Table of contents for November 2017 in Field & Stream

I T’S ONLY MID SEPTEMBER as I write this, but already I’ve had my first glimpse of the 2017 rut. Last week, I was hunting blacktails in California, and on the final evening’s hunt we bumped a group of bucks. They all fled before I had a prayer of setting up for a shot, but two of the bucks took longer to scram than the others because they were in the middle of a fight. I couldn’t tell how serious the shoving match was; my guess is they were only sparring. But that didn’t matter. I saw just enough of that head-down aggression, heard just enough of antler against antler, for my eyes to widen and my heart rate to quicken. The hunt had been slow up to then,…

This is how Daniel Weinstock, cofounder of Los Angeles’s Maple Block Meat Co., wrestles wild boar ribs into deliciousness: He smoke-braises them in a mixture of beer, rib rub, and mustard barbecue sauce for a tenderizing simmer, then finishes the ribs over smoke with the reduced braising liquid served alongside. (You’ll have sauce left over, but that’s a bonus.) If you want to skip making the pork rub, Weinstock is a fan of Salt Lick Original Dry Rub. Be sure to stock up on napkins and cold beer. INGREDIENTS For the ribs: 2 racks wild boar spareribs, silver skin removed 1 cup wild boar rub (at right), divided, plus more for serving 1 cup brown sugar 1 1/2 tsp. garlic powder 1/2 tsp. cinnamon 1/2 tsp. onion powder 1/8 tsp.…

If you’re even a little bit mechanical, you can probably build your own AR, but don’t go it alone. Along with many of the basic parts you’ll need for your rifle, Brownells.com has a “Learn” section that provides a series of twominute videos that will make the process much easier. In addition to common household tools, you’ll need a couple of inexpensive specialty tools, also available from Brownells, including a buttstock tool, a lower-receiver vise block, and a barrel extension torque tool. While common AR-15 parts are easy to work because specs are standardized, AR-10 parts often are not. Consult the manufacturer or supplier to be sure that the parts you want will all play nicely together. That done, assembly can be completed in an evening.…

Phase One : LATEPRE - RUT THE LOWDOWN Does aren’t yet ready to breed, but bucks are feeling increasingly amorous, moving more within their home range, rubbing and scraping. It’s a great time to kill a giant, before he finds that first willing doe and abandons any patterns in his core area. EXPERT TIPS 1. HUNT THE BULLIES “It’s time to go after the most aggressive deer. Identify them either by direct observation or via trail camera. Bully bucks will posture at other bucks, won’t give up prime feeding spots to them, and often move during daylight. I’ll set up on the edge of thick cover that I know an aggressive buck is using. Then I work a grunt call that sounds like a young buck tending a doe. I’ve…

Trevor Higgins was starting to panic. Even if his dad had shot a deer, he should have reached the trailhead by now. Or, if he’d fallen and broken a leg, Trevor was sure his dad would have belly-crawled to the road. He wasn’t the kind of guy to depend on someone else for help, to sit and wait for rescue. But two and a half hours had passed since his dad, Shawn Higgins, had entered the woods. Maybe more. Trevor wasn’t sure anymore. But he knew that his dad should have come back to the truck already. Their plan was simple: Shawn, 41, would hike down the narrow footpath, looking for a blacktail. Meanwhile, Trevor, 21—who had killed a buck the day before—would wait with the truck at the next…

Guns were judged in seven categories, with a maximum possible score of 100 points. Ease of Maintenance (worth 10 points): We looked at how each gun came apart for cleaning, how complex it was to care for, and how easy it was to reassemble. Ergonomics (10): Here, we tested triggers, opening levers, bolt releases, and more. We loaded and unloaded to see how easy it was to thumb shells into the magazine. Trigger pulls were measured with a Lyman scale. Fit and Finish (10): We examined wood-to-metal (or plastic-to-metal) fit, the quality of checkering, metal finishes, engraving, and wood figure where applicable, as well as overall lines. Functionality (20): As we shot, we asked: Did it cycle? Did ejectors eject? Were safeties stiff? Did everything work as it should? Handling…

WE ALL MAKE MISTAKES. It’s what you do afterward that counts. If you keep a positive attitude, learn from your errors, and move on, you’ll be fine. Not that I’d know. What I generally do is lie on the floor and imagine dual-drum asphalt rollers of despair flattening me into the sort of rag rug your aunt makes. Then I dwell on the mistake until it seems like the only real thing in the world. The curious thing is that other people’s problems don’t bother me at all. I can diagnose and remedy them instantly. It’s a gift, really. Here are some examples. Mistake: You spot the biggest buck of your life, take careful aim, and shoot. But your bullet or arrow misses. Then the critter casually flicks its tail…

Associate editor JR Sullivan wrote “The Vanishing” (p. 64), a tragic story about a father and son who got lost while hunting. Only one of them was found. How’d you find the story? JRS: I read about it in a local paper, but the story was short and didn’t talk about what the family was going through. As a hunter, I couldn’t help but imagine myself in the same scenario, and I had a hunch that there was a lot more to the story. Once the interviews started, it quickly became apparent that the family wanted to tell everyone how great Shawn was, to honor him. Have you ever been lost? JRS: Not in any real way. I’ve gotten turned around, and that’s unnerving enough. I can’t fathom what it…

POWER TRIP “The Bear at Last Light” was a heck of an adventure (Sept. 2017). The sheer power of bears incites so much wonder in me. tmike51, via fieldandstream.com PUBLIC SUPPORT I found “Go Public,” about the value of hunting on public lands, really applicable in light of recent efforts to transfer federal lands to states. All hunters and fishermen, as well as hikers, campers, birdwatchers, and sightseers, will lose out if those lands are sold off and no longer accessible for everyone. Bruce Jensen, Salt Lake City, Utah “Go Public” was a fantastic piece of outdoor journalism and one of those rare stories that inspires both laughter and note-taking. Not only that, it was a needed reminder of the best aspect of our sport—that it’s open for all. Josh…

When your dog is swallowed up by heavy cover, his bell becomes your eyes. It not only tells you his location and direction of travel, but whether he’s working scent or if he’s just flushed a bird. “Using a bell is a winwin,” says guide and professional trainer Steve Grossman of Little Moran Grouse Lodge in Minnesota (prairie wings lodge.com). “The fewer commands you give your dog, the more confidently he’ll hunt. And the less noise you make as a handler, the more approachable those grouse will be.”…

The revamped user interface on the next-gen onX Hunt app only hints at all the goodies stuffed into the new version (starting at $30 per year; onX maps.com). New maps carry every trail and two-track in the country; a wildfire layer loaded with wildfire names, dates, and fire boundaries; B&C records by species and county for all 50 states; and timber cuts on national forest lands back to 2002. Not enough? O.K. Geek out on map data for 16,000 prairie-dog towns.…

Braising means these ribs aren’t quite as smoky as traditional ribs. If you’re a smokehead, there’s a remedy: Rauchbier is a German style of beer that gets its name (rauch means “smoke”) and its flavor from smoked malts. Aecht Schlenkerla is a classic brand. Or you can smoke some “ice” for your cocktails: Sneak a water-filled metal pan into the smoker for about 20 minutes, then freeze the water in an ice-cube tray. The smoked ice adds wild new dimensions to a margarita, Manhattan, even a whiskey-and-Coke.…

The 10mm Auto might never have caught on for its intended role in law enforcement, but it didn’t disappear. Lately, more and more outdoorsmen and women are rediscovering the 10. With full-power loads, it has more punch than a heavy .357 magnum, while being easier to carry, shoot, and reload than a big revolver. Plus, it holds up to twice the ammo. Lots of Alaskans who know much more about bears than I do carry a 10mm for just those reasons. For lighter tasks, like hunting whitetails and hogs or blasting cow pies (to which a 180-grain hollowpoint does spectacular things), the 10mm is perfect. I tested these four new (and newish) pistols last summer by shooting up about a thousand rounds of performance and range ammo from Federal Premium…

CUTTING-EDGE STRATEGY FOR THE WHITETAIL FANATIC In early November, those just-out-of-bow-range bucks seem to be everywhere—and you just know you’re going to kill one as soon as you can carry a gun to your stand. Then dawn breaks on opening day of firearms season, and you can’t spot a rutting buck to save your life. Peak breeding, also known as the lockdown phase, often happens during firearms seasons in mid to late November, when hunting pressure makes bucks tougher than ever to find. Stop watching empty trails from stands that were hot a week ago, and try one of these tactics instead. 1 BEDDING AREA STILL-HUNT I played cat-and-mouse with a gorgeous 12-point for an entire bow season a while back, waiting for him along scrape lines, feeding areas, and…

If you were to call Will Brantley or T. Edward Nickens a “redneck,” they’d likely take it as a compliment. After all, you don’t coauthor a new book titled The Total Redneck Manual ($29; amazon.com) unless you’re proud of, and confident in, your status as one. But let’s be clear: This book isn’t page after page of Jeff Foxworthy– inspired punchlines. This book’s for people who love to hunt, fish, shoot guns, fry fish and game, and drive old trucks. In other words: This is a book for people who love good American fun.…

In for an all-day sit? Burn time by snapping a few treestand selfies like these F&S readers 1 Ladder Company As this bear approached my treestand, I thought, I hope I get some good photos before he runs away. Then I felt something tug on my shoe! —DENNIS KLEINE 2 Cross Examine | Drew Heatherly 3 Jam Session | Craig Werner 4 Painted Pair | Caitlin Dennis DAD JOKE OF THE MONTH Shakespeare had nothing on this reader’s letter we received this month Actually, Colin Kearns, the Mc- Honker sandwich that you mentioned on your Editor’s Page has been around for centuries. Julius Caesar, when asked by his friend if he had tried one, replied, “Ate two, Brute.” —RALPH WINKLER…

COLLAGE BY MAX-O-MATIC CALL IN A COOL CAT For many hunters, a bobcat mount over the mantel is as prized as a whitetail buck, and late November—when bobcat seasons typically open—is a prime time to call one in. Bobcats are notoriously reclusive, but compared with coyotes, they’re easier to call. The problem is antsy predator hunters often change sets before giving a bobcat time to respond. Get Out: Bobcats prefer remote, rugged country, so set up on the fringes of the thick stuff. Dark hollows, dense clear-cuts, and brushy canyons far away from civilization hold the most cats. If you can scout ahead of time for tracks and scat, you’re ahead of the game. Take Cover: When I’m hunting coyotes, I like a good field of view in an open…

Sometimes bleating to stop a moving deer can actually be disastrous, turning a makeable shot opportunity into a spooked buck bounding out of your life forever. Nobody is saying you should abandon the bleat call altogether, but you do need to learn to use it wisely. Here’s how to make the most of this ubiquitous call. 1. BLEAT! If your buck is in an aggressive mood, he’ll have his ears laid back and back hair erect, and he’ll be walking proudly. Some bucks are bullies, and you can usually tell from viewing trailcamera photos or firsthand observation. Your bleat won’t bother them a bit. 2. DON’T BLEAT! If a buck comes slinking in and trying to look small, keep your mouth shut and wait for him to pause or slow…