airedale

One of the advantages of a 27inch computer screen instead of dicking around squinting at a photo on a phone, I blew the photo up and not only do I think I see balls I also believe that Deer has antlers. Al

So the other day I was watching some African Safari hunts and a fellow on one of the shows had a Burris Eliminator scope mounted on his rifle. With an internal range finding laser and computer program matched to the ballistics of your rifle's chambering it will figure out automatically your bullet's path to hit the target at an exact range, just put the crosshairs on the target and touch her off. From what I saw that fellow did well on game with that scope, I expect down the road we will see more of such designs trying to eliminate all human error. As for me I can get along with any hunting I do without it. Al

I still have a couple of the old Herter's catalogs, they are fun to look through and remember those days gone by. Al One of old George's favorite terms was the word "HOKUM", it was used for describing his competition's slogan's for selling their wares, funny because to me he was the King of Hokum. 29Herter's catalog is long gone, but not forgotten George Herter made his peculiarities obvious with his catalog, but he also changed how outdoors products are marketed. By Doug Smith Star Tribune Gallery: Herter's model 339 black duck decoys, 1942. Photo courtsey Doug Lodermeier Before there was an Internet or a Cabela’s, Bass Pro Shop or Gander Mountain, there was Herter’s — the first outdoors gear juggernaut. ¶ Say the word “Herter’s’’ and a legion of mostly men, now middle-aged or older, in Minnesota and nationwide nod their collective heads in fond recollection. ¶ Herter’s mail-order catalogs were legendary, hundreds of pages jammed with hunting, fishing, camping and other outdoor gear that could be delivered to your doorstep. Those catalogs included lengthy descriptions, instructions and bold, often audacious claims — entertaining readers while also enticing them to buy. ¶ Herter’s was the Sears, Roebuck of the outdoor industry and was perhaps best known for its waterfowl products. Launched and headquartered in Waseca, Minn., the company was the inspiration for today’s huge mail-order and big-box outdoor retailers. ¶ And at the center of it all was George Herter, an eccentric and reclusive entrepreneur, a marketing genius who made brazen, bombastic claims to boost sales of his products. Though he died more than 20 years ago, he remains an enigma — and one of the most interesting characters in Minnesota history. “He was an icon in Minnesota, and had a lot to do with influencing waterfowling, not only in Minnesota but throughout the United States,’’ said Doug Lodermeier, 60, of Edina, a waterfowl historian and collector who gave a presentation on Herter’s legacy Saturday at the annual Minnesota Waterfowl Association’s waterfowl symposium in Bloomington. “It’s easy to dismiss him as a crackpot and goofball, but the reality is he was a genius,’’ Lodermeier said. “He was way ahead of his time.’’ Herter labeled most of his products “world famous” or “model perfect,” and he claimed many were endorsed by the North Star Guides Association — which didn’t exist. Said Lodermeier: “As a kid I couldn’t wait for the Herter’s catalog to come because me and my friends just rolled on the ground reading his claims and outlandish stories. We loved it — and we bought his stuff.’’ Herter reportedly wrote all of the copy in his catalogs, instruction manuals and pamphlets and also was a prolific author — among his books: “How to Get Out of the Rat Race and Live on $10 a Month.” In a cookbook he wrote, “The Virgin Mary, Mother of Christ, was very fond of spinach.’’ May 1, 1953 George L. Herter, president of Herter's, Inc., Waseca, Minn., sits down to tie himself a few flies for the trout season.Quirkiness aside, Herter built an outdoors empire, starting around 1935 in Waseca. It began as a catalog business that focused on fly-tying, but it grew to include virtually every outdoor product imaginable — and some unimaginable. Eventually Herter opened stores in Waseca, Glenwood, Mitchell, S.D., Beaver Dam, Wis., Iowa City and Iowa Falls, Iowa, and Olympia, Wash. But after decades of success, a “perfect storm’’ led to Herter’s demise, Lodermeier said: The overexpansion of those retail stores at a time when oil prices were skyrocketing, the Gun Control Act of 1968, which prevented firearms from being bought and sold via the mail, and federal bans on the importation of some feather species Herter’s used for fly tying. Herter’s went bankrupt in 1977, and the though the man has become mostly forgotten, his name lives on. Cabela’s now owns the brand, and customers can order an assortment of Herter’s gear and ammunition. Herter’s story has endured The Waseca Historical Society offered a Herter’s display last year, and plans to do another this year, focusing on Herter’s gear. Local residents who worked at Herter’s attended and brought items. Next year, the Historical Society plans to assemble a show on George Herter himself. “I think the story is just starting to be told,’’ said Joan Mooney, co-executive director of the society. Virtually anything sold by Herter’s is collectible today, said Jeff Hedtke, 63, of Norwood Young America. Many Herter’s products, including his decoys, game calls and gun stocks, were considered top-quality and fair-priced. “You could get a good walnut duck call for $3.50 after the war [World War II],’’ Hedtke said. Herter called his decoys “the best in the world,’’ and Hedtke said “they were very good.’’ Some hunters still prefer them, Hedtke said. Among the more unusual products George Herter sold was a fish call. “That’s one of my favorites,’’ Lodermeier said. “It was a can painted like a lure,’’ and operated like a bell. “You put it down in the water and pulled a string. It was guaranteed to attract fish.’’ Wrote Herter in his catalog: “We tried for years to produce sounds which would be attractive to fish and we have finally succeeded. With the cost of fishing trips what they are, why take a chance on spoiling them for a mere $2.47?” Herter’s also manufactured fishing tackle, snowmobiles and even boats. “George’s model was to look at what was the best on the market, and improve on that,’’ Lodermeier said. “He copied everybody, and made no friends doing that. He copied the Mepp’s Spinner and called it the Pepp’s Lure.’’ The Johnson Silver Minnow became Herter’s Olson Minnow. ‘I don’t want to be known’ George Herter saw combat in Europe during World War II, earned a Purple Heart and may have suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder. Reclusive even at the height of his success, Herter apparently didn’t give interviews, and few photographs of him exist. The man who left an indelible mark on the outdoors industry is relatively unknown. He died in 1994 in Minneapolis at age 83, leaving behind no autobiographies or interviews. “I don’t want to be known and rarely tell people my right name. I never allow anyone to take my picture,’’ he wrote in one book. In the end, a Sports Afield writer perhaps aptly summed up George Herter, calling him “a dazzling mixture of bamboozle and brains, snake oil and savvy.’

It comes down to what it is worth to you personally to hunt that property, it is your call. Al

I use them all the time especially for hard to get stuff. In these days of jumping through hoops when purchasing firearms related items transactions are pretty straight forward and not too bad. Good experiences so far. I just purchased a Thompson Center Encore action, the pain in the ass part was when I had to do the paperwork when I picked it up from my FFL. About 45 minutes of crap plus extra fees. Al

Some Hog hunting action from the boys on the Airedale board, having done a bit of Hog hunting with dogs I can say it was a blast. These dogs "catch" so they are outfitted with cut vests to prevent injury from tusks. Al

A pretty good video on the history of American made scopes from their early days to the present, having lived in that era been around used and still use vintage stuff I found this fellow's observations to be spot on. Some good information here for those interested in such things. Al

Having spent most of my life training and hunting with dogs anything having to do with hunting dogs catches my interest and attention. This thread is about game recovery using a dog and recently in the evening I have been binge watching various African safari hunts and see that the professional hunters over there regularly used dogs to recover game. The breeds they use may be somewhat surprising to some, from what I have seen so far the vast majority use small Terriers, Fox and Jack Russell types with a sprinkling of other breeds. Being a Terrier man I can see why those dogs work well for the task. I was a little surprised that Hounds seemed few and far between although there was one outfit that has a damned good Beagle that did some nice work. Personally I think a Beagle would probably be an outstanding blood tracking dog here for Deer. I have never owned a good hunting Beagle that I did not have to break off Deer, they love chasing them. Another thing is most times the dogs are unleashed which personally I think is the best way and better than following a dog on a long leash in thick cover. The problem here is some moron would shoot the dog for chasing Deer. Al

I have purchased several new Leupold scopes in recent years and while I believe the finish and look of the older style was better for my taste, I can not complain about the newer scope's performance. Many were mounted on heavy hitter rifles, 45-70s, 338 Win Mag, 458 Win Mag and 375 H&H Mag. The recoil produced from these rifles will subject a scope's build quality to the test and these newer Leupolds all passed with flying colors as they always have done for me, withstanding recoil, holding zero and adjusting to the exact point of aim. Reliability is most important to me and that is what Leupold scopes possess in spades. Al

Something I am always watching out for on my outdoors equipment especially knives and firearms. Have been using a product called CorrosionX that has given my stuff outstanding protection. I used Frog Lube paste for years and that is pretty good, but I like this product better. I have some Carbon steel knives that the blades will rust in a heartbeat, been using this CorrosionX and it has worked like a charm. Also have a couple of bead blasted finishes on firearms that like to hold moisture, this CorrsionX bonds well to those types of finishes. I put a lot of dough into my equipment and this product is fairly cheap insurance that it stays nice. Al CUTS THROUGH STUBBORN BORE DEPOSITS for easier, more thorough cleaning. Shields bore from powder residue, primer salts and metal particle buildup. STICKS TO METAL LIKE A MAGNET, so it cannot be displaced by moisture, friction or extreme pressures. Lubricates better and longer than other gun oils – virtually eliminating wear and providing flawless action. 3X THE ANTI-WEAR PROTECTION of MilSpec CLPs. Nearly 2X the load carrying capacity of Mil Spec CLPs. FAMOUS CORROSIONX RUST PREVENTION. Best-on-class Durability. Molecular Level Cleaning. STOPS CORROSION and rust – even in the rain!

I belonged to the Outdoor Life Book Cub way back when, I have a couple of books by Clyde Ormond, he was mildly famous for the Ormond swing, a homemade device made to rest a firearm. I learned a lot about hunting from all those club books, (which I Still Have). Al

Was out for a couple of hours but the wind and the rain was bad, nothing was moving. Wore the Frogg Toggs and they did their job, they are noisy but I stayed dry. Al

I would not have been able to stand it, I would have did my best to sneak in and try to see what the heck it was and maybe at the very least find some tracks. Al

Yes the 250 gr weight 375 bullets are relatively new, Barnes has an almost identical twin to the Hornady. I almost always try to settle on a middle of the road bullet weight. They are usually a good compromise for balanced performance I think. Looks like that 235 gr really opened up and exploded on that Impala, I am mildly surprised, any time I use a big gun on Deer the bullets pass through without a whole lot of expansion due to their jacket heavy construction, at least that is what I think as I have never recovered any and the wound damage while effective is minimal. Al

I will take a mature Doe in a heartbeat, the second heaviest deer I ever took was a big old cow that laying beside two nice bucks made them look small. Al

I will have to give it a try. Al

I have done a lot of Varmint calling but have not tried grunts or rattling for Deer, I have had Deer come into Varmint calls out of curiosity more than anything else. One Christmas I received a set of those Primos "The Can" Deer calls you tip from side to side, they sound like a lamb or a baby goat to me, never tried them, one of these days I will put one in my pocket and give it a try. Al

I carry around as little as possible when hunting, what I do carry is all light compact stuff that fits in my pockets, compact binoculars, knife, lighter, small flashlight or cap light, compass, rope, a small canteen that rides on my belt and my hot seat that clips to my belt. That stuff will handle most situations I have run into while hunting. Al

Spent the evening at the loading bench putting up a batch of 25-06 ammo for a good friend of mine, I did my best to duplicate a Federal Premium load that used old the 100 gr coated Barnes XLC bullets substituting 100 gr Barnes TSX. Also did up a batch of 375 Holland and Holland mag, using Hornady's new 250 gr CX bullet and Varget powder, they look like guided missiles next to the 25-06 ammo. Will be breaking out the lead sled when I play with those. Al

The only reason I would use the detachable rings to take the scope off is a catastrophic scope failure, that is my reason for having them on the rifle and possibly save the day's hunt. Say if I fell carrying the rifle and it landed on the scope damaging it or where I thought with certainty that the rifle would not be shooting to the point of aim. I have no intentions of going back and forth between open sights and a scope sight, it is scope all the way. Al

There are several solutions to have the ability to use a rifle's iron sights if one has a scope problem. The see underneath-through scope rings are the easiest to install as they will fit picatinny and Weaver style bases. As Wolc said they will place the scope high and may not give the best scope-eye alignment with most of today's current rifle stocks which for the most part are made to have the shooter's eye 1 1/2" above the rifle's bore. Weaver made what they called pivot rings and mounts, the rings were attached to the base with a hinge type set up with a snap fit. Just grab the scope and flip it off to the side exposing the rifle's iron sights. These did not fit a wide variety of rifle makes and I believe are no longer being manufactured but are available on ebay many times, they worked half way decent. My favorite setup is the quick detachable rings that grab the scope base with a lever actuated grip. I have used and tested it on a couple of my rifles and they work as advertised. The scope removed and put back on will be right on target, at least on my rifles they are. All the above work so whatever suits the shooter that is the one to use. Al

You hit the nail on the head, the mid priced decent quality scopes have gone by the wayside replaced by "here today gone tomorrow" makes and models of hunting and target scopes made by Chinese companies. Al

Man, Eddie that just totally stinks! Having spent many a night in the woods following Coon dogs I know nothing looks the same after the sun sets. I totally relied on my compass to find my way around and once I became good in using it I never paid much attention to where I was until it was time to find my truck. I had my Dogs tree a Coon deep in a big swamp one night and found my way to them with my radio tracker receiver taking compass readings as I traveled. I reversed my directions to find my way out and when I got to my truck I realized I had lost my $700 tracking receiver. I was carrying it in my game bag and it must have fell out. Went back the next morning to exactly where I came out of the woods and remembering my compass readings reversed my track following my compass, about a mile back in that swamp I found the receiver laying on the ground, Whew!! $700 was a lot of money back in those days and nothing to sneer at today. Al