Wednesday, November 29th, 2023

Breaking News for

Sportsmen Since 1967

Wednesday, November 29th, 2023

Breaking News for

Sportsmen Since 1967

Joe Martino

A change of heart: Making the case for ladder stands

For years, I vowed that I would never use ladder stands while deer hunting. I simply felt that they were too big and would be too obvious to get most deer in close for archery shots.
I felt like I had to be perched in an ultra-small, compact hang-on platform in order to be effective at getting close to the more mature, wary whitetails. This thought kept me from using any ladder stands for the majority of my past deer hunts. This thought is also wrong, upon further review. a couple of things made me eat my words and give ladder stands a try.

Doves can humble even the best shots; here’s how to put more in your vest

With dove season open since early September in most states, many hunters are geared up for one of hunting’s most enjoyable pursuits – dove hunting.
And, since these winged rockets are one of the toughest birds to connect on and can humiliate even the best shots, I thought I would share some tips that I have learned that will hopefully help you put more birds in your game vest this season.

Shooting foam: Here’s how to make sure you’re ready for bow opener

As I espied the elk, I figured he was pushing 35 yards away.
Upon releasing my arrow, however, I quickly realized that he was much further away. The carbon shaft struck noticeably low, barely catching the top portion of his leg. What would have ended up as a long, yet fruitless, tracking job only ended up as a bit of disappointment and a lot of laughs as the elk in question was not made of flesh and bone, but rather foam. Bigger animals such as elk look closer than they actually are when you are accustomed to shooting at deer and turkey-sized animals.

Crankbaits fit the bill in many fishing scenarios

As we slowly made our way along the shoreline of a local lake recently, the youth angler in my boat asked how deep the water was so he knew which crankbait to tie on. When I told him we were in 3 to 6 feet of water, he excitedly replied, “Oh, okay, so I need a square-billed crankbait then.”
While I knew exactly what he meant, I also did not feel that he was exactly right.

Summer bluegill bite is on in Ohio

Get out the ultralight tackle, small flies and crickets or bee moth, the bluegills are coming. Not too many weeks ago in Ohio, you could scarcely find the start of a bluegill nest bed. Now, the tell-tale honeycombed shaped indentions near the bank reveal the presence of plenty of them scattered along the shorelines of farm ponds, lakes, and reservoirs alike.

Trying to be just like my dad

The summer months definitely hold a lot of special memories for me – most of which center around the many fishing trips my late father and I would go on when I was a child.
Now my son is constantly asking me to take him fishing. Often I just don’t have the time – or so I think. This is a shame because when I look back to when I was his age I realize how fortunate I was and that I have to try to be more like my father.

Stick it out for your late-season Ohio turkey

Are you still trying to find a way to put a notch in your turkey tag on this last weekend of the Ohio season? Well, don’t fear. The waning days of the season can be the best yet!
This is usually a time of despair for some hunters, but I have always loved the last few days of turkey season. I feel that some of the best hunting takes place the last weekend of the season. You just have to know how to hunt late-season birds.

Two partners sometimes better than going it alone for turkeys

Mature gobblers are notorious for hanging up just outside of shooting range, often making a seemingly sure thing quickly fade into a memory. Just when you think that the bird will be taking a ride in the back of your truck, he stops coming to your calls. He may keep answering them for a while, but more times than not when this happens the game is over.
This is where having a buddy with you can really pay off.

Tips to get on April crappies before the spawn

There have been several reports recently that claim the crappie fishing in many lakes and reservoirs is red-hot. So if you like crappie fishing, things are starting to heat up.
Crappies don’t actually spawn until the water temperature is between 62 and 65 degrees (although black crappies may start a little earlier and white crappies a little later) but they begin actively seeking out suitable areas to spawn when the water is much cooler than that – around 55 degrees or so.

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