On a recent antler hike my six-year old twin girls eagerly flanked my wife and I as we walked up a snow-covered two track on a neighborhood farm. The landowner was nice enough to give us permission to look for shed deer antlers, and the girls were ready to fill up my backpack. My own expectations, after a couple of decades of antler hunting, were a bit lower than theirs, but a shed hunt isn’t just about collecting bone. 

On this particular day, temperatures in our area of Minnesota reached into the 40s, and it was simply a nice day to take a wooded walk in March. We hiked along the edge of a pond and then up a cedar-dotted hillside while the girls checked out every deer bed. They also kept an eye on our black Lab to see if she, too, might find an antler, which is a task that any dog with retrieving desire can be trained to do. 

It wasn’t until we were half an hour into our hike that I saw three inches of something white periscoping up through the leaves beneath a stubby red oak. I wasn’t sure if it was a tine, but I sent my daughter up ahead on the trail anyway. She was bug-eyed at the size of it and excited by the fact that, at least to her, she had found something so cool on her own. 

After that we scoured a picked soybean field and a few more potential spots, but never found another antler. We did make plans to take another Sunday afternoon to sweep that farm, or one of the many parks near our house in the suburbs of the Twin Cities. As it turns out-and as the girls are learning-there are a lot of places in which a person can roam to hunt for deer antlers. 

While I won’t turn down a chance to shed hunt private ground, most of my hunts occur on public land-and most of yours probably will as well. There are many kinds of land open to the public including State Parks, County Parks, Park Preserves, and plenty of other open spaces, all of which are good options for the willing shed hunter. 

A quick search on your smartphone will reveal nearby areas that will allow you to hike either for free, or for the cost of a daily pass. That same smartphone will also allow you to look at maps of a given property as well as aerial photos. I’m a big fan of walking wherever my whims take me, so I don’t plan out much of a route when I’m taking the family shed hunting. However, it’s nice to know where certain trails lead and where the property boundaries are. OnX offers a great app for this purpose.

Deer spend most of their time either on food sources or where they bed. If the land you’re roaming has a picked cornfield or other agricultural field, that’s a natural place to begin your antler hunt. Bedding areas tend to be in the thicker cover, or often along wooded ridges. The trails that connect the two are also great places to walk. 

Overall, the absolute best spots to look are those where you see the freshest sign and the most well-used trails. That’s why I head out with a loose plan on where to look for antlers and end up spending most of my time wandering wherever the sign takes me, which is also part of the fun. 

Finding shed antlers is exciting, but it’s not easy. If you expect to slip into a woodlot in your neighborhood park and find enough bone to necessitate extra trips out of the woods to spread out the load, think again. If you cover enough ground and follow enough miles of deer trails through the landscape, you might find one. If you do, mark the spot and take a good look around the area. A buck that has dropped one side of his rack will often lose the other within a couple of hundred yards, and finding a matched set is pretty special. 

Of course, many of the times you and the family go shed hunting, you’ll come home empty-handed, but that’s OK. Studies have shown that one of the best ways to boost mental health is to simply take a hike in nature. If that happens to result in a really cool souvenir that only a few weeks before was attached to a buck’s head, then that’s a bonus. 

These hidden-gem destinations are great all year round, but in the spring they provide an extra dose of seclusion before the arrival of the busy summer season. Here are five of our favorite camping getaways where can lose the crowds.

Located in the shadow of Spruce Knob, the highest point in West Virginia, Spruce Knob Lake Campground is a quiet place to pitch your tent nearly all year round. The campsite itself is found inside the Monongahela National Forest sitting on a ridge that overlooks the scenic lake below. It is surrounded by numerous thick hardwood trees, which helps to add to the sense of privacy and solitude.

Activities: Visitors will discover more than 60 miles of trail to hike in the area, with the campgrounds situated just off the picturesque Big Bend Loop. Adventurous hikers or trail runners may want to climb to the top of the 4863-foot Spruce Knob itself, where an observation platform provides excellent views of the surrounding countryside. Other activities include trout fishing, boating, or kayaking on the lake itself.

Reservations: The campgrounds are traditionally closed until mid-April, so consider that when making your plans. Because they are lightly used all year long, however, reservations aren’t typically needed. However, you can claim a spot prior to arrival on recreation.gov, with prices ranging from $13-$28 per night.

When describing Enchanted Rock State Natural Area in Texas, most locals wouldn’t exactly call it a hidden gem. The popular outdoor destination can get quite crowded on weekends as visitors pour in to make the hike to the top of the iconic 1825-foot granite dome from which the park gets its name. But most of those visitors never go beyond the parking lot or the summit trail, which leaves the backcountry –– including its campsites –– relatively traffic free.

Activities: Enchanted Rock offers 11 miles of hiking trail to wander with the most popular routes taking hikers to the top of the dome. From there, visitors can see for miles in all directions, with the rolling Texas Hill Country spreading out around them. The park also offers fantastic stargazing on clear nights and has some of the best rock climbing in the state. Whether you’re an experienced climber or a complete beginner, you find a lot to like here.

Reservations: The park features 35 campsites with running water and another 20 primitive locations. All require a bit of a hike to reach, but that helps provide campers with a quieter experience. One tip however, is far easier to reserve a spot in the early spring than it is as the season warms up. The sites run $14-$18 per night and can be claimed on the Texas State Parks website.

Spring comes early to Tennessee, which means the camping season starts early, too. One of the best places to set up camp is at the Pickett CCC Memorial State Park, which covers more than 19,200 acres on its own. But the park also sits adjacent to the 125,000 acre Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area, which means there is plenty of wilderness to explore.

Activities: Visitors will discover seemingly endless miles of towering bluffs and twisting gorges to explore, with numerous rivers and streams crisscrossing the area. Options for staying busy include plenty of hiking, rock climbing, and fishing, with exceptional whitewater kayaking in the spring months too.

Reservations: Pickett State Park features 31 campsites in total, with a mix of RV and primitive options. Those looking to truly escape the crowds can elect to hike to a backcountry location as well, where they’ll not only find plenty of peace and quiet, but amazing views of night sky too. Reservations can be made on the Tennessee state parks website.

At the southern end of the California’s Lost Coast Trail you’ll find a campground that is truly a hidden gem. The Sinkyone Wilderness State Park falls right on the beach, with the Pacific Ocean stretching off into the distance, while unique candelabra redwood trees form a dense forest around the area. The location is made all the more magical thanks to elk meandering through the area, while sea lions and harbor seals frolic in the waters nearby.

Getting to the campground can be a bit challenging as the road into Sinkyone is narrow, steep, and best for trucks, SUVs, and crossovers. That helps to keep the traffic down, particularly in the spring when hikers and campers are just starting to head back outdoors.

Activities: Visitors will find access to a variety of hiking routes, including the Lost Coast Trail itself, and the proximity to the ocean provides opportunities for kayaking, stand-up paddleboarding, and swimming. Horseback riding is allowed as well, making this popular location for equestrian camping.

Reservations: All campsites are primitive with a $5 per day fee. Reservations are not accepted online but can be obtained at the Needle Rock Visitor Center before heading to the campgrounds. 

Utah is home to five of the most spectacular national parks in the U.S., with Bryce Canyon ranking amongst them. The park itself isn’t necessarily a hidden gem, but strike out on to its 23-mile long Under-the-Rim Trail and you’ll find eight different campsites that are off the beaten path, breathtakingly beautiful, and generally free from travelers during the spring time. 

Activities: The Under-the-Rim trail will keep most hikers busy for at least two or three days but there are hundreds of miles of other trails to explore as well. The geological wonders on display in the park will enthrall just about any visitor and at night, the skies over Bryce Canyon are a dream for stargazers too. There are even options to take guided night time hikes when the moon is full, casting a pale glow over the otherworldly landscapes found there.

Reservations: Backcountry camping inside Bryce Canyon require a permit, which is obtained at the visitor center prior to setting out. The permits cost $5 per night and reservations can be made up to 48 hours in advance. 

But that’s what keeps hunting wild turkeys so interesting. They are one of America’s original game animals not only because of their availability, but because they’re so thoroughly vexing. After all, if every turkey hunt ended in a gobbler cooling in your vest, you’d lose interest in pursuing them. Luckily, every longbeard encounter has its own unpredictable script, a narrative that changes based on variables of weather, terrain, season of the year, and even time of day.

Here are 4 basic tips on calls and gear to help you bag your first spring gobbler right now!

Wild turkeys spend the night in big trees. It’s their aerial defense against terrestrial predators like coyotes and bobcats. Because these roost trees are knowable, based on your pre-hunt scouting or just good luck in finding them the evening before your hunt, your best bet is to get out of bed uncomfortably early and hike to that special tree, arriving well before sunrise and being quiet and stealthy in your approach.

Turkeys—there will be a mix of hens and gobblers in the roost tree—will become active a full hour before sunrise. Once they start moving, clucking, and yelping on the limb, you should not move at all. But if you’ve arrived good and early, you can stake out a decoy or two—these are the fake turkeys that we’ll discuss below—in an opening 100 yards below the roost tree. The idea is that these fake turkeys will dupe the real turkeys into thinking that they have friends to meet, right there on the ground below the tree near where you’re waiting with a shotgun.

If the toms (male turkeys) follow the script, they’ll gobble on the roost before they fly down. You can make a few calls to fool them into thinking your decoys are eager hens, but don’t overdo it. Once the birds fly down, throw them a few subtle hen calls, then shut up and wait for them to strut into range, which is somewhere around 30 yards for most shotguns and beginning shooters.

Of course, the script rarely flows that seamlessly. More often, the birds fly away from you off the roost, or you call too much and the real hens lead the toms in the opposite direction, or you move and spook the birds before they get into range.

All is not lost, however. You can still salvage your hunt by walking the woods and calling, loudly this time, until a gobbler responds and you can pitch yourself against the base of a tree and call him into range. Or you can leave the fly-down spot and find cooperative birds elsewhere. Just be careful about walking and calling on public-land hunts as this can be dangerous depending on how crowded the woods are with other hunters.

What all turkey hunts share—cooperative birds or not—is the need for body-covering camouflage, a basic shotgun that will throw a tight pattern consistently, a variety of calls, and a backpack or vest. There are endless variations on all these topics, but here’s how to get started.

Camouflage

Wild turkeys have prodigious eyesight. An old-time hunter once told me that they can see the sweep of a watch’s second hand at 100 yards. Maybe. Maybe not. But they see extremely well, and they especially see movement.

You want to cover yourself up to hide shiny or off-color parts, but mainly to blur your outline. If a gobbler struts 10 yards closer to you before he realizes the blob against a tree trunk is lethal, that’s 10 yards that you don’t have to move toward him. Complete your outfit with lightweight camo gloves, a facemask, and a hat. And don’t neglect your boots; the shiny leather and eyelets of hunting boots have saved many a gobbler.

A key piece of kit that many beginners overlook is a vest. Classic turkey vests have an abundance of pockets to hold calls, shotgun shells, rain suit, and miscellany like bug repellant and pruning shears to trim limbs, but they also have a padded seat that will literally save your butt during long sits on hard ground. And most have an oversized pouch in the back to haul your gobbler if you’re lucky or good enough to kill one.

It's also a good idea to carry a hunter-orange vest and hat to throw on after you’ve tagged your gobbler, so you’re clearly visible in the woods when you walk out.

SHOTGUNS

You can buy a purpose-made turkey gun with fancy camouflage. Or you can use the same shotgun you’d use for ducks or pheasants. The specialized turkey guns typically have extended extra-full choke tubes and after-market sights to place payloads consistently out to 50 yards or farther. If you go with your versatile shotgun, make sure it’s capable of shooting very tight patterns of turkey loads. That generally means the ability to screw in choke tubes of either modified, full, or extra-full. It needn’t be chambered to handle big 3-1/2-inch shells, but make sure it’s capable of shooting high-power 3-inch loads.

The specific choke constriction needs to match the load you use, and here’s where spending time experimenting with different combinations of load and choke will pay big dividends. You want to find a combination that will produce a pattern density of at least 10 pellets in a 10-inch circle. Most load/choke combos will do that consistently out to 30 yards, but how about 40 yards? 50? Experiment with different shot sizes from different manufacturers. Maybe you get the best results with #6 shot from a 3-inch Federal Heavyweight. Or maybe it’s #5 shot from a 2-3/4-inch Winchester Long Beard XR. Once you find the combination that produces that 10-pellet density out to the longest range, that’s the load-and-choke you should use in the field.

Make sure your shotgun has sling swivels. You’ll be carrying your shotgun a lot more than shooting it, and the ability to sling it over your shoulder for long walks will save a lot of aggravation. And if it’s not camouflaged, consider adding camo tape or even spray-painting it to cover up any shine or gobbler-spooking gleam.

The reason we hunt turkeys in the spring is because that’s when gobblers will come to a call. It’s their breeding season, and by imitating the sounds of a hen in heat, you can unlock the wariness of a wily tom. Even beginning hunters can easily make effective calls as long as you stick to the basics. Beginners’ repertoire consists of two main calls: the yelp and the purr.

The yelp is simply a searching call, used to announce that “you” are a “hen” looking for love. If a responsive gobbler is in the area, he’ll generally respond with a thunderous gobble. If he’s really eager, he’ll strut in to shotgun range. Sharp, shrill, and loud, the yelp is like a chicken’s cluck, only louder and more insistent.

The other call is a “purr,” and it’s really a sound of contentment. It’s a soft trill that tells nearby turkeys that you are happy and that there’s nothing to fear by approaching.

Turkey calls come in a variety of styles. The easiest for beginners is the box call, which is about the size of a hot dog bun and makes sounds by sliding a lid across the thin sides, which are chalked to reduce friction. You might also consider a slate call, sometimes called a pot call. It’s a hand-sized piece of slate or hard resin or even metal that’s encased in a wooden or acrylic pot. 

By scratching the calling surface with a striker, a wooden or acrylic stick, you can make all the sounds you’d make with a box call. You can also try a mouth—or diaphragm—call. It’s a couple of pieces of thin latex stacked together that you put in your mouth. With practice, you can blow air over the reeds, making them yelp and cluck and purr.

The benefit of mouth calls is that they leave your hands free to do the shooting, which is the happy outcome of a successful hunt, and hopefully what this short primer has prepared you to do.

This month, I’m starting the pre-season turkey process all over again to ensure that my shooting skills and equipment are in top-shape before the season opens in April.

I’m also starting to think about taking a few leisurely walks through some of my hunting grounds to take note of where the wintering flocks are right now, because many of those birds will be around when the opening bell rings. If you’re interested in having a killer turkey season this year, you might want to adopt a similar strategy, which starts by planning some appropriate practice sessions.

When it comes to spring turkeys, most of us bowhunt from a hub-style blind. This means that you must be able to draw your bow straight back to your anchor point without lifting your bow arm. In other words, you need to be shooting a bow that is set to a draw weight you can easily handle.

The easiest way to figure this out is to set up a target and hold your bow arm out while loosely aiming your 20-yard pin at the target. Slowly draw the bow while trying to move as little as possible. If you struggle at all, you’re pulling too much weight and should back out your limb bolts by a full turn or maybe two. 

Once you can draw this way without struggling in the least, grab your blind chair or an office chair and make sure that when you’re seated, nothing changes in your drawing motion. Eventually, I like to practice wearing all of my gear while shooting out of my blind at a 3D turkey target. If you do this once or twice a week, you’ll be deadly in the field. 

And speaking target practice, consider buying at least one 3D target. They come in full strut or walking/standing turkey options. Either way a life-sized, anatomically correct target will allow you to concentrate on exactly where you should aim on a real bird, and will help you become a better bow shot overall. I like to set up my decoys for close shots, but I always practice with these turkey targets from maybe five yards to 40. This keeps things fun and really allows me to really dial in before the season opens. 

Bowhunting turkeys is also perfect for testing out a single-pin sight, because most shots will be close. If you’ve considered using a single-pin mover for big game but are cautious, try it out during the turkey pre-season and then throughout your hunting season. A lot of archers benefit greatly from an uncluttered sight window as well as a single, vertical pin, which makes target acquisition quick and easy. 

Three Mistakes Every New Turkey Bowhunter Should Avoid

Photograph by Tony J. Peterson

1. Not Practicing With Broadheads: Don’t assume that because you choose a mechanical head that it will fly just like your field points. Practice with your broadheads to match arrows to specific heads so you know exactly where your point-of-impact will be.

2. Rushing Your Shot: When a gobbler approaches your decoys, be patient. If you’re using quality fakes, he’ll commit and eventually focus solely on your decoys—usually your jake decoy if you have one out. At that point, you’ll have a perfect opportunity to draw, settle and pick your shot.

3. Not Brushing In Your Blind: Lots of people will tell you that you don’t need to brush your blind in when it comes to turkeys, but don’t believe that. Tuck your blind into the cover well before the season opens if possible, and then brush it in so it truly blends into the environment and won’t flare in the bright sunlight and spook approaching birds.

The biggest considerations for spring turkey hunts are blinds and decoys. When it comes to decoys, I always recommend people buy the best quality, most realistic options available. They are always worth the expense when you’re trying to trick a tom into range.

When it comes to blinds, size, weight, and window configuration are important considerations. If you’ll be hunting with a partner, bigger is always better. If you’ll be by yourself, you won’t need too big of a blind, but no matter what, you’ll want to practice shooting from it regularly before the season starts. Shooting through a blind window can be tricky, and more than a few of us have sent an arrow through the side of our blinds in a panic. 

Not only should you set up your blinds to shoot from them, you should do it just to get used to the process of putting them up and breaking them down. Familiarity here can lead to a lot less stress when it’s dawn and you’re scrambling in the gloaming to quietly erect a blind while birds are gobbling from the roost 150 yards away.

The other thing worth mentioning here is that February is a great time to mess with new calls, or learn to master the ones you already own. I carry several mouth calls in my truck at all times to practice with while I’m driving somewhere by myself. At home, as long as it won’t drive my family or my dog nuts, I’ll spend some time practicing with my slate and box calls as well. As with shooting, a little calling practice each week now will lead to more confidence and success in a couple of months when it’s showtime. 

You have a couple of months to get everything dialed before turkey season if you start right now. Consider everything from your bow setup to blind choice to all of your equipment needs now, so that by the time you’re setting a 3:30 a.m. alarm in anticipation of opening morning, you’ll be ready to go. 

A good headlamp is one of the most useful pieces of gear to have with you on any outdoor adventure and BioLite’s new light is perfect for day hikes or weekend getaways alike.

With its rechargeable lithium battery, the HeadLamp offers a burn time of as much as 40 hours on its lowest setting, while still being able to crank out 330 lumens of light on its brightest level. It comes with a surprisingly comfortable moisture-wicking headband that makes it ideal for high intensity workouts. Best of all it weighs just 2.4 ounces, which means you’ll hardly even notice it in your backpack. 

Gregory has a long tradition of creating excellent backpacks for use on the trail, and the new Miwok 24 upholds the company’s legacy nicely. The pack’s new BioSync suspension is among the best we’ve seen on a bag of this size, while the Miwok’s comfortable shoulder straps and hipbelt make this daypack a joy to wear on extended hikes.

Other nice features include a dedicated sunglasses holder, a large hydration sleeve, and a fleece-lined accessory pocket that is perfect for smartphones. Storage options abound as well, with a cavernous main pocket, two side mesh pockets, a front stretch mesh pocket, and bungee attachments for securing trekking poles and climbing tools. Essentially, this backpack offers everything you need for a day on the trail, wrapped up in a good-looking and durable package. 

For early spring hikes where snow and ice could still be a possibility, the Lowa Innox Ice GTX makes for a great option. These boots were specifically designed to keep your feet warm and dry, while maintaining balance and control even in deep powder.

Comfortable, rugged, and good looking, the Innox feels like a sneaker on your foot, yet these boots maintain excellent traction even on wet, icy surfaces. A Gore-Tex liner ensures Innox boots stay waterproof even in the worst of conditions, while an insulated footbed adds a bit of extra insurance against cold temperatures. 

For warm weather hiking, the new Altra Lone Peak 4.0 is an excellent option. While primarily designed to be a trail runner, the shoe has become the most popular model for thru-hikers on the Appalachian Trail. It’s foot-shaped toe box, zero-drop design, and comfortable footbed make it a great option for day hikers and weekend warriors too. Add in a grippy outsole and built-in gaiter attachments and you have all the trappings of a lightweight, yet very supportive, hiking shoe. 

Kammock’s new Mantis All-in-One Hammock Tent isn’t just a camping hammock but a full-featured sleep system that can keep you safe from insects and the elements while sleeping comfortably suspended between two trees.

The hammock come with everything you need to get started, including a lightweight rainfly, insect netting, and tree-friendly straps. The entire system can be set up in a manner of minutes, weighs less than 2.8 pounds, and can support up to 500 pounds of weight. In other words, it has all the comfort and amenities of camping in a tent, without having to actually sleep on the hard ground. 

Those looking to shave some ounces off their camping kit will definitely want to check out what Therm-a-Rest has cooking this spring. The company’s new NeoAir Uberlight sleeping pad clocks in at just 8.8 ounces, while its 32ºF Vesper Camp Quilt is a mere 15 ounces. That means combined these two products weigh less than two cans of beer, and since the both pack down to an incredibly small size, they don’t take up much room in your pack either. Made for warm weather outings, these two products will come in handy as spring temperatures take an upward turn. 

A compass is always a great tool to have at your disposal when navigating a trail, but the LynQ takes that functionality to a new level. These easy-to-use electronic devices allow up to 12 of the units to be connected to one another, making it a breeze to know where others in your hiking group are located at all times.

A simple interface allows users to set the digital arrow to point in the direction of a specific person and even displays how far away they are. The LynQ works using GPS, which means it functions in areas where cell service is not available, potentially making it an important piece of safety equipment for backcountry travel. 

There are countless water bottles to choose from for use while hiking, but few offer the features and functionality of the Grayl Geopress. This bottle won’t just keep you hydrated while in the backcountry, it can actually purify the water you drink to ensure you stay healthy, too. Using a simple procedure, the Geopress can remove 99.99% of viruses, bacteria, protozoa, and other harmful elements from any water source, making it easy to collect drinking water from rivers, lakes, and streams. The device is fast, too, taking just 8 seconds to purify 24 ounces of drinking water and creating as much as 5 liters in a single minute. 

Whether you’re just heading out for the day or you’re making an extended backpacking trip. the new UCO Bamboo Elements Mess Kit will make meals easier and more convenient. The kit ships with a bowl, a lid that doubles as a plate, a spork, and a reusable tether to keep everything together. Best of all, it’s made entirely of Earth-friendly, easy-to-clean bamboo, that looks great and is incredibly lightweight. Even the spork is innovative, easily transforming into a long utensil for stirring pots or bags of dehydrated meals. 

If you’re going to be cooking on the trail or at the campsite, the new GSI Escape silicone cook pots will be of interest. Not only do these pots collapse down to save 53% more space in your pack, they also have 30% faster cook times, which in turn saves you 30% more fuel from your stove. The Escape line comes in various sizes, offering up fast cooking for a single hiker or larger pots that can feed the whole crew. 

When spawning season approaches, experienced anglers know they can ignore most deep offshore waters and instead concentrate on manmade and natural shoreline cover, and structure such as points, flooded feeder creeks and river backwaters. How anglers fish, and the techniques they employ, are at least as important as the lures they use. Here’s a primer on how to locate and catch bass before the spawn sets up.

Hungry bass are on the move at this time of the year. The angler’s task is to focus on places where the fish are temporarily holding or passing through. In the pre-spawn phase, bass don’t swim from deeper water to the shallows in a straight line or all at once; rather, they migrate along well-defined underwater trails. A GPS unit or lake map provides quick reference to where such features can be located.

What To Look For: A travel route might be as obvious as a flooded roadbed or a narrow neck or stretch of creek that leads to a broad spawning flat. Sharp bends or spots where there is cover such as stumps, laydowns or brush piles should be fished slowly and thoroughly. Humps and rocks on an otherwise flat bottom, or places where rocky bluff banks gradually merge with clay or gravel banks, are prime areas.

How To Fish Them: When tapping a flooded ditch or creek, position the boat in the center of the feature if possible and cast along either side and down the middle of the feature. Probe every side of a hump, ledge or structure change  before moving. Start with “search baits” that are cast out and reeled back with a steady retrieve, and then slow down and switch to other lures as necessary.

Likely Lures: Jigs rigged with boot-tail grubs, buzzbaits, lipless crankbaits, vibrating jigs, football-head jigs, or suspending jerkbaits are good choices here. Wacky-rigged stick worms such as the Yamamoto Senko or Strike King Ocho might work, too.

A typical wacky rig consists of a stick worm or regular plastic worm hooked through the middle of its length with a wide-gap hook (2/0 or larger, depending on the diameter of the soft-plastic) or jighead so that it dangles and moves enticingly as it sinks. Anglers sometimes add nail weights to either or both ends to make the bait descend quicker in deeper water. Wacky rigs don’t make good search baits because their effectiveness depends on a slow presentation. Once cast, a wacky rig sinks on a slack line, then is lifted a foot or so and allowed to settle again as slack is taken up.

Tackle You’ll Need: Medium-action spinning rods of 7 to 7 ½ feet long and 6- to 12-pound-test fluorocarbon or braided line on the matching reel is preferred for lightweight presentations such as a weightless wacky rig. For other baits, baitcasting or spinning tackle capable of making long casts will work.

A Closer Look: Here are some additional fishing tips for spring bass. 

Bass are captivated – at least temporarily – by underwater points or similar bottom changes that differ from the norm.

What To Look For: In early spring, fish will begin to congregate at the deepest end of a main-lake or secondary point and then move shallower into coves as the season progresses. If there are stumps or manmade cover at the end of such points, even better.

How To Fish Them: If possible, start at the offshore end of a point and cover both sides within casting distance. Then alternately fish each side. If the wind is a factor, position the boat to cast upwind or quartering upwind. Fish secondary points in known spawning coves and feeders.

Likely Lures: Umbrella rigs are tops here, backed up by crankbaits, hard suspending jerkbaits, such as the Lucky Craft Flash Pointer 100, soft-plastic jerkbaits, such as the Zoom Fluke, and spinnerbaits.

Tackle You’ll Need: Conventional baitcasting or spinning gear will work. Two-handed rods that afford long casts are best. If you’ll be slinging an umbrella rig, fish it on a 7 1/2- or 8-foot medium-heavy to heavy baitcasting outfit and 60- to 100-pound-test braided line or 20-pound-test fluorocarbon.

A Closer Look: Check out this video on how to rig and fish an umbrella rig.

Use the trolling motor sparingly, preferably only to make course corrections or bypass stretches. Be as still as possible. If the boat is equipped with a mechanical anchor and the water is shallow enough to use it, stop occasionally in one place and repeatedly make long casts to the area ahead before changing positions.

Most of the year, a boat dock might as well have a sign posted on it that proclaims “Fish Here.” Docks are among the best four-season fish attractors in any lake.

What To Look For: The most productive docks – either floating or fixed – in the pre-spawn phase are constructed over or near deep water in the 10- to 20-foot range or deeper. They have distinctive structure features under them such as brush piles, channel swings, drop-offs or rocky bottoms.

How To Fish Them: The most successful dock anglers are those skilled at skipping or pitching a bait into the dark cubbyholes underneath. However, pre-spawn bass don’t necessarily hold in hard-to-reach spots under a dock as is likely in summer. Instead, the fish often move from dock to dock or patrol nearby waters.

Skipping a lure underneath fixed docks can pose more problems for anglers this time of year, as flooding in the early spring often reduces the target area. Better to focus on areas of a lake where floating docks are the norm. In any event, stay a long cast away from the targeted dock. Position the boat to cast parallel to the end of the dock, then set up to cast down either side. Thoroughly fish the dock from about 5 feet deep down to the bottom with appropriate lures before moving on.

Likely Lures: Suspending hard jerkbaits, crankbaits, wacky rigs, swim jigs, boot-tail soft-plastic swimbaits, umbrella rigs and soft jerkbaits are all popular choices.

Tackle You’ll Need: Baitcasting or spinning tackle will work, but some reels are considered better than others for the skipping because of their resistance to backlashing. Baitcasting reels with higher gear ratios such as the 6.3: 1 Daiwa Tatula SV and rods in the 6 ½- to 7-foot range with medium to medium-heavy actions are preferred. 

A Closer Look: Here are some of the top lures used by the pros in in colder waters for bass.

In rivers or lakes where current is present, bridge pilings and current breaks, such as barges and wing dams, are bass magnets. In manmade lakes, bass tend to congregate below dams and feed until the rising water temperature signals that it’s time to move into bedding areas. These river bass feed in the main flow, but they also wait in eddies and other slack-current edges for their forage to come along.

How To Fish Them: Position the boat to cast upstream or quartering upstream at the target, which might be a bridge piling, barge tie-up, sunken barge, jagged bluff bank or any current break. Fish riprapped banks below dams as well, especially where turns in the bank, creek mouths or shoreline obstructions create eddy pockets.

Likely Lures: Umbrella rigs with boot-tail swimbaits, deep-diving crankbaits, lipless crankbaits, football-head jigs and underspin jigheads such as the Blakemore Randy’s Swim-N-Runner with or without a soft-plastic swimbait trailer. Natural shad finishes are usually best when swimming lures are the choice.

Tackle You’ll Need: Two-handed conventional baitcasting or spinning tackle capable of making long casts works here.

A Closer Look: Check out this video for everything you need to know about fishing with underspins.

San Diego is always a great destination for those looking for a warm weather escape, and thankfully you don’t have to travel too far out of the city to find some great places to go camping. In fact, you only need to drive about 30 miles to reach the Cleveland National Forest, which offers some excellent remote campsites for backpackers to enjoy, as well as nearby cabins for those who prefer a less-primitive option. Permits are required, of course, and it can get busy in the spring, so be sure to reserve your spot well in advance.

While you’re in the area, be sure to hike the 6.6-mile Cedar Creek Falls trail. This moderately-strenuous trek offers an impressive payoff in the form of a spectacular 80-foot tall waterfall, which is at its highest flow in the springtime, before it all-but disappears during the summer months.

Located a short drive outside of Las Vegas, the Valley of Fire State Park offers some of the most dramatic landscapes that the state of Nevada has to offer. The 40,000-acre park derives its name from the flame-red sandstone towers and walls that stand in sharp contrast to the gray-and-tan limestone cliffs that are common throughout the region. The park is also home to a number of petrified trees, as well as an array of ancient petroglyphs that were imprinted on the rocks by Native Americans more than 2000 years ago. 

The Valley of Fire is comfortably warm throughout the spring, making it an excellent location to wait out the last days of winter. It features two campgrounds with as many as 72 campsites, which are available on a first-come, first-serve basis. Backpackers will most appreciate the Arch Rock campsite when it comes time to settle in for the night.

Early spring is one of the best times to visit Big Bend National Park, as the hot Texas summer tends to arrive early and linger well into the autumn. Big Bend is a massive wilderness area that offers visitors unprecedented solitude and tranquility, not to mention some of the best views this side of the Rio Grande. If you’re looking to truly get away from it all, this is the destination for you.

The park offers a number of primitive campsites located deep in the backcountry, and permits are required for their use. Hike and camp the Chisos Mountain Trail to take in the epic landscapes that Big Bend is famous for or wander deep into the desert where the night sky will reveal more stars than you’ve ever imagined. Just be sure to bring plenty of water, because even in the spring it can be in short supply.

Home to one of the oldest hardwood forests in all of North America, Congaree National Park is among the best wilderness areas in the entire South. Visitors can explore the park on foot or by canoe and kayak, making this one of the more unique camping destinations in any season. The park has two designated campsites in the frontcountry that require reservations prior to arrival, but the backcountry is wide open. Permits are still required, and campsites must be at least 100 feet from major water sources, but beyond that backpackers are free to pitch their tents virtually anywhere. 

The 10-mile-long River Trail and 12-mile Kingsnake Trail are two popular backpacking routes that offer scenic views and easy hiking. But be aware that the entire park sits in a floodplain, so be sure to check the local weather forecast before setting out to avoid any sudden rises in water levels.

Sunny Florida always offers a welcome respite from the cold weather and there are few better places to camp than in Cayo Costa State Park. Situated on a barrier island along the Gulf Coast, the park requires visitors to come by private boat or ferry but rewards those efforts with an experience unlike any other. A network of trails crisscrosses the island, allowing travelers to explore on foot or by bike. Swimming and snorkeling are popular activities just off shore, of course, while sharp-eyed campers might even spot manatees or dolphins swimming nearby. 

The park features 30 reservation-only campsites, some of which are even hammock-ready. Most of those sites are located close to the beach, allowing campers to be lulled to sleep each night by the tranquil sounds of the surf just outside their tents. 

Where you plan to paddle and how long your trip will be are the two factors that will guide most of your preparation. For example, if you’re going to paddle the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness in Minnesota or Big Bend/Rio Grande Wild and Scenic River in Texas, there are no services, so you need to bring everything you could need with you. On the other hand, a paddle trip down the St. Croix National Scenic Riverway in Wisconsin would afford the opportunity for resupply stops. What and how much you bring, therefore, depends largely on where you go and how many days you’ll be paddling.

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Your level of experience and your ability to maintain several days of paddling are also important things to consider. If you’ve never done a multiday paddling trip, you may want to spend some extra time on the water beforehand, getting your back, obliques, and shoulders into shape. You may also consider firming up your core to get through long days without back support. Think about where you will be traveling. What kind of paddling experience do you have? Have you paddled rapids? Do you know how to portage a canoe? Can you swim? Do you have the wilderness skills necessary for a backcountry trip? If not, check with a local outfitter or a place like REI and sign up for classes to hone your skills before you go. 

The canoe you choose will depend on several factors. First and foremost, you need to figure out the combined weight of all the people in your party and choose a canoe that can safely support that weight along with the amount of gear you need to bring. Next, consider what kind of paddling will you be doing. Will you be portaging? If so, you want the lightest possible canoe. Will you encounter rapids? Then, you will want a canoe that performs well in turbulent water. Even if you already own a canoe, it may be worth your while to consider renting from a local outfitter with expertise in the waters you plan to paddle, especially if its unfamiliar territory for you.

If you’re going on a canoe camping trip, you will be surrounded by water. But you cannot drink it. In most cases, you will not have regular access to potable water sources, nor will you be able to pack enough water with you for a multiday trip—especially if you intend to stay hydrated, which you should absolutely plan to do. So, you need to plan to boil, filter, or treat drinking water. Boiling for a minimum of one minute is the most effective way to purify water. Filtration systems are also very effective. While not as effective, iodine tablets are the fastest way to treat water. Treat as much water as you can carry at a time, so you have sufficient water to get you through a day and don’t have to stop frequently to purify water. Carry something like a HydraPak or Dromedary to ensure you can keep enough water on hand.

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When planning meals for a canoe camping trip, there are plenty of options to consider, from freeze-dried meals to raiding your pantry to schlepping a cooler. Another option many canoe campers consider is simply fishing for their meals. Whether you’re able to do so or not will depend largely on the species available where your paddling your chances of landing a fish at any given time. It would be unwise to rely entirely on your angling skills to feed yourself for the entirety of your trip, but if you are an experienced angler, paddling a place with plenty of game species and little fishing pressure, like the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, you can probably safely reduce the amount of food you pack in by about a third.

For all that time on the water, you’ll need a hat, sunscreen, sunglasses, and something to protect your face like a Sun Stopper Gaiter. Be sure to pack and bring a first aid kit. Even though you may have a GPS, bring waterproof paper maps of your route and a compass. A whistle and emergency fire-starting gear (in case of an empty lighter or wet matches) are also crucial in any backcountry setting. If you’re going into bear country, be sure you know how to hang a food bag and carry bear spray with you. And finally, always wear a personal flotation device when you’re on the water.

Bass can be caught year-round, but spring is the best season to fish for them, which also means it’s the best time for novice anglers to get started in the sport. After sulking through winter, bass are on the move in spring – fattening up for the annual spawn and generally heading toward the shorelines where they fan out their nests and lay their eggs. After the spawn and a short recuperation period, they start roaming the banks and feeding on shad, sunfish, crawfish and various other forage before they begin to migrate toward their summer haunts offshore. 

Here are a few tips to get bass tugging on your line this spring.

Bass can be caught from boats and kayaks in giant lakes and rivers. But they can also be caught by fishermen walking the banks at ponds in dairy farms, city parks or golf courses. Geographically speaking, lakes in Florida, Georgia, Texas and other Deep South states produce the best fishing early in the season. Wherever the lake is located, bass start moving in successive waves from the depths toward the shallows where they spawn when the water warms into the 50s and 60s.

A caveat: because of the relatively shorter season when northern waters warm to optimum spawning range, some states, such as New York and Minnesota, regulate bass fishing by imposing seasons or catch-and-release requirements. Be sure to check a state’s online fishing regulations before planning a trip there.

It’s been said that 90 percent of the fish occupy 10 percent of the water. Relatively speaking, that’s true, which is why it’s advisable to hire a guide for at least a day when fishing a large lake for the first time. Hiring a guide will also get you into the action quicker, which is critical if you have youngsters along that you want to start catching fish as soon as possible.

To find a guide, Google the name of the particular lake that you plan to visit. The site will have links to all sorts of useful information, including various guide services.

To attract strikes, some lures, such as jigs and surface baits, require the angler to impart action to them with the rod. Other lures, such as spinnerbaits and lipless or square-bill crankbaits, have built-in action; cast them out and wind them back in. Certain topwater baits, such as Arbogast Jitterbugs and River2Sea Whopper Ploppers, also require no manipulation beyond a steady retrieve. The theory is that, like a cat that sees a mouse running by and pounces on it whether it’s hungry or not, bass will react the same way sometimes when a lure swims by.

Natural shapes that mimic shad and crawfish, and colors, such as pumpkinseed and watermelon, are popular throughout spring, but when sight-feeding smallmouths are targeted in the clear waters of northern lakes, crankbaits in wild colors such as hot pink, chartreuse and hot orange are productive.

In a manner of speaking, there are three bass seasons in the spring— prespawn, spawn and postspawn—and they overlap somewhat in terms of the best lures to use and where to fish.

Prespawn: Concentrate on mid-depth to shallow water. Bass might be positioned at the mouth of spawning coves, a third of the way in or halfway – it depends on the water temperature. Be sure to fish around and under docks thoroughly and use lipless crankbaits, square-bill crankbaits, suspending jerkbaits, spinnerbaits and soft-plastic swimbaits that mimic minnows.

Spawn: Look in shallow coves on the north side of a lake that gets afternoon sun, or anywhere there’s not a lot of bank shade. Scattered aquatic vegetation, submerged horizontal trees and brush and woody bank cover are bass magnets. Try unweighted plastic lizards and worms, jigs that imitate crawfish, buzzbaits and topwater lures.

Postspawn: Bass will stay close to shorelines or in intermediate depths, depending on their food sources. Find pockets where bluegills are spawning, and ravenous bass will be close by. If threadfin shad are present, look for bass around spawning shad schools at daybreak. Otherwise, fish secondary drop-offs near the banks, bridge pilings and shoreline riprap, submerged points and docks. Spinnerbaits, topwater lures, jerkbaits, buzzbaits, topwater propbaits, mid-depth square-bill crankbaits and a variety of soft plastics will produce now. 

The reason the best bass fishing is usually in the spring is because the fish move to the shallows to feed and spawn. In the prespawn period when the water is just beginning to warm, larger female bass typically return to staging areas such as flooded creek bends, under docks and alongside submerged points that extend from deeper water or humps and sandbars.

Being cold-blooded, the body temperature and metabolism of a bass is regulated by the surrounding water temperature. The females’ eggs are incubated by the heating water, which is why females move away from their spawning beds near the bank when a spring cold front passes through and wait it out until warmer weather returns.

Male bass are comparable to young bucks that often make rubs and scrapes well before the does are ready to breed. If you start catching small bass in a cove that is warmed by the afternoon sun, chances are they’re aggressive males trying to rush the season. It also might indicate that you’re in a prime area to catch a bigger female shopping for a suitable partner.

Approach a shallow cove as closely and quietly as possible. Wear a good pair of sunglasses with lenses tinted to bring out contrasts, such as amber or copper. Scan the water ahead of you and watch for bass swirling in the shallows as they chase bream away from their spawning nests. If possible, approach the shoreline from an angle so that the sun doesn’t cast your shadow on the water ahead. A bed will appear to be a small crater or fanned-out area that is lighter than the surrounding bottom. Cast well beyond the bed and bring the bait by it. Don’t overdo it; sometimes it pays to leave a reluctant bass on a bed after a couple of casts and return when it is in a more aggressive mood.

Though baitcasting tackle is the most popular type of gear for bass fishing overall, it can be a big turnoff for fishing newcomers because these reels require some practice to master. Beginners can be frustrated by backlashes, and the monofilament or fluorocarbon line used in spinning reels can snarl. Push the thumb button on a spincast reel, release it in the forward motion, and you’ve made a cast. Over time, the user will develop the skills necessary to use baitcasting tackle, which is better for more sophisticated presentations such as pitching and flipping and facilitates more accurate placement of lures around and under bass-holding cover.

Zebco, Abu Garcia, Pflueger, Daiwa and Shakespeare are among the best-known companies that provide inexpensive spincast reels and rod-and-reel combos through fishing tackle stores and departments.

Monofilament or fluorocarbon fishing line in 6- to 10-pound test also is readily available. Typically, spincast reels are sold with their spools already filled with the line that the manufacturer recommends for that particular model and size. The major difference between nylon monofilament and fluorocarbon is that the latter tends to sink quicker than mono – an important distinction if you’re fishing a subsurface lure. 

The following are five of my favorite tactics to use on those tough-to-coax longbeards that seem to hang up just out of range. They can be applied to both public-land and private-land hunting, though I strongly advise using caution when hunting public lands and mimicking turkeys.

As a common courtesy, if another hunter gets to a spot before you, move on and find a new area. This will give you more space and hopefully reduce the danger of other hunters accidently coming to your calls or rustling sounds in the leaves. And always follow the 10 rules of safe gun handling.

Public-land turkeys are often highly pressured and educated, making them some of the most difficult to harvest. Sometimes it takes little things and quick decisions to make your hunt successful in coaxing an educated bird those last few steps. These five tips, when used in the proper situation, can be extremely effective. 

For most hen turkeys, the majority of any given spring day is devoted to finding food and eating on the move. When turkeys are feeding through wooded areas they often make quite a bit of noise by scratching in the leaves and other debris on the forest floor. 

A hen turkey scratching through the leaves when feeding does so in a distinct cadence. Imitating that scratching cadence can often be just enough to get a gobbler to commit and come in. 

When setting up on a workable bird I often grab a good-sized stick that I will then place on the ground on my dominant side. Having this stick close by allows me to make this feeding cadence by scratching and rustling in the leaves with minimal movement and it produces a more natural sound. 

In areas with vast tracts of timber this can be an extremely effective way of bringing home a turkey. Sometimes gobblers become call shy due to hunting pressure and no calling is needed at all. Scratching in the leaves is often enough to convince a wary gobbler there is a hen over in your direction. This trick also works great in situations where you can get in really close to a known roost location and visually see the bird fly off the limb.

In states where it’s legal to hunt turkeys in the afternoon, this can be a very productive time to harvest a bird. Many times, turkeys will roost in the same general area and, in some cases, the same tree, year after year. Sometimes a turkey will roost in the same tree each night! Find that roosting tree and you’ll be in business.

If the morning hunt proves to be unsuccessful, but the longbeards' morning shouts gave away his location, try sneaking back into his bedroom in the middle of the afternoon. Setting up and lightly calling every 15 to 20 minutes can be an excellent tactic. 

Using decoys in this type of setup is also a good idea depending on the openness of the terrain. Most turkey hunters are frustrated and out of the woods by mid-morning. Going back out in the  afternoon, when you may have more of the woods to yourself, can be a great tactic for hunting highly-pressured toms.

A big part of hunting is the comradery shared by hunting partners. Experiencing the ups and downs of turkey hunting provides great memories for hunting buddies, but hunting with a partner can also be used as a tactic for tricking even the smartest tom. 

Having the ability to send a hunting partner behind the shooter to mimic the sounds (yelps, clucks, purrs, and scratching in the leaves) of a retreating hen can be deadly. Just be careful on public land where other hunters may be attracted to your partner’s calls by mistake. 

This “drop-back” calling strategy works very well in hunting scenarios where a tom can see a long distance such as in open hardwood bottoms or early in the season before plant life greens up. The caller can use terrain features and foliage to stay out of the view of an approaching gobbler while creating the sounds of a foraging hen in an attempt to coax the incoming bird past the shooter in front of them at a killable distance. 

Patience is probably the biggest tool a turkey hunter can have in their bag of tricks. Countless times I’ve worked a bird for a long period of time and made him stop gobbling, only to stand up and spook him. Each turkey is different, but oftentimes tough, pressured turkeys require a lot less calling. 

Once the turkey knows your location and responds to the call, I sometimes stop calling altogether in hopes of making him come look for me. Having patience and fighting the urge to call is extremely difficult (everyone likes to hear incoming birds gobble), but sometimes not calling at all can be far more effective.

Turkeys that like to frequent large fields or always seem to have a large flock of hens with them are usually hard birds to kill. They have everything they want right in front of them and they feel safe, so why should they leave to come investigate your calling? There are two tactics I go to when dealing with a bird of this nature and both involve picking a fight. 

In the first scenario, if a known tom frequents a large field and roosts nearby I tend to get in as close as possible under the cover of darkness and place a feeding hen decoy and either a full-strut tom decoy or a subdominant jake decoy in the field. Some gobblers hate to see another male turkey moving into their home turf and will leave their flock of hens to pick a fight with your decoy. Always use extreme caution when using these realistic decoys on public land to avoid another hunter mistaking your decoys for a real turkey and firing at them.

If the first tactic doesn’t work, I’ll sometimes go after the dominant hen. Early in the season longbeards tend to stick close to their hens and can be very hard to call away from the flock unless there is a mouthy boss hen in the group. If I’m calling to a group of turkeys and a hen is loudly responding, I’ll try and pick a fight with that boss hen. 

As long as she is responding, I’ll continue to call with loud yelps and “kee kee” calls. (The National Wild Turkey Foundation website is a good source for hearing many of the common turkey calls.) The hen will either get irritated and head in the opposite direction or come to investigate. If they become interested, a lot of times the gobbler will follow right behind as the hen comes to check things out. 

Pressured turkeys are no doubt extremely tough to hunt and coax into range, but the feeling of success when you bag one is second to none. Be safe and get out there to experience the fun.

Understanding the engineering that goes into today’s specialized loads (and why some loads fetch such a high price) takes some education. We’ve done the legwork to gather six of the best loads out there to help you determine just the right load to use this spring when you head into the turkey woods along with some tips about sighting in and chokes that will put you right on target.

The core of today’s specialized loads is “hard” lead pellets. Lead, by nature, is a soft metal, but by alloying six-percent antimony the lead becomes harder. Thin copper and nickel plating adds some additional hardness, but more importantly, these platings add lubricity to the pellets as they slip and slide around when violently launched down the barrel. All turkey-specific loads, lead or tungsten alloy, retain plenty of downrange killing energy long past the practical shooting range of a turkey. 

The broad spectrum of shells available, mainly for the 12, but also the 10 and the increasingly popular 20 gauge, are all effective gobbler-getters. Below are some of the more expensive, feature-laden loads available. Depending on the complexity of the load, costs run from about .80 cents a shot to nearly $8!  However, budget-conscious turkey hunters need not feel like they’ve been left out. There are plenty of less expensive shells available that will also do a good job on gobblers. Just shop around and you’ll quickly discover just how wide an assortment of great shotshells are available for turkey hunting this spring.

Specs: 2 ¾-, 3- and 3 ½-inch. No. 4, 5 and 6, velocity 1,200 fps. 

Details: This load uses Winchester’s Shot-Lok technology that encases the pellets in a shot-protecting resin that disintegrates upon leaving the muzzle. 

Price: $17.99 - $23.99 | 10 rounds

Specs: 2 ¾-, 3- and 3 ½-inch., velocity 1,250 fps. 

Details: Federal’s 3rd Degree load utilizes three different pellets; 20% No. 6 Flitestopper, 40% No. 5 copper-plated lead and 40% No. 7 TSS Heavyweight contained with a FliteControl wad that releases the shot charge farther down range. The premise is that the Flitestopper pellets with their circumferential band will spread providing a wider patter at close range while delivering more downrange lethality. 

Price: $17.99 - $20.99 | 5 rounds

Specs: 2 ¾-, 3- and 3 ½-inch. No. 4, 5 and 6, velocity 1,210 fps. 

Details: A standard-style load using Nitro Mag extra-hard lead shot with a polymer buffer in a Power-Piston wad. Remington suggests 80-percent patterns at a bargain price. 

Price: $7.99 - $15.99 | 10 rounds

Specs: 2 ¾-, 3- and 3 ½-inch. No. 5, 6 and 7 blend, velocity 1,200 fps. 

Details:  Hevi Shot, products known for their heavier-than-lead tungsten-nickel pellets, uses a moly coating in this triplex load of three different-sized pellets to product a “cone of lethality.” 

Price: $22.99 - $26.99 | 5 rounds

Specs: 2 ¾-, 3- and 3 ½-inch. No. 4, 5 and 6, velocity 1,285 fps. 

Details: Diamond Shot employs extra-hare lead shot that is polished and then coated with a proprietary material that provides excellent down-range patterns. Mainly used in their competition target loads, its extension to turkey shells is a good move. 

Price: $7.99 - $8.99 | 10 rounds

Specs: 3-inch. No. 5, velocity 1,300 fps. 

Details: Old timers will remember the Herter’s catalog that paved the way for Cabela’s, who now own the Herter’s trade name. Loaded in Italy, these are bargain-priced loads for the cost-conscious hunter and will bring ol’ Tom to the dinner table and still leave some dollars in your wallet to celebrate with. 

Price: $7.19 - $7.99 | 10 rounds

Specs: 3- and 3 ½-inch. No. 7 ½, 8 and 9. 

Details: Apex TSS turkey loads use a tungsten-blend pellet with the increased density of 18.0 gr/cc as opposed to 11 gr/cc for lead. This allows the use of much smaller pellets thereby increasing pattern density. Be advised that at this writing, their website states they are completely sold out of ammunition, but they promise to have a supply soon. 

Price: $39.99 | 5 rounds

No matter which ammo you choose, it is absolutely critical that you know how your shotgun will perform both where and then how it shoots. 

At a safe place to shoot, measure exactly 16 yards and set up a target about 30-inches square at eye level and mark the center. Then, standing at the 16-yard mark, fire three aimed shots. If they impact dead on, fine, but if they deviate even a bit, measure from the center of the aim point to the center of the pattern. For each inch off the center, your stock needs to be adjusted 1/16 of an inch. For example, if the impact is two inches low, you need to raise the stock’s comb â…› inch. To put this into perspective, if the pattern is two inches low at 16 yards it can be as much as a foot or more low at 40 yards.

Once your shotgun is properly sighted in, you can move to determining what choke/ammo combination works best for you. The industry standard is 40 yards, but if you consistently lure birds to within 30 yards, then set up for that distance. Target sheets should be about 40 inches square, but because we’re looking for 80 percent of the pellets to be in the head and neck region, smaller sheets will work. (You can buy them ready made from Hunter John.) 

Shooting from a solid rest, like sand bags, a rifle pedestal or Lead Sled, fire a shot, then change the target and fire another for a total of three targets. If the shot appears to be all on the paper, three may be enough. If there’s any doubt, shoot two more for a total of five. Then carefully look them over. You want the concentration of shot to be heaviest around the center of the pattern. 

Keep in mind that extremely tight choke tubes can deliver devastating pellet numbers to a turkey’s head and neck, but . . . often times a more open choke will deliver a more even pellet distribution. Only you can decide how you want your shotgun to deliver the shot to the bird. When you get there, you will have all the confidence in the world that when a love-sick Tom eyes your decoy, he’ll be headed to the oven.

February is usually a gloomy month for outdoorsmen. Waterfowl and whitetail seasons have recently closed.  It’s too cold to go fishing, and cabin fever seems to be a common illness. However, this time of year offers the best chance at getting a jump-start on killing a spring gobbler. 

To beat the February blues, I like to grab my .410 for squirrels and rabbits, and lace on a good pair of hiking boots. Boots on the ground is one of the biggest factors in setting the table for spring gobbler success as knowing the lay of the land is critical. The foliage is off the trees this time of the year, which makes a walk through the woods fairly easy. The snakes and ticks usually haven’t made their warm weather debut quite yet, either. And since whitetail deer shed their antlers this time of year, you can keep a lookout for sheds while you search for turkeys. 

Before I set foot in the woods, however, I use satellite imagery to locate roads, ridges, hollers (the bottom of deep hardwood ravines), edges (where pine trees and hardwoods meet), and crop fields, which are all prime places to find turkeys. Once I begin walking, it’s important to keep an eye out for tracks, droppings, dusting sites, and feathers. If I find a track or feather, I’ll come back later in the spring and have a listen. 

For thousands of years, fires have been used as a tool to regenerate the forest floor and activate growth that directly benefits the wildlife that calls the understory home. On public lands all across the country, there are seasonal prescribed fires conducted by professionals to enhance the ecosystem. Since these areas are normally open to hunting and other outdoor activities, fire warnings, burn areas, and fires breaks are usually visibly marked with signs for safety. Since professionals conduct these burns, forestry agencies keep detailed maps and records of burn areas and fire breaks for logistical and safety reasons. 

Visit the forestry office that manages the area where you want to hunt and ask to see these maps. Foresters are usually willing to share their knowledge of the woods. Once you have located fresh burn areas, finding a turkey is usually not very difficult as these areas draw turkeys like a magnet.

Firebreaks provide easy trails to sneak along and call in search of a willing gobbler, but they also create edges within vast tracks of timber. In my experience, gobblers love to strut and feed along the edges of these burned areas. Fire exposes many dormant seeds and produces new green growth at turkey level, providing a natural food plot. Unfortunately, every year there are uncontrolled forest fires across the country that burn with devastation, but they also have a positive effect on the ecosystem. The same tactics can be applied to finding and killing a long beard in these areas where natural burns have occurred.

Successful public-land turkey hunters all have their own unique tactics that set themselves apart from other hunters. Sometimes finding birds requires going farther than most hunters are willing to go. When looking for new areas to find turkeys, water sources of all kinds are an excellent starting place. 

Turkeys love to roost over rivers, creeks, swamps, sloughs, and lakes because of the safety water provides from predators. Fortunately for us, most of the water sources turkeys like to roost over are fairly easy to navigate with a kayak, canoe or jon boat, allowing for a somewhat silent approach to gobblers off the beaten path. Even a set of waders or hip boots can be worn to quietly walk up creeks and ditches to get close to roosted turkeys. 

When thinking back through my years of successful turkey hunts, nearly half the birds I’ve taken died in the afternoon. In the peak of the breeding season, hens will leave gobblers in the late mornings and afternoons to go sit on their nests, leaving gobblers lonely and looking for love. I prefer to tackle afternoon hunts in one of two ways. 

The first is covering as much ground as possible, walking and calling loudly or using various locator calls (crow, owl, or red tail hawk) to strike up a lonely tom. Oftentimes, if a bird gobbles in the afternoon, they will come quickly and willingly to the call. The second method emphasizes patience. 

When I have located or established a pattern on a tom and I know the general area he likes to strut, roost, or feed in, I will quietly sneak in to those locations, set up, and softly call every 20 minutes. The openness of the terrain and the hunting pressure in a given area will usually determine whether I use a decoy or not.  A lot of hunters normally hunt the roost and once gobbling activity shuts off for the morning they pack up in frustration and leave the woods.  That’s a mistake. Take advantage of the afternoons because they are often the most exciting and rewarding times to tag a turkey. One word of caution, however.

Hunting public land can be extremely gratifying, but it also presents a certain level of danger. Always be cautious of other hunters when hunting public land. I rarely use a decoy on public-land hunts. If the situation calls for one, I only use a hen decoy to lessen the chance that another hunter might confuse it with a gobbler and accidently fire in my direction.

After a successful hunt, wrapping my dead bird in a blaze orange vest and simply wearing an orange hat and vest for the walk out are two precautions I take to ensure safety in the turkey woods. 

Ultimately, success on public land requires time afield, so step outside and go explore our wild public lands. They are teaming with turkeys. 

But here’s the deal: ATVs are motorized, and with that comes important safety rules you need to follow.  

According to the Consumer Protection Safety Commission, in 2015, there were 97,200 injuries related to riding ATVs—28 percent involved kids under 16 years-old. Here are some smart tips from seasoned riders, to ensure that you and your family members have the best ATV experience possible.

For one thing, kids should not be placed upon some big honking device—there are ATVs specifically sized for younger riders, so look into them. Engine CCs of up to 70 are good for kids aged 11 and under. 250 CCs and up work for intermediate/advanced riders. Rule of thumb: When it comes to engine size, it’s better to go too small versus too big (and always keep an eye on kids under 16 years of age).

Sure, ATVs look easy to drive, but because they’re motorized vehicles, any and everyone who plans to board one should take a basic course in how to drive them. It’s just good sense, so do not skip this important step! 

Whether you rent or buy your ATV, review the owner’s manual to get the skinny on how it works.

Meaning, check fluid levels (gas, oil, coolant), chains, air filter, and tire pressure before you get started. There are many riders who just want to hop on and take off—only to be stranded later by something as simple as an empty gas tank.  

Whether you’re renting or have just bought a new ATV, the default position will be different from yours. Take a moment to adjust handlebars, clutch, and any levers to make them “yours.”

Even in warmer months, there are some non-negotiables when it comes to ATV gear. Most importantly, a helmet. ATVs are meant to go over some dodgy terrain, and the possibility of being knocked off—and out—is a real thing. For that reason alone, a helmet is essential.  Other important pieces of gear include gloves, boots that go over your ankle, long pants and long-sleeved shirt, a chest protector, and goggles. Face it, the trail kicks up lots of unexpected “surprises,” like a pothole or big branch, so take no chances. It’s not worth it.

Sure, the ATV goes “vroom vroom”—and it may be tempting to race the motor, and pop a wheelie. But that’s a fast way to hurting yourself. It’s a fact that more folks are injured riding ATVs than in any other outdoor sport, so be responsible.

Remember those potholes and errant branches? Even wearing safety gear, you could still wind up in serious trouble. Always take someone with you when riding. But never put someone on the back of a single-rider ATV.

Probably my favorite weekend of the year with these guys!

A post shared by Nick Moses (@nmoses166) on Oct 9, 2016 at 8:32pm PDT

Seriously. Just don’t! 

There’s a reason “terrain” is part of the name: off-road is where they’re meant to be used. On that same note, don’t cross over onto private property, and be respectful of environmentally-sensitive areas like dunes.

*Note: Age restrictions, special licenses, and other requirements for off highway vehicles vary from state to state. Before heading out on your OHV, please consult your local regulations.

Fortunately, there are now a number of great solutions available for charging our electronic equipment while on the go. So, whether you’re heading out for just the day or for weeks at a time, these are the best ways to prevent your devices from running out of juice and becoming nothing more than dead weight in your pack.

Even if you’re just going out for day hike, it is always a good idea to take a portable battery pack with you just in case. Sometimes you find yourself hiking for far longer than you expected and the last thing you want is for your smartphone or rechargeable headlamp to die on you just when you need it most.

There are literally dozens of compact battery packs to choose from, but if you’re going to be spending a considerable amount of time in the outdoors, you’ll want one that is rugged and built to withstand the elements. 

Lifeproof’s LifeActive Power Pack ($79.99) fits that description nicely, offering enough power to recharge an iPhone more than three times and featuring a durable case that is both water and drop-proof. The LifeActive includes a quick-charging USB port for rapid refills and bright LED lights that allow it to be used as a flashlight or emergency flasher, too. 

If you are camping or traveling for a few days at a time, a higher capacity battery pack is likely in order. On longer getaways you’re more likely to be carrying extra electronic gear with you, such as a camera, GPS device, or Bluetooth speaker. You’ll also need to keep your smartphone running for extended periods of time too, which can be a challenge in and of itself. 

The RAVPower Exclusives Solar Power Bank ($52.99) stores enough energy to recharge a smartphone as many as ten times and it comes with a built-in flashlight too. It is also dust, drop, and waterproof, has multiple USB in and out ports for rapid recharging, and is equipped with its own solar panel to help keep its internal battery topped off as well.

An extended camping trip lasting a week or longer could involve a considerable amount of electronic gear. Not only will smartphones, cameras, and GPS devices be a part of the mix, but tablets, laptops, and even drones may come along for the journey too.

In those circumstances, you’ll need a much larger power source, typically moving away from compact battery packs in favor of portable power stations instead. What these devices lack in portability they make up for with batteries that are much higher in capacity. They’ll also offer more options when it comes to charging ports too.

The Jackery Explorer 240 ($230) is a great choice when choosing this type of portable power station, bringing a nice mix of size, capacity, and charging options. With 240 watt-hour of battery life it can recharge an iPhone more than 15 times, or a laptop as many as 2-4 times.

And since it features an AC wall outlet built right in, it can be used to power just about anything, from LCD televisions to small appliances. It also includes two quick-charging USB ports and a 12-volt DC port too. On top; of that, it can even be recharged in the field using Jackery’s 50-watt solar panel. 

For those who spend extended periods of time in the backcountry and need power in a base camp setting, a larger power station is likely in order. Not only will you need more capacity, you’ll definitely want more charging ports and outlets too.

Compatibility with a solar panel is a must too since you’ll need a way to recharge the power station over an extended period of time. With the right set-up, you could theoretically stay off the grid indefinitely and keep your electronic gear charged the entire time. 

For these long-term needs, Goal Zero’s Yeti 1000 Lithium is the perfect choice. Not only does it offer more than 1000-watt hours of power, but it includes two AC wall outlets, a 12-volt DC port, and four USB ports, all in a package that weighs just 40 pounds. It is also compatible with the company’s Boulder 100-watt portable solar panel for convenient charging anywhere. 

Before you even start packing your backpack, the very first thing you’ll want to do is organize the gear that you’ll be taking with you on the trip.

Start by laying it all out on the floor to get a sense of everything you plan to bring along. This gives you the opportunity to take a quick inventory of your equipment and identify the things that might be missing from the collection, not to mention the items that aren’t necessary for that particular outing. It is also a good way to assess whether or not your backpack has the capacity to haul everything you want to take with you.

Once you’ve collected all of the gear that you’ll be using on your trip, the next step is to start putting all of it inside your pack.

Naturally that means starting at the bottom, where you’ll place the items that you’ll least likely need to access throughout the day or when you first arrive at camp that night. Those items generally include the following:

• Sleeping bag
• Extra camp shoes
• Any layers of clothing that you aren’t likely to need on the trail that day. 

To get started:

A. First place your sleeping bag at the very bottom of the pack. This helps give the bag some shape and provides a soft cushion where the pack rests against your lower back.

B. If you’re bringing an extra pair of shoes, place them on top of the sleeping bag.

C. Then stuff your additional layers of clothing on or around the shoes to help hold everything securely in place.

The middle section of your backpack is where you want to store heavier items that you won’t necessarily need while hiking.

This creates a good center of gravity, helping you to maintain your sense of balance on the trail, even while scrambling over rocks or up and down rough terrain. If bulky items are too close to the bottom they can cause the backpack to hang lower than it should, potentially causing discomfort. If those items are placed near the top, they can alter the center of gravity, creating instability. They would also just be in the way when trying to access items that need to be more readily available.

The gear that you’ll want to stash in the core section of your pack includes your:

• Tent
• Camp stove
• Cooking pots
• Any food that you won’t need throughout the day.
• It is also a good place to store extra clothing, fuel canisters, and a bear canister (for storing food) if one is required where you’ll be camping.

Finally, you’ll top off your backpack with the items that you’re most likely need to access during the day, as well as the things you’ll want close at hand should an emergency arise.

For example, if it starts to rain, you’ll want to be able to grab your rain gear as quickly as possible, so having a waterproof jacket in an easily accessible place is a good idea. The top of the pack is also a good place to stash your lunch, too, as you’re likely to stop somewhere along the way for a quick meal.

Other items that should be packed close to the top include:

• An insulated jacket
• First aid kit
• Any toilet supplies 

The top of your pack is also the perfect location for your headlamp, extra snacks, and a water filter, as those are important items you may need to grab while en route from one campsite to the next.

With the inside of your pack quickly filling up, you’ll find extra storage space outside of the bag to be a handy place to store smaller items. For instance, most packs have gear straps at the bottom that are perfect for attaching a sleeping pad. Lashing points are good for holding trekking poles and ice axes, or attaching a GPS device or compass via a lanyard for easy access.

External pockets are designed for holding tent poles, a water bottle, or a pair of shoes. A lightweight solar panel can even be connected to the pack for charging small electronics while you’re on the go.

Most backpacks have hip belts equipped with small zippered pockets, too. These are handy for keeping energy bars, a camera, or a smartphone within easy reach.

Once you’ve securely loaded all of the gear in your pack and made sure your footwear is in order, you’ll be ready to hit the trail. By following these guidelines, the weight load should be well distributed, and all of your equipment should be organized, too. This will make hiking with a full pack much more enjoyable and keep things simple when arriving at your campsite at the end of the day.