Hunting Choices & Opportunity Costs

If you have considered reevaluating your personal finance practices at any time in the last 20 years you have undoubtedly heard the name Dave Ramsey before. If you haven’t, stop reading this blog post and immediately find a friend with his Financial Peace University program and borrow it. Ramsey has helped numerous people free themselves from debt and like many young couples my significant other and I are in the process of going through the program. While listening to a lecture today on the topic of personal finance, I was struck when Dave explained the concept of opportunity costs. Simply put, opportunity costs are tradeoffs that occur when you choose to spend your money or time on one thing instead of another. For example, if I invest my disposable income in an IRA, I can’t also use it to do home improvements. Assuming that most people act rationally, we tend to choose the option which we perceive gives us the greatest return.

Now, the concept of an opportunity cost is not new to me. However, what if I considered it in light of hunting? I know this sounds crazy, but hear me out. How we spend our time outdoors ultimately determines what benefit we yield from such time. Because we cannot be in two places at once, there are opportunity costs associated with each outdoor activity. A number of different variables affect the result of a hunt (and the associated opportunity costs):

-Game pursued

-Located hunted

-Time of day

-Weapon used      

-Hunting party size

-Hunting technique

Consider the following scenario:

It is a Friday afternoon in November and you the have rest of the weekend to hunt at your leisure. You have access to a mixed terrain parcel of land with hardwood timber, a winter wheat field, a 40-acre flood control impoundment, and hillsides full of blackberry bushes. Right now, hunting seasons for whitetail deer, rabbit, squirrel, quail, and waterfowl are open. You have a hunting buddy nearby that is always willing to go for an adventure.

What do you pursue?

Every decision we make is a trade-off and I’ve been in this scenario a hundred times. The decision is never easy. Because gun season for whitetail is often short (two weeks or less) there is a huge pressure to hunt deer. However, unless you’ve considered the need to accommodate two people with a ground blind, multiple stands, or a two-person stand then you either have to leave your buddy out of the hunt or risk being unsuccessful. Conversely, if you want to hunt small game or birds the likelihood of you harvesting a deer is slim. Furthermore, you’ll need to be wearing blaze orange which makes waterfowl hunting extremely difficult. Finally, if you do decide to take waterfowl you’ll also need to pack only non-toxic shot, which is expensive and ineffective at extended distances.

Can you see how this turns into a big puzzle? Oft times when faced with such decisions I tend to hedge my bets—I pursue a mixed bag (small game and birds) with non-toxic shot and a partner. This increases the fun factor of the hunt because the day is varied and can be spent with a companion in the field. Yes, you’ll have to wear blaze orange and you’ll spook a number of ducks. You’ll also be forced to limit your shots to relatively close range. However, the associated opportunity costs are less than what I perceive to be the benefit of going afield with a buddy and pursuing one of my favorite quarries (waterfowl).

Where opportunity costs really come into play is in choosing a weapon. If you’ve read my prior blog post “Dynamic” Bird Watching (http://piouspatriot.blogspot.com/2014/05/dynamic-bird-watching.html) you’ll recall that I was forced to pass on a really, really big tom turkey this year because I opted to take a shotgun along that had a limited range. I’m tickled to have gotten a turkey despite this, but I still can’t help but slightly wonder if things would have not been different had I been actually been packing my shotgun that is set up to shoot turkeys at long range. This is a perfect example of taking odd weapons afield and paying for it—yet for me it is a trend that I don’t see ending anytime soon.

I have a nostalgic streak a mile wide, which is why I’m set on trying to take a deer this year with a single-action revolver. There is just something undeniably cool about forcing yourself to get close to the quarry and making the shot that most people can’t. This is also why I often let my compound bow sit in the closet and why I pick up my lithe (but decidedly less efficient) longbow. The downside to this is that there is an associated opportunity cost and frequently you come home empty-handed. Now, as a hunter you have to accept from the beginning that you won’t be successful on every outing. However, there is such a thing as a glutton for punishment.

About four years ago I was at the zenith of my duck hunting fervor. I loved it. Mallards. Gadwalls. Wigeons. Heck, I’d even shoot a Ringneck. There was great joy in sneaking over a pond dam and seeing a veritable array of different duck species on the other side. To boot, I had gotten really good at shooting ducks. In fact, on a number of occasions I would empty my gun (limited to three shells by law), kill three ducks, reload, and kill three more ducks on a single rise. Despite having killed hundreds of ducks in my life, I had not (and still haven’t) shot a duck with a band. This failure ate at me and gnawed my very core as a duck hunter. Where could all of these mythical banded ducks be!? Despite this, I still loved duck hunting and wanted to combine it with another one of my passions: shooting a longbow. So, for about two months’ time I duck hunted with a quiver of arrows on my back and a longbow in my hand. Talk about failure. I buzzed ducks with arrow fletchings. I spooked ducks trying to get close. I lobbed arrows at ducks on the other side of the pond. I belly-crawled up to ducks and spent countless time glassing ducks with binoculars. Pretty much the only thing I didn’t do was kill a duck with a longbow. Eventually, reality set in and I realized that the opportunity cost was just too high. Each time a red-leg mallard sprung from the cattails and each time a white-capped wigeon whistled away I could not help but think, “Was that the banded duck I’ve been waiting on?”

However, not all nostalgia-fueled escapades are such abysmal failures. Last year I managed to do two novelty method hunts that were so rewarding that I’ll be back to hunting ducks with a longbow before long. You see, I actually managed to take a public land whitetail with an iron-sighted rifle designed in 1878 and I managed to harvest a cottontail rabbit with a revolver. Though neither animal would be going into a record book, each of these hunts left an indelible mark on my hunting mindset and have led me to hunger for more challenging adventures. So, in the end when you consider how you’ll go afield next fall perhaps the greatest reward might be to still-hunt instead of freeze to death in a deer stand, or to take your grandfather’s shotgun afield instead of your new Benelli. Antler and meat count for a lot to a hunter, but they don’t count quite as much as memories do.

The Old Way

 

Summer rains bring life          

Russet fins break the surface
Wading with my gig    

Part heron, part Cherokee

A statue turned lightning

"Dynamic" Bird Watching

I never considered that I would shoot a turkey today. In fact, I didn’t even think that I would be seeing turkeys today. My sweetheart and I were going to take a mini-vacation this week, culminating with hiking the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve. Because I took a half day of vacation and because the current film selection in the local theater was terrible, we decided to go for a walk and see if we could not put her new digital camera to good use. I knew of a local lake that had been producing good numbers of migratory shorebirds, so I suggested that we go there.

Fast forward two hours later. We’d seen American pelicans, cranes, geese, swallows, shrikes and assorted other fowl. After relocating a couple miles down the road I passingly told my sweetie that we were in excellent turkey habitat. The gravel road ended in a massive hardwood draw with a beautiful washout on the right hand side. A considerable clearing with aged trees interspersed throughout looked exactly like the kind of place that a longbeard would hang out…and it was! After discussing the habitat, my partner encouraged me to giving calling a try, just for kicks and giggles. I quickly fished a diaphragm call out of my pack and gave two sets of three-note yelps. I was immediately answered by a gobble a few hundred yards away.

Now we are in a predicament. We are not in turkey hunting attire. I am wearing my brightest blue jeans, a gray polo, and a Cabela’s hat with a bright orange fish on it. My dearest was clad in blue jeans, sportswear and a blue-gray Nike hat. This was going to be interesting. I quickly placed her behind a large oak and descended the slope about 10 yards to shorten the potential shot range. I knew this would be necessary. Typically when turkey hunting I carry a Stoeger 3500 with a Primos Tightwad Choke and Winchester Longbeard XR ammo. This setup with the 3 1/2” shells (2 oz of 5 shot in a resin-locked column) will kill a bird way on the other side of 50 yards. However, I wasn’t planning on going turkey hunting today; I was planning on going walking. So, I was packing my “walking” shotgun: a Remington 870 Wingmaster retired from a Midwestern police department and given new life as my home defense gun. It is perfect for walking because of the light weight, short length-of-pull stock, and handy single-point sling. Despite its utility, I knew that an 18” cylinder-bored barrel and 1 ¼ oz of #6 shot was not going to do the job past 25 yards.



After 15 minutes of talking turkey (hah!) I finally caught a glimpse of the tom that had responded. Not only was this the only gobbler I had in range all year, it was also likely the biggest tom that I had ever encountered in the field. His beard was every bit of 8” long. Unfortunately, I only had about a 10 second window to take the bird and he was over 40 yards away. I aligned the rifle sights on his day-glo red head but couldn’t force myself to pull the trigger. I knew the limitations of my weapon and it would have been an irresponsible decision. Soon after the gobbler disappeared into the brush and began putting. Once you hear this turkey vocalization, you know that the show is over. I climbed back up the bank only to find that my girlfriend had watched the turkey for 2 minutes before I ever had the chance to see him.



I’d be lying if I didn’t say that I wasn’t feeling downtrodden. We preceded out of the hardwoods and into a field-edge. A lake channel ran parallel to our path and I intended to make way for an overlook that would provide a good opportunity to set up the camera’s tripod. Half way there and we both heard rustling in the brush to our right. My girl pulls on my backpack and we pause. A few hopeful yelps are quickly sung but no reply occurs. Three steps later and the tall grass on the other side of us explodes in a hurricane of green blades and barred feathers. I immediately can tell that we have busted a bedded tom, but I can’t tell what size. Being the meat hunter that I am (don’t judge) I swing the 870 briskly and slap the trigger just as the bird takes flight. The whole ordeal lasts less than 2 seconds and I have not only my first Kansas turkey, but also my first public land turkey! Upon closer inspection it was obvious that the bird was a jake with a short beard, but I am still overjoyed. After a quick photo session I look up to see three other hunters coming towards us. They are each head-to-toe in matching designer camouflage, are wearing $100 turkey hunting vests, and are carrying camo-clad specialized turkey-hunting shotguns. They also look like I just walked over their grave—as I look like some twisted tourist, wearing a polo with a turkey in one hand and a riot shotgun in the other. After a quick chat with the boys we exchange well wishes and go about our respective ways. Sometimes it is better to be lucky than good and today was definitely one of those days. I wouldn’t have traded this dynamic and heart-pounding harvest for any other.

March Madness in the Great Outdoors

I didn't really feel like going scouting today. In fact, I was set to take a bath, grab some dinner and retire for the evening. But, my girlfriend had other notions: "Get out, it is still light outside!" So, I (slightly begrudgingly) got myself together and strapped on the wheelgun for a 2 hr. trip. What a trip did it prove to be! Late March means two things to me: turkey hunting and mushrooms. I've been prepping for the April turkey season for a while by sorting my kit, practicing calls, and patterning my shotgun. Mushrooms aren't even an option now. It literally snowed here yesterday. Needless to say, my main interest was going to be looking for turkey sign.

Twenty minutes later I'm pulling into public land and I can't help but think that this was a good decision. The fields of milo stubble with a lake in the background was just what I needed to end the workday. I am less than twenty yards down the agricultural road when I see a wild turkey wing feather. Things are looking up. As I am examining the feather I suddenly hear the frantic scattering of leaves and the nervous chirps of bobwhite quail. I've lived in Kansas for two years and I have seen exactly one bobwhite prior to this. This covey knows something is up and is quickly making it's way through the dense underbrush on the right hand side of the road. Nonetheless, I count at least five birds and by the ruckus I judge there to be at least ten in the covey. Maybe I will just have place to bird hunt next year.

Now I am proceeding slowly down the road, measuring each step and watching the inevitable stragglers from the covey scurry away. Two more steps and I hear rustling but don't see anything. I wait and once again I am tickled by what I see. A big cottontail has heard the quail and makes a couple quick hops into an opening about twelve yards away. Before I know it I've got my revolver out of my holster and have the tritium front sight trained on the brown blob that is so effortless blending into the leaf litter. Boom! I see a flash of white fur and I know that I have made a good shot. As it turns out, the ball went right through the shoulder---not bad for basic sights on a small target.



At this point, I quickly skin and dress the rabbit. The temperate is hovering around 40 degrees and I don't want the meat to ruin (which is very possible if you don't work quickly on rabbits). After a short cleaning session I am ambling down the trail once more--happy as a lark. Another forty yards and I have quite a pep in my step. I take a quick respite where the field edge meets another finger of timber when I see something pushing through the tall grass on the trail-side. A hen turkey bounds twice, hits the packed dirt, and then takes awkward flight towards the lake. The whole time I am fumbling with my camera trying to get a picture, but only manage to capture the trail ahead.

As the sun begins to set I circumscribe the field edge and watch as two does and three fawns sneak across the stubble into a wood about 250 yards away. I'm so happy that I am about to burst and in my revery I nearly go into cardiac arrest when yet another cottontail explodes from a briar-patch just a few feet away from me. Have you ever tried to draw a revolver one-handed from concealment and aim at a running rabbit while holding another skinned rabbit in your off hand? I have. I imagine it was quite a sight to see.

Extraordinary can only begin to describe the scouting trip that I had. It is amongst the best in my hunting lifetime and I saw more game today than in the past five rambles that I have went on. I'm cooking brier rabbit for dinner tonight and have quite a story to tell. No doubt I will regret saying this for a while, but I am undoubtedly thankful that I listened to my girlfriend...   :)

P.S. Since squirrel season doesn't start in Kansas until June 1st I am considering this completion of Spring Goal #4.

Update - Spring Goal No. 2 - Catch a 4 lb.+ Largemouth

Finally winter's hoary grasp is broken! The high today reached 78 degrees. I spent the day earning my bread but secretly lamenting that I was indoors. While running errands during the workday I noted that the spring fires had started billowing their charcoal plumes on the horizon and just this morning the songbirds were waxing poetic in a way that I swear I hadn't heard in ages. Naturally, I buzzed out of work after my due diligence and proceeded immediately to buy my fishing license and pick up a copy of the 2014 regulations. Once home I Googled urban fishing locations in a desperate attempt to successfully wet a line. Somehow between bare-bones descriptions and grainy photos I found myself at a sequestered nature area in the middle of the big city. It didn't look like much but there were cars in the gravel parking lot and a big sign that denoted 15" slot limits for largemouth. Could this be a welcome omen?

In a word, no. Not even close. I started pitching a cone-eyed marabou/flashabou pattern in lime green and turquoise that was expertly tied by a friend. Despite my urge to rip a shallow-diving crankbait across the pond I let logic get the best of me and thought that I would try subtlety. I have to admit, the marabou pulsed wonderfully and the fly descended so slowly that I would have sworn that a strike was only casts away. I was utterly baffled after pitching it into every piece of cover I could find. Then I thought, "You fool, you need more reach!" Next I grab a heavy chartreuse curly-tailed jig and lob it gleefully to the distant shore. It sank far too quickly and I was forced to buzz it at inappropriate speed across the raccoon-tails. No such luck. Next I succumb to the shallow-diving crankbait, noting that the one other serious fisherman at the location had actually managed to hang a fish on a similar lure. I  spend the next 30 minutes probing and poking around every accessible nook and cranny. Nada.

Angry, I decide that I will now pull out all of the stops. I reach for the showstopper. New in the package--found inexplicably on the clearance rack of the local sporting goods store--the ultimate predatory fish slayer had recently come into my possession. Giant, gleaming, like a hammered copper relic of some druidic chieftain this lure was nothing short of enchanted. It even had the color-scheme of some wildling  palette---all black and red and yellow. Bold colors. Colors that one might find in natural plant dyes or warpaint. Can a simple amalgam of wire, beads, bucktail, and shining blades be sexy? Yes, this was practically a fertility symbol---even complete with facsimile fish roe. It was the ne plus ultra of predatory baits.


11/16 oz. Mepps Double Blade Agila (LINK)
#5 Copper Blades
Black Dress

As soon as my retrieve began I knew that I what was in store for me: ichthyological enlightenment. My Mitchell rod and Stren line could barely constrain the primal THUM THUM THUM that the hypnotizing copper blades were beating out. THUM THUM THUM. A state record largemouth. THUM THUM THUM. A Bass Pro Shops sponsorship. THUM THUM THUM. A new Nitro boat. THUM THUM THUM. Moby Dick in inland waters. THUM THUM THUM! Yet, before I knew it I had the lure in hand. It was no less magical, but I had no more fish than when I had started. I picked it up and looked at it disbelief, as if to say, "Surely you jest?" I cast to a promising weed-bed edge. THUM THUM THUM. No takers.

I turn from my early spring view. Something has to be wrong. Sadly, I must conclude that all the fish in Kansas are dead. They've all froze to death and their is nothing we can do about it. I guess I'll have to take up golf (and self-loathing) now. All my fishy dreams are dead (or the water temperature is still a little too low).

2013-2014 Hunting Season Wrap-Up and Spring Goals

My goodness it has been a long time since I have updated my blog! I did have a successful deer season (pics below) but didn't get a chance to harvest a mule deer. The land access portion was just too much to overcome. Nonetheless, it was one of the best seasons in recent history. In total I took three deer: a Kansas doe, an Oklahoma 7 pt. and another Oklahoma doe. I almost forgot--I also was able to take my first bobcat!


Kansas doe taken in the early antlerless season




Oklahoma 7 pt. (3x4) buck



Oklahoma doe



Oklahoma Bobcat

Sad to say, I've already almost eaten/given away most of the meat. I think I have three packages of trim left--that is all! I have really, really enjoyed cooking this year. Notably, Hank Shaw's Hunter-Angler-Gardener-Cook Blog and The L.L. Bean Game & Fish Cookbook (Angus Cameron and Judith Jones) have really helped me step up my game in the kitchen.

Exhibit A:


Venison backstrap seared in cast iron with Cumberland sauce




Canadian Goose breast seared in cast iron with Cumberland sauce


Venison shoulder, spice-rubbed and mesquite-smoked




Venison roast, braised in stock and port

Needless to say, I haven't been starving. However, as spring draws near on the horizon I am a little sad to see the bounty of fall lapse so quickly. We all know that spring is the season on growth and opportunity, but that concept is different for a hunter. Though I enjoy fishing, foraging, and gardening more than most, these opportunities are bittersweet. Nonetheless, I'm looking forward to spring. Winter in northern Kansas has been exceptionally harsh this year. I've experienced my personal lowest temperature (-15 F), largest ice accumulation (1"+),  and largest amount of snow (13") this year. Good gracious! Once again, the snow is supposed to come again today. So, I'm inside doing my mindless trivialities (organizing tackle boxes, cleaning guns, etc) and dreaming of the days afield that are to come.

One of my accomplishments today is to come up with a series of goals for this spring. Unlike goals most people set (lose weight, quit smoking, save money, etc) I am actually looking forward to accomplishing these:

1. Catch a walleye, any walleye.

2. Catch a largemouth over 4 lbs (it has been a long drought).

3. Harvest a turkey (it has been a long drought).

4. Take a squirrel with my revolver.

5. Make Brunswick Stew with squirrel.

6. Find three new edible plants within 40 miles of my residence.

7. Find a secret spot where morel mushrooms grow.

8. Get a truly awesome photo on my trail camera.

9.Film something truly awesome on the Go-Pro.

10. Hike Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve.

As I accomplish (or fail to accomplish) each of these goals I'll update this blog to give everyone the back-story. Watch this space! 

A Word on Rifle Slings

It is no secret; if you can't shoot offhand, you are going to miss opportunities at game. In Gun Culture 2.0, we've moved away from hunting marksmanship in favor of defensive marksmanship and competition marksmanship. With the exception of rifle events in Cowboy Action and 3-Gun, offhand proficiency with a rifle has largely waned. Certainly, in the modern hunting world long-range shooting from a backpack, bipod, or improvised rest is more en vogue than it has ever been. That's all well and good---it takes solid equipment, considerable skill, and lots of trigger time to make those quarter to half mile shots. But, it does zero good when that grey-muzzled and sag-bellied whitetail buck springs up from a blow-down.

 Clinton & Charles Robertson from RAF Lakenheath, UK & San Marcos, TX, USA & UK

Enter the sling. There has a been a good deal written on the rifle sling and numerous authors have made the distinction between a sling and a carrying strap. When most people think of a rifle sling, they think of it as a carrying strap. These folks are missing out on a huge advantage in offhand shooting. A proper sling makes for a more stable shooting platform and can really make the difference in taming that buck fever. In this brief article, I'll discuss the three slings that made me a believer in the value of having a quality sling on a hunting rifle. 

I was first cured of my LSU Disorder (Limited Sling Usage) after reading up on the superb marksmanship challenge, Project Appleseed. Project Appleseed is a rifle shooting course hosted by the Revolutionary War Veterans Association. Appleseed recommends a USGI web sling, like those issued for the M1 Garand for its shooters (http://www.appleseedinfo.org/as_faq.html). This sling is cheap (I paid $16 for mine), easily adjustable, and excellent for wrapping around the forearm. This sling provides an economical and effective way to reduce wobble. However, I have noticed that when considerable tension is applied to the sling via the forearm wrap that the length adjustment buckle has a tendency to slip. Your miles may vary based on material (cotton or nylon), but this is a decent option for the sportsman on a budget who a wants a real sling. 

USGI Web Sling mounted on AR-15

The best sling option for offhand shooting is the Ching Sling popularized by Lt. Col Jeff Cooper. The Ching Sling uses three mounting points and a large loop to allow the shooter to wrap the strap around the tricep. This is considerably more stable than the hasty sling method mentioned for the USGI web sling. The downside, of course, is that the Ching Sling requires the installation of additional sling studs on most rifles. Depending on your firearm of choice, this can be impractical or unpleasing to the eye. An alternative to the storied Ching Sling is Andy Langois' Rhodesian Sling (http://www.andysleather.com). The Rhodesian Sling provides most of the support of the Ching Sling without requiring the extra sling stud. Setup is simple. Adjust the loop so that it can be quickly and tightly pulled around the tricep and the adjust the length of the remaining sling. If you so like, you can trim the excess leather (there is quite a bit) to prevent snagging and flopping. I have found the Rhodesian Sling to be considerably better in providing stability than the web sling, but it sacrifices a little speed in the process. Did I mention it is leather? Not the crappy, plasticized leather found in your wife's purse but honest to goodness real leather. It smells as good as rare backstrap tastes, and that is saying something.

 Rhodesian Sling mounted on Winchester 1885 Highwall

If supported shooting isn't your aim, but a lightning fast mount is, then the ideal sling for you is the Boonie Packer Safari Sling (http://www.redi-mag.com/index.php?l=product_detail&p=14). This extremely unorthodox sling carries the rifle in front of the shooter, and the elongated straps actually run through the sling swivels and over the barrel and buttstock. This sort of sling takes a bit to get used to, but it provides the fastest time to sight picture of any that I have tried and offers excellent muzzle control. With good irons (receiver aperture, ghost ring or express leaf) or a low-power scope this setup provides truly remarkable speed. With a little practice, you'll be envisioning yourself putting heavy rounds into an incoming Cape Buffalo.

The author with a Winchester 70 riding on a Boonie Packer Safari Sling

As someone who enjoys hunting on the ground and in particular still-hunting, these slings have greatly improved my ability to make offhand shots quickly and accurately. Though someone who lobs rounds in the next county from a stable prone may not benefit from them as much, they are not limited to this shooting discipline. While browsing a large outdoor retailer recently I stumbled across a obscene mechanical arm that mounts to a treestand's footrest and provides a benchrest like platform for rifle shooting. If I recall correctly, it ran about $300. At the time, I thought it was absurd and couldn't understand why my shopping buddy thought it was worth purchasing. Then, I remembered. I know how to use a sling.