The best fishing rods usually end up being the ones you use the most because they feel right and have the most application. Each angler chooses a rod a little different based on their fishing preferences, budget, size, age, etc. So one rod never fits everyone and fortunately we have nearly an unlimited supply of fishing rod options out there.

But there are certain things that will make one rod better than another. Often it boils down to materials and processes in the rod build. But it can also come down to brand, length, action, and even price. I have felt really good after purchasing a $300 fishing rod and really bad after purchasing a $99 rod. So a low or high price doesn’t always indicate value.

So let us quickly rundown a few things we consider when evaluating what will be the best fishing rod.

What matters in a good fishing rod

Materials

Obviously some materials are just better than others. Higher modular graphite, additional carbon fiber weaves, even the resin and clear coat can affect a rod’s performance, weight and balance. So higher quality materials to start generally yield a more sensitive rod with a more consistent action that won’t roll against its spline. I tend to like a middle of the road modulus for power techniques and a higher modulus material for more contact techniques.

Price

This is the main determining factor for some folks, but I often advise if the best rod is a little above your budget, just wait a bit and save for the little bit better rod. In my experience, that little higher quality rod will last you a decade if you take care of it. So you are investing in long-term use. And we all want to enjoy our time on the water. Don’t settle for the absolute cheapest gear that is always causing you problems and aggravation on your personal time away from work and stress.

But don’t mistake this advice and believe I won’t grab a $79 rod if it feels like it’s well made and has good action and sensitivity. I have had some dynamite rods under $100 over the years. But typically speaking, I’m staying away from the $29 rods on Amazon.

Length

Length can be personal but most of the time it’s functional. Now if you are doing something like say skipping a jig, then the length of the rod matters in that a rod that is too long for your height can make the technique and process a lot harder on you. That can lead to some long-term wear injuries like should and elbow tendonitis. So consider the technique when choosing your rod length.

I like a shorter rod for techniques where I am going to jerk the rod tip downward like a jerkbait or a topwater lure. So I often reach for a 6-foot, 10-inch rod instead of a 7-foot, 4-inch rod.

Same for throwing a big lure like a deep diving crankbait. I want a longer rod that loads the bait a lot better and gives me a lot more distance on a cast. And, conversely, you want a shorter rod when you are roll casting short casts into tight quarters

Action / Power

We went into depth on rod action and power in a previous article, but to briefly recap, match the rods action to the techniques you like to fish. I will give you a basic six-rod setup in the best rods section below to cover 90% of your fishing. But you want a little more backbone in rods you have to drive a single hook. And a little less in treble hook bait fishing rods. You want more action in a rod you have to work with your hand and arm and less action in a rod where you just straight reel your lure.

Brand

Brand is another one of those personal things, but it can also be a functional thing when it comes to fishing rods because some brands have long storied histories of making good rods — like G. Loomis for example. So you know you are going to get a good rod just starting with a trusted brand. Same could be said for any product you buy.

But some brands also just fit certain anglers style of fishing. Maybe you have a thundering hookset and you require a brand that makes really heavy duty blanks — like Falcon for example. Or maybe you enjoy the more finessey and ultra sensitive type rods and you might lean towards a boutique brand like Megabass.

So brand is always a consideration, but some new brands will really surprise you with their quality and lineups — like Ark and Sixgill for example.

Types of fishing rods

Really there are two main types of conventional rods which are spinning rods and casting rods. Then from there you have specialty rods like fly fishing rods, jigging rods similar to modern day cane poles, travel rods which can be multi-piece versions of the common spinning and casting rods and more.

Spinning rod setups fish with spinning reels. This setup has the reel underneath the rod so there is no need for a grip trigger. So it’s just a straight handle with a locking foregrip to hold the reel in place. A Tennessee handle has two guides that allow you to place a reel where you feel most comfortable on the handle, and then you tape the reel in place with electrical tape. But for the most part, spinning rods incorporate a standard stem-holding reel seat that locks in place with a screw-locking forenut or rear nut.

A casting rod is built with a trigger in the handle that is on the underside and the bait casting or spin cast reel sits on top of it. These rods are made to palm a baitcasting reel in your hand as you fish and the trigger is in place to keep your hand locked on and give you a little more leverage on a hookset. You push the thumb bar to let line out and cast. It takes some practice to learn to cast a baitcaster, but these types of setups have much wider applications because they can manage larger and various types of lines better than a spinning reel can. And you can build higher gear ratio reels with stronger drags generally speaking in baitcaster setups. You basically have a lot more options with baitcasting gear.

We have covered the best rods for crappie fishing already. And we intend to cover the best rods for walleye fishing and the best rods for catfishing. And eventually the best fly fishing rods. But considering largemouth bass is the most commonly chased freshwater game fish, and a good all-around bass rod can be used to fish for trout, crappie, catfish, walleye and more. This best fishing rod list will focus primarily around bass fishing.

Best Rods for Bass Fishing

About 9 years ago, I came up with the simple 6-rod and reel system for bass fishing. You can basically have six combos of rods and reels that would cover the larger majority of bass fishing and freshwater fishing techniques. I have revamped those original articles to come up with the best fishing rods for bass fishing today.

Best Spinnerbait / Chatterbait Rods

I think a good casting rod that can handle spinnerbaits, ChatterBaits and swim jigs is very handy rod for bass fishermen. I call it the “winding rod” because these are all baits that you just wind through cover shallow. So you need some finesse to direct your bait along a letdown or through some grass stalks, but you need some back bone to drive the hook.

A 6-foot, 10-inch rod is perfect for most anglers because you roll cast a lot with these baits to specific targets and lanes. If you bomb cast more with these baits where you fish, you might want a little more length on your rod.

This rod will match well with 15-17 pound fluorocarbon line or 30-40 pound braided line depending on what baits you will throw. It can also handle some light duty frog or heavier topwaters as well.

Some guys like a medium action rod for spinnerbaits and ChatterBaits but a medium heavy rod gives you more control of the fish in tight quarters and around obstructions like laydowns, stumps, dock posts, etc.

Best Spinnerbait rods we recommend:

• G.Loomis GCX Casting Rod 6’9″ Medium 812C SBR (Best Overall)
• Lew’s Custom Speed Stick Casting Rod 6’10” Medium
• Jenko DCVR Hustler Casting Rod 6’10” Med Hvy
• Ark Brandon Cobb Series Casting Rod 6’10” Med Hvy
• Daiwa Tatula Casting Rod 6’10” Med Hvy
• Abu Garcia Pro Casting Rod 6’10” Avena MH Spinnerbait
• Halo HFX Series Casting Rod 6’10” Medium
• Shimano Zodias Casting Rod 6’10” Med Hvy

Best Jig / Worm Rods

Every bass fisherman should own a sensitive and strong jig worm rod. This rod will have a good back bone with a little bit of tip action to accurately cast worms to cover or offshore targets. Most anglers will want a Medium Heavy power and a Fast action on this combo. A little more length will give you better casting and more ability to pick up line on a long cast to set a strong hook at distance.

A longer 7-foot to 7-foot, 4-inch rod usually suffices for this technique. Medium Heavy power gives you some flexibility with casting. If you want to step up to Heavy it won’t be as accurate casting but it could double as a flipping and pitching rod too.

A 12-pound to 17-pound line fluorocarbon line is best on this rod.

Best Jig Worm Rods we Recommend:

• G. Loomis NRX+ Casting Rod 7’1″ Med Hvy 853C JWR (Best Overall)
• Abu Garcia Veritas PLX TE Casting 7’3″ MH
• 13 Fishing Meta Casting Rod 7’3″ Med Hvy
• Ark Reinforcer Series Casting Rod 7’2″ Med Hvy
• Daiwa Tatula XT Casting Rod 7’1″ Med Hvy
• St. Croix Victory Casting Rod 7’1″ Med Hvy/Fast
• St. Croix Legend Tournament Cast Rod 7’1″ Med Hvy/Fast
• Sixgill Chopper Series CHOPC608MH

Best Topwater / Jerkbait Rods

Anglers should place a lot of emphasis on a solid jerkbait / topwater rod. This is one rod where it pays to have it be higher quality. A lot of the other rods you are just holding in one place most of the day. Or you are just slowly lifting and lowering when you fish. But a good jerkbait rod needs to be very precise with its casting with hard to throw lures. And same with a topwater. And then you spend all day working the rod with lots of jerks and pauses. So a heavy rod or one that is out of balance can make for a long day of uncomfortable fishing.

This is another place where a shorter rod can help because you are constantly jerking the rod down towards the water all day. A longer rod can get problematic. A shorter rod will generally respond quicker and be lighter as a result.

A 6-foot, 6-inch to 6-foot, 10-inch rod fishes well for most anglers for jerkbaits and small topwaters. If you are going to throw bigger topwaters a little longer rod with a bit more backbone might be better.

This rod will generally have lighter line or smaller braid. Something like 10 to 12 pound fluorocarbon during jerkbait season works well, and a lighter 12-14 pound monofilament or 30 pound braid fits better for topwater season.

We already covered the best jerkbait rods in our other piece, but here is our quick rundown of some of our favorite topwater rods.

Best topwater rods we recommend:

• S.C Legend Tournament Cast Rod 6’8″ Med/X Fast (Best Overall Topwater)
• Shimano Expride B Cast Rod 6’10” Med Hvy
• G. Loomis IMX Pro Cast Rod 6’8″ Med Topwater 802 TWR
• Lew’s KVD IM8 Casting Rod 6’8″ Med Hvy
• 13 Fishing Meta Casting Rod 6’8″ Medium
• Abu Garcia Pro Rod Casting 7’4″ Lucas MH Topwater
• Daiwa Tatula Elite Casting Rod 7’4″ Med Hvy Howell

Best Crankbait Rods

Generally speaking, you will want a medium power rod with a moderate action to handle the wobble and pull of crankbaits with a lower gear-ratio reel paired with it. A 7-foot rod is a good starting place for an all-purpose crankbait rod. I will lean to a lighter medium light power and shorter rod for small shallow crankbaits and a longer medium to medium heavy power moderate action for bigger deep diving crankbaits. So a 7-foot medium is a good all-purpose middle of the road.

This rod will load when a fish sucks in the bait and give you a split second extra time for the bass to close their mouth and then load the rod to drive the hooks smoothly. You don’t have to set a hard whip crack hookset with these rods but rather just lean into the fish hard when it loads.

Normally this rod will have 10 to 12-pound fluorocarbon on it.

Best crankbait rods we recommend:

• Abu Garcia Winch Casting Rod 7′ Medium
• 13 Fishing Envy Black III Cranking Rod 7’4″ Cranking
• Ark Essence Series Casting Rod 7’4″ Med Hvy Composite
• Lew’s KVD Composite Cranking Cast Rod 7′ Medium
• St. Croix Mojo Bass Glass Cranking Rod 7’2″ Medium
• Halo HFX Series Cranking Rod 7′ Medium
• Sixgill Kranken Series KRANKC704M

Best Big Rods for Flipping / Swimbaits

A good flipping rod starts at 7-foot lengths and can go all the way to 8-foot lengths for flipping in grass. And a good swimbait rod starts at about 7-foot, 6-inch lengths and goes to 8 foot or longer lengths. I will say that most of of the time I am using a different rod for flipping than I am for throwing swimbaits.

But if you want to keep the budget to a minimum you can get by with a flipping rod that can handle 2 ounce baits. That works well for throwing baits like big soft swimbaits on Weighted Beast Hooks, or pre-rigged soft swimbaits as well as big swimbaits on lead heads like the Scottsboro Tackle swimbait on a 1-ounce head for fishing offshore.

And you can punch 1 ounce weights with small beaver baits through matted grass or pitch 3/8 ounce bullet weights with creature baits into bushes.

I like 20-25 pound fluorocarbon for flipping or a heavy braided line for flipping heavy grass. And I like a 20-pound fluorocarbon for bigger soft swimbaits and a 20-pound copolymer line for smaller hard swimbaits and glide baits.

Best Flipping Rods / Swimbait Rods we recommend:

• Sixgill Fenrir Series Flipping Stick
• Ark Invoker Pro Series Casting Rod 7’1″ Heavy
• Fitzgerald Stunner HD Casting Rod 7’3″ Heavy
• Lew’s Elite Series Casting Rod 7’4″ Heavy
• St. Croix Legend Tournament 7’3″ Hvy/X-Fast
• Daiwa Tatula XT Casting Rod 7’6″ Extra Hvy (Best dual purpose rod)
• Shimano Zodias Casting Rod 7’4″ Xtra Hvy Plus
• Jenko Fishing Savant Swimbait Rod 7’9″ Med Hvy/Fast
• Genesis III Casting Rod 8′ Swimbait Bailey Swim Heavy (Best Overall Swimbait)
• Leviathan Omega Swimbait Casting Rods

Best Spinning Rods for Finesse

The final rod every angler should have and maybe even start with when getting into bass fishing is a good spinning rod and reel combo that can handle lighter finesse techniques like Ned rigs, Neko rigs, drop shots, wacky rigs, spy baits, small swimbaits and even cranking small finesse crankbaits like Shad Raps. And this rod can also catch crappie, walleye, panfish, catfish and more. So it’s a jack of all trades rod for freshwater fishing.

A medium power rod with a fast action with a 7-foot length gets the job done for most people. And a 10 to 20-pound braided line, with a fluorocarbon leader serves almost all the purposes well.

Best All-Around Spinning Rods we recommend:

• St. Croix Victory Spinning Rod 7’1″ Med-Fast
• Shimano Poison Adrena Spinning Rod 7′ Medium
• Sixgill Myakka Series 7’2” M F
• Shimano Expride B Spin Rods 7′ Medium
• Daiwa Tatula Elite AGS Spin Rod 7’1″ Med Ehrler
• Ark Invoker Pro Series Spinning Rod 7’1″ Medium
• MEGABASS Orochi XX Spinning Rod Whipsnake 6’11”

With these 6 rods you can cover almost all of the situations in bass fishing. You will have to change lines on some reels to use these rods for double duty throughout the different seasons. But these rods can also fish a lot of other lures we didn’t mention like blade baits, frogs, spoons, etc.

So you can do a lot with these 6 rods and obviously they way one angler fishes is different from another. So you may want 4 crankbait rods and now big swimbait rod. Or you might want all spinning rods and reels. This is just a guide to the most popular techniques and the best rods for each as well as some specific suggestions on the best rods we like in each of these categories that we have personal experience with.

Other Fishing Rod Questions and Answers

1 Piece vs 2 piece fishing rods?

Used to a one-piece rod was far superior to two-piece rod because you had issues with rigidity and the ferrels fraying and breaking over time. But today’s two-piece rods have improved greatly and most of my two-piece rods are just as good as my one-piece rods but with the added benefit of being able to travel with me in a car or plane a lot easier. But generally speaking, I opt for a 1-piece for most of my main core bass fishing rods for more durability and fluid performance throughout.

What length rod is best?

I think for bass fishing, a 7-foot rod is hard to beat. Bass are fast and vicious predators so they can move quickly to take a bait and introduce slack. A 7-foot rod can take up a lot of line and drive a solid hookset even at distance. Shorter rods can be a little more precise in tight quarters and a longer rod can get you a bit more distance, but 7 feet is a great place to rest for bass fishing rods.

What rod can catch the most different types of fish?

I think a 7-foot spinning rod in a medium or medium light power and fast action can double duty as a great bass rod, crappie rod, trout rod, bluegill rod, walleye rod and even catfish rod. I wouldn’t want to fight a 30-pound blue or flathead on it. But it will catch you plenty of channel cats. But a 7-foot medium spinning rod can do a lot. A medium light can throw lighter baits for panfish better and is what I use most of the time for crappie fishing.

I also am a big advocate of bait finesse system rods now which uses lighter casting rods and bait casting reels geared specifically to throw light baits. I have caught bass, crappie, bluegill, stripers, white bass, yellow bass, shell crackers, catfish, drum and yellow perch on my bait finesse setups. While your tackle is usually on the smaller side, it’s a fun way to catch a lot of different fish species on small tackle.

Hopefully this round-up will help give you some ideas on rods for various bass fishing applications.

The release of the Ruger-made Marlin 1895 SBL .45-70 Gov’t rifle last year was very well received, and Marlin is following that up with the 1895 Trapper. It has the same chambering, satin stainless finish and gray laminate stock as the SBL, but the Trapper version has a shorter, 16.1-inch barrel. Its barrel is cold hammer forged out of 410 stainless steel, has a 1:20 twist and is threaded 11/16×24 for mounting a suppressor or other muzzle device.

With its shorter barrel and reduced overall length of 34.25 inches, the Trapper is ideal for anyone who wants to add a can to their rifle without making the gun so long that it becomes unwieldy or for those who hunt in tight cover and want the shorter barrel because it’s handier. Weight is 7.1 pounds, and the gun’s balance point is centered at the loading port, which gives it that “between the hands” feel shooters love.

The triggerguard plate, receiver and lever are all precision CNC machined from 416 stainless steel forgings. An oversized lever loop makes it easy to cycle quickly and reliably. The bolt features a side-mounted extractor on the bolt body and a spring-loaded ejector that rests in a recess within the receiver. There’s also a crossbolt safety located on the upper rear portion of the receiver. The hammer has both half- and full-cock positions.

1895 Trapper

The Trapper model features Skinner front and rear sights. The rear sight is an aperture design, and the aperture unscrews so it can be replaced with larger or smaller aperture sizes. The front blade sight is sturdy and sports a bright white stripe along the spine that is easy to see in low light. There’s also a dovetail in the barrel that allows you to add a buckhorn-style rear sight if you’d like. Unlike the SBL, there is no Picatinny scope rail.

The laminate stock on the Trapper has a darker color scheme than that found on the Ruger/Marlin 1895 SBL rifles. A dense recoil pad about 3/4 inch thick with a spacer is perfectly mated with the contour of the stock. The iconic Marlin horse and rider logo is laser engraved onto the grip, and there’s an “RP” proof mark on the left side of the barrel. “Mayodan, North Carolina,” Marlin’s new base of operations, is stamped on the barrel as well, and serial numbers for these rifles begin with the prefix “RM” for Ruger Marlin.

Even the trademark bullseye design that has graced Marlin rifles for decades can be seen on this gun, albeit with a red center in homage to the Ruger brand. “The 1895 Trapper is an excellent early addition to our new Marlin line,” said Mickey Wilson, vice president of operations at Ruger’s Mayodan, North Carolina, facility. “It’s easy to handle, sports a great sight system and is powerful enough to take any North American large game animal, as well as offering protection to guides and fisherman from potentially dangerous animals.”

At just over six pounds, the trigger isn’t light, but it’s clean and sufficient for an open-sighted lever gun. I managed to punch groups right at an inch from 50 yards. With the Trapper’s shorter barrel, the Federal load ran about 100 fps slower than spec velocity, and the Hornady load was almost 200 fps slower.

Field Function

The Marlin Trapper functioned flawlessly with one exception. I ran dry during one drill, and in my haste to reload, I didn’t fully seat the last cartridge in the magazine tube. When I attempted to cycle the action the bolt locked in the open position with the lever frozen, which is a telltale sign of this error. This common failure with Marlin rifles is entirely preventable as long as the shooter has the presence of mind to fully seat each round. Recoil from the Trapper is stiff, especially from the bench. Off the bench the rifle isn’t unpleasant at all, and with the gun held firmly and fired from a solid stance, it’s possible to deliver fast follow-up shots.

At a suggested retail price of $1,349, the 1895 Trapper is $50 cheaper than the SBL. That’s higher than Henry’s All-Weather Lever Action .45-70, but the Henry holds one less round; has a longer, unthreaded barrel; and lacks the Trapper’s impressive wood and Skinner sights. Is there still a place for big-bore lever guns in the hunting arena? Absolutely. For hogs, deer, elk, moose or anything that has the potential to bite back, there are few better options, and that’s because nothing handles like a lever-action carbine.

There’s also no doubt that these guns will be gobbled up by Marlin collectors, but you don’t need a dogmatic reason to buy one. These American-made lever actions are simply fun to shoot. That’s reason enough to own one.

Marlin 1895 Trapper Specs

• Type: Centerfire, lever action
• Caliber: .45-70 Gov’t
• Capacity: 5 rds.
• Barrel: 16.1 in., stainless; 1:20-in. twist, threaded 11/16×24
• Overall Length: 34.25 in.
• Weight: 7 lbs., 1 oz.
• Stock: Gray, laminate
• Finish: Satin stainless
• Trigger: 6 lbs., 1 oz.
• Sights: Skinner adjustable aperture rear, Skinner blade front
• MSRP: $1,349
• Manufacturer: Marlin Firearms

The Thompson Center Encore Pro Rifle is a single-shot, break-action firearm. It’s also a switch-barrel rifle, meaning the barrel is interchangeable. Any Encore barrel will fit, which lets you customize the gun to fit any need. Whether you’re looking for a gun suitable for hunting, target shooting or self-defense, the Encore Pro is great for all types of shooters. Here’s why.

Accuracy

The precision rifling of the TC Encore Pro gives you accuracy you can count on. The 28” barrel gives you the best velocities you can expect from a given rifle cartridge. Like most rifles, the accuracy definitely varies based on what kind of ammo you use. I’ve noticed that I get the best, most consistent accuracy when I use powder instead of pellets. When I used between 185-200 grains, my 3 five-shot groups averaged 1.72 inches, and when I used 140 grains, it was around 1.2 inches. With most loads, you can expect excellent accuracy. The more often you clean the gun—and riflescope—the better shot groups you get. The trigger makes it a little harder to get even smaller groups, because it has a longer lock time. But, this tends to come with the territory with a hammer-fired gun.

Reliability

Thompson Center rifles are known to be great quality, and TC is a reputable company. The Encore is one of the best break-actions on the market, with no misfires to report, and extreme durability and robustness. However, there’s one downside: loading the gun with a dirty barrel. I had a couple bullets get stuck and had to clean the gun in order to get them out. For the most part, however, it’s a reliable gun you can count on no matter what you’re using it for. You can maintain optimum control in any conditions, wet or dry, with the overmolded pistol grip. It’s definitely a stand-out in comparison to similar models.

Handling

This is a well-built, well machined gun. The fit, the feel, and the balance are all fantastic, and the pistol grip stock fits perfectly in your hand. It’s one of the most comfortable grips I’ve ever experienced! One of the coolest features of the Encore Pro is the interchangeable barrels. It’s pretty simple to change them out:

Just remove two screws from the forearm, pull out the hinge pin, switch the barrels, replace the pin and screws, and… done! It’s quick and easy to transform it from a muzzleloader, to a slug gun, to a centerfire rifle.

It also comes standard with an ambidextrous Swing Hammer. A couple of downsides:

Cleaning the rifle is a bit challenging because in order to remove the breech, you need to first remove the fixed extractor. This involves removing two screws on the forearm, one on the extractor, and then reassembling the rifle after cleaning it. However, this is easier with an E-Z tip primer extractor. When you have one of these, it’s easier to clean, and you’re more willing to clean it often, which improves accuracy. There’s also no safety on the gun. But you can still move safely, even with a round in the chamber, by keeping the hammer forward.

Trigger

The Encore’s trigger is pretty good. It’s firm but crisp, which helps to offset the heavier pull—around 5 to 6 lbs. There’s a little inconsistency with the trigger pull, but other than that, it’s pretty impressive! No take-up, no sand, no creep, and no grit to speak of. The travel before the hammer snaps is minimal.

Magazine & Reloading

The TC Encore Pro is a break-action, single-shot rifle, and one of the best break-action muzzleloaders on the market. It features a Quick Load Accurizer with reduced rifling at the tip, which allows for easy loading. To open the action, you just pull back on the trigger guard lever and load your shell! One downside is that it comes with an extractor rather than an ejector, so you have to manually remove the cartridges or cases.

Length & Weight

The standard barrel of the Encore is advertised at 28,” but since the barrel is interchangeable, this all depends on what you choose. Overall, it measures around 42.” It’s relatively lightweight, and depending on the accessories you use, weighs anywhere from 7.5 to 8.25 lbs.

Recoil Management

Recoil management is definitely something TC got right with the Encore. It comes with a FlexTech recoil reducing stock, which boasts four layers of Limbsaver navcom material. The stock also comes with pliable inserts in the butt and comb, which makes the gun shoot softer. The buttpad is soft enough to absorb most of the recoil from firing. This firearm is great because it can handle tough-recoiling loads without making the shooter absorb all the recoil.

Price

The MSRP for the Encore Pro is around $790. For an extremely customizable, smooth shooting rifle, it’s not a bad price! It’s tried and true, and the customizability it offers at this price point is steller. It’s within most people’s budget, and perfect for families that need one gun for any situation, or for the “one-gun-man.”

My Verdict?

The TC Encore Pro is a great hunting rifle, and is perfect for anyone looking for an inexpensive gun for hunting, target shooting, and self-defense all rolled into one. Here are some of the best features:

• Interchangeable barrels

• Squishy buttpad to absorb even the most intense recoil

• Weather Shield coating makes it extremely resistant to corrosion

• Ability to shoot different calibers based on the game and terrain

So if you’re looking for the best in versatile hunting guns, look no further than the Thompson Center Encore Pro.

Richard Douglas is a firearms expert and educator. His work has appeared in large publications like The Armory Life, Daily Caller, American Shooting Journal, and more. In his free time, he reviews optics on his Scopes Field blog.

If you’re an avid trout fisherman, you’ve probably wondered if you can eat trout raw. Saltwater fishermen talk all the time about catching Spanish mackerel or tuna and eating right on the boat. But saltwater fish and freshwater fish live in very different environments. So can you eat trout raw?

The quick answer is that yes, you can eat trout raw if you’re desperate – but otherwise, you should not. It’s not recommended and could be bad for your health. Freshwater fish (including trout) have a higher chance of carrying parasites that could harm you.

On the other hand, saltwater fish are less likely to have harmful parasites in them – and are safer to eat raw. But even then you can still get very ill from eating any type of raw fish.

But what are your other options then? What are the best ways to prepare trout if you’re camping and if you do have to eat trout raw (like if you’re trying to survive without a fire), how would you go about doing it as safely possible?

We’ll answer all these questions and more in this article. Let’s get to it!

Why Can’t You Eat Trout Raw?

Before we get into what you should do if you absolutely have to eat trout raw as well as ways to prepare trout you’ve just caught, let’s go into a bit more detail as to why you cannot eat trout raw.

Author Note: With any raw fish, you run the risk of picking up any parasites that might be living in its meat. These parasites could be tapeworms, lung fluke, or other digestive bugs that will cause you serious harm if transferred to your digestive system.

As we mentioned earlier, saltwater fish don’t have nearly as many parasites that survive in human bodies and are there for less risky to ingest raw. That being said, health experts recommend you freeze all raw fish (saltwater included) at -4 degrees Fahrenheit for at least 7 days to kill any parasites that might be living in them.

This is the standard that sushi restaurants live by and applies to all raw fish.

Can Trout Be Eaten as Sashimi?

Sashimi is small pieces of raw fish – so aligning with our previous answer, you should not eat trout as sashimi. It’s still raw and can harm you for all the same reasons you shouldn’t eat trout raw.

Just because it has a fancy name does not make it any different from eating plain raw trout!

What to Do If You Have to Eat Trout Raw

Now that you know you should not be eating trout raw unless you need to to survive, let’s go over the things you try and do before eating it. It’s worth noting that we are NOT medical experts so if you do take our advice we are not liable for your health.

The first thing you should do is make absolutely sure you have no way to start a fire to cook the trout. Can you use friction to start a fire with two sticks?

Do you have a lighter somewhere on you or someone in your party that you may have forgotten about? Be absolutely sure you can not start a fire before proceeding.

After you’ve checked that, you should focus on cleaning the fish properly and quickly. You’ll want to eat the trout as quickly as possible after you catch it to ensure it doesn’t go bad.

The longer you wait after it is dead the more time bacteria have to grow on it and cause you harm.

How to Clean a Trout

Once you’ve caught a trout (maybe with a bobber setup or using a stick to spearfish) that you want to eat, you should immediately cut its gills to let it bleed out.

This will preserve the flavor of the meat and remove some of the stronger flavors in the blood.

Author Note: After cutting the gills you should clean it as soon as possible. Here’s how to clean a trout. The process is similar for all species of trout, whether it’s a rainbow trout, cutthroat trout, or lake trout.

Instructions

1. The first step in cleaning the trout is to make sure you have a sharp knife. Considering you’re in survival mode, even a pocket knife will work fine. If you don’t have a knife. We recommend finding a sharp rock and trying to follow these steps.
2. Begin by cutting down the trout’s belly starting from the anal fins up to the pelvic fins and the beginning of the collar. We like resting the fish on a big rock to get leverage.
3. Next, reach up inside the trout and pull out the innards. You may need to use both hands to pull them loose if they are stuck to the rib cage.
4. Wash away the blood and extra gut from your rock then cut through the collar and remove the head.
5. Next, it’s time to cut out your fillets. Make a cut across the end of the tail on both sides. Then connect the cut your already made on the belly to the end of the tail.
6. Make a cut from the top of the backbone starting at the collar and going all the way down to the tail. Move your blade all the way down the spine while cutting through the skeletal bones.
7. You can then use your knife to cut away the fillet from the collar of the trout.
8. The last step is to remove as many of the pin bones as you can with your fingernails. This step can be time-consuming but will give you bone-free fish.
9. The last step is to inspect the meat for any visible parasites or worms. They should be relatively obvious. If you see something weird, don’t eat that part of the fish or try and catch another one.

How to Cook Trout Properly

Luckily you will find yourself in this situation instead of the above. You’ve caught a trout while camping and you are ready to prepare it over a fire! This is a much safer option than eating trout raw. Let’s go over how to cook trout properly while camping.

Instructions

1. First, you should follow the above steps we laid out for cleaning the trout properly. This will ensure you avoid eating bones (which can be dangerous) and will make the trout taste better. Bleed the fish first then remove the guts. If you brought any seasoning with you (salt, pepper, etc.) this is when you should add it.
2. After cleaning the raw trout, find a long thin stick with a tip you can sharpen with your knife. This is going to be the skewer that you will use to hold the trout fillets over your campfire.
3. Slide each filet onto the stick. If you don’t have enough room on your stick, you should find another stick and sharpen it so you have two skewers. Make sure the skewer holds the filet flat and maximizes its surface area. This will help the fish cook quickly and evenly.
4. Once you build your fire, wait until the big flames have died down. This is the most common mistake when cooking trout while camping – you don’t want to cook it over open flames! You can, but it will impart a bad tasting charcoal flavor from the smoke.
5. Once the big flames have died out, push the logs apart so the coals are exposed. This is where you are going to cook your trout.
6. Hold the trout filets over the coals to cook them. You should start smelling cooked fish. Pay attention to the surface of the meat as well – you don’t want it turning black or burning.
7. The best way to tell if the trout is done is to feel it. If it is firm like the muscle of your thumb and index finger, it’s done.

What Kind of Trout Tastes Best?

Author Note: We also get this question all the time, and the answer is that it depends on your personal preference! Smaller species of trout like rainbow trout and brook trout tend to have firmer meat – like bass or pike. They also tend to taste like perch or other small predatory fish.

Larger species like lake trout tend to be softer and oilier. This is because they don’t have to work as hard to find food and have a higher fat percentage in their meat. If it was up to us, we would eat rainbow trout and steelhead the most.

We think they have the best texter and a mild flavor that tastes great with very little seasoning. Steelhead are a unique type of trout in that they can be caught year-round – even in the winter.

But if you’re in survival mode and purely eating the trout because you need sustenance, you probably won’t care what kind it is or what it tastes like. Hopefully, you don’t find yourself in that situation!

Parting Thoughts

We’ve been camping many times, and inevitably someone asks can you eat trout raw? It might be tempting at first – how much more fresh could the fish get? But as you now know eating trout raw can be dangerous to your health and should be avoided at all costs.

If you do have to eat trout raw, you should make sure to clean it properly first. Hopefully, you’ll have the resources to start a fire and avoid eating it raw.

We hope you found this article useful and informative. If you have additional comments or thoughts about eating trout raw, feel free to shoot us a note in the comments below.

Happy Hunting!

Why You Need A Good Pair Of Fishing Pliers

Every angler should carry a quality set of fishing pliers. While regular pliers are OK, fishing pliers with strong cutters are more appropriate for fishing applications. Here are the 3 key reasons why you need a good pair of fishing pliers.

1. Your Health & Safety

For years I watched my dad use his teeth to cut mono fishing lines. Bad idea. With pliers by his side, he might have saved a few broken teeth.

Removing hooks from the mouths of fish with sharp teeth is hazardous. With fish like barracuda, pike, and sharks, it’s downright dangerous. You risk severe lacerations or worse – the loss of a finger or hand when you attempt hook removal without pliers.

Opening split rings and replacing treble hooks requires force. Without pliers, you risk embedding hooks in your hand.

2. Fish Health

For catch and release, removing embedded hooks from deep in the mouth of a fish is nigh on impossible without a good set of fishing pliers.

Without pliers for clean, efficient hook removal, you risk doing great harm to a fish, reducing its chances of survival, or killing it outright.

3. Catching More Fish

If your line’s not in the water, you’re not catching fish. Fishing pliers provide excellent rigging efficiency as well as the ability to fine-tune lures and rigs quickly.

With good fishing pliers, you can tie complex, high-performance rigs much faster, giving you more time in the water – the key to every successful fishing trip.

Fishing Pliers Buying Guide

Fortunately for us, there are a lot of great products out there, and it’s hard to go wrong with fishing pliers. Here are some key purchasing criteria to keep in mind.

Cost

You can get serviceable pliers for under 10 bucks. For quality, multifunction pliers there’s a lot to choose from around $20 to $40.

Between $40 and $100 expect multifunctional, lightweight designs with superior anti-corrosion credentials. Above the $100 mark, high-end ergonomics and construction materials are a must. Pliers at this price point have to feel great and last for years.

Functionality

If you fish a lot of lures or tie more complex rigs regularly, split ring nose and crimping functions are ideal. They must also include blades appropriate for cutting braided lines, monofilament fishing lines, fluoro leader, and steel leader.

But for many anglers, an ergonomic grip, with secure jaws and side cutting is enough to cover their needs. For example, a crimping tool is great for closing splitshot weights, but easily achieved with any nose shap.

Saltwater Pliers vs Freshwater Fishing Pliers

Most pliers are constructed from anti-corrosion materials. By and large, the higher the price point, the more corrosion resistant. At the highest price point, expect no rust at all.

Once you’re over $100, expect them to be corrosion-proof. If you want pliers that endure, only buy saltwater fishing pliers. For me pliers that are suitable only for freshwater fishing are unnecessary.

Materials

Most fishing pliers are made from a variety of lightweight alloys for corrosion protection and easy handling. Many brands will have different materials, such as stainless steel (often replaceabl) for the jaws for better grip and durability.

Stainless steel pliers are very durable if at times a little heavy. Materials such as aircraft-grade alloys and tungsten are generally reserved for more expensive brands and models.

Lightweight aluminum pliers are inexpensive and durable, and always a good bet.

Cutters

Tungsten carbide blades are pretty well the standard these days for blades. They’re not all constructed equally, however, so stay-sharp durability can be a bit of a lottery. To avoid replacing pliers regularly, look for reversible and replaceable blades.

Nose Length

If you’re removing hooks from big fish with big mouths and teeth, look for long nose pliers with a total length of up to 11 inches. 7 inches is a standard overall length, and you’ll be choosing between standard and needle nose. 7 inches is the Goldilocks length and suitable for the vast majority of fishing applications.

I like the maneuverability and dexterity afforded by needle nose. However, there’s a lot to be said for the purchase afforded by standard nose widths. This will often come down to feel – therefore a personal choice.

Grips

Ergonomic grips can make a set of pliers. But we all have different ideas as to what constitutes grip comfort.. Comfort is important, but I also look for non-slip grips. Some anti-corrosion coatings and anodizing can be slippery – I tend to avoid these. A solid grip is vital, as is a safe grip. An aluminum handle will often have a well-shaped ergonomic design, great for gripping, but can be cold to the touch in winter.

Be aware that plastic and rubber overlay grips will allow salt and sand to get between the grip and the handles. This can cause corrosion if not cleaned properly. Spring-loaded handles are great, but the spring can invite weakness and corrosion.

Lanyard & Sheath

In nearly all cases, the lanyard, and sheath will die long before your pliers do. The key thing to look for is the strength of the link between the chord and pliers, and the sheath and pliers. These are often weak points. I always change out the factory links with my own strong split rings or carabiner for peace of mind.

Final Words On The Best Fishing Pliers

Every angler should carry pliers. Fortunately, there are countless worthy options in every price bracket. My winner today, the Piscifun Aluminum Fishing Pliers, has very strong competition. But for price-relative functionality, they were hard to beat. My runners-up are the KastKing Intimidator Fishing Pliers, and the Gerber Magnipliers – awesome options from contrasting price points.

Choosing the best HF Ham Radio for off-grid or grid-down survival communications is challenging. In this blog, we go through key features every HF survival radio should have. We also take a look at 5 of the best low-power, and energy efficient QRP portable ham radios, for off-grid and grid-down preparedness communications.

If you have not already seen my video entitled Grid Down Comms, I would highly recommend it. If you have seen it, consider sharing it to those just getting started in ham radio for preparedness.

Hello Operators. After the devastating earthquake and mobile phone grid failure in Turkey and Syria, an Operator reached out on Twitter, asking about the best HF radio for grid down or off grid survival. In this video and associated blog post, I do my best to highlight the pros and cons of my top HF radio picks, seen on the channel.

Why an HF Survival Strategy?

The preparedness community has been fixated on a single type of survival communications (tactical comms). We can call it tactical comms, fire team comms, squad level communications, … This type of communications is usually done over VHF or UHF on FM or encrypted digital voice, using various types of handheld portable radios.That type of communication is great once your group is all in sync. That is to say, tactical communications with short-range handheld radios only functions, once your crew has rallied. Without that initial mobilization, there is no way to coordinate short-range comms. Before the group musters, a wider coverage area of communications is required, to coordinate the rallying point. That wider range coverage is provided by HF NVIS!

The following video goes through key features every survival radio should have. It also summarizes the pros and cons of each of these radios for grid-down or off-grid survival. For a full review of each radio, check the videos posted later in this blog.

Requirements

Asking “Which is the best radio for survival?” can often leaad to many wrong answers to the question. A better question might be, “Which radio best fits our survival radio requirements?”. If nothing else, this question might lead us to much better answers. The reason is, in a disaster, grid down scenario, operating off grid, resources are not easy to come by. A radio well suited to a POTA activation might be the “worst-case scenario” for a grid-down disaster. Consider this, charging a radio on a normal day is easy and uneventful. Charging or powering a radio in a grid-down scenario, while only carrying what you have on your back, makes things much more difficult. For this reason, we have a set of important requirements, any radio chosen as our HF Survival Radio should have. Let’s go through them.

The following list includes the most important features, any HF Survival Radio should have:

• Low current consumption on RX & efficient TX consumption
• Minimum of 10 watts output, 5 watts is ok
• Band coverage
  • Best case band coverage 160M – 70cm
  • Acceptable band coverage 80M – 10M
  • Bare bones band coverage 80M – 20M
• Built-in audio interface for data comms
• Internal battery & fast charging
• Ability to charge the internal battery, while using and powering the radio
• Daylight readable display.

We can also expand the list to include these key yet often overlooked features.

• Built-in adjustable filters
• DSP, noise reduction, notch filter, …
• Standby mode for display
• Speech compressor built-in
• Easily accessible data port

Rigs mentioned in the video

The following radios are not an exhaustive list. I do not have a (tr)uSDX or Elecraft radios for demonstration. The (tr)uSDX is on the way! I do have the radios which have been demonstrated and reviewed on the channel over the years. This list includes Xiegu, Yaesu, Icom, and Lab599.

XIegu G90

The G90 is the our budget HF radio. Ultimately, the only things missing are the audio interface and external battery. At 20 watts output in a package similar to the Yaesu FT-818, this is an attractive option for someone able to live with the limited band coverage.

Xiegu X6100

The X6100 is portable portable, full featured radio. 10 watts output, built-in audio interface, filters and DSP built-in, … It suffers from slow firmware development from Xiegu, but open-source firmware has recently become available. Internal battery life is good, It can also be charged and powered externally while the radio is in use.

Yaesu FT-818

The Yaesu FT-81x is a 160M – 70cm all-mode portable HF radio, with a small form factor. It is the oldest but best-supported QRP radio by the aftermarket. Discontinued in 2024, but is still available on the used market. Definitely needs the filter fitted (if you can find one). I would suggest an external battery for the 81x. The internal Ni-MH battery pack is heavy and lacks energy density. The Windcamp Li-Ion battery pack with higher energy density than the AA Ni-MH, would be an excellent upgrade. For data it requires a Digirig, and works well with it. If you have the 817nd model, fit the RTC for more reliable data.

Lab599 TX500

The Lab599 TX-500 is the only “rugged” radio available from ham radio manufacturers. Milled from a single block of aluminum for strength and durability. The TX-500 is also comfortable in the rain, snow, and below-freezing operations. Its small modular form factor and ergonomic design are greatly appreciated. It lacks an audio interface but a Digirig can be easily fitted. Battery packs from both Lab599 and DIY599 are incoming and worth-while.The TX-500 is the only solution for those wanting a green radio option, in a pocket portable package.

Icom IC-705

The Icom IC-705 is the only FT-818 alternative with 160M – 70cm band coverage. It also has filters, DSP, notch, .. already fitted making it a full featured radio. The internal GPS is a nice touch, but can only be accessed by USB cable. Still, it allows us to leave a pocket GPS at home. The large screen is easy to read, but precautions must be taken to protect it during transport. Although larger than the other rigs in this post, all of its features means less to buy and carry as added features. This is the best equipped but least rugged out of the radio mentioned in this post. For difficult field work, I would recomment the Peovi full cage wrap and polycarbonate display protector. Having dropped my IC-705 twice without incident, the Peovi cage was an excellent inestment.

Based on many of the comments coming in, many operators still don’t understand my “Survival Radio” philosophy. Asynchronous messaging is at the core of my group’s communications strategy. A radio, tablet, and wire antenna make up the core of this all-mode, data station. Reducing capabilities eg a CW-only station, would reduce size and weight, but also irreconcilably reduce operational capability. Therefore, my station is made up of:

• HF Radio
• Microsoft Surface Tablet
• Wire multi-band antenna

Microsoft Surface

My primary computer for data mode communications is the Microsoft Surface Go 2. Despite its Windows operating system, the Surface Go 2 has performed flawlessly since taking it into use. Much easier to deploy and support than a Raspberry Pi, the Surface Go 2 is the best portable data mode comms investment, made in a very long time.

Digirig Mobile audio interface

For any radio used other than the Icom IC-705 or the Xiegu x6100, I use the Digirig Mobile. There is no point buying any other audio interface for man-portable ops! It is small, lightweight, has audio and cat control, has cross-platform compatibility, and excellent customer support. Our audio interface should not be as large as our radio. for man-portable ops, anything larger than a DigiRig is ridiculous!

Antennas strategy

I recently published a post and video entitled, Portable HF Antenna Strategy for off grid comms”. That video and blog correctly point out how NVIS for regional communication is ignored by most ham radio manufacturers. In fact, NVIS is more of an afterthought, as the majority of ham radio operators spend most of their time on the DX bands. Sadly, the emcomm and preparedness communities are definitely “niche” markets. I was able to find excellent options from Tim Ortiz N9SAB, who makes lightweight multiband antennas for man-portable ops.

Looking for other ways to support the channel?

Support the channel by shopping on ebay, at Battery Hookups or GigaParts.For GigaParts and Battery Hookup, use my callsign for a small discount.Alternatively, drop a little something in the TipJar. It really makes a difference.

• TipJar https://oh8stn.net/TipJar
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• Shop at Battery Hookup: https://oh8stn.net/batteryhookup
• Shop at eBay (affiliate link) : https://oh8stn.net/ebay
• Buy an N9SAB Antenna https://ebay.us/OVVZcG (eBay affiliate link)

The Leupold VX-R packs some pretty impressive features into a relatively affordable package.

But what do those features mean for you? And is the Leupold VX-R worthy of a place atop your rifle?

In this Leupold VX-R review, I’ll answer that question and more.

Let’s get started!

Here’s My Leupold VX-R Review

The Leupold VX-R is a high-end scope with a mid-level price tag.

It’s durable, accurate, and lightweight. Plus, the Illuminated Ballistic Firedot reticle is excellent for rapid target acquisition.

In fact:

It’s one of my favorite hog gun scopes.

I expected quality from a Leupold scope, and I wasn’t disappointed. Here’s why…

Glass Clarity & Reticle

The glass is clear and produces a bright image.

The best part?

I can easily hunt in low light conditions (dawn or dusk). Here’s why:

Leupold applied their Index Matched Lens and Twilight Max management system. Combined, it allows for crazy bright views in dark conditions.

The VX-R uses one of my favorite red dot reticles:

The Ballistic Illuminated Firedot.

The dot is bright and draws the eye naturally to center without obscuring the target. This works especially well when I’m trying to take down running game.

The lines on the bottom post allow me to push my shots out beyond 200 yards and still maintain accuracy.

There are 8 brightness settings, and I was able to find the perfect settings for daylight and night shooting pretty quickly.

However, there was one thing I didn’t like about the VX-R:

The brightness button.

Instead of a dial, the VX-R uses a button to cycle between the light levels. And sometimes, it’ll get stuck. If this happens to you, simply unscrew the battery cap and put it back on, and the button should work fine again.

It’s not a deal-breaker, but I do wish they had a dial instead.

Speaking of dial, the VX-R uses a battery to power the illumination. It’s nice, crisp and equipped with an auto on/off feature.

This is literally a battery saver since I sometimes forget to turn off the illumination. Due to this, I didn’t need to change my battery for months now.

Eye Relief & Eye Box

The eye relief sits at a comfortable 3.7-4.2 inches.

I have mine right at 4 inches on my AR and it’s extremely easy and comfortable to line up with.

With that much eye relief, I could easily mount the VX-R on a higher recoiling rifle and not worry about scope bite.

Related: Best .300 Blackout Scopes and Optics

Eye box is generous and easy to settle into. I’ve found that it maintains field of view even when I zoom it all the way in.

Durability

The VX-R packs in all of the durability you’d expect from a Leupold scope.

The tube is machined from aircraft grade aluminum. This means that the tube is not only tough, but it’s also light, weighing in at 15.3 ounces.

The VX-R is waterproof up to a depth of thirty three feet. So if you accidentally drop your scope in water, it should still be fully functional.

It’s also fully fogproof and scratchproof – like the Leupold Rifleman 4-12×40 – so you can use it in all environments and conditions.

Elevation & Windage Knobs

The turrets are easy to use and turn with a solid, stiff click.

I was able to zero the scope to 200 yards very quickly and have had no issues with any drifting, even after months of shooting.

The turrets proved to be reliable.

Speaking of which, Leupold offers CDS (Custom Dial System) elevation turrets that you can order specific for your caliber and bullet load. I didn’t find this necessary, but it’s a great option to have.

The CDS is a custom elevation dial tuned to your exact load, velocity, and shooting conditions. This means all you have to do is range your target, set the dial, and fire away.

Parallax & Magnification

The VX-R gives you 3-9x variable magnification which is great for close to mid-range shooting.

The best part?

The reticle is set in the second focal plane. Which means, when magnification is changed, the reticle’s size remains the same.

I’ve had zero problems with the reticle obscuring the target, even when I dial the magnification all the way up.

In fact, the image remains clear, even at 9x. No fuzziness or distortion — just a crisp view.

In case you’re wondering about parallax, there is none…

Because the VX-R comes from the factory with parallax eliminated. So all you have to do is zero it in and go shoot.

Mounting & Rings

If you don’t have a mount, I recommend using the Mark AR 30mm mount. It fits like a glove and holds zero well.

Also, the VX-R ships with a scope cover to help keep your scope clean and protected when not in use.

However, I’d recommend some Butler Creek flip-up lens caps (size 02A)…

…and a 40mm Leupold Sunshade if you shoot in sunny conditions.

Is The Leupold VX-R For You?

Overall, the Leupold VX-R is a monster of a mid-range scope, especially when used with an AR or other tactical rifle, like the M1A.

Here’s why. It’s got:

• Clear glass
• 3-9x magnification
• Second focal plane
• Auto-shutoff battery saver
• Reliable, hand adjustable turrets
• Ballistic Illuminated Firedot reticle
• Extremely durable, waterproof, and fogproof

The VX-R brings all the quality and reliability that I would expect from a Leupold but at a reasonable price. If you want to start stepping up your glass game, then the Leupold VX-R is for you.

Plus, the Leupold Lifetime Warranty means that even if you somehow manage to damage the VX-R, you’re covered.

So if you’re ready to take the next step in quality riflescopes, give the Leupold VX-R a try.

I doubt you’ll regret it.

FAQ

If you own a VX-R riflescope or recently bought one, how do you like it so far? Let me know in the comments below. Also, I’ve written an in-depth guide on the best .22-250 scopes on the market.

When Native Americans go hunting, they sometimes eat the deer’s heart as a way of honoring the animal. The heart is seen as a symbol of courage, and eating it is seen as a way of taking in the animal’s strength. In some tribes, the heart is also eaten as a way of showing respect for the deer’s spirit.

A typical size heart can produce enough meat for four or five lunches. This method of cooking allows the heart to retain its delicate flavor while also providing it with a nutritious and tasty taste. Rather than overpower the flavor, the mustard and sharp cheddar work to enhance it. It is simple to save a deer’s heart.

Deer Camp is a hunting destination where hunters make a pact to eat their heart out. A freshly killed animal’s heart was traditionally eaten by Native Americans. As a result, Indians regarded the animal as both brave and powerful, as well as a graceful and graceful animal.

Heart tartare is one of the best ways to eat your heart. Heart tartare is the preparation of meat that does not require it to be cooked. Because the heart is so lean, it can be difficult to cook. You get the full flavor of the animal that you hunted by serving it raw.

Several of the vitamins found in deer hearts, as well as the vitamins B2, B6, and B12, are also found in other animals’ hearts. Eating heart regularly can help improve your health, as well as boost your energy, if you are tired and run down, or if you have high blood pressure.

Do Hunters Eat Deer Hearts?

There is no one answer to this question as it depends on the individual hunter. Some hunters may choose to eat the heart of the deer they have killed, while others may not. Some people believe that eating the heart of the animal you have killed is a way of honoring the animal and taking all of its power into yourself, while others may simply find the taste of heart to be unpleasant. Ultimately, it is up to the hunter to decide whether or not they want to eat the heart of the deer they have killed.

There has been a lot of debate about whether or not it is healthy to eat deer hearts. Johnny Yuile posted a photo of himself and his daughter eating the heart of a freshly killed young deer in 2016 as they commemorated their first night of hunting in the field. According to Native Americans, deer hunting is a sacred ritual. The act of eating a heart is associated with our lives as well as those around us. Raw meat should not be consumed by anyone. Raw meat from a deer can infect it with parasites, so eat it when it is still fresh, two days after harvest, to reduce the risk of infection with viruses such as hepatitis E. A younger deer’s heart is preferred by hunters over an older deer’s heart. Others will prepare it on their own, in addition to the other ingredients. A deer heart is roughly the size of a large adult human, and it can produce enough meat to feed four to five people.

Even though harvesting and cooking deer hearts may appear gruesome, they can be extremely satisfying. If you want to be bold, try cooking it up as a steak and serving it with a rich, red wine reduction sauce. Alternatively, serve it as is with a side of roasted potatoes for a simple, elegant meal.

Did Native Americans Eat Buffalo Heart?

There is no one answer to this question as there are many different Native American tribes with their own unique traditions and customs. Some tribes may have eaten buffalo heart as part of a ceremonial or religious ritual, while others may have simply considered it a delicious and nutritious part of the animal that should not be wasted. In general, Native Americans tended to use every part of the buffalo they hunted, so it is likely that at least some tribes did eat buffalo heart.

Buffalo, also known as the American Bison, has played an important role in the survival and culture of Native Americans over time. Every part of Buffalo is used by Native Americans to provide food, clothing, tools, fuel, and utensils. The hides are used in the construction of robes, bedding, and rugs in Native America. Buffalo horns are frequently cleaned and cut into trinkets, spoons, and rattles. Buffalo hair can be cut and spun into cordage, which is then strung, belted, or otherwise used. You can use the tendons from the back and legs as sewing tools by tearing them out and drying them.

Delicacies Of The Plains Indians

The Plains Indians were known to eat boiled bison brains, hearts, shoulder blades, tongues, and stalks of meat from snouts. They used hooves, tails, and pemmican to make the soup, which was made with hump bison (the shoulder). The Plains Indians were known to eat boiled bison brains, hearts, shoulder blades, tongues, and brain and thigh bones from their snouts.

Do People Bite The Heart Of Their First Deer?

No, people do not bite the heart of their first deer. This is not a common practice among hunters.

If they’re eating deer meat and it’s fresh, why is it called meat? Is it possible to drink blood? When I cut it up, I sprinkle it with salt and a little pepper cover and fry it like a backstrap. Simply soak the blood in it and trim it a little as you go. We used to boil all the hearts to make sandwiches and toss them in a pot with mustard when I was younger (early 1970s). It is not a good idea to open the guts of your first time partner. It is very simple to grab it through the rib cage. The deer is my favorite variety.

Hunter’s First Deer: A Tradition Of Good Luck

When hunting their first deer, hunters usually daub some of its blood on themselves. It is customary for the hunter to wear a bow during this time period to commemorate their accomplishment and to bring good fortune for the future. They believed that the god would be pleased with them, and that the animal would provide them with food for the coming year. Cherokees would seek the gods’ forgiveness after killing an animal. As a sacrifice, some of the animal’s meat would also be thrown into the fire.

Wondering what to do with venison fat? Here’s a fun project you can make that will yield an all-purpose cooking fat.

There’s a huge misconception about venison/deer fat and it’s use in cooking. Basically, people think it tastes like chapstick, it’s gamey and horrible, too rich, or some other common unfortunate misunderstanding.

If you’re here, you’re probably bambi fat-curious, so know this: deer fat is good tasting, good for you, and yes, you can absolutely render it for cooking.

Can you cook with venison fat? Is it even good?

Ok, I should rephrase that a tiny bit. Venison fat can be very good, just like bear fat can be very good. I’m not a venison specialist, but I am a bit of a specialist on lamb and goat, and they’re very similar. Basically, the fat of animals will all taste a little different, but the biggest thing I that find that gives a strong flavor to fat, especially in wild animals like deer and bears, is their diet.

If bears are eating fish, I’d assume their fat (and the meat) would be very strong tasting, the same could be said from the meat of a racoon if it’s been living off crayfish compared to chickens.

My grandmother still recounts how awful the white tail deer in Montana my Grandpa would shoot were, because of how it smelled—like wild sage. Venison eating aromatic herbs, and shrubby, tough aromatic plants will naturally have a strong flavor.

Over here in Minnesota and Wisconsin, where most of the deer get a bit of corn in their diet, the deer will taste very mild. For contrast too, I once ordered farmed venison obviously fed a bland corn diet (at a price of 50$/lb) and had to quickly send it back to the supplier since it didn’t even taste like, well, anything, and the meat was bland and pale.

I’ve had the same thing happen with bison. As far as flavor’s concerned, just because it’s a “wild animal” or was once wild, doesn’t necessarily matter as much as the management practices do.

The high melting point

Flavor aside, probably what most people don’t care for with venison fat is that is has a high melting point, which is a nice way of saying rendered venison fat/tallow will be rock solid cold, and will firm up on a plate and in your mouth if your dish cools off. Some people liken it to chapstick.

All of this is true, but, it’s also true with lamb, goat, beef, and buffalo. All of these ruminants have fat with a similar melting point, and all of them can be good in the right place. Remember, McDonalds French fries were cooked solely in beef fat for many years, for a reason: it tastes great.

Blend fats to get the texture you want

Here’s the secret. Just because deer, beef, and lamb fat is rock hard and pasty doesn’t mean that it has to be, per se. There’s ways around it, and I like to cheat a bit. Basically, I modify fats depending on the texture I want. For example, one year for a special dinner I wanted to make deviled eggs inspired by some I had at Dominique Crenn’s Bar Crenn that were flavored with crab.

Crab oil is really easy to make, but if I mix some into deviled egg filling, it’s going to get too loose. So, I cooked crab shells in half butter and half oil, then pureed the hybrid fat into the deviled egg mix and, voila, after it chilled, I had custardy, stiff, crab-flavored deviled eggs. I do the same thing here with the deer fat.

Venison Fat “Shmaltz”

I call this venison or deer fat shmaltz because shmaltz is kind of what it is. Depending on who you ask, shmaltz will typically be used to refer to poultry fat, typically in Jewish cuisine, although it’s been adopted into the modern culinary lexicon a bit.

Some versions of shmaltz incorporate flavorings like onions, garlic and herbs into the rendering process, and that’s exactly what I do here with the venison, which helps give it some deep, rounded flavor.

The other secret is cutting the venison fat with cooking oil—whatever kind you have that isn’t cold pressed, avocado oil, grapeseed, and other oils will be fine, just don’t use extra virgin.

The finished rendered venison fat-hybrid is still going to get firm when it’s cold, but you wont have to chip it like a block of stone, and, what’s even better is that it tastes great, and you can use it for everything from sautéing vegetables to some of the most crispity, crunchity roasted potatoes you’ll eat. Try it next time you have some deer fat and don’t feel like using it to polish your boots.

The ruffed grouse is without question one of the most challenging upland gamebirds to hunt. But one way you can improve your luck with this handsome brown and russet speedster is to avoid making mistakes.

I feel uniquely qualified to write a piece on this topic, since over the years I believe I have made every mistake possible in the grouse woods, some of them many times over. But gradually I began to learn from those mistakes. And as I did, I saw both my flushing and harvest rates go up and also my enjoyment of the sport. Sure, just walking through grouse country is fun. But bagging a few now and then certainly makes the experience a bit more rewarding!

It would be easy to list literally dozens of mistakes I’ve made or seen other grouse hunters make over the years. But we’ll focus on the ones that are most common and the ones that hurt your chances for success the most. Knowing what they are ahead of time should help you avoid them, or at least recognize when you make them and avoid them the next time.

1. Not Getting in Hunting Shape

Grouse hunting is extremely demanding physically. You’ll walk for hours, often in uneven, hilly or mountainous terrain. First get a physical, and then start an exercise program that is hunter specific before you get serious about grouse hunting. You might walk 5-10 miles in a day carrying a 6-7 pound firearm. Be ready for the challenge before you take it.

2. Using the Wrong Gun

Many grouse hunters use guns that are way too heavy. They also carry guns with barrels too long.

A heavy gun becomes a burden to carry on the long hikes through hilly or mountainous country grouse inhabit. It also is harder to bring up quickly and swing on a fast-departing target when you only have a second or two to find the bird and fire. The long barrel is a hindrance working through the thick, vine-tangled, briar-infested cover where grouse like to hang out. It can even get caught on sapling branches when you try to mount and fire.

Leave those guns at home and save them for waterfowl or pheasant hunts. Instead, tote a 12-28 gauge shotgun in any action you please, but make sure it’s light. It should also have a fairly short barrel, for easy, quick swinging in thick cover. I like a double, but autoloaders and pumps are also fine. Avoid a single shot if possible, because you’ll often miss with your first shot and occasionally the grouse will still be in view for a second try.

3. Using the Wrong Choke

Using the wrong choke tube is a common mistake for many kinds of upland bird and small game hunting, but it’s especially critical for grouse. The thick cover these birds inhabit most of the time means shots will be short range. Sometimes they might be as close as 10-15 yards. Other times maybe out to 20-30 yards. Thirty-five yards would be a very long grouse shot.

That makes it clear that an open choke tube is usually the best bet. At times improved cylinder will be okay. But very rarely will a modified be a good choice. My main grouse gun is a 16-gauge bored skeet and skeet. If a bird gets up 35 or 40 yards away, I just pass it up. But 90 percent of them get up closer, and the open barrel gives a broad pattern that helps my mediocre shooting skills.

4. Using the Wrong Pellet Size

Small shot, size 7 1/2 or 8 is usually best for grouse. The smaller the pellets, the more in a shell and the more likely one or two will connect. And though they look big, grouse are fragile birds and fairly easy to bring down. I go with size 8 for early hunting, 7 1/2 for late season. If you’re hunting unusually open terrain or it’s late in the season and some grouse are flushing far out, 6’s can also be a good choice. Anything bigger simply hurts your chances of connecting.

5. Walking Too Fast

Human nature makes us want to cover a lot of ground as we search for grouse. The more ground we cover, the more birds we’ll find. Right? No. Not really.

Actually you’ll probably walk past a lot of birds if you use that approach. You’ll also wear yourself out faster physically and have to cut the length of the hunt short. Or you’ll be tired when a bird flushes and not be able to mount and fire as quickly as you otherwise could. You’ll also tend to rush past good bits of cover instead of walking them out thoroughly.

Grouse are extremely well camouflaged and really don’t like to fly. They would much rather sit tight and let you saunter past them, even as close as ten feet away, rather than fly. They know they’re exposing themselves to possible danger when they do and want to avoid it if possible. The slow walker seems more threatening to them and is more likely to make them flush.

6. Not Stopping Often Enough

This brings us to a related mistake. Not only should you walk slowly while hunting to be sure you cover the best habitat carefully, you should pause often. This is not just to keep your stamina up, but also a strategic tactic. Pausing seems to make a grouse feel a predator has spotted him and is about to attack. The silence unnerves him, compared to a hunter just casually walking past him. He tenses and flushes.

I’ve found that you’ll flush almost twice as many birds by stopping frequently in good cover as you will if you simply walk through it. It also lets you raise the gun to port arms and be ready if a bird rockets out.

7. Not Stopping at the Right Locations

Make sure you’re in a clear area when you stop so you can raise the gun and swing it without the barrel catching on a grape vine or sapling growth. Also stop near enough to the prime cover that when a bird flushes he won’t be out of range. And finally try to chose a spot where there won’t be an obstruction between you and the quarry when it flushes.

8. Hunting in the Wrong Type of Cover

There are generally two types of cover in a typical forest. One is open, park-like, with mature timber. It looks like a nice place to take a walk or have a picnic. Then there’s grouse cover!

It’s thick, congested, overgrown with grapevines, greenbrier and dense sapling growth. There are blowdowns, laurel, rhododendron, young aspen and alder trees. Sometimes the area is growing back from clear-cutting. It makes for tough walking and tough shooting. But that’s where the grouse are.

The mistake too often made is hunting where it’s easy walking, easy shooting and inviting. The grouse aren’t there. They’re in the thick stuff. Get in and bust them out.

9. Not Finding the Food

Not only do you need to find this thick grouse habitat, you can improve your chances further by pinpointing areas within these dense jungles that provide grouse the most food. It could be grapes, honeysuckle, ferns, greenbrier, oaks, or aspen. Dogwoods are also favored, as are hawthorn, alder, blackberry, raspberry, viburnum, plum, sumac, ash, birch, cranberry and olives. Old abandoned orchards can also attract the birds for the leftover fruit. Ridges are often best early. Later they may move down to hollows, stream bottoms and more protected cover with less snow accumulation.

10. Hunting Too Close to the Road

Birds will be warier and spookier here. They’ll also be present in lower numbers because of the hunting pressure they’ve been exposed to. Hike in a quarter or half mile, and then start hunting. You’ll find more birds and they’ll be less skittish.

11. Using Wide-Ranging Bird Dogs

A dog can be a great help in grouse hunting. But if you have a wide-roaming hunting dog that doesn’t stay close and obey commands well, it can actually bump more birds out of range than it points for you. By all means, bring a dog if he’s trained to hunt close and knows grouse. Otherwise, you might do better off just jump shooting the birds. I like a dog that sticks close, always within about 50-75 yards or closer.

Tip: BirdDown Dog Training Scent lets you add the scent and smell of real grouse to your dog’s training easily. Easy-to-apply and easy-to-use, this wax-based stick adds a strong scent of a grouse to a training dummy with a simple dab or wipe on the dummy.

12. Not Shooting Quickly Enough

This is common among novices in particular. A grouse thunders out of cover, often right at your feet, so loudly and raucously that it’s shocking. By the time you collect yourself and raise the gun, he’s out of sight. Or maybe he’s so close you let him get a ways out so the shot won’t damage the meat. In both cases, the clever grouse will likely put brush or a tree between you and him and vanish before you slap the trigger. Shoot quickly, as soon as you can get the gun up to your shoulder and firmly mounted and your cheek down on the stock.

13. Not Being Ready for a Second or Third Grouse to Flush

If you flush a grouse, there’s often a chance another bird may be in the covert where he was. Be ready for a second chance if you missed the first bird. If you bagged the first grouse and have marked carefully in your mind exactly where it fell, then you can try for a second one. If you haven’t, let the second grouse go and concentrate on locating the one you hit.

14. Not Watching Carefully Where a Flushed Bird Flies

If you miss a grouse, there’s a decent chance you can re-flush it. But to do that you need to watch carefully as it flies away and get a good bead on where it might have landed. Often it will fly through a semi-open area, land and then run into the next thick patch of cover. Pay attention and you may get a second, or even a third crack at that bird.

15. Hunting in Areas Exposed to Strong Winds

Grouse don’t like wind. It robs them of their ability to sense movement of brush and potential approaching predators. And in winter it robs them of body heat and chills them. Look for hollows, valleys, dips, and sides of hills protected from the strongest breezes to bag the most grouse. You’ll also find the hunting more comfortable there as well.

16. Hunting Alone

If the truth be known, I have to confess I do this a lot. But when possible, always try to bring a buddy or two along. It’s much easier to thoroughly hunt a patch of cover if two bodies are walking through it, trying to flush birds.

Often you’ll move a grouse that will fly by your partner and vice versa. That will give you extra shooting opportunities you wouldn’t otherwise have. Four eyes are also better than two for finding dead birds. And it’s simply fun to share the woods with a companion and share the joys and frustrations of chasing America’s most challenging upland game bird.