Outdoors
The BDN outdoors section brings readers into the woods, waters and wild places of Maine. It features stories on hunting, fishing, wildlife, conservation and recreation, told by people who live these experiences. This section emphasizes hands-on knowledge, field reports, issues, trends and the traditions that define life outside in Maine. Read more Outdoors stories here.
Just before rifle deer season opened, a friend of mine was in dire need of a new pair of hunting boots. So, on a Sunday before a Patriots game, we took a ride to our favorite hunting, fishing and everything-outdoors store.
I didn’t really need anything, but while my friend was busy trying on different styles and makes of boots, I went for a stroll to bide the time. Like many deer hunters, I enjoy my gadgets and toys. Who knows? I just might spot something new, innovative or different that I simply have to try. To my surprise, I did.
The first thing I came across was a hunter’s umbrella. I have owned and used one of these gadgets before and loved it, but it got ripped or otherwise destroyed. I can’t remember which. Since a replacement had yet to appear for my birthday or under the Christmas tree despite several hints, and since it’s a sure bet the weather will turn foul at some point before rifle or muzzleloader season comes to an end, I bit the bullet and bought one.
Hunting in a light rain, drizzle or falling snow is one of my favorite things. Truth be known, I have killed as many deer in wet, foul weather as I have under blue skies. But I am not crazy about getting wet. In my experience, rain gear and water-resistant outer garments keep you dry for only so long. An umbrella, however, sheds precipitation away, just as it is designed to do.
The one I bought comes with a post that screws into a tree. An adjustable strap goes around the tree to hold the umbrella upright, so it makes no difference whether I’m hunting from a stand or sitting on the ground. The instructions say it can even be used as a ground blind shield, although I’ve never used one that way.
It weighs just 1.5 pounds, comes in a nylon carrying bag and is light, compact and easy to carry in a pack. When open, it provides 54 inches of coverage, plenty of protection from the elements.
Rattling and using grunts and other calls have never been a big part of my deer hunting strategy. Maybe they should have been. Perhaps more big bucks would be hanging on our walls. But I do own some artificial rattling antlers, a couple of grunt calls and deer cans. Even though I seldom take them into the woods, I do like giving them a try from time to time when the timing is right.
That’s why I stopped at a display loaded with various rattling systems and calls during my trek around the store. One in particular caught my attention.
It’s called the Pack Rack and is made by Knight & Hale, a name I was familiar with. Apparently, it has been on the market for a while, but I had never heard of it. That goes to show how little I know about these gadgets. What caught my attention was its unusual appearance.
It’s made of some kind of high-density plastic and consists of two parts. Each part has a hollow hand grip. The two pieces fit together to form a light, compact unit that can easily be carried in a backpack or fanny pack, which I liked.
When separated, banging the two parts together with a back-and-forth twisting action is supposed to imitate two bucks rattling. The rattling tone or intensity can supposedly be varied by cupping your hands over the hollow grips or keeping your palms flat against them.
I was curious, so I tried it in the store. Doing so drew some attention from people walking by, so I figured it might work. For $20 plus tax, I figured, what the heck? The worst that can happen is I’ll feel like an idiot, which happens more times than I like to admit in the deer woods.
I was on my way back to meet my friend when I stopped at a table marked with a sign advertising discounts of 50% to 60% on discontinued items. Signs like that always draw my attention, so I figured it wouldn’t hurt to make my friend wait a few more minutes.
Sifting through the various items on display, I found a grunt call. It’s made by Flextone, a name known for its game calls. Called the Buck Crusher, it’s constructed of some kind of plastic molded to resemble part of an antler, which I thought was neat and unusual.
Unlike many grunt tubes that hang around the neck, this call comes with a wrist strap that keeps it conveniently handy but out of the way. It has three different calls: doe, wheeze and buck.
It was still wrapped in its original plastic clamshell, so I couldn’t give it a try, as much as I wanted to. But I liked the way it looked and the wrist strap attachment, so I put it in my cart.
I have no idea why this particular call was being discontinued and marked down. Maybe it didn’t sell well, or perhaps the manufacturer no longer offers it. But at $12, down from around $30, I figured I couldn’t go wrong.
We’re still in the middle of deer season, and muzzleloader season is still to come. I don’t know if the deer gadgets I recently purchased will be worth the money, but we’ll see. Do you have yours?