By DR. DAVID COZZO

RTCAR PROJECT DIRECTOR

I once asked a fellow here in Cherokee why I did not see many hickory trees and he said, “You won’t see many above the road.”

His point was hickory trees make the best firewood and a good tree would be cut for winter’s fuel. It is also a very heavy wood, so hauling one down the hill is a lot more sensible than hauling one up hill. Hickory has tough, durable wood which had a wide range of uses, such as tool handles, chair parts, and basket handles. The inner bark of hickory is good for finishing basket rims, and weaving a chair seat from that same inner bark will last for generations. But this series is about wild foods, and with that in mind there is a great reason to encourage more hickory trees: the nuts.

Hickory nuts are a highly nutritious and tasty food. They contain nearly as much protein as chicken and are a great source of minerals, especially calcium, magnesium, phosphorous, and potassium. They are also a good source of folate (folic acid), one of the vitamins important to expectant mothers. Hickory nuts are high in fat, but it is really good fat. The bulk of the oil consists of monounsaturated fatty acids, the beneficial kind found in olive oil and avocadoes. Oils high in monounsaturated fatty acids tend to lower LDL cholesterol (the ‘bad’ cholesterol), prevent heart disease, and decrease insulin resistance, making hickory nuts a good food for diabetics. Even though they are high in fat, nuts are also considered great food for dieters. The dense nutrients and fiber tend to satisfy hunger longer, lessening the urge for a snack. But be careful you don’t overdo it or you will lose those good effects.

If you have ever cracked hickory nuts, you know how much work it can be. The shells are very tough and picking out the nut meats is time consuming. One study determined it would take around eight hours of work to get enough calories to meet one person’s daily needs. However, this is where native technology made the process more efficient. Hickory nuts were cracked and the largest part of the shell removed. The remaining nut meats and pieces of shell were placed in the corn mortar (kanona) and pounded into a paste. The resulting paste was rolled into a large ball that was placed in boiling water to make a soup broth (kanuchi). The shells that remained in the paste would separate from the paste and sink to the bottom of the pot. So how much more efficient was the mortaring process than cracking and picking out the nut meats? The same study mentioned above found that using the corn mortar provided from 12 to 35 times more energy (depending on the type of hickory nut) than just cracking and picking. Now that’s good technology! And the taste? I once had hickory nut milk made in a blender. It had a great flavor and it was like sipping the finest cream. I can only imagine how good that soup tasted.

The whip-hand dominance of the .223 Rem. has littered the boneyard with nearly all other 22-cal. center-fire cartridges; however, the .221 Rem. Fireball remains just outside that acre’s gate because informed handloaders look at it from a different perspective than those who see it as merely a short .223. Besides, you have to like a cartridge with a cool-sounding name such as “Fireball.”

The .221 case is a close copy of the .223. Both cases have the same head diameter, shoulder angle, neck length and maximum average pressure (MAP) of 55,000 p.s.i. The only difference is that the .221 is shortened 0.3674 inches in the body. That reduces its propellant capacity to 60 percent of the .223s. But loaded with the proper propellants, the .221 produces about 90 percent of the .223’s velocity with bullets weighing up to 55 grains.

Beginnings

This short cartridge was initially chambered in Remington’s XP-100 bolt-action single-shot handgun in 1963. From the XP-100’s original 10.75-inch barrel, the .221 fired 50-grain bullets at about 2600 f.p.s. The XP-100’s barrel was eventually lengthened to 14.5 inches and chambered in other .22-cal. cartridges such as the .223 Rem. and .22-250 Rem. The .221 chambering lasted until 1985. For a while Thompson/Center chambered the cartridge in its Contender single-shot handgun. The .221 languished in neglect until 2002 when Remington gave it a face-lift as a rifle cartridge in its Model 700 Classic rifle. The last year Remington chambered the cartridge was in 2007 in the Model 700 Light Varmint Stainless Fluted rifle.

The CZ 527 American and the Model 21 from Cooper Firearms of Montana are the only rifles currently chambered in .221 by major manufacturers. The Cooper folks say the .221 is nowhere near as popular as the .204 Ruger or .223 Rem. But the cartridge has a following, and they sell about as many rifles chambered in the Fireball as they do rifles in .22 Hornet.

A Cooper Model 21 Montana Varminter was used to shoot the loads for this article. The Varminter is intended for shooting from a rest, with style. The oil finish highlights the running grain of its AA+ claro walnut stock with a beavertail fore-end. The Model 21 is a single-shot. Pushing forward the three-lug bolt picks up a cartridge from the loading pan, feeding it into the chamber. The sample rifle’s trigger has a perfect 2-pound pull.

Handloading

The Fireball case is only a smidgen larger than the Hornet case. The 3 to 8 grains of additional propellant the .221 holds, though, result in a gain of 600 f.p.s. over the Hornet with bullets of the same weight. Care should be taken when developing loads for a cartridge as small as the .221 because a big increase in velocity and pressure results from a small increase in propellant. From the Cooper Model 21’s 24-inch barrel, Nosler 35-grain Ballistic Tip Lead Free bullets had an average velocity of 2752 f.p.s. powered by 17.0 grains of H4198. Stepping up the propellant to 17.5 grains increased velocity to 2949 f.p.s. An additional 0.5 grain jumped speed to 3034 f.p.s, and 18.5 grains upped the velocity to 3,296 f.p.s.

Relatively fast-burning propellants such as Hodgdon’s H4198, Lil’Gun and Accurate 1680 are a key to loading the .221. Lil’Gun is a great propellant for the Fireball shooting lightweight bullets. From two other .221 rifles, Lil’Gun fired Berger 30-grain Varmint bullets at nearly 3900 f.p.s. and Nosler 35-grain Ballistic Tip Lead-Free bullets at 3700 f.p.s. From the Cooper Varminter, Hornady 40-grain V-MAX bullets reached 3270 f.p.s. with 15.0 grains of the propellant and 3460 f.p.s. with 15.5 grains.

Relatively slow-burning propellants provide a more sustained push to 50-grain and heavier bullets. Lil’Gun and A1680 are still good choices as well as H335, H4198, N130 and Reloder 7.

Heavier bullets also provide more uniform velocities. The 30- and 35-grain bullets had extreme spreads of velocity of up to 200 f.p.s with several different propellants. But spreads shrank to less than 50 f.p.s. with 40-grain bullets and down to 10 f.p.s. with 50 and 55-grain bullets.

How close to seat bullets to rifling lands for the best accuracy is a matter of hundredths of an inch. Bullets close to, or even in contact with, the rifling are thought to function with improved accuracy because they make less of an unsupported “jump” before engaging it. That minimizes the chance of bullets entering the rifling at an angle and flying into left field. Just as important, though, bullets seated straight with the centerline of case necks align with the chamber throat to ensure they enter the rifling straight, even if they have to move a ways to engage it.

The .221’s maximum cartridge length is 1.830″. However, Nosler 55-grain Ballistic Tips just touch the rifling lands of the Cooper .221 with a cartridge length of 1.873 inches. The Cooper rifle has no magazine, so that long cartridge length fits fine. A smidgen shorter cartridge length, though, ensures easy extraction of an unfired cartridge from the chamber. Also, pressures tend to be greater when bullets do not have a bit of a running start before contacting rifling.

To determine if accuracy was better with bullets seated just short of the rifling compared to seated back a ways, I loaded 10 cartridges each with the Ballistic Tips seated with an overall length of 1.850 inches and 1.830 inches. Before shooting I ran the cartridges through a Hornady Lock-N-Load Concentricity Tool. The majority of the bullets were absolutely true with the case necks but a few varied up to 0.002 inches. The longer cartridges averaged 0.96 inches for two, five-shot groups. The shorter cartridges averaged 0.95 inches.

Shooting

After firing 20 shots at a fast pace, the Cooper’s barrel was lukewarm and the front third remained cold. Even though the temperature was in the 20s, heat rising from the barrel created barely any mirage through the Leupold 14X riflescope. Recoil was so mild that the crosshairs scarcely jumped off target, and often I saw bullet holes appear instantly. The Cooper Varminter shot well. It probably would have shot even tighter groups, but there was the shiver factor to consider from the cold temperatures. It helped, though, thinking about warm spring days ahead and green fields of ground squirrels and prairie dogs.

I’ve long dreamed of hunting in the mountains, spending days climbing, glassing, and stalking. This kind of trip has always seemed quite accessible to me, except for one aspect: getting the meat out of the woods. It would be impractical to expect to drag a deer back to the truck. Foolish, really, and out of the question with an elk. So that would mean quartering and packing the animal out. This is nothing to the hunter on horseback, or even one who is accustomed to doing it.

But here in Minnesota, it is rarely done. Dragging is the norm, and ATVs are often employed. It is unusual to ever be just too far from the road. With a western hunt or two nearing on the horizon, I have felt I needed practice- a trial run. Sure, I could study the process and know what to do, but I wouldn’t want to figure it out in the dark, on the side of a mountain, with a snowstorm coming. That would be truly foolish.

My Chance

So for the last couple seasons, I’ve been looking for an opportunity to try my hand at quartering a deer and packing it out by backpack. While I spend the opening weekend of deer season hunting with family on private land, I always try to plan other hunts to satisfy the need for meat and my need for adventure. This year’s hunt in the Mississippi riverbottoms of Houston County held much promise for taking a deer far from the road.

While I found myself over three and a half miles from the road at my farthest point, I ended up taking a nice buck about a mile and a quarter out. He was far too heavy to drag on the ground, so there was no choice but to follow through with my plan. Armed with a knife and a game bag from Koola Buck, I set myself to the task.

Halfway There

Now, when this is normally done, a person takes the quarters, loins, tenderloins, and other assorted meat from the skeleton, and leaves behind the spine and hide and as much extraneous mass as possible. The unique problem I faced on my hunt was that part about leaving the spine behind. I was hunting in the CWD Management Zone, where leaving the spine and brain material in the zone was mandatory. Dumpsters were provided so that hunters could leave that CWD-containing waste behind, to protect the rest of the state from contamination.

At home, I researched as much as I could to determine the overall legality of doing a conventional quartering job (leaving spine, hide, etc. in the field). I didn’t come up with much. A Conservation Officer might have been a good resource, but they are very busy that time of year. I hate to pester them needlessly. I figured that since the DNR didn’t want the spines contaminating the rest of the state, they wouldn’t want spines left behind in the field to potentially contaminate the environment. It seemed I might incur adverse legal attention if I didn’t take it with me. It also seemed a ridiculous notion to separate the spine/ribcage from the meat and then carry it out anyway. So I planned to remove and pack the rear quarters, and drag the remainder of the deer. I hate to do only half a job, but my choice was more or less made for me.

I still made two trips out- one with backpack, and one more to do the dragging. The game bag I used was more than roomy enough for those rear quarters, as large as they were. The straps on the outside of the Koola Buck quarter bag (not a standard feature on meat bags) made it easy to secure to my pack. Taking that much weight from the carcass made that buck more draggable, but only barely. The dragging portion took longer than I expected, and with many stops along the way. Though my backpack had been heavy, this impressed on me how much more efficient it would have been to pack the entire animal out– even in two trips. Facing even a moderate dragging job in the future, I might elect to quarter and pack.

Conclusions

Since I wound up doing the rest of the quartering job within the next couple hours (to fulfill the CWD zone requirements), I did the whole job yet that day. What I didn’t do was the actual carrying out of the front quarters, loins, etc. Frankly, that’s not a big gap in my overall experience- it doesn’t take much to imagine dropping them into a bag. I feel now I could not only do the job again, but I could do it faster and better. That’s a load off my mind.

The next step will be to get better at using my pack, so the load can ride optimally. This was the first time I had such a heavy load in it. Again, it’s not something you want to discover in the field.

The method for splitting an animal up into quarters may seem complicated, but it’s not. If you’ve ever processed your own deer, it was probably hanging in the air as you dismantled it. Quartering in the field is essentially the same, only on the ground. If you have no previous experience with any of it, just learn about the different cuts and how to separate them from the rest of the carcass. There are many online tutorials available.

Materials for this task are encouragingly minimal. A worthy backpack is required, so choose your pack for the day carefully. A good, sharp knife is necessary to get through all the skinning, separating of joints, etc. Meat bags round out the list, and the one from Koola Buck I used was great. It is rated for elk-sized needs, and just one could accommodate an entire whitetail (not that mine was light enough). Splitting the load into at least two meat bags is customary, so be sure to obtain an appropriate number of bags for your task.

Koola Buck bags like mine come in blood red, to hide the inevitable staining. After washing at home, mine was just like new again. It also proved to be tough as nails and I expect to be able to use it for years to come. After my experience with Koola Buck, I will be looking to obtain smaller sizes for deer and antelope hunts. I highly recommend these game bags to big game hunters everywhere.

Koola Buck also makes heavy-duty and antimicrobial meat bags. You can find them all at koolabuck.com.

Staccato’s newest model for 2022 is called the “CS” and it is now the smallest and lightest model in their lineup, designed for every day carry and personal defense.

We have all eagerly been waiting to hear about the new model Staccato has been teasing for the last few months and the details are finally here.

Specs

Caliber 9mm Trigger 4-4.5lb Aluminum Barrel 3.5″ Bull Barrel Grip Width 1.2″ Length 7.1″ Height 5.6″ Width at Safeties 1.45″ Weight 22.7oz Empty – No Mag Frame 7075 – Billet Precision Machined Aluminum Slide Finish DLC, Black Optic Ready Dawson Precision Optic Carry or Tactical Grip New Stippled Grip

First Glance

At the time of writing this article (October 27th 2022) these have not shipped to Premium Dealers yet so we will be comparing published specifications until our allocation arrives, at which point we will update with pictures and video reviews.

Size

At 7.1″ long, the CS is now the shortest staccato available. For comparison sake, a C2 is listed at 7.5″ long. But the bigger change the reduction in width, meaning there is a new grip shape. The grip width shrinks by approximately a hundred thousandths of an inch from the C2 width, and about fifty thousandths less than a C2 at the safeties. The thinner width should provide a more comfortable concealed carry experience with IWB holsters.

Frame

The CS frame is aluminum. Previously, the only way to get an aluminum frame “small Staccato” was to get a C2-Limited. Which comes with a threaded barrel and Dawson Compensator. (Which is still a good option if you are looking to shoot suppressed) but the CS comes default with the lighter weight aluminum frame instead of steel.

Weight

Because of the reduced size, and aluminum frame, the weight has been reduced to 22.7oz without reducing magazine capacity from the C2

Grip

One of the first things you notice is the new grip. While the new grip STYLING reminds us of the redesigned G2 Tac grip that now comes on the P and XC models in appearance, this is a totally new grip module that (from the specs) appears to be narrower than the C2 grip module.

Magazines

Because the grip has changed, the magazines have changed as well, but they do still hold 16 rounds each (like a C2). However, it is a CS-specific magazine, and cannot share magazines with other Staccato models.

Trigger

Staccato has announced that the CS will come with an aluminum trigger, instead of the typical composite trigger. And the trigger weight will be delivered at 4-4.5lb which is typical for a gun meant for every day carry personal defense.

Barrel

The CS comes with a 3.5″ bull barrel that we haven’t seen in the Staccato lineup yet. It has some noticeably different design features in the portion of the barrel that is visible externally. So far we have not heard anything about a threaded barrel option yet, so for now you will still have to go to a C2 for a “small Staccato” suppressed shooting experience.

Optic Ready

Much like the C2, the CS can come configured with full size tactical sights designed to mate with a full size optic like a Trijicon RMR/SRO, Holosun 507C/508T/509T or it can also be ordered with lower profile compact sights for use with smaller carry optics like the Trijicon RMR CC or Holosun 507K

We are on the Staccato Premium Dealer program and we have reserved an allocation of these from the first production release. If you are interested in learning more, please feel free to reach out to us.

Interested in receiving more info like this directly to your email inbox? Sign up for our mailing list below to gain early access to new inventory, exclusive deals, and more.

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There are a lot of moving parts that go into a successful archery hunt. Broadhead choice is an intricate piece of it. They provide confidence and confidence is as deadly as the broadheads themselves.

After sending broadhead upon broadhead downrange through both targets and animals, we’ve come up with a recipe for success. The broadhead needs to be durable, fly well, and excel at slicing and dicing of course. With that in mind, we’ve put together a heavy hitter list of broadheads that deserve your attention in 2024.

Scroll through to see all of our recommendations, and at the end of our list, be sure to check out our buyer’s guide. Check out our comparison chart when it’s time to narrow down your decision.

The Best Broadheads for Hunting in 2024

• Best Overall Broadhead: Evolution Jekyll
• Best Budget Broadhead: Muzzy Trocar three-blade
• Best Fixed Blade: Day Six Evo
• Best Mechanical: Sevr
• Best Hybrid:Evolution Outdoors Hyde

Broadheads Comparison Chart

Why You Should Trust Us

Failure is something I became friends with early on bowhunting. Through the lessons that came with this failure, it’s become very apparent to me what works and what doesn’t. With broadheads, failure is not an option for me.

If all of the hours got added up of me spending time in the bowhunting woods trying to reach out and touch big game animals with broadheads, well I’d probably consider myself even luckier than I already do. Those woods are a classroom, and choosing which broadheads come along for the ride, could mean the difference between getting an A or an F.

Whether it’s trying to hit a dot on a target or hit a single patch of hair on a live animal, broadhead, functionality, durability, and effectiveness are all things on my radar. When I find one that hits all of those marks, I hang on for dear life, because confidence is not easily earned.

Along with my personal experience, I also took into consideration the opinions and experiences of other seasoned hunters around me. And with that what broadheads were hot on the market was also paid attention to.

Every broadhead listed above will do what you need it to do. If you’re kicking around what broadheads to run for the coming bowhunting season, one of these is going to do you right and then some.

Buyer’s Guide: How to Buy the Best Broadheads for Hunting

Mechanical vs. Fixed

One of the age-old and ongoing debates in archery hunting camps is mechanical broadheads versus fixed-blade broadheads. Passionate arguments exist on both sides of the spectrum and both broadhead designs reliably work. Which one is better, though? The better question is which one is better for you.

The flat-out truth is this — both of these broadhead designs work. Endless success photos from bowhunters across the country are the proof in the pudding. Of course, each has its pros and cons. So, we’re going to break it down.

Fixed Blade

The fixed-blade broadhead has been doing its thing since the beginning of bowhunting. It’s been there and done that millions of times over again. So, it’s no surprise when hunters cling to this style of head. What you get is what you get with a fixed blade.

The biggest advantage of running a fixed-blade broadhead is going to be reliability. There are no moving parts on a fixed blade like there are on a mechanical broadhead. For this reason, there is no worry of failure.

Along with that, these are inherently going to penetrate better, as there is no loss of energy from blades having to open. That means more pass-through shots. And lastly, fixed blades tend to be more durable overall. Especially the one-piece designs and heads made with higher-end steel.

When it comes to downsides, the first that comes to mind is tuning. Fixed-blade broadheads are harder to tune across the board. These vanes on the front end of your arrow influence flight much more than mechanicals do. This makes field point accuracy harder to come by.

Secondly, you might get more pass-through shots, but the wound channels are smaller. Smaller wound channels can lead to tougher blood trails, especially on marginal shots. And the last note is that higher-end fixed blades are also much more pricey.

Pros

• Reliable
• Better penetration
• Durable

Cons

• Harder to tune
• Smaller wound channels
• Higher-end heads are very pricey

Mechanical

Technology is an ever-evolving thing. People see gaps in efficiency and naturally want to fill them. The mechanical broadhead is a perfect example of that. It excels where the fixed blade doesn’t.

A huge selling point for mechanical broadheads is their impeccable arrow flight. It is very unlikely that you’ll need to do any sort of broadhead tuning with these things. This makes things so much easier before a hunt.

And once you do get on that hunt, you’ll hopefully loose an arrow at what you seek. Note that the blood trail is nothing short of fantastic, due to the massive cutting diameter that these broadheads inflict. If that sounds good to you, you won’t have to pay an arm and a leg to get yourself into a quality mechanical broadhead, either.

While the mechanical broadhead excels where the fixed-blade broadhead doesn’t, it also lacks where the fixed-blade excels. First on the list is reliability. These have moving parts and can absolutely fail. With how hard archery opportunities are to come by, that doesn’t sit well with some bowhunters.

And because these heads expand on impact, there is always a loss of energy due to the force it takes to open up the blades. This robs folks of penetration. If the broadhead indeed comes out the other side, it’s also a very real possibility that it won’t all be intact. Mechanical broadheads aren’t nearly as durable as fixed blades.

Pros

• Impeccable arrow flight
• Huge wound channels = Great blood trails
• Affordable

Cons

• Can fail and not open
• Lacks in penetration
• Prone to breaking

Final Thoughts

When the book comes to a close, I’m not going to tell you that there is a right answer here across the board. There are too many variables for that.

Some folks swear by fixed blades and others swear by mechanicals, and that says two things. One, they are both damn good at their job. And two, don’t get too caught up in what other folks think. Mold your arrow setup to you and your style of hunting.

In the end, a broadhead is just a tool. The person wielding that tool is the one really running the show.

FAQ

By Discount Tackle Staff

There is nothing better than being out on the water with your friends and family enjoying nature, laughing, talking, and fishing. And the experience can only be improved when you have everything you need for a fun day fishing; having all the right fishing baits and tackle is essential to making the most of your time on the water.

A fishing hook is perhaps one of the most crucial fishing tackle items after your fishing rod and reel. This means a good selection of fishing hook types and hook sizes can be essential to making your fishing trip memorable and productive.

In this blog post, we break down the four major categories of fishing hooks and explain the different sub-types that make up each category, the rigging techniques and baits they are most often used with, and the species they are used to target. Finally, we provide a short explanation of hook sizing and hook strength naming conventions.

Type & Uses of Fishing Hooks

Artificial & Soft Plastic Bait Hooks

As their name indicates, artificial and soft plastic hooks are used for artificial and soft plastic bait rigs using soft plastic jerkbaits, worms, swimbaits, creature baits and more. Some of the most popular styles include worm hooks, extra wide gap (EWG) hooks, flipping hooks, drop shot hooks, and weighted and unweighted swimbait hooks.

Gamakatsu Black EWG Offset Worm Hook

In conjunction with weights and sinkers, worm hooks and EWG hooks can be used for Texas and Carolina rigging soft plastics. Drop shot hooks’ primary use is pretty self-explanatory: drop shot baits, but these hooks are often used for wacky and Neko rigging soft plastic worms and stickbaits, as well. That said, some tackle makers even make dedicated wacky and Neko hooks too. Swimbait hooks can be used with soft jerkbaits and paddle tail swimbaits.

Use of Artificial & Soft Plastic Bait Hooks

These hooks are ideal for freshwater fishing for species like largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, spotted bass, crappie/panfish, trout, pike, muskie, and walleye, as well as small inshore saltwater fishing species like redfish, sea trout, flounder, drum, and striped bass. Because of their rigging versatility, you can use them in rocks, weeds, and even timber.

Bait Hooks

Bait hooks are used for rigging live or cut bait such as live baitfish, strip baits, live nightcrawlers, fish eggs, and chunks of shrimp, crab, and other crustaceans. Popular styles of bait hooks include baitholder hooks, octopus hooks, J-hooks, circle hooks, and aberdeen hooks.

Eagle Claw 186AH Ringed Eye Baitholder Hook

Baitholder hooks have little barbs (sometimes called slices) along the shank of the hook that help keep chunks of cut bait on the hook. Octopus hooks get their name from their shape, which resembles an octopus tentacle. These hooks are used for a wide variety of fish species in both saltwater and freshwater and are often rigged with a live baitfish or egg clusters. J-hooks are somewhat similar to octopus hooks, except their shape more closely resembles the letter “J” (hence their name). These hooks are typically used for bait fishing for offshore saltwater species like tuna, sailfish, wahoo, and marlin.

Berkley Fusion19 Circle Hook

Circle hooks can be used with almost any type of bait and are unique in that they don’t require the angler to “set” the hook, but rather the hook sets itself in the corner of the fish’s mouth as it tries to swim away with your bait. Circle hooks are also best for catch and release fishing because they are the least likely to mortally wound the fish when they’re hooked.

Aberdeen hooks are very light and delicate and are almost exclusively used for fishing live minnows and other live baitfish to target crappie and other panfish like bluegill, sunfish, and bream.

Use of Bait Hooks

Bait hooks can be used in different casting, trolling, and jigging set-ups for freshwater species such as trout, salmon/steelhead, catfish, panfish, perch, and walleye, as well as virtually all saltwater fishing species.

Saltwater Hooks

Saltwater hooks, as their name implies, are intended to be used for saltwater fishing. Hooks that fall into this category are typically constructed with hard metal wire that is then molded into sharp and long points. Although you will find saltwater fishing hooks in many shapes and sizes, they are usually made of one of two materials: high-carbon steel or stainless steel. Saltwater hooks must also be made with corrosion-resistant finishes like tin to survive in corrosive saltwater environments.

Gamakatsu Heavy Duty Live Bait Hook

For our purposes, we define saltwater hooks as any hook suitable for use in saltwater, meaning there is some overlap with other categories. For example, a hook like Gamakatsu’s Heavy Duty Live Bait Hook is classified as both a baithook and a saltwater hook because it used for bait fishing, but also robust enough to survive saltwater environments and big game species. Similarly, heavy-duty treble hooks like Mustad’s 3565 DuraSteel O’Shaughnessy Treble Hook 2X Strong are both treble hooks and saltwater hooks because they have a treble hook design that is suitable for saltwater usage.

VMC 7237 InLine Single Hook 1X Coastal Black

That said, there are few styles of hooks that are, broadly speaking, only used for saltwater fishing. These include jigging assist hooks used on metal saltwater jigs and inline single hooks used on saltwater trolling and casting hard lures (aka plugs).

Use of Saltwater Hooks

Saltwater hooks are suitable for use for casting, jigging, and trolling with both artificial lures and real bait for all saltwater species. Thanks to their strength, certain types are also a good choice when targeting big game freshwater species like catfish, pike, muskie, and sturgeon.

Treble Hooks

Treble hooks are hooks with three points on them. They are most often used on hard baits and lures, but can also be found on some soft body swimbaits, live bait rigs, and even fished alone with dough baits for trout, panfish, and catfish.

Mustad D3551 Dough Bait Treble Hook

In addition to varying sizes and strengths, treble hooks also come in a wide variety of hook shank sizes and bends. For example, there are short shank trebles that have a shorter shank section between the eye of the hook and where the shank diverges into its three points. This shorter shank style is best fished on hard baits that will be retrieved near grass and vegetation because the hook points are closer to the body of the bait and do not snag as easily. When properly hooked up with, the shorter shank trebles also do a better job of keeping fish pinned and make it harder for them to use the hook shank for leverage to throw the hook.

Owner ST-36 Round Bend Treble Hook Black Chrome

Another popular treble hook style are round bend treble hooks. Just like their name implies, round bend treble hooks have a hook points parallel to the hook shank, which creates a perfectly round bend in the hook. The purpose of this design is to make it easier to hook fish that swipe at the lure instead of fully committing to striking it. There are a few other subtypes of treble hook designs, such EWG treble hooks and feather-dressed treble hooks, but for simplicity’s sake we will end our discussion here.

Use of Treble Hooks

Treble hooks are used in both freshwater and saltwater fishing on casting and trolling lures, crankbaits, metal jigs/spoons, swimbaits, and a few other specialty, niche bait rigs. They generally are not good for use around heavy vegetation and weeds because they are highly prone to snagging.

Fishing Hook Sizes & Strengths

In addition to a wide range of shapes and designs, fishing hooks also come in many different sizes and wire gauge strengths. Different sizes and strengths are used for different species and bait presentations.

Fishing Hook Sizes

Fishing hook manufacturers make hooks in an incredibly wide range of sizes; everything from the tiniest treble hooks for trout and panfish all they way to massive circle hooks used for shark fishing.

The size of a fishing hook is based on both the width between the point and the shank of the hook as well as the overall length (or height) of the hook shank.

Fishing hook size naming conventions can be somewhat confusing. Generally speaking, mass produced fishing hook sizes range from 18 all the way up to 12/0 (pronounced “12-aught”), with size 18 being the smallest and 12/0 being the largest. For hook sizes between 1 and 18, the higher the number, the smaller the hook. In other words, a size 1 hook is much larger than a size 18 hook. For sizes 1/0 and above (there is no such thing as a size 0 hook), higher numbers equate to larger hooks, meaning a 12/0 is much bigger than a 1/0.

Fishing Hook Strengths

While its pretty obvious that fishing hooks are made in lots of different sizes to match different size fish, did you also know that hooks are also made from different wire gauges or thickness? Usually, they run from extremely thin wire to thicker gauge wire. For instance, fine wire, 1X strong heavy wire, 2X strong heavy wire, 3X strong heavy wire, and 4X strong heavy wire, and higher.

Stronger hooks are used for big game species like catfish, tuna, marlin, and sturgeon, while lighter fine wire hooks are used on more delicate species like crappie, trout, and perch.

Final Thoughts

Fishing hooks come in a myriad of styles, sizes, and strengths and each has characteristics, benefits, and intended uses. A fishing hook is an important part of fishing and being familiar with the various parts, sizes, and types of fishing hooks will help you in choosing the perfect hooks for your next fishing trip.

So, the next time that you are on the water pondering what fishing hook to use do not fret. Follow our breakdown, and you will easily determine at the type of fishing hook that will help you put more fish in the net!

Spring is my second favorite season. The winter weather is finally loosening its grip. The rivers are breaking up, the grass is starting to poke through the snow patches on south-facing slopes, and bears are crawling out of their dens. Yet my favorite part of spring is shed antler hunting.

Deer, elk, and moose go through the annual ritual of losing last year’s antlers in late winter and begin to grow new bone through spring and summer. This cycle starts after the breeding period when the bucks and bulls drop testosterone, signaling the beginning of the shedding of their antlers. The pedicel, or point where the antler meets the skull, degrades and eventually the antler drops off, usually one at a time.

Shed hunting or antler hunting or horn hunting (even though antlers aren’t horns) is the spring search for these castoffs after the snowmelt. Shed hunting has boomed in popularity in recent years as more people have realized the benefit of outdoor spring exercise — and the thrill of finding a castoff antler. Here are some tips for getting started.

Know the Range

Deer and elk have historic areas they use for different aspects of their life: breeding grounds, summer feed, winter feed, etc. Paying attention to where you see the male animals in winter will give insight into where to start your search in spring. It’s important to note that animals are stressed during the winter more than at any other time of year. They’re weakened from the long, cold several months of just trying to get by in many areas. For this reason, several states have made it illegal to go into winter ranges before a certain date. Check state law before you make off for the mountains.

Find the Feed

If you’ve done your homework and seen some deer or elk wintering, that’s a great place to start looking. Animals try to winter where getting to feed is easiest for them, and they need to spend more time searching for food due to the stressors of winter. By becoming familiar with an animal’s food sources and at what time of year they’re using each source, a person can find spots to look for dropped antlers based on what’s on the menu.

Break Into the Bedroom

After feeding, animals spend the most significant portion of their day in their beds, resting and digesting their food. Looking for bedding areas that are close to feeding spots will pay off for the patient antler hunter. Most animals bed in fairly thick cover, so bedding areas can require more patience to work through but provide just as much opportunity at an antler as a food source.

Run Fences

Another place to check frequently are fence lines. As antlers loosen on the skull, a sudden jolt, such as jumping a fence, can jar them from their owner, leaving the patient and observant walker a chance at finding them. My son found his first matched set of deer antlers this way. After picking one up in a field, he started to walk the adjacent fence lines until he found the first antler’s mate tucked in the grass by a barbed wire fence.

Bring the Binos

Investment in a good pair of binoculars can pay dividends as well, depending on the country a shed antler hunter frequents. Instead of walking all over that big field or mountainside, get above or across from it and use your glass to pick it apart. In the early to mid-spring, the new grass hasn’t grown up enough to obscure most freshly shed antlers, allowing a detail-conscious person to find them from afar.

Know Your Colors

It’s important to note that the length of time the antler has been lying on the ground and its location can determine the color. An antler shed on a south-facing slope, exposed to the sun, will turn white within a year, making it easier to see — whereas one lying in the shade on a north-facing slope with limited sun may stay mostly brown up to a year or more. This can be a clue to determine how long ago an antler was shed.

Freshly dropped antlers have pink or bloody pedicels, due to the recent separation, and can carry a unique aroma of the vegetation the deer or elk was rubbing on before they shed. Year-old antlers have begun to turn or are totally white due to sun bleaching but are smooth and haven’t begun to develop exterior faults. After more than a year in the sun, antlers naturally begin to break down, soften, and crack. Once they get to this stage, they’re sometimes referred to as “chalk” due to their propensity to leave white pieces in one’s hand after handling.

Antlers are all unique in their own way, like the many reasons people have for picking them up. Some like the exercise, some the challenge of finding bigger ones than last year, while others may depend on the collection and selling of antlers as part of their yearly income. Whatever your reason, get out and incorporate some of these tips with your own ideas and enjoy searching for some brown gold.

Read Next: Off the Couch and Into Life: Get Children Excited About the Outdoors

Just because you might be legally required to wear an orange hunting vest for the 2024 deer, elk, big game, or upland hunting season doesn’t mean that vest shouldn’t also be useful.

With that in mind, we’ve taken a close look at all different types of safety vests from around the internet to help you find the best for your needs. We found a wide array of camo, reversible, fleece, insulated, and even orange vests for dogs that all fit specific needs and hunting styles.

Some of the more straightforward options have just a few pockets, while others have blood-proof game pouches on the back for you to stash your small game haul. No matter your specific type of hunting, you’ll find a blaze orange vest on this list to keep you moving quietly, highly visible, and ultra-organized.

Because the best hunting brands make the best orange hunting vests, you can expect all the big names here, including Under Armour, Sitka, and Primos. But you’ll also find some high-quality gear from brands that might not immediately ring a bell, too.

Now let’s get ready to rumble.

Best Overall Orange Hunting Vest Sitka Ballistic

Our pick for the best orange hunting vest on the 2024 market is the Sitka Ballistic. It isn’t the most full-featured, nor is it the cheapest, but we certainly think this could be the last vest you ever need.

What you get with the Ballistic blaze vest is a durable, snug-fitting, and quiet vest that won’t encumber your movements.

There’s nothing worse than trying to get a shot lined up only to have your safety orange vest get in the way, or worse yet, make noise as you move and scare off that deer or elk. Some vests can fit loosely and get in the way, but you’ll barely even notice you’re wearing this bad boy.

Aside from its fit, you get a few zippered pockets, an adjustable waist, a magnetic closure for quick removal, and a durable water repellent DWR finish that won’t wet out. You don’t get shotgun shell holders, a game pouch, or a license tag holder, but its fit and functionality crowned it the best orange vest of 2024 in our eyes.

If you want a few more bells and whistles than Sitka offers here, check out the Primos Gunhunter’s vest immediately below.

• Pros: Great fit, zippered and handwarmer pockets, quiet, warm, durable
• Cons: Expensive, not a ton of storage

Feature-Rich Runner Up Primos Gunhunter’s

If you’re looking for the most full-featured orange hunting vest on the market today, the Gunhunter’s from Primos might rank above all others.

Designed for rifle and muzzleloader hunters, you’ll find yourself equally prepared for both big game hunting and small game hunts alike. That’s because Primos included just about every imaginable loop or pocket you need for organizing your gear. With shotgun shell loops, large pockets to store binoculars, a PVC waterproof lining, and many more helpful features, the Primos Gunhunter’s vest will ensure you’re always ready for action.

This vest doesn’t feature a blood-proof game pouch, but if you want something designed specifically for small game like birds and rabbits, the Gamehide Switchgrass below fits the bill. Some hunters also think this vest fits a bit wide, so make sure you’re ordering the correct size, or consider the Ballistic from Sitka above for a more snug fit.

In all, we think this is one of the best blaze hunting vests money can buy, and if you require lots of storage, it’ll probably be the best option for you.

• Pros: Tons of storage, well designed, warm, lining pulls down to create a waterproof seat
• Cons: A bit wide for some, button closures not ideal for everyone, not proper small-game pouch

Our Favorite Full-Zip Safety Vest Under Armour Hunt Blaze

Not everyone wants a thousand pockets to store their stuff like you’ll find in the Primos Gunhunter’s vest. Some of you want a quiet, lightweight option that’ll fulfill your legal requirement and won’t get in the way. Check out the Under Armour Hunt Blaze vest if you’re in that camp.

We love the full-length zipper that keeps it snug, secure, and easy to remove. Its snap dump pockets are also helpful and will keep all your high-use gear close at hand. And, with pass-through hand pockets, you’ll be able to reach through the vest into your jacket pockets to grab whatever you need.

In short, the UA Hunt Blaze vest is a well-designed piece of clothing that’ll keep you safe and legal during big game rifle season. To complete the UA blaze orange combination, pair it with this hat.

• Pros: Durable, lightweight, quiet, pass-through pockets are a great addition, relatively inexpensive
• Cons: Not a lot of storage

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Best Orange Vest for Upland Hunting Gamehide Switchgrass

The absolute best orange upland hunting vest you’ll find in 2024 is the Gamehide Switchgrass. This thing is made for shooting, and it’ll help you bag all the peasants, grouses, turkeys, and whatever other type of small game you’re after.

With padded shoulders, shotgun shell holders, and a blood-proof game bag in the back, you’ll always be prepared to shoot and stash whatever small game you take down. Plus, with its front orange accents and back panel, all of your fellow hunters should have no problems spotting you in the field.

Gamehide constructed the Switchgrass out of a warm canvas material that can stand up to all the rigors of the outdoors, all while keeping your warm and toasty as temperatures drop.

Since this vest is meant to fit over a jacket, it’ll run a bit large, so keep that in mind when ordering.

• Pros: Durable, warm, functional, inexpensive, looks good
• Cons: Not much

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Orange Camo for Big Game Mountain Pass Extreme Big Game

Depending on where you live, you may be able to wear orange camo to fulfill your legal requirement. While it won’t be legal in some areas, this Mountain Pass garment makes for an excellent deer, elk, and moose vest for those states which allow orange camo.

Because it’s made specifically for big game, you get all the pockets and loops you need to carry your gear with you for long days in the field. That includes rifle shell loops, a large kangaroo pouch to hold bigger items, handwarmer pockets, and zippered vertical pockets to hold valuables that you can’t afford to lose. It even has a hunter license holder.

Plus, because big game hunting can get downright cold, it’s windproof and will help keep cold gusts from penetrating your jacket below. It does fit true to size, so make sure you order a size up if you want it to fit over a thick jacket.

Some hunters say this vest appears to reflect UV light, which could alert deer to your presence. Aside from that, we haven’t noticed any other downsides. If you want to avoid any chance of a deer seeing the reflected UV light from this jacket, consider the Gunhunter’s from Primos above.

• Pros: Tons of pockets, hand warmer pouch is great, front zipper makes it easy to take on and off, ammo pockets
• Cons: Back pouch not blood proof, reflects UV light

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Warmest Fleece for Late Seasons Sitka Stratus Windstopper

The other vests on this list are primarily designed to keep your stuff organized and help you fulfill legal requirements, but none are meant to keep you super warm. Enter the Sitka Stratus Windstopper vest.

With a GORE-TEX membrane sandwiched between layers of fleece, this insulated and windproof orange vest shuts down gusts of wind before they’ll ever have a chance to chill your bones. And with a durable water repellent DWR finish, light rain should bead off before it wets out.

Its zippered hand and chest pockets will help keep your gear close at hand, so you don’t have to fumble around for your gear during big game hunts in the freezing cold. If you want the warmest cold-weather orange hunting vest out there, the Sitka Stratus Windstopper might be just what you’re looking for.

In short, hunters love the fit, warmth, and how quiet this vest is, but they wish it were cheaper.

• Pros: Very warm, windproof, water repellent, good looking, great orange color
• Cons: Expensive, not as feature rich as some other vests

Inexpensive Mesh to Make You Legal Orange Aglow Lightweight Mesh

Let’s say that you don’t want an expensive vest with a bunch of pockets. Instead, you want a cheap, lightweight, and packable blaze orange vest that makes you legal and fits well. The Orange Aglow brand has you covered.

This minimalist 3-ounce vest is a no-frills piece of safety clothing that’ll make you easy to see in the field. No more, no less. And, with about 600 square inches of hunter orange, you’ll be well on your way towards legality for the 2024 season.

Though it doesn’t have many features, this vest fits well, secures over larger jackets, and can be used in for the warm weather of the early seasons over a t-shirt.

Looking for an inexpensive, lightweight orange hunting vest? You just found it.

• Pros: Affordable, lightweight, packs down small, 600 square inches of hunter orange
• Cons: No pockets, insulation, or valuable features

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Our Choice for Reversible Orange TrailCrest

Are you averse to orange hunting clothes that are only useful in rifle season? If so, give TrailCrest’s reversible camo and blaze orange vest a close look.

With a full-zip front, you can easily remove this vest and reverse between camo and blaze orange as the seasons and legal requirements change. We also love this vest’s heavy-duty fleece lining, which will help you hunt into the late seasons without freezing your butt off.

That fleece material, while extremely warm, is also very quiet and won’t spook animals as you trudge through the forest looking for your next freezer filler. And, for you out there that want their gear to serve multiple purposes, the camo print is very effective, and the orange on the other side is bright and durable.

Though we love this vest, we wish it had zippered hand pockets. Other than that, we can’t find anything else to nitpick.

• Pros: Reversible and functional, very warm, fits well, reasonably priced
• Cons: No zippered hand pockets

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Youth Hunter Safety Orange Vest TrailCrest Front Loader

Don’t think we forgot about the young whippersnappers out there! Kids also need to wear safe orange clothing when they hunt, just like their parents and grandpappys.

This safe, warm vest has all the features you’d expect from a high-end adult orange hunting vest — but for kids. It features quilted shoulders, shell loops, holes for a hunting license, and even a blood-proof rear game back that can act as a waterproof seat when conditions get soggy.

With the right fit, you can expect your little ones to put this vest to use from the early to late seasons. If you want your young hunter to feel like they’re geared up just like mom and dad are, grab one of these excellent youth vests from TrailCrest.

• Pros: Comfortable, full-featured, blood-proof game pocket, affordable
• Cons: None to report

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Best Orange Dog Hunting Vest Carhartt Pet Harness

If you’ve got a bad-to-the-bone dog that you take on your waterfowl, duck, upland, or any other type of hunt, you might wonder if there are blaze orange vests out there for them. There are, and the best option of 2024 is from Carhartt.

This water-repellent safety jacket will help keep ol’ Fido warm and dry even when he’s out working hard. That’s because it’s made with Carhartt’s Quick Duck canvas and a water-repellent coating to insulate and trap heat while shielding your dog from the harsh elements. Plus, it comes with a pocket, so Fido can stash some cash and pay for his own dinner for a change.

In terms of comfort, it comes in sizes from small to XL, and its hook and lined straps at the chest and waist will ensure that your pup is ready to tackle whatever comes next. This vest comes in all types of colors, too, so if safety orange isn’t your thing, you still have plenty of options.

• Pros: Reflective tape is great for nighttime, repels water well, pocket is handy, durable
• Cons: There are more full-featured dog harnesses out there

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What We Considered When Analyzing Orange Hunting Vests

Like all other products in the world of hunting gear, not all vests are created equal. So, we kept our eyes on a few specific factors to ensure that we indeed have found the best of the best.

Here’s are five of the most important considerations we analyzed when making our choices.

Fit

Maybe the most important factor we considered is how the vest will fit a hunter. Floppy, ill-fitting vests are uncomfortable and will get in your way, so the product you’re after should fit snugly over your clothing and make you easy to see. Simple as that.

Materials

A vest’s materials can make or break its effectiveness in the harsh conditions of late-season hunting. For this reason, we require that all vests on this list utilize durable materials that stay quiet as you move about the field. They should also avoid snags, help protect you from the elements, and have a bright orange finish.

Warmth

Some, but not all of the vests on this list, are made with insulating materials, like fleece to help keep you warm in the late season. Some also utilize GORE-TEX to help repel water and block harsh winds, too.

If you want your vest to help keep you warm, we recommend the Sitka Stratus Windstopper above all others.

Hunting Styles

Each of the best orange hunting vests we’ve recommended has features that fulfill specific needs. For example, the Mountain Pass Extreme Big Game vest has rifle shell holders and an elastic shooting stick holder. If you’re upland or waterfowl hunting, the Gamehide Switchgrass vest has shotgun shell holders that make for a great addition to the garment.

All styles are welcome here, and it was our goal to include something for everybody, even the kids and dogs among us.

Organization

We wanted to ensure that all our fellow gear heads out there had various features to choose from when it came to organizing their gear inside their orange vest. If you use your vest to carry a rangefinder, binos, shooting sticks, or more, we wanted to include an array of products that can help you organize it all.

Which Orange Hunting Vest Will Keep You Safe (& Legal) in 2024?

Whether you’re hunting big game like deer and elk or upland hunting for small game, you need one of 2024’s best orange hunting vests to fit well, remain quiet, stay legal, and not give your position away.

Aside from these basic requirements, we made sure to include products with features that’ll elevate your hunting experience, no matter what you’re after. Whether your future vest has the warmth and insulation of fleece, sports tons of practical pockets, or is reversible with camo, we hope we have helped you find the perfect fit.

And, though many of the vests we feature are made for big game hunters, we also made sure to include 2024’s best upland orange hunting vest with a blood-proof game pouch in the back. So, whether you’re after deer, elk, duck, quail, or whatever else, there’s likely a rough-and-tumble piece of gear for you on this list.

Regardless of what you’re hunting or which brand you prefer, we hope you get your hands on one of 2024’s best orange hunting vests to help keep you legal, highly visible, and well-organized in the field.

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Last Updated on August 16, 2024

Loving the outdoors, wanting to put some food on the table and maybe spending some quality time with friends. These are just some of the reasons people get started with bird hunting.

Upland birds are game birds that including quail, pheasant, grouse, woodcock, prairie chicken or partridge.

Learn from those who know

For first time bird hunters, getting started is as easy as finding a local class covering hunting safety and regulations.

“I always encourage anyone looking to start bird hunting to not pass go,” said Wes Siler, Montana-based outdoorsman, adventure traveler and author of Outside Magazine’s column IndefinitelyWild. “Enroll in a hunters’ education course where you will get the best information on all the hunting basics and safety.”

Many states, Siler said, require successful completion of a hunter safety course before issuing a hunting license. The laws and seasons associated with upland bird hunting vary state to state. Always check with your state’s fish and game commission to know the latest in laws and what is in season.

“Typically this is a one-day class taught by volunteers [and] is equivalent to the drivers ed course you took in high school,” Siler wrote in a recent column. “Even if you’re already familiar with firearms and the outdoors, hunter’s ed is a fantastic refresher in all the nitty-gritty details of remaining legal and safe in the field.

In some states, the course is required to obtain a hunting licence, but even where it’s not mandatory it’s recommended to take one. The course will also answer a number of beginner questions including what are the best types of guns to use and what kind of ammunition works best for specific game birds.

Getting out into the field

Hunter education course certificate and hunting license in hand, it’s time to get out into the field.

“The nice thing about bird hunting is you can find groups of people to hunt with,” Silas said. “Either an informal hunting party of friends or a paid guide can take you out and you can start to put what you learned in [hunter’s ed] into practice.”

Unlike guided big game hunts for animals like deer, bear, moose or elk which Silas said can cost in the thousands of dollars, a guided bird hunt will usually run around $100.

“Having a guide or someone with real experience with you helps you get out for an authentic and fun hunting experience,” Siler said. “A guided bird hunt is really the easiest possible entry point into the sport of hunting.”

What equipment and gear do I need to get started with bird hunting?

As for what to bring on the first hunts? Siler, who’s been hunting since he was a young boy, recommends the basics — a shotgun, ammunition and patience.

“If the weather is good, all you need to wear are jeans, a t-shirt and tennis shoes,” he said.

Silas is a fan of the 12-gauge shotgun for bird hunting that has been outfitted with a “choke-tube.” A choke tube is a tapered attachment for the front of a shotgun barrel, it can be set to shoot the shot from a shell in a narrow to wide, scattered path.

By mixing and matching the type of shot used in individuals shells and the set-path for that shot Siler said you can custom-configure the shotgun to specific birds and terrain, making it a very versatile weapon.

“You can open the choke tube up for a wider spread of shot if your target is close in,” he said. “Or you can set it so the shot’s path is narrow and goes a greater distance.”

John Holyoke, longtime Maine outdoorsman, staff writer and writer of the outdoors column Out There for The Bangor Daily News,and Julie Harris, fellow columnist at the Bangor Daily News with It’s a Bird Dog’s Life, both hunt with .20-gauge shotguns. They recommend wearing at least a blaze orange hat or vest so you are visible in the woods.

Siler agrees wearing either a hat or vest that has blaze orange on it, making you visible to other hunters who are in your group or in the area, is a very good idea.

Harris likes to also wear a vest with pockets into which she can place a whistle, ammunition, a compass and anything else she may need for a day in the woods. Vests can also have a larger pocket in the back to place dressed out birds from a successful hunt.

“I always make sure to have good rubber boots,” she said. “The terrain can get mucky at times.”

Go where the birds are

If bird hunting is the best entry point to hunting, as far as Siler is concerned, grouse are the gateway birds.

“Let’s face it, grouse are pretty stupid,” he said with a laugh. “Their defense when frightened is to stand still and freeze, which makes them a good target for hunting.”

To successfully start hunting upland birds, you first need to find them. And once you understand bird habitat, you are well on your way to spotting the game.

According to Holyoke, successful bird hunters know that upland birds prefer to hang around in good cover made up of scrubby brush and new growth associated with old pastures that are going back to trees.

“These are called ‘successive forestland,’” Holyoke said. “It’s the kind of spot that provides everything the [upland] birds need in terms of habitat.”

When a cover area grows up to the point it no longer meets the needs of the birds, Holyoke said the birds move on to a new spot, so where birds congregate changes over time.

“These covers age-out over time and even more than a favorite fishing spot, the location of active cover area is closely guarded by bird hunters.”

Walking through forestland that has been cut within five or so years, or on old pasture is a good way to come across bird cover and the birds themselves.

Because the birds will likely see you before you spot them, they may not freeze in place. They may attempt to quickly fly away, meaning you have “flushed” it from the cover.

Some hunters, Holyoke said, will only shoot at a bird if it is flying, or “on the wing.” Other hunters, he said, will fire at a bird that is walking or just sitting on the ground.

A bird hunter’s best friend has four paws and a great nose

The single best piece of equipment a bird hunter can have is a good dog, Siler said. For someone starting out, that is often not possible given the time and expense associated with obtaining and training a good bird dog.

“I hunt with friends who have bird dogs,” Siler said, adding his three large rescue dogs love to go on hunts but are far more interested in catching game for themselves. “It’s one reason that when you start out, it’s a good idea to contract with a guide, especially if he or she hunts with dogs.”

Some bird hunters hunt with dogs, who can help locate birds, flush them out and retrieve them. But not all dogs do the same work.

There are “flushing dogs” like the cocker spaniel Holyoke uses, who flush the birds out of cover and into the open.

Then there are the “pointing dogs” like the Brittney Spaniels used by Harris. Her dogs sneak up on the birds, stand still and use their nose and one leg to point out the hidden bird.

Harris said the first step in deciding what kind of dog you want along on a hunt is deciding what you want that dog to do.

Then she said it really comes down to breed preference, Harris said. Though she did add the smaller dogs like the Cocker Spaniels tend to make better indoor pets for those who want their hunting dogs to be part of the family inside and out.

“After you choose what kind of dog you want, make sure you do your homework and research breeders,” she said. “Most have websites and many can be seen and talked to at hunting events and sports shows.”

A bird in the pot

Maybe the best part of bird hunting, after the thrill of the hunt itself, is feasting on the day’s bounty, Siler said.

As far as dressing out those birds — cleaning them after they are shot — Holyoke recommends turning to the internet and checking out the myriad of online videos devoted to that subject.

Then, it’s time to get cooking.

In Maine, Holyoke said, it’s common to simply saute the breast of a grouse or woodcock in butter with a bit of garlic. Others like to parboil and cook the breast meat in a batch of baked beans. Soups and stews are also popular.

Regardless of cooking methods, newcomers to hunting and eating game birds will notice a difference in flavor.

Siler recommends checking the internet for recipes on cooking wild birds.

Over the years, Siler has filled coolers with cheap champagne and brined the birds in it overnight, smoked entire birds, deep fried whole birds in peanut oil and roasted breasts. He’s even prepared a pheasant-au-vin.

“Judging by the amount of people who have tried their first game meat at my house and then asked how they could get started, I’ve done a pretty good job,” he said of his culinary and hunting skills, and adding he tells them, “Becoming a hunters is easier and more fun than you think.”

It’s homesteading skills month on Hello Homestead! Every weekday this month, we’ll be highlighting a skill for living a self-sufficient life. Make sure you LIKE our page on Facebook, FOLLOW on Twitter, FOLLOW us on Instagram and/or sign up for our newsletter so you don’t miss a single one!

November 23, 2022

With gift-buying season upon us, it’s natural for gun owners who enjoy target shooting, hunting, collecting or just plain plinking to want to share their enjoyment of firearms with others. What better way to do that than to gift a firearm to a family member, close friend or relative?

Consider a Gift Card

The Bureau of Alcohol. Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) recommends that if you want to give someone a new firearm, rather than going to a gun store, buying it on your own and giving it to, say, your father, consider instead purchasing a gift certificate from that retailer and giving it to dad as his present. That way he’ll get the exact gun he wants, and there’s no question about who is “the actual buyer of the firearm,” which is a question any purchaser must certify on the Federal Form 4473 at the time of purchase.

Buying a Gun as a Gift

Let’s assume, however, you do not want to give a gift card because you want to give “Old Betsy,” your favorite old deer rifle, to your son or daughter or you want to see the joy on their face when they unwrap their present. The first question you then must ask is whether the intended recipient can legally own a firearm at all. Remember, you can never under any circumstances transfer a firearm to someone you know — or have reasonable cause to believe — legally can’t own one. That’s a federal felony, so be careful. Pre-January 1, 1899, antique firearms are generally exempt but be safe and check with your retailer or local law enforcement before you hand over your prized possession.

The next question is whether the person can own the gifted firearm where he or she lives. With more than 20,000 different gun laws on the books, even the kinds of firearms that law-abiding citizens can own vary from place to place; for example, juveniles (under age 18), generally speaking, are precluded by law from possessing a handgun, and some states restrict certain types of firearms and magazine sizes. Check out the ATF website for an overview of local laws or contact your state’s attorney general’s office.

It is legal to purchase a firearm from a licensed firearm retailer that you intend to give as a gift. There’s no law that prohibits a gift of a firearm to a relative or friend who lives in your home state. However, whether you purchase a new firearm or want to gift a gun you already own, keep in mind that some states (California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Washington State) and the District of Columbia require you to transfer a firearm through a local licensed firearm retailer so an instant background check will be performed to make sure the recipient is not legally prohibited from owning the gun. Maryland and Pennsylvania require a background check for a private-party transfer of a handgun. There are exceptions*, so it’s important to carefully check the law of your state or ask your local firearm retailer.

If the person you want to give the gift of a firearm to does not reside in the same state as you, then under federal law you have to ship the firearm to a licensed firearm retailer in the state where the recipient lives who can transfer the firearm after a background check.

Shipping a Firearm

You can only ship a handgun by common carrier (but not U.S. mail) and a long gun by U.S. mail or common carrier to a federally licensed retailer, but not to a non-licensed individual in another state. With all carriers, federal law requires you to declare that your package contains an unloaded firearm. To be safe, always consult your carrier in advance about its regulations for shipping firearms.

Giving a Gun as a Gift

As you can see, there are a lot of things to consider when making a gift of firearm to ensure you do it properly. Using a gift certificate from a firearm retailer near where the gift recipient lives might be the best solution in order to avoid legal pitfalls and state law variations.

It’s often an emotional moment when a treasured family heirloom is passed down to the next generation. These moments are part of what our cherished enjoyment of firearms is all about and represent that unique bond that sportsmen and sportswomen have with their fellow enthusiasts.

So, enjoy the holidays and do it right!

*In New Mexico, for example, a background check is required on “sales” of firearms—those transferred for a fee or other consideration—but not when a person transfers ownership of a firearm without compensation or exchanging anything of value.

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Other Gift Options for Target Shooters

Not sure what to get the target shooters in your life this holiday season? We’ve got you covered with these 10 great gift ideas.

More Ways to Give

Those who donate to worthy causes, consider making a gift in support of Project ChildSafe®, NSSF’s award-winning community gun safety program that helps prevent firearm accidents, thefts and misuse, including suicide.

The Project ChildSafe Safety Sweepstakes has opened and offers seven great prizes manufactured or donated by Vault Pro, Beretta, Leica, OpticsPlanet, Mossberg, Kalispel, GTM/CZY and Yeti. Anyone may enter, and those who are planning to attend SHOT Show® can enter during the registration process. Funds raised help support NSSF’s Project ChildSafe firearm safety program.

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