Hunting News Daily » dustyvarmint

Mostly Archery Under Construction

dustyvarmint — Sat, 09 Jul 2011 00:27:01 +0000

By Jerry Long, July 8, 2011

dustyvarmint’s Mostly Archery’s normal Monday posting will be delayed next week.

Dear Loyal Tens-Of-Readers,

dustyvarmint’s Mostly Archery’s normal Monday posting will be delayed at least until July 13^th while the good folks at Outdoor Hub Media transform Skinny Moose into a whole new format. I guarantee it’ll be worth the wait and you’ll like the new look or my name ain’t dustyvarmint.

In the meantime how about leaving me a comment about what you like (if anything) and what you don’t like about Mostly Archery?

happy hunting, dv

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Into the Sunny Black

dustyvarmint — Mon, 04 Jul 2011 23:51:27 +0000

By Jerry Long, July 4, 2011

A tale of the sun and my first outfitted hunt in pursuit of the feral hog.

My dream of pursuing swinely varmints, unfenced, had persisted for at least eleven years. It was 2004 and the time had come. I sat in a ladder stand facing west with the already crested sun shining down upon me. This was my first outfitted hunt, ever, in pursuit of a feral hog. The air was uncomfortably warm for a mid-west whitetail hunter and the sandy soil, cactus and saw palmetto in central Florida’s country-side were new sights for me in the field.

I kept vigilant watch spying antlerless deer off to the southwest, an armadillo and some Osceola turkeys. I’d never seen an armadillo while hunting. Although the outfitter encouraged us to shoot them I didn’t want to risk spooking any hogs. The Osceolas were a first for me also, but were off limits at the time. A golden colored piglet, all alone and no larger than a football, boldly crept towards the timed feeder. A large bird of prey flew overhead causing the young one to hunker down in a basketball-sized hole. He stayed there for quite some time and provided a respite from the boredom that can accompany long sits in the stand. I must say he might have fit nicely in a crockpot for a handy two-person meal.

Having never hunted around a feeder it scared the daylights out of me when it went off later; just as they still do on the rare occasion I’m hunting around one. It was afternoon, but the sun was creeping into the evening. Still no hogs. The sun crept lower until it was dusk. Beaming at me from an almost level position, bright and golden, it made keeping watch difficult. Still no hogs. The sun went down, but a bright yellow still radiated at the horizon.

There was movement to my right. Two black hogs noiselessly slipped under the bottom strand of a barbed-wire cattle fence and quickly covered a few feet to the feeder. I wasn’t expecting nimble, silent hogs. I don’t know what my realistic expectation was, but that wasn’t it. Expert limboing hogs were not it. I sincerely desired a large black representative of the species. Both were sleek black and about 2/3rds the size of full-grown domestic pigs. I couldn’t see any tusks, but the curly tails and floppy ears were cute which made me happy. Yeah, I said cute and have no reservations about harvesting something so described. The golden orb on the horizon had sunk lower casting short black shadows in my direction.

I locked eyes on the larger of the hogs a short fifteen yards away. I’d asked for lots of advice before the trip and was looking for a broadside or quartering away shot with the facing leg forward. Focused on the corn they paid no attention to me. When the large hog was broadside I silently drew my old Hoyt Spectra Fast Flite round wheel compound loaded with 100 grain Magnus Stinger tipped aluminum arrows. At least eleven years old this thing was smokin’ them down range at 187 fps. Through the top of my peep I saw the shadows had grown longer and were creeping ever closer to us.

The hog stepped forward with his left, facing leg. I tucked the pin in tight, low and triggered the release. It appeared to be a perfect hit. The hogs stampeded west then north following a two-track towards another hunter’s stand and out of sight. The arrow was buried in the ground where it had exited the hog. Then, surprisingly, both hogs came back onto the two-track and stood where it turned from south to east. Time ticked along slowly as it does when an arrow has been loosed towards a critter. One hog faced east as if he was looking into the golden brilliance streaming up and out from horizon. The long black shadows surrounded us all. He swayed that beautiful sway of a fatally hit animal and then went down – fading into the sunny black.

happy hunting, dv

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DIY – Whitetail Tarsal Gland Scent

dustyvarmint — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 00:52:29 +0000

By Jerry Long, June 27, 2011

I’m really excited about this one; making my own whitetail tarsal gland scent -or- one heck of a bowhunter’s cocktail.

I can’t remember the genesis of this DIY project. It could have been a combination of ideas from John Eberhart’s Precision Bowhunting and two different friends saying they saw such a thing on TV shows and thought of me. Whether that latter part is a good thing or not, I don’t know. Anyway, I cut the tarsal glands from my 2010 season doe, see Beating the 2009 Whitetail Bust and buck, see dv’s 2010 Wisconsin Whitetail Buck, with plans of making my own tarsal gland scent. So far, I’m happy with the results.

Materials:

Pair of tarsal glands
6 ounces of vodka – some directions I saw specified 100 proof vodka, but I went with 80 proof since it was cheaper (under $5 for 750 ml) and this was an experiment. Since I’m happy with the outcome in the future I’ll probably use the recommended 100 proof.
10-12 ounce recycled glass jars with tight-fitting lids
6 ounces glycerin (under $3 for 6 ounces) – check the health and beauty aids section of your local giant retailer
1 ounce anise extract (it was lying around the house) – check the spice section of your local grocery store

Process:

1. Put a pair of tarsal glands into a clean, recycled jar with a tight fitting lid.

2. Pour 6 ounces vodka over the tarsal glands and mix.

The tarsal glands in vodka.

3. Date the jar and set in a cool dry place for 6 months.

4. Using rubber gloves remove the tarsal glands and squeeze as much alcohol out as possible.

The tarsal glands. I saved these for use during the season.

5. Add an equal amount of glycerin. Mix well.

6. Add about 1/3^rd to ½, plus or minus, an eye dropper of the anise extract, mixing as you go, until satisfied with the smell.

Anise extract, tarsal gland essence and glycerin.

7. Go hunting. Or wait to go hunting if it still isn’t season yet.

All the instructions I read or heard about also included using Tonquin musk. I chose not to add it as I couldn’t find it locally and adding the cost of it plus shipping made the experiment to expensive. The final mixture indeed smells like other deer scent products I’ve used. It doesn’t smell as “cloying” or “heavy” as them, but lighter and, to me, more natural. This process made 12 ounces of tarsal gland scent with a total cost of about $8 for all materials with plenty left over for more or to make screwdrivers. That’s significantly cheaper than commercially available products. I’ll be using it this fall so we’ll see how it goes.

Note: For this first experiment I used the doe tarsal glands with the results above. I repeated the experiment using the buck tarsal glands with less success; just not a whole lot of scent. However, if you remember, this is the buck that I shot in a swamp, that expired in a swamp and I had to drag through a swamp to retrieve. I think all the water may have washed out some of that oh-so-beautiful essence of buck. This doesn’t deter me from repeating the experiment again, though.

happy hunting, dv

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DIY – Arrow Building Tips

dustyvarmint — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 12:00:24 +0000

By Jerry Long, June 20, 2011

In lieu of another fletching video, of which there are plenty, I thought I’d share some arrow building tips that work for me.

I’ve always wanted to do a DIY arrow fletching video, but I’m mostly a blithering idiot on camera, I’ve decided I don’t like editing videos all that much and there are a lot of good ones on YouTube already. However, I have developed some arrow building and maintenance tips over time that I think are worth sharing.

Removing Old Fletching

For years and years I used an old, dull steak knife for this task. Then I got hooked up with Norway Industries and gave their Zip Strip a try. Eureka Smelly Bowhunter! Many products available are named with marketing hype. There is no hype in this one. No kidding, my first attempt at using it shot the vane off the arrow and sent it about 3 feet to my right. It also removes wraps without first dunking them in boiling hot water. Highly recommended.

After installing inserts I like to square them with the axis of the arrow as one more aid to broadhead alignment. That’s easily done with a homemade arrow squaring jig which can be found here, DIY – Arrow Squaring Rig (http://skinnymoose.com/mostlyarchery/2010/03/02/diy-arrow-squaring-rig/).

I highly recommend the Norway Industries Zip Strip for removing vanes, feathers, wraps and lumps of old glue.

Clean Arrows, Clean Fletching

Whether fletching or installing inserts it is very important to start with a clean arrow. For most cleaning I use denatured alcohol which also doubles for use in my alcohol lamp when working with hot melt. If the situation calls for more aggressive action I’ll reach for acetone. Use the solvent on a Q-tip to clean the inside of arrow shafts for insert installation. Use a rag to prepare the nock end of the arrow shaft for fletching. I also clean the bases of vanes and feathers. There is one manufacturer who recommends against this practice, but I’ve never had fletching come off for being too clean.

Insert Removal

Have a broken carbon arrow that you’d like to salvage the insert from? Find a length of brass or steel rod like that shown in the picture that will fit inside the arrow. Insert it at the fletching end, then hold the arrow tip up with nock end down and whip the tip end towards the floor so that the rod smacks into the back of the insert. Coordinating the whip’s terminal location over a rag or towel on the floor ensures a soft landing for the insert and rod. This doesn’t work 100% of the time, but works reliably enough to put it in your “bag o’ tricks”. Sometimes a little heat, such as that from a small torch, helps to break things free.

dv’s Time Out Corner: It should, but won’t, go without saying that safety glasses should be worn when employing this tip and the area around you should be free of people and other items that could be damaged by a flying insert and/or rod.

Closing the Gap on Fletching Contact

Sometimes when I’m fletching arrows there is a slight gap between the shaft and the base of the fletching, especially with feathers, even after adjusting the jig to its best advantage. Immediately after glue is applied to the fletch and it is placed I’ll use a knife-blade or pointy scribe to push its base against the shaft for better long-term adhesion.

Glue Fore and Aft

I thought I’d throw in a little nautical language there. Put a small drop of glue at the fore (forward) leading edge of the fletch and at the aft (trailing) edge of the fletch. How many times have you had to pull your arrow through or push it back through a soft target? These two little drops of extra glue are insurance against fletching failure.

The trailing end of this vane came loose. The original arrow builder did not add the extra drops of glue to the leading and trailing edges allowing the failure. The photo shows the little drops of glue in place as part of the repair.

Screw That Broken Nock

Ever break a nock off flush with the back of the arrow? Prying it out with a knife tip risks splitting the arrow. Screw a number 6 or 8 screw into the back end of the broken nock then pull the screw and nock out with pliers.

Cut Your Own for Precision

The last time I had arrows cut at a “pro” shop the result was a jagged end that I wouldn’t trust for its negative result on broadhead alignment and flight. For about the price of a dozen premium arrow shafts I picked up a Weston Gear 8000 RPM arrow saw and now take the time to cut them right. I really can’t communicate how pleased I am with this purchase and highly recommend it to the serious archer and bowhunter.

Here is an example of a poorly cut aluminum arrow.

The Weston Gear 8000 RPM arrow saw.

Squaring Inserts

Get a Grip on Your Nock

Sometimes nocks are seated so securely in an arrow or nock adapter a person can’t pull them out with finger power alone while pliers and teeth distort and tear up the nocks almost ensuring poor arrow flight or nock failure in the future. I discovered this trick by accident after developing the arrow squaring jig described above. Grab your Irwin Quick-Grip clamp off the arrow spinner, clamp its padded jaws down on the nock and rotate it out. This works well and results in no destroyed nocks.

Well, that’s it. When I started this post I thought there’d be just 4-5 tips. I was surprised at just how many there are in the end. Hopefully, one or more of them will be helpful to you.

happy hunting, dv

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DIY – Lone Wolf Climbing Stick Carry Strap

dustyvarmint — Mon, 13 Jun 2011 23:43:47 +0000

By Jerry Long, June 13, 2011

Making a Lone Wolf climbing stick carry strap.

The finished Lone Wolf climbing stick carry strap.

For two years now I’ve wanted to buy one of the Lone Wolf climbing stick caddys to use on those rare instances where my stand is in place and I just need sticks. I’ve tried a few other makeshift methods and usually end up with an aluminum standoff poking me in the spine which is not pleasurable. Usually priced about $10.99 I don’t consider the caddy itself to be over-priced, but I haven’t been able to find one locally and by the time I add in shipping costs I’m not willing to pay the price.

So, enough is enough and I decided to make one using the picture on the website as a guide. I had most of the things I needed in my junk rope and strap box, but picked up a few items at a local Army surplus store for less than $6. I’m handy with a sewing machine so that is easy, also. Taking your significant other out for a meal might cost more than buying and shipping a caddy if you aren’t familiar with a sewing machine so take that into account when deciding whether or not to do this project.

Materials:

60” of 1.5” nylon web strap – heavier the better
51” of 1” nylon web strap – heavier the better
(2) 1” nylon cam locks
(2) 1” nylon “D” rings
(2) 1.5” swivel hooks
(1) 1.5” overlap buckle

I had most of the materials at home, but picked up a few at a local Army surplus store.

1. Make an arm/shoulder sling out of the 60” piece of 1.5” nylon web strap by adding an overlap buckle and two swivel hooks.

1.a. Cut all fresh ends and melt them tight with a lighter to prevent fraying.

1.b. Run a couple inches of webbing through the receiving end of a swivel hook, fold it back down on itself and stitch down. I used bar tacks (straight back and forth across the web width) about 1.25” apart and then ran an “X” tack, as shown in the picture below, between the two bar tacks.

The “X” tack is shown with an arrow in between the two bar tacks. The stitching on the web strap going through the receiving end of the swivel hook is left over from whatever it was used for previously.

1.c. Thread the opposite end of this strap, once, through the 1.5” overlap buckle, through the receiving end of the swivel hook and then, a second time, through the bottom half of the overlap buckle as shown in the picture below.

The first swivel hook is already sewn on to the left. The short end of the strap shown has gone through the second swivel hook on the right and has come back up and through the overlap buckle as shown.

1.d. Sew the short strap (the left one held by my thumb in the picture) to the long strap (the right one held by my thumb) as was previously done. You now have an adjustable length carry strap with a swivel hook on both ends.

2. Construct the cinch straps with “D” rings.

2.a. Cut the 51” piece of 1” web strap in half. Melt the ends with a lighter as before.

2.b. Assemble a strap, “D” ring and cam lock as shown in picture number 6, below.

The short end of the strap is on top, threads to the right through the “D” ring, to the left through the end of the cam lock and then back to the right again.

2.c. Sew the connection tight as shown in picture 7, below, using the bar and “X” tacks as previously discussed.

The cam lock is to the left and the “D” ring is to the right.

2.b. Repeat steps 2.b. and 2.c. for the second cinch strap.

3. You now have a long carry strap and two cinch straps with “D” rings as show in picture 8, below.

The finished project.

To use the carry strap wrap the cinch straps around your sticks, thread the cinch strap end through the cam buckle, cinch tight, lock down the cam lock and connect the swivel hooks to the “D” rings. Adjust the carry strap to your desired length. Now go hunting.

happy hunting, dv

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Rangefinder Carry Tip

dustyvarmint — Wed, 08 Jun 2011 00:03:27 +0000

By Jerry Long, June 7, 2011

Talking about carrying a rangefinder.

I often see discussions on the popular bowhunting forums about the best way to carry a rangefinder. If we were to drill down into the participants’ locations there would likely to be a big division between “eastern” and “western” hunters and how they manage this task. Through by-gosh and by-golly I’ve managed to take a cross-section of species, but I’d still say I’m probably “eastern” in style. What works well for me in a blind or tree stand from Kansas to Wisconsin also works well for me stalking javelina in Texas, would have worked well for me on black bear out west had digital rangefinders been available to me back then and did work well for me blind-hunting in Africa, but did not really work well for me crawling along on my belly for pronghorn in South Dakota.

These aren’t good for much.

Every pouch I’ve seen that came with a rangefinder was worthless for use in my opinion. They might have been good for preventing loss, as a hunter could never get the rangefinder out when he or she needed it, but they weren’t good for ready use. The lanyards that come with the rangefinders make noise sliding around your neck or shoulder when you bring the rangefinder up for use. For me, pocket storage isn’t realistic. This cold little carcass needs pockets for its hands, not equipment. The “media” pockets on some of the newer hunting clothing might be ok for this use, but I wouldn’t want to have to be “digging around” for my rangefinder and, honestly, my MP3 player often ends up there.

I’ve never heard enough good about retractable tethers, such as the Nikon version, that attach to binocular straps and my binos are usually somewhere at arm’s length for my “eastern” style of hunting, not on my carcass. Some people speak highly of the Range Snap and Cherry Hill Outdoors has their own version. S4 Gear’s Sidewinder EVO looks like it may have some potential. I’m hoping to try it in the future. In the end, though, it is tough for me to figure out where I want something clipped to.

Maybe the ultimate answer is that there is no one way for a hunter to carry a rangefinder for every type of hunting. In the mean time this tip is the method I’ve used for the last couple of years to great success. It was passed on to me just before my last trip to Texas in 2009. It is quiet and reliable.

Remove the string lanyard from your rangefinder. Slide the spring-loaded keeper all the way down to the other end of the lanyard. Find an old split key ring; black if possible. Check your significant other’s purse or junk drawer. Thread the key ring through the rangefinder’s hard loop and then thread the string lanyard onto the key ring. The key ring allows the rangefinder to slide up and down the length of the lanyard without noise. If the metal bothers you wrap it up with some black electrical tape. Mine has never been an issue.

Remove the noisy double snaphook lanyard, put it in the carry pouch and throw both in your bowhunting junk drawer.

Remove the factory string lanyard if installed.

Thread a split keyring through the lanyard hole on the rangefinder, slide the spring-loaded keeper all the way toward the opposite end and then thread the string lanyard through the split ring. This results in a quiet, easy slide lanyard set up.

happy hunting, dv

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dv Goes To Africa – Trophy Dip, Pack, Ship and Clear

dustyvarmint — Mon, 30 May 2011 16:00:51 +0000

By Jerry Long, May 30, 2011

Besides bow set up and broadhead selection I think Dipping, Packing, Shipping and Clearing of trophies is one of the most talked about topics for an African hunt.

Since trophies cannot be brought back as part of your baggage they must be shipped. Trophies shipped from Africa must be “Dipped & Packed” in order to clear import by the United States Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS). Swine and primates also require United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) clearance. When talking to prospective outfitters see if you can contact the Dip & Pack as well as the Shipping or Cargo companies they work with to get a written estimate of your “wish list” animals. Whether or not you can contact them and whether or not you trust them may have an effect on your choice of outfitter.

I was able to get in touch with both the Dip & Pack company, Swift Dip, and the Shipping company, Safari Cargo Systems, to obtain written estimates of my wish list. Dip and pack for the trophies on my wish list; gemsbok (cape, skull horns), wildebeest (skull, horns), blesbok (skull, horns), wart hog (skull, tusks) and kudu (back skin, horns, skull); was estimated at $520. Before I departed I also contacted the taxidermist I intended to use in order to get trophy identification tags.

Now, what I ended up doing was having the following slightly different list of items dipped and packed; gemsbok (skull, horns, tail), wildebeest (skull, cape, backskin, horns), blesbok (skull, horns), wart hog (eight tusks mounted) and kudu (back skin, horns, skull) for a final price of $640. The service, particularly the communications, received from Natasha Lotter at Swift Dip before and after the hunt was outstanding! Who says, “It is all just a big pleasure,” in business these days? My trip to South Africa was completed on August 25^th, 2010 and I received the final invoice from Natasha around September 28^th, 2010.

In order to keep stateside shipping and processing costs down I chose to have the wart hog tusks mounted on a plaque as a “finished trophy”. Having the swine treated this way allowed me to take possession of the trophy shipment myself at the port of entry (POE) vice having it shipped to a USDA approved taxidermist for reprocessing and then to my house at additional shipping and processing cost. I don’t remember where I learned about the swine processing, but prior to my trip I discussed it at length with Swift Dip, Safari Cargo Systems and D&L CHB, the clearing agent I eventually decided to use. My taxidermist was a little skeptical before I went to take possession, but later confirmed I was correct. As he pointed out before, “Everyone wants a little piece of the pie.” I was hoarding my pieces, dad-blast-it!

Natasha Lotter at Swift Dip mounted these tusks herself. This is one of my favorite pieces.

After dipping and packing the shipment was sent to Safari Cargo Systems for shipment to the United States. My $813.03 estimate turned into a $1048.26 actual bill. Contrary to the dipping and packing process where I added more work and materials for the wart hog tusk plaque the overall amount of items shipped really didn’t change that much so the increase didn’t make me happy. Several of the line-items I was being charged for weren’t on the original estimate and those that went up, such as “Facility Fee” were less than quantifiable. I questioned the changes. However, keep in mind that the dipping, packing and shipping take place after we, the hunters, have left South Africa. We have zero leverage if we want to see our trophies again. The explanation was that SCS doesn’t know ahead of time what permits will be needed so the cost is variable. Ok, I lost some pieces of my hoarded pie, dad-blast-it!

Pietre at SCS provided good service and excellent communications prior to and after the hunt. Again, my trip to South Africa was completed on August 25^th, 2010 and I received the final invoice from SCS around December 14^th, 2010. Then, I had to wait on the actual shipment to happen.

One complication I encountered during the dip, pack and ship process was getting payment to the South African companies. My credit union, whom I’ve done business with and been very satisfied with for 23-plus years was absolutely clueless and not all that helpful on the customer service side. I didn’t trust using my credit card internationally, especially in RSA, and Swift Dip was not set up to accept credit card payments. After one hour in the local branch and literally hours on the phone with the central office I did accomplish the transfers, but it was quite an ordeal spanning multiple days for each transfer and cost me about $50 in fees. Unfortunately the only tip I can offer on this is to contact your financial institution ahead of time and see what they require to perform international money transfers.

As previously mentioned incoming trophy shipments to the U.S. must be cleared through the USFW and possibly the USDA. There are several reputable companies such as Fauna and Flora and Coppersmith’s (these are examples, not endorsements) that can be utilized to handle this task. This service may include temporary storage after arrival as well as transportation to your taxidermist. Of course, these services cost money. My original intent was to clear the shipment myself in order to save money. I made a lot of inquiries on the African forum of Bowsite, Africa Hunting.com and made a lot of calls to those who offered help, to the USWFS, U.S. Customs and the USDA.

In the end I never felt like I had enough information to confidently proceed on my own. So, I decided to hire D&L Custom House Brokerage to do the clearing based on recommendations from another southeast Wisconsin hunter who had used them several times. Lisa and Laura were excellent communicators and extremely helpful throughout the process. Their estimate was $285. Note that a limited power of attorney is required for a clearing house to handle your shipment AND Customs requires (italics) your Social Security Number on it. Since I’m eligible to do so I had one of our Navy lawyers review the document. She had her supervisor review it and neither could find anything wrong with it except advising me to not give out my SSN if possible. Rescinding the power of attorney after receipt of the shipment is advisable.

SCS finally gave me the word that the trophies would ship around the 11^th of February, 2011. I notified D&L CHB so they were on the lookout. On the 22^nd of February I was notified by Laura that the shipment was in, but not cleared. On the 25^th I was notified that I could pick up my shipment. Mrs. dustyvarmint and I made a quick trip to the Chicago-O’Hare International Airport to pick up it up from the transportation and storage company that had custody. Interestingly, they had more than one name and attempting to get directions was a little dicey.

Once there the counter worker shuffled papers from right to left and left to right, but wouldn’t really talk to me. Already being nervous about this unknown process I was on edge. Eventually she called D&L and notified them that one day’s storage fee would have to be paid in order to release the shipment. I knew that, Laura had told me ahead of time. Had she just asked me for the payment I could have handed it to her. So, I blurted that out, handed her enough money to cover the $10 fee and it was settled. The warehouse loaded up the crate and we were on our way.

Once home I unpacked the shipment from the truck while Mrs. dustyvarmint took photographs. First, even though I knew what to expect, it was disheartening to see the damage the dip and pack process did to the horns. The wildebeest and kudu horns, in particular, were in horrible shape. The wildebeest horns actually looked like cinders from a fire. The beautiful white accents on the blesbok horns are now a snot-yellow. Somehow, the plate had been removed from the skull of my kudu. The wart hog plaque, however, was fantastic. The taxidermist’s trophy tags were pretty much destroyed. The smell of mothballs hung heavy in the air and took months to exit the house.

The transportation company by Chicago O’Hare airport.

The crate just before unpacking.

The lid is off.

Everything was well-packed and wrapped.

A closer view with horns visible under the bubble wrap.

That is a back skin in the forefront.

A lot of money in a little pile.

My beautiful wildebeest.

The skull plate of my kudu.

My kudu.

My gemsbok.

A blesbok with the horns on the wrong sides. I’m a jackwagon!

That’s better.

D&L billed me $295; ten dollars more than estimated. Swift Dip arranged a substitute kudu skull to replace the chopped up one. Outdoors Buddy Seth and I transported the wildebeest cape, horns and backskin to the taxidermist, Safari Room Taxidermy, as well as the gemsbok tail and kudu backskin. While I was prepared to pay the roughly $825 for the wildebeest shoulder mount I wasn’t thrilled to pay $180 each for the backskins, but the choice was either throw them out, leave them in the basement or have them tanned. After paying and coordinating to bring them back I decided to have them tanned and I’ll figure out what to do with them later.

Overall, though, I was and am very disappointed. Not in Swift Dip at all as I would heartily recommend them, but just the amount of money and time it takes to coordinate the shipment for what I ended up with. And, all of them still need a lot more work. As mentioned before, photographs are my true memories so it is possible I value the physical trophies less. It is highly unlikely that I would bring trophies back if I went to Africa again. They would not go to waste as there is a market for their use there in RSA.

happy hunting, dv

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Camp Fire Tips

dustyvarmint — Tue, 24 May 2011 00:05:31 +0000

By Jerry Long, May 23, 2011

This week I share some camping tips.

My father used to take me camping a lot. And since we could obtain our drivers’ licenses at age fourteen (I think) in Kansas back then I used to take me camping a lot. Particularly I was involved in Fur Trade Era history recreation. I’m pictured below with nearly all my important, worldly possessions just weeks before heading off to U.S. Navy boot camp.

dustyvarmint circa 1842 in 1987. Always wanting to make things harder I’m holding a flintlock smoothbore.

A rare moment of rest for dustyvarmint at 17 or 18 years of age.

My experience during OIF/OEF Veterrans Dog Sled with Outward Bound reminded me of two tricks we used to utilize around the camp fire. The first deals with cooking in a Dutch oven and the second with stoking the fire. A traditional Dutch oven, like the one pictured at left, has a rim around the top of the lid to hold coals so heat can be applied from above and below. This is handy for baking biscuits, cakes and more on the campfire. These days most of us try to keep burning hot coals out of our kitchens so modern Dutch ovens don’t have this feature. The lids are typically domed and the coals roll right off. I’d demonstrate with Mrs. dustyvarmint’s Le Creuset, but at my age broken bones heal slowly and whitetail season is right around the corner. However, it is pretty easy to craft a reusable rim from foil like that pictured at right. Although it doesn’t look it that thing has been used a number of times and still keeps tickin’. At a flea market five bucks that round top Dutch oven is worth the extra little bit of effort.

A “camp” oven on the left and a “Dutch” oven on the right with a coal ring added.

Using a set of bellows to stoke and tend your fire, if you can find them anymore, is far safer than sticking your lips and eyebrows down by the coals not to mention your proboscis (farther up gents…). However, carrying them with you isn’t too convenient. We called the item pictured at left a “blow pipe”. It tied easily to the outside of a pack or pack basket. It is simply constructed from an 18-24″ length of 1/2″ copper tubing with a cap soldered on one end and a 3/4″ to 1/2″ reducer soldered on the other. A 1/8″ hole is drilled in the cap end. A fancy handle can be fashioned from 6-8 gauge ground wire and soldered on also, but isn’t really necessary.

A “blow pipe” for tending the camp fire.

It is used by pointing the cap end with the hole towards the desired coals, puckering up and blowing in the reducer end. Just as if you were blowing on the fire with your mouth vary the distance until the sweet spot is found. Much safer and more effective. It also works well as a fire poker. It’s obvious by the blackening that the one pictured has been well used. Just remember that solder melts at fairly low temperature so holding it right in the fire is not good. I suppose you could pin the cap on, but the only problem I ever saw was an inebriated young man who passed out while stoking the fire and left the cap end in the coals. The blow pipe also has enough heft to fend off attacking raccoons, spiders, snakes and inebriated young men.

happy hunting, dv

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dv Gear Review – Vanguard Equalizer 1QS Bipod

dustyvarmint — Tue, 24 May 2011 00:05:01 +0000

By Jerry Long, May 23, 2011

This week I review Vanguard’s Equalizer 1QS bipod. I have to remind my loyal “Tens of Readers and Visitors” that the title is Mostly Archery. I don’t assault you often with information about self-contained explosive devices so please bear with me.

The Vanguard Equalizer 1QS bipod

Overall Rating: **** (4 stars of 5)

Specifications (from Vanguard’s website):

Equalizer QS has a picatinny rail system that allows shooters to attach and detach firearms faster than ever. Hunters appreciate its quick leg deployment. Its Pull and Position leg adjustment system enables you to quickly and safely reposition. A buffer spring reduces shock and vibration while providing a solid shooting base. It has a pivot tilt of 0 to 5 degrees and a -30 to +30-degree swing angle. Equalizer QS takes on an array of terrains with feet that convert from metal spikes to rubber. Equalizer 1QS is designed for prone position shooting.
Has a picatinny rail quick shoe system for extremely fast attachment
Buffer spring provides solid shooting
Bonus 2nd picatinny rail quick shoe for quick attachment to other firearms

Quality: ***** (5 stars of 5). I appreciate great products. Even before I opened the package I could tell by the heft, appearance and description that I was likely to be pleased with the Equalizer. I also appreciate products that are well built, but intuitive to use. Again, without an initial reading of the directions I knew exactly how to attach and use the bipod except for one thing – the extra shoe. Who knew these days that a company would actually include an extra of anything? I did have to consult the directions to make sure I understood that.

The 1QS on a Savage 93R17 in .17 HMR.

The 1QS removes from the rifle with a simple twist of a tab.

The 1QS on a CZ 527 American in .204 Ruger.

If a person had two rifles with traditional stocks and one or more “evil black rifles” the one bipod would actually service 3 or more rifles. That’s pretty cool. Mrs. dustyvarmint has yet to buy me one of those neat little tactical .22’s that have the picatinny rail so I just stuck with my CZ 527 American in .204 Ruger and a Savage 93R17 in .17 HMR. The 1QS performed flawlessly and reliably on both.

Pros:

Ruggedly and reliably designed and built.
Extra shoe.
Clever attachment design.
Convertible rubber feet or spikes.
Buffer spring.

Cons:

Possibly a tad on the expensive side.

Reliability: ***** (5 stars of 5). This bipod is well built. Each shoe has a removable channel containing a Phillips head screw that is held in place by two hex head screws (wrench included). The Phillips head screw goes through the channel and the rifle’s forward sling-swivel stud. The padded shoe is attached to that. Then the bipod is attached to the shoe. No movement or loosening of this connection system was noticed during a recent trip to the range which included intentionally closing the rifles and installed bipods in foam lined cases, several hundred rounds of shooting and transport to and around the range.

For this review I made a trip to a local shooting range and prepared my rifles for an upcoming trip to North Dakota where varmint shooting is on the recreation list. During shooting I did notice and appreciate the buffer spring’s dampening effect. Also, in order to provide a more stable shot I would set the feet on the shooting bench and pull back slightly against the pivot. While recoil from the pivot might not be the best follow through technique I was pleased with it. I truly appreciated the convertible feet, from spike to rubber, and feel this feature is just another of several in a well-thought-out design. The wind was extremely bad on this day so shooting conditions were not the greatest. However, the bipod performed well and I was satisfied that my initial impressions were valid.

Note the convertible feet, from spike to rubber. The rubber simply threads back to expose the spike.

I don’t know if this is an intentional feature or not, but the bipod sits flat even when folded. I like that.

Another shot of the rifle sitting flat with the legs folded.

Value & Price: *** (3 stars of 5). Around $79.99 street price.

Referability: *** (3 stars of 5). My only reservation for referral to friends and family would be price.

Manufacturer’s Customer Service: Not used, not rated.

General notes: Even though my true love is bowhunting I’m no stranger to varmint shooting. In the mid-90’s we used to make annual trips to Montana, Washington or Oregon in pursuit of “sage rats”, ground squirrels and prairie dogs. So there is one thing I want to point out about rifle mounted bipods. The shorter ones like the 1QS make a person think of getting down on the ground in the prone position to shoot. Even back then before I reached my 30’s it didn’t take many shots for that to get old. The neck is tired (and actually painful after a day), the back is tired and the front is filled with cactus spines, ants and dirt. The shorter bipods like the 1QS are best for 1-2 shots in a prone position at extra-large varmints or long-term shooting from a bench. Consider Vanguard’s 2QS or 3QS for a day’s worth of shooting from the sitting position without the pain.

There is something decidedly different about that dustyvarrmint! Oh yes, about 15 years or so.

happy hunting, dv

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A dv Gear Review – Victorinox Hunter Camo Knife

dustyvarmint — Tue, 17 May 2011 00:08:55 +0000

By Jerry Long, May 16, 2011

This week I review Victorinox’s Hunter Camo knife they graciously sent me for dv’s African Archery Safari.

Note: This review was originally published as a guest post on the popular Black Bear Blog. For the sake of completeness I wanted to have it over here on dustyvarmint’s Mostly Archery.

Overall Rating: *** (3 stars of 5)

Specifications:

Large lock blade with side, slide-button release
Philips screwdriver
Wood saw
Gutting blade
Cap lifter with can opener
Flat screwdriver
Wire stripper
Reamer with sewing eye
Key Ring
Tweezers
Toothpick
Model# 54641

Cost: ** (2 stars of 5). $52.00 MSRP, around $43.00 street price.

Performance: **** (4 stars of 5). The knife was sharp out of the box and maintained its edge which has been my experience with Victorinox knives. This was my first exposure to the combination cap-lifter-can-opener and I admit to being skeptical, but it worked like charm. I carried the Camo Hunter during late whitetail season 2009 and for turkey season, whitetail scouting, my African Archery Safari and whitetail season this year. I’ve cut shooting lanes with the saw blade, tweezed splinters, tightened screws, opened cans as previously mentioned and cut things with it. Whatever I asked of it, it did well.

Pros:

The tweezers and toothpick are handy, especially for outdoors use
Came sharp and maintained its edge
Locking blade
Gutting blade is scary sharp
A multitude of handy tools

Cons:

Bulky for a pocket, but it does fit. Excellent for a back or fanny pack tool.

Manufacturer’s Customer Service: Not rated, but they provided this knife in response to an inquiry from me so that is pretty nice customer support.

Source: Victorinox USA

My daily standard knife – the Victorinox Tinker.

General notes: I’ve carried a Victorinox Tinker knife almost daily since my deployment to the first Gulf War. Properly maintained the blades hold an outstanding edge. The innovative designs provide a multi-use tool for nearly everyone. Additionally, Mrs. dustyvarmint and I own six of the outstanding Victorinox-Forschner, see Forschner Knives – Buy Now, Thank Me Later knives. I don’t see how one can go wrong with a Victorinox Knife.

happy hunting, dv

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