tracking deer, there are a few things you’ll need to get started.

First, you’ll need to purchase a wildlife camera.

These cameras can be placed in areas where deer are known to travel and they will take pictures or videos of the animals as they pass by.

You can then use these images to track the deer and see when they are active.

Additionally, you’ll need to purchase a trail camera mount.

This will allow you to attach your camera to a tree or other object so that it does not get knocked over or stolen.

Once you have your camera and mount, you’re ready to start tracking deer!

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Are deer crepuscular all the time?

No, deer are not crepuscular all the time.

While they may be most active during the twilight hours of dawn and dusk, they are also known to be active during the daytime and nighttime hours.

Ultimately, the time of day when deer are most active will depend on a variety of factors, including the temperature, the availability of food, and the presence of humans.

(What Is A Baby Deer Called? See this post for more)

Factors That Make Deer Active During The Day

There are a few factors that can make deer more active during the day. One of these is the temperature.

If it is too hot or too cold, deer will often seek shelter and become less active.

Additionally, if there is not enough food available, deer may travel further distances during the day in search of sustenance.

Finally, the presence of humans can also impact deer activity levels.

If deer feel safe and comfortable around humans, they may be more likely to be active during the daytime hours.

However, if they feel threatened or scared, they will typically avoid humans and be more active at night.

What Makes Deer Nocturnal?

There are a few factors that can make deer more nocturnal.

One of these is the presence of predators.

If deer feel like they are in danger, they will often travel and feed at night when predators are less active.

Additionally, if food is scarce, deer may be more likely to forage at night when they are less likely to be seen by other animals.

Finally, humans can also impact deer activity levels.

If deer feel threatened or scared by humans, they will typically avoid them and be more active at night.

What Do Deer Do At Night?

When deer are nocturnal, they typically spend their night feeding and traveling.

They will often move to different areas in search of food and water.

Additionally, they may use this time to mate or care for their young.

Tips For Hunting Deer That Are Nocturnal

If you’re interested in hunting deer that are nocturnal, there are a few things you can do to increase your chances of success.

First, try to avoid hunting during the daytime hours when deer are more likely to be active.

Second, use a wildlife camera to track the movements of deer in your area.

This will help you to see where they are traveling and when they are most active.

Finally, consider using a trail camera mount to attach your camera to a tree or other object. This will help to keep it from getting knocked over or stolen.

FAQs

Do Deer Sleep At Night Or During The Day?

Deer do not sleep at night or during the day. Instead, they take short naps throughout the day and night. These naps usually last for a few minutes to a few hours.

Do Deer Hibernate?

No, deer do not hibernate. However, they may become less active during the winter months when food is scarce and temperatures are cold.

What Does Baby Deer Eat?

Baby deer, or fawns, typically eat the same things as adult deer. This includes plants, fruits, nuts, and insects. However, they may also consume milk from their mothers.

When time do deer come out to eat?

Deer typically eat during the early morning. However, they may also feed at night if they feel threatened or if food is scarce.

How long do deer sleep?

Deer do not sleep for long periods of time. Instead, they take short naps throughout the day and night. These naps usually last for a few minutes to a few hours.

Conclusion

So the answer to the question: Are deer nocturnal? is No. Deers are crepuscular, meaning they are most active at twilight hours, but they can also be active at other times of the day and night.

Firearms and wood go together like chips and salsa.

Despite the revolutions of plastics and the growth of space-age alloys – there is something about a good wooden stock that just cannot be replicated or imitated by anything else.

But custom cut wood is often prohibitively expensive and metal chassis aren’t what you want to carry when on a long hunting trip.

What you need is wood. Warm, natural wood – but at a price that won’t break you.

Boyds Gun Stocks are made of laminated layers of wood that are precision machined to fit almost any rifle action on the market. From Ruger 10/22s to AK-47s and AR-15s to the Howa 1500 Barreled Action – Boyds has a stock for you.

They also come in a wide range of colors, styles, grips, fore ends, coatings, and more!

Basically – it’s like having a custom carpenter for your rifle, but at the price point of mass-produced plastic. Starting at under $140, Boyds delivers major value for their price.

What are Boyds Gun Stocks?

When you visit Boyds site, you can’t get something with same day shipping. That’s because everything they offer they custom make after you order it. While this means that shipping isn’t Amazon Prime fast, it also means that you get your stock.

Not something that fell off a shelf.

Every stock Boyds makes is made from laminated hardwood (layers of hardwood that have been pressed together using heat, pressure, and resin). This keeps them lightweight, strong, and delivers that warm wood feel that you’re looking for.

They’ve also been doing it since 1981, so they’ve had time to get really good at it.

Like many people, I was interested in Boyds stocks for a while before actually getting one to test out, the recent Howa 1500 Barreled Actions that were sent to me provided me the perfect opportunity!

Boyds sent me two of their stocks, their highly-popular AT-One stock, and a Platinum profile stock – I got the AT-One in Nutmeg Laminate and the Platinum in Forest Camo Laminate, both are gorgeous!

Boyds AT-One

I’ll just say it – I like this stock. If you’re looking for a stock that crosses the bridge between a custom precision stock and an easy-to-use hunting stock, this one is for you.

However, it does both roles decently without doing either role outstandingly.

Most of the stocks Boyds makes are non-adjustable, the AT-One is the exception with an adjustable length-of-pull and adjustable cheek rest.

Both are easy and quick to change, just push a button and move the part. Easy!

This is a nice addition to have – but it isn’t perfect as the adjustment points offered aren’t as precise as I would have liked.

While for the LoP it isn’t a big deal, you notice it a bit more with the cheek rest. For hunting, plinking, or even casual long-range shooting – the adjustments offered are perfectly adequate.

But if you wanted to turn this into a bench rest precision rifle, then the options offered on the cheek weld leave something to be desired.

I mounted a 300 Win Mag Howa 1500 Barreled Action in my AT-One because I wanted to make sure it could take the heavy pounding that comes with a 300 Win Mag.

After several range trips, I’m happy to say that even using hot 300 Win mag loads – this stock is holding up just fine. Better than my shoulder is at least!

The AT-One also makes for a good shooting rifle – the Howa 1500 BA I had mounted in it is a great rifle action, but the free floated Boyds stock allowed me to shoot this 3/4 MOA group at 150 yards.

Who is it for?

While the AT-One is a jack-of-all-trades, it does each role very well – just not perfectly. But that is exactly what many of us need in a stock, something that just works no matter what it is we’re doing.

If I want to work on my shooting at the range, the AT-One has enough adjustments to let me do that in almost any stance or configuration I want. If I want to let a friend use my rifle for the day, they can quickly adjust the settings to suit them.

It’s also great for my “do-all” hunting rifle. California summers mean thin clothing, but Montana mountains mean thick jackets.

The AT-One lets me go hunting in either without an issue since I can easily change the settings to match what I’m wearing, doing, or hunting.

In the interest of full disclosure…

I have to mention that this wasn’t the first AT-One sent to me, it’s actually the second. The first wasn’t cut correctly and was off by about 2.5mm, while that doesn’t sound like a lot – it was enough so that the action wouldn’t mount in it.

Boyds was on the ball though and had a new one shipped out to me in short order, the new stock had zero problems. Everything dropped in just perfectly.

Boyds Platinum

This is the classic, the wood stock that you think of when you think of “wood stock”. It’s also the stock that I would choose 9 times out of 10.

While it doesn’t offer the in-the-field adjustment ability of the AT-One, it can be customized when you order it for length of pull, grip, color, type, and a bunch more options. Boyds makes it really easy to get the stock you want right from the start.

It’s beautiful, strong, and lightweight. Everything you want from a good stock.

Don’t let the basic look of the Platinum fool you, either.

Boyds stocks are free-floated, have multiple attachment points for slings or bipods, and feel solid in your hands – something that is sorely lacking from most standard stocks these days.

Who is it for?

Everyone. Really, everyone.

From the new shooter with their Ruger 10/22 to the grandfather hunting his 1,000th deer, this is a great stock for you.

It doesn’t matter if you’re building your rifle from the ground up or if you’re just looking for an easy upgrade for a rifle you bought at a big box store, this is a great stock for you.

I think that is what I love most about the Platinum. Between the price point, the options offered, and the ease of installation – throwing almost any rifle you have into a Boyds is not only possible but can be realized without breaking into your piggy bank.

Take a close look at the picture above and you might be wondering why I have the scope mounted like that. I decided to use the Platinum to build a sort of scout-rifle -ish build.

Why? Well, because I picked up a Vortex 2-6x Scout scope on sale and wanted to play with it.

It actually worked a lot better than I thought it would! I’ve never been impressed with the Scout-Rifle Concept, but after building a sort of kind of version of it – I can dig it.

Shooting standing with a sort-of tree branch for support, my little Scout build put a respectable group at 75 yards. This is clearly nowhere near what the real accuracy of the rifle is (sub-MOA when shot off a bench with front and rear bags), but for standing and only slight support – I was happy with it.

Definitely proved to be minute-of-deer at least!

By the Numbers

Reliability 5/5

Zero issues at all with either stock, both allowed the rifle to work exactly as intended with no hiccups.

Accuracy 4/5

Both the AT-One and the Platinum were free-floated and that helped give me the accuracy I wanted, but since the stocks are wood and aren’t bedded I didn’t have as much accuracy as I know is possible with the Howa 1500. That said – both were still 1 MOA or better with every group using decent ammo, and that is more than enough accuracy for 99% of applications.

If you wanted though you could glass bed your action and improve accuracy by a small margin.

Ergonomics 5/5

Ergonomics are going to rely on you as much as it does on Boyds, since they give you the options of ordering the length of pull and other measurements that you want, you need to know those numbers before ordering. As long as you take the time to know what you want, Boyds will deliver right on the money for you.

Looks 5/5

If I could give a 10 out of 5 I would! These stocks look and feel even better in person than they do in pictures. If you want to see a boatload of options for style and color, I strongly recommend looking through the Boyds Gallery before ordering.

Customization 5/5

Colors, shapes, engravings, and a lot more are customizable when you order your stock. Take your time and pick out all the options you want!

Bang for the Buck/Value 5/5

The price is low and the value is high. You’re getting an almost totally custom stock for the price of mass-produced plastic, that’s just awesome.

Overall Rating 4.5/5

In all – I’m a big fan of these stocks now. If you’re looking to do a simple upgrade that makes a world of difference, this would be my top choice. If you’re looking to turn a standard rifle into your rifle, this is what you want.

But Wait, There’s More!

Boyds doesn’t JUST offer stocks for hunting rifles, they also have furniture for AR-15s, AK-47s, M1 Garands, M14s, M1 Carbines, and even Mosin-Nagants!

Bringing the same level of detail and dedication to military style stocks as they do to their hunting and plinking lines, Boyds has done an outstanding job of offering the market an option for nearly everything.

Parting Shots

Easy to install, high quality, wonderful to use, and for a price almost anyone can afford. Boyds does an outstanding job of delivering on every level and has been doing so for decades.

Don’t forget to check out my other article on the Howa 1500 Barreled Action! Combining a Howa with a Boyds makes for an amazing hunting rifle.

Do you have a Boyds gun stock? Let us know about it in the comments! And check out more of our favorite guns and gear in Editor’s Picks.

By Chris Madson

It was a hurricane. A hurricane 900 miles from the nearest ocean, on the ragged edge of winter with the thermometer hovering just above zero. The day the storm hit, and the night that followed, Dale Engler of Alma, Wisconsin, was out on Crooked Slough, a backwater on the Mississippi River about 50 miles southeast of Saint Paul, Minnesota. The memory still haunted him decades later. “I am very thankful that all I got out of that ordeal was frost-bitten feet and hands, frozen ears,” he wrote in 1963. “I’m not counting all the nightmares I had the first few years after that day. In every single one, I’m still in that icy water, getting weaker and weaker, swimming toward a dark, snow-covered shore that is never there.”

The storm was born in the gray expanse of the north Pacific, a low-pressure system that raised gale warnings along the West Coast during the night of November 6, 1940, and into the next morning. It roared up the Columbia River to buffet the Tacoma Narrows suspension bridge. The bridge’s central span began to sway, and the wind accentuated the motion, like a kid pumping a playground swing. Just after 11 o’clock in the morning on November 7, the supporting cables gave way, and the wreckage of the bridge fell into the water 190 feet below.

The next afternoon, the system collided with the western edge of a mass of arctic air sagging down from Canada over the central plains. It was the first cold of the approaching winter. The storm skirted the edge of the front, drifting southeast into Colorado, strengthening slightly, and then swinging north along the eastern edge of the cold air. By then, a wall of frigid air stretched from Wichita, Kansas, to northern Iowa, and ahead of the cold front, a mass of warm air from the Gulf of Mexico surged up the Mississippi River Valley. Around seven o’clock on the morning of November 11, Armistice Day, as it was known at the time, the storm passed from Iowa into southern Minnesota.

It was the first cold front of the season after a long Indian summer, and it sparked interest among the area’s duck hunters, especially those who were off from work or school because of the holiday. Frank Heidelbauer was a teenager living near Fort Dodge, Iowa. He would later become one of the nation’s premier makers of custom duck and goose calls, but on that morning he was just another young waterfowl hunter looking for birds along Lizard Creek west of town.

“It was foggy with a light drizzle, and warm,” he remembered 40 years later. “I had hunted about three miles of this stretch when a large flock of mallards hooked in out of the murk and landed almost in front of meI took about two steps and they were back in the air and I folded one for each of my three shots. It was while I was picking up these ducks that the wind suddenly thundered down on me out of the northwest.

“In all my days I can’t recall such a rapid change in weather. With the wind came an almost unbelievable drop in temperature, and the drizzle changed to heavy wet snow. Where there were no ducks before, the creek was now full of them, and they were obviously worn out.”

That’s how it was along the prairie creeks in central Iowa. But as the storm continued north it became much more dangerous.

The center of low pressure passed almost 200 miles west of Chicago, but the Windy City and Lake Michigan were not spared. The wind mounted steadily from sunrise through the rest of the day, pummeling the area with gusts over 60 miles an hour for much of the afternoon. Barometric pressure dropped to 28.23 inches—equivalent to a Category 3 hurricane. The temperature at noon was a balmy 63 degrees. By six o’clock that evening, it had dropped to 26. The gale pushed the water of Lake Michigan to the northeast, causing a drop of 4.8 feet along the lakefront. The Milwaukee airport reported a wind gust of 80 miles per hour. In Minneapolis, the wind rose, and then it started to snow, the first flakes of what would be an accumulation of 16.2 inches in a 24-hour span.

As the storm spun toward the upper Mississippi, scores of duck hunters along the river laid plans to take advantage of the cold front. The weather forecast in the Minneapolis Star Journal on November 10 was terse but promising for a waterfowler: “Snow and Colder Today and Monday.”

At 10 o’clock on the morning of November 11, the thermometer in Winona, Minnesota, stood at 50 degrees. A local weather observer recorded a shift in the wind and watched the temperature drop eight degrees in 15 minutes. Around noon, Engler rowed his skiff across the backwaters to an island along the river channel. Like most of the young men along the river at that time, he knew small boats and hunting on the river. It had been raining lightly, so he was wearing a canvas hunting jacket, hip boots over canvas pants, and a wool shirt.

“At 2 o’clock the rain turned into wind-driven sleet and snow and within the next 2 hours I saw more waterfowl than I’ve seen in my life,” he remembered. “About that time some hunters started to go ashore but I thought it was just an early snowstorm and paid no attention, besides, I was having the time of my life.

“Redheads and mallards by the thousands were flying over and on both sides of me. By this time those ducks coming down the river had gusts of a 60 mph tail wind behind them. Hundreds of ducks came past me within 15 feet, probably going around 80 miles an hour. At 3:45 I had 5 mallards and 2 canvasbacks, big plump northern ducks. Now [it was time] to get home and thaw out. Two hunters had been shooting off the south end of the same island I was on. I decided to walk down there and see if they had a big boat. Maybe I could bum a ride across Crooked Slough. Snow was falling so heavily by now that visibility was around 40 feet and it was getting dark. I got to the south area just in time to help both hunters out of the water. Their boat had broached and swamped . . . I saw I didn’t have a chance with my skiff.”

The three men tried to start a fire without success, and Engler decided he would attempt to swim across the backwater and get help. He stashed his shotgun, hip boots, and jacket under his overturned skiff and walked down to the water’s edge.

“I couldn’t see over 30 feet from me as I stepped into the raging water,” he recalled. “The waves were about 3 feet high. Almost every wave was going over my head. I don’t know how long I had been swimming when I bumped into a stump and found I could touch bottom.”

On shore, Engler came across two hunters who had started a large fire. After he had warmed up, he made his way back to his car and drove home, where he called the authorities and reported the position of the two men on the island. “It was the most miserable day I’ve ever lived through,” he wrote, “and I have lived through a few other not-too-comfortable days while serving 38 months in the Pacific with the Navy during World War II. I’ve never been so miserably cold nor felt so close to death as I did in that freezing nightmare.”

Three other young Winona men found themselves in similar circumstances nearby. Ray Sherin, only 14 years old, had gone out to the river around noon with his 20-year-old cousin, Bob Stephan, and 19-year-old Cal Wieczorek. They killed four ducks almost as soon as they hunkered down in the willows, but it quickly became evident that this was no ordinary cold front. Visibility dropped to 30 yards and the temperature was in free fall. They made a run for safety, but with no landmarks visible, they ran aground four times. Then the outboard died. The two older hunters dragged the boat off the mud bar and paddled in the general direction of shore.

The waves drove them onto a low islet. The two men jumped out, but before Sherin could move, a wave broke over the stern and soaked him to the skin. It was clear that they weren’t going to find their way out of the bottoms until the storm abated. Stephan and Wieczorek dragged the boat up out of reach of the waves, turned it over for shelter, and made a bed for the teen, whose clothes were already freezing solid. With no way to build a fire, the three huddled under the boat and waited for morning.

“The thing I remember best was the unending scream of the wind,” Sherin later said of the experience. “The sound of distant gunshots reached us several times. Far-off yells for help.”

At dawn they launched the boat over the 50-foot shelf of ice that had formed during the night. Heading downwind toward Wisconsin, they ran aground on an ice shelf 100 yards from shore. A skiff from the Corps of Engineers’ launch Chippewa picked them up.

Stephan was hospitalized for a week with frozen hands. Sherin, in far worse shape, spent six weeks in the hospital, fighting the lingering effects of hypothermia and extensive frostbite. He lost 58 pounds and part of one foot before he was released, just in time for Christmas.

Two other teenage boys, Dick Bice and La Vern Rieber, paddled out to a collection of low islands and took cover, waiting for a flight. It wasn’t long in coming. As the first bunch of mallards passed, Rieber killed a drake. He paddled out to retrieve the bird and, when he found that he couldn’t get back to his friend, took shelter on another island. The boys could find no fuel for fires on their separate retreats, and precious little shelter.

When Bice’s father, Ray, came home that evening and heard that his son hadn’t returned, he loaded his 16-foot boat and motor, recruited some help, and hurried out to find the boys. The men tried to launch the boat, but the massive breakers swamped it every time they tried. They finally settled down to wait for a break in the wind.

The next morning, another river man managed to slide a boat over the ice to Rieber’s island just as Ray Bice and his party arrived on the scene. The anxious dad slid his skiff over to his son’s island, where Dick had trampled a ring in the snow as he ran in circles to keep warm. He was plenty cold but unharmed.

Others weren’t so lucky.

Responding to news of the impending cold front, Carl Tarras of Winona gathered up his two sons, 17-year-old Gerald and 16-year-old Ray, along with a friend, Bill Wernecke, for a day of waterfowling on the river. When the wind shifted and intensified, they were cut off from dry land and took what shelter they could find in a stand of cattails. Gerald watched the other members of the party die from hypothermia—Wernecke first, then Ray. Carl held on until moments before rescuers arrived the next morning. Gerald had dug part-way into a muskrat house, the rescuers reported, a last-ditch effort that may well have saved his life.

Many details from other stories are lost forever. On the Wednesday after the storm, the bodies of Saint Paul hunters Roy Johnson and Thomas Cigler were discovered, partly covered with snow, on the shore of the mainland. Their johnboat had apparently been swamped by the waves. They made it to dry land but, soaked to the skin and with the wind-driven snow obliterating any landmarks, they had not found warmth and shelter in time. That same day, a Coast Guard searcher came across the body of Red Wing, Minnesota, resident Joseph Elk on an island in the river. On Thursday, the body of another missing man, Bror Kronberg of Saint Paul, was discovered. Kronberg had managed to get his boat to shore in the teeth of the storm, but searchers found his body under the lee of a haystack nearby, where he’d managed to burrow into the hay before he succumbed to the deepening cold.

Estimates of the total number of deaths vary. The National Weather Service reported that 154 lives were lost. Among those, 69 were crew members on ships and fishing boats lost on Lake Michigan. A headline in the Winona Daily News on the Thursday after the storm read “Death Toll of Hunters to Reach 20.” On Wednesday evening, the LaCrosse Tribune’s headline claimed, “27 Midwest Hunters Dead.” With the news of the desperate conflict in Europe clamoring for attention, a close count of the number of hunters who were actually lost during the storm was never made, but it’s likely that, of the 85 people not drowned in Lake Michigan, more than half were waterfowlers on the upper Mississippi.

Seventy years after the great storm, the children and grandchildren and great grandchildren of people who witnessed it still speak of it in hushed tones. It’s as if they miss something that has largely disappeared from the heartland. The corn country of the upper Midwest has been domesticated. Cut over, fenced, furrowed, converted from prairie and forest to one of the world’s great food factories, it has lost much of its essential nature. But the great weather events remainthe thunderstorms, tornadoes, hail, and blizzards that lie in wait just over the horizon, reminders that some things are still beyond our control.

It takes no great leap of imagination for a modern waterfowler to understand why hunters went out on the big water that day. They were an adventurous lot, that bunch. Like us, they whined about the bluebird days most of their neighbors welcomed, praying instead for a stiff north wind, a threatening sky, and a thermometer in free fall. While the rest of the town retreated to the fireside and drew the curtains tight, they went out to meet the storm and the waterfowl that rode it.

They witnessed a day when the business of men, and even the carnage of war, was overshadowed by the raw power of land and sky. It overcame some of them. For many more, it became the memory of a lifetime. All the wildfowl of a continent seemed to gather on a single arctic gale, the roar of the wind and the rush of wings an anthem to all that was—and still is—wild and free.

In 1971, the Michigan Historical Commission dedicated a marker in Ludington, Michigan, commemorating the tragic events of November 11, 1940.

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Spider Rigging For Crappie

Spider rigging for crappie looks simple enough — a bunch of fishing rods weaving a web of lines from bow to stern. A closer look at the boats of crappie pros reveals that their spider rigs are intricate systems based on exact rod positioning and specialized rod-holder designs. The pros set up their spider rigs differently depending on the situation, whether it’s fishing deep brushpiles, open-water structure, shallow vegetation, or for pushing crankbaits.

The most essential pieces of equipment for spider-rigging are the rods and holders. “The key is to make sure the rods are all the same,” says Barry Morrow, a guide on Oklahoma’s Lake Eufaula. “All the rods should be the same length, power, and action, and they should be adjusted to the same height in the rod holders, so that you are able to decipher the motion of the rod tips to detect bites. If you are using different types of rods they’re all bowed differently and respond differently to strikes, making it more difficult to interpret rod-tip and line movement.”

Preferences on rod-holder design vary among the pros, but there’s one that top anglers all agree on: Rod holders need to be stable. “When I mount a set of rod racks, I want those things not to move,” says Alabama guide Brad Whitehead. Beyond that, top spider-riggers have developed individualized setups to suit the situations they fish.

Probing deep brush

For spider-rigging over brushpiles on Wilson and Pickwick lakes, Whitehead prefers 12-foot rods at the bow. He places 10-foot rods across the stern for his clients because the shorter rods are easier for them to handle. Rods are spread evenly across the bow and stern for uniform coverage and easy access to the poles. “I’m a fanatic on keeping 11„2 feet between each rod,” says Whitehead, who also keeps each rod tip about 8 to 10 inches above the water.

He usually sets his baits at different depths, varying about 1 to 2 feet. “I want my shallowest rods to my right and left, but the deepest rods are always the two in the middle,” he says. His poles are rigged with B’n’M Capps and Coleman Minnow Rigs (with a 1-ounce weight).

Whitehead’s choice of rod holder is a four-pole Hi-Tek Stuff mount. He positions two of the mounts about 3 feet apart on the bow and stern. “Position rod racks so when you are sitting, you don’t hit your knees on the rod handles,” he says. “Make sure they’re far enough away, but not too far to where you have to bend to get the rods. You want to be able to sit up straight when you grab rods.”

Pad fishing

Six-time national champions Ronnie Capps and Steve Coleman are renowned for their spider-rigging tactics in the lily pad stems at Reelfoot Lake. The key to their setup is a customized pole-holder system with independent mounts rather than a rack that holds multiple rods. “The rod holders cradle the poles so you have no trouble getting your hand between the forks of the holder and the rod butt. And when you grab a pole out of the holder it’s a quick reaction,” says Capps. “You’re able to get your hand in there with no problem.

“The reason for the independent holders is because I want my poles to be ultra still. With a T-bar type mount, on the other hand, if you grab one pole from a set of four, you disturb the other three rods and you can’t detect a bite. With independent holders, you can detect bites well. I also think fish bite better when a pole isn’t moving much.

Capps is constantly moving his poles off the pad stems to prevent hang-ups. He says the individually mounted holders are critical in this situation because getting hung up on one pole doesn’t disturb the others.

The Tennessee pro also prefers a rod holder with a Y-fork cradle rather than a U-shaped cradle, for better hook-sets. “If you see a bite and the line is scooting to the left, you want to set the hook to the right. But with some of the U-shaped holders there is only one way to get that pole out — straight up,” Capps says.

The depth and cover Capps fishes determines how far apart he positions 8 poles across the front of the boat. “If I’m fishing shallow and directly into spots that I expect fish to be in, I bunch poles tight,” he says. “If I’m trying to cover more area on a shallow flat, I set them farther apart.”

For pushing a single 1/16-ounce jig on 6-pound line in the lily pads, Capps uses 16-foot B’n’M jig poles (model BGJP163). “I get more bites having my baits farther from me with 16-foot poles than I do with 14-footers,” he says, also noting that 16-footers allow him to cover a wider swath of water. Extra length also keeps his jigs farther from the boat, away from trolling motor noise that could spook shallow fish.

Riprap and breakline trolling

Oklahoma guide and tournament competitor Todd Huckabee prefers single-pole fishing whenever possible. But there are certain conditions when he resorts to spider-rigging, such as during the postspawn on his home waters of Lake Eufaula when crappies pull off the bank and suspend 2 to 6 feet deep over riprap and breaklines in the depth range of 10 to 15 feet.

Four-rod Perotti-Bilt rod holders are Huckabee’s choices for spider-rigging. “They are simple and sturdy,” he says. “When a fish hammers one pole, the other three don’t shake — you can tell which pole got the bite.” He mounts his rod holders on each side of the boat’s bow, positioning the rods about 2 feet off the floor. “I want rods set where I can reach over and set the hook quickly, without having to bend over too far,” he says.

His choices for spider-rigging poles are 11-footers with plenty of backbone. “When I get bit I can pull the fish up with that pole in between all the other poles.” he says. Huckabee sometimes varies his presentation between minnow rigs and tandem-jig rigs, but most of the time he spider-rigs with two jigs of varying colors.

Pushing crankbaits

Pushing crankbaits in front of his boat has become an effective spider-rigging trick for Barry Morrow. The tournament competitor and guide rigs each 11-foot pole with a 2- to 3-ounce egg weight, glass bead, and swivel, followed by a Lindy Shadling crankbait on a 3-foot leader. When he fishes tournaments with a partner, Morrow pushes crankbaits with 8 rods, starting with 2 pointing straight out the nose of the boat and the other 6 spread about 2 feet apart on the port and starboard sides.

Morrow also uses 4-pole Perotti-Bilt holders that allow him to easily adjust the rod positions. “I like to have a rod rack that is adjustable vertically as well as horizontally,” he says. Wind and wave action usually dictate how high he positions his rods over the water. He says the lower the better, preferring to keep rod tips about 3 inches above the water.

The next time you see a spider-rigging setup, you might be able to decode their fishing situation. Or someone might be studying your boat, trying to unravel the crappie-catching web you’re weaving.

Reading Time: 6 minutes

Did you ever wonder what the biggest fish ever caught looked like? With all due respect to your imagination, we wouldn’t blame you for underestimating how impressive these beasts really were. Today, we’re looking at the 17 biggest fish ever caught.

For this list, we’ve only included fish that were officially approved as IGFA All-Tackle World Records. Over the years, there have been cases of people catching even bigger fish. These, however, were either caught by more than one person, or failed to meet other IGFA World Record requirements.

As you’d expect, most of these giants are from the Billfish and Shark families, but there are a few surprise entries, too.

You’ll notice that a lot of these records date back at least a few decades. Back in the day, catch and release was a rare sight, and fishing regulations weren’t nearly as strict. Still, each of the catches you’re about to see required incredible amounts of skill and dedication to pull off. They officially are the biggest fishing feats in history.

Without further ado, the 17 biggest fish ever caught are:

17. Goliath Grouper – 680 lb

Location: Fernandina Beach, FL

Date: May 20, 1961

Back in the day, Fernandina Beach was famous for its Goliath Grouper fishery. Up until 1990, anglers could harvest these critters, but with their population dwindling, regulators decided to ban their harvest. All in all, this record isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. Angler Lynn Joyner caught this 680 lb Goliath using a Spanish Mackerel.

16. Bull Shark – 697 lb 12 oz

Location: Malindi, Kenya

Date: March 24, 2001

Angler Ronald de Jager successfully caught this record-breaking Bull Shark by trolling a live Yellowfin Tuna. The catch broke the previous 1994 record by 12 ounces.

15. Dusky Shark – 764 lb

Location: Longboat Key, FL

Date: May 28, 1982

In 1982, Warren Girle pulled in this world record on a Bonito off Longboat Key, Florida.

14. Thresher Shark – 767 lb

Location: Bay of Islands, New Zealand

Date: February 26, 1983

David Hannah caught this Thresher using Kahawai Salmon. Catching a Thresher of any size requires a great deal of skill, because these monsters are known for bashing the hook and bait with their tail before moving in for the kill. This is why Hannah’s record is even more impressive.

13. Bigeye Thresher Shark – 802 lb

Location: Tutukaka, New Zealand

Date: February 8, 1981

A couple of years before David Hannah, Dianne North reeled in an even bigger Thresher. She trolled a Kahawai to hook the fish and then fought the beast for three hours and 45 minutes. What’s interesting is that the two catches occurred just over 30 miles away from each other.

12. Pacific Bluefin Tuna – 907 lb 6 oz

Location: Three Kings Islands, New Zealand

Date: February 19, 2014

Angler Donna Pascoe battled this Bluefin for over four hours, and in some very tough weather conditions. For her impressive catch, Ms. Pascoe received the IGFA Best World Record award for 2014.

11. Swordfish – 1,182 lb

Location: Iquique, Chile

Date: May 7, 1953

After more than 60 years, Lou Marron’s historic record still stands. It’s a testament to how people once used nothing but angling to catch the ocean’s most fearsome creatures. Lou caught the 14′ Swordfish by trolling a live Bonito.

10. Shortfin Mako Shark – 1,221 lb

Location: Chatham, Massachusetts

Date: July 21, 2001

Luke Sweeney caught this fearsome Mako during the Oak Bluffs Monster Shark Tournament in 2001. Luke was actually aboard the smallest boat in the tournament, a 24′ World Cat, when he broke the record. The fight lasted three hours, but ultimately, the Mako made it to the scales for weigh-ins.

9. Great Hammerhead Shark – 1,280 lb

Location: Boca Grande

Date: May 23, 2006

Charter captain Bucky Dennis usually fishes for Snook and Tarpon. However, according to him, when Tarpon come to Boca Grande, so do the Hammerheads. Bucky caught this 14.5′ Shark using a stingray for bait. The Hammerhead hauled his 23′ boat almost 12 miles out into the Gulf.

8. Sixgill Shark – 1,298 lb

Location: Ascension Island, British Overseas Territories

Date: November 21, 2002

Although you can find them worldwide, Sixgilled Sharks just aren’t fish you see everyday. Angler Clemens Rump caught this shark off the remote Ascension Island, in the middle of the Atlantic.

7. Pacific Blue Marlin – 1,376 lb

Location: Kaaiwi Point, Kona, Hawaii

Date: May 31, 1982

Trolling a kita lute, angler Jay de Beaubien managed to catch this Pacific Blue Marlin in under an hour! Jay’s record nearly fell in 2015, when an angler caught a 1,376 lb Blue Marlin off the very same Hawaiian coast.

6. Atlantic Blue Marlin – 1,402 lb 2 oz

Location: Vitoria, Brazil

Date: February 29, 1992

Fishing off Vitoria, Brazil angler Paulo Amorim caught this grander trolling a Molecraft lure.

5. Atlantic Bluefin Tuna – 1,496 lb

Location: Aulds Cove, Nova Scotia, Canada

Date: October 26, 1979

Nova Scotia is famous for its Bluefin Tuna fishery. Bluefins are much more strictly regulated these days, but regardless, Ken Fraser’s 1979 record still seems almost unbeatable.

4. Black Marlin – 1,560 lb

Location: Cabo Blanco, Peru

Date: August 4, 1953

Angling legend Alfred C. Glassell Jr. caught this enormous Black Marlin way back in 1953, making it one of the longest-standing IGFA World Records to date. This Marlin, along with a number of other fish Glassell caught, comprise a permanent exhibit in the Houston Museum of Natural Science.

3. Greenland Shark – 1,708 lb 9 oz

Location: Trondheimsfjord, Norway.

Date: October 17, 1987

Using a herring as bait, Norwegian angler Terje Nordvedt caught one of the biggest Sharks ever. This was one of the rare times people could see the longest living vertebrae on dry land. These sharks often live longer than 400 years!

2. Tiger Shark -1,785 lb 11 oz

Location: Ulladulla, Australia

Date: March 28, 2004

This record is a little controversial. When Kevin J. Clapson weighed his enormous Tiger shark in 2004, he thought he broke a 40-year-old record. However, since his catch was only 11 ounces heavier than Walter Maxwell’s catch from 1964, the ruling was that the record was tied.

1. White Shark – 2,664 lb

Location: Ceduna, Australia

Date: April 21, 1959

Alfred Dean’s 1959 record is by far the biggest fish ever caught and approved by the IGFA. Great White Sharks are a protected species almost everywhere these days, so it seems that Dean’s record is here to stay.

All of the catches on this list represent incredible feats by some of the best anglers on earth. With today’s conservation-oriented regulations, most of these won’t be broken any time soon. But that’s a not a bad thing – we’ll have more of these incredible creatures roaming the oceans for years to come. Besides, we’ll always have lists like this one to remind us of how impressive these beasts really are.

Your turn. Which of the catches on our list is the most impressive in your mind? Which of these records do you think anglers will break first? Let us know in the comments below.

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

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

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

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

How to Keep Your Trail Camera from Being Stolen

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

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

Let’s get started!

1. Hiding Your Trail Camera

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

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

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

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

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

2. Place in Low-Traffic Areas

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

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

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

3. Mount Your Camera Out of Reach

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

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

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

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

4. Do Not Use Cameras That Flash

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

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

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

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

5. Set Up a Decoy Camera

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

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

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

6. Use Cellular Cameras as Surveillance

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

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

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

7. Label Your Trail Camera

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

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

8. Use Social Media for Help

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

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

9. Cable Locks

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

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

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

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

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

More reading: Do trail cameras scare deer?

3 Trail Camera Cable Lock

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

1. Master Lock Python

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

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

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

2. Browning Trail Camera Security Box

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

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

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

3. Cam Guardian Tree Mount Holder

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

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

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

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

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

More reading: How to Hide a Trail Camera from Humans

Your Turn

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