Everglades Wildlife
Tuesday, 01 July 2008
There are very few places on earth that are as filled with wildlife as the Everglades, which are located in South Florida. The total acreage of the Everglades including expansion, land and water, are 1,509,000 acres (2,358 square miles), located in the Dade, Monroe, and Collier counties. From the American alligator to the rare Cape Sable seaside sparrow, the wildlife in the Everglades is abundant. In terms of the amount of Everglades wildlife, there are nearly 45 species of mammals that frequent the areas around the Everglades, in their numerous bays, sounds, coastal estuaries, and offshore waters. There are hundreds of different species of fish and thousands of species of marine, estuarine, and freshwater invertebrates that call the Florida Everglades ecosystem their home. There are also in excess of 50 types of reptiles and almost 20 different types of salamanders, frogs, and toads that live in the wetlands in South Florida. With all the wildlife that is found in the Everglades, it can be said that the area is one of the most biologically rich areas in all the United States. Read more...

Making A Trophy Deer Shoulder Mount
Wednesday, 02 July 2008
A hunter appreciates the importance associated with having a shoulder mount of the deer he or she hunted. It is a memento of an unforgettable hunting expedition. When you harvest a trophy deer, you may want to do a shoulder mount in order to preserve the magnificence of the animal. A good hunter needs to have detailed knowledge of the anatomy of the deer to be able to skin, gut, and dress the animal for a full body, shoulder, or head mount.Before skinning the head, the most important step is to take accurate measurements. Take measurements from the center of the nose to the front of both eyes. Take measurements from the nose to the sides of both the antlers. Then measure from the nose to the back of the skull. Also measure the circumference of the neck, about three inches behind the head.Now refer to the “skinning for a shoulder mount” article for instruction on how to cape the deer for a shoulder mount. Read more...

Summer Food Plots
Tuesday, 01 July 2008
MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Cultivating food plots is an ideal way to provide much-needed forage for wildlife through late summer and attract these animals before hunting seasons begin."Planting food plots is a part of good land management," said Ben West, associate wildlife specialist for Mississippi State University's Extension Service. "Warm season plots can provide a number of benefits, such as preventing soil erosion and providing forage for many game animals when food quality and quantity are low. They also can provide a nesting habitat for smaller animals, like bobwhite quail."Landowners often overlook the value of warm-season food plots, but since deer population levels are so high in late summer, finding adequate forage may be difficult. Native plants do not produce as much nourishment until fall, when acorns and nuts are plentiful. Read more...

Zimbabwe
Monday, 24 August 2009
  Zimbabwe. The African Experience – PART ONE - by DJ As our plane landed in Victoria Falls Zimbabwe, my anticipation of the hunt was quickly over shadowed by the burning desire to get up and out of another airplane. I don’t mind flying but after 22 hours of sitting in these aluminum tubes with all their annoyances, I was thankful to stand up and walk a bit. Walking has never been an issue for me. Slogging through the Alaskan Arctic tundra or forging streams and climbing hills in British Columbia is a welcome pleasure compared to the confinement of flying. Overall I guess it beats the other travel alternatives by a country mile.              As our wheels touched down and we taxied to our designated spot, it was apparent that this semi modern airport seemed rather out of place against the rural African landscape. Simplicity and effectiveness abounded. No frills here, but none were expected. Pay your visa fee, apply the stamp to your passport, claim your luggage, clear your firearms and into the waiting hands of your outfitter.           Now, I’ve been picked by guides in every kind of vehicle imaginable, some were well appointed and ready to hunt and some barely able to keep the rain out due to the severe rust holes and junk yard quality condition. This time, it was a well kept but older British Land Rover. Visions of early 1950’s elephant hunting in Kenya flashed through my mind. This is exactly the kind of start I was hoping for as we moved out of the airport on towards Matetsi Unit #2, which would be our final hunting destination deep in the African bush.                   Unit 2 is a complex mixture of grasslands, low rocky basins and rolling rock strewn hills. It’s located in north western Zimbabwe bordering Botswana. Our migration to camp takes us through, high savanna with broad tall grasses, dotted by flat topped tress where nesting birds of many types are often found surveying the dangerous lands below. Read more...

Zimbabwe Hunting Safari Adventure - Part Two
Saturday, 27 February 2010
Lions and Leopards – Up Close and Personal By: DJ Part 2 – Lions and Leopards, up-close and personal After delivering my Impala Buck to the skinning shed, it was time to scout out the pan, just beyond where we had setup our Hyena baits. This large flat area of elephant grass and scrub trees was known to hold good Sable. Darren had seen good Sable in this area before. It was about a 10 miles across some local flatlands, a bit of rolling hills and then down to the pan’s main trail. This would be an easier ride than the cross country trek we took the prior day where we were crossing streams, climbing hills and blazing trails. Following the main trail to camp we circled around the back side of the field and exiting the safari truck. The team composed of Darren the PH, our two trackers, the government game scout and myself started to peel off our cold weather layer that insulated us against the cold winter morning. Thirty five degrees is not uncommon during the African winter, but warming up into the 70’s by mid day is just as common. With our vehicle covered in outerwear, the team headed down a well worn game trail that paralleled the grass. This gave us a reasonable opportunity to see anything working the edges. The grasslands can be both safe and extremely dangerous for game. It offers the safety of the cover, but doesn’t prevent game from walking into a deadly close encounter with a predator as we would soon experience. Working the edges of the grassland requires quiet stalking, an eye for movement and the ability to stay low and out of sight. About a city block into our stalk we spotted the black rump of a mature Sable bull. As luck would have it, the business end of the Sable was totally obscured by a rather thick clump of brush. The inability for us to see his horns left us wondering just what we had. After a few brief minutes, the Sable turned to look back. I can only presume he heard us talking. I’m not sure who was more anxious, us or him. Once our eyes met, we both reacted. He ducked into the grass which was twice as tall as he was, while I tried to pull up the rifle to make a shot. He was faster. That left Darren and I looking at each other with wide eyes and eager grins. Darren motioned for the team to follow him at a brisk trot. Down the trail we went while still   paralleling the grassland. Circling in about a 500 yards down, Darren instructed one of our trackers to climb a tree and see if he could identify which way the Sable went. His dark black coat should stand out nicely against the dull yellow of the grass. The dexterity of our tracker was amazing. Up the tree, limb to limb bending slightly under his thinly weighted frame he reached a vantage point. Pointing is hand he looked down at us and motioned the direction of the sable. In only minutes we were headed into the grass on an interception route. It can’t be this easy I thought, as I pushed back the ten foot poles of grass... Read more...

Fields Of Gobbling Gold
Tuesday, 01 July 2008
“Gobbler on the right”, dad said as the huge bird emerged over the rise in the field. He then eased up his gun and clicked off the safety as the bird strutted from one hundred yards down to forty. With a quick cut on my diaphragm to get the gobbler’s head out, dad took the shot and down went to bird. My dad, Mike Lee, cousin, Matthew Story, and I had just completed and amazing hunt together on that muggy April morning. This particular bird had been seen several times strutting in this same harrowed cotton field. The 21 pound, 10 inch bearded gobbler was another result of hard work that finally paid off in the Turner County farm fields. Hunting turkeys in farm fields can be extremely difficult but adrenaline filled throughout the entire spring season. Many times as hunters, we have to deal with many factors when hunting birds in this manner, with most of the factors not in our favor. Having started turkey hunting about seven years ago, the circle of emotions runs from the highest high to the deepest low all in a matter of seconds. This holds true especially when hunting difficult field gobblers. Read more...

Why I Carry a Pistol While Bear Hunting!
Tuesday, 17 March 2009
Landing in Yakatut is like flying into any of the Alaskan costal village towns. Half the plane is freight and the other half is an odd mix of hunters, business people and a local or two. After exiting the plane and entering the small room size terminal I get a sense that the cargo is more anticipated than the new comers. All sorts of crates, boxes and products are unloaded prior to our gear. So we sit and wait. They must see a fair number of short timers here. Well, I’m only here for 6 days so I grab my gear off the rack and meet up with my outfitter after a good 30 minute wait.   Read more...

Choosing a Flats Fishing Guide
Tuesday, 01 July 2008
Flats fishing can be an enjoyable, memorable, and well-spent time out in the ocean. However, whether you are a novice or an expert, you may wish to use a flats fishing guide. A flats fishing guide can help you learn how to flats fish or help you perfect your technique. When choosing a flats fishing guide, there are several things to look for. The first thing to consider is money. The price to hire a guide will vary from company to company. You must examine their expertise and time in the business and measure this against the price they are charging as well as your own budget. Second of all, make sure you do not hire a company that guarantees you will catch a fish. No one can guarantee that you will catch a fish, but what a company can guarantee is that at the very least you’ll have fun trying and learn a few things about flats fishing while doing so. You should also inquire as to whether or not the guide will provide the tackle and equipment. Most companies will provide these items, but you are better off double-checking on this. In most cases, you will be required to bring your own lunch, beverages, and sun protection. As far as fishing licenses go, the captain’s license will be enough coverage for you and will allow you to flats fish. Read more...

Tarpon Fishing
Tuesday, 01 July 2008
I was able to do some fishing for a little while this evening with a friend Capt Danny Brown, His Dad is Capt Gregg Brown who both are guides in the Florida Keys and friends with Captain Tw. I went down this weekend to originally work on the house in Key Largo and figured I had a little time this evening to try my luck tarpon fishing. I have had plenty of success fishing with my friends Capt. t.w., country 6068 and keys angler on several game fish like snook,redfish and trout but never have I landed a tarpon yet and that all changed this evening. We got out to the fishing spot at about 6:00pm and drifted along side the bridge using small crabs and mullet for bait, we must of fished for at least an hour or two with no hits. The tarpon i am told are more active very early morning and late evening i guess you would say like a whitetail there similar in there feeding times. The sun was hitting the horizon and you couldn't have asked for a better sunset, it was a beginning to a beautiful evening. About 8:30 pm the sun had gone down and I could hardly see my bober but the moon was full and lighting up the water it was very quiet and we were just sitting there enjoying the view, about this time i heard a fish explode like someone just threw a bolder off the bridge in the water Danny yelled out fish on i grabbed the rod set the hook as hard as i could and watched this monster come out of the water completely it was amazing to say the least. Read more...

Bass Fishing in the Everglades
Tuesday, 01 July 2008
Most anglers agree that bass fishing in the Everglades is a unique and captivating experience. Many people visit this unique environment expecting the stereotypical swamplands of old black and white movies; what they find is one of the country’s most extraordinary natural formations. Thousands of kinds of fish, dozens of endangered species and land forms unlike anywhere else in the United States can all be found in the Everglades. These surroundings also provide some of the best largemouth bass waters in the country; however, anyone who spends time bass fishing in the Everglades will discover more than just an angling adventure. Read more...

Top Water Fishing
Wednesday, 10 March 2010
    Top Water Fishing   It’s right at daybreak. You’ve killed the motor about 200 feet away from the lily pads. Now you are on stealth approach with the trolling motor, and the first cast lands in the pocket between four pads. You let the frog settle a minute, twitch it twice, and SLAM!, the tuning fork goes off in your loins as the 5lbr grabs the frog. You’re still shaking as you boat the first fish of the morning, knowing that there is no other adrenalin rush like this.   Top water fishing has to be the most exciting part of Bass Fishing. Whether you are walking the dog with a spook, pulling a Jitterbug, watching it gurgle as it comes across the water, casting a buzz bait over the grass beds, or dropping that buzz frog over some lily pads, there is nothing like the thrill of a great top water strike. In this article we will explore the various top water lures and the various methods of retrieve for each. Read more...

The Thrill of the Airboat Ride
Tuesday, 01 July 2008
An old-fashioned airboat ride is one of the best ways to see the rivers and marshes of areas like the Florida Everglades – as scenic a place as you could ever hope to visit. Airboats are a long-established part of the scenery, and there’s nothing quite like hopping on to one to get a tour round the wildlife and scenery of these beautiful waterways. An airboat ride is a thrill for visitors of all ages. There’s no reason to sit on a boring barge when you can see the rivers and marshes from a genuine old-fashioned airboat. The distinctive shape of the big rear propeller is about as close as you get to a symbol of the Florida Everglades, short of the alligators themselves – and you don’t want to get too close to them! Visitors consistently say that taking a ride in an airboat was the most exciting and memorable part of their whole trip. The thrill of the airboat ride is how close you get to nature and the great outdoors, with the wind in your hair and the spray from the water adding to the experience. Read more...

Flats fishing
Tuesday, 01 July 2008
Flats fishing can be an exciting and rewarding experience for fishermen of all ages, whether just beginning or accomplished angler. Flats are long, level, shallow water areas next to deeper water. They are found in bays estuaries and marshes. They are also found atop reefs and atolls, and along shorelines.The bottom of a flat may be made up of grass, sand, rock, mud, gravel, or a combination of these. Flats with grass or other aquatic vegetation offer cover and food for a variety of fish as well as shrimp and crabs. The most sought after fish when flats fishing include redfish, tarpon, seatrout, bonefish, permit and snook. Other popular catches are striped bass, bluefish, barracuda, shark, cobia and mutton snapper. Read more...

South Indian River - Nov 22,2007
Tuesday, 01 July 2008
Fantastic weekend weather found many anglers hitting the water to enjoy both the sun and fishing. Monday bought some rainy and windier days to the Treasure Coast. It's still great to live and fish in Florida! Looks like some nice weather for the holiday weekend ahead of us. Hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving! We found ourselves in some great weather this week. Sunday I had Vincent Serio and David Brasher on the boat for the Teen Anglers Tournament. They both caught a good number of fish, but David ended up with the better day. Read more...