A lot of turkey hunters think that the whole key in being successful is to learn how to call superbly and that’s all they focus on. In my turkey seminars, I teach that calling is about 20 percent of the puzzle. You have to also learn strategy, camo, decoys and many other details if you want to be successful. Calling is actually only a small part of ensuring that you have a successful turkey hunt. There are many champion callers that can call a whole lot better than me but they aren’t good hunters.

So with the above said, let’s discuss an often-forgotten piece of the puzzle — patterning your shotgun. On most of your shot gunning you can switch out the choke and use one shotgun for multiple hunts but if at all possible, for turkey hunting it is nice if you can designate one shotgun for turkeys. Here’s why. To shoot out to 40, 50 or even 60 yards, you’re going to need a sight or a scope because using the beads on top of the ventilated rib just doesn’t work. If you have to mount, unmount a sight or scope every spring on your multi-purpose shotgun it will be a pain.

This year I got a Mossberg 930 and mounted a Vortex SPARC AR Red Dot scope on it. If you can’t afford to designate one shotgun for turkeys, don’t panic. But for sure use a good turkey choke like a TruLock .650 or .660 choke so that you can get a tight pattern. Even my youngest daughter looked at a target I shot and said, “Daddy, you don’t want that many BBs in him do you?” It put 132 BBs on the target.

After you get a good choke, test three or four different loads because they vary in how they perform. Turkeys are tough birds so you want to make sure you use the best shells. The bad deal is, the good turkey loads are expensive. They run from $1 to $5 per shell so you don’t want to waste too many on the range but still, if you go to all the time, trouble and expense of going hunting it’s a small investment to do so. From what I’ve tested, HEVI-Shot out performs everyone else.

To make the choice even more complicated, manufacturers offer different sizes of shot and HEVI-Shot even offers a blend of 5, 6 and 7 shot in one load. The theory is, the 5s are heavier and even though lighter, the 7s provide for a tighter pattern. You’ll have to decide what size shot you prefer.

If you test a lot of different manufacturers then you ought to buy a Caldwell Lead Sled. If you don’t, after shooting a few of the 3-inch or 3 ½-inch shells you’ll be flinching. (OK, I hate to be a wimp but the 3 ½-inch shells KICK BIG TIME.) Also to reduce flinching, wear double ear protection. I wear foam earplugs and earmuffs.

To pattern your shotgun, aim 5-7 inches below the head. That way the bulk of the pattern hits from the heart to the head. If you shoot at the head, half of the BB’s whiz harmlessly overhead. I like to use Birchwood Casey Shoot N-C targets. They make it easy to count how many BBs are in the kill zone. To count how many BBs hit in the kill zone I lay a piece of paper over the target and count holes as I slowly slide it down. Shoot and then count how many BBs hit in the head/neck area. I’m sure there is a socially accepted number you want to obtain but I don’t know what that is.

Do you have to buy store bought targets? If you’re a kid on a paper route budget — no! you can get a large piece of cardboard and draw a turkey on it. Color the head red so it’s visible at 40 yards. After you’ve decided which shell to use, shoot at 20, 30, 40 and 50 yards. That way you’ll know how effective you’ll be at each range. If you have a really tight choke it’s easy to miss if one is really close.

Some of the loads will have up to 2 ¼ ounces of shot so they kick. So it doesn’t scare off young hunters and women, have them shoot a 3-inch mag in a 20 gauge. Put a recoil pad on their gun.

Tom Claycomb lives in Idaho and has outdoors columns in newspapers in Alaska, Idaho, Utah, Nevada, Colorado and Louisiana. He also writes for various outdoors magazines and teaches outdoors seminars at stores like Cabela’s, Sportsman’s Warehouse and Bass Pro Shop.

I got up this morning at 4, ran to the airport and jumped on a plane heading to the inaugural Shooting Sports Showcase in Alabama. We boarded and it quickly became apparent that something was wrong. One and a half hours later they deboarded and herded us into a long line for rebooking. Five hours later I’m back home where I started.

The plan was to meet the publisher of Ammoland Shooting Sports News, Fredy Riehl, who is a good buddy of mine, in Atlanta. From there we’d run over to Alabama a day early. There’s a park where you can shoot howitzer cannons and drive tanks. Scratch that item from the agenda.

Oh well, I got to go home and be with Katy one more day. I was going to write my article for the next week on the four-hour flight, so I’ll also get that done while at home. I set down to plan what topic to cover and suddenly it hit me. I’ve never written an airgun article for the ISJ! Wow, how did I let that one slip by me? I’m big-time into airguns. Tested airguns for a lot of the major airgun companies, been on prostaff with one of the major ones, hunted big game with the big Umarex .50 cal. Hammer etc. etc. So I’d like to encourage you to check out some of the modern airguns.

I won’t be able to do airguns justice in one small article so I’m going to do a four-part series to pique your interest. (That is unless some other hot topic pops up in the meantime, like whistle pigs attacking school kids at their bus stop, in which case I’ll have to do my civic duty and write about that).

So with all of the above said, let’s get started on airguns. If you’re like me, I got a BB gun when I was 6 years old, a pellet gun at 9 years old, a shotgun at 10 years old and then a .22 at 12 years old. I think I started deer hunting at 9 to 10 years old. So by the time I reached this level I left my airguns in the dust never to be shot again.

Decades later, I started hearing rumblings about the modern break barrel air rifles. Then my brother-in-law had me shoot his new break barrel air rifle. For the life of me I could not understand why a grown man would digress and go back to airguns.

Finally I thought well, I might as well check them out. I’m always scrambling for new topics. Airguns should be good for one. Little did I know how deep I would end up in them.

Shortly thereafter I was at the Professional Outdoor Media Association Convention in Missouri. At the Media Day at the Range event, I met with Winchester. She showed me the ins and outs of a break barrel and before long I had one in my hot little hands.

But upon shooting it, I was sadly disappointed. I could only get a 1 ½-inch group at 15 yards. I had a buddy on the SWAT team shoot it. He only got a 1 ¼-inch group. That’d never work. With airguns you’re hunting small animals with small kill zones. I called Winchester and they said yea, we expect a 1 ½-inch group at 13 yards.

Why I didn’t give up on airguns right then I’ll never know, but I persevered. Before long I got invited to the 1st GAMO Squirrel Master Classic and tested out a pile of airguns but still wasn’t convinced any of them were accurate.

Then I got put on prostaff with Crosman and obtained an accurate airgun. The whole process took me probably five or six years to make the decision that I wanted to be an airgunner. So you don’t run out and buy an airgun and become disillusioned like I did. I want to write this series on articles so we can speed up your learning curve and so you don’t go through the same frustrations that I did.

Let’s start off with the first item: Which caliber should you buy? At the first SMC event, they gave us .177s to hunt with. The next year they supplied us with .22s. I noticed it took 40 percent fewer shots with a .22 than it did with the .177s to get a squirrel out of the tree. I was sold on .22s.

I was fat, dumb and happy with my .22 for years until I got a Umarex .25-caliber Gauntlet. I’d seen .25 pellets for sale, but why get into them? Then I’d need to have a supply of .177, .22 and .25 pellets.

With the Umarex .25-caliber Gauntlet I noticed as much of an improvement inn efficiencies as there was in a .22 as compared to a .177. There is just as much of an improvement in jumping up from a .22 to a .25.

Moral to the story: Don’t buy a .177. I’d recommend getting a .22 since pellet availability is better than a .25. Heck, you can probably even buy .22 pellets here in Idaho at your wife’s hairdresser shop! (But if you get into hunting small game with airguns, I’d suggest buying the Umarex .25 cal. Gauntlet).

Well, we are officially out of room. Tune in next week for more on airguns.

Tom Claycomb lives in Idaho and has outdoors columns in newspapers in Alaska, Idaho, Utah, Nevada, Colorado and Louisiana. He also writes for various outdoors magazines and teaches outdoors seminars at stores like Cabela’s, Sportsman’s Warehouse and Bass Pro Shop.

When I started hunting turkeys as a kid, there wasn’t really much gear. I had an old Scotsman wood box call and used the same shotgun that I used for dove, quail and duck hunting. For shells we used 2-shot. That was pretty much the extent of our gear. Now? There is a boatload of gear available. But which items do you really need to help make you successful? I’ll list out some of the items that I think will help.

In the old days, your range was 40 yards max. It’s a whole different breed of cat to call a gobbler into 40 yards than it is to get one in to 75 to 100 yards. So the further you can extend your shots, the more chances you’ll have. So use ammo that can reach out to maximum distances. I’ve tested most of the major brands and HEVI-Shot ammo can stretch your shooting ranges. I think I favor their Blend shells. Of course, the 3 ½-inch mags are best but they kick like the proverbial mule. So I use 3-inch mags. Next you need a highly functional choke to get maximum performance out of your loads. I like Tru-Lock chokes.

To shoot longer distances, you’ll either need a good sight or scope.

CAMO

Turkeys have almost x-ray vision so be particularly careful to camo to the max. Use whatever pattern matches your locale the best. I don’t use the same pattern from head to toe but mix it up. For sure wear a face mask and gloves. Another thing that I’d throw in my pack would be an Ameristep Throwdown Blind. These are super lightweight portable little blinds that you can easily carry with you. This way as you’re moving around locating a bird you can have some concealment with you.

HUNTING VEST

I have a Scent Blocker Thunder Chicken Vest. Here’s why I recommend wearing a turkey vest. That way you can leave all of your calls in it so you don’t forget any. Also, they have a pad so you’re more comfortable while calling. If you’re not comfortable, then you’re going to be fidgeting around and get busted. They also have a pouch to hold your decoys.

DECOYS

I hunt in the mountains so light-weight decoys are of the essence, which means I use Montana Decoys. I’d say if possible, to have two to three decoys to increase your odds. Make sure that one is a Jake. Of course, if you know where they’re roosting set up off the roost before daylight in the direction that they’ll come off to.

CALLS

You’ll for sure want a locator call. A lot of people like a crow or owl call. I like my coyote howler. Hit it and it will shock them into gobbling. I like old wood box calls. If you’re new a Pushbox is easy to operate. You’ll also want to always carry a couple of reeds. They’re hands free so you can keep calling when they get in close while you’re holding your gun in the shooting position. Also have a Gobbling shake call.

You want to be comfortable so you can hit it hard all day so wear some good hiking boots and hiking socks.

Another big deal is shooting sticks. You don’t want to be set up calling and have to raise your shotgun to take a shot and spook your bird. Have your shotgun laying on your bi-pod and pointed in the direction that you think the gobbler will come in from.

It’s a whole lot easier to call in a bird if you can intercept them and get between where they are and where they’re going instead of making them totally change directions. It is more convenient for them.

When calling it is more productive to have two of you. That way if one comes sneaking in and circles you at 80 to 100 yards, he unsuspectingly runs over the top of your buddy that is concealed away from you. This is true when calling elk, crows and a lot game that we call.

And lastly hopefully you get your bird. But then what? You can bake it like normal or you may consider making turkey jerky out of it. I made jerky out of one a few years ago using one of the Hi-Mountain jerky blends and it was great. Use a knives of Alaska Cub Bear caping knife to bone it out.

Good luck!

Tom Claycomb lives in Idaho and has outdoors columns in newspapers in Alaska, Idaho, Utah, Nevada, Colorado and Louisiana. He also writes for various outdoors magazines and teaches outdoors seminars at stores like Cabela’s, Sportsman’s Warehouse and Bass Pro Shop.

For the next two columns I was about to write a couple of turkey articles but since I went varmint hunting recently, I had to do one last varmint hunting article for the winter. On this hunt, a buddy and I were checking out a new ranch. The rancher had invited us down so it was more of an exploratory visit/scouting trip than a hunt this time.

But isn’t that how a lot of our hunting/fishing trips are when we visit a new spot for the first time? Which is why we scout before hunting season. On a side note, you need to scout even if you’ve hunted an area for years. What if the past summer there had been a forest fire? Or what if they logged that area? Things can change even if you have hunted the same area for decades.

As a whole, we’re on the tail end of varmint hunting. It’s best to start varmint hunting in October/November on into the first of February. Also, you’re competing with the ranchers who are thinning out coyotes in their calving areas. Hungry coyotes converge on calving areas, which is not good.

Here’s another unique twist. I was talking to a rancher a good while back and he said that the year before ravens had killed 20 of his calves. Right after birth, the ravens would swarm a helpless newborn calf and peck their eyes out. For the life of me I can’t understand why there are rules/regulations/restrictions on hunting crows and ravens. They terrorize wildlife. And if sage grouse populations are so fragile why is the No. 1 enemy not being dealt with?

Anyway, moving on, coyotes should be paired up by now. If a coyote responds to your calling, you most likely to have two or more coming in. Last time I told you that someone in your party needs to carry a shotgun. It’s probably still a good idea to carry one but more than likely this time of year coyotes are going to be call shy and more wary. All the young dumb ones have been shot or educated. So you most likely will have longer rifle shots. So you’ll want a flat shooting rifle that can reach way out there. So be ready for some longer shots.

Speaking of long-range shooting, if you’re making long shots, you’ll need a rest. And not a quarter-inch limb on a sagebrush! Right now I’m testing two tripods. The Vortex Summit and the Vortex High Country. So I’d recommend packing along a tripod.

Since they’re mating or just getting done, I’d start out with a howl to locate them. More than likely if there’s one around, he’ll answer. Especially early in the morning. Now, whether he comes in or not is another question. He may set down out a good ways and yip at you.

And of course, they’re coyotes, so they’re going to be hunting at night on into the morning. So you should be able to find them out feeding. A lot of times a good place is if there is a hay field (or any grassy field) and sage brush around it. They like to hunt mice in these fields at night.

And again, I’d for sure use decoys this time of year. If they’re not coming in because they’re gun shy then decoys may ease their nerves.

And lastly, after a storm they should be out hunting. Like right now as I type this article it is snowing.

Good luck.

Tom Claycomb lives in Idaho and has outdoors columns in newspapers in Alaska, Idaho, Utah, Nevada, Colorado and Louisiana. He also writes for various outdoors magazines and teaches outdoors seminars at stores like Cabela’s, Sportsman’s Warehouse and Bass Pro Shop.

I’ve been in South Dakota the last two weeks. I got out just in time before the Arctic Blast hit. It is -14 there this morning. I’m sure if you live in South Dakota, spring is the furthest thing from your mind. But flying back into Boise on Friday night I was greeted by warm weather. Saturday, I woke up and came to the realization that I had narrowly escaped the second Ice Age and spring may only be two to three months off here at home!

Which brought up the next thought: Turkey season is right around the corner. If you’ve never turkey hunted in Idaho you have to check it out. While we don’t have the big numbers like they do down south, The National Wild Turkey Federation and Idaho Fish and Game have done a great job getting them established here. And hunting them in the mountains has a different flair than hunting them in a cornfield in Nebraska.

There is a lot to cover. Hopefully I can write about a few different angles over the next few months in preparation for the upcoming turkey season. For today though, let’s cover a big one: Do I need a scope on my shotgun?

As a kid, I used my old double barrel 20 gauge for everything. Dove, quail, crows, ducks, geese and turkey hunting and used 2 shot for the last three species.

Things have changed. No longer will one shotgun cover everything. Manufacturers would have you believe that you need a different shotgun for every hunt (and according to Katy I am a willing victim).

You may say, hold on, Tom — all I have to do is buy extra barrels and chokes and that’s the same as having multiple shotguns. And you’re partially correct. Except, that when using a shotgun on turkeys or varmints, you’ll want a scope or good sights since the patterns with the modern shells are so tight.

In the old days, 30 and maybeeee 40 yards was your maximum range. Now with some of the modern shells 60 yards is not out of the question. So due to the tight patterns and how far that you will be shooting you have to have a scope or sight. And no, a couple of BBs on your ventilated rib do not qualify as a sight for these loads.

I’m about to test a Savage Renegauge and a Mossberg 930 and I’m mounting a Vortex SPARC Solar Red Dot Scope on both of them. In fact, I am mounting it on the Mossberg today and the Renegauge as soon as it arrives.

The Vortex SPARC Solar Red Dot uses solar power but if adequate sun shine isn’t available it uses a CR2032 battery when necessary. The SPARC gives you 10 daytime illumination settings and two night vision compatible settings. That will cover everything that I will encounter.

You may still not be convinced that you need a red dot scope or a good sight. Let’s talk more on this. With super tight turkey chokes and HEVI-Shot turkey loads that I use if I’m not using a sight/scope, then I’ll either miss my bird or worse yet, wound him. I’m pulling this number out of my tail but the sweet spot of your pattern may not be more than 18-inches wide!

So it is imperative to be able to aim your shotgun, about like a rifle. And this isn’t dove hunting. You’ll want to aim at a specific body part. Of course the best shot is a headshot but if you aim at the head, half of the BBs fly harmlessly over his head. So you’ll want to aim about 8 inches below his head, at his neck. That way the main pattern will be zeroed in on the heart up to the head which equals a dead bird.

So as we wrap up on the gun aspect of turkey hunting there are four things I’d advise you to consider.

1. Buy a good semi auto like the Savage Renegauge or the Mossberg 930.

2. Mount on a Vortex Red Dot Solar Scope.

3. Hunt with a good Turkey Choke (they give super tight patterns).

4. Use good turkey loads. I’ve tested I think nearly all of the turkey loads offered and HEVI-Shot smokes everyone else.

Upcoming articles will cover sighting in your turkey gun and turkey gear. But I am going varmint hunting tomorrow and am going to test out my new Foxpro call and if Katy’s ankle gets better surely we have to go snowshoeing Saturday. Oh, and I have a lot of new Pautzke fish scents to test ice fishing. So, who knows what little Tommie will be writing about next week!

P.S. Don’t forget to buy your sweetie some flowers for Valentine’s Day or I may have one less reader!

Tom Claycomb lives in Idaho and has outdoors columns in newspapers in Alaska, Idaho, Utah, Nevada, Colorado and Louisiana. He also writes for various outdoors magazines and teaches outdoors seminars at stores like Cabela’s, Sportsman’s Warehouse and Bass Pro Shop.

OK, I’m not a hard-core died-in-the-wool ice fisherman. I’m a fair weathered ice fisherman. Well, I guess there’s no such thing as a fair weathered fisherman or you’d never go ice fishing. It’s always cold or there’s no ice. Let me give you a couple of examples.

I used to have a few ice fishing buddies who were a little warped. On the longest day of the year, they liked to go up to the mountains and ice fish all night. I just didn’t know if that sounded like a good time.

Well, anyway, they talked me into going with them on New Year’s Day.

A vendor had given me a big party tray. I thought I’d take it for snacks. One of the buddies had an ice fishing hut that he was quite proud of. The rest of us were going to be setting on 5-gallon buckets.

As we were setting up a big-time mountain wind gust hit. Buddy No. 1 was in his ice hut setting it up. When the gust hit, he went skidding across the ice. He was inside screaming for help. We all ran over and grabbed a corner of the hut and were able to slow it down.

In the meantime, all of our gear was blowing across the lake. Luckily there was a barbed-wire fence on the other side of the lake that caught all of our gear. We got his hut staked down and then headed across the lake picking up gear. All the way across there were little red frozen marbles.

Finally, I figured out it was frozen little tomatoes off of my tray. You wouldn’t believe how far the sausage slices had pinwheeled across the lake. And slices of cheese ended up in all kinds of random places.

We finally gathered all of our gear and got set up. After all of that excitement, I can’t even remember how the fishing was.

Another unique trip: It was getting late in the season and warming up but a buddy talked me into going ice fishing. We hit a small reservoir which had some awesome bluegill fishing. The problem was, the snow had melted so there was about ½-inch of water on top of the ice. If a fish hit and all three of us ran over to check the rod the ice would start dipping down and consequently more water would run out of the hole so the water was now 2-inches deep. Only one of us at a time could go reel in a fish.

Although the fishing was good, after a while we figured it was getting semi unsafe. We had an eye for the obvious.

So now that I’ve painted such a pleasant picture of ice fishing, what gear will it take for you to get into it? Really, it is quite simple to get into. To begin, you’ll need an auger. You can buy a hand auger pretty cheap but if you really get into it you’ll want a gas auger.

To save someone from stepping in a hold we are limited to holes no larger than 10 inches. For rods tip-ups are the cheapest. Or they have miniature little rods that are something like 2-foot long.

It’s nice to have a V stick to set them in so you can see them tip over. Don’t expect aggressive hits. If you get a little tap start reeling. If you’re not looking, you’ll miss a hit.

To find the fish can be tough. Up at Cascade I always have good luck asking at Tackle Tom’s. Following the crowds is smart, too. Find out where the fish are in the water column. Usually drop down to the bottom and then reel up a couple of feet. You can have up to five rods so start fishing at different depths until you locate them and then zero in with all five rods.

Most people use little ice fishing jigs tipped off with meal worms or worms. This winter I’m going to use some Pautzke Fire Gel, which is a gel that has fish smell attractant. The longer I fish, the more stock I put in attractants. I’m also going to use some Pautzke Crappie Fireballs.

One other thing you’ll need is an ice scoop to scoop ice crystals out of the hole after you drill it and to scoop out ice as it forms in the hole. Also, a big deal is a sled. I use the cheap little red kid’s sled. With a sled you can throw all of your gear into two 3 to 5 gallon buckets and put on the sled. Tie a rope to the sled and then you can pull it across the lake.

If you’ve never ice fished it will freak you out at first. As you’re fishing the ice cracking will make weird harmonic sounds. If the ice is 4-inches thick everyone will tell you that it is safe. I like it a little thicker. But when it gets too thick, it is hard to drill through.

I feel like that I am hardly getting started and we are out of room. Good luck and be safe.

Carry a rope in case someone breaks through the ice. Wear thermal base layers like XGO in case you get wet. Carry a tent heater to keep warm.

Tom Claycomb lives in Idaho and has outdoors columns in newspapers in Alaska, Idaho, Utah, Nevada, Colorado and Louisiana. He also writes for various outdoors magazines and teaches outdoors seminars at stores like Cabela’s, Sportsman’s Warehouse and Bass Pro Shop.

After we first got married, Katy periodically referred to me as the eternal tightwad. I told her that I wasn’t a tightwad, that I didn’t have much as a kid and that I’m just thrifty. She put both hands on her hips and said, “Well, you’ve carried it to a new level. You’re not a kid anymore and have a good job. Quit buying cheap stuff.” OK, maybe I had carried it to a new level. Then one of my good buddies was of the same mindset as Katy. They soon had me persuaded.

So with the above said, over time I’ve learned that for our outdoor activities, you don’t want cheap gear. It’s stupid to buy a cheap rifle that will malfunction isn’t it? You spend a lot of money, effort, vacation time and hard work to get in a position to be able to take that one shot and then if it misfires or is inaccurate all that hard work is in vain.

When I first started hunting in the mountains, I had cheap boots and socks. I have long since changed that. Now I wear good hiking socks. If your feet are aching, you’re sunk and can’t hunt hard.

I remember years ago hearing about good hiking socks but never gave it much mind. Then I tested some. Wow! I was sold. I don’t want to exaggerate and say that it is like walking on carpet but … it almost is.

I remember one elk/deer hunt decades ago in the Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness area that was a tough one. By the time I made it out, I could hardly walk due to all of the blisters. Two horses and a mule had rolled down the mountain into the river so I had to walk more than was planned — over 40 miles in five days in bad country.

For hiking, I don’t like super heavy weight socks, just medium weight. Super heavy weight socks make my boots fit too tight. But I do like heavier weight socks like last week when we were duck hunting with Knives of Alaska and the High Road With Keith Warren crew. My wading boots are a little more bulky fitting than my hiking boots and I’m wading in cold water. Same with fly-fishing. So for these situations I wear heavy weight socks to keep my feet warm and so my boots don’t fit so sloppy. But for hiking I like medium weight socks.

So why is it so important to wear good hiking socks when hiking in the mountains? A couple of reasons:

1. You want socks that will wick away moisture so you don’t get blisters.

2. They pad your feet and are more comfortable.

Another trick that will help: If you’re going to be hiking in the mountains all day, throw an extra pair of socks in your backpack. When you stop to eat lunch, slip them on. You won’t believe how that will refresh you. It’ll feel like you took a break and a shower.

When backpacking I keep a clean pair in my tent to sleep in at night. Even in the summer it gets a little chilly at 4 a.m. so wearing a pair of XGO base layers and a pair of hiking socks helps take the edge off of the cold.

You may erroneously think, “Hold on, why worry about moisture-wicking socks? My boots are waterproof.” While you’re correct that your boots won’t leak water, where you err in your thinking is that your feet are going to be sweating and making themselves wet. So you want to wear good hiking socks to wick away the moisture so you don’t get blisters.

If you’re of the same mindset that I was 30 to 40 years ago, change your thinking and break down and buy a good pair of hiking socks. I guarantee you that you will love them and next time you see me that you’ll thank me for twisting your arm. There are a lot of options on the market. But buy some good ones. Right now I’m testing some Browning socks that are testing out great. You’ll want to wear them year-round for all of your outdoor activities.

Happy trails!

Tom Claycomb lives in Idaho and has outdoors columns in newspapers in Alaska, Idaho, Utah, Nevada, Colorado and Louisiana. He also writes for various outdoors magazines and teaches outdoors seminars at stores like Cabela’s, Sportsman’s Warehouse and Bass Pro Shop.

For the most part hunting is over. Yeah, there may be a couple of late season depredation hunts around the country, but still it’s pretty much done for the winter. But back away from the edge. Before you jump, read on.

If you put your guns away for the winter now, you’re missing one of the most fun hunting seasons the outdoors has to offer — varmint hunting. It can provide for some high-speed shooting. And no two hunts are ever the same. One time a coyote will come within 200 yards and set down and allow a shot. The next set-up you turn around and one is coming in at Mach I at 20 yards.

To be successful, you’ll need some specific gear. Let’s cover that.

DECOYS

When a coyote comes in, he’s heard a lot of noise and is expecting to see something. It makes him a lot more comfortable if you offer a visual. Due to their light weight and portability I use Montana Decoys. I like to set up their coyote decoy and a rabbit or an antelope fawn or a deer fawn. Motion decoys are also great. Most of them are just a white rag on the end of a wire that twirls around.

CALLS

I’ve gone the route with cheap calls. Break down and buy a FoxPro. They’re the best. In the old days we used hand calls. Electronic calls are a 100 times better. You can set them out 30-40 yards away from you so the varmint is focusing on the source of the sound and doesn’t see you. Also, if he’s coming in and you’re using a hand call you have to keep calling right up until you take the shot. That takes a lot of juggling.

Electronic calls will have remote controls so you can change sounds, raise/lower the noise level, etc. from afar.

CAMO

Match your camo with the terrain that you’re hunting in. I don’t have a particular manufacturer that I favor. I just buy what matches the terrain where I’m hunting. Usually, for varmint hunting here in Idaho you’ll want a sagebrush pattern.

GUNS

Now for the big one. The AR platform has taken over the varmint hunting scene and for good reason. A semi-auto allows for fast follow up shots when multiple coyotes come in. With a bolt action the follow up noise of racking the bolt allows them to pinpoint your location. But if all you have is an old bolt action, don’t despair. Last year my brother-in-law dropped three coyotes in rapid succession.

What caliber to use? There are 20 different good calibers but the most popular is the .223/5.56. Use a good expanding varmint round unless you’re saving the hides. For scopes, I’d recommend a 4-12x or a 4-16x.

Shotguns? Yep, I counted two years ago and 40 percent of my shots were within shotgun range. How many times do you look around and here comes a coyote at Mach I with his tail feathers on fire at 20 yards? If I have two or more shooters with me I always have someone carry a shotgun.

I use a semi-auto. In fact, right now I’m waiting on a Savage Renegade to arrive. You’ll also want something more than a plain old bead. I just received a Vortex SPARC Solar Red Dot to put on the Renegade. With the modern coyote loads their pattern is so tight that you’ll need to aim at a body part plus, beads aren’t accurate.

For shells the best that I have found is the HEVI-Shot Dead Coyote loads. The HEVI-Shot crew member told me that she had rolled a coyote at 70 yards. DOA. Unbelievable.

So as we close, don’t waste your Saturdays in a mall. Pick up your rifle and go varmint hunting.

Tom Claycomb lives in Idaho and has outdoors columns in newspapers in Alaska, Idaho, Utah, Nevada, Colorado and Louisiana. He also writes for various outdoors magazines and teaches outdoors seminars at stores like Cabela’s, Sportsman’s Warehouse and Bass Pro Shop.

Had a fun week last week. The owner of Knives of Alaska, Charles Allen, called me a while back and asked me if I’d be interested in helping him do a project in which we’d bone out a wagyu steer, a hog and a deer.

But let me back up. I approached him years ago about producing a boning knife for the outdoorsman.

Last year, he called me and told me that he had made one and wanted to send me a prototype to test, review and suggest improvements on. He sent me the prototype to work with. We made one little tweak and it was ready to roll. Due to COVID-19 it took a minute to get a sheath made but we were now in the saddle which brought up this project.

In the meantime, “The High Road With Keith Warren” crew was brought into the mix and before long it had turned into a huge project. Keith, his daughter, Matti Tackett, and photographer, Johnny Piazza, were soon rolling up to the gate at Charles’s ranch in Texas and we all met up. We were going to bone out all of the animals and produce what I think turned out to be the best big-game cooking show ever. I can’t wait to see the finished product.

But, in the meantime, this article is about duck hunting. We were going to duck hunt Tuesday and Wednesday morning along with the four-day processing/cooking project. I used to duck hunt a bit but don’t get to much anymore. In fact, for whatever reason I don’t get to shoot my shotgun much anymore compared to used to. I used to shoot a lot but not the last few years and it showed. My shooting was horrible. In fact, embarrassing. To make matters worse, I was in a blind close to Charles who, to the best of my knowledge, has never missed a duck! (Or is close to that status.)

But despite my embarrassing shooting skills it was a great hunt. The first morning the sun peeked over the horizon to find us on a small lake off of the Trinity River bottom. Charles had buried some septic tanks and improvised them into blinds. A few days before, I don’t want to say it flash flooded but it had come a torrential downpour and dislodged the blinds. Charles suggested waiting three to four days to proceed but all of us already had plane tickets and projects right after this one so despite hurting our duck hunting it was set in stone.

The first morning the shooting was semi slow but I still should have had eight ducks. I only ended up killing — well… I’m not telling how many but you could count them on one finger. Matti won the outstanding shot of the day award. A jet flew over at 32,000 feet and she had to let the jet get out of the way so she could make her shot. I figure that he was about 40,000 feet high.

But despite my horrible shooting it was great to get out. Gee, I love sun-up in the outdoors. It was a bluebird day so when the sun peeked over the horizon and the sun rays skipped across the water it was gorgeous.

About 10 a.m. we headed to the lodge to clean birds, eat a great breakfast that Charles’ wife Jody had whipped out and start filming.

Charles is a big-time waterfowl hunter and had been bummed about the recent flooding which had dispersed the birds. They were coming back and he’d seen I believe he said 150 down on his flooded timber area which is what we hunted Wednesday morning.

Wednesday morning we got up, slammed down a cup of coffee and had a few slices of bread that Jody had baked and took off in the dark. It was overcast and we had intermittent sprinkling, perfect duck weather. Charles was wanting us to have a good hunt so I could tell that he was more optimistic.

Unfortunately, for whatever reason the ducks weren’t flying and if I remember correctly, we only got a few. Well, time to go back to the lodge, eat and then hit ram speed and get to work.

If you’ve never got to duck hunt much you have to try it out. It can be addictive. Especially if you have a good set-up. The first couple of years you need to hunt with an experienced hunter so you can learn how to lay out your spread, call, etc.

Ducks are tough birds and have thick feathers. If you’re shooting mallards cupped up and landing on top of you or if you’re a good shot you can get by using a 20 gauge. And I did for years as a kid but I’d suggest you get a 12 gauge With a 3-inch chamber.

A lot of people have a bad view of eating ducks but Charles cooked up some Wednesday night that were the best that I have ever had. He said the secret is not to over cook them. Maybe someday I can get him to share his recipe.

Tom Claycomb lives in Idaho and has outdoors columns in newspapers in Alaska, Idaho, Utah, Nevada, Colorado and Louisiana. He also writes for various outdoors magazines and teaches outdoors seminars at stores like Cabela’s, Sportsman’s Warehouse and Bass Pro Shop.

I don’t want to say that hunting — and — fishing has eternal consequences but since most people are going to break their new year’s resolutions let’s at least make some temporal outdoor New Year’s resolutions.

Here’s why I say this and am writing this article. I meet a million people every year that in talking to me tell me that they used to hunt a lot as a kid, used to fish a lot until they had kids, used to elk hunt a lot until their buddies moved/died and on and on the list goes. Or it may be as simple as you just moved to Idaho and don’t know where to hunt/fish anymore. But whatever the scenario, let’s make plans to get you back in the outdoors.

I’m a believer that if something is the right thing to do, then do it right now. So with that said, let’s get started.

JANUARY/FEBRUARY/MARCH

ICE FISHING — Ice fishing is relatively inexpensive. Buy an auger, few ice fishing rods, jigs, bait, hole scooper and you’re good to go. As you get more into it, you’ll want a gas auger.

SNOWSHOEING — Great way to get up in the mountains and hike around. There are groomed trails or you can go hit the trails in your elk hunting haunts. And for sure throw in the fixings to build a fire and heat up some hot chocolate.

COUGAR HUNTING — You can try to call one in but your chances are better if you hunt with dogs.

VARMINT HUNTING — Winter varmint hunting is great fun. Buy a FoxPro electronic call. You’ll also want some Montana Decoys.

WOLF HUNTING — As is the popular saying, kill a wolf and save 52 deer/elk per year.

SET HOME AND COMPLAIN ABOUT THE COLD — Not an option.

APRIL/MAY/JUNE

(Seasons start and stop during these three months, check the regs.)

TURKEY HUNTING — Turkey hunting is a big deal in Idaho. You’ll want to get a good call like a 4-Play Turkey Call, Montana Decoys and HEVI-Shot turkey loads.

BEAR HUNTING — I love bear hunting. Idaho has some awesome bear hunting. To get a big bruiser it’s best to put in for one of the draws.

CRAPPIE FISHING — To hear/read the Southern boys talk you’d think that they had the corner on crappie fishing. Not so. We have unbelievable crappie fishing here in Idaho/Oregon. Me and a buddy will get well over 200 every trip when things get hot and that’s in only five to seven hours of fishing.

MUSHROOM HUNTING — If you ask why I listed mushroom hunting then you’ve never eaten a morel. They’re the best fungi in the world, second only to the truffle in England.

JULY/AUGUST (Finally summer has hit in the mountains.)

BACKPACKING — What’s cooler than backpacking? You’re in the coolest country that God ever made, fishing/hiking and having a blast.

FLY FISHING — I know, many of you flyfish year-round but now you can get up in the high country. The season actually opens Labor Day but back where I go you can’t get there until after July 4.

HUCKLEBERRIES/THIMBLE BERRIES — Wild berries are the best, whether you’re eating them as fast as you pick them, making jam or homemade ice cream. You just can’t go wrong if a huckleberry is involved!

RAFTING — Idaho is the No. 1 whitewater rafting state. I’ve still got to line up a three- to five-day backcountry fly fishing rafting trip. My buddies catch a million fish.

FOUR-WHEELING — You live in Idaho. Buy a four-wheeler! There are 50,000,000 trails. Four-wheeling is a blast. P.S. Be careful. I’ve flipped a four-wheeler a couple of times and it never turned out to be a pleasant experience.

SEPTEMBER

BOW HUNTING — Actually bowhunting opens the end of August but anymore I wait until the second or third week of September when it gets cool and the elk start bugling.

GROUSE HUNTING — Grouse hunting is a good excuse to get up in the mountains and scout for elk/deer before season.

BACKCOUNTRY FLY FISHING — I’m a big bowhunter but the last five to eight years I find myself more and more fly fishing in the backcountry until the first of September. Everyone else is hunting and I have the rivers to myself. Water levels have dropped, fish are congregated and I drill them. What more can you ask for?

ANTELOPE HUNTING — I love antelope hunting. They’re a cool animal. The only thing bad is that you have to put in for a draw to get a tag.

MOOSE HUNTING — I’m sunk. I’ve already killed my lifetime cow and bull moose but moose hunting is the best. They are huge animals and will require some serious packing out. Put in for a draw and you’ll have plenty of meat for the upcoming year.

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER/DECEMBER (Showtime! Big game season is in full swing. This is why we live in Idaho.)

DEER, ELK, BEAR, BIG HORN, GOAT, WOLF HUNTING — Idaho is at her finest and is shining in all of her splendor!

WATERFOWL HUNTING — Many hunters live for waterfowl hunting. It can provide high speed fun shooting.

I am way out of room but Idaho has a million more activities to offer than I’ve listed above. Sorry if I didn’t get to list your favorite activity but the editor has turned off the ink and is shutting me down. I didn’t even get to talk about putting in for drawings. We’re over blessed here in Idaho.

Tom Claycomb lives in Idaho and has outdoors columns in newspapers in Alaska, Idaho, Utah, Nevada, Colorado and Louisiana. He also writes for various outdoors magazines and teaches outdoors seminars at stores like Cabela’s, Sportsman’s Warehouse and Bass Pro Shop.