Protecting Your Hearing While Hunting

For millions of people, hunting is a major hobby that brings joy and fun to their lives.  There is nothing more fun than being able to spend a day out with friends and family and possibly bringing in that night's dinner. I can remember as a child waking up on those early, chilly mornings, packing up the gear and loading up the truck and heading out hunting with my dad.  We would always double and triple check to see if we had our guns, camouflage, binoculars and radios, but what we often times tended to over look and check for was our hearing protection.  My father who is now in his late 70’s has been affected by hearing loss for many years and now uses a hearing aid to help with his hearing levels. His love for hunting although not the only cause of his hearing loss is a major reason why his hearing levels are where they are today.  Like my father, many hunters put a lot of emphasis onto their guns and the other equipment they will use to catch their game.  What many hunters do not realize is that they also need to put some emphasis onto their hearing and protection that will ensure healthy ears for years to come.

Protecting your ears while hunting is incredibly beneficial.  Nearly 22 million American adults between the ages of 20 to 69 have damaged their hearing due to over exposure to loud sounds.  First of all, it will not only improve your hearing while out in the field but it will also protect your hearing for the future. Hearing protection is generally inexpensive but no matter what type of hearing protection you choose make sure you choose one that your are comfortable with and affords you the greatest amount of protection.  Not everyone is the same so testing out different types of hearing protection and finding the pair that is right for you is your best bet. 

The reason many hunters experience hearing problems is because they use guns without the proper hearing protection or tend to not use any ear protection at all.  It can be very easy to over look your hearing protection when preparing for a hunting outing.  The important thing for you to do is to put a little more emphasis onto your hearing and the protection you will choose to use while out in the woods. After all, once you lose your precious hearing it is gone forever, but hearing loss is completely preventable and making the right choices in terms of hearing protection can help protect your hearing for the future.  In doing the right thing now you will be so glad in the long run that you put a little more time and effort into your hearing protection every single time you go out hunting with friends and loved ones.

There are two major types of hearing protection products that you can use before you go out hunting.  Earplugs are small foam inserts that sit right in the ear canal, protecting your hearing when loud noises are around you.  It is important that you get good quality earplugs that are meant for people who are using firearms.  Certain earplugs just drown out small noises while others are meant specifically for heavy machinery or firearms.  It is a good idea to look closely at labels when you are buying this type of product for yourself.

If you do not want to take the time to put earplugs in your ears while out in the field, you should consider buying protective headphones.  These headphones drown out noise beautifully so that you do not have to worry about hearing damage.  You will be amazed at how beneficial putting an emphasis on your hearing protection can be. 

 My father has suffered the consequences of not using adequate protection while hunting.  I know I always now take my hearing protection extremely serious while out in the woods.  Becoming informed about hearing protection and make the right decisions can protect and preserve your hearing for years to come. 

John O'Connor

 I am a father, outdoors man and passionate about living a healthy lifestyle.  Over the past few years I have become more and more interested in hearing loss.  My father and grandfathers, who are and were all hunters, are affected by hearing loss.  I feel that there is a general lack of understanding around the issue and it is our job to spread awareness where we can.  Check out my new blog at bloggingwjohno.blogspot.com!

Backpacking and Water Purification – Don’t Get Sick

I went on a hunting trip not too long ago where my friend and I didn’t have too much time to go scouting around before hand. We looked up the location we wanted to go to on Google Earth. After a couple of hours, we decided on backpacking to a spot 5-6 miles back in where we thought we would see an abundance of deer. The spot we chose looked like a pristine, untouched pond tucked just far enough away that nobody would really get there by accident. We thought we would see deer everywhere out there.

So we loaded up our packs and headed straight into the woods. We backpacked in half the day and got to a spot probably a half mile from the pristine pond just before night fall. I had brought with me a 3 liter hydration pack, and my friend did the same. We worked so hard that we ran out of the water shortly after we set up our camp.

We woke up the next morning and began our hunt. We decided to go toward the lake, so that just in case we didn’t shoot anything in the morning, we would at least be in the area to grab some water around lunch time.

Well, lunch time came, and we hadn’t seen anything yet. We moved quickly down a hill to the edge of the water. As we approached, we noticed that the pristine pond we had seen on the map didn’t look at all like what we were seeing. The pond turned out to be about 3” deep, and a watering hole for cattle. It was disgusting, muddy, stagnant, and any other word you want to use to describe foul water.

Thinking I was pretty smart, I pulled out my water filter, which is one of the better filters on the market. My friend and I filtered enough water to fill our hydration packs twice by filtering and drinking the water. I was really surprised at how clean the water looked after the filtration process.

We went along our trip, and didn’t see much of anything in the way of deer. We packed up our camp and headed home. The next day, I got home only to find out that I had become very, very sick. Even though we had filtered the water, which removed sediments, we didn’t use any purification tablets, which would have killed any active viruses that would have been present in stagnant water. I called my friend, and he told me he was just as sick as I was.

So, the moral of the story is that if you’re going to drink water from a disgusting, filthy, putrid water hole, use a water filter AND water purification tablets. Your body will thank you on your next hunt.

Author Bio: Brett Gillan is the Camping, Optics, & Electronics Merchandiser at http://www.sportsmanswarehouse.com(Sportsman's Warehouse). Brett spends his summers camping, fishing, and backpacking with his family. He spends his fall season big game & water fowl hunting.

110 acre Indiana Hunting Lease - Washington County

This indiana hunting lease is available for a 5 year contract. The landowners are asking $4,000 a year for exclusive rights to hunt, fish, camp, 365 days a year. It is off of a dead end road surrouded by jackson washington state forest. There are no house's on the property and the landowners live in indianapolis. Call 317-443-4885 for more information. Ask for Josh Cruse

Haiti Earthquake 2010

My Father and family runs a mission in Haiti and my father is in the country of Haiti right now, so all of your prayers are needed. Here is an update from our Haiti mission Blog - Haiti Earthquake.

Larry Ralph Jr.

Becky spoke with Dad (Larry Sr) around 10:30 am. Everyone (staff at Ebenezer Haiti Mission, Haitian friends, Dad, and Linda is safe and unharmed. The connection on the phone was bad so the conversation was short. The compound did not sustain any major damage, but he did say there were cracks. Right now we are trying to figure out a way to get them out of the country, but he said he does not want to leave right away due to the emotional climate in St. Louis du Nord. The people of Haiti believe this to be the end of the world and in some ways it is that way for them. If anyone has connections with travel in and out of the Haiti or the DR, please contact me 317-403-6999 or Becky 317-966-6812. We are transferring money for relief of the Haitians in St. Louis du Nord and for travel out of the country. When Port au Prince shuts down, a major supply chain of food and supplies is shut off to the north coast. If you would like to donate, please call us.

We received this email from DAD just an hour ago.


We are ok but the country is in shambles, I need you to western union money immediately. I am going to try and call you but all lines are down. Please tell everyone that we are ok. I will try to email you every day. We are going to try to get out thru the Dominican Rep if we cant leave PAP. Tell everyone to just pray for Haiti, it is terrible.Please keep checking your e=mail and forward this to whoever you think needs to know We Love You All-----DAD and LINDA

Best Tree Stand for the Money - Guide Gear Extreme Comfort

I've hunted from ladder stands, tripods, climbers, and fixed stands; and none compare to the comfort of this stand. This is the cheapest most comfortable fixed stand on the market. It's almost too comfortable if that's possible...snnooooozzzzzze alert. I ordered one for behind my house about 2 years ago, and it is still the most comfortable stand I hunt with, and I have about 20 to choose from on the 3 properties I hunt on with friends and family. A friend of mine just ordered 4 more from Sportsmanguide.com . The shooting rail is at the perfect height for aiming your gun. I get so annoyed at the rails on some stands that you have to put your elbow on the rail just to prop your gun to the right height.

Now, there isn't such a thing as a perfect stand so I'll give Guide Gear a few tips to perfect this stand. For one, the platform could be a little bigger for bowhunting, I don't feel like I have enough room to turn around when standing up. The platform is already big, but the space is taken up by the seat because you are in a reclined position when seated. The only other thing is it somewhat difficult to get in and out of the stand.

I don't know, for 70 to 80 bucks, you can't beat it.

Larry Ralph

Double Drop Tine Buck Trail Camera Photo

We'll, I can't believe I haven't posted these trail cam photos until now. I didn't see them until we pulled this lonesome camera out of the bottoms. It's a long hike down there, you see, and we were just too lazy to check it on a regular basis. The photo was taken August 30th and we probably didnt even check the camera until September 30th. I sure wish we would have kept up with it. We pulled the camera from the spot before we saw the photos on the SD card.




We decided we didn't want to disturb that area anymore, so we left it alone. One picture is enough of this deer. It's all we need to know. Now we have to draw straws on who hunts this area every time. Oh well, it will keep the season exciting to say the least. This is what we consider to be a once and a lifetime buck in our neck of the woods.

Larry Ralph Jr.

Bushnell Yardage Pro Sport Rangefinder Review

Summer has come and gone, and now it’s time for fall. Bow hunting TIME!!! If you’re a decent hunter then you shouldn’t have a problem harvesting a doe during early bow season. That’s what I like to do to keep the herd in check and also I just want to shoot a deer.

Its opening weekend Oct 4. 2004, and I see a doe coming across an open shooting lane at 30 yards. I let the arrow fly and it goes right over her back. I get out of my tree to walk off the yardage and I find out she was only at 20 yards. That next day I immediately bought my Bushnell rangefinder. This is one of those purchases when you say “I should have bought this years ago”. For bow hunting, the Yardage Pro Sport is one of the smartest products I have ever purchased.

The Yardage Pro Sport has a 4 power magnification, a max distance of a reflective target at 999 yards and a max distance of a non-reflective target at 450 yards. This rangefinder has +/- 1 yard accuracy. Its light and compact at just 7.4 oz, and measures 1.75x4x3.13 inches. This is the best valued rangefinder on the market. You can buy this range finder for around 120 dollars but you also get what you pay for. This particular rangefinder is great for measuring shorter distances for bow hunting and anything else out to about a hundred yards. If you plan on going out hunting and need a shot longer than a hundred yards, I do not suggest you buy this product. It is very difficult to find your target in low light conditions and to pin point your target at long distances. You don’t know if your are even ranging the right target past a hundred yards. So bow hunters, bite the bullet, and give this rangefinder a try. It’s worth it. Rifle hunters, you guys need to spend the extra money and buy a rangefinder with a higher magnification.

P.S. If money's not an issue, try the new Bushnell ARC Rangefinder.

Jason Untersinger

Buy the Bushnell Yardage Sport 450 Rangefinder for $119 HERE:
Bushnell Sport 450 Rangefinder

Buy the Bushnell Legend ARC 1200 Rangefinder HERE:
Bushnell Legend 1200 ARC Camo Rangefinder

Indiana Trail Cam Photos "Whitey"

Everybody meet Whitey. Our camera took about 14 photos of whitey, and every single one of them ended up like this. I'm not sure what caused it, my guess is that the sun was setting directly into the camera and it flashed. The picture below is the only picture that turned out good enough. Maybe the deer is a ghost. We'll see.


These pictures were taken behind my house. I live at the bottom of a hill in Martinsville, Indiana. I own 4 acres total, 2.5 of which is the hillside. These photos were taken at the top of the hill. When I bought the place, I never thought I would be able to deer hunt this hill, let alone have bucks like this behind me. It just goes to show they are everywhere you least expect them.

Larry Ralph Jr.

Trail cam photos of whitetail bucks in Indiana

That is such a beautiful site, to think a few years ago we couldn't even get a decent buck on camera. We have come a long way in the past couple of years. We've invested time and effort in food plots, mineral sites, and creating trails. It seems to be all coming together. Now if we could just harvest one. That's the kicker.

I planned on naming all of the bucks this year but since these photos were taken out at Josh's farm, I'll let him do the honors. I'll edit the post later with the names.

We have 2 other properties we hunt, so I will post photos from them later. The next photos comes off my own property of only 4 acres in Martinsville, IN. I've come across two beautiful bucks there. Who says you need 500 acres. Of course, it did help that I back up to 160 acres of undisturbed woods.

Larry Ralph

Why are local archery dealers jerks?

I know this might not be the case in your area, but I need to rant for a minute about local bow dealers in my local central indiana area. I feel as though I can see this industry from a beginner's point of view, because I did not grow up bowhunting. I never fired a bow until I was 21. Someone who is new to archery (like I was 6 years ago) should be welcomed and cherished by an archery store. From a business standpoint, they should coddle this customer like a newborn baby. He could potentially be a repeat customer every year. When I was new to archery, I was treated like the cousin at your family reunion that everyone tries to avoid and if they have to talk to him, they are mean and sarcastic. I couldn't ask a question without either someone rolling their eyes or a "duh" sarcastic response. It got to the point where I had anxiety to even enter the building over time, but my passion for bowhunting kept me going.

I have visited many more local archery ranges and stores withing a 60 mile radius since my first encounter with my closest archery store, and I can't say that any of them are any better with customers than the first one. It seems as though when you arrive at a dealer's store for the first time, they look at you as though you are lost. You get that feeling that you're a square that just walked into a biker bar. Everyone is looking at you funny, and the guy behind the counter doesn't ask " can I help you", but instead waits till you ask him a question. What kind of service is that? Not many stores could survive with such animosity for new customers.

I have put up with this crap for too long, and I never let it really get to me until I took my brother into a newer store just a few weeks ago. My brother is 21 and has recently wanted to change his life for the better. I've been counseling him and have tried to introduce him to bowhunting. He is looking to buy a bow so I thought we would try a new shop in the area. There was no one in the store, we were the only customer this dealer had probably for a couple of hours at least. From the moment we walked in to the moment we walked out, this guy acted like he didn't even want us in his store. I asked the guy to measure my brother's draw length for a new bow, and you would have thought I asked the guy to kill his own mother. He rolled his eyes and reluctantly did what I asked. My brother looked at me like "is this guy for real?" We didn't buy a bow to say the least.

So guess where my brother's money is going to be spent on a new bow? Ebay or craigslist. I'm not buying another bow from a dealer until I find a shop that actually wants my business. It's a shame, really. These shops have it bad enough with the internet taking so much of their business, but I feel as if I have no other choice.

Now some of you might be thinking, this guy is probably a problem customer with an attitude. I can assure you that is not the case. I'm in a customer service industry so I know what those customers are like. I couldn't be a better customer to any business that I deal with. I'm a very easy going guy, much more so than most of my hunting buddies. I don't take myself seriously, and I'm not a brand loyal nutjob that thinks mathews or hoyt or bowtech is the best bow ever made. I'm just a guy that wants to buy a product from someone who is decent to me.

Larry Ralph Jr.

Hoosier H.I.T. Squad - Hunting Indiana Trophies

I heard about the Hoosier HIT Squad from the guy I bought my bow off of. He was a member of Central Indiana Delta Waterfowl, and was telling me about these videos from the Hoosier H.I.T. Squad. Don't know enough about them to say too much or review their videos. I just love the idea of bringing attention to the wonderful outdoors and hunting in Indiana. I am going to purchase a video or two and probably review them in the future. If you are a proud Hoosier or have hunted in Indiana before, you might check out their site : http://www.hoosierhitsquad.com/. If anyone from their site reads this, you might want to change your website a little. It takes too long to load, and I have a very fast connection.

Larry Ralph Jr.

Can't wait to start deer hunting again....

My friend Josh just sent me this trail cam photo from his farm. I don't know about you, but this gets my blood boiling. He has several more photos, I'll post more later. I just bought a 2007 Bowtech Guardian, so as soon as I get comfortable with it, I'll post a review. More photos to come, hopefully from our new cameras.

Stealth Cam V450 Digital Scouting Camera

After every hunting season is over the anticipation gets higher and higher for next year. During the off season you want to get out in the woods and scout, but it's too hot or you don’t have time. That’s my excuse anyway. Larry and I bought three stealth cam scouting cameras and put them out behind his house. I didn’t realize how much fun this was. It's like Christmas every two weeks when you check your cameras. It's also a great way to scout for that big buck for next season. There is no greater feeling than knowing there is a big buck on your property.

The V450 has a coverage area of 30’ and a 45 degree angle. The flash is effective up to 50’ and if you don’t want the flash you have the option to turn it off or put it on auto. You can set the camera to take one picture at a time or a 1-9 picture burst. You can adjust the resolution for top quality pictures, keep in mind the higher the resolution the more memory you use. If you want to shoot video, you can program the camera to take up 90 seconds of video at a time. By the way, setting this camera up is a piece of cake. The combo pack comes with a 1gb SD memory card and a USB card reader. The best part of this camera is the 2” LCD colored screen on the inside. You can check your pics at the tree. This is awesome if you don’t have a computer handy. You can even delete the pictures you don’t want while you're in the woods. The camera shoots a maximum 4.0 mega pixel image. Another helpful scouting tool is each picture shows the time, date, and even the temp of when the picture was taken. One more thing. If you have a camera and you're sick of changing batteries all the time, Stealth Cam offers a 12V rechargeable battery pack. So if you don’t have the time to scout I recommend this camera. It's a lot of fun and you could capture the big buck that you didn’t know was there.

Check out the
Stealth Cam I-540 IR 5.0 Megapixel Digital Game Camera

OR THE
Stealth Cam Sniper IR 3.0 Megapixel Digital Scouting Camera

Jason Untersinger

Tick Bites, Funeral, and Friends

I've been a little distant from the blogging scene as of late. Alot has transpired around these neck of the woods. 3 days ago, I woke up with about 20 little ticks crawling all over me. Not a good feeling, let me tell you. All in all, I ended up with 55 bites and I've been pretty miserable since. I haven't been in the woods. The only reason I can come up with is my chocolate lab must have been infested with them, and transferred them onto the bed. Thankfully, my wife who is pregnant only had 2 bites.

I attended my great uncle's funeral this morning. His name was Lee Ralph and he was born and raised in Hartford, Ky but has lived in IN, TN, and KY. It was cool to hear of all the stories of his influence on so many peoples lives. He served God with all his heart. He was always trying to joke with whoever he came into contact with. He was like a father to my mother (whose parents died when she was 14). Standing there looking at all the people laugh and reminisce about him was a great experience. We will all miss you Uncle Lee.

Some old friends of mine rode into Martinsville, IN on their bikes to stay and rest for a couple of days. When I say bikes, I mean bicycles. They are on a cross country bike trip. They are raising money for the less fortunate. They have already biked from Maine to Indiana in 33 days. It's pretty amazing, they've been staying in tents and at friend's houses along the way. You can check out their site at Peddling for the People.

More to come.... when the dust settles
Larry Ralph

93 year old bags gobbler on opening day

http://www.salisburypost.com/Sports/060909-out-turkey-grandma-watson-gobbler

Katie Watson is still hunting the land she grew up on and hopes to be doing more of the same when she turns 94 in September.

Her most recent addition was a 19-pound turkey she got about a half mile from her home near Richfield in Stanly County while hunting with her grand-nephew, Kevin Barringer, on opening day of the spring turkey season.

Barringer helped Watson to her blind and put decoys out. He was 200 yards away in his own pop-up blind.

Watson used her call, and about five minutes later the gobbler showed up. One shot with her 12 gauge Browning automatic, and it was hers.

She got a four-point deer with a 30.06 in the fall and has hunted quail and trained pointers over the years. She also hunts with a muzzle loader. "I've hunted all my life," she said. "But I don't pretend to be good."

Her hunting skills have been noted by Charlotte Observer outdoors columnist Tom Higgins, who wrote in a feature on her that she didn't get her first turkey until she was 86. Watson said she's got four turkey tails, including the latest big one, up on plaques at her house. "They're not the easiest thing to come by," she said.

Scuba Diving the Bonne Terre Mine

I'm headed to St. Louis, MO to see my good friend, Josh Cruse. Josh is the one with the son who just underwent a liver transplant, and I'm happy to report, Malakai is recovering well. He has been released from the hospital, but they will stay in St. Louis for several more weeks so the doctors can keep an eye on Malakai.

I've arranged a little excursion for my friend to dive the Bonne Terre Mine which is about an hour south of St. Louis. We not only hunt together, but we also scuba dive together. We haven't been in over a year so we are pretty excited about the trip.

The lead mine was worked for almost 100 years by the St. Joe Lead Company until the 60's when the demand for lead dwindled and the mine closed in 1962. When the mine was abandoned, the pumps that kept it dry were turned off. Over the years, fresh groundwater seeped into the mine, covering forever the tools and equipment left behind by the miners.

Now, this billion gallon Lake is illuminated with over 500,000 watts of lighting, a total of twenty-four dive trails have been laid out in the lake, taking the diver through mammoth archways, past beautiful calcium falls, around gargantuan pillars and to the many abandoned mining artifacts. The water level of the mine is 150 feet below the ground surface above.

I know this blog's audience is mainly hunters, but if you have ever thought about diving, JUST DO IT. You will never regret it. It's just another type of outdoor wilderness, except that it can be much more amazing. Plus, if you have to hunt something, you can go spearfishing.

Larry Ralph Jr.

School Locked down after man spotted with hunting rifle

Pittsburgh School Locked Down After Man Spotted With Hunting Rifle

PITTSBURGH -- A Pittsburgh elementary school was put in lockdown for a short time Thursday morning after a man was spotted with a hunting rifle.

School spokeswoman Ebony Pugh said a man was hunting deer near Arlington Elementary School along Jonquil Street with a high-powered rifle.

School leaders locked down the school as a precaution, but operations quickly returned to normal. Police were unable to find the man.


I just have to say that I would hate to be that guy. Is it me or are more and more people scared to death of hunters. I've been in a scenario where I thought something like this might happen to me before. We were hunting a corn field for geese next to an industrial complex. We were far enough away to be legal, but the office building called the police, and they came out to check on us. I was scared to death we would make the news, because they had several police cars out there, but thankfully, we didn't. Society complains of over population of geese and deer in urban areas, but they freak out when we try to help.

Now, I'm not excusing this guy. I don't know how close he was to the school or what he was up to. It just seems stupid to lock down a school, but considering these crazy school shootings, maybe it was necessary. I imagine it was a harmless mistake. What do you think? And why is someone hunting deer in JUNE?

Final Approach Eliminator SUB Layout Blind

Unfortunately, turkey season is over, but it’s time to focus on upcoming seasons. Early goose season! It’s still 4 months away in Indiana, but why not get started now. I hunted geese for about three years without a blind. Lying in the snow and flooded fields and being soaked from head to toe. Not fun. I finally brought myself to buying a layout blind. It’s pretty versatile. I hunt in corn fields and on the banks of Lake Monroe. Its waterproof and cushioned so it makes it a lot easier to sit out in the field for longer periods of time. It’s no temper-pedic but good enough. You don’t have to worry as much about camouflaging yourself as much. It props your body in the shooting position at all times so you’re ready to shoot all the time. The back rest is adjustable so you’re not stuck with one position, another plus. The blind has stubble straps around the whole thing so you can weave grass or corn stalks for better camo which I like. The fold down doors has a mesh screen so you can see the birds and this feature eliminates a face mask. There are cutouts on each side of the blind for your goose flag. I would say the biggest advantage to this ground blind is that it blocks all the wind. I can stand the cold, but the cold and wind is miserable. I am very happy with the durability of the blind. The frame is all aluminum so you don’t have to worry about rust. It’s made with 600D poly-Dacron and backed with a PVC liner. The floor is 1200D w/PVC. The foot bag is padded and insulated for extra warmth. It is 36”W by 85”L by 18”H. I am 6’4” and I have plenty of room. The blind is kind of hard to set up but it think it’s because the material has no stretch. It is also bulky. It only has one shoulder strap, I wish it had two. For the most part I’m happy with my blind. Plus, hunting without one is just plain stupid.

Click the picture to Buy the Final Approach Eliminator Express Blind:

Or the Final Approach X-Landr Blind:

Jason Untersinger

Cruse Family Update

I posted earlier about Malakai Cruse, but I thought I would explain the situation and update his progress. He is the son of one of my best friends and hunting buddies, Josh Cruse. He was born with Biliary Atresia. BA is when the bile duct between the liver and the small intestine is blocked or absent. He had his first surgery on November 6th to temporarily fix the problem. During a five week hospital stay for ascites, Malakai was put on the transplant list on Mar 20. He recieved his liver transplant May 12, 2009 at Children's Hospital in St. Louis. He is currently recovering well, but the day to day scares of infection are still occurring. It's been up and down for the cruse family.

Please continue to pray for a complete recovery. The hospital bills are starting to come in and a lot of it will be out of pocket. The cruse family has been without every day wages for many months now. The surgeries has been very difficult on the family and anything we can give would help. Please visit the blog http://crusekids.blogspot.com and DONATE anything you can.

I know alot of the followers on here are fellow bloggers and I would just like to ask that if you feel led, please repost the link on your blog or social media network to get the word out about my friend's son. I am trying to help them by getting the word out for them. They are dear to my heart and I only wish I could do more.

Thanks,
Larry Ralph Jr.

Leupold Compact Turkey Ranger Scope

The Leupold M8 2.5 Compact Turkey Ranger Scope may be small, but it still offers the same durability and dependability as any other Leupold scope made. This scope has a generous exit pupil and great eye relief. The scope has a large field of view. There is no trouble finding your game in this scope. This is an excellent scope for turkey hunting, deer hunting, and even hunting with a crossbow. These scopes are not adjustable which I actually like. I’ve killed deer at 10 yards to 100 yards with this scope. You can see just as well at 10 feet as you can at a 100 yards. There is no fuzziness at all. When I bought my scope I bought raised scope mounts thinking I would have to use my iron sights for the close shots but I found out I didn’t need them. I love the eye relief.

When you are deer hunting in the cold, you don’t have to worry about the lens fogging up. The scope is 100% waterproof and fog proof. I’ve used my scope in the rain and the snow, and never had any trouble. If I did, Leupold offers a lifetime guarantee with their scopes. Another thing to keep in mind is that “Turkey Ranger” is not the name of the scope but the type of reticle it has. So make sure you look at the reticle before you buy your scope. I own two Leupold scopes and the one thing that I don’t like is that for some reason the scopes don’t come with lens covers. If you go to www.leopold.com, they offer a lot of really cool lens covers. They even have intensifier kits which allows you to control the contrast, they just snap on like lens covers. These scopes are deadly accurate. I love mine. For $220 this was money well spent.

Check out the Leupold VX-I 1-4x20mm Shotgun, Turkey Plex Reticle

Check out the Leupod Rifle Scopes:
Leupold VX -II Rifle Scopes


Jason Untersinger

Hunter's Specialties Gun Rest Knee Pad

I heard about the gun rest on one of the older hunter specialties turkey hunting videos. I was kind of skeptical about buying the gun rest at first; but after I used it, I was sold on it. Who would’ve thought something so small and simple could make a huge difference. Here is a test. Next time you are turkey hunting, sit down with your back to a tree, get your gun ready, and sit your gun on your knee. I guarantee after 10 minutes, your knee will start to hurt.

The gun rest allows you to sit your gun on your knee and use your calls without slipping. Letting you stay in the shooting position all the time. You are free to use your calls and keep your gun stationary. The first thing I do when I get out of my truck is put on the gun rest. You can’t even tell it’s there. It’s practically weightless. There is only one strap and easy to adjust. It also comes in Realtree APG camo pattern. So if you can’t afford to buy a bipod, tripod, or v-pod for your gun, buy the gun rest knee pad. For $12 bucks, you won’t be disappointed.

BUY THE GUN REST HERE:
Hunter's Specialties Gun Rest Knee Pad


If money's not an issue, BUY THE V-POD:
Hunter's Specialties V-Pod Gun Rest - Model 00614


Jason Untersinger

Palmer Hoot Owl Tube by HS Strut

I’ve had my hoot owl call for 5 seasons. Its been a good call and if you plan on finding turkeys on the roost, it’s a must own. It seems to be durable and easy to clean. It takes more air to make it work but that’s to be expected when using a call with reeds. Out of the few hoot owl calls I’ve used, this call seems to sound the most realistic; but I’ve also got turkeys to gobble by just using my mouth. So I don’t think realism plays a major role in a hoot owl locator call.

A feature the palmer hoot tube does gives you is volume which is important. The one thing that I tell people that use this call is start off by calling soft. If you don’t hear any birds, then get a little louder and so on. If you are only 75 yards from the birds, you stand a chance of spooking those birds. If for some reason you have a hard time controlling your volume, you can muffle the call with your hand. Turkeys hear owls everyday so they know how loud they are. Unfortunately I had to learn this the hard way. I'll sum it up this way, if my hoot tube breaks, I plan on buying another one.

BUY THE CALL HERE:
Hunter's Specialties H.S. Strut Palmer Grand National Hoot Tube Turkey Locator Call


Jason Untersinger