Nostalgia, desirability and collectability are closely linked, and such is the case with what has arguably become one of America’s most popular wartime weapons, a rifle that Lt. Gen. George S. Patton, Jr. once called “The greatest battle implement ever devised.”

He was, of course, referring to the M1 Garand, the primary shoulder arm of U.S. troops during World War II and beyond. In fact, the Garand continued to serve our GIs throughout the Korean War and was reenlisted as a sniper rifle in Vietnam. And although there was a time when WWII vets didn’t have a choice of Garands—they simply had to take the gun that was issued to them—today’s shooters and collectors can select from varying conditions, styles and price ranges. After all, with more than 6 million M1 Garands produced between 1936 and 1957, the “U.S. Rifle, Caliber .30, M1,” as it was officially known, is still very much with us.

Although no longer our official battle rifle, the M1 Garand continues to prove itself as a National Match gun and in events that include CMP and 3-Gun competitions, not to mention reenactments, casual target shooting, hunting and collecting.

In fact, it is as a collectible that the M1 Garand has come into its own in a way that might surprise many who simply saw it as a rugged, no-nonsense wartime tool. Today’s surviving M1s have become much more than that as the supply of good shootable and collectible versions is starting to dry up. Consequently, prices have been rising over the past few years. Much of this increased demand is due to the realization of the Garand’s growing historical significance, which is being kept alive in movies and on TV.

Obviously, the M1 Garand was not a major factor in Hollywood before World War II, but beginning with The Story of G.I. Joe (1945), and escalating with such post-war blockbusters as To Hell and Back with Audie Murphy (1955), The Longest Day with John Wayne (1963) and Saving Private Ryan (1998), among others, the memory of the Garand continues to be kept front and center, thanks to DVD and cable TV.

Likewise, these same factors are at play in both old and new TV programs such as Combat! (1962-67), M*A*S*H (1972-83), Band of Brothers (2001) and The Pacific (2010). Thus, while the demand for Garands keeps increasing, the number of existing originals is diminishing—especially those with GI parts.

This is especially frustrating for those who are looking for the Holy Grail of M1 Garands: a gun with all matching armory components. To be sure, there was a time when every M1 Garand had all matching parts, original wood and no import stamps. But those cherished examples existed just prior to and during World War II—and only as each rifle rolled off the assembly line.

As soon the Garand went into battle, it immediately became subject to the mix-and-match vicissitudes of military armorers whose job it was to keep these accurate and rapid-firing rifles battle ready. Parts were swapped and stocks were changed with no thought that these firearms would one day become collectible.

Of course, some perfect specimens still can be found, but these are, for the most part, guns that saw little or no battlefield use or were otherwise preserved in their “as-issued” state. Most are in museums or private collections, and when they come on the market, their prices reflect their scarcity.

All of which brings up the question of which Garand represents the best value? The answer is, it all depends on the individual. After all, a reenactor is not going to drag a minty original through the mud or rake it over a barbed wire fence.

On the other hand, I have no compunction about taking my re-Parkerized Garand with its new Criterion barrel out on a coyote hunt. And even if it’s a used collectible with all GI parts, it won’t hurt to take it out to the range. I mean, these rifles were made for combat. But before we get into the choices of Garands available today, a brief overview about the rifle might be helpful.

The M1 Garand derives its name from its inventor, a Canadian named Jean Cantius Garand, who was born on January 1, 1888, in Quebec and eventually emigrated to the United States, where he became a naturalized citizen and anglicized his first name to John.

It was Gen. Douglas MacArthur who brought young Garand to Springfield Armory, where he subsequently developed the Model 1 rifle (hence “M1”)—a “gas operated, clip fed, semi-automatic shoulder weapon,” to quote from the Army’s field training manual. Designed to replace the Springfield 1903-A3 bolt action, the popularity of Garand’s rifle would become so great that it became synonymous with the inventor’s surname.

Chambered for the standard .30 Government cartridge, the M1 was loaded via an eight-shot, en bloc stamped steel clip, which ejected with a loud “ping” after the last shot was fired. This also locked the bolt open. The rifle was then quickly reloaded by pressing a new loaded clip straight down into the receiver with the thumb, while keeping the bolt pressed back with the fleshy part of the hand.

Once the clip was fully inserted, the hand was quickly lifted, permitting the spring-driven bolt to slam home, chambering a round on the way. However, care had to be taken to make sure the thumb was raised out of the receiver, lest the shooter end up with a blood-blacked thumbnail, which was colloquially known as an “M1 thumb.”

The Garand was officially adopted by the U.S. Army in 1936. It was a timely move, because five years later we entered World War II. Interestingly, only two companies manufactured the M1 Garand during WWII. Springfield was the original producer, but with war imminent, in 1939 Winchester was also contracted to make the M1.

Although numerous minor changes were incorporated throughout the Garand’s existence, one of the most notable occurred in 1940, when the original gas trap system was changed to a gas port.

In addition, rifles produced by both Springfield and Winchester initially featured a thick milled trigger guard with a hole in the rear portion of the guard to enable a steel cleaning rod or similar object to be passed through it to facilitate pulling the guard back and up, in order to lift it out of the barrel and receiver group for disassembly.

However, in 1943 Springfield Armory adopted a stamped steel trigger guard as a cost-savings measure. Winchester, though, retained the milled guard during its entire production run of 513,880 rifles, which ended in 1945. By comparison, Springfield Armory produced slightly more than 3.5 million rifles during WWII.

During the Korean conflict, beginning in 1952, Harrington & Richardson and International Harvester were enlisted along with Springfield Armory to manufacture M1 Garands. These were the only four authorized manufacturers of government-issued M1s; Winchester made Garands only during WWII.

Also during World War II, but before we entered that conflict, a number of “lend-lease” Garands were shipped to our allies, most notably Great Britain. British guns are often marked with a red band painted on the fore-end. However, few Garands were issued to British troops, and of the few authenticated British lend lease guns I have seen, all appeared to have their original issue parts. Many postwar Garands were exported as “surplus” guns and have been returned to the U.S. over the years and bear import marks, which adversely affect their collectibility but not their shootability.

It should be noted that after the Armistice, approximately 4 million Garands—easily two-thirds of the total production—were reconditioned by Springfield Armory. Parts were replaced, guns were re-Parkerized and often rebarreled. Thus, the chances of finding an “as-issued” Garand today is extremely rare, although many collectors are buying original G.I. parts with the correct armory stampings to reassemble an “original” gun. While this isn’t exactly a devious practice, it is becoming an expensive one, as original parts are becoming harder to find and therefore more costly.

There are the only four armory stampings you should find on an M1 Garand: “SA” for guns produced by Springfield Armory, “W.R.A.” for Winchester Repeating Arms, “H.R.A.” or “H&R” for Harrington & Richardson and “IHC” for International Harvester Corp. In addition, the stocks are usually stamped with the government’s “circle P” proofed cartouche (found directly behind the trigger guard and in line with it), the inspector’s stamp and crossed-cannon ordnance marks on the left side of the stock, and the eagle and stars design of the Department of Defense Acceptance stamp.

There may also be a small crossed cannon stamp on the bottom of the pistol grip on Springfield Armory manufactured rifles made during World War II. Of course, these stampings are not always sharp or even legible, and many have been obliterated completely thanks to overzealous cleaning or just normal wear.

Matching armory stampings on all components are important for a collectible Garand but not for a shooter. For a shooter the main criteria are how the gun functions, the condition of the bore and the headspace. And although the most desirable M1s are those made by Winchester, some sellers may charge slightly more for a Garand with a Winchester receiver even though the rest of the parts are not marked “W.R.A.”

As a rule, there is a premium for Garands with all matching parts, even rebuilds. But it is often difficult if not impossible to tell whether a Garand has been reassembled with parts from another gun. Obviously, most of them have. Determining the degree of finish—making sure all the parts have the same amount of wear and that the Parkerizing colors match—is one method. When in doubt, try to find an experienced collector and get a second opinion. And if purchasing a minty gun for a minty price, insist on getting a detailed bill of sale.

Another problem facing Garand purchasers is that, for some unknown reason, many former owners have felt compelled to sand or refinish the stocks, thereby removing or certainly dulling the original stampings. And then there is the matter of stock replacement itself.

I once acquired an otherwise pristine Garand that had been shipped to the Danish Navy, which replaced the original walnut stock with a birch monstrosity that looked like it had been carved with a jackhammer. The first thing I did was to replace the stock with a used GI version I found on eBay. If a government pedigree is not of concern, excellent repro stocks are offered by Boyd’s and Fulton Armory.

As for prices of original Garands, at a recent gunshow in Ventura, Calif., I found an aftermarket mash-up of parts (many from non-G.I. sources) for $600, while at Wally Beinfeld’s Antique Arms Show in Las Vegas two years ago, I saw a pristine, World War II Garand that looked like all it was lacking was the cosmoline. It also carried a $3,750 price tag. In between these two extremes are a number of World War II, Korean and import veterans.

If you want a top-of-the-line, historically correct reconditioned shooter, I’d suggest contacting someone like James River Armory where for approximately $1,250 (Winchesters are slightly higher) you can get an “arsenal reissued” restored Garand with new but properly cartouched stock, many with an accurate Criterion barrel. Miltech offers rebuilt M1 Garands with match-grade barrels for $1,795 plus M1-D Sniper Rifles for $3,250, complete with M84 scope.

Of course, one of the most popular go-to sources for M1 Garands is the CMP or Civilian Marksmanship Program, although recent runs on its reassembled but 100 percent authentic GI guns has been rapidly drying up supplies. Most of the lesser priced (i.e., Rack Grade) guns are currently sold out as are all Winchester Garands, but those still available include Field Grades at $625, Special Grades at $995 (which feature new stocks and Criterion barrels) and M1C Sniper Models (ranging from $1,600 to $3,000 but without scopes or cheek pads).

Still, the thing to remember is that 100 percent original Garands, while costing more, will always appreciate faster. Obviously, if you start to put wear and tear on these old warhorses, their values will diminish appropriately. On the other hand, if you purchase a low- to medium-grade shooter, it will always be worth about what you paid for it and over the long term might even appreciate in value slightly, given the ever declining supply of original M1s.

And keep in mind that the Garand was made to disassemble, so metal parts can easily be replaced, but once a wooden stock is gouged or cracked, it stays that way forever. And to my mind, there is nothing uglier than a rough-textured stock.

So my advice is to buy the very best Garand you can afford, shoot it, enjoy it, treat it with respect and, to paraphrase the old Army adage, take care of your Garand, and it will take care of you.

Long before Jack Carr was noticed for raising two pet moose, he was already famous.

An Alaska mail carrier at the turn of the 20th century, Carr spent his days crisscrossing the territory by dog sled, delivering mail between the Last Frontier and the contiguous United States.

In this role, Carr brought news of Alaska to a national audience. He was the first to confirm the Klondike Gold Rush in 1897, when he brought the news of gold to Seattle, the New York Times reported more than a century ago.

Only later, after moving to Washington state, did Carr procure and train two moose. He named them in honor of President William Taft and Taft’s daughter, Helen. The unusual pets brought Carr’s name to the headlines once again.

Despite the novelty and interest surrounding his pet moose, he wasn’t the only one domesticating moose during that era. From Fairbanks to Skagway, stories of pet ungulates were making the news.

‘Moose will go on vaudeville stage’

Carr’s name is scattered among various publications of the time, where he described the advances and ills of the era, from the destitute miners spending their scant money at saloons to the bustling population of Dawson City.

He took the first mail from Circle City by dog team in 1896, mushing down to Skagway, the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner wrote in 1960. The next year he purportedly traveled from St. Michael, at the mouth of the Yukon River, to Seattle. His journey took only 87 days, the article says, not including the days he rested.

By 1898, Carr was described as “one of the most famous mail carriers and travelers” among Yukon pioneers by the Klondike Nugget, based in Dawson City.

A few years later, Carr was again on the move.

A 1906 article from the Fairbanks Daily Times says that Carr, “the greatest of all mushers,” had “quit the business.” He and his wife were heading to Seattle, ending his mail contract between the Yukon-Koyukuk region.

The couple had already sold a trading post they owned in Fort Yukon. Carr had also secured a gold mining claim that “relieve(d) him from any further necessity of mushing or doing anything else save watching the other fellows work,” the article says.

(The later News-Miner article says, though, that he was still mushing in Alaska in 1908, so there is some discrepancy as to the end of his mail-carrying career. At some point, though, he ended up back in Interior Alaska, with two baby moose by his side.)

In November 1909, his image appeared in the Seattle Daily Times next to two moose calves. The article was dug up by Elizabeth Cook of the Tanana-Yukon Historical Society.

“Moose Will go on Vaudeville Stage,” the article’s headline proclaims. “Jack Carr, Pioneer of Alaska, Educating Animals He Caught in Far North for Theatrical Career.”

According to the article, Carr captured the twin calves near Circle City in the Interior when they were 6 days old. He fed them condensed milk and oatmeal until they were more fully grown.

He named the two moose Bill and Helen, after President William Taft and his daughter.

Bill and Helen were brought to Seattle via steamship and train, where they lived in an enclosure on Carr’s property, the article says.

Undated images of the two moose fully grown show that he succeeded in training them to pull him in a sulky, a light, two-wheeled carriage. Another image shows a moose standing on two legs and Carr standing on a pedestal, smiling at his domesticated creature.

Eventually, Carr got bored of living in Seattle, the News-Miner reported. He moved to the now-abandoned town of Katalla, Alaska, where he lived for the rest of his life. It’s unclear when or if the moose went with him.

Moose-mounted cavalry?

Today, of course, all of this would be illegal. State law bans the keeping of game animals as pets. Moose can be kept in captivity only under certain circumstances, by zoos and other permitted facilities.

But long before the Gold Rush, other Arctic regions were experimenting with domesticating moose.

In the 1700s, Swedish King Carl XI used moose as riding animals for couriers. He also planned to make moose-mounted cavalry regiments, an idea that was presented later to the Academy of Science in Stockholm as an alternative to importing horses. The idea never took hold, though; the animals’ untrainable nature and susceptibility to disease made them less preferable to horses.

In the 1930s, Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin also hoped moose would replace horses in cavalry regimes but the idea was eventually abandoned. Moose domestication projects in Russia continue today, mostly selling moose milk and serving as tourist attractions.

Meanwhile, in Alaska’s territorial days, there were no laws against keeping moose, and another famous Alaskan, J. Bernard Moore of Skagway, also had his own family pet.

Carnation the moose

The Moore family settled in Skagway Bay in 1887. Ten years later – after J. Bernard Moore successfully predicted that a gold rush would flood the valley with stampeders – their homestead was overrun with men heading north.

The city of Skagway was born, and for a short time, one of the most famous residents was a young bull moose.

The tale of J. Bernard “Ben” Moore’s moose is related in detail in “Skagway: City of the New Century” by Jeff Brady.

Moore inherited the moose in Seattle in 1899 from a miner who had brought the creature down from Canada. Its name: Carnation.

Carnation arrived in Skagway incognito. Eventually, Moore taught the moose to be put in harness, and he decided to hitch Carnation to a wagon and parade through town.

A local newspaper described the scene:

“All idle eyes in the business center of the city yesterday afternoon were amused by the sight of a fine specimen of the monarch of the woods, a moose, parading in the streets in harness and subservient to man,” the Skaguay News wrote on Dec. 30, 1899.

During his short tenure as a local attraction, Carnation was photographed, featured in stories and visited frequently, Brady writes. In 1900, the 2-year-old moose died, with his death attributed to gluttony – eating “too much clover,” a newspaper reported at the time.

Moore buried Carnation on his property and mounted the moose’s head above the piano in his home. Moore’s homestead is today a National Historical Landmark.

‘Asked many times to keep the moose out of the saloon’

A brief history of pet moose wouldn’t be complete without the infamous tale of one in Fairbanks that in 1913 annoyed city officials so much they crafted an ordinance against it.

Fairbanks bartender Pete Buckholtz acquired his calf from hunters, Alaska Dispatch News columnist Dermot Cole writes in his book “Fairbanks: A Gold Rush Town that Beat the Odds.”

The moose was fed potatoes and stale bread in winter months, and sometimes willow branches cut by Buckholtz. It was broken to harness and, like the other pet moose, could be hitched to a sled.

Docile and affectionate, the moose followed its owner around, including into the saloon where Buckholtz worked.

“Buckholtz had been asked many times to keep the moose out of the saloon, but he refused,” Cole writes.

Mayor Andrew Nerland decided that he had to do something about this nuisance moose. While the city didn’t have the power to ban the possession of a live moose, they found a loophole: They could ban moose from city sidewalks. And so they did, preventing the moose from legally entering the saloon.

If you have more information about historical game animals as pets, or any of the above men profiled, please email reporter Laurel Andrews at [email protected].

Alaska Dispatch Publishing

Introduction

The straight answer to this question is yes, you can fire common 7.62X51 military ammo in any currently produced rifle chambered for .308 Winchester. However, there is more than one reason for this evaluation.

The 7.62×51 NATO cartridge is specific and it is built for military specifications. The reason is to make the round able to operate both belt-fed machine guns and semi-automatic rifles. The current specification for 7.62×51 is a pressure limit of 50,000 psi. And it is best for operating the M14, machine guns, and other semi-auto gas guns that the military uses.

As for the .308 Winchester ammunition, the pressure limit is SAAMI standardized at 62.000 psi. It makes a slight difference in cartridge specs between the military round and the .308 Winchester as currently produced. Therefore, the basic understanding is that the military cartridge will fit and fire in currently produced .308 rifles.

Normally, in a typical gun saloon bar discussion, the most heated debate is asking a bunch of people about the differences between .308 Winchester and 7.62x51mm NATO. There is a variety of responses that often include

• They are not different
• There is a difference
• They might be different

Weirdly all those statements are all quite true. As it may be confusing to grasp, this article will try to explain it in a way that you will not bash your brains out. I will try to be void of making you read all the nuances of things like piezo transducers.

There are only limited categories of comparison and this will pretty much mess things up.

Understanding the Difference Between 7.62×51 and 308 Winchester

Before we delve much further, I must address this often-posed question “Are the 7.62×51 NATO and .308 Winchester the same?”

Again, the answer is NO. It is because of the differences in maximum pressures and the chamber specs. Nobody makes a 7.62mm (NATO) ammo that is not fitting to the .308 ‘headspace’ dimension spec. As a rule, this makes the 7.62mm ammo fit into .308 chambers.

But if you go the other way, you can encounter problems. A commercial .308 Winchester round exceeds the maximum rated pressure for the 7.62×51 ammo. If this is the case, avoid putting full-power .308 Win rounds into military rifles designed for a maximum pressure of 50,000 psi.

7.62 vs .308 – Pressure

The pressure is where most people get confused when analyzing the two ammo. The maximum pressure numbers for the two calibers are 50,000 psi for 7.62 and 62,000 psi for .308. At a glance, it appears to be a big difference and a reason to consider it unsafe to fire. The logic is, do not fire a higher pressure commercial .308 cartridge in a rifle built for 7.62x51mm NATO.

While it is true that a .308 ammo has a slightly higher pressure than 7.62x51mm NATO, the reality is that the brass and chambers are the issues to understand.

Here you must concentrate on the details. I put it that the 50,000 number is an accurate representation of copper units of pressure or CUP. It is a less precise way to measure pressure, as the method relies on looking at how much little copper disks compress when you fire the gun.

As things are, there is no consistent mathematical formula that equates CUP to pounds per square inch (PSI). The difference, therefore, in this specific case lies somewhere around 8,000. What this implies is that the maximum pressure for 7.62x51mm NATO is about 58,000 psi and not so far from 62,000 figures for the .308 Winchester.

If both loads are routinely proof tested at far higher levels, the 4,000 difference will not alter the trajectory.

7.62 NATO vs .308 Winchester – Case thickness

Measuring the thickness of the cartridge is quite challenging. I have developed a simpler way of doing it and it helps explain the difference. The process involves the representation of all sets of ammo. From my big bucket selection, I took both the .308 Winchester and 7.62x51mm NATO brass and weighed them. I further picked several of each from different brands and averaged the weights. I could not measure the cases because I had not fired them yet. And also because it will not tell me much other than the general size of the chamber from which they were fired.

The Winchester .308 weighs 163.3 grains while the Lake City 7.62x51mm NATO weighs 183.5 grains. As you can see this is a significant difference. When the thicker walls combine with similar exterior dimensions this means less powder capacity and the result is a lower- top end. All else the same, the result is a lower velocity and pressure.

The thicker brass of 7.62 cases is a significant factor and you will understand it better in what we discuss next.

7.62 NATO vs .308 Winchester – Headspace

The headspace is where we will get to the real difference. Military rifles for 7.62x51mm NATO usually do have longer chambers. There is a need for reliable feeding and there can be slack if you consider firing a machine gun powered with ammo made from all over the world. The operation needs to be smooth considering all the force used between the feeding and ejection process.

The solution is making the chamber headspace a bit longer. The headspace is the distance from the bolt face to the point in the chamber that stops the forward motion of the cartridge case. Therefore if headspace is too small, the bolt will not close properly or will require excess force to close. And if the chamber headspace is too long for a cartridge, it will float back and forth in the chamber.

The .308 Winchester chamber headspace is between 1.630 and 1.6340 inches. While that for 7.62x51mm NATO is between 1.6355 and 1.6405 inches. The slight difference in size might not seem like a big deal until you fire a thinner brass in a long-chambered rifle. The disaster is that the brass will stretch, perhaps enough to lead to a dangerous case rupture.

However, if you try the same with a thicker military brass, it is no big deal because of the way the system is designed. Using a thicker brass makes it handle the extra stretching into a longer chamber throat. The solution to the title question is to know your rifle and what its headspace is. Once you know this info you will determine if it is safe to shoot a .308 Winchester ammo in a 7.62 chamber.

How Can I Know if My Headspace is Safe?

To know if your headspace is safe is not a challenging task. You can use the set of .308 Winchester Go / No-Go headspace gauges. Use the gauges to check the chamber size. The bolt should close easily on a Go gauge and not close on a No-Go gauge. Also, the field gauge checks the maximum published chamber size. With some 7.62 rifles, you might find that the bolt still closes on the No-Go gauge. As long as the bolt closes, you are still within maximum published limits.

The Technicalities

In terms of specifications, there are differences, more so in the chambers of rifles designed to fire each cartridge. For the 7.62 brass is a bit thicker, and with the .308 is sometimes loaded to be slightly higher pressure. Other than that, the cartridges are pretty much the same.

One way to be entirely safe is to remain conservative and only fire 7.62x51m NATO in 7.62 chambered rifles and .308 Winchester in .308 rifles.

A final risk spectrum is just a scenario. In the case of using 7.62x51mm NATO ammo in a .308 chamber. In theory, you might run across particularly long ammo. Such ammo might not chamber or might require undue pressure to the chamber. The result could be dangerously high pressure. While such a scenario is highly unlikely as the 7.62 ammo to be significantly longer, is a pretty rare thing. It is why not most people will consider it a big deal to use 7.62 ammo in a .308 chambered rifle.

The Reverse Is Not True

However, you need to be careful while using .308 Winchester commercial ammo in a 7.62x51mm NATO chambered rifle. Even though the most modern 7.62 chambers tend to be cut almost closer to match the .308 dimensions, it is always safe to know exactly what you have in terms of headspace. If your rifle has a long headspace, stick to 7.62 NATO ammo. Do not use the .308 Winchester.

Great gear to bring along when visiting the range!

Conclusion

If you put everything else into consideration then the actual pressure differences between the .308 Win. and 7.62 NATO is not that large. However, it is a point of concern. Nonetheless, a tight chamber or an overly dirty chamber could pose a pressure issue. You don’t want to risk damaging a firearm and certainly never wish to see anyone hurt from negligence. It is why it is important to keep the golden rule in mind. A .308 Winchester chamber rifle can handle both .308 Win. and 7.62 NATO ammo safely, but a 7.62 rifle is only safe for a 7.62 NATO ammo.

When you see someone participating in an air rifle shooting competition, you may notice that they are wearing a particular type of clothing. This clothing is not just for show – it serves a specific purpose that helps the shooter to be successful. In this blog post, we’ll take a closer look at why air rifle shooters wear suits and how it helps them to improve their performance.

What’s with the funny outfits in the Olympic shooting?

The first reason why air rifle shooters wear suits is for support. The jacket and pants are usually made from a stiff material, such as canvas, which helps to support the shooter’s body and minimize movement.

This is important because small body movements can have a significant impact on the accuracy of the shot. The shooting jacket and pants also have rough material on contact points, such as the elbows and shoulders. This helps keep the muscles from getting tense while holding the gun.

Another reason why air rifle shooters wear suits is for consistency and accuracy. The shoes that shooters wear have very stiff, flat, oversized soles, which keep the feet from moving.

Lastly, the gloves that shooters wear help to protect their hands from getting blisters or calluses from holding the gun tightly for an extended period of time.

Rear more >>> What is the fastest FPS air rifle?

You can listen to Gold medalist Ginny Thrasher explaining more here:

Maine is blessed with a healthy, stable population of black bear, conservatively estimated at 35,000. Statewide we average 9 bears/100 square miles; in our area, WMD 9, the percentage is much higher. Our region in north central Maine, is a consistent producer of adult bears each season and the new state record bear weighing 699 lbs. was taken on a bear bait less than 20 miles from our lodge in 2012. In the areas we hunt, our hunters consistently tag better than 1 out of every 3 bears taken here each fall. That is not due to sheer numbers but the quality of the hunt. As bear hunting outfitters we limit each weekly hunt to 10 participants, to ensure personalized service. We have hunted this area since 1995 and know how to do it right! We manage our hunting area for a sustainable harvest, consulting with the state bear biologist for harvest goals to maintain a healthy, stable population of mature bears.

Our goal is to provide you the hunter an opportunity to harvest a mature Maine Black Bear dressing over 200 lbs. (add approx. 17% for live weight). Bears reach full adult size, at about 4-6 years of age. Boars average 250-600 pounds and measure 5-6 feet from tip of nose to the tip of their tail. Females are smaller, weighing 100-400 pounds, and measuring 4-5 feet in length. Males stand about 40 inches tall at the shoulder whereas sows seldom exceed 30 inches in height. We have virtually 100% sightings for each hunter and over 90% success rate. (Some good bears are passed by discriminating, returning hunters waiting for a bigger trophy than their last bruin.) Year after year we have about one third of our hunters coming back for another hunt.

The four-week bait season for bear varies slightly each year, but is generally the last week of August through the third week of September. The state tabulations for 2018 (latest available at this time) show the following:

Nonresident hunters took 63% (2,064) of the 3,314 bears tagged and 92% (1,903) of them were on guided hunts. 94% (3,127) were adult bears and 57% were males. 74% of successful hunters took their bear over bait

The numbers show that your very best chance to shoot a mature Maine black bear is to book with a reputable guide and outfitter. And of course we hope you will consider Northern Pride Lodge for your Maine bear hunt.

Choosing Your Bear Hunting Guide or Outfitter

There are many bear outfitters or bear guides to choose from. Make your choice carefully. We are avid hunters ourselves, and we strive to provide to you the type of hunt that we would look for when we are booking a guided hunt. Here are some of the things that set us apart from other operations:

• We have sighting in at the range upon arrival and orientation meetings the first night. Often a Game Warden will join us for our evening meal and you will gain a world of insight from his experience. After dinner, we review recent game camera pictures, and explain how to judge the size of a bear, shot placement and share many tips.
• Our stands are comfortable and safe, 15 foot steel ladder stands certified by the Treestand Manufacturer’s Association. We require safety straps and have plenty available if you do not have one.
• Our sites are pre-baited starting in July (when the law first allows), monitored by game cameras to pattern the bears’ activity for up to 30 days prior to your hunt (see pictures on right), and set up with our prevailing winds in mind.
• We set our stands to provide bow hunters 16-20 yard shots and gun hunters with 30-35 yard shots.
• Stands are set for left- or right-handed shooters and have shooting rails or bow hangers, as needed by the hunter.
• We have many bear bait sites in several different areas. We hunt one area each hunt week, ensuring that each week’s hunters, throughout the season, can hunt “fresh” areas.
• We place you on active sites, monitored with game cameras and we have multiple sites available for each hunter. You won’t get stuck staring at the same scenery day after day. 100% sightings.
• Our guides deliver you directly to your stand, make sure you are situated and freshen the bait (which is included in your hunt, no additional fees, no up-selling to a “premium bait.” Every stand gets the best.)
• Each hunter is provided a radio for safety and quick response by your guide.
• We will field dress and hang your bear in our cooler shed. We have good butchers and taxidermists we can recommend as well.
• We provide scent free soap, and advice on scent management as well as keeping your hunting clothing scent-free.
• Always ethical, lawful hunting. Never cited for a violation.

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How We Run Our Bear Hunts Here in Maine

Our bear hunting packages provide a great opportunity to harvest a big game trophy that eludes many hunters who have spent a lifetime in the woods. The thrill of seeing a mature boar or sow silently appear at the edge of your vision is enough to get anyone’s heart beating faster!

The way we set up our hunts and bait sites makes it easily enjoyed by anyone capable of climbing a ladder. We accommodate bow hunters, muzzleloaders, pistol and rifle hunters and we have stands to accommodate right- or left-handed hunters, at comfortable, confident shooting distances. Youths can get a youth license and hunt, accompanied by an adult; at 16 years old they can hunt on their own. We can set a pair of stands together for a parent and child shared hunt and a lifelong memory for both. On the other hand, we have had hunters in their 80’s bag their bear! Your guide will drive you to within easy walking distance and get you settled into the stand. We can also accommodate couples or those unable to climb with ground blinds.

Radios are provided for immediate access to your guide when you need him. He will come and collect you at the stand at the end of legal shooting time and take you back to the lodge for the evening meal and yarns.

Comfortable rooms and plenty of good hot food [see menu for representative meals] will be ready for you. It is always a great time of sharing stories with fellow hunters. With a limit of 10 hunters per week, you will get a chance to reunite with returning friends and to make new ones. The camaraderie between bear hunters is a special aspect of our kind of people. When we mention repeat customers let’s just say that we are not talking about everybody who ever came a second time. We have hunters that come year after year and even have a couple standing reservations for every year. We earn that loyalty and it bring us great joy. We will do everything we can to assure you have a great time on your own Maine bear hunt.

Typical Day – What to Expect on Your Bear Hunt

This is a gear list (note this as additional page) of what we recommend you have on your hunt. You can always call us to discuss special needs or ask advice on equipment and gear. We’ve probably seen it all over the years.

Your hunt with us starts with a Sunday afternoon arrival. We serve our Prime Rib dinner around 5 pm and afterward have a get together with all the staff and the weeks’ hunters, so that everyone can get to know each other. After dinner we meet in our gathering area to give everyone a rundown on what the week will be like and to answer any questions you may have. This covers all aspects of your hunt and your time at the lodge. We discuss bear behavior and review game camera photos, how to judge bear size, where to place your shot and what to do after the shot. When available, we have our local warden here to help cover local hunting laws and issues that they have encountered during previous bear seasons. This is a very informative yet casual gathering and we have been complimented many times on how helpful it has been to the hunters.

Your hunting day starts with breakfast at about 7 am. While you are enjoying your meal, your guides will be out putting fresh bait at each site and inspecting the bear sign from the previous feeding. Your morning can be spent fishing on our lake or on the nearby Roach River, which can be excellent at this time of year. Some hunters also try their luck at calling coyotes.

Lunch is our big dinner of the day and is served about Noon. After eating, you will shower and get ready to go out for the afternoon hunt. Transportation to and from your bait site is included. Wayne corrals everyone about 2:30-3:00 pm and begins to deliver hunters to the sites. You will be walked into the bait site and your guide will wait while you climb into the 15-foot ladder, T.M.A. certified tree stand, clip in to your safety line and get comfortable. Each hunter is given a radio, for safety and so when a bear is shot, the guides can respond quickly, to recover the bear. On occasion we have big bears feeding on baits in the mornings. When this happens we will sometimes put a hunter out in the AM.

Legal hunting hours end ½ hour after sunset each day. If you have not had an opportunity for a shot and are still in your stand, the guides pick up each hunter at the end of legal shooting. Your bear guide will walk in to the stand by flashlight, in order to assist you in exiting, but also to ‘spook’ any nearby bears so that they do not peg a hunter descending from the stand. Once all of the hunters have been picked up, you arrive back at the waterfront lodge to a hearty meal and tales of bear sightings and bears shot.

Book your Bear Hunt Now

We still have openings for this season so give us a call at (207) 695-2890 to hear our competitive rates and reserve your bear hunt. We are often asked which week is the most opportune to hunt. Over the entire season we have consistent success and large bears have been taken early and late in the season. Our numerous bait sites allow us to keep entire areas fresh for each successive week’s hunters. So, week 1, week 2 or week 3, you can be confident of bear sightings and shot opportunities.

Licenses are available locally or online. Check the state’s Bear Hunting Page for current regulations, license and permits fees.

Testimonials

“Thank you for the wonderful time I spent at your lodge. If anyone says they had a better bear hunt or food somewhere else they’re just plain lying.”

Joe, Georgia

“I just wanted to say thanks again for the great bear hunt I had with you this fall. Your lodge was comfortable, warm and squeaky clean. The menu was outstanding and the meals couldn’t have been better.”

“The success of your hunters is due in the most part to Wayne’s hard work and positive attitude. The fact that most of the hunters saw bear every night speaks volumes for your hunts. Of course, the best part of Northern Pride Lodge is the friendly atmosphere you provide. From the time I arrived I felt welcome and at home in your lodge.

“It’s not often that you do something that really, really exceeds your expectations but this was one of them!”

Dave, New York

“You have a really great hunting service and my hunting experience with you was just incredible and it was exceptionally exciting. …it was your attitude, friendliness and exceptionally good nature that made my stay in your house feel like my own home. All of the meals were really extraordinary, even overwhelming.”

Ellis, Georgia

Gear List – Bear Hunter’s Checklist:

Weapons: .270’s and the .30 calibers are all good choices, as are shotguns with slugs and muzzleloaders. .44 mag and larger hand guns with a good solid-base bullet, and bows and crossbows are also effective options. Sight guns in for 30 yards. We will check all guns at the range before hunting.

Safety Harness: We require a safety harness in our tree stands. If you do not have one, don’t worry-we have plenty to loan out.

Clothing: Dark camo clothing head to toe, hat, face mask and gloves. Must be quiet clothing. Scent elimination is a must, so keep your hunting clothes scent free. Clothes should be warm weather or something comfortable for 40° – 65° and sitting still for about 4 hours. Also bring rain gear, just in case.

Flashlight or headlamp: whichever is your preference.

Pee bottle (you don’t want to get in and out of the tree stand)

Boots: I prefer rubber boots or at least rubber bottoms

Coolers to take your meat back in

Slippers or something to slip into when you get back to the lodge (no muddy, bloody boots worn in the lodge, please)

Rain Gear: quiet, dark camo pattern

Seat Cushions: some stands have them, some don’t. Bring one just in case, if you can.

You will need proof of a current hunting license in your home state or proof of completing a hunter safety course in order to get your Maine hunting license. Maine hunting licenses can be obtained prior to coming to Maine by logging onto Maine Inland Fisheries & Wildlife. Don’t forget, you need a big game license or archery license and a bear permit.

A fishing license is also required, if you intend to fish. The fly-fishing-only Roach River can be spectacular in September. Fishing licenses are also available locally, if you’d like to wait until you’ve taken your bear.

Rates

Visit our hunting pricing page for rates and options.

Twenty years of chasing cougars with my own dogs have taught me that we in the outdoor media do a lousy job of explaining lion hunting. Even experienced hunters with good dogs finish second much of the time, a fact that too many stories ignore. Even on successful chases, magazine articles and TV programs commonly cut quickly to the tree, the shot, and the dead cat, which makes the process look pretty easy.

Now I invite you to tag along on a real-world lion chase. When we’re done, you can draw your own conclusions.

There are more late-crossing lions in the imagination than in the woods. The term refers to a cat that has crossed the road behind you after you’ve driven up a canyon, searching for a track left the night before. Sign from a late-crosser is a welcome sight because it guarantees a fresh track. Most days, the possibility of spotting tracks made behind you does little more than help you stay awake at the start of a long drive home.

But these tracks were clear, coming down off a bank we’d passed just an hour before.

First spotting them in the headlights, I wrote them off as elk tracks we’d seen on the way in. But something didn’t look right.

I stood on the brakes, and my hunting partner, John, and I jumped out. No doubt about it – we were looking at a tom’s track right on top of our tire tread.

After waiting 20 minutes for legal shooting light – a requirement for turning dogs out in Montana – we walked to the back of the truck for Robbie, John’s bluetick, and Sadie, my walker. As the pair yapped off through the gloom, I fully expected to hear them barking treed before we left the vehicle.

“This one should be about as easy as it gets,” I commented while squirming into my backpack.

Yeah, right.

Although I’d treed cats for others, I hadn’t shot one myself in five years. Now I was the designated hitter, and although I like to downplay the shooting of a cat at the end of a hunt, I confess that the hunt is always more exciting when that role falls to you. As the sound of the chase crossed a creek and disappeared over a ridge, I felt especially eager as we set off in pursuit.

More than a foot of fresh powder snow had fallen that week, and I’d thought about strapping snowshoes to my pack before leaving the truck. But not wanting to pack them through the brush on the mountainside, I decided against it, which seemed like a good idea at the time. Of course, that’s probably what Custer said about his decision at the Little Bighorn.

By the time we’d crossed the first ridge and descended into another creek bottom, the dogs were out of earshot. The track led up a steep mountainside, where deep snow wasn’t a problem under the tree canopy. However, the layer closest to the ground had frozen, and the loose powder on top of it was as slick as grease. We took two steps forward and one step back all the way to the top.

A mile down the ridge, the trail took a confusing turn as we ran into a chaotic jumble of tracks going in different directions. We did find bounding lion tracks where the dogs had jumped the cat, but rocky cliffs below made it impossible to see what had gone where, and blowing snow blurred dog and cat tracks. To complete the confusion, John found lion prints disappearing back into the timber where we’d just come out – with no dog tracks on top of them.

One possible explanation for such confusion is multiple lions. Despite inherently low population densities, cats have a way of finding each other in those lonely hills. It was also possible that a lion kill lay nearby. In any case, fresh lion tracks would do us no good without dogs. So we hunkered down in the timber and waited for them to show up.

But they didn’t. As much as we hated the thought of losing the elevation we had gained, we split up and picked our way down the far hillside, trying to work out the muddle. The blowing snow wasn’t helping, but at one point I was sure I had running lion tracks with dog tracks on top of them. At the bottom, John found the same going on up the next mountain. Although something didn’t feel right, we decided to follow the track.

The second mountainside wasn’t as demanding as the one we’d climbed earlier until we approached the top, where we encountered a maze of steep, rocky cliffs. Ascending one vertical chimney proved nearly impossible without technical climbing gear, but somehow we powered our way up through it.

Another mile down this ridge we encountered more bounding cat tracks; the dogs had caught up with the lion again. Then we entered an area of blowing snow and got separated as we tried to work out the track. By the time I finally picked it up again down in the timber, John’s boot tracks were on top of it, but we were out of earshot. We wouldn’t see each other again for hours.

The chase led back downhill in the direction from which we’d just come. If the dogs had a cat treed on the hillside, I should have been able to hear them. The track I was following led right back toward the spot where we’d first got confused.

A sinking feeling hit me in the pit of my stomach as I finally deduced what had happened. By the time we were waiting on the last ridge, the cat and dogs had already run the loop we’d just spent three bruising hours following! The lone track sneaking back across the ridge had been our cat, and the dogs were lost somewhere on the mountainside.

Back at the creek bottom we’d crossed earlier, I paused to take stock. Our lion hunt was over. I’d been on the trail for seven hours. The dogs were lost, the weather was deteriorating, and limited light remained. It was time to consider priorities. The first order of business was planning my route out of the woods. The dogs came second. I didn’t know where John was, but he would take care of himself.

The wisest choice in these situations is usually to return the way you came, but I knew the creek bottom eventually led to the road. Even though that route was longer, it would save me a long climb.

Then the faint sound of a lost dog’s barking rose above the wind down the creek. That finalized my decision, and after slogging through a mile of snow, I was overjoyed to find dog tracks. Then Robbie and Sadie appeared from the trees. The team was nearly reassembled. All I had to do was get us home, which should have been easy, given the open terrain along the bottom.

However, snow had blown, drifted, and settled on the open ground. Worse yet, the crusted snow was almost, but not quite, firm enough to support my weight. The conditions were perfect for snowshoes – but you know where mine were.

I will admit to being one tired pup by the time I reached the side road that would eventually lead back to the vehicle. Even the well-conditioned hounds were dragging, and we were still two miles from the truck.

Then the most welcome sight imaginable appeared – John had taken the shorter route out, and using the ESP that hunting partners develop after years together in the field, he had figured out exactly where I’d be. The sight of both hounds was probably as welcome to him as the warm truck was to me.

The cat may have won that chess match, but we knew we’d been on an honest lion hunt, with no help from snow machines or radio tracking collars. And that’s the simple tale of a lion chase that was supposed to be as easy as it gets.

It’s a year later now, and the new lion season has just begun. On opening day, the alternator on my truck went out in the middle of nowhere right after we spotted the first cat track of the season. Rather than risk more confusion, John and Scott, a friend visiting from Alaska, stayed with the dead vehicle while I spent eight hours hiking out of the woods to a telephone from which I could call my wife Lori to come rescue us. My 60-year-old legs were already aching, and I had yet to turn Sadie out on a cat.

But yesterday’s events perfectly illustrate the other side of lion hunting. We crossed a smoking fresh tom track right at sunrise, and the dogs were barking at the tree by the time we’d slipped on our packs. Scott drove the arrow home with his recurve, and less than an hour later we were back at my resurrected truck with Scott’s first lion.

“You’re a lucky hunter,” I told Scott as we loaded the dogs back into the vehicle. “That chase was about as easy as they get.”

“I know,” he replied. “I almost wish it had been harder.”

“Are you sure?” I asked with a laugh, and then we were bouncing back down the road looking for the next set of tracks.

Adventuresome Bowman Don Thomas lives in rural Montana with his bowhunting wife, Lori. Don’s 15 outdoor books are available through www.donthomasbooks.com.

The current handheld weapon selection is not only lacking in variety, but has only the wrong kind of variety for this game. The upgrades to the Automatic Rifle are basic stat changes that barely add anything to the feel of progression in survival. Worse, the Elite AR is, almost without exception, the most effective handheld weapon in any scenario, removing any kind of interesting decision in the late game. Because of this, I’m suggesting these changes:

General changes:

• Scrap the weapon upgrade system. If we want to have future weapons, they would likely need to conform to the framework of two beneficial sidegrades and one elite weapon. This becomes difficult to use properly as soon as weapons that aren’t normal guns come into play, and SE would benefit much more from the aforementioned weapons than it would from several variants of normal guns. Progression can easily come from other sources, and handheld weapons are at best an engineer’s last resort.
• Add reloading. Seriously, the R key is unbound by default IIRC and we already have bottles with a fill value. It can’t be too hard to repurpose that code to deal with firing and reloading. Even though the hotbar creates some awkward management, it shouldn’t be difficult to simply pick the first inventory slot with a gun.

New Weapon: Mag-pistol

The basic weapon. It’s cheap, with low range, damage, capacity, and rate of fire, and uses power as well as ammo to fire. Both the gun and ammo would be made in a Survival Kit with only Iron and Nickel, and it would replace the Automatic Rifle (and ammo) that come in the drop pod. The only reason to use it is that it’s better than going hand-to-hand with a Sabiroid.

New Weapon: Rocket Launcher

This should be the go-to weapon if you need to deal damage to a large grid and don’t have a ship. It would be slow-firing, with an ammo capacity of one, large, and inaccurate, but it can do the job. If you can carry enough ammo around to actually score a hit. Of course, it uses standard rockets for ammo and the rockets deal normal rocket damage.

I’d have it take Cobalt to make, so that new players don’t immediately go for it as a weapon and to set up a neat bit of proper progression if Keen ever takes the Uranium and Platinum out of rockets to make them viable.

Weapon Rebalance: Automatic Rifle

The default AR isn’t bad. I’d decrease range and accuracy a little though, as it seems strange that you can deal effective damage at the same range as a Gatling Turret on a ship. Also, so that the Rocket Launcher has a more strongly defined role as an offensive weapon against large grids vs. the AR’s more defensive role that’s actually useful against small ships.

I’ve tried to go for minimalism in this, because of SE’s focus on ship building instead of suit-based PvP and limited dev time. The Mag-pistol is necessary to survive a planet with hostiles turned on unless you find Magnesium immediately. The AR is necessary to deal effective damage at a distance. The Rocket Launcher is necessary to damage buildings or structures without a ship. All three of them use already-existing mechanics, so they shouldn’t be difficult to implement, and they additionally create a rough sort of progression without having one optimal solution to suit combat at the top.

This is my first real suggestion, so I’d definitely like feedback. I can’t notice all the issues, and I’m always trying to improve my ideas.

• This article on turkey hunting is featured in the Midwest edition of March’s Game & Fish Magazine. Learn how to subscribe

When I started turkey hunting as a clueless 14-year-old, the loudest voices in the expert turkey space all said the same thing:

Yelp three times and shut up. Those were the dark ages of turkey hunting.

Since then, we’ve learned just how conversational turkeys can be—and how deep their vocabulary really is. To be a consistently successful turkey hunter, you need to understand this proclivity for conversation and know how to interact with turkeys accordingly.

1. YELPS

If you can’t yelp, you can’t call turkeys. This call functions to serve several purposes. The ladies use it to keep track of one another (gobblers too, just less frequently). Hens also use it to rope in a randy gobbler, and a good series of yelps often leads to other calls as intensity ramps up.

The key to understanding yelps is grasping cadence and structure. A yelp is a two-note call that drops off sharply at the end. Most beginners default to a one-note yelp, and it doesn’t work.

They also string their yelps together too quickly, which sounds unnatural. Whether you use a diaphragm call, slate or box, think “slow and purposeful” with your two-part yelps.

2. PURRS

Most of the purring you’ll hear from wild turkeys will come from hens as they preen themselves and slowly, contentedly pick their way past your blind. When birds fight, especially gobblers, they’ll engage in a souped-up purr that often transitions into other calls, but what most hunters should think about is the softer version. This is an all-clear, confidence-boosting call.

Whether you channel your inner Cajun and roll your Rs with a mouth call or drag a striker softly across a slate, this call is for close birds that need a little coaxing to cross the red line. It’s a great way to convince a hung-up gobbler that he should cover the last 50 or so yards.

3. CLUCKS

The cluck, a one-note sound that might remind you of that of a chicken, falls close to the purr on the vocalization spectrum. Content turkeys cluck, just like they purr. The two sounds are often made back-to-back, and if you learn how to do this, you can further sell the ruse that all is good with your faux flock.

The easiest way to do this is to end a purr on a slate call with a quick, soft pop of the striker. The key here is subtlety, just like it is if you make clucks with a mouth call. Content birds don’t scream their lungs out, so you want to keep your library voice going here. Again, if you’ve got birds that are hung up or respond negatively to more aggressive calling, clucking might be the ticket.

4. CUTTS

Cutting is the “come at me, bro” of the turkey vocabulary—though, technically, it’s more of a “come at me, sis.” This sound, which really ramps birds up, can be made like a cluck on a slate call but with some serious force and rapid-fire succession. It often triggers a dominant response from hens, which usually pulls in the boyfriends and can turn a dead setup into an action-packed gobble fest.

The cutt is also easy to make with a mouth call, but probably best created with a box call. Ensure you’re chalked up and confident, and tilt the paddle at as much an angle as you can. Then, bring it home with authority several times in a row.

Cutting, like all calling, is situationally specific. If you’ve got a hen that’s chatty, you’re off to a good start. You can also use the cutt around midday when nothing is going on, but you’ll want to start with softer yelps and purrs first. I often use two separate calls—a slate and a mouth call, for instance—to create calling sessions that sound like hens getting after one another. These sessions always lead to aggressive cutting, and they’ve brought in many longbeards over the years, especially on heavily pressured public ground.

5. GOBBLES

We all know what a gobble is, but most of us don’t actually know when to use it as a call. The best answer is “not very often.” Gobbling is something to consider if you know for certain that no one can potentially sneak up and shoot you with a load of No. 4s. It’s also a last resort for a hung-up gobbler that you can see but who just doesn’t believe your normal turkey talk. Occasionally, the competition aspect of throwing a gobble into the mix does the trick and you can coax a longbeard in closer.

There are gobble-shaker calls out there, but you can also hold a box call upside down and quickly shake it back and forth for a passable gobble. If you’re confident with a mouth call, you can shake your head like a lunatic and create a loud, realistic-sounding gobble that will have spit flying and your snoozing hunting partner checking his underwear. While a gobble might not be a great call for very many situations when you want to draw a longbeard into range, it’s an excellent locator call. In fact, in my experience, it’s the best one out there.

Locator Lowdown

Play a productive game of Marco Polo with toms.

As discussed, if you can gobble, you can get turkeys to gobble, which is the whole point of a locator call. Also, as mentioned, it’s not always smart to go around sounding exactly like the thing everyone in the woods is trying to kill. Fortunately, you’ve got other options.

Crow calls, owl hooters and even peacock calls are all available to spring longbeard chasers who just need to hear a few real birds to devise a plan. If you’re trying to roost a bird, an owl hooter is tough to beat (although a gobble is as good or better). If you’re running and gunning all day long and just want a midday bird to sound off, try a simple crow call. The best for this is a series of five caws, with the first three drawn out and the last two made very quickly (listen to real crows and this will make sense).

CLUTCH CALLS

Seven of the best turkey calls to carry this spring

Owning—and knowing how to use—a variety of calls improves your odds in the spring. While plenty of options exist, running diaphragm calls like the Primos Veronica ($6.99; primos.com) is an excellent way to expand your vocabulary. This three-reed, spur-cut mouth call is designed so that users can produce everything from the high-pitched kee-kee to a low-and-slow raspy yelp. Another great option for mouth calls is the Hunter Specialties Tongue Series ($29.99; gsmoutdoors.com). A four-pack contains options for producing every sound a turkey can make thanks to the unique cuts of the latex.

Naturally, you’ll want more than diaphragm calls, and no turkey hunter worth his or her salt would be caught dead in the woods without a box call and a pot call. In the former category, it’s hard to find a better option than Zink’s Wicked Series Box ($119.99; zinkcalls.com). This premium call is hand-built, hand-tuned and is double-sided to allow for different tones. Pot call fanatics should check out Flextone’s Pot Luck Glass ($12.99; flextonegamecalls.com). This compact and weatherproof call is designed to keep working even when the rain comes, all while producing crisp, loud-as-you-need-them sounds.

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If you’re bugging out to the wilderness, or if you’re bugging in near the wilderness, trapping can be a great source of food. The major benefits are that once you’re set up, trapping doesn’t take up much time. If you intend to patrol your property anyway, checking the traps takes even less time. And if you lack the skills (or the ammunition) to hunt, bringing in protein through trapping can be very important.

Trapping might be successful for a short period of time in an urban area, assuming most humans have died of the disaster and therefore competition for this meat is low, but you’ll soon find you have to move to a more plentiful area.

Mostly, learning to trap benefits preppers in the wilderness. Even while you’re on the move, trapping in a wild enough area can bring in breakfast.

The Knowledge You Need to Start Trapping

To be a successful trapper, you need to have knowledge about the animal you are trying to trap. For this article, we’ll use rabbit or hare as our example.

It’s a plentiful animal that you’re likely to have wherever you’re trapping, and you can bait it with greens and veggies, a good trade for the potential of meat. Plus, skinning a rabbit is fairly easy for the beginner.

1. Diet: You need to know your animal’s diet in order to place and bait your trap effectively. A rabbit eats grasses and plants at ground level, so you should place your traps there. You can use many garden veggies to bait rabbits. If you find nuisance rabbits are eating in your garden, bait your trap with whatever they are favoring.
2. Tracks and terrain: You need to know where your target animal hangs out and what its tracks look like. Rabbit tracks are distinctive, with larger back feet and tiny front feet, moving together in a hop-pattern. It’ll be much easier to see these tracks in winter snow. In other seasons you’re more likely to see a game trail, a small path of beaten down grass which the animal frequently travels on.

As for terrain, rabbits like partly open fields full of clover, grasses and their other favorite foods. They tend to eat where shelter, in the form of bushes or logs, is nearby.

Rabbits are very habitual, which makes them a great target animal for the beginner. In fact, if you bug-in on your own property you’ll have a big advantage, because you’ll probably know where the rabbits like to hang out.

1. Scat, burrows and nests: You also need to know what the scat (poop) looks like and, to a lesser degree, what the burrows, dens, and resting places of your animal look like. Rabbits make pellets, like all herbivores, and they are tiny. Sometimes you’ll find them in a little pile on a rabbit path, and other times the rabbit will have hopped a little bit while doing its business.

A rabbit burrow is often a small hole (10-15 cm in diameter) dug into a slope. While it can be useful to identify a rabbit burrow, trapping right outside of it is often not a great idea.

Rabbits can take the time to really survey their environment from the burrow, and can easily retreat when they sense something is wrong. Plus, there will often be multiple exits, so a rabbit can avoid your trap.

Rabbits do not keep their babies in their burrows. Instead, they make separate shallow nests covered with their own hair and grasses. Mom will return once or twice a day to feed them. Don’t trap babies, or nursing moms, you won’t get much meat and you’re cutting into your own supply.

1. Other behavior: Some animals have more complex behavior and leave more complex signs, like scratch marks, that you will want to learn all about. The only extra detail I can think about for rabbits is their hours of activity: they are most active during dawn and dusk.
2. Legal information: There are legal restrictions on trapping. If this is a SHTF situation, you may not have to worry about that. But if it isn’t you need to read up on the laws specific to your state. Most areas require you affix your personal information to your traps, and only use certain types of traps, in certain areas, at certain times, with certain target species. Urban settings will have more requirements, which may limit you to using only live-traps and dog-proof traps.
3. Trap selection and placement: Trapping rabbits in a survival situation doesn’t require anything fancy, a simple snare will do., as long as you place it well, which takes practice. If you’d rather purchase, or are just trying to get some practice, body grip traps are the easiest for beginners, they also offer quick death. Start with just one kind of trap, master it, and move on. Eventually, you may also dabble in other accessories, like specialized bait, calls, smells, heavy-duty gloves, game bags, guns, clubs, and more.
4. Patience: So much of trapping is waiting. Don’t be discouraged when you initially don’t get anything. And, don’t move your traps for some time, as the more animals get used to a trap the more they will let their guard down around it. An empty but triggered trap, while frustrating, means the location is good.
5. Dispatch and harvesting: Dispatching is the kind word for killing. You want to do this as quickly and humanely as possible. Few trappers use guns, as most are trapping for furs and guns may cause considerable damage. Rabbits can be bludgeoned to death, or you can learn a technique that breaks their neck. Then, you’ll also have to learn how to harvest the rabbit, which is the kind way of saying skin it and process the meat.

Types of Survival Traps

For legal reasons, you are likely going to want to start out using purchased traps. Primitive, hand-made traps can be illegal, in part because they are usually less humane, and, could be a danger to humans if made large enough. But, you likely won’t have access to purchased traps while you’re bugging out. Knowing how to make a trap can get you a meal anywhere.

To make a survival trap you need a knife, cord, wood, and, optionally, bait. I suggest you start with the simplest traps, aiming for plentiful small or medium-sized animals.

Try to disturb the environment as minimally as possible so there’s nothing to indicate to the animal that you were there. Remember that animals will be using smell too, so make the trap off-sites, try to match materials to the trap location, and use gloves.

1. Simple Snare

A snare is simply a noose. As an animal moves through it, it pulls the noose tight. The more the animal struggles, the more firmly it is trapped.

• To make a snare, grab your cord and use one end to tie a simple overhand knot around the other.
• Play with the cord until the loop is about the size of your fist (this is for rabbit, bigger animals need bigger loops).
• Tie the other end of the string tightly onto something sturdy, a nearby tree branch, buried deep into the ground, will do.
• You can now prop up the noose with small, firmly planted sticks. Ideally, these will keep the noose open for the animal to walk into.

You can make a snare out of any string, wire, paracord, or natural cordage. However, remember that snare material needs to be strong. Even small animals will put up a fight, especially if they get caught a while before you show up.

My suggestions are to make simple snares ahead of time and place them in your bug-out-bag.

2. Spring Snare

To make a more successful trap, you can add a spring element to the snare. Young, small saplings can be harnessed to pull the small game up into the air after it is caught. This increases the chances the animal will die a quick death, and can help keep other animals from stealing your prey.

• To make a spring snare, first, find a young, green, bendable sapling. Then make a noose.
• Next, carve a trigger out of two pieces of wood. These pieces should lock into one another, but not too well. You want it to be barely holding on, that way, it triggers easily to catch your prey. The tension from the sapling will keep a properly flimsy trigger secure.
• Bury the bottom portion of the trigger in the ground. Or, carve it into something already in the ground.
• Tie the noose to the top portion of the trigger. Tie the top portion of the trigger to the top of the sapling.
• Bend the sapling back so it’s under a lot of pressure, and attach the two trigger pieces together.
• Now, prop up the snare.

The idea behind this trap is that the animal is first caught in the snare. When it struggles, it dislodges the top trigger piece from the bottom. This releases the sapling, pulling the snare and the animal up into the air. If you caught its throat, it should be strangled to death.

There are many other modifications to snare traps, but this is easiest to start with. Also, be warned, you may find that your snare traps catch the leg of larger animals, especially if you’ve made them strong, so always be prepared to deal with them.

3. Deadfall

Deadfall traps drop heavy objects on the animals in order to kill them. You have to be smart about setting these, so that you don’t hurt yourself and don’t endanger other humans. For starters, don’t stand under the weight.

We’ll start with a smaller deadfall trap, the balance log. This trap requires bait.

• Find a “Y” shaped piece of wood. Whittle the bottom and one end into points.
• Find another branch, a straight one, and set it on top of a log on one side, and on top of your “Y” wood on the other. You want the branch to sit level and secure. This might require whittling down the “Y” wood a bit more.
• Apply bait to the non-whittled end of the “Y” wood.
• Carefully lay heavy logs on the crossbar.

The idea behind this trap is that the animal moves under the logs to get to the bait. As it nibbles on the bait it pushes the “Y” bar, which moves easily because it’s only resting on a point. When the “Y” wood falls down, so does the crossbar and the heavy logs. These should knock out the animal.

There are plenty of other kinds of traps you can make by hand, including net traps and spear traps (which can easily maim you and aren’t for the beginner so we won’t cover them here).

Keep in mind that none of these traps are likely to be humane and give you a quick kill. Instead, you need to check your traps regularly and be ready to dispatch a struggling animal when you find it.

Final Thoughts

While you might be subject to a limit by your game laws, in a SHTF situation, it’s always better to have more traps to up your chances of success. Even if the game you’re bringing in is small, a few small animals can make a meal. With a little practice, trapping can be an even more viable method of getting calories.

Author Bio: Ellysa Chenery can be found writing all over the web. She loves adapting traditional skills for new situations, whether in the wilderness, garden, or homestead. Her favorite smell is carrots fresh from the dirt.

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