doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Tips and tricks you've learned

Spare shear pin duct taped to the internal gas line under the cowling of the outboard motor.

Since pocket combs have already been covered for effective burr removal..

I've found that carrying a shovel, used like a walking stick, works well for wadding into the slime frequently found in/around playas for early teal season, where you are going to be doing layout shooting. Also packing a contractor clean up bag to use between you and the muck, where you shovel your 'hide'.
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I use a packet of Trioral� oral rehydration salts dissolved in a 1 liter thermos of water rather than any of the so called 'sport drinks' as it is much more effective. Always keep a coupla packets in my kit, even when shooting summertime clay target events; its good to have on-hand JIC anyone may start to get overheated in triple digit temps where heat exhaustion is always a possibility.

Also always have a coupla strong OTC antihistamines w/me JIC anyone is allergic to an insect bite.. to slow it down until we can get them to a doc.

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I always carry extra ear plugs of the foam type [29db noise reduction in individual packets of two]; someone invariably forgets to have any hearing protection.. on most hunts.
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Have found one of the small powerful LED single AA battery flashlights is indispensable to have in your pocket & a 'Big Larry'�(?) in your kit for all hunting situations where you are setting up in the dark.

My main turkey hunting buddy decades ago was a former USAF navigator on the old Shakey C-124. He used to give me grief about my carrying a compass until a fog bank covered him up turkey hunting. I carry two compasses; one on each wrist. The old Suunto Wrist which works best in daylight as the glow in the dark technology is obsolete compared with Tritium illumination. For dark work, the little Cammenga wrist compass is unequaled in size and utility and has Tritium illumination. I carry it on my wrist band with my watch. The watch is a Luminox, but that is another story. The Suunto has a rotating bezel and sighting port for shooting and holding azimuths. I recommend both for turkey hunting. I lock in on a bird's azimuth in the tree and keep moving. I slightly fall off the azimuth to keep from bumping him which can happen on an exact azimuth. It has paid off many times on shut mouths or infrequent gobbling. I learned this trick from an old Charlie Elliot book and is worth repeating.



If you notice on the Suunto, the bearings appear to be reversed, mirror image and north/south. That's because when you use the sighting port you are reading the bearing of the heading on the opposite side of view port. Suppose I hear a bird in the tree. I have the compass on my right wrist outside the ghillie jacket. I hold my wrist at right angle to the bird. I rotate the bezel until the bezel's N or point matches the needle's point or N. With bezel red lines paralleling the black needle, the window will reveal the azimuth's degrees in the window. As long as I am heading in the direction indicated by centering the arrow with the bezel and right angle to my wrist, I am on course. To find the back azimuth or return direction, I don't touch the bezel but turn the compass until the point of the compass is exactly reversed in the red arrow's lines of the bezel. There are no mathematics involved. The mathematics come in determining annual deviation from true and magnetic north. That's not a factor I need to mess with here in the low country and for turkey hunting it's not important.
Here's a trick with a watch to navigate. The watch must be analog (okay, think Mickey Mouse hands) such as the Luminox in the photo. With the sun visible, point the hour hand at the sun. With a line half way between 12 on the dial and the hour hand and with the line extending through the center of the dial, the line is due south. For example, at high noon, the sun is at its zenith (highest point in the sky) That is directly south. This also coincides with the hour hand being on 12. There are slight differences between daylight and standard time, but this is enough for you to find your bearings. Also, the sun in Georgia is in the Southern Sky. Using this watch trick can be the difference between lost and not lost. Gil

Great ideas fellas. Think about it. Everyone has learned something on their journeys after game that is beneficial, but maybe not well known ........ or known at all.

No one has mentioned rain proofing, or waterproofing, your gear or personal items like wallet, cell phone, etc. Anytime a boat is involved for ducks I put my cell phone and card wallet, fire starting gear, cigar, in a little waterproof plastic box sold for exactly that. About $15 at Bass Pro, and it floats. I also use a floating gun slip. How do others do this .......... ziplocs?

SRH

I carry baby wipes in a ziplock to wipe my dAiry'air....

Lernt that from a Yankee they have soft azzes.

For many years I enjoyed Squirrel hunting with a .22 rifle. Quite by accident, I learned way back I did not want to use Hi-Velocity shells.
I have many times sat under a Hickory/Beech/Oak tree with a passel of Squirrels working it & firing at one would not even stop the others from feeding when using standard velocity loads. Under the same situation, ONE Hi-Velocity shot would Clear the Tree.

standard, or better yet, subsonics destroy a lot less meat and hearing too.

An Elite series turkey vest works great for most any type of hunting. It comes with a drop down seat that is heavy, but you can zip it off, and what is left is a garment with all the pockets you could ever need, including a blood- proof game bag.

If you can find one made of nylon, it will weigh only a few ounces, but have enough pockets for most any activity. When one gets worn, I retire it from turkey hunting and switch it to another activity. I have one that I use for wade fishing and I just leave all my gear in it between trips; never have to look for my tackle.

One drawback - all I've ever seen are some type of camo and that may not look too cool for some activities. I long ago quit worrying about cool, so it's no issue for me.

The compass info is very interesting, Gil. I have always used a compass.
Jim

When pheasant hunting most of the time the birds are moving on you.Think about how you can herd them to an edge that will slow them down enough to catch up. When there s an edge, fence row etc. have someone walk in the lighter cover. As soon as a rooster hits the lighter cover he will run like a road runner. If they see a person out were he can really leg it he will stay in the heavier stuff. When you get to the end of the cover you are working stand there for a while and really let the dogs work. I've seen many hunters caught off guard when they think they are done and can take a break and have a rooster come up close by. ymmv