As every pig farmer knows, pigs need a constant supply of fresh water, but how to give them water and how to make sure the water will never run out are important to maintain good pig performance. And here is the practical guide for reference.

Simple Watering System and Drinker for Pigs

One of the simplest and best ways to water your pigs is a bucket with a brick or a large stone in the bottom to help prevent it from being overturned and split, and the bucket should be placed in a left-off tire.

This kind of waterer makes a great replacement when the automatic watering systems stop working or freeze in the winter. And a flat-wide bucket is recommended for making a better waterer. If you use a high-sided bucket, your pigs may not be able to get the water, especially for the small piglets or weaners. There is always a risk of piglets falling and drowning, so be careful when using this watering system with small piglets and weaners. If you do choose to use this system, you can fill the bucket with some stones or clean the grave to make the water level only a few inches deep at the most, which will help prevent the piglets from sinking if they fall in and they can get out easier.

Automatic Pig Watering System

The watering system for pigs is slightly different from other livestock watering systems and is mainly because of the size and shape of the animal. Pigs are strong with powerful jaw muscles and sharp teeth, which means any waterers you use have to be firm and solid enough.

The automatic water system makes it possible that you do not have to fill up pigs’ waterers every day. If your watering system is working correctly your pigs will have a constant supply of fresh water, and will never run out, which is essential for the hot days. You can switch off the automatic water system on cold days to prevent damage when it freezes and instead use the bucket-tire method.

Metal Water Feeder is Better

The metal water feeders are more durable, and hard-wearing, and also they can hold more water. Most of the internal parts and components are replaceable, so you can repair them yourself if they break down or stop working.

What Type of Piping to Use with the Water Feeder and Water Trough

This depends on what watering system you use and the diameter and thickness of the pipe needed to cope with the mains water pressure. The mains water pipe should be fitted with a stop tap which allows you to shut off the water when necessary and the water pipe needs to be as close to the mains side as possible. The water pipes need to be insulated, covered, or buried beneath the ground to prevent them from freezing and bursting during the winter. When using water pipes in a pig pen, it should be metal or copper to help prevent the pigs from lifting or bending the pipe. If the plastic pipe, make sure it is covered or out of reach of your pigs, and do not run plastic pipes across the floor of the pig pen.

Cones, which are used in many places in home decor and various ornamental materials, are collected from pine trees. Research on pine cones proves that the cone is very beneficial for health. In order to get the best of the minerals and vitamins in the structure of the cone, many people have been talking about pinecone syrup lately.

Although the benefits of pine cone syrup were not directly explained by Saraçoğlu, Prof. Dr. İbrahim Saraçoğlu explains the healing effects of the pine tree and frequently talks about the benefits of the leaves of the tree for asthma and its positive effects on respiratory health.

So, what is pine cone syrup? Now, let’s examine the curious things about pine cone syrup.

What is Cone Syrup?

• Cone syrup is a useful beverage obtained by boiling pine cones and obtaining the consistency of syrup.
• Cone syrup, which is beneficial for human health, is very popular among herbal treatment methods.
• In some regions, cone syrup is also called cone jam. To distinguish the fine line between syrup and jam, you can adjust the amount of liquid to your taste while the cones are boiling.
• Cone syrup is a more liquid food. Jam is somewhat thick.

Benefits of Cone Syrup – See What It’s Good For!

1) Relieves Respiratory Tract

• If you are wondering what pine cone syrup is good for, we can say that this useful syrup relieves your breath.
• Infections and various diseases in the respiratory tract can be cured thanks to pine cone syrup.
• If you have frequent coughing problems and have shortness of breath while talking, you can consume natural pine cone syrup as soon as possible.

2) Strengthens the Immune System

• One of the best answers to the question of what pine cone syrup is for is that it increases the body’s resistance.
• The beneficial minerals in the structure of the pine cone give effective results in strengthening the immune system.
• Cone syrup is a herbal supplement that protects and strengthens the immune system.
• If you consume pine cone syrup regularly, you will protect your body against seasonal changes. Thus, you can lead a disease-free life.

3) Good for Stress

• Studies have shown that people who drink pine cone syrup relax and calm down.
• Cone syrup, which has a relaxing feature, destroys stress and stress-related diseases.
• After tense days, you can consume pine cone syrup when you have sleep problems.
• The first sign of the body that is free from stress is a shiny skin, so pine cone syrup also has an effect that benefits the skin and refreshes the appearance.

4) Cleanses Germs

• Among the benefits of cone syrup, it also has a preventive effect against diseases.
• Bacteria and viruses that try to harm the body are cleaned with the help of pine cone syrup.
• You can consume pine cone syrup to eliminate conditions such as infection and inflammation with a herbal supplement.
• In order to have a purified body and to have healthier body functions, you should meet with pine cone syrup.

5) Nourishes Hair

• Among the benefits of pine cone syrup, there is also the task of nourishing the hair.
• If you have dry and damaged hair, you can add vitality and vitamins to your hair thanks to pine cone syrup.
• If you wish, you can get the benefits by adding some hair mask to your hair mask or consuming the cone syrup regularly.

6) Protects Oral and Dental Health

• Among the benefits of pine cone syrup is that it is good for oral health.
• Cone syrup is recommended for those who are sensitive about oral and dental health. Cone syrup, which has a unique flavor, prevents bacterial growth in the mouth.
• Cone syrup, which prevents tooth decay, helps teeth look healthier.
• It is recommended to consume pine cone syrup for the healing of wounds in the mouth.

7) Revitalizes the Body

• Due to its many benefits, the fact that the pine cone syrup you consume is an extra bonus is that it increases energy among its effects!
• Cone syrup provides the energy needed by the body.
• If you want to be more active and energetic during the day, you can consume pine cone syrup in moderation.
• When you want to feel more dynamic and prepare for an active day, you can benefit from pine cone syrup.

How Is Cone Syrup Made?

You can easily prepare pine cone syrup at home. For this, you must first review the material list.

Materials:

• 1.5 liters of water
• 25 green cones
• 4 cups sugar
• Lemon juice

Preparation of:

• Wash the green cones prepared for cone syrup thoroughly and leave them in a pot filled with water for 1 night.
• Refresh the water of the cones that have been waiting overnight and bring them to boil.
• Change the water of the cones that have been boiling for a while and let them boil for a few more hours.
• Pour the sugar over the cones that have been boiling for about 3 hours.
• Cook over low heat, stirring from time to time.
• When the sugar starts to boil, foam may form on the cones. You can get these foams with a spoon.
• Cover the bottom of the cone syrup, which has a consistency, and let it rest for the temperature to pass.
• Then transfer the water into the jars or bottles where you will store the cone syrup.
• You can keep the cone syrup in a cool place.

What Does Cone Syrup Do, How Is It Used?

• It is recommended to consume 1 teaspoon of cone syrup during the day.
• If you have a chronic disease and regular medications, you should consult your doctor before consuming pinecone syrup.
• You should be careful about how to consume pine cone syrup because you should consume it regularly and in a moderate amount to see its benefits.
• If you exceed the daily consumption amount, you may experience stomach problems.

Cone Syrup Harms and Side Effects

• If you want to prepare pine cone syrup yourself at home, you should use green cones.
• Preferred cones should be well cleaned. Syrup made from cones with dust and soil on it can damage your kidneys.
• When the benefits and harms of pine cone syrup are compared, of course, the benefits outweigh, but it can also create negative effects in some bodies.
• Consumption of more than 1 teaspoon of pine cone syrup a day can also cause various diseases. Therefore, you must be moderate.

Air rifles have been gaining popularity steadily over the past several years. This is the result of several factors, such as a shortage of .22LR, an enormous influx of new shooters both young and old, and airguns that have become largely viable for hunting beyond the usual critters and varmints.

Considering all this, it looks like pneumatic hunting is here to stay.

To answer the question regarding hunting deer…YES, you can hunt deer with an air rifle. More and more states have been recognizing advances in technology and have made deer hunting with an air rifle legal. Get the right gear, follow the law, and have a good time.

Now, before investing in any equipment and heading out to fill the freezer, the first thing to do is know where and what you can legally hunt once you have your air rifle.

Of course, there are no federal regulations in place on air rifle hunting, but the same cannot be said about state laws. Not only do laws vary from state to state, but each state can set its own laws and codes on what can be hunted with an air rifle and what cannot.

There are even guidelines on what caliber, speed, and muzzle energy required to be legal in states that do allow air rifle hunting.

In this article, we will break down some of the state laws that pertain to air rifle deer hunting, and what types of equipment are suitable to ethically kill a deer.

State Laws

While it would be excessive to list all the laws for all the states regarding air rifle deer hunting, we will give a quick rundown of states where air rifle hunting has become popular and is legal with some stipulations. As well as some of the states where it is not permitted at all.

It seems to be much more prevalent to be legal to hunt deer in states in the eastern half of the nation, with some exceptions, while the majority of the states west of the Mississippi have prohibited it.

On the east side of the country, Missouri, Arkansas, and Michigan are all legal. So are Kentucky, Tennessee, and all states southeast of them are alright, while nearly all states in the northeast are states that have prohibited the practice, with the exception of Maryland, Vermont, and Maine.

Once you cross ole Miss, the only states where it is legal to hunt deer with air rifles are Idaho, Utah, Arizona, North Dakota, and the great state of Texas.

Texas Laws

Without going into detail on every state’s specific regulations, we will use Texas as our example. The regulations set forth by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department are pretty straightforward and reasonably fair. They state that on permitted public lands, you can hunt deer with an air rifle as long as it meets the following conditions:

• The projectile must be at least 30 caliber in diameter
• The projectile must be at least 150 grains in weight
• The projectile velocity must be a minimum of 800 feet per second
• OR any combination of bullet weight and muzzle velocity that produces a muzzle energy of at least 215 foot-pounds of energy.

What air gun should I use?

Conveniently these requirements can be met by nearly any air rifle in the Texan line from Airforce Air Guns. The superstar of this line being the Texan .50 Caliber.

This professional-grade air rifle can put a projectile downrange at over 1000 feet per second, with muzzle energy levels that top 650 foot-pounds. This is more than adequate for a humane kill shot in nearly any scenario and at amazing distances.

Why Are The Regulations So Specific, And Why Are They Important?

Air guns function much differently than traditional firearms like shotguns and centerfire rifles. As such, an understanding of the operation and subsequent limitations of pneumatic rifles.

Before you commit to an air rifle, you should do your best to ensure that it meets the state requirements for where you will be hunting. The caliber, speed, and energy levels should all be easily found either through the manufacturer’s website, or the rifle documentation.

Just like with any other legal hunting method, knowing how your weapon exceeds, and how it is limited, is absolutely crucial to reducing or eliminating loss due to wounding and escape.

Different brands will have different specifications for ballistic performance. Other critical factors to consider when hunting with an air rifle are the weight of the bullet, the skill of the hunter, and the distance to the target.

Another limiting factor that is unique to air rifles is the diminishing charge in the air reservoir. After each shot, the amount of air in the reservoir is reduced, thus making each successive shot have its own diminished ballistics.

Eventually, this will necessitate either recharging or refilling the reservoir or air source.

While it is absolutely possible to take big game at distances of 150 yards or more, the ideal effective distance for air rifles is 75 yards or less. After this point, there is a marked reduction in the lethality of the shots from air rifles.

This is vital knowledge for all hunters using air guns because this limitation can lead to wounding loss. Inside this range, shots placed into essential or vital organs, like the brain, heart, or lungs, is still critical to reducing wounding loss.

This is similar to the limitations and shot placement requirements of using other non-explosive weaponry like archery.

The standard practice of waiting approximately an hour for the animal to expire without fleeing should still be observed since the initial ballistic energy is enough to damage the organ fatally but may not prevent adrenaline-fueled attempts to escape if frightened.

Other Important Considerations When Choosing An Air Rifle

Classification

Your state may classify air rifles differently than on a federal level. Federally, air rifles are not considered firearms, but that being said, some states do.

New Jersey for example does classify air rifles as a firearm, and as such, they are bound and regulated by that state’s firearm laws. This extends from purchase and handling through usage during hunting.

Even if a state does not classify an air rifle as a firearm, they may still qualify for the label of “dangerous weapon” which means that felons cannot own them. Other states do not classify them as either firearms or dangerous weapons.

Licensing

Occasionally a state will require licensing for specific weapons when used for hunting. This often delineates between archers, black power weapons like muskets and other muzzleloaders, and traditional firearms. Before you hit the stands, make sure you have appropriate licensing if required in your area.

Caliber

This is one of the main factors to consider for hunters because the goal of every hunter should be to put the animal down and quickly and humanely as possible and reduce or eliminate the subsequent suffering.

As a general guideline, animals with fur should be shot with nothing smaller than a .22 caliber bullet. This is also dependant on species because obviously a .22 is too small to be effective and humane on deer.

The ideal caliber for deer will be an absolute minimum.30 caliber, with .40 being the standard, and the required minimum in states like Missouri.

As we mentioned with Texas, they have a minimum caliber requirement, but the bullet weight and speed can be variable, provided the muzzle energy is appropriate for an ethical kill by being a minimum of 215 foot-pounds.

Velocity

Velocity is important as it figures heavily into the muzzle energy calculation. Even a large caliber bullet can be useless as a humane killing option if it is not traveling fast enough to be effective.

Not only Texas, but Rhode Island and New Jersey have minimum velocity requirements for hunting projectiles.

Seasonal & Animal Restrictions

In most areas, hunting weapons each have their own seasonal restrictions, as well as guidelines on what they can be used during a given season. While it may be legal to use an air rifle for deer during one part of the year, it may be illegal to use it on coyotes during that same time of year.

It is best to check with the wildlife department for the state in which you will be hunting, for the specifics.

Age Limitations And Restrictions

The restrictions on buying and using air guns based on age will vary considerably from state to state. Some states have no restrictions, while some require the buyer to be 16, or even 18, for long guns.

Conclusion

As with anything, do your homework before jumping into something with legal ramifications. With that being said, “airguns” have come a long way and they shouldn’t be looked at as kid’s play anymore. If you spend a little money and buy the right gun, hunting is definitely possible with the capable rifles.

When it comes to conserving wetlands and other waterfowl habitats, Ducks Unlimited’s greatest strength has always been its members and volunteers. DU supporters number more than 1 million strong across North America, and their dedication and support are critical to the success of the organization’s conservation programs.

DU’s ranks also are filled with the world’s most experienced and dedicated waterfowlers, people who collectively possess an immense storehouse of practical hunting know-how. Here are some of the editors’ favorite waterfowling tips that have been submitted by DU members from across the nation.

1. Camo Cord

Nothing beats natural vegetation for concealment in duck hunting. To hold natural camouflage materials on my duck boat, I use stretch cord that I purchased at a kayak supply store. Line the sides, bow, and stern of the boat with sections of cord spaced about a foot apart and secure them in place with four-penny nails, screws, or pop rivets. Next, weave vegetation such as cattails, bulrushes, or cornstalks between the cords to conceal the outline of the boat. If woven carefully, this material will remain in place throughout the season. Turner Wilder, Grantham, New Hampshire

2. Fighting Ice

Creating open water holes in frozen marshes and lakes is a very effective late season hunting tactic. If possible, break ice into large solid sheets that can be neatly pushed under the surrounding ice to create a clear, open hole. Many times, however, the ice is too thin to break up into solid chunks and shatters into numerous smaller pieces that cover the surface of the water. This not only looks unnatural to the birds, but the floating ice also quickly freezes together again. An easy solution is to bring along a large landing net. After breaking the ice, sweep the water’s surface with the net until you’ve picked up all the floating pieces.

If the ice is too thick to easily break into sheets, try something else. Using a heavy axe or maul, break open a 3’x 3′ hole. Standing in the hole, stir up the bottom sediments with your boots and kick muddy water onto the surrounding ice, creating the appearance of open water. Place shell or silhouette decoys on the skim of muddy water covering the ice to complete the illusion. On bitter cold days, you may have to kick new water onto the ice periodically throughout the hunt, but it’s well worth the effort. My hunting partners and I have taken quite a few mallards and black ducks this way over the years.Andrew J. Rzicznek, Medina, Ohio

3. Stay Late

Waterfowl frequently migrate with or slightly behind cold fronts to take advantage of strong tail winds. On good migration days, don’t leave the blind early. The best hunting often occurs late in the morning, when many migrating flocks stop to take a rest. Mike Checkett, Memphis, Tennessee

4. Crossing Over

Although most waterfowlers hunt with the wind at their backs and their decoys set in front of them, this setup has many disadvantages. First, as ducks approach the decoys, they are looking directly into the blind, making it much more likely that the birds will detect movement by hunters and dogs. Another disadvantage occurs while shooting. After the first shot, ducks quickly flair downwind from you, making follow-up shots more difficult and increasing the chances of crippling birds.

As an alternative, I like to position my spread so that ducks will decoy at a crossing angle to my blind. This makes my blind much less conspicuous to decoying ducks, and the birds are forced to cross in front of my blind again as they flair downwind from shooting. In many cases, my second and third shots are just as close, if not closer, than my first, and crippled birds will fall well within range for a quick follow-up finishing shot.Scott Dennis, Meraux, Louisiana

5. Easy Read

Many waterfowlers carry both duck and goose loads with them to the blind. After repeated handling, however, the printing on plastic cartridges can wear off or become illegible, making it impossible to tell which shot size is in the shells. To avoid confusion, I take a black magic marker and write the shot size or letters on the end of the brass casings on all my shells. This enables me to quickly identify and select duck or goose loads while they are in the shell loops of my hunting vest. Brian Garrels, Emmetsburg, Iowa

6. Clean Call

Without periodic cleaning, all sorts of particlesincluding food, tobacco, dirt, and dead vegetationcan accumulate inside your duck call. Follow these easy steps to keep plastic and acrylic calls clean and in good working order:

1. Gently remove the stopper (holding the reed assembly) from the barrel of your call.

2. Place both the stopper and barrel in a bowl or coffee cup and soak for half an hour in a combination of water and mild soap.

3. Remove them from the solution and rinse well under the tap.

4. Set them aside to dry.

5. Using dental floss or a dollar bill, gently clear any stubborn particles that may remain between the reeds.

6. Reassemble your call.Eli Haydel, Natchidoches, Louisiana

7. Calm Approach

Nothing spooks late-season ducks more than stationary decoys sitting in an open hole. On calm days I throw most of my decoys back in thick brushy cover and rely on calling to bring in the ducks. Circling birds only catch brief glimpses of my decoys while they’re working, and, by the time they get close enough to get a good look, it’s too late. Boggs McGee, Honey Island, Mississippi

8. Patience Pays

A common mistake made by many waterfowlers is to flush large numbers of ducks off a roost in the dark before dawn. If left alone, these birds will often fly out to feed at first light and then filter back to the roost later in the morning. Rather than spooking the birds in the dark, wait until sunrise or later before going in and setting up. Although you might miss out on some early shooting, you may have a better hunt overall as the birds will provide more shooting opportunities as they return in smaller groups throughout the morning. Dave Mepps, Billings, Montana

9. Wind Check

Knowing the precise wind direction is critical to correctly position decoys and blinds in fields for geese. However, this can be difficult on mornings with a light breeze. To determine the wind direction on nearly calm mornings, take along a small squeeze bottle filled with talcum powder. Before setting your decoys, simply squeeze the bottle a few times and watch what direction the powder drifts. This will clearly show the direction from which the breeze is blowing. Rock Kuhn, Northfield, Minnesota

10. Line Guide

Very few decoy manufacturers have successfully addressed the issue of adjusting decoy line for variable water depths. I solved this problem by attaching a metal shower curtain ring on the keels of my decoys. Alternatively, large fishing swivels can be used for the same purpose. When you set your decoys, simply unwrap line off the keel to the desired depth, open the curtain ring, place the line inside the ring, and snap it shut. This will prevent any more line than is necessary from coming off the keel. Lance Crawford, Delano, Texas

11. Painting Pointers

It’s always a good idea to use a stencil for painting camouflage patterns on boats and blinds. I make my stencils out of dry-erase poster boardavailable at most arts and crafts stores. First, I place pieces of natural cover, such as leaves, tree branches, and cattails, on the poster board and trace around them with a fine magic marker. Then, I cut out the outlines that I made on the poster board to create a stencil.

When you are ready to paint, simply hold the poster board up against the surface of your boat or blind and spray paint over the holes. By overlapping different shapes and using different colors, you can create a highly realistic custom camouflage pattern that will match virtually any type of vegetation and background. Doug Barnes, Germantown, Tennessee

12. Nordic Track

For older hunters such as myself, a pair of old-fashioned cross-country ski poles is a great way to keep your balance while wading and setting out and picking up decoys in the marsh. The six-inch diameter baskets at the base of the poles provide you with excellent stability and prevent the poles from sinking into the mud. Loops on the handles keep them secured firmly to your wrists, freeing your hands for working with decoys and completing other tasks.

The poles also will extend your reach to retrieve downed birds and pick up errant decoys in deeper waters. You can even use them as supports to hold up camo netting and natural vegetation as a makeshift blind. Used cross-country ski poles can often be found at an affordable price at garage sales.Warren R. Lindstedt, Portland, Oregon

13. Key Caddy

Keeping up with different sets of keys while duck hunting is a perennial challenge for waterfowlers. To simplify matters, I put all my keysfor my boat, truck, ATV, and hunting cabinon a floating foam key ring purchased at a boating supply store. This not only keeps all my keys together in one place, it also makes them much easier to recover if I drop them in the water or on the ground in the dark. Michael Simmons, Jackson, Mississippi

14. Gun Wrap

Waterfowlers can almost completely vanish in fields and marshes covered with snow by wearing a white jacket, coat, gloves, and ski mask. However, it’s equally important for waterfowlers to camouflage their shotguns while hunting in these conditions. Against a white background, shotguns become even more visible to ducks and geese, especially on sunny days. A cheap and inexpensive way for waterfowlers to conceal their shotguns in the snow is to wrap them in white medical gauze.

Secure the gauze to the end of your gun barrel with clear packing tape. Next start wrapping the gauze around the barrel, overlapping about half way each time. If you have an autoloader, continue wrapping over the forearm down to the receiver. Then cut off the gauze and secure it to the base of the forearm with more clear tape. Cover the stock in the same manner by starting at the pistol grip and wrapping to the recoil pad. This way, the only exposed area of the shotgun will be the receiver. James Campbell, Canton, Illinois

15. Tied Down

Putting up wood duck boxes is a great way to boost local waterfowl populations. However, nailing nest boxes to trees can be a hassle. An easier alternative is to tie wood duck boxes onto trees using plastic-coated laundry line. Simply drill a few extra holes in the back of the box and thread the line through. The line won’t damage trees like nails or screws, and it’s much easier to remove and relocate boxes that are unsuccessful. One word of caution, however: Always check the integrity of the line when you empty existing boxes in late fall or winter to ensure the line remains sturdy enough to hold hens and their broods. Fran Gough, Lehighton, Pennsylvania

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Last updated on March 11th, 2024 at 02:49 am

Are you looking for the best musky lures for 2024 summer musky fishing?

While it is impossible to say that any one single muskie lure is best, we luckily have many great options to choose from when out on the water. Below we will take a look at some of the top best musky lures of 2024, including the best musky lures for trolling, the best musky lures for summer, and the best musky lures for Lake St. Clair and really every musky-rich water body.

When the musky feeding window is open and the stars align, a giant muskie or pike will hit just about anything that moves. In those rare instances, your musky bait selection doesn’t really matter and all one needs to do is to be in the right place at the right time. If you are extremely lucky and dedicated to muskie fishing, you will experience this musky feeding-frenzy type of action once or twice a season.

The majority of your time spent muskie fishing for trophy pike and muskies, however, will be spent casting, cranking, and waiting. The right musky lure presentation will be the difference between a big bite and a follow-up. Therefore, you don’t want to spend all of your time and effort casting second-rate lures. Here is our selection of the best musky lures and northern pike fishing baits available on the market today.

Best Musky Lures 2024

1. Musky Innovations Bull Dawg – Best Musky Lures For 2024

The Musky Innovations Bull Dawg musky lure is made of 100% soft plastic. This musky lure, which is balanced with a jig-like head, swims down in the water at a 45º angle on the descent and swims horizontal during the retrieve.

Bull Dawgs can be used as a jig, jerkbait, or a crankbait. While being retrieved, this musky lure rocks back and forth as it’s long curly tail waves frantically, a great combination that tends to drives large gamefish like muskie crazy.

We find this musky lure to be one of the most versatile and best muskie lures on the market today, and possibly the best musky lures for 2024.

Wondering what is the best musky net for the money?

2. Mepps Magnum Musky Killer Bucktail – Best Musky Lures For Summer

Mepps Magnum Musky Killer is a tried and true favorite musky lure, specifically designed to catch and handle hogs. It’s no secret that BIG fish want to eat BIG baits, and the Mepps Magnum Musky Killer is among the biggest!

We consider these to be the best musky lures for summer, especially in the bucktail variety. They are made with all the qualities and features that trophy muskie and pike fishermen look for in a big musky lure for summer. Features such as easy changability, like a heavy #7 solid brass blade allowing for maximum flash, heavy-duty premium VCM 5/0 cone cut treble hooks.

This classic muskie lure weighs in at 1 1/4 ozs. Bucktails are without a doubt one of the best musky lures for summer.

3. Lixada Fishing Lures 5-12″ Multi Jointed Life-Like Swimbait Hard CrankBaits – Best Selling Musky Lure

These super life-like northern pike and muskie lures don’t carry a fancy brand name, which means they represent one of the best bangs for your bucks when it comes to musky lures. Lixada tends to be the best selling brand of these lures, however. These are also one of the best selling musky lures on Amazon.

These 5-12″ multi-jointed hard plastic musky baits are value priced and will be one of the best accessories in your musky tackle box. These muskie lures have a super realistic appearance and feature life-like swimming actions to provoke monster muskies to bite.

Features of these muskie lures include being 5-12 inches in length divided into 8-segments, double 3 set treble hooks, life-like 3D eyes, high resolution, laser sharp body detail, and a durable ABS hard plastic material ensuring long service life.

These are definitely one of the best musky lures under $25. Their low price makes them one of the best musky lures for sale.

4. Jointed Believer – Best Musky Lures For Trolling

The Jointed Believer is our top pick for the best musky lures for trolling. There are two makers of these style of musky baits that we recommend: Musky Mania and Drifter Tackle. Either one should serve you well when trolling for musky.

Musky Mania Super Believer

The Musky Mania Super Believer is a medium running plastic bait with a live action tail crankbait. The live action tail is a replaceable soft plastic.

The flash and swimming action created by the long tail, especially while trolling, gives a life-like presentation to muskies that simply cannot be duplicated by older, more conventional crankbaits. The Super Believer trolls and casts equally well, while running 12′ while trolling and 2′-6′ when casting.

Drifter Tackle Jointed Believer

The Drifter Tackle Jointed Believer musky lure is one of the most versatile musky baits on the market. It’s shallow and deep eyelet, along with its unique design and shape, enable this musky lure to be fished from topwater down to depths of 20 feet.

For fishing over thick weeds, you can retrieve this lure slowly as a topwater bait. For lighter weeds, you can use it as a twitch bait or jerk bait. You can also cast it into timber, rocks, and heavier cover working it as a crankbait.

Because this lure continues to consistently produce fish, we rank it and the one mentioned above it as the best musky lures for trolling. It has an erratic and unique action which triggers musky strikes from fish that have been presented with everything.

Need a pair of the best musky release gloves?

5. Musky Double Cowgirl Bait – Best Musky Lures For Beginners

The Musky Double Cowgirl bait by Musky Mayhem is a classic and very popular big muskie lure. Being one of the easiest musky baits to fish with, we consider these to be the best musky lures for beginners.

While it is similar to the Mepps bucktail mentioned earlier, it does differ in several ways. This muskie bait has two huge #10 spinner blades which create a large amount vibration in the water. The lure’s Flashabou skirting gives it life-like action, a larger profile, and excellent color.

Many would argue that this is the best inline spinner available, because of it’s baitfish simulating action. Being that it easy to work, can be fished in just about any conditions or terrain, is well known to produce huge musky, this is our choice for best musky lure for beginners.

6. Whopper Plopper – Best Topwater Musky Lures

The famous Whopper Plopper is our top choice for the best topwater musky lures.

The original River2Sea Whopper Plopper was designed by legendary fisherman and television personality, Larry Dahlberg. This topwater musky bait produces a sputtering surface disruption that is begging to be smashed by muskies. While it was originally created to catch musky, Dahlberg and others soon realized that bass were also highly attracted to this bait. Therefore, smaller versions were devised for bass fishermen.

You can work the Whopper Plopper super slow, so you barely hear the tail, only the tiny beads sizzling inside of it. Or, you can speed things up so the lure throws water like a flailing wounded fish. Either way has proven extremely effective.

On calm water days, it is best to run this topwater musky lure slow, as it won’t take much action to draw a muskies attention. On the other hand, during rough waters, speed up your retrieve in order to stand out among the natural water movements.

This surface musky lure casts a mile, and your ability to fish it at a wide range of speeds, makes it a deadly tool for catching musky. The River2Sea Whopper Plopper’s spinning tail is perfectly tuned right out of the box, and it is available in a variety of sizes and colors.

7. Suick Musky Thriller – Best Wooden Musky Lures

Back in the day, the original musky lures were made buy guides. The more successful the guide was, the higher prices they could charge for their services.

The first company to successfully make muskie lures that worked for musky exceptionally well was the Suick Lure Company with their “Suick Musky Thriller”, which is for sure one of the best old musky lures. The lure comes in 4”, 7”, 9”, and 10” sizes. Suick Lure Company is still in business today, so they can be ordered and this should be a staple in your musky tackle box.

Now if you study these musky baits you will notice that at the back end is a piece of metal similar to a tail. Here is a little muskie secret that you will learn only here at TigerMuskie.net that your guide will not tell you. Simply put, that metal is adjustable for changing conditions. A lot of anglers just take a lure out of the box and snap it on the end of their line and off they go. The proper way to use muskie lures that have adjustable parts is to test them out first, before you go out fishing. Make sure it is performing how it should be, and that only comes with practice and knowledge that you will gain here.

With the Suick Musky Thriller, we recommend making a slight upside down v-shape with the metal tail. Only bend the tail about 1/8th of an inch on each side. This very subtle adjust will provide much better action out of this lure, and thus produce more fish. Suicks are still definitely the best wooden musky lures.

8. Savage Gear 3D Suicide Duck

The Savage Gear 3D Suicide Duck is an amazing muskie lure that acts just like a retreating duckling making it perfect to be swallowed up by a giant muskie. This hard plastic musky lure can be fished with either long pulls or steady retrieves, slow or fast, and looks just like a real duckling!

The Savage Gear 3D Suicide Duck is conveniently designed to include both a bottom and top hook hanger, which allows you to customize the lure’s presentation based upon current conditions.

Given the lifelike features of the 3D Savage Gear Suicide Duck, it’s no surprise that it was the winner in the Hard Bait category at the 2016 ICAST event.

9. Chasebaits The Ultimate Squid Fishing Lure – Newest Musky Lures

We know what you are thinking. “What the heck is that thing?” Well, this is Chasebaits The Ultimate Squid, one of the newest musky lures on the market. Now, before you jump out of your boat, hear us out.

You might be wondering why on earth would a musky want to eat a squid, when there are no squids in fresh water. We challenge you to pose this question to anglers on Lake Michigan who have been using squid baits for years to catch giant salmon and trout on the Great Lake. The truth is, squid baits have proven to be extremely effective, even for freshwater fish.

The Chasebaits Ultimate Squid is by far the most realistic looking and life-like squid baits we have ever seen. These newest musky lures have the potential to catch massive musky. Only time will tell for sure just how effective they will be, but we highly encourage you to give them a shot.

These are definitely one of the coolest new musky lures that we have seen. Their relatively low price also makes them absolutely worth trying.

10. Cisco Kid Topper

As mentioned above, Suick has been making musky lures for decades. The Cisco Kid Topper is one of their newer, topwater musky baits.

The Suick Cisco Kid Topper looks like a little torpedo and it’s nose and tail features stainless steel propeller blades which create a large topwater disturbance which really gets the attention of any muskies in the area. This great muskie lure can be used at a fast or medium speed to keep the blades spinning properly.

When it comes to the best topwater muskie lures, this is one of our favorites.

Live Bait Musky Rigs

The old standby for musky fishing is the use of live bait. However, usng live bait musky rigs for fishing presents its own unique set of problems. One of them it that purchasing live bait can be very expensive. Live suckers which are in the 6” range and larger can cost upwards of ten dollars each or more.

Then there is the problem of keeping them fresh. In order to do that, another container must be brought into the boat, such as a five gallon bucket or a Frabill Magnum Bait Station. The larger the bait fish, the less you can carry on board or you will need a larger container. The inherent issue here is to be able to oxygenate the water to keep them alive. The more you have in the bucket, the more oxygen you’ll need to add to the water. The Frabill live well just mentioned comes with an aerator. However, if your bait station does not come with an aerator, you’ll need to pick one up. While musky lures are reusable, suckers are not.

It’s also critical that you select and use a proper live bait musky rig. Not only do you want to make sure that your expensive bait doesn’t get off, but more importantly you want to be sure that you are minimizing the chances of injuring any muskies.

You also have to ask yourself, is the live bait I am using natural bait to the water I’m fishing in? This is not to say that a muskie will not strike at any live bait presentation, but they will strike more frequently to natural bait found in the lake that you are fishing in.

Yes they work, and there are many different hooks, live bait musky rigs, and techniques of how to apply them to the end of your line. We recommend that you watch quite a few YouTube videos of how to properly rig a sucker, or hire a guide for a day to show you how to do live bait musky fishing.

Musky Lures Buyer’s Guide

When it comes to musky lures, there is no shortage of different jigs, swimbaits, crankbaits, and more available to musky fishermen. Musky baits come in all different actions, shapes, sizes, and weights. Some lures are easier to work than others, but when worked properly, each can be very effective.

Musky Lure Types

Over the past 20 years or so the number of different types of musky lures has grown substantially. Thanks to the invention of new materials and manufacturing processes, musky fishermen have been blessed (or perhaps cursed) with a plethora of options. The trend has been towards bigger and bigger musky lures.

There are so many different musky lure types and styles that we can’t possibly cover them all here. But let us take a look at some of the the most popular musky lure types.

Glide Baits

Glide baits can be one of the most effective musky lures any time of year, but they can also be one the hardest lures to work properly. Depending on your preferred style, glide baits can be retrieved fast and erratic or with a slow side-to-side action. We recommend practicing both. There are a lot of styles of musky glide baits, so try out a few different models that you can work properly and like the action of. Learning to properly work the best glide baits takes a lot of practice, but knowing how to do so is crucial if you want to catch more muskies.

Soft Plastics

Despite the fact that most soft plastic musky lures don’t resemble actual fish, they remain arguably the best musky lures of modern day. The reason for this is simple: they consistently catch musky.

Soft plastic musky baits can be cast and retrieved in a multitude of different styles, depending on the the angler and the mood of the fish. Typically, however, soft plastic musky lures are most often retrieved with a “pull, reel in the line slack, pull again” fashion. This manner of retrieve, with the rise and fall action of the bait, resembles an injured or dying baitfish. Nearby muskies will often try to take advantage of an easy meal, which a soft plastic lure can seem to be.

Perhaps the two most popular of soft plastic musky baits are the Bull Dawg and Medussa. There have been some clones of these lures come to market in recent years, and they may work equally as well for less money.

Topwaters

Topwater musky strikes are some of the most invigorating and memorable hits to watch. Once the water of the summer has warmed up, topwater musky lures work like a charm, if you know how to properly work them.

Two very popular topwater musky bait styles are Whopper Ploppers and “walk-the-dog” topwater baits. Whopper Ploppers are very easy to work, and can be very effective with a straight retrieve. On the other hand, “walk-the-dog” musky lures require some practice. These lures need to be retrieved in a side-to-side fashion with as little hesitation in-between pulls as possible, in order to be effective.

Bucktails & Spinners

Bucktails have historically been the most popular lures used by musky fishermen. What makes bucktails so great and effective is that they produce vibrations in the water pattern that a musky can easily feel. Getting the fish’s attention from a distance and triggering it’s bite response are huge advantages to bucktails.

Bucktails can be cast and retrieved at any rate of speed, dependent upon the angler and the conditions. Bucktails come with various size blades, but some of the most popular and effective ones have double 9 and double 10 blades. Musky Mayhem, Llugen Lures, and Mepps are just a few of the companies making some of the best bucktails for musky fishing today.

Warranty

Warranty of musky lures is generally a non issue. Your musky lure is not likely to simply break, or not work, like an electronic device would. Also, musky lures are subject to a lot of abuse, so you would have a difficult time proving to a manufacturer that their lure just broke on it’s own. That being said, if you do experience a problem with a lure, we suggest contacting the manufacturer. Most reputable companies will do what they can to keep you as a happy customer.

You are unlikely to ever need to file a warranty claim with a musky lure. The biggest cause of lose or damage to musky lures comes from getting snagged on rocks or other hidden debris. Nobody likes to lose a $30 lure, but it is an unfortunate part of the sport.

Price

Musky lures are not cheap. If you are new to the sport, you may be shocked to see just how expensive some baits are. On the extreme low end, cheap musky lures can be had for $4-$5. On the high end, you can expect to pay in the $20-$30 range. Custom musky lures from smaller makers can even be in the $50-$100 range.

Unlike a lot of things where higher price can often mean better performance or production, that isn’t necessarily the case with musky lures. A $100 custom lure won’t catch you any more fish than a $15 lure. We would suggest starting with the lower priced lures in the $10-$20 range. As you advance in your skills, you can consider investing in some more expensive musky lures.

Where To Buy

You can buy musky lures at most major big box sporting good stores. However, depending upon your location, the selection may be quite limited. These retailers also have higher markup on their lures, so unless you come across a sale, we don’t recommend paying full retail at a big box store for your musky lures.

Online market places such as Amazon offer a good selection of musky lures at very fair prices. You also can’t beat their customer service and return policy. Facebook musky groups and Craigslist are also good places to get custom or used musky lures at solid deals.

One last place to buy musky lures on sale is musky expos and conventions. These sports shows usually have all of the manufacturers there, both large and small, and you can often get really good deals on musky lures while at the show.

Best Musky Lures Of All Time

Musky lures have certainly evolved quite a bit over the years. From the first musky lures that were handmade, and usually made and sold by fishing guides, who sold them to their customers and local bait shops, to today’s modern musky lures made of high quality plastics and polymers. Some of the best musky lures of all time were copied from those original hand-made guide baits.

Today, some are still handmade, but mostly made by large companies like Rapala and Mepp’s to name a few. It was those first fishing guides who spent hours and hours on the water, studying the habitat, the structure, the shorelines, and water conditions, which provided the basis for their crafting of muskie lures that mimicked the natural baits in the water.

Conclusion

When you are muskie fishing, you are going to have to make a choice as far as what types of muskie lures to put on the end of your line. You have to think about what you are going to put in front of that trophy musky. If you want to get the fish to strike at your presentation, and then get it into the boat, then you are going to need to have a complete musky fishing package. That means the rod, the reel, the line, the knot you tie, the swivels, the musky baits, the leader, the net, and the boat you are using, which are all contributing factors to whether you will be successful or not. Over time you’ll develop an expertise in the proper selection of each and every one of these pieces or musky tackle. These will be the tools of your trade. The tools you’ll use to hone your craft. And that trophy fish won’t be far behind. What we are saying is that yes, lure selection is extremely important, but don’t neglect all of the other aspects of what it takes to land a giant musky.

We have just covered a few of the old tried and true best musky lures of all time. During your musky fishing lifetime you will run across many more musky lures and new innovations. The key to success is to keep trying new things, in addition to learning how to effectively use each of the baits that you already have.

We hope you have found our musky lure buying guide to be helpful. Check back often for updates to our list of the best musky lures.

Best Muskie Lures Comparison

If you need to be able to defend yourself at night, then you’re looking for an awesome Glock night sights review. In this article we will cover a wide variety of sighting systems. We’ll talk about the best iron sights, and some great red dot sights for low light self defense. As you’ll see, most shooters aren’t really focusing on the right details when trying to find the best night sights for their particular needs. Keep reading for more.

When doing my research for this article, it was readily apparent that most of the Glock night sights reviews were written by robots, or people who hadn’t shot more than a box of ammo in the last 7 years. It’s also patently obvious that most most reviewers don’t do much shooting at night.

As many of you know I’m, a competition shooter, as well as a police officer. I do a lot of shooting, in all hours of the day and night. While this doesn’t make me the worlds greatest expert on night sights, I can tell you that there are several issues that come up when you actually need a good sight system. Here’s a quick overview of the article.

Glock Night Sights Review

• Iron sights with tritium inserts are the best Glock sights for simplicity and durability
• Using a weapons mounted light can negate the need for night sights
• Red dot sights are good options for low light defense, provided it’s set correctly
• Stay away from exposed fiber optics sights for self defense use
• Rear sights with a ledge allow for one handed weapons manipulation
• Many of these sights come in different colors, follow the links for all options

Before we get to the details in this Glock night sights review, we need to discuss if you even need night sights. We will also talk about some facts and fallacies of low light shooting, which may help steer you towards one sighting system over another. Remember, there is no best system for everyone.

Do You Need Night Sights for Your Glock?

If you ask this question to most self defense minded, or tactical shooters, they will tell you that you need night sights to shoot at night. Unfortunately, they would be wrong, or at least no right enough. To illustrate this point I’m going to give you a little scenario.

You’re in your home, and you hear the proverbial bump in the night. You grab your Glock to go clear your house by yourself (not a good idea). You have a Glock 19 with standard tritium night sights, and no pistol light. You eventually confront the intruder, who is stealing your $3000 Taylor Swift tickets they saw on your kitchen counter.

You challenge them at gunpoint, and your sight picture is a dark blob, with three green dots in front of your face. You see nothing else! You can’t tell if they’re armed, or a drunk neighbor in the wrong house, or any other useful information. But hey, you can see your sights are in rough alignment!

You would be better off with a pistol light, and the standard Glock sights in this scenario. If you light up the person with your light, you will see a clear outline of your sights. You will also take away the intruders night vision, and disorient them. Most importantly, you can see if they’re armed.

Choosing Your Self Defense Pistol Setup

Don’t take this to mean I’m anti night sights for your self defense pistol. I’m simply pointing out that the ability to see three dots won’t solve this difficult and dangerous problem. I would argue that it does very little if you can’t ID the person in your house. It’s an all too common tale for someone to shoot a family member at night because they thought they were an intruder.

Night sights certainly have their uses, and they really shine in mixed lighting conditions, where there are areas of light and dark. These would be areas like parking garages, street lights, or lights around your house that provide some dim illumination.

After reading this article you should have a good idea of what Glock night sight set up you want. After that it’s up to you to train with your setup. Don’t be the guy to buy all the high speed gear and have no idea how to use it. I see this all the time at matches, and it makes me cry inside. The best part about having awesome gear, is learning to use it well!

I’ll get off of my soapbox now, and we’ll get to the equipment part of this article. I encourage you to follow the links, some of which are affiliate links, for the products that seem most useful to you. They will tell you more detailed info, and you can read other useful things like customer reviews. Rest assured, I won’t link to any terrible products. Don’t forget to join the email list below for more awesome articles.

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5 Best Glock Night Sights

By now you should have some idea that I’m not only going to include standard iron sights, in this Glock night sights review. I will include several iron sights options, and red dot options for low light shooting. I will also include the very best night sight option, a pistol mounted light!

1. Surefire X300U-B Pistol Light

The Surefire X300U is my favorite weapons mounted light. I have one on my duty gun, and I have another on my home defense pistol. It’s a very bright 1000 lumen flashlight that is compatible with nearly any pistol on the market. It also works well when mounted on a long gun, giving it nearly unlimited uses.

I tend to pair it with Surefire’s DG grip pressure switch, wich makes one handed activation easy. That pressure switch isn’t a must have, as I ran this light for many years using my support hand thumb to activate the light. The light uses a dual action switch that gives you momentary on, when pushed forward into the light body, and constant on when rotated down.

Of note, if you do opt for the pressure switch, the light still retains the standard rocker switch as well. This allows you to use it as a back up, and have constant on functionality. This is crucial if you actually find a bad guy, and need to keep him illuminated for 5-10 minutes, waiting on the police to arrive.

As of this writing, the light retails for a little over $300. The switch is a little over $100. While that isn’t chump change, it is a great option because you can move it to any firearm you care to use, quite easily. Next we’ll move on to my favorite iron sight system.

Trijicon Glock HD Night Sight (GL1010)

The Trijicon Glock HD night sights are used by police and military forces all around the world, for good reason. They’re durable, simple, and reasonably priced. This model features tritium inserts, which is a phosphorescent green chemical that will glow for 10 years or so, with no need for additional maintenance. The Trijicon HD night sights also include an orange front sight circle, around the front dot tritium insert. This helps to capture your eye in all lighting conditions.

This system will require gunsmith installation, unless you have a sight tool like this one (Amazon Affiliate Link). You can see in the video below that, putting new sights on your Glock isn’t all that hard, but you do need the right tools. One of the best features about this product, is the ledge type rear sight. This allows you to rack the slide off of objects with one hand. This isn’t likely to happen, but it’s a nice bonus feature.

As of this writing, the Trijicon GL 1010 retails for around $120. With the sight pusher linked above, you’ll be spending around $180 in total. Next we’ll move on to another great set of iron sights.

Meprolight Adjustable Tritium Sights

The Meprolight adjustable night sights are a great option for those that want a more accurate sighting system, with a snag-free design. These sights feature tritium vials for reliable low light performance, with an adjustable rear sight. This allows you to fine tune your sights for your shooting style, and ammunition choice. This is one of the biggest differences between these sights, and stock, white dot factory sights from Glock.

I know some shooters really enjoy having adjustable iron sights. I’ve shot both standard and adjustable sights. To be perfectly honest, I almost never adjust them. I would also point out that the rear sight has a very small ledge that would make one handed manipulations harder. That wouldn’t be a deal breaker for me, but it’s something to consider.

These sights have good reviews on Brownells, and they’re currently priced around $145, which is a great price for all the options these sights include. In the next section of this Glock night sights review, I’ll cover two great red dot options for those that need to shoot at night.

Holosun SCS Multi Reticle Red Dot Sight

The Holosun SCS is one of the best choices for low light shooting, and general everyday use. It also has some distinct advantages over other red dot sighting systems. The biggest advantage is that it features an extremely low deck height. This allows you to use it without installing suppressor height back up sights.

This means you can maintain whatever iron sights you have installed, which can save a lot of money. Suppressor height front post, and rear dot sights, can be expensive.

If you have a newer Glock with the MOS optic plate, you can install the SCS directly to the slide, without using an optics mounting plate. While many mounting plates are very durable, you can run into issues where the plate screws shear, leaving you with your red dot sight tumbling through the air.

Realistically, this is something most Glock owners will never experience. I’ve put around 6,000 rounds through my CZ Shadow 2 Optics Ready competition gun, and I’ve had no issues with this.

This dot has a solar charging system with a rugged titanium housing. If you’ve read the Sage Dynamics White paper, you’ll note that this specific sight is still going strong after more than 6,000 rounds, while being dropped directly onto the optic every 500 rounds.

As of this writing, the SCS for Glock pistols retails for about $370, which is a great price for a very durable optic. This is the best choice for the vast majority of Glock models. Next, we’ll talk about another great red dot optic.

Trijicon RMR Type 2 Red Dot Sight

The Trijicon RMR Type 2 is by far the most rugged red dot pistol sight. It’s been around for several years, and Aaron at Sage Dynamics has one variant of this sight that is still going strong after 30,000 rounds, and dozens of drops onto concrete. At this point, I would say its as durable as iron sights.

It features a tremendous battery life, with up to 2 years of normal use. Moreover, it has a sensor that automatically adjusts the dot brightness, for different lighting conditions. This is great for those that have a pistol mounted light.

Because Trijicon has released an updated version of this optic, which is much more expensive, you can find this 6.5 MOA variant for $470 at the time of this writing. This is the cheapest I’ve ever seen this optic.

If you plan on putting your sights through some abuse, then this is your best choice. Next I’ll cover some good advice for setting up your pistol for ease of use.

Setting Up Your Sights and Lights

In this section I want to review a few practical recommendations to help you choose the right sights. First, and foremost, do not use a red dot sight if you don’t plan on practicing with your gun. You have to get enough live fire, and most importantly, dry fire reps, to develop a natural point of aim.

I shoot Carry Optics in USPSA competitions, and I regularly notice lower ranked competitors have a lot of trouble finding their dot. This demonstrates a lack of practice. I rarely if ever see a B class shooter, or above, have any issues here. If you’re willing to practice, then dots are great. If not, go with iron sights.

Secondly, if you do run a red dot sight, then you need to pick the correct brightness setting when your light is illuminated. For self defense, you need to err on the side of brighter rather than dimmer. This is especially true if you have a pistol light. Bright light will wash your reticle out, if you set the dot to dimly. If this seems like too much hassle for you , then go with iron sights.

Lastly, I strongly recommend that you go with the pistol light, and then worry about changing your factory Glock sights later on, if needed. The light will be much more useful in a self defense scenario, and it works well with stock sights, as well as night sights. Now, let’s finish this Glock night sights review up.

Final Thoughts

There are a lot of considerations when discussing this Glock night sights review. The most important thing you can do is practice with whatever setup you choose. Time and again, I see shooters buy a gun, or a piece of equipment that promises to give them some new capability.

They purchase these products like a talisman, thinking that if they own them, they can do the thing it says they can. This isn’t true. You must learn to use it proficiently before it does that. I recommend finding a good instructor, and getting into competition shooting. You will get more bang from your buck in one match than years of flat range training.

You can also find links to great training ammo, and self defense ammo here. Don’t forget to join the email list below. Now get out there and get training!

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In times past, hunters found a hunting companion dog invaluable. The most popular small hunting dog breeds include the Beagle, French Brittany, American Water Spaniel, Brittany Spaniel, and Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever. Not only did a hunting companion dog help to flush the game out of bushes, shrubs, trees, or even water, but the hunting companion dog would also retrieve much of the game for the hunter. In some cases, hunting companion dogs would assist in finding a felled game that had somehow gotten out of sight of the hunter. Prior to the hunt, these same dogs would help to track potential games.

I myself have witnessed hunting dogs in action and it is a pretty amazing sight. Hunting companion dogs make the activity a little more exciting, especially when they “tree” or “point” out a potential game. I listed 8 of the most common small hunting dog breeds including the facts about them below.

What are eight hunting dogs that are smaller in size?

There are eight hunting breeds that are considered small dog breeds. They include:

• the Beagle
• the French Brittany
• the American Water Spaniel
• the Brittany Spaniel
• the Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever
• the Small Munsterlander
• the Cocker Spaniel
• the Boykin Spaniel

The Cocker Spaniel

Named after the bird that the breed was utilized most to hunt, the Cocker Spaniel is one of the best hunting dogs for many reasons.

Although the Cocker Spaniel is a small dog, they truly shine when they perceive prey is in the thickest of cover. They pounce with all the bravery their tiny bodies can contain, and they would flush out a game with great enthusiasm. They are great bird hunting dogs, also called a gun dog. When trained properly, a Cocker Spaniel can be a versatile hunting dog.

The Cocker Spaniel was chiefly utilized to hunt the woodcock. The Cocker Spaniel is a very energetic dog that loves to work. Plus, he’ll work all day if you provide him with the opportunity.

There are two variations of Cocker Spaniel—the English and the American. One can only tell a slight difference in the head shape of the Cocker Spaniel. However, American Cocker Spaniels tend to be friendlier than their English counterparts.

The Cocker Spaniel is considered one of the smallest hunting dog breeds today, but, typically, they are house pets rather than hunting companions. This breed is typically between 13.5 to 15.5 inches (this includes averages for both males and females; the male Cocker Spaniel will measure on the larger end of those numbers). The Cocker Spaniel will usually weigh between twenty to thirty pounds.

The American Water Spaniel

You might recognize the American Water Spaniel due to its curly hair. Aside from that, this dog breed is also known for its ability to flush game out of water. They are described as “flusher dogs” but they also retrieve fallen games, as such, they tend to work closely with their hunter handler.

The American Water Spaniel is considered quite versatile, but the breed is highly inclined to retrieve. Although athletic as well as enthusiastic, the American Water Spaniel can be somewhat stubborn as well as shy around new people.

I you are looking for a canine generally able to hunt, flush out, and retrieve waterfowls, The American Water Spaniel is a good candidate. They also have a highly dense and waterproof coat that makes them perfect for such work.

The American Water Spaniel is one of the most intelligent dog breeds I have encountered, that is full of energy as well as a tad bit of stubbornness. It is important to keep the breed active in order for the dog to be happy.

It is also important to begin training the American Water Spaniel as early as possible. Overall, the breed is obedient and friendly when trained properly.

The American Water Spaniel male is between thirty and forty-five pounds at adulthood; the female is much smaller, weighing twenty-five to forty pounds when fully grown. This breed typically stands between fifteen and eighteen inches at adulthood.

The Beagle

The Beagle is one of the most popular small hunting dog breeds—or even one of the most popular dog breeds, period. They are hounds at heart, so they love tracking scents and they enjoy flushing out prey. The Beagle is a highly diverse hunting dog as they are originally bred for hunting smaller game such as rabbits and foxes, but I’m quite impressed that they are also useful for hunting large games such as deers.

Another reason why the Beagle is highly popular is because of its happy-go-lucky attitude. I love how these pups are both fun and smart. They can be taught to retrieve even though it is not their chief inclination.

Did you know that the Beagle was first used to hunt rabbits, and the style of hunting used for this purpose was called “beagling”? They work well in pairs, and typically, they flush prey out of thick underbrush.

The Beagle is a gentle and friendly breed that loves to interact with its hunter handlers. Training the Beagle should begin when they are fairly young. As a hound breed, they can be stubborn, but consistent training should overcome any obstinate behavior on the part of the dog. Beagles are one of the small hunting dog breeds that love to interact with children, too.

Like other hunting dogs, the Beagle needs a certain amount of activity each day in order to remain happy and healthy.

The Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever

Known as the “Toller”, the Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever is one of the smallest retrieving dogs. Some will relate that the Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever has a high-pitched “scream” that sets them apart from other hunting dogs.

The Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever is especially attuned to hunting in cold weather, and their coat protects them from the harsh, cold water. These dogs are chiefly retrievers but they are good flushers too, and were named for the way in which they would assist their human hunting handler in “tolling” ducks.

These brilliant water dogs are best utilized for hunting waterfowl. However, they often worked to lure ducks in range of their human handler so that the hunter could get an accurate shot on the prey. They are especially useful for this job because they are very alert and an extremely intelligent breed. They are also highly patient. Like other retrieving dogs, they depend greatly on signals from their human hunting handlers.

The Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever is quite active, and, if human handlers do not offer the Toller the best balance of activity, the Toller can become destructive. Remember, as natural hunters and retrievers, the Toller is happiest when he is busy—or very tired from a busy day.

Just a little reminder: the Toller can be less submissive than other retrieving dogs. They tend to be less friendly with strangers.

The Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever stands anywhere from seventeen to twenty-one inches in height. Typically, regardless of whether the dog is male or female, the Duck Toller will weigh between thirty-five and fifty pounds.

The Boykin Spaniel

Although considered a small hunting dog, the Boykin Spaniel is in fact larger than the breeds on this list. Having a dense coat that protects their body as they swim in the water of varying temperatures make them resilient hunting canines.

The Boykin Spaniel is a great flusher of game. However, they are known for taking their sweet time before they actually flush the game out. They do not need their human handler to offer commands before taking action. They are extremely versatile dogs, being highly adept retrieving dogs as well.

Hunting both pheasants and quail is what the Boykin Spaniel is exceptional at, but they are also used for flushing out and retrieving waterfowl. I love how this breed utilizes both scent and sight for the tracking game.

Not only is the Boykin Spaniel a great hunting companion, but the breed is a wonderful family pet as well. The Boykin tends to get along well with all people, even strangers. The breed is very smart and they simply enjoy hard work. They are also great companion dogs outside the hunting field.

The Boykin Spaniel tends to be between fifteen inches to eighteen inches in height at adulthood, and weighs an average of twenty-five to forty pounds at adulthood.

The Small Munsterlander

The Small Musterlander is a dog of German origin; it is not related to the Munsterlander other than they come from the same area in Europe. This breed is known for its ability to do just about anything. You’d be glad to know that they can be easily trained to flush out, retrieve, and point prey. This is thanks to their natural attentiveness and being extremely intelligent.

These dogs are so versatile that they are equally adept hunters on both lands and in the water. The Small Munsterlander hunts just about any type of fowl a hunter can imagine. They are adept at hunting waterfowl, ducks, and the like, but they are also great for hunting upland birds.

The Small Munsterlander is typically twenty to twenty-one inches in height and normally weighs between forty and sixty pounds. I suggest doing a great deal of DIY dog grooming to maintain these dogs.

The French Brittany

The French Brittany is very similar to the American Brittany spaniel in its hunting style. They are known for their scent tracking abilities as well as their ability to point both upland birds and waterfowl.

Not only is the French Brittany versatile hunters—they are highly intelligent and friendly too. This makes them great family dogs as well as great competition hunting companions.

The French Brittany typically stands between seventeen and twenty inches and they weigh between thirty and forty-five pounds.

The Brittany

The Brittany Spaniel is a gundog whose initial purpose was as a hunting companion. Known for its penchant for pointing as well as being a flushing dog, this breed is versatile, strong, and highly intelligent.

I find it wonderful how they can be both great family dogs and highly adaptable hunting companions at the same time. Brittanies love to hunt a wide variety of games [1].

The American Brittany Spaniel is usually just over seventeen inches to just over twenty inches in height, and the average weight of a Brittany Spaniel is between thirty to forty pounds at adulthood.

FAQs

1. What is the smallest breed of dog used for hunting?

The Cocker Spaniel is one of the smallest breeds of dogs that were once utilized as hunting companions. However, the Cocker Spaniel of today is more of a companion animal than a hunting companion.

2. What is the smallest upland bird dog?

The Small Munsterlander, a German dog with a tendency to work as a pointer, is the smallest upland bird dog.

3. What is the easiest breed of hunting dog to train?

Golden Retrievers and Labrador Retrievers tend to be the easiest to train. Both breeds look to their handlers for directions and they work well with their human hunting companions.

4. What is a good hunting dog?

A good hunting dog is one that listens to commands, hunts enthusiastically, and is energetic on the hunting field.

Remember your excitement when you got your first AR-15? If you’re like me, it was memorable! Now imagine something even more so – getting something BIGGER! Yes, it’s just a matter of time before you’ll get the itch to join the “BIG BORE” club. Typically characterized by calibers .44 greater, big bore ARs are a ton of fun to shoot, usually better for hunting and good for the ego! One of these “BIG BORE” bad boys is the 450 Bushmaster, a formidable beast with the ability to provide a one-shot kill at 250 yards. Feel the itch yet? I did, and that .450 Bushmaster became my first entry into the Big Bore Club.

The 450 Bushmaster DNA goes back to the legendary Col. Jeff Cooper and his disdain for the .223 caliber AR-15 platform. Cooper was convinced of the need to go bigger. He envisioned a cartridge for big game hunting out to 250 yards. That idea inspired Tim LeGendre of LeMag Firearms, LLC to develop the “.45 Professional Cartridge” which would utilize .452 projectiles.

Later, LeGendre licensed the .45 Professional to Bushmaster Firearms International. Bushmaster teamed up with Hornady Ammunition to produce it. Hornady wanted to modify the original concept to incorporate its 250 grain Super Shock Tip (SST) bullet. This forced a compromise to shorten the cartridge case and the Bushmaster 450 was born.

I’ve used Hornady ammo for years in most of my traditional hunting rifles, so the decision for me was simple. The .452” 250 grain FTX features Hornady’s Flex Tip technology is a solid choice. It provides great velocity and devastating energy out to 300 yards. It has a ballistic coefficient .210 and 2200 feet per second muzzle velocity. These FTX bullets (this one is built for the .45 Colt) are designed to have a much higher BC than normal flat-nosed bullets standard in those types of cartridges. The FTX bullets are somewhat soft and offer very good expansion, but are not the best bullets for the toughest game. In North America they are suitable for anything but brown or polar bears, and perhaps bison.

Zeroed at around 175 yards, this load is easily a 200 yard load without worrying much about hold overs.

Remington also jumped into the mix and now provides several options for the .450 Bushmaster. For reloading, the 275 grain Barnes XPB has a .215 ballistic coefficient. Designed for the increased muzzle velocity and long barrels available on .460 S&W hunting pistols, this Barnes solid projectile is a game-changer for the .450 Bushmaster. This is the load I would choose if I were using the .450 BM in bear country. Trajectory is basically identical to the Hornady 250 grain FTX load at practical ranges, so the same zero could be used for both in most cases. Zeroed around 175 yards, you would be in the kill zone out to 200 yards without holding under or over.

Also useful to reloaders is the Remington 260 grain Core Lokt Ultra Bonded bullet with its .144 ballistic coefficient. Core Lokt bullets have a strong reputation for being consistent performers. They may not be the flashiest new technology, but they have been working reliably for generations. They perform well at modest velocities, and it is hard to go wrong with a Core Lokt in any caliber.

This is a good tree-stand cartridge, and should roll up a pig nicely. Within reasonable ranges it will be fine for black bear, elk, or moose. It does not have quite as flat a trajectory as some of the others, but this is not a long-range cartridge anyway. Even if velocities are low for reliable expansion at longer ranges, a .45 caliber bullet doesn’t usually need much expansion.

For loaded ammo, Remington makes their 260 grain Premier Accutip. It certainly looks cool, but I can’t find the ballistic coefficient specs for this bullet anywhere. With a muzzle velocity of 2180 feet per second, Remington says it is the most accurate .45 caliber bullet ever made. It looks like this bullet performs on game about the same as the Hornady FTX bullet does, so it should be fine for anything up to moose or black bear. Like Remington’s Golden Sabre loads, this one has a brass jacket that is cut for expansion.

My introduction to Big Bore ARs was more luck than general curiosity. A few years ago, the Indiana Department of Natural Resources added three very popular hunting cartridges to its deer hunting approved list. The 450 Bushmaster, .458 SOCOM and .50 Beowulf made their way into regulation. I’d imagine every Hoosier with an AR started salivating at the opportunity of using his or her AR to hunt deer.

It took me several months of research to decide on which big bore caliber upper to purchase. At first, I was set on the .458 SOCOM, but at the time, ammo availability and pricing held me back from going that route. The 450’s strong following, ammo availability and pricing won me over and the rest is history.

I ordered the 450 Bushmaster upper from Rock River Arms since it works with my standard mil-spec 5.56/.223 receiver. No modification of the lower receiver was necessary and it comes with a 5 round Bushmaster magazine with a 450 follower. I had an extra EOTech XPS Holographic Sight available, so my upper setup was done within minutes.

The Hornady 250 grain bullet I used provides a flat trajectory out to 150 yards. With a fifty yard zero the the drop is only 1.7″ at 150 yards. With a 175 yard zero, it stays just inside the kill zone from 2.7″ high at 100 to 2.5″ low at 200 yards. This is an excellent setup for deer hunters who use tree climbers and shoot within a limited range. There is no need to memorize hold overs. Just point and shoot!

After months of waiting it was time to get some trigger time with the 450. The ballistics tables will only tell me so much and I was really curious how a “big bore” rifle would shoot. Admittedly, the ammo itself is visually intimidating and the stories I’d heard of this beast had me a little apprehensive.

My range day with the 450 was very different from what I’d expected. The anticipated bang and shock was nothing close to what I’d imagined. Much of the felt recoil was mitigated by the factory installed Izzy Muzzle Brake. My zero session at 50 yards was fun and effortless. I followed up with another half a dozen shots at 100 yards just for good measure. The “big bore” weapon system’s setup and Hornady accuracy gave me a strong sense of satisfaction and confidence. The real test was in November, deer hunting in Indiana. Here’s where the performance really showed >>>

Editor’s note: Special THANKS to Dylan Saunders for his assistance with this story.

Read more on .450 Bushmaster >>>

As per studies, traffic accidents with moose are 13 times more fatal than that with other deers. Each year, more than 500 car accidents occur with moose in northern New England. The injuries sustained by people involved in the accidents were far more serious and fatal due to the weight and height of the Moose. This is a serious issue that has also been reported in Canada and Scandinavian countries.

The moose is the largest and heaviest living member of the deer family. When a vehicle crashed into a moose, it hits its long legs, leading the bulk of the animal into the windshield and roof. You might wonder how tall is a moose and may try to comprehend how big is a moose, which makes it so dangerous in road accidents. When you are aware of its height and mass, you will definitely avoid confronting it when you are traveling north or when camping in the wood. This article will give you a clear picture of its height and size along with visual comparisons.

How Tall Is A Moose – How Big Is A Moose

How Tall Is A Moose

• Moose is the tallest living species of deer.
• According to National Geographic, it is 5 to 6.5 feet tall at the shoulders.
• The average height of adult moose at the shoulder ranges from 4 feet 7 inches to 6 feet 11 inches (1.4 to 2.1 meters).
• The Alaskan subspecies (A. a. gigas) is the largest, and so the tallest, among all the races. It stands over 6 feet 11 inches (2.1 meters) tall at the shoulder.

How Big Is A Moose

• Moose is the biggest species in the family of deer.
• They have 5 to 6.5 feet height at the shoulders.
• Their head and body are 7 feet 10 inches to 10 feet 2 inches (2.4 to 3.1 meters) long, while their vestigial tail is further 5 to 12 cm long.
• Males are heavier than females. Males (bulls) usually weigh from 380 to 700 kg (838 to 1,543 lbs), while females (cows) weigh from 200 to 490 kg (441 to 1,080 lbs). The weight of an individual depends on race or cline, age, and nutritional variations. National Geographic describes their weight as 1800 lbs.
• The Alaskan subspecies (A. a. gigas) is the biggest of all the moose subspecies, which has a 2.1-meter height at the shoulders, a 1.8-meter span of the antlers, and an average bodyweight of 634.5 kg (1,399 lbs) for males and 478 kg (1,054 lbs) for females.

How Big Can A Moose Get

• The recorded biggest moose was an Alaskan moose shot in September 1897 at the Yukon River.
• It was 2.33 meters (7 feet 8 inches) tall at the shoulder and weighed 820 kg (1,808 lbs).
• There have been reports of even bigger individuals, including a male killed in 2004 that weighed 1,043 kg (2,299 lbs), and another male whose weight was reported as 1,180 kg (2,601 lbs). However, these reports were considered unauthentic.

How Tall Can A Moose Get

• The Alaskan moose shot in September 1897 at the Yukon River was the tallest individual.
• It was 2.33 meters (7 feet 8 inches) tall from hoof to shoulder.

How Tall Is A Moose Compared To A Human – How Big Is A Moose Compared To A Person

• When compared with humans, a moose is much taller than even the tallest humans in the world. Robert Wadlow of the United States was the tallest human ever at 8 feet 11-inch height.
• A moose is up to 6.5 feet tall at the shoulder, while an adult male human has an average height of 5 foot 7.5 inches.
• The Alaskan moose is more than 7 feet taller at the shoulder.
• When head and antlers are also measured, their total height reaches more than 10 feet.
• Even the tallest human can not stand eye to eye with a moose with a raised head.

How Big Is A Moose Compared To A Car

• The body length of an Alaskan moose is around 9.2 feet. It stands 6.5 to 7 feet tall at the shoulder. A moose has a body weight of around 618 kg (1800 lbs) according to National Geographic.
• An average size Corolla Altis car is about 15.16 feet long, 5.82 feet wide, and has about 4.84 feet in height. It weighs up to 1220 kg.
• So when a moose is compared to a car, a moose is taller and heavier than a car. But a car is longer and wider than a moose. So we can say that a moose is bigger than an average size Corolla Altis car.

How Big Is A Moose Compared To A Horse

• Let’s compare a moose to a horse.
• According to National Geographic, the height of a moose at the shoulders ranges from 5 to 6.5 feet, while the height of a horse at the shoulders ranges from 2.5 to 5.8 feet.
• A full-grown moose has a bodyweight of up to 1,800 pounds, while a horse has from 120 to 2,200 pounds.
• So in terms of size, a moose is bigger than a horse. And in terms of weight, a horse is bigger than a moose.

How Big Is A Full Grown Moose

• On average, a full-grown moose stands 5 to 6.5 feet tall at the shoulders and weighs up to 1,800 pounds.
• Different subspecies have different sizes and weights. Age and nutritional variations also affect their size and weight.
• The Ussuri, Amur, or Manchurian subspecies (A. a. cameloides) is the smallest subspecies. Their full-grown individuals (both male and female) have 5 feet 5 inches to 6 feet 1 inch (1.65 to 1.85 meter) height at the shoulders and weigh between 200 to 250 kg (441 to 772 lbs).
• The Alaskan subspecies is the largest of all the subspecies and the largest deer in the world. A full-grown Alaskan moose has 6.9 feet (2.1 meters) height at the shoulders, 5.9 feet (1.8 meters) span of the antlers, and an average bodyweight of 634.5 kg (1,399 lbs) for males and 478 kg (1,054 lbs) for females.
• The other seven subspecies are of middle size with an average height of 5 to 6.5 feet at the shoulders and a weight range of 320 to 725 kg (705 to 1,598 lbs).

How Tall Is The Tallest Moose

• The tallest moose was an Alaskan moose shot in September 1897 at the Yukon River. It had a hoof to shoulder height of 2.33 meters (7 feet 8 inches).

How Big Are Moose Antlers

• Male moose (bull) have prominent antlers on the head.
• Their antlers grow in the form of cylindrical beams projected on both sides of the head at right angles to the middle of the skull and then forks.
• The growth rate and size of their antlers depend on their diet and age, while the symmetry of their antlers shows their health.
• The antlers of mature bulls have a length between 4 to 5 feet (1.2 to 1.5 meters), a spread of 6 feet from end to end, and weigh around 18 kg (40 lbs).
• The antlers of a full-grown Alaskan moose of 5 to 12 years of age have a span of more than 79 inches (200 cm). As they grow older, the size and symmetry of their antlers reduce.
• The recorded widest span of the moose antlers was 83 inches (210 cm).
• The recorded heaviest antlers were of an Alaskan moose, which weighed 36 kg (79 lbs).

How Tall Is A Moose With Antlers

• The antlers of a moose are long from 4 to 5 feet (1.2 to 1.5 meters).
• With head and antlers, a moose stands more than 10 feet tall.

How Tall Is A Full Grown Male Moose

• A full-grown male moose (bull) stands an average of 6 feet tall at the shoulders.
• A full-grown male Alaskan moose is 6 feet 11 inches tall from hoof to shoulders. With its head and antlers, it stands more than 10 feet tall.

If you are a Moose lover and a creative person. Apart from learning more about them, you can also leave their footprints in your life. You can turn your favorite moose lookalikes into gifts that you can carry with you at all times and keep forever by designing them yourself, such as enamel pins or keychains. Customize your favorite moose into a cute pin that you can wear as an accessory to express your personality, or give as a gift and collect as a souvenir. At GS-JJ.com, any design and style can be freely selected, come and have a look!