Parallax correction is a feature available in nearly all modern rifle scopes. The effect of parallax is presented when your reticle appears out of focus with respect to your target, and to the focal plane of the scope. Although generally not an issue at ranges of less than 150 yards, this optical effect can greatly alter your point of impact at longer ranges.

The overall goal of parallax correction is to get your rifle scope reticle on the same focal plane as your target image. If these images are not in the same focal plane, either one can appear soft or out of focus when you look at the other through your scope. This causes eye strain and can lead to inaccurate shots or even target confusion for inexperienced shooters.

The Parallax Effect – what you’ll see:

• The image of your target is clear but your reticle appears out of focus.

• The image is clear when looking head-on, but the reticle shifts left or right when you move your head or look through the scope at an angle.

How It Works

Light enters a rifle scope through the objective lens, is projected onto a prism, and is then flipped, reflected several times, and presented via the ocular lens. Your reticle typically lies between your eye and that projected image, regardless of the “focal plane” (FFP or SFP) of your scope.

When shooting at longer (>150 yards) distances, the focal length of your vision is adjusted by your brain to compensate for the distance to the target. This means that your reticle will appear slightly blurry or move when you adjust your viewing angle. It goes without saying, but if your reticle moves laterally and off-target when you move your head behind the scope, your point of impact will follow!

Focusing Your Reticle

Before attempting to adjust for parallax, ensure that your reticle is in focus. An easy way to do this is to look through your scope at a plain, ideally bright background that’s at least five yards away. Your scope likely has a reticle focus ring on the ocular lens – the one that you put your eye to. Adjust that ring as you would a binocular or camera focus until your reticle is sharp and clear to your eye.

This adjustment will ensure that your parallax correction is valid. This adjustment may vary from shooter to shooter, but as long as the current shooter has the reticle in focus, the parallax adjustment should remain constant.

Correcting Parallax

Most modern rifle scopes have a parallax correction system that involves a dial on the side of the main tube, often referred to as a “side focus.” These systems allow a shooter to adjust the image of the target backward or forward to match the focal plane of the reticle. Many of these dial systems are marked with yardage in increments of 50 or 100 yards to aid in correction.

A simple way to find the correct position of the dial is to set up a clear target that stands out well from the background, get your rifle in a secure rest position, and with the magnification at its highest level, look through the scope and begin to shift your head (and therefore your viewing angle) back and forth.

If your reticle appears to move or shift with your head movement, you have a parallax issue. The yardage indicators on your parallax adjustment will be a helpful starting point for corrections. Depending on your range and magnification level, the correction may be extremely fine or up to a full revolution of the dial.

Adjust until your reticle is sharp against your target and appears to lock on to your aiming point. You should be able to view both the reticle and the target without shifting focus. If you have made an adjustment and still have some play, continue making very fine corrections until you can move your angle as far as possible while maintaining a full image through the scope. The same process applies to an objective lens ring-style system, but it is not as precise as the dial type with yardage indicators.

Once you are satisfied with your adjustment at maximum magnification, LEAVE IT. You generally will not have to adjust it again unless the circumstances or shot range are extreme. These adjustments and changes are very slight, so keep that in mind when working to correct this issue.

When buying a rifle scope, be sure to consider the distances you plan to shoot and the ergonomics of its adjustment systems. The best way to familiarize yourself with a rifle scope is to physically hold one in your hands. The style of adjustment is not critical, but the adjustment itself will eliminate a lot of headaches when working to zero your rifle or make those critical shots.

An Orillia, Ont. angler says he has caught what could be an Ontario record burbot.

On Jan. 25, Sebastien Roy says he was ice fishing on Lake Simcoe with a buddy, looking for some whitefish.

Roy, 32, said the spot they had planned on fishing was open water, so they had to make an adjustment.

“It’s kind of luck as we ended up fishing a spot we usually wouldn’t fish,” he said.

Roy said his first fish on the ice was a burbot — a form of freshwater cod. “It was a really small one, ” he said. “But it was my first burbot ever.” Roy continued to jig a small Vibrato spoon just off the bottom. Twenty minutes after he had caught his first fish, another one hit.

This fish was much heavier, and pulled Roy’s jigging rod over in a tight arc. When it got near the ice hole, Roy said he knew he had something special.

“It’s really clear, Lake Simcoe,” Roy said. “And the minute I looked down the hole I knew it was a record. It was one of the biggest fish I’ve ever seen swimming around.”

Roy said he called his partner, Steve, over and and they pulled the burbot from the hole together.

“Oh my God bro, that’s a giant,” said his partner.

They measured the fish as nearly .99 metres (39 inches) long, with a 48 cm (19 inch) girth. Roy borrowed a scale from some other anglers on the ice and the scale read 18.3 pounds.

A check of the Ontario burbot records via smartphone revealed the fish he had landed was a potential Ontario record.

Roy, who prefers to release his fish, also learned he had to keep the fish to qualify for a provincial record.

Back on land, the anglers looked for a place to weigh the fish. Two scales were tried, but Roy finally weighed the fish on a certified scale at Zehrs market, in Orillia.

“The guy at Zehrs was amazing,” said Roy. “He let us weigh. In kilo’s it weighed 8.145, so times 2.2 gives you pounds, so it was 17.9 on a certified scale. And we got all this on video.”

Roy said he initially had to store the fish in a toboggan full of snow, as it was too big for the freezer.

“My girlfriend wouldn’t like it if I left it in the freezer,” said Roy. “It’s a big fish.”

He said he has filled out the proper forms and plans to enter his giant fish for record book consideration.

Roy said he had read about the giant burbot caught by 18-year-old Landan Brochu, of Thunder Bay, on March 5, 2016.

• Ontario teen lands record-breaking freshwater cod

Brochu’s fish weighed 16.8 pounds and measured .94 metres (37 inches) long and was 55.9 cm (22 inches) around. It is also the pending Ontario record.

Alesha Howran, of the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters (OFAH)/Ontario Record Fish Registry said Brochu’s fish will be announced as the new record in March 2017, barring any other burbot from 2016 being entered.

However, she said if Roy’s burbot meets all the proper requirements, it may be announced as a new Ontario burbot record in March 2018.

The present Ontario record burbot weighed 15.8 pounds and was caught by Ernie Arpin, on March 14, 2003. That fish measured .93 metres (36.5 inches) long by 53 cm (21 inches) around.

If Roy’s trophy burbot makes it through the OFAH/Ontario Record Fish Registry requirements, it will be the first time in recent memory a fish from southern Ontario will have that title.

Both Arpin and Brochu’s fish were caught in the same northwestern Ontario reservoir, located just north of the town of Nipigon.

The burbot is the only gadiform freshwater fish and is closely related to the marine common ling and the cusk fish.

Once considered a nuisance by many anglers, burbot have become something of a phenomenon in recent years.

Although Ontario has a growing reputation as a home to giant burbot, the king of them all came from another Canadian province.

The International Game Fish Association records the world-record burbot as being caught in Lake Diefenbaker, Saskatchewan.

That fish was caught by Sean Konrad on March 27, 2010. Konrad’s world record burbot weighed a whopping 25 lb 2 oz (11.4 kg).

Fish records are typically measures in pounds. One pound equals .45 kilograms.

Whether you are a hunter or just curious about what animal is in the woods near you, being able to identify them by their eyeshine is a pretty cool skill to have. I did a lot of research but had trouble finding a good resource. So, I decided to compile everything I learned and share it here with you. This is what I found out.

In identifying animal eyes at night, you should consider four primary factors – the color, the shape of the eyes, pupil slit orientation, and eyelid shape. Predatory animals have glowing eyes with vertically elongated pupils, while harmless animals have horizontally elongated pupils.

In total, there are five primary eye shine colors that are visible in animals: blue, green, white, yellow, and red.

Here is an eye shine chart of 38 animals:

By the way, this fascinating book on Amazon covers how animal eye color affects behavior.

This article will examine why some animals have eyes that glow in the dark and how this feature helps them survive. We’ll also share a helpful eyeshine chart that you can use to identify animal eyes in the dead of night.

Why Do Animal Eyes Shine at Night?

Before we look at what colors go with actual animals, let’s talk a bit about the science.

Many animals have a thin reflective membrane at the back of their eyes, known as tapetum lucidum. This reflective membrane layer lies behind the iris and acts as a retroreflector, which means it reflects light back at the source – in this case, back at your flashlight.

It reflects visible light passing through the retina back to increase the amount of light on the photoreceptors. The presence of a tapetum lucidum gives nocturnal carnivores superb night vision.

Animals reflect the light directly toward the light source to give the retina a succinct image to analyze. Cats have incredible night vision because the reflective effects boost their night vision.

By matching the original and reflected light, the reflective layer maintains the image’s contrast and sharpness. The reflective layer uses constructive interference to increase the amount of light passing through the animal’s retina.

This phenomenon is also known as eyeshine because the glowing eyes are simply reflections of the light source trained at the animal. Shining light directly on the face of an animal with a tapetum lucidum causes the eyes to glow.

Eyeshine comes in various colors, including white, yellow, red, blue, pink, or green. Since the reflective layer is iridescent, the pupils’ color is affected by the angle of vision, eye color, and the mineral makeup of the tapetum lucidum.

Related Which Animals’ Eyes Reflect at Night? | A Biological Insight.

Night Vision and Eyeshine

A tapetum lucidum improves an animal’s ability to see in the dark and low-light conditions. The reflective eye membrane is typical in mammals, reptiles, invertebrates, and amphibians.

The eyeshine color depends on the animal and can be red, orange, yellow, pink, blue, or green. The sheen depends on eye color, the shape of the eyes, and the light’s angle shining on the animal.

The intensity of the eye glow varies between species, with some animals glowing brighter than the rest. The animals with the brightest eyeshine have excellent night vision because their eyes have fewer cones. Unfortunately, perfect night vision comes with limited color vision or complete color blindness.

Eyeshine in Predators

Most of the nocturnal predators have a tapetum lucidum to help them see in the dark. Dogs, house cats, big cats, alligators, and ferrets are some of the predators with eyes that reflect in the darkness.

Improved night vision is essential to these predators because it allows them to track prey in pitch darkness.

Cool Fact: Some predatory fish, like walleye, need excellent night vision to hunt in the dark, deep waters. As a result, they have reflective eyes.

Interestingly, while owls have eyes that glow in the dark, they lack a tapetum lucidum in their eyes.

Glowing Eyes in Predators

Unsurprisingly, some of the prey targeted by the predators with improved night vision developed a tapetum lucidum layer. The layer evolved as a defense mechanism to help these herbivores detect predators in low-light conditions.

Some non-predators with excellent night vision include cattle, deer, pigs, camels, kangaroos, and horses.

Identifying Animals by Eye Glow at Night

While it’s possible to identify some animals by their eyeshine, the eye glow color is more of a guideline than accurate science.

Several factors influence the color of an animal’s eyeshine, including:

• The color of the light source – flashlight, camera, LED, or moonlight
• The color of the animal’s eyes
• The size of the animal’s retina
• The distance between you and the animal
• Your position and light source angle

Here are charts grouping animals by their eyeshine color:

Eyeshine Charts

It’s important to note that accurately identifying an animal at night might require more information than just its eye color. If you can, try to use the animal’s general size, behavior when looking at you, habitat, eye size, and more.

Related What Does Moon Overhead and Underfoot Mean?

Animals With Red Glowing Eyes at Night

Some animals with characteristic red eyes at night include:

• Alligators and crocodiles- The large eyeballs of alligators and crocodiles glow fiery red in the dark, making them easy to identify. If you’re near a river, lake, or swamp in an area that these creatures live in, take extra caution if you see red eyes in the dark.
• Owls- Owls are nocturnal birds with big eyes that glow red or orange after dark.
• Red fox- Foxes have red glowing eyes with perpendicular pupils.
• Rabbits- A rabbit’s eyes will exhibit a light red tone when you shine a light on them.

Animals With Yellow Eye Glow at Night

Some animals have glowing yellow eyes at night, including:

• Bears- A bear has dark brown eyes that take on a bright yellowish glow when you shine a light on them in the dark.
• Cats- Some cats have eyes that give off a yellow glow in the dark, but this can vary depending on the cat in question.
• Deer- A deer’s eyes glow yellow in the dark. As deer often live in the same habitats as bears, you should also look at the height and size of the eyes to determine which animal you’re looking at.
• Raccoons- Raccoons have big eyes that glow bright yellow in the dark.
• Chinchilla- Commonly kept as exotic pets, chinchillas also have big eyes that glow yellow in the dark.
• Panthers- This big cat has smallish eyes that glow yellow in the dark. You might not see the yellow glow if you shine the light directly on their face.

Animals With Glowing Green Eyes at Night

Some animals with eyes that glow green in the dark include:

• Dogs- Some dogs can have an eerie green nighttime glow that can be unsettling in the dark. A dog’s eyeshine can take on different colors, including blue, orange, green, and red.
• Foxes- Some foxes have an intense green glow in their eyes as they forage for food after dark, though a few types of foxes have white or yellow eyes instead.
• Opossum- Opossums have big eyes that light up green in the dark. You’re likely to find them perched up high on a tree at night.

Animals With White Eye Glow at Night

Some of the animals with eyes that glow white in the dark include:

• Coyotes- Coyotes have big eyes that glow bright white in the dark. While they’re predators that typically hunt in packs, you don’t need to panic if you see a pack of white eyes staring at you, as coyote attacks on humans are extremely rare.
• Deer- A deer’s eyes will reflect the white light of a camera equipped with a flash to assume a bright white glow in the dark.
• Tigers- Tigers would be difficult to spot in the dark were it not for their large eyes that glow white in the dark.

Why Human Eyes Don’t Shine

Human eyes do not have a reflective layer called the tapetum lucidum. In fact, all haplorhine primates are diurnal and do not have the tapetum lucidum.

To read more about this topic, go here.

Conclusion

Shining a flashlight into the darkness only to see a pair of glowing eyes staring back at you can be a bit frightening. And unless you know whether those eyes belong to a dangerous predator or a harmless herbivore, you won’t know whether to ignore them or be on your guard. Fortunately, you can identify an animal by its eyes at night if you have the correct information.

Some animals have eyes that glow in the dark because they have a special reflective membrane behind their retinas. The membrane is a unique adaptation to help their ability to see at night.

Most common eyeshine colors include white, green, red, yellow, and orange. The eye glow color depends on the specific animal, eye color, and light source, among other factors.

You’d need more information about an animal in addition to its eyeshine, such as habitat, size, behavior, eye size, and more, to identify it accurately.

Still, the included eyeshine chart should help. And don’t forget to check out this book on Amazon, it’s extremely helpful.

I hope this article has provided the info you needed. Thanks for reading!

For more, check out What Can Deer Smell? (How To Avoid Detection).

Bullwinkle Disease in Deer

The term “Bullwinkle disease” sounds more like a joke about someone than an actual ailment. As it turns out, Bullwinkle disease in deer is a thing. It’s a true-to-life disease that can impact deer. Although quite rare, it seems white-tailed deer can get an infection that causes their muzzle to swell. In turn, their face looks more like the cartoon moose Bullwinkle than that of a normal, healthy whitetail.

Wildlife vets know that the head swelling is caused by a long-term bacterial infection in soft tissues of the afflicted deer’s face. However, the most fascinating part of Bullwinkle disease is that no one knows how deer get it. Or even where the bacteria comes from.

Bullwinkle Deer

Source: “The Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study (SCWDS) has been studying the parasites and diseases of white-tailed deer for more than 56 years. With so much time and effort invested in this area, one would think that few surprises would be left, but that doesn’t ever seem to be the case. Since 2005, we have received samples from ten deer with oddly deformed muzzles, as well as reports of several other affected deer. The swollen muzzles give them a strange appearance and prompted someone to call them “Bullwinkle deer,” based on their resemblance to the 1960’s cartoon character.

Although the cases reported to us are uncommon, they occur over a wide geographic area. In fact, affected white-tailed deer have been submitted to SCWDS from as far north as Michigan and as far south as Alabama. Furthermore, the condition also has been confirmed in a mule deer buck in Idaho.

Bullwinkle Disease in Deer & Head Swelling

The swollen faces are the result of chronic inflammation in the soft tissues of the muzzle. Deer with lumpy jaw can also have swollen jaws, but not to the same extent. The inflammation also is seen in connective tissues in the oral cavity, but it is much more severe on the nose and upper lip. All of the deer examined have had similar colonies of bacteria within the inflammatory infiltrates. Attempts to culture the bacteria have been frustrating. This is possibly due to chronicity of lesions, freezing and storage of samples prior to submission. Alternatively, it may be due to excessive growth of secondary bacterial contaminants.

Staining characteristics and DNA sequencing of the bacterial colonies observed suggest they differ from other organisms known to cause problems in deer. Investigations continue into the bacteria’s potential role in the development of this condition.

So far, all of the reported cases have been in hunter-killed deer or deer observed in the wild. Some deer have been thin, but there have been no reports of mortality directly attributed to this disease. One landowner reported having seen the same affected deer at a backyard feeder for nearly two years. Many of the deer observed or killed have been known to visit feed sites. However, the association with feeding is anecdotal. At this time, we do not know the factors that may predispose a deer to develop this unusual condition.

The lesions are certainly dramatic, but this disease does not appear to have any negative consequences for deer populations. Cases are relatively infrequent and are not clustered. It is possible that this problem has always occurred in deer, but at a very low prevalence. However, it has become very easy for photographs to be widely circulated among hunters and biologists in a very short period of time. We can attribute that to hunters, trail cameras and the internet.

This rapid sharing of information may have increased the detection and submission of rare and unusual cases, such as the Bullwinkle disease in deer we see here. Prepared by Kevin Keel, University of California-Davis”

From destroying your lawn with brown urine spots to gnawing your plants down to the root, rabbits can be too big a burden to behold. Perhaps you think the best recourse for you would be to eat them. But the big question remains, are backyard rabbits safe to eat?

Backyard rabbits are edible and safe to eat, whether they are tamed or found wandering in your yard. As long as the rabbit meat is cooked thoroughly to 160-degree Fahrenheit internal temperature to remove any toxins, they are safe to eat.

The best rabbits for meat are Silver Fox, French Angora, and American Chinchilla.

Undoubtedly, your backyard rabbit’s main concern would be to eat without getting noticed or eaten. However, that does not mean that it is not safe for you, and neither should it mean you are free to dive in. Here are a few things you will have to keep in mind about eating backyard rabbits.

Eating Backyard Rabbits

If you were to imagine the sumptuous, fine eating of this cottontail, you might not want to resist.

First, rabbit meat is edible, whether your bunny is from the wild or tamed. But before you do that, it will be best to inspect whether the bunny is healthy or not.

One of the biggest concerns is the contraction of a disease called Tularemia, which can be passed to you upon touching the affected tissue or blood. Once you see any signs of this condition, avoid the rabbit. This condition is relatively predominant during cold seasons.

Usually, it would help if you wore latex gloves while gutting the rabbit. This move ensures that you do not expose yourself to any affected tissue or blood. Further, pay attention to the liver. If there are any white lesions on it, do not proceed to eat the rabbit.

Notably, there are times that you might misread the signs. In this case, ensure that you only eat rabbit meat that has been thoroughly cooked. The internal cooking temperature should be at least 160 degrees Fahrenheit. At this temperature, your rabbit meat is safe.

Which Backyard Rabbits Are Safe

There is no denying that sometimes you will want to raise backyard rabbits for meat. If this is the case for you, ensure that you go for the best breeds.

Usually, the best rabbits for meat would be Silver Fox, French Angora, and American Chinchilla. Besides, if you were to consider eating rabbit meat, these options should top your priorities.

• Silver Fox: Whether you want to meat, fur, or pets, this breed will be the ultimate choice for you to raise. That they have large litters is no secret. Besides being beautiful, these rabbits assure you of not only safe but also tender meat. As long as they are healthy, there will be no reason for you to worry.

• American Chinchilla: This breed has become relatively prevalent among people who do not put attention to the fur produced. Usually, they assure you of more than enough meat, thanks to their incredibly muscular bodies. Their sweet meat will, undoubtedly, get you smitten.

• French Angora: While this breed is specifically for meat, its rabbits hardly come with enough meat. As if that is not enough, their fur is vulnerable to matting. That means you will need to keep brushing it from time to time. You will also need to be on the lookout for chances of getting attacked by the rabbit fever.

Here are the two incredible options from the wild.

• Cottontail Rabbits (both mountain and desert): While they come with a relatively small stature, these rabbits have proven to be excellent delicacies. Their tasty and high-quality meat will readily get you smitten. In most cases, you can hunt them from the late evening into the night, thanks to their nocturnal nature.

• Eastern Cottontail Rabbit: There is no denying that this is the most hunted rabbit in the US, thanks to the delicacy it provides. The cotton ball tail and the reddish-brown coat are some of the features that make this beauty distinctive. Usually, it would be best for you to hunt them at night, as they are nocturnal.

If the rabbits come into your yard during a time that you aren’t home or aren’t able to catch them, check out this cheap, effective, spring loaded trap on Amazon to setup in your backyard to easily catch and prevent them from running away.

Last update on 2024-11-16 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

How To Tell If A Rabbit Is Safe To Eat

In most cases, wild rabbits come with warbles and parasites. While warbles might not pose any risk to human beings, pests and parasites could be a significant problem in the long run. For this reason, you need to be wary of rabbits that have fleas and ticks.

Besides that, you will have to check whether the rabbit has Tularemia, also known as rabbit fever. This condition could be fatal to both human beings and pets, and immediate medical attention will always suffice.

You can only check if the rabbit has this condition when eviscerating it. During this time, you will have to confirm whether there are any pin-sized lesions on the liver. The presence of these lesions shows that the rabbit is not healthy for you.

Dangers Of Eating Rabbit Meat

From how delicious rabbit meat tends to be, to how available they are, you will hardly want to resist eating them. However, there will always be a few dangers for you to keep in mind.

Unless you pay attention to these issues, you could end up unhealthy in the long run. Here are the two main dangers of eating this meat.

• Tularemia: You can hardly ignore the impact that this condition could have on your health. In most cases, you will contract this illness when skinning the rabbit, as it is passed upon contact with affected tissues and blood. This condition will expose you to fever, chills, and body aches. Fortunately, antibiotics will be enough to treat this condition altogether.

• De-Populating Wild Rabbits: While the rabbit population is relatively high, too much hunting could result in some species’ decline. For this reason, it would be best for you to be cautious about when and how to hunt. Perhaps, paying attention to the state regulations on hunting rabbits could be helpful in the long run.

• Stomach Upsets: This issue will only arise if you do not cook your meat thoroughly. Experts suggest that you cook the meat to at least 160 degrees Fahrenheit. This way, the meat will be not only tender but also free from various pathogens.

Why Can’t You Eat A Rabbit In The Summer

Typically, you will be free to eat rabbit meat at any time. However, the restrictions during summer are thanks to the ease of spreading worms. Most rabbits will spread worms and parasites to other bunnies during summer, unlike when there is a drop in temperature.

However, all you need to do is to take all the necessary precautions mentioned above. It will be much easier for you to identify the presence of worms when you do so. If you do, it would be best not to eat that meat.

Is It Safe To Eat Jackrabbits

Did you know that jackrabbits are relatively akin to cottontails? While this is so, jackrabbits are typically hares.

That means that they will hardly be safe for you to eat, particularly when not cooked thoroughly. If you were to cook it accordingly, you would have no reason to worry about anything.

With their stringy meat, ensure that you take as much time as you can when cooking it. You will also need to aim at an internal temperature of over 160-degree Fahrenheit.

This way, you will be sure of eliminating all the toxins, worms, among other pathogens, that could be on the jackrabbit.

Helpful Tips To Know If Backyard Rabbits Are Safe To Eat

One of the biggest concerns one could have is understanding when rabbits are safe for you to eat.

One of the most prominent variables to consider would be the presence of lesions on the liver. There could also be a ton of worms under their skin.

Here are a few other tale-tell signs that your rabbit is sick:

• Be wary of sudden stasis instances, which involves digestion problems, gas, cramping, and tooth issues.

• Check whether the rabbit’s foot is raw or inflamed. If it is, it is a sign of sore hocks. Its meat could be dangerous.

• The presence of deerflies and ticks on the coat of your rabbit could be a bad sign. Usually, these parasites could compromise your health in the long run too.

Final Thoughts

The safety of your rabbit delicacy is all dependent on how you prepare it. From using latex gloves when handling the meat to cooking it thoroughly, every precaution will suffice.

Whether your backyard rabbit is tamed or wild, the procedure remains the same. Are you still asking, are backyard rabbits safe to eat?

Well, it is time to get yourself this delicacy, with the only catch being to observe every precaution.

Discover the intricacies of sharptail grouse habitat, effective hunting techniques, and optimizing dog performance for a successful hunt.

Sharp-tailed grouse, often known as sharpies, sharptails, or sharp-tails, are iconic birds of North America’s prairie landscape. Their spring mating ritual takes place on breeding sites called leks. At these sites, sharpies put on an amazing display of calling and dancing called booming. Those same general areas are where broods are raised, and early fall activities occur.

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Their survival requires large tracts of unfragmented, treeless landscapes. This is a trait carried into modern times; these birds evolved in what once was millions of acres of ideal grassland habitat that existed before European settlement. Hunting sharp-tails can take hunters to some of the most beautiful landscapes on the continent. Here is a guide to help you get started on a new adventure.

Where to Find Sharp-tailed Grouse

Sharpies dot the prairie landscapes across several north-central and western states, Alaska, and many Canadian territories. Western Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wyoming, and Montana harbor the highest populations in the lower 48 states. Smaller, localized, but huntable populations can be found in a few other states, including Minnesota, Michigan, Colorado, Utah, and Idaho.

Vast treeless grassland landscapes provide these amazing birds with ideal nesting and brood rearing habitat. Native grasses provide the perfect substrate for building a nest bowl. The native forbs (broadleaf weeds) attract insects that are necessary for chick growth. Those same insects are also a preferred food for adult birds well into the fall until freezing temperatures arrive. There are a few states listed above where sharp-tails reside in a different type of habitat called barrens. This is a grassland-centered cover type mixed with scattered brush or small trees. Although open grasslands are the breeding grounds for these prairie grouse, there are plenty of opportunities to hunt them in cropland as well. More to come on hunting strategies later.

Seasons and Bag Limits for Sharp-tailed Grouse

Season timing and bag limits are important considerations when planning a sharp-tail hunting adventure. Many states have seasons that open in early September. Early season outings can provide bird contacts with smaller family groups and uneducated birds, resulting in a wonderful opportunity for quality hunting dog work. On the flip side, these early outings often have excessively warm temperatures, making a full-day hunt unlikely. Most sharptail seasons extend well into the winter. Late-season hunters often make contact with larger groups of birds. These large groups have a lot of watchful eyes in the flock, making getting within gun range much more difficult.

Bag limits and possession limits can’t be overlooked. A bag limit represents the number of birds a hunter can harvest during a single day. Bag limits vary across states, but most are between two to four birds. Most hunters know the bag limit where they are hunting, but the possession limit is also important to know. The possession limit is the maximum number of birds you can have from all the days you have hunted, including the current day of your hunt. Most states have a possession limit that is three or four times the daily bag limit. During a long trip or a successful hunt, reaching the state’s possession limit is possible. If this happens, you have a couple of options. You can eat some birds to reduce the number of birds in your possession or donate some birds to another person. Most states require the hunter’s name, license number, date, species, and number of birds being donated.

Keeping birds labeled and identifiable during the remainder of the hunt is something else to consider. Most states require keeping at least one wing attached to the dressed bird so wildlife officers can properly identify the bird species. Additionally, bags of birds should always include the hunter’s name, license number, and harvest date. Keep the birds bagged separately for all the hunters in the party so officers know how many birds each hunter has toward their possession limit.

Some states have various units with different seasons, bag limits, and possession limits. Regardless of your destination, it is important to always check the specific regulations, as seasons and limits can change annually.

Shotguns, Chokes, and Shot Size Selection Recommendations for Sharp-tailed Grouse Hunting

Twenty- and twelve-gauge shotguns are by far the most preferred tool when traveling to sharp-tail habitat. However, a proficient shooter can find success even with a 28-gauge. Sharp-tail hunts can result in 10+ miles of boot leather on the ground in a single day. Whatever firearm you prefer, carrying something on the lighter side, preferably less than seven pounds, can make those long days more tolerable.

As previously mentioned, early season outings often yield juvenile or unpressured birds, resulting in closer shots. Due to this, improved cylinder or modified shotgun chokes are an ideal choice. Any quality pheasant load will suffice, with preferred shot sizes of 4, 5, or 6s. I tend to select 6s for sharptails because they are not a tough bird to bring down, and #6 shot has a higher pellet count than 4s or 5s. As the season progresses, birds become more wary and form larger groups, making them more likely to flush at longer ranges. Using a modified or even a full choke isn’t out of the question during the late season.

Sharptail Grouse Hunting Strategies

Although most states have one continuous sharptail season, it starts early enough in the fall that the birds often behave completely differently in the early season versus the late season. Likewise, they will also shift their preferred habitat location as the season progresses, depending on available food resources and weather conditions.

In the early season, birds are typically still in smaller family groups. They tend to stay near areas where they were raised, which means out in the grasslands. In early fall, sharpies eat insects, particularly grasshoppers, various berries, and green vegetation. Insects and grasshoppers utilize forbs, so finding areas with a diverse array of plants usually harbors the most sharp-tail food and, thus, the most birds.

Vegetation height is also critical to finding birds. Sharp-tails, like other prairie grouse, want to see danger approaching. They prefer vegetation 12-18 inches tall. This provides enough height to conceal them if an aerial predator flies over but is short enough to see long distances. When hunting vast expanses of rolling hills, ridge tops tend to have shorter vegetation, so focus efforts along the tops and sides of ridges.

Additionally, the landscapes these birds utilize are often comprised of low-quality, sandy soil. This soil type lends itself to centuries of wind erosion, which has resulted in bowls and blowouts on some of the side hills. These blowouts usually have a high diversity of forbs and occasional brush pockets. This makes the ideal location for birds to loaf and feed. When hunting ridges, try to avoid silhouetting yourself. Walk just off one side of the ridge and wrap the tops of hills to approach blowouts in a stealthy fashion.

Tall, dense vegetation often found in Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) fields is typically not the ticket, especially during the early season. Unless you’re hunting the more sparse stands in Montana or CRP fields planted with smooth brome, which are often found in portions of the Dakotas, you probably won’t find birds there. Likewise, cattail sloughs and other dense pheasant habitat is not worth hunting. However, the shin-high grasslands become unusable for sharp-tails after the snow flies. They are forced to transition into CRP fields and other similar cover types, so late-season birds will often be found in these taller, denser habitats.

When cropland is near grasslands, birds often shift from their breeding and brooding habitat and move into the crop fields, even during the early season. Birds can be found along the edges but will even occupy the interior of a crop field, especially in unharvested fields. Sunflower fields are highly attractive as they usually have a robust population of grasshoppers and sunflower seeds, providing excellent food options. Corn fields will also hold their fair share of sharpies throughout the season.

Getting within gun range of birds hanging out in the center of crop fields is nearly impossible. However, hunting the margins of those fields can produce some shot opportunities. The edges frequently have grass or weeds that will serve as loafing cover between feeding sessions. Check the waterways or sloughs that meander through crop fields, too. I stand behind my previous statement about not hunting cattail sloughs during the early season, but the edges of those sloughs, if they cut through a crop field, are a different story. There is always a transition zone between the cattails and crops with diverse vegetation. This is where the birds will be found. Waterways that have the proper vegetation height can also provide an ideal opportunity. If birds utilize the interior of crop fields, they typically roost in some type of herbaceous vegetation nearby. If the roost location can be identified, there is an opportunity to walk up some birds at first light before they head out to the crop field for the day.

Although treeless grasslands are the iconic image of sharp-tail habitat most hunters envision, they will sometimes occupy fields dominated by herbaceous vegetation bisected with young conifer tree rows or shrub rows. They will utilize the woody cover as overhead protection from aerial predators, often loafing all afternoon in these locations. Thickets of snowberry, whether part of a planted shrub row or naturally occurring within a grassland, should never be overlooked. These areas are a favorite midday loafing spot. Sharpies will also use rows of conifers during snow events. I have experienced some stellar hunts in these types of locations in North Dakota. Birds tend to hold tighter when hunkered down in woody cover, allowing solid points and close flushes.

Dogs, Sharp-tailed Grouse Behavior, and the Flush

As with any upland bird hunting, keeping the dogs working into the wind, or, at a minimum, a crosswind, is ideal. Both flushers and pointing dogs can effectively corral these skittish prairie birds. Young birds or the occasional single will sometimes allow a pointing dog to pin them down within a few feet. However, sharpies usually will not hold for a dog that crowds too tight. High-headed points are ideal, signifying birds are well out front, sometimes over 30 yards away. These types of points can also indicate the presence of a larger group of birds putting off a wide scent cone.

The wind speed can play a critical role in bird behavior. During windy conditions, sharp-tails lose the ability to hear approaching danger, so they become more wary. Long flushes are the norm. These windy days are the ideal situation to wrap around the peak of a hill and catch birds on the lee side, loafing in a blowout. Wind also reduces a hunter’s ability to hear birds flush, so it’s important to constantly scan left and right as you stroll through the grasslands.

I have always considered a sharptail flush to be quite unique. They seem to leap into flight silently. But, once they are in flight, a very distinct “giggle” can be heard. Another common characteristic is that sharpies are “popcorn” flushers. If some birds start flushing out of gun range, hustling toward the flush site will often result in a shot opportunity of a late flusher or two.

Sharp-tails offer hunters the opportunity to explore some of the most desolate, wide-open spaces in the uplands. Long seasons give hunters the option to hunt smaller family groups during the early season or chase large flocks during the winter. If you have never pursued these regal birds, do some research and plan a trip this season. You won’t regret your time in sharp-tail country.

Love Letter to North Dakota – A Hungarian Partridge and Sharp-tailed Grouse Story

Choosing Shot Size and Chokes for Sharp-tailed Grouse Hunting

Modernizing Sharp-Tailed Grouse Lek Survey Methods

Finding Sharptails with Changing Conditions

In many states, the spring turkey season only lasts two or three weeks. The drastic and rapid changes that take place throughout this short timeframe amaze me.

One of the most drastic changes is the way your hunting area looks. In most locations, these changes happen quickly and are often noticeable from day-to-day. Perhaps you could see for several hundred yards on opening morning. Today, the area may be in full foliage, limiting visibility.

Another change from beginning to late season is the behavior of turkeys themselves. Toms have spent the first few days being pressured by every hunter with a turkey call within a 50-mile radius; they have also spent the last month fighting with other toms to establish dominance and determine who is going to breed hens first. To put it mildly, by the late season, toms are stressed out and often cautious of every move they make.

Late-season decoy setups are often a tense, uncertain and debated subject for turkey hunters. As mentioned earlier, by this point in the season, many gobblers have been fighting with other toms at some point. In some cases, they’ve had their butt whipped. This combined with likely encounters with hunters who tried to shoot their head off can cause mature toms to become skeptical of approaching a decoy setup. But don’t let this common, late-season fear find you leaving your decoys in the truck. With some careful thought, more strategic placement, and different calling regimens, your turkey decoys can still help you from ending the season with an unfilled tag.

Early in the season, a decoy setup is usually used to fool a gobbler into thinking he’s got a chance at breeding a hen. The typical setup often consists of a hen and either a jake or a strutting tom. When a gobbler sees this picture, he often comes in ready to fight. During the late season, however – as we’ve explained – his mood can change as quickly as the foliage.

Instead of coming in with boxing gloves on and swinging, toms can be more likely to avoid a scuffle because of fear of losing the battle. In some cases, toms will even spook from such a decoy setup and leave the area altogether.

To avoid the chance of running him off, use a low-key late-season decoy setup that is simpler, more subtle, and exhibits less dominance. Your goal is to simply to get his attention instead of bringing him in for a fight. During the late season, the only decoy I leave at the house is a full-strut gobbler. I’ll usually switch to a single hen decoy and occasionally a jake decoy to go along with her.

During the latter part of the spring, hens began to venture out in the fields or open areas by themselves, often getting up off a nest to do a little feeding or dusting. By using one lone-hen decoy, you are naturally replicating a turkey’s behavior. When a tom sees a lone hen, the curiosity builds as to whether she has been bred. Perhaps she’s looking for company.

Sometimes jakes have the same idea, so I may decide to place a jake decoy ten to 15 yards from the lone hen. On many occasions during the late season, I have had jakes respond to my calls and my lone decoy setup. The jakes show up in hopes of trying to get access to a hen who isn’t accompanied by a mature tom. When a single jake hangs around the hen decoy, it enhances the scene for any tom. Unlike a mature gobbler, a jake is an easy fight. Using the hen/jake combination makes it possible to appeal to that last bit of dominance in a mature gobbler in an unthreatening way.

The next thing to remember when using decoys in the late season is to pay particular attention to where they are placed. Ground foliage has grown up just like the leaves on the trees; your decoys must be visible. We’ve all had toms come into the field we’re hunting and seemingly pay no attention to our decoys. When this happens, don’t overthink things; it’s usually because he simply didn’t see them. When a decoy is placed out in the grass, it may look visible from your vantage point, but it may not be to a turkey. In all situations, but especially the late season when grass at other vegetation is thick, try to place your decoy on a hill or rise where it’s most visible. If necessary, use taller decoy stakes to make them visible above the grass.

Once the decoys are in place and visible from a long distance, consider your calling style. Remember that gobblers have been pressured. Just like your modified decoy setup, late-season toms often respond better to more subtle calling, so tone it down.

Resist the urge to make and gobbler calls when a tom is slow to respond. Hearing another tom close to the hen can intimidate a late-season tom. Instead, use a few soft yelps sparingly. All you want to do is let a nearby tom know there is a hen out by herself. Call softly and only periodically. This is often just enough to build his curiosity and make him want to come to investigate.

Understand that “late season” does not mean a specific date or time of year, as hunting seasons are different across the country. But all states and all turkey-hunting ranges do have one thing in common: by the time the late season arrives, turkeys have been pressured and are on high alert. So, wherever you take to the field, combine a less intimidating low-key decoy setup with a softer, more subtle calling method for increased success in your late-season hunting.

Photo by: Matt Addington

Identifying seed pods is a great way to recognize different species of trees. One of the benefits of using seed pods for tree identification is that you usually find seed enclosures on the ground. This can make it easier to identify a tree species than using the leaf shape. Tree seed pods can be winged, ball-shaped, coniferous cones, papery enclosures, or long slender pods like bean pods.

Of course, it’s not always possible to use a tree seed pod identification guide to identify trees. Seed pods may only fall to the ground after flowering. And the seed pods on some species of trees persist on the tree throughout winter. However, looking at the shape, size, and color of the seed pod can often help identify the tree.

The term “seed pod” typically refers to the seed-bearing structure of plants in the legume family (Fabaceae). These pods are usually long and slender, containing several round pea-like seeds in a row. However, tree seed pods can also refer to any type of casing that contains seeds from a tree or large shrub.

This article is an identification guide for tree seed pods. In it, you’ll discover how to identify seed pods from trees like maples, elms, ash, silver birch, beech, chestnut, and several types of conifers. Descriptions and pictures of seed pods and other identifying features of trees will help you distinguish species of trees in the landscape.

Tree Seed Pod Identification

The two primary ways to identify seed pods are by looking at their shape and size. However, tree seed pod identification is also possible by the feel of the pod — is it smooth, fuzzy, or spiky? Additionally, some types of seed pods fall relatively early in the season, whereas others stay on the tree throughout winter.

Tree seed pod identification — shape: First, look at the seed pod’s shape. Most trees in the legume family have long, slender, curved pods, like those you’d find on pea and bean plants.

However, many deciduous trees, like ash, maple, and elm, have flattened, papery seed casings called samaras. However, most coniferous trees have seed-containing cones. But chestnut, hickory, and beech trees have rounded pods, sometimes with spiky exteriors.

Tree seed pod identification — size: The seed pod’s size is another identifying feature to help recognize the tree species. There is great variation in the length of some tree seed pods in the legume family. For example, flat redbud tree seed pods measure 3” (7.5 cm) long. However, mimosa tree pods grow 4” to 8” (10 – 20 cm) long, and locust tree seed pods measure 6” to 18” (15 – 45 cm).

The seed pods of trees are called fruits, although we never think of papery winged seeds or long curled pods as fruits. Additionally, sometimes tree seeds are also referred to as nuts.

Types of Tree Seed Pods (With Pictures) – Identification Guide

All trees produce seeds to reproduce. However, many tree seeds develop in pods or other protective structures. For example, some seed pods are like leathery balls, whereas others are woody cones. Then there are papery winged seeds that fall to the ground, spinning like a helicopter’s blades. How can you identify the many types of tree seed pods? Please read on to find out.

Maple Tree Seed Pods

Maple tree seed pods look like a pair of wing-shaped papery structures joined in the middle. Each winged section is called a samara. These seed pods are also named helicopter seeds because when they drop from the tree, they have a characteristic spinning motion. This feature gives the seeds names like whirlers, helicopters, or whirligigs.

Maple tree seed pods grow 1.18” to 2” (3 – 5 cm) long. Seeds from maples are the only samara with true helicopter-like action.

The wing-like structure helps the seeds to disperse in the wind, far away from the tree. Other identification features of maple trees include their leaves with usually three or five pointed lobes, reddish-brown bark or gray-brown bark. Many species of maple trees (Acer spp.) grow up to 150 ft. (45 m) tall.

Elm Tree Seed Pods

Elm trees produce seed pods encased in flat, papery, oval pods. Each elm tree seed pod contains a single seed, and the light green disc-like pods grow in large clusters on the tree. The papery seeds typically disperse from the tree in spring after flowering. Elm tree seed pods measure 0.5” (1.22 cm) across.

Apart from the round seed casing, elm trees can be identified by their deep green, oval, pointed leaves with serrated margins. In addition, elm trees have dark grayish-brown bark that is heavily furrowed and scaly. They also have small clusters of red or green flowers. Elm trees (Ulmus spp.) grow up to 100 ft. (30 m) tall.

Ash Tree Seed Pods

Ash tree seed pods are large oval paddle-shaped papery pods growing in large clusters. The brown winged seeds look like a bunch of dried leaves hanging from branches. Also called keys, the samaras persist on the tree until late fall or early winter. The oar-shaped seed pods measure 2” (5 cm) long.

Another distinguishing feature of ash trees (Fraxinus spp.) is their pinnately compound leaves. Each leaf comprises five pairs of pointed leaflets with a terminal leaflet at the end of the petiole. The leaves measure 8” to 12” (20 – 30 cm) in length. Ash trees typically grow 60 to 80 ft. (18 – 24 m) tall.

Learn more about white ash trees and the identifying features of green ash trees.

Beech Tree Seed Pods

Beech tree seed pods are identified as brown, spiny burs that have a hard shell and are called cupules. Each brown seed pod contains two to four seeds. An unusual feature of beech nuts is their angular shape with three sides. Beech tree seeds measure 0.5” to 1” (1.12 – 2.5 cm) long, and the spiky burs are slightly larger.

Beech trees are deciduous trees belonging to the genus Fagus. Apart from the brown spiky seed pods, identification features of beech trees include large, glossy green leaves forming a rounded, spreading crown. Additionally, beech trees have smooth, light-gray bark. Beech trees grow 60 to 80 ft. (18 – 24 m) tall.

Silver Birch Tree Seed Pods

Silver birch seed pods are tiny, winged seeds that grow in clusters resembling long flower spikes called catkins. Each minuscule seed has a translucent papery casing that opens like two wings. The seeds develop in catkins on the female trees. A single silver birch tree can produce thousands of seeds every year.

Pictures of silver birch seeds look like small flies with a body (seed), two antennae-like protrusions, and a pair of wings. The seeds only measure 0.11” to 0.15” (3 – 4 mm) across. Other identifying features of the silver birch (Betula pendula) are its silvery white bark and triangular leaves with jagged edges growing on weeping branches.

Horse Chestnut Tree Seed Pods

Horse chestnut seed pods are spiky green balls formed by a soft, thick husk. The spongy casing opens to reveal a mahogany brown seed with a recognizable grayish patch. Typically, each horse chestnut seed pod has one or two fruits (seeds). The rounded pods measure 1” to 2” (2.5 – 5 cm) in diameter.

Horse chestnut trees (Aesculus hippocastanum) grow 50 to 70 ft. (15 – 21 m) tall. The large deciduous trees have large conical, upward point clusters of pinkish white flowers, large palmately compound leaves, slightly fissured grayish bark, and a distinctive pyramidal shape.

Buckeye trees, that are related to the horse chestnut trees, also produce seed pods similar to horse chestnut trees. But, unlike chestnut trees (Castanea spp.), horse chestnut seeds and buckeye seeds are toxic and inedible.

Chestnut Tree Seed Pods

Chestnut tree seed pods are large, fuzzy, ball-like pods containing several large edible seeds or fruits. The spiky pods (called cupules) have sharp spines, and each pod contains several brown-colored seeds. An identifying feature of sweet, edible chestnut seeds is that they have a flat side and a small tuft.

Chestnut trees are identified by their lance-shaped, coarsely-toothed linear leaves measuring 6” to 10” (15 – 25 cm). Additionally, chestnut flowers are long, finger-like flower clusters in a creamy-white color. These dangling catkins measure 4” to 8” (10 – 20 cm) long. The fast-growing trees reach impressive heights of 60 to 100 ft. (18 – 30 m).

Redbud Tree Seed Pods

Redbud tree seed pods are large, flattened bean-like pods dangling in large clusters. The narrow, pointed seed pods are green before turning dark maroon or purple and then brown as they dry on the tree. Each pod measures 3” (7.5 cm) long and contains many small pea-like seeds.

Western and eastern redbud trees (Cercis spp.) are deciduous trees growing 25 ft. (7.6 m) tall. Their bright magenta buds appear in spring before opening into showy, fragrant, vibrant pink or reddish-pink flowers. Redbud leaves are heart-shaped, and the green foliage turns yellow in the fall.

Sycamore Tree Seed Pods

Sycamore tree seed pods are spiky round balls that emerge green and turn brown. The small seed balls dangling on long petioles persist through winter before dropping to the ground in spring. Each jaggy seed pod contains many fluffy winged seeds that easily disperse when the sycamore seed pods break open.

The spiky seed balls measure 1” (2.5 cm) in diameter.

Sycamore trees (Platanus spp.) grow 100 to 130 ft. (30 – 40 m) tall. Apart from the brownish spiked seed pods, other identifying features are their maple-like leaves with deep, pointed lobes, smooth, thin colorful flaky bark that looks like camouflage, and insignificant greenish flowers.

Pine Tree Seed Pods (Cones)

Pine tree seed pods are conical structures consisting of woody scales. Pine cones are typically tan or brown and can be egg-shaped or have a slender and conical appearance. Each woody scale encloses a tiny seed that disperses when the cones open. Depending on the species, pine tree cones can range in size from 0.78” to 23” (2 – 60 cm).

Pine cone seed pods can help distinguish pine trees from fir trees. This is because the brown, woody cone-shaped seed pods typically grow downward rather than upward. Other identifying features of pine trees (Pinus spp.) are their evergreen needle-like leaves growing in bunches of two to five and arranged spirally on branches.

Spruce Tree Seed Pods (Cones)

Spruce tree seed pods consist of thin, flexible scales attached to a central stalk creating a conical cone. The slender, cone-like seed pods can emerge green, red, or purple before maturing to brown. Although compared to pine cones, they look similar, spruce cones are not as hard or ridged.

The cone-shaped spruce tree seed pods grow between 1” and 6” (2.5 – 15 cm) depending on the species of conifer (Picea spp.). You can also identify spruce trees by their short, four-sided needles that are individually attached to branches. Unlike fir tree needles, you can roll spruce needles between your fingers.

Fir Tree Seed Pods (Cones)

Fir tree seed pods are cylindrical cones that grow upward on woody branches. Compared to other evergreen conifers, fir tree seed cones are the most colorful. Some are deep purple, pale blue, or reddish-brown color. Fir tree cones can grow up to 10” (25 cm) and look like candles on a tree.

Other identifying features of fir trees (Abies) are their soft, feathery flat needles and smooth bark.

Mimosa Tree Seed Pods

Mimosa tree seed pods are identified as papery bean-like pods that emerge green and turn brown. Each flattened seed pod contains five to ten round seeds. The flat pods grow profusely on trees, dangling from bare branches in the fall. The tree seed pods measure 4” to 8” (1.2 – 2.4 cm) long and 1” (2.5 cm) wide.

Mimosa trees (Albizia Julibrissin) are also identified by their smooth, light gray bark, fern-like pinnately compound leaves, and pink puffball flowers.

Palo Verde Tree Seed Pods

Palo verde tree seed pods are easily identifiable because they look like green, red, or brown beaded chains hanging from branches. The leathery seed pods contain edible oval seeds which are black or brown. The unusual leguminous (bean-like) seed pods measure 2” to 3” (5 – 7.5 cm) long.

Palo verde trees (Parkinsonia spp.) have bright yellow flowers and thorny branches, covered in pinnate leaves with pairs of tiny leaflets growing in pairs oppositely on thorny stems measuring 6” to 9” (15 – 23 cm) long.

Royal Poinciana Tree Seed Pods

Royal poinciana tree seed pods are huge leguminous seed pods growing between 12” and 24” (30 – 60 cm) long. The dark brown, flattened seed-containing pods look like leather straps hanging from trees. These large seed pods emerge in the fall and persist on the tree through winter until spring.

Other identifying features of royal poinciana trees (Delonix regia) are their bi-pinnate feathery leaves, vibrantly colored red flowers, and large, spreading rounded crown.

Locust Tree Seed Pods

Locust tree seed pods are large, flattened, dark brown pods that are distinctively spirally twisted. Each of these contorted or hooked seed pods contains several large oval seeds. Locust seed pods grow 4” to 8” (10 – 20 cm) long and dangle from thorny branches from fall until the following spring.

Locust trees (Robinia spp.) grow 66 to 100 ft. (20 – 30 m) tall. They are identified by their large pinnate leaves, thorn-covered trunks, and dangling clusters of white flowers.

Kentucky Coffee Tree Seed Pods

Kentucky coffee tree seed pods are flattened, thick, leathery pods that measure 5” to 10” (12 – 25 cm) long and up to 2” (5 cm) wide. The large seed pods contain dark-brown or olive-green round seeds, with three to nine seeds per pod. Although the seeds are toxic, you can roast them and brew a coffee-like drink.

Other identifying features of Kentucky coffee trees (Gymnocladus dioicus) are their rough, scaly bark, large, pinnately compound leaves, and small white, star-shaped flowers.

Catalpa Tree Seed Pods

Catalpa tree seed pods are easily recognizable pods due to their slender, cylindrical shape and long length — measuring between 12” and 24” (30 – 60 cm). These long cigar-like seed pods grow in dangling clusters that are green and mature to dark brown. Winged seeds disperse when the pods split open.

Other names for catalpa trees (Catalpa spp.) are the bean tree, Indian cigar tree, and smoking bean tree. The catalpa tree also has showy white flowers, smooth gray bark, and heart-shaped green leaves.

Jacaranda Tree Seed Pods

Jacaranda tree seed pods are round, brown, woody pods with numerous winged seeds. The brownish seed pods grow in clusters on trees and have a twisted appearance. The pods measure 3” (7.5 cm) across and are noticeable on jacaranda trees in late summer. Resembling a small scallop, the pods open to disperse their seeds.

Jacaranda trees (Jacaranda mimosifolia) are famous for their stunning floral displays of blue or bluish-purple trumpet-shaped flowers, attractive bi-pinnate compound leaves, and grayish-brown scaly bark.

Acacia Tree Seed Pods

Acacia tree seed pods are known for their long, slender seed-bearing pods that look like rosary beads or necklaces. However, some acacia species have flattened, broad seed pods that are banana-shaped. The distinctive furry seed pods are typically dark brown and grow up to 10” (26 cm) long. Each legume pod contains several pea-like seeds.

Acacia trees (Acacia spp.) are easy to identify due to their spectacular white or yellow puffball fuzzy flowers, fern-like leaves, and thorny branches.

Related articles:

• Trees With Long Seed Pods – Identification Guide
• Trees With Spiky Seeds Balls (With Pictures)
• Types of Hickory Nuts – Identification Guide

Have you ever landed a fish you’ve never caught before then sat there staring at in the net wondering how you’re supposed to lift it up for the picture, or even how to release it?

WHY IS THERE A PROPER WAY TO HOLD FISH?

Holding a fish properly isn’t just for the benefit of the fish, it also keeps the angler safe. All fish, toothless or not, have defence mechanisms built-in. Whether its a bass with an effectively sharp dorsal fin, or walleye, pike, and muskie with their teeth, all fish can pose a threat to you as the angler. But- with proper holds there is little to no concern in handling them for a photo, releasing them, or even putting them into the live well if you’re planning on keeping them.

Times have changed, and our education towards fishing as our resource has also changed. With the growing recognition of CPR (Catch, Photo, and Release) lodge owners are embracing it. Some lodges won’t even post photos of fish being held improperly, so your trophy fish may not be shared or celebrated as it should be!

The reason lodges and fishing pages don’t post improper holds in photos is that in order for CPR to be successful, fish handling has to be done properly.

Have no fear!

Learning how to hold fish is certainly better done with hands-on practice. But this article will give you the bare-bones, easy to remember approach on handling each fish species that dwell in Sunset Country’s waters! To read more about why, scroll to the bottom of the article!

UNHOOKING FISH

Once you have the fish in the net, take a breath! Having the fish in the net keeps it wet, lively and breathing, giving you time to organize yourself. Pliers are optional and certainly encouraged.

By using pliers you can keep your bare hands free of the hooks and any hazards on the fish, ie, prickly spines. Once you’ve successfully unhooked the fish, take the lure out of the net, taking the time to secure it back onto the rod will keep the workspace even safer. So long as the fishes head is underwater in the net, you can remove rushing from the picture, that’s how mistakes are made.

Once you have hooks clear of the net and away from where you’ll be posing, get the camera out before you even think about lifting the fish out of the water. This way you’re all set for a couple of photos, and a seamless release- which you can capture on camera too!

HOW TO HOLD DIFFERENT SPECIES

Not all fish were created equally which means you’ll hold some of them differently than others. Don’t let this discourage you, all holds are simple and effective.

BASS

Both bass species are one of the few you won’t get much flack for holding vertically. They are also one of the easiest to hold because they can be “lipped,” or held directly from the mouth.

Like all larger fish of each species though, some extra care is required for heavier ones and the fish certainly won’t complain about having some extra help staying healthy.

Here are a couple of hold examples for bass:

This vertical hold is perfectly safe for this bass. They aren’t cranking its jaw and forcing the head to hold the body on an angle, it’s just straight up and down. This hold is also acceptable for crappie, largemouth bass, perch and other small panfish like sunfish.

The horizontal hold below is an excellent example of how to support a larger bass, crappie, or even perch. It also adds a different angle and makes it easier to take horizontal photos, instead of only verticals!

WALLEYE

Similar to bass, you can hold smaller walleye vertically without causing any harm, but you certainly do NOT want to “lip” them as they have some impressive teeth.

Below, Jeff Gustafson explains how the gill plate hold on walleye whether horizontally or vertically helps with catch and release as well as making your photographs look better!

NORTHERN PIKE AND MUSKIE

Perhaps the most intimidating of our fish species in Sunset Country is the Esox family of northern pike and muskie. It’s important to understand how to handle pike because they are especially common in these waters and odds are you’ll be unhooking a lot of them.

All fish deserve our respect, but perhaps the species requiring the most special care is the muskie. These fish grow LARGE. Which means they are especially subject to weight-bearing in the wrong places if held improperly. They may be the apex predator in the water, but when they are removed from their environment the saying “the bigger they are the harder they fall” is very much relevant.

The gill hold is very important to understand for holding pike and muskie. Not only will it protect the fish, but it’ll also protect you and your hands. If done properly, no gloves are necessary.

Here are the steps to make it simple:

1. Following the gill line to the bottom of the pike or muskies head, slide your index finger inside and underneath the jaw of the fish (much like you watched in the walleye video above)

2. Once you know you’re tight to the bottom of the fishes mouth and away from the gills, allow the rest of your fingers to slide in as well next to your index finger

3. Keeping your thumb outside of the mouth in the notch of the bottom jaw, you’ll be able to clamp down onto your index and other fingers inside the mouth of the fish.

4. Once their head is securely in your hands, lift them out of the net and support them horizontally by securing your other hand under their belly like the photos above.

LAKE TROUT/BROOK TROUT

Depending on the trout’s size and species, gill hold may or may not be acceptable. Large lake trout can be held by the gills with their weight supported, but a hold that will give you a more secure hold on their powerful tail may be mistaken for playing air guitar.

This “guitar hold” works for brook trout as well. Using your dominant hand (seems to work best for most) wrap your hand around their tail, with your other hand support the space between their pectoral (front) fins. Tucking your hands underneath will assure your fish looks great, but will also stop you from accidentally strangling the fish. The photo above shows both options for the non-dominant hand, the angler on the left is choosing to wrap her hands around, but keeping control of them not to choke or injure the fish. The angler on the right is tucking her hands below the fish, simply supporting the weight.

DON’T FEEL CONFIDENT YET?

Like with all things learning, practice really does make perfect. You can’t be expected to learn these perfectly the first time. The holds covered above are all focused on what will give you the most confidence, but you may find other proper ways to handle fish.

If you’d like to learn more about these holds, you could consider hiring an independent fishing guide for the day. Be clear with your intent to learn more, guides will be more than willing to help educate you on fish holds, tactics, techniques and even how to land them easier!

Here’s more on why it’s important to learn: Let’s say a large fish is held vertically, that large fish has until this point lived its life suspended horizontally almost weightlessly in water. Being hoisted by its jaw or gills (which acts as lungs for the fish) puts a tremendous amount of pressure not only on those areas, but it’s internal organs that have never felt gravity quite like this before. Larger fish held vertically poses a risk to their organs tearing from place and ultimately causing a delayed death after release.

PLAN YOUR TRIP

You’ve mastered landing countless fish, now you want to go for some true trophies! In Sunset Country you can go for walleye, muskie, northern pike, smallmouth and largemouth bass, perch, crappie, lake trout and brook trout.

If you don’t know where to begin, you can search by the species listed above, or check our Accommodation Finder and use filters such as drive-in, fully guided fishing, wheelchair accessible, fly-in outposts, and more!

You can also order our FREE Travel Guide including a pull-out map of the region and our lodges here. Feel free to call us at the Sunset Country office 1-800-665-7567 as well.