Tips to Cleaning A Muzzleloader

Cleaning a muzzleloader is essential to gun longevity, but also accuracy.  Black powder is more corrosive, and "dirtier" than standard smokeless powder, so regular cleaning is even more important for your muzzleloader than for your standard gun.

The process for cleaning a muzzleloader is essentially the same as it is for cleaning any other gun.  However, there are three tips I can pass on that make the job much easier. 

Tip #1 -- Consider the type of powder used:
Certain powders are specifically designed to burn cleaner.  Using these powders will make clean up easier without any loss in performance that I can see.  Winchester Triple 7 powder and primers are both designed to be cleaner burning.  I have been using this powder for a while now, and I recommend it.

Tip #2 -- Use a cleaning solvent specifically designed for black powder:
Regular cleaning oil (like Hoppes #9) will not work to dissolve black powder.  You need a solvent specifically designed for black powder.  These solvents are generally water based, and many have a citrus scent.  They work great to break down black powder.  My method is to take out the breech plug, and letting it soak in a bowl of solvent.  I then proceed to clean the bore dipping the patch in the solvent-filled bowl. 

Tip #3 -- Lubricate the breech plug before screwing it back in:
Taking the breech plug out can be a struggle if it's not lubricated.  Lubricant specifically designed for black powder is available.  I use this, but I suspect some standard type of lubricant would do. 

Lessons From Butchering Your Own Deer

I'm no expert.  In fact, this was the first time I ever attempted to cut up my own deer.  Normally, I take them to the butcher.  However, there is a certain satisfaction acquired from taking an animal from field to table 100% on your own.

It came out OK.  I was able to get it done.  I did not really consult any books.  I just sort of did what I thought was right based on previous cuts I've received from the butcher, and some general knowledge.  Below I've listed some tips to consider based on my first-time experience.

Tools
The only hand tools I used to butcher the entire deer were 2 hunting knives, a sharpening stone, and a hack saw.  This is assuming that you have an area set up to work.  My work station consisted of a piece of ply wood on 2 saw horses.  I hung the deer from a cross beam in my garage (head facing the earth) using clothes line rope strung through the hind legs.
I got several large bowls to put the meat in once it was cut.  I also used a cutting board.
It would be helpful to have water available to clean.  I had an outside hose that I was able to use to wash the meat.

Below I've listed every thing I used:

• 2 hunting knives
• 1 sharpening stone
• 2 saw horses
• 1 piece of plywood
• 1 cutting board
• 3 bowls
• 1 garbage can
• 1 hose
• 1 rope
• hack saw

There were several tools that I did not have that would have been useful.

Tools I did not use, but would have liked to have had:

• gambrel
• large butcher knife
• bone saw
• sink
• meat grinder

Supplies
Before starting I went and purchased a new saw blade from the hardware store.  I bought some butcher paper from the local grocery store.  I had a difficult time finding freezer tape, so I ended up using normal all-purpose masking tape.  It seemed to work OK, but certainly not as good as freezer tape.  I had to use excessive amounts of the masking tape to ensure it would stay sealed. 

• 1 roll of freezer paper
• masking tape (although I would have preferred actual butcher freezer tape)
• 1 permanent marker for labeling the packages

Steps
These are the steps I took to butcher this deer.  Again, this was my first time, so the purpose of me writing this is not not really give you the step-by-step instructions, but rather to tell you what I did so you can make a better decision on how you want to proceed.

1. Clean the deer - This is done in the field. This article is assuming that you've already completed this crucial first step.
2. Hang the deer -- I used standard rope to hang my deer.  I cut slits in the hind leg tendon just behind the knee, and tied a rope to each leg.  I then threw the rope over a cross beam in my garage, and pulled like hell to hoist the deer.  I tied off the ropes to a camp trailer in my garage.  At that point, I let the deer hang for one full week.  You will see differing views on how long to let a deer hang.  However, if you can do it, I recommend 1 week.  Hanging the deer, even for just a few days, tenderizes the meat, and greatly increases the taste and enjoyment of the meat.  Of course, this is assuming temperatures are low enough to allow hanging.  In Connecticut and most of New England this is generally not an issue during the hunting season.  You want the meat to be at "refrigerator temperature" while it hangs.  Generally you don't have to worry about freezing, especially if the deer is hung inside and the hide is left on.
3. Skin the deer -- This is pretty simple to do, but one of the most physical parts of the process.  I started by cutting a ring around the hind legs, then following a line from the leg down to the body cavity opening.  At that point, I simply started pulling.  The skin peels off.  I would gently run my knife along the connection of the skin to the body as I pulled to loosen the skin as I went down.  I took my time and just slowly worked the hide down from both legs to the neck.  I pulled the hide as close to the head as possible.  At that point, I used my saw to remove the head.  The hide and all came off along with the head. 
4. Bisect the deer -- Using my hack saw, I carefully cut the deer in half length-wise.  I started at the tail bone, and cut down towards the neck.  I was careful to stay in the middle so as not to damage any of the valuable backstrap meat.
5. Now with the deer hanging in two pieces from my garage, I untied a half and slapped it onto my plywood work station.  First I removed the backstraps.  This is the meat strip on the back of the deer along the spine.  I ran my hunting knife along the spine, then underneath and removed the back strap in one long strip.  At that point, I cut the back strap into steaks, putting them in the bowl for later packaging. 
6. With the backstraps removed, I next went about the business of removing the 2 shoulders from the brisket.  I cut the connecting meat, then simply twisted the joint.  The legs came off.
7. I cut the rump in half making a roast including the bone.  The rest of the leg I removed from the bone and cut into steaks.  Any small pieces, I cut into stew sized chunks.  As I got lower on the legs, I got more stew, and less steaks.
8. I repeated this for the front leg, but did not make a roast.  The front leg was only steaks and stew.
9. Any other meat areas were cut off and made into stew meat.
10. I tried to remove as much silver skin and fat from the steaks as possible.  Some of the direction of cuts I made could have been done better to minimize this.  I won't really know how good a job I did until it's time to eat the steaks.
11.  Repeat for the second half of the deer.
12. Wash the meat -- Before packaging I washed all the meat to ensure no hair or bone particles was left on the meat.
13. Packaging and labeling -- I packed the backstrap steaks together.  I packed the shoulder steaks together.  I double wrapped everything, and labeled them "Backstrap", "Shoulder", "Stew", "Roast".
14. The meat is now stored in the freezer ready for consumption.

If you have the time and want to save some money, cutting them up yourself is an option.  In this case, I only shot a small deer, so I knew this would be an easier job than usual.  However, I can say that after cutting up the deer myself, for my money, the butcher is worth it.  The butcher will cut the deer up exactly as you wish, wrap it, and label it.  Unless you have a meat grinder at home, you will not get full use of the entire deer.  Even if you have a grinder, the butcher adds either beef or pork to the ground meat, which is necessary for venison.
If you want to get in touch with your inner caveman, don't be intimitated.  Butchering deer yourself is a job you can handle.  It may not come out perfect, but who's going to know?   I was glad I did this to learn, and depending on the circumstances I may try it again, but I can say that my default process in the future will be to take the deer somewhere and let the experts do a first rate butchering job. 

First Muzzleloader Deer Avoids 2010 Shut Out

I harvested a doe this past weekend to put meat in the freezer for 2010. It was my first muzzleloader deer. I was able to hit the deer in the vitals (although about 3 or 4 inches lower than ideal) using my CVA Wolf Magnum inline muzzleloader from about 120 yards. I know the muzzleloader advertisers and scope makers publish muzzleloader capabilities up to 200 yards and beyond, but in my mind, this long of a shot was quite a test of muzzleloader accuracy. The CVA Wolf passed the test. I was slowly and carefully walking up a steep hill when I spotted this deer. The shot was taken standing while leaning against a tree. I used 2 powder pellets (100 grain equivalent) with a 245 grain Powerbelt muzzleloader bullet (green in color). Most modern magnum muzzleloaders can take up to 150 grains of powder (3 pellets). I chose to use only 100 grains and it seems to be accurate up to long distances. You don’t get many 100-plus yard opportunities in the dense forests of New England. I was fortunate enough to get a clear opening.


Because of the smoke cloud that lingers after a muzzleloader shot, it can often be difficult to determine if your shot hit target or not when using a muzzleloader. This was the case for me. By the time the smoke cleared, I looked around and saw no sign of the deer. I walked over to the spot where the deer was standing. I saw absolutely no blood. I looked around intently in all directions. No sign of the deer. I decided to remain in the spot in which the deer was standing. I was hunting with a friend, and upon hearing my shot he decided to walk towards me. I was ready to declare a missed shot, when he told me that he found the deer on the ground about 40 yards from where I was standing. I was quite lucky that he happened to find that deer. There was no blood anywhere! Even with a layer of snow on the ground, there was no blood trail. That deer would have been lost if not for my friend running into it. As you can imagine, I was quite pleased that we found the deer.

My friend and my father continued hunting the rest of the day. After cleaning the deer, I dragged it back to the parking area. Since my hunting was done, I decided to sit in the car and listen to the radio until they returned. I took a short nap while sitting in the car. At one point, I opened my eyes to see two deer running right in front of my car! It was a doe being chased by a full grown buck, 6 or 8 points). He had his head down and was pursuing the doe impervious to my presence. It was a scene typically reserved for the peak of the chase phase of the rut, but this was December 11. I’ve read about the “second rut” (a second estrus cycle for does that happened to not be impregnated during the initial rut), but this was the first time I had seen it in action. This buck was definitely in rut mode. Little did I know that I could have stayed at the car, and had a shot at a better deer than anything I saw in the woods!

This deer is presently hanging in my garage. Next weekend I’m going to try butchering the deer myself. This will be the first time I’ve done this on my own. I’ll include an entry next week regarding this task.

Lessons Learned
In every trip into the woods, whether successful at harvesting game or not, I find that I learn something.

1) The distance and accuracy capabilities of modern inline muzzleloaders are not just hype. They indeed are capable of shots in the deer woods approaching rifle capabilities.
2) Not every deer shot in the vital area produces a blood trail. Be careful when you think you missed. Search the entire area because even though you see no blood, you still may have hit the deer.
3) The second rut is not all hype. It certainly does exist. This means that doe scents can be effective into mid-December.
4) When taking a long shot, take time to get yourself a good rest. I made sure I was securely resting my front hand on a tree before taking the shot. I also took the time to adjust my scope. I’m sure I would have missed if I did not take the time to do these two things.

Shutout in Deer Season, So Far

I've hunted as hard as my schedule would allow for deer, but so far I have been shut out. Some of it is my own fault; some of it is out of my control. However, after a very fruitful 2009, 2010 is turning into the year of the shutout. Maybe more correctly, I should say it's the year of the near miss. Or, to be even more severe, the year of blowing it!


I blew it during spring turkey; calling in a bird for over an hour, then losing my patience and taking a shot before it was in range. I have not hunted pheasants as much as in past years, but I have not even had a chance at a flushed bird this year. However, I did have a cock walk right past my car door as I was finishing my coffee before heading out to the field. I could not find a shell fast enough to pursue him.

When it comes to deer, so far I've been shut out in two states.

I blew it in New Hampshire. I had an 8-pointer trot past me in pursuit of 2 does. Problem was, he was moving so fast I could not even get him in my scope. I took a desperation show through some trees just before he ducked away for good, but missed. Some have suggested that I should have grunted or made some noise to freeze him. In hindsight I guess that may have worked. I wanted to track him in the scope before freezing him, but it never happened. The whole episode only lasted less than 10 seconds. There was not a lot of time for fumbling around. It's likely that nothing was going to stop that buck since he was right on the tail of the does. I remained in that spot for the entire day, and I saw 5 deer in total, but only that one buck.
In Connecticut I only have access to public land. Public land hunting requires a little different strategy from private land. Not only do you have to find the heavily pressured deer, but you have to avoid the other people. I was not overly familiar with the land I was on, so the first few days I had less than ideal spots. I finally found some good spots on the last day of the season. I spotted 3 deer, but they were too far away for a realistic shot.

My last chance at redemption in 2010 is muzzleloader season which starts December 8 in Connecticut.

So, although I did not make any kills in 2010, I still had an interesting season in which I saw a lot of game. Hopefully I can learn from my mistakes and come back with a vengeance in 2011.

2010 Lessons Learned (so far)
1. This year was the first year I sat in one spot for an entire day. I was proud of myself to get it done. Sitting in one spot for an entire day is not an easy task, but it is possible if you come prepared. First off, you have to have confidence in your spot. There is no sense in siting in a bad spot all day. Besides, if you do not have confidence in your spot, there is no way you will be able to sit there all day anyway. Your mind will drive you crazy and force you to move. To have confidence in your spot you need to have a few things. First, you need to have good vision. You need to be able to see in a few directions. Being up in a tree helps, but I'm not a fan of tree hunting unless it's for archery. Secondly, you need to see deer sign. Preferably through your scouting you've seen deer in the spot in the past. Third, you need some comfort. A stump or a rock or some kind of chair is useful. You will not be able to sit in one spot for an entire day if you are not comfortable. Another key to being able to sit all day is being prepared, both mentally and with your gear. You need to dress warm! Even on relatively warm days, you will get cold sitting still. Dress warmer than you think you need to, and you will likely be ok. You should be dressed so warm that you over heat when walking. You may prefer to pack some layers in a backpack and put them on after you get to your spot so you don't start sweating while walking in. You also should pack some food. You will get hungry while sitting. Even if you don't, eating a lunch gives you something to do to keep your mind sharp. I usually pack a sandwich, granola bar, a piece of fruit, and something to drink. That's typically enough to keep me happy for a full day. Lastly, you might consider something to keep your mind sharp. Maybe a book or magazine is required to keep you from going stir crazy. This may be blasphemy to some hard core hunters, but whatever it takes to keep you on stand, awake, and sharp is a good tool. If you have a good spot, being able to sit all day will certainly pay off, especially during the chase phase of the rut.
2. I've mentioned this before, but a thin pair of glove liners makes a huge difference in warmth. Cabela's sells a thin silk glove liner for less than $10. The silk is so smooth and thin that you hardly can tell you have them on, but the extra warmth they provide is substantial.
3. Scouting is key on public land. Try to know the land you are hunting. This was my first year in this spot, so I did not know the land as well as I would have liked. Therefore, my parking spot was unnecessarily far from my hunting spot. I was not able to get in early enough. I should have been sitting at first light. Instead, I was still walking, and spooked the deer before getting a chance at a good shot. Additionally, I spend the first several days of the season in poor deer spots. Now that I have more knowledge of this area, I'll be a more effective hunter next year.

Replacing Pheasant Tags

The Connecticut DEP claims they sent me my pheasant tags (that I paid for 6 weeks before the start of the season), but I never received them.  I finally got my tags.  However, I had to drive to Hartford, and sign a sworn affidavit saying that I never received my original tags.  Bottom line, I got my tags.  Finally. 

Opening Day of Pheasant Season Did Not Happen

I got screwed by the Connecticut DEP. I paid for my pheasant tags on September 10, but I did not receive my tags before opening day this past Saturday. As a result, I missed out.


I called the DEP to alleviate this situation. I have to drive to a DEP office and sign an affidavit stating that I did not receive my tags. In other words, I have to take my time and money to drive to the DEP office due to their incompetence. This is a typical nanny-state run bureaucracy -- Incompetent and filled with way to many rules and regulations, run by people that don’t care.

What should happen is I should get my tags, plus a refund for the hunting day missed, and compensation for my time an effort. Of course, none of that will happen.

Your tax (and tag) money at work.

Jumping into Goose Hunting

In order to get out into the woods just a little earlier in the fall, I decided to try goose hunting this year. I’m starting from zero. I’ve never been goose hunting before. However, with the nuisance population of geese in Connecticut, I figured I might try to reduce the surplus population.


Not knowing anything in particular about goose hunting, I decided to just jump right in. I bought a cheap goose call and 12 cheap decoys. The decoys were just about the cheapest available. They are stackable and are held into the ground with plastic stakes. They seem realistic enough. A piece of burlap would serve as my blind. Everything else was stuff I already had from deer, pheasant, and turkey hunting.

Since I don’t have a retriever, I can’t hunt over water unless I plan on taking a swim myself. Therefore, I concentrated on fields. My first goose hunt was in a half-harvested cornfield. I set up the decoys in the middle of the cut field, and I went and hid in the standing corn. To my eye, the spread looked good. However, the only geese I saw were in the very early morning while I was setting up the decoys. At the time I did not figure that these would be the only geese to fly over, but even if I was at the ready for them, the fog was so think at that hour that I could barely make them out.

By my second attempt at goose hunting, the deer archery season had started. The cornfield I planned on trying already had 3 trucks parked in the lot when I got there. In order to not disturb the deer hunters, I decided to move on. I went to another location that consisted of grassy fields and several small ponds. I had seen geese in this location before. I set up my decoys and sat. Several sets of geese flew over my set up, but none showed too much interest. They simply passed over. One couple came low enough for me to attempt a shot into the stratosphere, but they were truly out of range. At least on this day, I did see honkers throughout most of the day. Three ducks landed on the pond next to me, so that game me confidence that I was communicating danger to the birds flying overhead.

The season ends this week, so my foray into goose hunting will end unsuccessfully this year. To the non-hunting observer, it seems it would be easy to harvest a bird that is so plentiful in public parks and semi-urban areas all over the state. Finding birds at the city park is different than trying to get them to land in the middle of a field a rural area where shooting is allowed.

I’ll probably give goose hunting another try next year. If nothing else, I got a chance to get some good reading done while enjoying an early fall sunrise. On to bigger and hopefully better hunting seasons!

Reach The Beach Relay A Great Success

This past weekend I participated in a most unique outdoor running event. Reach The Beach (http://www.rtbrelay.com/) is a 209-mile relay race across the mountains of New Hampshire. It starts in Franconia Notch (location of the since departed “Old Man in The Mountain”) and ends at Hampton Beach. The standard team consists of 12 people, each running about 18 miles in 3-leg increments. The race starts during the day on Friday, and continues throughout the night. Most teams finish Saturday afternoon to a big BBQ at Hampton Beach. 429 teams participated.


If you’re a serious runner, you need to find a way to get yourself into this event! This event is for charity and pure fun. There are no professionals. No prize money. Just people running for the challenge, team camaraderie, and fun. You can run 5 Ks, marathons, and everything in between, but this relay race poses special challenges that standard races do not. There are several challenges that have nothing to do with the actual running. First, you have to deal with living out of a van for 36 hours. You have to deal with a severe lack of sleep. I was able to get 30 minutes of sleep throughout the race. You have to find a way to eat. This is a special challenge since stores and restaurants are not readily available at 3 AM in rural New Hampshire. You also have to deal with port-o-potties. Race rangers strictly enforce a port-o-potty-only policy. These challenges add to the difficulty of the running.
As far as the running goes, this course is not a standard long-distance course. Most distance courses are relatively flat. This course is purposely not flat. The course takes twists and turns to take you over mountains. Running at night is also a special challenge. This is not running on the sidewalk lit by streetlights. This is mostly running on back roads with only the moon (and your head lamp) to help you see. The race continues rain-or-shine. Luckily, we were able to avoid rain throughout the entire race. However, temperatures did dip to 40 degrees F at night, and rose to abound 70 degrees F during the day.

The race was a great challenge. It felt great to hit that finish line. I am looking forward to participating again next year.

Campground Review: Blackrock State Park – Thomaston, CT

Circumstances had it that my family was not able to solidify our Labor Day weekend plans until later in the summer. Therefore, we decided to keep things simple by staying close to home. Despite the false alarms associated with hurricane Earl, we left on Friday afternoon for Blackrock State Park in Thomaston. In past Labor Day weekends we had traveled some distances. This year we were happy to stay close, and satisfied with our selection of Blackrock State Park.


Blackrock features camping, picnicking, large fields, paved areas, fishing, swimming, and hiking. There were a variety of campsites, from open and grassy to forested and shady. All campsites were quite large. They come equipped with fire rings. There are no hookups, but water, bathrooms, showers, dishwashing sinks, and dumpsters are all near.
The ranger office sells bundles of wood, and provides trail maps. Several gas stations and convenience stores are available just a couple miles down the road from the park entrance. There are also restaurants, diners, a pharmacy, a hardware store and other services all within 5 minutes of the park.
The bathrooms are adequate and standard for state campgrounds. Nothing spectacular, but they get are generally clean. The showers have free hot water, so no need to stockpile quarters.
My 5 year-old son enjoyed riding his bike on the campground roads. We were also able to pull a small fish out of the pond.

The highlight of Blackrock for us was the hiking trails. A blue blazed trail leads from the beach area of the campground up to the rock cliff overlooking the park. This is a relatively short, but steep hike. Once to the top, you are treated with views of the valley, campground, and town.
The second hike we took is a little less known. It is actually not in the park proper. We hiked to a rock area known as the Leatherman’s Cave across the street from the park in the Mattatuck State Forest. Directions to the cave are available from the ranger office. The Leatherman’s cave is not really a cave. It’s more accurately a large rock formation about a mile or two from the road. The start of the trail is about .4 miles from the park entrance. There is a small parking area on the side of the road next to a blue sign marking the Mattatuck Trail. The start of the trail leading to the Leatherman’s Cave is on the opposite side of the road from the blue sign. The trail is blue blazed, hence easy to follow. It winds through some tight laurel and leads you to a huge rock overlook. The rocks under this overlook form the Leatherman’s Cave. The trail to the overlook on top of the rocks is blazed, but the trail to the actual cave underneath is not blazed. One must go down to the bottom of the huge rock to find the cave. The Leatherman was a local hobo circa 1862. The story goes that the Leatherman traveled around eastern New York state and western Connecticut in a 365 mile loop. He made the loop in 34 days, stopping in the same spots at the same time year after year. He was dubbed the Leatherman due to a strange patchwork leather suit he wore year round. The Leatherman has left several caves throughout the towns on his path. The cave in Watertown/Thomaston is the most well known.
We made both of these hikes in the same day. Our 5 year old had no problems making the hikes, although be aware that there are some steep sections with cliffs that require very careful supervision.

Some Tips:
· Even though it was late in the season, we were able to scavenge a fair amount of downed firewood from the adjacent woods.
· Check with the rangers before choosing your site. There are many different types of sites available, but it’s not obvious from looking just at the camp map. Blackrock has a type of site to suit nearly every preference.

Some Negatives:
· Although swimming is allowed at the park, Canada geese have come close to ruining the swimming. The pond is always on the borderline for swimming with respect to bacteria levels. It’s checked often by the state. We did not swim in the pond, but there were people swimming.
· Kayaking or canoeing is not allowed in the pond. We found this out the hard way. After we launched our boats, and got nearly to the end of the pond, a lifeguard decided to start whistling us in. Although kayaking is technically not allowed, I suspect the pond will be unsupervised for the remainder of the year. There is a lake nearby (Blackrock Lake) that allows non-motorized boats.
· The lights at the ranger station stay on all night. Due to the unfortunate set up of our campsite, one of the lights was shining right into our sleep area. We were able to shut our camper window and block the light. The campground has seemingly already taken steps to alleviate this situation. They have planted several spruces on the hill next to the ranger office. Once these trees grow, they will certainly block this light. Until then, it’s a small inconvenience.

Blackrock was a good facility, and we will be very likely to return.

Brownstone Exploration and Discovery Park – Portland, CT

http://brownstonepark.com/


Brownstone Park is a unique place. Build around an old brownstone quarry, the park features zip lines, rock climbing, cliff jumping, swimming, kayaking, scuba divine, wakeboarding, and inflatables.

The natural site itself (ignoring the park) is a unique geological site for Connecticut. The years of excavation have created shear brown stone cliffs surrounding a clear, spring fed pond. The site is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. Stone excavated from this quarry was used to build the historic brownstone buildings in cities like New York, Boston, Chicago, Hartford and others. A series of floods and hurricanes in the 1930s flooded the quarry, creating the swimming opportunity that exists today. However, this flooding (along with demand for different building materials) essentially ended large-scale commercial excavation on this property. Several unsuccessful attempts were made to drain the quarry. The theory was that the storms opened up new spring fed water sources, making draining the water impractical. The result is a picturesque swimming site with deep, clear water.

The commercial park is as unique in Connecticut as the geology of the site. The park is spread out around the quarry with three centralized locations. Parking is available in a lot just a short walk away. Shuttle busses are available, but it seemed quicker and easier to just walk. After parking, I suggest heading to the second park location to get your bracelet. As you walk from the parking lot, the first place you will see is the central hub for most of the activities. This location is the start of 2 zip lines, the slide, and the cliff jumps. Walk past this area to the check in station. Be sure to fill out a waiver at the picnic table outside the check in area before waiting in the check in line. I believe the admission cost is $27. After paying that fee, there is little else requiring money. Nearly all the activities are included. I believe there may be a small fee for scuba and some other specialized items. However, for the most part, the admission price gets you everything you need for a full day of activities. I personally paid no extra money once inside the park. There is a small snack shack available, but it’s possible to bring in your own food. I’m not sure if coolers are allowed, but backpacks are allowed, and bag lunches/snacks would certainly be OK to bring in. Because of the nature of the activities, no alcohol is allowed in the park. Life jackets are required to be worn on the docks and in the water at all times. The park provides life jackets. There was a big selection, so it was possible to find one that fit well, so the life jackets were not an inconvenience.

The activities in the park were a lot of fun, but most are not for the faint of heart. If you are terrified of heights, you may not want to spend the money for this park. The zip lines and slide had long lines, so upon arrival the first activity I did was the cliff jump. This is about a 30-foot plunge off the cliff face. It takes a little courage, but it’s worth it. Next I tried the tall zip line. This requires climbing a rope ladder to the top of a tower. Waiting in line I did not have many nerves, but upon getting up on the tower, the height of the zip line was a little scarier than I anticipated. The zip line takes you across the water. On this side of the lake there are other activities. This is where the wakeboarding and rock climbing are located. Due to the long lines, I did not get a chance to do these activities, so I swam back across to my original location. However, along the swim are several inflatables. These include slides, trampolines, and towers. I climbed up a few of those before returning. I tried the second zip line, which was lower and shorter. I did the cliff jump a few more times, and also tried the slide. The slide was quite fun. It’s different from the standard water slide you might find at a water park. Instead of sliding directly into the water, the end of the slide drops you about 15 feet into the pond. Quite fun. I went headfirst. Some people went legs first. There were some people that went legs first that actually stopped in the middle of the slide. Apparently you need to keep your feet up to maximize speed. This was not an issue when going headfirst. The slide and the cliff jump were both fun and had shorter lines.

Overall the park was quite fun, but there were some negatives. The lines were quite long and slow. The wait for the tall zip line was approximately 2 hours. Due to the long lines I was not able to do as many of the activities I wanted to try. I feel that with some better design, the park could improve the wait times. There are clear bottlenecks in the process. I will not go into details since if you are waiting in line for 2 hours you will have plenty of time to observe and ponder the process yourself. The park is relatively new, so perhaps these improvements will come. Avoiding peak times is a good idea to avoid lines. The second negative was the ground. The walking paths are generally covered with a combination of sand, rocks, and mulch. It is not the most comfortable for walking. It seems the park tried to improve the situation with the mulch, but it is inadequate.

The thrill of the park activities easily overcame these negatives. One observation I made was that there were a lot of older kids, which normally would want to be on their own, having fun at the park alongside their parents. Although it’s not a place for young kids, older kids, teenagers, and adults can equally enjoy Brownstone Park.

The park is a little tricky to locate, as the directions from both Google Maps and Mapquest are not very good. The park is on the east side of the river just past the end of the Arrogini Bridge. Follow the sign that directs you to the historic brownstone quarry.

Wingaersheek Beach – Gloucester, MA

Cape Cod is not the only place in Massachusetts with nice beaches. For someone coming from Connecticut, Wingeaersheek Beach on Cape Ann in Gloucester is easier to get to, easier to leave, less crowded, and just as picturesque as the Cape Cod beaches. Do not misunderstand me to believe that getting to Wingearsheek Beach is easy. There is still traffic to fight all the way, long lines, and limited parking. Even considering all that, it’s still more convenient than Cape Cod.

Wingearsheek Beach features white sand with plenty of space. The shore view includes a lighthouse, setting the scene as a quintessential New England beach. If you are used to the crowded Connecticut or western Rhode Island beaches, you will be satisfied with the extra space available at Wingaersheek. There are several large rocks at Wingearsheek. These rocks are arranged naturally rather than in a man-made jetty. Depending on the tide, these rocks are quite accessible for climbing, exploring, and lounging. The character of the beach in general is quite dependent on the tide. At low tide, several tidal pools form. The kids seem to love playing in these shallow pools. Several sand bars become available at low tide, and it is possible to walk quite a distance away from shore in relatively shallow water.

Wingearsheek Beach has a concession stand selling the usual beach fare. Bathrooms and showers are available.

The cost for parking is $25. This is high, but it’s in line with the typical cost of beach parking in the area.

If you go to Wingearsheek Beach, I suggest going early. The road in is a small 2-lane country road. Cars back up quickly. On busier days, the parking lot fills to capacity. Going early avoids the long bumper-to-bumper wait on the road in, and also avoids the risk of getting shut out.

My family and I had a fun day at Wingaersheek Beach.

The Intercontinental Hotel -- San Juan, Puerto Rico

Through fortunate circumstances, I have been able to spend the weekend at The Intercontinental Hotel and Resort in the Isla Verde section of San Juan, Puerto Rico.  I'm a regular traveler to Puerto Rico, coming here for work several times per year.  I typically stay at decent places, but I've never stayed anywhere like the San Juan Intercontinental.  It's the nicest hotel I've stayed at anywhere to date.

First off, it's right in the middle of the Isla Verde district of San Juan.  Along with Old San Juan and Condado, Isla Verde is one of the most desirable districts in San Juan.  Restaurants, shops, hotels line the streets.  The hotel is right on the beach.  As I type this, I am sitting under an umbrella with my feet in the sand.  There are outdoor restaurants serving food and drinks anywhere along the beach and around their large pool area.  The beach is the best beach in San Juan.  Blue water and no crowds.

When I arrived in my hotel last night after dark, I was floored by the view of the ocean and the city from my 11th floor room.  As I drove up the fancy garden entry way, spoke to the vallets, and entered the loby, I felt like this was a place for a wealthy business tycoon to stay, not a humble worker such as I.  However, I quickly was able to make myself at home, especially after enjoying dinner at their Japanese restaurant. 

Right at this moment, I am enjoying the warmth and scenery of this great hotel.  The only thing that could make it better would be if I was able to enjoy it with my family.

Note: If you go out in the evenings around Isla Verde, it helps to keep in mind that nightlife in Puerto Rico has a different schedule than in The States.  If you hit a spot at 10 PM.  It's likely to be dead.  People don't start coming out until after 11 and mid-night.  Bars stay open as late as they want, so last call is not an issue. 

Devil’s Hopyard State Park – East Haddam, CT

A Shared Landscape A Guide & History of Connecticut's State Parks & Forests


The primary attraction of Devil’s Hopyard State Park is Chapman Falls, which falls over 60 feet along a rocky trail. Chapman Falls is just off the road near the south entrance of Devil’s Hopyard State Park.

In addition to the falls, Devil’s Hopyard State Park features fishing holes, picnicking, camping, and several hiking trails. My family and I took the orange trail, which starts just after the covered bridge in the picnic area. The trail makes an approximately 2 mile loop with a scenic overlook at the halfway point. The overlook gives a nice vista view of the valley below. The trail goes through the woods. It is easy hiking. There are only a few hills and some medium boulders to negotiate. My 5-year old son made it with no problems.

One bonus: While driving around exploring the park we saw several deer. I don’t remember the exact count, but something like 4 or 5 sets of deer.

The state link to the park is below:
http://www.ct.gov/Dep/cwp/view.asp?A=2716&Q=325188

Lake Compounce Amusement Park -- Bristol, CT

I’m not a big amusement park guy. I usually call places like amusement parks “artificial thrills”. This is opposed to “real” thrills like hiking, biking, boating, fishing, etc. I have a low tolerance for rude people, waiting in line, and crowds in general. However, I’ve changed my thinking a bit this summer.


My wife bought season passes for the whole family to Lake Compounce Amusement Park. I’ve determined that when it comes to amusement parks, a season pass is the way to go. When dishing out the excessive cash to buy tickets for the day, there is often that feeling of being rushed – trying to do everything to “get your money’s worth”. The season pass ends that issue. You can go to the park as often as you want, for as long or as short of a time period, without any worries. With the season pass you can wait and pick your days. You can avoid the busiest days.

The advantage of the season pass was evident this past Independence Day holiday. We went to the park just for the fireworks display, and left right after. Incidentally, the fireworks display from inside the park was one of the best displays I have seen. In past years I have sat at a nearby parking lot outside the park. Many of the fireworks are low to the ground, so you don’t get nearly the effect outside the park as inside. We brought a blanket and sat right on the beach at the edge of the lake. We could not have been any closer. The fireworks came from all directions. It was an impressive, well designed, and well executed display.

The following day, with temperatures well over 90 degrees F, the kids cooled off in the water park.


I personally prefer Lake Compounce to other larger amusement parks. The smaller size makes it easier to manage. Plus, the proximity to my home ensures the season passes will get good use.

In addition to the logistical advantages of the season pass, there is the monetary advantage. The season pass cost $80. Regular admission to the park is $35. Do the math and the pass is paying for itself after the 2nd visit. Additionally, the pass gives 10% off food, buy-one-get-one pizza deals, buddy days, and special season-pass-only days.

More information can be found at the following link:
http://www.lakecompounce.com/lake-compounce-season-pass.php

Weekend in New Hampshire: No Electricity, No Plumbing, No Problems

A pig is an occasion for a party. Cook a pig, and they will come.


Three generations of men (me, my father, my son) traveled to New Hampshire to camp out, and eat a pig. Ironically, we ate a pig, and also ate like pigs.

Food, beer, family, friends, nice weather and the great outdoors made for a fun weekend.

Some people like to spend their money on fancy gear for camping. You can do that, but it really does not take too much to do a simple, and fun camping trip. Below is a list of recommended items to get started:

Tent – I’ve had a Coleman dome tent that’s been in use for over 10 years. It rained all night one night we were there and not a drop of water made it into the tent.

Cooler – Necessary to keep perishable food and drinks cold.

Sleeping bag – There are expensive models available, but those are generally not necessary for summer camping.

Flashlight

Pocket knife

That’s really all that’s needed for the simplest of trips. One other useful camping tool is an automobile. Aside from the obvious transportation, a car can provide light, power, mirrors, emergency shelter, a counter top, and a storage area.

Other items to consider:

Air mattress

Air mattress pump

Folding chairs

Camp stove

Insect repellant

Sun block

From there, everything else is pretty much optional. We almost always end up bringing too much food, but most of it just comes back with us and we eat it at home.

Turkey Acting Like Pheasant

Recently, while turkey hunting, I observed a turkey behavior I have never seen before. I was walking around a hedgerow between two fields. I had been calling for some time on the other side of the hedgerow, and had heard only a few very soft gobbles. I suspected there might be turkey on the other side, but no toms. As I came around the corner, I spooked a hen feeding in the grass. In all the previous times I have spooked a turkey, it either quickly ran or flew away. This turkey did neither. Instead of fleeing, this bird hunkered down in the grass. It curled its back and ducked down. It hid more like you typically see from pheasant rather than turkey. The whole bird was fully out of sight, including the head and neck. Based on the way the turkey used its wings, it reminded me of a turtle in the grass. This grass was not very tall. It was maybe 6 or 8 inches in height. Even still, that turkey disappeared in that grass. If I had not seen it, I would have walked right past it. Even if I got relatively close, I would have been likely to think it was a rock. I just stood and waited. Eventually the bird flushed and flew to safety of a tree.


I was not aware that turkey hid like this in the middle of fields. I thought this was interesting behavior that I had never seen before. I guess every day in the field is an opportunity to learn something.

Turkey Hunting Tip #8: Locator Calls – Owl vs. Crow Calls

When turkey hunting, it’s preferable to locate turkeys with a call other than a hen call if possible. For this purpose, the two most popular calls are the owl call and the crow call. Both are typically available at stores that sell turkey calls.  I've heard different theories regarding why turkeys gobble to a crow or owl call.  I won't get into the reasons why they respond with a gobble, but just trust me that they do respond to these locator calls.


I’ve read some articles in popular hunting magazines discussing the superiority of one over the other. From experience, I can tell you that in Connecticut, turkeys will gobble a response to both an owl and crow locator call. I have successfully used both calls to locate turkeys in Connecticut.

If I had to pick only one, I would go with the crow call. The crow call is louder. Additionally, real crows are actively calling throughout the day. I’ve been told that an owl call can also be used all day long, but real owls shut up during daylight. I like my calling techniques to mimic nature as much as possible. My method is to use the owl call first thing in the morning. Crows are usually quite during the early morning hours. Once I hear the first real crow call, I switch from owl to crow locator. However, throughout the day I may switch back and forth between the two if I’m not having good luck with my crow call as the day goes on. With that in mind, I’ve used a crow call before sun up and an owl call in the heat of the day to locate turkeys. Regardless, the above method has been the most successful more of the time for me.

Turkey Hunting Tip #7: Patience

Saying that hunting requires patience is certainly not some great new revelation. Every one who has ever spent any significant time hunting any game animal knows that patience is a key requirement for a successful hunter. It’s perhaps a seemingly obvious statement to say that hunting requires patience. However, it’s so fundamental to successful hunting that it is worth repeating.

Before the game at a professional sporting event what do you see? You see some of the most skilled players in the world working on their fundamentals. You see them practicing some of the same drills that are done by young kids just starting out in sports. Even though these people are the best in the world at what they do, and they play nearly every day, they still work on their fundamentals. Additionally, when you see a mistake or error, more often than not it’s due to breakdown in some of the basic fundamental skills rather than some high-level skill. If you watch baseball games regularly, you will eventually see an infielder misplay an otherwise routine ground ball. Often the reason for this misplay is that the infielder does not square his body to the ball and get in front of it. He might get a little lackadaisical and try to play it to the side, or maybe take his eye off the ball for a split second. These are lessons that this Major League infielder learned as a 5-year old in little league baseball. Yet, these are still areas that have room for improvement. This is how developing the skill of patience is to a hunter. Every experienced hunter knows they need to be patient, but it’s a skill that is never totally mastered, and must be worked on constantly.

I would not consider myself an old-timer, but I have significant experience in the woods. Even still, when the excitement of the hunt is underway, I struggle to maintain my patience. On one recent turkey hunt I displayed great patience, and over eagerness all at the same time. I spend 2 ½ hours calling a tom across a large field. That 2 ½ hours included about 45 minutes in which the tom was behind some grasses and bushes where I could not see him, and since he was not gobbling I could not hear him either. I displayed great patience to sit with the turkey close by, but having no confirmation either visually or audibly of his presence. Of course, during those 45 minutes I was questioning myself. I was questioning whether sitting tight was the right move (or non-move in this case). I was questioning whether the tom was still there, or had he ducked into the woods. I was questioning whether he had moved to an adjacent field, and by waiting I was missing my chance. All these things went through my mind, but I knew that by sitting tight, regardless of how difficult that might be under those circumstances, I had the best chance to land the bird. Yes, he may have ducked into the woods, but if that was the case there was nothing moving from my location would have done. However, if he did happen to still be there, moving would have certainly given away my position and that turkey would have ran off like the road runner in the cartoons. Turns out, I sat tight, and eventually that turkey made his way towards the middle of the field where I was able to see him. Turkeys have a different sense of time than humans. He was on turkey time, taking his sweet time, not human time. Now, that was my example of patience. In that same hunt I was also over eager. When the turkey got close to my position, I started getting nervous that he would duck into the woods, and I fired earlier than I should have. I underestimated my distance and the turkey was out of range. I should have held my position and waited for him to get closer. Yes, he may have ducked into the woods, but by waiting I would have given myself some chance to better my position. As it turned out, I fired and put myself in a situation in which I had no chance of getting the bird. If I had waited, perhaps I had a 50% chance of him ducking into the woods, and a 50% chance of him coming closer within range. Even though it was a coin flip, it was still significantly better than the 0% move I made by firing too early. The fact that I was so patient earlier in the hunt, made it that much more infuriating that I was not patient later in the hunt. Many swear words were spoken to myself after blowing it with that bird.

Patience is sometimes difficult to execute in the field when your heart is thumping. It’s a hunting skill that’s developed over time. Using patience will help you play the percentages, and make you a better hunter.

Turkey Hunting Tip #6: Use Decoys to Estimate Distance

I missed a turkey this spring because I underestimated how far he was from my position. Unfortunately for me, since this bird was in an open field I did not have the luxury of setting up decoys, or pacing off some landmarks to help estimate distance. However, if possible, it’s a good idea to pace off some landmarks from your set up spot to help you estimate distance when that tom comes strutting in. Even with turkey loads, it’s my recommendation that you want your bird to be within 40 yards before taking a shot. If no easy landmarks are available, use your decoys to help estimate distance. After setting up your decoys, be sure to count the paces back to where you are sitting. I like to have my decoys about 20 yards from my position, but depending on circumstances I may have them from 15 to 25 yards away. Knowing the distance from your decoys can be useful to help you estimate your distance before taking that shot. Good luck.

Early Turkey Season Observation: Less Gobbling

I spent 3 days in the woods during the first week of the 2010 Connecticut spring turkey season. One observation I made is that there is less gobbling than normal so far in 2010. I don’t mean that the turkeys are not there. What I mean is that turkeys that are there are tending to keep quiet. I have heard some gobbles. I heard one respond to an owl call at first light. I also had one reluctantly respond to some blind calling I was doing. However, in general, gobbling seems to be down. This makes it more difficult to locate turkeys.


Consider this example:

One recent morning, I spotted a gobbler in a field. He was following a hen moving down the field, so I set up some 500 yards or so down field and made some soft calls. I called to this gobbler for 2 ½ hours as he slowly made his way down to my area. During this time he strutted, flapped his wings, bobbed his head, and did everything short of a ballroom dance, but at no time did he gobble. We spent 2 ½ hours calling and strutting and not one gobble. I ended up not bagging this gobbler, but when I got up to collect my decoys, I say another tom that was just out of my sight over the other side of a small hill. He was also coming to my stand without a single gobble.

I’m not sure why I’m observing less gobbling. Perhaps it’s due to the fact that the season started one week earlier than in past years. Perhaps the weather patterns have something to do with it. Regardless of the reason, this has added another level of challenge to my turkey hunting in 2010.  Keep your eyes open.

Connecticut Grouse Population on the Rise?

I’ve heard more ruffled grouse in the woods this spring than any year in the recent past. This is hardly a scientific study, but I’ve spent a lot of time in the Connecticut woods, so this anecdote has some validity. I heard several wings thumping while turkey hunting this past week. Last fall, I saw a hunter harvest a ruffled grouse. I hope these signs mean the ruffled grouse population in Connecticut is on the rise.  In previous posts I have written about the lack of ruffled grouse in Connecticut when compared to the woods of New Hampshire.


I hope to find some population data from the DEP to confirm my observations.

Leave a post if you have had similar or conflicting observations.

Turkey Hunting Tip #5: Emergency Decoy

When I first started turkey hunting, I started out with foam decoys. They were light, easy to carry, and most importantly – they were cheap. They did the job fine, but eventually wore out. Since they were only foam, tears developed, and I eventually had to scrap them. I upgraded to a nicer plastic set. They are still foldable, so easy to stuff into a vest, but they look better and are sturdier than the cheaper foam decoys. I usually use two decoys. I set up one hen and one jake. I believe this is a good all-around decoy set up. Having the hen attracts gobblers, but the jake also gets them fired up. Also, the jake is less threatening to other hens. I’ve used this two-decoy set up to bring in several birds.


However, there is still some use for the foam decoys. Consider keeping a foam hen decoy as an “emergency decoy”. Although my normal set up consists of two birds, I like to keep a third foam hen decoy rolled up in the bottom of my vest. Usually, it will not be used. Since it is foam, it is light and does not take up much space. The purpose of this emergency decoy is for the times when you can’t approach your standard set up for fear of being seen. Consider this situation: You have your standard decoys set up in an open field. You see a bird, but he’s down field and not moving towards your decoys. You want to set up closer to this bird, but you fear you will be seen if you try to retrieve your decoys. This is the circumstance in which you would use your emergency decoy. Leave the two decoys you already have set up where they are, move to a down field position, and use your emergency decoy.

As stated earlier, most of the time this third decoy will just remain rolled up on the bottom of your vest. However, there are circumstances where you might want to consider carrying this emergency decoy.

Turkey Hunting Tip #4: Binoculars

Generally, less is more when it comes to hunting gear.  Each piece of equipment is another thing to lug through the woods.  Retailers market binoculars as an essential piece of hunting equipment.  In the New England deer woods binoculars are often dead weight, with the forest too thick for them to be of much use.  However, binoculars may be a piece of equipment to consider for turkey hunting in Connecticut.

Since much of turkey hunting is done in open fields, binoculars can be useful.  They are useful to be able to identify if a turkey a long distance away is a hen, jake, or that gobbler you're after.  Sometimes they are even useful to tell if that lump in the field is a rock or a turkey.  On public land, binoculars are useful to determine whether that turkey you see in the field is a decoy from another hunter, or a real bird.  I've wasted time creeping up on turkey set ups, only to get a little closer and realize they are decoys from another hunter.  In addition to a time waster, this is also a safety issue, as you don't want to be getting to close to another hunter.

You can get away without them, but if you have some extra room in your vest, binoculars can be a useful turkey hunting tool.

Start of the Connecticut 2010 Spring Turkey Season Shows A Display of New England Extremes

Spring Turkey season opened this Wednesday in Connecticut.  In just these first four days of the season, hunters have seen all the weather variation New England has to offer.

On opening day (Wednesday) it was bitter cold for late April.  Snow fell as I drove into the turkey woods.  The wind blew strong and steady.  I did not hear a single gobble, nor see a bird under these tough conditions.

Thursday was just a bit warmer.  The morning was calmer.  One bird was heard and spotted, but by mid-morning the wind was blowing so hard that it was nearly impossible to hunt.

By Friday, conditions had improved considerably.  The birds were moving, but still not gobbling a lot.  However, I was able to see several birds.

Saturday featured nearly mid-summer heat with highs in the mid to upper 80s F.

So, conditions went from snow on Wednesday to near record heat on Saturday.  This is the nature of hunting in New England, and it presents unique challenges in the woods.  Turkey hunter needs to prepare themselves for the different conditions and adapt their tactics accordingly.

My recommendation is to always dress in layers while turkey hunting.  It's better to be too warm because one can always remove a layer.  This is even more easier with turkey hunting than other forms of hunting because unwanted clothing can easily be stored in your turkey vest.

I have no scientific data, but it's been my experience that turkeys tend to stay more in the woods during cold and windy conditions.  As temperatures warm and wind dies down, you will see them move in to fields more easily during the day.  Windy and rainy conditions are the most difficult in which to hunt because your calls, as well as the response calls of the gobblers, can not easily be heard.  The heat is OK for turkey hunting, but presents difficulty for the hunter with just plain hotness and the bugs.  The heat brings the bugs out.  A small bottle of bug spray is a good item to keep in a turkey vest.  Remember, turkey do not use their sense of smell, so feel free to cover yourself with the spray.  It's also a good idea to use the spray to keep ticks away as the season wears on.

Future columns this month will continue with turkey hunting tips, as well as a recap of some recent hunts.

Turkey Hunting Tip #1: Dress in layers.  Remove unwanted layers and store them in your turkey vest as the temperature rises.

Turkey Hunting Tip #2: If you only have one day to hunt, and you have a choice, consider wind and rain conditions first.  Turkey hunting is difficult in windy and wet conditions.

Turkey Hunting Tip #3: Carry a small bottle of bug repellent in your turkey vest.

More to come later.

Good luck.  

2010 CT Turkey Season Opens April 28

The state of Connecticut has changed the regulations for turkey tags for 2010. Previously, a hunter was only allowed to get tags for either state land or private land. Now, both are available. A hunter can get 2 bearded birds on state land, and up to 3 bearded birds on private land. The season opens April 28th and ends May 29th.


I just bought my tags today. I waited because if I bought my license and all tags all at once I would be in the poor house. Now I buy the tags as I need them using the new online system. I paid $19 per tag for a total of $38 for the state and private land tags.

The new online system is convenient. It is better than having to rely on mail, or to drive to the DEP office in Hartford to buy tags. However, I don’t like the new prices. I was one of the unfortunate ones to buy my hunting/fishing license early in the year, so I paid the full price, and will not get any refund now that the state lowered the price. It does not look like the prices of tags are going to go down, so it’s probably safe to buy now. Tags are available on the CT DEP website.

2-Piece Self Climbing Tree Stand for Sale

I'm selling my old tree stand.  I used it last year for hunting, but I don't really need it any more since the spot I hunt has permanent stands.

If you're interested, the link is below.  I'll give you a good deal.  Name your price and come pick it up.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Tree-Stand-2-piece-self-climbing_W0QQitemZ190387616194QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item2c53fc79c2

A Visit to Wolf’s Indoor Range and Shooting Center – Bristol, CT USA

Where: 597 Middle Street (Route 229), Bristol, CT 06010

Website: www.wolfsrange.com
Phone: 860-585-0447
Hours: Monday 2 PM – 9 PM, Tuesday – Friday 10 AM – 9 PM, Saturday 9:30 AM – 9 PM, Sunday 9:30 AM – 5:30 PM
Cost: It cost me $19 and change for ½ hour and 5 targets
Details: 15 bays, 50+ feet indoor facility. Small shop.

I’ve never visited a shooting range before, so I was not totally sure what to expect when I visited Wolf’s Indoor Range and Shooting Center in Bristol, CT. The experience was stress free. The staff at Wolf’s was no-nonsense, but still friendly. They explained all the range etiquette and rules, and most importantly, welcomed any questions.
Wolf’s has 15 bays available. The range goes beyond 50 feet, which is plenty far for handgun shooting. They have a small store that sells targets, ammo, and various accessories.

If you are visiting a range for the first time, here are a few things to keep in mind:

• If you have them, bring ear and eye protection. If not, Wolf’s has some available to borrow.
• DO NOT “expose” your firearm in the office. It needs to be kept in a case until you get out to the range.
• If you don’t have targets, you can buy them at the range. The targets I purchased were $.30 each.

 I will definitely visit Wolf’s again.

 

Equipment Review: Gunvault Minivault Standard Gun Safe

The Gunvault minivault gun safe is a small size safe intended to hold one or two handguns. The safe is small enough to fit under a bed or in a drawer. It is made of heavy gage steel, and lined with foam. The foam protects the internal contents of the safe. The safe features a spring assisted latch door. When the safe is opened, the door springs open unassisted. The safe features two unlocking methods. One is a standard key entry, and the other is a keypad made to mimic the position of fingers. The keypad runs on AA batteries, which are installed inside the safe. The safe has a low battery indicator light. The safe also includes mounting hardware and a template to allow the user to secure the safe to a floor or other solid surface.

The safe has an optional security cable available. It does not come standard with the safe. It must be purchased separately.
The deluxe version of the safe includes an internal light, an audible warning signal, and an AC connection for power. There is also a more advanced version that includes a biometric (fingerprint) reader to open the safe. This version is significantly more expensive than the standard and deluxe version.
The safe is large enough to fit 2 small guns. I was able to fit one revolver, plus two boxes of ammo in the safe.

I purchased the standard version. The safe appears to be a good option for firearm security in the home. The keypad is quick and easy to use, yet provides strong security. There is a key entry to back up the keypad, so even if batteries run out, the safe can be entered using the key. Additionally, the battery indicator light should remind the user to change the batteries. The spring-loaded door allows for only 1-step opening. As soon as the key is turned or the code is entered, the door springs open. No latches or hinges to operate.

I bought the Gunvault safe at Cabela’s for about $100. I am happy with the purchase.

Gun Show Disappoints

I made my way to the gun show at the Easter States Exposition in Springfield, MA this past weekend. It was not what I was looking for as a new gun shopper. I was expecting several booths where one could view and hold different guns. I was expecting salesmen trying to sell potential buyers on the virtues of their firearms. While there were some booths selling new guns, the majority of tables were devoted to antique items. All but one of the tables selling new guns had them behind glass. The one booth that had the guns available to handle was the most crowded booth at the show. One would thing the other sellers would catch on.


Perhaps my expectations were too high, but the show was closer to a flea market than a convention.

If you are in the market for a new gun, in my opinion the show is not the way to go. The selection at a store like Cabela's is likely better than the show. Additionally, there is no entry fee for Cabela's, and all the accessories you need are available in one place.

For the new firearm buyer, go to your local store. For antique items, check out the show.

West Springfield Gun Show

I've never been to a gun show before, but I plan on attending one this weekend.
This weekend there is an NRA sponsered gun show at the Easter States Exposition (Big E fairgrounds) in West Springfield, MA. 

The link for the show poster is below:

http://users.erols.com/fasttrack/loc/w-spr/SPRINGFIELD-FLYER-MARCH-10.pdf

There is also a coupon online for $1 off admission.  You can print that coupon here:

http://users.erols.com/fasttrack/loc/w-spr/w-spr-coupon.gif

Perhaps I'll see you there.

Primos Sonic Dome Triple Turkey Call Review

It’s a sure sign of spring fever when you buy a new turkey call in the middle of a winter storm. However, that’s just what I did this past week. I had a $10 gift card, and I used it to buy a new turkey mouth call. I guess I’m not the only one already looking forward to the spring turkey season because the sporting goods store has their full array of turkey hunting equipment on display.


I ended up buying picking out a Primos call called the Sonic Dome Triple. This is a triple reed call with a plastic dome on the top surface. The plastic dome helps the call to consistently fit in the roof of the mouth.

If you’ve ever tried a turkey mouth call before, you know that the triple reed design can be more difficult to use than other configurations. The trade off is that the triple reed is able to create a larger variety of sounds. The Primos Sonic Dome Triple is one of the easiest-to-use triple reed calls I’ve tried. The plastic feature works as advertised. It positions the call in your mouth, and is quite comfortable. With the call consistently positioned, it becomes easier to master the triple reed call.

The Primos Sonic Dome Triple can be purchased for under $10.

Bantam Lake Ice Fishing Derby -- February 14, 2010

Here is some information on an upcoming ice fishing derby.  I have attended this derby for the past few years.

Where: Bantam Lake, South Bay, Morris, CT
When: February 14, 2010
Time: 7:30 AM to 1 PM
How Much: $20 entry fee

Event to be held rain or shine.

Registration begins at 6:30 AM at the Morris Town Beach
Parking at state boat launch and Morris Town Beach
Route 109 to East Shore Road, Morris, CT

What could be a more romantic way to spend your Valentine's Day than ice fishing????

Ice Fishinig Hogsback Dam -- Hartland, CT

As I came to find out, Hogsback Dam on the Colebrook-Hartland line is also known as Goodwin Dam.  The back side of the dam is off Hogback Road in Hartland.  In past trips I've made to the dam, I've accessed if from Hogback Road and drove across the dam to the parking area.  This is not possible right now as the gate is locked preventing vehicle access to the dam.  For the purposes of ice fishing, it is better to park on the other side of the dam (Eno Hill Road to Durst Road).  This side has a parking area and better access to the ice, as I found out the hard way.  Because I was not sure how to get to this parking area, I ended up parking on the Hogback Road side, and having to walk across the dam.
There was about 8 inches of ice in the cove area just to the left of the Durst Road parking area.  Conditions were cold with a slight wind, but not uncomfortable with a bright winter sun out.  Further to the North there was actually open water.  I was surprised that there was not more ice, but 8 inches was more than enough.
Unfortunately, on this day the fishing was not very productive.  With 30 holes in the ice, our group managed to pull in only one fish.  It was a medium sized brown trout.  We were using medium minnows.  We spoke to another group and they did not have a single tip all day.  We moved to this location since the spot the group usually ice fishes has also been unproductive this year.  I might think it was something I was doing wrong, but with the whole group (as well as our neighboring group) having a slow day, I'll have to say it was just the conditions, and not the technique. 

Pond Skating Conditions in Litchfield County

As of 1-25-2010, there is plenty of ice on the lakes and ponds in Litchfield County, Connecticut.  The issue for ice skating is that there is also a layer of snow on top of the ice.

The ice in Hartford County is much clearer and smother.  However, the problem is finding a place that allows skating, and finding a place where one can trust the ice.

Best of luck. 

Ice Skating at Plainville Middle School

In a previous post I mentioned pond skating at the Plainville Middle School in Plainville, CT.  This past weekend, I tried skating there.  The conditions were poor.  There was a layer of snow-ice chopped up on the top of the man-made pond.  In order to improve conditions there needs to be either a rain followed the next day by below freezing conditions, or the town of Plainville to put a layer of fresh water on the pond.  Neither of which has happened at last check.

If you wish to go skating at the Plainville Middle School, I suggest doing a drive-by to check ice conditions before making the effort to skate at this location.

Update on CVA Wolf Muzzleloader

I wanted to clarify my last post on the CVA Wolf Muzzleloader.

First, The scope mount that comes with the kit from Cabela's does not work with the Cabela's Powderhorn scope that comes with the kit.  The scope mounts will not allow the scope to clear the iron sights.  Even if you remove the upper part of the iron sights, the base still interferes with the scope.  If you buy a CVA Wolf muzzleloader kit (rifle, scope, scope mounts all together) from Cabela's you should expect a trip to a store to buy new scope mounts that work.  Cabela's was not able to fix the problem over the phone.  They just kept sending non-working scope mounts, and even the counter people at the Cabela's store I visited were not helpful.  You're on your own with this one.  Just to recap, I ended up buying "see-through" scope mounts that sit considerably higher, providing clearance for the iron sights.

Secondly, in my previous post I mentioned that my ramrod broke before I completed sighting in the rifle.  Cabela's did send me a replacement ramrod free-of-charge in time for the weekend hunt.  However, I missed the deer I shot at during that hunt.  It was maybe a 50 yard shot, free-hand (i.e. no rest for the gun), with some brush.  Still, I thought it was a shot that I should make.  Perhaps the bullet was deflected by some brush, perhaps the sight-in was not as close as I thought, or perhaps it was a combination of factors, but I missed.  I will definitely have to continue refining the accuracy of the rifle before next season now that I have a new ramrod.

Bristol-Plainville Outdoor Ice Skating Conditions

I checked out 2 different places local to the Bristol-Plainville Connecticut area this weekend for outdoor ice skating.

Plainville Middle School has an iced over pond cleared off for skating.  It is unsupervised and does not get a lot of use.  It's a good spot for some pick up pond hockey.  This is a natural, mostly untended surface, so conditions were a little rough this weekend.  There were a lot of bumps and snow patches.  However, it was skatable.  You need to go during daylight since there are no lights.  If there's snow, bring your shovel to clear off a spot.

The volleyball courts at Stocks Playground in Bristol were iced over and open for public skating.  The conditions are slightly better than in Plainville, although about a third of the rink was blocked off due to poor conditions.  Lights are available for evening skating, but the area is supervised.  The public can only skate during certain hours.  The exact hours are available on the Bristol town website under the Parks Department section.  The weekend hours are something like noon to 5 PM.  During the week the rink is open until 6 PM, although I'm not sure when it opens.  Otherwise, the gate to the fence is locked.  The rink is rather small (about the size of 3 volleyball courts) and crowded, and hockey is not allowed due to the congestion.  However, usually the ice is pretty smooth, and there are benches available.

Powerbelt Bullets versus Plastic Covered Sabots in Muzzleloaders

It's a little late in the year to be writing about muzzleoaders, but there was one topic I failed to mention during the hunting season that I wanted to touch upon: What's the best bullet to use in a muzzleloader?

I think it's pretty safe to assume that we can all conclude that a round ball is not the way to go in today's modern muzzleloader rifles.  Therefore, most people use either the plastic covered sabot bullets, or the Powerbelt type bullets.  If you are not familiar with Powerbelt bullets, you can check out their website:

http://powerbeltbullets.com/

Instead of using a plastic sleeve, Powerbelts have a plastic piece attached to the back of them that does the job of the plastic sleeve in standard sabot rounds.

Now, I'm not going to talk about performance, and ballistics, and velocity or any other high tech bullet performance topic.  As far as I'm concerned, for hunting whitetails in Connecticut and throughout the Northeast, both plastic covered sabots and Powerbelt-type bullets are more than capable of killing a deer at most practical distances.  The biggest concern for me when comparing the two was ease of use.

I'm new to muzzleloaders, so upon first loading a muzzleloader with a plastic covered sabot I was amazed at how difficult it was to push the bullet down the barrel.  After a few shots it was nearly a two man operation to get the plastic sabot down the barrel.  Although I would not characterize them as easy, the Powerbelt bullets had a significant advantage over the standard plastic sabots in ease of pushing down the barrel.  Additionally, the Powerbelt bullets do not foul the barrel with plastic after shooting, so it's easier to push the Powerbelt down a fouled barrel.

To me, the Powerbelt bullets were significantly easier to use than the plastic covered sabots.  I reccommend anyone who shoots muzzleloaders currently using plastic sabots to consider trying out the Powerbelt-type bullets. 

 

How to Obtain A Connecticut Pistol Permit

The journey to get a pistol permit in the state of Connecticut is not for the faint of heart. It took me 4+ months and over $300 just to have access to my rights supposedly guaranteed to me by the second amendment of the Bill of Rights of the United States Constitution. Despite the bureaucratic BS, I have persevered and finally received my Connecticut pistol permit.


My memory may fail me on all the exact fees and charges, but the process for getting a Connecticut pistol permit is summarized below:

1) Consider getting your hunting license. This is not a requirement, but the NRA firearms safety course that is required to obtain a hunting license is useful. It gives you some education, and gives your future pistol permit class instructor a good feeling that you are at least somewhat familiar with firearms.
2) Take an NRA-certified pistol safety course. Cost: ~$100. You can use the NRA website to find courses and instructors in your area. Be sure to take the correct course required for the pistol permit, as the NRA offers several types of courses. The course I took was held in the basement of a local NRA instructor. The course is designed to be a full day course, but the actual length will vary depending on the number of students, and the knowledge level of the students. I was done with my class by lunchtime. Live fire is required for the course. For that portion we had to go to a local indoor shooting range. There is also a basic written test that must be passed in order to complete the class. The instructor determines the price of the class, but most instructors are charging around $100.
3) Apply for a local permit at the local police station. Cost: $70. After passing the NRA course, you will need to take your course certificate, certified birth certificate ($10) or passport, drivers license, and passport-style photo (free at AAA if you are a member) to your local police station. There they will give you the necessary forms to fill out to apply for the local permit. Of course, there is a processing fee. They may also schedule a time for you to be fingerprinted if they don’t do it at that time.
4) Get finger printed. Cost: $50. You will need to submit to fingerprints at the local police station. There is a charge for the station to do the fingerprinting.
5) Wait for background check. At this point, you have provided the local police department everything they need to process your permit. They will conduct a background check and call you at the conclusion of the background check. They estimate that the background check will take 6 weeks, but it will most likely take longer.
6) Pick up local pistol permit. Cost: $70. After completing the background check, the local police department will call you to pick up your local pistol permit. This permit is good for 60 days.
7) Go to DPS to obtain state permit. Cost: $70. After getting your local permit, you take this permit, your certified birth certificate or passport, and drivers license to one of the Connecticut Department of Public Safety locations. At that point, you will wait in line, fill out a form, pay another $70 any they will take your picture and immediately issue your state pistol permit, which is good for 5 years. I went to the DPS headquarters location in Middletown, but your local police station should provide a list of all the available locations. Most other locations are in police barracks throughout the state.

That’s it. At that point, you have your Connecticut pistol permit.

It seems simple on paper, but in my case it required a trip to the town hall of the town in which I was born to obtain a certified birth certificate, a trip to the local AAA office to get a passport photo, sacrificing a Saturday for the NRA class, 3 trips to the local police station, and an afternoon driving and waiting in line at the state DPS.

“The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step” – Confucius

“From my cold, dead hands” – Charlton Heston