Backwoods Bound Bullet

PRODUCT REVIEW: "HUNTIN' HOIST"

- Last deer season we had the opportunity to field test a remarkable new product, the Huntin' Hoist. Manufactured by Doyle's Deer Gear of North Vernon, Indiana, the Huntin' Hoist is a self-contained, self retracting rope for raising and lowering guns, bows and gear packs to your treestand.

- The Huntin' Hoist is easily attached to your belt or to the webbing on your climbing treestand with it's built on belt clip. To use, simply make sure it is securely clipped on, attach the patent pending "Gear Cinch" to your gun, bow or pack and start climbing. As you climb, the rope unrolls out of the Huntin' Hoist with no strain and your gear stays safely on the ground. When you reach the top, grab the rope and pull your gear up. As the rope is pulled up, it automatically rolls back into the Huntin' Hoist and out of your way. No more tangled or knotted ropes to fool around with. A nice, neat package.

- The rope on the Huntin' Hoist is capable of handling loads up to two hundred pounds and at thirty feet long, is long enough for those that like to climb really high with their climbers. If you're like me and carry everything but the kitchen sink with you, you might want to check the weight of your pack before hoisting it up a tree. Those extra gloves, hats and food can add up.

- The most unique feature of the Huntin' Hoist besides the gizmo itself is the patent pending "Gear Cinch". This easy to use fastening mechanism is designed to transfer the load back to the rope. To use, simply pull the cap out of the "Cinch", wrap the rope around whatever it is you want to hoist and then replace the cap back into the cinch. The rope not only conforms to the shape of the object you are hoisting, it cinches tighter as pulling pressure is applied to the rope.

- I used the Huntin' Hoist while using my climbing stand and while hunting from a permanently built stand. At the permanent stand I clipped the Hoist to my belt, attached it to my gun and climbed the ladder with my backpack on my back. Once in the stand and getting things settled, I pulled my gun up. The hoist performed flawlessly. Very impressive. While using the climber I attached the Hoist to the webbing that supports the seat of my stand. I tried attaching it to my belt, but it would clank against the sides of the stand. Since I only had one Hoist, I used my old pull rope to pull up my gear pack and got it tangled as usual. The remedy for this situation is to have two Hoists. Attach the first one as usual to your belt or stand with your pack on the end. Then attach the second one to your pack with your gun or bow attached to it. When you get up to your hunting height, pull up your pack first. As the pack is coming up the second Hoist will be attached to your gun. Get your pack settled in place and then pull up your gun or bow and start hunting. Next season I'll have another Huntin' Hoist for these situations.

- All in all we were very impressed with the Huntin' Hoist and was proud to see that it is made right here in the U.S.A.. Easy to use and easy to store, the Huntin' Hoist is a must have piece of hunting equipment! For information on how to get your Huntin' Hoist, you need look no further than this issue of The Bullet. See the announcement in the "What's New" section of this issue.

- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

ARTICLE: PITCHING AND FLIPPING: PURE ADRENALINE by Gregg Munck

  Some people climb mountains, while others race cars or motorcycles. Then there's a rare breed that actually ride bulls to achieve their thrills. I prefer to get my adrenaline rush by pitching and flipping the thickest cover I can find for largemouth bass. Other fishermen like me know the experience can often be over quicker than an 8 second bull ride. It doesn't matter because for me, there's nothing more thrilling than having a 10 pound plus largemouth on a short, tight leash that doesn't want to be controlled.

  When searching for trophy largemouth, I locate the most burley brush piles, thickest weed beds, gnarly log jams and nastiest rock piles in the lake. If it has danger written all over it, then you have located some promising water to investigate. Veteran bass prefer to locate their haunts adjacent to deep water access so they will always have plan "B" for an escape route.

  Equipment:

  Make sure to leave the wimpy fishing gear at home. Stout equipment is necessary for fishing in heavy cover. For my rod selection, I recommend a 7' to 7'- 6'' heavy or medium-heavy action baitcasting rod with a strong butt section so you will have the capability to "horse" the toads out of thick cover. I prefer some flexibility in the tip section because it gives me the control I desire while pitching and flipping my lures. Secondly, the rod is resilient enough during those split second runs which trophy largemouth bass are famous for.

  The majority of the time, I use high-speed baitcast reels with a 6.2:1 or 6.3:1 gear ratio. All anglers have personal preferences and many are more comfortable using lower gear ratio reels for their flipping presentations. I require a smooth drag system and often set it fairly tight. I feel secure with this combo set-up, incase I have to suddenly take up a lot of slack line in an instant.

  When fishing under these heavy cover conditions, my selection for line must have excellent abrasion resistance, good casting qualities, and must be sensitive enough so I am able to feel structure and strikes. I never spool up with less than 20 pound test, and often 25 or 30 pound test is recommended. My hook selection for Texas rigging plastics is a 4/0 XGAP XPoint hook. When using larger plastics I prefer a 5/0 Fat Gap Daiichi Bleeding Bait hook.

  Tips While Pitching & Flipping

  1) A strike can occur at any given time. Make sure your boat is always positioned correctly, so you will be ready to fight a big fish.

  2) Rod position is important. I don't let my rod get any higher than 45 degrees. Then when you believe you have a hook up, drop your rod towards the water and take up any slack line with a couple quick turns of the reel, and you're ready for a good solid hook set.

  3) Be a line watcher. If your line jumps, or moves in any direction, set the hook. I also like to keep my finger in contact with the line, so you can feel subtle pick-ups.

  4) Be aware of the depth you're fishing. For example, if you're fishing in 5 feet of water, and your jig only drops 3 feet, set the hook. An aggressive bass will take your offering before it ever has a chance to reach the bottom of the lake.

  5) I'm always checking hook points to make sure their sharp. At the same time, check your line for nicks and frayed areas.

  6) Prime targets. Make repeated, repeated, repeated casts. Especially when fishing highly pressured lakes. Keep working your lure in the zone until you aggravate the bass into biting.

  7) On certain days, a more subtle presentation works best. Then there are other days when I like to add two or three rattles to my lure selection. Unfortunately, the bass will have to clue you in on their various mood swings.

  8) When I'm pitching and flipping, I work my lures like I'm trying to hang them up. It helps you get your offering in every nook and cranny. I would rather lose a few lures than pass up a big, feisty hawg. Pitching and flipping is a great technique to use during frontal conditions, and on bluebird days after cold fronts when bass hold tight to cover.

  The Hook-Up

  After the strike and hook set, make sure you "horse" the big bruiser out of her safety zone before the bass gets the upper hand on you. Use this brief element of surprise to your favor. Stay on your toes because many anglers often lose a huge bass near or at the boat. I have experienced where these bruisers lunge for your trolling motor and lower unit. I have also noticed that when you apply too much pressure on a big bass, they will head for the surface. You certainly do not want a monster thrashing around out of the water because it is much easier for them to throw the lure. When I sense the big gal rising up, I thrust my pole into the water to keep the bass from breaking the waters' surface.

  At this point there isn't any doubt that the big bruiser got a good look at you and the boat, so that's the last place she plans on going. Now there is only a few feet of line left between your rod tip and the bass. The next lunge she makes you will need to be ready to rip some line off your reel. This is when I also loosen my drag quickly and "free spool" if you have to. If your fortunate enough, and there is no obstructions in the water near your boat, you can play the bass around the boat to tire her out.

  Lures That I Keep Wet:

  There is a long list of plastics that work for pitching and flipping. Big craws, zipper worms, brush hogs, lizards, and twin tail grubs, just to name a few. My go-to lures begin with a jig-n-pig. The pork trailers offer a soft natural texture and the salty flavor that big bass love. I prefer my jig colors to be dark, such as black, junebug, or black and blue, which have always worked well for me while in lightly stained and stained water. Of course I'll use more natural tones when fishing clear water. The majority of the time, I Texas rig large plastics. The tube baits I use are 4 - inches and larger. My plastic worms range between 10 and 12 inches in length. I prefer using the larger 5" size Senkos, which work well Texas rigged or flipped when weightless. There are also times when a large plastic craw can be a good choice.

  Of course there will be times when it is necessary to down size the lures you use. One occasion in which I choose a selection of smaller profile baits is when I am fishing on a highly pressured lake. After a cold front would be another reason to select the smaller lures. This is also a good time to leave the rattles in the tackle box. But, the best thing about pitching and flipping is the monster bass will keep your adrenaline flowing faster than the rapids in a river.

  Gregg is a nationally known trophy fisherman who resides in the Show Low, Arizona area. He has achieved numerous records including four Arizona state records. For more information on multi species trophy fishing or to checkout Gregg's "Trophy Fishing Secrets" book, just visit his website: WWWW.MUNCKSTROPHYFISHING.COM.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

ARTICLE: "REMEMBER THIS....."

- As part of our anniversary celebration we dug into the archives and came up with this article. It first ran in our second issue back in October 2000 and became a regular feature of The Bullet for a couple of years. It features the writing talents of our old friend Kenny Settle and here it is......

- KENNY'S CORNER: Why Do I Deer Hunt?

- I'm sure that many of you have asked yourself the same question. Is it because I enjoy sitting in a stand all day and not even see a deer? Is it because I like to be in sleet and freezing rain to the point that it is so miserable, thoughts of quitting start to creep in my head?

- Or maybe it is because of things like this.

- One year after taking a buck, I began to field dress it. While cutting off the tarsal glands I made a move with my knife that can only be described as stupid and stabbed myself in the hand about two inches deep. Pretty negative stuff, huh?

- Let's look at some other reasons why I deer hunt.

- Getting in your tree early morning when it is still dark and watching the sun come up as the woods around you become alive is a pretty good one.

- What about the adrenalin rush as a deer approaches and you ready yourself for the shot.

- Another one of my favorites is sitting on stand after a couple of days and thinking about how much I love and miss my wife and daughters, then smiling, because I know that when I get home whether I was successful or not hugs, kisses and open arms will greet me.

- I am willing to bet that every one of you have experienced at least one of the scenarios I mentioned above. I know this because if you are a deer hunter it just goes with the territory. I deer hunt for the memories and experiences that you cannot get unless you put yourself in a tree stand. Memories that can be shared with friends and family. Memories and experiences that burn into your very soul. What about you? Why do you deer hunt?

- I'm Kenny, and I hope I have all of you in my corner.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

ARTICLE: ENERGY CONSERVATION: RAISE YOUR STANDARD OF LIVING By Roy Macklin

  Conservation of energy in your house can improve rather than diminish your overall quality of life. Conserving energy doesn't always mean 'cutting back.' Conservation can be a simple result of consciousness. A minor example would be turning off lights as you leave a room. Notice how you use power and you'll soon find out where you waste it. Then, you can take some positive and painless actions to change that.

  Electricity pours into our homes in a seemingly endless supply with no effort from us. Most people only think about electricity during black-outs, when bad weather causes an outage, or when the monthly electric bill arrives. One benefit of conservation is that your energy bill decreases and you have more money to spend on other things.

  I never pay a bill for electricity because I have a stand-alone power system: sixteen solar panels, a stream generator (hydro-electric), and a little wind jenny. My family has a keen awareness of how we use energy because we literally create every watt. We don't waste power, and we maintain a high standard of living. Forget it if you've pictured solar-powered life as having a small cabin with a wood cook-stove and a couple of light bulbs.

  Actually, my house was specifically designed to use minimal electricity, and that includes having cutting-edge technology for all of our appliances - dishwasher, refrigerator, washer, dryer, and more. Plus, we have the usual toys and equipment: computers, sound system, TV with DVD, etc. All this is easily supported by home-grown renewable energy because of conservation.

  We run our entire house on about 3 kilowatts a day - less than the daily usage of most refrigerators. The reason this is possible begins with our heating and cooling system. This is the biggest energy user in most houses. If you're starting from scratch and building a new house, simply design an energy efficient building from the beginning - properly situated houses can use passive solar for heating, and ventilation with overhangs for cooling. Existing buildings can be remodeled, or fitted for gas. To use electricity for heating is utterly wasteful. Heat is a by-product of electricity. Gas is an alternative that is much better.

  Another reason my family enjoys a modern household and still needs only a small quantity of energy has to do with our appliances. When those that you currently own need to be replaced, a top priority for choosing your next appliance should be its low energy use. For example, our refrigerator was designed for maximum efficiency so that in 24 hours it uses less electricity that a 100 watt incandescent bulb uses in 5 hours. Even if some of the energy efficient, leading edge appliances are initially more expensive, the long-term reduction in your electric bill makes up for it.

  Take heart. You can be conservative about power without remodeling or buying expensive new appliances. A very easy and cost-effective place to begin is by using compact fluorescent light bulbs. They give excellent light for 23 watts, compared to a regular 100 watt bulb. The compact bulbs come in every style and size so you can use them for everything from lamps to overhead fixtures. They last much longer than incandescent bulbs, and the best part is that they are affordable now. When they first came on the market they could cost as much as $19 apiece. Now you can get them for $2 or $3 if you watch for sales.

  Conservation saves you money, adding to your life's quality. What's also a benefit is the personal satisfaction of being conscious about how you're using energy. Earth's resources are used to create most of the electricity humans use: coal gets mined, the air gets fouled, rivers get dammed, and so on. When everyone makes some effort to conserve it adds up to a greatly reduced drain on Earth. You can make a direct impact for the better.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In this issue:

BACKWOODS TRIVIA: This month's question is from Scotty Dawg of California. See if you know this one.

What country consumes the most carrots per capita?

Find the answer at the end of this newsletter.

Send your trivia questions to [email protected] .

RECIPE: - N & N'S GRILLED TROUT

* Place each trout on a piece of foil big enough to wrap it in.

* Season to taste inside and out with the garlic powder and the Jane's Krazy Pepper.

* Add a tablespoon of butter on top. Roll and seal the foil to make a packet. Make sure the ends are sealed tight.

* Place on the grill over medium heat for about 30 minutes turning often. Bigger fish may take longer.

* Fish is done when it flakes easy.

* Remove the fish from the foil and serve or just cut open the packet and eat it from the foil.

Our thanks to Nate and Niki Heebner for sharing this recipe. For more great tasting fish recipes go to www.backwoodsbound.com/zfish.html .

** ADVERTISE HERE! **

Place your ad here for only $6.00 an issue. Be seen by nearly 1600 potential buyers! Reduced rates for multiple issues. For more details go to www.backwoodsbound.com/advertise.html or e-mail us [email protected].

** STATE SHAPED TROPHY PLAQUES **

• Deer season is fast approaching and now is the time to order your Backwoods Bound State Shaped Trophy Plaque! Be ready for that trophy buck and order your plaque now. Add a that special touch with one of our real hardwood trophy plaques. Why buy one of those glued together sawdust plaques made overseas somewhere when you can buy a plaque made from solid oak that was handcrafted right here in the good 'ol U.S.A. Mount your trophy on something unique this year and have it stand out from the rest.

As a way of celebrating our 5th anniversary get your Trophy Plaque shipped to you for only $5.00! Until the end of September 2005, we are offering $5.00 shipping on ALL orders of $13.00 or more. So order more than one and save like never before.

Order a Backwoods Bound State Shaped Trophy Plaque. You'll be glad you did! Remember that ALL the states and Canadian provinces are available. For more information and photos or to place your order go to www.backwoodsbound.com/catalog.html .

RECOMMEND THE BACKWOODS BOUND BULLET TO A FRIEND!

Know a friend who enjoys the outdoors as much as you do? Recommend The Bullet to them. It's easy to do, just follow this link or copy and paste the url into your browser! http://www.cumuli.com/ezines/backwo.ezine Thank you!

FISHIN' TIPS: How about this tip from our very first issue.

* A bass that totally inhales your bait is a good indication you are giving the bass exactly what it wants.

Send your tips to [email protected] and we will post them on the site or use them in an upcoming issue of The Bullet.

** ADVERTISE HERE! **

Place your ad here for only $6.00 an issue. Be seen by nearly 1600 potential buyers! Reduced rates for multiple issues. For more details go to www.backwoodsbound.com/advertise.html or e-mail us [email protected].

WHAT'S NEW - "SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS"

THE HUNTIN' HOIST HAS ARRIVED!!

Backwoods Bound is pleased to announce we have been made a retailer of the Huntin' Hoist made by Doyle's Deer Gear of North Vernon, Indiana. That's right, we are now selling the new "must have" piece of hunting equipment. The Huntin' Hoist is the easy to use, lightweight, automatic extend and retract gear reel. For an in depth review of this great product, see our review elsewhere in this issue.

For a limited time we are offering the Huntin' Hoist for only $21.99! That's $3.00 off the suggested list price. What a deal! Go to www.backwoodsbound.com/huntprduct1.html to order yours. Order soon so you will get it in time for the start of bow season. It is a "must have" piece of hunting equipment!

Now through the end of September we are offering $5.00 shipping on ALL orders of $13.00 or more! Save between $5.00 - $13.00! Order a Window Decal and a Huntin' Hoist and get them shipped for only $5.00. Or buy one of our Camo Hats, a Trophy Plaque and a Huntin Hoist and save big!! The more you order, the bigger your savings!

To see all of our great products go to www.backwoodsbound.com/catalog.html.

FREE GIFT ON ALL ORDERS!!

As an added bonus, while supplies last, we will include a FREE Falcon IV Key-chain Knife by Maxam on ALL orders! That's a $2.99 value, ABSOLUTELY FREE!

We are also working on a new format for The Bullet. The new format will able us to include pictures and graphics in each issue. We hope to have it up and running for the next issue.(We're still learning the program.)

And as always we need new photos, tips, recipes, fun facts and articles for the site and future issues of the Bullet. Send your stuff to: [email protected].

• - ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

INTERESTING QUOTE: "I've got all the money I need....if I die by 4 o'clock this afternoon." - entertainer, Henny Youngman.

Thank you to Fred Gardner for sending this in.

Seen or heard an interesting or humorous quote? Send it in and we'll post them next month. Send them to: [email protected]

RECIPE: - BEST DOVE RECIPE

* Season dove to taste with favorite seasonings.

* Remove tips and stems from jalapenos. Slice lengthwise in half and remove seeds.

* Spread some cream cheese into each pepper half.

* Insert one piece of dove into the pepper. Top with a slice of onion and green pepper.

* Wrap with a slice of bacon. Secure with toothpicks.

* Repeat with rest of ingriedents.

* Grill over medium heat. When the bacon is done, doves are done.

* Baste with bbq sauce when just about done.

Many thanks to Joe Villegas for this recipe. For more great dove recipes go to www.backwoodsbound.com/zdove.html.

HUNTIN' TIP: - Here is the first Huntin' Tip we ran.

* Never stalk a deer near crows. They will alert the deer to your presence by cawing at you.

Send your tips to [email protected] and we will post them on the site or use them in an upcoming issue of The Bullet.

** ADVERTISE HERE **

Place your ad here for only $6.00 an issue. Be seen by nearly 1600 potential buyers! Reduced rates for multiple issues. Contact us at [email protected] for details.

FUN FACTS: - Since we are flashing back, here are the Fun Facts from our first issue.

* A whitetail buck may lose as much as 30 percent of their body weight during the rut.

* A squirrel cannot contract or carry the rabies virus.

* Bluegill are prolific breeders. They can lay from 18,000 to 60,000 eggs in each of their nests.

For more Fun Facts visit www.backwoodsbound.com/funfacts.html.

RECIPE: - APPLE VENISON LOIN

* Slice the loin into thin slices. Place in a large bowl and cover with the cider. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

* Pour some flour into the bowl. Season to taste with the garlic salt and the seasoning salt.

* Remove the meat from the cider and drain well.

* Heat some oil in a large skillet over medium heat.

* Lightly bread the meat with the seasoned flour.

* Add to the hot oil and fry until golden brown.

Our thanks to Noel for sending in this recipe in time for bow season next month.

Go to www.backwoodsbound.com/zdeer.html to see more than sixty great deer recipes we have on our site. Send yours to [email protected]