Scalloping

Every year during the weekend of Independence Day we go to our beach house at Keaton Beach, Florida. Since the fishing slows down there towards the beginning of July, we go scalloping. Scalloping is a tradition my family has carried on for 70 years. A scallop is a shellfish that ranges from two to four inches in diameter and its meat is to die for. Besides eating the shellfish, my favorite part is fishing for them.

It is rather easy to fish for scallops. First you look for patches of what we call "mushy grass" which is an orange color in about 4 to 5 feet of water. The scallops rest on these patches during the day. When you find a good spot, put on snorkeling gear and go get the scallops. Be sure to grab them when they close up so you do not get bit. That is not too fun at all. After your boat gets its limit which is a 5 gallon bucket then you go home and do the boring part, cleaning them. You must pry them open and separate the meat from the guts. Once you start to eat them, the cleaning does not seem bad at all.

Sighting In Your Deer Rifle

Deer season seems like a long way away, but it will be here before you know it. Around this time of the year I like to take my rifle out and site it in. Whenever I am sighting in a new rifle, scope, or old faithful I start out at 25 yards. I usually shoot three or four rounds from this distance or until i get a good tight pattern. Then I move out to 100 yards and do the same thing. I like to set my rifle about an inch high at a 100 yards since I mostly hunt in open fields, but that is up to you to decide.

My Trip To Colorado

Colorado
This summer my family and I went to the USA Shotgun National Championships in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Colorado is the most beautiful place I have ever visited. The temperature was in the 70's the whole time we were there. There was no humidity, no gnats, and no mosquitoes. While we were there we went to Pike's Peak, Royal Gorge, Garden of the Gods, and the Cliff Dwellings. My favorite was probably Royal Gorge. We got to ride to the bottom of the gorge and we also got to cross the highest suspension bridge in the world.

The Tournament
The tournament started on Sunday and ended on Wednesday. On Monday I shot a 90 out of a possible 100 and was tied for first. On Monday I had a bad round that left me in fifth and frustrated. On Tuesday I was still a little upset about Monday and I shot a 16 That dropped me out of the whole thing. On Wednesday I came back with two good rounds that left me eight behind third. Whether your going to Colorado on vacation or for a shotgun tournament your sure to have a good time.

tag: Colorado, shooting, USA shooting, Garden of the Gods, Pike's Peak, Royal Gorge, olympic shooting

Fishing in Puerto Rico

This summer, our family took a trip to Puerto Rico. It is the most beautiful place I have ever visited in my life. The water was one of the prettiest things. It was a deep colored blue and was full of many different fish species. The day we got there we booked a trip with Captain Marcos Hanke. He was an experienced captain and knew the waters well. I knew we were going to have a great day.

The first thing we did was catch live bait. My dad drove the boat while Captain Marcos threw his cast net at the baitfish. We caught our bait and went to where the big fish were. The first thing we fished for were spanish mackeral and many different species of jacks. We fished for them with jigs, not live bait. The way we fished for them was by trolling and skip reeling. Skip reeling is when you cast a metal spoon that looks like bait into the bait circle and reel as soon as it hits the water so it skips.

The species we concentrated on the rest of the day was tarpon. These "silver kings" normally range anywhere from 30-70 pounds. The biggest one Captain Marcos caught was 180 pounds. The first place we fished for the fish was the sandy shorlines of the island. The fish were not there like they were supposed to be so we moved to the cliffs. The cliffs was the best spot we fished in all day. There were many jacks at first, then the tarpon came and chased them away. We started jigging and after about five minutes I hooked about a 50 pounder. i fought with him for about a minute and the third time he jumped he spit the hook out. I did not catch a tarpon the rest of the day but I will remember this experience for the rest of my life.

Deep Sea Fishing

This year while our family was on spring break, we decided to go on a deep sea fishing trip with our friends. We booked our trip with Charisma Charters. If you are looking for a quality deep sea fishing trip, I would recomend Charisma Charters every time. I like to get my beauty sleep and getting up at 4:30 did not help that cause, but it was worth it. The forty mile trip to get out to the fish took about two hours, during which i slept. We caught bait first and then about 7:30 we started fishing for the big boys.

Since we booked our fishing trip a week before snapper season, we had to throw back every red snapper we caught, but that was not the only fish we caught. We caught many different species of grouper ranging from 15 to 30 pounds. I was really hoping to catch an amberjack, but we did not see one all day.

My little brother Patrick fished mostly for trigger fish and red snapper. He had some trouble with the one grouper he caught. My mom caught a mammoth snapper but we had to throw it back. We had a friendly competition for who could catch the most fish and the biggest fish. Patrick whipped us in the most fish competition. My dad and I each caught a fish virtually the same size so we tied in that category. If hunting season is out and you are on vacation, a deep sea fishing trip would be a great way to enjoy your family, friends, and the outdoors.

Georgia State Trap Shoot

The 2008 Georgia State Trap tournament was a great success for me. Even though I didn't shoot as well as I would have liked I brought home three trophies. I won doubles and handicap in my age group and I also won high all around. The shoot was four days long. Preliminaries were on Thursday and Friday and the State Championships were on Saturday and Sunday. I would like to think South River Gun Club for hosting the tournament. It was well run and I will be attending next year. To see a complete list of results follow this link results.
tag: Georgia, trap, shooting, South River Gun Club, Championships, Georgia State Championships

The 4-H Shotgun Tournament

This year at the end of April, the 4-H club will host its annual shotgun tournament. This tournament is held on the outskirts of Madison, Georgia. There are a few things you need to know if you are interested in the tournament.

To be in the tournament, you must be in grades 7-12, a current member of the 4-H club, and have a certified coach. Most every team is a county team and almost every county in Georgia has a team so there are a good bit of people. At first, everyone shoots the first round. If you hit 25 out of 25 clay targets, you are guaranteed a spot in the second round. In the second round, you shoot doubles to determine the champion. There is a total of 10 pair thrown. You are placed on how well you do doubles. There is also a team competition. The best team gets trophies along with the best individual shooters. This year, Mitchell county should be up at the top.

Beretta Trap Guns

In the world of trap shooting there is a thin line between good and excellent. I know how some people say that it is not the gun it is the shooter. Well that is a load of crap. To shoot well and to shoot consistently you have to have a gun you can depend on. You also need a gun that fits you. There are a handful of brands out there some of them are good and some are not so good.

The Best?
Beretta is one of my favorite brands of shotguns. They make an affordable, dependable shotgun. Everybody in my family owns a Beretta and none of us have had a single problem. I personally own two. I have a Beretta 682 Gold E and a Beretta Xtrema 2. I previously did a blog post on the Xtrema 2. My goal is to own a Beretta DT10 their top of the line trap gun.

GO-DEVIL Is It Worth It

Let me put it this way if you don't have a Go-Devil you don't know what you’re missing. Last year our outboard slung a rod. We figure we could get a new motor for less than it would cost to fix the other. My dad talked to one of his friends who had wanted to get rid of his Go-Devil because he was getting out of duck hunting. My dad made him an offer and after some shucking and jiving we bought the motor. After we took the motor home and put it on our boat we went hunting. After we hunted for a couple of hours in the morning we decided to test out the motor. I don't know how we ever duck hunted without one. We used to look at water hyacinth as a road block when we had an outboard, but now it's like a piece of trash on the road we just run right over it. Remember that Go Devils are not made for speed so they are not going to be as fast as an outboard, but it is well worth the loss in speed.

tag: go devil, mud motors, duck hunting

Camping Trip

Last weekend, me, clay crusher, and two of our friends went camping in the woods near Cairo, GA. The weather was supposed to be 30 degrees in the morning and 70 degrees in the afternoon. So we brought clothes for warm and cold weather, all of our .22 rifles, and a bunch of food. The first thing we did was went squirrel hunting. We got out to the campsite a little bit late so we did not see any squirrels. We were walking back from squirrel hunting and we went by a cow field where my friend’s dog, Seven, tried to get into the field and heard the cows (he is an Australian Sheppard). It was really cool to watch.

That night, it got pretty cold. I was sleeping and when I woke up I could not feel the tip of my nose or toes. We got up and made these awesome crescent role things on a stick and ate bacon, sausage, and eggs with them. After that we packed up and left to go on the Lion’s Club Pheasant shoot. We got there around 12:30 and ate a really good lunch. Then we went into a field and shot some pheasants. The shoot was a blast and after the shoot they had drawings for door prizes. The two things I wanted were both won by the same person. We got our pheasants and left to have a fun time for the rest of the weekend.

Beretta Xtrema2

I picked up my Beretta Xtrema2 this weekend. I decided to save $200.00 by getting the non-kickoff model. I took it to the range Sunday and shot a few rounds of sporting clays with it. It performed without a problem. It swings wonderfully and has hardly any kick. All five of the chokes pattern extremely well.

I bought mine at Chuck's Gun and Pawn in Warner Robins, Georgia. They have really good prices and a lot of inventory so I suggest you go check them out.

tag: beretta, xtrema2, low recoil, chucks gun and pawn, beretta xtrema2

5 Ways To Make Your Hunt Safer

One of the most important parts of hunting is safety. Here are five ways to keep you and your hunting party safe.

Tip #1 I didn't know it was loaded
You should always treat a gun as if it is loaded. Most people get hurt when they are playing around with a gun that they think is not loaded and it is.


Tip #2 Marco
Always I repeat always know where the other members in your hunting party are. For example Dick Cheney was not aware of where Harry Whittington was, and look how that turned out.

Tip #3 What is it
It is also very important to always be sure of what you are shooting at. One of the most careless mistakes that people make while deer hunting is shooting at any thing that moves. Countless people have shot a friend, sibling, or even a complete stranger all because they didn't see what they were shooting at.

Tip #4 I can see the orange
While quail or deer hunting you should always wear an orange vest. Not only because it is the law, but because it can keep you alive.

Tip #5 OH NO
Whenever you use a climbing stand always wear a safety harness. Last month I read an article in a magazine about a guy who fell out of a tree stand and now he is paralyzed. If he had been wearing a safety harness he would probably still be able to walk.

The Pre-rut of Deer Season

The Pre-rut
The Pre-rut of deer season usually starts a couple of months before rifle season. This is the time of year when deer are preparing to mate. This is also when the bucks start peeling the velvet off of their antlers, fighting for dominance, and making scrapes. The dominant bucks move around constantly this time of year so it is almost impossible to track their movements.

Hunting Bucks during the Pre-rut
During the Pre-rut, do not try to pattern them because they go somewhere different every day. Bucks can gain up to 100 lbs. during the Pre-rut, so how do they gain all of this weight. Bucks eat a lot of food during Pre-rut so the best place to hunt is over a food plot or a natural food source. The deer also make their mating calls this time of year. So a good deer call that can do a buck grunt and a doe bleat is the right call to use.

Filler Up

Intro
I have had the privilege of going on three very good dove shoots this year. All of the fields had something in common that seemed to really attract the birds and no it was not bait. All of the fields were extremely clean. I have observed through my hunting trips that birds like clean feeding areas, so I am going to tell you how to have a clean field.

Burn Baby Burn
Before the season starts you should burn off the fields you plan to hunt. It is always wise the harrow around the fields before burning them off. After you burn off the field you should keep it mowed until the season starts.

I Spy With My Little Eye
You should always scout out you fields before hunting to see what time the birds are coming and how many are coming. When you have found out their pattern is it is time to shoot them.

tag: dove hunting, fields, preparation of fields, dove

Dove Hunting 101

Preparing to hunt

Dove hunting is one of the most unpredictable types of hunting there is so you need to be prepared. During winter in south Georgia, it can be anywhere from 50 to 80 degrees in the afternoon, so I always bring a jacket. There is no telling how many birds you will see. Every time I go into the field I take at least four or five boxes of shells. If you have a really big appetite like me, bring a snack and some water into the field with you. There is nothing worse than being thirsty in a dove field. Decoys help bring a lot of dove in so don't forget one when going on a dove hunt. Always bring the appropriate camflauge depending on what kind of field you are in. Oh yeah, it is a good idea to bring a gun too.

The hunt

Dove hunting is one of the most exciting things I have ever done in my life. If you prepared properly then it can be exciting for you too. When it is cloudy, the dove come in constantly throughout the afternoon. If it is a good shoot, you will get action all day long. My personal favorite is a sunny day. Usually the birds come in at anytime from 3:00 to 4:30 and come in heavily until nightfall. I might have to wait an hour or so but it is worth the wait. On days like this I like to bring a portable radio out and listen to the Georgia Bulldogs play football.

Tips for hunting dove

1. If you think you know where the birds are going to come in, try to get to that spot before anyone else

2. Never try to aim at the birds, looking back and forth from the bead to the bird causes you to miss. Put your cheek firmly on the stock and see the shot before you shoot it.

3. If you have a bird down while a lot of other birds are coming in, use surroundings to mark the bird and get it later.

4. If two birds come over you at the same time, shoot the bird farthest back so you do not have to stop your swing to shoot the next bird.

5. If more than three birds come to you at the same time, just pick one out and shoot it. From personal experience, shooting in the middle of them never works.

6. If you want to keep your money, don't break the law. Just follow the rules.

7. A person's life is way more important than a bird. Be safe when you go hunting.

8. If you know a child who wants to go hunting, take them out and introduce them to the outdoors.

9. When a bird is coming to you, stay still, dove are color blind and see motion a whole lot better than most other animals.

10. No matter how the outcome of the hunt is, always have fun.

Bird!!!

The Approach

When duck hunting most ducks come straight at you when they are planning to land in the decoys. Whenever you have a group of ducks doing this I would suggest that you wait until they set there wings, as in the picture. Whenever they do this it is time to take em. All you have to do is aim directly at them and pull the trigger.

Fly By

One of the hardest shots for me is a passing bird. My problem is that I forget to continue my lead. What I mean buy this is that I stop my swing when I shoot and the bird just flies in front of the shot. I would suggest to go to your local shooting club and practice these shots. If you don't it could cost you some birds.

Overhead

The birds that fly directly over you are my favorite. If you have one coming straight at you, you should have about a three foot lead if it is a dove or a big and a four to five foot lead if it is a teal. To hit a bird going out away from you, you should give him a two or three foot lead depending on height and distance.

tag: ducks, shots, duck hunting, decoying ducks, fly by, teal, mallard

The Ins And Outs Of Better Trapshooting

I am a two time State champion and one time National runner up. I have been shooting trap for two years and I love it. I am not a professional, but I might have a tip that will help you.

Its Kinda Like A Recipe. It Involves Preparation
Just like any other kind of sport there are things you have to do before shooting in a tournament. Before shooting in a tournament you need to be well hydrated and you need to be familiar with your gun. During the summer temperatures can reach close to 100 degrees. When you have on a vest loaded down with shells you will sweat like crazy. One of my teammates passed out during practice because he got dehydrated. You also need to shoot as much as possible before a tournament. You need to be used to shooting you gun 200 or more times a day. I am not saying that you need to shoot two hundred rounds a day fifty or seventy five is enough.

Ka-Ching
It is always important to have the right equipment before doing anything. There are several things that you need before shooting trap. One of the most important to have the right gun. It is important to have a gun that fits you and my Beretta 682 Gold E does just that. It has an adjustable comb to adjust to my shooting style. A brand new Gold E cost about $4,000, but you can get a used one for around $2,500. I know that it sounds like a lot, but if you are serious about trapshooting it is money well spent. As far as gauges go anything from a .410, I have actually seen somebody shooting one of these, to a 12 gauge.

Don't Kill Your Gun From Powder Residue
I am a firm believer in having good shells. This summer I shot 600 rounds in one tournament. You would think that after that many rounds without cleaning my gun the barrel would have been full of powder residue. However the barrel was as clean as it was before the tournament. I believe that it was all do to my shells, Federal Gold Medals.

Umphh
One problem with shooting a shotgun 100 or 200 hundred times straight is the kick. There are several ways that you can remove kick. One is by buying recoil a pad the other is by having a good vest. If you are looking for a recoil pad I would suggest either the one of the new Pachmayr Decelerators or a Limbsaver. I recently purchased a Beretta vest. My previous vest came from Wal-Mart. It wasn't the best in the world, but it got the job done. When my parents first mentioned getting a new vest I was somewhat reluctant. However my parents convinced me to buy a new vest so I did. It was money well spent. My new vest is so much easier to mount on and as and extra bonus behind the mounting pad their is a pocket for pads so my gun won't kick as much.
tag: trap shooting, ata, federal, beretta, 682 Gold E, Federal Gold Medals, Pachmyar, limbsaver, state champion

Quack Attack

I am what some people might call a quack-a-holic. I love to duck hunt. It is one of my most favorite things to do. Just the thought of duck hunting sets my heart to pumping. However there a few items you will need before going duck hunting.

Burr I Said It's Cold Out Here
The most important thing, besides your gun, is warm clothing. You will be miserable and you will probably never want to go duck hunting again if you get out there and freeze. To protect yourself from getting cold here is what you should wear. Your clothing will consist of three layers. The bottom layer should be long johns. Your second layer should be a pair of long pants, a sweat shirt, and wool socks. The third and final layer should be a light jacket, a heavy jacket, and waders. As my dad always says you can take it off but you can't put it on.

Take Em
My favorite part of duck hunting is seeing the ducks work the decoys. For them to work the decoys you have to have some decoys. Greenhead Gear makes some of the prettiest decoys I have ever seen. To get ducks interested in the decoys you need to have some duck calls. If you are a beginner I would suggest a double reeded call. They are easier to blow than a single reed and ducks respond to them. I like the Primos Wrench. I could just never get the hang of blowing a duck call until last Christmas when my parents got me a Wrench.

Bada Bing Bada Boom
Here comes my favorite part the shotgun. The most common used gauge is a 12 gauge. I shoot a Benelli Nova. Now let me tell you it is a workhorse. That gun has seen more mud and dirt than any other gun I have and it is still going strong. There is only one problem with it and that is that it is a pump. I plan to get a Beretta Xtrema 2 this spring. From what I have heard the Beretta's are just as reliable, but I am kind of uncertain. If you have any advice for me please comment.

Kablamo Goes The Ammo
To kill ducks you have to have the right ammo. For timber ducks I like number 4s. If I am hunting on a lake of somewhere open I like number 2s. With number 2s you have bigger shot and with bigger shot comes more knockdown power. I also prefer 3 inch shells. Some people will tell you that you need 3 and one half inch shells. Let me tell you something if you can not kill them with 3 inch shells you are shooting at them to far away or more commonly known as sky busting. Nothing ticks me off worse than a boat full of sky busters. when you shoot at them high up you wound more than you kill. One of my biggest problems with duck shells is the cost. I some brands cost close to twenty dollars a box so I shoot Kent Faststeels. They are cheap and they are a good shell. I have been shooting them for three years and I have never had a problem with them.

deer stand for hunting land

One of the most important things about deer hunting is the stand that you hunt in. There are two very important factors that you need for setting up your stand.
The Location

Bow hunter
The most important factor for setting up a deer stand is by far the location. If you are hunting with a bow, you want to make sure you are in a comfortable range for your shot. Bow hunters should set up a stand where there are signs deer movement. Deer love to move around in thick areas because they feel safe there. Your stand needs to have a few open places that leave you good shots.

Rifle hunter
For the rifle hunter, a stand location can be a whole lot different. A rifle hunter has a whole lot more range than a bow hunter does, so he does not have to be near as close as the bow hunter. A rifle hunter's best location for a deer stand is over a food plot with water. It does not matter how much a deer moves around, he always has to eat and drink. If you keep on hunting one of these stands, your gonna catch the big one off guard.

The Type of Stand,

Bow hunter
All hunters need a good, quality stand, but bow hunters need a different type. A bow hunter needs a portable stand. One day he might see buck signs in an area, but the next he sees more buck signs in another area. In that case, the hunter needs a climbing stand because of its durability and portability.

Rifle hunter
A rifle hunter does not have to be picky for what kind of stand he chooses. He can use any kind of stand from a tripod to a box stand, just as long as he is comfortable where he is and he has a good shot from where he is.

6 Habits of Highly Effective Quail Hunters

The Beginning
If you want real adrenaline go quail hunting. There is nothing like the rush of jumping a huge covey of quail. Before you go quail hunting there are a few things you should have in your arsenal.


Habit #1 - Gotta have a Good Gun
One thing you need is a gun. A 20 gauge is one of the most common used gauges. I prefer a twenty gauge because it is just the right amount of gun. With a twelve gauge you have sometimes over kill the game. What I mean by this is that the bird is so close when you shoot that you hit him so much shot it literally blows him apart. Besides 20 gauges their are 28 gauges and .410s. Any brand and action are fine.


Habit #2 - Clean you gun after your done
It is always important to have a clean gun. There is nothing more embarrassing or frustrating than having a gun malfunction in the middle of the hunt. To clean a gun properly you need a few things. You will need a ramrod, oil, rags, and Hoppe's powder solvent. First take the Hoppe's powder solvent poor a little on a small piece of cloth, put it on the ramrod and push it through the barrel. Next clean the action with the oil and a rag. After cleaning the action clean all of the metal on the outside of the gun so that it will not rust.


Habit #3 - Ammunition is a Gun's Nutrition
It is also important to have good shells. I like Winchester AA or Federal Premium. They do not leave a lot of powder residue and they shoot consistent. Any thing from 1oz. loads to 7/8 ounce loads will do.


Habit #4 - If I can't see ya I wouldn't want to be ya
On of the most important things for safety is an orange vest. It is always important to be able to know where the other members in your hunting party are. You do not want your hunt to be like Dick Cheney's .


Habit #5 - You'll have a fit if your shoes don't fit.
If you plan to do a lot of walking and you will it is important to have a pair of shoes that fit. I like Irish Setters they are comfortable, light, and they don't make my feet sweat. Briar pants are a necessity if your planning on walking through briars and other thorny areas.


Habit #6 - For a doggone good time, gotta have a good dog.

It is always important to have good quail dogs. Without quail dogs you will have to do a lot more walking and you will not kill near many birds. One of the most common used breeds is Spaniels. They are well behaved and they know how to find quail. Besides Spaniels there are Setters and some people even use Labradors. No mater what breed you choose dogs are always an important part of your hunt.

tag: quail, dogs, pointers, federal, winchester, guns, spaniels, setters, labradors, irish setters, hoppes, 12gauge, 20 gauge, dick cheney, orange vest