It's in the Bag for Kolpin

The Kolpin Field Pouch is a great size bag for use at the range or in the field. I liked everything about the bag, from the classy look and design, to the extreme durability and usability.

The bag features an adjustable web belt with a sturdy, quick release buckle, and twin compartments, which hold up to two boxes of shells on your waist for easy access. It’s constructed of a tough cotton canvas.

One of my favorite features of the Kolpin Field Pouch is the built-in mesh bag, which has a bottom-zipper opening for easy release and/or disposal of empties. Another desirable feature are the two magnetic closure accessory pouches. They’re just right for holding earplugs or extra choke tubes.

I used the bag recently while dove hunting, in which the mesh bag portion of the pouch held the harvested doves. I appreciated the freedom of the belted pouch over a shooting vest, which can be cumbersome at times and hot when worn out in the field.

Hunter's Specialties: No Scent Left Behind

I’ve developed my own new motto for Hunter’s Specialties, No Scent Left Behind. These guys are amazing. They seem to have thought of everything, especially in their Scent-A-Way scent elimination kit. When I opened the box, I was surprised and delighted at all they had packed into one neat little package.

I’m so excited, I’m not sure where to start. Do I start with the Scent-A-Way Laundry Detergent or the Body Soap and Shampoo? Well, I’ll start with the detergent because you’ll want your hunting clothes scent-free when you put them on after showering with the Scent-A-Way soap and shampoo.

The laundry detergent is a color-safe, ultra-concentrated formula that eliminates odor, but doesn’t fade out your camo clothing. Once the scent elimination detergent is used, H.S. has included in the kit a Scent-Safe Storage Bag. The storage bag is about 36” by 28”, so it’ll easily store your de-scented hunting clothes. It’s designed with a ziplock top to ensure your gear remains scent-free.

Calgon now has a new competitor; H.S., take my scent away. The body soap and shampoo is an antibacterial deodorizing product that removes odors from body and hair, plus it contains odorless moisturizers. After showering, they provide a Scent-A-Way extended protection antiperspirant.

Portions of the kit can be tucked in your pack for use in the field. For those times when you need a little spruce-up, H.S. provides the Scent-A-Way Field Body Foam. This product cleans without water, yet still eliminates odors. It also includes Aloe Vera for skin conditioning. I told you, they’ve thought of it all.

Another great in-the-field item is the odorless, advanced formula Scent-A-Way spray. Simply spray the outside of each layer of clothing as you dress in the field, including the outer layers, such as coat, boots, hat and gloves. This formula eliminates odors by neutralizing them.

For those of you who don’t leave home without your Chapstick, they’ve even included an all natural, SPF 15, Scent-A-Way Lip Balm in the packet.
We all know human scent can spook wary game. I’m glad I’ve found a well-rounded product line that gives me the advantage when going up against nature’s best.

Tying the Knot

Tying the Knot…Saying I Do to Hooking the Big One

We all have our favorite knots we use in every day living, but when it comes to tying on fishing lures or hooks, the knot you tie could ensure that you land your trophy. A good fishing knot is an essential factor. Most break-offs are due to poor knots.

Spend some time learning a few basic knots. The average angler needs no more than three or four basic fishing knots. Select only those few knots that are of the greatest use to you, and then practice tying them until it becomes second nature. It is best to choose knots that can be tied in an easy to remember fashion, so you don’t have to rely on a book or pictures when you’re out in a boat or standing on the bank getting ready to tie on your favorite lure. Good, sound fishing knots need not be too complicated to remember, nor too difficult to execute.

A good idea when first learning to tie a knot, take a length of fishing line, a hook with the point cut off, and practice until you can tie each knot correctly. Fishing knots are intended to be pulled extremely tight before use. To ensure the knot tightens smoothly, and to avoid generating heat, the knot should be moistened with water first. The most conveniently available source of water is saliva, which is probably used more than anything else. When available, a better lubricant is vegetable oil. This prevents damage to the line and allows the knot to pull tight.

When learning knots, the tag end is the end of the line used to tie the knot. The standing end is that part of the line coming from your fishing reel. The ends of most fishing knots should be trimmed closely against the knot. The best tool for this purpose is a set of nail clippers. A good knot that is pulled tight will not come loose. Close trimming prevents the knot from catching on weeds or snags.

One of the first knots you need to learn is the Arbor Knot. This knot is used to tie new line to the reel. It doesn’t have to be that strong, and it’s easy to learn, so that makes it a good knot to start off with. Run the line around the spool hub, then take the tag end around the standing part of the line and tie an ordinary overhand knot. Tie a second overhand knot in the tag end as close as possible to the first one. Pull on the standing part of the line and push the two knots together against the spool of your reel. Most new reels come with line already on the spool, but not knowing how long the line has been on the reel sitting in a factory somewhere or a store location, it’s a good idea to pull off all the old line and replace with new line. It’s also recommended to change the line at the beginning of a new season.

The following are just a few examples of the myriad of knots that have been tried and true through the ages. There have been hundreds of books on fishing knots published, and the internet is an extremely valuable resource of fishing knot how-to’s. Many websites also offer video-clips of knot tying. Find one that is fairly easy to learn, and then practice with the video until you feel confident in your abilities. When you catch that Big One, you’ll be glad you had a strong knot to hold him with.

I’VE SEEN THE LIGHT…through my Bushnell Trophy 10 x 42 Binoculars.

I’m probably not the traditional Christmas shopper, because I tend to do a lot of my shopping at the outdoor sports retailers. Most of our family is very outdoors oriented, so it makes it fun to buy them gifts I know they’ll use while out making memories. So my husband in turn likes getting me hunting gear because he knows I love it.

Last year for Christmas he gave me a pair of Bushnell binoculars, which I desperately needed. I had hunted for years with a very inexpensive pair that, after looking through the Bushnell Trophy 10 x 42 binos, I wondered how I had ever seen anything in the woods and fields.

These binos were perfect for me. They’re not too big and bulky, nor too heavy to carry around your neck. The clarity was amazing, giving a bright, clear view of whatever I wanted to bring up close. They were designed with an easy-to-reach focus knob for precise adjustments.

A couple other things that impressed me about the Bushnell Trophy binos were they are waterproof and engineered for fog-free performance, which are two important aspects when using them in the field.

I’ve seen the Bushnell Trophy 10 x 42 binos at Cabelas and Bass Pro, and I’m sure most any major sporting goods retailer carries them. They are middle of the road cost-wise, but well worth the price. These days I don’t hunt without mine.

LADIES MOSSY OAK HANDBAG

I have just started carrying the Ladies Mossy Oak Break-Up canvas handbag, and can tell you that I absolutely love it. I have had so many compliments on it, several women wanting to know where they can get one.

Recently I was working in Downtown St. Louis on a job as a freelance court reporter. As I was leaving home in a hurry that morning, I didn’t have time to change purses to a dressier style, so I proudly shouldered my Mossy Oak Break-Up bag and set out on my way. I was standing in line at a busy cafeteria during a lunch break and a lady came up and asked where I found such a unique handbag.

As a professed camo-holic, I must admit I’m quite impressed with the purse myself. It’s a perfect size, measuring about 12.5 inches wide by 8.5 inches tall and 4 inches deep. It has an 11.5-inch handle drop, so they can easily be slung over your shoulder in a very stylish carry. The Mossy Oak emblem and brand name is located in a very subtle, and pretty, pink on the flap closure. There are two snap-closure pockets located at each end on the outside of the purse. Inside the purse is a zipper pocket and two open pockets for organization. A portion of the lining is made from a heavier duck cloth for durability.

Not only does the handbag appear to be well-made, it is a popular style and design. They are available online at huntsmart.com, and also the Nite Lite catalog.

The Clear Picture

GETTING THE CLEAR PICTURE

I can see clearly now.

Going from iron sights to a scope can be a challenge for women shooters. I first started hunting when I was in my 20s with a .30 caliber carbine. It had peep sights, which are great sights for beginning shooters. A peep sight makes it very easy for quick target acquisition.

The carbine had another endearing feature – a shorter stock meant the length of pull fit me perfectly. The length of pull is one of the most important aspects of the gun. It needs to be fitted to you so that you not only feel comfortable and confident when shooting, but also so that you pull the gun up to shoot the same way every time you get ready to pull the trigger.

Being able to shoulder the gun and sight down the barrel quickly and efficiently will help to hone your shooting skills tremendously. With a peep sight, you are simply looking through a small hole on the portion of the sight mounted at the receiver of your gun, following down the barrel to a V-shape sight with a post in the center on the muzzle. You merely put the post of the “V” on your target while looking through the small peephole, aligning the two.

After a few years of experience and many hours of hunting, I felt ready to move up a notch. I decided on a Remington .243 with open iron sights, which was a bigger caliber, enabling me to shoot out a greater distance. With the larger bullet came a little more recoil. Again, I wanted to choose a gun that fit me well so that when holding the gun up, I could place it securely against my shoulder and still have a clear view down the barrel of the gun through the sights.

Those iron sights were a little more forgiving, in that I didn’t have such a limited view as the small hole on the peep sight had given me. There was a small notch in the middle of the sights on the receiver and a bead rear sight on the muzzle of the gun, and so I had to line up the bead in the notch with my target. This also gave me a little more peripheral freedom to see more of what was happening with the target.

With each year of hunting experiences, my confidence level increased. I wanted to be able to shoot at still greater distances. It had also been a dream of mine to go out West to hunt elk and mule deer. And I knew I definitely needed to increase my firepower and shooting distance capabilities. To cover both of these venues, I purchased a Model 7 Remington 7mm08, in a youth model. What a great gun. It offered the punch-power I needed for taking larger game, and the go-power for reaching out at least 350 to 450 yards, plus it fit my length of pull to a tee.

This caliber demanded that I learn to use a scope with greater power and a farther distance. I started with a Tasco World Class 2.5 x 10 x 44. I was somewhat hesitant about using a scope, but with the great fit I found in the Remington youth model, I was able to place the gun solidly against my shoulder, and with the small amount of recoil in the .708 cartridge, I didn’t worry that the scope would come back and pop me in the eye.

This set up resulted in the best of all worlds. The scope enabled me to acquire my target at a much greater distance. It took some getting used to after shooting open iron sights for so many years, but it was well worth the adjustment.

The stages and levels of my gun purchases have been a lot like human development. I started with what I felt suited my needs as a beginner. The gun itself was lightweight. It fit my physical requirements. The cartridge had the knockdown power for the game I hunted. The sight aperture was easy to use, and very effective.

Moving on into early adulthood, I went with the Remington .243 – a little heavier gun, with a larger bullet that would travel a greater distance. The open iron sights allowed freedom to venture out to a greater sight picture.

As a novice adult, the choice of the Remington 7mm08 was one of the greatest decisions of my hunting career. It is one of the best all-around calibers available. But what really opened up my opportunities was the scope. It was like finally getting a pair of glasses after years of not being able to see well.

Last year I moved into my “prime” as an adult shooter. A friend of ours had a Winchester Model 70, .270 short mag for sale. I had been contemplating what gun to buy next, because my hunting desires had increased to bear and moose, and I knew I would need a larger caliber for pursuing that game. So we went to try the gun out, shoot it a couple times to see how I liked it. I pulled the trigger one time and told the man I’d take it.

After years of preparation, I felt ready for a gun of this caliber. What an incredible feeling. I could use this gun for everything from whitetail hunting in my home state of Missouri, to moose hunting in Alaska. This was the gun for me.

The scope I’m using on this gun is a Burris Signature Select 3x10x40 mil dot. I love the mil dots, because I always know where to hold on the animal at whatever distance it may be.

Talk about a clear picture.