Goose Hunt (continued)

We went back and sat inside the blind in hopes that we may get another set of birds to come in, I was praying that we would so my friend could get another chance at his first goose.  About forty five min later we saw a fairly large jag of geese out on the horizon, at first we thought nothing of it, two min later however those specks were growing at an ever increasing speed.  I remember thinking to myself “please let these birds be it”.  My dad and myself began calling and flight split into two, half stayed on the course that they were on, while the other half veered off sharply to the right (our left) and started heading right for our spread of decoys.  I once again pulled up my shot gun onto my knees to get ready to shoot.  Then, perhaps out of sheer excitement, my friend jumped out of the blind to shoot.  The birds were still out of the Seventy yard range of my shotgun, however at this point it was all or nothing because they had already seen us.   I fired three times, they were just too far to hit.  The excitement wore off quickly and we realized that he and I jumped out too early.  As we walked back into the blind, the question of whether or not we would get another chance was running through both our heads.  No one spoke for about fifteen minute, then my friend spoke up and said “man, I’m sorry for jumping out so early”.  I instantly replied, I said that “It’s alright, it happens to everyone, I’ve done it to”.  I told him about the first time I jumped out early “I had gone goose hunting with my dad and one of my uncles; we had called in a jag of geese, just like my dad and I had earlier that day, they came in, I ran out of the blind, I shot, missed”.  It was one of the more embarrassing things I’ve ever done. 

            The rest of the day was really slow; geese usually fly between 7 am and 10 am and it was now 10:30 and no one had heard or seen birds for the past 45 minutes.  My friend was still wired from his 5 hour energy shot earlier that morning I decided to take a nap while he sat up and watched for geese.  Eleven thirty came around and we still hadn’t had any geese come within more than two miles of us.  I had planned to try to get out of there by 12:00 because I had set up to drive down state later that afternoon, I decided to stay till one though just to try to get my friend one more chance at getting his bird. 

            12:30 rolled around, still no sightings of geese.  It was getting late, my dad and I made the call to pack up.  While he left to go get the truck, which we had stashed under some trees, my friend and I started to pack up the decoys.  No sooner had we walked out into the field , than a jag of geese appeared above the tree line in front of us.  We stopped what we were doing and went over to the front of the blind.  Crouched down, I started to call and the geese began to come down then, they cut away just as quickly as they had appeared.  The big black Chevy Silverado had appeared in the fields.  There was no chance at getting any birds in now. 

            As we packed up two more sets of geese came up over the tree line and instantly veered off to the right.  It’s funny how hunting works like that.  Any time you have failed to limit out it seems like the skies open up right around when you’re leaving.  I always leave wondering “what if we had stayed fifteen more minutes?  Would we be going home full”.  Every time I have to tell myself that the line has to be drawn somewhere and maybe next time we’ll stay that extra fifteen minutes.   

Goose Hunt

This past weekend one of my friends, my dad and myself went out to one of out friends farms to goose hunt.  We had to wake up at 3:00 am so that we would be able to arrive in the field with an hour to spare before shooting time.  It was about 28 degrees out so the cold weather gear was all brought out the night before, along with the shotguns, decoys, buckets, ammunition and camo netting.  It was my friends first time goose hunting so he was all excited for the trip, he probably asked me upwards of 20 times if we were “for sure” going up until that Saturday.                                     

            We arrived at the fields at about 5:00 and proceded to drive down a dirt road through a tree line to a small pond.  We weren’t exactly sure where we were going to hunt that morning because the fields that we usually hunt had been turned and disked.  This pushes all of the food underneath the soil and the birds usually won’t land there.  We parked the truck next to the pond and got out to take a look around.  All that was around was cattails and ice, not the best land to goose hunt over, so we got back in the truck and drove around the property some more.  We ended up finding some bean fields.  One of them had a really high, flat spot.  We decided that if we were going to have any chance at getting some geese to come down on us, this would be the spot. 

            Myself and my friend unloaded the truck and set up our gear and weapons in a small open area under some brush (the field backed right up against some woods).  We then went to retrieve our goose decoys that were stashed under an old semi tractor trailer. 

            It took about an hour to assemble and place all of the decoys, about 70 in all, and the sun was starting to show light as we were climbing back into the blind. 

            Nothing happened for about the first hour or so, but as the light started to come up over the trees we began to see geese way off in the distance.  My dad and myself had been in situations before where we say geese all day but never had them come close enough so shoot so we didn’t get over excited about seeing birds, but it was better than seeing nothing.  We gave a few calls just to make our presence known if there were any birds within ear shot that just weren’t calling but fifteen minutes later there was still nothing.  Then, way off to our right, we saw two geese flying around, we started calling and they immediately hooked to their left towards us, we were in business.  I pulled my shotgun up on top of my knees and started blowing away on the goose call, the birds started dropping lower, lower, lower, coming closer with each second.  When they were within 250 yards, I dropped the calls and grabbed my shotgun.  What seemed like a life time was probably only fifteen seconds.  They entered the outer edge of my shooting range of seventy yards.  That may seem far to some people but I was shooting high 3-1/2 in BBBs and had a full choke in the gun.  I waited anyway for them to break the forty yard barrier, as they did their feet dropped down and wings spread and back pedaled my friend and I exploded out of the brush.  The birds flared, I shot once hit but no kill, then I shot again, one bird dropped.  The other bird was on its way out and about to pass the seventy yards, I shot…missed.  My friend’s gun had jammed after the first shot so he was screwing around with the action.  I was still watching the bird that got away and decided to start calling, just in case.  Just as my dad told me to quit it, the bird hooked back, it was the coolest thing I have ever seen.  I yelled for everyone to get back against the trees as I pulled two BBB shells off of the butt of my gun.  My dad and I started to blow away on the calls, nobody moved as the bird came in closer, we were fully exposed up against the tree line.  The bird came past seventy yards, then came into about sixty.  I jumped up out of the brush and shot, I winged the bird and when it hit the ground it started to run but we had my dog on it before it could get very far.

(To Be Continued)

Cold Weather Camping

Cold Weather Camping

            If done correctly, and if your prepared for it, cold weather camping can be even more enjoyable than during temperatures above 40 degrees. 

            The key to being comfortable in cold weather is to keep dry.  The moment that you become wet, the day can turn from fun and enjoyable to a death trap. 

            It all starts with the feet.  In all my experience camping, I have learned one thing for sure.  A person with un-happy feet is an unhappy person.  Keeping your feet is simple; all you have to do is follow a few rules that apply when camping in cold weather. 

            The first rule is to keep them dry.  A few simple steps will keep your feet dry through even the coldest and or wettest conditions that you may come across.  The first step is layering, though it may seem odd, layering clothing on your feet is one of the key components to keeping them dry, warm and comfortable.  However it turns out to make more sense than you may have realized.  Start with a thin pair of socks, I use silk socks.  These will wick any sweat away from your feet that may accrue while you are walking around and working.  Second will be your normal tennis shoe socks.  These will further pull any wicked sweat away from your foot.  The third layer is your heavy duty sock that will provide you with ultimate warmth.  If you are worried about water coming in through your boot I would advise taking a plastic bag and placing it between your tennis shoe sock (you may need to find a higher sock) and your thick sock.  The plastic bag will limit the breathability of your foot; however it will keep your feet dry from the outside.  This means that more attention will have to be paid to whether or not your feet are sweating.

            Layering the rest of your clothes is one of the more commonly known aspects of cold weather camping, or just plain old being in the cold weather.  However, some people may be layering incorrectly.  When layering the first think you need to think about is “what will bring moisture off of my skin”.  I find that the cold gear line that under armor makes does the job very well.  If you do not currently own any, it is not a problem, there is just a little more planning that needs to go into getting dressed.  First I would advise wearing any tight fitting under shirt.  Something breathable that will wick sweat away from your skin, not hold it in.  Many times people will come down with and or die of hypothermia not because they got wet from an outside source, but because their own sweat killed them.  If left unchecked your sweat will cook on your skin and sap the energy and life right out of you.  Now that an undershirt is on, the long sleeve shirts come into play.  One is usually enough however, if you are one that gets cold easily, it is ok to put two on.  After the shirts are on, it is time to begin putting on the clothing that will take the brunt of the cold.  I like to put a hooded sweatshirt on and then a fleece.  This allows me to access to the zipper of the fleece ion the event that I need to cool off to prevent sweating.  Having a hooded sweatshirt will provide you with the option of having another hood, or, the hood rolled up under your coat will protect the back of your neck from the cold.  If it is going to be super cold and windy where you plan to camp it would be wise to now put a light weight jacket over the fleece.  It will lessen the bite of the wind, keeping it out of the lower layers of your clothing, as well as act as another barrier between you and water.  Now you are ready for your outer shell, this can be any rugged jacket that is preferably waterproof.  Since this is your outer layer, something that is highly visible is greatly advised.  I personally own a Vertex jacket that is made by Columbia.  It is bright orange and grey.  Though the color will not keep you warm, it may just save your life if your body shuts down in the cold.  It will allow rescuers to see you much easier in a wintery expanse of white and black.

(To be continued with layering your bottom half)

Setting up a spread of decoys for a Goose hunt

Setting up a spread of decoys for a goose is an all sense of the phrase, an art form.  If it looks wrong, the geese will not land.  This entry will hopefully help you with the basics of setting up the spread.  The first rule is make sure that all of the geese are facing into the wind, or relatively facing that direction.  This is the first that will set the geese off that there is something wrong.  Next is do not set up the entire spread so that they are all doing the same thing.  Think of your spread of a college lecture, some people are sleeping, some people are eating, and some are paying attention, and these people are all intermixed throughout the group.  Knowing that, realize that the goose is in a survival situation so there is some order to chaos.  Generally speaking the Sleepers are on the inner part of the flock.  This is because they aren’t paying attention to not getting eaten by predators so they stay on the inside to be warned by the outer birds.  The outer part of your spread should consist of Sentry birds.  These birds are on the lookout for predators (such as yourself) so it is imperative that you get them right.  There should usually be one sentry per 8-10 geese in your spread.  The rest of your spread should consist of feeding birds and be sure to space the birds out unevenly if your spread looks like a grid of dots from the sky it will look fake.  Lastly is the shape of your spread, it should be an oval that is pointed into the wind and in heaviest on the edge that the wind is hitting.

Why do Geese Honk?

While goose hunting you may often find yourself hearing the birds before you actually see them.  Myself being the kind of person that loves to ask questions, I would often find myself wondering “why do they honk while in a large formation?” while they were homing in on my spread of decoys.  I now have the answer; the honk is a locator call that the geese use to “see” where everyone is in the formation.  It is used to coordinate the change in lead bird when one gets tired, as well as when a bird falls behind.  It is also used before the geese are about take off the flock is brought together and it takes off as one unit.  Contrary to popular belief and countless leadership lessons, geese do not honk to encourage the other geese to keep flying.

Why do Geese Fly in a "V" Formation?

            As a little kid I was always so interested in why and how geese knew to fly in a “V” formation.  I used to ask questions like why did they pick the letter V, and how do they even know what a V looks like? 

            After learning a little bit about physics I can now answer the age old question of “Why do Geese fly in a “V” formation?”  The answer is, because when they fly in a V formation they can fly over 50% further than any one goose flying alone.  The truth is that the goose understood aerodynamics hundreds of years before people even started to think about physics.  The goose instinctively knows to fly in a V because it’s easier, don’t people always take the easiest and fastest rout?  The goose does this also, when geese fly in a V formation there is only one goose that is flying head on into the wind.  That bird is the head bird, as it flies. air currents are created behind it.  The outer air current from the outer top of the wing is used by the bird flying behind it to increase the amount of lift that the bird receives with each flap of its wings.  As this happens the birds span out in the shape of a V.  Then when the lead bird gets tired it drops back to the end of the V and the formation shifts up a new lead bird.  

Belay devices

    The first step to learning to climb on your own is learning to belay.  Well this post won’t necessarily teach you how to belay but hopefully by the end you may know a little about the equipment used to do it. 

            The first and most basic belay device is in fact, no belay device at all.  This is called the hip belay.  It is the oldest way to belay, however it is not the safest.  This type of belaying is used when the climbing routs are easy and a quick belay is necessarily.  The belay is done by simply feeding the rope behind you.  In the event that the climber slips or fails, the friction between you and the rope is that locks the rope.

            A Sticht plate is one of the oldest known belaying devices.  It is the simplest of all the devices and is probably the cheapest.  It consists of a plate of metal with a slot cut in the middle of it.  Rope is fed through the slot and down through a spring.  The rope then goes under a carabineer and back up and out of the plate.  The rope locked off by pulling the trailing end down to your hip.  This put a “bite” in the rope and prevents it from sliding back through the plate. 

             The ATC is perhaps the most common of all belay devices.  It stems from the Sticht Plate; it is just greatly improved upon.  As shown below, the device has two slots and a piece of wire going from one side of the device to the other.  This wire is what holds the device to the belay harness.  To use this device the rope needs to be pinched and pushed into one of the slots just as in figure one.  Then the device is clipped into the harness on a locking carabineer as in figure two.  Now the device is safely attached, how to break with the device is shown in figure three.  There are many variations of this belay device, these include the Variable controller; this has one side that is angled and thicker so that it may apply more friction which is useful when using smaller diameter ropes. 

Figure one

Figure two

Figure three

The next device is a figure eight device.  Though this is technically a defined as a belaying device used in climbing, nine times out of ten it is used for rappelling.  This device gets its name from its shape; it looks like the number “8”.  The rope may be fed through the device in two different ways.  The first way is up through the big hole, then down and behind the device then back up the big hole following the way that the original path of the rope.  The second and safer way is slightly different.  The beginning is still the same, come up through the big hole however this time instead of going behind the device, go through the locking carabineer, then back down through the big hole.  Feeding the rope through this way prevents the rope from sliding down off of the belay device when an excessive amount of slack is in the rope.  This would be extremely dangerous if the climber fell at this point because it is nearly impossible to catch them by locking off the rope.  They will fall and you will get a rope burn that you will not forget (the rope burn is only in the event that you are not wearing gloves).  A variation of this belay device is the rescue figure eight.  It is the same as the regular figure eight however it has wings that come off the sides to create extra friction and they stop the rope from sliding off of the device.

Figure eight

Rescue figure eight

Building a fire

             

I can remember being in boy scouts and first learning how to build a fire.  I was about 12 years old and I was doing it with a friend.  It was so hard; I just couldn’t get it right.  I had tried the “teepee” method probably about nine times and every time it would get going then burn up the tinder and go out.  My scoutmaster then showed me a way to build the fire that has worked every time since.  Start out with two large logs and lay them side by side with about eight inches between the two crests of them.  Then look for sticks anbout the size of a match stick around and lay them across the two logs till there is about 6 inches if width between your first and last stick ( like this |<6>| )  then lay the same size sticks across those so you form a grid like this #.  Now look for sticks about the size of a pencil and do the same crisscrossing two layers on top of this.  Then find sticks about the size of your thumb and lay them across in the same way.  Now take one match and light the fire from the bottom.  If your wood is dry and you have followed the methods that I have stated above, you should have a full blown fire shortly.  I have not once had this method fail and I have always used just one match when starting the fires. 

                Now that you can build a fire it would be helpful to know how to build a fire so that it can be used for cooking.  You could just build the fire like I stated above and let it burn down and then set your pots or pans on top and cook.  However this method requires that you can find logs of equal size and that you wait for the fire to burn down to just coals.  The alternative is a pit fire.  Dig a hole about one food deep and build your fire in it.  Once your fire gets going throw your wood into the fire until it barely starts to pile over the top of your hole.  Let the flames die down a little bit then you will have a perfect cooking fire.  Because your fire is in a hole the dirt around it will harden up and insulate the heat and prevent the heat loss that you would have otherwise.  It also stops the problem that you would normally have if it’s windy (the heat gets blown away from the food and your food just sits there getting warm).  Once you are done cooking you can throw logs on top of your cooking fire and if your fire was built right than the basically solid mass of coals in your pit will engulf your log in flames. This is great when all you have left is large wood and its dark and your tire and just want to relax and fall asleep.

Continued Camping

I personally really like boots made by Merrill.  They are really comfortable and the majority of them are made to be waterproof.  If you buy them at a REI there is a 100% satisfaction guaranteed.  This means that if, and when the waterproofing in the boots fail you can return them and get a new pair.  The boots also have Vibram soles which absorb impact especially well as well as the fact that the boots have great traction.  They are great for just wa

lking around, trekking through snow covered trails, hunting, or a fall hike. 

                For those of you that will spending an extended amount of time in the outdoors and not going to be car camping it would be wise to use a backpack to bring your gear into camp.  There are two different types of backpacking backpacks, External Frame Packs and Internal Frame Packs.  The external frame packs are lighter than the internal frame [packs and can take a little bit more abuse.  I also believe that they are more comfortable than the internal frame packs because they pull the pack away from your back a good 2-3 inches.  This allows for air circulation and it gives you the ability to adjust the stiffness of the pack similar to how you adjust how stiff the seat is in a car.  Internal frame packs have the frame built into the pack.  This allowed the backpack to store easily because it can be more or less folded up.  

                                                                                                                                            Internal Below

External Above

CAMPING

Camping

                Personally I love the outdoors, though I probably don’t need to say that because its already known… considering I write in a blog labeled Sporting Outdoors.  One of the most popular ways and easiest ways to enjoy the outdoors is through camping.

                Camping or Camp is defined in Webster’s dictionary as,

intr

ansitive verb

1: to make camp or occupy a camp2: to live temporarily in a camp or outdoors —often used with out3: to take up one's quarters : lodge4: to take up one's position : settle down —often used with out<camp out in the library for the afternoon>transitive verb: to put into a camp 

 

I will discuss the first part of the definition “making and occupying a camp”.  One of the main things to think about when going camping is what you need to bring.  This depends largely on what the weather is going to be like in the area that you plan to camp in and the terrain that you plan to camp in.

                The first piece of gear to look into is a tent; find one that will fit your needs.  If you are to be camping with a large family all in one tent then naturally a larger tent will be ne

eded.  However the larger the tent the less it can withstand.  If you’re going to do a little more rigorous camping then a one or two man tent is the better choice.  These tend to be built a little sturdier and will be able to with stand a larger beating.  Another upside is that they are much lighter.  This is because they usually have aluminum tent poles unlike the larger tents that use fiberglass.  Below are pictures of the two mentioned tents. 

                

The next thing on the list is dressing for the weather.  A lot of first time campers will go out and buy the most expensive gear out there.  However they never stop to think that for centuries people have been surviving in the outdoors without a $500 North Face jacket.  And how did have people doing this I might ask?  The answer is…Layers!  What I mean by this is that when you layer clothing such as throwing on two tee shirts will keep you warmer then wearing an article of clothing that is the thickness of the two tee shirts put together.  This is because the air that is trapped between the two shirts acts like insulation just like the insulation that is between the interior and exterior walls of your home.  Though just because layers may keep you warm they will not necessarily keep you dry.  In this aspect our resources have improved.  The outer shell or your clothing should be a synthetic tightly woven fabric.  This will keep out the wind and rain. 

                If your feet are unhappy then you will be unhappy.  It is very important to make sure that when you go camping you bring with TWO comfortable pairs of shoes, one pair that you will use as your main pair and the other pair to ward off Murphy’s Law.  that is that, if you only bring one pair, they will get wet, burnt, a shoelace will break or all of the above (shoes could get wet so you dry them by the fire, forget about them then they light on fire when they’re on fire the laces burn and break and you have nothing to put on your feet…yes it has happened to me).  If you are going to be doing a lot of hiking through the woods get a pair with some ankle support, if it is all well beaten paths then regular tennis shoes will be fine.  If you are going to go out to buy a pair, make sure that your camping trip is not the first time that they are put to the test.  Any time I buy a new pair of shoes I make sure that they are very well broken in before the trip.  I buy them at least a month in advance and make it a point to wear them every day before the trip.  This makes sure they are broken in and if there are any problems with them it gives you time to return them and get a different pair.

(TO BE CONTINUED)

 

Building A Sleigh

Christmas is coming up and that means snow.  With snow comes… Sledding!!!  And what better way to go sledding than with 10 of your closest friends piled atop of a sheet of plywood?  This blog entry will be centered on how to build a “Super Sleigh” that may be used to barrel down a hill, tow behind your jeep in a parking lot, or anything else you’re crazy enough to try. 

                Start with a trip to home depot.  You will need to get the following, a full size sheep of plywood, five full size 2x4s, enameled spray paint, wax (sex wax works best), 2” screws (or 

a size close to that), and washers that will fit the screws.  It’s not necessary to buy really high grade materials, though it is helpful to have at least three straight 2x4s this helps the sleigh go straight and fast.  When you get home set aside the three straightest 2x4s these will be your runners.  Take the remaining two pieces and cut them into eighteen equal length pieces.  These pieces will be the spacers for the sleigh and three of them will be cut to be the leading edge of the sleigh.

                Now time to “finish” runners.  If you own a planer this is very very easy, just run each 2x4 through till you have a smooth side.  If not, it’s no big deal it just takes a little longer, just sand one edge of each runner till they’re smooth.  I would advise putting a fillet on the edge of your runners using either a handheld router or you could use sandpaper.  This will make the sled faster and make it run straighter.  Next spray each runner with the enameled spray paint that you bought.  The more coats that are put on the better.  After this is done the wood will be slightly rough so just take some sand paper and sand out the bumps, the next part is my favorite.  Wax the runners with the wax that was bought. Then use wax paper to smooth the wax out.  If possible use a torch and LIGHTLY/CAREFULLY go over the runners to melt the wax evenly.  At this point your runners should be protected from snow and ice as well as smooth as glass.

Next take the eighteen pieces that were cut and pile six next to each runner.  After doing this take one of the runners and its six spacers and set them out in a space that you will be able to work in.  Lay out your spacers like this, two at one end of the 2x4 (all the way op to the end of the wood) two in about the middle and two about one foot from the other end.  Grab 

your screws and screw the blocks into the runners, make sure that you are screwing them into the unfinished sides of the runners.  Screw them in in layers, and use three or four screw per block.  I know it sounds excessive, but if your sled starts to go sideways there will be A LOT of stress on these joints and they will rip right apart, leaving you with a broken sled and runners with screws sticking out of them.  Once this is done cut a curve at the front of the runner this curve will prevent the sled from getting jammed in the snow.  Smooth out your cut with sand paper then repeat the entire step with the other two runners.

Now that the runners are done it is time for perhaps the most important part, the decorating/ painting of the sleigh.  Use the spray paint or anything else you have laying around to 

decorate or color one side of the plywood.  If you’re looking for an idea just look at the pictures of mine.  Once the decorations are complete, screw the plywood on top of the evenly spaced runners using the washers to prevent the screws from pulling through the plywood.  The final touch is to drill two holes in the front of the sleigh for a tow rope.

                 

Cleaning a Shotgun

Cleaning a Shotgun        

                Well goose season is right around the corner, and with that comes an important process, loved by some, and dreaded by others.  A shotgun is a tool, and like all tools they work best when well maintained and are cleaned frequently.  Since for some of us this fall may be the first time in about eight months that our shotguns have been exposed to the basement light, I figured that I would go through how I at least clean a shotgun.  I say this because though there is a basic order of events when cleaning a weapon, there are always things that each person does differently. 

                I personally own a Remington 870 3-1/2” magnum so I’ll go over the steps to cleaning a shotgun.

First push in the release pin in that is on the outside of the trigger guard.  Then slide the pump half way down the magazine (if the breach is already open then you will simply have to slide it forward).  Doing this makes it much easier to remove the barrel of the shotgun.  After this is done, unscrew the end cap of the magazine.  Then take a flathead screwdriver and stick it in the magazine, push down and rotate counter clockwise.  This should release the spring in the magazine.  Pull out the spring and plug and set them aside.  The barrel should then slide right off the rest of the weapon.  Now for the tricky part, slide the pump forward, exposing the inside of the action.  When this is done a rectangular piece will come out with the pump, set these both aside.

                For this next part I find it easiest to hang the shotgun upside down over a trashcan.  Upside down so that all the fluids run throughout the entire weapon, and over the trashcan for obvious reasons.  I then use a degreasing agent to remove all of the dirt and grime that is inside the action.  While the action is drip drying, I move on to the barrel.  I start with a wire brush made of brass.  When cleaning the barrel of the gun, you should ALWAYS use a metal that is softer than the barrel. If it isn’t, the barrel of your shotgun will be really scratched up, and possibly change the flight path of the pellets.  Run the brush in and out of the barrel a few times to loosen/remove the larger particles of grime and gun powder.  I then spray the degreaser down the barrel, this will loosen/remove the smaller particles in the barrel.  I leave the barrel to drip dry and go back to the action of the weapon. 

                The action of the weapon is now almost completely clean.  I use WD-40 with the straw to force out the rest of the dirt, then I use the degreaser to remove the WD-40 (WD-40 attracts dirt),  I re lubricate the action with 3in1 oil.  It will lubricate better for longer and it will not attract as much dirt into the weapon. This important because as the gun is fired and shells are ejected, powder is released throughout the weapon and if the WD-40 was there it would attract it like iron particles to a magnet.  The action is now finished and it’s time to move back to the barrel.

                I spray the inside of the barrel with WD-40 use a bore mop to clean the inside of the barrel.  This will remove all of the left over powder and leave the barrel “squeaky clean”.  Now clean the rectangular piece that came out with the pump should be cleaned with 3in1 oil.  The weapon may now be reassembled. 

                The hardest part is sliding the pump back into the action.  You will need to push in the two pins that are inside the chamber.  These are the pins that keep the pump attached to the weapon, however they also make it a pain in the A** to slide the pump back in. 

                The rectangular piece that came out with the pump needs to be placed back on the pins, make sure that the piece is going in the same way that it came out.  Once you finagle with the pins enough and get the pump reattached you may put the spring back in the magazine and the cap back on.  There may be excess oils on the outside of the weapon and this would be a great time to wipe them off.  The shotgun is now clean and “Ready to Rock N’ Roll”.

The Jeep "Like nothing else"

The Jeep 

“Like Nothing Else” 

I’m not completely sure if this would be considered an outdoor sport but the way I see it its close enough.  What better way to get from point A to point B than in a Jeep?  Well in the world of outdoor sports, the answer to this question is that… well there really isn’t a better way.  The jeep is the ultimate off road machine.  It has been given the name “hummer recovery vehicle” for a reason.  The truck is light weight and comes stock with wheels large and wide enough to off-road with.  I’m also near certain that it is the only and if not, one of the only stock trail rated vehicles on the road.  

I personally own a 1999 Jeep Cherokee Classic it is amazing, I have driven that truck to hell and back not once having any major problem with it.  Not once have I gotten it stuck, unlike my dads Chevy Silverado, and the mechanical relay for the four wheel drive is so much better than the electrical relay systems.  Yes I have had the occasional problem with an electrical relay here and there or just recently I realized that I had screwed up the front end universal; however through all of that, it keeps on running.  I have done everything in that truck; from tearing through the woods to drifting in four wheel drive to pushing it to 113 mph on the expressway.  It has 130,000 miles on it now which is fairly young for this truck.  My uncle has one and he has me beat with 250,000 miles on it.  I would be interested to hear of anyone with a eep that can top it.  Just comment and leave your mileage and a short message if you wish. 

Climbing Ropes

When rock climbing your rope is quite literally your life line, it is the one thing that, when you fail, it will be there, it holds no grudges and will never lose focus (unlike any human) most climbing ropes are rated to hold a weight in excess of two greyhound busses.  In fact, when climbing the weakest piece of equipment is the human hip.  It will break and/or tear apart before any piece of your climbing equipment.  A climbing is made in two separate parts, the inner core which support 2/3 of the entire weight of the rope and the outer sheath or wrap which supports the left over 1/3 of the weight.  

Almost as import as having the right equipment is the care of your equipment.  Equipment should be stored in a dark dry place, away from dirt, sharp objects and debris.  Your rope should never be walked or trampled on, and it should never be used for anything other than climbing.  Activities that would retire a rope include but are not limited to, towing, using to wrap wood, using under water, and tying down a trailer or other such object.  A way to find out if your rope has been compromised is to take it by one end, fold it and then run the entire rope through the fold; if the rope folds over to easily then it has a tear in the inner core of the rope.  At this point you should cut the rope at this spot, fuse the end if the ropes using a lighter, then keep on checking the rope.  If the entire length of rope is needed you may tie a fisherman’s knot to re attach the two pieces.  

Fortunately devices have been manufactured to help climbers with the problem of keeping their ropes in good condition.  There are stuff sacks that the rope is just stuffed into and the end of the rope is left hanging outside of the bag.  This allows for the rope to be simply pulled straight out of the bag and it won’t become tangled.  If you wish it is also acceptable to just coil the rope and throw it inside any old bag you have laying around, assuming it is clean of course.  

Climbing Gear

The list of avaliable gear to climbers is virtually endless, so im just going to talk about the bare essentials that I own.  

First off there is the climbing harness, this is the core of everything that happens when you climb,  for those who dont know what it is i have included a picture of one below.  Mine is made by Plack Diamond a well known and respted climbing company.  I have been using the harness since Christmas of 2000 and it has been working great ever since.  The gear will last that long as long as it is taken care of and not thrown around or walked on etc.  

After the harness comes the shoes, they have got to be the most un comfortable things on the planet, and thoughn I have not ever worn heels, I believe that I can safely say that they are more uncomfortable than them.  Climbing shoes have no tread at all, thay are completly smooth and have very soft sticky rubber on the bottom of them.  This allows them to stick like glue to any hard, pourous, or non-porous surface.  the reason that they are so unfomfortable is because how tight they need to be effective.  My shoes are super tight (my tennis shoes are a size 12-13 depending on the shoe, I rock climb in a size 10)  this tightness allows your foot to become a sticky stump that one can jam into cracks shove into holds and stick to features.  Ill include a picture of the shoes below next to the harness so people can see them.

TO BE CONTINUED

Rock Climbing

               My parents came here to my school this past weekend and they dropped of my rock climbing gear, my roommate immediately asked me what the stuff was so I thought that it would be kind of cool to talk about climbing for a little bit.  

                Personally, I have been climbing since the fifth grade.  I was introduced to it through Boy Scouts when my troop and I went for the Rock Climbing Merit Badge.  My troop set up for counselors to teach us the sport, half at their indoor gym in Rockford IL and half at the Mississippi palisades state park.

                When I arrived at the gym it was like throwing a little kid in a free candy shop.  The floor was chipped rubber, and… I could climb on the walls.  The instructors took about 3 hours to teach all of us to belay (belaying is when there is a person on the ground controlling how much rope the climber is allowed while they are climbing up the rock.  I have inserted a picture of it below) and from there one of my closest friends and I were off to the walls.  We climbed all night; we thought it was the coolest thing since sliced bread.  From that night on I have been hooked on the sport.  The next outing we went to the Mississippi palisades to complete a 200’ rappel (I have had multiple people ask me where there are 200’ of cliff to rappel from in the palisades and I honestly don’t remember, just incase you were about to ask).  It was soooo cool, hanging there 200 feet above the Mississippi river, I could see absolutely everything.  I looked down and the people below me looked the size of those little army men. 

                From there my friend and I joined a rock climbing class at the Y.M.C.A. near my town.  Every Wednesday night we would go climb, pushing ourselves and competing with each other every night.  Each one of us drove the other to be better.  We have both competed in cock climbing competitions hosted by the “Y” and we have both placed 1^st and 2^nd (we took top 2 places in both competitions).  Then in high school we both set records on the wall in our gym, the records are still there today.  

Turkey Calls Cont'd

          The third major type of turkey call is a slate call. It is probably the simplest turkey call out there in terms of parts and pieces, however in my opinion it is the hardest to use or at least the hardest to use well enough to trick a turkey. The call is comprised of a generally circular piece of slate or glass and a wooden, though I have seen glass and fiberglass, rod. The idea is to use the rod and “scratch” it on top of the slate to produce the different sounds of a female turkey. It works the same way as “nails on a chalk board”; the advantage of using this call is that it doesn’t require too much movement to operate though I still wouldn’t use it if the bird was in eye sight. This is because I have been busted way to many times in the past for as slight of a movement as reaching under the gun with my middle finger to remove the safety. If the glass or fiberglass rods are used the call is water becomes water proof (sometimes that can become the difference between a successful and unsuccessful hunt. The cons of this call are few but can make all the difference, I myself find it extremely difficult to use and even more difficult to master. I find that sometimes it may take up to five minutes to find that “sweet spot” and by then it may be too late. A picture of the slate call is posted below.

Turkey Calls

          Perhaps one of the most important things to know when turkey hunting is how to call, and, almost more importantly, when to call.  But first off let me define “calling” for those who don’t completely understand/are new to the subject of hunting.  Calling it the “art” of mimicking the sounds an animal makes, the philosophy behind it is that if you can mimic the animal well enough, it will make other animals want to seek you out and join you; or in the case of turkey hunting, mate with you.  In order for you to call one must purchase one, or multiple of many different types of calls. These calls come in many different shapes and sizes.  There are diaphragm calls that you put in your mouth and blow air over thus creating the “cluck” that female turkeys create that attracts the male “gobblers”.  The science behind it is a thin piece of latex that is stretched  across a “U” shaped mouth piece so when air passes over it, it vibrates (similar to using a blade of grass to whistle).  The upside of this call is that it requires very little movement to use.  This makes it very useful when in clutch situations and the bird is just out of shooting range however would still be able to see you if you moved.  It is also used to get the bird to pause long enough to get a shot off.  The cons of this call is that it is not nearly as loud or clear as the box or slate call, making it very hard for birds that are further away to hear.  Below is a picture of one such call.

              

          My personal favorite the box call is simply that, a box with a lid that is pulled side to side making the “cluck” of a female hen.  The way the box vocalizes is using the edge of the box which is cut on an angle so the edge of it looks like an upside down “V” and the curved lid that is pushed across this edge.  The pros of this call are that it is extremely loud and clear.  This allows one to call in birds from miles around, usually gobbling all the way there.  The cons of this call are that it is an extremely visible call so once you can see the birds, they can see you, and the only thing “protecting” you is your camouflage.  At this point it would be wise to use the diaphragm call discussed earlier.  Another thing that will render these calls useless is water.  The calls require chalk to function well and sound clear, when they get wet the chalk washes away and the wood expands and softens.  If the call is used at this point it will tear the edges of the box apart not allowing it to be used again because the edge won’t be there anymore.  Below is a picture of one such call.

                TO BE CONTINUED

Turkey Hunting

          I was recently talking to a friend of mine when the topic of spring break arose and I was asked if I had anything planned for it.  I responded saying that every year during spring break since I was in 7^th grade, my Dad and I take a trip to Arkansas where we embark on a weeklong turkey hunt with my Uncle.   At that point I was ready for her to say “oh……I see”, the infamous phrase of surprise and instant loss of interest/appeal.   However, to my surprise that wasn’t what happened at all, she started to ask me all these questions about the sport, and what goes along with it.  So, I figured for the next week or so I will elaborate on what happens when you turkey hunt.

          The first thing that arises in the minds of people who have not grown accustomed to or grown up around the sport of hunting is not the actual sport its self but the tool used to do it, guns.  As this was the case with my friend, she asked if I had ever run into another hunter in the field and almost shot them or been shot at.  I have not (however my brother has had shotgun bbs come down on him while we were pheasant hunting about a year ago), though her question was still a valid question because unlike many other hunts, when going turkey hunting it is not required that you wear blaze orange.  Turkeys have excellent, color vision so when you hunt them you have to be covered in camouflage from head to toe, and no matter how hard it is not to you absolutely cannot move.  On more than just a couple of occasions have I had a bird only about fifteen or twenty yards away from me when I moved a foot or went to pull my weapon up and I had the bird jump up and fly away, yes turkeys can fly, and they can fly very well for something that weighs about twenty five pounds.  TO BE CONTINUED

Opening Statements

This is my first post of many for this blog. This blog will discuss the many outdoor sports that are out there such as hunting, fishing, trap shooting, mountain biking, etc. I hope for this blog to open up some people’s minds to the many sports and activities that the outdoors has to offer.
I chose this topic to write about because it is one that I have a large interest in, and one that  I devote a large amount of my time to when I’m not in school. During my summers I frequently go trap shooting, and fishing with my friends and brothers. Then in the fall I goose, pheasant, deer, and duck hunt with my father. I turkey hunt in the spring and enjoy going on many camping trips with my Boy Scout troop.
Starting in the 5th grade o was going on weeklong camping trips with my Boy Scout troop to summer camp. While I was there I would shoot 22 rifles, shotguns, compound bows (I even made my own arrows). I also enjoyed mountain biking through the many extensive trails of the camp and around my own home town. I have gone spelunking (also known as caving) which is where I first learned what true darkness was. It was so dark that you could put your hand in front of your face and still not see it. As a testimonial to my many years of scouting, and how involved in it I am, I have reached the rank of Eagle Scout.