Tag: John Floyd
The Big Miss
The time we have all been waiting for is finally here. All of our early scouting is complete. Rub lines, scrapes and bedding areas have been identified and a hunt plan is in place. Tree stands are up and blinds are popped. Our rifles are cleaned and oiled, ready for the 2017 deer firearm season debut. A few of us put some rounds on paper to check our zero, many of us have not. We figured it this way; the rifle has been in the cabinet, protected since last year. It hasn’t been dropped or knocked about and we know we are a darned good shot, right? Why bother? Let me relate a story to you about a hunter in bear camp this year and the biggest bear he never shot.
Want to bag a big buck on opening day? Hunt like an owl.
For many hunters, taking a mature 200 pound plus whitetail buck is a lifetime achievement. Big mature bucks are wily and love to prove it to you all season long. If you know there is a bruiser cruising the woods near your stand but can never put eyes on him, take a few tips from one of the fiercest hunters in the woods – the Great Horned Owl.
3 things you should never enter the Maine woods without
When I first began studying in earnest to become a Registered Maine Guide, my mentor probed my knowledge of the outdoors and experience level. He knew I was an Army veteran with a lot of time logged in the field but noted that guiding clients in the big woods of Maine had its own set of rules and norms. The most important question he had for me was, “What are the three things a guide should always carry?” Here are the answers and why.
Gunning for Grouse
This month bird hunters are making their way into the logging roads and field edges in pursuit of that ever elusive, fighter jet of a game bird – the ruffed grouse. Getting back to these basics will help you put more birds in your bag.
Bear Gun Chest Rigs
We talk a lot about the most effective gun choices when it comes to hunting the Maine black bear. We also talk a lot about calibers and specific rifle action types. The hardiest of us talk about pistols and revolvers best equipped to match the black ghost of the Maine woods. One thing we don’t often hear about is handgun holster choice when hunting bear. Whether you are a guide that has the misfortune of surprising an angry sow with cubs during a bait refill run or a hound hunter slogging through bog after bog, having the right holster and the ability to ‘clear leather’ quickly and neatly is important.
.300 Blackout for deer
I’ll be honest, when my client Doug told me he was considering using an AR-15 for his son Will’s Youth Day deer hunt last October I was somewhat skeptical. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a huge AR fan. I learned to shoot in the military with one and have owned a few ever since. My 20 inch Stag Arms Mil-Spec model is one of my favorite guns.
Stand and Fight
On April 19, 1775 British troops marched on Concord, Massachusetts with orders to seize American colonists’ weapons and ammunition. The day ended with the first shots fired of the American Revolution and the catalyst that birthed the greatest nation the world had ever seen. It also marked the very beginning of the fight over gun control in America.
Summer shooting sports
The month of June holds innumerable opportunities for the outdoorsman. Most notably for me is the hot bass fishing action that can be found in lakes and rivers throughout Vacationland. I have spent quite a few days on my deer stand in November day dreaming about monster June smallmouth, planning the casts and lures I’d use to put those lunkers hiding in the weeds in my boat.
Pattern that shotgun
Spring wild turkey season is upon us. Most states in New England open the first week of May with lucky Massachusetts hunters already in the woods calling toms. Leading up to the spring turkey season, my mailbox starts overflowing with catalogs from outfitters and hunting gear suppliers offering the newest in gadgets, guns and ammunition I need to ensure a successful gobbler hunt. Here is one thing I know for sure: there is no amount of technology that can take the place of a well-placed shot from a properly patterned shotgun.
3 common mistakes turkey hunters make and how to avoid them
You have been out at dawn and dusk for days, using a locator call to make the big toms gobble and give away their roosting trees. Countless miles have been logged walking field edges and tote roads looking for turkey sign like scratches, dusting sites and tracks. You may even be lucky enough to have a breeding flock patterned.