Many people use the flat shooting and hard hitting .300 Win Mag for hunting elk, deer and many other species of big game with excellent results. Here are a few great brands of .300 Win Mag ammo that will probably serve you very well next time you’re afield.

The .300 Winchester Magnum cartridge exploded onto the scene in the 1960s and quickly surpassed older .30 caliber magnum rifle cartridges like the .300 Weatherby Magnum and .308 Norma Magnum in popularity. It has also displayed a lot of staying power and remains a favorite among hunters all over the world to this day. For that reason, just about every big manufacturer like Barnes, Black Hills, Federal Premium, Fiocchi, Hornady, Norma, Prvi Partizan (PPU), Sellier & Bellot, Sig Sauer, Remington, and Winchester produces several different variants of .300 Win Mag ammo for hunting elk, deer, moose, bear, and many other big game animals.

Known for being really accurate, having a flat trajectory, and for retaining lots of kinetic energy at extended range, versatility is the name of the game with the .300 Win Mag and it’s well suited for hunting a wide range of big game at short, medium, and even long range. However, different situations (like deer or pronghorn at long range vs moose at short range) necessitate the use of different kinds of .300 Win Mag ammo for best results.

While they are very accurate and are certainly capable of killing big game animals, I don’t recommend using bullets designed for target shooting like the Hornady ELD Match and Sierra MatchKing hollow point boat tail (HPBT) for hunting because they usually aren’t designed for optimum terminal performance on big game animals. The same goes for open tip match (OTM) or boat tail hollow point (BTHP) bullets.

Instead, it’s best to stick with .300 Winchester Magnum ammo specifically designed for hunting that uses soft point, jacketed hollow point, or similar bullets.

Fortunately, the .300 Winchester Magnum is one of the most popular hunting cartridges in North America and there are a wide variety of .300 Win Mag factory loads specifically designed for just about every conceivable big game hunting situation. So, regardless of whether you’re using a bolt action Winchester Model 70, a Remington Model 700, a Ruger Hawkeye, a Savage 110, a Mauser M18, a Weatherby Vanguard, or some other hunting rifle, there is pretty much guaranteed to be something for everyone on the list below of the best .300 Win Mag ammunition for hunting.

In today’s post, I’m going to show you the best .300 Win Mag ammo for hunting elk, deer, feral hogs, black bear, and all sorts of other big game and go over the pros and cons of each individual load.

Note: some of the links below are affiliate links. This means I will earn a small commission (at no extra cost to you) if you make a purchase of rifle, handgun, rimfire, or shotgun ammunition through those links. This helps support the blog and allows me to continue to create free content that’s useful to hunters like yourself. Thanks for your support.

Federal Premium Terminal Ascent

Federal’s Terminal Ascent line is an excellent option of .300 Win Mag hunting ammo for hunters looking for really good extended range performance on medium and large game. This ammunition uses the new Terminal Ascent Bullet, which is also extremely aerodynamic and accurate. It has a very high BC (higher than the 200gr Hornady ELD-X) and is also much more robustly constructed.

With those things in mind, I personally tend to lean more towards the Terminal Ascent over the ELD-X for hunting bigger game like elk with the .300 Win Mag. This ammo is another great option for hunters going after game out west like mule deer or pronghorn who need excellent .300 Win Mag ammo for a long range hunting situation.

Don’t misunderstand me though: it will also work great on all manner of game at shorter ranges too. I’ve had a number of clients in Africa use this 300 Win Mag ammo with outstanding results on plains game ranging in size from impala (about the size of deer) all the way up to zebra, gemsbok, and kudu (about the size of elk) at ranges from 50-200 yards.

If this ammunition shoots accurately in your rifle, this is one of my to recommended loads (right there with the Nosler Partition) for hunters who need good .300 Win Mag ammo for elk or moose hunting. Terminal Ascent ammo has better long range performance than the Nosler Partition, so this is definitely the stuff you should use if a shot past 250 yards is likely on an upcoming elk hunt.

• Bullet Type: Terminal Ascent
• Bullet Weight: 200 grains
• Ballistic Coefficient (G1): .608
• Muzzle Velocity: 2,810 feet per second

GET TERMINAL ASCENT 300 WIN MAG AMMO HERE

Also Available at: Cabela’s, Lucky Gunner, Optics Planet, and Sportsman’s Warehouse

Barnes VOR-TX

If you’re a hunter who loves Barnes bullets, then you’re in luck because Barnes produces some great .300 Win Mag ammo as part of their VOR-TX line. Featuring their legendary copper Tipped Triple Shock X (TTSX) bullet, this ammunition is designed for rapid expansion, high weight retention, and deep penetration. Available using 150 grain, 165 grain, or 180 grain .30 caliber bullets, Barnes offers three outstanding choices for hunters regardless of what they’re after.

The 180 grain load is quite possibly the best .300 Win Mag ammo for elk, bear, and moose hunting. The 165 grain load will also work for larger game like elk, but it’s perfect for bigger deer and bear. That high velocity 150 grain load is great .300 Win Mag ammo for deer and pronghorn hunting, especially for hunters who want a couple hundred extra fps and a really flat trajectory to minimize their holdover for a longer shot. All that being said, there’s certainly a lot of overlap on the acceptable hunting uses for those three bullet weights as well.

All three loads are also 100% copper, which makes them an ideal choice of .300 Win Mag hunting ammunition for use in states like California that that don’t permit the use of lead bullets.

Though I’ve since switched over to Federal Premium Trophy Copper ammo (next on this list), the Barnes VOR-TX line is still great ammunition and was my personal favorite .300 Win Mag ammo for a long time. I used that 165 grain load with a lot of success on both deer and pronghorn over the past few years and this ammo is also a favorite among many North America, New Zealand, and Africa hunting outfitters.

• Bullet Type: TTSX Boat Tail
• Bullet Weight: 150 grains, 165 grains, or 180 grains
• Ballistic Coefficient (G1): .420 (150 gr), .442 (165 gr), .484 (180 gr)
• Muzzle Velocity: 3,285 feet per second, 3,120 feet per second, or 2,960 feet per second

GET BARNES 300 WIN MAG AMMO HERE

Also Available at: Cabela’s, Lucky Gunner, Optics Planet, & Sportsman’s Warehouse

Hornady Outfitter

Hornady recently introduced their new Outfitter line of ammunition. Though it will also work quite well on a whitetail deer hunt in the back 40, the company markets this .300 Win Mag ammo for use on guided hunts in really tough environments like a moose hunt in Canada or a kudu hunt in South Africa.

This ammunition is loaded with an extremely tough 180 grain CX bullet that’s designed for controlled expansion, high weight retention, and deep penetration on large, heavy boned animals like elk, bear, and moose. This ammunition also uses nickel-plated case for reliable feeding and corrosion resistance under the most demanding conditions

With all those things in mind, it’s easy to see why Hornady advertises their Outfitter .300 Win Mag ammo for use on a big hunt that’s the culmination of years of saving and planning. After all, when the chips are down on the hunt of a lifetime, the absolute last thing you need is for your ammo to fail at the moment of truth.

The CX bullet used in Hornady Outfitter ammunition is lead free, which makes this ammo another good choice for use in states like California. Note: the CX bullet replaced the older GMX bullet from Hornady and is a tiny bit more aerodynamic, but retains the great terminal performance of the GMX.

• Bullet Type: CX
• Bullet Weight: 180 grains
• Ballistic Coefficient (G1): .469
• Muzzle Velocity: 2,960 feet per second

GET HORNADY OUTFITTER 300 WIN MAG AMMO HERE

Also Available at: Cabela’s, Lucky Gunner, & MidwayUSA

Hornady Precision Hunter

The .300 Winchester Magnum is an excellent long range cartridge and Hornady’s Precision Hunter line contains an outstanding .300 Win Mag ammo option for hunters looking to squeeze every bit of long range performance out of the cartridge. Loaded with the extremely aerodynamic Extremely Low Drag eXpanding (ELD-X) bullet, this ammo is perfect for western hunters going after game like elk, mule deer, or pronghorn who need the very best .300 Win Mag ammo for a long range hunting situation.

Hornady advertises that the ELD-X bullet has the best-in-class ballistic coefficients over their entire trajectory and that their Precision Hunter ammunition also offers match grade accuracy (usually sub-MOA).

Though the ELD-X does not have a bonded core like the Hornady InterBond, the ELD-X does feature a thicker jacket and an InterLock ring to help control expansion, increase weight retention, and minimize the chances of core-jacket separation. For this reason, the ELD-X is still devastating on deer and pronghorn sized game, but it’s also a much better choice than their SST bullet used in the Hornady Superformance line for use on larger game.

Add it up and you have some .300 Winchester Magnum ammunition that’s capable of delivering great terminal performance on a wide range of big game for shots at 400+ yards.

• Bullet Type: Hornady Extremely Low Drag eXpanding
• Bullet Weight: 200 grains
• Ballistic Coefficient (G1): .597
• Muzzle Velocity: 2,850 feet per second

GET PRECISION HUNTER 300 WIN MAG AMMO HERE

Also Available at: Brownells

Remington Core Lokt

If you’re a “meat and potatoes” kind of hunter who wants some reasonably priced and dependable 300 Win Mag ammo for hunting deer, elk, feral hogs, and black bear, then the Remington’s 180 grain Core Lokt soft point will probably work really well for you (it’s also available as a 150 grain soft point load which is good for deer hunting).

It’s not the latest and greatest stuff by any means, but this .300 Win Mag ammunition has been around for a long time and countless hunters have successfully used Core Lokt ammo to take just about every species of big game in North America. The same goes for hunts overseas in places like New Zealand or Africa: one of those bullets through the vitals of a red stag, kudu, eland, or wildebeest will make for a very short tracking job.

Finally, this ammunition is very reasonably priced and has one of the lowest costs per round out of all the .300 Win Mag ammo on this list.

• Bullet Type: Core-Lokt Pointed Soft Point (PSP)
• Bullet Weight: 180 grains
• Ballistic Coefficient (G1): .383
• Muzzle Velocity: 2,960 feet per second

GET CORE LOKT 300 WIN MAG AMMO HERE

Also Available at: Brownells, Cabela’s, Lucky Gunner, & MidwayUSA

Nosler Trophy Grade

The Nosler Trophy Grade line of ammo will very likely fit the bill for those looking for some seriously heavy hitting .300 Win Mag ammo for elk, moose, or bear hunting. Loaded with a 180 grain or a 200 grain Nosler Partition bullet, this load is perfect for hunting really big game where it’s really important to use a heavy, well constructed bullet. With that in mind, this is also perfect .300 Win Mag ammunition for an African safari for really large or tough game like kudu, blue wildebeest, or eland.

This ammunition is not limited to use on bigger and tougher animals either and will also work extremely well on game like deer. Indeed, a heavier 180gr or 200gr bullet like those used in this loading will also probably cause less meat damage on deer-sized game than lighter and faster 150gr and 165gr bullets.

Though it doesn’t have the flattest trajectory out there, this load retains energy very well, so this is still excellent .300 Win Mag ammo for hunting at a reasonable range. The Nosler Partition is a very old bullet design, but it remains one of the best hunting bullets around and has a proven track record over the course of many decades and won’t let you down at the moment of truth. Nosler also produces a similar load in their Trophy Grade line featuring the newer Nosler Accubond bullet.

• Bullet Type: Nosler Partition
• Bullet Weight: 180 grains or 200 grains
• Ballistic Coefficient (G1): .361 (180gr) or .481 (200gr)
• Muzzle Velocity: 2,950 feet per second (180gr) or 2,750 feet per second (200gr)

GET NOSLER PARTITION 300 WIN MAG AMMO HERE

Also Available at: Brownells and Lucky Gunner

Federal Premium Trophy Copper

Hunters in search of a high quality alternative to Barnes bullets should definitely check out Federal Premium’s new Trophy Copper line of ammunition. Like the Barnes TTSX, the Trophy Copper provides a devastating mix of high weight retention, rapid, yet controlled controlled expansion (to approximately twice the original diameter), and deep straight-line penetration. This ammunition is available using either a 165 grain or 180 grain .30 caliber bullet and the whole line has been endorsed by the MeatEater crew.

The 180 grain load is an outstanding choice of .300 Win Mag ammo for elk, moose, or bear hunting while the the lighter 165 grain load is perfect for deer, pronghorn, and bear. Both of those loads use a slightly more aerodynamic bullet than the comparable factory loads in the Barnes VOR-TX line. Especially with regards to the 180 grain Trophy Copper, the result is some .300 Win Mag ammo with a flatter trajectory, more retained energy at long range, and more resistance to wind drift than comparable Barnes ammo.

Federal Premium Trophy Copper ammunition is also a tiny bit more accurate in my rifle. While Barnes VOR-TX ammo is great and has served me well for many years, the improved accuracy combined with the slightly better ballistics of the Federal ammunition were enough for me to make the switch from Barnes to Federal Premium in 2020.

With those things in mind (and after seeing the performance of this ammo in the field), the Federal Premium Trophy Copper line is my new personal favorite .300 Win Mag ammo for all my hunting. I could not have asked for better performance on elk than what I received using that 180 grain load. Regardless of whether you’re hunting deer, elk, and bear in North America or one of the big species of African antelope, this ammo will serve you well and get the job done if you do your part as a shooter.

Both Federal Premium Trophy Copper loads are also lead free, which makes them an ideal choice of .300 Win Mag hunting ammunition for use in states like California that that don’t permit the use of lead bullets.

• Bullet Type: Trophy Copper
• Bullet Weight: 165 grains or 180 grains
• Ballistic Coefficient (G1): .503 (165 gr) or .523 (180 gr)
• Muzzle Velocity: 3,050 feet per second or 2,960 feet per second

GET TROPHY COPPER 300 WIN MAG AMMO HERE

Also Available at: Sportsman’s Warehouse and Optics Planet

Winchester Deer Season XP

Winchester’s Deer Season XP line of ammunition is a really good choice choice if you’re planning on taking your .300 Win Mag deer hunting. The Extreme Point bullet this rifle ammo uses is similar to Winchester’s Power Point bullet (same goes for the Ballistic Tip and Ballistic Silvertip), but the Extreme Point has a large diameter polymer tip that’s specifically designed to produce a gigantic wound channel along with massive impact trauma. This normally results in a very short tracking job and a very easy to follow blood trail. Even so, it’s designed specifically to compete with popular whitetail deer hunting ammo like the Federal Fusion, Federal Power-Shok, Hornady American Whitetail, Remington Core-Lokt, and Winchester Super-X in terms of accuracy and reliability.

The Winchester Deer Season XP line is also competitively priced and has one of the lowest costs per round out of all the .300 Win Mag ammo on this list.

So, not only is this some very reasonably priced .300 Win Mag ammo, but it also has a very good reputation for producing a giant wound channel and minimizing the distance deer run after being hit. In fact, this Winchester ammo is one of my top recommended brands of 300 Win Mag ammo for whitetail deer hunting. That being said, I would NOT recommend using it for bigger game like elk or moose.

Finally, Winchester does manufacture a lead-free version of their Deer Season XP ammo loaded with their Copper Impact bullet in 300 Win Mag for use with hunters who are prefer (or are required to) use lead-free ammunition.

• Bullet Type: Extreme Point
• Bullet Weight: 150 grains
• Ballistic Coefficient (G1): .392
• Muzzle Velocity: 3,260 feet per second

GET DEER SEASON XP 300 WIN MAG AMMO HERE

GET COPPER IMPACT 300 WIN MAG AMMO HERE

Also Available At: Brownell’s, Cabela’s and Lucky Gunner

Federal Fusion

It’s far from the latest and greatest stuff, but this Federal Fusion loading with either a 150gr or a 180gr bullet is really good 300 Win Mag ammo for deer hunting. In addition to being very effective, this ammunition is also somewhat reasonably priced and has been one of the easier to find 300 Win Mag ammo options during the past few years.

Additionally, Fusion bullets have a bonded lead core to help with weight retention. Combined with a skived tip to help initiate expansion, Federal Fusion 300 Win Mag ammo delivers a really good balance of controlled expansion, high weight retention, and deep penetration. Federal Fusion ammunition also has a good reputation for accuracy.

While I think Fusion 300 Win Mag ammo is better for elk hunting than some of the other loads out there, this is ideal ammo for feral hog and deer hunting. You could also include game like pronghorn and maybe black bear in there as well.

It will definitely work on bigger like elk or moose in a pinch, but I do not recommend using Federal Fusion 300 Win Mag ammo for hunting really big game like that unless you can’t find anything better. Instead, use one of the other loads I recommend later in this article like the Barnes TTSX, Federal Terminal Ascent, or Nosler Partition.

Like I said though, this is outstanding on deer sized game though and it’s to go wrong with Federal Fusion 300 Win Mag ammo for deer hunting.

• Bullet Type: Fusion Soft Point
• Bullet Weight: 150 grains or 180 grains
• Ballistic Coefficient (G1): .410 (150gr) or .485 (180gr)
• Muzzle Velocity: 3,200 (150gr) or 2,960 feet per second (180gr)

GET FEDERAL FUSION 300 WIN MAG AMMO HERE

Also Available at: Natchez Shooter Supplies and Optics Planet

NEXT: BEST 6.5 CREEDMOOR AMMO FOR HUNTING ELK, DEER, & OTHER BIG GAME

NEXT: 223 REM vs 5.56 NATO: WHICH SHOULD YOU USE IN YOUR AR-15 CARBINE?

NEXT: 6.8 SPC vs 6.5 GRENDEL: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

NEXT: 101 BEST GIFTS FOR HUNTERS

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Expect the price of ammunition to rise substantially in 2024 as manufacturers dedicate materials to supply the war in Ukraine.

The first hint appeared Monday when Vista Outdoor announced the sale of its outdoor sporting products division to Czechoslovak Group for $1.91 billion. Vista Outdoor brands include Federal, CCI, Speer, Heavy Metal, Bushnell, Butler Creek, Hoppes, and Remington, which owns a large ammunition plant at Lonoke.

A source in the retail side of the Vista universe said that Czechoslovak Group wants the ammunition making capacity for the war in Ukraine. A Reuters article on Monday reinforced that opinion. It said, “Czech-based CSG has seen its revenue and profits rise since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine as demand for heavy military equipment and ammunition to ship to Ukraine soared.”

In December 2022, Czechoslovak Group also acquired 70% of Fiocchi Munizioni, which in November 2022 announced plans to build a firearms primer manufacturing facility in Little Rock. It is one of only six primer manufacturing facilities in the United States and is also the world’s only source for lead-free primers.

When interruptions occur in the firearms industry supply chain, the retail ammunition and ammunition reloading markets get pinched the hardest. Shortages are most noticeable for 9mm Luger, 40 S&W and 45 ACP, all common law enforcement and military cartridges. Accelerated production of ammo for military and law enforcement also causes shortages in the civilian market. This reduces availability of 380 Rem., and 22 LR, which manufacturers de-emphasize when producing high-demand military and police cartridges.

Robin Sharpless, executive vice-president of Redding Reloading Equipment, said that ammunition and reloading component shortages always accompany periods of political and social unrest.

When shortages are most acute, scarcity of factory loaded ammunition is equally acute. Scarcity triggers binge buying among some customers. Big box retailers sell an entire pallet of ammo to a few customers as soon as it leaves the truck. Moving inventory quickly is an objective in the retail paradigm. It doesn’t matter if it moves through three customers or thirty.

Sharpless said that during the coronavirus pandemic, he noticed the same behavior in the reloading components market.

“If you were watching Facebook forums, you’d see posts that would say, ‘Cabelas got so many primers, and I got them ALL!'” Sharpless said. “I talked to one of those guys. He loads a box of ammunition a year. He shoots a couple of deer a year, so that’s, what, half a box at most? But he’s got 3,000 years worth of primers. It’s an ‘I’ve got them and you don’t,’ thing. Those behaviors do hurt the market.

David Stone, president of Dong’s Sporting and Reloading Goods in Tulsa, noticed the same thing in the ammunition market.

“During the pandemic in 2020, there was no rimfire and no 9mm,” Stone said. “One guy told me he had a 50-gallon drum full of 22 rimfire shells. Never in your entire lifetime are you going to shoot all those. There are thousands of hoarders like that.”

Some retailers, like Fort Thompson’s Sporting Goods in Sherwood, flatten the supply and demand curve locally to a small extent by limiting the amount of ammo and components that individuals can buy at one time. Rationing ammo and components ensures that products are available to the maximum number of customers.

Rationing ammo is important during buying spree periods because it engenders trust, Stone said. Nothing frustrates a customer more than an unavailable product.

“I’m here every day and I watch my inventory level,” Stone said. “Big chains have got corporate people that watch stuff. They’ll ship a hundred boxes to a store. One person can walk in off the street and buy it all. I don’t do that.”

Even when ammo is available, reloading supplies often remain scarce for a long time. An associate at Fort Thompson Sporting Goods said it’s because ammo manufacturers consume the bulk of powder, primers, brass and bullets.

“A lot of the primers are staying with the manufacturers because they’re producing cartridges,” the associate said. “If they can’t get primers, they can’t produce cartridges either. Vista owns CCI and Federal, and Vista owns Remington. Hodgdon owns most of the powder brands, so they’ve all got the same issue. Powder is going to the manufacturers to produce the bullets. It’s all a chain deal. Reloaders get the leftovers.”

Sometimes, Stone said, it pays to play a hunch.

“I’m kind of a gambler,” Stone said. “When I saw a primer shortage coming, I gave somebody I’ve never done business with $150,000 up front for primers. When those came in, I gave them another $150,000. That’s a gamble that paid off.”

Even when demand stabilizes, non-endemic factors, like a trucker strike or dock worker strike, can cause a spike in demand and a dip in supply, Stone said.

“Let’s say there’s a trucker strike. There’s no freight coming in. That kind of kills everybody’s plan,” Stone said.

The solution, Stone said, is equivalent to retailer hoarding. He said he buys enough to get him through the lean times. When the supply reflows, he overstocks again.

“The last big shortage was 2013,” Stone said. “I hated it that I ran out, so I over bought. I’ve had primers since 2013. I bought too many then, and I’m glad I did. It’s already paid for.”

With a major supplier intending to devote production for the foreseeable future to a war that has no foreseeable end, the supply of hunting ammo could be tight for years. Stocking up now while supplies and prices are favorable might help see hunters through some upcoming lean times.

If you ask anyone to name a tree off the top of their head, oak is likely to be one of the most common answers you’ll hear. Oak trees are fairly common in the United States, and we use them for a ton of different purposes. However, many people don’t know that oak trees aren’t all the same. In fact, oak includes a large assortment of different tree species that vary quite a bit from one another. The United States is home to over 60 distinct species of oak trees alone.

You don’t need to get extremely granular with oak tree species if you don’t want to. Oak species generally belong in one of two major categories: white oak trees and red oak trees. If you enjoy oak trees and want to consider them for your own yard or landscape, you should know what you’re getting into with both white and red oak trees. So what are the differences are between white oak vs. red oak trees? Get a better idea about which one is perfect for you with the following information.

White Oak Overview

The oak trees we classify into the white oak family are usually distinguishable by their size. White oak trees can grow into massive specimens if left to their own devices. They produce many acorns, which help feed a wide variety of animals. They also provide shelter for animals. The average white oak tree usually ends up somewhere around 80 feet in height and tends to be almost as big as its height in the total width of its branches.

White Oak Appearances

As you might guess, white oak trees have a lighter wood color than red oak varieties. The bark tends to be ashier in color, and you can also characterize a white oak tree by how rough its bark is. White oak tree bark has very deep ridges that many people find attractive for their yards. In contrast to their rough and coarse bark, white oak tree leaves don’t boast any sharp angles. The leaves instead have more rounded tips.

Pros of White Oak Trees

There are plenty of benefits to owning a white oak tree. Their massive size is a draw for lots of people who enjoy larger trees. Their sizes reflect their long lives as well. Many white oak species have extremely long lifespans and can survive for centuries as long as nothing terrible happens to them. Many people also prefer white oak trees because of their gorgeous coloring during the autumn months. In terms of care, white oaks are highly resistant to drought, and they also have a high resistance to rot and disease.

Cons of White Oak Trees

There aren’t too many cons to worry about with white oaks, but the ones that exist are worth going over. Buying a young white oak tree is perfectly fine, but it’ll grow very slowly as a reflection of its extensive lifespan. You may not see your oak tree fully grown in your life if you buy it when it’s still a sapling. More mature white oaks’ imposing sizes can also make them a hassle to transplant should the need ever arise.

Red Oak Overview

When you compare them to white oak trees, red oak trees aren’t quite as towering in size. They certainly still make a statement, as they can grow up to about 75 feet. However, many usually finish growing around 60 feet instead. Also, their branches don’t stretch as far out laterally, giving them a skinnier and leaner appearance. Red oaks can survive quite well in different soil types, even highly compacted soil. They also help feed and provide adequate shelter for critters of all shapes and sizes.

Red Oak Appearances

The appearance of a red oak is almost completely opposite to that of a white oak tree. Red oak trees tend to be much darker in coloration. The bark on a red oak is also much smoother than its white oak counterparts, with very few deep ridges to find at all. As the name suggests, it isn’t rare to see a deep red tint in many of the species’ woods. Furthermore, red oak trees have much pointier ends on their leaves compared to the rounded edges of the white oak leaves.

Pros of Red Oak Trees

If you want an oak tree that you can watch quickly grow, you’ll prefer a red oak without a doubt. These trees can gain more than two feet in a year. While you won’t get as large of variety of colors in their leaves during the autumn months, red oak leaves do turn a very attractive shade of red before they fall. Additionally, red oaks can stave off the effects of many sources of pollution, and they’re much easier to transplant somewhere else when compared to white oaks.

Cons of Red Oak Trees

Some people may consider the smaller size of a red oak to be a con that they can’t budge on. In the eyes of many individuals, they aren’t quite as majestic as fully grown white oaks. Getting the right amount of water for a red oak can also be more of a balancing act than it is for a white oak tree.

Major Differences Between White and Red Oak

Let reflect on the main differences between white and red oak now. These are the factors that will probably sway your choice.

• Leaf shape: White oaks have soft, rounded edges on their leaves, whereas red oaks have a more striking and pointy leaf shape.
• Size: White oaks grow to be much larger than red oaks. The former reaches up to 80 feet, while the latter rarely ever goes above 70 feet.
• Growth rate: White oaks grow much more slowly than red oak species. Red oaks can grow multiple feet in a single year.
• Bark texture: White oak trees have bark that features a much rougher texture than red oak trees.

Now you have a better idea of the differences between white oak and red oak trees. Therefore, you can make a better decision when you find oak trees for sale. Plant Me Green provides customers with both types of oak trees. And we ensure that we only sell the highest quality trees in terms of health and longevity.

Bass fishing is a beloved pastime for many people, offering an escape from the hustle and bustle of everyday life and the opportunity to spend time in nature. And for those who love to share their experiences on Instagram, finding the perfect caption to accompany their photos can be just as important as landing the big one.

In this blog post, we’ll explore some of the best bass fishing Instagram captions to help you express your love of the sport and share your adventures with your followers.

Whether you’re a seasoned angler or just starting out, these captions are sure to help you reel in the likes and connect with fellow fishing enthusiasts on social media. So grab your rod and let’s get started!

Bass Fishing Instagram Captions

• Keep calm and fish on.
• “I’ve never met a bass I didn’t like.”
• If at first you don’t succeed, reel, reel again.
• Fishing is not just about catching fish, it’s about making memories.
• The best way to spend a day: fishing with my family.
• “Bass fishing is the ultimate stress reliever.”
• “Bass fishing is my therapy.”
• Bass fishing is my kind of therapy.
• A day without fishing is like a day without sunshine.
• The thrill of the catch is what keeps me coming back for more.
• The sound of a fish biting is music to my ears.
• Nothing beats a day on the water with good company.
• My favorite color is bass.
• Catching bass and taking names.
• “The best way to relax is with a rod in your hand and your feet in the water.”
• Fishing is not just a hobby, it’s an adventure.
• “Fishing is the ultimate relaxation technique.”
• “I don’t always catch bass, but when I do, it’s a good day.”
• Every day is a good day to go fishing.
• Fishing is my escape from reality.

Bass Fishing Captions For Instagram

• The only bad fishing trip is the one you didn’t take.
• Catch and release, it’s the responsible thing to do.
• A bad day of fishing is better than a good day at work.
• Every fisherman dreams of catching the big one.
• “There’s a fine line between fishing and just standing on the shore like an idiot.”
• “A bad day of fishing is still better than a good day at work.”
• Fishing is my kind of therapy.
• “A day without fishing is like a day without sunshine.”
• Bass fishing is my happy place.
• “The early bird catches the bass.”
• Nothing beats the serenity of the water.
• The best moments in life are spent on the water.
• Catching bass: one of life’s simple pleasures.
• “Bass fishing: where the water is calm and the mind is clear.”
• The only way to fish is with passion.
• Keepin’ it reel.
• I’d rather be fishing.
• The tug is the drug.
• “The tug is the drug.”
• The only way to relax: cast a line and wait for a bite.
• Bass fishing: my happy place.
• Catch and release: it’s about preserving the sport for future generations.
• A day spent fishing is never a waste of time.
• Fishing is not just a hobby, it’s a passion.

Funny Bass Fishing Captions For Instagram

• “There’s nothing quite like the thrill of reeling in a big bass.”
• There’s no such thing as too much fishing, only not enough time.
• Life is better when you’re fishing.
• Bass fishing is my escape from reality.
• “Life is better at the lake.”
• “I live for the moments when the fish bites the hook.”
• Catch and release, let them grow.
• “Bass fishing is my happy place.”
• The perfect day includes sunshine, a fishing rod, and a body of water.
• Fishing is a sport that relaxes the mind, and allows you to enjoy nature.
• “The water is calling and I must go.”
• The calmness of the water and the excitement of the catch.
• Fishing is like yoga for the soul.
• Sun, bass, and good times.
• Fishing: the perfect combination of relaxation and excitement.
• The best days are spent on the water.
• There’s nothing more rewarding than catching a fish on a lure you made yourself.
• The water is calling and I must go.
• The early bird catches the bass.
• The only thing better than catching a fish is catching a fish with a friend.
• Catch and release for a better tomorrow.
• Reeling in a big bass is like winning the lottery.
• Fishing is not just about catching fish, it’s about enjoying the journey.
• “Fishing is my therapy.”
• Fishing is a sport of the heart and mind.
• The only thing better than catching a big bass is catching two big bass.
• Fishing is more than just a hobby, it’s a way of life.
• Catching a big bass is like hitting the jackpot.
• My favorite kind of day: bass fishing with my buddies.
• Fishing is my happy place.
• Fishing is not just about the fish, it’s about the experience.
• “Fishing is my happy place.”

Short Fishing Captions For Instagram

• Time spent fishing is time well spent.
• “The best things in life are the people we love, the places we’ve been, and the memories we’ve made…while fishing.”
• Fishing: the only time where it’s socially acceptable to talk to yourself.
• The best therapy is time spent fishing.
• There’s nothing more satisfying than catching a big bass.
• My happiest moments are spent on the water.
• “The art of fishing is knowing when to put down the rod and enjoy the view.”
• Life is short, so fish often.
• Life is too short to not go fishing.
• Fishing: the ultimate stress reliever.
• Reeling in memories that will last a lifetime.
• When life gets stressful, go fishing.
• There’s nothing more beautiful than a sunrise on the water.
• “I love the smell of fresh bass in the morning.”
• Life is better with a fishing rod in hand.
• There’s nothing like the rush of a big bass strike.
• Bass fishing is my kind of adventure.
• Fishing is my therapy.
• Nothing beats a day on the water.
• Reel in the good times.
• The fish are biting, and so am I.
• The fishing rod is my magic wand.
• “Catching bass is my cardio.”
• A bad day fishing is better than a good day at work.
• My idea of a perfect day: sunshine, bass, and good company.
• Fishing is a way of life, not just a hobby.
• Keep your head up and your rod tip down.
• “There’s no better way to start the day than with a fishing rod in your hand.”
• A fishing trip with good friends is always a good idea.
• “Bass fishing is not a hobby, it’s an obsession.”
• Good things come to those who bait.
• “A bad day of fishing beats a good day at work any day.”
• “Fishing is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you’re gonna get.”

Bass Fishing Captions For Guys

• There’s no such thing as too many fishing trips.
• “Bass fishing: it’s not just a hobby, it’s a lifestyle.”
• Catching bass, one cast at a time.
• “Fishing: the ultimate stress reliever.”
• Bass fishing: where time stops and the mind is clear.
• Hooked on bass fishing, for life.
• Fishing: where memories are made.
• Fishing: it’s not about the size of the fish, it’s about the experience.
• Hooked on bass fishing!
• “The best therapy is time spent fishing.”
• Hooked on the feeling of a bass on the line.
• The best things in life are the people we love, the places we’ve been, and the memories we’ve made… while fishing.
• Fishing is not a hobby, it’s an addiction.
• “If you’re not fishing, you’re not living.”
• Bass fishing is my kind of meditation.
• There’s no such thing as too much fishing.
• Patience and persistence pay off in bass fishing.
• “Good things come to those who bait.”
• “Bass fishing: where every cast is an adventure.”
• Fishing is not just a sport, it’s a way of life.
• “The only thing better than fishing is catching.”
• “Bass fishing: it’s not just a sport, it’s a lifestyle.”
• Catching big bass, like a boss.
• The only thing better than a day of fishing is a lifetime of fishing.
• The best memories are made on the water.
• When in doubt, go fishing.
• Fishing is more than a hobby, it’s a way of life.
• Fishin’ in the sun, fishin’ in the rain, fishin’ all day, it’s just a part of my brain.
• “Fishing is the art of patience.”

Bass Fishing Quotes

• Fishing: the art of patience and perseverance.
• “The fishing life is the good life.”
• The thrill of the catch.
• Nothing beats the thrill of the catch.
• The only thing better than catching a bass is catching more than one.
• “Fishing is like a hug from the universe.”
• There’s nothing better than reeling in a big bass.
• I don’t always fish, but when I do, I catch big bass.
• The water is my happy place.
• The fish may be small, but the memories are big.
• The thrill of the catch is unbeatable.
• The ultimate thrill is the moment you land that big bass.
• Fishing isn’t just a hobby, it’s a lifestyle.
• Catching bass is my superpower.
• Catch and release: it’s all about conservation.
• Fishing is not just a hobby, it’s a way of life.
• “Fishing is not just a hobby, it’s a passion.”
• Hooked on bass fishing.
• “In a world full of chaos, fishing brings me peace.”
• The only thing better than fishing is more fishing.
• “Hooked on bass fishing.”
• The best way to spend a day off is on the water with a fishing rod.
• “Fishing is not just a sport, it’s a way of life.”
• Life is short, go fishing.
• “There’s nothing quite like the feeling of a tight line.”
• “Life is too short to not go fishing.”
• Reelin’ in the good times.
• Fishing is the only time where doing nothing is actually doing something.
• Catching bass is like catching happiness.

Bass Fishing Puns For Instagram

• “Fishing is my escape from reality.”
• “There’s no such thing as too much fishing.”
• Catching bass is like finding a needle in a haystack, but the thrill of the hunt is worth it.
• A fisherman is a philosopher in a wading jacket.
• The greatest gift of fishing is the opportunity to spend time with those we love.
• There’s nothing quite like the feeling of a bass on the line.
• A bad day fishing beats a good day at work.
• There’s no such thing as a bad day fishing.
• The best things in life are the people we love, the places we’ve been, and the fish we’ve caught.
• Fishing: the perfect way to disconnect and unwind.
• “The best part of fishing is the memories you make.”
• A day spent bass fishing is a day well spent.

Read Next: 180 Beautiful Lake Captions And Puns For Instagram

Surviving isn’t camping. When you are camping, you are generally having fun even when you are working hard, you’ve probably prepared with ready-made meal options, or even a proper menu for the journey, and you can always tuck tail and go home when things get too bad.

But when you are surviving, pretty much everything else is going to be dictated for you. When and where you can sleep, what you’ll be doing, and of course what you’ll be eating.

In any short or long-term survival situation that lasts a while, what food you do have access to is going to run out and then you have to start sourcing your own food from the wild.

This means you’re going to be eating various animals that you wouldn’t normally consider eating.

How about buffalo fish? Can you eat buffalo fish in a survival situation?

Yes, you can safely eat buffalo fish. They are delicious, nutritious, and usually quite sizable making them a great catch in any survival situation assuming you can get them.

Compared to other, typical freshwater fish found in North America, buffalo fish don’t have the best reputation as game fish, but they have an excellent reputation as table fish (assuming you can get your hands on them).

Easier said than done, though, because they can be very tricky to catch with a rod and reel.

You need to get creative and improvise if you want to bag these big fish in the middle of a survival situation. Keep reading and we will tell you everything you need to know.

Where Can Buffalo Fish Be Found?

Buffalo fish, proper name Ictiobus, are a genus of fish comprising five species native to North America from Mexico all the way up through the United States and into Canada, and also found in Guatemala.

The distribution of the species varies, with big-mouth buffalo being found throughout the Red River in the United States and Canada, and throughout the entirety of the Mississippi River system all the way down to Texas in the Southwest and throughout Alabama.

The smallmouth Buffalo is found throughout the Mississippi River System in the United States and all the way up into Idaho.

Clear, moving freshwater is their typical habitat, and they are tolerant of both fast-moving bodies of water and water with high mineral content.

These fish typically depend on dense vegetation for shelter and to find food, filtering food from the water itself or else sucking up algae off of rocks along with a few inclusions of choice insects and crustaceans.

Generally speaking, you have a good chance of finding these fish if you know where to look and how to find them so long as you are in their habitat.

Buffalo Fish Nutrition Info

Fish are usually pretty healthy eating, and buffalo fish are especially so.

High in protein, very low in saturated fats, and packed with high-quality micronutrients including omega-3 fatty acids, these fish also tend to be sizable and very densely muscled, making them a great meal.

The most notable nutrients found in buffalo fish aside from their high protein content are vitamins B12, D, A, and folic acid along with plenty of selenium.

However, caution should be taken when eating wild-caught buffalo fish because they have a tendency to absorb mercury into their body which will then be consumed by you if you eat them.

Yes, this is a potential problem when eating all wild-caught fish but buffalo fish are more prone than most species to absorb this toxic heavy metal.

Also, because the type of food buffalo fish eats is not really used (or even usable) as bait on a lure when fishing, buffalo fish are most often taken with a bow and arrow.

Do Buffalo Fish Taste Good?

Yes! Buffalo fish, though not commonly advertised or sought for human consumption, nonetheless make for a terrific meal whether or not you are in the middle of a survival situation or just looking for a great fish dinner on a weeknight.

These fish are juicy, firm yet soft, and remarkably clean tasting, lacking the typical fishy oiliness that is present in most species.

The fish also lend themselves remarkably well to many different kinds of preparation, and they can be grilled, steamed, fried, baked, or used directly in a soup or stew with equal ease.

No matter how you are going to cook it and no matter what ingredients you have on hand, you will have a nourishing and wholesome meal from a buffalo fish.

Is it Safe to Eat Buffalo Fish Raw?

No. Eating raw fish, though normalized thanks to the widespread acceptance of sushi, is a bad, bad idea, especially in the case of wild-caught freshwater fish like the buffalo fish here.

The simple fact of the matter is that eating any raw animal protein, including fish, dramatically increases your chances of contracting food poisoning from one of several germs, or else becoming infested with harmful and potentially deadly parasites.

Buffalo fish can play host to all of them, bacteria and viruses to parasites like various species of worms and flukes.

Consider that even contracting something as simple and normally innocuous as food poisoning could prove to be fatal under the circumstances.

You aren’t going to be able to dash down to the ER or to the local clinic for assistance with squashing the bug and getting something for your symptoms…

You’ll be facing crushing nausea, cramping, vicious diarrhea and possibly vomiting in the bargain. That’s just going to dehydrate you and further sap your energy reserves.

That could be enough to finish you off if you are already in a bad way, and it’s going to make taking care of all the other things you need to do to survive difficult or impossible.

To avoid this, always make sure you thoroughly cook the meat from a buffalo fish until it is well done.

An internal temperature of 165° F is sufficient to kill virtually all known pathogens that it could harbor.

Are Buffalo Fish Scales Safe to Eat?

Yes, if they are cooked, but they should generally be discarded.

The scales of the buffalo fish are large and tough, and even when thoroughly cooked they make for pretty difficult eating and offer very little in the way of nutrition.

Feel free to scale the fish when you are cleaning it to prepare it for cooking: you won’t be wasting any calories.

Are Buffalo Fish Eggs Safe to Eat?

Yes, and the eggs of the buffalo fish are fairly sizable compared to most other caviar meaning they can be a great supplemental source of food if you can track them down or are lucky enough to catch a fish that is carrying eggs.

As always, make sure you thoroughly but gently cook the eggs prior to eating if you want to avoid the risks of foodborne illness.

Can You Safely Eat Buffalo Fish Bones?

No. Buffalo fish bones are generally stout and of a pretty good size, making them a significant hazard to try and eat as they are.

People are not supposed to eat fish bones, anyway, unlike some other carnivorous animals, as they pose a significant risk of choking or else they can cause internal injuries including becoming stuck in our intestines.

That’s the last thing you need to deal with under the circumstances!

However, bones can still offer you valuable nutrition in a survival scenario, including the bones from the buffalo fish.

This nutrition comes from the marrow, which can be extracted from the bones easily by simmering or boiling them in water to make a nutritious stock or broth, or else cracking or splitting the bones open before scraping out the marrow and cooking it.

Bone marrow has long been a coveted resource by those who are in a survival situation thanks to its overall nutritional density, so don’t discard the bones unless you have been blessed with an abundance of fish!

Can You Eat Buffalo Fish Organs?

Fish organs are rarely thought of as edible in any situation, but it turns out that you can in fact eat them so long as you take the time to properly prepare and cook them.

They can make for especially nutritious food when taking from a larger fish like buffalo fish.

The heart and the liver are generally the tastiest, and also packed with nutrients, while being easy to prepare.

The intestines of the fish are also edible, but you must use exacting care to expel the waste material from them before giving them a very thorough rinse and then cooking them.

“It’s a number’s game.” Lance said. “It’s not the way most guys do it. It’s not the way I used to do it. But if you just do the math, it makes sense and when you look in my livewell at the end of the day, the numbers in there show fishing with the odds in your favor wins out most of the time.”

That’s what walleye pro, turned walleye educator, turned walleye guide—just call him a walleye entrepreneur—Lance Valentine told me last July.

I fished Saginaw Bay with Lance to experience big water fishing on a pontoon boat. Valentine fishes Sag Bay on a Angler Qwest 824 Pro Troll.

As eye opening as the pontoon boat experience was, his “numbers game” fishing was equally revealing. It involves finding the part of the water column where the lures being trolled are getting the most hits, putting the maximum number of lures in that zone, then upping those odds by speeding up the troll to make sure those lures swim by more walleyes.

Valentine puts all the lures on one side of his boat at the same depth.

Key number one, lure speed.

Everyone knows (or assumes or has been taught) walleyes will only bite a “lazy” lure. How many times have you heard the importance of having a boat which will slow down to walleye speed—walleye speed normally being something under two miles per hour and often half that.

How about twice that? “I troll a couple tenths of a mile per hour either side of four miles per hour.” Valentine explained.

“It’s easy math,” he continued. “Here on Saginaw Bay, most places on Lake Erie or at other lakes where walleyes suspend over vast reaches of open lake with little if any structure, fishermen use trolling tactics primarily to just cover a lot of water.

However you prefer to visualize it, whether it’s so many walleye per mile or so many walleye per acre of water, it doesn’t matter. When I’m going twice as fast, I’m covering twice as many miles or cutting a swath through twice as many acres of water than the guy trolling at half my speed—at what is considered to be a normal trolling speed. When I show my lures to twice as many active walleyes, it makes sense I catch more of them.”

How fast is your walleye speed? If it’s not close to or over 4 mph you are missing out.

Will they bite a lure going that fast? Of course they will. Anyone who has ever trolled much with planer boards has undoubtedly caught fish when the boat is turning and the outside lures are pulling through the water much faster than when trolling straight ahead.

How much faster?

The exact speed doesn’t matter or if it does, you do the math.

I’m sure there’s a complicated mathematical formula involving pi and other numbers you can use to calculate the MPH of those lures. What does matter is a common rule of thumb trollers often follow. If bites are coming when the boat is turning either speed up or slow down when going back to a straight course. Boost the trolling speed if the bites are coming on the outside lines, slow down if the bites are coming on the inside lines.

Realistically, the difference isn’t so much attributable to speed as it is lure action and depth. The fish aren’t swimming around looking for a meal going 1.8 mph to the point they will shun anything swimming at 2.2. They are just looking for something that looks good to eat and they can catch.

Don’t worry about them being able to catch it. Walleyes aren’t speedsters, but neither are 260 pound line backers on a football team. The big guys, given an angle, regularly bowl over 170 pound halfbacks in the open field. Walleyes can catch your fast moving lure if they think it looks good to eat.

I’m sure one of the reasons the term “walleye speed” was coined had to do with lure action rather than walleye preference. Many of the baits and plenty of lures that look good-to-eat at slow speeds don’t look (or sound) like walleye fodder when trolled above a certain speed.

Valentine’s go to lure for trolling that fast is Flicker Shads. He used a variety of colors the day I fished with him, but all the same #7 size (size may vary with the time of year). “Flicker Shads are great lures,” Valentine said. “And they troll perfectly straight at four miles per hour. Sure, there are other lures that will work at fast speeds and most lures can be tuned to run that fast. That’s not why I use all the same baits. All I’m doing is simplifying.”

The author’s wife Peg is the beneficiary of Valentines speed walleye tactics.

Fishermen tend to over think what’s going on under the waves and there are dozens of variables, big and small, to consider. Does it make a difference if the fishing line is monofilament or fluorocarbon? Is a 2 1/2-inch lure better than a 2 3/4-incher? Should the leader behind a Jet Diver or Dipsey Diver be 40 inches or 50? Does the color of the diver make a difference? Should the lure color be matched to the diver color? Does the lure color even matter? Is the color of the underwear I’m wearing make a difference?

The answer to all these questions (except for the underwear thing) is “sometimes.” More to the point, “sometimes” is a continuum going from almost never to quite frequently.

Many anglers head out trying to find the perfect lure, the perfect depth, the perfect speed and the perfect color or pattern to make the fish bite—all at the same time. I’ll admit to fishing that way, at times.

I try to cover as many of the variables as possible by positioning lures high, medium and low in the water column by mixing ‘riggers, divers, weighted line, lead core and copper wire at times. I may have spoons, flies and plugs out. It’s called covering the bases or the shotgun approach.

When a shotgunner catches a fish, which of the variables was it that coaxed the fish on the line?

Was it the particular lure?

Was it the speed?

Was is the color or depth?

If that fire-tiger lure that caught the fish was swimming 12 feet deep, would that fish have mistaken it for an edible baitfish if the lure had been swimming at 18 feet? Would it have even seen the lure? If a the first fish came on a spoon on a downrigger, should you put spoons on the divers? It’s trial and error and besides being confusing, it’s time consuming.

Will the trip be over before you figure it out?

Not Valentine. Lance further simplifies his already simplified lure selection process. Besides years of experience telling him likely areas and depths to fish, Valentine watches his sonar to make sure there are fish in the area he’s fishing. He’s much more interested in the marks showing suspended fish in the water column than the ones belly to bottom.

“Those suspended walleye are active fish, they are the ones most likely to bite trolled lures. And though a walleye will swim up to bite a lure passing overhead six or eight feet, undoubtedly more; I know I’ll get more bites by putting my lures in the narrow, three or four foot zone where the most active fish are suspended and feeding.”

“Covering the bases” anglers agree and will stagger the depths they are presenting their lures at the beginning of the day to let the fish “tell them” the perfect depth. So they use one lure that will troll 8 feet deep, another that will go 15 and use other tactics to put lures at other likely depths.

How long does it take to learn the 15 foot level is best? If there’s only one lure in the spread or on each side of the boat running at 15 feet it may take a long time. A walleye will certainly swim horizontally one way or another to chase a lure, but how far? If it will swim six feet but the lure is 10 feet away, you won’t catch it, you’ll never know the lure is at the perfect depth.

So what Valentine does on Sag Bay is match his sonar readings with experience and select the two most likely productive depths to sample first. This is more the “rifle” approach, than the shotgun. He puts all the lures trolling on one side of his boat at the one distinct depth and all the lures on the other side at different depth. He does this by using line counter reels and letting out specific amounts of monofilament before attaching his in-line planer to the line.

His simplified lure selection method described earlier makes this easy. Sure, he could consult tables and run lure X which will troll at 12 feet deep on 50 feet of line and deploy lure Y which the tables show will troll at 12 feet with 65 feet of line and so on.

“That introduces another whole level of complexity in setting the lures and then, when a fish does bite, was it the depth or was it the lure?” Valentine said. “By using identical lures, except color, I can zero in on the best depth and be certain the results aren’t being confused by other factors.”

Valentine varies the color of his lures, but uses all the same model and size to help keep things simple.

By putting all the lures on one side of the boat at the same depth, if that’s the “active-fish” zone, Valentine will know quickly.

No bites? Adjust them all higher or lower.

There’s a far greater chance of a fish spotting and striking three or four or five lures covering a wide swath of water than the chance of fish spotting just a single lure. If, in a short period, Valentine gets more bites on the lures trolling on lines set 40 feet behind the planers on one side than on the ones set 60 feet behind the boards on the other, he will adjust the lead-length on all of the lures on the less active side.

Once he gets all the lures in the active layer of water, he can then, need be, zero in on specific colors. “Most of the time, once I get all the lures into the strike zone, I’m getting enough action on all or most of them, I don’t even have to worry about switching from golds, to silvers, to painted,” he said.

That’s a good thing.

– written by Capt. Mike Schoonveld

SPEED TUNING

If you find your normal hard bodied baits won’t tolerate zipping through the water at “Valentine-speeds” and you don’t want to buy to lures that will troll fast and faster, just tune up your existing lures. Here’s how.

First, speed the boat up to the speed you want to troll, tie on the lure and let out five or six feet of line. Troll the lure along side the boat, out of any wake or turbulence, and watch the action. If the lure tries to swim on its side or even rolls over you will need to adjust the eye of the lure where the line, split ring or snap connects.

The rule to remember is: Bend the eye ring towards the bottom of the lake. If the lure swims or rolls starboard side up, bend the eye to the port side. Usually, just a tiny, often just a millimeter tweak or two, will put it right.

Muzzleloaders are single-shot firearms that differ from modern weapons in that you have to load each round manually through the barrel. There are no rounds or casings, but you do use primers, powder, a slug, and wadding. The challenge of hunting with a muzzleloader is that you only have one shot, and you best have the skills, accuracy, and tenacity to make that one shot count.

Many states have muzzleloader seasons and those who love the thrill of the muzzleloader hunt. You can target birds, waterfowl, deer – white-tailed deer, antlerless deer, antlered deer, and even a black bear. You are pretty much talking accuracy at less than 100 yards and that means that a muzzleloader deer hunter is going to have to be fairly skilled at getting close to deer. You can check your state’s game agency to see if a muzzleloading hunting season exists for you.

Why Hunt with a Muzzleloader?

Why not? There is a great challenge in hunting with a muzzleloader. For deer season, you have got to know the target – from antlered bucks to antlerless deer – you will need to get close, and that means growing as a hunter to understand the terrain. You’ll also need to understand the species of deer and improve your ability to stay unrecognized in the natural world. Plus, there is the challenge of being able to make a single shot count. It takes great skill to get close enough to deer to take them down without a modern weapon. Hunting with a muzzleloader includes:

The Traditional and challenging method of hunting – you’ve got to be accurate because you have only one shot. That means you have to know your prey, and the environment where you hunt, and have the skills to make your one shot pay off.They are Quieter and less expensive than modern firearms – Expect most muzzleloaders to fire in the 160-decibel range, which can be quieter than a modern rifle.Early deer hunting season for most states – the muzzleloader season generally starts earlier making it less crowded and the targets are not as aware. Some states, such as California, offer muzzleloader hunters events, and some have seasons where the events are mixed with archery. You still need a hunting license but leave the centerfire rifle at home.Do People Still Hunt with Muzzleloaders?

Muzzleloader hunting is an elite sport. It is a natural progression – in a backward fashion – and a spot for folks who are good at hunting to end up. It is one thing to take down deer or bears with a modern weapon. You can, after all, plink a few rounds off quickly even if you are not toting a semi-automatic. But the thrill of muzzleloading is not in just reaching your bag limit on a single afternoon. It is the challenge of being good enough at hunting to come home with game that you had to work at to get.

Muzzleloader Hunting vs Other Methods

Archery is perhaps the method of hunting that comes closest to muzzleloader hunting. That is purely because you have to be good enough at hunting to get close to your target. It is also a slower reload than other options.

Hunting with a modern rifle or handgun is much easier than hunting with a muzzleloader, simply because the second shot is much faster than with a muzzleloader. Modern rifles also have a longer and more accurate range, meaning that your hunting skills can be subpar, and you will still likely get a shot in even if it is a longer distance.

Make no mistake, skill is required for all of these options, but tracking, setting up stands, and stalking prey are a lot more difficult if you have to get within 100 yards of your target – and truthfully, more like 50-75 yards.

Regulations and Restrictions

Regulations vary by state. Many states offer muzzleloader events or seasons for hunters, especially those hunting deer and elk. Some events are populated drawings, and states like California often have better odds. It is important to check with your local hunting bureau to understand the regulations where you hunt and where you plan to hunt. Regulations also exist based on state and local laws, such as in California where you cannot hunt with lead bullets.

Muzzleloader Accuracy and Range

The distance that a muzzleloader can shoot accurately is a variable. Suffice it to say that with an old version of a muzzleloader, and all the stars aligned, you might hit a target 100 yards away. That’s a big “might.” Some modern inline muzzleloaders extend that range to 200 yards. Still, there is a lot between what can and what will happen.

Factors That Affect Muzzleloader Accuracy

Aiming – Don’t be surprised if part of your local regulations for muzzleloader hunting involves, or rather, restricts the use of modern sights such as scopes. Aiming the muzzleloader is one of the biggest issues with accuracy. You will need to dial in the type of sights (iron sights) on the muzzleloader.

Loads – Being able to pour a consistent load is important. Whether you are using black powder or smokeless powder, getting a consistent load will improve your accuracy. Too much powder, too little powder, not tamping down the bullet accurately, and other factors impact how well the bullet leaves the barrel. Flintlock or percussion cap muzzleloaders – sometimes called percussion cap rifles – will both have improved accuracy when you produce uniform loads and clean the fouling from the barrel.

Fouling – There is a lot of residue left around after you fire a bullet from a muzzleloader. Junior hunters can improve their accuracy by learning how to keep the barrel clean.

Barrel Length – Muzzleloaders come with a variety of lengths for barrels. Keep a consistent barrel length as this is one of the critical factors in rifles of all makes and models.

How to Improve Muzzleloader Accuracy

1. Shoot the gun as often as possible. Understanding its nature is one of the best ways of correcting accuracy issues that involve stress, fear, and other common shooting issues.

2. Practice loading the gun so that each load is as close to even as possible. Hunting with a muzzleloader is not the same as being in a war with one. Accurate loads mean the gun is less likely to foul and drop accuracy. This also means that you can reload faster without loading errors.

3. Cleaning the barrel – Make sure you can quickly and accurately clean the barrel. Being good at field cleaning the gun is essential because a clean barrel means you are back in the hunt.

Shot Placement and Effectiveness

You might be wondering where to aim when shooting a deer with a muzzleloader. When hit behind the front shoulder, your bullet travels across the shoulders, the heart, and the lungs. The angle of that shot will change based on your angle to the deer. Visualize that path and take your aim so that the bullet travels across the heart and lungs.

The best spot to shoot a deer with a muzzleloader is the heart. That is a deadly shot, and it is fairly instant.

How long do you wait after shooting a deer with a muzzleloader before going after it? The general rule of thumb is about half an hour. If you know that you have not mortally wounded the deer, then wait a few minutes. What you want to avoid is dealing with an injured animal that has the fight part of the flight or fight in place.

What are the 3 Types of Muzzleloaders?

Flintlock – A physical flint and steel powder ignition – the flint strikes the frizzen which causes damage to the frizzen and the spark ignites the powder.Percussion Cap – The cap sits over a nipple. When the hammer hits the cap, it causes the mercury-based “powder” to ignite.Inline Modern – the hammer hits either a cap or primer which then ignites the powder in the barrel.

Muzzleloader Maintenance and Safety

Make sure the muzzleloader is unloaded before you begin to clean the gun.

1. Cleaning the barrel is the biggest chore and one that everyone should be able to handle in the field.

2. Home cleaning can be more detailed including cleaning the breach plate or conduit from where the hammer hits and the ignition begins.

3. Use an approved muzzleloader solvent to clean the inside of the barrel. On inline muzzleloaders, you often shoot a copper-jacketed bullet with plastic sabots – those can be tricky to clean because the copper and plastic will cling.

Not all muzzleloaders have a safety. When they do make sure the safety works and then activate the safety before you begin to clean. Keeping your gun clean is one of the best ways to keep accuracy high.

Muzzleloader Bullets from Berry’s

To recap the benefits of hunting with a muzzleloader remember that hunting skills are repaid when every shot matters. Take the time to learn as hunting with a muzzleloader not only gives you more options for special hunts such as those for thinning button bucks, antlerless deer, hunting on public land or private hunting areas, and a field that has fewer hunters.

In the modern world, hunting successfully with a muzzleloader is a rite of passage. It means that you have to pair hunting skills, accuracy, and patience, plus your knowledge of the target, environment, and changing conditions.

Berry’s offers Blue Diamond 50 caliber 250-grain muzzleloader bullets with a polycarbonate tip and proprietary sabot. Expect a tight fit and improved accuracy with the Blue Diamond 50 Caliber, a 250-grain bullet designed for black powder muzzleloaders. The bullet is appropriate for loads designed for deer, and smaller game, such as feral pigs, and even larger game such as a black bear.

Fishing takes on many forms and why one angler does it versus the next varies as much as personalities do. A handful of anglers after they get very adept at catching fish consistently progress into trophy hunters and chase records, including world record crappie, intentionally. But most any angler would be thrilled to catch a record fish whether it be a state record or the very rare world record.

While in bass fishing, the thought of catching a world record seemed impossible again. Then, it was tied not so many years ago. And in crappie fishing, the black crappie world record was broken just a few years ago and it “officially” has the title of the largest crappie ever caught while the white crappie record has stood for more than 65 years even though it’s just a few ounces less.

With amount of state crappie records being broken in recent years, there will likely be another world record caught very soon. Many think the world records are swimming around now in some of the souths best lakes. But I believe that the world records are likely swimming around in a smaller body of water in the most prominent potential states. States where there is bountiful forage and longer growing seasons offer crappie a long time to get to weigh more than 5 pounds. And with the numbers of 4-pounders coming out of lakes like Grenada, I figure it’s only a matter of time before we see another world record crappie.

Let’s take a closer look at the world records and some of the bigger state record crappies ever caught.

WORLD RECORD BLACK CRAPPIE

Biggest Crappie Ever Caught

Angler Lionel “Jam” Ferguson was casting a Kalin’s Triple Threat Grub in John Deere color when he got the biggest bite of his life in May of 2018. He was fishing a small private pond in Tennessee when the big black crappie hit. He landed his crappie and weighed it at 5 pounds, 7 ounces, setting not only the new Tennessee state record for black crappie, but it also happened to be the new world record black crappie.

You can find Kalin’s Triple Threat Grub from the following retailers​:

• BassPro.com
• Walmart.com
• Amazon
• FishUSA

Not only was it the biggest black crappie ever caught, but to our knowledge it is officially the biggest crappie ever landed by an angler as the white crappie world record is 5 pounds, 3 ounces. There were rumors of a 6-pound crappie caught in Louisiana in 1969, but there are no details still to support it and supposedly it was thought to be a hybrid from the photos, so no one recognizes it as a record in the state of Louisiana or by the IGFA because it wasn’t classified as one type or the other. More on that catch later.

He bested the previous black crappie world record of 5 pounds even. You can see the full story of Ferguson’s world record crappie here.

WORLD RECORD WHITE CRAPPIE

Mississippi’s biggest crappie ever

In July of 1957 Fred Bright was fishing below the Enid Dam when he hooked and landed a white crappie weighing 5 pounds, 3 ounces. That record has now stood for 66 years although it’s reported as being caught in the reservoir not the river below it.

There are little to no details on this catch. It is said that he caught the fish with an Orchard Industries Action Rod with a Denison-Johnson reel. But no mention of bait, so most guessed it was caught on a live minnow. But for the most part that’s speculation.

The only mount of the fish was a replica. There are a couple of photos circulating as the official pictures of the catch. But outside of that there is not a lot of information. We’d love to know more on this story if anyone comes across some information that would be helpful.

Many believe the next world record white crappie will come out of Mississippi because so many 4-pounders have been caught in recent years in Mississippi fisheries. And anglers are getting better at catching the nomadic roaming big crappie on the larger reservoirs.

Some believe the record could come from Mississippi but equally likely in Alabama, Tennessee and Texas. These states have long growing seasons, but they also get optimal cooler weather that prolongs a crappie’s life. And they have very fertile fisheries in terms of forage. But some of us believe that the record will come from a smaller overlooked fishery near the world class trophy lakes.

LARGEST CRAPPIE EVER CAUGHT?

The unrecognized tale

So while this is a little tougher than the white crappie record information to track down, in 1969, for a time, the state of Louisiana recognized a supposedly 6-pound crappie that was caught from the bank in an airport canal on a cane pole and minnow.

In the book Crappie! by Jim Robbins, he recounts a story from another editor about the catch:

“Bob Dennie, editor of the Louisiana Conservationist, tells an interesting story of the largest crappie ever caught in Louisiana or, for that matter, the world. In November of 1969, Lettie Robertson was fishing from the bank in the Westwego Canal when she hooked and landed a crappie which was photographed and then weighed on certified scales at 6 pounds. A new world mark that would best either of the two current record holders in the black crappie or white crappie categories.”

“Lettie, glad that all the uproar over the catch was finally over, took the fish home and ate it for supper. However, Lettie’s crappie suffered a worse fate. The photograph could not reveal whether the fish was a white or black crappie, and since no bonafide authority had viewed the remains, it could not be recognized as a world record for either species. The state of Louisiana didn’t understand why there was so much fuss about whether it was black or white, they listed it as the state record sac-a-lait.”

Louisiana only recognizes the two crappie species individual records on their records list now. So probably back then they had no idea their state record crappie was also a world record and would be under much scrutiny. So it never came to be.

THE BIGGEST STATE RECORD CRAPPIE

There are numerous state record crappie weighing more than 4 pounds. In fact, 35 of the 50 states have records weighing more than 4 pounds. However only 5 states have crappie records weighing more than 5 pounds. Six, if you think the uncategorized Louisiana crappie claim should stand. Those states are as follows:

Arkansas — 5 pounds even — Lake Wihelmina —Donivan Echols — 2011 Georgia — 5 pounds even — Bibb Co. Pond — Theresa Kemp —1984 Minnesota — 5 pounds even — Vermillion River — Tom Christenson — 1940 South Carolina — 5 pounds, 1 ounce — Lake Murray — H.P. Owens — 1949 Tennessee — 5 pounds, 7 ounces — Jam Fergusson — Private Pond — 2018

A couple of states barely missed the 5 pound mark and are as follows:

Kentucky — 4 pounds, 14 ounces — Watershed Lake — Penny Hopper — 2005 North Carolina — 4 pounds, 15 ounces — Asheboro Lake — Dean Dixon — 1980 Oklahoma — 4 pounds, 15 ounces — Kingfisher Co. Pond — Frank Robinson — 1991 Virginia — 4 pounds, 14 ounces — Lake Conner — E.L. Blackstock —1967

Alaska’s waters offer plenty of opportunity to hook into grayling, lake trout, rainbow trout, and dolly vardens. Depending on when and where you anticipate fishing and for which species, the methods can vary substantially. We’ve compiled some of the basics to get you started in the right direction.

Grayling

This species is often found north of Anchorage, and is abundant in interior Alaska. An aggressive biter, this fish can be found in most interior waters, and are easily caught in lakes and small streams. While these fish never grow very large (20” is huge), they are a blast to catch and very tasty. Grayling can be found in both clear and murky waters, but can become spooky in bright light. Avoid letting your shadow fall on the waters where you fish.

Flies in size 12-16 (black ant, foam beetle, elk-hair caddis, mosquito, gnat, black wooly bugger, prince nymph and a variety of other natural colored flies, both wet and dry). Get a variety pack of split shot.

Small lures size 0-1 (Mepps Black Fury, Vibrax chrome, bright colors for dark days, dark colors for bright days)

Lake Trout

You guessed it, lake trout are found in lakes and are the largest trout here in Alaska. They move based on water temperature, being inshore when the water is cold, and moving to deeper water as the summer progresses. Your best bet to find these giants of the deep is in interior Alaska, with many great opportunities in the Glenallen area and along the Denali highway.

The general rule is that these fish like to eat other fish, so this is how you target them. Use lures/spinners that have fish patterns, or are blue/chrome. Fishing herring (as bait) on the bottom of a lake can also entice these monsters to bite. For flies, try patterns which resemble smolt or leeches (chrome/blue or dark colors).

Rainbow/Dolly Varden

This is by far the two most widespread species in Alaska, and can be found in lakes, rivers, and streams. Different tackle is used based on location and season, and I’ll cover that here.

Lakes – For spinning gear, try small lures size 0-2 (bright colors for dark days, dark colors for bright days). A bobber with bait also works. Use size 8-12 hooks, a bobber just big enough to see, and single eggs (balls o fire, etc) or popcorn shrimp as bait.

For flies, I’ve had my best luck using dark wooly buggers, twitched through the water like leeches. I would also try (black ant, foam beetle, elk-hair caddis, mosquito, gnat, black wooly bugger, prince nymph and a variety of other natural colored flies, both wet and dry). I always keep a couple obnoxious colors because sometimes, the only way to catch them is to tick them off.

Streams/Rivers – If there are no salmon in the water, then use dark flies (black/purple wooly buggers, prince nymphs, etc). Let these flow with the current, twitching them to give them some life. Aim for overhanging branches and in “slow water” (behind bends, big rocks, fallen trees: anything that creates a hole; a slow patch of water).

If there are salmon in the water, you’re best bet is to use beads (to mimic salmon eggs). Pick a variety of colors, keeping in mind that salmon eggs come out bright deep red, and fade into a creamy pink color over time. You will want to change the color of your bead based on how long the eggs have been sitting in water (sometimes, you don’t know until you try). Bead size also makes a different. Fish the beads behind salmon, being careful not to hook the salmon. Keep the bead flowing at the same pace of the current.

Here is a loose guide on bead size (based on which salmon are in the water). In general, its okay to have beads too small, but not too large.

• Kings – 10mm
• Silvers/Reds/Chum – 6-8 mm
• Pinks – 6 mm

If there are salmon carcasses in the water, you will use flesh flies. Just like beads, these start out bright red, and fade into a dirty white as the flesh ages. These are tied just like normal flies, and fished very similar to beads. Feel free to adjust weight amount if you see flesh flowing faster/slower than current. See the attached diagram.

There is accomplishment and satisfaction enough in just taking a mature buck. Doing so on public land? Now that’s another level of high-five in the deer woods.

Georgia offers some very good deer hunting on public lands, from state-managed Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs) to federal lands like national forests and national wildlife refuges. Here’s a look at some of the public-land bucks taken by GON subscribers and entered in the Truck-Buck Contest this season.

Celyon WMA Bow-Buck Ceylon is Georgia’s newest WMA with 27,000 acres in Camden County in southeast Georgia near the coast. The area follows quality-buck regulations—legal bucks must have at least 4 points (1-inch or longer) on either antler or a 15-inch outside spread.

It was during the first archery-only hunt at Ceylon this season when Waynesville’s Alex Harrelson took advantage of southeast Georgia’s early rut to get a nice 10-point buck with his compound bow during a morning hunt on Sept. 23.

“The buck came through an open stand of pines chasing a doe,” Alex said. “I had to grunt twice to get him to stop 43 yards away.”

The buck had a live-weight of 180 pounds.

Muzzleloader Buck From Oconee National Forest Living in Monticello, Tyler Farmer is close to lots of great public land in middle Georgia. On Oct. 9 during the primitive-weapons/youth week, Tyler headed to a familiar tract in Jasper County.

“I went into this area on Oconee National Forest knowing it held some bigger deer. I’ve been blessed to harvest a few bucks out of the section,” Tyler said. “I got in there a little early waiting on daylight. I had that feeling something good was gonna happen. I was hunting an oak/pine hilltop on the edge of a pine thicket/bedding area. Around 8:40 that morning he appeared out of the thicket and came out into the white oaks. He presented me with a 65-yard broadside shot with my .45 cal CVA muzzleloader. It was a blessed day!”

VPA Buck… What’s A VPA? VPA stands for Voluntary Public Access—these are generally smaller tracts of private land that the state leases using money from a federal grant program. For the 2021 hunting seasons, there are 16 VPA properties that offer some type of public hunting access, ranging from archery-only deer hunting to dove hunting.

One of those VPA tracts is the 934-acre Pleasant Valley VPA in Bartow County, which offers youth bowhunting Sept. 11 to Oct. 15, and then four quota firearms deer hunts for kids. Peyton Bowan, 14, spent Halloween evening on one of those quota gun hunts, and it paid off with a 7-point buck. Peyton and his dad were set up in a ground blind when the buck offered a 75-yard shot, and Peyton made it count.

“The deer dropped in its tracks and the celebration began,” said Petyon’s dad, Mark. “It was a memorable quota hunt. Thanks DNR!”

Cedar Creek WMA Still A Deer Factory Cedar Creek WMA is part of the Oconee National Forest, but it’s managed as a state wildlife management area, which means it has special regulations and more limited days of deer hunting. The mid-November firearms hunt this season was Nov. 11-13, which hit about just right for the peak of the rut in this part of middle Georgia. Cedar Creek is in Jones, Jasper and Putnam counties.

Two good Cedar Creek WMA bucks were entered in Week 9 of the Truck-Buck contest.

Quality-Managed B.F. Grant WMA Produces 12-Point Buck Greg Williams ignored the timber-cutting operations going on in the area while he was hunting B.F. Grant WMA, and apparently a buck ignored the machinery, as well. During a quota firearms hunt on Nov. 6, Greg shot a nice 12-point buck on the Putnam County WMA that is owned by UGA.

“I’d been hunting the area for three days,” Greg said. “They had been pulpwood cutting in the area with machinery, but I figured I would give it one last try in the area. I knew there were big bucks in the area. At 6 p.m. the buck came up to cross the little field by the clearcut and the machinery, and I shot him 70 yards from the wood-cutting equipment.”

Flint River WMA In The Heart Of Big-Buck County Dooly County and the Flint River corridor have long held special esteem when it comes to producing quality Georgia bucks. Flint River WMA is in the heart of it.

On Nov. 19, Jeff Horton was drawn for the quota firearms hunt on the WMA, and he went home to Clyo with plenty of meat and a nice rack. Jeff killed a 224-lb. (live weight) 10-point buck.

“On the second day of a three-day hunt at Flint River WMA, at 7:05 a.m. a doe came out, and behind her this buck came out a minute or two later,” Jeff said. “He started to trot away, and I stopped him with a mouth call. When he stopped, he presented me with a shot 50 yards away.”

These are just a handful of the nice public-land bucks taken this season. See all the bucks entered in the Truck-Buck contest, where bucks can be sorted by county and week of the season.