It’s one thing to set under the comfort of air conditioning and contemplate summer fishing or hunting but in truth, most anglers I know have been hitting the water at first light and heading for shade by mid morning. Even with one of the worst heat waves in recent history, there’s plenty to do outdoors. Cabin fever usually occurs during the dead of winter but thanks to the long string of days with daytime high temperatures over 100 degrees, this malady common to sportsmen in January or February can strike during the summer months as well!
Winter cabin fever is bad but not nearly as serious as the summer variety of the disease. I have a cure for you. Actually, several ‘doses’ of the outdoors that are guaranteed to get you up and moving and having fun. Give one of these activities a try and check back with Dr. Luke in a week or so. I’m predicting a 100% recovery!
PLAN A SUMMER HOG HUNT - Contrary to what some folks believe, hogs can be hunted for meat during the summer months but, a bit of planning is necessary. That planning usually includes an ice cooler large enough to handle the meat and plenty of ice to chill it quickly. I always head out on a night hog hunt with plenty of ice in the cooler. If a hog is harvested, I’m ready. If the porkers elude me for the night, I have plenty of ice cold water to keep myself hydrated! If I’m hunting a ranch with a walk-in cooler; problem solved!
On night hunts, I always carry an electric lantern in the truck, a sharp saw, skinning knife and plastic tarp. Once the hog is on the ground and field dressed, I simply roll it onto the plastic tarp and skin the porker on the ground. As each quarter is removed, it’s placed promptly on ice. The meat keeps nicely overnight and the next day, the pork can be butchered at home or transported to the processor.
I use a bow or rifle mounted Hawglite (www.hawglite.com) for these nighttime hog hunts. The lights emit 80 lumens and come with green, red and white lens. I’ve used them with both rifle and bow. They are strong enough to illuminate a hog well out to 100 yards and beyond.
FISH EARLY AND LATE - Not sure who first recorded the hit "Night Time is the Right Time," but they must have been from Texas and probably spent some time fishing during mid day in the summer’s heat. Lack of sleep comes with the turf when fishing at night but, assuming you have the option of ‘sleeping in’ the next morning, I highly recommend hitting the water after the sun sets.
Fishing under bridges with floating lights using minnows for bait is a popular way of catching white bass, crappie and the occasional catfish. Fishing from the bank for catfish can also be very productive this time of year. Shad pull in close to shore during the evening hours and catfish as well as an assortment of scaled predator fish move in to feed. Setting trotlines and running them every couple hours throughout the night was a favorite summer pastime for my family when I was growing up. I’m still thrilled by the surge of a powerful catfish when I’m running the line.
I’ve got a couple of buddies that guide bass trips at Fork and during the summer month’s they fish almost exclusively at night. They and their clients consistently catch some of their biggest bass of the year. Noisy top water plugs or buzz baits entice surface strikes and oversized dark colored soft plastics rigged with light weights have long been favored for catching bass from shoreline cover during the evening hours.
PERFECT YOUR SHOOTING SKIILLS - Regardless whether you do your deer hunting with a rifle, bow, crossbow or muzzleloader, now is prime time to do some shooting. We bow hunters have it easy when it comes to finding a place to shoot. I’ve positioned a few life size 3D targets in the trees behind my home and several times each week, I shoot a few arrows at varying yardages. Most of my archery practice takes place during the first couple hours of daylight while it’s still ‘cool’. I also like to burn powder, of both the smokeless and progressive burning variety.
This past week, I mounted my Zeiss Conquest scope on a Ruger #1 single shot rifle in .270 caliber and spent time shooting during early morning. The crisp adjustments of the Conquest moved point of impact exactly where it should have. A lot is said about "minute of angle" adjustments and groups, but I can attest to the fact that with a world class scope such as the Conquest, and possibly the most accurate single shot rifle on the planet, four clicks in elevation or windage at 100 yards does truly move the point of impact one inch!
A quality scope is worth every penny it costs. I’ve come to fully understand this through years of bad experiences with lesser scopes both at the range and in the field while hunting. As far as the Ruger #1 rifle goes, I feel as though Bill Ruger designed it just for me. I’ve never shot a center fire rifle that I enjoy more, nor one that has the built in accuracy of my .270.
This classic rifle has been around since the mid sixties and in my opinion set the standard for accuracy and beauty in a single shot rifle.
Hopefully one of my ideas will spark your interest and get you out shooting or fishing. Just remember to drink plenty of water and, again… take my advice and mimic the wild critters; move early, late or after dark.
Check out CATFISH RADIO www.catfishradio.com. Each week, we archive the show into 4 segment for your listening enjoyement. On upcoming shows, Larry Weishuhn will drop by to discuss his recent hunting trip to Africa and Col. Craig Boddington will talk about his many experiences as a big game hunter and TV show host. There’s always lots of hunting, fishing and outdoor cooking talk.