Hello? Anybody There? Calling All Hogs!

Posted on June 2, 2015 by HavalonKnives

By Mike Marsh

Six calling tactics for more successful
hog hunting!

Learning how to call hogs can help a hog hunter in need of a last resort

Mike Marsh took this 200-pound sow on a WMA where bait, night hunting and hound hunting are not allowed. In such situations, using a call is the last resort method that can work if the hunter is persistent. (Photo: Mike Marsh)

Call them feral pigs, wild hogs or wild boar. The feral swine that have infested the landscape in many areas of the U.S. are nuisance animals to some, bonus big-game animals to others. Hog hunters take them by many methods including the use of bait, artificial lights and packs of hog dogs. However, the most underutilized and misunderstood tactic is using calls to increase the odds of seeing hogs. Here are six tips and tactics for making sounds that may help you home in on a sounder of hogs the next time you go out.

1. Using mouth calls

Most call manufacturers make some variation of reed-style mouth calls for hogs. Like choosing a favorite duck or turkey call, finding a mouth call that works takes a lot of trial-and-error experience. Hogs seem to be extremely sensitive to the specific calls they respond to, as well as to the various sounds a hunter makes with those calls. A single hog call tuned for a specific age or sex — piglet, boar or sow — has the best chance of success.

Look for signs like these to know whether or not it's the right time to start calling

Hogs dig up large areas when rooting for invertebrates and tubers. Recently rooted areas indicate hogs are nearby and may be susceptible to calling. (Photo: Mike Marsh)

Hunters who master hog squeals and grunts with their own natural voices seem to have better luck than those who use mechanical calls. Pigs sometimes respond to turkey and rabbit calls, likely because they mimic piglets, but the high-pitched calls may also arouse a predatory instinct. Yes, wild pigs are predators. They’re also scavengers, meat-eaters, omnivores — they turn up their snouts at nothing.

2. Using electronic callers

Electronic callers have several advantages over mouth calls. A hunter can position an E-call away from his location to keep him out of harm’s way in case an aggressive hog decides to come in quickly. An E-call can be set to scroll through a lengthy repertoire of sounds at one sitting to increase the odds of at least one of them attracting attention. The best calls are recordings of real piglet squeals and feeding herds.

Muddied water shows that hogs were recently in the area

Basil Watts found these hog wallows on a public game land. The muddied water shows that hogs were recently taking a mud bath. (Photo: Mike Marsh)

3. Checking for sign before deciding to call

Hog sign includes tracks, wallows, droppings, rubs and musky scent. These are indications the area is used by a sounder of sows with young or a solitary boar. Each of these situations requires different hog calls. Making a boar grunt accompanied by kicking a wallow could bring a dominant boar on the run. High-pitched squeals of an injured piglet may induce a brood sow to respond. Think about these factors before you decide on the sounds you’ll make.

4. Evaluating every situation

As with many other varmint calling situations, calling hogs is no sure thing. It’s a long-odds proposition, so it pays to view each situation as unique. A hunter may try calling dozens of times with no luck, and many give up trying. Some use calls as a method of last resort or on public lands where bait and hounds are not legal methods. Others call to sweeten a baited set-up with an occasional oink or grunt to give pigs a sense of confidence. The most effective use I have found for a mouth call is to stop a moving pig.

Hog hunter Basil Watts takes his latest kill in

Basil Watts brings a feral pig out of a field on a folding deer cart. (Photo: Mike Marsh)

5. Calling by sight

A single pig that has seen you but is not sure what you are and is moving away slowly is susceptible to calling. The best call in this situation is a single grunt, which can stop the animal or even bring it back into the open. With blind-calling set-ups, a response does not necessarily mean an animal is approaching your blind — it may simply be a vocal response. A hog answering a call gives the hunter the opportunity to sneak closer, or alerts him as to the best direction to watch.

6. Thinking safety

Making a call that incites a boar’s territorial instinct or a sow’s maternal instinct could put you in danger. You may be macho enough not to fear a single animal, but imagine multiple, angry hogs all approaching at a dead run. As a hunter who has had his back against a tree facing five angry hogs weighing more than 200 pounds apiece, and all of them popping their teeth from inside 20 feet, I can assure you that the situation elicits pulse-pounding excitement. It is most definitely not fun. Pick a safe spot when calling hogs, such as an elevated stand or a web-wire fence that serves as a barrier. Hunt with a partner who can watch your back or help track a hit hog if it runs into a thicket.

Some ammo is made specifically to take down wild hogs

Hog specific ammo, such as Remington’s Hog Hammer with nickeled cases and the excellent Barnes TSX bullet, is tailored to taking heavy hogs. Controlled expansion bullets that provide deep penetration and large exit wounds aid hunters in recovering hogs in the thick cover they love. (Photo: Mike Marsh)

Make hog calling one of your options, and you’re more likely to bring home the bacon.

About Mike Marsh:

Mike Marsh headshotMike Marsh’s articles, columns and photos have appeared in more than 100 magazines and newspapers. He lives in Wilmington, North Carolina and has written four books about the state’s hunting, fresh-water and salt-water fishing. His latest is “Fishing North Carolina.” To contact Mike, view his award-winning articles and photos or order his books, visit www.mikemarshoutdoors.com.

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Havalon Nation Stories: The Biggest Obstacle Yet

Posted on May 28, 2015 by HavalonKnives

By Zach Rogers

Lisa hits a hurdle, and races to
the finish line

Lisa with her bighorn sheep Chip

Lisa Bomengen poses with “Chip,” her prime target during her bighorn sheep hunt. (Photo: Lisa Bomengen)

Life is a challenge. Sometimes it seems like the challenges of hunting could work as a metaphor for life itself. Just as a hunter has to overcome different extremes before landing the kill, all of us at one point or another have had to face and overcome the extremes life throws our way.

Lisa Bomengen of Thermopolis, Wyoming faced one of the biggest challenges of her life just two years ago, and overcame it with the kind of tough, determined persistence she’s always had.

Growing up, Lisa was an active child. She ran cross country and track in high school in addition to playing basketball, and in college she continued her active lifestyle and was an All-American long distance and track athlete. She’s run multiple marathons since and competed in sprint, Olympic distance and Half Ironman triathlons. So when Lisa went to her husband Travis with the suggestion of doing the Spartan Obstacle races together, he wasn’t all that surprised, and thought it’d be a great way to get in shape for the fall hunting season.

“We both hunt year round,” said Travis. “My dad is responsible for my passion for hunting and the outdoors. Lisa loves bowhunting elk, and I like back country hunting of any species.”

After finishing the first Spartan event, where Lisa placed first in the women’s open division, the second event was less than a month away. During their downtime, Travis checked to see if anyone he knew had drawn a sheep, goat or moose tag. Sure enough, Lisa had drawn a bighorn sheep tag.

Unexpected news

After relaying the news to his wife, it seemed like the two had plenty to be excited for. Then Lisa began to feel an uncomfortable fullness in her throat that made it hard to swallow. After a biopsy two weeks later, they found out Lisa needed to have half of her thyroid gland removed due to the possibility of cancer. Immediately, a rush of thoughts entered their minds, from not being able to compete or hunt to more pressing issues like getting cancer at a young age and what it could mean for their family’s future.

“My concern was for her health and discomfort if this was cancer and how it would change our lives in every way,” Travis remembered. “But she’s the toughest person I know, and I knew she would face whatever was dealt to her head on with determination.”

“I was scared for sure, but hopeful I would live,” admitted Lisa. “I was not going to let this keep me down one way or the other. I was in some of the best shape of my life, and was frustrated beyond belief that I would not be able to complete the Spartan series.”

Overcoming the odds

Determined to face the challenge, Lisa knew no matter what the results were that she would overcome it the best way she could. After a couple weeks of waiting, Travis and Lisa got the news they were looking for — NO CANCER! Lisa got to return home on the same day of her thyroid operation, and the doctor ordered her to get plenty of rest and avoid any physical activity for the next three to four weeks. But resting proved to be more difficult for Lisa than it would be for some.

By week two she was walking hills, and by week three she was doing light workouts like abs and push-ups. At week four the doctors said she could start running again, and with the next Spartan event coming up, training was once again a top priority, as much as it could be. Even with the health scare, Lisa knew she didn’t want to miss the rest of the Spartan series or the upcoming sheep hunt.

“I had to finish what I started. My husband was going to run and said I could go out and take pictures. REALLY? There was no way I was going to let him get his trifecta without me.”

Lisa and Travis Bomengen with "Chip" the bighorn sheep

Lisa and Travis with “Chip” after landing the shot. (Photo: Lisa Bomengen)

Lisa finished fifth in the women’s elite division that day, with little training and a five week layoff due to surgery. With the Spartan series behind them, it was time for the husband and wife duo to prepare for their big sheep hunt. Preseason scouting revealed a group of 12 rams, and one in particular caught Lisa’s eye. He had a deep curl, a massive build and was easy to spot because of the chips in his horns, earning him the appropriate nickname “Chip.” The time to hunt was on.

Most of the terrain was full of steep angles and long distances, making hunting a bit more challenging.

“The pressure was a little intense,” said Lisa, “but all the hard work and training for the Spartan races definitely paid off as we were climbing the hills and getting into position.”

On opening morning, Lisa and Travis began searching for the group of sheep they scouted earlier, with Chip being the prime focus. After several hours of grappling with steep ascents and rough conditions, they came across two rams feeding into view. After confirming through the spotting scope that Chip was one of them, Lisa took aim as Travis called out distance yardage, reminding her of the uphill angle she would have to compensate for. Finally, at 370 yards out, Lisa took a deep breath as Travis watched through his spotting scope. Chip went down with grace and came to his final resting place only five yards from an easily accessible trail.

“It was a huge sense of relief and accomplishment,” Lisa explained. “Watching that big mountain monarch fall with my husband by my side cheering me on is something I will never forget. It put a nice finish on the year.”

Lisa after taking the shot at Chip

After a whirlwind year, Lisa is overcome with emotion after finding and taking down her bighorn sheep “Chip.” (Photo: Lisa Bomengen)

What a year indeed. From Spartan races and drawing tags to cancer scares and surgery, the year couldn’t have been more of a whirlwind experience for both Lisa and Travis. Fortunately, Lisa was able to beat the odds stacked against her like the champ she’s always been. And through it all they both learned a valuable lesson about life and love.

“It made me appreciate the importance of spending time with those you love, as you never know how long you have together,” said Travis. “I’m so lucky to have an amazing wife like Lisa. We do the races and the hunting trips so we can spend that time together, and now as our children get older we’re doing the same things with them.”

Lisa and Travis Bomengen live in Thermopolis, Wyoming with their two children, and share their love, passion and knowledge of hunting and the outdoors with them every chance they get.

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Recipe: Tracy’s Two-Day Turkey Leg Soup

Posted on May 26, 2015 by HavalonKnives

By Tracy L. Schmidt

Don’t throw away those turkey drumsticks!

This turkey leg soup recipe is a perfect fix for leftover turkey meat

This turkey leg soup goes great with a grilled cheese sandwich. (Photo: Tracy Schmidt)

I can still remember the first time my husband handed me a pair of turkey legs. Those drumsticks were huge — big enough for a meal in themselves. I don’t think I said it out loud, but I certainly thought, “What in the world am I supposed to do with these?”

It was a stressful moment, trying to figure out whether to debone them and marinate the meat for sandwiches or prep them for the soup pot. I decided I needed more time to figure things out so I roasted them in my slow cooker.

When you successfully hunt an animal you don’t want anything to go to waste. Out of respect for the animal’s sacrifice, I want to utilize every part possible. But not everything is instantly palatable.

This turkey hunter knows exactly how to utilize every part of the animal

My husband, Dan, brining me home some more turkey legs. (Photo: Tracy Schmidt)

Think about this — wild turkeys make their living with their legs. They almost always opt to run rather than fly, and when they fly those muscular legs launch them with power. That’s one reason why, when compared to domestic fowl, wild turkey leg meat is much more firm. So, whether serving it in a soup or in a sandwich, make sure you cut it up into smaller bite-sized pieces that people can easily chew.

Prepared properly, turkey legs make excellent table fare. It cannot be rushed in the kitchen, however. That’s why I like to turn our turkey legs into soup. The slow cooking process of making soup helps break down the muscle groups and bring out the turkey’s unique flavor and texture. I like to use a two-step process that allows the meat to cook slowly so it becomes its most tender before it becomes part of a great pot of soup. Spread the process out over a couple of days, and it’s easy to make.

Tracy’s Two-Day Turkey Leg Soup

2 legs wild turkey, cleaned
Salt
Pepper
Paprika
1 1/2 teaspoons thyme
32 ounce box of chicken broth
2 carrots, sliced thinly or 3/4 cup snapped green beans
1/2 cup frozen corn kernels
1 teaspoon garlic, minced
1/4 cup onion, chopped
Extra-wide egg noodles

Day One:

Season turkey legs with salt, pepper, paprika and one teaspoon of thyme, then place in slow cooker. Add 12 ounces of chicken broth to cooker and cook for 4 hours on low heat or until they are cooked through and the meat is tender and loose on the bones. Because we are dealing with wild game, the size of the legs will be variable, so the cooking time will vary as well.

Seasoned turkey legs ready to cook

Season the turkey legs after placing them in the slow cooker. Include the drumsticks and the thighs. (Photo: Tracy Schmidt)

I allow the meat to cool, cut it into bite-sized pieces, then store it in the fridge for the next day when I make the soup. If you want, you can go right to Day Two.

Day Two:

Place the remaining broth plus 2 cups of water in a large stockpot. Add the carrots or beans, onion and garlic and bring to a boil. Add the cooked turkey, 1/2 teaspoon thyme and corn to the pot, cover loosely and simmer for 10 minutes. Then add 1/3 bag of egg noodles and cook uncovered to manufacturer’s recommendation for al dente (firmness of the noodles to the bite).

Cooked turkey meat pulled from the bone

This is a bowl of cooked turkey meat removed from the bone. Make sure to cut the meat down to bite-sized pieces so it is easy to chew. (Photo: Tracy Schmidt)

Check to make sure the carrots are done. Before serving, taste to see if you need any additional seasoning.

About Tracy L. Schmidt:

Tracy Schmidt headhsotTracy L. Schmidt is a certified master food preservation specialist and the author of the book “Venison Wisdom.” Each of her recipes is tested and perfected. She is married to Daniel Schmidt, editor in chief of Deer & Deer Hunting magazine and host of “Deer & Deer Hunting TV” on NBC Sports. Tracy enjoys the versatility of Havalon Knives in both the kitchen and the field.

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Steve Sorensen Wins Five Writer Awards

Posted on May 22, 2015 by HavalonKnives
Sorensen wins a total of five awards from the Pennsylvania Outdoor Writers Association

Steve Sorensen, at right, with Brad Isles, chairman of the Pennsylvania Outdoor Writers Association Awards Committee. Sorensen won two first place awards, including “Best Book Award” for his book “Growing Up With Guns.”

Outdoor writer and Havalon Post editor Steve Sorensen took home five awards from the Pennsylvania Outdoor Writers Association awards banquet May 16, held at the beautiful Seven Springs Mountain Resort in the mountains of Somerset County, PA.

  1. First Place, Best Book Award (sponsored by POWA) for “Growing Up With Guns.”
  2. First Place, Handloading Promotion Award for Electronic Media (sponsored by Redding Reloading) for an article published in Deer Hunters Online.
  3. First Runner-Up, Best Newspaper Column (sponsored by Pennsylvania Hunters Sharing the Harvest) for a column published in the Forest Press and the Olean Times Herald.
  4. First Runner-Up, Best Magazine or Regional Newspaper Column (sponsored by Gogal Publishing Co.) for “The Arthur Young Buck” published in Ohio Valley Outdoors.
  5. First Runner-Up, Youth and the Hunting/Shooting Sports Award (sponsored by the National Shooting Sports Foundation) for “This is more fun than golf,” a column published in the Forest Press and the Olean Times Herald.

Sorensen’s award-winning book “Growing Up With Guns” is about how to think about hunting. It covers the role of hunters and guns in making wildlife abundant through the North American model of wildlife conservation.

Sorensen is a contributor to several national magazines and is editor of the Havalon Sportsman’s Post from Havalon Knives. His newspaper column, “The Everyday Hunter®,” appears in the Forest Press and the Olean Times Herald. He also speaks frequently at church-sponsored sportsman’s banquets.

Previously Sorensen won “Best Newspaper Column” three times from POWA, and in March 2015 he won the national “Pinnacle Award” from the Professional Outdoor Media Association.

Sorensen lives in Russell, PA with his wife Barbara, and miniature groundhog dog Remy. For more information about Steve, his writing and his speaking, go to www.EverydayHunter.com. For information about POWA, go to www.PAOutdoorWriters.com.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Steve Sorensen, Cell (814) 688-2044
E-Mail: EverydayHunter@gmail.com

Pick up your copy of Steve’s award-winning
book “Growing Up With Guns” from the
Havalon website today!

Steve Sorensen Growing Up With Guns front cover

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8 Hotspots for Better Spring Crappie Fishing

Posted on May 19, 2015 by HavalonKnives

By Keith Sutton

Where are all the May crappies? You’ll find
them with our expert’s advice!

Follow spring crappie patterns like looking around isolated stumps

Isolated stumps should rate high on every crappie angler’s list of prime May fishing hotspots. (Photo: Keith Sutton)

Flexibility — it’s the key to many things. Did you know it’s the key to fishing for spring crappies? If you’re willing to try different baits, various depths and an assortment of presentations, you’ll find May crappies. In other words, look for their patterns.

When it comes to spring crappie patterns, you may need to fish several locales with different cover and structure. Crappies are often nomadic this time of year — deep one day and shallow the next. The morning hours may find them in dense cover, and by afternoon, they’re chasing baitfish in open water. Understanding their habits can lead to success, but only for the angler who is willing to move until he finds fish.

Here are eight areas that rank high on the list of May crappie cover.

1. Flooded willows

When fishing big rivers and their backwaters, you’ll often find crappies holding around inundated willow trees. Drift by in your boat and fish the outermost willows first. Then pull your craft into the interior and work other portions of the willow stand. Sometimes, on natural lakes where overflows raise the water level, you’ll find long rows of flooded willows. Don’t miss these high traffic areas.

2. Isolated stumps

You’ll rarely go wrong working a jig or minnow around stumps or other structure isolated from other cover. If you find an area with lots of widely scattered stumps, all the better. Quietly use a paddle or your trolling motor to move from one stump to another, fishing each thoroughly on all sides. On sunny days, target the shady side first.

3. Humps

Crappies like underwater humps, which provide quick routes from deep water to shallow water as conditions change. The best are 5 to 20 feet from the surface and have substantial deep water around them, such as a creek channel running alongside. Humps with timber, brush, rocks or other cover are also productive. Watch your fishfinder for humps as you scout from your boat. When you find one, narrow your fishing area to choice zones — points, pockets, rock beds, timbered or brushy areas, etc. — then mark them with buoys so you can fish with ease. Spinners such as the Blakemore Road Runner work great here.

Sonar units and other electronic tools can help you catch spring crappies

Studying a sonar unit and bottom contour map unit can help you pinpoint places where May crappies are likely to be. (Photo: Keith Sutton)

4. Ledges and channel breaks

Crappie anglers should also watch their sonar for subtle ledges and channel breaks on lake bottoms. Steep drops aren’t as attractive to crappies, but they often congregate along shallow ditches, cuts, ledges and gullies near bankside bluffs or close to coves. These structures are especially productive when near weed beds, timber stands or other crappie cover. If you’re looking for the big ones, pushing crankbaits or minnow-baited bobber rigs in front of your boat is a good way to nab slabs here.

5. Points

Like humps, points also serve as pathways for fish moving between shallow and deep water. By working a point methodically from near-shore to offshore, you can determine the day’s depth pattern and use it to help locate crappies on other points. Work a jig, minnow, crankbait or spinner around all visible cover and structure — stumps, fallen and standing timber, rocks and man-made brushpiles are all places where fish gather. If you catch crappies around features at the point’s upper end, then concentrate on similar shallow features when you move to other areas. If you find crappies are favoring deeper areas, continue fishing deep-water structure until you notice a pattern shift.

6. Thicket structures

In waters where edges of good crappie cover get pounded by scores of anglers, the biggest crappies often move into thickets to avoid the ruckus. For example, if a lake has acres of button willows, fat slabs abandon easily-reached edges. That’s when an angler must pull his boat into a thicket and fish interior structures such as logs, stumps or creek channel edges. A jig or minnow dropped beside one of these will nearly always entice slabs.

7. Man-made fish attractors

Fisheries agencies often construct fish cover by sinking reefs of trees and brush in waters where lack of cover limits crappie production. Buoys often mark the locations of these man-made attractors. Others are marked on maps and can be pinpointed using sonar. All such shelters are likely to harbor crappie concentrations year-round.

8. Threadfin shad schools

Big crappies often follow threadfin shad schools and gorge themselves on these baitfish. Look for schools in shallow water near dawn and dusk. You may see them disturbing the surface as crappies chase them. On a fishfinder, a school of threadfins usually appears as a compact band of pixels one to several feet thick. Crappies will appear as scattered individuals around or beneath the shad, seldom more than half a dozen or so together. When you see signs of schools, drop tandem-rigged jigs beside your boat at the same depth as the fish and work them with a slow lift-drop action.

Spring crappie fishing involves patterning and noticing different habits this time of year

Big crappies following schools of threadfin shad are suckers for properly worked jigs. (Photo: Keith Sutton)

Many fishermen complain that crappies are unpredictable in May, but the one thing you can predict is that you’ll find the cover. And if you methodically search these eight areas, you’ll find spring crappies.

About Keith Sutton:

Keith Sutton headshotKeith Sutton is the author of “The Crappie Fishing Handbook,” a 198-page, full-color book full of crappie-fishing tips for beginners and experts alike. To order an autographed copy, send a check or money order for $29.45 to C&C Outdoor Productions, 15601 Mountain Drive, Alexander, AR 72002. For credit card and PayPal orders, visit www.catfishsutton.com.

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